Chapter 14

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" Rosemary's eyes settled on you for a few seconds, scanning up and down your body, lingering on your neck and on your hands that were clasped in front of you. Then they panned over to Taehyung, whose hands were fisted at his sides. His back was ramrod straight and his jaw was clamped like he was gritting his teeth really hard.

"Rosemary." Taehyung said, his voice tight.

"It's Rosie, actually." She smiled and moved toward him, her hips swaying. Taehyung glanced at you from over her shoulder you thought you saw a flicker of panic before it disappeared, and his eyes fell flat.

"You've filled out." Rosemary said, reaching forward to touch his arm. "It's been a long time, I'll be honest, I was surprised to find that my mysterious 'old friend' was actually you."

"You can't have been that surprised." Taehyung snapped, stepping away. "You should have known I would have found you eventually." Rosemary grinned and tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose that's true. I guess... I just thought you might have forgotten or at least... moved on." She gave Taehyung a pointed look and raised one of her eyebrows. Taehyung inhaled sharply, his eyes flashing.

"Moved on? You think... you think I could move on from this? From what you did?" His voice was dangerously low, just above a whisper, and you could see his fists clenching and retracting. Rosemary chuckled and tossed her long braid over her shoulder.

"Oh, come now, I wasn't that horrible." She inspected her fingernails nonchalantly, making Taehyung bristle angrily.

"Horrible, doesn't even begin to cover what you were, considering the last time I saw you, you were driving a knife into my father's chest."

Your eyes widened and you let out a tiny gasp at Taehyung's outburst. Rosemary paused and then turned to look at you, her gaze locking onto yours. You quickly looked away, but it was too late, she'd caught you.

"Who's this?" Rosemary asked, approaching you. You swallowed hard and had to fight to keep a dazed expression on your face. You stared at the ground and saw her boots step in front of you.

"Don't worry about her." Taehyung growled. "She's just a feeder human. I keep her around because her blood is sweeter than most humans." You swallowed, fighting to keep your expression dazed.

"Oh yes, I noticed that." Rosemary took a long inhale and you resisted the overwhelming urge to wince and squeeze your hands to fists. "Is she compelled?" You felt her fingers under your chin and you nearly flinched at the cold touch. She lifted your chin and you quickly glazed your eyes over, so you were looking through her, not at her.

"Yes, of course she is. Leave her out of this." You could hear Taehyung's voice, but Rosemary didn't seem to care. Instead of backing away, she only leaned closer.

"Come on, Taehyung. Don't you remember how we used to share?" She grinned and you were blinded by the white of her teeth and sharpness of her fangs. "And this one is especially pretty." She purred.

Her fingers brushed over your neck and swiped your hair back, causing your stomach to flip and goosebumps to appear over your skin. You sincerely hoped that your unconscious body functions wouldn't give away that you weren't actually being compelled. You felt her head moved closer and you focused your eyes just as you saw her lips part and her fangs protrude out.

"Rosemary, stop!" Taehyung shouted.

Her head tilted and dipped, and you couldn't hold it in anymore. You yelped and slapped Rosemary's jaw, jerking away from her before she could bite your neck. You stumbled to the side and looked up with wild eyes as Rosemary started to laugh in delight.

"I knew there was something weird about this girl." She grinned at you, then turned back to Taehyung. "So, I guess you have moved on. I'm impressed, I never expected you to fall for a human." She reached out and gave your hair a flick, making you flinch away.

"It's not like that." Taehyung snapped. Rosemary turned to look at him, grinning triumphantly.

"It's not? Then what's it like? Who is she to you?" She gave you a curious look and smirked when you quickly avoided eye contact.

"I'm not here to answer questions about my life to you." Taehyung growled, drawing her attention back to him.

"Well, if you're not here to catch up, then why are you here?"

Rosemary turned back to Taehyung, planting her hands on her hips, surveying him carefully. Taehyung exhaled sharply and the mask fell from his face. Rage, pure and unadulterated burned in his gaze and you shivered, not wanting to be on the receiving end of that glare.

"You really have nothing to say to me?" He growled. "Nothing? After everything that happened? After what you did to me?" His expression was angry and incredulous, like he was at a loss of what to do and what to say.

"What I did? Taehyung... you and I both know we both made mistakes." Rosemary said with a knowing look. Her amused smile faded when Taehyung banged his fist on the desk behind him.

"My mistake didn't end up with you murdering my family." He shouted, making the walls shake from the thunderous volume. You shivered and backed up against the wall, unable to do anything except stare.

"Your family were vampire hunters." Rosemary said grimly, her eyes narrowing. "They would have killed me and you if they found out what you were. Don't pretend you weren't at fault." Taehyung moved forward, brandishing a finger out in front of her.

"You turned me, Rosemary, you did that. You turned my family against me. You did that on purpose." He accused, standing in front of her. Rosemary smirked and gave him a pat on his cheek, which made him jerk back like she'd burned him.

"You lavished it." She crooned puckering her lips.

"Because I was in love with you! I was in love with you and I let you manipulate me and then you killed my family!" Taehyung shouted, making you flinch again. Rosemary laughed, a booming guffaw that ripped through her throat nastily.

"Oh sweetheart, you were never in love with me. Don't kid yourself. You aren't capable of love." Rosemary turned to you and moved toward you, staring deep into your eyes. You gulped and backed away, unable to pull your gaze from her violet eyes. You hadn't noticed it earlier, but her eyes were a striking violet, very different from Taehyung's black.

"You know, don't you girly?" You sucked in a sharp breath when your back collided against the wall. Rosemary continued to walk forward, and you found yourself paralyzed under her stare. "You know that he doesn't have the capability for love." She reached out and planted her hand against the wall next to your head. You exhaled heavily and swallowed hard as her face came closer, a smirk pulling at her ruby red lips.

"Rosemary, leave her alone." You could hear Taehyung's voice. But you couldn't tear your gaze form hers.

"I told you, it's Rosie now." She smiled and tilted her head, still staring directly at you. "Impressive catch, Taehyung, she's really cute. What's your name, darling?"

You opened your mouth, but no sound came out. From this close, you could see every part of her face, every contour, every curve. She was freaking perfect with flawless skin, high angular cheekbones and a small pointed nose. Her eyes were piercing, hypnotizing, penetrating, it was impossible for you to look away or move. Your heart thudded in your chest as her head came closer and closer.

"Speechless?" She asked, her lips quirking in amusement. "Don't worry, I have that effect on people." Her hand was suddenly on your face and you gasped, flinching at the touch. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and you barely processed the motion when you heart Taehyung's growl behind you.

"Rosemary, I swear to god—"

"I don't believe in a god, Taehyung, you should know that." Rosemary pulled away from you, leaving you breathless against the wall as she turned back to Taehyung.

"So, did you come here just to yell at me? Or is this a conjugal visit?" She placed her hands on her hips and smirked, swaying her hips as she made her way closer to him. You pressed your hand on your heart and exhaled hard, not realizing that you'd been holding your breath when she'd been close to you.

"Don't patronize me, Rosemary. You know why I'm here." Taehyung snapped. You focused your attention back on them to see Rosemary's eyes light up in excitement.

"Ah, so this is about revenge. Revenge for something that happened over a century and a half ago." She chuckled and crossed her arms, looking at him condescendingly. Taehyung grunted, fisting his hands in his hair and pulling, desperately.

"You destroyed me, do you realize that?" He shouted, starting to pace agitatedly.

"Oh please, don't be so dramatic. You mean to say that you don't enjoy being immortal? You don't enjoy the hunt and the sweet taste of blood? I did you a favor." She rolled her eyes and her amusement faded. "Plus, you don't know who I am now." She said softly. She started to walk toward him slowly. "I run this bar, did you know that? I drink my blood from bags and not straight from the human's neck. I'm better now. So, the person you're so angry at? She doesn't exist anymore."

Rosemary was right up against his chest now. He seemed to be just as hypnotized as you'd been. His clenched fists and jaw told you he was trying to fight it, but the lustful look in his eyes told you he was losing the battle. Her voice was deep, velvety and impossible to resist. You could only stare as you watched her place one of her slender hands on his waist and the other reached up to caress his cheek.

"Come on, Taehyung. This visit can't have been only about revenge. You just wanted to see me, didn't you?" Rosemary dipped her face toward him, and you looked away awkwardly, feeling like you were spectating on something extremely private and intimate.

Your eyes caught on something as you looked away and you doubled back. You saw the wooden rod being pulled from Rosemary's back pocket and the image barely registered in your head when you were already running forward. Before she could raise the stake and plunge it into the oblivious male vampire pressed against her, you clamped your hands around her wrist and pulled at it, causing her to yelp in surprise and stumble.

"What the hell?" Taehyung bellowed, shoving Rosemary back. She flung her arm to the side, hitting you in the stomach and you few back, the wind blown out of you. You banged into the wall and you grimaced, sinking down to the floor, gasping for air. You looked up to see Taehyung slamming Rosemary's back into the desk, his eyes feral and fangs protruding.

"You just had to try to finish me off, didn't you? Cursing me to spend eternity feeding on humans and then killing my entire family wasn't enough for you?" Taehyung slammed her back again as Rosemary cackled with laughter. She shoved him back and he stumbled a few feet as she stood to her full height, her violet eyes gleaming delightedly.

"This is what you wanted, right? You wanted me to be the big bad villain that's to blame for all your problems. Go ahead, Taehyung, take your best shot." She grinned and Taehyung snarled clenching his hands to fists.

You were still collapsed on the ground, trying to breathe through the pressure in your stomach and your back from being flung into the wall. You watched helplessly as Taehyung and Rosemary came at each other, Rosemary brandishing the wooden stake and Taehyung dodging it at a speed you could barely follow with the naked eye.

Your eyelids fluttered as you felt your vision cloud over. How hard had she hit you?

Taehyung grunted and you tried to focus your attention back on the fight. You managed to clear your vision enough to see him snatch the wooden stake out of her hands and toss it to the side. It clattered to the ground next to where you sat and you looked over at it, blinking to keep the fuzziness away. You reached out and grabbed it, pressing the other hand against the wall as you pushed yourself to your feet, wincing slightly. You turned back to the scene of the fight and gasped when you saw Taehyung was on the ground, on his back, Rosemary sitting on top of him.

In one motion, she tilted his head, opened her mouth, revealing her fangs, and plunged her mouth into his neck. Taehyung yelped and you screamed in shock, watching as Rosemary bit down on his neck like some kind of feral beast. You launched yourself into action again running forward with the stake brandished out in front of you. You drove the stake into Rosemary's side, or you though you did, except it missed completely when she dodged at an inhuman speed.

She grabbed your arm and yanked you to the side and you yelped at the burst of pain in your shoulder. She slammed you against the wall and you cried out, dropping the stake. You opened your eyes and saw hers swimming inches from your face. You opened your mouth to scream but she clamped a hand over your mouth. She stared straight into your eyes, forcing you to maintain eye contact with her violet irises. Suddenly, you saw the color change to gold, and you realized she was trying to compel you.

"Stay out of this, girly." She whispered huskily. "Don't try to save your boyfriend, I'll finish with you later. You'll make a good dessert." You forced yourself to relax, even though you wanted to scream and scratch her face.

"Get the hell off her." Rosemary was suddenly ripped away, and you breathed in relief as Taehyung stepped in front of you, blocking a path between you and Rosemary. She launched herself back to her feet and squared up again.

"Enough, Rosemary!" Taehyung shouted, halting her motion. "Enough, alright? We'll leave." He grabbed your arm from behind and you stared at it, surprised to see it was coated in blood. You looked up and gaped at the gushing wound on his neck, but he didn't falter at all.

"We'll go. You can stop this." He pulled you closer and started to edge out of the office. Rosemary brushed herself up and placed a cruel smirk on her face as Taehyung circled her until he was at the door, with you shuffling behind him.

"Well, I must say, this visit has been more than satisfactory." Rosemary grinned, wiping at the blood dripping from her mouth. "Feel free to come back any time." She met your gaze and gave you a wink just as Taehyung pulled you out, leaving the ruthless vampire behind.

Taehyung yanked you through the bar without looking at anyone and you kept your head down, following him a little dazed. You barely noticed when you were suddenly outside, but then covered again as you walked under the parking garage. Taehyung didn't release your arm until you were standing next to the car on the driver's side.

"Shit..." You could hear him pacing and swearing behind you and you turned around to lean against the car door. You watched as he paced up and down in front of you, wringing his hands in his hair, wiping at the gash in his neck, which only seemed to make him more and more bloody.

"God fucking damn it...." He threw his arms up and slapped them on his thighs, shaking his head. He was freaking out and going crazy, it didn't take much to figure that out.

"Taehyung..."

"No, shut up. Stop talking." Taehyung waved a dismissive hand and you closed your mouth, watching as he continued to pace and mutter manically. You waited for a few more minutes, but his pacing only seemed to get more enthusiastic. He wasn't tiring himself out any time soon.

"Taehyung, please."

"She's...." She halted in his pacing, facing you. He panted heavily, staring at you with dark eyes. "She..." He trailed off, gritting his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked down, squeezing his hands to fists.

"You don't need to say anything, Taehyung. Come on, we need to get cleaned up. We both look like we've come out of a horror movie." You reached out for his arm, but he jerked away. He glared at you for a moment before exhaling and moving toward the car.

"I'll drive." You saw, cutting him off. You held your hand out expectantly. Taehyung looked down at your hand, then back up at your face, unmoving. You raised your eyebrows. "Give me the keys." You said firmly. Taehyung relented finally and handed you the car keys.

The two of you rounded the car and you settled in the driver's seat. Your hands were trembling as they clutched the steering wheel, but you steeled yourself. From everything that had just happened with that... monster of a vampire, Taehyung had the right to lose it. He had a right to fall apart, at least a little bit. Even though you still hated him, and you thought he was cruel and incapable of compassion, you could take over for him. You could be strong.

You drove the car to the drive thru of the closest drug store. You got antiseptic wipes, bandages, tissues and a bottle of water. Next, you drove to the closest parking lot and parked in the back where no one was around. Once parked, you got out of the car and rounded to the other side, opening Taehyung's door. he started to climb out, but you grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"No, stay. I don't want anyone to see you." Taehyung sighed, but he obeyed as you pulled out the wipes and the other supplies. You started to clean Taehyung's neck and gave him some of the wipes to clean himself. He stared at the supplies in his hands quietly, letting you tilt his head to the side so you could have better access.

"I'm sorry." You weren't sure you heard him, he spoke so quietly, so you had to ask.

"What?" Taehyung looked up at you and you were surprised to see red around his eyes.

"I didn't know that was going to happen. I'm sorry you got hurt." His voice was soft, sad, the first real kindness you'd seen in him and you had no idea how to react.

"I'm fine. You're the one with a giant gash in your neck." Taehyung let out a chuckle and you paused, your eyes drifting to his lips. It was one of the first genuine smiles you'd ever seen from him.

"So... can I ask you something?" You asked, daring to press your luck. Taehyung looked back down, allowing you to continue to clean his neck.

"Sure, whatever." He muttered.

"Why did she bite your neck?" You asked, running your finger along the bite mark in his neck. "I mean... can she even drink vampire blood? Can vampires drink vampire blood?"

"She was trying to kill me." Taehyung said, his lips turning into a frown. "Vampires can be killed with a wooden stake... but they can also die from another vampire's bite."

You were quiet for a few minutes, thinking about his words. "So why aren't you dead, then?" You asked, rubbing along his neck. Taehyung sighed.

"To kill me, she would have had to have kept biting until I stopped moving." Taehyung gave you a pointed look and you had to look away. You shivered, thinking about what would have happened if you hadn't gotten it together and gotten her off him. He'd be dead. And you would have probably been next.

You went back to your task, unraveling the bandages to you could stop the bleeding.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Taehyung asked suddenly. You blinked.

"What?"

"The truth about her. Do you want me to tell you what happened?" He repeated, looking up at you expectantly. You swallowed carefully.

"You don't have to..." It was the polite thing to say, but you really did want to know. The whole confrontation only gave you more questions instead of answers. Taehyung looked away and was quiet for a few moments as you started to bandage his neck.

"My parents were vampire hunters." He started, making you pause for a second. "Descendants of the humans who fought against the vampires in the Dark Ages. Rosemary knew about them, so she placed herself directly in their line of fire, posing as a guest in our house. She and I... we became close. I fell for her. I didn't know who she was, and I didn't know about my family. But she did. So, when I asked her to turn me, it was like a field day for her. It wasn't until a month later when she killed my entire family, did I realize the mistake I made. But by then, it was too late."

You tape the last bandage on his neck as he finished speaking. You exhaled hard, letting the information process. It was a lot. All of this was a lot. What happened at the bar was a lot and then Taehyung suddenly opening up to you was a lot. This was all just... a lot.

It was a lot to hear... which meant it was probably even worse to experience. You never knew your family, but he had. He had a whole family who were taken from him by someone he trusted, by someone he loved. No wonder he was always so angry. She had truly destroyed him and taken his innocence. On top of that, she'd cursed him to spend eternity living with that heartbreak and seething anger with no outlet. He was cruel and sadistic, but it wasn't all his fault.

You shook your head, closing your eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to feel sorry for him... for any of them. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"I... I don't know how to get home." You said gruffly, staring at the ground. Taehyung made a guttural sound and grabbed the keys out of your hands. He stood up and shoved you back so he could round the car to the driver's side.

You exhaled andclosed your eyes, closing your hands to fists to keep them from shaking. Aftertaking a few breaths, you mustered your courage and got back in the car. It was time to go home.