A Fresh Start

Caleb saw green eyes blazing out of the darkness in his dream and abruptly awoke on his couch Saturday morning. His heart was pounding, and he struggled to catch his breath as his eyes wildly scanned the room around him. A halo of sunshine emanating through the living room curtains was suddenly quite comforting. The fleeting, peaceful moment passed before a flood of thoughts and emotions once again screamed through his mind with lightning speed.

Katrina's a vampire!

He had trouble processing the reality associated with that thought. Images from every vampire horror film or novel he'd seen or heard of ran though his mind at once. All the popular attributes of vampires began registering in his mind: pasty skin, fast movements, incredible strength, sharp fangs, vicious bites to a victim's neck, fear of wooden stakes, aversion to garlic, no reflections in mirrors, transforming into a leathery flying bat, and being the embodiment of the eternal living dead!

It was nearly brain overload. He realized that he needed to sort things out individually.

Okay, she never met with me during the daytime. Oh God, does she sleep in a coffin during the day? No, wait, she chatted on the phone and text messaged me during the daytime before. A vision of her texting on her cell phone while the screen illuminated her face as she lay in a velvet-lined coffin ran through his mind. He would have laughed if not for the very palpable fear he had felt the previous night.

His mind raced through a host of brief recollections about her. The pale skin - but then, lots of people have pale skin. She's a redhead, and I've seen numerous redheads with pale skin before. Heck, I'm hardly a sun worshipper myself.

Okay, there was the college parking lot incident where that guy tried to rob me. Katrina seemed to come from nowhere. But then, I wasn't really looking for her, either. The guy's nasty-looking knife captured my focus elsewhere at the time. And lots of people know martial arts, right? Okay, dead end there for now.

He shivered slightly.

Was she intending to kill me last night? No, wait. She tried to explain everything, but I thought she was crazy. A pang of guilt touched him only momentarily before his thoughts flew onward. She saved me from falling over that ravine last night, right? People who want to kill you don't save you. She had only ever showed him kindness. Vampires don't do that, right?

The speed of her movements filtered through the noise of his raging thoughts. It was like she had been everywhere at once. Nobody moves that fast! He ran like a rocket, and yet, it had been as if he were running in one of those nightmares where whatever is chasing you can move fast while you feel like you're running in quicksand.

He shivered once again at the memory of the previous night. Rising from the couch, he stretched his sore body, noticing that his right shoulder still ached from where she had briefly twisted his arm behind his back. A singular thought struck him with shock. I tried to hit her with a tree limb last night!

A sickening queasiness ran though him to the pit of his stomach. He had never raised his hand against anybody in anger before. He had never even been in fights with kids as he was growing up. Hell, my own father used to beat on me, and I swore I would never do that to anyone. So, what got into me last night?

He sighed. Then a vision hit him like a hammer to an anvil. Katrina's eyes, those green eyes of hers. Sure, her eyes are beautiful, but they took on a whole new quality last night. The piercing, illuminating green had been like tiny orbs cutting into him. Just the recollection made his heart race. But why does that also seem so familiar to me?

That's where the terror had started: her eyes beaming into him with a penetrating green quality. It struck at something hidden and terrible deep in his memory, and his heart began beating rapidly again. What the hell does it all mean?

Better yet, what am I going to do now? he wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone vibrating on the end table. He picked it up and noticed a new text message from Katrina.

R U OK? I'm worried for U.

His breath caught in his throat, and his mouth felt dry.

He thought of her gentle face, cute laugh, kind nature, and beautiful smile all at once, and the memory stirred a warm feeling in his heart. He thought he had really been falling for her. So, what changed?

She's a vampire. But she's still the woman that I'm smitten with, right?

"Crap," he muttered wearily as he decided that she at least deserved a reply of some kind. Better to text her than try to talk to her right now, he decided.

He typed out his reply carefully, slowly, and as honestly as possible. Not sure. Confused.

The reply from her came only a few seconds after his. Take time to think. Call me. I care about U.

Wow, fast typist, he mused. Fast moving, for that matter.

OK, he texted back to her.

He started to set his cell phone down, but another message arrived.

No need to fear. Worried about you.

That's easy for you to say, he thought while laying the cell phone on the end table. And for some reason, as he read her last message, Ivy's "Worry about You" played through his mind.

How odd.

He realized that he was still wearing yesterday's clothes and went into the bedroom to take a shower and change.

* * *

Katrina wore a pair of green cotton lounge pants and a matching cami with her hair falling around her shoulders as she sprawled across her large, four-poster bed with her cell phone in her hands. Caleb's replies to her text messages were brief, but she had anticipated he might still be in shock somewhat after last night's events. Just her recollections from the night before sent a surge of sadness through her, followed closely by a feeling of intense curiosity. What happened to him last night? she wondered furiously.

His face had changed in an instant as she'd glared at him. Katrina readily conceded she had been annoyed with him at that point, but she certainly hadn't felt angry towards him for trying to walk out on her. I just wanted him to talk things out, that's all.

But the vision of the horror in his eyes before he turned to flee from her had been striking. She easily recognized a look of terror, and his was textbook. It was as if his mind had suddenly snapped or something.

But why, she considered furiously. What did I do?

A feeling of worry mixed with dread ran through her.

What if he won't see me again, she thought. What if he's too scared?

An even darker thought crossed Katrina's mind. What if I ruined one of the only things sparking my renewed interest in life for the past eighteen years?

And for the first time in a long, long time, a tear began to form in the corner of her eye.

* * *

Caleb spent most of Saturday at home staring at the walls, the TV, and out of the living room windows. He was thinking about Katrina and wondering what to do. Eventually, his mind was too tired to consider aspects any further. He needed more than anything to have some sense of normalcy back in his life. So he tried to stop thinking and focused instead on simpler diversions.

He cleaned the bathroom, changed his bed linens, and went to the apartment building's central laundry area. He listened to his iPod and replied to a few text messages from some old college friends. Doug from Texas was still helping his father run the family sporting goods store following his dad's heart attack. Nancy from Massachusetts was just offered a position at a law firm in Boston. And Martin from South Carolina just proposed to his girlfriend, Brenda. But then Caleb's eyes glanced at the earlier messages from Katrina, and he found himself reading them over and over while the washer and dryer continued their monotonous cycles.

He spent the evening at home watching TV and eating pizza he had ordered from a delivery service. For some reason, he noticed that the cooks used a lot more garlic than normal.

Garlic. Vampires don't like garlic, right? He shook his head and tried not to think about that. Of course, it's not as if Katrina's going to be breaking into my apartment and sucking the blood from me until I'm dry, right? He considered the idea for a moment, once again recalling the text messages she had sent him. Somehow he felt he was safe and that Katrina's intentions weren't hostile at all.

He sighed and tried to concentrate on the television before him as he munched on his pizza. That was his Saturday in a nutshell.

Caleb spent Sunday continuing to distract himself with anything "normal." He organized quizzes for two of his history classes, prepared some notes for his upcoming lectures that week, and cleaned out his refrigerator.

He went to a local bookstore to browse and found himself gravitating to the horror and science fiction sections. He glanced at the covers of nearly a dozen novels all relating to vampires. He browsed the cinema section and noticed a pictorial on the life of Bela Lugosi, one of the world's most famous horror film actors, best known for his classic rendition of Dracula. Admittedly, his appearance was nothing like Katrina's, although, the vision of her wearing a dark cape and baring her fangs seemed to work. She does have fangs, right?

In the end, he purchased a discounted book on the historic maps of the American Civil War and proceeded to the grocery store for a few items he needed at the apartment. On the way back home, he drove past a Starbucks and sighed as he recalled the first time that he and Katrina met for tea and their first lengthy conversation. It seemed like a long time ago.

In the end, Sunday had been as equally unsatisfying for him as Saturday.

* * *

Katrina tried to be patient and wait for Caleb to gather his thoughts, but it was very difficult. She emailed a couple of close friends, including her former mentor, Alton, about Caleb. As fellow vampires, they sympathized with her, but in the end they seemed hesitant to offer any specific advice.

Some friends, she thought bitterly.

By Sunday evening, Katrina had enough of waiting and decided to check in on Caleb. She waited until after dark and drove around the city to contemplate her feelings while listening to some CDs she'd created for just the occasion. Fiona Apple was perfect for her mood, as well as some lilting classic jazz from the 1960s. She added a couple of melancholy French tunes from the 1940s. One thing you could say about long-lived vampires, their music selections were usually eclectic. Around 11 pm, when "Malibu," by Hole, began playing, she was ready to head towards Caleb's apartment.

Dressed in some black denim jeans and black leather jacket, she crept quietly to his fire escape and peeked in from the shadows into his living room. He was leaning back on his couch with his head bobbed backwards against the cushion. A novel he had been reading had fallen into his lap and been forgotten. He looked endearing as he slept with his mouth partially open, and she almost laughed, which helped soften her melancholy mood. She lingered for a short time watching him sleep and decided it was time to go. At least he appeared to be okay, which was more than she could say for herself.

"Goodnight, my Caleb," she whispered as she blew him a kiss across the distance between them. At least I hope he will become my Caleb, she thought darkly.

Seconds later, she walked out of the alleyway and back towards where she had parked her car.

* * *

Caleb began the work week teaching at the college, but he was frequently distracted. His lectures were passable, but lacked the usual energy and enthusiasm. It was obvious to himself that he was merely going through the motions. And though he had only been a member of the Social Sciences division for a short time, a number of his fellow professors and division office staff noticed his subdued behavior. One of the secretaries named Betty, a kind woman in her mid-forties, even asked him if he was feeling under the weather.

Well, at least it's nice that people are taking an interest in me around the office after a semester, he considered.

On Tuesday, he only taught two sections of history in the morning, so he had most of the afternoon free after his office hours. By the time he walked out to his car on that sunny, cool November afternoon, he'd already decided that he needed to return to the scene of his recent mental collapse with Katrina. He needed to understand what had happened to him. He was floating in a state of limbo and wanted to be on solid ground again.

Instead of bothering to change clothes, he remained in his khaki slacks and long-sleeved blue shirt. He grabbed a sandwich and bottled water from a sub shop and drove out to the exclusive Pine Valley edition. She had given him the access code to the edition gate entrance and the code for the wrought iron gate to her driveway on Friday, though he had no intention of trying to go up the driveway or even approach the house itself.

Everything looked quite different by daylight. Things didn't seem quite as ominous, though it was still distinctly remote and secluded with the edition's sparsely populated residents and heavily forested surroundings.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that the edition entrance code still operated correctly for him as he drove between the large rock columns. The asphalt road winding through the neighborhood presented a series of leisurely curves to negotiate the somewhat hilly terrain. There were large areas of densely forested sections between the various five-acre or larger plots of land. All the homes remaining visible from the street were large estates, each with their own architectural style. One aspect they had in common was how stately everything was maintained. The trees, shrubs, and lawns were manicured meticulously, though each reflected unique landscape artistry.

Katrina's property was further into the edition near the still-developing section of a particularly hilly area. He drove to her property's gate entrance and glanced up the winding driveway as he passed. He saw the house through the dense trees and shrubbery looming in the sunshine like a castle. Caleb rarely had the opportunity to appreciate such properties from a distance, much less actually know someone with the capability of owning any. Dream homes like this are more like pure fantasy on my salary, he considered silently. You don't choose a career as a teacher or professor with hopes of getting rich.

He stopped at the side of the road next to a more gently sloping area that he thought he would be able to negotiate on foot. He wanted to revisit the park area next to Katrina's property, while not going too close to her house. Caleb felt that daytime was best because he didn't want to risk an uncomfortable meeting in person just yet, and he recalled her comment about staying out of sunshine. Classic vampire issue, he mused. What with the day being so sunny and bright, he considered conditions were about as safe as they could get for him. Just great, he chided, too scared to skulk around at night. Instead I'm sneaking around in the daylight!

He scowled at the thought that he was actually taking all of these things seriously and even felt a little foolish. But his memories of her physical feats from Friday night engendered a more sober expression on his face. In fact, his pulse increased noticeably as he focused on his current intentions.

He strode up the hilly incline to the scrub and trees scattered at the top. If not for the serious nature of his visit, he might actually have taken the time to appreciate his surroundings. Instead, he sighed and tried to focus his thoughts on the events of Friday night.

After a short time, he made it to the top of the incline and looked back downhill to where his car was parked. He felt a cool breeze in the air and noticed that considerably more leaves had fallen since Friday.

He made his way back to the central park area, soon reaching the winding concrete pathway they had walked together. Pausing to glance towards her estate, he began slowly walking in that general direction. He was pleased that conditions seemed much less ominous on such a sunny day.

Before long, he stood outside the black iron gate separating the park area from Katrina's property. He studied the large house looming across a relatively wide expanse of partially green lawn dotted with pine and oak trees. After a sigh, he stared up at one of the windows of the house, though he saw no activity present. The blinds were turned down completely.

He turned and focused on the events of last Friday evening.

* * *

Katrina sat at her computer and glanced up at a flat panel display off to her left that hosted approximately two dozen miniature viewing screens, each hooked up to a camera viewing both internal and external parts of the estate. Her eye caught movement from one particular camera located on the side of the house facing the gate to the public park area.

She breathed in sharply and immediately enlarged the window to full screen.

Caleb stood beyond the trees at the gate. Has he come to visit me? she wondered.

A hopeful feeling washed through her. She zoomed in on his face as he stared towards the house, the sunlight bathing his gentle features in light. Yet he had a focused expression. She frowned as he turned to gaze back in the other direction and slowly walked away.

What's he doing? Maybe he came to discuss the revelations I sprang on him last Friday evening. Maybe I should call his cell phone or text him, she ventured with uncertainty.

Something occurred to her which sent a small chill through her. He probably came during the daytime because he knew I couldn't go to him. He must be here for some other reason.

She watched him walk away until the camera could no longer focus on him and sighed deeply with resignation. Despite the strong desire to see him, to talk to him, she would have to remain patient.

* * *

Caleb's memory began replaying the events in his mind as he perched on the edge of the bench he and Katrina had sat on that night. He recalled how disappointed he'd felt when she tried to be honest with him about her secret identity. He stood, took a moment to recall his actions that evening, and walked the path leading towards her house. He paused and then proceeded in the opposite direction. He halted suddenly, unsure if he were in the exact spot as before. Frowning, he concentrated intently to recall the sight of her glowing green eyes. A momentary flash appeared in his mind's eye, and his heartbeat fluttered. He turned slowly and began walking off in the approximate direction in which he had run into the trees that night.

He recalled the feeling of flight, running for his life. But now, his pace was deliberate and measured. He marveled at how far he must have run as he trudged slowly among the trees and bushes. A short time later, he stood at the edge of the drop-off where he had nearly fallen before Katrina caught him.

She caught me, spun me around, and threw me to the ground.

Looking down, he noticed a broken branch on the partially sandy ground, realizing must be the branch he had grabbed that night. He picked up one piece and inspected it more closely. It was a rather solid-looking length of wood, and he had swung it at her with what he believed had been an impressive velocity. But he recalled how it broke against her arm as if nothing more than a flimsy yardstick. Illustrating that point, he lifted the piece of branch and popped it into the palm of his other hand. Solid chunk of wood, he ventured with a frown before absently tossing the branch back to the ground.

My God, he realized suddenly, it should've broken her arm, or at least knocked her over.

His eyes widened while marveling once more at how Katrina was indeed no ordinary woman. If she'd been able so easily to withstand such an attack, then she could've effortlessly killed me, he suspected. But she didn't, for which he was extremely thankful.

"That should count for something," he muttered hopefully.

But there was an underlying feeling after going through his brief mental exercise: wariness. Despite how kind and helpful she had been to him, he felt a degree of unease. Is it a simple aversion to the unknown or something else? He supposed that only time would tell.

He considered a very important question while returning to his vehicle. What am I going to do next?

Wednesday passed quickly for Caleb. By the time he went home from work, he had finally determined how to proceed with Katrina. He still had feelings for her after everything they had experienced together and felt he owed her the benefit of at least talking things out to see how they both wanted to progress.

He was deeply intrigued by her, but couldn't deny the thought of her being a vampire still unnerved him quite a bit. The whole situation was still a little unbelievable to him. All his life he thought the concept of vampires made for great films, but never once had considered there could be an ounce of truth to any of it. But what was the truth to separate from the fiction? That was a question only Katrina could answer.

He picked up his cell phone while leaning against his kitchen counter and dialed her number. It rang only once.

"Caleb?" ventured Katrina in a soft voice.

He still loved the sound of her voice, among a host of other appreciable qualities. "Hi, Katrina," he said. "Is this a good time to call?" His eyes gazed out the living room window to note the sun just beginning to set.

"Sure," she offered curiously. "You've called me during the afternoons before, you know."

He nodded, wondering why this was so difficult for him. It wasn't as if he hadn't been interacting with her for months. He felt he was starting everything from scratch.

"Sorry, you're right of course," he apologized. "Katrina, I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few days, and I..."

"Yes?"

"I'd like to know if you'd mind meeting with me to chat," he asked.

She paused, and he thought he heard a small sigh from her end, as if she'd been holding her breath.

"Of course, Caleb," she replied with a hint of relief evident in her voice. "I've been hoping you'd call."

The edges of his mouth upturned marginally, and he proceeded with a more confident tone, "Great. That's just great. What's your schedule look like this week?"

"You mean like tonight, for example?" she asked.

"Uh, no. How about tomorrow instead?" he clarified.

She paused. "Day or night?"

He hadn't expected that. "You can do daytime?"

"Daytime is harder, Caleb," she answered with amusement. "But I can prepare the house to accommodate your preference, especially if it makes you more comfortable."

He considered her offer for a moment, but felt it might seem an affront to select an uncomfortable setting deliberately. He respected her too much to do that, though it was at least nice that she was willing to accommodate him. That's good, right?

"Evening's fine, actually," he said.

"Good," she accepted gently. "Come by around sunset then."

As he said goodbye and disconnected, he smirked at the way she'd said that and realized if he didn't know she was a vampire, he probably wouldn't have given it a second thought.

Thankfully, Thursday went by quickly for Caleb, because he was anxious for the arrival of evening. He changed into a pair of dark casual slacks and a red oxford shirt and sat on his couch watching the sun begin its descent. A list of questions mingled in his mind, and he hoped none of them were particularly insulting to her. It wasn't every day someone told you they were a vampire and actually meant it.

Caleb grabbed his leather jacket and drove across town on the I-20. He proceeded north on the I-285 towards the Mableton area. As he neared his destination, his anticipation grew to a fever pitch.

Once again, the onset of night gave the secluded edition an ominous feel. Despite the various driveway lampposts, lawn lighting, and house lights surrounding the visible homes, large patches of darkness permeated the uneven landscape and clusters of thick trees within the edition. The scene seemed out of character for the normally well-developed regions throughout Atlanta. He momentarily considered how perfect it was for a horror film, but felt a pang of guilt for associating such thoughts with Katrina.

When he arrived at the gates blocking the entrance to Katrina's winding driveway, he entered his code on the small, metal kiosk and proceeded up the drive. Perhaps for his benefit and comfort, all of the exterior lights around the estate were turned on, creating a subtle glow in the night. He parked his car in front of the garage and emitted a heavy sigh before exiting his car.

Caleb walked up the steps leading to the grand front entrance of the house, once again marveling at its considerable size. He noticed many of the windows emanated an inviting luminance from inside, suggesting that many lights had been turned on throughout the house. He reached the front entrance and barely had time to ring the doorbell before the door opened to reveal Katrina standing before him with a bright, encouraging smile.

She was a vision of beauty, and his mind seemed to forget she was anything but the attractive, intelligent woman who had begun to win his heart. She wore a pair of form-fitting gray pocket pants, a silver and white patterned silk blouse, and a pair of strappy, silver, high-heeled shoes. Her neck was adorned with a simple silver necklace, and her hair was pulled back tightly into a ponytail with a sterling hair clasp. One thing for certain, Katrina's a fashionable vampire, he mused.

Caleb mirrored her bright smile and offered, "Good evening, Katrina."

"Please come in, Caleb," she invited by standing aside as she held the door open. "I'm really glad you agreed to see me again."

He entered with a polite nod and took a moment to appreciate the grand interior. A large banister led up to the second floor to the right and wound upwards in a semi-circle to reveal a large open area, allowing someone to look up into the part of the second floor walkway that accessed the other rooms. The lighting was subdued enough that he didn't feel like it was blaring at him, instead providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The floors were richly tiled in the main areas, but he could see into a nearby room, which contained an elegant blend of carpeting.

His attention returned to Katrina, and she gestured towards the sitting room to his left, directly across from the grand staircase. The room sported a high ceiling and a series of large windows looking out onto the front yard and circle driveway in front of the house. The furniture was contemporary and mostly earth tones, tastefully accenting the lighter carpeting in the room. Mediterranean artwork decorated the walls.

He considered the large couch, smaller sofa, and two reading chairs expertly placed to allow a grand view of the room and chose to perch on one end of the couch. He glanced at the oak end tables and coffee table, which added a classic touch. A small fireplace stood against the far end of the room on an exterior wall, though likely it didn't receive a lot of use considering Georgia's generally mild winters. Nice place, he thought.

She sat next to him, though with enough distance between them that he didn't feel uncomfortable. He admitted to feeling somewhat anxious and noticed his pulse increase slightly. Though not necessarily scared of her, he still felt a little wary. His eyes studied her at length as if seeing her for the first time, and very much liking who he saw. He wasn't really sure why he should have expected something different in her appearance from earlier last week, but still found himself doing so.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" she asked with a smile, well aware of his closer inspection of her. She assessed his body language for the second time that evening, having heard his increased heart rate the moment she opened the front door. It was habit with her normally, but her skills took on special meaning that evening because she wanted to make sure there were no unpleasant misunderstandings. She was glad to see him, grateful he'd seen fit to allow her another chance for them to visit openly before making any decisions regarding their possible future together.

"Thanks, not just now," he replied with a more supportive expression than he felt. I'm a little too old to have butterflies in my stomach, he chastised himself irritably. He felt like a timid school boy on his first date. "I want to start by thanking you for saving my life the other night," he began and then added sheepishly. "I suppose the park isn't necessarily 'Caleb-safe' just yet."

She found his awkward manner somewhat amusing. "Yes, I emailed the neighborhood association suggesting that a guard fence should be installed soon. Children could easily get hurt by falling over the incline."

"Adults too," he amended in a respectful tone.

"Well, fleeing blindly into dark, foreign areas could be dangerous for anyone," she replied with a slight edge. He winced at the mild admonishment.

Easy Katrina, she warned herself. She was annoyed because she cared for his safety, and he'd acted somewhat recklessly that night.

"Nevertheless, thanks for helping me from a possibly bad fall," he offered sincerely.

"You're welcome," she accepted in a more conciliatory tone. "And I'm sorry if you were handled a little roughly during the event." She had tried not to hurt him. She hoped he understood that she merely endeavored to calm him that night, never mind being nearly breathless with shock as he went over the edge of the ravine. Glad that I was able to move quickly enough to grab his leg before he fell.

He rubbed absently at his right shoulder where she had pinned him that evening. "No problem. But I admit I've still got a sore shoulder from that."

"Um, remember the tree branch?" Katrina asked pointedly. In all her years, nobody ever tried to wallop her with a tree branch. Still, she supposed it was amusing from a certain perspective.

He adopted a withering expression and sighed. He felt rather embarrassed by the chain of events in retrospect. "I'm really sorry about that," he insisted. "Please understand. I'm not a violent guy. I was just -"

"Scared?" she prompted gently. She easily recalled the intense fear in his eyes that night and regretted that she had been the source.

He shook his head slightly in resigned fashion and confessed, "Exactly." Following a silent pause, he asked, "How's your arm?"

"My arm?" Katrina replied vaguely, before quickly adding: "Oh, the tree branch. I'm fine, no problem at all."

"Oh, good," he responded as his eyes widened a little with surprise. "But I swung really hard at you. You know, while hardly major league-worthy, I was a pretty good home run hitter in college. So, I imagined it must have been pretty jarring at least," he prompted.

"Not really," she replied. "Although my jacket sleeve was scuffed up a bit." I'm a tough little vampire, she silently congratulated herself.

He considered his evaluation of the tree branch and how it would have injured most anybody else under similar circumstances. "Sorry about the jacket," he apologized. "I'll be happy to replace it."

"No need," she countered quickly.

A few silent moments passed as he mulled her responses over in his head. She maintained an amused expression, having anticipated the tree limb incident must have made an impression on him. Let him think about that a minute or two, she mused.

"Okay, so you're telling me you didn't even register the hit?" he pressed a little defensively.

"Look, are you happy I'm not injured or not?" she retorted with a hint of annoyance. "Because it sounds to me like you're more upset your 'little smack' was ineffective. It's going to take a lot more than a swinging branch to make an impact on someone like me."

Now he's just being egotistical, she thought irritably.

A shiver went up Caleb's spine briefly as he considered her reply. He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, realizing his ego needed to take a back seat really quickly. "No, you're absolutely right. I'm sorry, that was way out of line," he conceded earnestly. "I'm very happy you weren't hurt and that you're so durable."

There was another lengthy pause. She smiled with increasing amusement, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared into his gentle eyes.

"Something funny?" he inquired warily.

"Oh sorry," she replied. "I was just thinking back to the shocked look on your face after you hit me with that tree branch and it broke in half."

His shoulders slumped forward, and he conceded, "Maybe we should just try and forget the whole event."

"Perhaps," she agreed good-naturedly, but with a smug expression.

He sat still for a moment and found he was once again staring into her beautiful green eyes. He looked away suddenly, awkwardly wondering what he should say next.

She considered him for a moment as he stared at her and frowned slightly when he looked away. Katrina realized that she needed to lay her cards on the table so she would know how to proceed further with him.

"Caleb," she began, noting his eyes darted to meet hers at the sound of her voice. "I'm sorry if I scared you, and I know you have a lot of questions for me, which I'll be happy to answer. But I need to know what happened last Friday night. The degree of terror in your eyes looked overwhelming, and I can't think of what I could have done to scare you so badly."

He swallowed hard as the memory of Friday night washed over him again. "It was your eyes. They glowed so brightly," he explained. "And something flashed in my mind, like a memory, but less tangible. Only, I knew at that moment I needed to be afraid - no, terrified for my life. The emotions came over me like a lightning strike from nowhere, and all I could do was run as fast as possible. I couldn't even think clearly. Everything was like a blur in my mind."

Katrina considered his explanation, which rang true by his body language. She wondered if it were some bizarre reaction related to her hypnotic attempt on him as a child after she had killed his father right in front of him. "Are you scared of me now?" she asked, although she wasn't sensing fear from him so much as nervousness.

"Do I need to be?" he asked cautiously. He really wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel. All he knew was that he very much still cared for her.

"Scared or afraid? No," she clarified. "Careful? Yes."

He nodded. "Well, maybe I am still scared, a little bit. But what do you mean by needing to be careful?"

She considered him for a moment and reached out to touch his hand that rested on top of his knee. He flinched only slightly, but his reaction still saddened her. However, she proceeded to softly cover the top of his hand with hers.

"I won't intentionally seek to hurt you, Caleb," she assured him, "except in the case of a couple of rare instances."

"Such as?" he asked carefully as his pulse increased.

She still gently held her hand atop his and explained, "There are a few important rules if you're really serious about any long-term relationship with me, Caleb. A couple of them are 'deal breakers,' in a manner of speaking."

He thought seriously about her explanation and ventured, "Like when you told me not to tell anybody about you."

Katrina nodded affirmatively. "That's the biggest rule of all, yes," she stated firmly but with gentleness in her eyes.

He took a deep breath. "I suppose I can appreciate the importance of a rule like that," he conceded.

"Good," she explained. "Because that rule is what protects me from humanity."

They fell silent for a brief time before she returned to a previous topic. "This won't work between us if you're always afraid of me," she ventured quietly. "Do you understand?"

He considered her statement carefully. As he gazed at her face, so soft and lovely, he had a hard time imaging being afraid of her, despite his actual feelings.

"Yes," he nodded slowly. "I understand."

"That's good," she said with a hopeful smile.

He considered the statement a moment longer. "But you need to explain things so I'm not afraid. Information defeats fear of the unknown."

She nodded, impressed with his mature assessment. The evening was going about as well as she could have hoped, so far.

"What do you need for me to do or say to help inform you better?"

"Well, I have a few questions, you see," he ventured hesitantly. "If that's not a problem, of course."

Okay, here come the questions, she thought with resignation. On the few occasions during her lengthy existence when the few men she revealed herself to wanted to understand her better, they all presented a host of questions, some intelligent, others outrageous. She sighed and nodded. "Ask your questions."

But he sensed something resigned, or perhaps melancholy in her reaction to him. It bothered him, and he realized he didn't want to be a source of unpleasantness to her.

"Never mind, Katrina," he offered gently. "I'll just find out over time. You'll tell me when, or if you're ready."

Her eyebrow arched high. Nobody's ever responded like that before, she recalled. They all had insistent, sometimes insulting, questions in the past. How oddly refreshing.

Caleb rose, abruptly deciding that he should leave. Their meeting had gone well, but he didn't want to press his luck. Besides, he wasn't sure he could keep from asking a litany questions if he stayed much longer.

"Wait," she said with concern as she rose to stand before him. "Where are you going?"

"Well, home," he replied. "Maybe we could see a movie later tomorrow night or something?"

Her eyes widened slightly and she adopted a slightly confused expression. She was suddenly feeling compelled by some very strong emotions.

"No," she insisted in a non-threatening tone. She was somewhat shocked by the depth of strong feelings washing over her at that moment. She didn't want him to go and suddenly didn't care about his potential questions. She just knew that she wanted him to stay.

"So then, you're busy tomorrow? How about Saturday then?" he persisted.

Katrina blinked and slowly but deliberately stepped towards him.

His eyes widened with surprise, and he asked, "What's wrong, Katrina?" His pulse quickened, and he found an anxious tension rising inside him.

"Don't go, Caleb," she whispered to him softly. "Ask me anything, but don't go yet." She just wanted him to stay with her. She'd been so worried that he wouldn't have wanted even to see her again, but was relieved that he was finally there.

Her left hand reached out to caress his cheek lightly with her fingertips. Her right arm subtly wrapped around the small of his back, and she moved in a fluid blur as her soft lips lightly brushed his.

He drew in a breath from the feeling of her warm lips tenderly touching his skin. He pressed his lips against hers gently, but with more force than she had, and kissed her passionately. The next thing he knew the room spun slightly, and he was lying on the couch with her on top of him. They continued to kiss for a time, and she ran the slim fingers of one hand through his hair and across his scalp, causing him to shiver slightly with appreciation.

She nestled her lips in the small of his soft neck and kissed him there. He murmured with satisfaction as she kissed him again. She felt strong desire rise in her, and her fangs began to extend slightly. The scent of his skin and the underlying blood beneath called to her, and she could feel his strong pulse against her lips as she kissed him.

She abruptly stopped, and her entire body froze in place.

"What's wrong?" he whispered as he turned his head quickly to gaze at her. He saw her eyes glowing green back at him, and he jolted slightly.

"I'm sorry, but it's not safe for you, Caleb," Katrina insisted. It was so long since her last intimate encounter with a man. Her body was suddenly so alive with desire for both his body and his blood, and the dual urges in her threatened to overwhelm her like a tidal wave. It was all too much to process at once, and she feared for his life at that moment, afraid she would lose control.

Caleb's mind raced with confusion. One minute, they were sharing a passionate moment together, and the next minute she suddenly stopped. And what's with her eyes? he wondered.

She sensed his confusion and began to push away from him, but he reached out and pulled her against him in a strong embrace.

"No, Caleb," she insisted more forcefully as she began to exert her extraordinary strength to disengage from him. "You don't understand. You're in danger right now. It's too much for me."

But he held on with all of his might and kissed the top of her head. "Then make it safe for me, Katrina," he urged with sudden resolve. "You said that you didn't want to hurt me, so mean it now." His heart was racing at that moment as he wondered if he were about to die or not. He just knew he didn't want to let her go, ever.

She concentrated intently on calming her hunger. At similar moments in her past with other men, a number of them had suffered because of it. For them, it had been the consequence of being with her. With her passion came the desire for blood, and one was rarely relinquished without partaking of the other. But Caleb was different. She needed to protect him.

With him holding her tightly to his body, her face was pressed against his neck, and she could feel his pulse throbbing through his skin. She realized it was so painfully long since she had rested in a man's arms. "I want you so badly," she rasped as her lips found the soft skin of his neck again. "I want you in so many ways."

He held on to her tightly and whispered into her hair, "I want you, and I want you to have me too, Katrina."

She shut her eyes tightly as she tried to focus on remaining calm. He doesn't realize what he's saying to me. He has no idea!

"Stop," she protested.

"No," he insisted. "I'm yours."

Oh Caleb, she thought powerfully. So trusting, so foolish.

Yet his sense of trust in her merely added to her desire for him, and Katrina made the decision to find the balance necessary to be with him safely. She struggled with the bloodlust in her body, fighting to control the feral emotions and urges within her. The self-discipline that served her so well in the past began to reassert itself, and she felt her body respond accordingly. The future was so uncertain, and he might someday die, but not at her hands that night.

"Hold very still," she whispered with resignation as she kissed the soft skin of his neck. "Try to relax, but don't move unless I direct you to."

He swallowed hard and felt her lips move to the opposite side of his neck. She kissed him again on his soft skin. He felt her tongue as it sensually touched his skin, and wanted so very much to please her, to trust her implicitly and totally.

A new sensation occurred, although it was also somehow familiar. It was a numbness that spread on the area of his neck where she kissed him and where her tongue was pressed. He remained very still as she instructed him, and her right hand began to caress him. A satisfying shiver rolled through his body, and the numbness grew in his neck until he couldn't feel her tongue against his skin anymore.

"Now freeze," she whispered into his neck.

He felt a slight prick in his neck, not terribly painful. Her hand continued to caress and massage his body as she ran the fingers of her other hand gently through his hair in a soothing fashion. He felt himself grow slightly light-headed and thought he heard soft slurping sounds. He closed his eyes and patiently waited, while also appreciating the closeness they were finally sharing.

Katrina was in ecstasy. His blood was delicious to her as it flowed down her throat, but she was careful to draw on him gently. She felt so intimately connected with him, having created a life bond between them. She was partaking in much more than mere feeding. It was a form of consummation.

Moments later, he felt the numbness increase against his throat again, and she was once more kissing at his neck. He heard a subtle smacking sound and slowly opened his eyes to find her green gaze illuminated slightly as her tongue ran lightly across her lips.

"Oh, Caleb," she cooed. "I do love you."

She was so very pleased with him. He was so generous, so giving to allow her to do that. She had sensed his reservation, and she had even tried to warn him. But he had persisted, and despite the fact he was unsure of his fate, he still wanted to please her. That meant more to her than anything that evening. She laid claim to him, and in a singular moment of complete clarity she decided that he was to be her mate.

He smiled with a lopsided grin, and she bent to kiss him. He noticed a slightly metallic taste to her kiss. "I'm falling in love with you too," he offered.

He knew that, despite the brief time they had known each other, he meant every word of his statement. He was so happy to have her in his life and didn't care if she were a vampire or not. And most of all, he truly believed she meant him no harm. Everything she had done since he first met her was nothing but caring and considerate towards him. The feelings he felt for her were so much stronger than for anyone else before, and he realized it must be nothing short of love.

"And no need for worry," Katrina offered softly with an amused grin. "You can't be turned into a vampire from what we shared."

She rose from the couch, and he started to join her, but she pressed her hand against his chest. "Stay," she ordered as she slipped out of her shoes. "I'll be right back."

He settled back onto the couch, and she seemed to disappear from view. It startled him, and he saw lights in the hallway and entryway go out one by one.

Caleb heard a quick noise across the room, and the lights all suddenly went out. Only the glow of the outdoor lights filtered in through the windows in the room.

Suddenly, she was standing there before him. However, she was wearing only her silvery bra and panties, and her eyes were glowing slightly. Her hair was undone and hung like a mantle around her head. Her pale skin gave her a somewhat ethereal appearance in the dim light. Like an angel, he silently marveled, but perhaps edgier.

"Now it's your turn, Caleb," she purred with satisfaction while moving to the couch and reaching to undo the buttons of his shirt. Her eyes narrowed slyly with anticipation.

In the end, she was a beautiful, sexy, green-eyed, red-haired demon that took him on a heavenly, erotic journey for the remainder of the evening.