Flows Like Wine

title comes from the Rasputina song "Transylvanian Concubine"

Thirteen weeks and six days after the first time that Drake bit her, Mindy almost tries to take her life back. It stars with a rage, brought on by possessiveness, jealousy, and hunger. Drake is out on a date at The Premiere. He's pouring on his usual charm from his mortal days when he spots Mindy with a small group consisting of her cousin, another guy, and another girl. Drake thinks nothing of it until he watches the group approaching the snack bar and they line up in pairs, like they're couples. Chad places his arm around his date's shoulder as they walk toward the auditorium; Mindy's date gives her a brief nod and gestures for her to walk ahead of him. Mindy blushes slightly and Drake is about to get up, fly across the lobby, and yank her into a dark corner to find out just what the hell it is she thinks that she's doing.

Drake's own date says his name a few times until she's able to draw his attention back to her. He pretends that he cares and is still interested but his mind is filled with thoughts of ripping the throat out of Mindy's date while she watches. He nods and smiles as his date talks about something. If he drops her off early, then he can follow Mindy and her date. He can creep up behind the boy when they're standing on the front stoop of her house. The boy will lean in for a kiss, Mindy's eyes will close, and then Drake will go in for the attack before the boy's lips touch Mindy's. Curious and letdown, she'll open her eyes, and she'll be paralyzed with fear and intrigue as Drake drains the life out of her date, and Drake will hold her gaze even as he lets the lifeless corpse fall to the ground. He will remind her that she belongs to him in doing so he will become a killer, losing his last shred of humanity.

Drake's plan goes awry quickly when his date kisses him after they get in his car and suggests that they find a nice spot to stargaze and maybe chat in the backseat. It's going fine until an image flashes in his mind of Mindy in the backseat of a car, disheveled clothes and hair, with her date. He growls and tears himself away from his date, declaring that he's taking her home. The girl has trouble masking her disappointment but he leaves no room for argument. By the time he gets to Mindy's house, she's already home and in her room, getting ready for bed.

They are on a schedule in which he feeds from her every other day and he just had her for lunch yesterday. She gasps when she turns around after pulling on her nightgown and sees him standing in front of her window, glaring at her.

She grabs for her robe. "What are you doing here?"

"Who was that guy you were with?"

Mindy stops, her robe hanging open, and swallows. She turns away. "That is none of your business."

"Yes it is. You never told me you had a date."

She turns ninety degrees, eyebrow raised. "I don't care about your love life so I don't see why you would be concerned about mine."

He growls.

She's getting nervous. "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm hungry."

"Check the bus depot."

Drake takes a step closer to her. "I want you."

"Tomorrow."

"Now."

"Sorry, I'm not on the menu tonight. We have an agreement." Mindy moves towards the head of her bed, grateful that she's moved the stake to under her pillow as a precautionary measure.

He takes another step and she tries to sidestep but in a blur of movement the back of her legs catch the edge of her bed, and she finds herself sitting down with Drake next to her. He bares his fangs and goes straight for her neck as her hand slides across the comforter, under the pillow, and wraps around the stake, dragging it closer to her body as the daze and euphoria set in. Oh. If it didn't feel so good…. If it wasn't so wrong….

The time he spends actively feeding seems to drag on and what little of her wits that she has about her sounds an alarm that something is wrong. There are dark spots clouding her vision when she opens her eyes. He doesn't drink this much from her. She hasn't felt as weak as this since their first encounter and it takes a little effort for her to bring her free hand up and place it against Drake's chest in a feeble attempt to push him away. Mindy presses her hand to his chest over his heart—his heart. She struggles to remain conscious and is revived by the shock of feeling the slow beating of his heart beneath her hand.

His heart is still beating, barely, but it is beating. How is that possible? How can he still be alive?

Drake lifts his head from the crook of Mindy's neck, panting, and he lets go of her, letting her upper body fall backward onto the bed.

She's lost so much blood, she has no energy, and she's trying so hard to not fall into darkness. Her fingers loosen around the stake. She slowly blinks her eyes as Drake's face goes in and out of focus. She's pretty sure she imagines him briefly looking concerned.

He leans over her to lick at the bite wound, letting one of his hands travel down her shoulder over her arm, closing around her hand holding the stake.

"Not yet," Drake whispers in her ear before pressing his bloody lips to hers.

She wonders if this will ever end and she lets go, slipping into the abyss as images of her and Drake, stained with blood, dance before her eyes.