Drawn to a Vampire (9 page)

‘No, me next Grandma,’ said Bea.

Grandma was close behind them, ‘Why don’t I sit in between so I can sit next to both of you?’ 

At this point Granddad walked in.

‘I want to sit next to Granddad too,’ said Megan.  She was always first off the cuff, being the oldest.  Bea soon chimed in.

‘Me next to Granddad.’

Sarah rolled her eyes.

Megan looked livid, ‘No, me!’

‘How about I sit next to you Bea and Granddad sits next to Megan,’ suggested Sarah.

At this point their guest entered the room.  He looked stunning and completely relaxed.  Leaning against the doorframe, glass of wine still in hand, he said, ‘How about me, where shall I sit?’

Megan and Bea fell silent.  They were happy to stay as far away from this new man as possible.

However it was a reciprocal question.  There was only one seat left, which would be nearest the door, between Granddad and Sarah.

Sarah slid into her seat, and as everyone settled down Daniel pulled out his chair and sat down alongside her.  Their arms were almost touching, only an inch away.  Sarah was very aware of her body and whether any part of it was anywhere near him.  She couldn’t even look at him, and busied herself with fussing over Bea and making sure she was OK and sitting down properly. 

‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ Grandma said reassuringly to Bea and Megan, ‘I’m just going to bring in our food’.  

Sarah had left her mum to dish up as she had cooked - Sarah did not want to take credit for her mother’s efforts.

Sarah could smell delicious tantalizing scents drift in from the kitchen.  Her mum emerged with the ceramic dish holding the homemade casserole.  She placed it in the middle of the table, ‘No touching kiddies, it’s VERY hot,’ she emphasized, before going back into the kitchen for the cooked potatoes.

Trying to ignore Daniel, who was sitting silently to her right, Sarah leant over and began dishing up casserole for Megan and Bea.  She gave them each a chicken drumstick and picked them out veggies from the stew.  They would not eat a scoop of casserole if it was placed on their plates - Sarah had to divide it into individual segments if it was not to be rejected. 

Sarah turned to Daniel and tried to sound confident, ‘Would you like some casserole?’

‘Yes please,’ he replied - he’s so polite, thought Sarah – and then he continued, ‘I’m very hungry, it’s been a busy day.’  He half smiled, the corner of his mouth curling up in a way Sarah couldn’t help imagine had hidden meaning, while he looked secretly amused. 

Alice had returned with the potatoes and taken her seat.  Everyone helped themselves and began buttering them.  The children’s chatter helped to cover Sarah’s silence as she tried to remain calm.  His arm was so close.

She took a steadying breath and tried to chew her food.  Her father, Keith, picked up the bottle of red and refilled their glasses.  Alice and Keith, being either side of Megan, fussed over her while she tucked into her food.  Even Bea started to eat her casserole.  Sarah was relieved she didn’t have to hassle them - her parents were an exciting enough influence to give her a break. 

But Sarah could not relax, she was aware of Daniel’s every movement.  Every time he took a bite.  The sound of him eating.  Every time he picked up his wineglass. 

Her parents weren’t paying him any attention; they were fixated on their food and grandchildren. 

Sarah decided to be brave; she looked over towards him, after swallowing the food already in her mouth.  He was already looking her way, still with that half amused look on his face.  As if he’s aware of how uncomfortable he’s making me.
  
And how attractive I find him.
 

‘Where have you come from Daniel?’

‘Oh, I’ve lived lots of places,’ he confided with a smile, ‘but most recently I moved from not so far away, a little town in Alaska.’

‘Alaska?  Wow that must have been incredible’, said Sarah, imagining walking in icy landscapes. 

Where they lived in Canada had plenty of snow and ice in winter too, but the more extreme weather always appealed to Sarah.

‘Incredible?  That’s not the response I usually get.  Most people associate further north with cold and depression.’

‘No, I find cold and ice inspiring.’

Daniel looked amused, again, as though this was not the response he was expecting from her.  He also looked freely intrigued; his eyes boring into hers, as though he was searching her.

Sarah looked down, embarrassed, and slowly chewed her food before returning to the conversation.  God, he was intense, he really did take her breath away.  But he made her feel funny.  She was not entirely sure of him.  What was it about him?  Something she didn’t trust?  Was it merely his unbelievable attractiveness, his secrecy, or his confidence in an unfamiliar household?  Hey, maybe he’d been here before. 

Sarah drank some more wine.  It was a good job she could stay tonight as she was already on her third glass.  The food her mom had made was good, and the combination of getting some food inside her - and the confidence the alcohol fueled, allowed her to ask the next question.

‘Did you move here with anyone?’

Oh god, he
must
know I find him attractive after asking that question.  He must also know I’m married.

But not giving his thoughts away in the slightest, he smiled, his grin dazzling.  ‘No, I moved here alone.’

Sarah felt relieved, but tried not to show it.  God, what if her parents saw?  Although would they really care anyway?  It’s not like they’re so fond of Jo.  And they know we’ve had, and still do have, our problems.

***

Jo drove furiously out of town and round the winding back lanes.  He reached Quarry Bridge and parked his car.  He got out and leant against his bonnet, looking across the Quarry Lake and cliffs in the darkness.  It was a vast space and he breathed in the night air, smelling the scent of conifers on the breeze. 

It was chilly but now he didn’t feel the cold.  And he no longer felt scared.  He was peacefully relaxed and at ease with himself.  As the bat landed next to him on the bonnet and materialized into a dark haired man, Jo didn’t even blink.  At once he knew that he had been right.  He had not been having delusions.  The man
was
a vampire – he didn’t know how he knew – he just did. 

‘Beautiful evening, is it not?’ the man said, his stare intense, hypnotizing.

Jo just nodded.  He didn’t even flinch as the vampire leant across and, with one fast movement, snapped Jo’s neck.

***

The vampire wasn’t yet sure what he planned to do with Jo, yet he had decided Jo would be useful to him.  It hadn’t been a hard decision turning him into a vampire.  He had done it quite a few times over the centuries and realized how useful it could be to have an ally in a new town – especially with Daniel loitering around.  He could never tell what Daniel might be planning, so it would be good to have extra muscle around, just in case. 

He hadn’t yet decided whether he would let Jo go back to his old life and live with his wife and children.  It would be a risk, he may become exposed. He probably wouldn’t be able to control himself.   And he wouldn’t always be there to help him. 

Maybe he would just keep Jo hidden, teach him to hunt at night.  There were plenty of bars in town, dark and dingy, where they’d hardly be noticed leaving with different people each night.  Jo would have a ferocious appetite as a newly turned vampire. 

In fact the vampire, Sebastian, couldn’t wait to find out what Jo would be like.  The transition into a vampire was a funny thing.  Sometimes people kept their human personalities and resisted the change in lifestyle.  Other times they embraced it, hunted wildly and forgot their human connections.  Sometimes they tormented the connections they still remembered from their humanity, they haunted them or killed them. 

He wondered how Jo’s family would fare.  Hmm, if Jo killed his family it probably would get noticed.  Sebastian decided he would keep Jo to himself for now, he would train him and turn him into the sort of vampire he wanted, away from outside influences.  Sort of like a pet project.  It could be fun to see him struggle and possibly go a little crazy.

Sebastian lifted the now dead Jo off the floor and opened the trunk.  He pushed him into the back, where nobody would notice, and slid into the front seat himself.  He reversed out of the quarry parking lot and headed further into the woods.

‘The Two Vampires: Books 1-5 (The Complete Series!)’ by M.D. Bowden is OUT NOW!