Archived September 2003 ------------------------------------------------ Warning: This story is rated R. If you are under 18 years then please do not read any further ------------------------------------------------ **This story is a sequel to A COMET TALE and it would be helpful to read it first if you haven't already. In the year following Nick's marriage proposal, he had gained increasing control. Now he required only an ounce of Natalie's blood to calm the vampire and trigger orgasm. He also took the blood directly from her, which she loved. They found that they could fully make love four to eight times per month without her becoming anemic. The other times, he would drink cow's blood or just engage in pleasuring her. Natalie had moved into the loft a month after Nick's proposal. The wedding was held after sundown on April 25th in the Reeses' large backyard. The moon was full and it was a beautiful, clear night. The yard was decorated with flowers and ribbons creating a magical, romantic setting. Nick and Natalie said their vows under a pergola covered in red and white roses. The guests were a mixture of mortals and vampires - all close friends of the bride and groom. A buffet table was set up under a tent for the reception and the caterer was one of the finest in town. The open bar was provided by the Raven and served drinks for mortals and vampires alike. Strains of Renaissance music played by a string quartet floated on the night air. By midnight the guests began leaving. Nick and Natalie left in the Caddy for the loft. Upon arrival, he punched in the security code and then carried her upstairs. Setting her on her feet, he pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Welcome home, my beautiful wife." Nick smiled and kissed her passionately. "Thank you, my handsome husband." She tenderly ran her fingertips down the side of his face, leaned in and kissed him. "Let's go upstairs." He scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bedroom. For a few minutes, they just stood there in the doorway staring at each other. Nick looked so unbelievably handsome in his tuxedo with the red cummerbund that matched the roses she had carried. Natalie was gorgeous in her gown of lace and seed pearls, her hair up with thin tendrils at the sides. They slowly undressed each other. Natalie was now standing there in her full slip and underwear. Nick stood before her wearing only his underwear and tuxedo pants. He had an obvious erection and there were flecks of gold mingling with the blue in his eyes. Reaching out, she lovingly cupped his penis, squeezed and rubbed it. He moaned loudly. "Thinking about me, are you?" she murmured, smiling. "Always." He grinned and reached out to caress her breasts, then slid the slip over her head, letting it flutter to the floor. Leaning in, he gently suckled one breast and then the other, causing her to moan. Pulling back, he gazed at her with glowing yellow eyes filled with love and desire. Natalie released Nick's erection, undid the button on his pants and pulled the zipper down. He stood still as she pushed the pants over his hips. They fell in a heap around his feet. Putting her fingers in the waistband of his underwear, she carefully pulled them down over his erection. It pointed straight at her once freed. He then pulled down her underwear. Holding out his hands to her, she took them in hers. They both stepped sideways out of their clothes, then stood there staring at each other. Bringing her left hand to his lips, he kissed her new gold wedding band and whispered, "Pour toujours." "Forever," she whispered back and kissed his wedding band. She noticed his eyes wandering over her body, and realized she, too, was staring, taking in the beauty of his form as if for the first time. "Natalie, my beautiful wife, will you make love to me?" She could see the love and desire in his golden eyes, a longing to be one with her. The need filled her, too. "Come to bed, my beloved husband." Grasping his penis, she led him into the room. He smiled. Lying down together, Nick moved on top of her, ravishing her mouth with hungry, passionate kisses. Natalie responded in kind. Since the ceremony, when the groom had kissed his new bride, their passion had risen and they couldn't wait to be alone. Nick had had to go to great lengths to hide his partial erection after their kiss. The whole evening had been foreplay for them ... kissing, feeding each other, dancing pressed tightly together and rubbing legs and thighs against each other under the table. Now they were alone and the time for foreplay was past. Nick felt his fangs drop and gently pulled away from Natalie's lips. She opened her eyes to see the man smiling through the vampire. "I love you, Fair Knight." Reaching up, she caressed his cheek. His eyes closed in ecstasy as he leaned into her hand and growled softly. "I love you with all my heart, Nat." He kissed along her cheek to her ear, sucked gently on the lobe and moved to her neck. There, he kissed, nibbled and licked as he inhaled the scent of her blood. It was intoxicating. Natalie felt his knee move between her legs and push them gently apart. She didn't resist. Feeling Nick rub his cool, hard penis against her clitoris, she gasped and shivered in anticipation. Then she felt him penetrate her and she moaned loudly. Her vagina contracted tightly around his penis causing him to cry out in pleasure. He held still inside her while he tenderly sucked and licked her neck. Natalie was so aroused, she couldn't take much more. "Please, Nick, make me come," she whispered desperately in his ear. He responded by pulling back and thrusting forward, causing her to tighten around him even more. A whimper escaped his throat and he began to thrust in earnest. Nick rode on an ever-growing wave of passion as Natalie became lost in the sensations surging through her. The sound of her ragged breathing and moans of pleasure drove him to frenzied thrusting. Lost in animal passion, all rational thought gone, he was only aware of the rapture he felt. Suddenly, Natalie's whole body spasmed and she cried out his name in a long, low groan as her orgasm exploded within her. The sound drove him over the edge. Acting on pure instinct, his head reared back and he struck her, fangs penetrating her neck. Upon tasting her orgasm and her deep love for him, he withdrew his fangs. Thrusting deeply into her, he let out an unearthly roar as his orgasm overwhelmed him, pumping his semen deep into her. While he sipped from her, as brief as it was, Natalie received images and emotions from him. She felt the enormous breadth of his love and passion that he had for her and saw images of their past lovemaking flash in her mind. Never had she experienced such total intimacy. Nick grunted as he made one more sharp thrust and collapsed upon her. Natalie twined her legs with his and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She could feel his erection softening slowly. He remained on top of her and delicately licked the wounds on her neck. She had made it quite clear to him a long time ago that he was not to roll off her until his penis slipped out on its own. The closeness and feel of him on her and in her and his weight pressing down was something she really needed and wanted. He was all too happy to comply. They snuggled, kissed and murmured words of endearment to each other until, several minutes later, his penis slid out of her, leaving bloody smears on her inner thighs. He rolled off of her, cuddled up close, and put his arm protectively over her. They drifted off to sleep ... together. Natalie had set the alarm clock before leaving for the wedding. It went off at 4:00 pm. She blindly felt for it and turned it off. Nick didn't move. "Nick, are you awake?" No response. She shook him and he groaned. It wasn't easy for him to get up before the sun set. He rolled onto his back and playfully whined, "Time to get up already? The sun hasn't even set." His eyes were still closed. Natalie leaned over him, brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. "Yup. Come on, Sleepyhead, we need to shower, eat and get on the road." "In a few minutes." Nick pulled her on top of him and enveloped her in his arms. Sleepily, he nibbled on her lips and traced them with his tongue. Natalie parted her lips and let his tongue slide between them. "Ummmm," she sighed. His kisses were cherishing, not passionate. He put all his feelings for her into them, letting her know that she was his greatest treasure. Now awake, he withdrew. "Well, Love, we better get going or we'll never get up there." Grace was so thrilled about their engagement that she offered them the use of the cabin for their honeymoon, if they wanted it. Nick told Natalie it was her decision and she said yes without having to think about it. He was thrilled to see how happy she was and looked forward to returning himself. It held such wonderful memories for him. In the shower, they washed each other. While Natalie was washing him, he became erect. She couldn't help laughing. He looked at her with big, hurt, puppy-dog eyes and then grinned slyly as he began to wash her. He turned her to wash her back, lathered up his hands with soap and moved up close behind her. Reaching around, he slid his soapy hands over her breasts and rubbed his penis against her rear end while nipping at her neck. He thrust forward and slid between her legs. "Nick!" Natalie screeched and jumped. She turned to find a grinning, devious vampire looking back. "You are so bad!" She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Rotten to the core," he growled, moving closer and rubbing his erection on her belly. She grasped it and squeezed. "Yeah, well, you better straighten up, behave and lose this." She squeezed him again for emphasis. "Ahhh ... that's torture! No fair." He grinned as he thrust in her hand. "Stop that!" She burst out laughing and slapped his shoulder. "We've got to get going." They finished their shower and went to get dressed. Nick still had a partial erection by the time they went downstairs to eat. Natalie made a sandwich while Nick drank a couple bottles of blood to calm his passion. That didn't escape her notice. She was still surprised by the affect she had on him, never having thought of herself as sexy. "Feeling better?" She patted his thigh. With a sheepish look, he replied, "Yes. I'm back to normal now ... until tonight." He winked. She smiled. "So, do you want to bundle up or ride in the trunk?" "What do you think?" He grinned. "Let's get going. I'll get the bags if you get the crates and boxes of food." "Okay." Their already packed bags, two crates of blood and boxes of food were sitting by the door. They only had to pack the perishables. After loading the Caddy, Nick put on a long coat, gloves, scarf, wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. They went down, got in the Caddy and with Nick protecting his face, opened the garage door and began the long drive to Cabot Head. It was just before nine o'clock when they arrived at Grace's cabin. They unloaded the car and got settled. Natalie hung the heavy blackout drapes on the windows while Nick put the blood and food away. This time they brought a radio with them for music, some books and magazines to read to each other and some board games. There was no television in the cabin. Natalie was hanging the last drape when Nick came up behind her and folded his arms around her. "How about a walk and we sit on our favorite rock and look at the stars?" "Sounds wonderful." They put on sweatshirts and left. The night air was crisp and invigorating. They walked hand in hand along the shore. "It's so beautiful, Nick. I'm so glad we're here." "Yeah, me, too. Let's go sit on our rock." He put his arm around her shoulder and they walked back. Sitting down together, Natalie snuggled up to him. He kissed the top of her head. "Are you happy, Nat? I mean really happy." "Of course, I am. I have a wonderful husband, a career, good friends. Why would you think I'm not?" She patted his chest. "Because of what I am. The fact that we'll never have children ..." His voice trailed off sadly. "I love you just the way you are. Maybe one day we will be able to have children. For now, I'm happy and content with my life and with you." "Thank you, Nat. I'm very happy, too ... for the first time in nearly 800 years." He tenderly kissed her. Changing the subject to lighten the mood, he grinned. "Did I ever tell you about the incident with Isaac Newton and the apple?" They talked and observed the heavens for hours. When Natalie became chilled, they returned to the cabin for hot chocolate and blood. With a fire blazing, they kicked off their shoes. Nick turned on the radio as they sat down together. Soft music filled the cabin. They drank in silence. He put his mug on the coffee table and rose. "Would you like to dance?" "I'd love to." She took his hand and he pulled her up into his arms. They began to move slowly around the room. Neither could be happier. As the song wore on, Nick pulled her closer and rubbed against her as he swayed to the music. He nibbled at her ear and neck. She could feel him slowly become erect. "Are you trying to start something, Detective Knight?" she whispered in his ear. He ran his hands up and down her body. "I'm just doing my job by frisking the suspect," he whispered back, grasping and kneading her buttocks. Natalie rubbed her crotch against his erection and kissed him on the lips. "And what if the suspect resists?" she murmured. "I'll just have to take her into custody," he whispered back, then scooped her up, walked past the coffee table picking up his mug and carried her into the bedroom. He set the mug on the night table then laid Natalie on the bed. Standing there, he folded his arms across his chest looking stern. Natalie gave him a puzzled look. "What?" Nick grinned broadly. "Time for a strip search." "Ummmm ..." She smiled and reached out for him. He pulled off his sweatshirt and joined her. She pulled him down on top of her and nuzzled his neck. He inhaled sharply at the first touch of her lips and shivered. Natalie felt his penis twitch through their clothing. Pulling his tee shirt from his jeans, she lifted it over his head and tossed it away. Natalie rolled him off of her onto his back and straddled him. Her hands caressed the pale skin of his chest, then focused on his light brown nipples. He moaned softly. "I'm supposed to be strip searching you," he murmured, eyes closed in delight. "I'm resisting." Her voice was velvety. He chuckled. "Ummmmm ... we'll see about that." Nick pulled off her sweatshirt, tee shirt and bra, tossing them away haphazardly. As she leaned over him, he reached up to cup her pendent breasts, feeling their weight, then began kneading them. "Ohhh, that feels really good," she breathed. He smiled, then sucked on each one in turn. Natalie pulled away slowly, moving backward a bit, then ducked her head to his chest to taste his nipples. The sucking sent sharp, intense jolts through Nick that traveled directly to his genitals. The sensual pleasure it created was overwhelming. Looking up as she moved further down, Natalie saw golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. She smiled and fangs gleamed back at her from his. There was a huge bulge straining in the crotch of his jeans. It was a beautiful sight to her. She laid her hand upon it and slowly applied pressure, squeezing. Nick let out an enormous sigh and his eyes fluttered shut as he drifted on a sea of sensation. He loved the way she touched him, cherishing his body with her hands and lips. Never had he been so loved or so much in love. He still couldn't believe this gorgeous woman was not repulsed. Releasing him, Natalie carefully undid the button on his waistband and lowered the zipper. "Ahhhh ...." he breathed at the freeing of the pressure on his erection. Natalie smiled and pulled his jeans off, shoving them on the floor. He was wearing a pair of loose, short-legged, red silk boxers which were now tented a good seven inches above his hips. The only thing containing him was the snap on the fly. "My, my, my ... looks like the good detective has a mighty big gun in his holster." She giggled as she ran her hand over the peak of the tent. "Well, I have to keep my suspect under control somehow." He grinned lewdly and gently nudged her hand with the tip of his erection. "Watch it, Mister, that's a deadly weapon you've got there!" She was laughing now. Grasping her shoulders firmly and using his vampiric speed, he rolled her over onto her back and moved on top of her. "Nick!" Natalie, startled by his move, slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't do that!" "Just taking charge of my suspect." He laughed and kissed her. "Now, about that strip search ..." He sat up and removed her sweatpants and underwear, tossing them aside, then removed his boxers. Natalie's eyes grew wide. She never tired of seeing him nude nor ceased to be amazed by the beauty of his erect, uncircumcised penis. "You, my husband, are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen," she told him as he knelt by her thighs. "I am so glad I please you." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her belly, then moved between her legs. Sliding back, he buried his face in her pubic hair and inhaled deeply. Nick nuzzled her, causing her to gasp, then sucked on her clitoris, being careful with his fangs. Natalie moaned loudly as he worked his magic on her. She tangled her fingers in his golden curls and tensed as the fires of passion burned brighter. Finally, her entire body shook as her orgasm erupted violently. She cried out with a scream that ended in a long, low moan. Her thighs relaxed and Nick was able to lift his head. He was extremely aroused now. Moving up alongside her, he leaned a pillow against the headboard and rested back on it. Natalie moved over him, kissed him tenderly and caressed his face. Her voice was soft. "That was just incredible. You are one talented man. Now, I want to take care of you." She kissed him again. "Ummmmm ... I love the sound of that." His golden eyes were now red-tinged and she knew it would take very little to bring him to orgasm and satisfy him. She noticed he'd brought his mug into the bedroom, his signal to her that he didn't want to bite her again so soon. The color of his eyes told her that it was too "dangerous" for her to mount him or suck on him. He couldn't handle the intensity of the sensations without biting. So, she moved off of him toward the night table and sat next to him. Firmly grasping the shaft of his erect penis, she began stroking it. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by a loud moan ending in a snarl. The head of his penis was now purple and extremely swollen. Sliding her hand up closer to his glans while stroking him, she reached for the mug and fed him some blood. Nick's entire body jerked and his muscles tensed. A low rumble started deep in his chest, issuing forth as a vicious snarl, ending in a loud roar as his orgasm ripped through him. Natalie felt his penis spasm and watched as he ejaculated first a large amount of bloody semen and then three smaller volumes before he relaxed. She continued to stroke him through his orgasm, then stopped as he lost his erection, knowing he would quickly become hypersensitive to touch. He let out a huge breath, ending in a satisfied low growl and smiled drowsily, reaching out to rub the hand that had held him. "That was absolutely perfect .. just wonderful. Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed him. "You're welcome. I'm going to get a wash cloth to clean you up." Lovingly, she wiped the semen from his upper chest and belly, then wiped his thigh where his limp penis had dribbled the last of it. After rinsing the cloth, she returned to bed. They snuggled up together content and satisfied, sharing a few warm kisses, then drifted off to sleep. Natalie awoke to the sound of heavy rain and groaned out loud, waking Nick. "Nat? What's wrong?" "I'm fine." She caressed his face. "Do you hear that? It's pouring. We can't go out." He grinned broadly. "I'm sure I can come up with something for us to do." Leaning in, he suckled at her breast. Natalie gasped. "Listen, Mister." She pushed him away. "I don't have a vampire's stamina, so you're just going to have to take a cold shower." Nick gave her the most hurt-puppy look he could muster and whined, "The honeymoon's over already. Time to go home." Smacking him on the shoulder, she began to laugh hysterically. He tried to keep a straight face but couldn't. After several minutes, they both calmed down. "Come on, let's get in the shower." She tousled his hair. "I'll wash you. How's that?" "Ummmm ... sounds good to me." He pushed the blanket off and Natalie saw that he was partially erect. She smirked and shook her head. Nick eyed her. "I'm going to feed. Why don't you get the shower going? I'll be right there." "Okay." When Nick joined Natalie in the shower he was no longer aroused. They washed each other, then dressed. She fixed herself a meal and he fed some more. "Well, how about a game of chess?" He put the bottle in the refrigerator and went to turn on the radio. "Sure, I'd like the chance to try to beat you. One of these days, I'm going to win, you know." "Ahh, but I have far more playing time under my belt ... by at least a few hundred years. You'll really have to concentrate." "One day I'll make you eat those words, Nicholas de Brabant!" As they set up the board, the rain came down harder and there was a clap of thunder. The music on the radio was interrupted. "This is a special weather report for the Bruce Peninsula area. An unusual front is passing through the area bringing thunderstorms and heavy rain. Please take shelter immediately. Thunderstorms can produce damaging, high winds, heavy rain with local flooding, hail and deadly lightning. We now return you to your regular broadcast." The music came on again just as a clap of thunder shook the cabin. This sure is weird weather for this time of year. I'm glad you thought to bring some games." Natalie made the first move. "I hope this is just a one day deal." Nick made his move. "Yeah, although I can think of worse things than being stuck in this cabin with you." He leered and chuckled. "You know, Nicholas de Brabant, you think with your penis too much! You are totally incorrigible." She couldn't help but laugh. "Ummmmm ... and you wouldn't want me any other way." Leaning across the chess board, Nick kissed her on the lips just as a deafening crash of thunder shook the cabin. They both jumped. "Wow! That was some kiss!" Natalie's heart was pounding. He didn't laugh. "That was too close. It sounds like the storm is getting worse. I'm going to get the flashlights from the kitchen. We can build a fire later if the power goes out." "Okay. This is really unnerving. Listen to that wind." It had begun to wail like a banshee and hailstones created a sharp staccato on the windows. Suddenly, it stopped. Nick looked up. "That's odd." Natalie turned to look at him, equally puzzled. Abruptly, there was a loud roar, like the sound of a freight train. The windows shattered and glass flew everywhere. She screamed as she dove under the coffee table. There was a deafening explosion and the cabin disintegrated around her. She screamed for Nick but couldn't hear anything above the the roar. As quickly as it started, it was over. Natalie cautiously crawled out from under the coffee table and debris covering her. "Nick! Where are you?" She couldn't see anything in the pitch black night. Then she heard a weak moan. She worked her way over to the sound. "Nick? Where are you? I can't see. It's too dark." Again, she heard a weak moan. It was right in front of her. She reached down and felt something cold and cylindrical. It was a flashlight and it still worked. Now she was able to see that he was buried in a pile of rubble. She began digging him out. When she uncovered his head, she found herself looking into red-rimmed, golden eyes. "Nick, it's all right. It's me. I'm going to get you out of there." Fortunately, most of the debris was light and small in size. There was one large beam lying across his pelvis. As she shoved it off of him, he hissed and cried out in pain. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart." Finally, he was free. She played the light over him to find his tee shirt mostly gone. His skin was peppered with glass and wood shards. Gingerly she rolled him over, causing him to howl in pain, finding a shattered piece of wood protruding from his back. It appeared to be a piece of two by four. From its position, she knew it had hit the apex of his heart. "I've got to remove it, Nick. You're bleeding. And it appears you have some fractured ribs, not to mention damage to your heart." Bracing her foot on his shoulder, she grasped the shaft of wood close to his body and yanked. Nick screamed and howled as it pulled free. She examined the wound closely. There didn't appear to be any splinters left behind. The overturned refrigerator was next to him. Tugging on the partly open door, Natalie found two bottles still intact. "Thank God," she whispered under her breath. Kneeling beside him, she helped him sit up and fed him a bottle of blood. "Now I've got to get all the splinters and glass out of you." He whimpered as each piece was pulled out. Half an hour later, she finished. Natalie made him as comfortable as possible. "Thank you." His voice was weak. The rain had stopped just before the tornado hit, so the interior of the cabin was relatively dry. She carefully searched what was left of it. The only part still somewhat intact was a windowless corner of the bedroom. Windowless. It hit her like a ton of bricks. What was going to happen to Nick when the sun came up? Her mind raced as she began to panic. The Caddy! Climbing over the debris, she went to where it had been parked. It was lying upside down, the trunk inaccessible. "Damn!" She turned when she heard Nick call her name. "I'm coming!" "I need more blood, Nat. That one bottle wasn't enough." "There's only one more bottle. All the rest shattered when the refrigerator blew over." She sat him up again and fed him. "Nick, the Caddy is upside down and badly damaged. The only part of the cabin left standing is a corner of the bedroom. There's no place for you to escape the sun. I'm going to have to try to build you a shelter out of what's lying around." "Okay. Oh ... here's the other flashlight. It was under me." "Just hold on to it for now. I've got to start on a shelter." Playing the light over the debris, Natalie got an idea. She dug the coffee table out and lugged it into what was left of the bedroom. Clearing out the corner, she stood it on end, leaning it, legs first, against the wall. Digging through more debris, she found her jacket, which she put on to ward off the chill, and four of the heavy blackout curtains still intact. These she draped over the table, creating a light-proof tent. It was big enough to hold two people. "Okay, Nick." She walked back to him. "Time to move you into your new accomodations." "Well, aren't you the little construction foreman." He smiled weakly. Natalie helped him up, got him into the tent and made him comfortable, then she carefully examined him. He was healing too slowly. "You need more blood, Nick. The wound in your back is still weeping and the minor wounds aren't healing. Your ribs haven't knit together either." She covered him with part of a torn drape and sat up against the wall next to him. "There isn't any more blood and I doubt you'll find any rabbits, deer or wildlife you could catch for me. I'm too weak to hunt. And I'd need a large quantity of animal blood to heal." "Well, I could give you a pint of my blood with no trouble. If you don't take it, not only will you not heal, you'll probably starve and then I'll be the only meal in town." She smiled crookedly. Nick protested strenuously. "I could never kill you, Nat!" She put her hand on his shoulder. "Look, we both know that you wouldn't be able to resist once you were starving, so let's not let you get to that point. Okay?" "Well ..." he began. "I want you to feed from me, then I'll sleep until sunrise. I'll check out the area, see if I can find your cell phone and try to get help. No one's expecting us back for two weeks. If I can't get us help, we may both die." She set the alarm on her wristwatch which she had luckily put on out of force of habit. Nick cringed at that. He couldn't bare to think about Natalie starving to death. He acquiesced. "All right, but I refuse to treat you like just any old meal. I love you, Nat. The only time I've ever fed from you was during lovemaking. I've never wanted the experience to be anything but pleasurable for you. And I'm afraid this time it won't be. You'll experience the terrible pain I'm feeling." He took her hand in his. "I don't want that for you." "I don't think we have much choice, Fair Knight. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say." She kissed him. He put his arm around her, pulled her close and kissed her back. When she pulled away, his eyes were gold. Natalie bared her neck. "Go ahead, my beloved husband." "No, not just yet. If I can get aroused, it should block some of the pain and the experience won't be so hard on you." "I just want you to heal. It doesn't matter to me." She squeezed his hand. "But it matters to me. I don't want to cause you pain." His golden eyes pleaded for understanding. "All right. We'll do it your way. But you're so weak." She brushed his hair off his forehead. "It's okay." He kissed her again and fondled her breasts. "Touch me, please ..." His fangs had dropped. Natalie placed her hand gently on the crotch of his sweatpants. She could easily feel his penis through the material. It was slightly engorged already. Gently, she squeezed and rubbed him. He sighed loudly as he slowly began to become erect. Removing her hand, she reached inside his pants and lightly brushed her fingers across the head of his penis. He gasped as a shiver ran through him. Grasping him firmly, she stroked him. When Nick began moaning and was fully erect, she leaned in close to him with her neck bared. "I'll always love you, Nat," he whispered then kissed and licked her neck. Ever so gently, he slid his fangs into her flesh. The blood filled his mouth and he swallowed. He could feel it surge through his system and energize him. The taste was exquisite and so filled with love. He drank slowly so as not to hurt her. Natalie felt his fangs penetrate her neck. It always felt wonderful and provided an intimacy she'd never shared with anyone before. She began to receive images from him ... the two of them making love ... the two of them taking their vows ... and feelings of deep love and respect. Beneath it all, was an undercurrent of pain, but it was tolerable. A few minutes later, Nick withdrew and licked the wounds to seal them. Natalie stopped stroking him. "Uh, Nat?" "Yeah?" "Ummmm, please ... finish it." "Are you sure?" She was surprised. He felt as if his penis, which was fully engorged, was going to burst. "Oh, yes. Please, Nat," he begged in a whispery whine. She tore a piece from the drape that had covered him, pulled his sweatpants down to expose his penis and wrapped the cloth around its purple tip to catch the semen. Grasping his erection firmly again, she stroked him until he grunted and ejaculated. It didn't take long. After cleaning him off, she threw the cloth out of the shelter and covered him back up. He pulled her close to him and kissed her on the lips. "Thank you, Love. I must sleep now." "Me, too, if I'm going to get up at dawn." He put his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. She leaned her head on his and they both fell asleep. Natalie was awakened by the chirping of her watch. Nick was still asleep. Quietly, and carefully, she pushed the cloth down to check him over and found the minor wounds now completely healed. She hoped the wound in his back was also healed, but she wasn't about to wake him. At least her blood had helped him more than the cow. Covering him again, she carefully untangled herself from his arms and crawled outside. The sun was just rising but it was light enough to see well. The destruction that lay before her was astounding. "My God," she whispered. "It's a miracle we survived. Well, I better get started." The first thing she did was bury the piece of cloth they'd used last night. She shrugged, feeling silly, but she didn't want anyone to see it. She began to search what used to be the living room. The cell phone had been on the table with the radio. She found no eivdence of either and the cell phone was no where to be found. "Just great!" Natalie noticed that some of the kitchen cabinets lying on the ground were still intact. Searching through them, she found food packages that were undamaged. "Swell, what's Nick going to eat?" She opened a package of cheese and crackers, ate them, then resumed her search. The debris field spread northeast toward the water. Picking through it, she found the radio - smashed - and there, lying face down in a shallow puddle, Nick's cell phone. She picked it up and dried it off. Knowing better than to try using it while wet, that could short it out, she laid it on top of one of the kitchen cabinets so it could dry in the sun. Natalie continued to dig through the debris, salvaging anything useful. She found the six plastic bottles of soda they'd brought up with them. At least I have 12 liters of fluid for me. I'll drink the bay water if I have to, but what about Nick? I can't give him any more blood. The thoughts raced through her mind. She shook her head. After gathering all the food and other items that might be useful, Natalie returned to Nick. She sat down next to him and he stirred. "Nat?" His voice was drowsy. "Yes, I'm here." He opened his eyes. "What did you find?" "The cell phone. It was in a puddle, so I have it drying in the sun. I found food and drink for me but all your bottles were destroyed. How are you feeling? Let me check your back." Nick sat forward. "I'm sleepy but I feel much better, stronger." "It's only ten in the morning, so it's no surprise you're sleepy." Looking at his back, she saw the wound was nearly healed. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, it looks good. Lie back and let me check your ribs." Nick did as he was told. "Ow!" He winced sharply as she pressed on his chest. "Sorry." She kissed him. "Well, your ribs have knit together but obviously you're still sore. It would appear that my blood did some good." "I'll say, " he replied, quite groggy, and leered. "I don't believe you, Nick! How can you think of sex at a time like this? Geez!" She slapped him on the arm and laughed. He chuckled. "Easy ... when you're around." "Yeah, well, you need to sleep. There's nothing more I can do. I found food and soda for myself but I'm worried about you. None of the blood survived the storm. It's too far for me to walk to a phone and even if I could, there's no guarantee that it would be working." She rested her head against his. "I'll let the phone sit in the sun all day today, bring it in here tonight and let it sit out again tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll be dry by then. Then I'll try it." "Okay. I'm going to sleep. Maybe I'll be well enough to hunt tonight." She stroked his hair. "I'm going to sleep, too. I'm tired." Nick woke up about an hour after sunset. He felt the hunger and he also felt stronger. The scent of Natalie's blood was enticing him. He moved away from her and she stirred. "Nick? You up?" She kept her voice low. "Yes." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm hungry. I think I can manage to hunt." "Good, but I'm going with you." "What? No way! You can't see in the dark like I can. You'll get hurt." He turned to face her and groaned in pain. "No, not if you lead the way. The moonlight will help a little and I'll bring a flashlight just in case, but you're not going alone. You're still not completely healed. You're still in pain." She stood her ground. "Okay, okay. You can come. I'm too hungry to argue. Let's go." Slowly, Nick crawled out of the shelter. He stretched gingerly as he stood. His ribs were still sore and he felt some pain in his back and chest where the wood had penetrated but otherwise he felt fairly good. He listened and sniffed the air, catching the scent of animal blood. Natalie watched as his eyes turned to glowing gold and knew he'd found something. "Come on!" He took her hand and started off down the trail that led into the woods. They came to a stop. "It's just ahead, off to the left ... a raccoon," he whispered. "Wait here. I don't want you to scare it off." She nodded, knowing he could see it. Levitating just barely off the ground, Nick flew forward swiftly and pounced. Natalie heard a snarl and a hiss and then him shouting, "I got it!" She turned on the flashlight and ran down the trail, pulling up short when she reached him. Her mouth dropped open as she watched Nick sink his fangs into the animal. It struggled and cried out, then stopped moving. It was dead. He looked up hesitantly, mouth smeared with blood, to see her staring, wide-eyed. Suddenly, he felt mortified and dropped the carcass. "Nat, I never wanted you to see me like this." He hung his head. The vampire retreated. She went to him and put her arms around him. "Nick, look at me." He looked up, blood tears in his eyes. She reached out, caressed his cheek and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "It's okay, Sweetheart. You have to eat and you've no other choice. I've just never seen you feed this way. I still love you. You know I wouldn't have married you if what you are repulsed me. Please, don't be embarrassed." Nick smiled. "I love you so very much. You are so amazing. I'm the luckiest man on Earth." "Please," she teased, "you're going to give me a swelled head. Now let's get back to business. I know you must still be hungry." "Yeah, I am. Let me bury the carcass first. It wouldn't do to have dead animals all over." They continued hunting. Nick was able to catch four more raccoons and the hunger was sated. He shook his head and grimaced after draining the last one. The taste was awful but the blood would sustain him. "Pretty lousy, huh?" "You have no idea. This makes cow taste like ambrosia." He saw her make a face. "I get the picture. Well, how do you feel now?" "Much better but still not strong enough to fly any real distance." Natalie walked up behind him as he buried the carcass. She turned on the flashlight. "Let me see your back." He stood there while she examined him. "Ow! Hey, that's still sore!" he protested as she pushed on it. "Sorry. I don't like this. You're not healing normally." He turned to see her concerned look. "Don't worry. It's just lack of proper blood and not enough at that. I think I need to rest now. I'm feeling tired." He wrapped his arm around her and they returned to the ruins of the cabin. "Nat, let's sit on our rock for a while, okay?" "Are you sure you're up to it?" "Yeah, come on." They sat down and looked out over the moonlit water which lapped softly upon the rocks. The hulking shapes of the Flowerpots could be seen in the distance. Nick cleared his throat. "Nat, I'm so sorry our honeymoon was ruined. I promise I'll make it up to you when we get out of here." She looked at him with disbelief. "This wasn't your fault!" Waving her hand in a grand, encompassing gesture, she laughed. "How can you blame yourself for a freak storm? I'm not upset at all. I just thank God that you're alive and we're together. That's the only thing that matters to me." Leaning over, Natalie kissed him on the lips. The kiss deepened and they wrapped their arms around each other. "You're right. No wonder I love you so much!" He kissed her on the nose. They sat silently for a long while, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the stars march across the heavens. Nick yawned. "Come on, Fair Knight, you need a nap." They went back to the shelter. Natalie leaned against the wall and he lay against her. She kissed the top of his head and cuddled him in her arms. They fell asleep. The sun was up when Natalie awoke. Carefully, she moved Nick off of her and made him comfortable. He never stirred. She took the cell phone and crawled out of the shelter. Opening the phone, she set it on a cabinet in the sun, then got out some food and soda and ate. She decided to dig through more of the debris and came up with a deck of cards. Sitting down by a cabinet, Natalie played solitaire until the sun began to set. "Natalie!" She went over to the shelter and opened the drape. "Yeah, Nick?" "Have you tried the cell phone yet?" "No, but now's as good a time as any." He crawled out and they retrieved the phone. Natalie turned it on. "There's a dial tone!" Nick grinned. She dialed the number for the morgue knowing Grace would be at work. "Coroner's Office. Grace speaking." "Oh, Grace! Hi. It's Natalie." "Girl, what are you doing calling me on your honeymoon?" "Well, it's been cut short by a freak storm. A tornado destroyed the cabin ---" "WHAT?" Grace interrupted. "Are you and Nick okay?" "We're fine. Just some minor cuts and bruises. We're going to need someone to come get us. The Caddy is lying on it's top." "Oh, geez. I'm so relieved you two are okay. Insurance will take care of everything else. Look, I'll leave now and I'll be there in about three, three and a half hours." "Thanks, Grace. We appreciate it." Natalie hung up. "Well?" "Grace will be here in about three and a half hours." "Wonderful! I'll be glad to get home so I can feed properly. I'll get someone to retrieve the Caddy. And we'll finish our honeymoon. Where would you like to go?" "To be honest," she grinned, "I think I've had enough excitement for one honeymoon. I'd just like to stay home." "Sounds good to me!" He kissed her. They walked down to the water and sat on their rock arm-in-arm waiting for Grace to arrive. The End