Battle for Blood Ch. 03

"I don't know yet. Are you alright? Are you feeling withdrawal again?" He touched her cheek. She jumped a little and he drew back.

"Oh no. Not at all. I feel much better. Thanks for asking." Get a hold of yourself! She found she wasn't any closer to catching her breath.

"Are you sure?" He slid his fingers under her chin again and raised her face to him. "You seem out of breath." She gasped to see he was teasing her, a wicked smile on his face. She pulled away, her stomach doing things she wished it wouldn't.

"I'm just winded from listening to Greta. She could give you whiplash." Shane crossed her arms, holding her trembling hands against her body with the opposite elbow. She hoped he'd leave it alone. She also hoped he'd kiss her again. She was very confused. Was she feeling this way because he was the first person to show real interest in her? The first person to truly take care of her? Why on earth would he be interested in her? He was a very old vampire, she knew that. What did he want? Was it just part of the show for the humans? She sighed and looked up at him. There were too many questions. He looked back at her seriously but with the tiniest glint in his eye.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

She was not going to tell him that. "What's going on though? Should we be worried?" We, that was a strange word for her. "There is something going on with the doctor and I can't run yet."

"I'm going to have a talk with her. I have to wait till she leaves tomorrow and I'll catch up with her. She knows something she isn't telling me. I feel certain that we are safe here tonight. Tomorrow we will figure out our next step based on any information she gives us." She liked that he was referring to them as a unit also. She squirmed a little in her bed. "Are you tired?" he asked.

"No. I'm feeling better. Let's see if I can't take up that pesky task of walking again." She swung her feet to the floor, planting them solidly. He was by her side, helping her, but she shook her head. "Let me try." Cole backed off. She could tell her wanted to help, that he was nervous about her moving on her own, but she needed this. It was just too embarrassing to be carried around like a child. You also don't know if you could take him holding you, a small voice in her head said. She shushed it and pushed herself to standing. The old-fashioned pajama shirt she was wearing was a large men's size and fell just passed her bottom though it was cut so that the sides sloped dangerously close to her underwear line. Her legs felt weak but viable. She smiled triumphantly at him. "See, nothing too it. Now...to walk." She started moving slowly, gripping the edge of the bed. When she ran out of bed to hold onto she took a slow step out on her own. At the very moment she felt her legs would hold her, her knees buckled and she fell.

Cole had her before she could blink, holding her upright against his body. "Maybe we give it another day? You're not planning on running any marathons anytime soon and I think after the first food you've had in a week you should try not jumping around so much." She knew he was trying to be kind but she didn't like this feeling. She hated feeling weak and useless, dependant.

She looked up at him. His eyes, while they appeared to be a steely grey from further away were lined with silver making them glint with their own light. They were almost iridescent. Shane's gaze dropped to his lips ad she wondered if he would kiss her again. Would it feel the same without the blood? Was all of that pleasure just from her addiction? There was only one way for her to find out. She held her breath without knowing why. Her stomach was doing cartwheels and the blood was rushing through her veins making her light headed. She could feel her heart beating off his chest. This wouldn't do. He smiled down at her, hesitantly. She wondered briefly what would make a centuries old vampire hesitate.

She placed her feet more firmly on the ground and raised her heels. She stopped when she was within a hair's breath of his lips. She felt his arms wrap around her more tightly as their lips met. She felt that same electric feeling through her entire body. Her head swam as he returned the kiss. She was glad he was holding her so tight. She was sure she would melt into a puddle on the floor if it weren't for his arms, his chest, his lips. She raised her hands to his neck and curled her fingers in his black hair. His lips parted gently and she followed his lead, letting his soft tongue slip between her lips. The tenderness of his kiss thrilled her; she pulled him closer and returned his kiss with her tongue. For a moment it felt like the world stopped. All that was left was her lips against his, the sensation of their tongues running against each other, the taste of his mouth and the thrill of his closeness. Her heart was still hammering against his chest as he pulled back. She didn't want him to break the kiss. He didn't seem to want to either but he finally managed to rip himself away from her. He seemed out of breath. She realized she was also breathing heavily. A strange tightening feeling had taken root in her lower belly. He looked more than a little surprised. She had to say something.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure it felt the same way without the blood," Shane said the first thing that came to her head.

"Did it?" he asked, giving her a half smile that made her legs weaker.

"Better."

He chuckled. Shane decided she liked the sound. Her legs buckled again as he relaxed his hold on her slightly. "I think you need to rest," he said and picked her up, depositing her back on the bed gently. She was about to argue but she could tell he was right. Sleep was already creeping up on her. She silently cursed the weakness that wore her out so quickly. "Don't worry, tomorrow you'll be back on your feet." His fingers traced soft lines down the side of her cheek. She let her eyes close. "If you wake up in the morning and I am not here, do not be alarmed. I've gone to find out what the doctor knows." She nodded, already half asleep. She felt him crawl into bed next to her. His chest, now bare, pressed against her back as he pulled her into his embrace. She snuggled further against him, thrilling at the sensation of the bare skin of their legs pressed against each other. She felt the softest of kisses along the back of her neck and in her contentment, sleep came.

Cole stayed awake, listening to the sound of the four heartbeats in the house. It was cruel justice to give vampires the ability to hear so well. With no heartbeat of their own the flowing blood of those around them could be at once enticing and enraging. Even after all his years, he still missed his own. He stayed alert all night. Part of him would have rather been out hunting but a bigger part knew it was best to stay right where he was. He told himself it was to take care of the doctor but he knew better.

At 4 am he heard the doctor moving upstairs. So she was making a run for it early. The sun would not rise for at least an hour. It was better than he'd hoped for. He didn't like the idea of going out in the sun. After three years of feeling those pinpricks across his skin growing more and more painful as he grew weaker, he did not relish the idea of stepping outside during daylight. He heard the woman's footsteps as she tried to make her way through the house quietly. Cole listened as she slipped out of the door and ran to her car. He slid from his place beside Shane and put the jeans he had borrowed from John back on. He left off his shirt and shoes. If he had a heartbeat it would be racing now. The hunt was on and his body screamed for real food. The car was rolling slowly out the drive, down the dirt road. He could hear the tires crunching against the ground. He opened the window and climbed out, giving one last glance back at Shane's sleeping body. He smiled as his fangs descended ever so slightly. The hunt was on.

Cole caught up with the car about a mile from the house. He needed enough space so that no one would be woken up if they happened to make noise. He wanted to stop her before she hit the paved road. She hadn't seen him yet, hiding as he was with his speed and the darkness that still clung to the forest even as the night sky turned light grey above them. He made his move, stepping out in front of the car, far enough to let her stop in time but close enough to startle her. He heard her heart began to race as she saw him appear out of nowhere in front of her.

To his surprise, she did not brake but pressed harder on the gas, sending the car rocketing towards him. He smiled at her horror stricken face as she came within an inch of hitting him. His feet left the ground just as the car rolled over that very spot. He landed with a terrifying thud on her roof. The doctor swerved, panic stricken and desperate. He dug his fingers into the roof and the metal buckled beneath his hands. Cole let her try and toss him off a few more times before reaching over and putting his hand through the driver's side window. The doctor screeched and swerved again violently, sending his legs over the other side of the car. Cole coolly righted himself and, using his speed, brought his hand through the wrecked window and closed it on her throat. The woman tried to scream but he cut her off with a squeeze. Her hands flew to her throat, trying to claw his fingers and still she did not break. The car swung into a deep gully in the road and the vehicle careened into a large pine tree, finally coming to a halt.

Cole climbed off the roof, never taking his hand from her neck. He looked into the car at her red face as she gasped for air.

"Will you behave?" she nodded vigorously, still trying to throw him off of her. He loosened his grip slightly. "Then please step out of the vehicle." She gingerly reached over to the door handle and opened it slightly. He withdrew his hand to let her get out. He could see her eyes flash to an escape but, finding none, she stepped down onto the road in front of him. The woman's eyes did not meet him as she trembled visibly. He hadn't failed to notice that she was not surprised. It was time for some answers.

"Shelly," he began calmly. "I believe you have been holding out on me. Tell me what you know and we don't have to make this too unpleasant." She whimpered, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Please don't kill me. I don't know anything," she sobbed.

"That is not true, Shelly. Tell me what you know. Let's start with who you were in such a rush to go call." Her eyes flew to his face in surprise. She stopped crying.

"I can't tell you. They will kill me," she whimpered again, looking down.

"There are other ways for me to get information out of you and I am quickly losing patience with this conversation. Tell me what you know, now."

The woman blubbered. Cole stared at her. He didn't feel bad for this woman. She was hiding something and possibly could have done him or Shane harm. But she had also saved Shane when it seemed that nothing would bring her back. He did not want to kill her if he didn't have to.

"Take a breath," he said, still in a distant, cold voice but less menacingly. She gulped. "I will know if you lie. I can hear your heartbeat and I will not think twice to stop it if I have to. Now speak woman! I have no patience for this weeping." Shelly straightened, taking in air. There was no way out. She looked at his feet.

"The wolf," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" he asked, trying not to snap.

"I was going to call the wolf," she said. He waited for her to continue. She swallowed again. "I don't know his name. All I know is a few years ago a pack of wolves moved into the woods and strange things started happening. Next thing I know, one of the local boys gets bitten and I watch him turn into an animal right in front of me as I'm trying to treat him. The wolf came to claim him and told me to keep my mouth shut. They've been using me as a doctor ever since."

Cole looked at the woman in front of him. She had not lied. But he was still curious. It seemed like she knew more than she was saying.

"Is that why you stayed at the house for three days? To see if Amy would change?"

Shelly nodded. "I didn't know what to do. I couldn't leave her with John and Greta. She might have hurt them. So I stayed, for too long obviously. I don't know why I didn't just go back and call him earlier. He told me to report any incidents to him."

Cole was sure she was holding out on him. He placed each of his large hands on the car on either side of her head and leaned in closer. "What are you not telling me, Shelly?" The woman shuddered at his closeness. She closed her eyes as if that would help her disappear. Her heart started racing again. He tried to close out the hunger for a few minutes more as he noticed her pulse beating against the thin skin of her neck.

"Noth...Nothing. I swear," she stammered. She began to cry again.

"That is a lie. I have no more patience for this. We will do this the hard way." With that, Cole fell on her neck, biting deep into her vein. The woman struggled, surprised at the turn of events. She was probably expecting a wolf he thought as her struggles weakened and she quieted beneath his mouth. Sweet life flowed over his tongue and he grew strong again.

When Shane awoke it was late afternoon. Cole was sleeping next to her, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. She reveled at his closeness. In her sleep she had dreamt he left her alone at the bottom of a great pit. Her father came to her, bloodied and gaping as she had last seen him. He tried to tell her something but his throat had been ripped out and al he managed was to gurgle bubbles of blood from his mouth. She shrank back, horrified and tried to escape but she began to feel the life flowing away from her and she fell to the ground. She looked up, terrified of her father's hideous approach but instead it was Cole, reaching his hand out and smiling at her. She woke up sighing as he lifted her up and into his arms.

She lay still, having no desire to disrupt her current position. She reveled in the warmth of the bed and the feeling of someone holding her so close. Years of isolation with only brief moments of contact with the outside had left her wondering why people sought out each other. Her father had been cold and unloving. On the short trips she took with him into town, half a day's ride away, humans had treated her with suspicion and children her age taunted her. Only as she grew older, taking these trips on her own while her father was away, did she ever receive any sort of kindness from people. She accepted this kindness openly without suspicion. After so many years, solitude was simply the state of her being. Any break was welcome but she never expected it to last. She had not learned to be suspicious. She should have. She would have known that something was wrong with her mission. She would have run away, leaving the vampires to fight their own fights. And here she was, not questioning this vampire. Perhaps she was stupid. Maybe this was just another moment where someone would take something from her and leave her. It didn't feel that way, but she had trusted the Teacher hadn't she?

Cole shifted slightly behind her, she could feel his soft breath on the back of her neck. No this felt different. Different than her father or the Teacher or the boy she had kissed in the barn who had also taken what he wanted and left her. She would wait and see. For now she needed him and it was far too comfortable to move.

The comfort did not last long. As she snuggled closer to his body dizziness hit her like a ton of bricks. Her head swam and her stomach turned. She gasped, her fingers tightening on his arm. Heat began to radiate off her skin turning the bed into an oven. Cole woke up with a start. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying not to cry out as the burning took over her body. She felt him turn her over on her back. His soothing voice came through the pain.

"Shhhh, relax. It'll be over in a second." She felt his lips on her mouth, the hot bitter blood stinging her tongue and it was gone. Her head settled and her body temperature returned to normal. But the kiss did not end. She brought her hands to his cheeks, pulling him towards her. His tongue slipped between her parted lips. She could still taste his essence in her mouth. His body, leaning over her as he was, pressed deliciously against her breast. Her hands traveled to the back of his neck and shoulders. One of his hands came to caress her cheek. He kissed her lips again softly, then her eyelids, forehead, the tip of her nose and finally back to her lips. She tried to keep him there but he broke the kiss, leaning on his elbow above her.

"Good morning," she sighed. She pushed the dark thoughts that invaded aside, the dread of withdrawal that would come any day now, the fact that she herself had been drinking vampire blood, the mystery of their situation, and tried to lose herself in his soft silver eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked concerned.

"Better now. I can't say I'm looking forward to coming down from this for real." He opened his mouth to say something but she stopped him. "No don't tell me. I'll deal with it when it comes. Don't ruin this, now with talk of that, later." He smiled and nuzzled her neck drawing a soft laugh from her.

"I'm afraid I might have to," he said into her hair.

"Oh no. You talked to the doctor?" She let her hand fall from his shoulder onto her forehead in a dramatic gesture of resignation.

"Yes. She was very resistant. She knew more than she thought she did," he said.

"How so?"

"I drank from her so I would have the strength to compel her. She has been serving the were-pack in these parts for several years. Around the time that I was taken. She over heard things she didn't understand. Unfortunately, I do understand them."

Shane felt his voice harden as he spoke. She shuddered at the anger that flashed in his eyes. "What does it mean?"

He looked back at her. She could see his dread to tell her, his desire to fall back into bed and never leave.

"It means we are at war."

*

Thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter got a bit long. Tell me what you think!!