by Renea Mason
I threw open the door and rushed to his side of the car. Nearly ripping the door from the hinges with my desperate need to get to him; I cradled his face in my palms. “Colin, please…” I begged as tears ran down my face. “I’m so sorry. You can’t leave me. Please…” What could I do? Visions of the school blood drive entered my head. Orange juice and crackers. Through the driver’s window, I spied a convenience store. I pressed a kiss to Colin’s forehead. “You have to make it. I need you.” I closed his door and took my place behind the wheel. I drove across the street and parked at the far end of the parking lot.
Daring a glimpse at my reflection in the rearview mirror, I gasped. Blood coated my chin and my fangs... Fangs? My canine teeth had lengthened. Fuck. This would be hard to hide, but I needed to care for Colin.
The stack of unused restaurant napkins shoved into the console came in handy but didn’t do much for the stains on my shirt. Reaching in the back of the van I grabbed the first thing I could find: the fringe leather jacket the bassist often wore. I needed something to hide the blood.
I dashed into the store at a frantic pace and ran from shelf to shelf, gathering various items, then dumped them onto the counter in front of the cashier. Unfortunately, in my rush I sent them cascading over the edge of the surface and onto the floor. “Sorry,” I apologized, trying not to reveal my teeth.
“Ahhh… will that be all ma’am?”
I nodded and handed the young man with the shaved head my credit card. I tapped the toe of my shoe against the floor and wished I could speed up time.
As fast as was humanly possible…or perhaps more than human now, I ran back to the car. I tossed the door open and immediately sought Colin’s pulse. I thanked God for the soft thud under my fingertips, but he was still unconscious. Cracking open the lid of the orange juice, I lifted the bottle to his lifeless lips. “Please, Colin, take a sip. Please…” A slight flutter of his eyelids made my heart leap in my chest. I marveled that the critical muscle still beat. I was a fucking vampire. Was I dead now? I didn’t feel dead. Did this explain my new sensitivity to light?
A soft moan from behind Colin’s teeth saved me from thoughts that were sure to destroy me.
“Colin… You have to drink this. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” I stroked his cheek with my thumb.
His eyes fluttered open and he glanced from side to side, taking in his surroundings. “Lillie, what happened?”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll tell you everything, but you need to drink this first.” I pressed the plastic against his lips.
He sipped and then stared up into my eyes. “I remember…”
“Shhh. Just drink.” With my other hand, I fished through the bag for the crackers and tore the corner open with my teeth. “You’re going to need to eat these.”
Slowly coming back to himself, he sat up. His eyes squinted, brow furrowed. He took in his blood-covered pants. “Lillie, tell me what happened.” He reached down and adjusted his pants. Immediately, his gaze rose to meet mine. “Did we… I mean… I remember feeling… Did we make love, Lillie? Did I pass out?”
“As much as I’d love to let you believe that sex with me would be so mind-blowing that you’d lose consciousness, that’s not exactly what happened.” I ripped the plastic farther on the pack of crackers and handed them to him.
He sat the crackers in his lap and lifted his arm. The wound had completely healed. Only a faint mark remained, similar to the small marks on his wrist. “Lillie…” His plea begged for answers.
I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “I’m afraid.”
He squeezed my hand. “Of me?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand. What are you afraid of?” He stroked his thumb over the back of my hand.
I closed my eyes. “Everything but you.” Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. “I’m afraid of giving life to the truth with my words. I’m afraid of me, but most of all I’m afraid if I explain what happened, I’ll lose you forever.”
He gave a weak chuckle. “That’s ridiculous. We’ve been together since before we can remember. I thought it would be obvious after thirty years, you’re not getting rid of me.”
“I almost killed you.”
He blinked. “Lillie, everything’s a little fuzzy right now, but there’s a load of cum in my pants that makes me think that I wasn’t exactly afraid of dying. I feel almost…well, sort of high. I remember having the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had. I don’t know what brought about your change of mind, but I told you a long time ago how I feel about you. I’m not upset.”
“We didn’t have sex.”
He grinned. “Well, not in the traditional way or I wouldn’t need a change of pants. But what happened was intimate. I just wish…”
I cut him off, my exasperation overcoming my tears. “I drank your blood, Colin. I almost drained you dry. I almost killed you. The alley… It wasn’t a dream. There were no roofies. They were…” I slumped forward. “I can’t even say the word out loud. God, Colin… I almost killed you.”
He leaned over the console and rubbed his hand up and down my bicep. “I don’t understand. I’m fine, Lillie. You didn’t kill me. I feel great, actually. A little fuzzy, but…damn.”
I snapped my head up and stared directly into his eyes from behind my glasses, and pulled back my lips to reveal my fangs. “It’s why I haven’t been eating. I don’t… I don’t eat food anymore. You cut your arm and it smelled so…so… You were…so delicious. I needed you. I had to taste you. I was so hungry. So thirsty. I needed to feel your blood on my tongue. I wanted to devour you, Colin. I almost did.”
His pupils dilated and he lifted his finger to touch my mouth.
I opened my lips again slightly and exposed one fang. A fingertip smoothed over the surface, and I moaned. Great, fangs were an erogenous zone. I closed my eyes, giving him license to explore our newfound secret without my scrutiny. My mind drifted to what it would feel like to give into our connection, to finally allow the veil I maintained between us to fall, to penetrate him as he penetrated me. My head lolled to rest on my shoulder, as he tested the tips of my fangs with his finger.
“Lillie…” he called to me through the lust.
I inhaled, trying to focus through the haze. Afraid to hear his reaction. “Yes?”
His words were breathy. “Tell me what it feels like.” His hand drifted to my heart. “It still beats.” The tips of his fingers drifted over the swell of my breast. “Your skin is still warm and smooth.” Reaching up he removed my glasses.
My eyes closed until they were mere slits, trying to keep out the light.
“That’s why the light is bothering you. Your pupils are so large your eyes are black.” He slid my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. “Do you still want to…eat me?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I’m sated for now.”
His fingers closed over my knee and he squeezed. “We’ll figure this out.”
My eyes snapped open. It was not the response I’d expected. “Figure it out? I almost killed you.”
His thumb caressed my skin through my pants. “But you didn’t.”
I clutched his face in my hands. We both had to come to terms with this. Both of us were in denial. “Colin, I’m a motherfucking vampire. I drank your blood. I ate you for breakfast. I almost killed you. That isn’t something that we can work out. I’m a monster.”
He glared at me. “You’re missing the point. All we need is a plan.”
“A plan? What do you suppose we do, Google it? Check out care and feeding for your vampire at the library? Enroll in Vampirism 101? Colin, seriously, vampires aren’t even supposed to exist, but nothing else makes sense. Aren’t you the least bit concerned?”
“Of course I am. I have no idea what any of this means. I hate seeing you so terrified. I’m worried it will change you. There are a thousand troubles running through my mind, but none of it matters, because until we have answers, we’re powerless. I’m not going to dwell
on things I can’t change. We need a plan.”
“Always the optimist?”
He scoffed, “In this case, I’m more the pragmatist.”
I took a deep breath trying to hide my frustration. “It’s a little difficult to be pragmatic about something that doesn’t exist.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “But they do, apparently. We just need to find one. Get them to tell you what you need to do. You said you thought there were two that night. So there are at least two out there. We’ll find them and get answers.”
“But what if I hurt people? God… Colin, what if I do this to you? What if those other vampires try to kill you?”
“What if we get answers and can help you through this?” He pulled me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around me. “We’ll be smart about it. If you’re worried I’m not terrified, rest assured, I am, but that’s not what either of us needs right now.”
“I don’t think you understand the hunger. I almost…”
His hand stroked over my hair. “A plan, Lillie. You’ll feed from me. We’ll manage it. Get ahead of the hunger.”
I brushed his long locks over his shoulder. “Colin, I can’t ask that of you. Besides, it’s dangerous and…”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. There’s got to be a way to make it easier on you. Perhaps we can ask Jenny. She’s a nurse. She could show us how to draw blood, and then it won’t be so intimate. That’s your other concern, isn’t it?”
I pressed my lips to his ear. “One of them.”
He squeezed me tighter and on a whisper, he confessed, “I respect how you feel. You worry if we take our relationship to the next level, we won’t be able to work together, that our friendship will fall apart. But I’m going to tell you again what I told you long ago. I love you. I’ll always love you. I always have. I hope someday you’ll understand I’m never leaving. I’ll respect whatever you’re willing to give me, but please know that helping you is no imposition. In fact, I find the idea rather erotic. My blood in your veins. Your teeth in my skin. Allowing my life to sustain yours. It’s an honor. I only regret I don’t remember more of our first encounter.”
The tears returned. “I don’t deserve you, Colin.”
He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “That’s something you don’t get to decide.” He brushed a lock of hair over my shoulder. “So, my little bloodsucker, we’ve got some work to do. First, we need to get these clothes changed.” He patted my knee. “We’ll work this out.”
Colin. Always the optimist. Always my savior, but now in literally every way.
3
Longing
Present Day…
Colin stepped off the elevator and I bit my lip. I had never seen him like this. Expensive suit, black tie, hair slicked back in a ponytail. He looked like a fashion model. There wasn’t a woman in the hotel lobby that didn’t notice him. So captivating.
I smiled as he approached me. “Well, don’t you clean up well?”
He shot me a sexy smirk. “If you like this sort of thing, but you…” His gaze drifted over me from head to toe. “You are breathtaking. If that dress doesn’t entice a vampire to step out of the darkness, nothing will.” His eyebrows waggled in appreciation for my tight-fitting elegant black dress. His playful mood was most welcome.
“I should probably be offended they would only want me for my body.” I tugged on the hem of my dress and tried to make it longer.
He brushed my hair over my shoulder. “But you’re not, you knew exactly what you were doing when you made your selection. Come now, my little temptress, our chariot awaits.” With a dramatic bow, he motioned to the door.
Once inside the car, Colin decided to go over the details again. “So, she said it’s a sort of social club and auction house for the procurement of questionable items and activity. A place where seedy deals are made in luxury, a sort of neutral zone between the criminal elite and legitimate fronts. Apparently, the cops look the other way where this club is concerned. The owner has one in just about every city, catering to clientele with unique tastes.”
The driver stopped at a red light, and I turned to face Colin in the backseat. “So was it the blonde from last night or the brunette from the night before that gave you this info?”
He raised an eyebrow, no doubt picking up on the jealousy running through me. “The blonde. Her father, it turns out, is a collector of rare artifacts. When we got to talking about where he could possibly find something as rare as serial killer trophies, she told me about this place. I thought maybe we could find other rare things there.”
I stared at my hands, not sure how I felt about his suggestion. The seedy undertones of the idea left me uneasy, but we were running out of options.
He squeezed my knee. “Everything will be fine. Mary got us an invitation. She’s a big fan of yours. We just go, check it out, and mingle.”
“Mary, huh? And what exactly did you tell Mary we were in the market for?” I smoothed my hands over the seam of my dress.
“Vampire teeth.” He grinned.
My mouth dropped open. “What?”
His chuckle echoed through the car. “Yeah…” He shot a nervous glance toward the driver. “I told her how you collect vampire memorabilia and that at the turn of the century there was an act in one of those freakshow traveling circuses that claimed to have caged a real-life vampire. It’s rumored that when the man died, the circus, who for all intents and purposes owned him, sold his teeth. They’re circulating on the black market, and you’re looking to purchase them.”
“So you told her all that. Is any of that true?” I tried to hide my incredulity behind curiosity, but suspected had I failed.
“Yeah, well…your need for information has really upped my pillow talk game. I even had to start doing some pre and post-game research. I’ve found having a compelling backstory helps.”
I shot him a pained smile. “I’m sorry. I never intended for you to have to lie to your…companions.”
He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head. “Someday, you’ll finally see. Everything about my “companions” is a means to an end. What’s one more lie?”
He ran his hand over my shoulder where the sun had burned my skin just a few days prior. “It looks like it healed nicely.” His touch sent shivers down my spine.
My skin now blistered after a few minutes of sunlight and my eyes required the darkest glasses. I was becoming less and less tolerant of the sun, and more aware of Colin’s touch. Our already strong connection had strengthened since he started sustaining me. Even the slightest brush of his fingers fueled my hunger and made me ache with desire.
The car pulled in front of a large building with a stone façade nestled between skyscrapers made of glass and steel. The antique structure seemed out of place, like a ripple in time. The edifice’s age was betrayed by the dark, weathered etchings above the door that were stained with dirt and grime that had collected in the grooves over the years.
The doorman opened my door. As Colin handed the driver a tip, the man said, “My last pick up here is eleven-forty-five. If you’re not out by then, you’re staying the night. They lock the doors at midnight, no one in or out.”
Colin nodded. “Uh…thanks for the info.”
The gloved fingers of the doorman gripped my hand and led me from the car. “Good evening, madam. Right this way.” He led Colin and me through the large iron gate and ornate wooden doors. An attendant inside took our information and coats, and then provided directions to the bar and restrooms, but not before issuing a similar warning about not staying past midnight.
Colin extended his elbow. “Come on, Lillie. We never get to have a night out. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”
I looped my arm through his. “So what do you think the ominous warning is about? What do you think goes on here after midnight?”
He pressed his lips against my ear. His words tickled my skin. “Probably sex. One of those anonymous kinky sex parties where everyone wears a mask.”
&nb
sp; I shivered just thinking about attending something like that with Colin. His lips on my skin. His hands between my legs. My fangs… Goddamn it. The vampire thing was putting a serious halt to my sex life. Colin was off-limits, but taking a lover was out of the question. No wonder so many of the stories talk about vampires being cursed. We needed to leave before the sex party or I was bound to make it a blood bath. My stomach grumbled at the thought. “Really? Sex party?”
Colin extended his elbow so I could loop my arm through it. “Sure, why not? Do you have any better ideas?”
“No.” I honestly couldn’t think of a better explanation, except some sort of crazy religious cult ritual, but Colin’s was the more plausible and less frightening explanation.
Down a long corridor was a vast open room. The opulent art deco décor spoke of wealth from a time past. The rich, dark woodwork, the stained glass dome, and the marble floors seemed more suited for a ballroom than the seedy underworld. Glass cases were scattered throughout the room. Backlit, each showcase contained an item—jewels, papers, statues and every variety of collectible.
A young woman met us at the door. “Welcome to Mircea House.”
The way she pronounced the word sounded different than the plaque outside the building. “‘Meer chaa,’ what language is that?”
Colin and the radiant redhead answered at the same time. “Romanian.”
My eyes darted between their pleased expressions. “Yes, well…thank you.”
“I’m Elana. I see you are newcomers, do you have your invitation?”
