BY THE TIME Vincent returned from his predawn hunt Eldra had awoken, and built the fire that now glowed in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
She had been busying tidying the room, he observed.
His clothing was now neatly folded on the table by the open door and the room had been swept.
The bed was neatly covered by the furs, and what little tableware he possessed had been washed in the basin, and neatly stacked on the shelf near the low ceiling.
The table had also been scrubbed cleaned, removing years of dirt, and grime.
Eldra sat in one of the two chairs that occupied the room, which she had placed near the fire for its warmth against the chill morning air that entered room through the open doorway.
As Vincent entered the dwelling through she glanced in his direction, a smile lit her face as she noticed the rabbit he carried.
Vincent placed the creature he had captured on the table, its blood flowing freely, ruining all her hard work.
"I had forgotten you have not eaten in a day, and a night," he said. A note of apology in his voice.
Eldra rose from the chair walking over to embrace him.
He lifted her off her feet, bringing her closer, his lips hungrily meeting hers.
His kiss lingered as he inhaled deeply of her scent.
Her warm skin tinged with the underlying smell of sweat from her mornings labors was intoxicating.
He held her against him, the kiss changing, becoming more desperate, hungrier.
She squirmed from his grasp falling to her feet, and landing lightly on the floor.
"Oh no you don't," she said, stepping back, avoiding his grasping hands as he tried to pull her back into his embrace.
"First I eat. Then afterwards you may do with me as you wish," she said, even as she could feel her longing for him beginning to grow within her from his passionate kiss.
With deft hands Eldra skinned the rabbit, removing its internal organs, then moving with it to the fire she hung it from the spit attached to the side of the chimney.
Carefully swinging the rabbit over the flames to roast.
Vincent watched as she went about her work, an earnest look of contentment on her lovely, full face.
He crossed the room, hunger for her filling his body with need.
Not hunger for the rabbit now roasting slowly over the fire, but hunger for her.
For her touch, for her bare flesh beneath his.
As she pivoted around from the fire Eldra almost bumped into him, as he stood closely behind her.
She had not even heard him move from where he had been standing by the table.
"No," she stated emphatically, placing her hands on his bare chest, pushing him backwards as he gave her a lust filled look.
"Not until I have eaten. I am starving! Once I have filled my belly, you can fill my body with other things," she promised, flashing Vincent the same lascivious look he had seen on her face the night he had accidentally fed her the wrong tea.
"If you are to deny me my pleasure," he stated, "then come. Sit. We need to talk while the meat cooks."
Vincent gestured for her to return to the chair where he had found her sitting when he entered the room fresh from the hunt.
"I fear we have much to discuss," he continued, a dark cloud slipped over his handsome face.
Eldra did as he asked.
Sitting back down, she looked at him questioningly, a furrow forming at her brow.
"What is it my dark love?" she asked, watching him, worry in her eyes. He picked up the empty chair positioning it to face hers by the hearth. "I fear you are still in danger from Johnas, and his men," he stated frankly.
"I believe they will soon come looking for you, and if they should find you here, with me, there could be dire consequences for us both. I have known men like Johnas before; they do not give up so easily. Many of the Vampire Hunters that slaughtered my clan were of his ilk. Their need for revenge cannot be so easily satisfied, and from what you have told me of what transpired in your cottage, I do not believe he will be satisfied until he possesses you. Body, and soul."
Eldra studied Vincent, the seriousness in his voice causing alarm to bloom within her breast.
"But surely if they were going to come looking for me, they would have done so already?" she asked.
Thoughts raced through her mind as she considered Vincent's words.
Could Vincent really be in danger because of her?
As a Vampire, surely he could defeat a few weak villagers?
And as for Johnas, while he did possess more intelligence than the men he commanded, she knew him to be a coward at heart.
Surely no match for Vincent's superior strength, and cunning.
She conveyed her thoughts to Vincent, and considered her words carefully before speaking.
"Perhaps you are right," he replied, "but I believe we should ready ourselves in case the men do come. While I am strong, I have seen many of my kind fall by underestimating their enemy, and I have no intention of making the same mistake."
Eldra rose, moving to Vincent to sit on the hard floor at his feet. She rested her head against his leg.
"I could not bear to lose you after waiting so long to find you, my dark love," she breathed in raggedly, her voice filled with emotion.
She gazed up into his face tears tracing streaks of dirt down her cheeks.
Vincent gazed down at her, bringing his hand to her face and gently cupping it, he used his thumb to brush away the tears from her cheeks.
The sadness in her eyes was like a strike to his heart.
He reached down, and in one swift movement he lifted her body, drawing her into his lap.
"I cannot bear the thought of losing you either my little raven," he said, kissing the tears from her eyes, and then kissing the tip of her nose, then moving his lips to her waiting mouth.
She responded to his kisses hungrily forcing her tongue between his lips, as he had done to hers when the had coupled just last night.
He brought one hand up, cradling the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her raven locks, pulling her closer.
His tongue mingling with hers as their kiss intensified, a deep moan escaped her when he moved his mouth from her lips to her throat.
This time she did not stiffen as she had done before when he had kissed her throat, this time she clutched his hair pulling his mouth closely against her neck longing for his teeth.
Longing to feel the exquisite pain of his teeth as they pierced her tender flesh, letting him feed upon her, no longer caring if she died in his arms, if it would mean they could belong to each other forever.
He withdrew his mouth from Eldra's throat, not trusting himself, his hunger beginning to rise once more.
She uttered a slight cry of disappointment, a thrill of lust had racing down her body when she thought of his teeth sinking into her throat.
"I can not be trusted my little raven, your throat tastes so sweet," he breathed, crimson shining brightly in his eyes briefly, before swiftly fading away.
"I can feel your blood rushing beneath your tender skin." "Could you turn me into what you are?" she asked softly. "If you drank from me, and I from you?"
There was yearning in her voice.
A longing not born from fear, but from the desire to remain with him, to bridge the impossible distance between their two worlds.
Vincent stared at her, stunned by the question.
"I do not know," he admitted quietly. "I have never tried."
His expression grew distant for a moment, as though he were remembering all the years he had spent alone.
"I have never wished to share my curse with another." He reached out, gently caressing her face.
"Until I met you, my love."
The words left him in a hushed breath, carrying the weight of centuries of solitude and the wonder of finally finding someone he did not wish to lose.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the bed, his resolve beginning to waver beneath the strength of the feelings he had fought so long to deny.
Standing beside the bed he stripped off his trousers, letting then slide down his legs to the floor, then kicking them aside.
Vincent lifted his shirt free of Eldra's body taking in her naked curves, desire building in his loins.
They lay down upon the furs, Vincent moving over Eldra's body parting her legs with his own.
This time the passion burned so intensely he entered her immediately with the wild abandon of an animal.
She cried out as he forced his way inside her, his engorged manhood parting the tender flesh between her legs, he moved with more urgency than he had previously.
And she cried out with desire as her body responded to his desperate need, wrapping her legs around his hips, and feeling the fire rising in her belly, before it burst forth, causing her to convulse under him, as his body pinned hers to the bed beneath him.
Vincent continued thrusting deeper, as he did Eldra moaned louder. She could feel the fire once more rising at her core.
He brought himself to climax with a loud animalistic growl, Eldra following moments after.
He lay spent on top of her, lifting his weight from her body with his strong arms.
"I did not hurt you, did I?" he asked, looking down at her where she lay shuddering beneath him.
"A little," She answered, gazing up at him breathing heavily. "But you can hurt me like that again whenever you desire," she said, a wicked smile spreading across her face.
* * *
Vincent sat at the table watching Eldra eat the rabbit, licking the grease from her fingers with relish.
While Eldra ate a plan had begun to form in his mind and once she had finished her meal Vincent began to speak.
"I have been thinking," he began.
"what if I were to visit the village under cover of darkness. No one knows me there, and ships come and go at every hour of the day and night at the busy port. I would just appear to be another traveler, late arrived from some far off land. I could observe Johnas's comings and goings. Perhaps discover his plans. Tell me what do you think?" he asked of her.
Eldra looked at him in surprise.
"Do you not think that would be dangerous?" she gasped.
"My little raven" he said, reaching across the table for her hand, and taking it into his own. "I think it may be our only chance to uncover Johnas's plans."
Eldra's scowled with concern.
She slumped back into the chair, turning Vincent's plan over in her head. She grudgingly had to admit to herself that Vincent was right, as dangerous as his plan may be, it was true that they must discover what Johnas was planning for her.
Eldra nodded her consent, though the idea filled her with dread for Vincent's safety.
They spent the rest of the evening discussing their plan.
Vincent was right about the docks. Eldra had to agree; they seemed the safest way for him to enter the village without calling too much attention to himself.
Travelers, and sailors would be coming, and going from the docks at all hours, and he could easily blend in with the other passengers appearing to just another traveler among all the other men, and woman in the crowds. They decided that Vincent would leave the following evening before dusk, and that he would visit her little cottage before he returned, to retrieve some of Eldra's personal belongings.
She needed a few pieces of clothing, and her apothecary box in case they should have to make a hasty escape from Johnas's men, leaving Vin-cent's small shelter sadly behind them.
Vincent pulled a heavy black cloak from the pile of clothing on the table by the door, handing it to Eldra.
It was a bit musty smelling from years of disuse, but as she examined it in the dim light of the room, running the once fine woolen fabric through her fingers, and finding only a few small moth holes, and a frayed hem, but there was surprisingly, very little other damage.
When she was done examining it Eldra carried the cloak outside, draping it over a tree branch to air out overnight.
With their plans finalized, they retreated to the bed to make love once more.
This time tenderly, taking their time, reveling in the feeling of flesh on flesh as their bodies melted into each other.
When their bodies joined, the fire of their movements burned brightly, and when their release came at long last, it rushed over them like a great wave.
They lay wrapped in each other's arms for a long time, Eldra clinging to Vincent like a lost child.
She prayed for the first time since her mother had died that the old gods, the gods of her mother, would watch over Vincent on the morrow.
That they would bring him back to her safely.
While Eldra silently prayed, Vincent held her in his arms, taking in the scent of her, wanting to take a memory of her with him on his journey.
He lowered his nose to her hair breathing in deeply, and holding his breath for a long time before silently exhaling.
Eldra slept badly that night.
She dreamt that Vincent was taken from her, and being held captive in a rat infested dungeon.
That he was bound in chains, being tortured by men whose faces she could not see.
They tore his flesh from his body, as he cried out for her in his agony, but she had not the power to save him.