Chapter Twenty-Six: Impulsive Decisions.

After experiencing the most exhausting and agonizing two days of my life, I'm more than fatigued. In the moment of my capture and confinement, I came to terms that I'd be taken back to the Hunters' lair; possibly for my final time. With that my brain had a shutdown and now I'm still in shock about our escape. Secondly, knowing the Hunters story about my apparent soulmate is presumably true and having the man they've been searching for, I still can not mentally recover yet.

Going blank for a while felt unnatural, nothing like a meditation and not calming at all. Thankfully, before I knew it the people began to dwindle out of the room and I became myself again. Though once I'd been asked to follow Jane to bed, I found that retreating to bed at seven sounded like a nightmare to me.

I wanted to spend time to relax but that felt like a distant dream to me. The sickening familiarity of getting kidnapped from this mansion circles around in my brain. Not only has an invasion happened once here but its happended twice. This time, I'm unable to walk on my own so if I needed to flee it would be solely impossible.

Abe and Leddy are staying up tonight to survey the estate and have a plan if they're unable to defend against any monster. They did prove they can handle more than the Province Guard, and have not been phased this whole day, but still I was not comfortable going to bed alone. Even if the rest of the family's sure we're safe, I'm still skeptical.

As my personal guardian, Perry escorted me to my room not too long ago asking if I'd feel secure alone. It gave me a hunch he knew I was terrified and instead wanted my permission for him to stay. I consented that he could sleep on the red lounge at the other end of my bedroom.

Currently, I lay awake in bed unsure if I should try to sleep or await an outsider to abduct me. Perry will protect me, it is his duty. So this time I accepted his position as my protector with no argument. Though, I will not consider him a slave, and at that my slave.

I don't own people, Perry owns himself. I just have to teach that to him. The man was given to me as tribute to my wolf-slaying and is legally my property, but he will have to learn to make his own choices now. Sadly the matter right now is how he'd choose to serve me and not think of himself.

Throwing the slave bondage aside, it does make me feel a little better knowing he is looking out for me tonight. If someone busted through my door they'd have to go through him first, but that doesn't mean I'm not horrified of the possibilities.

I quietly roll over to try to observe him laying on the couch but my first impression is how his heartbeat is synched with mine. This has tended to happen multiple times since I've been around the vampire. It is an utter spectacle to me since heart rate patters do not coexist so perfectly, I know because my ears disturbingly hear people's insides all the time. With the man's breathing and the rhythm of his heart, I know he is awake.

After a span of a few minutes of me paying attention to my company, I conclude my eyes will not focus on him. The void of darkness looming over these walls prevents me from seeing anything at all, other that my fear of the night.

"Miss Elenor, I know you are staring at me."

My body flinches in shock, making me jump into a sitting position.

How the hell can he see me in the dark?

It is pitch black, I can't see my hands in front of my face.

I become more than embarrassed, he caught me, "How?" I sputter.

"Vampires have night vision." My stomach falls.

So he can see me clearly right now? That knowledge is almost eerie. A fanged, blood-drinking, nocturnal, humanoid creature can have an advantage on its prey at night. Of course it makes since, they don't go out in daylight so they have to see somehow while they live under the stars. Frankly, I'd rather not imagine vampires sucking the blood out of their enemies; but I know if a Hunter entered the mansion Perry would have a great advantage over them.

He shifts on the couch, "Are you alright Milady?"

I'm stunned he can interpret me so well to know something is off, but I shrug it away knowing even I can digest his emotions almost instantly. If he's empathizing with me right now I want to be fully venerable for the first time, "I can't sleep..."

My ears pick up rustling of fabric at the end of the room. I hear every movement Perry makes, moving his blankets, the soft pillow falling to the floor, his feet against the carpet. He approaches me, clicking the lights on, and sliding the dimmer just enough for me to see him in the yellow light. He stands besides the light switch only a few feet away from my bed giving me a delicate smile.

His presence gives me this odd feeling as though it is a sin for a person like me to be staring, his looks blow me away more than anything. When his lips part ever so slightly, my mouth falls open.

"Elenor, I am here to protect you..." I refuse to argue knowing I can't change his mind if it's been drilled into his brain for so long. "...I will give my life to you."

My stomach has a deep pit in it right away, not a devastating or negative feeling but instead an unexplainable fluttering sensation. His words don't sound forced, but I bet he'd force those for his past masters. He wants to protect me because I haven't abandoned him, I've been taking care of him.

"I trust that you will, I'm just worried the Hunters will come back..." I wonder if he knows exactly who those men are and what they plan to do to us. "You know about them right?"

He nods, "I have not met the Hunters yet..." Only I know that if they found him we would've met at our death ritual, we'd be dead already. "...I am starting to believe they would not have taken me to a better place. I was told I was going to be sold to them with you and your family."

We meet each other's green eyes with sadness, exchanging the thought that we were going to get murdered. How will I be able to tell him that the Hunters will still be searching for us? It would be too much to tell him now, but soon I will have to and we will have to part forever for our own safety.

I admit, "The Hunters are looking for me and that's why I'm scared."

After a second of us staring at each other he gestures towards the bed, "May I?"

I nod.

He sits down in front of me, letting his legs dangle off the side of the bed, "As long as I am here there is no need to be frightened..." His assuring words begin lifting the weight off my shoulders. "Tomorrow on Elyria I will become stronger within a few hours, and additionally with blood in my system I'll be lively."

"We will get you taken care of." I assure him.

My eyes study his face, finding how badly his crooked nose has begun to bruise. It is a deep purple and the dark spot has crept up to the space under his eye. Under his scratches and bruises the man is incredibly handsome; I can't help but watch his long eyelashes move up and down as he blinks.

"Thank you." His voice shakes me back into reality.

"Do you think we will be safe tonight?"

"Yes," He doesn't take long to think about an answer. "Abe, Leddy, and I will keep the dangers at bay." His gentle voice begins to calm me.

It's hard to believe he is capable of such destruction, he sounds like an angel.

"Are you used to things like this? I mean, coming from a royal family."

He nods, "We had to be cautious of our enemies. But I spent most of my life being a slave."

I become curious about how he ended up in the situation in the first place, but I don't ask. It isn't my place to pester him with questions, especially after he's already told me more about himself than he wanted to.

Thunder crashes outside causing me to leap out of my bed. A sharp pain shoots up my injured leg and I stumble back towards the bed having to lean against the post. The serenity has dissapeared and is replaced with darkness once more. Rain taps against the roof softly but I'm still startled.

I take a big breath, embarrassed, "I'm sorry," I cover my face with my shaking hands.

"No need to apologize. Come sit with me." I hesitate, wondering what he means. I watch him pat the spot next to him on my bed, "Come back to your bed, you need sleep."

He reaches out his hand to me and the sight of it forces me to grab it, immedietly shooting this hot tingly feeling through my palm. The agony in my leg has magically dissapeared once more. I stare him in the eyes, frozen from this bizarre feeling inside.

Perry supports my body as I step back up onto the bed. Once I'm against the headboard I possess the thought to not let go of his hand. Tangled in the blankets I face him, longing for attention I've never had before. I imagine the feeling of him holding me just like he carried me previously in the day, but instead comforting me.

He releases my palm and without his touch that firey feeling is gone. My consequences of jumping off the bed begin arising once more, with a throb in my leg and a queasy feeling in my stomach. The medication helps, but when I put pressure on my leg the pain comes back.

Perry's fingertips brush the blankets next to me, and once he untangles the seams he pulls the sheets overtop of my lap. He leans over my legs next and clutches the pillow beside me. He fluffs it in his lap and then hands it to me, "For you."

I hold it in my lap carefully, not expecting such emotion coming from a slave to his master. His fearfullness of me is slowly beginning to dissolve.

"Would you feel better if I left you alone?" His voice becomes quiet, as if believing I don't want him in here.

Perry adjusts his body, about to slide off the bed.

"Wait!"

He freezes.

I frown, "No! Please stay. I want you here with me."

"Alright, as you wish."

On impulse I reach out to him, taking one of his warm hands in my two. I rub my thumbs along the top of his hand, watching him close his eyes in content. I've never done anything like this and so my actions surprise me.

"Will you stay in my bed with me?"

The man's eyes snap open and his mouth falls agape. I don't remove my eyes from him, observing that he's staring at my hands on his. Our pale complexions are so similar that they're almost to an exact color.

Slowly he raises his blond head looking unsure, causing us to becoming face to face. I squeeze his hand delicately, not wanting to beg him into doing something he doesn't want.

"Please don't think you need to satisfy me because you were given to me as a gift. I want you to make your own decisions, you can say no."

With a deep grin and red cheeks, his expression prevents me from any regret.

He whispers, "I can stay in bed with you."

I sigh of relief, "I know you are going to be here to protect me, but having you close..." My eyes fall down to our hands again.

This phemomenon of our touch is such a marvel, but I'm afraid to ask why it makes my body tingly and warm. The sensation runs through me like an unnatural spark. It makes me wonder if it is more than something special.

The fanged vampire suddenly speaks his mind, "Thank you for taking care of me today, I appreciate your kindness."

"You've done the same for us. If you weren't there, my family could be dead. It's like it was meant to be."

His eyes go up and down my body and then he looks away, "That's because it was."

****

After leaving at the early morning hours, the family has made it clear that leaving the mansion comes with more than just precautions. We agreed on a plan if something were to go wrong and all hid weapons on our clothes for safety.

We're not afraid to be attacked by any wolf-Elyrian creatures, but that doesn't mean the Hunters won't catch onto the fact that the wolves set us free. They're smart enough to figure out by today that their plan on imprisoning us all has failed tremendously. Not only have they lost their prey but they lost the wolves they played like chess pieces.

The treck from the field to the platform was a struggle for my body. Being injured is not ideal and surely is a burden upon us all. Half the walk I stumbled until Perry convinced me for the second time to allow him to carry me. This time was much more awkward considering our talks last night.

Now, safely at the portal on Earth, my feet are firmly planted on the ground. Perry and I are hesitant to get onto the platform. We are the most valuable assets to the Hunters and should not dilly dally but my vampire friend has to prepare for the strange feeling of the Earth sucking him into it. Surprisingly he didn't know how it worked at all until he saw my family members stepping upon the platform and then disappearing into the ground.

Everyone makes this part out to be easy but honestly I don't think I will ever get used to it, even the thought will roll my stomach into knots. My first memory of this was so frightening that I still tremble, afraid I'm going to dround.

Leddy groans, "Ellie, come on! We aren't going to stand here forever." She looks over her shoulder, "Unless you want to get eaten by something. These woods are not a place you'd like to be at night." For once I agree with her, even though I roll my eyes.

Suddenly off in the distance I catch sight of a fluffy white creature; one I've come across a few times now. It's the talking rabbit who knows way too much about my family and I. Life has been so overwhelmingly scary that I forgot about the ball of fuzz, and the last time we met I thought I'd never see him again.

He hops behind a bush but there's no way he could loose me; my ears are too good for that. With so many people around still, and my bandaged leg, there's no way I could chase the rabbit to talk to him. Besides it's not the right time to be frolicking in the woods when a group of men have a warrant on my head.

I jump at the touch of a hand on my arm, pulling me towards the platform. Once I turn over, noticing it's Perry I release a breath of relief.

Discomfort fills through my body as we sink into the ground but strangely this time I'm calmer than the last times. My only reason could be Perry, who's still got ahold of my arm as we pop into the dark cave.

Once we're all together again on the Elyrian side of the portal we go through the customs by signing the book. Perry has released my hand and my body is starting to feel uncomfortable again.

When we step upon the aging main street Perry is so distracted he doesn't notice the urgency to hustle. The sky is much brighter than it was on Earth, even thought the time zones are exactly the same.

Looks like my plan to shop for drinking blood this morning has become unsuccessful, the star light is so vibrant it could be a close call for Perry already. Instead, Luke and Abe split from the group to run the errand.

As we make our way past the bakery I recall from last time my ears pick up some words from the back of the group; causing me to become instantly interested. Easdropping on conversations comes easily for me, and so most of the time I'm hearing all of the whispers and side discussions.

Koda states, "I've heard rumors from Leddy that you and Luke have a thing."

Lynn starts, "Luci and I..."

"Luci?" Koda laughs, "You gave him a new nickname?"

"Shhh!" I hear her smack his shoulder, "We just kissed, that's all."

I didn't know about this!

"You were found falling out of a closet, touching each other uncontrollably. Leddy told me you both were panting like dogs."

"Stop that, Koda! I called you back here to tell you something more serious than my love life."

"So it's true?" He chuckles, "You fell asleep together? You made some impulsive decisions."

Looks like I'm not the only one who made some impulsive decisions last night.

Lynn ignores my brother, "It's about my dreams. I've been working so hard to try to remember details. Remember how we talked about the Donnan family?"

Immedietly I look over at Perry but the vampire is in his own world. His eyes are glancing all over the streets, staring, gasping, smiling in enthusiasm. He doesn't hear Lynn mension his family name from behind us.

Koda recalls, "Yeah, I told you about them when you first came to Elyria days ago."

The young woman lowers her voice, "I have this odd deja vu when I look at that vampire..."

Koda understands, "You've seen him in your dreams."

"I think so, I think he is one of them. They're not all dead."

"Your right." Koda states.

"How do you know?"

My brother's voice becomes hoarse, "No reason, I mean he's gotta be more important than just a slave if the Hunters want him."

"Is this bad?"

"As of right now, no. I'm not worried."

My stomach clenches, now they both know who Perry really is.