Bitten

You know that feeling when you finally connect all the dots. That feeling of pure humiliation you feel before asking someone to prom and they reject you. That feeling when you finally pass a hard level on a game you have been playing for hours. This is not what I am feeling at the moment.

“She’s your daughter?”

It escapes between my lips before I could stop it. Hannah rests her head against his chest, yawns, and her eyes get heavy. She nuzzles closer to him and the sound of his heart must be calming her down as she falls right back to sleep in the seconds.

“Yes, she is,” he looks at me his eyes searching mine. “What did you think she was to me?”

“Your sister,” I shrug. He smiles and shakes his head but groans and takes a deep breath. “Let me take her,” I have my arms stretch out Hannah opens her eyes momentarily and doesn’t hesitate to climb into them.

“Everything hurts,” he groans. He closes his eyes tightly and takes a couple of sharp breaths.

“Here’s some painkillers and a glass of water,” Wes is behind me at the door. Hannah squirms and clings to my shirt. I step to the side letting Wes pass. He hands Mason the painkillers and water. Mason doesn’t hesitate he pops the pills back into his mouth and gulps the water down. The sweat on his forehead gleams as he gulps down the last of the water. Mason’s eyes flicker from Wes to me, and I lean away from Wes and adjust Hannah in my arms.

“I better get you to bed,” I rub my nose against Hannah’s, she smiles and her little hands rub at my cheeks. I can feel Mason’s eyes on me, so I look at him. He has a small smile on his face and his eyes soften when they look into mine. “You can sleep here, I’ll watch over Hannah.”

“I have some PJs for the both of you,” Wes states proudly as if he just won the award for best father of the year.

“I’ll change Hannah,” I arch an eyebrow and he adds, “that way you can change too.”

“Okay,” I hand Hannah over to him and I walk out of the room with Wes at my heels but he doesn’t follow me into the bathroom, which I am thankful, that would have been awkward. I grab my pajamas from the shelf I have in the bathroom. My room is so small that I keep my sleepwear in the bathroom.

I walk out and Wes is leaning against my bedroom door frame, waiting for my return.

“I would have taken you for a lingerie type of girl, not a sweats and t-shirt type,” Wes smirks at me as he looks at my grey sweats and a plain white t-shirt.

“That means you don’t know me at all,” he opens the door and lets me in.

Mason has Hannah in a pale pink onesie and he is wearing pajama bottoms without a shirt. I look at his chest and it looks like it was taken right out of a magazine his “v” is showing from where his pajama bottoms hang. I avert my eyes to Hannah.

“You should get some rest, I’ll watch her,” he nods, I take Hannah from him and he lays back down slowly, the bed creaks under his weight, and his soft groans are loud to my new hearing sensitivity.

“Goodnight,” he says under his breath.

“Night!” I wait for Wes to walk out first before I walk out turning off the lights and closing the door. Hannah’s eyes roll back and her little hands turn into fists as her body stretches against me. “You must be exhausted, let’s go to bed,” I walk to the couch and sit down.

I cradle her in my arms and she rubs my arms as if she’s trying to put me to sleep as well. This little girl that I just met today has me wrapped around her finger and I have no idea how she manages that. I try to put her down beside me but she whimpers.

“I think she wants to sleep with you,” Wes is standing behind me. I look up and he is looking down at me.

I wonder, I place Hannah on my chest and she is out like a light.

“She feels safe with you,” Wes looks back at me with a blank stare, no emotions. Hannah’s warm cheek and breath make me forget that I am not living for a moment. “I’ll see you later. I need some...air.”

The door closes softly behind him before I have the chance to say anything. I lift my legs and let them rest on the couch, I pat Hannah to keep her asleep, but as I try to keep her sleep, my eyelids start to get heavy until the blackness fills my eyes.

The pinching of my cheeks is the first thing that I feel. My eyes shoot open and Hannah burst out laughing at my reaction. She is sitting on my lap facing me her eyes full of delight.

“Morning sunshine,” my eyes burn from the sunlight and I feel dizzy, “I don’t know how you did it, but she trusts you,” I look over towards the kitchen and Mason is leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee in one hand.

The other hand is his rubbing temple. He must still be in pain. The aroma of something in the air is burning my nostrils, they flare with the irritation.

“I hope you don’t mind I made some toast for Hannah,” Mason says as he points to the toaster with his mug, I shake my head.

Grabbing Hannah I put her on the couch and get up. I walk to the window and open it as wide as it would go.

The air feels amazing to my nose, “You must not have slept that much last night your eyes are dark,” Mason is standing next to me, looking out the window. “Here drink it, it will wake you up,” he hands me a mug, take it instantly, and pull the mug close to my lips the smell is so much stronger than I remember it stings my nose.

I hiss and my hands release the mug, letting it fall to the ground shattering into tiny pieces at my feet.

“Oh shit, sorry I forgot to warn you that it is extremely hot.”

I know that, how else is coffee supposed to be? I’m not human anymore the things that I was able to do before I can’t now. A frown sets on my lips.

“Hannah, honey stay on the couch. I’ll clean this up, it will only take a second.”

Mason tiptoes toward Hannah since he is barefoot, Hannah is trying to climb off the couch but Mason grabs her and sits her back down. She sits on the couch with a pout on her lips as Mason makes his way towards the kitchen.

“Here it is,” he has the broom and duster in his hands. I stare at him, frozen in place, not sure of what to do. I lift my foot, “Don’t move, the glass is all around you, wait until I clean it up.” Mason’s voice is stern, I slowly put my foot down.

“You don’t have to clean I can do it,” I finally speak, he shakes his head and kneels and picks up the bigger pieces with his hands.

My eyes are glued to his hands picking up the sharp object and I feel uneasy. Mason grabs a piece and his finger accidentally rolls over the piece he is holding and he hisses. I stop breathing and look to see if there is blood.

“Ouch,” he drops the piece and puts pressure on the section the glass rolled through. “No blood,” he raises his head to look at me and smiles. I huff and drop my shoulders.

A whimper comes from behind Mason I look and Hannah is standing behind him, with the handle of the mug in her hands. Her big eyes teary and her lips trembling.

“What’s wrong?” I ask concerned.

The smell of rust hits me like a train and I see her left hand is cover in blood.

“Oh my god Hannah,” Mason jolts to a stand and runs the few steps to Hannah, my gums feel as if a razor is going through them, and I am taking deep breaths.

My instincts want me to lunge at Hannah but my human side wants me to check if she is okay. My mouth is filling with some liquid and my bloodthirst side is winning.

I take a step towards them but I see Hannah’s arms outstretched towards me. She wants me to comfort her, she wants me to help her. The world around me starts spinning.

“Ar-re y-you oka-,” my breathing is shallow and I feel off balance.

“Hey! Careful!” I feel my body go limp and I fall to the ground going into the darkness.