Bound By Blood Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

 

Lauren woke up, sunlight streaming through the window and settling on her face. She moaned and turned over in her bed, but she rolled onto something hard and soft at the same time. She opened her eyes and saw an arm under her lower back, the fingers twitching slightly. Lauren sat up and looked over, seeing Damien for the very first time in her room. She also noticed she was wearing short shorts and a tank top that had ridden up, exposing her stomach.

“I was wondering when you were going to give it back,” Damien said playfully, his voice rough from sleep. Lauren blushed gathering the covers closer to her so Damien couldn’t see her in her state of dress.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ve already seen you. Did you know that you eat in your sleep?” Damien said impishly. Lauren gasped and flung herself back down onto the bed.

“How long have you been in here?” She asked through the covers.

“Since you fell asleep in my arms two nights ago,” Damien mumbled, counting off on his fingers.

“Two days! I’ve been asleep for that long?” Lauren cried, flinging the covers off and hurling herself out of the bed. She walked towards the closet and bent down, her tank top riding up, giving Damien a good view. She stood back up, slipping into a jacket and flip flops.

“I wasn’t done watching!” Damien whined, getting up from his chair and crossing the room to Lauren, slipping his arms around her waist.

“You’ve had two days to watch all you want, so no complaining…wait…you didn’t do anything to me while I was-,” Lauren asked with worry in her voice.

“What? No! Lauren, how could you ask me such a thing? I love you too much to take advantage of you,” he whispered, taking her face in his hands.

“I wasn’t sure, wait, what did you say?”

“I said I love you,” he whispered again, kissing her lightly on the lips.

“I love you too,” Lauren mumbled against his lips, tangling her fingers in his hair. Damien allowed his hands to wander from the side of her face to the dip of her waist. He pulled her flushed against him and kissed her harder. Lauren moaned in his mouth and despite what she wanted, she gently pushed him away. He looked at her with hurt in his eyes.

“It’s not you, it’s me…well my stomach, I’m starving,” she admitted sheepishly. Damien laughed and held Lauren closer to his body, pressing light kisses to her hair.

“Well, let’s go eat,” he mumbled into her hair, pulling her towards the door.

“Well, give me a minute, I have to change,” Lauren laughed pulling away from Damien’s embrace.

“Hurry up, I’m getting cold,” Damien whined, hugging himself.

“Shut it, you’re always cold, you’re dead remember?”

“Oh yeah, forgot about that.”

Lauren laughed somewhere inside the closet and emerged once again, wearing jeans and the same tank top. Her hair was piled on her head in a haphazard ponytail.

“Ok, I’m ready,” Lauren said breathlessly, straightening her shirt out. Damien’s mouth dried and he nodded dumbly. She took his hand and led him out of the room. He wasn’t sure how long they had been walking but when he finally noticed they were somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Trees enclosed them and he could smell a fire burning off in the distance.

“Campers?”

“You bet,” Lauren answered, pulling him towards a thick coverage of foliage. She knelt down and parted the leaves and underbrush, exposing three guys sitting around a fire, beer cans littering the ground.

“Bingo,” Damien whispered, “one for each and we can split the other,”

“My thoughts exactly; come on,” Lauren stood up and started to blend in with the environment. Damien followed her scent but then gave up and started to stalk the men. One let out a high pitched scream and he made his move. He jumped from the bushes and landed on another, snapping his neck with his foot. A dagger came into view and landed into the thirds chest, the metallic smell of blood filling the air around them. Lauren came into sight and sunk her fangs into the man’s throat, growling deep within her throat, the warmth of the blood filling her mouth. Damien pounced on his kill, tearing at his throat, sending blood everywhere.

“I’m full,” Lauren moaned, falling to the ground and leaning against a tree.

“Ugh, you said it,” Damien replied, plopping down next to her, stretching out and laying his head in her lap. Her fingers went to his hair and started to brush through it, gently massaging his scalp. He groaned with satisfaction, his eyes fluttering closed. Her free hand started to memorize every contour and feature on his face. She let her index finger trace a line from his forehead to both of his eyes, and then to his nose. Damien’s voice brought her out of her reverie.

“You do know our love is forbidden, right?”

“I do, but as far as I’m concerned, nothing is forbidden to me, and if it is, I have forever to obtain it.” Damien smiled at her answer and allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of her fingers once again. Her finger drifted towards his mouth, relishing in its silk like feeling. He pressed kisses to her fingers, his hand holding hers to his mouth. Shifting his weight, he sat back up and took her face in his hands, leaning close to hers so his lips were grazing her lips.

“I love you, you know that right?” Damien mumbled against her lips. Lauren shuddered from the light touch before nodding and answering.

“I know, I love you too,” Lauren whispered, capturing his lips in a promising kiss.

“Then prove it. Marry me,” Damien said, pulling away to pull out a small velvet box. Lauren's eyes grew wide with shock, her heart beat quickening.

“What? Are you sure?”

“I’ve been around for over three hundred years, that’s a long time to find true love, and a long time to finally get the courage to ask the most important question in someone’s life. I finally have found the one woman for me, and I found the courage to ask,” he said quickly.

“But we’re so young! Well I am, I’m only eighteen, aren’t we moving a little too fast?” Lauren asked, fear breaking her voice.

“We have the rest of eternity to figure this out, we don’t have to get married right away, but I want to know that you want to be with me.”

“I’ll always want to be with you, why do you have to have some sort of confirmation of my love for you; is saying it not enough? When I say things like that, I mean them,” Lauren asked and grasped his hands in hers.

“I guess so, but say yes and I’ll die a happy man,” Damien pleaded, staring into her eyes, his sole boring into them.

“I-yes…I will marry you,” Lauren finally answered, through tears. Damien gathered her to him and hugged her fiercely; she hugged him back, but not for the same reason. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. Marriage? She was only eighteen! Still so young and naïve, but she couldn’t exactly back out now, could she?

 

Roxanne stood in the shower, letting the warm water cascade down her back as she leaned against the tiled wall, supporting her weight on her left arm with her head buried in the crook of it. The water washed away the dirt and filth from the day, but it couldn’t wash away the pain; the pain of seeing her best friend lying on the ground, venom staining the ground. The images started to flood her mind and her stomach started to do flips. A ripple of discomfort shot through her body, making her toes and fingers tingle with anticipation. A violent wave of pain hit her and she fell to the floor, water falling all around. Roxanne started to convulse, bashing her head against the side of the tub and hitting her limbs. A sudden, sharp rap to the head sent venom splattering everywhere as it started to flow freely from the new wound in her head. Just as soon as the seizure started, it stopped. Roxanne stayed right where she was, afraid to move anything or anywhere. Gingerly, she started to sit up slowly, taking her time and biting her lip as the venom continued to seep through the gash on her head. Her breathing was ragged and blackness scratched at the edges of her vision.

A sharp knock on the door made Roxanne jump clear out of her skin.

“Roxanne? Are you ok?” Lauren's voice sounded through the water and the door.

“Y-yeah, give me a second…” Roxanne replied pain etched in her voice. She gradually stood up and dipped her head under the waterfall. The venom swirled with the water, creating a murky funnel close to the drain. She groaned and gently touched her head, where she could feel her skin repairing itself. A loud bang at the shower door made Roxanne scream as she turned to look at the door. Amy was plastered against the door, staring into the shower, blood running from her eyes, dripping onto her arms.

“Help me!”

Roxanne screamed again, louder and longer and Lauren shattered the door down with her fist and came running into the bathroom.

“Roxanne! What’s wrong?” she opened the door to see Roxanne on the bottom of the tub in the fetal position. Lauren grabbed a large towel off the towel rack and wrapped it snugly around Roxanne as she gently lifted her out of the bath.

“Lauren! Amy, she was just here!” Roxanne cried, tears plummeting down her cheeks.

Lauren stared at Roxanne for a moment before standing back up, with Roxanne in her arms and walked through the doorway. She swiftly laid Roxanne on the bed and jumped through the window, shattering the glass. Looking around with wide eyes, Roxanne looked down and blushed and stood up to head to her room.

“This can’t be happening, not now…” she mumbled to herself as she slipped on a pair of boxers she stole out of Roarke’s room. Stepping forward, she opened her closet and a pair of cold hands clasped onto her shoulders. Amy looked at her, the blood still under her eyes, and begged for help. Roxanne stumbled backwards and Amy was gone, an illusion. Roxanne grabbed a tank top and hurriedly slipped it over her head and sprinted downstairs, nearly running into Damien as he made his way upstairs. She paused in the foyer, looking around to make sure Damien wasn’t watching. She ducked into the living room and dropped to her knees by the fireplace and started to rummage through it, grabbing and tossing aside coals until she found the object of her desire, hidden deep within the heart of the hearth. She clutched it to her chest and quickly ascended up to her room and out of sight.

“I was wondering where those went.”

Roxanne screamed and pulled out her dagger from its hilt extraordinarily fast and had it pressed against Roarke’s throat.

“Calm down! It’s just me,” Roarke reassured her, closing his cold hand over hers and lowering the deathly blade. Roxanne forced the lump that had risen into her throat back down into the pit of her stomach.

“Where what went?” she asked, grabbing his other hand. He looked down and back up into her eyes.

“My unmentionables, m’lady! It appears you have stolen them from me, and I desperately would love to have them back,” he replied, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Look, now’s not really a good time, Roarke,” Roxanne mumbled, gently freeing her hands from his grasp. Tears prickled at her eyes and she turned away quickly, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she took a step forward and mumbled under breath, “everything.”

Roarke growled from behind her and seized her upper arms.

“Tell me, damn it! You keep hiding things from me, always being so damn secretive!” He growled into her ear, spinning her around so he could look into her panic-stricken eyes.

“I─I don’t understand…”

“Of course you wouldn’t! You have your nose so far up everybody’s asses that you fail to see what is right in front of you!”

“Why are you being like this, Roarke? What’s gotten into you?” Roxanne barely whispered, staring up at him. At that moment her door was thrown open and a breathless Roarke stumbled into the room.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” he roared at the Roarke holding Roxanne against his chest.

“Oh, so figured it out have you? Great! I’m glad one of you bloody vampires has a lick of sense,” Darius snarled, changing into his own body, his own twisted face seeping through Roarke’s disappearing one. Roxanne attempted to scream, but Darius flicked her own blade against her throat in a blink of an eye.

“Do it and I swear you’ll wish you hadn’t, now then, Mr. Summers, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have the sample,” Darius asked calmly, pressing the dagger into Roxanne’s throat.

“S─sample? What is he talking about Roarke?” Roxanne whimpered, looking at Roarke through watery eyes.

“He didn’t tell you? Why Roarke, how could you not tell her? I mean after all, you two are dating, are you not?”

Roarke gave a curt nod and glared at Darius.

“Let her go, she has nothing to do with is,” he growled, his eyes mutating into two silver orbs.

“But you silly boy, she has everything to do with it! Without her, the love struck Fusions will not duel and then what will I do? Now then, hand me the sample, oh wait, I didn’t tell dear Roxanne about that either. I sent Mr. Summers on a little quest for me, and as far as I know, he has accomplished it! You see darling, I sent him to you, so he could obtain your trust, and hopefully your affection. It seems to me has done much more than that! It seems that the silly Mr. Summers has, dare I say it, fallen in love with you!” Darius laughed, clutching Roxanne tighter.

“Let go of me, now…” Roxanne snarled, fighting against Darius’ hold on her.

“No can do darling,” Darius stated flatly. Roxanne growled and launched herself out of his arms, her very own blade parting her skin, allowing the venom to flow freely. It took a moment for the venom to stop and retreat back to her neck, titanium liquid healing her neck.

“Don’t…call me darling you slimy b*****d,” Roxanne growled, twirling her dagger in her fingers before throwing it at Darius’ head. The edge of the demented blade sliced open his cheek and landed into the wall behind him, his venom dripping off of its formidable sides.

“Damn you, you will pay for you insubordination!” Darius launched himself at Roxanne, but a growl of irritation could be heard and Darius was thrown into the wall. A hand closed around his throat and jerked him to his feet.

“I will not have you destroying my home again!” Lauren snarled, snapping her fangs in his face. She bolted through the broken window, Darius trailing behind her. Before he could hit the ground, a claw ripped open Darius’ shirt, revealing the healing burns. He hit the ground with a thud, staring up into the amber eyes of the onyx Fusion.

“YOU!” Darius screeched, pointing a finger in the face of the dragon. No sooner had the words left his dead lips did another dragon appear, equal in power but slightly bigger. The silvery dragon growled in his face, its magnificent set of fangs glowing in the moonlight.

 

“What’s going on?” Caitlin whispered, clutching the chimney and looking down at the scene that played out before them. Lara looked at her through her lashes and answered quietly.

“Darius is getting what he deserves. Now those are Fusions,” Lara breathed, pointing a finger at the two dragons.

“Amazing, I can’t believe one of them is Lauren! She might be the black one, judging by the size of the body,” she whispered. Caitlin looked at her and whimpered.

“You’re not afraid?” Caitlin asked, clutching the side of the chimney tighter.

“The Fusion will only attack if you offend it in anyway. For Lauren's case, that was entering her home, and Damien was offended because Darius threatened Lauren,” Lara answered, leaning closer over the edge of the roof to get a better view. Caitlin mumbled something incoherent and Lara snorted and swatted at her to be quiet. Darius started to yell at the two dragons, streams of curses pouring out of his mouth.

“To hell with both of you, I don’t need the sample to get what I want!” Darius shouted, pulling out a vial of some sort of liquid. He placed it to his mouth and jerked it away, apparently uncorking it. He threw the vial at Damien, immediately he was howling with rage and pain. His skin burned away at the corrosive substance, his body shrinking back into his vampire self. Damien was sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain while his skin continued to burn. Lauren growled and shot a ball of fire at Darius, scorching him from head to toe. Darius fell to the ground with a silent “Oh” issuing from his lips. Roxanne ran towards Lauren and took her snout in her hands, softly stroking it. Lauren changed again and Roxanne shrugged out of her jacket and gave it to Lauren.

“We should help them!” Caitlin cried her hand over her mouth in shock.

“No! This isn’t our battle, as sick as it may seem, we cannot interfere, if we do now, Lauren will surely tear us apart,” Lara hissed.

“But why? We only want to help!” Caitlin protested, gaping at Lara and the fight below. Darius, amazingly still breathing, stood up, a sword in his hand. He brandished it towards the two vampires; Damien hissed with pain and rage and Lauren shrugged out of the jacket and transformed again

“What’s with the sword?” Caitlin asked with horror etched in her small voice. Lara gave a shrug of her shoulders, for once without an answer.

 

Roxanne shrieked, and clutched at Roarke’s arm.

“Why does he have a sword? What’s going to happen? Ugh, I cannot stand by and allow this to happen!” Roxanne growled, taking off at a run towards the dragons. She ran right up to Lauren and leapt onto her shoulder. Roxanne grabbed a horn and jerked it backwards. Lauren was forced to take a step back, growling with disturbance. At that moment a streak of lightening scorched the place where Lauren was seconds before.

“This isn’t your fight, now stand down!” Darius yelled, pointing the deathly sword at Roxanne. She jumped down from Lauren's shoulder and glared at Darius, defiance in her posture.

“I will not! As the legend says, it’s supposed to be a fight against the Fusions! Not a fight against a slimy coward and the Fusions! How is that fair?” Roxanne screamed at him.

“How dare you!” Darius roared and jabbed the sword at Roxanne, a ball of lightening pouring from its tip. Roarke ran full speed at Roxanne and tackled her to the ground, the lightening bouncing off of his back. He moaned in pain and rolled off of Roxanne, clutching his head.

“Now you’ve done it,” Roarke whispered, his teeth extending past his lips, curving slightly at the tips. A dark coat of hair started to cover his body, his eyes started to change color to a vibrant purple. He rolled back over and stood up on four paws. Roxanne and Lara gasped simultaneously, recognizing the wolf at once as Kamoux.

“What? No, I killed you!” Darius cried, letting the sword fall to the ground.

“You’ve always underestimated me, Darius, you should’ve been more thorough with your work!” the raspy voice snarled, Kamoux’s eyes glowing with hatred. He bolted towards Darius and jumped on his chest, making him fall backwards.

“My turn,” Kamoux growled and clamped onto Darius’ throat, the bitter venom gushing into Kamoux’s mouth. He jerked his head, effectively ripping out Darius’ throat. Roxanne started to sit up to look at Kamoux for what seemed like the very first time. Kamoux stepped back and turned his head to look at Roxanne.

“It was not my intention to expose this side of me to you, especially you,” Kamoux whispered sadly, staring deep into Roxanne’s eyes. She motioned for him to come closer and when he was close enough, she took his furry head into her soft hands and placed a small kiss between his eyes. She looked back at him and Roarke stared back at her.

“I don’t care what you are, I only care of who you are, as long as you’ll be the Roarke I fell in love with, then I could care less what you turn into, I mean, I have a Fusion for a best friend!” Roxanne said with a small smile on her lips.

“I love you too,” Roarke whispered, kissing her softly on the lips.

 

“Damien!” Lauren growled through tears, taking his head in her hands.

“W-what?” Damien asked quietly, his eyes clenched closed.

“Where does it hurt, love?”

“E-everywhere, please make it stop,” Damien cried, gripping her arms tightly. Lauren remembered asking him to do the very same for her and she placed a kiss to his forehead.

Lara approached cautiously, clearing her throat to make her presence known. Lauren looked up at her sister through watery eyes.

“Please help, help him,” Lauren begged to her sister.

“I’ll do my very best, Lauren, I promise,” Lara answered solemnly, she knew the chances of Damien’s survival where slim, but nevertheless she helped Lauren to get Damien to his feet and into the house. Caitlin stood in the middle of the field, looking around.

“Is there anything I can do?” Caitlin asked mainly to herself, but was shocked when Roarke answered her question.

“Yes, any chance you can bring that sword into the house without touching it?”

Caitlin nodded enthusiastically and levitated the sword, propelling in front of her and into the house quickly.