Serum

-Thirteen-

By late evening, Conner was looking much better. I had puttered around most of the day, keeping a close eye on Conner while he slept while cleaning a few corners of spider webs and dead insects. When I wasn’t in the same room as him, I kept my keen sense of hearing trained on his breathing and heart rate. For once I was completely glad to be a vampire, or at least to have the new talents being a vampire gave me. Conner’s pulse gained strength throughout the day, but it was not like when he was in perfect health. The slow steady rhythm was now a rapid pulse with three quarters of the strength it normally had. At least he had regained his coloring when evening came, but as he rose from his pew he looked embarrassed.

“Have you been sitting there watching me all day?” Conner asked with a slight blush.

“No, not all day, just a bit here and there.” I replied with an internal grin. Conner shrugged uncomfortably as if to heave his embarrassment aside, rubbing a hand over his face. He made his way towards the door and I followed him.

“I’m coming with you.” I stated simply at his questioning glance. He mutely nodded. It was silent between us for a few moments.

“You know you don’t have to.” Conner finally spoke as he pulled open the door, waiting for me to step out first.

“You know the reasons why I will.” I shot back quickly, preceding him. Conner looked exhausted. More than that, something in me told me that he was not in peak form, that he was still right on the edge of danger. There was no way Conner would die because of an inability to catch his “prey” on my account. Nor would I let him go mad and kill others because it took him too long to find or catch a..meal. The merest wisp of thought trailed across my brain that this line of reasoning was very vampiric of me. 

As darkness once again claimed the earth, we slowly made our way down the street. I had never seen Conner move so sluggishly, and it worried me. Worse, the night was chilly. My “new” vampiric body was well suited for nearly anything but extremes in the weather. However.. I glanced quickly at Conner. In his weakened state without a jacket he could be in danger. I was even more determined now to hunt as quickly as possible. I also wondered if he’d notice if I were to try to share whatever body heat I had with him. Trying to be casual, I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around one of his, tucking myself closer to his side. Startled, he looked down at me, and I gave him a weak smile, and shivered slightly.

“Chilly isn’t it?” I asked. Conner looked around like he hadn’t noticed, but as I’d hoped, he wrapped his arm around me as if to keep me warm.Hopefully, it would help him out a bit. Now, to get some nourishment in him fast. I snuggled into Conner’s side, listening intently and breathing in his sweet scent. I heard only the sounds of people in their houses sleeping or getting ready for bed. The soft, calm sounds of blood rushing through veins broke upon my ears, discouraging me, until one quickened pulse caught my attention.

A woman, walking alone, was heading towards a small alley. Not the smartest thing in the world, I thought wryly. The sound of car keys and house keys jangled against each other as she pulled the rings from her jacket pocket. With the instincts of hunters, Conner and I mutually softened our footsteps and started after her. Conner’s arm around me relaxed slightly, ready to withdraw at a moment’s notice, but he left it where it was, to keep up appearances. Just as we entered the alley, more quick heartbeats approached. At least three, coming fast towards us. Apparently the human kind of hunter was also after this prey. 

A quick scuffle echoed down the alley, and I leapt forward. This prey would not suffer irreversible damage by me or my hunting-mate, but this other three meant trouble. With a silent and swift motion I was behind one, presumably the coward of the pack, hanging behind the others, back exposed to my easy attack. He went down like a sack of rocks. The other two were already ripping the woman’s clothing off and sifting through her belongings. One was unconscious before he knew it, and the last, turning at the very moment I was disabling his partner, tried drawing a knife. I sent him flying across the alley and with a resounding crack he hit a wall. He crumpled to the ground.

“Killers” I snarled, teeth bared as if ready for a fight. The woman beside me made a small noise, and before she saw me move I had gently squeezed a spot at the base of her head, something like a human whacking her over the head, only I was more precise and gentle, to send her into a stupor. I didn’t know if her blood would be needed or not, but a donor’s fate was better than the death she would have received before.

Conner had slowed at the head of the alley, he now made his way towards my victim at the wall.

“Well he’s not dead, at least that much I can say. However, you could have been a bit more gentle on him.” Conner’s sarcastic remark cut through the air.

“Killers deserve no fate other than that which they hand out.” I snapped, then sucked in a quick breath, shocked at my own reaction.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never been like that. I used to object to the death penalty before…” I trailed off. To keep myself busy, and so I didn’t have to see Conner’s pitying gaze, I started to drag my other victims over. The woman I was gentle with, the three men, not so much.

“I wasn’t sure if we’d need her.” I said gesturing. I turned away as Conner began to feed. I was lost in thought on my new sudden violence when Conner quietly interrupted.

“Here, take some for yourself.” He said gently. I noticed he had spared the woman, and was now gesturing at one of the thugs. I smiled tightly, at least Conner had some gentleness in him. Knowing that this could be a long night, I took my three heartbeat’s worth and quickly broke away. Something in me was surprised to find that the attacker’s blood didn’t taste any different than any other humans. Shouldn’t it taste..evil?

When Conner was finished, we found the woman’s car on the other side of the alley and placed her inside, locking the doors. We left the thugs in the alleyway. If I was any judge of my own work, they would come around long after the woman made it safely home, which gave me some satisfaction. If I didn’t have a choice about this vampire thing, at least maybe I could do some good.