Agatha rushed to place her hands-on Kira’s shoulders to prevent her from rising up out of the coffin while she shouted to Tim and Edwin, “Ye men need to stand back now. She is a vampire who has been without blood for several centuries. I must have a chance to be with her before she sees ye.”
Tim wasted no time running to hide behind the trunk of an ancient oak tree, but Edwin didn’t move. Agatha warned him a second time before she turned her focus on Kira. He backed up, but didn’t hide. He might be crazy, but something told him he didn’t need to.
He listened intently as Agatha reintroduced herself to Kira. She reminisced about the events that led up to placing her in the magical coffin and then explained the reason it was imperative that they flee as quickly as possible.
A squirrel skittered up the tree next to him. With minimal thought or effort, Edwin caught it and walked toward the newly awakened vampire.
Holding the traumatized squirrel out for Agatha, he said, “Here,” and then retreated.
Agatha took the squirrel and handed it to Kira, who greedily drank its blood. When she’d finished, she asked for more. With a speed and proficiency that shocked him, Edwin caught two more squirrels and delivered them to the beautiful vampire. This time, he personally gave them to her.
Kira eyed Edwin warily with emerald green eyes that bore into him with an intensity he never thought possible. For the first time since they’d dug her up, he worried for his safety.
“’Tis foolish of ye to expose yourself to a starving vampire,” Agatha growled. “Get thee away or I cannot be held responsible.”
“What about you?” Edwin asked timidly.
“She will not kill me, but I cannot say the same for thee,” Agatha said briskly.
The reality of the situation suddenly sank in. Fear consumed Edwin and his heart threatened to explode in his chest as he rushed to join Tim behind the thick oak tree.
“Are you out of your mind?” Tim hissed when his friend skidded next to him.
“I think so,” Edwin panted.
“I can’t believe any of this is happening. Vampires… witches… this is like some sci-fi nightmare,” Tim complained. “It was supposed to be a simple hunting trip with a few friends.”
“Speaking of friends. I wonder how Mark is doing with the SUV. I’d like to get the hell out of here,” Edwin whispered.
“Do you plan on leaving them behind?” Tim asked in a hushed tone.
“Do you want to ride in an SUV with a three-hundred-year-old, hungry vampire?” Edwin asked. “I don’t care how beautiful she is. I, for one, do not.”
“She is a beauty, isn’t she?” Tim said as he watched Agatha release her hold on the vampire as she majestically emerged from the coffin.
“She’s magnificent,” Edwin said with an awestruck tone. After shaking his head to clear it, he added, “and she’s also lethal.”
They were taken by surprise when Kira suddenly took off into the forest, leaving Agatha to magically dispose of the coffin and close over the hole to the point it looked as if they’d never dug into the road.
“She has gone to feed,” Agatha informed them as she approached the tree they hid behind. “She shall return satiated and ye shall be safe.”
“What does she plan on feeding on?” Tim asked warily.
“Blood is what she requires,” Agatha said as she gave him a puzzled look.
“Animal or human?” Tim persisted.
“Ah, now I understand,” she said with a smile. “Kira is a kindly soul. Now that her head is clear and she thinks like her old self, she seeks only animal blood. She will hunt for a larger beast, such as a deer or a wolf; something that can afford to donate blood without loss of life. Had she not been in such immediate need of blood, she would have spared the squirrels.”
“I was only trying to help,” Edwin said self-consciously.
“Aye, that ye did. ‘Twas good, quick thinking on thy part. Ye are a brave man, Edwin Jameson,” Agatha said warmly.
The sound of the SUV coming up the narrow road caught their attention. Tim rushed to greet Mark and forewarn him of the events that took place in his absence. Still believing he was the victim of one of Tim’s pranks, it took Kira zipping back through the woods at high speed to convince him otherwise.
Tim and Mark hovered at the SUV while they watched Kira approach Agatha and Edwin. Neither had the nerve to venture closer. Mark couldn’t help voicing his concern over Edwin’s sanity, after which Tim informed him that he’d already brought that very topic up to Edwin.
“Crazy or not, you should have seen him,” Tim said enthusiastically. “Such balls. I hi-tailed it behind the nearest tree as soon as Agatha said to hide, but Edwin just stood there. The witch reprimanded him and told him to hide several times, but he stayed put.”
“So, you’re calling her a witch now?” Mark said with the shake of his head.
“What would you call her?” Tim asked impatiently. He was beginning to grow tired of Mark’s resistance to what was plainly in front of him.
“Crazy,” Mark replied.
“The only crazy one here is you, buddy,” Tim said. “Being frozen in place and teleported here should have been enough to convince you. It’s like you have a mental block or something.”
“Okay, so she’s a witch. I’ll go with that if I need to,” Mark murmured. “What about the girl. You aren’t going to tell me she’s really a vampire, are you?”
“It was magnificent watching as she emerged from the coffin. It was nothing short of majestic. Edwin captured three squirrels for her to feed on before she took off to find a larger animal,” Tim said.
“I would have liked to have seen that,” Mark said as he watched Edwin shuffle his feet and bow his head while in what looked to be deep conversation with the two women.
“I thought we were supposed to book it out of here asap?” Mark said.
“Which reminds me,” Tim said eagerly. “How much trouble was it to get here?”
“None, really,” Mark said with a shrug. “The caretaker plowed the drive and the roads are cleared. The only real snow I had to deal with was what’s on this road.”
“How far in are we?” Tim asked.
“About three-quarters of a mile,” Mark replied. “I’m getting edgy. I want to leave.”
“I’ll go ask what’s up,” Tim said as he tapped the hood of the SUV and headed toward Edwin and the two women.
He reached them just in time to hear Agatha inform Edwin that he was to be bonded and mated with Kira. He studied his friend’s reaction with wonder and concern. He seemed almost pleased by the news. Had the witch put a spell on him or something? Edwin had always had an aversion to commitments. It was that way since he was a child. It had been some time since he’d gotten together with his old friend, but he couldn’t imagine him shedding such a deep-rooted phobia over the matter of months. Had he received counseling from one of his colleagues for it? Even so, Kira was a vampire!
He had to be under a spell.
“Oh, good,” Agatha said as she watched Tim approach. “We were just coming to ye. It has been decided that we will go to Edwin’s family cabin on the Canadian border.”“Right now?” Tim asked with surprise.“Aye,” Agatha replied. “We must make haste.”“I don’t know about…,” Tim began before Edwin interrupted him.“You can hunt just as easily in New Hampshire,” Edwin said.“That cabin gives me the creeps,” Tim admitted.“It’s not creepy, it’s rustic,” Edwin said playfully.“When was the last time you were there, brave ass?” Tim grumbled.“It’s been a while, but it’s fine,” Edwin assured him.“I don’t have a hunting license for New Hampshire,” Tim pouted. “None of us do.”“We must leave,&
Kira stood in the middle of the cabin with a look of sadness. Aware of her every move and mood, Edwin was quick to ask her what was wrong.“I am reminded of home,” she practically choked out. “When I crept from the house before all were awake, it was with the intention of retrieving the cloth my aunt shipped from my homeland. It was my plan to surprise mother with a new dress. Little did I know I would never set eyes on her again.”“That’s horrible,” Edwin said in a hushed, emotional tone. “I’m so sorry.”“Ye are not bothered that I am a vampire?” she asked in a soft, gentle voice as she stepped nearer to him. “I am a danger to thee.”He’d been so engrossed in her natural beauty and the way she made him feel complete whenever they were in close proximity that he’d forgotten the fact that she was also a vampire; a reputed predator and danger to manki
Thanks to Mark’s stubbornness and generosity, the cabin was provided with enough modern amenities to make it quite cozy. He purchased a gas powered generator for electricity and a portable gas grill for cooking that had two burners on the side; making it possible to cook a complete meal on it. A dorm size refrigerator was also purchased to hold the necessities such as eggs and butter. Although both Kira and Agatha studied these items in wonderous awe, the table lamps he’d purchased caused the greatest curiosity. He questioned if the light bulbs would burn out before they ceased turning the lamps on and off.Tim concerned himself with the sleeping arrangements; purchasing several air mattresses and down filled sleeping bags.Edwin concentrated on making sure that they had the proper cooking and eating utensils, since his family had always taken them there and carted them away when they left. He also picked up a few heavy quilts for good mea
Edwin and Tim stood against the wall while they watched Kira and Agatha prepare themselves and the beds for them. True to her word about it being a ceremony of sorts, Agatha spread some type of herb on the floor around the beds before brushing it onto Kira’s naked body and then her own; all the while chanting in a language they couldn’t understand.“Have you ever done something like this?” Tim whispered.“I’m not sure I can,” Edwin said. “Not only is it a command performance, but it’s a command performance twice over and with an audience.”“There’s nothing I’d like more than to make love to Agatha. I find her hot as hell, but not like this,” Tim said. “I can’t say that I’m all that excited about sharing her with you and Mark either.”“Same goes for Kira,” Edwin said. “I hate the fact that you’re seeing her n
“They’re all settled out there. Are you sleepy?” Edwin asked as he returned to the bedroom.“I know not what I am,” she replied. “All of this is new to me. My body feels like ‘tis mine, but in a different way.”“That must be difficult,” Edwin said as he stood next to the bed.Kira took a moment to admire him in the candlelight. His bare chest had a thin layer of sandy hair. Broad and muscular, it tapered into tight, narrow hips. She’d had the opportunity to view his backside while they stood naked just minutes earlier, so she knew it was also tight and firm. If asked what the perfect specimen of a man looked like, she would have to say it looked like him.“Ye may come to bed if ye wish,” she said softly when she noticed him shuffling his feet as if not knowing what to do with himself.With a timid smile, he crawled into the only bed the cabin
Agatha listened intently to the muffled sounds of love making going on in the room next door with mixed emotions. She was happy to know that Edwin was protecting Kira by mixing his energy with hers, but she was also a little sad and, possibly even jealous, over the fact that Kira was being made love to while she lay alone in front of the fire. While it was true that she still had her maidenhead, she’d mentally prepared herself to lose it for Kira’s sake.Tim was the first man she’d set eyes on - -ever- who could tempt her to give up her maidenhead, even if she didn’t have to do so to protect Kira. She found him desirable beyond words and she sensed he felt the same about her. Although she was relieved when the ghost stopped the ceremony and prevented her from having to have sex with all three men, a part of her wished it had waited until after she’d been with Tim.She’d donned her shift for modesty’s sak
Edwin struggled to bring his foggy mind out of the peaceful depths of slumber. He worked hard to remember where he was as he caressed Kira’s sleeping form that was wrapped possessively in his embrace. Thoughts of the most incredible love making he’d ever experienced rushed back to him and he smiled with satisfaction. Not only was the woman in his arms beautiful, but she was phenomenal in bed.The thought of her willingness the night before brought on an immediate erection. He was about to tease her sleeping body into wanting sex when a crash from the other room caught his attention and woke Kira with a start. All thoughts of sex went by the wayside as he and Kira lept from the bed and hurried to dress so that they could check out the commotion.Kira made a mental note to thank Edwin once more for the unusual looking, yet, easily donned and extremely comfortable shirt and britches as she followed him out into the main room.They opened the
Edwin waited for everyone to settle down in the main room of the cabin to be sure he had their attention before speaking. “I’ve done my best to listen to what Tim and Mark have to say. Agatha, I haven’t spoken with you, but, unless you have something you want to add, I’d like to give my medical opinion on what occurred.” When Agatha looked to the floor in silence, he continued. “I believe that Mark experienced an episode of alcohol induced somnambulism; or, in layman’s terms… sleepwalking. It is a genuine condition that can be brought on by a variety of circumstances; one being stress. No one can deny the stress that we’ve all been under since we left the city. Combine that with an excessive intake of alcohol and… well… you know the rest.”“Kids sleepwalk, not adults,” Mark complained.“That’s not true,” Ed