Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 26

"What kind of games are you playing? Are you ready to die to prove to Seymour that you are better for him than me?" I snap at Alarcos, having finally regained my ability to speak in long sentences.

"What? No, no, Helen. I am not playing games. I don't need to prove anything to him. I can see that what we had is in the past and I'm okay with that. I just meant that if the thirst is unbearable, you could drink my blood. I trust you would be able to stop," he says.

I am dumbfounded by what he is saying, so it takes me a moment to gather my wits.

"Your trust is misplaced. Seymour is right. My self-control is spotty at the best of times." I say.

Alarcos shakes his head, stubborn in his evaluation, but I continue speaking before he can say anything.

"Also, I don't think what you two had is in the past. I saw the way he looks at you, the way you are with each other. There is something there. A spark." I say.

Not only am I voicing my honest opinion, but I am also distracting myself to avoid the temptation that his blood presents to me in our current situation.

"You think so?" He asks excitedly.

A spark lights up his eyes, but it's gone soon enough as he appears to remember something unpleasant.

"But hasn't he been trying to make up with you, to get you back? Isn't that the reason why he is here in the first place?" Alarcos asks.

Technically speaking, he is right, but I don't think I am what Seymour truly wants. No matter how hard it is for me to admit it, I think he has confused the guilt of leaving me with love.

"I guess that's true, but that doesn't change the way you two are with each other, how easily you fall in sync. I don't think Seymour and I have ever had that kind of connection." I say.

The huge grin that spreads across Alarcos' face bothers me more than it should.

Am I so selfish that I can't be pleased that Seymour might find his happiness? Perhaps.

However, I think it's more than that. Seymour is the only person who has had romantic feelings towards me and losing that would be awful. It feels as if a part of me is being ripped out, and I don't want to let it go.

If Seymour finds his happiness elsewhere, what's left for me? How will I ever find anyone who could love me for who I am? Who would love the monster inside me?

"What should I do?" Alarcos asks.

I want to snap at him, to scream for him not to ask me for advice on how to completely rip out a piece of me. It's so difficult not to let my true emotions show, as I contemplate what I should tell him.

"Show him the things that make you special. Show him how well you two function together. Make him see the truth, and I am sure he'll come back running to you," I say.

Why am I helping him? Probably because I am an idiot.

The truth is, Seymour has betrayed my trust, I can't get past that and yet...I am not sure I am ready to let him go, let alone hand him over to Alarcos on a silver platter.

"Are you sure about that?" He asks, hopefully.

He looks like a small child who has been promised the most delicious candy, and I don't have it in me to burst his bubble.

The truth is, I have no idea what Seymour might or might not do. He did try to win me over, but I can't stay blind to the way Alarcos and he seem to just click, so effortlessly.

"Alarcos, you know better than me that there are no guarantees in life or afterlife. That's especially true for love." I say tiredly.

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind? If the two of us got back together?" He asks.

"Why would I?" I say, avoiding answering the question.

If I am being honest, I would mind. A lot. However, I am not sure if that is just my innate possessiveness or if I still have feelings for that infuriating vampire.

"Look, I am tired. Seymour wouldn't approve if I fed on you, I'm sure. So could you go outside and wait for him there so that I don't succumb to the temptation. You do smell delicious," I say.

His eyes scrutinize me up and down, assessing my condition. I am not sure what he sees, but I am relieved when I see acceptance in his face.

"Fine. But don't you dare die while we are gone. Whether he loves me or not, he will kill me if I let anything happen to you. That much I know," he says.

Oddly, his words make me feel better. Perhaps it's my weakened state talking, but I am glad he thinks that Seymour cares enough about me to do something as irrational as that.

It's funny to realize that I want someone to care about me, to see me as something precious that would hurt losing.

"I'll keep watch close by. If you need anything, just call out to me. Even if it's just to drain my delicious blood," he says teasingly before he finally leaves.

I don't think he realizes how tempted I am by him. It's a relief not to have to breathe in his mouthwatering scent.

Thinking about it makes me happy that I didn't end up trapped and thirsty with Cecilia and Tobias. As delicious as Alarocs' blood smells, it's not even as half as alluring as Healer blood.

Most of the time, I don't even register the scent of vampire blood since it's not as delicious as the real deal, but when one is hungry, any food smells heavenly. Besides, at home we usually have an ample supply of human blood that keeps me satiated.

My head is starting to lull to the side, and I can't help but wonder if I am about to embarrass myself for the third time on the same day by losing consciousness yet again.

A commotion that reaches my ears makes me snap my eyes open, and that's when I see Seymour and Alarcos with two humans in tow.

"This is all I could get," Seymour says.

Soon enough, he positions the shaking man in front of me, but I don't have enough strength left to get my fangs to come out.

"Here, love. I'll do it for you." Seymour says.

His fangs pierce the man's skin, and I am not sure how well I am processing the situation, but moments later, there is a straw at my mouth. I suck greedily and relish in the warmth and sweetness of the fresh human blood.

The quiet whimpers of the human are a sweet melody to my ears, making the meal even more scrumptious. I would never admit it, but if he were to scream in terror, this would be the perfect meal.

As it is, I enjoy what I have until the human is empty.