Blood Moon Ch. 07

Lihue, Kauai

2007

Elizabeth tried not to cringe as two little brats ran past her, almost knocking her over. The non-apologetic mother shouted for her hellions to stop running around, but then went right back to her conversation with her friend. With her stack of books, Elizabeth renewed her energy to get to the registers ASAP. Be it this island only had one respectable bookstore and even at that, it was a poor excuse of a Borders bookstore in her opinion. The sooner she could pay for her books and get out of there, the better.

She thought she heard someone calling her name, but that was impossible. She did not know anyone on this tiny, boring island. Of course to prove her wrong, the Fates threw in someone who did happen to know her. Pasting on a smile, Elizabeth turned towards the person. The smile fell off her lips as she recognized that delicious human she wanted to take a bite out of for the past few weeks.

"I thought that was you. Whoa, lots of books you have there. Here let me help. Heading towards check out?" Keo took a step forward to help Elizabeth with her books. She immediately pulled away from him and ended up bumping into the table behind her and dropping everything in her arms. "Damn, sorry." He apologized and bent down to help her pick up her books.

Scanning the cover of one of the books, surprise claimed his features when Elizabeth snapped it out of his hands. He expected one of two faces when he looked up at her. There were two expressions he knew her to wear; one of polite reserve and the other of indifference. Honestly, he didn't find anything wrong with books on sexual positions. Women who wanted to try new things were fucking hot in his opinion. However, he held his hands up in mock surrender as she collected her books. He glanced at her face and she wore an expression which intrigued him. She actually looked a bit embarrassed.

He decided not to comment and instead caught a few more titles. Some were about the best positions for conception and diets that would increase fertility. Now curiosity stirred and curiosity always got him into fun filled trouble. As far as he knew, she wasn't in Hawaii with anyone. Then again maybe she and her significant other just did their own thing during the day.

It happened to be afternoon now, but with the grey clouds not looking to be lightening up anytime soon, it could have been anyone's guess as to whether it was seven AM or five PM. Keo remained silent as Elizabeth straightened and without a word started to walk off. She did pause to murmur an apology and a couple words of thanks before she continued on to the registers.

Keo would have to ask his sister what was up with her friend's friend. As it was, Casey refused to acknowledge Elizabeth as her friend, but referred to the woman as Lilith's friend. He'd bother his baby sister later though. He told her that he would be home later that evening, since he assumed Rowan stayed over. Keo figured the two wanted some privacy. And with the short text reply he got back from Casey, he could only assume she was...busy.

Lilith was so exhausted that she almost didn't register Derek behind her. He was pushing up against her, her bottom rubbing against his erection. If she wasn't so tired, she would have mumbled 'not again'. Too late. His hand reached over her hip and skimmed down her stomach to between her legs. She shifted slightly with a sigh as he started to play with her clit. Her body woke up even though she could sleep for a week.

"Derek..." Lilith trailed off as he dipped his head and started to nibble on her neck. Her body ached just from the shifting she did so he had better access. He murmured a guiltless 'hm?' against her neck as he continued with his lazy strokes.

His cock hot and hard against her butt, tempted Lilith to wiggle just a little. Although Derek was also exhausted, the moment his mind became aware of Lilith beside him, he wanted her, needed her.

When he kicked Kat out the day before, she had furiously slammed on his door until finally giving up. The woman still had her pride to think about. Not that Derek had listened two seconds to her cussing and threats. The moment he kicked Kat out, Derek pulled Lilith into his arms and they tore at each other's clothes. Hell, they had been ripping clothes off each other in the hallway where Katarina found them dry humping. He had taken the opportunity to rush back into the suite and shut the door in Katarina's face.

When undressed, he suddenly remembered his scars. It wasn't something that he went out of his way to cover up, but neither did he want Lilith to feel guilty. Back in Seattle, she had kept her eyes shut the whole time so didn't notice all the old wounds that covered Derek's body. She touched the whip lashes and carved skin on his back so gently before she kissed each spot her fingers trailed over. When he turned to face her, her eyes watered when she saw more scars and burn marks on his front.

Derek had pulled Lilith into his arms and tried to joke that the gruesome sight must turn her off. He hadn't expected her to scold him for saying such a thing. Her lips trembled as she looked into his eyes and told him that he would always be the most beautiful man to her. The sincerity branded him and he couldn't help himself any longer. He snatched her up and headed to the bedroom.

He lost count how many times he found bliss in Lilith's tight body and how many times she came with that adorable gasp as if he stole her breath away. They tried to rest, but closing their eyes for only an hour, Derek couldn't help himself as he slipped his fingers into her slickness after teasing her little nub. Her legs parted slightly and Derek pushed two fingers into her, loving the way her body welcomed him. This was a good angle to hit Lilith's g-spot as Derek had found out the day before.

"That's it baby. Just feel." He whispered against her ear before biting the lobe gently. "No, not yet." He told her and eased up the pressure, getting a small mewl of disappointment from Lilith.

She was rocking to his fingers now, so sensitive from her previous orgasms. He was still deciding how he wanted her to come...riding his fingers hard and fast, or letting a climax wash over her and fill her. They experimented with all sorts of ways after the first several fucks. Fucks would be rather appropriate to call those since there was no tenderness involved, just a desperate, all consuming need to reach satisfaction.

The tenderness came later when they were both so well sated that they wanted to take their time exploring each other's bodies. He learned so much about Lilith's likes and dislikes. She was a goner when it came to oral sex and Derek learned that anytime he should ask something of her, he should do it with his face between her legs. She was much more agreeable that way.

Lilith's body hummed and even though she wanted to sleep, she found herself riding Derek's fingers, gasping and moaning when he hit that spot inside of her that made her whole body tingle. "Roderick, oh gods...yes, right there." She moaned, her body clenching down on his fingers. "Please," she whispered as she knew he would have backed off again until she settled down only to build her back up.

Thankfully he was merciful this time and moved his fingers even faster. Lilith lifted her leg and bent her knee so Derek could move his fingers in and out of her with ease. Reaching up, Lilith threaded her fingers through Derek's hair and tugged as that pressure started to grow in her. She rolled her hips and moaned loudly. When she snapped, she swore her vision blurred a bit. Her heart pouned in her ears and Lilith faintly heard Derek chuckle for her to breathe. Not realizing she had been holding her breath, Lilith inhaled deeply, pleasure just flooding through her all over again.

"You are going to kill me." She managed to gasp out. If she had the energy, she would have smacked Derek for his laughing reply that he hoped not.

Lilith felt that slickness between her legs when he removed his fingers and brought them to her mouth. Opening her mouth, Lilith sucked her juices off his fingers and mustered up the energy to turn to her side so she faced him. As she tilted her face for a kiss, he was already lowering his head and pulling her leg over his hip.

Moaning into their kiss when he thrust into her, Lilith dug her nails into his arm as he started to move in her with long, delicious strokes. Soon her movements matched his and Derek rolled onto his back, holding Lilith close so he was still deep inside of her. She blinked down at him as she found herself on top in a straddle position.

She thought about making him beg, but his body was so tense and those groans of his were enough payment...ohhh and not to mention his fingers now on her breasts, kneading the mounds and pinching at her nipples. Lilith placed both hands on his abdomen as she tucked her legs under her. Her head fell back as she lifted off of him and quickly sank back down. They both shared a pleasured filled groan before she did it again, over and over until they were both crying out in a shared orgasm. Damn, it was going to be a long three days, but she wasn't going to complain one bit.

Several days later...

Casey flipped the page in the illustrated edition of sexual positions and frowned. How in the hell did that work? She tilted her head subtly in case someone walked in on her and figured out she couldn't make heads or tails of the position. Pun intended. With her head slightly tilted to the right, suddenly the picture made sense. She jumped and slammed the book shut when her brother walked into living room.

"Geeze, you're like a ninja." She told her brother who laughed that she was just oblivious. Her brother looked at the book in her lap curiously. "Elizabeth dropped it off along with a bunch of other books. All the books are for Lilith." She quickly explained.

Casey hadn't seen Lilith in five days. They communicated through scant texts sent and received at all hours of the day and night until Lilith's cell died. Then Lilith would call from the hotel phone. As it happened to be, Casey was well aware that Lilith was having the time of her life and that Lilith and Derek probably made sex an Olympic sport by now.

Elizabeth had been almost giddy when she stopped by a couple days ago to say she had books for Lilith, only to find out Lilith and Derek were holed up at his hotel room for the past two days already. Casey never got how Elizabeth knew to stop by when Keo wasn't around. Her brother had no idea about this supernatural/paranormal stuff and Casey kind of wished she didn't know either.

Rowan left the morning after that failure of a night, as soon as the rain let up. She hadn't heard any car pull in so she figured he walked. Where he walked off to, she didn't know and told herself that she didn't care. Surely he planned to stay away from the suite he shared with his brother seeing as a sex marathon was going on over there. Still frustrated with the whole thing, she grew even more irritated with herself for being upset in the first place.

She had replayed their last encounter so many times that it was stamped into her memory. Sometimes she'd change it up. Sometimes in the replay she recalled she didn't tell him she about her virginity and they made love. He would be too gone in his desire to notice. Casey couldn't tell if she was more annoyed with him or herself.

Letting out a frustrated breath, she looked up to find her brother looking over at her. "What?" She snapped and instantly regretted that. Not only did her brother not deserve that tone, but now he would pester her about what had her in such a bad mood. "Sorry, Keo. It's not you...I've been in feeling bitchy for the past several days. I'm sure I'm going to get over it soon."

Keo was shocked at Casey being all touchy just because he stared at her. "A broken heart takes awhile to get over, baby sis." He gave her a small smile as her grimace softened into a sad pout. Opening him arms, Keo motioned for her to join him on the loveseat. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "I haven't seen Rowan around in days so I knew something was up." He whispered against her hair. "It's okay, Casey. You'll get over him, time heals."

Casey sighed deeply and nodded. "I know it does. I didn't even know him that long. I think it's just my ego talking. Rejection is a hard pill to swallow." She replied sadly and cuddled to her brother. They were pretty close and she had to admit she had a cool brother. He gave sound advice and wasn't the type to get all overbearing and protective like their father when she had boyfriends. Then again, Rowan wasn't even a boyfriend.

"I am taking it that those books aren't helping either." He teased lightly and indicated at the book she had been perusing. Chuckling when she jabbed him, Keo quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry. Though that answers some questions and brings up double as many." He muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Casey asked as she pulled back and peered at her brother curiously.

Keo paused and figured he may as well tell Casey. Since she was in a bad mood when he got home several nights ago, he decided not to bring up Elizabeth just then. The last thing Casey would have wanted to hear would be something about Elizabeth. That would have put his sister on tilt no doubt.

"Well, I went to Starbucks a few days ago...the one connected to Borders, not the one at the mall...anyways, I bumped into Elizabeth there. She was buying all these books and I was curious what they were for. That was answered when all those books ended up here for Lilith. Now I'm curious why she's buying Lilith these books." Keo answered as nonchalantly as he knew how. If he sounded too interested, Casey would pick up on it.

Casey shrugged. "I told you. She's a crazy ass bitch. Further proof the woman is nuts." She said half-serious. "Let's leave it at Elizabeth is helping Lilith and Derek have a baby. The way things are going, I'd be shocked she isn't pregnant by now." Casey said a bit glumly at the thought of anyone having a way better time than her.

"Whoa, hold up. Derek that was here about two weeks ago and there was that weird moment where everyone stopped talking when I walked in? He and Lilith went on a date several nights ago and now they're trying to have a baby?" He laughed a little. "You always made interesting friends." He told his sister, almost choking on his laughter.

"There is a lot of history between those two. I guess they decided to reconnect." Casey shrugged as she tried to play it off as a minor thing.

She spoke to Lilith about having a child with Derek to make sure that was what Lilith wanted. Lilith said at first she wanted nothing to do with Elizabeth's theoretical experiment. Then from observing Keo and Casey, Lilith had decided that the beauty of life was the possibility of death. Those little moments were important because of the frailty of life. So many suffered already and Lilith wanted to put an end to it. Casey suspected that Lilith's son had a great deal to do with Lilith's decision. Lilith thought life was precious and the ridiculous on-going war between the vampires and the werewolves involved unnecessary bloodshed.

"Well there was definitely a lot of tension between the two." Keo agreed as he released Casey and she pulled her knees to her chest and stayed seated beside him. "Should we expect to see her sometime soon?" He grinned at Casey who reluctantly grinned back as she replied she doubted it.

Hanalei

Pushing away from her desk, Elizabeth pulled off her safety glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. Although vampires rarely succumb to those ailments that troubled humans, she found herself prone to headaches. She glanced back down at the hand she had been dissecting to study the wound that had been healing before the person died of a heart attack.

The more she could link vampire, werewolf, and human genetics, the closer she got at finding a cure for both species. Try as she might on the dissection, her mind was elsewhere...like that stupid curse. The curse was so old and distorted that Elizabeth had no idea if her theory would work, but it was worth trying than wondering. She believed in a nice balance between science and superstition. The ancient prophecy told to her by her father and uncle dictated that there would be two brothers who were to fulfill the second part of the divination. Even a damned 'sorceress' predicted Lilith's coming.

The ambiguity of the lore worried her. She wasn't sure if the curse would be lifted the moment a boy was conceived or born. She didn't know if the child had to reach puberty or if the key to unlocking a cure was in his DNA and she had to do further research. It was all just so vague and Elizabeth hated not knowing what to expect.

"I need a break." She muttered and stood. After putting things away, Elizabeth climbed the stairs and opened the door that led from her temporary lab to the hallway of the house she purchased. She had refused to live in a hotel for the duration of her stay.

It was after 2AM. Elizabeth didn't even make a sound as she glided over the koa wood floor boards. Flicking the bathroom light on, Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror and looked at her tired reflection. She hadn't fed in awhile and it was beginning to show. She also needed another skin graphing soon. This Hawaiian sun damaged her new skin faster than it could repair.

As she looked at her reflection, Elizabeth started running data through her head.

There was a scientific explanation why they never aged. Autophagy, which was a type of programmed cell death, was suppressed by the vampire virus. This led to why vampires drank blood and why from the neck. The virus was fueled by oxygen and the oxygen in one's body did not come solely from breathing. Oxygen was absorbed through what one ate and drank. Since the lungs no longer worked properly, breathing wasn't even an option of nourishment. The body focused so much on the repression of programmed cell death that not even one's digestive track worked very well. Digesting food became more of a stomachache than sustenance as well. The least painful way for a vampire to get his dose of oxygen came from liquids. Nothing was as oxygen rich as blood taken from the neck where oxygenated blood went from the heart to the rest of the body.

She had yet to understand the body's amazing way to heal so quickly. So far she likened it to the healing abilities sharks possessed...but faster...much faster. It did explain why she could be out and about after an entire skin graph in just a week. And that brought up another point that the gases trapped in the skin made vampires so flammable. Then there were those psychic gifts she possessed that had no definite scientific explanation yet. Maybe something linked her brainwaves with another...

She stopped, uncertain as to why she ran all the data in her head. The facts weren't very reassuring. It all just supported her reasoning that a cure for vampirism would be found in the genetic makeup of this miracle child of Lilith and Derek. What she hadn't figured out was how this 'curse' came to be and why vampires and werewolves seemed connected. Perhaps something in werewolf DNA cancelled out the vampire virus.

Not being as knowledgeable about lycan DNA came from lack of resources to study more than anything. Both vampires and werewolves did well to hide in their secret societies and to blend with the humans. Most of them didn't even want to be involved in the war.

A painful tightening in her stomach pulled Elizabeth from her thoughts. She ran out of the O2 pills that barely kept her from starving. Feeding off a live host was such a messy thing and she didn't particularly like the idea of consuming someone's bodily fluids. However, she did not have much of a choice since her production had been slowed by the recent attacks made by vampires who didn't want an alternative. Those were the abominations that preferred to feed off of humans and did not believe there should be a cure to vampirism.