Bat Country

The elf wiped her tears as she watched behind a tree. She made sure to keep herself downwind, lest the two vampires catch her scent and capture her. She’d need the others before she could attack. Matt and herself had made love like that several times, but it was bloodier and he had not shown the same kindness to her that he had to the new vampire woman. Something was different about this. The way they clung to each other. The elf, Valary, could stand watching no longer, and she ran into the darkness and soon disappeared into thin air.

Alexis slid off Matt and sat next to him. Her eyes were far away as his memories sank into her. 500 years of blood and death. It almost made her hungry again.
Climbing off Matt, she sat next to him as the memories ebbed and flowed. An older couple were smiling, then bloody in the next burst of light. Sadness washed over her that brought crimson tears to her eyes, she knew that these were Matt‘s own parents, and he had to do it after they had seen him watching them after he was turned. Two bloody children began searing their perfect faces into her. He had killed children when he was starving. The only time he had let himself go unperfected. Matt’s guilt doubled Alexis over and she crumpled her naked body to the ground and screamed as her tears fell, covering her cheeks in scarlet streams.
“What’s happening?” Alexis begged Matt through a breaking voice.
Matt was having his own problems. Alexis had a small family and was an only child, and the joy of her parents. They had trouble conceiving, and Alexis was their miracle. Matt had ripped the one child they were ever even able to have from them. Technically, it was Syn, but if Matt had actually bothered following him when he had run the last time, this would not have happened and forgiving himself for this would take a long time.
The moon lightly reflected off of Alexis’s skin as Matt glanced down at her. 500 years of memories that were filled with horror and death would weigh down on her mentally, but watching his creation sob violently, muffling her own cries with her hand froze him up when he wanted to comfort her. Those memories were monsters and even if he wanted to stop it, they would worm their way into her just like they had to him.
Eventually Matt laid down beside her and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as she cried. Those children had suffered, and the guilt Matt carried for them was blazing a hole through her and it hurt.
“We’re mates now, Alexis.” He whispered.
Not budging, Alexis kept her cries muffled as the memories slowly died down. Matt had done awful things and the remaining human part in her ached for them, the way it had in Matt.
“Sometimes,” Matt continued, despite Alexis not giving any sign she was listening or cared. “When vampires mix their blood together, it makes a bond. It’s like the one we already have…but…but it will make ours stronger. We can never mate with anyone else for the rest of our existence.” his words faded at the end.
Alexis was listening, but these memories that were ravaging her mind made her too numb to want to comment.

Matt held Alexis’s hand as she climbed down into the nest. It had taken a long time to calm Alexis down, and even at that, she was still so lost in trying to take everything in, that Matt himself had to dress her so they could return.
Before they could even turn around, Thor was already in front of them. Matt’s eyes grew and then settled into a look of slight agitation.
Thor’s eyes communicated with Matt’s and eventually Matt just nodded which received a smile from Thor.
“Congratulations for finding your mate, Matthew.” Thor said, mixing a pat and a slight grab to the back of Matt’s neck, right above the shoulder.
“Thank you.” Matt went around him rather quickly, just wanting to take Alexis to ground for the day.
Thor turned as they passed and nodded to Alexis. “Hope you’ll be ready. The real fun starts tomorrow night.”
Alexis’s eyes shot to him. They were narrowed and menacing and even Thor was impressed by threat behind them. Her raw potential astounded him, and even he was anxious to see it in action.

The door wasn’t even shut before Alexis grabbed Matt’s arm and slammed the door shut, locking it herself. Instead of heading straight for bed, Alexis sat on the small embroidered bench and put her head down, allowing her hand to slide down Matt’s arm and grasp his hand. He held it back lightly and the two sat in the dark completely silent for what felt like a millennia. Matt finally dropped to one knee, and then both. Alexis’s eyes were closed. She was still fighting sleep, but he knew she wanted something and he wouldn’t make her wait. Tilting her chin up, Matt whispered.
“Alexis, open your eyes.”
She responded slowly, her sapphire eyes taking their time to find Matt’s. Tufts of super short brown hair darted away from his face, his eyes searching her the way she was searching him.
Eventually, Alexis brought her face close to Matt’s. This wasn’t a kiss, Matt knew. Alexis brushed her mouth across his just from the proximity then he felt her nose grazing his cheek as she inhaled deeply. She was scent locking him as her mate. Matt now understood that Alexis was probably doing this out of instinct, and little of her own accord, but when Alexis opened her legs and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, he wasn’t sure what to think. He locked his long arms around her small waist and ran his face over her neck softly, mimicking her in scent locking. It was a perfume, and it cycled through him, becoming a perfume that he could recognize anywhere. Alexis was clutching at his short hair and clung to him tightly, and as low rumbles lightly emanated from his chest, he heard quiet whimpers for her. She was crying again.
Matt tilted his head to hers.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, running his hands over her back.
“Your memories.” she croaked. Her body deflated in his arms as she collapsed to him. “There’s so many of them and it feels like they’re burning me.”
“I know.” Matt submitted. “It’ll be easier soon.”
Alexis slumped further to Matt’s body. “You keep saying that. Yet here I am using you as a tissue, crying. I cry so much.”
Matt held onto Alexis and picked her up, carrying her to the bed as she quietly cried. “We all do in the beginning.”