Eternal Redemption - Book Two ✔

Chapter 17

My internal clock said it was almost three in the morning when I finally felt his presence.

I had left the neighbourhood and the dead man far behind me and was strolling down another deserted street, the buildings in the same abandoned state with their overgrown lawns and rusted cars.  Despite my quick reflexes, I didn't have time to summon my powers before his hands gripped my arms from behind, twisting me around.

"Where have you been?" Nox almost growled at me. His red eyes flashed and his grip tightened. He stared at me so intently, moving his eyes across my body, as if to check if I was alright. "Why would you take off like that? I've spent the whole night searching for you."

"I'm fine, please let go of me," I said and like he'd been shocked he let go of me.

"Emily." The sternness in his voice almost made me feel like a small child.

"What? I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about." I shrugged, acting like I hadn't just killed a man and drained his blood.

Nox's nostrils flared. "You fed."

I looked him straight in the eyes. "Yes. And it was good. He was good."

"Why?"

"I was hungry."

"Did you stop?"

My silence told him everything he needed to know. He sighed, running a hand across his face.

"I guess this was coming. It's rare for new vampires to not accidentally drink too much from someone."

He thought this was an accident.

"It wasn't."

"What wasn't?"

"An accident."

Nox was silent; he didn't look at me, but I could tell he was thinking about this. But I felt nothing but great.

"How do you feel?" He then asked.

"I feel great," I replied, smiling calmly at him.

"No remorse? No guilt for killing a person?"

"Why should I feel that? I'm just embracing my nature as a vampire. And it feels incredible."

Nox just nodded, looking like he had solved a problem.

"I know what's going on with you, Emily. I should have known when our bond started fading." I waited for him to continue. "You are turning off the part of yourself that feels human emotions. In sense, you are turning off your humanity."

That didn't sound too horrible to me.

"Our bond relies on emotions – if you let go of those, we won't be able to sense each other anymore. You will end up becoming just a cold and uncaring creature." He grasped my shoulder, moving his face so close to mine that for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. He didn't though.

"You will end up like Shax."

"I won't. I just want to be able to enjoy the whole experience. Every.last.drop.of.it," I said, emphasizing every word before reaching up to tug him closer, crashing my lips against his. Nox didn't move. His mouth stilled against mine, not responding to my kiss. Fine. I hooked my other arm around his neck and jumped up and he automatically caught me, his hands firm against my lower back. Pressing my body against him, moaning against his mouth I finally felt his lips respond to mine. I smiled at my victory and he walked up to the closest house, kicking the door so that it flew open, hitting the wall.

He broke our heated kiss and took me through a few rooms, stripped almost bare of any furniture. I lowered my head and grazed his neck with my teeth, nipping it, licking it and I heard a growl coming from deep down in this throat.

It seemed like he didn't care what I had done, at least for now it didn't, which was what I preferred. For now, nothing mattered. His hands moved up my sides, thumbs stroking the sides of my breasts and I closed my eyes, letting his touch fill up my mind. The only thing remaining clear in my head was that I wanted him.

"The floor will have to do," Nox muttered against my neck and he lowered us both onto the dusty floorboards.

***

"It will be dawn soon." Nox's voice vibrated through his bare chest on which my head was lying. He was running his fingers in lazy circles on my lower back.

My naked arm and leg were splayed across his body as we lay together on the floor of what looked to be an old living room. Few items lay scattered across the otherwise bare room. People had long since stripped the house of any valuables. It was a common thing. I'd done it too, but that seemed so long ago.

"Okay," I merely replied. He stirred, but I didn't want to move. I was rather comfortable where I was. "Are we going back to the hotel?" I asked.

"No. This house has a basement. We'll stay there for the day."

I rested my chin against his muscular chest, looking up at him. "That's new."

"Yes, well, things have changed," he replied. He wasn't looking at me, but chose to look up at the ceiling instead.

"Is that because of me? Of what I did last night?"

"Emily," Nox started, but I pushed myself up onto my knees and continued to move away from him. I located my clothes, which lay in numerous places around the room and hastily threw them on.

"Emily," Nox repeated, slowly getting up.

"No, don't get up," I said as I put on my shoes. There was a hole on the left side of my right shoe, by the big toe. I stared at it for a moment, letting the frayed edges of the material fill my mind.

"Why are you like this?"

I thought about my answer, letting my eyes sweep the room, settling upon the window at the far side. I could see the deep orange and red colours from the approaching dawn. My body had started feeling heavier and I knew I had about a quarter of an hour before it would shut down. I hated this part of being a new vampire and I could not wait until the time came when I could stay awake throughout the whole day.

"Because it's easier, to not feel anything rather than feeling too much. And I don't want to feel," I finally replied. I waited for a reply, but Nox kept silent. What did I even want him to say? That I should quit acting like this and start feeling again? That I should embrace the new me and go nuts?

Instead, he said, "what did your father say to you?" When I looked at him, Nox had put his pants back on. With his shirt in his hand he stood tall in front of me, his muscled arms and chest so inviting, yet when I was finally able to tear my eyes away and travel further up, his face was an unreadable mask.

I huffed, "he told me exactly what I wanted to hear. He's not my father. He's nothing to me. I do not wish to see him again or else I may end up killing him."

Nox took a step towards me, but I held up my hand, motioning for him to stop.

"Don't. I know you love me, so please, just...don't."

And he didn't. He just looked at me and I could see the pain now, on his face, in his red eyes. Unnecessary pain.

"Why don't you turn it off? I feel so free. It's incredible. Why be bothered by all these human emotions that does nothing but suffocate us?"

"I did. Once." Nox's face darkened. "For the first long time, I shut out everything and you're right, it felt good. I was carefree and nothing bothered me. Shax let me do what I wanted as long as I didn't draw any unwanted attention to myself. But something was missing and no amount of blood or killings could fill that hollowness in me. I realised that I was lonely."

"So, what changed?" I asked. His red eyes were hooded in shadows as he stared right at me.

"Sam."