Within The Shadows (4 page)

Big
mistake!

He was right
there in front of me. He stood like a tower over me. I could not
believe my eyes.

“
Alex!” I yelled, flinging myself into his solid chest. His
arms wrapped around me, holding me tight.

In
that moment, I felt completely safe.

“
How did you
know where to find me?” I cried, sniffling as I looked up into his
deep green eyes.

Brushing the
hair from my chin, he smiled down at me. His voice was smooth and
calm. “Because I always know where you are.”

I did not
see the need to question him. Instead, I closed my eyes tight, and
relaxed in his embrace, unable to let go. Alex always had a way of
calming me. In whatever situation, he would come and rescue me. He
was what I needed right now. I wanted to forget about the drama
caused by Marc and Evie. I hated them both. They had hurt me in a
way I did not think was possible. Well, not possible from the guy
who claimed to love me.

My heart broke.

“
You know, I can take all your pain away.” Alex spoke
softly, almost mesmerizing.

“
I don’t
think even you can do that.”

“
Giselle, I
can safely say I can change the course your life takes.”

“
Alex . . .”

He grabbed a
hold of my hands, and looked hard into my face as an odd sensation
pulsated through my head. “If you come willingly, then yes, all the
pain and heartache will go. In its place, you will have peace,” he
sighed, looking down at his feet. “I have waited so long for you.
You do not know how many times I wanted to tell you the truth, to
come clean about who I am.”

“
What . . . ? What do you mean? Alex, this is all a bit too
dramatic, even for you.” I looked into his face. It was hard and
serious.

From behind,
I heard whispers and movement. I looked around, and saw three men
I’d never seen before. They wore black, and each had a mark
tattooed on his face.

“
What’s going on, Alex?” There was panic in my voice, and
for the first time ever, I was afraid of my best friend.

“
It is time,
Master,” the tallest of the men said as his eyes blazed
red.

Alex smiled
down at me. His eyes gleamed in the light of the moon, and the
peculiar feeling increased, leaving me dizzy and
light-headed.

“
Please, Giselle, come quietly, and it will be over
quickly.”

“
The moon, Master. It will enter the second phase, and you
will have failed.”

I had to be
dreaming. Jesus, I mean, after all I had been through, it was
possibly my mind playing tricks on me. There was no other
explanation.

“
Quiet!” Alex raised his voice. “Giselle, I have chosen you
to be by my side. It is you who will redeem my bloodline, but you
must come willingly. I cannot force you, but if you decide against
me, I will have to destroy you. We have only a few minutes until
the moon changes, and our window of opportunity will have passed.
Please, I implore you, oblige, and you will feel no pain. I do not
want to harm you.”

“
Oh, my God, you’re all crazy!” I shouted as I tried to
fight the inebriating feeling overcoming me.

Trying to
back away from the edge of the trees, I made a run for it. It
seemed impossible, but Alex moved with stellar speed. I was
seriously no match for him, but I gave it my best shot. I hit him
hard in the face. He did not move, and in a blink of an eye, he was
behind me with his warm, strong hands around my waist, holding me
close to him.

“
Why are you
doing this?”

“
Because I must awaken you. Giselle, you do not have a
choice.” His breath was warm on my neck.

“
I don’t understand!” I whimpered.

“
Say yes, and all will be revealed. I promise you, there
will be no pain.”

“
But . . . I can’t. I don’t want to die.”

“
You will not die. You will be reborn.”

“
But . . . Alex, you’re scaring me!”

“
Giselle, please. I am running out of time, and it is you
who must join me.” His voice became harder.

Not wanting
to give in, I tried my best to block out his voice, to fight the
urge to give in, but the power of his grip, and the three men
standing before me told me I would lose whichever fate I
chose.

“
Okay . . . No, I don’t know . . . Okay,” I whispered,
nodding my head in defeat as tears streamed down my
cheeks.

What was I doing
? I screamed
inside my head.

No
. . . no . . . no
. . . please!
It was pointless, because
soon enough, my thoughts became lost in a daze of smouldering
heat.

His breath
was warm and velvety as he brushed his lips along my neck. He
gently kissed and caressed my throat with his tongue, and the
sensation sent my skin into overdrive. I was completely spellbound.
I found it hard to concentrate. Before long, I was lost in the
warmth of his touch. Moving his mouth over mine, I kissed him back.
I never imagined his mouth would be so electrifying. His breath was
sweet, and intoxicated every inch of my body.

His lips
left mine, and found their way down my neck. He opened his mouth
wide, and bit down. At first, the pain of the bite burned, but I
soon found myself lost in its burning pleasure. It was my first
experience of ecstasy, and then there was nothing, just complete
blackness.

* * *

I could hear
voices with unfamiliar soft accents all around me. I was aware of
my own faint heartbeat. Its weak pulse throbbed and echoed in my
head. I felt different. The heat within me burned like a fire in a
furnace. I ached all over, and not one inch of my body was spared
the torture. I tried to will my eyes to open, but nothing happened.
Frustrated, I wanted to scream, but my voice was
unheard.

What was happening to me?

Hurried
footsteps came to a stop beside me.
The
gentle touch of a hand rubbed softly against my cheek. All of my
senses came rushing back to me like a ball of heat. I yearned for
that touch. The desire for it engulfed me, but still my eyes
remained closed.

“
She’s burning up,” he said softly.

“
The third day is always the worst. She will be whole by
moonlight,” a hoarse voice reassured him.

“
Of course. You are right.”

“
You are aware that the thirst will be unbearable when she
wakes. Are you sure you are ready for the responsibility that comes
with awakening a mortal?”

“
She is mine. I am ready for whatever comes my way.” He was
confident, but his voice was sharp with anger.

Oh
, my
God
!

As quickly as he came, he was
gone from my side, leaving me alone and afraid.

Terrified, I
tried to fight the pain, but it overwhelmed me, and I succumbed to
the burning in my throat. The flames engulfed every vein within my
body, and my skin felt like it had melted from the heat. I could
feel the warm blood ooze from every cavity. I wanted to
die.

I prayed for death.

* * *

I awoke to
the light of the moon shining bright into my eyes. Voices hushed,
and I could hear the anticipation in their whispered
voices.

“
She is seeking us out. This is truly a night for the
Goddess!” one of them gleefully remarked.

My natural
instinct had me on the defensive. I backed away from them. Every
cell in my body told me they were dangerous. They were strange, and
did not look like anything I had seen before. Yet, the back of my
throat burned, my chest ached, and dizziness filled my head with so
much uncertainty.

Was this all a dream?

“
Giselle.”
A name, my name, was
called.

I turned my
head, ready to pounce. I thought I knew him. He seemed familiar,
but I still could not trust him. Something in his voice did not
seem right.

“
Who are you?” I prodded, but my voice was not my own any
more. Coughing, I tried to clear my throat, failing to get rid of
the deep burning.

He stood
beside me. Reaching out his hand, he waited for me to respond. I
retreated. I did not trust this stranger. His eyes seemed sad, yet
he brushed the hair from my face, leaving my burning eyes
vulnerable to the moonlight.

“
Giselle, my love, you must feed in order to complete the
transition.” His eyes were fixed on mine, and for a moment, I
thought I felt a connection.

“
I want to go. I do not belong here,” I angrily snapped,
squinting hard as I tried to shield my eyes from the
light.

He tried to
touch my arm, but I caught him within my grip, and instinct had me
ready to kill him. Yet something about his smell stopped me. I knew
that sweet scent, but could not place it.

I looked
deep within his eyes, staring intently until some kind of memory
came to me. He paused, too, touching my lips with his fingertips. I
knew that touch, that soft skin against my feverishly hot flesh,
and he calmed something within me. I did know him. It was becoming
clearer to me now.

Oh
, God, it was him,
I remembered. It was Alex.

“
You did this to me
!” I wailed,
pulling back from him.

“
You
chose.”

“
No. You forced me into this! I never had a choice,” I
hissed at him, and stared at those around me.

I became
more aware of my surroundings. I was in a room, built with marble,
and at the far left stood a monument of an ancient queen. Around
her feet were fresh flowers entwined with ivy, thorns, and fresh
orchids. A large oak table stood dead centre in the room. On top of
it, books and scrolls were scattered. On the walls hung giant
portraits of people and scary looking shadows, and a familiar face
stood out from the rest – Alex.

“
You must
drink.”

“
Oh, no! There is no way on this earth I am going to do
that.” I rejected him even as the thirst burned inside
me.

“
Giselle, you have to drink. If you do, you will start to
heal.” He used his most persuasive voice.

I shook my
head in protest. “I can’t. I’m not like you! I want to go. Please,
let me go home. Please!” I begged.

He used a
sharp dagger, and cut deep into his wrist. The sweet smell
instantly caught my attention, and a burning desire rose within me.
I found myself moving my mouth closer to his wrist. With one last
try at abstaining, I gave in, and let the blood fill my
mouth.

Alex closed
his eyes, and gently smiled as I drank. I gulped down his sweet
blood. Its syrupy texture slid along my throat, electrifying every
corner of my body. I had never imagined anything like it. I wanted
to continue, only to be disturbed by someone pulling my head
away.

“
Enough. You will weaken him if you do not stop,” a man’s
voice echoed in my ear.

“
Enough!”

I pulled
away, gasping sharply. I felt disgusted with myself for drinking
from him. The thought of his blood running through me made me shake
violently. Alex’s eyes were closed tight as his breathing laboured.
He did not notice me practically convulsing next to him. An eerie
silence filled the room as I sat, and watched him smile.

“
The first
drink is always the ice-breaker,” Alex laughed as he closed his
eyes again.

“
The first?” I asked, stunned. “Do I have to do this more
than once?”

An old woman
interrupted. She ushered me out of the way, and tended to Alex’s
wound. One lick with the tip of her tongue, and the cut sealed
itself. All signs of my feeding from him were gone.

“
You are blood bound. You must drink from your regnant on
three separate nights to fulfil your bond,” she said calmly as she
walked towards the door.

“
I don’t understand,” I complained. “This is all too much.
Why me?”

“
Giselle, you were chosen for me by my elders,” he said
softly as his eyes remained closed.

I sighed,
and sat beside him. “Am I dead?” I asked innocently.

“
No, I merely bit and awakened you. Your heart still beats,
and your blood still runs warm and red. Only your basic instincts
have changed. You will feed from me and me alone. You will not have
to kill for your food. In return, I will feed from you, and our
blood bond will grow. Good things will happen because of you.” He
sounded so confident.

He took a
deep breath, and silently rested.

I could not
answer. Everything was happening too fast, and my mind found it
hard to accept what I was hearing. I mean, how could I? I did not
even know what I had become. I sunk my head into my knees, unable
to cry. I craved the normality of a high school
betrayal.

I wanted to
run. I wanted to escape this craziness, and did not want to hear
any of it. This was not my Alex talking. It was some impostor
playing a cruel joke on me.