Bundled against the frigid wind blowing from the ocean, the red headed reporter pulled her fur lined coat tight and listened to the icy water lapping on the beach. Hearing footsteps on the wooden planks behind her, Wendy glanced at her companions and back to the cold whitecaps that the ocean waves were creating.

“Wendy, why are we out here? You do know it is winter, right? It has to be twenty degrees out here.”

Wendy beckoned the two over and handed them a couple cups of coffee. “Cold clears the mind. We can think in peace out here.” She flashed her television smile to the pair. “Besides, I brought coffee. That should keep you both warm enough for now.”

Shivering, the two men started sipping on their hot beverages, shaking off the winter air. “Which again, I have to ask, why are we out here?” The cameraman asked politely but annoyed.

“This couldn’t be done in the van, with heat?” Her driver asked right after, his teeth chattering.

“I said it before, I can think clearly with this kind of cold. I also wanted to see the sun come up in about forty-five minutes.” Wendy paused to tuck some of her long red hair back in her hood, “I wanted some privacy to discuss our next action. I don’t fully trust the room or the van.” Taking a sip of her coffee and squinting her eyes at the bitterness, “So, out here on this old pier seemed to be a natural place to be able to speak without being overheard.”

“Overheard by who, Wendy?” The driver asked.

“We already know that the person lifted from the wreckage of the hotel is both missing and gave a fake name. We know her real name thanks to my contact. The police knew we were onsite interviewing people. It doesn’t take a leap to think they will come knocking, or already have without our knowledge.”

“That is just paranoia, what’s wrong with you?” Her cameraman noted.

Wendy shook her head, frowning. “Is it, Jeff? I also mentioned the new footage in the van and the band member I knew. I might have given away too much then.”

“Speaking of. Who was that on the phone? How did you know that person by tattoos?” The cameraman asked and took a big gulp of his coffee.

“Fuck this.” The driver commented and started to turn away. “I am not going to indulge your silly fantasy in this wind, I am freezing my balls off, Wendy.”

The redhead pointed to the bench at the end of the pier. “Don’t leave, I am serious. Let’s spend fifteen minutes getting our plan right and then we can go inside and get that lovely continental breakfast we are promised.” She laughed and held out her hand for the driver. “Humor me Ted. Please.” She coaxed.

He sighed and took Wendy’s hand, “Fine.” He walked over to the bench and started leaning over the rail, sipping his coffee while jingling the keys to the van impatiently. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into standing out here freezing.”

“So, what is this grand plan?” The camera operator finished off the cup and threw the paper container into the water.

“Drake. The guy with the tattoos is named Drake. He is a little singer of minor importance in the area. His band, the Flying Cannibals worked the cities around their home of Petersburg. They traveled as far south as Emporia and as far north as Richmond.”

“Why is this important?” The driver finished his coffee as well, also tossing his cup into the water, watching as the small wave caps took it into the depths.

“If the band never goes anywhere other than just a few miles outside of Petersburg, what brought them here?” Wendy took a sip of her coffee and raised her eyebrows. “No one?” The two men looked oddly at their female companion.

“I am willing to bet it had something to do with who was carrying him off that roof.” Wendy added cooly.

“Or.” The van driver flipped his keys, “They were trying to get new fans.”

Letting out a disbelieving snort and walking beside the driver, “That is about as stupid as being out here in the cold. Wendy does have a possible question there.” The cameraman started hitting the small wooden rail. “No. If that was the case, whatever that was wouldn’t have interceded in saving him as the building came down. Whoever that was, knew he was important for something. Which lends credibility to the question of why he was here.”

Finishing off her coffee and tossing the cup in the nearby garbage can, Wendy blew warm air across her hands and continued, “Many of these things depend greatly on your view of what you believe in.” Wendy looked down at the small green rune pulsing from the meaty part of her thumb. She ran her hand over the soft rune that bore a long line across, a shorter line above, and finally curved lines that looked much like grass growing in reverse.

“Where does belief come into this Wendy?” Jeff asked with a glazed look in his eyes.

Holding her hands up defensively, Wendy’s calm demeanor changed, “Look I didn’t mean to imply anything religious, that wasn’t what I meant.”

“I didn’t think that.” Ted suddenly dropped his keys on the pier, losing them between the slats in the wood. “God damnit.” he exclaimed before grasping the rail to balance himself. “I must be more tired than I thought. How the hell are we going anywhere without the keys to the van?”

Wendy watched the pair for a few more minutes in silence, until their eyes started to close. “There we go, gentlemen. Belief is everything.” She waited a moment until both Ted and Jeff were lightly drooling and continued. “Now then, since you are open to suggestions, show me your hands. If you please.”

Ted and Jeff readily complied and showed Wendy their hands. “Like I thought. You don’t have the marks my friends, and what you know I can’t let go beyond us. I wish things could be different, but there are much bigger things at play here.”

Unable to speak, the two men swayed silently.

Pushing both men over the railing, Wendy watched until they had been swallowed by the icy Atlantic water before walking away. “Secrecy is the only thing we have at the moment, my faith is in the path.” She whispered to herself as she walked away.

Vivienne smiled as she kept looking over to her progeny that was slinked around her tightly. Admiring the deep green nightgown Faye was wearing, Vivienne once again reflected on how Faye came to be in the gown. The ancient vampiress had only mentioned that the spare wardrobe was on the third floor in the spare room that Casey had slept in the night prior, before the youngling darted off. “I wanted to stretch my legs.” Faye giggled when she reappeared. The blue eyed doctor held out her hand and pulled them both onto the large bed, where they settled down and Vivienne started to gaze into Faye’s matching green eyes longingly. A set of long nails, like cat-like claws, caressing her back lightly brought Vivienne out of the little reflective daze.

Tangling her legs into Faye’s, pulling them closer, Vivienne spoke first. “I did not expect you to do that, Faye. You wouldn’t let me say anything at the time.”

Faye blinked her green eyes softly, “Like I told you, I wanted to give you something back.

Hours with you have already felt like months.” She kept running her cat claws up and down Vivienne’s back. “All the time you spent helping me keep my mind as clear as possible and soothing my impulses, I thought about the one thing I could do now...” She paused to swallow hard and fight back tears of blood, “...All I had left was the pool of blood on the table. Blood that you could have taken but didn’t. You thought of me first.”

“I…couldn’t lose you. With your last living breath, you wanted to be with me. You kissed me with such passion and need..” Vivienne bit on her quivering lip a moment, “...blood was not on my mind. Only filling your desperate plea, and my aching heart.” Vivienne looked away from Faye’s starry eyes for a moment. “It was my fault that Drake had the chance to harm you, I should have never asked you to hide.”

Faye tapped on her partner's shoulder lightly. “My eyes aren’t up there on the ceiling.”

“This is true, mon amour.” Vivienne rolled her blue eyes down to focus on the Asian woman. “I was just reflecting on what happened.”

“It was not your fault. You didn’t make the bastard do anything.” Faye remarked.

Thinking about Drake brought the letter he possessed forefront to Vivienne’s mind.

“Speaking of that puke, he did leave a letter.” She lightly kissed Faye before reaching on her nightstand for the bloody envelope. “Thank you for preserving it for us, my love.”

“Huh, I believe you mentioned that I didn’t have much choice in the matter.” Faye cooly stated.

Vivienne plucked the letter out, “Very true. You did not have any choice in the matter.” Vivienne teased. “Now then, let’s see what was so important that Drake would risk everything to talk to me.”

Vivienne unfolded the letter, “It appears that we have an artist. Take a look at this lettering.” She turned the short note for Faye to see, then started reading.

“Raven;

Two centuries have passed since I last looked upon your haunting blue eyes. The night of “Tragic Woe” impacts most of us to this day, so it is with humility that I, Franco Tarsey, request an audience with you. I do not ask this lightly, as I do cherish my eternal life and the lives of my eternal family. The warning you gave us all that night weighs heavily against that balance and the ongoing events.

Allow my troupe, The Crimson Muse to be your host during the event itself. We will gladly make any accommodations you feel necessary.

There is a new council troupe meeting in Petersburg where discussions will be opened to address a new puzzle that even my eight hundred years has not experienced.

Peacefully, F. Tarsey”

Vivienne folded the letter and placed it back on her nightstand, then turned to face Faye once more. “Request denied, Franco.” Vivienne leaned in to give Faye another kiss.

Faye quickly returned the kiss and then looked puzzled at her companion. “Request denied? Any reason why?”

Sitting up on her elbow, Vivienne raised her eyebrow to Faye. “I made it clear to them that they weren’t to decide my fate or participation within the veil. I killed every leader at the table that night.”

Faye winked at her beloved vampiress, “It doesn’t sound like he is deciding anything except the fate of his troupe, as he called it.” She quipped and smiled. “Sounds like he is asking for advice. A puzzle as the letter says.”

Vivienne returned the clever wink with a kiss to Faye’s chin. “It is a puzzle that I have no interest in.”

“What is the saying? Desperate times call for desperate measures?” Faye responded and gave a tiny purr from the kiss to her chin. “It sounds to me like a man that wants to save his family.”

“I just want to be alone with you, mon amour.” Vivienne slowly whispered and continued, “It also puts us back into their world. A world that I want no part of.”

“Why don’t you want to be part of it?” Faye stopped scratching Vivienne’s back and sat up, crossing her legs.

Rolling her brilliant blue eyes, Vivienne reluctantly pulled herself into the same sitting position. “That is a simple question with a complex answer.” Vivienne scooted against the small headboard and invited Faye to sit in her lap.

Biting gently on her lower lip, Faye turned and slid backwards into the open arms of her partner. “We have an eternity, by your own words.” Faye snickered and turned to gaze on her creator.

“This is true and you deserve some answer.” Vivienne winked and hugged Faye tightly before rubbing her shoulders. “The least complex part of the answer is, I didn’t have a choice. I was turned without warning in the middle of the night, supposedly in the safety of my own bed. He clutched my throat so I couldn’t scream, and took what blood he wanted from me.” Vivienne touched Faye’s neck and the tops of both her breasts lightly. “Much like yourself, I lay there bleeding, crying and dying.” Vivienne paused and closed her eyes visualizing the events, “I was forced to watch as he slit his own wrist, forced his blood in my mouth and then embraced me. I tasted death and life at the same time and he was gone.”

Faye’s green eyes seemed to glow with understanding and compassion, “I…our embrace, I recall the strange feeling of life and death.” She pulled Vivienne’s hand to her lips and suckled on her fingers one at a time lightly. “I…somehow knew it was still you with me. Even though that was the first and last living kiss we had…I…knew it was you.”

“I…I…” Mournful, Vivienne’s light French voice caught for a moment, “...I wish I had more time to let you make the decision, Faye.” She leaned down and kissed the slender shoulders she was rubbing. “Perhaps you would have said no to the embrace given more time to consider what it all meant.”

Faye turned to look at her gorgeous partner kissing her shoulder, “I…it…is all still a haze. I just have the feeling I was desperate.” Cupping Vivienne’s chin in her hand, she whispered, “...I am clear on one thing…I…wanted this chance to be with you.”

“Desperate.” Vivienne blinked her shimmering blue eyes, “Faye…I…My hands shook before

I woke you. I had to force my hand steady to inject you, just to ask that question.” She pulled Faye’s hand to her lips kissing her fingers. “I was desperate to save you, mon amour.”

Nestling back into Vivienne’s chest and pulling her arms around her once more, the new vampire grinned to herself with the way the conversation had turned. “So, what do you say?”

“Excuse me? What am I to say?” Vivienne sounded perplexed.

“Let’s go visit Franco, in Petersburg.” Faye giggled openly. “Sorry, I know I kind of tricked you.”

“Very manipulative of you, my dear.” Vivienne lifted the short black and pink hair away from Faye’s neck before kissing and nibbling lightly, drawing a heavy sigh from her progeny. “Very well. I will need time to mend my bodysuit..”

Faye had been caught in the rush of heat pulsing in her body with her partner’s fangs biting gently on her neck, but suddenly came out of her stupor upon hearing about the bodysuit. “W..what?” She stammered trying to push the radiating heat back, “N…no…go as..Viv…st… don’t stop, but stop..”

Vivienne pulled back and whispered gently into Faye’s ear, “You really want me to stop?”

“No.” Faye blurted, “Yes.”

Vivienne smiled and peered into Faye’s sizzling green eyes. “Confused?”

Faye bit on her lip, “You know I am. You did that on purpose.”

“Humm, Maybe a tiny bit.” Vivienne giggled. “Now why did you want me to stop?”

“Bodysuit, that blue feathers thing of yours?” Faye shook her hair back over her neck.

“Yes. It is the persona I adapted long ago when dealing with our brethren.” The ancient vampire retorted.

“Hang on a second. Are you telling me that you have never talked to them at length?” Faye sounded puzzled.

“No interest.” Vivienne started running her fingers through the strands of pink in Faye’s hair. “I told you, I didn’t want anything to do with them at all. I hunted them, I wanted to be left alone.”

“I am finding it hard to believe that you weren’t slightly interested.” Faye closed her eyes and sigh-purred lightly. “So far the journey for me has been lovely.”

“I am still not the least bit interested.” Vivienne quipped, “I am only doing this because you…” Vivienne then giggled and started to braid the pink strands, “...you tricked me into going.”

“Hey, I was finally able to think clearly enough to do it, so I am proud of myself.” Faye reached down and started running her nails along Vivienne’s calves. “Viv?”

“Yes, my love?” Vivienne finished one of the small braids and started on another strand.

“Don’t go in that bird thing. Let’s go there together and…live a little.” Faye offered with a hint of excitement in her shy request.

“Comme vous le souhaitez, mon cher.” Vivienne purred heavily in Faye’s ear, kissing her lobe gently.

“T…that…” Faye shivered as her mistress vampire’s luxurious breath teased, “...W..what..Vivienne, you h-have to t-teach me French.”

Pressing her silky lips to Faye’s ear, the doctor whispered once more, “I said.. As you wish, my dear.” She paused, “We will travel to France so you may learn it properly.” Vivienne felt a small pulse of electric current rifle down her spine and spark her scent, reminiscent of rosemary, to fill the air between the couple. “However..” Vivienne coos lightly, “...To fill your request, we need to leave for Petersburg in a day or so. The meeting is supposedly three days from now.”

Her new vampiric senses caught the sexy scent emanating from Vivienne instantly. Faye felt the tiger within her start to prowl close to her conscious. “If…If you don’t stop doing that…” Faye pushed the little crouching tiger back a bit, “... I’m going to…Vivienne..I…it…I want this to be the right…er, um…time…”

Vivienne pulled away from Faye’s ear and leaned forward to look into her progeny’s eyes. “Oh, Tigerlily.” She picked up the bag of blood that still hadn’t been consumed and handed it to Faye. “I see the hunger in your eyes again and the sun just came up, I should not have done that.”

Faye grabbed the supple plastic quickly and drove her fangs into the bag, suckling its contents almost frantically.

“Slowly, if you please, mon amour.” Vivienne coaxed softly with her commanding voice.

Faye felt herself give into the soft words Vivienne spoke, relaxing and slowing her pace. The burning in her throat subsided and the tiger prowling at the edge of her mind slowly settled and started to sleep once more. “I…um…T…thank you.” She held the bag so the contents wouldn’t drain and pressed her bloody lips into Vivienne’s smearing the precious fluid between them. “Mmm, what is mine is yours, Viv. You have to be hungry too.”

Swiftly the ancient vampiress kissed her partner once more and pulled away after a few seconds with a mouthful of blood. She breathed lightly while holding the precious sanguine essence, allowing the cinnamon-chai scent of Faye’s blood to permeate between them. Vivienne swallowed the tiny mouthful and smiled.

“You bit me!” Faye exclaimed once she registered that her partner had bitten her lip and pulled away before she felt it.

“Only a little, mon amour.” The blue-eyed beauty giggled and swallowed what she’d stolen.

Faye touched her lips and blinked a few times. “How..that was…how did you do that?”

“Many years of practice, my dear.” Vivienne waved for Faye to keep drinking. “Now then, keep going with the bag and go slowly. You can do it without my assistance.”

Faye pressed her lips back over the small holes she’d punched and started drinking again, not feeling any compulsion to drink slowly. “Your assistance? You made me slow down, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.” Vivienne resumed massaging her half-Korean lady’s shoulders. “I said before I have total control if I choose to enforce it.” She paused for a moment, “Though I would prefer to not use it at all.”

“Then why are you?” Faye sighed under the gentle pressure on her shoulders again.

“Faye, you are only a few hours old. I have interceded only when it comes to your well being.” Vivienne leaned down and pressed her violet lips to each shoulder once. “I have no real desire to control what you do, I much prefer your natural reactions.”

-She’s doing it again, clouding your thoughts!- Faye’s mind sought some relief from the pressure on her body as Vivienne trailed the soft kisses on her shoulders. Pressing the bag against her lips and taking a healthy tug of blood to cool her scorching throat, she was able to clear her mind enough to speak. “The idea of being an automaton isn’t appealing to me, Viv.”

“Let me put your mind to rest, mon amour. I can free you.” Vivienne offered between her kisses.

“You can?” Faye sighed gently. “...Y..you have to be controlling me now, your lips on..my shoulders…”

“I most certainly can free you, with just a thought. Just ask.” Vivienne stopped kissing long enough to watch Faye’s reaction.

Faye finished off the blood bag and twisted herself to face Vivienne, and trailed her fingers over the slender shape of her partner's cheeks. “I am a youngling, like you have been saying all evening. Still struggling with everything in my heart and head. I need time to absorb this on a more personal level. Having you as a safety net is comforting.”

“I am relieved to know that the subject is settled for now. Though I am guessing that you have more questions?” Vivienne inquired as she moved the couple to lay flat again, hugging Faye to her close. “Let me guess.” Vivienne playfully tapped on her lips for a moment and then raised her eyebrow. “You want to know about what kind of blood you can drink.”

“H..how the…what the..How did you know that?” Faye lifted herself to look into Vivienne’s eyes, a confused look on her face.

“I didn’t read your mind, I can’t do that.” the mistress vampire playfully added, “I know our nature. We revolve around blood, as I said before when you were worried about being a monster.”

“Oh.” Faye settled back against Vivienne’s chest. -I can’t even read my mind- She thought to herself, still wishing the fog of death would lift enough to recall her deeper past. “Blood.” Faye whispered as her throat started burning. “Just thinking about it is making me uncomfortable.”

Vivienne arched one of her long eyebrows and tilted her head, “Uncomfortable how? Do you mean how we get it, or the topic itself?”

“Neither. My throat is burning and I want it to stop.” Faye let out a small growl.

Vivienne felt the pain coming from the woman she loved just from her words alone. -You remember that pain do you?- Her mind asked, and displayed images of her own first feedings. Flashes of her biting without mercy into whatever her fangs could pierce, just for a few minutes of relief from the hot brand that tore at her throat. “Perhaps we save the discussion of this for a more gentle time?”

“No, I think I can handle this for the moment. The feeling has been there since I reopened my eyes, it’s just that thinking about it is making me both hungry for more and pressing lava in my throat.” Faye said and rolled onto her back sighing.

Watching for the few seconds it took Faye to flop in frustration on her back, Vivienne turned and noticed the red haze in the verdant orbs for what it was. The young vampire was more hungry than she let on. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were suffering? I can see the ring of hunger, mon amour.”

The black-pink haired vampire looked back into her partner's azure and concerned stare. “I really wasn’t all that hungry until we started discussing it.” She rolled back to Vivienne’s arms, “Sorry about that, I took it out on you.”

Without saying a word, Vivienne held onto Faye’s back gently and brought her free wrist up to her mouth. The ancient woman opened four holes in her wrist and waited for the burgundy fluid to start seeping through the openings. “Here. This will help and nourish you. It will cool the burn and keep that lovely tigress inside. You will stop when I ask you to.”

Faye’s fangs slid into place and her mouth filled with saliva the moment the four holes started squeezing out the one thing she desired equally as much as Vivienne herself. The youngling wanted to pounce on the four openings and like she did with Drake hours before, but didn’t. Finding the strength within herself Faye waited until Vivienne placed her wrist against her lips. Her eyes rolled up and fluttered closed the moment the cool and thick blood from her partner crossed onto her tongue. Gripping Vivienne with both hands, Faye started pulling from the holes as fast as she could, enjoying the heaviness of the iron and the hint of rosemary as its presence did everything her partner said it would.

The sensation of being fed from drove another electrical spike along her form and she let out a soft sensual moan with every pull from Faye’s newborn lips. Until that moment, Vivienne had thought the idea of being fed from would be something to fear and be repulsed by. -Stop her, Vivienne.- Her mind called out and brought her from the entrapment of the moment. She shook off the magic of her partner's lips and firmly spoke. “Faye, Stop now.”

Faye heard the forceful words and she pulled away after the last sip of the icy taste. She licked her lips and just looked at Vivienne. “I didn’t want to stop, I still don’t. I want nothing more than to crawl right back over there and keep feeding from you.” A frightening feeling washed over the new vampire. “I know I wouldn’t stop until you were dust.”

Vivienne brought her wrist back up to her mouth and licked the four holes closed, without a scar to hint that anything had occurred. “I am aware. I also know it wouldn’t have been intentional. I learned something in the process.” pulled Faye onto her chest and ran her thin fingers in the short black hair. “I learned that I enjoyed it.”

“Then you can’t let me do that again. I don’t..can’t lose you.” Faye curled on Vivienne’s flat stomach.

“You won’t, my love.” The French woman reassured her progeny.

“How can you be so sure? I just said that if given the chance I would turn you to dust.” The guilt poured from Faye’s voice. “I just admitted that I love blood more than you, I think.”

“Come now. You are a vampire and the precious anima that we have to consume is always going to be a priority.” Vivienne slid her hand down to entwine their fingers. “Your reaction alone tells me all I need to know.”

“I don’t want to think of you in terms of feeding, Vivienne.” Faye muttered and continued, “I am still in love with what happened in the tub. That is the feeling I want to keep with you. Love and being loved.”

“I was in no danger at all, Faye. I assure you. You are far to young to do any real harm to me, Mon Amour. You would have to be within five-hundred years of my age to have any chance.” Vivienne gently soothed. “You are not the only one learning this day. You are the only progeny I have ever made, Casey is the only ward I have ever made. I have learned how your lips affect me, just as much as hers do.”

Faye felt her stomach tighten and her anger flared up, “Are you telling me you kissed, Her?”

“Indeed. I thought I explained to you earlier how our lips are the source of most everything.” Vivienne felt Faye’s hand tighten around hers. “Careful, you will hurt yourself if you squeeze much tighter.”

“You. Kissed. Casey.” Faye repeated.

“More accurately, she kissed me then I kissed her, yes.” Vivienne corrected and freed her hand.

She felt herself falling through an empty space, devoid of even sound. Shaking her long auburn hair out, the woman then felt the strands softly whipping across her cheeks and over her lips, giving her the idea that she was falling at a steady and relaxing pace without any sign of stopping. Not caring why she was falling, the woman playfully started moving her arms and legs through the empty space. She curled herself into a ball and dropped faster just to stretch out moments later and started gliding like a small sparrow on the wind. A chance swipe across her chest while pretending to swim made the woman jolt with excitement and she became aware of her two voluptuous and softly bouncing breasts that swayed heavily as she kept dropping into the void. Curious desire followed the prior jolt and the woman cupped both of her tits, squeezing and sliding until her fingers reached her dark-brown and swollen nipples. With a little twist on each, the woman relished the thundering feeling that rippled deep and warm bringing her body to life. Ache became desire and she gently flicked her tongue out and swirled it over one of her hard peaks before suckling it completely between her lips. Soft and gentle pulses of succulent and creamy milk coated the woman’s tongue for a few moments, before racing down into her tummy giving her the feeling of excited butterflies as it settled. Unable to focus on all of the sensations at once, her lips parted letting out a luxurious breath into the peaceful silence, shattering it. Hearing the constant and exhilarating sound of the wind as it teased her ears like a warm breath, the auburn beauty cried out into the dark, “Yess..”

Emboldened by the release of the simple word, she scrolled her nails across her lips and chin, sparking a bubbly feeling within her being. Seeking a familiar hole in her neck, the swimmer clawed lightly up and down her neck until she found her target. Squeezing lightly on her neck the fang hole released its contents one small drop at a time. Individual drops pooled together at the curve of her chin until there was enough for it to crest and flow over her lips, staining them a heavy maroon. Fighting her internal desire, the woman let the small stream form a pool of rich life force on her lips before letting it drain into her mouth. Thicker and more heated than the milk she had moments before, the maroon substance left behind a familiar chlorinated scent along with a hint of zinc that shot another wave of butterflies into her aroused form.

Opening her molten chocolate eyes, she watched as bubbles of blood started floating around her as if someone used a soap wand. Still aware that she was slowly falling, the woman realized that the bubbles were orbiting her. Reaching out to touch one of the hazy purple-red dots, its surface popped and coated her fingers. Quickly she suckled her fingers clear and giggled more as the eruption of butterflies started emanating from her core and through arms and legs.

Waiting for one of the tiny red pearls to float over her achingly sensitive coral nipples, she poked a few more orbiting bubbles. She heard the pops as the air rushed out and forced a small crimson rain to coat her. Once more lifting her generous breast to her lips, her tongue lavished and cleared the sanguine fluid and once more suckled herself. A mix of light and sweet cream and heavy iron rushed between her lips, allowing for more tiny and chaotic flutters to energetically bounce in her body.

“Oh..ohhh..yess..pp..ppllease…” She begged herself to keep following the plumed path being forced deeper into her body. Keeping a firm hold on one tender nub, she explored and found her thick thigh and scraped gently towards her very center. She convulsed once, sending a fresh wave of wings scattering into her mind and causing her thighs to shake under the pressured pleasure. “Oh..god…Yes..” She moaned into the sensual void as she pinched herself one final time, and drove her hands down between her legs. Touching her pussy lightly sent the constant pattering of wings in her mind and body to start in a flurry. Fingers tenderly outlined her engorged womanly wings, and her sexual butterfly came to life.

Seizing the momentum of need in her mind, she pushed and delved into her being. Her heartbeat matched the wing beats in her body as she kept working her tender cunny. Round and round she worked at the need for relief from the constant movement of the butterflies teasing her nerves. Twisting and turning her body as she slowly drifted through space, she popped the remaining bubbles sending her life blood in warm weblike streaks across her body. Slipping her fingers in as far as possible, the swimmer desperately worked her flittering pussy, still aching for what her body craved. Ache drove her to bite her lip and send more blood down her throat and across her chin. All at once the wings froze and her nerves began to pop much like the bubbles that once hung in an orbit around her. She folded into a small ball and waited a split second before the popping happened in rapid fire all through her body, forcing her back to arch and her legs shiver as the orgasm consumed every part of her. Giggling wildly, she pulled her fingers free and gently licked them clean from her feminine essence.

Sedated, the woman stretched out and enjoyed the last vestiges of her experience. Slowly opening her brown eyes and swallowing the small bit of leftover blood, the woman looked in all directions and only saw her own toned and naked form for a few seconds. Glimpses of red started to streak past her vision making the dead space into an eerie starry night. Disrupting the delightful and euphoric feeling that her orgasm left behind, she slowed herself to investigate the points of light peeking out from the darkness.

A pair of hungry red and demonic eyes opened from the blackness as if a long black curtain revealed the hidden monster that had been there all along. One pair gave way to hundreds of sets of the deep-set red orbs and surrounded the auburn woman. Spinning wildly, she looked for an escape as they all bore down on her, intent on consuming their prey. “Hunger… Hunger…Hunger…” Began to echo and the woman dropped to her knees clutching her ears tightly…

Casey bolted up screaming at the top of her lungs and swung her arms as if she had been fighting. Disoriented and breathing heavily, the swimmer looked around frantically and slowly came to realize that she was once more in her dorm room, and the warmth of the sun had started beaming through a small window. Covering her face with her hands, Casey started crying.

Brian heard the guttural scream from his lover, making him jump and start looking for the source. His heart pounded in his chest flooding him with adrenaline, and his fists closed for a brief moment before his peripheral vision allowed him to see the hunched and shaking outline of his girlfriend. “Shh, it was just a dream, Casey.” He wrapped his giant arms around the woman and pulled her to his chest. “Just a really bad dream.”

Casey latched her arms around Brian’s thick waist and kept crying, the vision of the little vampire girl now at the forefront of her memory. “It..it was…her, Brian. Brown ringlets in her hair, so small.”

“Wh.what? Ringlets? Casey, I don’t understand.” Brian offered, gently kissing the top of Casey’s head.

Tears still streaming down her cheeks and the visions of the hungry dead baby-like eyes dancing in her head, Casey tried to confess to her boyfriend. “She was so young, Brian. Who would tu..” Vivienne’s once subtle suggestion about the veil stamped firm, stopping her from speaking.

“Casey?” Brian inquired as Casey stopped, seeming to stiffen up and stop crying. “Who was so young, what are you talking about?”

Wiping her tears away, Casey took a steady breath. “Brian, I can’t tell you exactly what I am talking about. There are things I can’t talk about, even if I truly wanted to.”

The big man let out an annoyed grunt, “How am I supposed to help you then? We are still talking about the nightmare, aren’t we?”

“Yes and no.” Casey finished hugging her boyfriend and turned to sit in the man’s lap, pulling his arms around her waist. “We can try to talk about the nightmare, I think?” Casey posed it as a question because she didn’t know if she truly could.

“Last night I didn’t ask any questions because you were unhinged and ready to break down.” He leaned forward and kissed Casey on the shoulder. “I don’t even think you remember everything that happened.” He paused for a breath, “I carried you into the shower and you stood there. It was like you were asleep standing up. I stood there looking at you for about five minutes before I washed you myself.”

“Thanks.” Casey whispered and closed her eyes when Brian kissed her shoulder. “It was a haze, I admit.” Looking down at his big hands she pondered the prior evening's events and looked at her clothes basket, wrinkling her nose. “I really did smell that bad, didn’t I?”

“Yes and no.” Brian playfully quipped. “I didn’t really care last night, but this morning? I would rather burn those clothes.”

A sudden realization hit Casey and she looked at the clock on her nightstand. “Fuck! I am late for class!” She pulled herself free of Brian’s tightening grip with ease. “Let go, I can’t..”

“...Casey, stop!” Brian remarked as he felt the strength in his arms fail. “It is winter break, Casey. No classes.” Flexing his hands, the confused man looked at his girlfriend getting dressed faster than he’d ever seen. “Are you even listening?”

“I am now.” Answered as she realized she dressed in a blur. “I completely forgot.”

Brian rubbed his arms and raised his eyebrow, “Casey, um.. Something is very wrong here.” He blinked as the last few minutes dawned on him completely. “You have gone from screaming, to crying, to not speaking and now you are freaking out about classes. Not to mention somehow you hurt me just now, and you are no longer hurt.” He pointed at Casey’s uninjured knee and ankle. “You get like this when you have told me some kind of lie or are hiding something.” He held up two of his fingers, “Two years, Casey. I have put up with this shit for two years.”

Still exhausted from the events of the prior day and evening, Casey kicked off her shoes and sat down in her cozy chair. “Sorry.” Casey started her small confessional, “Unreal, I didn’t think you would notice all that as fast as you did.”

“Just like with your affairs, you didn’t do much to hide anything.” Brian slipped out of bed and walked to the window gazing up at the puffy white clouds. “Here I thought we’d crossed into something new for us, when you said you loved me.”

“I meant it, I do love you.” She got up from her chair and walked to where Brian was standing and kissed him from behind as she hugged him. “We have crossed into something new.”

Still gazing at the clouds, Brian saw the white fluffs start taking on strange shapes. “It is time for the truth then, Casey.” He softly spoke and tilted his head and saw the shapes forming into runes. Thinking that the shapes were just an illusion, he closed his eyes and the runes suddenly made sense. -Clear. Water. Awaken.- “Wash away and wake up to the truth?” Brian muttered cryptically, then turned to face his girlfriend.

“What?” Casey looked at Brian confused.

“I said that it’s time for the truth, Casey.” He leaned down and returned the kiss she’d given him a moment before.

“No, you also mumbled something about washing and the truth.” She responded, twisting the words she’d actually heard clearly.

“I did?” He shrugged and pushed the hair from Casey’s warm brown eyes, “Lost in thought I guess. The clouds looked majestic.”

“Majestic?” Casey giggled a moment, “Since when do you say that?”

“I can’t use the word majestic? Do you just expect me to grunt and be upset with you?” He playfully chuckled as well, before scooping his girlfriend into his arms. “Anyway. Start talking Rivers.”

Happy to be in her lover's arms once more, Casey wiggled her bare feet as the couple went back to the bed. “I think that is the first time you have called me Rivers.” She noted and scratched Brian’s goatee. “What do you want me to start with?”

He set Casey down on her side of the bed and walked around, and slid in beside her. “The nightmare? Tell me about the girl.”

The feeling of dread seeped its way back into Casey’s mind when Brian mentioned the nightmare and the echoes of them all mindlessly saying ‘Hunger’. “I…I first saw eyes all around me, something in them that told me I needed to be afraid.” She paused to gather the confidence to keep going, “Then I saw her…it. C..covered in blood...so young…” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “...then the room echoed her one word…hunger.” She snapped her fingers, “Then I woke up screaming.”

“Lucky for you that I am a psych major.” Brian calmly smiled and took a breath, “Is the nightmare the only part you remember?”

“I remember the girl the mo…wait. I think I was falling before the part with the girl.” Closing her eyes, she recalled the red stars. “Yes, I was falling and red stars that turned out to be eyes.”

“Dreams are strange. Falling usually means you are losing or have lost control of something in your life.” Brian points to her healed knee, “Saturday you did what you wanted, and supposedly got hurt. Now you are working for a French doctor that you cannot really talk about.”

“I did get hurt, she operated on my knee.” She paused and looked down at her unscarred knee. “It hurt like crazy. I was popping ibuprofen most of the time I was at her house.”

Brian shook his head in disbelief, “Yet here you are in perfect health. Not a scratch on you.”

Casey sighed and folded her arms, annoyed. “This is starting to sound much like you on the phone, Brian. I even said then if you were going to keep it up you can…” She paused, not wanting to repeat the drama caused over the phone a day ago. “...I don’t want to repeat the fight yesterday.”

“Yes, you told me I can pack my shit..” Brian retorted, crossing his arms as well.

The pang in Casey’s chest told her that she didn’t want him to leave. “...I was wrong, I told you.” Taking a deep and steady breath, she fought to not treat Brian mean or crude like she did in the past. Knowing that pride versus love was the central thought, Casey offered a weak smile and changed the tone of the conversation. “Okay.” She started, “I went out last night with the express intention of meeting the band members that I used to listen to.” She felt the weight of her deception start to lift, “That turned into me..well…kissing the drummer.” She watched as Brian’s face turned red in a wave of quiet anger. “I was also drunk.” Casey absentmindedly rubbed her knee, “I barely remember what happened next. I know I walked away and I think I said something to the guy.”

“I said before that I understood that you were wild.” Brian unfolded his arms and placed his warm and powerful hand on Casey’s cheek. “I accepted that part of you, it still doesn’t mean that I want to hear all the details.”

Casey pulled Brian’s hand to her lips, kissing it gently. She once more admired his robust form and lost herself in his soft green eyes for a few moments, until he softly cleared his throat. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” She felt his hand start going through her tangled mane. “The rest you pretty much know. I texted everyone, with a massive hangover.” She taps her knee, “I promise you, when you called I was hurt. Vivienne found my keys and took me to her house.” Her mind started to feel a little pressure and started to close. Casey focused on her boyfriend’s well defined chest and continued, “Vivienne and I discussed my … employment and she kissed me, after I agreed.”

Brian’s eyes widened and she shifted in the bed to get comfortable, crossing his legs. “You… kissed her?” He asked, with a renewed vigor, sounding excited.

Leaning up as Brian shuffled against the headboard, Casey watched with her rich brown eyes as her boyfriend tried to hide his excitement. Perking one thin eyebrow, Casey didn’t need her enhanced senses to know what just occurred, welcoming the change of pace with the conversation they were having. Turning slow enough that the egg white tee she was wearing tightened against her overdeveloped chest, the ward walked her fingers across Brian’s tummy, to lightly scratch at his navel. “I did.” She let out a sensuously charged rumble, “Twice.” Sliding her hands over his tight muscular frame, she once more took the time to enjoy the curves of his chest, “..the first time…I used my tongue.”

“Very wild, Casey…very, very wild.” His voice carried a charged stentorian tone to it, as he tried to adjust himself once again.

“Mmm, you like that I kissed a girl, do you?” Casey playfully teased as she lightly pinched one of his tiny nipples. “I am shocked, Mister Ashburn. You have been…so vanilla.”

Deep and gruff, Brian let out a hungry groan the moment he’d been pinched. His green eyes seemed to pulse with growing anticipation as he admired his girlfriend’s form stuck to her shirt. “I wish I’d seen it.” Pulling on the tight garment, He pulled Casey close enough to kiss her. “Vanilla? You’d be surprised.” He pulled a little harder on her top, making the seams crackle as they broke in his iron grip. “Two girls is…a dream.”

Air rushed down the opening of Casey’s blouse and tickled her tips, stiffening them against the white barrier of her tee -Oh!! Yes!..just like before…- Thankful for the respite and now able to throw herself into her boyfriend once more, the ward played a bit more. “I would? What exactly are you hiding from me?” Casey purred and smiled as her fingers traced the stiff outline within the man's strained gray briefs. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“A growing problem.” Brian quipped and tore Casey’s flimsy top open.

-God! I love it when he does that.- She thought quickly as her heart started to pound in her chest, sending wild and flushing pulses throughout her body. “I…I won’t have any clothes le…” She started to comment, when his lips collapsed over one of her nipples sucking hard. Yes, Oh god…make them melt into you- Casey arched her back and urged Brian by running her fingers through his hair. Close to losing herself in the swimmy moment, she took a blissful breath and purred as she spoke. “Mmmm, what on…earth thinks I am …oh, god…in the mood…”

Letting the large globe free of his mouth, Brian pulled Casey into his lap. “Forgetting your words so soon?” Brian teased and pointed to Casey’s lightly stained panties. “That.” Pulling the tattered remains of her blouse from her arms, the big man took liberty with Casey’s heavy chest. “Flushed, hot to the touch…” He leaned up and nibbled on her ear a moment before whispering, “...I can smell it.”

Embarrassed to the point where she turned bright red in her cheeks, Casey’s decadent eyes flew open. -The dream! I remember…- Her hand absentmindedly reached to her carnally scented underwear, grazing herself lightly, sending a few energetic shocks through her body. “I can talk. No, I haven’t forgotten anything, I think you have.” Her voice lightly squeaked as her boyfriend kept manipulating her breasts expertly. More and more the frightening red eyes pushed away from Casey’s mind, caving into the loving tension that was rising in the air and within her. Backing up her few broken words, Casey wanted to draw her big man into the folds of passion. Slowly moving her hips in circles over his stiffness, she made sure to grind the wet lace into his tight cotton. “Hot was it? Explain why you are hot to the touch as well, not to mention this..” She pushed herself down harder on his crotch making sure to smear her sexual scent as much as she could.

Caught off guard, Brian bucked his hips once and grabbed Casey’s hips as she slid himself flat. “That is…ama..great.” He stammered out as the hot and viscous lust from Casey penetrated his briefs, as if a spicy and cinnamon candy had melted over his erection, making him shiver lightly.

Watching as chills erupted from Brian’s hulking form, Casey purred lightly. She took note of the sparkle within his green eyes, “Look who’s lost their words.” She leaned down and kissed him deeply, letting her tongue speak for her. She felt his arms slide up her form and pull her closer, sending a rush of joy and heat through her swimmers frame. The last vestiges of the nightmare swept away from Casey’s mind as they continued their embrace. Heat pulsing harder with every twist of their bound tongues, Casey found herself reluctant to pull their lips apart until she could no longer hold her breath. Pulling their lips apart slow enough that they stuck for a moment, Casey breathed deeply and contently once they had finally parted. -Even kissing him is..don’t think it Rivers, say it!- “Oh, Brian…” she panted, still trying to get her breath, “...Kissing you drives me cra…”

Brian licked his lips, wanting more of the twisted action that he and Casey just had and pulled his girlfriend back into another embrace, cutting her off from the little heated speech she was trying to make. Their second kiss completed, he let out a pleasing grunt, “...crazy.” Brian finished the sentence for his girlfriend. Unable to control the twitching in his drenched briefs, the big man sighed heavily and began shaking in earnest under the gyrations, “Pl..” Brian sputtered and lost himself to the pleasure, his hands racing up to pull Casey’s hair and enjoy her squirm under the pressure.

Pulling her hair drove something heated and primal into the young swimmer's chest, making Casey let out a sinful gasp. “Crazy.” She reaffirmed and kissed her way down the strong and taut muscles she enjoyed so much. Casey knew she loved every inch of the man she was straddled over, and meant to prove it with more than just a pair of wet underwear. Kissing both of his hips quickly, Casey looked at Brian with a hot and playful look after his heady plea. “Just a little more, mmmhmm, vanilla.” She winked and pulled his briefs down.

Brian felt himself freed from the titillating grip of his underwear and frantically wiggled them down his legs until he could kick them across the room. “Wh…do..” He stammered to say between contractions where Casey kissed her way down, driving him further into a frenzy.

Casey covered her mouth to stifle a laugh as her boyfriend made the dance to remove the last of his clothes. Not wanting to show the same erratic activity, she sat back and pulled her thin lace panties off and dangled them in front of Brian before setting them on his nose. “Smell that.” She mewled.

Brian heard the light giggle coming from his girlfriend just before his senses were overwhelmed in her sexual scent. Taking the suggestion from Casey, he pressed the sodden garment to his face hard and took a deep breath in. “Mm, Yes…baby…” He pulled the scented cloth from his face and started stroking himself with it in his hand. “Crawl up here… I want you so bad.” Brian gruffly begged.

Purring lightly as she watched her man pump himself with her black lace sent another heated pulse down her spine. Casey cried out with pleasure as she felt her core become slick and oily, spreading slowly the inside of her thighs. -Just sink down over him!-

Fighting the urges building within her to cover Brian in her sex, Casey gently pulled his hand free of his throbbing and nearly purple prick, discarding her panties as she did so. Already on her knees, she merely leaned over and enveloped him within her plump breasts and started pumping slowly, “Oh, yes. Here I am, show me what you got.” She teased.

Brian jumped off the bed and began bucking wildly when the warmth of his girlfriend’s tits surrounded him. Flexing his hips as if he were nestled within Casey, he fucked her chest in a heated fever, trying to race for his orgasm. Feeling her tongue and mouth start swirling over his purple and achy head the burly man gave a heavy bassed groan, “Fuck, yes…just like that…don’t stop…” He begged further, his body buzzing with the new sensations.

What started out as an experiment to the swimmer, soon became a desperate attempt to stop the pain that grew with each pump into her bare chest. Casey initially enjoyed the idea of using her boobs to bring her lover joy and even relished the contorted look that crossed his lips signaling how close his orgasm was every time his dick crested into the open air.

Living in the moment, she didn’t account for bare friction. Skin on skin without any sort of lubrication, caused Casey to feel searing red pain flare from skin being fucked raw. -Use Spit!- Her mind pleaded in an effort to salvage the playful shared and intimate moment.

Annoyed with her inability to spit, Casey bent closer to flick her tongue out and capture Brian’s head in her mouth. -Another first, Rivers.- She told herself. Swishing as much saliva as possible, Casey kept her lips firmly in place and sucked hard with each thrust. -Yet another feeling that isn’t all that enjoyable. Being face fucked..how do others do…- Casey was interally asking when Brian’s dick pulsed once sending a thick salty stream down her throat, almost making her gag. Not wanting to disturb the pleasure that her big man enjoyed, she held firm until he’d released everything built up.

Grimacing at the salt-slimy taste she took all of his cum into her stomach where she had trouble keeping it down. Seconds after the moment passed she reared back on her knees. “Ow, Fuck…” Casey looked between her breasts and touched the rash that she knew had formed. “That…sucked.”

Brian snapped out of his orgasmic frenzy and leaned up on his elbows, “What?” He muttered, confused.

Casey pointed to her raw sternum. “That’s what. If I ever do that again, we need something to stop a rash.”

“Why didn’t you stop me then?” The large man asked and sat up, before reaching out to Casey’s chest lightly.

Casey winced when Brian touched her rash. “I was in the moment, you were in the moment.” She shrugged. “I wanted to be a little playful and give a little more .. ahem…vanilla flavoring.”

Brian shook his head and let out a light chuckle-snort. “You were playful! I have never seen you tease me with your…” He stopped talking and wrinkled his eyebrows as Casey’s rash disappeared before his eyes. “What just happened?”

No longer feeling the pain, Casey looked down and rolled her eyes. “Fuck.”

Brian winked and snapped his fingers, “I bet that is something you can’t discuss, either.”

Casey hopped off the bed and dug out a long tee, “Not really.” She scratched the middle of her chest nervously before crawling back on the bed. “I can’t explain what you saw either. Just know that it happened.”

Brian quietly excused himself and after returning from the bathroom, dug out a clean set of his own underwear from the drawer that Casey had given him a year before. “I get the feeling that this has to do with the girl in your dreams too.” He confessed and settled back on the bed, looking at his girlfriend.

“I can’t talk about it, Brian.” Casey whispered. “I couldn’t if I wanted to.”

“You healed right before my eyes, Casey. That is impossible.” Brian then pointed to Casey’s knee. “Was that the same way?”

“Yes.” She answered quickly, noting that Vivienne’s command didn’t hinder her. -So much for the illusion of being hurt.- Casey quickly recalled and shook off. “Being hurt is a moot point. You have seen the regeneration.”

“Regeneration?” Brian grabbed his girlfriend's hands, “Is anything stopping me from guessing at what is going on?”

“Not at all.” Casey smiled and kissed both of his thick hands once. “I just can’t outright tell you anything.”

“Can we focus on the little girl for a moment?” He asked quickly.

“Focus on whatever, I still can’t tell you anything.” Casey reiterated.

Brian started rubbing his temples lightly. “Okay. I know the girl is important, as she showed up in your dreams and you refuse to discuss it deeply.”

“I don’t refuse, I can’t. I physically can’t talk about it.” Casey smiled coyly.

“So you want to tell me the answers?” He looked up.

“More than you know. I want to tell you everything about me, even if I can’t tell you about Vivienne.” Casey volunteered.

“I will get to Vivienne, but right now I’m most concerned about this girl.” Brian lifts Casey’s chin and pulls her into a simple loving kiss, “Can I ask about the girl in general? Like is the girl real?”

Casey licked her lips and sighed when her man’s hand slipped away from her chin. “Yes and Yes.”

Brian clapped once and smiled. “Progress.” His stomach rumbled and he instinctively clutched his stomach. “That was a hint. Want to get dressed and get something for breakfast?”

Casey hopped off her bed and walked into the kitchenette and looked around. “You never put away dinner last night?” She asked while looking at the cold leftover spaghetti.

“It is only a few hours old.” Brian retorted and heard Casey turn on the stovetop. “That answers the question about breakfast.”

“It would be a shame to waste what you made.” Casey grinned wide and her heart pitterpattered looking at the dinner setup from the evening prior. -I was making out with a drummer, he made me dinner.- She took a deep breath and sighed heavily as she let it out. “I never thanked you for dinner last night. You are too sweet, and no, I don’t want to get dressed.”

Brian got up and pulled on a pair of shorts and a black tee that hugged his rippled form. “Okay.” He joined Casey in the kitchen and hugged her from behind as she stirred the leftovers. “Mmmm, Thank you.” He pulled back some of her blonde-auburn hair to kiss her neck and noticed four tiny holes almost radiating a soft green highlight. “What in the he…” He scrubbed his eyes and looked again, the holes having disappeared.

The ward looked over her shoulder quickly, “Humm? What were you saying?”

“Forget it. It isn’t important, I might just be overly hungry. I am seeing things.” Kissing the spot where the big man saw the scars, Brian sat down. “The red eyes. Was that just the dream or did this kid have red eyes?”

Casey opened her mouth to answer and she heard Vivienne’s gentle voice and command whispering. “I can’t answer that. You already know about the dream.”

Scratching his goatee and thinking to himself for a few seconds, he came up with another question. “Did you interact with this girl at all?”

“Yes.” She curtly answered and quickly and washed the plates from the evening before.

“Was it this interaction that caused you to have the nightmare?” He followed up and helped Casey by drying the plates and placing them to the side.

“Yes.” She leaned over the pot and took a light whiff, “You make the best spaghetti.”

A dark chill skittered down Brian’s spine and he glanced at Casey and once more noticed the four holes highlighted on her neck. “Is the girl still alive?”

“No.” Casey looked away from the pot and placed her finger over Brian’s lips. “Whatever you think, keep it to yourself. Just know that I have to tell Vivienne everything.” She paused, “I mean, yes, I have to tell her everything, it is also important to know what I want to tell her.” Casey pulled her finger away and resumed stirring the noodles.

Brian watched as Casey’s form started softly glowing like the holes in her neck as she spoke about her job and Vivienne. “I have never seen your eyes gloss over like they just did. You mentioned Dr Moreau and it was like a switch turned on, you really like her.”

“I love her, Brian.” Casey felt the warmth of the words touching her heart, and mindlessly touched the four outlined scars on her neck.

Brian slowly mulled over the answers that his girlfriend had given him, and he walked to her dirty clothes. “Did you have anything to do with the girl's death?” He asked while running his hands over an obvious blood stain on Casey’s filthy jeans.

Casey now saw Vivienne’s multifaceted blue eyes clouding her mind. She sighed with delight and responded with a lost tone, “I can’t answer that.” She waited a moment and continued, “What I saw shook me up, Brian. I just don’t know how to deal with it.”

He tossed the foul-smelling pants back over in the corner where they were and once more gripped Casey by her waist, “I want to be a psychologist, but I am not one yet.” He chuckled, “Something you can’t discuss is tied to this girl’s death. I guess that also would explain your condition last night. Soot on your face means a fire of some kind.” He let go of his girlfriend’s waist when she plated the reheated spaghetti and sat down. “It was gruesome enough that it gave you the nightmare, you even asked me who would do that to someone so young.”

Casey set the plates on the small table and waited for Brian to sit down before she joined him. Twirling a bite of pasta on her fork she finally affirmed what he’d been saying. “Right. All of it. I just can’t keep what I saw…” She dropped the fork and put her face back in her hands, crying softly.

Brian dropped to his knees beside Casey and pulled her into a tight hug, “That’s it. Let it out. I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head, “I don’t see where it was anything you did, it’s just the memory of it all.” Petting Casey’s long locks he whispered, “You live in the moment, it’s what I love about you. This was just one horrible moment. Do whatever you need to let the moment pass, I am here with you.”

A sudden flare of hot anger poked at Faye’s chest with the thought of Vivienne kissing anyone except her. “I don’t know who Casey is. Yet.” The newborn vampire seethed the words from her teeth.

Vivienne felt Fay grab tighter to her and the hostile tone in her partner's voice, “She did not know what she was doing, Faye. When she kissed me she was highly intoxicated, and it was meant as a thank you for helping her up.”

“You belong to me.” Faye toned flatly and twisted her legs into Vivienne’s.

“Very well, my love.” Vivienne gently lifted Faye by her chin and brushed her lips slowly and lightly over her partners, darting her tongue as she did so. “My kisses are henceforth all for you.”

Awash in a cloud of sensation on her vampiric lips, Faye started purring lightly under Vivienne’s light kisses. She found herself crawling up Vivienne’s perfect form and before she knew what was happening, had started squeezing one of Vivienne’s alluring breasts. Pressing herself into Vivienne’s lips completely, Faye felt herself release the tension in her heart and mind as the couple’s tongues spun and flipped together. Hearing a light and luxurious feminine moan come from Vivienne brought Faye back to her senses and she quickly pulled away, “I…I…shouldn’t have, not yet.”

Vivienne opened her almost divine blue eyes and suckled on her bottom lip. “Mon amour, You have nothing to worry about.” Vivienne reached over and cleared the hair from Faye’s loving green eyes. “Jealousy has no place between us, it burns precious blood. Blood that we could use to enjoy each other rather than to fuel anger.”

Faye snapped out of the trance she was in, and glared again at her partner. “You made me forget the question I asked about blood.”

Vivienne raised her eyebrows shocked, “How did I make you do that, perchance? I am lying here and holding you to my bosom.”

Snorting and chuckling lightly Faye teased, “Did you just say bosom?”

“Yes, I did.” Vivienne arched one of her eyebrows questioningly. “Why do you ask?” “I can’t tell you the last time I heard anyone use the word.” Faye quickly retorted.

“Another plot of mine to obfuscate the truth of our nature, of course.” Vivienne added.

“Oh, no you don’t.” Faye lightly chastised. “I am not forgetting again. You were going to tell me what blood we need to survive.”

“I am not to blame for your scattered thoughts.” Vivienne lightly giggled and pressed her lips to the top of Faye’s head. “When I was a youngling, I moved constantly.”

“Did you have a woman that drove you into a frenzy every time she moved her legs?” Faye asked and groaned. “You did it again! Tell me about the blood before I forget again, please.”

“Very well, Faye. How can I deny such an intense request, mon amour?” Vivienne smiled wide, exposing her pearl fangs. Still overcome with the little tingles pulsing along her nerves where Faye had cupped her breast, Vivienne licked her fangs lightly and winked to her partner. “I shall remind you that desire isn’t one way. Climbing over me like you did and taking your liberty with my body, almost found that virtue of yours lost yet again.” Vivienne kissed Faye on her forehead. “Blood is easy. Human blood only.”

“Why is that? I figured blood was blood. I am still not comfortable with the idea of killing.” Faye sighed and freed herself from Vivienne’s gentle arms and straddled her hips. “I had hoped it was like other things that I had heard. You know, surviving off any sort of blood.”

Lifting her knees to support Faye, Vivienne shook head back and forth indicating ‘no’ before speaking. “You have read too many tales, or the like. Animal blood is what you are talking about, and it is worthless. Human blood is our food. It fuels everything. I tried to explain it before, Blood is how we keep our darkness at bay, how we use organs, and make our skin flush. Without blood, there is no illusion to who we are.”

“Illusion?” Faye followed up as she leaned against Vivienne’s thighs. -She didn’t think twice about your comfort, Faye.- Her mind sent a loving wave of endorphins that made the youngling forget her stress and enjoy the little happy moment. “Don’t answer the illusion thing yet. Finish what you are saying about blood.” Faye poked Vivienne’s tummy once, “If I let you stop talking about blood, then it could take hours to get the topic back.”

“Quite right you are, mon amour.” Vivienne kept a sly smile on her face, “The illusion … thing as you call it is on hold.” She laughed lightly, “It is vital to fight, change forms and even use the embrace. Other forms use blood in different ways. Your animal form doesn’t use very much at all, but your gaseous form will burn blood very quickly.” Vivienne entwined her fingers with Faye’s, “It is best to think of it like this. The more supernatural it seems to you, the more blood it will use.”

“Can you tell me why animal blood will not work?” Faye asked and traced little figure eights on her partner's stomach with her free hand.

“My love, I don’t have that information. I can tell you what I have experienced and what I believe to be true.” Vivienne shoved a pillow under her head and neck so she could see Faye a bit easier. “When I tried it, nothing happened. It didn’t quench my thirst, I couldn’t use it in any way. It sat in my stomach and never absorbed. I ended up having to use almost twice the amount of human blood to clear it from my body.”

“So it could work for me?” Faye sounded hopeful as she continued, “I am guessing that not all vampires are the same, much like we are all different alive.”

“You could test your theory now, if you wanted.” Vivienne offered and once more licked her fangs. “I bought lots of human food for Casey when she was here last night.”

“Isn’t that packaged?” Faye wrinkled her nose and frowned.

“Faye, my love, I have a feeling you are going to be an interesting vampire.” Vivienne laughed lightly and sat up. “Shall we find out some of your capabilities, other than driving me to kiss you all day?”

-Another chance to see her ass? Sure, I am good with that.- Faye thought to herself and hopped off of Vivienne’s hips. “What’s the plan?”

Keeping their hands clasped, Vivienne headed out of their room and started down the staircase once more. “I would not say that I have a plan. I would call it an experiment, yes?” Vivienne stopped half way down to turn and look at her progeny.

-What a difference a few hours makes.- Faye thought to herself as she gleefully once more watched Vivienne’s calves flex and release, admiring her partner's intensely feminine structure. Losing herself to the velveting moves of the ancient vampire's moon-shaped bottom, Faye barely heard what Vivienne asked. Forcing herself to look up, Faye stammered through her response, “I..w…what, oh! Right, um…experiment.”

“Faye, darling? My eyes aren’t down there.” Vivienne winked and completed the small journey to the kitchen.

“Very funny.” The Korean beauty responded happily and bounced her way down the remaining stairs, and found Vivienne holding a package with a steak in it. “You know…” Faye half frowned, “...that doesn’t even look appealing. I think I used to like steak as well.” She shrugged and closed the distance to Vivienne gliding quickly and without making a sound.

Tearing the cellophane package open, Vivienne lifts the package to Faye’s nose. “What does it smell like? I can’t even smell the blood, but I know it is.” She dipped her finger in the thick liquid. “See, its consistency tells me it is blood.”

Faye leaned down and sniffed both the small pool in the package and Vivienne’s finger. “I don’t smell anything. I could smell the sweet and heavy iron through the bag upstairs, before I drank it.”

“This doesn’t give me high hopes for your animal theory, Faye.” Vivienne shrugged and continued, “Try not to consume too much. Remember we have no spare blood, other than what I might be able to share with you, until we hunt this evening. I would suggest that you just hold it on your tongue, even maybe take a drop down to see if it squelches the burn, but no more than that.”

Faye looked at Vivienne with her dancing green eyes, a light conflict behind them.

“Ca..can..um..” Faye stammered a moment, thinking and working out a thought. -No fear, Faye. Just tell her. You said it before.- She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “Can you make sure I do what you suggest, I don’t know if I will be able to stop.”

Vivienne set the package on the small island close to the refrigerator and lightly touched

Faye’s shoulder. “Mon amour, I will give you anything you need.” She leaned close, “Hey.” She whispered, then stood upright and smiled once she saw her partner’s eyes. “I am proud of you, Tigerlily. I am stunned with every moment that you are clear headed and rational.” Massaging Faye’s shoulders gently, “It will be alright.” Vivienne handed the steak to Faye and spoke clearly, “Faye. I want you to bite into the steak and suck enough blood from it so that it settles on your tongue and no more. You are to only swallow what is necessary to see if it quells the burn permeating your throat. You will control yourself and not doubt yourself. If you do not taste anything, simply spit the contents back into the package on the counter, if you please.” Vivienne smiled and winked as she watched Faye’s eyes dull over for a moment.

Faye blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, feeling like she’d awakened from a short dream. “That is such an odd feeling, Viv. Want me to tell you what it is like?” Faye picked up the steak and bit into it, drawing the precise amount that Vivienne’s command had issued. Faye felt the meat disintegrate and the blood spread over her tongue like syrup, without any taste. Spitting the contents immediately into the package, Faye shrugged and shook her head. “I didn’t need to swallow any of it. I just knew. There was no taste and the blood just felt wrong.” Faye smiled at Vivienne. “Thank you.”

“I am sorry, Faye. I wished your theory worked.” Vivienne looked at the remains of the steak. “Do you remember how to cook?”

Faye snorted lightly, “Yes. I learned how to cook when I was ten.” Her eyes sparkled, “I remembered that!”

The raven-haired beauty stepped aside and pointed to the stovetop and the various pans, “Might as well cook it. I did buy it for Casey anyway. You two need to meet, so you two might as well do it over a meal.”

“You can’t cook?” Faye asked and dug out a grill pan.

“I was not gifted in the means to do so when I was human. I have the basic knowledge, and if I ever wanted to do something other than be a doctor, I would consider learning.” Walking over to the spot where Drake met his demise, the ancient vampire scanned the area. “You could certainly tell me what the control was like. I have no reference.”

Igniting the gas stovetop, Faye placed the pan over the heat with a little olive oil. “Hold on.” The black-pink haired woman chuckled, “Three thousand, five hundred years and you weren’t the least bit interested in making meals, but took the time to learn to stitch up your prey? I would have thought you might have done it out of boredom.”

A perplexed look crosses Vivienne's well-shaped visage. "Intriguing, my love." Vivienne rubs her chin for a second, "I am quite certain that I have not mentioned my age." Vivienne thought about the anomaly, "I have only recently come to the knowledge that Casey could track my whereabouts." Clearly pleased with the new turn of events, Vivienne winked and blew Faye a kiss. "I am thusly more impressed that the love of my life and progeny can determine my age." Vivienne laughed, "When I first turned, France wasn’t even called Gaul yet. My experience was foraging for things and eating rabbits. Want me to put a rabbit on a stick? I can do that great.” Vivienne said sarcastically as she started breaking the table into splinters.

Noting that the pan had reached its perfect temperature, Faye sprinkled what spices she could find on the thick cut and placed it into the pan, where it loudly sizzled and sent waves of steam into the air. “Once more we are not talking about the core topic. You wanted to know about how it felt to give that command, and here we are talking about cooking.”

“It is one more thing that makes me certain that we are meant to be, mon amour.” Vivienne mentioned as she crushed more of the table. “The tangents are natural since we are learning about each other, however, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that I didn’t create the diversion this time.”

“Fancy way of saying it's not your fault.” Faye quipped and flipped the steak.

“I thought it better to change up the way I say it. You have accused me of doing it most of the evening, mon amour.” Nodding once at the pile of scraps on the floor, Vivienne wiggled her butt teasingly.

Faye stumbled and caught herself on the granite island when she noticed the titillating wiggle from her partner. “Wh…I forgot what…” Faye placed both hands on the island and closed her eyes, and steadied her rising desire. “Command!” She blurted as the focus returned to her mind, “I first felt like I was in a daze, the words almost floated in my mind, creating a blueish fog. I could have just been imparting the blue, because of your eyes.” She shrugged and poked at the steak with her finger, watching a little blood come from it. Opening a cabinet and getting a solid black plate, she took the mouth-watering strip from the pan and set it aside, and shut off the gas. “It wasn’t harsh, I felt the concern in your voice. I felt at ease and wanted to comply. Nothing about it felt forced. It was like I needed to satisfy you, a deep need that I didn’t want to disobey. Then I blinked my eyes and felt fine.”

“Thank you. I had a basic understanding of how it worked, since I have seen our brethren command their disciples before, I never knew what it was like from the other side.” Vivienne quickly stacked the splintered remains of the table in a corner and studied the floor for a couple seconds and then started breaking up the sandstone. “Did you have any other questions?”

“Many, but right now I am really confused.” Faye tilted her head and kept watching her mistress keep destroying the floor. “Why are you wrecking the place?”

Shaking off some of the dust from the broken floor Vivienne stood up and glanced back, “Oh. Take a look for yourself. You can see where the events of the evening took place. I will get Casey to clean this up and get us a new table, along with fixing the floor.” Vivienne giggled lightly as she punched the floor once more, “Blood is very hard to cover and remove without the right enzyme cleaner. Destroying the table and burning it is the easiest way.” She points at the rubble, “The floor is a bit different. It absorbs blood, so it is better to just replace that as well.”

“Was that necessary now? I don’t see why anyone would need to come inside the house, let alone the police to investigate the kitchen.”

“I am trying to be thorough.” Vivienne explained, “Just before I met you, I had been getting careless about keeping my nights secret.”

“Go on.”

“I told you that I met Casey when she was drunk, which is true, even if it’s not the complete story. I took out the drummer, in front of your hotel’s cameras. They also likely caught Casey coming back and kissing me.”

Faye’s eyes gleamed red briefly, “Annoying.”

“You are newborn, mon amour. Relax. I have no intention of kissing her ever again.”

Faye folded her arms and fought back the anger, “I still do not see what that has to do with the table and floor.”

Vivienne pointed to the corner where Drake had been, “The walls too.” She pointed at the corner, “Feel free to tear out the section. I am sure you can see the stains on the wall.”

“I see them, Vivienne. I still don’t understand, no one knows about me being here.” Faye paused, “Except Casey.”

“I knew that the band was staying at your hotel, and I knew the cameras caught me destroying Ken. I went to see if I could obtain the footage. That led to meeting you…” Vivienne blew Faye a kiss, and stomped the floor once, shattering more sandstone. “...then the hotel came down. What if they discover a blood trail where I carried you and drake to my car?” She shook her head, “I am sure I could talk us out of the problem, but if they have any evidence we will have no peace.”

Faye yanked the stained drywall from the corners, ripping up the floorboard at the same time when the tiny tiger growled in her head. -See, little tiger? It was all a plan to cover her tracks. She doesn’t love you, look at her. Something so perfect is always manipulative. Bored of being alone, she now wants slaves.-

Vivienne piled the rubble beside the table debris and noticed the stripes appearing on Faye’s arms. “Mon amour?”

Lashing out, Faye screamed. “Did you plan it? All of it?” She heard the gleeful mewling of her tiger, and pressed further. “It’s all a lie, isn’t it? You charmed me from the beginning.”

Rushing over to Faye and embracing her tightly, Vivienne whispered in Faye’s ear. “Shhh, don’t listen to it, mon amour. Use your mind, look back at the events. Ignore the taunts, ask yourself how I could have known you would come out to greet me? How our eyes met before we even spoke.”

Trembling, Faye spun in her partner’s arms and was greeted by a set of love filled twinkling cerulean eyes. -There will be a time where she can’t save you.- It snarled and faded into the back of Faye’s mind, replaced by the truth of the encounter. “I…I…Vivienne…”

Using one of her fangs, Vivienne bit into her lip allowing her deep purple blood to pour freely before embracing Faye, smearing it over their lips. Their tongues swishing passionately, Vivienne gave into the rush that pumped through her veins with the intensity of the kiss the two were in. Vitality filled their mouths, the great majority being swallowed desperately by Faye. A single purr of delight and her partner's tongue swiping over her lips brought Vivienne out of the suckling trance she’d fallen into. Quickly closing the hole,

Vivienne waited until Faye had cleared her mouth of any leftover blood before pulling back. “Mmm, mon amour. That was fantastic.”

Faye let out a soft moan and kept squeezing Vivienne by her silk clad bottom. “Sorry. I don’t know what happened.” She leaned into her partner and kissed her neck softly murmuring, “That thing started talking in my head and…and…”

“Let us go back upstairs and gaze upon each other and forget about what is going on down here, it was too soon. Accept my apology, Faye. This part of the house is still fresh in your mind.” Vivienne pushed herself gently into the tender grasp that Faye had on her backside, “Perhaps I will teach you French by whispering it in your ear.”

Faye slid her hands into Vivienne’s and led the way upstairs, “That would be unwise.” She playfully purred.

Vivienne felt the emotions stirring in her chest just as they did when the couple first met. It was unmistakable and the word floated in her mind on a silver cloud, Love. Pulling from Faye’s cue, Vivienne responded “Mmm, Why is that?”

Reaching the top step, Faye turned to Vivienne and pulled her into another hug before kissing her lightly again, “Oops, I think you are bound to me now.”

Vivienne threw her arms around Faye’s neck, and gently ran her long fingers in the short black and pink locks. “Most certainly.” She cooed.