The Vampire and the Goth

Elizabeth and I woke up at the same time the next afternoon, just before sunset. I smiled, thinking of how nice it was to wake up with her in my arms. I kissed her and pulled her into my chest, only to feel her scrape her teeth along my neck.

"Ow!"

Elizabeth giggled. "Oooh, does the big, scary vampire not want anyone nipping at his neck?" Then she kissed me where her teeth had scraped my skin.

I complained, "You're still human, so you don't have any fangs yet."

"Humans have fangs. They're smaller than yours and not as sharp, but they're still fangs."

I smiled at her. "You mean your canines?"

She kissed me lightly. "Yeah, our canines are like little fangs. But once I'm a vampire, they'll be more like yours, right?"

I laughed and hugged her tighter. "That's right."

"Cool," she said and kissed me again. "Tell me about what will happen when I become a vampire," she said, sliding her hands down my body and grasping my penis.

"Mmm... are you feeling frisky?"

"Maybe. Can I still do this after I get vampire fangs?" she said, as she dipped down under the sheets and put her mouth on my cock.

I ran my hands through her hair. "Yes, you can still do that... but you have to be a little careful until you get used to your... fangs..." I said, with a groan.

She gently pushed my foreskin back and began to swallow me, holding my balls in her hand.

"Tell me more," she said, in a low voice. "It turns me on."

I'd never sired someone before, but immediately, every fact about the process swirled through my mind as she began to work me with her throat muscles.

"Well... I'll have to swallow most of your blood first..." I moaned. "Then, when you're almost dead..." I sighed, "I'll... uh... open my wrist and put my blood in your...mouth..." I breathed deeply.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, with my cock in her mouth. "And then what?"

Then, you'll cry, piss, shit, and puke out any other fluids in your body

, I didn't say. Becoming a vampire is not a beautiful transition and I didn't want to scare her. Instead, I said, "Your heartbeat will... slowly... start to stop... and then..." I moaned again. "Your body will... get cold... and once my blood is in your

ugh

veins..."

"Yes?" she said, lightly squeezing and stroking me.

"Then your wound will... start to heal..." I sighed. "And you'll... pass out..."

"Mm-hmm?" she said, humming on my cock.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to cum... if you don't back off... right now..." I said, in a breathless voice. I expected Elizabeth to pull her head back, but instead, she squeezed my balls tighter and swallowed my cock deeper into her mouth and I came straight down her throat.

I sighed deeply and Elizabeth made her way back up my body, pressing her naked breasts against my chest.

"I love making you cum," she said, kissing me.

"I love making you cum, too. So why didn't you let me?" I asked.

She sighed. "I don't know. I guess I don't feel like it right now. I keep thinking about Michelle and Laura and last night."

I hugged her tightly. "Yeah, that was rough."

She remained silent for a moment, then she said, "I love how the wolves all came together for Caleb, though...Like a family."

I kissed her. "They

are

a family."

Elizabeth giggled. "A great, big, furry family!"

"Well, sometimes," I smiled.

After we cleaned up and got dressed, we headed to the main hall so Elizabeth could get something to eat. Patrick and Marcia were standing in front of the pack with Skye and Laura, and as we entered, we heard Patrick announce, "Today, we are proud to introduce our newest members, Dr. Skye Campbell, MD, and Dr. Laura Black, DVM. Skye and Laura are a newly mated pair, and they each bring much needed medical experience to our pack. Please join us in welcoming our new sisters!"

A large cheer went up as Skye and Laura kissed. I looked over at Elizabeth, who had tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for them, but I wish our parents could have met Skye. They would have been so proud." I put an arm around her as she looked up at me. "They would have loved you, too."

I kissed Elizabeth then. "I wish I could have met your parents. They must have been wonderful to have raised such amazing women."

Elizabeth smiled, then laid her head on my chest. I ran my hand up and down her back and kissed her hair as I felt her tears through my shirt. Marcia gave me a concerned look and I smiled. "She's okay," I mouthed, and Marcia smiled back.

When Honoria saw Elizabeth and me, she waved us over to her and put her arms around both of us. "My pack is losing a doctor but I'm gaining a granddaughter!"

We laughed with her as she almost smothered us in kisses.

William exclaimed, "And I'm getting another sister! That's so great!"

"I'm getting another sister too! And I'm getting a brother!" Elizabeth laughed, hugging William.

"Your brother is a bonus prize," he smiled.

There was an overwhelming sense of family bond and affection as everybody started hugging everybody else. The pack seemed truly thrilled to welcome Skye and Laura and I was happy for them, but I couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the intense emotions. As I began to slowly retreat I ran into Jadwiga and Carlos who were standing with David.

"What's going on?" Jadwiga asked.

I smiled. "Skye's going to stay down here and join this pack."

"So is Laura going to become a werewolf now?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Jadwiga said. Then she looked at me. "That's how it works, right?"

I smiled. "She's Skye's mate, so yes, she'll become a werewolf."

"What exactly does it mean to have a mate? I know it's a big deal, but why?" Carlos asked.

Before I could answer, David said, "Your mate is the other half of your soul. Your mate completes you, and you complete them. It goes deeper and stronger than any love ever. It's beyond sex, romance, or family. Your mate is everything."

I looked at David, my best friend, who had been a committed cynic as long as I've known him. "Aw, look who's getting sentimental in his old age!"

David looked at me and smiled. "Fuck you, Stosh."

"I love you too, big guy," I said with a wink.

I looked at Elizabeth and Angus as they walked up to us, smiling happily.

"I guess this has really helped you get over your fear of werewolves," David said, as he kissed her on the cheek.

With a wide grin, Elizabeth said, "It hasn't hurt!"

While we were talking, the kitchen staff had begun to put out dishes for dinner. Wolves always eat well, but I noticed that this time, the meal looked particularly elaborate.

"Wow, they really turned it out this time," Elizabeth remarked.

"Well, it's Christmas Eve, so it's a good night for a feast," Angus said. "And we're adding two members to our pack AND we have a new mating ceremony to plan, so there are two more reasons." He put his arm around David and said quietly, "I heard what you said about having a mate."

David smiled at him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Angus said, and kissed him. We couldn't help smiling at them.

Carlos turned his head quickly, then his nostrils flared and his eyes opened wide.

"Is that fresh eggnog I smell?"

Angus smiled at him. "Yes, it is! There's a punchbowl right over there."

Carlos grinned like an idiot. "I'll be back," he said, as he all but ran to the punch bowl.

After Carlos left, Marcia came over to say hello and to make sure we felt included. Elizabeth said, "I thought wolves don't celebrate Christmas."

"Well, it's not a religious holiday for us, but it involves trees and a feast," Marcia responded, with a smile. "So that's worthy of a party."

I added, "Christmas combines two things werewolves love - eating well and general merriment."

Angus and Marcia smiled in agreement, but Elizabeth sighed. "This is a nice celebration, but it seems a little strange to me because of what happened with Michelle last night."

Immediately, Marcia's face froze. I put my arm around Elizabeth's waist and leaned into her ear, "Michelle is considered a traitor to the pack. Now that she's gone, no one will discuss her or what happened."

Elizabeth looked at me wide-eyed, and Marcia said, "He's right. We try to move on from such things as quickly as possible."

"That's a hell of a coping method," David said.

"Wolves don't like to dwell on things that can't be fixed, and maybe you're right about that being a coping method. But tonight, we have a lot to celebrate. Let's focus on the good things and try to dispel the gloom a bit," Marcia said, her smile returning.

Elizabeth nodded. "Fair enough."

Someone picked up a guitar and started to play Christmas music as Carlos returned with a large cup of egg nog. He took a deep drink and said, "Ah... now it's Christmas!" We laughed, then Jadwiga looked around the room with a wistful expression on her face.

"This makes me miss Poland. Remember Wigilia, Stosh?"

"Wigilia? What's that?" Carlos asked.

I smiled. "It's Christmas Eve dinner in Poland. It has twelve dishes, most of which involve fish, cabbage, and/or mushrooms."

Elizabeth made a face and said, "Ew."

I laughed. "It's better than it sounds. It's the most important meal of the year, and our mother used to spend a couple of days getting it ready."

"After we ate, we'd light candles and walk to Pasterka," Jadwiga said, with a dreamy look in her eye.

David asked, "Is that like midnight mass?"

"That's exactly what it is," I said.

We stood there for a moment, then Marcia suggested, "You know, there's a Catholic church nearby that's having Midnight Mass tonight. You guys should go. Maybe you could recover a little Christmas magic."

I wanted to laugh at the thought of going to midnight mass, but my sister's face lit up, and she looked at me. "Oh Stosh, can we?" Immediately, I remembered her as a child, asking me to brush her hair and I suddenly wanted to do anything to keep that look on her face.

"Sure, sis. Let's go to church," I smiled.

I turned to David and asked, "Would you like to come with us?"

David laughed. "Sorry, buddy, I'd rather eat a dick."

Angus grabbed his hand and said, "Well let's get you to work then!" and they headed back to their room. We laughed as they hurried away.

Elizabeth suddenly frowned. "Hey, I don't have anything nice enough to wear to church."

"Me neither," said Jadwiga, also frowning.

Marcia smiled, "Don't worry, we'll find something for you to wear."

The female members of the pack came together to help Elizabeth and Jadwiga dress for mass. The females had not only dressed them but fussed over their hair and makeup. When they met Carlos and me in the main hall later, they both looked gorgeous.

I kissed Elizabeth deeply as Marcia cleared her throat. As we looked at her, Marcia smiled and gestured to another wolf to come over. "If you're going to midnight mass, I have someone I'd like you to meet. Her name is Jordan, and she's become interested in human culture."

"Jordan? As in Jordan and Emma? I think we met her the other night, on our way to the bonfire. She's a teenager with red hair, right?" Elizabeth asked.

Marcia nodded, and said, "That's her. She's a nice kid, very smart and curious."

"Didn't she say she was interested in Religion, Stosh?" Elizabeth asked.

I smiled. "She did say that. She's interested in what religion was like in the Middle Ages."

"So, you don't mind if I invite her to go along with you, right? I think she'd like to visit a human religious service," Marcia said.

"That would be great. She's a sweet young lady. And anyway, I think Jadwiga should also meet her. Religion was very different for girls when we were human."

Jadwiga snorted. "You don't know the half of it!"

Marcia waved across the room, and soon enough, Jordan was there. "Yes, Madam Alpha?"

"Jordan, I wanted to introduce you to some people, but I think you've already met them. This is Stosh, his mate, Elizabeth. And this is Stosh's sister, Jadwiga, and her mate, Carlos."

Jordan smiled broadly. "I met Stosh and Elizabeth the other night." Jordan hugged Elizabeth and me, and she shook hands with Jadwiga and Carlos.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. And sir," Jordan said, shaking Carlos' hand.

Carlos smiled back at her. "It's just Carlos, please. And it's nice to meet you, too,"

Marcia put her arm around Jordan's shoulder. "Stosh and his family are going to midnight mass tonight."

Jordan's eyes lit up. "Oooh! Can I come along?"

Jadwiga smiled at her and said, "Sure. The more the merrier, right?"

"Thanks. I'm really curious about human religion. Are you still Roman?"

I looked at her strangely for a moment, then I realized what she meant. "The term is Roman Catholic. And no, we don't follow the religion anymore," I said, with an unnecessarily sarcastic barb to my voice. Fortunately, my tone was lost on Jordan, but it was clearly heard by both Elizabeth and Marcia, and they each glared at me. I moderated my tone and continued, "My sister and I were raised at a time when there was only one church, and everything was in Latin. But I think Carlos was raised in the modern Catholic church."

Jordan gave a scholarly nod. "Interesting."

Carlos smiled. "I'm not a practicing Catholic anymore, but I'm very familiar with their current practices and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have and share my opinions."

"Lord knows he has a bunch of those..." Jadwiga said, rolling her eyes for comic effect. Carlos winked at her.

Jordan's eyes lit up. "Cool! I have a bazillion questions!" she said, enthusiastically.

It felt strange going to mass that night. This was the first time I'd gone to a religious service since coming to America and the first time I'd gone to midnight mass since I was human. Because of that, I was a little concerned that I'd stick out like a sore thumb, especially considering the fact that, like all vampires, I'm an atheist. Well, maybe not

all

vampires, but I've never met one that believed in God let alone still went to church.

The whole way over to mass, Jordan and Carlos kept up a steady chatter about the church with Jadwiga providing background about how the religion worked when we were kids. It was interesting to hear all of the ways the church has changed over the years, as well as the many ways it hasn't changed. It put us in a good frame of mind for mass.

"Isn't there something with crackers and wine?" Jordan asked.

Jadwiga and I struggled to not laugh, as Carlos answered her. "Yes, that's called the sacrament, and it's symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. It's not something for non-Catholics to participate in, so when you see people head up to the priest to accept the sacrament we should remain seated. No one will notice. One thing we can do though is to make the sign of the cross over our hearts. Here, let me show you."

Carlos patiently showed Jordan and Elizabeth how to make the sign of the cross.

"This is a common gesture, so making the sign of the cross will help us to not stand out so much," Jadwiga said. Then she looked at Carlos. "Do people still cross themselves when they walk in?"

Carlos smiled. "Yes, they do, and that's a good point, honey. Also, the congregation will stand up and kneel at several points during the service. Just do what everybody else does and you'll be fine."

As we got close to the church, Jadwiga froze, turned to Elizabeth, and said, "SHIT! We don't have scarves!"

"Scarves?" Jordan asked.

"For our heads," Jadwiga said.

Elizabeth smiled. "I think they stopped doing that a while ago. Right?" she said, looking at Carlos.

"Yeah, they got rid of that during the '60s," Carlos said. The reference made sense to Elizabeth, but Jadwiga looked at him strangely. "It was the 1960's, so it wasn't that long ago."

Jadwiga nodded and sighed, and I reached out to lock arms with her. "Don't be nervous, siostre."

We walked into the church and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. I looked over at Jordan and she was all eyes, taking everything in. We watched as people slowly began entering the sanctuary.

"What are they doing with that water? And what's with the kneeling?" she asked Carlos, in a whisper.

"The water is holy water. It's been blessed by the priest and the people are using it to bless themselves. They're kneeling to show respect to the cross," Carlos said.

Elizabeth remarked, "It doesn't look like everybody's doing it."

"It's not a requirement. But if you want the whole Catholic experience, we can do it together," Carlos said, in a friendly voice.

I smiled at Jadwiga, and she winked back. I appreciated how friendly and patient Carlos was with Jordan and I realized, once again, what a great boyfriend he was for my sister.

After mass, we stayed in our pews until most of the parishioners had left. While we waited, Carlos explained the art on the walls.

"So that's baby Jesus and his mother?"

"Yes. She's Mary, Queen of the Angels. She's mentioned in the rosary. You know, those prayer beads you saw."

"Hmm..." Jordan said. "Are you sure the Catholics are monogamous?"

I snickered, and both Elizabeth and Jadwiga punched me in the arm.

"The word is 'monotheistic' and yeah, they claim to be. But they do have a lot of saints!" Carlos laughed.

On our way out the door, the priest greeted us with a handshake. He gave Jordan a big smile.

"Thank you for visiting St. Ailbe, and I hope you'll be back," he said. But the priest stopped smiling when he shook Jadwiga's hand.

"Your hand is... so cold," he said.

She nodded. "Yes, it is."

The priest continued to hold her hand and stare into her eyes for an uncomfortably long time.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"No... it's just... it's unusual to see someone like

you

spending time with someone like

her

," he said, gesturing to Jordan.

"Well, Christmas is the season for miracles," she said in a sarcastic voice. The priest laughed.

"Well, that's true!"

As we walked away from the church, Elizabeth held my hand and Carlos continued to explain everything that had happened during the mass to Jordan.

"Okay, so it's the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost," Jordan said.

Carlos smiled. "Yes."

"So how is that one god? Because that sounds like three gods to me," she continued.

I laughed. "She's got a point."

Suddenly, we heard a voice from the woods.

"You're supposed to say it's like an egg," Janek said, stepping out in front of us. "Or maybe you're supposed to say it's like a clover. Whatever. I haven't been to Sunday School in a long time," he said, in a disturbingly conversational voice.

I pulled Elizabeth behind me as Carlos got in front of Jadwiga and Jordan.

"What the fuck are

you

doing here?" I said.

Janek laughed. "You think this is the first time she's talked about going to Pasterka?" Then, he turned toward Jadwiga, and said, „Naprawdę kochanie, przestańmy udawać. Chodźmy do domu." Then, he winked at me and said, "For those who don't speak Polish, I told her it's time to stop pretending and come home."

Jadwiga looked at Janek with clear, steady eyes and said, "No, I'm done with all of that. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Janek laughed at her. "Oooh! Look who found some courage! Well, guess what, sweetie? Having a little boy to boss around won't be satisfying for very long." Then he winked at me and said, „Ten chłopak nie może zrobić tego, co ja dla ciebie robię."

I scowled at Janek, but he didn't react to me. Instead, he looked at Carlos and said, "I told her that you don't have what it takes to satisfy her."

Carlos tightened his jaw. I could tell he was getting near the breaking point, so I spoke up. "She doesn't want to go with you, Janek. Why don't you just fuck off?"

Janek grinned at me. "Oh, she's coming with me alright. Otherwise, I'll kill her little pussy boy." And with that, he grabbed Carlos and held a talon up to his neck. "Come on, Jadwiga. Do you want me to do the same thing to this faggot that I did to your last boyfriend?"