head, moved the hair from her neck, she sighed. Her nipples grew hard under the cotton of the nightgown.

Two watched, fascinated. Theroen could kill this woman, if he wanted to, and she would go to her death happily; might even go in the throes of ecstasy, under the right conditions. It was amazing.

It happened so quickly that Two almost missed it. One moment, Theroen was lightly caressing her cheek. The next, he had latched on to her neck. The woman gave a slight cry, her hips bucked once, and then she slumped. Theroen held her, drained her, and was done. He took a deep breath.

“Is she dead?” Two asked. He shook his head, and indeed, the girl’s eyelids were fluttering now as she fought her way back to consciousness. Theroen waited until she could stand, then looked into her eyes.

“Go back to your bed and sleep, my dear. This was a dream, and when the sun rises you’ll realize that.”

The girl turned and made her way unsteadily back to the house. The door clicked shut behind her.

“Quick, clean... not a drop spilled, and you made her want it in like three seconds. Like I said: the Master at work.” Melissa was smiling in approval.

“Thank you for your warm appraisal of my work, Melissa.” There was the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice as Theroen turned to face them.

“Welcome! Shall we go? I’m going to skip the appetizer and head for the city. Find me an all-night rave, go rolling, and have dinner.”

“Will you be able to get back to the mansion in time?” Two asked.

“I’ll find some place to crash in the city. No big deal. Worst case scenario, New York’s full of little graveyards.” Melissa shrugged, stretched, began walking up the street. Theroen followed and, after a moment of considering how she might feel about sleeping in a graveyard, Two did as well.

* * *

A brief moment by the cars where Two thanked Melissa for coming with them, and being there for her. Melissa smiled, leaned in low, whispered, “I can see why he loves you.” Two was surprised to feel her heart well up at this. She’d known Melissa for so short a time, known Theroen, the man she felt she loved, for no longer. Was such depth of emotion and attachment really possible?

Theroen, who could pluck these questions from her mind if he felt inclined, said nothing. He left it up to Two to find her answers, and Two loved him all the more for it.

The ride back was uneventful, if careening through the back roads of southern New York at speeds over double the posted limit could be considered as such. Two felt warm and pleasant, satiated, but without feeling full. She seemed caught in a sort of afterglow, so like the affects of the heroin, but clearheaded and awake. Better in every way.

They reached the mansion well before sunrise. Theroen returned the Ferrari to the garage, and Two left the vehicle with regret. She stood on the driveway, an asphalt circle surrounding a topiary display.

“I can see my breath.”

Theroen walked up beside her, nodded. “It’s November, Two.”

“So why am I not cold?” She glanced down at herself. A pair of thin jeans, white midriff, leather jacket; it was not enough to keep a human warm.

“You won’t feel the elements as much, particularly after you’ve fed. I barely feel them at all anymore.”

“So I suppose the old ‘I’m cold, let’s go inside and get warm’ line would be pretty transparent then, right?”

Theroen’s ever-present smile widened to a grin.

* * *

He bit her as they joined, tiny pinpricks of pain high up on the neck, away from the main vein, followed by a surge of overwhelming pleasure. It was electric, reaching out from below her waist to touch every extremity of her body. Two moaned, arched her hips, thrust forward. Theroen moved, changed angle, allowing her teeth access to his own neck. Two touched her tongue to the skin, tasted the hint of the blood in his sweat, and bit down. The blood began to flow, and she felt the throb within redouble in intensity.

Death, life, time. They lay for millennia, for seconds. Two didn’t know, only that she felt herself building and building, always a steady ascent toward some unknown peak. Theroen’s blood was fire in her mouth, waves of power and ecstasy roaring through her in a torrent.

Her orgasm, when it finally came, was like nothing she had experienced as a human being. Unending,