Tall, Dark & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel 1)

He looked like a vampire. They weren’t real. This was a game. Someone was playing a joke on her. This couldn’t be real. She’d watched enough movies to know the rules for vampires.

She went over the list of what she knew in her head and compared it to Ephraim. He just ate for one thing and vampires couldn’t eat food. Granted this was the first time she ever saw him eat food. He also went out in the sun. Vampires were supposed to fry in the sun. She didn’t remember the logic behind that, but she was sure it had something to do with them being dead and all.

Then there was the whole dead part. He wasn’t! He breathed air for Christ sake’s and he was warm. She could still feel his touch on her skin. He wasn’t dead and vampires were supposed to be dead.

Then he went and proved it. She was a foot away, watching. She watched in amazement as his tooth sliced through David’s finger. If it was fake it would have fallen out of his mouth and it certainly wouldn’t have cut his finger. He tasted the blood! That was disgusting. She couldn’t believe this. She had to get it together.

She was about to turn and run for it when Ephraim started to tell David to go see a doctor. As she contemplated that, David ran out of the room leaving her to face Ephraim.

“What the hell….” she murmured against her better judgment.

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you didn’t see that?”

She shook her head. His smile disappeared as he sighed, “I didn’t think so.”

He turned to face her. “I need to taste your blood.”

She backed away from him. “I’m not letting you sink your teeth into me, you bloodsucker!”

As her back hit the table she reached back for a weapon. She found the roll basket and picked it up quickly, hugging it to her chest. She began throwing rolls at him while she retreated away from him. “Get back!”

He ducked out of the way easily. “Or what? You’ll throw butter at me?” he teased.

“I’m not kidding….I’ll….I’ll…” She looked around the room, there was nothing around that she could use, no crosses, no holy water. Damn it, why hadn’t her Grandmother found religion? That would be really helpful at the moment.

Ephraim held his hands up. She was out of rolls. “Listen, I know you’re frightened and I understand that. I’m not trying to scare you, but I need to taste your blood.”

She threw the basket at him. “Are you crazy? I’m not letting you bite me!”

“I don’t want to bite you. Your blood is the last thing I want.” He looked pained.

That stopped her short. “My blood’s not good enough for you?”

“That’s not it at all.” He didn’t try to walk after her. Ephraim remained where he was, but they both knew that he could get to her before she made it to the door so she didn’t try to run, yet.

“Wait, you do drink blood, don’t you?” This was getting really confusing.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Yes!”

“You don’t have to snap it was just a question.”

He held up a hand. “My apologies.”

She nodded her acceptance. “Why isn’t my blood good enough? I bathe, I eat healthy, I don’t use drugs, drink or smoke. I’m not a vampire or anything, but I would think that would make my blood attractive.”

His jaw dropped. “Are you trying to get me to bite you?”

“No!”

“Then why-“

“Because you insulted my blood!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed.

“You think this is funny?” Madison demanded.

“No, I think this is the most trying conversation of my life.”

Madison grabbed the bun from her grandmother’s abandoned plate and chucked it at him, hitting him in the chest. She pulled a chair in front of her to keep it between them in the false hope that it would be enough to stop him. She knew it wouldn’t. It just made her feel better to do something.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“You keep insulting me when really you should be explaining to me why I shouldn’t scream at the top of my lungs for help.”

He sighed as he pulled out a chair and flopped down on it. “You want an explanation?”

“Yes, I think,” she waved frantically around the room and then at him, “that I deserve one don’t you think?”

Ephraim shook his head slowly. “No, I think you owe me a thank you.”

“A thank you?” she asked in stunned disbelief.

“Yes, a thank you. I just got rid of that douche bag for you.”

He was an arrogant son of a bitch. She half stepped out from behind the chair to tell him so when she remembered what he was. Something was different. “Hey, why are your eyes blue again and where did your teeth go?”

“Would you believe me if I told you that none of that happened and that you were hallucinating?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

“No!”

He sighed heavily. “I didn’t think so.”

“And you didn’t get rid of him. Candy did when she spilled the beans.”

Ephraim cocked his head to the side to study her. “You really think so?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! How many ways are you going to ask me? Now tell me about your eyes and teeth?”

He shrugged. “I believe you said they’re blue and my teeth are white. What’s to tell?”

She groaned and stomped her foot. “You are so infuriating! You know what I want to know?”

“No I don’t,” he said innocently enough, frustrating the hell out of her.

“Yes, you do!”

He shrugged. She glowered. He glowered back. Finally she threw her hands up in the air. “Fine! You’re obviously playing a game so just tell me what you want and then answer my questions.”

“You’re awfully demanding,” he commented.

“And you’re annoying!”

“Fine, I have a few questions for you before I tell you anything.”

She held her hands. “Wait, why do you get to ask your questions first? I’m the one with the information. I know what you are and could tell everyone.”

He raised one arrogant eyebrow. “Go ahead.”

“What?” She hadn't expected that.

“I said go ahead. Open the door and go tell them that I am a bloodsucker. I’m sure you’ll give everyone a good laugh.”