The Man She Thought She Loved

Christmas Party

She noticed him when he walked through the door. He was tall and wearing a grey tailored suit. The lack of hair made him all the more handsome.

He glanced back at her. She wanted to go up and talk to him, but she couldn't find the courage. She would wait 'til later.

She was attending a Christmas party, her friends were holding, at a local bar they had rented for the night. She had helped decorate with red and green silk tablecloths, mistletoe, streamers, the all important Christmas tree that stood on the stage, and for those who didn't drink there was punch set out in a crystal bowl.

Now she stood in her black cocktail dress enjoying her cup of punch. "What are you standing her alone?" one of her friends asked.

"Just drinking my drink for now." she replied to the tall dark haired woman in a red velvet Christmas dress that went to her knees.

"You need to mingle. You know just about everyone here."

"I know. How is the man standing there? You know, the one in the grey suit." she asked.

"Angie, I don't know. Why don't you go up and talk to him?"

"Maybe later. Right now he's talking with Cheryl."

"He is cute." her friend commented. "Well, I'm going to mingle. I need to socialize. Loosen up, Angie and enjoy yourself."

"I will later. I just want to get use to being in a large group."

"Suit yourself. I will talk to you later."

Angie watched her friend walk away. She went up to Jeff and began talking to him. Sometimes she envied her friends. Angie was a shy woman who enjoyed just hanging out with her friends. She didn't like being in a large group. A lot of people made her nervous, especially when some one she didn't know came into a room.

Angie sat down at one of the tables she helped decorate. She slowly sipped her punch while she watched the candle's flame flicker in its white holder.

Suddenly she heard a male voice that came from behind her. She jumped startled. She shyly glanced back. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." the man in the grey suit said politely.

"That's okay. It wasn't that bad." she said lying.

"May I sit down?" he asked.

"Sure." she replied taking another sip of her punch.

"May name is Nathaniel. You can call me Nathan or Nat." he said smiling. "What is your name?"

"I'm Angie. Do you know my friends over there?"

"I don't think so. I just met Cheryl tonight. I came here with Jeff."

"Oh." is all she said.

"I work with him at the Bat's Wing Lounge."

"I've been there, but I've never seen you there." Angie said now curious.

"I'm usually in the office. I do most of the paper work. I really don't get a chance to join the customers."

She noticed Nathaniel was drinking a cup of punch. "You don't drink?" she asked.

"No. Do you?"

"Not really. I might have something every so often, but that's it."

She couldn't believe that she was talking to this handsome man. She was actually having a conversation with some one she didn't know. She usually ignored strangers unless she was working at the candle shop she owned.

"This place looks nice." he said. "Who was the decorator?"

"My friends and I decorated it ourselves. It took two days, but we go it done."

"You've got talent. I couldn't have done something like this without help." he said.

"Thank you." she said slightly blushing.

"So do you work or just stay home all day."

"I own a small candle shop just down the street. In fact I should be there now finishing up the paperwork, but my friends convinced me to come to the party."

"I'm glad they did."

She was so wrapped up in their conversation she didn't hear the Christmas music that has been playing all night. It seemed to have faded off into the distance since he had sat down at her table.

She would look down at her drink periodically. Through most of the conversation she had been staring at him. (Which had never done before.) She felt her heart racing in her chest. Although she wanted to look away she couldn't. >She was compelled to look.

She shifted in her seat. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked noticing.

"No…not at all. I mean a little. I normally don't talk to people I don't know except the customers in my shop. That's because they don't talk too much. All they want to do is buy and leave." she explained.

"That's good. I was beginning to think it was just me." he smiling again.

"I'm sorry." she said suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"That's okay. I seem to have that effect on people. I didn't know I looked that bad." he said with a laugh.

"You don't look bad." she said smiling shyly. "You look quite nice in that suit."

"Why thank you. You don't look too bad yourself. In fact you are beautiful" he said touching her hand.

"Thank you." she said feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again.

This man who had captivated her suddenly made her feel at ease. He had to be at least six feet tall if not more. His fingernails were well manicured. That showed he takes pride in himself. (Unlike her unless she went out, which was very little.) He was very well dressed even if he wasn't wearing a tuxedo.

"Do I have something on my head?" he asked pretending wipe something off his bald head with his hand. He let out a laugh to ease the tension that he felt. It was like a thin sheet of fresh snow on the ground.

"What? Oh no. I'm sorry. I was just thinking." she replied once again feeling embarrassed.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked not wanting her to know he knew she was thinking about him.

"Oh nothing. I just sometimes fall into thoughts that suddenly come into my mind." she said revealing nothing.

"Keep doing that I might get a complex." he said joking. This time she laughed. She quickly covered her mouth.

"No need to cover your mouth. You're not the first woman I've seen laugh, although none of them looked as good as you either." he said complimenting her.

"So why did you want to sit next to me?" she asked becoming serious.

"You looked so lonely." he said holding her hand.

"So you felt sorry for me?" she asked smiling.

"Of course not. There was something that drew me to you. Maybe it was your beauty that captivated me to come over." he said.

She looked at her watch. It was already three in the morning. She gasped how late it was.

"Sorry to end this, but I have work in a few hours. If you want you can come by the shop. It's called: Pagan Candles." she said standing.

"Let me walk you to the door." he said standing with her still holding her hand.

"Well…sure why not."

They walked to the door together. "I hope to see you again." she said.

"I'm sure you will." he said with a devious smile. "Look we are standing under the mistletoe." She looked up. She knew it was a mistake to hang it there.

"You know what that means." he said bending down toward her.

He kissed her sweetly. The suddenly emotions that came bubbling to the surface took her breath away as she kissed him back. His hand encircled her neck gently pulling her closer to him. She didn't resist. Seconds later she felt his warm breath upon her flesh. She shivered not knowing what he was going to do. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't.

He carefully took in her tantalizing scent just before he bit her neck. She gasped not knowing or caring what he was doing to do. All she knew is that she didn't want this to end. When it did he wiped his mouth on his sleeve before she could look up at him.

"I will see you later." she said breathlessly.

"You certainly will." he said kissing her again.

He watched her walk out toward her car. He kept watching her until she drove out of his sight. He definitely will be seeing her again and again until she was his.

The Next Day

Angie had allowed a few of her employees to go home for the day. She decided she would take over the shop for a while. She only needed two others beside her in case she wanted to catch up the paperwork instead of running the shop.

She stared at the multi colored candles that sat next to the register. There was a slight hint of lilac from a candle she had burning on the glass case next to her.

She thought about the Christmas party. She thought of meeting Nathaniel and how they had unexpectedly clicked. She only had gone to the party because she was invited and had helped decorate the place. She hadn't gone to meet anyone.

Suddenly she remembered he might come by the shop that day. She busied herself with making sure the shop was tidy and dust free. The rest of the day she stood behind the counter serving customers watching for him. Her heart raced with anticipation when a customer came in hoping it was Nathaniel.

She thought that she had to have been dreaming when she met Nathaniel. A man like that would have kissed her much less bit her neck besides she did see any signs on her neck that morning. She, then, wondered who she did kiss under the mistletoe last night. Could have someone spiked the drink causing her to hallucinate. If that was the case she could have kissed anyone under that damned mistletoe.

It was around two in the afternoon, with no sign of Nathaniel, when the phone rang. "Pagan Candles. How can I help you." she answered.

"You need to make a trip to New York." It was her partner Rachael.

"Why?" Angie asked surprised.

"I've ordered a large quantity of electric blue candles. I need you to go pick them up. The company won't deliver them to the store. It should only take a few hours. I do expect you to stay over night. I don't want anything to happen to you on the way back because you're tired."

"Why do we need electric blue candles?"

"They are a rarity and we got a great deal on them. I think it would add to the variety the shop already has." Rachael said becoming slightly annoyed.

"Okay. I've got the schedules made up and I will do the paperwork tonight." she said sighing.

"Don't forget to stay somewhere for the night. You can use the petty cash for the motel bill."

After hanging up Angie told the employees that were left where she was going and when she was going to be back. "If there are any problems I have my cell. Call me if anything comes up or some one doesn't show up. I have the schedules posted. If someone doesn't show up call them first. I will be back tomorrow."

Forgetting about Nathaniel she rushed home to pack an overnight bag.

She only packed a couple of shirts, a couple pairs of casual pants, and socks. She decided she would only take the shoes she was wearing. She also packed a bottle of shampoo, deodorant, and perfume.

She jumped on the highway. She entered New York City around five in the evening. She quickly found a hotel and since Rachael was paying she stayed at the Hilton. (Actually she paid for her own room.)

She set her suitcase on the floor next to the door. The clock read six pm. She called Rachael to let her know she had arrived.

"You need to be at the wholesale warehouse no later than ten tomorrow morning. I need you to be back here no later than three tomorrow afternoon." she said.

"And I thought this was going to be a vacation." Angie said with sarcasm.

"Please be serious. We need those candles on the shelves as soon as we can get them there, and the warehouse is closed. See you tomorrow."

Angie hung up the phone. She then called room service and ordered a hamburger with a coke.

After it arrived she turned on the television and watched a few shows while she ate. She didn't pay much attention to the shows. She was getting sleeping from the long drive.

She quickly showered and got ready for bed. She clicked off the light and slid under the covers. At first the sheets were cold, but it didn't prevent her from drifting off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The Day After That

Angie woke up the next morning around eight. Realizing she had over slept she quickly dressed and packed her suitcase. She went to the desk and checked out before getting into her car to head to the warehouse...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

She arrived at the warehouse shortly before nine, after getting lost for about twenty minutes. She looked at the card Rachael had given her. She carefully checked the address to make sure she was in the right place.

She got out and walked up to the entrance of the large tan building. She knocked on the heavy metal door. Suddenly she realized there was a button next to the door. She pressed it and a short, dark skinned, black haired man came to the door.

"Who are you?" he asked rather rudely.

"I'm Angie. I'm here for the electric blue candles." she said keeping her cool.

"Oh yeah. I'll send some one right out. Stay here." he said walking back inside. The heavy metal door shut with a loud thump.

She stood out there for what seemed like an hour before a tall lanky man with blond hair came out with a dolly loaded with ten boxes. After seeing the boxes, although only medium sized, she was glad she drove her station wagon today.

He rolled the dolly to the back of her car. He politely unloaded them for her and even said goodbye before going back inside. She couldn't help but smile as she drove away from the warehouse.

She arrived back at the shop around four that afternoon. Needless to say Rachael wasn't too happy with her. "You're late." she stated as Angie walked through the door.

"The traffic was a mess. Have you tried driving in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />New York City during rush hour? It's murder." Angie explained. "It took me two hours just to get across the bridge."

"Did you get the candles?" Rachael asked not impressed with her explanation.

"I got them. Why else would I have drove to Manhattan and back? It definitively not for the scenery." Angie commented as she sat down.

"We need to unload them." she said rudely.

"You have to unload them." Angie said staying where she was. "I drove all the way there and back. It's your turn to do some work around here. We're partners. Now do your half of the work or I will go home."

Rachael signed knowing she was defeated and headed out the door. Angie was kind enough to hold the door open for her friend as she unloaded the blue station wagon. By time she was finished the store was closed.

As Angie counted the cash register she smiled at herself. At least they had a good day while she was gone. The sales were up from last week when they first opened the store.

Rachael came out of the store room looking exhausted. "By the way Nathaniel came by looking for you today." she said.

"What did he want?" Angie asked trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"I told him you were out of town and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. He said he would stop by then. Is there something between you two?" she asked.

"No. He kissed me at the Christmas party but it didn't mean anything." she lied remembering how his lips felt against hers.

"It must have meant something to him. Why else would a man come around that really didn't know a person? He's cute. Maybe you should go out with him sometime."

"I don't have time for dating. I've got a lot going on right now." Angie commented finishing up the paperwork.

"You never have time for dating." Rachael began.

"I've finished with everything." Angie said changing the subject before it could begin. "I'm going home. I'm tired from driving me all day. I will see you tomorrow. Don't forget to lock up before you go home."

She left Rachael standing alone.

Angie arrived home around nine that evening. She ate a sandwich and watched a little television. When she had finished she took her plate back to the kitchen. She turned off the television and headed upstairs.

She changed into a pair of black plaid pajamas and climbed into bed. Once again putting Nathaniel out of her mind she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Nathaniel Comes To Visit

She woke up the next morning well rested. She looked at the clock. It read nine in the morning. She stretched and slid out of bed. She dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black blouse...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

She made her way down the stairs to her living room. She sat down the couch with a cup of coffee. She had just set it on the table, next to her, when the door bell rang. She sighed and stood up.

When she answered it she was shocked who she saw. Nathaniel was standing there with no emotion on his face. She invited him in. They walked into the living room together where they sat down.

"Forget about me so soon?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"How did you find my house?" Angie asked worried that he could be a stalker.

"Your friend Rachael told me. She is such a good friend." he answered.

"Why did you come here?" she asked knowing it was a stupid question. Obviously he came to see her.

"I wanted to see you. I came by the shop and found out you were in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Manhattan. I was quite disappointed that you wouldn't tell me since I did say I was going to come by the shop." he said. His eyes didn't leave hers even to blink.

"I was on a tight time schedule. I had to get to the city, pick up the candles and be back all by three the next day and I didn't even leave until four that afternoon." she explained. "Why does it upset you? I mean it's not like we really know each other or anything."

"I would like to get to know you better. I found you quite sweet at the party. I thought you might have thought about me the same way. I could feel your blood boil when I kissed you, and you seemed well receptive."

"I like you, but I really don't have time for this." she said honestly.

"You always find the time if you would let yourself. You need to do something for you every once in a while." he said with his voice taking on a more welcoming tone.

"I am so busy trying to keep the business going I don't have much time to do much of anything else. There is just too much for me to do and Rachael isn't much help in the long run. She just likes giving orders. I practically run the place, but she does do some."

"Make her do more and we can go out some time. I know plenty of places we could go, and if you're worried about me we can go to any place you like. I actually prefer places with a lot of people." he said knowing how touchy she was about the prospect of dating.

He found out a lot about her from Rachael. He found her quite cooperative as he inquired about Angie. He wanted to all her likes and dislikes and everything about her he could find out. Not necessarily for dating or even sex. He had other plans for her. She just didn't know it yet. After his inquiry he knew he had found the right woman for his plan.

"How about you and I go out tonight and you can even pick the place." Angie said relenting. "I will even dress in something nice."

"Do you like Mexican food? I know a great Mexican restaurant not far from the shop we could go to. The food is great and there are always a lot of people there." he said smiling.

"I love Mexican food." she stated.

"Okay then I will pick you up at the shop at eight. Since you close at five you will have plenty of time to finish up any work that needs to be done, and don't worry about finding something you wear. I like what you are wearing now. I'm not that picky." he said standing.

"See you tonight." Angie said walking him to the door.

When he was gone she leaned against the door wondering what she had just agreed to.

She looked at the clock and noticed it was after ten. She was supposed to be at work by nine thirty. For once she didn't care what Rachael thought. If she was late she was late. She didn't have to explain anything to her.

She quickly got her black casual shoes on, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door. She got into her car. Before leaving the drive way she turned on the radio to her favorite station, she didn't get much of a chance to listen to, and drove down the street.

The Date

Angie spent most of her day doing inventory count while Rachael worked with the customers and ran the front. She recounted a box of orange taper candles three times before placing them back on the bottom shelf on in the store room.

She couldn't concentrate on her work. Her mind kept drifting back to her agreement with Nathaniel. She still couldn't fathom why she opened her big mouth and agreed to this date, but it was too late to back out now. She knows why she agreed. She wanted to get him off her back, but also she liked him. She couldn't deny that fact.

As it got closer to closing time her heart raced and her nerves were on edge. She went back up front and Rachael was already counting down the cash drawer. "We've been having a good week so far." Rachael said writing the figures down on the paper. "So when is he coming to pick you up?"

"How did you know about that?" Angie asked.

"You've hiding all day in the store room and you've been acting awfully nervous." she said placing the pencil on the counter and handing the paper to Angie.

"He said he would be here at eight, but we'll see."

Angie was in the office finishing up some paperwork when Nathaniel walked in. "Are you ready?" he asked standing in the doorway.

"Almost. I just have to file these papers." she opening the file cabinet.

Once she was finished she headed toward the door. Nathaniel took a hold of her elbow gently leading her out of the shop. His touch sent tingles through her she had never felt before.

She didn't become real nervous until they had entered the restaurant. Pablo's was a very popular place. It was always crowded. It didn't matter what time of day.

The décor was the typical Mexican restaurant décor. They sat in a booth in the far corner. Although there were a lot of people sitting around them she couldn't help but be jittery about this whole thing. She wanted to be here with him, but at the same time she didn't. She suddenly wished she could go back to her home alone.

Suddenly a waiter walked over to the table. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked with a slight Spanish accent.

"After you, my dear." he said.

"I would just like water please." she answered and opened the menu.

"I'll have a Pepsi."

"I will back with your drinks and to take your order." the waiter said walking away.

The waiter returned moments later with their drinks. He set the drinks down and got his note pad out of his apron pocket. "What you like?" he asked simply.

"Ladies first."

"I would like your fajita salad with extra sour cream." Angie said closing the menu.

"And you sir?"

"I'll have the same. A fajita salad sounds good." Nathaniel said collecting the menus and handing them to the waiter.

"You food will be up in few minutes." the waiter said walking away.

"Why are you so nervous? I don't bite." Nathaniel asked looking directly at Angie.

"I'm not nervous. I'm not usually the type to go out to eat. I rather prefer to cook at home." she said trying to relax.

"Yes you are. I can see it. It's good to get out every once in while."

"So why did you ask me out?" she asked changing the subject.

"I find you quite attractive and would like to get to know you better. There's nothing wrong with that is there? I felt an instant attraction to you when I first saw you."

Angie could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she tried not to blush. "Don't you get asked out?" he asked.

"Yes, but I usually turn them down." she commented.

"Why did you agree to go out with me?" he asked not taking his eyes off her.

"I don't know. I mean…really I'm not sure." she answered feeling unsure of herself.

"I think you like me as I do you, but you just don't want to admit it."

"I guess I might. Honestly I'm just not sure right now." she said shifting uneasily in her seat.

The waiter came back to deliver their food. She welcomed the interruption. She was becoming very uncomfortable with the conversation.

They ate their meal in silence. She didn't know what to say, and she hoped he didn't ask her any more questions. Gratefully he didn't. She slowly sipped her water as they ate.

The food was good as always although she had only been there a couple of times. Nathaniel would look up from his plate from time to time, but didn't say a word.

When they finished their meals he paid for them and they left together. He walked her to her car. Before she got in he said, "I would like to see you again."

"How about you come by some time this week and I will cook you a meal?" she asked.

"That sounds good to me. How about Friday?"

"Okay." she said opening her door.

He leaned down and kissed her. She found her self, once again, kissing him back. She felt bolts of electricity run through her body. She enjoyed it when he kissed her.

He pulled out of the kiss and ran a finger down her cheek. "I will see you Friday night." he said walking down the street. She waited until he was out of sight before she got into her car. She sat there for a few minutes thinking about the kiss before driving off into the darkness towards her home.

It Has Begun

Nathaniel arrived home around eleven that evening with a smile on his face. Everything was going according to plan. Soon very soon he would have her where he wanted her.

He went down into the basement where glass vial, sitting on a wooden table, were waiting to be filled. There were shackles hanging from the ceiling, on long chains, over a large bowl to catch the fluids before transport into the vials.

He knew Angie was the one he wanted. He could taste it, when he bit her neck, although he hadn't broken the skin. Just her scent told his taste buds that she was innocent and hadn't been tainted yet. He was worried about her friends' influence on her. She was strong, but he still had to do something to protect her from them.

He just thought of what he could do. He could slowly do away with them one by one. He wasn't going to convince Angie not to see them, but do away with them all together. He had friends who owed him favors, for their lives, that would do anything he commanded. He would make his calls tomorrow.

He once again looked at the shackles. He imagined Angie hanging from those chains, her blood dripping down her small framed body, above the bowl. He licked his lips in anticipation. He knew he had to feed, but the blood he will drink tonight wouldn't have the same sweet taste as the blood of the innocent Angie.

He went back upstairs. He called one of his young neighbors. The young woman who was in her twenties was more than happy to come for a visit. She was there within minutes of his call.

He invited the woman in. He asked if she would like something to drink. She accepted. While in the kitchen he slipped a sedative in her red wine and carried back to her.

She was sitting on the couch just looking around the house. He handed her the wine and sat down next to her. She drank her wine quite quickly. "What's wrong, Becky?" he asked.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" she asked in response.

"You drank your wine awfully quick."

"Oh, I was just thirsty. That's all." she said with a giggle.

He had met her when he first moved into his house just a little over a year ago. She was in a pair of denim shorts and a tank top watering her lawn. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders as she stood there in the sun. He also noticed how pale and smooth her skin was. He introduced himself. She smiled and told him her name. He began inviting her over for drinks and a movie every so often.

One night she was over he had leaned down and kissed her, but when he moved down her neck the scent of her blood appalled him. She was just a reserve in case he needed to feed when his hunger was about to get the best of him as it was tonight.

The sedative began to work its way through her body. She soon went limp and he caught her. He leaned her against his chest. He bent his down and bit her neck. Her blood flowed freely into his mouth and down his throat. Although it didn't taste well he needed it to sate his hunger. When he was finished he went over to her house.

He knew she always left her door unlock. He opened the door, with her in his arms, and walked inside. He kicked the door shut behind him. He carefully laid her body down on her couch. He gently moved his hand over the wound. It instantly disappeared along with all traces of the sedative. When the police would eventually find her all they would find was a young, single, dead woman. They would rule her death a suicide. He placed a bottle of prescription pills next to her and some in her mouth do dissolve. They were gel caps so they would dissolve with very little evidence that she hadn't really swallowed them.

He returned to his home and went to sleep knowing just a few days maybe a couple weeks he would have Angie under his spell and her blood running through his veins.

The Seduction

Nathaniel waited patiently, by his car, for Angie to get off work. It was nearly five o'clock. He checked his watch several times. As he casually leaned against his black corvette he read a newspaper so he didn't look to suspicious.

It was a few minutes after five when Angie emerged from the shop. She locked the door and began to walk toward her car. Nathaniel walked up to her.

"Oh, hi." she said startled.

"How about you and I do something?" he said.

"Like what?"

"How about I make you a nice dinner at my house?" he asked with his smooth charm.

"Sure." she replied not able to think of an excuse not to.

"Good. We'll take my car. I'll drive you back here when ever you want."

Angie climbed into the passanger side while Nathaniel held the door open for her. He closed the door once she was inside and he made his way to the other. He started the car and drove off into what was left of the day light.

It wasn't long until they were at his house. He parked in the driveway. He opened the passanger side door and held his hand out to her. Angie carefully as she stepped out of the car. They held hands until they reached the front door of the white stucco house. Nathaniel escorted her inside.

Angie looked around the emaculate living room. It was spotless and well decorated with expensive furniture and paintings. He had a large screen television that took up a good section of the west wall. She suddenly felt out of place.

"Have a seat." he said motioning toward the couch.

"Thank you." she said

"Would you like a glass of wine while I make us dinner?" he asked.

"That sounds good." she replied with a tentive smile.

She watched as he walked out of the room. She looked a very colorful painting that was hung behind the tan couch. She couldn't read the artist's name, but she liked it all the same. It was a painting of a surreal meadow over grown with flowers.

She turned around to find Nathaniel there smiling. He held out a fluted crystal glass filled with red wine. She accepted it and took a sip as he made his back to the kitchen. She didn't know if she should follow him or if she should just wait there. She decided to find him.

She walked toward the kitchen. She passed through a lavish dining room with a cherry wood table with a matching hutch. A white lace table cloth covering the table with places already set for the two of them. The dishes were real china, white with gold trim. There were white linen napkins as well as crystal glasses and real silverware. He had also set a candleholder that held four lavander taper candles. She was impressed.

She went to step through the door on the opposited side of the room, but Nathaniel stopped her. He stood in front of the slightly ajarred door. "Have a seat. Dinner will be finished in just a moment." he said.

"What are we having?" she asked suddenly curious why he didn't want her in the kitchen.

"It's a surprise." he replied. "Just have a seat at the table and relax."

"Okay." she said concerned.

She watched him walk into the kitchen only to reappear moments later with a silver platter. He set it on the table and lit the candles. He went back to the kitchen. He came back out with another bottle of red wine. He lifted the lid of the platter to reveal steaks and baked potatoes. He placed the food on her plate and poured a glass of wine for her.

"It looks good." she smelling the aroma of broiled meat.

"I hope you like it rare."

"Yes I do."

She took a bite. "This is delicious." she said although blood dripped from her fork.

"Thank you." he replied taking a bite of his own food.

The are barely speaking. Angie was beginning to feel comfortable being alone with him. She relaxed a bit dropping her defenses. After eating they make their way to the living room where they sat on the couch.

He poured a little more wine into her glass. "I really shouldn't." she said.

"You don't have to drink it. It's there if you want it." he said.

"Thank you."

Without warning Nathaneil lowered his head and kissed her feverishly. Angie's senses went into over drive. She couldn't believe that some one could stir these kinds of things inside of her. She kissed him back matching his hunger. He raked his fingers through her hair pulling her head back so he could kiss her neck.

She relished his warm lips on her neck. She breathed deeply. He kissed her harder and ran his tongue down the cleft of her throat. He made his way back to her lips where she accepted him. She suddenly became dizzy and before she could say anything she blacked out.

Nathaniel carefully picked up her limp body. He carried her to the basement to carry out his plan, but he would wait for her to wake up before he began.

The Revelation

Angie opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred. She blinked a few times to clear her sight. Once she was able to see she found she was no longer in Nathaniel's living room. She wasn't even sure if she was still in the house. She was able to see dirty brick walls around her and the light was dimmed.

She noticed her feet were not touching the concrete floor. She looked up and saw herself hanging from shackles that hung from the ceiling. She struggled with no avail. She wasn't going anywhere. She had no idea where she was or what was going on.

"Nathaniel?" she called out weakly. "Nathaniel?"

"I'm here, my sweet." he said stepping out of the shadows.

"Where am I?" she asked fearfully.

"In my basement. You see you're special. You have something I need. Something I have been searching for...for a long time."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your blood is what I need. You're one of those rare people who has the special essance that I need." he replied.

"So you were just using me?" she asked not allowing the information to sink in.

"Basically." he replied with amusement in his voice.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"First of all I am going to allow you to bleed slowly into the bowl that you hang above, and then if I get turned on I will make love to you before you die."

"Allow? You make it sound as if I have a choice." she said sarcastically.

"Your right...you don't."

"What did you give me?" she asked.

"It was only a mild seditive. I placed it in your wine during dinner. I just didn't expect it to work so quickly. I was actually hoping I could get you undressed before it took effect."
"Why?" (Stupid question.)

"It would have made less work for me. Because it had effected you so quickly I had to remove you clothes myself just to dress you in the thin white dress you are in now." he replied as if bothered by it.

"What...why? I mean...I'm not a virgin." she stuttered.

"Yes you are. I could smell the sweet innocence on your skin when I kissed you for the first time, but unlike common belief I don't need a virgin to do what I need to do. Virgin blood may be sweeter but not neccessarily better. What is with humanity? You believe in some of the most rediculous things. Some cultures maybe need virging, but we don't need them."

"If you don't need them why did you choose me?" Angie asked now curious.

"I told you. You have something I need. It has nothing to do with whether or not your a virgin. There is a special chemical in your blood that only a handful of people, each generation, possess. In order for us to survive I must synthisize it until the next one comes along."

"There are more of you?"

"Only a few left. We haven't found the perfect mate in a long time to keep up from dying out so I must keep what few of us alive until we do."

Suddenly she felt hurt. She didn't know why, she just did. She felt defeated and used. The man she had fallen for didn't care about her at all, and never had.

"Now relax." Nathaniel said. "It will only hurt for a little while, but we won't start until you've had a little more rest.

The Beginning Of The End

Nathaniel waited for her to wake up. It had been a couple of hours since the seditive had taken effect. He had his special knife out on the table waiting. He stood back and admired the beautiful woman hanging from his from his chains. Her beauty alone was causing impatience to course through his veins, but he knew he couldn't do it while she was asleep. It wouldn't give him the same pleasure.

Finally her eyes fluttered open. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked fighting the wave of dizziness that greeted her.

"Shhh." he said placing a finger against her lips. "No more questions. It's time."

"Please." she pleaded.

Ignoring her Nathaniel turned around and picked up his special knife. He turned back to her. He saw her eyes go to the kriss blade. Although dimmly lit the steel stil shown with brilliance. He always made sure his blade was kept sterile. He couldn't risk infection before his victims died even if their death only took a few hours to a couple of days.

The first place he cut was her wrists. The wound went from the bottom of the shackles to her elbows. The cuts were not deep enough to kill, but deep enough for the blood to run down her arms to her body then eventually into the large bowl. (What wasn't soaked up by the dress.) Although she didn't cry out he could see the pain reflected in her eyes. He could see the tears that were threatening to pour.

"Don't worry, my dear. This won't last too long." he said trying to reassure her.

"Why not kill me now and get it over with?" she asked fighting throuhg the stinging of her arms.

"The blood won't stay fresh for long and I need it to stay fresh for the others. They will be here soon. Once they come everything will be over and you will be free."

Nathaniel got close to her. He kissed her neck down to her neckline of her white dress. He licked the blood from her arm savoring the warm liquid that hit his tastebuds. He closed his eyes enjoying the pureness of her essance.

Angie knew what he had just done was wrong, but she found some erotic sensation from it. She shivered to herself for thinking that. Nathaniel was a monster, not a lover. She kept reminding herself of that, but once again her mind went back to the on the couch and his tongue on her skin as he tasted her.

Nathaniel picked up his knife again and used the blade to cut her mid section. The knife went through the thin fabric connecting with her skin. The crimson liquid flowed down her leg to the waiting bowl below.

Blood slowly poured into the bowl, but the stream was constant. There was only a small puddle forming in the bottom of the bowl until the time was right to finish her and bleed her dry.

As he watched her hang there, her lips just out of reach, he was tempted to make love to her and make her taste her own blood. Maybe then she could understand why he was doing this. These thoughts stirred other things he couldn't take advatage of at the moment. (Actually he could.)

He lowered the chains enough for his lips to reach hers. He kissed her deeply and harshly. Angie tried to resist but he forced his tongue through. She could taste something coppery in her mouth. All of a suddenly all the erotic emotions that had come before had disappeared when he kissed her. His hand moved down to her breast and began massaging it. His lips never left hers as he did. He felt her squirm under his touch.

His mouth moved from her lips to her neck. He nibbled the warm flesh there. His hand dropped from her breast and began massaging her private region making her squirm even more.

Angie threw her head back knowing what he was doing was wrong, but she couldn't control the way her body was reacting to his touch. She closed her eyes enjoying the the forbidden sensations that flooded her. She blocked out the pain in her arms and stomach allowing pleasure to take over. She didn't care where she was. All she cared about was what was going on with her body.

Before she could react Nathaniel plunged himself into her core. There was pain first then pleasure. She wanted to tell him to stop, but only a moan escaped her throat. She could feel his hands on her hips as he took her time after time.

His mouth recaptured hers as he held her hips. He hand't meant to go this far, but he was glad he did. He didn't want her to die a virgin, never knowing what true pleasure was. He reached behind his back to the knife and as she came to her peak he made cut down her back. He waited for his own orgasm to pass before pulling out fully satisfied.

He pulled up his pants before he looked at her back where he had cut her. The wound was a little deeper that the others, but still not life threatening. He decided to leave her where she was instead of hoisting back up. The blood would still go where it needed to.

He walked back around. He looked at her face. He noticed her eyes were closed. He knew she had fallen asleep for if she was dead he would know. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and allowed her to sleep. His friends would arrive soon and he could finish what had to be done.

Coming Of The End

Angie woke up to find she was still alive, but she was very weak. She knew she had lost a lot of blood. She wanted death to come although she didn't want to give up and allow this monster to win, but it was getting difficult to keep herself going. She was at the point where it didn't matter any more.

She looked down and saw she was covered in her own blood. Her dress was no longer white. It was now a dark crimson and sticky. She also saw three men, other than Nathaniel, standing around her. Moments later the three men knelt down and began drinking from the bowl. Nathaniel took that damned knife and cut her left thigh. Blood flowed quickly down her leg and dripped into the bowl to the waiting men at her feet. She wanted to scream but she was too weak to do so.

She was disgusted at the way the men hoared the fluid that flowed from her body. She was also confused on why she was chosen in the first place and when the pain was going to end.

Nathaniel cut her ankle, not the heel, but across the bone exposing it. Again she wanted to cry out, but she was too weak to do so. She wanted to plead for death, but she couldn't get the words out. Her mouth was dry and her throat was sore. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get her lips to move.

He cut her arms reopening the crusted wounds. She tried to beg for relief but once again she couldn't get her lips to move. No sound wanted to form in her raw feeling throat. Dishearted she stopped trying. She didn't have the strength to keep going and no longer had the will to do so.

Nathaniel watched as his friends greedily drank the blood. He didn't mind them drinking from the bowl or catching the blood in their hands as it dripped from her flesh as long as they didn't touch the woman. Angie was his and he was going to be the one to take the blood from her person. He wanted to be the one to savor the warm fresh liquid that still flowed in her veins.

He walked up behind her. He turned her around to face him. He looked directly into her beautiful brown eyes and smiled. He drew her head to him. He kissed her deeply on her dry lips. "It will be over soon." he whispered when he pulled from her. All she could do was watch as he drew the knife across her throat in one quick motion. He placed his mouth on her neck allowing the rush of blood flow into his mouth. The liquid tasted sweet and he relished it. He drank until he couldn't drink anymore. He made sure she was dead before he pulled from her throat.

Angie felt the initial pain, but it quickly became a numbness that quickly took over. It wasn't long until she closed her eyes giving herself to death. It was over and the monster had won.