ADRIA’S POV.
I wasn’t even trying to suck. The blood just came freely, pouring into my mouth, and down my throat, filling every corner of my body, feeding my desires sweetly.
I continued to gulp more blood down my throat, and the cow let out pained groans. How had I been running from blood all that while?
Why had I not accepted my nature? Who knew blood could be sweeter than honey? At that moment, all I wanted was to drink. Derek was totally forgotten, so was everything else around me.
I gasped as the blood refreshed me, like I was taking in sweet fruit juice. In moments, everything around me seemed to clear, and I couldn’t hear a single thing, not even the cow’s cries.
A hand alighted on my shoulder, and squeezed lightly, but I didn’t stop. Derek had made me drink, and so I was going to keep drinking, and drinking. He had gotten a full cow anyway, so I was very sure I would have some left after drinking to my fill.
Finally, after some time, I released the cow, and realized we both had crouched on the floor. I straightened, and licked my lips.
“Adria.” Derek let out, staring at me like he suddenly had all the respect in the world for me, and the sound of my name seemed to snap me to my senses. I looked down at the cow, saw its eyes wide open, and tongue fallen out, and I realized it was dead.
“It’s not possible.” I said, shaking the cow, and trying to wake it. “There’s so much blood in there, I couldn’t have drank it all.” I added, unwilling to believe I had killed it.
“Of course, you did. I tried to ask you to slow down, but you threw my hand off.” He replied, coming to sit next to me.
“I did?” I asked, pointing to myself.
“Yes, you did. And this is undoubtedly what would have happened if you hadn’t drunk this blood tonight.” He replied, and guilt washed over my chest. I had killed an innocent animal, and had enjoyed killing it.
I looked down at it, and tears sprang to my eyes. It had cried, but I had not let go.
“Oh come on. Don’t start with this. It’s better an animal than someone close to you, and also, it’s going to get killed sooner, or later, and get cooked as beef, and steak.” He told me, patting my back, and I sniffed, and cleaned my tears. “I think they would choose to die this way.
“It’s just a needle-like pain in their necks, then they start to feel weak, dizzy, and then they die. But in the hands of those butchers, they would have their heads cut off slowly, and painfully, and would cry for hours. This one only cried for minutes.” He pointed out, staring at the cow, and his explanation calmed me.
Indeed, they would prefer the faster, and easier death. They were meant to die anyway, so it was a kind of win-win situation.
Suddenly, Derek reached out, took my arm, and dug his claws into it.
I screamed, and snatched my arm away.
“What did you do that for!?” I asked, but he only gave a smile.
“Look.” He pointed, and I saw my arm healing before my very eyes.
My eyes went wide, and immediately the wound disappeared, I rubbed my arm hard.
“Oh, God! Damn! Oh God!” I exclaimed, looking from him to my arm, and he laughed.
“Your first drink, and your healing powers got activated. I think it’s time you learned the real way of the vampires. Follow me.” He said, getting to his feet, and I got excited.
“Wait, what about the cow?” I asked.
“I’ll take it into the stream later. So, how about another cow for dinner tomorrow night? Up for saving another cow?” He asked, holding out his hand, and thinking of the sweet, hot taste of blood flowing into my mouth freely, I consented immediately.
“Sure. Let’s save those cows.” I replied, taking his hand, and he laughed.
Derek, and I ran once more, and I was able to stay within feet of him while running. I was definitely stronger. I could feel strength pulsing through my veins.
Derek taught me how to climb trees, and jump from branch to branch, tree to tree, and it was fascinating. We left the forest, and jumped from building to building, enjoying the breeze, and cracking jokes under the night sky, as we went.
~
The next day, I, Stacy and the guys walked on the streets, searching for a place to get snacks, so we could eat, and read.
“So, did you get started on the book?” Stacy asked, holding on to my arm.
“Yeah, I did. Hey, it was written so beautifully. It gave me the chills! Like, just imagine, she described him so well that he became a living thing within the walls of my mind, and the way he sucks blood is epic. It must be sweet.”
“Sweet? Yuck!” Stacy gagged, and I blinked hard. I had forgotten humans were disgusted by blood. I began to think once more of Derek, and the whole new world he had shown me. He had taught me the ways of the vampires.
The way to lurk, and watch a target, how to hypnotize a human carefully, and how to charm their way away from those who became too besotted with them.
The life of a vampire was suddenly so interesting to me. Occasionally, I thought about Lucien, but I didn’t want that to weigh me down.
“Hey, see professor Lucien!” Stacy said, breaking me out of my thoughts, and I saw him approaching.
I had seen him so many times in school, but the fact that I was experiencing the delight of a new world, and he wasn’t there, laughing with me, suddenly struck me hard.
How I longed to see him laugh with me, hold me, hug me, and tell me sweet things. Being a vampire was awesome, but I couldn’t help imagining how things would be if I had become a werewolf instead, and it was Lucien instead of Derek, showing me the ways of the wolves.
He locked eyes with me, but took them off casually.
Then he stopped to get a buttered roll right where we were.
“Aren’t you…” Stacy was saying, but Lucien was no longer on my mind.
A man leading a herd of cows passed by, and my eyes were glued to their smooth necks.
I could feel my teeth getting sharper, and I swallowed, already salivating.
The memory of drinking sweet blood the previous night came rushing to me, and my breathing pattern changed. My fangs protracted, and there was a mad urge to charge at the cows.
I couldn’t hold it… No, I couldn’t.
It was… it was too hard.