“Thank you so much, Tash. I owe you big time for this one.”
“Yes you do, and believe me, I’ll never let you forget it. When do you want to do it? I would advise really early in the morning.”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
***
Drake was always glad to help Elsie out whenever he could. He was extremely glad to still be alive, and so relieved that Megan was still with him. Every time he thought of Megan, safe and under the same roof, every other horror was somehow easier to deal with. And it was part of this macabre deal that he had made with Elsie. Drake dozed in the passenger seat of Elsie’s car.
“Sorry it’s so early honey. It won’t take us too long.”
“I asked you not to call me honey,” Drake mumbled.
“It’s a term of endearment; I can’t understand why you would object to that.”
Drake cracked open his eyelids and looked sideways through the blurry opening. “It makes it sound like you think of my blood as, the sweet taste of honey.”
Elsie smiled. She felt good about this. The possible consequences meant nothing. It was going to happen…it had to happen. It was a total injustice not to do it-personally and to the people of the Empire. Elsie’s thoughts strayed to the procedure and allowed herself a sensuous glimpse of herself latched onto Drake’s neck. A quiver migrated up her spine, and she gave her head a shake to vacate the intense vision.
“We’re here. Wakey, wakey, sleepy bones.”
The parking lot was empty except for Tasha’s car. Elsie looked up at the security camera and felt a rush. She hadn’t considered that. She hoped Tasha hadn’t noticed as well and had a change of heart.
“Those are some of the cabinets we need to move, and there’s the cart. I’ll go track down Tasha and see where she wants them. Prepare one of them while I find her.”
She found Tasha in her office. “Ready?” Elsie asked hopefully.
“Yep. Everything in the lab is ready. How do you want to do this.”
Elsie relaxed. “He’s in the lobby waiting. When he leans over to do something, hit him with the sedative. It’s fast acting, right?”
“Instant. I put a gurney in the lobby. We can wheel him down on that,” Tasha talked as she walked. “Did you notice the security camera outside?”
“Yes. I didn’t even think of that. Thank goodness there aren’t any inside, right?”
“Do you think we’d even be here right now if there was?”
“Good morning, Drake. It’s nice to see you again. Thanks for coming down to help me out; I really appreciate it.”
Drake smiled sleepily. “No problem.”
“Drake is always so good to help me out,” Elsie said.
“So let’s start with the one you have ready to go, obviously.” Tasha looked over at Elsie and raised her eyebrows. Drake really was a beautiful human specimen; what an exciting feed he would be. Tasha waited for the right moment, nonchalantly walked behind Drake and sedated him with a quick jab to his glute-then took charge, “Let’s roll him onto the operating table, face up. Then I’ll hook you up to him so that the blood you take from him gets recycled back into his body. You’ll need to continue feeding for usually about 20 minutes. Everybody is different in regards to how fast they react, but I am monitoring his blood mixture ratio as we go. If you need a break let me know; it’s a long time to feed. I’ll inject him with the anti-rejection serum as soon as you’re done. It’ll be rapture at first, but believe me, it will become work after ten or fifteen minutes.”
“A labor of love,” Elsie cooed.
Tasha glanced over. “Uh, huhh.”
Tasha performed her tasks quickly and precisely, while Elsie stood to the side, trying to remain calm.
“Okay baby girl, he’s all yours; enjoy yourself.” Tasha stepped aside.
Elsie felt a pang of relief, but it was quickly outshined by the passion that was engulfing her body. She wavered.
Tasha steadied her friend. “Here, let me help you. Wow, you’ve really got it bad.”
Elsie smiled, a little embarrassed, but instantly dismissed it. She looked at Drake’s beautiful young face. “He’ll stay this way forever now.” She paused a moment, then slowly bent down to Drake’s neck. Her needle sharp fangs expertly pierced his flesh and her drips of paralyzing fluid trickled into the wounds. Elsie felt the rapture that she had been dreaming of for years as Drake’s nutrient rich blood rushed through her fangs directly into her brain. Elsie’s body momentarily went rigid then slowly relaxed.
Tasha felt a twinge of jealousy, looking at Elsie’s rapture stricken expression, but soon got to task and hooked Elsie up to Drake. The blood mixture shot through the tube, into Drake’s circulatory system. Tasha looked around a little nervously. She extracted two of Drake’s teeth and replaced them with hollow fangs, drilling and attaching them directly to the blood supply for the brain.
Tasha was right, over 10 minutes was a long time to feed and Elsie’s jaw began to fatigue, but she was determined to finish in one go. She knew Tasha would be anxious to finish quickly. The final 5 minutes seemed like an eternity to Elsie.
“Good girl-you can do it,” Tash urged her friend on. “We’re at 97 percent; just a couple more minutes.”
Feeling lifted by the figure, Elsie put on a surge and was relieved to feel Tasha’s hand on her shoulder.
“Okay, you’re done.” Tasha quickly unhooked the tubing between the two.
Elsie rolled off Drake and stood on shaky legs, while Tasha injected Drake with the anti-rejection drug.
“Now, I just need to finish fitting the teeth and the fluid sacs and we’re done. Sit down before you fall down.”
Elsie sighed deeply and contentedly. “Wow-wow-wow! Tasha, that was amazing. I mean, I knew it would be, but it completely exceeded my expectations. The first 10 minutes were incredible.”
“And the last several?”
Elsie looked up and smirked. “Torture-just like you said.”
“Now we’ll bring him around and let him acclimatize and recover for about an hour…hopefully quicker. We’ll observe him and engage him as much as possible to make him more alert. Everything went smoothly. I don’t foresee any complications, at least any physical ones. You’ll have to deal with the rest.”
Elsie closed her eyes and sighed. “Gladly. Even if it takes a century for him to come around…I can wait.”
“He’s coming out of it. He’ll be groggy for a bit but as he gets his wits about him, he’ll realize that his senses are heightened. Remember when you were first initiated?” Tasha asked.
A faraway look came across Elsie’s face. “Like it was yesterday. I felt so vibrant and alive and full of energy. I had the feeling I could accomplish anything. And I had the ambition to do it. The first time I hungered for the kill was a difficult time though. I felt it coming on for days. But my father starved me so much before my first kill that I thought I would kill someone.”
Tasha laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. My first kill was over 200 years ago but I remember it well. He was so beautiful. I got to pick him myself, and my donor spared no expense. I wanted him so badly, but I was afraid to kill him. Not because I didn’t want to kill, but because I didn’t want him to die and leave me. I wanted to keep him. My donor recognized my dilemma and took me to a few top quality blood auctions, just to show me the constant flow of available men. He told me that I would have an eternity of beautiful men. But the final straw was the desperate need to feed that was constantly building within. I finally gave in and the experience was overwhelmingly incredible. It was like two desires being quenched at once. I admit that I felt depressed, like I had lost something. But that soon passed when the hunger for another kill swelled and needed to be quenched. I learned that they are all beautiful in their own way and that I could have a new, fresh kill every week. I have often thought that certain individuals would make good Vampire partners but I accepted that they were not chosen for conversion. And, there are lots of Vampire m
en out there that would make good mates. I just have to find one,” Tasha said with a glint in her eye. “He’s coming around. Hello Drake, how are you feeling?”
Drake blinked hard as he focused his eyes. “Whoa, I feel weird.”
Elsie and Tasha exchanged glances.
“Did I pass out?”
“Something like that. I’ll explain at home.”
“Try to sit up,” Tasha instructed, and she and Elsie assisted Drake.
“My neck hurts.” Drake’s hand went to the bandaged wound on his neck and he noticed the gauze on his wrist as well. “What the hell? What have you done to me?” he roared.
“I told you, I’ll explain at home.”
“You’ll explain now!” Drake’s eyes lit up with comprehension. “You didn’t!” Drake probed the two women’s faces and waited a moment for them to contradict his suspicion- but, it was not forthcoming. “You couldn’t have.”
Tasha looked at Elsie and stepped away.
“Yes, we converted you, but for your own good and for the good of The Empire,” Elsie said . “They made a huge mistake, not making an exception for you; the society needs you, and now you’ll live forever. Can’t you see it’s for the best?”
Drake shook his head in disgust. “No. I can’t believe you did this to me! You know I hate what you are.”
“I’ve told you before; you’ve always had to kill to survive. The killing will just be a little different now.”
“How could you do this without my consent?”
“Because you never would have consented to it.” Elsie’s eyes teared up and her voice cracked. “I saved you from the auction block. I saved Megan as well. Do you know how hard that was for me, and to have her living in the same house, knowing that you love her and not me. You’d both be dead now if it wasn’t for me.”
“I’d rather be dead than…this!”
“I know how you feel, but trust me; you’ll get used to it. It is the nature of things in the dome. It’s been that way for 1000 years, and you can now be a part of its glory, for as long as you choose to embrace it.”
“Change me back.”
Tasha stepped in. “There is no way to change you back. You either adapt, or you die.”
“Then I’ll die. Take me home.”
Elsie wiped the tears from her cheeks and helped him to his feet.
Tasha took Drake’s other arm. “Be careful, you’re bound to be a little woozy. He’ll be fine, just take it easy for a couple of hours.” Tasha threw a brief smile Elsie’s way.
“Thanks Tash, I’ll let you know how it’s going.”
Chapter 7
First Kill
Drake moped around the house for a few days. His appetite for food was gone. He wondered what happened to all of the now obsolete digestive functions within his body. As the days passed, Drake became aware of an emerging hunger. It wasn’t what he was used to when his stomach used to growl just before dinner…no, this was subtle at first, but steadily growing. And the feeling was different. It was hard for him to put his finger on it, as the feelings were similar to what they had been before, but confusingly different. It wasn’t just the need for food anymore; it was a mixture of a desire to satisfy a need for sustenance combined with the need to fulfill a sexual desire. Elsie purposely left current flyers of blood stock laying about the house. Ignoring them at first, Drake felt the allure of them tempting him more frequently. He saw Christopher exchanging them one day.
“Did Elsie tell you to do that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why do you call me sir now, Christopher?”
“Because, now you are master of the house.”
“Master of the house?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m still the same guy…well maybe not…obviously not.”
“Exactly, sir.”
“What have you and Margaret been told?”
“We know that you are now a Vampire, and we also know that the Great Edict was passed months ago, so conversions are not being done. Elsie swore us to secrecy and we have agreed. Not because we feel a devotion to her, but she has pointed out that if she’s caught, we will lose our comfortable jobs, and you may lose your life. Margaret and I are pleased that you are a Vampire now.” Christopher looked at his friend and Drake shook his head. Christopher continued: “Miss Elsie will be happier and you’ll be a part of the household for a very long time. You’ll see-it’s not so bad. You’ll be able to make sure Megan is well cared for the rest of her life.”
“Yes, but what kind of life.”
“I understand the way you feel, but try to make the best of it. I personally think you’re kind of lucky.”
Drake’s brow tightened up.
Christopher finished his thought, “You’ve fallen into a pretty comfortable life for yourself. I know you don’t see it that way, but it’s true.”
Drake just looked down and shook his head in response. His gaze landed on the freshly placed flyer from The Blood Shop, the front page adorned with lovely young women, all revealing the shapely, subtle curvature of their shoulder and neckline. He felt his gums swell and sting around his new fangs. The throbbing pain had subsided, but when aroused, and his fangs began to extend, a sharp twinge of pain always followed. More and more, these images were the catalyst to his ever building desire. With his eyes still on the flyer, Drake surveyed every delicate rise and fall of the alluring neck-lines. Jerking his head up, Drake shot a look of disgust towards Christopher and briskly walked off.
Christopher watched Drake walk away and felt sympathy for him. He noticed that the floors would need to be polished again. Miss Fleck loved her hardwood to gleam.
The kitchen was in a bit of disarray when Christopher walked in. He commented on it as he threw the expired flyers into a half full bin. “Whoa, cooking for an army?”
Margaret turned and purposefully put her hands on her hips. “She’s went and bought four more. So that’s four more mouths to feed. One is a woman.” She raised her eyebrows. “Actually, I haven’t seen her this happy, in years.”
“Yeah, in between then and now it’s been misery. Thanks goodness for, Drake.”
Margaret laughed. “Have you seen him at all? Now that he’s not eating human food, I never see him. I kind of miss him.”
“He’s pretty depressed, and starving, and feeling lost. It’s hard for me to look back that far, but I think I may have felt a pang of guilt after my first few kills. But that soon passed, as it will for Drake.”
“You think so? I think he may starve himself to death before he kills.”
“I don’t think that’s even possible,” Christopher said.
“I hope you’re right. It would certainly brighten up the household on so many levels if Drake would only come around. Do you have time to give me a hand?”
“I guess so,” Christopher said, grimacing slightly. “Oop, there’s the door.”
“It better not be another Blood Shop delivery. Come right back,” Margaret yelled after Christopher as he ran out of the room.
“Oh, hello Miss Sanders. Is Miss Fleck expecting you?”
“Yes she is. How are things Christopher?”
“Not bad. The household is in a little disarray right now.”
“Oh, how so?” Tasha said as she walked towards the living room.
“Oh it’s just Mr.-I mean Drake has been in a bit of a depressed state lately.”
Tasha sat down and made herself comfortable as Christopher followed behind. “Oh? That’s surprising; Elsie seems to be in such a good mood lately.”
“She is. It’s just Drake. I guess he’s just depressed about something. I’ll tell Miss Fleck you are here.” Christopher smiled and beat a hasty retreat.
Elsie came in and greeted Tasha.
“So, do you think Christopher and Margaret can keep quiet about this? I just grilled Christopher a bit and he did pretty well. Thanks for keeping my name out of it.”
“I promised I would. And yes I think they’ll be
fine. As time goes on they’ll forget about this and just accept it. They enjoy Drake’s company and now that he’s one of us, it will be even easier for them to relate to him.”
“And what about Drake, how is he adapting?”
“Not well, I’m afraid. But statistics show that fresh converts who show reluctance to make their first kill, seldom, if ever, starve themselves to death.”
“You’re probably right.”
“What about afterwards, when the feeling of guilt will crush him; are you ready for that?”
“Don’t forget that it was once part of my job, to help new converts settle into Vampire society. Some of them start off quite rough, but I’ve never lost one.”
“Yes, but you didn’t have to live with any of them,” Tasha pointed out.
“I can deal with it.” Elsie’s expression suddenly brightened. “I finally bought one.”
“One, what?”
“Drake’s first.”
“You finally settled on one?”
“Well, it was hard. I want him to want her obviously, but I also feel a little jealous if he wants her. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I know what you mean. It’s a curse to be jealous of humans of the same gender. That’s why so many Vampires prefer to be single. I don’t know how they can go for eternity without a companion though. Well anyway, that’s good you finally picked one. Wednesday will be good timing. The conversion will be complete by then. Is he showing any signs of giving in to his craving?”
“I’ve left lots of blood shop flyers around the house. It’s weird to have flyers for human women. They’ve never come into the house before.”
“I know you’ve probably already thought this, but had you considered Megan? It would kill two birds with one stone.”
“Yes, I definitely considered it, but I think it’s too early. Hopefully sometime in the future though; if she’s even desirable by then.” Elsie smiled wickedly. “You know what I want to try…a couple kill.”
“Oh, you dirty girl. I think just getting him to feed on his own for the first time will be a challenge; one step at a time.”
Elsie sighed, “Yep, you’re right. We’ve got a few obstacles to overcome first.”
Tasha stood up. “Okay, I’ve got to go. Are you going to try to make it to my party on Saturday? No Drake though. And they’ll ask about him, because they’re used to seeing him with you. What are you going to say?”