“What’s your name?”
“Atlas.”
“Going to guess that wasn’t the name you were born with.”
“No. The name I was born with is now part of a dead language.”
Older than she had thought, Loretta mused, before taking a step back.
“I formally invite you in, Atlas.”
He nodded at her and stepped inside slowly, almost afraid he would burst into flames. When nothing happened, his features seemed to relax.
“I’d offer you something to drink but…”
“Funny.” Atlas replied although his facial expression didn’t change.
“Would you like to have a seat? So we can discuss this properly?”
Altas sat down on her couch. He looked out of place among her things. He seemed uneasy in her home. She wondered if he was so ancient that the world and all of its new wonders were too much for him.
“So,” Loretta said, sitting on the chair across from him, “You understand the ad then?”
His blue eyes fell back on her and Loretta felt a shiver go up her spine, “Yes.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“You are a guardian, are you not? And now you wish to join our world…do you know what that entails?”
“Yes. You bite me and bury me underground for three days. At the end of the three days, I either come back as a vampire or I’m dead.”
But Atlas was shaking his head and Loretta trailed off, now feeling unsure.
“What?” She prompted.
“Do you know what the most important thing is?”
“Uhm. The bite?”
There was a flash of pure white and suddenly Atlas was crouched down in front of her. His speed was almost terrifying. She had never seen anything like it before. In all her years of dealing with vampires, none had ever moved quite like that. It took the breath out of her.
Loretta was now staring directly into his eyes. They were so close that goose bumps prickled up along her skin.
“The most important thing is a connection,” He whispered so low that Loretta felt almost dazed by his voice, “It is important that you and I have a connection. Or it won’t work.”
“What do you mean,” Loretta replied, trying to keep her tone light, “Like you want me to have sex with you?”
“Nothing so crass.”
Altas leaned forward and his lips were on her neck. The touch was electric. It felt as if ever sense came alive inside of her. Loretta suddenly shifted away from him, afraid of her reaction to his slight touch.
“What are you doing?”
“If you can’t handle my lips against your neck, how will you handle the bite?”
“We haven’t even agreed that we are going to do this, so why don’t you slow your roll.”
“Slow my…what?”
Loretta gently tried to push him away but she might as well been trying to shove an entire marble wall back. She could feel tight and well-formed muscles underneath his shirt.
“Tell me what you want out of this.”
“I don’t want anything.” He moved away from her now, back towards the couch, and once again it felt like an interview.
“That’s a lie.”
“How so?”
“Because every other vampire that has come to you is a child. They want money, or sex, or one of your artifacts. I am after something different than that.”
“What are you after?”
“Your blood.”
Loretta frowned, “My blood? Isn’t sucking people’s blood what you do? You realize the ad called for more than just you to turn me into a vampire, right? You would be my Maker. You’d have to train me and teach me anything I don’t already know from being a guardian.”
“Yes, I know. I am thousands of years old. I have been a Maker plenty of times.”
Loretta crossed her arms, eying him now slowly, “I don’t understand you.”
“Do you need to?”
“Yes, seeing as you want to become my Maker.”
“I told you – the connection is the most powerful thing. And I feel it with you.”
Loretta shifted and was about to say something when there was a flash of white again. This time Atlas had moved behind her, his hands running over the back of her chair. Loretta went still, feeling him nearby her made her heart pound for some reason.
His hands rested on her shoulders. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips on her neck again. Her mind felt cloudy, as if she couldn’t think straight while Atlas touched her. If he became her Maker, would it always be like this?
“Do you feel it?” It was a soft whisper, a promise of things to come.
Loretta tried to move away from him but most of her didn’t want to. She knew that she wasn’t under any control of his. Guardians couldn’t fall prey to anything that vampires did to regular humans. What she was feeling was completely on her own and was brought to life by Atlas. There was no breath on her neck from him but she could feel him, close to her neck, promising her a million things without actually touching her.
“Why do you want my blood?” She finally said, trying to get the conversation away from their connection.
Atlas moved away from her. Loretta realized she was disappointed he had moved away from her. She liked being so close to him. The whole thing was madness – she had just met him. Was this the connection he had been talking about?
“Guardian blood is not normal blood. Knowledge of what the blood is and what it can do to my kind has been lost for generations,” His blue eyes flashed and he smiled, “But I am generations old. I know things the new children have forgotten. Guardian blood grants you such strength that has not been seen in thousands of years.”
“I don’t believe you. I would know about this if it were true.”
“No. You would not. Like I said, this information was lost over time. Their blood tastes the best – the forbidden blood. Biting a guardian without their consent meant you would be staked. My kind eventually got too nervous to attempt it.”
“You still haven’t told me what my blood apparently does.”
Atlas moved towards her, at a normal speed, a grin going across his face. He looked angelic, like someone who would promise you everything before stabbing you in the back. Loretta’s heart pounded.
“It grants me the ability to walk in sunlight.”
Chapter Three
Loretta’s mouth went slack. She looked up at Atlas as if he was insane. What if he decided just to drain her right here in her apartment? And she had been feeling some sort of connection to him – madness.
“What?” She finally said, feeling stupid, “Forever?”
Atlas shook his head, “No. No, not forever. One week. One week of walking in the sunlight. Being up and about during the day.” He got a faraway look in his eyes that looked like a cloudless sky.
“You want to Turn me and become my Maker for one week in the sun?” She stood up now, ready to send him on his way – no matter what connection they had, she didn’t feel as if he was asking for fair payment. The last thing Loretta wanted was to deal with a Maker that had suddenly had enough of her and got rid of her themselves.
But Atlas didn’t budge. Her hands had brushed against his arm and it was like touching marble. He was cold to the touch and felt utterly unmovable.
He looked down at her, “Consider this your first lesson – the sun. You will miss the sun, Loretta. You will want the sun back. A thousand years will pass and you will have dreams about the sun. You will miss the warmth on your skin and all the sun brings. Have you thought of that?”
Loretta opened her mouth and then closed it. No, she hadn’t even considered the sun. She just assumed that she wouldn’t give a second thought. But something in Atlas’s tone was different – sadder.
“Biting you and having one week in the sun. That is my request to become your Maker. I will be back tomorrow for your answer.”
He ran his hands down her arms gently. Goose bumps popped up along her skin. Loretta watch
ed him then turn and depart, leaving her with a beating heart and an urge to go after him.
She spent the next day writing a large list. Loretta had thought she was done debating her choice but realized that she wanted to go through it one last time before she gave Atlas an answer.
Atlas, the ancient vampire who wanted a week in the sun, would be her in Maker. There was no way to deny the fact that they had a connection together. The way her body reacted to his simple touch was unlike anyone else she had near her before.
Was she getting cold feet? Could she be getting cold feet over this – the thing she had thought she had wanted her entire life? Loretta suddenly wished she had more time to think it over. She wondered if Atlas would give her more time. He had been the only vampire who had come to her and was serious about her offer and wasn’t extremely weird about it.
But Loretta had something that Atlas wanted – her blood. He wanted that week in the sun more than anything which meant Loretta had the upper hand here. If she requested more time she felt confident Atlas would give it to her. She needed to know Atlas better before she agreed to this.
Loretta found herself waiting for him the next night and pretending she wasn’t. She was working on the scroll translation but progress was so slow that she wished she could throw the scroll out. Her cat watched her sleepily. He had hid last night when Atlas was over. Vampires always scared her cat which was the reason Loretta had bought him in the first place. She needed a cat that could instantly sense a vampire in case she was off her game.
It was past midnight when there was a knock on her door. Loretta caught herself making sure her hair was in place before she opened the door. Atlas stood there, this time in clothes so casual it almost looked like he had rolled out of bed. His hair was messy and he had some color in his face that made Loretta aware he must have just fed. His clothes were too big on him and hid his muscles.
“Why are you dressed like that?” Loretta asked, letting him inside.
“I had somewhere to go to today.”
“Where, the clearance section of Dress Barn?”
“I believe they only sell to females.” Atlas replied primly, as if Loretta’s humor was beneath him.
She crossed her arms, “Well, you’ve just fed, haven’t you?”
Atlas was walking around her living room, running his finger along her TV stand as if to check for dust, “Yes, I have.”
Loretta had a million questions about how it was to feed, if the person was okay, how he felt about it, but she shoved them all down and forced herself to say, “I need more time.”
Atlas paused and turned to look at her, “You want more time?”
She felt nervous but pressed on, “Yes. You want that week in the sun, right? Then you have to wait.”
“I thought you had made up your mind when you posted that ad looking for a Maker.”
“Yeah, well, I have some things to settle and figure out before I go for it.” Loretta sounded defensive and braver than she actually felt.
“Upsetting.”
“Why?”
Atlas looked up at her and Loretta could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up a little. The way he looked at her made her knees go weak. It was foolish. She told herself it was only because of how powerful he was and not from any attraction she felt towards him.
But in the back of her mind she found herself thinking about him in that way. Loretta had never slept with a vampire before. She had refused, stating that it would go against her guardian code of sleeping with the supernatural. She didn’t know if that was really a thing or not. She had only refused because it seemed wrong to guard the supernatural and sleep with creatures of the night.
Even when Loretta realized she was serious about turning into a vampire, she had still held off. She could easily see herself, in a fit of passion, agreeing to have the vampire Turn her and she’d be stuck with a Maker she would regret.
But now as Atlas looked at her with a glint in his eyes she usually would shy away from, she felt different. Loretta didn’t want him to look away from her. He had been right about their connection. There was no getting around that.
“I suppose I should leave then.” Atlas said, looking as if he was going to head to the door.
“You’ll give me more time?”
“I want your blood,” He replied, “And I will wait for it.”
“There has to be more to this than my blood,” Loretta countered, feeling another lecture over what she was looking for rising up in her throat, “You said yourself we had a connection and you will be my Maker. You have to –“
“Yes, yes. You have said it all before.”
Loretta frowned and felt a twinge of annoyance. She wasn’t sure if Atlas was taking this as seriously as she was.
It must have crossed on her face because Atlas said, “You think I am not taking this seriously. But I need to remind you that this is not new to me. I have done this before. I know what it takes and what we are getting involved in.”
Loretta fell silent. She knew he was right. He was ancient and probably had Turned many others before. This wasn’t knew to him. Atlas knew what he was getting into. He was looking at her kitchen now with a sort of interest that made her think he hadn’t been invited into many modern homes.
“Do you want to see my bedroom?” She blurted out and then tried not to blush.
Atlas stopped and peered at her. Loretta realized that her heart was hammering in her chest. She had never been so bold before. Usually she let guys come to her and seduce her. Was it even seducing at this point to be so up front about it? But Loretta met his gaze, challenging him. The way he moved, so swiftly and quickly, and the way his eyes would look at her…it was crazy to be suggesting such a thing but Loretta suddenly wanted him more than anything else in her life.
Atlas gave a small nod and Loretta, feeling bold, took his hand in hers. His skin was smooth and cold, like hers would be soon. He trailed after her. Her cat meowed at her feet as she stepped into her bedroom.
“Quaint.” Atlas mumbled next to her.
She ignored the quip and watched as Atlas stepped into her room and began to walk around it slowly, almost taking in every part of it. His eyes darted from one object to the next, as if he was learning about her through what was in her room.
“Being a guardian must be lonely. Stuck between two worlds – humans and the super natural one.”
“Yes.” Loretta admitted, driving thoughts of long, cold nights away.
Atlas ran his fingers over her oak dresser, a thoughtful look on his face, “When you are one of us, you will not be lonely. You will be part of our world,” He raised his eyes to look at her, “And you will be with me.”
Her heart gave a thud and Loretta let it beat. Soon it wouldn’t be beating anymore and she might miss it one day.
“Will our connection help on the lonely nights?”
Atlas moved towards her, “We should find out.”
His hands went along her bare arms, making goose bumps pop up along her skin.
He was about a head taller than her and looked down at her. His eyes seemed a clear blue in the dark light, almost unnatural with how bright they were, and his skin was like ice. In spite of herself, Loretta shivered. Her body reacted in a way it never had with anyone else. Atlas leaned down and pressed his lips against her neck, his fingers trailing up into her hair. Loretta closed her eyes, letting herself get used to his lips pressed there, knowing that soon he would be biting her there.
Instead of a bite, she felt Atlas kiss her neck and trailed his lips down to her shoulder as his hands slid out of her hair and down her back. Her knees felt weak. He was so strong that even if Loretta wanted to break away, she wasn’t sure she would be able to.
“Have you ever been with one of us?” His voice was soft, like a gentle wind blowing through her hair.
Loretta shook her head, unable to speak, her voice failing her. Atlas smiled a little and then she felt as if she was flying through the air. She
landed on the bed and found herself staring up at the ceiling, the breath taken out of her. He had moved so quickly! It hardly felt as if Loretta had moved at all but here she was, laying down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Atlas was trailing his hands slowly across a part of her stomach that was exposed by her shirt riding up. The coldness of his hands made Loretta gasp in surprise, which made more of her shirt ride up. She looked down to see Atlas kissing along her stomach, soft, ice kisses that made Loretta let out a small gasp each time.
She knew he was moving slowly on purpose, not wanting to overwhelm her. Loretta closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensation of him undressing her. She knew she should be blushing or feel worried about sleeping with someone she had just met, but she found that she didn’t care. What Atlas made her feel and their connection was different – and he was going to be her Maker. She wanted to know every part of him.
The cool air pressed against her warm skin and made her eyes flutter open. Atlas was looking down at her. His features had softened and he looked kindly down at her, almost hesitating, as if to ask if it was okay to keep going.
“I want all of it,” Loretta breathed softly, “I want you to show me what it is like…being with someone of your kind when I am still a human.”
Atlas smiled and she saw his fangs for the first time. She felt a thrill go through her. Soon she would have them as well and it wouldn’t just be Atlas who wielded all the power. He bent over and kissed her. She kissed back, pressing her body against him. His kiss was hard and she felt his tongue in her mouth. Loretta was shivering now, the power radiating off of Atlas was enough to drive her into a frenzy. The more they kissed the more Loretta wanted him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him against her. She hated that he was clothed. Kissing wasn’t enough. She wanted more.
Atlas seemed to sense it and broke away from kissing her. He had a gleam in his eye that made her wiggle underneath him.
“Now I will have you.” He said.
And he did.
Chapter Four
Loretta opened her eyes to an empty bed. Sunlight was pouring into her room and she rubbed her eyes. Atlas must have left before sun rise. Loretta saw the clock read a little past ten in the morning. She moved and let out a surprised gasp. Her body was extremely sore. Memories of the night before came back to her, sudden and quickly. Loretta felt herself blush at the thought of them.
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