Sunrise at Sunset (19 page)

“Just you wait to see what would happen if my blood supply deliveries ever cease,” she warned ominously. “I’m going to feed, one way or another.”

“You don’t have to kill to feed,” he countered. “If that were true I’d already be dead.”

Her facial muscles relaxed, and she regarded him with a sympathetic expression.

“My sweet Caleb,” she offered as she gently squeezed his hand in hers. “I’m not asking you to hate me. Just don’t confuse the facts of what I am with the emotions between us.”

He squeezed her hand back and gazed into her eyes affectionately. “Then quit trying to scare me away,” he insisted. “I’m not leaving, and you’ll only succeed in annoying me.”

She smirked at him and rolled her eyes.
He’s persistent, at least
, she considered.

“Fair enough. Just bear in mind a little caution is healthy in your life,” she said with a note of finality. “But you mustn’t be afraid of me.”

The waiter came by to refill their tea and water glasses and then departed quickly. Katrina saw that he seemed to gather they were in an intense discussion. “He gets a good tip tonight for being observant,” she noted absently.

They sat silently for a time. Caleb finished his meal, and Katrina picked at her salad while mostly watching him eat. She studied him, observing his individual mannerisms and learning even the small nuances of behavior few people even realized they exhibited. She found him so very intriguing, so unlike the men in her past, save for one, perhaps.
But that was a long time ago
, she reflected. Caleb’s professed devotion to her, even after knowing her dark and often violent nature, was so at odds with his reserved, gentle personality. She certainly loved him, but it was simply amazing that he could feel the same of her.

People are primarily a food source and generally don’t mean much to me
, she thought as she watched him finish eating.
However, Caleb matters, and I want to ensure that he remains happy and safe
, she noted decisively.

He flashed a sidelong reassuring smile at her, and she smiled warmly in return. By the end of their meal together, his emotions had moderated somewhat, and he held her hand while droving them to a movie across town. Once the movie was over, Caleb was once again simply happy to be with her and kissed her affectionately on the lips as they walked back to her car.

She made certain not to belabor any further difficult topics with him for some time afterwards, content merely to appreciate his company and garner a continued sense of closeness between them.

Chapter 5

Life Anew

C
aleb and Katrina continued to spend much of their free time together, though mostly during the evenings. They attended an independent film debut downtown and went to one of the local Civil War museums. But they were just as happy sitting together watching television or talking into the night about a variety of topics, including history, travel, and their likes and dislikes. Much to Caleb’s surprise, Katrina seemed quite comfortable spending time at his apartment during evenings that they weren’t out on the town together.

The two also shared satisfying intimate time together, and Caleb discovered how passionate Katrina could be. Following those occasions, he usually fell asleep with her nestled alongside his body, though always waking alone the next morning. She was quite stealthy, and he was never sure at exactly what time she departed, but he often smiled upon finding his deadbolt locked with the key on the floor where she had slid it back underneath the door on her departure.
She certainly takes safety seriously
, he mused.

Caleb relished their time together and was pleased she seemed to feel the same. Spending time with her was addictive, and he frequently found his daytime thoughts straying to his new red-haired girlfriend.
No, we’re mates now
, he corrected himself on more than one occasion. Still, the word was strange to him, hardly a contemporary term, and he often referred to Katrina as his girlfriend when referencing her in casual conversations with his coworkers.

Another week passed quickly, and the Thanksgiving holiday was soon upon them. As promised, Caleb ensured no “dead birds” were cooked at the apartment. Instead, he bought a precooked turkey and dressing, then prepared some of the side dishes himself, including baking a small pumpkin pie. It was his mother’s recipe, which caused him some momentary sadness at the memory of her passing nearly two years ago. Holidays were when he missed her most; recalling the happiness that he and his mother enjoyed. The hours passed as he alternated between cooking and reminiscing.

Katrina arrived at his apartment promptly after sundown and happily watched him eat his meal as the last half of the Cowboys-Lions football game played on the TV. He finally convinced her to try some candied yams and a thin slice of the pumpkin pie he had baked, both of which she actually found quite tasty. She appreciated the flavors of both and was very impressed that he knew how to cook. She was also drawn to the scent of his body and the blood that flowed inside of him.

After dinner, they sat together on his couch to watch
Casablanca
on the classic film channel. She nestled against his chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She took in his scent and momentarily felt her fangs begin to extend in anticipation. Just as she considered requesting a “small snack” from him, he asked her an unexpected question during a commercial.

“So, are male vampires stronger than female vampires?”

Katrina contemplated, “Hm, that’s actually an interesting question that nobody’s asked me before. I would say, no. There’s some sort of leveling of the playing field that occurs when we transform.

“However,” she added, “older vampires become more skillful with experience, just like humans do. So an accomplished vampire who spent their life concentrating on fighting would be naturally more accomplished than one who spent their life more sedately.”

His eyes took on a spark of renewed interest. “How has my mate spent her time as a vampire?”

Her eyes narrowed at him before responding, “I’ve had a variety of experiences in my time as a vampire.” She wasn’t particularly interested in revisiting much of her history with him on that topic. Suffice to say she had a reputation of sorts, including a number of her life’s experiences that were particularly violent and might alarm him.

“And how are your combat skills, Grasshopper?” he teased in a mock-oriental tone.

She grinned at him with a playful look. “Let’s say, I wouldn’t want to be the vampire who had to find out.”

He smiled back with an impressed expression. “So, I’m dating a Jedi master vampire then?” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

“Sorry, no light saber,” she replied ruefully.

“Too bad.”

“But I have fangs,” she said hopefully as she turned to face him and deliberately extended and bared her fangs.

His eyes widened noticeably as he suddenly found himself staring into her open mouth at the extremely sharp set of fangs extending down through her two canine teeth. It was a fierce visage for such a beautiful face. “Very sharp and pointy-looking,” he observed politely with a tentative smile.

She closed her mouth, adopted a predatory expression, and began slowly leaning towards him. He grinned back at her and leaned slowly away. She launched herself on top of him and pressed him into the couch cushions with her body. Her soft lips pressed to his, and she drew the breath from him as she kissed him deeply. It was at such times that he felt the strength of her body, combined with the sensual nature of her form, and it never failed both to surprise and arouse him.

A short time later, he relented to her wish to partake in the “small snack” she had considered earlier, and though she drew only a minimal quantity of his blood, she relished every drop. She was surprised by how easy it was to accept him into her life and equally amazed by how quickly he seemed to adapt to her vampire nature. But as they sat together on his couch that evening, one thing was for certain: both were quite at ease with each other, and they were growing closer day by day.

It was her first Thanksgiving event in a long time and his second without his mother. But together, they both enjoyed the occasion thoroughly. He only wished she were able to come over earlier in the day.
Maybe next year I could spend the entire day at her place
, he mused.

The week following Thanksgiving, Caleb felt the upcoming end of the semester pulling at his energies and focus. It wasn’t a time for distractions. However, on one early Wednesday morning, he knew from the moment he woke up that he was trying to come down with something. All the telltale signs were there: aches, pains, slightly elevated temperature, and runny nose, all the indicators of one of humanity’s worst perpetuators of unhappiness, the common cold. To him, it felt like the plague. Worse yet, he had evening plans with Katrina to attend a new exhibit at a local art museum.

He’d been looking forward to the event for a few days. Of course, it seemed any excuse to be with her filled him with anticipation. But his plans came to an abrupt halt as he sneezed and reached for the Kleenex. His head was already in the throes of a throbbing headache. “Crap,” he muttered miserably.

First, he called the college to leave word with his dean that he was ill. At least he sounded as convincing as he felt. It was his first sick call, so he anticipated no problems at work. He didn’t want to give his illness to Katrina and needed to cancel their plans.
Can vampires even get sick?
he wondered for the first time since meeting her. Before making the call, he staggered into the bathroom to dig out the cold medicines. The only package he had was outdated by more than six months, but he thought the medicine should work well enough. Afterwards, he fell back into bed and felt around for the phone, hidden in the bedcovers following his earlier call.

“Katrina?” he asked as soon as the other end of the line picked up.

She listened for a moment and asked, “Caleb? It almost doesn’t sound like you. Are you okay?”

He explained about the head cold, and she asked him a series of questions about his symptoms, making him promise to update her on his condition later in the day.

By that afternoon, his presumed head cold had progressed into something more dire. His fever felt worse, though he didn’t bother to try to find his thermometer to take his temperature. The aches and pains in his body were stronger, and he felt miserable.

He failed to call Katrina as promised, having lost track of time as he lay in bed trying to rest. His mind fluctuated between dreams and consciousness. He had waking dreams filled with odd, bizarre scenarios and locations, some from his past and others from his present. At one point, he dreamed he was a switchboard operator at the college, and the phones kept ringing. Jolting in bed, he realized he was home and his phones were ringing incessantly.

Caleb finally managed to grab at the home phone tangled in his bed sheets and tried to speak through chattering teeth. He felt like he was freezing, and yet he could tell he was actually sweating.

“H-h-hell-llo?” he stammered.

“Caleb!” Katrina replied urgently. “Thank goodness you answered the phone. I almost called 911! You didn’t call all afternoon, and I’ve been worried sick.” She felt trapped and helpless all day while the sunshine held sway over her life. But the sun was nearly set, and she fully intended to go to Caleb’s apartment to check on him in person.

“How are you?” she asked with concern. She determined that he sounded worse just by the sound of his raspy breathing and chattering teeth over the phone.

“S-so-sorry,” he stuttered pitifully. “I-I l-lost t-track of t-time.”

“Oh, Caleb,” she cooed soothingly. “I’m coming for you. Try to hold on just a little bit longer, my love.”

“N-no. D-don’t n-need you s-sick too,” he insisted weakly.

“I’m coming,” she insisted, and the line went dead.

He barely recalled setting the phone down before he was wrapped in his sheet and comforter, shivering ceaselessly. He felt exhausted mentally and physically, and his mind wandered through a half-conscious state.

Katrina made it to Caleb’s in record time, managing to avoid any traffic stops along the way as her Audi sped through the Atlanta city streets and highways. The gate guard at the apartment garage entrance recognized her immediately, and within minutes she was rapidly knocking on his apartment door.

“Caleb! Caleb, can you get to the door?” she called urgently through the locked door.

She reached an immediate decision to have a spare key made to his apartment at the earliest opportunity just as a safety precaution. She considered, of course, that she could easily force the door open in one swift motion. But that held the added difficulty of explaining the forced entry to the building maintenance people. Still, she was prepared for that if he failed to answer in the next few seconds.

She heard a shuffling sound on the other side of the door with her sensitive hearing, followed by the sound of Caleb’s pitiful voice, “K-Katrina?”

She sighed with relief and gently coaxed, “It’s me, my love. Just unlock the door, okay?”

She thought that she heard him utter the word “contagious” through chattering teeth.

“I can’t get sick,” she whispered loudly enough for her voice to carry, but not enough for any neighbors to hear. “Caleb Taylor, open this door immediately, or step away from it in two seconds!”

She heard the deadbolt click and didn’t bother waiting as she began opening the door firmly, yet cautiously enough not to catch him with the opening sweep. She was unprepared for what she saw when she slipped inside.

He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt, and both were damp with sweat. His features were very pale, and his hair was a tangled mess. She immediately smelled the tell-tale scents of sickness, sweat, and staleness in the air.

Her hands reached out for him as he leaned back against the wall, and she carried him to the sofa where she placed him gingerly in a reclined position.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything,” she said soothingly, though as much to calm her own anxiety as to comfort him. She felt his forehead, and it was burning to the touch. His fever was dangerously high, and she immediately knew what to do.

She ran a cold bath for him and glanced at the expired date on the box of medicine that he had apparently taken. “Oh, Caleb,” she sighed with resignation while shaking her head.
Typical male
, she chided. She had seen the great influenza scourge of the nineteen hundreds and recognized how potentially lethal the ‘flu could be. It was easy to see that his body was in the throes of something very dangerous.

She quickly found a gym bag and began stuffing clean undergarments, socks, T-shirts, and more sweatpants inside. She snatched a better-looking pair of his sneakers and some of his toiletries, as well as his hair comb and toothbrush.

After stripping him, she carried him to the bath and placed him in the water. He immediately began thrashing as the cool water penetrated and shocked his skin, but she firmly held him in place. He was gasping and trying to speak but his words were incoherent.

Eventually, she was able to get his body temperature down enough that he was out of immediate danger. He was unconscious, and she took care to ensure he didn’t slip into the water.

She picked him up, laid him on top of his bed, and began drying his body with a towel. She slipped some fresh sweatpants and a T-shirt on him, grabbed his house keys and duffle bag, scooped him up in her arms, and proceeded to take him home with her.