by Sam Crescent
“Shit, I’m such a klutz,” she said, rubbing her head. Her finger came away with blood.
“Gregory!” Augustus yelled the word. She glanced up to see his eyes shining brightly at her. The man in front of her didn’t look like Augustus. He looked like an animal. He hissed at her, showing his fangs.
Marianna screamed as Augustus lunged at her. Before she could do anything his fangs sank into the flesh of her neck. They pierced her flesh making her immobile. She couldn’t stop. Her body went lax. It was like something was injected into her flesh stopping her from fighting.
Augustus moaned, holding her in a death grip.
“I wish you didn’t make me do this.” Gregory pressed a needle into Augustus’s back, and seconds later the fangs inside her neck retracted as the man on top of her slumped.
Feeling started returning to her body, and she pushed at him. Gregory helped to get him off her.
When she stumbled off the bed he caught her in his arms. “It’s all right. I’ve got you.”
“I don’t know what happened,” she said, holding onto him. What was happening to everyone? Was there a bulletin, which she hadn’t read, that said to pick on Marianna? “I keep getting attacked. What did you do to him? What’s going on?”
Gregory caught her face in his hands. “Look at me, Marianna,” he said.
She gazed at him.
“Augustus is going to be out of it for some time.”
“What did you inject into him to make him stop?” she asked.
“Holy water.”
Holy water?
She shook her head. “No. That’s not possible.” Marianna pulled away from him. The mirror across from the bed showed the blood dripping from her neck coating the shirt she wore.
“I need to get that cleaned up, and I think I need to talk to you about my little friend.”
Gregory walked out of the door. The man looked out of breath. She followed after him desperate for some answers.
Twice in one night she’d been attacked, and she needed to know why. She needed to know why Augustus, the very nice customer from the café, had fangs and why he’d bitten her. Marianna needed to know everything.
Gregory led her into one of the largest kitchens she’d ever seen.
“Augustus has very expensive tastes. When we move to a new place he needs to have the best.”
She didn’t say anything and took a seat at the long counter. Sitting next to the stove she saw the makings of a sandwich in front of her. “Is that for me?”
“Yeah, I’ll finish making it after I take care of your wound.” Gregory moved to the far wall and opened up a cupboard. “If it makes you feel any better Augustus will be beating himself up about biting you when he wakes up.”
“How is that supposed to make me feel better? He bit me, and I don’t even understand why he bit me or what gave him cause to think he could bite me. I’m so confused.” She rubbed the side of her head that wasn’t bleeding. The throbbing inside her head was getting worse with all the questions she had.
“I know this is hard for you to understand, but Augustus means well, most of the time.” Gregory walked toward her. He held a red box in his hands.
“Are you like him?” she asked, holding up her hands trying to ward him off.
“No, I’m not like him.”
“But you’re friends with him?” she asked.
He placed the red box on the side and opened it.
“Augustus is the only friend I’ve got. He was there for me when no one else was. I owe him my life. We’re friends, and I’ll protect him with my very life.”
She licked her lips as Gregory dressed the wound on her forehead.
When he got to her neck he winced. “Is it bad?” she asked. She didn’t dare touch the wound in case she fainted.
“It’s not pretty. You’re lucky.”
“Lucky? How am I lucky?”
Why am I even having this conversation?
I’ve been attacked, almost raped, and now I’ve been bitten by the man who protected me.
“Augustus could have torn your throat out. Your blood is like an elixir to him.”
“Wait, my blood?” she asked.
Gregory let out a sigh. “What I’m about to tell you is going to freak you out. You’ll probably convince yourself you’re dreaming. First I want to reassure you that you’re okay, and nothing is going to happen to you. Augustus cares about you and has been looking over you for some time.”
His words scared her. Marianna knew in her gut he was about to tell her something she really didn’t want to hear. Instead of running away, she kept herself seated as he cleaned her neck.
“Augustus is a vampire.”
****
Augustus rolled over and moaned. The taste of innocent blood was on his lips, and the night’s events came rushing back through him. He needed to reward Gregory. His human friend knew how to respond in a crisis.
“I see you’re awake,” Gregory said.
The other man sat with his arms folded staring at him.
“Did you have to be so hard when you used the holy water?” Augustus asked. His body felt like he’d gone head first into an ice block and lost.
“You were feeding from Marianna. I’m surprised I’m not cleaning her entrails off the bed.”
“I never meant to hurt her. She removed her bandage and the blood and everything. Is she okay?”
He turned to see Gregory nodding his head. “I sent her home.”
Augustus jerked. He lifted up and turned to see Gregory properly. The other man wasn’t laughing or kidding around.
“You let her go.”
“Yes, I let her go after I told her everything.”
Silence fell across the room. Augustus didn’t know how long the silence lasted. In the next instant he was in Gregory’s face. “Are you insane? She could go and fucking squeal to the wrong people.”
“Marianna is not going to tell a soul about what happened. After she screamed, ranted and raved at me, she settled down and listened to everything I had to say.
Augustus turned away laughing. “You really believe that.”
“You didn’t see her or hear her. She asked questions about you and your condition.”
“She asked about my vampirism.”
“Yes. She didn’t ask to leave, Augustus,” Gregory said.
“What?”
Gregory ran fingers through his hair. He looked shocked. “After I told her everything about you and your vampire abilities she came up here. She sat by your side watching you. I watched her watch you. Multiple times she reached out to touch you. Her hand would hover over your body, and then she’d drop her hand.”
“I don’t understand. If she didn’t want to leave then why did she?” Augustus asked.
“I told her to leave. I thought it would do her good to get away from here and from us. She needs time to think.”
Augustus nodded. He understood why Gregory had done what he’d done. “She’s not going to go spouting off about what I am?”
“No, I don’t know why, but she’s not.”
He turned to look at the windows. “Is it dark out?”
“Yes. I figured you’d want to go and see her.”
“Do you want to come with me?” Augustus asked.
Gregory stared at him. “You’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. I’ve not been human in over three hundred years. I saw Marianna was comfortable with you. I figure if you’re there, you’d offer your comforting presence.”
“Okay, I’ll come with you. I’m not going to hurt her though,” Gregory said.
“I never wanted to hurt her in the first place, Gregory. I may be a vampire, but I still fucking feel.”
He stormed out of the room and made his way outside. Gregory followed him.
“We’re going to need to go in a car. There’s no way I’d be able to catch up with you, and I don’t know where she works. You’ve never actually told me where she works.”
&nbs
p; Augustus waited for him to bring the car around. He’d not been able to drive a car in some time. His strength meant he broke most of the features in the car. When they were travelling together he let Gregory drive all the way.
He climbed into the passenger side and gave him the directions towards the café where she worked.
“Do you miss your old life?” Augustus asked. The journey to Marianna would take some time.
“Why do you ask?”
“When you inject me with holy water and knock me out I dream. I dream about my life before becoming a vampire. I left behind a wife and ten children.”
“Fucking hell, you screwed a bit back in the day,” Gregory said.
Augustus chuckled. He loved his friend. “I screw a lot now as well.”
“How could I forget? What happened to your wife and children?”
“I didn’t kill them if that was what you were thinking.” He held his hand up when Gregory went to argue. “I’m not offended. When we first change the thirst for blood is more powerful than what you witnessed last night. I wouldn’t wish those first couple of years on anyone. It took me several lifetimes to gain control.” Augustus shook his head remembering the pain of draining his victims until there was nothing left. “I couldn’t kill the woman I loved or the children I’d created. I watched them from a distance at night. I watched as disease spread through the town where I lived at the time. There is nothing of my family, Gregory. My wife and all my children were killed within years of my death.”
“I’m sorry.” Gregory reached out to touch him.
“Don’t be. Please, answer my questions.”
“I’m not sorry that you took me away. I don’t miss my family, and I was dead to them a long time ago. They never cared about me the way you did. I’m not sorry for our time together, Augustus.”
He smiled at Gregory. Their friendship meant everything to him. He’d hate to have caused his friend any pain.
“I’d love it if you turned me, Augustus,” Gregory said.
His smile fell. “I’ve told you I can’t do that.”
“Why not? I don’t want to fuck you or anything. I love being around you. Our friendship is the only thing keeping me going. You know that, and I know that. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
Augustus knew that to be true. Gregory had pumped his body full of drugs. When Augustus found him all of his organs were shutting down. Giving Gregory his blood had sustained him, and providing he gave Gregory enough blood the human would never die. However, his blood didn’t completely heal Gregory like the movies described. Unless he turned Gregory then without his blood the human would die.
“You don’t want this life, Gregory.”
“Don’t try to tell me what I want.”
He stayed silent. When Gregory got into one of his moods, Augustus knew it was best to leave everything alone until he calmed down.
Chapter Four
Everything Marianna thought she knew had changed within one night. She saw the heading in the newspaper about the three men found dead down a darkened alleyway. There was no evidence of her there, or at least the papers didn’t think so. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Gregory said. When she’d turned up for work, Donald asked her about her cuts and bruises.
Saying she got run over by a car hadn’t cut it.
“I fell down a lot of steps. I was lucky I didn’t break my neck,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m a little sore but nothing else.”
Her boss stared at her, his gaze unwavering. She felt like a bug under his watchful gaze.
“Okay, I’ll let you get to work.”
Throughout the evening she was asked a load of questions. She smiled and bluffed her way through the questions. During one of her breaks she sat in the back staring at her cup of coffee when Donald walked through the back.
“Your man is here with his boyfriend. They’re in your section, and they want you to serve them.”
Marianna tensed. Augustus was here?
She quickly glanced out of the window to see it was dark. “I … erm … better get to it.” Giving her best fake smile she walked out to the café. A lot of the customers had gone. She didn’t really care. The two men sitting together, one pale, the other not, caught her attention.
“You’re looking better,” Augustus said.
“Thanks. I took some painkillers for the pain.” The bite mark on her neck had healed throughout the day.
“That is what painkillers are for,” Gregory said.
“What can I get you guys?” She blushed when she looked at Augustus. He wasn’t exactly a guy.
“I’m very much a guy.”
“You can read thoughts?”
“There is a lot I can do, Marianna.”
A thrill travelled up her spine at the seductive note of his voice.
Why wasn’t she running away screaming? None of her actions made sense to her. Augustus was a vampire. She’d seen him kill at least one of the men from last night. He’d bitten her, and yet she was turned on by him.
Licking her lips she turned her attention to Gregory. “Thank you for last night,” she said.
“It’s a pleasure.”
“I’d like you to come back to our home with us,” Augustus said. “I’d like to talk more with you.”
Her stupid heart jumped a beat, not in fear either.
“Okay, I’ve got to finish my shift, and then I’m all yours.”
She waited for them to order before going through to the kitchen. Donald stood waiting. “I don’t like the way they look at you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The pale one is always looking at you. He wants you, Marianna.” She didn’t get a buzz or any kind of reaction when Donald said her name.
“There’s nothing there. He’s a customer.” She returned to her duties. Marianna hated the possessive quality to Donald’s voice. He always behaved like she was his whenever they were around each other.
There were times he made her uncomfortable with what he did or said. Donald was a married man, and even if he wasn’t, she didn’t feel anything for him.
The end of her shift couldn’t come fast enough. Her body ached from the labour, and she wanted to spend time with Augustus and Gregory. Both men intrigued her. One was a vampire and the other, human.
Her mind was struggling to keep up with the changes she’d discovered in the last twenty-four hours.
When closing time did come around, Donald was freer with his hands than she liked. He kept finding any excuse to touch or brush against her. She didn’t like how he was changing toward her.
Augustus and Gregory were waiting for her next to a car. Without looking back, she climbed into the back seat.
“Your boss has got a thing for you,” Augustus said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She rested her purse on the seat while looking at the vampire in the mirror. The mirror was another myth that proved to be false. Would she ever be able to wrap her head around his revelations?
“I know more than you think. When you were walking out of the door he was thinking about your ass.” Augustus let out a sigh. “He imagined you bent over his desk with your ass in the air. His imagination went a little deeper. If you wish for me to tell you more, let me know.”
Heat filled her cheeks. Donald did always seem overly friendly.
“Erm, no thanks. It was probably only tonight,” she said, hoping against hope she was right.
“Actually, last night he was thinking about coming all over your tits. I’d be careful around him. He wants you and has every intention of using the safety of your job as leverage in order to get into your pants.”
She looked at Gregory. “Is he serious?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Ever since Augustus developed his obsession with you, he’s been telling me about your boss’s little fantasies. And yes, he’s got more than one.”
Marianna shuddered.
The thought of Donald touching her made her feel sick.
“You’re warned. Whatever you do with the information is up to you.”
Gregory started driving. She couldn’t bring herself to look back at the café.
“Do you know when he intends to make his move?” she asked. She wanted to be prepared.
“He was going to do it this weekend. I think your cuts and bruises will hold him off for a few days.”
Nibbling her lip, Marianna stared out of the window. “I can’t find another job in that time.” She needed money in order to live and pay bills.
I’m thinking about money with a vampire in the car.
“Why aren’t I afraid of you?” she asked.
“I truly don’t know.”
Silence fell in the car. She stared out of her window watching the city pass her by. Were there many vampires? What were they like?
“I’ll answer your questions all in good time,” Augustus said.
“I’ll never get used to that.”
Gregory pulled up outside the house she’d left last night. The house was large and grand.
Augustus held the door open for her. He moved faster than she could process with her eyes. It was always like a blur when he moved. He offered her his arm.
“You’re rather old-fashioned,” she said.
“Some kinds of etiquette shouldn’t be forgotten.”
“This is one of them?”
“Opening doors for women and escorting them inside homes and buildings, yes. I’m a great believer in helping women.”
“I’m never going to digest this,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.
****
Gregory couldn’t believe how well Marianna was handling the situation. He expected her to have run away screaming by now. Instead, she sat in the sitting room, drinking tea and eating a scone all the while staring at Augustus. Every now and then she glanced his way.
He didn’t want to think about the thrill riding through his body whenever she turned her gaze toward him. His cock was unbearably thick, and the jeans he wore felt too tight against his skin.
Augustus presented his wrist to him. Gregory took the sustenance without even thinking. Her eyes widened as he watched her.