Freshie Friday! Twisted

Beautiful banner by Moonlightlover60

This is an AU Moonlight story. What if Mick regularly fed fresh when Beth discovered the truth about him? Come along for the 5 part adventure and find out!

I want to thank Moonlightlover60 for the gorgeous banner she created for this story. I am so humbled by how beautiful it is and how well you caught the gist of the story! Also, thanks must be heaped on VampFan5 for listening to this crazy idea and offering ideas and suggestions as to content and making me think beyond the basics. Your 'freebie' idea was "scathingly brilliant" to quote a line from a favorite movie!

*DISCLAIMER* - If you recognize anyone or anything in this story, I don't own it, only the creation of the situation.


Twisted

“Mick! MIICCKKK!” This was accompanied by loud banging on the door. “MICK!!!”

Josef looked at Mick who was sitting on the couch, feeding from a tall red-head, her sounds of pleasure driving his desire. He jerked in response to Beth’s loud banging on the door and her shrill calling of his name. He had had a really rough night.

2 hours earlier…

It all started with Lee Jay, the worthless and diabolical bastard who had boldly called him out earlier when he was at Beth’s apartment. Lee Jay had forced his hand and it had ended badly – for Lee Jay that is and damn near for Mick as well.

After Lee Jay had shot him, not once but twice Beth had rushed in, brandishing his gun and shot Lee Jay in the neck. Mick could have applauded her actions if it hadn’t pissed him off so much to see her in there, flagrantly disobeying his orders to stay in the car. She came riding in like the Lone Ranger to save his ass and she had done it; her shot rang true. The look of surprise on Lee Jays face as his life blood trickled out between his fingers as he clutched the wound in his neck was poetic justice to Mick. The only thing better would have been to have a taste of the bastard’s blood before he got the hell out of Dodge, but time wouldn’t allow it. He could hear the sirens and knew the police were on the doorstep; what was called for was a quick exit, which left Beth holding the gun, literally.

He had managed to slide out unnoticed by Beth. A last look at the shock on her face alarmed and concerned him but he didn’t have the time or the stamina to help her then; it was almost more than he could manage to stagger to the Benz and call Josef.

He fought the effects of the silver and the over-whelming need to just pass out all the way back to the loft, where Josef was meeting him. He stumbled out of the elevator at the apartment straight into Josef’s arms. Josef had half-drug, half-carried him into the room and laid him on the dining room table that had been cleared. He popped open a bag of blood and handed it to Mick and then proceeded to pull Mick’s duster and shirt off; not that there was much left of either one. They fell to the floor unnoticed as Josef assessed the wounds; he knew he would have to work quickly to get the silver out of Mick.

He noticed that Mick had finished the first bag of blood and handed him another before he started probing the numerous wounds in Mick’s back. The metallic clinks of the silver buckshot sounded brassy as they were dropped into a glass jar, almost musical Josef thought. One, two, a dozen more pieces were torn from Micks body before they were done. Mick had finished a third bag of blood by then and was starting to look a bit better.

“I’ve got some girls coming over so you can get some fresh blood in you Mick. You need it!” Josef told him, screwing the lid back on the jar.

Mick picked it up and turned it over, looking at all the pieces of bullets and buck shot that it held. In other circumstances he might be fascinated by it but right now he still felt like shit. He nodded and said, “Yeah, I do need it. Who’s coming over?”

“Meghan, Amber, Cassidy – I know how you like the red!” his friend said with a lop-sided grin. “You just fed from Penny last night, so it’s too soon for her right now!”

Mick nodded and made his way upstairs to the bedroom to grab a shirt from the closet. He pulled a charcoal gray Henley out and slid it over his head before heading back downstairs, just as the girls arrived. He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he stared at them all; bright, beautiful gems decorating his living room. His fangs ached with anticipation of the warm blood that would soon be filling his mouth. It called to him, sang to him and he took a seat on the couch and held out a hand to Amber, who took it happily and settled down on his lap, a knowing smile on her face.

Josef grinned, a toothy grin showing his fangs and settled into the chair across from the couch, pulling Cassidy down with him. He felt in the mood for a snack himself and Cassidy would do quite well. Soon her warm body was snuggled against his and he inhaled deeply, smelling the spicy scent of her blood before he gently sank his fangs into her neck.

Across the room Amber was moaning softly as the pleasure of his bite took her. Mick sucked gently on her delicate neck, savoring the heated blood that flowed into his waiting mouth. His eyes were closed in pleasure as well; this was what being a vamp was all about. With each mouthful the unadulterated joy thrilled him, warmed him in a way nothing else could.

“Mick! MIICCKKK!” The loud banging interrupted his thoughts and before he realized it the door was flung open and Beth stormed into the room. A shocked cry was torn from her throat as she took in the scene in front of her; the girls limp in the men’s arms, blood trickling from their mouths. She could see the other man’s eyes and they glowed, bluish-white. They looked almost ghoulish. And my God, it looked like they both had fangs!

She felt something twist in her back and slowly creep its way upward, turning her inside-out. Goose bumps covered her body as she stared unblinkingly at what she saw. What she believed she saw.

Oh my God! Did they kill them? It was her last thought before she fainted and slid to the floor.

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLML

“SHIT!” Mick exclaimed, practically throwing Amber’s limp body away from him in his haste to get to Beth who lie in a crumpled heap on the floor. She was pale, her skin almost translucent in the dim light of the loft. He could hear her heart beating steadily, but her breathing was a bit shallow he thought.

Josef had joined him as he knelt on the floor by Beth’s body. “Wow, no wonder you follow her around everywhere Mick!” He inhaled deeply, appreciating the warm, fragrant smell of Beth’s blood. “She smells delicious!”

Mick grabbed Josef by the collar, totally vamped out and hissed, “You keep your nose and your fangs to yourself Josef!” They were nose to nose and Josef could feel Mick’s cool breath in his face. He shrugged and gave Mick a quick grin.

“It’s NOT about the blood, man!” Mick said, pushing Josef away.

“Of course it’s about the blood; everything is about blood Mick. You’re a vampire!”

Mick gave Josef a disgusted look before scooping Beth up in his arms to carry her to the couch. “Get Amber up off of the couch. In fact, get the girls and get the hell out of here!”

Meghan was standing by with Cassidy, watching what was going on. Amber had sat up on the couch and Mick almost felt guilty as he looked at her as she tried to clear her head. He liked Amber; she was one of his favorites and she’d given him a freebie a time or two, unbeknownst to Josef. It was their little secret and they had shared it happily in the past. Now, well, he just needed her and the others gone before Beth woke up.

“Come along ladies, we’ll take this little party back to my place! See you later Mick!” he said. The girls followed suit, telling Mick goodbye as they followed Josef out the door of the loft. Mick made sure the door was locked this time, regretting his mistake earlier in not doing that. Of course, he kind of had other things on his mind right then, like surviving.

Blood was life for a vamp; fresh blood was the best, warming and thrilling them. Seeking it was part of the thrill, finding it was the exquisite reward. The joy a vamp felt as the warmth of fresh blood filled their mouths and hit their senses was indescribable to a human but he lived for it. He thought about some of the vamps who existed solely on the dead, bagged stuff and actually felt sorry for them. Whether it was their choice or they just couldn’t afford fresh, well either way it was just a shame.

He placed a cool, damp cloth on Beth’s forehead and waited anxiously for her to wake up. He finally saw her eyes start to flutter a bit and a small sigh of relief escaped him as he watched her begin to stir.

I know what you are Mick.

Lee Jay’s words rushed through her mind while she gradually flowed back to consciousness. She was laying on something soft and she sensed someone near her. Almost afraid to do so, she slowly opened her eyes and peeked out around the room. Mick was sitting on the coffee table in front of her, his elbows resting on his knees as he eyed her watchfully. She realized there was a cool cloth on her forehead when she tried to sit up abruptly and it slid down across her face and landed on her chest.

“Hey, hey Beth, take it easy,” Mick said to her, speaking softly.

Fear raced through her, making her heart beat frantically. Mick heard it and reached out a hand to steady her as she tried to struggle to her feet. Her eyes opened wide with her fear as she tried to move away as quickly as possible. Mick pulled his hand back and said, “You’re okay Beth. I’m not going to hurt you.” He smiled at her, hoping it would help to alleviate her fear.

Beth managed to get to her feet and looked around the room. The other man and the girls were gone and she wondered briefly if she had imagined them in the first place. A lot had happened this evening, maybe she had. She licked her lips nervously and finally said, “Where are the other people who were here?”

Mick swallowed hard and briefly rubbed the bridge of his nose while he figured out what to say to her. Finally he said, “Josef and the girls are gone now. We’re alone.”

Beth’s eyes darted to the door, wondering if she could make it there before he caught her. Lee Jay’s words echoed over and over in her head as what she had seen repeated in Technicolor in her head. The blood…the limp girls laying across the men’s laps, the other girl who just stood by watching, not trying to help them. They had looked stoned or drugged or something; maybe dead? She didn’t know, but she didn’t want to stick around to find out either. She started to move slowly towards the door hoping to make her escape.

“Beth, don’t!” Mick said as he realized what she was doing. He moved to get between her and the door, reaching out to take her hand to hopefully lead her back to the couch because she was still very pale and shaky.

“NO!” she practically yelled as she pulled her hand away from his. Her hand almost felt on fire, or maybe that was because his felt icy cold. She wiped her hand down the leg of her pants, unconscious of doing so. She stared at her hand for a moment and watched as it trembled; whether with fear from the adrenalin rush she was feeling or just from the contact with Mick she wasn’t sure. She finally stuck it in her pocket and looked up at Mick. His face was alert as he stood by the door. She was sure he wasn’t going to allow her to leave and she started to panic again.

“I uh, really need to be leaving now – now that I know that you are alright I, I guess,” she said hesitantly as she tried to inch closer to the door.

“Beth, don’t you think we should talk?” He smiled at her and met her gaze levelly. She blinked and took a deep breath to try to calm down a bit.

“Wh – why? I mean, you’re okay so I should just go!”

“I know you must have questions about, uh about things. C’mon, sit down and we’ll talk.” He moved away from the door and walked around the couch to sit down in the chair again.

Beth looked at the door longingly and then at Mick. He didn’t look scary to her so she took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the couch, rubbing her palms against the cloth of her slacks.

I know what you are Mick!

The words continued to reverberate through her head on some sort of sickening loop. What did they mean? She cleared her throat and spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “What did Lee Jay mean? What did I see when I walked in here Mick?”

Mick’s eyebrow quirked upward as he listened to her questions. He met her gaze and finally said, “What do you think you saw Beth?”

So he was going to play games, she thought. She was quickly going from terror to just plain being pissed off. Her eyes narrowed as she returned his stare. Her hands were trembling again, this time from anger.

Mick could smell the irritation rolling off of her in waves now and mentally shook his head. At least she wasn’t scared any longer, making him feel even more monster like than usual. He waited for her to speak.

Suddenly Beth stood up, her fists balled at her sides. Her blue eyes were suddenly full of sparks as she spoke to him. “Don’t give me that shit Mick! What the hell did I see? WHAT ARE YOU? Why did Lee Jay say ’I know what you are’?”

He hung his head while he tried to compose his thoughts. His voice froze in his throat as he tried to get them out. She sure as hell had seen more than he wanted her to see.

“What? No answers? Did I walk in on some sort of kinky orgy thing? It sure looked like it, that girl passed out in your lap and that other guy? What was up with him? For god’s sake he had blood around his mouth and his eyes were glowing! WHAT IS GOING ON?”

She took a deep breath, gulping a huge breath of air down before continuing. “And how did you get back here anyway? He shot you! I saw the blood! I killed the bastard, you know that? I shot him, I shot another human being and you just ran away, leaving me there!” Tears started streaking down her face in hot torrents.

Mick scented her salty tears and they broke his undead heart. She was hurt and confused and she didn’t deserve either; she had saved him and he had left her there to face it all alone.

“Beth, I, I…” he broke off, not sure what to say. Did he dare tell her the truth?

“Look, just forget it okay? She started around the couch again and added, “Just stay the hell away from me, okay? Stay away…”

Before she could blink Mick was in front of her and pulled her to him for a hug, holding her tight as she tried to pull away from him. “Okay, Beth I’ll explain. I’ll explain it all, just sit down, please? Would you like a drink?”

“Stop stalling Mick,” she said, taking a seat again. “The truth, now. All of it!”

Mick looked up at her as she sat there waiting. Sadness over-whelmed his features as he quietly spoke the words that nearly stopped her heart.

“I’m a vampire Beth – I’m a vampire!”

To be continued...