FADED DREAMS

Eternity Begins Now: Part 2

Bash left Gaia in bed to run the water in the bathtub. He prepared it warm so they could bathe together. As he waited for it to fill, Gaia appeared behind him and coiled her arms around his waist. Sebastian placed his hand atop hers while Gaia caressed her cheek against his back.

God, his body is to die for. She thought, nearly bursting into laughter.

Gaia supposed she would die to have his body for her own. Whatever the process was for becoming a vampire, it didn't scare her. Bash was worth any price. She loved him and was positive he loved her. Gaia realized he had granted her privileges and leniencies he hadn't granted many, if any, in the past.

Bash unwrapped Gaia's arms from around him and stepped into the tub. He sat and held out a hand to help Gaia get in. She eased in between his legs, leaning back against him.

Gaia felt so small in Bash's arms as he enveloped her in his embrace. There was something so beautiful in her fragility. Sebastian was becoming aroused once more, and he was hungry. But he ignored both, he wouldn't feed on her that night. His guilt over his earlier actions wouldn't allow him to.

Bash would feed on bagged blood once he got home. Bagged blood was entirely nourishing and satisfied his physical need for sustenance. It didn't taste very good though. It wasn't fresh, and the anticoagulants added to keep it from clotting, gave it an off flavor. Bash would supplement for Gaia, to keep his promise to her.

There were donors, but he knew Gaia was jealous of him feeding on another person. Bash wondered if feeding on only male donors would make Gaia feel less threatened. Donors were handsomely rewarded and well compensated for their gift and secrecy. He'd yet to meet one that wasn't financially well off after about a year of service.

Being a donor had its risks, but the council had made it as safe as possible, and donors went through rigorous screenings. Background checks to make sure they were trustworthy, physical exams and drug tests to make sure they were healthy and not substance abusers. Neither of the latter influenced vampires, but it affected the donor's ability to recover from the blood loss and their reliability.

More and more vampires were turning away from predatory feasting and using consenting blood donors. Some were like Bash and took on pets. Pets were definitely more satisfying than donors who treated feeding as a service and business. Sex or killing while feeding satisfied a primal need for a vampire. While most didn't kill for sport, most still fucked and fed. But the growing movement towards donors was changing that.

Bash figured it may be easier to deal with a donor if he still fed from Gaia a little. When he turned her, Gaia's blood would no longer satiate his hunger, and neither would he be able to satisfy hers. They'd be forced to resort to donors or bagged blood. There was still bloodletting during sex with another vampire because it typically increased the bond between them, and Bash heard mates did this regularly.

In fact, the sharing of one another's blood was the way vampire mates sealed and solidified the mating union. Once he and Gaia shared blood as vampires the crazy urge to claim would die down. In its place, would be a connection and bond even stronger than that of a sire and progeny. If the two were both, that link would be like no other.

There was an excitement and anticipation inside Bash when he considered the future. As he was lost in thought, Gaia nestled securely in his arms with her eyelids heavy with sleep and satisfaction. Bash sensed her relaxation was causing her to doze, so he grabbed the sponge and soap to wash her.

"Alright, sleepyhead. Let's get you cleaned and ready for bed."

"Okay," Gaia replied with a giggle as she sat forward.