Page 8
Story: Seth
“It was wonderful.More than I could have ever hoped for.He’s taking me out again tonight.”
Cole radiated happiness.Seth could feel there was a story there, but he didn’t want to embarrass the other man, so he kept his questions to himself.He glanced at Aubrey, and although he could see her happiness at the news, there was an underlying danger that radiated from her.
“If that changes, let me know.”Aubrey’s words were serious.
“You’ll be the first to know.”Cole pulled Aubrey into another hug before he turned toward Seth.“It was nice to meet you.I hope that we can get to know each other soon.”
“You too.I would like that.”
Seth stepped close to Aubrey as they watched Cole head back out the way he came, giving a wave before he disappeared around the corner.
He turned his attention back to Aubrey, taking a chance and reaching for her hand.As he interlaced their fingers, he could see her amazement at the simple action.Slowly, she closed her fingers around his hand and he smiled at her when she looked up, seeking assurance that she hadn’t hurt him.
“How did you meet Cole?”
He tugged her hand, leading her back to the chairs on the porch.Before he sat, he lifted Hades off the chair and settled the cat on his lap before he turned his attention to Aubrey, all while keeping a hold of her hand.She smiled at him, seeming more relaxed than she had in all the time he’d known her.
“It was soon after I turned.”She relaxed back into her chair, but her brow drew down in thought.“Though I suppose I should start from the beginning.”
“I would like to know everything about you,” Seth said.
“I would like to know about you, too.”
Seth nodded.“After, I promise.”
“When I grew up, it had been me and my mother, who had gotten pregnant with me by accident.She had no clue who my father was, and she couldn’t have cared less.My mother loved men, a lot, and wasn’t particular about who she took to bed.When she had me, she found no reason to stop seeing men.Well, when I was seventeen and close to leaving home for college, she made the mistake of bringing a vampire home.”
He couldn’t help his reaction; he tensed.Before he could reason with himself, he lowered Hades onto the table next to his chair, pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.Her head tucked against his shoulder and she breathed out a breath before she continued.
“I was finishing up my homework when I heard a loud snarl in the living room.I usually cleared out of the house before my mother arrived with her lovers, but that night I was running late.By the time I could realize what the sound meant, I was pinned to the floor, with a man on top of me holding down my arms and legs.He told me that my blood smelled sweet, enticing, and before I could say a word, he sank his teeth into my neck.I only remember pain and closing blackness, but before he drained me, he told me that killing me would be a waste.His teeth pierced me again, but this time I felt a tingle that started in my neck and traveled throughout my body.Distracted from the new sensations, he cut his wrist and dripped his blood into my mouth and I swallowed.
“I don’t know how many days passed, but I woke up in the same spot on the living room floor and I could sense everything.When I stood, my mother was sitting on the couch, cuddling with another guy, laughing when she looked at the blood on my clothes and face.I felt the thirst, but for a reason I couldn’t fathom, I didn’t want to hurt her.I went to my room and packed a bag with everything I had and walked to the front door.She didn’t say anything as I left and I didn’t care.”
Seth couldn’t believe that her mother didn’t give a shit about her only daughter.The callousness of it struck him, and the situation with his own parents seemed insignificant compared to what Aubrey had been through.He held her tighter against him and breathed her in as she burrowed her face against his neck.
“I couldn’t bring myself to feed off anyone after remembering the pain of his bite, so I found myself outside the hospital, debating with myself whether I could go inside and steal a couple of bags of blood.That’s when Cole found me.”
He absorbed the vibration as she giggled at the memory.Having her wrapped in his arms, on his lap, seemed as natural as breathing.Aubrey was his, and he would do whatever he had to to keep her close.
“I had forgotten that I hadn’t cleaned myself before I left the house, so I had blood on my face and clothes.My hair was matted with it, and I’m sure that I looked wild, but he didn’t hesitate to approach me.Of course, he was an emergency room physician and was used to blood.His hands were so warm as he checked me for injuries, and since he had come close to me without any hesitation, I found myself leaning toward him.I was thirsty and he smelled appealing, but when I realized where my thoughts had led me, I made myself step away from him.It was the first kind gesture I received from someone and I didn’t want to hurt him.
“When he couldn’t find any injuries, he asked me why I stood outside a hospital.I had no idea why, but I told him everything and watched as the look of horror morphed his kind face.At first, I thought I disgusted him, but when he pulled me into a hug, I knew it was my story that horrified him, not me.He led me to his car and sat me in the passenger seat, asking me to wait fifteen minutes for him.He wouldn’t leave until he was sure that I wouldn’t bolt, and then he locked me in the car and ran into the hospital.He came out with two bags of warm blood and drove me to his house, where he gave me a guest bedroom until I got a job and could afford to live on my own.Cole has kept me fed ever since.”
The respect Seth had for Cole had grown exponentially in the matter of minutes.The man walked into danger when he confronted Aubrey, and yet he did so because he thought she was hurt.And knowing that Cole could’ve left her in the parking lot after he’d fed her, but didn’t, made Seth feel small for his earlier reaction.He would have to thank the doc later.
Cole radiated happiness.Seth could feel there was a story there, but he didn’t want to embarrass the other man, so he kept his questions to himself.He glanced at Aubrey, and although he could see her happiness at the news, there was an underlying danger that radiated from her.
“If that changes, let me know.”Aubrey’s words were serious.
“You’ll be the first to know.”Cole pulled Aubrey into another hug before he turned toward Seth.“It was nice to meet you.I hope that we can get to know each other soon.”
“You too.I would like that.”
Seth stepped close to Aubrey as they watched Cole head back out the way he came, giving a wave before he disappeared around the corner.
He turned his attention back to Aubrey, taking a chance and reaching for her hand.As he interlaced their fingers, he could see her amazement at the simple action.Slowly, she closed her fingers around his hand and he smiled at her when she looked up, seeking assurance that she hadn’t hurt him.
“How did you meet Cole?”
He tugged her hand, leading her back to the chairs on the porch.Before he sat, he lifted Hades off the chair and settled the cat on his lap before he turned his attention to Aubrey, all while keeping a hold of her hand.She smiled at him, seeming more relaxed than she had in all the time he’d known her.
“It was soon after I turned.”She relaxed back into her chair, but her brow drew down in thought.“Though I suppose I should start from the beginning.”
“I would like to know everything about you,” Seth said.
“I would like to know about you, too.”
Seth nodded.“After, I promise.”
“When I grew up, it had been me and my mother, who had gotten pregnant with me by accident.She had no clue who my father was, and she couldn’t have cared less.My mother loved men, a lot, and wasn’t particular about who she took to bed.When she had me, she found no reason to stop seeing men.Well, when I was seventeen and close to leaving home for college, she made the mistake of bringing a vampire home.”
He couldn’t help his reaction; he tensed.Before he could reason with himself, he lowered Hades onto the table next to his chair, pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.Her head tucked against his shoulder and she breathed out a breath before she continued.
“I was finishing up my homework when I heard a loud snarl in the living room.I usually cleared out of the house before my mother arrived with her lovers, but that night I was running late.By the time I could realize what the sound meant, I was pinned to the floor, with a man on top of me holding down my arms and legs.He told me that my blood smelled sweet, enticing, and before I could say a word, he sank his teeth into my neck.I only remember pain and closing blackness, but before he drained me, he told me that killing me would be a waste.His teeth pierced me again, but this time I felt a tingle that started in my neck and traveled throughout my body.Distracted from the new sensations, he cut his wrist and dripped his blood into my mouth and I swallowed.
“I don’t know how many days passed, but I woke up in the same spot on the living room floor and I could sense everything.When I stood, my mother was sitting on the couch, cuddling with another guy, laughing when she looked at the blood on my clothes and face.I felt the thirst, but for a reason I couldn’t fathom, I didn’t want to hurt her.I went to my room and packed a bag with everything I had and walked to the front door.She didn’t say anything as I left and I didn’t care.”
Seth couldn’t believe that her mother didn’t give a shit about her only daughter.The callousness of it struck him, and the situation with his own parents seemed insignificant compared to what Aubrey had been through.He held her tighter against him and breathed her in as she burrowed her face against his neck.
“I couldn’t bring myself to feed off anyone after remembering the pain of his bite, so I found myself outside the hospital, debating with myself whether I could go inside and steal a couple of bags of blood.That’s when Cole found me.”
He absorbed the vibration as she giggled at the memory.Having her wrapped in his arms, on his lap, seemed as natural as breathing.Aubrey was his, and he would do whatever he had to to keep her close.
“I had forgotten that I hadn’t cleaned myself before I left the house, so I had blood on my face and clothes.My hair was matted with it, and I’m sure that I looked wild, but he didn’t hesitate to approach me.Of course, he was an emergency room physician and was used to blood.His hands were so warm as he checked me for injuries, and since he had come close to me without any hesitation, I found myself leaning toward him.I was thirsty and he smelled appealing, but when I realized where my thoughts had led me, I made myself step away from him.It was the first kind gesture I received from someone and I didn’t want to hurt him.
“When he couldn’t find any injuries, he asked me why I stood outside a hospital.I had no idea why, but I told him everything and watched as the look of horror morphed his kind face.At first, I thought I disgusted him, but when he pulled me into a hug, I knew it was my story that horrified him, not me.He led me to his car and sat me in the passenger seat, asking me to wait fifteen minutes for him.He wouldn’t leave until he was sure that I wouldn’t bolt, and then he locked me in the car and ran into the hospital.He came out with two bags of warm blood and drove me to his house, where he gave me a guest bedroom until I got a job and could afford to live on my own.Cole has kept me fed ever since.”
The respect Seth had for Cole had grown exponentially in the matter of minutes.The man walked into danger when he confronted Aubrey, and yet he did so because he thought she was hurt.And knowing that Cole could’ve left her in the parking lot after he’d fed her, but didn’t, made Seth feel small for his earlier reaction.He would have to thank the doc later.