Love at first Bite

Six

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Copyright © 2022 Cassey9

Third Person P.O.V

The days were turning into a week and with each passing second my desire to leave the confines and the safety that Lenora’s bedroom provided grew even stronger. I’d been shielded for long enough. I had to get back to my life regardless of the gloom and doom that awaited me. Grey, my best friend, was definitely worried sick. I couldn’t continue doing this to her.

The movie credits roll in ending my thoughts. I yawned and looked up at Lenora. The piercing grey eyes are already on me and I swallow feeling dazed at the sparkle in them. Lenora’s arm that was around me squeezes my shoulder and she plants a soft kiss on my hair. My eyes shut as I revelled in the affection I had been receiving from her. I had grown comfortable, at times looking forward to the moments she would dote on me. Lenora fed, dressed and cuddled me endlessly.

Her constant presence and attention was unlike anything I’d had before and a part of me feared I would get addicted to it. Hooked, on her. Habits, when they grew on me, were hard to break. I needed out before it was too late.

“Lenora,” I called out in a whisper, breaking the silence that hung around us. We’d watched the movie in relative silence as I cozied against her frame.

“Yes.”

“What time is it?”

“A little over 3 in the afternoon.” Her reply came fast but it was impossible to not note the enervation in her tone. I lift my head from where it rests on her chest and gaze up at her.

“Are you okay?” Lenora nodded at my questions, but that gesture wasn’t enough to quell my worries. “What’s wrong? Are you…”

“It’s nothing, Hazel. What do you want to watch next?” she utters softly, completely shifting the attention away from her and back to me.

“Are you hungry?” I asked instead. Lenora hadn’t touched any of the food that had been brought to our room. Each time giving a different excuse for why she couldn’t eat. “I…I could go make you something to…”

“We have servants for that, Hazel. I’m not hungry. I fed heavily the day I met you…”

“What?” I barely managed to gasp.

Her comments are perplexing. Lenora had last eaten on the day she rescued me. That had been days ago, I didn’t specifically know how long ago, but it still seemed far off. How could she calmly state so? Our bodies need food nutrients to survive. “How are you even… Are you anorexic?” I gently asked the question.

Lenora shocked me by letting loose an unrestrained, hearty, raucous laughter. The sound of it is so rich and melodic to my ears. Her happiness is so infectious that I can’t help chuckling beside her. “Why are you…laughing? I’m being serious, Lenora, and worried about you.”

“Nothing dear,” Lenora says after she’s contained her laughter. “I’m not sick Hazel.”

“But you haven’t even eaten…”

“Whenever I feed, it’s able to sustain me for a while.”

“What do you eat? I could make it for you,” I suggested eagerly. The kitchen wasn’t my forte but I was a quick learner and before leaving I wanted to do something special for Lenora. To convey my gratitude for her kindness. “What is it?”

“Um…I…I,”

“Come on, please tell me,” I asked, putting on a pouty face.

“I don’t think you’re ready for the truth Hazel,” Lenora’s voice dropped, the gravity in it making the hairs at the back of my neck stand. “I’m not hungry yet, but thank you…”

“Is it something illegal?” I proded further. Come to think of it, I had drunk her blood to get better. Did she ingest blood too? Was she into the…

“Stop overthinking it,” Lenora’s soft voice cuts through my stupor. Her hands grasp my face, gently pulling me in. “When the time comes and you’re ready Hazel, you will be able to satisfy my every need.”

“What does that mean? When Lenora?” My pulse races at the layered meaning behind her words. Lenora continues to draw me in as if coming in for a kiss, but her forehead rests on mine instead.

“In time dear,” she breathes out and placed small kisses on my face. “Everything will reveal itself at the right time.” Lenora says keenly, emphasizing the word time, as if we had more of it.

Breaking contact, I sat up and looked into her eyes, “I…I don’t think that will be possible, Lenora,” I whispered. “I have to go back.”

“Go back where?”

“Home, Lenora. I have to go back home,” I answered, getting worked up. “This,” I said, gesturing around. “This isn’t my home. It’s yours. I’m grateful you welcomed me with open arms and….and for saving my life.”

“What about those men? What if you’re harassed again?” she practically growls the questions at me.

“I…I don’t know,” I honestly replied. If Farris sent his men after me again, I wouldn’t know what to do. “I’ll…I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”

Lenora huffs, her annoyance shining through. Her jaws tightened with her face hardening. “You don’t have to cross anything. Stay here, with me,” she says, desperation leaking through her words. “I’ll protect you. And the baby too. I’ll protect the two of you with my life if I have to.”

My heart melts at her declaration. Lenora barely knew me but would offer her life to me and Lea. I’d gotten to know more of her in the span of days that I lay in bed with her. She was the second child, with an elder brother and two younger sisters. We’d spoken of many things, her likes, dislikes, job, hobbies and whatever she opted to share. Lenora was overly learned. The countless schools she’d attended and the accolades she’d shown me proof of her edification. I, on the other hand, was a college dropout, an unemployed expectant woman whose future was nothing but bleak.

“Stay.”

“I can’t Lenora. I can’t hide behind you forever and I’ve overstayed my welcome in your home.”

“You haven’t.”

“Your sister thinks so,” I said, recalling the woman’s cutting words. She didn’t want me around. I was a stranger who’d invaded their lives. A burden to Lenora.

“Who?”

“The one who came in and wanted to…”

“Amelia? She’s not my sister. She’s a close friend and Selene’s lover,” Lenora explains.

“Oh?” I uttered surprise. Lenora’s younger sister was already hitched. “Are they married?”

“No…they are bonded for life. They are each other’s true mates. Marriage for them is unnecessary. Trivial.”

“What?” The way Lenora speaks is odd. Marriage was important and it united one with their partner. For life, that’s if you were lucky enough to find one compatible with you. It also gave a child the stability of a family. Something that I could no longer give my baby girl. “You are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

Her face breaks into a smile, “I’m happy that I’m different. Normal is boring, Hazel.”

“You’re right,” I chuckled. I was going to miss this closeness with her. “Tomorrow, can…can you take me home?”

“No. That’s too…”

“Lenora, please. My family is worried sick,” I pleaded with the lie. Rowan and Grey were my only family. The three of us had become the three musketeers since meeting in foster care when we were little. Rowan was now gone but Grey wasn’t and she was clearly worried about me.

“Fine but I still…”

“You can give me your number. I’ll always call you,” I suggested, taking her hand. I intertwine our fingers and squeeze them together. Lenora’s inner turmoil was evident in her face, the debate within herself seemingly intense.

“Fine,” she grumbles at last. I let out a happy squeal and threw my other free hand around her neck. I mumbled countless thank yous before pulling back. Lenora simply huffs and I arch forward and place kisses on each side of her face.

“Thank you Lenora.”

“I’ll always do what makes you happy Hazel,” Lenora simply uttered the words.

Though virtuous, her statement cuts through my heart. A tear slips from the corner of my eye to which Lenora is quick to get rid of. Her cool thumb softly wipes it away. Lenora’s words ring in my mind as she holds onto me. She had me, would protect me, come hell or high water, and I believed her with every fiber in my being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you need something, Ms. Hazel,” a uniformed staff asks scurrying towards me. “You need to lay down. Ms. Lenora wouldn’t be too….”

“I’m fine,” I replied, smiling at the woman who’d taken my hand, wanting to aid my walking. I was tired of being cooped up in the room. I was leaving soon and I wanted to see the rest of Lenora’s beautiful house before then. “I can walk fine on my own.”

“Ms. Lenora gave strict orders to take care of you,” the woman insists, her other hand now resting on my lower back. Looking further, I see other uniformed staff working about. “Do you want me to help you back to the room?”

“No. Please take me to the kitchen. I could use the exercise.”

“But the stairs,” the woman says worriedly. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Ms. Lenora would kill…I mean she would be very angry with me.”

Despite correcting herself fast, I had already captured the words clearly. “Lenora wouldn’t. Besides, I can take care of myself.” Yes, I was heavily pregnant but that wasn’t reason enough for me to lay about. The woman doesn’t further push for me to go back. The walls on each side of the huge hallway are adorned with tasteful paintings. We walked in silence until we reached the top of the stairs. I take a deep breath and utter an affirmation to myself before starting on the descent.

I stop at the staircase’s landing and look up. Hung on the wall is a beautiful portrait. In it, four people share a close resemblance. Lenora is easy to spot among them. Her beauty radiating and illuminating the entire painting.

“The Allegra siblings.”

“Who is the man?” I curiously asked the woman next to me.

“That’s Callum Allegra. The eldest of the four,” she explains as we continue with our journey downwards.

“Does he live here too?” The house was big, manor-like. It could probably house a whole lot of people.

“No. He and Lenora would kill each other,” the woman says in a grave tone. “Sir Callum lives abroad and seldom visits. The youngest of Allegra lives here with her partner and Ms. Jillian too, but she’s away on a trip.”

“Oh. My name is Hazel,” I introduced myself wanting to know her name.

The woman turns to look at me and smiles, “I know your name, Ms. Hazel. I’m Trina.”

“Nice to meet you Trina.”

“The kitchen is this way,” she says, directing me towards the right side of the house.

“How many bedrooms does this place have?” I asked, my eyes shifting around to admire the splendor each turn we made revealed. Lenora had to be extremely rich to afford such a house.

“Twelve bedrooms Ms. Hazel plus other amenities like the gym, sparring room, Ms. Lenora’s office, a play room and, um…”

My awed gasp cuts Trina’s explanation short. The kitchen was grandeur. Mirroring the opulence that I only saw in television shows and in the pages of magazines. “This is really beautiful,” I say, walking further into the open space.

“Yeah, jaw dropping,” Trina adds.

My feet lead me to the wall to wall armoire style refrigerator. I’d been craving a glass of cold juice since waking up and finding Lenora gone. My mind goes to her again. Lenora always disappeared for hours. She is probably working, I think to myself. My eyes study the contents of the stocked-up fridge. The food labels within, none I’d ever encountered personally. Lenora and her family truly dined like kings and queens.

“Trina, could you please help me with a glass,” I called out to the woman. A reply never comes but I don’t make much of it. Combing through the different options laid out before me, I settled on the mixed fruits option. The taste of many fruits in one drink was flavorsome.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The sudden voice sends chills racing up and down my spine. It was of the woman who’d visited me in my sleep and, even now, the voice held the same unpleasantness. I clutch the cold neck of the juice bottle and step back to close the refrigerator’s door. I dread every second. Coming face to face with this woman was bloodcurdling.

My eyes close in a poor attempt to prepare myself for what’s to come. Amelia, as Lenora had called her, spelled an ominous danger and every sense in me was going haywire from just being in the same room as her.

I turned around but instantly dropped the bottle in my hands. The glass shatters at my feet. Amelia’s face was a breath away from mine. Her towering height and menacing glare pined me in place. I cower in fear, pushing against the fridge’s door to create a little bit of distance between us. The cold of the juice seeps into my feet and wets the bottom of the pants I have on. I was literally shaking to the bone from the look of doom Amelia had centered on me. Her intention was as clear as day.

“What…what do you…”

“Clueless,” Amelia’s word came out like an insult. “So you don’t know? So innocent? So precious? Didn’t Lenora even tell you?”

“Don’t…” I angle my face away from her touch but it still finds me. Her hand came to my face. She grips my chin, forcing me to face her. Amelia’s skin is extremely cold against mine and it surely explained her frosty demeanor. There was something completely wrong with Amelia. I’d bet on my life that her heart was nothing but a slab of ice.

“Did she? Did Lenora tell you about us?”

“Tell me what?” I finally found my voice, though it’s awfully feeble. I was a mouse, caged by Amelia, a ferocious cat focused on devouring me whole.

“Predators. That’s who we are, Hazel. Monsters that rule the night,” she utters whilst studying me with a ‘predator’s’ unwavering attention. If I’d been a little uncertain before, then all that skepticism flew out the window the more Amelia talked. She was crazy. Like the crazy that needed to be admitted to a medical institution for care.

Amelia pushes my head to the side and I feel her nose trail down my face only to halt at the curve of my neck. At this point, my heart is thumping hard and fast like the West African tom-tom drums.

“Let go…”

“We take and take and take until there is nothing left, Hazel. Not even this,” Amelia says as her other hand settles on my bulging stomach. I push it away and protectively cradle it.

“Let me…”

“No!” she hissed harshly. “You’re a danger to us. If anything happens to my mate, Selene, and to Lenora, I’ll hunt you down and suck you dry.”

“Lenora,” I desperately cried out her name. Amelia laughs at me sarcastically, the sound of it like an evil cackle. “Lenora. Lenora please.”

“She’s not coming!”

“Lenora,” I continued to whimper, and this time the change in the room was instantaneous. The air shifts, crackling with a dark energy. I don’t see Lenora but I can feel her presence and so does Amelia, who stiffens against me.

“Amelia!” the voice materialized near us and I turned my head to the left side to find Lenora. Her gray eyes are dark and incensed with a murderous glint. All is a blur as Amelia is removed from me and my mind struggles to process Lenora’s fast movements.

Lenora slams Amelia to the floor and gets on top of her to further the confrontation. She punches Amelia over and over and the only sound that echoes in the room is one of bones cracking. Lenora was vicious and the more I watched her attack, the more the men’s cries of agony filled my mind. Had Lenora been this untamed with those men? If so, then none of them could have walked out alive. Amelia was surely going to suffer the same fate.

“Lenora…Lenora stop! Please! Please stop!” I cried out, unable to do anything to halt the attack on Amelia. I was rooted to the spot, unable to move. “Lenora stop. Please!”

“No!” the word came out like a blast of thunder. “I warned her!”

The brazen Amelia from before is completely gone. She is, instead, replaced by a woman whose eyes bear panic and her face reddened by the blood oozing from her nose and mouth. Lenora is unaffected by the magnitude of blood on her hands and on the floor as she continues to pummel Amelia.

“Lenora stop!” I screamed.

This round she does stop, but the sound that follows is crippling. Lenora had snapped Amelia’s neck, leaving her a motionless heap on the floor. The strength that had me on my feet disappeared and I crumbled to the floor. My hand is pierced by the broken glass beside me, but even that blinding pain isn’t enough to take over my shocked stupor. I’d just witnessed a murder. Lenora was killer, a cold one at that.

Lenora’s head snaps in my direction and she is quick to get off Amelia. She saunters towards me and all the while I can’t help but wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “You’re bleeding,” Lenora rasps out as she kneels before me. “Let me see your hand.”

I nod my head, snubbing her request to help, but Lenora reaches forward and grasps it gently. Lowly growling, Lenora delicately removes the shard of glass still impaled on my palm. “I’ll heal you,” she murmurs softly. Before I can process her words, Lenora lifts me off the floor. My head rests on her chest, the scent of fresh earth filling my nose.

My head and eyes grow heavy the moment my body lands on the soft bed. I feel my injured hand being elevated. Something soft, warm, laps over the injured palm and the pain begins to subside. In a matter of seconds, the pain in my hand completely disappears. I struggle against the pull of sleep and my eyes flicker open with a lot of difficulty.

Through the slits of my eyelids, I saw Lenora. My hand is still in hers with her tongue lapping against my skin. “Rest my dear,” she whispers before continuing to lick my hand. A sense of comfort washes over me at the sight and I readily give in to the darkness.