Scent of a Vampire

by Jude Stephens

  I debated whether I should tell Janel what happened earlier; first with Alexander and then with Roberto. I wanted to tell her but I was too ashamed. I had never been promiscuous before and tonight it sure seemed to me I had acted the slut. How could I tell her?

  At the sound of the door opening, I tensed. It was hard to be in the same room with two guys that you've made out with in one night.

  Alex and Roberto walked in. It sounded like they were arguing again.

  "I told you there is no reason for you to stay here. My men and I are perfectly capable of protecting the women." Roberto said.

  "I am not leaving here and you know why." Alex said as they entered the living area.

  "Why?" I asked.

  They both looked like they had forgotten we were still here.

  Alex smiled, "I'm not leaving him here alone with you."

  "Why?" I asked again.

  Both men looked uncomfortable but once again I said, "Tell me why?"

  Roberto gave Alex a heated look and said, "Go ahead Alexander; tell Olivia why you want to stay here tonight." Looking uncomfortable Alex said, "Well babe, it's like this. Remember when we were telling you about the special things a Sensay can do? And how you're starting to come into your abilities and all? You've already experienced your superior sense of smell."

  Roberto urged him on. "Tell her Alexander." Alex ran an agitated hand through his blond hair and exhaled. "You are beginning to show signs of another one of your abilities. A finely tuned sense of touch." I opened my mouth to tell them I hadn't experienced anything like that. Both of them looked slightly guilty and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

  The over heated kiss from Alex in the parking lot. The almost sex session in the bedroom with Roberto. I could feel the heat flooding my face when I realized the truth. They both had known!

  I felt used and betrayed, even though I didn't know these two all that well.

  "You jerks!" I yelled and quickly stood up. "You both knew and you both tried to take advantage of the fact I didn't know what would happen when you touched me." Alex gave a low growl and Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  moved towards Roberto. Alex said, "I can't believe you went for her after I staked first claim.

  You know that is not permitted." Janel sat there looking confused, "What are you people talking about?"

  "What the hell do you mean by staked first claim?" I asked Alex.

  "Among our type, when we meet someone we want to mate with, we claim them by leaving our scent on them. I did that to you in the restaurant tonight when I kissed your neck.

  "This lets others of our kind know you have been claimed and they cannot try to mate with you.

  And Roberto it seems violated the rules tonight." Alex glared over at Roberto.

  "Wait a minute. I'm confused. Who mated?" Janel interrupted. "Did you have sex with someone tonight Olivia?"

  "NO!" The three of us all said at once. A thought came to me, which made me sink back down on the sofa.

  These two men had only wanted me tonight because of me being a Sensay with some heightened sense of touch? The reason they had wanted me was because I apparently was some sort of hypersensitive sex magnet. I thought of my reaction when I was rubbing on Roberto and how delicious currents went up my spine to the base of my skull. Remembering the feel of his thick erection rubbing against me caused a wetness to rush between my thighs. I heard Roberto's sharp intake of breath and looked up to see him staring at me with hot eyes.

  He knew! Could he scent my arousal?

  I stood, "Well, it's nice to know the only reason each of you wanted me tonight is because I'm a freaking Sensay and can help you get your rocks off like no one else can." Both men made a weak attempt at denial.

  I stopped them because I didn't want to hear it. "Shut up both of you! Don't try and deny it. I think I need some time to be alone. I need to think about this. What all of this means."

  Janel got up to come with me but I stopped her. "No. Please, I need a little space."

  Janel looked at my eyes that were beginning to water and sat back down. She knew I hated to cry in front of anyone, even her.

  As I walked down the hall to my room, I couldn't help a tear from falling and a little smile as I heard Janel say, "You two are the biggest idiots I ever met, vampire or no vampire. I feel like kicking your asses!"

  I went back to my room and threw myself on the bed in order to have a good cry. But almost as soon as the tears started, they stopped. I could feel a defiance growing inside me. This was bull.

  I am not a child; I am a grown woman almost thirty damn years old. Who the hell did these two guys think they were? What gave them the right to act like they were my keepers? For the first Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  time in my life I didn't want to be responsible Olivia. Level headed and always doing the right thing Olivia. I remembered the door that Roberto had gone through earlier. It was on the wall opposite the bed. I went over to take a look but didn't see anything that would look like a handle.

  So I just started pushing all over the wall and low and behold it began to turn. It was a lot heavier than I would have thought but I leaned into it and it slowly opened farther. I was a bit afraid of what was waiting on the other side, but was relieved to see it was another bedroom. I knew instinctively this was Roberto's bedroom. My first thought was

  "what a creep" putting me in a room next to his that had a secret entrance. What was I? Was I supposed to be like his local fast food drive through?

  Feeling a little hungry? Come on down for a little taste of Olivia! Wham bam thank you ma'am!!

  And they were trying to tell me I have the DNA of a pig!

  I couldn't resist taking a look around his bedroom though. I was shocked this room was so different from the rest of the penthouse. It was modern. The walls were a deep red color. The bed was low with a black polished headboard with soft lighting behind it. I went over and ran a hand over the black and white bedding. Silk, of course. Why wasn't I surprised? I bet he likes the feel of silk against his naked body. I let my mind wander remembering the feel of his erection so hot and hard as I freed it. It was like steel, but velvety soft; thick, long and throbbing. Ohhhh God, to hear him moan was the most delicious sound. With a deep sigh I forced my thoughts away from the sexy Italian or he may just find me in his bed pleasuring myself. I wondered if I was going to turn into a sex maniac. I have no idea what to expect with

  "heightened senses." How bad was this going to get?

  Was I going to one day wake up and howl at the moon?

  Run through the woods sniffing for truffles?

  I couldn't see one other piece of furniture in the room. Hmmm who would have guessed that Mr. Italiano was a hidden minimalist? I wouldn't have. Not by the frescos and marble that was all over the rest of the penthouse. I turned to go back when I noticed a door on the far wall of the bedroom.

  I walked over and nervously turned the doorknob. It opened up to a small alcove that had, of all things, an elevator.

  Did I dare? Why not? I wasn't going to run away, after all Janel was still here and I would never leave her behind. But holy crap, I really could use some time to myself. I could head down to the bar and have a drink and think about everything that had happened tonight. Yes, I would do it. After all, my obsessive side needed to put things on my mental list. Organize, rationalize, and come to grips with all of the information given to me. I quickly ran back to my room and grabbed my purse, thankful I had left it there and not in the living room.

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  I kept thinking that I was doing something wrong. I felt like a teenager sneaking out of the house at night and I was going to get caught. I held my breath as I pressed the button to open the elevator door. As soon as the door was open I jumped inside. Made it!

  As the door started to close I began to feel almost giddy with a sense
of recklessness and softly sang, "I am woman hear me roar."

  Chapter 8

  I made it as far as the casino floor before two men grabbed me by both arms. They looked similar to every bad guy that's in every action movie. Dark suits, beefy arms, and no necks.

  "Don't make a sound or we'll kill you." The man holding my right arm snarled.

  Even though I was trembling and I'm sure that they knew this, I still managed to say in what I hoped was a calm voice,

  "You're kidding me right? Don't make a sound or you will die?

  Have you guys been watching too many classic movies or what?"

  "Shut the fuck up or you will die." The man said and this time opened his coat to show a lethal looking knife strapped to his side.

  That sobered me up and I began to weigh my options. If I tried to scream and run away, these guys could stab me right here and most likely get away by slipping into the crowds. If I waited until we got outside there may not be too many people around to help me. I decided I was screwed no matter what, so I decided to make my move now. I dug my heels in and opened my mouth to scream, when the man on the left brought a white cloth up to my face.

  I thought he was going to stuff it into my mouth but he just held it over my mouth and nose and my legs started to feel heavy.

  The last thing I remember was looking blurrily at the people around me and thinking why in God's name aren't they helping me?

  I came to in the back of a car traveling down a freeway at a pretty fast speed. I tried not to move so the guys on either side of me would not know I was awake. I had no clue which direction we were traveling in. On either side, there were dark woods with tall pine trees. I knew they were pine because I could smell them. The smell was so intense it was like my nose was right up against the tree. It was a sharp and woodsy smell. For some reason this frightened me more than being kidnapped. Now was not the time to start analyzing my newly found abilities. These guys could be taking me deep into the woods where they might rape me, or worse. Did Janel, Roberto, and Alex even know I was gone yet? What an idiot I am for going off.

  When did I become like one of those stupid girls in the horror movies?

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  "I'm glad to see your awake Miss Sherman." The bad guy on my right said.

  How the heck did he know I'm awake? "What do you want with me? And how do you know my name?"

  "We know everything about you Miss Sherman. Probably more than you know about yourself."

  Crap. I didn't like the sound of that.

  "Well you know then that I am no one special. I am divorced, work at a hospital, and have about $3,700 in my bank account."

  What he said next made goose bumps rise on my arms.

  "We know you are a Sensay. We also know you are about to, if you have not already, come into your powers. We know you have met with the vampires. We know you are important to our cause."

  It hit me then who these guys were. Alex and Roberto were for real. I am a Sensay. They really are vampires. There are other species in the world and there are good guys and bad guys. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? I felt on the verge of losing my mind. I was on overload. I opened my mouth and sputtered nonsense. "I'm not a freaking Sensay. Let me out of this car now. I swear I'm going to call the cops on you nut jobs. All of you, goddamn vampires and secret scientists." I started to scream. "LET ME OUT OF THIS FUCKING CAR NOW!"

  The quiet bad guy on my left turned around on his seat and backhanded me across my face so hard that my head snapped back.

  A sharp pain exploded in my head and I smelled the blood before I could taste it in my mouth.

  In my shock, I couldn't help but think how weird that was.

  "You didn't have to hit her."

  "Yes I did. I can't stand when a woman screeches like that."

  Bad guy on the right said. "Miss Sherman, do not act up again or we will be forced to gag you."

  At my dazed look he said, "Do you understand?"

  All I could do was shake my head in a slight nod. The pain was unbelievable. It felt as if I might have a concussion. Bad guy on the left must have been a former boxer or something.

  Bad guy on the right continued on, "Let me tell you about the group I work for. We have been around for over a thousand years. We are the Guardians for the pure way of life. The way life was meant to be by our one true Creator." His eyes seemed to glaze over and he had a look of rapture on his face that scared the crap out of me. He continued, "There are beings out there Miss Sherman that don't belong on this planet. They are abominations. They are un-pure and evil. Vile disgusting creatures that, if united, could have the power to destroy humankind. It is Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  our duty, no our privilege, to wipe these evolved ones off the face of the earth."

  This guy was completely nuts! Abominations? Un-pure? I needed to get away from these guys.

  They were fanatics.

  "Ummm, well, okay. I see where you would be concerned and all. But I'm confused. If I am one of those Sensay thingys, then wouldn't that make me an abomination too?" Bad guy on the right gave me a smile and said, "Yes, you are. But from time to time we recruit some of the evolved to help us out."

  He gestured to bad guy on the left and said, "Ted there is not your average male specimen. Ted is what is known as a Troll."

  I felt the hysterical laughter bubbling up inside me. "A troll? Come on. Like living under the bridge, and naked little fuzzy headed doll type troll?"

  Ted obviously did not like my comparisons because he leaned over and grabbed me by the hair and said, "Just let me kill her. I don't care if she's a Sensay or not. We don't fucking need her."

  "Leave her alone. You know we need her. She is the chosen one." Bad guy on the right snapped.

  Ted let my hair go, but not before he gave it a hard yank.

  "Owww." I cried rubbing my head.

  "Please forgive my partner Miss Sherman. Trolls have a tendency to be lacking any manners.

  But they are excellent kidnappers and that is why we have engaged his services this evening.

  This is not how we wanted to introduce ourselves.

  "We could have done this with much more civility but for the interference of those bloodsuckers."

  "What is it you think I can do for you anyway? Before tonight I never even heard of any of this crap." Bad guy on the right said, "Miss Sherman, you have just begun to experience your abilities. With proper training you will become a lethal tracker and hunter. I have to say that I'm surprised your parents didn't start your training before this."

  "My parents? What do my parents have to do with this?"

  "Ahhh, you have been kept in the dark about your heritage I see." He said in an irritating voice

  "Someone in your family tree was of Native American ancestry I assume?"

  "Yeah, my great grandmother was Native American. So what?"

  "Hmmmm. I would say Iroquois judging by your birth name of Orenda."

  I gasped, "How do you know my real name?" He gave me, what I swear to God was a movie Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  villain smile, but did not say anything. The confusion inside my head was becoming a tangible thing. Part of my brain seemed to not be able to process any more bizarre information. I didn't want to ask any more questions because I didn't want any more answers I couldn't handle. So I sat there in a daze and just listened.

  He continued, "You are a unique species Orenda. Your parents must have known about your gift because they named you Orenda, which means magic power in Iroquois.

  "We have been foretold by great oracles of your coming. We have been waiting for you. A Sensay is only born every few hundred years, that is how rare a treasure you are but not only that, you are destined to be the greatest of all Sensays. You were quite difficult to find. We began looking for you years ago by going through birth rec
ords and looking for names that might lead us to you. When the name Orenda Seneca came up, we began the search for you."

  "But my name is Orenda Sherman. Not Seneca."

  "Is it really?" he questioned. I just stared at him like he or I or both of us had somehow been transported into the twilight zone. I could even hear the theme song playing in my head. "do ...

  do.. do.. do..do ..do do do do."

  Somehow I found the courage to say, "What the hell are you trying to say. Can't you just say it?" He had the nerve to smile before he said, "Okay. Your real name is Orenda Seneca. You were born to Magnolia and Jay Seneca on May 28, 1979. Your great grandmother was an Iroquois tribal elder named Orenda Onatah.

  "Which it may interest you to know means magic power of the earth. You also may be interested to know it is from your great grandmother that you have inherited your Sensay abilities from."

  I interrupted with, "I don't believe you. My parents wouldn't keep this from me. They are the most honest people I've ever known. You're lying."

  His next words chilled me to the bone. "Why don't we take a little trip to upstate New York and ask them. Let's see what's the name of the city your parents live in? Ahhh yes, Buffalo, Maple Lane right?" He laughed. "So middle America, the perfect place to blend in and raise a daughter in a nice normal setting."

  I didn't want to believe him but he knew too much and I had a feeling what he was telling was true.

  "Okay, say I believe your bullshit. What do you want from me? I have just discovered this other world that I didn't even know existed until tonight."

  Had it really only been tonight? Jeez. This night seemed never ending and I felt tired.

  "Well, first I want you to come with me willingly and listen to what we have to tell you. Your Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  cooperation will make all of this much easier. We want you to work with us, develop your unique abilities to hunt and track these monsters that live among us."

  "And when I hunt and track these so called monsters, what do I do when I find them? Do I turn them over to you and your friends?"