Free They Come by Night by Tinnean

chilling I shivered. It had to be really important, and the loss of it equally devastating.
    “How do you know this?”
    “The vampyr who came after… he knew something had happened. No vampyr had ever raised a hand to me—it wasn’t necessary—but he… he flung me against a wall, and I thought he’d fractured my spine. I’ve never been able to figure out how he didn’t.” He shook his head. “He left, and I had no idea how long he was gone. All I know is by the time I regained my equilibrium, he’d returned.”
    “Did you… did you love him?”
    “No. He blamed that on the fact I was no longer a virgin, but I couldn’t have loved him. He told me what happened to Vidalia in all the gory details, and said it had been done because of what she’d done.”
    “Made love with you?”
    “No. Oh, that pissed him off, but that wasn’t what really drove him wild. He said any vampyr could scent that Vidalia had fed a sabor.”
    “How could he—Wait a second! You fed from her ?” Could that even be done?
    “I’d never have survived otherwise.”
    “How long ago was that?”
    “Fifteen years. God, I wish she’d let me die!”
    “Uncle Phil!” That shocked me more than anything he’d said before.
    “Do you want another Coke?” he asked abruptly, and I knew he wasn’t going to answer me.
    I stared at the bottle in my hand. It was empty. “No, thank you.” I put it down on the table. “Is that why you live here alone?”
    “I live here alone because that’s my choice.”
    “So I… I don’t have any choice in the matter?”
    “I’m afraid not.” His expression was desolate.
    “I guess I’d better go. Thanks for talking to me, Uncle Phil.”
    “You’re welcome, Tyrell. I’m sorry I can’t help you. It’s in our blood, you see. Literally.”
    Shoot.
    Well, all right, then, if that was the way it had to be, but I didn’t care what the rules were. I wasn’t going to fall in love with any vampyr whose only desire was to bite me!
    And if any of them thought otherwise….
    Well, they could just bite me!
     
     
    I NEVER told Dad I’d gone to talk to my uncle, but when I went back out to see Uncle Phil again just before Christmas to bring him a little gift, it was to find the windows of his cottage boarded up and a For Sale sign stuck in the front lawn.
     
     
    I T HAD been a long two years. My body had ached with the growth of muscle and bone, and I’d been uncertain what to do with the hormones that flooded my system. For the last year, girls had been looking at me with as much interest as their moms looked at Dad, and so had a couple of the boys, even one who I’d have sworn was straight.
    In spite of having more testosterone than I knew what to do with, I was still a virgin, never been kissed, never been laid, because while it might be interesting to have sex with someone, any one, my body kept saying, “Uh uh, no way!” The fact of the matter was as much as I longed to be touched, paradoxically, I couldn’t bear being touched—not a friendly clap on the back, not a high five, not even Dad’s hand resting on my shoulder. I’d hoped as my body filled out I’d be able to tolerate contact, but no such luck. It was a good thing that as a runner, body contact was never called for, and I was nimble enough on my feet to avoid any pileups.
    How in hell was I going to let a vampyr come close enough to sink his fangs into me?
     
     
    T HE DAY of my eighteenth birthday finally dawned. This evening a vampyr was coming to claim me. I’d be taken away from my home, from Dad, from everything I was familiar with.
    For the last week I’d been antsy, my dick half-hard, unable to settle on any task Dad gave me.
    Now it was even worse, and even though he kept me busy with chores around the house, my nerves were so bad I’d no sooner leave the bathroom than I’d have to turn around and go back in, and I found the tension ebbing and flowing as the day progressed, but mostly flowing. I was a total