34. Donor

Previous Chapter

I thought we would be going out to our field once more, but Lilith said it wasn’t necessary. Between the two of us, we had plenty of control over Tala. We just waited until the other roommates were gone and did the exchange in her room. Changing into wolf form helped me to burn any energy I got from my bond with Lilith, so it was helpful. Every few days, I would feel her hunger, go to her, and donate a small amount of blood. In-between donations, I took the largest dosage of multivitamins I could and made sure to eat well. We didn’t speak much because I was mad at her and she seemed indifferent. But we were both alive, figuratively speaking, and I no longer had random cravings to munch on my classmates. Donating to Lilith was also better than watching River waste away. I didn’t doubt that Lilith would eventually kill her, and then she would probably move onto other people I knew.

Drinking my blood had other positive effects for Lilith other than having a never-ending blood supply whenever she wanted. The smell of wolf pretty much never wore off of her; it only got stronger, only made it more difficult to see that she was a vampire. Her power felt like a wolf’s power. It was unnerving whenever I walked by her and it only made me more curious – and scared – to see what she had planned.

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Friday, October 23rd
Waxing Gibbous Moon (One Night to Full Moon)

On the night before the full moon, Lilith drank from me again. It was different, though, and from the moment she started drinking, I knew something was wrong. She drank for longer than usual, draining more than she ever had. I began to feel lightheaded and I tried to struggle against her, but the blood loss was making me woozy. I could only wait for her to stop on her own. When she finally did stop, I crawled towards her bedroom door, away from her, trying to escape. The door handles were paw-friendly, just levers you pushed down rather than round doorknobs. I needed to get to my room. I needed to lock the door, even though the lock wouldn’t be able to stop her. I just hoped neither of the other two roommates were there to see a big white wolf streak down the hallway.

In the light of her lamp, she wiped the blood from her lips and grinned, the sallow light giving her fangs a slight glimmer. “You thought I was going to kill you, didn’t you?”

I couldn’t speak, so I merely whimpered, unsatisfied with my distance from Lilith. I needed the comfort of walls in-between us. She moved fluidly. I couldn’t even follow her with my eyes in my state and I didn’t even notice she was right in front of my face until she touched me, trying to pull my head towards her. I instinctively flinched, but she was only trying to pet me. She kneeled down and took my head in her hands, her face close to mine. If I wanted to, I could have tried to bite her face off and mar her beauty, but I was too cowardly, too weak to even try.

She lightly kissed my nose, a form of apology. Then she got up and opened the door, checking the hallway to make sure it was clear. She then picked me up and carried me to my room, because I was too weak to walk. She carried me like I weighed nothing, carefully laying me down on my bed. I slowly changed back into my human form, shedding the fur for skin, reforming my human features. I felt my neck with half-formed fingers and it came away clean. I wasn’t even bleeding. Had it healed that fast or had Lilith taken so much blood that it there wasn’t much to bleed out? I hoped for the former as Lilith spread my blanket over my naked body and left a bottle of water on the desk next to my bed.

“Why did you do it, then?” I asked, my voice hoarse. I was referring to her earlier question. Why had she taken so much blood?

“I needed a little more. Plus, tomorrow is the full moon. It’ll help you with your control.” She opened the bottle and helped me sit up to drink it.

After a few sips, I said, “My control is fine,” My voice sounded better but it was still tired.

“Thanks to my help. Where would you be without me?” She sounded arrogant. “I deserve what I take.”

I only lay back down before rolling over, facing the wall rather than her, “I’d be normal without you. I’d be human. I’d be happy.”

“Do you want me to get you something to eat? I can run and grab you a hamburger,” She ignored my statement.

“I’m not hungry,” I said. I was only tired. I wished she’d go away and let me sleep.

She left the room but didn’t turn off the light. I was too weak to get up and turn it off on my own, but I couldn’t sleep with it on. I lay there under the covers, stuck in a state of helplessness. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with a bag that smelled strongly of grease and meat. The instant I smelled it, my mouth began to water. She helped me back to a sitting position and I took the food from her.

She watched as I ate, “Slow down a little,” She told me.

“Hmm?” I mumbled, a large chunk of meat and bread filling my mouth.

“Enjoy the flavor,” She said quietly.

I swallowed the bite, “You can’t eat regular food?”

She shook her head no, “My body can’t process solid foods. I can drink other liquids but I can’t even taste food. My body automatically tries to expel it.” She looked almost sad about something I’d never paid much attention to before.

After that, I ate slower, concentrating on the taste in each mouthful, thinking about what it would be like if I couldn’t taste such things. Though Lilith had immortality, she had to sacrifice many things, such as sunrises, going to the beach on warm, summer days, and eating delicious, savory meals. Did she have to make other sacrifices as well?

I went to sleep shortly after my meal, my belly full and my strength already returning. That night, I slept peacefully. No dreams, no nightmares. However, if I had known the living nightmare that was to come, I would have happily taken a few bad dreams.

Next Chapter
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A/N: So if you hated Lilith before, you have to be at least confused about her right now, right? She has her ups and downs, but she's still mainly a self-centered you-know-what. I had a roommate like her, I never knew what to think of her because she seemed to change all the time. There are good things happening right now, check out the pictures of our new house over at Insight into my Life. If you like the study, just imagine me writing in there. It'll be such a beautiful place to write. It will help with background writing, descriptions, and a myriad of other things. The next few months are gonna be hectic with finishing school, moving into the new house, and keeping up with Bitten, but I think I'll be able to handle it. Just don't be mad if a chapter is a day or two late. ;)