He moved slowly towards her, and Isabella watched him. This was the first time she had ever seen him… Scared. Yeah, that was definitely how he looked. When he was in front of her, he took her hand in his.
“That day we met” he began, rubbing her palm with his thumb. Isabella felt the familiar curl in her toes. The kind she always felt whenever he touched her but ignored it. This was not the time to feel like that. “You had a cut on your hand from a broken glass”
Isabella shook her head and he gave her a small smile.
“I know you don’t remember” he said, “But that’s only because I made you forget.”
“That’s ridiculous” she said, and tried to pull her hand away but he held on.
“Let me show you” He lifted his hand to her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I want you to remember everything that happened that night” he said simply.
Isabella closed her eyes and breathed deeply as the memories came rushing back in full force, like a door in her mind had just opened up. She gasped as she opened her eyes and moved away from him, taking several steps backward
“How did you do that?” she asked, clearly confused, “Did you put something in my drink that night”
“I already told you how” Samson replied. “Look, I know that it’s probably a lot to take in but I need you to trust me”
Trust him! The man had to be kidding. She didn’t even know what exactly was happening and he was demanding her trust? Nothing about their relationship had been true in the first place.
A hard knock on the door distracted them.
“What exactly is going on in there, Samson” Mark’s voice said. “We have wasted enough time already. Are we going or not?”
“Come in” Samson said, with a hurtful note in his voice and the door opened. Mark, Vanessa and Raymond stood outside. They all looked impatient. It was Mark who spoke.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“Is everything alright?” Vanessa asked, as she noticed the disturbed expression in Isabella’s face.
“I told her” Samson said simply, his eyes focused on the floor. They all looked confused, but it was Mark who got it first.
“You told her what?” Mark asked angrily with his voice raised. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? As if we don’t have enough problems already? What is the matter with you? You are clearly not thinking straight. In fact, I don’t think you have been thinking at all since you met her, because I do not understand the man you have become lately. So Damm soft and…. ”
Vanessa put a hand on Mark’s shoulder to stop him.” Calm down honey,” she said,”Yelling isn’t going to help anyone here. Why don’t we give Samson a chance to talk to us. What exactly did he tell Isabella?”
“He said he’s a vampire” Isabella said as she stood with her arms wrapped around herself. “That’s crazy right?” she asked Vanessa, needing someone to agree with her that Samson had finally lost it.
She got no reply from Vanessa, whose eyes were on Samson. “You told her?” she asked him.
“I had to” Samson replied. “Maybe I shouldn’t have but I… I ermmm… I had to so I couldn’t make her understand”
“You know there’s an alternative right?” Raymond chipped in. “That’s why we have compulsion”
“Yeah Samson. What’s the matter with you?” Mark said. “Why didn’t you just compel her and fix everything without all this drama”
“I don’t want to do that” Samson thundered, glaring at Mark. “I already did it before and it… It didn’t feel right”
Vanessa squeezed Mark’s shoulder. As she noticed that he was getting pissed even more. “It’s not so bad” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “If Samson feels comfortable telling her about it, then maybe it’s okay. Sometimes we just have to trust how we feel you know. You should understand. We have been there before”
Isabella was tired of being talked about as if she wasn’t in the room. As far as she was concerned, they were all crazy and she wasn’t going to be a part of this anymore.
“I’m leaving” she said.
“If he won’t compel her, then I will” Mark said as he began to walk towards her.
Fury shot through Samson as soon as Mark touched Isabella. Without thinking Samson lunged at him, and with a loud thud they both crashed onto the hard floor.
“Don’t touch her!” Samson’s scream echoed in the room. He flashed his fangs and snarled, pinning Mark underneath him as he pummeled him with his fists. His friend’s arms came up in defense, trying to shield his face.
“Stop!” But Mark’s voice was drowned out by Samson’s fierce roar. Samson’s fist connected with his friend’s jaw once more. Deflecting his next blow, Mark held him at bay.
“Samson!” Isabella and Vanessa’s voices finally penetrated his head.
“Stop it, both of you. Stop it,” Vanessa yelled.
“Samson! What’s is wrong with you?” said Isabella.
He jerked his head and instantly knew he shouldn’t have turned toward her when he saw her reaction him. In his daze he’d forgotten about everything. He hadn’t realized what she’d see: his vampire side. He planned to show her later of course, but definitely not like this, especially when she wasn’t even okay with the compulsion part.
Isabella shrieked, eyes wide, mouth open, her hand holding onto the table as she backed away from them.
“Oh my god!” Her chest heaved as if she couldn’t get enough air. “Oh my god, you are… You are… what are you?”
It wasn’t really a question. It was more of a statement. He already told her, but that was different. Now she was seeing it and Samson knew that he was so screwed.
____________
Samson’s eyes were red. Blinking freaking red! Isabella couldn’t believe her eyes. She wasn’t dreaming, as much as she’d wanted to explain it away. But she couldn’t explain it away, not when she looked at his mouth from which two teeth were protruding now.
No, not teeth.
Fangs!
Pointy, sharp fangs like those of an animal. Like a Sabertooth tiger. She couldn’t think it, no, because to think it made it real. It couldn’t be real. It didn’t exist. He didn’t exist, not like that.