The Nectar of Eternal Life

by Michael Coles

  “I’ll say that I tired of him, and fed from him. I’ll have to move when things get more settled though, and until then Drake is confined to the house. Once I move, Drake can just blend into Vampire life as my live in companion. And I’ll have to change my circle of friends of course.”

  “Or just never bring him with you. It’s too bad you flaunted him so much when he was human; now you’ll have to be careful not to cross paths with the same people for fear that they may put one and one together.”

  Elsie smiled. “Yes, I know, but it was worth it; if just for the look of indignation on their faces. Drake hated it. All those stuck up, snooty Vampires who think that only men should be able to flaunt their next kills out in public.” Elsie laughed. “The women were so jealous. I loved it.”

  Tasha smiled. “Well, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to see how things were going. I’ve got a date. I met him online through that dating site I’m on. Not all of us have beautiful Vampire men just fall into our laps like some people.”

  Elsie smiled and saw Tasha to the door. “Thanks, Tash.”

  ***

  Drake’s desire continued to build as each passing day tortured him even more. He thought about women constantly. He had already given up, exhausted, trying to drive the terrible thoughts out of his mind. He was ready, and willing to die, but his need and his desire to experience the quenching of this hunger tugged at him from the other side; a constant battle within his brain that threatened to pull him apart. It was midday on Wednesday, and Drake paced about, as he did for most of his recent days. Bundled up in a blanket, yet still cold, his complexion was ashen.

  A few rooms over, Elsie called Christopher. “It’s time, Christopher. Can you bring the girl I just bought?”

  Christopher smiled and went to fetch the new blood stock. He knocked and entered a locked room. “Hello, Kate. Time to meet Miss. Fleck; she’s going to put you to work today.” He comforted her with a warm smile.

  “Thank goodness, I’ve been so bored. This really is quite unusual, to virtually hold someone prisoner while they are in your employ. I had looked so forward to my 22nd birthday and starting a new chapter in my life, but this has been a bit of a nightmare.”

  “Well, don’t worry it’s almost over. Please come with me.”

  Christopher led the way to the living room where Elsie waited impatiently. She was terrified that Drake would be able to resist his temptation. She found little comfort in statistics at this point.

  “Miss. Fleck-this is Kate.”

  Elsie smiled. “Hello, Kate. You’ll be working with Drake today. Drake is a little under the weather right now and a little on the grumpy side, but I think you’ll get along well. Follow me.”

  “What am I going to be doing? I’m just so glad to be doing something, finally. Everything has been so unusual, lately. I must admit, I’m a little nervous.”

  “Please don’t feel that way. You’ll be relaxed and surrendered to your work soon.”

  Elsie led Kate to the sitting room where Drake paced; desperately trying to avert his unsavory thoughts, but his mind was not his at the moment.

  “Drake, this is Kate. She’s been hired to give you a hand with your work.”

  “My work! I do nothing but pace and slowly die.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “You know how I’m feeling, Elsie.”

  “Yes, I suppose I do, but it is necessary for the first time. Hopefully you’ll never have to experience this again. I’ll leave you two alone if you like…or I could stay.”

  “I’d like you to stay,” Kate stammered.

  “I could care less,” Drake responded.

  Elsie’s expression brightened and she took a seat on the couch. The plastic upholstery wasn’t very comfortable, but necessary.

  Kate fidgeted and kept looking over at Elsie for direction. Elsie gestured for her to be patient.

  Drake could feel Kate’s presence with a new heightened awareness. There was a feeling of life, real life, within the room that wasn’t present with a Vampire. He felt drawn to that life; he needed to feel that life within him, again. Against his will, Drake turned and looked at Kate, who held his gaze momentarily then looked down. Her neck was long and elegant, and her complexion fresh. Drake visualized the warm blood that coursed through her veins. Kate’s blond hair fell across her neck and Drake felt compelled to remove the obstruction. Looking up, Kate caught Drake’s penetrating gaze, and this time could not avert her eyes. The mesmerizing look that is inherent in all Vampires took over naturally and effectively. Kate’s stare fixed on Drake’s calming, brown eyes. Feeling warmed by the mere presence of a beautiful, young woman, Drake dropped the blanket from his shoulders. His gums engorged with blood and Drake could feel his fangs emerge. He was drawn to her; nothing else existed around him anymore. Sounds deadened and nothing could divert his focus. He was suddenly a Vampire, full of the lust for the kill…nothing else mattered and nothing else entered his mind.

  On the couch, Elsie’s back stiffened and she shifted herself closer, her upper lip protruded from the swelling within her mouth. She was astounded by the suddenness of Kate’s surrender. Drake obviously had a superior aptitude to enchant.

  Drake’s movement was slow and methodical until he got close enough to feel Kate’s breath on his cheek. The gentle curvature of Kate’s neck and collar was exquisite, the flesh warm and soft, concealing what he desired more than anything else. He placed his fangs on her fragranced skin. Instinctively, through his sensitive fangs, he felt for the pulse of what he coveted most. The soft butter like flesh easily yielded to Drake’s bite, the warm flesh against his lips calmed his soul, and the hot blood was drawn through his fangs directly into his starved brain. The rush was intoxicating and Drake’s knees faltered. Kate drew in a sharp breath. Her eyes rolled upwards behind clasped, quivering lids, and she uttered a final moan. Not one of pain, but one of submission, giving herself completely and without hesitation. The timing of extracting blood in unison to Kate’s heartbeat was quickly figured out by Drake, even as the cadence of its beats slowed. The invigorating strength of life itself drained from one body to the other, one giving her lifetime in order to sustain another for just a short period of time. Drake suddenly felt crushed and he let Kate’s body fall to the floor. The thud brought Elsie to her feat.

  “How do you feel?” Elsie’s eyes were wide and her face full of expression.

  Drake buried his head in his hands. He could feel the swelling of his gums receding, and his fangs re-sheathing. Residual blood coated Drake’s hands; his focus blurred past crimson coated fingers and landed on Kate’s crumpled body.

  “What have you done to me?”

  “I have made you immortal. You’ll get past this. She had a good, long, human life, and it was necessary for her to sacrifice it for the continuance of the strongest and most intelligent. You have eternity to get used to your new life, and I know you will. You and I, together will achieve great things, you’ll see.”

  “I have already achieved a horrible thing; a thing that I can never undo,” Drake said and he slowly walked out of the room.

  Elsie watched him go and felt a pang of sympathy…then clenched her fists and looked upwards. Clasping her eyelids and through gritted teeth she trumpeted, “Yes!”

  Elsie was beaming when she found Christopher, and his eyes mirrored her excitement.

  “Please clean up the feeding room, Christopher.”

  “Very good, Miss Elsie, I’m very glad everything went well. I was afraid he may be strong enough to resist.”

  “No one is,” Elsie said, and she walked away with a lively step.

  Christopher rolled the cadaver hoist into the feeding room and expertly maneuvered it into position. Kate’s corpse rose off the floor, her long blond hair hanging across her face; a lifeless eye peeked through. Christopher was pleased and impressed with the precision of the kill. Drake had thoroughly drained his victim and minimal cleanup would be necessary. Pushing the hoist to the
refuse chute, Christopher dumped Kate’s body; her function fulfilled.

  Chapter 8

  Couple Kill

  Drake moped around the house and often his thoughts turned to suicide. The blood in his veins was not his and he should relinquish it. Just bleed yourself out and all of your problems will be over. But already the hunger was building inside, like a drug that’s found a new place to haunt and tempt. And, most importantly, there was Megan-without him to protect her, she would be sold and preyed upon. Drake felt as if he would go mad from all of his opposing emotions. Every day he asked about Megan, and every day the news was the same. Today though, Christopher’s face was troubled, almost angry.

  “I can’t believe you betrayed my trust!”

  “What are you talking about, Christopher?”

  “Your meeting with Megan…a month ago?”

  “Yes, what about it? We appreciated your kindness. You’re about our only friend; I’d hate to think we compromised your friendship in some way.”

  “Well, you did, and now I’ll be in a lot of trouble with Miss. Fleck.”

  Drake’s brow tightened as he began to run through the possible serious repercussions from the intimate liaison. His heart jumped.

  “She’s not pregnant, is she?”

  Christopher looked at Drake through narrowed eyelids. “You promised me you wouldn’t mate!”

  Drake slumped and spoke quietly now. “No, I didn’t. I told you that we had not had sexual relations when we were coupled together because we didn’t want to bear a child to the horror of this Empire.”

  “Well, that’s the same thing…and I just assumed that you were a man of your word.”

  Drake shook his head. “And I am. We messed up…big time. I’m so sorry on so many levels. Oh, my god-it was so stupid for us to lose our focus and self control. Now what do we do?” He held Christopher’s gaze until Christopher ripped away.

  “I’m the one in huge trouble now. Miss Fleck may be angry with you for awhile, but I could lose my job.”

  “You won’t lose your job. You have too much on her, now.”

  Christopher face brightened slightly. “You may be right…she couldn’t take the chance, could she?”

  “No, it would be too much of a risk. How’s Megan?”

  “She’s concerned that you’ll be angry with her and she’s terrified for the baby.”

  “Why would I be angry with her? You’ve got to let me see her.”

  Christopher’s eyes opened wide. “Are you kidding me; that’s how I got into this in the first place.”

  “But the damage is already done. I can’t make her pregnant again.”

  “You can’t?”

  “No, just once at a time. Please, let me see her Christopher. If our friendship means anything to you.”

  “What’s it like?”

  “What’s, what like?” Drake asked in an annoyed tone.

  “Having sex.”

  “Oh. Well, it’s incredible…especially with the one you love,” Drake’s voice trailed off and he lost his focus momentarily but soon it was regained. “You have to let me see her; we need to figure out what to do. And, you’ll need to a part of the discussion.”

  Christopher was silent for a moment. “All right-leave it to me. It may take awhile until an opportunity comes up that I’m comfortable with. How much time do we have?”

  “Well, several months until the baby is born. Oh my god, what have we done?”

  ***

  Drakes’ hunger didn’t take long to return. Elsie said it was normal for a new convert to feel somewhat, insatiable. He hated it, yet loved it. Just the thought of the release, the relief and the utter satisfaction that feeding brings, brought a feeling of excitement that Drake could not ignore no matter how he tried. Drake could sense that Elsie’s feeding schedule was getting to a near desperate level as well. She tended to get fidgety and temperamental when she left it too long. He wondered why she was pushing her need past her normal schedule.

  Elsie found Drake in the feeding room, pacing. She considered it a good sign that he seemed to have chosen this particular room to spend his private time.

  She sat down on the squeaky plastic furniture and made herself appear comfortable.

  “You know what I want to try, that I’ve never done before?”

  Drake humored her, but didn’t really care. “What?”

  Elsie shifted in her chair. “A couple kill.”

  “I don’t even want to know what that is, and I’m having a tough enough time coping without you adding more complications into the mix.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing really-just a different way of feeding for a Vampire couple.”

  Drake could tell that he was going to hear more about it; Elsie’s speech was excited.

  “Basically, we share a kill. You latch onto a victim, and I in turn latch onto you; drawing the victim’s blood through my companion. It’s a way for a Vampire couple to be more intimate and to bond through the sensual act of feeding, together. After we have drained one, then we switch positions and you draw the next victim’s blood through me.”

  “You know where I’m at right now. I know I won’t be able to resist my inner demon for much longer. If it pleases you to engage in such an act, I could care less. Two lives will be sacrificed no matter what procedure we follow.”

  Elsie’s face lit up. “I’ll get Christopher to draw two from bloodstock. You know, you really are costing me a fortune and it’s complicated keeping both genders of blood stock.”

  “No men!” Drake was adamant.

  Elsie frowned, she had never latched onto a woman before so she understood Drake’s aversion to feeding from a man, but she was more than willing to be flexible on this occasion.

  “Of course, I understand,” Elsie said in an animated tone and hastily left the room. She returned a short time later and Drake’s eyes opened wide, as did the young woman with Elsie.

  “Carmen, this is Drake. Carmen is here to work with us for a while, Drake.”

  Carmen flashed a shy smile, her last voluntary action.

  Drake’s face drained of expression as he held Carmen’s gaze. She was exquisite-the beautiful curvature of her shoulders and neck invited him closer.

  Elsie vibrated with anticipation. “Sit her on the couch.”

  Drake’s beguiling gaze never wavered as he took Carmen’s hands. Once on the couch, Drake pressed closer, the excitement within escalating with each closing inch. His fangs unsheathed like daggers from a scabbard; the sensation of Carmen’s pulse being the ultimate enticement. Again, Drake’s need far over shadowed his morality and his only thoughts now were to quench his desire.

  Carmen was instantly entranced by Drake’s gaze and Elsie, once again marveled at the ease and proficiency displayed by such a new comer. He’s amazing in so many ways, Elsie thought, her eyes drinking in his features.

  Even in her captivated state Carmen’s thoughts were much the same as Elsie’s, and she was willing to give herself unreservedly. Raising her head and baring her neck, Carmen mentally braced herself for the rapture she was about to experience. Drake, gently pierced the skin and penetrated the throbbing artery. Two sets of eyes rolled as they shared the ecstasy of the moment.

  Elsie watched impatiently, waiting for her turn to be closer to her love. She felt a pang of jealousy watching the two locked in a state of passion. Kneeling beside Drake, she looked at his beautiful face and could not believe that this was about to actually happen. A dream that had haunted Elsie for years was about to be fulfilled. She savored the moment that can only be experienced when a burning desire is about to be recognized. Her needle like teeth punctured Drake’s flesh and Elsie felt the rush of the blood mixture flood her consciousness; years of longing finally fulfilled. It was like nothing she had ever experienced and she wasn’t sure she could hang on, yet she knew she couldn’t let go. Three beings connected in rapture, one to never experience any other feeling. Drake drained her completely, but longed for more. Elsie had a
bsorbed most of the nourishing liquid of life and she, too, needed more. Drake’s customary feeling of regret was far overshadowed by his need for more. He carried Carmen to the refuse chute and dumped her in. Elsie was glad for his haste.

  “Wipe your mouth,” she instructed while doing so herself.

  She left and returned very quickly with the next victim, a rosy cheeked brunette with a plump, pretty face.

  “Please have a seat Gail and we’ll commence.”

  Gail opened her pad of paper, prepared to take notes.

  “Before you write anything down, I want you to listen intently to what I say. You must understand the concept before we begin,” Elsie instructed and Gail relaxed her writing hand.

  Elsie used her standard dialogue but it was not having its usual effect. It was a first for Elsie; she had never fed from a human woman before and there was no desire present. Drake, in the background, fidgeted and chewed his lip.

  “Drake will fill you in on the rest. He is more experienced with the technical end of the project.” Elsie urged Drake forward.

  It didn’t matter that Drake had no idea about the subject matter; his desire was still strong and Gail fell under his spell after only a few nonsensical phrases. Drake became engrossed in his next kill and lost focus with Elsie’s arrangement. Moving in with teeth bared, he felt a nudge on his shoulder.

  “Move over and bite into me once I’ve latched on to her,” Elsie spoke quickly, concerned Gail may return to her senses without Drake’s captivating gaze to enchant her. “You won’t believe the rush you get,” Elsie said feeling a twinge of regret that she felt rushed at such an important point of their relationship.

  Biting into Gail’s flesh brought no excitement for Elsie. Her eyes strained to the edge of her vision to the one who would bring meaning to this unfamiliar act.

  Drake moved closer, he too not feeling the same passion as when he had fed previously, but his need to feed far overshadowed his lack of a physical connection. He sunk his fangs into Elsie’s throat, resisting the impulse to tear at it. Once connected, the surge of human blood mixed with Elsie’s was almost overwhelming.

  Elsie’s eyes closed and she felt a numb feeling of contentment penetrate to the core.

  It was over all too soon; one giving life, two benefiting.