“Yeah, sure, I can.” He hadn’t realized he moved swiftly but eased his pace. The rugged climb to the summit of Poco Mountain took longer than he’d planned but they reached it before sunup. Light marked the eastern horizon as they gazed out over the rocky terrain and the wide-open grasslands below. In the distance, Ned pointed out Lawton, visible with its lights then steered Anne to a large boulder. “Sit down for the show.”
In the pre-dawn morning, the winds were cool and when he joined Anne, she scooted against him. He put his arm around her and snuggled her against his body. Her sweet feminine aroma filled him with a rush of desire. Beneath whatever perfume lingered on her skin, Ned caught the musk of their coupling. He ached to protect her, shield her from the wind and keep her safe. Neither spoke as they watched the dawn unfold.
The sky shifted from black to dark gray then the first subtle light moved upward from the horizon. As the light increased, it shifted from the orange into something almost golden. The scattered puffs of clouds in the sky became burnished and then blushed pink, too pretty for words. As the sky began to lighten, Ned noted the gentle, soft shade of blue. All the colors turned the horizon into a beautiful painting, vivid and pleasing to the eye. Although he’d watched the spectacle many times, dawn never failed to move him or touch a piece of Ta-a’pah, or the day father. Ned didn’t worship the sun as a god as some tribes did but he recognized it as a manifestation of the deity, whatever god consciousness existed with goodness. He didn’t fear night or view it as evil – although he believed evil existed – but he liked the way the sun brought light and life each morning.
He wished his people had a morning song the way the Cherokees did. It would be appropriate and he sang a little of the one he’d heard, “Wen-de-ya-ho…”
Anne swiveled her head and smiled. “That’s Cherokee,” she murmured. “But I like it.”
“Yeah,” Ned said. “I do, too. There isn’t a Comanche one. We were always too busy hunting or fighting or raiding or just surviving to make many pretty songs.”
“We?” Her question alerted him that he’d once again spoken from his heart and past. “You really identify with the old ones, don’t you?”
“Very much,” he said. “I do all the more when I’m out here, like this.”
“I could sit here all day,” Anne told him, her voice content. “It’s so beautiful.”
Ned couldn’t resist. “So are you,” he said and kissed the soft skin at the nape of her neck. He felt her quiver in response and his loins quickened. If he had more time and wasn’t a vampire, Ned would’ve taken her there on the rock. Instead, he cuddled her for a few perfect moments. In another time, in his original skin, he could have sat in the spot all day. As the sun climbed above the horizon, he knew he’d soon look ghastly. “Let’s go back to my place,” Ned told her. “I’ll fix you breakfast if you’d like.”
Heat radiated from her eyes as she met his gaze but Anne nodded. “Sure.”
After pulling the baseball cap he’d tucked into a rear pocket onto his head, Ned offered her his hand and helped her down. They made the trek back to his house over the same trail in less time, able to move quicker in the growing daylight. In some places, the trail narrowed so they went single file, hands still linked. Halfway back, Ned paused because he heard the unmistakable dry whirr of a rattlesnake’s tail. He scanned the rocks and brush until he located it. It coiled a couple of feet from the path, its black and brown pattern hard to distinguish. Anne clutched the back of his belt. “What is it?” she asked.
“Rattlesnake,” Ned said. “Don’t worry. He’s not going to hurt us. I’m just givin’ him space. He’ll move on before long.”
“Ned, I’m terrified.”
“Don’t be.” A few minutes later, the snake settled down and slithered in the opposite direction. “It’s all right. Anne, he’s gone.”
She exhaled a long, slow sigh. “Thank goodness.” Then she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. The effect turned his cock rock hard. With what blood he had within his body concentrated in his crotch, Ned realized he’d need to step up his intake and soon. Sex drained his energy more than any other activity and the small amounts, which normally fueled him, weren’t nearly enough.
Ned grunted. “Let’s head back.” He refrained from turning around, unwilling to let her catch a glimpse of his now pale skin. If he could make it to the house, once inside, he’d look ordinary. He hastened his step and Anne, apparently eager to remove herself from rattlesnake range, kept pace. They almost made it but just as he headed up the few steps to the back door, she stopped and tugged his shirt. “What?” he asked.
“I didn’t know you had horses,” Anne cried. “They’re beautiful! Can we go take a closer look?”
“Maybe later,” Ned said. Dusk would be a perfect time to view them. Hell, if she’d wait until then, he’d even take her riding if she wanted. “Come on, I’ll fix something to eat.”
“All right.” He heard the disappointment in her voice. “Oh, but look!”
Without thinking, Ned turned around to see. Anne pointed upward at a magnificent hawk flying in lazy circles. “Isn’t it something?”
“Sure is,” he said just before she gasped. “What’s the matter?”
Anne touched his upper arm. “Are you all right?”
Shit, here it comes. Ned steeled himself to smile. “Oh, yeah, I’m good. Why?”
“You look awful. There’s no color at all in your face. Don’t you feel well?”
He’d swear she had concern in her eyes. “I feel fine,” he said. “I really do.”
Ned turned around, pushed open the back door and walked into the kitchen. Anne followed and caught up to him. “I don’t know,” she said. “I remember you said you missed a night of work, sick. Are you running a temperature?”
Her warm hand covered his forehead for a moment and she frowned. “I guess not, but your face is like ice. It’s too warm for you to be this cold. Do you have a chill?”
Anne’s concern served to do three things. It embarrassed Ned because he didn’t dare tell the truth. Her worry touched him because it’d been a long damn time since anyone really cared about him, and longer still since a woman had. And it increased his desire ten times more.There weren’t any explanations he could make and Ned didn’t want to tell more lies. He wanted to distract Anne before she kept asking more questions he couldn’t answer. He saw two options: feed her or fuck her.
He chose the latter. Ned stared down at her with fondness. “No, but I need something.”
“Tell me and I’ll get it for you,” Anne said. “I can make coffee to help you warm up or do anything.”
“Let me love you again,” he said. Her vivid brown eyes met his and he watched a swift pink blush her cheeks. “I need you.”
In answer, Anne moved closer and put her arms around him. She lifted her lips to his and touched them. Ned craved her heat and when their mouths came together, fireworks exploded. The instant response roared through his body like an out of control prairie fire but this time he vowed he’d take things slow. He meant to savor her body, to make memories because this must be the last time. Ned hadn’t planned to make love to Anne again but once he began, there was no stopping. He didn’t even try.
Tongues laved, fingers caressed and stroked, and kisses lasted for eternity. He removed her garments one at a time and without hurry. By the time they reached his bedroom, neither wore a stitch. Before they collapsed onto the bed, bodies twined together, they fondled and explored. Ned left a few love bites on her throat and between her breasts. Anne put a purple hickey on his left chest and the sensation excited him more than anything except the release when he came. With a growing need for blood, Ned dared to drink from one love mark. He took no more than enough to sate his appetite and fuel his needs. I shouldn’t, I should not have bitten her or drank, but I had to. He vowed he wouldn’t again, not under any circumstances, aware that two more times would turn her into what he was and loathed.
Breath short,
body slick with sweat, Ned rammed his cock into her willing, waiting place with more finesse than force. After prolonged foreplay he came almost immediately and so did Anne, their hands locked together into tight fists. She shrieked and he would’ve cried out but at the last, he smothered her mouth with his. Their bodies bucked like wild horses and then extreme sensation exploded. In the old days he’d come close to death more than once and Ned thought this was much like it. Afterward, he curled up with Anne in his arms. When her breathing slowed to normal, she smiled at him and yawned. She stroked his cheek. “You look better now,” she whispered. “I’m so sleepy.”
“Go to sleep,” he told her. And she did. Ned didn’t sleep but he held her and watched Anne. Her bare breasts rose and fell in the simple rhythms as she breathed. A small smile played around the corners of her mouth. Sometimes she touched him without being awake or aware. Twice she mumbled incoherent words and once he swore she whispered his name.
He let her sleep until late afternoon but by the time he woke Anne, Ned knew he’d fallen hard and deep. He wanted her, he needed her, and he loved her.
But he couldn’t have her and for the first time in more than a hundred years, Ned wept silent tears.
Chapter Five
Before he woke Anne, Ned showered and dressed. He wanted to wash away her smell so it wouldn’t haunt him after she’d gone. He figured he could avoid further temptation easier if he was fully clad. He had removed the scalp feathers before his shower and placed them on the dresser. Afterward, he combed out his hair and put it in a single braid down his back. When Ned went to awaken her, he stared for a few moments at her beauty then called her name. She roused and stretched. When she sat up, the covers shifted and revealed her bare breasts. He suppressed a groan. “What time is it?” Anne asked.
“It’s evening,” Ned said. “I figured you’d want to head home before dark and I’ve got to work tonight.”
“I slept all day?” She sounded as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, I guess you were worn out.” He averted his eyes from her bosom.
“Did you sleep?”
“Oh, yeah,” he lied. “But I’ve been up awhile.”
Her lips twitched into a smile. “Thanks for letting me sleep. I really need to go, though. I’ve got exams to grade and things to prepare for Monday. Will you still show me the way back to town?”
“Sure,” Ned said. And although he hadn’t planned to offer, he added, “And I’ll buy you some supper on the way. I promised you breakfast but we never ate.”
She raked her hands through her tousled hair and his crotch tightened. “I’m a mess,” Anne laughed. “Maybe we could get something and take it to my place.”
Hanging onto his resolve by a thin margin, Ned nodded. “Sure, maybe.”
To avoid temptation, Ned fed the horses while Anne dressed. Thirty minutes later, he pulled out in his truck followed by Anne. By then dusk lengthened the shadows and he had no worries about his pallor. Once they hit Lawton, he pulled over and let Anne lead the way to her home. When she turned into an apartment complex off a busy thoroughfare, Ned followed. Once parked, he stepped out. Anne waved him over. “Come on in,” she said. “We can order a pizza or something.”
Pizza ranked low on Ned’s personal food chain. “How about I go grab us a couple of hamburgers or something?” he said. “Or I’ll buy you a steak if you want to change clothes.”
Anne cocked her head and considered it. “Do you have time?”
“I’m not scheduled at work until eleven,” Ned said. “So I do if you want.”
She touched him, one hand running over his sleeve. “I do. Come up and I’ll get fixed up, then we’ll go.”
Ned sat in an armchair and scrutinized Anne’s home while she showered. Her compact apartment utilized every inch of space. The door opened from the interior corridor into the living room. A counter divided it from the utility kitchen and ended with enough space for a small dinette set. Another doorway opened into the bedroom and he presumed the bathroom must be adjacent. Accustomed to his own Spartan space, Ned felt claustrophobic in Anne’s home. Although she kept things neat, framed photographs and artwork covered much of the wall space. Ceramic figurines lined a shelf and a few sat on the counter. One big basket held magazines and another contained paperback novels. DVDs filled two shelves underneath her television. A dried floral arrangement hung on the wall behind the table and a cloth covered the surface. Just inside the entrance door an umbrella stand held several and a coat rack held two jackets, a winter coat, and a shawl. Everything reeked of fancy, fussy, and feminine.
Anne interrupted his musings. For the first time since he’d known her, she wore a dress, a slinky crimson Grecian style with a flowing skirt. It swirled around her knees with a whispery sound. “I’m ready,” she said. Ned stared, awestruck at her loveliness. “You look fantastic,” he told her.
Her blush almost matched the dress. “Thanks. Maybe I’m too dressed up but I wanted to look nice.”
“You do.”
Ned took her to his favorite place, an old-fashioned out of the way steakhouse. It wasn’t a chain and he knew for a fact it’d been in the same spot since the 1950’s. The building looked more like a diner and it wasn’t fancy but the steaks were thick, tender, and cooked to perfection. He hadn’t dined there for a while but the owner, third generation descendant of the original boss, greeted him by name. They sat at a table near the back of the restaurant and the dim dining room suited Ned. He ordered sirloin for two, medium rare, and the hand-cut fries. Potatoes of any kind didn’t rank high among his favorites but these were the best he’d ever eaten.
Over the meal, they talked and Ned focused on the food to keep his mind off Anne’s luscious body. He’d already recognized her intelligence but as they chatted, he realized she shared many of his interests and insights. They’d already covered Comanche life and history but he also learned Anne liked the same types of music. Like Ned, she wasn’t too fond of country or pop music but adored hard driving rock and roll. He preferred it because it often had a strong beat, an echo of the great drum of life. Although Ned didn’t watch much television and few movies, Anne mentioned his favorites among hers: Dances With Wolves, Thunderheart, and Dead Man’s Walk.
Although he would’ve pegged her as a salad and grilled chicken breast kind of gal, he found she enjoyed a good steak. Anne ate with more appetite than most women he’d been around and she didn’t waste a bite of the tender beef. They lingered after the meal, talking until after ten. If he hadn’t needed to report to work, Ned would’ve remained but since he’d already called in a few days earlier, he figured he’d better not. “I’ve got to head for work before long. I’ll take you home first and go.”
At her apartment, Ned had time to walk her to the door and did. He took time to kiss her, too, with tenderness combined with a thoroughness, which left them both breathless. The shared meal and conversation strengthened the connection Ned felt and it made it difficult for him to say goodbye. Parting for the evening wasn’t the issue, because he figured this had to be the end. It grieved him more than he’d thought although he wasn’t going to say anything to Anne. Later, she’d think he must be the worst kind of man, uncaring and callous but Ned believed it’d be better than knowing his truth.
“Call me, okay?” Anne said when the kiss ended.
Her hands rested against him, one on his chest, and the other on his shoulder. “I don’t have a phone, remember?” he countered.
“Then stop by here or the college,” she told him. “Or I’ll come out to the casino. I want to spend more time with you, Ned.”
If he possessed half the honor he once had, Ned would’ve said no. He could cut all ties, but he didn’t want to hurt Anne. His heart ached with the pain of parting, of shutting himself off from the first woman he’d ever wanted to keep since he became undead. It didn’t help he didn’t feel well, either. His increased sexual activity combined with their hike and his emotional stress required additional e
nergy. In short, he needed blood again and in a greater quantity. For somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred and forty years, he seldom had, taking the minimum necessary to exist and nothing more.
A heavy headache pounded inside his skull and his stomach clenched tighter than a fist. The longer it took to get blood, the worse he’d feel. It’d happened to him more the first few years he’d been a vampire and once Ned had grown so ill he spiked a fever and weakened before he drank some blood. Preoccupied, his answer came slow. “I’m glad,” he told her and he was, just sad it couldn’t be.
Anne’s fret line appeared on her forehead. “Are you all right?”
Her perception amazed him. “I’ve got a bitch of a headache,” he admitted. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure you’re not coming down with something?” She touched his forehead and cheeks. “You looked so awful earlier and now I can see you don’t feel well. Maybe you shouldn’t go to work tonight.”
“I’ll be fine as soon as I get what I need,” he said. “I have to work, Anne.”
“I’ve got aspirin, ibuprofen, and sinus meds,” she replied. “What do you want?”
Ned shook his head. “I’ll get what I need on the way, but thanks, honey. I appreciate the offer, though.”
The endearment slipped out and he knew she noticed. “All right, then. Listen, take care of yourself and let me hear something from you. I’ll worry if I don’t.”
“Sure,” he said. He stroked some of her curls away from her face. “I’ll see you, Anne.”
By the time he parked in the employee lot, Ned’s hands trembled. Although he’d be cutting it close, he had to find a blood donor before he clocked in or he’d never make it through his shift. He headed into some of the deeper shadows, away from the halogen parking lot lights to seek out a loner but Gary hailed him. “Hey, Ned, wait up.”
The Comanche Vampire Page 6
