dead love.

5. animal

DRIVING BACK TO the apartment with Camille was tortorous. The heat of her body being so close became suffocating in the small distance of the vehicle. I had rolled down the window a few inches while I attempted to calm myself with a cigarette.

It did nothing to help with her scent.

Every movement she made caused a wave of her smell to wash over my overwhelmed senses. When she shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat, I was intoxicated by the gentle, sticky sweet smell of peaches and honey. My body had begun to buzz and vibrate, my skin growing warmer as my pulse thrummed louder and louder.

I inched the volume louder as a smooth song played over the speakers.

your lips, my lips...

apocalypse...

I parked swiftly in my spot in the parking lot. Although driving over the past few decades had become calming, I rolled my neck to release the tension in my muscles. The entire trip would've been easier without her presence, but I didn't regret it.

Not for a second.

Her eyes watched as I got out of the car, carrying the few bags as I made my way to her side.

I opened her door, offering my hand.

She grasped it willingly, and I locked the car behind her as we made our way to our room.

Her hand is so warm...

My body pulsed with the blood of people I have killed, making my skin cooler and heartbeat slower. Most were apalled when their hand grazed mine, an accidental touch that made them shiver. It was another feature that reminded them that I was dangerous.

Camille clung to my body as we walked into the apartment. Her steps slowed as we neared our room, and I wondered if she was tired when she shuffled to the door. Although her pulse remained the same heightening thrum, her skin felt hotter than before. It was warmer in New Orleans, although it wasn't uncomfortable on night like this.

She's scared of you.

Her hand fell back to her side when I stiffened.

She went to sit on the couch and I locked the door behind us, for her sake rather than mine.

I set the bags on the counter, kneeling beside her.

"It's getting late. Are you feeling tired?" I asked her, knowing her kind needed rest often. It had been a few decades since I had brought myself this close to a human, and none of them were like her. I made a mental note to ask Olivia how to care for her while she's here.

She shook her head wordlessly. Her heart jumped at the lie as I stared into her wide doe eyes.

"Let me run a bath for you then," I offered, though there was no question.

Before she could respond, I grabbed her bag of bathroom necessities and she followed me into the bathroom. I made sure the water was warm, hot enough to soothe any aches she might've been disguising. I pulled out the shampoo, conditioner and body wash she had chosen at the store, along with the lavender bath oil I kept above the sink.

I stood from the bathtub, turning my body to hers once it was finished. I noticed I was a few inches taller than her, her head reaching my chest. She had seemed taller in her high heels at the club.

"I'll grab some clothes until we're able to shop for some of your own." I crossed the hallway to my bedroom quickly and pulled one of my olive green tank tops from the rack in my bedroom, along with a pair of black sweatpants. I glanced at my pile of numberous bras and grabbed a sweater instead. Her breasts were a cup or two more developed than mine that allowed fullness to her curvy shape.