Chapter 10: In Sickness and in Health

I gasped as I jolted awake, and looked around, having no idea where I was. It was a small bedroom, with enough space for a carpet, bed, and wardrobe. All of the furniture seemed to have been crafted by hand, and it had been well-used over time. My memories flooded back, and my voice immediately called out to Viktor, needing to see if he was okay. It was only a second later before he opened the door to the bedroom, his face still looking as concerned as it was when I blacked out.

He held a wet towel in his hand, and he settled down on the bed, gently laying it over my forehead. The closeness of his perfect face sent chills throughout my body. His piercing blue eyes, normally so distant, were now brimming with compassion.

"I'm glad you're awake." He said, clearly letting out a sigh of relief. The towel was warm, and just as comforting as his presence.

"How long was I out?" I asked, still looking around in confusion.

"A few hours. I didn't want to draw any attention until we met with Baba Anushka, but you needed a place to rest while the fever made its way through your body." He said. It was the most he had spoken in days.

I took this chance to get more out of him. "Why did this happen?" I asked, lying back down on the bed.

It was only then that I noticed I was completely naked. Blushing, I quickly placed my hands over my breasts, hoping to diminish the feeling of embarrassment. Viktor came to my rescue and pulled the sheets over me, covering me up to my neck. It was such a small gesture, but I felt incredibly touched. If I was naked, that meant that Viktor had undressed me while I was unconscious...

"Apologies." He said, guessing my thoughts, "You were burning up."

"Am I sick?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"It happens with every transformation. It's perfectly normal, though it means you'll need to feed soon." He explained.

I nodded, though I still couldn't quite grasp what it all meant. "Thank you… for taking care of me."

"Of course." Was his only response. I thought back to his frantic expression, how worried he was that I was feeling sick. It seemed so genuine, like he really cared for me, and not just my body. He seemed like a man that could eventually fall for me, or was already falling for me.

I shook my head at the thought. It must've been because he felt guilty for doing this to me, and wanted to see it all through properly. It was rare for him to be so caring, and he could've been forcing himself to appear so.

I was shocked when he slid into the bed beside me, pressing his body against mine as his chin rested on my hair. He began running his fingers through my locks, letting me snuggle up against his chest. I could feel myself responding to him, as I had always done in the past, but this time I wanted to just relish being in the same bed. Our breathing intermingled, our chests rising and falling in unison. I wasn't sure if this moment would ever happen again.

"You're still so warm." He said, still sounding worried.

"I already feel better. Don't worry about me," I lied, trying to sound as convincing as possible, masking the pain that still lingered.

He sighed, but continued to stroke my hair. "Tell me about Baba Anushka." I said. I was curious, but also wanted to distract him. Or maybe myself, from doing anything else to him.

"We're old friends." He said with a hint of genuine warmth in his voice. "She's quite the character and owns a series of clubs across Europe. She takes care of the people around her, but many fear the consequences if they dare to cross her. She's a force to be reckoned with." Again, I was getting much more than he had given me in the past, and I was quite enjoying the new talkative Viktor. Was he trying to distract me from the pain?

"Why are you taking me there?" I continued to pry, wanting to get as much information as I possibly could.

"The Red Moon Club is a haven for hungry vampires. She has willing humans as participants. I want you to feel safe when you feed for the first time," he explained.

My stomach twisted with a mixture of hunger and revulsion at the thought of drinking another person's blood. I knew it was necessary to survive, but something inside me was screaming that it was wrong. Would I hurt them, kill them? No matter how desperate I was for sustenance, I wondered if I could ever bring myself to do something like that to someone who couldn't take it... someone who was not Viktor.

"I'll have to drink someone's blood… like what you did to Eponine?"

He growled. "I don't want to think about her now." Viktor moved his hand from my hair and caressed my cheeks, working his way to my neck, collarbone and breasts before he arrived at my waist. His tender touches sent a chill down my spine as he glided his hands under the sheets and ran his fingers around my waistline. I enjoyed the feeling of his rough, calloused fingers as he traced feathery patterns on my naked skin. His touch was more than I could handle, and I started to purr. It was really turning me on, but I didn't want to ruin the moment between us by initiating something again. Why was he sending me all those mixed signals? Did he like to play with my feelings?

"You just need blood. After that, I promise you won't be in pain." He whispered into my ear, his scent entering my nostrils. I could smell the blood pumping through his veins. I ached to sink my teeth into him and swallow his blood, I longed to lap up the last traces of his flavour by licking his skin, his neck, his collarbone. I wanted the taste of him to linger on my tongue.

Viktor was right. I was feeling awful, and I didn't know how much longer I could last. I lied about the fever getting better, wanting him to stop his worry, but I was getting hotter again, and I knew he could feel it as well. I didn't want to think about it, to think about myself sinking my fangs into someone's flesh, draining the hot fluid from them, even if Baba's humans consented to give their blood. I was scared. "How did you meet Baba?" I asked, needing more distraction.

"Although we're both from Russia, Baba and I first met in France, during the Renaissance. I was having a hard time hunting without harming people, and she showed me how to feed without killing them. Even then, she was an incredible humanitarian." I continued to listen, absorbing everything he was giving me. "I didn't have a mum, so you could say Baba is the closest thing to a mother figure I had."

It was the first time he had ever talked about his family. I couldn't understand why he chose that particular moment to open up, but it made me feel warm inside. I could tell he was not used to confiding in other people. Still taking my chance, I asked, "You didn't have a mum?"

"My mother died giving birth to me. My father was a drunk, he abandoned me when I was eight. I had to fend for myself in the streets, eventually managing to make a living... I don't really like talking about it." My gaze drifted up to his face. His eyelids were closed tightly. It seemed painful for him to rekindle those memories, and I felt like he was barricading himself from me once again.

I was desperate to learn all there was to know about his past. I would have never imagined Viktor, who seemed so powerful and collected, could have had such a traumatic childhood. However, I decided that the best strategy, for now, was to change the subject, "Baba must be pretty wealthy, being the owner of multiple clubs like that."

Viktor's head nodded against mine as he spoke and he started to scratch my head, "As I said, there are plenty of her clubs across Europe. She's not only wealthy but also has a lot of power in vampire society. She used to be a member of the Vampire Council, though she resigned her position after the previous Vampire King passed away."

"A Vampire Council? Sounds really serious." I said, loving the sound of his voice. His hand, which he had placed under the covers, was now lying on top of my stomach, and I found myself wanting to move slightly so it could brush against my pussy.

"The vampire society in Europe is governed by a Vampire Council composed of nine influential vampires, and they all respond to the monarch. The current monarch is Queen Naran. She…" He stopped, hesitating for a second. His voice trailed off, as if he were uncomfortable even speaking her name. "She mustn't know about you. We kind of know each other, but she wouldn't understand."

The mere mention of Queen Naran seemed to have a powerful effect on Viktor, so I was intrigued. I tried to pry and press him for more information, but Viktor suddenly became cold and unyielding, and it was as if the wonderful moment we were sharing evaporated instantly. I was pleased he chose to open up about his past and the world he belonged to, but it plagued me that there were still secrets he was hiding. Baba Anushka seemed like a kind person according to his description, and knew him well. Maybe she could shed some light as to why his mood darkened when speaking of Naran?

Viktor sprang up from the bed, leaving my skin longing for his touch. He went over to a chair nearby and began to put on his cloak.

"Rest for a bit, and we'll get going again. I don't want to stay here for too long." He said with a cold, emotionless tone. "You never know who's watching." I nodded, while I pressed my naked body, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

A few hours later, we left. Viktor seemed to have already paid the owner, because we exited through the front door, my face concealed behind my hood. It wouldn't take much longer for us to reach our destination.