Donor House: Rex: Saving Melody (part 2)

Once Melody had finished drinking the blood she needed to become a vampire she passed out. That was what happened, because her body needed time to change, and until she woke up Rex wouldn’t know if the blood exchange had worked. He’d heard stories of it failing, but they were more like urban myths than anything. Gently he gathered her into his arms, not knowing when someone else might come across the crash scene, so he could take her to somewhere safe. For a few moments he thought that taking her home would be the best thing to do, even though he had no idea how he’d explain to her parents, and the woman who had once been one of his closest friends, what had happened.

As Rex headed towards the house he called his home he couldn’t help playing out the scene in his head. He’d walk up to the front door, Melody in his arms looking very much like she was dead, and ring the doorbell. Waiting was easy because he’d spent years watching over them. She’d open the door, Melody’s mum, wondering who was calling so late at night. Melody had her key, like she always did, so it had to be bad news, like it had been the time before, when Rex’s sister had knocked on the door and told her what had happened to him. He doubted she’d faint, like some people would, but seeing him would be a shock. In the years he’d been a vampire she’d aged and he hadn’t.

Words failed Rex, even in his mind. She was still beautiful. Every time he saw her he felt the same pang of pain. He should have asked her out when he had a chance, but he always thought he’d have time, and then it had happened. Becoming a vampire hadn’t been easy. There were days when he wished he had the courage to just stop drinking, so he could end everything the way it should have ended. Regrets were something that never faded away and he had more of them with every day that passed. Immortality just gave you more time to realise the mistakes you’d made.

Everyone had changed. Rex’s sister had grown up, got married, and had three children. Those three children were the same age he’d been when he was turned into a vampire. Melody was slightly younger, at twenty-two, and she would never age again, because there had been two options. Death or becoming a vampire. Sighing, he looked down at her. If she survived then saving her life was one thing he would never regret. Maybe she was the reason he’d never let himself die, because whoever it was that was in control of things knew that he would be there to rescue her one day. She might regret making the choice though. Death had always seemed better than being a vampire, but he’d never been close to dying before. No matter how much he thought about it he would never know what he would have done under the same circumstances.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

Donor House: Nick: Waiting for Alice (part 2)

“I don’t think you will,” Nick replied, knowing that Alice was only asking him because she was drunk and feeling vulnerable. It was a state he didn’t want to take advantage of, because she would end up regretting her choices in the morning, and probably be even more angry at him than normal. “This is a conversation we should have when you’re sober.”

“No, it’s a conversation we’re going to have now, because I’d never have the courage to talk about this sober.” Alice sighed. “Maybe I would have before, when we were human and vampire, but things are different now.”

Nick shook his head, even though he understood her point of view. “No matter what happened I’m still the same person I was before you became a vampire and you’re the same person too. You haven’t changed in any way.”

Alice shrugged. “I don’t know. Some days I feel like becoming a vampire turned me into someone I never wanted to be.” She reached her hand up and gently brushed some hair off Nick’s face. “Being angry at you for being scared was unfair and I shouldn’t have taken my feelings out on you, when you honestly did what you thought was the best thing to do.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“Don’t say that. You were my friend, Nick, before, and that should have been more important.” Alice bit her lip, looking at him thoughtfully. “We are still friends, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we’re still friends, Alice.” Nick smiled at her. “I never stopped being your friend and promise I never will.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“That’s a promise I know I’ll always be able to keep.”

“You need better friends. I don’t deserve having someone like you in my life.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Blake left. He realised that I’m not good for anyone.” Another tear trickled down Alice’s cheek. “You should have walked away when you still could, because now…” She shook her head. “We have no choices.”

“That’s not true. We may not have the same choices we did before you became a vampire, when I really should have walked away for your protection, but we have different choices to make.”

“Like what?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Nick said something he never thought he’d say. “If you want to have some time away from me then I have some friends who would be happy to help us.” As soon as he finished he wanted to take the words back, in case Alice said yes, because he didn’t know what he’d do without her. “He won’t come after you if you with them.”

For longer than Nick was expecting all Alice did was stare at him. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking and it scared him. Losing her, even if it was temporarily, was something he’d not let himself contemplate since the night he turned her into a vampire. Knowing that there had been a moment that he could have lost her forever, because of his own stupidity, had changed his view of the world, and he knew that the most important thing in his life was Alice.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.