I come at him again, but this time Tyson’s fist meets my chest, pushing all of the air out of my lungs, forcing my body back, like I’m a rag-doll. Tyson is older and stronger than me. That much is clear as my back slams into the cement wall behind me, and I hear my head crack as it whiplashes against the cement.
I’m dazed, my vision spotting with black, but I can still see Tyson’s smile before he leans down, running his tongue along Charlie’s neck. Even though it’s dark, I can see the flash of his fangs as they sink into the neck of my soulmate.
Tyson’s eyes flutter closed, his mouth taking long pulls from Charlie. Charlie whimpers, his nails scratching against the arm holding his neck.
No, this isn’t going to happen. I can’t let this happen. I won’t let Tyson take Charlie from me.
I push my body up from the ground, holding onto the wall to steady myself. The room spins, and my vision blackens, but I don’t stop. I feel wetness at the back of my head…blood. I think I might be dying. I mean, I can’t really die, not from a head wound. But I can be temporarily incapacitated. I can’t let that happen. Not until after Charlie is safe.
Tyson doesn’t notice my slow steps towards the pair. Charlie’s eyes are on me, but his lids keep getting lower, and his blinks slow.
“It’s okay.” Charlie mouths, his voice not able to make a sound. His body is relaxing against Tyson’s.
I’m finally standing behind Tyson. “No, it’s not okay, baby. This is not okay.”
I hear the sound of Tyson’s fangs wetly retracting from Charlie’s neck in surprise. His hold on Charlie loosens, letting Charlie’s body slump to the floor, as Tyson whips around to see me.
My brain is shutting down, but I force my fist to raise and swing at Tyson’s jaw. It hits, but it’s such a soft blow it would be laughable if we weren’t in this situation.
“Really, Kip?” Tyson sighs, rubbing his jaw with a smirk. “Your boyfriend is basically dead at this point. Why are you still fighting? It’s over, I’ve won.”
I swing again, stumbling forward as I do, and catching myself from falling flat on my face at the last second.
Tyson clicks his tongue. “Sugar, come on now. This is pathetic, even for you.”
“If you think I’m so pathetic, why the hell are you so obsessed with me?” I grit out, pushing myself towards Tyson again.
“Well, you’re not bad to look at, so that’s a plus. And you’re easy to manipulate, sweetheart. You’d be the perfect companion.”
God, how did I not see how much of a fucking dick Tyson is before now?
I’m getting ready to try and swing at him again, pleading with my body and brain to work together just for a few minutes longer. I only need to make sure Charlie is safe. Please, do me a solid, and let me finish this.
My fist is set to miss, when Tyson suddenly stumbles forward, connecting with it. I glance down to see Charlie’s hand wrapped around Tyson’s ankle. Charlie smiles weakly at me, his grip loosening. Charlie must’ve caught Tyson off guard, tripping him right into my fist. When Tyson hits my fist, he bounces right off of it towards the ground.
Tyson is a big dude, and he goes down hard. His hands fly out in front of him, and as he hits the hard ground his left wrist makes an awful cracking sound. When his wrist breaks and gives way, his momentum propels him face first into the ground with acracking thud. Immediately, a small pool of blood forms underneath Tyson’s head, and he doesn’t move or make a sound.
I sink to my knees next to Charlie, letting my body fall forward until I’m laying face to face with him. I reach out a weak hand, resting it against the cold skin of his cheek.
Charlie’s eyes flutter slightly, his lids opening into a thin slit. I pull my hand back, biting into my wrist until my own blood pools in my mouth.
With the last of my strength, I reach forward and press my wrist against Charlie’s mouth. He lets out a weak moan as some of my blood drips into his mouth.
“Drink, please.” I rasp. “I can’t lose you.”
I feel the pull of Charlie sucking at my wound, drinking my blood to heal the injuries Tyson inflicted on him, as my vision darkens further and I slip into unconsciousness.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Charlie
It’s Over, Isn’t It?
Vampires are amazing. Truly. I was sure it was the end for me. I wasn’t ready, but I accepted it. What else can you do when you’re on death’s door? You can’t fight it, it won’t do you any good.
And in what I thought were my final moments, I was sad. I regretted not telling Kip that I love him. Not getting to spend more time growing our relationship. But I had come to terms with that being the way my life was going to end. I would be a blip in Kip’s long existence. A memory that fades with time, eventually to be forgotten all together.
It’s funny, but in that moment I also regretted spending so much of my time angry with the world and its people. Regrets are kind of silly, if you think about it. It’s a trick your mind plays on itself. What good do regrets do? You can’t go back in time and change the things you did, or didn’t do. Sure, you can learn from them. But only if you live to see another day.
