Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I just want to say I'm thankful for all of my wonderful readers! Thank you for your support and continued readership. You have no idea how much it means to an author.
Eva awoke feeling as if she had been asleep for days. In reality she had been asleep for only half a day. Her body ached from head to toe while a tortuous pounding filled her head. She wondered if she was paralyzed since she could not move at all. Listening to the sounds around her because her eyes would not cooperate with her brain's wish for them to open, she could not even give a guess as to her location. The low hum of quiet was occasionally interrupted by the lilting song of a bird. She could hear the rustle of leaves as the gentle wind blew through them. Nature's song filled her ears while the warm breeze caressed her skin. Her body did not feel cold like it did when she was alone before. A comforting heat, most likely from the sun, was seeping into her body to warm her while imparting a pleasant sensation of floating. Her fingers twitched before grasping the sheet beneath her. The cotton was extravagant and silky like the expensive Egyptian sheets she had treated herself to buying just once. Giving movement another try, she eventually rolled over onto her side while dragging the cloud like pillow from under her head. She hugged the fluffy feather pillow to her body. Wallowing in the magnificent bounciness of the bed supporting her, she sighed with contentment. The next sense to awaken was her sense of smell. The scent of fresh-cut grass and newly bloomed roses wafted across her face with the breeze. These were usually pleasant scents, but now they were very close to being sickening in their sheer intensity. She wrinkled her nose in silent objection to the overpowering smells. Then another odor joined the mix. The smell of meat: cooked meat, grilled specifically. The smoky aroma intermingled with the stench of charred blood and nauseated her. But there was an underlying scent that made her stomach growl. The smell was sharp, yet pleasing, with a decidedly metallic edge. There was raw, unsullied blood as well. A rare steak. Her stomach growled again, more ferociously this time, while twisting into excruciating knots of hunger. Opening her eyes, she glanced around at her surroundings without moving her head. She was lying on a humongous king sized poster bed. The posts seemed to reach all the way to the ceiling. Yards of black cloth swathed her body and the mattress like a sea of ebony water. Delicate, gossamer curtains surrounded the bed giving the world a hazy golden glow, softening reality enough to make her doubt she was awake. Then the pain seized her body again in its iron-hard grasp. Her belly tightened and released steadily with stabbing, searing jolts of pain that made her feel as if something were eating her on the inside.
"So hungry," she moaned, closing her eyes as she rolled into a tight ball of misery. Opening her eyes again, she gazed through the filmy curtain to see what lay beyond it. The walls were plain, unadorned, and made of stone. She wondered if she were in a castle of some sort. Locked in the tallest tower perhaps? If she were not in such dire agony, she would have laughed. She was not princess and this was NOT a fairytale.
It was indeed not a castle but the extremely primitive living quarters that housed a few old priests and half a dozen stubborn nuns who remained to care for the abandoned church and its grounds. No one came here to worship anymore but the people of the cloth stayed regardless. Father Anderson had purposely chosen this place as their refuge, their sanctuary from the world and the Hellsing Organization, until he could take her some place further away. There had been no need to explain her presence to the keepers of the church since he was a Paladin of the Catholic Church. He answered to very few people and only those above him in the holy hierarchy. An advocate for God and personal defender of the church against such demonic plagues as vampires, Father Alexander Anderson was known by many names and was, for all basic intents and purposes, famous (or perhaps infamous) among the religious elite.
Eva gathered her paltry strength, pushing herself up to a sitting position on weak arms that shook with the effort to move her uncooperative body. Scooting across the bed to pull back the curtain, she slowly lowered her feet to the floor. There were rough, uneven stones that were cold beneath her feet. Keeping the sheet around her body held together under her chin, she gave the room another careful once over to get her bearings. Across the room, an ornate stained glass window depicting an angel with his wings spread wide colored the floor in tints of the rainbow with the light of the sun that shone through the multicolored panes. A plain, four paned window near the bed had been left open to allow the temperate wind inside. On the opposite side of the room in the corner, a round wooden table with two chairs, along with the man sitting in one of those chairs, dominated that area. She had thought the massive blond priest who had stolen her from the jaws of death had been a figment of her imagination, nothing more than a hero in a dream. His black leather booted feet were propped on the table next to the handcrafted metal plate that was empty. His lengthy legs clad in black dress slacks seemed to go on forever until her eyes finally reached his waist. Her face became heated with embarrassment and excitement as they continued to move up his body, taking in the unexpected sight of his tanned abdomen that really did look like a washboard due to the stacked, rigid muscles. His arms that were folded over his chest were thick and brawny with prominent veins just under his skin. If she had known priests looked like that under their dreary black attire, she might have been more interested in attending church. His pectoral muscles, framed by his arms for viewing like a picture, were defined, smooth, and hairless. A large silver cross hung from a chain around his neck and lay over his heart. After giving his ruggedly handsome face a careful examination, paying particular attention to the scar on his cheek, she noted that he was not wearing his glasses. They were neatly folded and laying on the table. He was an extremely imposing, obviously powerful man who would be terrifying if he were not asleep. She would be frightened and attempting to escape at the moment if he had not treated her so kindly. Since she was not afraid of him, she decided to get a closer look at the man who held the promise of a whole new life for her. Swallowing the sadness and tears, she realized that she could never, ever, return to her old life. She had really liked her life. Alucard had stolen more from her than he could ever repay. Anger flared within her, giving her that extra nudge she needed to get out of the bed. Cautiously pressing the soles of her feet firmly to the floor, she pushed herself to a standing position. She swayed uncertainly on her weak legs then found her center of gravity. Seeing the plain white cotton gown lying at the foot of the bed, she gave the sleeping man a tentative glance before dropping the sheet to retrieve the garment and put it on. As she walked to him, her steps were soundless due to her bare feet and dainty steps. Being a librarian, she had learned to do all things quietly, even walking. She had been teased often by her coworkers because she had a knack for scaring the bejesus out of people by accidentally sneaking up them. They had jokingly dubbed her the Assassin Librarian. Now that she had someone in mind specifically that she wanted to kill, she might live up to that nickname.
Eva kept a wary eye on the man who was still a stranger as she neared the table. She glanced at the plate that was free from the remnants of food except for a pool of blood that had dried onto it. Her mouth watered as the scent of blood, salty and tantalizing, filled her nose. Covering her nose with the back of her hand, her eyes filled with tears as she stifled the impulse to vomit. Despite needing the blood, the very concept of drinking it made her sick. She leaned forward to get closer to the sleeping priest, inhaling the man's scent to extinguish the smell of the blood. He smelled clean; the scent of soap and well water, not the chlorinated city water she was used to, lingered on his body mixing with the smell of the laundry detergent from his clean clothes. There was another scent lurking in the air that she could not quite pin down. It was more of a feeling, a sensing of something, than an actual smell. Whatever it was, the magnetic force seemed like it was reeling her in, making her want to touch this man and be close to him.
"Father," she called, extending her shaking fingers toward him. Her eyes centered on the stubble that coated his square jaw. The hair was a darker blond than his hair and thicker in texture but did not appear to be coarse like most facial hair. Indulging her curiosity, she touched the hair on his chin that was velvety and smooth under her fingertips. "Oh," she gasped, sliding her hand around his face to cup his jaw. She jerked her hand away in surprise and embarrassment when his eyes fluttered open and quickly focused on her face.
"Oh, you're awake," he murmured, removing his feet from the table and unhinging his arms from across his chest. After a stretch, spreading his lengthy limbs elegantly with a not so elegant grunt, he picked up the golden goblet from the table to empty it by drinking the contents.
The cloyingly sugary but acidic aroma of the wine slammed into her sensitive nose like a fist. Eva flinched, turning her head in disgust before backing away from him. Her eyes watered as she watched him pour another glass of wine from the unassuming brown bottle. The liquid itself was rustic, a brownish purple color, and cloudy. Apparently this was a vintage made here at the church itself due its rough, unrefined texture. She swallowed audibly, fighting the nausea that welled inside of her body that felt beyond empty.
"Bear with me, my child," Father Anderson requested, taking a healthy swallow of the wine. "I know you need sustenance. I will provide that for you."
"What...what do I need to eat?" she asked, sliding her hands along the soft gown to press them to her belly that had never felt so painfully empty. She studied him intensely as he reached for his glasses to put them on. She knew what she needed to satisfy this horrible hunger eating her up on the inside. And it scared the hell out of her. How did he plan on giving her what she needed?
"What do you want? What do you crave?" he questioned her, watching her face as her eyes drifted over his bare upper body. Her inquisitive perusal did not make him uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, he found it slightly amusing because she seemed so innocent yet she was staring at him like he was something to eat. Emptying the metal cup of its contents, he set it down on the table. He allowed his upper lip to slide back to show his prominent canine teeth. They weren't exactly fangs like Alucard's but they were definitely longer than a normal human being's incisors. He heard her inhale loudly before he saw her cover her mouth with her hands. Catching her gaze, looking deeply into her eyes that appeared to be a bright gold color, he demanded pointedly, "What are you lusting for?"
Eva dropped her hands, backing away from him further. Her head grew hot, and she pondered the possibility of it detaching from her shoulders to float away into the ozone. Shame inundated her, but it did nothing to detract from her hunger. A loud buzzing like a million bees filled her ears. The droning hum seemed to form a cadence; a rhythm that matched the beating of her heart. Once again, she was listening to the sound of the blood pulsing through his veins. Despite the distance she was standing from him, her nose was still inundated with the spicy scent of him that was like a mixture of pine, cloves, and cinnamon. So hungry...must eat. Her eyes focused on his forearms, watching one of the veins palpitate with the blood flowing through it. What kind of monster was she? What had she become? Closing her eyes, she attempted to shut out the noise but it only grew louder. Opening her eyes again, she sucked in a noisy intake of air to see his body blocking her view. He had moved with no sound, and she had not even felt his presence in front of her. Due to their incongruous height differences, she was nearly nose to navel with him. Looking up, way up, she guessed he must be at least seven feet tall, maybe even taller the way he towered over her. Startled by his closeness, she backed away too swiftly and stumbled. Her body never fell to the floor though because her wrist was safely ensconced in his massive palm, and he was holding her up from falling down. For a second time, he was there when she needed him most, just like he had been at the morgue when her legs would not support her.
"Careful," he chided her gently, pulling her up from her almost prone position. Once she was standing up straight, he picked her up to carry her in his arms as a parent would carry a small child.
Eva felt awkward and weird being carried this way. Despite the bizarreness of him treating her like she was actually a preschooler, she placed her arms around his neck for fear of being dropped when he leaned forward to lower her onto the bed. Unable to move as a disabling shyness overtook her, she edged away a few inches when he sat down beside her. When the bed shifted under his bulk, she pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them with her arms as unease settled into her body. She stared straight ahead at the decorous stained glass window so she would not have to look at him.
"You're still weak. You need food," he told her, reaching up the to the large silver cross that hung around his neck. "You never did tell me. What do you need?"
Eva nervously chewed her lower lip, turning her head to look at him. She watched with great interest as he pulled on the bottom part of the cross, and it slid free to reveal a small but razor-sharp blade that resembled a surgeon's scalpel. Raising her hand to her shoulder to massage the muscles that had contracted painfully, she realized for the first time that she was wearing a necklace. Her fingers slid along the smooth, round beads of varying size down to the cross at the bottom. She fondled the metal object, tracing the delicate details that felt like vines, leaves, and thorns that encircled the cross. Her lips drew into a tight line as he lowered the knife to his huge pectoral muscle. She curled her fingers around the cross, never taking her eyes from the blade of the knife as it pressed into his unmarred, tanned flesh. Her stomach muscles tightened with exhilaration as he drew the blade across his skin causing it to open up. Blood oozed from the wound he had inflicted upon himself. Small droplets formed along the two-inch cut before slowly sliding down to make crimson rivulets on his skin. The stimulating smell hit her with the magnitude that a loaf of freshly baked bread hits a starving man. Her eyes closed as she inhaled deeply, groaning with desire as the enticing scent made a tingle of excitement akin to sexual arousal surge through her body. She inched closer to him, opening her eyes to look at his face when his hand pressed against her cheek.
"I know what you need," he said, pulling the thumb of his other hand across the red flow. He brought his thumb to her lips, resting it on her lower lip. The battle inside of her was evident within her eyes. He could see the wanton need for the blood while revulsion and taboos clawed at her mind. Waiting patiently for her to receive the offering of blood, he told her in a low voice, almost a whisper, "Take it. You want it. You need it. Eva...please."
Eva held his gaze as she warily parted her lips, trembling as he inserted his thumb into her waiting mouth. The taste of the blood hit her tongue, making her moan with gratification. Enclosing his thumb with her lips, she sucked to draw every drop of his blood into her mouth. Then it hit her. The adrenaline rush swept through her body like a tidal wave, washing over her brain to release a large dose of dopamine into her system. Her body felt hot and light as air. She was not sure if she would spontaneously combust or simply take flight. When the delectable coppery taste disappeared, she reluctantly removed his thumb from her mouth. Moving onto her hands and knees beside him, her eyes latched on to the seeping wound on his chest.
"Blood. I want...I need...need," she panted, flattening her palm on the other side of his chest to support herself. Sticking out her tongue, she lapped up the red trails that had reached his abdomen.
Alexander unexpectedly found himself in the clutches of something he did not know could affect him. Observing her licking the blood from his belly, a film of sweat oozed out of his pores across his forehead and under his nose. Feeling her tongue making long strokes upward to move closer to the open flesh caused an uncomfortable swelling to occur between his legs. He found it distressing that he could be effected by such base fleshly desires. Shifting under her, he grunted when the fingernails of her hand on his chest bit into his skin with a stinging sensation as if to warn him to be still. He groaned in discomfort from being clawed yet something like pleasure raced through him when her lips covered the gash and she sucked - hard.
"You need to replenish what was taken from you. When you awakened, you threw up what remained of your blood. It was the paltry amount that Alucard had allowed you to keep so you could be raised again," he explained, sliding his fingers into her silky soft hair to hold her lips to his chest. He had hoped talking would distract him from the vexing erection that had unexpectedly occurred. Looking into her eyes that looked like molten gold just taken from a fiery furnace, he urged her, "Take it. Drink my blood."
Eva held his gaze, noticing that his eyes were a striking forest green color since he did not have the obstacle of his glasses in the way. Tears formed in her eyes as her body attempted one last time to revolt against her, gagging on her newly acquired taste for blood. Her body began to shudder so violently, the whole bed was shaking. Raising her mouth from his chest, she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Father...wh-what am I? What have I become?" she asked without waiting for the answer. "I'm frightened. I'm scared of what I am becoming." Lowering her lips back to his chest again, she licked across the cut to remove the blood that had beaded there to reach the fresher blood underneath. His skin was so satiny soft under her lips; his blood warm and thick, full of flavor like an expensive and well prepared cut of beef. Oh, my god...he was food for her. After swallowing the mouthful of blood she had extracted from him, she moaned like a woman who was receiving great physical pleasure from a man - and not just by drinking his blood.
Alexander Anderson gasped, thrusting his other hand into her hair. He gathered fistfuls of her lustrous light brown waves into his palms, holding her lips tightly to his chest. This was not what he had expected. He had been not been anticipating pain and certainly not arousal. The tortuous agony of sexual hunger that would wreaked havoc on his body. It enabled him to sympathize with her irresistible thirst for blood. The experience of being a food source was intimate and erotic like being taken by a lover for the first time. The pain he did feel was fleeting and seemed to heighten the bliss that followed closely behind. He had never felt the carnal pleasure of being with a woman. Never having had the desire to breach his priestly vows until now, he was beginning to find this whole encounter to be a type of hell on earth. And he had been to hell and back many times in his travels and trials of dealing with all of the demonic creatures running free and unchecked on God's green earth. Another moan tore from his throat as her teeth sank into his flesh to increase the flow of blood from the wound. She did not have sharp incisors to easily pierce his skin so it was sheer agony. He should not be feeling pain at all so this perplexed him. Apparently her physical strength was already increasing. The irritating throbbing below tormented him physically and mentally. Once again, in hopes of diverting his thoughts from his present affliction, he began to talk to her. "If I had not found you, you would have become like him. A vulgar degenerate. A vampire. But I'm going to make you into something sanctified." He paused, pulling her away slightly after she bit him. When her teeth parted and her tongued moved over his skin to receive the nourishment she so greatly required, he relaxed his hold on her head. Usually impervious to pain, it shocked him that she was actually able to hurt him. Of course, she was no longer a mere human. "They blood you will receive will be pure and consecrated. I won't allow you to become a dirty, polluted vampire like him. You will be hallowed, righteous...set apart for God's work." Miserable and tortured, he struggled with the dual agony she was inflicting upon him: the bruising pain of her gnawing teeth and the carnal yearning he selfishly wished to satisfy. Keeping his divine appointment in the forefront of his mind to combat the temptation, he continued to speak. "You will be..." He panted, struggling for control as the hunger within him threatened to make him lose his resolve. The room unexpectedly began to spin out of control. He was sweating profusely despite feeling cold. His thinking became incomprehensible and muddled. She had taken enough blood, possibly too much, from him. Pushing her away, he stared at her while trying to calm his body and mind that was spiralling out of control due his almost unbearable craving for her and the blood loss he was experiencing. He held her gaze that was disturbing in its lack of emotion. Her eyes were dead, blank - holding an absolute nothingness. She growled at him, her lips drawing back from her blood covered teeth. They were still normal human teeth. She wanted more, and she meant to attack him to get it. Cupping her cheek with his large hand, he watched her remove the blood from the corner of her mouth with a flick of her tongue. He breathed a sigh of relief when her eyes slowly regained their normal greenish gold coloration. She once again bore the tortured expression of a woman thoroughly confused by what she had become and terrified of that creature in her hazel eyes. "I will not allow you to become like Alucard," he promised her, noticing that she visibly recoiled when he spoke the vampire's name. "You will be an avenging angel. You are my angel." Pulling her forward, he embraced her affectionately. "I'll sustain you as long as I can, but I'll have to find you another source of food soon."
The tears that had been building in Eva's eyes overflowed and trickled down her cheeks. Bewildered and frightened by herself and her new life, she sobbed in mourning for who and what she had once been. She wound her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek against his.
"I need you. Please don't ever leave me alone like he did," she begged, hanging on to him the huge priest like he was a lifeboat keeping her from drowning in the uncertain sea of her crazy new life.
"I will never leave you," he assured her, pulling her whole body on top of his. She was like a child lying on top of him, her feet reaching about mid-thigh on him. All libidinous passion had yielded to a more urgent demand to save her, to shelter her - to protect her from all harm at any cost. For the second time tonight, a deadly sin would bloom inside his heart. He had vanquished the lust that come upon him, however, the covetousness, the greedy inclination for her to be his and his alone, would be a litle more difficult to defeat.
~...~
Eva lay in the bed alone in the dark relishing the feeling of fullness. Father Anderson had allowed her to feed from him again after he had eaten his dinner. Once she had drunk her fill of his blood, she had been treated to a bath full of heated purified water and rose petals to rid her body of the stench of blood and death that had clung to her. She inhaled the scent of her silky skin, sighing with satisfaction. Her new oversensitive nose was becoming accustomed to dealing with the plethora of scents the world offered. Never before in her life had she realized there were so many smells to be experienced. Colors seemed brighter, sounds seemed louder. Perhaps these were all side effects of becoming - of becoming what? That still remained to be seen. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of being content and relaxed.
"Eva."
Eva sat up, looking around the room. Had someone really called her name or was she imagining it? The voice called her again, and this time she recognized it. Alucard. His voice was deep and smooth with a hypnotic quality to it. He was beckoning her with a gentle, spellbinding call. Before she knew what she was doing, she had gotten out of bed to go to the window. After pushing it open, she leaned out to look around. Her room overlooked the side yard of the building. The area was bare of any decorations or flowers but was bordered by a tall hedge. Beyond the ten foot tall hedge was a forest that made her think of the forests in fairy tales because it was dark and foreboding; most likely full of things that wanted to eat her such as the big bad wolf. Or perhaps a vampire. Her eyes easily focused on the striking silhouette that was standing in the small area between the hedge and the forest. Eventually, her eyes were able to see through the darkness to get a vivid picture of the tall, thin man wearing a crimson cloak and wide-brimmed hat.
"Come to me," his voice beckoned, rattling around the recesses of her brain.
Eva backed away from the window because she felt the overwhelming urge to go to him, but she knew she should not. Every cell in her body hummed with energy, stimulated by his proximity. Moving back from the window, she bumped into the bed behind her. She hugged one of the thick bedposts to keep herself from taking a step toward the window. His voice continued to echo in her head, calling to her in a hypnotic chant, inviting her to come to him. Her body wanted to respond by rushing to him so she could be in his arms, to feel his kiss, to be made love to by the vampire.
"Eva! Come to me now!" he commanded her, losing his patience. He had expected her come to him immediately. Her resolve was stronger than he had anticipated.
"No! I won't!" she cried out loud in response since she did not yet understand the link between their minds.
Alucard closed his eyes, rubbing his temples in annoyance. He conjured up the image of her naked body in mind, implanting the thought in her head as well. In the theater of his mind, he took her into his arms to kiss her. His mouth slid from hers, over her chin, and down to her neck. He opened his mouth, pressing his tongue to the enticingly pulsing vein along the side of her neck. His arms encircled her body to bring it firmly against his so she could feel how much he wanted her.
Eva pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead as if to push out the image of their naked bodies pressed together. She shivered because she could feel his warm wet tongue sliding down her neck teasingly as if he were right there with her in her room. The familiar heat of arousal flashed and burst like bomb inside of her. The explosion flowed outward, heating her body and blistering every nerve the fire of craving ignited. A rueful moan passed her lips as the sensation of his hands gliding over her skin stimulated her until she was quivering with need. Staggering toward the window, she looked out to see him standing completely still in the same spot. It was literally all in her mind. But it felt so real. Her body shuddered when she received the vision and sensation of his hands covering her breasts, squeezing them roughly, before his thumbs raked across the nipples. She could feel her nipples contract into throbbing, stiff peaks, straining against the flimsy fabric of her white silk chemise. Droplets of sweat covered her body despite the frigid night air that filled her room. Her body rocked back and forth as she struggled for control, willing herself not to go to him. The sensation of his fingers sliding down her belly made goosebumps raise to the surface of her skin. Down, down, down his hand moved until it slipped between her thighs. Although it was only in her head, it truly felt as if his fingers were sliding between the moist, welcoming lips of her womanhood.
"Alucard, please," she pled with him, this time thinking it instead of speaking.
"Come to me," he bade her once more. His body shook when she called his name, filling his head with her breathy, pleading voice.
Without regard to her safety from the fall or the consequences once she reached her destination, Eva hoisted herself over the windowsill to land without a sound or an injury on the grass two stories below. She ran with the speed and grace of a startled deer across the cool, dew-drenched grass. The branches of the hedge poked her body and the leaves tore at her skin when she charged straight into the wall of greenery separating the church grounds from the trees and her from Alucard. Despite the stinging of the scratches, she remained undeterred. As soon as she broke through the other side, Alucard was on her. He bum-rushed her, tackling her violently to send them both to the ground and tumbling through the damp grass. Once they stopped rolling, she found herself pinned beneath the body of the vampire who had killed her. The white silk chemise she was wearing was soaked with dew and twisted around her waist. The chill night air blew across her bare legs making her shiver. She stared up into the black eyes that glowed red like a dying embers as he held her to the ground with her wrists restrained firmly under his hands. Waves of heat that were almost visible were drifting from his body and sinking into hers, warming her in two ways. She was no longer shivering from the cold but from the desperation of wanting him to make love to her. She quickly became aware that he was straddling her hips, his hardness pushing against her womanhood. A moan escaped her when he moved his hips to rake his body across hers, causing a fabulous swell of pleasure to wash over both of them.
"Why are you here?" she demanded, shifting under him in an attempt to free herself. All she accomplished was raising her hips into his and drawing a purr of ecstasy from him which drove her mad with desire.
"I came for you of course," Alucard answered, releasing one of her wrists. Slashing through the thin fabric of the gown with his sharp nails, he ripped it to shreds to reveal her body. He cupped her breast, stroking his thumb over the nipple that was already rigid. Leaning forward to kiss her, he was assaulted with the stench of roses. It disappointed him greatly that she no longer smelled like delicious peaches. "You smell terrible. So pure and clean. I need to make you dirty again."
"Bastard," she snarled, grasping his jacket with her free hand. She jerked him downward to bring his lips against hers with a bruising force that made their teeth click together. Her fingers pulled at the loosely knotted tie around his neck, dropping it on the ground beside them. She pulled her other hand from his grip with surprising ease. After unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt, impatience got the best of her prompting her to seize the material in both of her hands. She pulled with a vigorous jerk to rip open his white silk shirt the rest of the way. Her hands were on his chest, exploring his lean muscled torso.
Alucard's lips slid from hers, giving her a peck on the cheek before planting a row of kisses down her neck. Since she was still alive, he knew she had partaken in her first feeding. Opening his mouth, he prepared to sink his fangs into the meaty flesh where her neck extends into the shoulder. He knew she would not taste the same since the blood circulating inside her body was not her own. His sharp incisors easily punctured her skin allowing her new blood to flow into his mouth. The taste was like dirt and scorched his tongue. He jumped to his feet, gagging and spitting out the blood.
"Eva! Who have you been eating?" he demanded, glaring at her as she slowly pulled herself to her feet. "That's disgusting!"
Eva smiled in a way that instantly diminished her beauty and turned her into something beastly and menacing. She gathered up what was left of her tattered nightgown in a useless attempt to cover her body.
"Eva! Eva!" Father Anderson's voice carried through the thick night air to reach her.
"You should leave. He's coming for me," she told Alucard, restating the obvious.
"I'm not afraid of him," the egotistical vampire snapped. He spat out more of the offensive, gross tasting blood that seemed to cling to the inside of his mouth.
Eva heard the sound of projectiles whizzing through the air past her head just before four large knives stabbed the ground at Alucard's feet. She laughed, loudly and maniacally, as the vampire bared his fangs and growled like a vicious dog. Before her very eyes, Alucard dematerialized and disappeared like a wisp of smoke in the breeze.
"Eva?" Father Anderson called out to her. For the third time, he had to run to her rescue, catching her before she hit the ground. He saw the bloody gaping wound on her shoulder and scooped her up into his arms to hurry back to the house with her. The way Alucard ripped into her would require stitches. It would be messy, painstaking work to sew up the flesh he had torn to shreds down to the bone. Alexander felt the crushing weight of disappointment bearing down on his shoulders. The vampire still had too strong of a hold on her. He had underestimated Alucard's influence over her. He had overestimated her willpower. Perhaps it was too soon to place such high expectations on her.
"Father, I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice weak and raspy. Her shoulder was ablaze with pain as if acid had been poured onto her skin.
"Eva," he said, his voice slightly tremulous which indicated he was struggling to control his rage. "The Lord's word tells us that 'You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.' *" He hauled in a deep breath to steady his nerves and curtail his rising anger. He was furious with Alucard for coming to take her. He was angry with Eva for being weak-willed. "You must choose, Eva. Who will you follow? Me and the Lord." His face twisted as if the words he was about to speak tasted bad in his mouth. "Or that damned detestable demon, Alucard."
"I - " She was cut off by him shaking his head to stop her from speaking.
"Don't answer now. Think about it. Choose deliberately and carefully." He remained silent until they reached the door to the building. In the dim light of the lantern hanging on a hook beside the door, he could see that the blood had stopped flowing from the gaping wound. It also appeared that the skin had begun to knit itself back together underneath the copious amount of blood coating her shoulder. She had the ability to heal herself. How very interesting.
Eva bowed her head in mortification, unable to look at the priest as he carried her into the house. Once again she had allowed Alucard to charm her. If Father Anderson had not arrived when he did...well, she knew exactly what would have happened. She would have succumbed to the wiles of the provocative vampire and had sex with him right there. He had bitten her a second time as well. At least she did not die another time. Contempt for the mesmerizing vampire took root deep within her soul. She would not - could not- allow him to desecrate her body again. She silently vowed to herself to grow stronger mentally and physically, to become immune to his sly tactics. Glancing at the earnest priest holding her, she was sure her decision would be easy. However, thoughts of Alucard entered into her mind. As much as she hated him, she inexplicably wanted him with an intensity equal to her loathing of him. Perhaps this would not be such a simple decision after all. But it should have been an easy choice to make.
note *1 Corinthians 10:21