A Vampire For Christmas Ch. 03

"Francois, for instance, was created by Helena. His original DNA change was initiated by pure blood. But, in his first two months, he was not fed exclusively pure blood. He received some, but he also fed from humans and other Vampires. Thus, the blood his body creates is not pure, though it is stronger than the blood of a Vampire who was not created by Helena and not fed any pure blood in the first two months."

"Your blood is the same as if you had been created by Helena and fed by Helena. By that, I mean Colleen was created by and only fed from Helena. Their blood is identical. After two months, your blood will be as well. My blood is also the same. A Vampire that one of the four of us would create, would begin Vampire life with pure blood."

"Michelle drank Francois' blood to initiate her change. Thus, her DNA change began with a diluted amount of pure blood. Francois fed her exclusively for three months. When her body manufactures blood, that blood is the same strength as Francois'. She is equal in power to him."

"One of the powers of pure blood is that if, Michelle, for example, even today, were to drink nothing but pure blood for two months, her body would absorb enough to change her DNA to be like ours. She would become a pureblood."

"Helena has learned over the centuries, that having too many pure blood Vampires is dangerous for Vampires as well as for humans. Power creates a desire for control in too many Vampires to take the risk. That is why we limit access to pure blood."

"We donate to those in leadership positions in the family because it is useful to have their power increased temporarily. It aids in the performance of their duties. We also donate to our security staff. They must have sufficient power to provide protection and enforcement, if needed."

"Wait, you keep talking about Helena in terms of centuries like you mean a lot of them. Just how old is Mother?"

"Now, Katherine. You should know it's not polite to ask a woman's age," she laughed. "Seriously, that is a question Helena will answer for you in her own time, perhaps tomorrow. It is something you need to know as it colors your purpose in this Life."

"Note that I said Life. In human terms you are dead. In Vampire terms, you are alive, simply changed to a new species, so to speak. We abhor the term Undead that is used in so much literature about Vampires. We are very much alive. Our origin is not some evil aberration or 'deal with the Devil'. Throughout history there have been Vampires who did evil, horrible things. So have some humans."

"Wow, there is just so much. I keep asking 'Why me'? What's so special about me that made Colleen want me?"

"That, is simple. Colleen is madly in love with you. She wanted to share what extended time she has with someone who made her feel the years were worth experiencing. She chose you. You are the first person since I have known her that made her feel that way."

"Colleen has justifiable trust issues. I will leave the telling of why to her. The family has been deeply concerned for her welfare. There was a time when Helena feared Colleen would choose to end herself. The level of relief and hope we felt when she encountered you was immeasurable. That alone justifies your status as pureblood."

"We feel a large debt of gratitude to Michelle. It was her concern for you that broke down Colleen's emotional shields. Young humans like to use the term best friends forever. Michelle embodied that term toward you which made Colleen believe trust was possible. If there is any Vampire in the family that Helena or I would grant pureblood status to today, it's Michelle."

"As to why Colleen fell in love with you. No one understands love. Why we love. Who we love. We just do."

"I love Helena. I chose to be with her because I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me. You accepted Colleen because you saw something in her that made you think you could fall in love with her as she is in love with you."

"Katherine, it's late. We need to rest. There is one task left for today."

"Colleen tells us you are still a liter low on blood. You must feed. I would love it if you would feed directly from me, not from the wrist as per the ritual, but intimately."

"Vampires feed normally in different ways. Some Vampires feed during sex. That is the thrill some donors seek. Some feed as part of a cash transaction. The human needs or wants money and is willing to be fed from by one of us to obtain it. There are also Vampire groupies. They just like the thrill and implied danger of feeling like prey. We have plenty of writers and storytellers to thank for that."

"The Vampire faces the donor or approaches the donor from behind. The Vampire then bites in the crook of the neck near the shoulder, as we did during our climax. Blood flows pretty freely from that spot without risk of striking an artery. Arterial splashes can be messy and wasteful."

"A Vampire in this family is directed to feed for eight minutes. The reason for that amount of time is not arbitrary. Experience has shown that humans who donate at hospitals or donor centers take six to ten minutes, on average, to fill a donor bag of half a liter. A half liter blood loss is safe for a human in good health. Eight minutes has proven to result in a full feeding with no damge to the human."

"After we feed, we lick the wound clean. Our saliva does not contain bacteria like a human's. It contains healing agents and coagulents to close the wound safely."

"What I want you to do is feed from me for a full eight minutes. I would much prefer we continue to lie with one another naked during that time. I want the intimacy."

"This will be my first time allowing a full feeding this way. We are both in new territory. Helena says that for purebloods in their development stage, it is a bonding second only to being changed by or changing someone. It is how Helena trained me. Helena also trained Colleen that way, which is why they are so close."

"Typically, a Vampire changes a human to create a partner. When Helena met Colleen, she was not seeking a partner. She was still mourning the loss of her most recent one. You know that she stumbled onto a dying Colleen and saved her life, that they had never met prior to that night."

"They created a bond that I have not seen nor heard of between two Vampires. Yes, they were lovers for a time. But, it's much more than that. They chose not to be partners. Yet, their love, their bond, is nearly equal to the one Helena and I share and the one you and Colleen share."

"Helena likens their bond to the unconditional love she has witnessed between Mothers and their children. They refer to themselves as 'Mother' and 'Daughter' to remind themselves of the strength of the love they share. It's not an incest roleplay. Why would any Vampire do or think that? We're not born. We are made. The importance of the Mother and Daughter titles is the message it sends to the family. It tells everyone where Colleen stands in Helena's esteem. It's a relationship even stronger than the titles of Matriarch and Second."

"I am envious of Colleen and Helena's relationship. Our positions necessitate that we are perpetually on guard lest an unscrupulous member try to leverage a friendship as a means to gain power. Helena and Colleen have the luxury of being able to relax their guard and fully trust one another. There are not many opportunities for us to do that. I would like to have that kind of relationship with you."

"Colleen regaled us with stories of you, showed us photos, told us of conversations with Michelle about you. Honestly, it was almost too much," she laughed. "We were hopeful and excited by her interest in you, and worried it might be all for naught. I know more about you than you imagine. It's why I told Colleen at the test that she had chosen wisely. Helena, Colleen and I agree that if you would be accepting, I would feed you enough these next few weeks for us to have that bond."

I started crying. "I see how much Colleen loves Helena. My Mother died when I was very young. I think maybe it's why I never felt close to anyone, except Michelle. She left me, then when Michelle left me. I just closed up. Now, Michelle and I can resume our friendship, but I'm different and so is she."

"I don't see myself as superior but I do now have a leadership role. That changes interactions with everyone, even her. Michelle will always be the friend she has been. My own best friend forever. But, I know I will have to be guarded with her, as well, to some extent."

"I have come to know a lot about myself over the last year. I know how much I will need someone in addition to Colleen, whom I can love and trust the way she and Helena love and trust one another. The way, as humans, Michelle and I did. You all just met me. Yet, you are completely accepting. I hope you don't end up disappointed. I'm told I can be a handful. But, as you said, 'in for a penny'. If you're serious, of course, I accept."

"Then, let me hold you as you feed. Don't think about holding back, or how much time has elaped. Just feed. I will let you know when it's time to stop. I want us to have the kind of love Colleen and Helena do. I want to know that feeling."

She pulled me in close. I bit down as gently as I could but, still, I felt her shiver from the pain. Then, I could feel her relax and let out a soft moan. I drank and held onto her like she was the only thing keeping me from falling. I drank and I moaned with pleasure, physical and emotional."

"Katherine," she finally said, "I know neither of us wants to stop, but we must." As I released my bite and licked her neck, she said, "I hate it when Helena is right. I can tell already that you and I have the beginning of what she has with Colleen."

"It's going to be confusing for me to call Helena, 'Mother'. What we have shared and now this feeding has already changed things between us, in my mind. Not only do I feel stronger, being nearly full, but I feel closer to you than the time we have spent should have allowed."

"You know Colleen often refers to me as 'Mother D', right? I was not here when Helena created her. But, we have shared a bed often. We are really close. Clearly, not the same as her and Helena."

"Helena wants you to feed from her as well, tomorrow for certain, and over the next two months. As a result, you will feel as close to her as you will with me. If you call us both 'Mother', neither of us will feel the lesser. It simply reminds us that the four of us are a family within the family and tells the others the strength we share."

"You will also feed from Colleen in full feedings as I and she did with Helena," she said. "That will increase your bond with each other. I have heard you say you love her but not that you are in love with her. That will surely change."

"The thing is, Diana, I have never allowed myself to say I was in love with anyone. I don't know what holds me back. I think part of it is the fear of being let down. Where Colleen is concerned, I truly believe in my mind that I AM in love with her. I don't know why saying it is so scary."

"Do you believe that she's in love with you? I mean, really believe it?"

"Yes. Why else would she do all for me that she has? Why offer to share this life with me for what? Centuries? That is not a simple love. That is giving someone every part of what and who you are or imagine you will be. How do you do that if you're not in love?"

"Exactly. And, you agreed to share this life with her. Don't you think by accepting her offer, you're giving her all that YOU have, all that YOU imagine you will be?"

"Point taken. Yes. It makes sense"

"Then, tell her. Allow your heart to accept what your head already knows. Allow her to know it. She needs to hear it. She will never let you down."

"Motherly advice already," I smiled. "Thank you. I love you, Diana. I'm glad you were here tonight. I needed you more than I knew."

"I will always be here for you, and for Colleen. Now, turn off your brain and let's get some sleep. I have some idea what tomorrow's training will be and you will need the rest. I love you, Katherine. Sleep well."

"Good night, Mother," I mumbled as I drifted off to one of the most peaceful sleeps I could remember.