The Greatest Obsession

Chapter Thirteen: A Decision Must Be Made

It was not like it was before. No longer did he parade around in a ripped black tunic, but instead he opted for black trousers, a white blouse, a black waistcoat, and a black frock, neatly tied together by a dark blue ascot. There were actually shoes on his feet. His beautiful tawny hair was pulled back by a black ribbon, low at the neck with pieces frizzing about the sides of his face. The vampire dressed well. Elijah had to admire the choice in clothes, but then he thought who was in the clothes and then he wondered how he got them. He must have stolen them, thought Elijah. "I told you to not come back. I told you to leave me alone."

"You did."

"Yet, here you are. You sit on my bed looking like some kind of reformed royalty, demanding respect where it is not deserved," said Elijah.

A witty breath puffed past the vampire's mouth. He smiled his teeth and they looked normal. He almost looked human. The smile was gone as quickly as it came. His tongue swept across his dry lips. "I would not go so far as to say that," he sighed to the boy. "You know why I am here."

"Yes, and that is why I send you away. You are not wanted here."

"When was the last you saw of me?" the vampire asked, irritation creeping under his skin.

"That night in the garden. I hoped it would have been the last I saw of you."

"How long ago did this happen?"

Elijah paused, counting in his head, "Two and a half weeks ago."

The vampire's graceful hand dug into his hair, shattering the neat ponytail. The ribbon fell onto the bed behind him but he cared not. The volume blessed locks shook from their place, drifting over his shoulders. The lustrous waves carried that slight frizz that made anyone just want to play with it. Without his own knowledge, Elijah was rubbing his fingers into his palm as if he were meshing the strands of hair in his grip. "I've counted each day. Each night I woke with an insatiable thirst that would not be quenched. I wish you could be in my place, just for a night. Let me refuse you your need and see what happens."

"Should I apologize for not surrendering my life?" came the twenty-three-year-old's response.

The vampire wanted nothing more than to grab the man and shake him by the shoulders but he held strong, widening his eyes and clenching his hands. "Do you not understand what I have been trying to tell you?" he questioned. "I would not dream of killing you, Elijah Marks, you idiotic child. Your life is not in danger. Had I been someone without a brain, you would have been dead nearly a month ago."

"What makes me so special? What is it about me that keeps you coming back?" he leaned in his chair, not realizing his throat was completely exposed for the vampire to strike him. The vampire thought of this.

In his frustration he reached out, speeding towards the man, his cold fingers latching around Elijah's esophagus. He choked, looking up at the vampire. His own hands were attempting to reach into space the dead being's skeletal claws. He wore a scowl on his face, his white-blue eyes nearing a lethal gray. Elijah had sprawled in the chair, his bare feet kicking at the vampire's legs but he wouldn't move.

"The burning pulse at my fingertips is what keeps me coming back. I love the taste you provide more than anyone else's. That is why you are special." The grip eased, and slowly, the vampire let go.

Elijah held his throat as he had tried to do earlier, and this time the vampire did not stop him. They locked eyes. Fear was as plain as the eye could see, but under that, the vampire could sense surprise and submission. He knew that Elijah would no longer ask such ridiculous questions that he already knew the answer to.

To show that the vampire had finished his torment, he knelt to the ground at Elijah's feet. Now, Elijah was above him. His fingers shook. He covered his face and pulled away to find a tear per eye spilling down his smooth face. The vampire never liked to watch others cry. It annoyed him and it made him uncomfortable.

The boy flinched when the vampire reached out again, but relaxed when all he did was wipe the tear from his cheek as he had in the garden. He was so tired of this. He was so tired of fighting and living in fear of the vampire. He wiped at his face and felt like a naughty toddler being sent to the corner as punishment for something he didn't know he did.

The vampire placed a ginger hand on Elijah's knee. "Have you ever encountered a woman in the late months of a pregnancy?" He didn't receive an answer, but he knew he had. "That is the closest metaphor I can imagine for someone like me, and how I am with someone like you. When a pregnant woman is refused her cravings, she loses her mind. She is unhappy. She whines. She cries. That craving, no matter how strange, dictates her whole life until the need is met. Deny me and I could harm many people."

Elijah looked his way. "What would change? You hurt people anyway. Please, explain why feeding off of me would be beneficial."

"If I had you, I would have all that I need. You would save so many lives, and what is your sacrifice? A few ounces of blood. You would not die. I would not kill you. I've told you many times now that I wouldn't dream of it, Elijah Marks."

"How could you be satisfied without killing me, first?"

"Some are more. .filling than others," the vampire cackled, but Elijah did not think it was funny.

Elijah's eyes grew pained, sad with the decision before him. It would be a damned if he did or damned if he did not the situation and he really needed this time to think for himself. The vampire at his feet did nothing to make it easier with his bright and imploring eyes, or the soothing palm, pressed against the bone of his knee through this gown.
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