Bleeding Heart

6

"Derrick, you are being given another chance at love. You will find her in the meadow. She was greatly damaged by those that should have given her their love." The goddess says to the vampire dangling his feet in the river.

"What the hell do you mean? My mate died nearly a century ago. Once you lose half yourself you can't love another."

"This one is damaged by those that should have given her their love. She needs you, Derrick."

"How many hurt her?" Derrick doesn't really care but he does have respect for his goddess. It's only because of her that he's not howling mad from losing his mate.

"Her mate abused her badly for more than a year. Her secondary mate was actually a set of twins and they helped her mate in the abuse." Derrick had picked up a stone to skip but at her words he crushes the stone to dust. You don't abuse your mate. He'd do anything to have his love back with him.

"When you say abuse, what do you mean?" Derrick says voice just loud enough to be heard over the waterfall.

"Physical and sexual and I have no doubt that there was mental as well." The goddess's reply was just as quiet.

"Shit." Derrick is angered on the females behalf. "What is her name?"

"Her name is Linda." The goddess isn't sure yet if Derrick will accept Linda or not.

"I'll do my best to help her. I'll need another human to feed her though."

The goddess smiles, "I'll bring another to you tonight and fix them like yours is, so she'll never have to worry about draining them."

The goddess knows better than to wait for anything else from him and leaves.

Derrick takes his time and puts his shoes back on slowly as he thinks about the young female. At least he assumes that she is young. He hopes that he doesn't scare her off. It's been some time since he's had to deal with other people, vampire or human. Well other than his lone human servant/food supply.

Derrick returns to his home through the meadow looking for the female, Linda. He finds her asleep and has to suck in his breath at her beauty. Others had abused her? How could they? He would have done anything to get to know her and win a laugh from her.

He gently picks her up and frowns at how light she is. Did they starve her as well? He hopes the goddess returns soon with that other human. His servant might not have enough blood ready to feed Linda sufficiently.

"Carla, prepare the guest room. Also we'll be getting another human to help out with the feeding duties." Derrick says kicking open the door and startling his servant making her jump.

"A guest?" Carla queries trying to get a look at the person in her master's arms.

"For now at least. Her name is Linda and she is a vampire. The goddess will be bringing another human to help out with feedings."

Carla smiles brightly with this news. Derrick isn't much of a talker and she gets rather bored after she gets done with her work. "Finally someone to talk to."

Derrick gives her a dirty look, but Carla just smirks and snickers as she leaves to prepare the guest room for Linda.

Derrick is strangely reluctant to set Linda down. So he goes to the couch and makes them both comfortable.

Carla comes in to tell him that the room is ready and finds her master asleep on the couch. Instead of saying anything she smiles and goes to get a blanket to set over the two of them. Derrick doesn't get much sleep. He'll go days without before taking an hour long nap and then going days more before sleeping a few hours.

The goddess is pleased as well when she comes with the human and clothes for Linda. She hands the clothes to Carla. She gives instructions to both humans and gives the two vampires a last look before leaving.

Linda cuddles deeper into the warmth. It's been so long since she's felt anything like this. She takes a breath and smells pine and wildflowers. The odd combination is enough to wake her.

She wakes up and stretches and halts in confusion. "Where am I?"

"You are at my master Derrick's house. Where exactly that is you'll have to ask him yourself, but please don't wake him. He doesn't sleep much." Carla replies to her question.

Derrick? This must be the person her mother is giving another chance after his mate died.

She is too comfortable to care about how dangerous it might be for her to remain this close to a vampire that's lost his mate. She snuggles in closer and inhaling his scent she closes her eyes once more.

If only it could be like this, after she wakes up. Tears leak from her eyes as she falls back asleep. She has no doubt that when Derrick awakens he'll be upset about her being there but until then she's going to enjoy. She pretends that this Derrick actually wants to be with her.

The feeling of something wet wakes up Derrick. He remembers that he is holding a vampire and is careful to not wake her. That's when he realizes that his shirt is wet because the vampire is crying.

"Shh, no need to cry. I'm not going to be angry." Derrick was never one to give comfort and is more than a little uncomfortable doing so now. He just knows that he needs to be careful with her. He doesn't know how fragile she is, but he can guess that it's pretty fragile after what the goddess told him.

"Oh! I am sorry. I didn't mean to get your shirt all wet." Linda is more than a little embarrassed. Derrick is damn good looking and she cried all over him. She scrambles to get off his lap.

"I'm not upset, but please, there is no reason to fear me." Derrick normally prefers scaring others away but finds himself wanting her comfortable with him.

"Mother told you didn't she?" Linda demands.

"Who is mother?" Derrick asks confused.

"Oh, sorry you wouldn't know. My mother is your goddess. She told you about me and why I'm here." Linda says almost aggressively.

Now Derrick is non plussed. He's not sure how to go from here. "She told me that your name is Linda. That your first mate and secondary mates abused and harmed you."

Linda laughs mirthlessly. "Yeah, all true, but it sounds like she left out the part where I am your secondary mate."

"Oh. Sorry she did mention something along those lines, but being what I am I didn't pay too much attention to it. After all, who'd have me?" Now Derrick lets his bitterness come out.

"I don't know. Perhaps someone that would take someone like me?" Linda says ingeniously.

This actually makes Derrick smile since they are supposed to take each other. He rather likes Linda and hopes that she won't reject him immediately.

"Linda? How long did it take you to reject your other mates?" Derrick wonders how long he has to convince her to stay.

"Kelton I suffered a years worth of beatings trying to make it work before I rejected him. Mother gave him another chance after taking our memories away. It took a few months I guess the second time. Dumbass never could remember my name.

"The twins I rejected immediately. No way in hell I was going to be around them after what they did to me before." Linda starts crying again. She doesn't understand what she did to deserve the beatings and other abuse.

"You didn't do anything, Linda. Those three were just losers that didn't understand what a gift they'd been given. Mates are to be cherished and held dear, not abused."

"Mother told you everything then?" Linda says bitterly.

"Yes, what did she tell you about me?"

"Just that your mate died. Sorry, I know that it must still hurt no matter how long ago it was."

Derrick manages to give her a small smile. "She was killed about a century ago. Give or take I guess. Time seems to run together now. For a long time I was lost within myself. Your mother helped me find my way out, but it hasn't been easy."

Linda tries to smile but finds it very difficult to do so. "It never is, is it?"