Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

I arrived on Gabriel’s doorstep, praying that it would be him that answered and not one of his brothers. My prayers were answered when Gabriel swung open the door looking slightly smug.
“Gabriel, I know, you were right. I have to talk to you. Unless you already read my mind and you know why I’m here then you can just talk to me and I’ll listen.” I said frantically, out of breath from running.
“So, do you believe in vampires now?” he asked leaving the smug look on his face.
“Yes I do. Please, help me. Tell me what to do.” My voice was becoming pleading from the fear of being in the presence of another creature capable of doing what Jagger did to me.
“First of all, you need to relax. You dream means nothing. It’s just fear.”
My eyes widened. “Dream?”
“Yeah, isn’t that why you came? The dream with you and Jagger in the woods…”
I shook my head feeling faint. Gabriel’s expression changed from the smug look to horror.
“Then why ARE you here?” he asked, expecting the worst.
“Jagger bit me.” I answered, my voice reaching a pitch of hysteria.
“How do you know that?”
“I just remember, okay? Right after you left when we were in the storage closet, Jagger came in and attacked me! I don’t remember the details but—“
“You remember?” he repeated dumbfounded.
I sighed, exasperated wondering why I was getting more questions than answers. “Yes, I remember.”
“You shouldn’t.” he informed me.
“Well, I do.”
“It makes no sense. When you are attacked by a vampire, you aren’t supposed to remember unless…” Gabriel’s face drained of what color was already present.
“Unless what?! Gabriel! Unless what?!” My voice was rising in pitches and I was starting to feel lightheaded and like I might start hyperventilating.
“Are you positive you weren’t dreaming?”
I bit into my lip harder than usual. “Yes.” I finally said.
“This is impossible. JAGGER!!!” His voice seemed to reverberate off of every solid thing around. I covered my ears and ducked instinctively.
Jagger appeared behind Gabriel. I stumbled backwards feeling my heart begin to race. My knees gave out and I sat on all fours, trying to catch my breath.
“We should discuss this inside.” Jagger said calmly.
Gabriel nodded, agreeing, and bent down to pick me up. I tried to shove him away but he insisted and suddenly, my body was against his cool chest. I felt woozy. I clutched my stomach and felt vomit rise in my throat. I felt Gabriel’s body sink and I realized we were on the couch. He didn’t let me go though. I was about to inquire why but Gabriel answered my unspoken question.
“The coolness of my body will keep you conscious.” He whispered.
I nodded, informing him that I had heard him. I closed my eyes, almost wanting to lose consciousness.
“Jagger, what the hell have you done?” Gabriel demanded his tone different now, harsher.
“I was hungry. She was a tasty snack.” Jagger responded indifferently.
Gabriel shook with anger. “Why her? Why not some other unfortunate human being? I thought we agreed we wouldn’t feast on humans anymore!”
“Correction-you agreed, I shrugged. And her because her blood is the sweetest. I could almost taste it before it hit my tongue. I would do it again if I got her alone.”
“You won’t be able to do it again.” Gabriel snapped.
“And why not?”
“She remembers.”
A deafening silence fell over the room. Did I dare to open my eyes? Not a chance. Instead, I shifted my body to where I was closer to Gabriel’s chest. It may have been the only chance I got to be this close to him whether he liked it or not.
“That’s impossible. I didn’t take enough.” Jagger’s voice was matter-of-fact.
“You must have. She remembers!”
“She remembers her dream. Not the attack.”
Gabriel’s body shook again, this time more violently. “The storage closet was in her dream? I don’t think so. You stay the hell away from her!”
I heard the seat across from Gabriel and I shift. Jagger had stood up. “Fine. But you better watch your pet, Gabriel.” He spat his name with such intensity, that I flinched. Gabriel clutched me tighter. “She won’t last long in our world.” He finished then stormed out.
Gabriel waited a couple seconds then spoke to me. “Jade?”
I opened my eyes.
“I’m sorry about him but we need to ignore him for now. I have to suck the venom out.”
I sat up, not moving from his lap. “What?”
“Jagger injected you with enough venom to change you into one of us. I don’t want that fate for you…for anyone. I have to suck the venom out or you’ll begin to experience the change within a matter of hours.”
“Wait, like you have to do for a snake bite?”
Gabriel grimaced. “Something like that, yeah.”
“Okay…go for it then.” I moved my hair to the side, waiting.
“It’s not that easy.” He said stroking where I had gotten bitten. “I have to be so very careful so I don’t lose control. The taste of human blood after so long…” He stopped and shook his head.
“You could just let me change. How hard could it be living like you?”
Gabriel’s face turned to horror and then anger. “Maybe I should just let you turn. It will do you some good.” He shoved me away from him.
I sat on the couch in silence beside him longing to touch him again.
“But I won’t let that happen. I will suck out the venom.” He whispered, clenching his fists. He looked back at me. “It will be painful so try to relax; it will make it hurt less.”
When I looked into his eyes, I saw something I had never seen in his eyes before-compassion. I nodded, holding my breath. He scooted towards me and put his nose into my collar bone, inhaling deeply.
“Your scent is almost irresistible. It’s going to take a lot of power to not just drain you.”
I shuddered. “Where are we going to do it?” I asked almost breathless.
“Not in here obviously. There’d be a big mess. Let us go into the kitchen.” He stood up and waited for me.
I followed him, feeling faint again. The kitchen had tile floors, perfect for cleaning up blood. He inspected me for a moment.
“Take off your jacket.” He told me.
I took it off and looked down at myself to realize there was still blood down my front.
“I assume you don’t care that you get more on it since it’s already ruined?”
I shook my head. Gabriel shuffled around the kitchen. First, he got a towel and rolled it, telling me to lie down and put my head on it. He then got an icepack and set it to the side.
“Okay, I think I’m ready.” He said gently, sitting beside me. I nodded in response, chewing on my lip. “Try to relax the best you can, okay?” He was being unusually kind meaning that this was definitely going to hurt.
He leaned down to me and hesitantly opened his mouth to my neck. He lifted me onto his lap to where his leg was my pillow. “Your clothes…” I mumbled. He shook his head with a smile that didn’t quite touch his eyes.
His mouth opened and he clutched me tighter and then I felt it. Pain. The worst pain I have ever felt. My body shook with the urge to scream or cry…or die. I was biting into my lip trying so hard to stay conscious. I felt him sucking with technique at the wounds. My body began to shake violently. Gabriel pulled away momentarily and studied my face. I couldn’t get my eyes to focus on him. He bent down slowly and I thought I saw a twinge of regret cross his face. The pain came through, more intense this time. I opened my mouth and I’m pretty sure a sob escaped my mouth…or maybe it was a scream. I couldn’t tell which. And then it was over. My body was still shaking and tears were pouring from my eyes. I was whimpering like a puppy. He held me close to his body and placed the icepack over my neck.
“Breathe slowly.” He instructed, stroking my hair.
“W-w-why…” I couldn’t get the question to form in my voice.
“Sssh.” He rocked slowly back and forth. The motion did help but I couldn’t stop shaking. It still hurt so much.
I finally just allowed myself to sleep, however that was possible with the pain and the ice. It was a dreamless sleep but somehow, I was aware of Gabriel holding me and I liked that; I liked it very much.