LORE: End Game (MATURE)

[Emora Deen]

Tenele glanced back at him and watched him as he looked for clean clothes. It was fairly dark in the room, with only the soft orange glow of a lamp to give light to them. She glanced to it, and suddenly the flame flickered and died. But, the light of the pale moon filled the room with a luminescent glow, and everything was surreal in that light. She watched him with her red eyes, and rolled over onto her side before placing her bare feet on the wooden floor.

She couldn't control herself, and it seemed that not only the lust of blood was beating strong within her. She crept to him soundlessly, moving like the whisping form of a ghost. She knelt behind him, and her cool hands reached around to grab his shirt and pull it upwards. Her cold breath flowed over his neck and she kissed him there. "I'll help," she said softly, feeling the warmth of his skin on her lips.

It registered to her, only slightly, that this was not good. She should not be so closed to him, yet she couldn't make herself stop. Not yet. She told herself she'd do only this, and then move away. She'd keep her distance.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad tensed the moment the lights went out. He found himself blind and knew that no matter how fast he fumbled in the dark, she could get there faster. He held very still and almost expected it when her soft hands found his sides and lifted his shirt. Her lips against his neck would have been arousing if he hadn't been in such certain danger. Something inside him was begging him to strip and pull her against him. He kept his arms at his sides, not helping her remove his shirt. "Tenele, you are too close," he breathed. To his horror, his voice didn't sound convincing. He could feel his adrenaline rising, and he knew she would smell it. He touched her hands with his and pushed lightly against them, trying his best not to smell like a juicy steak.

[Emora Deen]

She smiled softly, closeing her eyes and nuzzling his neck softly. "I know," she whispered, her cold hands trailing up his back and over his shoulders. His warm body, so different from the cool one it normally was. And he smelled so delicious. No, she couldn't think like that.

But, it was to hard not to.

She chuckled playfully as she reached around his waist and grabbed the edges of his trousers, unbuttoning them. "Hmm... Maybe you should change into nothing? Nothing is always for more interesting than something," she replied to him with amusement, feeling a bit inoxicated by the smell that was coming off him. She kissed his neck again, and after a moment couldn't take it. She kissed that spot again.

Soon, kissing could not sustain her. She nuzzed his neck, her arms wrapping around his waist to hold him tightly, though not so tight that she crushed him. But, something inside her told her she needed to hold him that tight. Not let him get away, as if he were prey. Her lips brushed his shoulder and his neck. Still, it wasn't enough, and she opened her mouth, her teeth grazing over his flesh. No, thoughts came to her, except the thrill of hunger, and the smell of sweet sedating satisfaction lingering just under such a fragil thin veil of flesh. But, she did not bite down, not yet...

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's pulse sped up and his breath grew thicker as Tenele's hands and mouth trailed over him. Don't enjoy this, you twit, he warned himself. He felt her arms lock around him, light but inescapable. "I can't get my clothes off if you're this close," he coaxed carefully. "Step back a minute."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's teeth grazed over his neck lightly before moving away. It took a lot of will power to maker herself do that, but it was only a few inches so really nothing to be proud of. After a moment longer her hands left from around him and she sat back against the edge of the bed, her legs curled up towards her chest. She folded her arms around them, and waited patiently.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad felt a small, proud smile pull at his lips. This was his maiden, this strong, brave, sensual woman. He had his space; the threat was less now, and he could think. Running from the room would hardly work; the movement would only encourage her, and it wasn't as if the door posed an obstacle to her. At the same time, no matter how strong her control seemed, she wouldn't last through a coupling while she was this thirsty.

"I'll make a deal with you," he said silkily, rising to his feet before her. He took a slow step back and drew his shirt up over his shoulders, revealing his smoothe, muscled chest. He gave her a look; the look the teacher gave his students when he wasn't done speaking yet. He reached to his left, felt in the dark for the lip of the crate, and gripped one of the blood packets.

His vision had adjusted just enough to make out very faint shadows of black against black. He leaned forward just in front of Tenele and held out the blood. "Have your dinner, and I'll be dessert," he whispered to her seductively. It was a gamble; even if his offer worked and she drank this blood first, she wouldn't be sated, and he wasn't sure he could convince her to stop mid-meal a second time.

[Emora Deen]

She smiled softly, her finger tips brushing his hand beofre sliding to what he held. "I'd rather have dessert for dinner," she meant it ass a job, but it didn't accure to her at the moment how frightening that thought could be.

It wasn't as appealing as her other thoughts had been, but slowly she was recovering her senses and knew how close she had come to doing something she'd regret the rest of her life. She grabbed it from his hands and held it with both of hers. She knew that this was unnatural for her, and the thought of being human and drinking blood was terribly disgusting. A little lick here and there if she had a wound on her finger didn't seem so bad, but to down a gallon of it was just wrong.

But here, now. This was her life for the moment, and she'd drink the hole cate before hurting Vlad.

So she drank it to please her hungry body, and just for a second precaution she floated a second packet to her and drank it as well. As she drank she noticed many things, and realized that this was not a good idea at all. Vlad was not safe, even in the room with her. And even as she was realizing that it was not a good idea, she was pushing it a side.

She shook her head, throwing the empty packet towards the crate. "Vlad..."

She wanted him, but then again that wasn't something knew. She leaned forward and kissed his lips gently, inhaling that wonderful scent. "Vlad, its not safe for you to be in here. Not with me. Remember, when we were trying to make it back to Arken? And you gave me that pendant to use against you? Will you do something for me? Will you get you one, just encase? Please." It was easy to tell in her voice how suddenly frightened of herself she was, and this was the only thing that would keep her from going insane with worry. If he could stop her, than she would be fine with that.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad grimaced as he graphically recalled the agony of being attacked with that amulet. It was something that couldn't be forgotten and something he never wanted to do to her. "I'll get one," he said to calm her, and returned her kiss. She was so close to him, and he had the immense impulse to hold her tightly against him. "Do you want me to get one now?" he asked quietly, trying not to sound put out. He didn't want to leave her, but he hardly wanted to torture her with worry either.

[Emora Deen]

She thought for a moment, and did not want to be left alone. Not now, when she was so afraid of hurting people, so afraid of herself. But, she knew that the threat of hurting Vlad would increase if she couldn't control her need to be near him, or the grave hungry his blood brought to her. Yes, he needed that now. Tenele leaned into him and said not a word, she just nodded softly against his chest.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad pulled her tight to him, his chin resting against the top of her head. "I'll be back soon," he said before stepping away from her. He turned, then paused. "My Lady..." he cleared his throat and swallowed his pride. "I can't find the door."

[Emora Deen]

She laughed softly and walked to the door. She opened it for him, and the lamp light from down the hall cast a trail of gold across the floor. "There," she replied with a grin, for she could see just fine. Usually it was the other way around.

Yes, she could see that there were some amusing aspects of this problem, but the horrible possibilities sometimes outweighed them.

"Shall I leave a light on for you upon your return?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"I should be disappointed if I couldn't see you," Vlad offered as a reply, his regular suave manner glazing over the emotions he'd just shown. He stepped out into the flood of light, which shone like dull gold on his bare torso. He gave her a casual wave and set off to locate that irritating priest.

He eventually found the man resting in his own quarters. The priest's first reaction was shocked fear at the fact that Vlad had made it across the runic wardings that protected his door. This only seemed to confirm Vlad's suspicion that the man was a dolt. After several minutes of tedious explanation, he managed to threate- er, convince the priest to provide him with an amulet blessed with holy water. Vlad held it in his bare skin, unhurt, and stared at it grimly. It felt like he was purchasing a poisoned dagger to destroy Tenele. He didn't want it, didn't want to use it, didn't intend to use it, for any reason. It would make her feel better for him to have it, so he would have it.

He didn't thank the overly pleased monk, who seemed to think Vlad was conspiring for Tenele's demise. He just pocketed the amulet and left without comment.

Some half hour later, he returned to the room. He opened the door cautiously, as if Tenele might be asleep. Who knew, maybe she was?

[Emora Deen]

Tenele waited and waited, and she didn't think it would take him so long. But once it became almost twenty minutes later she realized that maybe he had just tricked her into escaping? Maybe that was for the best. She had changed her own clothes into a loose fighting cotton gown that went just to her knees and had sleeves that were far to long. She left the light on just encase he had gotten detained, and curled up on her side facing the window as she waited.

And waited.

Then, she heard him drawing closer, and she smiled as he opened the door, rolling over on the bed to look at him.

"Did you get lost?" she asked him, stretching.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Monks are longwinded and obsessed with protocol," Vlad said, pleased that she was awake. "It took some time to explain, though I don't believe he actually understood." He walked over to the bed and sat down across from her. He reached into his pocket and produced the amulet, which hung from a black suede cord. "It hurts to look at," he warned, but he suspected she would want to see it.

[Emora Deen]

Her eyes glanced towards it and she winced, shifting her eyes away quickly. Not only that, she could feel the energy radiating from it while it was out in the open air. "Oh, put it under a pillow or something," she said, waving her hand back and forth as if she were trying to fan hot fumes away from herself.