The few people around me that witnessed my jump seem to be frozen in place with an occasional glance up to see where I came from then back at me. The scent that brought me out here floods the air to the point that my eyes close and my head turns in search of the source. When I open them, the people standing around me were inching way then scurry off down the street like scared rodents. It wasn't them. Although they smell just as delicious, the scent that has me under it's spell isn't coming from them.
I looked into the light of the falling sun, following the path it set for me. The cold pavement isn't a factor nor is the wind blowing my hair into my face. I'm like Alice in Through the Looking Glass; stuck on the other side of the mirror banging the reflective plate to scream that I'm here but no one can hear or see me. This feeling that has taken over me is strong, powerful, and untamed. I'm an animal that won't we caged. Fueled by hunger that must be sated.
Each step taken, more eyes seem to fall upon me. I must look absolutely crazy to them but I can't bring myself to care. I want that smell...need it!
I'm a good distance from the hotel that has become my temporary home. The old builds around me look familiar as do the cluttered streets due to the many days I had to walk them to and from work. Here, the scent is almost overwhelming. So much that my gums ache ten times more. Trailing my tongue across my teeth, it's pricked by the sharp points of my teeth. The taste of my own blood provokes a satisfied purr but it just isn't enough.
The wind blew a small gust carrying that tantalizing aroma to me. Like a bloodhound sniffing out a fugitive, my nose is turned up to eliminate the other scents from the one I want.
"You lost Baby?" my eyes shot open at the unexpected greeting of a raspy voice speaking behind me. One last whiff of the air had me licking my lips as I slowly turned. "I'm sure I can help you find your way."
"Yeah? What else can you do?" Soft and sweet I asked, shifting my weight to my right taking in his full appearance. His body is clad in denim and black, telling of his status as a biker which I then confirm by the helmet hanging loosely from a clip on his jeans. Shaggy brown hair frames his face, a thick dark beard rounding his lips and covering most of his chin. Despite the looks of him which as rather sexy, my mind is focused more on what can't be seen.
His blood.
"Take a ride with me and I'll show you." He thumbed over his left shoulder toward the motorcycle sitting just off the corner of a building leading into a dark alley. A sinister smile made it's way onto my face at the idea of being closed off in total darkness. The thought of just backing him up into a corner of it makes me giddy with excitement and my gums ache with desire.
"Why take a ride when you could just show me now?" A single finger trailed across his broad chest and around his back to clasp a small lock of his hair between my fingers as I passed him. I can feel him taking each step I took. Pursuing me into the dark depths of the alley. It smells of garbage, piss, and spilled alcohol but over all of that is the blood my teeth lengthen to get to.
What man would follow a woman--one that's half dressed in the cold with no shoes on at that--into a dark alley?
A dumb one.
I let him put his hands on my hips, caress the bare skin of my waist and even cup my breasts as he leaned into me to kiss on my neck. I'm just laying in wait for him to drop his guard. That comes much quicker than expected.
"I want your mouth, Baby." huskily he whispers against my ear. His belt jingles loudly signalling his eagerness. With another dark smile, my teeth reach my bottom lip, the last of my control snaps like a thin twig beneath a heavy foot.
Without warning I whipped around and pounced on him, knocking him backwards into the slimy brick wall beside a rusty dumpster. Immediately he tried to pull me, to slam his fists into me to free my hold but it was fruitless. His biggest mistake began with following me...that is until he threw his head back to growl and scream.
"HEL--"
My fangs sank deep into his throat cutting him short of a plea that could bring my meal to an abrupt end. The flood of liquid into my mouth coats my tongue bringing forth purrs and sighs of pleasure. Fuck! It's like having water after minutes..hours..days of heat and extreme thirst. I can't seem to get enough. I can hear his heart going from a rapid beat to slow and barely there. His attempts to get me away from him cease, his hands fall to his sides.
The delicious tang of his blood fades with the ending of his heartbeat and before I'm ready, I pull away wiping the last drops away from my mouth. Staring down at his body the reality of what I've just done sets in. I killed him. I killed a man!
In a frantic daze I fell off of him onto my flatten palms. I can't take my eyes off the body at my feet now but here I am once again, feeling the pit of my stomach rumble and the need to feed setting in. Pushing up off the ground, I looked down at the man once more before taking off down the opposite end of the alley. Once at the end, I stopped, looking both ways not knowing where to go. '
On top of my fear, I'm suddenly on a high that has me feeling like I'm floating and more alive than I have ever been. I can see the gleam of each star aligning the sky, the slight glowing ring around the moon, and the deep craters in it. I can hear each and every tick and roar of car engines all around me and worse, the hearts of every person around me.
Hearts pumping the one thing I'm craving.
Oh my God this isn't happening! I'm torn. I want to rip into one of these hearts but I don't want to hurt anyone. For some unknown reason my head tilts back giving me a clear view of the moon like it will somehow give me answers. Where do I go? What do I do? Walking down this street with blood on my face and hands is sure to gain me unwanted attention but I can't make sense of things long enough to figure out what to do.
A searing pain shoots through my head nearly bringing me to my knees. In the back of my mind I'm hearing my name being called. The moment the pain let up I stood up only to stumble a few steps into the street, shoving my hands into my hair as the pain soars through me again with my name following. A car horn sounds, white hot beaming lights fall upon me, stopping just short of hitting me.
The dark figure that jumped out ran toward me leaving the door wide open. I tried to see his face over the light yet all I could make out was the messy blonde locks falling into his face while he brought me to my feet and walked me toward the awaiting truck. Had I not been weakened, crippled by whatever is causing a thunderstorm over my brain, I would have fought him rather than allowing myself to be lifted and pushed across the back seat. The door closed behind me then seconds later another door slammed harshly. The throbbing of my head with my name echoing in the background sounds off once more as the pangs in my belly grows.
"Please," huffed out through my lips, "what's...happening?" Through my partially closed lids I could see the blonde glancing back at me every now and then but the familiarity of his face meant nothing at the time. "Make...it stop! So hungry!"
The car turned making a hard right sending me across the seat before it came to an abrupt stop. I heard the door open again finally finding the strength to pry my lids apart as he pulled me into a sitting position by my arms. His grip was strong, tight, but gentle at the same time and the same could be said for his eyes. Though in pain, blinded by it so much that I can barely focus, I could see that much.
"You can control this Rayne." So calm. He speaks so calmly but with authority that gains my full attention.
"No--"
"Yes you can! I've been where you are right now so I know what you can and can't handle! You don't remember but a while back I promised you that I would tell you my story some day; how Nicolas save my life. I'm going to tell you but I need you to really listen to what I'm saying." he paused looking me deep in my eyes showing me bits of vulnerability. "I was attacked by a woman on the streets of New York many many years ago and forcefully turned into a vampire. She left me out in the open during a time when there was war between us and the humans. The pain I felt, the deep need to kill everything in my path almost got me caught and killed but Nicolas took me under his wing. He housed me and brought me the blood I needed to compose myself and learn the ways of our kind. The things my maker never cared to teach me. I owe him dearly for that and if it means being your personal guard, covering up deaths, and hiding bodies for you then so be it but I know you can control this Rayne! At least until I get you to him."
By the end, I was shaking from the pain in both my head and stomach. Everything he said to me was heard loud and clear filling me with an ounce of willpower. I don't know how much longer I can hold off but I will damn sure try now.
"Can you do that for me?"
Answering with a quick nod was enough for him. He replied with the same releasing me and pulling back to get to the driver's seat. I have so many questions for him starting with my pounding head but had to swallow them back just to maintain control. I fell back against the seat holding one hand over my stomach and the other over my eyes wishing--or was it hoping--for even five minutes of relief.
Somewhere between praying and fighting my urge to cry, I must have fallen asleep because it seemed like we made it back to the hotel in no time at all. The truck hadn't even come to a full stop before men in black suits were swarming me. The ones I recognized as my father's guards caught my attention the most. The smells coming off of them had me on edge once more. The whole way up to my room I couldn't take my eyes off of them--wouldn't. The piece of me that led that man into the alley was telling me to do it again. To turn on the charm and get at least one of them alone.
The door to my room was opened by two of Nicolas' guards, neither smelling as good as the ones leading me. Tension is thick in the air combined with fear and anxiety. So much that it's almost hard to breath. I didn't need either of the men in the room to speak to know I was in trouble. Nicolas was standing near the open balcony door which provided me my exit and my father was pacing a small length of the floor until he finally looked up to meet my gaze. He rushed me with the tightest hugs that made me feel an extra burst of security with him just beneath that, the annoying feeling of thirst. His hold on me only loosed enough for him to hold me by my shoulders and examine me frantically.
"You're bleeding. Where are you hurt, Baby? What happened?" In his arms, I stilled. While he was talking to me my eyes narrowed on the vein in his neck bulging from beneath his rapidly beating pulse. My mouth waters at the idea of biting into it feeling the warm flow of his blood run down my throat.
"I'm fine," both my teeth and my eyes clenched, "just hungry." If he only knew what I was hungry for he'd back the hell away from me as fast as possible.
One small bite. That's all I need and all of this will go away.
Keeps cycling over and over in my head. I feel like there is a devil on my shoulder whispering this shit into my ear; trying it's damnedest to get me to do as it says.
"You never answered his question, Querida." Cool, calm, but with a hard edge to it, Nicolas spoke from his position in from of the balcony door, arms folded over his chest and eyes conveying so much. "We left the room to discuss the situation with our human colleagues as well as the best Supernatural doctors known and when we come back, this door," he slammed the sliding glass shut so hard it made me flinch, "is wide open and you're gone without a trace. I stood here in the sun, burning because I was determined to come after you and would have if Roland had not called and said he was trailing you. Do you know how much danger you could've been in out there alone? What would have happened to you if..."
Nicolas lost me at that moment. Everything after that faded into dull background noise. My father's heart started beating louder hearing Nicolas talk about my safety and along with that, the pulse in his neck was calling to me. My head turned slowly toward it, my eyes locked dead on the spot that was calling for me. My teeth elongated tauntingly slow, grazing my lower lip as they did.
"Rayne!"
"Yes?" Snapping back to reality my eyes wide from being caught tuning him out.
"You didn't hear a damned thing I said." That statement almost fell on deaf ears.
"I heard you. I was in danger...you were gone and...I just need one bite." My attention was headed back to the vein I wanted. Before I could lunge at him and knock him to the floor like my first victim, he dodged me smoothly, flipping us around so that my back was against the closest wall and I couldn't move.
"You just tried to bite me?!"
Shock and confusion was quickly replaced with concern. Despite the fact that I was just trying to make a meal out of him, he still held me close by cupping my cheeks and forcing me to look at him. Deep down I feel so bad that I want to drink from him but at the same time I want it too bad.
Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes that again had traveled down to his neck.
"I'm so sorry, Dad! I can't help it! You just smell so good I can't control it. I feel so cold but my blood is like fire coursing through me. I feel so alive but I feel trapped. Even more I want to eat everyone that smells like you."
"Like me?" I nodded not wanting to risking speaking in fear that his oh so pleasant aroma would fall onto my tongue and fuel my hunger tenfold. The quick glance he spared at Nicolas was very telling. Although he is worried and may be feeling a sense of unease around me right now, he's not backing away.
I swallowed hard, holding my breath a little as I spoke, "You and your guards. You all smell like fresh honey baking under the sun. Please Dad, get away from me. I killed a man already and if I hurt you I will never forgive myself."
He shook his head yet didn't take heed. "I'm not going anywhere. All newborns go through this, right DeLeon?"
Nicolas nodded closing the distance between us taking the other side of me on the wall.
"In the first days, it's required that you take in double the amount of your own blood capacity. By the way you're standing here it's clear that you just need a little more."
"What do we do from here then? Should I feed her or is there better options like a blood bank or an animal?"
Nicolas frowned at that, taking my hand as he pulled me from my father's grasp. "I don't know why she wants the blood of wolves and I think it's best if we not allow her to have it for now. As for the last option, she is a vampire now and as long as she is of me, she will not feed on animals. Check out of this hotel and take her to a place where there are no cameras and I will bring her someone."
"Someone? No...NO! Didn't you hear me? I killed a man already Nicolas! I can't take another life! That was one of my biggest fears about this change! I don't want to kill people!"
"Querida--"
"You've been a vampire since dinosaurs walked the earth so you're used to this but I--"
That lightning bolt I felt when I was roaming the streets rockets through my head but this time it's less pain and the voice calling to me is clearer. It was Nicolas calling to me. Through my name alone he was demanding my silence and full attention.
"How did you do that?" I panted wildly, running my fingers into my hair and across my scalp, still hearing his voice in my head.
"I sired you. For that I can not only speak into your mind but command you as well."
My blood was running hotter than ever. Not out of anger but so much more. Closing the gap between us I felt my hands fall to my sides then slowly trail up his arms to his chest.
"You can make me do things? Anything you want?" The idea of that was a complete turn on despite him practically scolding me wordlessly. My Dad's presence in the room was soon forgotten. Pressing up on my toes to get to his lips I ran my tongue across it pressing the tips of my new fangs into his lower lip, "That is so sexy but don't make a habit out of that."
A ghost of a smile made it's way between us, "As long as you don't make a habit out of freaking out like you just did. You are not a TV vampire. You need blood that is going to benefit you and sometimes that means taking life. Take her to your place, Roger. I will be there shortly with a donor." There was no room left for argument or protest. What Nicolas said seemed like law solidified by the authoritative tone. Just as he reached the door he turned back looking at my father then me, "And do not attack your father or any of the wolves responsible for transporting you."
An invisible string that attaches me to him pulled tight in his absence. I feel compelled to comply with his demand but at the very same time, that devil on my shoulder; the hunger is starting to creep upon me again. I don't know the rules and ways of a vampire just yet but I hope to high hell that me being some kind of super hybrid won't override his command and I end up doing something I regret forever.