The Vampire And The Orphan

“Are you alright?” Lettie asked Nathanial as he scanned the parking lot.

“Will be,” he said stiffly, “Let’s just get out of here.”

“You said werewolves, but I never...” she was mystified by what just happened.

They got in the car, and Nathanial didn’t waste any time taking off. He was driving faster than he had yet.

“They won’t come back,” she assured him.

She didn’t know how she knew this; she just did. He didn’t question it.

“That was the most incredible thing I’ve seen,” she mumbled, “beautiful.”

“Beautiful?” He questioned. “Every bone breaks to reform... hair starts to grow, everywhere, its -

“Beautiful,” she cut him off, and it was. It was one of the most amazing things she’d ever seen.

“You weren’t scared,” he mumbled. “How did that not freak you out?

“It felt very natural,” she said softly.

“Werewolves always follow the alpha’s lead,” Nathanial spoke quietly as he contemplated this. “Always. But this alpha was submitted to you. I can’t make sense of this.”

“I felt so connected to them,” she mumbled, “when they were wolves, I mean.”

“They wanted to protect you,” he told her, “that’s not unusual. Many werewolves feel it’s their duty to protect humans from us. The theory is that they came to be in the first place.”

“Really?” She nodded at this, “interesting. Because I do feel or did feel like they are so natural. You feel different.”

“Different how? Like I shouldn’t exist?” He questioned, “because I shouldn’t.”

“No, it’s not that. You don’t feel unnatural to me, but you do feel darker. I can’t explain it very well.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck absently. She looked and saw his wound was still gaping.

“Nathanial! You haven’t healed!”

“It’ll take me a bit. I don’t have fresh blood, and the venom is strong,” he admitted.

His jaw was tense, and she could see he hated being weak. She didn’t like seeing him in pain. It didn’t feel right.

He needed blood to heal, and she had what he needed so-

“You can have some of my blood,” she offered without questioning.

“Wha- no,” he muttered, his knuckles going white as he gripped the wheel.

“Why not?” She asked, “You said it doesn’t have to hurt.”

“I don’t feed from my charges,” he said firmly.

“I’m not your usual charge,” she pointed out.

“You got that right,” he mumbled under his breath.

“You can’t protect me if you’re not as strong as you can be, right?” She questioned.

“I’ll stop for blood when we get to Utah.”

“How and where?” She questioned how that would work. “Am I supposed to come with you?”

“Damn it,” he grunted, “I wasn’t supposed to be needing this yet.”

“Well, do you and I have plenty so-

“Lettie, no.”

“Nathanial, yes,” she mocked his gruff tone causing him to roll his eyes at her.

“You don’t want to do this.”

“Then why am I offering?” She said, “you need it. Take it.”

“It can be kind of...intimate,” he said, staring ahead and avoiding her eye contact.

She gulped, intimate? She hadn’t even been kissed yet...

“How intimate?” She asked curiously, “as it feels like..that?”

She couldn’t even say the word, sex. Ugh, why did she have to be such a child? This wasn’t going to convince him any easier.

“I mean, it can,” he looked as uncomfortable as her. “If I take it from a wrist and go fast, it won’t be as sexual.”

He hesitated a little while on the word too. Why did it sound so .. alluring when he said that? She felt her cheeks growing hot from this conversation. The conversation seemed to be affecting Nathanial as well. He looked as tense as she’d ever seen him.

“Then do that,” she flung her arm towards him and closed her eyes.

“Lettie,” he groaned and pushed it away.

“Nathanial!” She sighed his name in frustration. “We have no idea what we’re going to run into next. You know you need to do this.”

“I know,” he finally agreed, but he didn’t look happy about it.

He pulled off into a parking lot. A church parking lot, ironically. He made sure to leave the car lights on. There had been no sign of that cloud thing as of yet.

“I only fed from a charge once. It was a no-choice situation.”

“So is this,” Lettie told him, “Besides, if I don’t mind, you shouldn’t.”

“Let’s just hurry this up,” he grunted, “we’re only doing this once.”

“Settle down and bite me already,” she never thought she’d say that! But here they were.

He laughed at that despite the tense moment.

“Okay, just lean back and get comfortable; I’ll make this as quick as possible.”

She did as he said. Her heart beat started to pick up as her nerves intensified.

“That’s not helping,” she heard him mumble.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly as if she could help it.

He took her hand so gently even that it felt intimate. Not at all like a monster that was about to-

Before she could finish the thought, his fangs pierced the thin skin on her wrist. She gasped, but the moment of pain was gone in an instant. A feeling of pleasure came over her like nothing she had felt before. She felt a tingle of fire and wanted to go through her body. It was exciting and scary at the same time. She wanted to both run from it and embrace it.

There was something else, though, something behind the lustful physical feeling. She wanted to know what it was. It felt important. She closed her eyes and searched for it.

She found herself somewhere else. There was smoke and dust everywhere. Bodies were lying all around her. The despair was thick in the air.

“Help me.”

“Nathanial?” She looked down and saw him; he was poorly wounded. He was looking up at the sky with desperate eyes.

“It’s going to be okay,” she wasn’t sure what to say, but she needed to comfort him. He was so sad and scared.

“I need you,” he looked surprised as he said it; he reached toward her.

She started to reach back, but he and everything else was gone just like that.

She was back in the car, holding her wrist. It had a small puncture mark on it. Her breathing was heavy as she gathered herself.

“What was that?” She repeated his earlier sentiments. “A dream or a memory?”

“Both, a dream of a memory.”

“You felt human,” she furrowed her eyebrows.

“I was, then,” he had gone very quiet, “I don’t know how, you- ... You touched my mind, Lettie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like the waitress in there. I can use some mind control,” he explained. “When I’m close or touching someone. I can persuade them, see into their head, and even alter their memories or change their dreams.”

“Whoa,” she breathed out, “that’s quite the perk.”

“Right, but humans can’t do it to us,” he looked bewildered, “not like that; we can be in a dream together, but the vampire creates it.”

“And you weren’t?” She asked, “are you sure? Maybe you wanted to show me that?”

“No, I was out of control; it felt bizarre to have someone in my head,” he said, and she could see it still bugged him that she did it.

She was glad it happened; it let her see his different side. He was so sad and scared, but he felt things unlike now. He needed her at that moment; he even said it. He needed comfort, and she wanted to give it to him.

“That was the last moment; I was human. I don’t know how you ended up there.”

“Maybe because it’s such a dramatic memory for you?” she guessed, “or I keep asking about your maker?”

“Maybe,” he started to drive again.

“I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell me about it,” she said.

“You saw it right before he got there. So much death,” he sighed sadly, “I was in so much pain. I wanted it to end. I wanted mercy. That’s what I thought he was doing.”

“Then he started feeding me blood,” Nathanial said, “I didn’t know what was happening.”

“Who was he?” She asked.

“A powerful vampire, Edwin,” he explained, “he was forming an army. I was reborn as I am. Emotions are heightened as a vampire in earlier years. All that death felt even heavier after. Then-

He trailed off, and his eyes filled with pain.

“What?” She whispered.

“He forced me to feed to complete the change. He made me kill a brother from my army. A friend.” Nathanial’s eyes were full of remorse even all these decades later. “He forced me to do a lot of things for a lot of years.”

“I’m so sorry,” she squeezed his arm, and the touch sent something through her. A spark she couldn’t deny. She nearly gasped at the feeling. He felt it too. She saw a flicker of surprise go through his eyes.

He pulled away from her and focused on the road. They moved fast, and he stayed quiet, lost in his thoughts.

“This is strange,” he broke the silence suddenly after what felt like hours of driving quietly.

“That memory thing? Or the wolves?”

“All of it, but I meant how I’m feeling right now,” he mused, “I’ve fed a lot over the years. I’ve even fed from witches. Your blood is different. I feel very powerful right now.”

“But my blood tasted like a human?” She asked, thinking what a weird question it was.

“It did, but better than anything I’ve ever tasted,” he mumbled.

“Thanks, I guess?” She laughed a little at that.

He turned off down a side road and kept moving forward. It was well into the night now. They’d reached the town he sought, and he stopped off at a bar.

“Isn’t it closed soon?” She noticed it was nearly two am. They’d been making a great time with Nathanial’s speed.

“Yes, but if Benjamin resides in this town, he’ll sense me. I want him to come to me. If he resides here, he likely spends time at the local bar. He was always very social.”

“So, I guess I’m going to my first bar,” she shrugged, “think I can try my first drink?”

“No. Now come on, let’s go,” Nathanial directed. She wanted to stick her tongue out at him, but she refrained.

They exited the car together; the parking lot was lit up with street lamps. Still, she nervously clenched her necklace in her hand.

They stepped inside; it was a dark and smoky bar. The red velvet booths lined the walls. A huge old wooden bar sat took most of the space and sat in the center. Only a few patrons remained inside this late.

The door closed behind them, and someone gasped loudly.

She looked up to see a very tall man standing in the bar with long black hair and bronzed skin. His deep russet eyes were wide as they took her in.

“I can’t believe this,” he whispered.

“What?” she asked as Nathanial was placing himself closer to her.

“It’s simply not possible.”

“What isn’t?” she asked.

“Everyone out,” he said in a commanding voice.

She watched in stunned silence as the few patrons just up and left. No questions asked.

As the door closed behind the last one, Nathanial spoke up, “do you know what she is?”

He still had not pulled his eyes from Lettie.

“It was all a lie,” he spoke in a whisper, “this changes everything.

“What does that mean?” Lettie asked.

“You’re fae.”