Endless Days (The Firsts)

by C. L. Quinn

  She felt his breath on the back of her neck.

  “I can feel you. Your blood. Inside me. I’m stronger and better than I have been in months. Thank you. I think you may have saved my life.”

  She couldn’t speak. Was afraid she couldn’t control herself. He smelled like heaven. No. No! She did not do casual sex. Never had. And hadn’t had any in so many years she couldn’t remember. Other than the shower massage. And that didn’t really count. That’s all this was. It was only that she was horny because this oversexed vampire was too close and she’d waited too long to satisfy a basic human need. That was all. Maybe she should grab the lawyer and just do it. She turned and pushed him back. He didn’t move.

  “I will come to you again tomorrow night. You need to know how grateful I am.” Well, he was a polite vampire.

  Cherise nodded and walked around him. The breeze tugged at her robe as if it was trying to pull it off and she wondered if the freaking universe was working against her. Couldn’t get back inside soon enough. But he followed her, so she turned on him to tell him to go home. God. He was huge. He filled her small house so much it seemed like the walls needed to break out to hold him. And his scent…was it normal for her to want to lick him from top to bottom? Oh, she hoped like hell he wasn’t one of the few vamps who could read thoughts. She couldn’t stand him to know how badly she wanted to throw him on the floor and crawl on top of him.

  He followed her into the house. She could feel him just behind her, hovering. She knew he wanted her even more desperately than she wanted him. It was a testament to his control that he hadn’t already forced himself inside her.

  She drew a deep breath, wondering what he was going to do, but then he was gone, like the elf. Elves moved very fast, but vampires were much, much faster. And they were nothing but big sex machines. Blood, sex, and food…in that order, and maybe not all the time. That’s what drove them physically. Mentally, she didn’t know what he’d been through. But it was bad.

  His aura was dim, fractured. That’s one thing her kind could read…auras. The life force. Every living thing had one, even the flowers in her garden. It was why hers grew larger and grander than others. She could commune with them on a spiritual level like no one else could. Auras were the life force that surrounded living things in every form, and his was injured. She would have to help him before he could reclaim his life. That which was self…who and what he was…was lost and could not find its way back to him. And no one else could help him find it…but her. Well, another of her kind, but they were all in Europe. They didn’t like the dirty “America’s.” Her people were snobs, in spite of the fact that their gifts required tolerance, impartial non-judgment, kindness.

  She’d do it, help him heal, and then send him away from this village…back to whatever life he must have had before he ended up here in nowhere’sville. Well, this was her nowhere’sville, and he was not staying. Spirits help her keep her hands off his hard body and away from that male appendage she had only now realized she needed in the worst way. Another deep breath, and she thought about the lawyer. Maybe? Ah, maybe not. Well, she’d see how this played out. She was not wrong when she said that she didn’t have choices…in this, biological imperatives were really strong…and giving him blood meals was an extraordinarily personal and sex-driven thing. She would like to think she could refuse the need…she didn’t have any illusions that she really could.

  Cherise threw away her robe, watched it flutter onto the floor and lay out naked on her soft bed. Sleep eluded her, her body begging for the release it sought earlier. She ignored the twitching in her gut and between her legs as if she was punishing her body. She was. His scent was in her room and she groaned, then rolled over. Eventually, she drifted off, but the rude buzz of her alarm, too soon, told her she had to get up and bake. It was going to be a long, long day.

  He walked the narrow dirt road the rest of the way up to his “home.” Large, rambling, in need of a lot of repair and renovation, he’d been told by the young people who came there often how it had been abandoned after an old woman had died there, and then demonized over the years as haunted. No one came there but the kids who liked to break in to drink and fuck. It was too hard for him, though, in his heightened state of hunger and sexual frustration, to have them around, so he usually compelled them with great memories of good times and sent them home.

  He flipped on a light inside the door. The house had electricity now because he’d compelled several people to make it happen. He caught his reflection in a dusty mirror inside the door and paused. He didn’t recognize the face, but no surprise. It was a strong face, handsome, he imagined, since he’d already had several women tell him so with an intensity he now wished he’d taken them up on.

  Still, for a vampire, he looked rough. He did, for some reason, remember that he was from a race of strong warriors that were radically altered…stronger, long lived versions of the small humans he’d met in this little town. Well, village. Dark circles scored under his eyes, which were an odd shade of liquid amber. He remembered the woman, Leo called her Cherise, tonight she’d said they were glowing. He wondered what that signified. If it was extreme sexual frustration, that would be about right. He’d almost failed to stop himself. He’d almost made her submit. And although he knew she was turned on, too, he could feel her deep rejection of her need. He had another sudden moment of an almost uncontrollable desire to speed back there and take her in her bed. He pictured her naked with her hand between her legs. Ahhh….

  He groaned a few more times, and then pulled open the ancient refrigerator that barely worked and grabbed a six pack of beer, a box still full of an extra-large pizza double loaded with every ingredient in the little pizzeria in town, then threw them down on a saggy old sofa in the living room. A huge window across the front of the room reflected his image back at him, so he killed the lights and sat there in the dark eating and drinking while he looked out at the ragged gardens bathed in the light of a full moon. God, other than her blood, which was incredible, and sex with her, which he knew would be spectacular, food gave him the moments he lived for right now. That he remembered quickly after he woke up in the field. He needed to eat large quantities of food as well as blood meals. Vampires burned calories at an extreme rate compared to humans.

  Kav. That was what Leo called him, with no other options. He liked it. Seemed to fit. In spite of the fact it had been three months now since he had been “born,” nothing had come back to him. Nothing personal, anyway. His recall of what he was and what that meant had returned, but not how he came to be or who he ever was. He knew, though, when he did remember, it wouldn’t be good. He knew something traumatic had happened to bring him here in this condition. For that reason, he almost didn’t want to know what his yesterday’s held. His life was in the future now, so he could just leave those lost memories right where they were.

  Closing his eyes, he let his body feel the rush of the new blood. It was different, infused him with a strength and power he’d been missing all this time. Elf blood was almost like blood-lite. Cherise was delicious, in more ways than just her highly sensual appeal. And he had kept it down. He anticipated the next feeding so deeply, he found himself running his tongue around his lips at the thought.

  There was a small feeling that he was afraid he would hurt her. He didn’t know where it came from, but it was there. Had he hurt someone before? In his earlier life? Had he been that kind of animal? He knew some vampires killed when they fed, and although it was never necessary, it was a power rush for some. And then there were the cases of blood thrall, where a vampire is so hungry, he can’t stop…he pushes it until the blood meal donor can’t survive. It was unfortunate, and had happened to even good vampires, he knew this.

  No. He refused to believe he could ever hurt Cherise. She was his savior, the one who would give him the chance to survive. And although he was terrified about learning his past, he made himself admit he probably needed to. He really was lost.

  Kavi
n killed the sixth beer and cautioned himself about falling asleep. Although the sun rose against the back of the house, he still had to be underground in the basement when it came. He crammed in the final piece of pizza and got up. Although he was energized by the blood meal, he had no other goal tonight. He went below and curled up on the huge mattress he’d powered down the stairs and into the corner of the room. He slept on it bare, but after seeing Cherise’s little home, he realized he was living like a bear in a cave. Yeah, it was time to start to live again, properly. Using vampire-speed, he went into town and raided a little general store for a few fine essentials…sheets, pillows, toiletries, and kitchen items so he might not have to always eat out of a box. Some more food for tomorrow.

  When he passed by a mirror for the second time that night, he realized he looked worse than the house. So he found a hair salon that was just closing down, compelled the young woman to stay late and give him a proper haircut. As he looked at his image in the mirror, he caught the beautician’s face behind him.

  “Nice,” she said with a big smile, “Really, really nice.”

  Ridiculously, he hoped Cherise would think so too.

  He looked at the results of his night’s work and was pleased. The bed was made, dressed in pale champagne satin, and he’d even gotten some of those pretty frilly little pillows women loved. A bedside lamp that looked like a modern candle on a little nightstand did make the corner look more homey. He grinned and then laughed out loud at himself. Did he think he would be inviting her down here…ever? Well, he thought, life takes odd turns, you never know. He hoped, though, he would have a chance to know what she felt like and to bring her the pleasure he was certain she’d denied herself for a long time.

  He’d gotten a few other creature comforts-type items and was pretty pleased with how the old place was looking tonight. Sitting down on the newly covered sofa, he popped open a half gallon of whole milk and pulled out a double chocolate cake he’d liberated from a little bakery in the village. Odd. The place had smelled like her. Well, the cake was extraordinary and put a nice finish on his night. He’d sleep well when the sun came.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Her day went quickly, with Margaret bothering her only a little about calling the lawyer. It brought vivid memories of last night back to her and caused her body to tweak again, reminding her this was far from finished. Cherise closed her eyes and saw him as if he were standing there. It didn’t help that his scent was here in her patisserie when she opened the door this morning. She’d noticed immediately that one of her most expensive cakes was missing. Her double chocolate crème filled torte cake was always on display in front of the counter. Bastard. He was a vampire…they usually didn’t pay. Of course, in his defense, he wouldn’t have any money…but still… She was a small business owner with marginal profits. She wasn’t going to give him her blood and her goods.

  Cherise shook her head. She was being petty and she knew it. He was welcome to the damn cake. He needed the calorie content as much as he needed her blood, and if she was going to get him well enough to leave here, he could have any cake he wanted. And the sooner he was gone, the sooner she could stop worrying about jumping his huge ass.

  Oh, she was crude today. That was what vampires did…disrupt everything. That was it. She was going to call the lawyer. She had to get her need satisfied and then the vampire would have no power over her. That was all it was. Base human sexual drive. Now, before she talked herself out of it, she picked up the card she’d left abandoned on the counter. The phone chimed twice and yet she was still startled when she heard his voice, deep and low, answer.

  “Hi,” she said, and wondered why she felt like she was sixteen again. “Um, I would like to take you up on the offer.” Her face flamed when she thought of her real reason for calling him. “For dinner. Uh, I mean, for dinner.” Imbecile. As if he knew what she was after.

  He paused, and for a moment she thought he was going to turn her down, that he had changed his mind.

  “Yes. I mean, of course. I’m glad you called. I really didn’t think you would, but I’m thrilled you did. Would tonight be too soon?”

  She might as well get this over, so she could have sex with him and get it out of her system. “Tonight’s great. The Golden Lamb…you want me to meet you there?”

  “If you’re more comfortable with it, yes. Or I’d be happy to pick you up.”

  “Um, no. I’ll meet you there. Would eight o’clock be okay?”

  “Perfect. I’m looking forward to this, Cherise.”

  “Sure,” she said, distractedly, and hung up. Well, she’d done it. Might as well make Margaret happy, too.

  “Hey, Margaret. Guess who has a date with an attorney from Colorado Springs?”

  Margaret stood up from where she was cleaning around a baseboard, smiling broadly.

  “Oh, I meant it…you two are going to have gorgeous babies!”

  Cherise buried her face in her hands and wondered if there were vampires in Antarctica.

  She sent a message to Leo to let his vampire know she would come by his house to feed him, but it would be late. He needed to get a damn mobile, well, cell, so she could reach him in cases like this. Although she hoped he wouldn’t be around long enough for it to matter.

  So, a date. First one in over five years. Yes, she was anything but comfortable with men. Her own company satisfied her enough. Usually. Her reaction to the vampire proved she was wrong on one point. Well, it would be settled tonight. She knew, with no doubt, the lawyer would agree to sex with her without hesitation. The only thing she had to do was make sure that she kept complete control over her empathic skills.

  She pulled off her apron.

  “Margaret, I’m going to leave a little early to prepare for my date.”

  Margaret raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Are you shaving your legs?”

  Cherise threw the towel at her again. This was getting to be a habit. Margaret just grinned.

  Kav wondered what she had to do that was more important than him. It might be a little unreasonable, but he wanted the fuck to know what she was doing tonight. He had to wait until the sun dropped low enough, but when it did, he showed up at her house just as she was arriving home.

  She stared at him, her expression hostile. “What are you doing here?”

  “I got your message. What is more important than taking care of me?”

  “What? You seriously are asking me that question? I’m doing you the favor of feeding you. You are not my father…I don’t owe you explanations on what I do. And for your information, there are a lot of things in my life that take precedence over you. I did you the courtesy of letting you know it would be later in the night. That’s all you get. Oh, and by the way, I’m not a charity. Don’t steal from me again.”

  He shook his head. “What?”

  “The cake. It’s mine. That’s my shop.”

  “Oh. It was very good. You make a really good cake.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it is really good. Which is why it costs twenty-two dollars. So don’t take another one. I can get you some pastries end of the day that don’t sell, okay?”

  “I’d like that. I’m sorry I took your merchandise. I will pay you back.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I have to go. I’ll come to you, but it will be a few hours.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “No where you need to know.”

  “But…”

  “We’re done here, vampire. Go get some actual food, I’ll see you later.” And she shut the door in his face, harder than she intended to, but he was pissing her off. She already felt weird about setting up a date to have sex so she wouldn’t be tempted to have it with him. She wasn’t going to be questioned about it too.

  Okay, a quick shower, and yes, Margaret, she was going to shave and yes, it was for the reason she implied it was for. As she reached for her razor, she paused. He’d had his long hair cut and it didn’t do anything to lessen his animal magnetism. I
f anything… God. Something needed to stop her. Hopefully, this would do it.

  After the shower, perfume and sexy clothes. She wanted James to have no question where the evening was heading.

  Kav sat outside her home and heard her shower running. So. It was somewhere she needed to be clean. This time of night, Friday, was a typical date night. Was she planning on going on a date with another man? That…that just didn’t work for him. She was leaving him to go let another man try to charm her into his bed. Hell, no! He had no claim, none at all. Yet he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. She was his. Okay, she wasn’t, but for now, he claimed her and while he fed from her, no other man was going to touch her. He’d kill him first.

  Was that an over-reaction. He really did know she did not belong to him. He really did not care…this date would not go well. He glanced again at the house, kept himself from racing in there and taking her against the wall of the shower, then vampire speeded toward the downtown area of the village.

  The Golden Lamb was a lovely restaurant, nicer than expected in such a small town. The food had been rated five-star by two well reputed restaurant bloggers in Denver, who were well traveled connoisseurs. Her date was waiting for her outside the restaurant with a glass of white wine, and a second one brought out immediately for her as soon as she arrived. He was very thoughtful, and she realized he probably was a good decent man. But she had a goal…

  Cherise smiled, thanked him, and downed it. He watched, mesmerized, as she ran a painted fingernail around the edge of the now empty stemmed glass and licked it slowly, suggestively. She thought she might as well let him know now what she expected and what was required of him for the evening. He seemed stunned in place as she sat the glass on a ledge and curled her arm around his.