The night was young, and the Ace High Casino was lively as ever. The restaurant was pretty good, but Alex was on his break. A mug of beer sat in front of him, and the dog collar he wore all the time was hidden by the collar of his dress shirt. They wouldn't allow him to wear it on the outside of the shirt, and he could understand why. It was an upscale place and he wasn't exactly the best dressed guy in the city.

Alex Laurence unbuttoned his collar and sighed taking a swig of beer. Damn it was going to be a long night. The people there weren't exactly the most polite, and he hasn't really been able to get a good tip. Damn it was going to be hard to pay the rent, but at least there were some pretty ladies all over the casino.

Of course the most of the ladies had to have boyfriends, and those who were free had no interest. What did a guy have to do to get a date? Well it didn't help that most of them were older than he appeared. No one was really interested in an 18 year old. That was something to expect being a vampire, but still people should learn not to judge a book by it's cover.

Sighing Alex took another sip and laid his head on his arm. The beer tasted horrible, but he still drank it. Maybe he should've gotten one of those hard liquors, but he didn't have the money. Sometimes it really sucked to have barely anything. He barely had enough to pay the rent let alone buy himself alcohol.

Ah that had been a great party. It was a bummer that she had to leave so early.

A friend had thrown a costume party for her birthday but Eire knew that she had to be at work. Well, more so pleasure when she thought about it, but it was how she earned her keep, kept her family safe. But she had decided against bringing a change of clothing to the Casino, as this outfit would make her stand out even more.

A pair of sheer nylons covered her ofhterwise bare legs, showing the tatoos all up and down them from her ankle to her mid-thigh until it got to the pleated black skirt she wore. Then another section of striped skin on her midrift with a belly button peircing before you got to the tight black tank top that made even the not so endowed Eire seem to be voluptious. A black leather colar was around her neck with a little tiger-eye charm hanging from where the name tag should be and her rusty hair sported a pair of striped ears to match the tail that was attatched to her skirt.

Meow. She thought the thing looked great on her.

But how, she asked herself, could one be a sex kitten and a virgin. Some laughed at her for that but oh well. She was saving herself for that special someone... Someone who would be with her for hopefully millenias to come.

"Hey Stryper! Looken sexy as usual! MeOw!" Said one of the vampires at the bar with a lick of his lips. She gave him a coy little grin in return but kept walking to the other end to take a seat in ehr customary arm chair. A man she hadn't see before was near by, but she didn't pay him no mind really. He had looked about ninteen twenty to her eyes, so it was just possible he was here for the casino and the drinks. Who was she to assume things?

Alex didn't notice the girl as she walked towards the bar, and only looked up when one of the vampires working the bar said something. He turned around to lay his eyes on the highlight of his night. He didn't care if she wasn't interested, but damn was she fine. The collar, the black skirt, the tiger's eye charm...it all made her look damn fine, someone a guy like him would dream of being with.

He heard from the others that a mortal usually came in to donate blood for the vampires who came in. It was a good thing he already drank some dead blood. Running his hand through his mop of brown hair Alex stood with the mug of beer and walked over to her pulling a chair over to her. "Do you mind?" He asked flashing her a grin letting her see his extended fangs. They quickly vanished replaced by normal looking canines. "I'm pretty new here. The name's Alex." He said offering his hand to shake. When he was a mortal all he could really think about were girls and food. He met a lot of ladies over the years, but he never settled down with someone. "Want a drink?" He asked smiling warmly trying his best to keep his cool.

She was browsing her purse looking for her cell phone to call her father when she heard a voice. "Hm?" She looked up curiously to see a man with a ruffled mop of brown hair, fangs and rather... Curious eyes. "Oh. Hello." She said with a smile as he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. As the dickhead over there announced, I'm Stryper. Well Eire really, but I prefer Stryper unless you're my mum or dad. I've been here a few years, I'm one of the donors around here." She said with a smile.

"So... If you ever need anything. You just give me a holla." She gave a little wink, almost seductive. But of course she didn't know what she was doing. Just like when she leaned forward to rest her arms on the table after calling Jean over to her.

"What ya need sweet heart? Oh, I see you've met our new guy then. didn't I tell you about him?" She asked as her fingers played over Eire's hair, lulling the girl slightly as it always did.

"No, it must have slipped your mind my dear Jeanett." Eire teased. "But hey, could you bring me a little special something tonight? I wanna have a little fun... How about... A pomagrante-strawberry martini? A little lighter on the vodka too."

"Alrighty baby. Coming up. Now Alex, you take care of my girl right there alright?" She shot him a rather serious smile.

Eire sat back with a air of satisfaction. "Yeah... Jean... I love her like she were a sire or something. She's not my sire, but she showed me this place. Offered me protection for my family too. She watches over me here." There were other feelings that the girl had for the woman born in the time of Napoleon. Jean knew everything about her and would treat her like a daughter. It was almost like having two moms. She had her stepmother at home who she loved, and Jean here. With both her families she never felt any fear as most would, knowing the things she did. Her parents didn't know of course, otherwise God knows what would have happened...

"But anyway. Are you on break? And perhaps you could use a drink." She offered slyly.

Alex nodded listening to the girl as she spoke to him. So she was one of the donors. He heard from the other guys about her, but he never met her before. She was young around the age he appeared, maybe a little younger. She even said it looking a little seductive. He could tell she was inexperienced by the way she held herself. It was a little too forced, but that made her look even nicer to him. "It's nice to meet you too Stryper." He said grinning and taking a sip of beer. "I'll definitely keep that in mind." He said in answer to Eire's offer. Alex was about to talk a little more before Jean interrupted. The vampiress was the one who showed him the ropes of the job, and he looked up to her like a mentor. Even if she was younger than him Alex was still a little immature for his age.

Alex stayed quiet as the two spoke and let out a sigh. Sometimes Jean was a pain, but that didn't stop him from respecting her. Then Jean spoke to him, and Alex nodded smiling and laughing a little nervously. "Don't worry I'll take care of her Jean." He had a feeling he wouldn't see his paycheck if he didn't.

Alex listened to Eire as she spoke about Jean. "Yeah, I don't know Jean that well, but she was the one who employed me. She's good at looking after little ol' me." Alex loosened his dog collar and scratched the back of his neck. "When did you learn about vampires?" He asked curious to learn about her. What was it like to be a human in this day and age? He couldn't really know no matter how hard he tried. It was kind of depressing at times.

Too forced? If she had heard that she would have at first been confused and then would have laugh. Like she tried to pick up guys. She would want a sire she could enjoy, but not now... Maybe in about four years or so, but not now.

"Jean's great... Really. I saw her in the park, feeding late at night on my way home from a friends house. She caught me and then... God I'll never forget that sensation... But anyway, she told me to meet her there the next night, and I did. I wanted to. I knew no one would believe me if I said anything, so I kept my mouth shut. No one knows to the day. It's been... Three... Almost four years? I'd just turned thirteen." She said with a smile as one of the other tenders brough her her drink. Apparently Jean was busy and that kind of made her sad... She wanted to feel Jean's fingers in her hair... She always loved that sensation.

"But, the coven said that if I was a donor, they could protect me from the other vampires, protect my family as well. And that I could get paid by them and by individual vampires. But all I needed was the memory of her fangs deep in my neck. That feeling is better than anything I've ever felt before. Stupid I know... But I can't explain it." She gave a sheepish grin before sipping at the sweet drink.

"I hope one day... Well. Nevermind. It sounds cheesy as all hell so I'll spare you my sappyness for tonight." She gave a slight, dismisive wave of her hand. "What about you? You seem a bit older than me but if you're a vampire, I don't have any way of telling."

Alex listened to the girl's words and smiled. What he got from the conversation was that she was more into the sucking than the money, but it was admirable that she wanted protection for her family. He would've died to protect his, but they were all dead, and he didn't know of the bloodline going forth again. He was the last of his family, that was what he thought.

Eire's words were nostalgic. It made him remember the first time his sire bit him, and it sent a shiver of enjoyment down his spine. Alex looked at Eire for a second and blushed a little bit from feeding earlier that night. He turned to the beer and took a swig. He watched the girl as she spoke about the feeling she got from Jean biting her. "It's not stupid Stryper." He said calling her by her nickname. "All of us have felt it, and can damn well say that it's better than almost everything. It also depends on who you run into." He shrugged remembering how he stumbled upon a Tarepha feeding, and it wasn't exactly pleasant.

Then Eire was talking again, but she cut herself off. "Oh come on! I don't mind cheesy." Alex let go of his beer and rested his chin on his hands, and his elbows on his knees. He did his best to look like a puppy, but it kind of failed. "Well...if you insist..."

Alex sat back up in his chair sighing. "I was born during the American Revolution, well a year before the war started." He said to start things off. "My family was one of the traders out of New Haven, so I eventually got my own boat to do some trading." Those were really the good old days. "I was kidnapped by pirates and killed by the British Navy." He looked at the floor for a second. "I was turned by a British vampire before I completely died, but I didn't really mind." Was he going to tell his life story to her? Probably not, just the nice juicy parts. "What's past is past, and I found myself here. Jean gave me a good job after I literally begged her. Didn't have enough money to get an apartment." Not so great times for Alex.

She shook her head as he asked to hear what she had to say. "Nah, forget it." She said with a smile. He didn't need to hear about how one day she hoped to find Mr. Right Vampire to sire her and live happily ever after. Besides, she didn't need him getting any ideas or anything as well. She didn't want to be a vampire until she was at least eighteen. Maybe even twenty. Eire didn't want to get his hopes up or anythign either.

Bit she wanted to listen to him anyway. She loved history and vampires always had a lot of it. If he was born a year before it started though, he probably didn't remember it. Pity. She would have loved to hear about it.

"Pirates? Hah. That's kinda cool though. Haven't heard that one before." She grinned playfully.

"Well hey, if you're here you don't need to worry about it. There's a place for all the vampires durring the day and all so you don't have to worry about room and board. I'd just stay here if I were you Alex." She said with a smile. "Besides, this way I know where to come if I wanna find someone to chat with. History has always been a favorite thing of mine, so if I start asking too many questions, just bite me or something." She said with a laugh.

Alex didn't have any kind of telepathy or anything, but he could tell it was something she didn't want him to know. He shrugged and dropped it. It didn't matter to him. He could tell that Eire was interested and he couldn't blame her. She seemed to be very interested in history. "It wasn't that cool. They were pretty ugly, and weren't very friendly." Of couse pirates weren't expected to be friendly, but they beat the crap out of him whenever they could. It was annoying. "It was exciting...until I was shot...That kind of sucked." Alex laughed and swigged at his beer.

"I know I can live here, but I'd rather have an apartment. I feel like too much of a freeloader if I do." To tell the truth he'd rather live with mortals. "If you have questions for me I'll just give you my address." Alex fumbled around his pockets for a pen and wrote down his address and cell phone number on one of the receipts he used for taking orders. "I'll try to answer any questions you have."

She seemed like a very nice girl, and he couldn't wait to see her develop more. "So what do you want to know?" He rested his chin on his hand and sighed.

"Well, I wouldn't expect someone who lived at sea all the time with no skills in basic hygiene even worse than what it was at the time, to be all that handsom." She said with rolled eyes. "From what I know you're lucky to still have all your teeth in and straight 'eh?" She teased as she crossed one leg over the other. "And I can't ever imagine being shot as all that pleasent."

Eire took the address as he gave it too her and glanced at it. She knew the street. Maybe... Seven blocks from her townhouse. It might have been small, but with only the three of them it was cozy and luxurious.

"I think I know about where it is." She flashed him a smile. "I might come look you up some night on my way home if you're not here. Pester ya with a question or two, make you help me with my North American history class or something." She said as she tucked the address in her bag and leaned back again.

"You look a little pale... Are you hungry Alex? Feed before you came here? I know you guys have to feed every night and all. That must get to be a pain." She actualy seemed genuinly concered for him as well. He had some color to him, but still like he was lacking a bit of life. As if he had fed right before sun up and was starting off the night still slightly hungry.

Alex laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I managed to take pretty good care of my teeth even for back then." He smiled warmly at Eire and leaned back in the seat. He listened to the girl, and watched her as she looked at the address. Damn she was good looking, and he couldn't help but wonder how her blood tasted. He could smell her from there, and she smelt very good.

Alex took a sip of beer, and listened to Eire. "Oh that's cool. I'd really like to help you with your homework." He laughed warmly and nodded. "I was in Britain for a little while, but I still know a lot about what happened in the U.S." Hell he could tell Eire pretty much whatever she wanted to know. It was pretty simple, especially when it came to family history.

Then she asked him whether he was hungry or not. She was right he was hungry, and it would be a good idea to feed, but his break was going to end in a little while. "Yeah I am hungry." Alex said scratching his head. "Yeah it can be a pain feeding every night, it takes a little time to get used to. My shift ends in about two hours so I'll probably feed after this." He didn't know if he could last that long, but maybe he'd pay her for a little drink. "How many vampires usually drink from you a night?" He asked curious. He'd only take a little bit, enough to last him the rest of the night.

Well, at least he was friendly. It would suck if he had been an ass that she had to put up with here all the time. And at least he wasn't distracted by her current outfit it seemed. Or perhaps he was going out of his way to ignore it. Even though, it was much apreciated on her part. She prefered men to talk to her face, not her breast. No matter that they were small and still not fully developed, that never seemed to stop men. Vis the vampire who was drinknig at the bar now, a woman on his lap who had just called out to her not ten minutes ago.

"Well I'm also taking European History. Jean helps me with the Napolean stuff since she was turned around then. She remembers that like it was yesterday." Eire grinned. But she always loved hearing the woman's tails, even if it was for the fourth time or so. They were always facinating.

"This world... It's like my dream come true really." She said with a soft smile as she looked around the casino.

But her amber eyes turned back to him as he asked her a question. "Hm? Oh... Well it all depends really. How much they take. Usualy just one if they need to feed for all night. But if they just want a taste it could vary. I stop feeding when my vision gets blurry. It will take me a moment to recover originally and I'll feel back to normal next morning. But Jean only lets me feed every three days. Let the blood supply restock, otherwise I'd just start to get really sick." And then she'd be no good to anyone.

Alex was doing his best not to look at Eire's chest, but it was starting to get hard. His eyes would glance down faster than she could see, and that was sufficient enough for him. He felt bad, but he was a guy. She was beautiful for someone her age, and he couldn't wait to see her in a few years. She'd probably get a nice form, and every man would want her. That was what he thought.

Then he was listening to the girl, and smiled. He knew a few things about Britain, but not that much. All he knew was from his own family history. True he spent some time there, but not enough to get a real taste of Britain.

"I love this world too, but I like the mortal lifestyle a little more. It's much more sociable." Alex shook his head trying to think. Then the girl was talking about how she did her business. It was understandable, and he figured it was her day to work. "How much would it be for a taste?" He asked interested in maybe taking a little to hold him over until work was over. "I don't really feed from people...I prefer dead blood." Alex picked up his beer, and finished it off. Beer wasn't exactly the best choice to drink, but it was good for someone who needed to keep an eye on his wallet. His sire only gave him enough money to travel back to the U.S., but Alex made a good living doing odd jobs, and helping people. "I haven't had a drink from a person in a while." He said looking down a little embarrassed.

"I guess they both have their ups and downs. Vampires facinate me. There are some that when they drink, treat me like the best thing around, but there are some that just look at me as a paiece of meat." Eire said rather begrudgingly. "I mean I know that I am in a way. But I'm also a living creature that knows what's going on around it." That was really one of her pet peves there.

"How much? Well I usualy don't charge. The casino gives me a nice amount for someone my age and they protect my family. That's payment enough. Some will kind of give me a tip, but I usualy don't expect them." She said with a shrug. "Besides. I kinda feel bad for asking for money when I enjoy it so much." Eire was blushing slightly now. "It's a feeling... A feeling that nothing else in the world really matters, only that pleasure."

She looked up with a smile though as he said he drank dead blood. So he didn't like to feed form people? That was rather unusual... Well at least from everything she knew. "Well now... Someone wants to spoil themselves hm?" She grin as her fingers moved to take off her colar so her pale neck would be free.

"It would probably be easiest if I sat in your lap. Would you mind?" She asked.

Alex listened to her as she spoke about how some of the vampires simply looked at her like a hunk of meat. He never did that, not even when he was first turned. He never took a life, and probably never would. It was horrible in his opinion for vampires to simply look at humans like cattle, but it was his opinion. Some vampires would probably find his lifestyle strange.

So Eire didn't charge? That was good, but he felt bad taking blood without giving her at least a little compensation. He'd definitely tip her for it. She spoke about not expecting tips, and how it was a little embarrassing asking for money for something she loved. Alex smiled as she blushed a little. It wasn't odd to find people getting hooked on feeding. It was almost like sex, though Alex didn't know much about it since he was still a virgin. Pretty bad for a 200 plus year old vampire. "It's only natural to have a job you enjoy. Otherwise it'd be pretty sucky." He said grinning.

Then he watched as Eire removed her collar revealing a pale neck. He could see the slight difference where the veins and arteries were. It was hard to keep himself from licking his lips, but he managed not to. He wasn't going to look at her like a hunk of meat and smiled at her. "Of course I don't mind you on my lap. Who would resist a beauty like you?" He asked positioning himself so she could sit down comfortably on his lap. "The first time is always the best." He said almost to himself. The feeling of his sire biting him was amazing, and even his first donor was the best out of all of them. It was a simple fact that was true for many things.

"Well that's why I'm glad to be here really. It's fun, it keeps my family safe." She said with a shrug. It was a good job, paid well for a sixteen year-old and it had great health benifits. After all, living was a great benifit.

Eire's smile faltered slightly as he called her a beauty. Was he just saying that because he wanted something from her? Well... Something other than blood? The look in his eyes... It almost scared her slightly. She could almost imagine him drooling, almost see him licking his fangs in anticipation. Had she been wrong to offer her services?

But... She had offered. Could she withdraw her offer, of course not. That would give her a bad rap around here... And with a new guy too. No, she had more pride than that. And he had seemed like a nice guy. Maybe she was just imagining things. That happened a lot really. After all, she had a very active imagination.

No, he wasn't trying to get anything. He was just saying that to be nice. Maybe he really did think she was beautiful. But then again, some vampires found all humans beautiful and delicate. Like people looked at flowers. All different, all interesting, beautiful and delicate.

Standing up with an awkward but graceful movement, Eire made her way around the tabe to slide into his lap. Yeah... First times were always fantastic. Like the first time Jean bit her. She felt as if fireworks had gone off in her body and she still remembered the sensations sweeping through her.

Eire kissed his cheek slightly, her smile soft and faded slightly as she spoke. "Whenever you're ready Alex. I'm all yours."

Was Eire scared of him? Alex wasn't trying to scare her, and he only meant to compliment her. He thought she was beautiful in her outfit. Why did he feel like he was going to have a feast? Why did that animal in him start to rise up again? Damn he thought he had control over it, but Eire seemed to wake it again. She was a young girl, and he wanted her to feel comfortable letting him feed from her. It would be bad for him if he fucked something up with her. She knew Jean personally, and he probably wouldn't be welcomed back to the casino if anything happened.

He watched as Eire stood up and gracefully move over to his side of the table. She only looked more beautiful as she came closer, and Alex smiled glad that he met her. He was a lucky guy just to meet her, and he didn't want to make a bad first impression with her. Then Eire kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed a little bit. "Okay...I'll try to be gentle." He said kissing the side of her neck where he would bite her. She tasted amazing, she tasted divine. Damn it was a long while since he fed from a person. Alex let his fangs extend, and gently pressed them into her flesh. Eire's blood flowed into his mouth. It was amazing, like the first time he fed on someone. Her blood was so sweet and warm.

Alex drank a little bit at first, but he started losing himself in the bloodlust. It was starting to take control of his body, and he couldn't stop himself from drinking from her.

"Gentle is always nice." Eire smiled, tilting her head as he kissed the side of her neck. Her eyes were fluttering shut as he sank his fangs into her. They were soft and gentle, as if... As if they slid through her skin, not even peircing flesh.

As he began to drink she sighed. He seemed okay really. And it was good... But she wanted more. She didn't really have that same feeling.

But his body gave a jerk it seemed, tugging at her skin, and a gasp came from Erie's lips. It was followed by soft whimpers of pleasure as he continued. Now he remembered what feeding was like. "God yes..." She moaned at his ear softly. Her fingers were curled into his shirt as she gripped to him tightly.

"Bite harder Alex... More."

The sensation was good... But it wasn't enough for her. She wanted more from this really... She had expected more, even if it seemed a bit unfair. But there it was anyway.

Looking up from a client, Jean frowned. She saw the two, and she didn't like where this was going... But Eire was a smart girl. She'd tell him when to stop. And even if not, Alex was old enough to have control over himself. Right? Right.

Eire was giving soft little whimpers though, begging for him to do more. For him to bite harder, deeper. She wanted to feel her body burn.

Alex could feel Eire whimper. It must've felt amazing for her, and he was answered by soft whimpers. It only made him want her more, and then she was begging him to bite harder. He didn't want to, but his animal side wanted to comply with her wishes. Alex bit down harder letting more blood flow into his mouth. Could he control himself? Sure he could, but the animal was trying to gain control. It was a strange sensation, his primal side wanted to drink her dry, but his human side was still trying to contain the beast.

He didn't even notice Jean's gaze as she looked over at them. He felt so good, and he didn't care.

Alex felt more blood flow into his mouth and it was the most wonderful taste in the world. Why did she taste so good? It must've been him drinking dead blood for a long time. He bit down a little harder letting more blood flow into his mouth. He jerked a little bit. The beast started getting a hold of him, and Alex sucked more aggressively from her.

When he tensed his bite at first, it felt great. Eire's body was trembling with pleasure in his arms, waves of delight spreading through her as she lay moaning and whimpering in his arms. It was fantastic, wonderful, something she wished she could feel every night.

But as he bit harder, jerked his head sharply... It began to hurt. He began to get rough and careless, tearing at her skin as he jerked his head. Eire let out a gasp of pain and tried to pull away, but his hold was too strong on her. And if she pulled away from his bite, only God knew what could happen to her.

Her heart began to beat faster as he jerked his head again, drinking deeper than before.

Eire's whimpers began to become more high pitched, more frequent as she now whimpered in pain. "Alex..." She whimpered softly, not wanting to cause a scene. "Alex stop... please." One of two things had happened.

One: He had lost control of himself.

Two: He was showing her his true self.

But knowing that Jean wouldn't have let him around her if he were dangerous, she figured it was the first. But what had caused it... How could she.... snap him... out...
"Alex." She murmured as everything started getting a little blurry. She probably wasn't fully recovered after the night before when someone had drank before. She was getting all weak and dizzy.


She didn't know what to do anymore, she couldn't think... He couldn't hear her it seemed... And she was too weak and small anyways to fight him. She was utterly helpless. There was absolutly nothing she could do to stop him if he wanted to kill her.

Eire's body began to go limp in his arms, on his lap. Her body twitched slightly, as if trying to catch his attention in a last ditch effort. But Jean... Where was she? Why wasn't she watching over her?

Alex couldn't stop himself. The blood, oh God, the blood was overwhelming. Alex was screaming in his mind to stop, but it wouldn't listen. If he didn't stop himself he was going to kill her, and he could hear her whimpers, the pleas for him to stop. It was like watching T.V. there was nothing he could do.

God damn it! Where was Jean!? She was the only one who could protect Eire now. Jesus, no he didn't want to kill the girl. He kept ordering himself to stop, to let her go. Alex kept trying to stop himself, but he couldn't. Damn it he didn't have the willpower to control his own body.

Then started going limp in his arms, and her body twitched. Something inside hit him like a sledge hammer and Alex was able to take control removing his fangs from her neck, and quickly healing the wounds. Alright he checked if she was still breathing, and was relieved to see that she was. Eire must've passed out, and he gently stood up and placed her in the chair. Where the hell was Jean!? He knew that Eire would be alright, but first she'd need a blood transfusion. Alex cursed himself for not being able to control his thirst. Damn it all to hell. Alex ran around the casino looking for Jean. He didn't know where the infirmary was in the casino, and he was afraid to move Eire.

Her body was slightly cool, her face pale and her skin ashey. Eire's breath was soft, shallow, her heatbeat was slow and sluggish.

Her fingers were twitching, but that was the only sign of life from the girl. And ever minute that Alex spent looking for Jean... She grew weaker... Weaker.

"Jean? Hey Jean. The new kid's looking for you, he looks all panicked." One of the cooks said as she washed out some of the glasses in the back. But as soon as the man spoke, Jean dropped the glass, and rushed out. Her stomach was tight and clenched the nausia she felt down.

She was a raging storm as she rushed out of the kitchen, grabbing Alex roughly by the neck. "What did you do to her!" Jean snarled as she tossed him away slightly. But she didn't bother with waiting to hear an answer. Where was her baby? Her little Eire?

Jean went weak with fear and even began to tremble as she saw the limp pale form of her little Eire. But she moved to the girl, could hear the slow pulse... And she felt the soft breath. She was still alive. But if she stayed like this, she could have serious damage.

She scooped up the girls light body, and carried her quickly towards the back rooms of the clubs. The ones reserved for the employees, glaring at Alex as she walked by. "If she dies... I swear to God I'll kill you, you beast." Jean hissed. "Go to the blood store. She has some on stock. Find it and bring it to me quickly or I'll rip your fangs out." And every line on her face spoke the truth.

When Alex finally found Jean he was speechless. He couldn't think of anything to say, to explain his actions. He followed Jean over to Eire and his mind went even more blank. Alex felt so powerless. "Jean..." Then she was talking about going to the blood bank. If Eire died then she'd kill him.

Alex did as Jean said running over to the banks and grabbing a couple of bags of Eire's blood. Why didn't he stop himself? Why couldn't he control his animalistic side? Jesus it was like a bad dream.

Alex ran through the back rooms until he found Eire and Jean. He set up the bags of blood on a nearby hook and did his best to place the needle in her vein. After he finished one he walked over to the furthest corner he could find and collapsed. Bloody tears streamed down his face.

Sobs shook his body, and he couldn't bear to look at Eire or Jean. "I-I-I just needed a little to hold me over...I couldn't control myself." He said inbetween sobs. Even if he was a guy he wasn't ready for something like this to happen. It broke him, and he couldn't think of anything other than what he did to Eire. Deep down inside where his animal side was buried Alex could feel a sensation of enjoyment. A feeling of joy feeding from someone, drinking every drop from them. That was what scared him the most. "My God...Eire...I'm so sorry." Alex pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. If it would help Eire he would've ripped his own eyes out, but he knew it wouldn't. He let the animal inside him out, and it strangely felt good. "I'm sorry..."

As she lay Eire on the bed Jean sat next to her stroking the girl's hair. And noticing her fingertips were turning slightly blue she began to rub quickly at her hands to warm them with friction, hoping to help the circulation. Stupid stupid boy. How could he have been so careless to the point where he nearly killed her?

She moved as Alex set up the IV, watching him to be sure he didn't fuck anything else up. But as he moved away she moved back to Eire's bedside, sitting next to the girl watching her progress.

As Alex started to cry like the child he was Jean turned to him with a glare. "I don't want to hear it Alex. You've been alive long enough to learn how to control it. At least to give her time to get away." But she was blaming herself too. Why hadn't she watched them closer? Why had she trusted this boy with her daugh- No... Eire wasn't her daughter But the resemblance... Seeing Eire laying there reminded her of so long ago.. Her little girl shot by a careless soldier...

She bent down to kiss Eire's for head softly, still running her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I brought her here... I showed her this world because I knew that she would love it. That she would flourish in this world and one day be a great vampire. But I could never turn her... I could never kill this girl, even for a moment, because she looks so much like my daughter did before she died." Jean then turned her head as she continued. "She is my purpose for living now. The only thing on this earth I care for and would defend with my life. And I will not let you hurt her again." She moved and stood up, walking towards Alex.

"Look at her well." She said softly. "You'll see the reason why I'm doing this. But you are no longer to touch her, to speak to her unless you're taking an order from her for some off chance. If I so much as smell your scent on her, I will be the last thing you ever see in this world. I am not above murder to protect the one I love. Do you understand me?" Her words were cold, though soft and forceful. They were also slow and clear so there could be no mistake of what she said. If he touched her again, he would be lucky to escape with his life.

Alex turned to Jean as she spoke to him. His sobs had stopped, and he looked at her with dead eyes. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and nodded but he didn't stand. He didn't say a word. It was his fault, and there was nothing he could do to change that. It was his fault for depending too much on dead blood. It was all his fault. What had he done? Now wasn't the time to act like a child. "I know it's my fault."

He couldn't think, he couldn't say anything else. He watched Jean as she kissed Eire's forehead and explained that she brought the girl into this world. She brought the girl into a world of darkness. Alex couldn't think as Jean said she wouldn't let him hurt Eire again.

Then he looked up at Jean as she moved towards him. He listened to her and stood up on weak knees. "It's for the best." He said lacking any emotion in his voice. "I won't hurt her again."

Alex moved over to the door. "Give her my paycheck for this week." He said as he opened the door. "I know it won't mean much, but I promised her a tip." He took one last look at Eire before walking out.

Jean was infinantly greatful that Alex wasn't putting up a fight. He realized he screwed up, and he knew he would have to be punished for it.

"Thank you for understanding." She said as her face and her voice softened. "It is my job to protect her until a vampire wants her for themself. I failed in that so now I must see her like this. I should care for her now. I know you didn't mean to do this, but if you can't control yourself, I cannot let you near her." Besides, the poor girl would probably be scared out of her wits when she woke up.

Jean shook head as Alex said to give her his paycheck. "She wouldn't want it." The vampire said as she turned back to Eire. Her head turned as Alex shut the door behind him as she sat on the bed.

Laying down with a soft sigh, she pulled Eire's still, light body into her arms, cradling her gently. Her heartbeat was getting stronger, and her breathing was almost normal now. She would be okay. At least physicaly.

It was nearly an hour later when Eire woke from her sleep. Frighened little whimpers anouced her coming too and Jean sat up, running her fingers through the girls hair. The effect stilled her, calmed her and made the whimpers stop.

"Hush darling... It's okay. Everythings alright my dear." She said soothingly.

"Alex... He. He wasn't- I nearly Ki-"

"No no. You're safe here. You're okay Eire." Jean interupted before the girl got into a panic. "I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner." Leanign her head in she kissed the girl's forhead. "You're safe now though. Alex won't hurt you again."

"I... I asked him to stop. I did..." She said as a tear trickled from her closed eyes. "But he didn't hear me... Like he wasn't him anymore. I was so scared I was going to die..."