Oh, oh, oh, oh

No sleep

No sleep until I’m done with finding the answer

Won’t stop

Won’t stop before I find a cure for this cancer

He chuckles as I pull him back into the graveyard. It’s a low and appealing sound, and I bite my lip at the mere sound of it. “Interesting setting.”

I smile at him slowly, and loop my arms around his neck, “I like to be different…” Then I pull his mouth down to mine. He shivers delightfully as my lips ghost over his- gentle and teasing.

“Mm. Just kiss me…”

I pause, and move back, flicking my fringe out of my eyes in a way that I know can heat a man’s blood. “Do you have anywhere else you need to be?”

Even the way he stares at me now tells me that I have him under my spell. He’s not going anywhere. He’s mine for the taking. He shakes his head, “No. Nowhere.”

My lips curve again slowly, “Then why rush it…?”

He stares at me, his eyes bright as the light of the moon sends shadows skittering across his face, “Why, indeed.” He moves closer to me again, and takes hold of my face in his hands, “Dougie… Hooking up with guys in clubs… I don’t normally do this.”

I hook a finger in his collar, and pull his mouth to mine for a sweet, firm kiss. “Then it’s time to try something new.”

Then his lips are on mine again, melding them together in that first moment of intimacy that so many people dream about. He gathers me close, kissing my mouth fully and savouring every crevice of it. I allow myself to hum, so the sound vibrates through him.

He takes his time about it, in no hurry to rush the moment. I like it when they do this. When I’m in the mood for it, there’s nothing better than a man who’s not in a hurry to do the deed. So I simply tip my head back and allow him to taste, allow him to feast.

Biting down gently on my lower lip, he takes the opportunity that I give him and slides his tongue between my parting lips so that he can access my mouth more fully. I can feel his heartbeat as our tongues clash. It’s pounding. Pounding fiercely to match the waves of lust that are firing out of us.

His hands fist in my hair as he deepens the kiss, giving it more meaning, more drive. This is why we’re here. This is our cause. That passion, that closeness. My lips curve against his as I back him up slowly into the marble monument that we’re standing by.

I can smell him. In a moment of pure indulgence, I let his scent engulf me. The tangy smell of blood. All that blood, pulsing even in the lips that move against mine. Then I can almost taste it- warm and fresh, so perfect.

“What the hell did you just do?” he yelps suddenly, with a violent jerk away from me. I stare at him in shock.

“What?”

But he just rears back, rubbing a hand over his mouth, “I’m bleeding! Fuck!”

I run my tongue over my teeth, checking them. I can’t taste any blood now, but the remnants hang in my mouth. There’s that tantalising aftertaste that always makes me want more. “Are you okay?” I ask him, putting a hand on his arm.

He nods slowly, and spits onto the grass. The smell hits me across the face, but I fight past the urge. I know better than to let the hunger consume me. “That was so weird…” he mutters.

I make an appropriate shushing noise, before angling my head carefully so that my lips meet his softly. I engage him in the kiss again, and try not to breathe a sigh of relief. That was close… I have to remember not to visualise blood the next time. It could be fatal, and I can’t afford to take risks like that. No amount of pleasure can make up for the certain torture that faces me if I’m caught.

The kiss steadily grows rougher, and more passionate, as his natural instinct begins to take hold. He craves me, desires me. But I wince as he forces me back into the monument to achieve his aim. Again, he pulls back, alarm in his eyes, “What was that?”

“What now?” Does this guy jump at everything?

He’s staring at me with wide eyes, “Just then. There was a pulse…from you.”

“What the hell are you on about?” I demand, playing dumb to the best of my ability.

But he holds me against the hard surface, his eyes relentless on mine. “There’s something odd going on here.”

Great. Of all the people in the damn club, I had to get the paranoid one… “Anyone would jerk if you shoved them into marble that hard,” I attempt to explain.

“That’s not it…”

“Look, I’m not staying here to get the third degree off you.” I try to ease away, but he won’t let me. Shit.

“I thought there was something weird about you,” he whispers, staring into my eyes. “You’re so pale, so unnatural. Then the graveyard, and the blood, and the pulse.”

I scowl, “What are you trying to say, Harry? That I’m a daemon? A vampyre?”

He sighs, leaning heavily on his arms, bringing himself closer to me. “I don’t know.”

“What would you do…?” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the curve of his neck. He shudders against me. “…if I told you that you were right…?”

I feel his entire body stiffen against me as I sink my teeth into his neck greedily with another pulse of my body. The scent is overpowering, and the taste fills me completely as I fix my mouth over the wound, feeling the hot blood run onto my tongue.

Did he fight against me? I don’t remember. All I remember is the taste of him on my tongue, the imprint of his soul on my mind.

I drop his lifeless body on the grass, and step over it on my way out.

Sometimes

I feel I’m going down

I’m so disconnected

Somehow

I know that I am haunted

To be wanted

The heavy bass pulses through me as I wind my way through the packed club. It’s full tonight. Full of choice. I just need to find my target. What am I in the mood for tonight…? Young, I decide after a moment. Young and sweet. Nothing better on a cold night like this. All that hot blood takes the bite out of the air.

I smile slightly as a man dances up to me, moving his body in close proximity to mine. He may very well do, and I’m thrilled that I’ve managed to attain someone so quickly. If I get someone early, I might have time for seconds…

“You want a drink?” I breathe in his ear after a few minutes of dancing, once I’m sure that he’s sticking around. He nods eagerly, and I smile at him before moving away through the crowd. Young. Very young. Too young to be in a place like this… Security must be lax tonight.

Leaning on the bar, I order two drinks, and wait silently. Someone else pushes up to the bar next to me, and I glace over at them. Wow. He’s tall and lean, with dark brown hair that falls softly over his forehead and into sparkling blue eyes. His face is a vision- with high cheekbones and delicious scattering of freckles. My mouth begins to water slightly. Then he notices me staring and his lips curve divinely.

I’m frozen to the spot. There’s something about him. Something intriguing, something alluring. He would be a prize to attain, I can see that.  I’m drawn to him like I’ve never been before. I stare back at him even as he continues to smile.

Then the moment’s shattered as the barkeep hits me on the arm to tell me that my drinks have arrived. I pay him with a scowl, and note that the man next to me holds two fingers aloft when he orders from the other server. I should’ve known that someone like him would already have been taken. I pick up my drinks and move away from the bar.

“Here you go,” I tell my target as I slide back up next to him, getting back to my focus of the night. Bizarrely alluring strangers don’t belong in my game plan. The boy takes the drink that I had him and stands with it awkwardly. His eyes are shifty, like he’s scared that his mother’s just about to jump out at him. Yup. Definitely underage…

“Thanks.”

I lean into him, pressing the softest of kisses to his lips. Someone this young, I don’t want to do anything that might scare him away. I have time to allow him to adjust. Then I hold out my hand to him, and he takes it, following me as I lead him off the dance floor. “What’s your name?” I ask once we’re in a quieter spot.

He swallowed nervously, a flush coming into his cheeks, “Steven.”

“Steven,” I roll the name around on my tongue, and even more blood rushes into his face. The freshest blood I’ve had in a while. “I’m Dougie.” I take a sip from my glass, watching him stand there like he doesn’t belong. “And what are you looking for, Steven?”

He shrugs, feigning casualness, “I wanted to see what was out there.”

“And what do you think?”

“I wonder what took me so long,” he admits shyly. He edges closer to me and touches his lips to mine with all the hesitation of someone who has never done anything remotely like this before. I take pride in my patience, so I give him control. I’m in no rush. He can use me to improve his confidence.

His mouth is supple and firm- the advantage of youth. A little unpolished on the kissing front, maybe, but I can teach him how to do it right. I urge him to mimic my actions as I caress my tongue against his softly.

He smiles against me, and the sweet curve of his lips nearly drives me wild. The kiss begins to build momentum, and he dares to trail a hand down my arm and onto my waist. He pulls back, suddenly flushing furiously, “Is this okay? I-”

I put a hand to his lips; smile softly, “I’ll tell you when you overstep your boundaries.”

“Thank you.” He nods gratefully, setting his bottle aside and doing the same with mine before kissing me again. My hopes are high. I’m making fast and steady progress with this one- Touch wood, I think, and reach out to tap one of the tables next to us- so I should be able to get two meals in one night…

I move my body into his so that he can feel the length of my body against his, applying pressure until it feels like I’ve squeezed all of the air out from between us. That’s one thing I like about the younger ones…they’re less likely to question and try to do it their way.

“Can we go…somewhere?” he asks nervously, flicking his fringe out of his eyes. I feign reluctance.

“You want to…?” He nods, and I pretend to think for a long moment. “Okay,” I say finally. “I know where we can go.”

He perks up now, my mock consideration having made him nervous, “Great!”

I smile softly at him and move in to press one last kiss to his lips, before I take his hand. “Come on.”

I lead him out of the back room and back into the main body of the club. We weave our way through the crowd, before we make it out into the open air. “Is it far?” I hear him ask, and I shake my head.

“No. It’s not far at all.”

But as we walk down the pavement, someone steps in front of us. “Going somewhere?” It’s the man from the bar- the one who had drawn my attention.

“What?” Steven asks, confusion in his voice.

But the man’s eyes were on me. “And just when I thought we were getting it back on track…” he says, a hitch in his low, heavily accented voice. I can’t identify the region that he’s from, but the voice suits him.

“What?!” It’s me who says it this time.

“I thought it was getting better,” he snaps, his eyes shining through the dim light. “Then I trust you for one night and I find you wrapped around someone you don’t even know?! What kind of husband are you?!”

Just as I’m trying to work out why this man thinks I’m his husband, Steven begins to back off. “Wait… You’re married?!”

“No, I-”

But he’s convinced already. “I’m not getting in the middle of that,” he says, before turning and running down the street. I let out a low hiss as I watch him depart, then turn to the face the man, who looks intolerably smug.

“Shit!” I kick the ground to vent my frustration, then meet his gaze. “What the hell did you go and do that for?!”

I’ve been watching

I’ve been waiting

In the shadows

For my time

I’ve been searching

I’ve been living

For tomorrows

All my life

We stand there on the street for a long time, my shouted question hanging between us. I glare at him, while he just continues to look pleased with himself. Fury pounds through me. I’d had him! I’d had him until this crazy bloke decided to reel off that pack of lies!

After a few minutes, when he still doesn’t respond, I make a scoffing noise and stride past him. If he’s not going to explain himself, then I have better things to do. I just missed a meal thanks to him… But he catches my arm as I go past, dragging me against him. His face was right there. Tantalising, alluring. “Did you think I was just going to stand there and let you do that?”

I eye him curiously, “What are you? The sex police?”

“No.” He flicks his gaze to look where Steven had left, “But what was he? Seventeen?”

I don’t answer, but just stare into his eyes defiantly. I could release myself from his grip in a moment if I wanted to, but- now he’s talking again- I’m inclined to wait and hear his reason for chasing off my target. So I wait, ready to hear his excuse.

“But I’m not talking about sleeping with him,” he says finally. “It’s the other little pleasantry that I object to.”

He’s confused me already. “You’re going to have to be clearer than that.”

“Oh? So you weren’t planning to suck him dry?”

Silence falls between us as I stare at him through wide eyes. How does he know…? No-one’s ever known before. “What?” I ask softly.

“You heard me.” His eyes are cold and unforgiving on mine. “Vampyre.”

I give an unsure laugh, like I can’t quite believe the absurdity of what he’s suggesting. “You’re kidding, right?”

He jerks me violently, and I wince as my shoulder threatens to dislocate. “Don’t put on that act with me! I knew what you are straight away!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I cry, putting my hand over his to try to get him to loosen his grip. “Let go! You’re hurting me!”

“So you’re not a vampyre?” he asks incredulously

I give him a look of panic, “Vampyres don’t exist, you freak! Garlic, crosses, holy water- it’s all a fable designed to scare children. Get off me!”

“Fine.” He releases my arm, but- almost immediately- grabs my neck and forces me back into a dingy alleyway. My back hits the rough brick, and I gasp. “You’re not fooling me,” he hisses.

“I’m not trying to fool anyone!” I gag as he presses down on my Adam’s apple, and have to restrain myself from sending him flying across the alley as I reach out and give him a feeble push.

He moves his other hand up to touch my face. My cheeks, my forehead, my lips. I feel a shiver go through me. I don’t like forcing myself to be the victim. “How do you make yourself warm?” he murmurs. “Is it the blood of your victims?”

“You’re insane,” I choke out.

He raises an eyebrow at me, “Am I?”

No. But only a suicidal vampyre reveals himself to a live one. “Going on about vampyres… I think you’re trapped in some child’s Hallowe’en story.”

He smirks now, a dangerous weapon on a face like that. “So you don’t want to sink your fangs into my neck?”

“Do I look like I have fucking fangs?!” I demand. But he just chuckles.

“Masters of deception. I know what you are, because I’ve seen you. I’ve seen you kill, I’ve seen you feed.”

I shake my head, “You must have me confused. Small, blond and slim is hardly an uncommon physical description.”

“But I can never forget your face,” he mutters, tracing his fingers over it now. “Would you die, I wonder…if I thrust a wooden steak into your heart?”

I keep myself composed. “Anyone would die if you pounded a hunk of wood into their heart.”

His lips tug in amusement, “Fair point. So maybe I ought to prove what you are first.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, making my voice quiver vulnerably. Then I flinch as his fist comes flying towards me. A burst of air whips past my face, and there’s a thump.

Then I smell it.

The tangy, sweet scent touches my nostrils, and my mouth immediately begins to water. I feel my eyes pulse, but I wait. I can’t open my eyes, not when they’re like this. He’s punched the wall behind me, and split the skin purposefully. And now he’s letting himself bleed, thinking that I won’t be able to resist the smell.

Once I’m sure that I’m composed, I open my eyes, and glance around at his hand, which still rests on the wall behind my head. I can see the thick, dark blood seeping down over his knuckle, wasting itself on the brickwork. I swallow nervously, before saying in a tense voice: “You’re bleeding.”

“Am I?” He moves his hand back now, until it was practically under my nose. Great. Now I have to either feed or be sick. “Oh, well, look at that!”

The smell’s making me dizzy, so I bat his hand away from my face, using all the self-restraint I have, “Get it away from me!”

“Why?” he asks, triumph in his voice. I want to step forward and bite him right now, but I’m not crazed enough to forget that this is the most inappropriate place to kill someone. Police are all over this estate.

“I’m squeamish, okay?” I shout, pushing him off me. “The sight of blood makes me feel sick.” He can prove nothing, and I’ll admit to nothing. So, in that dingy alley, we enter into a silent stalemate.

Oh, oh, oh, oh

In the shadows

Oh, oh, oh, oh

In the shadows

I hate him.

I’ve been bleary all day, and I can’t sleep properly. I know why. It’s blatantly obvious what’s wrong with me. I missed my feed last night. That righteous bastard threw me off my stride, and I didn’t take any blood. And the squirrel that I drained this morning really isn’t doing the trick… It’s left a bitter, unclean taste in my mouth which I now can’t get rid of.

As I sit in the park, watching people mill around, I bite down on the corner of my lip, gnawing it gently as I watch. I can smell him as he approaches and sits next to me, and my stomach sinks. I close my eyes, his scent filling my nostrils as he settles himself. “Bit early for you, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t the fact that I’m out in broad daylight proof enough that I’m not a vampyre, then?” I ask easily.

He chuckles, “I’m not going to pretend that I know which legends are true, and which aren’t.”

I turn my head to look at him slowly, “Are you stalking me?”

“Just…being cautious,” he corrects, avoiding the question asked. I wonder how long he’s been staking me out, waiting to make his move.  Otherwise, he wouldn’t know to find me here. “You didn’t feed last night. You must be famished.”

I look back out over the park. He’s right, and both of us know it, but nothing’s certain until I admit to it. “Speaking in a purely hypothetical sense,” I begin. “What would you do if I were a vampyre?”

“Stop you from feeding.”

“Why?”

As I turn to meet his gaze again, he looks uncertain. “Because you’re killers,” he said blankly.

“Again hypothetically, how so?”

“You kill humans so as you can feed yourself!” he hisses in a low whisper, in no immediate desire to alert the whole park to our conversation.

I study him for a long moment, “Are you a vegetarian?”

He grits his teeth, “That’s different.”

“How?” I demand, throwing up my hands. “Because killing chickens, or cows, or pigs doesn’t amount up to the same thing? Their lives have no value because they’re not humans?”

“I-”

“Because I find that a bit racist, myself,” I remark, sitting back on the bench and crossing my arms.

“It’s necessary to survive!”

“Vegetarians survive.”

“It’s in our nature!”

I raise an eyebrow at him, “And it’s not in a vampyres nature to feed? They don’t need blood to survive?”

“It’s not the same.”

“So it’s fine for humans to eat meat, but they can’t?”

He gives me a filthy glare, “You’re twisting my words.”

“I’m making you nervous.”

He shakes his head, “No. You’re annoying me.”

I cock my head to the side and study him, “It’s making you nervous that I’m managing to annoy you.”

“You’re not making me nervous,” he snaps, jumping to his feet. I feel myself smirk as I also rise.

“Let’s just continue this hypothetical situation for a moment… If I wanted to feed, how would a puny live one like you stop me?” I lower my voice threateningly, my face serious, but he stares me down.

“I have my ways.”

I laugh softly to myself at the absurdity of the notion. How can he possibly believe that he could ever prevent a vampyre from feeding? “Then it’s a good thing that I’m not one, isn’t it?”

With a charming smile, I start to walk past him with the intention of going him, but he seizes my arm like he had the night before. “You’re not going to get away with killing anyone else,” he says in a low voice.

I roll my eyes, “Oh, spare me the righteous hero act. It gets irritating very quickly.”

“You think you’re so clever…”

“Tell me, live one: If I’m as horrible and murderous as you appear to think, why are you challenging me?”

His gaze is quietly confident as it meets mine, “We’re in the public eye, in a public park. You won’t try anything.”

“Won’t I?” With lightening speed, I pull my arm out of his grip and force him up against a nearby tree. He gasps as he processes what I’ve just done, and how a live one could never have done it so quickly.

I smirk slowly as I press my body into his, sliding one leg between his in a stance that might appear to the outside eye to be the intimate embrace of lovers. “People wouldn’t realise until it was too late. You’d be dead on the ground and I’d be gone…”

He’s still against me, just watching me as I trail a hand down his face. His flesh is warm, even more so as he flushes red. “I normally like to know the names of my victims before I take their lives,” I admit, stroking my thumb along my cheekbone. “It seems only gracious. But, oh, well… There must be an exception this once.”

My lips ghost over his, but he stays completely still. “How can you stop me…?” I murmur. “…if I kill you…?”

“At least I would die to prove your existence,” he spat. “You can cover up death in graveyards, and back alleys. But here?”

“The police wouldn’t believe it was a vampyre. They’re not real,” I taunted him. “Besides, like I said: Small and blond really isn’t an uncommon physical description.” I lace tiny kisses down his jaw, and I can feel his heart pounding as I slide down onto his neck. A shiver of fear goes through him.

I press my mouth onto his neck, kissing the soft skin. He murmurs something weakly, but I don’t quite catch it. Then I scrape my teeth over his flesh, and he emits a strangled gasp. I can feel his fear. It floods through me, and increases my hunger, but I know that I can’t drink from him now. This fight is far from over, and I want to take pleasure in his death.

Once more, I smirk as I pull back. “Be careful who you challenge, live one,” I warn, allowing my eyes to pulse, showing him my true self before I push away from the tree and leave him there, clutching his arms to his body. Both of us know that he’s lucky to be alive.

They say:

That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe

But I…

I’d rather kill myself than turn into their slave

I curse as I meet his clear blue gaze where he stands, sucking face with the guy that I’d had lined up as my target. Tom, he’s called. A student living alone. He would have taken a while to be missed…

But no worries. Freckles can’t distract or put off every potential meal. I just have to move quicker. A shame, yes, but I need a meal soon. I can feel myself getting weaker. I just need to replenish my strength.

Turning my back on him, I stalk across the club, but someone catches my wrist. As I swing back, I find myself staring into the hazel eyes of a man with bleach blond hair. He leans into me, whispering in my ear: “Did your guy go off with someone else?”

I nod, my lips curving, “It’s his own loss.”

“I’ll say…” He wastes no time in sliding his arms around my waist, and nibbles on my earlobe seductively. “I’ve been watching you since you came in…”

“Have you?” I ask innocently, weaving my hands into his hair.

He nods, “You’re so fit…”

A noise of amusement sounds in the back of my throat, “Thank you…” Then a moan slides from my lips as he kisses my neck softly. I love when they do that. I peel him off reluctantly and smile at him, “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

“Toilets?”

I shake my head, “Too tacky.”

He laughs, and catches his tongue between his teeth as he thinks, “There’s an alley out back.”

“Perfect.” My hands find his, and I place a quick peck on his lips, “Take me.”

But I’m paranoid as he leads me out of the club. Damn it! Freckles has managed to psyche me out! Why am I worrying? He probably thinks I’m still circling Tom. He can’t guess that I’ve moved on this quickly.

There’s still a niggle in the back of my head, though. He’s been there every time I’ve tried to get a meal over the past week, and it’s really starting to grate on my nerves. I’ll just have to act fast, before he realises what I’ve done.

As we burst out into the night air, my live one spins to face him and his lips descend on mine. The kiss is firm and steady. This isn’t his first experience of this kind of thing, I can tell. He breaks away and holds out a hand, “Dave.”

I shake it, “Dougie.”

Then he grins and keeps hold of my hand, pulling me down the street, presumably towards his little alley. I normally don’t dare to kill this close to the club, as it makes people wary of the location in the future, but I can’t help myself. Freckles could find me any minute and I need to feed now.

My head is spinning as he pulls me into the alley, and my vision blurs slightly as he pushes me up against a wall. It reminds me somewhat of being drunk when I was a live on- so long ago now. And I don’t like the sensation any more now than I did then.

His mouth meets mine even as I try to clear my head. I pull him further into me, drawing strength from the steady pulse of his blood under his skin. I need to feed soon. I need to feed. I lower my mouth to his neck, and kiss lightly on the soft flesh.

He mutters something, and puts a hand to the back of my neck to hold me there. I smile slowly, and scrape my teeth over his pulse point, not yet breaking the skin. Then my tongue darts out, tasting him. My senses explode. I’m so close now.

“Hey, you!”

I jerk back from Dave’s neck, just in time to see Freckles striding down the alley towards me. I move back, and fist my hands on my hips. “What are you-?!”

But I’m cut off as Freckles reaches me and pulls me into a harsh kiss. I squirm against him, but he just continues to kiss me like nothing’s wrong. How the hell did he find me?! He must have followed us out of the club.

Suddenly, he breaks away, and cups my face in his hands, stroking his thumb over my cheekbone in a direct mimic of how I had touched him in the park. “I don’t want to do this anymore,” he tells me, like I ought to have an idea of what he’s on about. “I don’t want any other man. And I know that you don’t either.” He lowers his voice, his eyes boring into mine with a serious expression on his face, “So I want you to take me home, and I want you to fuck me.”

I choke on my tongue. Of all the tricks! “What?!” I demand.

But he’s turning to look at Dave, and his upper lip curls into a sneer of disgust. “I don’t do threesomes,” he says simply. “You can go.”

Even as I begin to shake my head, Dave holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I won’t intrude on your happy reunion any longer.”

“Thanks,” Freckles chirps, pressing another fond kiss to my lips, ignoring the fact that I’m glaring at him. There’s no point in trying to stop Dave from walking away now that my parole officer has arrived.

He pulls back from me with a smug smirk, casting a glance over his shoulder as he removes himself from around me. “People are just too easy to discourage…”

“You’re losing your touch. You’ve used that tactic before,” I remark.

“Ah, yes…” he reflects. “With the child…” He steps in front of me as I try to leave the alley, “Where’re you going, bloodsucker?”

My eyes pulse, and I see him take a wary step back. “Just leave me the hell alone!” I shout. Then I stumble back as another wave of dizziness suddenly hits me. My stomach churns; a chill goes over my skin. I push him aside forcefully and run out of the alley before he can stop me again. I feel weak, drained.

I feel like he’s killing me.

Sometimes

I feel like I should go

And play with the thunder

Somehow

I just don’t want to stay

And wait for a wonder

It had to happen sometime.

Someone had to discover what I am, and try to stop me. Someone had to try to stop me from feeding. Some stupid live one would dare to challenge me and cut me off so that I couldn’t kill anyone.

I just never dreamed that they would succeed.

I’ve been living off animal blood for weeks now, and it doesn’t do the job. It doesn’t have the same effect- the same fulfilment as human blood.

Why didn’t I just drain the live one when I had the chance?

That’s a question that I’ve been asking myself for ages. Why didn’t I just kill him? Why didn’t I just bite him the second he began to annoy me? His blood would have been to my taste. I can’t say why I didn’t, but there’s something in me that just… couldn’t bite him. Even when his neck was right there, I couldn’t.

I’ve never had this problem before. There’s attraction in the blood of all live ones, and he’s no exception to this. But, damn it, even through my hunger for him, I can’t bite him. I think that’s what drew me to him right away. There’s something odd about him. Different.

But I can’t waste time thinking about the current bane of my life. I need to feed before I collapse due to exhaustion. I can’t bear to think about what would happen if I didn’t feed soon. I pull open the front door to my block of flats and step out into the sun.

Bollocks.

I try to keep my composure as I move down the steps, “Bugger off.”

He makes a tutting noise, hopping down off the wall by the gate to join me, “Well, that’s not very civil… I’ve been meaning to say: You live in a nice block for a bloodsucker.”

“I’ve lived for long enough to need somewhere of my own,” I tell him, striding past.

He falls into step next to me, “You’re pale.”

I slant him a look, “So?”

“You’re not normally so-”

Suddenly, a piercing pain shoots through my stomach and I double over. I’m normally good at concealing pain or illness, but this is getting more difficult by the day. I cry out, squeezing my eyes closed until the pain passes.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I make a noise of disgust as I straighten up, “Of course I’m not okay! I’m in constant pain; I’m always tired! If you want to kill me so much, then why don’t you just do it?! You’ve won! I give up!” Then I turn and stride off down the street.

He hurries to catch up with me, “Kill you?”

“What did you think you were doing?” I snap. “You deprive someone of what they need to live, eventually they stop living. It’s kind of common sense!”

There’s an uncertainty in his silence. “Vampyres can’t die.”

“Wait long enough and I’ll prove you wrong.” Even this simple movement is sending my body into agony, my muscles aching and going into spasms. But I can’t stop. I can’t let him see.

“The undead can’t die!” he claims. I send him a narrow look over my shoulder.

“Same retort.”

“But-”

I scowled, “If you’re about to develop a conscience concerning vampyres, then it’s a bit late, live one.”

“You don’t look like you’re about to die,” he says, doubt in his voice.

A chuckle comes from the back of my throat, “You did say that we’re masters of deception.”

I sense him shaking his head, can feel the kinetic disturbances in the air. “You’re not dying,” he states, this time with more confidence.

“And how would you know that?!” I shout, whirling back to face him. “You don’t know anything about me! You’ve just made up your own twisted perception!” The blood rushes into my head, and I realise that I’ve spun around too fast. Too late. My body can’t adjust to the sudden movement. My vision blurs and I pitch forward.

I collide with something and someone cries out. There’s a buzzing in my ears as I wish my vision to clear. A voice distorts in my ears, and I stay completely still for a moment. Arms come around me. “Are you all right?”

Once I trust myself to stand, I push him away in disgust, muttering: “What do you think?”

His hands come out to steady me, but I slap them away. I don’t need a live one to support me. The mere thought is humiliating. I get to my feet slowly, as it won’t do to collapse again so quickly. “Just leave me alone,” I tell him softly.

He looks pained, “I-”

“You’ve done enough.”

I begin to walk off carefully, but my head’s still spinning. My body aches, and I think I’m about to be sick. My whole system’s going into shut down because of that fucking live one! And he has the nerve to stand there like he didn’t know that this would do me any damage.

Stupid live one… Getting involved in what he doesn’t understand… He should learn not to challenge vampyres. Sooner or later, he’s going to find himself on the wrong side of a pair of fangs.

My body flushes cold, and my knees give way. I wobble precariously, then fold once more. Everything’s black now. I don’t remember hitting the ground.

Silence. Blessed silence.

I’ve been watching

I’ve been waiting

In the shadows

For my time

I’ve been searching

I’ve been living

For tomorrows

All my life

There’s someone shaking me awake. I guess my body hasn’t given up on me, yet. And I feel less dizzy as I open my eyes to look up at Freckles. “What’s going on?” I murmur.

“You collapsed again,” he whispers. “I brought you back to your flat. Here:” He nudges something towards my mouth, and I recoil.

“What is it?”

“Just take it,” he insists, pushing it back at me. I can smell human. A human that isn’t him. Suddenly, I realise what he’s forcing on me.

I stare at him in shock, “You’re compromising your beliefs.”

“Just drink.”

At seeing how serious his eyes are, I pull the offered wrist towards me and sink my fangs into between the two largest bones. The taste hits me- hard and fast, and I’m almost blinded by my need as I fix my mouth over the wound.

I can’t believe that I’ve been reduced to this. For the first time, I just feed, letting the blood spill into me and recharge my drained battery. I don’t question where he got this person, and why he felt the need to find one for me so suddenly. All I care about is getting my fill. I need blood. I need blood so much.

Suddenly my stomach churns. It’s not used to having blood again after all this time. It’s too much. I pull back, gasping for breath, and stare at the body. I can see the whole thing now, and I know I might not be able to finish.

“What is it?” Freckles dares to ask.

“Nothing.” I drag the back of my hand across my mouth, “Nothing.” There’s only one thing to do. I have to drain the human. The thought of not doing so is dangerous and… Well, unthinkable.

I slide off the bed and kneel next to the body. I hear Freckles leaving the room, obviously not wanting to watch me feeding from the neck. I have to, though. It’s quicker. My stomach begins to hurt, and I know that I’m taking too much blood at once, but I need to continue. I lower my mouth to the woman’s neck and bite down.

Her blood is warm and sweet, filling me and warming my body- which had chilled to the lack of blood intake. I shift so that my mouth catches most of the blood flow. Already, I can feel myself coming back. I’m not surprised. I’ve never denied my reliance on blood. I know what it can do. Strengthen, refresh. Better than any drug that live ones poison themselves with.

There’s a sudden lurch in my stomach, and I jump to my feet, running through the kitchen and heaving over the sink. I spit a little into the sink, and choke slightly. A hand comes to rest on my back. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

I nod, “Yeah. My system just isn’t used to getting so much blood… It’s not had any for a while, so it’s reacting.”

“Well, you don’t have to…” He breaks off reluctantly; swallows nervously. “…finish the job.”

I shake my head, and push back from the sink, “I do.”

But he steps in front of me, and his eyes bore into me, “Why?”

“I just have to,” I say simply, pushing past him on my way back to the bedroom. I drop to my knees by the body. I can feel her pulse slowing down. I’m almost there. “Don’t make yourself ill over it,” he protests, striding into the room just as I begin to take from her again.

I pull back for a moment. “I can take it,” I say confidently, before reattaching my mouth to the woman’s neck.

“Why do you have to take it?” I hear him exclaim, but I ignore him, focusing instead on what I’m doing. He wouldn’t understand why I have to follow this through. I can’t say, not right now. I just have to drink. If I don’t drink, then I run the risk of something potentially terrible happening.

I feel her heart stop.

I collapse, and roll onto my back weakly. My head spins, and I feel bloated and over-gorged. “Shit,” I mutter.

Freckles crosses to me, and looks down at me, “You’re stupid for forcing too much down.”

“You’re annoying,” I retort lamely as my full stomach gurgles. “Leave me down here for a moment,” I request as he reaches down to pick me up. “I’ll be sick if you set me upright.”

“Bloody hell…” he mutters, partly to himself.

I ignore him again, tipping my head back with a hum as I feel all of the blood suddenly pulse through me. It’s hot and soothing to the body that had previously been agony to hold aloft.

And I’m tired. So tired. I could happily go to sleep right here…. But I can’t, I remind myself, and force my eyes open again as they threaten to slide closed. I’m not falling asleep and leaving a live one in my flat. By all means, he shouldn’t be here in the first place.

But I can’t help it, and drift even as arms come around me and I’m picked up. Then I’m set down again on something soft. “You shouldn’t be here,” I murmur.

“Tough,” he tells me. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t want you here when I wake up.”

“Just go to sleep.”

Lately, I’ve been walking

Walking in circles

Watching, watching for something

Feel me, touch me, heal me

Come; take me higher

It’s early when I wake. The pink light of the rising sun is just starting to spill in through the window of the bedroom, staining everything it touches. I swing myself out of bed, and move into the living room. Freckles is sitting in one of the chairs, fast asleep with his head in his arms. He leans on the arm of the chair with his legs tucked underneath him. I leave him, and continue on into the kitchen.

I can’t believe I have a live one in my house. It was never meant to happen. It’s dangerous for a live one to know my habits so well. I have to get rid of him, but that’s an even harder task now that he has saved my life. I lean back against the counter, reviewing the situation, and I don’t know how long it is before there’s a gasp from next door.

I move into the living room, and see that’s he’s stepped just inside my bedroom, “What?”

“Where’s she gone?” he demands, and it takes me a moment to work out who he’s referring to.

“Oh? The body?”

“Yes!”

I bite my lip nervously as he turns his accusing eyes on me, “My victims…dissipate.”

“What?”

“Dissolve.”

“What?!” His voice is even louder this time. “Are you telling me that not only do you murder innocent people, but their bodies are never found?”

I shake my head, smirking slightly, “Would you rather they were found by their families with bite marks in their necks?”

His eyes are wide as he steps back, “This way, you can never be caught.”

I shrug, “I guess.”

“This is how you get away with murdering people,” he mutters. I roll my eyes now.

“It’s hardly fair for you to say-”

“Is that why you had to suck her dry?” he demands. “So she would…vanish!”

“No!” I snap. “I had to drink until I killed her!”

He throws up his hands, “Why?”

“Because otherwise I would have-” I cut myself off with a heavy sigh, and turn to stalk back into the living room.

I hear him follow. He lingers by the door, and I can feel his anxiety. He’s worried by what he did last night in helping me. He knows that he’s in too deep now. “Would have what?” he asks finally, his voice flat.

“I can’t say.”

“Why not?”

I turn to face him slowly, “Because- if I do- you’ll ask me to explain it, and I can’t. I don’t know enough to explain it.”

His fists clench at his sides, “Just say it.”

I nod slowly, and close my eyes, “If you don’t drink from someone until they’re dead, then…they never die.”

There’s silence for a long moment. “They become a…vampyre?”

“Yes.” I open my eyes again and turn away without looking at his face.

“Have you ever…?” he asks reluctantly.

“Once.” And that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. He seems to sense this, and I hear him shifting, like he’s moving from foot to foot.

“You need to stop killing people.”

“Fuck off!” I snap before I can help myself. I’m so sick of this bloke’s morality act.

He sighs, and moves forward, “It’s not right!”

“And what would you know about right?” I spit, turning to face him again. “In case you’ve forgotten, live one, you helped me feed last night!”

His eyes widen and he flushes red, “You were dying!”

“What do you care?!” I shout, allowing my anger to take hold. “You just think I’m a selfish, murdering bastard! Why didn’t you just let me die if you’re that opposed to me?!”

“Because two wrongs don’t make a right!” he hollers back at me, matching me for volume.

I let out a disdainful laugh, “Don’t you believe in utilitarianism?” His blank look makes me smirk, and I plough on: “Let me enlighten you: According to consequentialist ethics, what’s morally right is that which does the greatest overall good. So, following that, you know killing me would spare people from dying- therefore making the action morally just.”

He narrows his eyes, “The fact that I saved you doesn’t mean that I agree with your lifestyle.”

I smirk, moving closer to him, “But that doesn’t matter anymore. You’re stuck with me.”

He swallows nervously, “What do you mean?”

“You helped me to kill someone. You saw me killing someone and didn’t call for help.” I lower my voice, “That’s aiding and abetting a criminal, live one.”

“Don’t lump me in with you!” he shouts, trying to push me away.

I grab him by the collar and haul his face close to mine. “Stop acting like you’re so high and mighty, because it’s severely pissing me off!”

Then his lips are suddenly on mine, kissing me roughly as his anger takes on a new form. I bite down on his lower lip harshly as I stumble back, and my tongue meets his in a vicious battle. He moans into my mouth, and his hand comes down to cup my crotch.

I push him back through the door into my bedroom, my hands frantically searching every contour of his body. His lower back, his shoulder blades, his bum- I leave no area untouched as I pull him even further into me.

He smirks against my lips, and spins me around, shoving me forcefully onto the bed. I look up at him as he pulls off his t-shirt, before he climbs on top of me and claims my mouth with another bruising kiss.

I’ve been watching

I’ve been waiting

In the shadows

For my time

I’ve been searching

I’ve been living

For tomorrows

All my life

I lean on the railings of my balcony with a sigh, dipping my head and staring down at the tiles under my bare feet. They’re not cold, even though it’s a bitter London night and there’s a sharp breeze that’s making my fringe whip annoyingly into my eyes.

I can’t believe what I’ve just done.

I haven’t slept with a live one in years. Or…well, I haven’t done so and left them living afterwards… But there he is, in a post coital slumber, still in my bed after what has to be one of the best bouts of sex in my life.

It’s foolish, I know. Foolish to allow him to get so close. It was foolish to sleep with him, and it’s even more foolish to seriously want to go back inside and do it all over again.

I’m suddenly struck with an odd craving, one that I haven’t had since I was a live one. I suddenly have a strong craving for tobacco… I don’t know why the craving suddenly hits me- not that it matters since I don’t have any tobacco in the flat…

I sigh, drawing my hands over my face slowly. Stress. That’s what is it. Just stress. The stress of dealing with a live one like Freckles. I don’t need any tobacco. I can deal with this on my own.

“Hey.”

Fuck it. Fuck it all to hell. Just give me a fucking cigarette!

I turn to face him, slowly, trying to prepare myself. But nothing can, and there he is in all of his post-sex glory. His lips are swollen, his cheeks still partially flushed, and his hair’s a mess due to my fingers raking through it during our session. He’s pulled on his boxers and a t-shirt, but he has a definite ‘just laid’ air to him.

“Hey.”

“You okay?” he asks, moving out onto the balcony.

I shrug, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He crosses his arms, at a lack of a better thing to do with his hands, “You didn’t hang around very long.”

“You can’t read my mind just because we slept together, live one,” I remark, turning away to lean on the railings.

He chuckles slightly, and his arms come from either side of me to grip the railings as he presses into me from behind. “You’re wondering how you managed to have sex with me without feeling the urge to bite,” he whispers in my ear.

“Not the first time it’s happened,” I tell him tensely, gritting my teeth. It is, and I don’t understand it. I had been too consumed in my lust for his body to even think about taking his blood.

I feel his lips curve against my cheek, “I’m sure it’s not.”

“You’ve just thrown me off track,” I mutter, clenching my hands on the bar in front of me so that my knuckles flush white from the strain. “You’ve crashed into my life with your high morals and annoying superiority, and confused everything.”

He’s silent for a moment, but his body remains pressed into mine. “I don’t know how I… knew.”

I frown, “What d’you mean?”

“In the club. When I first saw you. I didn’t believe in vampyres…” He sighs in frustration as I spin to face him with the frown still on my face, “I’m not explaining myself very well. What I mean is: The second I saw you, I was just convinced- all of a sudden- that vampyres were real.”

I give him an incredulous look, “Are you telling me that you saw me and had an epiphany?”

“Yes. No! I don’t know,” he babbles, his hands coming to rest on my arms now. “All I know is that I knew that I had to get your attention.”

“Well, congratulations on that…” I comment. He flushes slightly red.

“I was scared. I thought you were a monster. I knew what you were, and thought you had to be a monster. But I didn’t want to show my fear. So I told you that I’d seen you feed, so I didn’t seem like I didn’t know what I was talking about. I thought… I thought I was meant to stop you.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Religious?”

“Agnostic.”

“Divine Command Theory…” I muse to myself. “A greater power enlightening you so that you can kill or stop something awful.”

He rolls his eyes, “I couldn’t do it, though, could I? The second I saw you collapse, I knew that I had to get you blood. I couldn’t watch you die.”

“You’d be a crap assassin.”

He looks mildly offended, “Y’know, a thank you wouldn’t go amiss.”

I smirk, and put a hand under his chin, using my thumb to smooth his pouting lower lip. “Wouldn’t want you to think I had manners, now, would I?” Then I lean in and touch my lips to his gently. He pushes against me, making it firmer and urging me to take it deeper.

Something he said is niggling at me… That something in his subconscious just drew him to me. Didn’t the same thing happen to me in the club? Didn’t I see something different in him? And now here I am, kissing him on my balcony like he’s a lover and not a potential meal.

Who is he…?

What does Freckles have that no live one before him ever had…?

“Your name,” he suddenly murmurs against my lips, and he pulls back to look me in the eye. “What’s the name? I feel wrong having slept with you without knowing it.”

He’s right, I realise. We’ve gone so long without exchanging names. I guess it was never really necessary. He was just Freckles to me. “Dougie,” I tell him now.

“Dougie,” he repeats it thoughtfully, then nods in appreciation. “I’m Danny.” He grins, his hand coming up to grip the back of my neck, “Now, let’s continue.”

I’ve been watching

I’ve been waiting

I’ve been searching

I’ve been living

For tomorrows

“Danny, we’ve had this discussion before and the answer’s still no,” I snap, striding from the bedroom and pulling on my shirt furiously.

He exits it behind me, fastening his jeans, “What would be so bad about it? It’s not like I’m not always here, anyway!”

“No!”

He grabs my arm, yanks me around to look at him, “How is it your choice to make?”

“Because I’m the one who has to kill you!” I shout, pulling my arm free from his grasp, but he seizes me again almost immediately.

“Not kill.”

“It amounts to the same thing!” I manage to free myself now and stride towards the kitchen.

He follows, “Why do you get like this whenever I ask you to bite me?!”

It’s been a year since Danny and I first slept together, and we’ve gotten closer over that year. He’s the only live one I’ve ever allowed to get this close, and it was going really well until he got the stupid idea in his head that he wants me to bite him. And I don’t want to. I couldn’t say why, but I don’t want to. But a couple of months ago, he just decided on it and now he won’t leave it be. If he does get bitten, it’ll be because I want him to shut up…

“Why can’t you just accept that I don’t want to bite you?” I snarl, turning to face him.

He sighs impatiently, “Dougie, it makes sense. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about me. I can help you hunt, and we can be together properly.”

I gave him a look of distain, “I often wonder whether that last one’s a pro or a con.”

He scowls, “I don’t know why you act so dispassionate. Remember when you tried to give me up? You came crawling back…”

His mouth meets mine angrily as he pulls me into him. He bites down on my lower lip, before his tongue collides with mine in a powerful frenzy. I don’t like to be reminded of that time. I was scared by how serious we were getting so quickly, and so I tried to shake him, but he had never let me, and I discovered that I can’t function without my annoying live one.

I give a hum of content, and pull back with a smile, “The answer’s still no.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Life isn’t fair, Freckles.” I give him a semi-fond pat on the cheek and turn away, moving towards the kitchen.

He makes a snarling noise. I’m impressed. Who needs to be a vampyre when you can make that noise already…? “Why are you so dead-set against this?” he demands.

I walk into the kitchen and pull open the fridge. A month or so ago, I struck a deal with a local butcher, and now he gave me all of his pigs blood- as long as I promised not to bite him in the neck. Little did he know that I was actually looking for that kind of offer when I walked in. I pull out a bag now. It’s cold, but fresh and should keep me going until I get a proper feed. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” I say, turning to get a glass.

“Why not?” he asks in frustration.

“Because I think we’re fine how we are,” I tell him patiently, cutting the corner off the bag of blood and squeezing it into a glass.

“Yeah, for now,” he argues. “But, Dougie. I’m going to get older.”

I give him a look of distain, “And I’m not?”

“Not visibly!”

“Vanity isn’t a good enough reason to sell your soul, Freckles,” I taunt, scrunching up the bag and throwing it into the bin. Then I pick up my glass and turn to face him. “Plus, I don’t think your upstanding moral conscience would allow you to kill someone.”

He raises an eyebrow, “I’m still putting up with you.”

“Not the same. You would have to physically kill someone.”

“I could do it.”

“No, you couldn’t.”

He scowls as I take a pull from my glass, “Why don’t you want me to be like you?”

“You can’t guilt trip me, Danny.”

“Don’t you love me?”

My expression turns incredulous as I stare at him, “Don’t be a girl.”

He pouts, “Shut up!”

“When’s the operation?”

“Stop it!”

I take a sip of my blood, and swill it around on my tongue, “Because I might need some time to readjust to being straight…”

“Why can’t you just take me seriously?” he snaps suddenly. As I just regard him casually, he sighs, “Okay, then. You can do it, or I’ll find someone who will.”

I choke on my blood, “What?”

“You heard. You can’t be the only vampyre in the world.”

I shake my head, “Danny, don’t do this to yourself.”

“Don’t do what?”

I felt my eyes heat up in temper, but I just shake my head again. “You know what,” I say hollowly instead. “Go ahead. Ruin everything. I don’t care.” I set my glass down on the counter, scared that I might spill it since my hand’s shaking so badly. “I’m going out.”

He blocks my way, “Dougie, what’s going on?”

“I’m not waiting around to see you bitten.”

“Why not?”

“Because he wasn’t the same afterwards, so why should you be?!” I snarl, trying to push past him.

He won’t let me. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think you’re the only live one I’ve ever considered blooding?” It’s time to say. There’s no way out of it now… “The last one I blooded…he grew to resent me, hate me.”

He moves his hands up to cup my face, “That won’t happen with us.” He kisses me softly, his mouth melding to mine like two pieces of a jigsaw. “Do it.”

“What if I lose control?” I whisper. “What if I kill you?”

“You won’t,” he promises. “And I won’t be around to blame you if you do.”

“Don’t joke about this.”

He touches his lips to mine, “Come on.” Then he takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom.

Later that night, I sit on the bed next to his motionless body, cradling my head in my hands as I mourn what I’ve done.

Oh, oh, oh, oh

In the shadows

On, oh, oh, oh

In the shadows

“You’re so fit,” the live one pants against my mouth as I pull him backwards into the graveyard. I wish I could say the same, but orange-tan and too much gel has never really done it for me. So I simply pull him further into me.

He fumbles with my belt, blissfully unaware that he’s not going to fulfil his aim. I never have sex with my victims. I did at one time, but not anymore.

Not for fifty years.

Not since the live one who managed to infiltrate my mind, my senses. Even now, no-one can ever replace Freckles in my mind. He’s the only live one I’ve ever let close, and the only one I ever will.

I moan into Matt’s mouth as he hoists me up against the marble monument. I can smell him. I can feel his racing heartbeat against my skin. I love this moment. The euphoria they always feel before death. I send them out of this world on a high, and with hope.

As my feet touch the ground again, I cup his crotch, grinning as he breaks away from me with a moan. I stare into his eyes as I massage his groin, and watch his eyes cloud in pleasure as he hardens under my touch. Then I suddenly let go. “Wouldn’t want you to peak before I’m finished with you,” I tell him as his eyes clear and confusion comes into them.

He nods blindly, like I’ve just spoken a great nugget of wisdom. His lust for me is too much for him to question me. He doesn’t care as long as I get him off- one way or  another. I smirk and pull his lips back to mine.

His kiss is eager, and passionate, but does little for me than allow me to fantasise about the taste of his red hot blood in my mouth. It’s for that reason I put up with his overpowering and sloppy technique.

Then the cold air suddenly hits me, and I realise he’s been pulled away from me. But, before I can open my eyes, another mouth closes over mine. I moan immediately at the familiar scent, at the taste I know so well.

My Freckles has arrived.

I wind my arms around his neck as I kiss him. Our lips still fit perfectly after all this time, and he still sends that shiver through me. Our kiss is equal and firm, and his tongue moves against mine perfectly.

As we break away, I hum lightly and open my eyes to look into Danny’s grinning face, “Evening, lover.”

“Evening.” He turns to look at Matt, who just stands with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. Danny bites his lip softly, “You always did have excellent taste…”

I smirk at our victim, “Have you ever had a threesome, Mathew?”

He shakes his head, looking nervous, “No.”

“Oh, we’ll guide you through,” Danny purrs. “Won’t we, Dougs?”

“Definitely.”

Danny leans into me. “He’s smells incredible,” he whispers into my ear.

“I’ll follow your lead,” I murmur. He grins, and brushes his lips over mine before pushing away from me. I lean back against the cold marble as he prowls over to Matt, trailing a hand up his arm seductively.

My initial worries about Danny resenting me have been abolished. Never once since he woke into this life have I regretted biting him. In vampyric legend, every vampyre has a corresponding live one that they’re destined to blood, but I had never believed it. There are other explanations for how we were drawn together, but Danny liked the thought of it. And I can’t deny that we work together. He’s my other half, my partner in crime. He’s perfection.

I feel a stirring in my stomach as I watch him circle Matt, like a hunter sizing up their prey. Then he smiles slowly and pulls Matt into a powerful kiss. I’m pleased to see that he gets an immediate response. Some live ones oppose to the third party, but this one seemed to be all for experimentation.

Danny crooks a finger at me, motioning for me to move closer, but I shake my head, staying where I am. I love watching him play with the target. He breaks away and gives me a questioning look, but I just shake my head again, my lips curving. He’s confused, because I’ve normally stepped in by now. Then he simply smirks and turns his attention back to Matt.

He feathers kisses all over his face- his forehead, his eyes, his cheekbones. Then he dips his head to the right, and Matt’s eyes flutter as he nibbles on his earlobe. He trails his tongue along his jaw line before moving down onto his neck.

I take this as my cue to move forward. Reaching them, I take hold of Matt’s chin and plant a soft kiss on his lips. Then I fix my mouth over the other side of his neck. He murmurs to himself as we both nibble and suck on the tender skin.

We link hands and bite.

The pulse vibrates through both of us and hot blood spills out onto my tongue. We drink together, drink until the body goes limp between us, drink until the heartbeat slows and stops completely.

Then we drop him on the ground and step back. Danny’s eyes are a brilliant, glowing red in the darkness of the graveyard as he rides out the bloodlust. His fangs are still extended, sharp and white, jutting out just slightly over his lower lip. He looks dangerously sexy, and I stare at him as he trails his tongue over his lower lip to lap up any remaining blood. The crevices in his face cast shadows that only make him look even more appealing, and it’s all I can do not to pounce on him.

I feel my own eyes cool, and my fangs retracting as the bloodlust passes. Then Danny’s eyes fade back to the blue that entranced me from the start. He grins at me, his canines shrinking back to their normal size, and pulls me into his arms. “Didn’t I tell you that this would make sense?”

I laugh. “I guess you had to be right for once,” is my teasing comment, before I pull his pouting mouth to mine for a sweet kiss.

I’ve been waiting.