9. Under A Moonlit Sky

The life that Julius had in his eyes caught Angelica off guard. But strangely enough, it captivated her. Feeling his hand upon her thigh she instinctively bit her lip as she looked away from his face and down to his hand. Feeling the warmth of his skin against hers started a fire within she had never felt before. This was a feeling she hadn't felt with any of the other men within her family.

"This.. doesn't scare you in any way?" Angelica asked pushing the feeling down as much as she could. "The fact that I am a natural born?"

"And why should it scare me Angelica? Because of the fact that you have abilities that I don't? Or because I should fear you for what you could do to me?" Julius spoke with a soft tone as he slowly removed his hand from her thigh. "I am always afraid of something Angelica."

Brutal honesty. It was something only her mother usually used with her. It was refreshing the see another do it as well. And hearing that the head of a great vampire house was always afraid of something, somehow humbled her.

"I am afraid of things as well." She said rubbing her arms some as the breeze slowly picked up some. It was an oddly beautiful night, and one she was willing to enjoy. Even in the company of a man she just met. Yet he wasn't coming off as someone who is taking an opportunity to obtain power. He was genuinely making an attempt to get to know her. And knowing that warmed her heart some.

"Everyone is afraid of something Angelica. Most vampires like us have a shared fear of the sun. Even though a lot of us, used to not be so afraid of it. Back when we were once mortal. Now we just live far longer than we should have because of the involvement of vampires. And some of us choose to live with it while others choose to take a walk in the sun." Julius said in a solemn tone as he kept his gaze away from Angelica. "All that matters is what you choose to do with your fears and your life. If you choose to get above your fears or if you choose to let them destroy you. Is all up to the person who has them. That is something all the elder bloods sees as human. But really all it is seen as what makes us smart, and what allows us to survive."

"Having fears make us smart.." Angelica repeated slowly as she looked at him slowly placing her hand on his. "Having fears also unifies us. And that is what will be what unites our clans."

Julius took a deep breath as she felt her hand on his. How long had it been since he felt this comfortable and open around another person? He sure didn't feel open around his family due to the views they held. Yet around this girl, he felt that he could be as open as he could ever want with her. Why was that?

"What exactly are you?" Julius found himself asking her as he looked back to her his eyes full of curiosity and wonder. "And why am I feeling this way around you?"

As soon as those words had left his lips Angelica leaned close to him her face stopping inches before his own. As she sat there looking into his hazel eyes as they held life within them and something else that caught her off guard from such a reserved person. There was lust in his eyes, lust for her.

"I am just a girl who happens to be a vampire like you." Angelica whispered slowly as she went and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips as she tasted a man for a first time, and took in his unique scent. Julius being caught off guard by the sudden kiss sat there in surprise as she slowly pulled away from him.

"That was unexpected.." Julius slowly muttered as he looked at her the surprise still written all over his face. It had been a little over two thousand years since he had last tasted the lips of another woman since he had been turned and told of the rules that he had to follow. Yet the taste of her had captured him in a way he had never expected.

"Sorry..it had just felt like the natural thing to do. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable in any way Julius" she spoke quickly in an apologetic tone as she quickly stood with his jacket around her shoulders.

As soon as she stood there was a splash from the pond that caught Julius' attention. As he quickly rose up pushing Angelica out of the way as something pierced through his chest right below his heart as pain flaired through his body. Not taking the moment to take his injury into consideration he reached behind him and pulled out a hunting knife as he glared in the direction of the water.

"Angelica go to your house and get help!" Julius roared at her snapping her out of her momentary daze as she quickly scrambled to her feet.

"What about you?!" She yelled as he kept his attention into the pond tightening his grip on his knife.

"I am going to be handling whoever was dumb enough to try to kill you" he growled as he ducked to the side as another object flew past him. "Now hurry!"

Not waiting a moment longer Angelica ran off into the maze leaving him alone with the unknown assailants as he stared into the darkness as his eyes slowly adjusted to it allowing him to make out three figures.

"Are you cowards gonna wait in the distance or am I gonna have to hunt you down one by one!" Julius called out to the three as rustling leaves from behind caught his attention as he quickly glanced behind seeing the form of a man in a black get up with a cross hilted blade at his hilt and a cruel smile on his lips.

"Long time no see Julius Morave. What brings you here to the Xeres estate?" The man spoke with a low southern drawl as he had his hand resting on the blade at his side.

"Mathias.." Julius growled out before turning and facing the man holding his knife to his side awaiting for the man before him to draw his weapon.