Vampire

The warning came from a male voice, barely above a whisper besides my ear as he lifted me off the ground. Shock blasted through me. He carried me back from the courtyard with stunning ease, as if I were nothing more than a small child. And I was not small, not in height nor weight, but the male was also extraordinarily fast. In one heartbeat, he'd taken me into one of the nearby vine tunnels.

"I can hear your thoughts whirling around, but I'm sure what you're planning against the wizard," the male spoke again. Alarm rang through me as clear and loud as the bells. "I can assure you, fighting against him will end your sweet dear life."

My heart drums violently against my chest. I tried to put effort to wiggle free, but the chances of escaping is not very high. His hold around my waist only tightened as he stepped farther into the tunnel where only thin streaks of moonlight slipped between the thick trailing plants.

Panic swelled throughout my entire system, I've never been handled like this outside of the house.

The sensations of his hand over my mouth, his fingers resting against my cheek, and being held so tightly—being held at all—was nearly as overwhelming as the realization that I was trapped. I curled my legs up and kicked out into nothing but air. I did it again and again, swinging my legs back and forward until the muscles in my stomach protested.

"Stop...please, you're just making everything worse," he continued.

Worse? Seriously, man handling me is more worse.

Breathing heavily against his hand, I allowed my body to go limp so I could think. The man was strong, able to hold my dead weight with ease. I wasn't going to break free by struggling like a wild animal.

I focused on the feel of him, trying to gauge his height. The chest pressed against my back was broad and hard…and cold. As was the hand against my mouth. I shifted, drawing a leg up to run my booted

foot down his leg to find where his knee was.

"What are you planning, hmm?" His voice is full of decadent glaze, intoxicating like the mist but purely perilous.

The smothered sound I made against his palm was one born of pure, unfettered rage.That midnight hum came again, quieter, but I felt it along every inch of my back and hips.

"You're a feisty thing aren't you? Small yet terrible."

Small yet terrible? Nice joke man, now I wanna punch you straight in the face.

"But you're just stupid like every magi is," he added, his cool breath against my cheek. My cheek. Air stilled in my throat. My hood had slipped back in my struggle, not nearly covering as much of my face as it normally would. "Think about how you guys plead your safety from the dark wizards. And now you see how one of your Arcadian guard killed one of you."

My hands balled into fists as I twisted my head again. He suddenly stiffened against me, his body crackling with tension.

"I wonder what is the fuss all about Fourth," a voice reached us from outside the tunnel, it must be the guard giving the straight and hard voice.

"Shut your mouth, my brothers won't like me killing just for the fun of it...well it includes revenge, right Aiden?" Came the answer, spoken in a deep voice laden with power.

"Revenge it is My Lord,"

"They must not linger far from the city. Report this to First, we need more guards to oversee the whole city." The Fourth wizard answered.

There was a beat of silence, and then Aiden said, "Vampires may linger for few days but they won't last too long to create any suspicions in the city."

"You know what to do, Fourth." The new voice answered. He must be part of the dark wizards.

"Right," Fourth answered.

"Will you enjoy yourselves before going back to the Arcadian My Lords?" Aiden ask once again.

"Since we're here, we might as well enjoy ourselves," Forth remarked.

What are they doing in town? Why would they slaughter a family without further court appeals releasing for the Cardonian's to know. That's a crime, and crime that is performed by the Dark Wizards is offending for the Magi population.

The male that held me shifted his stance, and then his breath touched my cheek once more. "If I remove my hand, you promise you won't do something silly like scream?"

I nodded as a response against his chest.

His hand lifted from my mouth, but it didn't stray far, sliding down so that his fingers curled around my chin. I dragged in deep breaths as I tried to ignore the sensation of his chilled flesh against mine. I waited for him to release me.

He didn't.

"You were going after the Dark Wizards," he stated the obvious reason. "What were you thinking?"

Good question, since normal Magi's can't go against Arcadians, especially the five Dark Wizards. To do so was considered an insult against the gods and the magic system.

"They killed a man without court appeals and didn't you noticed? They slaughtered a kid, child, innocent thing."

"I believe that it's none of your business?"

I tensed at his words. "It's illegal and as part of the population it is my concern."

"Now you are thinking about illegal stuff, did you think before going against them? They could have slit your throat the moment they saw you."

I straightened my head and his hand followed. "Are you going to let me go?" I demanded.

"I don't know," he answered. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for whatever it is that you're about to do."

"Just let me go."

"I won't let you run back there and get yourself killed." He countered.

"If I'll die, it's really none of your concern."

"It's none of my concern." A pause. "But thinking about saving you awhile ago, it became as my number one concern."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I did not ask for your help."

"But you already had it, " he drawled, his thumb sliding along my jaw, causing me to stiffen at the unexpected and unfamiliar caress. "And nonetheless you'll pay for it."

My brows knitted and my face performed my signature 'you got to be kidding me' look. "I have a bag of elixirs, you can take it."

"No, I won't take your hard work for a month for a single decent meal. But I will take a little gratitude from your ungrateful bratty attitude," he went on as if it isn't a remark of pity. "I'll let you go. However, if you attempt to run back out there, I will catch you. You will not be faster than me, and the whole thing will just annoy me."

"Does it feels like I care about annoying you?" I retorted.

"You're really a brat aren't you, but I'll hope you'll use a tiny bit of common sense to pull you out of your delusions that going against the Dark Wizards can make you a hero."

My entire body prickled with anger. "That's rude."

"So are you,"

"And if I say no? Will you be standing here and hold me all night?" I spat.

"I might but it depends on my mood." His remark had me curling my fist into a ball.

"Alright, I understand,"

He released me, and gods, he was tall. There had to be a good foot between the ground and my feet based on how hard I landed. I stumbled forward, and his hands clasped around my arms, steadying me. Another decent act I was not even remotely grateful for. Tearing myself free, I whirled toward him and prepared myself to lodge a punch.

"You've got to be kidding me," he sighed.

He was as fast as a strike of lightning, catching my wrist before I could even hit him. I gasped. Dressed in all black cloak, he was nothing more than a thick shadow. He yanked me toward his chest as he spun us, forcing me back. Within a few too-quick heartbeats, he had me trapped again, against his body.

Should I use magic?

"Shit," I leaned back, lifting a leg–

I fought, using every ounce of strength I had as he lifted my hands, stretching my arms above my head and then pinning my wrists to the wall.

"If fighting me is your safe stance, you should know that you won't stand a chance."

There was a finality to his words that sent a tremor through my captured hands. I tipped my head back and looked up…and up. He was well over a foot taller than me.

This man was…he was absolutely, without a doubt, the most stunning man I'd ever seen. And I'd seen some gorgeous men.

His cheekbones were high and broad, his nose straight as a blade, and his mouth…it was full and wide. He had the kind of face that even non artist individuals would love to make him a clay sculpture.

It feels like I'm staring a familiar face, something that I've grown for everyday. It feels like deja vu.

His eyes are glowing crimson, bright as bloods lost in wars. Red eyes...only one specie had red eyes.

Vampires,

"You're a vampire," my voice came out as a whisper.

He said nothing while instinct fired through me, urging me to either submit or run—and to do either of those two things fast. It was a warning, a reckoning that screamed I wasn't even inches away from one of the most dangerous predators in any realm.

He could have killed me in just one snap. I tried to punch a vampire, shit I'm screwed.

"Fuck," he murmured.

A tripping motion went through my chest.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"I could have killed you,"

His gaze flicked over my features so intensely that each and every freckle across my nose and cheek started to tingle. His eyes closed.briefly, and as close as we were to each other, I could see just how thick the fringe of his lashes was as they swept back up.

"After saving you life from your own hands, I'll consider a simple payment from you." His head dipped, and I sucked in a startled breath as I felt his lips curve into a smile against my cheek.

"As I said you can take my elixirs. Promise I won't tell anyone about this, please." I pleaded.

He smirked, "Kiss me,"

My brows knitted. My heart caused a riot against my chest. My cheeks heat up.

"W-what?" My grip on his shirt tightened.

"Kiss me, it's your payment." he ordered.

So, I kissed him.

A vampire. The enemy of our entirety.

The contact of my mouth against his caused my stomach to pitch. His lips were cool, but they were somehow soft yet firm, a strangely enticing juxtaposition as they moved against mine. It was the only thing about him that moved. His mouth. The hand on my left thigh and the one on my hip remained still. He was motionless, and I didn't know why I did what I did next. Could've been that impulsivity.

I caught his lower lip between my teeth and bit down. Not hard enough to draw blood, but his entire body jerked, and then he wasn't still any longer. The man pushed in as his head tilted, deepening the kiss.Nothing about his mouth was soft then. He parted my lips with a fierce stroke of his tongue, and a tight shudder rolled through me at the sharp graze against my lower lip. His teeth. Fangs. Oh, gods.

Were all kisses from vampires this intoxicating. It felt so surreal and familiar, despite that I have never been kissed before.

His tongue flicked over my lip, soothing the biting sting.

Then his mouth was gone. His forehead rested against mine, and for a handful of seconds, there was nothing but silence between us. Nothing but my pounding heart and his shallow breaths as his hand slid back to my hip. Another moment passed, and then he slowly lowered me to my feet. I forced my fingers to open, to let go of his hair. My hands fell to his chest once more.

"I miss this," he murmured, his voice sultry and thick.

My mind was clouded with hundreds of questions, then I felt a pang of pain–

My eyes blurred while loosing my balance. Until the darkness consumed me.