Chapter-10

Chapter 10

-Previously in DiR-

"Take care, Karen."

Victor said and when I looked up to see him, he was gone.

I sighed and picked up the book. I started reading the book with heavy heart. The mystery of this place was getting more complicated with every lock that was opening in front of me.

If the reason for Victor's hate towards Nate was a girl, who was she? Did Lady Adeline know about this? Where was Lord Valentino now? And the most anticipated question of the year was...why was I here?

I had no connection to all these and still I was staying here. I had to know the hidden truth behind all these situations. I had to know what was going on between the two brothers and there was only one way to know all.

I had to ask Nate about this.

***

"I was built with a love of the night and the unquiet coffin. That's all. If you disapprove, I can only shrug my shoulders. It's what I have."- Stephen King

Chapter 10

Victor had told me a small story but the remaining secrets arose again. I wanted to know the whole story now. I wanted to know who Kate was. I wanted to know what had happened between the two brothers and where was Lord Valentino.

Even if I came to know all the answers to this question, I wasn't going to stay here. I didn't belong here. This world was like a black and white picture to me, where I could never fit.

I don't know why Nate was denying this fact. Victor knew very well about the world I was from. He talked to me about it. He told me how he travelled there nearly every day and for Nate, this was the only world that ever existed.

I had taken a strange liking to Victor Devries. He was not a great person but I couldn't say he wasn't a good person. Maybe he was hated for being so blunt and dangerous. He never hurt me like he had tried to when I had come here the first time.

Victor was a rebel, in my point of view. He did not enjoy spending life by rules. He searched for the ways to break them and set himself free from them. He told me how he used to sneak out in the outer world even after there was strict guarding outside the mansion. He just wanted to live his life without any stress of getting killed by any vampire hunter in future.

He had told me the old story but he had not told me the purpose of me being here. He had given me some hints but they were not enough for me.

If there was a solution, it was only Nate. I had to ask Nate. There was no other way to know what was going on here.

I walked out of my room and made my way to Nate's room. I half expected to see him there. He was mostly in the hall, wandering here and there. Or he could found in his study. He liked to read a lot. Reading was a sophisticated activity according to him.

"Nate," I called.

I was outside his room, waiting for his reply.

"Nate, can I come in?" I called again.

There was still no reply from him. Maybe he wasn't in the room.

I turned back to go to my room but I heard a grunt. I stopped dead on my tracks. Nate wasn't injured, was he?

Someone groaned from inside the room, this time louder. I couldn't stop myself out of curiosity. I opened the door and entered, taking slow steps.

Nate's room was a mess. Books were lying on the floor, windows were open wide and bed looked like a tornado had passed through it. Well, the entire room looked the same.

Nate was groaning with his hand on the table. His face was downward. He was groaning as if he was in great pain.

"Nate," I said. "What is happening?"

He didn't say anything but kept groaning.

"Nate," I said.

He looked up at me. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked fierce. The look on his face reminded of the fight in the forest with vampire.

"Karen, get out of here." He said softly.

I couldn't leave him in this condition.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Karen, please," He pleaded.

I stayed where I was. I was not leaving him like this. He looked in a lot of pain. I had to help him somehow. He needed my help and he didn't understand it.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said, walking towards him.

I went up to him and helped him stand up. His face changed all of sudden. There was no agony on his face rather it was replaced by...thirst. His fangs were out of his mouth. The sharp canines shined on his red lips. There was nothing but hunger in his green eyes.

"You should have gone." He said tilting his head to gaze at me. "You made the wrong decision. You should have listened to me."

I took a step back, afraid of him but then my courage surfaced.

"No one can decide what I choose." I said looking at him. "The choices I make will always be mine."

The monster smiled. He was so beautiful. How could a monster be beautiful?

He moved swiftly towards me, his green eyes fixed on me. I held on the near table to make sure I wasn't trembling. Showing fear or weakness wasn't an option here. His cold fingers started from my cheek and trailed down to my neck touching the vein sending a degree of unknown ache into my body.

"Running from me is futile, sweetheart." He leaned closer and whispered. "I will find you from wherever you'll go."

The confidence gleamed in his eyes. I hated his audacity.

"The choices are maybe yours," He said. "But you are mine."

With this he buried his fangs into my neck, sinking them to taste blood.

I should have felt fear, pain and whatever a human should feel if two sharp needles are together inserted in his or her neck. I didn't feel any of it. I felt intoxicated.

Nate held me by my waist and kept on drinking. I fell limp in his arms. I could see my vision fainting and my legs started giving up. I needed to get him off me. He shouldn't drink too much.

Nate wasn't listening to my thoughts. His lips were still on my throat, sucking the blood.

I groaned in pain after what it felt like an hour ago but were only some seconds.

Victor was the last being I saw before closing my eyes.

-Nate-

She shrieked before going limp in my arms. She stopped fighting me. My inner self continuously asked me to end this and leave her but the vampire in me was asking me to keep on drinking the blood.

I was not myself. A darker self was switched with me.

Karen weakened in my arms. Her blood was enticing, I couldn't stop myself.

I should have known it was my bloodlust bringing me closer to her. I thought it was because of exhaustion. Minutes ago, I was groaning and fighting with the hunger by knocking down things in my room and suddenly she was here, calling for me.

I looked for the bottle of blood kept in my room, as mother had told me. The blood was made effective by the witch in our kingdom. The only blood that could suit me was Karen's but I was trying not to hurt her.

Karen had wanted to help me but I couldn't stop myself from smelling her and her blood always called out for me. It made me a blood-thirsty monster and nothing else.

I was drinking her blood, not caring what was going around us in the world.

No alcohol could replace this. No amount of drug could ever allure me this much. No human blood could taste as hers.

"Stop it, Nathan!" Victor screamed. "Don't kill her."

Victor looked scared. He was screaming again and again for me to stop. I had never seen him so desperate in life. His grey eyes were widened with fear. I liked this. I liked to see him like this.

I couldn't stop myself. Her blood was calling out for me. I wanted to drain her. I didn't care if she wanted me to stop or not. I needed the blood rushing in her veins.

Her blood was so sweet. The eternal fountain of life was in my hands. The crave, the bloodlust turned into a never-ending frenzy.

Victor quickly removed my head from her neck and took the girl from my arms. I was alarmed by his presence in my room; I came to my offensive senses. I could fight him no matter how powerful he was. I could kill him now.

He was staring at me with disgrace. His jaw was clenched. Karen was unconscious in his arms. Why was he saving her? He was a monster. Then, what was I?

"What are you doing here?" I snarled at him.

He cradled Karen in his arms to wake her up and looked at me with furious expression on his face. He was angry, that I knew. For what...I would know soon.

"You nearly killed the girl." He said. "Look at yourself. You're no less than a monster."

He held her neck by his hand. He was trying to stop the blood from pouring out anymore. It looked like he cared about her at least.

"Were you tired of drinking from the glass?" He asked.

"She is mine." I growled. "Leave her with me."

"Like Kate was?" He asked, fuelling my anger.

He knew he had hit the right nerve. A memory came.

She smiled brightly. Her eyes twinkling with shine. The two orbs being the centre of attention for me. Kate was beautiful. No girl could ever take her place, never look like her and never a man could earn such a smile from anyone.

"What will you do when Lord Valentino speaks his orders?" She asked innocently. "Will you fight?"

I looked at her and smiled, engulfing her into a warm hug.

"Yes," I breathed. "I will fight for you."

The short memory ended, leaving a haunting effect on me. It was Kate who had spoken to me once about fighting for her. I had loved her so much. I worshipped her. She was gone. She was a history now.

"Take her away from me." I said to Victor.

"Even if you hadn't asked me, I would." He said before leaving with her.

He carried Karen as if she weighed nothing. I watched him disappear in the hall and sank back into the darkness of the room. It was darkness who knew me well. I should never come near to Karen. I could have killed her today because of my thirst. Curse me, I was vampire.

She was a fragile being. I had hurt her too much. I had to stay away from her. I couldn't let my control slip again. She considered me a friend and I had done this to her. She would never forgive me for this. And I didn't deserve her forgiveness.

I couldn't be a murderer. Again.

A/N Woohoo! We hit 2k+ reads and I'm so happy I couldn't stop myself from writing a new chapter (during my exams and migraine).

Thank you all for being so supportive and lovely. I need more likes and comments to make 'DiR' into the #1000 list of great books. I hope you'll help me. And I love the new cover, do you? ;) Max Irons was always the first choice for Nate (no matter how cute he is, he can be sexy!!!)

Have a nice day :)

Fact #3 I'm a very nice, shy and sweet person in real life.

-M_m (It is my last name, by the way)