Blood Mother. A Vampire Tale

Chapter 31: Tessa In Trouble

Tessa paced the kitchen until she had to check the floor for a permanent rut. Surely Dimitri was setting her up. Meeting him would be a mistake. But something in her needed this resolution. To put an end to him would mean finally saying a real goodbye. Seeing him with her own eyes and allowing her brain to end the questions of 'what if'.

Hoyt had not returned her calls although she had no idea why she even called him. Perhaps for reassurance, to give her that spark of boldness to know her life was on the rise. She was his partner. In more ways than one. On the track to have all her dreams come true. A relationship, a place at the side of the great vampire slayer, and finally feeling like she was doing exactly what she had dreamed.

She left Hoyt a message that she was exhausted and would just like to sleep through the next few hours and see him tomorrow. A part of her wondered if he was regretting last night and she was hoping her message wasn't going to make him think she was.

But she shoved those thoughts aside and concentrated on the task at hand. She took the mail out of the box and placed a refrigerator magnet clip on it that held a postcard. The postcard was from Chile. She had bought it when her and Dimitri had spontaneously went there on a romantic four day trip and she had never been able to throw it away.

She strategically placed her dagger on her side with a thin slice of duct tape. The dagger was too small for a sheath and she didn't want it showing. She put her government issued handgun in her ankle holster and her secret silver bullet side arm under the cushion of the couch. She bathed and dressed in a black tank with dark jeans and boots to give herself a casual look and to allow her movement to fight if necessary.

Just before dusk she lay her head upon the couch cushion and remembered her life with Dimitri. Things seemed so simple then. Two people in love scraping to get by but not caring about anything but touch.

As she slept she dreamed Hoyts face, but a different version, a bloody and swollen slack jawed image. She tried to reach for him but a force kept pulling her back. She struggled harder, unable to get out of the strong arms that were holding on to her. The pressure felt so intense upon her arms and chest she jolted awake. Real arms were pinning her down and a knee was pushing into her chest. She flailed her weight trying to push her attacker to the side.

Her eyes met the eyes of a vampire. Skin luminescent and white. Eyes as black as night but empty of emotion. He was large and bald with a grin that made her shiver. Her mind whirled with chastisement at allowing herself to fall asleep and searched possibilities for escape.

"You are a feisty one. I can see why Luka wants you. Too bad I only have you for a short time. But I was always one to wait for the last minute."

As she struggled to understand why Luka would be sending a goon for her she saw the vamps fangs protruded and start dripping. She screamed as his weight increased on her chest. Her hands struggled to get to her side to grab the dagger but were pinned by the vampire who looked as if he was using no effort. She started to scream until she felt his teeth puncture her neck just above her rightcollar bone.

A feeling so intense Tessa couldn't differentiate between pain and pleasure shot through her body. Her limbs began to tingle and numb and soon she found herself relaxing against her will. As her brain screamed in revolt she felt herself flow under a weighted tide of black pain and pleasure. Her Vision began fading under a curtain of grey.

She clumsily whispered "Hoyt." As she felt her mind becoming a black hole. She could feel her blood flowing away from her with a harsh sucking pressure but was unable to move a muscle in protest. The large cold hands of the vampire smacked her face to keep her awake but she felt no pain.

From the edge of oblivion she felt herself lifted into the air. As she was put in the backseat of a black windowed car she tried to fight the heaviness that sat upon her mind and muscles. She felt her heart slowing in protest to the loss of blood but had no energy left to care.

"I think we are going to have plenty of time to play before Luka is ready for you. I won't kill you if that's what your worried about. I have my orders. But he didn't say I couldn't make you wish you were dead."

Tessa heard his words from a hundred miles away. She lay unmoving, uncaring, drowning in a warm blanket of numbness. As she was moved from the backseat and dumped on a bed her only thoughts were of letting the wave carry her further.

She felt rough hands touch skin that no longer seemed to belong to her. She wondered how long she had been unconscious and what happened to her clothes. She had just began to feel her terror rising when she felt a punch to her head and the sizzle of fangs sink into her thigh.

As she begged for the darkness she saw Hoyts face illuminated in her mind. He held out his hand for her and she struggled even in her dream state to lift hers to connect to him. Just as she felt closer to him he opened his arms as if to embrace her. He punched himself back and she felt his fist slam it into her chest. She woke up with the pain of sucking in air.

Every muscle screamed and it was all she could do to remember to breathe. Her arms and legs refused to move and she concentrated on the voice she could hear with her in the room. She prayed the vampire was done with her and that he would either finish her off or let her go.

"Where is he? I don't understand it. It has never happened in my lifetime. I've been out but I'm on my way up to check things out. I came in the back way and everything down below is fine. Call for the hunters. I'm leaving now." 

She heard the door close and lock and every instinct told her to move and keep moving.
She could feel a tingling of pain moving through her muscles as the toxin from the bite wore off.  She focused on moving just one finger. Until she could move two. And then a hand.

Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself in a windowless room. She heard no sounds in the room and forced herself to move her protesting muscles. Her brain concentrated on thinking of ways to escape. When her fingers finally found the handle of her dagger she smiled. Adrenalin kicked in and she lifted herself off the bed.

She ripped the tape from her skin ignoring the pain of it and made her way clumsily to the door. As she put her hand on the cool handle she pushed away her fear and embraced memories of her training days. She knew she could be killed at any moment. But a chant  kept pounding through her head.  'Get out. Stay alive. Find Hoyt'. She placed the silver dagger in the door hinge and lifted the pin.

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I didn't intend to have Hoyt helping Tessa as she fights for her life, I'm not even sure if he did or it's what her mind grasped for to survive. But as always, I listen to the voice of the characters, and trust where they lead.  Next chapter should be a doozy!!  I'm still hoping Hoyt is alive. Guess I'll find out just before you do!! Comment and vote if the feeling hits you. Thank you so much for reading.