If I wasn’t already a dead man, the quick trip back to my condo with an unconscious human in my car would have surely killed me. I had never felt hunger that way before. The burn in my throat felt close to exploding every time I accidentally breathed her in.
When I lifted her from my car, the vibration of her heartbeat coursed through my body. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend it was my heart beating once again. I had never felt more alive.
I made it back to my condo and lowered the thick black shades just as the sun was coming up. Talk about a close call. I softly put the human on the couch and stuffed a pillow under her head. She made a small noise before settling comfortably into the folds of the big fluffy couch.
Leaning down to get a closer look at her, I noticed her smell broke past my barriers. She smelled horrible once I got past the delectable scent of her blood, and upon closer inspection, she was dirtier than I first thought.
Once I got some sleep, I would make sure she bathed properly before taking her to the lab for inspection. Maybe keeping the stench on her was a better idea. Maybe it would keep the vampires at bay as I walked past them with a live buffet in my arms.
First things first, I needed sleep. I could feel the effects of no sleep and no Hematonin taking their toll on me. I needed to be in perfect shape come night when I had to face a room full of hungry vamps.
I took one final look at the dark-haired human sleeping on my couch and swallowed hard. It was a huge accomplishment for me, considering how badly I wanted to bite into her velvety soft skin.
She shivered as if she was cold, and I went in search of a blanket to cover her. As a vampire, I felt no heat or cold, but still having my human memories, I could understand sleeping without a warm blanket. Looking down at her once more, I could only imagine how many nights she spent sleeping in the cold, alone and hungry. It made me hate myself even more.
I took my Hematonin and locked the front door, which I usually never did, before taking a quick shower. The filth from all the places I had searched all night was stuck on my cold skin, and my clothes smelled like mildew. I kept my instincts sharp in case the human woke up and tried to escape.
I checked on her once more before climbing into my king-size bed. I closed my eyes, and then there was nothing. I’m not sure how long I slept before the quiet creaking of the couch woke me. I popped my eyes open and was instantly standing next to the couch. She was slowly getting up, trying with all her might not to make a noise.
When would these humans learn that we heard everything?
Our senses were keen, and a vampire rarely missed anything.
She gasped and fell back onto the couch when she finally looked up and saw me standing there.
“Is there something you need?” I asked.
She glared back at me and then stood quickly. I took a deep breath and tried to forget about the burn in my throat.
She roughly pushed a piece of stray hair out of her face, and without fear, she growled at me.
Cute.
“What I want is to be out of here.” She motioned around the large living room.
I watched her look around at all the rich, clean furnishings, and then I watched as her confusion got the best of her.
“Where the hell am I?” she asked rudely.
If looks could kill, I would still be a dead man.
“This is my home. I brought you here,” I replied.
Her angry eyes became wild, and I knew before she moved that she was going to foolishly attempt to run. I was standing in front of the door before she even got halfway there.
“You’re not leaving,” I said calmly.
Her breaths became heavy and wild, her pulse was a loud and fast banging in my ears. She began to hyperventilate and search the room with her eyes like a trapped animal.
“Either you kill me or let me go. I will not be a prisoner!” she yelled at me. “Why did you bring me here? Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
There was no way I could tell her anything. I doubted she would be entertained by the vampires’ plan to breed humans like dogs. The fact of the matter was I was faster, I was stronger, and there was no way, no matter how determined she seemed to be, I was letting her out of my sight.
“We’re both tired. I suggest you get back on the couch and get a good day’s sleep. You look like you could use it. Or if you’d prefer, you could take a bath and refresh yourself. It’s up to you, but either way, you will not be leaving this condo until I’m ready to leave.”
My remarks offended her; her face made that more than clear. She looked down at her hands and then grabbed the bottom of her soiled old shirt to get a better look at it. Her shoulders sagged, and I saw the moment she gave in.
“I suppose I smell awful,” she whispered. “No wonder you haven’t eaten me yet.”
For the first time in many years, I laughed out loud. The sound of my laughter seemed to startle her, but I couldn’t help myself. She was a comical creature. My stomach felt stretched with my laughter; my throat cracked since it wasn’t often that I made a loud noise.
“Follow me, and I’ll show you to the bathroom.” I didn’t bother to look behind me to see if she followed.
I opened the door of the massive bathroom, and she walked in ahead of me. Before I could speak, she ran desperately to the sink and turned on the cold water. She ran her grimy hands under the water and then looked back at me in shock.
“Is it safe?” she asked with a feral look in her eyes.
“Is what safe?”
Surely, she didn’t think I would try to kill her with the water. Not when I could be sucking that sweet nectar called blood from her veins at this very minute.
“The water! Is the water safe to drink?”
And then I understood.
She was just as thirsty as I was.
Humans needed water and food to survive.
“Yes, it’s safe to drink.”
Before I could get the last part of the sentence out, she was cupping her hands and gathering as much water in them as possible. She was like an untamed animal as she drank from her grubby hands. Water spilled down her face and soaked her clothes. Muddy water gathered on the floor around her dirty bare feet.
I wanted to be disgusted by this act of desperation in front of me, but I understood her need. I understood, and even though I knew I shouldn’t, I felt bad for her. I couldn’t begin to imagine what her life must have been like.
For twenty years, she had lived in hiding—no telling when her last good meal was or the last time she drank fresh water. I hid back in the day, before vampires ruled the earth, but for different reasons. I hid from the sunlight; I slept peacefully until it was time to wake with the moon for my next warm meal. She hid from death, for survival purposes.
I walked away while she enjoyed the water of the bathroom sink. I didn’t want to watch any longer. I busied myself getting towels and trying to find some fresh clothes for her. My clothes would no doubt swallow her up, but at least they were clean.
When I got back to the bathroom, she had drank her fill and was standing there like a lost puppy. I said nothing as I handed her the towels and fresh clothes. When I shut the door behind me, I heard the click of the lock and smiled to myself.
Silly girl.
No locked door could keep out a hungry vampire, and since there were no windows in the bathroom, I had no concern she would attempt to escape.
I heard the shower water turn on and walked away from the door. This might very well be the last few minutes of privacy the girl would ever have. The least I could do was let her enjoy it.