“Heart, please don't fail me now.” The young Cuban pathologist declared before letting out a long appreciative whistle. "You're throwing off an aura of fineness, Dr. Bee."

"Yes-I-am.” She emphasized each word. “Therefore, you better have a damn good reason for calling me away from the annual Forensics Associates New Years Ball!" Bonnie Charice Hudson, PhD declared, placing her hands on her hips giving her assistant Ramón Garcia a hard glare. “When you see what was brought in here tonight, you will be thankful we got to it first. You won't believe it,” Ramón assured her.

Bonnie could see he was practically doing the samba in his sneakers. Even though his obvious excitement tantalized her curiosity, she had been looking forward to tonight for months. Tonight was going to be the first night of her new single life.

"Ramón, it better be a body with bones dipped in gold. That will be the only thing that would be worth spending tonight in the morgue with you, instead of enjoying a twelve course meal from one of the top chefs in Miami," she fussed.

"It’s even better than that, trust me. This is a find of a lifetime. You were the first person I thought to call."

"That’s all good Ramón, but I had to starve all week on celery and water to keep the steel bone in this corset from cutting into my fat, so I could wear this gown," she mumbled.

"I know, dear. Didn't I encouraged you every step of the way?"

"I'm hooked and laced in this dress so tight you could bounce a quarter off my stomach and a smile off my ass," she continued cocking a perfectly arched and drawn forties-styled eyebrow at him.

“I know and you look good, girl,” Ramón appeased. He grasped her shoulders and turned her around. His nimble fingers worked at the lacings on the back of the gown.

“I don't care if you think I look good, child” Bonnie muttered. “You're gay. You don't count, when I’m trying’ to handle my business. You know what I’m saying’? What I do care about is what my date was thinking. Did I tell you about my first date in months? He’s this big beautiful black man with big beautiful hands. A Morris Chestnut look-alike! You hear what I'm saying'?” She smacked her lips. "When he picked me up tonight, he made it clear, he liked what he saw. He kissed me hello and grabbed my butt in his hands. Do you know how hard it is for a big woman like me to find a man that can appreciate all of this?" She spread her arms wide and did a graceful turn.

“Disculpe, por favor. Dios! Don’t tell me you let him get a feel of the goodies before the night even got started, girlfriend?” Ramón squeaked pushing her shoulder to turn her back around so that he could look her in the face. “Haven't I taught you anything? I knew you weren't listening to me. How many times have I told you that you can't make it easy for a man unless you just want to be a one night stand?”

“Please Lord, let someone make me a one night stand,” Bonnie's eyes swept heavenward, the heavy false eyelashes nearly touching her eyebrows. “It's been over six months since I've had any intimacy that wasn't with a double cheese burger with extra cheese. So, Ramón, I'm not trying to marry this man. I just want to get me some, so tonight he was getting a sure thing.”

“If that is the case, I apologize for my intervention. Under any other circumstance, I would have never bothered you,” he reasoned. “I know you feel as if your vagina is gaining dust bunnies as we speak, but what I discovered this evening is more exciting than you getting your feet wet again,” he assured her.

"It wasn't my feet, I was considering," she murmured. She grasped the bodice of the dress in her hands as it dropped in a bunch at her waist and turned to face him. Taking in the serious expression on his face she gave in to the fact her plans were ruined. It was time to go to work.

"I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't."

Holding her breath she shimmied the dress over her full-figured hips and reached to hold onto Ramón’s shoulder for balance. Lifting one black leather four-inch heel pump off the ground she stepped out of the dress. Standing, she straightened her shoulders clearing her throat to get his full attention. “You like?”

Placing her hands on her hips and struck a pose to show off the black lace and satin bustier with tricot low back. She ran a manicured shortly clipped buffed fingernail under the attached garter hooked onto the off black silk stockings. “No real divine diva ever wears cumbersome pantyhose under their clothing.”

“Damn, if I wasn't gay--” Ramón teased plucking the garter and releasing it with a resounding pop.

She slapped him in the shoulder with a scowl and a shriek. “Ouch! You're such a jealous bitch!” She grinned and licked her blush colored tongue out at him. “If there was anyone else here this evening, I would waltz my butt through the entire building to show it off. It's should be seen, considering all the hard work I went through to get my ass into it.”

She was use to discussing her wardrobe, undergarments, sex life and everything else with Ramón, fondly called Ramona, away from work the lab. When she didn't have time to sew her own pieces after designing the plus-size pattern of reproduced vintage fashions, Ramón’s friends helped her out. When she was too tired to drive back to her hometown of Crestview, Florida and stayed in Miami, Ramón allowed her to crash in his and his wealthy lover's guest pool house. Even though he was thirteen years her junior, she couldn't ask for a more dedicated pathologist or a better friend.

Bonnie noticed how Ramón quietly pouted as he admired her forty-two D-cup breasts nearly spilling over the bodice. She didn't waste her breath reprimanding him. She already knew he had what she called “big tit” envy. He adored everything about the female form except for fucking it.

“What do we know about the deceased?” Bonnie questioned.

“He had no identification on him when they found him on a private residential road up in the hills. First conclusion is that he was attacked by some wild animal, but I have yet to identify what the hell kind of animal would do this to him. Honestly, Dr. Bee, the markings appear to haven been made by a human with very long and sharp fingernails.”

“Maybe the perpetrator had a special claw of some kind made up for the occasion,” she offered.

“Not unless he had them made up of human fingernails.” Ramón supplied. “I found a broken fingernail embedded deep in one of the wounds. I sent it, a DNA sample to the lab along with blood from the femoral vein to the toxicology lab to be checked for any drugs that could prevent lividity.” Ramón explained.

“That’s not possible. If the man heart isn’t pumping, gravity will pull the blood to the part of the body nearest the ground.”

“I know this.”

"Well, how did they find the body lying when they picked it up?"

"Field report indicates he was found lying on his back with arms and legs spread eagled."

"Dressed or naked?"

"Dressed. I removed his clothing myself, and I logged, and bagged them."

"Did you have someone here to help you turn him over? The pooling of blood should be in his back."

"Of course," he released an exasperated sigh. "I'm telling you there are no signs of lividity, Dr. Bee. There is a pooling and darkening on the side of his face but the color clearly show bruising as if something hard slammed into his temple."

Bonnie nodded accepting his diagnosis. "Does the subject have any infectious agents I need to be aware of before I go in there?"

"Not from the preliminary work, I’ve done," he answered.

"What are your findings during the autopsy?"

Ramón shifted on his feet. "I…I haven't opened him up yet."

"Why not?" Her voice seemed loud in the room, and she brought it down a notch. "Usually you've completed all of this before you call me in on the case. What is really going on here, Ramón?"

"There is something you need to see first, and afterwards I'll let you decide on how we should proceed. What I have done is extract vitreous humor, eye fluid, from his right eye to test his electrolytes and glucose levels."

Bonnie found Ramón’s handling of this particular case unusual from how things are usually done around here, but she refrained from making any accusations until after he told her the reason he had called her in on the case.

"I’m assuming I’m here because you couldn’t get any finger prints or is his face unrecognizable due to trauma? Is he far along in the stages of decomposition?"

"I have all this information on the chart. He is reasonably fresh, so he must have been found within twenty-four hours of his death. There are no missing body parts. I ran his prints. Nothing came back on who he is. It’s as if he doesn’t exist at all."

"Nothing unusual there since the "Headhunter" serial killer has been on the prowl from city to city and country to country. We’ve had a lot of unidentifiable bodies. Did you call me in because it’s part of the ongoing case?"

"It‘s bigger than that," Ramón quietly confided. "You won’t believe what I’ve discovered, Dr. Bee."

"Don’t tell me you’ve ruined my night out just to play twenty questions with me, Ramón." She said, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "What I can’t believe is that you would ruin a night you know I've been looking forward to for weeks. Tell me immediately why I am needed tonight?"

"You’re here because you’re my best friend, and if I’m wrong about my conclusion, I rather no one else knows about it." He answered truthfully.

"Okay. You have me intrigued," Bonnie admitted. "Tell me what conclusion do you feel I need to validate?"

"I called you here because you're one of the people that the Federal Bureau of Investigations calls in for unusual cases. This is definitely one of those bizarre cases." His expression was strained and derisive. "I'm going to need someone with your reputation to back me up on this one."

"Now, you've lost me again," she balked. "Will you stop being you melodramatic self and tell me what‘s going on?"

"After the finger prints turned up nothing about who the guy is, I did dental x-rays. Several times as a matter-of-fact and I never seen human teeth like these. He has two sets of teeth."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly," Ramón grunted. "It's not visible to the naked eyes of course, but you can see the second set which is keen like a wolves or dogs teeth in the X-ray above the gum line.

She gave him a wary glance. "You’re saying he wears dental prosthetics that is similar to a dog or wolf? Because if that's the case we can get a serial number or manufacturer--"

"No, Dr. Bee, these fucking secondary teeth are as real as his visible adult teeth." Ramón interrupted. "You also won't believe the other X-rays. Again, that's why I needed you. You're the bone specialist. All I know his skeleton makeup are like something I‘ve never seen before."

“What exactly do you think you have discovered here, Ramón?”

"I think what we have in there a...," he paused. "Vampire!"

Her eyes narrowed on his face. She released a long frustrated sigh shaking her head in disbelief.

"Come on, Dr. Bee; don’t be looking at me like that."

Bonnie paused only a moment longer before she started to laugh. "Okay, what’s going on really, Ramón Garcia?"

"It’s the truth! I swear it on my mother’s grave."

"Your mother is still alive," she crossed her arms over her breast.

"Well, on your mother’s grave. Hell, both of your parent’s grave! I’m telling you the truth, Dr. Bee."

The twinkle of laughter left her eyes. He knew the pain that still festered in her heart over her parent’s murder fifteen years ago; she knew Ramón wouldn’t make the statement about her parents as part of some big joke.

She didn’t believe it was really a vampire, but she did believe there was something strange going on here, and they were getting nowhere this way. She needed to see the body.

"You do believe me, don’t you?"

She took in his expressive eyes and said, "I believe you believe what you saw. Nevertheless, I deal in science, Ramón. I will need to examine the remains and make a determination of my own."

"Of course." He nodded. "That’s all I ask you to do."

"I take it the body has been properly cleaned of any evidence that could be used in this case?"

"Of course."

"Well, let’s do this." She cleared her throat. "Look in my locker over there, please and hand me my scrubs?"

"Scrubs. Got it!" He sauntered over to her locker and opens it. "Dr. Bee, there’s nothing in here, not your flat shoes, or scrubs."

"Oh damn, I took everything home. I’m scheduled to be in Michigan all next week and from there I’m supposed to go on vacation." She looked apologetic at Ramón as she asked, "Could you be a sweetheart and do me a big favor?"

"Since I’ve ruined your evening, and you didn’t run out of here screaming when I mention, vampire, I would do anything for you."

"If it is a tall dark and gorgeous vampire like the ones I read about in the romance novels, then you’ve done me a favor, and I’m eternally in your debt."

"Are you serious?"

"However, since we know there is a chance this man or whatever has been running all over the country killing and abusing corpses, he can’t be the unforgettably sexy type of vampire, I would be expecting to sex up all night long."

"I can’t believe you managed to say all of that with a straight face," he teased.

"Neither can I," she agreed. "We aren‘t getting anywhere with all this talking. I‘m a scientist. I have to see it to believe it, and then break it down to explain its existence. I’m going to need you to go to the second floor to see if they have a size two-extra-large pair of scrubs in the supply closet."

"No problem." Ramón nodded. "I'll be right back. If I can't find a pair in there, I'll go across the street to the hospital and sign out one from them.

"Thank you. But, you don't have to go all the way over there," she called out to his retreating figure. "I'll take a lab coat, and if you can't find one of those, a bed sheet will do. I'll take anything to keep me from freezing to death."

"Dr. Bee, I promise you, if you have to do it up toga style, I'll join you." He stopped and added, "If you don't want to go in there where the body is until I get back, I understand."

"Oh good grief, Ramón," she puffed. "It's the living that scares the hell out of me not the dead. Go ahead, I'll be fine. We will have to order a pizza soon, I'm starving."

"My treat," he promised.

“Of course it’s your treat. Also, I get to choose the toppings.” Bonnie chuckled as Ramón shot her double middle “fingers” and backed out the door.

The door closed quietly with a resounding click and suddenly the room seemed very quiet. Only the continuous whirring sound of the cooling unit that held the bodies disturb the silence.

“Vampires?” She shook here head. “I wish I could be so lucky.”

Visions of countless romantic versions of the “blood suckers” went through her head. A big smile came to her lips. There was a time when the thought that such creatures could really exist would be horrifying. Yet, that was before the vampire became cool. Well, for people who always admired the vampire myth and had a ferocious appetite for old horror films, they were always cool.

Her love for this particular mythical creature was probably the real reason Ramón called her in on his findings. She knew him well enough to know he didn't give a rat’s ass about FBI protocol. She wasn't sure if he had discovered a real vampire, but she knew he had discovered something that was unusual. In her business she had seen all sorts of human anomalies, but ultimately they were not aliens just human with unique to macabre birth defects.

Bonnie hung up her beautiful formal dress on one of the scented sateen covered hangers she kept inside. Her fingers reached out and stroke the velvety black formal laced-up bustier gown. It took her two months to create the pattern and make the dress. She had wanted everything about today to be perfect.

She began the day with her a body massage in warmed almond scented oil before waiting three hours in the hottest hair salon to get her hair touched up and fingered waved into this perfect Veronica Lake side-parted hairdo. Her make up had been professionally airbrushed applied, and she had dressed with the utmost care to detail from new expensive lingerie to the elegant evening gown.

Bonnie shook her head. No more regrets about this evening. It didn't matter that for the first time in the six months, since she ended a five year relationship, she had a date. It was probably best. The reason her last relationship ended was because she spent too much time away from home and when you don't slow down long enough to take care of your man, there was always another woman waiting to do the job. There was no anger at the break up. For her, it was just what it was, over. She loved what she did, she made a difference in the world, and she hadn't loved him enough to walk away from her career. It was that simple.

Bonnie sauntered over to the sink in the ante-room and pulled a disposable cap from the dispenser. She tucked her hair beneath the paper hat before tapping her foot on the water peddles to turn on the water. Releasing antiseptic soap into her palms she washed her hands and forearms. Elbowing the hand dryer beside the sink she placed her hands and arms underneath to dry, her eyes drifted to the adjoining post-mortem examination room at the body awaiting her attention. Once again, her conversation with Ramón about this body being confirmed as one of the men who had committed several atrocious murders.

If this man had believed he was a vampire, could he have been beheading his victims to drain their bodies of blood before burning them beyond recognitions? Had he consumed the blood of humans? Would he take such a risk considering all the health risk?

Releasing a long breath Bonnie turned her attention back to the sink area and with a paper towel in her clean hands she opened a cabinet where she removed a sealed packet that held a white disposable bibbed apron. Opening the packet she slipped the bib strap over her head before securing the plastic strips behind her at the waist. She was motivated to take a look at the body for herself.

Snatching two latex gloves from the box, Bonnie snapped them onto her hands. A soft whiff of the musk oil perfume she had dabbled at the pulse points of each wrist blew up her nostrils reminding her once more of her spoiled plans.

If she had left her cell phone at home, she would be at this moment waltzing around the dance floor under a bright chandelier to live orchestra music, putting those ballroom dance lessons to good use. By two a.m. she would have been immersed in lingering hot kisses before it turned into mind numbing sex.

Making her way into the adjoining autopsy room he was stretched out on a stainless-steel table in a stain-less steel room. His head was propped up by a large white plastic block, and he was naked except for the drape of cloth over his genitalia.

"This isn’t quite the rigid tool I wanted to spend tonight playing with, so John Doe, you better at least make this night interesting." She muttered.

Bonnie could see Ramón had carefully cleaned the torso and face of any dirt or debris that may have been embedded in the gaping wounds. At first glance she saw a reddish purple bruise-like discoloration covered his right temple while the left side of his face looked to have been severely clawed and what ever had done the damage appeared to have tried to remove his jugular with its teeth.

"My God," she breathed. "What got a hold of you, Sweetmeat?" She spoke to him as if he could hear her.

Picking up the chart she skimmed the notations Ramón had written down, noticing he left out his suspicion that he had discovered a vampire; that was smart. It’s one thing to let your best friend think you were crazy, but to put something so ludicrous in an official report could cause him to lose his job.

Placing down the chart she studied the cadaver. He was an Asian male in his early to mid-twenties, with blue-black hair. His face covered with deep lacerations to the bone. Bonnie fingered and prodded the gaping flesh figuring out what tools she would need to close the wounds. Something small, she thought. It would be easier to cover smaller stitches on the face. She hoped they had the right colors to match his skin tone in stock; otherwise, she would have to go home for her personal restoration kit.

"Don’t worry darlin’, I’ll have you presentable in no time. Hopefully, we can find out who you are and who you belong to."

The shrill of the intercom caused Bonnie to jump. Her heart raced in her chest. She looked up at the round circle on the far ceiling. "Dr. Bee, I couldn’t find anything useful here, and I couldn’t get in the closet where they keep the sheets. I’m going across the street to the infirmary." It grew quiet once more before another piercing noise sounded. "I’ll pick up the pizza from the food court while I'm there."

“Ass,” Bonnie murmured to John Doe. “He’s picking up the pizza instead of letting me call it in so he can get what he wants on it. I swear if Ramón gets mushrooms and jalapeños peppers on it, he’s going to be lying on the empty table next to you.”

"Dr. Bee, just in case you’re thinking I’m trying to pull a fast one on you, I'm getting all your favorites, extra black olives, onions, and Italian sausage on a thin crust." Ramón’s voice drawled and added, "Also, Doc Bee, no cutting on John Doe 163 without me."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and chuckled. He did know her well, but he was the attending pathologist in this particular case. She was only assisting in his findings. Never had she took it upon herself to overstep another doctor's work, no matter how much more experience she had over them, unless she was invited to do so.

Her dark eyes studied the structure of his face. She was pleased to see regardless of all the damage, he didn’t appear to have any fractures or crushed facial bones. She moved up the lid on each eye to assure the eyes were still intact. They were and she was pleased, otherwise she would have to pack them before gluing them shut.

“You weren’t just a handsome man when you were alive,” she crooned. “You were gorgeous. Actually, I might even have thought you were beautiful if I‘d seen you on the street.”

Bonnie didn’t think in all of her years as an anthropologist she had seen such perfect facial structuring of bones on a man. He had a refine thin face with a prominent straight nose, chiseled high cheekbones, and an angular chin. Truthfully, his features were so exquisite he might have been mistaken for a woman were it not for the fact his lean muscular body was very much male. The bulging outline of a flaccid penis beneath the white covering was another positive clarification that he had been blessed with more than good looks.

"My Lord, what a waste," she sighed. "Who were you? The name John is just too plain for you." She touched his dark hair. "Were you married? Is there some distraught female wondering what happened to you? Do you have children?"

She found herself lingering on his face once more. She was taken aback by the deep sadness she was experiencing. It felt like a personal loss. She hadn‘t had feelings like this since her second year internship. Before she knew it, she had become like all the doctors she admired and worked under. Death and how they died no longer bothered her, she no longer had nightmares, or wondered why a ten-year-old with a full life ahead of them would hang themselves in their closet, or a super model adored for her beauty would starve herself to death and be so thin that she could move the body to check for birthmarks, tattoos and scars without help.

Bonnie supposed what bothered her about her work now, was the fact that death didn’t bother her anymore. That was until tonight. She wondered if he would have given her the time of day if he was alive. Her fingers smoothed over his hair. Probably not, because beautiful people only paid attention to other beautiful people.

She pulled his nicely formed lips apart to look at his teeth. Admittedly, his canines were a bit on the pointy side but not enough for her to believe him to be a vampire. Ramón must have been seeing things. Then again he said it was the second set of teeth that were the sharp ones. There were no indications to the second set at all to the visible eyes. How was it possible for them to be there and no hint of it except through X-rays?

Her eyebrows drew together in a look of askance at the man on the table. "What happen to you? Who did this to you? You’re so young." Tears clouded her eyes, and fell down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away with the back of her gloved hands. What the hell had gotten into her? Damn, she was actually standing here crushing and mourning over a dead guy? She must be losing her mind.

After years of loving her job, Bonnie was coming to realize she needed more lively contact in her life. Her ex had broken up with her because she put her career before his needs, and now that it was too late she longed for all the things she walked away from. How could such a short time alone make such a profound difference in her way of thinking about the future?

"Odd," she mumbled to herself. Touching the gaping laceration on his face again, noticing a change. It wasn’t possible. She couldn’t see the bone any more. It was as if it was…healing?

His eyes opened. Bonnie released a loud shriek and leap back tumbling off her four-inch heels onto her ass.

Hide Kinoshita hurt all over and the black woman poking at his face wasn’t helping matters. Shit. It appeared as if he woke up at the mortuary once again. This was the third time it has happened in four centuries. Back in the old days a man could drop anywhere and be left to rot in the elements and no one would be the wiser. Unfortunately, for him and his kind society had become quite nosy to say the least. This time he didn’t feel like he had enough strength to call the mortician to him so that he could feed, regain his strength and speed up the healing process.

He turned his head to look at the adult female on the floor. Her mouth was spread as wide as her thighs and under any other circumstance he would have been able to appreciate the humor of finding a woman half naked in a mortician apron tending the dead.

His eyes roamed from the sexy black pointed-toe pumps, and up the black sheer stockings attached to matching garters and a corset that wasn't leaving much to the imagination. A frown caused his black thick eyebrows to meet over the bridge of his straight nose. It was rare to see a woman dressed in fashionable Victorian lace under garbs these days, and it was even sparser for him to see one with her curves dressed in such a manner, but why in the morgue?

It was embarrassing that the Deserter had nearly gotten the best of him before he killed him, which he wouldn‘t have done so. Deserters—the vampires that didn’t want to conform to the new ways—were caught and reformed to the taste of the artificial blood. Mostly, it was the hunt and the kill that was the addiction for the vampire.

Mortals were no longer considered an option on their food chain since the invention of Fluosol-DA-20, manufactured by Green Cross of Japan in 1989. Even though it was pulled from human consumption five years later it was perfect for them and with further development, they had advanced a pill formulated to keep their hunger down and build their immunity to tolerate the sunlight. Hide released a long sigh that turned into a loud whimper as dry coughs seized his body. The last time he remembered hurting this badly was the time he was transcending from the mortal world into the immortal world in his sire, Tomoe’s, arms.

He caught her movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see her coming up on her feet. He realized she was actually shorter than he assumed. He took in her full hips, small waist and the full expansion of smooth brown breast threatening to pop out of the corset and apron. She had enough curves to make a man dizzy.

The woman had removed her four-inch heels, and was warily coming towards him with them in her hand. Looking at the spiked point on her stylish pumps he knew in his weakened state, she could do some serious damage. So be it.

"Go ahead," he gasped. "Kill me…I’m dying anyway."

"Dying? Hell, you’re in a morgue, Mister." She spoke to him. "You’re lucky, that Ramón waited until I got here to do the autopsy, or you would be a hollow shell of yourself about now."

"I…need…blood," he managed. His throat felt as if he had swallowed the Sahara. "I’m so, thirsty."

"Damn, Ramón was right," she breathed. "You…you are a…ah…vampire?"

He nodded. He would worry about her and this Ramón character knowing the truth later. For now, he needed to survive this ordeal and make it home before daylight. Without his pills and a high resolution sun screen, he would burn horribly in the sun in this form. Vampire research amongst his kind had come a long way from when he was transformed, yet even with the blood pill, they could only sustain no more then three hours in the sun. It was their hope to someday have the ability to have day jobs and careers in the legislation. A vampire president some day, wouldn’t that be impressive? An Asian vampire would be even more awe-inspiring.

Since they had removed his clothing, so he didn’t have his blood pills, which probably wouldn’t have aided him in his current state of dehydration. He would need liquid fortification so that it may enter his system quickly. Hide saw the woman leaning over him in her brow creased in concern; she had sat aside the lethal shoes and was checking his pulse by her watch. He could smell her blood. Oh damn, she was a priceless treasure. AB negative, his favorite vintage.

AB plasma for his kind was a natural aphrodisiac. Hmm. It was like vampires milk chocolate candy. Yet, their "chocolate" supply was limited with a waiting list. Hide was lucky if he could get a vile of it every once and awhile. The blood type was so rare even the mortal hospitals were always on the lookout for a carrier. Whoever this woman was, he could guarantee she was in their database of protected species‘.

Even if he couldn’t taste her, he could enjoy her scent. He leaned into her heaving breast, he sniffed. "You…smell…delicious." He stated in a hoarse weakened voice.

"Oh God, I’m so sexually deprived that I’m fantasizing about a dead man coming alive and feeling up my tits." She grasped his thin muscular shoulders and pushed him back down on the table, his head resting once again on something hard. It wasn’t the most comfortable position he’d ever been in, nor was it the most uncomfortable.

"This isn’t happening…this isn’t happening," the woman chanted. "Okay, just in case this is happening, I’m going to call for and ambulance to be sent from the infirmary. You need to be admitted into the hospital. We aren‘t equipped to handle someone that isn‘t dead."

"Technically, I am dead."

"You better be glad I’m used to dead people, or my black would be freaking out on you about now," she murmured.

The Black woman made to move away, and he reached and grasped her hand. "Please, don’t leave me. If I am to truly die this night, I don’t want to be alone." His eyes closed. "I’ve been alone so long. I don’t wish to die that way."

"I…I don’t know what to say, handsome. No one usually dies on my watch, because they’re already dead. Most of them have been dead for months, to years and centuries. I should have been suspicious when I was called in for a "fresh" body, that this would not be a typical night," she murmured. "The phone is just in the other room. It will only take a moment."

"No." Hide halted her before admitting to her, "I’m thinking seeking eternal sleep will not be so bad after all. I’m tired and old. Please, just allow me to die and find some peace."

"Old? You can’t be a day over twenty-seven."

"I was twenty-five when I died in 1602."

He could see the stunned disbelief on her face. To his surprised she started to laugh. "Okay, I admit you and Ramón had me going. For a brief moment, I thought you really were a vampire. But now you’ve taken this joke too far. Born in 1602, my ass."

"You got plenty of it," Hide chuckled and was racked with dry coughing. He calmed down and took a deep breath moaning in pain.

“See, that’s what you get for making jokes,” the black woman taunted him. “If you aren’t dying for real you will be if you make another comment about the size of my ass,” she warned. “Who did that make up job on your face and body? They did a damn good job.”

"It was a compliment," he reasoned. "About your derrière, I mean."

"Un huh." She yanked her hand from his and placed them on her hips and yelled, "Okay, come out of hiding Ramón and bring the video camera with you. If you think you’re going to use this footage at the memorial day picnic this year, you got another thing coming! I‘m not going to be the county morgue’s joke two years in a row!"

"I don’t know this Ramón fellow," Hide said. His breath came shallow and strained and his senses reeled in dizzying waves as he fought to draw air into his longs. "I truly am a vampire, and if I don’t have blood, I will dehydrate and die. It’s slow and painful, but effective."

He saw the moment her analytical mind kicked in, and she realized this wasn’t a joke. He was real and so was the situation she found herself in the middle of.

She took her hand in his and squeezed. "If you are what you say you are my calling for help would put you at a greater risk because others will find out what you are and God only knows what will happen to you then. Can you drink the blood of the dead?"

Hide turned green at the thought.

"Sorry," she grimaced. "I don’t know how this vampire thing work."

"I’m like you; accept I need blood instead of water to sustain life. "Would you drink the piss taken from the bladder of the dead?"

It was her turn to turn green. "Point taken and for the record I wouldn’t drink the piss of the living to survive either."

"You will be surprised what you would be willing to do to survive," Hide told her. Unfortunately, he was speaking from the voice of experience.

"There is only one thing to do." She leaned down moved brushing her hair to the side and bared her throat to him. "Bite me."

Hide could see the beckoning artery pulsing, calling to him. It had been over eighteen years, since he pierced the skin of a female that wasn’t vampire. He couldn’t do it, not even if he wasn’t too weak for his teeth to extract the blood that ran in her veins was forbidden for him to take. As starved as his body was his instincts for survival would make him continue until he was out of danger. Her body would be empty before he was sated.

“Thank you, but I can’t.”

She pulled back with a scowl. "You really want to die that bad? This is another chance for you. People who come in here don’t get second chances. When I came in here and saw you on that table, all I could think was, "what a waste". You’re handsome, young, fine, sexy and packing so there isn‘t any reasoning for not wanting to live a full long life if you can. I see death all the time, and you are fortunate, regardless of your circumstances."

"Packing?" He asked. Hide wasn’t quiet sure what packing meant, but he assumed it was a good thing, considering she found him handsome and sexy also. For some insane reason, he was pleased.

Noticing the blush spreading over brown colored shoulders and face under his unblinking stare, he dropped his eyes. He realized that his black unblinking stare could be unnerving for mortals. However, he wasn’t amiss on noticing for the first time that she was actually pretty. Not drop dead gorgeous like the vampire women he had associated with over the centuries, but different and oddly refreshing. It was a prettiness that shined from the inside out, making her lovelier than lovely, making her more dangerous because it sneaks up on you when you least expect it and grabs your soul.

"If I had a chance to eat, I would think I had something in my teeth," she fidgeted under his stare. He looked away. "I don’t know what living forever young is like. For those of us who don’t have that ability are envious because the thought of living forever is I’m sure more appealing in theory than actuality."

"It’s easier to live in these times than the years before," Hide admitted.

"You’re lucky I’m a doctor of sorts, and I’m aware there are illnesses that required continuous blood transfusions. So to ease my own mind until I can grasp the reality of what you are, I will think of you as a patient with a medical condition." She grinned and squeezed his hand once again. "By the way what is your name if I’m allowed to ask?"

It was a nice grin. "Hideaki Kinoshita," his raspy voice replied.

"Japanese?"

He nodded.

"You speak English so well. I don’t even hear an accent."

"I’ve lived in the Americas for the past hundred and fifty years." He grinned at her wide eyed stare. She has huge and beautiful eyes, he thought to himself. “You are?”

"Dr. Bonita Charice Hudson but everyone calls me Bonnie,” she answered. “All right, Mr. Kinoshita--”

“Hide.”

"Hide, I can graciously assist you if you wish to live otherwise I will walk out of here because I don’t want to be witness to you giving up," she said sternly. "I’m sorry but if you want to die, you will have to do it alone."

He eyed her stubborn stance and would have laughed if it didn‘t hurt so much. "Bonnie, might I ask you a question?"

"Yes." Her stare became wary.

"Why are you dressed like this in the county morgue? Is this the latest uniforms?" She laughed. She had a nice laugh.

"I’ll tell you only if you allow me to help you."

Hide nodded. A complacent smile on his dry lips.

"Great, I can also stitch up your face and other wounds, and you will only have minimum scarring."

"Not necessary. Once I feed and sleep on my native soil, I will heal."

"Really?" Her voice grew loud with excitement. " Do you actually sleep buried in dirt?"

"I sleep in a bed like you do. That is, unless I’m mortally wounded such as I am now. Then I must rest in a special chamber where I and my wounded Kenin can rest in our native soil with its mixture of healing herbs from the monastery of Koyasan.

“Kenin?” Her right eyebrow arched in question.

“Housemen…vassals‘.” He saw that she was still confused. “Those who care for me and my home to assure of the safety of those under my protection.” Hide was entire body tensed as hacking coughs tore through him. He didn’t know how much longer he could go on.

“I’ll go and get you a bottle of water,” she offered.

“Water is not what my body craves, Bonnie,” he rasped. “Do not bother.” He regretted the gentle reminder of how he was not like others after hearing her teeth clattering with her growing nervousness.

Her hands continued running over her arms as she looked at him. Hide felt a pang in his heart at the slight tilt of her upper lip. She was disgusted by what he was and was failing miserably at trying to appear otherwise. Why would he assume she was different from everyone else just because she worked with the dead?

"This chamber is it one big coffin of dirt that everyone crawls into like a big orgy or what?"

He could only manage a half-grin seeing how the side of his face that the muscles had been severed was paralyzed. So, she wasn’t disgusted by him, just the thought of naked bodies grouped together lying in a coffin of dirt. She was different after all, but it didn’t change the fact that she was also frightened of him.

"No, not a coffin, "he answered complacently. "It’s quite comfortable I assure you. It’s like camping out. Once in the chamber a hibernating sleep will take place and stop the heart completely instead of slowing it down like I did tonight to maintain whatever oxygen is left in my blood," he imparted.

"I would love to monitor you doing this state and see what changes your body temperature, metabolic rate, heart rate, and--"

"That’s impossible," he interrupted with a grave face. "I can’t stay here, Bonnie."

"I know. I'm just saying..." Her eyes dropped from his face and her words dwindled. His eyes fell to the full swell of her large bosom as she took in a deep breath and releasing it in a long sigh. "Look, I can understand why you feel you must live secretively."

"I don’t we live amongst you," he corrected softly. "It’s the what and who, that is the secret."

"Either way, the world is not ready to know such things really exist even though some will argue the point. People can’t even face the fact that there is a serial killer in their mists until it’s happening in their back door. They don’t want to believe these things, it’s too much for the psyche to imagine without living in constant fear," Bonnie reasoned. "But I am in the medical profession, and you being a vampire is a very exceptional fact. Your blood could hold the answers to preventing aging, curing illnesses. I could study why your body needs blood to sustain life instead of water!”

"We have a full medical staff of doctors and scientist in Japan working on all these matters, the progress we have made are far more advance than what you have," Hide spoke honestly. He didn’t see any reason not to. Once he was gone, they would make her forget he had ever been here. For some reason it saddened him that she wouldn’t be able to remember him; to morn him after he was gone. To speak to him in that tender way and shed a tear for him as she had done when she thought he was unaware.

‘"Ramón and I could--"

"No, please!" He lifted his head to glare at her. "No one else can know!"

"I’m afraid Ramón is the one that told me what he suspected you were. He has dental X-rays that show your retracted canines to extend, with a tubule opening. I assume it allows you to draw the blood into your body like a straw effect."

"Amongst other things," he said.

"Such as?"

Choosing to ignore her question and not go into details that with her would definitely lead to more questions.

“X-rays, you say? That explains the hypoxemia,” he gasped.

"Too little oxygen in the blood," she reiterated.

Hide nodded. "Not knowing what I am, he X-rayed me, and it caused my blood to boil.

"It’s like putting a glass of water in the microwave." Bonnie surmised.

"Yes. That is why I’m dehydrated. Slowing my heart beat as much as I did should have been enough to sustain me long enough to wake up, clean up all traces that I had been here and return home before I started feeling the effect of dehydration. It‘s also why I‘m not healing like I should."

She reached out and touched the worse of his many wounds as she’d done earlier when she surmised he couldn‘t feel her touch. Hide couldn’t help himself. He was dying, and he craved to feel the warmth of a human touch one last time. He ignored her involuntary gasp of surprise as he rubbed his face against her hand. Her heart beat sped up, but this time he sensed it wasn’t her fear that caused the rapid successions. It was his turn to be surprised and amazed. She was attracted to him.

"I’m sorry Hide, Ramón didn’t know. I would have done the same thing if they had brought you in to me without identification among other things. Unlike Ramón who’s lesser years of experience made him wait until I arrived before performing an autopsy. I would not have needed to wait on anyone. I would have killed you."

"Trust me, I would have awakened the moment the blade seared my flesh. However, in my disconcerting moments I would have killed you." He admitted and understood when she flinched at his blunt honesty. Facing ones on death was always harder than accepting someone else’s. Still, she didn’t remove her hand from his face. "It must be difficult. You are dealing with so much death, Bonnie."

"This is part of my job." she continued quietly. "I see the people that come in here as someone with a story to tell. How they died is their last story. It’s up to me to put the piece together and give a face to those that don’t have one and names to those who lost theirs along with any dignity they have before dying. There is nothing dignifying about dying no matter how you leave this world."

"You telling me?" He managed a little humor, hoping to bring a smile back to her face. He failed miserably.

"I make the dead more presentable so that the last picture they take won’t horrify their loved ones. That is if there is anything left. Most of the time, I get bones to work with. Either way I want to be able to put their families minds at ease by answering the question that is always asked, "Did they suffer?" and they would want to know how much. Rarely have I been able to tell any of them the truth. It’s easier on them," she paused. "It's also easier on me, to be able to say they didn’t suffer much."

"Bonnie, I can tell by your touch, you are kind," he spoke softly. His cold ashen hand came up over hers and through blurred vision, he took in her dark loveliness. It was the first time he had allowed a mortal female to touch him. Even those that knew what they were and willingly worked for them, he wouldn’t allow them to touch him. He feared their warmth, and was embarrassed by the coolness of his own skin. But Bonnie was different, she touched bodies colder than his as a normal way of life and somehow, the thought made him feel as if she could understand his loneliness.

"What happened to you?" she found herself asking. "Tonight, I mean. Who did this to you?"

She sensed his hesitation before he answered. "Just like amongst you there are people that take pleasure in the misery of others and reek havoc on all that they come in contact with, it’s the same with us," he confided. "It is due to these individuals the legend of fear dwells heavily over our heads to this day. Even though I don’t like it, your apprehension at knowing what I am, is not unjust. There are some truths to the myths. However, it is my duty to take care of those individuals before they can do anymore harm, that is what happened tonight, I misjudged my opponent based on the fact his being turned not to long ago. Apparently, he was a hired missionary in his mortal life and very skilled."

"You’re like a vampire cop!" She laughed aloud.

A closed laugh escaped him. "Sort of. Most would call me a "bounty hunter", except, I don‘t get paid. It is my duty to protect my territory and the mortal and immortals that dwell in it."

"To me, Hide, you’re a wonderful scientific find. If we could study you and your inherited components there is no telling what we could discover or what your metabolic system could teach us. The information on how your body can heal itself, not age, and --"

"Does your mind always process things in such an analytical way?" He released her hand, and she scratched her forehead in embarrassment. He found the movement endearing. Her big round eyes gazed at him from beneath foolishly long lashes, he judged partly artificial adding to her cherub doll-like features. He didn’t think he would make it through the next hour much less being around for her to study him.

"Hey, can I ask something?"

"If you must," he groaned. "I’m only dying here, no big deal."

She grinned again. "The only reason your body is in the morgue I take it is because you weren't actually dead. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here would you?" She shook her head. "Damn, that doesn’t even sound logical to my own ears. Forget it! I have to figure out how I can help you without alerting anyone."

He reached out and clasped her wrist as she was about to turn away. "I know what you’re asking," he said hoping to ease the clutter of questions that must be in her mind. He wished they had more time. "If I had died, I would have dissolved into dust because of my age. Younger vampires that die must be disposed of. But no, when I die tonight on this table, there will be nothing here for you and your co-worker to dissect and study, if that is your intent."

Once again, he noticed she flinched at his bluntness, but he didn’t know how else to say it. If he hadn’t awakened she willingly admitted she would have treated him like any other cadaver.

"Bonnie, no matter what happens, all traces of my being here will be cleaned up by my own. This is what we do to maintain our secret. Sometimes, we fail to get it done before someone stumbles upon the remains." He paused to draw in a ragged breath. "If the vampire is newly turned then his flesh corpse does not decay and change into nothingness. We must set fire to it hoping to rid it of any clues. It worked well in the old days, but now not so much. People like you, who do what you do are making things very hard on us."

Hey eyes, grew wide. "Hide, this may be an odd question but have you removed the heads of any of your victims?"

"They are not victims," he said forcefully. His throat growing more parched by the minute. "These menaces to society. Yours and mine. They are aware of the chaos they cause, they just don‘t give a damn!"

Uncontrollably his hand tightened on her wrist as muscle spasms shot through his arms. Bonnie she cried out and tugged, but regretfully he couldn’t open his fingers. His fingers eased and she jerked away from him. He watched fretfully as she massaged her wrist.

"Gomen, I’m sorry." He could see his mark upon her. She would be bruised come morning. He was disgusted with himself for hurting her.

"It’s okay. I can see your muscles have started to seize on you. Hide, there is only one thing you can do. Take some of my blood," she urged him.

"No," he said sternly. Please, keep asking me questions," he encouraged. "To answer your question about the removal of heads, the answer is yes. It is the best way. If we only eliminate the heart so it can’t be revived and not remove the heads, the heart can be replaced with one of another living being to bring them back. Organs can be replaced and heal the vampire with blood and sleep, a head cannot."

"My God. You are the Headhunter!"

"Headhunter?" Hide asked.

"It in all the newspapers," Bonnie answered. "That‘s the name the media gave to the unknown serial killer that has been terrorizing unsuspecting victims along the coastline. Because the of the similar cases worldwide, we believe now that these were ritualistic killings done by more then one killer."

"I am one of many. We make up a worldwide security group that tracks and hunt down renegade vampires. We only kill those who cannot be reformed," he explained. "However, we clean up behind ourselves more than not, Bonnie. Unfortunately, sometimes we run out of time." Hide whimpered rolling over onto his side to hedge the pain that ripped at his insides. He swallowed several times forcing back the bitter bile that arose in the back of his throat.

"We have to do something!" Bonnie cried out. Her hand pushed back the damp clinging tendrils from his temples and the side of his neck. "If you won’t take my blood, is there someone I can call that can help you?"

"They won’t make it in time. I sense no others vampires in this area, and I don’t live nearby. I came across a deserter by accident and like a fool rushed directly into a trap. They were waiting for me."

"More vampires?"

"Vampire Trappers," he said flatly. "Sometimes they hire a renegade vampire to help track us and trap us. The more of us that they can get rid of the better it fits their cause."

"It’s hard to believe that while I’m living my life, there is this whole nether world warring about us, and we’re completely clueless." She shook her head. "Knowing that there are vampires like you out here fighting to keep us safe makes me feel all the better. This is why you have to let me assist you. We need you to keep fighting for us."

"Bonnie," Hide said her name. The more he said it the easier it rolled off his lips. He could feel the weight of death upon his tired body. "I’m dying. My fellow security officers will come. They will clean up all signs that I was ever here you will forget you ever met me. This nightmare will be over for you soon, I promise." His voice faded into a whisper.

"No!" She leaned in, breath touching his face as she spoke. "I don’t want to forget you, Hideaki. Do you know how remarkable you are? You can’t die on me, now. There are so many more questions I want to ask," she said in teasing voice "Please, take my blood." She offered him her wrist. "I trust you to take only what you need without killing me."

"I cannot," he wheezed. "It’s forbidden. Besides, I don’t know if I can stop myself. I’ve never been this dehydrated before. "It’s okay if you leave alone now." Hide’s blinked once. His eyes closed for what he thought would be the last time.

Bonnie felt her heart racing. Hideaki. Hide. She repeated his name in her thoughts like a mantra. She was surprised at the words she had spoken to him, but it was the truth. She didn’t want to forget him. Nor did she want to let him go. This man had lived for centuries. She could only imagine the stories he could tell her. There was so much she was sure she could learn from him.

Her mind hungered to know more about him and his life. How many others were there and who where they? For all she knew she could have worked beside them and never the wiser. She longed to know his world. How much of the realism of being a vampire exists in the fiction she had read over the years.

Even if she must forget later, she hoped he would share everything with her before he removed the reality of his existence from her. What she needed to do was keep him alive first, and they could argue over the rest later.

Without further thought Bonnie went into the other room and called Ramon on his cell phone. It rang three times before he picked it up.

“Hey sweetie! You got the pizza yet?” He hadn’t. Her eyes rolled in relief. He would insist on dropping the pizza off at the morgue before he agreed to her deception to keep him away awhile longer. "I checked out the cadaver‘s contusions and assessed what will be needed in order to make him more presentable for photographing and distribution.” She waited as he questioned her, as she expected her would.

"Yes, I did look at the X-rays." She paused crossing her fingers before she spoke again. "I hate to disappoint you, Ramón, but I compared your X-ray to a thorough examination of the subject’s mouth. In my professional opinion, it looks as if Hid…err...John Doe has had extensive and very expensive dental work. It must be some new Japanese apparatus, but the second set of teeth are removable. Yes, I’m sure. You must have not looked back far enough."

She paused as she listened to his argument and felt even worse for lying to her best friend. However, she had the chance to save someone for a change, and she wouldn’t give up on him without trying to keep him alive.

"I know, sweetie, but hey you called me in because you wanted a second opinion from an experience anthropologist didn’t you? Yes. This is my professional opinion. Before we do the autopsy and wrap things up here I’m going to need a big favor.” Bonnie could hear his disappointment and felt awful for lying, but there were some things that this world wasn’t ready to know about and finding out vampires were real was one of them.

"Ramón, stop the bitching, or I will call it a night. You know if I walk out that door right now it’s going to take you all night to get everything done and tagged," she interrupted him. "You want me to call on your man and let him know you’re pulling an all-nighter? You know he already thinks you're cheating on him and lying about working late all the time. Which you do, because you are."

She rolled her eyes at his loud response holding the phone from her ear. When she heard he had calmed down, she returned it to her ear. Yeah, it was a low blow, but she was feeling desperate.

"Look, I don’t have time for this. I’m hungry and tired and we need to get this guy fixed up so we can get his pictures sent out and identify him. Could you go ahead and swing by your place, I rather have my scrubs, some flat shoes, and a bra, so I can shed this corset" Also, I really need my restoration kit?" Bonnie released a sigh of relief at his agreement. "Yeah, if you do this for me, I will forget that your ass ruined my evening. Be careful.”

"Oh yeah, Ramón, I locked the first door leading into the autopsy room because I thought I heard some teenagers. Probably, pledge week at some fraternity house again. With the big bash tonight they know security is lax. Call me when you get here, and I’ll come to let you in."

Once the call ended Bonnie rushed back into the autopsy room. Her heart leapt in fear. He looked as if he was dead. Actually, in theory, he was dead. She hopped up on the table in a seated position before coming up on her knees and straddling his stomach. Lord, she prayed no one caught her in a corset straddled what the believed to be a cadaver. Her reputation would be ruined for the rest of her life, not to mention people got arrested for doing such things.

Placing her fingers at his throat she couldn't fill a pulse. Instead she held the flat side of the sawing blade close to his nostrils and saw a misting against the silver reflection. Thankfully, his heart was currently still beating. She could understand why he ended up here in the morgue, mistaken for dead.

It was time for her to make a choice, she couldn’t allow him to fall into a death sleep. If his heart wasn’t pumping at all then any blood she gave him would pool in his back and not cycle through his body. She reached over his face to get one of the scalpels from the tray.

Bonnie gasped, startled by the deep groan that escaped his throat.

“You smell wonderful,” he murmured.

“You like it?” She smoothed a hand down the uninjured side of his face, grateful to hear him speak. “Don’t tell anyone but they think I pay big bucks for this perfume, but it’s “musk” natural oil, that I purchased from the “Bath shop”. Only a couple of bucks and ounce.”

“I was speaking of your natural smell. AB negative," he murmured. His eyes still closed. "It’s…my…favorite. You smell like chocolate."

"That‘s fitting," she snorted on a laugh. "I‘m after all, a chocolate colored woman. Tell me handsome, if I smell like "chocolate" do Caucasian women smell like "vanilla"? What flavor would Asian women be? Come on. Try and sit up for me." Bonnie struggled to pull him towards her.

He chuckled. “No. It the smell of the blood type, not your race. I’m so tired. However, considering my age it is to be expected.” He went limp.

Bonnie shook him and yelled, "Hide, can you hear me, darlin‘? I need you to try and help me do this." He was like dead weight in her arms. She felt him slipping away. She let go allowing him to drop back to the stainless steel table and head brace with a thud. "Damn it! I stayed with you as you asked," she cursed. "The least you could do is fight to stay around for me!”

He didn’t respond and she felt a panicky overwhelming feeling well up inside her.

“Okay, fuck this. I call your situation an emergency, and to me emergencies calls for some drastic emergency shit!" With that said Bonnie decided to use the since and the hot body the good Lord gave her to try and save this man.

“Think, Bonnie.” She murmured looking around at all the instruments. She was equipped with everything except the ability to save the life of a dehydrating vampire. A brief flash of her straddling his face and pressing her inner thigh to his lips came to mind, and she quickly dismissed the idea wondered what the hell had gotten into her. She could only imagine how painful it would be to cut such a sensitive place, not to mention when she walked how painful it would be when her big thighs brushed together. It would take forever to heal. She suppressed a shiver, her face scrunched up in a disdained frown at the very thought.

"I don’t know if you noticed any of my flaws yet." She was nervously rattled. "You know, seeing how a bodacious big ass like mine can be a distraction against my...so few faults," she taunted in a teasing voice. "Now, I admit, I talk too much. Also, LORD help the sinners of this world, because I cuss so much that if I was catholic I would put the Virgin Mary on speed dial. But it’s only when I’m nervous, foolishly tired or hungry like now."

Bonnie reached down lift up one blade and shook her head placing it back down.

"Anyway, don’t you go assuming because I dress like a Peachtree Street slut and cuss like a Georgia sailor on leave, I’m not a "lady" because baby, I am. I like girly things, and I love antiques, vintage clothing, and before bed, I sit down to tea and crumpets or whatever cookies I have in the kitchen cabinet." She paused to take a deep breath before forging ahead. "Hide, I rarely watch television, but I have a DVD Library of old horror films and movies like you wouldn’t believe. If you stick around, I promise we will watch everyone of them, and you should be honored because I don‘t share my private home theater room with many people."

Worry lines creased her forehead as she wondered how it was possible for the man to get any more ashen than he was when she first saw him. He was dying. A tear escaped the corner of one eye and glided down her cheek.

"See, there is so much you yet to learn about me. I haven’t lived as long as you probably have, but I can tell you I’ve put a lot of living into my years. However, you mister, cannot live fucking near forever and a day then decide to leave this world when I come along! How rude is that?”

She yanked his dark hair hard with her fingers, hoping to get some form or response, yet he didn’t open his eyes or yell at her for doing so. Bonnie bit back a sob.

"Damn you! If you die on me Hide, I’m going to take it personal. Do you hear me?" Bonnie, continued to chatter as she made preparations to do all that was necessary to keep him alive. Sliding the apron bib over her head she leaned forward and reached into her corset and pulled her breast over the top.

"Good thing about being a sizable girl with authentic "big knockers" is that they are very flexible for all kinds of kinky stuff. You best recollect that the next time you decide to look over some vampire chick that is packing a little extra junk in her trunk." She paused. "Are there fat vampires? I have to remember to ask you that later," she murmured. "Just consider yourself the luckiest vampire in the world, sweetie. I never pull the tits out on a first date."

Bonnie removed a handful of cotton gauzes from the container. She didn’t know if he was listening, but she needed to talk. The quietness she usually enjoyed was bothersome this night, for all she could hear was her own heart pounding in her ears and the growling of her stomach. The more nervous she was becoming the more her stomach growled. Weeks of starving herself for tonight and instead of receiving dinner, she was going to be someone's dinner.

"Hide, I don’t know if you can hear me, but after I do this you are going to owe me dinner. It’s the least you can do for a woman that bleeds for you on the first date." Cradling his jaw in her hand, she leaned down and spoke softly beside his ear. "I’m willing to do all that I can to keep you alive. You must fight to live, damn it. Don’t you dare to think about disappointing me by dying!"

Bonnie doubled pieces of the gauze before pouring alcohol on it to prep the area. Folding the remaining gauzes she placed them between her teeth preparing herself for the pain she knew was to come next. Picking up the surgical scalpel she blew out through her nostrils and made a small incision above her nipple muffling her cries by biting down onto the gauze.

Tears of agony flowed down the sides of her features, yet there was something oddly titillating about what she was about to do. Pleasant genital dew spread in her vaginal area. Her thighs pulling to accommodate his slim hips. If she adjusted herself just a tad she could feel his relaxed penis against the split of her ass. A vibration of enjoyment ran along her vertebrae.

Leaning over, Bonnie’s precious life’s blood drizzled against his mouth and chin. She expected it to affect him enough to become a participant in what she was trying to do. Seeing the dark hue of her blood against the paleness of his mouth and chin made her clitoris spasm. A startled gasp sounded from the back of her throat and her teeth tightened down on the gauze. She whimpered. How could she become so aroused by something so deviant, so primal as the idea of sharing her blood with this man, this vampire?

Her heart leap with joy when Hide’s eyes opened and locked on her concern gaze. His dark shimmering stare moved from her face down to her breasts. She saw his arrogant thin nostrils flared. It was terribly sexy. Seeing his longish pale red tongue darted out to lick the blood from his bottom lip and below almost to his chin. His disarming and intense gaze returned to her face.

"Bonnie," he rasped out her name softly. "Why?"

She removed the gauze from her mouth and threw it aside. "I want you to live."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

"You marred your flesh for me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I want you to live."

"Why?"

She remained silent, her emotional eyes dropped away from his concentrative stare.

"Why?" He asked again, more sternly.

"I need more time," she finally admitted to him and herself. "I need more time…with you."

"Arigato, thank you."

"Will you please just do it before I bleed to death." Bonnie half laughed and half whimpered as the burning sensation at the sight of the cut became more profound. It was like having a mammoth size paper cut. She wiped the blood from her nipple. He clasped her hand in his own careful not to touch the bloodied fingers and tugged one finger's bloodied tip into his mouth. With a peckish look upon his fair face, he suckled the blood off each finger in turn.

"Only once before have I been offered the valued gift of life. It left me forever bonded to the one that sired me," he announced before his hot tongue lapped at her nipple. With a savoring groan of pleasure, he spoke softly. "Now, Bonnie, I’m eternally in your debt."

Bonnie couldn’t help it. She was completely aroused by his words and the experience. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t serious. The sincerity was implied and it was obvious he was touched by what she’d done. To see him wanting to continue living was enough for her. From what she could tell he was a good man, doing good things and no one would every know on account of the secret life he was forced to lead.

As he fed, she writhed against the hard ridges of his taut powerfully built abdomen. Seeing his pale almost gossamer skin against her brownness with her life’s blood around his greedy mouth and pressed against her breast gave her an empowerment she‘d never known. She wept while repeating his name. With developing strong feelings she rocked supporting his head to her breast. Even though he was as helpless as a babe in her arms, it wasn't motherly feelings sweeping through her and from what she could feel brushing its hardness against her buttocks, there was nothing childlike about his feelings towards her.

For him to have been near death moments ago his arms were strong as he held her. Bonnie could feel his strength growing. She pressed into his hand as it palmed the weighty breast he fed from. She swooned against him. She heard additional throaty moans and wasn't sure if it came from him or her.

Bonnie couldn’t explain the uncivilized sexual longing that possessed her every nerve ending. Never had even the most aerobic coital experiences she’d ever felt, was as physically satisfying as the feeling of Hide feeding from the cut at her breasts. At that moment in his arms, she felt uninhibited and wanton with desire. There was no embarrassment whatsoever as she used his body any way she could to reach her satisfaction.

"My God! Hide," she dug her hand into his shoulders for balance. "What are you doing to me? All these…sensations? This is fucking insane!" She grinded and rotated her wet silk and cotton covered crotch against his washboard stomach. Her ass bumped against the head of his erection with each movement.

The gift of life flowed from her to him and there was no longer any pain, just mind blowing pleasure. He was selfishly accepting of all she had to offer. For one lucid moment, she prayed he knew when to stop for she had lost all will to deny him or herself. She wanted him from the moment she stepped into this room and wished that he was still alive. Bonnie felt strangely a part of him. Sharing this close moment with him seems to be strengthening the unseemly emotion she had for him. Had she complete lost hold on all her mental reasoning?

Hide was emotionally affected by what Bonnie was doing for him. She could have run and called for help or used one of her surgical instruments to finish the job of bleeding him to death in his weakened state. However, she didn’t. She chose to put her own life in his care in order to save him. Her open trust humbled him and all the preservations he kept around himself to evade any sentimental entanglements with mortals fell to the wayside. A non-vampire life span was too short. It would be foolish to care for any of them, not to mention forbidden without the support of his sire, Gozen Tomoe.

He reveled heatedly in her taste. If he hadn’t given up his soul for eternal life, he would have offered it for the kindness she had shown him. It had been so long since he had smelled the arousal of a woman. Female vampires didn’t have the strong sexual muskiness that a human female had. Probably, because vampires didn’t sweat for their body always maintained a low body temperature. Hell help him, her warmth and her blood was addictive. The heat from her breast cradled in his mouth pressing into his nose and his groin felt like it was on fire as she grinded against him. Her heavy thighs trapped him a paternal cocoon. Hide welcomed the solidness of her weight atop his body. For the first time in four hundred years, he felt mortal again.

"I didn’t think it would be like it was in the books I read. It's not. It's so much better than anyone could have imagined. My heart is racing, my body feels as if I’m on fire, and I feel so dizzy. Hide…Oh, Hide I…I’m…scared by what I‘m feeling. I‘ve never felt this type of sexual intensity before. I'm going to come!" He heard her take in a deep and swift breath of air before she stiffened in the circle of his arms and cried out.

Soothing her back with the stroking of his hands he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I’m so embarrassed," she groaned. He could feel her face buried in his hair.

“It’s okay. I can make you do it many times over.“ Hide’s tongue twirled around her hard nipple as he suckled and tugged between his teeth. She cradled his head to her breast and her nails clawed across his back and shoulders.

“Oh no not again! Please,” she whimpered. Her hot breath blew against his temple and his cock jerked beneath the modest shroud that did little to cover his throbbing erection.

The sound of her husky feminine voice in his sensitive ears, hummed through his body. He agreed with her. The sexual intensity between them was almost painful. He wanted to thrust himself inside her but that was an invasion. It wasn’t sex she was offering him, it was nourishment. The sensual bonding that they shared was most unexpected, but he relished the feeling of being wholly alive for the first time since his mortal death. For a moment this most unusual woman shared with him her life force and Hideaki gloried in the hold she had on him.

“Oh…oh! Don’t let me go,” Bonnie cried out her release. “Oh…damn! Hold me…tighter…yesss…”

Hide reluctantly released his hold on her breast. He soothed her with softly spoken words, “Aka chan, baby, I won’t let you go. Hold on to me for as long as you need me,” he crooned. His hand caressed her back and bottom. Pressing his ear against her chest he listened to her pounding heart. It was beating too fast. The roar of her blood was rushing through her veins. He continued stroking her back easing her through the orgasm that caused her to quiver in his arms.

He was astonished that she was so receptive to him. Even in his ill state, she found pleasure in his touch. More impressive was the face that he had obtained an erection. Her unusually high sensuality awakened long dormant and very mortal emotions in his body. She awakened a longing for the companionship he’d longed denied himself. She also had the heart of a warrior. She set aside any fears to save his life. This took a lot of trust on her part. It called forth sentimental words that he could only murmur to her in his native Japanese language. This was the only way he could express his sincerity to her effectively.

Hideaki could barely sense her heart beating. The rapid beating seemed to have dropped. It shouldn't have. Not this quickly. Something had gone horribly wrong! Had he been so lost in his own gluttony that he’d taken too much blood from her? "Bonnie? Are you all right?" Her body became heavy in his arms as she slacked to the side. He cupped her chin in his hand. "Bonnie!" He shook her. Come on open those beautiful eyes and look at me," he commanded. Have you eaten anything today?"

Feeling somewhat fortified Hide had no problems lifting her weight from his body and traded places with her. He held open one eye than the other to look into them. "Fuck!," he cursed under his breath. "Bonnie what have you done? You never should have given me your blood. When was the last time you had a good meal?"

“Hide?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Is this supposed to happen? I can hardly breathe."

"By all that is dark and unholy in me, I must have taken too much blood." He cursed himself. "This shouldn’t happen unless…" He scowled at her. "Please, Bonnie, tell me you’ve been eating properly. Have you been dieting like so many foolish women do these days?"

"I had to get into my dress," she moaned and swatted at his hand resting on her face like a worrisome fly. "Stop yelling and let me sleep. I just need to rest."

"Bonnie," he groaned. "What were you thinking? Why would you take such a crazy chance knowing you haven’t had proper sustenance to foster the loss of blood? What are you trying to do exchange your dearest life for mine? Trust me, beloved, I‘m not worth it." His eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Let’s start with getting these bindings off of you, so you can breathe properly." He worked to release her from the tight corset before losing patients and grabbing it in his fist ripping it apart.

She released a deep sigh, but still hadn‘t open her lovely brown eyes. He lightly tapped her on the face to gain a response, but nothing happened.

Here he was with her blood racing through his veins healing him while she remained unresponsive. A state of guilt weighed heavily in his chest. She saved his life. He couldn’t let her die due to her kindness. Nor would he leave her lying here unconscious in such an undignified state of undress left to die.

It had been such a long time since anyone— human or vampire— had shown him such kindness without expecting something in return.

He retrieved fresh gauze from the nearby rolling tray and pressed them over the cut to staunch the bleeding. At home he had some healing herbs that he could apply and heal her quickly without scarring. Hide also needed to find her blood to replace what she’d lost. However, he knew how impossible it was to get her blood type without enough notice to the supplier.

Bonnie would die if couldn’t track down her blood type. He’d already broken so many rules this night, what’s one more? Hide mentally reached out to the security cleaning crew now that he was healed enough to do so. They would take care of the morgue and clean up all trace of him.

He would also instruct them to remove traces of Bonnie ever being present along with implanting false memories into security and this Ramón who had taken his X-rays. He had to do what he could to save her life. No less than she had done for him. Hide said a silent prayer that his sire Tomoe hadn’t gotten wind of this grave mistake. He was already on her shit list for other offenses.

Cradling Bonnie in his arms as if she was a child, he carried her up six flights of stairs to the rooftop. Hide called upon the elements of nature to mantle the clear Miami night line in a dense fog rolling in off the North Atlantic Ocean and with it a wailing flare of wind to transport him and the woman he held close to his heart, to his lair.