Swept Away: The First Bloodline

"This isn’t a game to play Taylor. I live off of animals, or blood banks. There are a few gracious donors." His voice was startling now.

"Donors as in people who let you suck the blood from them? Why in the hell would they let you do that? Is it painful?" And just as her ‘dumb me up’ drink wore off, she now understood what he meant in the alley involving his supper.

"Yes people volunteer willingly to be donors. It's their way of being somewhat in world we live. A thrill for them if you will. I have in the past used a donor, and again I don't choose to live like that. And, I wanted to get a scent of what smelled appetizing to me. You know like Italian, French, or American." He chuckled softly and she couldn't help but smile at his use of metaphors in his choice of meals. Then she couldn't believe that she had just referred to her race as the choice of meals.

"So you have fangs then? Well show them to me?" If you want me to bite, you're gonna have to prove this one and show me your bait.

"Only if you will start to take this conversation seriously. I mean I know it's a lot to take in. But trust me, I'm telling you the truth and don't fear me."

"Okay, I will and won't." Get your vampties out of a wad. She smiled sweetly at him as he arched an eyebrow before turning his stare back out the window.

Reaching up he grasped the dark blue curtains and closed them, turning the room now pitch black. Swift movement and the light was turned on, she turned looking behind her and there he was by the light switch. She blinked and of course again there he was standing in front of her. She took a step back but his hands were quickly on her arms pulling her back to him.

"I'm sorry. You startled me." She admitted it. After all she had no choice.

"It's okay Sweet. Are you absolutely, one hundred percent, positively ready for this?"

She took a breath and half expected nothing, yet somehow knowing she was about to see the truth. "Yes." She let out the air that she had just taken in, lowering her eyes to his mouth.

He opened his mouth and slowly his eye teeth began to grow. They pressed into his lower lip causing just a small indention. She inhaled air deeply. She couldn't help but want to touch them. Her mouth open slightly, partly in disbelief and the other part arousal. Something about this was sexy as hell for her.

Her fingers moved up slowly and she could see his eyes close as her fingertips brushed over his fang. The tip was very sharp needle sharp. She was careful as she ran her finger over it. They were slender but strong. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was real. Very real. And that meant if he was then there were others.

Her heart was pounding and now she was terrified. But not of him. Were the others like him? Or were they like in the movies?

"No Taylor, they are not all like me. My family is. For the most part we all are. But there are a few that choose to live off human life. They choose to live in complete darkness. Like any species, there's good and bad. There's nothing that we can do about the ones that choose to act as they do. And you're not afraid of me because you know you don't need be."

"Why did you tell me this? And why last night?"

"Because you are my mate. I know this is difficult to believe. But it is true. I loved you before you were born. There's always been a connection from you to me. I just had to wait. I couldn't come to you before because it was too dangerous. Then when I thought it was safe, you were marrying Chase, happy. So I had no choice but to wait again."

"Wait? For what?" And then she realized what he meant. Chase was why he waited. If he could feel what she was feeling, hear what she heard, then he knew about Chase and he could've warned them. He could've helped her. He could've taken it all away and instead he left her to suffer. On her own. For six God unblessed years! She had been living that day over and over again and he could've taken it away.

Tears raided h

er eyes. Her breathing grew heavy. Her chest once again tight. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. She even felt faint. Quickly she sat on the floor with her knees pulled tight into her chest. Her head tucked in low.

His hands were on her shoulders immediately. "Are you okay? Taylor I think this is been enough for one day. Let me give you some water." And then she was in his arms and by the table. She stared into his eyes at his blurred face. She blinked repeatedly trying to clear the tears so she could see him clearly.

Slowly he sat her down into the chair. "I'll be right back." And all she seen again was a blur and he was by the sink holding a glass filling it with water. Then was back in front of her kneeling so that his face was face-to-face with hers, giving her the water.

I have so many questions. I need some answers. I don't know where to begin. Why? Why didn’t you do something? Why couldn’t you help me? Why didn’t you do anything?

"So when you said you just had to wait, you mean you had to wait for Chase to die? Then you had to wait for me to be ready to meet again. Or something. You could've taken it all away for me. If you felt the way I felt, heard what I heard, did you hear me scream and cry, hurting, dying? Did you feel that?" Her anger was building waiting for his answer as she choked up the words in the scream.

"No. Not for Chase to die. You to be ready for me. When I found out you had married, I accepted the fact that I would forever be alone. You loved him and he loved you. You were happy. I could live with that because that is what you wanted. I didn't know Chase would die. I didn't know he was sick.

"I learned of his sickness the same time you did. Not a second sooner. There was nothing I could do about that. As far as the pain you went through, I couldn’t interfere with that either. I know you don't understand, and you're mad. Hell, I’m mad because your mad. You’re gonna have to believe me when I say, it wasn't exactly easy for me either.

"You know what it was like for me? You want to know what it was like for me? Oh, let me inform you. See if you can imagine the way I felt when you and he married. When you and he made love. The thought of his hands on you infuriated me but there was nothing I could do about it. Rage that ran through me when you would come from another man's touch.

"Then, the way you felt during those last month. How do you think I felt feeling the same exact way you did and I couldn't come to you and make it go away. So before you judge me Taylor, put all the pieces to that puzzle in your head together first. It wasn't easy."

Wow! Okay. Point made. Several points actually. "When you heard, what do you mean by that?"

"I don't have to be near you to hear you, or to feel you as I just explained. Every thought you have ever had, every feeling you have ever felt, I equally feel." She remembered now he had mentioned that before.

"So when I'm in pain you are. Is this emotionally or physically?"