5 comments/ 18113 views/ 8 favorites My Date with Shadowcat313 By: MrPezman One could come across all kinds of strangers in the city, from the crazy old man who pushed his shopping cart down the alleyways, collecting his treasures from the dumpsters, to the gangs who shot rival gang members daily, to the black-clad goths who routinely his their faces with death masks. Everybody had something to prove, it seemed. So when I met this woman online, I took it in stride, even though she could in reality be somebody completely different. She had downloaded a picture of herself posing on a metal bench, looking directly at the camera. If the person I was chatting with was the same woman, then I had hit the jackpot. Tall, with dark brown hair tied back in a strip of leather, violet eyes, beautiful lips that seemed ever pouty. The dark clothes she wore hid a lot of her body, but I was very interested just from her face. When I first started chatting with her exclusively, she had begun with a message, which simply, yet cryptically, stated: I have a Secret for you... We had seemed to get along in the public chats, so I figured, it's not as if I was dating anybody, and I'd been so bored, working the crappier jobs of construction, coming to my one-bedroom apartment, so I went with it. I typed: Is it a big secret? With her user name, Shadowcat313, was her response: Quite! My user name was Concretejungle0490. I typed: Don't keep me in the dark, Nickie! S: Funny you should say it like that... C: Come on, tell me! S: Okay, but don't freak out, okay? C: That depends on the secret. A few minutes passed by before she responded. S: I want us to meet. I stopped. I had seen plenty of the news stories discussing online predators, and knew that this kind of thing could be dangerous. But it was much less common for a person to pick a grown man as prey. With my construction job came plenty of manual labor, so I had built up plenty of muscles. I would be twenty-one in almost a month. I decided that it might be interesting, if nothing else, and if the person suggesting this was an online predator, he or she would be more than a little reluctant about me. So... C: Somewhere public would be okay. S: There's a coffee shop over on Fifth. Do you know it? C: The one next to the bakery? S: Yup I hesitated a few seconds, and then typed in an affirmative. S: Eight thirty tonight? 'So soon?' I thought, and then shrugged. Best to get it out of the way. C: Eight thirty is good. S: C U There! The private chat notified me that she had logged off, so I did the same. Looking at the time on the menu bar on my computer, I saw that I had a few hours. I made a small snack of a bowl of popcorn, watched a movie on TV, and waited for eight o'clock. I quickly began to have doubts about meeting someone I had met online. It could be anybody, just making up stories. Or worse, it could be some pervert. But I had agreed to it, so I'd see it through. The movie ended, and though I'd seen it before and liked it, my mind was elsewhere. The eyes in that picture, the sensuous lips, all the details I could glean from the picture swirled around in my mind. When I looked at the clock above the TV, I saw that more time had passed since my mind had wandered than while watching the movie. It was seven, and I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the same dirt-smeared clothes I had come home from work in, and I probably smelled pretty ripe, so I stripped down and took a shower, grumbling as usual at the water temperature, which probably hadn't gone above fifty degrees in years. I used plenty of soap and shampoo, making sure to get all the grit and concrete dust from my hair. When I stepped out of the shower, I felt much better, and dressed in a pair of black jeans and a gray T shirt, pulling on an old but clean pair of work boots. Combing the mop of unruly black hair on my head into a semblance of style, I applied just a smidge of cologne and tucked my wallet in my front pocket, where it'd be harder to pick. I didn't have a car, just a dusty old motorcycle that I'd bought three years ago from one of the guys I worked with. It took a minute to get it started, but it did, and I swung between two cars stopped at the traffic light, ignoring the bleat of the horn from the cab behind me and muffled yelling not in English. I drove past the coffee shop on Fifth, looking to see if she had maybe showed up early, eyeing the rest of the patrons for anything suspicious, hung a U, and then parked my bike where I could see it from the coffee shop. I could hear some trendy new band's song playing in the shop as I opened the door and walked in. Still looking around, I counted seven other patrons, plus about five or six more staring intently at their laptops. I saw nobody as yet who resembled the woman in the picture, so I ordered a Chai Tea and sat at an empty table near one of the large windows. The place was noisy with the sound of chatter, the pecking of fingers on laptop keyboards, mugs clacking as they were set down on the chipped tile tables, and the espresso machine whining as another coffee was steamed frothy. I sat there at the table, sipping on my tea, waiting. According to the simple black watch on my wrist, it was only three minutes until eight-thirty, and I still saw didn't see the woman from the picture, the woman who called herself Nickie. I wiped my hand across my itching eyes, feeling pretty stupid, and when my hand came down, I almost jumped four feet in the air. As if materializing from nowhere, there she was. "You look like you were waiting for someone," she folded her long fingers on the table in front of her. Well, at least it was her, and not something worse. In person, she looked much prettier than her picture revealed. She wore her hair up in the same ponytail, a purple strip of leather holding it up. Instead of black, she wore a long-sleeved blouse, purple and tight in all the right places, accentuating her medium-sized breasts. Her jeans were tight as well. I guess I hadn't said anything yet, so she tilted her head to the left, curiously scrutinizing me. "Maybe I was wrong...You're not waiting for somebody?" I found my voice and answered, "Nickie... um, Shadowcat313." She smiled revealing perfect, white teeth, "And you must be ConcreteJungle0490. It's nice to finally see you in person, Gary." "Likewise," I replied, and asked if she would like a coffee or anything. She shook her head. "No, I just picked this place because it's public. You never know if a person online is who he says he is." I laughed, "I know. I was starting to wonder if you were going to show. Are you sure you wouldn't like something to drink?" She shrugged, "Maybe later." "So," I got to the point, "You told me you have a secret." "Can we go for a walk?" A walk with a woman I barely knew seemed odd. She saw my hesitation. "You're not worried that I'm not who I say I am, are you?" "No, you seem to be who you say you are. But how do you know I'm safe?" She laughed, her voice musical, "I don't. I guess that just makes it more exciting." We got up, and I left a tip for whoever would be cleaning up after me. We left, and I remembered my bike. "Maybe we can ride instead." She looked at my bike, and shrugged, "Why not?" I got on, and she followed, her arms slipping around my chest, her body pressed pleasantly against mine. It was just another reason to ride a bike instead of having a car. For once, the bike started on the first try, and I accelerated lightly. Her arms tightened slightly around me, making my skin tingle. I angled out into the road and off we went. I drove for a few minutes, and then I felt her chin on my shoulder. She whispered into my ear, "We can stop at the big fountain in front of the park." Her warm breath sent shivers through me, and it took a lot of concentration not to tip the bike. I turned onto Twelfth and we reached the big marble fountain soon after. I shut the engine off and parked it near the steps. Her arms slipped from around me, and the pleasant pressure against my back abated. I got off my bike and followed her to the lip of the fountain pool. She was quiet as we sat on the cold marble. She looked at me, undecided as to whether I could be trusted with her secret. "Okay," I was completely alone with this woman at a fountain in front of a park just after sundown, and I felt a bit of anxiety as I realized that. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, I guess. But I would like to know." She looked down for a second, making her decision, and then confessed, "I'm not a very normal woman." I waited, thinking that she would tell me she used to be a guy or something, which would be more than a marvel of modern science, since she looked all woman to me. "In truth, I'm...This shouldn't be so difficult to tell you, but it is... I'm a vampire." Not really believing, I replied, "And me without my garlic!" She stood up abruptly, "I knew this was a mistake." Strange, but despite Nickie's absurd claim, I didn't want her to go. I grabbed her hand gently, "Wait, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It just threw me." She sat back down next to me, "I know you don't believe me. I can see it in your eyes, but if you think I'm crazy, then why did you stop me?" "I'm not the kind of guy that gets scared away easily. Even if I don't believe you, that doesn't mean I want you to go." She sighed, "Then you really don't believe me. Okay, then I guess I'll just have to prove it to you." She smiled again, baring her white teeth at me, and I couldn't help but notice her canines, which had lengthened considerably since she had smiled at the coffee shop. But with the internet, anyone could purchase these novelties that did the same thing and looked quite real. As if reading my mind, she prompted, "You can touch them. They're not fake." I reached out and touched one of her long canines, wiggling it slightly. I even got closer, picking up the sweet perfume that she was wearing. I peered closely at the tooth, aided by the light of the street lamps that lined the fountain and entrance to the park. I couldn't see where her tooth ended and the fake one began. But still, that in itself meant nothing. If she was willing to go so far as to glue extensions to her canines, how convinced was she of her status, really? "Impressive," I smiled, "But what else can you offer for proof?" She took my hand and pressed it to her neck, which was warm, not corpse-cold, I noticed. She held my hand against the spot on her neck where the carotid artery is most easily felt, and instructed, "Time my pulse. In fact, tell me if you can even feel it." I waited, my index and middle finger together on the carotid artery, and my breath stopped. She was right. I couldn't feel the pulse. My fingers moved on her neck, looking to see if I was on the right spot, but there was no pulse anywhere. She let go of my hand, and it fell to my lap. "No pulse," I breathed, stunned. "You seem convinced now." "This can't be happening." She laughed, "That seems to be the consensus." I looked at her with a bit of fear now. I think the shock of it prevented me from running. "So I...I guess I'm your... your food, then?" She patted my hand, "You're just lucky you were yourself online and not somebody trying to pull a fast one on me. Besides, you seem like a sweet guy. Maybe I'll have a taste later, but for now, I think it's in your best interest to show a girl a good time. What do you say?" I had seen my share of vampire movies like everyone else, and even read a few vampire novels. But to actually know that vampires exist was almost unbelievable. And here I was sitting in front of a real...not quite live... specimen. Still, for a vampire, she was still gorgeous! Maybe it couldn't be all that bad for me. I forced myself back into some state of normalcy. "Well, okay. But how could I possibly show you a good time? And what is a good time for you?" She stood up, pulling me by the hand, "How about we go check out a few clubs?" I started to agree, but then stopped myself, "I would, but I'm only twenty. I can't get in for another month." She giggled, "My, aren't you young. You seemed much older when we chatted online. Don't worry, I'll get you in without a problem." She led me back to the bike, and her arms went back around my chest, surely feeling my heart pounding with a mixture of fear, trepidation, and, incredibly, excitement. Here I was taking a vampire out to party! It sure wasn't what I had planned when I'd been waiting at the coffee shop. For the second time, I felt the pressure of her body against my back, and it somehow felt just as pleasant as the first time, if not more so. When her head rested against the back of my neck, I felt the stirrings of an erection, which startled me a little. Was I actually feeling desire in such a vulnerable position, no real way to defend myself if she was planning to bite? Yes, I had to admit, I was. I weaved through traffic for about ten minutes, and then we were stopped outside the Cube. Techno music could be heard even out here, mostly the rapidly thump of the bass. When I managed to find a place to park, I could've sworn that I felt her warm lips on my neck for an instant. My knees were a bit weak as I dismounted the bike. She led me up the stairs to the second floor where the club was located. A heavy-set bouncer stood on the landing just past the top step. The bouncer grunted, "Show some ID, both of you." I knew I was seconds from being embarrassed as I pulled my driver's license from my wallet. Nickie showed hers to the bouncer, and he nodded, so I showed mine. He looked from the ID to me, seemed about to say something, and his eyes went blank for a second. Nickie was staring at him intently as that happened, and I wondered if this was her doing. Finally, the bouncer mumbled, "Go on in," and Nickie stopped staring at him, leading me inside through a set of red velvet curtains. The club was pretty large, and it was packed. The music was ten times louder inside than out, a real assault to the eardrums. I wanted to ask Nickie what she did to that bouncer, but competing with the volume of the music was futile, so I let myself be led by her. We ended up in front of a small booth, where two men and a woman sat. Nickie looked right down at one of the men, and then bent down, saying something into his ear. As I watched, baffled, understanding showed suddenly in the man's eyes. He smiled, and I cringed a little as his unnaturally long incisors flashed in the strobing lights. He and the other two stood up and vacated the booth, exchanging a few more words that I couldn't hear. Nickie laughed and patted the guy on the back as he and the other two blended into the mass of dancers. Still dumbfounded, I watched as Nickie sat down, her enticingly round buttocks available for a second for me to view, and then, she looked up at me and motioned for me to sit down. I took the opposite seat, completely out of my element in this club. She looked at me, such devilment in her violet eyes, and leaned forward. I did the same, and she said loudly, "Relax! You look as if you're going to die of fright or something!" "I might just do that!" She grinned, "That wouldn't be any fun for me at all!" Unsure of what she meant by that, I was saved from a response as a waitress showed up to take drink orders. She was almost covered by a rainbow of glow sticks and necklaces, which was slightly amusing. Nickie called out, "Rum and Coke for my friend here!" The waitress pointed to her, and she shook her head, so the waitress disappeared to get my drink. "Who were those people you were just talking to?" She shrugged, "Just some friends of mine!" "They're like you!" Her smile returned, amused, "Oh yeah?" "I saw their teeth!" "Unlike mine, theirs are prosthetics! They're no more vampires than you are!" "They think you're faking like they are?" "I know, it's so Anne Rice, isn't it?" I laughed, and my tension eased a little. She winked at me seductively. "What did you do to the bouncer?" "Oh, him? It's just a little trick I learned, makes it easier to get into places, or to get guests into places!" "So you get inside their minds and make them change their minds? Can you make them do what you want them to do?" "Well, it's more like mixing information up in their minds! When I let them go, they just go about their business!" I started to realize as she explained all these things to me that she might only be telling me because she didn't intend for me to live long enough to repeat them. What had I gotten myself into? She frowned slightly, looking at me, and I knew that she had read my mind, as she had probably been doing it all evening. "Is that why you're telling me all this?" "That kind of hurts my feelings! I've never told anyone else all this! Why would I tell you if I was just going to kill you anyway?" I felt a bit guilty for having jumped to conclusions like that. "I guess you'll do what you want anyway, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me change my mind. I would feel better if I could make my own decisions." The hurt look leaving her eyes a little, she nodded, "I guess that's fair! I was just afraid that you wouldn't have come with me if I hadn't!" I started to say that I would've, but I couldn't say it, because I don't know if I would've or not. It complicated things. She must've gotten tired of yelling to be heard. She tapped her head, and pointed to mine. Suddenly, the music faded in my mind, and my mouth went agape with awe. Inside my head, I heard her voice, "That's much better. So...why didn't you ask me not to read your mind?" I started to speak out loud, but she tapped her head again, and I got the picture. I thought, 'In case I want to tell you something that I can't say out loud.' "Oh? Like what?" My face reddened, but I found it easier to think it than say it out loud, 'Just that I think you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.' I didn't expect her reaction. She blushed. "That's so sweet of you to say! I'll bet you say that to all the vampires you meet." 'I mean it.' "Stop it before I melt!" My drink arrived, and I tasted it. I didn't usually drink, since I didn't like the woozy feelings I got. I think she got the point, and she took it from me. 'I'm sorry,' I figured a mixed drink here was probably about seven bucks a pop. She winked at me, "It was on the house. Besides, you're driving, so you should probably be clearheaded. Are you ready to go?" 'Sure.' We got up and walked outside, Nickie flipping a wave to the bouncer, who smiled and returned it. I got on my bike, and her body against my back became more pleasant than last time. Perhaps feeling more comfortable on a bike, her hands were around my stomach, her face nuzzling my neck affectionately. I started the bike, and we were quickly rolling. 'Where to now?' Her lips brushed my neck, teasing the hairs, "Let's go to my place. I'll show you around." As if having a GPS system implanted in my head, the directions were suddenly just there, and I followed them easily, until she needed to stop for a minute. She disappeared into the darkness, and I waited, but not for long. She came back, got back on behind me. She seemed much warmer, and it wasn't difficult to figure out what she'd needed to stop for. 'You didn't kill him, did you?' "You worry too much. He won't remember a thing when he wakes up." We rode for a while longer, and then we were there. I stopped the bike in front of a two-story home in a neighborhood of similar houses. I parked in the driveway. As I climbed off, she turned me around to face her, and then planted a kiss directly on my lips. When she pulled away, she was smiling. My Date with Shadowcat313 Ch. 02 It's been almost a month now. After the first week of waiting for her to send me a message, calling in sick, not bothering to shower or shave, hating myself for not caring about that, and not caring anyway. I was miserable. I held the firm assertion that I had ruined what had been a wonderful, exhilarating, scary, beautiful date with the woman of my dreams, a woman who I'd met as Shadowcat313. After meeting her in person for the first time, she had divulged a great secret to me, and, as I realized soon after, she also used a talent of hers to prevent me from running away until I'd had some time to come to terms with it. Through it all, the visit to a club called Cube, and then to her home, it had been like a dream, a perfect dream. But then I had ruined the whole thing, and now I'm suffering greatly for it. After that first week, I had no more sick time to use, so I forced myself to clean up, shave, and go back to work. It was a wonder I haven't gotten myself or someone else injured or killed, so occupied was my mind with Nickie. I somehow reached the end of the month, but was no less despondent for it. It was bad enough for my supervisor, Charlie Carrasco, to take notice. "Hey, Gary," he called out from the front door of the small trailer on the site, "Come in here for a minute!" I trudged into the trailer, and took a seat when it was offered. "Gary, you in some kind of trouble or something?" he perpetually rubbed his blunt fingers through the black and gray whiskers of his goatee, "'Cause if you are, depending on what it is, I can try to help. Like, do you owe someone some serious money?" "Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing like that. Uh... I met a woman about three weeks ago. We had a date, and I kinda screwed it up at the end. I'm hoping she'll email me, but she hasn't yet." "Women troubles? Ah, fuck! I've been divorced twice, so maybe I don't qualify for helpful advice on that, but if she hasn't called or emailed, I'm thinking it ain't gonna happen. It sucks, but maybe you oughtta let go and move on." I shrugged, producing a dry sound that would've been a laugh if I'd been in a mood to, "If only it were that easy! I haven't been able to get her out of my head since that night." "Well, if she's that special, then I guess you'll wait as long as it takes, won't you? But, at least while you're on the job, can you try to pay attention to what you're doing? I don't want you getting yourself injured or killed on the job." I promised to do so, and he dismissed me back to my job. Every night, when I got home, filthy, sweaty, and exhausted, I immediately checked my email, deleting the junk mail, finding nothing from Nickie. I thought repeatedly about going to her home and begging for a second chance, but the one time I actually tried, I couldn't remember where she lived. I'd even driven around, searching for her house, hoping to come across it, but with no luck. With everything she had become to me, getting her out of my head for more than five seconds was an impossibility. Just over a month after my date with Nickie, I was checking my email once more, and I stopped, noticing the email from Shadowcat313. I clicked it immediately, opening it, setting aside a sandwich that I had just made without a second thought. It read: Gary, Meet me at the coffee shop from before at nine tonight. Nickie I looked up at the clock, saw it was already eight. I showered quickly, charged with an energy I hadn't felt in over a month, dressed, and left, getting on my bike. It didn't start for seven or eight tries, but when it finally caught and revved, I sped down the street, driving recklessly, and not caring. I made it to the coffee shop where I'd met her in person with almost fifteen minutes to spare. I ordered a chai tea for myself and sat at a table to wait for her. Nine o'clock passed, and then nine-twenty. I wondered if she had changed her mind; maybe I'd screwed things up too much for us to get past it. Nine-thirty, nine-fifty, and ten-fifteen went by, and the coffee shop was closing. I got to my feet, my chai tea only half-consumed and cold now. I threw it away, vowing never to drink another as long as I lived, as it would only remind me of what I'd lost. I sighed, wrenched with depression at the thought that I may never see her again, and sat on my bike. I didn't try to start it yet, simply staring down at the handlebars, which were slightly bent, due to a spill the previous owner took. I had meant to have the handlebars straightened, but never got around to it, instead just getting used to it instead. Just as I was about to finally attempt to start my bike, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I jumped off the bike and whirled to find Nickie standing nearby, dressed in all black. I almost didn't believe that she was really here, half-willing to accept that she was a hallucination, brought on by my desperate mind. "I almost didn't come," she sighed, looking at the ground. I tried to speak, but found my mouth unbelievably dry. She continued, "I debated with myself as to whether I should. Even now, I can still taste you, and I find myself wanting more, almost so much that I can't stand it. I almost came to you just to have more of your blood. I went to Europe to escape my desire, my need of you. But everywhere I went, I thought of you. Every time I fed, I found it lacking because it wasn't you." Still, I couldn't speak, tears pricking my eyes. I wanted so badly to rush to her and throw my arms around her, but I didn't think she'd receive that well, not if she was being tormented so badly by the scent of my blood. "Thank you for not doing that," she shuddered, and I remembered how well she'd read my mind before. Finally, I found my voice, "I haven't been doing very well." "I know. There's nothing I could do for that... unless... if you really want to move on... I can make you forget me." "God, no!" I cried, "If you ever felt anything for me, don't ever do that!" She hesitated, obviously in as much turmoil as I was. 'Better to know why I feel so lost than to feel it and never know why,' I thought gravely. "Oh, Gary!" she lamented, "I've never felt this way, not even when I was alive. Being lonely was far easier than this torture. Even now I can smell you, and my thirst is ravenous!" I responded, "Even if you took every drop, I'd be happier than I've been for the past month." "No!" she screamed in horror, and vanished so quickly that she might never have been there in the first place. "Damn it!" I yelled, "Don't do this again! I can't take it anymore!" I waited for hours, until I felt sure that she wouldn't come back. Then I waited longer, until the sky began to brighten with the coming day. Only then did I go home, feeling lower than ever. I sat at my computer, not seeing it, not seeing anything but her beautiful face, so tormented and afraid of what she might do to me that she'd endure such loneliness. I opened my email and looked for an email from her, but all that I saw was her email from earlier. I hit the reply button and started writing: Dear Nickie, I'm sorry that I've hurt you. I can't continue going on without you, no matter what the risk, so please don't make me. I only want to be with you. Please talk to me. Yours forever, Gary I wanted to continue writing, wanting to pour out everything in me, whatever it took to make her see, but I kept it simple instead, deciding that she probably knew how badly I hurt, considering how she was faring. Only five minutes after I hit Send, I saw a reply from her: Gary, If you only knew how dangerous it is to be with me, especially after I've tasted you, surely you wouldn't be so eager to rush into my arms. Sadly, even knowing this, I want nothing more than to have you in my arms, and this frightens me more than I can put into words! I don't think you understand how broken I'd be if I ever hurt you like that, or killed you (god help me). I can't risk it! If it means that I must go on without you, I must. Please, let me make you forget me so that you might move on and live your life. You won't remember having ever met me. For all you'd know, Shadowcat313 would never have existed. You've got to move on! Please think about this, Nickie I shook as I considered this, and rejected it completely. If she made me forget her, I'd have a hole in me, I was sure of this, and I'd never know why it was there, and it would tear me apart. I began writing: Dear Nickie, Even if I have to live the rest of my life knowing that I can never have you, I'd rather do this than have to live unable to remember you, to remember the woman I've fallen completely in love with. If you insist, I'll stop writing and attempt to move on, but I'll never stop loving you, and anyone else I'll ever meet in my life will pale in comparison. Love always and forever, Gary I sent it and waited, but no reply came. I waited a while, but she didn't write back. The more I thought, the more that I decided that maybe I was being selfish, compelling her to agonize over my need for her. Maybe if I hadn't been so despondent over her, she would've been able to move on. I got up from the computer and found the sandwich I'd made earlier, completely forgotten. I ate it absently, getting a drink from the fridge, which was mostly empty. I'd need to go grocery shopping soon. I turned on the TV and tried unsuccessfully to lose myself in a movie. Still attempting, I fell into an uneasy sleep. I dreamed that Nickie was standing before me, her arms outstretched toward me. I ran to wrap my arms around her, but then she faded before I could reach her. Then she'd pop up somewhere else, so I tried again and again to reach her, but she always faded just before I could touch her. I screamed in frustration and grief, and shook myself awake, breathing heavily. The next few days, I forced myself to go on, doing my best to move on, because she would want me to. It was tough, completely useless to try, but I did try anyway. I went to work, forced myself to concentrate, actually attempting to throw myself into my tasks just to keep from thinking about her. After work, I'd go home, watch movies or read, pointedly ignoring my computer. I still found myself thinking about her, though, wondering what she was doing, where she was, if she was thinking of me. I still wanted her. I shuffled off to bed, weary, beginning to hope I would go to sleep and never wake up again, if only to stop the pain. I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, wishing I could be with her. "You realize that, with my bond to you, I can hear you thinking whenever I want, right?" a voice spoke quietly next to me. 'This must be what it's like to lose my mind,' I thought a little flippantly, 'Now, at least, I get to hear her voice whenever I want.' "How about you turn over?" she suggested. I did so, and saw her lying on the bed next to me. "Wow, this is the next best thing to actually having you here," I murmured, smiling faintly. She reached out and touched my cheek, her fingers light and cool on my skin, and I shivered pleasantly. "Hold me in your arms, Gary," she whispered, and I complied happily, astounded at how real she felt in my arms, how smooth her skin was, how wonderful she smelled, how lustrous her dark brown felt against my face. For a hallucination, she was quite solid. "I am real," she whispered in my ear, "I'm really here, Gary. You haven't lost your mind... although an argument could be made, considering your eagerness to be with a woman who could lose control and kill you." "You can't be real," I tried to keep my composure, "You said you can't be near me without wanting my blood." "Even away from you, I still think about you constantly," she confessed, nuzzling against me, "I haven't felt like anything but an abomination since I died, until I met you. I've never felt anything like this, you know?" "But what are we going to do?" She pulled me up, bringing me to my feet, "Well, we'll start by bringing you home with me. Your apartment isn't prepared for me to stick around. Get dressed." I did so, pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and tugging on a pair of boots. She barely gave me time to lock up my apartment before she got on my bike, starting it on the first try. I got on behind her, holding on tightly as she accelerated. If my driving to the coffee shop this last time had been reckless, her driving was suicidal. Fortunately, her reflexes were astronomically sharp, and we arrived at her house in record time. I followed her in, still hardly daring to believe that all this was real, it was all happening so quickly. She was kissing me so intensely before we were even through the door, shaking with her need, and I was ecstatic to feel how much she needed me, how complete I felt with her. We were shedding our clothes all the way into her bedroom, and, completely nude, I began oiling her as if nothing else on this world existed but her exquisite body under my hands. She submitted happily, and then we began kissing fervently, her hands stroking me. She sat astride me and guided me inside her, sighing with pleasure as I slid deeply into her. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but it seemed even better this time than the first, so well did we move together. I could feel her in my mind, anticipating my movements and responding in unison, even as I felt her vaginal muscles tighten as she moved closer to orgasm. I did my best to maintain myself as I thrust into her deeply, and she urged me on, except she was moaning too loudly to urge, but she was in my head, giving of herself, and then she reached climax, trembling, gasping, riding me helplessly. She began to settle atop me, lying on my chest, her body still trembling as she calmed. When she had regained her breath, she slid down and took me in her mouth, her tongue caressing me as her lips sealed around my shaft. She sucked me hard and fast, but I was already close to the edge, and I groaned and thrust my hips forward. She took me in deep, and held me there while my seed spilled down her throat. When I was finished, she let go and moved up to snuggle in my arms. Instead of feeling groggy and sleepy, I felt supercharged, wide awake. "That was even better than last time," Nickie declared. I laughed a little, out of breath, "You're so amazing!" "You weren't so bad, yourself," she giggled. We made love again when I was ready, not so insistent this time. She pulled me atop her and wrapped her legs around my waist as I eased inside her, her body writhing perfection against mine. Before I knew it, daylight was coming. Of course, I only knew it when Nickie, sensing the coming sun, passed the information into my mind. "Do me harder," she urged, "Give me all of you." I brought her legs up against my chest, leaning forward and thrusting harder inside her, my hips almost slamming forward. She showed no signs of pain, only desire, already close to another orgasm. Luckily, so was I, and, as she reached climax, shuddering and clutching at me with wild abandon, I thrust one final time and released my seed deep inside her. Finally, as we coasted to a stop, she kissed me gently, her lips so soft against mine. But, with the coming day, she was still insistent that I not sleep in the same bed with her. "I still have no willpower when I sleep," she warned me, "But I'll wake you when the sun goes down." "But... I have to go to work today," I rubbed my chin, still unable to look away from her. "You don't need to work anymore." "I can't just quit without a two week notice. Charlie Carrasco took a chance by hiring me, and I owe him at least that much." She nodded, "I suppose, if you must. In that case, you'd better get some sleep, my love." I dragged myself from her bed, kissing her one last time, and then went upstairs. There were no other beds in the house, but the living room had a nice, comfy sofa, and I was exhausted and completely happy. I went to work that day, late, but better rested than I'd been in a while. After apologizing to Charlie for being late, I explained that Nickie had emailed, we had worked things out, and that I had spent the night at her house. I let him draw his own conclusions, and he was quite understanding. "I'm glad for you," he grinned, "It's about time." He was less happy that I was putting in my two-week notice, but he was still understanding, and glad I hadn't just quit. "You know, if you change your mind," Charlie looked at me from across the desk, "I can keep a spot open for you. You're one of my better workers, and a good worker can be hard to come by." I thanked him, "I'll let you know if my situation changes." Meanwhile, after a very brief conversation where she asked me if I wanted to, and I said absolutely, I moved out of my apartment and moved into one of the spacious bedrooms on the second floor. I still couldn't sleep in her bed with her, at least not while she slept as well, as the threat was still too great, but I could live with that. Hell, I could live with sleeping on the floor in front of her bedroom door as long as it meant I could be with her. As it was, she had procured me a king-sized bed that was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on, a cherry wood Chinese sleigh bed with intricate jade dragons on the head board and more jade trim along the sides. I'd never seen anything like it, and when I asked her, she simply shrugged. "It's just something I had lying around," she spoke nonchalantly, and then added, "The mattress is new, though." During the day, as she slept, so did I. I began to enjoy the night time more, the beauty of the moonlight as it painted the world in silver and black, the freshness of the night air. As most of the rest of the world slept, we roamed and strolled, with little bits of time where she went to hunt, assuring me that her victim would live. She seemed determined to set my mind at ease, to convince me that, despite what she was, she was no monster, only feeding to live. She wanted to make sure I knew that she could be a good person, but I'd already arrived at that decision at a point when she'd made such a big deal about taking even the smallest bit of my blood. I definitely learned my lesson on that one, and I never brought it up again. Frequently, I could see that it still crossed her mind, and I could usually tell when her thirst for me was prevalent. Around then, the irises of her eyes, usually a dark violent, would redden, and she'd start shivering. Unless we were making love, I would make myself scarce until she felt like she was more in control. Unfortunately, over the next few months, the times when her thirst would come upon her increased, and there were times, when we were making love, that she'd open her eyes, and they'd be crimson, and I wasn't sure she could resist. I watched, not exactly afraid for myself, but for her, as it appeared as if her grip on humanity was at stake, and it only seemed to be getting worse for her. And, when I'd try to bring it up, approaching the subject as subtly as possible, she would duck the topic. "We really need to talk about this," I insisted as we walked along a deserted path outside the city. The moon was down, and I couldn't really see her face, though I knew it by heart, as I had since we'd first met. She could see just fine by night, one of the perks, I guess. "I can't..." she crossed her arms over her breasts, looking down, "Please, let's just enjoy the night, okay?" "Then when?" I stopped, turning to her silhouette, "When can we bring this up? I'm worried about you, Nickie." "You ought to be more worried for your own safety, but you don't seem to care a bit about it, and that worries me," she faced me. I shrugged, "If I was really that worried about my own neck, I would've never spent that first evening with you. It's you I'm worried about." My Date with Shadowcat313 Ch. 02 She laughed, but the sound was hollow, not in the least amused, "I love you Gary, you know that, right?" "Yeah, I know that. I've known this since the first night." "And I know you love me, too. It's like a damn neon sign in your mind, and I'd still know it even if you weren't always telling me, which you do." I smiled a little; I guess I was pretty transparent, "And that's why I'm not afraid for my own life. I know you don't want to talk about this, you're always pretending that it's not a problem." "Because I know it is one, or could become one. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want you to think that I'm..." "A monster?" I smiled again, taking her hand, which, as always, was cold, "You know I don't think you're a monster. I think you've always known that, haven't you?" "Damn it!" she whirled, walking away a few steps, her hands clenching at her sides. I waited where I was a minute, and she spun around, "I'm worried that I might be more of a monster than I wanted. When I hunted, I used to Hunt. I used to kill. I'm a murderer! Whenever I was threatened, and I have been on several occasions, I've killed to protect my secret. If that happens again, I may have to kill again. Doesn't that bother you?" "Maybe a little, but I think that if people ever knew about you, they'd kill you, right? And maybe you killed for food before, but you haven't since we met. You've changed who you are for me." "I can't change what I am." Nickie's words seemed to hang in the air between us. She stood where she was, and I wanted to be closer to her, but I didn't feel that she could deal with that just yet. "I've seen people change," I insisted, "I know it can happen." "But I can't!" she cried, "Maybe I could change my lifestyle, or my fondness for expensive things, or anything like that. But I can't change what I am. I can't stop feeding, because I'll die if I do. Maybe I can keep from killing people, that's not too difficult. But I've tasted your blood, and it calls to me. I don't know how long I can keep myself from taking more." "How bad is it, exactly?" "It's like... this thing inside me, just aching to get out, and it takes every damn ounce of willpower I have to resist it." I sighed, "I wish I'd never tempted you with it. This would probably be a lot easier for you, wouldn't it?" She hesitated, and then nodded, "It didn't help any." "Shit," I mumbled, "It figures. I really screwed this all up." We continued to walk, because there wasn't much else to do right that moment. We were both troubled, me with my stupid mistake, her with the thirst, and both of us with the consequences. Either we'd have to figure out a better solution for all of this, or we wouldn't be able to remain together. But, as I figured it, as we both seemed to, the chances didn't look good for us. We strolled the night, but the appeal, at least for the moment, was lost. We were lost in our own thoughts, quiet, and she appeared sullen. It wasn't fair for her to have to live with the constant fear of killing me in her mindless thirst. And it wasn't fair of me to expect her to, just because I couldn't be without her. This weighed heavily on my mind. "Shut up," she sighed sadly, "And quit thinking about leaving me to save me. It's pretty apparent that neither of us can live with that. So consider it a closed option." I couldn't help but think about it, and I told her this. "Let me put it this way: if you ever try to leave with this notion that I'll be better off if you're not with me, I will find you. Don't forget our bond. You could run to the end of the earth, and I could use our bond to find you. That's another little bonus that tasting your blood has given me. No matter where you went, I can find you." "Then what are we supposed to do? One of these days, it's just gonna be too much for you, and-" "No!" she replied sharply, "Don't even say that! I'll never do that, never!" "I've seen you when the thirst is on you, when your eyes go red. You're not much in control of yourself at that point." She stamped her foot in frustration, and the path cracked under her, "Go back to the house. I need some time to calm down." "Nickie-" I started. "Please," she took my hand, pressing it to her face for a moment, and I could feel her frustration in the way she trembled, and in the intensity of her gaze, "Just go back to the house. I'll be there soon." "Just don't do anything crazy, okay?" "I promise I'll try to be on my best behavior," she smiled thinly, and then vanished. I took a roundabout route back to Nickie's house, walking almost absently, but knowing just where I was in relation to her house. Apparently, she'd taken that out of my head on our first date, when she'd sent me away. But once it had become my home as well, not only had she left the location there in my head, but she had done something else to improve my sense of direction, which had once been iffy. I wondered what else in my head she could improve should she choose to. "What the hell are you doing out so late?" someone spoke from behind me. I turned to find three white men waiting there, men about my age. The one who had spoken had shaved his head, but was currently sporting stubble, including on his pock-marked face. He looked angry, as if my being there were the cause of all his life's misfortune, which I was pretty sure it wasn't. Dressed in a wife-beater and grungy, dirty jeans, he exuded an air of volatility. The two men on either side were similar in appearance, having all the look of street thugs or gang members. There were plenty just like these guys in the city, prowling the streets, causing all kinds of trouble, and following various codes of conduct that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I waited, not saying anything, trying to determine what these guys would want with me. "You didn't answer my fucking question," the one in the middle sneered. "I didn't realize there was a curfew," I replied mildly, appearing as nonthreatening as possible. "Listen to this asshole!" the one on the right laughed. He had a nose ring, and his ears were gauged. "You're on our turf," the one in the middle informed me, and he seemed like the leader, at least of his little group. "I wasn't aware that it was your turf. When did that happen?" "We took it back," the guy on the left chimed in, "And we don't like trespassers in our turf." "Then I should probably go," I said, "I wouldn't want to be a trespasser." "Oh, so you think you should just go," the leader scowled, "Without paying the price for trespassing?" I sighed. I didn't need this right now. Weren't there enough problems in my life that I had to deal with this, too? But, after being with a woman who could rip me limb from limb if she so chose, a woman whose thirst for my blood was a rival for her love for me, three ordinary thugs failed to raise much fear in me. "Give me your wallet," the leader pulled a butterfly knife from his back pocket, opening it with the skill no doubt obtained from a lot of practice, "And we'll consider letting you walk out of here." "Well gee," I grinned, "I didn't realize the price was so low. My wallet's empty, anyways. How about a cheap watch or something?" "I think this guy is being a smart-ass," the thug on the left bared his teeth, but his eyes never stayed on one thing for more than a second, and he couldn't seem to stand completely still, fidgeting, bouncing a little. "Benny here says he thinks you're being a smart-ass," said the leader, "I think that maybe you're just looking to get your ass kicked." The thug on the right stepped forward and grabbed the front of my shirt. "Oh, goodie for me," said another voice in the darkness, somewhere to the right, and I recognized it as Nickie's, "I was looking for a way to blow off some steam." "Ah shit," I shook my head, feigning sadness, but inwardly I was relieved for her appearance, "I was hoping we could settle this with words." Nickie appeared at my side as if she'd just materialized. This threw the three thugs off a little. The one with the front of my shirt clenched in his fist let go and took a step back, surprised. "Who the fuck is she?" the leader demanded, "And where the fuck did she come from?" "Aren't you just full of questions?" Nickie cocked her head slightly, letting the thugs believe that she was as harmless as she looked, "Who are your new friends, Gary?" "I don't know," I answered, "They haven't introduced themselves yet." "See, I'm gone for five minutes, and you're out gallivanting with thugs..." she appraised the three, "Not very smart ones, at that." "Okay, bitch," the leader fumed, "I'm gonna have some fun with you before I slit your throat." "You should've just walked away," I warned them. Before one heartbeat reached the next, she was between them, and she shoved Benny and the other thug, sending them flying into the darkness with startled cries. She grabbed the leader, wrenching his knife-hand and driving his arm up between his shoulder blade, forcing him to drop his knife, which clattered to the path between his boots. He screamed in pain. "Little boys shouldn't play with knives," she said softly, with a smile, "I'll bet you're a constant disappointment to your mother." "Let me go, you bitch!" the leader screamed. "I'll also bet you're not much of a hit with the ladies... at least the smart ones. I could rip your arm and smack you around with it, if you'd like." "Let me go!" Nickie released him suddenly, and he whirled around with a wild punch. "I'm gonna kill you, bitch!" the thug growled. I chuckled, "Man, are you stupid!" "And he's quite proud, isn't he?" she spoke from one side, "But this is just what I need to work off my frustrations. Thanks, Gary." "Hey, this wasn't my idea. They found me." "Benny!" the leader shouted, "Vic! Where the fuck are you?" "I don't think you've got any backup," I noted. "Shut the fuck up! I'll fucking stomp your head in!" Nickie laughed, "Why don't you worry about me, instead? I'm the one you should be concerned about." "Aww, come on," I grinned, "I could take him." "I know you could," she nodded, still laughing, "But I'm having so much fun." So I shrugged and waited. Nickie appeared right next to the thug, gave him a light slap, and danced back a step as he swung, missing her. She continued to dodge and weave, easily avoiding his clumsy fists, quite graceful to behold. As his punches missed her, she responded with little pokes, jabs, pinches, and slaps, obviously toying with him, further infuriating him, as he apparently wasn't used to being the victim. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, you bitch!" the thug was completely out of control. He made a dive for his switchblade, but she deftly kicked it aside, and it flew off into the night. "You're getting a little predictable," she let him know, "You're nothing but an uneducated, uncultured, little thug who gets off on hurting people weaker than you, and the world could use a lot less of your kind." I stopped smiling as I heard her, but she flashed a bright smile my way before continuing, "How fortunate for you that I promised my man that I wouldn't kill anymore! You should count yourself lucky. So, how about you get out of here, quit pretending to be a man, and go give your mother a reason not to regret popping you out." I expected the thug to take off running, considering the performance Nickie had given, but his pride kept him where he was. He leapt at Nickie, who dodged, grabbed him by the back of his neck and pushed him down. He was up quickly, quite stubborn, swinging away once more, and it would've been funnier if he weren't so serious about landing a punch. "Dude," I suggested, "You've got to be getting tired by now. Can't you just go home like she said?" "Fuck you!" the thug switched course and came after me. I sidestepped and tripped him. Perhaps I might not have been quick enough if Nickie hadn't worn him out, but I could hear him wheezing for breath, could smell his rankness as he sweated, and he went down quickly. Just as quickly, he was up again, coming at me once more. I put out a fist even as he was starting to swing, and he ran right into it. He reeled back, his swing unfinished, a little dazed. "Are you done yet?" I asked. "Gonna fucking kill you," he wheezed, shaking his head, trying to clear it. "Yeah," Nickie was beside me again, "You mentioned that. Really, if you're gonna be so repetitive, let's just cut this short, okay?" The thug came at me once more, so I put more oomph in my counter punch as I sidestepped him a second time. He went down, out cold. "Quite a hit," she rolled him onto his side with one foot. "Well, thank you for tiring him out a little first. That made it much easier." "I am feeling better, by the way. It's nice to blow off a little steam, now and then." I rolled my eyes, "Maybe next time we'll just wade into a prison riot or something." "Ooh, that would be pretty fun. You could make that my birthday present." "You know I can't just schedule a prison riot whenever I want." "But I'm sure you'll figure something out, all the same." We began walking back to the house, feeling a little better. Sometimes finding solutions for the smaller problems gives one a little peace. When we were hardly inside the door, Nickie rounded on me, held me tightly, and kissed me deeply. I returned the kiss with fervor, cupping her buttocks, which felt so perfect in my hands. Her legs went around my waist, and I carried her easily, always a wonderment considering her incredible strength, down the stairs into the basement, into her room, and onto the bed. There, I set her down on the bed. "You really need to be more careful," she purred in my ear, "I'd really hate to lose you." "I suppose I should be," I replied, kissing her neck. "I mean it," she drew back, "If I hadn't been there, they might've really hurt you." I looked into her eyes, "It wasn't my idea to get mugged. I swear I was on my way home." "There are at least three other routes that would've gotten you here quicker." "Yeah, I did take the scenic route. I'll try to be more careful, okay?" "Good," she pulled my shirt off, "Now come here and make love to me." I undressed her slowly, taking great enjoyment in each caress of her skin, each sigh I drew from her. Her skin was flawless, slightly less pale than usual, which meant that she had recently eaten, but even that didn't subtract from the mood. I wanted her, even more now than the first night, and any night since she'd come back into my life. There was an intensity between her and I that we could both feel, and the way she devoured me with her eyes sent a delicious chill right through me. Every touch of her lips to my skin, every swipe of her tongue as she teased tingled throughout my body. I could feel her in my head as well, telling me how much she loved me, how much I meant to her, and what delicious pleasures I gave her. I applied some oil to her, spreading it leisurely over her thighs, moving from outer to inner, feeling her almost thrumming with excitement, an excitement that she sent to me. I moved my hands between her legs, parting her inner labia, stroking the soft petals, giving her clitoris a few strokes before easing two liberally-oiled fingers inside her, feeling her tighten, whisper my name. She took some oil and rubbed it in the sensitive skin of my member, stroking me with a slow, firm hand. She pushed me back, climbed upon me, and impaled herself upon me, moaning as I filled her. She began moving, rubbing what remained of the oil on her fingers onto my chest, and gazed into my eyes. They were still a deep, mysterious violet, not one faint trace of red, and I gazed right back into them. I teased my fingertips upon the skin of her breasts, around and around the areolas, and then around her stiff nipples. The scent of coconuts stayed in my nose, and I had the feeling that the mere scent of coconuts, in the future, would alone be enough to get me aroused. I moved within her, her vaginal muscles milking me, her breasts heaving in my hands. She rode me slowly, taking her time, keeping part of herself in my mind to make sure that she was always touching me in the right ways to give me the most pleasure. We connected in a way that I'd never known before her, a way that was impossible to describe. At the same time, she guided me to ensure that I gave her as much pleasure as I could. I groaned as she climbed off me, but she only positioned herself on her hands and knees, her round, gorgeous buttocks thrust up in the air. She wiggled a little enticingly, "You gonna just sit there staring, or are you gonna come and make love to me?" I jumped up, positioned myself behind her, and thrust into her. "Oh! If you never stopped doing that, it would be too soon for me!" She pushed back with each thrust I made, crying out, and I was in awe of her beauty, and unsurprised at the level of arousal I felt every time she looked back over her shoulder, urging me on. Unfortunately, such a high level of arousal ensured that my endurance suffered. I was already teetering on the edge of an orgasm, but, luckily, so was she. "Don't you dare stop!" she cried, "Give it all, I want to feel it inside me! Oooohhhh!" At this point, I was beyond the ability to stave off my orgasm. I thrust harder, not stopping even as my seed spilled inside her, continuing to thrust even as I finished, and she cried out, tightening as she reached her own climax. She bucked back against me, shivering, gasping, and she climaxed again even as she was finishing the first. Finally, she fell forward, still shivering, onto her stomach. I fell to my side next to her, trying to get my breath back. Even after such intensely satisfying lovemaking, I was aroused again in only a few minutes, and then Nickie was under me, her legs wrapped around me, her ankles and feet resting on the backs of my thighs. She murmured in my ear, her fingers lightly stroking my back as I moved within her. We continued on for another ten minutes, but, after that, she insisted that I give it all once more. I began moving faster, thrusting deeper, pushing harder. Her legs tightened around me, her hands pulling at me. She arched her backs and thrust her hips forward, matching my rhythm. There was no use in even trying for endurance this time, so perfect did she feel. Within only a few minutes, I was over the edge, and she followed quickly after, almost screaming with the ecstasy. We shuddered to a standstill, unmoving as we recovered, with her holding me inside her until my erection had completely subsided. Even then, she held me atop her, clutching me tightly, kissing me. Soon, after we had both calmed, she eased out from under me, and we luxuriated in that afterglow of such powerful passion. I lay on my side, unable to take my eyes off of her, feeling slightly sore, but satiated. "I ruined my sheets," she informed me, "I clawed them to shreds." I looked at her sheets, and saw that she had indeed slashed them up in two different places, and the mattress underneath as well. "We're gonna need a stronger mattress," I noted. "That was so wonderful, I don't even care," she leaned back on her elbows, bending one knee. "I only wish I had more in me right now." "I'm glad you don't. Even I need a break every now and then, my love." Morning would soon be here, and Nickie proclaimed that she needed to take a shower, so we kissed deeply for a moment, I gathered up my clothes, and then I went upstairs to the first floor, closed and locked the door that we'd left open in our haste to get to her room, and went into the kitchen to get a drink. Prior to my moving in, Nickie hadn't had any appliances in her kitchen. Why would she need them, after all? She had a stove, fridge, microwave, coffee pot, and toaster delivered and set up within a few days, and I had gone grocery shopping soon after. I had wondered where she would get all the money she seemed to have spent, between that and my bed, especially when I had quit my job, but she only told me that money wasn't a concern. My Date with Shadowcat313 Ch. 02 I stepped into the shower across from my bedroom, started the shower, and then, waiting for the water to heat up, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the me on the other side. I was still pretty physically fit, but not as much so as I had been. One thing about working construction, it was quite a workout. Perhaps I should see about going to the gym. I got into the shower, washing and rinsing off quickly, feeling suddenly worn out, tired. It had been quite a night, and it had taken a lot out of me. After toweling off and putting on a pair of underwear, I dropped onto my bed and was out even as the sun was coming up, falling into a dreamless, peaceful sleep. It was at least five o'clock in the afternoon when I finally awoke, and I knew I was sore as hell before I even started moving. I forced myself up and off the bed, stretching carefully to ease some of the pain. Maybe I was more out of shape than I'd thought. I dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt, pulled on a pair of my worn, old running shoes, and went outside for a jog. I waved to people as I passed, already working up a sweat, followed the sidewalks, dodging mothers power-walking while pushing strollers, an old man who seemed lost in an inner world as he strolled, a few teenagers trying to do kick flips on their skateboards, a little girl drawing spirals, stars, and swirls on her driveway with some sidewalk chalk, two men chatting as they did some yard work, and another man washing his car. They went about their lives, and I went about my business, still jogging, feeling better, working out some of the soreness in my body, and looking forward to seeing Nickie when the sun went down. I was back to the house, sweaty, but otherwise fine before sundown, rinsed off in the shower, and was downstairs in the kitchen, making a sandwich, when Nickie appeared behind me. "Oh, that smells awful!" she exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. I hadn't even considered that she would find the aromas of food offensive, "I'm sorry, I didn't even think-" "No, don't worry about it," she assured me, "I'll be back in a little while." I left my sandwich on the plate on the counter, went to her, and kissed her. She was trembling slightly, and while her eyes weren't quite red yet, there were faint blooms of rose in the violet of her irises. She kissed me back briefly, turned, and was out the door in a blink. I guessed that, already being hungry, her willpower was flagging, so being so close to me must've been almost unbearable. I ate my sandwich, grabbing a can of soda to wash it down, and went into the living room to watch TV. I felt a pang of guilt as Nickie's face kept resurfacing in my mind, tormented by the scent of my blood, and I wondered how long our relationship would last before she lost her fight to restrain her thirst for me. I supposed that when that time came, I wouldn't struggle. After all, what good would that do when she was exponentially stronger than me? Maybe she'd be able to regain control before draining me past a point where I couldn't survive, but I knew that her guilt would be great. To regain her senses only after I was dead would be so much worse for her. She would most likely take it quite badly, and there was no telling, really, what she might do with so much remorse over my death, and I didn't want to guess. By the time she returned, I was able to put these thoughts out of my mind, concentrating instead on how happy I was with her, and the depth of my feelings for her. She stopped in front of me, and I could see the blood splatted on the left side of her light blue blouse. "Are you okay?" I asked, "What happened?" "Those damn thugs interrupted me," she frowned, "I was trying to eat, and... of all the damn luck! I think I killed a few of them. I'm so sorry Gary, I know I promised." I got up, "Forget about that, you did what you had to. Are you sure you're okay?" She snorted, "The bastards! They just couldn't leave it alone, could they?" I moved closer, and started unbuttoning her blouse. She shrugged it off, and I continued to strip her down, and then took her hand. I led her downstairs, through her room and to the bathroom. I started a bath in her whirlpool tub, and she finished undressing. "The police will probably be looking around soon," she surmised, "We'll need to be careful." "Don't worry about that now, just sit down." She slid down into the tub, the hot water lapping at her waist as it rose, "Things just never seem to change. There's always some group of idiots with no common sense and something to prove!" I grabbed a washcloth from where it hung on a brass towel ring, wet it, and began wiping at the blood that had soaked through her blouse and onto her skin. "But this," she sighed, "This is something different. I don't think I've had anyone do this for me since I was a baby." "I didn't know what else I could do," I admitted. "Why don't you join me? There's plenty of room." So I undressed and sat in the tub with her. She turned around, and leaned back against me. I could feel her beginning to relax as I slid my hands around her and held her. Once she was calm and still, I grabbed her body wash, and the wash cloth, and had her sit up. I lathered up her back and shoulders, and then her arms, massaging them as I soaped. "I think I could get used to this," she purred, and turned around, "Don't stop there." I worked up a rich lather upon her breasts, much to her enjoyment, and then her stomach. Then she slid away from me, leaning up against the opposite side of the tub, and lifted a long leg out of the water, resting her foot on my chest. I began soaping up her leg, taking my time, massaging her calf, and then up to her thigh. A few moments later, she bared her other leg, and I worked on that leg for her. Once I was done, she let that leg drop into the water, which was now chest high. I turned the water off, and as I was settling back in, she slid up into my lap. Of course, she found that I was in a high state of arousal. "Ooh," she cooed, taking hold of me, "Is this for me?" "It's all for you," I responded, and she guided me inside her. The water sloshed as she rode me, and I kissed and licked her breasts, capturing each nipple between my lips and flicking my tongue across the tips. She stood up suddenly, climbed onto the lip of the tub so that my face was only inches from the juncture of her thighs and the slightly puffy pussy that waited for me. I didn't hesitate, pressing my lips against her, and dipping my tongue inside. She held my head as I licked and lapped, flicked and sucked, delighting in each gasp I drew from her. My hands slid around to her buttocks, gripping, kneading, as I continued to pleasure her, and it wasn't long before her hips were thrusting against my face, her cries reaching a crescendo as she achieved climax. She trembled and quaked, and then slowly shuddered to a halt before slipping back down into the tub, still in my lap, but facing the other way. After easing me back inside, she started riding me again, but reversed. I stroked her wet, glistening flesh, feeling the muscles in her back, and her shoulders as they flexed with each motion, relaxed, and then flexed again. Her hips gyrated and bounced, and her head was flung back, her hair almost in my face, but I didn't worry about that. Her cries and moans reverberated off the tiles, louder now as she increased her speed. I moved with her as much as I could, my feet pressed into the opposite wall of the tub to keep me from slipping down. She quickly reached climax again, her hips thrusting erratically, her body shuddering with the sheer pleasure. It took her a little bit before she was finally still, and then she slid off of me. "Here," she gasped, "Sit on the edge of the tub." I pushed up onto the lip of the tub, my feet in the water still, and her kneeling before me. She took me into her mouth all at once, my entire length ensconced with one motion. She sucked on me, her lips sealed tightly as she moved, her tongue teasing along the underside, just under the head where it seemed more sensitive than the rest of it, her eyes locked on mine. Her hands were on my inner thighs, her fingernails scraping lightly back and forth, and, within only a few minutes, I was rocketing towards release, thrusting myself into her mouth helplessly. I groaned and gulped for breath as I reached the point where there was no regaining control, and then my spend was splashing her throat. Three, five, and then one last time, I spasmed, and then sank back, having to hold myself up. She sucked for a few more seconds before releasing me, her throat working as she swallowed the last of my cream, and then she slid back, allowing me to collapse back into the tub. She lay against me, her fingers lightly stroking my chest, waiting as I took some time to get my wind. Because the water was getting colder, and because we'd been soaking in her tub for almost thirty minutes, we both got out, though my legs were a little shaky. We dried off, and she helped me upstairs and into my own bed. "You're exhausted," she slid into my bed with me. "Stay with me a little bit? Just until I fall asleep?" I murmured, and she nodded, snuggling up close to me, my head on her breast. She stroked her fingers through my hair, and I was out in less than a minute. I barely felt her ease out from under me, or felt her lips as she kissed me. But I heard her voice in my head crystal clear, cutting through the fog of sleep. "Dream of me, my love." I did dream of her, strangely enough, imagining her life as it might have been, before she had been turned. She was poor, her father shoeing horses, fixing wheels. She was wild, under no man's heel, never bowing or scraping, and many men lusted after her. She almost seemed cruel as she rebuffed their advances. It was a strange man, who was obviously not from the area, strangely dressed, and even more strangely mannered, that caught her attention. A proud man, with a strong, but lean frame, he had an almost regal carriage, as if he came from royalty or high status. She met him late one evening, as she danced at a town festival, never with the same partner for more than a moment at a time, seeming to delight in the frustration of her would-be suitors. He was suddenly there, as if made of smoke, but was all solid when he took her hand and danced flawlessly, his crystalline blue eyes seeming to bore twin holes into her very being. The man danced with her, his black hair glossy and long, her hand in his as he easily kept up with her. Soon, even she was winded, but the man hadn't even broken a sweat. He led her to a seat, which she gratefully accepted, and he took his seat next to her at one of several tables. "I do not believe I have made your acquaintance," she gazed curiously at him. He stood, bowed at the waist, and swept off his hat, "If you please, milady, I am Nathaniel Barclay of Dorchester. And may I know the name of such the fetching young lady that makes my heart weak with passion?" With a high blush upon her cheeks, she replied, "I am Nicolette Stribling, sir." "Such a glorious name for such a glorious vision!" Nathaniel exclaimed, "And I am twice blessed to be in your presence!" I felt as if I was there, though nobody bumped into me or so much as brushed up against me, and I watched as, enamored of this stranger, Nickie followed him through the throngs of townspeople until they emerged from the masses and found a secluded spot near a pond, where only the moonlight saw them. I watched as the man drew her into his arms and kissed her. Surprised, she began to pull away. "Sir, I beg of you-" "You will be my mate, to stand by my side," the man demanded, "For I insist, and you will never find such a man as me!" With that, he caught her eyes and kept them, entrancing her so deeply that she did little more than wince as his teeth opened her flesh and he drank. She could make no attempt to struggle, or do much more than sigh, her face growing pale as marble as he drank more and more of her blood, until she was close to death. He stopped right on the edge, and, still holding her up, he opened a vein on his wrist and thrust it against her lips. Almost instinctively, she began to drink as her own blood, tainted with the source of his own rebirth, flowed easily down her throat. As new life flooded her wide, startled eyes, confusion came with it. She staggered back from him, blood smeared around her lips, as if she'd been eating berries. "What have you done to me?" she gasped, feeling a horrible ache spread throughout her body. "Just as I have said," the man crossed his arms, waiting. She collapsed to the ground, trying to scream, but producing only a high, agonizing keening, and went into a fit, thrashing wildly, helplessly, as the poison spread throughout her, burning terribly, yet as icy cold as the harshest winter. Suddenly, her eyes, which were shut tightly, popped open, and the violet irises were no longer violet, but the brightest crimson. I woke with a start, realizing I had thrashed myself awake. The sun was almost down, most of it having dipped below the horizon, with only a sliver visible. I wiped my hand across my face, simply sitting there on the edge of the mattress, trying to understand the dream I'd had. Had this been Nickie's memories, her recollection of her life up to the point of her turning, or my imagination trying to figure it out? It had seemed quite lucid, quite vivid. Had she really been Nicolette Stribling, the daughter of a man who shoed horses for a living? As I puzzled over this, the sun grudgingly sank below the horizon, and night gradually arrived. I dressed, went into the living room, and waited for Nickie. I tried to watch some TV, but nothing was on that could hold my attention. I kept going over my dream, remembering key points, and it all seemed to make sense, considering the things I knew now. "Something's troubling you," Nickie spoke from the other side of the sofa. I turned my head, and there she was, completely nude, resplendent, a vision if there ever was one. "I dreamed about your life," I admitted, "Was that a dream, or your memories?" She smiled, but there was a bitter undertone, "I thought it would be easier that way. I wanted you to know who I used to be, what I was before Nathaniel Barclay took my humanity." I held out my hand, and, when she took it, I pulled her close, "He could turn you, make you a vampire, but you're still human. In fact, you're more human than a lot of people I've seen. Besides, a human could never love me like you do." She lay her head on my shoulder, and I put an arm around her. "That's so sweet of you to say," she managed a wan smile, "But it's not completely true. I've lost much of my humanity because of what I am, all the horrible things I've done." I sighed, my fingers brushing through her silky hair, "If you weren't as human as I believe you to be, then you wouldn't be so worried of my opinion of you. A real monster would never care about something like that." "You have such a high opinion of me," she sighed miserably, "I wish I could live up to it." "You already are. You could've killed me the first time you met me, but you didn't. You could've fed on me so many times since then, but you were so adamantly against the idea that you sent me away for a month. Instead of making me your meal, you let me into your heart, and I've never been happier with anyone in my life." ----Warning: For those of you who were looking for a happy ending, you should probably stop reading here. I wanted to end it with a 'happily ever after,' who wouldn't? Unfortunately, that didn't happen. If you insist on continuing to the end, consider yourself warned.---- I held her for a little while, because she wanted to be held, but her thirst grew more insistent, so she took her leave, dressing quickly and going out. I made something for me to eat, a chicken pot pie, and, once done with that, I put my shoes on and went for a walk. I stayed away from the park area where the thugs had tried to mug me, not desiring to have any further dealings with them, instead following the sidewalks of the neighborhood, seeing people who were engaged in normal activities, some of which stopped to wave at me as I passed. But they were soon all indoors as the time slipped closer to ten o'clock, and I found myself alone, still strolling the sidewalks, the sodium vapor streetlights my only illumination. I thought about Nickie, but that was normal, I spent a lot of time thinking about her when I wasn't with her. I wondered what would happen if she managed to control the thirst for my blood. I would grow older, my hair would probably fall out like my father's did. Maybe I would retain my grip on reality, or maybe I'd grow senile. Maybe I'd become infirm of body or mind, end up on a walker, or in one of those motorized scooters. Or maybe I'd end up like my grandfather, who was strong, able-bodied and sharp-minded, working until the day he died at ninety-four, dead of a heart-attack at his farm, mucking out a horse stall. And Nickie, being immortal, or close to it, would still look exactly the same as when we'd met, hell, the same as when she was turned. She would stay with me, because she loved me, but she would have to take notice as I grew old, and eventually died. What about after that? Perhaps she would then be free of her torturous desire for my blood, but she would still have eternity to wait for her own death. Or maybe she would move on, decide to take on a new lover. The thought made me quite jealous, but, in all practicality, she deserved to love again. Why shouldn't she? I would want her to find love again, because if I could love her as much as I do, then why couldn't someone else? It wasn't as if I was that unique, that I was the only one who could see past the vampire to the woman beneath. Yeah, I would want her to move on, especially in this situation, because eternity was a hell of a long time to spend alone. I felt a little bit better having decided this, though I doubted that it was something I could discuss with her without worrying her. I supposed I'd have to wait until the time where we both knew we could no longer avoid the inevitable, like upon my deathbed. I didn't hear the car behind me, so wrapped up in my own head had I been. I awoke with a splitting headache, my wrists tied behind me so tight that my arms had begun to fall asleep. It was dark, but I could hear an engine, the squeak of used shock absorbers, and loud metal music playing close by. I could feel the bumps as the car navigated the not-so-perfect streets, the slightly itchy texture of the fabric underneath me, and, of course, the back of my head, from where all the pain radiated outward. I was in the trunk of a car. Duct tape had been slapped over my mouth to keep me from yelling out or singing along with the music, had I known the words, which sounded like the growls of a bear with a hemorrhoid. Not that I knew exactly what a bear with a hemorrhoid would sound like, but I could imagine. Perhaps I was still too groggy, but I wasn't exactly scared yet, slightly concerned, maybe, but not yet scared. The car came to a stop, and I slid forward across the carpet of the trunk and thumped against the front. People got out of the car, and, after a moment, the trunk opened. Outside the car, it was dark, no streetlights, so the figures who stood over me were only dark silhouettes in the darkness behind them. They grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out of the trunk, and then proceeded to drag me along, over weed-choked grass, and then over gravel. I had no idea where we were, but something told me I wasn't being invited to a party, at least not a party I would want to attend. There was a bonfire roaring somewhere close; I could hear the crackling of flame consuming wood, and I hoped I wouldn't be the next source of fuel to keep it burning on. My Date with Shadowcat313 Ch. 02 The night grew brighter as I was dragged closer to the bonfire, and I could make out a few of my abductors, and the sight of them was enough to snap me out of my groggy state. The shaved heads, some covered in hats turned sideways or backward, the wife-beaters, jeans, some darker than others, and work boots or, in a few cases, combat boots... these guys were probably more of the same thugs Nickie and I had been accosted by before. And there, nearby, was the leader thug. He now had a long scar across his face, beginning near the front of his right ear and extending across his cheek in a dip, terminating just above the corner of his mouth, the stitches visible as they held his flesh together. The look he glared at me was positively murderous, and there was no doubt that he meant to ensure my death, probably with a lot of torture and suffering beforehand. I started wondering if I shouldn't have had that 'moving on' conversation with Nickie before now. I was dropped onto my side with a jarring thud as I was unable to put my hands out to catch the ground. I grunted from behind the duct tape, but made no additional noise. "Now that we've got you alone, without that fucking freak of a girlfriend you've got, we can finally get down to business, the leader thug scowled darkly. "Let's fucking break every bone in his body!" one of the other thugs chimed in enthusiastically. "Shut the fuck up!" the scarred thug roared at the other thug, who subsided, chastened. "That bitch of yours fucking sliced up two of my homies," he continued, "Sent all three of em' to the goddamn morgue. Now, I'm gonna get a little payback. I think I'm gonna start by cutting you up, real slow. I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been fucking born. Then, I'll probably douse you with some gas, and then set you on fire, watch you burn." Since I still had the duct tape on my face, I couldn't quite suggest that maybe having a few beers instead would be a better idea of a good time. Luckily for me, he reached forward and yanked the tape off. It stung, but I didn't complain about it. "I wanna make sure I can hear you scream and beg me to put a fuckin' bullet in your head just to stop the pain. I won't, by the way. I wanna make sure you suffer all the way." My mouth was dry with fear, now, but I did my best not to let the fear show. "I don't think any of this would be a good idea," I replied evenly. Two of the thugs grabbed me and set me up, leaning me up against a half-destroyed cinderblock wall. "You're gonna pay," the thug insisted, "And, if that bitch shows up to save you, we're gonna put so much fucking lead in her that not even her own whore mother'll recognize her." "I don't think you're gonna like the outcome very much," I warned him, and he showed me his fist close up, jarring my face and splitting my lip on the side. "Shut the fuck up," he barked, "Save your fucking breath for all the screaming you're gonna be doin.'" He pulled his butterfly knife, flicked it open, and brandished it at me. Then he swiped it across my face, barely touching me with the blade, but it opened my cheek a little. I winced back, my head thumping the wall and igniting fresh pain across my skull. Blood ran slowly down my cheek. I looked up, wondering where Nickie was, if she knew through our bond how much trouble I was in. It was no longer anywhere near midnight, which it had been when I was knocked out as I'd been walking down a sidewalk. In fact, the sky was no longer totally dark. Morning would be coming soon. "Hey, you piece of shit!" the thug kicked me in the side, knocking me over, "You better fuckin' pay attention when I'm talkin' to you." The two thugs on either side of me pushed me back into a sitting position, but my side screamed. I think he'd maybe cracked one of my ribs. I grit my teeth, refusing to voice my pain. "Oh, look-at-im," the thug on the right noted with a chortle, "He thinks he's a tough guy." A few of the other thugs near the fire, most of them drinking or smoking, cheered them on. "He'll break. He's just a fuckin' pussy, after all," promised the leader thug. They began kicking and punching me, and I did my best to hunch over, despite having my arms still tied behind my back, trying to protect my head. Fists and boots still found places to ignite pain, so many that I lost count. A kick connected with the back of my head, and I lost consciousness. I don't know how long I was out, but then a sharp, crackling pain brought me to with a scream. I opened my eyes, trying to scramble backward, but the wall was still there to stop me. The leader thug held a small piece of lumber, of which one end was glowing red. He had poked my arm with the glowing end, burning me awake. It was brighter out, not yet sunup, but within the hour. "What," the thug growled, "You think you can sleep through this? Fuck no, I want you wide awake so you can see all the shit we're gonna do to you." He jabbed the piece of lumber out at me again, and it hit the same arm. I grit my teeth and hissed, flinching away. He tossed the wood aside, and had his knife out again. "Now, we're gonna do us a little surgery on your face, see what you look like without a fucking nose." I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but just barely, and then one of the thugs, crying out, went flying into the bonfire, crashing into the middle of it, his clothes, hair, and flesh catching fire, and his screams like the bleating of a sheep. The others scrambled for their guns, and then another thug was hurled into a nearby tree, the incredible force snapping the trunk. Both the tree, and the thug fell to the ground and were motionless. "Where the fuck is she?" the leader thug bellowed, "Get your fuckin' guns and kill the bitch!" The remaining thugs, all seven of them, had their pistols and shotguns, and were scanning the forest. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I'd get to keep my nose after all. One of the thugs thought he saw her and fired, the others firing in the same direction, but she was behind them in a flash. She picked up two of them by the backs of their necks and smashed their heads together. They fell in a heap. She plucked another up and swung him by the feet into the remaining four, knocking them down, and then she planted the thug face-first into the ground, snapping his neck. Another shot rang out, and she cried out, knocked to the ground. I cried out with her, alarmed, but she was up again, a bullet hole in her back, near her left shoulder blade. She was gone before the leader thug could line up a second shot. "What the fuck is she?" he demanded, glaring at me, but shocked, "No normal bitch can take a shot like that and get up." "She's a very angry girlfriend," I grunted, my sides hurting almost too much to speak, "And you've fucked up royally." "Hey bitch!" the thug yelled, scanning the surrounding forest, "You better come out where I can see you, or the next bullet goes in your boyfriend's head!" She was beside him in the next instant, and she yanked the gun out of his hand so hard that I heard bones crack. She threw the gun into the bonfire even as he screamed, clutching his mangled hand to his chest. "I've given you enough chances to live," she hissed, beyond furious, her eyes crimson now. "What the fuck are you?" he stumbled back, his eyes wide with terror. "The last thing you're ever gonna see in your pathetic life," she replied, and then, with one hand, grabbed his throat. Her other fist slammed into his face, caving it in, and she tossed the thug into the bonfire. She wiped her bloody hands on her pants, and then crouched in front of me, trembling. She untied my wrists, and then looked me over with concern. "What have they done to you?" she cried, "Those damn pieces of shit!" "I'm a lot better now," I tried to smile, and winced at the pain, "The sun is coming up. You won't make it home in time. We've got to get you to a safe place." But the sun was already over the horizon, and she flinched as one of its rays broke through the trees and struck her skin. "I'm serious," I tried to get up, but my right leg wouldn't hold me. I collapsed back to the ground. She got up, searched the dead thugs, and found a cellphone. "Here," she whispered, "You'll need this." The sun was scorching her skin now, but she tried to ignore it. "You've got to get out of the sun!" I insisted, fearful, "Please!" She fell to the ground next to me, quaking with the agony. "It's too late," she shuddered, "There's nowhere nearby. It took me too long to find you, I'm so sorry." "No!" I clutched her, pulling her close despite my pain. I tried in vain to protect her from the sun. "It's okay," she gasped, "At least you'll be okay, and I get to see you one last... time." "Oh god," I sobbed, "No, I can still save you, just... please!" She closed her eyes, smiling slightly, and then she began turning to ash, not burning me, though I wouldn't have let go even if it was. And she was gone. I don't know how long I sat there, holding her remains, even as they crumbled through my hands, and I didn't care. I would've sat there until I died, I supposed, and that would be okay with me. The utter hopelessness that drained me of all will to live didn't let me care. Sure, I could just sit there, with her ashes in my hands, and on my clothes, because that was the closest I'd ever get to being with her again. But she would never have approved of this decision, and neither should I. After all, she'd given her life to save mine, and for me to die here anyway would've been like a slap in her face. I still sat there, tears running down my bruised face, staring at the empty place in my arms where she'd so recently been, wishing I had been able to do something to save her. Eventually, I used the cellphone to call 911, letting them use the GPS function on it to tell them where I was, as I had no idea. I told them who I was, that I'd been abducted, and that the abductors were dead, but I lied about knowing how they'd died. Nobody would ever believe me, anyway. After that, I put the phone down, the line still open, and lay on my side, ignoring the physical pain while unable to deny the emotional agony. Soon, there were policemen, and medics, and coroners, and a lot of questions, some of which I even answered honestly, while leaving out other facts. I was transported to the hospital to be treated for my injuries, but the most important injuries could never fully heal. I walked down the sidewalk, my eyes only on my feet as they moved, my mind off on its own. I stopped as I reached the house, stared at it for a few minutes, and then started slowly for the front door. I was still sore, especially my leg, which had been broken, and I'm not including my grief, which was almost constant. The police still had unanswered questions, like the identity of the thing that had killed most of a local gang, and I supposed that some questions just wouldn't ever be answered. I went to the front door, and inside, going directly downstairs to Nickie's bedroom. It was dark, but I didn't bother with the lights. I trudged directly to her bed and crawled underneath the sheets, kicking off my shoes along the way. I could still smell her, her perfume was in the sheets and the pillow, and they unlocked a flood of tears that I couldn't control. It was just too much, too damn much for me to take, and I clutched her pillow against my face as I wept. After a while, I slept, and I dreamt that Nickie was with me. I lay on her bed, and she held me, her fingers stroking through my hair as she soothed my pain. "You'll be okay," she whispered. "I won't," I murmured, though I was, at that moment, "There's nothing for me if you're not here." "But I'm here right now. I couldn't leave you without telling you that I love you. You must go on." "I can't go on." "You have to let me go, Gary." I clutched her tightly, "No! Not in a million years!" "Gary," she sighed, "You gave me a reason to be human, and I can never repay you for that. You loved me, despite what I was, and you made me believe that I could be better. I couldn't have ever asked for more. But what is the point of all that if you're just going to give up now?" "I- I can't! I just can't! It's my fault you're gone!" "No," she held my face, forcing me to look her in the eyes, "You can't hold yourself responsible for what those bastards did. They paid for what they've done, so the blame is over. Think about what I want for you now, and that is to move on. You can keep me in your heart and your memories, and that will have to be enough." I pressed my lips to hers, desperate for her, "But how? I've got nothing left." "Bullshit," she insisted, "There is another woman out there, I just know it, who needs a man like you as much as I did, who needs your love." "I'll never love anyone the way I love you," I swore. "That's for sure, but you will love again." I sighed, and she kissed me, "I'll be fine, you know. And I'll see you again, too. There's always that. Now go on and live your life." "I really do love you," I assured her. "And I never doubted it." I awoke, my cheeks stiff with dried tears, my eyes gummed shut, and my chest tight with emotion. I could feel her arms around me still, but then I couldn't, and the pain flared anew once more. I forced myself to sit up, and then to my feet, wiping my eyes until I could open them. I left Nickie's room for the last time. My Date with Shadowcat313 Speaking out loud, admitted, "I've been wondering what that would feel like." She purred, "And how does it feel?" "Incredible!" She led me inside, showing me around the house. I followed, but I think I paid more attention to her than my surroundings. About halfway through the tour, she asked casually, "How's the view back there?" "Hypnotic..." She giggled, "You men and your one-track minds!" She turned around and pressed her body against mine, so close to me that I had to kiss her again. My arms slid around her slim waist and my lips pressed more insistently on hers. She purred, and her arms wrapped around me. Our tongues met and tasted, my hands moved down to her deliciously curved butt, squeezing and lifting her up, and her long, firm legs wrapped around my waist. Her hips moved against mine, grinding sensually as I continued to kiss her. Her breaths grew a bit quicker, as did mine, and we had to break for a few seconds, but her mind was made up. She pulled me with her, opening the door to the basement. As we reached the bottom, I saw an enormous bedroom, with an immense bed covered with expensive silk sheets. I vaguely noticed that there were no windows down there. We made our way to the enormous bed, and she began taking my clothes off excitedly. As my pants were flung down, I asked, "Are we going to be able to do this?" She growled playfully, "Oh, you just wait, you'll see how well we'll be able to do this!" She pushed me back onto the bed and yanked my boxers down my legs and off them, throwing it behind her. She crawled onto me and began kissing me again, her body grinding in a frenzy of desire on mine. Her lips moved down to my neck, teasing, nipping gently as so not to break the skin, and then moved down to my chest, her hands all over my body. Her lips moved down, her tongue continuously on my skin, and then she had my throbbing erection in her sights. Her lips brushed playfully on my length, and then her tongue followed briefly before she took me in her mouth. Without any further delay, she sucked me furiously, moaning around me, making me moan, stroking my balls in her hand all the while. I pulled the leather strip from her hair, and it came down, just under her creamy shoulders. She looked up briefly at me, licking her lips erotically before returning her full attention to my manhood. She'd move her lips about half-way down me, short strokes, and then thrust me fully into her mouth, working her incredible tongue at the same time. I began lifting my hips as she pulled me into her throat, and she knew I was ready to spill my seed. She felt my balls contract, and my breath caught in my throat. Then, as she sucked me back into her throat, I began spurting what felt like gallons of my stuff in her mouth. She held my head on her tongue, and caught my load there. When I gave one last, weak spasm, she swallowed all of it, licking the tip for any last traces. As I lay there, making an attempt to get my breath back, she stood up and quickly undress. She lifted her blouse over her head, unclasped her blue silk bra, and let her breasts out, quite large for her body, with silver-dollar sized areoles and stiff pink nipples. She turned around, undoing her pants, and then peeled them down, bending at the waist to give me all the view I could handle. Her matching silk panties were next, and as she slid them down, I couldn't help but stare at the hairless, slightly puffy pussy between her firm thighs. It looked so enticing that I couldn't stand it! I pulled her atop me, and immediately fell to sucking and licking her breasts, squeezing and cupping them. She pushed a nipple in my mouth, and I sucked it between my lips, flicking it with my tongue. Then I swirled it around and nipped it with my teeth. Her fingers thrust through my hair, pushing me into her breasts, whimpering, moaning, growling. I pulled her up further, and poked the tip of my tongue into her navel, wiggling it. She purred, "Oh, you! You're driving me crazy!" She moved up my body, and pressed my face between her thighs. I kissed that puffy flesh around her entrance, drawing circles on it with the tip of my tongue. Unable to resist any more, I dipped my tongue over the swollen inner lips of her pussy, taking short, quick licks as I tasted her unbelievably arousing aroma. She pressed herself down emphatically on my mouth, "I want to feel your tongue in me!" I obeyed without delay, extending my tongue fully to enter just past her inner lips, and she vigorously rode my tongue. It didn't take long for her to orgasm. Her back arched, and she bucked, crying out, "Oh God Yes! It's so hot in me! Ooooohhh! OH!" When she had calmed, she let me up, pressing her mouth on mine, her tongue immediately in my mouth, still moaning as I cupped her generous butt in my hands. Insatiable, she moved down on me and took my half-flaccid manhood in her mouth, sucking me with great abandon, and she soon had me harder than ever. Then she stood up, moving to a dresser to the left of the bed. She opened the top drawer and extracted a small bottle of oil, and proceeded to squeeze a large amount into her hand. She slowly began to rub the oil all over her body, on her arms, and then her breasts, teasing her nipples between her fingers, down to her stomach, thighs, and between, playing with her clitoris, biting her bottom lip. As she approached me, she glistened with the oil, and I caught the scent of coconut. She squeezed a bit more out and began stroking my organ, coating it in the oil, taking her time to do it. "Sorry," she explained, "But being what I am, I don't lubricate down there very well, but this will make things much more pleasurable for you." With that, she straddled my hips, grasped me, and guided me inside her. In one motion, I was enveloped inside her. She rocked back and forth, up and down, arching her back and thrusting her oil-lathered breasts out. I took the opportunity to graciously rub the oil into her skin, much to her delight. Unlike any novel I had ever read, she was not cold inside at all, but quite warm, and I filled her up as best as I could. She lay atop me and licked all along the side of my neck, again nipping with her teeth. I was so turned on as she plunged me inside her, and with the added pleasure of her tongue on my neck, I really wanted her to bite me. When she received that thought from me, she jumped, startled, a little apprehensive. "I...I don't know if I can do that. I don't want to hurt you, my love." "I want to feel your bite. I want to share myself with you...Please..." She pressed her teeth against the sensitive skin of my neck, but she didn't break the skin. I urged her, pushing my head to the side to show her that it was what I wanted. Finally, I felt her teeth break through, and I could feel my blood flowing into her mouth. She swallowed a few times, moaning against my neck, and then stopping, her tongue pressed against the punctures. I think I was more turned on at that moment than at any time in my past, as she plunged me inside her harder and harder, her butt making slapping sounds against my groin. Then, unable to contain herself any longer, she lapped at the blood again, her tongue sending me over the edge as she clenched her muscles, on the edge herself. She cried out, her cries muffled against my neck, and more ribbons of my seed unraveled inside her. Her thighs gripped my hips as she rode out her own climax, her voice spiraling up, and then we both drifted slowly to a stop. She pressed her fingers over the punctures and held them there to stop the bleeding. My hands slid up and down her back, massaging lightly. She was horrified at what she'd done, taking my blood having been far from her intentions. "Oh, damn it, I didn't want to do that to you!" "I asked you to, Nickie. It felt so good, like I was in you while you were in me. It just felt so right." She cried, "But it wasn't right! I wanted to make love to you, not feed from you!" She pressed her face against my chest, and I cradled her head, stroking her soft tresses, whispering to her. "I needed to give it to you. Please, don't be mad." She looked at me, and the look in her eyes was one of abject misery. "I'm not mad, my love. I just shouldn't have bitten. I shouldn't have drank. It might start to get easier each time, until the need is so bad that I take it without your permission. Please, I need to sleep soon. You can't stay with me while I sleep, and you definitely can't lie with me while I sleep. I have no control over my thirst when I'm asleep." I felt such sorrow because I knew it was my fault. I hesitated, looking into her eyes, and she resisted. "Please, you have to go. I'll e-mail you when I've got my control over it again, okay? I promise, just please. I need to know that you're safe from me while I'm like this." Unable to comfort her, I pressed my lips briefly to hers, which trembled with the grief that she couldn't soften with tears. I stood up, and she pressed her anguished face into the silk sheets of her bed, wrenched by dry sobs. It took every bit of strength I had to collect my clothes and trudge up those stairs, when every bit of me wanted to rush back to her and hold her, to try and ease her suffering. I dressed upstairs in her living room. The sun was coming up, the rays warm on my face, which had become wet with tears. I walked out the door, closing it quietly, and got on my bike. I rode back to my apartment, not really noticing anything, my mind fully preoccupied. I was probably lucky that I didn't wreck my bike on the way. When I was in my apartment again, I collapsed onto my bed. I just felt weary, and I felt into a troubled sleep. In my dream, I was consumed with a thirst so great that it blotted out all else in its enormously powerful grip. I attacked victim after victim, trying to slake my unquenchable thirst. I woke up, sitting up, crying out in fear, even feeling the blood on my lips, tasting that coppery, thick richness on my tongue. "Oh, shit, what've I done?" I asked myself, in a bleak, dark mood. I walked into my kitchen, made a sandwich, ate it right there at the counter, and then made another, ravenously wolfing it down. I poured a great big glass of orange juice and carried it over to my computer, half of it gone before I sat down and turned the monitor on. I sighed sadly as I looked at the inbox of my email. It was full of exchanges with friends and strangers, junk mail, and it was all nothing to me. It's been a week, and still no message from Nickie. I've called in sick all week, claiming to have come down with a bug. It wasn't really a lie. The bug was the worry and feeling of emptiness as I wait. I'm sure, in writing all this, I must sound pathetic, but I don't care. I shared something different with a woman who was better than any other that I've been with, and we had some connection that went beyond physical. Everything and everyone else pales before her. Maybe, when she finally sends a message, things won't be so gray. So I waited...