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I wake up feeling groggy, my head slightly pounding. I glance to the small amount of light seeping in through the blinds. It must be nearly eight in the morning, but I can’t know for sure since my alarm clock has yet to be set up, and I left my phone in the kitchen last night.
Feeling gross, I jump in the shower in the bathroom adjoined to my room, an extra about my apartment that I love. I shower and brush my teeth before changing into fresh clothes, doing my hair, and applying makeup. I don’t have many plans today besides finishing up a few odds and ends from the move yesterday.
By the time I exit my bedroom, I’ve nearly forgotten that I have a guest. I find Kade fast asleep on the pull-out bed of my couch without blankets. I forgot to get him blankets. You must be joking, May. Get it together. I suddenly feel bad and race back into the bedroom to grab some. I return with a fresh comforter and drape it over him carefully, so I don’t wake him. I then quietly prepare myself a slice of toast. I drop the bread into the toaster and then slide the lever down slowly until it clicks, and the bread stays put.
“He couldn’t care less about who you are,” Kade mutters, surprising me.
I turn to face him but realize that he’s still asleep. He’s talking in his sleep.
“Tell him to screw off,” Kade continues, sounding downright pissed off.
What kind of dream is the man having? It doesn’t sound so pleasant.
My toast pops. I grab it and slather some butter on it. A rustle behind me causes me to turn in the sound’s direction. I look at the couch. It’s empty. What the hell?
“Good morning,” a masculine voice mutters in my ear, startling me so bad that I drop my toast onto the floor and gasp. Kade stands right beside me, mere inches away.
His expression switches from content to apologetic. “I’m not used to being around humans. My apologies, May. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I reach down to get my toast but before I can reach it, it’s no longer on the floor. I glimpse up at Kade who tosses it into the trash. He then appears very guilty.
“I’m sorry...again. I’m not used to being around humans. Last night I was more with it I guess I’ve just become too comfortable around you,” he only jokes but it makes me smile.
I want him to be himself around me. It’s only fair. “No, it’s okay. You just surprised me is all. I’m not used to being around immortals.”
“Let me make you some new toast,” he offers and makes sure his movements are slow on my scale as he grabs the bread.
“What are you doing for fun today?” I ask him and grab the broom to sweep up some of the crumbs.
Kade stares intently at the toaster. He is either studying himself in the reflection or he’s deep in thought. The former is confirmed when I watch him fix his hair. I hold back a giggle.
“I’m not sure yet. I’m not used to having nothing to do to be honest. What are you doing today?”
“I was going to finish a few things around here and then I’m not sure,” I admit. “I don’t have anything planned.”
“I was hoping I could find a hotel nearby here. I like this part of town,” he tells me. “Do you have any suggestions? I don’t know the area.”
My toasts pop and I quickly pluck it from the toaster and drop it on the counter before it can burn me. Then I slather it in butter and take a bite before answering him. “What’s your budget?”
He shrugs. “Whatever. I have the means.”
“You really can stay here. I’d like it if you did. I’d like to hear about Daniel. I know you said you’re not really friends but you probably at least know a little about him, don’t you?” The hope in my voice is very apparent.
“Fine. One more night, but then I’m out of your hair,” he resigns quickly and puts the butter back in the fridge for me.
Kade heads out to run some errands a few minutes later. Apparently, the community kicked him out without giving him time to collect any of his belongings, so he needs to get some essential things.
While he’s out, I finish a few things around the house and put the finishing touches on the new place, personalizing it a bit with things like pictures and decor. When I’m done, I decide to take a walk of the building. It’s nothing too crazy, just a cheap little building downtown, but there are a few amenities that I’d like to check out, including the gym in the basement.
I skip down the stairs two at a time in a fairly joyous mood all things considered and scan my keycard by the door. It clicks open and I enter the empty work out room. Treadmills line one wall and weights line another. Simple, small, but perfect. I hop onto one of the machines and fiddle with it until it turns on. Before I know it, I’m at a steady jog. It’s been a while since I’ve ran so I take it slow. I always used to run when I needed to think about something, it isn’t until now that I realize how much I’ve missed it.
I crank the speed up a tad and fiddle with the incline. When I look back up from the screen, my heart plunges into a tub of ice water. In the mirrored wall in front of me I see myself on the treadmill, but I also see someone standing directly behind me. A man about in his thirties with a bald head and squinty brown eyes. I didn’t hear him come in and now he’s watching my backside as I sprint.
I reach for the stop button on the treadmill but before I can hit it, I stumble and the speed of the treadmill sends me flying backwards and landing harshly onto my back on the ground, knocking the wind right out of me. Although I’m in pain, I force myself to flip over and scan the room as soon as I get my breath back. It’s nearly knocked out from me a second time when I see the man standing over me with a devilish smile, a creepy, inhuman smile. I don’t know what it is, but something in me screams that this man isn’t human. I know he isn’t. My suspicion is confirmed when he leans over me, his close-lipped smile changes to a toothy grin, or should I say fangy. He has actual fangs. Like a vampire would have. A vampire. Could they be real? I swallow hard as my heart rate increases rapidly.
The man closes in on me. “You shouldn’t be all alone little girl. Where’d your body guard go?” I’ve been waiting for him to leave you alone.”
“I don’t have a body guard,” I argue. “You have the wrong person.”
His nose meets my neck and I struggle to get out from underneath him but he’s far stronger than me. He sniffs me intensely. “I beg to differ, sweetie. You wreak of him.”
I cringe away from him as much as I possibly can which unfortunately ends up only being millimeters.
“It’ll hurt just a little,” he murmurs into my ear, sending a prickling, cold chill down my spine for a second time.
Is this seriously happening? There can’t possibly be a real vampire about to rip out my throat can there? No. This isn’t real. There’s no way. I try to convince myself that I’m hallucinating or something, but the fact is that now that I know that some supernatural beings exist, I can’t help but believe that this is a real vampire.
This is confirmed when piercing pain radiates from my neck, then a pulling like I’ve never felt in my life causes my entire body to ache excruciatingly. I become paralyzed. I can’t move. My vision wanes and blurs and the sound of him devouring my neck seems to dim until all I can hear is a dull buzzing. I am helpless. There’s absolutely nothing that I can do. I’m going to die here. This is it.
That’s my last thought before the weight on top of me disappears and I slowly begin to become aware of my surroundings again. I stare up at the roof, writhing in extreme pain. I expect the vampire to come back but I’m sure that I lie there for a full minute regaining control of my body. I finally manage to prop myself up a little. I’m extremely weak. It only took him a matter of ten seconds or less to cause this much damage, he could’ve easily just killed me. I look around and find the vampire slouched against a wall, blood streaming from his throat where it’s been slit open, a thick patch of blood on his chest where I assume he’s been stabbed in the heart. His eyes are open, but unblinking. I know he’s dead.
A scream slips out of me as I’m suddenly lifted from the ground.
“Shh, May. It’s only me,” a familiar voice mutters soothingly in my ear and my fright eases slightly. It’s Kade. He saved my life again. I can’t help but lean into him for comfort and safety. I’m shaken to the bone. I can barely think. I feel paralyzed.
He carries me upstairs to my room and I’m thankful that no one is in the hall. He finds my keycard and lets us into my apartment where he rests me on my bed. “You’re okay, May. You’re going to be okay. Your heart rate is normal, a little fast but that’s okay all things considered.”
“You can hear my heart?” I ask of all things in that moment.
He smiles warmly. “Yes. How do you feel?”
“Cold, disgusting. It hurts. I can barely move,” I explain frantically. I try to steady my breathing, but I can’t. I’m hyperventilating.
He nods knowingly. “Alright. You need to rest and I’m going to get you some juice from the kitchen. It will help. What happened?”
“I was on the treadmill,” I tell him. “He was in the mirror and I fell and then he...he bit me. He was a... He was a...” I can’t seem to say the word out loud. Tears stream down my cheeks.
“He was a vampire. Yes. I took care of him. You’re safe now,” Kade soothes me, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“You killed him,” I accuse, not sure why that fact bothers me. The thing was going to kill me, was it not?
“I had to. He had it coming,” he says vehemently.
“I know but someone will find him,” I warn him frantically, sure that the cops will be at my door any second.
“No. They won’t. He is dirt by now. They don’t last long after they’ve died. You don’t have to worry about that.”
I take a deep breath, starting to gain movement back. “I think he was waiting for you to leave, for me to be all alone before he came for me. What did it want from me?”
Kade seems to regret leaving me. His face is not the warm expression it usually is when he’s around me, instead he looks mad, sad even. His brows are pinched, his forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was a vampire nearby or I never would’ve left you.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault,” I assure him and close my eyes for a minute.
“May I help your neck heal?” he asks worriedly. “It won’t hurt or anything. It will only help you heal. It’ll save you a lot of pain over the next few days.”
I am unsure how to respond but I know he would never hurt me. He’s saved my life twice. I nod.
“It might seem gross to a human,” he warns me. “I have to feed you a little bit of my blood. Just a little, a couple drops is all. It’ll make you feel better.”
I hesitate.
“Not nearly enough to make you like me or anything like that. I just want to heal your wound. It looks like it hurts. Your body will do the rest.” His voice is shaky like he’s beyond nervous.
My neck burns like someone’s poured acid on my wound and the pain is only escalating.
“It won’t hurt. It’ll help, May. I promise. I’d never hurt you. The pain from the bite is only going to get worse for the next few hours. Vampires can inject venom to incapacitate their victims. You have venom on your neck. I can smell it. If it gets into your bloodstream, it’ll get much worse.”
As he speaks I find myself unable to comprehend what he’s saying. My skin is on fire where I’ve been bitten, and the fire seems to be spreading rapidly. I trust Kade. He’s saved my life twice. Not able to take it any longer, I nod, giving him permission.
He then digs his thumb nail into his wrist without even wincing and blood begins to pool where he presses. He lifts his wrist over my mouth and the salty liquid hits my tongue. The thought of it makes me gag but my body doesn’t let me actually throw up, it’s too focused on the pain. Only seconds after the blood hits my tongue, the pain completely disappears and I find myself experiencing a strange tingle over my skin, specifically where I was bitten. It’s almost an itchy feeling.
Kade quickly pulls away his wrist and then brushes my hair back from my neck. “Its healing.”
“You couldn’t have done that after my car accident?” I wonder in disbelief.
He shakes his head. “You needed more than a few drops and I wasn’t sure how that would affect a human. I didn’t know if it would make you better or worse, so I took you to Clarissa. She knows all about that kind of stuff. She knew how much you could have before it got dangerous.”
“But if I was going to die anyway...” I remind him.
He sighs harshly. “May, some fates are worse than death. I didn’t want to make you like me by accident.”
“You’d rather me die?” I ask abruptly, my forehead wrinkling.
He nods without even having to think about it. “No doubt about it.”
“But Daniel...” I trail off. I realize that I don’t know if Daniel would’ve rather died than become Bryxx. He wasn’t given the choice.
“It was not Kai’s decision to make, but he was young, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to lose his friend. Anyway, that was different. You need to rest. We will talk later, May. I’ll be in the living room.” With that, Kade leaves the bedroom swiftly, closing the door behind him before I can argue. How was Daniel’s situation any different than mine?
I find it impossible to rest after coming face to face with death, so I lie in bed and contemplate my life. It’s changed so much in such a short time. A few weeks ago, I didn’t know supernatural beings even existed and now my brother is one and I’ve become friends with one, one who is currently in my home.
I eventually drift to sleep somehow, probably from all the blood loss. I wonder just how much I lost. I wake up to darkness. I’ve slept all afternoon and into the evening, but it’s felt only like minutes. I cautiously raise a hand to my neck and feel for two holes or at the very least two scabs. I find nothing. It’s as if nothing happened. The fact that a mere drop or two of Kade’s blood healed me that significantly shows just how potent his blood is, how strong he is. I can’t help but wonder how fast he heals.
I get out of bed and find Kade sitting at the table fiddling with his phone. I can’t tell if he’s texting or playing a game or what but he seems entranced by whatever it is. Does he even know that I’m up? Surely. He has super hearing after all, right?
An amused smile sneaking onto my face, I lick my lips before whispering in as quiet a voice I can manage, “What are you doing?”
Kade carefully sets his phone down on the table and twists in his chair to see me. “I was just passing time with a game.” He cracks a grin. “How was your rest?”
“Good actually. Kade...I want to know about vampires,” I state bluntly. “I’m not going to be able to sleep again without knowing more about them. What kind of a coincidence is it that I go over twenty years without ever coming into contact with one and then merely two weeks after I find out that supernaturals exist, one tries to kill me?”
“It’s not a coincidence at all,” Kade confirms my suspicion. “I killed that vampire’s maker years ago. I haven’t seen a sign of him in over two decades. I thought someone had killed him. He’s wanted me dead for almost fifty years. I had no idea he followed me to Seattle. He must’ve been waiting for me to leave the community. I’m so sorry, May. I nearly got you killed. A friend for a friend I guess is what he was going for.” Kade rests his head in his hands tensely. “He wasn’t after you for any reason but to anger me.”
“Wait wait,” I stop him. “You killed someone?”
He nods. “Many things, May. Only supernaturals and only the bad ones,” he assures me. He bites his bottom lip.
I decide to come back to this. How can I be disturbed by him killing monsters like the one who attacked me? “And you haven’t left the community in the last twenty years? Is that what you’re saying?”
He shrugs, his face pinched. “No, I have. Just not alone.”
As he tells me this, something dark passes across his face.
“It’s alright, Kade. It was an accident. You had no way of knowing.” I rest my palm on his back. “Tell me about vampires,” I insist once more.
He cringes away from my words and stands. “Can we do this another time?” he asks, still nibbling his bottom lip.
“I was almost killed for a second time this month, this time by a mythical creature. I want answers.” I can’t help it. I begin pacing. I can’t stand still.
Kade remains quiet for what must be nearly an entire minute before he, too, stands. He places his palms on the back of the wooden chair, using it for support. He faces me and nods. “Vampires are creatures that are controlled by bloodlust and instinct to kill. They’re inhuman monsters with no ability to love or emotionally care for others. The only people they respect are their makers because of this thing called a sire bond that happens sometimes which links them to each other. What more do you want to know?” I stop pacing but he begins to do his own laps around the kitchen.
“Are there lots? How are they made? Can they go out in daylight?” I rattle off then slow down so he can keep up. Shut up, May, you’re acting insane. I mentally slap myself, attempting to give myself a reality check.
He grimaces. “Yes, they can go out into the daylight, that’s a myth. There are only a couple hundred in America as far as I know. They’re made when a human or Bryxx consumes a certain amount of a vampire’s blood. Depending on the amount consumed, they’ll either die on the spot and come back or will fall ill and slowly die then come back. Vampires are one of the groups of demons that the Bryxx build their communities to protect against-” he discontinues abruptly and clenches his jaw. He told me yesterday that he wasn’t going to tell me much about what the Bryxx built their heavily guarded communities to protect.
“I will say no more as it isn’t safe for you as I told you yesterday. Unless you choose to carry the burden of that knowledge, I won’t share it,” he finishes off. “I suggest you stay ignorant.”
Kade’s attention flashes to the front door and he seems as if he’s straining to concentrate on something. The only thing I can think of is that he’s heard something with his advanced hearing.
“You okay?” I ask after a minute of waiting.
He doesn’t seem to hear me. He continues to stare at the door until the doorbell rings. He looks to me. “Are you expecting someone?” he asks extremely quietly. “A man?”
I shake my head. “No. I-” I’m about to tell him I don’t know any men to whom I’ve given my new address, but he presses a finger to his lips to shush me and then holds his hand up, palm facing me in the universal sign to stop.
I watch him skeptically, my heart fluttering. What is he so concerned about that he won’t even let me open my own front door? Then I recall that I was just attacked by a vampire today and he’s probably just being cautious. He walks to the door and looks through the peephole before taking two steps back from the door and motioning for me to go into my room. Trusting him, I do as he asks but I leave the bedroom door cracked open, so I can see what’s going on. Kade opens the front door but leaves the chain on. Before he can even greet the person at the door, I watch Kade speed backwards a few steps so fast that all I see is a blur. As he backs up, the door crashes inward so hard that I hear it bang against the wall. So much for getting my damage deposit back, not that that is my biggest worry currently as I watch an equally as fast blur enter the room and run smack into Kade, sending him flying into my kitchen table and cracking a leg off.
In complete shock, knowing that I’d be useless about now and would just get in the way, I stay where I am, unblinking. I watch as the two men push each other around violently.
Finally, after a few seconds Kade gets the upper hand and crouches on top of the other man while holding a knife to his throat. “Who are you?” Kade demands in a deep, commanding tone.
The man spits in his face and Kade sends the knife placed at his throat through the man’s left hand and into the floor before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a second knife and placing it at his throat.
The man on the floor barely even winces. “John Taylor. You killed my sire you piece of shit!”
“How many more of you are there?” Kade demands in an even tone, the question obviously rhetoric. “I thought sire bonds were rare.”
“Do you even know how many vampires you’ve killed?”
“A lot. Hundreds.” Kade answers not sounding disturbed at all by the death count. “They all had it coming.”
“I wouldn't expect I be the last one to track you down. Rumor spreads fast that you’re no longer under Bryxx protection. One of us will get the final jump on you.”
Kade doesn’t seem phased by the man’s words. He simply plunges the knife deep into the man’s heart and then back out again before standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans. Then he walks casually to the front door and closes it, turning the dead bolt. By the time my gaze flickers from him back to the dead vampire on my floor, the body is gone. There’s nothing even left in its spot. No blood, no bones, no dirt, nothing. Kade was right when he said that they don’t last long.
Kade stands in front of the bedroom door, his expression flat. “It appears I’ve stirred more trouble up than I thought over the last few years, and I seem to have brought it right to your doorstep... Literally.” The hard look in his eyes bores right through me and something in me tells me that this isn’t good, not at all.