The Vampire's Prey

by Vivian Murdoch

  My balls draw up tightly as I feel my impending orgasm building in my body. For the first time in centuries, I come first. With a loud roar, I grip her thighs and ride out the wave, stunned by how powerful it is. With one hand, I keep a tight hold of her body. With the other, I bring it back in between us and keep stroking across her bud, fast and hard, just how she likes it. Though spent, my cock still twitches inside her as her muscles clamp down, milking me hard. I feel her orgasm building in her. Her whole body clenches around me as her release rolls through her.

  I run my fingers down her cheek, watching her eyelids flutter as she looks up at me.

  "Damn," she whispers.

  "Damn indeed.”

  I wait a moment until her eyelids flutter back closed before pricking my finger with my fang. Pulling the sheet away from her inner thigh, I watch the sluggish trickle of blood with fascination. I lean back down to lick the lifeforce away before smearing my blood against the wound. Within moments, a thin line remains. The only thing to give evidence to our wild abandon.

  “Now, you lay right there and bask. I will draw up a bath.” I pull out, immediately missing the warmth of her body. For the first time since I have been turned, things finally feel like they are beginning to be at peace. Like I can finally breathe. I steal one more glance at my prize before slipping into the adjoining bathroom. The sunrise is getting even closer, and though we both share a deepening affection for each other, I still don’t know her well enough to keep her in my room while I slumber. That and I would never bore a mortal by watching me sleep. Better she bug Marion than sit and stew in my room.

  The steam from the hot water fills the room. I really have done a poor job preparing for my guest. I shake my head and turn around to gather my woman when I spot a large bag of soaking salts and a jar of bubble bath. Good old Maria. At least one of us has enough sense to make sure the human is well cared for. I scoop a generous handful of both into the tub and watch for a few moments to make sure nothing actually bubbles over. Satisfied that my bathroom is not about to turn into a comedy sketch, I stride back into the room.

  Evangeline is right where I left her, but her inquisitive stare is flying all across my room. Clearing my throat, I chuckle as her eyes fly to mine. She blushes slightly before pointing out my suit of samurai armor in the corner.

  "Did this belong to someone important?" My gaze softens as I lean over and gather her into my arms.

  "Well, if you consider me to be important, then yes."

  I laugh as her jaw drops in surprise.

  "But, but you're—."

  "Not a samurai? No. I wasn’t born into the life, but I was adopted into it.” Before she can ask more questions, I lean down and kiss her. "Another tale for a much later time. For now, I am more interested in getting you bathed and into bed."

  "With you?" Her eyes lower for a moment and the blush returns.

  "Would that be so bad?"

  "Oh, no. That's not what I meant. I just haven't actually slept with a guy before."

  Laughing, I turn her, so we can slide through the door and into the bathroom.

  "Then what do you call what we just did?"

  Her blush deepened even further. "That was carnal relations. Not the same."

  "Ah. I see. Unfortunately, no. I seal myself in every sunrise. You would be most terribly bored sitting here all day."

  She turns her head, deep in thought.

  "Whatever you are thinking so hard about, don’t. We are still getting to know each other. I’m sure you would feel uncomfortable waking up to me being unresponsive."

  "That would be weird actually. But, could you sleep with me a little?"

  Setting her down, I climb into the tub, keeping her gaze as I sink below the warm water.

  "I will stay with you until you are asleep. How does that sound?"

  She nods and lifts up her leg to step in. Reaching out my hand, I help her ease over and join me in the tub. The moment a cut hits the salty water, she winces and whimpers. Devil that I am, I start twitching at those pitiful sounds.

  "I know it stings sweetheart, but it will feel better in a moment."

  I get her settled into the water and hold her close. The heat from the tub warms up my skin, and I feel almost cozy with my human snuggled up in my arms. Letting my mind drift, I try to remember the last time I was ever so at peace. The only memories I can conjure up are from when I was still a mortal. Being a vampire has a lot of perks but the same, if not more, number of drawbacks.

  "Do you kill people?"

  I pause and look down at my human. How to answer a question like this.

  "In what way? I have been alive for a very long time. Through wars even."

  "Okay, then, do you kill for sport or fun?"

  I slide to the side, so I can see her face. Her brows are knitted together in a deep frown.

  "What makes you think that I do?"

  She looks up at me, her eyes wary. "I mean, you're a vampire. By definition a monster. You prey on innocents for their blood.”

  She looks down in wonder at her leg and runs her finger along where I cut into her. Already the angry gash is nothing more than a faint line.

  Grabbing her tightly into my arms, I rest my chin on the top of her head and close my eyes. How can I truthfully answer this question when I struggle with it daily?

  "Monster may be too broad a word. Just as there are bad humans, there are bad others. Just like you would not paint the entire human race based on the actions of serial killers, you cannot base your opinions of us based on the actions of some that are evil. Have I killed? Yes. But, I only kill in self-defense or in defense of another. I take no pleasure in it. I do not relish it. I do not find glory in anyone's death.” I grip her even tighter. “You asked about my armor. I was turned by a samurai as repayment for saving his life. As such, I have adopted many of their codes and ways of living. For me, all life is sacred, including mine. If you encroach on that sanctity, you are forfeiting that sanctity. It’s in the best interest of others that you are removed from the equation.” Her body relaxes against me, and I wrap my arms about her. "Not all vampires agree with me, and everyone must live by their own code. While living over in Asia, I was introduced to many ways of thought. I kept what fit and discarded what didn’t. I don’t subscribe to any one religion or way of thought. Instead, I find the idea that live and let live works the best for me."

  She squirms in my arms, making herself even smaller in my grip. "So then monster hunters are the worst types of people then?"

  Chuckling, I kiss the back of her head. "Some yes. Some destroy lives without taking care to even learn about them. They see or hear a monster story and go on a rampage, leaving innocents in their wake.” I shudder and burrow my face into her neck, careful to keep my lips and teeth away from her throat.

  "I have seen the horror and destruction left behind by some so-called hunters. The poor bastards that were killed were not even other forms of beings. They were human. They just had the unfortunate luck to fit the type. Come. Enough of this sad talk.”

  I lean her forward and ease out to dry off. After I finish toweling dry, I help Evangeline up and towel her down as well before setting her down on the closed toilet seat. Her poor face is still scrunched in thought.

  "Why all the deep questions?"

  Sticking out her tongue, she stands and grabs the towel I used on her and wraps it around her body. Growling, I tug it from her and toss it on the floor.

  "I have already seen you naked, woman, you need not hide your delectable body from me."

  Smiling, she strikes a sexy pose. "Who says I'm hiding? I'm cold, dang it all."

  "Then we must remedy this!" Laughing, I scoop her back into my arms and carry her quickly through the house and back to her room. As we near the bed, I turn her in my arms and toss her over my shoulder to free my other arm. She laughs and kicks, struggling to be put down.

  "Unhand me you brute!"

  "Very well, miss.” Without giving her a chance to
catch her breath, I toss her down onto the bed. "Consider yourself, unhanded."

  Giggling, she shimmied under the covers and pulled them up close to her chin. "Ahhh. Much warmer."

  As she settles in, I make my way over to the dresser across from the bed and pick up a small stuffed bunny and bring it over to her.

  "This may be forward of me, but I saw the look in your eyes when I gave Marion a stuffie. I figured you might want one too."

  Tears prick her eyes, welling up as she reaches for the bunny. Smiling, I hand it to her and go around the other side to climb into bed with her. Clutching the bunny tighter, she rolls towards me and rests her head on my chest.

  "I'm so sorry," she mumbles half into my chest, half into the bunny."

  "Whatever for, princess?" I smile down at her, stroking her hair.

  "For being so mean to you."

  Laughing, I clutch her tighter. "My dear, you are not mean. Bratty, oh definitely. But I have ways to fix that.” I tap her nose and pull the covers back up around her shoulders. "But right now, you need to rest."

  Nodding, she lays on me for several minutes until her breathing finally evens out. I hold her to me for as long as I dare before I have to make my way to my chambers for sunrise.

  9

  Simon

  The filthy bar crawls with degenerates all humping and grinding against each other. Lewd and crude. The very idea of my pure Evangeline working in a hell hole like this is enough to make my blood boil. I never question Father or his teachings, but I still feel he was too hasty in letting her go to this iniquity den with so little training. Just because she’s hot doesn’t make her the perfect candidate. I should have gone in the first place and cleansed this whole town. From just stepping foot in here, I know her intel is way off. She reported two or maybe three vampires. So far, I’ve counted at least five. And those are the ones I can see. There is no way there aren’t more of those damn bloodsuckers hiding in the shadows.

  "What can I get you?"

  I look up and see a cute waitress leaning over to take my order. Her breasts almost spill out of her top as she rests her arm on the bar to write down what my order is. Disgust rolls through me. She has so much potential. Instead of being fulfilled as wife and mother, she’s here, using her wares to snare unsuspecting men then blaming them when they take her up on her offer. It takes effort, but I put a smile on my face and look at her name tag.

  "Well Barbara, you can tell me if you've seen another waitress around here? Evangeline?"

  Her eyes light up. "Well of course, I've seen her! She's my bestie. Are you a friend of hers?"

  "I'm her brother, actually.” Her smile widens even more.

  "Well, she doesn’t talk about any relatives. I just assumed she had no family left, and that's why she's out here in the middle of nowhere."

  Chuckling, I look around and lean in close. "She doesn't like to talk about us. We're the odd ones."

  She laughs and lays a hand on my arm. It takes every ounce of willpower to not peel her fingers off of me. How dare she touch me like this. Like she’s familiar with me. This whore probably touches everyone intimately and lets them touch her. No way she hasn't let a vamp sample her wares.

  "Well, she's a little odd herself. So, you must be good company. Sorry though. I haven't seen her in several days. I was told she's coming back soon though. Adrian is bringing her with him."

  Adrian? Red flashes before my eyes. Who the hell is Adrian, and what is he doing with my Evangeline? Sighing, I blank my face of any emotion and smack my forehead.

  "That's right. She did mention something like that. I must have read the dates wrong.” Pulling out my phone, I pretend to scroll through it. "Heck. I think I deleted that message. Do you think you can tell me again where Adrian lives? I came in early, but I really want to surprise her. Her birthday is tomorrow.”

  Barbara looks around the club for a few moments, her brows drawn in a deep frown.

  "I don't know. I—"

  Reaching out, I grab her hand and bring it to my chest. "She’ll be so surprised, Barbara. I bet she didn't even tell you when her birthday was. She'll be so tickled that I made a fuss. I was trying to coordinate something with Adrian, but I didn't want her to know about any of it. You know, surprise party and all."

  She bites down on her lower lip, deep in thought for a few moments.

  "And I'll be sure to tell her that her bestie was a great help. In fact, you can help me plan it, if you want."

  Her eyes light up again. Excellent.

  "Really? I just love planning surprises. Now, I don't have his address, but I do have his number! You know what! Sometimes Maria comes in for some supplies for him. I think she's coming tonight! Oh, this is just perfect!"

  "Perfect indeed! I'll just wait for Maria and talk to her!"

  She leans in and whispers. "Don't tell Adrian I said this, but he would be nowhere without Maria. So, it's best to plan with her anyway."

  Winking, I sit back in my chair, fully prepared to wait. A few moments later, my phone dings. Evangeline still hasn’t answered my last text. She always texts me back. Unbidden, images of her intertwined with a faceless demon fills my brain. If she let him sully her, she would never hear the end of it from me. She'd be lucky if she lived.

  "Everything okay? You look like you just got some bad news."

  "Oh, not too bad, but I'm going to miss seeing Maria. I guess this party won't work after all."

  Her face falls for a moment before she grabs a strip of receipt paper. "You can call and set up the whole thing."

  I flash her my signature smile before taking the paper. "Perfect. Also, let's keep this a secret between us okay? I don't want a chance of Evangeline knowing anything."

  Giggling, Barbara mimics turning a key at her lips before “tossing” it away. "You can count on me. See you soon!"

  "You betcha."

  She flashes me a huge grin before scrubbing at a spot on the bar. On the way out to my car, I scan the club again, looking for anything I might have missed. The only odd thing I notice is the coat closet, but then again, these degenerates would probably have sex on the bar if it were legal. Once out at my car, I pull out my laptop and input Maria's phone. If I’m lucky, she won’t have anything to interfere with me tracking her. Based on what Baraba said, I think it’s safe to assume she might be an older woman, thus less inclined to deal with technology. My prayers are answered. Within moments, her car bleeps up on my screen.

  It isn’t hard to spot her among everyone else. She looked old enough to be these partygoers’ grandmother. Another point in favor of my deductive skills. I alternate between drumming my fingers against the steering wheel and gripping it tightly, waiting for Maria to come back out.

  Finally. After what feels like eternity, she comes out with a package and walks over to her car. She fumbles with her keys for a moment, and I tamp down the irritation threatening to overwhelm me. It’s not her fault she’s old. I need to keep my head in the game and not let my temper get the better of me. After a few more moments, she starts up her car and pulls away from the bar. Waiting until she’s a short distance from me, I put my car in gear and follow after her.

  The house she pulls into is massive. This has to belong to a fanger. There’s no other explanation. She leans out the window to fiddle at the boxy contraption at the front of the gate. The code seems like a complicated series of swipes, presses, and scans before she’s finally allowed in. Too sophisticated for me to hack at that moment. That, and I’d be stupid to attempt this at night when he’s at his strongest. Better to try in the daytime.

  Determination fills me as I drive away from the mansion and towards Evangeline's apartment. With any luck, she’ll be there and be more than delighted to see me. I shift in my chair as I think about the type of greeting I would like to have from her. Gripping the steering wheel, I force those thoughts out of my mind. Soon enough, we’ll be married, and I’ll have her every way I can think of.

  Unfortunately, this too is
fruitless. I even use our secret knock, and no one answers. Anger settles deep into my gut. She has to be with him: that god-forsaken blood sucker. I'll kill him with my bare hands! Rage floods through me as I bang my fists against the door, roaring out my displeasure. Evangeline won’t escape this unscathed either. She will pay dearly with her body when I get a hold of her.

  I drive away, curse words spilling from my lips. Scrolling through my phone, I put on some heavy classic rock. That usually helps my mood a great deal. However, nothing seems to calm me down tonight. How can she do this? How can she betray The Family. Betray me? Didn't I take extra care to show her kindness, grooming her to be my wife.

  What was all of this for if she was going to just hand herself over to a monster. I seethe for a moment, anger still rolling through me. Maybe she is his prisoner! I smack my forehead. Of course! That's the only explanation. She wouldn't betray me like that. She's a good girl. Soon to be a doting, perfect wife.

  A large grin crosses my face as the anger leaches from my body. That’s it. My poor, beautiful Evangeline is not tainted. And so help me God if that fanger puts a finger on her.

  The hotel is a quick drive from Evangeline's apartment. Definitely not as nice as I was hoping, but all the budget is going towards Evangeline's apartment. Besides, it's not like The Family knew where I was going. I had to find Evangeline myself, make sure she was okay before letting them know what I suspect is going on.

  Good thing I didn't tell anyone. Father would have already yanked her back home and begun the debriefing process. I shiver as I slide my key inside the panel. For her sake, I hope she’s still untainted. Most of our family haven’t survived the debriefing process. At least not in a way that would allow them to go back out and hunt. They were lucky to be conscious and somewhat aware.

  I amble about the room, quickly getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I need all my wits about me. I change into my pjs and brush my teeth in record time. Kneeling beside the bed, I fold my hands and offer up a prayer. Not only for me but for The Family, my future wife, and our household full of children. Evangeline will make such a beautiful mother.