5: BITTEN BY VAMPIRES

D E L I L A H

I ran and ran, my heart pounding heavily in my chest as I fled from my mate, Azriel. I refused to be used as his breeder, determined to escape from his pack. With renewed hope surging through me, I pushed myself harder. However, it wasn't long before I heard the sound of Azriel's footsteps closing in on me.

I picked up my pace, hoping to outrun him, but my efforts proved futile. I could feel his hot breath on my neck, and I knew I had to think fast. Frantically searching for an escape route, I scanned the surroundings, but all I could see were trees and bushes.

Then, suddenly, the sound of Azriel's footsteps disappeared. It was hard to believe - had he given up? Afraid it might be a trap, I didn't dare look back. I continued running until the sun began to set, casting a dark shadow across the sky.

Unsure of my destination, I knew I had to keep moving. Every second was precious, and I couldn't afford to waste any time. Finally, as night fell and darkness enveloped the surroundings, I reached a point of complete exhaustion. I could no longer sustain my pace, feeling like I might faint at any moment.

I decided to take a rest at an unknown place. I lay flat on the dried leaves in the bush and closed my eyes. I focused on catching my breath. My heart continued to pound heavily within me, threatening to burst from my chest. My eyelids grew heavy and drowsy, and I convinced myself that a brief nap wouldn't hurt.

Yet, my rest was abruptly interrupted by shuffling sounds emanating from the woods. I froze, immediately springing to my feet and grabbing a sharp thorny stick from the ground. Holding it threateningly in my right hand, I turned to confront the presence I felt watching me from behind.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I demanded, my voice steady despite the trembling within. I refused to reveal any fear, aware that they could use it to their advantage.

As I slowly backed away, the sensation of being watched persisted. I sniffed the air, attempting to discern the creature's identity through its scent. To my surprise, the unknown being carried no scent.

Without warning, I instinctively bolted in the opposite direction. I bit my lips as the sharp twigs on the ground pierced into my skin, but I didn't stop as the pain spread through my body. I knew that if I stayed there one more minute, I was going to get killed.

The bush was pitch black, and there was no single sign of light in sight. Suddenly, I felt a whoosh of air fly past me, and before I knew it, I found myself on the ground with four red eyed creatures glaring down at me.

Their blood-red eyes and menacing fangs sent shivers down my spine. I realized I was facing vampires—creatures who fed on blood.

How had I gone from the frying pan into the raging fire?

I desperately tried to scramble to my feet, but the vampires proved faster. They pinned me down, their cold breath chilling my skin. One of them leaned in, baring his fangs. "You smell delicious," he whispered, his voice sending chills down my spine. The foul stench of rotten blood wafted from his mouth, almost causing me to retch.

Realizing that time was running out, I knew I had to act swiftly, or I would become their next meal. Another vampire examined me, scrutinizing my figure on the ground. He grabbed my wrist, sniffing it deeply. "Hmmm... You're right, Durcam. She does smell delicious. But her blood has a peculiar scent, wouldn't you agree?"

Then the four stinky vampires proceeded to sniff my body like perverts, I swallowed the bile in my throat and my vision rapidly blurred with tears as I resisted the urge to throw up every content of my stomach. 

As the four vampires continued their intrusive and repulsive actions, sniffing my body with an unsettling intensity, I struggled to suppress the bile rising in my throat. Tears blurred my vision, but I fought the urge to vomit and empty the contents of my stomach. A tear escaped my eye, tracing a path down my cheek, which Durcam, the one whose name I remembered, swiftly captured with his index finger and greedily placed it into his mouth. He moaned in satisfaction as he sucked on his finger, savoring the taste. My stomach curled in disgust and I knew I was between the thin line of throwing up on their faces.

"Her tears taste sweet too! Her blood smells different and... unique. Who knows what more we could discover from her? The leader will undoubtedly be proud of us for this newfound discovery!" Durcam exclaimed with excitement. He took another tear from my eyes, nearly blinding me with his sharp fingers, and repeated the grotesque act.

Disgust overwhelmed me, and I couldn't understand the deranged behavior of these vampires. Licking someone else's tears was far from normal. In that moment, regret flooded my thoughts, questioning if I had made a wise decision by attempting to escape from Azriel. It seemed like the worst mistake I had ever made. Throughout my time with Azriel, he had never harmed me. I wished he would miraculously appear and rescue me from these bloodsucking monsters, but deep down, I knew it was an unrealistic hope. Even if he heard my pleas for help, after everything I had put him through, he wouldn't care if I lived or died.

"We should savor a taste of her before presenting her to the leader, don't you think?" they whispered among themselves, sending a shiver down my spine. My heart raced as they schemed, fully aware that if I became their prey, my chance of survival would diminish rapidly. "We shouldn't miss this golden opportunity. Once the master catches wind of her blood, he'll never allow us near her anymore. You know how greedy he is. We must act now; it's our only chance," The vampire whose name I didn't know tried to convince them and it was clearly working. 

A lightbulb seemed to illuminate their minds as they nodded in agreement. Their predatory gazes fixated on me, and I gasped at the hunger I saw in their eyes. Slowly, they advanced towards me, each step filled with sinister intent.

Trembling with fear, I backed away, my body betraying me. I knew that screaming would be futile in this desolate thick forest, where no one would hear my desperate cries for help.

A tortured scream escaped my lips as one of the vampires grabbed me and sank his fangs into the delicate skin of my neck. Excruciating pain flooded my senses and a tortured scream ripped out of my lips. The pain surpassed any agony I had experienced in my entire life. But as quickly as it appeared, the pain vanished.

Opening my eyes, I witnessed the vampire who had bitten me being forcefully thrown to the ground, accompanied by a sickening crack. Relief surged within me as Azriel's golden eyes met mine. They radiated with anger and rage and shined brighter than ever before. They glowed in the dark and the vampires scrambled to their feet, probably already knowing who he was.

“T-the Golden eyed Alpha?” I heard them stutter among themselves in horror. “Why would he want to save that worthless bitch?” Azriel's head snapped towards them as soon as he heard their words and at that moment, I knew the vampires would not survive his wrath.

For the first time since meeting him, Azriel's presence brought a sense of calm. I told myself I would be fine.

Right?