The Soldier's Hostage

Chapter Four

Arthur had been keeping a close eye on me to make sure he could bite me before it got to bad. He had also been carefully weaning me off the pheromones. I was almost sure he was on some sort of schedule for when he had to bite me. I probably should have expected one of the scheduled bites to fall during the time where he was at work.

I managed to figure it out when I started feeling the withdrawal a little after Arthur left for work. I did my very best to keep myself under control, but I was quickly growing stressed and shaky. I needed a bite.

I started doing everything to distract myself. The books didn't cut it. Watching TV stimulated my mind enough but there wasn't enough physical movement. I almost cheered when it got close enough to the time when Arthur would be back and I could start dinner.

I picked out the most difficult recipe in the new books Arthur had gotten me and got to work. It was almost what I needed. But my thoughts continued to circle back around to the warm feeling of pheromones flooding my system. The light pinch and aching slide of fangs into my flesh. The strong circle of arms or fingers holding me tight to keep me from struggling.

I froze when I heard the door click a little earlier than I had expected and my keeper come in. Arthur stopped when he saw me. I sneered at him. "Glad you're back." It was sarcastic and rude but the pheromone deprivation was getting intense. I needed a bite, right now, and being insubordinate always seemed to get fangs in my neck.

Arthur nodded cordially and wandered past me to his room. I watched him go in horrified indignation. The hell?!

I paced the kitchen for a minute until he came back out. I skidded to a halt and seethed as he walked past me again, slowly going through his stack of bills. He spread them over the table along with a checkbook as he sat down and started paying off the various amounts.

I grit my teeth and stalked back towards the stove, continuing to prepare dinner with a lot more noise than necessary. Pots and pans were dropped. Food was stirred vigorously enough that it sloshed. Plates were snapped onto the table, right on top of Arthur's work and left there. It didn't seem to matter. He just ignored it all without a single expression.

I clenched my teeth as I hacked at some lettuce. A thought occurred and was implemented before I could think better of it. I deliberately sliced across one finger, bringing bright blood up to drip across my hand.

I heard Arthur take in a breath, and I turned to look at him. Surely he would be coming out of his seat now. Cold dread settled in my stomach when he made no move towards me. Not even a glance. I lost it.

I flung the knife at him. He caught it without injury, but I hadn't expected it to actually do any damage to him. I snatched up a handful of coarsely chopped lettuce and threw that at him too. He gave the greens a mild look as they fluttered stupidly between us and scattered over the floor.

I screamed out my frustration, trying to motivate him into action. "What is wrong with you?! You stupid blood-sucker! You honestly think this is normal?! I'm being rude and insubordinate and violent and you don't even react!"

A glass went sailing at his head next and he caught it, setting it down on the table along with the knife. He rose and I threw myself at him, looking to punch him. That would get me bitten for sure. I winced when he slipped under my desperate attack and grabbed me.

He twisted me around and pushed me across the kitchen to the nearest wall, pinning me against it with one wrist to the small of my back. I trembled in fear, but I didn't wiggle or try for escape. I had asked for this after all. I felt his breath, hot against the back of my neck.