30 Nights

23

LILY

I can feel the tears falling down my face before I even get back to my room. I throw myself down on the bed and let myself sob into the pillow.

What is happening to me? How could I have just done that? If I see a snail on the pavement, then I pick it up so that it doesn't get squished. And I just put my hands around it, and they made me look at in the eyes.

I keep sobbing into the bed and I feel a cool hand stroke my back.

"Go away," I shout in between sobs. But I feel two hands lift me up and I try and wriggle away but Edric is still so much stronger than me. He sits me on his lap and pulls me close to his chest, stroking my hair and letting me sob.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he says, soothing me. "I knew that would be hard for you."

I pull my face away from his chest, and I can see how his white shirt is stained with my tears.

"Then why did you make me do it?" I snap at him.

He lifts my chin up so I am looking up at him.

"Look at me, Lily," he says softly. Reluctantly, I meet his gaze. He bends forward and very softly and slowly, he kisses my cheek. Gently kissing and licking away my tears. When he is finished, his lips meet mine and they tentatively press against them, almost waiting for permission to continue. I hesitate and he pauses.

"Lily, let me make you feel better," he whispers into my lips. I meet his lips and press back a bit, and then he takes over. Gone is the gentle Edric, his lips now are firm and hard. His tongue invades my mouth and all I can do is feel it, enjoy it. He doesn't let up and I can feel myself getting short of breath but he still doesn't stop. When he does pull away, it's only for a breath second and in that second, he has moved me so I am lying flat on my back and he is on top of me.

Then his lips are back on mine again. He leans slightly over me, with each of his hands holding down my wrists.

"You're mine," he murmurs into my neck as he kisses and licks me, and with barely a pause, he sinks his fangs into my neck. It stings and I realise this is the roughest he has ever been with me.

"You still taste divine," he groans and I feel him suck hard and deep at my throat. I moan, it hurts but it also feels so good.

He pulls away and I see that his lips and his mouth are full of my blood. He bends down to my lips and then he is kissing me again, and my own blood is filling my mouth and covering my lips. It tastes different. He is right, it does taste good and so much nicer than the blood bags they were giving me.

"See how good you taste," he says and then he bites into his wrist, pressing it against my lips.

"Drink Lily," he says. "Drink long and hard," I suck harder and he groans. After a few seconds, he bends down, leaving me sucking his wrist but I feel his fangs on the other side of my neck.

I don't know how long this goes for. Him biting me, me drinking from him, me drinking my blood from his mouth, but after a while, I feel my head spinning. It's like I am floating somewhere outside of myself and I can feel this tingling feeling all over me. There are black spots floating around me and the room is darker.

I feel Edric lie down next to me and pull me close to his side.

"Enjoy the feeling, Lily. Let go, fall into the black and go to sleep," he says and I feel his hands stroking me and I feel everything fade away.

When I open my eyes, the room looks exactly the same. As of course, everything does down here, with no windows and constant candlelight.

"Good evening, princess," says Edric and I turn to see him lying next to me, perfectly still except those amber eyes of his which seem to have a life of their own when he stares at me.