Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 39. Discovery*

Chapter 39. Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol

Evan's enthusiasm at becoming a vampire surprised me. I did not feel right taking her life, and possibly her soul, but if she was so willing, part of the burden was lifted from me. I had never made another vampire before, but had heard many times how it was done. In my years as Guardian I had heard how to hasten the transformation by sharing vampire blood in addition to letting the saliva flow. I wanted to be sure I did not hurt Evan; this part of her life—her death—had to be as effortless as possible. I needed Evan to know how precious she was to me.

Beyond that, I had never made love to a woman before. I had thought of it often as a young man, but I was betrothed from a young age to Ana, and we had planned our wedding night with excitement. It had just never happened. After my change, Tourneau had cautioned me to never lie with a human woman, because occasionally a monster child could be formed from the union, and that many human women were not strong enough to join with us in the first place. I did not have any trouble with that rule, as I was disgusted with that possibility and the thought of putting myself in such a position as to hurt a woman sickened me. Tourneau's involvement with human women ended with him taking a bit of their blood and planting a story in their mind about a wonderful sexual encounter. He had an ability to alter human consciousness; it was a gift I often availed myself of, as I hated that I had to drink blood at all, but resigned myself to its necessity. Besides, I had never been attracted to or aroused by a human woman in all these years since I was damned. That is until Evan; she had proven capable of stirring my lifeless body when I least expected it.

As these thoughts raced through my mind, I told Evan about what would become of her. I did not want my carnal desire to persuade either of us, she needed to know the facts. I was surprised at her eager acceptance to this fate. My restraint flew from me when Evan agreed to marry me. I barely registered the rest of her words, as I decided that I would ease the discomfort of her transformation with kisses and caresses.

I was shocked by the ready response of my long dead body to her warmth. When she gave herself over to my kisses, I knew there was no turning back. As Evan responded to my attentions, I began the work of transforming my love. I put my teeth to her wrist, and reveled in the deliciousness that awaited me. My mouth was already watering, remembering the sweetness of her blood after tasting her for the first time. I did not bite her, just drew one of my teeth along the soft flesh of her wrist, where it gave effortlessly. The first drops of her blood were the most delicious I had ever tasted, and had to remind myself to go slowly and not make her swoon.

She became too eager, and I had to restrain her to stop her from losing too much blood. I had a hold of her wrists with one of my hands, keeping the blood flow staunched. She had not acquired our healing properties yet. As I revealed her body, rage poured from me in a feral growl as the bruises from the attack stood out in stark relief against her pale skin.

When Evan calmed me and said she loved me, I was lost to everything else but her. I nuzzled the soft curve of her hip, knicking into the large vessel there; I could feel the warmth leaving her body as I drank the vital blood from her femoral artery. I also felt it when the end of her blood supply neared, as her heart began to beat rapidly and I could hear her gasping for breath. It was almost time. I forced myself to end my feast, and then went on to ease the deeper aching for both of us...hers because of the slow death of her human body, and mine the pent up need for the woman I loved.

I watched as her clouded eyes tried to find mine. Wanting to ease the pain of my love's transformation, I did the best I could to give her pleasure. When it seemed that she was beyond any response to our lovemaking, I became concerned. I knew that it was time. To hasten Evan's transformation, I needed to get her to drink my blood. I had told her that not long ago. Now it was time to prove it.