~*~Lavender Rose~*~
Chapter 2
We stood there, staring each other down. How the hell could I have let that slip by unnoticed? Was I losing my touch? Impossible! Vampires don’t change over the years. Our senses don’t degenerate with age like the useless humans walking around. Then why didn’t I notice sooner?
“Tia?”
We both turned our attention to see where her name had been called from. A tall, tan man with light blond hair and dark brown eyes approached us. Another werewolf. The scent on him was strong.
“What the hell is going on here?” I heard the man ask, venom seeping through his words.
“Nothing Tom, don’t worry about it,” Crescentia said with a sigh.
“It’s my job to worry about it,” Tom replied, gently smoothing dark brown hair away from her face. I watched as she flinched slightly, barely noticeable. Of course werewolves have good eyesight and reflexes, but nothing compared to a vampires. I was positive this Tom person hadn’t seen Crescentia’s reaction to his touch.
I smirked slightly at the scene in front of me, “Well, I’ll leave you two lovers alone. I have more pressing issues to attend to,” with that I turned on my heel and walked out of the alley.
I glanced behind one time, totally out of character for me. I saw Crescentia’s face, her big green eyes looking troubled. I felt my features soften at her obvious distress. Then I looked over and noticed Tom glaring at me. I smirked again and turned back around. I needed to get home. This day has been weird enough as it is.
I quickly made my way back to my apartment in mid-town. I walked into the twenty-second-floor apartment, threw my keys on the table near the door and let my self sink into my couch in the living room.
My apartment wasn’t large or magnificent. Of course I had the money to get a nicer apartment; I just didn’t feel the need for it. All I require is one room and enough space to hold my belongings, which weren’t much. When one travels around the way I do, you learn to not hold on to much. Besides, it’s not like any of it has sentimental value to me. I’m not sentimental in the least.
I heaved myself off the couch and walked into the bedroom in the back of the apartment. I wasn’t physically tired, it is impossible for a vampire to feel that. Instead, I was mentally exhausted. Fighting with my brain isn’t something I do regularly and I don’t plan to do often. I walked into my bedroom, past the piles of discarded clothing and finally made it over to my king size bed. I am not one for tidying up after myself, and I don’t ever have visitors so what is the sense in keeping my apartment clean?
I lay down on the black, down comforter—thankfully my bed was clear of debris. Leaning my head back on my folded hands, I let my mind wander. How could I have not noticed what Crescentia was? The smell of a werewolf is usually very distinct. I should have smelt her the second I walked into the club and then avoided her at all costs.\
It wasn’t that I was afraid of werewolves—my kind isn’t afraid of any other supernatural creatures. Rather, vampires and werewolves don’t…get along to put it mildly. As a rule, we try to avoid each other at all costs, lest whatever building we meet up in comes crashing down around our heads. It has happened before.
As I let my mind wander some more, I began thinking about Crescentia. The way the over head lights of red, purple, and blue had illuminated the highlights in her brown hair.
The way her body felt against mine, swaying to the music blaring out of the speakers.
The way her lips formed the words she spoke.
Her voice. All night it had been so soft and gentle, like a soft breeze. If I hadn’t been so close to her, I might not have heard (or have been able to hang on to) every word she spoke. I allowed myself that one thought. After all I will never see her again.
I suddenly remembered the look of disgust in her eyes when she spat ‘Vampire’ earlier in the alley. Those eyes that were so expressive and deep, I was lost in them only moments after having looked. The color, such a beautiful, clear, green, they almost seemed unnatural. What am I saying? She is unnatural! She’s a werewolf for fuck’s sake! That’s it, I’m cutting myself off.
I rose from my bed and walked over to my expensive stereo system in the corner of the room. I pressed the power button and the harsh sound of a screaming guitar met my eardrums. I smiled to myself; there was no way I would be able to think through this. With that, I walked over to the bed and lay down, perfectly content to sleep through the day.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When I awoke, hours later, the sun was still in the sky though it was slowly beginning setting. The sun didn’t bother us; it’s just that we look so unnatural in the bright light that humans are often scared of our appearance. There are a lot of vampires that have normal sleeping habits, but I don’t care to jump around from shadow to shadow just to walk in the daylight. I have always preferred the night anyway.
I rolled over the side of the bed, landing gracefully on my feet. Walking past the stereo, I pressed the power button to turn off the blaring music, grabbing a towel off the floor as I left my room.
I walked down the hallway to my simple bathroom, intent on taking a shower before I began my night. I was already hungry.
Once I got in the shower though, the thoughts of my hunger melted away with the hot water. Before I even began washing, I stood in the shower for a long time, just letting the water run over my sculpted body.
My mind, without my permission, wandered back to Crescentia. I slammed my fist into the shower wall hard enough to crack one of the white tiles. I looked down at the water running through the drain. I need to stop. I reached out and turned the long, slanted handle to the left as far as it would go. Hopefully the excess of hot water will be enough to clear my mind.
I let myself bask in the heat of the water a little while longer, then washed my body and hair before turning the water off and stepping out. I picked up my oversized, dark blue towel and rubbed it on my hair before wrapping it around my waist.
I walked over to the mirror hanging above the sink and peered at my pale white complexion. Besides my dark, curly, brown hair, it was obvious I was of the Arian race. I was endowed with the slightly pointed nose, sharp jaw lines, and defined cheeks. I even used to have blue eyes—before I was changed.
I blinked a few times, getting my thoughts back in order before I brushed my teeth and left the bathroom. I made my way back to my bedroom and started rummaging through the piles of clothing, looking for something suitable to wear. I finally decided on a pair of light blue jeans and a light blue button down shirt. I carefully rolled up the sleeves to about my elbow and put on my black boots. I stood in front of my full length mirror, admiring the outfit I put together. There was a small list of things I actually cared about, and my appearance was one of them.
I smirked at my reflection in the mirror and ran my hand through my slightly damp hair. I looked around my apartment, got bored, and decided to start my night early. Grabbing my black leather jacket and my keys, I left the apartment and began walking the Manhattan streets.
It was mid-November, and the weather had already begun to chill in New York. There were the usual crowds of people walking hurriedly down the streets. Sometimes I wondered why everyone was in such a rush. Humans hurry everyday and for what? They are only hurrying to their inevitable death. Why would one want to rush that? I suppose I had a slightly different view on things since I was never going to die.
I wandered the streets for a few more hours, vaguely looking for my first meal of the night. I noticed a shopping cart full of random dirty cloths and other such things. I knew a bum couldn’t be too far off. Walking up to the cart I found the old man slouched on the ground near a few garbage cans.
He was wearing a large dark blue jacket that had duct tape all over it, presumably as patches. The jeans he wore were acid-washed, with tears and dirt covering them. His skin was very tan and wrinkled. It looked like he had been down on his luck for a while now. No matter. I was here to put him out of his misery.
I crouched down by the old man who looked like he was still sleeping off a hangover. I pulled the collar of his jacket down so I could see his pulse beat through the wrinkled skin of his neck. I suddenly became too hungry to wait. Leaning over him I arched my neck so it was closer to his before I gently broke the skin with my teeth. I felt the thick, luscious blood run over my palate and down my throat. I could taste alcohol in his blood but it didn’t matter, the slight buzz I would get would only last a few minutes at most. A few moments later and I had sucked the man completely dry. I bit my tongue until it bled, letting my blood spill onto his wounds. I sat back and watched as the bite marks faded away. The man had never even stirred.
I stood up, readjusted my cloths and turned around without a second glance. Now that I was feeling better, I decided to just walk and see where it took me. I could have taken a cab, or a subway, or even ran for a human would never be able to see me run if I was at my top speed—I would simply be too fast. Instead, I liked to walk and observe the life around me. Even though humans meant nothing to me, it still amused me to watch them go about living their menial lives. None of them even had a clue as to what was walking down the street next to them.
Suddenly I heard the faint beats of some kind of rock music near me. I let my feet move me closer to the sound. When I was finally outside, I froze on the sidewalk. This was the same club that I was at last night. What if Crescentia was here? I can’t go in. Wait, why the hell am I running from her? I’ve been going to this club for years. No stupid little wolf is going to ruin that. Besides, what are the odds that she would be here two nights in a row?
I walked up to the bouncer that knew me and walked through the line of velvet rope. Once inside, I heard the hypnotic sounds of some kind of gothic music playing. I faintly remembered that they had theme nights here.
I quickly scanned the crowd to make sure there were no familiar faces before I dove into the mass of bodies. I didn’t have to wander far before I saw a girl with curly blond hair, black leather pants and a red tank top on, waving me over. God, I really had a thing for blonde's.
I slowly made my way over to her and put my hands on her hips, spinning her around to face away from me. I didn’t want anything from this girl but a dance. Her little hips were certainly agile, but she didn’t exactly flow with the music that well. I tightened my grip on her in the hopes of directing her movement more. It worked for the time being and I watched as she slowly raised her arms above her head, letting them sway with the music.
Even though I had my own dance partner, I continued to scan the crowd. As a rule, a bachelor never settles. I looked around at all of the bodies, swaying, thumping, grinding to the music playing. Their skin, no matter what color, was gleaming with the multicolored lights from above.
“Listen Buddy, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself.”
Wait, that sounded just like…
“I’m not going to tell you again! Back. Off.”
In the next instant, I was weaving my way through the crowd, trying to make my way to the back of the club where I had heard her voice.
Suddenly, I came upon a tall, skinny guy with dirty blond hair. His back was toward me and from this angle I could tell that Crescentia was pinned up against the wall.
Anger flowed through me as I stormed up to the guy. I put my hand on his shoulder and ripped him backward, sending him flying onto his back. I turned my back to Crescentia and glared down at him.
“Don’t you know, that when a lady says stop, you stop?” I asked in a low growl.
The guy stood up dusting himself off. “Hey Pal, this doesn’t have anything to do with you. Mind your own fuckin’ business,” he retorted.
I slowly walked over to him, my face just inches from his, “She is my fucking business.”
The guy seemed to sense that he was in way over his head. He held up his hands and took a few steps back. “Fine man, whatever,” he said as he retreated back into the group of dancers.
I took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose between my two fingers. What the hell was with men these days? No one knows how to respect a lady anymore…
“Lukas?”
I turned around to see Crescentia looking back at me with her big, beautiful green eyes. “Are you alright?” I sighed.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I could have handled him; I just didn’t want to get too angry. It’s not all that much fun, Turning in a room full of humans.”
I quietly chuckled at her nonchalant tone. “Yes, I can see where that might be a problem,” I told her. As she stared back at me, I found myself lost in the depths of her eyes once more.
“Thank you Lukas,” she said quietly, putting her small hand on my hard chest. I wanted to back away from her touch. Most people, who aren’t vampires themselves, find us to be so foreign. I wasn’t used to someone with a pulse wanting to be so close to me without being hypnotized.
I smiled down at her, “Es war nichts, Schonheit,” I replied softly. Just then I heard the opening notes of a familiar “Adema” song. I stood there, gazing into Crescentia’s eyes, listening to the lyrics:
Will you, walk me
To the edge again
I suddenly shook my head, trying to clear it. I smiled once more down at her. She smiled back but then a confused look clouded her emerald eyes, “Um, yeah so I guess I’ll see you around?”
Shaking, lonely, and I am drinking again
Woke up tonight and no one's here with me
She side stepped me and began to walk away back into the crowd of dancers. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her elbow. She whipped back around and stared at me, confused again.
I'm giving in to you
“Would you like to dance Crescentia?” She simply smiled and led me into the middle of the dance floor.
Take me under
I'm giving in to you
She turned around once she found us a spot to dance. I put my hands on her hips and gently pulled her closer to me while she wrapped her arms around my neck.
I'm dying tonight
I'm giving in to you
We were moving our hips together, slowly in time with the music. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from hers. Suddenly she smiled and laid her head on my chest.
Watch me crumble
I'm giving in to you
I froze for a small second before relaxing again and pulling her closer. I craned my neck and buried my face in her hair, running my fingers through the ends.
I'm crying tonight
I'm giving in to you
We swayed slowly to the music, our bodies moving together perfectly. A million thoughts were running through my mind but only one came into focus—this feels so good.
Caught up, in life
Losing all my friends
I felt her pull back suddenly, studying my face. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion having stopped dancing when she pulled away. Suddenly I watched her eyes become clear, focused as she leaned up toward me…
Family has tried, to heal all my addictions
A second after I realized what she was going to do, I pulled back sharply. I watched as she slowly took a step back from me. The look of hurt in her beautiful green eyes was too much for me. I quickly turned around and began making my way out of the club.
Tragic it seems, to be alone again
I'm giving in to you
Oh, shut the
fuck up! I growled under my breath as I stormed my way outside. What the fuck was I thinking? I never should have asked her to dance. That was a big mistake. The bigger mistake though, was letting myself be swayed like that. And then she almost kissed me?! Well if I want to be honest with myself, I almost kissed her back—but I don’t want to be honest. Fuck that.
I was stomping my way through the almost deserted streets, not paying attention to where I was walking. No matter, I knew this city like the back of my hand. There’ no way I could get lost.
Suddenly I felt something or someone bump into my chest. I looked down on a mess of curly black hair. The young girl looked up at me. Her eyes were painted black, contrasting greatly with the light pallor of her skin. For a human, she was extremely pale. She was wearing a torn black zip-up sweatshirt and baggy jeans.
Without thinking I locked my eyes onto her big brown ones and told her to walk into the alley we were near. She obeyed me and once I got there, I roughly pushed away her messy hair and sank my teeth into her neck. For the first time in two days, my thoughts were clear. There was only one thing on my mind: blood.
I drank until she was completely dry, and then covered up her wound with my blood. I dropped her unceremoniously onto the wet pavement and turned to leave. For some unknown reason I stopped and looked back at her. Her sleeves had been pushed up to her elbows and from where I was standing I could see faint pink lines running up and down her arms. Here and there were even scabbed lines. I looked up at her face once more. This girl couldn’t have been older than fifteen.
I stumbled backward out of the alley, tripping over my own feet in the process. I caught myself and began running toward my apartment. I made it there a few moments later, thanks to my vampiric speed. I staggered into my living room and sank onto the overstuffed couch. There was a sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach. After some thought, I identified the feeling. This must be the week of resurrecting old feelings because this is one I haven’t felt in decades: regret. I then covered my face with my hands.
“Was habe ich getan?”
**Translations:
Es war nichts, Schonheit: It was nothing, Beauty.
Was habe ich getan?: What have I done?
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