Sunrise at Sunset (16 page)

The doorbell rang after 7 pm, and his pulse quickened in anticipation as he opened the door with a smile. Katrina stood before him wearing a pair of black denim jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, and knee-high black leather boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail like the night before. She was definitely dressed to kill, in a manner of speaking.

She pressed the tip of her finger against his chest as she stepped forward with a playful grin, demanding, “You didn’t even look through the peephole, my love. What if I were a robber?” She handed him a small paper sack labeled with a local drugstore as she walked past him.

He took it from her and glanced at it curiously. One side of his mouth upturned in a partial smile as he shut the door behind her. “Well, if you were a robber, you’d probably be waiting for me in some dark parking lot, wouldn’t you?”

“Hm, we’re going to have to work on security issues with you, I see,” she noted absently before leaning into his lips with her own, kissing him warmly, yet all too briefly.

“I missed you today,” he whispered as his hands went to her hips to prevent her from pulling away from him.

Her arms encircled his waist, and she smiled brightly at him. “I missed you too,” she confessed. “Daytime is hard when all I want to do is be with you.”

He considered that for a moment. “I guess I haven’t given it any thought recently. I take both the day and night for granted, I suppose.”

“As all humans should,” she responded matter-of-factly, releasing him and pulling away to sit on one of his kitchen bar stools.

Something in the way she said that bothered him, but he wasn’t sure why. Rather than press the topic, he sat on a stool facing hers as he looked into the drugstore sack she had handed him earlier.

“What’s this?” he asked while withdrawing a container of iron supplements and one of a general vitamin supplement for men.

She smiled at him and tapped the end of his nose with the tip of her forefinger. “You’ll need to keep your constitution strong if you’re going to have a vampire mate drinking from you periodically.”

He grinned. “Is that what I’m called? A mate?”

She regarded him fondly. “It’s the term my kind likes to use. It’s an important position of endearment and commitment.”

He smiled with satisfaction at the title as the red-haired vampire observed his reaction closely. He was flattered that he had made such a wonderful impression on her. With a brief glance into her eyes, he noted that she seemed very pleased with him.

“So, just what do you do during the day when the rest of us humans are busy enjoying the sunlight?” he asked.

She sighed at his question, recalling how much she had enjoyed the daytime as a human. But rather than lament to him about that, she replied, “A lot of Internet-related activities mostly: finances, shopping, researching, learning, and there’s always email.”

“Email? To other vampires?” he ventured with a raised eyebrow. He was so focused just on her that thinking beyond the scope of one vampire was an altogether new concept for him to tackle.

Katrina smiled at his curious tone. “Of course, silly. You didn’t think I was the only one, did you?”

Honestly, I haven’t considered the topic much yet
, he thought.

“Do you have very many vampire friends?” Caleb inquired.

She considered him for a moment. “Before I answer your question,” she began carefully. “There’s something you need to know about your role in my life.”

Uh-oh
, he thought while gazing into her eyes.
Have I already done something wrong?
he wondered.

She reached out, grasping his hands in her own and holding them gently. They were warm to the touch, and she sensed a tension in him.

“It’s okay, my love,” she reassured him. “It’s important that you realize there are certain expectations you need to be diligent about with us. It’s a matter of safety for us both.”

“You mean something like ground rules?” he asked.

She shook her head at him with a warm smile. “Yes, some ground rules. Now, just relax and stare into my eyes while we discuss this, okay?”

Katrina peered into his eyes intently and held his gaze while literally willing him to pay attention. He felt compelled to stare into her eyes, which began to glow slightly with beautiful green intensity.

“Your eyes, they’re like beautiful emeralds,” he murmured before recalling her explanation from last night. “You’re upset?”

She released his hands and pressed her forefinger against his lips. “Sh. No, Caleb,” she admonished gently. “Please, just listen.”

He fell silent and nodded, still drawn to her luminous eyes. Indeed, her eyes didn’t appear angry at all. In fact, he felt a peace wash over him, similar to the feeling of relaxation just before drifting off to sleep.

She had no intention of trying to force suggestions into his thoughts, merely to compel his attention for the important information she was preparing to discuss. While she couldn’t read his thoughts, she knew it would be much easier to gauge his reactions, including any attempts at evasive responses.

Her expression softened, and she studied his features until her eyes locked onto his. She loved to stare into his pale blue eyes. She saw a gentleness in them, as if his very spirit were filled with innocence and sincerity. His eyes melted her primeval heart.

She moved her stool closer to his until their knees almost touched as she sat across from him. She took each of Caleb’s hands in hers and placed them together atop her own knees. “I don’t mean to sound intimidating, but you need to know we’re about to discuss some important matters,” she explained, “conditions that are very important for you to honor.”

His eyebrows rose with curiosity.
Wow, heavy topics already
, he mused.

He nodded and remained silent as he stared into her eyes. He was already fully committed to this journey with her. He cared for her deeply and was quite honestly falling in love with her. She was so different from other women he had dated. She had a maturity about her, tempered by a sincere, tender nature. But he also sensed an edge about her personality, something beneath the surface that wasn’t necessarily threatening to him because he felt safe being with her.
I feel protected and secure around her.
No, it was something else. Something dark. But still, there was no way he was about to turn away from her or the amazing prospects her otherworldly nature revealed to him. He felt that she might be the one for him, if there really were such a thing.

As for Katrina, she committed to the decision that she wanted him in her life. She had been drawn to him for some time, and her love for him already felt firmly entrenched. It was a revelation both stark and strong in her mind. She had lived long enough to know the difference between mere physical blood interests and the feelings of devotion associated with love. Though both were important to her, she felt that Caleb embodied a holistic solution covering all the vital areas in her life. Perhaps she still recalled the innocent, caring child who showed no fear to help her. Or maybe it was all she observed of him when he didn’t even know he was being watched or listened to.

Great, I’m a stalker for sure
, she silently chastised herself before focusing on the task at hand.

“There can be no deviations from these, Caleb,” she insisted.

“I understand,” he replied simply.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod.

“First, you must never reveal the true nature of my existence to anyone, no matter the emotions or motivations driving such an inclination.”

She paused to ensure that he absorbed the requirement.

“Second, you must reveal to me any knowledge or suspicion of anyone who might have determined my true existence or nature.”

Another pause.

“Third, you must never willingly give or submit yourself to another of my kind,” she continued. “I tend to be mildly possessive, my love, and I insist on this.”

His eyes widened only for a moment as he absorbed what she said. Her words were soothingly melodic as he remained somewhat entranced by her gaze.

“Fourth, you may only have my blood when I offer it to you.”

He frowned with sudden curiosity. “But why would --”

Again, her finger pressed against his lips and her eyes flashed momentarily. “Sh, no talking.”

He fell silent again and nodded as she removed her finger from his lips, though he marked the topic for future query.

“Fifth, never accept blood from another of my kind.”

She held his gaze and noticed no discernible change in his emotions.
So far, so good
, she mused.

“Sixth, you will never ask to become one of my kind,” she said with emphasis.

His eyes widened momentarily, and she felt his hands twitch in her own for only a second.
He’s going to be really curious about that one
, she decided.

Karina’s mind recalled the past experiences with partners in her life as a vampire. In the end, so many were nearly obsessed with the greedy prospect of conversion to her kind. She could see the obvious temptations, but there was more to it than what they each saw. Immortality came with its disadvantages, as she had learned painfully over the sometimes endless stream of years. She recalled the morning she met Caleb as a child, when she had tried to seek her own finality in the morning sunrise and was suddenly happy she had decided to give life another try.

“Seventh and most importantly, never lie to me in matters concerning any of the aforementioned rules, my love,” she insisted gravely.

Finally, she blinked, and her eyes returned to their normal green color.

“You agree to respect and abide by these seven rules?” she asked.

Caleb nodded. “I love you, Katrina, and I’ll follow them to the best of my ability.”

A feeling of dread began to grow in her, and she insisted more strongly than she intended, “Please, Caleb. I know you can do this for me.”

He frowned, urging, “Katrina, what’s wrong? I won’t let you down.”

Her eyes adopted a sad expression, and she sighed deeply. Then her eyes closed, but when she reopened them again they were less morose. “In the past, these rules, though simple, have been breached in one way or another by a previous partner,” she explained.

He nodded with understanding. “They betrayed your trust. You had to abandon them?”

But she shook her head negatively while holding his gaze. It was much worse.

“No,” she stated grimly. “They died.”

His eyes widened slightly with surprise, and he blurted, “Died?”

“They died,” she repeated simply.

“You mean died, as in they couldn’t bear the pain they caused you? Couldn’t bear to live without you?” he insisted urgently, although a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach suggested a graver conclusion.

“No, I couldn’t bear the danger and pain they caused me. They died, and all by my hand, save one. He was a suicide,” she explained in a sorrowful tone.

His pulse raced until it felt as if his heart would explode out of his chest.
So, she will kill me if I break one of these rules?

In the silence around them, Katrina heard his heart pounding and saw his pupils dilate. It was painful to know she was causing him such intense distress.

He swallowed hard, and his mind struggled for something to say.

“Are you okay, my love? What are you feeling?” she asked carefully as she observed his body language, and she listened to his breathing and heart rate.

“I’m scared as hell, that’s what I am,” he replied anxiously.

“You mustn’t fear me, Caleb.” Her eyes appeared softer to him.

“Too late,” he replied somewhat shakily, but with a half-hearted attempt at a nervous grin.

“Caleb,” she cooed soothingly.

“It’s a lot to take in at once. In fact, I’m already worried about making a mistake,” he ruminated.

Katrina regarded him with a sympathetic expression. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you. This will be a learning experience for both of us,” she encouraged before adding wryly: “Although more of a relearning experience for me, I suppose.”

He regarded her warily. He didn’t want to be the next victim in her list of previous failures.

“Here’s my commitment to you, Caleb,” she offered as she reached out for his right hand.

He allowed her to take his hand between both of hers before she continued.

“I promise to protect you to the best of my abilities,” she began. “I will cherish you and all you give to me. I will be respectful of you, and I’ll be honest about my feelings.”

She smiled warmly at him, hoping to impart a sense of encouragement. After a moment and some effort on his part, he adopted a nervous half-smile, grateful that she was at least trying to be supportive.

“And I will never take blood from you without your consent or offer,” she added solemnly. His expression suggested that he didn’t realize how major a concession she had just given him. “Traditionally, a vampire takes blood from their mate at their own discretion,” she added.