Page 41 of Norah

Ethan is still staring at my leg with concern, so I pat his arm. “Really. It’s alright. Not even a twinge.”

He sits down next to me with a regretful sigh, hand still resting on my healed leg. “I just… I’m having a hard time with the memory of you on the ground with your leg broken and blood all over. When I saw you hurt and bleeding, Iwantedto believe that you would be OK, but I was so afraid that youwouldn’tbe. That the healing wouldn’t work. And now… everything looks alright, but I can’t quite stop being afraid.”

Ethan’s eyes look haunted and shadowed with pain. As he releases another heavy sigh, I reach my hand up to his face, stroking the fine lines of tension on his forehead. I can tell that he’s still replaying the moments when I fell, when he found me, and torturing himself with guilt over something he couldn’t have controlled.

I lean closer to give him a little nip on his lower lip. Not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to cause a sting. Teasing his mouth open, I explore the inside with my tongue. I hear a small growl of pleasure, then Ethan deepens the kiss; his hand behind my head, pulling me closer. We’re both panting, sharp puffs of pleasure and need intermingling. I pull back to inspect his face, happy to see that all signs of stress are gone.

“Come back here.” The hand in my hair tugs me forward, back to his mouth.

My body throbs with need, and I squeeze my legs together to relieve the growing pressure. I’m seated in front of Ethan with my legs crossed, and the position makes it difficult to get as close to him as I want. His hands are on my breasts, my neck, my stomach, leaving a burning trail behind. My robe is gone, nothing more than a puddle of fabric on the bed. A fingertip traces from my belly button downward, testing the growing dampness below.

I try to move into a more flexible position, but his hands come to my hips, holding me still. His finger traces the wetness, then slides inside, rubbing until I moan with desire. My whole body is pulsing in anticipation, so it’s a complete shock when my gut cramps in agony. I fall forward, my hand clutching my stomach to contain the pain. A groan comes out before I even realize it, deep and almost feral.

“Norah! What’s wrong?” Ethan grabs me, lays me down, and I hunch into a fetal position as I rock against the waves of fire radiating through my body. His hands touch my abdomen, frantically searching for an unseen injury.

The pain subsides for a moment, and I gasp at the sudden release. “Baby, what’s happening? Tell me what hurts.” He’s trying to keep his voice calm, but I can hear the barely restrained panic fighting to break free.

Another wave of pain hits me, taking my breath away. I pant through the pain, waiting for the next brief respite. When it finally arrives, my brain clears enough to identify the cause of this sudden attack.Hunger. But it’sso intense, and came on so suddenly.

It’s not like before, when I’d wait a month before feeding. Back then, the pain would build slowly before reaching an unbearable pitch. It’s never been like this before. I don’t understand. I fed less than a week ago, and there was no hint of pain until this explosion of fire.Why is this happening?

“Baby! Talk to me!” Ethan has transitioned into full-on panic mode, hands shaking as he runs his hands over my body. I can feel the next wave coming closer, so my words spill out in a rush.

“Hunger. It’s burning me. So much worse… than usual.” The pain is upon me again, and I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood.

Eyes closed, I hear Ethan’s sharp intake of breath. “Fuck.” A pause, then calmer, “OK, baby. I’m going to fix this for you. It’s going to be fine. I’ll figure something out.” He goes silent, my harsh breaths the only audible sound.

“Alright.” Ethan stands and brushes his hand across my cheek. “I have an idea.” Bending down, he scoops me into his arms. “I’ll do all the talking; you just hang tight and keep trying to breathe through the pain.” As he strides towards the door, I turn my face to his chest and stifle another moan. His grip tightens, and lips brush the top of my head.

Ethan opens the motel door while holding me in one arm, and the rush of cold air feels soothing against my heated skin. I look up at the sky, noticing the wash of stars, until everything blurs together in a rush of air.

ETHAN

What is going on?

This doesn’t make sense. I fed at the same time as Norah a week ago. She should be fine, not crippled with pain and moaning in agony. I remember that night when she was at my place, not long after we started dating. She was hurting because she waited over a month to feed, yet still could walk around. Not like this.So what the heck is going on?

Another moan against my chest emphasizes the more pressing issue, which is getting Norah some blood. The plan came together in a flurry of panic, and I hope it works. I’llmakeit work. Anything to stop her suffering. My idea is to find an occupied room and convince them to open the door. One look at Norah should be proof that we need help.

Then I just need to get inside and take a small donation. I’d prefer to find someone staying alone; two people will be tricky to blur on my own, and Norah’s in no condition to do it herself. Idefinitelydon’t want anyone to run off screaming about blood-drinking monsters.

The motel looks to be about half full, which is promising. From the number of ski racks and snowmobile trailers, it looks like this is a popular spot to stay in the winter. It’s one of the old style motels with all the doors accessed from outside, units all in a row. A few rooms are dark, and most have light flickering from behind thick blinds. The most promising are those that are occupied, while the blinds remain open.

The exterior lights are dim, which makes it easier for me to slip through the shadows. I aim for an end unit, its blinds up, with the flickering of a TV hinting at activity within. There’s one car parked by the door, a beat up Dodge truck so caked in dirt it’s hard to tell the original color.

Drawing closer to the car, I can see a jumble of energy drink cans and fast food wrappers tossed on the backseat floor. A hoodie is lying crumpled on the passenger seat, a pair of gloves peeking out from beneath.

I can feel Norah shaking in my arms, and another whimper escapes through her now bloodied lips.Fuck. I can’t keep creeping around in the dark, hoping to find the perfect mark. I can’t take another minute of seeing Norah in pain. This needs to happen now.

My heart feels like it’s squeezing itself into a tight ball, throbbing with the same agony that keeps torturing my girl. Decision made, I brush a soft kiss across Norah’s silken hair, and hurry to the end unit door. I knock on the door; loud enough to be heard, but not appear threatening. Nothing happens, so I repeat the knock, tapping louder this time.Come on. Open the door.

“What do you want?” The door opens to reveal a thirty-something guy wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a plain white tee, a can of Budweiser in his hand. From his scowling expression, he’s not too pleased at the interruption. The outside light over the door flickers, adding an ominous effect to our arrival. He takes a healthy swig of beer while he debates whether to slam the door shut in our faces.

By now, I’m getting in there whether by invitation or force, but I’d still prefer to keep this peaceful. The sincerity in my voice is real as I ask him for help. “I need a phone, someplace to call for help.” The guy’s face clouds, and I rush to finish my story.

“My fiance´e’s sick. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. We were driving back home from visiting family upstate. Then suddenly, she was crying in pain. This is the closest place I could find to stop. I need to borrow a phone because I have no service here. And get her someplace warm until we get help.”

His face switches from indecision to concern in a flash. “Shit man, yeah, come in.” I’m through the doorway before he even finishes speaking, kicking the door closed behind me. The bed appears clean, though rumpled, and I place Norah down on top of the patterned bedspread. She curls back into a ball, rocking herself as she tries to breathe through the pain.

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