My Beloved (19 page)

Vincent

He breathed in deeply as if to fill his soul with the cool night air. His eyes trailed down his Firefly’s profile, drinking her in. The moon was full tonight, casting a soft glow on her already pale skin. It was a breathtaking sight to see. His fingers lightly traced her sleeping face, making her mumble in her rest. Her scent surrounded them, making his gums ache. One of the things he failed to mention to Wendy. She wasn’t the only one affected by this. With her need growing for his bite so he’ll eventually turn her, the need to bite her and drink from her increasingly grows as well.

Everything in him ached to sink his teeth into her soft flesh, but the love he had for her thankfully prevented him from going too far. Once again he pushed back the beast within him for her sake. It will all be easier once he turns her. A selfish thought considering all she’s had to give up because of him, but he knew things would work out. She was going to have to leave eventually, now it’s just sooner than expected. He wished her family could somehow stay in touch but it would be too dangerous for them. Wendy has been aware for the past month, and look what kind of dangers were lurking for her! Humans were not designed to survive with his kind. It just wouldn’t do.

He stayed outside with her a little while longer before the sun came up and carefully picked her up and flitted back to Darcy’s place. Luckily it was quiet, which meant Anya and him have stopped their bickering. Maneuvering Wendy in his arms carefully, he opened the door and stepped in.

“Was wondering where you two went off to,” Asher commented, throwing up a ball and catching it repeatedly. “You might want to go check out the news downstairs,” he stated and stood up before heading to the small kitchen.

Vincent hurried downstairs and walked in. Wendy stirred slightly but otherwise stayed asleep while he flitted her to a bedroom and shut the door behind him.

“They already got the media involved in this. We’ll need to lay low for a while,” Darcy murmured with his hands fisted at his mouth as his elbows rested on the tops of his knees. Vincent looked at the T.V. and saw Wendy’s picture flash and the quiet murmur of the news story that only he and Darcy could hear.

“Young Wendy Garret was last seen at school yesterday afternoon. Her mother talked to her on the phone yesterday evening but the call was cut short when her mother heard her daughter scream before the line went dead. We have Carols at the scene with the parents this morning.” The picture went from the woman news anchor to the front of Wendy’s house with two crying parents.

“Please, if you’ve seen her, please let us know! Oh baby, if you’re watching this, know we love you and we’re never going to stop looking for you!” Debbie cried as she leaned into her husband who was trying to stay strong. Feeling guilt eat at him, he turned off the T.V. quickly. He turned to Darcy who was looking up at him.

“Never let her see the news for the next few weeks, okay? I need to go check on her.”

Darcy nodded but as Vincent walked out of the room, he spoke up. “I love her,” he said in a defeated voice talking about Anya. Vincent turned around with a slight smile.

“I know. We all knew. Now it’s time Anya heard it from you.”

Darcy shook his head. “She can’t. Not right now.”

Vincent quirked an eyebrow. “Why not? I think now is as good as any time.”

Before Darcy could answer, a knock sounded at the door. Vincent looked up at the clock and saw the sun should be up right now, so who was at the door? Darcy and he both got ready as he answered the door with caution. No human would know about this place underground unless they were involved with vampires, but neither of them could hear a heartbeat. When Vincent opened the door, he was surprised to see three men dressed in black suits head-to-toe with some sort of helmets covering their faces as well.

A hum-like hiss came from his mouth in warning. These three were vampires, and by the looks of things, they got around in the sun with these suits. One of them held up their hands in surrender before taking off his helmet. “No need to worry, old friend. It is I, Fredrick.”

Vincent looked at the man before him with long white hair and a clean shaven face. He recognized who it was. The other two took off their helmets as well. Both Vincent and Darcy recognized them as Michael and Tobias. Three of the twelve on the Vampire Board or Commission as some call it. Vincent made a smile appear on his face by force. He didn’t want anything to go wrong. These men could order the killing of Wendy if they so choose. ‘I’ll kill them first,’ he thought with an internal growl.

“Hello, friends! How odd, I was going to send for a letter letting you all know I am back!” he lied easily. Vincent knew he could easily dispose of these three with his age and ability, but doing so would bring down the reign of the others… all one-hundred-ninety-seven of them. There were two-hundred on the board of commission in total. Not even he could withstand that kind of power.

Tobias stepped forward with a slight smile on his aged and stoic face before clapping Vincent on the back. “It’s so good to see you again. How did you get out? It was rumored only your beloved could do it…” he trailed off with a quirked eyebrow.

Vincent cleared his throat. “Yes, well, that was indeed true.” It was no sense to lie because any vampire could clearly hear her heartbeat. It wouldn’t look good on their part if he lied. If it came down to keeping Wendy safe from them, he would kill them regardless of the repercussions. 

Michael then stepped up and circled Darcy with a slight sneer. They never did get along. “Hello, Darcy,” he quipped with a dangerous glint.

Vincent could see Darcy was trying not to growl. Stepping in, he tried to get the focus back on him so a fight didn’t break out. “How are things, friend?” he asked, looking at Michael, making him look away.

“Very good, very good. Tell me, can we meet your beloved? She must be a lovely creature to be paired with an old one such as yourself?”

Vincent want to tear off his head from suggesting it considering now, everyone was looking to him for the answer. Through gritted teeth, he nodded. “Of course. Just a moment, I must wake her.” Flitting into the room where she lay, he gazed at her. If his heart were to beat, it would be beating right out of his chest. Taking her out of this room would put her in danger and that made him scared for the first time.

He bent over and gently kissed her lips. “Wake up, darling. I need to prepare you to meet some old friends,” he whispered against her.

Her eyes fluttered open as the smallest smile graced her lips. “Hey. Who am I meeting?” she asked, pulling away to yawn delicately.

He found her utterly adorable and tried to focus to what was on hand. “Wendy, I need you to listen carefully, alright? These men are part of what my kind calls a Commission. They’re very powerful and very ruthless if addressed the wrong way. Please only speak unless spoken to. I say this because I love and care for you and I don’t want to see you even in the same place where you might get hurt.”

Her eyes were wide now with her heart pounding a mile a minute. “W-What? Are they going to hurt me? I-”

He cut her off with a simple kiss. “Not while I’m here. You have nothing to fear here for I will lay them down if they dare try to harm one hair on your head. For now they simply want to meet you. That’s all.” He could tell she was confused but she otherwise stayed quiet. “Now c’mon, we need to get this over with,” he muttered but waited as she prepared herself. He had to look at her with soft eyes as she hastily patted down her bed hair and straightened out her glasses.

“Are you ready? You look fine, no, you look beautiful,” he corrected himself as he took her hand to meet his lips. She blushed and looked away. Keeping her hand in his, they walked out silently. He felt her stiffen when she saw the men dressed in black. Indeed they all looked intimidating. His hand tightened in hers to reassure her. She smiled weakly in response.

Fredrick smiled at her and stepped up. “Hello. It is so incredible to meet this old man’s Beloved. Might I say, you look ravishing.” He finished by grabbing her hand quickly and placing a kiss on the same hand Vincent did. Vincent held back the growl that threatened to spill from deep within him.

“T-Thank you,” she stuttered and tried to calm her racing heart.

Tobias then stepped up, followed by Michael who took his time kissing her hand. This time Vincent did let out a slight hiss in warning, making Michael give an up-to-no-good wink.

“I see you’ve bitten her already. I would presume her time is coming within the next couple of months, by the looks of it?” Fredrick inquired with a passive face to everything.

Vincent let his eyes leave Michael so he wouldn’t be considered as disrespectful. “No. Actually the bite seemed to have taken quicker than we’ve anticipated. She’ll be turned by the end of this week.”

The usual emotionless face of Fredrick turned into a surprised one. “Really? How odd. Would you like us to look into it?” he offered the two.

“That won’t be necessary, thank you. We’re looking into it,” Vincent respectfully declined. Wendy fidgeted next to him and he sensed her ever growing discomfort as it was quickly turning into pain. She would need the bite again and soon.

Tobias inclined his head. “Ah, it seems we should come back again another time. The young maiden here needs Vincent as it seems. Let us go and we shall keep in touch.”

They placed the helmets back on their heads to protect the skin that may be burned by the sun.

“I don’t like them,” Wendy muttered once they were gone. She shivered next to Vincent with the creeps she felt from them, especially Michael.

He turned to her and framed her face with his palms. “Neither do I, but we must play nice. Like I said, I will protect you whatever the cost. Now show me your neck, Firefly.”

She tilted her head to the side with a slight sigh. “Sometimes I wish it would feel pleasurable again,” she said softly, stunning him just as he was about to bite into her.

“What?” he asked and watched in fascination as she flushed from head to toe.

“I-I didn’t say that out loud, did I?!” she asked, horrified.

He chuckled darkly and backed her into a wall, making her gulp. “Yes, you did. I can make it more pleasurable if you’d like?” he said with a sultry voice and kissed her just under her jaw line. “Darcy, leave us,” he ordered.

“Aw, fine, whatever. It’s not like this is my house anyway. Oh wait, it is!” he said sarcastically and flitted away.

Vincent could tell she was going to protest but one nip to the soft spot by her ear had her melting into him with a soft moan. His fangs scraped against her skin in the most pleasurable of ways. “You are so delectable, my little Firefly. So soft…” he murmured into her neck as his tongue flicked out and lightly skimmed over the skin. Her small hands gripped the tops of his shoulders as her body nearly shook with desire. He finally took her lips with his own in a bruising force. Thankfully the wall was behind her or both of them would have fallen to the floor.

She hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to be closer to him. He felt the same way as his hands held her by her bottom. He couldn’t resist as he squeezed her to him, making her squeak with surprise but then moan in satisfaction. His tongue danced with hers but she cried out slightly when she accidentally cut her tongue on one of his fangs. He kissed her deeper though and Vincent could feel she was getting hotter with each passing moment. Breaking away, he kissed down her neck before biting into her without notice. She moaned so loud that he wouldn’t be surprised if Anya heard it on the other side of the house.

Her blood filled his senses and made him impossibly more aroused. He sucked once more before feeling her tremble and then let out one more long groan as she went slack. Pulling back, he felt a proud smirk on his lips as her dazed gaze met his. “How was that for pleasurable?” he asked, only slightly being out of breath.

“You made me have a-an… I’ve never had one before…” She trailed off with her face still flushed from what just happened.

It made him that more proud to give her that satisfaction as he gently kissed her swollen lips. “I’m honored to take you to heaven and back. And I’ll be much obliged to make return trips if you so wish.” He finished with a wink.

“T-Thank you, b-but I need to lie down. I’m feeling a bit woozy.”

He leaned away from the wall with her legs still around his waist and carried her to the couch. She blushed and ducked her head into his neck, making him chuckle. He kissed the top of her head before he sat down with her straddling him. She gasped when she felt how ‘happy’ he was. She looked so lost that he had to put her mind at ease. With a simple peck, he shook his head. “You owe me nothing, my sweet alluring Firefly. I loved watching you fly just then. I do need to discuss something with you however,” he said more seriously at the end.

She waited for him with a worried look in her eyes. “What?” she asked.

“I need to tell you how to become a vampire.”