51: 51 Do you care? (AVOT)

51 Do you care? (AVOT)

"No!" She outright refused.

"Now that's unfair," he playfully chastised. "I let you bite me. There should be a fair exchange in a relationship!"

Her features contorted in anger. "You know nothing about relationships!" She spat, her words ringing in the cold air between them.

Rhain didn't expect to relish the thrill of the chase as much as he did. Daisy, so full of fire and spirit, had exceeded all his expectations. From the very first day he had seen her, he knew she was different, his kind of prey – a fighter, courageous even in the face of paralyzing fear.

He could smell it, the raw scent of her terror, potent and intoxicating, pervading the room. It was a heady mixture that had him yearning for more. His Daisy was proving to be the perfect prey.

She pounded her fists against his thighs in futile defiance, and he swiftly gripped her wrists, ensuring she wouldn't harm herself.

"Ah, let go! You monster!"

A direct insult to the predator, but he found it amusing, delightful even.

Suddenly, her struggle ceased, and she looked at him, those fiery eyes blazing with a mix of anger and fear. "You enjoy this, don't you?"

Ah, his clever Daisy.

"You disgust me!" She spat, her words piercing through him like icicles.

Disgust. He had elicited that reaction from many before, but from Daisy, it stung a little. Now that she truly saw him for what he was, her revulsion was expected, yet it left an bitter taste in his mouth that he ignored. 

With swift movements, he pinned her hands beside her head, looming over her with a predatory glint in his eyes. Her heartbeat escalated, thudding in her chest like a war drum, and her wide eyes mirrored her terror. The heady blend of her fear-filled scent and the rhythmic pulsing of her heartbeat was too much for him to bear. His gums throbbed painfully, the ache radiating from his already protruded fangs up to his temples.

"Give me a bite now, dear Daisy," he husked, bending down to trace his tongue along her neck. She shivered involuntarily as he tasted the saltiness of her cold sweat. She tasted delectable, her flavor divine and intoxicating, and he savored every hint of it.

"What are you doing?" she stammered, but he was too far gone to respond. His senses were overpowered by her, the predator in him now in the feeding phase where nothing else mattered but quenching the insatiable hunger gnawing at him.

He indulged in the texture and taste of her skin, savoring the sensation under his lips, preparing the terrain for his awaiting fangs. Daisy shivered beneath him, her body's unconscious reaction only fueling his hunger. Yet, amongst the dominating scent of fear, he caught an underlying whiff of arousal, further stoking the beast inside him. The cocktail of emotions coursing through her body was addicting and utterly impossible to resist.

"Why are you... kissing me?" She murmured, her confusion seeping into her words.

If only he could articulate the depth of his craving, the sheer magnitude of his hunger for her, he would. The intensity of it made him ache, and a sliver of doubt crept into his mind. Could he control himself when she made him feel this insatiable? He was scared of losing himself entirely, of hurting her beyond repair.

Daisy was bewildered by his actions. Was this yet another layer to his twisted game? Why didn't he just do what he was supposed to and get it over with? Or… did he change his mind?

"Rhain?" Her voice wavered.

Through his hold, she could feel his tremors, hear the raggedness of his breath against her neck, and then... the chilling brush of his fangs against her skin. A myriad of contradictory emotions coursed through her, fear laced with an inexplicable tingle.

Suddenly, she felt the cold bite of metal in her hand. The pin. He'd returned it to her grasp, but why? Moreover, he had released her wrist. 

As Daisy clutched the pin, her hand trembled with uncertainty. What did this gesture mean?

She felt another brush of his fangs, this time grazing close enough to cause a stinging sensation on her skin. Fear clutched her heart like an icy hand, but even so, she held onto the pin without lifting it to strike.

With careful fingers, Rhain brushed the hair away from her neck, his panting breaths ghosting over her skin before sinking his fangs in. 

Daisy gasped, her body jolting in shock as if hit by a lightning bolt. Her hand shot up instinctively, pin clutched tightly, yet she didn't strike. It rested instead on his shoulder, harmless.

Wet warmth spread over her neck – her blood, drawn into his mouth. She clenched her eyes shut. Stab him! The inner command echoed in her mind.

Her grip on the pin tightened, but oddly, she was surprised that there was no pain. Instead, it felt… incredible. Each draw from his mouth echoed down her body, as if he was pulling her very life force up from the soles of her feet. Her toes curled, her back arching instinctively, baring even more of her neck.

A low growl resonated from him, a primal vibration against her chest, eliciting an unfamiliar warmth that bloomed between her thighs. She moaned softly, barely conscious that her other wrist was now unbound. Her hand found its way into his hair while his slipped to her breast, kneading it through the fabric of her dress.

Daisy was adrift in a sensual haze, her senses heightened yet detached, as if floating above reality. She was up there, floating higher and higher and then, abruptly, it ended. The sensation of the soft mattress against her back grounded her once again as Rhain withdrew with a tortured groan, yanking her along with him out of her blissful trance.

As her eyes fluttered open, the ceiling above her swayed in her dizzy vision before being replaced by Rhain's face. "Daisy!" His voice was laced with concern, shattering the remnants of her disorientation.

"Yes," she managed to whisper back.

"Have you lost your mind, woman!" His tone was stern, almost reprimanding. "I gave you the pin for a reason."

As clarity began to seep back into her, Daisy pulled away, bolting upright. Her hand immediately flew to her neck. No wound. Her gaze darted back to him, his mouth still tainted with the tell-tale evidence of her blood.

"You bit me!" She gasped.

He merely raised a brow in response. "Yes."

"You. Bit. Me!" She repeated, incredulously.

"Nearly drained you. Can't you defend yourself?"

Was he truly angry with her now?

"With what? This pin? As if this could hurt you!" she retorted, and fuelled by frustration, she lunged forward and stabbed him in the shoulder.

His body jolted in surprise. She let out a shrill shriek, recoiling at the sight of the pin embedded in his flesh. She could injure him?

"Oh lord! Oh..." She was startled, her hands trembling as she hovered, unsure of what to do.

Rhain, with surprising calmness, reached over and extracted the pin. Blood welled up from the puncture wound.

"It's alright. It will heal in no time," he assured her, his voice a low murmur. "Aim for the neck next time. It's more vulnerable and will buy you more time."

So even his neck wouldn't be a fatal target?

"But what was the point of giving me this then?" she demanded, her voice strained with frustration and confusion.

"Well, I don't plan on dying. I just needed you to pull me back from..." He faltered, grappling for the right word. "Hunger."

A throbbing ache settled in her head, and the room began to sway again. "So, you didn't intend to kill me?"

"No."

"Then all this... terrifying me? Couldn't you have just explained?"

"No. I wanted you terrified."

Her heart plummeted at his confession. He had wanted her to be terrified? Did he take pleasure in seeing her in such fear?

"Who are you?" The question slipped past her lips, her voice thick with pain.

His frown deepened. "What. Am. I. That's the question you should be asking." His words were punctuated, almost as if forced through gritted teeth.

She withdrew from him, not out of fear this time, but a desperate need for distance. The man before her was a stranger, one she didn't know, didn't understand. Her heart felt heavy, a tight knot of emotion constricting her chest. 

Rhain simply watched her retreat, still on his knees on the bed.

"I don't want to be here," she voiced her thoughts, despite the weakness seeping into her legs.

"It's raining outside," he pointed out, his tone once again placid.

"I'd rather be out there."

"I'd rather you not."

"Just open the damned doors, you bastard!" She exploded, the room tilting dangerously around her.0

He sprang up from the bed so swiftly, she let out a startled shriek, but he made no move to approach her. "You're my wife, Daisy, and this is your home."

She shook her head vehemently. "Everything is a lie," she muttered, her head pounding in protest. As her knees buckled beneath her, Rhain was instantly at her side, catching her before she hit the floor.

"No! Put me down!" she demanded, but his hold on her was unyielding.

"You need to regain your strength."

"Yes, because my vampire husband decided to feast on me after chasing me like a hunted animal."

"I don't hunt animals," he replied simply.

Frustration spurred her into action, her fist colliding with his chest, but he didn't so much as flinch. She felt her strength ebbing, and finally relented, yet she vowed not to surrender to her fear, not to let herself be reduced to tears.

He carried her to her room, setting her down gently on the bed. She pulled away from him instantly. He simply looked at her with a resigned expression. "I'll bring you something to eat."

"What? You will feed me for the slaughter again?" 

He frowned. "There will be no slaughter." 

"You know what I mean!" She snapped. 

"I don't. You feed, I feed. There isn't much difference."

His casual, detached tone fanned the flames of her anger further. It wounded her. "Except for the part where you terrify me."

"It's the way I like it. Just like you prefer your eggs or tea a certain way."

"It's not the same!" She yelled, shaking her head as if she was trying to free herself from a nightmare.

"How isn't it?"

"Because..." Her teeth ground together, and her fists clenched at her sides. "I'm supposed to be your wife. Not your meal. You're supposed to care, to protect...to...to love." The dam finally broke, and tears began to prickle at the corners of her eyes.

"Listen!" His voice took on a harsh edge. "If you don't want to eat, then go to bed hungry. I don't care!"

With that, he whirled around and strode out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Rhain stalked down the corridor, anger coursing through his veins. It was a rare emotion for him, particularly after a hunt, a time when he was usually filled with euphoria. But Daisy's relentless anger was grinding him down.

He sank into his favorite couch, the hall echoing with the sound of rain against the windows. He'd dismissed the servants for the evening, wanting the house to himself for his chase of Daisy. He leaned back into the plush cushions with a sigh, closing his eyes. 

And then he heard it. Her crying. Her anger had subsided, and now, she was crying. Rhain tensed in his seat, an odd sensation washing over him, a constriction around his chest. The last time he'd felt anything at the sound of tears was when his brother had cried, before they had become vampires. Since then, he couldn't recall ever being affected by someone else's crying.

The sound of her sobs reached him, each one grating against his chest like a rough piece of sandpaper. He tried to ignore it, hoping she would eventually stop, but the sobs continued. He felt irritation building up, a growing fire in his chest. He could bear it no longer.

Abruptly, he stood and began to make his way back to his room, then halted. What would he say to her? Tell her to keep her mouth shut? Compel her into silence?

Well… he could compel her to forget it all but a part of him felt relieved that she knew. He was tired of hiding it and a part of him also wished to know what she would truly think of him. 

A vampire. An old man indeed. A predator who preyed on her kind. Disgusting to her! There was nothing surprising or unexpected, so why bother? He should erase her memory and save her from the pain, at least. 

With that resolution in mind, he turned around and headed to the kitchen, intending to prepare her some food. As he served her, he would compel her to forget everything. He couldn't bear to listen to her sobs any longer.

Stepping into the kitchen, he was struck by the realization of how long it had been since he had last cooked. Could he even remember how? At least the kitchen was well-equipped, unlike the places he and his brother used to prepare their meager meals before starvation became the norm.

Rhain pushed back the tide of memories and focused on his current task. He prepared spinach soup for Daisy, then loaded the tray and headed for her room.

Halfway there, he stopped in his tracks, his hand trembling slightly as another realization dawned on him. He had only ever cooked for his brother. His grip tightened around the tray, and he forced himself to continue. 

Once he arrived at Daisy's room, he noticed that it was silent. Her crying had ceased, but he knew she was still there. He could hear her tiny, hitching breaths.

He knocked on the door, and knowing she wouldn't invite him in, he stepped inside. She was curled up on the bed, knees drawn up to her chest and her head buried in her arms. When she looked up at him, her eyes were red-rimmed and defiant.

A moment later, a pillow was hurled his way. "Leave!"

Rhain deflected it, only for another to follow it, striking the tray he held and knocking over the bowl of soup, which spilled onto his arm. The bowl clattered to the floor, spilling the rest of the soup.

Rhain felt his temper flaring again, a curse poised on the edge of his tongue as he met Daisy's gaze. But the sight of her tear-streaked cheeks softened his fury, and he bit back the harsh words. Her flicker of regret as she took in the sight of the spilled soup and his singed arm was brief, but he saw it before she hastily masked her reaction with feigned indifference.

Bending down to retrieve the fallen bowl, Rhain left the room, mentally berating himself as he refilled the bowl with more soup. He wondered idly what she might throw at him this time when he returned.

Daisy fixed him with a glare that could have melted steel when he reentered the room.

"I am not going to eat your soup!" she spat.

"It's not mine," he replied calmly.

"You made it!" she retorted.

"I did. You're the first woman I've made soup for," he confessed.

"Oh, should I be flattered?" She shot back, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"You could at least be impressed that your husband can cook," he offered.

The word 'husband' seemed to be a trigger. She didn't appreciate it anymore.

Exasperated, he placed the tray on the table and moved towards her. "Don't come close!" she warned, but he ignored her, reaching out to ensure he had her full attention. She closed her eyes as he brought his face close to hers.

He could smell the salty trace of her tears. "What do you want now?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Look at me," he ordered, intending to use his power to compel her to forget and then leave her in peace.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. His non-beating heart warmed at the sight of her beautiful brown orbs, flecked with green - a reminder of lush forests. Fresh tears seemed to brew in them, wetting them, making them glisten and glow. Rhain found himself halting.

"Did you ever care about me?" she asked suddenly.

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