Author's Note: This took longer than I thought it would, but I've been terribly busy, so my apologies on that. That said, this is it y'all! The finale. I hope that you're all pleased with it. This is the first time I'm actually finishing a story I've started, so that is another reason it took me longer. Endings aren't really my forte, but I'll keep trying and practicing!
*****
Jemma shoved past me without saying a word, and I walked Weslin to her car, assuring her that I'd figure out the situation and would not ghost her. When I got in, Jemma was on the first floor, cooking in the kitchen. I glanced at her and headed up the stairs, afraid that if I spoke to her, she'd storm out the house.
"Come back here," she demanded.
So, I went into the kitchen and sat at the dining table.
"That girl is into you, do you know that? She hopes that I'll leave you so she can have you to herself, but even if I didn't want you anymore, I'll bleed her dry before she can have you."
I frowned. "We aren't even together, and jealousy isn't a good look on you, Jemma. How long have you been a vampire?"
"I don't have to answer that, you left, and I changed so that you'd never have to feel like being a vampire is all I wanted from you... and what do Iβ"
"Jemma! I don't have FUCKING time for this bullshit. I care about how long you've been a damn vampire, and so help me Jemma, you will answer the question."
Jemma sighed, she looked like a kicked puppy, and I felt bad, but it was important to know how long she'd been a vampire and how long since she fed.
"A week."
"How long since you've fed?"
"I haven't..." She mumbled, staring at the floor.
I sighed. "Well listen Jemma, I need you to feed from me. You're not acting like yourself."
Jemma turned off the flame on her stir fry and sat in the chair across from me.
"You sleep around while I'm gone, and I'm not acting like myself, that's... shocking," she smirked, but there was no happy playfulness behind it like usual. Her expression haunted me.
"Iβ"
"How many people since you left, Kaelin?"
I sighed. If she'd asked me how many it had been since she left, I could've simply said two. But since I left...
"Eight," I answered, truthfully.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she glared, I didn't need to read minds to know she probably wanted to decapitate me. She wasn't the only one with ammunition.
"Have you considered that maybe I wouldn't have slept with anyone else if you didn't make it painfully clear that you were just using me to become a vampire!?"
Jemma stood from her chair and slammed her hands on the table in front of me, the table broke and I flinched- it was expensive.
"I don't need you to turn me anymore! And yet I am still here, arguing with you. According to your analysis, I already got what I wanted. So tell me Kaelin," she jabbed her finger at my face, "what the hell am I doing here now!?"
I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my lap. She put up a decent amount of resistance, but I was still stronger than her. I held her tight and pushed her face deep into my neck, I could feel my own pulse against her lips, and she shook against me.
"You need to feed Jemma. I know you feel the urge."
"I don't." I could feel her canines extending despite her words.
We stay like that for a few more seconds when she stopped resisting me, I felt her teeth sink in and made one sound of shock before stiffening like a board.
I was me, 15 years ago. A human woman at her birthday party with her lover, Ferdinand. I felt disconnected, but unable to let go of the vision before me as that lover pressed me against the brick on my own balcony. No one could see us, and I liked it. He kissed me and gushed about how pretty I was right before he whispered to me.
"I think I'll keep you around forever... happy birthday," and then he bit me. That was the last time I'd been bitten by a vampire until the day Jemma needed to feed for the first time. Somewhere in me, I knew I had no issue with allowing her to feed off of me, but the memory of my past haunted me on repeat until she was done. I was at her mercy, and it was looking bleak. I felt my body cooling, my own deep hunger setting itself as I weakened. I realized that I was going to die if I didn't do something, but the fear that I had swirled between the past and the presentβconfusing reality. Even though I wasn't that weak human anymore, I couldn't move. Jemma sounded pleased as she made muffled noises of approval at my neck, she was now pressing herself into my lap, holding me close as she fed.
It took me a while, but as I felt myself slipping from consciousness, I managed to get a word out.
"Stop."
I wasn't really sure how long it took her to stop, I was too dazed to tell.
"Kaelin... oh my god, are you okay?! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Jemma was panicking, she put both her arms around me but then retracted as soon as she made the contact, as though I was a porcelain doll. I squinted at her and put two fingers to my temples, it was then I realized that tears were streaming down my face. My whole body was screaming at me.
"I am gonna' go out. You stay here, okay?"
"What!? No!?" Jemma clenched on to me, I stayed seated, not strong enough to put up a fight against her.
"If I don't feed, I'll die," my breathing was ragged, I didn't enjoy the sound of my own voice, it scared me.
"I need to come with you. You can't hunt like this," Jemma mumbled, she still cared.
"You can't hunt at all, you're just a liability. Now up, get off."