the dark while she was converting. Sorry, but you will have to wait until you are completely changed. It will not be too long.”
Starla pushed back and threw her hands against the wall, breathing hard. Since when did a young man turn down sex? Ever? Fuck this!
She turned back and lifted her breasts up with her hands, the chains rattling against her legs.
Her head spun. She did not act this way. She never used harsh terms like that. What had gotten into her?
Pulling her shirt back together, she fell back against the wall. Henri was still just beyond her reach.
“I’m sorry. Really. I’m not a slut.”
“Hey, I don’t have any problem with that. Sorry, what I mean is th at you’re going to be much more horny now, so you might as well get used to it. It’s the best part, anyway. Of being a vampire, I mean.”
Vampire? He was nuts. One of those Buffy fans who thought it would be cool to drink blood. She looked around the room, searching for someone to help her. Or some way out. She still heard noise toward the back of the room, so she knew they weren’t alone. Unfortunately, she assumed that anyone else in there with them were probably fruit loops who also thought they were vampires. So no one was going to help her. The pain struck again, this time much worse. She thought she heard Henri say something, but the pain overrode everything else and she passed out.
Time passed, she didn’t know how much. But the pain had returned full force, and she came in and out of consciousness until she finally woke up pain free one night.
She got up, shaky, but feeling stronger than she had in days. Maybe ever. Her clothes were in tatters, th e few pieces that were still intact enough to be on her body. The rest were shredded in bundles on the floor. And even though Henri had brought her other garments, she’d ignored them. She didn’t know why. Except that the heat had been so horrific, she couldn’t tolerate even the touch of fabric against her skin. She’d learned quickly, though, that the heat had nothing to do with her clothes and everything to do with exploding cells inside her own body.
Henri had explained. Not that she believed anything he told her so earnestly. All that mattered was trying to rip out the heat or die trying. At that point, three young men chained her to a pole in the center of the room. Which she’d damaged almost immediately. It had surprised her that she was capable of cracking the tall column that formed the support for the ceiling.
But the pain was gone now. Just a peculiar weakness and a sense that everything had changed.
Henri had arrived with a key and unlocked the cuffs. Starla watched the chains fall away and clatter against the concrete floor. His hand out, he pulled her away from the pole.
“Come with me. You need to drink, so we need to hunt.”
What he said didn’t make any sense to her.
“Hunt?”
“Yes. The blood you’ve been drinking…it’s vampire blood. It’s what changed you. You’re vampire now, Starla. From now on, you’ll drink blood. But it won’t be from Etienne. Or me. It’ll be from humans.”
She drew back and pressed herself against the back wall she’d rested against for the past week.
“What? I don’t understand. You need to explain exactly what is going on with me. What you have done to me and why. What you guys want from me. Henri, start talking! I am not going any fucking where until you give me those answers. Why you kidnapped me and held me here. And why do I feel so odd?”
Sliding down, she dropped against the concrete floor that had been her bed the entire time she’d been here. Her own language shocked her. She had never used that word before she came here. Her mother would have washed her mouth out with extra strong soap made from seal blubber. Literally.
Henri released a sigh of
Starla pushed back and threw her hands against the wall, breathing hard. Since when did a young man turn down sex? Ever? Fuck this!
She turned back and lifted her breasts up with her hands, the chains rattling against her legs.
Her head spun. She did not act this way. She never used harsh terms like that. What had gotten into her?
Pulling her shirt back together, she fell back against the wall. Henri was still just beyond her reach.
“I’m sorry. Really. I’m not a slut.”
“Hey, I don’t have any problem with that. Sorry, what I mean is th at you’re going to be much more horny now, so you might as well get used to it. It’s the best part, anyway. Of being a vampire, I mean.”
Vampire? He was nuts. One of those Buffy fans who thought it would be cool to drink blood. She looked around the room, searching for someone to help her. Or some way out. She still heard noise toward the back of the room, so she knew they weren’t alone. Unfortunately, she assumed that anyone else in there with them were probably fruit loops who also thought they were vampires. So no one was going to help her. The pain struck again, this time much worse. She thought she heard Henri say something, but the pain overrode everything else and she passed out.
Time passed, she didn’t know how much. But the pain had returned full force, and she came in and out of consciousness until she finally woke up pain free one night.
She got up, shaky, but feeling stronger than she had in days. Maybe ever. Her clothes were in tatters, th e few pieces that were still intact enough to be on her body. The rest were shredded in bundles on the floor. And even though Henri had brought her other garments, she’d ignored them. She didn’t know why. Except that the heat had been so horrific, she couldn’t tolerate even the touch of fabric against her skin. She’d learned quickly, though, that the heat had nothing to do with her clothes and everything to do with exploding cells inside her own body.
Henri had explained. Not that she believed anything he told her so earnestly. All that mattered was trying to rip out the heat or die trying. At that point, three young men chained her to a pole in the center of the room. Which she’d damaged almost immediately. It had surprised her that she was capable of cracking the tall column that formed the support for the ceiling.
But the pain was gone now. Just a peculiar weakness and a sense that everything had changed.
Henri had arrived with a key and unlocked the cuffs. Starla watched the chains fall away and clatter against the concrete floor. His hand out, he pulled her away from the pole.
“Come with me. You need to drink, so we need to hunt.”
What he said didn’t make any sense to her.
“Hunt?”
“Yes. The blood you’ve been drinking…it’s vampire blood. It’s what changed you. You’re vampire now, Starla. From now on, you’ll drink blood. But it won’t be from Etienne. Or me. It’ll be from humans.”
She drew back and pressed herself against the back wall she’d rested against for the past week.
“What? I don’t understand. You need to explain exactly what is going on with me. What you have done to me and why. What you guys want from me. Henri, start talking! I am not going any fucking where until you give me those answers. Why you kidnapped me and held me here. And why do I feel so odd?”
Sliding down, she dropped against the concrete floor that had been her bed the entire time she’d been here. Her own language shocked her. She had never used that word before she came here. Her mother would have washed her mouth out with extra strong soap made from seal blubber. Literally.
Henri released a sigh of
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