Fictional Reality.

Blaze POV.

The next two weeks passed in a blur of pain, frustration and feeling like death warmed over. After I woke up after passing out, Danger had literally grabbed hold of Zacky’s ear and started twisting until he finally sat down and told me the truth about how bad my change had been. He’d been getting everyone to downplay events to try and keep me calm. Turns out I nearly died several times over the first week and again when I passed out during my conversation with Danger. I nearly passed out from shock when he revealed that Gates had fed me his blood through my First Hunger. And I was far from amused at all the ramifications that came from that. Throughout the change, I would periodically crave blood – that much Zacky had told me before I changed, I was kind of prepared for that – what I wasn’t prepared for was the news that until I had fully changed I wouldn’t be able to drink human blood. It would just make me sicker as my body hadn’t fully changed to accept it yet. Instead, I would have to drink blood from a full blooded vampire. But not just any full blooded vampire, oh no. Only the one that had fed my first hunger could feed me through the change. Which meant I was stuck drinking blood from Synyster fucking Gates. A situation that managed to be mortifying and terrifying at the same time. He and Zacky had been at odds with each other since I had woken up after my most recent near death experience. Zacky was furious at him for feeding my first hunger, when they had planned for it to be him as blood relatives formed a stronger anchor and as my change was later than most, I would need a strong anchor - hence all the near death experiences. Synyster was furious at Zacky for leaving on a mission when he wasn’t supposed to be taking any until after I changed, as well as furious at Shadows for taking him along. Shadows was furious at Synyster for being a “Drama Queen”. Danger it appeared was furious at all three of them. I was stuck in the middle of it, on forced bed rest, getting more and more bored and frustrated by the day. The change was brutal. Every part of me ached, muscles I didn’t even know existed burned. I slept more than I think I’ve ever slept in my life. After a week, I figured out how to retract my newly grown fangs, however control of them was still beyond me. I’d be mid-sentence when they’d come shooting down, usually slicing my bottom lip open and rendering me unable to speak clearly. How the other managed to talk around the bloody things I had no idea. They just kept saying that “it comes with time”. It had soon become obvious that as a blood relative wasn’t my anchor and Synyster wasn’t an Elder Vampire, that he had to be nearby most of the time in order to keep my stable. Another thing that both Zacky and I were less than thrilled about. To start with there had been the vague hope that I would be OK if Zacky was present, but after I nearly passed out when Synyster tried to leave the room that idea was vetoed. Instead Danger had moved a camp bed into my room and threatened Synyster seven ways from Sunday if he tried to leave the room. She had also had to threaten Zacky in more inventive ways when he tried to move a 2nd camp bed in as well. Something about not getting laid in the next millennia if he didn’t get the fuck out and let me rest. I had never been more grateful to her than I was in the moment she frogmarched Zacky and his camp bed out of my room. It was hard enough going through the change being reliant on Synyster, never mind having to deal with his and Zacky’s glaring contests 24/7 too. Zacky, Danger and Johnny often popped by to sit with me and distract me from the shittiness of changing, but they never stayed long, too afraid of tiring me out.
I groaned and sat up in bed, my head pounding like someone was waving a sledgehammer around inside my skull. Nothing new there then, that had been an almost constant companion too for the last 2 weeks. I looked over to my left, Synyster was in his usual position in the armchair, a guitar resting across his lap as he casually played it, making the rapid and complex finger movements look effortless. I’d just about grown used to his company over the last couple of weeks. He was still mostly surly and brooding, but he also paid close attention to everything I did, his chocolate brown eyes always full of concern as he analysed if I was OK. Mostly we stayed in a mutual silence, only speaking to each other if I needed something. I would read through the various books that Danger supplied and he would mostly play guitar. The incredible melodies he came out with were actually incredibly soothing, helping me relax. As I pushed myself further upright against the bedpost, he paused in his playing, eyes surveying me closely.
“There’s a glass on the side for you.” He murmured, adjusting one of his strings. My eyes flicked to the bedside table where a glass full of blood was waiting. I sighed, reaching out to pick it up. I still hadn’t got used to this part. It just felt weird to be drinking his blood. Or just drinking blood full stop. As I lifted the glass to my lips, my fangs shot down and an intense longing shot through me as pain radiated from my gut. Before I knew it, the glass in my hand was empty. Under Synyster’s watchful gaze, I set the glass back down on the side, closed my eyes and tried to focus on getting rid of my fangs as the pain in my gut subsided to a dull ache.
“Blair.” I kept my eyes closed and concentrated on my breathing. In for a count of 7, out for a count of 11. Nice and steady. “Blair.” In. And out. In and Out. “Look at me.” In. And out. My fangs reluctantly retracted. A frustrated sigh came from next to me. “Look. At. Me.” My eyes snapped open and up to his before I could even think. I hated that he could do that. Apparently, he could only force my actions like that during the change, designed to keep turning vampires safe and under control. Chocolate eyes locked with my hazel ones, staring intensely. His eyes narrowed as he scanned my face. I could so easily get lost in those eyes. So gorgeous. I felt my face flush and immediately looked down, away from him. “Your eyes are still red. Are you still hungry?” His voice was soft a measured, as if commenting on the weather.
“No, I’m fine.” His forehead creased as he frowned at me.
“Blair…” His voice contained a warning note. I paused, contemplating the dull ache in my gut.
“Maybe a little, but it’s fine. I don’t feel like I need it.” He grunted, and set his guitar to one side.
“Hold on.”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t need any more yet.” He pinned me with a hard stare that told me to shut up and just accept that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Over the past two weeks, I’d learned to read his various sullen facial expressions. There were sometimes where we could almost have a conversation without ever speaking a word. I sighed, recognising that he wasn’t going to back down on this. Perhaps because Zacky was so on his ass, Synyster had been extra careful with everything. Always insisting that I rest as soon I showed an inkling of getting out of bed for anything more than a shower, or drink more when I didn’t really need it. He tried to hide it, but the toll was starting to show on him. He looked exhausted from hardly sleeping, staying away to keep an eye on me, dark shadows were under his eyes. His usually perfectly rumpled hair was messy and unkempt, in fact, I could actually see bits of fluff in it from the duvet. His face was starting to look a little drawn, was he giving me too much blood? He must be pushing himself hard to be looking so rough. He usually took so much pride in his appearance. More than most women probably. I was interrupted from my study of him, as he lifted his wrist up to his mouth, his fangs descending as he bit into the soft flesh. I blanched and looked away, the sight of the blood trickling into the glass making me feel uneasy. He gave a soft snort, and I glanced over quickly. A soft half smile graced his face, his eyes twinkling with amusement at my discomfort. Really? Still uncomfortable huh? I glared at him, narrowing my eyes. Bite me Gates. I let my eyes slip quickly down to the glass that was half full.
“Stop, that’ll be enough.” His eyes met mine again, as he cocked an eyebrow. Better not be bullshitting me, kid. “That’s plenty.” I repeated, holding a hand out for the glass. He pressed it into my palm, before standing and heading over to the bathroom to wrap a towel around his wrist. It’d stop bleeding in a few minutes time. I was amazed at how quickly he seemed to heal over. I drank the blood more slowly this time, under Synyster’s watchful gaze, feeling the dull ache in my gut slowly subside into nothing. Gates sat back in his chair as I put the glass back down on the side again. My fangs had come back down as I drank, so crossed my legs and focused on the meditation exercise that Zacky had taught me to get them to retract. Steadily, as my breathing slowed and my fangs disappeared, I felt my body grow heavier. It was hard to focus on the breathing as my thoughts became sluggish. I barely noticed the hands on my arms, guiding me back under the duvet.
“That’s it, rest. Sleep it off, Blair. There’s a girl.” Murmured a soft voice next to my ear, brushing my hair out of my face. I could barely form a coherent thought as I drifted back into sleep, lulled off by the soft sound of guitar playing.

Notes