by Lane Mason
Dexter accepted the apology, “It’s okay. I knew you would be able to tell. I took the risk when I arranged for your home to be moved. I felt you were the best chance for Erica. I only hope you don’t change back for too long. We are going to need you.”
“You will have Erica. As a vampire she will have the strength to assist you. She is an incredibly smart woman. If anyone can thrive in the new world of paranormals and humans it will be her.”
Dexter left the room. Jeffery and Terra, who had been standing back absorbing the entire conversation silently, also left. Dante and Erica were alone again.
Dante lay down on the bed beside Erica. Cupping her chin, he stared into her grey eyes. “Get some sleep, my love, you need your rest. The transformation is hard on your body.”
“Don’t leave me, Dante. I’m afraid,” Erica said. She was scared, not of becoming a vampire, but of losing Dante. The thought that he would revert to just being a gargoyle, until a new suitable human filled the house scared her.
“You’re looking at this all wrong, my dear. Our love was cursed before, a short but bright flame that would blow out with the passing of time. Now our love can last for hundreds of years. When another, worthy of protecting arrives, I will be here. All you have to do is wait.”
That thought had not occurred to Erica. Dante would not stay stone forever. She now could wait as long as necessary to be reunited with Dante. “I will wait as long as it takes, and I will search for a worthy person for you to protect,” Erica vowed. She then drifted off to sleep. Her exhaustion and the effects of the venom were taking their toll.
Dante leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, “Till we meet again, my love.”
Dante stood up and walked to the door. He took one last long look at Erica before heading to her room, and his familiar place on the balcony. He would wait there for his transformation to occur. At least from his perch there, he would see her every day. Once she turned, her human body would be dead. He did not want to watch her die. He could not watch her die. His heart would break, and the wait for his reactivation could take years, perhaps centuries if the Sanctuary failed to defend humans against the rogue vampires. Dante felt wetness in his eyes, and suddenly his disdain of humans who wept in fear of vampires was replaced with sympathy.
35
Erica woke the next morning feeling good. Better than good. Actually, she felt physically vibrant. Opening her eyes, she noticed that her vision seemed better, sharper. Erica sniffed the air. Even that seemed different. She could detect things she had never noticed before. She could tell Terra was coming to her door right now, just with her heightened sense of smell. Being a vampire would take some getting used to.
Erica reflected back on the previous day’s betrayal. Jerod had been one of them, or so she had thought, but anyone willing to kill his own parents over their beliefs was capable of anything. It seemed fervent, extremist behavior was not solely a human trait. Vampires were equally willing to go to extremes for their causes. She had been sure she was going to die when Jerod had her pinned down. She could only assume her pushing the panic button on her watch had been the cause of her salvation. Dante had saved her.
Dante ... her love for the demon-possessed gargoyle ... She was not ready to deal with that issue. Another grieving process was at hand. It was hard enough to think about all that had happened, but she did not want to confront the very real possibility that Dante was back to just being Garg. The balcony was only a few feet away, but the idea of walking out and seeing Garg and not Dante terrified her.
Erica was glad when the door opened and Terra came in. Having someone to talk to would give her time to prepare herself when she walked out on the balcony to face her fears.
“How are you feeling this morning?” asked Terra, as she came into the room. She could see that Erica was awake.
“Emotionally I’m a wreck, but physically ... I feel surprisingly well,” answered Erica.
“That is not surprising. Most humans that are changed go through the same process. Here, I brought you breakfast.” Terra put the tray down on the bed beside Erica.
Erica looked at the tray. Bacon, eggs, toast, and a couple of slices of fruit, it was not what she had anticipated her first vampire meal to be.
“By the look on your face, you were expecting a big glass of warm blood for a meal. Don’t worry, vampires can eat normal food, although you will have to take special potions every now and again. Your diet will change. Vampire’s metabolisms are higher and require much more protein than you are probably used to, but a morning protein shake can help that. You won’t go thirsting for human blood just because you have changed. You would have to drink it first to develop a craving for it.”
“That is a relief,” Erica said. “I would hate to live forever without chocolate cake and caramel lattes.” She was thankful that Terra was here to talk to her about things. “Anything else I should know about becoming a vampire? I have been researching vampires a lot lately, but for the purpose of killing them, not becoming one.”
“I know a little, but Dexter will be your mentor. While Jerod is the one who started the process, it was Dexter who changed you. He will guide you as a vampire. He will be the one that can answer your questions about the process.”
Dexter’s confession about his true identity had been a minor shock, but saving her life, by making her a vampire was enough of a gift, that she could forgive his keeping his secret from her. “What kind of powers am I going to gain?” Erica asked. “I can already notice my vision and sense of smell are stronger, and I feel physically stronger.”
“I have no idea. Even Dexter couldn’t tell you that. He can tell you what powers he has, but you have the DNA of two different vampires in your body. It is very rare for two vampires to contribute to the making of a new vampire. Usually one of them ends up falling to the thirst and killing the victim. You will have a unique genetic profile, it will take time to see what you become. That your sight is not diminished by daylight is a good sign. Light sensitivity is a common trait among vampires, and one that makes having a normal life difficult.”
“So I won’t have to sleep in coffins and only walk around at night. Good to know,” Erica said.
“I see changing you into a vampire hasn’t affected your sense of humor.”
Erica shrugged, “I know becoming a vampire is the reason I’m alive. I’m grateful for what Dexter did. I am just going to need time to adjust. Joking about coffins and bad old movies is easier than falling apart. The world is so crazy right now. Maybe being a vampire is the best way to survive.”
“Well, you certainly are right about it being crazy out there. The only communication we have with the outside world right now is short wave radio communication. It hasn’t gotten any better in the last few days. I am afraid you might be right.”
“Is it vampires or war?” Erica asked. Yesterday, before Jerod attacked her, she had been trying to gather information about what was happening.
“Hard to say. The tensions between governments is at an all-time high. Hackers have been taking out communications systems all over the world and there have been military strikes in several countries. From what we can tell the entire western part of the United States has been without communications for the last couple of days. It’s been chaos. Panic, riots, and all the gangs have been taking advantage of the situation, so crime has been rampant.
Erica was not surprised. For weeks things had been getting progressively worse. The news had been reporting the tensions between nations and the strange attacks but no one had put it together that it might’ve been supernaturals behind the attacks, at least not in the media. The vampires had a clear plan and had implemented it perfectly. The world powers had been tricked into attacking each other and were on the verge destroying each other
“Thank goodness we started working on things when we did. Even a few weeks longer, and we would not have been as prepared, as we are now,” Erica said.
“You are looking like a g
enius with the decisions to stock up on diesel and buy biodiesel processing equipment. Between the new tractors and our solar panels, we are almost completely self-sufficient. And if things get any worse we’ll need to be.”
“I can’t take all the credit. I had a lot of help,” Erica said. Many of the best ideas had come directly or indirectly from comments made by Dante. She didn’t want to say his name out loud for fear she would break down. A look of worry and sorrow crossed her face.
Terra could see that Erica was lost in her thoughts. She sympathized with Erica. She had been through so much. “I’ll leave you now. I’ll let Dexter know he needs to come back and have a conversation with you. Maybe he has a becoming a vampire for dummies book you can read.”
Erica snorted, “I could use that book. Thank you, Terra, for everything.”
Terra walked to the door, looked back with a smile, “Of course,” and she left the room, leaving Erica to wrestle with her thoughts.
As the door closed behind Terra, Erica took a deep breath, it was time. She turned and walked out onto the balcony. She looked up and Garg was not there!
“I was waiting for you to wake up, but then Terra came to the door. I decided I didn’t want anyone interrupting us.”
Erica turned. Dante was standing at the opposite end of the balcony, out of sight from the balcony doors. Erica rushed to him. She jumped into his arms, and started kissing him all over his face. This time he did not push her away. He had confessed to loving her, before she went unconscious during the turning.
“I was so scared that I would have to wait for eternity to see you again!” exclaimed Erica between kisses. “I dreaded seeing you as a statue again. What happened?” She stroked his arms, as if to assure herself he was in the flesh, and not stone.
“I’m not sure,” said Dante when his lips were freed. “It seems that you changing into a vampire doesn’t affect the qualities that made you worthy of protecting, in the first place.” Dante had sat on his perch throughout the night, waiting for the transformation to happen. When dawn came, and he was still able to control his powers he started to have hope, hope that he would finally be able to share his love. He would be able to find happiness with someone for the centuries that remained in his lifespan. He had never considered a vampire lover before, but Erica getting bitten had made him open his mind to the possibility. All night he had thought and hoped he would stay awake and live with Erica. Vampire or not, he loved her and wanted her to be his.
Erica pushed slightly away from Dante, so that she could look him in the eyes. “You said before that you couldn’t be with me, that the difference in our lifespans was too great an obstacle to overcome. What about now? Could you love me as a vampire?” Erica asked. Her heart raced. She wanted Dante so much, but he had his code of honor and his own demons. Could he see past the fact she was a vampire? Would Dante be able to love her now? Or would he reject her again.
Dante said nothing. Instead he picked Erica up and carried her into the bedroom. He stood her up at the front of the bed and kissed her neck, then her lips. She could feel the passion and desire in his touch. He was no longer holding back, no longer trying to protect her from the pain of loving an immortal. He was giving himself to her fully.
Yes. Dante could love a vampire. Dante loved her. Erica reveled in the moment. The world was a treacherous place filled with enemies and she’d have to face them as a vampire, but she wouldn’t have to do it alone. She had Dante, she had Jeffery, she had a purpose, she had Safe Haven.
Author Notes
I hope you enjoyed Savior. Uprising is the next book in this series. It continues the story of the Ruton Corporations attempts at creating a vampire apocalypse, but with new characters.
Pre-order now and save. UPRISING
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As Mike and Tom got closer to the nightclub they could feel, as well as hear, the music spilling into the night. The old brick building pulsed with the deep bass as though it were a living thing. Once inside, they wove through the crowded room and made their way to the bar. Catching the bartender’s attention, Mike ordered two rum and Cokes and then turned to survey the crowd with a practiced eye. He knew what he was looking for.
“Her. I like her,” Tom said, motioning with his chin to a red-headed woman sitting alone near the dance floor.
“No,” Mike said, quickly dismissing Tom’s choice when he noticed the half-empty beer glass sitting on the table next to her. “She’s with someone.”
Mike took his time studying the people dancing, not saying anything to Tom. There were couples dancing, groups of women and a few singles. He watched each of the single women on the floor with careful attention.
“Her,” he said, nodding in the direction of a tall, willowy woman with dark blonde hair that spilled just past her shoulders in thick waves. She was dancing by herself, hips swaying sensuously in time with the music. Her short black dress enticingly caressed the lean curves of her body. She looked about her as she danced, searching for someone, and Mike knew it wasn’t anyone in particular she sought. She had a lost look in her eyes and a desperate loneliness in the set of her smile. She was looking to fill a void for the evening. She’s perfect. His pulse quickened as a wave of excitement went through him. It’s been too long.
They continued to watch the woman for a few minutes, but no one joined her. Mike took note of two well-dressed men sitting on the other side of the nightclub. They both had dark hair and similar facial features, and though the one was taller and broader than the other, it was obvious they were brothers. The smaller of the two watched the woman Mike had singled out with an intensity that gave him pause, but the woman never looked in the man’s direction. No, they’re not together.
Mike drained his glass and set it on the bar. “Give me a minute,” he instructed Tom before heading out to the dance floor. When he’d made his way to the blonde woman, he stopped behind her and watched her body moving to the music for a moment before setting his hands on her hips, gripping her firmly and pulling her towards him. She looked over her shoulder at him, smiled with something like relief showing visibly on her face, and ground her buttocks into his groin. This won’t even be a challenge. Mike felt a flicker of disappointment, but his body responded to the firm pressure of her curves rubbing against him and he felt his cock growing hard.
Tom joined them then and began dancing in front of the woman. She looked back at Mike and when he slowly nodded and smiled, she turned her attention back to Tom. After a moment of hesitation, she ran her hands up his chest while keeping her backside in contact with Dexter’s groin. When the song ended, he guided the woman to the bar, his hands still firmly in possession of her hips.
“What’ll you have?” he asked. “We’re buying you a drink.” He left no room for protest on her part.
“I’ll have a double vodka soda.”
Mike ordered their drinks as well as three shots of tequila. “I’m Mike, by the way, and that’s Tom,” he said as he handed her a shot glass.
“I’m Jess.” She raised her glass to her lips, tossing the shot down her throat quickly.
“Nice to meet you, sweetheart,” Mike said, holding her gaze until he saw Tom hold up her drink behind her. He nodded towards Tom and Jess took the glass from him, taking a long drink from it to chase down the tequila.
Mike leaned down to speak in her ear. “It’s getting hot in here, why don’t we go outside for a little fresh air.”
She looked at him and then at Tom, who gave her a mischievous grin. Jess turned back to Mike and slowly nodded. She took another swallow from her glass, shrugged, and said, “Okay.”
“Finish up,” he said, looking at her drink. Jess tilted her head back and drained the glass. Good girl. He looked at Tom over the top of her head and motioned in the direction of a back door with a nod. Mike turned and led the way through the throng to the door, while Tom steered Jess with his hands on her shoulders.
The three of them stepped out into the cool, dark alley and
the door slammed shut behind them. Dexter looked down the alley and saw that a large garbage bin blocked the far end. They were all alone with little chance of being interrupted.
He turned to Jess, grabbing her and pressing her up against the cold brick wall. “Ready to have some fun, baby?” he asked before kissing her roughly, forcing his tongue past her lips. Tom was beside him, clumsily pawing at her body and mauling her breasts.
Jess struggled against their assault, moaning at the back of her throat in panic. His lust was amplified by her fear and in his excitement, Dexter bit her lip, tasting blood. He continued to kiss her, swallowing her scream.
Tom hiked up the skirt of her dress and pulled sharply on her panties. Jess went limp with the tearing of the flimsy fabric. “Such a slutty little fucking bitch. Can we keep her?” he asked as he jammed his hand between her legs.
“Maybe if she screams enough,” Mike said with a sinister smile. He licked the side of her face, his tongue wet and sloppy. He looked in her eyes, wanting to see fear and repulsion. It was like a high for Mike, he couldn’t wait to make her feel pain. It was a pity they couldn’t take her somewhere else where they could take their time and be more thorough.
Jess stared back at him with unfocused eyes. The fight had gone out of her, leaving her body limp and lifeless. “Don’t pass out yet, bitch,” Tom hissed in her ear. “Not until we’re done fucking you. I want to hear you scream.” He shook her roughly and her head rolled back, eyes resting for a moment on the night sky before she brought them back to his, struggling to focus, surrender written on her face.
“Stupid humans. Why take forcefully what is so freely given?” rang out a voice from behind them.
“What the fuck? Who the fuck are you?” said Tom, spinning around.
