Scarlet Masquerade (6 page)

Then there was the question of whether Clarissa was even still a lesbian. Hadn’t they been intimate during their time together? They had been more than casual lovers. They had talked of a future together, moving to somewhere different and starting a new life. Had it all been just a game to Clarissa? A.J. had met many a woman who liked to, “try it out”, but usually they were pretty up front in the beginning. The whole thing was starting to make her angry again. De Marcus, Clarissa, the lies. Her hands began to shake as she thought about putting them around De Marcus’s neck and choking the life out of him. No, the thought of driving a stake through his withered-up heart would give A.J. the satisfaction she needed to avenge Clarissa.

She knew she needed to stop before it started all over again. She got up, went to her room and put on her running clothes. She needed to get out and try to release this energy quickly, before it took a turn for the worse. As she stepped out into the cold night air, she took a deep, long breath and clipped her cell phone to her waistband. Twisting her neck from side to side, she felt the pop and stretch as she tried to loosen herself up. Running wasn’t her favorite exercise, but it helped keep her in shape. With her lifestyle, sometimes it didn’t hurt to be able to outrun someone just like her.
Better to run away than have to fight to the death,
she told herself.

Running towards the park, she felt herself begin to relax into her pace. She liked mindless labor sometimes. It gave her the chance to clear her mind and not think about things, only focusing on the thump, thump, thump her running shoes made when they connected with the pavement. Her long strides ate up the distance to the first marker on her run, a century old oak that had seen some of the same things she had seen in her lifetime. The only difference, the oaks didn’t repeat their stories.

She could feel her body rebelling against the strain of the run, especially after what she had just put it through earlier, in the bathroom. Looking down at her hands, she saw the remnants of the pounding she had delivered to the tiles. Their stiffness reminded her that had the tiles been a person, they would have probably been dead.
I guess I need to call a contractor and get that fixed,
she thought running past a group of ducks. Their heads were tucked under their wings, in for the night. Running faster, her body started to relax even more. Her mind began to clear from the fog she had been clouded in. Her ears picked up drifting conversations as she passed by people walking home. Work was often the topic, but occasionally, she heard the whispers of an intimate conversation, making her smile. If people only knew they could be heard by others like her, maybe they would be more careful.

Thump, thump, thump was all she focused on as she clicked off the markers that made up her journey. The century oak, the cluster of picnic benches on her right, the white light posts that lit the edges of the path she ran on. Her skin prickled as she ran closer to the lighted phone booth on her left. Someone stood under the light in the booth with his back to A.J. as she passed. A.J. felt her body tighten when she cleared the phone booth. Something was wrong, very wrong, and there was little she could do as she was tackled from behind and thrown to the pavement. Rolling with the attacker, she tucked her head and dropped her shoulder, so that she could position herself on top of her unsuspecting attacker.

A guttural, throaty growl assaulted her ears, as she straddled the now victim under her. A punch landed squarely on her jaw, throwing her head sideways and threatening to unseat her off him. His stench was overwhelming and made her want to throw up. Jerking her head back, she worked her arms between his iron grips on her jacket and grabbed his throat. Pulling him closer, she could see the dried blood in the corners of his mouth, alerting her to whom she was fighting. Her gaze caught a brief glimpse of sharp incisors meant for her.

“Wrong idea, asshole.” A.J. felt her body begin its second attempt to morph on the same day. Her grasp tightened on the slender neck, and she let her body continue its transformation.
Timing is everything,
she thought, feeling her skin tighten with anticipation. Her eyes became piercing and she began to stand up pulling her attacker with her. She could hear his windpipe crunch, as she continued tightening her grip. A.J. felt his grip on her jacket release when he moved to grab her wrists, trying to pull them from his neck.

“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” A.J. said, through grinding teeth.

“Okay, so what are your plans for the break?” Carol asked, wiping dressing from her lips.

“Hmm, I don’t know. I guess stick close to home.” Clarissa pushed her plate away and looked at Carol.

“So, tell me about last night,” Carol said, looking down and picking through her salad. “What happened that made you jumpy?”

Taking a long, deep breath, Clarissa dropped her head on the back of the high booth seat, closed her eyes and remembered. Exhaling, she started to tell Carol about the night before, at the bar.

“So tall, dark and dyke didn’t like the rules huh? Gee, I wish I had your problems, but only in the male department.” Pushing her plate away, Carol smiled at Clarissa. “So what happened then? You said you felt like someone was watching.”

Clarissa rubbed her fingertips across her eyebrows, trying to work out the stress that had deposited there. “I don’t know. Maybe it was just the run-in with Sheila. It probably left me off-kilter.”

“Naw, I’ve seen you take on some of the most aggressive men on campus and make hamburger out of ’em. You’re sure it isn’t something else, kid?”

“When are you gonna stop calling me kid? You’re only a few years older than me.” Chuckling, Clarissa knew she was easily a hundred years older than Carol.

“Aw, you look like a kid to me. You know how it is. When you’ve been here as long as I have, everyone just starting is a kid, regardless of their age. Just my way of thinking.”

“Hmm.”

“Okay. Well, I need to get home and grade papers. The end of the semester waits for no one, as they say in academia.” Carol stood and grabbed her coat and purse. “Besides, it’s your treat right?” Flashing Clarissa a smile, she winked and reached for her hand, helping her out of the tight booth.

“Yep. You got last time.”

Clarissa followed Carol out of the restaurant and into the street. Just as she stepped to the curb, her neck and shoulders began to tingle, and goose bumps covered her body. Tensing, she froze and pulled her jacket tightly around her neck.

“Hey, are you alright?” Carol asked, reaching for Clarissa’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?” Carol leaned in and looked into Clarissa’s face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost? What’s the matter?”

Clarissa knew what was wrong immediately. A vampire was close. Twice in two days. What were the odds? She had spent years without ever feeling one close by and now two days in a row. She was on alert.

“I just remembered, I need to go back to the university. I left my office unlocked.” Clarissa turned and started walking towards the university. She needed to get as far away from Carol as possible. If she was with a human, they were in danger, and she didn’t want anything to happen to the only friend she was close to here.

“Hey wait, I can give you a ride,” Carol said, trying to catch up.

“No, I’m good. I need to walk dinner off anyway. I’ll call you later,” she said, waiving Carol off. “Good night.” Clarissa’s body was starting to charge up as she walked further away from Carol.

Good, as long as they follow me and not her,
she thought.

She walked faster towards anywhere but where Carol was. She felt her heart start to race and blood to surge faster through her veins. Her fingers tingled and she felt her nails start to lengthen as the small hairs on her body started to vibrate out of control. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she was having a sexual reaction to someone. Looking around, she tried to pick out anything that might give her a clue as to who was following her or where that person was. Slowing down, she walked casually to a corner window and peered into it. Scanning the reflection in the glass, she tried to see the few people walking towards her. It had been a long time since she had been on alert. Now she wished she had stayed focused.

Looking at her reflection in the glass, she watched as her eyes became the color of blood, and the pupils dilated fully. She was transforming and needed to get out of sight, fast. Spotting a parking garage, she ran for the entrance and ducked behind a pillar. Her body was in full control, and her mind was lagging behind. Her nostrils flared as a familiar scent assaulted her. Lust. She was close to another vampire in transformation and could feel its sexual energy vibrating through her body. Her nipples hardened as she tried to control the urge to come. Every muscle in her body reacted, tightening, and then spasming almost to orgasm. Inside her mouth, she tasted blood, her blood, as her incisors lengthened. Whoever was close was feeling the same thing she was, or she wouldn’t be reacting this way. It had been a long time since she had this kind of reaction. It wasn’t unpleasant, just the wrong place at the wrong time. Not to mention, she could be in danger if she lost control and transformed in front of the wrong person.

On her hands and knees now, she panted as she tried to regain control of her body. She slowly moved further back into the garage, watching every movement around her. Her ears tuned in to a conversation a few cars over.

“Aw, come on baby, for me?” said a husky male voice.

“No, it’s dirty in here. Besides, we have a perfectly good bed at home. You can wait,” a softer female voice whispered.

“Please.”

“Mike, I said no. No means no. Don’t bug me until you get your way.”

“Fine.”

A car door slammed and then another, followed by screeching tires. Clearly, those were not the people responsible for the energy Clarissa was feeling. Moving further into the dark garage, she wanted to put distance between her and the other vampire. She stood leaning against the cold cement wall, bracing both hands on it. Her body started to shake again. Her clit lengthened and she felt a cold caress move up her body. As long as she faced the wall, she was vulnerable. Taking her jacket off, she leaned against the cold wall and looked around again. Nothing. She could see in the darkness, and yet she could see nothing. But she was definitely feeling someone.

Her body started reacting again, clenching and spasming. She felt a breath on her neck and an erotic caress against her breast. Only a seasoned vampire could be so aggressive, so controlling. De Marcus was the last one she had been with that could command her to come without touching her, and he was dead. Before she could do anything, she shuddered as an orgasm took control of her body. Grunting, she fell to her knees and moaned as she felt her body convulse repeatedly. She thought she felt a hand touch her clit, causing her to come again as she begged for another touch.

“Please, stop. Please,” she pleaded into the darkness, as she arched her back and clenched her jaw trying to control the pleasure. She panted as she struggled to regain control of her body.

She cleared her mind and remembered what De Marcus had told her about letting other people try to control her. The lessons had been brutal at his hand, but she had learned them quickly. He didn’t want her influenced by anyone other than him, so he beat it into her. Remembering the lesson instantly brought her back into control of her body. She expected De Marcus to be standing over her as she remembered the lesson.

“Control it, Clarissa. I said control it, damn it.” He swung the leather strap over her back.

The sting of the leather bit into her back as she lay naked on the floor of the cottage. Her body was betraying her mind. Another bite of the leather across her back and she felt her incisors lengthen.

“I said control it, you bitch,” he said, as he swung again.

Clarissa cursed him under her breath. He watched as another vampire brought her to orgasm again, only to beat it out of her. She panted as she tried to focus on something other than the betrayal of her body. Another tingle shot through her body and then the strap hit her again.

“If you don’t learn to respond only to me, you will be at anyone’s beck and call,” he said, hitting her again.

“Fuck you,” she said, spitting blood at him.

“Oh I will, but not before you learn your lesson, my love. Trust me, this hurts me more than it will hurt you if this happens again,” he said, swinging the leather strap across her back.

“De Marcus, must we—”

“Shut the fuck up. She needs to learn that I am her master and only me.”

“Fine, but I am done with this folly. She has learned her lesson, I’m sure. Don’t call me again if this is what you want next time.” Reaching down, the man caressed Clarissa’s shoulder and said, “I’m sorry, Clarissa. Please forgive me.”

With that, the lesson was over. Clarissa lay on the floor for quite some time as De Marcus smoked a cigar and preached to her the virtues of self-control.

Clarissa found herself lying on the garage floor. Her body recovered from the almost pleasurable experience. Getting to her knees quickly, she reached for her jacket and scanned the garage. Still, she didn’t see anyone or hear anything as she pulled her coat on. Running her tongue across her lips, she tasted the remnants of blood left behind from her bite. Panicking, she focused on the entrance of the garage as she ran towards it. Clarissa barely missed being run over by a car speeding towards the exit.

“Hey, watch where you’re going lady. Geez.”

A.J. stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Clarissa exit the garage. She had been chasing the seeker who attacked her in the park. She had lost her focus earlier when she heard someone walking by, afraid she might be caught. She had turned her head to see where they were and lost her grip on the bottom-feeder, and he took advantage of the opportunity to run, with A.J. giving chase. They ended up fighting again by the garage Clarissa was now leaving. It explained why A.J. felt her body reacting sexually to someone else. The energy she was giving off was sure to be felt by Clarissa, so she waited.