The Perks of Being a Vampire

I slept during the day, all day, actually. It was a vampire thing, obviously. But I definitely was not used to it. I liked the sun and any opportunity to tan. But that was all ripped away from me. I was a creature of the night. Grr! Okay, not so scary, but it sure was a pain.

Even the vampire me wanted to be up at dawn. I had the hardest time staying in my room. It had no windows, of course, but my body just knew the sun was up. I tossed and turned, on covers made of down. They were soft as could be, but I could not sleep. I was now into my third day of insomnia.

Raul was teaching me things, both wonderful and terrifying. He and Jed agreed Matthew would still be searching for me, once he realized I'd be saved. Raul gave me his book on vampire policy. I didn't even realize they were so organized. In it, it spoke of makers and their children. We were free to roam the world as we pleased, until our masters called to us. We couldn't say no. But Raul assured me he wouldn't pull that on me, unless I was being "extra stupid." Funny, Raul.

Raul taught me about what we were and how we functioned. I now knew what to expect from my body and what signs to watch for, in case he wasn't around to help me. I was strong, sure. But not as strong as Raul. He was old, though I didn't know exactly how old. He said it wasn't something vampires shared in light conversation. I would learn when I was ready, he told me.

Jed, on the other hand, taught me to fight. It was amazing, actually. Suddenly, I was on a more even level with him than I was before. Jed was exceptionally strong, even more so than Raul, but that didn't make or break a fight. I mastered the roundhouse kick fairly quickly. It made me feel great, learning to defend myself. I felt powerful.

But, for the time being, my body refused to relax. The sun was up and I wanted to dance in it. Only, I would burst into flames if I did. Oh, happy day. I slammed my fist against the wall in frustration. I lay back on my pillow and tried to get comfortable. Nothing. I couldn't stop moving, or even thinking for that matter. I was going to go insane.

There was a knock at the door. "Jed?" I called.

"Yes," he answered, "Cover yourself with a blanket, I'm coming in. It's very bright today." I heard the door open and close. I poked my head out. I suppressed a sigh. With my heightened eyesight, Jed looked better than ever. He was gorgeous, good, and smelled of sunlight. I was utterly jealous.

"Hi," said meekly and sat up. I was dressed in pajama pants and a tank top. It was an attempt to be as comfortable as possible. Well, fail. He was wearing a button up shirt and slacks. He had no right to look so good. And he didn't even try.

Jed smiled with an air of arrogance. What was this? Was he actually conceited enough to think he inspired such a reaction in me? Well, he'd be right, but he didn't have to know it. Besides, he hated it when I ogled him.

I liked looking at his wings most. Oh, by the way, he does have wings. They're usually concealed by his clothing, like now. There were so many parts of Jed I could stare at forever. Well, hell. Now I actually had forever.

"Can't sleep?" He questioned standing, quite relaxed, against the wall. His arms were crossed and he looked ready to pose for a fashion magazine. Not fair!

I shook my head and sighed. "It's getting old real quick. I want nothing more than to rip that door open and bathe in the sun. Raul never mentioned this."

He laughed, "I don't think it's the norm for new vampires, Allison. Mostly, they think about blood."

"Well, I think about blood and the sun. Give me a bloody lemonade poolside and I'll be set," I curled up on the bed and groaned. Why me?

He crossed the room and sat next to me. The broadness of his body took up a great deal of space on the small bed.

"You know, I'm not your guardian anymore," he said, completely throwing me off. Whaaaat?

"You're not?" I asked, Well, what did that mean? "So, you're not getting paid to protect me anymore?"

He looked startled now, "Paid? You think I'm hired help?"

That's not what I thought at all. Well, maybe a little, but the way he said it made it sound so degrading. I appreciated him being here more than I could express.

"Well, Edgar said he made a few calls and got you to protect me," I remembered the day, not so long ago. Though it was a lifetime ago. For me, anyway.

"Yeah, he did. But I was never paid. Allison, I'm your guardian angel. I have been since you were born," he sounded a exasperated and even a little hurt.

Well, that hit me like a ton of bricks. I had no idea. I suddenly felt very small.

"Jed, I'm really sorry. No one told me that was the case. I never thought it was possible," I touched his shoulder lightly, as if to emphasize my point.

"I've always been watching over you, just never in this world. I've always been there, protecting you. You just couldn't see me," he smiled then, "When you fell from that tree when you were a child? I was there to cushion the fall. It would've been much worse."

I remembered. Everyone raved about how lucky I was to not have been hurt more by such a fall. All along, Jed had saved me. I was touched.

"I felt something that day, but I thought it was because I'd imagined it. I was so scared," I pondered that day. It had felt like I'd been cradled, laid on the earth.

He nodded and smiled, "But the time for that is over." I had the nerve to ask why. I was sure it was because I'd be turned.

"You're right," he said when I asked, "But now I have a choice to go back or stay here. I've been doing this for a very long time and now my career has reached a crossroads. Retire or keep on working."

"What do you want to do?" I was in awe, learning something personal about Jed was incredible. He hardly ever spoke, other than to chastise me. That happened a lot.

He was thoughtful for a moment, "I don't know. Maybe I'll retire. Fight the good fight down here. I find I like Earth, you know, when people can see me."

I thought about that and wondered how different it was in that other world. Was it heaven? I was sure I wouldn't receive a straight answer if I asked, so I didn't bother. Finally, I yawned. Glory hallelujah! Finally.

"Would you like some help to sleep?" he asked.

"You can do that?" I asked, wondering why he hadn't done so before.

"I can try. Lay down." I did as he said, getting comfortable on my pillow. He surprised me by laying beside me. On his side, he pulled me to him. I yawned again and snuggled against his chest. At this point, I didn't even need his "help," but there was no way I was going to pass this up. His breathing was deep and even, and I fell asleep to the sound of his beating heart.

x.X.x

I woke what must have been hours later. He was gone. How typical. I stretched and groaned. I felt rested, despite the dreams I'd been having. Normally, I dreamed of blood and my next feeding. Tonight, I had dreamed of the sun and flying. I associated this with the angel that had been next to me.

My instincts told me it was night. I hurried to the door and cracked it open. No sun. I gathered my things, things Raul had purchased for me, and went to the bathroom. Thanks to Jed, I still had most of my clothes. I made sure the door was locked, stepped in the shower, and let the hot water pour over me.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in my robe and drying my hair, facing the foggy mirror. I cleared away a space and stared at myself. I didn't really look different. My face was more gaunt, I thought, and of course, there was the fangs. But those were retractable. I wasn't pale yet, the tan of my most recent encounter with the sun still lingered on my skin. Perhaps later, I could get a spray on.

I made my way to my room and changed into a gray t shirt and shorts. We were still on the lookout for any of Wellington's brutes, so I wasn't going anywhere. Edgar Wellington was away on business and couldn't help us at the moment. How convenient.

Raul was in his office across the house and Jed was gone. I was in the kitchen for some blood when I heard Raul's voice calling to me.

"No butcher blood tonight. I'm taking you hunting," he said and I heard his quiet footsteps coming toward me.

"Okay, let me change," I said, as I started back to my room. I wanted to change into jeans. Frankly, I didn't even know if I would feel chilly or be bothered by the wildness brushing against my legs, but it was better to be safe.

He was shaking his head when I passed him in the hall, "No, just go like that. More likely than not, you'll have to take another shower after you're through. First feeding is very messy."

Well, this should be fun.