Bash left Gaia in bed to run the water in the bathtub. He prepared it warm so they could bathe together. As he waited for it to fill, Gaia appeared behind him and coiled her arms around his waist. Sebastian placed his hand atop hers while Gaia caressed her cheek against his back.
God, his body is to die for. She thought, nearly bursting into laughter.
Gaia supposed she would die to have his body for her own. Whatever the process was for becoming a vampire, it didn't scare her. Bash was worth any price. She loved him and was positive he loved her. Gaia realized he had granted her privileges and leniencies he hadn't granted many, if any, in the past.
Bash unwrapped Gaia's arms from around him and stepped into the tub. He sat and held out a hand to help Gaia get in. She eased in between his legs, leaning back against him.
Gaia felt so small in Bash's arms as he enveloped her in his embrace. There was something so beautiful in her fragility. Sebastian was becoming aroused once more, and he was hungry. But he ignored both, he wouldn't feed on her that night. His guilt over his earlier actions wouldn't allow him to.
Bash would feed on bagged blood once he got home. Bagged blood was entirely nourishing and satisfied his physical need for sustenance. It didn't taste very good though. It wasn't fresh, and the anticoagulants added to keep it from clotting, gave it an off flavor. Bash would supplement for Gaia, to keep his promise to her.
There were donors, but he knew Gaia was jealous of him feeding on another person. Bash wondered if feeding on only male donors would make Gaia feel less threatened. Donors were handsomely rewarded and well compensated for their gift and secrecy. He'd yet to meet one that wasn't financially well off after about a year of service.
Being a donor had its risks, but the council had made it as safe as possible, and donors went through rigorous screenings. Background checks to make sure they were trustworthy, physical exams and drug tests to make sure they were healthy and not substance abusers. Neither of the latter influenced vampires, but it affected the donor's ability to recover from the blood loss and their reliability.
More and more vampires were turning away from predatory feasting and using consenting blood donors. Some were like Bash and took on pets. Pets were definitely more satisfying than donors who treated feeding as a service and business. Sex or killing while feeding satisfied a primal need for a vampire. While most didn't kill for sport, most still fucked and fed. But the growing movement towards donors was changing that.
Bash figured it may be easier to deal with a donor if he still fed from Gaia a little. When he turned her, Gaia's blood would no longer satiate his hunger, and neither would he be able to satisfy hers. They'd be forced to resort to donors or bagged blood. There was still bloodletting during sex with another vampire because it typically increased the bond between them, and Bash heard mates did this regularly.
In fact, the sharing of one another's blood was the way vampire mates sealed and solidified the mating union. Once he and Gaia shared blood as vampires the crazy urge to claim would die down. In its place, would be a connection and bond even stronger than that of a sire and progeny. If the two were both, that link would be like no other.
There was an excitement and anticipation inside Bash when he considered the future. As he was lost in thought, Gaia nestled securely in his arms with her eyelids heavy with sleep and satisfaction. Bash sensed her relaxation was causing her to doze, so he grabbed the sponge and soap to wash her.
"Alright, sleepyhead. Let's get you cleaned and ready for bed."
"Okay," Gaia replied with a giggle as she sat forward.
Once he'd cleaned Gaia, they stood and rinsed with the sprayer attachment.
Bash took care and gently dried her before carrying his drowsy Gaia to the bed. They snuggled together as Gaia drifted off. Bash closed his eyes and rested. It wasn't so much sleep as it was a small way to recharge. Which felt good, considering his lack of food and lack of sleep the previous day.
Bash sensed the tingle of warning that told him the sunrise was approaching. He ignored it far too long before he nudged Gaia to wake.
"Gaia, my love." Bash kissed her softly on the tip of her nose.
"Hm?" Gaia squirmed and stretched.
"I have to go; the sun will rise soon, and I get a rather nasty sunburn if caught in it." He chuckled.
"Bash! That's not funny. As much as I don't want you to go, I don't want you to get hurt even more. Maybe I should start coming to you, so we don't risk you staying out too late. And that way, we could stay together longer," she suggested.
"I'd love that more than anything, but before we can do that, I need to talk to Quin. I hope you can understand." Bash ran a hand through her hair and stroked her cheek lovingly.
"I understand. I'll miss you." Gaia pouted.
"I'll be back as soon as the sun sets, love. I don't want to be away from you any longer than necessary."
"Bash, I don't even have your phone number. I'm your girlfriend, and I don't know your number. There's mystery, and then there's mystery. Something's gotta give."
"Hand me your phone, sweetheart."
Gaia reached onto her nightstand, found her phone, unlocked it, and handed it over to Bash. He quickly typed in his number.
"There. Now you can reach me any time of day or night. Fair warning though, we vampires are heavy sleepers," Bash said.
"Thank you." Gaia gave him a quick kiss.
Bash hopped out of bed and dressed at a normal pace, reluctant to leave. Yes, he'd have to tell Quin right away so he could start bringing Gaia home. Suddenly, his phone rang. Bash grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It was a number he didn't recognize.
He picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi! Just checking," Gaia's voice rang out through the room and from the telephone.
Bash looked over at Gaia sitting in bed with her phone to her ear and a grin on her pretty face. He couldn't help laughing. She hung up the phone and Bash saved Gaia's number with her name.
"I suppose now I have your number too," he replied.
Bash made his way back to her bed and cupped Gaia's face between his hands. His lovely rose; even though he'd be sleeping, he'd miss her dearly during the day. With one last glance, Bash gave her a final kiss. The urgency to leave was getting greater as the sunrise approached. He already knew he'd be cutting it dangerously close.
"I love you, Bash. I'll be waiting for you," Gaia whispered.
"I love you too, dearest. I'll be counting the minutes until we're reunited."
Gaia blushed. Sure, it was a little cheesy, but they both meant it. The draw, the call, it was so powerful. There was a void left inside them both when they were apart.
"I must go, sweetheart."
"Go," Gaia replied with a sad smile.
Bash placed his phone in his back pocket. Before he closed Gaia's door behind him, he blew her a kiss and flashed her a roguish grin. Gaia pretended to catch it in her hand and blew one back.
Bash left and Gaia quickly scurried to the door to lock it. She hopped back into bed and buried her nose into the pillow with Bash's lingering scent. It was pathetic, but she already missed him. Gaia cuddled in and tried to get a couple more hours of sleep before her alarm rang.
****
Bash sped off towards home. Quin had been right—not feeding sufficiently was weakening him. Sebastian felt below his full strength, and his stamina failed during his race home proving the fact. He was nearly two-thirds of the way there, when he had to stop in the forest. Bash leaned against a giant oak tree to rest.
"Fuck!" Bash said out loud.
The rising sun was further draining his energy. Sebastian needed to get home, and soon. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. Because of his exhaustion, Bash didn't sense the three men who had seen him come to a blurring halt near the tree.
"You dirty fucking vamp!" One man yelled, before pulling the trigger of the gun pointed at Bash's heart.
The shot rang out and vibrated through the woods, frightening the surrounding birds and creatures. The man's scream gave Bash time to dodge, but the bullet caught him and lodged in his shoulder.
A blinding pain seared through Bash's chest and back.
Silver, he thought.
The men slowly surrounded him as they moved in closer. Sadistic hunters. Bash knew the type. They'd wounded him, so they would make his death slow and painful. They could have easily finished him with another bullet to the heart.
The sky began to gray as the dark turned to twilight. This is it. Over two thousand fucking years and this is how I'll die. This wouldn't be happening if I hadn't stayed so late with Gaia. Quin was right, I'm being too careless.
Bash's phone rang, and he knew it was Quin, wondering where he was so close to dawn.
"We'll enjoy watching you turn to ash, you piece of shit," the hunter with blond hair said.
The hunter spat in Bash's face as he slumped to the ground. Already, the silver poisoning was taking its toll. The bullet wound wasn't healing, and blood continued to ooze out. Thoughts of his life flashed through his mind. A part of Bash was content to die the true death. He'd done many things in his time to deserve it.
Then Sebastian groaned in pain. Gaia. What will she think when I never return to her? She'll be devastated. She'll imagine I broke my promise and abandoned her.
The more Bash thought about Gaia and the hurt his absence would cause her, the angrier he became. He couldn't give up without a fight. Gaia deserved that much.
Bash lunged at the blond hunter's legs and drove him into the ground, causing him to hit his head on the root of a tree and knocking him out. In a flash, Sebastian ripped out the guy's throat and feasted on his fresh blood. This gave Sebastian a much-needed surge of energy, and he dodged another bullet from one of the shocked hunters.
Fucking noobs.
It must have been his lucky day. Experienced hunters would never let their guard down with a vampire, even a wounded one. Bash's skin sizzled as the sun crept higher up the horizon. He tackled the hunter wearing a yellow t-shirt who had shot him in the shoulder and snapped his neck like a twig, pulling his head right off in one fluid motion.
Sebastian's eyes were voids of black as he lapped up the blood spurting out the hole where the man's head used to sit. The remaining hunter scurried back and tripped over a root in his feeble attempt to flee. He fell backward, losing his gun in the pile of dead leaves that littered the ground beneath him. He got up as fast as he could and made a run for it.
Bash was in hunting mode, and he allowed his prey a head start before he blinked his way after him. He cut the green-eyed hunter off, and grabbed him by the throat before lifting him off the ground with one hand. With a sinister smile curling his lips, Bash held him in the air as the man desperately clawed at Bash's hand and flailed his legs. After a few moments, the hunter went limp, and the life fled from his eyes.
Bash tossed his lifeless body to the ground and ripped him apart. In his bloodlust, he'd forgotten all about his still bleeding shoulder, the silver bullet lodged inside, and the sun rising higher in the sky. It wasn't until his skin started to smoke that Bash snapped back to reality.
I won't make it.
Gaia's smiling face filled his mind and determination drove him forward. He needed to make it back to her.
Bash raced off as fast as he could manage with the dawning sun burning him alive, and the silver creeping further through his system. The pain blurred his sight as his flesh cooked. He was on the steps of his home when he burst fully into flames and collapsed face-first onto the stone steps. Their housekeeper, Elena, and groundskeeper had both been awaiting his arrival. They quickly smothered the flames with a fire blanket and pulled Bash inside to safety.
The moment they shut the door, Quin came rushing in. Sebastian laid motionless on the floor; his skin charred black. His clothing had melted off, and the severity of his burns left him unrecognizable.
"Call the doctor! Quickly!" Quin yelled to Elena.
Elena nodded and scurried off.
Quin carefully turned Bash onto his back and saw the hole in his shoulder. He reached into it with his fingers and attempted to remove the bullet, but immediately pulled back when his fingers began to burn.
"Silver!" Quin yelled as he yanked back. "Fuck!"
"Elena! Tell the doctor there's silver poisoning! We need him here, now!"
Bash briefly regained consciousness. "Tell—Gaia—" he croaked before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"Bash! Tell Gaia, what? Bash, please! Stay with me!" Quin desperately called.
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