heartbeat, steady and calm.
“Mary.” Her speech was flat. She was mesmerized, speaking in a daze. Good sign.
“What happened to you Mary?” In. Out.
“He hit me again.” A tremble there. A catch. “He’ll be pissed when I go back.”
I tightened my grip on her thin shoulders ever so slightly. “Breathe with me, Mary.” Breathe in, breath out. I had almost lost her for a moment there, but now she was back.
I stretched out my awareness to Peter, still standing silently on the sidelines. He was biting his tongue, I knew, impatient with me. I took a deep breath and Mary copied me without being told. I pulled her toward me and leaned in. She didn’t even react as I bit her. I’d practiced on Peter until I could bite without pain. As her blood filled my mouth, I connected with her aura. I closed my eyes and let myself sink in. I could stay separate from her thoughts if I really tried, but I wanted to know something.
She leaned forward weakly and I tightened my embrace to keep her from falling off the swing. Her aura was green. It was a cool, live thing like the grass and trees. I could feel her power filling me, and it was intoxicating. My body felt flushed and alive with vibrant energy. Mary sighed softly as she felt the echo of my pleasure. I pulled away for a moment to center myself, and to show Peter that I was okay. Breathe in. Breathe out. I sank my teeth again. I had to be careful not to lose myself. I pulled from her gently, half my attention on the rhythm of her heart. If it started to slow, I needed to stop immediately.
I closed my eyes again and let myself drift into her consciousness. Her husband was a creep. Of course, he was the one who hit her. He had gotten drunk again, trying to drown the fear of losing his job and having his life slowly fall apart. I’ve always wondered why a woman would let a man treat her that way, why she would keep going back to him after the first assault. Now I knew. She truly believed it was her fault. She felt like she had failed him. That she wasn’t good enough. That she deserved it. She loved him. Really loved him.
I retracted my fangs and gestured to Peter. My saliva didn’t have the healing ability that his did. I wouldn’t get that for a while. Just another reason why newbies needed mentors. He leaned in and licked the wound, closing the tiny punctures. I stood and dusted the gravel off my jeans. Then I took Mary’s hand. She was still under. Poor thing, she wasn’t even fighting it; it probably felt good to just go numb. I pulled her off the swing and brushed her hair back from her eyes. Peter was watching me with interest, but he didn’t say anything.
I looked into those bright blue eyes again and pulled on my aura as hard as I could. “Mary, you are a very strong woman.” I took a deep breath and planted a suggestion in her sub-conscience. “You will not let him hurt you. You are better than that; your life is worth more. You’re not a failure. You are amazing and you deserve love.” I squeezed her hand for emphasis. “You deserve love.”
She nodded, accepting my statements, and I refused to meet Peter’s eyes. “Where do you live?”
Mary took us to her little house, not far from the park. Her husband was quite surprised when she brought guests home with her. Peter had him under sway almost immediately, and it was his turn to feed. The beefy man’s longish, dark blond hair flopped forward over his eyes, giving him an innocent boyish look that I was pretty sure he hadn’t had since he was a child. He stared serenely into Peter’s eyes as his subconscious took on a few changes. I stood in the corner with Mary, smirking, as I watched the jerk get the personality change he so badly needed.
Peter’s vampire voice was a soft ripple in the quiet apartment, barely heard above the hum of the old refrigerator. “You will never hurt this woman or any other person again as long as you live.” The man, Josh, nodded. “You treasure her and respect her as a human being.” Josh sighed. “She loves you very much. You deserve her and you are worthy of her. You need