I cleaned myself up and shut the door to the room where David’s body was. As soon as I heard Harley’s breathing even out and I knew she was sleeping, I called Rhys.
He answered on the second ring.
“James?”
“Did you send David here for the human?” I got straight to the point.
“What? What are you talking about? David came to your place?”
I clenched my eyes closed, feeling aggravation and hunger burn in my stomach.
“Yes.”
Rhys sighed into the phone and I heard a door shut in the background.
“Tell me everything. What happened?” he whispered into the phone.
David hadn’t been instructed to collect Harley, which meant he had come to my condo on his own free will.
It was the hunger.
It had driven him mad.
Trust wasn’t something I had in spades, except when it came to Rhys. I’d known when David said Rhys had sent him that it was a lie. I just had to hear it for myself.
“He showed up at my door, saying you sent him for the human. I knew he was lying, that you wouldn’t have sent him here without letting me know first.”
“Shit,” Rhys cursed. “And I assume you sent him away? Where is he now? Be careful, James. He’s a shady motherfucker. He’s probably lurking close to your place waiting for the opportunity to strike and feed.”
I didn’t respond as I tried to think of how I was going to explain what happened.
I’d killed David, but it wasn’t like he gave me much of a choice.
Rhys and I were friends and I was his most trusted guard, but David was still amongst the ranks and had many allies in our government.
“James?”
“Yeah?”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“David attacked the human.”
“He did what?” Rhys exploded, his voice shaking my cell. “Did he kill her?”
“No. He tried, but I stopped him.” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry, Rhys, but he left me no other choice. I tried to pull him off, but he…” I couldn’t finish my words.
“David’s dead?”
“Yes. He’s dead.”
“Fuck,” he muttered into the phone. “I had a bad feeling someone would try, but I never thought it would be David.” He paused a moment. “I’ll take care of the cleanup and the paperwork that’ll need to be filed. I’ll make sure his death doesn’t touch you. This is my fault. I should’ve had you take her somewhere that couldn’t be traced.”
He got quiet for a bit and I was able to hear him moving around his office through the speaker.
“Everyone’s starving and controlling the thirst isn’t easy. I don’t know how you’re doing it, man.” He chuckled. “And how the hell did you let David get through you like that? That isn’t like you, James.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I haven’t been myself these past couple of days. It’s kind of been hell. Between controlling my thirst and making sure she doesn’t escape, I guess he just got the best of me. It won’t happen again.”
I didn’t know what else to say.
I couldn’t let Rhys know that Harley had gotten the best of me first. I couldn’t tell him that she was the reason I wasn’t on my A game. She had me completely tilted inside. My senses were derailed because of her and that was an unacceptable habit I couldn’t repeat.
Again he chuckled and I heard him light a cigar and take a drag. “Of course it won’t. He’s dead.”
“You know what I mean. I’m saying, with anyone else. I won’t let anyone else get the best of me.”
“Don’t worry yourself about it. It happens to the best of us. I can only imagine how bad the thirst is with her around. She’s still alive, so as far as I’m concerned you’re doing a fantastic job.”
“Thank you.”
The thing was I wasn’t doing a fantastic job.
I was having a hard time controlling all aspects of my cravings for Harley. Keeping my hands to myself and my fangs in was becoming a full-time job.
“Listen,” Rhys said, taking another hit from his cigar. “Staying at your place isn’t an option anymore. I want you to take the girl somewhere safe. Some place even I don’t know about. Do you think you can do that?”
“I can do that,” I answered.
“Do you have a place in mind?” he asked.
I knew of only one place. A place outside of the city where no one, human or vampire ventured. A place I went to clear my mind when I needed to be alone.
“I think I have a place. It’s quiet and secluded. I’ll just need to get some things together. There’s not much to keep a human alive out there.”
“Good, that’s best for now. Take her there and keep her there safe until you hear from me. Only me, James. Don’t trust anyone else. Don’t even answer your phone unless it’s me calling.”
“Yes, sir,” I responded as we ended the conversation.
“Good. I’ll call when the dust settles around here. Until then, keep her alive.”
We hung up and I got to work collecting things we would need. I was assuming long-term since Rhys didn’t give me a timeline. I had no idea how long our trip would be. Clothes and personal items weren’t an issue since I regularly used the spot I was thinking of as a second home, but food for Harley was a must.
I would need to take all the food I had since I knew it would be next to impossible to replenish it once we left. Feeding her was most important.
Food for Harley.
Hematonin for me.
And all the Absinthe in my possession to wash down the burn of being around her beating heart and fresh blood.
I grabbed a few large duffle bags and filled them with the food from my collection room before moving into the living room to wake her as I stashed away what bottles of Hematonin I had remaining.
She jumped when I set my hand on her arm to wake her.
“What’s happening?” she asked, sitting up and tossing the blanket from her body as if she were ready to run.
Again, I was reminded of how stressful her life must be.
The constant worry.
The continuous hiding and running.
I had lived in a similar way once before, except I hid from the sun and the sun didn’t hunt me the way we hunted them.
“Change of plans. No more resting. It’s time for us to relocate.”
My words were rushed and harsher than I meant for them to be, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before word got out and more vampires showed up. I could handle one hungry vampire, but two or more was pushing it.
She stood, grabbing at her back as if she was still in a bit of pain.
It was hard to believe she was even alive after what David had done to her. I’d never seen a vampire rip into a human so fiercely.
“What? Where? What happened?” she asked, her eyes alert as she took in the space around us.
I tossed a bag by the front door before disappearing and reappearing with another bag.
“We’re going somewhere just outside the city. It will be safer for you there. Your safety is what’s important right now.”
“Safety?” she scoffed. “I haven’t felt safe a day in my life. You’re mistaken, James. There’s no such thing as a safe place for me.”
Her words struck me in the chest, but I continued to move swiftly throughout my place, gathering things and leaving them next to the front door.
I went to the cabinet to gather my Absinthe, the one thing I knew needed to be stocked in my vacation spot. Once I had everything we needed, I filled the remaining room in the last bag with more items for Harley. I wanted to make sure that she had enough of everything she would need.
I hadn’t realized I was moving so quickly until I stopped in front of her and startled her, making her gasp and fall back onto the couch.
“It’s time to go,” I said, reaching out my hand to her.
She eyed my hand, refusing to take it.
I sighed. “Just trust me, okay?”
I didn’t have time for her to be afraid of me. We needed to move.
“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered, looking away from me.
Aggravation swept in once again.
“How can you say that? I just saved your life. I gave you food and water… fresh clothes. Because of me, you’re not freezing in an abandoned building wondering when your next meal will be or whether or not you’ll survive the night.”
Fire lit behind her eyes. “At least when I was on my own I’d managed to never get close enough to your kind that I was almost killed!” she spat.
“That’s why we can’t stay here, Harley. That vampire that almost killed you was important. If he was willing to throw away his position to feed on you, what do you think the others will do? The ones who aren’t as important don’t have anything to lose. Once word gets out that you’re here more will come. We need to leave.”
Her eyes heated once again and I knew she wanted to argue more, but I also knew she was afraid of having to deal with another vampire. “Fine,” she muttered. “For how long?”
“I’m not sure.” I lifted my hand toward her and waited.
She placed her warm hand in mine and I pulled her up from the couch and guided her to the front door.
“Stay here until I come back for you. Do not leave this spot.”
She nodded; her eyes moving away from me letting me know she wasn’t happy about following my orders.
I liked that about Harley.
She was a fighter and unwilling to let others force her into anything.
I left her briefly, moving silently through the dark until I reached my SUV. I had a variety of cars, but I knew a sports car would be useless where we were going. I opted for my Range Rover instead.
Using a vehicle was slower and I knew I could be faster moving by foot, but with the Range Rover’s engine running and us being enclosed within it I felt it would be a safer way to travel. Especially with her injuries still healing, the speed of my movements would cause more damage than good.
Not to mention, I had loads to carry with us. I didn’t really want to make more than one trip because of the bags I packed.
Moments later I returned and escorted her to my Range Rover parked out front.
“Wouldn’t this be faster on foot? Couldn’t you carry me and get us there quicker?” she questioned.
“Yes,” I responded. “But you’re in a fragile state right now. Your body’s still healing. It could be dangerous to move you too quickly, and if I had to outrun a hungry vampire I’d have to move so fast it could cause you more harm. Trust me. This way will be more comfortable for you.”
She nodded her understanding and slid into the passenger’s seat.
After buckling her in, I swiftly moved into the driver’s seat and we were on the way to safety. This would be the first time I made the venture to my vacation spot by vehicle, which meant I would have to travel through the most common roads rather than taking hidden paths. We would encounter more vampires this way, but I had a feeling if I drove fast enough they wouldn’t catch the scent of a fresh human with recently healed wounds.
Driving through the streets, we passed several nomadic vampires, and Harley noticed the differences between the wild vampires and the others she had come into contact with, including me.
“What’s happening to them? They seem pale and weak. Just like the one that attacked me in your room. I know you all are paler in comparison, but this is different. Almost ghostly.”
“Some vampires are weaker, some vampires are stronger,” I replied. “Some react differently to our supplements.”
“You mean those pills you take?” she questioned me.
“Yes.”
“So you take that instead of feeding on us? On humans?”
She spoke like she was unaware that humans were almost extinct, and maybe that was for the best.
I didn’t correct her.
She didn’t need to know there was a possibility she was the last human female in the United States. Hell, as far as we knew she was the last in the world. And until other countries confirmed their catches, we would continue to assume that.
“Yes. At least in our civilized communities. I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of other food sources, so we’ve adapted to survive.”
“Civilized,” she scoffed, not hiding her repulsed expression. “Tell that to your friend who tried to kill me earlier.”
I wanted to tell her we weren’t all the same, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure if there were others like me out there.
Rather than respond and cause further tension, I focused on the roads and their surroundings. I didn’t need her finding out our alternative plan for survival. She didn’t need to know we were becoming immune to Hematonin and that we were considering breeding humans for food.
Breeding her to be exact.
There was no need to stir that pot.
The drive remained silent from that point on and an hour later we drove deeper into the forest. The tires of the Range Rover rolled over branches and small trees, making me thankful I had chosen to drive it instead of something else, and soon we were parking in front of the country cabin I’d found ten years earlier.
“What is this place,” Harley asked, her eyes taking in the tiny yard and rustic logs of the cabin.
“Consider this your safe place.” I put the SUV in park and cut the engine.
Again, I looked at my cabin.
It was left completely intact as if the family who had inhabited it had just up and walked away from everything. There were clothes in the closets and personal items left behind. It was furnished and clean with fresh well water and electricity. And the fact that it was deep in the forest where no one ventured made it perfect for an introverted vampire like myself.
After claiming the place as my own, I had cleaned out most of the family photos and personal items and filled it with a few things of my own. Once that was done, I used it as vacation spot when I needed to get away from the city, which was often considering I didn’t always agree with the way things were handled by my kind.
Even though I was sure no one knew the place existed, I still thoroughly checked the cabin and the surrounding woods before I allowed Harley out of the car. I escorted her inside before unloading the bags.
The cabin was nowhere as large as my condo, but that was what I loved about it… solitude in a small place.
It was a simple log style cabin; two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small eat-in kitchen, and a den warmed by a fireplace.
It was everything I needed.
“You need to eat again to keep up your strength. Give me time to unpack the bags. I’ve got food in there for you.”
I opted to take a break from the peaches, for obvious reasons, and I dug through and found a can of soup. This would probably be better for healing purposes anyway, and I needed her to heal completely in case we had to move again.
I ushered her into the main bedroom. “You’ll sleep in here. It has the larger and more comfortable bed. The bathroom is across the hall and there are fresh clothes in the bag I put on the bed. When you want to shower there are towels in the bathroom cabinet. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll have your soup ready in just a bit.”
I wasn’t concerned about her trying to escape since I’d long covered all the windows to keep the sun out.
She stepped into the room and nodded instead of responding to me, and I turned, leaving her alone in the room while I went into the kitchen to heat up her soup.
I heated the soup on the stovetop, which I’d never used before since I obviously had no need for it. Once it was done, I placed the bowl of soup on the table and went back to the room to check on Harley.
She wasn’t in the room.
I began to panic a bit, thinking maybe I hadn’t sealed one of the windows well enough, but then I heard the water running in the shower.
She’d already had one shower before we left, but I guessed after the attack she still felt dirty.
I didn’t blame her.
The feel of David’s flesh and blood still lingered under my nails.
Going to the bathroom, I stopped just outside the door. It was ajar, open just enough that I was able to catch a glimpse of her. She was standing in the shower, letting the hot water run over her soft body. For a moment I envied her. Being able to feel the warmth the way she did, to be able to take it in and consume it. I felt the heat of the water when I showered, but it was different.
Everything was different.
I backed away from sight and tapped on the door.
“Yes?” she called out.
“Your soup is ready.”
The sun would be coming up soon, which meant I would need to rest, but until then I needed to make sure she was fed and comfortable.
When she came into the kitchen, her fresh scent followed her. Her hair was wet, begging me to reach out and take a damp strand between my fingers. Instead, I busied myself taking my Hematonin pill and chasing it with a shot of Absinthe.
After showering, her fresh scent mixed with her natural aroma was almost unbearable. I needed all the help I could get to tame the burn. I held my breath, blocking her intoxicating mix from my senses.
“Does that really help?” she asked, motioning toward the pill bottle I sat on the table.
I nodded. “Enough. It doesn’t curb the cravings, just gives us what our bodies need. That’s where this comes in handy,” I said, waving the bottle of Absinthe. “The burn it leaves gives somewhat of a balance to the burn from the cravings.”
“I guess having me around doesn’t help your situation much.”
I chuckled.
If only she knew how bad the craving for her was.
It burned my body, simmering in my stomach on low.
“Even the strongest of men can’t control themselves when they’re starving. I’ve seen people do terrible things for food,” she whispered.
I envisioned her the way she was when I had first captured her.
Starving.
Dirty.
But so fucking brave.
It made me angry at myself and everyone else. We had taken so much from this world. We were parasites, sucking anything healthy away and leaving disaster in our stead. The world was nothing like the wonderful place I remembered when I had breath and warm blood.
“I can handle myself. You’re still alive aren’t you?” I snapped, taking my anger at myself out on her.
She jerked at my harsh words and I sighed in aggravation.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have responded to you like that. You’re just trying to understand.”
My sanity was strained.
My body was primed for her and her touch.
I was starving in all the ways a body could starve and wanted to drink her in.
It was so confusing, but I couldn’t let myself give in. I needed to keep my senses keen in case we had another visitor.
“I shouldn’t have pushed it,” she said. “Thank you for the soup and for everything else.”
She looked away and began sipping her soup.
I didn’t respond.
She was thanking me, but little did she know she had nothing to be thankful for. Everything I was doing for her I was doing for myself, as well. There was a purpose behind everything I did and my purpose for keeping Harley safe and healthy was so she would be ready for breeding.
At some point, I would have to turn her over.
For our survival.
Not hers.
Everything I was doing was for the greater good of my race.
At least that’s what I kept telling myself, but I knew in the back of my mind that I was doing it for much more than that.
I envied her humanity, and doing things for her made me feel alive again.