Once Bitten *On Hiatus*

𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

• 𝓛𝓾𝓬𝓪 •

Hail Mary, hallelujah and whatever the fuck.

Mae was curled up against me, her breathing slow and even as she slept and I had to stop myself for the thousandth time from trying to kiss her damn forehead. I didn't get attached to the women I had sex with, mostly because I didn't give myself the chance to get to know them beforehand. But something inside of me was soft, just for Mae, and I couldn't exactly pinpoint when that happened.

Originally, when I saw her before Kite brought her back, all I wanted was to know what the fuss was about with Noah. Why he felt like he needed to save himself for her. Even in those moments, I couldn't figure out why. I could tell she was strong, for a human living amongst vampires.

She still hated vampires. But she seemed to be softening her rage when it came to Noah. I still couldn't tell how she really felt about me, but the hatred would eventually fade and be kept only for the ones who deserve it. She would be a force to be reckoned with if she knew where to aim it.

Now I had this weird niggling in my chest whenever I thought about her, and it sure as hell wasn't my heart.

I closed my eyes, even though I didn't need to sleep. She was warm against me, draped over me like somehow she found comfort being near me.

I didn't want to get attached to her. With how Zero was acting recently, there was a chance he'd just outright kill her the second he had a chance.

I wasn't against Seraph watching over her if he genuinely didn't want to kill her, but who truly knew that but him? He got my hint and took Zero out earlier, but maybe he had some lingering feelings over the fact that Mae went to him for help. I didn't trust him, but I know that she couldn't have eyes on her at all times with the three of us.

Maybe I'd have to bring it up sometime. At least to properly discuss it.

I opened my eyes and looked back down at her when she squirmed. Her eyes clenched shut and she groaned like she was in pain.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyebrows pulling together.

'Does Mae get nightmares a lot,' I asked Noah.

'Sometimes,' he said. 'It hasn't happened so much recently, from what I can tell. She has a bad past. I don't think she's really even broken through the surface of what happened with me.'

I remembered when we were in the same foster home that I could hear her screaming sometimes during the night. Noah was usually quick to get up to help, but I never went to her.

Her hand curled into a fist on my chest, tiny, almost imperceptible scars across her knuckles.

Had a bad past, and wasn't having the best of times with vampires. I knew there had to be a reason why she was the way she was, even without adding Zero to the equation. There was a time before the takeover, and before I moved, that she was so overcome with rage for no apparent reason that she damn near punched a hole in a tree. She kept punching it over and over and over until our foster mom ran out to stop her, and she barely even flinched. Her knuckles had been so bloody, but her eyes were void of any emotion. She just stared off into space, even as our foster mom cleaned them.

I just thought she had anger issues. I didn't equate that to a bad upbringing.

'Were her parents abusive or something,' I asked. That's why I'd been in the foster system. It made sense.

She ground her teeth together so hard that the sound sent a chill down my spine. Fuck, man. Ouch.

'No,' he said. 'I'd suggest you ask her if you're curious. It's not my place to tell.'