A vampire's Choice
Chapter 16

Strong hands grasped her upper arms, shaking lightly. The darkness that had shrouded her slumber pulled back as light burst through the slits of her eyes. Lisa's shot up in bed, blinked profusely to adjust to the room. The hands on her moved away as Micheal stepped back, waiting for Lisa to become aware. Seconds pass as she looked confusedly around the room, her hair in a tangled mess, framing her face and making it look like a wild animal. Micheal bit back the laugh he wanted to let out at the sight of her since what would follow next would not be pleasant for anyone in the house.

As her eyes adjusted to the room, Lisa spotted the loyal servant standing next to the bed, his face void of the usual smile. She felt disoriented, glancing around the room, wondering what the time was. The curtains were still open from the morning, but only nighttime shone through. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Lisa flung her legs over the bed, sitting straight.

"What time is it?" She groggily asked.

Without looking at his watch, Micheal replied, "It is three o clock."

Lisa's head shot in his direction, "In the morning. Why would you wake me up? I am going back to sleep." Moving to lay back down, Micheal jumped forward with his hand stretched out, trying to stop her, but Lisa noticed a look on his face and stopped herself.

"Roger needs to see you immediately."

Her eyebrows turned up in confusion as her mouth dropped open. Just because he saved her does not mean he can boss her around whenever he wants. "Tell your boss I will meet him at his office," Lisa emphasized these words by leaving a pause. "In. The. Morning."

"Unfortunately, that is not possible. It would be best for both of us to follow his demands." Micheal bustled around the room, heading first to the closet and removing clothes.

"Forget about it..." Lisa had planned to give him a piece of his mind as she stood up but faltered as Micheal interrupted her.

"It is about your friend." Then, without glancing at her, he focused on stuffing clothes in a bag left inside.

"Sam." Lisa shot towards Micheal, grabbing his arm to draw his attention.

When Micheal finally looked at her, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Yes, but I cannot explain. Please put these on," he thrust random clothes into her arms, " and meet me outside in the corridor."

Micheal left Lisa standing bewildered with the bag full as he fled the room and closed the door for privacy. The second the latch clicked, Lisa sprung into action. Her current outfit was crusty, the chlorine from the pool sticking to her skin. A shower would be excellent now, but this matter concerned her friend, so the quicker she moved, the faster she could learn what was wrong. But as she dressed, scenarios popped up. Was Sam's body missing? Did the cops show up before Micheal? What could be wrong?

The sneakers next to the closet were a mission to put on, and Lisa screamed at annoyance, part of it directed at Roger. How dare he wake her in the middle of the night while asleep, tell her there is a problem with her friend? Sure, Micheal gave the news, but he was only the bearer. The vampire was the true mastermind. With the shoes finally on, Lisa hurried to the door and threw it open. Micheal leaned against the wall with the bag clutched in his hands.

"Let's go," Lisa announced.

The walk towards Roger's office felt like it took forever, and seconds later, Lisa realized why. The corridor they were in did not lead to the office or the kitchen. No, this was a new part of the house she is yet to see. Stairs stood at the end, and Lisa followed Micheal as they went down and swerved to the left. Lights were minimal in this part, making her almost fall into a wall as she had practically jumped down the steps. A minute later, Micheal stopped before a closed door. Lisa moved to the opposite side, keeping her eyes glued to him. He did not acknowledge her as he reached to open the door. It swung outwards, hiding Micheal behind it. Another pair of stairs sat inside, and when Lisa bend to look down, a dark silhouette stood out. The outline was tall with broad shoulders, and only one man she knew looked that good: Roger.

"Please follow me." His deep voice drifted up.

The sight of Roger made her uncertainty disappear, so she followed him down the darkened path, no questions asked. Lisa kept her eyes glued on his figure while she made her way down, only breaking contact as Roger turned his back to her, opening a steel door. Curiosity piqued, but she knew well to keep quiet, silently watching the door pulled open and his body blocking the view to inside. Thinking he would step inside, Lisa moved forward, only to bump into a solid chest as he turned around. Strong hands grasped her middle, pulling her in. Muscles strained beneath Lisa's fingers as she rested her palm on his chest, hating that a piece of material stood between her and his luxurious skin. Breathing deeply, her eyes slowly traveled up his body before resting on his pale eyes and skin.

Roger bit back the urge to bend his neck and recapture those soft, delicious lips, eager to hear her moan against him. The only thing stopping him was her dead friend's body inside the room and instructions to meet with the Alphas of two packs. The hands on her waist softly pushed her back, leaving a cold feeling where her hands were as they dropped to her side. Roger saw the hurt in her eyes, the rejection she must feel, but he knew as soon as he informed her why they were down here, Lisa would sober up and regret her feelings.

"Micheal was able to fulfill your request,” Roger began, keeping a solid hold of her gaze, the need to see her reaction significant. "Behind me is your friend. We managed to clean her up and make her presentable. I asked you here to learn what you wish to do with her remains. Just know that I will assist with anything you might need."

Lisa felt the color drain from her face, and her heart drop as she listened to him speak. In their recent time together, with the adventure in the pool, she had forgotten about her friend, making her feel horrible. The rest of his words blurred out as she focused on Sam, pushing Roger's big frame out of the way to go and see her.

Roger allowed her to pass as she shoved him to the side, knowing he could quickly stop her, but this was too important.

A lone light cast eerie darkness over the room, the steel walls keeping it chilled and making Lisa shiver as she entered. In the room sat a metal table, on top a white sheet with an unusual shape beneath it. At sight, Lisa slowed her steps, inches closer at a snail's pace. The image of Sam with her throat ripped out would forever be sketched in her mind. But would seeing her now make it worse? Reaching out slowly to grab the sheet, Lisa bunched it in her hand as she counted to three before gradually pulling it back. Dark hair sprung out first; the lack of light making it seem almost black; followed by a forehead. Lisa's breath hitch as she hoped her eyes would not be open, but luckily it was revealed to be closed the more the sheet moved lower. Lisa finally revealed her best friend's peaceful sleeping features, but it was all since Roger took hold of Lisa's hand as she tried to pull the sheet lower.

"I do not think it is a good idea,” a voice whispered next to her.

Keeping her eyes glued to her friend's, Lisa leaned into Roger as he stood next to her, his arms wrapping around her shoulder. Silence washed the room as she watched her friend and Roger watching Lisa.

"How would you like to proceed?"

Lisa broke eye contact with Sam, turning her head slightly up to look at Roger.

He did not know what to expect, maybe tears, but not the look she had. "We also joked around about what we would do if the other one died before us. It was innocent at the time, neither of us taking it seriously. Until now." With a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder and a slight smile, Roger urged her on.

Turning back to the table as she stepped away from Roger, Lisa let go of the sheet and gently placed her hand on Sam's cheek. "Cremated." She said, "Sam always joked about being buried was weird, since who wanted their corpse to be in the ground, eaten by bugs and then maybe dug up in a hundred years." A small chuckle escaped. “No, she wants to be cremated and then scattered to the winds, just like the free spirit she was." Leaning down, Lisa planted a light kiss on Sam's cold forehead, whispered a few words under her breath, then stood up.

One of the bad qualities of being a vampire is refined hearing. It comes in handy, but not in personal situations like this. So, to try and give her some space, Roger focused his attention on the beating of her heart while trying not to listen. It had succeeded as he watched her stand back up and pull the sheet over her face. Lisa turned to look at him, and he saw a single tear slowly roll over her cheek. Then, on instinct, a finger shot out as he captured the liquid before it dropped to the ground. The quick touch sends electricity shooting up his palm, a feeling he came to crave. By the sharp 'o' coming from Lisa, he knew she also had the same reaction to his touch.

"So... uh... when will it be arranged?" Lisa needed to break the tension building between them.

Dropping his hand, Roger turned to leave the room, slowly making his way to the entrance and stepping to the side. "It will be arranged immediately. The utmost care will be given to her."

Lisa also followed him, stepping outside, and turned to watch as he closed the door. She watched as Sam's body disappeared, the last time she would ever see her again. Roger walked up the stairs with Lisa following suit. Exiting the second door, Roger closed it behind them. Lisa noticed Micheal was gone, leaving only her and Roger alone. The room, and interaction, made her cold, so Lisa wrapped her arms around her body as she shivered. Roger moved to also cover his arms around her, but she stepped back. He knew she needed space, but the mate bond was pulling him to her, and he was dying inside knowing he had caused it.

"When will we have her ashes back?" Lisa asked.

Roger brushed his hair back while keeping his gaze on the floor. Lisa had just learned about the supernatural, barely accepting them, and now Vanessa wanted him to pull her even deeper down the rabbit hole. One that included a literal God that knows her name.

"She will be ready after we return,” Roger stated, with Lisa tilting her head slightly right with a confused look. "You will finally meet a real werewolf since we have been instructed to go meet the pack."

The sun barely peeked past the clouds as it rose, signaling the new day. A far more profound meaning to Lisa, as it indicated a new phase in her life as well. After Roger had explained to her the need to leave the house, Lisa had protested initially but gradually concluded that it might be what she needed. To leave this town and memories behind and to focus on her future. Her head rested against the plane window while her knees tucked underneath her chin, arms wrapped around her legs. The window fogged up from her breath while she admired the view. Being an orphan meant you seldom traveled, and thus she had only been in a plane once in her life and never a private jet. The seat was humungous with the near-white leather material hugging her body, the softness molding against her curves. The rest of the plane matched her seat, especially the man opposite her, who was busy on a laptop. Using his distraction against him, Lisa stole a few glances in his direction, admiring his features. He would be called handsome if one could look past the pale skin, hair, and suit, with the sharp jawline, high cheekbones, and feathery hair that begged to have fingers entangled in them. A feeling she knew all too well and one she wished would be repeated.

As if sensing attention on him, Roger glanced up from his work, only to catch a pair of eyes strained on him. A blush tinted Lisa's cheeks at being caught ogling him, and she quickly averted her gaze, instead looking at his computer. "What work does a vampire exactly? I mean, to be able to afford a plane like this, you must be rich."

Roger closed his laptop, shifting in his seat to get comfortable. Focusing on work was already a challenge, and having a creature as gorgeous as Lisa in front of him made it even worse.

Lisa noticed the change in his demeanor, so she did the same. Dropping her legs down and wiggling deeper into the softness, they both focused on each other, making her happy. Maybe now was the best time to get answers from him.

"As you already know, I am almost 250 years old, 247, to be exact, meaning I have had a long time to save my money. And also, the need for no food cuts the budget down a bit."

Lisa smiled at his little joke. "That I can understand. But how do you get the money? It is not like you can work a nine to five office job. Considering..."

It was Roger's turn to smile, "Considering that I am a vampire."

Lisa's blush deepened. “No, I mean of the way you look."

A throaty laugh escaped his chest, pushing Lisa to join in on the fun. "Just pulling your leg." Then, enjoying the spark in her eyes, he continued. "I know what you mean. The lack of pigmentation usually has many questions, all of which I do not want to answer. But to answer your question, I dabble in some trade. Stocks, property, technology. You name it."

"Seems interesting."

"It is. It also helped that I was around when technology became a bigger player in the world, and it helped me to predict patterns, especially in the stock market."

Lisa was in awe while listening to his story but also a bit jealous. Of course, one would be jealous of all the money he must have, but not her. No, Lisa was jealous that he had seen so much. More than modern humans. To have watched humanity evolve as empires rose and crumble. The people he must have met and the hands shaken. "You must have witnessed truly amazing things, not to mention the historical figures. I truly am envious but also curious." Letting out a chuckle, she finished. “How have you stayed undetected in a world which has only become smaller since technology. Wouldn't people question your age or lack thereof?"

"You truly amaze me, Miss Boone." Roger leaned closer, his hand resting next to his laptop on the small table wedged between them. "I confess my age, and you wonder how I have not been detected in all this time. Nothing about what I must have done to get here." Keeping his gaze strained on Lisa, Roger observed how she physically responded to his statement. The wheels turned in her head as she leaned back in the seat. When most humans hear about vampires, their first response would be to cringe away, pulling into their shells as they realized what he is capable of—the death he must have brought and the violence that ensues with one of his kind. Only a handful of the mortals have learned his secrets, all of the ones he trusted. And all their reactions opposites of hers.

Lisa knew he was telling the truth: her reaction to his words not sane. But the violence of the last couple of days made her immune, and the horrors she used to face as a child at the hands of the ones supposed to be guardians. "I admit, I do wonder what you have been through. Being relied on blood means you must have killed: it is inevitable.” Looking him straight in the eyes, she confessed, "You see, I have been in desperate situations which forced me to do things I have never imagined I would. Might not be as bad as yours's but to me, they were horrendous."

The opposite could not be said for his first love. The longer he spoke with Lisa, the apparent differences came to light. Lisa intrigued him, and he needed to know more. "If I might ask, what happened?"

The question about her past stirred sleeping memories, the anxiety making her body twitch in the seat. Roger noticed her discomfort as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. A need to comfort overwhelmed him as Roger unbuckled the belt and moved over to the empty chair. Sitting down, he reached out to her hand resting on the side and gently grasped it. The contact sends the usual sparks up his arm, stopping in his nether regions. Now was not the time for this, so he abruptly squashed the feelings down while still holding her.

"I am sorry I brought it up. You do not need to tell me, only when you are ready."

Lisa enjoyed the contact with him, marveling at his touch. The weird part was heat did not explode in her as it had before. Instead, it calmed her nerves and allowed her to appreciate it. Turning her head slightly with his profile in her view, she said, "Thank you. I truly appreciate it."

"You’re welcome." Lifting his hand from hers, Roger stayed next to her, allowing her body heat to caress his cold skin. "Enough about you. What else do you want to know?" Figuring out a change of subject was needed, he watched as the tension left her body, and once again, she relaxed in her seat.

"Now that you mention it, I do have a question. Actually, I have A LOT.," she emphasized the last words. "I am eager to know about the people you have met and the places traveled to, but one small detail seems stuck in my mind." Shifting her body to face him, Lisa knew now was the time. Roger nodded his head as he waited for her question, oblivious to where she was taking the conversation.

"When I was in your office, I asked you a question. You said that you could not tell me then, and I respected your answer. But now I need to know. The voice in the back of my head is urging me on, and I do not know why."

The slight smile Roger had dropped away as he knew what she was about to ask. She had a right to know, but how would she react? Knowing vampires existed was one thing, but the knowledge of drinking their blood was utterly different. "Please.” Her soft plea stirred his feelings, knowing he was about to tell her, but how would it end?

"Fine.” Roger was defeated. "One of the many talents of my kind is unknown to the mortal world. Yes, we need blood to survive, sometimes even taking a life, but with this curse comes a light. As easily as we take life, we can also give life."

A Puzzled look crossed Lisa's face to know where it was going. She was about to interrupt but he held up his hand to stop her. "Please let me finish." She remained silent, so he resumed. “The night of the first attack, the beast badly harmed you. Blood was everywhere, the wound on your head life-threatening. The only way to save you was to give you my blood. That was the liquid you tasted."

It could not be real. She had drunk his blood, and to be honest, she loved it. "But...why?"

"Our blood can heal people, even bring them back from the brink of death if the vampire is old enough."

For some weird reason, his confession did not freak her out, the thought of drinking blood not making her throw up. Roger watched closely as she accepted his words, expecting her to freak out and make a big fuss. But no, she remained seated and stayed calm.

"How? How does it work? Does it mean I am turning into a vampire?" for a second, the thought fascinated her. What would life be like as an immortal?

"No one knows. How did vampires come to be? Where did humans come from? These are all questions we cannot answer but do not worry, you are not turning into a vampire. The method is a lot longer and not to mention how difficult the process is."

Dropping her shoulders with relief, Lisa wondered if she was glad she did not turn into his kind or disappointed. "Good to know, but why didn't you tell me earlier. Is it such a big secret?"

"No, but usually when people find out they drank blood, their reactions are usually not calm."

Getting up from the seat, Lisa stretched her limps as she brushed past him to the aisle, turning to face him. "Thank you for telling me. It does answer a lot of my questions, but not all."

"Are you sure you are alright? I understand it can be a lot to take in."

Faking a smile was easy, "I am perfect. I just need to go to the bathroom. I will be right back." Not waiting for a response, Lisa turned to face the door at the end before moving towards it and closing it behind her, leaving Roger to his own thoughts.

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