Vampire Days

Chapter 38: Not That Bad

"I thought they'd be here first," Champion commented when we entered our room. He locked the door, sweeping the whole room with his tired looking eyes. If I wasn't dependent on him right now as my only readily available food source, I would have suggested that he hit the sack, stat. But to get his blood I would need his consent. Also, doing it while he slept would be so awkward. Imagine having sex with a sleeping person, it is like committing necrophilia.

I took off my sunglasses but the sunlight streaming from the window proved too bright and I immediately replaced it with a hiss. The room was a standard double room, quite spacious and smelled cleaner than I expected. Back when I first fed on blood, Nurgis and I went to a motel and I distinctly remembered the strong smell of piss and bleach and mold, so it left a lasting impression on me. Especially the bleach.

"I'm starving," Champion murmured.

"I'm starving too," I grumbled, stalking him around as he pulled the curtains close on the windows. "Hey, hey, let me eat. Please, I'm turning into a raisin. Hey, hey."

"Don't beg," Champion said, taking off his jacket and his shirt, carefully hanging those inside the closet. He then sat on the bed and patted his neck. "Come on, but don't overdo it. I need to stay alert."

"Champ, can I bite you somewhere else? Biting you on the neck is just. . . I mean, it's like I'm trespassing inside a private property."

Champion stared back at me, the dark circles under his eyes becoming more obvious, as well as his diminishing tolerance for bullshit.

"I'm not anybody's property, Gen. Now get on with it before I change my mind," he said. There was a quick flash of anger on his face but it disappeared as quickly as a blink. 

I sat by his side and licked his neck; felt him shudder with the sudden contact. Why I did that, I had no explanation, but it seemed like an important part of the process. Like dabbing a cotton ball with disinfectant before an injection. Champion leaned his head to the side and I bit his neck, groaning as the refreshing taste of blood blossomed inside my mouth. A burst of flavor as they say and I was a gourmand relishing the experience. He hooked an arm on my waist and I pressed myself on his body, marveling at the warmth one human body could produce. Letting out a relieved sigh, I wrapped my arms around his body, letting him know that I appreciate this gesture and I'm so fucking happy to be safe.

If somebody would ask me what's the difference between Champion's blood and Austin's blood, I wouldn't really know the answer. Fresh blood is blood for me. As for which one is better, still I had no idea. Maybe Austin's, because I have my smell on him and it's more familiar. He's my territory and eating at home is a good dining experience. With Champion's skin on my lips now, I could smell Gio and I could tell he's been everywhere on this body, leaving not a spot for intruders.

"You're tiptoeing," Champion observed as I carefully licked his wound to stop the bleeding.

"What?" I pushed myself up from beside him, pretending to be preoccupied by the two puncture wounds left on his neck.

"Were you not hungry?"

"Call it a snack before the real meal. You told me you needed to be awake. Plus, you tasted awful," I lied, adjusting the sunglasses on my face to cover up the urge to touch my hair.

"I. . . You think I taste awful?" Champion stared at me with such a worried expression that I almost laughed.

"Yes. I think staying up all night makes the blood taste bad," I supplemented, standing up to check the effects of my snack. My wobbly knees sure felt so much better.

I took a seat on the other bed and Champion took out his phone, probably to have some food delivered. When he was done he took a look at me and went straight to the point.