The Vampire and the Alpha's Son

Together Again, At Last

David’s POV

“I almost thought you weren’t going to come,” she teased, still staring into my eyes. I realized now that she rarely ever blinked. I suppose she wouldn’t need to, but it was almost unnerving, or would be if I didn’t love the unobstructed view of that beautifully enchanting emerald green.

My legs moved on their own, pulling me toward her. We were alone in the diner, at least I’m pretty sure we were. I don’t think I would have noticed anyone else if they had been there or not. In an immeasurable moment, I was standing before her, toe to toe and face to face. We were so close that I would have been able to feel her breath if she had been breathing. I subconsciously held my breath as well; the air felt too thick to breathe. I was sure she could hear my heartbeat with the way it pounded in my ears.

Without a word, I lifted my hand up to her face, brushing my fingers gingerly against her icy cheek. My fingers tingled at the touch, but not because her skin was cold. She sighed happily as she leaned into my hand. She lifted her hand to mine, holding it firmly against her face. She closed her eyes contentedly, pulling in a long, deep breath, as our fingers intertwined.

Her eyes flew open suddenly and she turned her head sharply to the left. I followed where she looked and saw an older, jovial woman with red hair standing at an open door. She looked surprised at first, then her face softened into a knowing smile.

“Janet!” Liz exclaimed. She took a quick, small step back and pulled my hand away from her face. She did not let go, however, and my heart soared.

“Oh, don’t mind me, sweetheart!” Janet laughed, “Please, continue.”

“Um,” Liz mumbled, looking down. I imagined a blush rising on her pale cheeks, as she was clearly embarrassed at the thought of our intimate exchange being observed.

Janet laughed more heartily, “I’m only teasing, love! Actually, you might as well take the rest of the day off. It’s been rather slow anyway.”

“Thanks, Janet,” Liz replied, looking up again. Her eyes twinkled with relief and gratitude.

“Anytime, my dear Liz.” Janet moved further into the room and picked up a cleaning rag.

Liz turned back to me, letting go of my hand to place her hands on my chest.

“I need to go change and get my things. I’ll be right back. Don’t move!” she urged me, as though she were worried I would disappear if she left me.

“I won’t,” I promised her earnestly, raising my hands in surrender. She smiled at me, and then she turned and left through the door that Janet had come through.

I stood there for a few minutes, barely breathing. It was a short wait, really, only about five minutes, but every moment away from her felt like an eternity. My weekend had been pure, endless torture. Janet was busying herself behind the counter, washing this and that. Every few seconds she would look at me and smirk. Everytime she did, my blush deepened.

Finally, the door opened again, and I inhaled sharply. I didn’t think it was possible for her to look any more beautiful than she already did. She came out wearing jeggings that showed off her perfectly toned legs and a tight, white shirt with large pink Hibiscuses printed on it. It had long, sheer sleeves that billowed when she walked. My eyes trailed down, starting at her shining, raven hair, all the way down to her feet. She wore sexy, strappy, silver heels that accentuated her legs beautifully. 

“I didn’t mean you couldn’t sit down or something,” she laughed, seeing that I had not moved an inch. I didn’t say anything; my brain had stalled momentarily. She noticed my staring and looked down at herself, seeming to be suddenly self-conscious. 

“Too much?” she asked, referring to her outfit.

“No,” I squeeked. I cleared my throat and tried again, “No, you look perfect.”

She replied with a shy, yet pleased, smile. “Come on, let’s go.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, waving to Janet as we left. A white plastic bag hung from her arm.We walked hand in hand down the main street, beaming at each other like two lovesick teenagers, in love for the first time. It was pretty close to the truth for me, but I was amazed that I could affect her this way. Surely there was nothing new under the sun to someone who had been alive nearly two hundred years.

“So, where are we going?” I finally asked. Not that I really cared where we went, as long as it wasn’t the packhouse or the casino, I just wanted to hear her speak again. She merely shrugged in answer.

Though I hardly noticed the other people walking around, I did notice that we were the only ones not wearing sweaters or jackets. It was a chilly, breezy autumn afternoon in September, but the cold barely registered for a hot-blooded wolf like me. Even though I didn’t actually get my wolf for a few more days yet, I had still been born with wolf-like senses and characteristics. Being an Alpha by blood had a lot to do with it as well. Liz was, of course, equally unaffected by the weather, being the cold-blooded immortal goddess that she was. 

Hot and cold. What an interesting and unlikely pairing we made.

“Where do you sleep?” I asked, changing my course of questioning, hoping for a better reply, “Do you even sleep?”

“I can, if I choose to,” she answered with a smile. She seemed pleased to be sharing her personal details with me, “But I rarely do. I’ve always found it difficult to turn off my mind long enough to fall asleep.”

“That sounds like insomnia,” I offered.

“Yeah, I probably suffered from that as a human, but it wasn’t really a common thing to diagnose back then, especially for women.”

“Do you remember being human?” I continued my questioning as we turned down a much smaller side road. I had spent all weekend thinking up endless questions I wanted to ask her, and now I was trying to keep them from spilling out all at once.

“A little bit. It’s all pretty hazy,” she answered, her face scrunched up in concentration.

“What do you remember?” I asked. I wanted to learn as much about her as I possibly could, before I had to go back home.

“I remember my mother and father, vaguely. I remember I had been married,” she started listing, but I interrupted her after that statement.

“Married? You were married?” I questioned with a panicked voice.

“Yeah, but I don’t remember anything about him. I only got married because it was the socially acceptable thing to do for young women at the time.” She shrugged, trying to make it sound like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Did you have any children?” Even if she hadn’t loved him, it still stung a little knowing that she had been with another man that way. I tried to tell myself I shouldn’t be surprised that she had other lovers before me, since she was over a hundred years old. My aching heart wouldn’t listen.

“No,” she sighed in response, “And he always resented me for it, as if it was my fault. Honestly, I was kind of relieved when I was turned into a vampire, because it meant I never had to see him again.” She laughed humorlessly at this.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories,” I lamented.

“It’s ok, really,” she replied, smiling at me warmly, reassuringly, “I want you to know me, all of me.”

My heart swelled again, forgetting its momentary lapse into sorrow. I wanted her to know me too, but I wasn’t done with my questions yet. I decided to switch the subject to something a little lighter, hopefully.

“So, if you don’t need to sleep, what about things like breathing and eating?”

“Those are both also optional,” she answered casually, as though discussing the weather, “Breathing has become sort of a habit though, and I do need air in order to project when I speak. I only eat when I’m trying to appear human.”

I had to stop myself from asking what happens to the food she eats, because I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know. I looked down at her lovely feet in those sexy heels and thought of something else to ask instead.

“Do those heels hurt your feet?” I pondered, pointing at her shoes.

“No, I don’t feel pain,” she laughed, “Not unless I’ve spent too much time in the sun.”

“It’s a good thing it’s usually cloudy here, then,” I mused, looking up into the gray sky. Then another thought occurred to me: “So you don’t burn in the sun, then?”

“No, and I don’t sparkle either,” she laughed again, “We just get weak, and kind of sick. But if the exposure is only for a few minutes, we’re usually fine.”

“That’s good,” I sighed in relief.

“Yeah, why’s that?” she asked teasingly, leaning closer.

“Well, for one, I would be devastated if you simply burned away one day,” I answered, trying to keep my voice level with her suddenly nearer, “But also because I like being able to look at you in the daylight.”

She smiled at me sheepishly, and I imagined she was blushing again. I suddenly noticed we had stopped walking, and I looked up to see we were standing in front of an adorable little B&B.

“Well, this is where I’m staying for now,” she explained, and then paused for a few minutes. “Would you like to come inside?”

“Yes,” I answered immediately, eagerly. My heart was pounding in my throat again at the implication of entering the private area where she sleeps. Or doesn’t sleep, rather. Either way, there would be a bed.