“That’s right, love.” He sighed, stroking her hair and guiding her mouth to his throat. She could feel something strange happening to her. Her mouth burned, suddenly seeming stretched and sore. Her new canines elongated, breaking through the skin of her gums. The sharp pain was enough, and she knew what to do. With an animalistic snarl she bit down, tearing his flesh with her teeth until his blood was flowing over her mouth and chin. Seth howled, a sound of delicious agony and pleasure. With a final thrust, he came, emptying his seed into her until it was dripping down her thighs, and he could no longer move. He fell down to his knees, taking her with him until she straddled his lap, collapsing against his chest as the tremors subsided.
He held her close, keeping her tight against him. Something was strange about it. So cold and hollow. Like a statue, he held her in his immovable embrace. There was no heartbeat, no rhythm of breath to measure out their strides toward death. There was no death. Only endless oceans of time that she would gladly spend in the grasp of his stony clinch.
“Gillian.” He sighed against her ear after what seemed like hours of silence. “I have to feed. I’m fading.” He stroked her hair idly, teasing her awake. Her eyes moved beneath their lids and he could tell that she was still locked in some feverish dream. Did she dream of him? Leaning over, Seth kissed her eyes, pressing his lips against her skin and breathing slowly. “Wake up, lover.”
Gillian stirred, slowly coming back from the dream world she’d constructed in her subconscious. When she opened her eyes, he could see first alarm, then recognition as sleep retreated from her eyes. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A couple of hours. It’s dark,” he replied simply, lying down beside her. Opening his arms, she curled into him without hesitation. A long sigh escaped him as he felt her warmth. “Did you sleep well?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.
She stretched, her lithe body lying against his, fitting perfectly together. “I had the strangest dreams.”
“About what?”
“I’m not certain. Images mostly. But they gave me the strangest feeling of comfort. They were dark and full of shadows, but for the first time in my life I felt perfectly safe. Like I’d come home.”
Seth smiled and pulled her tighter into his embrace, inhaling the spiced aroma of her skin and hair.
“Is that how it was for you? That first night after you’d been… turned into what you are?”
“What
we
are.” He gripped her chin between two fingertips, bringing her eyes up to meet his. For a split second, they flashed amber in the darkness. “You’re a vampire, Gillian. My companion in this endless night.” Leaning in, he licked her lips and tasted the blood that still lingered there. “Never forget what you are.” He used the tip of his finger to trace along the line of Gillian’s brow, feeling the smooth skin and drawing a small sigh from her. “I had another companion… long ago. She forgot who she was. Forgot what we are and she became twisted. To her, taking a life was for sport, not food. She nearly drank this world dry before I realized her disease”. A pang of hunger twisted in the pit of his belly and he recoiled, lying back on the bed. He felt weak, trapped in his human shell. “Forgetting yourself…it leads down a dangerous path.”
“Seth…what’s wrong?” Gillian looked down at him with concern.
“I just need to feed. Soon.”
Looking over his shoulder, she stared at the clock by the bed. It screamed 9:30 in glowing red numbers. She’d been here for more than a day’s time. How could it be that she’d totally lost herself in Seth so quickly? But everything was so different than the night before. Whereas last night she’d lost all hope and wanted to kill herself for still loving Jax, tonight she only wanted to live. To embark on this endless night with Seth.
Jax. His name still brought a small dagger to the pit of her stomach. The last words he’d spoken to her still echoed in her ears.
“I just can’t love you anymore. You’re pathetic.”
His words cut deep, deeper than the healing scar left on her thigh. Even when they’d been together, his words could always crush her. How could he be so cold? To treat her as if she were nothing? In that moment, she realized she hated him. No longer was there a hole in her chest where unrequited love bubbled and boiled like acid. All that was left now was unadulterated rage and hate.
Pulling back, she offered Seth a wide smile, her new fangs glistening in the dim light. “Let’s eat.”
“The key to your first kill is not to hesitate.” Seth pulled Gillian down the narrow alley quickly, eager to feed. Looking at the man by her side, Gillian could tell that he was fading. His skin had grown pale, nearly transparent so that the veins in his forehead stood out in harsh relief. “You have to go in fast. Give your prey no chance to run. It’s part of our secrecy.” He panted.
“Seth…are you alright?” Gillian stopped, pausing to wrap a supportive arm around his waist. “You look ill.”
“I’ve waited too long, Gillian. I was seducing you rather than hunting last night and I’m famished. But I’ll be fine soon.” He brushed his lips against hers lightly. “Stop worrying about me and concentrate on the hunt, will you?”
“I am concentrating on the hunt,” she replied, staring into the shadowy darkness before them. “And have no fear. I won’t hesitate.” They moved through the streets with a stealth and grace that was inhuman, their eyes searching for any sign of movement. But Gillian knew where she was going. She had a specific prey in mind, and she wouldn’t be satisfied with a stranger. She pushed herself harder and faster, wanting to run, but knowing that Seth was too weak. The anticipation and fear was killing her. She wanted to take full advantage of this rage before she lost her nerve.
“If I were stronger, I could teach you to run…”
“No need to run,” she replied simply. “I know where I’m going.” She kept her eyes straight ahead, trying to adjust to the darkness. To her surprise, everything around her seemed sharper in the dark. As if she had a set of night vision goggles showing her the way. Not that she would need it. She could walk this path in her sleep. The heavy boots on her feet made crunching sounds on the sidewalk as she walked over the fallen leaves.
The thought of what was to come made her mouth water, and she could feel the ache of her new fangs beginning to grow, piercing through the thin flesh. Strangely, it wasn’t unpleasant. For thirty years she had walked this Earth alone, never knowing where she fit in. But now, with that small, pinprick sting, she felt complete. As if her entire existence had led up to this point. She would make them all pay for their offenses against her. Their deaths would breathe new life into the shell of what she used to be.
“I hope you know where you’re going, Gillian.” Seth growled.
Looking over her shoulder, she could see that his strength was waning. His eyes had turned from their golden hue to something sinister and dark. His skin seemed stretched over his bones, lined with deep blue veins that slithered over his porcelain brow. Like a hungry animal, he was ready to strike in his panic. She would have to find their prey fast.
She didn’t answer but pushed on, knowing that in another few moments she’d be carrying her lover. Rounding the final corner, Gillian sighed in relief as she stared up at the brownstone. With her new vision she could see how run-down the place really was. This end of town was touted as the
artsy-fartsy
place to live. But staring at the broken steps leading to the door and its chipped paint, she could see that it was just another myth of urban renewal. Funny how perspectives change over the course of time and experience. Just last night this place had seemed the Garden of Eden. A place she’d been cast out of.
That was last night.
“Where are we?” Seth hissed behind her, putting his hands on his knees and doubling over. “The place looks deserted. Hardly a place to feed…”
“Just wait,” Gillian replied. “He’ll be here soon. He’s always home at this time.”
“Who are you talking about, woman?” Seth exclaimed, his voice taking on more of a bestial snarl. “You’d better not be playing around, lest I feed from you.”
Before she could reply, she heard a tinkling of metal against metal. As if someone was pulling keys from their pocket to unlock the car. Or their house. Seth stood up fast. Gillian could feel the waves of hunger and caution radiating from him, but she smiled. She was ready for this. Stepping into the shadows, she pulled him against her. Instantly, his arms went around her waist, and she tipped her mouth up to his. They kissed in the shadow of the flickering streetlamp as Jackson approached. Gillian watched him from the corner of her eye as Jax paused, regarding them. She could see the smug grin on his face, and again the rage she felt boiled up inside of her. But she would keep it at bay for now. Just long enough. It would not do to lose her control now.
“This isn’t the Red Light District, you know,” Jax shouted to them as he approached the steps leading from the stoop. “Get a fucking room.”
Gillian laughed. It seemed to echo all around them, bouncing off the brick facades. She spoke from the shadows, her voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Jackson shuddered visibly, taking a step backward and holding his hand out in front of him in a protective stance. “You were never opposed to public displays of affection,” Gillian purred. Her voice was like a bitter wind whistling around the eaves.
“Who is that?” Jackson called out, squinting into the shadow to try and make out her face.
Gillian pushed away from Seth, her fingertips brushing his as she turned toward her prey. “Just a pathetic plaything lying in the gutter.” Her hearing was acute and she heard Jackson’s sharp inhalation. Again she giggled, a candy-coated taunt. Emerging from the darkness, she walked slowly toward her former lover. His face was fixed in a terrified rigor. He could tell there was something different about her tonight. Something sinister and dangerous. Opening her mouth, Gillian caught the taste of his fear on her tongue as she approached. He stood his ground, not wanting to appear frightened when her once blue-green eyes flashed a catty gold in the moonlight.
“Gillian…what are you doing here?” he asked, his voice almost choking.
“I was in the neighborhood,” she said, the steady cadence of her footfalls acting as a metronome, counting out the remaining minutes of Jackson’s life. “I was hoping to catch you at home.”
“Look, Gilly… I thought we covered this last night. I asked you not to come here again.”
Again she laughed. “It’s a public thoroughfare,” she replied, gesturing to the street. “I can walk where I like.”
Jackson looked nervous, his eyes darting here and there. He could feel that Seth was waiting in the shadows. “Where is your friend?” he asked, nearly losing his footing on the step as she reached him.
“Who?”
“The man you were kissing…”
“Where?” She stepped up to him, their bodies so close that she could feel the heat of his and the erratic staccato of his heartbeat.
“Under the s...ss…streetlamp,” Jackson stuttered as she nuzzled under his chin, sniffing his skin with a catlike purring. There it was, the scent of his blood, fresh and fleeting as it rushed through his veins. Her mouth watered, and the fangs behind her lips seemed to grow. For a moment, there was a look of lust that flickered in Jackson’s eyes. He seemed hypnotized by the movements of her body, the heady perfume of her desire, the way her hand slid from his breast, moving slowly down his front to rest at the edge of his belt. “What are you playing at, Gillian?” he rasped.
“You still want me,” she purred. “I can taste it. I feel it with every breath you take.”
“Gillian…” She silenced him with a kiss, leaning in and covering his mouth with hers. Forcefully, she pushed her tongue between his lips, tracing his teeth with the tip. For a moment he was frozen, afraid to respond, but soon his arms were around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. His hands slid down, cupping her ass and pressing her tightly against him so that she could feel his cock, hard and ready, nudging against her center. His skin tasted just as she remembered, almost too sweet with the bitter hint of tobacco. She groaned against his mouth, her kiss becoming more insistent as she became intoxicated with the persistence of old memories. Every kiss they’d shared came flooding back, replaying with stunning clarity in her mind’s eye. Words they’d whispered in the dark, the moment she’d told him of her pregnancy, their first Christmas together… every memory flashed before her like an old film strip as they kissed. It felt so good in his arms again, yet so cold. He’d cast her out before, and he would again. There was nothing left but the hollow corpse of their love. She had given herself to Seth now. Seth who, in his darkness and death, had given her life. Her savior, baptized in blood.
Suddenly, everything grew dark.
“Why do you have to be so fucking pathetic?”
“I can’t love you anymore.”
“Our baby is dead because of you!”
His words were like a dagger, stabbing into her cold, still heart. Jackson moaned, deepening their kiss, holding on to Gillian desperately. Sucking gently, she pulled his lower lip between hers. At first, a gentle caress and then, just a light prick with her new fangs. A small bead of blood rose to the surface of his skin and her tongue swept over it. The metallic flavor made her mouth water, the corners of her mouth aching. She nipped again, opening the wound further. The venom dripped over it, making the blood run like water over his mouth and down his chin. Jax tensed. He tried to pull away, but he was no match for Gillian’s new strength. She pulled him tighter, so tight that he couldn’t catch his breath. He moaned again, but this time there was no pleasure. The wound in his mouth was throbbing, pulsing with every beat of his heart. But still she suckled. Licking and lapping at the precious, sanguine fluid.
“Stop, Gillian,” Jax whined, his voice muffled. She held tighter until he began to panic, pushing her body away in a desperate attempt to get free. “Stop!” he shouted, balling his fist and bringing it down across the bridge of her nose. She hissed, stumbling backward before he punched her again. “Crazy bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jax screamed, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Gillian crumpled to the sidewalk, covering her face with her hands and trying to stop the flow of blood from her nose and eyes. “Jax…” she whimpered, hiding herself behind the loose tendrils of her hair to cover the wicked grin. She could taste his blood, bittersweet, on her lips. She licked them, savoring the flavor. “Jax… I thought you still loved me,” she said tearfully. Looking out of the corner of her eye, Gillian could see Seth, still standing in the shadows. His eyes glowed red, and she could smell the rage and thirst rolling off of him in waves like heat on asphalt. He was weak, but the will to feed was stronger.
“Gillian…what we had is over. It’s over!” Jax took a step toward her. “You’re fucking crazy!” She tried to rise, but he shoved her to her knees again. “Torturing yourself and me like this. Get out of here!” he roared. “And don’t ever come back!”
“How could you, Jax?” she sobbed, crawling toward him, playing the pathetic role she’d learned so well.
“I told you to get out of here, Gillian!” Reaching down, he grasped her arm in an attempt to pull her up on her feet.
Gillian looked down at his hand, smeared with her blood and his own. The blood had begun to dry in the creases and lines of his hand. “Don’t you ever touch me again,” she growled. Her voice was low, barely audible. Before he could reply, she got to her feet, her movements a mere blink of the eye.
Jax gasped and stumbled backward toward the stoop. A drop of blood slid down her cheek and she captured it with her tongue, licking her lips and feeling that familiar tightening in the corners of her mouth. “You dare to treat me like your whore,” she said and snarled, stepping into the light. The moon was at the peak of its journey across the sky, bathing the two of them in a silvery light. “When YOU’RE the whore!” she screamed, slashing at his chest with her nails, now fully elongated and razor sharp. They cut through his shirt and scraped over his skin just enough to open three thin gashes over his heart.
“Gillian… Gilly…” Jax stammered. “Calm down…” He slid his hand over his chest and discovered the blossoming wound on his tee-shirt. He held his hand up, looking at the blood in disbelief.
Gillian threw her head back and laughed. “Calm down. He wants me to calm down, Seth!” she called into the darkness. Her eyes darted around, not seeing him. But he was close. She could smell his scent.
“Who is Seth?” Jax asked, his voice quivering. His eyes were wide, scanning the street for a sign of the other man. There was none. Where could he have gone?
“Who is Seth?” Gillian mocked. She struck at him again with another swipe of her claw-like hand. This time, her nails went deeper, opening another wound under the corner of his jaw. The blood glistened, looking black in the near-darkness. She wanted it, but was enjoying this game.
“I think you need to leave, Gillian,” Jax said, still trying to maintain his composure and slapping his hand over the wound. He stared at her in the same way one would a rabid dog. Afraid to stand still, but knowing if he ran, she’d only give chase.