by Londyn Lenz
“Yea they change colors. I swear you sound familiar.” She arched her left eyebrow.
“Sound? I’ve never been told I sound familiar but like I said. I would definitely remember you.” If I couldn’t place her and she couldn’t remember me then why the hell was I drawn to her like this? Her skin was a milk chocolate complexion. Brown small eyes and her hair was black with some up and some down. I scanned her entire face once again and still nothing. I wasn’t the only one who felt something because now she was scanning my face.
“Yea, I guess I’m having a Deja vu moment or something. Can I get these three in a size fifty-two please?” Her brown eyes met mine and she smiled. Taking the clothes from my hands.
“Sure, I’ll get a dressing room ready for you too.”
“Thank you so much, I appreciate that Alicia.” We were talking but our eyes never broke apart. Until she went to go get my sizes and the fitting room ready for me. As soon as I get in there, I had to sit down for a minute to take my feelings in. I would never cheat on Faye, I loved her so much that our hearts literally connected. I hated having these heightened senses sometimes because it drives me crazy. Alicia’s voice was stuck in my ears and I didn’t know why. This was all too much so I hauled ass out of the mall and to the parking garage.
I felt like someone was spinning me in circles faster and faster. My brain felt like it was rattling in my head. As if on queue I heard some giggling coming from the elevator. Some woman on the phone holding a shopping bag not even paying attention to her surroundings. Human blood, fresh from the vein was what I needed. I got out my car and started following her without being seen. Her blood was healthy and I could smell it from the short distance.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
This loud ass Jaguar car alarm went off when I lightly brushed against it. The sound alarmed her and made her look around and speed walk to her car. That wasn’t about to stop me, I used my vamp speed and was in front of her in a flash. Startling her again, she dropped her phone and shopping bag. The loud alarm made a security guard step off the elevator. I put my hand over her mouth we ducked out of sight. My speed made her panic but my strength was beyond any kind a human had so she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Stop fighting.” I whispered in her ear and eventually she stopped when she realized it was pointless. The car stopped and security looked around some more. Seeing nothing he went inside this room and closed the door. I moved in front of my meal and once I had her eyes with mine, I was connected to her and she was in my control. Demanding a human was a muthafucka.
“Calm down, don’t be scared of me.” I looked her up and down and she was a cutie. You see the thing about choosing a meal is lust. Everything was filled with lust, desire and connection. If me or Andreas bite men, believe me it was for a kill. Women allured us in and if the blood smelled right, it was on. I’d be lying if I said I have never killed while drinking form a woman because in my no humanity days, I was a beast. But now, it was for a filling and nothing more. I wasn’t an infant, I had control. That’s why Faye didn’t mind me drinking from a woman, she knew it was all lust for the blood.
“Relax and tell me your name?” I leaned against the steel rail and her body along with her face became chill. I liked to know a little about the vessel from time to time. It was a cold autumn evening, I had on some jeans and a Gucci sweater that fitted my hard form chest. Vampires never got cold; it was part of the wolf we had in us. So no matter the temperature, a coat was never needed unless we wanted to wear it.
“Nicole.” I was a fine brotha so her looking at me like she wanted me to take her right where we stood was funny.
“Take off your jacket.” My deep voice made her heart jump. I could hear it while she did what I said. The blouse she had on wasn’t buttoned up all the way so her neck was out. My breathing picked up and I licked my lips. Her slim body made her veins noticeable and the way her blood flowed through them was sensational.
“I like what I see Nicole. Unbutton that blouse and let’s see that lace bra some more.” Her smirk was cute as she did it and my speed pulled me close to her face.
“Aht aht, you won’t scream.” I turned into the monster I was and her eyes grew large but she didn’t scream. “Just let me drink.” Immediately after my fangs were in her neck. Her small hands gripped my arms so tight.
The liquid gold going down my throat was making me so high. My smokers out there know what I mean. That good blunt, rolled perfect and that high hit instantly from the pull. Well our shit was ten times that and my body felt like it was losing gravity. Once I was done two trails of blood slid down, I caught it with my tongue because we didn’t need a mess. Now, if I wanted to turn her I’d give her my blood and kill her. But instead I looked at her weak body and licked the last drop from my lips.
“Nicole I must say, you taste better then I imagined.” I bit my wrist and used my index finger to dap some of my blood on it. Rubbing that same finger on the two puncture marks from my bite on her neck. They disappeared and it was as good as new.
“Now, button your blouse back up and put your coat back on. Once we get back to your phone and bag you dropped. You are going to walk to your car and forget all about this. Your last memory will be you getting off the elevator from having a good day shopping.”
Nodding her head in agreement I took her back to pick up her stuff. Then she walked away like I said. I saw her start her car then she put her Bluetooth on car speaker. Whoever she was talking to had her laughing as she pulled off out the parking garage. As good as she was and as high as her blood made me, I still couldn’t shake that Alicia woman from my mind.
Andreas
“Andreas don’t piss me off.” I laughed at my beauty because her eyes did that hard squint when she was mad.
“You have to learn control and this seems to be the only way that you learn.”
“I’m ok now baby, me and Faye have interviews for our new store on Wednesday. Those will be all humans, I can contain myself.” I arched my eyebrow at her.
“In all areas? Anger, hunger most of all lust.” I was getting myself in my feelings but I knew not to trip. Bella was an infant vampire and still learning how to deal with her control.
But oh my damn I felt like I was learning it to. No matter if a person is single or not, the eyes still wonder and look at a fine piece of ass that walks by them. Hell, I know I do. But I learned my first year being a vampire how to have human like senses and feelings. My woman hasn’t mastered that yet and it burned me seeing her pine after another man. There was no sex involved her desire for male blood was high. Like soaking a wild animal in a bath of pheromones. It drove me bat shit crazy.
“Yes, in all areas.” Lying through her pretty ass teeth.
“Ok well let’s put it to the test.” Folding her arms she rolled her eyes as we both watched the woman come out of Starbucks. There were many of people inside but her blood stood out. Sweet, clean and well taken care of. Me and Annabella were on the side of the store which was perfect because the girl car was parked there.
“Let me help you with that.” She was struggling to hold her drink, purse, phone and get her keys out. When she saw me I knew she was taken back by my appearance. Women have always did that as of they never saw a black put together man before. But I knew it was more to it than my looks, vampire swag I called it.
“Oh, thank you so much.” I grabbed her coffee from her hand and turned the key to her door so she could open it. Sitting her purse down and her phone she went to get her coffee from me but was met with my eyes instead. Locked in contact, I had her.
“Follow me.” With a hypnotize mind she followed me to the back of the Starbucks where Bella was.
“This is a waste of time Andreas.” I looked at her smirking. Rolling her eyes and folding her arms again I quickly took in how perfect my beauty was. The alluring confidence we had as vampires looked amazing on her
I loved how the earthiness she had mixed with her new sexy style. Like what she had
on today. Some ankle boots with a long spaghetti strap dress that had a high slit on the side. Reminded me of the 90s but it was so sexy on her. That black curly hair stopped at her shoulders and those goldish eyes with full lips were my life. I turned to look at the young woman. She leaned against the brick wall next to Bella. I put my hand flat on the side of her making us nose to nose. Her head slowly turned to Bella.
“Eyes on me.” I said and because I still had her in my demand control she did what I said.
“You good love, don’t be scared she won’t bite.” The smell of her blood was becoming stronger making me lick my lips and get closer to her for a smell. Closing my eyes I put my lips to her exposed neck. Human women made me laugh still trying to be cute in below zero weather. She had a shirt on under a quilt like cardigan.
“Can I taste you love?” I asked her and she licked her lips nodding her head slowly yes.
“Ok Andreas you can stop now.” I looked at Bella smiling as I felt my eyes change and fangs popped out. I saw it in her face how mad she was getting. But she needed to learn how to control her anger.
“It’s not up to you.” I said to her then looked back at the pretty woman in front of me. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No.” Her soft voice whispered, and she rubbed her hand slowly down her neck to her breasts.
“Andreas I swear to God---”
“Shhhh, I’m trying to eat.” I changed all the way and bit in the warm flesh. Her moan was as if I was fucking her deep and long. It’s a seductive moment being bit by one of us. I knew one her hand went in my hair Bella was about to react. Like I knew as soon as it did Bella used her newly given strength and yanked me off her. Crazy how big I was but her little hand threw me into the brick wall. It didn’t cause a scratch on me, but I laughed because she didn’t know her own muscle.
“I told you to STOP!” Getting up and looking at her fully turned made the woman snap out my demand and get scared. I used my vamp speed to demand her and tell her to calm down before she could scream. Bella was just as fast and pushed my ass back against the brick wall and demanded the girl herself.
“Get the fuck on and forget what happened.” In a second she bit her wrist and wiped her blood on the girl neck. The woman walked off afterwards towards her car. I finally stood up laughing.
“Yo’ ass ain’t ready—”
WHAP! Got damn crazy woman hit me in my jaw like we were in some fucking country music video. Then she transformed into a wolf, her color was black and white with a fluffy curly tail. Those eyes were the same and she was heated. It was cool because I turned into the black alpha wolf I was. I would never hurt my beauty, but she had me fucked up and needed to control her anger.
Grrrrr! Grrrr! We were going at it and although I was holding back, I wasn’t holding back. Call us kinky but we did this shit at least twice a week. Bella was so emotional it was like a pregnant woman who was on her period every day. Still, I loved her and couldn’t get enough…… Ah shit this damn bitch bit me. I mean, not bitch but…. Naw fuck that, the bitch bit me. I grew another size and rammed her in the steel garbage cans. That canine cry hollered out and she took off like a thief in the night. I knew where she was going and I let her go, her little ass needed to cool off and so did I.
“Damn unc, Bella Ike’d you again?” I walked in door of our enormous mansion. We had a dog entrance in the front and back of the house. I growled at him then turned human.
“I swear if I didn’t love that girl.” I said to Duke and he started laughing and following me to the kitchen. The wolf part in us made us live like a pack under one roof. It was like two homes collided into one. The left side was me and Bella and the right side was Duke and Faye. Two full kitchens, five bedrooms and six bathrooms on each side.
Massive backyard and triple the basement space. Me and Duke brought this home in 1923 and kept it up no matter where we decided to travel to. We owned a house in just about every state and multiple countries. There was nothing this world had that we couldn’t get a hold of. Taking out a bottle of Dusse cognac I downed me two shots, another good thing of being a vampire was we didn’t get drunk. I mean the alcohol tasted the same going down but it didn’t stick once swallowed.
“Y’all get into it all the damn time. I told you to just let her behave naturally like I do Faye. The both of them are good people. They are not going to want to live the life of a true monster. The guilt will hurt them beyond anything.”
“I know and that’s what I don’t want. I can’t stand to see her hurt so I’m trying to teach her control.” I told him while taking another shot.
“How’s that working out for you?” He laughed and I wanted to knock his laugh out his chest. But instead I just gave him the middle finger and laughed it off too.
“Remember how you did me when I turned? You let me be free and do what came natural. How long before I realized the damage I had done? I sat in my room for weeks wrapped up in guilt. It’s tough love unc, I know you wanna protect her.
Believe me, it was hard as fuck when I had to let Faye go. But it had to be done, you can’t force it any other way.” I hate to admit it but he was right. Annabella needed to see all the sides of being a vampire, dark shit and all. I had to fall back no matter how hard she fell. All those emotions, the seductive and lustful feelings she would have. I just had to let her act on them, it was hurting my heart to even think of it but it had to be done.
“When you get so damn smart?” I asked Duke jokingly. He did a low cackle and answered.
“From you.” I went and grabbed another shot glass and poured him some. Ever since Bella’s mom revealed to me that Duke was my son. I have cherished our bond even more than before. This whole time I thought my son was dead, he’s been with me. I wanted to tell him so bad that I was his father. But I didn’t want him to take off or for him to think I didn’t protect him and his mama better. Duke just thought I was the guy who saved him from dying back in the 1800s. I don’t know how he will take finding out about the curse, Robin true identity and even Bella’s mom involvement. I didn’t want to risk it.
“You ready for Thursday, you know I’m letting you handle it on your own?” I asked him referring to the second opening of Spoken night club. I loved the pub feel of a club mixed with a smoky café and jazz lounge. Very intimate, sexy and personal. We had open mic night, regular live acts, poetry reading and different events depending on the time of the year. VIP status and very exclusive. You all know how I love to dress up so you know my place had a dress code. Come in your best for the best I believed it especially with the food. Spoken had the best soul food in the city.
“Yea I’m ready, now that me and Faye graduated I’m ready to do something else with my time. I asked her if she wanted to travel but she wants more time with her and Bella’s business. I’m ready to see a sexy girl on a guitar or piano.” We both laughed when he said that.
“Faye gon’ kick yo’ ass if she hearing you say that.”
“We confident in our shit.”
“Haaaaa! So you telling me you don’t mind if Faye bites males?” I leaned against the sink eating a handful of grapes waiting on him to answer. Duke set on stool and his expression told me he was about to lie.
“I mean I told you I let her do what’s natural.” That made me laugh hard as hell.
“Get the fuck out of here. I raised you boy, I know when you full of bullshit. It pours out of your ears.” He threw his head back a little cracking up.
“I mean what I…… As long as I don’t know….. I mean I don’t---” I started mocking him by stuttering like he was.
“Shut up son, just shut up.” We shared a laugh and took another shot.
“You getting old on me unc?” I looked at him taken back.
“What the hell you talking about?”
“You been calling me son lately. Either you are getting old or you been in New York soaking up their slang.” He joked and I laughed it off. I had been calling him son lately and it wasn’t on purpose. It w
ould just come out, sometimes I would notice it. Other times it felt so natural that I didn’t. I wasn’t ready to tell him the truth yet and I don’t ever think I will be. I was thankful the front door opened and Faye walked in. The look on her face made me knew her tiny ass was about to come at me as if she was a sista. Her smile was big when she embraced Duke. Then she looked at me.
“Andreas.” I tried not to laugh while I continued eating grapes.
“Faye. Where’s your girl?” Duke was laughing with his arms around Faye waist while she set on his lap.
“On a date with another vampire.” I gave her a closed mouth smile and nodded my head. “He’s sexier than you and probably breaking her back in right now.” I laughed out loud then.
“So you think I’m sexy?” We both laughed and Duke cracked me up harder when he got annoyed. I kicked it with them for a minute before we went to our parts of the house. I decided to go outside in the backyard.
One of my favorite things about all the acres we owned was the steep heel. It overlooked all the other mansions and their backyard. But most importantly it gave you a view of the clear sky. I stepped through the slide doors and the cool air hit me. I transformed back into a wolf and walked the entire acre till I got to the top of the hill. Before I met Annabella, I used to have so much heavy weight on my heart. My wife, our son, Robin and how she cursed me with this slave to the sun.
How she set it up to kill my family just to get me to herself. I smothered in grief and guilt, until I met Annabella. It was like she pieced together a life and closure. Aside from finding out Duke was my son, I spoke to my wife Linda. All because I bumped into the beautiful Annabella Stacks, my Bella Beauty. Robin went down swinging and it hurt me that Bella’s mom had to parish in the battle. Also on my mind was the kind of vampire Bella was. Her traits were not the same as myself, Dukes or Faye’s.
For one, I still smelled her blood strong. When you become a vampire, the blood smell dies. There is nothing, just a black heart and flesh. Bella had her smell intact and I would bite her, I still got high. As a matter of fact it did something to me that I never told anyone. Not Duke, Faye, and certainly not Annabella. It had me confused and wanting answers about my woman’s wellbeing. After a while and a nice run I went back inside for a drink and to listen to some Maxwell. I took my silk shirt off, hung it up and did the same with my dress pants.