Tessa’s POVWhen I came through, my entire body ached as if it had just been put through hell and back. My eyelids were heavy, but I managed to open them. My surroundings were dark and smelled musky. It was incredibly hard to breathe.My only thought was, “I wish Joseph was here to help me.”But I knew hope was lost.I dug my nails into the dirt ground, attempting to lift myself and see the rest of my surroundings, but my body felt weak, and my face fell back into the dirt. I cried out in pain, trying to muffle my screams as the ache intensified.My neck, where he had cut, and then bitten me, was throbbing. I wanted to reach up to touch the spot that hurt, but I found it even more difficult to move my arms.He must have given me something to keep me from moving.I was feeling so tired. I just wanted to sleep. But I kept myself awake. I wasn’t going to fall back to sleep. Not now. Not while I was in his possession.Ryan.Wherever I was, I knew he was around here somewhere.“Looks like
Tessa’s POVThe dark…I liked the dark. Nothing happened when I was left in the dark. It was peaceful and I felt no pain. I felt as if I was serene. It was comfortable and I was left alone most of the time. Time didn’t exist to me in the dark.It was only me and my thoughts that kept me company.But as always, the dark didn’t last long.I was soon woken but the sharp sensation of this new vampire’s fangs as he once again drank from me. I was dizzy and I wondered how much more blood I had left in me for him. I knew soon I would probably end up dying. Ryan would be angry with him for drinking every ounce of blood from my body.I was surprised that Ryan hadn’t bothered to visit me since I was here. I wondered if he went back to the village and pretended as if everything was okay. I wondered if he was helping them in their search for me like a good little villager.I wondered if there was a search for me.There was no use in struggling against this new vampire; if I did, he would beat me.
Tessa’s POVI was woken once again by the sharp pain of the new vampire’s fangs against the back of my neck. it was feeding time, and I was the only thing on his menu.I wondered how long I had been here. Hours? Days? Weeks?Was I missing school right now? Was Ruby worried about me?I was fading in and out of consciousness without the use of his drugs now. Darkness was becoming my home. After a while, the pain was no longer an issue for me. My body had gone numb. It almost felt like I was floating into oblivion.He was still speaking words to me as he drank from me, but I couldn’t hear him. His words were muffled and irrelevant.There was still no sign of Ryan though. I remember this new vampire saying something about Ryan fetching a moonstone pendant because he needs it to turn me into a blood slave without the help of the elders.The destination of this pendant must have been far away because he still hasn’t returned. But I knew he’d be back before the full moon.If this new vampire
Joseph’s POV“Oh, my goddess!” Anna cried as we ran through the doors of the infirmary. “Is she—”“No!” I barked at her as I placed Tessa’s body on the bed. “She’s not dead.”Dr. Cornelia ran toward the bed with his equipment. Tessa remained unmoving; she was barely breathing. She stopped breathing when we were in the hideout, but she started to breathe lightly again once we returned to the village. I could still hear her heartbeat faintly, so she was alive.“I’m going to need time to work on her. I need everyone to get out,” Dr. Cornelia ordered us.“I’m not going anywhere,” I hissed.“I need to focus on saving her life and I can’t do that when you are here, Elder,” he said, glaring at me.When I refused to move, I felt Anna’s hand on my arm.“Joseph—”When I ripped my arm away from her touch, her words fell short.“Eldest!” Dr. Cornelia shouted, looking at Bernard who was already on his way to me.I knew there was no use fighting Bernard. He grabbed my arm and held me in his grasp;
Joseph’s POVTessa was cleaned by the time I returned to her room. I just got off the phone with Connor and he was on his way back with Ruby.Dr. Cornelia had finished washing the blood off Tessa’s body and bandaging her wounds. She was stable with many tubes attached to her frail body. She looked so peaceful like she was just sleeping.It’s been a few hours since Connor had left and now, I sat here waiting for the moment he returned so her life could be saved.The heart monitor began to beep like crazy; I jumped to my feet in alarm.Dr. Cornelia ran toward us with a panicked look on his face.“She’s crashing!” He told one of the nurses.I stumbled backward as they worked on her. They ordered me to leave the room, but I could hardly hear them. My main focus was on Tessa and how well she was.“Let’s go,” I heard the soft tone of Bernard as he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the doorway.I wanted to stay with her and help; I wanted to be with her. But I knew I wouldn’t do any good.
Joseph’s POVI lay awake on the couch of Bernard’s house, staring up at the ceiling. It’s been a couple of hours since Bernard and Anna went to bed, and they allowed me to crash on the couch for the day. Once the sun started to go down, I went right back to the infirmary so I could be by Tessa’s side. I hated that I couldn’t be with her when she needed me the most.I thought about her days in that hideout, being tortured and fed by that slimy vampire. She must have been so scared; she probably thought she was going to die.I knew the only person I could truly blame for this was himself.Was she ever going to forgive me for this?I jumped when my phone started to ring beside me. When I looked at the caller ID I sat up quickly.It was Connor.“Connor,” I greeted, trying to keep my voice stable. “Did you get her?”“Yeah, I got her,” Connor said, but he sounded a little annoyed as he spoke. “She’s pretty but loud.”“What??” I heard Ruby’s voice in the background. “Did you just call me lou
Tessa’s POVI was becoming aware of the darkness surrounding me. I wasn’t afraid of it; my body welcomed it with open arms. That is if I could feel my arms. I couldn’t really feel or see my body; it was like I was bodiless.I floated in this darkness; I was completely weightless. I felt no pain; only warmth and what seemed like love.Surrounding me was a warm blanket of love and it made my heartbeat quicken.I wasn’t sure how long I had been like this; I wasn’t sure if I was still in that underground tunnel, or if I was somewhere different. My memory was a bit foggy, but I remembered how much pain I had once felt. I was dizzy from that vampire drinking my blood and he had beaten me to a point where I couldn’t move my body.He had pumped me with so many drugs, that I lost the concept of day and night. But my heart continued to beat rapidly in my chest and at that moment, I knew I wasn’t dead.Then, I started to hear the murmurs that surrounded me. They sounded so distant that I had to
Tessa’s POVThis time when I slipped back into the darkness, I knew it was a temporary one. I had my best friend lying beside me; she curled up in the bed Dr. Cornelia brought for her and pushed against mine; she got as close to me as possible, and I could feel her warmth and love radiating from beside me.Whatever Dr. Cornelia gave me, numbed all the pain I once felt and made me feel like I was floating again. It also made my eyelids incredibly heavy. I didn’t want to fall asleep; I wanted my voice back. I wanted to talk to Ruby, but I couldn’t. I just wanted to sleep.It was a dreamless sleep; I was used to being alone in the dark. I once found it peaceful here, but now I just found it aggravating. I wanted to be with my friends; I wanted to be with Joseph. But instead, I was stuck here.Dr. Cornelia said that I was mentally, physically, and soulfully exhausted and that was why I couldn’t move or speak. It was like I was here, but I wasn’t here. He told me once I allowed my body pro