Chapter 3

I spent my time alone attempting to get used to my new body. Everything took so much less effort than it had before. If I was ever going to pass as a human again, I would have to learn how to control my own strength. The first thing was walking. I practiced taking what felt like painfully slow and small steps across the hideout (not an easy task considering the small proportions of the room) until I could hear his light footfalls headed my way. With the sound came an unbelievable scent unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Without thinking, I ran as fast as I could up the stone steps to the wood door at the top of the entrance, and raced out into the sunlight.

There he was, his skin more dazzling than I had ever seen it, but I couldn't focus on anything except for the woman. She was a cute little thing, her short blonde hair framing her almond-shaped eyes and turned-up nose. She stood slightly behind him with dull eyes and limp posture. That was about all I managed to observe before I had leapt at her and torn out her throat. I drank deeply from the pool of blood that collected in the hollow below her chin. The taste of it danced on my tongue, filled my entire body with a feeling of power. When I had had my fill I stood, looked back at him over my shoulder, and began to run.

I laughed as the wind whipped past my face. I ran through trees, across highways, I leapt over streams and rivers. There was too much energy in me; I didn't know what to do with it all. I ran through towns, through fields, and along a coastline. Just when I began to wonder if I would ever get tired, a sudden flame rose up in my throat. I froze. I needed to feed. NOW. I could smell blood, delicious, warm, life-giving blood, to the north of me. I turned that direction and ran until I came upon a small beach cottage. There were two young children playing in the tide pools nearby, and I caught the scent of more people coming from the inside of the cottage. But the kids were closer, they would be easier. Two little boys, maybe five and eight. Black hair, dark skin and big brown eyes that widened at the treasures they discovered in the pools of water caught in the rocky crevices.

The older one saw me first. His eyes widened to the size of teacups, then he grinned ear-to-ear and waved largely over his head. The younger one looked up with no expression; he merely stared at me. The elder began to run toward me, stumbling and tripping over the uneven ground. I stepped toward him, my arms open and inviting. He came straight into my embrace, throwing his arms around my neck an instant before I constricted my arms and crushed his spine. Blood dripped out of his slackened mouth and I lapped it up, savoring the explosion of power and life in my mouth. Then I buried my teeth in his little neck and drank deeply. He ran dry all too soon and my throat still burned. I stood, not bothering to wipe the sticky red liquid from my mouth and chin as I stared at the younger boy. He stared back. His face remained stoic, unfazed. I cocked my head, puzzled as to why he hadn't started screaming for his parents. I didn't have long to consider it though before my insistent thirst urged me forward, toward relief. I stepped quickly to where the child sat, his expressionless eyes gazing up at me. No, through me. It was as if he was blind, but there was no telltale film over his eyes. His demeanor perplexed me, so I held my desire back for a little while.

"Why are you not afraid?" I whispered.

The child didn't respond, merely continued to pierce me with those deep brown eyes. I knelt down in front of him. "Tell me your name."

He finally blinked, the only movement he'd made since I'd first seen him. "Manuel."

His voice was clear and he spoke without any sign of a speech impediment typical of a child his age. "And tell me, Manuel," I continued to speak softly, "why it is that you haven't called for your parents?"

He was silent for a long while. My throat ached for relief and I licked my lips when I noticed his neck pulsing with fresh blood…

"Because you're not going to kill me."

I started, completely taken aback. "And would you tell me why not?" This boy was interesting, for sure. His eyes suddenly cleared and he was looking straight into my eyes. I felt like I was falling into those dark brown pools…

Little pools of water with tiny creatures trapped inside them…

Pools of blood at a woman's throat…

"Because you don't want to kill him. You don't want to behave recklessly and cause the leaders of our world to exterminate you. You don't need to kill him now. You aren't even thirsty."

I fell even deeper into those words, into that familiar voice, and I didn't even try to struggle against it. I didn't want to. He was right. Everything he said was right. The burning, aching thirst was gone. I didn't need to kill the little boy, and I didn't want to.

I fell and fell until I hit the bottom, and jolted awake. I was lying on a forest floor, with him standing over me. "Lorrie, my darling, are you alright? I- I'm so sorry I had to project and then control you like that, but I had no choice. I won't lose you to anyone, and I didn't know how else to stop you."

I hardly heard a word he said, because all I could focus on was that the intense thirst had returned. Without thinking, I lunged for his throat. "How dare you!" I hissed.

He rolled just out of my reach, and I slid a bit on the leaf-covered ground. I crouched down then leapt again, this time aiming lower, attempting to knock him off balance. Again, he was just out of my reach. He had interfered with my hunting. With my prey. I let out a sound which could only be described as a roar and swiped at his head, intending to take it right off his shoulders.

"Lorrie! Lorrie, darling, think about what you're doing!" he nearly screamed at me, both hands held up in a defensive stance. I froze. What was I doing? Oh, God. I was a monster. I was attacking the one person I never wanted to see get hurt. I stood there, absolutely mortified at the beast I had become. "I- I'm…" I broke off, knowing that no apology could rectify what I'd just done. I fell to my knees.

He was there in an instant, his arms around me, and I tensed, waiting for him to do to me exactly what I had been about to do to him. I couldn't be trusted, it would be better if he just destroyed me now. He tilted my chin upward and looked into my eyes. This was it. My life snuffed out as soon as it had truly started.

Then his lips were on mine, fierce and insistent. He kissed me like he'd never kissed me before, and I found that I could kiss him in ways I'd never kissed him before. When I put my arms around him and pulled him closer, his body yielded to my touch instead of staying as unmoving as a stone pillar. He was much warmer than a stone pillar too. I opened my mouth to him and let his tongue sweep along the ridge of my teeth. I pressed against him with my hips, and he groaned into my mouth, making my stomach tighten and my hips roll forward almost of their own accord.

I caught his soft, full lower lip between my teeth and let out a moan myself, he tasted so damn good. I pushed against him until he was lying on the ground and I was straddling his hips. I smiled, looking down at him. I couldn't believe I'd been missing this for so long… I leaned forward to capture his lips in mine again, and my hips rocked forward. My eyes widened as I felt a large pressure in between my legs. That was enjoyable. I looked down at him; it seemed he had liked that too. I tried it again, and I didn't even try to hold back the sound of pure pleasure escaping from my mouth. I rocked back and forth on top of him, feeling the pressure between my legs building, intensifying, I was so close to that rush, so close to the release…

Suddenly I was flying, and not in the way I'd wanted to be. I was literally airborne, being flung backwards through the trees. I landed on my feet and tried to figure out what had just happened. Then I heard him scream.