VAMP RISING (By Moonlight Book 1) (8 page)

              Having a better understanding of all this sexual influence stuff, Gwen was able to rise above the overwhelming self-consciousness that had her paralyzed, and gave it a shot. But as she prepared to begin, she quickly realized she had no idea
how
to begin. “What do I do?”

              “Turn yourself on.”

              “Excuse me?”

              “Do you find me attractive?”

              She burst into uncomfortable laughter.

              “You asked. I’m answering.”

              “Well pardon me,” she said sobering up.

              “I’m only guiding you to feel something for me since I happen to be the subject of this exercise, but if you prefer just think of an old boyfriend. Recall the feelings he gave you when he leaned in to kiss you.” Christoph leaned into Gwen’s ear to simulate the experience then whispered, “Conjure the arousal you felt for him.”

              “Ok, got it,” she said in hopes of silencing him, as she urged his body back.

              “Go ahead,” he instructed. “Then will me to do something. Anything that will prove to you, that in fact it was you who made me respond.”

              “Ok,” said Gwen, slipping into deep concentration. She knew exactly what she wanted to make Christoph do and he wasn’t going to like it.

              “Why are you smirking?” He asked, annoyed.

              “Sorry,” she said, twisting her mouth downward to fight the giggles.

              Gwen dipped into the bank of her past romps, but realized there wasn’t much there to draw from. She hadn’t necessarily met a man who did it for her
in that way
. Most of her romantic endeavors amounted to tension laid negotiations where neither party wound up satisfied. So she tried to think about the bubble baths she’d taken alone, the experimenting she’d done privately, but that also didn’t seem evocative enough to get her
in the mood
. Frustrated with herself that this was taking too long, and figuring Christoph would surely have something to say about it, Gwen pictured Brandon, though it irked her to do so. She didn’t want to admit to herself that he kind of did it for her. She was attracted enough to wonder, that is. But something about picturing him filled her with unease, none-the-less, so she reminded herself he’d never have to know. Once she convinced herself of that, she was able to let the memory of his muscular body wash over her: his strong arms holding her tightly, the warmth of his cheek against hers, his incredible skill leaping from the tree...

              Soon a feeling of smooth warmth stirred between her legs. “I got it,” she whispered, training her mind on the sensation so as not to lose it. “What now?”

              “Cast it over me,” he said softly.

              “I don’t know what that means,” she admitted, as she continued to focus as hard as she could, worried she’d lose it and have to start all over. She closed her eyes and imagined Brandon’s body, his hips, the way he’d aligned her perfectly to him as he’d rescued her from the tree.

              “Draw me in like how you would if you were catching a man’s eye from across a crowded room. You don’t have to do the work, just send out the invitation,” he suggested.

              Gwen’s eyes drifted open and locked onto Christoph, as the heat of her desire rolled through her. She gazed at him, but was unsure if this was working, so she tried his suggestion and concentrated on staying in a state of anticipation, as though her arousal would pull him in.

              It did.

              His hands were on her, wrapping her torso, grazing the undersides of her breasts, and pulling her against him.

              Before she knew what she was doing, Gwen slapped Christoph hard across the face and the glamour was dead between them.

              “What the hell was that?” She exclaimed.

              He graciously backed away, giving her space then said, “You were doing quite well, but you fell out of control.”

              “Um, I think you abandoned the exercise!”

              “You can’t simply fire a cannon, Ms. Keller. You first must aim it towards the target.”

              “And what might that be?” She demanded.

              “I have no idea. I told you to make me do something only you’d know about.”

              Gwen had forgotten that part and felt instantly terrible, though she was still furious.

              “No need to apologize,” he said dryly.

              Gwen sighed unsure of who she was more mad at, Christoph or herself.

              “Gwen, if I wanted to have sex with you, I wouldn’t paw at you like a wild animal. I’d influence you. You’d think it was your idea and it would be the best sex of your life. That’s not what’s happening right now. Please don’t hit me to control me, just control me.”

              “Are you alright?” She asked, genuinely concerned.

              “I’ve been shot in the head, my Dear. A smack to the cheek is nothing. Please proceed.”

              It took her a moment to overcome the deep sense of embarrassment that was stemming from her faux pas. It helped remind her that all of this was new to her, and city Gwen, Old Gwen, marketing associate Gwen was right to defend herself against his sudden bout of sexual harassment. Accepting that fact calmed her. Then she reminded herself that this was a unique environment and trusting Christoph was imperative. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to try again. 

              Ready for her second attempt, Gwen focused her mind and found the sweet spot of her arousal then used it to draw Christoph in. She focused keenly on sensing his state as well, anticipating that there would be a tipping point, a fine line between drawing him in and the moment he would become ravenous. As soon as he seemed to edge over the line, indicated when he lunged for her, Gwen lassoed his
interest
and threaded it firmly between her the fingers of her intent, so-to-speak.

              He stopped dead in his tracks, hands outstretched, then dropped to all fours and barked like a dog.

              Shocked by her own success, Gwen jumped, clapping for herself and laughing, as Christoph sprung to his feet to dust off the knees of his crisply pressed slacks.

              “Very funny,” he congratulated her. “You have a thing for dogs, I see.”

              “I had to pick something you’d never in a million years do, or else how would I know it’d worked?” She said, performing the innocence she lacked.

              “Well I’m glad we’re getting somewhere. Again,” he commanded. “I’d like you to feel comfortable with this by lunch.”

              It was well into the afternoon by the time Christoph released Gwen from her morning session of training and as she left the building she was feeling quite accomplished. It was only her first day of learning how to be a vampire, but already she was feeling confident she would gain the control she would need to make this life work. There was so much more to learn. Christoph hadn’t even touched upon hunting and avoiding the sun, nor had he gone over the basic history of vampires and all the bloodlines, but Gwen didn’t want to get ahead of herself and become overwhelmed by all that. She was pleased enough that she’d learned how to do something. And it wasn’t lost on her that Brandon had a lot to do with that.

              As she walked along the path that flanked the Training Center on her way to the cafeteria, she looked through the classroom windows. The students were seated in their desks and taking notes., As her gaze traveled to the front of the room, she saw Brandon slip over to the teacher and tell him something.

              She paused, observing him and couldn’t help but compare him to Christoph. They were polar opposites. Brandon dripped with rugged sexuality, and Christoph had a refined sensuality, yet both were drop dead gorgeous. Who would have thought the undead would be so attractive? The human men she’d met over the years couldn’t possibly compete and realizing this Gwen felt somewhat lucky to be undead herself.

              She shook out of her reverie to discover that Brandon was no longer at the front of the classroom, so she continued on her way, then realized he was standing down by the far end of the path.

              “How’d it go?” He asked calling out to her.

              As Gwen approached she felt suddenly strange. This was the man she’d pictured to get herself going, and now that he was standing before her all of his most attractive attributes seemed to pop. She was tongue tied, but managed to say, “Fine.”

              “Just fine?”

              “It was helpful,” she admitted.

              “What’d you learn?”

              “Um...” She stammered. If she’d thought Christoph’s unconventional methods had come across as inappropriate, it would certainly seem that way if she described them to Brandon. “Vampire stuff,” she said vaguely.

              “You know I was going to teach you a thing or two,” he said as an impish smile spread across his face.

              “I doubt you could’ve taught me what I learned today,” she challenged.

              “It was that good, huh?”

              She shrugged. “You’re not a vampire.”

              “Hey, look, this morning I crossed a line,” he started, but Gwen cut him off.

              “There’s a lot of that going around.”

              “Meaning what? Did Christoph try something with you?” Asked Brandon, suddenly angered.

              “No, please, don’t worry about it,” she said, though it was nice to see him a bit riled up.

              “Ok well I have to get out to my territories, but if you feel like getting some air tonight I could swing by Little Bear after I check in for call,” he said then when her expression registered that she didn't know what
call
was he clarified, “I have to report to Joseph at about 6:30 pm, so after that we could go for a hike. The sun will be down. I’m not sure if it’s  affecting you yet, but-”

              “Sure,” she said without hesitation.

              Brandon smiled. “Alright,” he said, as he assessed her. “You look good, like you’re glowing or something.”

              “Thanks,” she said, blushing. Then she continued on her way towards the cafeteria. 

              Brandon called after her, “See you then.”

              To which she waved without turning back.

              Tonight.

              She couldn’t wait.

              The afternoon passed quickly for Gwen. She stopped by the cafeteria expecting that she’d be hungry for lunch since she hadn’t eaten breakfast, but that wasn’t the case, so she poured a coffee, doctored it with cream and sugar, and grabbed another banana for no other reason than it seemed easy enough to carry. After finding a seat in the cafeteria, she realized she had no interest in being ridiculed again so she left her chair almost as soon as she sat in it, walked from the cafeteria building to the Training Center, found her classroom for the next period, and took a seat at the back of the class.

              According to her training schedule, which was printed on card stock that she kept folded and tucked inside the bosom of her dress, this class was an hour long, met twice a week, and covered the history of vampires, as well as other undead species and shifters. She didn’t recognize the name of the teacher, but assumed he was a shifter. Interesting that Christoph wasn’t teaching it.

              A dozen students eventually joined her, filling seats between Gwen and the chalkboard, and soon the teacher arrived. The class passed quickly, during which Gwen noticed the students, though shifters, weren’t making the kind of snide comments she’d come to expect from them, even though the bulk of the lecture focused on vampires. They were either coming to terms with the fact that a vampire was in their midst and accepting it, or the teacher’s presence was enough to keep them in line. Whatever the case, Gwen enjoyed the class and before she knew it, the period ended and it was time for the next class.

              Gwen didn’t have to check her schedule to know that she needed to return to the black room where Christoph had conducted her morning session, but when she arrived he wasn’t there. Figuring that he was probably just running late, she paced slowly through the perimeter of the room and ran her fingertips along the wall. It wasn’t merely painted black, she discovered. In fact she didn’t think it was
paint
at all. The walls seemed to be made of a black
veneer
and the closer she looked she realized they were actually silver.

              As she passed the window, she drew the blinds shut and by the time she came full circle, arriving at the doorway, Gwen shut the door, allowing herself to be swallowed by the incredible darkness. She felt instantly relaxed, like if she closed her eyes she would fall into a deep sleep. And the deep relief that came with it caused her to feel oddly hungry.

              The door opened, spilling light in from the hallway, as Elektra stepped through, startling Gwen. “Christoph had to leave the Cascades for the rest of the day,” she informed her. “He’s postponed your class until tomorrow.”

              “Oh,” said Gwen surprised. “Is everything Ok?”

              “There’s a matter in Italy he needs to tend to,” explained Elektra obscurely. “He asked me to let you know this and that he’ll be back in time for your morning session tomorrow.”

              “Ok, thanks for letting me know,” said Gwen, as it started to dawn on her that she was free for the rest of the afternoon to do whatever she wanted.

              She must have been smiling, because Elektra lingered, eyeing her. “How are you liking it here?” She asked perhaps assuming that the answer was already written on Gwen’s face.

              Gwen was tempted to point out that she didn’t exactly have a choice and that there were no other options, that everything about this was completely surreal, never mind whether she
liked
it or not, she was just trying to keep her head above water. But the way Elektra was studying her told her not to say that. The woman was thoroughly intimidating. Her height and stature alone implied her physical prowess and the damage she could do with it, and even her deep tone of voice, the weight she assigned each word, carried a threatening edge. Gwen wasn’t sure if Elektra’s formidable presence was in her nature or a demeanor Gwen brought out in her, so Gwen treaded lightly and responded, “I like it. The classes are helpful. Christoph is certainly opening my eyes to everything.”

              “I know it’s only your first day, but has he taught you how to hunt?” She asked, narrowing her gaze on Gwen.

              “He started to,” she offered. “But no, I guess we haven’t got the logistics of it, yet.”

              Elektra didn’t look pleased with that answer. “We have a code here at The Cascade Sanctuary & Wildlife Preserve, and I believe vampires live by a code as well. I’ll leave it to Christoph to educate you on those points, however I’d like it to be crystal clear to you that we live by a ‘Do No Harm’ policy, and we expect you to live by it as well.”

              Gwen’s eyebrows shot up and she began nodding emphatically, “Of course.”

              “I want you to understand something, Gwen. We will not tolerate violence.”

              Elektra was really driving the point home and it caused Gwen to wonder how much of this warning was based on Gwen’s actions and how much of it was pure prejudice. The student body had been treating her as though she was a menace to society, and now Elektra seemed to be assuming Gwen was capable of committing some kind of heinous act, as though it would only be a matter of time before she did.

              “I’m completely clear on that,” Gwen assured her.

              “I’d like you to spend the rest of the evening in your room,” ordered Elektra.

              Gwen pressed her mouth into a hard line, refusing to react. It was barely 4:30 pm and the suggestion that she lock herself away in her room until tomorrow was absurd, but she couldn’t express that without giving Elektra the evidence she needed to confirm that Gwen was reactionary, hot tempered, and out of control. Why was this woman treating Gwen like she was a juvenile delinquent when in reality Gwen was a 29 year old professional?

              “Can I ask you,” Gwen started, “Are you a werewolf? Or some other kind of shifter?”

              “I’m a werewolf,” said Elektra proudly. “Ismay, as well as Joseph and the other members of the Administration and Board of the Sanctuary are all werewolves, of the same pack.”

              “How do you hunt without harming?” Asked Gwen point blank.

              Elektra stared at her momentarily then said, “Because we’re wolves and follow the natural order of the wilderness, we only take down the weak and the sick, and we only hunt when necessary. Often we can eat meat just like the humans do. It’s only on occasion that we must kill in the wild. And when we do, our role only supports the law of
survival of the fittest
.”

              “That doesn’t sound like ‘Do No Harm’, it sounds like a double standard,” Gwen challenged.

              “Vampires live by a different set of morals than we do,” stated Elektra. “It will be easier for you to abide by the ‘Do No Harm’ policy than it would be for you to attempt to exercise your willpower over killing only the sickest and weakest. Not to mention your appetite likely won’t be stirred by wildlife, but by the students on campus.”

              “You think I’m going to eat the students on campus?” Gwen blurted out she was so offended.

              “I’d like you to go to your room now,” Elektra reiterated. “And stay there until Christoph returns.”

              Astonished as she was, Gwen held her tongue and left the black room under Elektra’s watchful glare then made her way through the back of the building where she exited, heading straight across campus to Little Bear. But when she reached the front door, her thoughts were racing terribly and she didn’t see how spending the long night ahead cramped in a small dorm room would do her any good, it would just cause her anger to stew and eventually anxiety and resentment would take hold.

              In Seattle, Gwen had been an associate at one of the biggest marketing agencies. She was respected by her coworkers, admired by her subordinates, and praised by her superiors, despite the office politics that often hindered projects and risked deadlines. Gwen was the ultimate diplomat. She knew how to work both sides of the equation. She could put out a fire with one hand, mediating interpersonal conflicts, and push a project forward with the other, drafting and finalizing content to save her team. If she had been judged at all in that environment, it had been on her merits, nothing else. So it drove Gwen absolutely nuts that Elektra had prejudged her based on assumptions. In fact, Gwen found herself so riled up over it, that retiring to her room seemed out of the question.

              Gwen glanced over her shoulder to check that she wasn’t being watched, and when she observed that the few students who were milling across campus took no notice of her, she used her incredible vampire speed to swiftly glide from the front steps of Little Bear, through the clearing, and into the forest far enough that she was certain no one would be able to see her through the trees.

              She just needed to get some air, clear her head, take stock of the big picture that she won’t be here forever, and find a sense of peace. She wished Christoph was here and thought it odd that he’d left abruptly without speaking to her himself, but then again she had no idea what he did in Italy or how indispensable he might be. Though their morning session had at times seemed to be crossing a line, Gwen realized that it was only her human mentality that had caused her to err on the defensive. Christoph had actually been extremely helpful and she trusted that everything he needed to teach her was imperative to her survival. What would he say about all this? What advice would he have regarding Elektra’s unwarranted discrimination against her and apparently all vampires?

              As her racing thoughts calmed and began to meander ruminatively, so did Gwen, strolling through the forest, which grew thicker and thicker as she went until it occurred to her that she’d ventured far beyond the Sanctuary’s forest and was deep in the Cascade wilderness.

              The sun was sinking in the sky, causing an orange glow to cut through the trees eerily. The odd sense of hunger she’d felt in the black room was reemerging and Gwen wondered if the setting sun had something to do with it. Was the insurgence of nightfall the vampire’s cue to feed?

              As Gwen’s hunger twisted through her stomach like a knife, Elektra’s warning came to mind. She
was
starving. And though it was true Christoph hadn’t taught her the logistics of hunting, Gwen guessed she knew enough of the basics to hunt. She could cast glamour effectively and that was the most crucial step. Once influence  was established, Gwen figured instinct would take over and the actual act of feeding would be a cinch. However, Elektra’s double standard then reared its ugly head. If Gwen were a werewolf she’d be permitted to hunt down a weak animal and feed, but since she was a vampire she wasn’t permitted to feed whatsoever?

              It didn’t seem fair.

              And she hadn’t eaten since before the fall. She hadn’t tasted blood since she’d been turned into a vampire. The urge was becoming overwhelming. It seized her and her craving for blood was suddenly so strong she could smell it, taste it, as though it was in the air. The irony-tang scent filled her senses and was so real that Gwen began scanning the forest for an injured animal. There was no way that smell was just in her head.

              Then she spotted something. A furry mound up ahead. The blood smell wasn’t in her head after all. As she came upon the animal, gliding slowly towards it, she realized it was a bear cub. The bear was on its side, struggling to breathe. Its chest heaved it short, desperate clips. It had been shot in its abdomen. The wound, which its tucked hind leg was covering, bled freely. Gwen wanted to feel terrible for the animal, but instead a dark urge swept through her. She could put it out of its misery and stop her hunger as well. Win-win.

              Kneeling beside the wounded cub, Gwen conjured up raw glamour and immediately cast it over the cub, influencing it to calm, as Gwen eased away the pain. The small bear had been tensely tucked into a ball, was now relaxed and unfurling as its breathing steadied into deep full breaths.

              Suddenly, Gwen’s teeth and gums felt achy and her mouth began to water, but then she realized it was only the work of her fangs growing. Once she felt certain the bear was free of physical pain, Gwen cautiously lowered her mouth to its jugular, careful to keep her glamour flowing so that the animal wouldn’t lash out and bite her. Her fangs were pressing into the cub’s throat when a tremendous roar stopped her. She looked up and discovered a gigantic bear was standing on its hind legs, roaring down at her.

              The sight made her heart stop, scaring her into a petrified state, but then her instincts took over, not her human ones, but brand new intuitions. Her fear was instantly replaced by blood thirst and the mother bear looked so much more appetizing than her wounded cub.

              Just as the bear began falling forward, aiming its front claws at her as though it was going to grab her head and crush her, Gwen sprung towards it, flying up and trying to clamp her fangs into the bear’s neck. The bear fought, clawing at her. Its fur was exceptionally thick and the skin beneath it tougher than Gwen could’ve anticipated. Her fangs barely grazed the skin’s surface. They weren’t long enough, she realized, as she found herself in the throes of wrestling the giant animal whose deafening roar was enough to jumble her thoughts into a panic.