A/N First I have to say thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you like the journey so far. Secondly, I know most of you are convinced that Jasper won't give into his natural urges but … well you'll see.

Enjoy!

Previously …

Her eyes never left mine. She pulled her long hair out-of-the-way, exposing her throat to me.

"Do it!" She said, tilting her head.

Chapter 3

I was taken aback by the calmness and acceptance in her voice.

But the brief feeling of shock was quickly overwritten by my natural, stronger impulse to sink my teeth into her skin. Right this moment I didn't care if she knew what I was, because in the couple of minutes it would take me to drain her tiny, frail body of its life-force, all of this … the worry, the doubt and the curiosity I felt … all of it wouldn't matter anymore, because by then she would be dead. I would dump her lifeless body somewhere in the desert … or I would just leave it here. I knew from hearing it on the news on TV or reading it in the paper that it wasn't a rare occurrence to find a dead body in a motel room like this one.

I could see in the mirror that she had closed her eyes, waiting for me to act, to comply with her demand. Her demand … Oddly, both her breathing and her heartbeat were only slightly erratic. I didn't sense any real fear, just anticipation, but I could be wrong since her emotions were still a mystery to me. I gently pulled her closer, moving my right arm around her waist, and the left one around her shoulders to grab her chin, tilting her head to the right. She was so warm and soft. The girl was trapped, unable to move, but she didn't seem to mind … at all. She sighed in what sounded almost like relief, and actually leaned into my chest. What an odd reaction on her part?

Without any further delay, I sank my teeth into her neck. It was like cutting butter with a knife … smooth and easy. Nothing new or out of the ordinary, I've done this countless times. As far as I was concerned this was just another nameless victim, serving its sole purpose to quench my thirst.

I kept my eyes fixed on the mirror as I began to drink, moaning at the erotic sight. An outsider might have mistaken us for lovers.

Suddenly I realized that she wasn't like anything I've ever experienced before. She was so much more.

Not only was she the first human ever who offered herself to me freely and willingly, but the taste of her blood was something else altogether. When the first drop of the human girl's blood had passed my lips, I knew she was special in more ways than one. Her blood was rich and delicious, something I hadn't expected after smelling her. Her scent was nice, but the taste of her blood was simply intoxicating, and very exciting. I felt myself getting more aroused than usual.

I couldn't get enough. I wanted to take my time, already mourning the imminent loss of this treasure. I knew I wouldn't be able to prolong this pleasure forever, even if I wanted to.

Then without any warning, I was assaulted by tidal waves of her formerly suppressed emotions. The most prominent ones were sorrow, pain and guilt. The strength of these feelings knocked me literally to the ground, forcing me to take her with me. I withdrew my teeth, throwing my head back, howling in pain.

What the hell? I was breathing hard, although I wasn't in need of any oxygen. Was it just the shock that made me stop drinking, or something else? I wanted to blame her emotions, but deep down I knew that they weren't only the reason. Sure, I've never come across a human whose feelings were as strong, and pure as hers, but she was still just a human.

And just like that, the assault was over. Thank God!

The girl didn't make a sound, simply slumping against my chest. She had lost consciousness, which was probably why I couldn't sense her anymore. But who knew how her ability to block me worked?

Why did you stop? Finish her! The monster in me growled.

Arghhh just shut up! The rational, weaker part of me argued. I was still shaken, and confused. If we stop now, there will be a chance to have another taste at a later time …

Good point! The demon agreed, retreating once again, silenced for the moment.

I leaned back in, carefully, almost tenderly tracing my tongue over my bite mark on her neck. I used only a small amount of my venom to close the wound. I licked away the residual blood, because it was simply too good to let it go to waste.

I sighed, holding the lifeless body in my arms. I was still slightly distraught, not sure about my next steps. To my utter relief, my animalistic cry hadn't alerted any humans to my presence, so for now at least I was safe … and so was she.

But not wanting to risk anything though, I swiftly swept her up into my arms, walking back into the other room. I laid her on the bed, pulling the comforter around her body. Her body temperature had dropped considerably due to the blood loss. She was shivering, but only slightly.

From the looks of it, the sheets and the comforter hadn't seen a thorough cleansing for quite some time. To a human eye they seemed clean, but I knew better. Once again, I was glad that I wasn't in need of sleep. But even if I were, I would have enough money to spend my nights in better accommodations than this one. The room reeked of human sweat, and sex. I doubted that she was responsible for either one of those scents. From what I could tell, she'd spent hardly any time in here at all. And who would like being in here anyway? This room was depressing at best.

So what is she doing here? Looking for an easy way out? She doesn't seem to be the type … but on the other hand it would explain her easy surrender … I mused. But the real question is. Why do I care? She means nothing to me …

I huffed in aggravation, taking a few steps away from the bed. I didn't know why but somehow I felt the need to put some distance between her and me. It was almost like her presence was clouding my judgment. And I needed to think clearly.

It was still easy from where I stood to check her physical condition. Her heartbeat was weak but steady, so was her breathing. Strangely, I felt relieved, almost happy. I quickly pushed those weird feelings aside, before they could corrupt me, anxious to finish my examination.

Why do you care? The little voice in the back of my mind asked again, but I ignored it.

The scar on her neck was barely noticeable to a human eye, since her skin was already very pale to begin with. I reckoned that she would be fine, just sleeping for a day or two to regain her strength, replenishing her stolen life source. I could see to it that nobody would disturb her while she rested. I could pay the charge for the room for the next few days or so, and hang out the do-not-disturb sign. I was pretty sure that no one would suspect anything amiss, because in places like this no one really cared.

But you do! The voice pointed out, taunting me.

I didn't care, did I?

Maybe … but just a little. I allowed, reluctantly though. As a vampire, I never really had cause to embrace such a … human … emotion. I wasn't used to take responsibility for anyone but myself. But here I was, worrying about a strange, human girl's wellbeing, only shortly after …. I shook my head. I might be able to admit that much, but I refused to believe it was more than simple concern. And why would it be anything more? I didn't know her. She meant nothing to me.

I groaned again, slumping into the chair next to the window. The curtains were drawn shut. Nobody would be able to see me. I sat motionless, watching the human girl sleep, while I was making up my mind what to do next.

I was torn.

I had two … no actually three choices.

One – I could just leave the room. Now that I'd made sure that the girl was okayish, it would be the perfect time for me to leave … the room and the girl. I could wait for my car being fixed somewhere else, outside or in the diner … anywhere else but here, avoiding the temptation that was her, and her blood. By this time tomorrow, I would be miles away, leaving the memory of her extraordinary taste behind. Sure I would never be able to forget it, or her, but at least she would be alive. I didn't owe her that, far from it, since she had been the one asking me. But it would ease my mind. And on top of that, allowing her to live implied the slight chance of running into her once more.

Two – I could stay and wait for her to wake up, making her answer all of my questions. And there were many. How did she know what I was? Why did she want me to kill her? Or did she want me to turn her? What was she doing here, in the middle of nowhere? What was her name? How did she manage to block my gift?

The third option wasn't really an option for me to consider. Of course, I could still finish the job. I could simply kill her, and thereby erase all of my qualms, and the danger her knowledge about me and my kind entailed. Two birds, one stone …

But I couldn't do it, more importantly I didn't want to. I enjoyed the taste of her blood too much, and secretly I was hoping for another taste at some point, which meant killing her was out of the question. At least for now.

So that left only option one and two. Leaving or staying? A tough choice to make.

A/N Well? What do you think Jasper will decide?