"Let him stay with me," Jim said. "I'll take care of him."
So I did. I went to my room next door and waited. Waited for the change to come upon me. I cried silently as the glossy fur appeared and my fingers became claws. I cried for William, for Heather, for myself and the responsibility that was now on my shoulders. I stayed in silence for hours just waiting. Close to sunrise I heard the door to Heather's room open and close and through the small opening in my door I spotted Jim walk slowly down the stairs.
It was now or never, I thought. I slid my slim body through the door that was ajar and padded into Heather's room. William had fallen asleep and was lying stretched out on two chairs. I could hear Jim in the kitchen.
If I had any thoughts at that moment I didn't know what they were. I walked towards Heather steadily, steadfast and determined like never before. I drew closer until we were as near to each other as we had been only when we had been together as a couple. Her eyes rolled in her sleep. Then she coughed, her pulse beating faster in her throat. She was suffocating; blood came out of her mouth, coming from her lungs that were overflowing. She was slipping now; gasping for breath, there was blood all over the covers. I stared while she struggled against agony and pain, fighting death. I was over her now. I watched her with my paws leaning on her. All my memories of her, of our marriage surrounded us, William’s birth, of the days before the drinking, of family trips, of happiness and joy. Then the hatred of all the pain she had caused me, the cruelty of her betrayal, the terror of what she was facing and then the strength.
I remembered all that as I slowly sunk my teeth into her throat. I felt her body stiffen and gasp as the saliva from my mouth ran into her aorta, straight into her veins and mixed with her blood. At the same moment I felt everything she had ever felt. The years of years of loneliness, the wasting away, the feeling of being inadequate as a mother, as a wife, the escape she had found in alcohol and pills, having meaningless sex with strange men in attempt to get back at me for never loving her properly. The yearning of trying to make me love her. The pain of the disease, her final enemy. I was groaning as I let my teeth stay inside of her throat feeling how the meeting with human blood caused both of us to tremble. Then I pulled them out.
She opened her eyes with a gasp and looked straight at me. For a moment she looked like she was in a place beyond pain and disease, beyond all the misery that this world contained. Then I heard her whisper my name. Her eyes were open but seemed blind. She was staring at me but didn't seem to really see me. Her lips were quivering.
I heard footsteps on the stairs. I had to think fast. So I left her. I ran towards the door, sneaked out and slid back into my own room. Outside my window the sun had lit the sky. Seconds later I changed back and climbed into bed feeling mentally exhausted, drained.
I couldn't have slept more than a few minutes before I heard the screaming. It was William. It came from Heather's room. Filled with terror I jumped out of the bed, threw on underwear and ran towards the sound. My heart pounding, terrified of what I was about to find.
But they weren't screams of horror I soon realized. It was pure joy. A song from his heart, from his happy soul.
"Look Far," he shrieked and ran towards me as I entered the bedroom. "She's awake. I told you she'd wake up, didn't I?"
Confused, I stared at Heather. Could it be? Her eyes were still open. Jim was holding her hand and was crying while stroking her cheek.
"It is true?" I asked him. I couldn't believe it.
He nodded. Heather turned her head and looked at me with a faint smile. Then she reached out her hand towards William. He ran to her and threw himself on her and hugged her.
"What does the doctor say?" I asked.
"I just called him," Jim answered. "He's on his way. Says it might only be temporarily. But she hasn't looked this good in weeks. Look she is even a little rosy on her cheek."
I looked into Heather's eyes. They were filled with life. New life. New hope and maybe, just maybe a future. I looked at her throat. The marks from the bite were almost gone. Just four small dots remained. I couldn't believe my own eyes. Had I really done this? Had the bite saved her? This fast?
"Isn't it great, Far?" William said.
I smiled and grabbed his hand. "Yes buddy. It really is."
"It's a miracle," Jim said. "That's what it is."
"It sure is," William said and hugged my hand. "Just like in the fairy-tales."
A few hours later the doctor came and looked at Heather. He established that somehow Heather's body had managed to fight back overnight and that the PCP was retreating. She had fought off the infection, and it looked like we had gained a little more time with her.
"For the time being," he said with a small nod and a smile.
Then he left.
Jim hugged me and William tightly.
"I don't know what happened here, but I am so grateful. You two are welcome here at any time to visit her from now on," he said and hugged us again.
We both felt terrific driving back home to our house where Aiyana and Luyu stood in the driveway waving at us as we drove up. I stopped the car and looked at those stunning creatures. I had no idea what the future would bring us, or for Heather and Jim. But I knew that if her blood didn't clog up like it had happened to Jim, if the fountain was well received in Heather's blood she would probably start feeling different soon like I had when Aiyana had bit me while saving me from the alligators. But if she was like me it would probably take ten years before she started changing. It would leave me plenty of time to figure out how to explain it to her.
I got out of the car. Aiyana ran towards me with her skirt fluttering in the wind. She threw her arms around my neck with a childlike laughter. Then she kissed me, tenderly, insisting, lovingly, demanding. I closed my eyes and enjoyed every second of this.
This was it. This was all I had ever dreamed of. I was going to enjoy every moment of it because I knew we were living on borrowed time.
But then again who isn't?
THE END
Books in English by the author:
- One, Two ... He is coming for you (Rebekka Frank #1)
http://www.amazon.com/One, two ...
- Three, Four ... better lock your door (Rebekka Franck #2)
http://www.amazon.com/Three, four
- Five, Six ... Grab your Crucifix (Rebekka Franck #3)
http://www.amazon.com/Five, six
- The eye of the Crystal ball
http://www.amazon.com/The Eye of the Crystal Ball
- Beyond - Afterlife #1 http://www.amazon.com/Beyond
- Serenity - Afterlife #2 http://www.amazon.com/Serenity
- Endurance - Afterlife #3 http://www.amazon.com/Endurance
- Savage - Daughters of the Jaguar #1
http://www.amazon.com/Savage
- Broken - Daughters of the Jaguar #2
http://www.amazon.com/Broken
About the Author:
Willow Rose writes Y/A, Paranormal Romance, suspense/horror and fantasy. Originally from Denmark she now lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. She is a huge fan of Anne Rice and Isabel Allende. When she is not writing or reading she enjoys watching the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Connect with Willow online:
http://www.willow-rose.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/willowredrose
https://twitter.com/madamwillowrose
Willow Rose, Broken
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