Content Warning: blood drinking, death, romance .      

          “Turn me.” The words rang through Ezra’s head. This was all her fault. She just wanted to spend more time with Wren, and it turned out poorly. She suspected that Bane was so insistent on Wren dying because of her feelings for them. She should have known that he would be possessive. Everything was a game to Bane – while he attempted to care for people, they all ended up as a pawn on his chessboard. That was part of the reason why Ezra broke up with him.

          Maybe he was jealous. Ezra hoped he would not do anything rash when she turned Wren. The thought sent another pang through her stomach. In her seven hundred odd years of existence, she had never turned a human being before. But this was Wren. If they did not want her after this, she would respect that. They would go back to just being coworkers, only seeing each other when necessary. Ezra would permanently work back in her office and stop bothering them if they did not care for her in the way she does for them.

          “Ezra?” Wren said. They looked down at her, their eyes wide and pleading. She could tell they did not want to die. Ezra did not know if that meant they wanted to become a vampire, but the options presented to them were difficult to choose between. Ezra knew that she would have never chosen this frozen existence if she had the chance. But this was Wren. They could make the decision for themself.

          Ezra took in a deep breath that she did not need and said, “Yes. I will turn you.” She squeezed their hand and moved in close, ignoring Bane’s gaze as her body brushed theirs.

          “I’ve never actually seen a turning take place. First time for everything, right Ez?” Bane said, hands under his chin as he studied the two of them.

          “Do not call me that, Bane. I will not forget that it is you who is forcing us into this situation. The least you could do is avert your eyes as we do this.”

          Bane huffed a laugh, then said, “Fine, I’ll give you your privacy. Let me know when it’s done and we can all get out of here.”

             Bane turned around, and walked through a doorway across the room, disappearing out of view. The sound of his footfalls followed him, getting softer as he moved further away.

             Wren looked around at the desolate surroundings, then said, “I’m glad that he’s not the one killing me. This isn’t ideal, but I’m glad it’s you.”

             Ezra just hummed, placing a hand on their neck. They tilted their head to the side, giving her more room. Ezra’s fingers framed their jugular, taking another breath in through deflated lungs. Wren’s scent caused her fangs to begin producing venom. The venom would be a numbing agent, working quickly to subdue Wren. Ezra would drink their blood, then she would give her own brackish blood to Wren to ingest. The combination of the venom and her blood would kill them, ensuring the change would take place. Ezra leaned in, her fangs faintly tracing Wren’s skin. Their bodies were pressed close together, and the warmth she felt from them made her hesitate for a moment.

          As she paused, Wren spoke up. “Can you… before you do this, before you turn me, can I kiss you?”

          Ezra felt a flash of heat run through her cold body. She pulled back to look at Wren. Their eyes were still wide, but their gaze became lidded as they focused on her lips. Ezra’s lips quirked, fangs getting in the way of a true smile. Wren did want her. That could change after they were turned, but Ezra dismissed the thought as she leaned in. Wren tilted their head down and their lips met. Ezra was again taken aback by the warmth that met her. She wanted more of it. The rhythm of their lips was choppy until she lifted her hands, landing at Wren’s neck, pulling them closer to her. Their hands tightened around her waist. The confidence that Wren exuded surprised her. The tip of a tongue brushed against her bottom lip. She felt the sensation across her fang and jumped. Leaning back, she watched as a flush overtook Wren’s face, and she smiled up at them for a moment.

          She leaned back, making direct eye contact, “I am going to start now, Wren.”

          Wren visibly swallowed, “Alright.”

          Ezra leaned in, watching as Wren tilted their neck again. She found the jugular vein, and without further hesitation, sank her fangs in. Blood filled her mouth, hot and pulpy. It was thick and metallic, coating her tongue and sliding down her throat. She needed to mostly drain Wren. Ezra had to stop herself before they died so that they could drink from her, too. She drank, swallowing mouthfuls of blood. Wren’s grip on her waist loosened, before falling away entirely. They swayed on their feet, but Ezra held them upright and close. Before they faded away entirely, Ezra pulled herself away, licking over the wounds she made. The punctures would close soon with the help of the venom still flooding her mouth.

          She looked at Wren. They looked weak, faint. She looked down at her wrist, and took a steadying breath, filling her deflated lungs. She brought her arm to her mouth, biting down to puncture the skin. White-hot pain erupted from her wrist as her brown blood spewed forth.

          She lifted her arm to their mouth, “Drink.”

          “Wh – What?”

          “You need to drink my blood to complete the turning.”

          Wren blinked a few times, then wrapped their hands around her arm. They brought their mouth to the seeping wounds and began to drink. A shock went through Ezra’s body. The sensation – her eyes started to flutter shut as pleasure filled her body. She breathed in; Wren’s scent still filled the air, tinged with the iron tang of blood. She felt Wren move closer to her, and her eyes opened, gazing up at the almost hungry look on their face. She moved them away from her arm, resting a hand on their cheek.

          “The turning will happen quickly. You will fall asleep and awake changed.”

          Wren nodded, the hunger fading from their eyes as Ezra lowered both of them to the dirty ground. She grimaced. This was an awful location for a turning, but not that much different from where she was changed. Wren’s lips were reddish-brown, painted in a macabre lipstick. Ezra licked her lips, knowing hers probably looked the same. Wren smiled at Ezra as they settled their head in her lap, closing their eyes. Ezra heard the crunch of glass under shoes and looked up at Bane, who was grinning. Ezra frowned and turned towards him, careful not to jostle Wren.

          “They are dying. Right on time, too,” Ezra said, “Are you satisfied? Will you let us leave after they wake up?”

          “Why, of course! I’m getting the soul I need, and you’re getting the partner of a lifetime. Or, deathtime. That was quite the kiss, you know.” At her sharp glare, he said, “I know, I lied about leaving. It’s truly just fascinating to see a human get turned.”

          “You had no right,” she ground out.

          “Actually, I did. This is my territory, my soul – my right. I had to make sure that it was a job well done, and you gave a great performance. You know, if you ever get tired of office work, you’d be welcome as a Soul Collector. Any creature of the night can do the job. Your passion, the fire you had while turning them was inspiring. I could feel the love and pure lust from here.”

          Ezra looked down, feeling warm. Probably from the fresh blood rushing through her veins. “I will keep that in mind.”

          “Make sure that you do,” Bane said, then gasped, “Oh! Here’s the soul,” he pulled out a small, circular device that glowed blue. He pressed a button on top, then held the now-open contraption towards where a silvery mist had collected above Wren’s body. The device sucked the soul in, then snapped shut, beeping three times before falling silent.

          As they waited for Wren to awaken, Bane said, “You know, since we’re here already, I can sign the Soul Collection forms. Save you the trouble of another trip.”

          Ezra looked up at him for a moment, then cast her gaze down to where Wren had been holding the file. It was loose in their hand, easy to lift out and open to the correct form. She held out the file to Bane, who pressed on the paper and, with a bluish-purple flash of light, signed the Soul Collection form. Ezra flipped to the Time of Collection section and using the pen attached to the form, filled out the time of collection as 9:47 PM. The exact time that Wren died. She closed the file with a sigh, looking down at them. She gazed at their form, haphazardly resting on the dirty floor. She looked around the room, taking in the wreckage before she was distracted by a rustle. She looked back down at Wren, who shifted again.

          “Wren?” Ezra asked. At the sound of her voice, their eyes shot open. Ezra’s brown eyes met Wren’s warm hazel. Their face looked the same, just… smoother, less fragile. It was a good look on them. “How are you feeling?” She said. Wren opened and closed their mouth a few times, as if it was dry. Ezra remembered when she first woke up after being turned – she wanted to drink the town dry. Wren was probably feeling the same.

          “I’m… good,” They rasped. “A bit thirsty.”

          Ezra laughed, “Yes, I bet. We are allowed to go,” She shot a look at Bane, “So we can get you something to drink. I use blood from blood banks – I have a few extra bags at home.”

          “What about work? Don’t we need to go back?”

          “I will call Adrar. I will let her know that you are indisposed and that I will be as well. We can go back tomorrow. Or the next day, if you would like.” 

          Ezra brushed her hand along Wren’s cheek, who smiled.

          “Yeah, that sounds good.”

          “Perfect.” She helped them stand, watching as they stumbled on their feet for a moment. “I will see you again, Bane, but I will not forget this happened. I will contact you if I feel up to seeing you again.”

          “Fine, fine. I get it. Hey, it’s nothing personal, this was just a bit of work and pleasure getting intermixed, right?” He grinned. They both just looked at him, waiting, edging towards the door. 

          “Yes, gods, you can go.” Ezra quickly grabbed Wren’s arm and pulled them toward the door. They exited the building and crossed the street. She strode forward with Wren’s arm still in her hand. She pressed them against the van door.

          “What – ?” They said.

          “This,” she said, and leaned in, slotting their lips with hers. It was everything their first kiss was not. Despite Wren’s lack of body heat, Ezra felt warmth play between their bodies where their forms met, where their lips touched. Their lips moved against each other, consuming her entirely. She let go of Wren’s arm and wrapped her hands around the back of their neck. She rose up on her toes, deepening the kiss. As she settled flat on her feet, pulling Wren’s head down with her, her hand dropped to brush the bite marks she had left on them only minutes prior. Wren made a slight noise, pulling away with a glazed expression.

          “Let’s get out of here,” Wren said. Ezra nodded, her useless heart fluttering in her chest. She was not sure what would happen now, but she was excited to find out.

~

          Ezra called Adrar in the van, one hand on the steering wheel as she drove. As she steered the car down the street, Wren helpfully gave directions back to Soul Collection Services. They would need to drop off the company van and keys before they could head to Ezra’s apartment. She tapped her nails against the steering wheel as she waited for Adrar to pick up.

          The line clicked and she heard Adrar sigh, “What? Where are you? You both should’ve been back ages ago.”

          “Yes, about that. There was a problem. That was solved, but it was still a problem.”

          “A problem? Please tell me you didn’t wreck the van.”

          “No! No, I just might have…”

          “What?” Adrar snapped.

          “I turned Wren. Because Bane was insistent on them being the soul used for the random collection. He would not let us go until Wren died, and I offered, well, another option,” her words were coming in a rush. She stole a glance at Wren, who was watching her speak. She gave a weak smile and turned back to the road.

          “You what?! You killed a coworker on company time?”

          “I – Yes? Bane was threatening to do terrible things to them. Truly, it would have been awful. This was the best I could do. I understand if there are any repercussions for my actions.” At this, Wren sat up, looking alarmed.

          “... This has never happened before. Gods, that’s why we never let humans work case management positions. I should’ve known something would’ve gone wrong. HR will be a bitch to deal with on this case.” There was a pause, “Did you guys finally admit your feelings for each other, or was it the most clinical turning of all time?”

          “I, well.” Ezra looked again at Wren, who was clueless to their conversation. “Sort of, if you must know. I am sure that also causes a bind in things.”

          “Yeah, but good for you guys.” She sighed, “HR will deal with the turning and the power differential between you two. That might mean position changes, but they can’t technically tell you not to be involved.”

          “Got it. I will be at Soul Collections soon to drop off the van and the key, but I need to help Wren feed for the first time. It is a… messy process. We are lucky we have not driven past any humans or else I am not sure that Wren would have been able to control themself.” She took in a breath she did not need, “We both will need the rest of today off, and perhaps tomorrow as well. Take it out of my sick time – I have plenty.” Ezra heard Adrar sigh loudly. There were typing noises on the computer as Wren directed her to turn right. Soul Collection Services was up ahead.

          “Fine. But you better be able to get all of your work done when you return.”

          Ezra grinned, “Thank you, Adrar. I will be up shortly to give you the key.” Ezra hung up and glanced over at Wren. “We have today off, and tomorrow if you need it as well. I am still so sorry that this happened to you, but we will figure out what to do with work and this situation. As well as what to do about our…” she hesitated. They kissed twice, but that does not mean Wren wanted to be with her long-term. She could figure it out later, once they got to her apartment. She pulled into the parking garage and busied herself with finding a spot. Ezra parked, letting the car run as she turned to them.

          She cleared her throat and said, “How about I take you to my car? You can rest while I run the keys up to Adrar. I do not want you running across any humans on the other floors. In your state, it would be a bloodbath.”

          Wren laughed, “I’m fine, Ezra. My throat’s just a little sore.”

          “That is what I thought, too. Before I knew it I had murdered half the town,” Ezra said. They suddenly looked sheepish. It was a familiar expression to Ezra. It made her feel more calm about leaving them alone. It meant that underneath the newly smooth features, Wren was still there. They were recognizable, but different enough for one to need to do a double-take. Ezra wondered what the reception would be like at work. If this would cause problems among the other case managers, or if they only had to worry about HR.

          Ezra shut off the car, grabbing her bag. She watched as Wren did the same; they left the van together. Her car was parked on the same level as the van, so it was a quick trip to the sleek black car eight or nine cars to the right. She unlocked it for Wren, started the car, then bent down to look at them sitting in the passenger seat.

             “I will be right back. Do not leave, no matter how much you might want to. Alright?”

             “Alright,” Wren said softly.

             Ezra shut the door with a click, turned around, and walked towards the elevators that would bring her to Adrar.

~

             They were driving down a quiet street, the music a soft hum above the sound of the engine. Wren was quiet in the passenger seat, looking out the window. Ezra ran through the steps of her plan for the rest of the evening.

             First: Get Wren inside without interacting with humans. She lived far enough out of the center of town that most of the people in her apartment complex were supernatural creatures, but there was a human or two that lived in the building.

             Second: Get them fed. She would eventually have to teach them how to control their thirst, but that first bag of blood was theirs, no restrictions applied. It was hard to control your thirst, especially as a newly turned vampire. Wren was showing impressive restraint already, but she did not want to assume they had control over their thirst without a little training first.

             Third: Talk about what happened. Turning was a traumatic experience. Wren died, just to be turned into something different. Something that could not go out during the day, that outlived their family, that drank blood to survive. Maybe Wren had accepted all of this, but the events of the night happened too fast for Ezra’s comfort.

             Fourth: Kiss them again. If Wren wanted to. Ezra wanted to, but if the kisses they shared were from a moment of passion or due to their death, she would respect that.

             She tapped her nails against the steering wheel, casting a quick glance over at Wren. They turned to look at her, their lips quivering up into a smile. Their fangs poked through the seam of their lips.

             Ezra turned back to the road, “So… How are you feeling?”

             “I’m feeling fine. Just a bit thirsty. It’s weird, I was looking out the window, and I’ve never seen things so clearly at night. What other things have changed now that I’ve been turned?”

             “Well, you get superior dark vision. Superhuman strength and speed. Improved senses, but worse vitals. No need to breathe, no consistent heartbeat, no warm body temperature. Tougher skin and stronger bones, but you also get a sensitivity to sunlight. A fatal sensitivity. You can still eat garlic, though. Most of us do not eat or drink anything besides blood, but you can technically consume human food if you want.” Wren nodded, looking down at their hands. Ezra spoke again, “It is not all bad. I would not have chosen this life for myself, but I am happy. I think you could be, too.”

             “Yeah. I think so, too,” they looked back over at her, drumming their fingers on their thighs.

          Ezra turned left and pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She parked in her spot, shutting off the car with a sigh. They were almost to step one.

          She unbuckled and turned to Wren again, facing them entirely, “Wren. I need you to listen to me. We are going to go into my building, but there are humans that live here, too. You must not breathe until we get to my apartment. It will feel wrong, but you cannot breathe in their scent before you are fed. Okay?”

          “Okay.”

          “If it helps, you can hold my hand the entire time. It will give you something to focus on.”

          “I- yeah. That sounds good. I absolutely want to hold your hand.”

          “Oh…” Ezra felt flustered. Step four seemed a bit more likely just then. “Alright.”

          Ezra left the car and waited for Wren to do the same. They met at the rear of the car, where Ezra held out her hand for Wren to take. She looked up at them, then led the way into the building. She punched in the code to let them in the exterior door and the mailroom, then took them up the stairs to the second floor. She turned back to Wren. Their lips were pressed together in a slight frown; they looked to be concentrating on holding their breath. Ezra walked to her front door, turning the key in the lock before easing the door open.

          She ushered Wren inside before closing the door and locking it behind her. She watched Wren as they took in her space. The decor and furniture were modern, yet comfortable. The room was scattered with the little pieces of history she lived through. She was a nostalgic person, so the items displayed on her walls and shelves had all come from significant parts of her life. Wren turned to Ezra, and she could see them breathe in again. Her apartment smelled like lavender incense, so she knew the crinkling of their nose was in response to the scent taking over their senses. It took a bit to get used to – the ultra-sensitive senses, strength, and stamina that came with being a vampire. At that thought, Ezra remembered the blood bags stored in her fridge.

          “I will get the bags out, you can sit down on the couch if you want.”

          A vampire could last a week on about 500 ml of blood, or about a fourth of a bag portioned out each day. Ezra got her blood from a blood bank that sold the unusable blood they received from donors. The bacteria and viruses that infected humans did not alter the health of a vampire in any way. They were impervious to colds or other major ailments. They could be affected by substances, though. Ezra once had a friend who drank the blood of a human on shrooms, and she tripped for hours after indulging. Ezra had become careful on where she sourced her blood after that. She could handle viruses and bacteria, but she could not deal with the effects of drugs on her system. She had experimented over the years, but found that it was not for her.

          Ezra opened the fridge and pulled out a few bags for Wren. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard and turned to see that Wren had followed her into the kitchen. Their eyes were on the bags in her hand. Ezra looked up at them and handed one bag over. Wren took the bag greedily, and without a moment of hesitation, brought it up to their mouth and punctured the plastic. They drank, swallowing large mouthfuls of blood. Ezra watched their eyes close in pleasure as blood dripped down their chin. They were ravenous, emptying the bag in moments. They opened their eyes to find Ezra looking at them. Wren smiled sheepishly, wiping their chin with the back of their hand. Blood coated fangs and blunt teeth alike.

          “Sorry,” they said. “I don’t know what came over me.”

          “Sometimes, a little bloodlust gets the better of us. Now. I want you to control that feeling inside you enough that you can pour the blood in this bag into the cup and drink it calmly. It will probably be a while before you should drink blood around others, but if you practice each time, it will get easier.”

          Ezra swapped out the bag and handed them the cup after they tore open the perforated plastic tab. They shakily poured the blood into the cup, set down the empty bag, and slowly took a sip. Ezra could see them fighting their instincts to get as much blood in them as quickly as possible; they seemed to be overcoming it. They took another sip, looking at Ezra with a proud look on their face. Ezra smiled at that, before it faded as she remembered the events of the night.

          “Do you want to sit on the couch? We can talk about what happened tonight,” Ezra said. Wren’s expression faded too as they nodded, waiting for Ezra to lead the way. Ezra walked to the black couch, sinking down onto the cushions. Wren sat next to her, leaving a foot of space between them.

          Wren took another sip from the cup and said, “I just want you to know that I don’t blame you. I know that Bane wanted to be entertained, and me dying was going to happen either way. I’m glad it happened by your hand, or… fang, rather.”

          “I appreciate that. I feel like this is all my fault. I was the one who suggested you come with me to the meeting. You would not have died if I was less selfish.”

          “Selfish? What are you talking about?”

          “I wanted you to come with me because I like your presence. I like when you are around me. I know I have acted poorly towards you in the past, but things changed when I got to know you. It was my own selfish motivations that got you in danger. I thought Bane would be welcoming, friendly even. Not manipulative and focused wholly on your demise. I know you do not blame me, but I apologize for what happened tonight. I am sorry, Wren.”

          “You don’t have to be sorry, but I forgive you. The situation wasn’t ideal, but I’m prepared to live a new life now that I’ve died. I’m not close to my family, so they don’t have to know. I just have Michael, who doesn’t care if I’m a human or not.” Wren set down the cup on the coffee table and took Ezra’s hands, “I think it’ll be okay. I know things will be rough at work, but we’ll figure it out. I like you Ezra. I want to be around you, too. I’m glad you invited me to come with you tonight.”

          Ezra was at a loss for words. She stared at Wren. Her chest felt tight, like if she spoke, the words would be brittle from the emotions building in her body. Wren searched her expression, looking for something. Ezra was not sure what they found, but a fanged smile brightened their face. With a slight laugh, they leaned down, sliding a hand onto her neck, thumb and forefinger framing where she knew her turning marks were. Wren looked her in the eye, then their gaze dropped to her parted lips. Their eyes darted back up, but fell again when Ezra brought her lips together in a smile. She leaned up, closing the distance between them and closed her eyes. Their lips met.

          It was a hungry kiss. An aching one. Wren had not finished the cup of blood, so their bloodlust was transformed into something else entirely. Their lips moved against each other, finding a rhythm that set Ezra aflame. She reached out, sliding her hands along Wren’s shoulders before bringing a hand to clutch at the nape of their neck, fingers twisting through their hair. Ezra felt their thumb brush against her bite marks and she shuddered, deepening the kiss. Wren’s hand stayed anchored under her jaw, but the other slid along her side to the small of her waist. Their grip felt strong, confident. Ezra felt weak under the attention. She pulled back on Wren’s head, separating their mouths to breathe air she did not need. Wren was also panting, looking down at Ezra like they wanted to devour her.

          She smiled up at them, then pulled them back down, continuing the motion so that they were leaning over her as she laid back against the arm of the couch. Wren’s hand slid down her throat and rested at her collarbone, where their thumb brushed back and forth over the protruding bone. Their lips met again and again. The kiss deepened again, becoming heated. Ezra settled further, pulling them on top of her. She splayed a hand down their back and fisted a hand in their hair. They kissed for a long moment, separating again to breathe each other in.

          After a few long moments, Wren sat up, pulling Ezra up with them. They smiled at her, mouth red from the friction of their lips. Ezra knew that she looked the same. She glanced down, nervous suddenly.

          “So…” they said, looking at her. She still looked down, playing with her hands. “I know we skipped a few steps, with the turning and, uh, everything, but do you maybe want to go out sometime?”

          Ezra looked up, a slow smile spreading across her face, “Yes, I would like that. I would like that a lot.”

             “Great,” they smiled, which faltered for a moment. “Now let’s just hope we don’t lose our jobs. I like working with you.”

             “I do, too,”

             Wren leaned in and wrapped an arm around Ezra. They sat quietly for a moment. Ezra leaned forward and lifted the cup of blood from the table and pressed it into their hands; a silent command to Drink passed between them with a look. Wren grabbed the cup and took a small sip. Ezra settled back into the weight of their arm, feeling content with Wren by her side. 

 

 

 

          Madalyn Lovejoy started writing seriously last fall. Madalyn wrote countless poems, collected them, and just published her first chapbook through Bottlecap Press. Her writing process is often just desperately cramming out the words before they escape them. When writing Soul Collection Services, they wrote, revised, and edited the work over the course of a few weeks. This is part of a larger work, with three chapters total. The first chapter sets up the main character’s work life, introduces the characters, and reveals that the main character’s rival will be their new assistant. The second chapter highlights their developing relationship and shows them leaving together to attend a meeting that results in the main character’s death. The third chapter is from the rival/love interest’s point of view, reacting to the fall out and finding comfort in the situation.

 

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