Beating Hearts

by Lucretia Stanhope

  He reached down, and felt for the bottle.

  She watched as he tried to sit up, but struggled. She started toward him, afraid he might break it, and then what would she do? “I'm coming to help you sit up.”

  “No.” He tried to sit again, but with no luck.

  “Listen to me. It wasn't easy to get that, and if you break the bottle we are screwed.” She walked over to the bed, reached over him, and grabbed an extra pillow.

  “You smell so good Kate. Get away from me. Please.”

  She ignored him, pushed up on his back, and shoved the pillow beneath him so that he could sit, without needing to exert himself. Once sat and his groans stopped, she took his hands and placed them on the bottle. “Move slowly, I am going to take off the lid, don't spill it.” She unscrewed the cap, helped him aim, and held the weight of the bottle for him as he drank. It only lasted seconds. “Is that any better? Do you need the other one right now?”

  He tried to open his eyes. “Yes, please, now.”

  She got the other bottle and helped again as he drained it too. She sat on the bed beside him. “Are you going to heal now?”

  “I will, eventually. Dead blood is slower.” He sat up straighter, opened his eyes, and looked around the room.

  “Will you be strong enough now for me to take you home?”

  “I lost much more than this, but I should be strong enough for us to leave and go get more.” He closed his eyes again. Pain showed in his strained features and lack of ability to concentrate.

  She looked at his face. His normally stunning face was still badly bruised, and his lip wasn't any better either. Even the bite marks still looked nasty, but the spot on his arm by far looked the worse. She wanted to hold him, to comfort him, but she didn't want to tempt him. She didn't want to make things harder, when he already clearly struggled. “Can I be near you now?”

  “No, not yet. Take me to where you got this and I can get more. After that, we need to leave. Warren will know by now Teddy is gone, and he will not be happy.”

  “Oh, you got Teddy.” She felt relief that at least the state he was in had some purpose. “I'll pack our things now.” She got up, and started to gather their things. She made a pile of dirty towels and tried to leave the room as clean as possible.

  Once things were ready, she ran the bag out to the car and then came back for Nick. He stood, waited a minute, and tried to let the room stop spinning, before he started to stumble toward the door.

  “Let me help.” She stood close to him and let him lean on her.

  “I'm sorry, Kate, sorry you have to …”

  She reached a finger up to his mouth. “Shhh I would do anything to help you.”

  They walked to the car, he leaned heavily on her the whole way. Once she got him inside, she drove around to the office.

  “Wait here, I will go and turn in our key.” She opened the door and got out before he could protest.

  “Did you get what you needed,” the man asked, as he saw Kate approach the counter.

  “Yes, thank you. Thank you for the help. Here is our key.” She handed him the key, plus a few bills.

  “He paid up front already,” the man said.

  “I'm afraid we left some bloodied towels. I hope that will cover it.”

  He looked her over, and smiled. “Do come again.” He shook his head, and laughed as she walked out.

  She got back in the car, and started to drive Nick to the drugstore. With him, she knew it was going to be a whole new experience, not nearly as terrifying.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  He gave a weak smile. “I'll be fine, sweetheart.”

  She pulled in to the parking lot and parked as close to the door as she could, to make it easy on him. She stayed under his arm, trying not to lean in too close, but still offer the support he needed as they made their way to the back.

  The same two guys that gave her such a hard time before, still manned the back.

  Nick walked up to the counter, and leaned on it with both hands to support himself. “I'm going to sit down.” He tried to maintain a strong voice as he spoke to the man. “I want you to bring me a pint. Thank you.” Nick leaned on Kate again and took a few steps back to a chair.

  She stood beside him and held his hand.

  One of the men came out with a pint, it was the one who had circled her earlier. He handed the bottle to Nick and looked him over. “Christ man, what hit you?”

  Nick drank the pint, and paid the man no mind. “Another.” He handed the empty bottle back.

  They did this twice more, and then Nick felt like he could stand on his own. Kate reached out and brushed his hair back. “Are you starting to feel better yet?”

  “Yes, my love. He is moving. We need to go now.” He handed the last bottle back, then walked over to the counter, and gave the other man his credit card. “Thank you, you have been ever so helpful.”

  “Sure, sure,” the man said. “I'd hate to see the other guy.”

  Nick laughed. “He won't be seeing anyone.” He laced his arm around Kate, and kissed the top of her head. “Let's get out of this damn city.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  W arren sensed Kate faintly outside the city, and started to feel a bit better with some distance between them. It didn't last long, maybe an hour, before he sensed her coming back again. Visions of her brave smile as she faced him down, danced across his mind, and taunted him to go kill her. Her steady presence drove him to drink, again. He didn't usually feed mid-shift at the club, but his hunger climbed to intense levels with her so close. Once he ate again, his mind cleared a little, and his senses sharpened. He sensed Nick again.

  Nick and Kate?

  He knew Nick and Paul had an old friendship, but couldn’t understand why they would swap a plaything, and one so costly? Nick clearly came to town with an agenda to screw with him, and did a fine job by taking out Teddy, but he couldn’t think of how Kate was involved?

  Nick and Kate?

  Nick didn't keep humans. In fact, he always took issue with keeping humans.

  What the hell was going on?

  He walked outside, and closed his eyes, blocking out the distractions of the night. Kate was traveling away now. Nick seemed farther away at first, but that, he assumed, was because his bond to Kate seemed so much stronger. It could be because Nick seemed to have a very weak presence. He focused harder and his senses told him they were moving at the same rate, even though he could feel Kate more. They were together.

  Nick and Kate...

  He reached the limit for his patience, and walked back inside where he handed out instructions, before he left the club. His craving rose as he drove, following the trail of Kate. It puzzled him that Nick would have a human. It puzzled him more that Nick would have Paul's human. More than being puzzled, he grew angry, he didn't like to think someone got one over on him.

  When he arrived at the hotel, he knew Kate and Nick were not there, and he could sense them both move toward his city again. His curiosity got the better of him, and he went into the office. He wanted answers.

  “Good evening, how can I help you?” The man in the office said.

  “I'm looking for something.” He tossed Kate's driver’s license on the counter. “You seen it?”

  “Yeah, I may have.”

  Warren dropped a few hundred dollar bills on the counter. “Well?”

  “Just left, about half an hour ago maybe. With a man. Strange couple. Clean human, strong vampire. Must have been some kinky shit, because she came in looking for blood. He had her charm marked, lots of charms.”

  “Clean? Still? Oh this just gets better. Do you have security cameras?” Warren wanted to make sure she was actually with Nick and not Paul.

  “Sure, yeah, follow me.”

  They walked around the counter into the office. The man sat at his desk and pulled out his tape of the night before. He wound it back to when they arrived. Warren watched as Nick walked in with Kate protectively under hi
s arm.

  “Cute, do you have any footage out by the rooms? I'd like to see if he left or returned last night.”

  The man looked up at him with a look that said, only if you make it worth my while.

  Warren smiled. “Show me what I want to see.” He laid a stack of bills on the desk.

  They watched as Nick left alone, and then both of them watched in awe as they saw Kate drag him into the room just before sun up.

  “He looked like hell,” the man said.

  “Good. That is at least a small comfort. Is there anything else you can tell me?” Warren asked, as his mind filled with a hundred new questions.

  The first question was, why did this Kate woman care so much to save a vampire? And what the hell was she to Nick? Nick, who despised human interaction?

  “I don't know what you should know. It was odd from the start, a couple like that, and then she came in here panicked, looking for blood, now I see why. Imagine the willpower he must have? To be in that bad of shape and not drain her dry? I sent her to that cheap drugstore a few exits over.”

  “Willpower indeed. Did Nick, did he, pay with credit?”

  “No, sir, used cash.”

  “Did he leave ID?”

  “No, sir.”

  “That's too bad. Thank you for your time.” Warren picked up Kate's ID and walked out.

  Unbitten? That is going to change.

  Warren followed his senses back toward the city, they led him to a drugstore, the one the man at the hotel mentioned. He missed them again, but decided he might have paid with credit in there and it was worth asking. It would save him a lot of time and energy if he could just acquire an address. He did have a business to run after all.

  Warren walked in and made his way to the back counter.

  “How can I help you?” the man asked.

  “I'm looking for this woman; she would have been with a vampire here earlier.” He handed him the ID.

  “Yeah, I saw her, she was here twice. First time for blood on her own, strange, right?”

  Warren gave the man an impatient look when he paused.

  He started talking again. “Yeah, she almost got attacked in the parking lot. If I hadn't been watching her on the camera, she would have been toast, and her master, as she called him, would have torn this place apart.”

  Warren laughed. “Her master?”

  “Yeah, he came back with her later. A second generation, like you.”

  “I see; how did he look?”

  “Like hell, looked like he had been beat to hell, and bitten. She was practically dragging him in here. I've never seen anyone drink so much blood in such a short amount of time. He must have barely won that one. Strangest thing, why wouldn't he just drink her? Why go for the bottled crap? Kissed her head like she was a puppy, called her love, sick if you ask me. Fucking unions, I hope that doesn't pass into law.”

  Warren laughed again, and tossed a few big bills on the counter. “A tip, for making me smile. I don't suppose they used credit either time?”

  “No, cash, sorry. Wait, the second time, he paid with credit. You want that info? Is she yours? Did he take her from you? Is that what the fight was over? A human?”

  “Sad, isn't it?” He took the information the man scribbled down, tossed a few more bills at him, and walked away as a grin grew on his face. She was going to be taken.

  Warren walked outside and could smell Nick, even though he was long gone. He looked around and saw the necklace on the ground. He stooped down and picked it up with one finger. It stank of Nick; it must have been taken off when she was almost attacked. There were going to be no more almosts for Kate, he thought as he dropped it back to the ground.

  He went back to his club, after he sensed they were gone. He needed to make sure things there were ran smoothly, before he headed off to settle things with Nick, Nick who now owed him a stalker, or three. Kate would make fine payment for that.

  His love?

  Nick had gone soft. Perfect.

  O nce they were on the road, both Kate and Nick felt a sense of relief. She drove while he rested.

  “I'm sorry that didn't go better,” he said. “I should have known Warren would have sensed me, and reacted fast. Teddy was ready. There were three of them. I walked right into a trap. I should have been smarter.”

  She reached over the console and placed her hand over his.

  He laced his fingers in hers.

  “I'm just glad you are going to be okay. I was so worried when morning started to near. When I saw you, I didn't think you would make it. I couldn't stand thinking about losing you.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I told you I would need you one day. I wouldn't have even made it in the room without you.”

  “I'm not done taking care of you either. I'm glad you killed Teddy, because when I saw you like that, I knew if he hadn't been killed, I was going to do it myself.”

  “There's that fire I love,” he said and closed his eyes. “Drive fast sweetheart, I'm getting hungry again.”

  She watched the highway rolling on in front of them and tried not to think about his hunger, but she needed to ask, it nagged at her. “Are you thinking about me? As food I mean. Has that changed?”

  “No, but I don't want to push that. I don't ever recall being this hungry.”

  “Did you, when you were telling me to get away at the hotel?”

  “No, I just knew I was in dire need and that makes you in danger. I may not have been thinking it, but what if I would have just instinctively reacted? How could I live with that?”

  “I did offer. I would have without hesitation if it meant saving you. I still would if you need me to.”

  “I know. I heard you offer and I know you meant it,” he said and sighed. “I don't want anything dark or painful between us. All I ever want is to make you feel good, happy, loved.”

  “You do.”

  He looked over at her, and watched the way the moonlight and car headlights played across her beautiful face. “I heard what you said as well. I want you to know that I do love you too. I'm not sure what the implications of that are, but I really do love you.”

  She smiled, despite everything they had been through, he knew just what to say to make her feel happy. “The implications are that we both get to know love. Anything beyond that, we can figure out as we go along.”

  “When it was daylight, did I do anything?”

  “You didn't do anything at all. I even washed you and undressed you so you would rest better. You didn't move a muscle until the sun went down.” As they neared the house, she finally felt relaxed, and when they pulled in, she felt peace. “Nick, I know your answer, but I just want to tell you again, if you need it, to get through this…”

  “No, Kate, I will heal. Even if it is slowly, it will give us time to plan a little better. If I tasted you, I would want to taste you every night. I'm just too drawn to you. When we first touched I craved more. When we kissed I needed more. And since we made love I haven't stopped thinking about how much I need to have you again. As badly as I crave every part of you I can't need that as well. A passion as deep as mine is for you, would mean your death. Everything for a vampire is so much more intense. I don't just want you, I need you. Can you understand that?”

  “I guess. I still don't think you would hurt me.”

  “I would never want to find out. How about I go inside, drink some more of the nasty, cold stuff, and we sit by the fire and see what my strength allows for?”

  “Nick, are you getting fresh with me?”

  “I'm trying…”

  They both laughed, and then she got out of the car.

  She rushed to meet him at his side, in case he still needed help.

  He leaned on her slightly, but she felt he was much more balanced and steady on his feet as they made their way inside.

  She walked him to the kitchen, and dragged in a chair from the dining room, in case he needed to sit while he ate. “I'm going to start a fire, if you are okay her
e.”

  He gave her a pained look, he hated that she was taking care of both him and her. He wanted to be taking care of her. “I'm fine, go.”

  She walked over and kissed him, before heading off to start the fire.

  “I'm really sorry.” He walked in the room. “I shouldn't still be this weak. I am guessing that in the struggle I must have been nicked with the silver tip myself. Something is eating away at everything I drink.”

  She pulled him into her arms and held him tight. “Will you be able to recover from that? The silver, I mean, if that did happen?”

  “Yes.” He kissed the top of her head. “It'll just take a few more days, and a whole lot of blood.”

  “Did you need to go rest?” She looked at the tiredness on his face.

  “I am afraid I may need to. I had hoped to stay with you longer up here tonight.” A sad look filled his face.

  “I will lay with you a bit. Did you want me to stay the day with you?”

  “No, I need you up here. With me in this state, and with Warren knowing we were both there, you need to keep an eye on the house during the day.”

  She hadn't considered all the resources Warren may have, people like the doorman that could be sent to hurt Nick when he slept.

  She followed him downstairs, and once he got comfortable, she crawled in the bed beside him to spend a little time with him before he needed to lock himself in.

  “Nick, are you worried about Warren? Do you really think it will be dangerous here now?”

  “Yes, yes to both. I am worried, because I can only protect you at night.”

  “When you sleep, your absence is like a black hole I must tiptoe around during the day. I look forward to falling into your arms at night.”

  Nick pulled her close to him. He had no idea what to say to her. How could he even begin to express how dead he was, until she came and woke up his soul, setting it on fire with life and love?

  As he lay there thinking and resting, she drifted off.

  “Kate.” He nudged her a little. “Wake up. I need to go to sleep now.”

  She opened her eyes and smiled when she felt his cool lips press to hers. “Tonight,” she said, and got up. At the top of the stairs, she looked at the door, and listened as the bolt slid into place.