CHAPTER TWO

I'm not sure what happened after I heard Caim had died. All I remember was that Mattie moved us to a nearby hotel with only my 'go bag'. All I did was sit on the bed until the date of my brother's funeral. I didn't know when that was though, the days and nights blended together. Sometimes Mattie gave me food and fed me even though I wasn't hungry.

It was here in this whitewash of of a hotel bedroom that there was a knock on the door and Mattie poked his head through.

"Alice? There's someone who would like to meet you."

I looked at him. He seemed to have interpreted my movement as an invitation, opening the door wider.

It was another policeman. They had came up to me asking many questions like 'what happened' and, 'do you know who might have done this?' I wasn't too sure what I should even say.

This man was dressed in the regular gear - the black hat with the check chess design, the body armour, cameras and the fluorescent green markings...

I took a deep breath not knowing how my voice would sound after being silent for so long. "I don't want to talk to another policeman." It sounded weird. Was that my voice? It sounded croaky, alien, as if I was a doll and someone else was moving my mouth as they provided the voice I didn't recognise.

"I know, honey. But this man would like to hear it from you directly."

I decided to whisper the words. "I've already sent you a description of what happened."

These policemen were not investigating what happened to my brother. Rather, they were looking into the shots that were fired the night I saw Mattie with the gun. This was an insult.

Suddenly anger filled me up. The words exploded out of me. "Why don't you investigate what happened to my brother!" I stood up with my hands in fists. Why won't they understand that Caim had died and I didn't know why or even who killed him?

"Alice-" Mattie started to say before he was interrupted by the policeman.

"Miss Darling," he took off his hat as a mark of respect and held it in front in both hands. This man looked like he was in his early thirties. He had brown eyes which matched his hair. But there was one thing that captured my attention: his eyes seemed to have seen a lot more of the world. At least that was my interpretation.

"My name is Iain Wright with the Metropolitan Police. First and foremost let me tell you how sorry I am for your loss." He paused to see how reacted. I didn't budge an inch. I wanted this man to leave.

"Would you like to sit on the bed?"

This sounded odd. Sensing my hesitation, Mattie came round and took my shoulders gently pushing down on them.

"Alice," he whispered in my ear in the most gentle of sounds I've heard for quite some time. "It's very important you should convey what you saw that night to this man."

I looked straight into those emerald eyes and and my breath caught. They looked exactly like Caim's the night when we had left our family home all those years ago. My heart ached for him and I burst out crying. Mattie's arms enclosed around me holding me ever so tight.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

My chest ached to the point where I thought it was being ripped apart. My brother protected me from the bullies when I was younger - he arrived home covered in mud after beating a guy up. He helped me with my studies when I was struggling. He did a lot of things and I admired him for all those things and more. I'll miss his smile when I came home with a top mark in an exam - he tackled me on the spot and spun me around, both of us laughing till the tears ran down over faces. I'll miss his voice, the sweetness but also the disappointment he faced when talking about his first girlfriend and how she broke up with him. Heck, I'll miss the way he would crack his knuckles when he accepted a challenge something that always brought a shiver down my spine. The determination of it was etched in his face.

All of this flashed in my mind as I struggled to breathe between sobs, coating Mattie's shirt in tears, the salt was the only thing I could smell. It made me drowsy and only then did my cries die down.

Pulling me away from his shoulder, Mattie's thumb wiped the left over tears on my face.

"Maybe you should sleep now. We can talk in the morning." He gestured Wright waiting awkwardly at the door. I forgot about him.

I shook my head turning to him. "I'm sorry. What would you like the know?"

Wright came in to sit on the bed with me. Taking out a small notebook, he said, "Miss Darling, could you tell me everything you know?"

I frowned before I looked at Mattie for clarification. Despite being interrogated so many times, I only answered one 'what happened' question and the answer I gave was quite vague. He nodded.

And so I told Wright what I had seen in detail, including the part about Mattie having a gun and shooting at someone outside. There wasn't much to recall and by the end of it I felt lighter.

"Will you be investigating what happened to Caim? I received no word on it." I still wanted to ask even if it was useless. I had asked the other policemen who all said they had not had any recent reports nor recall anyone who was missing or had been killed in the past with the name 'Caim Darling'. I didn't understand this.

"Of course, Miss Darling. It is still ongoing. We'll update you with any new information."

I stared at him completely aghast. Here I was asking the same men who all attended the same police station, who all said the same thing to me, but it was only this person who stood before me to say what I wanted to hear. It felt like a breath of fresh air. I looked at Mattie who was grinning. But wait-

"How come none of your colleagues say what you just said then?"

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you the answer to that."

I sighed. But it was better than nothing.

"Alright then! I'm sure you have a lot of work on your plate, Mr. Wright." Mattie said standing up and ushering Wright out. "With everything that's happened you'll understand Alice needs her rest now." I could hear them from the main room. I heard mumbles but not the words as I lay back on the bed, exhaustion creeping in so fast it claimed me.

In my black attire I looked different. I was only wearing a simple but formal dress with a thin brown belt around. As it was sleeveless, my arms caught the cold. It will be colder later on.

Caim's funeral was later today. There was that ache in my heart of his loss. It wasn't as bad as a couple days ago when I talked to Iain Wright but it was still there, it still ate at me from the inside out. I was surprised on how many tears I could shed.

So I stood in front of this hotel bedroom mirror, my eyes just a little puffy, the butterflies in my stomach flying around non stop. It was a day to say goodbye.

There was a knock on the door and Mattie's head poked round the corner.

"Are you all done? Do you need anything before we head off?"

Today he wore a crisp black suit with a white shirt. He had tried to tame his hair earlier but after no avail, resorted to gel so now it looks like his hair was plastered on his head.

I started to shake my head but thought better of it. "Could I have some hot chocolate? The way Caim did it?"

"Sure." He said before he left. Caim made the best hot chocolates. They even had marshmallows and sprinkles on special occasions so it was rare when I would find them in my mug. I would normally have them after trips or parties but since we had left the family home, all invitations to birthday parties, Christmas parties and family events just disappeared. We didn't get word through the door about them even though Caim had told them of our new address. I remember standing in front of the home on mum's birthday. There was a small gift in my hand - a bracelet with gems on it for wealth and luck for the future. I had planned to give it to her face-to-face but I didn't. It felt weird. Like they had cut us out of everything when Caim took the decision to leave. We did too… or at least Caim did. I just left the gift on the doorstep.

In the main room the smell was intriguing. It filled the space some much that it reminded me of happier days.

The room was larger than the bedroom if only slightly. I didn't really go through the door whilst we were here as Mattie kept checking on me. The kitchen was just a wall of cabinets with a cooker and a fridge. Tiles were plastered on the floor as if to give some sort of size of how the kitchen should be. Mattie was there with a pan.

As for the main room, there wasn't much to describe. A couple of chairs, a sofa, a table propping a TV up and some cabinets was all that was there apart from the pictures of random scenery on the walls.

I sat on one of the chairs and not long after, Mattie gave me my hot chocolate.

"I didn't make it too hot. Just hope it's worthy of Caim's!"

"It smells like Caim's." I said smiling at him. I hadn't smiled like that in a while. I took a sip and sighed. "Oh Mattie, it is. Thank you." Instantly I was calm. Those butterflies had died down.

He patted my shoulder as he settled down on the other chair.

"Hey, Mattie?"

"Alice?"

"Do you think my parents are going to be there?" He froze then ran both hands through his hair. Some of the strands fell out. "M-Mattie?"

"Alice. I know I haven't given you many answers over the years. Could you wait for a few more days before I'll be able to answer all of them to their fullest?"

I just looked at him with a 'what-the-fuck-does-that-even-mean' face. But he did look troubled so I waved it off.

When I finished, the mug was washed and dried and we left with my 'go bag'. Outside under a bright sky there were two funeral cars waiting for us. One carried the coffin the windows absolutely clean, the shine on the car (I know nothing about cars), was immaculate as well as the bright flowers that decorated the… coffin that surrounded my brother.

It felt heavy - coffin - it felt heavy and empty and no one should have to utter the word.

We climbed into the other car, its beige padding made me slip and I had to hold onto Mattie which kind of embarrassed me. There was a lump in my throat through all of this.

"Alice, it's okay." Mattie whispered. The arm I had hold of made its way over my shoulders. I didn't know whether it was a comfort feature or he felt he could keep me steady better but whatever the reason, I felt safe here. I know Mattie had that gun that night and I should be scared of him but this man was the only thing that was stable in my life. Even if it only spanned from when Caim and I started living with him.

The drive was slow and some people who saw us stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.

I knew this route. We were going to the church and this route meant we had to pass my parent's house. Will they be in? Will they see me in the car? Will they recognise Mattie?

Noticing my breathing rate increased and the handfuls of my dress bunched up in my hands, Mattie patted my shoulder.

"Breathe, Alice."

"But-"

Then the car stopped at a place near my parent's house - at the police station.

I stared between Mattie, who looked really bored (the nerve of some people), and the view outside showed someone was waiting for us. It was Iain Wright. He climbed into the seat next to us. I didn't know what to say but to just stare at him. It was hard for me to phrase the many questions I had.

"Good morning, Miss Darling, Mr Taylor."

"Good morning." Mattie nodded. I couldn't make my mouth form the words. "It's a shame we can't seem to meet on a positive note."

"Yes, a shame." Wright looked at me. "I know I've said this before Miss Darling, but I'm sorry about your loss." I blinked and nodded. After a few minutes the cars headed off again and they did pass my parent's house. All of the houses on our road had small gardens accompanied by a driveway. All of them looked the same with white windows panels, the odd porch on a couple houses - I don't remember anyone having a porch when I lived here - its light coloured bricks and dark panels forming the roof. It reminded me of the simpler days when I would run around the garden and get told off for bringing a toy out or when mum would chase me to put an ugly hat on. I felt content.

We arrived at the church and spent a while there, the priest detailing Caim's life. There was only three of us in the building. Caim had so many friends yet no one bothered to come? My parents weren't even there too! But I tried to put those thoughts to the back of my mind. I'm not sure how Mattie will answer every question I have but at least I have would have an answer to a question that has remained unanswered for a long time.

Afterwards the cars headed up to the graveyard. Flowers were thrown into the hole Caim would be buried. I felt that if I threw my flower, I'd be saying goodbye indefinitely but Wright assured me that they would be alive as long we remember them. It took me by surprise when he said that but then he said in the police force, he had seen a number of his men die and he had the job no one else wanted - to break the news to the family. Although he had seen death, he was still here by my side next to Caim's grave.

"Mr Wright?"

"Iain. Call me Iain."

"Iain, what brought you here?" I paused, "I mean what are you to my brother to be here?"

A silence descended upon us. Maybe he was trying to figure out what to say.

"I've been Caim's friend since I met him when he was younger and since then he's been like the brother I never had. Caim was very supportive when I had my dark days, and to know that there was someone who was there all the time was a relief. I only hope that he thought the same way for me but I suppose I won't ever know."

I shook my head. "He did because you're here now and that there was time to pick you up at the station. I mean look," I gestured at our surroundings. "There are only three of us here."

Iain smiled. "Thank you."

I was not sad anymore and it was encouraged further by the Chinese meal we had where we shared our memories. Chinese was his favourite.

I didn't know what time it was when we left and went our separate ways. Mattie and I said goodbye to Iain who said he would be in contact if anything changes regarding Caim's case. I wanted to say that I walked right back to the hotel but I was so tired Mattie would have dragged me across the floor. Instead he carried me. It was very comforting and I fell into a deep sleep.

A few mornings later we were still staying at the hotel. I had asked Mattie how long we were going to be there but he kept dismissing it as usual. And everyday I kept track of the date of the only thing I could: the start of my uni term.

Iain hadn't gotten back yet. I didn't expect Caim's case to be solved anytime soon although there was a part of me that just wanted the closure sooner rather than later.

As for Mattie he still kept tabs on me, giving me food when I failed to turn up for lunch or dinner. Did he do this with Caim or is he just really concerned about my welfare? But then it caught myself. I'm not sure how many days are needed for that 'I'll-give-you-the-answers-to-all-your-questions' day but I know that Mattie wouldn't use that as an excuse. I'm not sure how I know but I trust him. He just didn't seem to be the type of person who did something like that.

I was in the shower when I felt something behind me. It was Mattie. And damn, he was naked.

Oh my God. Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down...

"Hi." The word came as a whisper. I had to force myself to stop ogling his body.

"Hi." Mattie, stop making my brain turn to mush. It'll fall out and go down the drain the way this might go!

It was when I noticed his eyes which took me by surprise. One, I should have seen it sooner and two, the possible reason he was right in front of me.

How can you forget the shade of deep red gazing down at you?

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I'm scared. I've never seen his eyes like this. What happens when he is like this?

A brush of his fingertips on my cheek stopped me on my track to panicking. "Alice." He stepped forward into the direction of the water. It cascaded down his muscled shoulders, plastering his hair and just generally making him look hotter than before.

And alas, he was dating Caim. That piece of doubt in me spoke. I beat her up because how many times will you have a scene like this?

"I'm not sure on how to say this to you since I'm used to being direct in things I need." Those damn eyes kept me fixed to the spot. My throat was dry and I tried to keep my breathing normal. "But I have tried with you and essentially this will be an experience you will need to know in the future." He paused, "do you know what I am?"

Oh God. He's making me say it! I keep forgetting he's not…

"A vampire." Did I say it? Did my lips mime the words? Regardless Mattie exhaled like he was pretty nervous on what I thought of him were.

"You… want my blood." I coughed. My dry throat had given up on me so I cupped my hands together to gather the pouring water to drink.

"Yes."

Despite the water being warm I shivered.

"It won't be as bad as a you think." He continued. "You need to get used to my fangs first."

What the fuck does that mean?

Ever so slightly he lifted my face.

Wait, wait is this what I think it is?

His lips were on mine.

I think my brain died. I think it went down the drain and is halfway to the ocean.

When Mattie leaned back he had a weird expression then started laughing. "Alice! Are you alright? That wasn't the first time was it?"

Awkward… I did have one boyfriend but it lasted like seven months and we didn't kiss. More like hold hands and tease. I bet some people would say, "How can you have a boyfriend for seven months and not kiss? Did you really love each other?"

"Oh." At least that laugh died down. "Well then…" He shuffled toward me. There was barely any room for me to escape now in this small cubicle. "Maybe I should show you how to kiss?"

Argh. I wiggled my hips ever so slightly. Thank God for the water.

His mouth came down on mine at the same time his arms banded around my waist to hold me upright.

But then his mouth opened and his tongue encouraged mine mine to follow suit.

Is this even real?

Those lips tugged at the corners of mine. "Alice… give me your tongue..."

I moaned inwardly and did what he asked. His tongue guided mine to where his fangs were. At first I thought they might cut me if I even touched them… at least with my fingers, but they were just... longer canines.

Mattie moaned just as I explored his mouth, then moved back to the corner of my mouth again so I could take a breath. I was gasping. I wasn't a stranger to these feelings but with this… it was different.

Leaving a trail of kisses along my neck, he found a place there where I felt something sharp. Those fangs pressed down on my skin lightly then he kissed it and he repeated the process until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Ah!" My head rolled back as the pain shot through my body and my hands gripped his shoulders and hair. It felt like he was constricting my breathing.

Behind me one hand rested on the small of my back keeping me steady, the other trailed lines up and down my spine in time with the mouthfuls of my blood he drank. So slowly…

And I grew tired. What was happening? Should I even feel tired? No, even I with my lack of knowledge, knew I shouldn't so when I couldn't keep my eyes open for much longer, I cried out, "Mattie!"