TAINTED BY THE VAMPIRE

Chapter 1

Clara's POV

"Why do I have to go with you to this party again" I asked for the 5th time.

"Oh darling, I'm doing this for you!" Lydia groaned.

"How?!" I exclaimed.

Here I was, almost freezing to death, walking to a strange party in the middle of the night, when I had a mountain of books to read and a ton of assignments to do!

Sorry but I could not for the life of me see how any of this was for my benefit. It was supposed to be a short stroll to the venue, but it was so cold outside that it felt like I've been walking since eternity.

Don't get me wrong, I love my roommate….. sometimes, and right now tonight wasn't part of those times.

"You can't fall in love with your books Clara" she replied.

"Well that's exactly what I have been doing so far and it has been quite alright," I informed her.

"Quit alright shouldn't be enough! You have to actually go out and meet someone, a living breathing being!" She groaned.

"That's why I have you darling" I pointed out.

"Not me dummy, I mean someone that would make that big heart of yours beat faster like never before, someone that can sweep you off your feet and show you what real, passionate love is," she explained.

"Erm you do all that already love," I teased, giving her my cutest smile.

"Gosh you can be so hopeless sometimes Clara," she groaned, apparently frustrated with me.

"That's why you love me girl," I replied, giving her my most wicked wink.

She just shook her head, put her hand in the pocket of denim jacket and continued walking.

I knew what she was talking about. Of course I have fantasised about that perfect relationship with that perfect man.

However, so far all I have gotten were broken hearts and boys that refused to commit to anything other than a good time.

I was tired of the games and the lies and everything that came with dating. Even if I would date right now, then a perfect gentleman was the only thing on my list.

Someone reliable, trustworthy, gentle, a nice guy was what I needed right now and I'm sure I wouldn't find that in a college party of all places.

Still I was having a hard time making my hopeless romantic of a roommate turned best friend see reasons with me.

If it was up to her I would have hooked up with every Tom, Dick and Harry and that would still not be enough!

I couldn't do that, I have rules to follow, I had past experiences that I could not forget, and of course there was the voice of my ever loving mother ringing in my ears that I had to choose carefully and wisely when it comes to boys.

"Never make the mistake I made" she would always say like a broken record.

She chose a reckless, wicked lover who ran away when he knew she was pregnant because he could not handle the responsibility and he never looked back…. Well he's dead now but he left scars too deep to ignore. Funny how the dead still holds so much influence in someone's life.

He was never good to my mum, or so she said, but still she loved him till death and always hoped that he would come back to her.

There was a time when she said their love was "fire mixed with electricity" and the 15 year old me then was trying to comprehend how that could ever mix up.

Even now I still could not understand how she could love someone so unstable and unreliable. Someone who chose to run away from being with me. Someone who abandoned us in this big bad world, someone so selfish.

Well I could never understand love in real life, so I turned to my romance novels and I found immense solace in them.

I could always relate with the characters and I tried to put myself in their shoes and wonder what I would have done differently if I was in their shoes, other times I just relished every bit of their story.

However, nosy overbearing Lydia, whom I still love, decided to rip me off my comfort and throw me into the cold hard night.

At last I could hear the sound of music and a scary mansion beaming with wild neon lights was right ahead of us.

"Finally!" I groaned, absolutely sure that this had to be the place as there was literally no sign of any other buildings around. I was so cold and my long sleeve top was of no use.

I should have brought a jacket but I was literally dragged away from the room before I could dress appropriately.

"Don't be a whiner Clara, it wasn't that far," Lydia said, looking over me like I was being a drama queen.

"It wasn't so close by either like you said," I told her, "and you know I'm no whiner," I pointed out.

I stared back at her, daring her to deny it. Actually I was waiting for any excuse to go back to my room and the books and she just might be giving me that on a platter of gold.

"Okay love, I'm sorry for slightly misinforming you, but it is for your own good I promise" she finally admitted.

Obviously she got a hint of what I wanted or maybe she genuinely felt like owning up to her mistakes, either way it did not matter, I still could not get myself out of going to this party.

Well I was already here, might as well try to have a good time.

"You talk like you're not here to have fun too," I told her.

"Of course I'm going to have fun! It's a party!" She groaned, "now come and let's go in looking like two drop dead gorgeous fashionably late queens," she said, taking my arm in hers and strutting towards the mansion.

"Well I don't know about all that, but I can definitely agree to us being late," I pointed out.

Still I held her close and watched as she shook her head at me like I was some lost cause.

***

"I said what do you do for fun?!" The blonde boy in front of me practically screamed at me.

"I read!" I screamed back.

It took a moment for him to understand what I said and by the time he could, it was obvious he was in a state of total confusion.

I guess he was trying to understand how reading could be a hobby. He looked like the dumb fitness conscious type, with all his muscles and good looks. I was not ready to stereotype him but the 15 seconds spent with him already was enough for me.

The music was loud, deafening loud and I was finding it really hard to hear properly. I was not a fan of loud noise at all, plus it gave the blonde boy a reason to get too close to me all in the guise of him trying to communicate with me… like he could hold a conversation with me.

"What about you?" I asked, just to be courteous.

"Uh" he asked, like he was already miles away. I could see him staring down a pretty girl in the corner and I internally groaned.

"What do you do for fun?" I asked, still trying to be polite.

"Well the norms, chill, party, have a good time," he replied, winking after the good time part like he was suggesting something nasty.

I just nodded. I had no reply to that. It was obvious that I would never have an intelligent conversation with this dude as it seems all he had going for him was his looks.

I was running out of patience and wanted this fake conversation to be over.

Lydia was the reason I was in this mess! The moment we stepped in this place she practically ditched me but not before introducing me to the pretty blonde dude.

She was the one that didn't care about anything apart from looks, she knew I was not that way, still she successfully made the party terrible for me before it even began.

I just smiled at the dude, just because I didn't want to be rude and I honestly had nothing to say to him.

However somewhere in that mind of his he thought my reaction was an invitation and moved closer to me than before.

In a flash I was practically flesh to flesh with him and then he whispered to my ears "want to go upstairs for some fun?"

I have never been so disgusted! He was giving me that sly smile but I could feel my insides churning with disdain.

I tried to push him away but he was like solid rock held in place.

"Don't try to play dumb girl, I know you're too smart for that, let's just have some real fun alright?" He said.

He still had that stupid smile plastered in his face and I could not believe that this was happening to me.

Sensible, careful, responsible, intelligent Clara Shawn. Never did I imagine that something like this would ever happen to me.

I looked around and it was like everyone else was in a world of their own, having the time of their life in the mansion.

Screaming wouldn't help me here. The music was so loud that even my scream would sound like a whisper and I naturally had a gentle voice.

Still I had to do something to get myself out of this madness. I tried pushing him away harder but he didn't bulge to I said the the most serious voice possible,

"I'm not going to say this twice, get your filthy hands….." I could not finish that sentence.

Suddenly the heavy weight of Mr muscle was pushed away and I could see him being flunge to the other side of the room like he was a piece of paper.

Suddenly the music stopped and all eyes were on me. I guess that was the only way I could get their attention.

Mr muscle was sprawled on the ground, definitely unconscious and I was staring at the ground like it was the only thing I could look at.

I was shocked, relieved, embarrassed all at once.

Then I saw a pair of feet in black stockings and I couldn't not help but wonder who would come to a party in socks.

I was intrigued. I looked up and saw the person who saved me. He was the palest being I have ever seen with the darkest features possible. He was also incredibly handsome, I had never imagined that someone could look that good.

Even his lips were pale but it looked sexier than the pinkest lips I have ever seen. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a very dark aura.

He was staring at me too, but it was like he could see my soul, like he could see past my facade.

I could not take it anymore so I ran away, I wasn't sure where I was running to, but I just had to get away from all the looks.

Somewhere in this mansion there had to be a place where I could cry alone.