Eternal Night - 4. Return
-Arael- I walked idly around the cabin. I really loved the upper level of our three story dwelling. The first floor was the living area with the kitchen, the second was our bedroom where the balcony exit was, and the third floor was an addition that wasn't there when Bacchus constructed this place in America. When we moved, Maxwell made good on his offer to gut my apartment so that I could take my drywall paintings with me. When we finished building the cabin, Bacchus built a room shaped like my apartment, accessible via a hole in the floor (the ceiling of our bedroom) to display my murals as they had been before. Something interrupted the mental silence up here. I turned around and wrapped my arms around Bacchus's waist, letting him hold me up. I'd been barely standing, still suffering from the blood loss. He must've been able to tell how weak I was. With no preamble, my wolf scooped me up into his arms and hopped back down the hole into our bedroom before taking the stairs down to the first floor. Bacchus set me on the island in the middle of the kitchen and kissed me before turning to the refrigerator and taking out three blood bank bags. He placed them on the counter put his arms around me. "I'm sorry." The wolf said, licking at my neck where he'd bitten me before. I grinned and lifted his head to kiss him again. "It's okay. You know I like it." I said before picking up one bag and biting into it. I'd gotten used to cold blood, but sometimes my thoughts drifted back to the night I turned Maxwell. His blood had been warm. Would it be so horrible to kill someone? After all, they were just mortals; condemned to die no matter what. Maybe I'd try again. When I was finished with the first bag, I put it down and looked to my wolf. "Sweetheart, why don't we go out for dinner tonight?" No turning back now. "Out? You mean?" His tail started wagging behind him. I picked up the second bag of blood and bit into it and took a sip. "Well, this is okay," I said, gesturing to my breakfast, "but sometimes I miss warm blood." "Arael, I know you don't like killing. We can just leave the bags out on the- I stopped listening to his words and slipped into his mind, listening for the echoing voice behind them. "I'm not doing this because I feel bad for not letting you kill people." I said, silencing him. "I know there are options, but I want to try it this way again. Drinking from Maxwell reminded me of what it was like to hold someone as they went limp, and I have to say, it was nice." He shook his head. "I can't read minds like you, so you have to tell me if you really mean that. You know it's never bothered me that you can't kill people." His beautiful face showed no emotion, but his eyes showed more concern than any I'd seen before. How anyone could have thought he was a monster (aside from his prior violent killing sprees) was beyond me. I pressed my lips to his and he licked at the blood remaining on them. "I do. Not just because you like the hunt. I want to try it the right way." "I think yours is the right way." Now he was just trying to convince me that I didn't want to hunt. I shook my head. "Meu dragoste , if my way were right, we wouldn't have these." I said, baring my fangs. He grinned and raised my paw to my lips. I'd just about forgotten the bag of blood I'd punctured and not drank. If I had any body heat, it would have warmed in my paw by now. Bacchus stood with his waist against the counter between my legs, holding me around my waist while I drank. Even though we were both cold and dead, I could remember warmth when he held me, resting his head atop mine. I was sad when Carmina and Maxwell left us, but if they were still here, we wouldn't have moments like this. We wouldn't be able to stand naked in the kitchen without worrying who's going to walk around the corner. I ran a paw through his waist-length hair, twirling my fingers around in it while he dragged his claws up and down my spine. "I know the perfect place to go for dinner." I said, tilting my head back to bite at his neck. "There's this club called Again. No one will notice us or the people we take away." His response wasn't very outwardly excited - giving me nothing more than a nod - but inside he was celebrating in his mind. I snickered. "Bacchus, you can act excited, you know. I see it in your thoughts, anyway." The big wolf grinned. "I am excited, but I don't want to move." He said, holding me tighter. I kissed him on the neck, since I couldn't reach his cheek. "Well, be that as it may, we need to get dressed. It's already after eight and the sun won't be done forever." "We could forego feeding tonight and stay like this until tomorrow night." Bacchus said, nuzzling into my neck. He ran across a sensitive spot and I shivered. Suddenly I felt smugness around him. "And judging by that, I think you want to do the same." I shook my head and put my arms between us, pushing him back some, but not breaking his grip on me. "If I don't do this now, we'll both be drinking bags of chilled blood forever." Bacchus whined, but relented, releasing his grip on me. Something was wrong and he was making a herculean effort to keep it out of his mind or just on the edge so that I couldn't get to it. I'd never heard him whine other than hours ago, before he'd carried me to our bed. When I searched his thoughts, I never felt sadness, but now it was there, but just barely as if he hoped I wouldn't notice. Whatever it was, it bothered him, and when he was bothered, so was I. * * *
:Later:
- * * When Bacchus told me before that he couldn't imagine me with anyone other than him, I'd thought him to be the jealous type. As it turns out, I was wrong. My wolf was so secure in the fact that I'd never want anyone more than him that it didn't bother him to see me bumping and grinding with the mortals. Of course, I was essentially playing with my food, but he knew my history with them. Likewise, I had no need to be jealous of him. Even though my heightened hearing picked up on him flirting with a pretty little feline in a short skirt at the bar, he may as well have been whispering the words into my ear. He was essentially speaking to me from the bar and allowing her to think she was 'the most stunning thing he'd ever seen'. Meanwhile, I would not disappoint. My fluid movements drew more than their fair share of eyes. The song changed to my favorite one Kidneythieves' "Before I'm Dead" was the first good song I'd heard all night. I hadn't been paying attention, but I didn't not notice that most of the mortals I was sharing the dance floor with backed up; leaving me in a circle with only a couple others as they watched and giving me room to move the way I wanted. I closed my eyes and let the music move me like a snake to a charmer's song. Occasionally, I glanced over to my wolf. His thoughts were a little scattered. I was making it hard for him to focus on his dinner, not that she was perceptive enough to notice. Though my eyes were closed, I still had a pretty good grip on the air around me. I knew exactly where everyone sharing my circle was and all but one of them was gone. The one still dancing with me was actually dancing with me. His presence seemed to completely surround me as Bacchus would, but my wolf wouldn't be dancing here. I tried to invade my new partner's mind, but I got nothing. A mortal shield? Wait... I felt no warmth from him. There was vampire here with me that wasn't my wolf. We didn't know any others in Italy, so who could this be, so brave as to dance with me? Curiosity got the best of me and I opened my eyes. I wasn't facing him, but I knew how he was surrounding me now. Light gray wings were folding and unfolding around me. I turned around to see to whom they belonged. My unbeating heart nearly came back to life. Clad in white silk and black leather and with visible blue eye ablaze, Maxwell had returned. "I was going through the CD's I kept in the limo, and this song reminded me of you." The gryphon said, folding his wings neatly on his back. "You look good, Arael. How are things here?" I ignored his question, not intentionally, but because I was distracted by his new manner of speaking. Maxwell had always been one for bad grammar and language, but now he spoke like a gentleman as we did. "What has my sister done to you?" His thoughts shifted for a moment, working out what I meant, then he chuckled. "Do you remember when you told me that Carmina would eat me alive?" When I nodded, he went on. "Well, you were correct. She pretty much beat the rough edges out of me. "Wow, I didn't take her for one to be bothered by such." He shook his head. "It wasn't that she didn't like it. Actually, she loved it." Maxwell's eyes shifted about a millimeter away from me. "I mean she reeeally lo- "You can go on now!" I almost shouted, holding up a paw to silence him. "I don't need your reminiscing." "Oh that's right, you can see her naked in my head, can't you?" I could see more than Carmina naked. Maxwell was recounting sex with my sister on purpose. I poked him in the chest with enough strength to crack a mortal's ribs. "You know, you should be a little more respectful to your Sire. I'm kind of like your daddy." I said, turning to leave the dance floor. Surely someone would notice two impossibly beautiful creatures standing almost too still and speaking too quickly. Maxwell followed me, continuing to explain his new diction. "Not long after we left, Carmina accidentally rescued a mortal girl from a bad home. She didn't want her picking up on any of my coarse language, so I had to change." "So you two have a mortal in your care? That has to be difficult - keeping her in the dark about why you can't go in the sun." "Oh, she knows what we are." The gryphon said as we took our seats at the bar, a couple stools away from Bacchus and his dinner - which he'd just about talked out of her clothes. "She's okay with it. Even calls us her mom and dad." "Interesting. I think I'd like to meet this Desdemona." I said, picking his brain for the child's name. He smirked and a invaded his thoughts again. He was thinking that I'd get my wish since they were crashing our home for a while. "Well now I want to get home." I said, folding my arms. I was thirsty, but my sister had come home. Just as the thought passed, my mind shifted to Needs and my throat ignited. I immediately reached to put a paw around it as I looked around the room. Then I was gone. It had been so long since I'd hunted that I had forgotten how easy it was. I picked up on the sweetest scent in the club, an otter sitting alone at a table across the room. I was so fast getting to him that no one on the dance floor noticed me weaving through them, to lean on the wall behind the table he sat at. His blood was calling to me, but I couldn't strike yet. No matter, my chance was coming. He needed to smoke. When the otter got up, I followed him to the back door and slipped out as before it closed behind him. Leaning on the wall in the dimly lit alley, he took a cigarette from his pack and put it between his lips. Then I was holding the cigarette. Confused, he took another out and tried once more to light up. I bolted to him and back into the shadows once more, now holding two of his cigs. Frustrated now, he turned to go back inside. Then I was leaning against the door. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was going on. Between the first and second blinks, I slipped behind him and locked my arms around his and my legs around his waist, dragging him to the ground. My hypnosis seemed to work effortlessly in death. He didn't scream, but he did protest. "Andric... d...don't do it... Don't... hurt... me..." he said weakly as I brushed my lips cross his neck. He recognized me rather quickly. "Please... I have... kids..." The otter trembled as my cold breath met his fur. Kids? I stopped for a moment, resisting the urge to tear into his throat. Searching his thoughts, I indeed found kids, familiar ones at that. I grabbed the otter by the hair and turned his head so I could see his face. Guilt struck me. I'd been so caught up in my desire for his blood that I'd nearly killed the otter from my photo shoot. I sighed and stood up, dragging him along with me. "I'm sorry." I said, dusting him off and retracting my aura so that he could feel again. "You were the last person I meant to come after." He backed away from me, but he didn't run. "What... are you?" he asked "I'm a model?" He didn't buy it. I shrugged. My eyes ignited and I bared my fangs at him. "Get the picture now?" The otter stumbled backward and started to run, only to find me in front of him when he turned around. "Now why are you running?" "You're a vampire!" "Yes, but if I were going to eat you, do you think I would have stopped? You'd be cold and dead by now if I had any intention of harming you." "'Any intention'?" he echoed. "You were a second away from killing me!" In his mind, he was wondering why he couldn't run. I couldn't help but grin as I screwed with his motor skills, making him forget how to work his legs. "Look... David." I said, fishing out his name. "You have three kids and a wife in rehab for whatever reason. I'm not about to take you from those kids. If anything, I should turn you so you never die." "How the hell- "Psychic. Let's leave it at that." I replied before he could finish the question. I didn't even have to read his mind for that one. It was obvious. I reached into my vest and fished out a credit card, a pen and a piece of paper. I'd planned on dropping these items anonymously, but that was out of the question now. "Listen, I've know your situation ever since the photo shoot, and I wanted to help you out." I said, writing down all the information he'd need to access my second bank account. "I want you to take this." I said, putting the card and paper into his jacket pocket. "Use it for those kids." With that, I turned to walk away, giving him control of his legs back. "What do you care?" I turned back and reached up to put a cold paw on his cheek. He cringed. "You're a good man, David. Your life's harder than you deserve. I stopped needing money a long time ago and charities are mostly scams, so let me help you. Keep your mouth shut about me and you'll never have to worry about money troubles again, got it?" "And if I talk?" "Then I'll kill you." I said without hesitation. Suddenly all the caring in my voice was gone. "I'm usually a good judge of character. Don't prove me wrong. You won't live to regret it." The door we'd come through opened and there was Bacchus with his half-eaten dinner stumbling drunkenly next to him. "Are you alright out here?" I looked to him and nodded. In his mind, he was asking about my meal. "My plans got mucked up. I made a mistake; can I have the rest of yours?" When he nodded, I stepped to the feline and wrapped my arms around her, slowly snaking one paw up her back, past her neck and twirling my fingers in her hair. As subtly as if I were kissing her, I pressed my lips over the two puncture wounds my wolf had already made, draining the life from her. She moaned in my arms, wrapping hers around my and clawing at my back as I lowered her to the ground, keeping her mind calm as I laid her to rest. This had definitely been a good idea. I felt stronger than I had in a long time. Feeding off mortals wasn't so bad. The blood was warm and the victim's last memory was pleasure. Speaking of victims, I looked up to my almost-dinner as the feline's heart stopped. I'd almost forgotten him. The otter looked as if he'd seen a dead per-oh right, he had. I stood up to walk over to him and he stumbled backward. I let out an annoyed sigh and sped up to him, grabbing his leather jacket so he couldn't run. "Keep your mouth shut and never have to worry about money again, or out me and die. Your choice, David. I don't want to take you from your kids, but if you talk, I won't have a choice. It'll be you or me and the strongest will survive." I was threatening him, but at the same time pleading with the otter and he could tell. He didn't say anything. "Andric Sinclair isn't a vampire. He's a young mortal model. Arael Silvanus is who you see before you. Don't ruin our lives." I said before releasing him and walking back into my wolf's arms. "I suggest you come back inside with us, lest the person planning to come and empty his bladder in this alley assume you killed her." I said, pointing to our victim. David looked around, confused, but when he saw the boot of the person who's mind I'd read, he quickly followed us inside. "Listen, you said you weren't gonna hurt me, does that go for him, too?" David asked me, jerking his head to Bacchus. I nodded, then looked up to my wolf. "Bacchus, you won't hurt our new friend, will you?" The big wolf looked down to David. "As long as my Arael sees value in you, I will not harm you." Suddenly, I felt the otter's thoughts go fuzzy as he walked behind us. I knew that feeling, someone was hypnotizing him. I looked around, only to find Maxwell glaring at us. Are you insane?! Do you really trust him as much as me? I nodded from the back door, then I was sitting next to him again. It wasn't hard for him to tell I'd failed to kill my target. He'd seen who I left with and who returned not dead. "Don't worry. Like you, I value his life."