The Aftermath

**Warning:** The follow chapter may be triggering to some. Please read at your own caution.

Eva’s jerked her body forward and looked into the darkness. Taking a moment for her eyes to adjust, she looked around the room. "This isn’t my house,” she murmured, her throat still sore.

"It’s mine. I brought you here so you could recover.” Alaric laid shirtless next to her, upon seeing him, she swallowed her spit.

"I didn’t dream it did I?” He shook his head at her. Eva’s lip quivered, "I killed him.”

"No, I killed him,” he said sternly. Sitting up, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You really need to take it easy Eva, your body isn’t fully healed.” She couldn’t process what he was saying. Blood on the wall, screams of agony, the images filled her head. Pulling her legs to her chest, she winced from the pain. "I couldn’t heal you completely in one round without your body going into shock.” He looked at her, but she wouldn’t return his gaze.

"How long have I been out?”

“You’ve been in and out for the last four days”

Her eyes widened, "You laid next to me for four days?!”

“I got up a few times, but it wasn’t long before you started calling out for me in your sleep.” She sat her head onto her knees in embarrassment and something else. Noticing the red nightie she was clad in, Eva finally looked at him. He smiled sheepishly. "I tried putting you in multiple things, but you kept getting a fever. After a few baths to keep you cool, I realized less was best.” She groaned avoiding his gaze again. Snapping his finger, he turned on a small amount of light. "I have to put you back to sleep Eva, it’s the only way I can finish healing you. This time won't be so rough.” Turning his body to the nightstand nearby, Eva noticed two large scars on his back. Though not bloody, they were clearly deep and she reached out and touched one. Alaric's body stiffened under her touch and he cursed under his breath.

"What ar-”

"I had wings once.” This time it was him that didn’t look at her. How could he had been so careless to have let her see?

"What happened to them?”

"They were clipped.”

Silence filled the room until finally, she spoke. "Why?”

Alaric gritted his teeth.

"Because I killed two people I wasn’t supposed to.” He waited. Waited for her to freak out, hit him, or try to run away.

Instead, Eva ran her hand gently against the scars trying her best to be careful. "D-do they hurt?”

Alaric turned around and faced her. Her eyes glassy, he realized that she was upset that he was hurt.

*What a peculiarly frustrating human.*

She’d given him the same look when her, now deceased, husband hit him. Although he knew Charles could do no damage to him, he hadn’t thought about the fact that she did. As Eva eyed him waiting for a response, he felt himself reach out and caress her face.

"Not anymore.”

He heard her release the breath she’d been holding before snuggling into his chest. Being that close to her always made him feel weird, but as with the other times, he didn’t pull away. Not knowing if it was the revelation of him being hurt, or the fact that he’d finally shared something with her, Eva felt compelled to talk. She found herself blurting out something she’d kept close for a long time.

"I-I was pregnant once.” She shrunk further into his chest. When she heard no response, she decided to continue. "It was about a year after we got married. Charles was a different person back then. H-he-” She breathed in deep. "He actually loved me.”

She felt Alaric soothe her hair, and it somehow managed to calm her. "We were both really excited about our little girl…but then I fell.” Eva closed her eyes and tried her best not to relive the horrible memories. "In our previous house, there was this one old step that Charles kept asking me to get someone to fix it. He knew I could be quite clumsy at times and he was afraid I would one day step on it and it give out. Finally, he got frustrated that I kept forgetting, so he called someone instead. He begged me to stay upstairs until they arrived...but they were late and I was in a rush. I-I guess I wasn't careful enough because it gave out and I fell,” she sniffled, and quickly wiped her eyes. "I fell because I wouldn't listen, and we lost our baby girl." Alaric didn’t know what to feel as her sadness washed over him. He was never one for emotion, but seeing Eva this way, was doing a number on him. "After everything, they told me I couldn’t have any more children due to extreme trauma of the mis-”

He could hear her cry. Wrapping his arms around her, he placed his head on top of hers. "I got you Eva," he whispered, and she slowly began to calm.

"Charles never looked at me the same. He said had I not been rushing off to write trashy stories, our daughter would still be here. A little while after, he started his affair with a woman he’d dated in college and she’d ended up pregnant.”

Alaric wanted nothing more than to bring Charles back just so he could kill him again.

*Fucking bastard. He died too easily.*

"Took me about a year to figure it out, and another six months to work up the courage to confront him. I showed up at her home, and that day was the first time he hit me.” She wiped her face. "Said I was threatening the safety of his daughter and that next time he would do more than put me in the hospital.” Eva felt Alaric’s muscles tighten and she looked up to see his eyes. As red as the blood that once covered her, he stared straight in front of them. "I-I’m sorry,” she muttered out and he exhaled harshly.

*I need to calm down.*

Trying his best to calm himself, he closed his eyes until he felt them return to their natural color. "No, I’m sorry.” He hadn’t meant to scare her. Eva nodded, and he saw her wince again. "Will you let me finish healing you now?”

Instead of responding, she carefully laid back onto the bed. "Will you stay with me?” Alaric smirked but remained silent as he placed his hands onto her body once again.

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"LITTLE HUMAN WAKE UP!”

Eva's eyes opened immediately at the sound of Alaric calling her. "Wha-?” Sitting up, she looked at him and swallowed hard. "What’s going on with your eyes?”

Fully dilated, Alaric’s hazel eyes bore into hers. "You. Or rather the intense sexual dreams you keep having.” Her face reddened as she shifted feeling the dampness between her legs. "You're responding to me healing you. You did before but not *this* much.”

*Please world swallow me whole*

"I didn’t want to just disappear, but I really REALLY need to get out of this bed with you.”

"Why?” The word left her mouth before she could catch it.

Alaric looked to the ceiling and she could see his jaw twitch. "You know why Eva.” She did. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what the large imprint under the sheets was. "I’m going to take a cold shower…again,” he grumbled under his breath before pulling the sheet back. Sliding forward, Alaric felt her soft hand on his arm. Turning to face her, his mouth dried at the expression on her face. Tilting her head, Eva moved closer to him, and he closed his eyes as her hands traveled up his chest. Inhaling deep, he fought to keep control as she pulled him closer to her. "Eva…” He growled sternly.

She’d never been this brazen. Yet, Eva found herself tired of avoiding what she really wanted. Kissing him lightly on the lips, she waited hesitantly for him to respond. She gasped as he used the back of her head to jerk her forward into him. A small moan broke free from her lips, causing Alaric to kiss her deeper. Using his weight, he shifted her under him covering their bodies with the silk sheets. Eva bit into him, and he groaned before taking her mouth again. Using his tongue, he traveled down her neck while sliding the straps of the nightie past her shoulders. Eva arched her back, her body shuddering as Alaric used his mouth to tease each one of her breasts.

"I want you so badly,” she moaned. The heat from her words caused his eyes to dilate again.Pulling at her panties, his manhood throbbed as her wetness grinded against him. Fangs exposed, Alaric removed himself from his briefs before gently kissing her neck. Eva arched further into him, breath ragged he heard her whisper low, "It’s alright, I trust you.”

*“Manipulating her trust to get what you want is the last thing that Eva needs.”*

She felt his body still. Pulling his body away from her, he looked her in her eyes.

"Wha-What’s wrong?” She asked.

Lips swollen from his kisses, eyes darkened with desire. Alaric closed his eyes and breathed in hard.

*Number five*

"Eva…” She didn’t like the way he said her name. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I can’t do this.”