An hour later, I was still sitting next to Sirius’ bed, watching him sleep. Mike had tried to do a lot of explaining, and I had tried to understand, but I honestly only cared about the fact that Sirius was no longer in horrible agony.

“Are you sure you’ve never heard of us?” Mike finally said.

“I haven’t,” I said calmly, which seemed to be some kind of an issue to this… werewolf. “Look, I thought I had a dead man in the back of my car. I’ve seen more blood tonight than in my entire life. I’m still trying to process that. I’ll get to you later.”

Mike laughed lightly at my words. “Well, if you put it like that…”

I took another pile of wet wipes and continued cleaning Sirius’ skin. The wounds looked awful, but at least all that black stuff was gone. That, too, was hard to process. He had massive open wounds, but none of them were bleeding anymore. My instinct was still to take him to a hospital so they could stitch him back together.

“So he doesn’t need stitches?” I asked, eyeing the biggest one.

It was massive. His entire skin had been slashed open across his stomach. I tried not to look too closely since… well… Human insides were not meant to be seen for a reason. I was barely fine with all the blood.

Mike wasn’t replying to me, so I turned to look at him. He was thinking.

“What?” I asked to gain his attention.

“Dead man’s blood is pure poison to him. It has destroyed his health, so I’m afraid I may need to stitch them. I was hoping he would start healing on his own, but… It’s getting clear he’s not going to do that anytime soon. Wounds aren’t deadly to him, but he needs blood, and if I don’t close the wounds…”

“It just comes right out,” I guessed.

“Exactly. I’ll let him rest a bit longer before I start.”

“I’m awake,” the vampire murmured and opened his blue eyes.

“You should be sleeping,” Mike said sternly.

“I feel sick…” Sirius said with a weak voice and turned to look at me. “But alive, thanks to you.”

“I just brought you here,” I mumbled.

He gave me a tired smile and closed his eyes. “It was just what I needed… Not the hospital.”

“I understand now why you couldn’t go there,” I said.

“They do treat our kind as well,” Mike said in a hesitant manner.

“They would’ve found me there,” Sirius said, sounding like he was about to fall back to sleep.

“When you said you were attacked, you didn’t mean an animal, right?” I asked, but neither of them were in a hurry to explain anything.

“You can go now,” Sirius said quietly. “Thank you for saving my life. I will repay you.”

“No, no, no… that’s not necessary,” I said. “And… If you don’t mind… I’d like to stay. To make sure you’ll be all right.”

“That is very kind of you, but I’m sure you have better things to do,” Sirius said.

“I want to stay,” I said, not quite understanding why, but I really didn’t want to go.

“I could use a hand,” Mike said. “I’d call someone else in to help, but I believe this should stay between us three.”

“Agreed,” Sirius said and looked at me. “Can I trust you?”

“Of course!”

He nodded slowly. “I have enemies. They can’t find out where I am. I… I made a mistake last night, and they found me. If they learn I came here…”

“I swear, I won’t tell anyone,” I hurried to promise.

“But it means you’ll be in danger, too,” Mike said, giving me a stern stare. “We will make sure no one saw you come here, but the rest depends on you. You can’t say anything to anyone, you understand?”

I nodded. “People would think I’m crazy if I start talking about vampires and werewolves…”

Mike chuckled at my words. “Boy, you’d be surprised by how many of your friends and family already know about us.”

I leaned back in my seat. At least a dozen weird occurrences I’d witnessed in my life flashed through my mind, and I suddenly had an explanation for all of them.

“Huh…” I breathed out.

“You can still leave. We can make sure you can’t remember any of this,” Sirius spoke quietly, his eyes back on mine.

“I’m not going anywhere. You can trust me,” I said reassuringly.

“I know I can trust you. I’m a vampire. I can read your mind if I want to,” he said.

“Oh, that’s handy,” I said, trying so hard not to think about anything… embarrassing.

The vampire was hot, after all.

“I’ll go get the equipment,” Mike said and stepped through a door at the back. I saw a hint of shelves filled with medical stuff before the door flung closed again.

Then I turned my attention back to Sirius, and our eyes met again.

“You don’t have to stay,” he tried again, but I shook my head.

“I want to make sure you’ll be fine,” I said sternly.

“You don’t even know me.”

“You seem like the kind of person I’d want to get to know,” I said with a shrug.

“Really?” he said with a chuckle, but then his expression turned painful. He let out a slow gasp, leaning his head back.

“Are you still in pain?” I asked quietly.

“It feels like my whole body is on fire,” he whispered. “I’ve had worse, but…”

I carefully placed my hand on his and gently wrapped my fingers around it. He gave me a small smile, and I returned it.

“How long will it take until you’re fully healed?” I asked.

“Weeks… Months… You brought me back from the second death… I was a fool…”

“What happened?” I asked quietly.

He let out a weary breath, his eyes turning sad. “I wasn’t careful… I met someone interesting. I didn’t hesitate to drink whatever I was offered. Next thing I knew, I was attacked… Dragged to a basement… I managed to break free and ran… Then I got hit by a car…”

“I’m sorry… That was me…”

“Don’t be. You saved my life. I would’ve died without you,” he said. “You came to my aid at the last possible moment. I could feel my life already leaving me.”

I didn’t even want to think what would’ve happened to him if I hadn’t been driving so slow… I never would’ve found him. If I’d arrived at that spot even five seconds earlier, I would’ve missed him.

“It was fate,” I said.

“Yes,” he agreed just when Mike returned to us.

“This is going to hurt like hell,” Mike said apologetically, holding a stitching needle in his hand.

“What do I need to do?” I asked and stood up. 

We began the long process of sewing Sirius back together. I helped however I could by holding and fetching things and comforting Sirius. He was in horrible agony, and even touching the big wound caused him pain. He tried not to show it, but failed.

“Just a little more,” I told him quietly. “It’ll be over soon…”

He stared at me the entire time like it somehow made him feel better. His face was frozen into a pale mask of pain. His breathing was shallow panting, and he couldn’t always keep himself silent. It was horrible to watch. It was horrible to hear.

Finally, it was over.

“I won’t touch the smaller ones,” Mike informed. “It’ll cause too much stress.”

Sirius looked like he was unable to even hear us. He lied in bed, his eyes closed and turned away from us. I took my rubber gloves off and sat down on the edge of his bed, trying not to move him or the mattress too much, and carefully placed my hand on his cold cheek.

“It’s over now,” I told him soothingly. “You get to rest.”

He faced me, but didn’t open his eyes. He looked so very sick when he leaned his head against my hand, seeking comfort. I couldn’t even imagine his pain. He was a vampire, after all, and if the tales were true… The pain had to be out of this world.

“I’m cold… And hungry…” he whispered.

“I’ll go get you blood,” Mike said, while I pulled the covers over Sirius’ shivering body.

“I don’t know if this is enough…” I muttered – not even a mountain of blankets would warm him up without his own body heat.

“I have a heating blanket somewhere,” Mike told me, brought a bag of blood to us, and left again.

I took the bag when Sirius was too weak to handle it. I opened the tube for him and brought it to his lips.

“Thanks…” he murmured before taking a sip.

He didn’t seem to like it, though. He drank only a little bit before he started coughing and turned away.

“It makes me feel sick…”

“But you need it,” I said, trying to get him to drink, but he shook his head.

“I’ll throw up…”

I turned to Mike when he returned to us.

“He can’t drink this,” I told him as we covered him with the heating blanket.

“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.

“I don’t know… Nothing… But I can’t drink it…”

Mike let out a weary sigh. “You have to drink. You have no blood in your system. That’s dangerous for you. And us.”

“Would fresh blood be better?” I asked, studying the bag. It was really cold, and I assumed stale blood wasn’t that great.

Mike shrugged. “Probably.”

“You can try mine,” I told Sirius.

“I can’t possibly–”

“Yes, you can. We should at least try,” I told him, taking a seat next to his pillow.

He didn’t really object to it when I slowly moved his head on my lap and made us both as comfortable as possible. I wasn’t really thinking about the consequences. I just wanted to help. He needed to eat, or all this would’ve been in vain.

“I don’t want you to die from hunger after going through all this trouble to keep you alive,” I told him with a smile after he tried to refuse my help.

“You don’t even know me,” he muttered.

“Come on, let me help,” I said. “Please.”

He stared at me, then at my wrist when I brought it close to his face. His eyes turned red almost right away, but he was still hesitant.

“It doesn’t hurt, right?” I asked as an afterthought.

“No… I can take your pain away.”

“But you can’t take away your own.”

“Poetic isn’t it?” he asked with a small smile, touching my wrist.

“Uh-huh.”

I brushed his hair back and offered my wrist again. He looked up at me, his red eyes shining when our eyes met. He didn’t break that contact when he carefully licked my wrist, sending shivers down my spine.

He was so beautiful…

He accepted my offer. His tongue felt like ice, and the little trail of saliva he left behind felt even colder. Little by little, that spot turned numb, and soon I couldn’t feel a thing.

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

He bared his teeth, his fangs growing longer. I braced myself, but when the tips touched my skin, easily piercing it, I didn’t feel pain. I only felt the pressure when he gently tore into my flesh, spilling my blood. He pulled his fangs out and his lips took their place, not letting a single drop go to waste.

“Is it better?” I asked, and he quietly muttered yes. “Good. Drink as much as you need.”

Watching him drink was mesmerizing in a way. He was too weak to hold onto my wrist, but I held it steady for him. He seemed to enjoy my taste. His eyes fell closed as he took long, slow sips with a satisfied expression on his face. I kept brushing his hair, unable to keep my hands off him. Or my eyes.

Little by little, his shivers stopped and his skin started gaining color. His blue lips were turning red, and his red eyes were turning blue, so I assumed my blood was doing its job.

“Do you feel better?” I asked, touching his cheek – his temperature was coming up.

He nodded and started licking my skin again. When he finally pulled back, there was no trace of the wounds he’d made. My wrist was completely healed.

“Thank you,” he spoke, his voice stronger now. “You taste good.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I said and laughed, feeling better now that he was feeling better. “Do you still feel sick?”

“A little, but still much better,” he said.

“Good,” I murmured, still brushing his hair without even realizing it.

“You both look like you could use rest,” Mike noted. “It’s two in the morning.”

“Huh? Really?” I asked – I’d left my friend’s house at eight. “I have classes in the morning,” I added in a mutter.

“You should go. I’m in good hands,” Sirius said, moving off my lap.

I was getting really tired… But I didn’t want to go… But I couldn’t skip lectures…

I let out a heavy sigh. “Is it all right if I come visit you tomorrow?” I asked.

Sirius laughed lightly. “You don’t even know me.”

“So? I mean, I wouldn’t mind getting to know you,” I said. “I mean, I’d love to know more about you and your kind. You’re a vampire.”

A vampire. That really was not sinking in. He just drank my blood, and it still wasn’t sinking in.

“Well… I wouldn’t mind the company…” Sirius muttered with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

“You’ll have to stay here at least for a few days,” Mike said.

“More like a week…” Sirius said with a sigh.

“Or two.”

“I’ll come visit you as soon as I can,” I promised. “I saved your life. I want to make sure you also stay alive.”

“If you insist…” Sirius said, looking happier. “I can’t tell anyone else where I am… Not until I find out who betrayed me.”

“And I’d like to know more about that,” I said sternly. “I want to hear the whole story.”

“It’s just a stupid territorial dispute,” Sirius said with a sigh. “Nothing interesting about that.”

“I have a feeling it’s more than that,” I said as I stood up.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Mike said and walked to the door, but I stayed by Sirius’ bed.

“Try to rest now, okay?” I whispered to him.

“I will.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow once I get off from school,” I told him, and walked to Mike.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

I turned around to give Sirius a smile. “It’s Riley.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Riley,” he murmured.

I felt awful when I followed Mike. And Mike made things worse.

“You’re very kind,” he said. “Sirius doesn’t really have friends around here. He’s the last of his family, too. He could really use the company.”

“How am I supposed to just go home now, huh?” I turned to ask him.

“You’re an odd human, you know that?” he chuckled. “Worrying over a monster you didn’t even know existed. And you just met him.”

I just shrugged at his words. “He doesn’t seem like a monster. I just want to make sure he’s all right.”

“He’s a good man, and he appreciates this. Believe me,” Mike said as we stepped into the laundromat.

I stopped to let out a sigh when I saw the miserable weather outside. It was still raining like mad.

“Well, I’ll see you two tomorrow,” I said and made my way to the door.

“We’ll be waiting,” Mike promised, and I left.