Love and War

Zoe It was finally time for my vacation! I had been waiting for this day for months, ever since I put in my time. I loved work, but I needed some me time before the holidays started and work got crazy. I worked for a call center for a cell phone company, and once the weather turned cold, our call volume went up. Since it was late August, that would happen in a few weeks.

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Zoe Stone. I just turned 20, and I am a living vampire. I am still considered human because I haven’t gone through my transition. I’ll go through that at 21. That’s when I’ll need blood and to make sure my sunscreen is on. We don’t burst into flames or anything like that, but our skin will burn easier.

For the time being, I get to go about my business and act like a human. That is, as long as I don’t die before my 21st birthday. If that happens, then I become an undead vampire. My undead brethren aren’t bad; they just have a few allergies I would rather not deal with. Sun for them is a no-go, and so is silver. The tradeoff is they are stronger and faster, and they can also heal almost any wound. Until my time comes, I’ll just enjoy being a living vamp. 

On my way home I cranked up the tunes in my car and opened the windows. The stress of work fell off of me as the miles between me and the call center increased. My plan was to veg out and not do much besides sunbathe. My roommate still had to work, so I would have the house to myself most of the time, and I was cool with that. 

My roommate Gwen worked in an insurance office and was some high-up boss lady. Well, high up for her age anyway. She still had a long way to go before she started making the money she wanted to, but she was a quickly rising star in her field. We had been friends since before preschool. Our Moms were best friends. She was also a living vamp, but she had her transition last year. She's two years older than me. 

I pulled up to our picturesque house, which my parents let us stay in while they were off seeing the world. They had always been away, or so it seemed. Once I was old enough to have a nanny take care of me, they started going on trips. The minute I could be left alone, they fired the nanny and told me to get a roommate. I actually hadn’t even seen them since I turned eighteen. They called at least once a week, but other than that they weren’t involved in my life.

There was a time that it bothered me, but I got over it. I had my own life, plus an ironclad document that said this was my house to do with as I saw fit until I turned thirty-five. Why thirty-five, I had no clue, but they were the ones who had the papers drawn up. All we had to do was pay a little rent and all the bills. In the meantime, I was saving money so that when I turned thirty-five, I would be able to buy my own house. 

The house was a three-bedroom, two-bath safe haven. It was decorated with whatever we liked, so you know me, my bedroom was purple everything! Gwen’s room was more modern, with clean lines of white, black, and chrome. The shared spaces were cozy, with soft colors and matching furniture. It wasn’t anything special, but it was home, and no one bothered us, our nearest neighbor being about a mile away. 

When I got home, I walked in the door and proceeded to strip. Every girl sheds her bra faster than anything when she gets home—even before the shoes, the bra comes off—and I was no different. Walking through the house, I discarded my bra in the laundry hamper and my shoes on the rack. I was going to take a shower to get the call center smell off of me and then get ready for a night on the town. When Gwen came home, we would be going to Hangers.

Hangers was a club in town that was a hidden gem. The drinks were strong and the guys we HOT! Thankfully not many people knew about it, so it was never overcrowded. I wanted to get my drink on and flirt outrageously without having to worry about being slipped some date rape drug, or worse.

The shower was steaming hot and felt good for about two seconds. Then my skin seemed to flame up and I had to turn the temperature down. When the water had turned ice cold and I was still hot, I knew something was wrong. 

My stomach cramped so hard I doubled over and clutched it. Stumbling out of the shower, my body seemed to move on its own. Looking up, I saw the kitchen and felt as though I was starving. No, starving wasn’t the right word. I was ravenous. I felt like I hadn’t eaten in years and needed to eat right then and there. 

Now I should tell you that I stand at 4’9”. I've learned how to work in a regular kitchen without the assistance of a stool. This time I seemed to float to the counter, where I grabbed the snacks I knew I had on the top shelf. Why the top, you ask? Well, if they are easily accessible, then I eat them too fast. 

This time, though, when I opened the cellophane on my favorite snack, the chocolate smell turned my stomach. I threw it to the ground and went for something else. I dripped bathwater over everything as I rummaged through the cabinet. There were no fucks to give as I was sure my stomach was now eating my backbone because I was so hungry.

That was how Gwen found me. She opened the door to the house, and since we have an open floor plan, she saw me in my naked glory on the counters. Food thrown all over the place. Only one bite taken out of some of it. She stopped dead in her tracks then shut the door quickly.

“Fuck!” Gwen said in shock.

After the surprise of her coming home wore off, I went back to searching. My mind tracked her as she walked closer, still looking at me. She slowly approached the fridge, which was right next to where I was, and I stopped my hunt. My eyes locked on her, and she held her hands up as if to say she was unarmed. Part of my mind wondered why she was acting so strange; the other part was assessing if she was a threat. 

“What you’re looking for isn’t in there. I have something in the fridge to hold off the first hunger until we can find a willing donor.” She said as she slowly opened the fridge.

When I continued to stare at her, she grabbed a bag and set it on the counter. Squatting down, I looked at the red liquid in the bag and my gums began to hurt. Just as I was reaching for the bag, a knock on the door stopped me. Gwen turned quickly to get it. When the door opened, I smelled something delicious. My stomach cramped harder and something exploded from my gums. 

“You need to leave now!” Gwen said then tried to push the door shut.

Before she could shut the door, I was there to stop it. I didn’t remember getting off the counter or moving across the living room, but I was there and threw the door open. My friends Greg and Alex were there. They both wore identical expressions of surprise, which then turned into male appreciation.

“Hey, Zoe, you know you’re naked, right?” Greg said as his eyes roamed over my body.

“Unless you want to feed her, you might want to step out into the sun,” Gwen said exasperated. 

“She’s transitioning?” Alex asked.

“Yea, I don’t know what happened. I came home to… Well, let’s just say I knew when I saw her.” Gwen said.

The words filtered into my brain and made sense, but all I could think about was the pulse in the side of Alex’s neck. It begged to be set free. My mouth watered, and I wanted nothing more than to taste what laid under the skin.

“Who’s her donor?” Greg asked.

“No one yet. We thought she had another year.” Gwen said.

“Shit, she died?” Alex asked, looking sad.

“That’s the only explanation I can come up with. I don’t know how though. All she can think about right now is blood. I need to get the bag in her and get her to a safe blood house. The bagged stuff won’t last long for a first-timer.” Gwen said, walking back into the kitchen and grabbing the bag.

“So that won’t actually help her?” Alex asked.

“No, it will bring her back into her right mind, but she will be in pain until I get a live donor.” 

“I’ll feed her.” He said, walking back into the shade of the porch.

“You don’t know what you’re signing up for. It will be sexual, and she won’t be able to control herself much. You will feel sick after. She can’t drain you, thankfully, but she can take enough that you might feel really bad for a while.” Gwen said, trying to tell him it was a bad idea.

“Well, she would do it for me if the roles were reversed. She’s in need, and I don’t want her to hurt if I can help it. Plus, you’ll be there to assist, won’t you?” He asked.

“Yes, but I don’t know how much I can control. I’ll do what I can, but I may not be able to do much. Undead vamps are a lot stronger than living,” Gwen warned.

“Need,” I croaked through a dry throat. My entire body longed for the sustenance that laid under Alex’s skin.

“I know, honey. Just hold on a bit longer.” Gwen said.

“Alex, you're crazy! You can’t let a vamp chomp on you, no matter who they are!” Greg said, trying to pull his friend away.

“It’s Zoe. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, alive or undead. She’s helped me when I needed it. You can leave if you don’t want to be around her, but I’m gonna help.” Alex said, looking pissed.

His anger was sent into the air and added a spice to his scent that had me ready to climb a wall if it meant I could taste it. Whimpering noises escaped my throat as the hunger hitched up a notch. I doubled over from the pain and was losing my battle with patience. I needed blood sooner rather than later.

“You see that! That’s gonna be sucking on you!” Greg spat like he hadn’t known me for ten years. The hunger held me so tightly that I didn’t feel anything, but I knew I would be hurt later.

Alex stepped into the house and shut Greg out. He had made up his mind. He looked at Gwen then asked, “How do we do this?”

Before she could answer, my control snapped and I wrapped my body around him. He stumbled from the impact but caught himself before we could be taken to the ground. My head reared back as nature took over. I struck his neck with no hesitation.

The moment the blood hit my tongue, I was in heaven. The coppery flavor and the warmth filled me up like nothing else would. I took a greedy pull of his blood and moaned. Alex’s hands held me tight to him, but when he knew I wasn’t going anywhere, his hands started to roam. He moaned at the feeling as I sucked his blood.

Vampires cause great pleasure in their donors. That was the tradeoff: you give your blood to a vamp, and they give you great pleasure. Sure, the vamp gets some of that too. It was why so many vamps wanted to feed on their preferred gender—sex was almost always a given. 

Just as my mind snapped to itself, I felt Alex’s hand struggle with his jeans. I took one more pull, and Alex fell to his knees. He shuddered under me as I licked the wound closed. Reality settled in and I searched for something to cover up with. Gwen handed me a blanket, and I scrambled off Alex’s lap. Then I looked at him.

He had his head thrown back and his body was lax from the pleasure. My entire body flamed for an entirely different reason. The dark wet spot that grew on his crotch as his body gave up trying to stay vertical was very visible. He twitched a few times then just laid there.

“Did I hurt him?” I asked.

“No, he is just riding the pleasure. Figures he would be a quick O,” Gwen whispered then giggled.

I gave her a look, and she held her hands up. 

“Alex?” I said.

“Hmm?” he said without moving.

“Are you ok?” I asked, making sure I was covered.

“Damn, if it’s like that, then I need a vamp girlfriend! I know you said… but shit that was…” he said then passed out.

“Uhh?” I said, walking over to him. I checked his pulse; it was steady and strong, so I relaxed. I had been afraid that I had killed him.

“I bet you he’s a two-pump chump and passes out after sex,” Gwen said then giggled.

“Guinevere! He just offered his vein to me. At least wait until he’s gone to make fun of him,” I said then tried not to smile.

“I can’t help it. Most guys don’t freaking orgasm from a feeding. They are horny as hell after if no sex is involved, but they don’t finish. Hell, you weren’t even grinding on him.” She said laughing loudly.

“Maybe he was a virgin. Did you think about that?” I said, looking at her, trying to look mad but failing as my smile broke through.

“That could explain it, but he’s said he’s had sex before,” Gwen said, walking to the kitchen to start cleaning up my mess.

“Maybe he lied. Don’t do that; it’s my mess, I’ll clean it up. I just need to get dressed,” I said, walking toward my room.

“No, honey, you need to shower. You have blood on your chest, and the pheromones from the feeding are crazy. If you don’t shower, we all might be having sex soon, and you don’t want that.” Gwen said.

I looked down and saw what she was talking about. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to ruin clothing. She was also right about not wanting to have sex. I had never had sex, and I wanted to be in some sort of committed relationship before I did. Transitioning early was going to make that hard.

The only reason why I didn’t take things further was the first hunger is always the worst. All I could think about was the blood running into my mouth. Yes, sex was there in the back of my mind, but I wanted the blood more. 

After my shower, I went back out to the living room. Thankfully Alex was gone. Gwen was on the phone with someone, so I went to clean up my mess. I could see Gwen had started cleaning but had gotten distracted. I was ok with that. I had made the mess; it was my job to clean it. 

As I picked up food and containers, I racked my brain to find out why I was transitioning so early. Every living vamp stayed completely human until their 21st birthday. As far as I knew, there had never been an early transition. 

My phone rang, and I looked to see my mom on the phone. I rolled my eyes knowing that I would have to talk to her. Maybe I could not tell her about the early transition. If I could get her to talk about where they were, maybe she wouldn’t ask too many questions of me.

“Hey, Mom!” I said, sounding bright.

“What the hell have you done?” Mom said. The tone was cold with anger.

“Uh?” I said, not knowing what she was talking about. Surely it couldn’t be about needing blood. I hadn’t told her yet, and it wasn’t my fault it came early.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Zoe Miranda Stone! Did you kill yourself? Take some risk you didn’t need to?” Mom asked.

I looked at Gwen, who was looking guilty. She had called my mom. 

“Of course not!” I said, shocked that she could think that.

“Then how in the hell are you a full-blooded vampire already?” Mom hissed.

“Full blooded? Mom, I just transitioned,” I said, confused.

Full blooded meant an undead vampire. It meant that they required a daily feeding of blood to sustain their life. They couldn’t eat anything; all they could do was drink. Blood being the main beverage. Wine or alcohol being the other options. Although vamps could survive on just blood, most vamps liked to have some other flavor mixed in. Since alcohol was so strong, they would actually taste it. 

“There is no way you could have transitioned. You’re only 20. You don’t get your fangs till 21,” she spat, believing that I was lying. “Plus, that girl said you had the eyes and strength to go with it.”

That was news to me. Of course, I couldn’t see my eyes, but I had felt stronger. “Her name is Gwen, Mom. You know that,” I said automatically. She never cared for her much after Gwen stood up for me one day when we were teens. I had been sick, and Mom had left me to meet someone for lunch. Dad was away doing god knows what, and Mom was supposed to stay with me since I was ill. Living vamps don’t get sick often, but when they do, it’s usually bad. I was the exception to that as well. I was a sick kid, catching everything from the common cold to pneumonia. 

Gwen had come over and nursed me back to health while my mom was out doing whatever she pleased. When Mom walked in with armloads of shopping bags and not a care in the world, Gwen snapped. Since then, Mom hadn’t said her name or spoken to her beyond what was necessary.

“You tell me right now what happened. I will not have you sully your father’s good name with your antics. I won’t have it, Zoe!” Mom said, and I could hear Dad in the background ranting.

Apparently, my possible death had been a kink in their plans. I knew then that they didn’t care about me, just what I could tell the world about them. If I was successful, then it was them who made me that way, but since, in their eyes, I had caused my own death, I was a problem. There was no worry in her voice; she was simply mad at me.

“I. Did. Not. Die!” I said slowly. Partly hoping saying the words slowly would give me time to calm down and partly so she would get the point.

“BULLSHIT!” my mom screamed into the phone.

“Look, I’ll call you later,” I said and then hung up, fuming.

“I am so sorry! I thought she would be able to help. I didn’t know that she would blame you for dying,” Gwen said, approaching me, afraid that I might be mad at her.

“I’m not dead,” I said exasperated.

“Then what happened? I walk in to your blood-red eyes and nakedness. By the way, we will get back to the naked on the counter thing later,” she said, before adding, “You’re too young for all of this. How did it happen?”

“Wouldn’t I know if I had died? I was about to take a shower when the Hunger took over. I don’t know what happened.” I pleaded with her, desperate for her to help me understand.

As I stood there, I could feel my body like I never had before. It felt stronger. I felt like I was…more. Everyone who had gone through their transition had said it was horrible but, afterward, they didn’t feel any different. I, on the other hand, had only gotten the Hunger, with none of the pain or suffering. I also felt different. 

“Maybe we should take you to get some tests run. They might be able to tell us what is going on.” Gwen offered.

My phone rang. I saw it was my mom again, so I sent it to voicemail. “We may have to move out soon. I have a good bit saved up, but we’ll have to be careful. I already moved my inheritance out of my parent’s bank, but I would rather not spend it all on a house.”

“When did you do that?” Gwen asked, surprised. 

“Last week when I got a notification that my parents had tried to withdraw from that account. I spoke to the bank manager and explained what I thought was happening. Plus, I showed him the paperwork my parents had signed saying they couldn’t touch any of the money in it because it wasn’t from them. He seemed to understand my problem and helped me set it up.”

“Nice! Why are they dipping into your money? Your Gramps left that to you before he died for the final time,” Gwen said.

“Yea, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Gramps knew Mom would try to steal the money he left me, so he made sure she couldn’t. He may have been her dad, but he saw her for the wretched woman she is. I am so done with them. I could hear Dad in the background cursing up a storm, saying something about what people would think,” I said, feeling sad.

Gwen hugged me then helped me clean. After that, we would take a trip to the vamp doc my family used. She would hopefully help me figure out what was happening. 

“Zoe Stone?” A voice said and I looked up.

The nurse was looking at me with a smile on her face. If she knew the reason, I was there she didn’t let on. I looked at her tag, her name was Kim. She was a human working for vampires. That was interesting. Most humans stayed away from the vampire owned businesses when it came to employment unless it was a mixed business. The possibility of becoming a meal at an all vamp establishment was too high so they steered clear.

Any business owned by a sup had to have name tags that specified what they were on them. That way if anything happened first responders would know what to do. Every sup needed something different in an emergency and it was hard to tell humans for vamp or were. 

I followed Kim back to a room and Gwen followed me. We sat down then began the other half of the wait. Thankfully, vampire Doctors didn’t stay really busy. Sure, they had regular appointments but as for walks-in, there wasn’t a big need for it. 

We had only been waiting for 5 minutes when Dr. Sonya Dell walked in. She smiled kindly at me then looked down at the tablet in her hand. “Miss Stone?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m Dr. Dell. It seems you are here because you think you transitioned early and want to see what’s going on. Does that about cover it?” Dr. Dell said then looked at me.

“Yes, although it wasn’t much of a transition. One minute I was normal then the next first Hunger hit.” I told her what happened, and she made notes as I talked. She asked questions here and there but let me tell the story.

“Right, well let’s see what we can find.” She said then set her tablet down on the counter.

She checked my vitals and everything else. She went back to her tablet and tapped a few keys then walked back to me. She inspected my gums, which caused my fangs to descend suddenly and she jumped a little. “Interesting.” She said as she poked them.

A nurse that was not Kim came in with a tackle box full of supplies. “We’re going to take some blood if that’s ok.” Dr. Dell said.

“Sure,” I said. What else could I say no? I wanted to know what was going on. 

The nurse put the tourniquet on and looked for a vein. When she found what she was looking for she grabbed the needle and struck. The needle broke against my skin but didn’t pierce it. Nurse Kim looked at the doctor then got another needle. When she again tried to pierce my skin with it, it broke.

“Cheap needles?” Gwen asked not sure what was going on. I looked at her and tried not to smile. 

“No, this is strange,” Kim said as she pushed with her finger on my arm. The skin gave like it should but the minute she put a needle to my arm the skin hardened, breaking the needle for the third time. 

“Try the silver needles.” Dr. Dell said.

“Won’t that make her sick?” Gwen asked and I was suddenly afraid.

“No, there is only a slight concentration in the needle, but it allows us to pierce the skin of vampires.”

I watch Kim pull out a different needle. This one was bigger, and I knew I was going to feel every bit of it. She pressed it against my skin, and it gave way. My breath hissed out as the pain was immediate. The blood flowed freely into the tube.

When she got what she needed she pulled the needle out and placed a cotton ball on the hole. She lifted it to look then her face looked surprised. She lifted the ball up and there was only a spec of blood on it. My arm was completely unmarred by the needle. 

We all looked at my arm like it sprouted a head. I ran my hand over the spot, and it was perfect. Kim packed up the supplies and the blood and headed out the door without a word. Dr. Dell followed her telling me she would be back when the results were in.

“What the hell?” I said when Gwen and I were alone.

“Dude, I have no idea!” Gwen said.

We sat there for about 10 minutes discussing what could be going on. I had had a normal BP and the doctor hasn’t said anything about my heart not beating but the super healing and stone-like skin was something the undead vamps had not living vamps. 

Dr. Dell came in looking frazzled. She shut the door behind her quietly then looked at me. “You need to grab your stuff and follow me now. Don’t ask questions. You have about 20 minutes before they figure it out and about an hour in total to get to safety.”

“What?” I asked as I scooted off the table and grabbed my purse.

“Take this. Go straight home, pack a bag then withdraw as much money out of the bank you can. Meet here after and wait for me to get there. Your life is in danger. I can’t say more. We don’t have enough time. Just do as I say.” Dr. Dell said, pushing me and Gwen out the back. 

She closed the door behind us, and Gwen and I stood there for a minute. Then I felt the urgency take over. We got to Gwen’s car and went home. On the way I looked at the paper the doc had given me.

“There is no easy way to say this, but you are different than every other vampire. You are a warrior, and they are being hunted. Some will want to kill you before you can train and become unkillable. Some will want to take you for their purposes. Life as you know is over. You are being thrown into a war that not many know about yet. Get your things and as much cash as you can and meet at 84276 West Lake St. When you get there, the code is 646551097. Once you shut the door, the house will lock down until one of our intake agents gets there. Do not take your electronics into this building. They will be damaged beyond repair. Say goodbye to those closest to you, they will not be able to follow. You will see them again one day but for now, you need to be a ghost. I am sorry but this is the only way. More information will be provided to you when you are safe.”

“The hell if I let you run away without me!” Gwen said as I read the letter out loud. 

“You can’t just leave your life. You have Vic and your parents. I don’t know what’s going on but as soon as I can I’ll contact you. I’ll be ok.” I said. For some reason, I just knew that everything that was on the paper was the truth. I could feel it in my bones.

I knew that I was in danger and if Gwen followed me, she would be too. There was nothing I could do until I had more information. The only way that was going to happen was to go to the address listed on the paper. 

When we got home Gwen and I packed the biggest bag we had with clothes and essentials. She handed me a credit card and some cash. “No!” I said knowing what she was giving me.

“It’s not in my name and won’t be tied to you or me. You can get $300 out a day. Use it if you run out of cash. If you don’t use it then give it back when we meet again.” She said, choking out the last words.

I looked at my watch and noticed 30 minutes had already passed. I need to go to the bank, and I didn’t know how long that would take. I raced out to my car and headed there. The nerves were threatening to overwhelm me.

Thankfully, 20 minutes later I was walking out of the bank with a lot of cash. The bank knew who I was, and I told them I was going to buy a new car. When I said the dealers will negotiate better when you have cash in hand the manager understood. I still had a good chunk in the bank, but I didn’t want to push it. 

The drive to the address was uneventful but I jumped at every shadow. My mind raced with questions and around the word ‘warrior.’ There had never been any talk of warriors or war. I knew about the small stuff, like humans wanting all sups to die and vice versa, but I never thought it was a war. 

The house was like every other house on the block. If you saw it, you would never think secret hideout. Maybe that was the point. No one would think twice about a house that was forgettable. 

I keyed in the code and the garage opened up. I pulled in and as soon as I was in the door shut with a resounding click. I could tell that whatever just happened I wouldn’t be leaving until someone let me out.

That was the first time that I thought maybe I was being set up. I’d seen Dr. Dell only a few times and she seemed ok, but I didn’t know her at all. Maybe she was part of one of the groups who wanted to train me to be on their side. Hell, I didn’t even know what the sides were. 

There wasn’t anything I could do about it then. So, I went inside and sat down at the dining room table. The house was sparsely decorated. It had just enough to say yes someone lived here on the surface, but if you looked further it was empty. 

My stomach growled and I knew I had forgotten to eat real food. The blood had sated one hunger but not the other. I searched for food and was pleasantly surprised to find the kitchen stocked with food. 

After I made a plate I reached for my phone and it wasn’t there. I left it with Gwen, and I missed it already. The need to reach out to Gwen to see if she was ok was unbearable. She had been the only person in my life to really care about me and now she wasn’t allowed to know anything about me. 

Once the food had been consumed, I went into the living room and turned the TV on. The news was on and I was surprised that it was all so normal. No war talk or manhunt for me. I felt like the world was watching me, but the news told me I was being ridiculous.

The sunset and no one had come to me. I was afraid that I had walked into a prison. I had told Gwen the address, but I doubt she would remember it. Hell, she wouldn’t even try since she knew I was supposed to be on the run. 

My thoughts went to my parents. I had told them I would call them back, but they knew it was unlikely to happen, especially given the way the conversation had ended. My heart hurt to think about my parents. I don’t even know why they bothered to have me if all they wanted to do was travel the world. 

My Dad retired rich when he was young. He made millions on an internet company before selling it and calling his work career done. Mom came from money so there was never anything to worry about for either of them. When I came along, they stayed put for a few years then were gone again. I had thought it was normal until I met others who had never had a nanny or been left alone like I had been.

Gwen was the one to show me that there were actual families out there. Even her Mom who had been my Mom’s best friend for years hated the way I had been treated. She would let me come over as much as I wanted and helped me when I needed it because my parents were worlds away.

As my mind went through my childhood, I heard the lock on the door click. My every sense came alive. I could smell someone at the front door. They cursed as they dropped keys and my ears picked up every breath they took. I crouched beside the couch hiding not knowing who or what would be coming through the door. 

The door opened and in walked a man who was tall. He looked like every Joe Blow in the world except for his height. His black curls fell into his brown eyes as he looked around. His bushy brows furrowed when the house seemed empty.

“Zoe?” He said and walked right by me. “I know you’re here. I’m Felix. I’m here to get you set up and off to a safe place?”

I inhaled his scent and smelled animal. He was a were something. I relaxed a little, even though I still didn’t know if he was a good guy or bad. My instinct said he was good, but the rational part of my brain paused.

Felix turned at the sound of my exhale. He smiled at me and I knew I looked terrified. He didn’t come closer, just stood there showing me his hands and making himself look as harmless as possible. 

“I know you must have a million questions and I know that you’re probably scared out of your mind. I’m here to help until Sonya gets here. She got stuck answering questions.” He said, still looking at me.

Standing slowly but never taking my eyes off him I said, “What the fuck is going on?”

He laughed then sat down at one of the dining room chairs. “That is a long story. What I’ll say for now is that you are not a normal vampire. You will be stronger and faster than any others. Also, you will have extraordinary healing abilities. You won’t have a lot of the weakness vampires have but you will have a few. Right now, there are only a small total of warrior vamps alive. Most of which have chosen a side in the war or are in hiding.”

“What war?” I asked as I sat down across from him.

He seemed to think about what to say then said, “The war between those who wish to save humanity and those who wish to control it. There are factions of sups that want to rule the world and make sups the alphas of the world. They don’t like the status quo the way it is, and their ideas are best.” He said the last with sarcasm.

“The other side is trying to protect the world. Yes, it has its own problems and needs fixing but that should be fixed with everyone involved not just one group making the choice. So, if you think about it the war is good vs evil, but it’s not as clear as you think. Both sides have compelling arguments and both sides have done stuff in the name of their cause that was bad.

“There is a faction that seeks out those like yourself to keep you safe. If you are found, depending on who you are found by, you would be forced to choose their side. This faction wants you to have your choice. We believe that it’s only right to be given time to learn your abilities then make an informed choice. We are more neutral about everything.”

“How can you be neutral when one side wants to rule and the other wants to protect?” I asked, shocked.

“Because that is an over-simplistic way of explaining what is going on. Plus, it isn’t a biased one. I route for those who fight to protect the way of life. My parents raised me in the war, I know what my side has done and not all of it was good. It’s hard to explain all the details but it comes down to this.” He said looking at me.

“We formed this faction to help give you and others like you a fighting chance to make up your own mind. We don’t need more yes men to everything the leaders of both sides say. We need warriors that will think and fight for what they believe in not what they are told to believe.”

That kind of made sense. Nodding slightly, I thought about what he had said. If I took his word for it, I knew what side I would want to choose but knowing that there was more to the story made me pause.

“What if I don’t want to fight on either side?” I asked.

“Then that is your choice. We will train you to take care of yourself so that when you go back to your life you won’t be sucked in. We will never force you.” Felix said, still watching me.

So, I wasn’t being forced to choose. I was being taught how to take care of myself and think for myself. I could handle that. Before I could ask more, Felix’s phone rang. He picked it up and turned white. He furiously typed the screen and got up. When he looked at me, I knew something had gone wrong.

“You have to run. Take my car, it's not even registered to me. Don’t use any credit cards or phones you have. Stop somewhere and get a burner phone. Call this number when you are safe. Don’t tell me where you’re going. Here is your new ID and some more cash. I’m sorry it’s not a lot. Grab your stuff and just go.” He said urgently. 

“What?” Was all I could say as he pushed me to get moving.

“They know Sonya helped you escape the office, and they know where you are. It’s not safe, they are coming for you.” He said and pushed me out to the garage. He grabbed my bag and walked me to the car sitting in the driveway. It was an older car but looked to be in great shape. “No GPS on this thing or any way to be tracked. I need to stay here and throw them off your trail. Go!”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I got in the car and went. I had no plan of where I was going or what I was doing. I turned until I found an on-ramp to the highway and got on. After driving for 4 hours I finally stopped. 

I went to a Walmart and got a burner like Felix told me to, then picked up some junk food and a book of maps. Once I was back in the car, I activated the phone and munched on food while I looked at the book. I knew where I was, and I wanted to know where I was going. 

Closing my eyes, I thumbed through the book to a page and opened it. Then I closed my eyes again and pointed. That was where I was going. A quick search on my new phone told me where a clean Blood House was so I put in the address on my phone, glad I had spent the extra for a smartphone so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. 

It would take me 4 days of driving to get there but I had my destination. As I drove, I only allowed myself to look in the rear-view mirror once. My old life was gone, and I was alone. I would have to figure things out until it was safe to contact Felix.