The Gothic Chronicles - Brianna Aquilina (best beach reads TXT) 📗

Snow was your average teenage Goth girl. She had plenty of Goth friends. She got good grades. But all of this changed when she met Vladimir Tod. Vlad was the new boy at the club Snow and her friends hang out at. And like some of the guys at the club, Vlad was mysterious, but in a different way. Snow fell for him immediately. But there is one thing she doesn’t know about Vlad. He’s a vampire. And will he be her love, or her death…

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Chapter 1:
Valentine’s Day

My life will never be the same.
I keep thinking about him. Wondering if he’s okay. I keep getting this feeling he’s hurt and I can’t get to him.
His name… is Vladimir Tod.
I don’t remember much about what happened. I remember my father. He was drunk and he was abusing me, again. I also remember Vlad scaring him off (but I don’t know how). Then after I hugged him it’s all a big haze.
Later that night I wake up on the hard pavement dazed. I stretched weak for some reason. I rubbed my throat because it was really sore. My head also hurt from hitting the ground so hard.
I looked up at Vlad and asked, “Vlad? W-what happened? D-did I fall?”
He nodded, looking scared for some reason-of what? of me? - and walked away.
After he left I went back into the Crypt and looked for my best friend-October.
When I found her she ran up to me and asked me, “What happened? You were gone a long time are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little bit dizzy. And I don’t know what happened. I remember my dad being drunk and beating me. Then Vlad stopped him. I don’t know how he did it and when I asked him where my dad went he said he convinced him to go home and sleep it off. After that I hugged him because I was so happy, and then the next thing I know I’m dazed, weak, and laying on the pavement,” I said.
“Speaking of Vlad- where is he?” October asked.
I said, “I don’t know. He just sort of walked off.”
Then she said, “Okay, let’s get you home.”
“Okay,” I said.

That night I kept dreaming about Vlad. His dark eyes. The curve of his lip. His strong bone structure. And his hair. His hair that felt like silk in my hands. And finally his… teeth? No teeth, fangs. Fangs as sharp as razors. Fangs that looked like they could tear your throat out. Fangs that are so like a cats canines, you would want to pet him.
Then he kissed my cheek. Then my jaw line. And then, when Vlad kissed my throat, he bit down and I could feel the blood being drawn from my body. I grew weaker as he grew stronger. Then he wrapped his arms around me as he fed and I went slack in his embrace. He kept drinking and drinking until he had taken most of my life giving blood. At that point I was out cold from blood loss.
Vlad is a vampire! Awesome!
I mean, I already knew he was because he told us. But to be bitten by him… it was like heaven on earth.
It was the best night of my life!

Chapter 2:
The Discussion

I stepped out of The Crypt into the back alley where stood Vlad, waiting for me. The moment I saw him my pulse quickened ten times its normal pace.
In the past few months all I could think about was him and that bite. It never once slipped my mind.
Outside it was scolding hot. The beads of sweat on his forehead seemed to make him glow.
Vlad cleared his throat but did not speak.
As I approached him, he seemed to notice I was gliding dreamily toward him, my steps never once cautioning in the least.
Then he said, “Thank you for meeting me. I needed to apologize to you, Snow. I did something I’m not proud of and I can’t go into details but-”
“You mean when you fed from me?” I asked.
Vlad looked as if he didn’t understand. “You…you remember that?”
I nodded, my lips spread into a grin, “Remember it? I’ll never forget it! It was great. I mean, at first I was confused. But after the fog lifted, it’s all I can think about!"
He frowned and asked, “You didn’t tell anyone, did you?”
I was insulted. I shook my head though and said, “I would never tell anyone about that night. That’s just between you and me, okay?”
Vlad stayed quiet for a long time. Finally he said, “Don’t tell anyone about me. And if a boy named Eddie Poe tries to talk to you, ignore him.”
I nodded. “Is there anything else?”
He wet his lips. “You should know that you’re my drudge now. It’s… well pretty much a vampire’s human slave. You will not be able to disobey a direct order from me.”
I mulled this over for a minute, then nodded. “I’m cool with that. Are you… hungry?”
He said, “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t feed on humans.”
“But… you are vampire, right? And you bit me. And I know you drank from me. It made me dizzy.”
Vlad said, “That was a mistake. One I don’t plan on repeating.” He inhaled and I knew he could smell my blood because he suddenly looked hungry. “No matter how good you smell.”
I stepped closer. Then carefully I swept all my hair to one side, exposing my throat to Vlad, enticing him to feed.
Vlad saw the blue vein on my neck because he suddenly looked famished and that was when I knew his will broke.
I said, “It’s okay, Vlad. It’s just between us. Feed. You need it. I can tell.”
He inhaled again and said, “It… it has to be a secret. From everyone.”
At my nod he leaned in and bit down hard into my neck. He drank deep. He wrapped his arms around me and I went slack in his embrace.
Every time. He feeds off me I get dizzy, I thought.
He kept feeding and it felt amazing.
It was paradise.

Chapter 3:
The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants!

I’m standing at the bar getting a goblet of the “vampire” energy drink when I have a feeling he’s close.
I look up and see Vlad across the room. I smile at him, meeting his eyes. I see him nod to the door leading to the back alley and then he walks toward it.
As I approach I see him talking to October.
“… talk to Snow,” I hear him say. Then I hear October say “Talk. Riiiiiiight…” and then she laughed and walked to… Henry? Huh I guess Vlad asked October to watch him for reason.
He opens the door for me. I walk through… but not before I see him lick his lips.
I lean against the wall across the alley and see him staring at my throat already. Man, he must be really hungry if he’s already looking at my throat before I even say “hi”, I thought.
I ask aloud, “It hasn’t been a month yet, has it?”
“Not yet, but I was hungry. You don’t mind, do you?” Vlad said.
I said, “Not at all.” Then as Vlad leaned in and I moved my hair out of the way, his eyes turned a weird shade of purple. I said, “Wow, your eyes are purple. Cool…”
His fangs shot from his gums and then he closed his mouth over my throat, biting down… hard. I shivered at first and then he slowed down.
I relaxed and Vlad bit down harder, opening my artery.
He was starting to hurt me now and I could barely speak. “Vlad… stop,” I said in a breathy tone.
But he wasn’t stopping. He just kept drinking. I couldn’t get a breath now. He was killing me. Vlad was actually killing me.
Why won’t he stop? I thought in fear.
Then finally he stopped. I collapsed to the ground in a heap. I could see the fear in his eyes. Fear of nearly killing me, I guessed.
I looked up at him and said in a light voice," Wow, hungry much?"
Vlad breathed out, "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. You need it Vlad," I said.
He helps me up and asks, "Are you all right?"
I nod, my arms still drapped over his shoulders. I say, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. I always feel weird after you feed, Vlad. Feels like I'm floating in a haze."
"I'm sorry," Vlad said again. His eyes looked so sad.
A smile turned on the corners of my lips. then I said, "There really is nothing to be sorry for, Vlad. I actually enjoy it. To be honest, it makes me feel close to you."
Vlad smiled, "I feel close to you, too, Snow."
I tilted my headfor a minute. "Something wrong ,Vlad? You seem kinda stressed tonight."
Vlad sighed loudly and said, "It's a lot of stuff. That Slayer I told about is back. Henry is acting way to noble for my tastes. And earlier I got the strangest feeling that Otis knew about our meetings."
"Is Otis knowing about our meetings a bad thing?" I ask.
He said, "Bad? No, more like horrible. Because if he relizes I've been lying to him..."
"Why are you lying to him, anyway, Vlad?"
He sighed, "Sometimes, I don't even know."
"It's okay, Vlad. I understand, really." Then I leaned in and kissed him. As I leaned in I saw shock on his face. He kissed me back. It felt good...
...but then he pulled back and asked, "What are you doing?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh. Kissing you."
"But...why?"
"Because I like you, Vlad. Why else? I don't just go around kissing just anyone, y'know."
I leaned in again, lips tempting him, but he pushed me back- hard.
He growled, "Stop. Just stop. Just... let me think!"
I immedietly step back and relax against the wall following my vampire master's direct orders.
He said, "I think you're confused, Snow. This...this isn't a...a..."