Loving a Vampire(9)
He placed the red box on the side and opened it.
“Augustus is the only friend I’ve got. He was there for me when no one else was. I owe him my life. We’re friends, and I’ll protect him with my very life.”
She licked her lips as Gregory dressed the wound on her forehead.
When he got to her neck he winced. “Is it bad?” she asked. She didn’t dare touch the wound in case she fainted.
“It’s not pretty. You’re lucky.”
“Lucky? How am I lucky?”
Why am I even having this conversation?
I’ve been attacked, almost raped, and now I’ve been bitten by the man who protected me.
“Augustus could have torn your throat out. Your blood is like an elixir to him.”
“Wait, my blood?” she asked.
Gregory let out a sigh. “What I’m about to tell you is going to freak you out. You’ll probably convince yourself you’re dreaming. First I want to reassure you that you’re okay, and nothing is going to happen to you. Augustus cares about you and has been looking over you for some time.”
His words scared her. Marianna knew in her gut he was about to tell her something she really didn’t want to hear. Instead of running away, she kept herself seated as he cleaned her neck.
“Augustus is a vampire.”
****
Augustus rolled over and moaned. The taste of innocent blood was on his lips, and the night’s events came rushing back through him. He needed to reward Gregory. His human friend knew how to respond in a crisis.
“I see you’re awake,” Gregory said.
The other man sat with his arms folded staring at him.
“Did you have to be so hard when you used the holy water?” Augustus asked. His body felt like he’d gone head first into an ice block and lost.
“You were feeding from Marianna. I’m surprised I’m not cleaning her entrails off the bed.”
“I never meant to hurt her. She removed her bandage and the blood and everything. Is she okay?”
He turned to see Gregory nodding his head. “I sent her home.”
Augustus jerked. He lifted up and turned to see Gregory properly. The other man wasn’t laughing or kidding around.
“You let her go.”
“Yes, I let her go after I told her everything.”
Silence fell across the room. Augustus didn’t know how long the silence lasted. In the next instant he was in Gregory’s face. “Are you insane? She could go and fucking squeal to the wrong people.”
“Marianna is not going to tell a soul about what happened. After she screamed, ranted and raved at me, she settled down and listened to everything I had to say.
Augustus turned away laughing. “You really believe that.”
“You didn’t see her or hear her. She asked questions about you and your condition.”
“She asked about my vampirism.”
“Yes. She didn’t ask to leave, Augustus,” Gregory said.
“What?”
Gregory ran fingers through his hair. He looked shocked. “After I told her everything about you and your vampire abilities she came up here. She sat by your side watching you. I watched her watch you. Multiple times she reached out to touch you. Her hand would hover over your body, and then she’d drop her hand.”
“I don’t understand. If she didn’t want to leave then why did she?” Augustus asked.
“I told her to leave. I thought it would do her good to get away from here and from us. She needs time to think.”
Augustus nodded. He understood why Gregory had done what he’d done. “She’s not going to go spouting off about what I am?”
“No, I don’t know why, but she’s not.”
He turned to look at the windows. “Is it dark out?”
“Yes. I figured you’d want to go and see her.”
“Do you want to come with me?” Augustus asked.
Gregory stared at him. “You’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. I’ve not been human in over three hundred years. I saw Marianna was comfortable with you. I figure if you’re there, you’d offer your comforting presence.”
“Okay, I’ll come with you. I’m not going to hurt her though,” Gregory said.
“I never wanted to hurt her in the first place, Gregory. I may be a vampire, but I still fucking feel.”
He stormed out of the room and made his way outside. Gregory followed him.
“We’re going to need to go in a car. There’s no way I’d be able to catch up with you, and I don’t know where she works. You’ve never actually told me where she works.”
Augustus waited for him to bring the car around. He’d not been able to drive a car in some time. His strength meant he broke most of the features in the car. When they were travelling together he let Gregory drive all the way.