Van Helsing (Cont.)

"There," Lestat sighed, brushing her hair away from her face, giving her a small smile. "Can you feel it? The difference?"

 

"Edward..." Beatrice began carefully. "Did... she say when she was going to be back?"

Hannah nodded, still breathless. "I'd forgotten... how much that... appealed to me."

 

"She's not here?" Michael inquired in a soft voice. "I'd ask where exactly she went, but I'm sure I'd get no answer."

 

"No," Edward said to Beatrice. "It was just implied that she would come back when she felt it would be safe for us all."

 

Lestat nodded, and leaned toward her, impulsively kissing the drops of blood off her chin and lips. He laughed deep in his throat when she tensed and jumped slightly, but he couldn't help himself; the smell of her hair, his blood, and the entire idea of it being completely wrong made his head spin.

 

"So we don't know when she'll be back..?" Beatrice asked nervously.

Hannah's head clouded over, her sense of reason gone. She clung to Lestat, her dark, red-rimmed eyes searching his.

 

"You're that protctive of her and yet you let her go off without knowing when she'll come back?" Michael wanted to ask, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to ruin his chance of speaking with another lycan.

 

"It was planned for just the night, when we didn't know if she would hurt herself or people around her," Edward tried to reassure Beatrice. "She will be back soon, don't worry. And you," he added, turning his head to look at Michael. "You really need to stop your trains of thought if you don't want me to hurt you."

 

Lestat wanted to smile, but the smell of blood and Hannah's skin combined made his vision glaze over and he found himself kissing her deeply before he was even aware he had moved. Her hands on his shirt, her tangled hair, and her small body made his consciousness almost waver to a point of passing out. He knotted his fingers in her hair and shirt, clinging to something solid and steady to calm his racing, black heart.

 

"Do you think she's okay?" Beatrice asked quietly. "What if something happened? Lestat would come back, right? H-he's let us know if... if she got hurt, right?"

Carl moved over to Beatrice. "Yes, of course. I'm sure she's fine. It was probably a tough night for her and now she's resting."

Hannah had the tiniest sensation in the back of her head that what she was doing was wrong, but it was like a voice miles away and she was under water. Her heart pounded furiously and she started to get dizzy, but she paid no attention.

 

"Right. Sorry." Michael apologized and leaned against a wall, his arms folded over his stomach. Beatrice. She really is something. I wish Seline could meet her.

 

Edward smiled lightly, giving Carl a wink. "He's right, you know," he said to Beatrice, inclining his head toward the friar. "We both trust Lestat, so they'll be back soon."

 

Lestat pulled away from Hannah slightly, tugging the hair at the back of her neck to tilt her head back. He could smell the combination of his blood and hers just under his lips on her skin. Hesitating just half a second, he sunk his teeth slowly into the base of her neck, the blood that hit his lips slipping out of the corners of his mouth and down his chin.

 

"Yeah... okay." Beatrice agreed slowly.

Hannah gasped, the feeling drastically different from John. Her hands tightened on Lestat's shirt.

 

Michael was surprised at the extent of trust that Edward had Lestat. Hm... that name is familiar to me.

 

"If it is, we've got a more intense conversation to have soon," Edward snapped toward Michael, and then rested his head on his knees again, his head still aching from last night.

 

Lestat let Hannah go, prying her fingers off his shirt and kissing her cheek. He gave her a smile, his teeth dark red as he licked his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Couldn't help it."

 

"It's... okay...," Hannah breathed, her head spinning.

"What?" Beatrice looked at Michael.

 

"I've never met him." Michale clarified to Edward. "I heard Marcus speaking of him to Seline. All I know is that he's a rule-breaking vampire."

 

"That's an understatement," Edward smirked, his voice muffled by his hands. "And Beatrice can talk about him if you wish; I'd rather not share."