Bound in Blood 1 Clandestine (2 page)

“Turn over.” His voice was forceful
but quiet. The sound of
it made Emily’s body tense and her skin crawl.
Heart pounding, she did what she was told. As she moved,
she felt a sharp pain stretching across her back. It must have
been from when he pushed her down. She carefully moved into a
sitting position and looked up into her attackers menacing eyes.
They were emerald green. What was even more startling was
that they seemed to glow brightly in the darkness. The sight
made Emily cringe away. Those were like no human eyes she
had ever seen before. Even though he was average height his
frame seemed towering compared to Emily’s. His hair was short
and she thought it might be dark, but it was hard to tell. It looked
like he was in a crouch, ready to pounce at the first sign that his
prey might run.
“Why aren’t you running or screaming? Don’t I scare you?”
He almost seemed like he was genuinely curious. His voice held
an eerie fascination that made Emily’s skin prickle. “I’ve been
observing you for a while,” he continued. “You’re different from
the others, but I still smell the stench of
them
on you.” The
attacker’s voice was thick with disgust. Just as quickly, he
switched it up and purred, “no matter, I’ve got you now and I
won’t be wasting this opportunity. After all, you don’t even seem
to realize your potential or abilities, so they must not have
summoned you yet. Therefore, they probably won’t even miss
you or hold me accountable for your loss."
Through the curiosity, she could tell he was growing angry.
He took a slow purposeful step towards her and she still didn’t
move. She didn’t know if it was fear or pure stupidity that held
her still. She sure as heckknew it wasn’t courage, her inner
voice was screaming at her like a little girl to run, but as usual
she couldn’t respond. Her fight or flight mechanism was
apparently broken. She was frozen, totally and completely
locked in place, where she sat utterly defeated on the cold, hard
ground.
Somewhere in the back of her panicked brain was another
voice, whichdidn’t sound like her own. It sounded safe and
somehow that made her feel better. It reminded Emily of the old
rule that when approached by a bear, never run. Only this was no
bear, it was a man and he wanted to do more than hurt her.
Then as if he were trying to be friendly, he squatted down in
front of her and asked her, if she was okay. His rough voice had
a peculiar sense of concern.
Emily wasn’t fooled. Something inside her knew he
couldn’t be trusted.It was important that she didn’t show him
fear either. People like this creep thrived on the fear of others
and she refused to give him the satisfaction. She drew from her
own strength and forced her nerves to steady.
Emilysquared her shoulders and said simply, “I’m fine, I’m
not really loving your social skills though. Don’t you know this
is no way to start a conversation?” Emily’s mouth clamped shut
at the expression on the monsters face.
His sneer was a mixture of sarcasm and anger. Was that a
hint of red she saw in his eyes? It couldn’t be. That’s not
possible. Her fear was simply making her delusional.
“That’s funny. You would think after being followed and
shoved into a dark alley by a stranger, you would be at least a
little shaken. Don’t tell me, you are a black belt just waiting for
the perfect moment to strike?” He laughed soundlessly. “I mean,
your words do sound brave but your eyes and the fact that you’re
trembling like a scared little kitten, saysomething else entirely.”
Though the alley was submerged in darkness, it was obvious
there was a devilish grin stretched across his face.
This sickened Emily to the very pit of her stomach. Even
though he was just mocking her, she still wished it were true. If
it were, she could kick his worthless butt. She didn’t answer him.
He was clearly baiting her. Her resistance was wearing thin and
the terror that rocked her core was beginning to surface. With
great effort, she pushed the tears that threaten to spill out, back
and swallowed hard. She worked to school her features into a
defiant glare. It didn’t feel natural and more than likely didn’t
look that way either.
Be strong
, the weird inner voice told her.
Stall him
, but stall
him from what? There was no one around. There were no street
lights or traffic and all the nearby shops were closed.
She wished he would get it over with. The thought of what
he might be planning made her shudder. She didn’t want him to
touch her. Unfortunately, she was a whopping hundred and
twenty pounds and generally speaking, small in stature. What
kind of damage could she do? Besides that, she had never been
in a physical fight, even with a sibling, since she didn't have any.
Her thoughts weren’t making sense anymore. She had no idea
what to do in a real fight, even if it was for her own life. She was
sure not much time had passed, but her mind raced on for what
seemed like forever.
“This is ridiculous!” His firm voice broke through her inner
babble and she jumped at the unexpected change of emotion.
When he spoke again she could hear the sneer return. “See, now
that’s a normal reaction. I was beginning to think you were
wrong in the head and felt guilty about our little game. Now, my
little mouse,we can continue.” Without further hesitation, he
gave her shoulder a hard shove and knocked her flat on her back.
Suddenly, he was on her cutting off whatever air she had left in
her burning lungs.

“Please stop! You can’t do this. I’m meeting my ride at the
corner and when I don’t come, they’ll look for me.” Her pathetic
voice squeaked, as she panted,trying to struggle free. She didn’t
really have a ride coming, but she figured it might buy her some
time or scare him off.

“Silence!” He growled. “This doesn’t have to be bad or
even painful,just relax and enjoy the ride.”
“Please,” Emily desperately begged. “I’ve never done this
before. Don’t do this!” Her heart was beating out of her chest so
hard that she thought it might burst. She opened her mouth to
scream and again, nothing came out but a defeated whimper.
“I don’t believe that.” He whispered in her ear. “My kind
has been in this pathetic little town for weeks. You’re too
alluring. No matter, even if you’re not lying it only makes this
sweeter. I love being the first.” He stretched the last word out
like a purr. He brought his face to hers and kissed her cheek.
“Don’t worry you’re going to love this, as much as I do, I
promise. Relax, it’s not what you think…. It’s better.” His voice
was husky and only made him sound more fierce and hungry.
What a monster, she thought disgusted. Different… yeah
right, he was just like every other psychotic freak. He got his
jollies off by taking advantage of innocent girls. It clearly
thrilled him to watch her panic. Unfortunately, she didn’t
disappoint him in that department. Her mind and body was set in
a high panic mode, with no signs of relenting anytime soon.
She tried to dodge his mouth by turning her head. He
responded by aggressively, grabbing her chin and forcing her to
face him. After kissing her harshly on the lips, his mouth moved
down and his teeth grazed her neck. At their touch her skin went
cold and rigid. They felt like tips of a wicked sharp knife at the
base of her throat.
They were the sharpest teeth she had ever felt, more like
needles than teeth. They pressed on her flesh, threatening to
break the tender skin. Why couldn’t she just wake up from this
nightmare? That’s what this felt like… a nightmare, only it
wasn’t, this was reality.
The hem of her shirt had come up, exposing her stomach.
Emily couldn’t feel the chill of the night air on her bare skin
though. The jerks shirt was some kind of wool material and it
scratched her, but kept her somewhat protected from the cool
breeze. It felt like someone was giving her midriff an intense
Indian burn. The rocks under her back were sending sharp,
piercing pains into her flesh.
The nagging, clenching of her abdomen was increasing with
every second that passed. It felt like someone was grabbing all of
her internal organs, trying to flip them inside out and then into a
bite sized pretzel. It was as though the entire world had stopped
and began moving in slow motion.
Every movement, every pain seemed to last longer than it
should have. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she thought
she was going to throw up. She didn’t deserve this, no one did.
She just wanted to go home with the safety of locked doors and
windows. Fear for her life kept her squirming, even though it
was a useless effort.
Finding her voice, Emily opened her mouth to scream, but
he quickly covered it with his own. She sickeningly tasted the
booze on his breath and had to stifle a gag from exploding out.
His kiss was hard, fury and desire pulsed through it like the
steady beat of a drum. She tried to squirm out of his clutches
with everything inside her. Her attempts were futile. His weight
was too much for her.
Traces of the scent hit her nose again, stimulating her
senses, sending them into overdrive. Was it booze on his breath?
The more she thought about it, the odordidn’t smell like he had
been drinking at all. In fact, the more the scent entangled her
senses, the more it intoxicated her. It was as though his
pheromones were wrapping around her, until she was enveloped
in the warmth that they offered. It made her woozy and maybe
even a little sleepy. She tried to cling to her awareness. There
was no way that the overwhelming feeling that his touch was a
good
thing, was her own idea. It was becoming harder and
harder to convince herself that she was in danger. Who was this
guy and what did he mean by his kind?
He pulled his lips from hers long enough to say, “Now now,
don’t make this harder than it has to be. Just be quiet. It won’t be
long now and you will feel nothing except bliss. Are you as
excited, as I am?” He said with mock enthusiasm.
He brought her arm to his mouth and kissed the underside
of it. Out of nowhere a sharp pinch stung her wrist. Then his
tongue snaked out and licked where her arm burned. Oddly, it
soothed the sting, turning it into a dull ache.
“Simply divine,” he purred.
Emily was seriously grossed out. Not only was this pervert
attacking her, he was licking her too? She tried wiggling free
again, but he was too massive above her. His mouth moved to
her neck hungrily, as if searching for food.
A sharp stinging sensation made her whole body tense. It
felt like he actually broke through the skin this time. His mouth
lingered over the bite mark, as he sucked. What was he doing?
The pain was unbearable at first. It felt like all of her organs
were being pulled from the small puncture. After a minute it
turned numb. The woozy feeling was starting to take over again.
What was he doing? The question was there, but it was getting
harder to stay focused.
Even though it was cold outside, she knew the newly
formed goose flesh wasn’t from the weather. A cramp in her
stomach made her cry out. Instead of pausing at what he was
doing, it made him more aggressive. He took it as a green light
that she was into it. That was far from the truth. Every fiber of
Emily’s being was writhing in utter terror. She had a stunningly
clear realization that tonight would be her last on this earth. If
she had ever thought of her own death, it surely wasn’t like this.
Itwasn’t supposed to be this way.
“Please God don’t do this,” Emily begged again. Her breath
coming in hyperventilating, little gasps and her voice was a
hoarse attempt at a yell. Her throat was so dry, that she probably
couldn’t have gotten a loud enough scream out for anyone to
hear.
Don’t move! You will only make it worse
. The voice in her
head was back again. Emily listened to it, obediently. She let the
words replay in her mind over and over. Focusing everything she
had on those words. Somehow, they made her feel less alone.
The strangely pleasant haziness was taking over more of her
mind. She knew what was happening was wrong. On the other
hand, she was beginning to see what the monster was talking
about, as much as she didn’t want to admit it. Whatever he was
doing did feel good. She almost didn’t care what was happening
anymore. Everything was starting to go fuzzy around the edges.
It was like
BAM!!!
At the sound, the monster released a gasp and crumpled to
the ground beside her. Emily was jolted back to reality and
things were immediately clear again. She let out a breath that she
didn’t realize she had been holding. She was thankful to have the
terrorizing weight off her body. Instinctively, she sensed the new
danger and hurried to her feet preparing to run. She hadn’t even
made it a foot, when she ran smack into a brick wall.
Wait, that was no wall, it was a big broad chest. It wasn’t
just broad, it was rock hard. She started to scream her best horror
movie scream, when a large hand clamped over her mouth.
“Be quiet. You might wake him up.” The voice was hushed,
barely audible.
After what had just happened, she couldn’t bring herself to
trust him. Part of her wanted to be thankful that he had gotten the
monster off of her. Her heart knew he had just saved her from a
tragic ending, but her head remained skeptical. What if this was
the monsters friend?
His voice regained her attention. “If I take my hand off, will
you promise to be quiet?”
Emily nodded, slowly fighting back sobs. She could feel
tears sliding down her cheeks,disappearing into the stranger’s
hand. Just when she thought she had a chance, the possibility of
her death loomed its ugly head again.
The hand moved off of her face, lingering an inch away, as
if waiting for the returned scream and broken promise. She could
smell the sweet, ruggedness of his hand, as it lingered a moment
longer before he dropped it. It reminded her vaguely of warm
spices.
With a slight, clicking sound she saw a small beam of light
on the ground at their feet. She was suddenly aware that she was
only wearing one shoe. Crap. She must have lost it in the
struggle. Stupid slip-on shoes, she thought. From now on she
would wear thick, heavy boots. As if hearing her idea, his foot
moved across the gravel drawing her attention to his shoes. They
were thick soled black boots, exactly the type she had been
thinking about for herself. His feet were quite larger than hers,
but he was considerably larger than her in general.
A noise from behind them broke into the silence. As quick
as she heard it, her protector had her moved behind him. After a
moment, Emily realized the noise wasn’t from her attacker. He
apparently wasn’t going to move anymore, for now anyway. The
noise was from a passing car on Main Street. Figures, one would
drive by now. Where were they when she was getting shoved
into the alley in the first place?
The alleged protector gave her a nudge towards some
dumpsters, a few yards away. When he motioned for her to go
behind them she hesitated, not understanding why she couldn’t
just run straight home. He gently nudged again slightly harder
than the last time. “I need to finish this… it’s important that you
trust me. I won’t hurt you,I promise.” He whispered.
Emily could hear the reassuring tone, making her relax
slightly. She felt like she could trust him. There was something
about his presence that comforted her. She crouched down
behind the dumpster, as quietly as she could. Unfortunately,
there was some sort of debris behind them and her weight on it
made a loud, crunching sound. Part of her wanted to whisper an
apology into the air between them, but somehow that didn’t
seem appropriate.
The stranger disappeared from her side. He moved silently,
she couldn’t even hear a single rock scuff the ground. Emily
heard an odd snapping sound, a groan and then nothing. What
was happening? She waited, frozen, for what seemed to be
forever and still nothing. Was he just watching her attacker,
waiting for him to regain consciousness? Whatever he was
finishing,didn’t make a sound.
Creeped out, she listened carefully for any clue but still,
there was nothing. Then, someone cleared their throat and she
heard footsteps coming towards her. What if it wasn’t the good
one? Even though he may not be the savior she hoped he was,
she didn’t care. He was being nice to her and didn’t seem at all
like that other
thing
. Should she try to run?
Don’t be afraid
, the unknown voice in her head told her.
Great, Emily thought. She was still hearing voices. She hoped
that was due to the trauma she had experienced tonight and not a
symptom of mental illness or something. That was just what she
needed, as if her life wasn’t complicated enough, without having
to add a therapy bill to the list.
“It’s okay, you can come out now.” He no longer spoke in a
whisper and the concern was much more noticeable.
She felt a hand on her arm and automatically flinched back.
His voice sounded kind of like the one in her head. Emily
quickly did a mental comparison of the two. Clearly this theory
was ridiculous. Obviously,they couldn’t be the same voice. God,
she needed help.
“It’s alright. I’m just trying to help you,so you don’t trip on
the siding thatyou’re standing on.” His voice was apologetic
now. He realized, he had frightened her and seemed like he was
trying to be careful.
As she thought about if she could trust him, she glanced
down at the siding he spoke of. She could tell by the feel under
her one bare foot that it was wood, butshe couldn’t see that it
was siding and she had good vision. The night was black,
cloudy, and there wasn’t a visible star in the sky. This guy must
have night vision or something. He repositioned the hand on her
arm to help support her through the discarded mess.
After both her feet were back on the gravel, he lifted her
arm and put something in Emily’s hand. Her shoe, he had found
her shoe. She was grateful; the rocks under her bare foot were
murderous. The irony of what she had just gone through, versus
the rocks being murderous, caused a slightly hysterical giggle to
bubble up her throat before she could stop it. She immediately
clamped her lips shut like a vise. It definitely wasn’t the time or
place for her moronic weirdness.
“What do you find so funny?” He sounded much smoother
now, almost fluid.
“Nothing.” That’s all she could manage? He probably
thought she was nuts. She decided not to elaborate and instead
bent to put her shoe back on. They weren’t the cutest shoes but
they were comfortable for work. Her work attire would never
make the
what’s hot
list in a fashion magazine, that’s for sure.
His voice interrupted her thoughts again.“Here, take this
and rub it where you were bitten.” He didn’t give her a chance to
ask questions, putting an object into her hand and moved away.
Emily lifted her hand, trying to get a look at what the object
was. It was a tiny cylinder shaped thing. “What’s this?” Her
fingers probed the cylinder, trying to make it out. It reminded her
of Chap Stick or a lip gloss tube, only much smaller.
“It’s…medicine, like Neosporin. It will help close any
wound left from the bite.” He turned his back as he spoke. “I’ll
give you some privacy.”
Emily couldn’t help a smile at his politeness. “I don’t need
privacy.” She said with equal consideration. “It’s just on my
neck.” With that, she began applying the mystery ointment to the
wound at her throat. It felt nice with a sort of soothing quality to
it. It evaporated the flames that were licking up her neck and
under her chin.
He cleared his throat. “I know, but all the same…” He
trailed off. “Just let me know when you’re finished. Oh and
don’t forget the one on your wrist.”
Emily swallowed, feeling the blood rushing to her face,
making it instantly hot. How did he know where she had been
bitten? She wondered how long he had been in the alley. It was
possible that he had seen the entire thing take place. Emily
couldn’t figure out why he wouldn’t have stepped in sooner, if
that was the case. The feeling was immediately squelched by her
common sense. What was important was that she wasn’t being
attacked anymore. Besides, it wasn’t like he was confessing to
seeing her naked or something.