'SARGATE
5 MILES'

I sigh in relief as I drive past the milestone, 5 more miles to Sargate, we will probably reach there by two, in the morning, considering that it is almost evening now and the impossibly slow pace that we are moving in. But we can't afford to go any faster--the bears will not like it.

I bite my tongue, shifting a shout of frustration. This continuous driving is driving me crazy. I can't see anything in the front as Enos's trailer is blocking that out. All I can do is to admire the view sideways, not that there is anything to admire. We are on a long, long bridge, on either side of us stretched the sea for miles and miles. The sun is dipping into the water, throwing splashes of red, yellow and orange in the western sky; in the eastern part, night has already started her reign.

Nothing of this interests me. You can't really enjoy nature when you hungry, right? I last fed about two weeks ago and it is wearing me down. Vanessa and Elyss had managed to catch a rabbit two days ago, when we had stopped for dinner. One rabbit was not enough to satisfy them, it just ensured that they didn't starve. Since it was small, I couldn't bring myself to share. Moreover, they looked more in need.

I pick up my phone and dial Enos's number. Might as well bother him in the meantime.

"I'm bored," I bark as soon as he picks up.

He chuckles. "You know, you shouldn't talk during driving. It can cause accidents."

I roll my eyes. "By the pace we are moving, I can't even hurt a granny's car."

"Yeah, I know. It's obviously slow compared to your one twenty kilometers per hour." He chuckles again, but stops when I suck in a dry breath.

"Mara, you're alright?" Enos asks in a concerned voice. He knows what these dry breaths meant.

I roll my eyes again but then realize that he can't see me.

"Mar-"

"Yes obviously, I'm alright, if that's even a question," I hiss. "God, Enos, my throat is burning! I haven't fed for two weeks and seriously, if I don't hunt soon enough, there are high chances of someone being murdered so we just need to quicken our damn pace!"

Well, Enos has nothing to do with me being hungry. He couldn't have done anything to prevent it either. Well, perhaps, he could... but, considering how hungry I was, I would have probably drained him dry.

"Can we please just stop here for the night?"

I can hear the hesitation in his voice when he replies," We'll be blocking the road..... and others are impatient already."

I bite back a snarl. Calm down, I'm not usually this snappy.

"You can just leave you know. I'm coming over-"

"That's out of the fucking equation!" I snap back. So much for not snapping.

"Halt," I hear Jerry's voice coming from far behind us. "The bears need to drink." And immediately I see the trailer in front of me, coming to a halt, stopping our whole procession in turn.

I sigh. "Fine" and hang up. I got his answer clear; he will not do anything for me if it involved disturbing anyone among our circus group. In reality, I don't want him to do anything either; just want to get out some frustration perhaps.

Turning off the engine, I lean back in my seat, closing my eyes. My sense of hearing and ability to see in the dark has improved, as it always does when my feeding comes nearer. Vampires are hunters of the dark. We solely depend upon our senses like sight, hearing and speed to hunt. Due to a wonderful trait of adaption, our weapons always sharpen themselves in times of need.

Our procession seems to be unusually quiet. Apart from Jerry's smooth voice petting his bears and the lapping sound of the water, only excited voices from individual trailers can be heard, even those are laced with exhaustion and weariness. Everyone has seen the milestone, it seems, and they are all eager to reach as soon as possible. Thats excusable. We have been driving for three days, stopping just for lunch and dinner and occasionally for the animals, skipping breakfast and taking turns to drive through the night. But since I am all alone in my car, I get no sleep. Not that it is necessary, but a couple of hours would have done me good. We are all tired, perhaps that's why the circus crowd are loosing their cheerful nature. There are no playful banter, no loud voice singing songs way out of tune, no drunken laughter...

A harsh fit of coughing stops my peaceful thinking. My throat seems to be on fire, lit by a dozen torches. I gasp and choke out on a cough, feeling my eyes expanding and fangs extending. My gums ache, eager to rip through flesh.

But ah. Now is not the time. I fight against the urge to let go of all restrains and give in to my needs. We are in the middle of a large water body, surrounded by a crowd of humans, who will be all too eager to be of help to an orphaned nineteen-year old, not thinking about whether they will survive or not. But it will turn every one against me if any one was to die because of me.

"I need to get out of here,"I think and suck in air, which does nothing except fueling the fire inside me. My lips are bloody because of biting. It's so fucking hard to control and-

I grip the edges of my seat tightly when I feel the presence of human blood right beside me. I try to prevent the substance from tempting me, but the thick smell swirls around me, making it hard to breath. I can't control any longer... and I don't.

I release the edges of the seat as my knuckles slowly start regaining colour and take a deep breath of the sweet liquid.

"Mara! Oh shi-" he begins to say but stops when I snap my head in his direction. The sun had long set. My pupils expand when I see him standing beside me, holding the door open. My fangs descends and I place my hands in front of me in an attacking position.

What an early kill, how easily he can be disposed. It seems that none of my energy well be wasted in this hunt as he doesn't even appear to run. But he is scared, his heart beat accelerates, despite his desperate attempts to calm himself.

I grin, baring my fangs in the process. With lightening speed I my fingers close around his neck and I pull him towards me. He tries to struggle, tangling his fingers in my hair and pulling. But I'm much stronger.

I move my lips down to his shoulder, pulling down his shirt.

Suddenly a sizzling pain grips my own neck. I let go of the boy and grasp at the object. The cool metal is burning a way right to the bone. My fingers are not enough to dislodge it, and they come back bloody. I snarl viciously, my breath choking on the way out. I can actually see the stars.

"Oh damn. Shit shit shit. Calm the fuck down I'm opening it. What the fuck was he thinking-"

Enos's panicked voice cuts through the haze of my struggle. I whimper, thrashing violently in the drivers seat, making it more difficult for him to come closer.

"Hey, Mara, I'm sorry, are you okay?" Enos asks.

I shake my head as I start gaining control. "Take it off, please," I whisper, unable to speak louder. The band is getting tighter every second, cutting of my air. One moment I'm dying, next I'm gasping,  much more aware and relatively out of the haze that had painted the surroundings with hunger.

My eyes immediately travel over Enos, searching for any sign of a bruise, but there are none. My throat is still burning, but it is under control. I quickly divert my gaze to the fucking metal in his hand.

I can't bear to look at him, especially after being so close to ending his life. I was just about to drain the life out of him. I'm even more ashamed that I lost control. But hey, that still doesn't excuse him enough to kill me!

"What is that thing!?" I choke out, reaching up to feel my neck. The skin is raw and itchy, the type of itch that promises to draw out more blood if laid a finger on. Silver. "Why will you put bloody silver on me?!"

"Are you still bleeding?" Enos's voice is sincerely afraid. I shake my head.

His eyes roam over me before looking away. A nervous laugh rise in him. "I don't know.... haha, oh yeah Akos gave it to me.... it's like... supposed to control hungry vampires?? Um, I ah... don't know what he was doing? Maybe trying to kill you?"

Now I seriously choke in air. Our leader trying to kill me?! Not that surprising though.

"That thing is witchy!" I exclaim.

His eyes snap back to me, a bit of amusement in them. "Witchy? No, I don't think so. Isn't it just because you're allergic to silver?"

"Why did you snap it around my neck?"

"Your hands were behind me. I'm sorry if I had known I wouldn't have done it. I thought it was some fancy ass steel."

"Because steel and silver look fucking same lol," I grumble. The 'steel' almost killed me, but I almost bit him.

I drop the topic of myself.

"Why didn't you run away?" I whisper. "You idiot boy I could have killed you."

"Mara, lis-"

"I'm sorry," I blurt. It is too painful, this has never happened before.

He sighs and places his hand on my cheek, turning my face towards him. I don't understand how he can come so close to me after what happened. Can't he understand how he's putting his life in danger.

"You were in pain," he states. "You still are. How can I just leave you?"

He trails his hand down to my chin.My lips quiver as I look into his green, cat-like eyes locked onto mine. I can't believe I'd been so close to murdering him. I have killed humans before, all vampires have, but I've never let myself change before someone close. I can't bear to lose Enos. He and his brother, Akos are the only humans who knew about me being a vampire. He learnt about my true identity while we were on our first date when we were fifteen. He didn't leave me alone then. I was still comparatively new to the circus then. At that time, he provided me with the only support a non-human creature like me can crave for. Trust. I learnt to trust a human for the first time. For the first time I looked at a human as a companion, not just food.

Later, Vanessa came and after a few more years, Elyss joined us. Being immortal prevents us from choosing friends as there are many more humans than vampires. All of them being expendable. But for the rest fifty years, I'll have the two girls and Enos-- and I'm happy for it.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when he suddenly kisses me. Taken my suprise, I gasp out loud. Putting a hand behind my head and the other on my waist, he pulls me closer as he continues to kiss me, first gently then roughly. Moaning, I snake my arms around his neck. I nibble his lower lip and felt his lips curve up against mine. Our tongue dance with each other. Suddenly, he drags me down from the driver's seat. Being in the trailer had actually meant that I was higher than him. Now that we are on the same level, I finally pull away, panting. Opening my eyes, I look up to meet his.

"What was that for?" I whisper.

He nuzzles into my neck, and plants a kiss. "I'm sorry for hurting you." he says, his breath on my neck as I involuntarily let out a moan. He can understand that I am enjoying it as much as him.

A cold wave rushes over me and I freeze immediately. The tips of my fangs are visible in between my lips. My eyes are changing colour. I quickly push myself away, not wanting to encounter another near death experience.

Enos looks surprised and then nods, "Arousing a vampire near feeding is not always a good idea."

I laugh. "Right."

"You can feed from me you know."

He is out of his mind.

I narrow my eyes. I didn't see this coming. But I kinda did. "Not too long ago you tried to guillotine me with silver because I was going to bit you," I state flatly. "Or did the kiss throw that out of your mind?"

"Mara"

"Eager much to die? Finally had enough of Akos, I see." Akos never liked me.

"It's not like that listen-"

"You need to step away you know, my throat is still burning. And you're provoking me."

"But now you're in control, right? You'll stop in time."

"Nu-uh. Why would you want to empty your veins."

"Because it feels good?"

I open my mouth to argue, but stop and frown. "Who exactly made you feel like a vampire's bite feels good?" I slowly utter the words.

Enos's eyes widen. He frantically looks to the back of our procession. "What happened? Is Jerry making his bears drink the entire sea or did he actually die by his beloved beasts. He's taking too long don't you think? Perhaps I should go... and um see.." He looks at me to catch me still looking and sighs. "Well, I read," he replies sheepishly.

I burst out laughing. That was the last thing that I expected. "What? I thought you had better sense."

"Shut up."

I reach forward to hug him. "All the humans I had fed from were screaming in pain and terror until they were either passed out or had no energy left to scream. I won't subject you to that pain ever. I just happen to care for you enough to not bite you."

I plant a kiss on his neck and realize too late it was a bad idea.

A very bad idea.

I breath in the smell of his blood. It seems more tempting than before. My gums start to ache again. My arms that are around him tighten to a cage. As much as I want to stop, I don't want to move away. Enos is right after all. I'm in control now, surely I'll be able to stop. I lean down to pierce the surface of his skin.

"STOP! Move the fuck away from my brother!"

I wince at the loud shout. My ears are ringing and my enhanced hearing was not helping at all. A shock rings through my brain as someone slams me into the car. The shock gets me back my consciousness. Looking up I see Akos's bright green eyes burning.

Oh lord.

He. Is. Pissed.

"You are leaving for Sargate right now", he orders in a low voice. "And you are not coming back till you get a good feed so you can stop harming us!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Jerry looking at us curiously before entering his van. Glancing up again, my tongue loses itself, finding the glowing eyes still staring.

I always had a penchant for pissing him off.

Hello readers!! Been a long time. But I updated.😊😊😊. Before anything else, a big THANK YOU to Newza7 without whom the story would not be here. And also to Resnica27 without whom the story would not have been the same. I owe you girls a lot💖💕😉😉😉😉

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