Once Bitten, Twice Shy

by Scarlett Jade

  Trevor sighed. “I can see why you did it. You didn't understand; you were young.” He reached across the yellow Formica table and touched her hand gently. Amy blushed as desire coursed through her. “But, in the end, none of it mattered. Paranormals tend to be drawn to each other. Maybe it was Fate's way of stepping in where you had altered the fabric of her past; Mother Earth setting things right.” He shrugged.

  “It's all such bullshit. I was raised in a good home. This stuff doesn't happen to people like me.” She pulled her hand away and brushed her hair back.

  He pursed his lips. “Well, this stuff is real. I’ve studied it for years and I've been with Jeremy for a long time. He's a good person, under all of this. Once he gets back on course, you’ll see that.”

  She frowned. “This stuff wasn't supposed to happen, Trevor. Not to a good Christian girl like me.”

  He patted her hand again. “Suck it up, Amy. It has. I still need his name.”

  “Thomas Cavill.”

  Trevor nodded. “Thank you.” He stood abruptly from the table and left Amy sitting there. She felt suddenly like she'd done something wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have told him all the things I did? What if he doesn't want to flirt with me anymore? Or was he flirting with me to get details out of me for Jeremy? Here I've been badmouthing him and Trevor could be taking all of this back. Oh, what have I done? Amy chewed her nails, a bad habit she'd had since she was a teen and drained the cup of coffee before hurrying back to her daughter's room.

  The nurse came back into the room and smiled at Sasha. “Did you want to try breastfeeding again? I think it may be easier this time. I also brought in a pump for you, so we can try pumping and feeding with a bottle if she won't latch on.”

  Sasha nodded and Jeremy watched as she took their daughter in her arms and began to breastfeed her. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

  Onyx had few problems picking up the idea of breastfeeding this time. She latched on and was definitely a hearty eater, and Sasha was producing enough milk to satisfy her. The nurse was overjoyed. “I've never had anyone learn to feed this quickly. It’s amazing in a preemie. Well, I'll leave you two in peace for a bit; please press the call button if you need me.”

  “Thank you,” Jeremy growled as the door closed. “I never thought she'd leave,” he admitted.

  Sasha's eyes flicked up to his. “Hi,” she said simply.

  He leaned forward and brushed a kiss on her forehead. She flinched. “You two are beautiful. I’m grateful to have you both.”

  She smiled, albeit tightly. “Thank you.”

  “Are we going to go around in circles like this?” He tugged at his hair in frustration.

  She shrugged. “Things are different. You’re hiding things from me, and I don't feel comfortable in the hospital.”

  “I'm not hiding anything from you, Sasha. I'd never lie to you.” He held his palms wide, baring himself to her.

  She smiled, her eyes dark and emotionless. “Do you promise?”

  “Yes, yes, I promise,” he whispered, catching her face in his hands and kissing her gently.

  Amy tapped hesitantly at the door. “Sasha, may I come in?”

  “Yeah,” Sasha said tightly.

  Jeremy, frustrated, gave the other woman a venomous look as she walked in.

  “You need rest, Sasha. You look pale and exhausted. Why don't you put baby Onyx in the little cradle here? We can leave you for a little while and let you rest.” She patted Sasha's knee under the blanket.

  “I'm going nowhere, Amy, and it's something you need to get used to,” Jeremy growled softly.

  She gave him an annoyed look and waved her hand. “Jeremy, shut up. She needs rest.”

  “She can get it. But I'm not leaving her side.” He leaned back in the chair and crossed his ankles.

  “What about when you need to go suck down some blood, Jeremy? What about then? Just gonna catch the nurse unaware? She did have a nice neck.” Amy crossed her arms over her full breasts and smirked.

  Jeremy roared, leaping up from the chair. Sasha jumped, jostling Onyx awake, who let out a wail. Everyone froze as Sasha screamed. “Get the hell out! The only person I want in here is Trevor. No one else. I don't want to see any of you. You’re all driving me absolutely nuts with this who-can-piss-higher-on-a-tree bullshit. He seems to be the only one left here with some common sense.”

  Jeremy frowned. “Cupcake, I'm not leaving.”

  She shrugged. “Fine, then I'll have them escort you out. This is my hospital room, this is my baby, this is my body, and this is my damn life.” Her hands were shaking as she soothed Onyx, who sucked viciously on a pacifier.

  Amy sighed. “I'm sorry. I'll go. Trevor is outside, Jeremy, we can send him in and he can keep an eye on her.”

  Jeremy nodded brusquely. “Fine.” He flung the door open and walked out, fuming.

  He watched as Amy came out of the room, her head hung low and he snorted in disgust. “This is all your fault. If you’d just been real with your child she would’ve known who she was.”

  “Go to hell, you freak. You have no room to tell anyone about telling someone to tell the truth, now do you?”

  Jeremy growled low in his throat. “Just what do you mean by that?”

  “I think you know exactly what I mean, Jeremy. Don't worry, I’ll take care of my daughter, and she can visit you where you're going.”

  Jeremy stared at Amy for a moment before turning away before he hit her. “Trevor,” Jeremy barked. “I need you to stay with Sasha.”

  “Of course. You need some food.” He touched Jeremy's shoulder. “Why don't you and Amy go get something to eat in the cafeteria?”

  “I don't want food,” Jeremy growled. “And I certainly don't want that viper's company. I’ll be back later.” He moved quickly down the hall toward the elevators.

  Jeremy came upon the same young woman in the basement. She popped her gum and smirked. “Back again? You’ve got it bad, don't you?”

  “What are you, the fucking vampire police?” Pink tinged his vision and he shook his head, trying to clear it. He could hear her blood whispering through her veins, and he could see her jugular pumping. He clenched his fists and forced himself to breathe.

  “No, I just think you’re pathetic.” She shrugged and blew a pink bubble of gum between her lips. Jeremy growled and his vision went red. He grabbed her by the throat, pulling her to standing, and took a deep breath of her floral perfume. The scent clung to her skin and he could already imagine the acrid taste of the chemical fragrance on his tongue as he bit her.

  “Pathetic, huh?” he growled, listening in sadistic pleasure to her gurgling throat. Her wide blue eyes were bugged out and she was gasping for air. He flexed his fingers against her windpipe and watched in fascination as her face changed from rose to scarlet. “Answer me. Am I pathetic?”

  Her full lips turned up viciously and she whispered, “Yes. Bloodsucker.”

  He growled, his hand crushing her windpipe. Before she could try to breathe, his mouth was on her neck, his teeth piercing her skin, her warm, sweet blood flooding his mouth. His cock throbbed with the absolute pleasure of taking her. She sagged in his arms, her pulse growing erratic against his lips as he ravaged her throat, suckling the very last drops of her essence from her. When he could suck no more, he tossed her to the floor like a broken toy. Her neck was skewed at an awkward angle from her shoulders and her throat was torn open. Her blond hair was strewn about her face, smeared macabre red with the life he'd just taken from her.

  He came to awareness quickly, much like careening into a brick wall. He started to shake, realizing he'd just killed someone else. He pressed his hands against the cold concrete wall and willed himself to think. He had to hide the body. There was no other recourse. Sasha could never know that he'd killed not only one, but two people. She'd never trust him with their daughter. Oh God, what have I done? I just killed this nurse. My God I screwed up, I just – I didn't mean to cause her harm, I'm just on
edge and she was screwing with me. No. It's not an excuse to make it okay to kill her.

  Bile filled his throat, mixed with the metallic taste of blood, and he fought against nausea. He ran for the sink, spewing up her frothy cherry-colored liquid. He wiped his mouth and turned the water on, begging the red to run down the drain. Once the sink was clear, he moved back to the young woman, lifting her to his shoulder with a grunt. He looked around quickly, begging his mind to focus and cooperate and saw a freezer at the back of the room and grimly walked over to it. He threw the white lid open on the deep freeze and dumped her unceremoniously inside. She was crunched inside the tiny recess, mixed with bags of unknown substances. He rubbed his forehead. “You were a bitch, but you didn't deserve this. I'm sorry.”

  He closed the lid firmly and casually tried to walk out of the basement to the elevator, his slim finger pressing the up button. The doors slid open smoothly and he stepped inside, hoping the panic in his eyes wouldn't give him away. He felt bile rising in his throat again and forced it down, along with some of the last vestiges of his emotion. He cracked his neck and clenched his fists. He needed Sasha; she would be the only one to fulfill him.

  ***

  Amy sighed as Jeremy left. “Where's asshole going now?”

  Trevor rubbed his forehead. “He's going to get more blood.”

  Amy rubbed her arm, warming the goosebumps that had risen. “That's not good, right?”

  He shook his head sadly. “No, considering he just had some a couple of hours ago. He's going to hit manic stage before long. We need to have some plans put in place. I'm going to leave you here guarding the door, Amy. I need to see the doctor and get some wheels moving.” He leaned over quickly and brushed a kiss against her cheek. She gasped. “I'll be just down the hall; scream if you need me.” He winked and rushed away, his shiny black shoes tapping against the cold tile floor.

  Amy’s eyes went wide as she processed Trevor kissing her cheek. Oh, he really does want me! I was just overreacting earlier. We're all so stressed and tired with that damn bloodsucker acting crazy around here, he just was short-tempered. See? I have absolutely nothing to worry about. Maybe next time I can convince him to kiss my lips. Or maybe I'll just plant one on him! Oh man it's been so long since I've been with a guy, this is just thrilling!

  Amy sat in the chair by the door and leaned her head against the wall, stifling a yawn. She was so unbelievably tired; jet lag was definitely kicking in. She hadn't slept in over eighteen hours and her body was beginning to shut down. With her Lyme disease exhaustion and stress were some of the prime triggers for relapse. Me getting sick again is the last thing we need, Sasha needs me to be strong for her and the baby. It won't hurt if I just close my eyes for just a few minutes. Nothing is going to happen, for Christ-sakes. It's a freaking hospital. It's not like a vampire is going to come in here and do something. She snorted with laughter even as her eyes began to close. There's so much security in here that nothing bad could ever happen. Everyone is worried over nothing.

  ***

  Sasha opened her eyes groggily to see Billy the barista sitting on the edge of her hospital bed, holding Onyx in his arms. He smiled brightly, his canines appearing a little too big for his mouth. She gasped. “Billy? What the hell are you doing here? Where have you been? Why aren't you in Chicago?” She shook her head, trying to dislodge the cobwebs placed there from sleep.

  He looked down at Onyx before he spoke. When he opened his mouth, her blood froze. “Sasha, love. You need to know so many things. Did you know I'm dead?” His black eyes found hers, and she shuddered.

  She’d never forget that voice. “Billy. You came earlier. Why did you scare me?”

  He shrugged, a boyish grin crossing his pale lips. “I'm sorry, love, truly. I tend to be melodramatic at times.”

  “Wait a minute.” She gasped, stuttering as she realized why Billy was there, “You're–you’re dead?”

  He nodded, running a pale finger over Onyx's creamy cheek. “Yes. I'm a vampire.”

  She blinked rapidly and held her arms out in panic. “Give me my daughter, please.”

  He shook his head sadly, his lips pulling down at the corners in a pout. “I'm afraid we can't do that. I do love cuddling sweet babies. There's just something so beautiful about the way their blood sings in their veins.”

  “I'll scream.” She inched her fingers along the side of the bed, looking for the call button, her hands shaking in horror.

  He smiled, a bloodcurdling, bone-chilling smile that oozed venom. “Don't be stupid, love. Put your pretty fingers down. I'd hate to break each one…bone by bone.”

  Sasha swallowed, hoping her voice remained strong when she spoke. “I'll scream,” she repeated.

  He laughed gently, the sound making her wince. “Love, before you could even squeak a sound out, I'd have your windpipe crushed. How about you listen to me?”

  She nodded rapidly. “Okay. Please don't hurt Onyx.”

  He leaned forward, pressed his chalky lips to the baby’s downy head and inhaled. “I won't.”

  “How – how are you a vampire?” she squeaked.

  He smiled again, baring his teeth. “Your lover killed me.” She choked as her throat threatened to slam shut and her heart skittered in her chest. “Frightened, love?” He leaned closer and whispered, “You should be.”

  She blinked against the terrified tears gathering in her eyes and whispered, “He would never – no, never, kill anyone.”

  “No?” He laughed mockingly. “Funny how another body grows chilled right now, as we speak, in the basement freezer after he sucked every drop of blood from her body. He isn't safe, sweet Sasha…what if I told you I could get you away. That I could get you back home? Would you trust me? Why would you want to stay chained to a man who has committed not one, but now two murders with no thought to innocent human life…do you really want your child around that?” He stared deeply into her eyes and smiled a dazzling smile.

  The room became unbearably warm and shapes became fuzzy. All she could see was him. Suddenly, she couldn't focus on anything but the glittering depths of his eyes and she found herself shaking her head no. “I don't want to stay with him.”

  He smiled gently, almost seeming human again. “You want to get away from him, don't you, love?” His eyes grew more mesmerizing and she nodded, aching to jump deep into anything he offered. He was tantalizing, intriguing, breathtaking, and she longed to make him happy.

  “I want to get away,” she whispered. A small voice in the depths of her conscience screamed at how horrible the idea was. It beat against her chest, begging her to stop…but she couldn't. All she could do was stare into Billy's beautiful eyes.

  “Of course you do. Any good mother would want to protect their child. You’re a good mother, aren't you, Sasha?” He kissed Onyx's head again, breathing deeply of her baby scent.

  She nodded like a puppet, the little voice deep inside finally silenced by her immense love for this vampire. She loved him more than she loved the air she breathed. Even though she couldn't figure out why she did, she just knew the absolute truth was that she did. Desperately. “Yes. Yes, Billy.”

  He touched her face, his cold fingers causing goose bumps to course down her skin. “Good girl. Pull your IV out and let's get away from that horrible man before he gets back and hurts you or your sweet baby.”

  “Yes…let's.” She gripped the needle in her arm and pulled quickly, wincing slightly at the pain. Sasha looked down in confusion as blood blossomed at the hole in her arm and the crimson ran down her skin. Billy took a slow breath and her gaze flicked back up to his face.

  “You smell delicious, love. May I taste you?” He smiled prettily, dimples popping up in his cheeks, and his eyes were wickedly hypnotic again. Sasha would have walked through the depths of hell for him at that moment.

  “Yes, please,” she whispered. She only registered pleasure as he placed the baby on the bed and leaned forward, his tongue lapping the scarlet trail from her skin. H
e pressed a kiss against her fluttering pulse.

  “It's true what they say. You taste better than anything I've ever known. Come with me, love. Let me save you from that horrible man.” She nodded again, scooping her daughter in her arms and smiled as he took her warm and pliable hand in his cold one and stepped to the door. “Love, be prepared, it will get very dark in just a moment and there will be lots of noise. Just follow me; I'll protect you.”

  She nodded, entranced under his spell. As he opened the door, all of the lights on the floor of the hospital went out and the hallways were cloaked in darkness. He pulled her along, moving quickly through the cacophony.

  She vaguely registered people yelling and moving quickly through the halls, but it didn't bother her one bit. She delighted in being protected by Billy, her beautiful, wonderful Billy. Soon, she found herself in a parking garage beside the hospital. Billy turned to her and smiled beautifully and her heart tripped in her chest. “When will we get there?”

  He stroked her cheek and she flushed. “Soon, love.” She found herself drowning in the ebony abyss of his eyes. He led her to a sleek black car. “Come on, love, I have a seat for the baby. Would you strap her in? We need to hurry.” He opened the door for her.

  “Yes, Billy, I'll strap her in.” She climbed in and placed her daughter in the car seat and fastened her tightly before getting in next to her. He closed the door and went to the front, climbing in and starting the car. He pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and into the late afternoon traffic. Sasha smiled as she touched her daughter's face. She’d never known such security.