Chapter 68

It was delicate and soft, unlike yesterday. His hand caressed my cheek, finger brushing under my jaw to gently pull my face up. I could feel the warmth of his breath and all of his scent around me. He had the soft scent of cucumber, calming and relaxing.

He pulled back and I stared into his eyes in a daze.

"You seem meek… I didn't expect this reaction" he murmured and my ears warmed, "I like it".

I felt his large hands on my arms, travelling up them slowly and purposefully until they rested on each of my shoulders and he pushed me down on the chair. I sat down with a look of wonder staring up at him, his hair brushing my face. The sun reflecting the deep red of his eyes, making them almost pink for a moment.

"Say you want me". His finger toyed with my lip before slipping between my teeth. The urgency on his face had shivers running down my spine as my tongue licked his finger. "Say it…" he almost begged as his cheeks reddened deeply and he moaned in response to my tongue.

His knee pressed between my legs and I gasped at the impact. The warmth that spread from below was something I had never felt before and as he continued to press it I felt my breathing becoming shallower.

What is he?-

His lips once again landed on mine and his arms travelled down my back, groping my lower back and brushing against my butt.

"Stop- this is wrong" I managed to wrangle out between his kisses.

"Nothings felt more right" he replied as he pulled away from my lips and pressed his face in the crook of my neck, breathing deeply before his tongue began to explore. I flinched at the impact of the warm wetness and groaned.

"Stop it" I once again asked, but suddenly my head felt light.

"Push me away".

"Wha?"-

"Push me away". The urgency in his voice a contrast to his actions.

I stared at him ravaging me and obeyed, pushing him away hard and he actually stopped. His breathing heavier than mine. Eyes still staring at me as he straightened up.

"I actually planned for a tea party…" he suddenly said and I snorted, slowly recovering from what happened. I couldn't look him in the eyes.

But I couldn't speak for a while after. My body felt warm and the shock of earlier made me feel so strange I took a deep gulp of the tea.

"I'm sorry" I heard him clear his throat, the sound of his quiet voice making me finally look up. He had taken a seat across from me, sitting farther than what might be appropriate.

"That- I- I've never been touched like that so I don't"- I began and then faltered into an awkward silence as I met his eyes and flushed.

"You haven't?" At his surprised tone my face flushed even deeper.

"Of course not!"

"Right… of course not" I noticed a smile on his lips that he tried to cover. "Then… was that… your first?"

My head was spinning from the embarrassment.

"Yes". I hated how my squeaked. He didn't reply for a bit and instead he looked almost sad. I didn't understand and I wish he hadn't explained because when I heard his words my heart seemed to backflip.

"I wish it had been mine, then I might have had something to brag about", his words made me wonder when he had his first and noticing my questioning eyes he actually grimaced. "I have to tell you now, don't I?"

"No- you don't"-

"It was an enemy soldier".

His words made me straighten and my eyes looked up at him in disbelief.

"No way- was it some sort of enemies to lovers plot?" I asked, my early teen obsessions coming to light.

He looked at me in disgust, and I mean evident disgust.

"It wasn't a pleasant experience for me since I was captured and beaten. But considering I killed him very shortly after he probably didn't have a great time either. So no- we didn't get passed enemies". His words made me grimace.

I didn't want to ask how old he was when he went through that. But it was hard to imagine someone went through so much and still managed to be so respectable.

"You're quite impressive you know?"

"I'm flattered you think so much of me, yet you can't offer to be my queen" he smiled and I realised that bringing up that experience hadn't stirred him at all. Just how much worse could someone go through?

"You took me by surprise, but- but I want to backtrack".

" Backtrack?" He smirked and looked me up and down.

"Stop. To- before you- you kissed me" I wanted to groan at how naive I sounded, struggling to say the words. "Does that mean you aren't attracted to anyone else?"

He looked down at the table silently and then nodded.

"I've never felt this before" he replied.

"Not even"-

"I'm not an innocent boy Madeline. I've both seen and indulged, but I've never desired it. Not until now" he explained while I felt my ears burning at his gaze. Red eyes tantalising even though he now sat across the table.

"I- I see…"

This was troublesome.

"What does that mean?" He asked sharply, eyes narrowing.

"Well… we're in a bit of a situation then…" I blinked at his aggressive attitude. "I was just wondering how we could fix this".

"Fix it?" He frowned at me. "Why?"

"Eh? Well because neither of us wants the worst result of this".

"And that is?"

I stared into those penetrating eyes and sighed in frustration.

"We will be miserable together".

I could feel the way temperature dropped twenty degrees. The way his eyes sharpened and he leaned forward.

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I will hate you and you will learn to hate me" I stood my ground, despite the way the air particles around us weighed heavily on me.

"How could I ever?…"

"You will" I pressed and I flinched when the tea pot went crashing onto the side of the garden.

"Explain this before I loose my temper" the imperative tone in his voice kept my snide remarks at bay.

"You're simply attracted to me instinctively. This may be a special thing to you, but humans experience this often. It doesn't last. Especially when opinions and feelings clash. I suggest we experiment" I tried to sound optimistic, but he didn't budge.

"Experiment? I'm not a lab rat" he sounded angry.

"I would never suggest such a thing, but half vampires don't come with a manual and there's few and far between information of half human vampires so I suggest we do this. It would be beneficial for both of us".

"Fine". He reluctantly nodded and the air was much easier to breath, "but I want to be informed of all experiments and I have to agree to them".

"You make me sound like an alchemist" I laughed at the notion, voice catching in my throat when he looked up at me with a small unconscious smile.

"You about as eccentric as one" he replied and I huffed jokingly.

"Let's go for a walk in the labyrinth" he stood up and came around to offer a hand to help me up. I stared at it in surprise, recalling how he had touched me earlier. I placed my hand in his, fingers curling around his.

"Let's go".