The Human

  He stopped by the bathroom on the way back and I realized until this moment that I’d never heard him pee before. Does he pee in the shower? Only go when he’s in public? I couldn’t imagine this the one thing he was shy about.

  At least I got to keep the briefs – I wasn’t given anything to replace the shirt and pants he helped me out of. I tried to claim my usual spot near the wall but, when he got to the bedroom, he insisted he be on that side. I rolled over and laid on my stomach near the edge of the bed, and turned toward him. He didn’t like that, either, and pulled me close, holding my cheek to his chest.

  He smelled like his body wash. Like fresh dirt. And, like something else that I couldn’t put a name to – something sweet.

  “As much as I’m enjoying this…”

  I was startled awake. The vampire rubbed my back and I was snuggled up against him. Drool had collected at the corner corner of my mouth and in his chest hair which now stuck to my cheek. Oh no…

  “...I need you to let me up.”

  I groaned in disgust – at myself and at him, however we ended up this way – and rolled off of him.

  He laughed at my embarrassment. “Oh, don’t be upset, Michael. We’ll have plenty of time to cuddle again in the morning.”

  He quickly got ready and left, to my relief.

  While I was in the shower, I shaved for the first time in a few days. When I got out, I tested the front door – locked, of course – then took my meds. Jogging to and from the city last night made me realize how much endurance I was losing while confined to these four walls. I didn’t normally work out, I relied too much on having a job that kept me active, but I had to start.

  I needed to be able to run if I was somewhere and shit went south. Or, if I had an opportunity to escape that I could actually seize. I needed to be able to reliably support my own body weight. I needed to tolerate a ‘normal’ day with him without crashing at the end and being hard to wake up in the morning. ‘Use it or you’ll lose it,’ Paul would say.

  I grabbed something to eat, first.

  I heard the door knob turn and I dropped from the exposed beam I dangled from; he’d been gone for at least an hour and I used that time to determine what exercises I could do in this apartment.

  His expression suggested he was piecing together what I’d been doing. He approached me with the same enthusiasm you’d expect from a dog when their owner came home from work, inhaling deeply as soon as he was in my space. My captor walked me backwards to the couch and pushed me down so he could sit on my lap, his knees against my hips. He kissed me, holding me still when I tried to turn away. The vampire tasted like beer and, once again, someone’s blood.

  My concerns about what he could be exposing me to, or what may already be in my system, resurfaced. I didn’t want that in my mouth. “Stop,” I growled against his lips.

  He chuckled as he pulled away. “What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll give you cooties?” Like a playground bully, he dragged his tongue up my neck to my cheek.

  “Yeah, actually.” I spoke a little too quickly. I also didn’t want to be trapped under him on this couch.

  “I haven’t met a cootie that’s found me habitable.”

  Are we even talking about the same thing?

  “...And you’ve been particularly resistant to mine.”

  Yours? “What cootie do you have?”

  “The kind that lets me get inside someone’s brain and root around in there.” He held the sides of my head and looked into my eyes, inches away.

  We had an impromptu staring contest that he ended with another quick kiss from him. I knew better than to push back more than I already bad, that would just make things worse for me. Still, I wanted to shove him off of me and get as far away from him as possible.

  I wish this adrenaline rush was panic. My body started responding to him in small ways during and since the second time he bit me. I’m sure he noticed it – he noticed everything eventually – but I didn’t want to encourage or reward his unwanted advances. I wish you’d leave me the fuck alone.

  A harsh tug on my ear snapped me from my thoughts. “No biting.”

  There was a faint taste of blood in my mouth as he pulled back and fresh marks on his lips that healed almost as quickly as I noticed them. His weight slowly lifted off my thighs and he got to his feet. I was still angry but, more than anything, I was confused – I didn’t bite him. At least, I don’t remember..

  No… “You found a way to do it,” I speculated out loud. He got control of me, then told me to bite him and made me forget. He was looking right in my eyes before he kissed me. Fuck. My chest tightened as the gravity of how this would affect every moment of my life going forward set in. He could’ve made me believe anything had happened since then.

  “Do what?” He genuinely looked confused, but he’d proven himself to be a good actor.

  “Don’t treat this like one of your fucking games!” I growled.

  The anger started to overtake the panic again, the strong mix causing me to shake.

  He stood still and stared intensely at me for a moment. I’m about to regret speaking to him like that. I started to mentally prepare myself for the overkill.

  “Oh, shit…” he whispered. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He left the apartment. We were in the most desolate part of Cypremer, where could he go that would only take a few minutes? But, he actually seemed concerned, which wasn’t what I expected.

  I got to my feet; the same energy that I wanted to use earlier to run was limited to pacing around the main room and kitchen. I was angry. I was stressed. If you found a new way to fuck with me, I like it the least of all your mindgames.

  It felt like longer than a few minutes had passed when he re-entered the apartment, but time had become hard to estimate; I wasn’t even certain what day it was anymore.

  “I have someone coming to look at you.”

  Coming here? “Look?”

  “Like an exam. A doctor.”

  No. “I don’t need a d-”

  “Because I can’t make you forget them,” he spoke over me, “they only agreed to come if I keep your head covered the entire time. And I’m going to secure your arms so it stays that way.”

  “I don’t need a doctor.” I repeated, and he continued to ignore me. If the doctor knows about his ability, then they know… “So, they know what you are.” Silence. “They know that you’re keeping me here against my will.”

  He ducked into the bedroom. A few drawers opened and closed, then he returned with two shirts and a pair of handcuffs.

  “Are they like you?” Are they also a vampire?

  “I can’t, and won’t, tell you anything about them.”

  I didn’t want my captor’s hands on me. “But they know things about me.” And I definitely didn’t want a doctor he trusted to look at me. Especially while I was restrained.

  “Only what they need to.”

  He pulled a stool over from the kitchen island to the center of the room and gestured for me to sit; I didn’t want to, and I didn’t want to meet his doctor, but I knew I’d end up on that stool whether I put myself there or he did.

  “I’m gonna cuff your arms now, but I’ll wait ‘til they’re on their way up to cover your head.” They were slapped on efficiently, as though he used these often.

  He unlocked the door and sat across from me on the arm of one of the chairs while we waited. I studied his face, his expressions. Why do I need a doctor? What happened when I bit him that this is so urgent? If this was an act, he was putting on a good show.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket. “They’re on the way up,” he said, and grabbed the shirts he brought out.

  He tied one over my eyes like a blindfold. The other was used as a hood. Footsteps came up the stairs, then down the hallway. The door opened and the vampire greeted them – them, more than one person.

  “You said a doctor.”

  It was quiet for a moment, I could hear the sound of mouth movements and gestures, but I couldn’t make out what was actually being said.

  “I know I did,” my captor said after a moment. “I wasn’t expecting a second person to be here, either.” He put his hand on my shoulder and stepped behind me. “They’re about to start the exam and will need to touch you.”

  Am I not allowed to hear them either? “They won’t talk to me themselves?”

  “No. I’ll ask you what they need to know.”

  Interesting. “Is it because they’re afraid I’ll recognize their voices if I cross paths with them later? Or because they’re afraid I’ll recognize their voices if they speak tonight?”

  No response.

  The makeshift hood was raised so they could look at my face. The vampire leaned over me and one of the doctors mouthed to him quietly. A finger raised my upper lip and pressed on my gums, then repeated the process on the lower ones. They lowered the hood and pressed their fingertips along the sides of my neck, lingering over the area I’d been bitten. That hand lifted and a smaller, gloved hand took its place. A man and a woman?

  “They want you to let them know if you feel any pain or discomfort as they’re performing the next part of this exam.”

  If this was how exams normally went, I’d never get another. Strange hands applied pressure along my entire spine. My shirt was lifted several times for them to touch my chest and abdomen, and it was clear they were discussing me among themselves. Hands felt down my legs and feet, and each of my toes and fingertips were squeezed. Larger Hands would usually touch me first, then Smaller Hands would come back over many of the same areas. Someone, probably Larger Hands, since my captor would just speak, mouthed words and gestured.

  He is using me to teach her. “You brought a student.” I accused Larger Hands, knowing I wouldn’t get an answer.

  “They want to know if you were or have been sexually active before coming here.”

  What does he mean ‘before?’ “You want to know that.”

  They communicated quietly between themselves for a moment.

  “Even so, it’s medically relevant.”

  “How is that relevant to whatever this is?”

  He squeezed my shoulder briefly, applying the same pressure he used when I was doing something he didn’t like. “Have you… never… seen a doctor?”

  If I needed something I took care of it myself or I saw Beth. This was never a question she’d ask or I’d answer.

  “They are your doctor and this question is routine when doctors take medical history.”

  “...I wasn’t.” Fuck you for putting me in this position. “It’s not something I’m interested in.” Not then, and not with you.

  Another moment of silence, followed by: “They need some of your blood.”

  What will they do with it? “No.”

  He walked around me and stood between my legs. One of his hands was placed on my thigh and he used his leg to pin mine against the stool. His other arm wrapped around my back and pulled me close. He was restraining me.

  “They will take some of your blood.”

  “They can’t have it,” I argued.

  I knew it’d do me no good but I was going to continue to let him know I didn’t want any part of this.

  “They’re gonna draw it from your foot because that’s where they can easily get to right now.”

  Larger Hands held my other leg still while Smaller Hands felt around my foot. A needle – which was at least smaller than the ones the vampire used on me the night he brought me back here – was pushed under my skin and held in place. There were some movements and sounds that I couldn’t place, but the needle was removed after about a minute.

  “I’ll meet you downstairs,” he said to them just before the front door opened. Once shut, he removed the hood and blindfold together. “You okay?” He undid my cuffs while he waited for an answer, but it was my turn to ignore him. “I’ll be right back.”

  Don’t hurry. He locked the door behind him. I looked down at my foot; some blood was smeared on the skin but beyond remembering where I felt the needle, I couldn’t actually tell where I’d been stuck.

  He wasn’t right back; I was left alone with my thoughts for several hours. His lip was bleeding when he pulled away from me. But, did I actually bite him, or did he bite himself and tell me I did it? He called this doctor and they showed up almost immediately, like this was pre-planned. This could be his way of fulfilling a condition of keeping me here without confirming that I’m a hostage. Or did he set this whole thing up to make me feel indebted for taking care of me?

  Even if the doctors usually worked nights or were still awake, who was able to drop what they’re doing and show up that fast? This was someone that knew he had me and didn’t want me to be able to identify them by appearance or voice. They’re worried I could. Had I already met them through work, or were they someone I was likely to run into if I escaped again?

  And now they have samples of my blood. I’ve bled enough in this apartment that they could have gotten it at any time if they were just testing DNA. This was more invasive, purposeful. What are they hoping to learn from my blood, or how are they planning to use it?

  I moved to the couch shortly before he returned. My feet were on the cushion and I sat in the corner where I could face the door.

  He walked straight back to the bedroom with a small plastic bag and his hands were empty when he returned. He lifted and repositioned my legs so he could sit next to me with them stretched across his lap, and rubbed them absentmindedly while we sat in silence for a spell.

  “I’m great at retaining information but I can’t remember what my parents looked like.”

  Why is he talking about this?

  “I don’t remember what their voices sounded like, or anything they taught me. And, they didn’t die when I was young, like yours did. My father lived for fifty-something years, my mother a little longer. But, so much time has passed that I can’t retrieve those memories anymore.”

  I’ve never thought about how old he is. He looks thirty-five? Forty? “How much time is that?”

  His hands stopped over my knees and he thought for a moment. “Even though I was in their lives ‘til they died, you spent more of your lifetime with your parents than I did mine.”

  That’s centuries. “So, you’re old.”

  I glanced up at him and he briefly chuckled as he nodded. He isn’t what I would expect from someone who suggested they were several hundred years old.

  “I’m old.”

  “I wouldn’t have known.”

  “Well, I don’t age.”

  “Not that.” Maybe a little that, but I’ve spent enough time with him to be beyond first impressions. “You sound like someone from now. Someone who grew up in the same timeframe I did.”

  “What should I sound like, instead?”

  …Good question.

  “I could waste my time holding onto the past but I’d rather focus on what’s currently in front of me.” He grabbed my legs and pulled me until my upper back was over his lap. “You’d know a lot about adapting to your current circumstances.”

  Fuck you.

  He pulled what looked like a pen from his pocket; when he clicked it, a small bulb lit up at the tip. “Don’t take your eyes off of the light.”

  He had me follow it in various directions. My eyes hurt after a minute of this and I met his eyes over the light. “What are you doing?”

  The pen clicked off. “Hm, seems normal.” He almost sounded disappointed.

  What were you looking for? “Did you want something to be wrong?”

  “They couldn’t do this part of your exam.”

  That didn’t answer my question. I sighed and sat up only to be pushed back down over his thighs.

  “Of course not. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you…” His palm rubbed the stubble on my face and he cupped it as though he were about to kiss me, his lips landing on my forehead instead. He gave my cheek a firm pat before he pulled his hand away. “...that I didn’t intend to do.”

  Stop toying with me. “What can you tell me?”

  He liked knowing he had information that I wanted, and would want me to pay for it. He was quiet, in his thoughts, as though deciding what detail he might be willing to part with for free.

  “Earlier wasn’t the first time you bit me.”

  I already knew that. “I bit your tongue on purpose.”

  “You also bit me after we went to bed.”

  In my sleep? I still wasn’t convinced that I bit him earlier tonight. If I’ve started biting him, it’s from something he’s done to me. “Is what you are…” Is ‘contagious’ appropriate? I tried again. “Did biting me cause this?”

  “If I bit you every day for the next fifty years, nothing would happen. It doesn’t work like that.”

  Hopefully I die long before then.

  “Nothing I’ve done to you should cause this.”

  Should? What about when I bit him? “Some of your blood-”

  “That wouldn’t do it, either. But, we’re gonna figure it out. Maybe we’ll learn a few other things in the process.”

  Like what? Why is this so important to him? If he were Paul but the circumstances were otherwise the same, what would Paul want with a large sample of my blood?

  “Let’s go for a run, we need to wear you out a little.”

  The Vampire

  I undressed Michael in the living room then sent him to bed. I was following him but I made a last-second detour – I hadn’t had to piss this urgently since the night I got drunk. I ate more than was needed earlier and my body was eager to get rid of what it couldn’t immediately use.

  He laid near the wall. Normally I’d just get in and face his way but I needed to see the door and I wanted my arms around him. “Scoot.” I gestured to the other side of the bed. He deliberately chose a position to make it harder for me to hold him. Tough shit, Michael. Once I was next to him, I pulled him in tight.

  I closed my eyes and slowly tuned out what was directly around me: Michael’s breath on my chest, his smell, his heart beating slower as he started to fall asleep. I listened to the sounds that immediately surrounded the building, noticing then filtering out wind-related noise. I went as far as I could. No engines, no radios, no footsteps in the neighborhood.

  He was already asleep by the time I reeled my focus back into the room. He usually faced away from me when he slept so I never got to see this side of him. He wasn’t recovering from something I did to him, tensely studying my every movement, or giving me that look that said he’d stab me again if it would benefit him. What was your life like before me? Did you sleep this soundly in your own bed?

  I bit my thumb and slid it across his lips. He opened his mouth for me like he did the previous nights and I pushed it in. I rubbed the hair on his cheek with my fingers while he sucked blood from the bite and pulled back out after I felt my wound close.

  What had become of my life before him that I’m so obsessed with you? I message my contact frequently to vet new hires or track down problematic patrons. But for someone that simply made it to their car before I could bite them? This was a first. It wasn’t the dress – I’ve met countless cross-dressers and I’ve encountered people in every stage of transition who weren’t any more significant than the person before them.

  I offered him a little more and relished in his hunger for me. You seem so simple and average at first blush but that’s what allows you to go unnoticed, isn’t it? Yet something in my subconscious drew me to you that first night, and kept me on you even when there were easier options on the street. I could’ve let you go when you got away from me in town, or not pursued you when you escaped. But, I was attached to you from the start. You’ve been mine from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I’d still be searching for you if The Doctor hadn’t found you at that diner.

  I tilted his head up and ran my tongue over his lips; he opened his mouth like he did for my fingers. I wanted to see how far I could take this but The Sun was starting to rise and I could feel its pull. I carefully lowered his head back to my chest.

  I must’ve been holding him too tightly; Michael wriggled in my arms as though trying to create more space for himself. When he settled, his breaths hit my neck instead of my chest. I tensed; I never let anyone this close to my neck – it felt nice but was a vulnerability.

  I gave his forehead a kiss and repositioned him. I was starting to fall back to sleep when he bit my chest with no warning; not as hard as I’ve bitten him but enough to draw blood. I growled but gripped my own thigh while I fought the instinct to rip him off of me – he was still asleep. He let go and licked the blood from my skin until I healed. It took minutes instead of seconds for me to heal this nearly superficial wound during the daytime. My cock throbbed between us and I shifted us so I could take care of it. I needed him in so many ways, and at least some part of him craved me.

  He bit me again as soon as I stopped bleeding. I should’ve woken him up but I was enjoying myself. Fuck, this could become so dangerous for both of us. If he took too much of my blood I’d need to replenish it and he was the only option here.

  I finished in my hand. Someone would have to break in for me to bother getting out of this bed at such a time. I covered my chest with my other hand before he could try again and studied his hungry mouth. I smeared my cum on his lips like I would my blood and he licked it off as he’s been trained to do. Good boy… I held my hand up to his mouth for him to clean the rest. He didn’t bite me again for the rest of the day.

  The Sun set but I was finding it difficult to wake up. I ended up fully on my back with Michael curled up against my side. He draped an arm over my body and rested his head on my shoulder. He looked just as calm as he did early this morning.

  I petted him slowly. I started at his neck and shoulders and worked my way down his back. Michael stirred and stretched and I paused with my hand slightly above him while I waited to see what he’d do. He moved closer and tucked a leg between mine. His head moved to my chest and I resumed the petting.

  I almost fell asleep again. I needed to eat, and that meant I had to get up. “As much as I’m enjoying this, I need you to let me up.”

  He jumped slightly, as though he’d started waking up on his own and I pushed him the rest of the way there. He took in just how close we were and vocalized his disappointment while he moved off of me.

  “Oh, don’t be upset, Michael.” I’m not. “We’ll have plenty of time to cuddle again in the morning,” I teased, and laughed the entire way to the bathroom.

  I was out the door ten minutes later. Once again, our neighborhood was quiet. Maybe P was giving me time to let my guard down before trying again. I should’ve stuck around to meet him at Meadowbrook.

  It seemed like a good night to check in with Robbie. He wasn’t at Jonestown, but at a different location just off the interstate and outside of the business district of Cypremer. Instead of tourists, this place lived up to its name and mostly attracted people ‘just passing through,’ – truckers, travelers, or families needing a place to eat and stop for the night without shelling out the hotel fees.

  Robbie didn’t have to come out here much and I stopped by even less. The employees were a little older, or at least more mature, and there was less staff turnover here than you’d see at any location in town. The person that directly managed this specific location did their job well, and was paid well in turn.

  I bussed an empty booth on my way back to the kitchen. The entire building was set up in a funky way but served its purpose well; the kitchen was in the center of the square building but best accessible from the dining side. I helped one of the cooks clean surfaces while Robbie and I chatted – we didn’t have anything sensitive to discuss and I liked to keep my hands busy.

  Robbie eventually headed back to the office to review invoices and I did a walk-through of the building. Regardless of how busy the restaurant and bar side of the building was – tonight it was fairly empty – the side facing the gas pumps with the convenience store, bathrooms, and showers was always at least steady with activity. The building was as clean as I could expect half-way through a shift.

  I made my way back to the other side and popped behind the bar to fill a glass with the cheapest beer we had on tap. I took a sip and thought about this morning. Why would he bite me? And in his sleep?

  I don’t make a habit of giving my blood to people, but I’ve encountered other vampires over the years who interacted differently with humans. Other than the way my blood sped up his healing, Michael didn’t react to my blood the way those humans did. I started giving him my blood because it could create a temporary bond between us. And such a bond could be useful – at least for me – for something long-term like this as it doesn’t require the energy that my preferred, and less risky, method does. If a blood bond were possible between us, we were now quite beyond what should have been necessary for him to have in his system.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Our blood also has an ecstacy-like effect on humans. He was just as unexpressive and emotionally unavailable as he was the day we met. If anything, he seemed extra paranoid lately, but his theories weren’t out there considering the nature of our time together and his work. Those with vampire blood regularly in their system would go through withdrawal if they went without and his appetite and paranoia could be a symptom of that. But, he doesn’t know I’ve been giving him my blood, or that’s what he’s craving. Unless… did he figure it out? Or is it instinct? New vampires didn’t have to be told they need blood, they find and feed from a person to satisfy their hunger. Michael isn’t a vampire, so what else would trigger that feeding instinct?

  I wandered back to the office to see if Robbie needed anything else from me before I left, and placed the empty glass in the bar’s dishwasher on my way out. I almost ran into a man who was pissing in the bushes just outside the exit; his condition suggested he’d been homeless for a while. I texted Robbie after I got situated on my bike:

  『20:03: A man is at the east entrance.

  Maybe we can get him cleaned up and find a job for him?

  If he’s not going to work out, let me know. 』

  I was efficiently opportunistic on the way home – I was made aware of a squatter in one of my abandoned houses and solved two problems at once.

  Something loud hit the ground as I unlocked the apartment door. Michael, drenched in sweat, stood in the middle of the living room. I glanced around the room while I listened to his breaths and heart. He wasn’t having a panic attack this time, he’d been working out. Using what? The beam? He wasn’t doing jumping jacks or skipping rope. I breathed in his scent as I approached him. I’ll find out why you felt the need to start working out later. Right now, I wanted him as he was.

  I guided him backwards to the couch and pushed him down on the cushion. I knelt over him to trap him under me and forcibly kissed his lips. He made his usual initial attempts to get me to disengage but I wasn’t having it this time. His heart rate was starting to rise, like he knew I was ready to consume him.

  “Stop.” His attempt at being direct might’ve worked on someone else, but I found it entertaining; it made me want to provoke him more.

  But, I did as he requested, and instead licked the sweat from his skin. “What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll give you cooties?”

  “Yeah, actually.” That wasn’t the answer I expected.

  “I haven’t met a cootie that’s found me habitable, and you’ve been particularly resistant to mine.”

  “What cootie do you have?” Cute.

  “The kind that lets me get inside someone’s brain and root around in there.” Among other things. No matter how many times I looked into your eyes, or how much of my blood I gave you, I still haven’t been able to get control.

  I broke our eye contact with another kiss. He didn’t react this time so I leaned in for another and pressed my body tighter to his. I wanted to rip his clothes off and mark his entire body with my teeth. I’ll give you so many wounds I can revisit with my mouth and fingers while I fucked you. Will I finally make you beg? Or will you acce- fuck!

  Michael bit my bottom lip hard. I grabbed his ear and yanked his head back, snarling at him once my lip was free. “No biting.”

  I got up so I didn’t hurt him. So I don’t show you a real bite. Hold you down by your neck, sink my teeth into your inner thigh. The look on his face snapped me out of my thoughts – I couldn’t decipher it. Are you confused? Surprised at yourself? Angry because you feel like I rejected you?

  His heart was racing and he reached for his chest. “You found a way to do it.”

  “Do what?” Make you want me? He was starting to shake and I could smell a hint of adrenaline. Are you afraid I’m gonna punish you for biting me?

  “Don’t treat this like one of your fucking games!”

  What’s happening right now? You bit me. Other than needing a little correction, so what? It’s not like the first time when you were trying to sever the tip of my tongue. Or this morning when you were asleep and didn’t… know...

  “Oh, shit…” You actually don’t know you bit me, that’s why you’re upset. It’s happening while you’re awake now, too. I made sure I still had my phone on me and headed for the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I called The Doctor as I headed down to the second floor and he picked up after a few rings. “I’m ready to give you that blood sample,” I began.

  「“What happened?”」

  I filled him in about my concerns. He already knew I was giving Michael some of my blood each day, but I gave him a better idea of how much. I described his hunger when he went without, and that he’d started biting subconsciously. This was abnormal from my own experience and I explained why. He did work for other vampires and was in contact with other doctors in a similar line of ‘after hours’ work – he also hadn’t encountered this.

  「“I am coming to you but there can be no mistakes. Do not let him see me. I will not risk speaking to him, either.”」

  “See you soon.”

  Michael was circling the kitchen and living room when I returned to the apartment. “I have someone coming to look at you.”

  “Look?”

  Yes, appraise you, like a painting. I bit back my first response. “Like an exam. A doctor.”

  “I don’t need a d-”

  “Because I can’t make you forget them, they only agreed to come if I keep your head covered the entire time. And I’m going to secure your arms so it stays that way.”

  He was angry and I didn’t blame him. “I don’t need a doctor.”

  You don’t know what you need, or what I’ve done.

  “So, they know what you are. They know that you’re keeping me here against my will.”

  If you know that, at least you won’t beg them for help. I popped into the bedroom; I’d use handcuffs to secure his arms but I needed something to prevent him from seeing, something that he couldn’t easily remove. I grabbed a dark shirt made of thicker material, and then a second shirt for good measure and returned to the living room.

  “Are they like you?” he asked, as soon as I was back in his view.

  “I can’t, and won’t, tell you anything about them.” Don’t try to pit me against The Doctor. Either outcome ends badly for you.

  “But they know things about me.”

  Yes, that’s how doctors work. “Only what they need to.” A stool would give The Doctor the most access while he did his exam. I pulled it away from the counter and patted the seat.

  He sat immediately, but in that angry compliance sort of way. I grabbed one of his wrists and gently pulled it behind his back. He brought the other arm behind him without me asking, as if he’d done this before. “I’m gonna cuff your arms now, but I’ll wait ‘til they’re on their way up to cover your head.”

  I unlocked the door then texted The Doctor:

  『23:39 Let me know when you’re on your way up so I can blindfold him.

  Door’s unlocked.』

  I grabbed a seat across from Michael. Under that cool, mostly indifferent exterior, he was still angry. He could hide this from most people, but not from me. I heard a car pull up outside and my phone buzzed a minute or two later.

  『23:44 Just parked.』

  I picked up the shirts I’d sat on the counter. I wrapped the thicker one over his eyes and tied it tight at the back of his head. The other I placed over his head and shoulders and let the top half cover his entire face. It probably wasn’t necessary, but If he tried to get either off I’d hopefully have enough time to prevent him from getting a good look at our guest. Guests. The footsteps that accompanied The Doctor belonged to the woman whose interview I sat in on.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said as the door opened.

  “You said a doctor.”

  I know you’re still angry but please don’t make this difficult for them.

  The woman seemed a bit concerned, like she wasn’t quite sure what she’d walked in on. Equally, I wasn’t sure why she was here. The Doctor mouthed, ‘can we get started?’ at me while his partner threw on gloves. I nodded.

  “I know I did, I wasn’t expecting a second person to be here, either.” I moved behind Michael as I answered him. Now standing across from The Doctor, I shot him a look that let him know how I felt about the surprise. “They’re about to start the exam and will need to touch you.”

  “They won’t talk to me themselves?”

  Is this how people feel when their dog growls at the vet? “No. I’ll ask you what they need to know.”

  “Is it because they’re afraid I’ll recognize their voices if I cross paths with them later?” The Doctor looked at me and silently tried to determine what Michael did or didn’t know, but he wasn’t nervous. “Or because they’re afraid I’ll recognize their voices if they speak tonight?”

  After a moment, The Doctor waved dismissively and gestured for me to lift up the hood. ‘I am just going to look in his mouth.’

  What are you looking for, fangs?

  He must not have found anything noteworthy because he gestured for me to lower it again without comment. The Doctor’s hands moved down Michael’s neck. This is the first time I’ve let anyone touch him since he woke up and I don’t like it. He paused and glanced up at me when he reached where I’d bitten. The first bite had completely healed but the second was still faintly there.

  The Doctor turned to his new partner. ‘It will be common to find bites on their humans that are in various stages of healing, so get used to feeling this.’

  Their humans.

  Her hand replaced his and she palpated the area. ‘How long ago was this bite?’

  Michael isn’t a teaching tool. I was liking this less by the moment but I didn’t want to strain the relationship I had with The Doctor. I held up a finger and mouthed ‘week,’ back to her.

  The Doctor got my attention again. ‘Any issues with his back since he woke up?’

  I shook my head.

  ‘I want to take a look and make sure he is not hiding an injury from you.’

  I think I’d have noticed by now. “They want you to let them know if you feel any pain or discomfort as they’re performing the next part of this exam.”

  I watched, possessively, as the Doctor performed the same exam he had the second night Michael was here, after I’d noticed the bruises down his back. Michael didn’t react this time and I didn’t expect him to.

  ‘There were previously bruises along his spine – right in this area was especially painful. Nothing abnormal today.’ This was for her benefit, not mine. He walked her through the rest of the exam this way and I tuned in slightly while I kept my eyes on Michael; I’d ask for clearer details once we were out earshot.

  “You brought a student,” Michael said, angrily. Her heart rate increased each time he made statements like this.

  Michael, behave.

  The Doctor didn’t react. Instead, he tapped my arm to let me know he had another question. ‘Have you been sexually active with him?’

  Not yet. I shook my head, again.

  ‘Was he before?’

  “They want to know if you were or have been sexually active before coming here.”

  “You want to know that.”

  Of course I do. I want to meet the person you’d give that part of yourself to.

  ‘It potentially relates to what you have told me about his flat affect.’

  “Even so, it’s medically relevant.”

  “How is that relevant to whatever this is?”

  Now isn’t the time to argue with me. I gripped his shoulder. “Have you… never… seen a doctor? They are your doctor and this question is routine when doctors take medical history.” You had to pass some sort of physical to be allowed in the field and would have been asked questions like this.

  “...I wasn’t.”

  That’s not a surprise.

  “It’s not something I’m interested in,” he added, pointedly.

  Both doctors glanced up at me when he said that; I wasn’t sure what to do other than shrug. That doesn’t surprise me either.

  The partner retrieved a blood collection kit and several tubes from the bag then looked at me. “They need some of your blood,” I told him.

  “No.”

  I thought so. I moved closer and gently restrained him. “They will take some of your blood.” I prepared to adjust and hold him down if needed.

  “They can’t have it.” He was being argumentative but he wasn’t making an effort to fight me yet.

  “They’re gonna draw it from your foot because that’s where they can easily get to right now.”

  The Doctor held his leg to keep him still and prevent him from kicking his partner while she collected the sample. His blood started to fill the vial and I fought the strong urge to tell her to stop – his blood is mine. Michael didn’t get combative either, fortunately. She removed the needle when she was done and quickly packed the tubes away.

  ‘I cannot look at his eyes due to the circumstances, otherwise the exam is complete.’ He pointed the other doctor toward the door. ‘We will talk in the car.’

  “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  I waited until the door shut and I could hear them walking away before I removed the blindfolds and cuffs. Michael avoided looking in my direction as he massaged his wrists.

  “You okay?” I waited for a moment but I was getting the silent treatment. “I’ll be right back.”

  I caught up with them outside and got in the backseat of what must be her car.

  “He was already upset about one person and two showed up.” You may trust her, but I don’t know her beyond the interview.

  “I should have mentioned it.” This was as close to an apology as I could expect from him.

  “He’s got a smart mouth but he’s usually more well-behaved.” My turn to apologize.

  “It went better than I expected. I do not think he wished to cause discomfort, he was testing us.”

  Really?

  “He had no control over what was happening to him. He could have yelled or fought us at every part of the exam. Instead, he threw out an observation. He was letting us know what he figured out about us. Or, maybe he wanted us to confirm his assumptions by how we responded.”

  A bit like the first night I was following him in the city. He knew what I was and he called me out on it.

  “His foot was remarkably cold when I drew the sample,” she commented to him.

  “Yes, his hands too. I noticed when I checked his wrists.” He turned back to look at me. “How is his energy on a normal day? Does he run out of breath quickly when he is active? Does he sleep a lot? Is he hard to wake?”

  Oh, shit. “I haven’t put him through anything strenuous or extensive, he’s handled brief stretches of exercise as well as I’d expect. But…” I’ve just been assuming he was a heavy sleeper this whole time... “he’s quick to fall asleep, hard to accidentally rouse once he does, and can be difficult to get out of bed. He’s been sleeping later and later unless something makes him get up.”

  “He is quite light skinned but appears pale, like the first time I saw him. Overall, several symptoms suggest anemia. I expect the bloodwork to confirm it.”

  “What were you looking for on the wrists?” she asked.

  I went back to being just a listener for now. It was an interesting conversation, and some of their discussion might answer any questions I had also planned on asking.

  “Like the neck, the wrist is another common area for bites. Also a place where you may see signs of self harm.” Her eyes met mine briefly in the rear view as he answered her. “We were called there for a different reason tonight, but it is good to be thorough. Such as, if there are open wounds, how are they healing? Have they become infected?”

  Michael doesn’t self harm, at least. Unless they’d count the night he had the panic attack – I’m still sure he wanted me to kill him.

  The Doctor spoke to me directly again: “How long have you had him now?”

  “About a month.” Shit, this sounds so bad when I say it out loud. Why am I acting like this for someone I met a month ago?

  The Doctor scribbled down his notes or thoughts and didn’t acknowledge my answer.

  “A month?” She spoke low to The Doctor but her surprise was evident.

  “Do you remember when I reminded you on our way over about how well vampires can hear? It was during the same conversation where I said you would be taking him back without me.”

  It became silent in the car, just the sounds of the road, so I broke it: “Tell her why it’s relevant.” I wanted to hear what he had to say, too.

  “Sure.” There was a pause before he continued. “He has had the human for a month. He was not awake when I first examined him so I did not get a baseline then. I have spoken to the human once. Briefly.”

  They talked? The only time they’d have had a chance to talk would be the night he told me where to find him at that diner. His voice and speech mannerisms are very unique, locally, so his decision not to speak in front of Michael makes much more sense.

  “How much of what we met today is him, and how much of that is after a month of compounding trauma that comes with captivity? We do not know. It was mentioned that he has gone through periods of uncontrolled eating – is that solely related to possible withdrawal from vampire blood? Or, are the appetite fluctuations exacerbated by stress or anemia? Immediate factors affecting his physical health are: one, he has lost significant amounts of blood twice in a month’s time; two, he is being given vampire blood on a daily basis and in increasing amounts; and three, while the physical exam looked good today, people in captivity can quickly become malnourished and we may see signs of that in the bloodwork.”

  “Four,” I interrupted, “I haven’t been gentle with him, he’s just healed really well.”

  The woman glanced back at me again, silently. Was she absorbing this information or did she regret asking?

  “Three-point-five.” The Doctor countered. “His body is constantly in recovery or survival mode. That burns through a lot of resources and you may see quicker deterioration than you would with just a limited diet and the blood loss.”

  We reached the hospital and she pulled into the employee side of the hospital's parking garage.

  The Doctor continued, “And then you have the mental – not just his current day-to-day, but pre-existing events, traumas, and disorders that will all shape his experience.”

  We parked and he spent a moment visibly in thought. It was though he realized he was forgetting something and was going through a mental checklist. “Ah! We should get a sample of your blood, as well– a single lavender top will be fine.”

  I collected it myself, it would be faster. I got out of the car when he did so I could move into the front seat for the drive back.

  “If you have some time to spare, she has a lot to learn.”

  He knew what he was asking me and I did have a lot I could teach her.

  “What were you expecting when you responded to his offer?”

  I angled myself toward her in the seat and observed her closely as she drove. Her nervous taps on the steering wheel. Her swallowing every time she avoided touching her neck, afraid to draw attention to it. The sudden inability for her to get comfortable in her seat now that her buffer was gone. No touching, I had to remind myself. I wanted to play with her.

  She didn’t know what I was when I sat in on her interview. I was introduced to her as a colleague of his – in a small way I was. She was introduced to me as a recent graduate with unsympathetic student loans in an increasingly desperate economy. How she had time to work under him and do whatever else was required of her was beyond me.

  She stayed silent so I tried again. “Bullet and stab wounds? Don’t worry, you’ll get your fair share of those, too.”

  She let out a sigh as some of the tension started to break. “He got your call and it was, ‘vampires are real and you are about to meet one.’” Her imitation of his accent was awful.

  “You’ve met a vampire but you haven’t met a vampire,” I warned her. “He told you about our hearing, what else?”

  “The rest of your senses are also heightened. You’re strong, fast.”

  So, just the highlights. My eyes were drawn to a flashing light. “Pull into this parking lot to our right.”

  “Is that a sex shop?”

  “We’re also impulsive. Earlier, I wanted to kill you while you were drawing his blood. Fifteen seconds ago, I noticed this store was still open and wanted to pop in. I have some self control but you will meet many of us who’ve never bothered to learn any.”

  She chose a darker corner of the small lot and sank low in her seat, as if trying to stay out of the little light that illuminated the inside of the car.. “I’ll wait out here.”

  That’s not how this works. “You won’t, but nice try.”

  She was mortified. Is it the shop itself? The chance of being seen at the shop by someone you know? Being seen at a shop with a person that isn’t your partner, if you have one?

  “This place is nothing compared to what you’ll encounter. You haven’t been thrown in the deep end yet but you don't know where you’ll be called next. Get used to ‘uncomfortable.’” I stared at her until she unbuckled and got out of the car. “We’ll be fast.”

  It didn’t take me long to find what I had in mind – something that I could fasten over Michael’s mouth if he continued sleep-biting. A muzzle. We were in and out of the store in minutes.

  “That’s your solution?” she asked, once we were back in her car.

  “You’re now me: how should I solve it?”

  “I wouldn’t have kept-”

  “Except you did.” Tonight challenged her understanding of how the world worked. I knew where she was going and it wasn’t worth entertaining the rest of that argument.

  She pulled out of the lot and resumed the drive back to my apartment. I tried a different approach: “You followed him for two nights. You talked, joked around, flirted. On the second night, you finally got him alone. You bit him and brought him so close to death– your original goal. Yet, when the time came, you didn’t finish him off. You… couldn’t. You called a doctor who accepts odd under-the-table jobs like this and asked him to help you keep him alive.”

  “You paid for his recovery just so he could be your prisoner?”

  If you want to put it like that. “He’s your patient. But, first and foremost, I’m your customer. Or client, whichever term you prefer. I might kill him tomorrow and no longer need your services.” I let that concept sink in for a moment while I debated what I’d say next. “Or just as likely, the next time I call you, you might have a different patient. I hired you because I need a doctor’s expertise so that my needs continue to be met, not because I want you to advocate for him.”

  “So, you’re paying me to help you keep someone.”

  Correct.

  “Someone that I know is your living food source, who you’ve caused harm to, and who you might kill anyway if the moment feels right.”

  Right again. “That should go against the ethics instilled in you as a doctor. Hell, as a human. But if you want to do this work you’ll have to find a way to get over it.”

  She pulled up in front of the apartment complex and put the car in park.

  “And, don’t expect your next customer or patient to be like us,” I added.

  “How should I expect them to ‘be?’”

  I’m glad you asked. “Typically, if your client is a vampire, the patient is a human. The human, for whatever reason, may have been initially along for ‘the ride.’ At some point, it’s going to stop being that way. Normally, you’ll talk to those patients – they’ll hear and see you. When you’re ready to leave, you’ll ask your client to alter those events in the human’s mind. Depending on how well they’re able to master that ability, they can make them forget that ‘appointment’ with you entirely, or possibly make them believe that they were seen by someone else.”

  “And you don’t have that ability?”

  Why would that be your first assumption? I met her gaze and locked her in. ?Take off your shirt.? She lifted her scrub top over her head, a long sleeve shirt beneath it. ?Remove that top, too.? She was what some people would call ‘thick,’ but she carried these features well. ?Good. Now, unzip my pants and place your fingers just inside the fly. You want to touch me but you’re waiting for my permission? She followed my orders as I gave them. ?Mmm, very good. You don’t remember these instructions.?

  I broke the hold and responded as though she just finished asking her question: “You tell me.”

  She noticed her hand placement first and quickly pulled her arm back against her body; her arm made contact with her bare stomach and she realized she was down to her bra. “Oh, God!”

  “This ability doesn’t work on him,” I clarified for her as I zipped my fly closed. I got out of the car and leaned back in briefly before I sent her on her way. “Other vampires you meet won’t stop where I did. Don’t give them any reason to believe you’re weak-willed, but don’t be disrespectful.”

  My phone rang almost as soon as she started pulling away – The Doctor. “Yeah?”

  「“Do you want what I know, or do you want to wait until I have more?”」

  “What’cha got?”

  「“When a human consumes vampire blood, it gets absorbed into their blood stream through the mucus membranes along their GI tract and eliminated from their body after two or three days. Similar path as many medications.”」 I knew this to a less technical extent; the attractive side effects of vampire blood would wear off after several hours. 「“However, the vampire blood currently in his system appears to be coexisting with and working alongside his own blood cells, not being treated as foreign. Understanding what that means, and finding out what else is occurring in his body, will take more time. Certainly additional testing down the road. This probably is not a unique case, just understudied circumstances.”」

  “What do we do with that info tonight?“

  「“It is risky to continue giving him your blood until we know more about how it is affecting him. But, at this point it may be just as risky to stop.” 」

  I’m not gonna stop.

  「“You are left to decide, ‘is he worth it? Could someone else serve his purpose without the same challenges?’” 」

  I love a challenge. It’s what got my attention, what keeps me on the hook.

  「“If you keep him, add 1000 IU Vitamin D to his daily meds, it is on the low end of acceptable already. He is also, as the physical exam suggested, anemic. That can explain all or some of his hunger, his cold extremities, his pale color. If you decide not to keep him, I would like to have him – alive.” 」

  You? Have Michael?

  「“Whether he remains in your possession or mine, we should consider more testing and research.”」 I managed to hold back my first and second response.

  “Thanks, I’ll let you know.” I ended the call and pocketed the phone before I gave in to the urge to chuck it through the complex’s wall. He is mine. No one else will have him.

  I hurried up the stairs. As I reached the door, I realized I still held the bag with the muzzle in it. I didn’t want him to know about it unless and until he had to – I immediately hid it in the side table drawer.

  He was curled up in a corner of the couch and still not eager to engage with me. I sat close and pulled his legs over me. You are human. There is nothing different about your scent or blood that proves otherwise. Your feet are cold, as the doctors had discussed, but I feel your body’s warmth everywhere it contacts me – a warmth I don’t have. You have human feelings and opinions, even if they’re buried deep.

  As The Doctor suggested, what’s happening shouldn’t be new, just something that hasn’t been documented well, if at all. You could share this trait with others I’ve encountered who’ve been resistant to compulsion, or it could be a rarer combination of things. Maybe one or both of your parents also had this trait. If you already knew that, it could explain why you’re less afraid of me than you should be.

  I was impatient to know more, but not looking forward to the next conversation with The Doctor. It would take me more than just one day to put his offer to ‘have’ Michael behind me.

  “I’m great at retaining information but I can’t remember what my parents looked like. I don’t remember what their voices sounded like, or anything they taught me.” Maybe you do, and maybe you’ll tell me eventually. Tonight? “And, they didn’t die when I was young, like yours did.” Am I even making sense? “My father lived for fifty-something years, my mother a little longer.” I think I’m making it worse, it’s not really explaining anything. “But, so much time has passed that I can’t retrieve those memories anymore.”

  “How much time is that?” Fuck, that’s a good question.

  “Even though I was in their lives ‘til they died, you spent more of your lifetime with your parents than I did mine.” And that’s the more conservative estimate.

  “So, you’re old.” He didn’t say it in a judgemental way, just matter-of-fact.

  “I’m old.” I’m ancient.

  “I wouldn’t have known.”

  “Well, I don’t age.” Anymore, at least. I don’t remember how old I was when I died, either.

  “Not that.”

  Are you saying I look old?

  “You sound like someone from now. Someone who grew up in the same timeframe I did.”

  “What should I sound like, instead? I could waste my time holding onto the past but I’d rather focus…” I dragged him across my lap until his head rested on my thigh “...on what’s currently in front of me. You’d know a lot about adapting to your current circumstances.”

  The Doctor wasn’t able to look at his eyes while he was here; I ‘borrowed’ a penlight from their bag when I provided my blood sample. I wasn’t a professional but I figured taking a look wouldn’t hurt. “Don’t take your eyes off of the light.”

  “What are you doing?”

  I had no idea either, but making him follow it around was at least entertaining. I should at least pretend like I have my shit together. “Hm, seems normal.” If I had to guess.

  “Did you want something to be wrong?”

  I just want to know why. “They couldn’t do this part of your exam.”

  He wanted an answer too, it seems, as he tried to leave immediately. I wasn’t ready for him to go anywhere and I brought him back against me. “Of course not.” And if something is wrong, we’ll figure it out.

  He was annoyed and that only made me want to provoke him. Or kiss him. I grabbed him under the chin and leaned forward. But, will you bite me again? “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you that I didn’t intend to do.” You tolerate me, at least. I kissed his forehead instead of his lips.

  He returned my smirk with unamused glare. “What can you tell me?”

  I don’t want him to know everything I know, he’s less likely to fill in the gaps that way. “Earlier wasn’t the first time you bit me.” But if there’s any trust between us, I don’t want to lose the little that’s there.

  “I bit your tongue on purpose.”

  I know you did, my little brat, but… “You also bit me after we went to bed last night.” Confusion swirled in with his frustrated expression as he also tried to understand what this meant. Good luck, ‘cause I don’t.

  “Is what you are…”

  Is what I am what?

  “Did biting me cause this?”

  Oh, did I infect you with my vampire cooties? No, but I’ll keep trying. “If I bit you every day for the next fifty years, nothing would happen. It doesn’t work like that. Nothing I’ve done to you should cause this.”

  “Some of your blood-”

  “That wouldn’t do it, either.” Though it’s a reasonable suggestion with what you knows. “But, we’re gonna figure it out. Maybe we’ll learn a few other things in the process.” I didn’t know what else there would be to figure out, but he didn’t know that either.

  I’d become so much better at reading him and reveled in his subtle changes as he tried to determine how much trouble he could be in. You’re always in trouble. You’re my trouble. I wanted to show Michael just how mine he was; if he were to bite me as we slept through the coming day, I wasn’t sure I could control myself this time.

  “Let’s go for a run, we need to wear you out a little.”