25.

I blinked a few times in utter bewilderment, just staring at his face.

"I'm...I'm not dead!" I shouted out loud like a crazy person, letting out a stifled laugh.

"Y-you...you can touch me!" I rose my hand and hesitantly poked his cheek, soon starting to pinch and prod at his face, arms and chest, with each touch feeling even more bewildered as he just stood there, cool as a cucumber.

"H-how...?!?"

"Okay, that is enough. I think you can step away from her now," I heard Ricky say rather annoyed, noticing him stand somewhere close by the bed and right next to Blake as Azrael swiftly moved a little bit to the side, lastly realizing that Raphael and Lucifer were also in the room now as they stood close to the door, watching our little show.

"I'll behave, I promise. Just d-don't...Enough with the touching, man," He added as he looked at Azrael, making me bit my lip in embarrassment as I've lastly realized what I just did yet also feel a little giddy at his jealousness.

Azrael respectfully rose his palms into a surrendering manner and stepped down from the bed, leaving me standing there all by myself as they all just stared at me as if I were a newborn cub, ready to fall on its rump.

"What's going on?" I curiously asked after a moment, choosing to lower myself and take a seat on the bed, adopting a yoga position as I looked back at them.

"I don't know how else we could say this to you, but you've been turned by a vampire," Lucifer said with a rather calm but serious expression plastered over his face as he took a step closer, clasping his hands behind his back.

*What?*

"Turned?" I just stared back at him in utter astonishment, feeling more...intrigued rather than scared.

"Yes. You are a vampire now too," He calmly explained while everybody else silently stared at me, closely watching my every reaction as I could basically feel the tension in their bodies.

*And their distinct scents...*

"We still don't know why, and we were hoping that you could help us track down who did it and why," I heard Lucifer say as my attention casually shifted to Blake, drawn by that heartbeat and the heavenly delicious aroma wafting from her every pore.

*Shit. Why does she smell so good?*

"Can you remember what happened?" I lightly shook my head just as I heard Azrael’s question, struggling to rid myself of those weird thoughts and focus on what they were saying instead.

"Anything that could help us track the leech down," Lucifer added as he took a step closer, intently gazing at me.

"I..."

I lowered my gaze and thought hard, pushing myself to just remember anything that could help.

*"Tell him that he owed me a life..."*

My eyes widened just as I’ve recalled those words being whispered into my ear right before everything went black.

"H-he told me to tell one of you, that you owed him a life?" I said unsure as I rose my sight to look back at them, immediately hearing Raphael and Lucifer suddenly say in unison,

"Arias.”

"That filthy little leech," Lucifer angrily muttered as he started pacing around the room, making me stare at him, visibly confused.

*Who the heck is that?*

"He does have a nerve, to cross me like that," He continued on ranting as he ambled about, head down and submerged into a pensive state as we all watched him.

“It was me. He wanted to get back at me for ripping his neck off,” He suddenly said as he stopped right at the foot of the bed, earning a shocked stare and a gasp from me.

“W-what? Y-you...H-he-“

“Yes. That doesn’t kill a vampire. Not a strong one anyway,” He easily explained, making me stare at him even more stunned.

*What the hell?*

“I didn’t rip like, all of it. Only half,” He added with a gesture of his hands as if he was talking about baking a freaking cookie, making me gag and want to throw up a little bit just by thinking about it.

This was seriously sick. Like, horror movie sick.

But hey, this was the freaking King of Hell standing right in front of me and talking as if we were best buddies, so why was I even surprised?

“But I was just trying to save my daughter! She was about to get fed on by him! I didn’t even dare imagine that he would be this bold and do such thing!”

“I must be getting really soft if these little roaches think that they can cross me in such ways and get away with it! I have to punish him! Make a statement! Remind them who’s the real demon here!” He kept on shouting about like a crazy person as we all weirdly stared at him, a little bit creeped out as even in the dim light I could notice the shift in his eyes as they were no longer that cloudy grey but pitch black instead.

*Damn.*

"Erick, do you wish to have your revenge now or later?" He suddenly asked with such determination as he turned to look at Rick, making him actually hesitate for a moment or two as he stared between me and Lucifer, visibly conflicted.

“Wait, w-what’s gonna happen? What are we going to do now? I-I mean, what’s gonna happen to me?” I hurried to ask as I couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmed by a whirlwind of thoughts now occupying my mind.

I was a freaking vampire now...
I mean what in the fucking hell?!? I didn’t even know that vampires really existed until about an hour ago!
What could this even mean to me? How was I going to live from now on?
What do vampires actually do?
Was I going to have to sleep in a fucking casket? Will the sunlight burn me? What about my ma and sister? Could I even approach them ever again?

*Do I really have to drink blood now?*

I expressed a tiny, grossed-out grimace at that last thought, faintly reminiscing that absolutely delightful scent I’ve earlier felt on Rick, followed by that amazing sweet taste on my tongue as my gaze automatically trailed back to him, only now noticing that mild smear of dark red covering the side of his neck.

*Oh my god...Did I...Did I really do that?*

“For now, we’ll just have to help you get through The Urge,” I faintly heard Lucifer say as my gaze remained trained on Rick, noticing that saddened expression marring his handsome features as he silently looked back at me, making me feel that strain inside of him, barely holding himself back from reaching out to touch me again.

“The...what?” I suddenly felt so dizzy, my vision abruptly shifting to a some kind of thermal-colored one, hazily blinking a few times as I leaned forward and took a deep breath, feeling yet again that amazing and utterly incredible scent.

*Wow...What is this?*

“Yup. There it is. I’m surprised you’ve even lasted this long. Arias’ bloodline really is strong, I’ll have to give him that...”

I could hear Lucifer’s voice echoing and drifting away as my palms landed on the bed right in front of me, even hearing the sound of my own breath hitching inside my throat as that sweet scent kept taunting me, beckoning me to move closer and have another taste...

“Please...” I moaned, scooting towards the foot of the bed as all I could think about was that delicious taste and scent, casually hearing that terrified gasp from somewhere close as my attention remained trained on Rick’s bright red silhouette, feeling so desperate to reach him...To touch him and have just a little taste...

“Please...I want it...” I begged, daring to stretch my hand and reach out, only to feel yet again that burning sensation on my skin, making me cry out in pain.

“What...What is this? What did you do?!?”

“I’ve created a barrier around the bed, for safety measures,” I heard Azrael say as I held my hand close to my chest, quickly raising my sight to meet his.

“What? Why?”

“That thirst you feel right now, it will only intensify within the following days...It could even last months, and I know you wouldn’t want to hurt Blake or Rick...or anybody else,” He calmly explained as he watched me cradle my temporary injured hand, his words actually making realize one thing...

“So I’m...I’m a monster now?”