The Vampire Cure: A Sci-fi Vampire Romance (The Vampire Cure Series Book 1)

by Kat Stiles

  I slammed the trunk shut, after confirming it was indeed empty. Then I returned to the driver’s side of the car all casual-like. I ducked down near the passenger side of the cruiser to wave goodbye, when I noticed Edgar’s arched eyebrow.

  “You want to tell me what really happened in that alley?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said in my best normal voice.

  “Tell you what, I’ll just follow behind you for a while, okay?”

  I opened my mouth, about to object, when I remembered something my father told me—the number one rule if I ever got pulled over: Never argue with a cop. “If you’re sure it’s no trouble…”

  “No trouble at all.” The simple smile that appeared on his face was genuine. And to be perfectly honest, a police escort put my mind at ease, even though I knew it was probably overkill.

  The drive home was happily uneventful, and I was impressed to see the cop had waited for me to walk to my apartment complex door before he drove off. Being a good girl, I’d never really had cause to have a run-in with the police. I wondered if they were always so helpful, or if there was something more to Officer Jones.

  After taking Thundarr for a quick potty break, I was too wired to go to sleep. And maybe a little afraid of what I would dream. I kept recalling those fangs, er, teeth. How much longer the canines appeared than the others. Could Amy possibly be right about…

  I chuckled to myself. Vampires aren’t real, that’s just silly. But for sanity’s sake, I broke out the laptop to search up cosmetic dentistry. If I could see a single picture that even loosely resembled creepy park dude’s teeth, I would be able to put it to rest in my mind.

  When I opened a browser to search, the newsfeed appeared on my homepage and I gasped. The headline: SARS-like Virus DESVID-2 Hits the US in LA, NY.

  There was no way this was another error. My mind raced, wondering what the ramifications would be, how quickly it would spread, how our fearless leader would respond. In a country with little experience of quarantining and full of anti-government citizens who don’t like to be told how to live their lives, the outlook seemed bleak. The president’s public reaction and response to the threat in the next few days would either diminish the outbreak or allow it to flourish. And that prospect scared me the most.

  In my head, I started to list out the steps that would need to be taken, including a revised threat report, bullet points for containment, and an advisory for public safety. I spent the rest of the night scouring both the CDC and WHO websites for their guidelines and additional information. Sunlight streamed in through my living room window before I realized I never went to sleep.

  But there would be time for sleep later. I grabbed a cup of coffee as I listened to the news on my television.

  “We have several confirmed cases of the virus now in several major cities across the US. Already claiming thousands of lives in other countries, I repeat, the DESVID-2 virus is now here, on US soil.”

  I brought my coffee back to the living room and made some final touches on my documentation before I sent it off to John. Though I wasn’t allowed to directly email or talk with the president, I knew John would forward it on. With a yawny exhale, I grabbed my stuff and headed into the office.

  On a Saturday. Because a pandemic was on the verge of breaking out and decimating our population.

  Chapter 6

  After arriving at the lab and consuming a couple more coffees, I was able to knock out the autopsy. It was no surprise the cause of death was respiratory failure, but the interesting part was how. The disease weakened respiratory function in an organized, systemic manner. I noted the serum I administered did have its intended effect—the white blood cell count of subject B did increase. However, the increased white blood cell count had no effect on the virus. In fact, the stimulation of creating those cells left little energy for the bat’s already struggling respiratory system to fight the strain the virus had put upon it. In essence, the serum inadvertently killed the subject.

  I went down the list of differences between the baseline readings between subject A and subject B, and formed a new hypothesis based on the divergent muscle mass readings. This was the hypothesis I was most afraid of. The people of America aren’t exactly known for being the healthiest around. If lack of physical activity or obesity was a factor, the virus would be devastating here. I needed a larger sampling for the study, so I grabbed two other bats—one similar to the smaller mass of the deceased subject B and one with a higher BMI and less overall muscle mass, a cute pudgy little guy. With any luck, I could rule out physical activity and obesity as factors.

  By the time it was afternoon, I had laid out all the groundwork for the next test, including taking baseline readings. This time, instead of injecting the virus into test subjects C and D, I simply added the bats to the same cage as test subject A to get an idea of how infectious the virus was. Test subject A still appeared healthy—his latest readings only slightly deviated from his baseline readings. The analysis of his blood proved the virus was still present in his system despite that he showed no symptoms. I added a single large rat to the cage for them to feed on, and then turned on the camera to observe them.

  I yawned, so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. After barely sleeping three hours over the last couple of days, the lack of sleep was finally catching up to me. I checked my email, and John had responded with a request to meet on Sunday. I sent back an acknowledgment, yawning again. Then I dragged my tired self to the employee lounge and crashed on the sofa.

  I drifted off instantly. And then I dreamed…

  “I only want to taste you.”

  The words sounded familiar, and though I could discern a masculine voice, I couldn’t see the speaker.

  “I won’t hurt you,” the man promised. As he came into view, I realized it was the handsome stranger from the other night, the one who saved me from the park creeper dude. He stood in front of me, bare-chested, looking at my eyes. Then my lips.

  He leaned into me slowly, and although I didn’t know him, and it didn’t make any sense for me to want him, I found myself leaning in as well. His lips touched mine and it was like my nerve endings came alive, sending pulses all throughout my body. Turning on the heat, warming my blood, animating me. I kissed him back in a fever, wanting to taste him, too. Sucking on his tongue and drawing him deeper into me. Feeling his heat, his pure desire to experience me.

  I ripped my blouse open and watched the buttons pop off in the air and land on the floor. His hands cupped my breasts, massaging them. A guttural groan escaped his lips. Then they parted to reveal elongated canines, and I instantly knew they were fangs. But somehow I wasn’t afraid.

  He nuzzled my neck, kissing it gently once before his mouth opened. As his fangs punctured my delicate skin, I screamed, “Nooooo!”

  I stumbled back and realized it wasn’t handsome heroic dude at all. It was someone else entirely, a man I’d never met. But then I knew he was important somehow. And a sinking feeling in my stomach began, as I realized crossing this man would have serious consequences.

  “Welcome to the family.”

  I gasped as I woke up. The dream felt so real. I looked around, startled when I realized I wasn’t in my normal bed.

  “Hey sleeping beauty, rise and shine,” Amy said.

  I rubbed my eyes, still groggy. “What time is it?”

  “Damn, you look like shit.” She handed me a bottle of water. “Six thirty.”

  I gulped down a few sips, my heart still racing from that nightmare. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw the news. Figured you’d be here. Didn’t figure you’d be asleep, though looking at the black circles under your eyes, you obviously need it.”

  I was afraid to look in a mirror. “Testing a new hypothesis. Takes a while to get it all setup, you know?”

  “I thought you might want some help.” Her eyes looked hopeful, but I would feel like a shit asking her to work on a Saturday.

  “Surely you have
better things to do on the weekend,” I said, as I attempted to smooth down my crazy hair.

  “Then research a global pandemic?” She laughed. “This is exciting—it’s why I want to be a scientist, to make a real difference.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe that’s what everyone who gets into science says about it, but with her, I knew it was genuine. And then what she said registered in my brain. Research….

  “I could use some help with the research, actually. New data is popping up every day, and it’s hard to keep track of it all.”

  Amy clapped her hands together and jumped up and down, a giddy smile on her face. “Yay! And I know just where to start.”

  I stood, feeling better after the nap and ready to get back to work. But as we left the employee lounge and my desk came into view, I froze. An envelope that wasn’t there this morning was placed carefully on my keyboard.

  There was no way this was a good thing, no matter how beautifully my name was written on the front, in perfect calligraphy.

  Amy waved her hand in front of my eyes. “You okay?” Then she must’ve followed my gaze. “Ooh! Secret admirer?”

  She ran over to my desk and snatched the envelope. Then she sniffed it. “Smells like a man’s cologne. An expensive one.”

  “Yeah, right. Probably Frederick pranking me or something.” As soon as I said the words, I knew they were false. Frederick didn’t have the imagination to come up with a prank that took any kind of creativity. His penmanship was barely legible.

  I took the envelope from Amy and carefully opened it, as if I were afraid it would blow up in my hands. Inside was a gorgeously crafted invitation, to dinner this evening at a place called the Kensington mansion. 8:00PM sharp. I scanned the paper front and back but couldn’t determine who sent it.

  I scratched my head. “What the hell?” If it wasn’t someone I worked with, how did the person get in here to even drop the invitation off?

  Amy grabbed it back and read it. “Oh my God, you have to go!”

  “Why? I don’t even know who sent it.”

  Her jaw dropped at first, and then her eyebrow raised. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you’ve never heard of the Kensington mansion?”

  “No. Why would I?”

  “Oh I don’t know, because everyone talks about it? Because it’s a palace that even celebrities can’t get into?”

  I folded my arms against my chest. “That’s ridiculous, I don’t know anyone like that.”

  “Apparently you do.”

  “Maybe it’s a joke or something.” I threw the invitation on my desk. “Whatever.”

  “You’re going, and we have to leave now to have enough time to get you ready,” Amy declared.

  “I’ve got work here, there’s no time to go to some mystery dinner party at some mansion.”

  The eyebrow raised again. “You’ve already setup the new experiment, right?”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And you’ve got the camcorder running?”

  I nodded. “But the research—”

  “We can get a jumpstart on the research tomorrow morning, I’ll be here at 6AM, I swear.”

  She did the whole heart crossing thing. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to say no. And to be honest, I was curious to figure out why I was invited to an exclusive dinner party at a mansion.

  “There’s no way I’m getting out of this, is there?” I asked.

  “It would be futile to even try.” The smile on Amy’s face was nothing short of triumphant. “Oooh, I can’t wait to give you a makeover!”

  At my house, Thundarr was overjoyed to meet Amy, and the short walk with the dog that followed was pleasant. We talked mostly about college, and I learned she was close to graduating—only one more semester. She mentioned taking time off to travel before moving on to her doctorate degree. I imagined what that might be like, to just take off and tour the world. All the sites, history and cultures. All the new experiences she’d have. It had been so long since I actually had fun, just talking about it made me feel a pang of jealousy.

  Back at my apartment, it took Amy a solid hour to find something in my closet. Most, if not all, of my clothes were functional. But she was able to dig out an old plaid skirt I wore to the only college party I attended, and paired it with a button-down shirt.

  “It’s missing something…” she said, titling her head to the side. “Oh, I know!” She carefully took off one of her necklaces, a silver chain with a small moon pendant. Then she put it on me, and unbuttoned my shirt to the halfway point, so that the necklace could be seen.

  I tried to rebutton the last open one, but she slapped my hands away. “Don’t you dare.”

  “You can see my bra…” I said.

  “And?”

  I sighed, as she cuffed the sleeves to come up to my elbows. “I know it may seem that I’m desperate, but—”

  “Being sexy and being desperate are two totally different things. You can dress the same as someone else, but the way you carry yourself, your attitude… that’s what makes the difference.”

  I arched an eyebrow, but nodded. “I defer to your wisdom in these matters.”

  She grinned. “We are going to have fun tonight!” I felt a little like an experiment myself, as Amy styled my hair and started applying makeup. After what seemed like an hour, I was told to close my eyes. She led me to another room and flipped the light switch. I knew by the brightness level it was my bathroom.

  “Okay, now open your eyes!” she yelled in a giddy manner.

  I was struck by the image reflected in the mirror. My hair fell down past my shoulders in messy waves, just enough to give it body and dimension. So different from the ponytail I usually wore. As for the makeup, I was floored. The eyeshadow and mascara were simple but did an amazing job of accentuating my eyes. I’d never tried a peach blush before. The result was innocent, sweet. It was as if she channeled my personality and somehow manifested it into the perfect shades of makeup. Down to the sheer lip gloss, I’d never looked so…pretty. I mean, I didn’t think it was possible to be made up yet still somehow look natural.

  “Wow,” was all I could think of to say.

  “You like it, I can tell.” Her grin reappeared. “You look hot!”

  “I’m in awe of your ability.” She’d even managed to cover up the small scar on my left cheek from the psycho dude in the park.

  “I didn’t do much, really. You have a natural beauty, Liz. I just brought it out more.”

  “Thank you.” I found myself hugging her, which is not something I do often. But I was grateful, and it was nice feeling close to someone who wasn’t related to me or covered in fur.

  “You do realize the only way I’m going through with this is if you come with me, right?”

  She smiled, but then it faded. “What if they only want you?”

  “Then I get to go back to work, and forget about all this weirdness. Win-win.”

  “Oh good. Cause I really want to go!” She laughed a cute little happy laugh. “I don’t have time to change, but I can freshen up my makeup.”

  With that, I left her in the bathroom and had a moment to myself. I had to wonder who the mysterious host of the dinner party was. Part of me hoped it was the handsome stranger who saved me. But knowing my luck, it was likely the creepy park dude, luring me to my death. I felt safer not going alone, though I hoped I wouldn’t be endangering my friend.

  Listen to yourself, I thought. Creating this thrilling fantasy life for yourself, when the whole thing was likely a mistake. Or some elaborate geek outreach program. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t go,” I called out to Amy. “I don’t know these people. Don’t you think this whole thing is strange?”

  “Maybe it’s just serendipity. Don’t random good things happen to you?”

  I laughed. “You’re funny.”

  “Well they happen to me,” she said, as she finished in the bathroom. Subtle eyeshadow,
expertly applied eyeliner, black mascara, and a complimentary shade of red lipstick completed her look. In a word, she looked amazing.

  Of course random good things happen to her, she’s a pretty girl. How she could be so oblivious to what amounted to a superpower was simply baffling.

  “Still, we should be prepared.” I placed my pepper spray and taser into my purse.

  Amy smiled. “Nice. Those vampires better not mess with you.”

  “Vampires?”

  “Oh didn’t I mention? The mansion is their coven.”

  Chapter 7

  Okay, so part of me was wondering what the hell we were getting ourselves into, as we drove to the estate. The other part, the more logical part, argued that vampires weren’t real and that Amy had simply watched too many of the recent vampire romance movies—a thing that seemed like a paradox in itself. Romanticizing what is essentially a human leech is the most bizarre and stupid thing of all time. Might as well romanticize zombies. Oh wait, Disney did do that.

  I avoided conversation with Amy on the topic of vampirism. After seeing creepy dude’s pearly whites, I was no longer 100% sure her belief was unfounded. And the last thing I needed was to be nervous about that possibility, on top of dining with uber rich, probably gorgeous people.

  Getting to the mansion was a series of twists and turns, through forests I didn’t realize existed, just within the western border of the DC area. An armed guard stood outside the gates and approached us as we slowed to a stop.

  “Name?”

  “Elizabeth. Elizabeth Meyer.”

  The gate opened and the guard smirked. “James is expecting you.”

  James? Who the hell is he? I looked to Amy and she shrugged.

  “Thanks,” I said to the guard, and then pulled forward. Though it was dark, the grounds were illuminated throughout, showcasing statues and perfectly-trimmed lawn sculptures along the road. At the top of the winding drive, a gorgeous valet waited. I placed the car in park and handed him the keys, amazed at how shiny his hair and teeth were. He could’ve easily been a model, yet here he was, parking cars at some rich dude’s mansion.