Onyx Roses

Chapter Six

The hot water ran along my back as I rolled my shoulders trying to release some of the tension that had built up. I knew only one thing would fully make my body relax, but I wasn't ready to feed yet. After Xavier finding out, and me telling Sakari, I felt more guilty about feeding from humans. I knew Xavier would be able to tell that I had fed, and I knew he would be disgusted by it.

I felt a tight pinch in my stomach, and I knew it wasn't from my roiling hunger. The thought of Xavier being disgusted by me bothered me deeply, though I wasn't sure why. One moment I wanted to kiss him, the next my fangs were coming out in a defensive gesture.

I gently touched my index finger to my lips, recalling when he had kissed me. I smiled to myself as I closed my eyes, wishing I could kiss him again. I knew his kiss was only to confirm what he already knew, but it was still amazing and exciting.

After gently massaging my neck and shoulders in the hot water of my shower I stepped out, wrapping my towel around myself and exiting the bathroom just as I heard a knock on the door. My brow knit together as I turned and walked through the front room to the front door. I stood on my tip-toes and peered through the peep-hole, seeing Xavier standing there with his muscled arms crossed over his chest. My heart leapt at the sight of him, but then caution crept into my mind. What would he be doing here in the middle of the day with no invitation?

I slowly opened the door and gace him an odd look. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

His eyes flashed as his eyes left my face to examine my body, and then I remembered I was still in just my towel. My cheeks heated up. "I came to talk to you," he said, his voice a little husky. "It's important."

"Come on in," I said stepping back from the door and leaving it open. "Let me just get dressed."

I hurried down the hall and into my small bedroom, closing the door behind me and leaning against it for a moment. Oh God. What should I wear? I slapped my palm to my forehead at that thought and then crossed the room to my dresser, pulling open the drawers until I found clothes that I deemed fine to wear. After I was dressed, I quickly rubbed the towel through my hair and than ran a brush through it before I finally stepped out and saw Xavier sitting down in my old couch. "I always thought that the whole 'girls take forever' thing was just a myth," he said, smiling crookedly at me.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the other end of the couch. "So what's so important?" I asked.

He sighed, the smile fading. "One of the jocks were killed last night," he said. "My dad is trying to convinve the police department right now that what they're dealing with is out of their hands and that we will deal with it."

My brow knit together as I watched him.

"Have you fed recently?" he asked and I saw his body tense.

I stood up. "Do I look like I've fed recently?" I asked, pulling up my shirt to reveal my sunken in stomach and my paler-than-normal skin.

He watched me for a moment, and then looked away and I let my shirt fall back down. "I just wanted to make sure," he said. "If my dad found out about your being a vampire he would kill you. I can't let him kill you."

"Maybe he should if you won't do it," I mumbled.

His gaze snapped back up to me and he stood up. "I can't and won't let him kill you, Lissa," he said in a low voice.

"Why not, Xavier? I mean, really, all my existence consists of is drinking blood and watching everyone around me grow older and then die," I said. "Nothing special about that."

"It's not your existence that's special, Alissa, it's you," he snapped. "You have something that all the other bloodsuckers don't."

"Oh really? And what's that?" I asked, crossing my arms.