by D McEntire
After retrieving the salve from the dresser, he began tending to her wounds trying to ignore her silent tears.
David awakened with a growl, remembering the Watchers had taken Sonya, as well as the children, from him. He'd left the sanatorium, and in his angry state had managed to extricate his car from the snow.
In a mad frenzy he'd driven to the crematorium and crept inside, wanting to ensure for himself Sonya wasn't among the dead they'd found in the old building.
Hiding within the shadows, he'd listened to the employees talk. What he'd heard had flooded him with relief. They'd retrieved the bodies of two young women, both human Caucasians, who'd been killed by Rogues. And, as per instructions they'd received from the Commanding Officer of a local Watcher Cell, their bodies were to be cremated. Two young children and a third human female had also been found in the building and had been taken away by the Watchers.
Sonya. He'd known she wasn't dead. Deep within his soul he'd felt her essence. She was a part of him, and he wasn't going to let her go. Not without a fight, he silently vowed. He'd do whatever it took to return her to where she belonged--by his side.
He knew he possessed the strength and wit, not to mention the drive, to get what he wanted. He'd proven that weeks ago when he'd killed his sire.
Sitting up in his bed, David stretched his arms over his head and thought about Dante and how he'd become what he was today.
Two weeks ago...
Setting aside his grade book, David glanced at the clock on the wall inside his classroom. It was late. As he put on his coat and pulled gloves from his pockets, he decided to check on Sonya before leaving the building.
To his disappointment, she'd already left for the evening. The door to her classroom was closed, and the light inside was off. He'd hoped to have a chat with her and perhaps offer to drive her home.
David exited the building and climbed inside his car. Though intending on driving straight home, he found himself turning onto the street where Sonya lived. Inside his head, he reasoned his actions were only to ensure she'd made it home safely.
Realization had him stopping in the middle of the street. He'd just told himself the same excuse he used every time he'd done this very thing. What was this infatuation he had with her? She'd never shown the slightest interest in him beyond friendship.
Pressing the accelerator once more, he drove slowly past her house. When a shadow darted toward the rear of her home, he quickly pulled into a vacant parking spot. The momentary concern turned to rage at the thought of a possible intruder. Worse was the thought of Sonya coming to any harm.
After parking and removing the Louisville Slugger he kept underneath the passenger seat, he got out. A sense of bravery set in as he thought of himself as Sonya's knight in shining armor coming to her rescue. The prowler's in for a big surprise.
Wanting to make sure Sonya was safe inside, David stepped onto the porch and peeked through the front window. Not seeing her, he raised the bat, poised and ready to strike, left the porch and rounded the side of the house.
The shadowed figure was there.
"Hey!" David called loud enough for the trespasser to hear, but hoped Sonya wouldn't. He didn't want to alarm her.
The figure stopped walking and turned.
Though unable to see the form clearly, David knew he faced a man. Though bigger than himself, he didn't let the fact worry him. Besides, he told himself, he was the one holding the bat.
The man laughed. "You think to do me harm with that little stick?"
His tone resembled a snarl. Unable to see the man's face, David became uneasy. Never having been in this situation before, he tried to hold his composure and remain focused on every movement the man made.
"I don't know what you're doing prowling around Sonya's property. Come out of the shadows so I can see your face."
The stranger stepped forward. His features slowly came into view until fully visible, revealing white hair, which shimmered as if he stood beneath a streetlight.
As David thought to himself the strangeness of the scene before him, what happened next shocked him. A sudden glow of red eyes followed immediately by gleaming white fangs protruding from the man's smiling mouth captured his attention and seemed to hold him there.
The man took another step forward. "You see me, human? What now? Will you scream like a child and run away?"
The trespasser cocked his head slightly as if in thought. His eerie smile widened.
"You'll be coming with me. I've got use for you."
David couldn't believe his eyes or his ears for that matter. Was this man crazy? Before he could blink, the man was on him, holding him in a fierce grip. To his horror, the man bent to his neck and bit.
David found he couldn't utter a sound, not even a scream. In that moment of terror, everything slowly faded to black.
Pain ebbed and flowed through him like waves. The blackness surrounding him began to fade, growing lighter and lighter until he found himself able to open his eyes.
The smell of damp plaster and mold assaulted his nostrils, and he screwed up his face in disgust. Before he could focus on his surroundings, nausea overtook him and bile rose in his throat. He pushed himself from the floor and onto his arms, ignoring the searing pain in his neck, and vomited violently, heaving over and over again.
With a groan, he moved away from the mess, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then returned to lying flat on his back.
The room spun, and he closed his eyes, but the effort was in vain. The world continued to twirl behind his closed lids.
After several minutes, he opened his eyes once more, but this time slowly in hopes he wouldn't be sick again. The nausea faded enough for him to survey his surroundings. Sifting through his mind, he found the last thing he remembered--a strange man at the rear of Sonya's house.
"Ah, you're awake."
The familiar voice made him stiffen. It was the voice of the man from the shadows. The one who'd attacked him moments before he'd blacked out.
Turning his head slowly, he regarded the presence in the doorway. A sardonic, half-smile adorned the face of this madman. Eyes blazed intently as if they could bore right through him.
"What do you want? What did you do to me?" his voice a hoarse whisper over the pain in this throat. Lifting his hand, he felt two puncture holes in his skin.
Staring at the man in disbelief, panic struck when the man's eyes suddenly turned red and his lips parted to reveal long, sharp fangs. The same sight he'd witnessed at Sonya's house.
"What the hell are you?"
Present...
David tried to cut off the memories of his time in hell, but still recalled the horror he'd felt after he'd realized what the man was and what had been done to him. Two long, tortuous weeks under the thumb of his sire, Dante, had almost driven him mad, until he'd finally managed to overcome how the merciless killings Dante had ordered him to do had sickened him. The reluctance had become something else--a craving for the power of the kill. He'd found the taste of fear in his victims' blood as he drained them dry had given him immense pleasure.
Pondering that for a moment, he smiled. A kill still excited him.
Images of human females he'd taken to bed and then killed played in his head, until they suddenly shifted to thoughts of Sinclair and when Dante had brought the newly converted vampire to the old sanatorium as his new plaything, releasing him from the role of Dante's lover.
Lover. David scoffed at the idea. He'd never willingly gone to bed with his sire, but when he had been called to do so, he'd kept visions of Sonya in his head. The plans he'd made for the two of them had seen him through. They'd also given him the strength to free himself by killing Dante.
The day he'd discovered a vampire's age meant nothing where mortality was concerned had been the best day of his life. A fall from the fifth story of a building onto wrought iron fencing below had seen to the end of Dante, and his captivity.
Taking in a deep breath, David let it out slowly.
There was work to be done. He was Sonya's sire now. She belonged to him--body and mind. She had no choice but to answer his call. Although that was true, he knew two things stood in his way.
First, Sonya was blind, which meant he couldn't pull from her mind where she was. He was going to have to find her. Second, she was most likely with the Watchers since they'd been the ones to take her out of the sanatorium according to the staff at the crematorium. This meant finding her wasn't going to be easy. David snarled at their audacity.
Settling his feet firmly on the floor, he closed his eyes, cleared his head and thought of nothing but Sonya, letting his senses reach out to her.
She came into view, a little fuzzy at first, but soon cleared. Immediately, her scent caught him, and he inhaled deeply. It stirred his blood, making him instantly hard. The need for her so intense, he groaned.
David could feel she was well, quite well. In fact, he sensed she'd grown stronger, which meant the conversion was complete. She was now like him--vampire. She'd learn to accept him, even love him in time, he told himself.
"Sonya," he called, letting her know he waited for her. He repeated his beckoning call twice more until a blinding, hot light flashed suddenly, slamming the door to their connection. Blinking, he tried to clear the spots dancing before his eyes.
"What the hell?" The abruptly cut connection and his inability to re-establish it had him growling in frustration. "No matter," he muttered with a glance at the clock finding it to be very late in the afternoon. Though at least another hour remained before he could safely leave the house, he decided to make use of the time by planning his next move.
David showered, enjoying the hot water playing over his body and easing the tension in his muscles.
After turning off the faucets, he stepped out of the shower, dried himself and dressed.
"It's time to go hunting," he drawled. Taking in his reflection in the mirror, he used his hand to clear imaginary lint from his rather expensive slacks. "First, I need to feed." Giving himself a wink, he left the bathroom, checked the clock once more, then strode out the front door of his house.
Sonya's sobs quieted, but her trembling continued while Tank attended to the burns on her hands, arms and face. The salve had already begun working its charm, and he was thankful it seemed to have taken away the pain. She'd suffered enough and once again, he had failed to protect her.
"I can't believe this is happening to me," she muttered softly, her head lowered as if staring at her lap.
"I'm sorry, Sonya. This shouldn't have happened. None of this should've happened. If only..." Tank stopped himself. He couldn't admit to her his failure. What would she think of him? She'll think you're weak.
Tank cleared his voice then spoke again. "No one should have this forced upon them. It's better as a choice."
What else could he say? Sonya was obviously overwhelmed at everything that had happened, and he wished there was something he could do. As he stared at her sitting quietly by his side on the edge of the bed, his desire to protect and shelter her strengthened. He found himself wishing he could bear this weight for her and take away all her troubles. Giving her a small, reassuring smile, it faded when he remembered she couldn't see the gesture.
"I'm sorry to cause so much trouble. This place is unfamiliar to me. If you would be so kind as to walk me around...that is, unless you can take me home now."
Tank sighed. Returning Sonya would no doubt make her feel better, but he couldn't take the chance on David getting his hands on her once more. But, that wasn't the only reason. He didn't want to let her go.
"I think it would be best if you stayed here, at least until I find David. Besides, you've only recently come out of conversion and things are no longer the same, as you unfortunately found out a few minutes ago. Your blood now carries a chemical highly flammable when subjected to sunlight."
"I really am no longer human, am I?"
She took in a shuddering breath. Tank watched her let it out slowly before pulling her arm free from his ministrations.
"I didn't want to believe you before, but I do now."
Tank placed a finger under her chin and gently lifted.
"You're not alone, Sonya. I'll do all I can to help you. The thing is, I don't know..." He was glad she couldn't see his face as he struggled with his thoughts and fumbled over his words. "I'm not familiar with your...condition. If it helps, there are three women here who can assist with whatever you need. I'll introduce you to everyone, if you feel up to it."
Sonya hesitated a moment, embarrassed at having opened the wrong door and causing such a commotion. The sound of a little girl crying slipped into her thoughts. She brought her hand to her mouth and gasped.
"Was that Mya I heard crying? Oh, the poor thing. I probably scared her to death. I need to see her and Si."
The statement took him aback. He frowned, but Sonya laughed. The sound music to his ears. Her demeanor changed quite suddenly, and he knew why--the children.
"I guess you didn't expect me to say I wanted to see someone, did you?" Her tone held a note of tease. "I use the word like everyone else. It kind of throws people off."
How could she read him so clearly?
The smile on her face faded as she nervously patted her hair.
"You look fine, Sonya."
A noise sounded outside the door. Tank caught Rosa's scent and heard the rustle of fabric.
"I believe Rosa's left clothes so you don't have to run around in pajamas."
Sonya's face flushed as she fingered the flannel. She'd been focused on everything else and had forgotten what she was wearing. The mattress rose, and she heard Tank's heavy footsteps fade as he walked away. The door opened, then closed with a soft click.
When he returned to her side, she hadn't braced herself for the sudden dip in the mattress and he almost knocked her over. Reaching out for something to steady her, she caught hard muscle, which moved beneath her grasp. Her hand heated, and she knew the sensation wasn't from the anesthetic in the salve wearing off.
Sonya's breath caught, and she couldn't move. Nor could she seem to remove her hand from where it lay on Tank's arm. She became well aware of the man sitting so close beside her--his heat, his scent and the hungry gaze she sensed.
The man was built. She'd discovered that fact during the lap dance she'd performed earlier. Sonya still couldn't believe she'd done such a thing.
Finding herself wanting to know more, she itched to touch his face. Part of her wanted to do so only to put together a mental image. The other part just wanted to touch him--everywhere.
Her fingers moved on their own accord, not waiting for her mind to give in and grant permission. She skimmed her hand over his arm, noting the high rise of his biceps. Just when she reached his shoulder and was about to touch his face something struck her foot, and she hissed in pain.
"Sorry. The shoe slipped from my hand. Are you hurt?"
Sonya attempted to rub away the sting. "It's fine."
"No, it's not fine."
After the mattress moved again, she felt a warm hand grasp her foot and the most wonderful massage ensued. Sonya was in heaven, she thought, and she could've purred louder than Brat at that moment as Tank's fingers worked her heel and in between her toes.
"Feel better?"
It all ended much too soon for her liking, but she knew she couldn't expect him to sit there and massage her foot all night.
"Here's a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt."
Clothing softly settled on her lap.
"She also left a pair of shoes, as you've already painfully discovered, and socks. The bottoms of the shoes have a seven on them. Will they fit?"
"I'm sure they'll be fine."
"You can change in the bathroom."
When Tank pulled her from the bed and began to lead her to the bathroom, she shook her head.
"I know the way. I'll only be a minute."
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Chapter Ten
Tank s
at on the side of the bed and watched her make her way to the bathroom. He had to bite his tongue before the words Do you need help dressing? made it out of his mouth. Instead, he managed to say something else he hoped wasn't as stupid. "Just yell if you need anything." It may not have been as stupid, but he felt like smacking himself regardless when she'd closed the door. He silently cursed at acting like a mother hen.
Worse still, just when she'd started to touch him, which had been pure hell to keep himself from reacting, he'd done something even more stupid. He'd let the shoe slip from his grasp and it had fallen on her foot. Man. What a way to kill the moment.
A few minutes later the door opened, and Tank knew his mouth was agape. Her wounds were nearly healed, and her coloring almost perfect. Nothing revealed a woman who'd gone through hell, been seriously burned and had Lord knew what to face ahead of her.
"Tank?"
Her voice snapped him to attention, and he cleared his throat. "Yes?"
"You were so quiet, I thought perhaps you'd gone."
Tank left the bed and stood in front of her. He raised his hand, wanting to touch her face, but caught himself and lowered it quickly. "No. Sorry. It's just that...you look great. Really great." His words sounded lame even to his ears. What was wrong with him? He'd never had a problem talking to a woman before.
The bright smile on her face stole his breath. His mind was in awe at her radiance and how she looked so full of life.
"Do I have the shirt on right? I tried to find the tag to make sure I wasn't putting it on backward, but I guess someone had removed it. I don't blame them. I'd take them all off if I wasn't blind and didn't need it to tell which side is the front and to make sure it's not inside out. Those things are always poking me in the back."
Tank laughed. This woman was a breath of fresh air, and he was thankful. He didn't know what he'd do if he had to care for a crying woman who acted as though she was losing her mind. Sonya seemed to take everything in stride, he thought. The notion made him proud. He was proud of her, and proud to be in her company. Oh boy. I'm digging myself a really deep hole here.