I'm sorry it took so long for Chapter Ten... Hopefully anyone who reads it enjoys it.
~Sarah~
Chapter Ten---
Screaming. They had been screaming for her to help them. She watched in horror as her family was slaughtered by the hunters. By River.
She screamed until her voice cracked and gave out. She loved them so much. Forever they were lost… forever they would be gone.
She awoke suddenly, her chest rising and falling fast and heavy in time with her fast breathing. Ambre had seen them, her family’s smiling happy face turning into screams of terror. And there had been blood.
She sat up in the bed; she'd slept in throughout the day. Throwing the covers off herself, she climbed out onto the floor. Her body shook as if she were in pain. She had to find them, had to help them.
Ambre yanked the door open in hot pursuit to be rid of the awful screaming thast still existed in her head. Instead she ran smack into a very hard male chest.
“Oh!” she gasped, jumping back inside the room. “I’m sorry!”
She looked up into the face of the person she’d ran into and froze. It was Thierry.
“Good evening, Ambre,” he said smoothly, his eyes filled with amusement.
She swallowed hard against the anguish still fresh from the nightmare. “Uh… hello.”
“You were leaving quite quickly from the room. Is everything alright?” he asked her, his eyes filling with concern instead.
Ambre pushed her hair out of face and grimaced. She had never gone so many days without cleaning herself up. She desperately needed a long, hot showever.
“Ah,” Thierry said softly. “A cleaning would do you good.”
She quirked an eyebrow up at him in speculation. “Oh, really?”
The other vampire laughed, showing pearly white fangs. “Not what I meant. Excuse-moi, madame.” He said quickly. “I have just noticed as well that neither of us have showered.”
Ambre studied Thierry and saw he still fancied the gash on his forehead. Though the cut seemed healed, the blood still remained.
“You haven’t cleaned yourself,” she said absently as she reached up to carefully touch her fingers to where the gash had been, now left with a thin scratch.
An emotion she couldn’t quite place filled his eyes. “I have not had time. Your brother has needed care for most of the day.”
Something in her heart caught. “That is kind of you, Thierry.”
“We have a score to settle, your brother and I. I removed the bullet and was merely paying back a friend in need.”
“Is he alright?”
Thierry glanced back down the hall to where she couldn’t see. “He rests now. He did rise once for nourishment.”
Ambre suddenly felt cold. Last night had seemed so unreal. How could it have happened?
“Its about time he was awoken for more blood,” Thierry told her. “That is why I came down to check on you. But I have seen that you are already awake.”
“I’ll come,” she said and followed him out of the room and down the hall.
Thierry stopped at a door just a few ways down. He opened it carefully and led her inside to see her sleeping brother on top of the bed.
Blood caked his face and chest much like Thierry’s, but he didn’t look as lifeless as he had before. He looked more flushed, more alive. Something in her knew her brother would be just fine in a few hours.
She hurried to his side and sat in the chair next to the bed. “Jasper,” she breathed, tears forming in front of her eyes. Her thoughts went back to the images of her family being killed off one by one. Her older brother was all she had left now.
“I will go find some blood for both of you,” Thierry said softly and left the room.
Ambre didn’t acknowledge his leave, just kept staring into the weathered face of her hero.
“Wake up, brother,” she said softly, reaching out to touch the side of his head.
Jasper’s eyes fluttered open and a groan of pain escaped his closed lips. He glanced around the room sleepily before landing his gaze on her.
“Ambre,” he whispered past chapped lips. “Are you alright?”
She nodded, trying to stop the flow of tears that started down her pale cheeks. “I am now that I know you are okay.”
Jasper managed a weak smile and he reached out with his other hand to brush his fingers across her tear-streaked cheek. “Don’t cry.”
But his softly spoken words only made her heart break more. “I can’t help it,” she said brokenly. “They’re all gone.”
He frowned, his eyes glazing over in thought. “At least we have each other.”
Ambre rested her weary head on her brother’s shoulder a moment before inspecting him. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been shot and thrown down a hill in an automobile accident,” he said gruffly, trying for humor.
“I know the feeling.”She managed to smile, remembering that a few short days ago she also had been shot.
Ambre noticed his shirt had been torn open and blood that had leaked out from his wound had turned a dark brown. His bare shoulder was covered with surgical bandages, only a faint spot of blood visible beneath it all.
“Does it hurt?” she asked faintly, reaching out to finger the end of one bandage carefully.
“Only when I think about it,” he confessed.
Ambre took back her hand quickly, afraid she was hurting him.
“I’ll be alright,” he assured her with his fierce blue eyes. “Its only a flesh wound, sister, vampires heal.”
She wiped the remainder of her tears away, even though she felt more coming on. “I know. I just don’t know what I’d do if I lost you-“
Jasper’s hand suddenly went out to catch her chin gently, bringer her gaze up to his. “Don’t worry so much.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but then the door swung open and Thierry stepped back into the room. He gave Ambre an apologetic look as he made his way over to the side of the bed.
“This should help you, my friend,” Thierry said to Jasper as he handed them both a bag of blood.
Ambre leaned back in her chair to final catch her breath. She had to stop letting her emotions get the best of her. Jasper was right, they at least had each other and she couldn’t worry about any more complications if they were going to defeat Gordon and his organization, even though that plan seemed very far-fetched.
Ambre hesitated as she looked at the crimson liquid flowing in the plastic bag in her hands. Was she a monster for having to feed like this? Taking blood from humans?
She looked at Thierry and Jasper whom had already began biting into their bags, but they paused when they noticed she wasn't feeding with them.
“What’s wrong?” Thierry asked her, pulling the bagged blood from his extended fangs.
She shook her head, shrugging, not sure what to say. Ambre slowly brought the blood to her mouth, feeling her fangs pushing past her lips already. At the first puncture of fangs through the plastic, cold blood flowed into her mouth, making her stomach lurch in hunger.
She closed her eyes, not wanting Thierry or her brother to see the hunger and fury that was obviously in her gaze. She concentrated on the cold, coppery liquid being washed down her dry throat.
Once all the blood was drained out of the bag, Ambre opened her eyes, able to see clearer and hear better. Her body didn’t ache as much from sleep, or from her worries.
“Better?” Thierry asked Ambre when she was finished.
She nodded, not meeting any of their gazes. Even though they were all vampires, she still didn’t feel like she was doing something right.
“Where’s River?” she asked Thierry, suddenly remembering their conversation the night before. He had held her while she’d cried.
“Downstairs,” he replied, taking the empty bag from her. “In the workout room. He has actually been down there for a few hours. You should check on him.”
Ambre nodded and got to her feet, looking regretfully at Jasper. “I’m sorry to leave you brother,” she told him, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead.
He smiled at her and then began to move into a sitting position, propped up against the pillows. “I’ll be fine, sister.”
She then turned to Thierry. “Where is this workout room?”
“Follow the hall down to the stairs and then turn right down another hall. It’ll cut off to a separate part of the mansion,” he explained. “Its one of the rooms along the hall.”
Ambre was slightly confused, but didn’t let him know that. She just nodded a thanks and left the room.
Several minutes had passed just trying to find the room where River was, however she did find it with only a little confusion. It definitely wasn’t too hard to follow the loud pounding of music that could be heard far down the hall.
When she opened the door to the large workout area, nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see.
Heavy beats of drums and guitars hit her ears full force as she stepped into the room. River stood in the center of the mats placed about the large room with his back to her, squaring off with the punching bag that hung from the ceiling.
From where she stood near the door, she could see the sweat glistening off his bare back and shoulders, the muscles moving in time with his quick movements.
River was hitting the punching bag with all his might, feral sounds coming from him as he hit it over and over. Ambre could do nothing but watch as he backed away and then kicked up a leg, slamming it forcefully and sending the bag spinning backward.
Ambre knew her fight with him earlier back at the castle had been nothing compared to what he could really deal out if necessary in a fight.
The music droned on loudly and it was obvious he didn’t hear her come in.
She moved across the room carefully, going over to the device where all the music came from. She reached down to look at the thing, finding the off button and pressing it… Just as River let out a growl after throwing his last punch.
The sound echoed in the room and Ambre straightened, turning to look at River. He spun quickly around, his eyes fierce in a face of stone.
His expression softened when he saw her and they both stood there a moment staring at one another.
Ambre let her eyes rove about his body. River wore only a pair of gray sweatpants, his broad chest glistened of sweat like the rest of him. He was magnificent, a statue come to life.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” he said softly, the sound traveling across the silence of the room.
“No, I don’t suppose you did,” she agreed, walking toward him.
“You look…” His voice trailed off as he looked her over. “Better. Yet you’re still in the same clothes.”
She nodded and stopped when she came within a foot of him. “I awoke just a while ago.”
“You haven’t cleaned up?”
She shook her head, gesturing toward him. “Neither have you.” As soon as the words were out she regretted them. He had been working out, of course.
One corner of River’s mouth inched upward. “Yeah, I need to shower,” he drawled and then went over to a chair where he had a towel and a bottle of water laid across the seat.
He buried his face in the towel and then quickly wiped himself off of sweat. “How’s Jasper?’ he asked her as he reached to grab the water bottle and take a long drink.
“Better,” she admitted with a weak lift of her shoulder. “He’s fed already and his wounds have healed.”
River nodded. “That’s good.”
Ambre looked around the workout room. “How long have you been down here?” she asked, studying the one wall for no particular reason.
“A couple of hours,” he told her.
She looked back at him and they stared at each other a moment.
“Look, Ambre, about last night…” he began, but she cut him off.
“Don’t,” she said quickly. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said all those things about you being a killer.”
He took a few steps toward her. “Do you believe me then?”
She met his dark eyes and found herself looking down at the floor, shrugging in uncertainty.
River’s expression hardened momentarily and turned away to pull up another plastic chair for her as he took the seat next to it. “Let’s talk.”
Ambre hesitated a moment before setting herself down near him. She studied his profile while he quietly drank from the bottle of water.
“What?” he asked her, still casting his gaze away.
She shrugged and looked down at the floor. What was she supposed to say now? She knew this attraction between her and River was probably just a reason for all the excitement going on. It had to be.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked softly, pushing her foot into the floor as a distraction from looking at him.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed River shrug. “Maybe why you’re so angry with me.”
Ambre blew out her breath and looked across the workout room. “You are a hunter, a human. I am a vampire. What more is there to explain?”
She heard rather than saw River turn in his chair to look at her. “Don’t lie to me, woman. This isn’t about the whole vampire-hunter thing. This is about us.”
She feigned confusion and turned to look at him. “What are you talking about?”
His eyes narrowed. “You know goddamn well what I’m talking about,” he said quietly, his words packing a punch.
“There is no ‘us’, River,” she snapped, anger heightening between them. “There never has been and there never will be.”
“Bullshit!” he yelled. “You want to explain to me why you hugged me when you saw me last night? Or maybe why you kissed me a few days ago.”
She felt her face heat up and she began to push herself out of the chair, but his arm went out and brought her back down.
Ambre turned to glare at him, angry that he thought he knew her so much. “I don’t love you if that’s what you mean.”
River laughed, but there was no humor in the act, just bitterness. “Not yet. But you will,” he told her, promising. “You think what you’re feeling is just an infatuation? It’s more than that and we both know it.”
Ambre pulled her arm from the grip he still had on her and stood up, stepping away from him before he could grab her again. She felt sudden tears fill up in her eyes, tired of her emotions coming out so easily these past few days. “Don’t,” she said softly, trying her hardest to sound firm.
River stood up and came up behind her, placing his large hands on her delicate pale shoulder. “Look at me, Ambre.”
He stepped in front of her and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Why are you so scared?” His voice was suddenly more soft than before.
She could feel her lips trembling and she turned her head away, breaking their contact. “I’m not,” she lied.
She could hear him take a deep breath and he took a step closer to her, the heat from his body warming her. “I love you.”
A soft sob escaped her and she covered her mouth. No, he couldn’t love her! It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right. No one was supposed make her feel the same way.
“I know I’m not exactly what you had in mind,” River spoke softly, laying his hands back on her shoulders. “I’m more of a monster than any other vampire out there. I don’t expect you to even trust me, but I want you find it in your heart to at least love me, too.”
Ambre cried harder, knowing that she already did love him.
River moved to pull her into an embrace, but she pushed away from him and ran across the room to the door, pulling it open and feeing before he could stop her.
River cursed himself as he watched Ambre go. His gut twisted as he heard the door close behind her. He longed to go after her, make her love him in return, make her see what he was promising.
He turned away to sit back on the chair, resting his arms on his knees and staring at the floor. He knew what he felt and if wasn’t love than it was something very near close to it.
After he’d left her room at dawn he'd gone back in to help Thierry with Jasper and then slept in a separate guest room. Although he’d found he wasn't tired. All he could think about was her, the way she’d brokenly asked him to help her find her family, how he’d held her as she cried.
River wanted nothing but for her to believe him. He wanted to give Ambre everything if it meant gaining her trust, but more importantly her love.
And now he’d watched her run, again. Did she honestly think she could keep running from him forever? They both knew she’d have to face these feelings just like he was.
A few hours later Ambre resided in the upstairs study where Thierry, Jasper and her had all met in the night before. She’d come in there to get away for a while after sitting by Jasper’s side.
She sat there staring into the fireplace, thinking about what River had said to her. He loved her and she knew she was falling for him as well.
Ambre felt embarrassed for running away like that, but she’d needed to get away, stop herself before she admitted to loving him as well. It was foolish and wrong to leave him like that, but she’d been left with no other choice.
Suddenly the door opened behind her and she swung her head around to see Thierry walking into the room. He smiled politely at her without saying anything and sat down in the chair next to her.
“Mind if I join you? Or is this a private party?”
Ambre found herself smiling and she shook her head. “No, I can be alone with you here.”
They both turned their gazes to the blazing fire crackling underneath the hearth.
“Why are you alone in here anyway?” Thierry asked her, an inquiring look in his eyes.
She lifted one shoulder weakly. “I needed some space,” she told him truthfully.
“It’s a good thing you are in a mansion then, cheri,”
Ambre looked back into the flames of the fire, wondering why he’d used the endearment.
“Could the reason be you wanted to get away from Monsieur Danielson?” Thierry asked quietly.
Ambre turned her gaze back to him, but he was staring into the fire. “Maybe,” she admitted.
“Did you come to a – how do you say? – disagreement?”
Ambre frowned as she studied his handsome profile. “I don’t see how it is any business of yours,” she said snidely.
Thierry’s mouth twitched in amusement as he looked back at her. “Excusez-moi, Mademoiselle. I did not mean to sound rude.” Though he didn’t look apologetic at all.
Ambre sighed. “I guess you could say a disagreement happened between us.”
“Do you wish to share with me?”
Shrugging, she decided to confess to him anyway, although she wasn’t exactly sure why. “It’s mainly because…” she let her voice trail off as she looked over at him. “River told me he loved me.”
Thierry’s eyebrows shot up. “Truly?”
“Yes, and I’m not sure that I feel that way.”
“Yet you are hiding from him,” he pointed out. “Did you tell him you did not feel that way?”
Ambre shook her head. “I just left.”
Thierry made a noise in the back of his throat and she looked at him in question. “What is it?”
“You do not love him?” he asked.
“No,” she lied.
“Yet you did not tell him this.”
Ambre blew out her breath in frustration. “Yes.”
Thierry looked at her intently. “You must tell him, Ambre, before he has it in his head that you do love him.”
But I do! She thought to herself.
“I don’t know how I feel,” she said quietly, going back to looking at the fire.
There was a pause and then Thierry said softly, “Would you ever consider a man like myself?”
Ambre whipped her head around to look at him. “Thierry… I mean, Mr. Rousseau, I hardly know you.”
“Marriage’s have happened a lot faster,” he pointed out to her.
Her eyes shot wide. “Marriage?” she squeaked.
Thierry nodded and got up from the chair to move toward her. “I am in desperate need of a wife, Ambre. There are not as many youthful – and beautiful – vampires left, I am afraid.”
She stood up, too, moving away from him to distance the space between them. “Listen,” she said when she was at least five feet from him. “You are a very handsome man, Thierry, and I’m flattered, but I do not see you in that way, I'm sorry.”
His wide, muscled shoulders fell and he looked at her sadly. “Its because of him, isn’t it?”
She knew he meant River. “It’s because I hardly know you.”
“But if he wasn’t in the picture you would reconsider?” Thierry asked, looking warily at her.
Ambre frowned. “Perhaps, yes. But unfortunately River is in the picture.”
“I thought you said you didn’t love him.”
She rubbed her bare upper arms and shrugged. “Its complicated, Thierry.”
He took another step toward her. “Then let me uncomplicate it.”
She put up a hand and he came to a stop. “I’m sorry. Really, I’m just not attracted to you in that way.”
“You mean, you’re not attracted to me like you are to him,” he said quietly, looking down at the floor.
Ambre’s heart caught at the way he looked. Thierry was no doubt very lonely, especially with living in a mansion all by himself and being immortal. “Exactly.”
He lifted his head to look at her, smiling sadly. “Then I guess you should go tell him you love him.”
She returned the sad smile and turned toward the door. “Yes, I suppose I should.”
She opened the door and went to leave, but his voice stopped her.
“He is a lucky man,” Thierry told her as he stared into the fire. “From what I’ve already seen, you are a magnificent woman, Ambre Moreau.”
She nodded to him for the wonderful compliment. And then she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
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