Love Bites (Book one)

Chapter sixteen

*Yasmin*

I was glad to finally have a night off. Nelson was awful. He was not a bad looking Physvey, but to me he was ugly inside and out. I understood that the ratio of men to women here was not in his favour, but surely that should mean that he was nicer and more flattering to women, not a complete asshole. I understood things may be different here, but surely this was not the way that men got women to be interested in them.

I honestly don't know what to do, I went to Martyn to try and change my partner, but again everything was turned on me like I was the issue and so I just left. He made Frankie feel awkward to be around me, even though we were meant to be almost invisible, Nelson with his sexist comments seemed to be almost impossible to ignore. I kept myself professional, never rising to his bait, but there was only so much more of that that I could take before I snapped.

At least I had tonight to try and pull myself together. I headed outside, deciding that exercise would help to clear my mind. I ran around the field, sprinted through the forest and still my anger towards Nelson was pulsating deep inside me. He seemed to remind me in some way or other of both my father and Antonio, even though he didn’t actually beat me or touch me, his words brought out that same rage deep inside me that they did.

Was this to be my life? Hating all men and comparing them to those that had hurt me so badly in the past? If it was, then I needed to find a way to deal with it because there was no way that I was going to go running back to Antonio with my tail between my legs.

I took a quick shower before heading to the mess for a blood bag. Given that it was an odd time of night, the mess was quiet with only a few people hanging around. I had figured out that the mess was not purely there was nourishment. The groups and guards seemed to like to use it as a hang out spot. There were even some human foods in the cupboards, and even though we did not need them to live, we did enjoy the taste of them, given our enhanced senses.

I decided to treat myself to a chocolate chip cookie, sitting at one of the tables as I bit into it and the taste exploded on my tongue. I let out a long sigh, letting the sugar coarse through my system. “Is this seat taken?”

I looked up to see Nelson already sitting opposite me. I stifled a groan, rolling my eyes in annoyance. “Look Nelson, this is our night off. I know you may be stuck with me when we are on duty, but right now, you can go and annoy someone else.”

I saw a nerve in Nelson’s jaw twitch slightly before he let out a humourless chuckle. “Oh Yasmin, you have me all wrong. I am here to make peace.”

I could not help but laugh at that. “Are you serious? Nelson, I know that you hate working with me, I know that you still see me as not being equal to you and I seriously doubt that your comments about how I should be in someone's bed instead of in the guard are now going to suddenly stop. So, what exactly is your offer of peace?”

Nelson shot to his feet, storming around the table and leaning down so that he was eye to eye with me. “It isn’t my fault if your talents lie elsewhere. I will not have you dragging my standing within the guard down, and if that means that I have to find a way to get you kicked out, then I will.”

“Oh really?” Another deep voice asked, making me turn my face to see Angel glaring at Nelson. “What actually is your problem, Nelson? Is it purely that you feel intimidated by a woman or are you so unable to pull your head out of your own ass long enough to notice that you are just full of shit.”

“This is none of your business.” Nelson gritted out.

“You are shouting in the middle of the mess, you are making it my business. If you are not happy with your pairing then go and speak to Martyn about it.” Nelson stood up, looking like he was about to argue with Angel before he let out an angry growl and stormed out of the room. “I am sorry about Nelson, he gives all of us a bad name around here.”

I gave Angel a small smile. “I just don’t see what his problem is if I am honest.”

“Well, Nelson has tried out for the groups about three times and each time, he gets rejected. I think part of his need to feel like more of a man stems from that, feeling like he has something to prove.”

I let out a humourless laugh. “How is acting like a complete asshole to me going to make people see him as more of a man?”

“Are you kidding? Yasmin, you are hot! I don’t just mean in terms of your looks, but you also have an inner strength that is captivating.” Angel chuckled, making me blush like crazy. “Any man who could claim you would definitely have something to brag about.”

The slight smile on my lips suddenly fell. I did not want to be owned by a man, I did not want to be yet another man's property or responsibility. The dream of the Master vampire, pushing me against the wall and stating that I was his, sprung to mind, and I did not understand why the thought of that was not as abohrant to me as belonging to another man. Was it really just because he was the Master vampire? His status calling to something in the monster inside me to seek out power and be as close to it as possible? Something told me that that was not the issue, but then, what was?

“Anyway, I will leave you to your thoughts.” Angel said, pushing to his feet and walking back over to his group of friends.

I let out a long sigh. Sometimes, I wished that I was a Physvey or Telvey, that way I would know if someone actually felt something for me or was just attracted to my vampire allure. I mean, I had not done bad for myself as a human, but even then it seemed like men were only interested in one thing and were not willing to commit to me in any serious way. Maybe I just was not the type of woman that men wanted to spend their life with, just one that was good for a romp in the sheets. It is sad that the most committed relationship that I had been in was with Antonio, and even sadder that everything Nelson said about me seemed to be true.

Given that I was on the day shift in a few hours, I decided to go and get some sleep. To my surprise, I found it easy to drift off. Given the last few days I had tossed and turned, I guess that my body was so exhausted that it was grateful for a bit of peace. “Hey, Yasmin, you need to wake up.” Nicole’s gentle voice floated in my head.

I opened my eyes, giving her a thankful smile before getting ready for my shift. I drank two blood bags, given that Nicole had told me how hard and draining she found it during her day shift. I slowly walked up the stairs, seeing that it was still not dawn yet.

I waited outside Frankie’s room, waiting for her and her guards to return so that I could relieve them. It was not long before they appeared, Frankie giving me an apologetic smile again as she headed inside her room.

Ever since the warning that the Master vampire gave me while I was on duty, she had started to distance herself from all of us. I could tell that it was hard on her, given that she had finally found other vampires that she could talk to and relate with, but I understood why she was doing it. She was the Master vampire’s creation, and in respect to that, we were nothing but the help. I did miss talking to her and hanging out, the other female guards had started to mix more with the male guards, but given my relationship, if you could even call it that, with Nelson was so strained, I had kept almost completely to myself last night.

Finally, Nelson appeared and Lilbeth gave me a small smile as she headed down the corridor with her partner. I took my place at the side of the door, ready for another long shift with Mr.Not so charming. My body could feel it as soon as the sun came up, feeling like I was being pulled towards sleeping but fighting to stay awake. I could not help but glance out of the window. It had been ten years since I had seen a sun rise and it was so much more beautiful through my vampire eyes. The colours were more vibrant, the warmth it gave more inviting and I had to pry my eyes away from it and focus them back facing forward.

“How long have you been a vampire?” Nelson asked, but I was not going to fall for his trick to try and get me in trouble and so I ignored him and carried on facing forward. “Come on, it is just a simple question.” He gritted out, raising his voice slightly.

“Ten years.” I whispered harshly, afraid he would continue to raise his voice until someone came.

He let out a huff of amusement. “I guess that's why you are still so naive as to think the way you do.” I rolled my eyes, knowing that he would have found a way to turn my answer against me. I balled my fists at my side, keeping my head facing forward, wishing that time would move quicker.

But time seemed to almost slow to a stop. I understood now why the Master vampire wanted Frankie to be guarded during the day. I felt so vulnerable and weak that I was sure my legs would give out at any moment. My focus was drifting in and out, my body shaking with the strain.

My attention was so all over the place that I did not realise that Nelson was edging closer and closer to me until his arm brushed against my own. “What the…”

“Come on Yasmin, you know that it is only a matter of time until you and I get together.” He whispered.

“No, it’s not!” I spat, taking a step away from him.

“Well, if you want to stay in the guard, then you are going to have to start putting out.” He growled, backing me up until I was trapped next to the window.

I closed my eyes, feeling his hands reach out to touch me. My mind wanted to retreat like it did when Antonio touched me, hide away and wait for it to be over. Nelson leaned down and kissed my neck, his hand roughly grabbing my breast and pinching it painfully. “That’s right, you are mine.”

Suddenly, I saw red. No way was I going to sit back and take this, not again. I may not have had a choice with Antonio, but I had a choice now. Nelson started to pull at my shirt, his knuckles grazing my skin. I reached out, but instead of taking his ability, I managed to tap into his Physvey strength and shoved him away from me, making him stumble and fall to the ground.

He looked at me shocked for a moment before his eyes darkened slightly. “I will have you Yasmin, whether you like it or not, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

“No!” I screamed as he launched himself at me again, pulling and ripping my clothes, trying to have what I couldn’t give to him.

Frankie’s door burst open, her eyes wide as she looked around before they landed on where I was still fighting Nelson off. “Get off her!” Frankie yelled.

“Get back in your room you little slut!” Nelson hissed, his anger rising the more I fought him, so much so that he didn’t realise who he was speaking to, or seem to care.

“Nelson, No!” I screamed again, his hand pulling at my pants as I struggled, pushing and punching him with all the strength I now had. Frankie looked on, not sure what to do before she bolted down the stairs, screaming for help. I knew then that I would be kicked out of the guard because of this asshole, because he was unable to keep his hands to himself.

I pushed Nelson harder, letting out a cry of anguish as he stumbled backwards and I lept on him, punching him with everything I had. I didn’t have to imagine he was someone else, he was everything that I hated, everything that had ruined my life and because of him, I was going to be sent back to Antonio. Everything I had held inside me about his actions towards me came out as I hit him, over and over, relishing in his cries of pain and please for me to stop, but he wouldn’t stop for me, so why should I?