Blood Life (20 page)

“I was alone, Roman. You left me alone to figure it out for myself!” Her strength increased as rage exploded inside of her, flowing through her veins and bringing her back to life. She sat up more, straining to focus clearly on the man in front of her. There were three Romans sitting there looking at her intently, extending six arms in her direction to steady her.

Her eyes widened, then dropped to slits again.

“Alethea, this is normal,” he soothed. “You are confused right now.” He looked at her for understanding. She peered at him through the crack in her heavy eyes.

He continued, “I did this because I knew you would consent sooner or later, and I thought it best to bring you over sooner.” He searched her body language for approval. Getting nothing except the chaos in her mind, he sighed, burying his face in his hands. He looked up at her again.

She tried to look at him, but her eyes . . . her eyes stung, refusing to cooperate with her mental beckoning.

Roman put his hand gently down on her thigh. She didn’t move to reject the comfort. “Can’t you see?” he asked gently. “I have waited a very long time for you to return to this mortal life. To return to me.”

Her heart stopped.

“And I know you love me. Ever realize the way you look at me?” Alethea remained motionless. “Not only do you love me, but you understand all of this. Your heart and your soul beg you to remember, but you keep it locked down, deep inside. You were stubborn then, my love, and you’re even more so now.” He smiled in reflection, “Remember the other evening, Alethea? The oil incident?” He waited for her to give him a sign, probing for even the slightest gesture or flicker of positive thoughts.

Finally, she gained control over herself. Deliberately, she fully opened her beautiful emerald eyes and managed to keep them there.

Eagerly allowing himself to fall into them, Roman continued, “Even then you looked at me with such love.”

“Yes, but I—” She could feel an intense ache in her belly, like an insatiable hunger growing and pulsing through her.

“Hush, let me finish.” He put his hand up in front of her.

She angrily crossed her arms, throwing herself forward to exaggerate her frustration.

“Well,” he continued seriously, ignoring her fit, “what I’m trying to say is there’s a way to reverse the process, as of yet. So, you see, the offer still stands.”

He stood up from the bed and moved over to the window, running his fingers along the area Death had been sitting the night before.

Alethea blinked a few times, pondering the new information. Slowly, she dropped her chin to her chest and fell back against the pillows in defeat. He had proven it all to her—the trust, the love, even the past. On the other hand, her logic wanted to keep fighting for human life. The moral thing to do according to what life “meant.” She had to go against her learned instincts and move completely under his protective wing, to completely trust him with her everlasting soul.

He was her father, her lover, and her confidante. There was no doubt that he would protect her with his own body and soul.

The phone call came back to her. “Oh my God, Roman!” she said with horror suddenly. “Last night was worse than you assume.” She searched his face. “I almost forgot about this!”

“Forgot about what?” he inquired, heat rising in his cheeks.

I received a phone call last night and it couldn’t have been part of the transition.”

He moved closer to her. “What do you mean?” he asked quietly, dangerously.

She could see and feel worry and anger surfacing from deep within his animated shell. He was probing her mind as she contemplated the correct way to explain it to him. She cleared her throat and swallowed, licking her lips. She was salivating from the hunger.

“The phone call was not a hallucination.” She turned her face away from him, putting her fingers to her lips. “It was . . . Lokee. I’m sure of it.”

Fire ignited in his eyes. “No, that’s not possible!” he hissed. His face grew dark and cruel. She could feel him, feel the fire dancing within him, and the effort of him trying to suppress the growing wrath so as not to unleash it inappropriately.

“Yes, Lokee knows I’m here. I know it was him; I felt him all over me.”

“He called you here? I can’t believe this.” He spoke through his teeth, pointing at the floor. “It is way too soon. I spent the entire night calling on the powers of our patron Goddess, Lillith, for protection. At least long enough to get you acquainted with your new life so that you could build the strength needed to shield yourself.”

He turned away and raked a hand through his hair. He turned back toward her quickly, hopefully, “No, it could have been a prank!”

“He never actually said his name,” she pushed herself up to her knees, pleading with Roman to calm down, “but I know it was him because he said I was his, and that he was back to claim his redemption.” Her voice trailed off in the last words she spoke.

For Roman, that did it. The heat rose up and out of him in waves, rising and pulsing around her.

“I thought he was you,” she continued, “perhaps disguising your voice, testing me, but it was him.”

He shot her an unforgiving glance. She paused for a moment, trying to collect herself.

“Roman, I can’t even start to explain to you the feeling I got while he taunted me. It was like a forbidden memory fighting its way back into my mind. It was him, I am sure of that, and he reminded me of some of the last words he ever spoke to Alexandria,” she closed her eyes and shook her head violently, “I mean me. He intends to live up to his threats!”

She broke off in sobs as he took her into his arms, swallowing his trepidation, giving her the comfort she desired.

“Shhh,” he soothed, pulling her close to his chest. “It will be all right, my love. He won’t get anywhere near you,” he promised, “because I will always be with you. When you get stronger, when my blood dominates your system, you will start to gain the incredible energy and power that you need to protect yourself against him.”

Her only response was with tears.

“Come now, we must get you fed.”

He pushed her away from him tenderly and walked over to the closet. She climbed out of the sanctity of the warm bed and stood up, shivering. The room was freezing! Minutes later, he came back with warm clothing for her to snuggle into. Then, with his assistance, they moved out of the flat and into the foggy night.

Twenty Nine

Roman drove Alethea out into the lush countryside to a lonely pub. A handful of drunkards gathered around in front of the place, loitering. They clutched onto half-empty bottles of liquor, careful to sip from the bottles, as if they needed to be tender with them. Some were already passed out and others barely standing without using the building for support.

Roman picked up a heartbeat around the side of the building. He tugged at her arm and led her over to the sleeping form. He was alone, half-hidden in bushes, and nobody would be competent enough to react to what was about to happen.

Alethea stood above the man, looking down at him hungrily. She fought the urges, disgusted with the thought of draining him, polluted with cheap liquor and dirt. Just as she started to turn away, Roman shoved her down and warned her never to waste time like she was, standing over the man talking herself out of killing him.

“He’s fine,” he hissed. “You need nourishment, Alethea. If you don’t, the process will not complete itself and you will remain a half-ling. Not really something I would advise.”

“Maybe I want it that way, Roman. Stop forcing me to—” she stopped, realizing she was making things much too complicated, even for herself. She didn’t even feel the way she portrayed herself to feel; she just felt the need to argue.

Roman turned away and disappeared into the trees to give her privacy for the “first kill.” Her vampire virginity was about to end, and what better person to end it than this alcoholic, wife-beating, daughter-molesting man? Or so his mind revealed to her.

Vampire virginity was sacred, after all, and Alethea learned this by opening herself up and absorbing the vampire essence that now hovered over her like a protective cloak. Her gums ached and she moved her tongue up to feel the new canines that tore through her flesh. She tasted blood only faintly, but it disappeared almost as fast as it had come on. Her mouth salivated to the point of making her drool profusely.

Taken by the moment, she looked down at the man and knelt quietly beside him. From the pit of her stomach came an incredible surge of energy. Adrenaline rushed through every inch of her body. The hunger exploded inside of her and she no longer possessed the control to resist; vampire instincts consumed her.

She hunched over the man, opened her mouth wide, hearing herself growl before she lunged down at him, briefly catching a glimpse of his beady eyes opening as wide as possible. She sunk her teeth deep into his jugular. She felt the power increase within her as she sucked sloppily, greedily. She adored the wonderful feeling that coursed through her.

She found herself picking and tearing at the man’s flesh. He made gargled, inaudible sounds, even to her vampire ears. Just as she became rougher with the man’s body, he did his best to cry out. A strong, furious hand slammed down to knock him back out. Surprised, she looked down at her own powerful hand which clamped him down.

Uncontrollable instincts.

The blood swam down her throat, sweet and delicious, and into her veins. Rising to look at her handiwork, she heard Roman approach behind her.

What a terrible mess she had made; was this wrong?

Roman bent down to drag the body to a shallow grave he had dug under some trees. When he returned, Alethea was still standing over the death scene licking her lips. She could feel her body rising, almost as if she were having an out-of-body experience. Her spirit lifted and her flesh tingled all over as if it had been in a deep sleep all her mortal life.

She was undergoing the final steps of the transition and she simply adored it. It felt good. Refreshing. All she could do was stand there and stare at nothing. Her emerald eyes sparkled brilliantly, fixed in front of her.

Roman gathered her up and brought her to the desolate quiet area near the fresh grave. She was oblivious to her surroundings; she only felt the pure ecstasy flowing through her. It was stronger than the sweetest orgasm and more debilitating than a heroine rush.

Turning abruptly, she attacked Roman, ripping off his clothes and hardening his erection to the point of explosion before even making it inside of her. She guided him in and they made delicious love under the full moon.

When she was ready to come, she looked to Roman for approval. With half-open eyes, he looked into hers with the hungriest look she’d ever known from a man. They exploded together, ripping and biting at each other. When they were finished, they collapsed, lying on the ground in the dense forest. The moon shone brightly above them, smiling at them and covering them in silvery, Goddess light.

Alethea sighed. “All you would ever have to do for me in life,” she paused, “or in our afterlife, is what you just did.” She stretched her legs out as far as she could, closing her eyes and taking in every ounce of the pleasure that she could.

Roman chuckled, sitting up on his elbow next to her. “Call it whatever you prefer; I know what you mean.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss her eyelids.

She shuddered blissfully. “All you have to do after we have a fight or heated discussion is fuck me like that. I’m serious.” she giggled, “that would be all you had to do to make me forgive you for anything.”

They laughed together.

“Really?” Roman rubbed at his chin as if thinking of plots to play out so they could have the make-up sex often.

“Stop it!” Alethea pushed herself up and looked at him, smiling. They pressed their foreheads together. “I guess we should go, huh?” she whispered.

“Why?” He reached over and pulled her on top of him.

“If you insist,” she smiled, sliding her body down and moving her mouth between his legs. “No biting,” he said.

Thirty