The Tattoo Artist ~ A Vampire Story

“All other things to their destruction draw,
Only our love hath no decay...”
John Donne, “The Anniversary”

The Tattoo Artist
                    ... a vampire story

Chapter 1
       
“Suuuuuzzz!! You can’t get a tattoo! What will your father say?” Angie always stretched her name out when she was upset, and it made Suzy cringe. She was almost eighteen, so why would her father say anything at all?

The two girls stood with their noses pressed against the darkened window of the tattoo parlor, trying to see what they could see. Suzy gave her friend one of her signature looks and shrugged. “I’m nearly eighteen, Angie. I can wait until I am to get a tattoo, and he won’t be able to say anything at all. Let’s go in and look at tattoos so I can decide what I want for mine.”

Angie shuddered at the thought of being seen entering the little dark-windowed shop. “Suuuuuzzz!! I don’t want to go in. What if someone sees us?”

Suzy sighed and tugged her friend through the door. “I really wish you’d stop whining, Angie. You’re the same age I am and you’ll be an adult before me, so just come on!! We’re only looking at pictures. Geez.”

The bell jangled as the door closed behind them, sending the room into semi-darkness. The black lights made the tattoo pictures pop from the books on stands along the walls. Suzy immediately became engrossed in the book that held small flowers and other symbols. She slowly turned the pages and stared at the beautiful artwork displayed there. When Angie tapped her shoulder, she glanced at her, her brow furrowed in annoyance. Angie gave her a bland look and nodded to her left. Suzy looked up and was startled to see a man watching her. He canted his head and took the few steps that brought him from behind the counter to stand next to her.

“Can I help you find a tattoo?” His voice was so soft and sensual, it gave Suzy a slight quiver deep in her belly to hear him speak.

“I-I want a tattoo,” she found herself saying as she stared up at him. “Here. Right here,” she touched the soft mound of her breast and was flattered at his smile. Angie sucked in a breath at her friends sudden boldness.

The man nodded and took the book from the stand and tipped his head toward the counter. “Come over here. You can’t appreciate some of the tattoos in this light. I have one that I think you’ll like.”

The girls followed the man to the counter and watched as he turned the pages. The pictures were of faeries, small angels, flowers and symbols that made no sense to Suzy. Then he turned the page and stopped, his finger pointing to the beautiful black rose with droplets of bright red blood. Suzy stared at the picture and before she could stop herself, she nodded.

“That’s it. That’s the one I want.”

Angie crowded closer to look at the tattoo pattern, but Suzy ignored the friend she had known since babyhood. The man was holding her attention once again as he reached and stroked the soft mound of breast.

“I have another thought for the placement of this tattoo, if you’re interested.”

His smile was warm and welcoming and Suzy was enthralled with his attention. Angie wasn’t impressed. She wanted out of this place and she wanted Suzy with her when she left. “Suzy. I want to leave. Let’s go to the movies like we planned. Please?”

Suzy shook her head. “I want a tattoo. This tattoo. And this wonderful man is going to put it where he thinks it will look smashing. You can go if you want, Ange. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Yes, Ange. Go on. Suzy will catch up with you when I’m done with her...tattoo. Run along now.”

Angie didn’t want to leave Suzy here with this man. She wavered, then nodded. “I want to know your name. Who are you?”

“Why?”

“Because if something happens to Suzy, I can tell her father where to start looking for her.” She glared at the man behind the counter, then at her lifelong friend. “I think we should go, Suzy. I’ll come back with you on your eighteenth birthday and hold your hand so you can get your tattoo. But I think until then, we should just stay away from here.”

“My name is Michael. Just Michael. And when your friend is ready for her tattoo, I think we can manage to deal with it without you.” He turned his attention to Suzy and smiled. “Are you ready for your tattoo, Suzy?” Deep Irish blue eyes stared into her green ones.

Before Suzy could answer him, Angie yanked on her arm and jerked her toward the door. “I’m calling your father, Suzy. The Chief of Police needs to be kept informed about riffraff in the town. And you have no idea what he may have in mind. You didn’t notice he didn’t give you his full name. I think there’s something weird going on here. Come on, Suzy. Let’s just get away from here, please.”

Suzy was angry with her friend, and she snarled at her. But Angie was determined. “I mean it, Suzy. Either we leave now or I call your father. I don’t want to be anywhere near this place in the dark. Let’s just go grab a pizza and go home. We can pick up a movie on the way and we’ll just spend the night in pizza and movie heaven.”

To keep the peace, Suzy went grudgingly with Angie, but not before a backward glance over her shoulder to Michael, and a mouthed ‘I’ll be back without her’ as they slipped out the door. Suzy glared at her friend.

Michael smiled and nodded as he watched Suzy leave his shop. “Perfect.” He muttered to himself as he turned to go back into his rooms. “She’s perfect and will do quite nicely.” He fought his hunger back once again, as he had done on previous nights. But Suzy McAdams was perfect. He could wait a bit longer before he took her, tasted her blood. He could wait until the full moon.

Chapter 2

Suzy was furious with her friend. “What is wrong with you, Angie? Didn’t you see he was coming on to me? He was interested in me, and you just blew it out of the water. Thank you so much, you prude.”

Angie nodded and smirked. “Prude I might be, but I’ll be very much alive. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again, Suzy. I didn’t want to lose you to some tattoo artist. He looked dark and dangerous and, and hungry.”

Suzy stared at Angie. “Whatever THAT means. Geez, Ange. Artists are supposed to be dark and mysterious. And what did you think he was going to do to me? For crying out loud! Let’s just get the pizza and movies and go back home. I didn’t know I had such a ‘goody-two-shoes’ for a friend.”

The girls spent the night in teen bliss, staring at the hunky werewolf on the TV and swooning when it appeared the young star was looking directly at them. They laughed, ate and talked about boys, but Suzy had other things on her mind that she didn’t mention to Angie. She was making plans for the next day.

The next morning, the girls had breakfast with Suzy’s father before he went to work. Suzy’s mother had died when Suzy was only four, so there had always only been Suzy and her father for as far back as she could remember. He’d raised Suzy to be conscientious, caring and brave enough to try most anything.

Breakfast conversation circled around school and her dad’s work. Mark McAdams was the Chief of Police in the small town where they lived. He’d been a police officer nearly all his life, so Suzy was used to his crazy schedule. He’d worked late last night and was headed back to work today. Seems a couple of hikers had gotten themselves lost in the National Forest, so he was going back to help coordinate the search for that day.

Angie had to be home to go to church with her folks, so Mark agreed to drop her off on his way to work. Suzy had been careful not to mention Michael, so Angie wouldn’t think to talk to her dad about him. Suzy hugged her best friend ‘goodbye’ and promised to come around after church to hang out for a while, which was the normal thing to do when Mark had to work so much.

Suzy hurried through her morning chores, then planned her wardrobe for her excursion to the village tattoo shop and Michael. The afternoon found Suzy back in front of the little shop, peering in the front window. But she wasn’t looking for pictures of tattoos. She was looking for Michael. Hoping he would appear like he had yesterday. Her hands were cupped around her eyes as she tried to block the sun from reflecting in the glass. She’d taken care with her clothes this morning. Showered with her best body wash, shampooed her hair, which was a rich and heavy mahogany color with deep golden highlights, using the same scent as her wash, fussed with her makeup, being careful to wear just enough to make her look interesting and grown-up. Her stomach fluttered as she peered carefully into the glass. He had to be here. Even though it was Sunday, he had to be here. She only wanted to see him, see if her reaction had only been because he startled her yesterday, the way he looked at her like he’d known her since forever.

“Finding anything interesting?” The voice jolted her and she spun to face him. “Michael! You startled me. I - I was looking for you. I thought perhaps you could tell me about that tattoo and where you thought it would look its best on me.”

Michael smiled and unlocked the shop door, pushing it open, then stepping aside to allow her to enter before him. When she passed him, her scent filled him and it took all of his control not to grab her and drag her into his rooms. He wanted her, needed her blood. Her blood. The others had been only to satisfy a hunger. But she would satisfy so much more. He would have to take his time with her. Ease her into a level of trust he knew she didn’t have yet. He found himself grateful she’d rid herself of that whiny little girl she’d dragged in here yesterday. That one was going to become a problem, he could already see it.

“So, you’ve decided then? About your tattoo? Come here with me, Suzy is it? I’ll show you my workroom and we can talk about placement.”

Suzy followed him like a happy puppy into the small ‘work room’ just off the main floor of the shop. “It’s Suzanne, actually. Suzy is just a childhood nickname. I prefer Suzanne.”

Michael smiled to himself. ‘Like fish in a barrel,’ he thought as he sat her down facing him. “I wanted to explain the tattoo to you. It’s a symbol of who and what I am. A symbol of eternity, of love and life.” He reached and touched the back of her hand with a gentle finger. “I would like to place the tattoo where only you or your lover will see it. Someplace...intimate, if you understand me.”

Suzy’s mind went to mush at his touch, at the way his eyes captivated her, and she simply nodded. Michael smiled and lifted her limp hand to his lips. He intended only a smell of her, but she was so pliant and giving, he couldn’t stop himself before he turned her hand palm up and sank fangs into her wrist. She watched him with eyes wide, and only murmured a small sigh as he drank from her. He would stop. He had to stop. He couldn’t take more yet. He forced himself to stop, lick her wounds closed and pull himself away from her. She simply blinked and smiled at him.

“I think I get your meaning, Michael. Thank you. The spot you suggested will be perfect and no one will see it but me...and my lover. I have to go now. I promised someone...oh, Angie. I promised Angie I would come by this afternoon.”

Suzy stood and blinked again. Michael stood with her and walked her to the door. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, pleased with himself when he turned her palm up to kiss again to see the punctures had healed quickly and left only two very small red dots, like bug bites to be seen by anyone else. Michael hoped the euphoria Suzy felt at present would dissipate some before she reached Angie’s house, and hoped fervently it would bring her back to him tonight. Michael thought he should have planted a suggestion as to where she’d been. Too late now to think of those things. He knew she would return and he prayed he had the willpower to hold off claiming her until the full moon. She would be eighteen by then and free to do as she pleased.

Chapter 3

Suzy walked to Angie’s house in a cloud of euphoric bliss. She’d seen Michael, spoken with him, sat in his little workroom in his shop and held a conversation with him and she was still alive. Angie didn’t know what she was talking about. There was nothing wrong with Michael. Nothing at all. She smiled dreamily to herself and turned up the walk toward Angie’s front door. It was then she noticed that as she had gotten further away from Michael, the less euphoric she had felt. She paused and almost turned to go back to see if the feeling got stronger as she got closer, but before she could do so, Angie had come out the door and was waiting for her.

“Well, for heaven’s sake, come on. Where have you been? I tried calling your house to tell you we were home, but you didn’t answer. What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling alright?”

Suzy nodded, her brow creased in a frown of curiosity. “Yea, yea, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought, I guess. Maybe you called and I was already on my way here? It’s such a beautiful day, I thought I’d walk over. Meander over is more like it, I guess. But I’m here now, so what should we do? Want to walk? Or stay in and watch movies?”

Angie smiled at her friend and opened the door. “Let’s just stay in. My mom’s making spaghetti and meatballs and Aunt Jeanna and her girlfriend are coming over. You know how much you like Aunt Jeanna. She has a new girlfriend and she wants us to meet her.”

Angie’s Aunt Jeanna had gone through a difficult break up with her former girlfriend only a year ago. So the idea she had another was exciting and intriguing. And even though Suzy was happy for Angie and her family, she felt empty and odd. She wanted to be with Michael. She couldn’t think of anything she would like better than to please him. But she felt she owed Angie the afternoon at least and maybe she could go to see Micheal later on tonight or tomorrow.

The family dinner conversation circled around the two missing hikers and the dangers of hiking in the National Forest without a GPS or at least a compass. Angie’s father said that they were city kids from upstate who had never backpacked anywhere more wild than Central Park. Aunt Jeanna said at least they weren’t local kids and she hoped they would find them soon. Her new girlfriend, Whitney, was a veterinarian and had her own practice. Suzy was impressed and asked all kinds of interesting questions and got many interesting answers. They were partly finished dessert when the phone rang and Angie’s father answered it. The two girls could tell it was something serious by the way his voice dropped and he closed the door to his study. They passed worried glanced to one another and the house got suddenly quiet, with everyone speaking in whispered tones.

When John came out of the study, he was pale and shaken. “That was your dad Suzy. He asked that you stay here until he can come and get you. He doesn’t want either of you walking anywhere or staying anywhere alone. They found the two hikers. Seems they’ve been murdered.”

There was a heartbeat of silence, then everyone was talking at once. John finally put his hand up and called for quiet. “No one has any details as yet. But Mark doesn’t want Suzy to walk home alone or be home alone. He’ll stop here when he gets done with things. If it’s too late, he’s going to stay at the station. Suzy will stay here with us and he’ll come get her in the morning. He’s asked the school board to close school tomorrow so no one has to be on the street for any reason alone. I have to agree with him. We’ve never had a murder here for as long as I can recall. Now we have two of them and to say it unsettles me wouldn’t be stretching things far at all. Jeanna, you and Whitney can stay as well, if you’re spooked about driving home.”

The two women shared a look and agreed to stay, but they would have to leave first thing in the morning because of Whitney’s veterinary practice. Since there was no time of death on the two hikers, no one could say if daylight would be any safer than the dark, but dark seemed worse for waking fears.

Angie and Suzy exchanged looks and stood to help Angie’s mom with clearing the table. “Suzy?” Angie’s voice was a whisper. “Will you let me know what’s going on as soon as you know?”

Suzy nodded. “As soon as my dad tells me anything, I’ll call you right away. This is just too weird, isn’t it? I wonder what happened to them. Those poor people.”

Angie agreed with a bob of her head and began to place the dishes into the dishwasher. Aunt Jeanna and Whitney stopped in to say good night so they could leave early in the morning to get back so Whitney could open her practice in the next city over. Suzy and Angie finished their chores and went out to sit on the front porch swing and  enjoyed the evening and the warm weather, talking and giggling about boys and their week end dates. Though Suzy wasn’t planning on a weekend date with anyone but Michael. She couldn’t tell Angie that, so she pretended to think about her friend Josh.

Chapter 4

Michael paced the floor of his rooms in the back of the little tattoo shop. Narrow streams of sunlight made their way passed the heavy drapes that covered his windows. He’d closed them since he was in no mood for the sun. Avoiding those narrow beams like the plague, he didn’t try to stop them. He usually enjoyed watching the dust motes that floated there, but not today. Today, he was furious with himself for allowing the pleasure of a taste of Suzy...Suzanne. Now she was inside him and he couldn’t shut her out.  The two in the forest were just to satisfy the need to feed and the enjoyment of watching the fear register in their eyes when they understood what he was and what he intended. He had taken them fast, his hunger unbearable. There was little pleasure in the kill, but it kept him from going out to find her. Where had she gone from here? He followed her to Angie’s through the small link that had formed when he bit her. But the longer she stayed away, the more the link faded and now he had no idea where she was.  He’d watched the police cars leave town and knew they had found the bodies. The vampire had tried to make it look like an animal attack, and hoped his ruse had been successful. But he knew from experience that wouldn’t stand for very long. Michael had wanted them to keep looking, at least until the full moon.

Where was she? He’d anticipated her returning to him before dark, had planned on seducing her. It was now nearly total dark and there was nothing from her. He had to think she wasn’t able to shed her ‘friend’ or maybe Angie had talked to Suzy’s father. That wouldn’t do at all. He stood by the window in his private bedroom and watched the moon rise. His worry ate at him. What the hell was wrong with him? She was only a human; with the sweetest blood and the most angelic face. He sucked in a sharp breath and shook his head.  Stop it you fool. Put her out of your mind. She’s nothing but human, a feeder; and beneath you.

Michael chuckled at his own nonsense, but kept watching the moon. Where was she? Why wasn’t she here? The bell at the shop door rang and he leaped to go to the front. It had to be her. She was just late, that’s all. There was no compulsion that she come to him, but he thought she wouldn’t be able to resist the pull the bite should have produced. Stuttering to a stop as he stepped into the shop, he stared at the man who stood in the middle of the floor, his mouth agape. “Good evening, Chief. How can I help you?”

Mark startled at the sound of a human voice and glanced toward the door in the back. Michael stood watching him from the open doorway, a smile toying at the edges of his mouth. “My name’s Mark McAdams. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I was wondering if you had seen either of these two young men? If maybe they stopped in to look at your designs or to get a tattoo?”

Chief McAdams laid two photos on the counter for Michael to look at. While Michael looked, the police chief stared at all the tattoos on the walls. Michael took a cursory look at the photos then shook his head. “I’m sorry, no. Have they done something wrong?”

Mark frowned. “They’re dead. Something or someone killed them in the forest not far from here. I understand the draw of young men to body art. I got my first tattoo when I was barely eighteen. So I’d hoped that they had stopped in here while on their journey. Maybe looked at pictures, made an appointment for their return?”

Michael shook his head, looking concerned and sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Chief, but they didn’t stop here. I wish they had. How were they killed? That’s too bad for their families.”

Mark nodded. “It looked like an animal attack, but we won’t know more until the M.E. gets done with his business. That may take a couple of days, depending. Well. Thanks for your help, Mr... ?”

“Michael. Just Michael. I’ve not been a ‘Mr.’ for a very long time. I wish I could have been more help, chief. I hear a lot of interesting things when I’m working on my art. If anything strikes a chord, I’ll let you know. Stop in sometime. I’ll re-ink your tat for you.”

Mark chuckled and nodded. “I might do just that one of these days. Thanks, Michael. I’ll be in again.”

Michael would have sighed if he’d had breath to do so. So that was Suzy’s father? Interesting. He drummed his fingers on the countertop for a moment, while he thought.  Then his ever-working brain drifted to Suzy and his worry was back. Maybe he should go check on her? He could just go there and make sure she was all right. No one would see him, he was certain. But he had hoped to hear from her and since she hadn’t shown up at the shop, he could only imagine she was busy somewhere. Probably home. He would check there first.

Though he didn’t need it, he grabbed a light jacket. It helped to make him look ‘normal’, as he walked the streets. He stepped out and locked the shop door, then made his way along the street, headed for the McAdams’ house. He slowed his pace as he neared the tidy little house with the picket fence and the bright red door. That always tickled him in his wanderings. He had known the sheriff lived there, but had known nothing about his lovely daughter until yesterday. Twenty-four hours ago, he’d met and tasted the one woman who drew him like no other had before. He didn’t understand it, didn’t care to try. All he knew was she was the one and he would have her. He just didn’t want to be sloppy about it.

Chapter 5

Michael paused on the walk across from the house and studied the windows. He had no idea which room was Suzy’s, so he watched them all. The upstairs rooms stayed dark, and the single light that was on downstairs never went out. She obviously wasn’t home. She had mentioned Angie, so she may be there. It was smart of her to remain indoors, off the streets. He knew a closed door wouldn’t stop him if he really wanted to get to her. But he would wait for now. At least he knew she was safe, wherever she was.

Now that he could relax about where Suzy was or wasn’t, Michael became more aware of his own needs and the demands being a vampire put on him. He started back to his shop to deal with those needs and necessities. He smelled her before he saw her. Female! Her blood scent tickled his nose and he stepped into shadow with the intent of letting her get beyond him, since it seemed she was heading straight for him.

As the woman got closer to him, instinct took over and his hunger roared through his system. He knew he shouldn’t kill here. He needed to woo her away from the village and into the forest, but there was no time. His hunger and what he was wouldn’t allow time. He stepped back into the street and started to walk toward her. She rounded the corner and he nodded as she trotted passed him. Running. What was it about humans and running? Tonight, this one would wonder why she bothered at all. He spun quickly and before she had gotten more than five paces beyond him he had her, grabbing her arm and jerking her off her feet. She opened her mouth to scream, but the only sound she made was a small whimper. His hand closed over her throat quickly as he lifted her into his arms.

The woman, small and slight in build, could only stare into red eyes that were dull from hunger and need. She wasn’t Suzy, but she would do for now. He carried her easily, his hand still at her throat.

“I won’t hurt you. I promise you, there will be very little pain.” Michael’s voice was rough with the ache inside him to feed. She whimpered and he looked down at her. “Do you have children waiting for you?” She shook her head ‘no’ and he smiled. “Excellent.” He had vowed long ago that he wouldn’t take a woman from her children.

He carried her the few blocks to his shop, then slipped into the back door. She might be fun to play with for a while. He opened his back door and slipped inside, carrying the woman into his rooms. By the time he had her secured to his bed, she was trembling. He sat down next to her and brushed his fingertips along her jaw. “Don’t be afraid, little one. I only need a taste of you.”

Michael smiled down at her, used his fingertips to turn her head away from him to expose her lovely long white neck. He leaned and sniffed. The scent of her was intoxicating. He closed his eyes and bared fangs as he let his own euphoria envelope him, then sank fangs into her neck and drank deeply. She only struggled for a short while before the bliss and sensuality of a vampire’s bite took her under and she died there on his bed, in total surrender. He finished her, then sat up. His hunger was sated for now, but she hadn’t struggled enough. The rush of the kill wasn’t there. And now he was left with a body to move. He glanced at the window to judge the time. Too close to dawn. There was no way to get her out of the village and into the forest. And he would have to take her deeper this time. They can’t find her as fast as they found the other two. Making  the decision to keep her until night and move her then, Michael went to the basement for the plastic and tarp. They would hunt for her, but there was nothing to lead anyone to his doorstep and he hoped to be gone long before the woman was found. Taking the sheriff’s lovely daughter with him when he left.

He easily hid the body of the woman, then set out to go about his day. He began by pulling the heavy drapes over his easterly window. The heat would decay the body too rapidly, and he didn’t want that. He’d read about those dogs that found bodies, and he had no desire to meet one face to face for several reasons. He’d managed to get through most of the night without Suzy crossing his mind, but now the image of her crashed into his head unbidden. Damn it! This had to stop.

While he changed his clothes, he snarled at no one and headed for the front of the shop. He would have to see what he could do to get his woman into his clutches soon. If she stopped in, perhaps another more serious taste of her. Maybe it was time to take this to another level. He didn’t want to kill her, didn’t want to feed on her. He wanted to change her, take her as his. He would have to plan today and make every attempt to get Suzy into his shop again. He glanced at the calendar to see when the moon was full. He had only a few days to get things finished and in order before he had to make his move.

His priority for the evening was to remove the body from his rooms. In the meantime, he had to open his shop and wait on the customers. Perhaps he could find something sweet and tender before his evening activity. Something to give him a bit of a rush and a little more strength. He’d made no plans of further kills, but one never knew who would enter his shop or when. His smile was vicious as he made his plans and answered the questions of those who found their way into his little place of business. He saw the police car when it pulled up to the curb so he met the man at the door.

“Chief. You’re making a habit of gracing my place of business. Welcome.” He stepped aside for the man to enter. Chief McAdams’ nodded as he did so, glancing around to be certain they were alone.

“The M.E. preliminary report is back. I know a lot of your business here in town is at night, so I thought I’d warn you. It was some kind of animal. More work has to be done, but from what we know right now, the young men were killed by some kind of animal. Maybe you should keep to indoor activities for a little while until this can be cleared up. We’re setting traps now and hope to trap the thing and get it relocated if it’s not sick. If it is, then we’ll put it down. But maybe you could try to encourage your customers to come during the day. I’m imposing an ‘off the street’ curfew of seven pm.”

Michael nodded gravely. “That is very wise of you, Chief. One never knows what’s wandering the forests. Sick, injured, crazed. Animals do strange things when backed into a corner, threatened or hungry. I will curb my business to fit your curfew. Thank you for telling me.”

Mark nodded. “Thanks. That will help keep the kids off the street. I know they like to at least gawk in your windows. I appreciate your keeping your tattoo art to those of legal age. Keeps the parents calm.”

Michael simply smiled and nodded. Just as Mark turned to leave, the door opened and Suzy stepped in. Michael’s mouth watered at the sight of her and her eyes oggled at her father. “Dad! I saw your car out front. Is everything okay? Are you on your way home? I could use a lift if you are. I walked to Angie’s and now I’m a little afraid to walk back home alone.” She was babbling and she knew it. She had stopped to talk to Michael and now that was impossible.

She couldn’t stop staring at Michael and it was with great difficulty that the man turned his attention back to the police chief. “Your daughter? What a lovely girl, Sheriff.” He turned back to Suzy with a smile that nearly had her swooning. “Welcome to my shop. Perhaps when you’re older, you will come in for a look around. But right now, you’re underage.”

Suzy smiled, but her eyes narrowed just a bit. “I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks.” She took offense to him referring to her as ‘young’. “Dad? Can you take me home?”

Mark snapped out of his shock at seeing his daughter in the tattoo shop and nodded. “Sure can, Suzy. Come on, let’s go.” He blinked at Michael as if seeing him for the first time. “Thanks for your cooperation, Michael. I’ll be stopping by later to get that tat re-inked.”

Michael nodded. “Anytime. You won’t even need an appointment.” He winked at Suzy and turned away before he attacked them both. The girl had no idea what her very presence did to him. As soon as he was alone, he snarled and stuffed his shaking hands into the pockets of his jeans. He was running out of time; he had to act soon if he was going to take the girl. He closed the shop earlier than normal and went back into his rooms to prepare the woman’s body. As soon as he felt at ease, he would remove her body and take her into the deep woods and leave her to the animals there. It would take them awhile to find her and he would be long gone by then. Along with the sheriff’s lovely daughter.

Michael paced away the minutes and hours until the village slept, then moved the body of the woman he’d killed. He had wrapped her in plastic earlier and now he placed her in the back of his truck, covered her with a tarp and began his journey. He drove always within the speed limit and never tried to hurry past police cars he spotted or make any odd maneuvers. When he reached the road he would use to enter the national forest, he paused as he waited, watched and listened. There was nothing to tell him of any danger, so he went on with his grim chore. After driving for nearly two hours, he stopped and nodded. Far enough. He unloaded his grizzly package and took her farther into the forest on foot, making certain to leave no trail anyone could find right away. He moved with vampiric speed and by the time he felt safe enough to drop his load, he had gone several hundred miles into the deep woods.

At hearing the roar of a mountain lion, Michael nodded. “Here’s your dinner, then. She’s a tasty morsel, if I do have to say.”  He unwrapped her body, stripped her naked, then let her roll a bit down a small embankment.

He placed her clothing, the plastic and the tarp into a black bag and quickly returned to his truck. He would dispose of that bundle as soon as he could. He found an abandoned campsite and used the fire pit to burn the items he’d used to move the woman’s body and her clothing. He watched and waited until everything was ash, adding wood when it was needed. Satisfied that every bit of fabric and plastic was gone, he covered the remaining coals with sand, then climbed back into his truck and headed for home. He slipped inside quietly as the sun was turning the dark night into the soft purple of dawn. Michael stripped, showered and then went to bed. He could rest for a few hours. Being a vampire, he never truly slept. Not like the humans.When he woke it would be soon enough to begin his plan to ensnare Suzy, make her his and leave the village to the humans. He cared little for the shop and its supplies. He could always get more. Besides, the tattoo he longed to place on Suzy’s lush body was only for his enjoyment and hers.

Chapter 6

Michael spent the day in frustration. He wanted Suzy, but he didn’t want to take her roughly, without heat. He wanted her to come to him. He was testy with his customers, short with himself. He paced and thought and snarled at every shadow that crossed his door. Growled at every human because they weren’t Suzy. What the hell was wrong with him?

At noon, he put up a sign that said he was out to lunch, and hunkered himself down in his rooms. Need clawed at his belly like a hunger and desire swept through him as a wave that crested then crashed over him. His tongue brushed against his sharp incisors as he struggled to hold on to the humanity that was Michael Zarkov. That was what let him stay among the humans. His ability to blend in, to mix with them well.

It was a gift left to him by the one who had mentored him at his change. She had only stayed with him for a short while, before she told him he had to make his own mark, learn to live in a world that shunned his kind and killed them with regularity. He felt he had progressed well enough, but lately the thought of spending eternity alone didn’t hold any appeal with him.

He’d had human lovers. But once they began to age and he hadn’t, they became burdensome with their begging to remain with him and stay forever young. He didn’t want that kind of female. He wanted one who loved him first and the vampire second. One who wanted to stay with him because he was Michael Zarkov, not because he was ‘Michael’ and immortal. He hadn’t known that was what he was waiting for until he met Suzy. His first look at her had him salivating. Then she was inside him and he couldn’t stop the want or desire. He was so lost in his revery, he snarled at the voice that called his name.

“Michael? Are you here? Hello?”

Sweet Jesus, she was here. In his shop. He struggled to pull himself back to the present and give her an answer. Just as he rose from his chair, she spoke again, this time from his doorway. “Michael?” She stopped when he snarled at her and stared at him. “I...I’m sorry. I thought maybe you were sick. Your ‘out to lunch’ sign is still up and the door was unlocked. It’s after six, so I was worried you were ill. Are you alright? You don’t look well.”

She started toward him and he stepped back. “Stop. Let me get myself oriented and I’ll be right out.” He didn’t know what he would do with her standing in his doorway, looking for all the world like ‘prey’.  She took another step forward and he took another back. His legs hit the edge of his bed and he caught himself before he fell.

She stopped and looked around the simple living room. There was nothing striking about the furniture, nothing untoward or ‘bohemian’. She frowned at Michael and nervously fidgeted with her fingers that she had clasped in front of her. “A woman’s gone missing, Michael. Her parents said she’d gone out for a jog two nights ago and hasn’t returned.”

He watched her as she examined the room they were in. It occurred to him she was afraid, but not of him. Not of being alone with him. This puzzled him a bit. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. I know that makes more work for your father and leaves you alone more often than not. But you’re safe. Nothing will happen to you, I swear.”

“And you know this how? How can you say that with such confidence? Will you keep me safe? Do you know something, Michael?”

He shook his head and smiled at her. “I’ll keep you safe, Suzanne. With my very life, I will keep you safe.” Because I have to keep you safe to keep my own sanity. Because I need you like the stars need the sky. Because you are my hope, my home, my light. But he couldn’t say that to her. Not now.

He shouldn’t have taken the woman. Not so close to the others. What had he been thinking? He had used her to sate a hunger that only one woman would satisfy in him. His blue eyes rimmed red and his fangs pushed against his tongue. He turned away from her quickly and hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“Michael? Are you sick? Do you need something to eat? I can get you something if you want. I’ll just go lock up and turn off the lights out there and we can enjoy a meal together. Unless you don’t want to spend time with me?”

He answered her without turning. “I’m not sick. You just surprised me. If your father knew you were here, I could be in a lot of trouble.”

“I just thought - I mean, I’d hoped that you would want to be with me. My dad isn’t home and probably won’t be home for a while. It’s my birthday tomorrow. He always takes the day off and we celebrate with Angie and her parents. So I thought....Michael? Please look at me.” Something was very wrong, she could sense it, but didn’t know what it was. Since he didn’t respond, she shrugged to herself. “I probably should go.”

She was leaving? Leaving?!  No! No, no, no...she couldn’t leave. “Please, don’t leave. I want you to stay with me.” His back was still to her and she frowned at him. He turned then and let her see the red that rimmed those Irish blue eyes, let her see the fangs that brushed his lower lip. “Stay with me, Suzy. Be my forever.”

Suzy ‘eeped’ and tried to turn and run. What was wrong with him? He’d never looked like that before. Michael lunged and pulled her to him, feeling her heart rabbiting around in her chest, her pulse hammering in her neck. Wrapping his arms around her, Michael brushed his lips against her neck. “I want you. Since the first day I saw you, I’ve wanted you. I want you to be forever with me.I can make you like me, Suzy and we can stay together for eternity.”

Suzy kicked and squirmed, panting in her sudden fear of him. Her fight only drove Michael into further frenzy. “Please, Michael. Please, don’t kill me. I...I’ll stay with you for as long as you want, but please don’t kill me.”

He felt her shiver and laughed at her fear. “You still don’t understand, do you my little mouse? I killed those boys in the forest because I had to feed. I killed the woman as well, but they’ll search a long time before they find that one. I wasn’t quite so careless with her.”

Suzy could feel the strength in him and knew she would die before morning. Nothing he was saying was getting through the terror as she gulped air and tears slipped from frantic, fear-filled eyes. Michael was behind her and he held her with one hand as the other pulled her hair away from that sweet spot on her neck.  “I won’t let you die, Suzy. I will teach you how to live.”

Michael hadn’t wanted to end this in this manner. He’d envisioned candles and soft music. A sincere discussion of what he could offer her and pictured her in his mind as accepting and loving. But the situation called for action. He nudged her head slightly, turning her face away from him. He’d wanted to watch the euphoria as it slid over her, as she climaxed in his arms  before she “died” and he fed her to bring her back to him.

His words soft whispers in her ear as he spoke. “I’m sorry I have to cause you pain before you feel pleasure, Suzy. But I feel pushed to change you now. I hadn’t planned on this tonight, but I’ll give you a nice birthday present.” Soft sensual lips brushed her skin again and he heard her whimper. “Shsh. This won’t take but a few minutes.” He bared fangs and leaned into her just as the bell on the shop door chimed. Michael cursed and then smiled at Suzy.

“Make a sound and I will kill whoever is out there. Understand?” As Suzy nodded, he sat her in the overstuffed chair and kissed her. “Not a peep.”

He went out to the shop, wiping his hands on a small towel. “Ah, Chief McAdams. What brings you by this evening?” Damn the man! Would he ever be rid of him?

Suzy caught the sob in her throat. Her father? She battled between running to him, screaming or being silent and taking Michael at his threat. She couldn’t risk her father, so she stayed very still in the chair and wept silently, shivering with fear.

“Michael. I just noticed your door was open and was checking to make certain you weren’t in any trouble here.” The Chief nodded his head at seeing Michael still standing.

“I’m sorry. Must be my last customer didn’t pull it tight enough to stay. You know these old buildings and their little quirks. I was just cleaning up. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll close it and lock it from in here.”

Mark nodded again and left the building. Michael followed him immediately and closed the door, flipping the deadbolt and drawing the shade down to indicate the shop was closed. Returning to the back, he smiled at Suzy, but there was nothing gentle in that smile.

“Now. Where were we? Ah, yes. You and your delectable blood.” Michael’s eyes changed and Suzy shrank back against the chair. “I won’t hurt you, Suzy. I want to spend my life with you. And it’s a very long life.”

Michael reached for her and yanked her to him. Now, Michael, Now!!  Take her now before she’s aware. Michael’s blood pounded through his veins, threatening to burst from him, blanking out all other sound. He viciously bit and drank from her. She fought at first, struggling to escape his clutches. Her struggles only fanned the blaze of need surging within him. He sank fangs deeper, took more, took quickly until she was nothing. Until her heart had stopped and he was sated. He hadn’t known it would feel like that. Her blood washed through him like a cleansing fire. He pressed her face to his chest for only a moment before he tore open his wrist and forced blood into her mouth.

“Take, my love. Take and live. Take and be with me for eternity.” He waited patiently until she began to drink, her hands clutching his arm, drinking from him on  her own. Michael smiled as he waited until she had pulled away from him. Mine!  He felt the draw, the pull they shared for one another and it lightened his heart a little. She was his and he, without question, was hers.

Michael would disappear into the night, into the dark, with Suzy at his side. And no one would ever find them. He stood by the window and watched the moon rise. They would leave soon....very soon. Before anyone missed her and her friend Angie would begin to put the bits and pieces together in her head. Michael and Suzy would be very far away before that happened.