Searching

Derrick

I rub the side of my forehead against the wall. The air conditioning has been turned off recently, and I’m sweating bullets. This room feels much smaller than before, but I know it’s just my imagination.

“Please move to the wall, 247,” the intercom instructs. “If compliance is not given, you will receive a shock.”

I roll my eyes at this, wondering if the person attached to the voice ever gets tired of saying the same thing every day.

The female appears with two heavily armed guards. I perk up, my heart beating with excitement. Her face is hidden behind her hair, but I can still imagine her beauty.

“Go!” The guards practically kick her into the cell. The female almost trips, but catches herself. Her breath is uneven as she avoids my eyes.

She sets the tray she’s carrying in front of me. Steak, mashed potatoes, and the same drink from yesterday.

Then I notice the heavy bruising, split lip, and black eye that’s swollen shut. Her frame is skeletal and easily visible through the torn nightgown she’s wearing.

“Firefly...” I call before the female can leave. “Wait!”

The guards point their guns at me, and I growl at their animosity. The nerve of these two keeping me from her is astronomical.

“247, this is your last warning.”

While I’m distracted, the female makes her escape and the glass door shuts behind her. I make brief eye contact with her before she disappears down the hallway. I growl in frustration and pace my room.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

~Why isn’t she talking to me?~

~What happened?~

~Did I do something?~

~How did they find her?~

In frustration, I pick up the water bottle containing the liquid and throw it full force against the wall furthest from me. The liquid splatters from the impact and shards of glass fall to the floor.

***

Sylas

The air is cold as Lake and I hunker down by a low fire. We’re a good mile and a half away from the village now.

Lake coldly stares into the flames, deep in thought. Her eyes are still glowing red from her meal. Well, more like a feast. I’ve never seen anyone feed on a human like that.

Her eyes are even more beautiful now, the red glow illuminating her skin. Since she’s only half vampire, they won’t glow gold for concentration as they would for me. Only red for everything revolving around emotions.

“I could have killed her,” Lake mumbles. “All I could think of was myself. Bad person or not, she’s still a human. Not cattle.”

I move closer to my Essence, making sure not to touch her unless invited to. Lake has her knees hugged to her chest and hasn’t allowed me to clean the dried blood from her chin. She’s as fragile as a child right now.

I can’t help but revel in the beauty radiating from her, though. The dangerous sense of power and dominance vibrating off her is enough to send me into a trance.

Seeing her feed like that scared me, but gave me such a thrill at the same time.

“Kjarni, you’re not at fault here,” I admit. “As your teacher, I should have given you indirect contact with her blood. Maybe I rushed you into it.”

“I guess.” Lake buries her face into her knees and shakes with tears. “Am I really a monster, Sylas?”

“Kjarni, no.” I hush her and gently pull her into my arms. Lake willingly lets me hug her to my chest. She clings to my shirt just as a toddler would after having a nightmare.

“Next time will be different,” I say into her hair. “I swear it.”

Lake slowly drifts off to sleep, her breathing more even now that she’s fed properly. Wolf’s blood takes a toll on a vampyre—human blood is always better.

I crack my fingers before standing. My body screams as I begin to pace.

It’s been a good two months since I’ve fed on a human myself. The blood I’ve given Lake was the last I had circulating oxygen throughout my body. The stiffness is getting real.

As I walk, I search for something I can give Lake to soothe her mind a bit. She’s asleep right now, but with human blood in her system, the sleep won’t be needed as much.

I climb a small hill, gasping for breath by the time I reach the clearing at the top. The moon is nowhere to be seen in the sky, but the stars sure sparkle up a storm.

Unlike other wolves, Lake hates her Goddess and what the moon stands for in her world.

~That’s it.~

I run as fast as I can back to our campsite and gently tap Lake on the shoulder.

“Kjarni,” I whisper. “Wake up.”

“Sylas?” Lake rubs her eyes and blinks a couple of times. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, and I’m sorry to have to wake you,” I apologize. “I have something to show you.”

“I swear to God, if this is some joke, I will have your head on a stick,” Lake grumbles as she stands. “My beauty sleep is riding on this.”

~Like you need any.~

“It’s just a bit further,” I say as Lake walks ahead of me.

“You’re going to murder me, aren’t you?” she asks. “This setting is like a forest from a horror movie or something.”

“Kjarni, just keep walking!” I groan. “I promise, I’m not going to murder you.”

Lake rolls her eyes and walks up the remainder of the hill. My muscles ache as I follow her. I should’ve fed first, but Lake was starving more than I was.

Up ahead, I hear Lake sniffle. When I come around, her face is covered in tears.

“Woah! What’s wrong?” I wheeze. “I’m sorry! I thought without the moon being in the sky, that you’d—”

“It’s been so long since I haven’t felt the gaze of that vile Goddess.” Lake breaks down and covers her face with her hands. “Derrick revels in the moonlight, even with my disdain of the fucking thing.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say, horrified to have caused her pain. “I didn’t know you’d react like this.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Lake sobs. “It’s such a relief! I haven’t looked up at the night sky for years.”

I stand there as she cries, unsure of how to react. I want to kiss her, but I don’t dare move a muscle for fear of ruining this moment.

Suddenly, Lake wraps her arms around me and sticks her face in the crook of my neck. “Thank you, Sylas. Thank you.”

I stand stiffly, taken aback, wondering if this is really happening.

“You know...” Lake sniffs. “Normal people give the hug back when someone does this to them.”

I smile widely to myself and bury my nose into her hair, hugging her tightly.

~Goddess.~ Her scent fills me with both desire and complete serenity.

Lake takes in a deep breath as I do. My heart skips a beat, knowing my Essence loves my smell just as much.

This woman is the single being in the universe that I would do anything for.

~The only one I’d be willing to sacrifice myself for.~