Page 43 of The Vampire’s Prey

"Maria. It doesn’t matter to me that you’re much older. I can still find a punishment if I must."

Her weathered cheeks take on a blush. "Very well, master Adrian. I will retire for the night."

Smiling, I steer her towards the door. "I know you may not believe this, but I do know my way around a kitchen. You haven’t been cooking for me my whole life."

Maria chuckles as she heads to her bedroom.

I set the soup on a simmer and scent the air. This definitely needs some ginger and garlic. Adding just a touch of both, I smell it again. Perfect. I top it off with a lid and head over to check on my ward.

Evangeline laying on my guest bed is perfection. Her golden hair shimmers in the lamplight. Crossing my arms, I lean against the doorframe and simply watch her sleep. She snores very softly, something I will never say aloud, even if I am tortured. With all her shields down, she looks even more small and innocent in the huge bed. I make my way over in just a few strides, start to get hard as I see her hands still in my cuffs. Chuckling softly, I lean over and push the button in the middle to undo them. I can tell she spent a least a few minutes trying to free herself, but then, I expected nothing less.

I ease her wrists free and lock the cuffs back into the drawer. She shifts slightly in her sleep as her hands come back down around her sides. I keep watching her as I undress, quietly draping my clothes over the edge of the bed. Easing my way in on the other side of the bed, I pull her body up next to mine.

Soft mewls come from her, but other than that, she remains asleep. She turns towards me and curls into my chest before sighing contentedly. The small creases in her forehead smooth out, as if she can finally relax now that she’s in my arms. Dropping a light kiss on her head, I hold her close, waiting for the coming dawn.

About an hour before sunrise, I disentangle myself from her embrace and make my way back to the kitchen. There is a lot of extra prep work I need to do before I rest. This is the first time to ever have a human here while I am sleeping, and I am just a little nervous. I put up the soup, then walk back to my front door. Everything is locked and secure. I check in on Evangeline one more time. Still sleeping soundly.

Finally, I am able to breathe. I pull out my phone and send her a brief text message telling her that I would be out all day tomorrow. I also mention where she can find everything, that way she doesn't starve or get bored. Hopefully my entertainment and game system can keep her entertained. At least until Marion, my daytime guard, can get here. She is a lot younger than Maria, so I really hope she and Evangeline get along.

Satisfied, I stroll back over and kiss her one more time. It is so hard for me to leave her like this, but I can feel the dawn quickly approaching. I cannot allow myself to be that vulnerable around her right now. Not until I know what side she’s on. A soft smile crosses my lips as I lean down and brush them against hers. When did I become such a softie? With everything done, I can finally go to my crypt and rest.

* * *

Evangeline

I take in a deep breath and stretch. I can't really remember the last time I slept so well. Reaching down, I feel the soft sheets under my hands, and everything comes back to me in a rush. I'm in Adrian's house. Looking at my wrists, I realize that I'm no longer tied to the headboard. Hallelujah! My eyes dart around the room, trying to take everything in. Where’s Adrian? The sheets next to me look rumpled, as if he slept there with me.

My cheeks heat up as I imagine our bodies lying together. Did he touch me while I was asleep? Knowing him, probably not. Turning my attention to the walls, I stare at every crack and crevice. Could he be hiding back there? As a vampire, he would have to be asleep or something. Or would he?

Jumping out of bed, I make my way to my suitcase, relieved to find my phone still there. When I turn on the screen, I find only one text message, and it's from him. Just thinking about him makes my stomach flip and my insides clench in need. Get it together girl and just read the text. Just as I thought. He is "out for the day.” Liar. I smirk as I pull out my contact case. With him safely hidden away, I don’t need to protect myself. Which is great because my eyes needed a breather.

As I walk into the bathroom, I'm quickly reminded that there are no mirrors anywhere. No biggie. I head back to my bag, grab a small compact mirror, and take it back to the bathroom. With all the practice that I've had putting these things in and taking them out, it's not too difficult to do without a mirror, but I always have one just in case. I get them out and flush my eyes, closing them for a bit in relief. I can't wait to be able to stop wearing those stupid things.

My heart sinks a bit. The only way I can stop wearing them is if I complete my mission. But I don't want to kill him. Not anymore. I sit down on the tub and chew my nails. They're already pretty nonexistent from my penance bender earlier, but it still brings me some measure of relief. I am not allowed to do this around The Family, so I better get it out of my system while I'm away. Chewing away, I begin thinking through my options.

I already reported that there are at least three vampires. Luckily, I never told him all the ones I saw downstairs. Nor did I mention that I possibly saw their leader. I can still control this. With any luck, I can spin it to say that I was confused and there aren't any vampires. But then, I would have to go home and leave Adrian. Maybe if I tell Adrian what's going on, then he can help me decide what to do. No. That's stupid. I can't trust him with a big secret like this. Oh, what to do?

Well, first thing is getting clothes on. The door to my room is still open, and I'm not sure who or what could be lurking in the house. Rummaging through my bag, I pull out a simple, black, cotton tee and some grey leggings. If master Adrian is truly asleep, there's no one to look hot for. I spy my vibrator, and for a minute or two, I'm actually tempted; however, I do not want to go to bed as horny as I did last night. If I'm good, then maybe he'll get me off. Shivering in anticipation, I tuck the vibrator at the bottom of my bag. I don't want him to even think that I touched it.

As I pull my hand back, I brush against my Bible. Pulling it out, I run my fingers over the worn leather. This was my first birthday gift ever given to me by Father after I was taken into The Family. I was six. On the front, the verse Matt. 7:15—"Ye shall know them by their fruit," stands out, embossed in blue. He actually took the time to find out my favorite color for this. Since that day, this verse has been a mantra in the household. It is one of many that spells out our duty to rid the world of evil monsters. Their fruits are what give them all away. All monsters are the same. They come to kill and destroy, or worse yet, seduce you into Satan's army.

Huddled on the floor, I sit there for a moment, thinking and hugging the Bible to me. Adrian is nothing like the monsters described to me. Up until this point, he has only shown me love and kindness. Did he seduce me, of course. But, if I'm being honest with myself, if I truly wanted to resist, I could have. So, what does that say about me? Sighing, I put the bible back into my bag. Luckily for me, I don't actually have to think about that. While I'm here with Adrian, that is now his job.

There's just one more thing I need to do. Peeking over my shoulder, I take one more glance to ensure no one is watching me. Once I know the coast is completely clear, I dig down into the bottom recesses of the bag and pull out a wooden box.

Upon a glancing inspection, it looks like nothing special. Maybe a jewelry box of some sort. It's a little bit bigger, not by much, than a fancy cigar case, but the contents are so much more valuable. Easing an unlocked nightstand drawer open, I place the box inside, and close it up. Some people keep guns next to them at night, I choose to keep my own weapons of choice.

Straightening back up, I look once more at my phone. No decisions need to be made just yet. I have three months to do this mission, and I'm still only a few weeks in. If need be, I will buy some more time.

Following the directions on my phone, I first make my way into the kitchen. The size alone is enough to make me gasp. I do pride myself on being a good cook. The only thing, though, is I was never allowed to make elaborate dishes. All of my food had to be made with simplicity and humility. Yet one more thing to ask Adrian about. Perhaps he would let me play in his kitchen a little. I bite my lip and look around at all the pure white and shiny metallic surfaces. Probably not. I don't want to cause the housekeeper undo grief if I can't clean it up.

The huge two-door fridge has just about anything I could ever want to eat. Fruits, vegetables, snacks all line the shelves, making my mouth water. Unfortunately, the text made it explicitly clear that I was to eat at least one bowl of chicken soup before partaking in anything else. The Tupperware bowl is on the second shelf from the top, just like he said.

Pulling the bowl down, my arm bumps into the door, jostling the door shelves. A large crack appears at the seam where it meets the door, and I let out a string of expletives. Not even here for a day, and I’m already making a mess of things. Setting the soup bowl down, I hurry back over to see what can be done. Maybe if I’m careful, I can fix it, and no one will be the wiser. Poking and prodding a bit, the gap widens and the whole row of shelves swing out.

Blood runs from my face as I see the hidden compartment of blood bags sitting there. I already knew he was a vampire, but for some reason, seeing it laid out in red and white brings it all crashing down on me. Peering at the bags, I try to detach myself from the situation, to look at things like a normal, rational person.

Apparently, he has a type. As I read down the list of bags, I see that all but a handful are type O Positive. The other few are a mixture between the other blood types. I wonder what blood type I am. I hope I'm an O too. Otherwise, would he actually want my blood. Fuck. Now I'm wanting him to drink me? How do I go from let's kill the monster to here, have a snack?