Just Another Damned Vampire Story Ch. 06

Ch. 06 - Hideaways

Sophie woke up feeling groggy and disoriented.

She looked around the unfamiliar room and felt the hardness of the mattress beneath her. There was a second pillow next to her and an imprint from where another person had been lying.

The single light bulb glinted yellow over her head, and so Sophie figured that it must be evening time.

She sat up and called out softly.

"Caine?"

The bedroom door swung open and the tall dark and dangerous vampire stood in the entrance.

His eyes glinted silver at her as she sat on the bed and Sophie pulled the blanket up to her chin in a defensive gesture.

Caine grinned at her with a little twist to his lips. "I popped out for some supplies, and there is some coffee brewing and some food if you're hungry," he informed her quietly.

Sophie climbed off the bed but paused to look quizzically at him. "Popped out to where? I didn't hear the bike?"

His smile broadened. "I can move faster without the bike when I need to, and it occurred to me that in our haste we didn't pack any food."

Sophie's stomach grumbled at her at the thought of food and she looked at Caine gratefully. She stopped though just in front of him and frowned in concern. "I hope the girls are okay, they didn't take anything either."

"You go and pour yourself a coffee, and take a look at what I got for you; and I'll see if I can make contact with Matt."

He walked passed her and sat down on the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes and slumped his shoulders as though he were drifting off to sleep.

Sophie hovered over him waiting to see what would happen.

Caine's eyes snapped open so suddenly that she jumped back in surprise.

"I can't concentrate with you standing over me like some desperate mother hen." he admonished dryly.

Sophie flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just curious," she muttered as she backed away from his disconcerting gaze.

"Go and drink your coffee Sophie, and close the door behind you."

He closed his eyes again as he listened to the quiet tread of Sophie's footsteps, and then the click of the door as she closed it.

'Matt!' he sent the call out seeing in his mind's eye as the wave rippled out and away from him.

'Matt!" he added power to the call, making the wave stronger.

He paused for a moment and then. 'Matt!'

He broke through the distance between them suddenly; and there was Matt, stood as though he was right in front of him.

'What is it?'

'Just checking in, making sure everything is all right.'

There was a ripple in the wave.

'Everything is fine.' Matt's thoughts echoed back to him.

Caine frowned as he sat on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed and his thoughts connected to his brother's.

'You're sure there's nothing wrong? How are the sisters? They are going to need to eat at some point, and in the rush yesterday no one thought to pack any food.'

The wave rippled again.

'The girls are fine,' there was a slight hesitation and then. 'Sarah - the older one, took charge once we started out and made us stop at an all night superstore so that she could get supplies.' There was another little pause. 'She's been laying down the law ever since.'

Sophie sat at the kitchen table sipping her hot coffee, and trying not to listen out for movements in the next room.

The toaster in the corner popped up her toast and she had buttered and eaten most of it by the time the bedroom door was flung open and Caine strode through grinning widely.

It was the first time that she'd seen him smile like that and she paused with her toast half way to her mouth.

"What's the matter?" she asked as he sat down opposite her at the kitchen table.

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "Your sisters are fine; Sarah saw to it that they picked up some supplies on their way."

"And there's nothing else?" Sophie asked a little suspiciously.

Caine shook his head. "No, not really. They had a safe non eventful journey and reached the safe house shortly after dawn. I think that Matt was hard pushed to get them all indoors and not give away the secret of what we are."

"Well he's just going to have to try harder, I don't want Sarah and Sam upset any more than is necessary." Sophie told him in the firmest tone she could muster.

Caine gave another shrug of his shoulders. "I'm not sure if that is the safest option for your sister though." He murmured thoughtfully.

"Oh?" Sophie was leaning forwards now her shoulders squared for battle.

"I just think that your sister Sarah is being a little pushy and she may be getting under Matt's skin. I think that maybe; if she knew what he was, then she might back off a little."

"Sarah! Pushy?" Sophie's voice rose along with her eyebrows in blatant disbelief.

Caine laughed softly but didn't comment.

"I hope your brother can control himself?" Sophie fretted.

He reached across and placed a cold hand over her warm one as though to comfort her. "Matt can handle himself; and your sisters as well if the need arises."

She gave a little shiver and sat back, taking her hand with her. "I just hope that you are right," she muttered softly.

She cupped her hands around her mug as though seeking its warmth and stared into the hot liquid.

"So what do we do now?" she whispered without bothering to look up at him.

Caine gave a quiet little sigh. "I don't quite know Sophie; I was rather hoping that something in you would tell us how to proceed."

She glanced up quickly and then looked away again. "Have you thought about what this could mean?" she asked uncertainly.

Caine shrugged again. "I've thought about nothing else since we met." He paused as he realised that that had only been two days ago. Now he could not imagine an existence without Sophie in it. "I'm tired Sophie," he suddenly decided to lay his cards on the table and open up to her in the hopes that it could set something off in her. "I'm so sick and tired of this, - state of being."

He stood up abruptly and walked towards the living room, at the doorway he paused and looked back at her. "Whatever happens Sophie; it can't be any worse than how we are at the moment. Anything that can bring about a change in us has to be better than this!"

The last bit had an air of desperation in it which set Sophie's blood humming in sympathy.

"I'll do my best for you Caine," she promised on a husky whisper.

They spent that first night in the isolated cottage, skirting around each other nervously.

"If you're going to do something, you need to think about it sooner rather than later." Caine advised at one point.

Sophie looked at him questioningly; as she tried to summon the power, which seemed to be eluding her at the moment.

He gave a little grimace as the silver flecked his eyes. "I've not fed for several hours now, and the hunger is starting to take a hold." He warned.

He didn't want to frighten her, but he worried that the beast would awaken before Sophie could summon up the energies to act against him or for him.

"Oh!" Sophie muttered as she nibbled at her lower lip trying to figure out what to do next.

She looked so tiny and defenceless standing before him, the perfect victim for a vampires lust for blood, and youth, and innocence.

He pictured his fangs sinking into her throat, finding that crucial vein that would allow him to draw from her. To drink until he was satiated; and she was a pale, lifeless corpse on the floor. The beast growled and stirred from deep within him.

Caine sat down on the sofa with a little groan of pain, damn the woman did she have no idea what she did to him just by standing there?

As Caine sunk his head into his hands, Sophie saw the internal battle that he fought, she could see how hard it was for him to fight his nature, how easy it would be for him to just surrender to that mindless hunger and let the consequences be damned.

He fought this battle for her! And not for the first time. When they had been locked away in her bedroom, he could have given into the hunger then, could have fed until full, and not have to wait until sunset. She had seen the pain in him then, the toll it had taken on him, to control the monster that nested deep within him.

That gentle humming that had begun in the kitchen when she had first realised what this meant to him, and how badly he wanted her to, - revive and recharge him. That gentle humming changed to a buzz, and then a throbbing within her.

Sophie held her breath, waiting for that light bulb moment when knowledge would come to her and she would know exactly what she had to do.

She never for one moment doubted that this would happen, she simply waited.

Sophie joined him on the sofa moments later; and Caine had to do some hard concentrating, to keep the beast silent and not to react to her presence, and in such close proximity.

She sat silent for a moment and Caine could hear her heart beat going at a slow steady rate, pumping the blood through her veins, keeping her alive.

He closed his eyes and fought desperately to subdue the beast as it stirred again.

He gave a low growl of surprise when Sophie suddenly leaned over him, and his eyes snapped open flashing silver.

"What are you doing Sophie?" he demanded in alarm.

"Shussh now!" she murmured softly as she stroked down his cheek; down his jaw line, and continued on down his throat, to that point where most of us have a pulse.

Caine felt the faintest of tingles, and a little rush as that pulse flickered, soft and hesitant like the wings of a butterfly.

Sophie hadn't finished though; as she reached up to kiss at that point, and again Caine felt that little tiny tickle.

She knelt up on the sofa, as she moved to the other side; and did the same thing to the pulse on the other side of his throat.

Caine gave a soft sigh as the beast stirred briefly, and then fell into a deeper slumber.

"Just relax Caine." Sophie whispered as she stroked down his arm to the pulse point on his wrist.

Again she stroked gently for a moment as though massaging it, in light hypnotic motions.

That faintest tingle and a little hesitant flicker and Caine allowed his head to fall back against the sofa and closed his eyes with a groan of pleasure.

Sophie lifted his wrist to place it at her lips and kissed it lovingly. That tickling sensation and another pulse flickered into life.

Sophie repeated the action on his other wrist and again another little pulse was beating.

She reached up with a soft murmur and began to unbutton his shirt.

Caine opened his eyes to look at her.

Sophie gave him a gentle affectionate smile, and her blue eyes glittered with energy; as she placed her hands over his still heart.

Caine had never felt anything like it. He felt like an engine that was just ticking over, all those little pulse points, all throbbing as if to say 'ready', just waiting for someone to flick that final switch so that he could flare into life.

Sophie closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated.

He could feel the energy building inside her, as she sucked in a deep breath suddenly; and leaned forward to kiss Caine hard on his lips.

He opened his mouth in surprise, and Sophie breathed out.

Her breath filled Caine; heating him from the inside, as his lungs expanded fully and then...waited.

Slowly; oh so slowly, the air leaked out again, and his lungs collapsed back in on themselves.

Sophie moved back a little, and pressed harder against his heart.

She sucked in another deep breath and leaned forward to kiss him again.

Caine could feel the burning of her hands over his heart; as Sophie filled his lungs with air once more.

Time and again she did this, each time rubbing and pushing, massaging his heart as she sucked in another deep breath, and then breathed it out, into him.

All of a sudden, he felt the biggest jolt as she released the energy she had been building up.

His heart contracted sharply from the shock of it and Caine sucked in a breath in a reflexive action.

Sophie smiled at him shakily.

"That's it Caine," she whispered as she continued to massage his heart. "Brrrreeeeaaaath!" she sighed.

Stuttering and coughing a little Caine did just that.

In, hold, and out, hold.

In, hold, and out, hold.

His arms and legs were tingling, then throbbing and then cramping agonisingly, as his faltering heartbeat began pumping the blood around his body.

With a little soothing sound; Sophie began to firmly rub at his arms, and then his legs, helping to keep the circulation going, and easing the cramps of long dead limbs.

Caine's cheeks flushed; as he continued to draw in and gasp out, laboured breaths.

With each breath he took, he felt the beast within coiling tighter and tighter, shrinking and dying until it was a single solid knot in the pit of his stomach.

He lurched to his feet suddenly and staggered across the room to the bathroom, where he was violently sick.

When he returned to the living room, Sophie was still sitting on the sofa. She looked absolutely drained.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

She nodded a weary head. "Yes, I think so; I just need to get some rest I think. What we just did, took a lot out of me, but I'll be fine once I've rested."

Caine walked over to her and sank to his knees in front of her. "Thank you," he whispered huskily.

She smiled unsteadily at him, and laid a hand on the top of his head to stroke his hair gently. "You're welcome Caine."

*

He helped her into the bedroom, and covered her with the blanket. Sophie was in a deep exhausted sleep before he'd finished tugging it straight.

He stood over the bed, his eyes deep and suspiciously moist as he looked over the little miracle who had just changed his life.

LIFE! Before today that word had been a bitter joke to him, but now, - he sucked in a deep breath and silently left the room, closing the door behind him.

It was late into the night; or more closely, the early hours of the morning, and for the first time in a long time Caine felt real fatigue, there was also a strange burning in his gut, and it took him a while to recognise that as hunger.

He laughed out loud at the notion. Earlier he'd warned Sophie that the hunger was starting to take a hold, the deep insane hunger that could never quite be satisfied. The driving hunger; that would make him take a life, if he didn't feed it quickly and often enough.

Now he was hungry for food. He could still smell the faint aroma of the toast Sophie had eaten much earlier; his sense of smell was still as keen as ever, except now he could smell more than just blood.

Caine wondered idly what other strengths he still possessed, and what human weaknesses he now had to deal with.

The grumbling in his stomach made him feel nauseous, and with a little sigh of resignation he went to look through the supplies he'd picked up for Sophie.

For lack of inspiration he opted for toast the same as she'd had earlier, and sitting at the kitchen table he tentatively took a bite.

The art of chewing one's food was a dim and very distant memory, but after a few choking attempts he managed to get the hang of it again.

The toast was a good food to start with, but it was very dry. Caine filled a glass with water and gulped down most of it.

He finished his toast and drank a second glass of water, this time sipping it slowly.

His stomach was making strange gurgling noises as it suddenly, after two hundred years; was faced with having to digest solid foods again.

As he slowly sipped the water; his gut gradually settled again, and an hour or so after Sophie had retired, Caine was prowling the house restlessly.

He glanced out into the night; dawn was perhaps two hours away yet.

He silently opened the front door and stepped out into the darkness.

As soon as he was away for the false lighting in the little cottage, his eyes adjusted and Caine was thrilled to discover that his night vision was still that of a vampire's.

He began to walk through the trees, easily finding the natural footpaths buried beneath the long grass. He picked up the speed and continued to jog, he kicked his heels and he was running.

Faster and faster he ran, until he was blurring through the trees, his feet barely touching the ground.

He ran for nearly an hour and finished back at the cottage. He was breathing a little heavier as he reached out to open the door, but felt exhilarated rather than tired.

He silently re-entered the house and moved to the living room where he could sit on the sofa.

Sophie stirred in the bedroom and turned over on the bed seeking a more comfortable spot.

Caine's gaze flew to the bedroom door and for long moments he sat listening to her breathing.

He felt his own breaths getting a little heavier and his heart began to beat faster.

He pictured Sophie lying on the bed; he pictured Sophie that night she had undressed in front of him. The two images overlapped and created a scene where Sophie was hot and aching for his touch. Where he lay her down on the bed and covered her body with his own.

Caine lurched to his feet and staggered into the kitchen feeling more restless than ever.

Daylight would soon be breaking and Caine didn't want to risk being out and vulnerable when the sun came up.

He was stuck in the cottage now and Sophie was just in the next room, unaware of the new danger to her safety.

The blood pounded through his body and Caine felt himself overwhelmed by feelings he'd not had for over two centuries.

He moved restlessly around the house feeling the need increasing and desperately trying to control it.

**

Sophie woke to silence. What had disturbed her?

The sleep had revived her and recharged her and she felt, - complete.

She sat up on the bed and stretched.

*

"I was wondering if there was a working shower anywhere in this place?" she asked as she entered the living room.

She looked across at Caine who was hunched up on the sofa.

"Is everything all right Caine?" she worried as she rushed over to him.

He looked up at her, his face a funny greyish colour and his eyes anguished. "Yes, everything is fine Sophie; I'm just getting reacquainted with some old human weaknesses that I'd forgotten about."

He pointed to behind Sophie in the direction of the bathroom.

"There's a separate shower cubicle just off the main bathroom. And your bag is just behind the door over there."

His pointing finger swung over her head to the direction of the front door.

"And your sure that you're okay?" she asked concerned.

"Yes Sophie. You go and grab that shower and I'll brew a fresh pot of coffee."

She looked him over one more time, and Caine gave her a bright insincere smile of reassurance.

With a resigned little shrug Sophie grabbed her bag, and entered the bathroom; closing the door behind her. She hesitated a moment and then turned the lock on the door as well.

She didn't know what it was, but there was something about Caine that made her feel uneasy at the moment.

Caine sat on the sofa trying desperately not to picture Sophie as she undressed and stepped under the running water. He tried to distract his thoughts and not imagine her as she soaped her soft tender skin; or lathered the wonderful curve of her breast and hip.

He wanted not to see how she closed those incredible eyes of hers; as the water poured over her naked form.

He stood up abruptly and marched into the kitchen. "Get a grip!" he muttered aggressively as he pulled out the jug for the coffee maker and started to bang things around in the tiny room.

Sophie stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her torso. She paused for a moment, to listen to the banging and clattering going on somewhere on the other side of the door.

"What on earth?" she started as she pulled open the door in alarm.