Chapter 67: Natacha

<p>'Keep calm, Ash,' I whispered to myself as I took Dave's small palm in my hands. It was truly a gratifying experience to feel so tall and large for once. Usually I felt quite small, even with my students, these budding teenagers.<br/>I could hear my own heartbeats so distinctly as the blood rushed through my veins. The ticking of the clock in the kitchen sounded so loud, as if my ears were pressed to it. This sense of power was exhilarating and I wondered if I would feel the same in my own body once I had fully transitioned into a full-fledged vampire.<br/><br/><br/>The Bloody Mary that Martha had served with lunch was still lingering on my breath and I thought of the mixture of vodka, olives, but instead of tomato juice I got the taste of the synthetic blood. The taste had been wonderful and the tangy flavor had made me feel energized. What would happen if it had been real blood? I bet that the kick would have been greater. <br/>But it was not the time to dwell upon that. The emerald in the ring was glowing brightly symbolizing that it was charged in energy. It was time for Dave and me to transition to our respective bodies. This was why we were in his large bedroom, sitting on the edge of his bed. It was a safer option when I thought of the violent way we had almost lost consciousness last time. It would be better to end on a comfortable bed than be thrown on the floor.<br/>With a tremulous smile, I pressed Dave's hands in mine and with my free hand I pressed the stone to the side, making it stand crookedly in its cradle like before. A flash of bright green light made me close my eyes in response and I felt myself thrown backwards on the bed.<br/>A few seconds passed before I blinked. My first reaction was to look at my hands and it was with a mixture of relief and deception that I saw my own hands with the neatly trimmed nails. I was back in my own body.<br/>I looked to my right and saw Dave peering at me intently with heavy-lidded eyes. I glanced down and saw that I was still holding onto his hands tightly. I released them and glanced back at him. His face was so close that I just had to lean forward and our lips would meet. At this thought, I felt heat pool between my legs and felt myself move towards him, but with a jolt I stopped myself in time. As much as I was aching to kiss and be kissed by him, the thought of Natacha, his 'fiancee' stopped me in my tracks. Irrespective of what he claimed, I was still not convinced that she had no importance in his life.<br/>I did believe him when he said that there was nothing between them, but there was no guarantee that there would be nothing in the future. I was just a guest who was passing in his life for a brief moment...<br/>As soon as I thought that, I felt my heart clench painfully. In the few days I had spent in his company, I had begun to harbour feelings for Dave and thinking of Natacha being with him was hard. I frowned at the idea.<br/>'You fine?' Dave asked me in a concerned tone, smoothing my frown away with his index finger and I came back to reality.<br/>I nodded meekly and made a move to get up from the bed. As soon as I stood up, the room started spinning around me and I would have fallen backwards if not for Dave's restraining hand at my waist.<br/>'Careful,' he said and the softness in his voice nearly broke me. I felt like crying.<br/>But why was I going through such a roller coaster of emotions? A twinge of pain in my lower belly promptly reminded me that I was menstruating and I usually had mood swings. I really hated how I felt during my period. The sluggishness of the first two days was usually followed by bloating and mood swings.<br/>'Just breathe,' I coaxed myself mentally. 'You're strong. Don't cry.' But it was useless, I realized, as I felt my eyes burning and a drop of tear slowly escaped from my eyes and slid down my cheek. I breathed in noisily and averted my face in the hope that Dave hadn't noticed. But it was in vain. He wiped away the lone tear and in a puzzled voice asked,<br/>'What's wrong?' His kindness was responsible for my undoing and I completely cracked. Huge sobs racked my body and the floodgates opened. I bunched my hands into tight fists and pressed them to my eyes to try to stop the onslaught, but it was too late.<br/>I felt myself caught in a hug and Dave clumsily patted my back, perhaps in an attempt to console me. He then caught my face between both hands and lifted it for me to look at him. The little frown was teasing his forehead again and I could see the lights dancing in his eyes.<br/>'Please, don't cry,' he said, peppering my face with small kisses as he tried to wipe away my tears. I looked straight into his green hazelnut eyes and felt myself drowning in a complex mix of emotions.</p>