I Am Mated To A Vampire

Tanya fastened the covers under the mattress, before standing up and making sure that the bed looked properly made. Nodding contentedly, she headed out of the room, closing the door behind her. The sound of the lock clicking into place was like music to her ears. Grabbing her cleaning trolley, she headed back for the main office, ready to check out of her shift. As she walked, she sent a text to the manager on duty: the last room in the left wing is ready for guests. Sighing quietly as she entered the employee-only section of the building, she slotted the trolley into its designated place before heading for the break room. Taking off her gloves as she walked, she checked her watch; it was late, another ten-hour shift. Last night, they had had a bus full of college kids heading towards a state tournament of some kind, and they had made a bit of a mess of the rooms. That, coupled with normal cleaning duties, had pushed her shift over a normal one. Shaking her head, she stepped into the room, heading over towards the clock-out machine. Lucas was there, sipping a coffee and reading a book. He hadn't started his shift yet, and looked bored as he kept checking the clock. It was an unfortunate reality that they were forbidden from starting early, as the bosses didn't want them "forcing" overtime. Tanya seriously doubted that would ever happen, as they weren't paid nearly enough to want to clock in before their shift officially started. "Hey, Tawny, yeh look rough. Long day?" Lucas said, actually looking up from his book to greet her. She made a noise between a grunt and a groan, and he simply laughed sympathetically, fully understanding where she was coming from. He shook his head briefly, saying, "I don't know why you waste your time here, fam. You deserve so much more than just barely scraping by." Tanya sighed, clocking out as she said, "Where else can I go? Ever since my family abandoned me here, I haven't exactly been able to find a decent job. At least this one pays the bills more or less." Rubbing her head, she grabbed her purse from where she had locked it. The break room, instead of having cupboards or counters, had small cubby-like lockers where the staff could store their personal belongings while on duty. While it might seem a bit cheap to run things this way, it was actually one of the few efficient policies that had been put into place in the last year. "Tch...you mean our family, Tawn. They abandoned me too, though I was just the black sheep of the family," Lucas grimaced, his eyes cold. Tanya sighed, and walked over to give him a brief hug. They were distant cousins, several times removed, but still related. Yet, he had been cast out when he was eighteen, through no fault of his own, so it was understandable he was bitter. It had been a surprise when he spoke up for her to management, helped her to land this job. He had simply waved it off, saying that they were their own family now, and to hell with the ones who had left them behind. She broke the hug, murmuring, "I need to head home. Take care Lucas, I'll..." Tanya trailed off, lifting her nose and taking in a deep sniff. Her senses were filled with the scent of balsamic vinegar, a sour tang with a hint of sweetness. And a condiment she absolutely adored, yet knew it had no place in a Motel 8. Lucas tugged at her hand, his voice bringing her back to reality. She blinked, and said, "Do you smell that?" Lucas gave her a look she didn't expect to see; it wasn't anger, or incredulity. It was pity, pure, undiluted pity. A look that caused her to bare her teeth a bit before he shook his head, giving a wry chuckle. He said, "There is no scent kiddo...and if there is, well...you know as well as I do that this is the wrong town to go following phantom scents." She blinked, then let out a soft whine of agreement. Sighing, she gave him one last hug before heading out. Lucas was right, as always. The town they lived in was not safe to be exploring potentialities that likely didn't exist anyway. The thing that had driven her family away was still there, still an ever-present threat...and wouldn't hesitate to destroy her if she stepped out of line. The only reason she had survived was because she could act like a meek blue-collar worker, defeated by the day-to-day grind. An act that wasn't entirely false anymore either, she thought with chagrin. She was walking to her car when she noticed a finely dressed lady heading for one of the rooms. The woman was tall, maybe five eight, with narrow shoulders and hips. She was dressed in a bright green...or was that a red dress? As Tanya got a closer look, she realized that the dress was covered with sequins designed to shift colors as she moved. It did nothing for her complexion, which was so pale it made snow look off-color. Her hair was definitely red; not a maroon or mahogany, but a bright, strawberry red. The most striking thing about this strange lady, though, was her scent. A mixture of cold, graveyard dirt...and balsamic vinegar. Tanya paused, looking sharply at the woman. As if feeling eyes upon her, the stranger turned eyes black as night towards Tanya....and their gazes locked together. Instantly, Tanya felt a strong, magnetic pull towards the stranger, as if she was iron filings next to an MRI machine. The woman stepped back a bit, a sneer crossing her face, having seen something in Tanya's expression that disgusted her. Tanya closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus on her breathing and nothing else. By the time the pull had ended, the woman was gone, likely having retreated to her room. Tanya let out a groan, pulled her fingers through her short, scruffy hair, and went to her beat up old pickup truck. Getting in, she leaned against the steering wheel, letting out a soft, imperceptible whine. This couldn't be real...she had to be dreaming. Starting her truck up, she headed for her small studio apartment, replaying the mantra in her head that she would go to sleep and wake up with nothing having happened.