《Trapped On A Vampire Cruise With No Power!》


 1: How Did I End Up Here?

    Rose Sexton clawed into the steering wheel while pressing down on the gas pedal. I''m not going to be late! She told herself over and over again as she fought through traffic. It was a Friday and it was getting dangerously close to rush hour. She cursed herself for sleeping in, she cursed the delivery guy who brought her breakfast late, and most of all she cursed her best friend for pushing her to do this!


    Rose was in a rut, a very long and boring rut in life that was becoming more noticeable among her friends. Melissa Dickenson, her best friend and confidant, pushed her to get out and enjoy life. Every day as she sat in her cubical Melissa would poke and prod her to finally get out of her comfortable apartment and meet someone special. At first Rose rejected each unsavory attempt of peer pressure. But when her younger sister got married last month, Rose realized that every single one of her friends and family were either married or soon to be.


    Like a sickness her sense of loneliness grew in the back of her mind, and slowly spread through her soul. Days passed, then weeks, until one day Rose found herself clad only in her bathrobe eating an entire tub of strawberry ice cream on a Saturday afternoon. At twenty five years old, Rose looked herself in the mirror that night and did the only thing a rational young woman would do in her situation.


    She freaking panicked!


    Within minutes Rose was scouring the internet for anything that might alleviate her frightened insecurity. It was her friend Melissa that provided the answer the following day.


    "Go on a cruise!" Rose said to herself, reflecting on her friends words, "It''ll be fun, she said." Of course if she got up earlier, ate something in her own kitchen, and packed the previous night she would''ve been at the loading dock by now. Miami was a crowded city year round, but she knew every back alley and side street. That was her only saving grace.


    The radio was screaming rock n roll, the commercials in between were mainly news reels about blood drives and recent protests. It wasn''t so long ago that vampires were merely myths, not too dissimilar from ghost stories. When the first Vampire Clan introduced itself to the world ten years ago, it sent shockwaves across the globe. Soon hundreds of others followed suit, and it was realized that nearly a quarter of the population were vampires or descendants of vampires. They had done a really good job hiding themselves over the millennia, however even they knew that was no longer possible in the new digital age.


    At first the idea of vampires being real frightened the hell out of Rose, but as the years went by the world moved on as usual. It probably made sense that it would, seeing that Vampires have been around all this time. Turns out that most of the stories about vampires were just that...stories. Yes they craved blood, but there were ways for them to control that urges. Or so Rose had been told by the news. Truth was Rose never actually met a vampire, but she hoped she wouldn''t have too.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Rose sped past a truck, then a pink minivan, counting the minutes as they flew by. Rose was almost there, she could practically smell the ocean breeze. She was starting to doubt whether going on a singles cruise was a good idea, she had been wondering that every day since she booked the trip.


    Once a pair of cruise ships came into view along the Miami bay Rose breathed a sigh of relief.  Her hands were clammy as she pulled her truck into the dockyard parking lot, and grew frustrated that all the good spots were taken. It took fifteen minutes of searching to find a spot at the end of the lot.


    Unevenly parked, Rose took a moment to collect herself. Her long chestnut hair was a mess, and her vibrant green eyes looked back at her in the rearview mirror. She had her fathers eyes and a plain narrow face that resembled her late mothers. Her face was devoid of any makeup, that was another thing she didn¡¯t have time for. Rose leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath to gather her courage. Part of her wanted to turn around and go home, she wondered if this was a bad idea?


    A horn blew in the distance alerting her to the actual time. She jumped out of the car, letting the ocean breeze impact her tanned skin, and grabbed a suitcase from the back of her truck. Rose ran in her sandals as fast as she could to the front offices. There wasn''t a line, which wasn''t a good sign. The horns blew louder making her increase her pace. She blew past the front office, and rushed toward one of the gentlemen monitoring an embarkation ramp. There were still two cruise liners docked, and each seemed to be getting ready for departure.


    Please don''t be late! Rose pleaded to herself when she saw that one of the ship ramps was absent, its adjoining Cruise liner casted a vast shadow over the port. She swallowed hoping the remaining ship was hers. Rose ran to the booth just in front of the remaining ramp, there was a man in a sailors uniform monitoring it. It looked like he was about to close off the entrance and board the ship himself. Frantically she rushed toward him.


    "Please, I need to get on this boat!" Rose held up her passport and ticket in the air, she didn''t even bother to hand it to him or make sure this was the correct cruise.


    The Sailor looked up at her in surprise. ¡°Aye, its a ship! But I believe everyones already accounted for?"


    Rose wouldn''t take no for an answer, she slammed the ticket on the counter and rushed past him, "No its not! I''m not too late!" She ran up the ramp with her hair blowing in the wind. The man at the forward booth was trying to get her attention, but she wouldn''t have it. Rose feared if she paused for even a moment her anxiety would get the better of her, and she wasn''t going to let anything stop her from going on this vacation.


    "All aboard!" An announcement boomed on the ships loudspeakers just as her feet met the solid wood of the deck.


    The young man raced behind her, he seemed pale up close, "Excuse me ma''am but this ticket isn''t for¡ª¡° He was cut off as the ship suddenly lurched forward, and the ramp behind him detached.


    "Thank god," Rose sighed in relief, "By the skin of my teeth!"


    The young sailor was scratching the back of his head and wasn¡¯t pleased, "Ma''am you realize you''re on the wrong cruise ship right?"


    Rose looked at him with a puzzled expression, "What do you mean?"


    "This ticket is for the HMS Volley, but you just boarded the HMS Sanguine! This cruise was reserved only for vampires!"


    Rose had her eyes closed, her smile suddenly froze in an awkward grin, ¡°¡­Say what?"


    The ship sounded its horn again as it continued to depart, the HMS Sanguine had begun its seven day cruise with four thousand vampires...and a single human on board.

 2: Get Me Off This Ship!

    "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Rose Sexton could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and sweat dripping between her shoulder blades. Her blood ran cold at the realization that she was on board a cruise liner packed with blood-sucking monsters! Thousands of blood-sucking monster! Her fight or flight response was in a state of shock, she looked back and forth to study her surroundings. Where she was standing, right next to the embarkation ramp, there were few people nearby. But further along the deck there were hundreds of tourists, they looked normal...


    "Calm down ma''am," the sailor in front of her desperately tried to present an aura of calm.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I''M ON A CRUISE FOR VAMPIRES!" Rose cried out in abject terror as the sound of horns blared in the wind. The ship, the HMS Sanguine, was continuing to proceed out of the harbor and into the open ocean. Sea hawks were flying to guide them out to the great blue beyond.


    The man in front of her looked around, and realized there was no hope of getting off the ship in time. He removed his cap and wiped his brow, she realized he was also fairly stressed about the situation. It appeared there was no escape, unless she was willing to jump several stories and swim against the ships wake...


    Rose seriously considered that option for a full minute, being on a ship full of blood-sucking vampires didn''t seem like the safer option. She ran to the side railing to look down, the current''s waves were bashing against the hull.


    "Say cheese!" An unknown voice called out, Rose turned quickly as a flash burned her retinas.


    "Ouch!" The sudden attack was a surprise! Rose took a few steps back, nearly impacting the rail, while she rubbed her eyes.


    "Oh sorry!" an unknown voice sounded alarmed. Rose could make out a pair of blurry figures standing in front of her, one was slightly taller than the other.


    Finally her vision cleared enough to make out the pair playing with an old camera. She couldn''t make out details so she kept rubbing her eyes. "Watch where you''re pointing that thing!" Rose briefly forgot she was addressing non-humans.


    "I told you to be careful with that thing," The second voice was definitely that of a woman...or vampire woman?


    As Rose''s vision finally cleared she could make out the couple before her. They appeared just like anybody else she might have randomly met in life, the duo looked like they were in their thirties and wore ridiculous Hawaiian shirts. The man was tall, broad shouldered, and unbelievably pale as if he had been inside all day. The woman was just a few inches shorter, with long ginger hair and a beach bod that looked like she could be a model. Even in a baggy Hawaiian shirt she looked impressive. Her bronze skin leaned into her husband, or boyfriend, while she criticized the old camera he was trying to adjust.


    Whoever the man with the camera was, he seemed rather attached to it. "Its a classic, I just have to figure out how to turn off the flash." He was picking at a series of old style buttons.


    Rose grabbed it from his hand and immediately pinpointed the small dial hidden on the side, the pair of vacationers looked at her in surprise. She opened the chassis without disturbing the old film and deactivated the flash bulb before throwing it back to them, "You know it''s rude to take pictures of people without their permission?"


    The sailor rushed up next to her, "Ma''am if I may, let me take you to the captain...maybe we can figure something out."


    Rose suddenly remembered again that she was on a vampire cruise ship! which mean she just yanked the camera away from real vampires!


    "Is there a problem sailor?" The pale man asked, his long blonde hair blew in the wind making him look like some forlorn prince.


    The sailor looked at the passengers and scratched the back of his neck, "Just an unfortunate accident, this lady boarded the ship by mistake." He paused to look at Rose, "In a complete rush I might add."


    Rose planted her hands on her hips, she had such a hard time picturing the three people within arms reach as the blood sucking demons she had read stories about as a child! They looked completely normal, they didn''t even have pointy teeth like the old Dracula vids. The man was pale, but not in an eerie malevolent way. The woman''s face was oval, not narrow with sharp edges like in some of the anime. In every sort of way they seemed completely normal...


    "Wait so does that mean we have a human in our midst?" The pale man asked? Clearly that peeked his interest.


    His girlfriend, or wife, raised an eyebrow "A human! oooh yummy?" she licked her lips.


    Rose froze, her eyes dilated and the blood drained from her face. She took a quick glance at the railing and the waves far below. The shoreline was still not too far away.


    The strange woman laughed, "Relax just kidding! Seriously you need to lighten up, it''s rude to just assume we want to drink everyone''s blood we meet?" she finished with a wink.


    Rose tried to feign a laugh but barely kept her awkward, clearly fake, smile. "heh...good to know..."


    The sailor placed a hand on her shoulder, it made her recoil and jump to the side. He tried to address her again, "Sorry, I was afraid you were about to faint and fall off the side!"


    The woman across laughed at that, "We certainly can''t let her get away can we?"


    "Honey stop, you''re frightening her," he patted his partner on the head and approached rose but was wise enough to keep a fair distance. He offered a hand in greeting, "Sorry about my wife, she loves to tease. The names Vlad, and this sprite is my wife Catarina. We''re the Kemps, and you are?"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Rose stuttered as she responded, her hand shook as she hesitated to accept the handshake. "Rose...Rose Sexton...and please don''t devour me..."


    He laughed, "Didn''t she just say it was rude to assume that? besides we don''t actually...devour...people. You really don''t know anything about Vampires do you?"


    "Perhaps we could...educate her?" Catarina said almost seductively.


    "No no, leave her alone. Mr and Misses Kemp you''ve had your fun but we really must be off. Were running out of time as it is! Please miss Sexton follow me!" The sailor waved the pair to go away then carefully placed his hand on Rose''s back to guide her to safety.


    "See you again soon Rose! Pleasure meeting you!" Catarina called out as Rose walked away with the sailor. She felt goosebumps on her arms and her throat was dry.


    "You don''t need to worry, there just picking on you. We vampires don''t actually prey on people like all the old stories. And we take pride in the safety of all our guests aboard the HMS Sanguine, even accidental ones," There was something about the sailor that seemed to exude confidence. Rose couldn''t put her finger on it, but something in his voice made her feel more at ease. Normally she would instantly shove away any man that would dare lay a hand on her and move her around like a puppet, but this time she didn''t complain as he lead her away from the main deck and into the confines of the ship itself.


    She expected the inside to be dark and brooding, and was genuinely surprised to find the lights stunningly bright and even flamboyant. Classical music echoed from speakers along the halls, and the carpeting glowed a vibrant teal. She noticed there was an absence of the color red, even the wood furniture was stained a dark black as if to avoid any shade close to that spectrum.


    It took a couple minutes navigating the hallways before they made their way to the bridge. They passed by many sailors and passengers, each time she saw someone knew she tried to search for any signs of fangs, glistening skin, or corpse drawn skin! Each and every time she couldn''t notice anything out of the ordinary. But...she got the impression they knew she wasn''t one of them. More than once she received a courtesy glance, or snarky glare as if they knew instantly she was not meant to be there. What alarmed her the most was that she never got the feeling that she was unwanted...she felt like she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and people here were glad for that.


    Once inside the bridge she found a portly man sitting cross legged in a decorative chair, before him were a dozen other junior officers going over their instruments. They all wore pristine white uniforms, and once again their was a bizarre absence of the color red everywhere. He noticed them enter and stroked his white beard in curiosity.


    "Sailor, why are you bringing a passenger here? You know thats against regulation! explain yourself?" he spoke with a charisma matching his office. His voice didn''t contain any contempt or frustration, just resounding certainty.


    The sailor who had been near her from the beginning cleared his throat before speaking, "My captain, sorry to interrupt but I needed to bring this to your attention!"


    The captain suddenly seemed more aware of Rose''s presence. She got the suspicion he suddenly understood exactly why he brought her here. "Dear god man! Did you let a young woman on board! What were you thinking!" He sounded suddenly more angry than before.


    "I''m sorry sir, she ran right past me as I was about to exit the loading docks. She believed this was the other cruise liner, and was in a rush. I apologize for not being able to stop her sir," he saluted the captain as he spoke, it was clear to Rose that he was probably addressing the captain for the very first time in his life, "As you can see this could present a problem, and on behalf of our newest passenger I would like to request the ship to turn around?"


    The captain waved his suggest away, "We can''t turn around! Do you have any idea of the logistics, not to mention the port is already fully occupied! We''re not the only cruise liners scheduled to dock and depart this morning. It''ll be hours, maybe a day, before we could get back on track. So no thats not an option."


    Rose suddenly felt the urge to protest for herself, "Please get me off this ship!" she cried out, "Give me a lifeboat or something! Hell I''ll take a pontoon raft if thats all you got! The coast guard could pick me up from there."


    He laughed at her in amusement, "The riptides will drag you out to sea, and the coast guard will never find your body. You''ll spend a couple nights in the open ocean before you die of thirst. I can''t in good conscience do that, besides we don''t keep spare lifeboats for the random stowaway." The captain leaned back in his chair, the leather groaned under his weight.


    After a couple seconds stroking his beard he finally groaned and pulled out a ledger from his desk, "What is your name miss?"


    Rose brushed her hair back before answering, "Rose Sexton, and I have plenty of friends and family that will come searching for me if I suddenly turn up missing..." She had no idea why she included that last part but it made the captain raise and eyebrow and laugh.


    "Rose Sexton, you''re a hoot," He continued to laugh as he wrote her name in the ledger, "Seriously, haven''t had a good laugh all day," He put the ledger back and then wrote another sentence or two in a logbook.


    The sailor next to her seemed uncomfortable standing at attention for so long, "Um Captain, what should we do?"


    The looked at them and shrugged his shoulders, "Only thing we can do, find her a room and make sure she has a passkey like everyone else. I''ll notify the HMS Volley that we have one of their passengers by mistake. The company will refund her ticket and apply it to one of our passenger rates of equal measure. Or they''ll refund her ticket when we arrive at the first port in the cruise tour, she could get off at Nassau and take a plane back."


    Rose crossed her arms over her chest, she wanted to stay calm. So far no one has tried to suck her blood, so that was a good sign. But the idea of staying on board any longer was making her a nervous wreck. She tried to understand the option in front of her, "So I can get off at Nassau? When is that?"


    The captain looked over at the navigation officer who gave him a thumbs up. Apparently the ocean current and weather was smooth sailing. "As long as the weather remains good we should be there by tomorrow!"


    "And none of you will, suck my blood in that time?" Rose had a stutter in her voice.


    "Jesus Christ," The captain exclaimed, "You really don''t know anything about vampires do you?"


    The look of her expression seemed to give him all the answers he needed. Rose Sexton looked out of the bridge windows, the skies were a rich blue with a glaring sun climbing overhead.


    "James bring her to the forward deck officer, bring him Rose''s new credentials and he''ll get it sorted. Try to enlighten her a little bit about vampires on the way. She doesn''t need the whole sob story, just enough to help her relax," The captain motioned that it was time for them to leave, but not before officially welcoming her aboard, "Rose Sexton, its a pleasure to have you aboard the HMS Sanguine. Even if it''s only for twenty four hours, I hope you enjoy your stay."


    Rose struggled but thanked the captain, figuring it was only polite. As she walked out of the bridge with the Sailor, who''s name she just learned was James, she overheard one of the junior officers speaking aloud, "Damn are all humans like that?"


    The captain responded curtly, "Only at first George, only at first."

 3: Please Dont Drink Me!

    The ship seemed to groan as she walked down the blue carpeting of its familiar hallways. The deeper she went into the ship the more packed things seemed to become. The halls themselves were fairly wide for a cruise ship, and there was a strong smell of spice coming from the air vents. Rose could overhear the conversations from several of the passengers from open doors to their compartments. Some were eager to party, others just wanted to get laid, but most seemed interested to getting out of their rooms and onto the deck outside.


    Rose couldn''t help but feel like she''s was being watched every single second. Eyes seemed to scratch at the back of her skull with each and every footstep. She couldn''t help but think she was about to die!


    Eventually, although in hindsight she realized it was probably only a few minutes, the sailor brought her to a room at the end of B deck on the port side of the ship. Upon opening it Rose noticed it was already partly occupied, the room was just large enough for three beds and a single chair next to the smallest corner cabinet she ever saw. A tv was nailed on the far side of the wall. Currently it was on and showing the ships routine broadcast, it mainly consisted of advertisements including the water park, casino, and club den among other attractions. Just like all the other rooms it was completely devoid of the color red, but rich in blues and topaz hues.


    Inside two other young women were already getting situated. One being a tall dark haired goth chick with a plaid skirt and a fishnet shirt over a dark bikini, she laid on her bed fiddling with a gaming console as if she was trying to stay away from the light. The other a much shorter blonde gal with long hair was bouncing on her bed on the opposite end.


    "Really, right here...this is it?" Rose was stunned.


    "Oooh a new roomie!" the blonde girl cried out in joy, then hopped off her bed and rushed toward her.


    The other woman didn''t seem to care. "Oh joy, yippee ki yay," she spoke with a nonchalant flat tone.


    James, her guide, raised his arm as if ushering her inside the room. Rose took one step inside and instantly regretted it. The blonde girl quickly grabbed her hand and wouldn''t stop shaking it, "It''s so good to meet you!" she suddenly paused while holding Rose¡¯s hand and then smelled her palm.


    Rose panicked and tried to withdraw but found the girl was much stronger than she appeared, she started licking her fingers!


    "So tasty, a human!" The blonde girl exclaimed! Rose''s eyes began to twitch.


    The other dark haired woman immediately stood up in surprise, "Wait what''s a human doing here!"


    James stepped in, "Theres been an unfortunate mixup, she''ll only be here for a day so can I trust you two will behave until then?"


    The goth girl lashed out and swore at them, "I was told this was a vampire only cruise, hashtag vampire only! this was not in the brochure! She''s not welcome here and I do not want her here!"


    The blonde girl couldn''t stop licking Roses fingers, "Oh calm down Maggie,


    Rose wanted to withdraw her hand from the vampires lips, but her own grasp was firm. Rose looked over at the goth girl, the one referred to as simply Maggie. Maggie was clearly irritated and wouldn''t stop protesting, "You calm down Rebecca, before you start drooling on her!"


    Rose cried out in alarm, "Please don''t drink me!"


    Rebecca, the blonde girl clutching her hand, blushed then laughed hysterically, "Oh come on do you really think we want to drink you? Well maybe we do," she rolled her eyes, "But it''s not as bad as you think."


    "What!" Rose had a hard time digesting her words. She clearly was playing with her...or so Rose hoped.


    Rebecca continued, "Come on, do you salivate and devour a cow on first glance? If a pig were to stumble into this room would you snap its neck and grind its intestines into juicy sausages?"


    The question was rather disgusting. Rose couldn''t help but wonder who the hell thinks this way? "Well no I guess..."


    "I bet your the type that would probably give the pig a name! Maybe even try to teach it a few tricks, and make it your personal pet. You would even let it follow you around wouldn''t you?" Rebecca smiled, "Now imagine that same pig with a sentient mind and an actual name? Tell me are you excited to rip it apart for its savory bacon? Or would you think to yourself, wow thats cruel and despicable?"


    "Definitely cruel and despicable, CRUEL and DESPICABLE!" Rose kept trying to pull her hand back, it was like it was in a trap!


    James seemed completely annoyed at the doorway, "Rebecca and Maggie smith, please let the poor girl go! And stop frightening her! This is rather cruel if you ask me."


    Rose felt the vampire finally let her go, the tension made her nearly fall backward but landed in James arms who barely stopped her in time. She instantly lunged forward back on her feet and screamed, "What did I do to deserve this!"


    Maggie groaned in her corner of the room, "Why are humans always like this?"


    Rebecca was easy to give an answer, "Well we did kinda prey on them for millennia? but thats ancient history."


    "A century isn''t that ancient..." Maggie got up from her mattress, her height made it difficult to navigate the tight quarters. If she stood completely upright she would hit her head on the ceiling.


    "So you do eat people! I bet you''re centuries old and you hypnotized me to be here!" Rose Suddenly felt light headed, her heart skipped a beat from fear alone! She passed out right there surrounded by three vampires!


    When next Rose opened her eyes she felt the rocking of the ship by the sea. They say a cruises liner is too big, too sturdy, to feel the tension in the waves but laying on the warm mattress she could feel the ever so slight shifts in the ground underneath her. It took her brain a moment to reflect on her surroundings and remember where she was. She jumped up and screamed!


    "Wow what the hell!" The dark haired girl Rose remembered was named Maggie jumped from her bed next to her in fright!


    Rose took a glance at her then screamed again before rushing to the doorway and found it locked! She pulled and pulled desperate to get out. Her nails were getting chipped in her attempts. The door wouldn''t open, but it rattled under duress. She felt a pinch in her fingertips and let go to realize three of her nails were bent or broken and panicked.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Seriously you have to stop freaking out!" Maggie seemed to come out of nowhere, she grabbed Roses shoulder then pushed her back to the bed she was sleeping on.


    Laying back on the mattress Rose instantly tried to take up a defensive posture, she expected a pari of sharpened teeth to lunge at her any second. Maggie just stood in front of the bed, her hair a complete mess, with her arms crossed over her chest. She was tapping her forearm counting the seconds, and there were wrinkles under her eyes.


    Rose kept he stance, it was easy to tell she never took a self defense class in her entire life. Maggie rubbed one of her eyes then walked back to her own mattress, Rose watched her every footstep expecting the vampire to attack her the moment she let her guard down. It was dark, moonlight was glaring through the window. Rose wondered if vampires grew stronger in the moonlight?


    Maggie sat down, rubbed her shoulders, then looked at her. Rose got the impression that Maggie didn''t want her to be there anymore than herself. When Maggie spoke she sounded strained, "You know I came to escape all you humans, why is it you always scream when a vampire is near you?"


    Rose shifted to the corner of her bed which was tucked against the corner of the room itself. She felt a sudden strange sense of ease but felt compelled to feel her neck for bit marks. She breathed out a sigh of relief.


    Maggie looked at her again and grunted, "Relax we didn''t take a bite. Rebecca is enjoying the casino by the way, you''ve been passed out for a couple hours."


    Rose studied the room, her suitcase was leaned against the far side of the wall, "but you do drink blood?"


    Maggie shrugged, "yeah so?"


    "So! please don''t drink me!"


    "God your dense! We don''t want to drink your blood! How many times do I have to say it!" Maggie couldn''t hide her frustration and yelled loudly.


    Despite Maggie''s outcry Rose was still unconvinced. But then again she couldn''t help but wonder, if she was the only human on the ship how would they going to get any blood in the first place? She swallowed before asking her the question.


    "So I got to give you the whole pep talk huh," Maggie said. She leaned back against the wall before continuing to give Rose an answer, "we don''t need a lot of blood to get by, just a teaspoons worth will do. We do eat normal food just like humans but for some reason we have to ingest human blood every couple of days for our bodies to digest anything properly. Scientists seem to think our bodies our prone to rejecting food almost like an allergic reaction unless we get a healthy dosage of human blood regularly. But we don''t need a lot."


    Rose thought about this for a moment. How much was not a lot? "How much is a normal dosage?"


    "About a teaspoon to get by, but thats minimum. Personally I love a nice AB+ mixed in a wine glass with a good merlot. But thats only for special occasions," Maggie answered as if drinking human blood was a completely normal thing to do. She continued, "human blood is a delicacy, like a really nice vintage wine. It''s not uncommon for a family of vampires to have only a pint to themselves to last a month, and only for special occasions. In the meantime the invention of plasma and blood donations changed everything a century ago."


    Maggie handed a her a bottle of water in between her explanation. Rose accepted it carefully. Only once Rose had twisted the cap open did Maggie continue, "There was a time when we had to be careful, drink a little from a human and keep ourselves from drinking too much. There used to be a saying, a man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man, or something like that. Blood can be like a really good spirit to us, and we had to be careful not to get carried away lest we get caught and have the whole town hunt us down...you get the idea."


    Rose nodded, some of her theories of Vampires were proven in that statement.


    Maggie cleared her throat then continued, "but with the invention of plasma about a hundred years ago changed everything. Turns out we can drink it and get all the nutrients we need as blood, and thanks to blood donations being so common around the world that also helps big time!"


    "Really?"


    Maggie nodded, "Have you ever wondered how much blood is actually needed for transfusions around the world? When you compare it to the actual amount of blood being donated you will find a huge discrepancy. We also happen to own several hospitals and charities where a portion of the blood collected is used to satisfy us. With the invention of blood transferance and plasma all the vampire clans agreed to what we called ''the hominid convention'' one hundred years ago. Under those decrees humans are only to be drank from in the most extreme of circumstances, and even then we are only permitted to take just enough to survive. Drinking a human dry would be tantamount to murder, which is just as appealing to us as it is to you...I hope?"


    Rose had a hard time comprehending all of this, "So blood tastes super delicious for you, but you somehow stay away from it? How does that work?" She instantly regretted asking the question.


    Maggie chuckled, "Simple, if you never drink fresh blood then you don''t know what you''re missing. I''m sure its good but really don''t care. We can drink pigs blood, but thats gross, like drinking horse piss. And plasma with some orange peels or other ingredients works just fine. A simple serving of donated blood on rare occasions is satisfying enough, it beats being forced to live in the shadows."


    For the first time since she realized she had boarded a vampire cruise, Rose felt somewhat at ease. She didn''t know if she trusted Maggie, or Rebecca for that matter, but she no longer felt like she was moments away from being guzzled dry. "So if you...hypothetically," Rose paused in exaggeration, "bit me would I become a vampire?"


    Maggie laughed before she could answer, "Absolutely not, if that were the case then the world would have been overrun centuries ago. No you can only be born a vampire. If a human and a vampire had a child then that child would either be a vampire or what we would call a half breed. half breeds don''t need blood to survive and are for the most part human, but they carry the vampire gene. if that person had a child with a human then one of their descendants might become a vampire unless the blood gets too diluted, which can carry its own problems."


    This was the first time Rose ever heard of this. She was fascinated with the knowledge that Vampires were born and not made. She couldn''t help but wonder what kind of problems she was referring to, "What kind of problems?"


    Maggie continued, "If a human has a small amount of vampire dna in them, even ever so small that their vampire ancestor might be centuries ago, then it sometimes leads them to feeling a deep emptiness in their souls. Like their''s a void that eats up all their emotions including empathy. Every sociopath likely has a vampire ancestor somewhere far in the past. But if a half breed had kids with another vampire the bloodline will get more pure and be more likely to have a vampire child."


    Rose was leaning forward, "So what happens if you do drink from a human?" She bit her lip, why was she asking these kinds of questions! She wondered if she was just begging to be bit!


    Maggie noticed her apprehension and wasn''t amused, "Our teeth secrete a very special kind of venom. It overloads the dopamine in her brain chemistry so that you instantly meet an incredible high. You will then pass out in euphoric bliss, possibly waking up with no memory of what happened. Thats the best case scenario."


    "And the worst?" Rose felt a slight shift in the room, it felt like the ship was turning.


    "Sometimes humans would get an allergic reaction to it. Theres a few sad stories of them going into seizure and frothing at the mouth, and the priests thinking their possessed or infected and promptly killing them..."


    "Oh great."


    "It''s also possible that you could get addicted to the vampire venom, making it so you would go into a violent withdrawal if you don''t return to said vampire as often as they need feeding. There are some old tales about that too. But since we don''t bite living humans unless necessary we haven''t had to worry about that in a while," Maggie gave her a thumbs up. It seemed kind of funny to Rose that a goth chick was actually giving her such a vote of confidence.


    "Sorry...I guess I just didn''t know what to expect," Rose released the tension in her arms, letting them drop on the bed sheets. They were remarkably soft.


    Maggie rolled over onto her twin bed and pulled the covers over herself. "Now that were settled, and you know I''m not going to suck your blood," She said that last part like an old Dracula vid, " can you please turn off the light and let me go to sleep!


    Rose watched as Maggie shuffled under her sheets until she was comfortable. Cautiously Rose exhaled, relieving a lifetimes worth of tension, and scooted into a more comfortable position before reaching to switch off the lights. As darkness washed over the room, Rose buried herself underneath the sheets and listened to Maggie''s shallow breathing as if expecting this whole thing to be a ruse, and for the monster to creep over her once she closed her eyes. She waited diligently as the ship rocked her to sleep.

 4: Morning Licks

    Rose never had good dreams, they were always distorted hallucinations of dejavu and awkward fantasies rolled up into her own uncaring universe. It was a bad dream that spawned the idea of going on a cruise in the first place, and another that made her frantically grow weary of being single. But for some reason that she couldn''t accurately explain, sleeping in a room with two other vampires was one of the most peaceful. Her nightmares were absent, in there place was a warm feeling of sobriety. When her eyes fluttered open her body somehow felt more refreshed than she had been in a long time. Until she noticed someone was licking her fingers...


    Rebecca, the rather short blonde vampire, had four of Rose''s fingers in her mouth and was gingerly licking them like they were salt cubes.


    Rose instantly recoiled, but found that the vampires grip was somehow too strong to unlatch her, "What are you doing?" Her voice was startled and confused.


    "So tasty..." Rebecca mumbled as she continued to suck on her skin.


    Rose tried to pull harder, then tried to use her feet and other hand to pull her away. It was like moving a boulder, Rebecca simply wouldn''t budge! "Tasty my ass! let me go you little creep!"


    The doorway opened, Maggie stumbled into the room and glanced over. On first glance she looked like she was already tipsy, "Having fun already Reby?"


    Rose raised her eyebrow in confusion, "I thought you said vampires don''t drink humans! What the hell?"


    "She''s not drinking you, she''s tasting you...big difference." Maggie''s words were slurred and she pulled out a silver flask from her purse, "Reby let her go already, haven''t you had enough?"


    Reluctantly Rebecca released her grip just as Rose was trying to pull, it made Rose instantly lunge backward against the wall! "What the hell is wrong with you!"


    Rebecca chuckled as she leaned back and licked her lips, "I can tell she''s an O negative...thats my favorite."


    "I thought B positive was your favorite?" Maggie interjected as if talking about blood types was a completely normal thing to do.


    "But O negative is so much sweeter, I really want to try it." Rebecca leaned forward slightly as if she might just let her temptations get the better of her.


    Rose suddenly felt like her worst fears were about to be justified, she wished she had her can of mace...or hell her colt revolver would be even better!


    Before Rebecca could do anything Maggie got behind her and dragged her away from Rose back to her side of the room, "You''ve got to control yourself! your giving us a bad name," Once Maggie had Rebecca on her own twin bed she threw her another tin flask, "Here just drink this and stop acting crazy!"


    Rebecca let out a moan of disappointment before taking the flask. Maggie had her hands on her hips and seemed annoyed. Rose just rubbed the back of her neck as she got up and took in her surroundings. The sunlight was pouring into the room through the small round window and judging by the sounds of footsteps coming from outside, the ships festivities were in full swing.


    "We can''t get to Nassau soon enough," Rose complained to herself as she stood. Her fingers felt sticky and gross, she wanted to take a shower.


    Maggie laughed at that, "You say it sista," she hiccuped in between sentences, "Wont be there until later tonight though...might as well have fun until then."


    The smell of alcohol permeated the air around the goth chick, "Come on don''t tell me humans don''t drink or gamble, I''ve seen plenty do far worse."


    Until the previous night Rose didn''t now the first thing about Vampires, the idea of them drinking and partying like normal people seemed strange. She sighed and tried to crack her knuckles to relax, "What is there to do here?"


    Maggie took a long swig from her flask before answering, "Plenty, in fact theres a DJ and party right now on the main deck. Unlike you, I came here for a purpose and I''m not sitting in here missing out on all the hunks upstairs. You two need to get your ass in gear!"


    Rose didn''t like the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of vampires, but she didn''t like the idea of being left alone where no one would hear her scream either. Besides, she thought to herself, If they don''t need my blood than it should be safe?


    Rose agreed to let them drag her upstairs, but not before getting cleaned up and into something more proper. She was genuinely happy that no one went through her luggage, and retrieved a change of clothes before going into the small restroom. After the shower and blow drying her hair she emerged from the tiny room wearing her new red bikini. Both Maggie and Rebecca were glaring at her dumbstruck, Maggie nearly dropped her flask while Rebecca instantly stood up in one fluid motion. Rose suddenly got the feeling that she made a grave mistake.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "What are you two looking at?" Rose worried that her swimsuit might have come loose, or didn''t fit right. She had no idea why the pair of vampires were drawn to her like a pair of predators discovering new prey.


    Rebecca lunged, her eyes were alive in freakish turmoil! It took every ounce of strength for Maggie to grab her and throw her back onto her bed. Maggie had both her hands balled into fists, her nails were bitting into her palms, "Take that off! right now!" she screamed.


    Rose shuddered, "What?"


    "Take it off!" Maggie spat thick droplets of drool in the air.


    Rose immediately stripped off the red swimsuit, letting it fall to the floor, and shielded herself clumsily, "What the hell is wrong with you!"


    Maggie rushed over and kicked the red clothing underneath the mattress so that it was out of sight! Freed from the distraction the dark haired vampire calmed herself, Rebecca in the meanwhile was chewing at her blankets. Maggie then spoke as calmly as she could, "Don''t ever wear red..."


    Rose was standing, naked and covering herself, completely confused. "Ok I think I''ve said ''what the hell is wrong with you'' enough. But seriously what the hell is wrong with you!"


    Rebecca spoke out, "Sorry but anything red just drives us crazy!"


    "Oh it drives you crazy! like you aren''t already!" Rose fought back her urge to throw something at her.


    "Seriously you have to avoid the color red! It''s like super insane for us!" Maggie rubbed her eyes.


    Rose stuttered, "How do you avoid the color red! It''s literally the background of every Target in America!"


    "Ever seen someone walk into a store with dark shades and thought to yourself ''what a douchebag?" Rebecca asked nonchalantly.


    Rose couldn''t help but admit she had, quite a lot actually?


    "Vampire," The pair stated together.


    "NO!"


    "Yep, vampire big time. Also we can wear special contacts that alter that color, but their expensive and itchy and were not wearing them while on vacation! So please don''t wear anything red!" Maggie protested! She grabbed another pair of clothes from Rose''s open suitcase and threw it at her, "Put this on and hurry up! You''ve already wasted enough time from my vacation! were not going to sit and wait for you much longer."


    "Don''t go through my things!" Rose took the black swimsuit and locked herself back into the restroom. The black bikini was a designer push-up her friend from work got her months ago, she never wore it in public. Luckily it still fit her perfectly. Looking herself over in the mirror she couldn''t help but feel weird, as if she were exposing too much of herself. Rose wondered why she even bothered packing this particular swimsuit in the first place.


    A noise broke through her thoughts, a new voice echoed through the thin walls from the adjacent compartment. It sounded like a man? Rose checked herself in the mirror one last time before opening the door and walking outside. Standing in the sleeping quarters was a new passenger she hadn''t seen before, he was chatting with Maggie flirtatiously. Whoever it was he was tall, and broad shouldered with a handsome face and short brown hair. He wore only his swimsuit which meant he proudly displayed his chest and thick arms. His tanned skin was taught with muscle and the sun tan lotion reeked from his pores. He looked over in surprise and spoke with a rough southern accent, "Maggie you didn''t tell me you found a third roomie? You caught me by surprise!"


    "She''s a humie, and won''t be with us for long," Maggie tried to divert his attention back to herself, "But you''re more than welcome to take her place as soon as she''s gone, Reby and me are going to be so lonely." It was clear she had ulterior motives, Maggie spoke seductively with a finger moving in circles around her necklace.


    "A human! I knew you would find a way to sneak some contraband on board, but a human? Going a little overboard aren''t we?" His jibe did nothing to soothe the tension in the room. He turned around and walked over to Rose with the kind of confident swagger only a skilled womanizer could employ. He extended his hand with a smile, "The names Kyle Stryx.¡±


    Rose accepted the handshake suspiciously, and with an abundance of caution before speaking, "Rose...Sex-Sexton...Pleasure to meet you." There was something about his eyes that struck her, it was near impossible break her focus from them.


    "A pleasure indeed! My mother was human so don''t worry I won''t bite," His voice was smooth and supple compared to any other guy she ever met. In fact Rose felt her stomach flutter as he released her hand and offer a sharp wink.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Maggie cried out, she threw her arms in air and grasped the back of her head. ¡°Are we going outside or what!¡±


    ¡°Alright alright alright,¡± Kyle¡¯s accent rolled off the tongue, ¡°lets go ladies the day is still young and the nights on its way.¡± He wrapped an arm around Maggie and motioned for Rose and Rebecca to follow them out of the room. Rose realized she was holding her breath, her her legs were shaking. As she exhaled her eyes drifted to the small red strap of her bra poking from underneath the bed post. Suddenly she realized she didn¡¯t know what was worse, to go outside with the three of them¡­or stay here alone?


    A gentle finger poked at her shoulder causing her to jump in fright. Rebecca chuckled at Rose¡¯s reaction and then hopped back out of reach. Her hands were behind her back and the vampire¡¯s golden hair seemed to reflect the light, her smile was practically intoxicating even with the fangs poking from her lips.


    ¡°Come on O negative, I don¡¯t want to leave you down here all alone.¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was sweet and clear, Rose couldn¡¯t tell if she was teasing her or genuinely trying to be friendly.


    Rose Sexton took another deep breathe and adjusted her shoulder strap before following the vampires out of the room.

 5: Pool Side

    The HMS Sanguine was a Grand Cruise Ship with nineteen decks and was close to one thousand feet in length. It consisted of no less than three nightclubs, one that overhang its stern, and fourteen major restaurants. A casino was a new addition and situated near the prow of the massive ship. It was older than it looked, it rode the waves as casually as a skyscraper would float. Currents spawned from tectonic plates far from human reach continued to drag the ship, trying to pull it away from its intended destination. Its engines ground onward, fighting the forces of nature. The ocean seemed to want to challenge the Sanguine¡¯s right to sail.


    Above the waters firmament the skies were clear and the air was summery. Rose Sexton felt the sun warm her skin the second she walked onto the forward deck. Maggie was rushing ahead of them, her legs were already moving sluggishly. Kyle Strix on the other hand bellowed a cheer with his arms spread wide, apparently it was his way of adopting the vacational spirit. The only one in the group that lagged behind was Rebecca, the blonde vampire seemed more concerned with tidying up her large umbrella hat than going outside.


    Turns out vampires really like alcohol, especially flavored spirits. As Rose strolled out into the morning glow she expected to see the top decks empty. The old vampire stereotype of hating sunlight was quickly disproven, like so many others. The top deck was full of eager tourists, with most wearing bathing suits or loose fitting clothes. She supposed it was wrong for her to assume vampires hated the sun, apparently they loved it like everyone else.


    There were other stereotypes Rose was curious about, such as the whole cross and dagger theory. Or what about onions and garlic? She wondered. Fate seemed to enjoy answering some of these questions as a glint quickly caught her eye. Rose looked to her right to spot a young and attractive couple taking photos next to the railing. Both wore brightly colored shirts and sported Catholic crosses around their necks.


    Rebecca bumped her shoulder to steal her attention, ¡°Looking for one of these?¡± She pulled a long silver chain wrapped around her own neck. A crucifix gilded in smooth silver glinted in the light. It was a simple trinket, the kind worn by someone of faith rather than a piece of jewelry for show.


    Rose couldn¡¯t help but appreciate Rebecca¡¯s warm smile in the light of day. ¡°So I guess crosses don¡¯t burn vampires either right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Would I be wearing one if it did?¡± Rebecca chuckled as she tucked the necklace back underneath her blouse and skipped ahead of the group. She was so up beat and cheerful that Rose almost wished she acted more like a traditional vampire. None of this made any sense to her at all.


    Shifting seas made the cruise liner roll with the waves, it made the ground unsteady beneath them. Rose knew nothing about ocean faring, but she hoped the passage would be a little steadier. The last thing she wanted was to get seasick, well it wasn¡¯t necessarily the last thing she wanted but fairly close.


    Rose followed the three vampires. Her black swimsuit absorbed the scorching sunlight quickly, she could feel a bead of sweat trickle down in-between her breasts. Rebecca and Maggie split up the moment they reached the large swimming pool, the blonde creature was quick to grab a couple of lounge chairs while Maggie hunted for the large bar nearby. Kyle paused rather than join either of them and turned around. He watched as Rose approached slowly, each step felt heavy like she was wearing leaden shoes. She only stopped once she was within arms reach, it still felt too close.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Its adorable how¡¯re like a little bunny in a wolves den, you need to lighten up a bit.¡± He tried to lighten the mood.


    Rose swallowed and looked around. Dozens were jumping in the pool, or sun bathing on patio chairs. Food services was being brought to several couples and single passengers on silver plates. The plates were full of complementary drinks and snacks. Once again the color red was completely devoid of her surroundings, the closest thing to it would probably be the light of the rising sun.


    The pool itself was large and rectangular. A rumor was that a larger pool complete with water slides and diving boards was on the opposite end of the ship. Yet despite all the happy vacationers, Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice each and every single one of them would sneak a quick glance towards her. She felt it each time a pair of eyes locked onto her as if she really was prey. Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was in danger. Somehow they knew a human was in their midst, and were drawn to her.


    ¡°You just going to stand there honeybun?¡± Kyle chuckled as he assigned her the moniker. Rose realized she had been standing there in the open for too long. Nervously she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down. The idea of being called ¡®honeybun¡¯ pissed her off.


    ¡°Honeybun?¡± Rose slouched and didn¡¯t try to disguise how she felt. The wind suddenly picked up and blew her hair over her face. Rose cursed as she tried to brush the hair aside but the wind only worsened.


    A shadow descended over her, shielding her just enough so that she could pull her hair back. Rose looked up and saw Kyle was trying to cover her from the sudden gust. ¡°Talk about a rush huh, must be a tropical storm nearby.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Rose shoved him aside. He was surprisingly stiff but took a step back to give her space. Even as she passed him Rose could tell he was watching her all the way to the pool, it was making her even more annoyed. The pool was crystal clear and Rebecca¡¯s reflection was clearly visible as she laid on the lounge chair with her umbrella hat covering her face. As Rebecca stretched out her blouse exposed her stomach to reveal hardy muscle and wide hips. For the first time it was Rose who couldn¡¯t stop staring.


    ¡°You gonna go for it?¡± Kyle teased her. It took a moment for Rose to realize he was referring to the pool¡­she rubbed her eyes to clear her head.


    I did go on a singles cruise hoping to meet people, Rose pondered.


    Rose took one last glance at the blonde vampire basking in the sun, and wondered why she found it hard to look away. She never felt this flustered towards women before, but then again she never felt that way towards vampires in general.


    Rose sighed before dipping her toes to test the water temperature. It was freezing cold! A subtle shift in the wood, along with the sudden rise of hair on the back of her neck, told her someone was about to try to push her in. It was a purely animalistic instinct that told her what was about to happen, and her reflexes responded quickly. She dived to her left just as Kyle lunged forward to shove her into the freezing pool of water. It happened so fast he didn¡¯t have time to stop himself or change direction, so Rose watched as he threw himself accidentally into the water. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical as he realized his mistake.


    Kyle Strix cried out as he impacted the surface of the pool. His splash drew waves as he thrashed to swim up to the surface. As soon as his head broke free he rushed to the edge to climb out, ¡°Its freezing! Oh my god its freezing!¡±


    ¡°Suits you right asshole,¡± Rose strolled away. She wasn¡¯t the least bit interested in his taunts, but it did surprise her that vampires didn¡¯t enjoy the cold either. That meant the pool temperature wasn¡¯t that way on purpose, someone must not have been doing their job.


    ¡°Looks like the rabbits got fangs after all!¡± Kyle called out as he pulled himself out, he had to keep a hold of his swimming trunks to prevent them from slipping off. He grabbed the first towel he could find and wrapped himself while shivering.


    Nearby Rebecca was laughing hysterically.

 6: Crimson Spit

    ¡°Is that a bird?¡± Rose Sexton looked up at the open skies and noticed the small passing shadow overhead. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, she kept seeing the flickering shadow over and over again. Whatever it was it had been passing over the ship throughout the day. At first it appeared to be a cloud but there didn¡¯t seem to be any clouds as the sun reached its peak.


    Rose didn¡¯t know why she was so drawn to it. It was hard to know what disturbed her the most, the weird glint in her eye or the fact that there were so many guys watching at her. Not just the men but the women around the pool as well. Every time she glanced in any direction she would catch an eye looking back. Some of those glances looked seductive, others rather hungry.


    It was Rebecca who broke the silence, ¡°Are you ok O negative¡­I mean Rosy?¡±


    Rose was starting to grasp a better understanding of the blonde vampire lounging next to her. It felt like Rebecca just wanted to get a rise out of her or make her feel uncomfortable. Maybe Rebecca simply found it humorous to call her by her blood type?


    ¡°People keep staring at me, it creeps me out¡­¡± Rose leaned forward in her chair and immediately caught a couple glancing at her. She could¡¯ve sworn it was the Kemps, the young couple she first ran into when accidentally boarding. But whoever they were they quickly mingled back into the crowd.


    Rebecca just smirked before answering, ¡°Its because you¡¯re hot! Stop thinking everyone cares if your human. Literally no one does!¡± And then to emphasize her point Rebecca got up and shouted, ¡°Hey everyone, we have a human on board! A juicy delicious human! Come and see her, she¡¯s right here!¡±


    Rose nearly panicked as the blonde creature pointed directly at her while chanting in the air. A few responded with cheers or whistles but none seemed to really care. Making her point, Rebecca laid back down on the beach chair before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re sexy as hell in that bikini, of course everyone is looking at you! I only wish they would give me some attention! Actually maybe your hogging to much of it¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Rose didn¡¯t know it but she was blushing. As if to agree with Rebecca¡¯s sermon, several horny guys whistled loudly and remarked about her tanned body. One of the guys made awkward thrusting motions as if somehow that would be attractive!


    ¡°Seriously guys!¡± Kyle advanced towards the jerks giving her awkward poses and forced them to scatter.


    Even as the indecent group dispersed it didn¡¯t stop others from looking at her. The air suddenly felt cool against her bare skin, which made sitting still almost impossible. It would have been better if she had a blanket or at least a towel to help shelter her against the wind. Rose curled up into a ball, wrapping her arms around her legs and tried to ignore the people gawking at her. She wasn¡¯t used to this kind of attention, at least not since her college days.


    Just thinking about college caused her to relive a distant memory, one of drunken debauchery among her sorority sisters. It was truly insane how fast time flew by. The glare crossed her vision again, this time she turned her head violently to grab hold of whatever it was. But like a wisp in the wind it continued to dodge her vision.


    ¡°Hey Honeybun, I brought you a mojito? Extra salt¡­I figured thats the way you like em.¡± Kyles voice freaked her out because she never heard him come back after confronting the jerks.


    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± Rose cried out in alarm.


    He handed her the cocktail without an answer. The drink seemed to have a lot of mint leaves in it. Normally mojitos wouldn¡¯t be her drink of choice, she would¡¯ve preferred a nice wine or maybe a margarita. Martini¡¯s with a couple olives were her favorite, she hated calling them dirty Martini¡¯s though.


    ¡°I¡¯m not you¡¯re honeybun,¡± Rose then looked over to Rebecca, ¡°Or your¡­what did you call me? Your O negative?¡±


    To which Rebecca responded, ¡°Whatever you say honeybun!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Keep it down! Shut your filthy human tongue!¡± Maggie walked clumsily to the empty chair next to Rebecca and collapsed on it. She was in a drunken haze and clearly belligerent.


    Cautiously, ever so cautiously, Rose took a sip from the cool glass. She didn¡¯t trust Kyle as far as she could throw him but found the drink satisfying enough. It smelled rich and flavorful, and tasted minty.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Wait¡­what am I doing? Rose realized she had just accepted a drink from a stranger! What if it was dosed with something? Is this how they plan to get me? Lure me to a calm place then dose and drink me! Suddenly she looked up at him defiantly.


    ¡°What is up with you? I flirt with you and you act weird, I tease you and you stutter, I offer you a drink and you act like I just handed you poison?¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, Rose did judge everything he did with intrepidity.


    Rose glared at him suspiciously, ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what your thinking? What better way to get at my blood than to knock me out!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll just spoil the taste honeybun,¡± Rebecca teased.


    ¡°Whatever, just enjoy the drink,¡± Kyle Stryx had enough of her babbling and walked away. Rose instantly felt a sense of relief, and disappointment about what just happened. She looked at the drink in her hand not knowing what to do.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to drink that, mind handing it over?¡± Maggie slurred as she tried to lean forward in her lounge chair. Rose thought about just giving it to her and rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to hand it to her, Maggie began to snore. Apparently she was fading in and out of consciousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how she¡¯s acting. She¡¯s actually a really nice person once you get to know her.¡± Rebecca lifted up the fold of her umbrella hat to reveal her face, ¡°She had a really bad break up a few weeks ago, and just hasn¡¯t gotten over it.¡±


    Rose leaned back and stirred the mojito with the tiny tooth pick it came with. She realized this was the first time Rebecca spoke to her sincerely, there was no hint of sarcasm in her voice. Rose looked over to her before asking a question, ¡°I see, but why does she hate humans?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t hate normal people, its just that she doesn¡¯t know how else to vent her anger. You see¡­her girlfriend was a human, and they were together for like three years.¡± Rebecca¡¯s tone had grown very brittle.


    That made her curiosity spike! Rose couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the revelation. ¡°Wait, so she dated a human?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Dorothea was awesome! And she even let her drink her own blood on occasion. The two were practically inseparable, until the whole breakup.¡± Rebecca continued quietly, Maggie meanwhile snored in the chair next to her.


    It was hard not to feel sorry for Maggie; Rose didn¡¯t know what was worse, to know love and loss or to never love at all. She wished to know what it felt like, even if it was excruciating.


    Sitting on the lounge chair with the mojito in her hand, Rose finally decided to just accept the possible consequences and enjoy the beverage. Half way through the drink she felt like she was actually on vacation for the first time. Weirdly enough it was the best mojito she ever had.


    ¡°Dorothea¡­?¡± Maggie mumbled to herself as she slept. She was laying face down in the lounge chair. Rose watched the dark haired girl quietly. She found it kind of funny that Maggie blacked out only an hour after her binge.


    Eventually Maggie rolled over, her swimsuit exposed more than most would be willing to show. Her curves were impossible not to admire, several guys across the pool perked up as she sprawled out in the chair. The tube top bikini seemed moments away from sliding off.


    The glare once again caught Rose¡¯s attention, she tried get a better look at whatever it was before the entire ship lurched. The motion was sudden and violent, throwing dozens of people to the ground. The ships groans resonated through the wooden beams and the entire spine of the ship seemed to twist with the sudden quake.


    Only once had Rose ever experienced something close to an actual earthquake. It happened when she was eight years old and visiting family on the west coast. She could vividly remember how terrifying it was. It seemed as if the ceiling was going to collapse on top of her, and created a nightmare that often revisited her dreams.


    In a flash of light Rose was thrown from her comfortable lounge chair onto the solid oak of the ships deck. The world dipped awkwardly to the side, causing her body to slide toward the pool. The next three seconds of her life was disorienting as she rolled. Just moments before she fell into the pool a hand reached and grabbed her.


    The taste of copper filled her mouth, she had unknowingly bit her tongue. After the three seconds passed the ship righted itself and steadied. The groaning ceased and was replaced by an eerie silence. Rose was laying face down onto the solid wood, her entire body felt sore.


    ¡°You damn humans are so annoying, you know that?¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was a groan. Rose looked up to see Maggie was next to her laying on the ground. The same one who had grabbed hold of her had also grabbed onto Maggie. The hand clutched onto her wrist was thin and pale, just like its owner. Rebecca had somehow managed to reach both of them in time, using a mounted table as an anchor for her feet. How she was able to position herself to rescue them, let alone possess the strength to grab hold of each, was a mystery. Her long blonde hair covered her face, the umbrella hat was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Is everyone ok?¡± Rebecca grunted, her shoulders were tight and her arms were shaking. It was likely both were strained. Maggie quickly got onto her knees but was still too drunk to stand. Rose didn¡¯t have that problem, she got up slowly.


    ¡°Oh my god its so coooold!¡± Kyle screamed. Rose looked over to see he was once again in the pool behind them. He struggled to swim to the side and he wasn¡¯t alone. At least a dozen others were spiraling under the water, soon others jumped in to help get them out.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Rose could feel the uneasy motions of the ship below her, and could just tell something wasn¡¯t right.


    Rebecca¡¯s hand began to shake uncontrollably. The vampires eyes locked onto Rose, her pupils were dilated. Sweat began to drip down her forehead, and her fangs were bared. The sudden tension caused Rose to freeze in alarm, her tongue pulsed in her mouth. A bright drop of crimson trickled through her lips and ran down her chin¡­right in front of the vampire.

 7: Maggie Read Nyx

    Three Weeks Ago


    I reject you, Maggie continued reciting the words in her head as she walked down the crowded streets of New York. She was in ¡®Queens¡¯ and even though it was getting dark out it appeared light as dusk. This wasn¡¯t due to electricity, but for the wildfires burning through the apartments. Police and Fireman were fighting like hell to arrest the encroaching flames, to keep them from spreading any farther. So far they were winning, but the unruly crowds were far from finished.


    In order to make her way through them, Maggie wore a thin grey sweater covering the logo of her t-shirt and pulled the hood over her face. Just to be extra safe she also wore a necklace made up of small round onions. The onion had become a symbol of the anti-vampire groups, it was displayed everywhere and they still believed it to be a valid way to kill or scare away her kind. It was a foolish notion, but it was moderately better than using a stake which would definitely be more terrifying and dangerous.


    Every night the ant-vampires searched for where they believed vampire clans lived or hung out, and each night they always seemed to target a community or district full of innocent people. The vampire clans had long intermingled with human society, and although they tended to live close to family, so too did most people. Vampire clans that tried to keep solely to themselves were rare, and often seen as backward to the majority of modern vampires. The only traditional clan she knew of lived somewhere in Delaware.


    All Vampire families were associated with a clan, her own was part of the larger Nyxian Sept. The Nyxian clans were among the youngest to establish themselves in the city, and already there were discussions of them evacuating it. New York was in her blood, she was born there and never even thought about leaving, but with each passing day she felt like a thorn being pushed out. New York was rejecting them, forcing them to flee for their lives. As she looked up at the ash choked skies a single billboard seemed to glow through the murky haze. A giant neon onion stood out. The emblem burned brighter than any full moon.


    Maggie Read Nyx somehow navigated her way through the smoke and chaos until finally arriving at her apartment building. A thin line of neighborhood watch observed everyone coming and going. They didn¡¯t care about vampires or anti-vampires, they only cared about keeping the chaos outside from their side of the street. They knew who she was, and waved her to hurry up. Her neighborhood block was spared from the violence so far, but the onion smelling smog was still thick in the air. It took fifteen minutes to rush to her apartment building and find herself safely inside on her rooms doorstep.


    ¡°Dorothea I¡¯m home!¡± Maggie¡¯s voice rang across the small confines of her apartment interior as she burst open the door. Lavender scented candles welcomed her the moment she walked inside, a pleasant replacement for the noxious odors coming from the streets. She could still hear the noise from outside. The protests were happening more and more frequently in New York but spiked after the rise of a new flu pandemic. The news of the new flu just happened to coincide with the opening of the Vampire blood bank, the first ever in the city, and thus spawned a series of conspiracy theories.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Maggie Read Nyx just so happened to work at the new blood bank, so it was hard to ignore the tension in the air every time she went to and from work. Today the crowds surrounding the bank had resorted to violence. Typical violent protests might include Molotov cocktails or jars filled with disgusting liquids. Against the blood banks they threw makeshift crosses and entire bags of onions. The onion had become an awkward symbol for the extreme anti-vampire movement, displaying it on their logos and even going so far as to light entire pallets of the stinky vegetable on fire in the middle of the streets.


    Humans had come to the conclusion that stinking up their own city by burning entire crops of onions would somehow expel the vampire¡¯s and their associate clans. Even after a year of trying to no avail, they continued to do it. Human logic didn¡¯t seem to be part of the equation, people were simply reacting.


    Needless to say scented candles and oils were all the rage now. Maggie took off her hoodie to reveal her work shirt with the blood bank emblem proudly displayed. The shirt was supposed to be simple and non-threatening. Humans and vampires both worked there, so the happy smiley faced yellow blood cell was supposed to appear inviting. The uniform came with a hoodie or jacket that the employees were keen to wear the moment they left the building.


    As she walked inside her tiny studio apartment she couldn¡¯t help but notice the lack of music. Her girlfriend was a 90¡¯s rock fanatic, and would often have vinyl records play non stop throughout the day. When she wasn¡¯t listening to music Dorothea was writing it, trying to kickstart her own career as a musician. She wanted to write songs, and had a talent for the keyboard.


    Their tiny apartment was barely large enough for the two of them, a full sized bed occupied nearly a third of the room. A single couch had become Dorothea¡¯s work station, piles of notes and musical scores would cover it while her keyboard would sit in front. The bathroom they shared was the only adjacent enclosure to the room. What little space was left barely made room for a kitchen table and a microwave!


    Maggie knew something was wrong simply by how clean it was. The couch was sparse and recently wiped down. The bed had been made with its pillows fluffed, and the kitchen was devoid of stains.


    She became more uncomfortable with each step. By the time Maggie had made it halfway into their private sanctuary she felt as if she had walked into the wrong apartment. There was smoke outside, even with the windows closed Maggie could smell the sulfur and onion¡¯s trying to pollute the building. The lavender scented candles were struggling to compete against the outside world. It was very likely nothing would keep the madness at bay for much longer.


    Dorothea¡¯s vinyl records were gone, so too were her instruments and piles of notes. Somehow the room seemed larger than it actually was. It was so empty, so silent and grey.


    ¡°Dorothea? Babe? You hiding somewhere?¡± Logically there was only one spot in the room she could hide if this was a prank. The bathroom door opened awkwardly, making the same creaking noise it always made. Nothing was inside, not even Dorthea¡¯s favorite pink towel.


    For several agonizing seconds Maggie stood there absent minded and lost for words. The empty room, the smell of onions, and the noise surrounded her for an eternity.


    ¡°Dorothea¡­¡± she continued to call out to the emptiness. Goosebumps formed on her arms and legs, and the hair on the back of her neck stood straight. All the while she continued to ask the emptiness the same question over and over again, ¡°¡­Dorothea¡­¡±

 8: Get Her Off Of Me!

    ¡°GET HER OFF ME!¡± Rose cried out as the blonde devil leapt into the air. It happened so fast, she was like a yellow bolt of lightning. Rebecca¡¯s lunge impacted her like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind out of her lungs. It was surprising just how heavy the young vampire was, but then again Rebecca was stronger than she looked. Rose could taste the metallic flavor in her mouth, some of the blood was running down her throat. It made her cough and gag which meant she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth closed. That was all Rebecca needed and she eagerly planted her mouth onto Rose¡¯s firmly. There was no seduction or passion between the pair of lips, only raw hunger. Rebecca¡¯s tongue seemed desperate to collect the small pool of exposed blood.


    Terror shot through Rose¡¯s mind as she felt Rebecca drinking the warmth in her mouth. Slurping it up without pause or any restraint. She¡¯s drinking me! Rose wanted to yell, her worsts fears realized! She tried to throw herself back but felt the vampires arms wrapped around her tightly.


    ¡°Get off her Reby!¡± Maggie¡¯s shrieked, she had just gotten up and realized what was happening. The ship was still swaying underneath them, and Maggie was still incredibly drunk. But still she tried to pull her friend off of the human. Soon Kyle dragged himself form the pool and rushed over to help as well. Rose didn¡¯t know it but a dozen vampires had joined the fray in hopes of relieving her.


    Rebecca¡¯s body was surprisingly muscular and fought to remain locked onto Rose¡¯s face. Even as Rose tried to push the creature away it felt like she was twice her actual weight. It took nearly a minute of thrashing and frantic yelling before Rebecca¡¯s lips were forced to part. Her long blonde hair draped pulled away from Rose¡¯s eyes as they managed to drag her from the red spring she longed for. For a brief moment Rose got a look at the young vampire, Rebecca¡¯s eyes were dilated and insane! She tried to pull against the rescuers and her veins were pulsing against her skin.


    She was frothing at the mouth, and two of her teeth sharpened into needle sharp daggers, ¡°More,¡± she begged with a rasping voice.


    The moment Rose felt she was free she scampered backward with a hand covering her mouth. She felt completely violated and rushed to get back on her feet. Meanwhile Rebecca was still thrashing against everyone¡¯s grip. It was amazing to watch a dozen people struggle to contain a single girl.


    Whether or not they could continue to hold her, Rose wasn¡¯t going to wait around to find out. Rose felt her blood grow cold, her senses sharpened as her mind fell into a sense of fight or flight. Without further consideration she ran! The same series of thoughts echoed through her head as she rushed to escape. There going to kill me! There going to drink my blood! I have to get off this ship! A couple people tried to grab her, probably simply trying to stop her from hurting herself, but to Rose they were vampires coming to devour her. She pushed past everyone that got in her way even if they were trying to help. A sailor with a medical cross on his shirt tried to reach out, but she brushed him aside without thinking. She needed to get away, even if it meant jumping off the railing and into the sea. Just as Rose reached the edge someone else tried to stop her.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Rose! Its ok,¡± She didn¡¯t recognize the voice for she was too focused on jumping off the ship!


    ¡°You¡¯re all liars! You¡¯re Monsters!¡± Rose shoved an elbow into the person behind her to break free. She was one step from the railing when the ship suddenly lurched yet again. This time the forward prow of the ship lunged upward as it collided with a massive wave. The arching angle made Rose trip and slide down several feet before the ground righted itself. Once on her knees some rational took over, she wasn¡¯t going to dive into the waves but she wasn¡¯t going to stay up here either.


    Long dormant flight instincts, instincts that kept humans alive for millennia, guided her into an entryway and down the stairs to the lower decks. In hindsight it was a bad idea, but she couldn¡¯t think clearly. She ran down one flight of stairs to the next until finding herself somewhere between one of the casinos and general workout facilities. All the hallways were similar, whenever she saw other vampires she dodged in the opposite direction. Her goal was simply to find somewhere that was safe, somewhere where there were no vampires at all. Rose continued going further down until she could feel the humidity bleeding from the ships main generator. Pipes along the walls and ceiling were dripping and giving off steam, some of them bore cracks and worn patina from age. She had no idea how she ended up near the engineering facilities close to the ships primary turbines. The noise made it difficult to hear anything and only made her more disoriented.


    Eventually Rose collapsed on her feet, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from dry heaving. Her lungs struggled to breath in the steaming air. She was covered in sweat, and her bikini was getting loose. She was bent over on all fours and in a state of shock. It was in this state of exhaustion that reason started to return. Her body was shaking but Rose slowly leaned back and took in her surroundings.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± She asked the empty corridor. The ship¡¯s vibrations and constant shaking was her only response. That and the sound of something metallic dropping onto the floor nearby. She looked over to notice the small copper pipe roll across the floor toward her. As it met her knees she could sense a presence lurking in the shadows. Rose tried to narrow her view on the shape in the far corner of the hall. The darkness itself seemed to fold around a human figure. Each step it took toward her tugged at the shadows, draping over the figure like a robe of darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t until the silhouette was within arms reach that Rose recognized the stunning figure of Rebecca in the darkness. Rose watched in stunned horror as the blonde vampire threw open the curtain of shadows aside. A small trickle of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth, and her eyes were sharp as knives!


    ¡°Found you¡­¡± Her voice was still up beat and charming, but there was a sliver of amusement residing underneath its layers. ¡°So delicious¡­so tasty¡­¡± she was speaking to herself as she took another step forward.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡±


    Just as Rebecca was about to reach out a new sound boomed across the entire ship! Bulkheads cracked and power generators shut down. Pipes expanded and burst on every level of the ship. What little light existed died, leaving Rose in the dark.


    The HMS Sanguine was cast adrift and losing power.

 9: Kyle Stryx

    2 Days Ago


    Even here in Miami the Onion symbol could be found almost everywhere. Except it wasn¡¯t nearly as bold as his home town of Atlanta. Instead it could be seen in the graffiti tagging the walls, idle stamps placed on menu¡¯s, and printed bumper stickers. People in Miami weren¡¯t nearly as open or loud about their discomfort with vampires. But that being said, they weren¡¯t happy about them either.


    It was a clear sunny day in the vibrant city, and it was so stifling hot Kyle struggled to walk from his car to the bar without sweat soaking through his shirt. Seagulls flew overhead, so many they looked like clouds. The predominant smell in the air was one of aftershave and sun tan lotion.


    Ever since vampires existence came to light Kyle¡¯s life was thrown upside down. Even though he was young at the time, his family had to move away from their Virginian homestead. His entire clan had to re-arrange themselves further south until he found himself in a place that was far too hot in the summer months. Down in Georgia, the mosquitos were aplenty and tea was rather too sweet. It actually surprised him how little attention the vampire epidemic, as some had come to call it, was noticed in the Deep South. He would come to learn later that there were already several other lesser clans in the area. They had so integrated themselves within society that when they were outed as being vampires the public was only shocked at first, but then settled down. It was hard to get angry at your own mayor, neighbors, and half your friends when none of them ever did anything wrong. The stigma was still there but it wasn¡¯t a giant bulls eye on you¡¯re back.


    It was strange that of all the cities in the country, it was mainly those in the western and southern states that had largely not devolved into panic about vampires. However there was nowhere that you couldn¡¯t escape the damn symbol of the onion. Kyle always wondered why the symbol hadn¡¯t been one of garlic, which was the more traditional vegetable believed to ward off vampires. In ancient times priests used to keep them on hand just in case. He never found an answer, and regardless of which it didn¡¯t matter. The purpose of the onion protesters was clear enough, having to give them a history lesson seemed pointless.


    It reminded him of something his mother once said, ¡°There is no reasoning with insanity.¡±


    A lot of things seemed to have become pointless to him over the last year, including his last break up. Last winter Kyle had purchased two summer getaway tickets for a cruise, one for himself and the other for his girlfriend. She was out of the picture now, and it was probably for the best. When he learned she had started dating another vampire from the Veril clan he felt like had dodged a bullet. Anyone who would spend time with those savages had to be gluttons for punishment¡­then again he did recall she liked being pushed to harsher extremes during their more intimate moments.


    Following the disaster which was his love life, Kyle relaxed into bachelorhood with a modest sense of relief. He had completely forgotten about the cruise all together until one day his own parents became concerned that he had grown too introverted with his single life. Also he already had scheduled time off work and there was no sense in just staying home and doing nothing. So after a twelve hour drive, and copious amount of coffee, he had arrived in Miami alone. The Vampire Cruise was meant for younger couples and singles, so he dared to hope that maybe he could attempt to meet someone new. Maybe next time he would find someone a little more stable, or so he hoped.


    The ship wouldn¡¯t start embarking passangers until the following day, so he was eager to get a drink and pass out in a shabby hotel until then. Kyle Stryx wore his dark shades into the bar next-door of the motel he found. It was a trendy establishment that tried to look newer and more modern on the outside than how it actually was on the inside. The inside revealed the building was in dire need of restoration, but that didn¡¯t stop its loyal customers from occupying every table in the building. The large bar table was a dark solid oak slab which was obviously brought in from somewhere else. Wherever this nice piece of countertop came from, it wasn¡¯t from this tropical paradise.


    There were few seats available, but he was lucky to isolate one of them towards the edge of the bar table, the stool was wobbly as he sat on it. The menu¡¯s laid out were simple laminated pages full of local beers and special drink options. As for food, burgers seemed to be the hot ticket item.


    Kyle realized he must have seemed out of place in his thin Henley shirt and jeans. He had been in his air conditioned car for so long he didn¡¯t realize how stifling hot it was until now. His sun glasses were specially tinted to alter the red spectrum so that anything red would appear more brown or gold in color. He could¡¯ve elected to wear his special contacts to block out the color instead, but they were uncomfortable and it was so damn bright out he could get away with wearing shades indoors. Even inside the restaurant the light was pouring through clear glass windows, and he wasn¡¯t the only one still wearing shades.


    ¡°Can I get you anything sir?¡± The voice of the bartender interrupted his thoughts. The woman before him was a rather cute brunette with a single mole just underneath her right eye. Her oval face sported a wide chin and chiseled cheek bones, her lips were full and held a pleasing smile. Her sunburned skin told him she had only recently moved to Miami and he found her pink fingernails distracting as she worked. At the moment she was filling a pint glass for someone else, but she noticed him the instant he took his seat.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Kyle had a particular type that he always gravitated toward when seeking a mate. For some reason he had always preferred blondes. For a brief instant he could remember his last girlfriend, her perky smile and her witty sense of humor always caught him off guard¡­but not as much as her figure. He pushed the thoughts of her out of his mind and focused on the nice bartender instead. He had to clear his throat before speaking, ¡°can I get a double bourbon with no ice.¡±


    ¡°Oh someone is starting the day off right, sure thing coming right up.¡± She had to hand the newly poured beer to its intended customer before grabbing a clear glass, ¡°And what kind of bourbon would you like?¡±


    Whiskey, Bourbon, and Scotch were the main food groups of the South. Whiskey after a hearty meal, Bourbon when in need of a pick-me-up, and Scotch to celebrate special occasions. But where a ten dollar bottle of Whiskey might be just as good as a fifty dollar bottle, Bourbon was different. Each Bourbon distillery competed for the most distinguishable taste, and sometimes fought like Scotch makers to come up with the best batch. When it came to Bourbon brands one needed to be careful when choosing. Kyle already had an idea which brand he would go with but always liked asking for the bartenders opinion. He found sometimes they knew of local brands that came with their own surprises. Relaxing his shoulders Kyle asked her simply, ¡°What would you recommend?¡±


    ¡°Well that depends, do you like it smooth or smokey?¡± She leaned onto the bar table and looked at him intently. Her V-neck shirt made it easy for her to show off a bit of cleavage without appearing risqu¨¦. But it was her smile that was almost impossible to escape from. Kyle couldn¡¯t help but admit she was doing her job quite well. If he wasn¡¯t careful she would find it easy sucking the money out from his wallet.


    Kyle smirked and tried hard not to gaze too long down her shirt, her soft mounds begged for his attention. ¡°Where I¡¯m from, good Bourbon always has a good bite to it but then rewards you with a smokey aftertaste. Maybe I¡¯ll go with a Jacky Dean black label?¡±


    ¡°Good ole southern boy,¡± She teased him while shooting a wink. Her voice sounded too smooth and chipper to be a native, which was further proof she was not from around here. ¡°But if I were you, I would give the ¡®First Slap¡¯ a shot.¡±


    ¡°First¡­Slap? Really?¡± Kyle rested his chin in his palm and rolled his eyes.


    The bartender nodded, ¡°Trust me I think you¡¯ll like it. Its a brand new distillery, and we just so happen to have a few bottles left.¡± He tried to place her accent and guessed she was a cali girl, or somewhere from the west coast.


    Kyle returned a smile, ¡°Ok, your the expert.¡±


    ¡°Comin right up,¡± She responded happily.


    Kyle Stryx leaned forward onto the solid oak bar table and watched as the bartender filled his glass. She then added a single slice of jalape?o which surprised him. ¡°Its bad luck to order something so simple without a little something extra to add to the taste. This will help compliment the smokey flavor,¡± she had to speak quickly for there was a series of other customers vying for her attention. Once she handed him the drink Kyle wished he could continue talking to her but knew she was only being polite to earn the extra tip.


    He watched her walk away for a few seconds before deciding it would be rude to keep staring. She was only being nice to him because it was her job, but even still he liked how it felt. He supposed maybe he had kept himself isolated and single for too long after all. After several months of being single the sight of a beautiful woman¡¯s smile seemed to uplift his spirits.


    Sitting alone with the drink in his hands he tried to relax the best he could. He was looking forward to starting his vacation the following day. A cruise for fellow vampires seemed like a dream come true, especially these days. He wondered just how many vampires would be on the ship, and representing how many clans? There were so many clans he doubted there was ever a clear consensus of them. His clan, the Stryx, wasn¡¯t an old one. It could trace its lineage back to the eighteen hundreds. It was widely believed to have been a part of the Lucien Dynasty, however based on records Kyle was able to uncover, it was more likely his family belonged to the Ruse clans of Romania rather than the long fabled Lucien bloodline. Either way it didn¡¯t matter, his earliest clan ancestors were known as Stryxians and lived shortly in Romania before migrating through Switzerland. By the nineteen hundreds the Stryx clan found itself hopelessly splintered by World War 1.


    Little did humans know that vampires played a role in that conflict, the Stryxian clans more so than most other vampires. Following the Great War the Stryx fragmented and scattered throughout the world, largely never staying in one place for long. Kyle¡¯s segment of the Stryx clan found themselves in Great Britain, and then New York, and in the 1950s they settled in Virginia. And now they were mostly in Georgia and the Deep South. He thought it strange how the world moved them around from one place to another. It was they, the vampire, who were the dominant species on this earth. Not so long ago it was they who forced mankind to re-settle far away and uproot their very lies to escape the creatures of the night.


    Deep down Kyle wondered if the world was truly a better place now that the truth was out in the open. Would it have been better had the vampire clans decided not to disclose their existence to the world? He wondered how much longer they could¡¯ve remained hidden, or what they could¡¯ve done different. No sooner had he finished his drink had he noticed a news bulletin on the tv positioned in the corner of the wall across from him.


    More riots were sprouting like weeds in every major city. Buildings were on fire, cars sent ablaze, and reporters struggling to get it all on film. The one thing Kyle noticed above all else, there were no actual vampires in the damn footage. At least none he could see. It was easy for vampires to spot other vampires, but for some reason normal humans always failed to distinguish the difference without closer inspection. It was humans who were ransacking businesses and running amok, all the while claiming vampires were a threat to them all. Never before had a civilization destroyed itself so readily for no apparent gain, and it made Kyle wonder what true motives hid in the shadows.


    ¡°Can I get you another round, country boy?¡± The sweet bartender had returned to him. Her words broke Kyle¡¯s train of thought, and he was thankful to be pulled away from the dire news on the screen. He found it comforting to have a pleasant voice remind him that there was still beauty in this crazy world.


    He looked down at his empty glass and decided he had the constitution for another drink, and maybe another after that. ¡°You read my mind,¡± he returned a smile to her and it felt good seeing her blush ever so slightly.

 10: Lights Out

    Once the lights went out a surge of static electricity flowed through the entire structure. The emergency lights burned a distant red glow in place of standard florescence. The fire light was enough to cause Rebecca to anchor in place as if mesmerized. Rose watched as she basked in the glowing blaze as if frozen in time. Her cross necklace reflected its radiance, which only made her seem more frightening. It was as if Rebecca was stunned or immobilized by an overload of her senses, like a deer frozen in head lights.


    More footsteps echoed in empty dark hallways, followed by more shadows. A shape descended behind the stunned vampire, it reached around and grabbed hold of Rebecca. The figure pulled her away and down the hall in a quick, almost fluid, motion. It wasn¡¯t the only stranger, a flashlight broke through the red fog and Rose realized she was in the company of dozens of security officials. They were all wearing thick tinted glasses, the man leading them sighed in relief. Darkness trailed them, making their silhouettes almost fizzle like a mirage.


    ¡°Thank god! We thought you were a goner¡± His voice was strained, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Rose was shaking, her entire body from head to toe couldn¡¯t keep still. Despite her anxiety the leader of the rescue team helped her gently to her feet and draped her clammy skin with a sailors jacket. She clung hold to it like a lifeline.


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t drink me,¡± Her voice was a rasp of exhaustion and latent fear bordering on panic. She kept repeating the words over and over again as they lifted her to her feet and helped guide her from the inner guts of the ship. Weirdly enough she was far further down than she realized, it took nearly an hour for them to find their way back to the upper decks and living quarters. Once she could see sun light Rose let out a gasp of relief, but still wouldn¡¯t stop muttering the same words over and over again. ¡°Please don¡¯t drink me.¡±


    Eventually she found herself in the medical wing, the room was packed full of vampires. Dozens were hurt from the ships sudden course change and power loss. Several had sprained or broken limbs, while the most grievous injuries were being treated behind white curtains.


    There was a small medical staff on board, one of the nurses simply took a look at Rose before giving her an examination. It was clear to them she was traumatized, but for the most part healthy. They gave her some medicine to help her sleep then ushered her away to return to her room. The time from being discovered to walking back to the cabin was like a blur, one event shifted into the next on mute. Once the leader of the expedition who found her brought her back to her bedside she just sat there staring into the darkness. The lights throughout the ship were either off or replaced by warning lights, which were glowed blue instead of red on this level. The only other light came pouring from the porthole window.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t drink me,¡± she whispered to nothing. The only thing that broke her from the trance was when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.


    At some point Maggie had come to sit next to her, although Rose never felt her approach or even sit down. ¡°Ok so maybe I left a few things out about vampires,¡± she said.


    Rose stopped whispering to herself, and looked up at Maggie. She felt like she wanted to scream, ¡°No kidding!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really am! I should have come clean about some things.¡± Maggie pushed herself away to give Rose some space.


    ¡°I thought you said vampires were like normal people! She wouldn¡¯t stop! She freaking chased me!¡± Rose¡¯s temper was a mix of outrage and panic.


    ¡°I know, and she¡¯s really sorry about that. I told you we still have to drink blood, we¡¯re just usually more controlled than this. Rebecca just lost control, but believe me she wouldn¡¯t have hurt you.¡± Maggie paused, as if re-evaluating her statement, ¡°Well I don¡¯t think she would hurt you intentionally anyway. But still regardless of that we are still normal! We just happened to have evolved a little differently, humans are predators too you know. And for some of us the raw instinct is hard to shake.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    So far this sounded like a terrible excuse, ¡°She attacked me!¡±


    ¡°You remember that thing I mentioned earlier about if a pig walked into the room you wouldn¡¯t just rush over to devour it right? Well, just so you¡¯re aware, there are some people in the world who probably would go after it and roast it on a stick. And if you are born to a group of people like that¡­well could you imagine how hard it would be to adjust?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about.¡± Rose wiped a layer of sweat from her brow.


    Maggie cleared her throat, then tried to clarify, ¡°Lets start with the basics, every vampire values family just like normal people, a large collection of families form a clan. Each clan is special, we all care about each other and often live fairly close to one another. Vampires that leave their clans, voluntarily or not, are simply clanless. Most clans, like mine, integrated with the rest of human civilization generations ago.¡±


    Rose listened to her speak cautiously. She analyzed each word for signs of deception or worse.


    ¡°Rebecca¡¯s clan are known as the Seraphine, they¡¯re an ancient family that goes back to the old world. They keep to themselves and have more¡­traditional ideas on human blood consumption. I¡¯ve never had fresh blood before, but Rebecca has. In fact she was practically raised off of it.¡± The ship groaned in the background as Rose listened, ¡°Rebecca left her clan years ago, I¡¯ve been taking care of her since and trying to help her assimilate into society, its been hard but she¡¯s getting better.¡±


    Rose looked away and rubbed her eyes, ¡°This¡­this is disgusting. Wait¡­¡± Rose remembered something Rebecca mentioned earlier, ¡°Didn¡¯t you drink blood from¡­you¡¯re ex?¡±


    Mentioning her ex was a mistake. Rose saw the spike of aggression on Maggie¡¯s face, her entire body seemed to tense up. ¡°So¡­Reby told you about that huh.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Rose stopped herself. Clearly she shouldn¡¯t have brought that up. She slumped her shoulders and looked away completely forgetting that it was a vampire next to her.


    ¡°A few times¡­¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was barely a whimper, ¡°She let me drink a little¡­but it wasn¡¯t fresh. And I never pushed her for it.¡±


    Rose looked back at the vampire. Maggie¡¯s temper was still on a razors edge, her hands searched for a canteen nearby and she downed a healthy dose of its contents. ¡°Look, Rebecca lost control. It won¡¯t happen again, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how she could bend shadows¡­¡± Rose shuddered as she vividly recalled how Rebecca hunted her. The way the darkness draped her slender shoulders was almost ghoulish.


    Maggie froze, her shock clearly emboldened on her face, ¡°Wait what?¡±


    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± The door opened and Rebecca stepped inside. It was evident she had been crying, her hair was a mess and she held onto herself tightly. She wanted to sound sarcastic but could tell it didn¡¯t work. Rose scooted to the opposite side of the room on the edge of her bed, she was already shivering.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Rebecca began sobbing, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡±


    How could you! Was what Rose wanted to say but found that she had lost her voice.


    Tears were streaming down Rebecca¡¯s face, she got on her knees and continued to plea, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± She covered her face with both hands.


    ¡°Sorry¡¯s not good enough!¡± The voice of the captain interrupted her. He had accompanied her to the cabin in full uniform. Even in the shadows Rose could see the lines on his face, clearly he was stressed. ¡°You drank the blood of a human without provocation or necessity! For that you¡¯re going in the brig until we¡¯ve salvaged this situation. Now grab your things so we can get on with this.¡±


    ¡°No please don¡¯t!¡± Maggie jumped up from her seat in defiance. She threw herself in between the captain and her friend sobbing on the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s safety, not just the human¡¯s. We¡¯re suffering a serious incident and we can¡¯t have a rogue Seraphine free to roam around.¡± The captain wasn¡¯t a tall man but his air of authority seemed to tower over her as he stood his ground.


    To her credit Maggie didn¡¯t balk, ¡°How dare you! You can¡¯t just single her out because of her clan!¡±


    ¡°Maggie its ok,¡± Rebecca tried to rub the tears from her eyes. She sounded pathetic and miserable, ¡°I deserve this¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Rebecca hushed her up with a simple nod, ¡°It¡¯s only until you get the power back on right?¡±


    The captain adjusted the tip of his cap and looked at her carefully, ¡°If you can behave yourself, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Rose could tell Maggie wanted to fight, and had it not been for Rebecca¡¯s pleading she might have done so. Rose and Maggie watched as the blonde girl looked back at them pitifully, her eyes full of remorse. The last words she spoke before leaving the room sounded more desperate than ever before, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 11: Im The Queen Of The Sea!

    The HMS Sanguine slept, but its structure once again showed a twinkling sign of life. It was nothing like the flourishing bright lights from before, more like a shallow dull echo. Secondary Generators were designed to keep the ship¡¯s crucial systems functioning. Somehow, through a miracle or some act of engineering madness, the primary generators were coaxed into spurting out small doses of power. Just enough to lighten the mood and open some recreational facilities. After sitting in his room for hours, waiting patiently for the power to restored, Kyle breathed a sigh of relief once his lights came back on. The captain announced on all intercoms that the ¡®leisure show room¡¯ would be opened to all guests, and nourishments were free of charge. It was a decent apology for the lasting blackout, one that Kyle was eager to exploit.


    The leisure show was an extravagant gallery room, complete with baristas and dance floors. Podiums were erected throughout, each with an exotic dancer on display. It didn¡¯t take him long to ask for a private audience, especially since it was free of charge. The private room featured a couch that wrapped around the circular walls, with a single small podium at its center. The stripper pole was polished to a pristine shine. A single thick curtain was the only doorway, it was guarded by a bouncer who looked more annoyed than anything else.


    ¡°So I heard there was a humie on board,¡± Kyle heard the exotic dancer speak with only mild interest. The music outside of his private show room would¡¯ve made her voice inaudible, inside the enclosure Kyle found her voice soothing.


    ¡°She¡¯s not so bad, kinda cute actually¡­¡± He leaned back in the cushion padded lounge seat, there were way too many fluffy pillows. In the center of the private room the girl danced on her pole elegantly. The way she balanced herself, thrusting her chest forward with her arms reaching overhead, had him pitching a tent. The fabric of his shorts was strained, the buttons of his shirt were half open to expose the hairs of his chest which were slabs of muscle.


    The woman was short, her arms were lean and her hips shapely. Her sultry uniform exaggerated her curves, especially when she dipped in front of him. The woman¡¯s stage name was pixie, which Kyle found fitting seeing that she sported a short pixie cut. Her dark hair would¡¯ve been gorgeous had she grown it out, or at least that was his opinion.


    Kyle pulled out a small wad of singles and handed them to her so that she would stay a while longer. The dancer smiled and giggled as she accepted the crisp wad of dollar bills. Attaching them to her thong was a little too much, but Kyle didn¡¯t complain. He put his hands on the back of his head and leaned back to watch the beautiful creature resume her dance.


    ¡°Is she as cute as me?¡± Pixie asked curiously, she was obviously referring to the human.


    Kyle smiled, his personal opinion was no. Rose was far more attractive. He did admire Pixie¡¯s thick thighs and wide hips, and her deep amber eyes tickled the senses. But still, the human was simply in a different league. Kyle kept his cool, his composure remained appropriately fixated on the woman in front of him. He leaned forward and waited until she was on her knees before answering.


    ¡°Only in her wildest dreams, but I bet she¡¯s tastier.¡± It was a mad jest, one that made the vampire stripper grin. He reached out to touch her cheek, he was an inch away before the bouncer interjected.


    ¡°No touching!¡± The bouncers voice was sullen and direct.


    Kyle groaned and fell back into his seat. He wondered how the thug outside was able to read his intentions through the thick curtain?


    Pixie slid back up the stripper pole in one fluid motion, her fingers wrapping around it as if it were a delicate instrument. ¡°Sorry sweetie, maybe after the show.¡±


    Kyle would¡¯ve like that, but he knew she was only teasing. She probably said that to all her clients. The private show went on for another ten minutes, during which the stiffness of his pants made him uncomfortable. Once she was finished it took him a moment before he could rise from the seat and walk. He thanked her again, offered a healthy tip, and left the curtained room. Outside the music immediately caught him off guard, that and the lights overhead.


    He imagined he probably smelled like sweat and shame, his heart was still racing. Kyle wasn¡¯t ready to go back to his room, but he felt awkward being alone. Walking towards the barista Kyle took a moment to scan the room. There were dozens of attractive dancers, along with several other women who gave him tender glances.


    However his eyes were instantly drawn to the only human on the ship. A chill ran down his spine, Kyle felt his eyes were somehow drawn to her. It felt almost like a predatory instinct, seeking out and pinpointing the one human in a sea of vampires. How he had picked her out confused him, what was worse was that he couldn¡¯t stop looking at her.


    His eyes focused on the auburn haired woman seated near the center of the room, one other vampire was alongside her. Kyle found his throat was suddenly dry¡­his hands were shaking.


    ¡­


    The darkness had finally lifted after the sun bade farewell. Rose found that the halls were never so dark without power. She had lived through power outages before, but nothing could compare to the darkness of being stranded at sea. She could only imagine how ancient seafarers rode the tides with only candlelight, it must have been frightening. The water was black as oil, the skies covered by a thick blanket of clouds. A drizzle cooled the air with an endless salty smell. Fear draped over Rose¡¯s body like a heavy robe until the secondary power generators were brought online, and a small modicum of energy was restored.


    Ever since the ships power outage, the atmosphere itself seemed to change. A silence laid thick in the air, a quiet foreboding against the night. The captain had been adamant that the main generator would be fully restored. Four hours after the initial outage the captain himself alerted the entire ship that all alcoholic beverages, and any other form of pleasure, was free until then. He also ushered everyone to spend time trying to enjoy themselves. And thats how Rose ended up here.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they have this here¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t referring to the fresh drink in her hands, or the sporadic confetti that continued to drizzle from overhead. No, Rose was referring to the stripper pole and incredibly fit dancer in front of her. She did sign up for a singles cruise after all, she just didn¡¯t expect something like this.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was interesting that of all the clubs, theaters, and restaurants on the HMS Sanguine it was this one that the Captain decided to keep running. Officially it wasn¡¯t known as a Strip Club but as a Leisure Show, which just sounded weird. The club was situated on the upper deck, and overlooked the stern of the ship. The entire wall was one giant glass window that overlooked the ocean tides. Strobe lights lit up the entire club, and multiple large screen TVs fed satellite news feeds along with sporting events. Rose couldn¡¯t help but think that the entire club looked like a man caves wet dream.


    Rose sat lazily in her seat and leaned forward onto the table. She was on her fourth shot of vodka and still feeling on edge. She wanted a martini or bloody marry but due to the increase in customers, the servers had to offer simple and quick drinks to handle the growing crowds. Each time she ordered a shot it was brought to her in seconds, she was only given a single slice of lime from the first shot glass. She used what little was left of it to suckle on each time she savored another drink.


    Half the Leisure Show featured male dancers, the other half female. Despite the atmosphere none of the dancers were naked, instead they wore trendy jock straps and thin lingerie. The man in front of her was large, boisterous, and completely shaven. His copper skin burned in the glowing limelight as he shot her grinning smiles and spun around solid steel. It was almost as if he was performing only for her, and Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly aroused. She almost forgot it was a vampire she was drooling over.


    She leaned forward on the edge of the podium, letting her gown dip enough for him to get a good look down her neckline and cleavage. Just the thought of stirring that massive python in his jock strap excited her. He didn¡¯t even try to hide his gaze as he peered down her exposed shirt and returned a sharp wink. It sent shivers down her spine, the next shot helped soothe her nerves.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re finally enjoying yourself,¡± Kyle Stryx seemed to come out of nowhere? Rose jumped back, elbowing Maggie who was sitting next to her. Rose had brought Maggie here in a desperate attempt to calm her down. Ever since Rebecca was taken away, Maggie was on the warpath. There was a real threat of her going rogue if she didn¡¯t find a way to distract her.


    Rose was starting to get a little more comfortable among the vampires, the alcohol was doing its work. That and after being chased around by Rebecca, Kyle and Maggie¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t nearly as terrifying. Kyle didn¡¯t wait for her to reply, instead he sat down next to them both and threw his feet onto the table. In his right hand was a large mug of dark beer.


    Rose waved her hand in the air, motioning for the nearest server for another drink. The server didn¡¯t reply, she merely rushed over with a plate full of spirits. Maggie had her arms crossed, she sat back into the couch bearing a stiff attitude. It didn¡¯t take a genius to tell she was frustrated as hell. The alcohol seemed to be helping, Rose had learned the Maggie was definitely not an angry drunk.


    The tray the server brought had eight newly filled shot glasses, each with a neatly thin slice of lemon and a touch of salt. Most held clear liquids, but a few had a darker stain floating in the glass. Rose looked over to Maggie as she reached out to grab several glasses. Unlike herself, Maggie still wore her dark bikini underneath a sleeveless black t-shirt. The vampire¡¯s curves were bold and alluring compared to hers, which gave Rose a surge of jealousy. Maggie¡¯s porcelain skin was easy to see, it was odd that she hadn¡¯t tanned yet.


    ¡°Bon appetite,¡± Maggie tried to hide her inner frustration. She had anchored all eight glasses on the small table in front of them.


    ¡°Thanks I guess,¡± Rose downed one of the new shots and brought her attention back to the grown man stretching on the stage before her. She wondered if those muscles were real or the product of steroids? If so, she hoped they didn¡¯t cause any unwanted side affects.


    Kyle waited until he was finished with half his mug before trying to break Rose¡¯s attention, ¡°So this is what helps you relax? Strippers and alcohol? Who would¡¯ve guessed?¡± He clearly didn¡¯t notice that Maggie was also equally transfixed.


    Rose bit her lip in annoyance before speaking, ¡°And I guess following random humans around helps you relax?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d think getting chased by one vampire would be enough for her to learn not to antagonize?¡± Maggie chimed in. Rose couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking or annoyed.


    Rose did her best to ignore them both. She took several more shots, one after another, to shove any latent fear down in her gut. Thankfully the pair didn¡¯t say anything else while the show went on.


    After a couple minutes it finally ended but not before the dancer returned one final glance toward Rose. The way he looked at her made her stomach quiver. A young woman quickly took his place, something that didn¡¯t excite Rose nearly as much.


    Her vision was starting to blur, making it difficult to grab her next shot glass. Her fingers wrapped around the cool edges of one toward the edge of the table, one that seemed different than the rest. Her inebriated state barely noticed any difference as she brought the shot glass to her lips. The smell of alcohol was mixed with another metallic flavor, one which she couldn¡¯t place. It wasn¡¯t until she slammed the drink down that she noticed thatMaggie was looking at her in alarm.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Maggie paused, ¡°That was for me.¡±


    Rose shrugged, ¡°Hand me another.¡± Her voice was slurred.


    ¡°Wait¡­you like that?¡± Maggie asked clearly confused.


    Rose couldn¡¯t differentiate the shock in Maggie¡¯s tone. She brushed her hair from her eyes and leaned forward onto the damp table. She was getting annoyed and struggled to find another glass. ¡°I said hand me another please, its the least you can do.¡±


    Maggie stood up, ¡°What do you mean its the least I can do!¡±


    ¡°She has a point,¡± Kyle leaned towards her and placed a hand on Rose¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We do kind of owe her one. She¡¯s on vacation too, and I¡¯m sure getting chased by vampires wasn¡¯t on her mind.¡±


    Maggie grunted and crossed her arms again. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be here in the first place, its her fault Reby¡¯s in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call it a dungeon babe,¡± Kyle scoffed.


    Maggie glared at him with a pair of frenzied eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t call me babe!¡±


    Spontaneously Rose started laughing. At first to herself but then toward the both of them, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be here? Nah¡­¡± She snorted in between sentences, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. None of y¡¯all should be here. You should all get off my ship!¡±


    Maggie and Kyle just watched her laughing in stunned disbelief. ¡°Fuck I think we broke her,¡± Maggie replied sarcastically.


    ¡°I had no idea she had a southern accent?¡± Kyle interjected but couldn¡¯t stop her from railing on.


    ¡°This is my ship! These playboys belong to me! All this belongs to me!¡± Rose couldn¡¯t stop laughing as she cried out, ¡°I¡¯m the fucking queen of the sea!¡±


    The lights suddenly changed shade and focused on the pole toward the center of the room. Even with the limited power the stage shined. A voice echoed on the loudspeaker, ¡°Greetings valued customers! Please sit back and enjoy the amazing Sophia Fame LaRue!¡±


    Rose watched as a young and feisty creature emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, onto her stage. Her dark curly brown hair was short to reveal a broad forehead and pair of small ears. She had a narrow chin, strong cheekbones, and healthy warm skin. She was clad in dainty lingerie with lace stockings, and playfully tugged a chain linked to a brace around her neck. The crowd cheered and whistled as the young woman strutted around the dance floor.


    Just as Sophia spun around the long silver pole, Rose had downed all the remaining shots and blissfully jumped out of her seat. Fear was buried to the point of non-existence, what was left in its wake was drunken idiocy. As Sophia lured the eyes of the crowd, reaching to the small clasp toward the center of her bra, she was pushed aside. Rose shoved the beautiful vampire onto the floor and grabbed hold of the stripper pole with clumsy fingers. The world was her stage, and she cried out at the top of her lungs, ¡°I¡¯m the fucking queen!¡± Her proclamation was one of many rapidly guttering statements before she blacked out.

 12: Gentle Melodys

    ¡°What is the status of the turbines?¡± The Captain of the HMS Sanguine stood with his hands planted on his desk. The solid wood was damp from a leaking pipe overhead. It was covered with maps, reports, and generator blueprints. His personal cabin was tucked behind the bridge, and was fairly cramped. He had served as captain from one ship to another, and was decorated as one of the most senior officers in the company¡¯s fleet. Of course his bosses knew he was a vampire, it was probably the only reason he was nominated to take charge of the Sanguine during this cruise.


    The captain¡¯s personal cabin held a twin sized cot, an old metal bookshelf, a table, and a single portable radio tucked away on a corner desk. Every captain who had commanded the ship seemed to make it a tradition to leave behind books or something of theirs behind. Judging by the piles of books packing the shelf, the ship had seen many captains over its years.


    Captain Craig Hughes wasn¡¯t sure if he was going to continue that tradition, it was the last thing on his mind. He had a cigar in his mouth, its flame was in dire need of being relit. In front of him was his second officer, George Castano, he was older than himself with a bushy white beard and a thick mustache. George had a sailors stature, one deserving of being in command yet constantly remaining second. The Master Engineer was also there, a middle aged woman with dark amber skin and thin lips. Her hair was cut short, and starting to show wisps of white in her brown curls. Victoria Garcia Lopez had grease stains on her arms, and her thick trousers were a mess. She had been busy organizing the repair crews for the past several hours.


    Neither of them were eager to offer their reports. Several grueling seconds went by before the head of engineering spoke up. ¡°Still inoperable. Primary generators are functioning at only twelve percent capacity, we need no less than thirty to restore propulsion.¡±


    Captain Hughes groaned, ¡°Have you determined the source of the problem? What caused the malfunction?¡± Dozens of theories had been circulating to explain the sudden collapse, but deep down Captain Hughes only suspected one. He kept his feelings to himself, at least until he knew more.


    Victoria didn¡¯t answer, she looked tired. Just before George spoke someone knocked on the door. The Captain watched as his second turned away to see who had interrupted them. As he opened the door one of the bridge officers was eager to meet them. In his hand was a single piece of paper.


    ¡°Captain sir, weather report!¡± The ensign did his best to appear calm, but Captain Hughes noticed his hand was twitching.


    ¡°Let me see it,¡± Captain Hughes beckoned him to approach. Accepting the parcel of information, he took a moment to study the report. It was an emergency message from the company satellite feed, it was only a few lines but enough to alarm him. ¡°Dear god¡­¡± his expression grew cold.


    ¡­


    ¡°Row row row your boat, gently down the stream,¡± The voice echoed through her barred enclosure and down the hallow corridor. It was but a whimper in the grand silence of the ships halls, a dull sign of life in the darkened intestines of the grand vessel. ¡°Merely merely merely merely life is but a dream¡­¡±


    The darkness surrounded Rebecca as she continued to sing the lullaby repeatedly in her cell. Each melody seemed to sync with the subtle movement of the ground beneath her feet, as if the waves were complimenting her shifting tone. She didn¡¯t mind the loneliness or the darkness. In fact it was when the shadows wrapped around her¡¯s that she felt the most comfortable¡­the most at home. Rebecca discovered at a young age that she was different than most girls, even most vampires, in that isolation was a warm friend. Her earliest memories were of the dark. She was born in it, and raised in it, for it was the Seraphine way.


    She grew up hearing the cries of frightened humans and enjoying the warm metallic taste of their blood. It was only when she was nine years old that Rebecca was allowed to leave the shadows of her clan¡¯s underground home and see the outside world. Nine was a holy number, one that signified the transformation from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to adulthood. Nine was the number of families belonging to the Seraphine clan, the number of holy first fathers, and the number of apostles in the choir of illumination. The importance of the number had been ingrained into her habits, even now as she sang in the darkness. Rebecca sang the melody nine times before pausing for nine seconds, then repeated it over again.


    It wasn¡¯t something Rebecca did knowingly, in fact it had been a chore to ween herself off the habit. But during stressful times, like these, she subconsciously sank back into it. If it wasn¡¯t singing it would be something else like tapping her feet nine times, or twirling a strand of hair in similar increments. Rebecca still wore her blouse, and her large hat was laying in the center of the room. One of the previous guards had given her a jacket to handle the cold, but the temperature did not bother her. The shadows sustained her.


    ¡°Row row ro-¡° The Sanguine groaned as if under duress which made her pause mid melody. Rebecca broke from her subconscious meditation and studied her surroundings again. She had already counted the number of cracks in the floor and tried to measure the patina of rust coating the iron bars. No one had been down here in a long time, or at least maintained it anytime recently. The cell block was deep in the stomach of the ship, far from the guests and crew. A guard had been stationed to watch over her for a time, but for the moment there was no one.


    She was getting hungry, and her throat was parched. Rebecca leaned her back against the cold walls and sighed before continuing, ¡°Your boat gently down the stream, merely merely merely merely life is but a dream.¡±


    Someone tapped against the steel bars in front of her before she could start the lullaby over again. Light hands barely caused a vibration in the thick iron, which was testimony to its forgers craftsmanship. A new voice, a sweet and more beautiful one compared to her own pierced the darkness. ¡°Hey,¡± Maggie sounded both surprised and relieved.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Even in the darkness Rebecca could see her friend clearly, more clearly in fact than during the day. Rebecca knew it alarmed her friend that she could perceive so much in the night. In the shadows Rebecca could tell her long time partner in crime was brimming with anxiety, Maggie¡¯s overprotecting nature had gotten the better of her. And even in the gloom Rebecca could make out Maggie¡¯s dark tank top and thin shorts, her messy hair and loose sandals, and the smell of alcohol on her breath (her sense of smell was always the sharpest). Rebecca smiled and straightened herself against the wall, ¡°Heya, I¡¯m glad you came to visit,¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t hurt the poor girl.¡±


    ¡°You just scared the crap out of her,¡± Maggie hugged onto the bars, leaning against them. ¡°You really need some self control Reby?¡±


    Rebecca chuckled to herself and shrugged, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it if you got a taste of her. She¡¯s so rich and vibrant, and makes you feel so alive! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve tasted such a healthy morsel.¡±


    Referring to a living human being as a morsel wasn¡¯t something Rebecca liked to do, but she knew Maggie would find it humorous. She was right, and Maggie couldn¡¯t help but return a giggle. ¡°Your incorrigible, you know that?¡±


    Rebecca didn¡¯t need to be reminded. She slumped forward and honestly wondered if she could resist the smell of that human again. There was something about her blood that was different, something exotic? Never before had she felt so empowered after a single small sample of human essence. Rebecca could remember how easy it was to bend the shadow¡¯s around her, to utilize her natural talents as a vampire with no effort. Rose¡¯s blood held so much power, it was almost frightening¡­


    The next time she saw her, Rebecca knew she would have to summon all her strength to hold herself back. She wondered how long she could resist the monster inside her soul? The thought was poison, a poison that stoked long cold memories and fears. Rebecca instantly recoiled at one particular memory¡­of something her father once said, something she wanted to banish forever. Lifting her head, Rebecca looked into her friends wandering eyes and began asking the question she worked so hard to avoid most of her life, ¡°A wise man once said we are afraid of what we want most, do you know what I¡¯m truly afraid of Maggie?¡±


    Maggie raised an eyebrow, she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.


    Sensing her friends hesitation, Rebecca got onto her feet and walked over to the iron bars. Once she was within arms reach Rebecca answered her own question, ¡°becoming a monster¡­¡± Silence laid as thick as the darkness itself, surrounding them as she spoke.


    ¡°Reby,¡± Maggie put her head through the bars, and let it rest against Rebecca¡¯s, ¡°You¡¯re not a monster.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean I somehow want to be?¡± Rebecca responded frightfully, ¡°Being around that human just makes my skin crawl, she makes my nose itch! When I saw those drops of crimson spilling from her mouth, it was like I was back home again¡­and I couldn¡¯t help but miss it.¡±


    ¡°Its natural to miss your family, to miss being home, but Reby you know what happened. You know you had to get away. They gave you a choice, to become something you didn¡¯t want to be¡­or leave. You being afraid of becoming something you¡¯re not isn¡¯t a sign of regret, its a sign that you have something most humans don¡¯t have.¡± Maggie was doing her best to reach out and comfort her.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°Morality? A conscious? I don¡¯t know¡­decency?¡±


    Rebecca laughed at that, ¡°You really hate humans don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Every damn one of them,¡± Maggie collected herself and patted Rebecca on the head before studying the bars, ¡°So are you ready to get out of here? Or are you really fine with just sitting here all by yourself?¡±


    Rebecca rubbed a small tear from her cheek before reaching out. ¡°I still have a little strength left, I swear Rosy¡¯s blood is special.¡±


    Maggie took a step back, concern etched her face. ¡°She mentioned you were able to bend shadows. Doesn¡¯t that take a liter or two? I¡¯ve never tried it¡­I¡¯ve never felt that kind of power before.¡±


    ¡°I told you, there¡¯s something special about her. I can¡¯t put my finger on it¡­but I swear there¡¯s something different about that little Rose.¡± Rebecca gripped the cold iron bars and with one swift yank pulled them apart. She was able to make just enough room for her to pass through, and then stepped out of the dark cell. Freed from its confines, Rebecca noticed the empty chair next to the bars. The guard had been missing for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what happened to him. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you hurt the guard or something?¡±


    Maggie embraced her the moment she walked through then answered, ¡°I found the next guard in the shift schedule, then got him super drunk upstairs before he could come down. So nothing bad.¡±


    ¡°Aw I want to get super drunk too,¡± Rebecca didn¡¯t mean to sound sarcastic, she really did want to lose all sobriety as soon as possible.


    ¡°I thought you might,¡± Maggie withdrew a large clear bottle of vodka from the satchel she carried. The crystal clear bottle was shaped like a rather voluptuous woman, almost like it was meant to be a small vase rather than for spirits. Whether or not the alcohol was just as refined as its elaborate vessel remained to be seen. ¡°I swiped it from the main gallery, they¡¯re handing these out like candy. They¡¯re really trying hard to keep everyone calm right now.¡±


    Rebecca took hold of the bottle, its cork was stiff and tightly sealed. But despite this she popped it off with ease. The smell of its contents stung her nostrils but Rebecca couldn¡¯t complain as she took a long and passionate swig. It wasn¡¯t very good, in fact it tasted like it was made to clean kitchen stoves rather than consumption. Once she sucked down the poison Rebecca couldn¡¯t help but cough in duress, ¡°Jesus, thats harsh!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Maggie swiped the bottle and took a sip. Within seconds she was spitting it out and choking loudly. Rebecca couldn¡¯t help but laugh seeing her friend struggle to enjoy the spirits of the lusty lady shaped vodka bottle. Maggie tried tasting another small sip, and then another, before she could finally swallow a large enough dose to get a strained buzz. ¡°This is the worst vodka I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°Definitely need a chaser, lets get out of here and find one¡­¡± Rebecca¡¯s thoughts drifted, ¡°You don¡¯t think?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Maggie lightly tapped the top of Rebecca¡¯s head in frustration, ¡°Rose¡¯s blood cannot be a chaser!¡±


    Rebecca bit her lip in disappointment, ¡°If you say so, then where shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Lets just get back to our cabin, I think I left some juice in the fridge. Theres a full moon tonight, I can¡¯t wait to get out of this darkness.¡±


    Rebecca returned a sly smile, ¡°Its really not so bad.¡±


    As the pair continued through the cold hallways and made their way towards the upper decks, Rebecca couldn¡¯t help stop herself from humming the lullaby silently to herself. By the time they made their way to the cabin, all power had ceased.


    The core engine of the proud ship had finally died, and like a fading heartbeat, it¡¯s death throes echoed through every corridor and room of the ship in sporadic energy bursts. Lights glowed then dimmed, ever brighter then ever duller. The sounds of power fluctuations and machine failure cascaded into every secondary system. And then the last heartbeat of power groaned to a halt, the dimming lights went out. This time they didn¡¯t turn back on, and warning lumens didn¡¯t take their place. Instead all was silent, and the HMS Sanguine became lost at sea. A single shadow waited patiently for this silence was conquer every single hallway and corridor, it was eager to finally begin the hunt.

 13: What Did I Do Last Night?

    Rose groaned, she curled up under the bedsheets for warmth. Her entire body was shaking and her head felt dizzy. Her legs were so sore it hurt to reposition herself, but the desire to cuddle under the sheets surpassed such discomfort. It wasn¡¯t as if Rose was unused to hangovers, but rarely had she suffered so much. It was hard to concentrate, let alone piece together everything that happened the previous night. She remembered dancing, lots of dancing. Actually¡­maybe a little too much dancing. But as to the specifics, who she was dancing with or where, was a blur.


    She coughed lightly and realized her breath smelled absolutely rancid, like stale bread and sour spit. It made her feel ashamed for drinking too much. Rose Sexton didn¡¯t want to think about how she was still surrounded by vampires, and how she danced with them like a rabbit among wolves. But it was hard not to think about it.


    Will I find bite marks if I looked in a mirror? The thought occurred to her, she didn¡¯t want to get up and find out. Rose didn¡¯t know it then, but her fears were unfounded and did nothing but betray those who were friendly towards her.


    Still cradled in her sheets; Rose couldn¡¯t stay afraid for long, her head simply hurt too much. She tried to squeeze her eyes shut and force herself back asleep, but for some reason that only made her head throb more. She really didn¡¯t want to get up, but her aching body refused to go back to the mercy of sleep. Despite this, Rose kept her eyes closed. She had dreamt nothing that night, her very sub-conscious mind was too paralyzed to allow it. For a while Rose kept still under the thin sheets, but eventually her stomach growled.


    Memories of the previous night flashed slowly through her mind. It hurt to concentrate on any one of them for long. Piecing together the fragments were like remembering hazy dreams through tinted glass. All the while her stomach churned and her head pounded. The only thing she could distinctly recall was the thud of deep bass speakers. Her ears still rang from that heavy music. The thump-thump-thump still echoed in her skull, it sent shivers down her spine.


    She wondered if she should get up¡­?


    Rose found it hard to accept, but if she couldn¡¯t force herself back to sleep then she might as well try to find something to appease her appetite. But getting up meant facing the vampires again. She no longer feared them like before, not all of them anyway, but she did feet guilty for how she treated her roommates. Hopefully the ship would make it to port soon, little did she know that the reason it was so dark was because there was no power to begin with.


    More flashes came to mind as she tried to summon the courage to get up, mostly smells and tastes. The smell of orange perfume mixed with sweat, and the taste of someones tongue swirling in her mouth. The feeling of a smooth palm cupping her cheek, and a curtain of hair covering her face. That last part was probably just a dream, or so she thought. But then again, it wouldn¡¯t have been the first time she got a little too drunk and made out with another girl.


    Rose groaned and slowly spun around in her sheets to cocoon herself. She changed her mind about getting up. Just as she tugged on the rest of the blanket she heard a grunt coming from behind her. She wasn¡¯t the only one using the sheets!


    Damnit, what did I do¡­was just one of myriads of thoughts spinning in her head.


    Rose opened her eyes, her vision was hazy, and looked over her shoulder to investigate. The air was frighteningly cold against her cheeks, and the room was dark. Only a single ray of light coming from the porthole window challenged the gloom. The floor swayed ever so slightly beneath them, it made her stomach feel sick.


    She clung to the sheets tightly, a bead of sweat strolled down her bare chest, and saw a mass next to her. Whoever the man was he had his back towards her. His dark brown hair was somehow familiar.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Suddenly another voice cried out from in front of Rose with remarkable affection and a subtle hint of sarcasm. It didn¡¯t belong to the man who was still asleep.


    Rose swirled around suddenly! Where the hell did she come from!


    She should¡¯ve recognized the voice instantly, but it wasn¡¯t until she saw the blonde creature laying on the other side of her that Rose squealed in fright. Rebecca¡¯s small frame was hard to notice, she appeared naked under the sheets as well. Laying on her side, her pale arm seemed to glow in the dark. The bedsheets flowed over her delicate hourglass figure, draping over wide hips and muscular shoulders.


    Fear was one of mankind¡¯s earliest survival mechanisms, and as if being doused by a bucket of cold water, Rose suddenly felt every nerve in her body shrill. If Rose had any moisture in her throat she would¡¯ve gulped, and if her head wasn¡¯t hungover she probably would¡¯ve passed out. Instead she simply froze dumbfounded. The vampire that pursued her yesterday was not only freed from her prison, but sharing her bed¡­laying only a hairs breathe away.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Rebecca couldn¡¯t help herself; she shot Rose a delicious smirk, her eyes were practically on fire. The vampire¡¯s very body seemed to emit a heat of its own. When the blonde creature spoke again she seemed eager to toy with Rose a little further, ¡°Don¡¯t bother getting up, you already look beautiful.¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE F¡ª¡° Rose shrieked and tried to jump away. She was so tightly fastened in her bedsheets that she couldn¡¯t magically escape, so she rolled hard to her left and into the mans body next to her. The force of the impact was enough to push him off the mattress, causing him to fall onto the floor.


    Kyle Stryx cried out in blind panic as he made impact! The outcry was quickly followed by another as Rose rolled of the bed after him. She landed on his back, forcing the air out of his lungs. Disoriented and confused, Rose threw herself off Kyle¡¯s body then dashed to the side of the cabin in one swift motion. She held onto the thin sheet for dear life, it was the only thing covering her modesty.


    Kyle had the wind knocked out of him and his eyes were bloodshot from the experience. It wasn¡¯t over for him yet. Rebecca hopped onto him more gently, but somehow her weight seemed to press down on him harder. Seeing her prey scamper away in such a fashion only seemed to excite her.


    Rebecca¡¯s naked body captured Rose¡¯s attention completely. She had lean legs and a flat stomach complete with hardened abdominal muscles. Her arms and shoulders were sturdy, yet they did nothing to reduce her femininity. Her hips were wide and limber. She had splendid cleavage; soft and squishy, like swollen tear drops carrying a pair of ripened cherry¡¯s.


    She was fiercely attractive, Rose couldn¡¯t help but admit it to herself. She found herself intoxicated by the creatures beauty. Her heart raced beneath her breast, her stomach felt like it was tied in a knot. Rebecca laughed as she sat on Kyle¡¯s back with her legs crossed. Her stance shifted, that from a hunter to something more distinctly playful.


    ¡°Please¡­get off¡­me¡± Kyle wheezed. Even though he was a perfect example of male masculinity he couldn¡¯t force Rebecca off of him.


    And he was desperately trying¡­


    His arms barely lifted him an inch off the ground before falling flat on his chest again. ¡°What did I do to deserve this¡­¡± He wheezed to himself in despair.


    Rebecca didn¡¯t seem to care about the mans pleas, ¡°Oh quit whining,¡± she responded gleefully.


    ¡°Jesus Christ you weigh a ton!¡± Kyle tried to push himself up and force her off yet again, but she simply wouldn¡¯t budge. Rebecca was strong, Rose was fully aware of this, but even still she shouldn¡¯t have been able to keep a grown man down like this. It was weird watching her pin a much larger person with absolutely no effort.


    Rebecca didn¡¯t like him commenting about her weight so she kicked the side of his ribs with the ball of her foot, ¡°How rude! Did anyone ever teach you any manners!¡±


    The pair suddenly erupted into an argument in front of Rose who had buried her head deeper into the cushions. Her entire face was flustered. She could tell Kyle was shocked and angry as hell, being woken up while falling out of bed would do that to anyone. And now that he was struggling on the floor, his hostility was understandable. Meanwhile Rebecca just seemed entertained by the whole fiasco, as if all the world was a but a stage for her.


    How the hell did she get out! Rose pondered. Calmly she tried to use their bickering to her advantage by assessing her situation. A pile of clothes had been discarded across the room, she could make out some of her undergarments amid the stash. They were too far away to get to, but there was some clothing near the doorway¡­


    A plan slowly emerged in her mind, first she would risk exposing herself by throwing the blanket onto the squabbling pair of vampires. Then she would grab the shirt and sweat pants she spotted near the door. As soon as Rose reached the door itself she would escape. The only real problem was that she would be sprawling outside naked, with little time to cover herself before Rebecca could pursue her. It was risky but if she could find a security guard then they could re-capture Rebecca. They could keep the vampire confined until the ship made it to port¡­or so Rose hoped.


    It occurred to her that the blanket might not be enough to do the trick. Could I find something red! No that was stupid! That¡¯ll only excite them, not distract! Rose perished the thought.


    There was a thousand things going through her mind, but Rose still couldn¡¯t think of an easier plan. She knew that sooner or later the vampires would stop arguing and Rebecca would return her attention to her.


    There wasn¡¯t enough time to simply remain still. Slowly Rose collected herself, all the while listening to the two vampires. Kyle was now begging Rebecca to get off of him while reaching back to strangle her at the same time! Rose hoped that was enough of an added distraction.


    This was proven false.


    No sooner had Rose started to rise did Rebecca point in her direction, ¡°And just where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Rose squealed in fright and threw the blanket at her before running as fast as she could to the door. She wrapped her arms around her chest as she ran. Somehow it seemed farther away than it should¡¯ve been.


    Just as her hands met the door she frantically grabbed the small pile of clothes next to it and twisted the doorknob. Either by divine providence, or sheer coincidence, Maggie had been on the other side and was inches away from knocking. With the door open her hand tapped Roses forehead by mistake!


    It was only a light tap but Maggie¡¯s knuckles made Rose fall backwards in surprise. Apparently Maggie didn¡¯t notice what she had done, she seemed half asleep and disoriented. The raven haired woman was half naked, wearing nothing but her bikini. It was also clear she was still a little drunk. Her breasts were partially exposed, and her nipples were firmly pressed against the fabric.


    Maggie bit her lip and looked down at the human, her eyes struggled to stay open. The vampire¡¯s eyelashes were fluttering, her cheeks were burning red. When she spoke her voice was slurred and rough, ¡°Oh great your awake¡­¡± She hiccuped in between her sentence, ¡°Who¡¯s ready for the afterparty¡­wooo?¡±


    Maggie took two steps inside, carrying a fresh bottle of vodka in her right hand, and collapsed on the bed.

 14: So What Happened After That?

    ¡°Cold, cold, cold, cold, COLD!¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was a frightful shrill as the cold shower rained down upon her. Goosebumps conquered her pale skin in seconds, but Maggie didn¡¯t have the energy to crawl out. She barely had the energy to remain upright as she sat in the stall underneath the faucet.


    ¡°Oh Maggie, what were you thinking?¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was a soothing melody. She had carried her to the adjoining bathroom and into the shower by herself. The cool water shocked Maggie, somewhat, back to her senses. While she was still reeling, Rebecca pulled Maggie¡¯s dark hair back so it wouldn¡¯t stray in her eyes. Meanwhile Rose sat on the bathroom vanity behind them, Kyle¡¯s grey shirt and sweat pants looked ridiculously large on her womanly frame. The neckline drooped to her collarbone loosely.


    Rebecca had on one of Kyle¡¯s sweaters as well, it covered her to just below the waist. It was a thin white henley, Kyle¡¯s broad chest had stretched it out enough so that it could easily envelop her soft and swollen breasts. Her bare legs were lean and fit, she wasn¡¯t wearing any undergarments. Neither of them had enough time to sort through all the clutter to find their original clothes.


    ¡°I found¡­more drinkie¡­yay!¡± Maggie slurred as she tried to reach out to find her vodka bottle. Rose had taken it from her after she collapsed on the bed. It was now stashed it in her purse in hopes of hiding it. ¡°Where¡­did it go?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find it,¡± Rebecca teased. For several minutes Maggie muttered to herself while leaning on Rebecca, her body wouldn¡¯t stop shivering.Rebecca looked over to Rose, ¡°Hey Rosie could you get us a cup of water?¡±


    Rosie? She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about the nickname, hearing it spill from Rebecca¡¯s lips made her heart spin. Rose sighed and rubbed her forehead, her migraine was still throbbing. She carefully got up from the vanity and searched for a plastic cup. There was one in the cupboard above the sink, Rose handed it to the vampire carefully.


    ¡°Thanks Rosie,¡± Rebecca smiled, she accepted the plastic cup and let the shower water collect inside before bringing it to Maggie¡¯s lips. She had to lean her head back to help Maggie drink it down.


    Maggie gagged at first but then swallowed the entire cup before speaking, ¡°Thats not¡­drinkie¡­¡± The straps of Maggie¡¯s bikini were loose, one of them was pulled past her shoulder and dipped down her arm. She was drooling as she continued, ¡°humans party hard¡­but I can party hard¡­er¡­¡±


    Rebecca chuckled at that, ¡°That they do babe, that they do.¡±


    ¡°What did we do last night?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°Everything!¡± Maggie extended her arms upward and then let them fall to her side, ¡°Lots and lots¡­lots¡­¡± She paused for a moment, her eyes were struggling to remain open, ¡°So sleepy.¡±


    Rose shot the pair of them a glare, ¡°By lots¡­you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Maggie¡¯s demeanor suddenly changed, she began to sob and speak emotionally. ¡°Why did she get to have all the fun¡­?¡± Rose got the distinct impression she was referring to her, ¡°Fuck it! I got on this ship to get laid!¡± she hiccuped before continuing, ¡°Why did he like her more than me?¡±Rebecca just rolled her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t think he liked her more than you, if anything¡ª¡°


    Maggie suddenly leaned forward, ¡°But he went balls deep with her, he barely went down on me at all!¡±


    ¡°Balls deep?¡± Rose didn¡¯t realize she spoke out loud, only that she found the very accusation ridiculous. She suddenly felt the need to touch her stomach and clench her legs but resisted the urge. Truthfully she didn¡¯t remember what happened last night, but a flash of passionate excitement brushed her memory.


    Rebecca began rubbing Maggie¡¯s back. She looked over to Rose and simply shook her head in disappointment, ¡°She¡¯s just exaggerating¡­a little.¡±


    ¡°Did we all have sex!¡± Rose stammered. In her sudden fright she jumped up, causing the sweater to droop even further to expose a thin line of cleavage. Her skin was sticky against the fabric, and the blonde vampire couldn¡¯t stop looking at her chest. Rebecca¡¯s pale cheeks were suddenly flushed and burning.


    Someone knocked on the door behind her, ¡°Hey are you three done? I really need to take a piss.¡±


    ¡°Then pick a corner and leave us alone!¡± Rose yelled through the door. She returned her attention back to Rebecca, ¡°What did we do last night!¡±


    The blonde vampire just sighed then shot her a wily grin, ¡°Well you took over the pole dancing stage, then made out with a bunch of people. So I tried to help you off the podium, and then you made out with me¡­and naturally I reciprocated but only to be polite.¡±


    ¡°Polite she says,¡± Maggie laughed, ¡°You both got down and dirty, it was so hot! And then the entire club went crazy.¡±


    Rose could still taste someone else¡¯s spit under her tongue. Her heart began to race.


    ¡°Then we had a few more shots and danced for a while longer,¡± Rebecca took a moment to rub Maggie¡¯s back a little harder, the poor girl was dry heaving. ¡°Then you got really¡­handsy¡­with me, and Maggie chugged an entire bottle of stove cleaner on a dare.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Somehow Maggie managed a sentence between her heaving, ¡°It wasn¡¯t stove cleaner, it was vodka¡­¡±


    ¡°They used that brand to clean the stoves babe,¡± Rebecca responded.


    Another series of bangs knocked on the door, they were getting a little more erratic. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me piss in my own cabin, I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    ¡°Just let him in, it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t seen it already,¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was strained.


    Reluctantly Rose got up and opened the door. Kyle rushed in, to his credit he shielded his eyes, and immediately started pulling down his trousers. All three of them just looked away as he stood over the urinal.


    ¡°So what happened after that¡­¡± Rose hesitated to ask.


    ¡°What?¡± Rebecca was distracted by her friend vomiting, she found a towel and tried to clean the spittle from her mouth.


    Rose cleared her throat, hoping the sound would cover over what Kyle was doing, ¡°What happened after we left the club?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well Maggie followed Kyle to his room and we followed her. And then¡­¡± Rebecca paused for a moment as if she were struggling to recollect. Behind them Kyle was groaning a desperate sigh of relief.


    ¡°And then¡­?¡± Rose prodded the vampire to continue.


    Rebecca blushed, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°NO I REALLY DON¡±T REMEMBER!¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­such a shame.¡± Rebecca truly sounded disappointed. She looked over to Rose, her eyes were full of longing, ¡°You were so nice to me, and who knew you¡¯re tongue was that¡­flexible.¡±


    Maggie spit a little drool before interjecting, she spoke directly to Rose as clearly as she could. ¡°You were in between her legs for hours, does she really taste that good or are you just a freak?¡±


    Kyle pulled up his sweat pants, moaning happily to himself. He walked over to the vanity to wash his hands, his palms were rough and full of calluses. Over the sink, he tried to speak out, ¡°To be honest I don¡¯t remember much either. Thats the last time I ever have gin.¡± He looked over to Rose, ¡°Now this might have been a dream, a really good dream mind you, but I seem to recall you giving me the single greatest blow job of my life while someone else literally sat on my face¡­¡±


    Dead silence answered his startling recollection. All three of the women were frozen in place, looking at him completely stunned. Then all together all three of them screamed out loud, but for different reasons.


    ¡°I did what!¡± Rose¡¯s shrieked in alarm, her eyes instantly locked onto the mans crotch.


    ¡°She did what!¡± Rebecca cried out before remembering something, ¡°Oh yeah¡­now I remember, that might have been me sitting on your¡­um¡­your face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll suck it¡ª¡± Maggie¡¯s tone was entirely different. There was genuine lust etched into her voice.


    Rebecca¡¯s attention immediately shot to Maggie and she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head, ¡°Maggie seriously?¡±


    ¡°Why does the human get all the fun¡­¡± Maggie hiccuped, her voice was starting to whimper.


    Kyle scratched the back of his neck, ¡°Holy shit thats right, Maggie you were the one who deep throated my entire cock in the club! I didn¡¯t even ask for it, you just went for it!¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Rose shot him a terrifying glare, one that frightened him more than Rebecca ever could.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just be in the other room!¡± Kyle scampered out of the bathroom and slammed the door. Just as it shut Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    Rose knew there was a decent chance they were all making this up just to get a rise out of her. But somehow deep down she also felt they might actually be telling the truth. The last time she got this drunk, back in college, she did create an awkward situation with one of her sorority sisters. She had a small crush on her, but never acted on it. The following morning was one full of regrets and weird tensions as she found herself laying naked with her.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± Rose felt her stomach churn.


    ¡°Oh no, not you too!¡± Rebecca got up and put her hand on Rose¡¯s forehead, her palm felt remarkably warm against her brow.


    Suddenly another knock came at the door, ¡°Hey girls?¡± Kyle¡¯s tone was more tense, ¡°Someone is at the front door asking about you? Should I lead them away?¡±


    ¡°Is it security?¡± Rebecca asked quickly.


    There was a short pause before he answered, ¡°No I don¡¯t think so? Guy looks pretty shifty if you ask me.¡±


    Rebecca sighed, ¡°Can you watch Maggie for a second?¡± The vampire asked Rose, to which Rose nodded and put her hand on Maggie¡¯s back to help her lean forward. As Rebecca stood up Rose blushed and had to look away, the vampire¡¯s her cute buttocks was peeking out from underneath the sweater.


    The blonde beauty strolled out of the bathroom quickly. With the bathroom door open, Rose could see it was still dark in the main cabin. The power outage was quite unnerving, but Rose was more alarmed about her previous nights antics than the light switches not working. Rose found herself transfixed at how the vampire moved. Rebecca walked through the room with a swiftness and grace that seemed almost fluid.


    When she opened the front door, Rebecca¡¯s stature instantly changed. Rose could make out a man on the other side. Judging by the shape of his shadow he was tall, lean, and fairly robust. She could only make out a black jacket and a pair of jeans.


    Rebecca paused, looked at the man, and then quickly shut the door. ¡°Time to go!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose could feel the sudden tension in the air.


    ¡°Come on lets go Rosie!¡± Rebecca rushed back to the bathroom and took Rose by the arm. She then quickly looked over to Kyle who seemed equally stupefied, ¡°Kyle keep an eye on Maggie while we¡¯re away.¡±


    ¡°Whats going on?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on her.¡± Rebecca dragged Rose quickly out of the bathroom and toward the opposite end of the room.


    Rose found herself uneasy and frightened, ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°No time to explain, just gotta go.¡± Rebecca tried to feign a smile, but Rose could tell something had startled her.


    ¡°How will we leave?¡± Rose looked over to the doorway, it was the only exit. She then glanced over at the large porthole window next to them.


    ¡°Simple,¡± Without a second thought Rebecca planted her elbow into the porthole window. She smashed it to pieces like a cheap mirror. The salty sea air filled the room instantly.


    ¡°What the F¡ª are you doing!¡± This time it was Kyle¡¯s turn to freak out.


    The knocking at the door grew louder, more boisterous. A voice could be heard, one that was sharp and threatening, ¡°Come on Seraphine! You can¡¯t hide her forever!¡±


    Rebecca reached around Rose¡¯s waist, ¡°I need you to hold on to me ok? Things are going to get pretty weird.¡±


    Rose could do nothing as the vampire latched onto her and took a step outside. Somehow Rebecca¡¯s fingers grabbed hold of the exterior banister and quickly moved along the length of the ship with the human in tow.

 15: I Cant Stop Looking At Her

    The sounds of pounding thuds echoed behind them, as loud and thunderous as her own heart beating in her chest. Rose cried out as she clung onto the vampire, Kyles expression was frozen in confusion and terror as the duo lept from the window and began climbing away. As they escaped, the pounding coming from the other side of the door had devolved into a scratching sound.


    ¡°Holy Shit!¡± Rose held onto the vampire for her dear life! Rebecca¡¯s fingers and toes somehow found purchase onto the iron plating as she scaled the exterior skin of the ship.


    ¡°Hold on Rosie!¡± Rebecca cried out as she made her way up the bulkhead. The guardrail wasn¡¯t too far away, Rose could make out the brass poles lining up the railing. She did her best to focus on them so she wouldn¡¯t look down.


    ¡°What are we running from?¡± The clawing from below grew louder as they made there way up the ship. Rose found herself pressing her head into the vampires chest to keep herself stable. Rebecca¡¯s mounds were like squishy pillows.


    Just as they reached the guard rail, the sounds coming from Kyle¡¯s cabin ceased. Judging by there position, it looked like they were near the forward bow of the ship. Rose shrieked as the vampire lunged upward, she practically soared through the air, and landed on her feet with the human in her arms.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Rebecca cheered as she stuck the landing. They couldn¡¯t have been climbing for more than a few seconds, but Rose never felt more relieved to be on solid ground.


    Rose was still clutching onto the woman¡¯s torso, she was fidgeting against her soft grasp. When she realized it was safe to step down Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ridiculous.


    ¡°You can let go of me now¡­if you want to,¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was full of canny sarcasm.


    Rose blushed, ¡°Ok I guess.¡± Until then she hadn¡¯t noticed the lone sailor in front of them, he was the only person on that particular section of the forward deck. Evidently he had tried to find a quiet place to have a swig of whatever was in his flask. He looked disheveled and worn out. His uniform was creased and unbuttoned, there were bags under his eyes. Seeing Rebecca come out of nowhere must¡¯ve confused the hell out of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us,¡± Rebecca brushed her hair back and tried to feign a smile. To which the sailor sighed, consumed the rest of his flask, and stumbled away.


    Rose should¡¯ve taken this as a sign for how truly bad things were, for a sailor witnessing a vampire scale the side of the ship and jump the guard rail should¡¯ve demanded more attention. Likely, it should¡¯ve demanded severe punitive measures. Instead the poor guy couldn¡¯t be bothered, or was simply too tired to deal with it.


    Rose and Rebecca scanned the side of the ship, there were some people further away but no-one else was nearby. ¡°I guess we should probably go back to our cabin¡­¡± Rebecca tried to speak as the wind blew. It caused the henley sweater she wore to flow up her stomach, she shrieked and grabbed hold of it swiftly.


    Rose cleared her throat and tried to cover her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t help but take a peek. Once the wind settled Rose took the opportunity to speak, ¡°Who was that at the door? Why did we just do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh a little morning exercise is always good you know,¡± Rebecca¡¯s attempts to brush aside the question was terrible, ¡°You know, got to limber up.¡±


    Rose just looked at her accusingly, ¡°Becca?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Becca?¡± Rebecca stumbled, ¡°Did you just call me Becca?¡±


    ¡°Stop dodging the subject! Who was that guy?¡± Rose stomped her foot on the floor of the deck.


    Rebecca looked down, her toes were fidgeting, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡± Rebecca protested, ¡°Truly I¡¯ve never seen him before, but I have seen that look in his eyes. His eyes¡­they were hungry and wild. I don¡¯t know who he was, but he was definitely on the hunt for human blood.¡±


    Rose froze, she could feel a pit in her stomach. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°He was hunting¡­¡± Rebecca looked dead straight into Rose¡¯s eyes.


    Despite the warm air, Rose felt unbearably cold. Fear sucked into her very bones. ¡°We should tell someone!¡±


    ¡°Yes we should, but first¡­I need a moment.¡± Rebecca rubbed her eyes and walked back over to the guardrail. It occurred to Rose that the vampire might be far more exhausted than she let on. Rebecca leaned on the railing and looked out toward the open sea. Her hair sparkled, reflecting the morning light.


    Rose could still feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. A bead of sweat strolled down in between her shoulder blades, another caressed the edge of her cleavage. ¡°How were you able to climb the side of the ship?¡±


    Rebecca looked over her shoulder as she answered, ¡°I can do a lot of things, since drinking your blood.¡±


    For several minutes the pair just stood there in silence, the only audible sounds came from distant tourists and the ocean breeze. Rebeca returned her attention back toward the ocean, her mind grew distant. More time passed before the silence was broken, a melody formed to dance on the wind. Rebecca¡¯s singing voice was soft and hypnotic.


    Crystal blue skies offered a warming sunlight. In the light Rebecca¡¯s skin gleamed even paler, almost as if her body reflected the suns rays rather than absorbe them. She stopped humming for a moment when she realized Rose was leaning on the rail next to her, ¡°Nice day isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Weird,¡± Rose muttered, ¡°Your singing¡­I can¡¯t get that tune out of my head.¡±


    Rebecca chuckled at that. She unbuttoned the collar of her henley to expose a small parcel of skin. Her silver cross dangled from her neck to settle on the base of her breasts, it caught the sunlight to cast a brilliant glare. Rose found herself looking at the jewelry, her eyes were shamefully glued to the padding where it sat.


    The vampire was taken aback for a brief second, noticing what Rose was looking at. Her smile seemed to cast its own glow, one that made Rose¡¯s heart race. ¡°It belonged to my mother you know¡­¡± Rebecca paused before continuing, ¡°Its the only keepsake I have left of her, and of my family.¡±


    Rose looked out over the ocean, it was miraculously calm. If one didn¡¯t know any better they would assume the ship rested on a sheet of glass rather than an endless sea. Suddenly the wind picked up causing Rose to lose her grip and slide back; but just as she was about to fall, a steady pair of hands caught her. Rose looked over at Rebecca who was already too close for comfort. The silver cross dangled in front of her while the vampires hair blew in the wind, thick and illustrious.


    Once the wind died down Rebecca took a step back, but she remained standing close. Her skin smelled like rich flower petals, and her eyes glowed like sapphires. Rose swallowed before speaking, ¡°So what happened with your family?¡±


    Rebecca sighed while leaning against the rail. She had to be careful so that the henley wouldn¡¯t slide up to expose her hips and groin. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but then we have to bring Maggie some pancakes,¡± She smiled again.


    Rose wasn¡¯t sure if Rebecca was joking or not. Then again, nothing made much sense with this beautiful creature. ¡°Pancakes?¡± she asked.


    Rebecca nodded, ¡°Trust me it¡¯ll make her feel much better. And we should also change clothes, I don¡¯t know about you but this is starting to get a little chilly for me.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we can talk about this later.¡± Rose took a step back from the railing, she expected the vampire would follow her.


    ¡°No,¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was like a stone being dropped.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Rebecca was holding onto herself anxiously, ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think i¡¯ll have the courage to tell you later¡­so do you mind if I just get this over with now?¡±


    Rose could feel a cold sweat forming on her brow. She could tell this was something that Rebecca needed to get off her chest. ¡°Ok, then I guess I¡¯m all ears. I¡¯m sorry if I stepped on a nerve.¡±


    ¡°No¡­you didn¡¯t step on a nerve¡­¡± For the first time Rebecca¡¯s tone was completely serious, ¡°you stepped onto a whole circulatory system.¡±


    And then and there Rebecca told her everything, even the parts that weren¡¯t for human ears.

 16: No Rescue

    Captain Craig Hughes planted his elbows on his wooden desk, his hands held the back of his head tightly. In truth he was on the verge of losing his damn mind. Things were only getting worse, there wasn¡¯t a single thing going his way. Power was gone, primary and secondary generators were dead. A dozen of his shipboard security personnel were missing, and everyone under his command had been pushed to their limits. He didn¡¯t even care about the Seraphine escaping, in fact it was the last thing on his mind.


    He was alone, all others were excused from his cabin moments ago. The data presented to him was even worse than the previous day. The air was stifling, and the cigar smoke was thick. He hadn¡¯t shaved in over a day, he hadn¡¯t showered either. It was hard to decide what the single worst piece of news was. His missing crew, a possible saboteur on board, or¡­the fact there was a building tropical storm on the horizon. All efforts had been made to take back control of propulsion, to steer the ship away from its current course. It was yet another reason he, the captain of the HMS Sanguine, felt like a failure.


    Before him were lists of weather reports, failed course corrections, and radio broadcast frequencies. No rescue was forthcoming, despite all the pleas and desperate calls for help. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much longer the batteries of their radios would last¡­or if it even mattered.


    ¡­


    Rose just kept leaning back and forth in her chair brimming with anxiety, she had her knees tucked into her chest and her arms wrapped around them tightly. The chair itself was not meant to rock so violently and it was a miracle she hadn¡¯t caused it to fall over. Rose just couldn¡¯t keep still, the truth was horrifying! Maggie could tell there was something wrong, but Kyle just kept looking back and forth between her and Rebecca suspiciously.


    ¡°You fucking told her didn¡¯t you?¡± Maggie broke the silence, syrup dabbed the corner of her mouth. She was already starting on her second stack of pancakes. Her question was directed toward Rebecca who was drinking pink lemonade from a straw.


    Rebecca¡¯s eyes were closed as she enjoyed her beverage, she didn¡¯t even flinch from the question. Her legs were crossed as she sat back in her chair. She had chosen to wear a pink blouse and white skirt, her sandals didn¡¯t match her outfit but the vampire didn¡¯t seem to care. Rebecca continued to sip on the straw with a small smile on her face. In between her sips she mumbled quietly to herself, a soft lullaby as if oblivious to her surroundings.


    Kyle seemed even more confused than everyone else. The ship¡¯s power remained out, emergency lights were still glowing a bright blue but they were slowly fading away. It was now a somber afternoon in the middle of the ocean, and the seas seemed peaceful. The passangers were no longer sitting idly by in their rooms anymore, they packed the decks searching for answers or to grasp a breathe of fresh air. Inside the confines of the ship the temperature was stifling.


    Kyle was wearing a thin Hawaiin shirt and swimming shorts. The first several buttons were undone to show off his broad chest. He had a little chest hair, not too thick or bushy, but enough to make him appear more mature. Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice that Maggie was wearing one of his sweaters along with a pair of sweat pants, evidently she hadn¡¯t felt like returning to their room and changing into something more fresh.


    A few hours had passed since Rebecca had confessed her story to Rose. Immediately following that heart stopping tale, Rose had to follow the vampire down creepy hallways and humid corridors. The way back to their room seemed incredibly distant as they journeyed through the guts of the ship. On the way Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice how Rebecca seemed on edge, she was fully alert with every footstep. Only once did she usher her to stop in their tracks to study a shadow behind them. Rose got the distinct impression someone was following them, they had to move swiftly through the ship to avoid detection. After getting changed they searched for the nearest food court. They were planning on brining Maggie some food, if it was safe, but were glad to discover that she and Kyle were already there. They were seated toward the edge of the open court.


    Maggie had taken the time to clean herself up a little, but she still looked incredibly hung over. She wore thick black sunglasses and her hair was disheveled. The sweater somehow looked good on her. Maggie¡¯s voluptuous mounds kept the dark fabric from making its way to her stomach, her abs were a little softer than Rebecca¡¯s but still quite attractive.


    Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel out of place, she had on a designer-fit sleeveless tank top. The white shirt covered over a padded bra that made her seem a little more¡­endowed than before. She also chose to wear her denim shorts just in case she needed to run, or have someone carry her off the side of the ship again!


    ¡°So what¡¯s this about?¡± Kyle asked with his southern accent, he seemed to be recovering faster than the others. Rose just kept jittering back and forth in her chair, she didn¡¯t even look up at Kyle as he broke the silence.


    Maggie groaned loudly and slammed her fists onto the table, ¡°Damnit Reby, why?¡±


    ¡°She asked?¡± Rebecca answered in between sips, the straw still remained in her mouth.


    Kyle had no idea what Rebecca and Maggie were referring to, and what was causing Rose to freak out. ¡°but¡­what¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Her food¡­was people¡­¡± Rose whispered, ¡°her pets¡­were people.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Say what now?¡± Kyle¡¯s interest suddenly peeked. He looked over to Rebecca, she seemed to be enjoying her beverage. ¡°Oh wait¡­Thats right I remember now, you¡¯re from the Seraphine clans right?¡±


    ¡°So many people¡­¡± Rose whispered to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the ancient ones practiced pretty obscene arts, I¡¯m surprised they even let you aboard actually.¡± Kyle shuffled in his seat a little so that he could comfortably lean back. His bare feet planted on the table, which under normal circumstances would¡¯ve upset Rose to no end. But this time she barely noticed, she just kept rocking back and forth.


    Maggie rubbed her forehead in frustration, a server approached with a tray of shots to which Maggie grabbed as many as she could. She downed three immediately as if there were no tomorrow.


    Rose paused her jittering for a split second each time Maggie leaned back to down one of the shots. She could see that Maggie wasn¡¯t wearing a bra! The underside of her breasts peeked out from the sweater each time she leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s going to be like this all day with you isn¡¯t it. God humans are strange,¡± Maggie complained only after finishing her drinks.


    ¡°So you actually¡­killed people?¡± Kyle asked Rebecca quietly.


    Rebecca chuckled humorously then spoke, ¡°Of course not, I only got to drink from them. Back in Transilvania, the clan lives with other acolytes and their families. Its our custom to raise our children among other human acolytes. As we reach maturity we naturally drink from them, and they serve alongside us. Our venom enhances their own vitality, and their blood develops our nature as vampires.¡±


    ¡°So you drank from humans¡­all the time?¡± Kyle seemed fascinated, ¡°What does fresh blood even taste like?¡±


    ¡°Like sweet nectar straight from mothers tit,¡± Rebecca laughed then returned to her drink.


    Kyle just whistled and looked back to Rose who didn¡¯t seem to want to break out of whatever trance she kept herself in. He didn¡¯t notice that Maggie had slid a shot toward him, the crystal glass was filled with dark liquor that smelled of rich bourbon.


    ¡°Can you stop freaking out!¡± Maggie got up and grabbed Rose¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Seriously you¡¯ve got to snap out of it!¡±


    ¡°People¡­so many people,¡± Rose kept repeating the phrase over and over again.


    ¡°Damnit bitch get a hold of yourself!¡± Maggie slapped Rose on the cheek hard enough for her to stop shaking in her seat and refocus her attention. ¡°Here just drink this.¡±


    Maggie offered Rose a tall shot glass full of whiskey. A small tear strolled down Rose¡¯s cheek as she sniffled, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Its happy juice, just drink it please. You¡¯re making a scene!¡± Rose looked around and thats when she noticed all the passangers nearby were looking at their table. Some were getting anxious, others annoyed. Some of the sailors were clearly wondering about whether they should intervene somehow, but most just wanted their bickering to stop.


    To her credit Maggie tried to show remorse for the slap and carefully pulled back Rose¡¯s hair so that she could rub her cheek. That seemed to calm Rose down a little, just enough so that she could accept the shot glass. Rose drank it slowly, it was surprisingly smooth.


    Kyle stifled a laugh as Maggie sat next to him with a grunt. Seeing that Rose was finally settling, Maggie looked over to him with a sly grin. She leaned over ever so slightly and with a delicate finger pulled back the sweater just enough to let him catch a glimpse of her nipple. Kyle dropped the shot in his hand in shock.


    A few minutes passed before everyone else around them started behaving normally again. One shot became two, then three, and before long Rose was feeling a little more relaxed. At least her migraine was lessened somewhat. ¡°So,¡± She summoned the courage to address Rebecca, ¡°What happened to Timmy?¡±


    The question made Maggie spit out her own drink, ¡°You fucking told her about Timmy!¡±


    Rebecca laughed hysterically before responding, ¡°Of course! He was my first¡­oh I¡¯ll never forget his sweet¡­burning¡­thick!¡±


    ¡°We get it already!¡± Maggie leaned forward on the table.


    ¡°Blood,¡± Rebecca finished with a smirk.


    Kyle kept looking at Rebecca, he didn¡¯t want to miss what other little surprises she might reveal. ¡°Sounds like you really enjoyed Timmy?¡± He asked inquisitively.


    ¡°He was my best friend¡­until I had to leave home. I wonder how he¡¯s doing?¡± Rebecca rested her head in the palm of her hand. Her drink was empty and she fiddled with her straw. She looked over to Kyle who seemed to remain fixated on her. ¡°How much do you know about my clan?¡±


    Kyle straightened, ¡°Only the scary stories invented to keep us up at night.¡±


    Rebecca chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, there not all true.¡±


    Not all true? Rose bit her lip.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with Timmy?¡± Kyle asked.


    Rebecca paused a moment in silent reflection. When she spoke next it was evident in her tone that this next part was hard for her to say. ¡°When we reach a certain age, we are asked to fully consume one of our human partners. Often the one we grow up with. I couldn¡¯t do it, so I had to leave.¡±


    The ship rolled slightly, just enough to make the empty glasses on the table slide to the left. It was enough to distract the four of them from the topic.


    ¡°Its starting to get hot,¡± Rose complained. She couldn¡¯t wait for the air conditioning to be restored, more so than the lights. Already she was sweating.


    ¡°Thats not what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Kyle chimed in.


    Rebecca smirked at him, ¡°Oh and what are you worried about handsome?¡±


    Kyle blushed, ¡°What happens when they run out of alcohol to serve us¡­or blood for that matter.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯ll get that bad?¡± That caught Rebecca¡¯s attention.


    ¡°If refrigeration¡¯s down then were all going to be in trouble.¡± Silence descended on the table as he spoke about the one thing on everybody¡¯s mind that no one wanted to discuss. Even the others around them seemed to hush after he mentioned the blood supply.


    ¡°Someone will come help us, there not just going to leave an entire cruise ship out in the open sea stranded?¡± Maggie said calmly, her voice was starting to slur.


    ¡°A cruise ship full of vampires you mean?¡± Kyle retorted.


    ¡°And one human; one tasty, sexy human.¡± Rebecca added with a finger in the air.


    Rose sighed, ¡°Can I get another shot please?¡±


    Maggie planted her head in her arms on the table, ¡°We need a whole fucking bottle.¡±


    Suddenly the intercom throughout the ship buzzed and the captains voice filled the room. ¡°Attention all passangers! Please do not be alarmed, we apologize for the inconvenience and wish to inform you that everything is being done to restore power to the ship. Your continued cooperation is appreciated, please comply with all sailors and company supervisors as we continue to ensure the safety of all crew aboard. Coast Guard is aware of our situation, and relief will be enroute shortly. Once again we apologize for¡ª¡°


    The message cut off before it finished. The blue emergency lights followed suite, and now only the sunlight lit up the ships interior.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Rose muttered, ¡°Can I get that drink now please?¡± In the shadows all the vampires eyes seemed like cold Rubys to her, and all of them seemed hungry. One pair of eyes glowed brighter than the others, and it¡¯s claws scratched the surface of its table anxiously.

 17: Lightning Strikes

    Against Maggie¡¯s wishes, Rose and Rebecca dragged her back to their cabin after the meal. Everyone seemed reluctant to keep out of their rooms following the blackout. A curfew had been ordered throughout the ship. Kyle didn¡¯t ask for his clothes back, but he was eager to see them all again soon. It was an offer Maggie would¡¯ve obliged if she wasn¡¯t on the verge of passing out again.


    Together they returned to their room in peace. Maggie collapsed on her bed and curled under the sheets immediately. Rose threw off her skirt and shirt, she wrapped herself in a blanket while sitting on her bed. Rebecca meanwhile locked and barricaded the door. After she was satisfied they were safe, Rebecca changed into something more comfortable. She put on a silk robe that was parted deep down the center. The sash around her waist was loosely tied.


    It was dark out, the moonlight leaked through their window to create an eerie glow. The temperature had cooled off a bit, just enough for Rose to feel slightly relaxed. She sat on her bed with a flashlight trying to read a book to pass the time. She wasn¡¯t tired at all, and needed something to calm her mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re the creepiest vampire I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Rose could feel Rebecca¡¯s warm breath on her shoulderwhile she tried to read the book in her hands. There was still a little light outside, just enough for her to read the leather bound novel in peace. Everyone had retired to their cabins for curfew; with the ship¡¯s primary and secondary reactors dead, the captain saw fit to order everyone to keep to their rooms for the night. Of course he must have been angry with Rebecca¡¯s escape, but no one had come searching for her.


    ¡°Whatcha reading?¡± Rebecca perched her chin onto Rose¡¯s shoulder. Her silver cross rested along Rose¡¯s collarbone while she leaned in. It startled Rose how warm the blonde vampire¡¯s skin felt pressed against her.


    ¡°None of your¡­¡± Rose paused feeling something soft press against her back. She glanced behind her and instantly felt her heart race. ¡°Why are you naked!¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s pale skin reflect the moon light, it made her golden hair seem brighter than usual. Her lips were a stark pink, like her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to glow. Her voice was charmingly playful when she spoke, ¡°Its too warm in here, need to let the girls breathe a little.¡±


    Rose had no idea what she was talking about, if anything it was getting rather chilly. The air conditioning was gone, and the salty air of the sea had thoroughly consumed the inner halls of the grand vessel. It was almost cold enough for Rose to wrap a blanket around her.


    ¡°Then let them breathe over there!¡± Rose jerked away, she could practically feel the vampires nipples poking against her shoulder blades.


    Rebecca chuckled before scooting aside, but she had no inclination of leaving the bed. Instead she laid down behind Rose with her head perched in the palm of her hand. She just watched the human quietly as flipped through the pages. One of her fangs could be seen poking through her delicate lips, her hair flowed down her neck and onto the bedsheets.


    Rose kept peaking at the creature behind her. She couldn¡¯t help but admire the woman¡¯s curves, in fact Rose was kind of jealous. The vampire¡¯s supple breasts were well formed and her hips shaped like a goddess. Cute oval red nipples settled into her soft mounds¡­they matched the color of her lower lips.


    Rose struggled to keep her attention focused on her book, she strangely kept wanting to look at the woman next to her. Frustrated she sighed and tried to read, she could feel the vampires eyes glued onto her silently.


    For a moment there was silence. Maggie was snoring on her own bed. Next to the dark haired creature, on the nightstand, was a handheld video game console. Rose remembered Maggie had been using it when they first met. She had never been much of a gamer, although Rose had considered online streaming once. It seemed like a better idea than dancing half naked to rando¡¯s through her phone. Rose rolled her eyes just thinking about the indignity.¡°Are you really not going to put something on?¡± Rose wasn¡¯t shy around naked women, she had spent her fair share of time in college locker rooms, but she felt uncomfortable with how Rebecca just kept looking at her with her tits perked in her direction.


    ¡°Why? Does it bother you?¡± Clearly Rebecca was trying to goad her with that sensual tone.


    Rose tried her best to ignore her and focus on the next page of her novel. It was the newest edition of ¡®The Plaque Of The Plant People¡¯ an erotic sci-fi adventurer that spawned sixteen books. Rose had collected them all, even going so far as purchasing the limited edition versions! The newest one hadn¡¯t even been released world wide yet, and she cherished every sentence like it was a treasure for her alone. Having a vampire invading her private space threatened to compromise that enjoyment.


    Thunder broke the silence, a flash briefly lit up the room. The crackling of lightning didn¡¯t sound the same out at sea as it did on land. There was no ground to shake or rocks to splinter, only endless waves. Yet the the lighting could still be heard mildly within the ships hull. Rose supposed she should¡¯ve been grateful the storm helped light the room a little. The flashlight in her hands almost wasn¡¯t enough.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Just as her hand was getting tired Rebecca somehow ended up behind her again, she grabbed hold of the light and adjusted it so Rose could still read.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Rose asked. She found it awkward having Rebecca suddenly so close to her again, so naked and close¡­


    ¡°Hush, your getting to the best part.¡± Rebecca leaned in so that her hair caressed Rose¡¯s neckline.


    ¡°What?¡± Rose looked over and saw that Rebecca was reading the lines.


    ¡°ssh!¡± Rebecca tried to direct her focus back to the novel, ¡°Just keep reading, I¡¯ll hold the light.¡±


    Rose kept looking back and forth from the book to the stunning vampire over her shoulder. ¡°Wait¡­have you read this?¡±


    Rebecca blushed as she returned a wink, ¡°Of course! I have every copy! I missed the release date for the last one, I had to bid for it online for an exorbitant rate but it was worth it! I read it all in one day! Just wait until the next chapter when the plaque queen gets fertilized by¡­wait sorry almost ruined it didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Rose did her best to control her anxiety as she returned her focus back to the book in her hands. The light that Rebecca held never wavered, it helped to illuminate the pages as the storm outside continued to pressure the ship.


    It was surprising how quiet a ship was without power, outside of the groans of its bones and occasional footsteps from the captains security in the halls, the silence was deafening. Rebecca was right, the next chapter was quit exciting. Exciting enough that Rose almost forgot about the beautiful creature behind her, resting her head on her shoulder gently. The smell of her perfume was strangely soothing.


    Each time the lightning lit up their cabin through the porthole Rebecca¡¯s shadow seemed to change, at times it appeared she was thinner than she was and at others larger. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but Rose found it unsettling. Meanwhile Maggie shuffled under her own bedsheets, the lightning seemed to disturb her slumber. It was then that Rose noticed that with each lightning strick Maggie would twitch ever so slightly.


    ¡°She hates thunderstorms,¡± Rebecca seemed to notice her attention shift. ¡°Ever since we¡¯ve been besties she¡¯s hated them. Not sure why? But she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Rose sighed quietly, ¡°I thought you said you were warm?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rebecca raised a brow.


    ¡°You said you were too warm so that¡¯s why you wouldn¡¯t wear anything? Aren¡¯t you burning up this close to me?¡±


    Rebecca smiled to herself, she brushed her hand along Rose¡¯s arm as she whispered in her ear, ¡°Maybe I felt a draft, this storm seems to have come from nowhere.¡±


    The light vanished, Rose felt it as the vampires left arm wrapped around her waist gently, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°Just keep reading¡­¡± Rebecca¡¯s hand slowly slipped underneath Rose¡¯s blanket and caressed bare skin. Rose slowly started losing control of her breathing, her stomach fluttered as Rebecca¡¯s hand rested along her thigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­I won¡¯t bite.¡±


    Rose had a feeling that the vampires fangs were the last thing she should be worried about. She could feel the blonde vampires heart beating against her back as the minutes slowly passed. Rebecca¡¯s breasts heaved from her own excited breath, her fingers stroked along Rose¡¯s thigh to rest on her stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯re so firm¡­¡± Rebecca whispered quietly.


    Rose shuddered¡­her entire body was starting to shake, not in fear or anxiety but in anticipation. For some reason she couldn¡¯t find it in her power to reject the vampires special attention.


    Rebecca paused for a moment, ¡°Before last night, have you ever¡­been touched by a woman?¡±


    Rose would be lying if she said no, but she hadn¡¯t experimented like this since college. At least as far as she could recall, her drunken shenanigans didn¡¯t count in her mind. There were a few trials of intimacy, a couple fleeting nights of shared passion with her roommate. It had been a long time since anyone touched her like this though, so long that she felt nervous.


    ¡°Not in a long time¡­¡± Rose answered. Her hands were shaking so hard she almost dropped her book. She shut the leather binding and let it drop between her thighs.


    Rebecca¡¯s left hand began exploring the woman¡¯s stomach, feeling her core muscles and slowly advancing upward. Meanwhile the vampires right hand strolled along Rose¡¯s right arm, feeling her bicep. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± The vampire asked quietly.


    Rose found herself panting as she felt Rebeccas fingers reach the base of her bra, ¡°Just¡­be gentle¡­and no teeth!¡±


    That made Rebecca laugh a little. She rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve no idea what your missing.¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°What about Maggie?¡± Rose almost forgot she was even there. Maggie was still curled up under her sheets facing away from them. Her snoring had gotten quieter of late.


    ¡°Why?¡± Rebecca paused just as her fingers were about to go farther, ¡°Do you think she should join us?¡±


    Rose felt her stomach drop, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind¡­I did promise her a threesome.¡± Rose had no idea if Rebecca was joking or not.


    ¡°What if she catches us?¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s right hand left Rose¡¯s arm to rest along her inner thigh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she likes to watch¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be ki¡ª¡° Rose didn¡¯t finish her sentence, she jerked as delicate fingers slipped underneath her bra to cup her left breast. The vampires fingers lightly pinched her sensitive nipple while her other hand began to explore the base of Rose¡¯s inner thigh. Those fingers quickly met her soft linen panties and were eager to peel them back to feel the hairs between Rose¡¯s legs.


    It was then, just as Rebecca began to reach the bounty between her legs, that Rose felt a sharp pinch along her neck. With it came an abundance of warmth and fervor, a feeling of immense pleasure. For a moment Rose felt like she was floating in a bath of warm water, the tension in her limps eased and the feeling of quaking nervousness drowned away. A subtle red haze clouded her vision, she couldn¡¯t help but bit her own lips as she leaned her head back and let her eyes roll. Fingers teased the slip of her soaking loins, testing the burning entrance to her gushing cove. They quickly settled around the pearl pulsing along the edges of her wet and swollen lips.


    The aching silence of their room was vanquished by a moan of rapturous pleasure. It was enough that eventually someone came knocking on their door.

 18: A Vampires Kiss

    There was one time when she was little that Rose pondered the meaning of the word ¡®miracle¡¯. It was a strange word that didn¡¯t seem to make any sense. It always seemed to stroll off the tongue in an eerie way. Her mother told her it was proof of the divine, something impossible by all the laws of nature and science coming into fruition. It was hard describing it to a child, so it quickly slipped her mind. But for some reason that distant echo of a memory came to her in dreams every once in a while. That and one other memory of her mother that always made her skin crawl.


    ¡°I have seen the future,¡± Her mother once said, ¡°And I am afraid¡­¡±


    Now in her delusional state, both of these memories flashed before her eyes in seconds that felt like the tiniest pinpricks in her mind. In that moment, as vampire venom soothed her arteries, the very concept of something miraculous burned in her veins.


    ¡°You taste so good¡­¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice whispered close the woman¡¯s ear like a chime in the wind. Distant, yet resounding. Rose muffled a quiet gasp as she bit her lip, she could feel the vampires fingers exploring the juicy folds between her legs. A thin digit slid further down into the slippery valley, stirring her excitement and applying neat pressure to quaking nerves. Her inner muscles were moist and her legs wouldn¡¯t stop shaking with excitement. It was maddening having to wait for the vampire to delve deeper, to slip into her quivering chasm.


    Rose gasped when she finally felt a hardened force squeeze into her. Her stomach flipped as the vampiric intruder tested the strength of her coiling walls. It wasn¡¯t long before constraining muscle tensed around the pale index, gripping it firmly as it tried to delve deeper.


    A single burning red tear strolled down Rose¡¯s neckline, skimming past her collarbone to travel down her exposed left breast. It¡¯s journey eventually ended, sticking along the edge of her areola. But the tickling sensation was barely noticeable. Rebecca¡¯s lips continued to latch onto her neck, gently trading her fangs venom for Rose¡¯s juicy pulse. Her tongue meanwhile massaged the skin to numb the process.


    Rose Sexton rolled her eyes back, eyelids fluttering. Abdominal muscles flexed to keep her loosely in place, leaning into the blonde woman¡¯s grasp. Another finger joined the first, causing a high pitched squeal to echo across the room. The seconds started to slowdown into heart pounding thuds, each one thickening the red haze clouding her eyes. But Rose was ok with that, her entire body seemed to float on a great burning ocean of lust and overwhelming passion. She was experiencing a feverish sojourn into a whole knew realm of pleasure. Colors, some she had never seen before, shaded the world around her as new sensations burned into her nerves forever.


    Waves of delicious agony washed through her, each one more fulfilling than the last. Starting deep down at the base of her womb and erupting across her entire body from head to toe. Rose felt strangely more alive than ever before, it was like she was experiencing an entirely new definition of ecstasy. One that she would forever come to crave. Somehow it renewed and drained the soul.


    At the very height of this rapture, Rose had no idea where she was or even who she was. She didn¡¯t even know whose fingers were twirling around inside her. Those fingers seemed to possess a mind of their own and played her like a freaking fiddle.


    The concept of time only returned when Rose felt a migraine spawn behind her eyes, by that point her moans of pleasure had shifted into ones of nausea and she no longer possessed the strength to keep herself upright. Words disturbed the blissful malaise as voices argued in the room. But Rose was beyond comprehending them. Someone carefully laid her back on the bed and fluffed the pillow she rested on. Laying on her bed Rose could feel the vibrations of footsteps in the room but the red haze blocked out her vision. Her tongue was dry when she faded into a whimpering dream.


    ...


    The morning came with a grey haze. There was no sunlight, only an overcast causing the entire room to appear grim. It was hard to discern whether it was even morning at all. The only sound that Rose could hear through a ruthless migraine was the tapping of thick raindrops against the glass. Her eyes slowly opened, she laid partially dressed on her side. She was wrapped under several layers of bedsheets. Her limbs felt heavy, and her stomach grumbled. Thinking itself hurt almost as much as moving. Rose wanted to roll over to her other side but she could only summon a groan from her parched throat. The sounds of rain drops did nothing to alleviate the headache.


    ¡°Is she¡­ok?¡± Rose¡¯s body tensed subconsciously upon hearing Rebecca¡¯s voice. A curtain of gold hair descended in front of her eyes followed by a sideways face bearing a curt smile.


    ¡°What do you think! You nearly sucked her dry¡­¡± Maggie¡¯s voice cut through the air like a sharpened knife. Rose could feel the bed shifting under the girls weight as Maggie leaned over to check on her. Maggie placed her palm against Rose¡¯s forehead, it felt warm to the touch.


    ¡°Reby go do something useful for once and find some juice or something. She must have low blood sugar.¡± Maggie scoffed as she pushed Rebecca away. ¡°And find some painkiller while you¡¯re at it.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Can you both shut up.¡± Rose spoke with a dry throat, her tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of her mouth. It was hard to imagine what her breathe must¡¯ve smelled like.


    ¡°Yay she¡¯s alive! Cinderella awakes!¡± Rebecca¡¯s outcry pounded Rose¡¯s migraine. It felt like screws were drilling into her skull.


    To her credit Maggie could tell Rose was in pain, she got up and dragged her friend away to the other side of the room before speaking. ¡°Get your pretty little ass out of here, find us those supplies, and be quick about it¡­¡±


    Even though Maggie was trying to soften her words they still made her head throb. Rose kept her eyes partially open, it hurt to keep them closed or focused. But there was a knew trio of blurs in the corner of the room. Curiosity got the better of her, and she risked further pain to try and visualize whatever was newly occupying their room. Figures slowly came into focus among the grey light.


    Slowly Rose had to adjust her position, leaning on her elbow she found she had to rub the crust from her eyelids. In the corner of the room three vampire sailors were tied up and gagged, two of them were asleep while the third had a black eye and looked toward her in frustration.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Rose started to speak and couldn¡¯t find the words to express her shock.


    Rebecca noticed instantly when she stirred to higher awareness and nervously scratched the back of her head while she tried to interject. ¡°So don¡¯t be freaked out but¡­well its kinda a long story¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone complained about the noise, the first guy came in to check what was up and caught Rebecca out in the open.¡± Maggie couldn¡¯t hide the discomfort in her voice, she fidgeted where she stood while trying to explain the situation.


    ¡°So I kinda had too, knock him out¡­¡± Rebecca¡¯s tone was in competition with the other vampire, she sounded pleased by her actions.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Rose interjected, ¡°There are three of them¡­¡± It was possible that she was merely seeing triple after whatever debauchery consumed her last night. This thought was enough for her to rub the sore spot on the side of her neck, she could feel tiny bumps with her fingers.


    Rebecca¡¯s face held a devilish smile, with a finger in the air she was eager to confess when Maggie shoved a hand in front of her mouth to cut her off. Maggie tone held an abundance of frustration, ¡°Yeah, after a while the second guy came to check what happened to the first sailor¡­and then a third came to investigate after that¡­shit how long before they send another?¡± Maggie looked over to the doorway as if expecting another sailor to barge in at any moment.


    At this point Rose had come to expect this level of crazy, and didn¡¯t have the energy to confront it. She sighed before collapsing back down onto the pillow, she could practically hear her pulse ringing in her head. It was then that she noticed a red stain down her shoulder.


    ¡°Thats weird,¡± Rose mumbled to herself. Her eyes drifted¡­to her book laying carelessly on the ground next to the bed. It was then that she remembered what happened last night. A shudder ran down her spine and she curled her toes. A shot of awareness fueled her senses like adrenaline giving new life to her aching limbs. With a blinding motion Rose threw the blankets away and rushed to the restroom. With a flip of the light switch Rose cursed at the loss of power.


    ¡°Throw me a light!¡± Rose suddenly sounded vicious as she extended her arm out threw the doorway. Cautiously Maggie found the flashlight Rose was using to read her book the night before. She handed it to her with a flick of the wrist.


    With the flashlight in hand Rose tried to capture a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her skin was very pale, especially in her face. Her lips were only now starting to show a return of color. Her hair was a mess and two tiny needle sized bruises were easily noticeable on the side of her neck.


    ¡°Did¡­you¡­¡± She found it hard to speak, ¡°Bite me?¡±


    ¡°Busted! Sorry love,¡± Rebecca seemed to glide into the cramped restroom, ¡°I might have gone a little overboard,¡± She overstressed the word ¡®little¡¯, ¡°but it was so much fun making you feel so good.¡± She leaned closer and placed a hand on the human¡¯s hip, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time, promise. But don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll be right as rain in no time.¡±


    ¡°What kind of expression is that? Right as rain?¡± Rose asked as she grabbed hold of the sink. She found it was the only way to keep herself standing. Her knees were buckling under duress and her legs wouldn¡¯t stop shaking.


    Maggie grabbed the hood of Rebecca¡¯s sweater and dragged her out of the room in one quick motion. She found it necessary to coddle her to actually do something to fix this, ¡°I thought I said to get some aspirin and anything with sugar. You did this, now time to pay the price!¡±


    ¡°Fine, be right back darling,¡± Rebecca aimed her words directly at Rose with a smile. Rose caught it but didn¡¯t return the gesture. Although a part of her almost wanted to give in to the temptation. She watched as the blonde creature swiftly exited the room, Rebecca¡¯s feet practically glided off the floor.


    Only when she had left did Rose find the energy to speak again, ¡°What are you going to do about¡­them?¡± The sailor that was awake looked over and growled at them.


    Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, she seemed deep in thought for a few seconds. The rain continued to tap the window, the sound complimenting the eerie grey overcast in the room. Eventually the vampire answered, ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to find a new room. One with fewer prying eyes.¡± She then looked over to Rose and couldn¡¯t help but blush, ¡°Also¡­sorry about last night. I didn¡¯t even notice what was going on until you were already in a stupor. And even then I¡­might have waited a little longer than I should have to intervene.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you might¡¯ve waited a bit longer than you should have?¡± Rose shot her a glared, her expression was dour.


    Maggie looked away embarrassed, she clearly felt guilty of something. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­You looked so much like¡­someone else I knew.¡±


    ¡°What about now?¡± Rose almost laughed, ¡°Do I still look like that someone?¡±


    Maggie looked over to her in surprise. She bit her lip and considered what to say before speaking, ¡°Only a little.¡±


    A single bolt of lightning tore through the grey clouds causing the dark haired vampire to twitch in alarm. It took a few seconds for Maggie to collect herself and help Rose return to the bed. With the three sailors grumbling in their corner, the two vampires waited patiently for Rebecca to return.

 19: Am I Falling For This Monster?

    ¡°Delicious¡­¡± The shadow stalking the hallow corridors spoke to himself. He had followed the human and her little posse for hours. Her smell was positively tantalizing! Just being in her general vicinity made his heart race! At one point he found a small puddle of sweat that was unmistakably hers, he bent down and licked it up lavishly.


    That damn Seraphine! He grumbled just thinking about her. Slowly the man curled up in a small janitors closet, he was close to where they had hidden the human. It was foolish that they came back to the Stryx¡¯s room, as if they were somehow safer there. He licked his lips just thinking about the woman¡¯s blood, she was so close.


    Soon¡­


    He let the darkness drape over him, his fingers scratched at the floor. The very first moment he saw her he knew he had to have her! Her blood was so pure¡­so rich! She should never have come here, his hands twitched.


    It took every fibre of his being not to let himself go, to rush through the door and take her for himself! He knew the Seraphine was there, always watching. She had already tasted her blood! Power, real power, flowed through her veins.


    But he was a patient creature, the shadow waited and watched quietly. Soon he knew chaos would give him an even greater advantage.


    ¡­


    Rose couldn¡¯t help but rub her eyes in pure frustration. Her head still throbbed but some color had finally returned to her cheeks. She hadn¡¯t even truly digested the fact that Rebecca had feasted on her yet. Inner pragmatism stirred Rose to focus on one thing at a time, rather than tackle the terror of being a succulent smoothie for the blonde vampire. The trio had quickly vacated their room, grabbing their luggage with them, and travelled to the only other vampire they knew would not immediately report what happened to the ships security. Upon bursting in his room, Kyle was half naked and snoring loudly. His shattered window was covered by a trash bag and duct tape. Rebecca hovered over him while poking his forehead until he awoke in fright.


    After a fairly short introduction, and a couple awkward stares from Maggie, Kyle was brought up to speed with everything that happened. He wasn¡¯t pleased.¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Kyle¡¯s voice was brimming with suspicion. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed while facing the trio of women who had invaded his space mere moments ago.


    Rose was surprised how quickly Rebecca and Maggie exposed the story to him, during which he couldn¡¯t stop chewing his lip and playing with the stubble of his chin. His hair was disheveled and his boxers loose around the waist. But Rose tried not to pay too close attention, morning wood was a real thing especially when facing three gorgeous women.


    ¡°Aight,¡± Rebecca seemed all too cheerful while sitting cross legged on the empty bed of his cabin. The blonde vampires skin seemed less pale than before, her lips held more color as well. She was the most cheerful among the three, and somehow the most active. Rose couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her generous donation had something to do with that.


    Kyle narrowed his eyes at Rebecca before continuing. ¡°You treated the poor woman like a spring of tap water,¡± Kyle started with an accusing tone.


    ¡°Yup,¡± There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, and no guilt what-so-ever, in Rebecca¡¯s answer. She kept swinging her legs back and forth as her pink blouse glowed from the grey morning light.


    Kyle continued, ¡°Then you knocked out a guard.¡±


    Rebecca chuckled with a nod, ¡°sounds about right.¡± She rolled her eyes as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Ahem¡­three guards to be exact,¡± Maggie interjected in disappointment. Her dark shirt fully exposed her abs, perky nipples pocked against the fabric. She was reluctant to wear a bra that morning, Rose had a feeling she was purposely trying to get a rise out of Kyle¡­literally.


    Rebecca just rolled her eyes again. Her fingers were fiddling with the cross necklace around her neck, ¡°Minor details.¡±


    Kyle just tapped the back of his head against the wall multiple times. Rose could practically feel his frustration from just watching him. He continued this for some time before finally returning his attention to the group. With a groan he cleared his throat, ¡°and now you are looking for a place to hide. Does that sum it up?¡±


    Rose nodded quietly. It hurt too much to speak, even after consuming an entire pitcher of orange juice and downing several pain killers. Where Rebecca had gotten the juice was beyond her, and it was likely some of the last left unspoiled on the ship. The pain reliever was still working its magic however, Rose hoped it would alleviate her soon.


    This time it was Rose¡¯s turn to remain in the shadows, away from the light, to curb the pain behind her eyes. It was like she was suffering a terrible hangover, one that left a strawberry aftertaste in her mouth.


    Earlier that morning, without mentioning out loud where they were going, they had thrown all their belongings in their bags and left there room. The guards who were tied up would certainly be discovered eventually, and so they had to move quickly. It was Maggie¡¯s decision to go to Kyle¡¯s room. Judging that the ship was still idle and drifting at sea, it was likely the sailors had bigger issues to deal with. Rose hoped there wouldn¡¯t be dire repercussions for just leaving the sailors there¡­tied up.


    Kyle looked over to Maggie, his morning wood suddenly grew stiffer. He had to sit down on the floor to hide his shame, Rose imagined it must have been terribly uncomfortable for him. ¡°And you just let her get away with all of that?¡± He asked once seated.


    Maggie sighed, ¡°why don¡¯t you try it, see how that goes!¡± The way she planted her hands on her hips and arched her chest made her seem even more provocative. Even Rose couldn¡¯t help but get a little wet watching those massive tits heave in the air.


    They all remained silent for a few minutes, the ship¡¯s bones seemed to groan around them as the waves brushed up against its hull. Rose was surprised how clean and organized the guys room was, it certainly wasn¡¯t that way before. His room was a little larger then their own, to afford such a room to himself meant he must have had some serious cash.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    A knock came at the door behind them, causing them all to jump.


    ¡°Quick! Hide in the restroom,¡± Kyle lunged forward to grab both Rose and Maggie¡¯s shoulders and drag them into the small enclosure. Rebecca was already inside the restroom on queue. He slammed the door and Rose felt the air grow thin with the three of them pressed together in the small room.


    ¡°Shit did they find us!¡± Maggie squealed.


    Rebecca elbowed her in the side, ¡°No way, I made sure those knots were tight.¡±


    ¡°Reby I told you to loosen them so they could get out!¡± Maggie said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster Rebecca?¡± Rose found her voice shaky and cold.


    Rebecca somehow was able to swiftly move in the tight space, flowing behind Rose without scraping the edges of the sink or disturbing the piles of folded towels. In mere seconds she was behind Rose and folding her arms around her waist, perching her chin against her shoulder. ¡°But I¡¯m you¡¯re monster.¡±


    ¡°Really Rebecca, not now¡­¡± Rose tried to keep her voice to a whisper. For some bizarre reason Rose didn¡¯t feel like shrugging off her advances. In fact she felt a strange warming sensation bleeding through her body while pressed so closely. Rebecca smelled like summer rain or early morning dew on the grass, it was nice.


    The trio listened carefully through the thin walls as the door to the cabin opened with a sliding motion. Maggie pressed her palms to the restroom door and planted her ear against it to hear better. They did their best to keep silent, Rose could hear her heart beating in her chest.


    ¡°Is it him again? The one from before?¡± Rose whispered to Rebecca. They all saw the claw marks on Kyle¡¯s door when they entered. Ever since then Rose only felt safe when Rebecca was nearby.


    ¡°No,¡± Rebecca answered quickly.


    Rose raised an eyebrow, ¡°How can you be sure?¡±


    ¡°You really must really be looking forward to me rescuing you huh,¡± Rebecca teased.


    Maggie scoffed, ¡°you two really need to get a room.¡±


    ¡°I doubt one room would be big enough,¡± Rebecca joked.


    Rose clenched her hands into fists, ¡°How do you know its not him!¡±


    ¡°Relax Rosie, I¡¯ll protect you. Besides whoever it is they don¡¯t smell the same.¡± Rebecca leaned in closer and tightened her grasp around Rose¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Sssh,¡± Maggie shot them both a ¡®your being annoying¡¯ look. Rebecca caught it and swiftly returned cheeky smile.


    For several short minutes the three of them remained quiet as whoever had knocked on the door to Kyle¡¯s cabin spoke to him. Whatever they were talking about it caused Maggie to grumble to herself and press her ear into the bathroom door. Rose noticed that Maggie was also blushing.


    Then suddenly the door slid open causing Maggie to fall forward and crash onto the floor. Rose and Rebecca were fully visible in the light pouring from the main cabin. The one who had opened it jerked away in fright, she didn¡¯t even try to catch Maggie.


    ¡°What the fuck? I knew you had company! What gives?¡± The woman was short with wavy dark hair and narrow brown eyes. She wore a sweater with the cruise ships emblem ablaze, and a skirt that actually caught Rose¡¯s attention. At first she just looked at the three of them in confusion and then shrugged, ¡°Seriously Kyle what¡­wait I know you?¡±


    Rose realized she was talking to her, and for some reason she recognized her too. The memory was hazy but Rose knew the random girl was familiar.


    Kyle just scratched the back of his head while trying to explain, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they just made me an accomplice to something terrible, I¡¯ll spare you the details.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here!¡± Maggie cried out. She was still on the floor.


    ¡°Me? what are you doing here bitch!¡± Sophia Fame LaRue responded.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the stripper from the nightclub?¡± Rebecca asked surprised.


    Rose realized she was right, she was the stripper from the club they had all partied in two nights ago. Right before the last of the power went out.


    The new acquaintance stomped her foot right next to Maggie¡¯s head as if marking her territory, ¡°If you¡¯re asking for an autograph you can go blow yourself.¡±


    Kyle finally summoned the nerve to advance and patted the girl on the shoulder. He spoke to Sophia apologetically, ¡°As you can see my room is fully occupied. But your welcome to hang out if you¡¯re ok with sharing the only other bed with¡­all three of them? Now that I say it out loud I have no idea how that would work.¡±


    Rose wondered how the three of them would manage a bed to themselves. She imagined Maggie would sneak by Kyle¡¯s side if she could. She didn¡¯t want to share a full sized bed with two others, with Rebecca maybe¡­but not some random stripper as well. Rose filed that thought away to think about later. ¡°What was your name? And did we get between something?¡± Rose asked the stripper.


    ¡°Sophia Meletros Stryx,¡± the woman sighed. ¡°And no thats not my stage name, and also no not really. With everything about to go crazy I felt it was a good idea to find solace with another Stryxian. When in doubt stick with your clan. He¡¯s the only other one on board that belongs to it.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Maggie groaned before standing upright. Her breasts bounced as she took a step forward, ¡°So things are getting that bad? The families are consolidating¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that make you siblings?¡± Rose felt it weird that another member of Kyle¡¯s clan just happened to be there without his knowledge. Then again she was still trying to understand how vampire society worked.


    ¡°Distant cousins¡­very distant cousins maybe.¡± Sophia paused, ¡°I guess a human wouldn¡¯t understand. Most clans are made up of a collection of families. They don¡¯t have to be related to each other at all, although most clans bear a common ancestor.¡±


    Rose could tell that Rebecca was getting bored. ¡°Well at least you have a clan,¡± Rebecca spoke quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re that Seraphine everyones been talking about. The one that is wanted by security?¡± Sophia asked cautiously.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Rebecca just glared at her. Her eyes had changed to a reddish hue that made Sophia¡¯s legs begin to shake.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going¡­to¡­pretend I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Sophia stuttered, a bead of sweat ran down her face.


    ¡°Good choice¡­tying people up is such a chore.¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke, Rebecca was completely serious.


    Sophia took two steps back until she was well outside of the blonde vampires range, but should she decide to strike Rose knew Rebecca would cover the distance in mere seconds. ¡°Ugh, where am I going to go now¡­my roommate already ditched me and everyone else will just want to see my tits and demand I give them a lap dance.¡± Sophia was talking to herself more than anyone else.


    Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel kind of bad for the girl, she knew what it felt like to be alone and hated the idea of just throwing her out. She pondered where Sophia could go, there had to be others that would take her in. But the only other people she knew were that odd couple she met on her first day aboard. She supposed there were worse options, ¡°I think I might know a pair you could ask, but I¡¯m not sure where they¡¯re staying.¡±


    Sophia raised an eyebrow, ¡°Well that would be a first, a human giving decent advice to a vampire. But peggers can¡¯t be choosers¡­shit sorry, beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡±


    ¡°Thats disgusting¡­¡± Rose felt like she was going to puke.


    Even Kyle didn¡¯t seem to like the joke, the expression on his face was that of a man visualizing something disgusting, ¡°Sophia is a Stryx¡­I can¡¯t abandon a member of my clan. She¡¯s my family, I know you two understand.¡± He looked over to Rebecca and Maggie, both of which seemed to understand. ¡°Lets just come up with a list of things to do. First lets find some supplies and maybe a spare blanket or two. Then we might want to look at finding a better place to lay low. Security aren¡¯t the only ones looking for you, isn¡¯t that right Rose?¡±


    Rose shivered as he looked over to her. She knew he was right, a sudden gust of wind strained against the trash bag on the window while they stood in silence. Kyle continued, ¡°Lastly I need to get some clothes on, so do you mind leaving me the restroom for a couple minutes.¡±


    Maggie smirked, ¡°A couple minutes?¡±


    Kyle scoffed, ¡°Its not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Rose just breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°So you¡¯ll let us stay?¡±


    ¡°Sure why not, what could go wrong?¡± Kyle asked sarcastically.


    Rebecca held onto Rose tighter and whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯m putting you on my to-do-list for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Say what now?¡±

 20: Ok You Can Have A Nibble.

    There were two beds in Kyle¡¯s room, one of which was used as little more than a place to throw his luggage. With all four of them trying to make space, the floor was cluttered with all their baggage. The ship idled aimlessly, and outside the pattering of rain and rush of wind rattled against the garbage bag over the window. It was evident that none of them would be able to sleep tonight with the constant noise. It was getting late, but there was still a little light out for everyone to enjoy.


    After suffering a cold shower Rose put on a special beach outfit, one that she brought for one purpose and one purpose only. To attract attention. Her single awareness syndrome drove her to purchase it a week ago, and she had been saving it for the singles cruise. The top was a thin black shirt that was tight on her torso, it only covered her chest down to her upper abs. The sleeves extended down to her forearms. Near the center it opened wide to expose an abundance of supple flesh. The underside of her breasts were fully exposed, and pressed tightly together. The fabric was a spandex cloth that accentuated her womanly features splendidly. The leggings were also black, and held on tightly. They were low cut so that the thong she wore could stick out.


    Rose looked herself over in the mirror, admiring her stunning looks. The buds of her mounds scratched into the fabric as if they were begging to be released. She combed her hair, all the while admiring her bussoms.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s about to have a good time,¡± Sophia¡¯s voice¡¯s cut through her like butter. Rose turned around to see the spritely woman stepping into the restroom. There was something odd about the stripper, her attitude never seemed to match her posture. At times her voice would break when she tried to come off as flirty, or sharpen when she tried to appear laid back. Rose got the impression that the scantily clad professional wasn¡¯t as confident as she appeared.


    Sophia still wore her cruise ship logo t-shirt, her pixie hair was surprisingly curly. Rose could tell that if the woman grew it out it would look absolutely marvelous. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like,¡± Rose blushed.


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Sophia answered curtly. She walked past her and drew on the cold water for the shower. ¡°F¡ª you think they would at least get the water heaters working.¡±


    Rose was busy putting on a pair of earrings, ¡°Just jump in and out, its not so bad.¡± She turned around and realized Sophia was stripping down. Her hips were narrow, her thighs surprisingly lean, but her ankles were firm.


    Sophia turned around, her breasts were small yet perky and firm. Bright pink nipples stuck out on the pale flesh. ¡°What?¡± Sophia asked while cocking her head to the side as if perplexed.


    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to stare.¡± Rose brought her attention back to the mirror before her.


    Sophia just shrugged her shoulders and reached out to test the water. ¡°No biggie, its not like I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    Shit, I¡¯m already getting wet¡­


    Rose sighed, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t have to change her undergarments before leaving the restroom.


    ¡­


    Once she was ready, Rose took a deep breathe and walked out of the restroom. Sophia wouldn¡¯t stop swearing to herself in the shower behind her. It was almost comical. Rose could feel her heart beating in her chest as she walked into the main cabin. The air was stingy, the rustling of the garbage bag irritated her. Rose felt like she really needed to get some air.


    Outside, Maggie was sitting on the edge of the spare bed. She wore a dark push up bra and lounge pants. In her hand was a small handheld video game, her attention seemed to be fixated on it.


    Kyle was absent, likely searching for something better to cover the window with.


    Rebecca meanwhile seemed to be waiting patiently for her. She had disappeared earlier, Rose got the distinct impression she had ambushed a few patrols from ship security nearby. Apparently she had taken time away from her new hobby and was waiting for Rose to finish tidying up. Wearing the same pink blouse and skirt she had worn earlier, the vampire was adjusting her umbrella hat carefully. She took one look at Rose and nearly dropped the hat, her eyes grew wide. ¡°Yum¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose held herself still. Already she could feel a droplet of sweat rolling down her chest.


    ¡°Yummy yummy yummy!¡± Rebecca jumped up on her feet and hopped up and down childishly.


    The sudden noise and movement broke Maggie¡¯s attention, ¡°Seriously!¡±


    ¡°You want to get some air? Its getting hot in here.¡± It was Rose¡¯s intention to ask Rebecca to accompany her, both as a guard and maybe something more.


    ¡°So take off all your¡± Rebecca was still hopping up and down, but she never finished her sentence before she was rudely interrupted.


    Maggie threw a pillow at Rebecca¡¯s head before she could finish. ¡°Please just stop!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous,¡± Rebecca laughed. She picked up the pillow and threw it back at her with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Maggie sat up straight, her hands were gripping into the bed sheets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Babe, you¡¯ll find someone soon. I know it.¡± Rebecca returned her attention to Rose. She threw on her hat and practically skipped to the door.


    ¡°Please just stop, or better yet get out. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.¡± Maggie withdrew her attention back to the video game, her fingers pounded the controls furiously.


    ¡°Come on Rosie, lets get some air. I want to see how you look in the sunlight!¡± Rebecca motioned for her to follow.


    Just before Rose made it to the door, Rebecca cut in front of her. The way the vampire opened the door, scanned the hallways, and kept her close seemed almost territorial.


    Just walking through the halls made Rose even more desperate for some fresh air before the next curfew was in place. With no air conditioning, and no way to open the windows, the temperature inside was stifling. Even if they had portable fans there was no power to use them! Outside on the forward deck of the Sanguine, the air was relieving but also a bit chilly. It was still grey and cloudy for as far as the eye could see, as the evening set in the sun had yet to burn its way through the grim overcast.


    Rose leaned against the guard rail, it was windy and a light drizzle cooled her skin. Her auburn hair was tied in a pony tail, it wasn¡¯t the way she preferred but thought it would be a welcome change.


    Rose had never met a woman like Rebecca before, hell she never felt like this before. There was just something so damn cute about her, the way she liked to stir chaos reminded Rose of someone else she once had a crush on years ago. Strangely Rose felt like she wasn¡¯t nearly as angry as she should¡¯ve been about Rebecca¡¯s nippling. It made her heart flutter just thinking about the vampire, how she accompanied her around like a little lost puppy dog was getting adorable. It was enough to make Rose wonder how it would feel if she bit her again?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Whatcha thinking about¡­¡± Rose nearly jumped upon hearing Rebecca¡¯s voice. She turned around to find the blonde creature right behind her, Rebecca had both her hands behind her back and leaned toward Rose so that their noses almost brushed.


    However the vampire had gotten so close to her without notice should¡¯ve frightened Rose, but by now she was starting to get used to it. As Rebecca leaned forward her cleavage was also visible, her gorgeous breasts were sparkling with amber and olive hue¡¯s. Rose couldn¡¯t help but study them for a few split seconds, she could see a river of thin blue veins just underneath supple and soft skin.


    Rebecca smirked and leaned forward an inch more so that the valley between her voluptuous mounds was easily exposed. Her silver cross dangled forward to glisten in the grey light. Rose bit her lip, she could feel a quiver at the base of her stomach, anticipation moistened between her legs.


    ¡°You smell nice,¡± Rebecca¡¯s tone was sharp and clear.


    That broke her trance, Rose leaned back against the guard rail and took a moment to catch her breathe. She had no idea she was holding it in! A delicate finger reached forward to brush back a stray bang from her eyes, Rose stiffened in surprise upon feeling Rebecca¡¯s fingers but didn¡¯t reject them. ¡°You must be smelling my blood or something.¡±


    As if to challenge that, Rebecca took a half step forward and sniffed the hair just in front of her face. Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice the blonde creature was blushing more violently than ever before. ¡°No,¡± She leaned back a fraction, ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡±


    Rose tried to relax, it was getting easier but she imagined it would take a while before she could fully feel at ease among the vampires. Her hands loosened around the guard rail but still held on to them. ¡°If you say so¡­Becky.¡±


    Rebecca froze with her mouth gaped wide, and then she suddenly couldn¡¯t contain herself, Her laugh was a cute high pitched squeal. Rebecca failed to stifle herself and found her knees buckling while trying to cover her mouth to muffle the noise. ¡°Becky! Thats so fucking sweet!¡±


    The shortened name just flowed off the tongue, Rose didn¡¯t even mean to address her as such. Even as she called her ¡®Becky¡¯, Rose had no idea what she was doing. ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°First you call me Becca and now Becky? I can¡¯t believe you called me that!¡± Rebecca continued to laugh, she had to wipe a tear from her eye. Her cross necklace danced around her neck as she tried to control herself.


    Rose scratched the back of her head while watching the vampire¡¯s tits bouncing with each twist and turn. She wished Rebecca had chosen to wear a bra underneath that sexy top. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know why I said that.¡±


    ¡°No its ok,¡± Rebecca wiped another tear away as she spoke. ¡°I like it!¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Rose stifled a chuckle. She felt an urge to touch the creature in front of her, she didn¡¯t know why but the desire burned from deep within. Without thinking she reached forward and cupped Rebecca¡¯s cheek in her right hand, the sudden contact stunned the vampire for a brief moment. The intimate contact was enough for Rebecca to catch her breathe, she smiled and rested her head in Rose¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Did the sun just come out, or was it just your smile?¡± Rose asked just to see Rebecca laugh again.


    ¡°You¡¯re lips look lonely. Would they like to meet mine?¡± Rebecca responded swiftly and without any shame. Rose swallowed, she looked into the vampire¡¯s blue eyes. They were full of longing and distracted her as Rebecca leaned forward closer.


    A portable loud speaker sounded from nearby and broke their attention. Rose looked over to see a sailor on the higher decks, even from a distance he looked tired as he tried to address all the passengers on the forward deck. Dozens of passengers were nearby, a tiny crowd compared to the ocean of party goers a few days ago.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Rose feared he would notice Rebecca but the blonde vampire didn¡¯t seem to worry.


    ¡°Hey just a heads up I need a little juice, do you mind?¡± Rebecca asked Rose while presenting the most innocent and adorable smile she could possible summon.


    Rose felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Rebecca took hold over the gentle hand still pressed against her cheek, and with her fangs bared bit into Rose¡¯s wrist.


    Rose yelped as she felt the razor sharp fangs breach her skin. That pain was brief, it was the beginning of a transaction of bodily fluids between vampires and their human partners¡­or victims. As a small slurp of Rose¡¯s blood was suckled out, the vampire traded it with a healthy dose of her own venom. Rose felt the pain drift away, it was replaced by a warm and soothing sensation. A tingling impression flowed up her arm to reach her shoulder, and eventually drift toward her heart. Rose then felt a surge of pleasure begining to grow deep in her core, but before that flower could bloom Rebecca removed her teeth. She left behind two small bruises along with a fine trickle of blood.


    Rose pulled her hand back and rubbed it while catching her breathe. The bite took less than a couple seconds but it felt much longer. Rose watched as Rebecca licked a tiny drop of crimson from the corner of her lips while gazing into her eyes deeply. Before her very eyes the vampire¡¯s body seemed to fade away into a thin mist. It wrapped around Rose¡¯s body and was hard to discern among the grey overcast.


    The sailor never noticed the quick exchange, and he certainly didn¡¯t pay any attention to the shallow mist that had suddenly spawned next to the auburn beauty on the guard rails. It was possible that Rebecca didn¡¯t need to resort to using any of her unique gifts, but Rose surmised it was better safe than sorry.


    ¡°Attention all guests and passengers,¡± the loud speaker in the sailors hand made his voice sound like an overpowered toad, ¡°The captain would like to respectfully DEMAND to whoever is ambushing, and tying up, sailors to please stop!¡±


    Rose could hear a chuckle in the surrounding mist.


    ¡°Seriously! We are needed to keep this vessel afloat, which is in no way in danger of sinking by the way!¡± He put a lot of emphasis on that later statement. ¡°And we can¡¯t do our job if, not naming any names, a certain blonde delinquent keeps ambushing us in the halls!¡±


    The mists laughs grew even louder to the point where some of the other guests looked over to Rose. She had to pretend she was the one making the noise.


    The sailor continued unabated, ¡°The captain wishes to report that water pressure for all bathroom necessities will be restored shortly. Please restrain yourself from using the showers for more than five minutes a day per passenger. Emergency blood rations are to be delivered to each cabin along with food and beverages. A weeks worth of supplies will be brought to your door, all other restaurants and services are to be suspended for the indefinite future.¡±


    The sailor finished giving his pep talk and then walked around to another section of the ship to give the same speech to another crowd. The mist around Rose collected to reform and solidify into the vampire she was starting to warm up to.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to stop doing that¡­¡± Rose crossed her arms. She was referring to restraining the sailors that patrolled the ship in search for Rebecca. Within hours security had discovered the three people tied up in their old cabin. Their was a surge of active patrols since then. Strangely the added patrols didn¡¯t seem to care much about Rose or Maggie, the few times she passed one in the hall they barely gave her a glance. All their attention seemed to be focused on finding the delinquent in their midst. Rose wondered if at some point they would get tired of trying and just give up.


    Rebecca popped her knuckles as her hands fully reformed. She had to stretch her arms and legs as well, apparently transforming back and forth was fairly taxing. ¡°I know¡­but they make it so easy I can¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°Where do you even get the rope!¡±


    ¡°Not important,¡± Rebecca fiddled with a strand of her golden hair while speaking.


    ¡°I kind of think its important.¡±


    To dodge the question Rebecca just spun around and ended up facing her again, this time her hair practically glowed as a new ray of sunshine broke through the clouds. ¡°Hey there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you?¡±


    Rose sighed, ¡°Should I be worried?¡±


    Rebecca looked down at her feet for a moment, her hands became jittery. The atmosphere around her seemed to change, Rose could feel the tension building. Rebecca finally shook her head and then suddenly altered her tone. ¡°Hey lets play a little game.¡±


    Rose leaned back against the guard rail, she noticed the water seemed to be somehow a little closer. ¡°Hey is the ship?¡±


    ¡°If you want to go on a date with me, Smile! If not, then do a back flip.¡± Rebecca leaned forward to invade Rose¡¯s personal space like before. This time Rose could smell her licorice tooth paste.


    ¡°Um¡­Hey Becky?¡± Rose looked back toward her in fright, ¡°I think the ship is listing!¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s just stood in front of her frozen in delightful unease. Just before she could say anything more the ship lurched.


    Rose felt the ground underneath her fall as the entire ship shifted on its axis, the sound of waves splashing against the metal erupted behind her. The guard rail wasn¡¯t enough to keep her stable. Rose screamed as she felt herself falling backward, the groaning of the ship and screaming of its passengers became a song to the rising sea. Just as she felt herself begin to fall an arm surged forth and grabbed hold of her.


    ¡°I said if not do a backflip! Not throw yourself off the ship!¡± Rebecca held on to Rose for several agonizing seconds until the ship adjusted its axis. Once stabilized she still held on. ¡°So¡­are you ok?¡±


    Rose was trembling, she didn¡¯t want to leave Rebecca¡¯s embrace. She pressed into the vampires body as the Sanguine finished righting itself. Rose could feel the vampires heart beating rapidly against her breast. ¡°Yeah I think I¡¯m fine,¡± she took in a breathe. ¡°Did you just save me?¡± She noticed all the passengers on the deck were sobbing and disoriented. Many couples were locked in a similar embrace while others clung to bolted furniture.


    The vampire held her tighter and answered with another kiss, this one on the lips.

 21: What About Our Date?

    The HMS Sanguine continued to drift toward the great blue beyond, although it had been growing more grey with each passing hour. Its destiny was bound to the shifting tides and omnipotent waves. Storm clouds continued to surface over the horizon, they stained the clear water an ochre brown and ripply steel grey.


    For the captain of the cruise liner, life had taken a toll that was beginning to show on his weathered face. New wrinkles grew under his eyes, his skin tone was growing paler by the day, and sleep deprivation was clouding his thoughts. He sat in his leather cushioned captains chair on the main bridge of the vessel. Before him stood a wooden wheel with an anchor emblem engraved at its center. The giant wheel was more symbolic than a functional piece of hardware.


    The Sanguine operated using more modernized equipment now, computer terminals and digital readouts decorated the forward stations. Normally only three or four officers were needed to operate the ship productively. The master of navigation to plot out the course, the second officer XO to highlight the most pressing concerns for the captain, and two engineers to manage the turbines and course corrections. But now the captain was accompanied by a dozen sailors, officers and seamen who managed different aspects of the ship. Dozens of other officers communicated via portable radios that were hand wound.


    Captain Hughs sighed noticing just how exhausted they all were. Grease and tar stained most of their uniforms, all of them had been trying to repair critical systems by hand. Many had wrinkled and torn jackets and salt stained trousers. A few had life jackets on, they had physically gone to the rear of the ship and descended via rope to look at the turbines themselves.


    Second officer George Castano didn¡¯t even try to parse the information for the captain, all of the reports were bad. It didn¡¯t matter which line he looked at in the stack of written reports, there was no good news. Without any power most of the sailors struggled to run the ship. Many just sat at their stations in dismay, the rest were rushing back and forth giving the captain more written reports. There wasn¡¯t enough radios for everybody and so they had to resort to runners sending orders from the bridge to other parts of the ship.


    It felt strange having so much foot traffic coming back and forth through the bridge, it made its spacious confines seem suddenly very small. ¡°Tell me, this storm¡­are we being dragged into it,¡± The captain spoke as calmly and clearly as he could. The amount of courage he had summoned to appear in control was vexing.


    Somehow his second, George Castano, seemed even more tired than himself. But when the XO spoke it seemed sturdy, likely reflecting his years of service at sea. ¡°Yes Captain, the riptides have taken hold of us. Without the turbines we are being carried at roughly 1 and a half knots in the storms direction.¡± He paused tolook at the compass he held at his side, ¡°We¡¯re moving south due east, and the way my bones ache I would bet were looking at a hurricane in the making.¡±


    The captain groaned, failing to hold his composure. The last weather report indicated as much, updated radar scans were still forthcoming. The captain immediately straightened his back and took up an air of superiority, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the damn coast guard arrived?¡± The S.O.S had been broadcasting for days, someone had to know they were suffering.


    ¡°It was a mistake,¡± One of the other sailors whispered, ¡°We should¡¯ve never advertised ourselves as a ¡®vampires only¡¯ cruise. No one will come and save us!¡±


    The captain slammed his fist into the armrest, it made the room go silent. ¡°Enough, your all sailors so act like it. Do not give in to fear, act like you¡¯ve got some composure damnit!¡± His declaration was met by complete silence. The captain studied each of their faces, it was impossible not to notice the fear behind their eyes. But there was something else as well¡­hunger.


    ¡°What is the status of our blood supplies?¡± The captain asked the one question looming in all their minds. He was a vampire himself, and already started feeling the impact for his sudden dietary restriction.


    The second officer cleared his throat, ¡°All gone, we tried to salvage what we could but you can¡¯t keep blood packs safe without refrigeration. We tried putting them in the iced freezers, we hoped the ice would take a few days to thaw¡­but the heat and sudden humidity has ruined that prospect.¡±


    Just as the greying officer mentioned the spike in humidity, Captain Hughes could feel a thick drop of sweat strolling down his brow. He wiped it away and found all his fingers were coated in sweat. ¡°At least we have water restored.¡±


    ¡°For now¡­¡± the second officer responded. The Captain could sense he was starting to expect the worst for everything. A new silence fell over them all, the Captain chewed his inner lip as he tried to weigh the options.


    There was only a few reasons to explain why the coast guard hadn¡¯t come to their rescue. The first was pure racism but there were other rational explanations. Maybe they had drifted too far into international waters, or perhaps the storms were interfering with their transponders? The thing that bothered him the most was how their generators failed so miraculously. The word sabotage had been floated around the staff, it was a word he had worked to dismiss. The last thing they needed was suspicion and paranoia adding to their concerns.


    ¡°Without any blood¡­what are we going to do?¡± This time it was one of the other seaman who broke the silence.


    The captain rubbed his forehead, he could feel his stomach tighten. A vampire could get through a week without blood and harbor few complaints. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they met that limit, another day or so. He himself couldn¡¯t hide the fact that his hands were already shaking. ¡°We must remain calm. Fix the generators, get the turbines moving. Barring that we must find a way to extend our broadcast limit, there has to be someone else out there that can tow us to safety or bring us supplies.¡± He looked out the window, ¡°Also we have to avoid this storm¡­at any cost.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    These words didn¡¯t sound like orders, more like suggestions. It wasn¡¯t enough to make the other¡¯s in the bridge move away from their own thoughts. ¡°Wait¡­what if we¡¯re not out of blood?¡± One of the sailors spoke quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Another sailor with an open coat realized, ¡°We do have another source of blood on this ship¡­and its fresh¡­¡±


    ¡°Not another word,¡± The captain growled. He looked at each of them in the eye, ¡°That talk ends now!¡±


    All of the sailors sunk their shoulders, a bolt of lightning echoed behind them as if to highlight the mood.


    ¡­


    The further Rose and Rebecca traveled down into the ship the hotter it seemed to get. The air was thick with sweat and steam. Rose could feel herself perspiring through the spandex outfit, her exposed cleavage was sticky and bounced with each step. Rebecca skipped alongside her, the blouse she wore was also completely soaked in her own sweat. Rose could see the vampires pale skin through the sodden fabric, and her pink nipples poked against the cloth like daggers. Rebecca held a smirk as she pounced with every few steps to allow her girth to bob in the air. Rose found the swaying of the vampires hips enticing, her expressing the perfect mixture of charming and sultry.


    Rose Sexton worried that eventually one of the sailors would try to stop them in the halls. They passed by several of them as they journeyed back toward Kyle¡¯s cabin. Each one of them looked exhausted or malnourished. Occasionally one of the sailors would give them a courtesy glance or roll their eyes. Rebecca didn¡¯t even have to mist away when they slid by a trio of sailors in the cramped hallway. Only one of them noticed Rebecca, but seemed more afraid than willing to notify the others.


    Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ashamed for how she must¡¯ve smelled, already she needed another shower. She was comforted by the thought that water was fully restored, even a cold shower would be welcoming right about now. ¡°I just want to get back to the room, and take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can warm it up for you?¡± Rebecca leaned in closer so that there shoulders met. The vampire¡¯s cheeks were warm, her eyes soothing to look upon.


    Rose felt her stomach do a flip, a breath caught in her throat. She bashfully looked away and almost walked straight into a wall rather than take the necessary right turn.


    ¡°So, you never gave me an answer Rosie?¡± Rebecca continued to keep up her pace, inching closer to Rose with each step. Rose wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to hold her hand and felt timid as fingertips brushed alongside each other.


    Rose regretted it but she avoided Rebecca¡¯s hint by moving her hand up to brush the bangs of her hair away from her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Rebecca sniffled, ¡°About our date!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± Rose thought about it for a second, ¡°I mean¡­I¡¯ve never actually dated a girl before, let alone a¡­¡± She paused feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°I know,¡± Rebecca finished her sentence and bumped next to her. ¡°But you still haven¡¯t given me an answer?¡± She sounded playful as she tried and draw out an answer.


    Rose didn¡¯t know it but she was smiling. They turned the final corner down the hall, Rose could feel her heart racing. ¡°Fine I guess, but first we¡¯ve got to¡­¡± Her sentence was interrupted by the moans coming from the closed door of Kyle¡¯s cabin. They could hear the noise from all the way down the hallway! The sounds of wet slaps only grew louder as they approached. Rose and Rebecca just looked at each other and then back at the door, it was shaking at its hinges.


    Slowly Rose reached forward and turned the knob, she could feel a steady vibration through the piece of iron. Slowly she cracked open the door, the sounds of Maggies voice suddenly poured from the room.


    ¡°Yes f¡ªck! Harder, do me harder!¡± Rose peered through the crack and could make out dark hair tossing back and forth, along with a face buried in a pillow and a shoulder trying to hold herself upright. ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Deeper, you can go deeper!¡±


    ¡°oooh,¡± Rebecca sounded excited. She placed a hand on the door and forced it open. Maggie¡¯s naked body was exposed before them, she was dripping in sweat while pinned in a doggy style position on the bed. Her knees were bulking under the weight of the towering male behind her. Kyle pressed into her rear, arching his body forward and slamming his hips wildly. Maggie¡¯s soft breasts dangled with each grinding motion, they were plush and tear dropped shaped so that they hanged low to press against the bedding.


    Sophia laid on the opposite bed, fully clothed and listening to music. She had her earbuds turned up to full blast. Later Rose would wonder why the stripper hadn¡¯t joined them and their decadence.


    Kyle¡¯s muscles were taught, his buttocks firm with squeezing butt cheeks. He grabbed hold of one of Maggie¡¯s breasts and Rose watched as his fingers sank into the soft flesh. For the first time Rose caught a good glimpse of his manhood as it slipped out of the raven haired woman¡¯s groin, only to re-enter with a wet pop. It was coated in their shared ecstasy, and large drops of Maggie¡¯s excitement fell onto the sheets below her legs with each thrust. His grunting was haggard yet it wasn¡¯t born out of exhaustion but of excess. Rose couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long they had been going at it.


    Rose just froze at the doorway of the room, Rebecca had to help push her inside and seal the door behind them. A thick coat of steam had collected in the room, sex fueled the air.


    Kyle paused for a split second to notice their sudden intrusion. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He had to catch his breath, ¡°Don¡¯t mind us¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I tell you to stop!!¡± Maggie practically yelled at him and then moaned loudly again as he slammed his balls against her clit with another thrusting slam.


    Rose found herself getting wet just watching them, her pearl was itching with forbidden desire. She took a deep breathe and turned away, no sooner had she reached the door to the bathroom did she find Rebecca was already waiting for her. Her clothes were left on the floor, and a sadistic smile had taken place of her usual playful smirk. She reached forward and grabbed Rose¡¯s wrist to pull her inside and shut the door.


    ¡°Does that excite you?¡± Rebecca asked Rose once they were alone. Maggie¡¯s cries of passion could be heard through the door behind them.


    Rose shook her head but knew she was lying. She tensed as she felt the vampire embrace her. With quick hands Rebecca cupped the underside of Rose¡¯s exposed right breast. The vampires fingers were gentle as they played with the mounds buoyancy. Rebecca then pulled the spandex layers back to fully liberate Rose¡¯s gorgeous cleavage. They spilled out and hanged free for the vampire to marvel at.


    Their lips met, and tongues intertwined as Maggie¡¯s voice continued to bleed through the bathroom door. ¡°Thats right, choke me a little.¡±


    ¡°She can get a little¡­intense,¡± Rebecca teased. ¡°I love your freckles,¡± Her finger danced across Rose¡¯s dangling breasts, tracing the pattern of dots that decorated them, ¡°There so cute.¡±


    ¡°Your the one who¡¯s cute,¡± Rose reached around the vampires body, felt Rebecca¡¯s soft chest press against hers, and kissed her again.


    The pair never noticed the unopened box of condoms left behind on the sink¡­

 22: Bite Me

    He was so close, so very close. The vampire was now mere inches from the doorway, the doorway to the greatest bounty he had ever seen. The noises pounding from the room had deterred the sounds of his approach. He was ready to sink his teeth into that juicy female. Her exquisite blood would renew his famished tongue. His heart throbbed in thick pulses, it was eager for her pure bloodline.


    However this human inherited this blood was beyond him, but he had to have a taste. She was irresistible. Had he not been so hungry he would¡¯ve been curious about how her blood was so rich. Was she a distant descendant to one of the original vampire lords? If so which one? The possibilities were mythical, even whimsical, but ultimately didn¡¯t matter. The fact her blood existed, ready to be served like freshly minted wine, was all that mattered.


    The vampire licked his lips in anticipation. He carefully opened the door, ever so slightly. And peered in the room. In front of him, within inches, was a single woman. At first he froze in terror suspecting it to be the same one from before. The blonde devil herself! But no, this one was different. This woman was spritely in comparison with dark hair and brooding eyes. Her gaze was that of a viper on the verge of ensnaring its prey.


    His heart stoped realizing he had been caught.


    ¡°So you want to taste her too eh?¡± She asked quietly. Behind her the moaning of dueling lovers and grinding sex echoed.


    ¡°What?¡± He leaned in sensing opportunity.


    She smiled, ¡°Too bad, you aint having her.¡± She slammed the door on his face, hitting him square in the nose. He fell onto his back and wallowed in pain. ¡°Damn you!¡±


    ¡°Hey what are you doing outside during curfew!¡± The sounds of two security guards came from behind him. The vampire twisted and turned to rush down the hall. Blood poured from his nose, leaving a trail for them to follow.


    ¡­


    I want more! That was the first thought on her mind. Rose leaned back against the bathroom vanity with her chest arched forward, her tits perked up toward the ceiling. Fingernails scratched against the porcelain sink, all the while her entire body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. Her wet gasps betrayed her attempts to hide her true feelings. The vampire wasted no time stripping her bare, the dark top squeezed passed her shoulders with a slick pop. The vampire¡¯s gown fell to the floor just as swiftly.


    Rose couldn¡¯t take it anymore, her lips were quivering and her loins were soaking wet. She seized the initiative like a frenzied beast. Grabbing hold of the vampires wrist, she dragged Rebecca into the shower stall and twisted the nob. Cold water rained over their sticky skin, it was somehow both refreshing and energetic. Rebecca laughed and smiled as she explored Rose¡¯s body from one pair of lips to the next; her tongue left behind a slick trail down Rose¡¯s collarbone, stomach, and eventually reaching her groin.


    Something about the way Rebecca¡¯s nose nuzzled against her pubic hair made Rose giggle. The vampires face was buried in between her thighs while the cold shower continued to soak over their exasperating bodies. The temperature could not be helped, but the pressure was rather low. Rose¡¯s eyes fluttered as she leaned her face back, feeling the water caress her supple skin and run along her womanly curves. Stiff nipples kissed the air, they were sharp enough to cut diamonds!


    She reached her peak quickly and screamed as her entire body convulsed. Her stomach clenched, her legs pinned the vampire in place, and her body squirmed from the sudden implosion of raw pleasure. One churning tsunami followed another before her eyes could refocus. It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to return the favor. Rebecca¡¯s charming hips and voluptuous chest captured her undivided attention. The vampire returned a high pitched squeal as Rose spread her puffy folds wide and, using her index, slipped into her burning channel. Rubbing the walls of Rebecca¡¯s sensitive cove, she smiled as she felt her finger getting squeezed inside her vampire tightly.


    ¡°Hey Becky?¡± Rose whispered in the vampire¡¯s ear.


    Rebecca could barely speak, she merely bit her lip as her body squirmed.


    ¡°Bite me,¡± Rose asked her seductively.


    The vampire¡¯s eyes opened wide, and looked to Rose for confirmation. A simple pleading nod was all it took. Rebecca brushed her chin along the nape of Rose¡¯s neck while wrapping her arms around her. Rose felt a sharp sting as a pair of fangs pierced her soft skin. She gasped in pain and pleasure as a red haze flowed over her eyes and her synapses welcomed the vampiric venom in exchange for her blood. Her Nerves fell into a state of disarray as Rose¡¯s brain chemistry was slowly being rewritten. A new brand of euphoria was being programmed into her very soul, one that she would soon become addicted to.


    Rose drooled over her vampire¡¯s shoulder in blissful passion. Their bodies pressed hard together as a small trickle of blood strolled down her chest. Her breasts squeezed into Rebecca¡¯s ample cleavage so tightly Rose could feel their heartbeats intertwine.


    ¡­


    Some time had passed before the pair finally exhausted themselves.


    A new smells tickled her nostrils. It was faint but Rose could swear she could make out something delicate¡­almost comforting. Her eyes were sheltered by a curtain of golden hair. She wondered if vampires always smelled this sweet.


    Rebecca laid alongside her, resting her head in her palms, and inches from kissing her lips. Rose laid on her back, the vampire curled up alongside her. Her legs were cramped in the shower stall and both of them were panting.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Ready for round two?¡± Rebecca teased.


    Before Rose could answer, another voice disturbed them.


    ¡°How could you!¡± Maggie¡¯s voice rang through the thin door across from them.


    ¡°Hmm, Becky did you hear something?¡± Rose could barely focus. Just as she tried to grasp any further awareness, she felt the vampire welcome her with a kiss. The vampire¡¯s tongue was nimble against her own.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear a condom!¡± Rose heard the sudden shrill again. This time it was louder and more threatening.


    ¡°Mwa,¡± Rebecca parted from her lips and smiled. ¡°Dang what did she do this time,¡± She spoke with a purely condescending tone.


    ¡°Hey Becky¡­¡± Rose moaned.


    Rebecca rolled over on her back, ¡°Yeah love?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can move my legs¡­¡±


    Rebecca sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I even want to try¡­¡±


    ¡°You told me you were on the pill!¡± Kyle¡¯s voice was like a wrecking ball breaking through the walls, his voice was full of fright.


    ¡°I never said that! What the hell are you talking about!¡± Maggie¡¯s temper tried to match his own.


    Kyle¡¯s voice continued to bicker, ¡°Look your the one who grabbed me and ripped my clothes off! And then the way you kept asking me to choke you¡­the rubbers were the last thing on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, don¡¯t tell me he forgot to¡­¡± Rose was still panting as she spoke. Her eyes drifted across the bathroom, her vision was still blurry even without the steam. She could make out a collection of toiletries on the sink, including a small cardboard box with a condom brand proudly displayed. ¡°Should we¡­do something?¡±


    To her credit, Rebecca tried to get up. Her bare chest caught Rose¡¯s attention, they were two ivory mountains bouncing in the dark. It took Rebecca a few seconds but eventually the vampire summoned the strength to stand. Her legs were wobbly. ¡°I might need a little extra sugar, if you know what I mean?¡± She shot Rose a wink.


    Rose knew exactly what she meant, ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough for one night, i¡¯m not a bottomless well. I need it too you know.¡±


    Rebecca smirked, ¡°But sharing is caring?¡±


    ¡°Not a good joke,¡± Rose muttered.


    Rebecca stumbled over to a pile of folded towels near the vanity. She picked up a few and noticed they were still damp. Rose pulled herself up and walked slowly over to the sink, she picked up the condom package and confirmed it was still sealed, the XL labelling made her eyes roll.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a pharmacy on the ship¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s voice still echoed through the door.


    ¡°Oh my god we did it soooo many times,¡± Maggie just whimpered.


    Rose looked at the unopened package and sighed, ¡°Hey Becky?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The night we were all partying at the club, where we all did everything¡­Kyle used protection right?¡± Rose looked over to capture Rebecca¡¯s reaction. Her blonde hair was disheveled and somehow that made he even more cute. Her expression was one of confusion and uncertainty.


    Rebecca pondered the question while leaning against the wall and scratching an itch on her cheek. Her voice was a bit shaky, ¡°well¡­I¡­umm¡­think so?¡±


    Rose groaned, ¡°We¡¯ve got to start paying closer attention to¡ª¡° She was cut off by an odd noise throughout the ship.


    ¡­


    A groan shook around them, it slowly morphed into a bellowing roar.


    It could be heard from above and below, it was enough to make Sophia stir in fright. Her earphones were at full volume to distort the sounds of sex in the cabin. She wasn¡¯t discomforted by all the love making, but she definitely didn¡¯t want any part of it. Sophia had seen it all, hell she¡¯s practically done it all already. If anything she needed a night or two just to herself. She never noticed when the two stopped bumping uglies and started arguing instead.


    But this new sound disturbed her. Sophia jerked at her earbuds as she rose. The walls were shaking. It sounded like something sharp and metallic was snapping in multiple places. The grinding ruckus forced everyone to stop what they were doing and freeze in heightened alert. Fight or flight instincts were dialed to eleven, everyone was a second away from falling prey to its control.


    The hair on the back of her neck stood straight. Sophia grabbed hold of the blankets as if somehow that would afford her some layer of protection. Next to her the pair of frantic sex machines glanced toward the ceiling, following the sounds of the twisting vibrations above them.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Kyle¡¯s voice was dry.


    Suddenly the wind tore through the trash bag blocking the shattered glass. A torrent of salty rain invaded their room. The groaning never stopped, but it did ease ever so slightly.


    Sophia cursed to herself as she got up. She ran across the room and tried to jam the window shut using one of the luggage bags. The wind shook against her, the rain felt like iced needles striking her skin.


    A bolt of lightning flashed, and suddenly Maggie was no longer on the mattress. Instead she was on the floor, huddled close to the bed. It was remarkable just how much the poor girl resembled a frightened puppy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, help me!¡± Sophia looked squarely at the naked man. He twisted around and jumped on his feet to answer her call. He was suddenly awkwardly aware of his exposed erection, it was still reaching for the sky.


    In her line of work Sophia had seen plenty of examples of male appendages¡­his was no real shocker. ¡°Stop gawking like an ape and help me!¡±


    Kyle rushed over and grabbed several sheets to wedge into the corners around the luggage. Sophia then reached down to grab some left over duct tape and together they did everything possible to keep out the rush of cold wind.


    ¡°Thats definitely not going to hold!¡± Kyle was right and Sophia knew it. Another groan echoed above them, the ship lurched ten degrees to the side. It was just enough for them all to feel the subtle weight shift. It was as if their world was shrugging, like an earthquake on a raging sea.


    The answer was clear to her, they couldn¡¯t stay here. ¡°We need to go, hurry up and grab some clothes.¡±


    ¡°Where will we go,¡± Maggie whimpered.


    Sophia wasn¡¯t sure, but she supposed her older room might suffice¡­granted it was even more cramped than this one. ¡°My old room, its empty as far as I can tell. So come on its only a couple floors down.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave without Reby¡­¡± Maggie got up and searched for her clothes.


    Kyle stumbled to another luggage bag and threw it open to reveal more Hawaiian shirts and linen shorts, ¡°You forgot about Rose!¡±


    Maggie scoffed, ¡°Ugh, Fine and the human I guess.¡±


    Unlike Maggie, Sophia had no intention of leaving the tasty human behind. This wasn¡¯t part of her plan though, it would be harder to get a taste of her if they were all cramped together in a smaller room. ¡°I¡¯ll grab them,¡± She stated as she walked to the rest room.


    Sophia opened the door and found Rose and Rebecca on the floor, apparently they had slipped and fallen on each other when the ship dipped. Rebecca had the wind knocked out of her, she had grabbed hold of her human pet while using her own body as a shield.


    The human was right there, the veins in her neck were popping. Suddenly Sophia lost the will to hold herself back, her entire body throbbed with hunger and moved on its own. She simply couldn¡¯t help herself. She got on her knees and leaned over Rose quickly. The smell of her blood was purely intoxicating. So much so that Sophia¡¯s veins sharpened instinctually, her mouth opened wide.


    Suddenly a fist gripped her arm. Sophia froze and looked over to see Rebecca looking right at her. Her eyes were bloodshot, ¡°Well hello Sophia, just what do you think your doing?¡±

 23: One Sip And Youre Mine

    Stupid humans, and stupid Kyle! Maggie wanted to scream out loud, but stifled her outrage. Her anger was a boiling tempest that could barely be held below the surface. Maggie¡¯s dark hair was clammy and clung to her brow, she felt like her entire body was still in a state of flux. She still felt out of breath, and her body was desperate for some post cordial bliss. Anger made it difficult to appease that sensation. Between the storm raging outside and the one deep within her loins, Maggie was unable to relax. She pulled her underwear up her thighs and grabbed a bra from her open luggage bag. Her breasts were sore from all the grabbing. Kyle really enjoyed fondling them, apparently he preferred boobs over asses. It was a welcoming change, or so Maggie thought, her previous girlfriend had been in love with her bottom cheeks.


    Her purse slipped from the edge of the bed, causing her to curse and bend over. She could feel Kyle¡¯s little soldiers spreading within her loins while her breasts pulled her down. There were several loads of his spent essence flooding toward her womb at that very moment. Maggie bit her lip just thinking about how much she let things get out of hand. She barely noticed it each time Kyle came inside her, in her drunken state she cared only for enjoying a new position after each finishing thrust. It was easy for her to admit that, perhaps, she let things get a little overboard. However, the truth was Maggie had been acting purely on raw instinct.


    She picked up the purse and stood upright again, already her underwear was sticky and moist. The purse was soft in her fingers, and its touch ignited another memory she didn¡¯t want to relive. The small thing was yet another remnant of her previous girlfriend, it was a gift she couldn¡¯t bring herself to throw away. Just having it stirred a flood of emotions. Rage mixed with buried remorse to create an ocean of confusion in her heart.


    Maggie found herself tearing up without realizing it. She rubbed her eyes so that Kyle wouldn¡¯t see them. Her bra was still unlatched so she hooked the clasp behind her back and breathed a sigh of relief. The wind outside increased, growing harsher. It was enough to make her skin crawl and the welts on her neck itch. The bruises on her neckline would likely take time to heal, Kyle objected to it at first but she managed to goad him into lightly choking her. After the first few hours he gained some confidence and tightened his grip¡­just the way she liked it.


    Another bang of thunder caused her to jump in shock. It was hard but Maggie knew she had to control her anxiety. Each time a bolt of lightning struck it made her hands shake, and caused a distant memory to haunt the periphery of her vision.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m sure theres a pharmacy on board, maybe they¡¯ll have some medicine or sometime?¡± Kyle spoke sincerely. Unlike her, he had been quick to put on a pair of boxers once they were finished. They were loose and impractical around his waist.


    Maggie didn¡¯t look at him, she merely put on a t-shirt and tried to find a pair of sweat pants. She had a hard time getting a solid read on him. He was comforting, and that was enough to make her feel safe with him. But his lack of self awareness was concerning. She couldn¡¯t decide if he was a genuine imbecile, an utterly forgetful fool, or a selfish asshole. Then again¡­Maggie supposed she wasn¡¯t practicing self awareness either.


    Maggie pulled out the flask in her purse, she also had a small collection of vodka shooters. Some of them were empty. With a twist of the top notch, she opened the flask and took a long swig. Three days into their cruise, Maggie no longer felt the sting of the alcohol as it washed down her throat. In fact it was a welcoming chaser to the taste of Kyle¡¯s manhood. She coughed after realizing there was a stray hair in between her teeth.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough?¡± Kyle¡¯s voice rang true.


    To answer him, Maggie turned around to face him and downed yet another swig. Her flask was half empty now, she would have to refill it soon.


    Kyle just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. His bare chest attracted her attention yet again. Men were always troublesome for her, it was one of the reasons why she preferred women. But when it came to men, physical fitness was an absolute requirement. That and a soft demeanor. Men who were willing to take a punch, and could take one, were far more attractive to her than those who were all to eager to give one. This man oozed strength, his pecks and shoulders were slabs of steely muscle and his abdomen was chiseled like a greek god.


    But he was still troublesome¡­If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Just as Maggie began to take another swig, the door to the restroom flew off its hinges. Maggie spit out her drink and watched as a frail shadow was cast from the restroom and thrown across the cabin like a rag doll. Sophia slammed into the wall on the far side of the room and collapsed on the floor with a thud. Maggie and Kyle just stood in stunned silence as Sophia moaned in pain.


    ¡°What the f¡ªk!¡± Maggie dropped her flask.


    Sophia rolled onto her side slowly, she was too disoriented to get up.


    ¡°Sophiaaaaaaa¡­¡± The voice cut through the air like a knife. Maggie could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight. Rebecca¡¯s voice was the most terrifying thing she had ever heard.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Sophia moaned. She crawled under one of the beds as if somehow that would offer her some protection.


    ¡°Where did you go, little Sophiaaaa?¡± Rebecca¡¯s hand reached out to grab the door hinge as she slowly advanced into the main cabin. Maggie and Kyle both took a step back in fear.


    The bed was too small to fully conceal her, causing Sophia to panic. ¡°Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!¡±


    Rebecca took another step forward, her malice was palpable. She was completely naked, yet nothing about her posture was attractive. Her ivory breasts bounced with each step in a way that made Maggie feel a little envious, but her eyes were so fierce it was hard to avoid their gaze. The vampires blonde hair seemed to glow around her as she looked down at Sophia¡¯s legs poking from underneath the mattress. Rebecca advanced swiftly, her eyes never seemed to blinked. ¡°Oh there you are Sophiaaaa.¡±


    ¡°SHIT!¡± Sophia shrieked.


    Rebecca lunged like a wisp, her body seemed to glide in the air as she charged. The vampire landed on top of the bed Sophia was hiding under, and then squatted down like a predator about to pounce, ¡°Found you¡­..¡± Rebecca grinned, her teeth were bared and sharp.


    ¡°Um¡­.aren¡¯t you going a little overboard Reby?¡± Maggie asked, trying to distill the tension in the room. She doubted Rebecca would actually hurt the poor girl, but her sudden hostility was frightening. Maggie tried to take a step forward but found herself pausing in mid stride.


    ¡°Please save me!¡± Sophia whimpered.


    It was then that Maggie noticed that the human had kept to the restroom. Slowly Rose snuck a peek into the cabin. She glanced over to Maggie, ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Maggie gleamed at her accusingly, of course the human started this.


    ¡°It seems that someone just doesn¡¯t get it¡± Rebecca spoke directly to the girl hiding under her feet. ¡°Rosie is mine, you cant have her! You can¡¯t touch her, you can¡¯t look at her, you can¡¯t even think about her! Her delicious blood is off limits! Do you understand little Sophiaaaaa?¡±


    Kyle was too scared to move. Maggie looked over to him nervously then back to Rebecca, ¡°Reby you have a crazy look in you¡¯re eye.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me¡­¡± Sophia begged.


    Rebecca sneered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure you truly understand yet. What do I have to do to make you get it?¡±


    Sophia poked her head out, her eyes pleaded with the vampire stalking over her, ¡°Please let me go¡­¡±


    ¡°Repeat after me,¡± Rebecca suddenly leaned forward with her teeth fully exposed, ¡°Rosie belongs to the stunningly hot Rebecca, and I¡¯m a little slut who isn¡¯t fit to even step in her shadow. Also tell the beautiful, and drop dead gorgeous, Rosie your sorry.¡±


    ¡°All of that!¡± Sophia could tell Rebecca was serious and tried to comply, ¡°Rosie¡­Rosie belongs to you and I¡¯m a stupid¡ª.¡± Sophia began.


    Rebecca cut her off sharply, ¡°You can¡¯t call her that! Only I can call her Rosie!¡±


    ¡°But you said to repeat after you!¡± Sophia stammered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I said! Just repeat it!¡¯ Rebecca interrupted her objections while slamming a fist into the floor next to Sophia¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Sophia cried out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me cut you!¡± The vampire¡¯s voice made Maggie¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Maggie took a few steps forward, just enough to get within arms reach. She tried to lightly touch her friends shoulder but found herself hesitant.


    Sophia cried out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! The human belongs to you, THE HUMAN BELONGS TO YOU!¡±


    ¡°Not quite what I asked you to repeat, but I guess that¡¯ll do.¡± Rebecca smiled, ¡°Aaaaaand?¡± She leaned in closer to her prey, her eyes somehow seemed sharper than her teeth.


    Sophia whimpered, Maggie watched as she looked over to Rose and instantly shuddered as Rebecca drew inches away from striking her. ¡°Im sorry!¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Rebecca¡¯s tone suddenly changed. She stood up and pounced off the bed as if nothing had happened. Her wavy blonde hair sparkled in the sweaty air, her eyes were sapphire jewels in the darkness. Maggie gulped as Rebecca took up a position near the center of the cabin, in between Sophia and Rose. ¡°So I guess we should pack up and go to you¡¯re room right?¡± Rebecca asked Sophia. Her head leaned to the side as if she were going crazy.


    Maggie wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure, but she could¡¯ve sworn the girl hiding on the floor had pissed herself. A small puddle had grown at the base of Sophia¡¯s feet. Maggie supposed it could¡¯ve come from the open flask she dropped, but wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Rose spoke up for the first time. Rebecca instantly rushed to her side and wrapped her arms around her protectively. Maggie noticed the human was also naked, but she tried to cover herself as best she could. Rebecca had her arms around the woman¡¯s chest, her head rested on Rose¡¯s shoulder. The human continued, ¡°Why is my suit case lodged in the window?¡±

 24: So Thats Where My Bra Went

    It was time! Captain Hughes rushed down the hallways without trying to capture any attention. He had to ditch his Captain¡¯s uniform for a standard coat in hopes of not being recognized. Things were getting bad, and there was no time to lose. His second officer was busy distracting the bridge crew while he himself rushed to complete this task.


    The tropical storm was due to escalate into a category one hurricane, but for now the ship wasn¡¯t in danger of capsizing. His chief engineer had found a way to cajole the secondary generators back to some small modicum of power. It wasn¡¯t enough to bring the lights back on, but it would be enough to send out a distress call again; maybe even enough to restore some life back to the turbines. All they needed was a couple of knots, and they might be able to evade the worst of the storm.


    But that wasn¡¯t the immediate problem. The greatest concern was the lack of blood. No blood meant everyone was getting antsy. He himself couldn¡¯t ignore the tell-tale signs of malnutrition. Without blood they couldn¡¯t digest food, or control other inhibitions. His hands twitched, his eyes couldn¡¯t focus, and his stomach ached something fierce. Walking was beginning to suck the life out of him. Soon, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself.


    Captain Hughes went to the room that used to house the human woman. He knew it was wishful thinking that he would find her there, but he had to start somewhere. The room was empty, but he found himself fixated on something left behind. It would¡¯ve been impossible for him not to have noticed it. In fact it was a miracle his other sailors, the ones who had been tied up, hadn¡¯t seen it before. Perhaps it was possible that it had been lodged under the mattress, and the recent waves dislodged it. The scarlet red brazier peeked out from the corner of the bed post. Sweat strolled down his brow, and his stomach growled.


    ¡­


    ¡°Short skirts are amazing!¡± Rebecca chimed as she continually thrusted one skirt after another at the woman next to her.


    The only thing Rose could do was feign a smile. Her mind was a gutter of confusing thoughts. For one thing, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Rebecca. She wasn¡¯t willing to admit it yet, but a small part of her secretly craved the vampires attention. That and the feeling of her teeth against her neck.


    Rose did her absolute best to pretend to be grateful, even though it felt like she was being pampered like some kind of barbie doll. Her suitcase was ruined, it was soaked so thoroughly that all her clothes were a damp mess. Rose supposed she should¡¯ve been angry, hell she should¡¯ve been livid, but Rebecca¡¯s positive attitude and broad smile seemed to redirect her rage.


    The blonde vampire chose to wear a sleeveless top made of glossy fabric. Denim short pants exposed two luscious legs. Her skin was still much paler than average, but subtle amber layers were starting to warm her figure. Another thing Rebecca decided to wear, other than her necklace, was an additional choker around her neck. Somehow she made it look good, even though it seemed kind of gaudy to Rose.


    Rose watched as her vampire frantically scurried through the luggage bags. It was kinda impressive that Rebecca could fit so much in so few suitcases. All the scrambling through her bags caused a couple of things to stick out. An old computer tablet, fishnet stockings, some cheap beaded necklaces, a couple small egg shaped vibrators¡­


    Rebecca was fixated on the clothing, she didn¡¯t even bat an eye when one of the pink toys rolled out from underneath a hidden pocket. She was all to eager to offer Rose pieces of her own wardrobe, maybe even a little too eager. The depths of her bags seemed to have no end, she kept pulling out one set of clothes after another.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time,¡± Maggie groaned. The dark haired vampire wore a light rain jacket and sweat pants. The temperature had dipped a stunning ten degrees over the last hour, Rose still thought it humid though.


    Kyle was outside, guarding the entrance to the door, waiting for them to come out. Sophia was with him, Rose figured she didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near Rebecca.


    Rose looked at the skirt thrusted in her face. Rebecca couldn¡¯t hide her excitement, ¡°You should try this,¡± the dark blue fabric seemed to be of high quality, but it was a little too short for her own good. Rebecca seemed to sense Rose¡¯s hesitation and immediately found another skirt, ¡°or how about this!¡±


    The new skirt was dark black with a tinge of red, it wasn¡¯t enough to notice on first glance (even for a vampire), but Rose could see it upon closer inspection. It was a deep scarlet caught in midnights embrace. A string of fake pearls were attached along the waistband and settled along the sides. It was trendy, and looked expensive without it being so. Rose had an impression that it was something she could purchase at a ¡®Scorch Topic¡¯ for under thirty dollars. Like the other skirt it was shorter than she would¡¯ve liked.


    Rebecca just kept pressing the skirt toward her, ¡°Please this is so exciting, try it!¡±


    Rose sighed, ¡°Fine but don¡¯t make fun of me if it¡¯s too skinny.¡± After getting a good look at the vampires naked body, it was evident that Rebecca had a slightly leaner frame around the hips. As Rose put on the tight skirt, it squeezed around the waist. Her butt cheeks poked out from underneath the fabric.


    Rebecca could barely contain herself, ¡°Ooooh, thats so fucking hot! Here put this on too!¡± The shirt she threw at Rose was a low cut blouse, it was vivid blue and surprisingly soft.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even match,¡± Maggie criticized. She had all her bags ready to go next to the door and held them in place by leaning against them.


    Rebecca scoffed in annoyance, then grabbed something else, ¡°then how bout this?¡± She held out another blouse without skipping a beat.


    Rose accepted the silver shirt, on any other occasion she probably would¡¯ve loved spending time trying on clothes. Being trapped on a ship full of vampires¡­naked in a cabin¡­with water leaking into the room¡­well it definitely killed the mood.


    Rose¡¯s ample breasts were also swarming with goosebumps. As she tried on the blouse, sliding it over head, it was easy to feel that it was a little too big in the front. ¡°Um Becky, I think this is a little big?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Rebecca pondered for a moment. She crossed her arms underneath her own breasts, which helped to squeeze them in front of Rose. The room seemed to grow steadily more chill, and Rose had a hard time breaking eye contact from the pair of darts poking against Rebecca¡¯s shirt. All the while, the sound of the wind created an eerie backdrop for them.


    Suddenly Rebecca had an epiphany and reached over to search through the layers of clothes, her hands quickly found what they were seeking. ¡°then how about¡­this?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Rose watched as Rebecca pulled out two things that she didn¡¯t expect. An adorable short denim jacket, followed by a padded bustier. The jacket sported an odd logo on the surface of its breast pocket, Rose realized it was a cute smiley faced kitten. The padded bra on the other hand was firm and thick, its straps were made of a thin leather.


    ¡°That should fit, it was one of my training bras.¡± Rebecca struggled to remain still in her seat. Her excitement was the only thing warming the room.


    Of course it was, damn she is huge! Rose should¡¯ve figured thats what it would take, the vampires was too well endowed for her to borrow anything else.


    ¡°Why did you bring that!¡± Maggie stammered in confusion.


    Rebecca shrugged, ¡°Just in case you needed to borrow anything Maggie, but luckily your both similar sizes!¡±


    Rose felt how soft and durable the padded material was in her hand before pulling off the loose shirt and strapping on the bra. The leather straps felt comfortable against her skin, and the padded material cradled her supple twins delicately. ¡°isn¡¯t it a bit revealing?¡± She asked. On one hand it did fit he frame better, but it also sported a healthy amount of cleavage and her entire midriff.


    Rebecca just licked her lips while looking at her, ¡°Nooooooo.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? Who cares about your jugs?¡± Maggie¡¯s attitude was growing steadily worse by the hour. Rose raised an eyebrow while glancing over to her. It was at that moment that she realized Maggie¡¯s stomach was grumbling.


    I mean¡­they are nice aren¡¯t they? Rose thought to herself while putting on the denim jacket. ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve had any blood?¡± Rose asked Maggie curiously.


    Rather than answer, Maggie leaned against the wall and rubbed her temples. For a few seconds she didn¡¯t seem keen to respond, but when she did her voice cracked. ¡°You¡¯re talking is giving me a migraine¡­need more booze¡­¡±


    ¡°What you need is a nice hot bath, while I give Rosie a nice long massage¡­¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was unbearably suspicious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thirsty again?¡± Rose asked her vampire in annoyance.


    The vampire chuckled playfully before shaking her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just admiring the view.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rose blushed. Her heart skipped a beat.


    The sound of Maggie¡¯s foot tapping added a measure of somberness to the room. ¡°lets just get out of here, its starting to flood.¡± Maggie wasn¡¯t wrong, the rain was thick and pooling on the floor.


    ¡°You bet it is,¡± Rebecca added sarcastically. Rose knew she wasn¡¯t referring to the rainwater.


    ¡°Keep it together,¡± Rose planted her hands on her hips, she felt the urge to pay back her vampire with some light teasing of her own, ¡°Once we get to Sophia¡¯s room, you can pin me down and cuddle me then.¡±


    Rebecca dropped her bag and squealed in excitement.


    ¡­


    ¡°Why are you afraid of storms?¡± Rose felt it necessary to ask the question. The group had left their room and advanced cautiously down the HMS Sanguines halls. Each time thunder struck Maggie seemed to jerk.


    ¡°Pff I¡¯m not afraid, just hungry.¡± Maggie tried to brush off the question. She looked at Rose¡¯s luggage then back at her, ¡°I can¡¯t believe your dragging that with you.¡±


    The group had been making steady progress towards Sophia¡¯s empty room. The ship¡¯s twists and groans were growing more alarming by the minute. Technically curfew was still in place, but there were dozens of guests venturing out of there rooms. Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice the hunger in their sunken eyes. Rebecca kept herself close to her as they wandered the halls. If it were not for her, Rose doubted she would be safe walking these halls.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving behind my clothes,¡± Rose shot a curtesy glance at Maggie who walked behind them.


    ¡°But its ruined,¡± Maggie tried to interject.


    ¡°I¡¯m still bringing it!¡± Rose ended the argument. Strangely the change of clothes felt good to her. The humidity no longer sapped her energy, and the attention it drew from her blonde vampire was appealing. Every time Rose looked over her shoulder she would catch Rebecca giving her a sultry glare. At times Rebecca would cradle Rose¡¯s arm in her hands or try to interlock their fingers. This time Rose didn¡¯t interject when she felt the vampires hand take hold of hers.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Maggie sighed. There was something off about the way the dark haired vampire walked, her steps were getting heavier¡­more awkward. ¡°Were still going to the pharmacy first right?¡±


    ¡°But I thought,¡± This time it was Sophia¡¯s turn to speak up. Sophia¡¯s voice instantly drew Rebecca¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you have something to say Sophiaaaaa?¡± Rebecca¡¯s voice was a hateful knife cast through the dark. It was more than enough to make Sophia squeal in fear and then promptly keep quiet.


    Maggie wasn¡¯t about to let anyone else have a say, ¡°No! we are going to the pharmacy now!¡±


    Rebecca slowed her step just enough to walk alongside her friend, ¡°But were carrying all this stuff?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get pregnant!¡± Maggie¡¯s fear was palpable. Rose couldn¡¯t help but silently agree. Just the thought of carrying a vampires baby made her hands shake. She gulped and looked forward to Kyle, to his credit he was trying to remain the calm one among them.


    ¡°Its not like it¡¯ll be such a big deal,¡± Rebecca tried to sound comforting for Maggie.


    ¡°Are you kidding me Reby?¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was a whimper.


    ¡°What?¡± Rebecca nuzzled alongside Maggie playfully, ¡°It¡¯ll be so cute! If its a girl we¡¯ll name her Andronica, after my favorite character in Plague Of The Plant People! And if its a boy we¡¯ll name him¡­Greg.¡±


    ¡°Greg¡­.really just Greg?¡± Maggie frowned, her entire demeanor grew dismal and ashamed. Rose just watched as the dark haired vampire looked over to Rebecca in disapproval, ¡°What am I saying? I can¡¯t get pregnant!¡±


    ¡°Not that its my decision¡­but I¡¯m not ready to be a¡ª¡° Kyle was cut off before he could finish his sentence.


    ¡°Baby daddy?¡± Rebecca teased.


    "Dad yet¡­¡± Kyle finished.


    Rebecca sped up her pace to walk alongside Rose again before responding to Kyle, ¡°Then you should¡¯ve thought about that before raw dogging my Maggie, time to take responsibility!¡±


    It was likely that Rebecca was only trying to stir chaos, but her insinuation was enough to force Kyle to stop in his tracks and cry out, ¡°For the last time it wasn¡¯t intentional!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was,¡± Rose couldn¡¯t keep silent anymore.


    Kyle looked at her in shock, ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Rose scoffed, she found his pathetic excuse ridiculous. ¡°You can get away with saying that for the first time, but just how long were you too having fun?¡±


    Rebecca couldn¡¯t contain herself, she interjected in her own charming way. ¡°I think what Rosie is asking you Kyle, is just how many times did you stuff my best friend full with your genes?¡±


    ¡°Jesus christ its going to be like this all day with you isn¡¯t it,¡± Kyle groaned.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Maggie tried to cut them all off, ¡°Pharmacy now!¡±


    Rose looked around, it was obvious they were attracting all the attention in the hallway. Occasionally a door would open and a pair of eyes would peer out. Those few guests walking around couldn¡¯t help but look their way. Some of them were chuckling at their expense as if sensing the source of the argument. One awkward bachelor overhead Maggie¡¯s last outcry and blew a whistle, he also offered Kyle a high five as they passed.


    Rebecca smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t stress out babe, you know it won¡¯t be good for the baby.¡±


    ¡°Your incorrigible,¡± Maggie groaned in frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m just excited is all,¡± Rebecca grabbed hold of Rose¡¯s hand in delight. It made her blush but Rose found herself tightening her grip.


    Maggie halted in the middle of the hallway for a second, her hands were balled into fists. ¡°Go screw you¡¯re human girlfriend already!¡±


    Even Sophia seemed to have enough of the back and forth, ¡°Will all you guys just please¡ª¡°


    ¡°What was that Sophiaaaaa?¡± Rebecca snarled.


    ¡°¡­Nothing never mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh good. We best hurry then.¡± Rebecca pressed closer to Rose defensively. The group kept mostly silent after that¡­until Rose found herself having to stop in her tracks. Only a minute passed before all the vampires in her company had frozen, even Rebecca seemed to tense. Rose looked ahead and caught a glimpse of what captured their focus. A bright red bra waved stood out in the gloom. It was strapped to a pole as if it were a makeshift flag, its bearer was a scruffy looking man in a plain sailors coat. Rose thought she recognized the man from his beard but his eyes were lost in a fever dream.


    ¡°Human!¡± The bearer cried out while waving the red brazier at them.


    ¡°Oh wow, so thats where my bra went¡­¡± Rose didn¡¯t need to be told, she merely took a step back and looked over to Rebecca. Her vampire was already about to lunge forward at the crowd.

 25: Ok I Give Up, This Is Great!

    Looking back at that moment, Rose would have a hard time describing the events immediately proceeding what would widely be known among cruise line history as the¡®Red-Bra Horde Accident¡¯. Using the word ¡®accident¡¯ and ¡®horde¡¯ in the same sentence never really made sense to her, or anybody for that matter. How could a violent horde be an accident? Rose didn¡¯t know it but apparently it was almost called the ¡®Starving Vampire Crises¡¯. The media liked that title better. Rumor was that the cruise line used every favor among their political lobbyists to bribe the media from using it.


    Regardless, the ¡®Red-Bra Horde Accident¡¯ wasn¡¯t something Rose could describe in any real detail. The reason for this was because she kept her eyes closed during most of it.


    She would regret that of course, for if she had kept her eyes open she would¡¯ve seen how her vampire rushed forward like a bat out of hell. Rebecca was smaller than those at the front of the crowd, but unlike them¡­she was full. Unlike the starving masses, Rebecca was brimming with energy and her nascent vampiric gifts were on full display.


    The grace of a vampire, born and bred within the Seraphine clans, was something to behold, especially on the offensive. Fluid motions, sharp fangs, and deadly precision were only some of the skills Rebecca had at her disposal. Rose had seen her vampire fade to mist, meld with shadows, and even glide through midair, but had she opened her eyes in time she would¡¯ve seen Rebecca do so much more.


    Rose was fighting a battle of her own, one that was internal in nature. Her mind was fighting itself, dual desires and instincts wrestling to take control. Part of her wanted to run, to hide, to be a coward. She was within her right to be so, most people under threat from a mass of hungry vampires would be long gone by now. But there was another part of her, newly planted and nurtured, that resisted the notion. That small kernel was born not from fear but of something else. Courage is a difficult thing to forge and temper within the mind. It usually requires another factor to come into play, something that is stronger than fear. Or fear for ones self at least. Rose felt fear, she was terrified that Rebecca would get hurt.


    The noise added to the cacophony of chaos. Had Rose kept her eyes open to watch, it would have been difficult to focus on anything but her vampire. Her movements were a blur, a golden haze that flew in the wind. Rose couldn¡¯t watch what was about to happen. She didn¡¯t even want to imagine what could happen. She closed her eyes as she heard a grunting smash explode in front of them. The sounds of chaos escalated amid a torrent of screams, each bone crunching slap and ball busting squash made her stomach churn. Ten seconds slugged by before Rose had the courage to take a peek. She opened an eye and found Kyle in front of her facing the battle, his bulk acting as a wall to shield her. Maggie stood beside him but froze, her legs were shaking.


    When she opened her eyes Rose saw her vampire running back toward them, then quickly banking left to rush down an adjacent hallway. In her hands was the pole with the red bra, she was waving it back and forth like a flag. Behind Rebecca, the man who brought the bra banner was on the ground with a busted nose and his hands clutching his crotch. Four others were also flattened next to him, their teeth were scattered on the carpet. The lead man was sobbing uncontrollably as he rolled back and forth, the horde he had lead stumbled over them like they were figments of imagination.


    ¡°Goddamnit Reby,¡± Maggie stepped forward as if she were ready to help. Her shaking legs were only getting worse.


    Rebecca¡¯s voice was somehow loud enough to echo over the crowd, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me I¡¯ll catch up! Just get Rosie out of here!¡±


    Maggie and Rose watched as the crowd followed the sparkling red brazier. The combination of Kyle¡¯s body overshadowing her, and the red bra¡¯s distraction seemed to be enough for them to no longer notice her. Even Sophia struggled not to follow the sudden dash of red as it flew down the hallway. The horde tried their best to catch up but the blonde blur was so much faster.


    ¡°Is my Becky going to be alright?¡± The words just slipped out without Rose thinking about it.


    Rose didn¡¯t get an answer, suddenly she felt a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders. A new shadow came from no where, Sophia¡¯s teeth were exposed. ¡°Hold still, just need a sip¡­one juicy sip!¡±


    Rose recoiled by thrusting her elbow into the vampires stomach. Sophia cried out before she could bite down. The vampire collapsing on her knees with a thud.


    ¡°Bitch back off!¡± Rose spat in outrage.


    Kyle turned around in alarm, his eyes were slightly dilated and shaking. Rose could tell he struggled to compose himself. He noticed what happened and, despite his lack of blood sugar, was able to make a quick decision, ¡°Lets get the hell out of here.¡±


    ¡°What about Reby?¡± Maggie asked in confusion. Clearly she was also struggling with a very similar internal battle that Rose had endured.


    Unlike all of them, Kyle seemed to know exactly what to do. He was suffering the same weakness as the other vampires, therefore he knew he couldn¡¯t rush the crowd. He wouldn¡¯t dare leave a defenseless woman behind however. ¡°She¡¯ll find us, that crazy chick will follow us. But we can¡¯t stay here, we stick out like a sore thumb.¡±


    Rose took in a deep breath. He was right and she knew it. ¡°Where do we got?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere but here,¡± Maggie sighed. She patted Rose on the shoulder and the trio ran back the way they came. They left Sophia behind, she was slowly getting up in desperation.


    ¡­


    An hour passed before the trio found some sanctuary. The halls were hard to walk in, the tides were wrestling the ship franticly now. Rose found herself bumping into the walls with every few steps. Doors would fall of their hinges, revealing frightened occupants huddling in the corners of their rooms. The steel bulkheads of the HMS Sanguine were crying out in distress. The temperature was still stifling, sweat and fear laid thick in the air.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The sanctuary they found was farther on the stern of the ship, near the food court and shopping galleries. It was one of three movie theaters on the ship, a smaller more confined cinema with a singleset of thick oak doors with brass beams. It was easy to barricade the doorway from the inside, and luckily there were no squatters present when they arrived.


    ¡°Really?¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was getting more scratchy and irritated as the time passed. She was hungry and drinking on an empty stomach was only making things worse. ¡°Why the cinema of all places?¡±


    ¡°Its fine,¡± Kyle took a seat next to Rose on one of the leather seats. Somehow the ground seemed more stable in the theater.


    Maggie collapsed nearby, but she kept herself just out of arms reach. For some reason, Rose felt a little safer that way. She could tell the poor thing was struggling to keep herself together.


    ¡°Shit what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kyle asked Maggie with genuine concern.


    Maggie¡¯s entire body continued to shake, she tried to get up but fell again. ¡°I¡¯m really dizzy.¡±


    Kyle looked over to Rose, he shot her a ¡®please sit tight¡¯ look before getting up. Rose leaned back in the bench to watch as he walked over to Maggie and proceeded to rub her back, ¡°We both haven¡¯t had any blood for a while. Our bodies can¡¯t digest food like you Rose. Can you forgive us for being a little aggravated.¡±


    Rose returned a nod, ¡°I just hope Becky gets back soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine, shit¡­¡± Maggie groaned as Kyle massaged her. Her breathing was haggard, her eyes dipped. ¡°Any chance you have any alcohol left?¡±


    Her question was directed to Rose but it was Kyle that answered, ¡°No. Even if we did I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll help.¡±


    He was probably right, but even if she were allowed to answer, Rose had nothing with her. Suddenly a series of pounds impacted the doorway. Mighty thuds clashed against the bronze podium that was wedged against the doorhandles.


    ¡°Damnit they found us already!¡± Rose got up on her feet. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere else to hide.


    ¡°Rose,¡± Maggie whined, ¡°I can¡¯t get up, you best start running.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You want me to abandon you?¡± Rose looked over to Kyle who seemed to struggle on his feet. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run anyway.¡±


    ¡°I can buy you some time, you can escape through the ventilation ducts. Its best you stay away from us anyway.¡± Kyle approached the doorway while flexing his shoulders.


    ¡°Are you kidding? This isn¡¯t a movie, I¡¯m not going to fit through the rafters. Even if I did, there¡¯s no way they can hold my weight!¡±


    The pounding steadily grew weaker as if the fists beating against the door were getting tired. The collective moans coming from the other side were a sign that there was still a bounty of people trying to get in. Rose bit her lip while thinking. Becky was some how able to bust up several people twice her size without a problem, and even outrun them. If the vampires were really desperate, would two healthy vampires be able to fight them off?


    Maggie looked over to Rose as if reading her mind, ¡°Its not a bad idea, but¡­I think Reby will kill me if we go down that road.¡±


    Kyle raised an eyebrow, ¡°It might be the best option though. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll kill us if we don¡¯t protect her anyway.¡±


    The thuds suddenly grew harsher, a voice could be heard above the groans. ¡°We know your in there! Are you really going to let us starve to death? Come on out Rose, theres no where you can go.¡± Sophia was leading the crowd.


    ¡°That bitch¡­¡± Rose¡¯s voice was sharp. She balled her hand into fists and yelled, ¡°You want me so badly, come and get me!¡± She then looked over to Kyle and Maggie, both of whom seemed tense. They looked up at her in fright. Rose took a step forward and took off her jacket in front of them. The small bruises on her neck were visible. ¡°Just hurry, and don¡¯t take too much. Just enough to get off your ass and beat them back¡­please.¡± Rose wasn¡¯t afraid, she was pissed off.


    Kyle gasped, both he and Maggie looked at her with their mouths open. They both asked the same question at once, ¡°You sure?¡±


    Rose narrowed her eyes to Kyle, ¡°Oh come on big guy, don¡¯t leave a gal hanging.¡± Then to Maggie, ¡°We both know its the only way so hurry up.¡±


    Kyle stifled a laugh. He got up slowly and walked over. His stride was measured as to not cause her to change her mind. Rose held her ground as he moved behind her and bared his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve never don¡¯t this before, so don¡¯t blame me if I get a little¡­rough.¡±


    Rose just rolled her eyes at the comment. His bite wasn¡¯t as delicate as Rebecca¡¯s. His teeth sank deeper, and the venom was like a harsh cocktail compared to her vampires sweeter sting. It was almost overwhelming, Rose found herself gasping for breathe as a surge of passion flooded her veins. The bite was short which she found merciful. Another second and she would¡¯ve drowned in his venom¡¯s overpowering embrace. She was starting to understand how vampiric venom could become addictive. Kyle released her and took a deep gasp. His head looked up to the ceiling as Rose¡¯s blood dripped down his lips toward his chin.


    ¡°Hot damn¡­thats fucking delicious!¡± He declared to the ceiling while flexing his arms. His veins were alive and forming a tapestry across his skin.


    Maggie couldn¡¯t stand but watched with twitching eyes. Her teeth were also bared, although her lips were quivering.Rose was thankful Kyle only took a short sip of her blood, although his essence was making her nerves tingle. She carefully approached the other vampire and sat down so that she could lean over to take a sip as well.


    ¡°F-ck, sorry Reby please don¡¯t kill me.¡± Maggie leaned forward and pinched her skin. Maggie¡¯s fangs were somehow longer than Rebecca''s, but not nearly as thick as Kyle¡¯s. Her lips were tender, her tongue massaged the skin the same way Rebecca¡¯s had. Rose got the feeling Maggie had done this before. Her venom was a rich wine in comparison to Kyle¡¯s. It was warm and spicy, Rose could feel it sink into her heart. The mixture of both Maggie¡¯s and Kyle¡¯s venom combined to create an intricate cocktail of pleasure. Rose couldn¡¯t help but gasp in delight as her eyes rolled in the back of her skull. Her toes and fingers clenched, her stomach rolled, and her loins burned!


    Rose almost fell over from the sudden wave of ecstasy. An implosion wracked the base of her stomach. She felt as if her entire body was on fire. When Rebecca had bitten her it made her feel like she was floating on an ocean of pleasure, with both of these others it was like she was lost in a hurricane. When the final orgasm came Rose couldn¡¯t keep it contained. Her sexual fervor gushed from between her legs, and every inch of her skin was itching for more. Rose was drunk on vampiric venom, and she was loving it.


    ¡°WOW!¡± Maggie had a hard time unlatching her teeth from Rose¡¯s skin. She did so only reluctantly. Blood dripped from her teeth as she jumped up on her feet, ¡°F-CK!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­never¡­tasted¡­something¡­.so¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s vitality seemed to be fully restored, ¡°There are no words to describe it.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Rebecca you bitch, I can¡¯t believe you had this all to yourself!¡± Maggie stretched her arms wide, ¡°This is insane!¡±


    ¡°I want more¡­¡± Rose was drooling. Every nerve in her body was in shock. Her inner walls could bust a lemon! Her heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding in her breast. Clothing was too hot for her skin, Rose quickly tried to pull off the bra and skirt her vampire had given her. ¡°I need more right now!¡±


    Before either of them could answer her demands, the doors burst open.


    ¡°Hold tight Rose, we got this.¡± Maggie popped her knuckles, ¡°And try to grab a hold of yourself, Kyle doesn¡¯t like to wear rubbers after all.¡±


    Kyle just whined, ¡°Lets just hurry this up before the blonde devil gets here.¡±

 26: Time To Row The Boat

    ¡°Come on you bastard,¡± The Chief Engineer had given the engine several new dents from the head of her socket wrench. She had to shut down the entire reactor, rebuild its inner mechanism, and slowly bring it back to life. The saboteur wasn¡¯t that good, but whoever it was had caused a mess. Several belts and sockets were crushed or sliced apart. She had to cannibalize most of the secondary generators to get the parts to fix the primary. This made things even more desperate, but she knew they needed power from the main generator now.


    Her name was Cathrine Kay, she was forty three years old and a mother of two. She had taken the assignment on the HMS Sanguine after her second son had finally moved out to go to college. She had a long history of serving on cruise ships until the news about vampires got out. Even though she hadn¡¯t worked on a vessel in years, her skill was without compare. She adapted quickly to the inner workings of the Sanguines old engines, and appreciated their rustic charm. In a way she shared something in common with the aged machine. They were both tested by the limits of age and stress. There was a time she would¡¯ve been considered beautiful, but life hadn¡¯t been kind. She appeared matronly to all the other mechanics she worked with. Her auburn hair was turning grey, and her eyes were jaded.


    After days of fixing, testing, and retesting, the core engine was finally starting to come back. It was a Frankenstein of a machine now, but nothings perfect. She hated resorting to duct tape and gum to hold together some of the copper wiring, it spat in the face of her self-esteem as a ship engineer. But like her father said ¡®get the damn thing working and stop complaining!¡¯.


    Tricky old bastard always had one liners for times like this, Catherine thought to herself. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got it! Draw all the power from the reserve batteries, she needs a startup charge.¡±


    One of the mechanics helping her didn¡¯t approve, ¡°But if we do that we¡¯ll have nothing left! If this fails were screwed.¡±


    ¡°You damn imbecile, were already screwed! Were a tin can about to go down a waterfall! It¡¯s literally now or never!¡± Catherine shot him a glare.


    ¡°I feel like I still have to object!¡±


    Catherine grabbed him by the collar, she knew he was too hungry to think rationally. ¡°Thats your stomach talking, stop whining like a bitch and do what I say!¡±


    Her mechanic quickly gave in, ¡°Shit! Aye sir.¡±


    Catherine let him go, then returned to the engine. She connected a series of coils between it and the other lesser generators so that it could draw in an initial charge. She knew that if this didn¡¯t work they would be out of power completely. Unless rescue came they were done for.


    They waited several minute in hopes to not defuse the charge. Eventually the lights began to fade. ¡°On my count,¡± Catherine had her fingers on the ignition sequence and hoped the other mechanic was ready to start the turbines.


    ¡°Shit I already flipped the switch.¡±


    ¡°Your an ass,¡± Catherine scoffed, then immediately turned her assigned knob. She prayed for a miracle while hearing the engine protest.


    ¡­


    The cyclone fell from the heavens. It was but one of many, but this one floated from the dark clouds like an umbilical chord reaching for the sea. The water spout was never seen by any spotters or onlookers, but it was there. Its dance with the wind would have been considered elegant if observed from a safe distance. Unlike its land cousins, this tornado had nothing solid to build on and there was no debre it could use to seriously damage the human vessel.


    The HMS Sanguine was too big to be capsized, but as the waves grew larger its chances of survival dimmed. The vortex brushed alongside the vessel, then glided threw it. As the wind wrapped around the Sanguine, water slammed against the stern like a water fall. Each droplet was like a dagger against the wooden beams and hardened steel. While the damage was minuscule at best, the wind was strong enough to force the grand ship to list hard on its axis. Flags ripped from their poles and furniture that wasn¡¯t bound to the deck was lost forever.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The vortex wasn¡¯t disturbed by the sudden obstacle. The force of nature continued dancing on the growing waves and left the HMS Sanguine behind. Those inside all found themselves thrown to the ground.


    ¡­


    For a brief moment the lights flickered, then the world fell underneath them. The entire horde of starving vampires were thrown sidewise. Everything around Rose screamed. It wasn¡¯t just the people. Furniture clashing, glass shattering, and metal bending added to the chaos.


    Rose clutched onto the chair with all her might. Strangely only Kyle and Maggie kept their position. Maggie had to kneel, but Kyle stood as if somehow immune to gravity!


    Everything slammed into darkness for a brief but powerful moment. When the floor reset the darkness lingered. Rose held her breathe¡­


    ¡°I am seriously getting tired of all this!¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was somehow more terrifying than the anything else. ¡°Can anything else go wrong?¡±


    The tiniest source of light flickered into life, it was the only light bulb unbroken in the the corner of the theater. That one single light source had never seemed brighter. Rose fixated on it through her red haze, she was still riding the vampiric fever. Then a new noise broke, a loud crescendo of explosions and war cry¡¯s. It was so loud and surprising that it nearly burst her eardrums. It took a moment for Rose to realize that it belonged to the movie screen behind her. The theater was alive! The movie projector was trying to play some kind of war movie, the digital screen then burst into life to show a scene involving tanks charging into a crowd of soldiers under a rain of artillery.


    Just as soon as the movie erupted, the crowds of hungry vampires were back on their feet. Several began trying to storm the main entrance. The noise, the constant movement, and bizarre dance of light was hard for Rose to navigate through the red haze and intoxicants in her system.


    Riding the wave of blanket desire, Rose struggled to hold herself together. The dark red haze grew thicker, human figures were barely a blur to her retinas. Sounds of grunts and painful cries floated like a haunting orchestra amid the cries from the movie. Yet she was still able to make out Kyle and Maggie, they were the only solid objects she could pinpoint. She watched in awe as Kyle fought back the mass of assailants. Maggie twisted and turned as she downed one person after another.


    The duo were surprisingly fluid with their motions, Maggie¡¯s speed complimented Kyle¡¯s robust strength as they fended off the starving horde. The seconds drew by awkwardly, but a lull in the crowds advance caused a break to form between them. The sound reel for the movie burst then died, but the movie scene continued to play on mute behind Rose. Kyle and Maggie took the moment to catch their breathe. The vampires on the other side of the door were pitiful and desperate, Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. They weren¡¯t monsters, only frightened people in a ship lost in a storm.


    Lightning struck as Sophia pushed through the crowd. Behind her was another tall angular man with lanky features. Rose narrowed her eyes through the murky haze. She got the distinct impression the lanky one was who had chased them before.


    Another scruffy looking man wearing a torn coat advanced hesitantly alongside them. His thick beard instantly gave him away, Rose could recognize the captain. Soon more and more stumbled into the crowd next to them. Crewmen, security officers, and simple tourists were all gathering like a zombified mob seeking brains. Or at least thats what Rose thought.


    ¡°How much blood do they need to survive?¡± Rose asked the duo guarding the entrance.


    Maggie glanced back at her, ¡°I mean¡­reasonably a couple drops might help but no one here seems reasonable Rose.¡±


    Sophia took another step forward, her gait was wobbly. Rose¡¯s ears popped as the air pressure built inside the HMS Sanguine, causing the thick glass windows to crack. The constant waves were making it even harder to stand. But Sophia kept her ground, her eyes were puffy and red. Her lips were quivering, two needle like fangs poked out. Some of the others behind her were crawling on their knees, no longer having the energy to stand. Panic was the scene before them, pure undiluted panic.


    ¡°Hungry¡­so goddamn hungry¡­¡± Sophia tried to speak up, ¡°You can¡¯t hide human!¡±Kyle sympathized but he wasn¡¯t about to lower his guard. Maggie prepared for the worst. Rose felt a pang of guilt, but it was buried underneath a layer of pleasure.


    ¡°Row row row your boat gently down the stream,¡± Everyone froze as a new melody danced through the air. Rose breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the voice instantly. Somehow she could sense that her vampire was close by. Rose didn¡¯t know how but once Becca was near she felt a brand new sensation. It was like having a warm balm applied to her breasts causing her heart to flutter.


    Sophia looked to her left and faced the source of the voice. ¡°Merely merely merely merely, life is but a dream¡­¡± A mist seemed to coalesce at the far side of the hall, just out of sight for Rose. The crowd dissolved as quickly as the mist formed as dozens of vampires fled from the intruder. Rose noticed the captains face had grown very pale.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­how is this possible?¡± Sophia was sweating bullets.


    ¡°Seraphine¡­¡± The lanky man behind her whispered.


    Rebecca¡¯s feet touched the floor. Her gown was enthroned by a thick curtain of shadow to look like giant wings growing out of her back. She looked at the crowd and smiled, ¡°Well hello there¡­Sophiaaaaaaa¡­¡±

 27: My Vampire To The Rescue

    The entire world was witnessed through a red glaze, yet somehow all of Rose¡¯s attention was focused on her vampire. Rose was on her knees, her hands were planted on the carpeted floor. Her legs wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. All her senses were murky, and her skin felt hypersensitive. She could smell lingering sweat and the mildew on the carpeting. Her auburn hair fell down her shoulders, weighing on her skin. She never felt so aroused in her life! Her loins were on fire, and juices dripped down her thighs.


    Her vampire, the beautiful blonde devil, launched herself at Sophia. The lights of the hallway captured the scene, yet somehow the shadows around Rebecca never faded. Like a robe, the darkness caressed her body while spreading pitch black wings along her back.


    To her credit, Sophia stood her ground. Together she, the scruffy captain, and the other lanky vampire answered the charge. The captain was brushed aside with a single stroke as Rebecca¡¯s shadow somehow reached forward and swatted him. The second man dodged her first attack, then tried to lunge underneath her. Just as he threw an uppercut, Rebecca stopped herself midair and glided back. He seemed stunned at how quickly she maneuvered, it was as if she could guess his moves perfectly. Rebecca then held a finger to his face and with a smile flicked him on the forehead. The lanky saboteur was flown back like a rocket! He crashed into the crowd behind him like a bowling ball.


    And then there was only Sophia. The girl knew there was nothing she could do, and thus fell on her knees. It might have been Rose¡¯s imagination, but it looked like she had soiled herself.


    Rebecca¡¯s feet touched the floor, the shadows thinned to form a smaller robe. Her golden hair was glowing as she approached. ¡°I warned you¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Rose called out. In truth she wasn¡¯t sure what her vampire would do to Sophia. But she really didn¡¯t like the look in her eye.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Rebecca looked over and shot her a brimming smile, ¡°Hey Rosie! Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    ¡°Wait Becca,¡± Rose got on her feet, ¡°There¡¯s no need, I don¡¯t want to see everyone starve. I think I know a way to help everyone on the ship, or at least some of them.¡±


    Rebecca looked over to her quizzically, ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± She then narrowed her eyes at Kyle and Maggie, both of which were nervous. ¡°Oh I see¡­but no.¡±


    All three of them looked at her in surprise, ¡°What do you mean no?¡±


    Rebecca slapped Sophia on the cheek, causing her to collapse, and then skipped into the theater. She brushed by Kyle, giving him the cold shoulder, and only returned a curtesy glance to Maggie. Once she was within arms reach she lunged at Rose, giving her a heavy hug. ¡°They can¡¯t have you¡­I won¡¯t let anyone else touch you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If they knew how you¡¯re blood tasted¡­I don¡¯t think I could protect you. After all, they¡¯ve never tried a human descendant from the Lucian dynasty before.¡± Rebecca spoke quietly in her ear with a concerned voice.


    Rose looked at her in confusion, ¡°what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Sssh, I¡¯ll fill you in in a moment,¡± She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her own words, ¡°Just don¡¯t worry, everything is going to be all right.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all starving¡­¡± Sophia whimpered.


    ¡°Oh grow a pair,¡± Rebecca turned around and shot her a frightful glare, ¡°you¡¯re being pathetic, you can survive longer than a couple days without blood. Have none of you ever fasted before? Guys seriously, find a little discipline and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°So hungry,¡± Sophia just kept whimpering. She tried to get up on her feet.


    Rebecca exposed her teeth, ¡°Take one more step, I dare you¡­¡±


    Sophia squealed in fright then quickly got back down on her knees. Rose bit her lip, something about Rebecca¡¯s dominance aroused her even more.


    Rebecca sighed and then addressed the crowd, ¡°I think it would be best if you all leave¡­I won¡¯t ask twice.¡±


    Slowly the crowd dispersed. Even the captain teared up while scooting away. The lanky man looked at Rose for one last brief second before lowering his face in submission. He crawled away pathetically.


    It was only when the crowd left that Maggie sensed it was her turn to face Rebecca. ¡°Hey Reby, look we were trying to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Good for you, now leave.¡± Rebecca kept a straight face, ¡°I need some alone time with Rosie.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­no problem¡­¡± Maggie scratched the back of her head, she was trying hard to act normal, ¡°We¡¯ll be right outside if you need anything.¡± With a fake smile she grabbed Kyle by the arm and quickly rushed out of the room. They shut the door behind them without a second thought.


    Once they were alone a sense of peace settled in the theater. A few other emergency lights began to glow, creating the eerie blue light from before. The movie behind them was still playing, but the sound remained dead. Rose struggled to control her breathing, the venom in her bloodstream was still burning in her veins. Sweat ran down her soft cleavage, and along the base of her spine. She wanted more than anything for her vampire to kiss her neck again. Rose struggled to control her urges while she spoke, ¡°So what do you mean, the Lucian whatever.¡±


    Rebecca brushed her blonde hair back, the shadows evaporated as if they never existed. She looked like a beautiful blonde angel, not a terrifying creature of the night. ¡°After the first sip I knew there was something odd, other than you being delicious and positively nutritious,¡± She teased. Rebecca held her hands behind her back and took several steps forward. The vampire¡¯s gorgeous face was mere inches from her own, ¡°The second time however, on the deck, when I was able to mist so seamlessly I knew it for certain. You¡¯re a descendant of one of the oldest and most famous vampire dynasties in history.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Rose had no idea what what Rebecca was talking about. Both her parents were from Florida, her grandparents on both sides were American. Rose was dumbfounded, ¡°say what?¡±


    ¡°Most human descendants are so diluted that it hardly matters, yet you somehow still harbor a dominant strain in your blood. I¡¯ve tasted it only once before!¡± Rebecca could barely keep herself still.


    ¡°Really?¡± Rose didn¡¯t even know who the Lucian¡¯s were or why that mattered. She found Rebecca¡¯s explanation hard to believe.


    Rebecca continued, ¡°The Seraphine clans still keep small samples of his families blood, and whenever a descendent is found their donations are practically priceless.¡± Rebecca embraced Rose again, her chin nuzzled along her shoulder, ¡°We¡¯re all allowed a single sip of it to spur our vampiric gifts, just so we can learn what we¡¯re capable of. Most human blood only feeds us, some blood types contain lineages that can help stir our abilities, but the Lucian dynasty is like¡­cocaine.¡± She laughed at her own joke.


    Rose sighed, she thought the joke was kind of corny. ¡°So you like me only because of my blood?¡±


    ¡°No of course not!¡± Rebecca hugged her tighter, ¡°You¡¯re smart and beautiful, not to mention kind and thoughtful.¡± She paused a moment to look up at Rose and smile, ¡°You¡¯re also so fun to tease, ok maybe a little too fun to tease.¡±


    ¡°Ok I get it,¡± Rose rolled her eyes.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t! Because what I¡¯m trying to say¡­¡± Rebecca leaned in so that her cheek brushed up against Rose¡¯s collarbone, one of the vampire¡¯s hands rested along the side of Rose¡¯s breast. ¡°Is that I really, really like you! From the first moment I saw you! And I really want us to go on that date.¡±


    Rose laughed while hugging her back, ¡°You know what Becky? I really like you too, once this is over lets do something. Not on a cruise ship though, in fact lets do something far away from the ocean.¡± A sad thought occurred to her, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to do something before you and Maggie go back home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m moving in with you!¡± Rebecca grabbed hold of Rose¡¯s shoulders and looked her in the eye with eager desperation.


    ¡°Hold on, aren¡¯t we going a little too fast?¡± Rose blushed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be amazing!¡± Rebecca couldn¡¯t stop talking about all the things they would do together, she was hopping on her feet and consumed with happiness. Rose couldn¡¯t help but feel a little awkward, but only a little. Truthfully she couldn¡¯t wait to bring her home. The lights continued to slowly grow around them, the war movie behind them began to stroll the credits.


    ¡­


    The following day seemed surreal. The power was fully restored, yet not many were enjoying it. The captain had isolated himself on the bridge, almost everyone else kept to their own rooms. No one dared go near the cabin with the only human on board. Together all four of them had been allowed to occupy the largest suite of the ship. Kyle took the leather sofa so that all three of the women could share a master bed in comfort. The room featured a balcony, and for the first time in days there was sunlight pouring through the clouds.


    Rebecca leaned on the railing of the balcony, her hair blew in the wind. She wore a cream nightgown, her supple olive skin seemed to reflect the sunlight. Underneath the gown she wore nothing, allowing her soft tear drop shaped mounds to hang freely against the dainty fabric. The vampire hummed to herself silently until Maggie came to join her. Rose was fast asleep under the mattresses incredibly comfortable sheets. Rebecca could see her through the glass windows and enjoyed watching her dream.


    Maggie pulled her dark hair back as she approached. She was hungry, but after drinking Rose¡¯s blood yesterday the suffering was tolerable. Rebecca did her best to loosen up as her best friend rested on the guard rail next to her. Maggie wore a loose tank top that she slept in, along with her underwear. Her breasts rested on the railing as she leaned forward.


    ¡°So¡­you both tasted her,¡± Rebecca broke the silence. It was conversation long coming, she had waited until now to finally address the issue.


    Maggie tensed for a moment, she looked over to her before answering, ¡°You weren¡¯t there Reby, and she was in trouble.¡±


    ¡°And all humans are trouble huh?¡± Rebecca mentioned. Her tone was hard to read, Maggie couldn¡¯t tell if she was trying to tease or simply disappointed.


    Maggie knew why her best friend was so concerned. Even now the aftertaste of Rose¡¯s rich blood lingered in her mouth. It was hard to resist the urge to try another sip, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, had I known.¡±


    ¡°Can you resist it?¡± Rebecca cut her short.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Maggie leaned forward against the railing. The sea looked rather beautiful from this high up. The current had softened since they broke from the storm. Suddenly a seagull cawed and flew overhead. Seeing the bird made Maggie gasp for joy, it meant they were finally getting close to land.


    ¡°Mags, can you resist the calling of her blood?¡± Rebecca asked her again, this time there was a layer of intensity in her voice.


    Maggie swallowed, the only time she ever called her Mags was when she was completely serious. Maggie nodded, ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°And him?¡± Rebecca looked over to Kyle. He was resting on the couch with a controller in his hand. He was busy cycling through the channels on low volume. He was shirtless, just the way Maggie preferred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Maggie answered. ¡°He¡¯s not the type of guy that¡¯ll take advantage of anyone.¡±


    Rebecca wasn¡¯t sure if that was true, but would trust her best friend for now. The blonde vampire looked over to Rose. Her human was sleeping peacefully. ¡°Thank you for¡­¡±


    ¡°She really means a lot to you doesn¡¯t she?¡± Maggie turned around to lean her back against the rail.


    Rebecca blushed, she couldn¡¯t stop looking at her human. Rose began snoring ever so slightly. Rebecca chuckled at that, ¡°Even her snoring is adorable.¡± She then looked over to Maggie, ¡°And what about him? Does he mean anything to you?¡±


    Maggie scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s a fun ride, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°If you say soooo¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stop giving me that look,¡± Maggie bit her lip.


    Rebecca shot her a wink and found herself unable to stop laughing at Maggie¡¯s expense.


    ...


    Two more days passed before the HMS Sanguine was rescued. A pair of military vessels had finally answered the call. After skimming the hurricanes edges, the HMS Sanguine¡¯s engines had been restored. It was ridiculously close, but the hungry seamen were able to steer the ship through the growing waves and break free from the storm.


    Once freed, the Sanguine set course for the Keys and quickly made contact with elements of the Coast Guard. Together the Coast Guards cruisers surrounded the ship and boarded. They had to airlift an emergency supply of blood and plasma from the mainland to feed the crew and passengers. The lack of blood for over week caused just about all of them to become bedridden.


    When the first rescue teams rushed aboard they were surprised to find a single human, and three vampires, awake and completely lucid. Rose had been lounging in her solid red bikini and basking in the sun. She was sharing her lounge chair with her blonde vampire, both of them seemed remarkably flustered compared to the other two sitting nearby. Kyle and Maggie were busy swapping jokes and sharing full bottles of alcohol, they leaned forward in their seats to watch the newcomers come aboard. When the paramedics approached, Rose raised her sunglasses and simply asked, ¡°what took you so long?¡±

 28: Happily Ever After

    One year later


    Rose sat on her second story balcony with a book in one hand, and a cup of hot coffee in the other. She was so excited! The newest volume of ¡®Plague Of The Plant People¡¯ had finally arrived. She remembered ordering it on the night it was available for limited release. She had to stay up late that night on her keyboard, watching the seconds tick by. The moment midnight came, the limited edition signed copy was for sale and she rushed to buy it. There would only be two thousand such copies, and they were doomed to be sold in minutes. Rose was sweating bullets when she filled out the payment form, and prayed the payment would go through in time. She squealed with glee when she got the confirmation notice that her order went through. Every day since that night Rose had been waiting for the package to arrive, it came in that morning and she rushed to read it without a second thought.


    Outside it was warm and sunny, her balcony provided a splendid view of the neighborhood pond. Several alligators were poking their heads from the surface lazily. Next to her sat a lonely coffee table, a glass and cast iron piece of furniture that needed to be cleaned.


    The book wasn¡¯t the only thing Rose received in the mail. It was the one year anniversary of the infamous ¡®Vampire Cruise Disaster¡¯ and there were several letters from editors asking for permission to write her story. Rose wasn¡¯t interested in answering them, she got enough attention from the damn news media. Already that morning she had four voicemails asking for interviews, the reporters had often addressed her as the ¡®Human Survivor¡¯. A single human girl surviving on a vampire cruise adrift at sea made the headlines for several days following their rescue. Now a year later they were trying to resurrect the headline again.


    Rose hated those headlines. She believed that being called the ¡®Human Survivor¡¯ was ridiculous. It fed the narrative that vampires were dangerous, and that was something Rose couldn¡¯t allow. She rejected the propaganda whenever possible.


    The media weren¡¯t the only ones giving her unwanted attention, there was another sending her messages. One such letter she received was from the former captain himself, offering yet another apology for his actions and hoping she was doing well. Rose had replied to him the first few times, but after a while it got tedious. The man seemed to have a hard time forgiving himself.


    Rose sipped the coffee mug and basked in its flavor. Not too strong, yet not too subtle. The smell alone helped to keep her awake. The humidity was making Rose sweat underneath her silk robe while she read. It was enough for her to loosen up the sash and part it open down the middle so that a tasteful amount of cleavage could be exposed to the breeze. She loved wearing that pink robe outside, especially when Rebecca was walking toward the apartment building from work. Rose was already a third of the way through the tantalizing tale in her novel when her heart fluttered.


    ¡°Hey sweetheart!¡± Rose spoke out while turning around in her seat, she was able to sense Rebecca when she was nearby. Whether it was due to her own intuition or something more instinctual was up for debate. Her vampire shut the door behind her as she entered their apartment. She was wearing a new ochre coat over a silky dark blouse. Her skirt matched the jacket, and filled out her curves perfectly. Rebecca¡¯s silver cross sparkled in the light as she walked toward the balcony. She had let her hair grow out a bit, it was now full and illustrious in the afternoon sun.


    ¡°You¡¯re all I could think about all day, I got you something!¡± Rebecca rushed over, discarding her purse on the old leather couch as she ran, and threw her arms around Rose¡¯s shoulders. In her right hand she held a shiny red package, it pressed against Rose¡¯s bosom gently. ¡°I love you so much! Happy anniversary!¡±


    ¡°Ah, your so sweet!¡± Rose couldn¡¯t help but giggle joyfully while her girlfriend embraced her. She could feel her lovers lips brush along the nape of her neck, it made Rose horny as hell. She shut the leather-bound book and sat it on the coffee table so that she could grab hold of the vampire¡¯s gift. It was wrapped in pink wrapping paper and sported a gold bow. Rose quickly opened the box, inside she found a finely tailored ensemble from Veronica¡¯s Secret. A set of extravagant undergarments, an intensely sultry brazier, and a tastefully erotic garter belt. It also came with a complete set of see-through stockings and a linen choker.


    Rose gasped as she lifted the fiercely sexual garments to the sunlight. It was a light cream fabric, and incredibly soft to the touch. ¡°You¡¯re one naughty girl Becca,¡± Rose teased.


    Rebecca tightened her grip and smiled. The vampire¡¯s cheeks were bright red, her adorable little nose rubbed along Rose¡¯s jawline as she planted a series of small kisses. ¡°I just can¡¯t help myself! ¡±


    ¡°I know, its why I got something extra special for you,¡± Rose leaned back so that her vampire could snuggle in closer. Rose wore nothing underneath her robes, the sash was a little too loose around the waist. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at seeing Rebecca¡¯s reaction, her girlfriend looked down the center at her exposed tanned skin and licked her lips.


    Rebecca began to drool over the constellation of freckles decorating Rose¡¯s upper chest. When next she spoke it was impossible for her not to stutter, ¡°Ssso nice¡­want to touch¡­give me, give me.¡±


    ¡°Hold your horses love,¡± Rose returned her girlfriends affections with a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Let me show you what I got you.¡±


    Just as she was about to get up, the doorbell rang.


    ¡­


    Begrudgingly, Rebecca trudged to the front door of their loft. Rose got out of her chair and quickly followed in her footsteps. The air was humid and felt good inside their apartment, Rose had to remind herself to tighten the sash around her waist before Rebecca got to the door.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The vampire peeked through the small view slit and quickly hopped on her feet with excitement. Rebecca was all to eager to swing open the door and welcome Maggie inside. The raven haired women, who had long been Rebecca¡¯s best friend, looked exhausted. At first glance Rose feared she was about to pass out where she stood. Maggie had a large satchel over one shoulder, and a child playfully tugging at the locks of her hair.


    Rebecca immediately hugged her best friend, it wasn¡¯t until Maggie groaned that she lead her inside.


    ¡°Maggie! Is everything ok?¡± Rose called out from across the room.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, sorry for not calling in advance Rose,¡± Maggie¡¯s reply was one born out of frustration. The babe in her arms wouldn¡¯t stop trying to play with her hair.


    Rose sat down on the armrest of her loveseat. The child in Maggie¡¯s arms was growing quickly, he was barely a new born yet he already had a plush of brown hair on his head. Maggie still had to wear a loose gown over her laden breasts, although the the baby weight was starting to fade away.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Rose rested her head in the palm of her hand, ¡°need a babysitter for a couple hours?¡± Ever since Maggie had the child, she suffered from sleep deprivation. Every few days Rebecca and Rose would let her catch some shut eye while tending to her little one.


    ¡°Am I that predictable?¡± Maggie couldn¡¯t stop herself from yawning. She recoiled as her son pulled her hair a little too strongly, ¡°Hey stop that, mommy doesn¡¯t like that.¡±


    Rebecca scooped up the child from Maggie¡¯s arms and instantly fawned over him, ¡°Ahhh you can play with my hair little Greg!¡±


    Maggie sat her huge knapsack on the couch, the weight of diapers and milk bottles made it sink into the cushion as if it were full of bowling balls. Once relieved of the weight, Maggie shot a glare to Rebecca who was busy playing with her child, ¡°His name¡¯s Bartholomew, you know that!¡±


    Rebecca shook her head, ¡°Nah he¡¯s Greg¡ª¡°


    ¡°Stop calling my son Greg!¡± The sudden intensity in her voice caused the child to cry, ¡°oh there there, mommy isn¡¯t upset.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cuuuute!¡± Rebecca was somehow able to comfort him from tearing up, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Greg? Yes you are.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Maggie sat on the couch. Rose could tell she didn¡¯t have the energy to fight, ¡°stop being a bitch Reby¡­¡±


    Rose got up and quickly searched for spare blankets and pillows. She always kept a stash of them in the small closet next to the bedroom. Once she found what she needed, Rose returned to the living room to find Maggie was on the verge of passing out.


    ¡°It sucks Kyle can¡¯t help you out,¡± Rose said while offering Maggie the spare sheets.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t get me started with him,¡± Maggie groaned. She collapsed onto her side and plopped her head on the pillow with a thud. ¡°That dumb ass can¡¯t stop working long enough to be of any use.¡±


    Rose could sense there was something more that Maggie wanted to say, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Maggie pulled the blanket up to her chin, ¡°he just won¡¯t stop bringing up marriage. Its driving me crazy. Anyway I just needed a break. A small¡­little¡­.break¡­¡± Her voice faded as she started to fall asleep.


    Rebecca wouldn¡¯t stop giggling from her side of the room. She couldn¡¯t get enough of the child in her arms and continued to cradle him as if he were her own. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mags, get some sleep. We¡¯ll entertain little¡ª¡°


    ¡°His name is Bartholomew,¡± Maggie groaned as if half asleep.


    ¡°But he¡¯s too cute for that!¡± Rebecca countered as if her say mattered.


    Maggie leaned up, and Rose feared she was about to get up and leave all together. ¡°He¡¯s named after my father, so stop it!¡±


    ¡­


    A couple more minutes of arguing took place before Rebecca finally conceded defeat. Together she and Rose took the child in their adjacent bedroom while Maggie passed out in a drooling slumber. Her snoring was instantly audible from across the apartment.


    ¡°How long do you wager she¡¯ll be out this time?¡± Rose knew it was wrong to find some humor in Maggie¡¯s distress, but she simply couldn¡¯t help it. Bartholomew continued to suck on his pacifier while laying on the lower portion of their bed. Rose couldn¡¯t help but notice he had his mothers eyes.


    Rebecca held up a plastic wand overhead to tease his attention. ¡°Hopefully not too long, I can¡¯t wait to get you in that lingerie. Honestly I¡¯m already wet just thinking about it!¡±


    Rose did her best not to laugh, ¡°That reminds me, I got you something as well.¡± Her gift was secretly stashed away behind one of the potted plants in the living room. Rebecca liked to search for hidden gifts whenever Rose got her anything, so it took her a while to find a good hiding place. Carefully, Rose exited the bedroom to retrieve the small box and returned post haste. Luckily Maggie¡¯s snoring was loud enough to hide her footsteps.


    When she returned Rebecca was having to divide her attention between the child and what was in her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to open it now but¡ª¡°


    Before she could finish her sentence, Rebecca snatched the gift with a blur of motion. ¡°Oh I can¡¯t wait, I must open it.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Rose sat on the bed and crawled up behind her. She wrapped her legs around the vampires waist and her arms around her torso. She could feel the weight of Rebecca¡¯s breasts laying against her forearms. This time it was her turn to perch her chin on her girlfriends shoulder. ¡°I love you so much, my little Becca.¡±


    Rebecca squealed with delight as she opened the wrapping paper. Inside was a small padded container with a bronze clasp. She opened it to discover two silver rings, each held a small ruby orb that appeared almost scarlet against the light. ¡°Oh¡­my¡­¡± the vampire was speechless.


    ¡°They¡¯re promise rings, one for you and one for me.¡± They each were expensive and hard to acquire. Rose had them custom made, it took her months to save up the money to get them ordered.


    Rebecca held one up to look at the ruby gemstone, she licked her lips. Even the child seemed fixated on the red glow. ¡°I¡­love this so I think I¡¯m gonna die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you like it!¡± Rose held on to her tighter, ¡°Just beware, the red stones will definitely catch some attention. You¡¯ll have to work harder protecting me when we¡¯re out in public.¡±


    Rebecca slid the ring on her index, and then fit the ring onto Roses finger as well. ¡°Look Greg,¡± Rebecca held the ring in front of the child, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it looks sparkly?¡±


    Instantly the child reached up as if to make a grab for it. ¡°You know what?¡± Rose kissed the corner of her vampire¡¯s mouth, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for Maggie to wake up, so that I can have you all to myself.¡±


    ¡°This¡¯ll look so nice with your new lingerie,¡± Rebecca flirted back.


    Rose kissed her vampire on the lips, they were tender and moist. ¡°Tell you what, maybe I¡¯ll let you have an extra sip tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oooooh,¡± Rebecca leaned in closer to return the kiss, ¡°I love you so much, my darling Rosie.¡±


    ¡°I love you too! More than anything.¡± Rose could feel Rebecca¡¯s panted breathe against her cheeks, ¡°Happy anniversary Becky. My beautiful silly vampire.¡±


    Later that night, literally seconds after Maggie and Bartholomew¡¯s departure. Rose didn¡¯t even have enough time to put on the whole outfit Rebecca had gifted her. Together they shared a tender embrace that could only be shared among humans and vampires.