For three days and nights after Luna's birth, Trine's life hung in the balance. Caring for the baby fell largely to Jem, allowing Meryn to focus her energies on healing the new mother. The younger vampiress had lost so much blood when she had haemorrhaged post-partum. Every time that Meryn thought she had stopped the bleeding, it started again.
As soon as night fell, Jem was despatched daily to hunt for his partner. Hunting all night, he brought back flask after flask of deer blood in an effort to sustain Trine's basic needs. The excessive hunting brought on a thirst within him which in turn resulted in yet more hunting. By the third night, he was struggling to find any deer. He suspected that word had spread and that they were hiding from him. In desperation, Jem risked killing a horse that was in one of the fields to the south of the hut. Killing the animal didn't sit well with him but he was exhausted and knew he only had the strength for one kill.
"Equine blood?" commented his mother, sniffing the flask. "You took a huge risk for this, son."
"I was careful. Made it look like an accident. Even spilled some into the earth so it looks like the poor creature bled out naturally in its field," he replied, running his hands through his hair.
"You've done well. I'm proud of you," she complimented warmly. "Rest. I've settled the baby. I'll sit with Trine tonight."
"What if she wakes up?"
"I'll fetch you straight away," promised his mother.
With a weary nod, he acquiesced and headed back upstairs to bed.
As the sun rose over the river to the east, Jem felt a hand on his bare shoulder.
"She's awake," Meryn announced, her relief evident in her voice. "And she's asking for you."
"Awake?" echoed Jem, eyes wide in disbelief and all thoughts of rest gone.
Meryn nodded, "Come and see for yourself."
Without stopping to grab a shirt, Jem pulled on his jeans and hurried downstairs. His heart was pounding as he entered the small room.
"Hi," said Trine weakly. She was propped up on a pile of pillows, with Luna nestled on the bed beside her.
"Hi, yourself," replied Jem with a grin as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling? You ok?"
"I will be," she assured him then gazing down at their daughter said, "Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's perfect," he agreed. "Fine set of lungs on her too. She's not always this quiet."
With a soft cough, Meryn interrupted them, "Trine and I were talking before I fetched you. She needs more blood." The older woman paused, "Human blood."
"I was worried you were going to say that," sighed Jem.
"She's not strong enough to hunt for herself," continued Meryn.
"Wait!" interrupted Jem sharply. "I've not taken a human life in years. I make do with animal blood. I don't know…."
"You have no choice here!" snapped his mother. "This girl, your mate, needs human blood. The best quality blood you can find for her. Not old, weak, watery blood. Young, athletic blood."
"And how do you propose I do that, mother?" he challenged.
"What about the people who walk and run in the hills?" suggested Trine. "Don't some of them camp alone outdoors?"
"They do," conceded Jem. "But I'd need to take you to them. I can't exactly kidnap a trail runner or a hillwalker and bring them here!"
"True," admitted his mother. "Is there nowhere close to here? Travel is risky when Trine is still so weak."
"Killing locally carries too much of a risk," he countered. "We can't jeopardise our home. We have Luna to think about here too."
"Could you transport me to a suitable camping spot?" asked Trine. "I need to make the kill myself."
"My dear, you're weak as a kitten. That would be a substantial risk to take," observed Meryn.
"I know a possible spot," revealed Jem reluctantly. "I've camped there myself in the past. If I transport Trine there, I'll stay close by to help in case anything goes wrong. Between us, we can do this."
"I'm not so sure," began Meryn.
"Mother, make your mind up!" snapped Jem failing to hide his frustration. "It's the safest way to get human blood without drawing attention to ourselves here."
"Meryn, we'll be fine," added Trine. "Jem won't let anything happen to me."
"Fine. It needs to be tonight," stated Meryn. "I'll take care of Luna until you come back."
Shortly after midnight, Jem touched down near a stream about a hundred miles north of the beach hut. He unfurled his wings then quickly scooped Trine up into his arms before she crumpled at his feet. As they had set off, she had barely had the strength to stand. Off to their right, as he had hoped, there was a small blue tent. Scanning the immediate area, he confirmed that it was the only sign of human life for a few miles. He pointed it out to Trine, and she nodded. Treading silently, Jem carried her across the tufts of grass and heather until they were beside the tent.
"Ready?" he whispered as he set her down on her feet. "I'll unzip the front of the tent. The rest is up to you."
"I can do this myself," she stated firmly, a determined look on her face.
"There should only be one person in such a small tent. If there's a second, signal and I'll join you."
"But you don't…."
"If there's two, you'll need me to."
Reluctantly, Trine nodded. Kneeling on the damp grass, she silently unzipped the opening of the tent. One look inside told her that there were two sleeping occupants inside. She signalled to Jem who nodded that he had understood.
"Take the one on the left," he whispered. "I'll pull the one on the right outside. There's not space for both of us in there."
Trine nodded.
The next minute or so was a blur. With superhuman speed, Trine entered the tent in the same moment that Jem whipped the second sleeping occupant outside. As soon as the person's head was out of the tent, he bit into their neck deeply, not caring if the person was male or female. The first taste of human blood was enough to spur him on to drink thirstily. Inside the tent, Trine was feeding on the other unsuspecting occupant. Neither of the sleeping hillwalkers had had time to utter a sound.
"We need to dispose of the bodies," said Trine when she crawled out of the tent a few moments later.
"Let me put this guy back in," said Jem. "Then I'll find their camping stove."
"Why?"
"We need to burn the bodies. It's safer that way," stated Jem, trying to detach himself from the revulsion he was already feeling. "I'll light the stove. Let the flame touch the sleeping bags and then it will all take care of itself."
Flames were licking at the sides of the tent as Jem wrapped his wings around Trine to transport them both home. Focusing on the journey, he tried to quell the burning thirst that was raging deep inside his core. A thirst he knew he needed to resist.
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