Midnight Whispers (The Midnight Duology #1)

Chapter 4

4

I venture further into the woods than I typically do. My body aches with need for sustenance, for the blood of an innocent animal. Typically, I like to space out my kills of humans. Even if the hunted humans are the scum of the earth, I can’t take a chance of too many people disappearing at once. It would draw too many suspicions.

The forest blurs around me as I run through the trees, keeping my senses open to any possible snacks . As a vampire, my speed is unmeasurable. But even my speed is second to my sense of smell. It took me years to learn how to properly scent out my next kill; now it’s second nature. It doesn’t take my nose long to lock onto something twenty yards away. I turn my attention that way, moving so quickly I am hardly touching the ground. As I get closer to the animal, I realize it’s a mountain lion. It’s not my favorite, but it will have to do.

I don’t feel remorse as I leap and land on its back. She fights against me, snarling and snapping her jaws over her shoulder. I admire the fight she has in her, but it still takes no strength at all for me to break her neck. Her blood is thick and hot as it glides down my throat. I know it will only satisfy my thirst for a short period of time, but it’s better than nothing.

After I’m content with my meal, I leave the mountain lion’s body on the forest floor and begin my walk back to the manor. These long walks, where I am alone with my thoughts, are my favorite. Even if they are what haunts me most of the time. A sudden gust of wind flows in my direction and the fragrance of peony and jasmine slams into me.

Intoxicated by the scent, I mindlessly follow the direction it came from. I hadn’t even realized I was so close to a cottage, but only after moments of walking through the trees did I discover it tucked within the forest. I walk around the side of the building, making sure to walk as light as possible as to not scare whoever resides here.

It’s a woman. She looks at the front door and sighs in relief as she walks through the rusty iron gate pushing a bicycle. Any thought in my mind disappears as I look her over, taking her in beauty and studying her movements, watching closely at her small mannerisms. Like the way she tucks the curl of her chestnut hair behind her ear as she is searching through her satchel to find the keys to her front door or the way she bites her lip when she’s trying to focus.

She doesn’t know it yet, but she will be mine.

My girl turns to begin the ascent to open her home, but she trips on the first step. My throat instantly begins to burn as the scent of her blood fills the air. Her blood calls to me, beckoning me to come and taste her. I imagine how satisfying her blood would be, the sweet tang that would coat my tongue as I devour her. My fists clench as the desire to touch her soft skin courses through my veins.

My predatory instincts play out the different avenues I can take to win over her affections so that I can claim her. Venom floods my mouth, coating my tongue and running down my throat, causing it to burn in response. I fight against the urge to rush to her, hoping to bewitch her with my natural charm. She begins to move up the stairs and I can see the blood trickle down her leg. Red begins to cloud my vision and, as if it has a mind of its own, my foot moves forward. Her head immediately snaps in my direction. Before she can see me, I race back behind the tree line, but I know she probably discounted the sound to that of a small animal.

The front door of the cottage opens and closes quickly. I can hear the distant tapping of her footsteps as she walks across the hardwood floor. Without thought, I stalk around the front of the cottage; hope begins to build in my chest at the thought of catching a second glimpse of her.

She goes to a window in the front of the house, holding each of the curtains in her hands. Her brows are scrunched together as she looks out the window. She sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth as her eyes scan the perimeter of the yard.

Her lingering scent calls to me, awakening something within me that's been asleep for centuries. There's no doubt in my mind that her blood would satisfy me unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before, but I know deep down it’s something more than that.

After some time, a light shines from one of the windows. Through the sheer fabric of the curtains, I bite my inner cheek when she enters the room in nothing but a towel. Her long hair is now on the top of her head in a messy bun and her porcelain skin is still slightly red from the heat of her shower. I wrestle with myself, feeling like I’m violating her privacy by watching her but knowing I don’t want to look away. She grabs the top of the towel and tosses it across the room.

“Fuuuck,” I groan as I turn and walk the fence line back into the forest. If I don’t leave now, I might go into her house and act like anything but a gentleman.

I pace back and forth behind her cottage. Another woman came home in the very early morning, blasting a song I recognized from my early 2000’s pop punk stage. The cottage was quiet most of the morning, with the exception of the occasional laugh. Shortly before lunch time there was movement and my girl was back on her bike, on her way into town.

Everyone seems to glow in her presence as she rides through Main Street; she waves at basically anyone and everyone she sees. I can tell by the way she holds herself that she has never met a stranger. Kindness radiates from her as if she’s the sun and everyone else is in her rotation. She comes to a stop at a coffee shop, Alcott’s, parks her bike and enters through the doors. I remain outside and watch from the alleyway across the street. The girl that is currently working in the shop looks so relieved when she sees her. They share a quick conversation, but immediately they start to handle the large group of customers.

Once the rush in the coffee shop begins to die down, I slip in while someone is leaving and find myself a table in the corner. It hasn’t been cleaned yet and there is an empty coffee mug and discarded trash, but I don’t mind. She smiles as she talks to customers; the sincerity in her face is riveting.

I study every detail of her, storing all of it into each crevice of my mind. It’s been so long since I’ve felt inspired, but I grab a piece of the discarded trash, a crumpled up piece of paper, and look around for some kind of pen or pencil. She hands a customer a receipt and a pen, asking him to sign it, and walks away. He leaves the pen on the counter and before she comes back, I go and grab it.

Lucky me.

On that crumpled piece of paper, I draw every detail of her face without needing to turn and look at her. Her beauty is timeless, and I am completely enamored. It’s a type of beauty that has been consistent since man began to roam the earth, and I want to make sure I capture that. I want to make sure she knows how breathtaking she really is.

A conversation happening behind me sparks my interest—there’s to be a Halloween party this upcoming week. Her friend Flo, as she called her, is trying to convince her to go. I can hear the reluctance in her voice as she agrees to go, but now I need to convince Asher to associate with the mortals for a night.

Without looking over my shoulder, I get up and leave the coffee shop. But I make sure to leave her portrait behind, hopeful she’ll see herself the way I do.

Once I know I’m out of view of any humans, I run to the manor. There are no work trucks in the driveway, but I can hear music playing as I near the door. The bass of the current song thumping against the walls almost, almost, covers the sound of moaning in the living room.

Asher and I have never strayed away from being open with each of our sexual partners, so seeing him in the moment with a lover is anything but out of the ordinary. However, he’s a lot more open than I am. I take a deep breath and open the door into the living room, turning the corner to find Asher’s head resting on the back of the couch.

“Oh, you’re such a good girl, aren’t you?” he growls as he runs his hand through the blonde hair of his new friend. He looks up at me and winks, placing a finger over his mouth and whispering shh.

I roll my eyes and quietly walk toward the other side of the room, making sure to be as quiet as a mouse. Once I’m sitting in a chair, I pull out my phone and aimlessly scroll until Asher’s completion, which only takes minutes by the time I sit down. The woman, human, stands to her feet.

Asher smirks as he introduces us. “This is my protege , Finnian.” I wave. “Finn, this is Brielle.”

“Hello, Finn.” She raises an eyebrow and looks me up and down, a smirk playing along her lip. She stands there with her hands on her hips, naked and on full display. There’s not an inch of shyness in the way she is holding herself. She knows she’s pretty, but even she can’t hold a candle to my girl.

“Brielle,” I responded, tilting my head. She bites his lower lip and looks to Asher, almost in confirmation.

“Oh, not him, baby. You’re not his type.” Brielle’s shoulders sag and she looks back at me with disappointment coating her face. Asher sucks out his bottom lip in an over exaggerated pout. “Go upstairs and to the left, my room is the only door on the right. I’ll meet you there.”

“Nice to meet you, Finn. If you’re ever in the mood to try something new, let me know.” Brielle winks at me and Asher smacks her ass as she walks away, she lets out a squeal. My head falls in Asher’s direction and I let out an exasperated sigh.

“Where did you meet this one?”

“One of those dating applications for your smartphone. You should try it sometime. The number of willing partners is almost overwhelming.”

“I’m okay, thank you. Will you please cover your dick for a moment?”

“I’ve never understood why nudity bothers you so much.” Asher grabs a blanket and covers himself up.

“It doesn’t, but you don’t have to be naked all the time, Ash.” I scoff because he really is naked more than he’s clothed. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Of course. You say the word.”

“There’s a Halloween party at the historical society this upcoming week.”

“You would like to go?”

“Yes.”

“Then we shall go. Now if you’ll excuse me…” I nod. He stands, letting the blanket fall, and leaves me alone in the living room.

I know sooner or later I will have to tell him everything, about how this mortal calls to my soul, but right now isn’t the time. I’ve only left her a short time ago, but even a second feels too long. Against my better judgment, I decide to leave the manor and go back to her cottage.

Even though I want to, I don’t enter her home. I maintain my distance and watch her movements from outside of the walls that keep her safe once she gets inside.

Safe from me and whatever other dangers lurk within the shadows.

The lights turn on and off as she enters and leaves rooms, settling on one of the rooms in the back of the house. She chooses a floor lamp rather than the main light; when I realize she’s reading, I assume it’s for ambiance. My girl wraps herself up in a blanket and gets comfortable on a reading chair.

What I wouldn’t give to be the blanket that keeps her warm tonight.