Jaden

Chapter 8
(Awakenings)

On the third evening of Jaden’s change and the start of a new life, he awoke from his death sleep. He felt good, and as he yawned and stretched his body in the luxurious bed he slowly opened his eyes. He lay there for a few minutes waiting for his mind to clear. He remembered the blond haired angel who asked him to call him Marcus. He looked around the room and remembered seeing this place, and then he remembered the man who lied to him and took him to the most horrible place in the world. Jaden put his hand over his mouth, he didn’t want to cry, he was afraid and he wanted to go home and see Lizzie. He wondered how he got here, and why. What did this man Marcus want from him? Did he say he found him, but how? So many questions in his mind and he had no idea where to begin, but one thing was sure and first in his mind and that was to get home to Lizzie.

It was then that he saw Marcus walk into the room; he smiled at Jaden and greeted him in a soft gentle voice. Jaden liked his smile; it wasn’t a smile like other men have given him, the kind that would use him and discard Jaden like trash when they were finished with him. Although this man Marcus seemed like a kind person, he wasn’t sure he could be trusted. Jaden needed to get out and get home to Lizzie. But where was he? This room looked like a well-decorated cave, and it had a rustic cozy feel to it. Jaden also realized that he was not hurt, he felt pretty damn good. He was able to sit up in the bed, and he suddenly remembered his ordeal that he looked at his hands and arms. Shyly he lifted the comforter and looked at his body and quickly covered himself again, a look of astonishment on his face. He clearly expected to see wounds covering his body; he was dying, wasn’t he? His memories very clear in his mind, and if he was right he should be dead. He then looked up at Marcus with a questioning look on his face. He was trying very hard not to panic, but he couldn’t help but tremble a little bit. How he asked himself, how is it possible to be here, no wounds, no pain? How in the world, is it possible that he lived though that hell?

Marcus watched the boy for any signs that his mind was lost, but it looked like he recovered from his ordeal quite nicely, he knew Jaden would have many questions, but first he wanted to assure him that he would not be a threat to him. He approached the foot of the bed and with a gesture of his hand he motioned permission to sit. Jaden nodded his assent but moved himself back up against the headboard of the bed. He waited, staring anxiously for Marcus to speak.

“Jaden, please don’t be afraid. I know you have many questions and I will try to answer them all. You can ask me anything you like, I promise to be truthful with you.” Marcus said as he slowly sat down at the end of the bed and folded his hands on his lap. He made no sudden moves to spook Jaden. He could see he was skittish and about ready to jump and run out of the room. The boy kept looking at the doorway from where Marcus entered. Marcus knew that any unexpected move on his part would make the boy very nervous; he knew Jaden would make every effort to escape. He didn’t want Jaden to leave without understanding how he was still alive and well. There was much he had to explain and teach the boy about his new lease on life, actually life of being a newly made vampire.

Marcus continued to speak calmly to Jaden and said, “I was out walking the night I found you. There were two men in the process of trying to throw your body into the river, they believed you were dead.” He stopped to see if Jaden would say anything, when he didn’t speak but just stared at Marcus he continued to try to explain how he came to be here in his home. Even thou Marcus have told him about stopping the two men from disposing of his body, he decided to re-tell it now that Jaden was healed and more alert.

“I was able to stop them, I realized you were still alive and helped you to live. Then I carried you to my home. Jaden those men will never hurt you again.” He said the last words in a hard tone of voice, and he quickly reined in his anger. Jaden flinched when he said it.
Marcus raised his hands slowly as if he was surrendering and said quickly, “Forgive me Jaden, but I am angry with the role those two animals played in your ordeal. If you see me getting angry it has nothing to do with you, my anger is towards those animals and not you.” Marcus slowly lowered his hands back on his lap, and waited to see if Jaden would say anything to him.

Jaden pulled on the comforter to cover his mouth; he blinked his eyes a few times and looked at Marcus. He was trying to choose the right words to say to him afraid of what his reaction would be. He looked around the room and wondered what kind of home this is.

“Where am I? You said you brought me to your home but this, this is, a cave.” Jaden asked timidly.

Marcus smiled and explained where their location was and why the caves, Jaden just nodded and kept staring at him. His mind was in a tailspin, not sure if he heard him correctly about the need for the caves below this house.

But he remembered something else that Marcus did and he needed to know for sure.

“Ah mister… I mean Marcus?” Jaden took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, he couldn’t believe he was going to ask this, “did you, did I drink your blood?” he hoped it would not anger Marcus when he asked.

Marcus looked at the boy, he found him to be to so endearing. From what he could tell he knew the boy must have lived a hard life, he had an idea what this boy did to survive and yet he did not lose his innocence. Marcus nodded and answered Jaden, “Yes, I fed you my blood to heal all of your wounds and so that you could live.” He watched to see Jaden’s reaction to this news. Jaden’s eyes opened wide when he heard Marcus answer him. He knew this happened, but he also remembered that he liked it. His face got all red with embarrassment as he admitted this to himself.

“Is your blood, like special? You know like it has some kind of healing medicine in it?” asked Jaden as he lowered his head down to look at his hands. He kept folding and unfolding his hands in a nervous gesture.

Marcus could not help but smile; he wanted to embrace Jaden in a protective hug but kept his distance.
“Our blood has some healing properties, I suppose. I have never really given it much thought.” Marcus answered and then he said, “What I have done Jaden was to save your life, at first I too believed you were dead until I heard you struggle to live.” He turned to face away from Jaden and spoke carefully, “When I fed you my blood, I also drank your blood in order to ensure your life, you will begin to notice some changes within you, and I hope you will be able to accept it.”

“You drank my blood?” Jaden whispered his eyes opening wide in surprise. “What are you some kind of vampire?”

Now Marcus looked seriously into Jaden’s eyes and replied, “Yes”

Jaden’s breath hitched in shock, he didn’t expect that kind of reply. He thought the man was crazy, vampires? That’s only in the movies, isn’t it? He thought to himself. But Marcus did not laugh and say ha ha gotcha! So either he was crazy or Jaden believed he died and was now somewhere between Heaven and Hell waiting for someone to decide where he should go. But the longer he looked at Marcus the more he believed the man spoke the truth, maybe he was going crazy with him. But before he could say or ask anything more, he felt pain in his stomach and looked again at Marcus. Marcus nodded his understanding and spoke again to Jaden in a calm voice.

“The pain you feel, is hunger. In the beginning of the change you will hunger more, within time your body will adjust and you will not need to feed as urgently as you do now.”

Jaden felt like crying again, he was afraid of feeling any kind of pain, which was understandable considering what he had been through. He looked at Marcus as a tear slid down his cheek and asked, “Please Marcus, I don’t mean to act like a baby. But it hurts; can you make it go away?” He looked so sad as he pulled his legs up to hold against his stomach in an effort to ease his pain.

Marcus stood up and moved closer to Jaden, “Don’t be frightened, but I will have to come closer so I may feed you, will you allow me to touch you?” asked Marcus.

The pain in his belly increased and he could not speak, but merely nodded his head up and down. He tried to move closer to him, but Marcus placed a hand on his shoulder and had Jaden sit still. Jaden watched as Marcus sat down next to him, and then he bit into his own wrist to offer it to him. He could smell the coppery scent of his blood and his hunger urged him to drink. Marcus watched as Jaden cautiously licked his wrist, his soft warm tongue licked slowly and then he pressed his mouth hungrily to drink in more of his blood. Marcus sighed contently letting his head rest against the headboard and before either of them noticed Jaden ended up on his lap holding onto his wrist and drinking like a baby suckling its mother’s milk. Marcus’s other arm embraced Jaden closer to him, and he held him while he waited for Jaden to finish. He hissed as Jaden bit deeper into his wrist knowing that the boy’s fangs have come out. With practice Marcus thought he would learn to be gentler. Marcus liked this boy very much, he seemed sweet and gentle. He missed having someone to care for and enjoyed the feeling of being trusted and wanted. For so long he had been alone, Jaden filled an empty void in his heart.

And so while Jaden fed from his wrist, Marcus took the opportunity to explain how Jaden changed from human to vampire. He spoke softly and reassured the boy that he had nothing to fear, that he was safe and in his protection. There was much to explain he told him, but they will take it slow, one day at a time.

When he finished feeding he realized he was sitting on Marcus’s lap. He could feel heat in his cheeks, and then he remembered he was naked as well, and his body was beginning to awaken happily. Jaden was beside himself, he could not believe he was getting turned on by drinking blood, he slowly removed himself from Marcus’s lap and apologized, he was so embarrassed he didn’t know where to look or what to say. He grabbed the thick comforter and practically hid under it. Marcus did all he could not to laugh, this young man was too adorable.

“It is all right Jaden, never be ashamed of your body.” Marcus said trying hard to sound like this happens all the time. In fact he wanted to pick up Jaden and hug him tight and kiss him all over. He too needed to get some control before it all got out of hand. He patted Jaden on his shoulder as he continued to hide under the covers, and said “Please forgive me, but after I bathed you I just wanted to get you warm and in bed so that you could sleep and heal. I did not think about….”

“You gave me a bath?” Jaden popped his head out from the covers. “Shit don’t tell me you wiped my ass too? I’m freaking to old to be bathe by somebody, I’m 17 years old.” Jaden was mortified that someone would give him a bath. As far as he could remember he always did for himself. The only time he was touched so intimately was when he was being abused. Those memories now threaten to come back and he quickly needed to think about something else.

A look of pain crossed over Marcus’s face, the last thing he wanted was for the boy to think that he would try to take advantage of him. He shrugged his shoulders in an apologetic move and said, “I am sorry Jaden, I meant no disrespect. You were unconscious and I just wanted to clean you up so that you could feel better. Please forgive me; it was stupid of me not to give you something to wear.”

Jaden looked at Marcus and felt foolish, and he realized that Marcus was only trying to help, plus now he remembered the state he was in. Of course he needed to be bathed he was in no condition to it himself, the fact that he was alive was a miracle.

“No its, its ok, Its just that you went to so much trouble, I mean no one ever did anything just to be nice. And you didn’t hurt me, so I shouldn’t act like a shithead with you. I’m, I’m really sorry about that.” Jaden pulled the covers around him and looked back down, “I just don’t know how to act with someone like you, you know? I mean someone that acts nice and I don’t know. But in my mind I feel like you aren’t like the others, am I making any sense? How come I know you aren’t like them?” he then looked up at Marcus with big eyes.

Feeling relief, Marcus smiled at him and sat comfortably on the bed, leaning back on the headboard. He crossed his legs and folded his hands on his stomach. “We shared each other’s blood, because I made you, we will be able to sense each other’s feelings and know if we speak truthfully to one another. Do you understand what I am saying Jaden?”

“Wow, do mean we’ll be able to read each other’s minds? Like in the movies, these aliens talked to each other mentally.” Jaden said as he unconsciously scooted a little closer to Marcus.
Marcus noticed and was pleased, he really wanted Jaden to be comfortable with him and not be afraid. This boy really pulled at his heart.

“I don’t know.” Marcus answered, “But it has been known to happen, when two souls are very close to each other, it’s as if they could read each other without speaking.”
He smiled down at Jaden who looked up at him in wonder.
“Very few of our kind, have such abilities. Of course this may happen with time, who knows perhaps someday we will speak mentally to each other. As you grow stronger perhaps with our blood sharing in time we will be able to communicate with our minds, we will just have to wait and see what happens.” Marcus said and he winked at Jaden and smiled at him.

Jaden just looked at him, he liked him and didn’t know why but he did. He liked the way he looked, and the way he talked. He could listen to his voice for hours it was like a warm fuzzy blanket that made him feel like snuggling, he made him feel safe too and the fact that he was hot didn’t hurt. Or as Lizzie would say, “SEXY HOT”

Marcus watched Jaden’s face change from inquisitive innocence to guilt and fear, he was a little alarmed, he hoped the boy would start to trust him and feel safe. But now he could sense Jaden’s emotions and he wanted to soothe him back to calmness. “Jaden?” Marcus asked, “What is wrong, are you in pain?” he didn’t think the boy needed it but asked anyway, “Do you need to feed?” Jaden shook his head, he was going to say something but his voice cracked and started to break down and cry he covered his face with his hands. Marcus could not make out what he was saying, he carefully put his arms around him to try and comfort him. Was he reliving his ordeal? It angered Marcus to think that Jaden’s recent agony was causing his distress; he picked up the boy making sure he was covered and held him on his lap. Jaden let his head fall on Marcus’s shoulder and cried softly, he was afraid; he needed to get to Lizzie. He wanted to go home.