Chapter 3

When the knock sounded on the door of his apartment, Peter had been standing by the window looking out at the night sky and thinking on the night, and the creatures that lived within it – mainly vampires – one vampire in particular. He had just walked away from a mirror in the front room where he had looked at his ageing reflection by the soft lamplight that lit the room, and then he had turned away sadly, guessing that he was probably too old to be thinking about romance, especially with Elissa – even though, as she was a vampire, she was hundreds of years old, but she did not look a day over twenty five and would always be youthful.

And he was just a mortal...

Those were the thoughts on his mind as he stood at the window looking out into the night when he heard the knock on the door.

He had not been expecting visitors that evening, and he went quickly to the door, his heart racing as he half hoped it was her but also hoped that it wasn't.

When he opened the door and saw her standing there, surprise reflected in his gaze as she stood there looking beautiful, her dark hair falling to her shoulders and her silken dress clinging to her curves. And this time she was alone, too. He wanted to speak but instead he just stood there looking at her, unable to forget the way she had rapidly transformed from a beautiful woman into a vampire...

And as she looked back at him, she felt awkward.

"Peter," she said, "I would have told you everything, I had no intention for you to find out the way you did. I didn't come here to make trouble or to frighten you. I only came here to make you aware of the nature of my people because his majesty asked me to."
"His majesty?" Peter asked her, making no attempt to invite her in.

"The vampire king Mr Jet Marlowe, he is anxious that those known to be vampire killers understand the difference between those who choose to harm humans and those who do not harm them at all."

"Well you did make me aware of that and I also read your letter, Elissa. Your name is Dandrige, that was a shock – but I understand why you changed it and why you disowned your family the way you did. But at the end of the day, I'm the man who destroyed Regine. There must be a part of you that dislikes me for doing that."

She shook her head.

"I had not spoken to my other for centuries! She disgusted me, Peter! That was why I joined The Banished. I am a peaceful soul, I want nothing more than for the evil ones to be removed from society, and for my kind to eventually become accepted."

His dark eyes widened in surprise.

"I don't think that can ever happen, Elissa. Your kind will always be hunted down, even though you are peaceful. There are many out there who would fear you simply because you are vampire."

As she looked back at him, pain reflected in her eyes.

"Do you fear me? I do not think I could bear it if you said that you did."

And suddenly her honest remark had sent the barrier between them tumbling down.

"Oh no, I don't fear you! I could never fear you, Elissa, not now!"

And he stepped back and invited her inside.

As she crossed the threshold it occurred to him that he had just willingly invited a vampire into his home, but he didn't care, because it was Elissa, and his heart was aching for her, his arms ached to hold her all over again and now he knew it – yes, the vampire killer was falling in love with the vampire...

"Wait here," Peter said as he closed the door behind her, and then she stood there in the hallway and waited as he paused to firmly close the door to the front room.

"I would hate to have a repeat of what happened last time," he told her, "Please, come with me."

And he led her down the hallway and into a study area – in this room, the walls were full of old movie posters but there were no vampire killing tools in sight. She glanced to the book cases, they were filled with a mix of titles and some were on the subject of vampires – both in movies and in legend, but then as he took a seat on a sofa by an open window he invited her to sit too, and she did, keeping a space between them as she looked into his eyes.

"Are you comfortable in here?" he asked as he snapped on a lamp that stood on a nearby table, and the room brightened up a little more, making up for the dim glow of the bulb covered by a dark shade that hung from the ceiling.

She looked around and then noticed the velvet drapes at the window and how the floor in this room was polished wood covered by an antique rug, and she smiled.

"I like your apartment. It is dark and has a very old feel about it. Almost as if it could be the home of a vampire."

And she laughed softly and he laughed too, nervously.

"I'm definitely not a vampire!"

Her smile faded.

"No, you are a vampire killer but I can overlook that because you never harmed a member of my family – by my family, I mean The Banished. And I really need to get something out of the way – you insulted my daughter!"

"I didn't mean to," Peter assured her, "I saw vampires in my apartment and I...I suppose I panicked. Of course she's not the spawn of Satan, she's a lovely child!"

The annoyance that had briefly flashed in her eyes faded.

"And like Jet Marlowe said to me, I should have left my child at home."

He looked at her with interest.

"You're good friends with this vampire king?"

As she met his gaze her face flushed.

"Mr Marlowe is a very friendly guy. By that I mean he loves to love his people – literally. The men and the women. I fell pregnant by him after an orgy at his mansion."

She saw the look of surprise on Peter's face and laughed.

"It's an old familiar situation to many a pretty vampire who gets invited to one of his parties," she added, "And it is an honour to have a child fathered by such a man. He set me up with a house and an income and he stops by when he can to see Opal. I have great admiration for him, for the way he set up the Banished clan – we are every where now, Peter. There are so many of us, and those not born of vampiric union, sometimes choose to join us."

He tensed a little as he heard her say that.

"Join you?"

"Some people want to join us, for various reasons – usually because they have met a vampire partner and want to be with them always. Of course there are strict laws regarding such practises."

"Laws?" Peter wondered.

She settled back comfortably on the sofa as her gaze locked with his.

"Of course. We have many laws – that's what separates us from the evil ones who care not for humanity. We have a strict code of behaviour."

"And what does this code involve?" he asked her.

She answered right away.

"No vampire must bite a human unless the human has been approved by his majesty to join us, the most common reason would be to marry a vampire partner and go on to raise a vampire family. That is the most used reason permission is given for the bite to be used on a mortal."

Peter thought for a moment.

"What if a mortal wanted to be with a vampire and stay mortal? Live with a vampire, have a family with a vampire?"

"No," she said quietly, and she looked down at the floor as she avoided his gaze, "That would not work. It is extremely discouraged."

"Why?"

She slowly met his gaze, and one look in his dark eyes made her want to shift closer and kiss him to shut him up, but she knew he would still ask that same question again when the kiss had ended, so instead she told him the truth.

"There are many reason why mortals and vampires can not be together Firstly the vampire tendency – the urge of old that dwells within us – will rise like an animal during times of extreme emotion, such as lovemaking. It has been known for vampires to bite their lovers or even kill them during lovemaking. Although that is an extreme example, my people have been taught for centuries to hold back the animal within. And the other reason is the breeding complication – mortals and vampires are not meant to cross breed."

Confusion clouded his eyes.

"Cross breed? What does that mean? I see no reason why there couldn't be a half vampire -"

She laughed as she shook her head.

"Oh Peter, you've spent so long learning about the enemy and ways to kill it, you know nothing about how their babies come about!"

And then her smile faded as sadness reflected in her eyes."From the moment a child is conceived between a mortal and a vampire, the child is in a constant battle as the human and vampiric sides fight to take over the growing baby. If the mortal side wins the child will be born half vampire, with the mortal inherited blood slowly killing the vampire. There are cures for the condition, there are ways to eliminate the human trace from a new born but these cures are hard to come by. And there is terrible risk to the mother – breeding with a mortal can cause a vampire mother to die after childbirth."

"I had no idea these things could happen," Peter said to her.

"Now you know," she replied, "Its not just stakes and sunlight – there's more than one way to kill a vampire."

As she fell silent he said nothing for a moment, reflecting on all she had explained. But as he looked into her eyes again, he ached with the need to be closer to her, he wanted to hold her, to kiss her – but first, he had to ask a question.

"If I moved closer to you and put my arms around you, what's the chance that you might bite me?" he said nervously.

And she shifted closer, right next to him, and her cool hand touched his cheek tenderly.

"There is no chance of that happening, I would never hurt you," she promised him, "I have too high a regard for your fragile mortality, and I am so very fond of you."

Peter's eyes shone dark as he felt stirrings of arousal that refused to be held back any longer.

"That's all I needed to know," he said softly, and he drew her into his arms and kissed her.

What happened next was something he had hoped for, had longed for, and had dreaded at the same time. He had taken her by the hand and led her though to the bedroom, and once inside he had closed the door and led her over to the bed, and then they were on that bed together, with the lights out, as he slid his hands over her dress and kissed her. As she began to pull at the buttons on his shirt he tugged at her zip and impatiently pulled down her dress, and finding that she was naked beneath it and seeing her lying there on his bed, her bare flesh exposed by moonlight, was almost too much to take.

"I know you want me," she whispered as he stood up again and quickly unbuckled his belt and took off the rest of his clothes, "I can feel your desire rushing through your blood, I can hear the pounding of your heart."

He got in bed quickly and pulled the sheets up to their shoulders.

"You're talking like a vampire. Please don't bite me!"

And then she kissed him on the side of his neck, and laughed as he gave a gasp.

"I'm sorry," she said as she giggled, "But fear...that is also a huge turn on for me!" I can't help it, Peter, I sense it in your blood!"

"Can we just forget about my blood?"

"Of course."

She was slowly kissing down his body now, very gentle, human kisses and he closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath as she reached his groin but then he threw back the covers and she looked up at him as she placed her hands on his hips and gently stroked them.

"Please keep your fangs out of the way...be careful down there..." he said nervously.

"Peter."

He raised his head and looked down at her.

"Stop worrying!" she said sweetly, and she kissed his thigh and in the moonlight he saw long razor sharp teeth, and the sight of them made him freeze.

"Put the fangs away!"

"I won't hurt you at all," she whispered, and then he gave another gasp as she kissed him, and the kiss was intimate. Peter reached down and slid his hand over the back of her hair and said her name quietly. She looked up at him again.

"What's wrong?"

"It's been a while since I've had a relationship," he said nervously, "I haven't done this for a while... I'm not sure I can do this."

And as her gaze shifted down to his erection he could almost feel it like a physical touch as he held back and kept control as he ached for her.

"I don't see a problem, Peter," she said softly.

And as he looked at her he spoke again, but he was no longer looking into her eyes, instead his gaze had shifted to the pointed fangs that shone bone white in the moonlight.

"I do," he whispered, "I see a problem here. I'm sorry, I can't do this, not with you."

And he gently pushed her away and got out of bed and put on a dressing gown, wrapping it about his body and then pausing to tie it.

"I'm sorry Elissa," he said again, "I'm probably crazy to send you away," And he looked at her with eyes glazed with tears, "I can't. I just can't make love with you."

She got out of bed too and stood there, naked in the moonlight and he was thankful he had tied that dressing gown up because he was so hard one touch from her would have made him explode... if not for the fangs, if not for those sharp teeth that had become visible as soon as she became aroused...

"You don't want me because I'm a vampire."

There was hurt in her eyes and in her voice, and he wanted to cry out of frustration and anger at his own inability to get over the sight of those sharp teeth, but as much as he wanted her, he could not reach for her.

"I'm sorry."

As he stood there watching her reach for her clothing he swore he could feel her hurt at his rejection, and it was enough to make him think twice.

"Wait."

She stood there with her dress in her hand, turning her head in the moonlight as her dark hair shone like silk.

"What for?" she said.

He drew in a deep breath, considered all he would lose if she left now at this moment, and then he reached for her hand.

"I do want you," he said softly, "I do, but...not like that, not the first time. Sit own on the bed and lie back."

Her dress fell from her grip and landed on the carpet, and as she obeyed him and lay down on the bed, her body bathed in moonlight as she looked up at him, he suddenly felt safer – maybe it was the distance he had put between himself and those teeth – but he knew he felt confident now.

As he untied his dressing gown and then took it off, her gaze shifted to his erection and she gave a moan of longing as he got on to the bed and her legs parted. He leaned over her, his gaze dark with desire and still carrying a measure of fear.

"Kiss me once," he whispered, "Then no more – not until afterwards. Keep your teeth away from my flesh."

She nodded, then she caught her breath as she felt him enter her body slowly, gently, and as she gave another moan he slid deeper into her, and he remembered how he had always been proud of the fact that his lovers had all appreciated the fact that he was well built where it mattered – not that he had ever bragged about it, and that was something time could not change, although as he thrust harder and she cried out and he gently closed his hands around her wrists and held her down and thrust again, sending a shudder through her body, the thought occurred to him that tomorrow, he would most likely be filming Fright Night with a bad back, because it was already starting to ache, but he didn't care any more as he closed his eyes and made love to Elissa, losing himself in moment he wished would last for eternity as he took her hard, and the vampire woman who could have easily fought him off allowed him to pin her down by her wrists as his movements became rough and impatient.

By the time he had lost all control and come hard and fast, the last thrust sent a bolt of pain shooting through his lower back, but he didn't care. As the last throb of pleasure left his body and he slid exhausted into her arms, he was breathing heavily as a trickle of sweat ran down his face. She felt warm now, although her body was cooler than his, and as night breeze blew through the window she shivered, and he reached for the sheet and drew it up around them. As their eyes met he saw her fangs had disappeared now, and he kissed her deeply, then kissed her again, and as he looked into her eyes he knew he was falling in love.

"You feel it too," she whispered, "You do, you love me as I love you."

"I can't hide anything from you," he replied, "You feel it all."

Then she smiled.

"That has to be a good thing, us vampires are very sensitive to emotion. It will make us closer."

He smiled too.

"I never thought I'd find someone at my age – and a vampire was the last thing I was expecting!"

Then he turned over on his back and pain briefly registered on his face.

"I'll be hosting the show with a bad back tomorrow night!"

"Can I help you with that?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"I'm just an ageing mortal, Elissa. But loving you is worth some discomfort!" then Peter laughed, "That was the best I've ever had! Its worth a back ache, what we just did was so good, I'm expecting the neighbours to either come outside for a cigarette, or to break into a round of applause!"

And she laughed too. Then she turned on her side and ran her hand across his chest, touching him gently as she looked into his eyes.

"Do you see it now? There is nothing to be afraid of, I won't hurt you."

"Of course I see it!" he replied, "But I'm still unsure about letting you..." and he pointed downwards, "You know, go down there."

Amusement danced in her eyes.

"Peter, I can take you in my mouth without scraping you with my teeth!"

"I know that, but ...it's just a fear I've got, okay?"

She was still looking amused, and then he smiled too.

"Let's just leave that for now, I just want to hold you."

But as he put his arm around her, she spoke up again.

"You know I have to leave before daybreak."

He frowned, remembering what sunlight could do to a vampire.

"I certainly don't want to burn you to death!" he exclaimed.

"At least I'd go happy if I was in your arms," she teased, "But unfortunately I have to leave before sunrise. Maybe you could stay over at my place tomorrow night. You could stay all night and all day, too – we have blacked out windows, sun proof."

As he looked at her he gave a sigh.

"As much as I would love to spend all that time with you my dear, I do not relish the thought of two of us cramped up together in an earth filled coffin."

She smiled again.

"I sleep in a bed. Beneath the mattress is a container, concealed and full of earth. Not all vampires sleep in coffins, you know!"

He looked at her in surprise.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Yes, really! And I also drink wine and I eat some foods – these days mainly herbs used for flavourings with the blood that I drink – not all vampires live like my mother and her brother did."

Peter looked at her intently.

"Where do you get the blood from? I mean, you must need a lot of it to survive. How can you get that much of the stuff without biting anyone?"

"Mr Jet Marlowe is the owner of one of the biggest blood bank companies in the country - more than seventy percent of the human blood donated goes to the vampire population."

Peter thought about what she had just said.

"So all that blood feeds the Banished ones?"

"Yes," she replied, "We get to feed and no one gets hurt."

Then she kissed him again.

"So, tomorrow night, I'll meet you and we can go back to my place, yes?"

"Yes, I'd love to do that," he replied, and then as he embraced her while the moon shone full and silver, the thought occurred to him that come Saturday morning he would not be home when Charley called – and later when he returned he didn't doubt that he would call again, probably worried and asking if he was okay.

But he knew he could not tell him the truth.

He felt guilty when he thought of his close friend, and of all they had been through together – but this was a situation where he had no choice, even though he hated the idea of it:

He would have to lie to Charley, and keep on lying because this was something he was sure he would never understand, he would never be able to accept the fact that he had chosen a vampire as his lover, not after all the battles they fought side by side to destroy Elissa's kind ...