Darker Blood

Chapter fourteen

Three weeks later~
Inori pov~

I walked down the hallway slowly. I still haven’t heard anything from Daria. The thought that she might have just decided to go home quickly faded from my mind when I’d seen her room, still full of her possessions, and posters and alerts everywhere for her missing status. I’m honestly scared to go to class without her by my side. My wounds are finally healed, after much discomfort.
Pair upon pair of judging eyes looked me over as I walked slowly. I tried to ignore the dirty phrases they whispered, the judgemental glances they gave.
“Inori.”
I looked up and saw Jungkook in front of me. Fear sprung into me and I backed away quickly. He walked with me, arms outstretched, trying to be reassuring.
“Inori! I’m sorry okay? I don’t know what came over me..” He looked deep into my eyes, his piercing green ones strangely reassuring and welcoming. I nodded slowly, his hands gripping tightly onto my forearms, the nail slightly digging into my skin. I winced, seeing a red tinge start to show in his eyes. I struggled under his grip, snapping him back to reality.
“Forgive me?” He bit his lip, looking at me painfully, the red quickly disappearing from his eyes.
I nodded slowly again. A small smile sprung onto his face. Without warning, he pulled me in for a tight hug. Slowly, I wrapped my own trembling arms around him, still in shock.
He pulled off, grinning. “I’ll treat you lunch okay?”
I nodded nervously, looking at him innocently. We walked, side by side to class. I brushed my hair over my face, trying to hide the bright pink colour quickly rising in my cheeks.

Later~
Jungkook pov~

I grinned to myself, plonking down beside Inori in the uncomfortable plastic seat. She shrank away from me, and I could see how scared she was; she avoided eye contact like the plague and her hands were pale and trembling. I could feel the sadness off her too; she craved Daria to be here to reassure her, to push her even further in the deep end.
I passed her the meal I got for her, and she mumbled a thank you. She brushed her hair away from her face and her neck, and slowly began eating. I licked my lips, feeling the hunger push into my mouth. Her head turned to look at me, and I looked down at the pathetic meal I got for myself.
“You don’t eat much?”
I shook my head. “Besides, the food here isn’t really my type.” I feigned a smile. She nodded, and continued her meal. I pulled out the small water bottle from my bag, the black aluminium coating hiding the substance inside from all prying eyes. I gulped from it desperately, trying to cool the thirst that was becoming more and more like acid in my throat. I could feel her eyes on me, but I tried my best to ignore it.
Control. Remember her fear.
“Are you okay there?”
I nodded, putting away the now drained bottle, smiling at her. She glanced back at her meal nervously.
“Do you have any siblings?” My question was abrupt and it took her by surprise. Her perfect mouth opened, trying to find the words for the answer.
“N-no.. do you?”
I nodded slightly. “In a sense. We’re not directly related but they’re like brothers to me.”
A genuine smile flashed on her face for a moment, before disappearing back to her glum expression. Right.. Daria is like her sister. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
“What about parents?”
She shook her head slightly. “My dad and I aren’t close, we’ve never been anything more than strangers and we don’t speak much. I don’t know where my mother is now.” She glanced away, her eyes wandering across the dozens of heads chattering and fooling around happily in the rest of the large cafeteria.
I forced a smile. “I had parents once.”
She looked at me quizzically. “Once? What happened to them?”
“Ah.. they just got old.” I feigned another smile, hoping her mood might lighten up a bit.
Before she could plainly nod in response again, the school bell rang. She stood up quickly, eager to walk away. In desperation, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, making her wince again. I brought my bright eyes into her sparkling ones.
“Inori.. before you go..”
Her innocent stare cut me off. I was at a loss for words, the heat and tension rising from the very pit of my stomach, making all my hairs stand nervously on end. I couldn’t find the words I wanted to say, I couldn’t speak. I leaned down, pressing my lips to her cheek as gently as I could. She looked at me in shock. I loosened my hold on her wrist, regretting grabbing her so hard that it had hurt her. She snapped her hand back quickly, holding it to her chest with her other arm, those sparkling eyes still looking directly at mine. My eyes flickered down to her wrist, the one I had grabbed. I suppressed the urge to frown, too scared to ruin the moment. A small bracelet was on her wrist, a blood stone in the centre.
So she’s protected, hm..
A mixture of emotions filled me. I was incredibly glad now, that no vampire, me or vermin, could harm her and get away with it. But on the other hand, I was also incredibly jealous. I wanted her to be mine, and only mine. I wanted to be the one and only person that could feast off her rich blood, the only one to be intoxicated by her scent, the only one to be enchanted by her charm that she was not yet aware of.
“U-uh.. I have to go..” She stuttered, pulling her eyes away from my face, before practically running away back to class. A small sad smile climbed onto my face.
Ah Inori.. you have no idea how bad it’s going to get.. you have no idea how much I want you already..