Chapter 17: The Blood Moon

"Trust me on this Immery, you don't want to see Nick now," Christian spoke, his voice coming out defeated as he rested his back against the wall. He knew how Nicholas would be looking at this point--very messed up.

"B-but he's screaming....he needs help.." Immery spoke, the look on her face full of wary and a bit of panic as she tried following the intensity of the sound to find Nicholas.

"Tell me about it, I have super hearing which makes all the guttural sound that he's making a hundred times more amplified than what you can hear. But I will still insist that you won't want to see him now, at least for the night," Christian spoke calmly, holding Immery's wrist to stop her from going as he tried his best to distract himself from the obvious loud groans that he was hearing. As much as he hated not being able to help his brother out of this mess, Nicholas was the one who wanted this arrangement.

Immery was confused. The concept of Blood Moon was not completely foreign to her, back in her place the humans would lock themselves up in their houses with various locks to save themselves from the vampires. Some would hide in basements while some would surrender themselves to the vampires in exchange for some amount of money and luxury.

So why was Nicholas not already drinking blood rather than screaming in pain?

"I want to see him," she spoke, touching Christian's arm making him sigh with a nod. As their mate, she deserved to know all about him, including this for this was who Nicholas was. His true self.

"Come with me then. Don't say that I did not warn you though," Christian spoke as he took Immery's hand in his, guiding her out of his room.

"Before we go I have something to grab," Christian told as he rushed towards the kitchen, Immery following him. She hadn't still seen the entire house, mostly because she was scared to do something that they might not like. She was still warming up to them, being around two of the strongest species on the earth wasn't exactly comforting.

"Oh wow !" Immery exclaimed as soon as she entered the kitchen, her eyes travelling over the few dozen small freezers lying on the ground. Her eyes widened as she saw Christian picking up two of them and giving her a sheepish smile as he showed her what was inside--blood bags.

"He's gonna need them. Well a lot of them," Christian spoke before they walked out of the kitchen, Immery occasionally looking at the freezers her mind wandering how could they get so much blood all the time.

They crossed Christian's room as he led her towards a staircase, at the corner. While the ascending stairs were decorated with carpet and candles kept on the hinges, the descending one was dark.  

"Where does this lead ?" Immery asked looking around, she hadn't come into this area, but it was certainly beautiful. There was a large open balcony facing the vast lawn adjacent to the staircase. The ombre sky looked beautiful with the blend of the night sky, the moon gaining its red colour slowly.

"Nowhere good. Wanna back out ?" Christian asked,  another one of Nicholas's screams filled their ears making Immery grip the railing and taking a step back. She nodded her head in a "no" making Christian shrug and walk downwards. He opened the door, letting himself and Immery in.

"At least you haven't killed anyone today," Christian spoke casually ignoring the groans of Nicholas while Immery looked at him with wide eyes in response to his bluntness. Nicholas remained motionless except for the animalistic deep breaths that vibrated in the room.

"I can't tell if you are joking or not," Immery spoke eyeing Christian while she kept her focus on Nicholas whose eyes were tightly closed, as he hanged from the suspension. He looked tired, worn-out yet the look in his eyes was nothing like before. All the warmth of protection she felt around him, the little playfulness amidst the sincerity was gone.

"Well stay with me a little longer and you will be able to tell," Christian spoke, giving her a smugly look before he turned towards Nicholas.

"Brace yourself," he whispered in Immery's ear before taking a step in Nicholas's direction.

"Why is...she here ?" Nicholas questioned, his voice deadly still, looking up to meet their eyes, his own drawn to slits, blackened like a hollow with no emotions in them.

"She wants to help you...with your mess," Christian answered taking a glance at Immery who stood a little behind him. She stood grasping the entire situation in, she hadn't ever seen a vampire on the blood moon. Let alone a Royal Vampire.

"Are you kidding me..take her away. Now !" Nicholas growled out, Immery's eyes widening seeing him like this. On the verge of losing all control, breaking a little by every second.

"That's her choice to make, not mine," Christian calmly spoke, not being scared of Nicholas's threats. He knew this was dangerous but he also knew that Immery was probably the one who could give Nicholas that part of himself back, the part that he had lost a century back when Riley left.

Every ounce of control that Nicholas had on himself, on his extremely feral vampire self was set loose when Riley left him. He went on a killing rampage, with no remorse, no stopping and did not stop until he killed his only human friend Alex. The one he had grown up with. The depth of the guilt consumed him, making him stop taking human blood at all. He was scared of losing control again.

Christian tried getting him to start human blood again, it was an important part of a Royal Vampire. A royal vampire without human blood in their system was weaker than an ordinary vampire.

But he couldn't. Nicholas restricted himself to synthetic blood and animal blood, making him weaker and always on the edge of losing control.

Blood moons were easier for others for they never restrict themselves and rather let themself out of control to embrace their feral self but Nicholas wouldn't. He would keep himself bound in these shackles, being in agonising pain, till the effects of blood moon brew off leaving him in an almost desiccated state.

Immery took a deep breath, gaining the courage to take a step towards Nicholas, almost standing beside Christian.

"Stop. I said stop. STOP !" Nicholas screamed, every atom in his body was screaming to break free from the shackles and drain the human girl in front of him off her blood.

"No. You..you need help," Immery spoke, her lips trembling yet her posture intact. Christian looked beside him, a hopeful smile appearing on his face.

She could give him that control back.

"Immery I want to give you this choice. It's dangerous being here but it is up to you. I can go fetch some willing human, while you stay here and make him drink from them. He hasn't had human blood in ages, or you come back upstairs with me and wait till the effects wear off," Christian spoke turning towards Immery, who nodded even though confusion was visible on her face.

"No. I will do it," Immery spoke looking into Christian's eyes, her voice confident yet mixed with that uncertainly and fear. She knew that she won't be able to see another human suffering in front of her, she would rather sacrifice herself.

This time Christian's eyes widened, this was not what he was expecting. While he wanted to help out his brother in no way did he want to put Immery's life in danger. Especially when he knew what the outcome could be.

Their trance was broken by the metallic noise of one of the chains breaking, serving as the warning that Nicholas was losing control.

"Take her away, I cannot hold myself anymore. I can smell her, the fresh blood that is flowing through her veins, the little paper cut on her palm, the still fresh bruises. I can think of nothing other than draining every little ounce of her blood. Every. Drop. Of. It," Nicholas spoke, baring his fangs out in front of them, he did not want to hurt her, the guilt from killing all those innocents and his friend still haunted him.

"Then do it," Immery whispered, walking towards him.

"Immery no," Christian held her wrist, in no way was he going to put her in this situation.

"Chris you told me that this is my choice to make. So this is my choice. He needs blood and I have it, if whatever you both told me about me being your mate is correct then he will stop. He has to," Immery spoke, assuring

"Don't be stupid Chris, take her away," Nicholas spoke, his real self trying to break through his feral side. He looked vulnerable but at the same time scary.

"Go outside Chris, I promise I will be fine. He made that promise to me that he will keep me safe. I will scream your name out if anything goes wrong, okay ?" Immery spoke again, while Christian nodded. Even though he wanted to keep her safe, he knew that she was the one who could do this for Nicholas.

"I am outside," Christian spoke, letting go of Immery's hand with a small squeeze while she nodded.

"Also Chris.." Immery's voice rang out as Christian started walking out, making him halt.

"If I get out of this alive, I accept to be the mate of you both," Immery told, a small smile on her lips, she knew that whatever was going to happen once Christian left the room might not have the best outcome. She could die.

Christian nodded at her, his face full of unrecognisable emotions as he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Immery looked at Nicholas clearly as she heard the door close, now focusing more on the darkness of the room. There were only two candles that provided light, along with the moonlight.

"Immery, leave," Nicholas groaned out, his voice strained with all the control that he was trying to keep on himself.

"No, you need this. You need my blood," Immery spoke as she walked and stood right in front of him, seeing him suck in a gallop of air, turning his face away from her.

"You have a death wish or something," Nicholas spoke in a mocking tone before wincing as he felt a sharp pain in his body.

"I don't because I know that you can control yourself. I know that you won't kill me, because I trust you to protect me," Immery spoke, her voice soft, none of the prior fear showing as she bends down and sat in front of him.

Nicholas's eyes flickered to meet her, the deadly look in his eye subsiding for a moment to let her in.

"You can do this Nicholas, you can feed on me without killing me," Immery spoke, as she bared her neck to him, she used her hand to free Nicholas's other arm.

"Just a..taste. I need just one taste," Nicholas spoke, the bloodthirst peaking in him as he stared at her neck, he could smell the blood, hear the smooth gushing of it in the vessels.

"Then do it," Immery encouraged, that being the final straw in Nicholas's control, his dipping his fangs right into her neck the next second, pulling her body close to his as his arms wrapped around her while she gave out an agonising scream. Christian gripped the doorknob outside, knowing what was happening inside. He could not entire, not until she screams out for his help. He had to respect her choice.

Time passed slowly as Nicholas kept taking gulp after gulp of her blood, the taste of the fresh human blood nourishing every cell of his body while tears flew out of Immery's eyes, her body growing weaker every moment as she tried holding still, holding from screaming Christian's name.

Every gulp that Nicholas took compensated for the years he had gone without human blood, but it suddenly stopped.

"Shit. Damn it," Nicholas cursed out loud as he withdrew his fangs from her skin, the realization set in, his eyes now a deep glowing shade of red, the pleasure and haze of the fresh human blood flowing through his veins. He felt lighter, the nerves had calmed down, but a new panic was settling in him as he hurriedly licked his thumb to stop the bleeding. The feeling of her limp body in his arms scared him, sure she was breathing, but her heartbeat was shallow.

He quickly picked her up in his arm, he knew what to do. After what she did for him, he knew he had to save her. In any way possible.

Nicholas opened the door to meet Christian, his eyes quickly wandered to Immery who stayed motionless.

"She..."

"Will be fine, grab me some A-negative human blood as fast as possible. She needs a transfusion to recover fast," Nicholas guided Christian, taking the control of the situation. He nodded before dashing out.

___________________

"So much effort for a human girl you just met ?" Riley spoke with disinterest in her tone, as she watched Nicholas rushing with an unconscious Immery in his arm to lay her down on the bed. The effects of the blood moon had already worn off from Riley for she had grabbed one of the castle blood slaves, unlike Nicholas who refuses them.

Riley had come to the pack-house once she couldn't find Nicholas anywhere in the palace.

"She's not just a girl Riley. She's my mate. She's my brother's mate. I need to protect her," Nicholas answered still panicking to set up the blood transfusion process. He could feel the new power in himself, the strength and agility that he lacked for years.

"So it's just that? All this care only because she's your mate ?" Riley asked as Nicholas came and stood beside her. She could see through his tough demur that Immery was breaking through.

"Yes. Just that," Nicholas answered as he stared at an unconscious Immery, blood slowly entering her through the iv while Christian sat by her, holding her other hand.

His stomach churned as the guilt of what he could have done today, he could have killed her. Yet she was ready to sacrifice herself to rescue him from the pain.

Maybe after all she was not just his mate.