Cured By Blood: A Vampire Pregnancy Romance (3 page)

The back entry was two large French doors with the same beveled glass and dark wood lattice stylings. The house looked to have a third floor, but the windows there were much smaller, leading her to believe it was either a very large attic, or an area that could receive only small amounts of sunlight.

“Tara, welcome to my home,” Dru announced, his arms wide as he walked toward her, “if you please, we can head inside and I will make us a beverage. Then we can sit in the study or the library, or whichever one of the rooms I have probably forgotten about.”

Tara shook her head in amazement and followed him to the back door. He ushered her inside, and letting out a deep breath, Tara stepped in, unsure and baffled as to what other wonders this night would bring.

CHAPTER FOUR

Dru felt as if something within him, a tiny little ember, had begun to rekindle. The wonder on Tara’s face, the hesitancy when he mentioned coming back to his home, the marvel at the place he had lived so long, he had forgotten his own original reaction. Feelings and thoughts that had fallen dormant were beginning to wake up again.

Her face was always so ready to smile, and her eyes had shown a scrolling list of emotions as she took in each sight or conversation. He felt himself amazed that the one person to make him begin to feel again, in his long years of nothing, would be someone with so little of a life left to live. The irony was sad, and painful, but beautiful in the way that the balance of life and death could be.

“So what would you like? I was unsure if alcohol was something you partook in. I have teas, sodas, and other beverages as well.” Dru watched as she eased herself onto one of the six stools at the marble topped bar in the kitchen.

“Um, tea is fine. Do you have chamomile?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” Dru filled the kettle and retrieved the third jar in the second row of the herb shelf, “I love the fragrance of herbal teas, or any teas. Coffee as well. Most of the herbs come from my back garden.”

“That’s amazing. I would love to have my own garden, but apartments aren’t much suited for something like that.” Her eyes scanned the large space, the stainless steel griddle and ovens, the marble counter tops and sinks, darkly stained wooden cabinets, and the racks (not unlike bookshelves) of teas, herbs, spices, and other additives.

“Honestly, I am amazed at all you have here. I wouldn’t expect a vampire to have much of a need for a kitchen.” Her face revealed a small frown, and he could see where her thoughts were headed.

“Well, yes, as you may well know, I do have a bit of entertaining to do. Donors, for my bodily needs are kept in good comfort, of course. I also have servants that come in during certain hours. There are two maids, a gardener, a maintenance man, and when I am entertaining large groups of people, I have a company, I have use for waiters, waitresses, and butlers, and sometimes a valet.” Dru poured the boiling liquid into the cup; the steam rose up with the sweet smell of the yellow flowers.

“Oh, I see. You don’t come across as someone who ‘entertains’ often.” She held the cup in both hands, leaning over to deeply inhale the soothing scent, “But I suppose wealth and notoriety kind of make that mandatory at times.”

“Yes, it does, much to my displeasure. Though, it can be stimulating when I have one of my academic dinners. They always want to come to some big dinner and then grill me about history or literary figures, science and so on.” Dru sat on the stool across from Tara, tilting his head as he watched her close her eyes and sip the tea.

“Mmm, perfect chamomile to honey ratio,” Tara opened her eyes, they widened slightly when she realized he was watching her, “Thank you for the tea, and the gallery.”

“You are very welcome, Tara. The pleasure was mine to give,” he saw her shiver slightly at the word pleasure, making him feel a mixture of sadness and arousal, when was the last time she had true pleasure?

“So, at what point is it no longer rude for me to blast you with questions?” Her smirk was playful and her blatancy refreshing.

“Well, I feel that getting the ones that are bouncing around in the pretty head of yours out and about first would make the rest of our conversations much easier.” Dru returned her smirk as she blushed faintly under the dim ambient light.

“Ok, so you are 810 years old?”

“Yes, I am.”

“So when, exactly, were you born?”

“The year was 1206 A.D. and it was in Norway, during the civil wars involving the Danish explorers and the remaining Viking clans of that era. It was a transitional time in Norwegian history, and at the beginning of the Nordic medieval era.”

“Wow!” Tara’s wide-eyed fascination gave him a rare pleasure at disclosing his earliest years. “That is almost too much to wrap my head around. You do look Nordic, but I didn’t want to be presumptuous in calling you a Viking.”

“Well, to presume, in this instance, would be correct.”

“That is so amazing.”

“Do you mind if we exchange question for question? I feel your honesty is a refreshing change to the usual meeting banter I go through, and I have much to ask of my own. It will definitely help break down any barriers of conversation faux pas.”

“Yes,” Tara nodded, “I agree. I’m sure questions about my situation and health will be no less evasive than me asking about all the curiosities running through my brain.”

“Very well. What kind of cancer do you have?” He watched the anguish flash behind her eyes only momentarily before she gave him a gentle smile and explained.

“It started as ovarian, my right ovary I believe. I always had pelvic pains and issues with endometritis and cysts, so I never really gave it a thought when it kept getting worse. By the time I collapsed at work, it had spread and was in my bones and my blood. Stage IV with approximately six months to a year, if I am lucky and take my medicine, don’t get sick, and eat healthy.”

Dru reached across the counter to touch her hand. She startled momentarily before giving him the weak smile again, and nodding slightly.

“I think I’ve come to terms with it. The best I can, really.” Dru opened his mouth to speak but she held up a finger, “My turn. How did you become so wealthy? No lies or fibs or anything, I don’t care about the answer, I’m just curious.”

“Truth only and off-the-record?”

“Of course.”

“Ah, well, in the beginning I was simply a farmer who occasionally joined war parties for loot and whatever. After I was turned, however, I spent quite a bit of time in the shadows. I stole from my victims and their homes. Eventually I became more careful about what I took and quietly accrued wealth while spending the majority of my days studying anything and everything I could get my hands on.

This helped me gather knowledge as well as become part of prominent circles with my ideas on science and laws and such. I eventually put my ideas to good use by helping inventors, writers, and other scientist in exchange for pay. I didn’t want notoriety or fame, only the means to get by.

As time went by, the money began to gather. I had this home built in the 1700s.  Most of the time, up until the 1800s, most of my larger gains were through questionable, if not illegal, means. But by then I could invest in gold and coal mining. I became an invisible contributor to certain countries and governments of goods that they had issue with obtaining.

The true growth happened in the 1900s, though. That is when industry became a big item, and investing as well as purchasing companies was a very large payoff. The addition of stocks and bonds and investments capped off the last century and allowed me to make quite a legitimate backing for myself.

When we came out, the government only required us to give them the last fifty years of our life as information on criminal activity, money accruement, and citizen status.”

“Well,” Tara sat back, her tea almost gone, “that is admirable, honestly. I expected as much, about the early years, but I also know there is a lot of media portrayal of vampires that are wealthy now getting it from large thefts and government corruption and some super natural stuff.”

“Yes, I have read of this. Supposedly we make the wealthy our slaves. I know of a vampire who was accused of enslaving movie stars and keeping their money, leaving them to spiral out of control on drugs, alcohol, and illegal activities. Though, I found it hilarious, he was absolutely offended.”

“Aww, I always wondered if that was true! You would see these amazing actors and then they would just start looking worse and worse and eventually it was a drug overdose or prison and everyone tries to say that it had to be something else, ‘so and so would never.’ I guess people just have a hard time believing that.”

“People want to look for monsters everywhere but in the mirror.”

Tara nodded, sitting her mug on the countertop. Dru rose from his seat and offered her a hand down.

“Let’s go sit in the library. I have a feeling you will really enjoy it there.”

Tara agreed and followed him through the wide halls, over the plush velvety rugs, as he took her to one of the many heavy, ornate doors. He pushed it open with one hand and flicked a switch with another. As the gentle lighting filled the dark spaces, she gasped. Dru smiled as he crossed the room to the fireplace.

Kneeling down he started the fire while Tara slowly came over towards him. Her head was bent back, her mouth open in awe as she slowly turned, and taking in the two stories of floor to ceiling book cases. Dru moved to one of the overstuffed wing-backed chairs in front of the fire and waited as Tara made her way over.

“How many books do you have?” Tara sat down, though her head was still swiveling from side to side, taking in the expansive collection.

“I don’t quite know, actually. There are more on the third floor in my smaller library. Those, though, are aged to the point of needing to be kept out of sunlight and in a controlled environment.”

“More? Wow. I am just a mess of amazement tonight.” Tara laughed as she sat back in the chair opposite of Dru. Once again he felt his own face loosen into a rare authentic smile.

“I do believe it is my turn?”

“Yes, by all means,” Tara motioned for him to continue.

“I find it oddly understandable and see the symmetry in looking for a vampire to befriend. I am curious, though, as to why you are not looking to change? I thought the government had regulations allowing the process to be cheaper and easier for those that are young and skilled in certain professions.”

“Oh, well, I guess they might. Then again, my profession is taking blood from people, so I’m not really sure what they would think of that. Even with the license for a new changeling being cheaper for certain qualifying people, it is still way more than I make in four or five years. On top of that, I am not the biggest fan of the government regulating vampires.

I understand they have to keep from overpopulating the world with them, but I don’t think that they need to be registered like an illegal immigrant and have everyone know their business. I mean, people wear contacts and do crazy hair and make-up, so it can be easy to fit in, and if vampires were so dangerous and unpredictable, you would think that they wouldn’t have bothered coming out in a peaceful manner, they would have just rebelled and took over.”

Druian was surprised at her knowledge and stance on the government regulations. He felt the same way, though he was biased in the situation. He had also never really thought of the cost as being so high, though once again he sat on the side of the scale that most people did not.

This is why the majority of the newly turned were wealthy politicians and movie stars. Though politicians were still limited by the two to eight year terms for political positions, and couldn’t yet be in any position in the top 15 seats of succession of the American government or the leadership positions of other governments.

“And you’re a phlebotomist?”

“Yes. I work at the county emergency room in the lab, well, I did work there.”

“Convenient place to succumb to your health problems?”

“Yes, that is very true!” Tara couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of it all.

“So cost and government prevents you from wanting to live eternally?”

“Those are my biggest reasons. I suppose a part of me wants to, but then again I would not be me anymore. I don’t know how much of me would still be there. I couldn’t do my job anymore, since vampires can’t work in the medical field. I would be uncomfortable enjoying a sunny day, although I am not a big fan of the sun and heat anyway.

And of course, there are the dietary changes. I’m not sure how I would feel living off the blood of people. I suppose it has to do with my job, but I have taken so much blood in my years at the hospital, that it all seems like a medical process. Gloves and masks, sanitary conditions, and still sometimes the patients are in such a bad shape that you expect the blood to come out green or a sickly yellow. I can’t imagine consuming that.”

“Well, there is a lot of choice once your body requires it. Sort of the way you look at a steak. It’s delicious and you want to eat it, but what if you had to kill the cow, cut out the meat from its body, and then eat it? Would it still be as pleasant? Maybe not. Does your body still require it? Of course. And so you would still eat it, there would just be new images and sensory input into the meal.”

“Hm, that makes since, I suppose.” Tara turned in the chair, leaning on one of the winged sides, and giving Dru a slow smile, “my turn.”

Dru motioned for her to continue, his curiosity peaking with her playful tone.

“Sex. Is it really better when you a vampire? Is it better with a vampire? And how bad is your libido?”

“Well, that seems like three questions, but I will try to tackle them,” Dru looked at Tara, willing his seductive abilities to amplify, his heavy lidded gaze locking into her own, he saw her shiver and nibble the corner of her bottom lip.

“Yes, yes, and nothing is bad about it. My senses are heightened, and so the experience is much more pleasurable. Although in the wrong situation, it can be much worse. Smell is more sensitive, touch, sight, temperature, taste, it is all enhanced. As long as I am not in a trash filled alley way and the woman partakes in regular hygiene care, it is amazing. As for the one with me, I have heard it is better.