Bloodl.u.s.t

"I-I'm not lying." My voice breaks and tears threaten to spill out of my eyes.

No, don't cry. Not now.

He lets go of me abruptly making my back hit the door of the car with a dull 'thud'. "Ouch!"

The car engine starts again and we're back on the road. I look out of the window. We're still in Orion Valley. A sigh of relief escapes my lips but my body remains tense, my mind doesn't stop flashing the scary side of him.

As time passes, the panic and fear I feel seems to drain away. Involuntarily, my eyes land on his face. One thing no one would deny is how great he really looks- at least the normal version of him. His jaw almost forms a right angle and those muscles are more than visible through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

"Wipe off that drool." He instructs.

I act before I can think and instantly my fingers reach up to touch my chin, "Huh- I'm not-"

Oh.

My cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

+1, Diana. This list never ends.

He wasn't even looking at me! How did he know I was drooli- scratch that- admiring- No, scratch that as well- Observing his features? Maybe vampires have got invisible eyes on the sides of their head. Hmmm.

So he is capable of being sarcastic. Should I really be scared?

Touch your neck.

Huh.

TOUCH YOUR NECK!

My fingertips brush lightly against the base of my neck and I feel the wounds, still fresh as ever. But why aren't they hurting? I scratch the wounds gently and dried bits of blood get stuck in my fingernails.

He had bit me. He knows what my blood tastes like.

I feel a shiver run down my spine but not out of fear... it's something else. Even after seeing all that I've seen I still can't believe he's a vampire. He looks so normal. Not pale. Doesn't glitter in the sunlight. And hopefully can't read my thoughts. I had always imagined vampires to be like the ones in Twilight. The real kind on the other hand are and aren't that scary at the same time.

"Where are you taking me?"

I don't expect to receive an answer but he surprises me when he actually replies! "You can't be compelled. I want to know why."

"Compelled?" I tilt my head in confusion

"Mind controlled." He explains.

"Oh. You didn't answer my question."

Silence.

"You don't really think I can escape, do you? At least tell me where you're taking me!"

He snorts.

"Do you have a split personality disorder? Is that something that comes with becoming a vampire? One second you act like a cold-axe murderer and the next second you're snorting and using sarcasm."

"I know I should've gagged you." That's it. He's back to being rude and mean.

I roll my eyes and tug at the hem of my t-shirt. Wait! That's not what I was wearing yesterday... oh my god!

My eyes dart towards him and then back to the tee I'm wearing. Clearing my throat, I speak, "I wasn't wearing this yesterday..."

He replies, his gaze still fixed on the road ahead, "Yeah, your clothes were covered in vomit."

Ugh.

"Did... did you...?"

"No. I," he clears his throat, "compelled a woman to do it." He finishes and from the corner of my eye I see him gulp.

"Then how did you know about the birthmark?" I blurt out before I can put the sentence through the brain to mouth filter.

His body stiffens and the muscle in his jaw twitches dangerously. Jerking the car to a screeching halt and putting on, literally putting on his scary vampire-face he barks, making the hair on the back of my neck stand, "How about you shut your mouth before I rip your heart out of your c.h.e.s.t?"

See, you should indeed be scared of him, Diana.

Oh, I think you're right. But don't you think if he's going to take me to the place which is not-a-dungeon-but-has-a-dungeon I should at least know his name?

No, don't!

Remember when I mentioned: just because sometimes I do some things it doesn't always mean I know what I'm doing. But this time I know exactly why I am doing this and no it's not because I have a death-wish but you know just to annoy him a little more. No wonder Leah calls you 'satan's spawn'. Because somewhere deep down I know he's not doing to kill me.

Lifting my high-arched eyebrow, I part my lips to speak-

He asked you to shut your mouth! Don't you understand?!

-how about you shut up?

And a little while later I realise: this was one of the rare times I should've listened to my inner voice. Because that's when the throttling cycle begins.