SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 43- Care

"How long are you going to keep standing there?" Sterling asks curiously as he empties the remainder of the bottle.

"What's it matter?" I ask frustratedly as I stand my ground, he seems both intrigued and displeased by this.

"You aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so you might as well make yourself comfortable, love," he says politely as he gestures over to the bed. Without even bothering to turn my head, I glance at it, then back at him. I have heard about the disgusting things that a person can do to another, and for someone as misguided and twisted as he was, I'm going to guess that he wouldn't think twice before crossing any despicable lines.

"I think I'd prefer going back to the dungeons, thank you," I state flatly as I press my back against the wall. For some reason, he starts to laugh and shake his head.

"Oh, for the love of god, relax a little princess." he rolls his eyes as he pushes himself up from the couch, slowly making his way across to me.

"How exactly am I supposed to do that?" I ask frustratedly "You knocked out my boyfriend, kidnapped me, then forced me to watch your sister kill an innocent girl who has apparently been on the run since you took over her best friend. Excuse me if I don't want to relax." I state as he comes toe to toe with me. Suddenly, he gently takes my arm and examines it, staring closely at the blood-soaked cloth he had used to bandage it.

"I'm not saying that I don't understand why you're stressed right now, believe it or not, I do." he states as he slowly unravels the gauze "You may not understand what's going on here or what you've been told, but I can assure you that we aren't so different from your so-called 'Eternal Family'."

"My family hasn't been sacrificing people for over a thousand years just so that they can come back in whoever's body they want," I state angrily as I stare at my bare arm. As he sets aside the bandage, he reaches behind me and pulls a small vile off of the shelf.

"I am not going to disagree with you about that, but that doesn't mean that your family doesn't have plenty of blood on their hands," he explains calmly as he uncorks the vile with his teeth, slowly pouring its contents onto my skin. As the clear substance touches me, it stings and I have trouble trying not to wince at it.

"I know that they have a complicated history, but they banished the corrupt attitudes long before I was born." I explain as I watch him grab a clean bandage and begin to wrap my arm back up "What did you just do to me?" I ask curiously as he gently tucks the end of the cloth into itself.

"You weren't exactly here earlier, so I couldn't properly treat this. Now it should heal up within an hour or so." he smiles as he lightly taps his handiwork, then begins taking a few steps back.

"Can I ask you something?" I begin as I poke at the bandage, he quickly turns and nods his head "Why the hell are you acting like you want to take care of me right now? You literally attacked me earlier and now you're pretending like you weren't even the one who did this." I state as I point at my arm.

"My more... primal nature can get the best of me sometimes, that much is true." he shrugs as he wanders back to the couch "But that doesn't make me some sort of monster, or at least I don't need to constantly act like one. Having some humility sometimes is what separates us from the truly wicked," he explains casually.

"Oh, so you're a hypocrite?" I ask mockingly as I tilt my head to the side, once again holding up my arm "You literally sliced me open and drank my blood. That sounds like the definition of a monster." I state irritatedly.

"Perhaps," he says as he bows his head and closes his eyes "but there are far worse things to do to a person than simply indulging in their very essence."