Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter Of Choice ❯ The Harsh Taste of Reality ( Chapter 24 )

The Harsh Taste Of Reality

 

Tegan's heart was pounding. This was it; she was going to take a stand. Perhaps it was a meaningless gesture but she had to do it. She couldn't let him walk all over her. He had to understand that even if she ran from him the rest of her life that she was more than he had bargained for. She had to make herself believe that. She had to believe she had a chance and there was only one way to find out. She had to put herself in the path of the storm and see if she could ride it out. She slid Stuart's silver knife from up her sleeve and into the back of her belt under her jacket. It was a symbol of hope, of what she was about to do.

 

She came to the street she had read so much about. A murder hotspot, with rumours of a hideous killer. Her heart pounded within the confines of her chest. This was her first fight alone, not that she had actually fought with Stuart that fateful night, and not that it had done either of them any good either. She wrapped her hand round the blade's hilt in an attempt to draw some comfort from the cold metal. She advanced down the street, a distinct chill overcoming her. She slowed her pace, her footsteps soft on the sidewalk. She shivered uncontrollably.

 

“Cold?” Came an American voice.

 

She turned to see the tall man behind her. He was young, but something about him just didn't seem right. He didn't seem to fit here. She recognised him as the one she had seen with Demetriov, Fate throwing her a chance. She had to seize the advantage; as yet he had no idea who she was.

 

“Who are you?” She asked softly.

 

“Ah, so you're not from around here. British by the sound of the accent.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well I was a little concerned to see a lone young woman walking the streets at night. I presume that you don't know about the murders that have been reported around here.”

 

“Murders?” She managed to sound shocked.

 

“Oh yes.” Her companion replied with a smile. “Horrible murders, lots of nasty rumours flying around.” Even with his face half in shadow, Tegan caught the sly glint in his eyes.

 

“I have to admit, I'm a little lost. I could do with a guide.” Tegan played her hand.

 

“Sure, that's what I'm here for. Let's get you out of here and to somewhere a little less dark and dangerous.”

 

He put his arm around her shoulders protectively and led her towards the streetlights ahead.

 

“You still haven't told me your name?” Tegan inquired.

 

“Devon.”

 

“Tegan.”

 

“Pleased to meet you.”

 

“Likewise.”

 

Soon he had led her into the lighted area. Although it had the appearance of a safe suburban area, it was mainly abandoned housing, forgotten and desolate. She tightened her grip on the knife. It was the perfect place for him to make his move. He stopped and faced her, adrenaline suddenly bursting through her system, this was it.

 

“What were you doing out at this time of night? Someone like you shouldn't be going out alone when you don't know the city.”

 

“I was exploring. I don't know anyone here, and I was afraid to ask.”

 

He stroked her face with the back of his hand. The touch was icy cold, rekindling memories of Demetriov. It made her shiver again.

 

“Hey, let me warm you up.”

 

“Do you live here?” Her own voice sounded so far away.

 

“Not far.” Devon replied as he brought her into his chest, his arms gentle around her. He stroked her hair gently. Tegan's heart was racing. She waited for the moment when he would make his move, tense and scared, but knowing there was no turning back now.

 

He kissed her forehead with lips soft and cool as velvet. He cupped her face in his hands, and seeing no request for him to stop he kissed her cheek. Holding her face with one hand, holding her close with the other he slowly bent towards her throat. Tegan slid the knife from the back of her combat pants and as his lips pressed to her throat she struck. She plunged the knife deep into his stomach, tearing the thin t-shirt he wore and searing the vampire flesh beneath.

 

Devon roared in pain as Tegan pulled out the knife, blood flowing down his front, the wound already healing, but it burned as the silver had seared the flesh. He staggered back, mouth agape, revealing the vampire teeth.

 

“Neither of us are exactly what we appear.” Tegan said with a smile. She felt exhilarated, the gamble had paid off.

 

“What are you?” He snarled.

 

“Trouble.” She growled in return.

 

She dived at him, her fist striking his jaw, using the knife to slash the other side of his face. He struck out at her but was shocked to find her blocking the blow and kicking him in the stomach. He fell to the ground Tegan kicking him in the ribs again and again making him experience pain for the first time in years. He had never had a mortal fight back, and had never met one so strong. He rolled away only to find her weight on his back bringing the razor sharp knife across the vulnerable expanse. With a roar he threw her off and jumped to his feet. He had to return to the mansion and take in what had just happened. She sat in the dirt watching him run.

 

“Take that one back to Demetriov.” She shouted after him as she got to her feet.

 

Devon stopped for a moment, stunned at what he had just heard, but carried on. Tegan brushed the dirt from her clothes and waited till she thought that she would still be able to track him, then she followed.

 

* * * * *

 

Just a little out of breath Tegan crept up to a window of the mansion and saw Devon pacing the room within. His wounds had healed but his t-shirt was torn and bloody. She felt a grim satisfaction at the sight. She also saw Adam, Alicia and Daniel as well as a number of new faces. She took a few moments to take in the surroundings, calm her nerves that had begun to creep up on her again. Tegan turned as she heard someone approach and hid in a bush, watching as Torin entered the mansion the front entrance. She crept back to the window to hear what was going on.

 

“Where is he?” Devon demanded of Torin.

 

“Demetriov?”

 

“Yes Demetriov!” Devon snarled. “Everyone else is here.”

 

“I have no idea, but no doubt you won't have long to wait.”

 

Tegan turned at a noise to see a figure entering through the front door. She waited a moment, pushing at a window that was ajar to open it further, and climbed silently inside.

 

* * * * *

 

Demetriov was surprised to see everyone gathered in the salon, Torin being confronted by Devon. The conversation stopped as he entered. He looked at Devon's torn and bloodstained clothing. He got a strange feeling of elation, could this mean…?

 

“What is going on Demetriov?” Devon demanded hotly.

 

“It would help if I was given a clue as to what happened to you.” He replied coolly.

 

“I was attacked, by a girl no less. She stabbed me but I have no idea what she used, it burned to fuck! She knew what I was and she mentioned you.”

 

Demetriov closed his eyes and smiled. So, he'd been right about the location. Now though, it had become so much more interesting. That she would stand and fight had been beyond his wildest dreams, let alone make the first move.

 

“You were stabbed with a silver knife. Hurts doesn't it?” He opened his eyes and looked Devon in the eye. “Silver is the only thing that comes close to hurting us. It burns, but as you can see there is no permanent damage, but it slows healing down, just a little.”

 

“So who was she?”

 

Demetriov and Torin's eyes met. Demetriov nodded.

 

“Tegan.” Torin replied.

 

“You called?”

 

They all turned to see Tegan leaning against the doorway, smiling impishly.

 

“YOU!” Devon moved for her but Demetriov held him back.

“Now, now Devon, introductions first, let's be polite.” He grinned at Tegan, whose smile was starting to slip now she saw the amusement on Demetriov's face. “This young lady is Tegan, last of the hunter's family apart from her aunt. Tegan, you know Adam, Alicia, Daniel and Torin.”

 

“I do.” She replied curtly, now standing straight.

 

“Let me introduce us to our new friends. This is Marina.” He indicated a tall blond sat on the arm of a plush leather chair. She had a distinct European look. “One of our older friends here today. And there is Stephan.” He indicated the broad black man in the chair beside her. He was very dark skinned, even for his race. The change had given his skin a glossy sheen, almost an oiled look. “A slave she took a fancy to.”

 

“Rachel.” He indicated a slender young woman leaning against the wall. Disdain showed in her eyes. She was barely older than Tegan when she had been changed. “Alan.” He indicated a short male of distinctly Hispanic descent, seated by an occasional table. “And Devon.” He finished.

 

“We've met.” She smiled.

 

“I had noticed.”

 

Demetriov was delighted by her resourcefulness, but he could not take her seriously. Not in front of the others at any rate. He decided to share his amusement with the others, and see how she would react. He flashed a look at Torin, who nodded in understanding. Torin knew that if they could scare her off it would be better for her, and decided to go along with things, though felt a little uncomfortable with it all.

 

“It seems that Tegan has decided to take over where her uncle left off. He was the last male of the hunter family.” He said the latter statement with obvious derision.

 

“That is no loss.” Replied Marina.

 

“She's younger than I was when I met Devon.” Rachel snorted.

 

“Indeed.” Torin added. “A tall ordeal Tegan.” He shot her a meaningful look, hoping she would get the message that she was putting herself in a lot of unnecessary danger.

 

“I can look after myself.” She snapped back, narrowing her eyes at Torin.

 

“Can you?” Demetriov asked. “Was it really a wise move to come here tonight? That can be understood, but revealing your presence to us, that is another matter.”

 

Tegan was suddenly aware of her vulnerability, alone in a room of vampires and was aware of the stupidity of her brashness. Her throat tightened as she realised she had gone too far, and had allowed her feelings of elation to take over her.

 

“So you see you are making mistakes already. But I don't think we should penalise you tonight. You are still young and have a lot to learn. Anyway, what makes you think that you can play hunter?”

 

“You could say it is in my blood.” She replied matter of factly.

 

“Blood I've tasted.” He replied coolly.

 

Tegan felt her face redden, her gaze dropping to the floor. A look passed around the gathered vampires as they all saw her shame. Demetriov smiled. Tegan dared to look up at him only to find him pressing at her mind, beginning to manipulate her body again. The throng smiled as they witnessed her struggle to shut him out, her face a mask of hate. Although she succeeded, her body burned once more with the desire for the ecstasy. Tegan breathed deeply, her anger focused on Demetriov. She barely noticed the others rise from their seats and form a loose circle around them.

“Why the façade Tegan? We both know you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

 

Tegan remained silent, Adam laughing quietly.

 

“In fact,” He said, leaning in close to her. “Given the chance, you would do it all again.”

 

Tegan's temper snapped. He was so close to her so she went to slap him, only to find her arm caught in a vice like grip. She tried to pull away but Demetriov pulled her into his body, holding her fast against him. Adam moved to join Demetriov, but a look passed between him and Torin that made him withdraw. Tegan struggled as Demetriov grasped the back of her neck staring deep into her eyes. Tegan squeezed her eyes shut only to find him in her mind.

 

Why do you fight me Tegan? We both know that you want it, that you want to feel the ecstasy again. There is no reason to be ashamed. We all know how you feel.

 

I don't want it!

 

Oh but you do. I can give it to you, that endless ecstasy. You don't have to wait, you don't have to suffer, and then you can have it over and over again for eternity, by my side.

 

“Never with you!” She screamed.

 

But even as the sound left her throat she could feel herself weakening to him. Her body burned with desire, panting for breath. She felt him hard against her body, their eyes locked, his gaze piercing her very soul. She felt herself stop struggling, her body screaming that he should take her now and be damned to what she thought. Her head rolled back, opening the way for him as she fought with the conflicting desires of her heart. Demetriov smiled triumphantly, dropping his guard.

 

Something inside of her mind shifted, and Tegan was again thinking with intense clarity. She moved suddenly, pulling herself backward out of his loosened grasp. Demetriov instinctively reached out, grabbing her trailing arm. She twisted in his grip, snarling at him as she tried to wrench herself away from him, but no matter how she struggled Tegan could not escape. Changing tack she dived forward for an attack, but a sudden, stab of white-hot pain stopped her. Demetriov had tightened his grip, squeezing her arm, forcing her to her knees. As she knelt panting for breath he leaned into her ear.

 

“Stop resisting me.” He whispered. “This can be painless.”

 

“I will not spend the rest of my life running from you.” She hissed through teeth clenched in anger and pain. “And I will never give you what you want!”

 

Tegan closed her eyes and bit back the cry of pain threatening to burst from her throat, refusing to give in even as he squeezed harder.

 

“You know this is inevitable. One day, I promise you, even if it is not today, I will make you one of us. Stop fighting fate and give yourself to me.”

 

“NO!” Tegan screamed in pain, frustration and in desperation.

 

She used all her effort to twist herself out of his hold, bringing the heel of her hand into his face with all the strength she could muster. Demetriov stood tall, releasing her, outraged by her blow. As Tegan staggered to her feet he hit her hard across the face with the back of his hand, a contemptuous blow. Instead of staggering back as most mortals would have done, Tegan stood her ground. She stood stock still, feeling dizzy, and the brain-jarring blow left trails of red pain behind her eyes, and she could taste blood in her mouth. Everyone waited for her reaction as she breathed deeply, letting the dizziness clear. As she felt steady, she turned slowly but surely to face Demetriov. Her eyes met his, her gaze cold.

 

“You will have to do better than that.” She growled, wiping away the blood with her thumb.

 

“Don't tempt me.” He spat.

 

“Go on then. Murder me like you did Stuart.” She snapped. “It was like this then or do you not remember? We were surrounded then as well, an ambush. He never stood a chance.”

 

“As I recall you were of no help that day either. You should have minded your own business.”

 

“He was preparing me for life on the run.”

 

“Not very well, after all, you walked into this mess of your own volition.”

 

“I have no intention of spending my life going from pillar to post forever looking behind me.”

 

“You are stubborn child and don't know what's good for you. Well I am offering you a chance, and one chance only. There is the door. Leave, what you do after that is your own choice. No one here will harm you, I give you my word. If I were in you I would take this reprieve and go, get as far away as you can. Because if you stay and you choose to follow Stuart's path it is a hard road, and it will kill you. Maybe not soon, maybe not for years, but it will kill you.”

 

The group withdrew watching her. Slowly she backed off, never taking her eyes off the vampires gathered there. She etched the faces into her memory. They would never leave her now. As she turned in the corridor she ran for the front entrance, the two towering twin doors. She threw them open running into the night, only to find herself bowled over by an unseen force. As she rolled on the ground she caught glimpses of a dark figure. Controlling her movement she stopped on her back, looking up to see Demetriov standing above her.

 

“Now child, a word in private.”

 

He pulled her upright and held her close.

 

“You gave me your word!” She spat as she struggled in his hold.

 

“I stand by my word; I just want to say a few things away from prying eyes. I do hope you decide to stay Tegan.”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“It would make it so much more interesting than chasing you, and so much less tedious. I relish the prospect of tasting your blood again, of you being by my side as you are meant to be.” He eyed the drop of blood that had collected at the corner of her mouth, fighting the urge to press his mouth to hers to taste it.

 

“Meant to be, and who says it is meant to be?” She snarled.

 

“Trust me child, I know your father.”

 

Tegan's eyes opened wide, stopping her struggles in shock. “But no one…”

 

“Yes they do, Stuart knew, which is why he kept you away from me.”

 

“Then who…?”

 

“Let me give you a hint. Adam is your half brother. Your father took a few risks taking your mother as his lover. And ultimately it resulted in you.” He released his hold on her, knowing that she was not going to run off now he had her attention.

 

“He was a...”

 

“A vampire, yes.”

 

Tegan sat down on the ground heavily before her legs gave out beneath her. “Oh god!” She held her head in her hands, this was yet another shock. There was so much that she didn't know. So much that she had to take in. It was almost too much to bear. Vampire genes were a part of her.

“Had you never wondered about your strength, about why you healed so fast?” Demetriov taunted. “I almost bled you dry and yet the wound healed in a few days, and you were strong enough to fight off the loss of blood without any medical help. Did this not seem odd to you?” He asked, his tone making her skin crawl.

 

“So you were watching me. I suppose I never really wanted to know.” She admitted softly.

 

“No, no one does. The truth is usually too painful. So you see you are meant to be with us, just like your brother.”

 

“Does he know?”

 

“Yes. This is your chance Tegan. I will only give it to you once. Leave now and make the best of it. Either way I promise you, one day you will be a vampire by my side, I will make it happen.”

Tegan saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and noted that Torin was watching the pair from the shadows of the mansion.

 

“Whatever your choice, take some advice. You need to learn a little caution, do a little planning. Blunders like tonight will go punished in future.”

 

With that he turned and left her with her thoughts. She walked back to her apartment slowly. He had given her a lot to think about. He said she had a choice. Maybe he thought so. She felt she had to do something. She just couldn't let herself watch Stuart die like that and do nothing, knowing that Demetriov and others like him roamed the earth. She couldn't spend her life in fear; she had to take some control. The decision was made and there had been no choice in the matter. It was part of who she was, vampire heritage or not; it was part of her moral code.

 

Demetriov was right though. She would have to change the way she thought, the way she did things, if she wanted to beat him. And one day, that is exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to make him suffer, like Stuart had done. She wanted to make him pay for the way he tortured her in her dreams, and to get him out of her head, once and for all.

 

 

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Author's Notes:

Okay, so here we go, now things really start to get interesting. And in my opinion she's getting just a touch bitchy… maybe that's just me. Ah well, onward!!!