“But I’m not, so save her.”
“Why would Lucie do this?”
He looked at Lucie again, feeling disgusted that he would feel any kind of sympathy for the creature that ended Helina’s life.
“I overheard her taking to Helina before all of this happened. She said she loved you—that you were hers and she needed Helina out of the way.”
All those little smiles and touches she gave him had meant something more. This was his fault; his doing that his love was dead. He could fix it, though, could make it so they could spend the rest of eternity together if they wanted to. Would she hate him for it? Probably, but it was a risk he would have to take. He only had a short window before there was no turning back and she was completely gone.
“Leave us.” He didn’t bothering looking up, just stared at the only person that truly mattered. Rustling sounded to his side, the body of Lucie being carted away. They would need to dispose of her in the proper way, cutting off her head, burning the body, and then burying the ashes in different locations. Their footsteps got more distant until all he heard was his own shallow breaths.
Life eternal
He dropped to his knees, gently laying Helina on the ground. He brushed the dead leaves away from her, running his hand across her hair and smoothing it. Her dark silken waves curled around his fingers and made his chest clench in sorrow. Her heart no longer beat, her blood no longer flowing through her small body. He looked into the sky, where the trees parted and the moon shone high. He knew he couldn’t let her die, even if that meant she hated him forever. Even if that meant she no longer loved him. He could live with that—could live an empty existence knowing she was alive but that she despised him.
He brought his wrist up, looking at the blue veins that ran below the surface of his skin. He couldn’t wait any longer, couldn’t risk it if he wanted her to make it through the change. Bringing his wrist to his mouth, he let his fangs pierce his skin. Blood poured from the wound, dripping down his arm to splash against the dirt. Lifting her up, he cradled her in his arms and brought his wrist to her mouth. His blood dripped onto her lips, sliding against the skin and going into her mouth. He kept bringing his wrist to his mouth, reopening the wound and getting as much of his blood into her as possible. Streaks of the crimson fluid ran down her face and neck, pooling along her collar bone.
“Please, my love. Open your eyes for me.”
Her eyes stayed closed, her mouth not latching around his wrist and drawing out his life’s essence. Had he waited too long? His heart started to beat a fast rhythm, the very idea that it was too late caused him to become frantic. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, fighting back the anger and sorrow that threatened to spill to the surface. She twitched, her small body slightly moving in his arms. His eyes snapped open, his heart momentarily stopping in his chest. He brought his wrist to his mouth again, tearing through his flesh to make the wound bigger. Blood freely poured from the wound, streaming into her mouth and giving her life. Her fingers started to twitch from his blood making its way through her body. Little sounds came out of her, her mouth slowly moving against his flesh. He lifted her a little higher so that she almost sat up in his lap.
“Drink it all if you need to, my love.” His body sang, fire racing through his very soul as her mouth suddenly latched onto his wrist and started to suck frantically. Her hands moved next, raising and gripping his wrist, pulling it closer to her mouth. Her teeth tore at the wound, her body feeding on instinct. He ran his hand along her hair, his tears dripping from his eyes to land in the dark strands. Her eyes flew open, beautiful hazel orbs that stared directly at him. At the moment she wasn’t Helina; her body was working purely on primal instinct to get the sustenance it needed.
He would have given her everything he had, would have given her his very life if that’s what it took to save her. She ripped her mouth from his wrist, blood smeared across her creamy skin and tinting it pink. He sat back, gripping his wrist close to his chest as he watched her. Her breathing was quick, his blood flowing through her veins and arteries and bringing all her organs back to life.
The first thing Helina was aware of was warmth surrounding her. It was a glorious feeling, one that took the coldness away. The second thing that her frosted brain realized was a delicious and intoxicating flavor that lit her tongue on fire. She couldn’t distinguish what it actually tasted like, but the flavor was beyond words. The liquid coated her mouth and slid easily down her throat, where it set every cell in her body on fire. She could feel herself coming alive, being awakened from a long, drugging sleep. Her fingers twitched and she tried to lift her hand without success. She wanted to grip the source of the drug that washed through her.