Chapter 4
She smiled coldly at him. He swallowed hard, unable to move as she walked towards him. Suddenly he was shaking, shaking so bad he thought he'd pass out. Why was he so scared of her?
"Relax Alex, no need to be scared."
That voice, that voice...it was familiar.
"Calm down, you're gonna pass out."
He forced himself to take a step back.
"Alex..."
He looked into her eyes and felt a sudden chill take him. "H-how, did you know my name?" he stuttered.
She tilted her to the side. "There's a lot I know about you Alex."
"Wha-what are you gonna do...to me?"
"I think first, you need to relax. If we're to have conversation, I need for you to stop screwing around and actually speak."
He blinked, and tried to make himself relax. It wasn't working. Something about her was making him nervous like this. She sighed.
"I can help with that if you want me to."
His eyes widened. "H-help?"
"Damn humans." She muttered, reaching her hand out towards his head. He jumped, his eyes never leaving hers. "Shh now. Shhh..." She whispered, placing her hand on his forehead gently.
He continued to stare at her as the fear suddenly seeped from him, his focus becoming more acute, the mist rising from his head. She dropped her hand and he shook his head and looked back up at her.
"What in the hell did you just do to me? Are you some kinda witch and shit?"
She smiled weakly. "That's better, and no, I'm no witch. You could only be so lucky. Shall I introduce myself? My name's Araida."
"Aradia." AJ muttered.
"That's right. Ugh, I can't stand this, take your glasses off."
He stopped, where had he heard that before?
"Take your glasses off..."
His gaze flew to her. "It was you!"
"Me?"
"In my truck last night, you were there!"
A slow smile spread over her face.
"Son of a bitch!" AJ yelled.
"Now now, no need to get nasty. I was just having a little fun, no harm done."
"No harm done! I almost fuckin' killed myself and you say no harm done! Screw you!" AJ yelled.
"I wouldn't have let you die, if I wanted you dead, I would've killed you myself. Relax Alex." Yeah, if only she could bring herself to look in his eyes.
"Relax my ass! Stay the fuck away from me, got it!" He turned to leave the alley and suddenly she was there in front of him. "H-how..."
"I'm not finished with you yet. Don't toy with me asshole. I can cause you more pain than you can imagine." She whispered coldly. "I was trying to be nice, but we can do this the hard way if you like." "I...I..."
She walked towards him again, she could do this. She could end it and she didn't have to offer him the gift. "I told you to take your glasses...off." She reached up and snatched the sunglasses off his face, crushing them in her hands. "Much better."
He backed away from her again.
"Are we back to that again? Come on Alex...or do you prefer AJ better? That's what the rest of the guys and your fans call you right?"
"You...know about them?"
"Like I said, I know a lot about you. I guess I should explain, incase you haven't guessed, which I'm sure you have, I'm a vampire."
"That's not funny man."
"It wasn't meant to be funny Ale...AJ."
"Then don't say that!"
She stared at him. "You don't like the truth."
"It's not the truth, you're a damn liar." Her eyes darkened.
"One thing I'm not, is a liar." She moved quickly then, grabbing him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. She felt her canines growing longer, her eyes dilating and focusing on him. She could feel the fear coursing through him. "Is this better, does this help you?" She growled. "Cause I have no problem continuing just like this if it's what you want."
"N-no, please, please let me go." He gasped. He crumbled to the ground, gasping for air. He looked up at her to see her staring down at him calmly.
"If you're ready, we'll continue."
He quickly made his way over to the wall, leaning up against it, he nodded.
"Good. Now, I'm here to offer you something. An offer that will change your life forever."
He looked at her. "What kind of offer?"
She stared at him for a moment. "Are you happy with your life Alex?"
"What?"
"You heard me, are you happy with your life?"
"I, of course I am."
"Hmm, why do I get the feeling that you're not? That sometimes you wish it was all over just so that you could be Alex again? You sit at home sometimes, longing to get away where no one knows you. Lock the doors and stay inside your own world. All the screams and cameras long gone, and it'd be you and only you. It's what you want."
He looked away; she knew his thoughts, his exact thoughts.
"Alex, I can do it. I can give that to you."
His eyes flew to hers. "What?"
"I can make it happen. I can make it all disappear, no more fans, no more press. Just you. If you want it Alex."
"I, can't do that. I can't. The guys need me."
"What about what you need?" This was gonna be easy. Just as long as she didn't get close to him, they'd both get what they want. Her, dinner and him the kind of solitude he only dreamed of.
"I need this, I need to do what I do. I'm lost without it."
"What if what I offered you, could take that need away. Would no longer make it necessary to go on."
"Aradia, what is this offer?"
"Simple Alex. Make you a vampire like me."
Oh god no, there was no way. "You're off your rocker. There's no way in hell."
"Well it's either that or my second offer."
"Which is?"
"Death."
"Death!"
"Yeah. See it's like this. If you don't become a vampire, then I'll just have to kill you like I should've last night."
"Why didn't you?"
"I'm not sure. No matter, I can do it now if ya like."
"No! I don't wanna die!"
"Great, then let's get started."
"No! I'm not becomin' no blood sucker either!"
"Alllllex! Come on! You're not making this easy!" She frowned. "Please?"
"No! Leave me alone."
She watched as he started to walk away, and she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Alex, wait."
He turned. "What?"
"Please, just..." She looked at him and there it was again, that feeling. Damnit! "I don't...I don't want to hurt you, I don't want you to be like me either, but there's no choice. No other way for it to stop." She whispered.
"What to stop? What are you talking about?" He was looking directly at her now, his brown eyes tender and questioning.
"The...feelings. I can't make them go away. The only thing to do is to either make you one, or kill you."
"Why? Why are those the only two choices?"
She jerked away. "There are no other choices."
"You sure about that? What are you feeling?"
"Nevermind, it's not important."
"I feel them too."
"What? You can't. You're scared shitless of me."
"I wasn't scared last night, when you were touching me, caressing me. No, I was anything but scared."
"Alex...don't."
"Don't what? Tell you what you did to me, how you aroused me with just a simple touch of your hand?"
He wasn't doing this to her, he couldn't. She stepped back. "Stop."
"I've been trying not to think about it, but I can't help it. There's something about you."
"It's the mind control, we can use mind control to make you feel certain things."
"You used it on yourself too?" He stared at her.
She said nothing, but looked away. "Please Alex...please." She backed up again as he came forward, taking her by the hand and pulling her close to him. He looked into her eyes, the warmth rushed over her.
"Do you feel that?"
"N-no...I don't feel anything."
AJ smiled. "What would happen if I kissed you?" He whispered.
"No! Stop it!" She tried to pull away, but was suddenly very weak.
"Hmm...I wonder." He watched as her eyes widened as he gently lowered his lips to hers.
