Chapter 34: Chapter 34

“I love your smell, buttercup,” he uttered. “It’s so sweet.”

She wondered if he was thirsty, but it didn’t seem like it since his eyes were still blue. Then again, it had to be tempting to have her scent around him all day. She tensed just a little bit, but he noticed immediately.

“I didn’t mean to make you uneasy.”

“I figured,” she mumbled. “Sorry, I do trust you, it’s just that sometimes, I… I don’t even know how to explain it. I’m sorry.”

“You’re apologizing too much, buttercup. For things that aren’t even worth an apology. I understand that you require time to heal,” he murmured, his hand drawing circles on her stomach. “But why do you feel the need to apologize so often?”

She lowered her head, fidgeting with the jeans she had picked, rolling their fabric in between her fingers. “It’s because of Steph. He used to yell at me when I did something he didn’t approve of, so I always felt like I had to apologize. And this habit just… stuck with me.”

Ryder remained silent for nearly five seconds, and in this period of tense quiet, she heard him exhale. His arms pressed her closer into his chest as if he wanted to shield her. “It’s an unhealthy habit, buttercup,” he muttered. And though his voice sounded gentle, she registered the underlying resentment for her ex. “Please try to let go of it, for your own sake.”

“I will,” she frowned. It was crushing how much of an influence her ex had on her.

“Good, and now I want you to enjoy the rest of the day,” he said in an attempt to cheer her up. “How about we get coffee when we’re done here? There is a café nearby.”

“I’d like that.”

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When they were done with everything and on the way back to the car, the sky was turning purple, and the first stars became visible. It was a little cold considering it was still summer, so Ryder lent her his jacket, which she put on.

“Cute,” was his remark when he saw how big it was on her. She pouted at him but appreciated the added warmth the jacket provided her.

As they got closer to the parking garage, they passed another alley, and Ryder suddenly stiffened. He stopped and stood still as a statue, his eyes staring into space as he listened for something. Elena was about to open her mouth and ask what was wrong—but then she sensed it.

A malicious aura awaited them in the next intersecting alley. Rabid and unnatural, so unhinged she shivered upon noticing it. A low growl reached her ears, and when she gazed at him, she found his eyes streaked with an intimidating shade of red. She did not like this… The person she sensed hiding in the darkness seemed to be a vampire. Her instincts told her to run. The familiar and debilitating coldness of fear crept into her. She instinctively moved closer to him, holding on to his hand since his touch calmed her.

“Let’s leave,” she whispered. Ryder hesitated, keeping his eyes on the alley from where they heard the strangest noises; snarling and growling as if they were dealing with an animal.

“I doubt it will let us leave,” he answered. “I assume you haven’t encountered this particular kind of creature before.”

“No?”

“It’s okay, calm down and stay close to me,” he answered. “We are dealing with a turned vampire who was once a human. It’s now a bloodthirsty monster.”

Her eyes widened in recognition—now it made sense why this aura seemed like that of a vampire yet different in some way. She had heard of these beings before, but never had she encountered one. Pureblooded vampires were able to turn humans by completely draining them of their blood. However, the process was risky, and often, the human would die. In the slim chance they survived, they would become controlled by their thirst for blood and a puppet to the vampire who had turned them. It sounded like a horror story—and she dreaded laying eyes on a creature that was neither alive nor dead.

Ryder’s senses were sharper than hers, so he reacted first, pushing her behind him and tensing his body in anticipation. The woman who rounded the corner and stepped out of the shadows had once been pretty, but now her eyes were bloodshot, framed by violet shadows. She appeared like a walking corpse, almost zombie-like, with the exception that her body was not decaying. An inflamed bite marked her neck, looking incredibly painful—and Elena felt sorry for her. She must have been attacked by a vampire, sucked dry, and left behind to die. The cruelty of her fate was harrowing. Even though she technically was still alive and breathing, none of her humanity remained.

The creature gazed past Ryder, her eyes glaring greedily at Elena. She opened her mouth, showing grotesque fangs as she growled at her. A tremor shook Elena’s body. She hid behind Ryder and averted her eyes from the sight. It brought back unwanted memories. The only reason she didn’t completely lose her mind in fear was Ryder’s proximity and the trust they shared. She was sure he wouldn’t let her down.

“I have to stop it before it attacks innocent people. Keep your eyes closed if you want to,” he said. “You don’t need to watch this.” She took his advice and closed them, hoping this would be over soon.

Ryder would have rather kept her away from an encounter such as this, but he couldn’t have foreseen this. His gleaming red eyes zeroed in on the creature’s neck—he chose the least messy way of putting it out of its misery.

It was not deterred by the sight of an enraged pureblooded vampire, foolishly staggering closer. Its thirst held it captive. He was not surprised when the creature pounced towards him, and he acted with the fast reflexes of a true vampire. His movements were sharp and precise, so fast that a human eye couldn’t see them. Intercepting the creature, his cold hand grabbed its neck. It screeched warningly, wanting to sink its claws into its prey. He clenched his teeth, breaking its neck so fast it couldn’t react. Its body grew limp as it finally died, the human it had once been finding peace.

As it always happened with these creatures, it turned to ash. Its skin disintegrated, its bones shattered like glass, and nothing but a pile of ash remained.

“You may open your eyes. It’s over,” he said and returned to Elena.

Her gaze searchingly traveled through the alley, not finding the woman anywhere. “That was fast. What did you do?” she asked. Other than the woman’s screeching, she hadn’t heard a single noise. He must have moved without making a sound.