The Exchange

~

It was beyond stupid of me to walk home alone this late at night. I should have taken a cab. I would have been safe in my own bed by now if I had taken the ten bucks and called a cab. Now I was going to die, all alone in a dark alley.

It was strange. I should be in agony. Hell, I should be scared, but after the initial bite, my natural instincts to fight faded away. Was it really a vampire that killed me? He was still drinking my blood, but I stopped screaming a while ago and I was pretty sure I had to be hallucinating now. This kind of thing didn't happen...did it?

"Hey asshole!" I heard him bark in a super alpha male, totally pissed off tone. Everything was hazy and confusing, but the odd sensation at my neck suddenly ceased as my attacker lunged at the massive wall of tattooed muscle blocking the entrance to the alley.

"Feeding on a human like that will get you killed."

"Back off Brotherhood, she's mine!" my attacker hissed. He sounded like some strange perversion of human and animal but I was fading quickly and didn't really care.

"Wake up angel." I felt a sharp slap on my face. "Drink," he commanded. I opened my mouth and began to suck the warm, vibrant liquid that tasted like...pure life and it left my body humming and the fuzzy feeling in my head began to clear. I gasped when it all hit me; how close I came to dying just now.

"You'll be fine now angel," my savior whispered as he stood to his considerable height.

God he was beautiful.

"W-what happened?" I frowned as he helped me to my feet.

"You had a little accident and now we're going to walk back to your place. You're going to go to bed and you won't remember any of this in the morning; but you will never again attempt to walk home alone at night."

"Oh, okay." I smiled at the strong handsome man.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to remember why I was walking with this beautiful man.

"I am Niall, angel." He chuckled softly.

"Why did you call me angel? My name is Valerie."

"Well Valerie, you look like how I imagine an angel would look." He smiled, taking my small hand in his large one.

"Oh, that's sweet."

"Come on, let's get you home. You smell divine and I need to get far, far away from here before I do something incredibly stupid," he muttered softly.

"That's sad."

"What's sad?"

"You're leaving." I frowned, not sure why it struck me so hard that this total stranger was going to leave and I'd never see him again.

"You won't remember me angel," he whispered as he left me alone in my bedroom.

"How did I get here? I don't remember waking home?" I muttered as I dressed for bed, still feeling a little shaky. "I shouldn't do that anymore, I could get mugged or something. I should take a cab home when it's this late."

~

"Niall?" I whispered in confusion when I opened the door, expecting to see the repairman I called to fix my heat. Then it all came crashing back in a single instant. This was the man who saved me from the vampire that tried to kill me!

Why am I only just now remembering? Vampire? What the hell is going on?

"How did you do that Valerie?" He barked, stepping into my apartment uninvited. "How do you remember me angel?" he asked more gently.

"I-I don't know, it all just came back when I opened the door and saw you." I frowned, trying to make sense of things that couldn't possibly ever make sense.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come back to check on you, but I was worried."

"Niall? I am confused...very confused."

"You shouldn't remember me. Humans always forget us after we've gone, but it seemed to take longer for you than most.

Sometimes the memories come back and I just wanted to make sure you weren't freaking out."

"So you're a..." I trailed off, unable to say it aloud.

"Vampire? Yes." He frowned.

"And the one that attacked me?"

"Dead...very dead."

"Aren't you all dead?"

"No, there are all different kinds of vampires, some undead, some living like me, but it's not really important."

"You killed him then?" I frowned.

"Yes, he attacked you and that is a crime punishable by death."

"So you're what? Like a vampire cop or something?"

"Something like that, yes." He smiled. "I am an agent of the Brotherhood and it is my job to make sure none of my kind takes a human life, especially for the purposes of feeding."

He grimaced as if the idea was distasteful to him somehow.

"We need human blood to survive, but only enough to sustain us. A few sips here and there from a willing donor is all we need. What that animal did to you was unnecessary and a result of his own gluttony and lack of self control."

"Um-thank you, Niall," I said softly; painfully aware of how much I owed him.

"It is my job angel."

"I don't think it's your job to track me down days later to make sure I'm okay." I smiled.

"No it isn't, but I am glad to see you are fine."

"I don't have anyway to repay you for saving my life, but if you would like to...feed from me, that is the least I can do." I offered, feeling awkward that I couldn't do more.

"That...would be a very bad idea, angel," he said softly, his jaw clenching tightly as if he was having trouble restraining himself.

"Oh." I frowned, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Fuck," he gasped, taking a step back.

"Have I offended you in some way?" I frowned.

"No Valerie, you flatter me."

"My offer still stands." I insisted.

"You...have no idea what you are offering angel."

"Enlighten me."

"You smell positively...divine," he rasped, closing his eyes as he took another step back. "I don't think I could control myself."

"Oh—are you saying I would taste good?" I laughed.

"Valerie! I'm not talking about food!"

"Okay, I am confused again." I frowned at the flash of anger in his eyes. Wait, was it anger or...desire?"

"Most of the time with humans, it's about taking nourishment and moving on. With some...the blood is more potent and much more nourishing. You and I seem to have that connection required for a blood exchange...it wouldn't be about food with you angel, it would be much more intimate," he whispered, taking a step forward. "It would be about me, taking sustenance from your body, sustenance that would strengthen me far more than mere blood; but it would also be about...pleasure, for us both."

"It would be sexual?" I asked, my voice a low rasp.

"Yes angel."

"Um—" Holy, hell I'm about to do this! "T-that would be fine by me," I whispered, my face going scarlet.

"Valerie...the way you flush, your skin becoming red with blood...it's intoxicating; but I cannot accept your kind offer."

"Oh, I see." Jeeze Valerie, what are you doing throwing yourself at this man you hardly know?

"No angel." He smiled. "You are beautiful and I want you very badly, but you don't owe me anything. I won't take advantage of you like that. I'm going to leave and you'll forget me and this time I won't come back to bother you."

He turned to go and I fought the urge to forget.

"No! Niall, don't go!"

"You are a rare woman Valerie." He sighed softly.

"Please stay with me?"

"Why?"

"I want you. You are beautiful and kind...and I do want to thank you, but I also want to know what it feels like to have you feed from me...while you're deep inside me." I don't know where the words came from, but something I said broke his resolve and I was suddenly in his arms and I'd never felt safer, nor more terrified at the same time...terrified that he would love me and leave me and I would forget again.

I'm not sure how we made it into my bedroom, but I already knew he was incredibly strong and fast.

"Angel, you scent is intoxicating!" He groaned, burying his

nose in my hair.

I tensed at the thought, not sure if he meant my scent was like a sexy perfume or 'yum you smell like cheeseburgers.'

"Relax Valerie, I'm not going to devour you, not yet anyway."

He chuckled softly, his lips brushing against mine as his hands caressed my body. "You smell like...fresh flowers just after a spring rain...and sweet, crisp cool wine."

Oh, well that's kind of awesome. I can get on board with that.

"Niall?"

"Yes angel?" he asked, his large hands holding me against him.

"Please?" I gasped, not sure what I needed.

"Deep breaths Valerie," he murmured softly, quickly removing my clothes. I frowned, but his clothes had already joined mine on the floor.

He was breathtaking. He stood well over six feet tall, with strong, wide shoulders and narrow hips and a shock of blonde hair that fell in loose careless waves around his face. His piercing blue eyes had me mesmerized, but his hands on my body had my skin singing to his touch. I clutched at his strong shoulders, tattooed with designs that appeared to be Nordic, possibly some ancient Viking symbols that had long lost their meaning. My eyes devoured his beautiful body and the long hard shaft standing erect just for me.

He waited, watching me as I took slow steady breaths. Something about being this close to him left me unsteady, but I wanted more. I stepped into his arms and his lips crushed mine and I was suddenly more aroused than I could ever remember being.

We tumbled back onto the bed and I clutched him tightly. His kiss was demanding and needy and I responded in kind, nipping at his lower lip when he pulled away to trail searing hot kisses down my throat.

I felt two hard points scrape down my throat.

Fangs? Holy fuck!

"Relax angel, I am not going to hurt you. I only want to bring you pleasure." He continued trailing kisses down my body, his tongue darting out to taste my salty skin until he reached the juncture of my thighs and his tongue flicked between my wet folds and my hips bucked in response.

"Angel." He sighed, burying his face between my legs, tasting me in one long lick from my entrance back up to my clit.

"Niall!" I gasped as he continued to kiss me in the most intimate way until my body exploded in pleasure and I quaked under him, not sure if I could take anymore.

"Valerie," he whispered as he slid up my body burying his long hard cock deep inside me just as the last tremors of my orgasm faded only to come crashing over me once again.

I moaned shamelessly, flexing my hips against him, begging for more. He moved inside me with long hard, desperate strokes, his nose buried in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent.

I wasn't prepared for the pleasure-pain of his fangs, sinking into the tender flesh of my throat; but it was the most exquisite sensation I'd ever experienced.

He groaned in pleasure, his cock leaping inside me as he suckled at my neck, drawing my blood into his mouth, taking sustenance from my body. It was a heady sensation, one I never wanted to give up. His hands continued to wander across my body as his thrusting grew harder and faster, taking his time feeding from me.

"I've never tasted anything so sweet, so fulfilling in all my life. Angel, you taste like...pure life," he whispered reverently and I recalled thinking the same about his blood.

"Drink from me Valerie, please?" he moaned, biting at his wrist to open a vein as his pace began to slow.

His blood dripped into my mouth and I was suddenly clutching his wrist to my lips, drawing in the sweet taste of him as he moved inside me.

I moaned loudly, taking all he had to give me. His blood, his hard length inside me, it was heaven.

"Fuck, Valerie!" he moaned again and I was suddenly on all fours as he was pounding into me relentlessly. I had no control as my orgasm swept over me and I threw my head back and arched into his thrusts, calling his name. I lost count of how many times he made me come, over and over until he spilled inside me with a load moan and my name on his lips.

I collapsed in a sweaty heap, murmuring unintelligible thanks, curling into his side.

"Sleep angel," he murmured. "Sleep and when you wake you won't remember me, but I will never forget you."

No, don't make me forget! I don't want to forget!

I woke the following morning feeling incredibly sad and more than a little sore and as the days passed, I began to remember hazy flashbacks of my night with Niall. At first I thought I was remembering a dream and then it all came back to me. I had to find him, but I didn't know where to look.

The only way I knew I would find him was to repeat the way we met in the first place and that meant risking my life, which I was prepared to do. I didn't know much about him, but I knew I loved him, or I would if he'd give me a chance.

I began walking home late in the evenings, taking a more dangerous route through a bad neighborhood, venturing back down that alley where we first met.

After the third night, I knew he was following me at a discrete distance. I could feel something warm rising within me and I knew it was his blood still pumping through my veins. It left me tingling in anticipation, but he refused to show himself.

"I know you can hear me Niall," I called softly into the night, hoping he really could. "I won't stop until someone attacks me and you are forced to come to my rescue again. I didn't forget...I couldn't forget."

"Dammit Valerie," I heard him curse among the shadows.

"Why do you keep leaving me?" I whispered.

"I do not deserve you." I heard his voice, but I still couldn't see him.

"Says who?"

"Trust me, I am not worthy."

"I do trust you, but not in this." I frowned. "Don't you think it's my decision to make?"

"I mislead you angel," he said, materializing in front of me.

"How so?"

"I let you drink from me twice without telling you what it could mean," he said, his voice filled with anguish.

"So, tell me now." I shrugged.

"The first time you drank from me it was to save your life. The second time was for my pleasure and I didn't stop to think before I allowed it."

"I seem to recall rather enjoying that part myself." I smiled.

"If we were to exchange blood once more, you would become like me!"

"I don't see how that could be such a bad thing." I frowned.

"You do not want this life...I was born to it but I won't bring you into it if I can help it." He hung his head and his shoulders drooped.

"If you were to feed from me again, would that turn me?" I asked.

"No."

"If I were to feed from you, would that turn me?"

"No."

"But if we feed from each other at the same time, that will change me?"

"Yes."

"I see. It seems simple enough to me." I shrugged.

"How is this simple?" He groaned in frustration.

"I won't lie and say I didn't enjoy the blood exchange, but I could live without it."

"You say that now angel, but it's so easy to get carried away." He frowned, reaching for my hand.

"I am a grown woman and I say it's worth the risk. For now you may feed from me any time you like, but I will refrain from your blood if it makes you feel better."

"I...don't know angel, it's too risky."

"Then educate me!" I insisted. "Teach me what it means to become like you and then let me make that decision for myself."

"I can't say no to you." He finally sighed in defeat.

"Niall?"

"Yes angel?"

"Take me home and love me?" I asked.

"Come," he whispered and I don't know how he did it, but in the blink of an eye we were in my room and he had me naked and quivering beneath him.

I moaned in ecstasy as he entered me slowly, stretching me, filling me with his hard length. My nails scraped across his back and I wrapped my legs around him as he moved inside me, his lips never leaving mine.

He loved me that way for a long time, slow, sweet torture as he filled me, only to withdraw and fill me again and again.

He rolled over until I rested on top of him and his large hands nearly spanned my waist as I began to ride him.

"Sweet angel, you feel so good," he moaned and I flexed my hips, resting my palms on his massive chest as I threw my head back and we came together in complete abandon.

I woke hours later and he was gone. The empty space beside me was cool to the touch, but I still remembered.

"I'm still here angel." He smiled, entering my room with two wine glasses and a bowl of strawberries.

"I don't eat human food, but I can enjoy wine with my girl.

It isn't as sweet at your fragrant vintage, but it will do." He winked playfully.

"I thought you left!" I smiled, so happy he was still beside me.

"I won't leave you again angel, I don't think I'd survive it."

I knew he would turn me eventually and somehow that thought didn't frighten me as it probably should. We belonged together.

~