Chapter 17
Nicole didn't know how long she had fought her way out of the darkness and pain that had devoured her mind and body, if this was the way to heaven then a lot of people were gonna be so disappointed cause it sure wasn't fun or peaceful. Her heavy eyes fluttered open to slits. Afraid to open them fully she moved her eyeballs only to see darkness. Wasn't there suppose to be a bright light to greet her. At least the pain was gone. Feeling a little more brave because of that fact she opened her eyes more and was shocked to find she was in a room obviously laying on a soft bed. Nicole sat straight up looking down at her wrist which was free of any scar. My God, how long had she been out or was she really dead and this really was heaven.
Whipping the covers back she jumped out of bed amazed at how great she felt. “Hello?” She called out, her voice strong and deep. Okay...she was starting to freak a little. God she was thirsty. Licking her lips she felt a prick of pain on her tongue. “Ouch.” Reaching up she touched her lip, bringing her hand back she saw blood and her stomach clinched tight with hunger.
Eyes wide she ran to a mirror hanging on the wall between two windows and bared her teeth. Short fangs hung slightly lower than her other teeth, sharp and pointy. Slapping her hand across her mouth she turned away from the mirror. “Oh. My. God.” She murmured behind her hand. “He did it.” Turning back around she removed her hand slowly baring her teeth again. So many emotions sent her body into overdrive she felt ill.
After flashing her fangs this way and that, trying them on for size so to speak, Nicole walked back to the edge of the bed and plopped down, stunned. She was a vampire, a freaking vamp and she had no clue how to feel about that. A little scared.....yeah. A little freaked....hell yeah. What did this mean? Where was Damon and where was she, whose room was she in? As if summoned by her questions and thoughts the door opened and in walked Damon looking handsome and strong. She wanted to run to him, but his expression stopped her.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Damon demanded, his eyes running down her body back to her face.
“Why?” She whispered, ignoring his question with one of her own.
Damon was silent for a long minute staring at her so intently that Nicole shifted nervously on the bed. “I had no choice.” He finally moved, setting the tray down on a dresser.
Okay, so that wasn't the answer she wanted. “Yeah, you did.” Her chin lifted in a stubborn tilt. “You could have let me die.”
A frown spread across his wide mouth. “You need to feed.”
Okay, that took her back and made her pale. “Feed?” Nicole hadn't thought about that. “Blood?”
His frown turned up a bit. “Yes...blood. You have been out for three weeks. I actually expected you to be out longer.”
“Holy crap!” Nicole shot up from the bed. “Three weeks. My turtles. My rent is due. Oh my God. I have to get out of here.” When she started to head toward a bundle of clean clothes laying on a chair in the corner of the room pain clenched her stomach tight causing her to bend over. “Ouch.” Nicole's panicked eyes flew to Damon's.
“You need to slow down Nicole.” Damon was next to her in a flash. “You're still weak and you need to feed.”
“Ugh...will you stop calling it that.” Nicole cringed. “It makes me sound like an animal or something, no offense.”
Damon actually chuckled. “None taken.” He led her back to the bed. “Your body has been through one hell of a change and will take time to adjust. We have kept you in a semi-coma after the change so your body could get use to the blood and you wouldn't suffer as much.”
Sitting down slowly, she wrapped her arms around her stomach dreading the next pain. “But I feel great except for this.”
“You will feel great. No aches, colds, headaches or disease, but when hunger hits it is ten times worse than human hunger and the only thing that can satisfy it is blood.”
“Yummy.” Nicole rolled her eyes with a grimace.
Damon looked away from her. “Are you sorry I changed you?”
Shocked, Nicole realized he was nervous about her reaction to being a vampire. “I won't lie, it freaks me out a bit and yeah, I'm a little scared, but I'm still here. You saved me Damon and for that I'm grateful.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, you'll help me won't you?”
Giving a short nod Damon poured some blood in a cup. “Here, you need to drink this.”
“Why am I taking a cup? Don't you guys suck each other?” Nicole repeated what she said in her head. Okay, that didn't sound good. Geez, this was going to take some getting use to.
Damon's eyes turned a shade darker. “We take our blood from a live source yes, but we do not suck each other.”
“You know what I mean. Sorry, I haven't started the vampire 101 class yet.” Nicole took the cup peering in it. Sticking her finger in the thick red liquid she brought it to her nose and sniffed, then touched it with the tip of her tongue. Oh God, she was not going to be able to do this.
“What the hell are you doing?” Damon sighed shaking his head.
“Listen vamp, this is my first time taking some blood, okay, so chill out.” Nicole shot back. A frightening thought crossed her mind. “Where did this blood come from?”
“What does it matter?” Damon walked toward her. “You need to drink it Nicole.”
Shaking her head she tried to hand it back to him. “Thanks, but no.” She felt another pang of what she now knew was hunger, but ignored it. “Maybe later.”
“Nicole, you are going to drink it so stop messing around or I will put you back into a coma until you are well fed and your body is adjusted.” Damon growled.
Knowing he wasn't kidding, since he didn't seem to have a freaking sense of humor at the moment, Nicole brought the cup to her lips. Closing her eyes she pinched her nose with her other hand and took a sip.
Damon smiled at her antics of pinching her nose. “What the hell are you doing now?”
“It's what I did when I was little and had to take medicine that tasted yucky.” Nicole wiped her mouth with the back of her hand with a grimace. “Ugh...it’s cold.”
“If you wouldn't have taken forever to drink, it would have been warm.” Damon rolled his eyes, but damn she was cute. Her little fangs peeking out from her upper lip was sexy as hell. “Finish.” he ordered.
Nicole gave him an evil look then tipped the cup all the way back and downed it, nose pinched closed. Handing him the cup she wiped her mouth again shaking her head. “That was.....” Eyes popping open in horror she grabbed her stomach, looking around she saw a garbage can across the room and ran for it. Just as she made it her body heaved, spewing the blood back out of her body. Damon was there holding her forehead as her body rid every drop of blood she had just drank.
“Easy darlin.” Damon eased her back so she could sit down then went to get her a wet cloth. When he came back Nicole had her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. He knelt down beside her. “Hey, what's this?” He tilted her face up with both hands catching the tears with his thumb.
“I can't do this Damon.” Nicole hiccupped as more tears fell. God, she hated crying. “Some vampire I'll make. I can't even stomach what I need to live on. The only thing I can really live on.” She jerked away from him and stood on shaky legs.
“Did I just hear you say you couldn't do something?” Damon teased, trying to get her back on track. An emotional, slash hungry new vampire was a ticking time bomb.
“Yeah, you did.” Nicole frowned, then wiped her eyes looking in the mirror at her blood streaked face. Even knowing vampires cried blood the sight of it running down her pale face caused her to fold into herself and slide to the floor. “Oh God, you should have just let me die.”
Damon reached down picking her up into his arms before sitting on the bed. He cradled her close. “I couldn't.”
Nicole sniffed peeking up at him. “Why Damon? I know how you felt about changing me.”
“I couldn't lose you Nicole. There was no thought to it.” Damon held her tight then hooked a finger under her chin lifting her face closer to his. “And while we are on the subject if you ever, and I mean ever, do something like you did by hurting yourself I will blister that cute little ass. You got it?”
“Well, I couldn't lose you either so I did what I had to do.” Nicole argued her point then decided to take a chance....again. “I love you Damon.”
Damon closed his eyes tightly and when they opened they were brimming. “And I love you, my little vamp.” He bent to kiss her, but she pulled away.
“Really?” She looked shocked yet hopeful.
“As you know, I am not a man of many words so when I do say something I mean it.” Damon growled. “Now if you will agree I think it’s time I make you my mate. I think you can take your blood from me if you agree to become my mate.”
Happiness like she had never known zinged through her body. She straddled him more than willingly to take his blood if it would mean they would be together forever. Her love for this vampire so great. Suddenly a horrible thought crashed into her mind. She pushed him away. “Oh my God, Pam!” Nicole struggled to get away. In all of this she had forgotten about Pam.
“Is fine and will be fine.” Damon growled grabbing for Nicole. “You know I fell in love with you the first time I watched you put others before your needs. I have never seen anything like it. But now it's just pissing me off.”
“She's really okay.” Nicole leaned a little closer.
“Yes, she really is.” Damon sighed, reaching up kissing her neck as he ran his fangs along the side of her neck. His hands were doing some roaming of their own. “If you really want to see her we can go and take care of us later.” He finished that statement with his tongue demanding entrance into her soft mouth.
Nicole was so lost in the kiss she kept following as he pulled away. Nicole pushed him back down. She would call Pam first thing in the morning. Hell, they might not ever make it out of this room. Now that she had him she didn't want to share.
A loud knocking broke their silence. “Damon, everything okay?” Jared's voice came through the door loud and strong.
“I am going to kill him.” Damon groaned. “We are not leaving this room until you are my mate.”
Nicole giggled at the pained expression on Damon's face when Jared knocked again. Then both Nicole and Damon looked toward the door shouting, “Go away!” Damon added, “Don't come back!”
Jared laughed from the other side of the door. “Glad to have ya back Nicole.” Jared called out. “If you need anything...anything at all just let me know. My blood is yours if you need it. Glad to have ya in the vamp family babe.”
Damon sat up grabbing the lamp off the table next to the bed and threw it. Nicole watched in horror as it splintered into a million pieces. “Go the f*ck away Jared.” Damon roared glaring at the door. “And if you ever offer my mate your blood again I will kill you slowly.”
“Well hell, congrats.” Jared hollered back, a smile in his voice. “It's about time cause I was about ready to steal her away from your slow dumb ass.” Jared footsteps stomped away from the door.
“I am really going to kill him.” Damon rubbed his eyes laying back on the bed.
Nicole laughed and kissed his cheek. “No one can steal me away from you ever. So let's make this official before someone else comes by.”
Damon growled as he pulled her under him. “Thank you.” He peered down into her eyes.
“For what?” Nicole was confused.
“For loving me.” Damon looked slightly embarrassed at his own words.
“You're welcome vamp.” Nicole smiled, nuzzling his neck. “Oh, and you owe another dollar to the jar.”