bite.

Chapter 38

We found shelter for the night in a closed down pub on one of the village back roads.

Michael hid the car behind the rear of the entrance, while I dragged an old mattress down from one of the guest rooms into the beer cellar.

There were a few blankets that I managed to scrounge, so we would at least be comfortable and warm for this night.

It wasn't exactly home, but it was damn sight better than the pub in Camden.

I lit a few candles around the cellar and emptied the Sheldon's folder out on to the bed. Flicking through the pages of information, I carefully read each of Sheldon's handwritten footnotes.

I ran my fingers over his writing and imagined him sitting at his desk, in front of his laptop. In my mind, he was still alive... still smiling and joking.

"Put the folder away," Michael said softly.

I looked up at him and whispered, "It hurts so much."

He kneeling down beside me, he took the notes from my hand.

"Lorna, you need to sleep."

"I can't, I'm scared I'll dream of him... he didn't want to die, Michael. You should've seen the fear in his eyes."

Sheldon's death was sudden and violent. What made it worse was that he would have survived his injury, if it wasn't for the silver floating in his blood stream.

"I will kill the people who did this to him," Michael swore.

I shook my head, "This doesn't feel right, he should be here with us... oh god, I can't believe he's dead."

" Lorna, come on. You're exhausted - you need food and sleep," he said, unbuttoning his jacket and exposing the side of his neck. "I ate especially for you. There was late night jogger that passed by the car while you were talking to Cassandra."

"Did you kill him?"

"No, I took what I needed and left him on the verge. He'll live."

I bit my bottom lip and stared at the veins in his neck. My fangs ached in my mouth and my hold body started to burn. I leaned towards him, breathing him in. He smelt like fresh air and rain. It was earthy and intoxicating.

My hand rested on his shoulder and I lowered my mouth towards the spot where his neck met his shoulder.

I bowed my head down to his neck and flicked my tongue across his pulse. Michael held his breath as I teasingly scrapped my teeth over his skin.

Desire was taking over, drowning out the grief raging inside me. I tunnelled my fingers through his hair, continuing to move my lips against his skin. It wasn't until I found the sweet spot on his neck where the artery was singing to me, that I bit down.

I drank deeply, swimming in a haze of ecstasy and bliss.

Climbing into his lap, I gripped onto his shoulders as I continued to drink. Michael slid his arm around my waist, holding me tightly to him.

When I finished drinking, I lifted my head up and looked down into his eyes.

"I need you, Lorna," he breathed and pulled me back on to the mattress.

Sheldon's notes went flying and as they did, I spotted a newspaper clipping tumbling off the mattress. I reached out and caught it.

"What's that," Michael asked.

I showed him the clipping at pointed at the black and white photo under the headline.

"I know this woman," I whispered.

"What?" Michael said breathlessly.

"I saw her in the garden. Her name is Christine Howe. Cassandra said that Tessa and Christine were constantly arguing over the vampire project. Tessa wanted to study the vampire blood to find a cure for her daughter, while Christine wanted to make a quick profit."

"I guess it didn't work it out for either of them. Tessa died and Christine's profit escaped."

"I guess so," I said dropping the piece of paper to the floor. "But, what if Christine was to recapture her investment? All she would need to do is capture Micah and then she's back in the money, right?"

"Micah is not going to let himself get caught by a human."

"No, but if she had an alliance with vampire then perhaps she could."

"Like who?"

I thought who it could be and then realised, "It's Patrick - she's working with him."

Michael loosened his hold on me and I rolled off the bed, picking up the scattered pieces of paper. It all made sense now. Patrick was working Christine to secure Micah. If they captured Micah, then they gained control of the v-types.

"We have to get back to London. We need to find Micah before she does," I said.

I wanted to leave now, but it was too close to dawn. We would have to wait until the next night.

I gathered Sheldon's notes and placed them back in the folder.

Crawling back on the mattress, I lay down next to Michael and pulled the blanket over me.

"Are you cold," I asked.

"I don't get cold," he replied curtly.

I reached out and touched his skin.

"Michael, you're burning up. What's matter with you?"

"You."

I propped myself up on to my elbow and glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Forget it."

Outside a storm was rolling over, rain started to lash down on the roof above. The sound filtering through the floor and filling the cellar with a dull tinkling noise.

Michael remained silent, staring up at the ceiling.

I placed my hand over his heart and felt his heart beating wildly through his shirt.

"Michael, what does it feel like when I take your blood?"

"It feels like you are crawling inside my veins."

"Is that a good feeling?"

"It's glorious," he breathed.

Glorious, was right. I couldn't think of a more divine experience than sitting in his lap, feeling his blood sing to me as I drank it. It was liquid pleasure that burned through me, making my body ache for his. Just thinking about it, caused me to burn for him.

I let my hands glide over the contours of his muscles up to his neck to the two faint pin-pricks that were left over from where I had taken blood. My fingertips gently massaged that spot. His muscles tensed and he swallowed hard.

"Lorna," he said, half-warning and half-pleading.

I kissed his shoulder and confessed, "I love drinking your blood."

"Please, stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing you. I want you, Michael. I want you so badly, that I think I might die if I don't feel you inside me in the next minute."

Suddenly, the spot on the ceiling no longer held his interest. His grey eyes locked on mine, reminding me of predator who had caught sight of its prey.

I leaned forward and kissed his mouth, urging him to give into me. I purposefully started slow, building the fire until I had finally pushed him over the edge.

The kisses grew faster and hungrier. I think somewhere in the back of our minds, we knew that this could be our last night together.

Outside the rain continued to beat down as we made love for what might be the last time. Melting into one another we forgot the death and chaos around us and spiralled into a state of primal ecstasy.