Chapter Nine

   At the point when I was about to scream, I just sat bolt upright, eyes wide open and my hand clasped over my neck where the throbbing had been.

   The pain was no longer coursing through me.

   ‘What were you thinking?’ came his penetrating voice from the doorway.

   ‘What... what happened?’ I stumbled to say.

   ‘He bit you.’ I brought my hand away from my neck to check for blood. There wasn’t any.

   ‘Where’s Michael?’

   ‘He’s gone.’ My father never really spoke much to me, even when he was angry.

   ‘Dad, why didn’t you knock?’

   ‘Because I was wondering who the smell belonged to. Now I know...’ He paused.

   ‘It depends which one you were wondering about.’ He folded his arms and turned his head to look down the landing (I had been left on my bed). I tried to stand up but as soon as I was on my feet, I was on the floor. Getting up too quickly had made me dizzy and light-headed.

   Footsteps sounded from the stairs, I looked up and saw Andrew whisper something in my dad’s ear. He walked off to go downstairs, leaving Andrew to take his place in the doorway.

   ‘This is something to tell, isn’t it? Tiffany?’

   ‘What are you doing here?’

   ‘Business, but it turned very complicated when we arrived.’ He put on a careless smirk that didn’t do him any good.

   ‘As if my life is any of your business.’ My dizziness had gone and I managed to stay on my feet after a second attempt. I felt my upper lip twinge as our eyes meet across the small gap. Remembering that I could now smell beyond natural human barriers, I took a silent, deep breath in through my nose. As soon as his scent hit my receptors I cut off the air. Yep, it reeked but, as I had guessed, different to Michael’s. I screwed my face up and stiffened my body.

   ‘It’s a shock.’ He must have noticed, which made me wonder what other enhanced abilities I now had. ‘You can now smell every one of us; as well as us having to get used to your new, fresh one.’ I wondered if he would notice my apparent changing scent.

   Wanting to go downstairs, I started for the door; but as soon as I had reached the gap (between him and the doorframe) he stuck his arm out to prevent me.

   ‘Let me out,’ I ordered.

   ‘Where do you think you’re off to?’

   ‘None of your business.’

   ‘Not sneaking out to see your boyfriend? Tut, tut, Tiffany; I’m shocked,’ he said sarcastically.

   ‘I don’t have a boyfriend,’ I stated.

   ‘That’s not the image you gave your father.’ He seemed determined to rub everything in my face.

   ‘Back off, will you? I don’t have a boyfriend, end of.’

   ‘Shall I tell Michael that or let you tell him?’ he sneered. My face went blank.

   ‘You wouldn’t?’

   ‘Oh, wouldn’t I?’ His smirk returned. I bared my teeth, clawed my hands and, unwantingly, snarled at him hissingly.

   ‘Calm down, you two,’ my father’s voice interrupted strongly. ‘You’re not going anywhere, out or otherwise.’ He came into view on the landing.

   ‘Dad, where is Michael?’ I asked him again seriously.

   ‘He’s gone,’ he replied again.

   ‘If he has, I’m going to find him. You can’t stop me.’ Without warning, I swiftly ducked under Andrew’s outstretched arm and quickly legged it downstairs. By chance, this house’s front door stood in front of the stairs; giving me easy access to my escape route.

   After yanking the door wide open, I ran to my comfort place. Never looking back, never slowing down until it was in view. I trod quickly over the familiar grass and finally came to a halt, leaning against the cold, wet stone. It was a mild surprise to find tears rolling down my cheeks. Brushing them away with my sleeve, I looked down into the current underneath the structure of my freedom zone.

   A breeze was blowing towards me from the trees. It was gentle but swift enough to send me the sign he was there. I gently closed my eyes, inclined my head and breathed softly. Time passed but he never joined me. Eventually I decided to join him. I walked over to the tree line before calling him.

   ‘Mike? It’s okay, I forgive you.’ No answer came. ‘Mike, please? Talk to me, I’m sorry.’

   ‘What are you apologising for?’ I gave a sigh of relief.

   ‘I don’t know; for whatever they did to you. Where are you?’ I felt ridiculous talking to plants.

   ‘Behind the tree,’ he answered simply.

   ‘Come out, you’re being a little childish,’ I openly said.

   ‘No, you won’t want to see me.’

   ‘If I didn’t want to see you again, I wouldn’t have come here,’ I stated. ‘Now come out or I’ll come in.’ I waited but, feeling a little impatient, I quickly decided to walk in under the high branches. I rounded a thick oak tree trunk to find him lurking in its shadow.

   ‘Hey, what did they do?’

   ‘Are you not concerned about what I did to you?’ he asked solemnly.

   ‘Yes and no.’

   ‘Which one is it?’ he asked sternly.

   ‘Mmmm... yes.’ I looked down at my feet. ‘Why?’

   ‘Unfortunately, when I bit your lip, I tasted your blood at its sweetest so the urge was too overpowering and I ended up going for your neck. It didn’t help that you turned it towards me.’ I looked up at that point which let me see his face for the first time. He looked awful. My mouth hung free and my eyebrows rose.

   ‘Mike! Who...?’ I couldn’t bring myself to ask him completely.

   ‘You can easily guess that. It was a fight. Don’t think this as bad, I’ve had worse.’

   ‘Mike. Have you looked in a mirror?’ I asked, not realising my unintentional irony. When he sniggered though, I realised and laughed along. ‘You know I can’t go back at all now.’

   ‘Yes. You shouldn’t have left. They had nothing against you, only me.’

   ‘Typical again, Mike. I couldn’t stay there anymore.’ I cut out the rest of what should have been added on the end, according to my head.

   ‘Can I say that you don’t look too good yourself? That’s my fault though and I’m humbly sorry.’ There was his uncanny formalness.

   ‘Your fault, why? How much blood did you take?’

   ‘Quite a bit for the little time I was on you; but you have to know it wasn’t me who did it, it was my other side. Though your blood smelt human at the time.’

   ‘I understand. Unfortunately, your first stumble stole the moment,’ I slipped in (intentionally).

   ‘How can I repay you?’ he asked, playing along.

   ‘You’ll have to think of something,’ I answered, while I stepped closer and put my arms around his neck.

   Seemingly without a second thought, he wrapped his arms around my waist. His head slowly declined as I rose up onto the balls of my feet to reach his level. As our already parted lips met, his left hand rose up my body and caressed my neck (on the exact area he had bitten earlier). We were a bit more careful about it this time. Apart from his little hold back, it didn’t stop us from going beyond a kiss. I felt his tongue trace the roof of my mouth, but I kept myself from returning any favours (partly because I wasn’t sure of what to do). As he pulled my body closer against his, I couldn’t help but moan intently (once).

   His hand slowly traced down my spine to the small of my back. I, in return, lowered mine onto his chest. All the while, our lips constantly moved in unison. May be we could have lasted longer but my nerve kicked in and I pulled my head away.

   ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ he asked when he was free to speak.

   ‘Nothing.’ I moved my arms around him and lay my head on his chest.

   ‘Walk with me,’ he said as he put his hands on my waist. He began to walk further into the woods, leaving me by the tree. I let him walk alone for a while before sprinting to catch up.

   ‘Where are we going exactly?’ I asked.

   ‘Wherever we end up; I just felt like walking and, since I’m stuck with you, I knew you’d follow rather than stay alone.’

   ‘I guess we’re on the run anyway, so we can go anywhere.’

   ‘They’ll find us eventually, even with your trick.’

   A little thought was needed before I knew what he was referring to. ‘So we’re just stuck running and hiding?’

   ‘Yes, and it’s my fault,’ he declared more to himself than me, as I wasn’t going to let him do that to himself.

   ‘You’re being too hard on yourself, Mike. It isn’t your fault. You could have left and no one would go looking for you, but I did and they’ll be hunting for me. If anything, it’s my fault.’

   ‘There is one bad thing you have to go through thanks to them.’

   ‘Which is?’ I asked confused.

   ‘You have to put up with me hunting, and yourself.’

   ‘Do you have to? Is there some way to make it so you don’t?’

   ‘I have to. You haven’t seen a vampire when it’s deprived of what it needs most.’

   ‘But it’s murder!’ I said, shocked. I couldn’t believe he was telling me he actually killed people. I felt partly betrayed because I knew his more compassionate side. There probably was a time when Michael never dreamed of killing. Now he had to do it for his own sake. I wondered if I would end up that way – craving for blood, to taste the metallic fluid that pumped through my victims’ veins. I shook my head, coming out of my daydream. That came across as a hint; it was beginning to take over; the imagining.

   ‘Tif, you don’t want to see me more of a monster than I already am,’ he tried reassuring me.

   ‘You’re not a monster,’ I reassured back.

   ‘Not right now; but when the hunger hits I become one. It’s worse if I keep it locked up.’

   ‘It’s still murder. I’ve felt the pain they go through when we bite.’ I was careful to include myself; one day it will be my turn. ‘It’s the most painful thing to feel.’

   ‘I don’t let them suffer. Yes, you’re right it’s murder but I’m not inhumane about it.’

   ‘What do you feel like after though? When you come out of the thirst, to see an innocent person’s body lying at your feet?’

   ‘I admit it isn’t the best thing to feel. I feel so guilty after each one that I can just about manage to stay this way. Please, don’t make me feel guiltier than I already do. You’ll understand one day.’ My mind silently agreed and I hoped it wouldn’t be soon or ever.

   ‘As long as I know you’ll be there to help me through it.’

   ‘I’ll be with you for as long as you need me,’ he said sweetly back.

   I decided it was time to change the subject. ‘We’re not just on the run from one sect, are we?’

   ‘No, that’s going to be harder to deter.’

   ‘How do you mean?’

   ‘Well, may be our vampire chasers will think it’s just a waste of their time but the slayers will not give up. It’s what they’re trained to do; hunt us or die trying.’

   ‘But they don’t know about us, so...’ I knew he’d get my meaning.

   ‘I don’t know how they find out but they do. And I know there are a few in this town. A group of us went to track them down.’

   ‘You didn’t?!’

   ‘What? Kill them? No, we’re not heartless killers, Tiffany. Surely you wouldn’t think me that? We just tracked them and I managed to get a conversation going, but not for long.’ He sniggered at what must be a personal joke.

  ‘It’s a cruel world, even for us.’ He didn’t comment, instead he took my hand in his as we continued to walk.