Bloodsong Pt. 03

Author's note: If you haven't read the CWs on the first part, this is where they start to matter. For reference: the story contains blood, violence, mentions of domestic violence/abuse, and mind control. Enjoy, and as always let me know what you think. Thanks for reading :)

Natalie must be wearing makeup, Paige thought as she studied the woman from the passenger seat while she drove them out of the city. Though she'd never seen a transformation quite like this.

The stuffy librarian had been replaced by a suave, strikingly beautiful woman ripped straight from the pages of a fashion catalog. Each of Natalie's features somehow felt more in focus than they had the night before, working in concert to produce an overwhelming aura that was equal parts elegance and strength.

Thin, dark eyebrows tapered into a narrow pointed nose. High, gently curving cheekbones pulled the eye downward toward luscious blood-red lips, and a sharp, angular jaw. Her hair was left down tonight, parted slightly off center with one side tucked behind her ear. The other side arched upward as if gravity had no hold over it, before folding over and plummeting back down like an obsidian waterfall, partially obscuring the left frame of her glasses.

Paige fought against her wandering eyes, which were constantly slipping down the deep V of Natalie's shirt where she could make out the swell of pale breasts and the edge of a satin bra. The puffy shirt and high waisted pants reminded her of a pirate, and Natalie carried herself with a confident swagger that had been absent the night before.

It was almost enough to intimidate a girl.

To Paige, every encounter was a battle. She'd learned young how to read body language, how to spot the hidden meaning lurking between words, like knives in the dark. How to armor herself with cynicism and clever wordplay so that they glanced off her as if they were nothing. When to play into expectations, and when to defy them.

When she'd looked up to see Natalie striding from the shadows like some kind of dark angel, she'd immediately found herself on the back foot. Infatuation and attraction were weaknesses she couldn't afford, and this new, more potent Natalie seemed poised to exploit both.

Luckily, as the night drew on, Paige found her footing. Natalie might act the detached vixen, but like anyone, she had her tells. As Paige played coy, doing her best to keep her opponent off-balance as she sized her up, they all added up to one undeniable conclusion:

The woman was down bad.

Natalie may have resisted her earlier advances, but there was plenty of time to tempt her. This was already shaping up to be the most lucrative month of her life. There was no telling how much more she could squeeze from her once Natalie was hers. Perhaps even enough to start a new life.

Natalie glanced toward her and Paige realized she'd been staring. She reached for something to say and landed on "Nice gloves."

Natalie's eyes returned to the road. From this angle they seemed red. It must be the light, Paige told herself.

"It's an old habit. My first vehicle came with a pair, and I suppose I got used to it."

The leather gloves whispered along the wheel as Natalie slid her hand down to the turn signal, flipped it, and guided the car into a gentle turn with a single, smooth motion. They whisked down a small road lined with bowing trees. Branches wove together to form a wicker tunnel that cast a net of shadows across the orange light of the street lamps.

Paige shifted nervously in her seat and played with the vent of an air conditioner.

"There's—"A phone rang, cutting Natalie short. She gave Paige an apologetic smile and answered it. "Yes?"

Paige strained her ears but couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying, only that it sounded like a woman.

"I'm about halfway done." Natalie said, matter-of-factly.

The road began to slope upward, and doubled back on itself. Paige stared out the window and watched the houses grow larger and further apart, keeping half her focus on the conversation.

"Of course, I'll have a draft by the end of the week." A pause, then, "You too. Bye."

Natalie returned the phone to her pocket without taking her eyes off the road. "My editor," she said. "I have a deadline coming up."

"For what?" Paige asked.

"A novel."

So Natalie was a writer. Paige chuckled at that, then asked, "She calls you this late?"

"I'm nocturnal."

"What do you mean?"

"I start work when the sun goes down and I'm in bed before morning. It helps me concentrate."

Like a vampire. Before Paige could voice the comparison Natalie turned into the driveway of a lot that was completely surrounded by a thick wall of trees, and the thought was lost as an ironwork gate yawned inward, revealing a blocky mansion that was half dark wood paneling and half glass.

A short set of stairs turned once before reaching the elevated front door. Windows stretched from floor to ceiling and wrapped around one corner of the first floor, reflecting the moonless sky. A row of small spotlights pointed up at the structure, giving the impression that it was as much a work of art as it was a house.

"Welcome to my home."

Paige turned to find Natalie watching her, and fought the urge to squirm under the attention. No one should be this hot, she lamented. At least she could take solace in the fact that Natalie's eyes were indeed brown. A trick of the light after all.

"You know," Paige started, not quite knowing where she was going, "when you said you had a basement I assumed you lived in like a brownstone or something. Not this. Your books must sell well."

"It's a family home. I inherited it from my mother."

"Nice," she muttered. Then Paige remembered that other people liked their mothers and added, "Sorry for your loss."

"Thanks," Natalie said without emotion as she pulled the car into an attached garage.

*****

As Paige stepped through the front door into a large, open living space, she quickly realized two things.

The first was that her initial impression of Natalie hadn't been too far off the mark.

One half of the room was dominated by towering bookcases that lined the walls, reaching nearly to the ceiling. Every shelf was brimming with books of varying shapes and sizes, packed so tightly that Paige wondered if Natalie could remove them. Plants along the top crawled from their pots, hanging down over the top shelf like a curtain. Nearby there was an ancient leather lounge chair and matching ottoman, both distressed from use.

All signs of life ended there, however. The other half of the room was lifeless and sterile, untouched, as if it were more for show than anything else.

A modestly sized television was mounted above an electric fireplace that displayed crackling digital flames. Facing the TV was a black sofa and a glass coffee table topped with a vase of dried roses. In the other corner, where the windows converged, a grand piano sat on a circular slate-gray rug. All of it surrounded by bare, spotless white walls.

The second thing was that she was trapped.

Natalie shut the door behind them, and the heavy lock closed with a thunk as Natalie turned a key. Paige turned to look and realized that it locked from the inside. Her heart began pounding as she searched for another way out. The sudden weight of Natalie's hand on her shoulder caused her to spin and back away.

Natalie raised both hands in a gesture of innocence and said, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Why do these locks need a key?" Paige ventured.

"You'd have to ask my mother." Natalie held the key between two fingers, considering it for a few seconds before saying, "Here," and tossing it toward her.

Paige snatched it out of the air and clutched it to her chest.

"I'll have a copy made. You can hold on to mine in the meantime."

"Thanks," Paige said. Her heart was beginning to settle.

"Come. I'll show you the rest of the house."

Natalie swept past her, and Paige turned to follow, slipping the key into the back pocket of her jeans.

Connected to the living space was a dining room with a long wooden table that sat six, and a kitchen with a gas range and two ovens stacked one atop the other. It was all spotless, without even a layer of dust. Paige supposed her work would be easy at least, if Natalie was this much of a neat freak.

They came to a fancy wooden staircase with a glass railing. The kind where you could see through the gaps between steps. "Upstairs is my bedroom and my office. Both are off limits," Natalie said, suddenly serious.

Now that she'd calmed down, Paige was determined to go back on the offensive. She took two steps up the forbidden stairs, and turned to face Natalie who frowned up at her.

"What are..." Natalie trailed off as Paige peeled away her hoodie, revealing the loose cropped tee she wore hanging off one shoulder.

Paige watched Natalie's eyes as they took her in. She could practically feel them skimming along her collarbone, tracing the strap of her bra down to her cleavage, reluctantly dipping to her exposed waist. She fixed Natalie with a smile.

Growing up the daughter of the town pariah, Paige's childhood had been defined by loneliness. She still had hazy memories of playing with other children when she was very young, but they quickly stopped talking to her. No one wanted their kid falling in with a girl like her.

Home wasn't any better. Her father spent the evenings gambling after his shift at the rail yard, and her mother was either working, or out with one of her men. When they were home they were usually drunk. Paige spent countless nights curled up in her bed, unable to block out the sounds of arguing that carried easily through the trailer walls.

Then, in middle school, things changed.

Her body began to develop and people took notice. Boys, mostly. They still teased her, still weren't interested in being friends. But they were interested, and that was something. Paige drank in the attention, an oasis in the desert.

She spent what little money she could steal from her mother's purse on makeup and clothes, and shoplifted what she couldn't afford, and by high school she had learned to wield her looks like a weapon. Boys fell over themselves to sleep with her, and girls began to reluctantly include her in their hangouts, probing her for advice.

Paige wasn't stupid. She knew they weren't her friends. They only wanted something from her, and as soon as they got it they would go back to ignoring her and talking behind her back, adding new insults like "slut" to the mix. So she started making sure that she got something in return.

It was only fair.

This was the same, she told herself, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach as she took another step away from Natalie. This was just another transaction.

"Are you sure I can't see your bedroom?" she teased.

"Yes. Yours is downstairs." Natalie's voice was steady, but the woman watched her hungrily. That look told Paige everything she needed to know.

Sometimes she played the long game. That's how it was with Curtis. He was too proper to give in quickly, so she'd worn him down. This was different. Natalie was weak. Ready to give in at the slightest push. Paige didn't need subtlety.

She backed up another step, and this time Natalie followed.

"Stop," Natalie demanded in that oddly chilling voice. Just like last night. Paige shivered as a wave of cold passed through her, making a show of wrapping her arms around herself and pressing her breasts together.

"You seem like you're used to getting your way," Paige teased, cocking her head as she backed up another step. "It's cold in here, let's get under the blankets."

Natalie closed the distance and snatched Paige's hand in a blink. Paige watched Natalie's chest rise and fall as she took a deep breath before looking up and begging with an unsteady voice, "Please?"

Paige's confidence faltered. Natalie seemed almost... afraid.

"Fine." Paige relented, starting back down the stairs. "But we both know- Ah!"

Paige slipped, tumbling forward.

Natalie snapped into action and caught her easily, throwing one long leg backward and bracing her foot on the stair below as she scooped Paige into her arms.

Paige had one hand pressed against Natalie's shoulder and clutched at Natalie's puffy shirt with the other, having grabbed at anything to stop her fall. Natalie held her up with an arm beneath her thigh, seemingly without effort. The other hand was cool against Paige's waist. Natalie stared down at her, glasses askew, one eye brown and the other crimson. Both full of a hunger that, close up, seemed much less like weakness.

Paige couldn't look away. Her breath was the only sound in the room as they stared at one another. She didn't know how long that look lasted, or what was going through Natalie's head. Her own mind was racing, putting together pieces that led to an impossible and terrifying conclusion.

Paige saw the moment Natalie gave in.

The resistance in those mismatched eyes sputtered out, and her heart began to pound like a drum as Natalie leaned forward.

Their lips met, and time resumed.

*****

Natalie wasn't sure if she kissed Paige because she wanted to, or because it was all she could do to stop herself from going for the girl's neck. For a moment Paige was stiff in her arms. Then the girl came to life.

Hands clutched at Natalie's shirt as Paige took two fistfuls of fabric and used them to hoist herself up, crushing her lips more firmly against Natalie's own. Natalie tightened her grip on Paige's thigh and savored the soft skin of the girl's waist as she lowered Paige to the stairs and straddled her.

Her scent was a heady mixture of fear and arousal, and Natalie breathed it in like a drug.

Her body was on fire. The bloodsong thundered through her, beating like a timpani. Driving her to continue. To surrender to instinct and ravage the girl. To sink her fangs into Paige's neck and rip her out her throat.

Natalie laughed deep in her chest as she tore Paige's hands from her shirt and pinned them two stairs above the girl's head. Paige gasped, and as her lips parted Natalie thrust her tongue forward, greedily exploring her mouth.

Without breaking their kiss, Natalie brought a knee up between Paige's legs, and the girl moaned, arching her back as Natalie pressed it firmly into her groin.

Paige's tongue brushed against hers, bashful at first, but timidity quickly gave way to an eagerness that matched her own, and soon their tongues danced through their sealed mouths like lovers long acquainted. Natalie entwined her fingers with Paige's as the girl's teeth tugged at her lower lip, she smiled as Paige's tongue tickled the roof of her mouth, hummed as it swept along the surface of her upper teeth, coming to an abrupt stop when it reached a fang.

Paige froze.

Natalie broke the kiss, pulling away to study the girl pinned beneath her. Paige panted feverishly, cheeks flushed red and lips glistening. Blonde hair sprawled across the step on which her head rested, spilling over the edge like a waterfall. What a divine pet she would make. Would it be so bad? Natalie wondered, to give in?

Paige wriggled her hands, trying to slip them free, and Natalie reluctantly let her go.

Slowly, as if she was a stray dog of unknown temperament, Paige reached toward her and the world grew brighter as the girl pulled away her glasses. Paige folded them and absently ran her thumb along their rim as she gazed up, searching for something in her eyes. Natalie watched Paige's pupils dilate, listened as her pulse fluttered like a hummingbird.

It took all her effort just to remain still.

When Paige spoke, her voice trembled. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No," Natalie said in a hoarse whisper, unsure if it was a lie.

Natalie watched Paige chew her lower lip as she considered. The girl's frantic heartbeat ticked away the seconds.

Part of her hoped Paige would put an end to this before it could get further out of hand. Natalie couldn't summon the strength of will to do it herself, but if Paige asked now she might still be able to stop. It could save them both.

But when Paige spoke all she said was, "Bedroom then. This is killing my back."

Natalie nodded, and lifted the girl into her arms, carrying her down the stairs toward the basement.

"I thought we were going to your room."

"I told you," Natalie said. "It's off limits."

As Natalie pulled open the door and took the first creaky step down, Paige threw her arms behind Natalie's neck and pulled herself up into another kiss. More forceful this time. Desperate.

Natalie fought for balance as Paige writhed in her arms with all the ferocity of a wild animal. Nails clawed at the skin of her back, legs tightened around her waist, and teeth pulled at her lower lip, hard enough to draw blood. The taste of violence stirred some feral part of her, and Natalie moaned into Paige's mouth as the simmering heat in her core surged, threatening to boil over.

As much as they might pretend, as hard as they tried to hide their nature behind the trappings of wealth and sophistication, no kin could escape the truth. Beneath their human disguises they were simply beasts. Natalie was no exception.

She shoved Paige up against the wall to steady herself, knocking aside the shopping list and causing Paige to yelp in surprise. Natalie took advantage of the momentary break in the onslaught to cup Paige's cheek hungrily kiss her way up along the girl's jaw to nibble at her earlobe.

Paige shuddered at that, tilting her head into Natalie's palm. She moved lower, down Paige's neck along the carotid. It thrummed beneath her lips with each planted kiss, and saliva flooded her mouth. She swallowed, and opened her mouth wide.

Paige went still, and Natalie could see the hairs on the girl's neck rise as her breath rolled over Paige's skin.

Oh well. Natalie's jaws began to close. At least she had tried.

Sharp, searing pain blossomed in the side of her neck, just below her jaw, and raced through her like lightning. Stunned, Natalie staggered back to see Paige holding a pencil coated in blood. She brought a hand up to clutch at the wound and reached toward the girl with the other, but it was too late.

Paige reversed her grip and jammed the pencil down into the soft flesh beneath her larynx. Another wave of pain jolted through her, and a loud snap echoed in her bones as the pencil broke. Paige came away with a splintered stub, the remainder still lodged in her throat.

Natalie tried to tell the girl to wait, but only managed a gurgle of blood that sprayed across Paige's white shirt. Paige shoved her back, creating enough room to lift a knee.

Natalie should have stopped the kick, should have braced herself and caught the girl's foot, or simply dematerialized and avoided it altogether. Instead she only stared, awestruck, at Paige's eyes, burning with an anger that couldn't quite hide the terror beneath.

They narrowed as Paige's lips curled into a snarl, and for a fraction of a moment Natalie swore there was a glimmer of something else as well. Excitement. Satisfaction.

Exquisite.

Paige's foot slammed into her gut and the world tilted as Natalie fell.

*****

Paige didn't stay to watch, but she took pleasure in the sounds of Natalie's body crashing its way down the stairs as she ran.

Her heart pounded, and adrenaline surged through her veins like ice water. Her legs were shaking and she slipped as she took the landing, slamming her knee into the ground. She barely noticed the pain as she scrambled back to her feet.