Blood Land, J.R. Lawson [electric book reader .txt] 📗

me you should be worried about. Just what the hell are you doing here anyway? Do you like almost getting killed or are you just stupid?”

“Please…just tell me how you’re alive!” Nora impatiently asked, just ignoring Rogan’s question.

“Will you stop?! You don’t need to know that! Just forget about it already! Forget that night and everything I did!”

“I can’t!” Nora squeaked out. A lump was beginning to form in her throat and she knew she was on the verge of tears at any second. She quickly tried to compose herself before she continued to speak, this time a little less frantic, “I just want to know what happened to you. They said you were dead. If you really want me to forget about it, just let me know how you survived. Please.”

Rogan let out a giant sigh and rolled his eyes. He dropped his shoulders a bit, now appearing somewhat more relaxed as he then answered, “Look, I fell out of the window but I changed into hellion form before I hit the ground, o.k.? Happy now?”

“But a nurse said she saw your body!”

“They don’t know what they saw it was too dark. But I let them think that because I didn’t want you to come looking for me.”

Nora just stared back at him unable to say a word.

“Well I guess it didn’t work because here you are. Now I told you what you wanted to know so now are you going to tell me what the hell you’re doing here blood dealing with the scum of the Blood Lands?”

Nora snapped out of her trance as she looked to her right and realized that her damaged box of what she expected was probably broken jars of blood by now was on the ground next to her again. She decided to pick it up as she said, “I…I was trying to sell this blood.”

Rogan’s eyes widened, “Ah. I see, doing something somewhat sensible. Although, coming here by yourself was pretty damn stupid. Where’s that boy you live with? He couldn’t come with you?’

Nora looked away from him as she answered, “He’s with his dad who’s in the hospital.”

Rogan then cleared his throat nervously, “Oh,” was all he said.

It was then silent between them for what seemed like a long time. It was during this time that Nora could almost feel Rogan’s intent for her to leave. She even felt uncomfortable now in his presence. Finally, however, she spoke up, “Well, I guess I’ll just go,” she then began to walk away from Rogan, heading for the entrance to the city.

“Hey, wait,” Rogan then exclaimed. Nora stopped and turned around, somewhat surprised.

“I could take that off your hands if you want,” Rogan then offered. He seemed to have to almost force the words out of his mouth; like a child whose mother was making him apologize for something he didn’t want to. He looked down at the box she was holding, probably trying to avoid looking up at her.

Nora looked at him confusedly, “Why?”

“Well, my friend Jay could use it I guess,” He looked up now with slight disdain, “Do I have to have a reason?”

Nora then walked towards him a bit, “No I guess not,” She handed him the box and he took it, “There’s still more at my house, though,” she then added.

“Well, I tell you what, I can go get the rest in the morning before you wake up.”

“You’re going to go into my house while I sleep to get blood?” Nora argued.

“Hey, I think I of all vampires, I have a right to go into your house. Besides I’m doing you a favor, you know.”

“No one asked you to. And while we’re on the subject of favors, why did you save me that night anyway?”

Rogan sighed, “I have my reasons.”

“No, I want to know!” Nora shouted, “I’ve been driving myself crazy wondering why the hell you did that for me when you were so horrible only moments before. You didn’t’ seem to care if I was alive or dead yet you saved my life? I don’t get it! And I think I deserve to know.”

Rogan then set down the box on the ground and rubbed his hands through his hair in agitation, “Look, you saved me so I saved you. I owed you a debt and I paid it, o.k.? That a good enough reason for you? What is it with you and explanations anyway? Why do you always have to know things?”

Nora wasn’t quite satisfied by his answer but she accepted it because she suspected she wasn’t going to get anything better out of him, “Yeah, o.k. I guess,” she answered.

“O.k. Now, is it ok for me to come tomorrow morning and get the rest? I can come get it before you’re even wake up and you won’t even know I’m there. I’d prefer if we didn’t interact anyway.”

Nora nodded, “O.k. I guess that’s fine. If you swear that’s all you’re taking.”

“Hey, I may be a vicious killer vampire but I’m not a thief.”

“Oh, really? And it wasn’t stealing when you forced me to give you the blood last time?”

Rogan laughed, “I like to see that as advanced persuasion.”

Nora shook her head at his response, trying her hardest not show a smirk that was trying to peak its way across her lips, “O.k. fine I guess,” she then began to turn around, “Well I’m gonna go now,” she stated as she began to walk away. However, she stopped in her tracks once more as Rogan shouted for her to stop again.

“Wait!” he called out.

Nora threw her head back in frustration and crossed her arms, “What now?” she groaned.

Rogan approached her as he then began to take off his long black jacket he was wearing.   He had been wearing a black t-shirt underneath and Nora tried not to notice that it indeed suited him extremely well. She was also trying not to notice how fit his arms were. She had seen them those nights ago when he had been in hellion form but she wasn’t really thinking about that at that time. She broke her gaze away from his arms and up to his face as he was now handing her the jacket, “Here, take this,” he said.

“Why?” Nora shyly asked, still looking up at his bright red eyes.

"You smell like a human.”

Nora looked at him now with a slight bit of offense, “What’s wrong with that?!” she demanded.

Rogan then shook his head and chuckled, “If you walk home from here you’re sure to attract some vampires. My jacket smells like…well, me. It’ll mask you’re smell.”

“Oh,” Nora then softened a bit as she looked down at the jacket and back up at him. She felt almost embarrassed but she didn’t really know why at all.

“Look, unless you want a bunch of hellions surrounding your house tonight, you’ll take it and wear it home. I can get it back tomorrow.” Rogan then persisted.

Nora then finally reached out and took his jacket slowly. She then proceeded to put it on. It was quite big on her but it was surprisingly warm. She then looked back up at him, “Thanks,” she squeaked out nervously.

“Yeah, well…you better go.” Rogan answered, now picking back up the box of blood, “Go on, get.”

“There you go, treating me like a dog again,” Nora scoffed. Rogan let out a slight chuckle and Nora thought she almost saw a genuine smirk, not a sarcastic one, appear on his face, but he then quickly hid it and turned to walk away. Nora turned to walk away too and after she took a couple of steps she turned her head to quickly glance back at Rogan as he walked away. Once she turned back around she pulled her arms in close to her and hugged the large black jacket she had on and smiled to herself as she continued on. Little did she know that Rogan had turned around to look back as well to watch her walk away and when he turned back around he just shook his head and that small smirk appeared on his lips again.

CHAPTER 6

IT WAS THE next morning when Nora awoke to a loud banging coming from the basement. She sat up abruptly in bed as yet another rattle was suddenly heard coming from below. She just sat contemplating what to do. She did indeed know what was going on beneath her. Rogan is most likely the culprit of the loud noises as he packs up boxes of pig blood to take away with him. Of course, Nora is supposed to be sound asleep through all of this and unaware of his presence; almost like a child who tries to sleep through Christmas Eve, ignoring the manifestation of Santa Claus. However, the loud sounds of struggle worried her. Should she go down and check on him when he had only specified the day before that he wanted no such contact between the two of them? It was in her ponderings that she glanced over at the arm chair next to her bed and noticed Rogan’s long black jacket resting on it. A small smirk crossed her face as she jumped up and in a swift motion, grabbed the jacket and ran out the door of her room.

It was only moments later that Nora approached the basement door. She still heard scuffling noises behind it as she clutched the jacket in her hands and debated in her head whether or not to even touch the doorknob. Finally she mustered up the courage and did just that, turning the knob and opened the door slowly. She made her way quietly down the small stairs until she hit the last one where she stood silently. Her cautiousness was in vein of course because Rogan, with his vampiric ears, heard her coming regardless. He quickly perked up from across the room and turned himself around to look at her.

They stared at one another for a couple of silent seconds. Nora observed him as he stood holding two broken jars of blood in both of his hands. He quickly and almost embarrassedly set them both on the small table next to him, right next to the picture of the woman that also rested there. He rubbed his hands on his black jeans and Nora noticed he wore another black t-shirt like he had last night. Only this one looked slightly more faded and worn.

“What are you doing down here?” He then demanded, breaking the silence between them and Nora’s slight daydreaming.

“O-oh…I uh…I heard some noises down here and….” She then nervously held out his jacket as she fumbled for words, “And I didn’t want you to forget this.”

“Oh,” Rogan responded. He sighed a bit and looked around him at the mess of broken glass and blood on the floor, “I just dropped some stuff down here. Sorry about the noise. I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Nora responded, “It’s a basement. We really don’t care that much about what it looks like down here. I’ll just get it later.”

There was silence again between them until Nora gathered up a little more courage and spoke up, “So…do you want some help?”

Rogan looked at her with a slight bit of confusion as