Arik
Chapter Twenty
Isat at the far end of the dining table, my eyes scanning the beach just beyond the terrace.
I took deep breaths as I waited patiently to see what choice Claire would make.
The warm coffee cup sat in my hand as I waited, bringing it to my lips and welcoming the rich espresso as it hit my tongue with a bite.
I lifted my eyes from the cup.
Claire’s voice cut through the silence. “What happens now?” Claire stood at the opposite end of the table, her chest heaving beneath her flannel sleep shirt.
An easy way out. And she chose to stay.
I motioned to her seat, where the glass of iced caramel latte dripped with condensation as it waited for her.
Late morning sun poured through the windows, casting an angelic glow over the room. The soft light made everything seem almost surreal, a gentle contrast to the turmoil of our recent days since the incident. It was like leaving the pits of hell and reentering our heavenly bliss.
Claire nodded, but something still flickered behind her eyes. She could either fight against this new reality or embrace it and see where it led. I felt her all morning. The internal struggle as she fought to conceal her emotions, only overpowered by her true emotions as they emerged.
She was mine. I knew it. She knew it.
She had softened for me so easily.
Claire eyed her glass with a mixture of curiosity and wariness as she took her seat. “So…you’re a vampire, but you eat food and drink?”
I paused, a frown of confusion crossing my face.
“I thought vampires could only have blood,” she continued, taking a long sip from her glass.
I chuckled, setting my glass back down, “Oh, the fantasies about vampire rules and abilities are utterly amusing.” I paused to offer a reassuring smile as I leaned back into my seat before continuing, “I eat. I drink. I also do not sparkle, do not combust in the sun, and I do have a reflection.”
Claire laughed, “And garlic?”
My smile widened as I spoke. “I love garlic. Could you imagine, though? A vampire in Italy. Oh no, not the pasta!” I screamed in a mocking tone.
Claire laughed before her face filled with confusion once more. “So, if you can eat and drink, why feed on people?”
I sighed, my finger tracing the rim of my cup as I slumped slightly in my seat.
“My body runs on venom. The venom needs human blood to sustain itself. I have a heart, lungs, blood of my own, and everything a normal human has. However, I do not need them because the venom keeps me alive and, in this state…forever. My heart beats and is still biologically thirty-eight years old, but if you were to rip my heart out, I would not die. Venom is everything. I, basically, regenerate every second.”
Claire’s jaw dropped. “So…you have to feed on blood for your venom…so you won’t die?” Claire asked, her brows pressing together.
“To be honest, the urge to feed would take over long before I died. There is no way I could resist long enough to actually die. It is impossible. I have tried.” The distant pain in my tone was real, a shadow of the struggles I had faced over the centuries.
Claire nodded, taking another sip as she stared out the window. “So, how often do you…”
“Feed?” I finished the question for her. “I can typically go about a month before the urge starts to impede my judgment.”
“And those men?” Claire’s voice was softer now; her curiosity edged with concern.
I sighed. “I know Sam told you about them. They were dangerous. We are in a wealthy region. Our people are well-off and generally safe, which means they often let their guards down. I must keep them safe.”
Claire’s eyes were fixed on the horizon just beyond the glass doors, her expression thoughtful.
I continued, “The kind of people who come here and try to disrupt our peace.” My head shook as I tried to explain. “They would not just steal. They are dangerous. Many lives were saved that night,” I finished, meeting her eyes with a stoic resolve.
She had to believe me.
Claire took a deep breath before abruptly changing the subject “I don’t have a phone. I’m technically here on a work trip. All my things are at the hotel. Can I take some time and process everything, alone, in my hotel room tonight?”
I felt a pang of sadness wash over me that I hid beneath my composed expression. “You’re not a prisoner,” I said, trying to convey my sincerity.
She spoke again, her voice begging, “I know. It’s just a lot to process, and I do have a life that I need to take care of.”
I saw the conflicted look on her face and understood her needs, but her emotions were firing too rapidly for me to decipher her sincerity.
My silence hung in the air until she spoke again. “It’s not that I don’t want to be here…with you…it’s just a lot to take in.”
I nodded, my gaze drifting toward the terrace as I responded, “And you know it’s impossible to run away from me, right?”
Claire’s anxiety spiked, and I sensed her growing discomfort.
“I do not mean for it to sound that way. I can feel that you are turning anxious,” I said, trying to soothe her.
I spoke again trying to control her rising anxiety.
“I just meant, if you decided you did not want this life with me, you would be free to return to your life. But that does not mean I would not be close behind. Like I have said, you are like a magnet to me. Being away from you is painful—it would be impossible for me to stay away from you.”
Claire nodded subtly, her voice low “Even if I wanted to run…I don’t even know when my flight is.”
I chuckled softly, feeling a hint of nervousness as the silence enveloped us.
“How did you become a vampire?” Claire asked, looking deeply into my eyes as she pulled me hundreds of years into the past.