“It’s okay, kid,” he said as he patted Blade's back gently. “Don’t do that to yourself. You were just a kid back then.” He pulled back slightly, offering him a small, reassuring look. “I’m just glad you survived it.” Blade sniffed, wiping at his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I just need to get past the hunger. Once that’s done… everything will be fine.”
“How are you going to do that?” Blade asked quietly, still snuggled into Alexander's side.
Alexander let out a slow sigh, staring at the opposite wall. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “I’ll figure something out.”
Blade pulled away, sniffing as he wiped at his eyes, brushing the last of the tears from his cheeks.
Silence settled between them.
After a moment, Blade tilted his head, studying Alexander.
“What is it?” Alexander asked, noticing.
Blade hesitated, then spoke. “Does he… have to know?”
Alexander frowned, the question catching him off guard.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Blade said quickly, dropping his gaze shyly. “We’re vampires. We use every means necessary to survive.”
“I’m not judging you, kid,” Alexander said. “I’m just surprised you would suggest something like that. I thought you hated compelling people."
“I did,” Blade admitted, folding his hands in his lap. “It’s unethical. But I had to grow up when I discovered that I needed more than just blood to survive."
"You do?"
Blade blushed. "Yes. I feed off sexual energy. Its the witch in me." He let out a quiet breath. “It’s not easy finding men who are willing to…”
Alexander choked. “Men?”
“Yes, men, you oaf,” Blade said as he smacked Alexander’s arm.
Alexander raised his hands slightly in surrender. “Still not judging.”
“I know. I was surprised too at first. But I love it,” Blade said, a wide smile tugging at his lips. “Still… it’s not easy finding men willing to have sex and let me feed off their energy. So, I compel them. Then I erase their memories after.” He shrugged. “I knowit sounds strange, but I do what I have to in order to survive. You have to do the same, Alexander. You have to survive."
Blade gave his arm a light pat before straightening up. “Feed from him until your body settles. He won't even know what happened."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room. Alexander sat there, staring at the wall, his thoughts turning over slowly.
Blade was right. Once his body adjusted, he wouldn’t need Boaz anymore.
That thought settled in his mind as he stood and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the tap and washed the blood from his hands. When he was done, he changed into clean clothes. He refused to think too much about what he was about to do, opting to just go with the floor.
He vanished.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared in the clearing. The night was eerily silent as he lifted his head, drawing in a slow breath. He sifted through a myriad of scents until one rose above the rest.
Boaz.
The moment he caught it, he disappeared again, and materialized just outside Boaz’s cabin, surrounded by thick trees.
The door opened almost immediately.
Boaz stood there, his hair messy, eyes half-lidded with sleep, dressed in nothing but his boxers.
Alexander blinked.
“How did you know I was out here?” he asked.