by Pepper Pace
In the bathroom I stripped out of the ruined dress and ran a hot shower. I washed quickly then shook out my hair. I put on a satin night gown that trailed the floor in a very Morticia fashion. Even though it wasn't my style I liked it.
Paul was still asleep. I crawled across the cushions and lay down next to him.
In these last hours I had grown to really care about Paul. He was my friend, my confidant and just recently, my protector.
How could I have left him in a room of Vampires?
I touched his chin with my finger.
His eyes popped open. He came up on his elbows.
"You're back." He said when he saw me. "I fell asleep." His brow crinkled in concern. "Are you okay? I was worried."
I was going to tell him that I was okay. I was going to tell him that I was sorry. I was going to say thank you for having my back, and thank you for the money. I was going to say a lot of things. But in the end I just buried my face against his shoulder in shame.
"I left you, Paul. I can't believe I did that. I didn't protect you. I was so busy trying to get laid. I should have never left you."
Paul put his arms around me. "It's okay." He hugged me. "Um...get laid?"
I looked up at him. "No, I didn't." Not exactly.
He stroked my hair and looked at me for a long time. "Even if you had, it's just the blood. It's not you. I do get that."
I smiled. "You are...very cool. You do mean it? You're not just-"
"I'll always say what I mean. That's why we need to talk."
I got nervous. He was going to leave. I'd screwed up and now he was leaving me.
"No, I'm not." He said reading my mind even though I hadn't projected. "Tomorrow, we'll talk. But tonight you need to feed."
"And I need to do something else. I promised you something, remember."
"Tomorrow-"
"No. Now." I was already in his arms so I just pressed my lips to his but he pulled away. I looked at him surprised.
"Feed first. Kiss later. The sun-"
I nodded. He was right. With a contented sigh I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. He sighed, too. We seemed most comfortable in this position. This felt familiar to me, as if I’d taken blood countless times instead of just a handful.
His neck was still bruised from my earlier feedings. I was going to learn to do better. Not for myself, but for Paul. In that moment I swore that I wouldn't let him waste not another drop of his blood for me.
Uh, oh. No teeth to bite. And I wasn't about to ask Tony for my hunger back so that I could drop teeth.
"What's wrong?"
"No teeth."
"Kim...We don't have time for this. It's almost dawn."
"I know, I know."
Swiftly he rolled me onto my back then covered me with his body.
I understood why he was doing it, but it was just too calculated a move to ever work…
Paul kissed me passionately. No preliminary, no warming up. I felt his heart pounding against his rib cage. And I knew then that he wasn't trying to manufacture lust; he was finally releasing what he had been holding back all this time.
With shaky hands he reached up and gripped my breast. I heard him groan, no--that was me. I was groaning. We both were.
It was so quick the way the fire burned inside of me. He had brought my teeth.
"I wanted to touch you every since you stepped out of the room wearing that dress...No...that's not true. Even before I ever saw that dress." Paul was thinking at me as he continued to kiss me, his fingertips gently rolling over my nipple through the material of the gown.
I pulled his face away from me and tilted his head to expose his neck. I bit gently but urgently.
Paul gasped. I could feel his erection as it immediately grew in response. I held him to me as I fed. Moaning he gently pushed against me. I linked my mind with his to experience his pleasure as well as my own.
I loved how Alexis had made me feel. The orgasm he gave me had been strong and pleasurable. I'll never forget it. But I was a human. And when I had an orgasm I wanted to feel my lover next to me; inside of me...
Feeling the pleasure of drinking Paul as well as linking into his pleasure was almost enough to cause me to fall over the edge. But actually feeling his fingers stroking my breast and his hardness pushing against me is what actually caused the explosion that made me cum.
I cried out against his neck and held him to me tighter.
Paul shuddered and moved rapidly against me until he spasmed in his own release with a low cry.
I forced myself to release his neck. Not enough. His pulse was weakening, and now I understood that despite the hunger. He didn't have enough blood for me.
The food is Paul. The food is Paul. I chanted in order to remember why I needed to stop.
"Don't...stop." He said weakly.
The sun was coming up. I had only minutes. Fix the wound before he bled out. I put my lips over the puncture marks and formed a seal.
I used my tongue to probe the area until I no longer tasted the coppery sweetness of his blood. I moaned. I wanted more. I needed more. Then my limbs grew impossibly heavy and sleep overtook me.
CHAPTER 10
I moaned. My head was pounding and I felt sick to my stomach. Another hellafied hangover. Wait a minute...
I sat up slowly. I remembered then what had happened. How long was it going to be like this? That I would have two seconds of amnesia thinking that I was still human. I sighed. With surprise I saw that Paul was snuggled up next to me.
"Paul." I shook him gently. He opened red rimmed eyes at me. I was shocked at how awful he looked. I stared at him.
"My God! You look more like a Vampire then I do!"
His eyes were hollowed and his skin was ashen.
I reached out to touch his face. It was clammy to the touch.
I leaped out of bed. This is my fault! I was killing Paul!
He propped himself up on the pillows. "Calm down." He murmured. "I'm not dying. Mei Wah said that I lost too much blood."
I stopped pacing long enough to give him a long look. "News flash. Blood loss causes death!"
He smiled. "You're really worried about me. I'm not going to die. Mei Wah made me some soup that's supposed to enrich my blood quickly. He says it happens to us donors all the time, especially in the beginning."
We weren't in the front room anymore, but in the bedroom. "How did we get in here?" I looked around.
Paul pulled the covers up to his naked chest. I stared at him in dawning amazement.
"I carried you in here. I thought you'd be more comfortable."
I stomped over to the bed and ripped the sheets and blankets back. He was totally naked.
"Oh...You BASTARD!" I screamed, averting my eyes from his nudity.
Paul jumped out of the bed, eyes wide. "I didn't! I swear. Kim, you don't think I'd—I'm not a necromancer!"
That made me glare at him. I pushed him back onto the bed.
"Necrophiliac, you dumb ass!"
Paul sat up then grew even whiter. He closed his eyes and fell backwards against the pillows.
Alarmed, I climbed onto the bed and held him against me. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"
He pushed me away weakly. "Yeah. You did, if you think I'd take advantage of you like that." He breathed in a heavy breath pulling the sheet across his lap, and then he opened his eyes and stared at me. "You really are dead when you sleep, Kim. It's not just that you're cold and motionless, but you're...not there anymore. And the reason I'm not wearing clothes is because Mei Wah is washing them for me." I remembered last night. My face grew warm. Yes, he would have needed to wash his clothes after that.
I stroked his hair and he closed his eyes contented. "I'm sorry. I should have never accused you or even thought it." He wasn't lying to me. It didn't take a psychic link to know this. Paul wouldn't take advantage.
"Kim..." He murmured with closed eyes as I continued to stroke his forehead.
"Hmmm?"
"You
know how I always feel so good when I give you blood?" He looked at me with hooded eyes. The dark smudges beneath then really had me nervous.
"Yeah."
"You said some of what animates you enters your donors and it makes us humans better."
I watched him curious. "Yeah?"
"What if you give me some of your blood? Wouldn't it heal me faster?"
I didn't know how to respond. Tige had given me his blood at the time of death and I had been turned. That didn't seem a smart idea—not at least until I talked it over with another Vampire.
"I don't know Paul-"
He struggled to sit up. "I've been thinking about it." He sighed. "I've been thinking about a lot of stuff. I'm curious about how your blood would affect a human. Not a lot, just a bit."
I made a face. "You don't think the idea of it is...kinda gross?"
He shrugged. "A little can't hurt. And if it'll make me feel better..."
Since it was my fault that he was feeling poorly in the first place, it seemed only right that I should do what I could to make things right. And I had to admit that I was a bit curious, too.
"Okay. But if you grow some Vampire teeth don't blame me."
In the movies Vampires always grew one long talon and they would pierce a vein in the wrist and bleed freely. In reality my fingernails were just fingernails. I could barely break the skin let alone pierce a vein. I had to concentrate a bit on my hunger and lower my teeth. I pierced my wrist which hurt enough for me to clinch my fist.
Paul watched the blood as it began running down my arm. Quickly he brought it to his mouth before it could drip on the bed.
His lips were cool on my wrist but his tongue was warm and soft as he lapped at the blood. It felt weird. Not bad weird...just weird weird.
I watched Paul closely just to be sure that he wouldn't...freak out or something. I don't know. He just seemed to be in deep concentration.
"Okay?" I asked. He removed his lips from my wrist and frowned at me. "It stopped bleeding. There wasn't even a teaspoon. Must be the coagulant in my saliva. Open it again."
"Paul-"
"Kim, that wasn't enough to even feel anything."
Using both teeth I bit down until the flow was steady. Using his tongue, Paul caught the blood before it spilled and covered my wrist with his mouth. This time I could see his throat working to swallow.
How much was enough? Too much?
When I felt myself tingling down low I knew that it was significant. Something was happening that involved more than just an attractive man sucking on a body part.
I pulled away and he let go reluctantly. The blood was still flowing and I stopped it myself with my tongue while watching Paul.
He smiled and fell back against the pillow.
"Okay...how ya feeling?"
Peeking at me through hooded eyes, I could see him searching for the right words. "It's...I don't know. I feel it...but I don't know. I can tell you that I don't feel like a Vampire, if that's what you're wondering."
I giggled. "That's what I was wondering."
"I just want to sleep." He mumbled.
Should I let him sleep? I mean, it wasn't like he had a concussion or anything but...I guess he needed it. I lay against him as he dozed off. He reached over and put his hand in mine. I smiled. That was so sweet. A long time ago; this man could have been my boyfriend...
When I thought that he wouldn't awake if I moved, I gently slid out of the bed. I was going to search for Mei Wah and find out exactly how bad I had hurt Paul.
Quickly I changed into the black jeans I had packed from my own house and the t-shirt that Paul had loaned me.
I brushed my teeth, splashed my face and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. Glancing over at Paul I noted that he was sleeping comfortably. He needed the sleep.
Using my super speed to materialize upstairs I searched for Mei Wah finding him in the sitting room reading.
"Miss Kim." He went to stand up.
"Please, don't get up." I sat down across from him.
He placed the book he was reading on the side table. "Is everything okay?" He asked with concern.
"I'm worried about Paul."
Mei Wah nodded in understanding. "Oh. Yes. He lost much blood very quickly. But he will recover in short order. I made a special soup that will fortify his blood."
I looked at Mei Wah for a long time. "How close did he come to dying?"
Mei Wah didn't answer right away. "Close enough that I would not let him go home in case he got hurt and lost more blood. He has no reserve. Do not feed from him for one week.
I sighed.
"Don't be hard on yourself, Miss Kim. Many Newbies kill their first food. It's pretty obvious that you really care for Mr. Paul. He will be alright."
"Tony freaking out that he stayed?"
"Tony left as soon as he awoke. He will not return for a couple of days. He said that you and Mr. Paul could make yourself comfortable here and that I was to take you anywhere you needed." I wondered how much of what Mei Wah had said was his own polite interpretation.
"What I need is to get to those other donors." I wasn't comfortable with it but I would need to feed quickly. Last night wasn't enough and I surely couldn't put Paul at risk by taking any more of his blood.
"Mr. Paul was talking to them earlier on the phone. He made arrangements for them to arrive at about 9:00." Mei Wah stood. "If you'll excuse me there are some things I must prepare for the guests and I need to get Mr. Paul's clothes from the dryer.
"Okay. Thanks Mei Wah...for everything."
"It's been my pleasure." He turned to leave but then stopped to look at me. "Miss Kim, excuse me for saying but Tony has been so lively since you've been here, even when he's angry. I believe that your presence is good for him. I know..." Mei Wah paused, "that he cares for you even if it doesn't always seem that way."
I nodded. I didn't know if I believed that completely. I think that any feelings Tony might have initially had for me has been overshadowed by my selfishness, although I wasn't the only one that had made mistakes. I would have never had to sneak into Council meetings if he had brought me in correct!
"Thanks for letting me know that. Sometimes it's hard to tell." Mei Wah left and I decided that now was the perfect time to handle some of my own loose ends.
I called Arnitra. After this I would never talk to her again. I sighed. I'd die in a horrible crash; as it should have happened weeks before. Yeah I'll fake my own death, as Tony had suggested.
"Do you ever pick up a phone?!" She chastised. I smiled. It felt good to get chewed out by your Home Girl. She brought me right back down to earth!
After spending five minutes apologizing, we chatted about mindless things. I hung up feeling much better. I checked out the clock. It was getting late I needed to wake up Paul before the ladies got here. Plus he said that he had wanted to talk to me and I wanted to do that first and foremost.
I stood and felt sick again. I was hungry although not starving, which was rare for me.
Tony must have still been holding onto my hunger. I shook my head. I wish he hadn't left. I really wanted to set things right between us; whatever that would mean.
First things first, though. Paul and I needed to have a little talk.
I didn't use the super speed to get down to my suite, although it was getting close to 9:00. It seemed that I had done nothing but rush from one place to another every since being turned. If things went my way I'd have a very long after-life and I was not going to spend all of it being stressed out. I mean, there was plenty to do now that I had the night hours; movies to rent, music to enjoy. And let's face it, there are some definite perks to being a Vampire. I looked damn good. I was pretty much invincible. Money was never going to be an issue. And in my case everyone I took blood from instantly desired me.
I opened the bedroom door softly and peeked in. I hated to wake Paul, he really needed the sleep.
He wasn't in bed.
"Hey, there you are." He
was behind me coming out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around his waist and another drying his damp hair.
Wow! Okay, Paul is handsome, but suddenly he was...Wow.
"I...uh..." He had a six pack that was out of this world. Did my blood do that to him? If not, why hadn't I noticed this when he was naked in bed with me?
