Hurts Like Heaven

“Victouria.” a cool voice whispered to me from the dark. “Victouria.” it repeated. The voice was unfamiliar and yet it reminded me of something, someone, somewhere. I don't know. I couldn't see or speak, just listen and my body felt cold.

Am I dead? Maybe. Was this oblivion? No. I wouldn't be able to feel if it was, right? Was I dreaming? I really didn't know and it felt better not to think. The voice was now laughing, laughing loudly in my head, laughing triumphantly. I tried to shake it away but my body wasn't working right. It felt like I wasn't alone in my own mind. But it was okay because it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now.

The laughter abruptly cut off and I suddenly felt alone, utterly alone and it left me feeling empty and drained.

I was jarred awake. But kept my eyes close. I had been dreaming something but I couldn't remember what it was. Whatever it was it was gone away from me now. My body hurt, my head hurt and everything was a blur. Where was I? I knew I was lying down. And I knew something had happened to me. I searched my mind for it then it hit me. That vampire had attacked me. Oh god, I must be...

“Trouble seems to follow you, kid.” A voice said suddenly.

I popped my eyes open, which hurt because one of them was swollen. So I narrowed them to slits, which felt better, not good, but better. The man at the foot of the bed I was lying in was tall with lean muscles, dark hair and features, and his five o'clock shadow matched his rugged face and tired brown eyes. We had met before.

Detective Fords was the lead detective in mysterious disappearance of my ex, Jayson, and had questioned me several times in as many months about it. He didn't like me much, I could tell. The feeling was mutual. My former friend, and Jayon's last lover, Stephanie was apart of the investigation as well, but for different reasons. Both of them were psychopaths who had tried to kill me more than once, and almost succeeded one cold spring morning not too long ago. In the end I was the one who had taken Jayson life, not something you get pass very easily, if ever.

Of course only two other people besides me and the now deceased Jayson knew that, and as far as anyone else knew he had skipped town. I was just getting on with my life. There had been no incidences, I was happy, getting on just fine and along came this.

And I must not be dead if he was here.

“Tell me about it.” I said, my voice was harsh and dry.

So I was in the hospital, I didn't like being here. We were in a room. I must have been admitted. How long had I been here? I tried to turn my head but it hurt to move. A lot. “The doctors don't want you to move around too much.” He told me.

I ignored him and tried to sit up. He sighed, watched me struggle for a minute before he came around to the right side of the bed and used the remote control to lift the head of the bed up. I was only slightly more comfortable than a minute ago but at least I could see him properly. The pain in my neck was tolerable, but the rest of my was achy and bruised, the back of my head had a dull throb. I had an iv which must be dulling my aches and pains. And a bag of blood. Oh, boy. The tube was running into my right arm.

“Are you up to telling me what happened?” Fords asked. God he wasted no time at all.

“Can I have some water?”

He gave me a sidelong glance before he disappeared from the room. A nurse poked her head in a moment later. “You're woke. How are you feeling?” she asked.

Really? How am I feeling? “I've been better...” I said. “But I've been worse.”

She gave me an odd look, checked my vitals and explained my injuries to me. “You have a concussion so if things seem hazy that's why.” Yes my head and face hurt but seemed like the lesser of all my pains. “We've got you on some pain killers and we gave you a few stitches on the back of your head and your neck.” She gave me a sympathetic look. I hated sympathy. “And you lost some blood.” another sympathetic look. “We had to give you three pints.”

My eyes widened. Three pints? Wow. No wonder I couldn't remain conscious. That stupid vamp had been hungry. I shudder thinking of the look he had on his face, the pleasure he had felt.

“But you're a fighter,” she said with a small smile, “good thing they found you went they did.” she wrote something on her clipboard then said, “We're going to need to keep you here overnight for observation. The doctor will be in shortly to see you.”

“Is my aunt here? I asked. If I had been here long enough for them to give me stitches and admit me I assumed someone would have called my next of kin.

“I don't know, but I'll check.” Then she left.

Fords and another lady dressed in regular clothes returned a minute later. The lady was a little short, slightly taller than me which wasn't saying much, with long brown hair and small facial features. It might have been the drugs, but to me she resembled a fairy. Detective Fords handed me a cup of water. I drank it slowly, but it hurt to swallow.

“This is detective Anderson.” Fords introduced the lady who gave me a small smile. “She has a few questions for you.” then he left.

Anderson stood by my bed. “How are you Miss Mulligan?” she didn't wait for an answer before asking, “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Geez, you don't waste anytime do ya?” I muttered. “I don't really remember.” I said softly, shutting my eyes briefly.

She gave me a half sympathetic, half skeptical look. “Any detail, however small, would help.”

“I'm not sure.” I paused for a moment and blinked for a long second. “I was just dropping my supplies off in the storage closet, then I... I walked down the hall to the locker room. I turned around and there was a man. He threw me to the ground and punched me then... I don't remember the rest.”

“Do you remember him pulling your pants down?” Anderson asked.

“What?” I frowned. “Why would you ask me that?”

“When you were found your pants were unbuttoned and your shirt was up. Do you remember if the man... touched you?”

“No.” I shook my head, pissed then thought about it, “No, I don't know.” I don't remember anything like that happening. I didn't feel any different. Had he done something else to me? I shuttered again.

“You don't remember what happened to your neck?”

How could I forget? I frowned as if in thought. “I sort of remember some kind of pressure there, that it was painful, then nothing. I blacked out until Lisa showed up.”

I had been wondering why the vampire had stopped at all. He easily could have killed me. So why had I been left alive? Maybe he had been interrupted. But most vampires don't care about someone, particularly a human, interrupting them while they fed. And just why had he attacked me in the first place? What had I ever done to him?

“How long did the attack last?”

“A minute or two. I don't know.”

“And had you ever seen the man who attacked you?”

“No.”

I couldn't very well tell her that a vampire bit me, I'd be carted off to the nut house faster than you can say supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus. Boy oh boy, I think the drugs were starting to really kick in. If the detective hadn't kept talking I could have slipped off to a peaceful dreamland.

“Could you describe him?”

“No. Not really. It all happened so fast.” If they actually found him he'd rip their heads off. “Could you find out if my aunt is here? I'm not sure if anyone told her.”

“Yes but we must find that man, so anything you could tell us about him would do.” With a huge sigh I told her he had dark hair and was tall, not much to go on, but the truth wouldn't help.

“It looks as if he might have bitten you and took your blood, which is strange.” She paused and searched my face. “Do you know why he would do that?”

“You're guess is as good as mine.” I told her.

“Two puncture wounds. Like fangs.” she paused again as if waiting for me to answer. I didn't. Did she know about vampires? There was a knock at the door and a doctor came in, just in the nick of time.

He smiled and had the detective leave. “How are you feeling?” he asked after introducing himself as Smith.

I shrugged but shouldn't have, even that hurt. As he was checking me over the door burst open and in walked Daniel, red-blond hair mused, his suit jacked open, his face dark, his eyes, normally a deep blue, even darker. He was on his way to vamping out. He looked dangerous, and rather scary. Oh boy.

“S-s-sir,” Doctor Smith said, stammering, “you, you can't-”

Dan brushed pass him to get to me. He took my face in his, which hurt, his eyes roaming all over me, making sure I was alright. “Tourie, darling. Thank god you're okay.”

“Dan.” I said ignoring the doctor who was shouting about security. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I ran.”

“You were three states away.” I said in disbelief.

“Yeah, I know.” he released my face finally and sat down next to me. “I would have been here sooner. Sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“You're hurt.” he whispered. “One of my kind did this.”

“Wait.” I frowned at him. “How did you know I was hurt?”

“I felt it.”

“You... you felt it?”

“Our blood-bond.” Oh right.

Over the past few months Dan and I had been exchanging blood. I had nearly forgotten about the bond thingy and since he was so far away I couldn't feel him as well as I could when he was home. But he sure as hell had felt me. Maybe fear and pain resonated on a higher scale that simpler emotions.

“And you would have felt me too if you hadn't been so incapacitated.” I could barely see the whites of his eyes any more and as he spoke the sharp tips of his fangs showed.

“Please don't tell me you're vamping out?” I whispered.

“I'm fine.” his voice was strained. He was pissed. I hated when he got this angry, it smoldered just beneath the surface, and showed in his eyes, and his stiff body language. I'm not sure when he last fed, he sometimes took blood from others when I couldn't give it to him and I hadn't seen him for a week. I don't think he's fed since then.

He took my hands in his, his eyes darker, scarier and I flinched.

“Sorry.” I murmured and reached for him. “I've seen enough vamping out for one night. Come back to me.” I squeezed his hands in mine.

“Sorry.” He took a few seconds to compose himself, the bright blue of his eyes returning slowly. “I was so worried.” he said, his voice softer and his anger and worry under control now. “For a moment I lost you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I couldn't feel you, you were gone.”

He threw my covers back, leaned in and sniffed me from head to toe. If someone were watching us they might find this a bit weird, or kinky but I knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to catch a scent.

“I've got too many scents. All these people handling you, touching you.” he said darkly, sniffing some more, closer to my face and hair. “But one stands out. It's not familiar, though.”

“Why would anyone do this? Daniel, do you know why this happened?”

“No...” his tone had turned icy. “But I'm going to find out.” I shut my eyes on a long blink. “Had you ever seem him before? What did he say to you?”

I shook my head, “He only said that he wanted me. That's it.” Not much to go on if you ask me.” I took another long blink.

“Sir.” a uniformed security guard said from behind Dan. “I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

“He's my boyfriend.” I told him.

“Even so.”

“He just barged in.” Doctor Smith said, now standing next to the security guard.

“I'm not leaving her.” Dan said, standing up to face the two men whom almost turned white upon seeing him. “Got it?”

The both surprisingly nodded their heads and left the room. “I'll never get used to that.” I muttered.

“I didn't compel them.”

“Sure you didn't.”

He smiled a crooked smile and sat back down next to me. “How bad does it hurt?”

“Not as bad as I think I should. How bad do I look?”

He gave me a half smile. “There's some brushing and swelling.” he said his eyes roaming my face before meeting my eye again. “Take some of my blood.”

I shook my head fiercely, which was painful. “No. I'll be fine.”

“But-”

“I can't take your blood every time I'm hurt. I'm not dying so I'm not going to.” I've seen what happens to people who became addicted to vampire blood. It wasn't pretty.

He look disappointed but said, “All right.”

“Could you find out if Bren is here. I hope someone called her by now.”

“Sure darling.” and he left the room.

I shut my eyes and when I opened them again Daniel was in a chair next to my bed, his head bowed as if sleep but he became alert as soon and lifted his eyes to mine. “How are you?”

“Okay I guess.” I looked at the clock on the wall. Hours had passed.

“Did he rape you?”

“What?”

“You kept the part about him undoing your pants out of the conversation earlier.” his voice was calm but his eyes were darkening.

“I didn't remember it. I only knew because the detective told me. He didn't rape me.” I said more surely than I felt. “Wouldn't you smell it if he had?”

He looked at me darkly, thinking then said, “He's dead. He'll face real death once I'm done, he'll beg for it.” He snarled, low, dark, scary. Then he moved over, bend down and began sniffing me again.

“Daniel make sure it's the right person. Don't go ripping off heads in a rage.”

“I'll be careful, darling. He's had your blood, I can track him that way.” He continued sniffing me up and down.

“Really?” Was that even true?

“Yes once I'm near him and maybe I should go back to your job and track him from there. I'll cross off scents as I go. Are you okay?” He asked, concern in his voice and on his face. I nodded, too afraid to speak. “Bren's at home. I told her I would see to it you were okay. Come on, let's get you dressed.”

~

As we left Detectives Ford and Anderson, both of whom were still there for some reason, told us they'd call if there was any news, and for me to get in touch with if I could think of anything else. I knew they knew I had left something out, but neither of them said a word and I kept my mouth shut. Fords eyed Daniel strangely, almost suspiciously and Daniel did the same of him. Men.

I had been wondering how we were going to get home since Dan had ran here, but his car was here. He didn't say, but I suspected one of his vampire friends had dropped it off. We got in, buckled up and drove off. It was late, sometime around one, and I was dead tired. I let out a long yawn and blinked several times.

“I'm sorry.” Daniel said as we drove.

“It's not your fault.”

“And what if it is?” He sighed. “What if you were attacked because of me?”

“Even if the vampire did it because of some grudge against you it isn't your fault. It's theirs. You haven't a thing to be sorry about.” He didn't buy it, I could see the darkness seeping into his eyes. “Please, Dan, control it.”

“I'm trying.”

“Stop being pissed off, tomorrow you can be but tonight I need you to just be my loving, concerned boyfriend.” I never really call him my boyfriend, we don't like labels. Besides, boyfriend didn't seem to cover what Daniel was.

He smiled at that. “I am loving and concerned, but I'm also as pissed as any boyfriend would be if another man harmed his woman.” He had a point, although I wouldn't admit it out loud.

“What if you never find him?”

“He'll show sooner or later. If he's got something against me, I'll make him show himself.” Danger was dripping into his voice again. I took his hand in mine. “We'll be home soon.” He said softly.

Aunt Bren, tall, blonde haired and beautiful, was waiting up for us. I hated the worried look on her face, I had caused her enough worry over the past few months. I assured her I was okay a hundred times and she made me eat something, doing her best motherly thing.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch because when I woke up I was in my bed, Daniel's arm draped across my belly, sound asleep. Outside was still dark.

I slowly got from the bed, careful not to disturb the tired vampire, he had drained a lot of energy running from so far away, and walked to the bathroom. I limped inside and shut the door, flicking on the light which hurt my eyes. I had my first real good look at myself in the mirror once I had finished my business.

My cheek was covers in a bruise larger than my fist, my right eye was half swollen and purple. My nose was a little bruised as well. I had bruises on my arms, my chest and my thighs. I felt all kinds of sore, like I had gone to war with a bulldozer. I was very lucky nothing was broken.

There was a huge gauze taped on my neck, the nurse said there were stitches there. I slowly removed it to have a look. My neck looked ravaged. It wasn't like the times when Daniel had bitten me, he barely left any marks, but this looked like that vampire wanted to tear my throat out literally. The stitches ran in crisscross patterns but were barely visible due to the huge purplish-black bruise there. I touched my fingertips to it, it was tender. That's gonna leave a mark, I thought, maybe a little of Dan's blood wouldn't hurt.

I placed the gauze carefully back onto my neck and gave myself one last look in the mirror. I opened the medicine cabinet and found some pain pills. I took one out of the bottle and popped it into my mouth. Scooping a handful of water into my mouth, I swallowed the pill. I lifted my head up from the faucet, looked in the mirror only to find the vampire who attacked me standing directly behind me.