by T. J. Quinn
“I have heard stories of how brutal the alien wars were. Thank you for your service.”
Bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment of the age-old ritual of thanking soldiers for their service, he continued speaking. “Once the freedom of earth was won, we had the luxury of feeding for pleasure. I think that my history of living on the ships, feeling conflict about feeding from other creatures and being unsure about how others felt about feeding me has always made me think synthetic blood is a more appropriate option. I don’t have to worry about keeping up with emotional women.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So, you don’t like emotional women? If a woman has no emotions how is it that she is supposed to love you?”
His eyes slid away. “Honestly, I don’t think a woman ever has.”
Dakota was all kinds of skeptical about that. “I think that maybe you don’t open yourself to the opportunity to love very often or you might have a different tale to tell.”
His voice became light and playful. “I am growing worried that sharing such things will not make me more attractive in your eyes.”
She leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. She ran her fingers through his hair and down the side of his face before speaking. “Do you know humans believe that enduring hardship builds character and makes you a better person?”
“No, I have never heard of that, but I can see where you are going with that concept. You think that because I endured hardship on the ships and during the wars it has made me stronger and more resilient?”
She smiled as he traced one finger along her jawline and he murmured, “Humans are sometimes very perceptive about such things.”
“We are perceptive about many things. So, were you shocked that humans already knew of vampires before you arrived?”
He laughed lightly. “We guessed that at some point in human evolution vampires must have landed here because you even had a concept of us. Although your perception of us was not very accurate, at least it gave us a starting point in talking about ourselves and our needs. A lot of what we were told was absolute nonsense. We were told everything from the sunlight would kill us to you have to drive a wooden stake through our heart to kill us to we couldn’t cast a reflection. We were even told by some humans that if we bit someone, then they would become vampires. We were amused that humans thought getting bit could change your species. People told us we could turn into small flying creatures and fly away…what were they called…oh yes, bats. That was bizarre because we are normally likened to a leach of some sort. Some even told us that we were not alive…that we were the walking dead. In fact, we were told some very disrespectful things in the beginning.”
Dakota could hear a mixture of amusement, sadness, and pain in his voice.
She held his hand in hers and explained gently. “Well, vampire physiology is substantially different from human physiology. For example, vampires have a lower natural body temperature and do not necessarily require oxygen to breathe. That coupled with your exceptionally long life spans probably led primitive humans to believe that you were not of the living. Driving anything through your heart would actually kill you or me for that matter. Also, vampires are stronger and faster than humans. Especially when you are in your bloodlust…you could probably lift a car. All of that is impressive to humans. Humans were confused because when your kind first came off the ships, you did not speak our language, were very aloof and were not very receptive to feeding from humans. I think those things were off-putting to the humans who were trying to welcome you and lead to a lot of misconceptions.”
“Well, when I first came off the ship I didn’t know if our kind would be welcome here or not. Most worlds are suspicious of us because we subsist on blood. They see us as parasites and seem to think that we have no feelings to hurt so being rude to us is somehow acceptable. If someone is disrespectful to me, it makes me want to avoid feeding from them no matter how hungry I am. I can go days without feeding and even get by on animal blood indefinitely if I must. Now that we have the option of synthetic blood there is really no reason to generate such animosity overfeeding.”
Dakota pointed out, “Then there was the issue that many of you seemed to resemble the Kalian in appearance. Your kind did not seem to like to take human mates, and that made us feel that vampires did not like humans very much. We couldn’t figure out what we were doing that was off-putting to your kind. It was very confusing for us.”
Alek smiled and explained, “Vampires tend to take on faint physical characteristics of whatever creatures we feed from. The Kalian are a compassionate people and were the most accommodating about feeding us on the ships, so naturally, after many years, we appeared to have some Kalian traits. Personally, I prefer to look more human because it more closely resembles my natural state. Synthetic blood was designed to have human genetic markers, so naturally, after feeding on it for a number years, I appear more human.”
He seemed thoughtful and continued, “Regarding our willingness to take human mates please know that most other alien species are very protective of their females, the females were usually terrified of us, and we were therefore not welcome to mate with them. I would have never imagined in a million years that human females would take such a liking to vampire males. Trust me when I say that is totally unprecedented. I have never encountered a world where the females were so open and loving to our kind. Earth is absolutely unique in that regard.”
“That was kind of your own fault for being so attractive and sexy.”
Alek shook his head in amazement, before responding. “Trust me vampires have never been accused of being attractive until we came here. I was suspicious for a long time when human females got close to me they were more interested in harming me rather than feeding or having sex with me.”
“That is totally unbelievable to me.”
Alek continued, “Your speech was difficult to understand, and that contributed to a lot of misunderstandings until we developed translation software that assisted us in learning your language. I really think that if it were not for the alien overlords threatening Earth and our agreement to join forces with the humans, our reception might have not been quite so warm. I think your kind was compassionate toward us because we had been held in captivity and enslaved for so very long. By some miracle of fate, the humans were willing to give us a chance. Thank goodness most vampires were good about keeping their word to the humans.”
“I heard that every soldier wanted a vampire partner during the alien wars.”
“I was always impressed by the humans fighting ability. We may be stronger and faster, but the humans were tenacious and could develop and execute a plan of attack better than any alien ever dreamed. The humans taught us to fight in unison and never thought of us as expendable. I remember how shocking it was to realize my human fighting companions had my back in battle. Trust me when I say few people in my life up to that point cared anything about my safety. Their concern made me feel valued. I lost many friends both alien and human before the war was won. It made me reluctant to get close to others for a while.”
Dakota said, “I have read that human fighters were very keen to have vampire partners because having a partner who was strong, fast, with super sharp senses enhanced their chances of survival dramatically. Also, there were few wounds that did not heal rapidly with a topical application of vampire saliva.”
Alek smiled, shook his head. “So much of the story of our landing seems ludicrous now…alien overlords…saliva on wounds. It sounds positively barbaric. However, it is all true.”
“You know, I was surprised that there was not more resistance to humans and vampires mating. I think that because humans lost so many men in the alien wars that vampire males were very welcomed to fill the void. Also, vampire men are hot and sexy. I think many human females would have mated with them no matter the backlash. Why is it you seemed to have so few vampire females in your ships?”
“Unfortunately, their survival rate was low because they were
nowhere near as strong as the males.”
Dakota looked sympathetic. “I suppose no vampire male would want to mate with a human female if they had a vampire female to choose instead.”
He was shaking his head before she even finished the sentence. “I think most would want a human female even if there were a choice. We love human females for the same reasons other aliens do. Human females are warm, soft, sensual, open and loving. Feeding issues aside, human and mixed heritage females are preferred mating partners for many alien species because the mating is such a sensual experience. After being on earth for fifty years, the gold standard in pair bonding for our kind has become to choose someone to mate with who can also be our preferred feeding partner. This is now considered very romantic among our kind because it is such a novel concept to us. What most people don’t realize is vampires pose no real threat to any civilization because given the option we would simply breed ourselves into extinction at every opportunity. In fact, that may be what happened to the vampires who came here early in earth history. I would definitely prefer a human female over a vampire female because humans are so warm and loving. I guess I am hopeless romantic as well.”
Dakota tilted her head slightly. “If that is the case then why do not pursue human females more diligently. You are extremely attractive and could probably have just about any woman you want.”
He thought for a moment and then replied “You are intelligent to point out the biggest contradiction in my life. Perhaps it’s because I am socially awkward and never quite sure how to approach women. It is clear to me that I am not very interesting, and no woman would probably want to stay with me for long. Also, I don’t want to get attached to someone my girls will not feel comfortable being around. When you have children, it just seems better not to have women coming and going. I don’t want them to be hurt or keep getting attached to women who end up leaving me.”
“Do you mind if I asked about Selene and Arianna’s mother. I don’t sense any human heritage in them, so I’m thinking their mother was a vampire.”
“After the wars, I never gave a thought to females in general and just worked on building my business. I was introduced to a vampire female many years later, and we mated. She conceived Arianna but was not interested in being a mother or my mate. Her relationship with me was never exclusive. I think that perhaps she just enjoyed my lovemaking skills.”
Dakota smiled and replied boldly. “Honestly, who wouldn’t?”
He smiled shyly and continued. “I agreed to take the child to raise, and she agreed that would be best. I have seen her several times off and on throughout the years. We mated about once every couple of years. I was hoping to have another sibling for Arianna. On one occasion about sixteen and a half years ago we mated, and she did end up with child. Again, she was not interested in being a mother or my mate, so I took the child. I have not seen her since I brought Selene home because I am not interested in having more children with her and our attachment to one another was not that strong.”
“I’m glad you ended up with children. I think you have a lot to offer in that area.”
“I love my daughters, and as you have already discovered, I do not seek the company of women. I go for my massage once a week. If I am having problems managing my sexual frustration, I go more often. I have been up to five times a week at times. My masseuse is very accommodating, but we have a strict understanding. It is massage only…with well, you know.”
Dakota smiled and said, “What you are trying to say is that you don’t have a relationship. You don’t kiss. You don’t touch her. And she only uses her hands.”
He looked self-conscious, and eyes darted away. “You have a polite way of saying everything Dakota. It is one of the many qualities that attracted me to you. Spending time with you has made me begin to long for things I never gave much thought to before.”
Dakota beamed as she felt the love multiplying in her chest for him. “So how long did it take before you began to really feel at home on earth?”
Alek smiled back uncomfortably and shrugged. “Still waiting for that I’m afraid. This feels too good to be true. I worry any moment that they’ll round us all up and try to get rid of us.”
“You know our population would riot in the streets if the governments tried to pull something like that.”
“I think you may right, but I have lived a long time and seen many truly bizarre and unpredictable things come to pass. Though the logical side of my brain tells me tragedies are rare, the emotional side of my brain knows there is no rhyme or reason when it does.”
Dakota leaned forward, kissed him again. “Thank you for sharing so much about yourself with me tonight. I can tell it is difficult for you to speak of such things but it helps me know you on the inside. I really appreciate your honesty.”
He smiled slightly and responded, “You will have to forgive the babbling of fools and madmen.”
She liked it when he quoted famous passages of literature. She smiled and explained, “Sometimes I think that human men are not very interesting. I assimilate a lot of information in a day, and most humans just can’t keep up. I suppose vampires have lived longer, seem to be more educated and more well-read. They seem to have more character, and it is simply more entertaining for me to spend time in the company of vampires.”
He looked disappointed and stated teasingly. “I was hoping that you somehow just liked cold-blooded men.”
She smiled, ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him with a growing passion. “You got the last comment was 100% accurate, handsome.”
“I like this public place that gives us just enough privacy to spend time together without letting things go too far.”
Waggling her eyebrows, she responded tartly. “I don’t.”
He looked at her for a brief moment. “So, do you ever actually eat food? Why do I never see you eat?”
“Except when you were sick why is it I have never seen you really feeding?”
He seemed to get irritated. “You know why that is. Feeding is private for vampires. Humans eat all the time, morning, noon and night around just everyone. Why are you evading my question?”
She held up one hand. “I wasn’t trying to irritate you. The reason I don’t eat around you is that most vampires find humans food a little repulsive. Why would I intentionally do something off-putting in front of a gorgeous guy?”
He looked at her for a long hard moment, as if he were trying to judge the honesty of her words.
Her voice softened, and she elaborated. “Besides, I don’t get to see you often. I want us to spend time talking and being together in a meaningful way, not eating. Eating is boring, this is exciting. It really is that simple.”
“It’s nice of you to try to accommodate my needs and desires, but I don’t wish to see you go hungry for the privilege.”
“I’m not sure why, but I’ve never placed a high priority on eating. It’s not enjoyable for me. I know that makes me strange.”
Chapter 5
Overnight
~ Dakota ~
Glancing at his watch, Alek murmured. “I should be getting home. I am sure my oldest daughter is waiting up for me with some choice words.”
“I don’t envy you being forced to talk about pleasure feeding with your adult daughter.” Gathering her things, Dakota walked with him to his limo.
As soon as they were inside and the door shut, he turned to her, pulled her into his arms again. Dakota pulled him down for a kiss, which got away from them fast. She turned, pulled her dress up slightly and straddled his lap without breaking the kiss. Running her hands up his chest, she wrapped them around his neck before sifting her fingers tenderly through his hair.
He pulled her closer, and she could feel his bulge growing beneath her. They stayed entwined in a lover’s embrace, kissing all the way home. She got the strong impression that he left the bar specifically to have her to himself. She smiled to herself and thought he was reading her mind.
Bei
ng touched by him was such sweet ecstasy. His touch was firm, his lips demanding and he was wholly dedicated to his lovemaking with her. No matter how much he touched her, her body still ached for more. She realized his limo driver was probably getting an eyeful. He must have realized the same thing because he hit the button to close the window between the compartments. His touch put fire in the veins, and before long her body was in full riot for him.
When the vehicle eventually stopped, they both looked up and were shocked to find that they were at his house and not her house. He cursed under his breath, seemed irritated and said, “Sorry, I forgot to tell my limo driver to take you home. I guess I was a little preoccupied with having my way with you.”
She looked at him, and he could tell she was trying to figure out if he was honest or not.
He reached for the button to lower the window and she stopped his hand. He looked confused and asked, “Would you like to come in for a moment? I promise I will see you home safely.”
“No, I would not like that.”
She could tell by the expression on his face she had hurt his feelings. She tilted his face up to hers and explained, “Remember when we talked on the phone that night you walked out on me.”
He looked embarrassed, clearly remembering her telling him that she wanted to be naked in his arms with his fangs in her neck. He nodded his head in affirmation.
She slowly unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, ran her hands over his bare chest. “I want tonight the exact same thing from you that I wanted that night.”
He looked away, and she could tell he was briefly thinking of her request. Before she could formulate another sentence, he had her in his arms kissing her with such passion she lost the will to wonder about his response.
His driver opened the door. He slid out of the limo, she stepped out, and he drew her into his arms. She could tell her face was pink from being in his arms. The smug look on his face made her think that it thrilled him to see evidence of how much she liked his touch. Walking her into his home, he took her directly to his bedroom. Thank heavens everyone was asleep. She was already acquainted with the fact that a vampire bed was substantially different from a human bed. She remembered the bed from her investigation, it was quite beautiful. It was huge, carved of wood, had a large canopy.