*Thump*.  *Thump*.

I groaned.  The sound of a heartbeat echoed in my head, called to me, made
me ache.

What the hell was wrong with me?  Why could I hear a heartbeat?  I knew it
wasn't my own.  My hand went to my chest, trying to see just how fast my
heart was racing.

Hmm.  That was odd.  There was no heartbeat.  I was thinking that there
should have been a heartbeat. . .

I remember sex with Spike. . .Buffy showed up. . .tried to stake him, I
jumped in front of the stake. . .the bitch plunged it in my chest!  Buffy
tried to kill me!

I shot up, gasping for air that instinctively I knew I didn't need.  Tears
filled my eyes.  I was dead!  Buffy, the bitchy Slayer, had killed me!

In my anger, I felt my face shift.  I raised my hand to my mouth, feeling
the pointed teeth protruding from underneath my lips.  A slow grin spread
over my features.  I was a vampire.  Oh, goddess, I was a vampire.  I licked
my lips.  Say your prayers little one, don't forget to include everyone.

I was going to kill her.  It was going to be beautiful.  Her perfect little
body and her bottled blonde hair were going to be stained with blood.

Blood.

Oh, goddess, I needed blood.

The hunger was more than I think I could bear.  I needed. . .I needed. . .

*Thump*.  *Thump*.

The heartbeat was getting closer.  It was human.  My lips curled into a
grin.  It was my first meal.

I launched off of the bed, flying into the human figure, knocking him down.
I bared my fangs, the bloodlust too much.  I was going for the delicious
neck. . .I could smell the blood through his skin, he was terrified.  The
fear, it was so sweet, so ready to be devoured. . .

"Willow!"

I blinked, stopping completely.  It was Xander.  Xander had called out to
me.  I opened my eyes, looking down at the human I was going to eat.  "Oh,
goddess!" I cried, jumping away from the warmth.  "Xander!  I was going to
eat you!"

He blinked, slightly shocked.  "You. . .aren't?"

"No!  That would be wrong, on so many levels!"  I ran my fingers through my
hair.  I was hungry, so hungry it hurt, but I refused to hurt Xander.  I don
't know *why* I didn't want to hurt Xander - the rest of the humans I knew.
. .I could care less if they were dead or alive.  But Xander. . .

"Pet," a soothing voice said in my ear.

I turned, my demon instinctively relaxing somewhat being next to my Sire.
"Spike, I need to eat," I whispered.

Spike glanced up at Xander, and he stood, brushing his pants off.  "Come on,
Wills, let's take you hunting."

I frowned.  "You are going to go hunting with me?  You are a Slayerette.
You don't *hunt*."

Xander reached out cautiously, running his hand along my cheek.  "The second
the bitch staked my best friend, I decided that I didn't need to be in her
little gang.  She could have stopped the descent.  I know she could have."

"Stopped it?  Xander, when she yelled at me to get out of the way, she wasn'
t even moving.  She did it on purpose.  She did it for Mr. Gordo."

Xander narrowed his eyes angrily.  "That. . .bitch.  Something's wrong, shut
the light. . ."  He led us out of the room, Spike reaching out to turn the
light off.  "Heavy thoughts tonight - and they aren't of snow white.  Little
Miss Slayer better hope she stays out of my way."

My lips curled into an evil grin and I cuddled closer to Spike.  "Isn't he
delicious, Spikey?  Can we keep him?"

Spike smiled down at me, his blue eyes dancing with joy.  "I think we can,
pet."  He brushed his fingers along my ridges, causing me to shudder at the
touch.  I purred, pressing against him.  "Spikey, you are going to make me
push you down and take you right here."

"You have to feed, Pet," he said, his voice dropping a notch.  I could smell
his arousal. . .it was incredible.  Everything was so enhanced - colors more
vibrant, smells much more defined - that bead of sweat that ran down the
back of Xander's neck, I could smell it.  It gave off a smell of slight
fear, desire, and adrenaline.  Three of the sweetest smells I thought I'd
ever smelled.

I licked my lips and grabbed Xander's arms.  He froze in my grasp.  I closed
my eyes and forced my demon down, feeling my familiar human face smooth out
over the ridges of my demon.  I pulled Xander back against me, his back
against my chest.  I inhaled, resisting the demon yelling at me to sink my
fangs into his neck, claim him as my own.  I leaned up and slowly ran my
tongue along the back of his neck, capturing that bead of sweat that teased
and taunted me.

My eyes shut and I leaned my forehead against the base of his skull.  "My
goddess, Xander," I purred.  "You taste so fucking good. . ."  I blinked,
then let go of my human best friend and spun around, slamming Spike into the
wall with a force I'm sure he was shocked I possessed.

His game face fell into place and he growled angrily, letting me know that I
had done something wrong.  I leaned forward and kissed him brutally,
purposely cutting my lips on his fangs.  He moaned as my blood rushed into
his mouth.  "Red," he groaned, his hands traveling over my body, teasing the
flesh, making me want to throw him down and impale myself on the rock hard
cock that was poking into my hip.

"Wow," Xander said softly.  "I knew you two liked each other, but I didn't
realize that you were this. . .passionate."

Spike ripped his lips away from mine.  "Something about Red's Fire," he
purred.  "Can't help it.  She gets me bloody randy like I've never been
before."

I ran my tongue along my bloodied lips, moaning with desire.  "Food," I
whispered.  "Need food."

~*~*~

It was incredible.  The feeling of blood, pouring from the rip in my victim'
s neck, into my mouth, over my teeth and down my throat. . .it was thick and
rich - full of life.  I dropped the lifeless body at my feet and looked
around, my new and improved senses on overload.  Xander had brought us to
the warehouse district where old drunks and plenty of criminals lived.

"Well," he told us as he led us there, "I know she has to feed, and I'm not
going to stand in her way, but I can't handle the thought of her eating
someone innocent."

Spike nodded his consent, and I didn't care.  I just needed blood.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood, and I turned with a growl.  A group
of vampires stepped out of the shadows.  "Hey," the leader of the pack said.
"You are in *our* territory, little girl."

I stepped back, into the comforting arms of my Sire.  I wasn't scared of
these six vampires - intrigued, and a little pissed off - but not scared.
Between Spike, Xander, and myself, I knew they wouldn't last long.  I could
tell they were only a couple of years old, and mere minions, as their
permanent game face was the first clue, the lack of power radiating off of
them as the second.

"I'm not a little girl," I said, pushing my shoulders back proudly.  "I am
Childe to William the Bloody, Grand-Childe to Angelus.  I suggest you move
on.  I'm not going to usurp your territory, I just needed food."

"Spoken like a true Princess," Spike murmured in my ear, his tongue sweeping
out to brush against my ear.  I shuddered slightly.

The minions laughed.  "You?  You are proud of that?  Listen, honey, your
Sire has a chip that can't let him feed; and your GrandSire?  That pathetic
soul is a joke," the leader said.

I narrowed my eyes, my demon sliding forward.  "Why you. . .bastard," I
hissed.  "William the Bloody and Angelus are glorious creatures!  If it's
the last thing I do, I will get rid of both the chip and the soul so our
family can be complete again."

"Whatever," the short stumpy vampire to the leader's right said.  "Let's
just kill them and get it over with."

I glanced over at Xander and he nodded, motioning to the stake he had hidden
in the sleeve of his shirt.  I looked over my shoulder at Spike, the
question in my eyes.

He purred, smiling.  "Let's see how well Princess fights," he grinned.

~*~*~

They weren't even worth the time we took to kill them.

Xander got two of them, I got three, and Spike took the last one.  He was
playing, I could tell.  He was too busy watching me fight.  Xander was
fighting for his life, knowing that if Spike and I had been killed, he would
have been dinner.  I was fighting with vengeance, with the need to right the
bad things he said about my family.

I learned that the sound of breaking a neck is one of the sweetest sounds
ever.  The way the bones crunched and the twisting of the ligaments. .
.wetness pooled between my thighs just thinking about it.  I turned to
Spike, smelling his strong arousal also.  "I ate.  I shared with Spike.  Can
we go home?"

Xander looked back and forth between Spike and I and grinned.  "Yea, we can
go.  I guess I should be heading back to the basement anyway."  His grin
dropped a little bit, becoming at tad strained.  He glanced down at his
watch and threw worried eyes towards the direction of his house.  His
parents were going to raise hell because of him being late.

I growled, my demon coming forth.  All the years of holding him, tending to
his bruises, soothing him while he tossed and turned over his nightmares -
they all caught up to me.  I roared, grabbing his arm and pulling him to me.

He looked down at me, eyes wide and terrified.  "Wills?" he asked softly.

"You aren't going back there.  I won't let them hurt you anymore, Xander."

"Red's got a point, Chubs.  I've stayed at your house.  It's not a good
situation," Spike nodded.  "Move in with us.  Red'll take care of you."  He
grinned.

"Really?" Xander asked softly.

"Really," I nodded, hugging him.  I took both of their hands, laughing
playfully.  "Exit light,
enter night, take my hand, off to never never land."  My laughter echoed
through the area.

As we made our way back to my house, I glanced over my shoulder, feeling the
Slayer.  I knew she was around, patrolling.  However, tonight was not the
night to confront her.  I was eager to get back to the house and test out my
demon's reactions to my lover.  I squeezed Spike's hand.  "Buffy," I said
softly, more to myself than anyone, "dreams of war, dreams of liars, dreams
of dragon's fire, and of things that will bite.  Sleep with one eye open,
gripping your pillow tight - you'd better watch out, you bitch, 'cause your
best friend is a demon now."

Oh, I was going to enjoy this, being a vampire.
 

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