Blood of a Werewolf (10 page)

“Sounds fun. Will we be staying in Monterey tonight?”

“Could be! I took the liberty of getting two rooms near Cannery Row in case we didn’t want to drive back tonight, but I will leave that up to you to decide.” He reached over and gently clasped her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it with lips so gentle, she trembled and blushed. Then he dropped it down onto his thigh to rest. He occasionally stroked the top of her hand with his thumb.
 
It was so calming and sweet.
 
His tenderness seemed limitless.
 

His hand was warm around hers and she worried that his warmth may give her sweaty palms.
 
The nervous excitement was intense enough.
What if he thinks sweaty hands are gross? Can I control it? Shouldn’t they make sweaty palm antiperspirant? I mean, isn’t it normal to have sweaty palms on your first date?
 
She was looking out the window and starting to get very tense.
 
She had shorts on, and it could get rather chilly on the coast in the evening, even in the summer.
 
I don’t have a toothbrush either. Yuck, morning breath,
she thought.

He picked her hand up kissed it again and said, “Darby, I don’t care if you get sweaty palms.” He turned her hand over and kissed her palm, which was very hot, but not quite sweaty.
 
Then he brought her hand up to touch his cheek and continued, “I’ve also taken the liberty to pack some necessities for both of us and what we don’t have we can get in Monterey.”
 

She looked at him, eyes focused, as if trying to look into his mind and with a smirk she said, “You’re reading my mind, aren’t you?”

A little embarrassed, he released her hand and put it back on the steering wheel and answered, “Yes! But I can hardly help it.
 
I’ve been able to read your mind from our first meeting.
 
Normally, I can sense things about someone, maybe read a thought or two, but the connection with you, well, I find it hard to define my thoughts from yours.”

“Well, now that is embarrassing.
 
So you heard that whole thing with the sweaty palm antiperspirant and...” Then a realization hit her,
Oh my God, have I pictured him naked or….Oh God, this isn’t happening
.

He couldn’t help it; he laughed out loud and then quickly tried to stop.
 
He stroked her hair.
 

“Please don’t be embarrassed,” he said, “If you think I haven’t had some of the same thoughts, well, you are mistaken.
 
Very poorly mistaken!” He chuckled and then he was a bit embarrassed himself.

“But why can’t I read your mind, if mine seems so connected to yours?” she asked.

“I’m not sure! But somehow I think with time, you will be able to.
 
You’ve not really tapped into all your gifts yet.
 
I would guess that there are a few things you can do that you don’t know you can do, just because you have never tried.
 
I’d like to explore that with you, if you would allow me. I mean if you are not interested, that’s one thing, but if you are curious – you and your sister, I think Blake and I can help you. Even test you!”

“Really, you think I have that kind of power...potential?”

“I really do!
 
But let’s get something straight right now – I’m not with you right now because of what you can do.
 
Sure you and your sister may be able to help my brother and me with this Paine problem, but that is not why I’m with you.
 
I can’t speak for my brother on this, but as for me, I’m in…I mean...I...I can’t breathe or think when I am away from you.
 
Somewhere in the last few days, I’ve come to...hmmm...Let’s say it this way...My life was perfectly fine before I met you. I thought. But now that you’re here and I’ve gotten to know you, I couldn’t go back to my old life.
 
I’ve now seen what I was missing.
 
I’ve touched it, kissed it,” he smiled, “laughed with it, now there is no going back.
 
You’ve become a part of me, like an organ or limb, that I can’t do without.
 
If you didn’t have any power at all, that part would not change.
 
You are my happiness now.
 
I only hope that you feel the same.”

A tear fell and rolled down her cheek as he finished speaking.
 
She hadn’t realized that her eyes had even welled up, and she looked at him as he stared out the windshield of the car and said, “I do feel that way and I have to say that was the most perfect thing anyone, ever, has said to me.”
 
She raised her hand and touched his cheek with her whole sweaty palm and let her hand glide down his face, letting her fingertips run along his jawbone to his chin and then down his neck, over his Adam’s apple to the vulnerable triangular indentation at the base of his throat.

She felt a tiny vibration with her fingertips as he let out an almost inaudible groan.
 
If she hadn’t felt the vibration, she might not have known he had groaned at all.

“Umm, please don’t do that while I’m driving.
 
I want to make sure I get you there in one piece and I’m afraid if you keep that up...ummm...I’ll crash the car at the very least.”
 
With that he gave her a warning look, with a sly, erotic smile.

She bit her lip and smiled, turning back forward in her seat.

“However,” he continued, “just so we are clear, you can do that anytime you like, when I’m not operating any heavy machinery and preferably when we’re alone, because you will definitely get a reaction from me.”

“What kind of reaction?” she asked coyly.

“Try it tonight if you wish, and you’ll get your answer.”

Sweet, sweet anticipation – there’s nothing like it
, she thought.
 

He answered out loud, “Here, here!” They both laughed.

There was some silence as both thought on what might or might not happen that night. Darby broke the silence. “Can you influence a person’s thoughts with your mind? As a vampire, I mean.”

“Yes. Some vampires use this influence to lure their prey, but for myself, I use it so they don’t remember the feeding. They have no recollection of meeting me, or the feeding, they just assume they got bit by an insect.”

“Have you ever influenced me?”

“Not so far,” he laughed.

“Can you influence other vampires?”

“No.”

“Can you sense them? I mean, do you know when another is around?”

“Yes.”

“What’s it like drinking blood? It seems like such an intimate thing – like taking someone’s life force. Is there a connection you feel with the person?”

“Hmmm,” he said a little embarrassed, then continued, “It’s hard to describe drinking blood, because I’ve always done it. It would be like me asking you what it felt like to drink water. I would suppose a made-vampire could describe it better since they were human and turned vampire.
 
But as for the intimacy, yes, I suppose there is a bit of intimacy there. Again, this would be better answered by a made-vampire, who has something to compare it to. If I had to describe it, I would say that it is similar to any animal feeding on another. The need for sustenance is primal for all living things.”
 

“Have you ever shared your blood with another vampire?”

“No, I haven’t. Some vampire couples do.
 
I guess it would be another form of sexual intimacy, but I’ve never met anyone, until now, that I ever wanted to experience that kind of closeness with.”

“Have you ever wanted to bite me?”

“No. I feel protective of you. I couldn’t possibly hurt you.”

“Speaking of biting, does it hurt?”

“Why?”
 

“I don’t know.
 
There may come a time when you are weak, hungry, or hurt. There’s no reason you couldn’t take some of my blood, right? I just want to know if it would hurt.”

“No, I think it only hurts for a second, like a needle going in, but then again I’ve never been bitten.
 
There’s always the mind influence too; I could block the pain in your mind if need be.”
 

“How do you turn a human into a vampire?”

“It’s a process of feeding on the human and then offering the vampire blood to the human.
 
How much of each, I have no idea.”

“Would you ever consider turning me, if that was what I wanted?”

“I don’t see the benefit of putting you through a near death experience, that may or may not work, and then watching you suffer through the endless craving and lust for blood. What would be the point?”

“To be with you forever would be the point, and to be more like you. Immortality with someone you love, how could that be a bad thing?”

“I know that sounds romantic to you, but forever is a very long time to have such a craving and hunger.”

“So I take it you’ve never made a vampire?”

“No – the process itself is very tricky and it doesn’t always work. You’re supposed to control them, teach them not to kill humans, be responsible for those you turn.
 
Most don’t follow through with the responsibility thing.
 
It can be done, though.
 
There are some born vampires who have fallen in love with humans and turned them, to be with them longer.”

“I’m sorry I’m asking so many questions. It’s just kind of fascinating. Plus I guess it helps me to get a handle on it.
 
Wrap my brain around it, so to speak.”

“It’s fine.
 
I’m just glad you find it fascinating and not terrifying. I was a little worried there for a while.”

“Even if I ran initially, I somehow think I’d be running back to find you as soon as my mind cleared.” He smiled.

After a few minutes they turned off of Highway One and pulled into the valet area of the Spindrift Inn on Cannery Row. When Devon turned off the car and pulled the lever to pop the trunk, Darby turned to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining or anything.”

“Thank you.”

“For what? So far I’ve only driven you to Monterey.”

“For everything, but mostly for being you.”

“Well, that’s an easy one. I wake up everyday as me and I don’t even have to try!”
 

They both chuckled and he got out of the car.
 
As he was walking around the front of the car, he noticed she was starting to get out and as they met eyes, he put up his hand with one finger up as if issuing a demand for her to stop. She smiled coyly but was tickled by his gallantry.
 
He came over to her door, opened it, and held out his hand to help her out.

How utterly romantic, I feel like royalty!
she thought to herself with a smile.

He responded out loud, “Get used to it!”
 

With his left hand hovering at the small of her back, he led her to the door.
 
An old-fashioned gesture
, she thought,
like holding hands, but more proper.
To tell all men in the vicinity ‘this beautiful woman is with me and I’m proud to be with her.’
 

The porter came to him.
 
In his right hand, Devon had his key and some cash.
 
The porter put out his hand as if to shake hands with Devon, but it was a ruse to give him the key and tip.
 
Devon then asked him to bring the bags.

He led her to the counter. A gorgeous woman stood behind the counter, ogling Devon and completely ignoring Darby. She said to Devon, “May I help you, Sir?”
 
He answered her, “Check-In for Bloomington.”
 

Then he turned to Darby, pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head.
 
Completely disgruntled by his lack of attention to her, the gorgeous woman said, “Yes, I have you down for two rooms for you and your guest.”

That’s when Darby whispered in his ear, “How about just one?”
 

His eyebrows rose, and he looked at her to verify that she was sure. She nodded in response. He turned and said, “Seems our other guest will not be joining us. We’ll only be needing one room.”
 

“Certainly, Sir.”

He interrupted her to add, “But the arrangements for the one room have not changed, correct?”

“No, Sir. Your instructions are all right here and will be ready for you at the requested time.”
 
As the woman read through all the instructions, she seemed to be even madder.

Devon turned back to Darby, who confronted him with a confused look.
 
“Just a little surprise!” he said tauntingly. Like a little boy with a secret, his smile was as bright as the sun.

They turned from the counter and went back outside, turned right on the sidewalk, and walked about a block to the aquarium.
 
It was Sunday and there were many people there.
 
They looked at all the exhibits and touched all the critters they were allowed to.
 

There was an amazing jellyfish exhibit.
 
Darby had no idea there were so many different kinds - different sizes, different colors, some that even looked like they had LED lights running up and down them.

They walked past a humongous tank with kelp as tall as two stories. The kelp swayed with the ocean current. It made Darby a bit dizzy to watch, but it was gorgeous.
 
In another area was a glass tunnel where they had a simulated wave crashing over it, so it was like surfing inside the tube of a wave.

They headed for the seahorse exhibit.
 
It was dark and crowded like most of the exhibits, but Darby had a hold of Devon’s hand the whole time.
 
She didn’t even get sweaty palms.
 
There were so many kinds of seahorses.
 
Again, she had no idea there were so many.
 
There were all different colors and sizes and even shapes.
 
Some looked like sticks and some looked like clumps of seaweed but as they floated around you could make out what was their head and body.
 
It was so amazing and she was so excited to share it with Devon.
 
He
oohed and ahhed
and pointed just as she did, wanting to share everything they saw with each other.