My Blood on Your Lips, Your Money in My Bra

I received only two more phone calls after leaving Derrick's house. Either the rest of my...clients, if you will, had been killed by Terrence, or none of them were in need of my services tonight. My money was on the latter.

On my way home from the last vampire's place of residence, with my neck and wrists covered in marks that were impossible to hide, I began feeling that sensation again. Yet another pair of eyes was following me. This time, however, it felt more ominous. I didn't know who was following me now, but it was obvious that they were not a friend. After walking several blocks and not being attacked, however, I also decided that they may not be a foe, either. Someone interested in my way of life, perhaps? A curious werewolf? A vampire who'd heard of me? Another necromancer who wondered how I could live like this? Or perhaps just a human, following me and puzzled by the origin of the marks on my body? Either way, I felt the sensation of being watched fade as I entered my apartment building.

When I entered my apartment, closing and locking the door behind myself, I was still alone. As usual, I didn't bother turning any lights on. I slid my boots off and left them by the door, making my way toward my bathroom silently.

I stopped in the hallway between the open bathroom door and my closed bedroom door. I cocked my head at my bedroom door. It had been open when I left...hadn't it? I fully turned to it, still puzzled. Maybe Eli had closed it. But, why would he? He usually didn't even bother going anywhere near my room. His time was spent in front of my TV.

I stared at the door for a moment longer, then cautiously turned the handle and pushed it open.

It was dark, of course, but everything seemed to be in place. My bed was still made, everything on my dresser was arranged just as it always was, my closet door was still shut, my desk was still clean and tidy and covered with only a book and neat pile of papers...Complete normalcy all around. But then, I noticed something, a little line of moonlight spilling across my bed from a gap in the curtains...curtains that were rarely touched...

I approached the thick sheets of fabric with silent footsteps, my body tense and my mind and senses alert. Cautiously, I reached out and let my fingers close around the edge of a curtain. Bracing myself quickly, I soon had the black velvet pulled aside. There, on the balcony before me, out over the beautiful scene of the city, was...nothing. It was empty, just as it always was.

I rolled my eyes and sighed angrily at myself, hating the paranoia that came with my night-creature-littered lifestyle. Whenever something was out of place, I always assumed someone was waiting to attack. Whenever I heard an odd sound, I always assumed something was watching me, waiting to strike. Whenever I noticed the tiniest movement, I always assumed someone else was nearby, someone hostile.

It got annoying after a while.

I tugged the curtain back into place with another growl-like sigh, making sure no more light could slip into the room. Then, I turned, freezing when I caught sight of a pair of glowing pink eyes near the doorway. Or...were they there? Now, there was nothing. Perhaps I was just imagining things again...

God, I hoped so. I didn't need strangers sneaking into my apartment.

With another sigh, this one tired, I headed across the hallway to the bathroom and closed the door before getting in the shower. Contrary to what Eli thought, I didn't shower so often just because I wanted to be clean. Sure, that was a nice bonus, but the real reason I showered so often was because I knew the warm water helped my wounds to heal more quickly. The more I showered, the sooner they'd heal, and the less likely it was that Terrence would see them and begin asking questions. Besides that, the man had an excellent nose, even better than most other vampires, so I also needed to get as much of other vampires' scents off of me as possible. This was how I'd been living for years, and it kept a great deal of my clients from getting killed too soon. I knew it was only a matter of time before Terrence found them all, though. None had ever managed to go unnoticed for more than a month. Luckily for me, when one disappeared, two more came, so my business never really dwindled.

When I walked out of the bathroom half an hour later, the bite marks on my neck, arms, and upper thighs were all halfway healed. The shower I took the next morning would hopefully fully heal them or at least reduce them to easily hidden cuts. The gashes Derrick had given me were my main worry. The others would fade quickly, but these...These were deep.

I decided to stop worrying about them when I reached my dresser and opened a drawer. Now, all I needed to worry about was sleep. I wasn't really tired, but I knew that if I didn't get at least a couple of hours of sleep, I wouldn't be able to focus at school tomorrow, and I needed to be able to focus. I had a test in my calculus class.

So, with that in mind, I dressed in another pair of black panties and a blood-red cami, then crawled into bed. Sleep came only five minutes later.

-

The next day was another normal one. German, English, physics...and I thought I might have actually done well on my calculus test, too. The bell that freed us all from school rang at three o'clock, and I left at a slow pace once more.

When I got back to my apartment, I did as I always did, leaving my backpack on the table, taking my shoes off, and walking toward the living room. I was cross-legged on the couch, staring mindlessly at some brightly-colored cartoons, less than a minute later.

Sometimes, it's nice to feed your inner five-year-old.

-

The sun hadn't even been gone for a minute when the first call came. I looked from the television to my cell, laying on the table not a foot away from me.

I sat up with a sigh, having laid down a while ago. I'd been drifting in and out of sleep for the past couple of hours, though I hadn't been able to rest much.

I picked my phone up, sighing again at the name displayed on the front.

Derrick.

"Aren't your cravings subsiding yet?" I asked the moment I had the phone to my ear.

"A bit," the male answered. He laughed nervously and added, "But, I still-"

"Need me," I finished for him as I turned the TV off with my free hand. "I know. You're young. It's understandable. I'll be over in a few minutes."

I began to close the phone, but an urgent call of "Wait!" stopped me. Putting the cellular device back to my ear, I asked, "What, Derrick?"

He was silent for a few seconds, then he asked cautiously, "Is it all right if I...come to you this time?"

I was momentarily stunned by the request, but soon, against my better judgement, I answered, "Of course." I gave him the address, told him to be careful, then hung up.

The male was in my apartment only minutes later, watching in awe as I shifted from my human form to my necromancer form right before his eyes.

"Where would you like to do it this time?" I questioned, watching as he gazed at my eyes, glowing sharply in the darkness of my home.

"What's your room like?"

"Dark. Big. Huge bed. Sound appealing?"

He nodded dumbly, and I couldn't help but laugh softly. I gently took his hand and led him to my room, shutting the door behind us once we were inside. I shoved him back onto the bed roughly, enjoying the cute, surprised look he wore when he propped himself up on his elbows.

That look never vanished as I slid my shirt off. "We're going to try something new today." The T-shirt hit the floor beside me, and I moved on to undoing my jeans.

"What?" he asked, his voice full of excitement and, oddly enough, a hint of fear. His wide eyes followed my jeans down my long legs, then to the floor by my shirt. My socks joined them after a moment.

"Something that should make this more enjoyable for you...and possibly me, if you do it right." I loved the way his mouth fell open when my bra slid away from my torso, his eyes on my breasts the second they were revealed.

"This is already more enjoyable for me," he stated, his voice cracking. He didn't seem to notice the only scar that marked my body, the faded dots left over from a long ago bite on my left breast, and for that, I was thankful.

I slid onto him, my hands resting on his chest as I straddled him. I leaned close to him, feeling his entire body stiffen beneath me when a warm breath brushed his ear. "It gets better," I whispered, causing his body to begin trembling lightly.

Foregoing another moment of torture, I kissed the male passionately. He returned the kiss more readily than I'd expected him to, though I couldn't say I didn't like it. I gripped his shoulders tightly, pulling his body closer to mine. His hands were all over me, his cold skin running over mine. My waist, my back, my thighs...He grabbed my ass at one point, and I let out a squeak as he roughly slid me forward, grinding me against the bulge in his jeans. He let out a low, gutteral growl, and I leaned back, eying him.

We looked at each other for a moment, then I yanked him into a sitting position and arched my back. I quickly laid a hand on the back of his head and pulled his face to my right breast. Without hesitation, he bit into me, his fangs sinking into the flesh just above my nipple. His mouth was spread wide open, his tongue lapping against the hardened silver as he took blood in.

His hands were planted firmly on my narrow waist, his nails digging into me. My fingers made their way through his soft hair, my eyes closing for a moment. They snapped open again when I was suddenly forced onto my back.

Derrick had me further back on the bed now, giving him more room to balance on his knees between my legs. His fangs were still in my breast, and they hadn't moved even a millimeter. My flesh had remained neatly pierced and untorn.

This was a good sign. It meant he was becoming more used to his vampiric body and all of the strength and speed and other abilities that came with it.

The vampire carefully slid his fangs out of my flesh, though he didn't lean back. From where he hovered, his face just above my chest, he looked up at me with intense, almost demonic eyes. The look they held was dark now, holding an animalistic hunger known only by the undead.

He was now embracing the brutal mentality of the beast he'd become...

How delicious.

I could only watch as he slid down to put his hands on my knees and his face by my thighs. His eyes never left mine.

To a normal person, nightwalker or daywalker, human or otherwise, this may have been unnerving. Frightening, even. To me, however, this was just incredibly arousing.

For the moment, the shyness and sweetness of his human side had left him. The raw thirst and power of his vampire side had taken over.

Yet, as he bit into my right thigh, only inches from the silky black fabric hiding my sex, he was gentle. He did not maul or rip or tear. His fangs pierced my flesh slowly and neatly, and, his eyes closing and a quiet calm falling over him, he drank.

I tried to shift my leg slightly, but the male's grip on my knee tightened. A low growl escaped him, and I let out a breathy laugh.

I had to remember that, for as long as he was like this, I was his. I was powerless. My will was inconsequential, and he controlled me completely.

For anyone but him, I would have stopped this. But, because he was him, sweet, gentle Derrick, and because he was young, too newly-turned to control himself, I let him go.

Besides, he hadn't gotten violent yet. He was still being very gentle with me.

He released me after a moment, leaning away from my legs. I cocked an eyebrow at him when his eyes met mine, and he crawled to hold his body over mine once more.

"Elyria," he whispered in my ear, sounding the slightest bit frantic, "I don't feel right."

I let out a soft laugh, my hand on the back of his neck. "Relax, Derrick," I told him, now guiding his face down to my throat. I tilted my head to the side to expose more of the pale, silvery skin. "You're a vampire now, remember? You're just starting to feel more like one." When he still wouldn't drink, I said softly, trying to reassure him, "Don't worry. It'll pass." Several seconds passed before he nodded, then let his fangs slide into my neck.

The male rapidly calmed down. No longer did he seem panicky, nor did he seem to be possessed by his vampiric urges. Now, he was just Derrick.

I had planned to go a bit further with him tonight, but I didn't think he would be in the mood for such things anymore. I just closed my eyes and let him drink.

-

I awoke hours later, confused. When had I fallen asleep? Why had I fallen asleep? How had I fallen asleep?

I sat up, glancing down as I felt blankets sliding away from my torso. I was still in nothing but my underwear. Did that mean I had drifted off while Derrick was feeding on me?

I looked around, but the vampire wasn't there. I couldn't hear any activity in the rest of the apartment, either.

I glanced to my left and found several twenty-dollar bills laying on my nightstand, illuminated by the glowing red numbers of the clock. At least four hundred dollars was in that pile. I could tell.

I slid out of bed and headed to the living room, where my cell phone was beeping from the glass-topped table. I picked it up and flipped it open.

Five missed calls.

Great.

One was from Terrence, two were from a vampire named Brandon, one was from Eli, and the most recent had come from a number I didn't recognize. Probably another hungry male who'd gotten my number from a friend.

The first person I called back was Terrence, not wanting him to come here and smell Derrick all over my room...and me, of course.

"What did you need?" I asked as soon as I heard someone pick up.

Terrence chuckled. "Well, now I need you to open the door to your apartment."

I froze. After a short pause, I said, "Why don't you just go home and wait for me? Your house is more comfortable than mine." Which was true, seeing as he lived in a lavish mansion and I lived in this lovely little apartment.

"No, no. I'll be all right in your apartment. I'm already standing outside your door."

Fuck, I thought, realizing I had no choice but to let the man in. I let my phone close, then I set it on the table before making my way to the door.

I just stood there for a moment. I didn't want to have to face him, nor did I want him to catch Derrick's scent. Why had I let him come here in the first place? I should've known it would get him caught.

Finally, with my recent bite marks still out for all to see, I opened the door.

Terrence eyed me coolly as he stepped into the apartment. His eyes didn't leave me as he shut the door behind himself.

"And who, may I ask, were you pleasuring this evening?" he asked casually, looking from my thigh to my chest to my neck. Soon, he was staring at my face, and I returned his calm gaze.

"I would appreciate it if you left this one alone," I told him, though I knew it wouldn't do any good. "He's young. Naive. It's not his fault."

"If you give me a name, I promise I'll make his death quick," was all Terrence said.

I rolled my amethyst eyes. "No. If you're going to kill off another one of my clients, you're on your own. Find him by scent. By yourself."

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say, for I was being pinned to the door a moment later. It wasn't the fun, sexual kind of pinning, either. It was too angry for that.

"Give me a name," he snarled, his fangs bared a mere inch from my face. His grip on my arms was going to leave bruises. It was too tight not to.

Why was he so mad this time? He'd never gotten so angry about this before. Then again, he'd never actually seen my body after someone else had fed from me, and he was rather possessive...

"No," I said calmly. This got me thrown into the living room. The table shattered when I hit, sending the remote and my cell phone off to lay among shards of glass.

"Give me a name," the enraged male repeated, louder now, as he approached me.

As I moved into a sitting position, I felt blood trickle down my back from where several pieces of the tabletop had cut me. It felt as if a few shards were still stuck in my back as well.

Lovely.

I stood in the midst of the shattered remains of my table and faced Terrence, still completely calm. Again, I said, "No."

The glow of my eyes increased ever so slightly as he stepped toward me, but he noticed and immediately dropped his gaze. He'd been overtaken by my necromantic powers many times before. So many, obviously, that he knew what was happening, what I was trying to do. One look into his eyes, and I would have gained total control of his body. Without the meeting of our eyes, however, I could do nothing to him. At least, nothing that would last long enough to help me at all. He was well aware of this. Hence my hatred of having to deal with him when he was angry...or at all, really.

"Give me a name," he commanded once more, although his voice was normal now. He was calm, or at least getting close to it.

"No. I'm not making it easy for you. I never do. This time is no different."

His eyes flicked to mine, staying there when he found that their glow had returned to normal. But then, he glanced at my phone, laying several feet away from me with all of my missed calls listed neatly inside.

I dove for it just as he did.

Before either of us could reach it, Eli appeared, standing over it. We stopped dead and looked up at him, mildly surprised. It seemed that neither of us had heard the door open...

"It's already been taken care of," Eli said to Terrence after a moment. The older vampire blinked, confused. "The male you're angry about," Eli said, trying to clarify. "He's dead."

Terrence smiled rather wickedly at the look of shock on my face. "Nice work, Eli. But, who was he?"

"Derrick something or other," Eli replied with a shrug. "I don't remember."

Terrence nodded. "All right." He then looked at me again, smirking. "Goodbye, Elyria. I'll have a new table broguth in tomorrow." Then, he left, almost as if nothing had even happened.

I was silent for a moment, though I soon looked at Eli and asked, somewhat worriedly, "Derrick's not really dead, is he?"

The male cocked an eyebrow at my concern. "Why do you even care?"

"Because he's too young to die." The answer made perfect sense to me, but he didn't appear to understand. "Just tell me," I finally said, not wanting to explain anything. "Is he dead or not?"

"We're all dead," he answered vaguely.

I sighed. "That means he's okay, right?"

He nodded once while walking around me to examine my back. I sighed again, relieved, only to hiss in pain a second later. It seemed my lovely vampire friend was beginning to yank shards of glass out of my flesh.

I wasn't sure whether to thank him or hit him. I mean, did he really have to be so rough about it?

I quickly grew accustomed to the sharp pain caused by each pull, now remaining utterly stoic. This caused us to lapse into a silence broken only by the occasional tinkle of glass against glass.

One piece plucked from my back, another shard on the floor...Another piece plucked from my back, another shard on the floor...This continued for quite a while, until, finally, one of us spoke.

"You need to stop," Eli stated softly. I felt his palm on my back, his touch feather-light. It ghosted downward slowly, smearing blood along my spine, and I couldn't help but let my eyes drift shut.

"Stop what?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Letting other males taste you," was the simple answer. His hand moved to the side, his fingers soon sliding around to my front so he was holding my waist. His other hand copied the first, trailing along my spine until it moved to the side, gripping my waist. His hold became more firm after a few seconds, though his voice remained quiet. "You belong to Terrence." Something in his tone told me that he either didn't like or didn't believe what he was saying. I wisely chose to avoid commenting on it. "You should stop putting other males in danger."

My eyes snapped open when I felt him moving toward my neck. He'd gotten much closer to me, the lull his touch had created distracting me enough to keep me oblivious. His fangs were nearing my throat rapidly.

I tore myself from his grip and spun, glaring as I faced him. "What the hell are you doing, Eli?" I nearly growled. "I thought we agreed that you'd never take my blood unless one of us was bound to die."

He watched me, his expression calm. He dropped his eyes soon enough. "I'm sorry, Elyria," he whispered. "The scent of your blood is so...sweet...and it's...all over..." He glanced at one of his hands, covered in my blood, and gritted his teeth.

Even the scent of my blood seemed to have an odd power over the undead. How I'd gone without noticing this for so long, I didn't know.

I took his wrist far more roughly than I meant to and dragged him to the bathroom, shoving him toward the sink. "Wash your hands, Eli," I told him coldly, angry at him even though I knew he had no control over his urges.

Without a word, he obeyed. He scrubbed at his hands and his arms, attacking every speck of blood he found with as much soap as it took to make the scent fade a substantial amount. It wouldn't immediately vanish, but it was possible to make it weak enough to keep from effecting him.

Eventually, he finished, turning the water off and drying his hands. He turned to me as he ran the black towel up one of his arms. "You should shower," he told me in his usual emotionless voice. "Cleaning your floors wouldn't do any harm, either. You got blood everywhere." He dropped the towel on the edge of the sink, then walked past me, heading down the hall and out of my apartment without another word.

I went to the living room and glared at the mess Terrence had left. Even as I began cleaning up the glass, I muttered at the long gone Eli, "What the hell is your problem, you asshole? I didn't make you try to drink from me."

But, in the darkest corners of my mind, I was secretly wishing I had. Then, he would've gotten what he wanted, and I might have gotten what I wanted.

Sex with Eli...Oh, the fun. And the annoying improbability of it ever happening.