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Shelby was insatiable. It’s like a deep black hole settled itself within the depths of her stomach. Her eyes were glassy, her knees weak and—despite not quite being living—her heart was thumping its way out of their chest.
There was nothing she could do to stop it. No matter how far she walked or how much raw meat she ate, nothing eased the pain she was in. There was only one thing she truly wanted.
Drift.
That’s who she had been watching for the past few days. At first it started with just a few check-ins a day, just on the off chance she might be alone. But she was never alone.
It was always Drift and Abolish. Or Sausage. Or Avid.
She doesn’t really blame them. Shubble overheard their conversation with Owen at the castle. They are scared and relying on numbers to avoid any other conversions.
It also means Shelby could never find a spare moment to talk to her. She knows the townsfolk are on edge, they would never listen—but some deeper force in her yearns for Drift’s acceptance. The emotions twisted around her, almost suffocating her with its urgency. It has been the vampire’s sole focus to find her and explain themselves to her.
So they stalked her until they found their chance to pounce. It presented itself in the form of lumber.
Renhardt was working on a farm and stable for his house. That by itself is nothing of importance but Drift wanted to get some wood. As all the other members had other tasks, Drift asked to chop trees in the woods near Ren.
Close enough for the human to have a thin veil of security, but far enough to finally seek an audience with her.
Shubble waited after she cut a few trees before presenting herself.
She was very deliberate with it. She stepped on a leaf and waited until Drift turned towards the sounds to say anything.
“…Shelby?” Drift’s brown eyes grew wide. She spoke in a hushed voice.
“Um… hi.” She was pacing in place now as she watched the detective hover over her sword. “I come in peace.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. I just… wanted to talk.” Shelby admitted while taking a couple steps deeper into the woods.
“About what,” Drift reluctantly followed. Her eyes started to dart around.
“No one else is here, I normally keep to myself.”
“And why should I trust you?” Drift squinted her eyes.
“You shouldn’t.”
“But…?”
It was barely a whisper but Shubble could hear every sound. And she couldn’t tell if it was her own hope seeping through but Drift's tone was vaguely hopeful.
Maybe she will listen.
Yet things never work out for Shubble. In her steadfast pursuit of Drift, she neglected all her other needs.
Like eating.
Looking at the person in front of her made her feel like she's on fire. Every second that passed made her itch. Hunger is painful. It was clouding her vision.
She needed to get out.
“There’s no but, you are right,” Shubble was holding back tears, “I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?” Drift dropped her brave voice, and genuine concern laced the question.
“This was a bad choice, I should not have done this.”
“What’s going on?”
Then Shelby bit harshly on her own flesh.
“What the heck Shubble!” Drift yelped out as she rushed to the vampire’s side—all former concerns of volume and safety were quickly shattered.
The second before Drift actually reached Shelby, the latter jumped away. Her vampiric form granted her unmeasurable speed but she was clearly inexperienced. They drove directly into a tree. Hard.
Shelby huffed and tried to catch herself before she completely fell to the ground. It didn’t work. They were too weak. Too starved.
Thud.
She managed to recover slightly and landed on their knees. She could barely sustain that position yet Shelby used whatever strength she had to hold her hand out. “Stay back.”
The words came out frail and deformed. Without the visual motion, Drift would not have been able to piece together Shubble’s command. Drift should have listened. She would never get an opportunity more perfect than a powerless monster telling her to leave—but she couldn’t.
Then Shelby’s limbs gave out on what little might she had left and she crumpled into the leaves. She turned away from Drift and seemingly curled upon herself. She had never looked so small.
It was a pathetic sight. Drift’s mind shouted at her, telling her to gather up the measly scrapes of Shubble and take her to the cell. Use her for information and bargaining.
But the logical plots playing her brain rung false to her heart's drum. It made sense, its rhythm had always bent and curved to Shubble’s will—every laugh made it sputter, every compliment made it soar, every concern made it ache.
Watching them in pain makes it break.
“I’m not leaving you,” Drift staggers over. Her hands gently brushed her bangs out the way and rested them to stroke Shubble’s face. It was nonresponsive, cold and teetering on sickly—it was also the softest skin Drift ever felt. “Tell me what's wrong Shelby.”
The name must have knocked some life back into her because she starts to shudder in her hands. Then her golden eyes flutter open. “You need to get away.”
Drift stays firmly planted.
“Leave… please.”
Shubble tries to wrangle out of Drift’s grip but to no avail.
“Drift, I can’t control myself,” Shelby’s voice has grown hoarse. Her deep eyes are pleading with her.
Drift wants to loosen the grip. Her mind caught back up and it was fixated on Shubble’s last words. ‘I can't control myself.’
In their form, that could be disastrous. Maybe even lethal to stay.
Yet Drift doesn’t move. “Tell me how to help!”
Shelby’s eyes bounce around, grabbing at every inch of Drift’s features before closing them. “I need…” Shubble muttered as tears of blood threaten to fall outside its golden prison.
“You need… food?” Drift couldn’t wait any longer and attempted to finish the other’s sentence.
Shubble weakly nods.
Drift left one hand lightly cradling them and with her other, she rummaged through her bag in hopes of any food hidden within all her garlic. At the bottom laid a raw lamb chop and it felt like she struck diamond, “Here! Take this.”
Shubble consumed it mere seconds.
“Are you… feeling better?”
Shubble shakes Drift’s hand off her and clumsily sits up. Drift helped her settle on the tree before the vampire responded, “A little but you still need to leave.”
“But you ate, shouldn’t you be okay now?” Drift said.
“I need more, especially because I haven’t eaten in a while.”
“How long is a while?”
Shelby’s face bloomed with fire. If it wasn’t these circumstances Drift would have wanted to keep her like that forever. Soaking up their blush for eternity.
“Two days,” the vampire answered breathlessly, “give or take.”
“How are you alive? Better yet, why?”
Shelby was about to answer although she was overtaken by a well of tears. The red worked well with the wine colored hair. They managed out, “I was looking… for you.”
Drift leaned forward and quickly wiped a few of the tears away, trying desperately to ignore its red color, “Shelby, you didn’t have to do this. You don’t need me.”
“I do,” the tears were coming out at full force now, “I really do need you. You were a first friend.”
Drift felt her own eyes swell and water.
“Every spare moment I would look for you, trying to find a time of isolation to reach out.”
“But I was always with someone, usually Avid,” Drift uttered.
“I don’t trust the others—especially Avid—to give me the chance to… I don’t know, explain? But I knew you would. At least, I hoped you would.”
“I would. I am,” Drift bounded towards Shubble, wrapping her hands around theirs, “I am here for you. No matter what.”
“It’s not safe for you. I might hurt you while I’m like this.”
Drift started to get up, “I will hunt for you, I will get you food.”
“It’s not enough. It’s never enough.” Shubble looked so dejected, it’s as if the entirety of her body gave up on her. Well everything except her eyes. They looked so sure, “You should kill me where I am.”
“What! No!”
“It’s the only way to ensure the town’s safety.” Shelby loosened a hand out of their tangle of limbs and grabbed a stake from Drift’s belt loop. Delicately, she placed it in Drift’s hands—methodically wrapping each finger around the wood.
“I can’t.”
Shubble ignored her and placed her head into Drift’s lap, “I know you can do it.”
Drift was inconsolable at this point. Sobs muddled her speech.
“Make me proud.” Shubble closed her eyes and accepted death. True death.
From her position, Shubble could feel the pull of Drift’s coarse coat signaling that she was lifting her hand. They hoped Drift would make it quick, painless even.
But the stake never came. Warm thick blood instead spilled into her mouth.
She never felt so energized. Animal blood is manageable. It’s consistent. But the human blood reached the back of her throat like honey on a sick afternoon. It felt healing.
Then it all registers. Human blood. Drift’s blood.
“What are you doing?” Shubble shot up but she feels woozy. She was no longer feeding but Drift had an open cut on her wrist that was seeping out. The smell was intoxicating.
Drift didn’t respond and only held out her arm. An offering.
“Why?”
“Because I love you, I want you to be satisfied.” Drift said with unwavering devotion.
Shubble was frozen in place. In her stillness, Drift once again nudged her arm closer. Shubble turned her head just a little as if to question her. Drift just pushed herself even closer, the pull of the blood getting stronger every inch crossed.
And Shelby succumbed to desire.
It was stimulating. Electrifying. Loving.
Shelby tried to be as careful as she can be, taking slow and steady gulps. She kept Drift’s brown eyes encased by her amber ones—trying to read the microexpressions on her face—wordlessly vowing to stop the moment Drift displays any discomfort.
But Drift just smiled.
Even if Shelby wasn’t looking at her, she felt it in her blood. It made her feel bubbly. Shelby wants to get drunk on her every night.
After a few shallows Shubble could see sweat forming on the other’s forehead. Drift still held a dedicated smile but the body didn't lie. The sweat, the blood getting infected with a mild sour taste. Drift couldn’t hold out much longer before she lost too much.
It took everything in Shelby to detach herself. She stared at the girl in front of her and urged every bit of themselves to obey.
“Do you have any bandages?" Drift weakly joked, looking at her hand dazed.
Shubble’s eyes were following the faint drops of blood still slipping out. She takes the cloak on her shoulder and ripped off the bottom half. “Here. Let me wrap it.”
Drift shifted herself so she was leaning her weight on Shubble, resting her head on the other's shoulder. Shubble let her settle in the crook of her neck and tenderly took to securing the cloth to the wound. “There.”
“Thanks…” Drift could barely mumble out her words, “I’m just… gonna stay here.”
“Geez, how low did you get?”
Drift hid herself in Shelby’s wine hair and mumbled into her shoulder.
Shubble gently shook her, “I can’t hear you.”
“I had two hearts.”
“Why did you let me get you so low?” Shubble sounded like she almost didn’t believe it. “You can never let me do that again.”
Drift sat up now. She looked pale but it’s a manageable state. She says, “I want to do it again.”
“I’m too much of a novice, I will hurt you. I did hurt you.”
Drift turned to face Shelby, “You didn’t hurt me. Starving and on the brink of death and you still kept me safe.”
She nodded in disagreement.
“It’s true,” Drift cupped her face.
Shubble let her hand find the detectives, “Okay. If you say so.”
The two of them were so close, Shelby could feel the others breathe on her. There was nothing she wanted more than to close the distance but she had already asked too much of Drift today.
Drift grinned at her, “Same time tomorrow?”
“No, you can’t! You will be too weak. I remember Scott saying something about blood scarifies must have a two day cool down.”
“I will be back anyways.” Shubble was about to argue but Drift held up a finger, “Just to see you. Nothing more.”
“Nothing more,” Shubble agreed.
A beat.
“Thank you, Drift.” The vampire took her hand and—despite her former dissolution—selfishly planted a kiss on her knuckles.
They stood up, transformed into a bat and left without as much a glance back.