First Death Pt. 09

It was clear and unclear at the same time—eventually when I had the chance, I would have to review Lily's memories on the subject to try to discern a difference between the two abilities. Perhaps Hiro didn't fully understand it himself.

The drive took us nearly three hours, though I used the opportunity to ask questions without having to train at the same time. I discovered that Kaito was only a few years older than me and had yet to find his mate. Since he had already traveled to all three of the Ōkami packs, he believed his mate was human and he would have to find her the hard way. I discovered that the Ōkami had no problems with creating half breeds or any notion as to them being inferior to full breeds. It was simply part of their life, a necessity to add new blood to their pack. Takeo was a full breed but his mate was not—he had found her shortly after he became Alpha so she was spared having to fuck his father.

When I asked for more clarification on Takeo making everyone submit, they opened up on the matter, even if they found my reservations on it odd. Though wolves in general are monogamous creatures, they held pride in knowing their mate submitted to the Alpha just as they had. I tried not to look disgusted at their responses—perhaps it was just me being born human or outside of their world but I still had difficulties being okay with Takeo fucking his daughter and beating up his son.

We finally arrived at Dai Ni and were greeted by the pack Beta, Riku. He eyed me warily but after Kaito's insistence that I would behave myself, he relented and showed us to their spare quarters. The room was very similar to my first accommodations, a small living room area, a wet bar and a hallway leading to three separate bedrooms with attached bathrooms. I dropped my bag in one and went back out to meet Hiro as Kaito turned in for the night.

The moment Hiro and I stepped outside of the pack building, a scraggly looking silver tabby appeared and sat down on its haunches in front of us. Hiro glanced at me questioningly.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the cat, "Let me guess, Jinx sent you."

"Meow," she said quaintly.

I raised an eyebrow—at least this cat seemed to be less of a pain in my ass and more willing to try a different approach, "Have you figured out how to convey the message?"

She tilted her head for a moment, before yawning, "Meow...meow."

One for yes, two for no. I felt like maybe I'd get somewhere with this cat, "Well come back when you do."

"Meow," she purred and then sauntered off into the night.

Dai Ni was located almost directly in downtown Tokyo in a large professional looking building. I would have never guessed that it housed wolves or anything other than a business. When we started walking down the sidewalk I was inundated with sound, lights and people—so many people. It was overwhelming and for a moment I started to panic; Hiro noticed this and led me to a small sake bar to cut the assault of the wild night from my senses. He got us a table in the back and we sat in the dimly lit booth. With a mere hand motion, he signaled a waitress to bring over a tokkuri and two cups. She greeted us with a quaint bow and set the items on the table before bowing again and disappearing.

Hiro poured sake for us; when I took the small ceramic container in my hands and brought it to my mouth, I felt my fangs graze the rim. I looked at Hiro, suddenly worried, "Our teeth and eyes..." I started, unsure how to word it.

He chuckled slightly and drank from his mug, "Do not worry about it, at least not here in Japan. The streets are filled with odd characters, humans trying to be things that they are not. No one will believe we are anything but men dressing a part to fulfill some fantasy."

It was unnerving but he seemed entirely comfortable about it. "Do you know how to control it?" I wondered.

"No," he frowned, "Lilithsan killed my benefactor before I had a chance to learn. Perhaps she will teach you."

We sat in measured silence, watching the humans interact with each other. I studied each table in a way I had never bothered to in the past, honing in on the details of their expressions, the beating of their hearts, the words they spoke. It was almost unsettling, being hidden in the darkness of the booth and witnessing everything in such detail as a voyeur.

Hiro slightly nodded towards a pair of blondes sitting across the bar; they had been trying to order something for the past ten minutes but didn't know enough Japanese to convey what they wanted, "Tourists," he said. "They are easy prey, good for your first feeding. Why don't you ask them to join us?"

I raised a brow and looked at him, "You want me to pick them up? Seriously?"

He tisked, "Yes Matthewsan. In a way, hunting prey is no different than the act of courtship. You hone in on your target, you approach, you make your move and take what you want before retreating."

I glanced back over at the blondes and shifted slightly in my chair. I could do this, I knew I could but I still had my reservations—it simply seemed unfair. The cards were stacked severely in my favor, there was no challenge to the hunt. Hiro mistook my hesitation for nervousness.

"You do not need to be afraid. I will stop you before you harm either of them," he said before sipping his sake.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to relax my body. Sooner or later I wouldn't have a choice but to feed from a living being and it was just as well that I do it with Hiro around. Stilling my hesitation, I turned to him, "I don't plan on fucking either of them, simply drinking."

He eyed me carefully with a smirk, "That's just as well, I wouldn't mind having them both. And it seems that you are more in control of your faculties than I would have thought possible." He raised his hand up and pointed at his teeth.

Immediately I ran my tongue across my lips, surprised that it wasn't sliced on my fangs; that was when I realized that I could control it. No doubt my eyes were back to their normal green as well and I would appear human. I nodded slowly before I rose from my chair, taking care to walk at a normal pace over to the women's table; there was a waitress with them attempting to understand what they wanted. All three of them looked up at me when I approached.

"Excuse me," I said quietly, offering a short bow, "may I be of some help to you?" I stared into the eyes of the taller blonde. She sucked in a breath and held my gaze as if she were under my power already. When I glanced at her shorter friend, she was the same way.

Finally one of them managed to stammer out, "We aren't exactly sure what to get."

I smiled slightly, "Of course; if you ladies would like, you can join my friend and I at our table and we will assist you."

The tall one dumbly nodded and rose, her friend following. I spoke in Japanese to the waitress and asked for another tokkuri and more cups; she bowed before scurrying off. We made our way back to Hiro who stood and motioned for the shorter woman to slide into the booth on one side. I repeated his gesture with the taller one before I sat on the edge, essentially boxing them into the middle.

As the effect of my influence began to ease off of them, they didn't seem to be bothered by our presence. They took up chattering on about this and that; I feigned attention, nodding when poignant though I wasn't really listening, I was observing how Hiro interacted with them. He was polite and courteous, taking care to keep their cups full of sake, getting them drunk before they knew what was happening.

Several hours passed before the shorter one yawned deeply and glanced at her watch, "Oh I didn't realize how late it was!"

"Let us walk you back to your hotel," I offered; I rose from my spot and extended my hand out to the tall blonde who took it with a flirtatious look in her gaze.

Hiro covered the bill without batting an eye; he kept his arm tucked around his blonde's waist as they led the way down the streets. I could tell it wasn't in a sexual way or even a possessive way, but to ensure she remained upright as she was so shitfaced she had problems walking in her heels.

Thankfully, the tall blonde was wearing flats so I got away with draping her arm through mine, keeping her steady without having to press her body against mine, though she did so of her own accord regardless. I knew the signs before I was a vampire but having sharpened senses made it that much clearer—her eyes were dilated, her breathing shallow, her throat and cleavage were flush, her voice thick and husky as she droned on about something I wasn't listening to.

Once in the hotel, we walked down a long hallway towards their room, stopping just outside their door. Hiro was being a perfect gentleman, bowing to them, "Thank you for your fine company this evening," he said gently.

The shorter one hesitated before glancing to her friend, getting a grin in approval before she asked, "Would you two like to come in?"

I forced a smile on my face, "Yes, if that is all right with you."

The women nodded dumbly, fumbling with the door before stumbling into their room. Hiro wasted no time closing in on the shorter one; I watched as he influenced her, "Perhaps we should go sit on your bed."

"Yes," she said, "I'd like that very much." She batted her fake eyelashes at him and sauntered over to the further of the two queen beds.

I turned my piercing gaze on to her tall friend; I knew she wanted to fuck me, even if I hadn't have influenced her. Coyly she bit her lip before grabbing my tie and leading me like a dog to the first bed; within a matter of seconds she had pushed me down on it and was above me, grinding sensuously over my hard cock. I tried not to groan as I watched her pull the top of her dress down and fish out her large breasts; she kneaded them with her small pale hands. I was horny as fuck and it had been too long since I had a good cum but I didn't want her—I wanted Lily. Fucking this stranger wasn't going to give me the satisfaction I needed and I knew as much, but it didn't stop my cock from aching as I felt the heat of her cunt through my trousers.

Quicker than I had intended, I grabbed the woman and pulled her down to me, rolling us on the bed so that I hovered over her. I clutched her chin with my hand and traced her jaw line with my nose. I could hear her heart quicken, see the tiny pulse underneath her skin as the blood gushed through her veins. With my mouth close to her ear, I breathed out, "I'd like to bite you."

She whimpered, "Okay."

It wasn't much of a consent but it was enough; I pressed my lips against her neck, opening my mouth and closing it. I felt my fangs extend and sink into her soft flesh, drawing forth the warmth from her body and into my mouth. I felt her blood trickle over my tongue and down my throat, filling my belly with her life force. I pushed aside the urge to read her memories and focused on the sweet taste that she gave me.

When I heard a slight change in her breathing, I knew I had to stop. Part of me didn't want to, part of me wanted to drink down the succulent nectar she provided until she had nothing left but I pulled back, releasing my bite; teasingly I licked her neck, prodding the puncture holes with my tongue until I felt them close over. Leaning back I saw the hazed look in her eyes, her need for something more mixed with the exhaustion she felt. Her bare breasts rose and fell with each breath that she took, doe eyes staring at me in expectation.

"I was never here," I whispered to her. "Go fuck Hiro."

Without hesitation she looked away from me towards the other man; her body rose slowly and she stumbled over to the bed where Hiro had the shorter blonde bent over, taking her from behind. I grunted—it wasn't exactly an original position, he was basically fucking her like a wolf. Rolling my eyes I got up and let myself out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind me. I painfully adjusted my cock as I walked down the hall—no way was I going to watch a threesome and not be tempted to participate. I had already made up my mind, the only way to gain any sort of satisfaction was to reclaim Lily. Watching Takeo fuck her still haunted me, still drove me nuts. I wished I would have forced her into submission before she left, using another man's cum as lubrication while I pounded her cunt until we both reached a mind shattering orgasm. Having to wait a week for relief, even a week just to see her face was grating on me. I knew from this point forward, I would never be separated from her for this long again.

I walked down the busy street, heading back to Dai Ni. The high of my first live feeding was unlike anything I had ever experienced, it was like a drug. I could see how lesser vampires, ones who had lost their morality and were more animal than human could give in to the urge to simply eat. If not held in check for a weaker being, I knew this feeling could be addicting.

I watched the humans scurry around me, too busy caught up in their mundane existence, worried about work or family, not truly enjoying what their life had to offer. In a way, I was bitter—I would never have what they did. I could never have a wife, never have a child, never be bothered with the petty things that a job forced up on me or concerned about making and keeping friends. I moved amongst them like a wolf in sheep's clothing, struggling to view them as individuals, as souls instead of as food. It was hard, very hard; I willed my body forward while searching my mind for Lily's memories to see how she coped with the struggle of humanity. I slid easily into her body, into a body that wasn't mine yet felt just as comfortable.

Standing in the shadows of the mortician's I tried not to frown while I watched the old man move about his work. He wore thick rubber gloves, a large apron and a face shield. I had arrived too late, barely able to see the last of the man's blood swirl down the drain.

"Please don't do that, Adam," I said, setting the duffel bag down on the counter.

The old man startled and turned to me with wide eyes; his hand rested on his chest while he drew in a deep breath, "One of these days, Lily, you're going to kill me. I told you not to sneak up on me like that."

I walked over to the dead man and looked over his naked form while he lied on the table; he was too young to have reached his second death. Water clung to his cold, stiff flesh, his blonde hair was dark with it, the excess fat on his body seemed like it was pooling around him now that life had left his bones but I knew that appearances could be deceiving. Somewhere in there, he was trapped. When I saw the wound on his neck I narrowed my eyes, focusing on it; the coroner's report was close but he wasn't familiar with Death so he didn't know—it wasn't a dog bite, it was a wolf bite. I leaned down when I noticed some bruising that had started on his flesh and I frowned as I knew all too well what caused it and it was not a wolf. It was a vampire.

"He's one of yours then?" Adam said curiously, looking at me after he had peered into the duffle bag.

I turned to him and saw that he had started to unpack the pouches of blood I lifted from the bank, "Yes. I would have given you more notice but I didn't know myself; looks like he died well ahead of schedule."

The old man frowned, "It is always a shame to see them go when they are so young."

I watched him as he set to work, preparing to fill up the empty vessel with strangers' blood, "What do you know about him?"

"I never met him when he was alive," he replied, "but I know of his family. His kids go to school with my grandkids—he was a good man, well liked, wife and two daughters. His father made the arrangements for the funeral and the obit listed a younger brother—nothing of their mother though, but she isn't buried here if she's dead."

Family. They always complicated things. Whoever killed this man was either stupid or ballsy; I didn't like the idea of a vampire working with wolves. Even though I had done so thousands of times before, those were the old days—now, no vampire kept a wolf. Not even me.

I leaned over to the corpse, my mouth close to his ear and I spoke softly, "I am sorry this happened to you. I know you must be confused but I will explain everything later. For now, you will have to be patient. Your funeral is set for Friday, I will resurrect you that night."

I stood and glanced at Adam as he watched me the same way he always did but this was the first time he had ever been privy to a body that had made a deal with Death. Usually when I interrupted his preparations it was to ensure that proper procedure was followed for a nonhuman or to sip the thickened blood of a corpse to glean the last few memories left in it before its death—I hated doing that but when necessary to track down a killer, I did what I had to. "Pump him full of blood but leave the corpse otherwise untouched," I instructed him.

"What of the neck would? Should I stitch it closed?" He asked.

I shook my head, "Don't bother, just some tape will be fine." I glanced over the man's body, glad that I didn't see a large Y incision in his chest. The coroner was a rather lazy fellow and generally didn't bother with an autopsy if the cause of death was blatantly obvious, luckily enough as I can't imagine how awful it would be to wake up with all of your organs out of place.

I nodded at Adam and slipped silently out of the basement mortuary, cutting through the quiet cemetery. I often found peace amongst the headstones, knowing that the remains of the bodies in the ground would stay where they were, that they had been lucky enough to know a normal life and fortunate to only have to experience death once, something that had escaped me already. Before I knew it, I was standing outside of a quaint two story house, tucked into the shadows of a large oak tree that had been around long before the neighborhood sprung into fruition. I glanced across the porch, watching the swing sway silently in the mild breeze; focusing my hearing in, I listened to the heavy footsteps inside of the house. I heard the clicks of the man on his phone, the dial tone and finally a low tenor voice that answered on the other end of the line, no doubt miles away.

"Hey Dad," the voice said. There was a quality about it, the tone perhaps, that stirred something deep within me, something I had never felt before.

"Matt?" The man in the house spoke softly into the phone, his agony almost dripping as if his heart were torn from his chest, which in a way it was. To lose a child is a pain I knew all too well—it didn't matter how many centuries passed, it was a sadness that always tormented me.

"Yeah, hey, I meant to call you last week but I'm catching the redeye tomorrow night so I'll be home for Thanksgiving," the man's son replied. He tried to sound upbeat but there was a bit of exasperation in his words, making their strained relationship clear to me.

"Matt, I have some bad news." I imagined the older man, his shoulders dropping, his affect crumbled.

"What is it, Dad? What's wrong?" There was panic in Matthew's tone, true worry.

"It's Teddy. He's...dead."

I couldn't force myself to listen to the rest of the conversation, it was torture. It didn't matter that I had heard similar conversations many times before or that I had been the cause of no doubt thousands of the same, this one was different. This one was in my territory, in an area I had meticulously combed for criminals and spent time obviating the murder rate to atone for my own personal sins. It was more than that, though, I felt a pull I couldn't describe, a need to protect this family. Maybe once the older brother was resurrected I would be able to piece this together.

A few days later, I was outside of that house again. I watched as Matthew guided his sister-in-law into a car and pulled away down the road. I fleeted off into the night, arriving at their destination before they did and I saw the care he took when handling the broken woman, he was so gentle yet sure in his movements. It was a while before he finally came back out, wearing a fleece that seemed too large on his slender figure. He was a deadly handsome young man and in time when he grew into a full adult, he would be a commanding creature.