Crave - 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“This way, J. I hear the Oranti coming. Hurry!” A small body darted past Jenson and scampered into the upper branches of the tree. A disembodied giggle drifted down from above as the leaves rustled and the branches shook. “You’re going to get eaten, J!”

Jenson smiled and shook his head as he reached for the large branch above him. “I’m coming, sir!” His large body caused some of the branches to groan under him as he ascended the tree, following his young charge into his jungle world. Jenson wondered if all human children had such vivid imaginations. He didn’t really know any other human children, but still, he rather doubted it.

“Look, J!” A little voice stage-whispered above his head. “They’re running right past us. I knew they wouldn’t find us up here!” Jenson dutifully looked towards the ground at the imagined pack of Oranti that ran under them, their claws tearing into the ground as they hunted their prey. Jenson felt a warmth settle near him as the little human boy moved to sit on the branch at his side. He was so small it was a wonder the branches moved under his weight at all. “They’re gone now. That was close! I hope the rest of the men made it to safety.”

“Yes, sir, very close indeed. I’m sure the men followed your orders and took cover.” Jenson moved over a little to give the boy more room. As they waited to be sure the invading force had moved on, the boy settled more comfortably, tucking the toes of his left foot under a smaller branch below him, and reached into his pack. He pulled out a couple of fruit bars and offered one to Jenson, who smiled and shook his head.

“Oh yeah, Vampires don’t eat human food,” he shrugged and ripped open one of the packages. At his age the boy had not yet been taught to censor his words; a trait Jenson actually found quite endearing. Soon enough he would learn to watch his words and guard his emotions from those around him, especially if he wanted to continue to follow his father on diplomatic missions.

“No indeed, sir,” Jenson settled back against the tree, moving his legs into a more comfortable position. They sat for a time, enjoying the warmth of the sun filtering through the leaves around them. It was like being surrounded by green gems that glowed from within. It wasn’t often that Jenson just sat, enjoying the day for it’s own sake. He could feel some of the tension in shoulders ease slightly as he let the feeling of contentment settle through him. He knew it wouldn’t last, but he planned on enjoying it for the time being. He could sense the presence of the two vampire guards in the courtyard, but they were good at their jobs, and would not be seen unless they wished it. Sitting here in the warmth of the sun, in the canopy of a tree, it was easy to forget he was in the courtyard of the Vampire Council Compound, and pretend he really was a soldier in the army of the little General beside him. Jenson realized the boy had been quiet for the last few minutes. His silence for more than two heartbeats together told Jenson that he was mulling something over.

“What does blood taste like?” the boy asked finally, as he chewed thoughtfully. “Does it taste good? Because it doesn’t smell very good. I remember one time my dad took me to one of the factories and they were putting the blood into bottles. Does it taste better in bottles or in cans? I would probably want to drink it from a can so I didn’t have to see it. Do you like it warm or cold? My new friend Tommy, he’s the son of Ambassador Tora, said that he likes it warm in the morning and cold at night.” The boy’s weight shifted as he became more animated, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke. Jenson wasn’t sure if he thought the words would get stuck if he didn’t spit them out quickly.

Jenson stifled a chuckle. Trying to follow the rapid fire questions from the boy was a challenge. He wasn’t sure if the kid took a breath. “Well?” He could feel the boy’s gaze on him and turned his head to the face the large, inquisitive eyes, his back still resting on the tree trunk behind him.

“I like my blood in a bottle.” Jenson turned away from those eyes, feeling the light scrape of bark against the back of his head. “I prefer it warm, but will drink it ice cold and yes, blood is quite tasty…for a vampire.” He looked out of the corner of his eye as the boy shifted his weight again to bring him closer to Jenson. The boy took another bite of his treat and seemed to be thinking about the information he’d received so far.

“Do you ever source feed?” The question caught Jenson off guard. Non-vampires generally did not discuss source feeding. The thought of source feeding usually made humans uncomfortable.

“I have on occasion, yes.” Jenson said slowly. Although he always tried to answer the boy’s questions honestly, he wasn’t going to discuss with him the handful of times he had source fed. Some things were far too personal and inappropriate to discuss with someone so young, no matter how inquisitive. Jenson felt the branch move as the boy shifted his weight again, bringing his right foot to his knee, and readied himself for another stream of questions.

“Have you … ?”

“Merrick!” a woman’s voice drifted up to their hiding place. “Merrick, are you out here?” Jenson must have been really distracted not to hear someone enter the courtyard. He wasn’t worried about danger, not here, but the thought that he completely missed an approaching presence disturbed him.

“I gotta go. It’s my mom.” The boy sighed, and started to climb down the tree. “I’m here mom!” Jenson joined the boy on the ground just as a lovely human woman, who appeared to be in her late 30s or early 40s, approached with a smile. Behind her several human guards stood just outside of the door, scanning the courtyard around them.

“Sweetheart, there you are. It’s almost time for dinner. Time to come in and wash up.”

The boy looked back at Jenson, his brow furrowed slightly. “Can we finish the battle tomorrow, J?”

Jenson stood at attention and saluted. “Of course. We still have an Oranti invasion to deal with. I shall await your orders, sir.” The boy graced him with a wide smile before turning towards the guard, regaling them with stories of his latest adventures. To their credit, the guards smiled indulgently at the boy as he babbled excitedly about armies and jungles.

Jenson saw a twinkle in the woman’s eye as she watched her son. She stood silently for a few moments before walking a few steps closer to Jenson. “Mr. Shey, I can’t thank you enough for watching over Merrick.” She sighed quietly and bit her bottom lip, suddenly looking ten years older. Jenson thought he saw the telltale sign of moisture in her eyes, but didn’t comment. “All of the traveling we do makes it hard for Merrick to have friends. He’s alone so much, it’s nice to know that he has someone who can be there for him.” She reached out and took Jenson's larger hand in both of hers, squeezing gently. Her hands were warm and soft from the hand cream human women seemed to like. “He adores you, and tells us all about your adventures in the Cortanian jungle every time we visit. I rarely see him so happy. I just wanted you to know that we … I … appreciate everything you’ve done for him.”

“Mrs. Weir…you don’t need to thank me.” Jenson bowed slightly and gently extracted his hand from hers. “Merrick is a good boy with a wonderful imagination. I enjoy spending time with him.” The woman smiled again and then with a nod, straightened her spine, and without another word left the courtyard in a swirl of skirts. The scent of jasmine, and her guard, followed closely behind her.

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“Jenson?”

Movement caught Jenson’s attention, startling him from his memories.

“Jenson!” A delicate hand entered into his field of vision just before he was slapped in the chest.

“Audra! What the hell?”

“Don’t you get all growl-y with me Jenson Shey.” Audra crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at him. “You’re the one who’s ignoring me….again!” She huffed a breath as she turned and flopped into the chair beside him. For someone so beautiful and delicate looking, Audra was the least ladylike female he had ever known.

“I’m sorry Audra” He tried for contrite and hoped she believed him. “What were you saying?” Audra glared at him for a moment, then shook her head, sighing. She turned her chair towards the table in front of her and turned on the built in computer.

“I asked if you were ready to leave. I’ve had my fill of this planet and want to get home.”

“You mean you want to escape your latest conquest” Jenson snorted and stood, stretching his arms over his head. The popping of his spine felt good after sitting in that chair for Lord knew how long. “You really should be nicer to the males you bed.” Jenson smirked as he remembered Audra coming back to their rooms with a handsome male with blue hair that matched his blue eyes, following like an Earth puppy behind her. Apparently he thought that by accompanying her back to her room, he could convince her to extend their time together to more than a few fun hours. The male seemed surprised to see Jenson standing by the couch sipping from a mug of blood before Audra thanked him for walking her back to her room and practically shut the door in his face.

Audra rolled her eyes and huffed. “It’s not my fault they want more than one night. I’ve never promised more than a bit of fun.”

Jenson laughed as he walked towards the kitchen. Vampires didn’t really need a full kitchen, but this planet didn’t have a hotel that catered specifically to vampires. “That poor male didn’t even get a night.” He looked back to see Audra rolling her eyes again. “You, sweet sister, are going to meet someone some day who is going to turn your whole life upside down.”

“That’s what they all say!” Audra yelled over her shoulder as she started to look through her correspondence. “Could you bring me back a bottle of O-Neg, warmed, with a dash of A positive mixed in?”

“You want me to drink it for you too?” Jenson called out as he reached into the fridge for the bottles. Even though the hotel didn’t cater exclusively to vampires it did import blood from some of the finest distributors. Considering that the planet was on the edge of the sector and didn’t see a large amount of vampire visitors, Jenson was impressed that they didn’t even have to use the supply of blood they had stored aboard ship. He heard a chuckle from the other room.

“Fuck you Jenson! I’m the pilot, you know. You should show me some respect.”

“On your ship I am a guest. And we’re not even on the ship right now. On this planet I am the Envoy and Mission Lead so you should be serving me.” He popped open a bottle, placed it into the warmer and waited. He thought he heard a muttered “Serve you, my ass” from the other room and smiled as he grabbed a couple of mugs. He really knew how to push her buttons. In truth he loved diplomatic missions with his sister. She was smart and funny and kept him on his toes. She was also one of the toughest females he had ever known…of any species. Like him she was trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, and could best most men in a one-on-one challenge. What she lacked in height and bulk she made up for in cunning and ferocity. She was also the most renowned pilot in the fleet, having made a name for herself on missions that occasionally took her into hostile territory.

“Here,” Jenson handed Audra a warm mug and he took the seat beside her.

She hummed appreciatively as she took a sip. “You make the best mixes, Jens.”

Jenson grunted and took a sip of his own drink. “Any news?” he nodded towards the console.

She peeked over her cup at him, a small frown marring her features. “Nothing so far, but it’s early yet. When did father say he needed us back?”

Jenson took another sip before putting his mug down on the table beside him. “Tomorrow by noon. He wants to talk to us before the meeting of the Council.” Their father was a loving, but quiet man who didn’t show a lot of outward emotion. The fact that he sounded excited when he commed Jenson a few hours ago was almost alarming. His father was not the excitable sort.

Audra gulped down the rest of her drink before it cooled and stood. “Come on. Sitting here is not going to bring news any sooner. Let’s go and see the sights and then head back to the ship. I’ve already arranged for someone to pick up our bags."

Jenson nodded and took Audra’s mug. After a quick sweep of the room to ensure they didn’t forget anything, they took a walk around the capital city. Audra was especially impressed with the silver river. It was sparkling, and almost appeared like melted silver as it flowed and undulated through the centre of the city. Every once in a while something would jump out of the water, and the silver would refract and sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight. The sight-seeing was nice, but Jenson felt the weight of his mood pull him down again. It was awful wanting news but dreading it at the same time.

Audra seemed to sense his mood shift, and gently rubbed his arm. “There will be good news this time. I’m sure of it.” Jenson smiled for her, because he didn’t like to make her sad, but they both knew it was an act. Audra sighed, and after a quick hug led him towards the floating island just over the bridge, downstream from them.

A few hours later they were back aboard ship with Jenson hanging back as Audra and her crew ran through their final checks for take-off. Jenson quietly watched her fingers fly over the console, seeming to know where they should be before her brain had time to instruct them. As soon as the ship was deemed to be ready and everyone was strapped in securely, they received their clearance and started their journey home. As always, the rapid ascent into space made Jenson’s stomach turn over, and he regretting feeding so much earlier. You would think that after so many years he would be used to this.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, willing his stomach to settle. He thought back to the little human boy he had first met almost a quarter of a century ago. The little boy who was no longer a boy. He was the only person, with the exception of his sister and father, that he had let himself get close to. He smiled as he let memories of Cortanian jungles and Oranti invasions wash through him again. Maybe this time those memories would be enough to wash out the bad. Maybe. There was always hope, right?