89: Bitten & Broken

One week. Seven days. One hundred and sixty eight hours. And a shit ton of minutes to sit and think about, agonize about what’s to come. Minutes to think about how Gabriel isn’t who I thought he was, who I wanted to believe he was.

“I should go.” The words tumble out of my mouth. My tongue barely moves as I say the words. My lips remain paralized.

He doesn’t stop me as I march to the door, but I come to an abrupt stop upon swinging it open.

“Leaving so soon?” A tall, much older man leers down at me. “I’m sure Gabriel would love for you to join us for dinner. Myself as well.” There’s no denying who he is. I’ve never seen him face to face, but the King of Vampires holds a superiority over everyone and everything.

His name is said on an exhaled breath. “Phillip.”

He flashes me a toothy grin before speaking. “Hazel, I presume.” He doesn’t wait for me to confirm or deny, “I’ll see you both in the dining hall.” In a blink of an eye, he disappears from the hall.

Left dumbfounded, I turn back to Gabriel. “I’m not going to dinner.”

“Thing is...you kind of have to.” He sees me tense. “I promise you, this isn’t the worst thing you’ve been through.”

How does he know what’s the worst thing I’ve been through is? Maybe he just got his words scrambled up and meant this isn’t the worst thing I’ll go through. Lost in thought, thinking intently on his words, trying to convince myself that’s not what he said, what he meant, I follow him out into the hall.

It doesn’t take long to get to the dining hall, which is disheartening. I need more time to compose myself. To hype myself up, calm myself down. But time slips away and Gabriel is opening the dining doors to reveal several vampires and their human counterparts.

There’s a blast of heat that rushes through me. My fear blazes hotly through my bones. So many vampires in one room and they’re all looking at me. Under the pressure, I stumble on my feet. What the hell is wrong with me? Since when have I cared about or feared vampires?

Maybe since I knew they were planning on taking over the world. Maybe since one or two of them expect something from me. Loyalty? Companionship? Servitude?

Gabriel leads us all the way to the furthest end of the table, closest to Phillip who sits at the head of the table. Of course, we couldn’t get away from his spying eyes. Those mischievous eyes hold sinister thoughts and I’m about to find out some of those dark thoughts. Unwillingly.

Gabriel, being true to name and not his nature, is a perfect gentleman...an angel and pulls my chair out for me, sliding it in under me so I’m nearly pushed up against the table. His cold fingers creep over my arm and intertwine between mine giving me his promise of protection and strength.

The feel of his hand on mine does just that. It gives me an illusion that I can sit at a table full of vampires unafraid. But can I? Damning thoughts poke and prod at my false hopes and fear slips in.

Phillip, beloved King to his vampire offspring, stands from his chair when everyone is seated with eyes on him. He makes a speech about new horizons and adventures that await them. Equality and breaking out of the shadows. It’s terrifying.

The most horrifying part is the part he brings me into. Something about the witch community, but he keeps it vague. As if I was one of his witches and knew what he was talking about. But he very well knows I’m not one of his witches and he keeps his secrets secure with friendly words meant to impress me.

Hate to break it to him, but the secrets are out.

It’s only once he settles back into his seat and snaps his fingers that I relax, but then it takes a turn. Servants come out and deliver plates to the humans that are around the table, but none of them pick up a fork, some of them start to peel away clothing.
Their superiors, vampires, dine first.

Fangs slide out and mixed moans of pain and pleasure quickly follow. The smell of blood fills the air and slowly puddles onto the floor. As my eyes travel the length of the table, my gaze stops on Gabriel, who intently looks right past me to Phillip. I have no idea where the stern look comes from, but when I shift my gaze onto Phillip, I immediately know why.

Everyone eats. Apparently, Phillip eats four humans for dinner. They marched out from whatever hole they were hiding in until they were needed. They form a half circle around his chair, all patiently waiting for their turn. But he doesn’t bite, not yet. His attention is elsewhere. His attention is fully on Gabriel.

“Are you not hungry, Gabriel? Or is there a different reason you’re not eating?” We stare each other down and I debate about running out even though it would be pointless. I wouldn’t make it and I have a feeling it won’t be perceived well. A human running out of a vampire dinner. Unheard of.

“I’m fine with actual food tonight.” Gabriel replies.

Phillip’s harsh, deep voice rattles my bones as he replies, “amuse me.”

It’s bitten or...who knows what. “It’s fine.” I extend my arm to him.

I feel Gabriel’s hesitation. My heart slams against my ribcage with each second that passes. The heat of his mouth that lingers over my arm mixed with the coolness of his hands that have a tight grasp on me stops time.

There’s no preparation, only worrying. The exact moment his lips touch my skin, I suck in a breath, holding it in, waiting for the piercing of flesh. The searing pain of my lungs dulls the moment his teeth sink deep into my skin. The pain from getting punctured isn’t as bad I thought it would be. There’s a rush I refuse to acknowledge.

It feels like minutes, seconds that his soft lips are on me, but I can’t be sure how long he had been draining ounce after ounce. Enough to have me feel as if I’m swaying in my seat. Am I swaying in my seat?

Some vampires have already wiped their mouths clean and their human meals are lazily eating food. While others drain every last drop, killing their dinner. I watch it happen. Three vampires down, across the table. A greedy male vampire, forcefully sucks at a woman’s neck. She convulses, but he holds her tightly to his chest. Then she stills. His hands slip away from her and she flops to the floor with a sick thud.

Gabriel slips the white napkin from the table while still clutching my bleeding arm. Within a blink of an eye, he has the napkin tied tightly knotted around my arm. At least, I can walk away from the table...this time.

The two of them, Phillip and Gabriel stare intently at each other, waiting for the other to say something, request something or put shame on Gabriel’s lame opinion of a feeding, but silence builds between us.

Phillip, unamused or barely satisfied with Gabriel’s abiding to a command, grabs one of the humans that crowd around him and viciously sinks his teeth in deep. Is this him showing us, me, how a feeding is supposed to be? The eye contact he makes with me as he heavily sucks on the arm of that stupid human is nauseating.

Even after Gabriel grabs his fork and starts to pick at his food, I’m still fearful of picking up mine. Of course he notices. “You should eat.” As I’m about to protest, he cuts me off with a stern look. Refusing still isn't a choice.

I eat very little, not because it isn’t good, but because I can’t stomach any amount of food with so many vampires around, with knowing what they have in store for the general population in one weeks time. With the wooziness of blood loss and the smell of spilled blood searing my nostrils, I’m not sure I can swallow the small lumps of chewed food.

Gabriel’s steady hand goes to rest atop mine sensing my turmoil, my fuzzy mind that desperately tries to grasp a thought. Under the weight, I can feel my constricting muscles. I have a death grip on the fork and if I had vampire strength I’m sure it would’ve bent under the pressure.

“We’re done.” Gabriel says as he stands up from the table. His hand still grasping mine, the tug of him getting out of seat brings me with him. His golden eyes don’t stare at Phillip as I assume they would, but down at me. His intense stare has the room fading away, leaving only him and I.

Lost in thought, oblivious to those around us, he leans down and places the smallest of kisses atop my head. My fantasy breaks as he pulls me closer to him, leading me out of the room. I can feel the eyes on us, on me as I walk on shaky legs to the exit.

Gabriel leads the way back into the depth of the manor, but once my hand slips out of his, reality comes crashing down around me and I come to a halt. “I need to go home.” I say into the hall.

“Of course.” He says without meeting my eyes. With a quick turn down the hall, we come back, full circle to the front door. His car, front and center.

I give him no chance to open my car door. In a manic frenzy, I hop in and slam the door. The tension between us is thick and the words he’s dying to say nearly suffocates me. Thankfully, he doesn’t say them and I don’t give him a sign to make them verbal.

There’s too much already rambling around in my head and the plans of vampire dominance is at the bottom. Front and center, weighing my tongue down is my own actions. The comfortableness, the willingness, the thoughtlessness I had with Gabriel, the vampire not the angel.

The minute he pulls alongside the curb outside my complex, I mutter, “thanks,” and hop out of the car.

And he doesn’t push, because he knows better than I do that nothing he can say will make this anymore comprehensible. Too much happened tonight and I need time to digest it all. Either it will settle well or continue to eat at me.

He doesn’t follow and by time I reach my apartment, peer through the window, his car is gone. Leaving me to nurse my wound and sit and think.

Bitten and broken. Entangled and eager. But one single word describes everything so well.

Denial.