Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 57

I've always found the taste of blood rich and intoxicating, but Eliot's blood is on a whole different level. It's as if it is flowing into every cell of my being, making me feel ecstatic.

It's not only the taste, though the taste is beyond delicious. The whole experience is more exhilarated than I could have ever imagined a feeding could be.

There was no fear in Eliot's blood, no hatred towards the monster who was taking the precious liquid from him. The emotion which coursed through his veins was one I've never tasted before.

It makes his blood taste sweet, and though I don't remember much of my human life, I am pretty sure the best comparison is to a sweet fruit wine.

The mixture of different flavors, different fragrances is so distinct and so wonderfully potent that I think I remember how it is to be drunk.

As a vampire, I could never feel intoxicated. My systems worked too fast to allow for that, but his blood...it's the most delicious drink and the most potent drug mixed in one irresistible package.

I am buzzing with life. A strange sensation that I am not sure is coming from the feeding is overwhelming all my senses. It might be about Eliot's proximity, about being this close to him, feeling his warmth.

"Eliot," I mumble against his skin, unwilling to release him.

I am not ready to give up the fountain of the precious liquid that has been so carelessly served to me.

"Eliot, please. I can't stop. Stop me," I mumble with my teeth still in his neck.

At my very core, I feel a different type of excitement, one that I've never felt before while feeding. Thus, I am unsure of what I want and what I am ready to do to get it.

"I trust you. You can stop yourself," he says.

His voice is already getting weaker. I am taking more blood than he can lose. I need to stop.

To be able to do so, I need to accept one fact, one thing that I have been running from since the moment I met him.

Eliot is not just the most delicious meal I've ever had. He is not just a Healer with the tastiest blood I've ever tried.

The fact is that he is much more important than that. That is why even though his blood is the best one I've had in years, I know I must stop. After all, he is the man I love.

The moment the thought comes to the forefront of my mind, I rip my teeth out of his neck and quickly back away from his still bleeding neck.

"I knew you could do it," he says, stumbling towards me.

"I took too much," I say, noting how pale he has become.

"I am still alive, aren't I?" he says as a slow smile spreads across his face.

While I contemplate how he can smile at the one who almost murdered him, who hurt him, the one man I swore I would never hurt, he continues his slow approach.

Before I had the chance to reconcile with what I have done, he was so close to me that I could see the love radiating from his eyes. My bloodied lips reflected in his beautiful eyes, but the way he saw me was new. It felt good.

"I am so proud of you," he says, lowering his lips to mine.

I expect him to pull back in disgust once he tastes his own blood on my lips, but he doesn't show any signs of backing away. He deepens the kiss, and I start feeling heat building up in every part of my being, ready to explode like a volcano.

As we are melding ourselves into the kiss, I am no longer sure where my lips end and his begin. However, I realize that he, being mortal, might need some time to breathe. Thus, I pull away but not before biting him on the lip with my regular teeth. I mean it to be a gentle nibble, but I end up drawing blood.

"My dear Helen, I think that was enough blood for today," he says, wiping the blood off his lip.

"Sorry," I say.

"Don't worry about that. Practice makes perfect," he says, leaning in for another kiss.

This time, I try my best to be gentle with him. Slowly, I trace his lip with my tongue, effectively sealing the wound I have caused him, and then proceed to kiss him tenderly.

I want to show him all the gentleness in the world to make up for all the pain I have caused him, but I know we don't have enough time for that. Though it's the last thing I want to do, I need to say goodbye to him and hope I will see him again.

"I need to go," I say as I break the kiss.

"I know," he answers, full of understanding.

He must be the best person in the entire world when he is being this kind to someone like me. I mean, he even allowed me to put his life in danger, to treat him like mere food.

How am I even going to be good enough for him?

I turn around to leave, but something in me doesn't allow me to just dash off. I feel a need to tell Eliot something meaningful, something that will make him understand what he means to me.

To both of our surprise, I hug him tightly. I am trying to convey with my body what my mouth refuses to say.

"It's okay, Helen. I'll see you soon," he says, unsure of the reasons behind my odd behavior.

Even he has noticed that I am not a hugger and the fact that I initiated the hug seems to worry him.

"I...You... You're more than a next meal, more than just any Healer." I say as those are the only things that my mouth allows me to say.

I want to tell him that I love him, that he means a lot to me, but I just can't make myself voice those words. It has been a long time since I said anything along those lines that I can't do it even now that I really want to say it.

"I know, Helen. Don't worry, I know more than you are willing to say," he says with that huge smile of his.

Though it's a bit worn on the edges from exhaustion, it still manages to warm up my dead heart.

"I don't want you to freak out or anything, but I need to say it. I love you, Helen. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you, and I'll love you till the last one," Eliot says with as much emphasis as he can muster.

I grab him and kiss him so passionately that I feel like we might burst into flames at any moment. When I break the kiss, he is breathing hard, and his eyes are full of life.

"Keep yourself safe. Don't you dare get hurt!" I say as I start running off.

The odd thing is that I am running much faster than I ever did before. I am not sure if it's because of the Healer blood I have consumed or those precious words Eliot said to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe in love and all that mushy mambo jumbo, but if I did...Those words alone would be enough to fuel my need to survive and protect Eliot and his existence.

It is strange to think that the power of love might be the mightiest and the most mystical force out there. Coming from a vampire who has been alive for centuries, that sure is something to contemplate.

Perhaps my friends were right that I needed to be the one to go to Eliot but not only because of his blood but because of this odd connection that we seem to share. I don't think anyone else would've felt this good feeding on him.

And even if they attempted to put their lips on my man, I would've broken their jaws and pull out their teeth before they had the time to say they were sorry.