Monsters Within (7 page)

3

Nikki felt a slight pang of regret for having left so early. Her mind was cart-wheeling with the wonders that she had left behind in that cabin
.
A vampire
,
she thought. It was obviously hard for her to digest but at the same time, it made so much sense. She was glad the he had not shut down her little joke about visiting again.

On that front, if she were honest with herself, it was more than just because Saul was a vampire. Part of it was also because the dude was hot. She typically loathed men that were solidly built, with muscles sprouting out like outcroppings of stone. But within two minutes of watching Saul’s mouth touch the wine glass, something in her had been set ablaze. She hadn’t ever felt so sexually charged about a man before. It was alarming and deliciously tormenting at the same time. It was completely new to her. For a moment, she wondered if that was the sort of thing Jason felt for her…and if so, he pitied him.

It seemed to take an extra bit of force for her to turn her car out of Saul’s driveway and back onto the road. Nikki headed back towards town, excited but trying to convince herself that it was nothing. Everything was too fresh; the concept that the knowledge she had just uncovered could potentially alter her life hadn’t registered yet.

She was too caught up in her thoughts to have noticed the black hulking shape of a car, its engine dead, pulled to the side of the road a few feet away from Saul’s driveway. Even if sh
e
ha
d
have seen it, she would have no idea who it belonged to and certainly wouldn’t have seen Kara Humphrey sitting behind the wheel.

In the dark and shadows of the car, Kara wore a scowl as she watched Nikki Galimore come out of Saul Benton's driveway.

4

Saul was very much aware how the legends of vampires had been spread among various cultures. With each re-telling of the myths, some stupid human population had changed certain details until it was now almost comical. However, despite the millions of inconsistencies in the human-altered legend of vampires, the
y
ha
d
gotten one important aspect correct: The vast majority of vampires slept during the day.

Saul typically crawled into bed sometime around six in the morning. He did not sleep in a coffin, as human tales claimed, but in a queen-sized bed in his modest bedroom. The room boasted only a single window which was covered by blinds. When he went to sleep the morning after Nikki Galimore had paid her odd little visit, murky sunlight was etching itself through the blinds. He paid it no mind and crawled into bed.

Sunlight was another thing the humans had gotten wrong. Saul knew that in the movies, vampires were instantly destroyed by sunlight. The only way Saul could be killed by the sun was if he walked outside and stood directly in it all day. Even then, he might not die. Instead, he would be sick as hell for weeks if he survived, as the sunlight would penetrate his skin and scramble his molecular make-up in a way that he still didn’t quite understand.

But a little sunlight through the blinds was nothing. He even enjoyed its warmth on his face as he drifted off. As sleep took him, his thoughts turned to images that he usually reserved for the quietest of moments.

He thought of Jill, his sister, and hoped that she was okay wherever she was. He thought of his father, now more than twenty years dead, and the peculiar circumstances surrounding his murder. But now intertwined in all of this was the fact that a human had managed to discover his true nature. Not only that, but a human that didn’t seem to be  the least bit afraid of him even after knowing what he really was.

Nikki Galimore was the last thing on his mind as sleep took him.

***

Saul usually awoke by a sort of mental alarm he had within his head half an hour or so before dusk. But something else stirred him awake that afternoon. As the last vestiges of sleep began to taper off, Saul’s senses began to pick up on the fact that there was a presence in the room with him. It had apparently come out of nowhere because if it had have been a human, Saul would have stirred awake as they had come within fifty yards of the cabin.

Saul opened his eyes and sat up as if on hinges. There was a dark figure standing at the end of the bed. The figure was waifish, its arms elongated and its head somehow oddly stretched. It wore no clothes but had a body that seemed to be made of swirling shadows rather than skin. Certainly, such a figure at the end of a human’s bed would cause madness. But Saul had seen this entity before and was vaguely familiar with it.

“Did you have a good rest?” the figure asked.

“I did. What brings you here, Benali?”

Benali stayed where he was (or maybe it wa
s
it
—
Saul was not sure of Benali’s gender) and said nothing for a moment. He carried a sense of power that filled the room. As a member of The Guard, it was a power that Benali knew how and when to flex.

“I think you know the answer to that,” Benali said. “In the course of the last thirty-six hours, you have assaulted a human and had two female humans enter your home. Even if those events had been spread out over the course of a year, that would be cause for concern.”

“I understand,” Saul said. He slid to the edge of the bed but kept himself covered. He slept in the nude and did not want to risky any sort of offense in the eyes of The Guard. “But these were circumstances that could not be helped. Granted, I should have had more will power when it came to shoving Lester Dobbs. That is what caused most of it.”

“How did a mortal get under your skin in such a way?” It was not a taunting sort of question; Benali was genuinely doing his/its best to get to the bottom of this. Saul knew that Benali would report back to the other members of The Guard and that many of them were far less forgiving that Benali.

“This whole town was an audience for the death of my father,” Saul said. “Lester Dobbs used it to provoke me.”

“Why?”

“Because he was drunk. He is the type that must feel like he reigns over everyone.”

“And the women?”

“The first one is the deputy of Red Creek. Her name is Kara Humphrey. She came to question me about the assault. The other was named Nikki Galimore. She is…well…if I’m being honest, she has the potential to cause some trouble.”

He hated to admit such a thing, but he knew that Benali would be able to sense it if he, Saul, lied about her.

“Trouble of what kind?” Benali asked.

“She saw the assault on the street and it made her curious. She then did some research and found an article about my father’s murder. She saw me in the picture and realized I looked exactly the same.”

“Anything else?” Benali asked. He asked in a way that let Saul knew that h
e
kne
w
that there was more to it.

“Not regarding me, but ther
e
i
s
something that concerns me.”

“What is that?” Benali asked.

“There is footage o
f
somethin
g
feeding on cattle. One of Nikki’s friends caught it on some sort of hunter’s camera.”

“What manner o
f
something?”

“The way Nikki described the figure, it looked very close to a vampire.”

“But you are the only vampire in this area,” Benali said.

“Exactly. That’s why it concerns me. Might there be another family trying to encroach on my territory?”

The shadowy composure of Benali’s skin seemed to flicker at this. His eyeless face seemed to contort a bit.

“That is very doubtful,” he answered. “Who else has seen this footage?”

“Just the girl and her friend.”

“I don’t need to tell you that you need to keep an eye on this girl, correct?”

“I know.”

“Things aren’t so bad that The Guard needs to act yet; I can keep them at bay for a bit. But you need to somehow make sure that this footage, this girl and her friend, are not able to show anyone else. I don’t care how you handle it, just handle it. If you need to break our rules, I will allow it. But you must be discreet.”

“I understand. Now, what about this other creature?”

“I will check with the Guard. As you know, we would be fully aware if another family was encroaching on your territory. And we would obviously stop it. But we have neither seen nor heard anything. I will keep you posted.”

“Thanks.”

“Saul…you have only eight years remaining before you are free to feed as you were intended. Eight short years. You are coming very close to ruining that for yourself. You need to act with more tact and caution.”

Saul only nodded.

“I’m sure you understand that I must keep you under surveillance from time to time as a result of these events. The Guard has been sensing some very strange disturbances in the fabric of things. We are on full alert for any peculiarities. Of course, your recent string of events is alarming but not of the caliber we are expecting. This other creature your lady friend claims to have seen, though…tha
t
i
s
alarming.”

“What sort of disturbance are we talking about?”

“We aren’t quite sure yet, but we remain vigilant and always watchful.”

Sensing that Benali had no real answers to give him, Saul reclined back into his bed. “Is that all?” he asked.

“For now. Take care, Saul and use your best judgment in all things in the days to come.”

Then, as if a strong breeze had come through the cabin and pushed away billowing smoke, the shadow-like composition of Benali vanished. Saul blinked, making sure his eye were not failing him, and let out a deep breath.

Although he was alone in the bedroom again, he felt like there was a ghost occupying the room as well. He knew that a member of The Guard would not share the same habitat as someone they were keeping tabs on (it was against one of their many oaths), but he still felt that Benali was there with him, all the same.

Saul got out of bed and dressed himself. He walked into the kitchen, made himself a sandwich, and walked out onto the back porch. He was relieved that he at least knew for certain that h
e
ha
d
been sensing the prying eyes of The Guard over the last few days. Benali had all but confirmed that. Still, if there was some sort of disturbance in the order of things, Saul couldn’t help but wonder if his own recent disturbances might somehow be related.

And if Nikki was right about this other creature that was surely connected someway as well.

He thought again of Nikki Galimore and wondered how he could keep an eye on her without seeming suspicious. He then remembered that she had jokingly asked if she could visit him again and he had never flat-out denied her. Given that, he thought he knew exactly how to keep her in his sights without seeming suspicious.

Making his plans on his back porch, the approaching night suddenly seemed very warm and bright.

5

While Saul formulated a plan and tried to shake off the chill of Benali’s unexpected visit, Nikki was getting ready for bed. She rarely went to sleep early, but tomorrow would actually be an eventful day at the Red Creek B&B. She decided it might do her some good to get some rest.

Of course, when she lay in her bed and thought of Saul Benton, sleep did not come as readily as she had hoped. She was still in a mild sort of shock over the reality of what she had done. Had Saul been the sort of vampire that the movies were full of, she’d have been nothing more than a snack that had stupidly walked right into his clutches.

She sort of wished h
e
wer
e
that sort of vampire. That, at least, made sense. But no, he was pretty normal and even courteous in an odd sort of way. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was drawn to him. She had never been the sort of girl to crush on men—especially not ones that were built like him—but there it was, plain and simple.

She fell asleep trying to come up with a clever excuse for paying him another visit.

Even after she fell asleep, he was there. Only he was not in his cabin. He was in the forests behind the cabin, the ones that ran along the town limits of Red Creek. She was there, too. She was waiting for him, with a coquettish sort of smile on her face. He walked closer to her, his massive size nearly dwarfing a few of the trees he passed.

“Your thrill for danger is going to get you killed,” Saul said to her as he closed the distance. “These woods are dangerous fo
r
m
e
, so they could be lethal to you.”

“Why?” she asked, with the smile still on her face.

“The Guard…they see everything. Anything tied to me in any way, they will have an interest in.”

“Yeah?” she asked.

She held her hand out and placed it on his hip. It felt like granite under her slim fingers. She tried pulling him to her but it was like trying to pull a car. He looked down to her and when she met his gaze, there was a primal look in his eyes that instantly sent electricity through her.

“Are you sure?” he said.

She nodded, returning his primal gaze with her own.

He encircled her, his large hand finding the small of her back. He pulled her to him in a rough way that created more sparks in her body. When their bodies met, she actually lost her breath for a moment. She let out a surprised gasp and then, before she could properly collect another breath, his mouth was on hers.

Her hands went to his face as they kissed and she found his hair, running her fingers through it. She felt him pulling her tighter against him as their mouths continued to work together. Slowly, his mouth left hers and found her jaw. When he trailed down to her neck there was a moment when she was certain he would bite and make her like his own kind. She was terrified by the thought but something fluttered inside, something below her stomach and closer to her waist.

But he did not bite, although he nibbled on her collarbone through the fabric of her shirt. As she giggled at this, his hands pushed her shirt up and she finished the movement for him, sliding it over her head and throwing it to the ground. Her bra was still on and he wasted no time with her breasts as his kisses traveled further down.

When he reached her navel, she let out a sigh and leaned back against a nearby tree. His hands were on her hips again, gripping her and pulling her closer to him. They then inched around to her front as his mouth met the waistband of her jeans. There was a brief moment of nothing, only the silence of the forest, and then the soft sound of her jeans coming undone and sliding slowly down her thighs.

She felt his mouth hovering above the lace of her underwear and when his hands started slowly pulling them down, his mouth following suit, the forest seemed to explode.

***

She woke up gasping and felt as if she had just been making out with someone for hours. Every nerve in all of the important parts seemed to be on fire. She had twisted the sheets into knots during the dream and her entire body felt like one large knot.

She sat up in bed and realized that she was trembling lightly.

“Damn it,” she said, feeling like a fool.

The clock on her bedside tables read 2:12. She knew her body was technically tired, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so energized. As a matter of fact, something in the dream had made her feel sexy—something else she had not felt in quite some time.

She lay in bed and waited to fall back to sleep. But the images of the dreams kept creeping into her head, so strong that she considered getting in her car and heading back to Saul’s cabin right then and there.

But better sense prevailed.

When sleep finally made its return, it washed away one remaining fragment to the dream that followed her down like a mantra as slumber took her. It was Saul, looking at her with those fierce eyes and making one comment that had kept the otherwise sensual dream anchored to reality:

This is dangerous.