Kings of War

He was going to kill her. Abso-fucking-lutely kill her. He'd given her a direct order, one that wasn't even particularly difficult and she hadn't followed it. Of course, the fact that she had saved him hadn't been forgotten. The sound of the gunshot and the last rattling breaths of the enemy had been what alerted him to her presence, the gun hefted up against her shoulder. He hadn't seen her up until that moment, and fear and anger had pulsed through him. It was a bad place for her to be, totally unsafe, and he was furious that she hadn't obeyed him. He gave orders for a reason, not just because he liked to hear himself talk. If it had been anybody else, he would have simply let them fight and die. But not Eli. Not his Eli.

He heard the gunshot crack through the air, above the roar of the battle and the bullet pierce her skin as if it was in slow motion. He reached for her, but couldn't catch her before she hit the ground. Her mouth was parted in both fear and pain as he rushed to her side, more panicked than he had ever been. The bullet had hit her square in the back, come out near her stomach. Blood seeped through her clothing and stained the ground, but all she could do was blink at him and struggle to breathe. He could feel her life draining away from her as her breath became feebler, her heartbeat weakened. He felt tears sting at his own eyes, but refused to let them fall. Crying was for little girls and pussies, and he wasn't either of them. Real men dealt with things instead of crying over it, as he had always been told.

There was no choice in the matter. He wouldn't sit and watch her slip away from him until she was nothing but an empty shell. He needed her. As much as he denied it, he couldn't live without her. He would never get over her. He propped her up against his knee, tilting her head back to expose her throat. "This is going to hurt," Shaun murmured, dipping his head to press his lips against the artery. Its throbs were fading, becoming weaker as it pumped blood from her body. She didn't have long. He would have to do it here and now.

The knights did their job as the battle raged around him, but it was out of his mind for the time being. Eli was more important; it was as if nothing else existed to him. He brushed his fangs over her neck, sinking them into her pallid flesh without hesitation. The flow of blood was certainly weak, but that wasn't what he was after. He wasn't feeding on her; he was saving her the only way he knew how. He had to make her vampire. Her body tensed as the venom entered her, burning through her veins and causing her to cry out in anguish. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Eli, I know it hurts," he murmured. Guilt flowed through him at the sight of her convulsing body. He knew the pain well; it was the worst he had ever felt. Like fire burning through him, unrelenting and neverending. He felt horrible that he had to do it to her with nothing to dull the pain, but it was the only hope he had. He didn't think he had ever apologized and meant it like he did now.

Using the points of his fangs, he scored his wrist enough so that the blood flowed freely and held it to her lips. "Drink it," He commanded, holding her close to him as another convulsion rocked her body. She hesitated, glassy eyes peering towards him for a moment and threatening to roll back in her head. "Dammit, Eli! Drink it!" His voice rose an octave in panic, and finally she drank deeply, swallowing great mouthfuls of his blood.

The blood flow from her wound seemed to slow, nearly cease altogether and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he gathered her into his arms. She seemed paralyzed, body completely still and cold. He had killed her; but not the kind of death that would leave her body to rot in the ground. Death that would grant her eternal life, once it was done with the excruciating pain. Holding her to his chest, he rocked her limp form back and forth. "I'm sorry, Eli." he repeated, throat tight. "I'm sorry."