The Guest & The Change

chapter 4





Sarah turned to walk back towards her house, Daniel following close beside her, making her feel safe. It was raining lightly but persistently so they walked quickly. She watched as Daniel glanced about, like he was looking for something, or someone, but he didn’t give anything away.

She thought that if they popped back to hers before heading out for a drive she would have another opportunity to check if Jo had returned home. She didn’t know what to say to Daniel, so she kept quiet, wondering where this day was going to take them. Would they find any clues to Jo’s disappearance? God, they’d probably get back to her house and he would be there now. That would be awkward. She was going to be so angry with him if he came home. And if he didn’t? If he was dead? Abducted? What then, how would she feel? Thinking about it she felt confused. She would be devastated - Jo had been in her life for so long. And she loved him. But things were difficult and she hadn’t forgiven him.

Part of her would be relieved. She would be screwed, but she would be free. She wouldn’t have to make up her mind about Jo anymore, about whether they should stay together. But he would be dead, and she pushed the thought away as it was too ridiculous to contemplate. Nobody she knew had ever died, except Grandparents, things like that didn’t happen around here. Not to her. Things just carried on. But maybe she needed to make a decision.

If Jo was back he’d better have a bloody good explanation of where he’d been. Something terrible would have had to have happened to him, for her to take him back. If he’s just been gone, out of choice, for all this time then that will be it. So great, that means I’ve lost him already, doesn’t it? He’s either dead, and I’ve lost him tragically, or he’s run off and betrayed me, and Megan and Bea - either way I’ve lost him. They’ve lost him. They’re not going to have a father anymore, certainly not one who lives with them.

Sarah felt her anger building, she felt like hitting something, or running and screaming. Suddenly her chest hit something, Daniel’s arm. He whipped her round to face him, ‘Sarah, what are you doing?’ he said angrily.

‘What?’ She saw his face soften, but she was in such a daze.

‘You were just about to step out in front of that car.’

‘What car?’ But anger turned to tears, her emotions weren’t going to stay in, she had lost Jo. She couldn’t scream, so she cried. Then Daniel was holding her and stroking her hair, and she balled onto his shoulder, her face against the soft leather of his jacket. Sarah wanted to hug him, to hit him, to kiss him angrily. She felt all over the place.

But Daniel just held her, there, by the side of the road, tolerating the concerned glances from strangers.

What must he think of me? He’s only known me a couple of days, and I’m such a mess, she thought. But he didn’t seem to mind and she felt looked after. Her tears started to subside and she breathed Daniel in. His delicious woody scent, like he’d been near a bonfire, she inched her head into his neck, and had an uncharacteristic urge to bite him, it almost made her laugh. He leant back against her, then she released him and started to walk towards home again. He didn’t take his arm off her though, he let it drop to her waist and continued to hold her close as they walked.

When they reached her drive Daniel released her, Sarah felt like he did so reluctantly and she didn’t want him to. She could have just stayed there and blended with him, never letting go. But she walked on ahead and popped back into her house. It was quiet, Jo had not returned. She checked the answer machine. There were four messages - one from her parents letting her know the kids were fine and asking if she’d heard anything, two from Jo’s parents and one from his sister. They were all obviously concerned but Sarah didn’t feel like dealing with talking to them now. She picked up her phone and tried Jo a couple of times. His phone was no-longer ringing though, it just went straight to answer phone. She left two messages, not concealing her anger and distress at his absence. But she was quick, she longed to return to Daniel. She freshened up and drank some water before leaving the house.

As she walked back towards her car, Daniel was there, leaning against her bonnet - looking gorgeous with a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Her drive was lined with trees, so her car was not overlooked by other houses. The sun crept out from behind a cloud, shining dappled light through the drizzle. Daniel squinted towards her, looking smoldering. His hair looked damp and messy, and drips ran down the side of his face from the rain. Sarah was feeling reckless - the situation with Jo, alone without her kids. She walked right up to Daniel and he stood. They were so close and she looked into his eyes. He stared back, looking right into her soul, and Sarah felt like she could see his. It seemed like she was looking into the stars, like his soul went on forever and she was melting into him. Daniel wrapped his arms around her, she felt tingles race all over her body and he pulled her right up against him. His body was firm and he felt so good, he pulled her hips against his and she was drawn closer. Her lips met his with force, and with her hands she pulled at him tightly - so his heart was as close as it could be to hers, melting in together, like one. He kissed her, opening her mouth and forcing in his tongue - it was exquisite and she felt like she was going to explode. Then he released her and they breathed hard, foreheads pressed together, absorbing each other. She wanted him so badly, but she didn’t speak and neither did he. They just breathed, energy coursing through her body, completely lost to her surroundings.

From a nearby tree Sebastian watched their display of passion with delight. He hadn’t expected this but he could definitely use it to his advantage. It could be fun to torment Jo, to make sure he had no desire to return to his former life. And he could have fun in other ways; he could expose Daniel, and watch to see how Sarah would react. Would she hate him? It would be fun to see Daniel tormented. He couldn’t believe he was acting like this, and with a human! It was so unlikely. Hmm, but this Sarah was quite stunning, Sebastian could see why Daniel was so smitten. In fact, he was taking quite an advantage, she was obviously hurting. And she lived in another world. Maybe Sebastian could turn her. - If he could get her alone. He suspected Daniel would protect her now. He must suspect the danger in his situation.

Hmm, if he could just exert a little power, maybe Daniel wouldn’t even notice, he could plant an idea in Sarah’s mind. A location to visit.

Sebastian flew off, from tree to tree, back towards Jo and their night of hunting.

Jo awoke to find a bat hanging upside down, right in front of his face. The bat was staring at him intensely with those large dark eyes. They looked like they stretched to infinity. Sebastian. The bat looked amused and transformed back into a man. A man who perched next to him on his branch. From the light shining through the leaves Jo guessed it was mid-afternoon. He felt hungry, his throat dry, parched.

He breathed in deeply, taking in nearby smells. He could hear Sebastian’s blood pounding through his veins but it didn’t hold the same appeal as that delicious girl’s blood. Sebastian’s heart beat was slower, inhuman, and his blood wasn’t as fragrant. He listened to sounds of the forest. He could hear birds in the trees and small mammals scuttling in the leaf litter. But he couldn’t hear any people. He wanted to hunt.

‘Not yet,’ said Sebastian, seeming to read his thoughts. ‘We need to wait until late before we head into town, until the bars are buzzing and crowded, until people are intoxicated and won’t notice us.’

‘But I want to hunt now.’

‘I could teach you to hunt animals; they can still quench your thirst.’

‘Yes, let’s do that. What can we hunt? Bear?’

‘Yes, if you like. Deer and wolf are also good. You can eat small mammals too, but they don’t have much blood so it’s best to save those for when you have no other options.’

Jo wasn’t sure about the idea of animal blood, it didn’t sound as tempting as human. But he was so thirsty. He felt restless and wanted to learn.

‘Tomorrow I will teach you animal transformations, but you’re not powerful enough yet. You need more blood.’

The word blood made Jo’s thirst increase.

‘Follow me,’ said Sebastian.

Jo watched as Sebastian jumped down from the tree, landing lightly. Sebastian quickly transformed into a wolf, sleek and long and grey, but with eyes like a bat, dark and stretching to infinity. Eyes you could get lost in.

Sebastian shot off, faster than any normal wolf could travel. Jo hesitated for a second. Then he ran, following Sebastian’s trail. It wasn’t difficult, he could sense his movement ahead, and Jo found he was fast. He was racing through the woods, wind blasting against his face and neck. It was cool, and had Jo been human he would have been freezing. But he felt exhilarated, adrenaline pumping in his veins. Every tree Jo passed was in sharp relief, he just had to focus with his mind and he would zip past, narrowly avoiding branches, still keeping Sebastian in site.

Sebastian stopped by Jo’s car and transformed back into himself. Jo approached him at a rush and came to a quick halt, skidding on the forest floor and pounding into his old car, denting it lightly. He felt the bonnet, memories of past drives with his family flicking into his mind. Sarah. The thought of her filled him with an intense longing. Feeling his teeth extending, Jo imagined sinking his fangs into her neck and draining the life out of her.

Jo looked back at Sebastian, he was looking amused and mischievous. But Jo couldn’t care, so absorbed with the new sensations he was experiencing; his desires, his enhanced sensations. In fact, he felt care-free. He didn’t mind what happened anymore. He didn’t feel depressed. He didn’t feel torn. He felt full of life. Glory. Like his future was full of excitement and experiences. Blood. Power. He wanted to feed.

He looked at Sebastian, who was still watching him closely, and Jo waited for him to tell him what to do. He was at his command, eager for instruction.

‘Right, you listen. What can you hear?’ said Sebastian.

Jo concentrated on his surroundings, feeling blood and power travel to his ears as he listened to forest sounds. ‘I hear small animals, nothing big.’

‘Concentrate harder, send out power, draw animals to you.’

Jo tentatively tried this and trickles of power extended out from him.

‘Now, when you sense something you want, let your power touch it, then pull.’

Jo concentrated hard again, sending out more tendrils of power, he felt more animals, one in particular, possibly a few hundred yards away. He could hear a powerful heart pounding so it must be large. He let his power touch the animal, a deer, and did as Sebastian said; he tugged at it with his power.

He sensed it change its direction and start heading towards him in the forest. It wasn’t under his control, but it was heading into his territory. Hunger coursed through his veins and he darted forwards. The deer came into site and he raced at it. He stopped, for a moment, in front of the deer. It looked right at him, into his eyes, startled. It was a beautiful male with large antlers. Before Jo made his move the deer stepped back, lowered his antlers and rammed Jo right in the chest. Jo staggered back, shocked, he hadn’t expected the deer to fight.

He looked down and saw the deer had drawn blood, but he could feel himself healing already. He heard Sebastian laughing behind him, goading him on. As the deer turned Jo took pursuit. He watched its powerful muscles contracting as it ran, elegantly avoiding trees and fallen branches. But Jo knew he was faster. He raced after the deer and sprang onto its back, feeling its tough fur beneath his fingers. He grabbed at those antlers that had rammed him, delighting in taking power over this beast that had damaged him, and he yanked the deer’s head firmly to the side. It screeched, the sound echoing through the forest, and Jo lurched forwards, sinking his lengthening fangs into the deer’s neck, piercing its jugular.

Warm blood rushed into his mouth and down his throat. It was good and eased the dryness, but he wasn’t satisfied. He drank and drank and drank; the deer’s life in his hands. He took it, feeling the primal energy of the animal give him power. He withdrew his teeth from the deer and grasped its neck, twisting quickly. Energy rushed though him as its neck snapped and the dear tumbled to the ground. Jo rolled away before he became squashed beneath the lifeless animal. He leapt to his feet, springing back to face Sebastian.

‘More,’ said Jo, blood thirst still pounding in his veins.

***

Sarah broke away from Daniel, still breathing fast. She stepped back from him reluctantly as he leant back against the bonnet, slightly out of breath, his lips swollen from their kiss. Sarah couldn’t keep her eyes off him and he looked back at her with heat in his gaze.

‘I know where we should go,’ she said.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. ‘It just came to you, like that?’

‘Yes, a place I’ve walked in the woods, it’s not too far from here, about 20 minutes if we drive fast.’

‘Why there?’

‘I don’t know, I just have this feeling.’

Daniel raised his eyebrows again. Sarah made herself stay put, resisting the urge to sink back into his embrace. She knew that if she did she would give into temptation and they would never go out. She needed to find Jo. She needed to stop feeling so frustrated. She needed this phase to end so she could face it and deal with it, and with the problems it would bring. Then all the faster she would be over it, over this anger at Jo that was consuming her, and she would be free.

‘OK, if you’re so sure, go ahead and drive.’

‘I am.’

Daniel looked a little worried.

‘What is it?’ Sarah asked.

‘I’m not sure, I have a feeling too. And it’s of unease. Why would you suddenly think to go to a specific place?’

‘I really don’t know - I just feel this impulse. It’s like we’ve got to go there.’

‘Do you often get feelings like this, that you can’t explain?’

‘I don’t think so. Let’s go.’ Said Sarah, she was getting impatient and wanted to be moving.

Sarah picked up her keys, she appeared to have discarded them in her moment with Daniel. She felt a pang, should I really be acting like this when Jo’s still missing? But where the hell is he? And it’s not like he hasn’t done anything like this before. And, Daniel, there’s just something unexplainable about him. I’m intensely drawn to him. I’ve never felt so strongly attracted to anyone before. The way he makes me feel, the way I gravitate towards him. It’s like I’m not in control, like he’s in control of me.

She started to move closer to Daniel again. He was still watching her, thinking, but she shook herself and made herself head for the car door, wrench it open and climb inside. Soon Daniel was next to her and she smiled at him. He gave her a glowing smile in return, making her insides melt again, and making her feel like everything would be ok.

‘I will go with you,’ he said, looking into her eyes, ‘but when we get out the car I want you to stay close.’

Sarah looked back into his eyes, so beautiful, and was lost to his words, his influence seeping in. When he looked away Sarah saw him frown and wondered what he was thinking. But her compulsion to visit this place persisted so she started the car and drove towards the woods.

Daniel reached out and brushed her cheek as she drove, then placed his hand, possessively, on her leg. Sarah couldn’t help but smile, and shot Daniel a look. He looked beautiful, still smoldering. It was a wrench to put her eyes back on the road.

The road wound around and they found themselves approaching the quarry and Quarry Bridge. Sarah drove carefully over, there were steep drops on either side, and entered the smaller roads. From here on the roads were surrounded by a dense canopy of trees. Sarah was quite familiar with them - she’d lived in the area all her life and had long been a fan of forest walks. She had walked all the trails for miles around, and sometimes explored off track too. As a teenager she had camped in the woods with friends, freaking each other out with ghost stories. She felt at home in the woods, and at peace. If only she could find Jo and sort this mess out.

Sarah saw the turning she’d been looking for, and felt Daniel tighten his grip on her leg as she turned into the forest, the tall conifers shading their way. The track was rough and stony but her car could handle it if she took it slow. She glanced over at Daniel again - he was looking around, peering through the trees, alert.

When she looked back on the road she saw the place she’d been thinking of, a little further down the track. A clearing where she’d parked before. When she reached it she pulled up and turned off the engine. ‘We’re here.’

‘This is the place you thought we should come?’ Daniel asked.

‘Yes, here and the surrounding woodland.’

‘Don’t be disappointed if we don’t find anything. And remember, stay close.’ And he gave her a grin, before exiting the car and dashing round to her side before she’d even finished undoing her seatbelt. Sarah watched, amused, as Daniel opened her door and extended his hand. As she took it fresh tingles shot up her arm and Daniel pulled her to him, teasingly, before closing her door.

This close, Sarah thought he was going to kiss her again, but he kept hold of her hand and walked back to the track they’d driven up, carefully inspecting the ground.

‘It looks like someone’s been here recently,’ he said.

‘How can you tell?’

‘These car tracks, they look recent. They would have washed away in the rain if they were more than a few days old.’

‘People don’t drive up this way often,’ said Sarah.

‘No, I don’t suppose they do.’

‘Let’s follow them, find out where they go,’ said Sarah, pulling him after her.

***

Sebastian smirked to himself. He had been listening very carefully and he’d just heard the sound he was waiting for; a car. It looked like his plan had worked. They were here. He was excited to see how his plan would pan out.

Jo had just taken out that deer and his face was smeared with blood, but he was still ravenous as animal blood didn’t compare.

‘Jo, it’s time to hunt again now. Listen carefully, try to extend your senses even further. When you find pray, draw it towards you.’

He watched as Jo closed his eyes and focused hard on the animals in the forest. Sebastian turned himself into a bat and flew up into a tree to watch the action, and to be out of Daniel’s way when he realized what was going on.

Jo’s ears pricked and Sebastian suspected he had heard that distant heartbeat, the heartbeat of a human. Jo would be able to pick that up already. It was such a natural instinct, the attraction to the sound of the human heart pounding. He probably wouldn’t even notice there was another vampire with her.

He didn’t think any of them were in any real danger. Daniel would stop Jo hurting Sarah. Sarah would stop Daniel hurting Jo. It was the emotional response he was eager to watch, and the consequences he would find amusement in.

He sensed Jo sending out tendrils of power - he must be wrapping them around Sarah now, pulling her closer. I wonder if Daniel will even notice. I would, but then, I am stronger than Daniel.

In the distance he spotted movement as Sarah appeared, Jo’s full attention on her. Sebastian watched Jo’s teeth extend in anticipation of her blood. He knew he desired Sarah’s blood, Sebastian had picked up that thought trail from Jo. Thoughts could project themselves like wisps of power, only detectable by those strong enough, and interested enough, to perceive them.

Jo froze as he watched Sarah, his prey, appear. Then, without a thought, acting on pure instinct, he sprinted. Sebastian watched as Daniel’s eyes snapped into focus - in less than a second he had released Sarah’s hand. Moving at lightning speed he was in front of her, bracing himself for Jo’s attack. Sebastian laughed - this was brilliant, just what he’d hoped for. Jo skidded to a halt snarling, teeth extending, looking for a way to get around the wall that was Daniel. The look on Sarah’s face. Magnificent! Shock, anger, horror. She was stepping away, removing herself from the situation, preparing to run, yet transfixed on the sites before her. She looked so tempting Sebastian nearly abandoned his plan and considered going into the fray and just taking her for himself. He withheld that desire though, and watched.

Jo went for it, he obviously couldn’t help himself. The desire was too strong, and he didn’t yet understand Daniel’s strength. All he could think of was the blood. Sarah’s blood. He tried to ricochet off a tree, jumping towards Sarah. Daniel was faster, he blocked Jo’s path with his body, but he tumbled down and Jo darted over his head towards his goal.

Sarah hastily backed away, too shocked to do anything but stare now. Watching her husband, a monster. A vampire.

Sebastian could see Jo - he looked wild, fierce, bloody, savage. As any new vampire would. Jo launched himself at Sarah, pushing into her chest and flattening her against the leafy floor. Daniel was fast though, he righted himself and grabbed Jo from behind, yanking him off Sarah. Soon Daniel would lose control of himself, Sebastian could see the signs. This was definitely good afternoon entertainment, a fun way to while away the hours until the real hunt tonight.

Jo pulled his hungry eyes away from Sarah, the most desirable prey a new vampire could wish for, to eye up this new vampire protecting her. He attacked, launching himself at Daniel with all his speed and strength. Sebastian was impressed - Jo was pretty strong for a newbie. Jo knocked Daniel back, trying to take him out, to reach Sarah.

As Daniel fell back he hit a tree, snapping off a branch as he did.

This is not so good, thought Sebastian.

Jo lurched towards Daniel - meaning to rip his head off from the look of the snarl on his face. Daniel rammed the wood into Jo’s shoulder. It sank deep - not a killing blow, it didn’t touch his heart.

Sebastian watched Jo’s reaction; he actually hissed, first at Daniel, then at Sarah, before running at lightning speed away from the scene. Sarah looked from the retreating Jo, to Daniel, rugged from the fight. She backed away from him, fear and horror on her face as she ran.

Sebastian swooped though the sky after Jo, leaving the now revealed Daniel behind.