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C h a p t e r   2

I struggled to keep up with the stranger after we scrambled like drowned rats out of the freezing cold Don River and up a steep grassy hill. He walked so fast it was as if he didn't want me to follow him. But what else was I supposed to do? He'd just saved my life. The least he could do was make sure I was still in one piece. One scared, shaking, drippy piece.
So far there hadn't been any sign of the creeps that tried to kill me. Maybe we'd lost them. I guess they didn't want to jump into the water after us. Can't say I blamed them for that.

That was one hell of a fall. How we'd survived it was another story, but it didn't really matter. I was okay. Now I was in need of a phone, a taxi, a police report, and a long, hot shower. Not necessarily in that order.

"Hey," I called after Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Dripping-Wet. "Wait up!"

All I'd seen of him after our impromptu swim was the back of his head moving swiftly away from me, so I was surprised when he actually stopped in his tracks. His broad shoulders went up and down as if he'd just let out a long sigh.

He turned to face me. "What now?"

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I suggest you do the same. Go find your sire and be on your way."

"My what?"

"Your sire."

"What's that?"

He nodded towards my neck. "Whoever gave you that hickey there. You'll need your sire to show you the ropes."

I touched my neck and winced. "Those bastards killed the guy who did this." I got a lump in my throat as I said it. What they'd done to Gordon played like an instant replay over and over in my mind. A few tears made a reappearance and I wiped them away with my wet sleeve. "He was a jerk, a total nutcase, but he didn't deserve...that. They killed him and they were going to do the same to me. It was horrible."

"They killed your sire," the stranger repeated. He didn't say anything else. He just stared at me.

I began to feel uncomfortable. Well, more than I already was, that is. I decided that going home was an excellent idea. I could call the cops from there.

"Did you drink from him?" he finally asked.

"What?"

He sighed. "Did you drink from your sire before he was slayed?"

"I had a few margaritas with dinner."

"That's not what I mean."

I blinked. "Then no. No drinking was done after dinner. Look, thanks for..." I didn't know exactly what to call our plunge to safety. I glanced back in the direction of the bridge. "...for the thing back there."

He didn't answer.

I shoved my hands into the soggy pockets of my leather jacket. Dirt was one thing, but water was another. It was probably ruined now, too. Just my damn luck. I forced a feeble grin before I started walking away from the stranger.

"Wait," he called after I'd gone half a block. "Are you certain that your sire is dead?"

"Positive," I said grimly. I pictured the empty clothes in my mind. What had happened to the body? Probably just my eyes playing tricks on me. It was a dark night and the margaritas with dinner had been doubles.

"What's your name?" He walked towards me.

I hesitated before answering. I'd had enough. I just wanted to go home now. "Sarah," I said. "Sarah Dearly."

His expression was tense, as if he was fighting an inner battle of some kind. I shouldn't be hanging out with this guy, I thought to myself, I didn't care if he did save my life. He was trying to kill himself, or at least that's what he had said. Not normal, sane behavior, in any case.

"Did your sire explain anything to you before he was murdered?"

"I don't know why you keep calling him my sire. He was my date. A blind date if you want to know the truth."

"Fine. Did your...date...explain anything to you?"

"About what?"

"About your neck and what it means."

I absently reached up to touch my wound and flinched.

"He said that he was a vampire and now I was one too."

The stranger nodded. "Well, that's a start. And then?"

"Then I sprayed him with pepper spray and ran away. He was out of his mind."

He frowned at me. "He wasn't lying."

"No, I'm sure he believed what he was saying. That's one of the signs of being crazy, isn't it?"

The stranger came nearer to me and I studied him up close for the first time. His handsome face was very pale in the moonlight and his eyes appeared to be silver, able to reflect what little light there was the way a cat's might.

When he spoke, I noticed the fangs.

"You are a vampire, Sarah. He wasn't crazy."

I had the can of pepper spray from my wet purse back in my hand in a flash. I held it up to his face. "Get away from me right now."

"Your only link to your new world has been killed. You need to listen to me if you want to survive."

"Vampires don't exist." My voice was firm, but my insides felt like jelly.

"Yes we do."

I pressed down on the spray's trigger button, but it flew out of my hand as the stranger effortlessly knocked it away. He grabbed my shoulders and I started fighting for my life, scratching and clawing at him like a wild animal.

"Stop it," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

It was impossible to fight him. He was so strong that I could barely move. Hot tears coursed down my cheeks and I was exhausted from fighting, from running, from denying what I was hearing.

My neck throbbed. I let my arms drop loosely to my sides. My head began to swim and I saw colors exploding as they had when Gordon hit me. I tried to focus on the stranger, his arms now the only thing keeping me from falling backwards onto the cold, hard pavement.

"It's okay." His voice suddenly sounded miles away. Distant and fading. "I'll take care of you."

The world went black.

* * *

I opened my eyes. I was sprawled on a leather sofa in a dark, unfamiliar room. I sat up slowly. My head ached as if I had the worst hangover of my life.

That sure was one crazy dream.

I looked around. Where the hell am I?

There was a rustle to my left and a door opened. The stranger emerged from what looked like a kitchen area. He held a glass of water in his hand and he didn't smile when he saw I was awake.

Ah. Must be still dreaming . Sure felt real though.

"Who are you?" I moved as far away from him as the sofa would allow. My voice croaked as if I'd been asleep for a while. Which was strange, since I'd never dreamed that I was sleeping before.

"My name is Thierry de Bennicoeur," he said.

"French."

"Originally."

"You don't have an accent."

"Not anymore."

"And you're a vampire."

"Yes."

"Where are we?"

"My house."

He was a man of few words. I searched my mind for something else to say. If I stayed silent too long I might start panicking again. I didn't care if this was a dream, it was a weird one.

"Why were you trying to kill yourself?" I asked absently.

He stared at me for a moment, but ignored the question. "How do you feel right now?"

"Like I went out drinking and a bus hit me. I want to go home." I made a move to stand up but the flashing pain in my head stopped me cold. Were you supposed to feel pain in a dream? Didn't seem right.

"We need to take care of something first," Thierry said.

"What?" I glanced at him and my eyes widened when I saw a sharp knife in his hand. "What the hell are you planning on doing with that?"

He raised an eyebrow at my panicked tone. My eyes widened even more when I saw him drag the blade across his wrist.

Holy shit! He was going to finish killing himself right in front of me. That was so sick.

I felt so weak that all I could do was whimper as I saw blood flow from his cut. He held his wrist over the glass of water and let his blood drip into it. Then he produced a spoon and stirred the contents.

"If your first drink is not directly from your sire, then it's best for it to be a little weak," he explained.

I stared at the diluted blood with disbelief. Then I looked at his wrist. The wound was rapidly disappearing until there was no more than a small pink line where the cut had been.

"Drink." He offered me the glass.

I waved it away. "I'd rather have a Diet Coke if you don't mind."

He placed the glass down on the shiny, black coffee table and stood up. "Let me explain a few things to you, Sarah Dearly. Number one: your sire didn't finish making you a vampire before he was killed. The wound on your neck proves that. If he'd finished properly it would be nearly healed by now. Number two: to finish the job you need to ingest the blood of a full-strength vampire. Since I don't see any other volunteers around, I figured it was up to me. So don't be difficult."

"I'm not drinking anybody's blood," I said firmly.

He shrugged. "Then you'll die before the end of the night. There is a toxin in a vampire's fangs that will infect its victim when the sire drinks deeply and fully of their blood. The toxin is what makes one a vampire. If your...date...had simply wanted a small taste of you, then it would be a moot point. However, by your symptoms, his intention was obviously to make you one of us. The toxin now in your body needs to be counteracted with this." He indicated the glass of pink water. "Simple as that."

I frowned hard and touched my neck. "But why would he do that? Bite me? I don't want to be an evil, bloodsucking vampire." I looked at him. "No offense intended."

"Your experience is unfortunate, yes. Your sire didn't follow the unwritten rules which state that one does not bring over an unwilling fledgling. And vampires are not evil."

"Yes, they are."

"No, they are not. Not as a rule, anyhow. Some are, some aren't. Just like humans. How one was as a human will govern their behavior when they become a vampire."

I was still frowning. "That doesn't make any sense."

He sighed. "I don't know why I even bothered trying to help you. It's obvious you won't last."

"What do you mean I won't last?" I was weak and scared and still almost completely convinced this was all just a bizarrely vivid dream, but I could still feel insulted.

He counted on his fingers. "Your sire is dead. You seem to attract hunters like a magnet. And you know absolutely nothing about vampires."

I frowned at him and crossed my arms. "I'll have you know I know loads about vampires. Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors."

Thierry grimaced. "That will get you far."

I felt a rise of anger chase away my fear. "I don't need anybody's help. I'm fine all by myself. I didn't ask for you to bring me back to your--" I looked around at the sparse decor "--subterranean love nest, mister. And for another thing--"

White-hot pain exploded through my entire body. I clutched at the side of the couch, and tore at the smooth leather with my French-manicured fingernails. "Oh God, oh my God," I moaned in agony. "What's happening to me?"

"You're dying," he said matter-of-factly. "But it should be over before dawn, so don't worry."

"Dying?" I yelped. I was starting to believe him. Another wave of pain hit me and I doubled over and slid down to the floor. "Help me," I managed, fear slicing through me like a knife through butter. "Why are you just standing there? Do something!"

"I can't do anything more." His handsome face was blank. "I gave you the blood. I can't drink it for you."

The pink-tinged water sat innocently on the coffee table as I suffered next to it. After another burst of agony I grabbed the cold glass, brought it to my trembling lips, and glugged the whole thing down.

The pain stopped immediately. It was like Gatorade for vampires. I lay on my back on Thierry's hardwood floor and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. Then I pushed myself into a sitting position and took in a long, deep breath while I tried to compose myself.

"More?" Thierry offered.

"No, I'm good."

"You should go home now. It'll be dawn before too long."

I nodded with a firm shake of my head. "Can't go out in the sun anymore, right? I'll be burnt to a crisp?"

He almost looked amused with me. "Is that from the school of Anne Rice? Sunlight is not good for vampires, correct. You'll feel your strongest at night. During the day the sun will make you feel weaker and it will seem at times overbearingly bright, but I promise that you won't burn up."

"Really? Well, that's good to know."

"If it bothers you too much while you're still new, I suggest you try to travel about the city using the underground tunnel system, what do they call it here in Toronto? The PATH?"

"And how long will I be considered new?"

"Fifty years or so."

"Oh." I thought about that. I'd be considered new till my seventy-eighth birthday. I'd be as old as Uncle Jim who recently said a final good-bye to Canadian winters to move permanently down to Florida. "So it's true that vampires live forever?"

He frowned. "We don't die of the usual human ailments and we essentially stop aging from the point we are sired, if that's what you mean."

Interesting. Completely implausible, but very interesting.

"So how old are you?" I asked.

He took the empty glass away from me and returned it to the kitchen. Through the open doorway I could see him rinse it under the sink, then place it neatly into a stainless steel dishwasher before he answered me.

"Old."

"How old?"

"Six hundred or so."

My mouth dropped open. "Wow. I mean, you look good for six hundred. I would have thought you'd be all crusty and falling apart by that age. That's amazing."

He looked away with an odd expression on his handsome, non-crusty face. "Yes, amazing." There was zero enthusiasm in his voice.

"I guess it's just going take me a little while to get used to being undead."

"Un-what?"

"Undead. An animated corpse. A vampire ." I shrugged at him. "Duh."

He looked exasperated with me. "Are you still breathing?"

I frowned and concentrated to make sure I was still inhaling and exhaling.

Yup.

"Of course I am."

"And, is your heart still beating?"

I put a hand over my chest. There it was, the steady thumping of my heart. A little erratic, but still beating. "Yeah."

"And my heart, does it beat?"

I frowned at him, then raised a hand to press against his very firm, very warm, and very male chest. It took me a moment before I remembered why I was touching him. Oh yeah, the heart thing.

I nodded. "Yes."

He took a step back from me and my hand fell to my side. "So what does that tell you?"

"Not undead?"

"Correct."

I stood up. Considering what I'd endured tonight, I felt okay. "I guess I'll go. Can you call me a cab, or..." I tried to smile and actually succeeded, "or can I turn into a bat and fly home now?"

He studied me for a moment. "I'll call you a cab."

He made the call and we waited in uncomfortable silence for ten minutes.

I was a little disappointed about the bat thing. That would have been cool.

Hands down, this was the weirdest dream I'd ever had. Even weirder than the one in which I'd married a hobbit and moved to Mars. Too bad too, because this Thierry guy was majorly cute in a sullenly suicidal way. Maybe I'd seen him in a magazine at the hair salon the other day and he'd been burned into my subconscious for later use.

But it was definitely a dream. I mean, vampires? Hunters? My blind date being shishkabobbed and then vanishing into a little puddle of goo? Puh-lease. Total dream-city. I was just surprised it hadn't occurred to me while all the drama had been in progress. I could have saved myself a lot of unneeded, wrinkle-causing stress.

When the cab driver finally showed up, I stood up from the sofa and realized that my ankle no longer hurt. Guess it wasn't a sprain after all. I picked up my purse from the floor and grabbed my coat that Thierry had carefully placed on the back of a chair to dry. He'd taken it off me while I'd been sleeping. Even damp, my silk dress wasn't see-through, so I had decided not to make a fuss about it.

I smiled at Thierry. "Thanks for all your help. When I wake up tomorrow and know for sure this has all been just a dream, at least it's been a very interesting one." I started to move past him but he grabbed my arm.

"You're not dreaming, Sarah. You must take this very seriously. Things are different for you now, whether you like it or not."

I shrugged. "I don't feel any different."

"But you are. With the hunters around, you must take your safety into consideration. You've already seen tonight what they consider fun and games." He felt around in his pockets and produced a business card. "Take this," he pressed it into my palm. "Go to that address tomorrow evening for help in starting your new life."

I slid the card into my purse without even looking at it. "Thanks Thierry, really. Take care of yourself, okay?"

I wanted to say: Don't go killing yourself , but figured that might be a tad rude.

His intense silver eyes flashed at me. "You too."

He held the door open and I made my way out and into the back of the taxi.

"One-eleven Ashburn Avenue," I told the driver and he pulled away from the curb. I turned around in my seat. The door to Thierry's high-end townhome was already closed, the lights in the front windows went off. I'd probably never see him again.

I pulled the business card out of my soggy purse.

Midnight Eclipse Tanning Salon.

Must be the wrong one , I thought, and shuffled through the contents of my bag. Hairbrush, wallet, lipstick, tampon. But there was only the one business card.

Midnight Eclipse Tanning Salon was the place to go to start my new life?

I shrugged inwardly. I was going to Mexico next month. Now that I thought about it, it would be nice to get a base tan before I left.

Read Chapter 3...

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Bitten & Smitten
Warner Forever
ISBN: 0446617008