The Vampire and the Man-Eater (15 page)

"Why are you still being so stubborn?" Daniel implored.

Brock looked at Daniel, then back into the mirror. Brock waved his hand up and down trying to uncover the illusion.

"This is useless!" Daniel stormed out of the room.

Standing still to digest the information, Brock felt his skin break out in a cold sweat. "No ...
Noooo
... NO!" He screamed, running after Daniel. Seeing him standing at the front door, Brock was frantic. "No! Oh, God, Daniel, please tell me this is a joke!"

"Yes. Some joke. I hope you find it entertaining."

"It can't be!"

"You keep thinking that thought, Brock."

"Daniel..." Brock's heart was breaking, tears running down his face.

"Goodbye, my man-eater."

As Brock watched him vanish, he fell to his knees and cried like he had never cried before. Devastated, shocked, and heartbroken, Brock covered his face in his hands and died inside.

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by G.A. Hauser

Chapter Eleven

Daniel told his private driver to wait. Walking down an alleyway between businesses, he found a steel door without a handle. Pressing against it, he listened to the other side.

Instantly it opened inward.

"Wolf?"

"Jayden."

Jayden pulled him into the hall quickly and shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing here? No one has heard from you in decades. Possibly longer."

"You know me. I keep to myself. I've never been interested in covens."

"I remember."

"I didn't even know if you were still here."

"A few of us are. Not many. Most have gone their own way." Jayden gestured for him to enter a room. The space was almost pitch black with small candle flames waving as they walked past.

"Sit."

Daniel sat down on a Queen Anne style leather upholstered chair. "I came to see Blake."

A strange expression passed over Jayden's face.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"You have been gone a long time."

"Why? What has happened to him?"

"That's up for debate."

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"What the devil does that mean?"

Jayden looked around the dark empty room. "He has died."

"Died? You mean been killed?"

"No. He has died."

"Of what? What could he possibly die of?"

"Old age."

Throwing up his hands in disgust, Daniel rose up. "I don't need this at the moment, Jayden. I came here for his help."

"Then obviously you're too late."

"When the hell was he supposed to have died?"

"Back in 1998. I think it was this month. Yes, it was in October."

"How do you know? Did you see him die?"

"No. But the news traveled to me. It was said he died at the mortal age of eighty-nine."

"Mortal age? What do you mean 'mortal age'? Blake was over five hundred years old." Daniel dragged his fingers through his hair getting it back from his face. "Why do you lie to me?"

"You need proof?"

"I need answers!"

"Did you bring a driver?"

"Yes. He is waiting."

"Come. Perhaps I can show you something. No one can understand it. Believe me, we have tried."

* * * *

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In a few minutes they drove up to a cemetery gate. The driver parked the car, shutting off the headlights.

Following Jayden out of the car and over the iron fence, Daniel was struggling to understand anything Jayden had told him. He had come for answers not more questions.

Weaving around headstones, Jayden pointed to a carved granite slab with the family name
Lowe
etched on it. In front of it were two mounds.

Daniel moved closer so he could read the dates and details. One headstone read
Blake A. Lowe—Beloved
Husband—June 1, 1909—October 30, 1998.

"Husband?" Daniel whispered, seeing the second name of a woman who had passed on only a few weeks earlier than Blake.
Gloria B. Lowe—Beloved Wife—January 13, 1912—

October 1, 1998.

"Jayden, I do not understand. How could Blake be dead and have a human wife? And where did they come up with that arbitrary date of birth?"

"I don't get it either, Wolf. Honest. It was around1900 that we completely lost touch with him. Everyone assumed he moved back to Europe." Jayden touched Daniel's arm. "We thought you and he might have gone back to England."

"I would never go back there," Daniel snarled. "I was hunted. I had no peace there. Here I can breathe."

Jayden shrugged. They both stared at the grave marker.

"He made me what I am, Jayden. That man killed me, sucked me dry and made me into this creature. Now, suddenly, I hear he has been a husband? Has died? No. This 149

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must be a trick of his. Perhaps he thought he was escaping his past."

"He is down there, Wolf. I can smell him. I remember what his scent was when he was human."

Daniel crouched down, touching the cold grass. "I can smell something, but it is only decay to me. You knew him human, not me."

"It is Blake, Wolf." Jayden gestured to the waiting car.

"Let's go. What was so important that you came all this way to ask him after being gone for so long?"

"Nothing. Never mind. Obviously it is a moot point."

"Do you need to stay overnight? Where are you now?"

"New York."

"Yes. You need to stay. Come." They climbed the gate and slid back into the back seat of the black town-car."Perhaps I can help you."

Daniel stared out of the passing headlights.

"Wolf, what is it? You came all this way for Blake. It must have been of monumental importance to you."

"Yes. It was. But perhaps I have already gotten my answer."

* * * *

Brock came through his door, hoping...

No. Daniel wasn't here.

Tossing his keys aside, he walked through the living room to his bedroom, praying...

It was empty.

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Hanging up his jacket, his trousers, and his tie, Brock threw his shirt into the hamper to take to the cleaners, and stood in the bathroom, urinating in the toilet. Flushing, he washed his hands and looked at himself in the mirror. Daniel was a real vampire?

"No. It's not possible."

Brock splashed his face with cold water. He couldn't think about anything else all day at work. Leaning over the sink, he removed the adhesive strip from his neck and took a closer look. Two puncture wounds.

"Blood, fangs, night visits, no reflection, scared of crosses?

Oh, my fucking God..." Brock was beginning to believe it. He didn't want to but it made too much sense. Wearing only his briefs, he headed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, digging around for food, and found a leftover Chinese meal.

He gave it a sniff before heating it up. All the comments came back to him. About the microwave, the computer, the cell phone ... Henry the Eighth?

"I must be out of my mind. I fell in love with a fucking vampire." The microwave bell sounded, so Brock removed his dinner from it.

Sitting down at the table with a pair of chopsticks, Brock ate his food and tried to think. When the phone rang he imagined it was Daniel. Rushing to it, he read the digital display and deflated. "Hey, Eli."

"Hi, Brock. Did I interrupt anything?"

"Just eating dinner alone." Brock sat back down and tried to take bites between their conversation.

"Uh oh. Where's Daniel? Did you break up with him?"

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"No. It's too weird. I don't really feel like talking about it."

"The bloodletting go too far?"

Brock paused, wondering if that wasn't exactly the truth.

"So," he changed the subject, "how's Gary?"

"Good. He's here. We were just wondering when you guys wanted to do dinner."

"That may be on eternal hold."

"Then you did break up?"

"No. He's out of town."

"Eternally?"

"Never mind. Let's just say no for now."

"Do you want to come out with us? Without Daniel?"

"I don't want to do anything without Daniel." Brock set his chopsticks down and rubbed his face in anguish.

"Wait a minute. Did I dial the right number? Is this thousand-blowjob-Hart I'm talking to?"

"Shut up."

"Are you that hung up on him, Brock?"

"Yes. And more. I'm so fucking in love with the guy I'm going crazy without him."

"I wish I was taping this."

"Augh! Eli! Why is life so fucking complicated?"

"It just is, babe. It's Thursday night. Go to the club. Get a good sucking."

"No. I don't want to."

"Wait a minute ... is this really Brock Hart?"

"Eli..." Brock whined.

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"Well, you can't blame me for being shocked, Brock. I've known you long enough to have figured out you don't do relationships, and you
do
do sex with strangers."

"Did. I don't anymore."

"Does Daniel feel the same way?"

"I have no idea."

"You mean, you've left yourself hanging out to dry like this? You?"

Brock heard him cupping the phone, assuming he was filling Gary in on his pathetic state. "Don't bust my chops, Eli.

At the moment I have enough problems."

"Call him. Tell him to come by and talk."

"I said he's out of town, and I can't call him. He never gave me his phone number or address."

"Forget it, Brock. If you don't even have his mobile phone number, then he's not interested."

"Never mind. Let me go. I want to relax."

"Swim this weekend? Or racquetball?"

"What about Gary?"

"He'll come along."

"Aren't you a lucky guy."

"Brock..."

"I'm sorry, Eli. I shouldn't have said that. You deserve a nice boyfriend to enjoy. I was being a jerk."

"I understand. Don't worry about it."

"See ya, Eli. I'll let you know about the weekend."

"Don't stress. He'll come around. You know, you're not an easy man to get out of the blood, Brock Hart."

"If you only knew the irony of your words. Goodbye, Eli."

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"Ha. I get it. Bye, Brock."

Brock hung up, shaking his head. "No, Eli, you have no idea."

* * * *

Before he went to bed, Brock sat in his home office and surfed the net. The amount of websites that appeared when he typed in
Vampire
blew him away. Most were fan sites for authors, or little cult clubs made up of plastic toothed, white paste covered, black caped morons. Did he really expect to find the Official Website of Daniel Wolf?

"Www.DanielWolfbites.com," he laughed to himself. "What am I hoping to find?" Seeing nothing of value but the old lure of everything he had already ingested from Hollywood and the world of fiction, Brock shut down the computer and hunched his shoulders tiredly. Staring at his briefs, he touched his cock. He didn't even want to jerk off. Now how amazing was that?

He forced himself to stand and go either watch television or lie in bed. Brock scuffed to the den, turning on the TV with the remote. Flipping channels as he stood in front of it, he found nothing interested him. In frustration he shut it off and washed up for bed though it was only seven. Once he was reclining, sitting up against the headboard, he picked up the phone. Loneliness had kicked in big time, and he needed an ear.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Vanessa."

"Brock? Are you all right? You never call me."

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"What?" he replied indignantly. "I call you."

"When was the last time?"

"Shut up. What are the rules for calling siblings? Tell me so I can write them down."

"Don't be a jerk."

"Sorry. You busy? Did you and Paul already eat dinner? I don't want to disturb you."

"We just finished and were watching TV."

"Oh."

"Brock, what's wrong?"

"I just felt a little isolated and wanted to talk to someone."

"No friends around?"

"I didn't want to talk to friends. I wanted to talk to family.

To you."

"You sound really upset. What's happened? Is work okay?"

"The job's a little crazy because of all the market shake-up. But it'll work itself out in a few months. I'm not panicking."

"I know. Paul and I have been watching the business news. It's pretty bleak."

"I didn't call to talk about work."

"Please don't tell me you have AIDS."

"Vanessa!" he shouted.

"Well? You play around a lot. You go to those sleazy gay bars."

"Who told you?"

"You did. You called me around two months ago, drunk, to tell me you got four blowjobs in one night, a new record."

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He cringed, vaguely recalling that awful conversation.

"Sorry. I never should have called and said that."

"Ya think?"

"I'm an idiot, Vanessa."

After a pause, she inhaled deeply and replied, "You've always been slightly detached from the family, Brock."

"I just feel they hate me for being gay."

"No one hates you."

"You have any idea the looks I get from Mom and Dad?

They sneer."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Is Paul listening to this conversation?"

"Yes, why?"

Brock rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Brock? Paul's very cool with it."

"I still don't want him to hear what a moron I am."

"I'll leave the room." A minute later she said, "I'm in the kitchen, he can't hear now."

"Thanks, Vanessa."

"When was the last time you spoke with Mom and Dad?"