My Beloved

by T.M. Mendes

  The soap she used smelled like jasmine and lavender. It was very relaxing and soothed her ever growing headache from everything she's going through. Releasing a comfort-filled sigh, she finished up and turned the heavenly water off before wrapping herself in a fluffy, soft, white towel that Anya had set out for her. She had to go commando much to her dislike since she refused to put on her old underwear and refused to borrow Anya's. Both options were more unappealing to her than not wearing any at all. Lucky for her the tank top had a built in bra that saved her from further dilemmas. Poking around the drawers, she found a hairbrush and quickly brushed her hair out so it wouldn't tangle painfully later.

  "Thank you," Wendy said quietly when she saw Anya sitting on a plush suede loveseat near the fire, reading a book.

  Anya looked up and offered a small smile. "It was no problem. Did you want to eat before they get here?" she asked, feeling peckish herself. Wendy nodded in reply, knowing the greasy fries from earlier did nothing to keep the hunger down now. She wouldn't be surprised if Anya could hear her growling stomach. "I'll make us some sandwiches. Sorry, I never did learn how to cook," Anya said sheepishly as she walked into an archway. Feeling curious, Wendy followed her and again was taken aback by the sheer grandiose of the room. Any chef in the world would be happy to cook in here with top of the line appliances and a stove-top that could feed an army.

  "So... vampires eat?" Wendy asked hesitantly as she claimed a bar stool, watching Anya poke about the cupboards. The Russian laughed and nodded. "Yes, although it does nothing to sustain them. Vampires do enjoy the taste. Although, Darcy can't stand seafood," Anya said the last as an afterthought. After a few minutes, Anya was done and placed a cold turkey sandwich in front of Wendy with an identical one of her own. They ate in comfortable silence for once, making Wendy wish it could stay that way, but not five minutes into their meal she could hear the door click open. Her heart began to beat a mile a minute before she heard the footsteps.

  "Relax, would you? They're not going to hurt you," Anya whispered even though they both knew the men in question could hear their every word.

  "Easy for you to say. You've been living with one for how many years?" Wendy questioned with some bite, the apprehension clouding her maners.

  "Too many," Darcy said as both he and Vincent stepped into the spacious kitchen. Wendy's eyes wouldn't leave Vincent's form. She felt strangely more at ease with him here and she mentally kicked herself from feeling that way. She was supposed to fear him, not want to go up and hug him!

  Vincent sent her a smile, making her grateful that she was sitting down, so she wouldn't make a fool of herself by falling from weak knees. "Nice shirt choice." His comment sent Wendy blushing again as Darcy laughed when he read it.

  "I thought you got rid of that horrid shirt?" Darcy commented at Anya.

  She shrugged and smirked. "It's a nice shirt," was all she said before hopping off the stool.

  Vincent strode over to Wendy in confidence that made all the guys back home in her school seem like mere boys. He held out his hand to her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked so politely and with such a smooth voice, Wendy had no choice but to nod her head in a daze and place her small feeble hand in his large warm one.

  He took her into a smaller room for some privacy. It reminded Wendy of a small study, but with high ceilings. "I want to apologize..." Vincent began and sighed. "It has been brought to my attention that I'm not handling you very well." He sat down on the small brown leather couch and patted the seat next to him for Wendy. Feeling shocked at his apology she sat down without a thought. "In my time most women would do as they were told, and I now understand that's not the way things are done here. It will take some getting used to, but I do want to compromise. I don't want you to fight against this anymore than you have to, so I'm willing to let you stay for the three months, but... I'm staying with you."

  This news brought Wendy up short. It seemed like she's speechless.

  "...How?" She trailed off, making Vincent chuckle and pick up her hand, absentmindedly playing with her small fingers.

  "You can thank Anya for that. Having a woman's perspective helps. I'm sorry I wasn't as perceptive as I should have been. But you need to understand how this is for me." He picked her up and set her against him. She noted he liked this position a lot... and reluctantly she admitted to herself she liked it as well.

  "Since you've found me, something has been awakened. I feel unnecessarily worried for you, although it does seem necessary, since you are so fragile. You are my everything, and I can't get enough of you. Not to mention the fact your blood is a constant blanket over the back of my mind. I need to feed twice as much just to be sure I am safe around you. My moods are up and down, why... it feels as though I just turned yesterday! You make everything to me new again."

  Wendy couldn't believe her ears. Did he really just say that?

  He brought her face up to his. "You are everything I need to live for," he whispered against her pale pink lips and kissed them softly. She melted against him, wanting nothing more than to be closer. Would it really be so bad to give in for a few minutes? That thought made Wendy throw her common sense out the window if only for a short while. Her arms wound themselves around his expansive shoulders as she pressed herself to him further, wanting and needing to get closer.

  Her fingers braided in his hair and she reveled in the softness of it. Her body felt alive and on fire as she felt his hands rub up and down her back sensually. She boldly took the first move as she traced his cupid's bow with her tongue. She could tell he was surprised but she thought if she was going to let go just in this moment, might as well do it thoroughly. They both moaned when they could taste each other as their tongues danced softly. Wendy froze for a moment when she felt his fangs. It was a weird sensation. They felt like ice with how cold they were.

  Continuing with the situation, she noted he had moved them so he was now hovered over her on the small couch. He broke off the kiss to give her time to breathe, which she was grateful for. Her breaths were coming in gasps as he nibbled on her chin and continued his toe-curling assault as he made it to her long, slender neck. He groaned when his tongue came out and tasted her pulse point.

  "Do it," she breathed, not really knowing what she was giving him permission to do. The high his lips have brought her was not letting her think clearly. Vincent, being equally affected, looked at her for a moment before letting his fangs pierce her flesh.

  She stiffened with the feeling that accompanied it. At first it was cold. So cold it burned as if you were touching dry ice. That only lasted a moment before her entire world flipped off its axis. She moaned almost embarrassingly loud as her eyes rolled back from the onslaught of everything she felt. If she thought she felt high before, this made it seem she was planted firmly on the ground. His hands gripped her hips roughly as he tried to get more.

  He could feel her blood leave her body, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she wanted more. Her nails dragged across his back as her lower stomach clenched. This was beyond anything she had ever felt or probably is ever going to feel. Wendy whimpered slightly when he stopped and looked at her. The sight before her should have scared her out of the room running but she was feeling too euphoric to care. In this moment, to her he looked downright... sexy.

  His hair was wild from her fingers running through it, and his normally bright blue eyes were nearly all black, giving him a dangerous air that was also sexual. His lips were stained red and glistening with her blood and she watched with fascination when his tongue came out and slowly licked the remains away. Bending down, he licked away the few drops of blood that threatened to escape his attention before sitting back up and dragging her with him.

  It was a few minutes before either of them regained normal breathing. After that was accomplished, Vincent stood up and carried her to another room. Wendy was a little light headed from the blood loss and what happened so she didn't really protest. She felt him place her on a soft
bed before covering her up. He kissed her forehead before climbing in next to her. In some corner of her mind she wanted to ask why he was lying with her if he had already slept but was too tired to ask.

  "Goodnight, my little Firefly," he murmured, kissing her hair and holding her against him so her head was on his chest.

  Wendy sleepily closed her eyes with a big yawn and decided she'd beat herself up about this tomorrow morning. Right now she was beyond tired and wanted to thoroughly enjoy Vincent's embrace. "Good night, Vince..." She trailed off into a deep slumber.

  Chapter 8

  Vincent

  His hands caressed her side profile with his fingers, paying extra light attention to her cheeks that were still flushed. Vincent closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of being so satisfied from his thirst. He was sure though, it could cost him. He had been lost in the lust-filled haze just as much as his Firefly was, causing him to think unclearly and drink from her, knowing she wasn't ready.

  It was going to be even harder to stay away from her now that he had had a taste. He nearly groaned out loud remembering the sweetness of it. How it coated his tongue and swirled his senses into a frenzy. She was perfect for him in every way. Although he was so much taller than her, he adored her small stature. Feeling more energized than he has in days from the blood, he couldn't sit still any longer. Pressing a loving kiss to her forehead, he slipped out of the room.

  "Do I need to get new sheets?" Darcy asked with a wry grin, but it faded when he saw blood on the corner of his mouth that Vincent missed. Darcy stood up with apprehension. "Please tell me you didn't. Vince! You know she's not ready for what the bite will bring!"

  Vincent let out a frustrated growl and hung his head. "I know! We both got carried away! I was a goner as soon as she asked for it."

  Anya, who was sitting by this entire time, shook her head sadly.

  "You know she's going to hate you for a while. Once she realizes what this means... just be prepared for the cold shoulder." Without another word Anya stood up to go check on Wendy.

  Vincent hissed at himself and punched the nearby wall. Luckily, Darcy had this place built with titanium steel just for this purpose, when a vampire gets a little too angry. "What am I going to do? If I could take it back I would!" Vincent said with his hands up in defeated frustration.

  Darcy blew out a big breath and sat next to his old friend. "The best thing to do is tell her what's going to happen when she wakes up. The sooner you get it done with, the sooner she'll get over it."

  That made sense, but Vincent was still dreading it. Even back in his days, you were to always tread carefully from a woman's wrath, and he had no doubt his little Firefly will be a big, fire-breathing dragon once she finds out.

  "On the bright side, you won't be so thirsty for a while!" Darcy tried to cheer his brother up. He couldn't fully understand what this will mean to Vincent's relationship with his Beloved, because his own Beloved died before he even knew her. That was years ago, right after he was turned and was still dealing with the loss of his family. He never had to know the fear of losing one. Although he knew pain, he had seen the torture a vampire goes through if he or she loses their Beloved by choice or death. It isn't pretty.

  Vincent glowered at the floor and wished time moved slower so his Firefly would continue in an oblivious sleep. "I would rather have the burning thirst for the rest of my days than have the look of betrayal on her face that I know will come." Vincent placed his head in his palms and shook it, feeling like a weak human. He should've had more restraint!

  Darcy sighed at his sorrow-filled friend and was briefly thankful he wasn't in his shoes. "You can't go back and undo it, Vince. Might as well face the facts and deal with it," Darcy spoke as he stood and went to the fridge for a blood bag. Vincent eyed it with confusion.

  "Those are useful," he commented, thinking of how efficient this world has become yet again. These would save the hassle of going out so often to feed without the risk. Although the darker part of him enjoyed the hunt. Darcy made a face but sucked on the bag anyhow like a Capri-Sun from the tube at the top. "Trust me, it isn't that good as it is straight from the vein." He sat on the nearby bar stool, the same one Wendy sat at just a little while ago.

  "Then why do you drink it?" Vincent asked, glad to take his mind off the troubling subject. Although the thinking was not completely shut off, it wasn't his focus right now.

  His friend shrugged with a lazy grin. "I'm bored. Anya gets mad because I drink when I'm bored, emotional, or just for the hell of it. If she eats the way I drink, she'll get fat. Her words, not mine. Personally I think women nowadays need a little meat on their bones. You should see the 'models' they have now! They're all but twigs! That is what they call 'beautiful', showing off their rib cages. Remember back when curves were something to look for and have something to... hold on to? Those were the good ole days." Darcy gazed off into nothing thinking about the earlier days.

  Back then women were encouraged to have a kind of curviness about them. Famous paintings all around the world and sculptures have shown that beauty then was a woman who was full-figured. It was strange for Vincent to look at the people on the street and see so many were all but starving themselves just to have that 'model look' as Darcy had put it. It was why so many women would wear those lung-squeezing corsets! They wanted to look curvier! Vincent shook his head again in exasperation. It never did matter to him what size a woman was. Of course he never really looked for a female companion for most of his life. He's bedded some in his years before he was cursed to that grave, but they were all too willing.

  "Darcy, I'm headed to the store real quick. Oh and Vincent…?" Anya spoke, walking to the steel door.

  Vincent's head snapped up in response. "Yes?" he answered warily when he saw the mischievous look in her eyes.

  "Your little Wendy is awake." She winked and walked out whistling.

  Darcy chuckled at her antics and stood up with the half consumed blood bag. "Good luck, ole chap!" he said, sauntering out of the room.

  Taking a deep breath, Vincent walked slowly to her door. He knocked and waited for her reply. When he heard the soft 'come in,' he opened the door.

  His apprehension melted away when he saw the lovely blush that graced her cheeks as she tried not to look at him but failed. "I think we need to talk." His voice made her shiver and thinking she was cold again he flitted to her side and raised the blankets so she was covered.

  "Y-Yes, I think we should too... that... can't happen again. I don't know what got into me, but... I'm not a slut. I-I just don't know you well enough yet and-"

  He cut her off with a tired sigh and took her hand. "I know, and I'm so sorry, but it has to happen again."

  This sent a startled yet angry look on her face. "No, it doesn't! I think I should have a say over my body!"

  He could tell her anger was building and rightly so. He cupped her face making her eyes soften just a fraction. She was slowly warming up to him. Well that was going to go away after he told her, Vincent thought grimly. "I'm not saying you have to because I want it to happen. I'm saying you have to because you'll be in pain if you don't let me bite you... and eventually die." His voice shook with an overwhelming sense of emotion from even saying it would hurt her and kill her. Just the split second thought made his undead heart squeeze painfully.

  She ripped her face out of his grasp and looked panicked. "W-What the hell are you talking about?!" She was shutting herself off to him, he could see it and it tore at his soul.

  "When a vampire meets his or her Beloved, it forms an immediate bond. It isn't strong at first until a first blood tasting. That happened while you unburied me. There was a reason you were drawn to my old home where I was in my coffin. You felt a pull there which was how you found it, but when that drop of blood was tasted from you, it awoken me and caused our bond to be ever stronger." He spoke while tracing nonsense patterns on the inside of her wrist.

  He continued. "To strengthen the tie even more, the
vampire must bite the Beloved, which was what happened earlier. But because of that, you're body has now become addicted to my bite. If you go so long without it, it will cause you extreme pain. It's your body's way of telling you of wanting to be turned. My bite will alleviate the pain, but only for so long. If you go too long without being turned, your body will shut down, and you will die." He looked pained at her. "Wendy, I'm so sorry! We were both thinking unclearly and I couldn't stop-"

  She cut him off. "How long before the pain starts? And how long before my body will shut down?" Her voice was emotionless and that worried him. She removed her hands from his grip and looked at the comforter.

  "The pain should start by tomorrow night." He saw her wince. "It will only increase until I bite you again, then it will continue to happen more frequently as time goes on. The longest I've ever heard of someone going without the turning process is two months. After that they seem to wither away." It was quiet for a few moments before she stood up and turned her back to him.

  "Get out." Her voice was only above a whisper and it broke him to hear the pain in it. He raised his hand to touch her shoulder but she moved out of his reach. "Get. Out." Now she sounded angrier, and knowing she needed time for herself, he sighed and flitted out of the room quickly.

  Once out, he paused and heard her start to cry. Gritting his teeth, he raced to a room far down the way and began to break furniture and tables. Darcy came to the room looking alarmed until he saw what was going on. Knowing there was nothing he could do with the state his friend was in, he leaned against the door way and watched Vincent destroy the sitting room. A wooden chair flew by his face, making him duck. Sighing loudly, he pulled out his phone.