Bonded With Love by Tiffany Heiser (the giving tree read aloud .txt) 📕

woods. The fight between the guys started immediately. I glanced toward where they were. I caught a blur of movements. All that could be heard were grunts, snapping of twigs and dry leaves, along with whooshes of air as they slammed through the forest.
Bristol's body slapped against the tree and maniacal laughter filled the woods. “Your queen bitch over there had more force in her than you two put together, and that was with her eyes closed.”
“Shut your damn mouth,” Cryder hissed.
“She has such great power. I can smell her sweetness from here,” Bristol said as he licked his lips.
He started to stand, but Cryder stepped in front of him and planted a foot into his throat. “You won't go anywhere near her. If you even think about it you son-of-a-bitch. I will kill you,” Cryder growled. “I should kill you now.”
“Like you could kill me, king. Even I know you're not in full power,” Bristol choked out, then he raised his hands in surrender. “I'll leave...for now, but...”
Cryder cut him off. “Go now,” he snarled. “I may not be in full power but you have two royal pure-blood vampires standing over you, which means you have no chance. Run now like the pansy-ass you are, or we'll tear you limb for limb.”
“Whatever. Fine. I said I would go,” Bristol choked. “But trust me, your majesty, you will see me again.”
“Counting on it.” Cryder took his foot off of Bristol's throat.
Bristol staggered to a standing position, and his eyes found mine. He winked.
Cryder and Drake took there spots blocking us from his view, but I was able to peek through a hole between the guys. Bristol bowed to them and then with blurring speed fled from the forest.
* * * * * * * * *
As soon as we walked in to the house, Cecile and I went straight for the couch and collapsed. Cryder and Drake followed locking the door behind them, both with straight lines for lips.
“Why didn't you kill him? I mean he was going to kill us with no problem,” I said.
“By my Grandfather's order we don't have a right to kill, only to capture. But here we don't even have the means to hold him securely,” Cryder responded.
I rolled my eyes.
“Where are we to keep him? In the house that is protected to keep rogues like him out?” Cryder asked with a hint of sarcasm sticking to his words.
“Fine, Cryder. I understand. You have to follow rules, but do you really think he's gone?” I questioned.
“No. But we will be ready the next time,” he said through gritted teeth. “What happened tonight was the exact reason why we asked you two to stay with us. It's too dangerous for you to be alone. Whether you like it or not, we will be around at all times,” Cryder spoke sternly.
I nodded without any protest, and was too exhausted to put up a fight. He had been right all along.
Cecile and I agreed to stay with the guys.
Drake and Cecile cuddled up with each other on the couch, and had been whispering and giggling. They stood at the same time making their way to the entry way staring into each others' eyes. Then Cecile faked a loud obnoxious yawn. “I am exhausted. I think I need to go rest, and relax. Maybe find something to relax me.” She looked at Drake and winked the most exaggerated wink- she honestly didn't know how to be subtle. Drake stayed on Cecile's heels as they made their way upstairs, and stumble through his bedroom door. After their staged exit, and the click of the door being locked, my pulse picked up speed. We were alone.
Before there could be any awkward silence, Cryder stood up and headed to the kitchen. When he came back into the room he held a water bottle filled with the elixir he had been giving me for the past weeks.
My mind yelled at me not to drink it, but the second I twisted the lid off the bottle my mouth watered like clockwork. My body craved the sweet yet tart liquid in the bottle. I took a long slow swig of the delicious fruity red drink, and accepted the truth this time. Cryder's blood was sliding down my throat and filling my body. His life's source offered energy, and a way to live.
“So Cryder,” his named flowed flawlessly off of my tongue, and I calmed myself before I continued. “Since we're down here together, I do have a few more questions that I'd like to know the answers to. I want to know more about what fate has in store.”
He smiled which showed his beautiful white teeth and made his gorgeous blue eyes sparkle as he spoke to me. “Well, alright Rena,” the sound of my name passing through his lips sent a shiver down my spine. “I will answer your questions.”
My self control faltered slightly by his pearly whites. He had been standing in front of me as he spoke, and only now as I returned his smile with my own, did he come and sit next to me on the love seat. His gaze locked on to my eyes, and I never wanted to look away. I took a deep breath and asked huskily, “I know that our fates are sealed and I am destined to be a vampire. I also know I'm supposed to be a queen, but how can I rule a race that has been roaming earth for millions of years and yet I've only been alive for sixteen? Plus I don't know anything about vampires, how can I comfort and console the people that will be looking up to me, when I don't know them or what they believe in?”
He placed a hand on my knee. “These notions will all come back to you when you are truly awake, after you have changed, and we go through the vampire rites ceremony. Once we have taken our rightful place at the throne, you will begin to see the vampire world for what it is and how it needs to be taken care of.”
I nodded. “Will the changing part hurt? What about you biting me, will that hurt?”
“To be honest, when I bite you there will be some pain but if you don't tense up the pain will turn to pleasure. When it comes to the change, your body dies, and reforms itself to fit your new lifestyle.” I cringed at the thought. “I know it sounds awful, but when you wake up you will remember only bits and pieces. Your organs will stop working. The digestive system and all other sub organs will then reconstruct to your new more powerful body. You will still have a beating heart, blood in your veins, and a flush in your cheeks.”
I sat and stared for a moment. “What about the need for blood?”
“The necessity for blood will lessen after the change as well.”
I opened my mouth to ask another question, but stopped when a scream vibrated through the walls of the house. “That was Cecile!” I yelled. I ran upstairs.
A loud thud brought me to a skidding stop, but Cryder kept going to the top of the steps and only slowed when he made it to Drake's door.
I took a deep breath not realizing I had been holding it. Before I could see what happened, Cryder let a growl escape his lips and pounded the door, tackling Drake to the floor. I heard the guys shouting obscenities at each other, but I couldn't make out the words. The only sound that stood out was the beating of my heart and soft whimpers coming from the body laid out on the floor. It was her body. Cecile had her eyes closed, and blood pooled around her head.
I screamed until I ran out of air, and collapsed next to her. Dragging her limp body toward me, and laying her head into my lap. Blood soaked through my clothes as I held her. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks silently.
I stared up at the two guys. Cryder now had Drake pinned against the wall, but his gaze stayed on me.
“Help me. Help me please. There's so much blood, I don't know how to fix her,” I whispered. I turned my eyes on Drake, and my anger flared. “What've you done? You bastard. What've you done?”
My anger boiled, and all I wanted was Drake dead for what he had done. The dressers in the room began to shake. The mirrors rattled, and I knew my powers waited now to be used. All I could see was red. Drake's life would end tonight. I pictured everything in my head. The way the furniture would crush Drake, and how his life would be taken. That all faded when I heard a whine come from Cecile.
A touch of her hand on my arm finally broke the spell of anger, and I looked down into her face. But when I stared down at her another scream bubbled in my throat. Large pointed fangs poked into her lower lip, and bright red eyes burned holes into mine. She was a vampire.
The scream I had tried to stifle exploded free. I clasped my hands to my mouth. I crawled backwards and away from Cecile. Her eyes stayed on mine. Her breath came out slowly. I collapsed to the ground in a heap, trembling like I had just been electrocuted by some unseen force. I couldn't control my body. Tears streamed down my cheeks and dripped from my chin to the floor in little puddles. With every move I made, Cecile's breathing sped up. I wrapped my arms around myself and felt a shiver thread itself inside my body. I knew changing would happen eventually, but there was no way to be prepared for it.
I finally took a deep solid breath and scooted closer to Cecile. Her blood red eyes look scared and confused, and seeing that tore at my heart. No matter how terrified I was of her, I couldn't let her lay there by herself.
I glanced over at the guys, they stood still, staring from the corner of the room. Typical.
I pulled Cecile up to me in a hug, letting her body relax into mine. I brushed strands of hair off of her damp forehead, as I felt her hot breath against my neck. A slight whimper rang in my ear and she scampered away from me.
Huge eyes filled with fear like a scared child. Her lip quivered and she glanced around the room until she found Drake. Cecile crawled to him and clung to his open arms as she continued to watch me. Why would she choose him over me? How did I scare her more than him? Was I not the right type any more, since I was still human?
Hurt and confusion filled me, but I tried not to let it show. Then she grinned at me, but not a normal grin, this one scared me. Then randomly she slapped both of her hands over her mouth and let out an ear-splitting shriek.
“What's going on?” I yelled over her screams to Cryder.
He came to stand next to me. “She is craving blood.”
My eyes shot open. “Oh. Right.”
“Right now any blood is tempting.” He shrugged.
I started to take a step forward, but Cryder stopped me. “She looks so upset.”
“It would be best for you to stay where you are. It won't help to get closer