Scent of a Vampire

by Jude Stephens

  "Mmmmm piccolina, you are so wicked to make love to me like that when we have no time."

  He teased me as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me and ran his tongue around my ear.

  "I didn't start it. You did. I was sleeping like a perfect angel when you began kissing on me."

  "You were sleeping like an angel. I couldn't believe you were here when I woke up. I wish I could wake up every night with you by my side Olivia."

  I wished it too. I thought as I watched Roberto get up and walk naked to grab his clothes. Holy Moly what a view! This was the first time I'd seen him strut around naked. His backside looked like it was sculpted from marble. I am one lucky girl.

  "You better hurry and get ready," he said as he pulled on a pair of jeans.

  Watching him dress was like having my very own porno movie come to life. I couldn't stop staring as he stood there with nothing but jeans on that he hadn't buttoned yet.

  "Did you hear me?" he asked.

  "Ummm yeah, ready, yes." I repeated. Roberto laughed at me, "Have you never seen a man naked before?"

  I snapped out of it. "Of course I have. I was married and I did work in healthcare. And of course there was Leeds, no one could ever forget seeing Leeds naked." I taunted him. Roberto growled and took a step toward me and I ran into the bathroom laughing.

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  Roberto yelled from the other side of the door, "We're going to feed. I left a backpack on the bed for you to pack a few things for the trip I want to leave right after, so make sure you're ready, okay piccolina?"

  "I'll be ready." I called back. I heard the bedroom door close and I hurried and jumped in the shower. I got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, packed a few things in the backpack Roberto left for me. I left the room to find Janel to say goodbye.

  Janel was in the kitchen with Andy making sandwiches. Janel turned when I walked in and said,

  "We made you some sandwiches for the road. We know you guys want to leave right away."

  I smiled at Janel. She looked happy. She and Andy seemed to be getting along well. I was glad.

  Janel really was a good person.

  "Thanks. Roberto did say we were going to get going right after they feed."

  "Ewwww, that still creeps me out." Janel said. I laughed at her. "You're a nurse. Blood shouldn't creep you out."

  Roberto, Juan and Cristoforo came back from their hunt.

  "Are you ready to leave?" asked Roberto.

  "Yes, my backpack is by the door."

  "Okay. I'll meet you out by the car." He said, knowing I wanted a few minutes to say my goodbyes. Janel came over with the bag of sandwiches, "You be careful. You may be a powerful Sensay but if you get hurt I will kick your ass myself."

  I hugged her. "I will be careful. Besides I have three powerful vampires to protect me."

  I pushed the hair back behind my ears and Janel said,

  "Holy crap, I thought there was something different with you hair. I can't believe I didn't notice it before."

  "What?" I asked confused.

  "Come with me a minute," she said as she took my hand and pulled me down the hall. She made me stand in front of the mirror that hung in the foyer.

  "What is it?" I asked again.

  "Your hair. You have a thin streak of silver in your hair."

  I looked closer and there it was a long thin strip of silver that started at my right temple.

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  Chapter 28

  I walked out to the car wondering three things. Why hadn't I noticed the silver streak in my hair? Why did I have a silver streak in my hair? Did I look like the bride of freaking Frankenstein?

  There were two black SUV's parked out front. Mark, Cristoforo and Juan were already seated in the second car. Roberto was leaning against the first one waiting for me. As I walked towards him, he opened the door for me. I paused by the open door. "Did you notice my hair turned silver?"

  "Yes," he answered easily.

  "Why didn't you say something to me?" He shrugged, "I thought you knew and didn't want to talk about it."

  "Why wouldn't I want to talk about my hair turning silver overnight?"

  "I don't know. Women are touchy about such things."

  "Touchy? This is not like I'm turning gray. This is not a normal occurrence." I snapped as I got in the car. Roberto went around and got in the driver's side and turned to me, "I like it. It's very sexy."

  "What if all of my hair turns silver? Will you still find me sexy?"

  He leaned over and kissed me. "I would find you sexy if you had no hair. You have no idea how beautiful you are. Do you?"

  With that, he shook his head and started the car. It was almost nine o'clock. I knew we were heading south, back to Philadelphia, the last place I was with Alex. I knew once I was there I would be able to feel Alex more strongly; feel the pull of our bond. I also knew he was still alive.

  If anything had happened to him I would have felt it. I was sure of that. As we drove to Philadelphia, Roberto and I talked of our childhoods and laughed at the differences from growing up almost five centuries apart. We only stopped once on the fivehour trip to fuel up and a quick bathroom break. Now that we were on our way, we were all anxious to get Alex.

  When we arrived in Philadelphia, I directed Roberto to the motel where we had stayed. As we pulled into the parking lot, memories and feelings began to overwhelm me. There were the memories of Alex holding me while I cried and of him stroking my back when I was upset. I remembered how he made me feel cherished and how he made me laugh.

  Roberto turned towards me with a frown, "Are you feeling the bond any stronger here?"

  "Yes, do you think we can go into the room we shared?" I asked.

  Roberto's frown deepened, "Do you think that's necessary?"

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  "Yeah, my instincts say I need to go in there."

  "Okay, but I am not staying in that room overnight. This motel looks dangerous even for a vampire."

  "Thanks Roberto. I know this isn't easy for you. I want to get Alex back so I can apologize to him for leaving him alone. I just hope he can forgive me."

  Roberto put a hand behind my neck and turned my face towards his, "He will forgive you piccolina. He is in love with you."

  I began to protest but Roberto cut me off. "He is in love with you. I think he was half in love with you the night we met you. I've known Alexander for a long time and I think this is the first time I ever saw him really in love with someone. It won't be easy for him to accept we are a couple. But you must not give him any hope. Do you understand that Olivia?"

  I thought how Alex had said to me he would never give up hope and I prayed he was exaggerating when he had said that.

  "I understand. I don't want to hurt him though Roberto. I, I care for him." I stammered.

  Roberto asked sharply, "Are you in love with him too?"

  "NO!" I answered quickly. "He's a good guy and I want him to be my friend. I'll admit I had a sexual attraction to him but I never acted on it and he never pushed me. He wanted to give me some space to sort things out." Roberto sighed, "We will straighten everything out when we get Alexander back. Until then let's concentrate on getting him free. What room did you stay in? I will go and get the key."

  I told him the room number and watched him walk to the office. I had gotten myself in such a mess by not telling Roberto about the bonding thing. Not to mention I have some mixed up feelings. Oh, I knew I was in love with Roberto. There was no doubt about it. But there was definitely something between Alex and I that we needed to work out. Roberto came back with a key in his hand and opened the car door for me. I got out and we went over to the door. Juan and Cristoforo were right behind us. Mark stayed in the car. Roberto unlocked the door and stepped inside. When he flipped on the light switch I heard Cristoforo say in
his usual sarcastic voice. "Jesus, Alex needs some lessons in how to treat the ladies." He turned toward me. "This is where he brought you so he could bang you?"

  "Cristoforo!" Roberto admonished. I wasn't going to let Cristoforo get to me, "No, this is where I brought him to take a bullet out of his chest. Too bad it wasn't you I would have let it in there." Cristoforo laughed at me, "Little Sensay does have some backbone after all."

  Juan finally cut in, "Can we get on with this already? I think something just crawled up my pant leg and normally I would try and enjoy that but this place is just nasty amigos."

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  "Yes, why don't we step outside and let Olivia do her thing in peace." Roberto said as he ushered everyone out. I looked at him with grateful eyes. When they were outside I went over to the bed and sat down. I wasn't sure what I thought would happen but nothing did. I tried to relax and clear my mind but could not. Visions of Alex filled my head; Alex smiling and laughing, Alex looking at me with such longing. I started to shake my head to clear it once again when it hit me. I needed to concentrate on Alex. That was the key. I lay myself on the bed and let my mind remember Alex lying beside me. I pictured him on top of me, licking my neck and then sinking his teeth into me. Felt the suction as he drank from me. I remembered the sound he made as he thrust against me and came. It felt as if he was still beside me. I began to grow aroused. Though this time after he came, he looked into my eyes as he undid my jeans. His long fingers disappeared in the opening. I sucked in a breath as his fingers found my slick folds. He slid his long fingers through my moistened folds and I felt the passion begin to build. He moved his head close to mine and whispered, "Tell me you don't want me baby and I'll stop." His fingers were moving back and forth and the friction felt so wonderful but I needed more. "Tell me what you want Olivia, I will give you anything you desire." The heat building inside me was unbearable. I needed him desperately. I let my hand follow the same path that his took and at the same time pulled his mouth down to mine and moaned into his mouth, "Please, put your fingers inside me." He kissed me with a ardor that took my breath away, at the same time he slipped two fingers inside me, he slid his fingers in and out and his tongue followed the same rhythm. His thumb found my throbbing clit and he began an erotic assault. My hand over his guided him to move faster and faster until I cried out with my release.

  "What the hell?" I heard Roberto say from the doorway.

  I jerked upright to see him pushing Juan and Cristoforo back. I looked down at my open jeans that still had my hand down the front. I stared in horror at Roberto.

  "What the hell were you doing Olivia?" Roberto repeated as he slammed the door shut.

  "I..I don't kknoww..." I stammered. I felt disoriented and more than a little afraid. "I lay here and thought about Alex so I could feel the connection and then it felt like he was here and he bit me again and we became excited and Roberto I'm scared. What is happening to me?" I started shaking.

  "Piccolina, it's okay, calm down." Roberto took me in his arms. "I don't know what's happening to you. I would guess to say it's your blood exchange with Alexander. It lets you have visions of him that seem very real."

  "Oh my God Roberto, I'm so sorry, I let him, no I wanted him to pleasure me, I needed it so bad." I cried. Roberto sighed, "I am not going to tell you I like this. The thought of you and Alexander being intimate, even in your imagination makes me angry. But, I don't know enough about your abilities to make judgments. And I am secure with the knowledge that you love me."

  Roberto grabbed my shoulders a little roughly, "But you will promise me you will never make a connection with him again unless I am with you."

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  "Of course. It frightened me. I didn't like the feeling of not having control over myself." I promised. Roberto kissed my forehead, "Good, now did you get anything from the connection with Alexander?'

  "No, not really, just well you know," I said embarrassed.

  "You will have to make the connection again. I will be right beside you this time." Roberto said rather gruffly. I couldn't blame him. I still couldn't believe what I had done. I was no better than a tart, flitting from one man to another. When we found Alex we would have to find a way to break this bond. I nodded at Roberto and laid myself back down on the bed.

  "Do you have to lie down to do this?" Roberto asked through gritted teeth.

  "Um, yeah I think so. I need to relax. I will be careful though." I promised him.

  I cleared my mind and pictured Alex. I forced my mind to picture a time when we were not sexually excited. I thought back to when he found me in the bathroom crying and carried me back to bed. How he wrapped my in his strong arms and stroked my back until he fell asleep. I turned my face up towards his. I lightly stroked his jaw. I sighed, remembering how content I had been in his arms. All of a sudden I felt like something was tugging on me. It wasn't only a mental tug but a physical one as well. I felt myself come out of dream like sense and saw Roberto frowning at me.

  "We need to go, south. I'm not sure how far yet but we need to head south." I turned with urgency and headed for the door.

  Roberto grabbed my arm and stopped me, "Piccolina, are you all right?"

  I smiled at him, "Yeah I'm okay. Actually I feel great. We found a way to Alex."

  He looked hard into my eyes, "But you were crying when you were laying there."

  I hadn't realized I had been crying, "Hmmm, I don't know why I was crying." I lied to Roberto.

  Some things were personal. I didn't think it was necessary to tell him about something as simple as Alex comforting me in a time of distress.

  Roberto looked as if he would continue with his questioning but instead shrugged and followed me out the door. Juan and Cristoforo were leaning against the side of the building but came to attention when we exited. Mark was, as usual, hanging back by the car. Without even looking at either of them I said, "You both can get the smirks off of your faces. I'm sure you heard everything and you know I'm sure we can find Alex." I didn't wait for Roberto to open the car door but opened it myself and hopped in. I saw Roberto say a few words to Juan and Cristoforo before getting in the car. Before he could say anything I said, "I know that was rude, but I'm getting really tired of apologizing for things that are beyond my control. I didn't ask for any of this you know. Not you. Not Alex and certainly not for my parents being murdered or for my damn Sensay abilities. I am dealing the best I can."

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  Roberto didn't look at me and started the car. "It was a little rude. You have to understand we are also dealing the best way we can. We have never had a Sensay in our midst and it takes some getting used to."

  "Getting used to?" I asked in what I was sure was a highpitched voice. Roberto sighed, "I didn't mean it like that. But try and imagine someone going into a hotel room to do some investigation and a few minutes later we hear her cry out in orgasmic relief. I mean who does something like that? It's natural they would find it amusing." I said nothing. I was really angry. I could feel the orange glow of it inside my belly. How dare they judge me?

  Especially Roberto. He knew how I was struggling with my emotions and my abilities. Amusing!!

  They find me amusing. Would they find it amusing when they found my foot up their ass I thought? The picture in my mind of myself doing just that made me want to giggle.

  Roberto pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed for the interstate.

  Roberto finally turned to me, "I'm sorry piccolina. I know this is not your fault. I apologize if that's what I inferred. I really just wanted to point out that it is difficult for all of us." When I still didn't say anything he continued, "It's about three am right now. We can only go about another two hours safely, before we will need to find a place where we can sleep for the day. There is a safe house about an hour south of h
ere in Delaware. I think it's best if we stay there and get a fresh start tomorrow night. We don't know how far we will need to travel yet."

  "Not that far." I replied.

  "How do you know that?"

  "I feel like Alex is with me now. And the feeling grew stronger when we headed south. He's not far. I'm not sure how I know I just do. It's like instinct. I'm going to be quiet now and concentrate on Alex. I think he somehow knows I'm coming. I don't want to break our connection." With that I turned slightly to face the passenger window. I really didn't feel like talking to Roberto. All of a sudden I wished I was by myself. I let my mind picture Alex. Now that we were moving closer to him I could feel he was in pain. They were taking his blood.

  Slowly so they wouldn't kill him. They were cutting him open in different areas so they could watch and study his healing abilities.

  The pain was beyond imaginable. I felt it, as if the cold steel knife was slicing into my abdomen.

  Oh my God, it hurt so much. I felt Alex pushing me back but it was too late, I was going to die.

  That was the last thought I had before blackness overtook me.

  Chapter 29

  I came to with the sound of shouting in my ear. It sounded as if someone had a mega horn up Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens

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  against my ear.

  "Oww, stop yelling at me." I said

  "Grazie Dio, she's coming to." I heard Roberto say.

  "Thank goodness I knew CPR. You owe me big time chica." Juan smiled into my face.

  Juan gave me CPR? Ewww, what the hell happened?

  "Cara, are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so. What happened?"

  "I don't know. We were driving and all of a sudden you grabbed your stomach and doubled over. Then you blacked out. Did you have a pain? Should I take you to the hospital?

  We are pulled over on the side of the road."