Filtered sunlight shone through the tree dappling the world.  A delicious fall day.  The sky was a brilliant azure sprinkled with a few fluffy clouds left in the late afternoon.

“Come back here Anita!”

 A child’s laughter floated by on the warm breeze followed by her mother’s as she caught the child around the waist and lifted her high above her head and slowly spun around. Together, mother and child slowly lowered to the ground.  The toddler wriggled out of her mother’s arms and trotted out from under the shade into the sunlight, her dark curls blue black in the bright sun. The young woman laughed and stood up to chase after the child.

But her laughter broke into a scream as a sudden stab of pain ripped through her side as she got up. The young woman bent over, grabbing at her side.  She tried to take a deep breath. She tried to stand again but another shot of pain dropped her to the ground. The sweet laughter of the toddler reached her ears; helped her mind to clear.

“No!” came the strangled cry and she struggled once more to stand. Suddenly, her spine bowed painfully back against itself as the sound of shattering glass roared over her. Falling forward onto her arms, gulping for air with ragged breaths, she looks up frantically searching for her daughter. The child was joyfully chasing a small cloud of colorful butterflies blissfully unaware that anything was wrong. The young woman painfully stretched out and tried to call out. Nothing came out but a choking sound as blood poured out and her body spasmed again painfully. She lay on her side where the spasm had dropped her. Wet, ragged sobs tore painfully from her throat. Then, slowly, all sound started fading away. The immense pain also started to fade, leaving her with a lazy feeling. Her eyes focused enough that she could watch the child as she ran in the bright fall sun. There was no pain. Only the dreamy feeling of fading away into a delicious dream. Then the horrible realization came. She was dying. She was dying and her daughter would be out there alone, standing in the warm sun wondering why mommy wasn’t getting up. The thought panicked the young woman to try to move. Try to get help! A voice in her head yelled at her. Someone should be close! She pushed herself onto her arms and made one last attempt to get up, but the pain roared back over her like a wave of incredible force. Her vision swam and started to fade but she continued to stay up on her arms. She took deep breath, threw her head back and screamed one last time against the sound of shattering glass…

“Sonya! Sonya! Wake up” A voice came insistent, but soft. My body drew its breath of life for the night and bowed back against the strong arms that held me.

 “C’mon baby wake up.”  The voice pleaded softly.

I shook my head to try and clear the dream away. The sound of shattering glass was like a distant echo in the back of my head. I looked up and a pair of worried, intense, amber eyes met mine. I knew those eyes but my mind struggle to make the connection. Then one word flashed through my mind and spilled softly from my lips.

“Alonzo.”

Alonzo’s face showed visible relief and he raised a hand to brush the hair back from my face and hold me close to him. “Yeah it’s me. It’s ok baby, I have you now.”

Yeah he had me… and he would always have me. The thought brought a flash of anger with it that I couldn’t place. I frowned.  Alonzo’s hand moved over my forehead trying to smooth the wrinkle out.  It is such a weird feeling, not knowing where you are but at the same time know you are in the right place.  My brain just could not seem to make the right connections.  Everyone experiences it at one point or another.  When you wake up and for a minute you don’t know what time it is or whether it’s day or night.  For everyone else, it goes away after a few minutes.  For me, it sometimes doesn’t go away for hours.

“Are you ok?” He asked. The worried look again.

“Yeah, Yeah.” I said with an involuntary sob. “I’m ok.”  I moved away from his chest enough to see where my face had laid against him. The front of his light blue shirt was streaked with blood.  My blood. My tears. Dammit.  This man that was holding me was so familiar and yet… still nothing concrete.

“Just a bad dream that’s all.” I whispered angrily.  Where was all this anger coming from?  Still nothing seemed to connect. 

“You mean the same dream,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. I met his eyes. Eyes the color of amber when you hold it up to the light and it blazes with the fire of centuries. And like the stone, always breathtaking. I pushed back the lock of honey brown hair that fell over them.  It gave him a rather boyish look and I couldn’t help but smile at him. The anger flowed away with that smile. Why would I be angry with him?

“Yeah the same dream.” I shook my head trying to chase away the remnants of it.

“It hadn’t happened in a long time. I had hoped the dreams had stopped.”  Alonzo said softly.  There was such sadness those amazing eyes.  Something inside made me made me wish there was some way to stop the dreams.

Here’s the thing. Technically, vampires aren’t supposed to dream. At least, no one had ever heard of it. This is important because Alonzo and I are vampires. Yep, you heard right; we are genuine living in the night, blood drinking, vampires.  Oh yeah, I know, vampires are just a fantasy.  That is what I thought too.  Until it happened to me.  Wait. How did that happen to me?  My brain was starting to wake up.  There was something there that connected to anger I was feeling.  I was a vampire, the stuff of myth and legend, much like my brain at this moment. 

The fact that I not only dreamt, but that it was a recurring dream made me something of an oddity. The nightmares started coming a couple of months after I became a vampire. At first, they occurred every night. They made it difficult for me to awake fully for several hours after true dark. It was sort of like being in limbo. Not completely dead but not back to life either. The biggest problem was that by the time I came back fully and had my nightly battle with Alonzo and his friend Bobby over the necessity of feeding, which I couldn’t bring myself of accept, the dawn was on us and the cycle would start all over again.  Without feeding, it was a pretty sure bet that I would not survive to see my first month in this new incarnation.  It was getting to the point where I was not really waking up anymore, gaining just enough consciousness long enough for the two men to pour some blood down my throat in order to keep me living another few hours.  In desperation, Alonzo had gone to the Presidio, our local ruling council, to try and get information about this phenomenon, but no one really believed it was possible.

Joseph, the head of the council and Bobby’s longtime friend came up with the idea of seeing a neurologist.  Well I was curious about what was happening to me as well as the fact that there were humans out there who knew about us so I agreed. After a couple of appointments, they actually made arrangements for me to have a sleep study done, the logistics of which were of epic proportions.

Arrangements had to be made for me to have a private suite and a small, handpicked team which was dealt with appropriately by Bobby to ensure that our secret would be kept.  Glamoring the staff ensured that they would be able to perform their duties without thinking anything odd about it.  I was a bit apprehensive about the situation since I would be literally dead for most of the day, but Alonzo explained that he had made arrangements for two of our body guards to be present at all times.  I had learned early on that all vampires had human servants to ensure their safety during the day while they slept.  In my case they were going to serve two functions: First to make sure that I was safe and that the experiment remained secret, but the second and most important, was so that I wouldn’t wake up and accidentally eat the technicians. A new vampire’s control upon waking isn’t always the best, so the guards were there to provide food as well as safety.

I spent three days hooked up to an EEG machine, which measures brain waves and the results were pretty much what everyone expected. I did have the nightmare twice while I was there but the machine did not show any brain waves until after the breath of life. After much debate, the only other explanation was that my brain was stuck in a loop of my last few minutes as a mortal. The theory was that the nightmare was the brain’s way of assimilating the events. Perhaps in time they would stop as I “got older.”  I was asked to keep journals to see if some sort of pattern or precipitating factors occurred, but to no avail. The doctor continued to be at a loss as to how I could have a nightmare when there was no clinical evidence of brain activity before coming back to life. It had been almost two years since I had dreamed. I too had hoped they had stopped. While they no longer left me so disoriented that I couldn’t function for half the night, they still had an effect on me for a good bit of time after waking.

I slid off of Alonzo’s lap to sit next to him on the bed and looked around the room gathering myself. Alonzo leaned over onto his stomach tossing all that long beautiful hair over his shoulder and propped his chin on his hands. He said nothing, just waited on me.

Like I said, one of the side effects of having the dream was that it left me very disorientated.  It was like having to wait for my brain to catch up with me.  As I looked around the apartment, I knew I lived here, but it wasn’t real to me yet.  Sort of like looking a picture that sparks a memory, and you know it your memory, but you just can’t grasp where in your life it fits.  I noticed a stack of luggage and boxes in a corner of the room.  I couldn’t remember why they were there, but it seemed right they be there. I looked at Alonzo.

“Am I going somewhere?” I asked him.

Alonzo nodded.  “We’re going home for a few weeks during the Fetish Ball.”  He said matter of factly.  One of the things Alonzo never said was don’t you remember?  He just stated facts as I asked questions, knowing that one of his answers would trigger my memory back into motion.

I nodded, taking in the information, but it still meant nothing.  My eyes looked back at the room.   The walls were painted a light sand color with works of art from local artists and some of our admirers hanging on them, illuminated by track lighting.  A huge mural of the skyline at night as though looking out a balcony spanned one entire wall and gave the room the feel of a penthouse apartment.  The far wall was a fantastic little kitchen all done in brushed steel appliances with black and white bistro flooring.  A modern, formal dinning table stretched across the front of the kitchenette and was illuminated by small, individual droplights also in brushed steel.  Above the sink was a rather large salt-water aquarium where a window would normally be.  Being a vampire, there wasn’t much of a reason for me to cook, but every now and again when I was entertaining for business or personal reasons, it looked good to have food and drink in the fridge.  And dammit, no matter how long I had been dead; every now and again I still enjoyed a great steak and a beer.  Yes we can still eat and drink but it takes a long time for our bodies to process it.  The best way to do it is to feed from someone who has consumed what it is you like to eat.  I was still pretty uncomfortable with it but hey, have to learn to enjoy the life you are given at some point.

Oh yeah, something was connecting; we were throwing a party in a couple of weeks. It was a big deal for some reason.  I looked towards the living area, which gave me a breathtaking view of the city, but it was a lie because I was… where was I??

The living area was tastefully decorated in southwest furniture.  The couch and two side chairs were oversized and looked comfortably overstuffed.  There was a large flat screen TV on the wall and a computer center to right of it.

I followed the picture window back towards me to the bedroom area.  Ok. I took a deep breath.  The beauty of the city stretched before me was a lie because… because… Oh yeah.  My brain took that last lurch that brought me completely back.  I was in the apartments beneath our club.  The sensation of that last step to reality drove through my brain like red-hot poker. I cried out and grabbed my head.

Alonzo sat up next to me and just watched as I shook my head wearily.  We both knew the drill from here.  I gave him a weak thumb up and a sheepish smile but kept the other hand against my temple trying to rub the pain away.  Alonzo moved off the bed and went to the bar that was to the left of the kitchen and poured me a drink.  I watched him walk back to me and I forgot the headache.  The man was just devastatingly handsome. He’d been thirty when he was turned so he still had that youthful male look to him.  His shoulder length auburn hair framed a slightly square face and made his amber eyes even more intense.  His nose was just slightly crooked from a fight he’d had in his youth and never healed right.  It gave his face just enough of a rugged look rather than distract. He had soft sensual lips that could melt your body with a smile.

 His body was six foot three and naturally muscular. He loved sports and I got a flash of memory watching him play volleyball.  His body glistening with sweat, muscles gliding under his skin as he stretched to reach the ball.  You just never knew what memories were going to come through.  I grinned and shook my head to clear it away.

Alonzo held a glass out to me.  My hand was a little unsteady as I reached for it and he held onto the glass to make sure I had it.  It was a special mix of tequila and blood.  Not dinner but we’d found out that it was a damn good kick-start after a nightmare.  It was sort of like taking a shot to cure a hangover.  I was aware that Alonzo was looking at me like he was trying to read what was in my mind.  Not that he couldn’t do it if he really wanted to, after all, he was my Sire, that is to say, he was the one who created me.  I just wasn’t sure that I wanted him to know what I was thinking at that moment.

I downed the drink and managed a weak smile at him.  The combination of the tequila and blood warmed me as it went down.  “I’m fine.  What time is it?”

“Seven O’ clock.  October 16th.”  He sighed.  “Happy Birthday.”

Happy birthday?  I thought hard about it.  I didn’t think it was my birthday.  Whose birthday and why did Alonzo sound so sad?  I struggled to remember.  There was something that I had to do tonight.  Then I remembered.  Today, or what was left of it, was my daughter’s birthday.  I looked up at Alonzo and nodded, letting him know that I was back.  He smiled sadly and looked at his watch.

“Well that wasn’t too bad.”  He said.  “Only forty minutes this time.”

I nodded.  “Definitely better than half the night.” I slid off the bed and walked over to wrap my arms around his waist.  I breathed in the light woodsy smell of his cologne.

“I’ll be glad when they’re gone for good.”  I looked up at him.  “Thanks for coming.”

He smiled down at me.  “I’ll always come when you need me.”  He bent over and brushed those luscious lips gently over mine.  My body melted against his as I returned his kiss.

“I have an appointment to get to before I hit the floor.”  I said breaking the kiss and stepping away from Alonzo.

“I know,” he said watching me as I walked away from him.  “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No.  I’ll be fine.”  I said walking into the closet.  Although to call it a closet was an understatement.  It was a combination bathroom, complete with separate tub, shower, and full size vanity, and dressing room/walk – in closet with a chase lounge and dressing table.  I looked back at Alonzo standing with his hands on his hips.  I sighed.

“I’ll be alright.  Shane won’t leave until he sees me.”

“I’ll send Bobby with you.”

“No.”

“Sonya…”

“I said no.  I’ll be fine.  I’m not going that far and I will be back soon.  You guys stay here and be masters of the night.”  I said waving an arm dramatically.  “Please, let’s not argue about this.  Not tonight.”

Alonzo walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.  I leaned against him for a few minutes feeling him warm against me.  I dragged myself slowly out of his arms.  Alonzo sighed and moved to lean against the door leading to the bathroom and watched as I settled on a pair of jeans and a soft suede leather halter-top. Most of my favorite clothes were already packed. No words were spoken between us and I took my time arranging my hair into a bun. I stood up from the dressing table and slowly slid the straps of the emerald green teddy I was wearing off my shoulders.  I could feel the weight of his eyes sliding along my skin like the silk of the teddy as it slid off my body to the floor.  I glided over to the chaise to pick up the clothes.  Only when I turned to walk his direction did I finally look at him.  There was a very primitive look in his eyes and that smile let me know that he was having deliciously nefarious thoughts.  Alonzo did not move out of the doorway, so I slid on past him allowing my nipples to slide across his shirt as I moved past.  I gave him a wicked grin.

“Now you’re just teasing.”  He said in a voice that slid down my spine like warm chocolate syrup.

“Later on tonight, I’ll show you how much I’m teasing.”  I laughed over my shoulder as I walked over to the vanity to set the clothes down.

He snatched me around the waist as I walked away, making me squeal, and swung me up into his arms.  I met his eyes and the look I found there made my body shudder with desire.  He walked over to the bed and kissed me deeply before lightly tossing me on it with a very masculine laugh.  His body slid over mine before I was finished bouncing on the bed bringing him face to face with me.  His eyes blazed with a golden fire as he captured mine and I felt as though I was going to drown in them.  He lowered himself slowly until the world was nothing but golden fire and brushed his lips gently against mine.  My lips parted with a sigh and I yearned to kiss him but his lips had moved.  He trailed kisses softly along my cheek; along my jaw, moving up to nibble my earlobe gently with his fangs.  My body responded to him writhing slowly beneath him as he slid his lips along the side of my neck.  I plunged my hands into his long hair, slid it out to the ends, wrapped it around my wrist and pulled him harder against me.  We explored each other’s mouths with our tongues for a few minutes.  Lost to everything but the sound of each other’s breathing.  Somewhere along the way, he had wiggled out of his pants and I could feel him against me thick and hard.  It’s said that when you become a vampire, everything about you becomes enhanced.  In his case, all I could say was wow!  One hand slid along my thigh, gently caressing it until it reached the soft wetness between my legs.  My breath caught.  I felt his fingers slide inside me, slowly, until they were all the way deep inside.  I moaned softly, like a low growl, deep in my throat   My hips slid against his hand, and I felt as though a fire had ignited somewhere deep inside me.  I wanted him badly… needed him badly. 

His fingers pulled away and hardness started to take their place.  WAIT!  My brain screamed.  What are you thinking??

Alonzo pulled back a little and smiled wickedly at me.  “Shane will wait for you.”  He said softly and he pushed against me just enough to remind me he was there. I sighed…

“Do you want me to stop?”  He asked.

“No…” I said breathlessly.  “Please… don’t stop.”

He smiled again and slowly slid himself all the way in as deep as he could go.  I closed my eyes and cried out, my body arching against him.  There was the delicious stab of pain that happens when a man hits bottom and that flame in the pit of my stomach turned into a blazing inferno that spread over every inch of me.  I dug my nails into his back and slid them down drawing blood through that perfect skin.  When had he taken off his shirt?  He shuddered and moaned softly.  I opened my eyes and was instantly filled with Alonzo’s starring back at me.  The gold from his irises had spread turning them into golden orbs of fire.  He slowly slid back until he was almost out and my body followed him.

“Oh yes,” I whispered.  “Please fuck me.”  And he slid back into me.

My mind reeled as he continued the long, hard strokes deep into my body.  I was lost in the sensations of him sliding over me, his long chestnut colored hair brushing lightly against my skin.  His mouth slid along the side my neck making shivers run through my body and I wrapped my legs around him pulling him deeper against me.  I could feel his heart beating against me like a deep bass drum reverberating.  He had fed earlier this evening apparently.  His skin was hot against my own cool skin and there was a slight shimmer of sweat to him.

“Sonya,” his voice was ragged, “I love you.”

“I love you too Alonzo.”  I breathed and at that moment I looked into his eyes.  They were blazing with fire that made the gold in his eyes even brighter.

Alonzo locked my eyes with his and emotion and power flowed through me, mixing with mine and threatened to carry me over the threshold of insanity.  He gave one final deep thrust that brought us both to orgasm, ripping cries of pleasure from both of us.  Wave after wave of raw energy slid through my body like a serpent, reaching for those innermost places of my soul, or whatever was left of it.

We lay there for a few minutes, wrapped around each other, my head against his chest fingers curling through strands of silky brown hair.  I pulled back away from him and smiled.  He smiled back, his eyes back to that lovely caramel color.

“I have to go.”  I said softly.  “Shane is waiting.”

“I know…” He sighed and propped up on one arm.  “I wish you would let me send Bobby with you.  Or let me go.  You don’t have to do this alone you know.”

I sighed as I slid off the bed and walked over to pick up my clothes.

“Please Alonzo, don’t ruin a perfectly good moment.  I will be fine.  After all, I’ve been doing this for the past nineteen years.  I think I have the hang of it.”

I walked into the bathroom and closed the door.