Please...
It was her voice in my head this time. I was sure of it. I groaned out loud, and the tiny ring of blue, barely visible in her very dilated eyes, turned back to grey. She was under the influence. I couldn't do that to her. I'm no monster.
With a simple, "Let's go." I grabbed her hand and attempted to tug her with me back toward Main. She didn't budge. I turned around and saw her still leaning against the wall, knees pressed tightly together. Her legs were shaking, and her cheeks were gorgeously flushed. I could see her chest quickly rising and falling like she was catching her breath. Seeing her like this made that feeling come back. The one that was urging every muscle in my body to grab this woman and take her straight to a bed.
"Please, Lark. My legs won't allow me to move." It came out so breathy I could barely hear it over the pounding of the music. The silent echo of yearning in her tone and live porno still raging on around us did absolute shit in helping me break free from this moment. Anxiously, I brushed my hair with my hands as I tried to pull all my thoughts together and push the dirty ones behind me. I needed to get us out of there before I destroyed this woman.
"Uhmm... okay. Hey, that's okay! It's lucky you have a brute on your side." I smiled disarmingly as I grabbed her arms and secured them around my neck. "Just hold on. I got you." She obeyed and rested her head on my shoulder while I picked her up bridal style. A clear path seemed to present itself through the crowd at my silent beckoning but that was probably my imagination. I could hear her heart rate quickening with every step I made toward the hotel. At times, I even felt it thrum against my chest. Hopefully, being under the influence wouldn't cause it to burst.
So far, the trek back was uneventful. It seemed we were able to make our exit without being noticed by our new friends, but there was still a little way to go. I just hoped that we'd been a convincing enough act to bore them away. There was no need to put on a show on my part. Every inch of me was craving every part of her. It left me wondering again if she was using her power of seduction and compulsion on me. Did her being on drugs intensify her effects on other people? She'd been eating away at my apathy like a slow drip of acid. Tonight, there was no doubt the hole finally burned through to the other side. I'm generally not so easy to tempt. I'm a fucking gentleman. I'm usually not the one to initiate either, so that was a new one for me, too.
So delicious... I need another taste. One quick bite...
"You know what, Lark?" Her words broke through the ones being pushed gently into my head as she all but screamed it into my ear. "You're not so bad, you know? Annoying and infuriating. But you're alright!" I heard a soft chuckle, and she started tracing small circles on my neck with her finger. "Yes, this could have been so terrible. It has before. Lark! It has been so terrible before!" This was a full-on rambling, no doubt from the drugs. She was goddamn adorable, but I had no clue what she was going on about. I reassured her here and there that I was still listening with an 'mhm' or a slight nod of the head, but other than that, I had nothing to contribute to this conversation. Who knows if she'd remember it tomorrow anyway? "Don't you think so, Alaric?"
"Hmm?" Her hand made it up further, and she began absently twirling one of my curls. She was too good at absorbing my full attention with her touch. Distractedly, I nodded my head. Truthfully, I had no idea what the last thing she'd said was. I was too preoccupied by the feeling of her fingertips as they skated lazily across my skin. "It's Lark, Thea. Just Lark. I'm glad to know that I'm growing on you."
"Like a tumor!" I laughed genuinely.
So, she's got some jokes.
I watched as she progressively seemed more intoxicated. Her words started to slur together, and her eyes would roll back into her head every so often. "See! Y-you get it! And yes. Lark. Jusss Lark. Kay." Apparently, that was hilarious because she laughed out loud so hard she snorted. Her snorting caused her to throw her head back and giggle some more. The laughter made its way through me, and I was soon chuckling stupidly with her. She finally settled and continued, "You would not believe it. And my family! You would know if you knew, you know? They're the worst. From nothing and no time, to time and stuff, and then nothing to do it repeatedly! If they came here, they would know. If they sent their whole selves, they would know. They'd understand!" I watched as her eyes and head slowly started to fall back.
Nothing she'd said made much sense to me, so I commented on the only thing that I could work with to keep her more alert. I know how we get when we are intoxicated. It usually takes more for us, but this is new territory, especially when I have no clue what's in her system. Or how her system even works. Is it the same as ours? A regular body with a powerful being in it? "Thea? Thea. Hey, Thea?" I wiggled my shoulder a bit to get her to open her eyes. They did, but barely. "You said it's been terrible before. The waking up thing. What do you mean?"
That seemed to sober her up, if only slightly. Her eyes opened a bit further, and I could see there was noticeable pain in them. An aching heaviness in my chest grew with intensity, and I could feel her hurt as she spoke. "You are kind and gentle..." Her voice was so quiet, almost like she was afraid to speak it out loud. As if saying it would destroy its existence. She rested her head back on my shoulder and spoke softly into my neck, "There have not been many who have been this way. I can count them on both hands and still have many digits left to use. When I'm woken, it is usually never by accident. The past few times have been exceptionally horrific and short. People always have intentions and purposes as to my use, for what am I if not a tool to be utilized for absolute power and destruction?"
"Exactly. You're you, Thea. You are an Ancient. Strong and all-powerful. You could just explode your way through some dudes and dip out. Compel everyone and have everything in every possible way. Ooze that sexuality you were going on about!" It was complete bullshit. Now I really knew she was high as fuck. Who could hold an Ancient against their will? That was a solid question, and hearing her articulate that this happened to her was frustrating. She was trying to play me for the fool. Play the 'poor pity me' card to rise further on that pedestal in all our minds.
She gave me the slightest 'haha' that wasn't much more than breath. The aching in my chest started to burn. "Unlike you and your sweet family, they were aware of what they were doing. They intended to wake me and use me. They would intentionally keep me weak so that I had no means of fighting and fending them off. I was good at acting for a time. I'd wait until I had their trust enough to feed me. Then I would obliterate them for ever touching me. For ever even daring to lay a single finger on me!" I felt her grip around my neck tighten.
Please. Please don't be them.
It may have been my imagination, but I felt my shoulder dampen. A sick feeling started churning in my stomach. "Until they found out that they don't even need me to be strong. Many were very detailed record keepers. Over time, they found that the threat of my possible impending wrath alone was enough for them to achieve the power and praise they so desired. Then, I was left to be the commodity. To violate in whatever way they seemed to enjoy in that moment." Breath left me instantly, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I tried to swallow saliva that didn't exist in my suddenly dry mouth and felt like I might choke. The last bit of her words made me feel like I'd been punched right in the diaphragm. Nausea took me, and I felt like I could puke.
Please. Don't be them... not with them. Please don't let them take me...
Again, I heard the most silent whimper escape her.
The grip around my neck softened, and I looked down to find her completely out cold. I wiggled my shoulder again and called her by name a few times, but she didn't respond. Reassured by her warm breath on my neck, I held her a bit more tightly as I continued walking on. My jaw was sore once I finally let it relax. It was clenched together so tightly I probably could've damaged my teeth had I held it any longer. I didn't even notice I was doing it in the first place. My building sadness in response to feeling her pain somehow negated my exhaustion and fueled my steps forward. It wasn't long before I could see that the B and B was just ahead, her sadness lingering and following me all the while. Unfortunately, so was the rising sun. It was just starting to peak over the horizon, beginning to paint those brilliant shades of pink and purple to cast away the night and greet the day.
