3. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Calder
I gently lead Aiden by the hand to my kitchen and sit him down on the kitchen stool at the counter. My adrenaline is still pumping through me even as I try to remain calm for Aiden’s sake. Chasing Aiden through my house would have probably had my heart racing if it could still beat. I take a deep breath, but all that accomplishes is breathing in Aiden’s intoxicating scent. I have to restrain myself from bending down and sniffing him.
I’m sure if I do that it’ll creep him the fuck out even more than he already is. Maybe just one sniff. I’ll be discreet. Leaning forward. He smells almost like French toast causing my mouth to water as I bite back a groan. My breath picks up at the thought of his taste in my mouth. I bet he tastes just as sweet as he smells.
“Are you sniffing,” Aiden asks hesitantly as he glancing up at me from the corner of his eye. His whole body is tense with his question like he’s not sure what’s going on.
“What? No,” I scoff a little trying to make it believable, “I would never.”
“Oh… Okay,” he mumbles as instant shame has my stomach clenching with worry that I caused him to feel embarrassed. Maybe I should come clean. No, he’ll probably think I’m crazy. I don’t want him to think that. First impressions are rather important after all.
My anxiety is starting to slowly overwhelm me. Maybe I was giving myself advice when I told him it’s okay to not be okay because I don’t feel okay. I need to do something. I need to put some distance between us before I do something foolish. I feel far from okay as my mind prepares itself for his inevitable rejection of me and what I’ve done to him.
The real question that I probably should be focusing on right now, is why do I feel this disturbingly powerful pull towards him? Is this how it feels when you turn another into a vampire? Granted I did act in haste, but I never thought it would feel like this. This overwhelming need to protect him and keep him safe.
I glance over at Aiden, and he looks so small and lost that all I want to do is wrap him up in bubble wrap and never let him go. Rationally I know that’s irrational, but it’s like that saying goes… the heart wants what the heart wants. Everything about him draws me in like a moth to a flame. His pale complexion and his jet-black messy hair. His small form that makes him seem quite fragile. Even his pout makes me want to curl up against him like an overgrown cat.
“Is this going to be the only thing I get to eat from now on,” he grumbles looking absolutely miserable and officially jolting me out of my little fantasy as he looks over at me. The pout that he’s currently sporting is ridiculously adorable. Especially with him in those cute pjs and his hair a mess from sleeping.
I’ll keep that to myself though since I’m sure he’s not trying to be adorable right now. He’s a flight risk and I need to handle him with kid gloves. Otherwise, I’ll be chasing him throughout my house if I’m not careful. My cock twitches at the thought. Maybe that’s not a bad plan after all. I mean, everyone needs a little exercise now and then to keep the blood flowing.
I shake my head trying to clear it from the lust trying to burn me up. I blink a couple of times to find Aiden clearly waiting for an answer from me. His eyes are wide as he chews on his bottom lip like he’s anxious. He wrings his hands in his lap as he fidgets on the kitchen stool.
“No, little bat. You’ll have to work up to it since your system has been through a lot, but eventually, you’ll be able to eat regular food even though it does nothing really to sustain you,” I mumble completely distracted as I take him in.
A woosh of breath leaves him as his hands curl into his unruly mess of hair. Slightly hunching in on himself, he looks up at me with a half relieved half nervous expression. He looks like he’s on the verge of having a meltdown. Even with him clearly freaking out he’s still the most beautiful creature I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. I knew he was beautiful before but in the light of day, he’s like a living work of art.
I have to force myself to turn away before I decide to stupidly try to crawl into his lap. Or Gods forbid kiss that pout that’s still on his lips. I open the fridge to grab a blood bag, and I notice as I start to turn back toward him that he cringes away at the sight of it. I run my hand through my hair as I wrack my brain for what I can do to hide the blood from him.
I turn back towards my cupboards and reach into the one that I keep my cups in. Quickly pulling out a bright green glass and pouring the blood bag into the glass hoping that it will disguise it a little. I set it in front of Aiden giving him an encouraging smile that doesn’t seem to do much to curb his stormy disposition.
He doesn’t reach for it like I had hoped so I push it across the counter with my index finger. I hold my smile in place and hope it looks friendly and inviting. He looks up at me almost in horror, and I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep my laughter from tumbling out.
“Just try it,” I say rolling my eyes at the expression on his face, “I can get you one of those crazy straws if it’ll help?” He gives a little dignified sniff and pulls the cup closer to himself before glaring down at the liquid sloshing in the glass cup.
“I don’t need a fancy straw. It won’t hide the fact that I’m going to be sucking down blood from a cup,” he whines, sounding truly put out. I bite down even harder on the inside of my cheek trying to keep my smile at bay. I don’t want him to think I’m laughing at him.
He tilts forward to take a small sip causing his raven black hair to fall across his brow. A little breathy moan of delight escapes him and does all kinds of things to my insides. That sound goes straight to my dick and my entire body tenses at it.
My cock decides at that moment to perk up with interest. My fingers twitch with the need to push his hair back out of his face and see the delight in his eyes. I shift awkwardly behind the counter trying to hide my growing erection. My hand grips the counter as if I need something to hold on to.
“I thought you said I can’t be in sunlight since I don’t have a ring,” he asks cocking a snarky eyebrow at me like he somehow caught me in a lie. I would never lie to him about something that important. I would never put his safety at risk, but he doesn’t know me enough to know that yet.
“My house is safeguarded from the sun. The windows are special UV-resistant glass,” I murmur watching a drop of blood roll down his chin, “just a precautious since my ring needs to be charged every now and again.” I want to lean forward and lick it. I just barely stop myself as I grip the edge of the countertop tighter until my knuckles groan and protest.
His blood-red eyes shift down to his pajamas completely oblivious to my current predicament. He plucks at the silky fabric with delicate fingers, “why did you put me in pajamas?” The black nail polish glinting in the light, and I find myself wondering what his small hand would look like wrapped around my cock.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek and try to focus on what he’s say again. It’s becoming a pattern at this point. He sounds truly scandalized that I changed him which has a surprised laugh escaping me. He sends me a glare for my outburst.
“Did you want me to leave you soaked in your blood and mine,” I ask with a small shrug going for nonchalant. However, the memories of my hands on his body didn’t have a calming effect on my already aroused body. Even though I was a bit out of it that night, that piece of the night was engrained in the forefront of my brain.
“Well, no… not really I guess,” he pouts, and my eyes are drawn to his pillowy pink lips. I wonder how it would feel to kiss him. Would his lips be as soft as they look? I wonder what his tongue tastes like.
And on that note, I shake my head trying to get rid of this insatiable feeling of need burning me up inside.
“You look like you were about to say something,” Aiden asks looking up at me with his new bright red eyes. I bite the inside of my cheek as I try to remember what the hell I was saying.
“I forgot what I was going to say,” I mumble glancing away shyly hoping he can’t read my expression of embarrassment.
“I have that effect on people,” he says with a small smirk and a little shrug.
“I’m sure you do,” I huff out and my shoulders slump as I try my best to ignore my disappointment. Why did I think I would be something special, the world may never know. I’m sure he gets all sorts of attention with how beautiful he is. I could see men fighting for just the chance to get close to him, and I hated it.
Something ugly twists inside of me at the thought. Suddenly, I feel insanely jealous and equally miserable. Almost like I could go into a murderous rage but maybe sleep for a million years just to make the feeling go away. I don’t want him to leave me. I want him to stay… forever.
I’m sure I don’t even compare to all the attention he gets. Sigh. That thought starts to push my mood down lower. Swiping a hand through my hair I turn away from him and grab my own blood bag trying to shake the sour mood now cloudy my mind. I need to take a step back from the situation, that’s it.
If I don’t get too close, then there’s no way I can get hurt. I give a curt nod to myself, and then I glance over at Aiden to make sure he doesn’t see that. I let out another little sigh when I saw him with all his attention focused on his glass of blood.
I shove a straw straight into the blood bag with probably a little more force than necessary and ignore the look on his face. Maybe I’m just hungry and that’s why my brain is venturing in all these strange directions. Yes, that’s it. I’m hungry.
“Soooo…” he mumbles looking up from his cup to stare at me inconspicuously.
“So… how is it,” I ask before raising the straw to my mouth for a sip watching his expression.
“I mean, it’s okay I guess,” he mumbles as he licks a drop of blood off his bottom lip. My eyes track his pink little tongue, and I find myself jealous of that little drop of blood. Yeah, just hungry, right? Maybe I’m hungry for something I little more fulfilling.
“Just okay,” I cock an eyebrow at him in question knowing I’m being persistent, verging slightly on obnoxious. I can’t help but want to push his buttons and see what I can get away with. He gives me a little disgruntled sound in response.
“Gods, why couldn’t you have been like a normal guy, and just taken me out for coffee or something,” he grumbles before blowing raspberries. A little laugh escapes me, and I shake my head at his antics. Ravenous butterflies swarm my stomach at his words.
“Well, I did find you in a coffin. So…” Simply implying that nothing about this is truly normal. His face scrunches up, and I know he knows what I’m saying with just that look alone.
“That wasn’t my fault,” he whines defensively before crossing his arms over his chest.
“So, someone put you in there?”
“Well, no…”
“Did you have burier’s remorse? Is that what it would be considered,” I ask in amusement, and if Aiden wasn’t a vampire I’m sure his cheeks would be a delicious pink with the traumatized look that crossed over his face. He makes a grumpy little sound in the back of his throat as he glares up at me.
“Too soon,” I ask as I try to hold back my laughter.
“Way too fucking soon,” he grits out as a visible shudder runs through him.
I find it rather fun pushing him, and his bratty attitude makes it all that much better. Plus, that cute little glare he gives me seems to be doing it for me. I wonder if I could sweet-talk him back into my bed for a couple more hours of sleep. Or maybe more?
“Are you going to tell me why you looked so put out just a moment ago,” Aiden asks before he takes another sip. Ah, and he’s a perceptive one. I shouldn’t be surprised since he’s snarky as fuck. It takes a level of intelligence to be that sarcastic. I don’t even know how to say what I’m feeling so I just give a shake of my head not wanting to have my bad mood rub off on him.
“It’s nothing,” I murmur unable to meet his curious eyes.
“Oh, it’s something. You just don’t want to tell me,” he huffs out in frustration as he leans forward trying to catch my eye. Oh, my smart little bat, you have no clue as to what’s running through my mind. How I want to chain you to my bed and never let you go.
Of course, I don’t say any of that because that would not be polite. Instead, I simply remain quiet and suffer in silence.
“You said I can’t leave because I’ll burst into flames,” Aiden reiterates as he looks around the brightly lit kitchen. I give a slow nod.
“So… we’re both stuck here,” he mumbles.
“Looks that way,” I say trying not to sound too excited over the prospect of that before taking another sip.
“How long do you think I’ll be trapped in your house,” he asks almost anxiously. His hands closed and opened as if trying to expel his anxious energy. Can I just tell him I’m keeping him forever? No, that would surely scare him off. I can’t have that.
My brain gets stuck on the word trapped and I don’t like the sound of that at all. I don’t want him to feel like that, especially with me. I feel so mixed up and confused between such complicated feelings.
“Marcus should be coming by today to drop off my ring and we’ll know more then,” I explain, “but in the meantime we can go back to sleep for a couple more hours?” I give an enthusiastic nod as if to encourage him. My feeble attempt to lure him back into my bed, but really you can’t blame a vampire for trying.
“I’m not tired though,” he grumbles.
“Well, what do you want to do to pass the time?” Was I shamelessly flirting with him? Of course, but that’s beside the point.