Be Careful When You Bite Me

Chapter 6

"I'm going to drain you, human," Isabelle hissed, her eyes shining like lanterns. I wasn't aware of myself backing up until my back hit the hard concrete wall behind me.

My lips quivered and my brain raced in search of words to say but I was simply speechless. My heart thudded quick enough to jump out of my chest and I suddenly felt like a mouse stuck in a trap. Within a blink of the eye, Isabelle was standing in front of me, her once gentle and beautiful face now filled with darkness and hatred.

"I-I didn't hear anything," I managed to utter out," I promise, I-"

She wasn't listening, it was clear by the look on her face that she had already decided.

"Isabelle, stop."

Seth's voice was drowned out by my fear and the haunting sound of Isabelle's snarling.

She traced her finger nail on the bite that Xavier had given me. I winced in pain when I felt the cut freshly opening back up.

Her eyes trailed the droplets of blood as they rolled down my neck to my chest. I was breathing even quicker than before and shoved my back further towards the wall.

"Isabelle, let her be."

She didn't listen. She didn't even acknowledge Seth's talking. Instead, her hungry eyes met my terrified gaze as she came closer and flicked her sharp tongue across the cut, following it down to my chest where the trail of blood ended.

"Isabelle, stop!" Seth's voice was more demanding now," We can't touch her, father's orders."

I didn't realize that Seth had walked right up to stand behind her. He grabbed both her arms and leaned forward to whisper in her ear," We can't get on father's bad side, step away."

A couple of seconds later, Isabelle ripped her gaze from mine. She shoved Seth away and walked towards the cell where the man had seemed to blend in with the darkness.

"How do we know she won't tell everyone," She mumbled angrily," You know she heard everything."

Seth looked down at me as if I was pathetic trash that he couldn't get rid of," She won't utter a word."

"What makes you say that," Isabelle used a pair of keys to unlock the cell doors. I saw a flash of electricity jolting up the metal doors and wondered how it was not affecting her.

Seth placed his cold fingers under my chin and lifted my head up to face his.

"Because if she so much as breathes a word of this to anyone," His hot and angry gaze almost burnt mines," she can forget about ever going home and instead get used to the idea of rotting in this cell. "

Isabelle disappeared into the cell. Seconds later, I heard the man groaning. I felt my eyes burn with tears and immediately knew what was next. She dragged the man out by the metal chains around his neck until they were standing just a few feet from me.

Seth finally stepped aside and I was met with the empty and lifeless gaze of the villager. His expression looked as if he was already dead.

Isabelle smirked at me.

"Except you wouldn't rot," she was speaking directly to me now, fangs fully extended. She grabbed the chain and brought the man's neck closer to her face," I'd drain you dry the second that I could and give your corpse to the dirty werewolves to eat."

I didn't get a second to swallow back in an attempt to moisten my dry throat before she dug her teeth into the man's neck and his howling scream sent shivers all along my body. I heard myself cry out loud and watched as his body slowly began to give out from under him. Seth joined her seconds later and together they feasted. I couldn't watch anymore and looked away, the palms of my sweaty hands glued tightly against my wet eyes.

Never in my life did I ever think that I was ever going to witness anything like this.

When they were finally done, they tossed the man's unconscious body back into the cell and mentioned something about coming to finish him off later. Part of me wished that they had just gone ahead and killed him and just gotten it over and done with. They had a guard escort me back to my room but I couldn't lay in that bed without the images coming to my head. Instead, I filled the bath in the washroom with hot water and laid in it for hours.

One thing that's certain was that I have never felt more terrified in my life and another was that I had never wanted to go home more than at this moment.

I pictured my mom's kind smile and her cooking. I remembered my protective dad and detested myself for every time I didn't appreciate them.

I knew I had to find Xavier and demand that he keep true to our deal and find me a witch. I thought about threatening him and going to the King and wondered who would be the one to be punished. After all, Xavier was already de-throned. For mating with a witch, Isabelle had said.

There isn't much more that they could do to him. I wondered if he had purposely tricked me, knowing that he cannot be punished further.

I dragged myself back to my room where there was a new tray of food but I couldn't bring myself to eat, despite my stomach's rumbling. I changed my clothes and decided back down to the garden. The fresh air had seemed to make me feel better before and I am hoping it will do the same this time around.

I found myself back at the garden from the night of my failed ritual. I walked up the fountain and found pleasure in getting lost with the flow of the water. The sun had set but it wasn't quite dark just yet. In my pocket, I pulled out a small plastic bag that I had wrapped my sandwich in and attempted to nibble on it.

I breathed in and out and mentally prayed for a way out of here. I didn't care how I just knew I needed an escape and I needed it now.

"Meow."

Startled by the sudden sound, I spun around and averted my attention back to reality.

Did I just hear a cat?

Damon's Pov

I already knew what father was planning as soon as he said to make sure that Holly was to be present tonight at the hearing.

The human, I corrected myself, the foreigner.

Tonight, at nine pm he will bring the jester out and once and for all; decide his fate. I wondered why he wouldn't just drain him and send his corpse to the wolves to finish off as he does with all dead villagers. I knew this was another one of his tactics in trying to teach me a lesson.

Never show compassion to a villager.

They are humans, after all, humans who torched and killed our ancestors, and once given a slither of compassion, will turn around and stake you through the chest.

I wondered why he wanted Holly there. He certainly didn't think that I cared for her, did he?

I felt a sense of confusion and self-doubt as I made myself down to the main garden where the guards had said Holly would be.

I caught sight of her in the distance as soon as I opened the doors. She was dressed in the original clothing she had from the night we had found her, a pair of black jeans and a baggy sweatshirt with a school sports team logo at the back of it. The subtle wind played with her long and wavy chocolate brown hair and she lifted her fingers to move the loose strands out of her face.

I watched as she leaned forward closer to the fountain where Gremlin, the castle's cat, nestled on the edge.

"Hi," although she merely whispered it, I still heard her soft and gentle voice," whatcha doin' there?"

"Meow."

Holly's full lips lifted to form a smile and I realized that that was the first time I had seen her happy. She brought her hands up to pet the cat and Gremlin purred in satisfaction. Holly picked a piece off the sandwich she held in her other hand and fed it to the eager cat.

"You're so sweet," Holly stares adoringly at the cat.

It took me a second to realize I had been stopped dead in my tracks for minutes now and had been staring at the scene. I felt something odd stir in my chest and forced myself to push it down. I had never seen someone so gentle and so...benevolent.

It was so simple; Holly's transaction with the cat but I could honestly say it was the most altruistic thing I had seen in a long time.

I cleared my throat and watched as she jumped up and dropped the piece of food in her hand onto the ground where Gremlin leaped.

That action was so human. Any other member of The Underworld would have sensed me coming from a mile away and I didn't know whether to find her reaction pathetic or charming.

"I didn't see you," she blurted out.

Her big green eyes looked scared and almost guilty. They sparkled off something I couldn't quite get.

She's beautiful, I realized.

For a human, I reminded myself. I noticed that the scar Xavier had given her was still slightly bleeding and wondered if he had tricked her into feeding on her again. I remembered the last time I had seen her, in the closet, where we had been less than an inch apart.

"That's Gremlin," I began," He lives here." She merely nodded so I continued.

"There's a meeting tonight, at the quarters, at 9 pm," I spoke sternly, keeping my expression blank," The King wants you there."

I turned to walk away.

"I-is it about me?" she interrupted, her soft voice attempting to be stern," Did they find a witch for me?"

I looked at her hopeful eyes and felt the strong need to swallow.

"Not yet," I said and strutted away, back into the castle. Walking away, I felt a strange sense of something that almost resembled sadness for her but I merely shrugged it away.

Holly's POV

I bid Gremlin goodbye and walked back into the castle, heading straight to my room. I wondered why Damon had seemed so cold. The last time I had seen him was when he had pulled me into the closet and asked me about the scar on my neck. Could that be why he was so stern, to remind me that he doesn't care? Now that I have gotten a taste of what vampires are capable of, I didn't need any gesture or a change of personality to determine that they don't care about anything.

Although it was strange seeing him after learning that Isabelle, the woman whom he loves, and Seth, his own brother, are plotting his downfall. I wanted to tell him, but I wanted to go home more. His issues have nothing to do with me.

When I finally got to my room, I opened the doors to reveal Xavier standing by my bed. His grey hair was tied back and his blue eyes shunned in excitement when he saw me.

"There you are," He greeted," I'm starving and nothing tastes as good as you."

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

Within a hot second, he had crossed the room and stood face to face with me.

"Did you forget about our deal?" He whispered, his voice on my skin sending shivers down my back.

"Did you?" I forced myself to say," you played me."

"I didn't play anyone, we had a deal."

I took a step back and away from his intense aura. It was hard to focus and form words with him standing so close.

"Where's the witch," I asked," the one you were supposed to find for me?"

"We're still discussing it," he mumbled, growing uninterested in the conversation," she doesn't like it here, so she's a little hesitant to come."

I remembered when Isabelle said that Xavier was dethroned for mating with a witch and wondered if that was the reason,

"Is it because you guys are together?" I asked and quickly regretted it.

His gaze grew angry," Who told you that?"

"I heard Isabelle mention it-"

"Don't mention it again," he snapped.

I simply nodded.

"Now you know there's a witch, it's just a matter of convincing her to come here," he took a step closer again," my family isn't too nice to her, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"When," I demanded," I need a date, when?"

"Soon," he simply stated," But nothing is happening if I don't get to taste that delicious foreign blood of yours again,"

I stared at him for a couple of seconds and wondered if I was going to regret this in the morning. My body ached for that feeling of being held in his strong grip and the touch of his fangs on my skin. It thrilled and excited me just to think about it. Should I feel better now, knowing that there is a witch?

Regardless, if I don't let him bite me now, it's certain that I'm not leaving anytime soon. I breathed in and out and tilted my head to the side.

"Outta girl," his husky voice was the last thing I felt on my skin before a sharp pain, followed by pure bliss.