The Beast and the Harlot: Memory #8

Today was Sunday, and I stood outside while the service continued.

It was already a long morning, and I was growing tired.

The sound of heels made my stomach turn. I already knew who was right behind me.

“Boone!”

I turned to glare at the long-haired brunette. My gaze dropped to her half-exposed breasts, and I didn’t even try to hide it.

“So, are you busy?” she asked.

Her voice was far too annoying. I hated it before, but it is much worse now.

“Yes,” I stated before turning away from her.

I watched as everyone began to leave the church in groups of twos and threes.

I heard her sigh, and it made me irritated.

“You’re still here?” I asked, not even bothering to glance at her.

She placed her arm on my shoulder, and I quickly stepped to the side so that her hand fell.

“What is your problem?” she demanded.

“The only problem I have right now is you,” I stated.

I heard her gasp before she stood in front of me with a pissy expression.

“Do you mind?” I asked, “You’re in my way.”

I took her face into my hand, and I forced her back.

“Are you joking?!” she hissed.

I didn’t answer. I saw Lucia exit the church with Maccon at her side.

It didn’t take much longer for Eaden to walk out behind them.

Her hair seemed to get whiter the older she got. Right now, it looked white in the sunlight.

Her white-blonde hair made it hard not to find her in a crowd of people. Her dress made her stand out even more. It was a floral pattern. It was covered in small white flowers with yellow centers, and it cut down into a V shape in the front.

I watched her expression once she spotted me. A grin formed on her face.

“Who is that?” the harlot next to me asked. “Isn’t she a little young for you?”

I made it an effort to glare at her.

“It’s Eaden,” I stated.

“Oh, that Eaden?” she asked. “The Eaden you always find a way to mention, that Eaden?”

I only sighed.

The closer Eaden came to where I stood, her smile faded.

Maccon was the first to my side, and he smacked my shoulder.

“I still can’t get used to you being this tall,” Maccon shook his head, “Or being Twenty-one.”

He glanced over at Valerie, the Brunette.

“Who is she?” he asked.

“A stray,” I stated, “An agglutinant one.”

She huffed from next to me, “Don’t act like you didn’t like it.”

To be honest, I don’t know if I did. It was weird and almost unpleasant.

I simply shrugged.

“You ruffian!” she hissed before she stormed off, but not before striking me across the face.

It didn’t hurt that much, but the red mark was going to be there for a while.

“How coarse,” Maccon murmured.

I watched as Lucia had her arm around Eaden. Did I miss something?

I headed over to them, and Eaden glared at me.

That could only mean one thing, she saw into Valerie’s mind.

I didn’t want to know how much she saw, but she was definitely pissed.

I made it a point to stand a few feet away, keeping my hands in my pockets.

She couldn’t read my mind anymore, or Lucia’s, or Maccon’s, so her attention goes to the whore who was harassing me.

I felt terrible that Eaden had to see anything like that. She was barely fourteen. A girl that age shouldn’t even know what sex was.

I stood there while Lucia kept saying things to Eaden in a different language, and I was lost. It wasn’t one I had ever heard before.

I turned back to Maccon. “What language are they speaking?”

“It’s the language of the Dragons,” Maccon stated.

“Eaden knows how to speak Dragon?” I asked.

“Are you a dolt?” he practically hissed at me.

Apparently I was.

I turned away from him to look back at the girls to see that they were finished talking.

Lucia looked at me and simply shook her head.

“What?” I asked.

“You are a pig,” she stated.

Okay, that was fine with me.

Lucia can call me whatever she wanted to. She just needed to remember that her precious Viking was far worse than I was. I was twenty-one, and I had never been with a woman before Valerie. Maccon has been with far more women. He probably had more women than he had years on this earth.

I shrugged at her insult.

Lucia kept her arm around Eaden as we made our way home.

I already knew that this wasn’t going to end well.

…

The maids were panicking, and I just stood there as they tried to whisper.

“She refused food today,” the first maid said.

“How many days has it been?” another one asked. “Four days?”

“We’re on day five,” the first one said, “She refuses to eat. She won’t even open her door.”

She was having another tantrum.

It’s been a while since she had one, but it doesn’t make them any less irritating.

I made my way over to her room and knocked.

“Go away!” she growled.

I heard another hushed voice in the room, and I frowned. The other person was male.

My body moved before I thought about it. I backed up, and I kicked open the door.

One of her supernatural slaves was drinking from her wrist.

I knew that boy. He is a Vampire.

He arrived a couple years after I did.

I made my way over to them, and I forced the boy away from her.

“What the hell?” Will demanded.

“Get out!” I growled at him.

Fear dominated his once angry expression, and he ran for his life.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hissed at Eaden.

“How about you get out?” she asked.

“Why would you let him feed off of you when you refuse to eat?” I demanded, “Are you trying to kill yourself?”

She laughed dryly, “Why do you care?”

I grabbed her face roughly with my right arm, “Are you joking?”

Her eyes went orange as she looked up at me.

“Never let anyone feed from you,” I hissed at her.

“It’s my blood, and I’ll do what I want to with it!”

“No, you won’t,” I growled, “Do you want him to protect you?”

Her gaze left mine and went to the side.

“Would you rather spend an eternity with Will?” I asked harshly.

“You aren’t my Guardian,” she stated.

“That isn’t the point,” I said, “You let him feed on you while you were weak.”

Her eyes went brighter, and the white ring appeared.

“While who is weak?” she demanded.

“You are weak right now, Eaden,” I stated, “Do you think I can’t see that?”

Fire erupted around us, and it didn’t even faze me anymore.

“I get it,” I said, “You’re mad.”

“Get out!” she screamed, “Leave me alone!”

“No!” I shouted, “You need to eat something!”

“I won’t eat!” she screamed.

“Eaden,” I sighed.

Why was she being difficult?

“You were supposed to be mine!” I could hear the sadness in her voice.

I felt like I lost all of my ability to fight with her, “What?”

“I’ll eat,” she said as the fire vanished, “But you have to promise me something.”

I stared at her. I don’t think I want to know what she wanted me to promise her.

I didn’t say anything.

“Promise!” she shouted.

“First say it, and then I’ll say if I promise or not.”

“No,” she said, “That isn’t good enough!”

“Eaden,” I said, “You need to eat.”

“Promise me!”

I shut my eyes tightly. I had a bad feeling about this.

“Please,” I pleaded, “Eaden, eat something.”

“Promise me!” she said in a whimper.

“Promise you what?” I asked, “I can’t promise you something when I don’t know what it is.”

“Promise you’ll always protect me,” she said, “Promise you’ll be my Guardian!”

Shit.

I don’t know how I felt about any of that.

“Boone,” she said, “Promise!”

She needed to eat, and she was clearly still upset with me.

It was the only way I could make sure she was safe, if I looked out for her.

“Okay,” I said, “I promise.”

She shoved my hand away from her face, and she hugged me tightly.

I felt a deep feeling of regret in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know why I thought that protecting her would be a bad thing.

She needed me, and she made that perfectly clear.

She finally looked up at me, “We have to make it official.”

I looked down at her, “How?”

She brushed her hair away from her neck, “You have to drink from me, and I have to drink from you.”

“I’m not a Vampire,” I stated.

“It bonds us together,” she said, “We will both grow stronger. Together.”

I wasn’t so sure about that one, but I sighed.

I had never had blood before, and I knew that Demons didn’t drink blood because they didn’t need it.

She pulled my demon arm up to her lips, and her gaze went to me.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to get that arm to bleed,” I said.

Her gaze went back to the black rocky flesh before her teeth pierced through, and I gasped. She bit right through.

Was that even possible?

I could feel my blood flowing through me into her, and it strangely felt good.

It took a minute before she pulled her mouth away.

Blood dripped from her mouth, and I just stared at her.

It was my turn to feed from her.

How am I supposed to do this? Am I supposed to just bite her?

“You have to be the one to pierce my skin,” she stated.

Great…

“Do I have to bite you too?” I asked her.

She nodded, tilting her head to the side.

I stared down at the exposed skin, and I pressed my lips lightly to her neck before roughly biting down.

She cried out at the harshness of my bite.

Her blood just seemed to flow constantly. I must have hit an artery.

I hesitated before swallowing the warm liquid, and I could feel something inside of me change. I felt pain tear through me.

I needed more.

I drank more and more.

Eaden had to force me away.

She held her neck as she looked at me, but I honestly couldn’t register what was happening.

Where did this thirst come from? Why is it growing stronger the more I stared at her?

Her eyes looked horrified.

What have I done? I slowly approached her again, only to feel fire surround me.

The pain inside of me increased, and I could no longer control myself.