'Til Death (Page 31)

Slowly, and I had no idea how long it really was, the hunger started reawakening my other senses. Last to recede, my hearing was the first to reawaken. All I heard was chirping, like ten thousand crickets were circled around me, serenading me. My own body was oddly silent, but other rustles and murmurs filled my ears. The glow of my eyes kicked in, highlighting the darkness. It wasn’t the comforting peace of the darkness that I’d left behind and I instantly hated it. Hazy shapes flitted past my vision, tilting my stomach, and I shut my eyes as nausea filled me.

But in wasn’t really nausea that I was feeling. It was stronger than that, and ten times as painful. My stomach contracted as a ripping ache seared through me. I knew enough about my foreign body to recognize the danger. I was starving on an eat-or-die level. A stronger growl ripped from my throat as an instinctual desire to live filled me. I was an animal, an animal that needed to be fed.

As the hunger constricted my body, forcing me to action, all of my other senses dropped by the wayside. I didn’t care about the crickets. I didn’t care about the peace that I’d awoken from. I didn’t care about the blurry shapes and indistinguishable rustling sounds.

I cared about blood.

A painfully, raspy hiss erupted from my parched throat as the creature within me demanded out. My mouth dropped open as my fangs were uncontrollably long, longer than I’d even thought them possible to be. I wanted to spring up and blur towards a food source, but my body was slow, tired.

Fighting the squeezing pain tearing through my abdomen, I opened my eyes again and flexed my aching body. My limbs responded to my silent commands, but they were heavy, sore. Some small part of me wanted to close my eyes again, to desperately find that peace that I’d left behind, but the fire in my throat wouldn’t let me go back to that slumber. It was excruciating, worse than dying.

A creature crouched before me; it had no heartbeat and I ignored it. Words hit me, but I didn’t recognize them. All I felt was pain, all I knew was thirst. Nothing else existed to me but quenching that thirst. There was nothing else I wanted, nothing else I understood, but wanting blood coursing down my aching throat. I couldn’t even swallow. It hurt. Everything hurt.

I stood, stumbling on my feet. The creature before me moved as well, standing. I managed a deep growl, warning the irritant away. It didn’t stop moving though, arms raised as if I might attack it. I didn’t have the strength. I could barely keep standing. I could barely see. All I knew was it was lifeless, and I didn’t want it. I inhaled for blood, using my unnecessary lungs for the first time. The warmth of a living creature filled my nostrils, burning them. My dry throat made a cracking groan and my body stumbled forward on its own accord.

A heartbeat, heavy and fast, filled my ears. It was all I heard, all that made sense to me. I stumbled towards it. I had no idea who or what it belonged to and I didn’t care. It surged with blood. I wanted it. I needed it. Nothing but death would stop me from taking it. Hearing words that sounded like encouragement coming from the walking dead creature beside me, I dropped to my knees at the source of the pleasing heat. Something large and black was lying on the ground before me.

Its head moved and the creature tried to bolt, but other not-interesting, heartbeatless creatures held it down. Someone knelt beside me as I leaned over the struggling creature. My movements felt slow to me, my eyes felt heavy. I was so tired, but so hungry. I wanted to lie down and rest, but the drive to eat wouldn’t let me.

"Eat, Emma. Drink, baby."

The words the undead creature spouted didn’t make sense. Emma? I didn’t know what that meant. All I knew was a pain ripping through my stomach up to my throat. My entire body felt like acid had been poured inside it. I growled painfully as my lips achingly slow found the furry beast. It was so hard to concentrate. Hard to keep moving. I wanted rest. I wanted food.

"Emma…please, eat." The silent hearted creature beside me seemed concerned. I paused, a desire in me welling to comfort the creature. I had no idea why. I blinked, the beast below me hazing in my vision. My throat burned, my eyes were heavy. I wanted to close them. I never wanted to reopen them. I wanted my peace back. Everything hurt. My entire world was pain. I wanted it to end.

"Emma, baby, no…you need to eat. The pain will stop, once you eat."

Emma? That word again. A growl issued from my chest, weaker this time. My head rested on the beast, the heartbeat surging in my ear as I laid my cheek on its rough surface. My mouth opened wider, my fangs already as far as they could go. I was so close; I could feel the heat of the animal below me, but couldn’t find the strength to make my mouth pierce the flesh. My teeth brushed the creature ineffectually. It tried to buck me away, the other undead beings around it keeping it still.

I was so tired. I was in so much pain. I just wanted it to end. I started to close my eyes.

"Teren…she’s fading…"

The creature at my side cursed, then darted to where my lips were. It sunk its teeth into the beast beneath me, the animal crying and trying to jerk away. It ripped its mouth away and the scent of fresh blood ignited my senses. My aching throat squealed in protest. My partially closed eyes flew open. A rush of blood made it to my lips and my tongue darted out to lap it up. It was warm, sweet, heavenly. It was life, and I wanted more. A fire drove my tired body and my mouth attached to the gaping wound the creature beside me had made. The animal struggled and I held it down with my hands, the blood flowing down my dry throat giving me strength.

As the vitality of the animal flowed into me, I felt myself coming back to who I was. I was not a bloodthirsty creature of the night. I was a person. My name was Emma. Teren was my husband. Teren had just saved my life by exposing fresh blood to the air, forcing the instinct in me to take over. And taking over it was; I drained that animal, its frail movements slowing, then stopping.

Wiping my mouth, my hand lightly shaking, I sat back on my heels. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, my throat still ached with thirst and my belly still burned with need. But I felt out of the woods. I no longer felt like lying down and never waking up again. Meeting Teren’s concerned gaze as his fingers came down to cup my cheeks, I managed to mutter, "I’m still hungry."

He smiled, sighed softly, and nodded. "Well then, let’s get you some more to eat."

As my vision cleared, I saw Teren’s features distinctly. He looked as tired as I felt, heaviness in his glowing eyes. His arms wrapped around me as we huddled beside the beast I’d devoured. Sighing, I buried my head in the comfort of his neck, forcing my fangs back up. It was then, as he helped me to stand up, that I finally noticed something odd about him.

Blinking as I wobbled on my feet, I looked over his body. "You’re not cold?"

He smiled and chuckled slightly, kissing my head. "Yes, I am, but you are too."

Grabbing my hand, he laced our fingers together. He wasn’t warm, by any stretch, but the icy shiver wasn’t there. Touching his skin was like touching my own. For the first time in a long time, we were the same temperature. I marveled in that fact as he helped steady me. Smiling lovingly down at me, he patiently let me explore his face, his silent chest. It was so odd for him to feel the same as me.

Tired, I snuggled into his chest to close my eyes again. He nudged my shoulder as he started me walking. "Not yet, Emma. I know you’re tired, but you can rest after you eat some more, okay?"

I nodded against his body, then felt a different lukewarm hand reach out for me. I opened my eyes at Alanna smiling brightly at me. Imogen was next to her, with Halina excitedly standing behind them. Halina’s bright eyes took in my blood soaked shirt, my stained mouth, and she smiled wider. "Ready to hunt, Emma?" she asked, her fangs dropping at the same time.

My stomach rumbled at the idea. I was still so hungry. The ache in my belly felt better, but I knew it would make a reappearance if I didn’t satisfy my needs soon. Taking a step towards her, I nodded eagerly. "Yes," I whispered.

Halina growled and crouched, twisting her body to where I could smell the warmth of life in the fields.

None of the other cows had reacted harshly to one of their companions dying; they were all still standing around, waiting to die too. Surprisingly, a part of my body wanted them to run, wanted the chase, but I was too tired to really care. Imogen grabbed my other hand and she and Alanna pulled me after Halina. Teren followed us, a low rumble escaping his chest as his fangs lowered as well.

I let myself become what I was now, a hunter, a killer, an animal. I pushed back the human part of me that objected to what I was doing, and focused on what really mattered – getting through this transformation so I could spend that eternity with my husband and children.

The girls made a wide circle around the beasts that had been corralled just for this very purpose. They weren’t the best of the best, like Teren had had when he’d died. His family hadn’t had the time to get that kind of livestock for me. Instead, they’d used this opportunity to thin the herd of the sick and fragile ones. I’d heard them say mercy killings when they’d been talking about it.

Teren and the women made a wide circle around them, Teren’s eyes flicking between mine and the beasts that I knew he wanted too. I crouched down, letting the instinct and the residual pain of thirst lead me. A low growl burrowing out of me, I found the strength to blur over to the largest one. I wrapped my arms around its neck, the scent of bovine overpowering me as I flung it to the ground. My teeth were sunk inside it seconds later. It didn’t even have a chance to cry out. Snarls from the other vamps filled the air, and out of the corner of my eye, I watched Halina dart for one. Smiling wickedly, she took it down just as efficiently as I had.

Other thumps and light animal cries signaled the other vampires eating. Teren watched over me, not gorging yet. Smiling crookedly when I finished, he indicated one in the back with his dark head. I smiled, wiping my mouth as strength coursed through me. Each cow’s life seemed to strengthen my own. We both twisted to look at the doomed beast, then darted towards it together. As soon as we brought it down, we sunk our teeth in. As hot, pulsing blood flowed down my throat, easing every ache I’d ever had, Teren’s fingers came out to clutch mine. Holding hands over the fading life beneath us, I embraced the rising life within me, and clasped him back just as hard.

At the tail end of the slaughter, Halina frowned and looked up at the sky. My enhanced sight could see the edge of the sun along the base of the horizon. Sighing, she grumbled that she had to go hide away for the day. Imogen went with her when she blurred away, both girls chuckling over how entertaining it was to hunt as a group.

Alanna smiled after them as she watched them streak off to the safety of the house. As Teren and I stood from the last cow in the field, she walked over to me, encasing me in a warm hug. "Welcome to the family, dear." She patted my back as she held me and I felt my tired eyes start to water. I guess being dead didn’t stop you from being emotional.

Smiling as I clasped her back, I whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

As Teren walked up beside me, she smiled over at her son, wrapping him in a hug as well. "I’m so happy for the both of you." Her eyes were watery with pink tears as she looked between the two of us. Looking back towards the house, she flicked a quick glance in our direction. "I’m going to go call Jack. He would want to know that you’re safe, Emma, and that he can come home."