Love Bites and So Do I

She was beautiful, her skin seeming to glow and sparkle at the moon's touch. Her hair was darkness, her lips soft and sweet like rose petals. She was what reminded me of the world I was resigned to now: the dark, dangerous time of night.

Night made me think of terror waiting in the shadows, talons tense for prey. Night meant no light, not a single ray of it, and that's probably want I hated the most. It was an amazing thing, light, dazzling and incredible to the eye- it would vaporize my eyes. My vampire eyes.

I turned my attention back to Isabelle who slept calmly, her pulse throbbing like a second heart in her neck. The steady beat of it seemed to pound into my head senseless and it was all I could do to not start to gulp and choke at the promise of blood just a few feet away... No.

I would not feel like that, not around Isabelle. She'd trusted me, chosen to trust me, and I wouldn't fail her. But it was just too tempting… I could practically taste the sweet tang of her blood as it slipped down my throat… I exhaled, and a breeze swept into the room from the open door, and the delicious scent of Isabelle just wafted over…

I groaned internally, clenching my fists and watching as the veins stood out purple against my pale skin. I needed to feed, but there was no more blood bottles around and my hunger was growing by the second. I winced as my teeth unsheathed themselves and cut into my lip savagely. I licked my own blood off my chin but it didn't taste right at all. I had started to pace around the room, wondering what the hell I was going to do when a soft voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Simon, what the hell are you doing?" Izzy complained, sitting up and rubbing her eyes in annoyance.

"Nothing." I said quickly, but my reply was muffled by my teeth.

"Huh?" Isabelle got up and walked over to me, her gorgeous black hair forming a curtain around her, "Hey, what's up with you?" I stepped back instinctively when Izzy reached out a hand to touch my face. In this state of hunger, I didn't trust myself around her.

For a moment she looked hurt then she noticed my fangs and she studied me, "When was the last time you fed Simon?" Oh great, here comes Inspector Isabelle…

"Uh, yesterday afternoon… maybe last week?" I tried, avoiding look anywhere but her eyes. Of course my eyes then happened to fall on her neck and I couldn't tear them away. That soft skin… would it pierce like paper, or would it be tougher like raw meat…?

"Simon!" Isabelle took hold of my jaw and forced me to look at her. I instantly got lost in those hypnotic, black orbs, so mystified by their dark, haunting beauty, "You look like you've starved to death." She noticed me start to grin and gave me a sharp look, "No pun intended."

"Alright, I just… I kind of ran out of blood and…" I faltered off as she glared at me while I was in mid-sentence. Clearly whatever I said now would make no difference!

"You can't 'run out of blood'. It's important to you, it keeps you strong!" Isabelle took hold of my hand and shoved it in my face, "Look! You can practically see your bloody skeleton!"

I stayed silent and Izzy ranted on and on, sometimes close to screaming at me in frustration. Then she stopped and announced, "It leaves us no choice! If you're going to survive the night you're going to need some blood."

I already knew where this was going. "Izzy, no…"

"Shut up Simon!" Isabelle folded her arms and narrowed her eyes, "What, is my blood not appealing enough for you?"

"No of course not, I would love…" I stopped and blushed, realising what I'd said.

"So you want it." Isabelle smirked, "What's stopping you?"

"What… what's stopping me?" I spluttered, "What's stopping me is the fact that I might hurt you, Izzy! I couldn't cope with it if I did!" She smiled at me and her hand cupped my cheek. This time I didn't move away, but savoured her touch, the only thing warm and alive in this time of night.

"I trust you Simon. I know you'll stop and in the impossible case that you don't, I promise I can fend for myself. Okay?"

It wasn't okay, not really. Izzy was handing me her life in this wild moment and I didn't what I'd do now it was in my hands. I worried that if I held it too tight, it would shatter.

"I don't know…" I said, my tone wavering.

"Just shut up and do it already!" Isabelle demanded, walking back over to the bed and laying back on it, "If you're that scared about it, then get it over and done with!" I stumbled over to the bed and positioned myself above her, though not too hard that I would crush her.

"Izzy… I…" I whispered, knowing I wouldn't be able to hold back much longer, what with her blood just mere inches away…

To my surprise, her tone was soft when she whispered back, "I trust you Simon." Then she leaned up and kissed me. My whole head felt like a fireworks show, showering sparks of happiness throughout me. Isabelle's lips were as a soft as I'd imagined, and I pried them open with my own mouth, making them blossom like an actual flower.

She gasped, feeling the sharp edge of my fangs against her mouth but didn't pull away like I'd expected her to. I trust you Simon.

Those words echoed throughout my mind as I worked my lips down, breaking our kiss and moving down to her neck. My whole body was thrumming with excitement as my fangs barely grazed her skin, the blood churning just underneath. I heard Isabelle moan underneath me, her body shaking with delight as she twined her pale, slender hands into my dark hair.

Then in a flash, my teeth sank into her and an explosion of sweet, angelic blood overcame me. I drank with relish and Isabelle purred, her fingers stroking my hair and making it loop under her hands in curls. It was delicious and satisfying, and I was consumed by the feeling of light coursing through my veins like molten gold. Isabelle was sighing blissfully, her lips brushing against the top of my head.

Then I pulled away, my fangs retracting, and I kissed the bite mark I'd made on her neck. I sat up to face her, looking deep into her black eyes that seemed to hold in so many thoughts and feelings, "Are you okay, Izzy?"

She was silent for a second then before I knew it she was on top of me and kissing me passionately, her sweet purrs and slight knock of the hips making me feel like I was on Cloud 9! She broke the kiss and studied me thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Remind me to throw out your next supply of blood bottles."