The Vampire and the Alpha's Son

Longing and Lusting

 Liz’s POV

I laid awake Sunday night, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Monday morning. The weekend had passed at a snail’s pace, creeping by as my new obsession nearly drove me mad. I had to physically stop myself from going to the casino or farther north to the pack’s land to try to find David. I didn’t know where the pack territory was exactly, but I was sure I could sniff it out if I tried. Even from here, a strong northern breeze would sometimes bring me a slight whiff of that unmistakable dog smell. 

I still didn’t understand why I felt this way. We had only barely met, and had shared two very brief interactions. There was no reason for me to be so infatuated by him, no logical explanation, anyway. Nevermind that he was a werewolf and future alpha to a pack that hated and feared me, but he was also currently underage. Even if I really was thirty-two, that would make me nearly twice his age. But I wasn’t thirty-two. Even worse, I was technically older than my vampire age of one hundred fifty-three. All together, that made me one hundred eighty-five, about ten times his age.

I didn’t want to think about that. Honestly, I didn’t want to keep thinking about him either, but I couldn’t help it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop wanting him. When I closed my eyes all I could see were his round, innocent brown eyes, so young but so full of emotion. His soft parted lips haunted my every thought. I wanted to feel his skin against mine again, I wanted our bodies close, close enough to feel his heat, and then even closer. I wanted to taste those supple lips and feel them pressed against mine.

I stopped breathing for a while, trying to control this new, insatiable hunger. I had only ever felt like this before when I was in the throes of bloodlust. Somehow, this was different. It was stronger, more consuming, and it felt like a void throughout my entire body. I felt like my life had been empty and meaningless before I'd met him, like my entire existence was leading me here, waiting for him to exist. 

I sighed heavily. This feeling of utter dependency on a stranger made my chest feel tight. It felt like I was losing a vital part of myself, the part of me that thrived in solitude. I was proud of my independence and enjoyed living for only myself. Who did this boy think he was, to suddenly come into my life and make me need him? Now I found myself angry as well; angry at myself, but mostly angry at David for things that were completely out of his control. Even in my anger, I still longed for him at the same time.

Finally the morning came, along with the sweet twittering of birds outside the window. The early sunlight twinkled through the slats in the window blinds, creating beams of dust through the small bedroom. I hopped off the bed, ready and eager to start the day. It was still a bit early for my shift at the diner, however, which started at eight. Even if I walked at a leisurely pace through the town, it would take me less than ten minutes to get there.

I crept out of my bedroom anyway, my impatience driving me forward. I listened in the hall and heard light snoring coming from down the hall, in the direction of Daniel’s room. I had spent the weekend cooped up in my room for the primary purpose of avoiding him. He was a typical human male, and a very annoying one at that.

I was lucky that neither he nor his father had noticed that I hadn’t brought a suitcase with me. There was very little I needed that a suitcase could carry. I had left my coven with only my phone and its wallet case, and the clothes on my back: a blue and purple flannel, a pair of jeans, and some cheap, yet sturdy running shoes. I had spent a few years in Washington, then a few in Canada, and a few more in Idaho, before finally coming to Montana. When my clothes wore out, I simply stopped somewhere and bought new ones.

Thankfully, Janet had provided me with a waitress uniform, so I hadn’t needed to worry about anyone noticing me wearing the same outfit everyday. I had kept the uniform at the diner when I wasn’t using it, in the small employee back room. As I left the bed and breakfast shortly after seven, I realized that if I was going to be sticking around for a while longer, I would probably need some more clothes. I still had about an hour to spare this morning, so I went off in search of a place to buy clothes.

It only took a few minutes to find such a place. I found a small building that was simply titled ‘Dress Barn’. I was mildly confused by the name, as it was clearly not a barn, but I merely shrugged and went inside. I didn’t have time to stand and ponder silly store names.

The store had only just opened, so I was the only shopper at this time. The older woman at the cash register by the door greeted me sleepily, then went back to her sudoku. Even though the store was small, it had a decent variety. There were women's and men's clothes, socks, hats, and shoes, a small children's section, and an even smaller display of accessories, such as purses, hats, scarves, jewelry, etc.

It seemed to be more of a thrift store, or second-hand store, which was perfect for me. I didn’t require anything fancy or expensive. The way fashion would change and evolve so drastically over the years made style seem like such a trivial and insignificant thing to me. I only wore things that were functional and durable.

While picking out clothes, for some reason I had decided to stray from my usual denim and flannel, likely spurred by thoughts of a certain someone. I first chose a frilly, flowery sundress, which was cheap in September. The cold didn’t bother me, of course, and since David already knew what I was, I wouldn’t have to pretend to be cold while wearing it.

Next I chose a pair of form-fitting, legging style jeans, a black, sparkling v-neck blouse, a skin tight red dress that flared at the bottom, and a few other, more practical shirts. I topped it all off with a pair of silver stilettos, fully aware of the appealing effect a pair of heels had on a woman’s legs. By the time I made my purchase and left the shop, it was nearly eight, so I rushed to the diner, taking my bag of new clothes with me. There were too many townspeople milling about for me to use my vampire speed, but I still managed to make it to the diner just on time.

“Good morning, my dear Liz!” Jane greeted me happily, completely unaware of the very fateful weekend I had just had.

“Good morning, Janet!” I returned her greeting with equal enthusiasm. I was amused to find I was actually happy to see her again. She was a pleasant woman, even if she didn’t remind me of my mom.

“Good morning, Tom!” I said to the cook through the window. The older of the two cooks worked on Mondays. He nodded in reply.

My shift went by pretty slowly, as it usually did. The steady stream of regulars came in for their morning coffees before heading out to their various tasks. Every time the bell jingled as someone entered, I would look up hopefully. However, every time it was just another of the townspeople. They all gave me friendly greetings, which I returned of course, even though they were not the ones I wanted to see this morning.

Finally, around three in the afternoon, nearing the end of my shift, it finally happened. Just as I was starting to lose hope, the bell by the door dinged as another customer entered. I looked up quickly and my eyes locked with that familiar pair of round, chocolate eyes. The stress in his face instantly vanished as he saw me, and my breathing stopped. The air in the little diner suddenly felt electric, like the way it feels right before a thunderstorm. 

“David,” I sighed, and my body relaxed. I hadn’t realized until that moment how tense I had been all day. 

"Liz," he replied. He spoke my name like a pair of gentle hands caressing a delicate flower. It made me feel like melting butter.

His lush lips stretched into a gentle, yet exuberant smile, and it felt like coming home.