“Tell me something,” he said between kisses.

“What?” her voice cracked. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened, holding her against him.

“You discovered I’m g*y.” Relief shot through her. For a minute there she thought she was wrong. “This was mostly based on the fact that I refused to feed from you, correct?”

“Yes,” she said slowly.

He nodded against her neck and pressed another tender kiss. “What if I told you the reason I refused to feed from you isn’t because I’m g*y, but because your blood and your blood alone is my biggest weakness? What if I told you that in the last hundred and ninety years I have never come across someone whose blood drives me to distraction, that just the mere scent of your blood in the air is enough to send me into bloodlust. That I have to stay away from you because I want your blood more than anything else on this earth and that it takes everything I have not to go into your room at night and take me fill? What would you say then?”

“You’re not g*y?” There were several other questions floating in her head at the moment, but she focused on that because if he wasn’t g*y then…then he was telling her something.

He chuckled as he peeled one of her arms away from around him and brought her hand between them. He pressed her hand against the front of his boxers and moved it over his very large and very hard erection. His deep moan sent heat through her body. She gulped as she yanked her hand away and he allowed it as he wrapped his arm back around her and pulled her back against him. His tongue ran from her neck to her earlobe. He took her earlobe into his mouth and gently sucked on it. “No, baby, I’m not g*y.”

Madison somehow managed to pull her head back. Ephraim raised his head and looked at her hungrily. For which hunger she wasn’t sure, but both scared her. His eyes were red again.

“Let me go, Ephraim,” her voice shook.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Ephraim, I’m only going to tell you once to let go of me,” she warned.

He ignored her and leaned down to kiss her neck again. These weren’t innocent little pecks anymore. He was pressing hot open mouthed kisses to her neck. She could feel the tips of his fangs brushing against her skin with each kiss. His hands were rubbing her backside slowly. A small moan escaped Madison, causing Ephraim’s h*ps to jerk forward.

Just a bite. A little taste. That’s all he wanted. She felt so warm and soft in his arms. The taste of her skin was for lack of a better word, magical. It was just a tease, just a sampling. His mouth found her pulse. He suckled the area before the tips of his fangs pressed gently against her skin. Just a taste then he would stop he told himself.

“Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.” She’d been swept up in his kiss and touch until she felt the two sharps points at her throat. Human or not he was a male. She held onto his h*ps to steady herself and with a grunt she brought her knee up hard between his legs.

He roared in agony as he released her. She pushed him away and ran for the door too afraid to look back. She threw her door shut and locked it and then dove under her bed, praying as she went that the boogie man wasn’t real.

Chapter 8

“Shit,” Ephraim muttered after the last of the nausea left him. He spit the last of the vomit from his mouth and sat back still cupping his throbbing balls. “Damn,” he groaned, “that was a more effective method than sticking a finger down my throat.” Not that he planned on doing it again.

Keeping one hand on his balls, he pulled himself up. He didn’t know what was worse, the taste of human food going down or coming up. He grabbed Madison’s bottle of mouthwash and chugged it. He had to get the taste out of his mouth. There was a reason why he avoided eating human food. It had to come up. After the last drop, he burped and winced. The sensation sent a piercing pain to the tip of his penis.

He cringed with the knowledge that the next time he took a piss he would be urinating pure mouthwash. Still holding himself he stumbled into his room and retrieved his personal firearm. He checked the chamber and stumbled back into the bathroom with it.

Using the butt of the gun he knocked on Madison’s door. No answer. Not a surprise after what he just did to her. He still couldn’t believe how close he came to taking her. Thank god she kneed him when she did and took him off guard. He hadn’t reacted to pain since the dudgeon.

“M…Ma…Ma…” He had to swallow a fresh wave of nausea tore at him. “Mad…Ma-oh shit!” He stumbled back to the toilet in time to see the mouthwash splash all over the toilet seat and floor. “Fuck,” he whimpered.

At least it was a minty mess. He chuckled until it hurt. Ignoring the mess he went back to the door. “Madison,” he said through clenched teeth. It hurt so much to speak, but he had to do it. He could hear her whimpering, probably under her bed. He couldn’t stand it.

Taking in a deep breath he forced himself to speak. “Madison, I know you’re upset. I’m,” another deep breath, “so sorry. I apologize….I don’t want to hurt you…..I won’t hurt you I promise! I swear it!”

“Liar! Ooops!” she muttered.

He had to smile. “I promise you’re safe here. I promise, but if it makes you feel better I am leaving something for you on the bathroom floor. Put it somewhere safe, somewhere the kids won’t look. If you have to use it don’t hesitate. I won’t be mad.” He remained at the door for a minute longer. “I’m sorry.” He stumbled out of the bathroom to his room where he collapsed on the floor.

******

“Come on, come on….come on!” She blew a dust bunny away from her face as she waited. The faint sound of a car starting had her moving. She crawled out from beneath the bed and made a mad dash towards the bathroom. She had to pee badly.

She jumped over something black on the floor and found her way to the toilet just in time. Going to sleep with a full bladder wasn’t easy, but somehow she managed it. Where was that lemony scent coming from? She looked around the bathroom. It was close by. Ephraim cleaned? She was stunned.

There wasn’t enough time to contemplate what would motivate him to clean. She stripped her clothes off and jumped in the shower, trying to get the smell of dust and sweat off her. Two minutes later she jumped out of the shower, hoping to brush her teeth and hair in the same amount of time. Her hand froze mid-grab for her toothbrush.

A note was taped to the mirror.

Madison,

I cannot apologize enough. I will never bother you again. I also don’t want you to feel afraid. Please use my gift. It’s yours. Please hide it as soon as you find it. I cringe at the thought of the one of the children finding it. I wasn’t kidding when I told you to use it. If I give you any reason to fear for your life use it. Do not hesitate . You will not kill me but stop me long enough to save yourself. I don’t foresee any reason for you to use it.

Your Servant,

Ephraim William Howard Adlard

“Adlard? I thought his last name was Williams.” She pondered that while she brushed her teeth. What did he mean about a gift? She didn’t see a gift. She heard him say something last night. It was hard to tell what he was saying. It sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth. She looked around the counter, nothing out of the ordinary except she was out of mouthwash. Damn it, she just bought some yesterday.