Darker Blood

Chapter thirty-five

Inori pov~

I trembled where I sat, leaning against the wall of Jungkook's bed, fresh sweat and tears dotted over my skin from the nightmare I just awoke from.

Why won't they just leave me alone..?

One of the books hastily left on his nightstand tumbled down and I jumped in shock. With a helpless sob, I brought my knees to my chest, trying to find some sort of comfort.

"Inori?" Just as soon as he walked in, a loving hand touched the back of my hair in a comforting way but I shrunk away from it. "More bad dreams..?"

All I could do was nod, still hesitant to let him touch me. "I'm fine.."

He sighed, hurriedly with a sense of annoyance almost. "You're not fine. Tell me?"

"I don't want to drag you into this!"

"It's only a dream, remember.." He sat beside me, his hand lightly trailing to rest around my shoulders.

I gulped, glancing at a far corner of the room. "I can't stop having dreams and it always goes the same.. I'm tied up, in a dark room, and someone with a strange face keeps hurting me. Now they're bringing you into it.." I sobbed unintentionally, burying my face in his soft chest. He didn't speak, he didn't ask anything. Yet he pulled me into his lap and tried to comfort me as more and more heavy sobs leaked out of me. His hand rubbed a tender spot on my back in sweet circles as he pressed his slightly puckering lips to my temple, kissing as gently as possible over and over.

I breathed in the scent of Jungkook. Sweet and smooth but with a spicy edge. Beautiful, gorgeous, but dangerous and enticing. My fingers rested around his neck, this neck, the one they snapped in front of me. He starts to whisper small comforts in my ear which only make me sob heavier. His promises aren't helping right now – dreams are fake, but the fear of losing him forever is real.

And what if that's exactly what happened? What if someday, he was just lost?

"Inori.. I won't leave you, there's no chance I would.."

His words pulled the loudest sob yet from my mouth and I clung onto the collar of his now damp shirt, refusing to let go of him ever. It doesn't matter what he is, it doesn't matter how strong he is, there is still evil in this world that can take him away from me. I've never been so scared of losing someone before..

There was Daria, who I wanted to protect too. But she was snatched away from the world of the living too easily, and I don't even know what or who by. I love Jungkook, I can't help but worry endlessly that someday, I'll wake up and he'll be snatched away just like her.

"I'm glad Jin turned me." He pulled my face up, looking deep into my eyes, still red and flowing with water. "Because I got to see you. Even if I only knew you for a day, I'd have waited a century for your eyes to merely glance over me."

I calmed, finally, listening to his words. "H-how did you t-turn?" I hiccupped out, trying to breathe as normally as possible.

He pressed his lips together in a gentle way, sliding his hands back around my waist but I whimpered and he understood, bring his hands back up to my face, cupping my cheeks lightly. "Jin found me near death and turned me."

"Near death?"

He nodded slightly, now avoiding my gaze. "I got into an argument with three guys after school. They got aggressive and there was a knife.." He shook his head, as if trying to shake the memory from his mind altogether. I gulped, recalling that time over dinner where Jin had said I'd make a pretty vampire.

"I don't want to turn.." I mumbled, leaning back towards him, resting my head in the crook of his soft neck.

He stroked the back of my hair again, breathing heavily. "I would never turn you, Inori.. Not unless I had to choose between that and losing you forever.."

I sniffled again, holding onto the front of his soaked shirt, guilt washing over me for ruining one of his shirts like this. He kissed the side of my cheek and a strong feeling of reassurance washed over me. I wouldn't let him go anywhere without me, not from now. I needed to be there constantly to stop anyone and everyone from stealing this beautiful ray of sunshine in my world of darkness.

Jungkook pov~

I glanced at Jin for a moment as he strode through the kitchen, a bowl of food in hand.

"You're going to eat all that?"

He shrugged. "Should at least give it a try."

I laughed to myself as he took a seat opposite me quietly, his dark eyes as usual giving nothing away about the thoughts running through his head at this exact moment. "She keeps having dreams, doesn't she?"

I shifted, suddenly nervous, muttering a 'yeah' in response.

"I don't want you or her leaving the house from now on."

"Why?"

"The guardians are involved now, Jungkook."

I swore loudly, standing. "I don't give a fuck about them."

"You should. They're dangerous and for some reason, they want her."

Scoffing, I walked off, storming towards my room where she was draped limply over the edge of the bed, finally in a blissful sleep. I walked up to her, pulling up her shirt, revealing that pale blue birthmark on her stomach that she tried so hard to cover. I kissed it, and a deathly feeling of cold, even colder than my shattered soul, met my lips.

Them? The guardians? After Inori?

It sounded ridiculous. They don't mess in our business and we don't mess in theirs. So why the hell would they start to meddle?

I scoffed again, slightly outraged. As against Jin's decision as I was, I didn't have the power to go against him. Only a fool would challenge him knowing how much strength he has. Hoseok and Taehyung already got themselves in a pile of shit, killing Ryo. I don't think Jin will ever forgive them for that.

Sitting beside her, I stroked her hair gently away from her face and her neck, revealing the faintest scars of every instance she's been bitten. I gulped, guilt pricking my skin.

I only bite her to become stronger, to be able to protect her. I'm not using her for anything at all.

Just to become stronger..

I told myself that phrase, countless times in my head. I repeated it as I looked at her scars, recalling her whimpers of pain every time I fed. I told it to myself yet again as I leaned forward, slowly sinking my fangs into her soft skin, earning a gasp from her. I repeated it again in my head as I clung onto her, gulping down her blood as quickly as I could while she sobbed beneath me, tugging on my hair in the most helpless way.