Yankeecoutness requested some sexytimes and although we are not quite at that point in this story yet, I did my best!

I hope you enjoy this chapter….it's all kinds of delicious!

Waking up always surprised him. His dreams had been so vivid since turning. Before he arrived at Downton he dreamt of Ireland, of home. Lately though, all of his dreams had centered around a certain brown-haired lady of the house. Since finding Sybil human Thomas had moved on to other schemes downstairs and had occupied himself with tormenting the Lord's Valet and a maid leaving Tom to pine in solitude.

That was the only word he could use to describe what he had been doing the past few days. Utterly and pathetically pining. She had invaded his mind in ways he no longer thought possible. He thought about her constantly and had tried everything he could think of to eradicate her presence from his thoughts. He was a terrifying monster for christ's sake. He had gorged himself on blood at the fair with Thomas, he had tried to find faults with her when driving her into Ripon at no avail, he had tried to stay away from her as best he could, which had resulted in the previous night's incident and subsequent dream that left him hungry for more than blood.

He had been testing a new theory. The research he had done thus far on his condition had assumed that only human blood would satisfy the monster that dwelled inside of him. He hypothesized that perhaps animal blood might sustain him just as well. He had decided that after driving the dowager home for the evening Tom would venture to the woods surrounding the estate and try his hand at hunting some of his lordship's deer. He had eaten wild game as a human and if he could survive on the blood of those same animals he used to eat of their flesh, then that wasn't so different. He could be almost normal. If he could quiet the hunger that is.

Clad in his chauffer's livery Tom exited his cottage and made his way to the grove of trees just beyond the garage. His boots crunched on the gravel as Tom tuned his hearing to pick up all the sounds he spent most of the day attempting to block out. It was oddly satisfying to indulge in his other side. Freeing.

Just as he had picked up the scent of some kind of nocturnal mammal foraging in the undergrowth Tom heard a woman's cry. It was faint and no more than a brush of sound across his ears, inaudible to any human passing but clear as if she was standing right next to him. Tom didn't think about the consequences, merely acted first. Grateful for once for his gift of speed Tom shot off in the direction of the cry, covering almost one whole mile in seconds.

A figure lay shivering at the foot of a great old tree. Leaves and dirt clung to her white nightgown and her feet were bare. Propriety made Tom want to avert his eyes, but recognition had him kneeling, stripping his jacket off as he did so. Smelling no blood on her Tom gently laid one hand on her shoulder, announcing his presence as to not frighten her. She was icy. She must have been outside for a while before he discovered her. She was mumbling something, sobbing quietly and clutching her middle. Tom wondered what he should do. He could run back to the house and alert Mr. Carson. If there was something wrong with her though, would suspicion fall to Tom or Thomas? Perhaps he could take her back to the house without anyone noticing. He thought that was probably the safest plan. It never occurred to him to just leave her. It was something Thomas would do, and would probably yell at Tom later for not having thought of, but Tom wouldn't be bothered by that now.

Laying his jacket over her shaking form Tom gathered her up in his arms, checking her for signs of injury as he did so. She seemed to have passed out. Tom shook her, trying to bring her around but she stayed asleep. She was still breathing, Tom could feel her warm breath on his neck making his body stiffen in response. Deciding that using his speed again was probably for the best, as it limited anyone taking notice, Tom spirited back to his cottage with Sybil's comforting weight pressed against his chest. He was stronger now than he had ever been as a human, she felt like lifting air and yet he felt calmed at having her wrapped in his arms. His demons lay quiet having her face pressed against his skin, her sweet breathe passing beneath his nose as he ran, her heartbeat palpable against his body. She barely noticed the wind whipping through her hair, only enough to snuggle into his chest which caused something to swell inside of him. He didn't know why he couldn't get her out of his mind but she was planted firmly in all his thoughts, day and night and having her realized in front of him like this was a bit unsettling.

Tom barely registered opening his cottage door and stepping inside. Suddenly he was aware of placing Sybil on his small bad and stepping back to gaze down on her. She looked peaceful, asleep, and wild. He had never seen her hair so free. It fanned out across his pillow in a way that made him want to thread his fingers through it as he ran his tongue down her neck. Shaking himself, Tom bent down to try and rouse her. Taking an icy hand in his he began to rub his hands over it to hopefully generate some heat for her. His cottage was always cold and damp, his fire would take too long to heat properly and he only had one blanket which was already draped over her, which he had no memory of placing. His mind worked rapidly since he was changed. He could be thinking and doing ten things at the same time without any notion of what he was doing. He was a predator and could shut of areas of his mind while he worked out how best to trap his prey.

Sybil however, was not prey. She was precious. He didn't fully understand why, but something in him connected to her in a way he had never felt to anyone in his whole life. Tom decided the only thing to be done now was to get her body temperature up and then compel her back to the house once she woke. Grabbing a bottle of brandy Tom kept by his bed, he took a long pull of the strong liquor. It helped to warm his body to that of a normal human temperature and he needed all the help he could get at this point.

Tom knew that he would warm her faster with little to no clothing on, but he couldn't bring himself to strip off more that his belt and shoes. He didn't trust himself to lie next to her with no barriers between them and keep the monster at bay. Taking a deep breath Tom crawled beneath the covers of his bed and gathered Sybil up against him, rubbing down her back as he felt her body thaw. She snuggled against him, wiggling her body in an attempt to get warmer. He knew it was an instinctual response and she wasn't trying to arouse him but he felt himself stiffen nonetheless.

It seemed like hours but Tom suspected it was truly only minutes before he felt her heart rate increase as she became aware. Tom froze, unsure of how he was going to explain how she found herself to be in the chauffeur's bed cuddling with said chauffeur in her nightgown. Sybil lifted her head dreamily and stared directly at him. Something about her gaze was different but Tom couldn't place it.

"Have you come for it then?" She asked, her voice was flat, as if she was reading from a book. Tom didn't know how to respond.

"Have I come for what?" He answered, something tugging at the back of his mind.

"I don't think it's ready yet. You'll have to wait a while longer." She said, still staring blankly at him. Tom stuttered, unsure of what he was expected to do now. She was acting like she was under some sort of trance.

"He said I shouldn't think about it. He said he would fetch me when it was ready. But it's not ready yet. Are you going to take me to him? He said at the new moon I should wait for instruction, but no one came. Have you come to give me instruction?" She asked him, a flash of expectancy behind her eyes. Tom was trying to put all the pieces together and coming up with a jumbled mess of several possible conclusions. The easiest deduction to make was that she had very clearly been compelled by someone and it wasn't him.

"I….um….no, sorry. I don't know what you're talking about…" Tom said as Sybil sat up as if ordered to do so by some unseen force. She looked out the window for a long moment before her hands reached up to the laces of her gown. Tom stared at her, transfixed by her fingers gently pulling the ties loose until they hung limply, outlining the curve of her breasts. Tom felt his mouth go dry and his breathing stop as he realized what she was about.

Just as he was about to say something, anything to try and break her free from the compulsion and stop her trying to undress in front of him she turned back to face him. She raised her hand up to place gently on his chest as she pushed him to lie back. He was so shocked by her behavior he went willingly, part of his mind curious to see what she would do. The other part of his mind was screaming at him to stop her, to stop everything.

She threw the covers back and lifted one leg over his body to straddle him. Tom choked back a response as she lifted her arms to her wild mane of hair, throwing her head back and exposing her glowing white neck to the soft moonlight streaming in through his window. He could feel her soft curves on top of him, his insides roaring for him to take her, but his mind still trying to work out what she was doing and why. One of her hands trailed down her neck to grab hold of one edge of her nightgown. She slowly pulled the fabric down, exposing her collarbone and shoulder. Tom had never seen something so sexy. She turned her head away from her creamy skin and leaned down, her breasts pushing against his chest as she did so. The angle she had positioned herself put her neck at the perfect level with his mouth. Did she expect him to feed from her? Is that what she had been compelled to do? Wait for some messenger or carrier vampire and then offer herself as a meal?

Tom could feel her pulse vibrating off her now warm and delicious smelling skin. Everything in him begged him to take what she offered. He felt his teeth extend, his lips pull back and his mouth watered at the thought of piercing her delicate flesh. His nose brushed against her chin as he moved agonizingly slow, waiting for her to protest. He couldn't deny himself any longer, couldn't think of a good enough reason not to indulge himself when she was practically begging for him to continue and he wanted to experience the joys of the flesh with her so desperately.

Reaching up, Tom gripped her waist, soft and pliable beneath his hands. He flipped their positions, her legs opening for him as he held himself a hairsbreadth away from her delectable body. He was at war with himself, two desires pulling at him. He held himself still, deciding which hunger to feed. He took in her appearance once more, her nightgown open and displaying more skin than would ever be proper for anyone to view but her husband, her hair curled and wild, pillowing her head against his sheets, her lips plump and kissable, moist as if she just licked them, Her scent driving him mad with desire. Her blood pumping hard and fast through her veins, the sickly wet sound it made, the rush of warmth as her breath passed his face, smelling of fruit and spices. His nerves frayed as he waited in anticipation of which to choose first.

The monster spoke first and Tom bent towards her, teeth barred, ready to finally see just how incredible she tasted when a single tear brought him back. A small glistening drop of wetness had caught in the moonlight as Tom was an inch away from biting into her exposed neck. Appalled and disgusted with himself Tom scrambled off of her, banging his back into the closed door as he tried to calm himself. He had almost taken advantage of her. He had put her in grave danger bringing her inside of his cottage, no boundaries in place, the probability of him losing control was almost guaranteed. He felt like being sick. He was sick. He was a monster. He had looked at her like dinner, like a plaything there for his desires. He needed to act quickly before he lost his sanity once more, an occurrence all too likely with her sitting on his bed and looking disheveled and eager despite the tears now flowing freely down her face.

Reaching for his jacket Tom took a moment to carefully button himself in, feeling almost human again in his uniform and able to play the part. The stiff coat was a comfort when he felt like he was completely unraveling on the inside. Walking calmly and carefully Tom knelt beside his bed, Sybil entranced and staring at him the entire time. Looking down Tom counted to ten before trying to remember everything Thomas had taught him about compulsion. He needed to believe what he was saying, he needed to feel what he was saying and he needed to be thorough.

"Sybil, you were taking a walk but lost track of time. You didn't see anyone. You didn't talk to anyone. You didn't see me, and you didn't come into my cottage. We never spoke today. You're going to walk back into the house and go straight to bed and forget this night ever happened." Tom spoke with confidence and confusion, wanting to know more about the particulars of how she came to be in the woods all alone and who "He" was, but needing her far away from him at the moment before the monster was released again.

Her pupils dilated and she nodded her head. It had worked. She serenely rose from his bed and strode out of his cottage like she had never been there in the first place. Tom caught a glimpse of her silhouette as she walked past his window, never looking back. After that he had abandoned his research and decided he needed a stiff drink and some sleep since he couldn't compel himself and wash this strange night from his hands.

He had woken a short time later, images of Sybil's hands tugging her nightgown just a tad further, exposing her breasts to the moonlight as he worshipped her body, no qualms about propriety or shyness or inexperience. He suckled at her bosom, her hands clutched passionately in his hair as he tugged at her pert nipples with his expert tongue. She gasped and moaned as he bit and licked all the curves of her body, thrusting her hips in time with his own. He had been about to rip off his trousers and plunge into her waiting heat when he jerked from sleep into the reality of a dark and lonely night.

He sat contemplating the night into the next morning and what his next course of action should be. He didn't trust himself to not take her, especially if she offered herself so willingly again. She was clearly in danger from some other vampire. Tom didn't know much about the vampire world other than what Thomas had shared with him but he could tell that Sybil was being compelled and that she was somehow mixed up with others of his kind, although she was probably largely unaware.

What he didn't know was how something like that could have happened. Who would want to use the youngest daughter of a lord that way? And had she done something like that before? He shuddered thinking about her being forced to offer herself up as a meal or otherwise to one of his kind. He had thankfully been there to prevent whatever was supposed to happen last night but what if he wasn't there next time? How did he go about protecting someone from vampires when he was just as likely to rip her throat out as they were?