Bloodseeker - Colin's Conquest Part 16

"Hus.h.!.+ You may want some too when you hear what I've got to say." She bit off a chunk and savored it a moment, then she went on. "Four days ago, he left town with the manager of the music store." Joanna's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"Timothy?"

Nodding her head, Cathy sighed. "You never know these days, Joanna. I guess he just decided to come out of the closet." She reached for Joanna's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Look, I've got to go count the drawer. Sure you wanna work today?"

She stared at the back of the door behind Cathy's head for a moment, then nodded yes, and turned away to feed the puppies. Her boyfriend had turned into a h.o.m.os.e.xual while she was on vacation? What else could happen?

"Joanna?" The store owner's voice.

"What do ya need, Sonny?" He had to hear the hesitation in her drawled words.

"I just wanted to see how your vacation went." Uh oh, a wide smile, too wide. He wanted something and he didn't want to ask.

Leaning against the counter, she crossed her feet at the ankle and watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"My vacation was short. Now what do you want? Don't tell me, nothing. I can hear your heart racing all the way over here."

Her statement stunned him, but then the too wide smile fell back in place and he sauntered over to her like he intended to hug her, but changed his mind.

"You know I wouldn't ask if I could've found somebody else, Joanna."

"What the h.e.l.l is it?"

She didn't feel like playing guessing games this morning and it showed on her face as well as in her tone. She began a staccato tapping with her fingertips on the counter top until he decided to speak.

"Would it be possible for you to work Richard's hours just for a few days?" Her eyes grew wide.

"Just for a few days until I can get someone to replace him. n.o.body else can be trusted to close up and you know I trust you.

Melissa will clean up the s.h.i.+t for a few days. She'll be here any minute." He could see her waning defiance and drove his point home.

"It looks like you could use the rest this morning, and I'll buy you dinner tonight. So, how bout it?"

She chewed her lip, in deep concentration, then answered. "Dinner every night. What happened to him opening on Mondays? Oh never mind it doesn't really matter."

It wasn't really as bad as she thought, working the evenings. She slept late every day, and when she did have to go in she felt more rested. The only thing that dampened her spirit was the recurring dream she experienced every night. Sad, yet compelling at the same time.

A handsome man with raven hair and ebony eyes, standing beside her bed, motionless, watching her sleep. His forlorn countenance tore at her heart. She wanted to hold him against her breast and soothe his troubled soul, but as she struggled to get to him, arms outstretched, he'd disappear. Her sobs woke her, then she'd lay awake long afterwards, thinking of him...

On weekdays the store wasn't crowded. She had plenty of time to think about her restless nights and mournful dreams. Holding one of the many cuddly guinea pigs in her arms, she stroked his soft hair while thinking about the man in her dreams. Lost in thought, she startled when the cavy squealed and scrambled to get away, just as a small dark-haired woman appeared at her side.

"Good Evening." Joanna used her most business-like voice. "Are you looking for a great pet? Guinea pigs are a wonderful choice for children and adults too." She hid the long scratches on her arms. She got no response from the woman, who continued to stand next to her and stare down at the scampering cavies. Joanna glanced sideways at the golden-skinned woman, noticing her odd expression.

"Is, uh, is everything all right?"The stranger sighed and continued to stare at the small animals as she motioned towards them with her hand like they bewildered her. Why would guinea pigs puzzle anyone? Joanna covered her discomfort with talk, her natural defense.

"These adorable little creatures are cavies, more commonly known as guinea pigs."

"I do not believe that is what we called them. As a matter of fact, it would seem that when I was a child my mother cooked these things for our dinner. Yes, I am certain of it, we consumed these creatures."

"Wha..." Joanna's mouth fell open.

"I must go, it was nice speaking with you ... Joanna." The woman spun around and left the store.

Stunned into silence, Joanna stood and watched the enigmatic lady leave the store without another backward glance. It didn't even dawn on her until she stood there alone again that the woman knew her name. She wore no nametag or any other identification and she'd never met the dark-eyed woman before. Joanna wouldn't forget golden skin like hers. Hecklers and fools were not uncommon in the pet store, but this woman seemed very serious and it didn't seem that she said what she did to annoy Joanna at all.

Joanna encountered no other odd people all week even though many times she had the strange feeling of being watched. Her last evening on the schedule rolled around quicker than she expected.

Another slow night, no customers. Finis.h.i.+ng her third c.o.ke she now needed to pee, and with n.o.body in the store she removed the key from the register and ran for the back. Returning to the sales floor she glanced up at the checkout counter and spotted a tall blonde-haired man leaning on the chew bone display, waiting for her.

"Coming!"

At the sound of her voice his head snapped around and he stared at her, eyes blazing. The intensity of his gaze shocked her for a moment ... then he looked away. A hint of familiarity, did she know him from somewhere? She figured from his demeanor she'd better not ask. She'd treat him like any other customer.

Nearing the front counter she set her features into a bland, professional expression, almost bordering on rude. Try as she might to retain the indifferent facade, as soon as their eyes met she felt a jolt of recognition that she couldn't keep hidden.

He stared deep into her eyes ... like he was trying to look inside her brain. She cast her eyes aside.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

He pushed his purchase toward her and shrugged his shoulders, mumbling something incoherent about the creator. Not knowing quite what to think, she reached for the product and a.s.sumed her business-like att.i.tude once more. After scanning the cat food, she snapped her head up and caught the man smiling at her, his boyish face alight with something, she didn't know quite what.

"Ben! Your name is Ben isn't it?"

Handing her a twenty-dollar bill, he never removed his eyes from her face. When she reached for the money he caught her fingertips and held them.

"Is that all you remember about me, Joanna?" That voice ... like thick oozing honey. She jerked her fingers from his grasp, not answering, not meeting his intense blue eyes. Making change, she slid it to him over the counter to avoid any chance of touching him. Such contradictory instincts, both attracting and yet repelling her. He picked up the cat food, but left the change on the counter and fled the store so fast it appeared he had vanished into thin air.

Her vision blurred out of focus as she stared at the bills and s.h.i.+ny coins lying beside the register. Now where did she know that young fellow from? And how did her know her?"Earth to Joanna." Sonny's voice startled her out of her reverie. It seemed she spent a great deal of time lost in thought these days.

"Oh, is it that time already?" She checked her watch. Even looking at her watch gave her an uneasy feeling! What the heck was wrong with her? Maybe she should take Cathy's advice and go see the doctor!

"I'll get the door, if you will bring your drawer to the back and lock it in the safe. Hurry up, I'm starving." Sonny pulled the big rolling door down and put the locks through the pins. Like a somnambulist, Joanna nodded her agreement then shuffled to the back and locked the money away in the safe.

Hmmm. Her stomach growled but she couldn't think of anything she wanted to eat. Her boss kept his word, buying her dinner every night, even though she only picked at her food.

"What do you feel like eating tonight, Jo?" Gentle speech ... the worry plain on his kind-hearted face. She shrugged her shoulders and frowned. Knowing he worried about her, she tried her best to think of something appetizing.

"Steak it is!" His enthusiasm warmed her heart and she couldn't help but lift the corner of her mouth, just a little, in response. At the table, she picked up her menu, making a sail out of it over her place mat, wis.h.i.+ng she could sail away instead of sitting here trying to decide what she wanted to eat when nothing appealed to her. With Sonny watching her across the table she tried in earnest to find something on the menu and made a snap decision when the waiter arrived to take their order.

"I'll have a rib eye, very very rare."

"Do you mean pink in the middle, ma'am?" The waiter stood with his pencil hovering above his notepad.

"I mean red in the middle. If it's overcooked, I'll send it back so you better tell the cook to do it right the first time." Her request came out rather rude, but the deed was done. She hoped they wouldn't spit on her food in the kitchen.

Must be lack of sleep causing this irritable mood, or maybe the nonstop disturbing dreams. She was even tired of her own b.i.t.c.hiness!

The waiter approached the cook in the back of the restaurant, a lopsided smirk on his face. He was sick of the customers treating him like s.h.i.+t. He was an actor, dammit and deserved to be treated better.

"We've got us a real she dog out there who wants her steak very rare and she says she'll send it back if it's overcooked. Just wave it over the grill and let's see how she likes it!"

The cook nodded his head in agreement and pulled out one of the thickest rib eyes and flopped it on the grill.

"One steak coming up, still mooing!"

The waiter returned to their table, a twisted grin on his face. No doubt something was up. He gave them their plates and stood nearby, watching as Joanna picked up the knife and started to cut her steak. Blood ran out of the meat turning the creamy white mashed potatoes to a diseased pink. Her stomach growled.

Despite all the prying eyes she lifted the platter to her mouth and sucked the blood right off the plate ... heavenly! Licking her lips she tore into the steak, ravenous for the first time in days. Sonny and the waiter stared, slack-jawed, as she gobbled up the raw meat.

"I'm telling you, Colin, she knew me as soon as she saw me! She said my name and she had a queer look on her face when she touched my fingers. She hasn't forgotten us."

Ben's voice had a nervous trill to it and it irritated him. Colin paced the floor, rubbing his temples as if it would help him think.

"No, Ben, she will never forget us completely. I am not capable of stealing memories, only burying them deep in the victim's subconscious. No normal human would be capable of summoning them to the surface, but she is a most unique human. Do you not agree?"

Clasping and unclasping his hands in agitation, Ben sat staring at the tiny horse emblem on Colin's s.h.i.+rt.

"Forgive me, but I just don't understand why you didn't convert her, Colin." His sooty eyebrows drawn together, Colin scowled at his young friend.

"You know the risks involved. Besides that, even if she did live through the change, she would hate me for making her into one of us." He slid his hands up and down the arm of the chair and sighed.

"I could not stand the thought of her dying at my hands or of her spending eternity hating me."

"How do you know she would hate you, Colin?"

"Because she is so full of life! She makes the best of any situation."

Ben snorted. "Forgive me again, Creator, but listen to what you just said! She makes the best of any situation. You saw how quickly she adapted to being here with us." He crossed the room to stand in front of Colin. "Plus, she is enchanted by you." Ben folded his arms in front of his chest and stared at Colin's fly with a smug smile.

Colin leapt from his armchair and brushed past Ben to stand at the fireplace with his back to him. When he spoke again, his voice was harsh.

"Aside from that, it is the fact that she only stands a slim chance of living through the conversion. I say why risk it? Nevermind. I am going for a walk."

Hearing the authoritative tone in his creator's voice, Ben knew better than to argue. With a curt nod he left the library. After the young one left Colin stared hard into the mirror above the fireplace ... a troubled face stared back, so unlike him.

For a moment, the thought crossed his mind that he had made a mistake by letting her go free. Would she mind being a blood seeker and sharing her life with him forever? Of course she would not want that!

He left the cabin in a rush and his wanderings took him to the very same place as they did every night. This night, her home was not in total darkness as was her norm. With silent footsteps, he approached her window and peered in. The television cast the only illumination in the room. The flickering lights and shadows danced across her half naked body and beyond to the dark paneled walls. His knees grew weak and rubbery as he absorbed every detail of her appearance. Forgetting himself, he moved to within inches of the windowpane and stared in.

Engrossed in the movie, Joanna failed to notice the pair of radiant eyes at her window. Colin tore his gaze away from her to see what enthralled her so. A dark, handsome man on the television screen caressed an innocent young girl's face with his long fingers, then bent to kiss her throat. The man threw his head back, sprouted fangs, and sank his teeth into the girl's shoulder. Trickles of blood ran down her bare back as the movie vampire sucked on the wound.

Colin almost laughed out loud when he realized Joanna had on a vampire movie, but the chuckle dried up in his throat when he looked away from the set to her. Eyes wide, she sat bolt upright and brought her hand up to her own throat. Then she tore off the over-sized t-s.h.i.+rt, and touched the spot above her left breast where he had sunk his own fangs. The gla.s.s steamed up from his breath as he pressed against the window ... he wanted her so much! Joanna's svelte body glided from the couch to the wall of mirrors and she stood there gazing at the tiny spots on her chest.

Out of the blue she grabbed both sides of her head and screamed at the top of her lungs. Startled, thinking she must be in great pain, he moved to go to her. Then she stopped, dropped her hands back to her sides, and threw herself onto the tweed sofa. As she sprawled there he crept back up to the window, reveling in the sight of her. His burning gaze traveled the length of her body, from her short white crew socks up to her dark red bikini panties, her flat stomach with the tiny scar, and farther up ... to her heaving b.r.e.a.s.t.s with rosy nipples, erect as she s.h.i.+vered with cold.Her muscles came alive as she sat up and reached for the discarded t-s.h.i.+rt and pulled it over her head. Sitting back against the couch cus.h.i.+ons, she stroked the small emblem on the left side of the voluminous s.h.i.+rt, a dreamy smile touching her lips.

The blood drained from his face as he realized what seemed so familiar about the s.h.i.+rt she wore. His s.h.i.+rt! The emblem she stroked was the tiny "C" that he embroidered on all his unders.h.i.+rts!

How had that little vixen slipped that s.h.i.+rt in with her own belongings? And on top of that, why didn't Ben notice it when he packed her clothes? Maybe he left it in there on purpose. He would soon find out!

Lost in his own thoughts, Colin almost failed to notice Joanna turning her face towards him in the window. Without time to compose his limbs for a rapid flight, he stumbled backwards to escape discovery, landing on his rump in her yellow rose bush.

Instant rage ... clumsiness so unlike him. If this woman reduced him to this, a b.u.mbling human travesty, then he would be better off far away from her!

The eerie feeling of being watched faded away and she turned from the window to glance around her gloomy mobile home. So empty ... so lonely. She felt hollow inside, like a jack-o-lantern after Halloween, used and ready to toss in the trash ... gutted. That summed up her feelings.

Rising from the itchy old second-hand couch she walked over to peer out the back door. Nothing out of the ordinary in the back yard so she stepped out, oblivious to her semi-clad state. Standing on the patio, she stared out into the darkness. The bushes rustled near the side of her trailer so she went to investigate.

"Patches! What have you done?" The cat dug furiously at a fresh hole in the soft earth. It appeared that she had dug up a rose bush but Joanna glanced around the yard and didn't see it. Someone stole a rose bush? How odd. Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up her dirty cat and headed back into the house. She just couldn't seem to summon up the energy to look for the bush, or even care that it disappeared.

Joanna ran her fingers through the cat's fur, then stopped and buried her nose in the large black spot on Patches' back. An alluring aroma lingered there ... pleasant and familiar. Someone else had been holding Patches!

"I can smell him!" Gasping, she hugged the squirming cat even closer. How could she smell anything at all other than dirt, much less a man's scent? She still felt dead sure of it. Questions went round and round through her mind, and if she didn't get answers soon she'd lose what little remained of her reason.

Coming to a snap decision, Joanna turned Patches loose and headed for her bedroom. She started throwing clothing into her suitcase and packing all her essentials for a trip back to the Big Thicket. She felt light-hearted and happier than she had all week.

After packing she'd need to do one more thing. Dreading it, though not wanting to bring the animals on this trip, she'd have to call her nosey sister to pet-sit.

Sue answered on the first ring.

"Hi, Sue. Listen, I don't have much time, but can you come over and check on Patches and Pete for me for a few days?" On came the avalanche of questions. Joanna smiled ... she knew the perfect way to shut her sister up.

"Sue, I just need some time alone to think about things. I guess you heard that Richard left me for another man?" She heard the quick intake of breath on the other end.

"I'm going back up to Grandpa's cabin for a few days, you know, to get my head straight." Sue's voice gushed with sympathy as she agreed to watch after the animals and told Joanna to take as much time as she needed. Her ploy worked! In truth she really didn't give a hoot about Richard. She did need to get her head straight though, so the story wasn't a complete lie.

Within an hour Joanna sped down the road toward the thicket fighting the urge to put the pedal to the metal, in her excitement to reach the cabin. Her exhilaration grew as she neared her destination and inhaled the wonderful fragrance of the mult.i.tudes of tall, proud pines lining the street. Warmth spread throughout her chest as the aroma filled her lungs and joy filled her heart. She belonged here ... this place felt like home, not that dump she'd just left.Jumping from the truck as soon as she pulled up to the cabin, she kicked off her shoes and ran down to the sh.o.r.eline to dig her toes into the warm sand. Bent over, resting her hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath and calm down. A sudden flashback frightened her ... of meeting someone ... here on this strip of sand. Glancing around at the surrounding woods she eased her body upright and backed toward the cabin. Not watching behind her she backed into a tree, sc.r.a.ping her elbow and knocking some sense back into her addled mind.

"Oh h.e.l.l!" Shaking her arm, she strode up to the cabin and unlocked the door.

Entering the hot, musty cabin her s.h.i.+rt plastered itself to her sticky body and she raced to open the windows and let in some fresh air. A nice cool shower was the next thing on her mind as she opened the bathroom door.

On the counter sat a plastic bottle of peroxide and as soon as she set eyes on it powerful memories blasted into her mind. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the toilet with a thud. As she ma.s.saged her aching temples, she remembered the blonde-haired man from the store, Ben. He'd been in this very same bathroom holding this very same bottle of peroxide! She cringed as the memories of him and what he did to her seized her with taloned fingers. Could it be possible that Ben was the mysterious, elusive lover in her dreams? It didn't seem so. No, her dream man was dark and more frightening than Ben could ever be. But was her dream man just that-a dream man, or was he a real person that she had forgotten about?

Standing under the shower spray, she let the water beat against the base of her skull as she tried to remember her vacation. Like b.u.t.ting her head against a brick wall ... it gave her nothing but a headache and distorted vision. After a long, cool shower, she pulled on her faded terry bathrobe and went out to the front porch swing.

So peaceful here in the piney woods, except for the mosquitoes buzzing around. About to retreat indoors to avoid bites she realized that none of them pierced her skin, or even lighted on her. Could it be that there were no females? Maybe the soap she showered with repelled them. No matter the explanation, it was a pleasant break from the never-ending attacks of the tiny blood thieves.

The gentle swaying motion of the swing helped her relax. She could now open her Chakras, go deep into her subconscious mind, and manipulate her life force energy. The book about getting in touch with your Ki that she read during her breaks at work really helped. She'd clear her "third eye" Chakra blockage, and then perceive the knowledge of whatever or whoever had intruded on her mind.

Once she opened her Chakras in the meditative state she started to clear the mental block. She imagined herself standing before a brick wall in a vast, obscure place. Even without light she could still see in the darkness. The red brick wall stood solid and steadfast in its place. Too bad ... no wall could block her stubborn streak! Stretching to the top of the imaginary wall, she tugged with all her might at one brick until it broke free from the structure then she flung it into oblivion. Brick by brick she tore the wall down, until she picked the last brick up from the black floor and flung it into the void.

When the block cleared she felt a sudden surge of power, and memories flooded into her mind. Colin! She resented him for trying to block her memory. Vampire G.o.d or not he didn't have the right to make such a decision without consulting her first. He'd underestimated her own spiritual powers, and now she vowed to find that hidden house deep in the heart of the thicket ... and give him a much deserved tongue las.h.i.+ng with a slap or two thrown in for good measure. How dare he throw her love away.

Ah. Someone out there...

"Come on out, Ben. I know you're there ... I can smell you." She spoke as if to a person sitting right next to her, but she knew he would hear. A slight smile touched her lips as he approached the cabin and hesitated with his foot on the first step. How she missed his adorable face! Noticing the s.h.i.+ny new cowboy boots on his feet, she laughed.