Chapter Eight

~Flashback~

"Annabelle."

"One and only."

What the hell is going on, how is she alive? The last time I saw her she was being hacked to death by samurais.

"You don't look happy to see me Nickolai."

"That's because am not. How are you alive?" I could never forget my time with Annabelle, even if I wanted to for nothing short of death would erase such things. Unfortunately for me or maybe it was the shock of seeing her alive and not just in my nightmares I forgot that she was a complete, sadistic lunatic, and asking her again "How are you alive?" set her off.

"You*****

"Payton."

"Yeah, it's me, how do you feel?"

"What happened?"

"I don't know but how do you feel."

"We need to get out of here."

I tried to stand but fell back down when paralyzing pain shot down the entire right side of my body. Right, that psychopath stabbed me with a tree branch.

"What happened, how did I get back to the house?" The panic in my voice was even evident to me.

"I assumed since they were trying to return you to the earth, they weren't friends of yours, the two males are dead but the bitch got away"

Annabelle, Annabelle was alive and she found me, How?. My psychotic maker is back from the fucking dead, what the actual fuck is happening, five centuries and she happens to find me on the top of a remote mountain in Montana.***

"Awe! What the hell was that for?"

"Sorry, you were freaking out. I call you but you seem to be off somewhere."

"So you slapped me?"

"I called you five times."

"Hey, where are we?"

"At the house, I had to carry you back after your fellow vampires tried to kill you. I was trying to explain before your mind wandered off"

How did I not notice that before? We were in the living room, she was sitting with her legs crossed on the floor and I was the on couch. Thank God. Wait...

"What happened with the three vampires?"

"Dead, the woman got away though."

It took me a minute to register and process what she said. Then all the different ways that things could have gone bad, how she could have been hurt or worst killed flashed into my mind and I lost it. "You did what! Why in God's name would you do you fight a vampire are three for that matter, what were you thinking?"

Okay, that did not come out the way I meant it to if the shocked look on her face to anything to go by. Shock morphed into a rage and she jumped up off the floor. I seem to be pissing off all the women of the world today.

"You fucking asshole I save your life and that's the thanks I get, I should've left your sorry ass out there and let that bitch finish you off. "Get out right now, I don't care if they kill your ass you deserve it."

Is it bad that I was a little turned on by her anger? I mean she's pacing the floor cussing up a storm that would put any sailor to shame, her eyes are bright red and yellow and all I can think about is sinking into her.

"You ungrateful little piece of shit. You ...you... you..."

I think she ran out of bad things to call me and as amusing as it was to watch her huff and pout I, dear, not laugh. We really needed to get out of here though, Annabelle was never one to back down and just walk away, she was definitely coming back and I don't want her anywhere near here, or Annabelle for that matter so when she walked by me again pacing I reach out and grabbed her hand pulling her down on top of me with what little strength I had left. I probably should have thought that threw first though. She fell awkwardly across my torso and most of her weight pressed down on my injured side.

"FUCK!!.

She moved to get up but I brought my hand around her waist and held her place.

"Let go you, idiot, you're hurting yourself."

"No", the word was barely a whisper as I tried to catch my breath. "Am sorry I didn't mean it like that and thank you for saving me.

"Fine now let go."

This time I did let her go but only because the pain in my side was becoming unbearable.

"Look what you did you, idiot, your bleeding again."

She started removing the bandage from my side that I didn't even notice was there before. There's another problem to deal with, a large hole in my side is definitely going to slow me down. Even with the little that it's healed, it's still not enough.

"You're going to need new bandages."

She went about changing the bandages and I left her to do it. I really didn't have the energy to argue about it plus it pleased me to know that even though she was cussing me to hell a few minutes ago she still care and was taking care of me. I laid there, right arm raised above my head and covering my eyes, and let her do her thing. Annabelle's alive, I still can't believe it. I need to get Payton out of here and someplace safe but first I need to convince her to let me.

"There you go all done."

"Thank you, love, and thanks for saving my life again.

"Sure whatever."

"Help me sit please."

"No, stay down or you'll start bleeding again."

"It's fine, we need to leave, the sooner the better." I started to get up only to have her push me back down by my shoulders.

"I said no."

I opened my mouth to argue but close it when she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

"Fine."

"Good choice."

I had to smile at that. "Okay, love but can you pull up a seat I need to talk to you about something."

She didn't answer she just pulled up the wooden coffee table, sat down, and looked at me expectantly. Here goes nothing.

"Annabelle, the vampire that got away, will be back, she's not one to tuck tail and run away and when she does I'd prefer if we were not here. I don't want her anywhere near here or vice versa so the sooner we leave the better"

"Let me stop you right there this is my home and I'll leave when I'm good and ready not before.

"bu**" she just carried on talking.

"Two, it's night out and you're in no conditions to go anywhere so I would get comfortable if I were you, and trust me when I say no one's crossing that barrier.

"Fair enough." I didn't want to fight with her not right now. I need her to agree to what am about to ask because even if I have to knock her out and throw her over my shoulder we are leaving first thing tomorrow.

"I need to ask you a favour and it's a big one but I don't want you to freak out, ok.

"Am listening."

"Will you allow me to feed from you please, it won't hurt and I won't take much just enough to heal and get back on my feet."

She didn't answer she just sat there and looked at me. It looked like she was weighing her options and I thought she was going to say no. I mean we might be soulmates but in the little time we have known each other I almost killed her. Then almost got her killed by my sycophantic maker and now am asking to drink her blood this is not how I imagine things going when we finally met.

"Okay."

"Look I know it's a lot to ask but***, wait, did you say okay?"

"Yes."

"Wow, okay yeah."

"Where?"

"Where, what?"

"Where will you bite me?"

"Any main vein will do, most likely the neck or the wrist if that makes you uncomfortable."

"The neck's fine but do you have to do it now."

"I would prefer now but if you are uncomfortable you can take a couple of minutes to get used to the idea."

"That's not it, am kinda filthy right now if you could give me thirty minutes to shower and change."

"Thirty minutes, okay love."

She moved to get up but I held on to her hand. "Thank you for doing this love and for saving my life. I am sorry about how things are turning out but I promise to make it up to you. I'll make this right love I promise."

She nodded and left without saying another word. Guilt and shame consumed me like nothing I'd ever felt before. It made me question myself. How is it that I feel more guilt and shame for disappointing her than I did when I was with Annabelle and killing innocent people? Back then the guilt was so consuming that I thought on any given day I would combust but the way I feel right now is much worst. I have been waiting for centuries for her, ever since the day, Vladimir told me about having soulmates and the fact that I had hurt her in any way or form did not sit well with me. I will make this up to her if it's the last thing I do.