Wow! I'm not taking several months to update! How crazy! Hopefully I can keep that up! Please let me know what you think of this chapter.
I noticed after publishing, a slight inconsistency in my story in that I had mentioned bonding in a previous chapter but in the last, they spoke about it as if Alyssa had never heard about it before. I went back and edited the chapter to correct it but I'm very sorry about that!
If anyone has noticed any continuity problems please point them out to me. I'd like to be able to address them so it doesn't keep happening!
The day passed by slowly, I slept until late afternoon and woke up in the best mood I had been in a long time. It could have had something to do with waking up naked in Godric's arms or it could have just been that we were out of the storm, we didn't have to hide or worry about someone attacking us. The ordeal with Nathaniel hadn't lasted very long in reality but it felt like it had been a year since I hadn't had to worry about the nest of vampires coming after us.
The hot shower felt even better than it usually did, relaxing muscles I hadn't used in a very long time. I realized how content I was as the water poured over my shoulders. We had nothing to worry about, not just in the scale of things trying to kill us. But in the way that Evan and I were together, we weren't worrying about surviving the end of the month. We were surrounded by people that cared about us. Nothing was missing.
I wondered how long it could last. Evan and I had never been in a position where we weren't stressing about something. It almost felt wrong. Like I was missing some impending danger. Even as a child I was looking after Evan, taking care of the two of us and keeping her out of our father's way. When we had gotten older it was a matter of keeping us off the streets and food in our fridge. We had never had time to simply do what we wanted.
With the remainder of the evening to myself I logged onto my laptop and scrolled through my emails. There were several inquiries about appointments and pricing for photography sessions. I felt bad, having let it fall to the wayside amidst all the excitement of the past couple months and responded to all the emails I had received. Luckily I hadn't left any projects unfinished. But now that I had realized that it had been weeks since I had had a photo shoot I felt guilty and as if I had an itch I had just noticed. Now that I had noticed it, it wouldn't go away.
I resolved to make appointments for the next couple days so I could get back into the swing of things.
Next on my list of things to do before the vampires woke up was food. I slipped on a sweater and a pair of comfortable leggings and padded down to the kitchen. Sookie was lounging on the couch, a worn paperback in her hands. Evan was in an armchair beside her flicking through channels on the large flat screen television. I voiced my plan to make dinner and the two agreed to help me prepare a meal.
Not long after we were settled at the table with fajitas and salad in front of us.
"This is nice" Sookie sighed as she pushed her plate away, "it's just been Jason and I since our Gran passed away. I feel like y'all are part of the family now."
Evan beamed at her happily "it's always just been Aly and I too. I can't say I'm down with all this vampire drama but it's nice to have family."
"It almost seems surreal, how good everything is suddenly" I mused, picking up the dirty dishes.
Sookie snorted and nodded her head in agreement, standing to help clean up. "It's like we're in the eye of the storm."
"Oh god don't say that Sookie!" Evan exclaimed, throwing her hands up, "you're practically jinxing us!"
Sookie laughed and held up her hands in defence. "If there's more trouble coming, its gonna find us on its own. That's just the way it goes in this world, seems to me."
I was about to argue with her but I couldn't say she was wrong. Trouble did seem to have its way of finding us.
"Well, we just have to enjoy the time we have between emergencies then," I pointed out, watching the sink fill up with bubbles.
"I for one, cant wait to sleep in my own bed again" Evan sighed "the bed up there is nice but it's too comfortable I think. I kind of miss my lumpy mattress."
Sookie laughed and admitted she agreed with Evan. But I hardly paid attention to what they were saying. I knew Evan didn't like living with the vampires, and I knew she had been anxious to get back to work. But it left me with the question of what I was going to do. Evan and I had never lived apart and I couldn't imagine not seeing her every day. But the closer Godric and I got, the more I wanted to spend my time with him. I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. Not that either of them had brought up where I would be going.
I hadn't even discussed it with Godric, not really. I mentally added it to the list of things Godric and I needed to talk about when the sun went down. Evan would want to be back to normal life as soon as she could so it was only a matter of time before she insisted on going back to our apartment.
Shortly before the sun went down I excused myself from Sookie and Evan to make my way up to Godric's bedroom. I easily shed my clothes and snuggled into his side. I ran my hands through his hair as I waited for him to wake up.
His eyes snapped open some time later and his hands curled around my hips. He hummed happily as he planted a gentle kiss on my lips. He pressed quick kisses along my jaw and down my neck, nudging me onto my back. His lips made their way across my collarbone and down my sternum. Hands ghosted along my stomach and the bottom of my breasts. I squirmed against him and buried my hands in his hair.
Taking his time, Godric teased me until I was breathless and impatient. I cursed and pressed up against him, seeking more contact than the barely there caresses. Godric smiled against my skin and peeked up at me. I caught his eye and glared at him.
"I swear to god, Godric. Stop teasing me," I huffed.
Godric pulled back, a playful glint in his eyes "what is it you want Alyssa?"
I scowled at him "you know exactly what I want."
My vampire shook his head, mock confusion painted across his face "I do not. You'll have to tell me." His hands found the insides of my thighs and his fingers danced lightly across the sensitive skin.
He kept his hands just shy of where I wanted them and waited for me to speak.
"Dammit Godric. I want you inside me," I gasped as his fingers stroked feather-light along my slit.
"Anything you want," was Godric's soft reply. He followed through a moment later and we moved against each other in sync.
I couldn't have held back the gasps and moans Godric drew out of me if I had wanted to. One of Godric's hands grasped my thigh, the other held his weight beside my head. My legs were wrapped around his hips, one hand on his shoulder and the other twisted in the sheets as I felt my orgasm building.
Godric increased his speed as he felt me getting closer and nipped at the skin connecting my jaw to my neck. I felt his fangs scrape against my skin and I tilted my head to the side to expose it more for him.
Godric gasped my name a second before his fangs pierced my skin. My release hit as he did and Godric followed a moment later. He withdrew his fangs as we were both coming down and lapped up the rest of my blood. Godric rolled off of me but didn't go far before pulling me into his side.
I felt a strange sensation in the back of my mind that I couldn't identify. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and it felt like I was tingling all over. The feeling swept over me in waves and I curled into Godrics side, using the cool firmness of his chest as an anchor. I gasped as the feeling settled and I was left with a strange awareness in the back of my mind.
"Alyssa? Little one what's wrong?" Godric questioned, immediately concerned.
It was like a ball of putty in my hands and as Godric sat us up and cupped my face, it shifted and tensed, squirming as if frightened. Hardly aware of what was actually going on, I mentally reached out and touched it, stroking it soothingly. I felt Godric practically purring against me and he nuzzled into my neck.
"What is happening?" Godric whispered.
The more I examined the space in my mind the more it felt familiar. "Is that you? I think I can feel you Godric" I mumbled. Something deep inside me told me that was true. What I was feeling was Godric. I mentally pulled back from his space in my mind and waited to see what would happen. It grew anxious again, shifting and squirming as if trying to find purchase.
"You can feel my emotions?" Godric asking, drawing back to look at me "you can manipulate them."
"I think so, yes. But I don't understand" I replied, resisting the urge to sooth his worry again. It wouldn't be fair, manipulating how he was feeling. Not to mention I wasn't really sure what I would be doing to him.
Godric shook his head, lines appearing on his forehead. "I think we should speak with your father. I do not know enough about your demon heritage to know if this is normal."
I had to agree with him. I could feel his worry in the back of my mind and it only made me worry more. Godric was over 2000 years old. Him not knowing something seemed unreal to me.
"I'll call him" I sighed, climbing out of bed in search of my cell phone. I threw on a Tshirt of Godrics and a pair of shorts, tossing him a pair of pants as I went. Bael didn't like talking on the phone longer than he had to so he would likely decide to drop by.
I found my cellphone and dialed his number, putting it on speaker phone so Godric could hear. He answered on the third ring.
"Alyssa, dear child. You're safe" he greeted.
I frowned, he was making an observation, not asking. "Should I not be? You're on speaker with Godric and I."
"I had just received news about your vampires run in with another nest. I'm to understand that he allowed you to put yourself at risk" Bael grumbled.
Godric opened his mouth to reply, anger boiling from him in my mind. I held up a hand for him to wait. Bael was my father and my problem to deal with. "I'm a big girl Bael. And I knew what I was doing. If you knew that you also know I had a were protecting me. Besides it over, we're all fine. That's not why I'm calling."
there was a small stretch of silence in which I had to assume that Bael was reigning in his frustration. The demon had as short a fuse as any vampire. "What can I do for you then, child?"
I took a deep breath and searched for the words to explain what was happening. I looked to Godric helplessly and he stepped in. "We have come across something unexpected. Alyssa has recently allowed me to feed from her. Once when I returned from resolving the issue with this nest in which I was injured and again this evening. It seems Alyssa is now able to feel my emotions."
The laughter that answered was not what I had been expecting. Nor was it a small chuckle. Bael laughed long and hard. I pictured him with his head thrown back, clutching at his stomach. His laugh was deep and melodic and though I didn't find the situation funny in the least I found myself smiling.
"I don't see what's so funny" I voiced after a moment.
Bael stifled his laugh and took several calming breaths. "I will visit you shortly. It seems I have to explain some things to you two."
I sighed, though in relief or apprehension, I wasn't sure "I would appreciate that."
"I will be there within the hour." The line went dead and Godric and I shared a look.
"Should we warn the others?" I asked after a moment.
Godric agreed and we made our way out to find the others. Godric briefly explained what was happening to them. Everyone was curious about what was happening so we ended up gathered in the living room waiting for Bael. There didn't seem to be much debate about what was happening. It seemed like my blood created a similar awareness as vampires gained when giving their blood to a human. The vampires asked question after question about how it felt and what I was able to do.
"The shoes really on the other foot now, isn't it" Sookie observed with a small smirk.
Eric glanced over at her "what do you mean?"
Sookie raised her eyebrow at him "vampires have been using their blood's abilities on humans for forever. You tricked me into drinking your blood so you would be able to feel my emotions. Now Alyssa's blood is doing the same thing to Godric."
Eric frowned at her "I had you drink my blood because it was the best way to protect you. How else am I to know if you are in trouble? You wont move to Shreveport so if Sophie-Ann sends another lackey to come kidnap you, at least I'll know."
"You should have discussed it with me Eric. It wasn't your decision. You keep trying to manage me and control what I do and it's not fair" she snapped at him.
I watched the exchange with wide eyes. It seemed like a topic they fought about often from the way they kept bringing up what i had to assume were old arguments. It went back and forth for a long time before they both settled into an angry silence. I could feel Godric's concern for his child and reached out to grab his hand.
Evan was sitting in the armchair, watching the fight like it was her new favourite tv show. At least, I mused, she was getting some sort of entertainment out of it.
Bael walked into the room, having not knocked or come through any door. I wondered if he had just appeared outside the living room so he could make an entrance. It made me wonder how long he might have been standing there. Had he listened to Sookie and Eric's argument and waited until it was over?
He folded his tall frame into a chair and crossed his legs. Bael regarded Godric and I with an amused expression. I thought he was probably trying to contain his laughter.
"Thank you for coming by, Bael" I began, offering him a smile.
Bael waved my thanks away with his hand "anything for my favourite daughter."
It had never occurred to me that Bael probably had other children. I was curious about what they were like, what kind of relationship they had with the man sitting in front of me.
"Can you explain to us what is happening?" Godric inquired.
Bael had to fight to keep a smile off of his face again. When he had control over his expression once again he spoke "just as vampires commonly have pets, demons have thralls. As many supernatural creatures were created by demons thousands of years ago, they have been used to serve our purposes since. A supernatural fed the blood of a demon becomes enthralled."
"So what, Godric is turning into a slave?" Pam snapped.
Bael seemed unconcerned with her ire "I doubt that will be a concern. But if Alyssa wished she could have control over Godric in the way a vampire has control over his children. Among other effects. You can see how having complete control over a vampire such as Godric would be beneficial to even someone as powerful as myself"
I shook my head immediately "I would never do that. I don't want control over you" I assured Godric
He was anxious and nervous. But I could tell he wasn't concerned with me trying to control him. It made me feel better, if only slightly, that Godric didn't think I would try to do something like that.
"What do you mean, other effects?" Eric demanded.
He and Pam seemed more angry about the developments than Godric did. I hoped they wouldn't be angry with me, that they knew I didn't have any intentions of manipulating Godric.
Bael rolled his eyes at the viking. "what effects does your blood have, vampire? Your maker will be stronger, he will need to feed less, rest less. It will make him devoted to my daughter, completely loyal to her. Though I doubt that has changed anything that was not already between them," Bael paused and here he seemed displeased "you will not be able to consume any blood but that of my daughter. It will be akin to you consuming human food. The longer you continue to drink her blood, the time it takes for her blood to run its course will lengthen. With continued consumption, you would starve before you would be able to feed off of anyone else."
"How long will it take for my blood to get out of his system?" I questioned, chewing my lip anxiously.
I didn't like the idea of Godric feeding off of anyone else. But at the same time, even if Godric and I stayed together for the rest of my life, I was still at least partially human and that meant I was going to grow old and die. If Godric wasn't able to drink any other blood, after I died, he would too.
Bael shrugged "if he did not take a lot, a week perhaps. You should know as well, child, as long as the vampire has your blood in his system, you will not age. It is rare for half demons to exist, it it even rarer for them to have a thrall. So I cannot speak for all of the possibilities. But that I do know."
"What would happen if Alyssa had Godric's blood as well?" Sookie asked. I was surprised she had spoken up. She had been stewing angrily on the couch since her fight with Eric and I hadn't thought she would be overly concerned about what would happen with Godric and I.
But Sookie was a caring person and if she considered Evan and I her family like she had said earlier, I realized she was probably as worried about me as I could tell Evan was.
Bael thought it over "I don't see a reason anything out of the norm would occur. You would both see the effects of each other's blood. Alyssa's growing abilities would become that much stronger. Is that what you intend, vampire? To bond with my daughter?" Bael narrowed his eyes at Godric.
Godric didn't flinch from the glare. He shrugged and stroked circles onto the back of my hand with his thumb. For all the concern he was showing, he could have been discussing the weather. His nervousness had ebbed as well. He seemed merely curious.
"We had not truly discussed it. But it is a possibility," he allowed with a glance in my direction.
Bael sighed "I suppose you can hardly do her harm at this point. You would do well to keep my daughter safe at any rate. She is not immortal and I will not speak of the pain you will suffer should she be harmed. Both at my hands and at your own."
With that Bael walked out of the room. I didn't hear a door open or shut. Evan stretched in her seat to peer into the hall.
"What the fuck? Why can't you just teleport like that?" Evan huffed, a wry grin on her face as she settled back into her chair.
I couldnt help but laugh, if only to release the tension in the room.
"It seems we will have to discuss our next step, love" Godric hummed.
"Do we have much of a choice? You heard him Godric. If you keep drinking from me, you wont be able to stop. Ever."
Sookie stood from her seat and grabbed Eric by the wrist "lets give them some privacy. We need to talk too."
Eric looked like he was going to fight her but heaved a much put out sigh and followed her out of the room.
Pam and Evan followed them out, Evan looking back to me with a concerned expression. "You'll talk to me about it later?" Evan questioned, pausing in the doorway.
I nodded quickly "Of course, Ev. We'll talk about it too." I knew Evan was just worried about me. All of these changes had been happening so quickly. It seemed like just last week we had been living paycheck to paycheck, stretching to make ends meet. Now we weren't even living in our apartment and it seemed like it was really one thing after another.
Godric played with my fingers as the silence stretched between us. I didn't know what to say. On the one hand, if he kept feeding off of me he would eventually not be able to stop. On the other hand if he wasn't feeding from me he was going to have to get his blood somewhere else. And although I knew he had been feeding somehow before the past two days, I didn't like the thought of him drinking from another human and I knew he wasn't getting everything he needed from the bagged blood he occasionally sipped.
"What are we going to do?" I mumbled finally.
Godric shrugged, my emotions were all over the place but Godric was calm and collected. I wanted to pull his emotions in to me, but I still understood so little about the connection I had with him I was afraid to tamper with it. "We have two options dear one. We can let your blood pass from my system and I will return to consuming synthetic blood. I have done so since the great revelation and it will be no trouble to return to such. If you were agreeable to it, alternatively, I would continue to drink your blood. I do not intend to ever be parted from you by my own choice, excepting when you grew old and died of your old age. But as your father has informed us that with my continued consumption of your blood, you would not age, that needn't be an inevitability."
I stared at Godric for a minute, floored by the sentiment under his words "you would want to be with me for the rest of our lives?" I gasped.
Godric smiled shyly at me, looking every bit the young man he once was "It is alright if you do not feel the same, or if you are unsure of such a thing. I have lived two millennium and as such I know when I encounter something...someone, I wish to keep near me.
"We need not decide against the possibility this second. If you would like more time to think it over, i will return to synthetic blood. If you decide you would like differently, you need only tell me," Godric offered.
I couldn't imagine ever wanting to be with anyone other than Godric. I had been with other men before and nothing had ever felt like it did with Godric. Even amidst all the trouble we found ourselves in, I would take it 100 times over rather than be without the vampire beside me.
But it was such a scary concept, the commitment was unlike anything I had ever thought of making in the past. Sure I had considered the possibility of one day getting married. But if that didn't work out, you could divorce your spouse and go your separate ways. Not to mention that it would only last a portion of a lifetime. What Godric was offering was the rest of time. We would never die and we would never be apart. Not for very long anyway.
"What if you decide you don't want me anymore?" I voiced my concern, feeling like an insecure preteen as I did.
Godric shook his head "nothing could make me not want you, love. And if you one day decided you wanted to be with other people...I will not say I would be accepting of it. Nor would I, however, keep you from happiness," he told me sombrely "you would just have to see me every once in a while to feed me" he teased a moment later, a smile quirking up the corners of his lips.
"What if its just my blood making you feel like that? Bael said it would make you loyal to me no matter what" I pointed out.
Godric didn't seem to think that was the case but again I wondered if it was just my blood making him unconcerned about it.
"If it concerns you that much that your blood is influencing me, we will wait until your blood fades from my system so I can prove to you that it is not the case. I would request that if this is the path you decide you would like to take, that we create a bond as well. I would have eventually broached the subject with you anyway."
"Would it really be so different than what we have anyway? Any time I drink your blood you can feel my emotions and anytime you have mine I can feel yours. What would change?"
Godric nodded his agreement "on a very simple level, yes. But both fade over time. A bond would be a permanent open connection between us. Not to mention the weight a bond has in the supernatural world. To feed each other occasionally is one thing. To be bonded is a whole other matter. Bonded mates function as one person, working for their relationship. Blood sharing otherwise is very one sided," Godric explained "though for us it would be a back and forth. Bonded mates are highly respected and very rare. To harm a bonded mate is to bring down the ire of both bloodlines not to mention many of the ancients. It is a sacred bond to many."
"I like that, that it wouldn't be one sided. And that we would be protected like that. It seems like we get into a lot of trouble" I agreed with him.
It was a lot of information to process and there were so many choices and consequences. I was glad Godric had suggested waiting until his blood had made its way out of his system before we went any further.
"I think you're right though. Lets wait until my blood isn't in your system. I know you say it isn't effecting you but I'd rather we were sure. We can figure it out then and if we both want to do it, i want to bond as well."
Godric cupped my face in both his hands and leaned in to press a sweet kiss against my lips. His mouth moved slowly against mine and I melted into him. When he pulled back he stroked his thumb along my cheek. "You should speak with your sister, love, she is worried about you."
I sighed and stood up "I know she is. There's been a lot of change happening. I think Evan is just worried that its going to come between us or I'm going to forget about her. Its always been Evan and I against the world" I explained.
Godric frowned "I hope you realize I would never want to cause anything that jeopardizes your relationship with your sister. Anyone can see how important you are to each other and anyone dear to you is important to me."
I sent him a grateful smile and stroked at his spot in my mind. Purrs immediately erupted in Godric's chest causing my smile to become an amused one. "you have no idea how delightful that feels" he hummed.
I couldn't help the small giggle at the look on his face. Godric narrowed his eyes at me playfully, the purring easing out as I stopped stroking our connection. I turned and made my way out of the room in search of Evan. I would have to reassure her that no matter what happened with Godric and I, it wouldn't change anything between us. Then I would have to make sure that was actually the case. I still wasn't sure what was going to happen with Evan decided she didn't want to live in a nest full of vampires anymore. But whatever it was, I would make it work. Godric and Evan were the two most important people in my life and I would be damned if I was going to let one relationship ruin the other. There was a balance out there, I just had to find it.