Chapter 9: Exit by Trunk

Once she said that he kissed her deeply. She could feel him trembling and contracting against her, inside her, upon her. The feeling of his body, so perfectly thick, filled her. Understanding that she was the key to his pleasure, made her have another orgasm.

She clutched him to her closely making sure he knew that he didn't need to do another thing. Just stay here. Be together at this moment.

As he slowly exhaled, it seemed as though his consciousness was fluttering like snow, swirling downward in uneven circles, still at the mercy of the breeze but destined for the ground. Chloé pulled him to her again kissing him, then he gently rested his cheek on her chest.

"You are beautiful, my şekerim," he whispered.

Although the excitement of what just happened would usually ignite Chloé's senses, she unexpectedly fell asleep. Without knowing where she was in time or physically, her consciousness allowed her to rest. It was within moments of them being together. Her dreams soon followed.

***

Kemal was not quite the same, though it wasn't that he couldn't. While he slept for a little while, he was awoken by the sound of something outside. Before he was fully lucid, he heard the same scraping noise. Sitting up and inhaling deeply, having no idea where he was, at first, he got his bearings.

After listening more intently, he confirmed that the sound was real. He left the bed, pulled on clothes, and went to the living room area. There it was again. A jiggling sound accompanied by scratching.

When he glanced over toward the front window, he could see a silhouette going from wider to smaller against the window through Chloé's shades. Kemal waited and when he knew it was someone trying to break in, he opened the front door in complete silence. There, against the window, was Joel.

Kemal stepped out without making a sound, hid behind Chloé's car for a few minutes, then rose and silently approached. Joel had a screwdriver and some other random tools. Without making a sound, Kemal leaned down to Joel's ear, then said, "Boo."

Joel yelped then suddenly tripped over his toolbox, into the bush next to him. Kemal chuckled quietly.

"Oh my god, it's you. Stay away from me!" Joel sat up staring at Kemal fearfully. Kemal crouched down to him.

"I didn't think you'd be this stupid after you saw me. For some reason you're aware, and I certainly am too, that I'm not like you, but perhaps it hasn't sunk in. Maybe you need a taste of the real thing."

With that, Kemal stood and picked Joel up by the collar, dragging him down the street toward the car clamping his hand over Joel's mouth. Joel frantically waved the screwdriver at Kemal, but he couldn't make contact. When Kemal unlocked his car, he opened the trunk and then threw Joel in. Joel yelled loudly in protest as Kemal slammed the trunk on his head.

Kemal wiped the brush and grass off himself then got in his car. He drove to his apartment, knowing his sister would be up. When he knocked on the door, Sezen answered and Kemal pointed to his car.

With that Sezen checked the street, turning her head back and forth, and then went to the trunk. They could hear the thumping and banging Joel was causing.

"You'd better take care of it fast. You've already been pretty sloppy out here with the others," said Kemal.

"That isn't me. It's Efe," she whispered.

"Efe? How long has he been back?" Kemal asked in surprise.

"What are you? Afraid of your own brother? You can ask him when you bring this meal to him."

"Not me. I have to get back."

"Oh, where, to your girlfriend's? 'Ooh, Chloé, she's so pretty, she's so nice, she's so ...' you pick a fluffy, womanly word." She rolled her eyes imitating Kemal's deep voice.

"Yes. I'll be going back to Chloé. I love her, Sezen. She can't know about our family."

"What's to worry about? You'll never become like us. You have some kind of strange gift. You don't crave, you don't pale, you don't burn."

"I'm not like you, it's true. And I'm sorry for that. But please, she can't know about you or Efe. And obviously," he paused. "The baby."

"'The beast' is what you meant to say."

"I didn't. You know I love him. I'm always here for him."

"But not if Chloé needed you. 'Oh, Chloé. I'd do anything for you. I'd even feed your neighbor to my vampire sister.' Oops. Have I said too much? Don't let Chloé hear!"

"Stop it, Sezen," he said, with a bashful grin. She grinned back, unable to hold back a feminine giggle. Her teeth were already slightly pointed. "Don't kill him and don't turn him. Just a little snack then let him go, okay?" Kemal pointed at his sister.

"I'd love nothing more," said Sezen with a wink. "No need for scrutiny after Efe's debacles."

Kemal knocked on the trunk again. They heard Joel shriek and the two siblings burst out laughing. Kemal popped it open, then Sezen reached in, securing Joel in her clutches.

"Oh my god, I knew it!" Joel said. "Fucking vampires!" Sezen's fangs elongated, and her eyes became nearly black.

"Settle down or I'll feed you to my baby," Sezen said. "He's very hungry." Joel was quiet within moments as she dragged him inside.

"Seni seviyorum, kızkardeşim," said Kemal. Sezen closed the door with a wave and affectionate smile.

Kemal made his way back to Chloé's. He parked the car in the same spot on the street, and on his way to the apartment, he pressed and smoothed the grass down to remove evidence of Joel being dragged. He hid the toolbox in a shrub near Joel's apartment.

When he got to her place, he slipped inside with near silence. After closing the door, he turned around, and there was Chloé, appearing confused, still half asleep.

"Where did you go?" she asked groggily.

"Joel," Kemal said.

"What about him?"

"He was trying to break in here."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I figured I'd teach him a lesson. He won't be bothering you anymore."

"R–Really?" Chloé asked. He nodded and stepped closer to her. "Shouldn't we call the police?"

"No, it isn't necessary." He opened his arms once they were closer, and she eagerly entered them.

"You did that for me?" she asked against his chest.

"Of course," he said firmly.

"How?" she asked, gazing up at him.

"I can be a lot scarier than I seem."

"I suspected that," Chloé said with a curious smile. He stepped back and held her face in both of his hairy hands.

"Were you afraid, when you didn't see me next to you in bed?" he asked in a whisper. She nodded. He began to pet her blonde hair, playing with the pink ends. The contrast of his bronze-toned skin against the golden-tint of her hair was so pretty.

"Yes, I didn't like that at all but now I see why. God, I can't believe how obsessed he is."

"I can," Kemal whispered and moved her bangs out of her face.

"Did you see anything else that was weird out there?"

"No. Everything seemed normal to me," said Kemal and he wasn't lying. This was the normal life he'd known ever since he was a toddler.

Since it was around 3 in the morning and they were wide awake, they figured they might as well eat. Kemal expressed his love for cooking and wanted to treat her.

Chloé was impressed with how he made nearly expired eggs, old butter, some wilted spinach, and a bit of parmesan cheese into a dish of delectable gourmet. He took her compliments humbly but explained that he learned from when he was very young because he had to cook for himself.

Of course, that was true, having come from a family of vampires. When the rest were off having blood for meals, he was left to fend for himself. What Sezen said was true about his uniqueness, as well. Kemal had never shown any signs that he was afflicted throughout his entire life.

Because of that, he was sent on plenty of trips to go wherever the family couldn't in the daylight hours.

Chloé and Kemal sat down at the table and ate together enjoying every bite. By the time the sun was up, they were cuddled on the couch together watching fluffy shows and relaxing. Both fell asleep again with her curled into him and Kemal with his arms around her, his fingers loosely linked together.

When Kemal woke up, it was because Chloé had nudged him. She was holding his ringing phone.

"I'm sorry to wake you but it just keeps ringing. Same person."

She handed him the phone and he stared at it. The number was familiar to him as he already had it in his contacts under "Columbia." When he picked it up, he answered with his title Professor Hakkan. While Chloé watched him, he leaned forward as a gradual smile bloomed on his lips.

"Well, yes but hasn't it been six months?" he asked. The other party continued speaking to him and he was nodding, then he stood up. He walked to the window and stared outside. "But you know I've already begun my fall semester. We're going into our second week," he paused, listening. "Yes, certainly. I'll think about it and get back to you."

Kemal hung up and then he held the phone to his lip for a moment in thought. He paced back and forth a few times in front of the window then he turned to Chloé.

"What is it?" Chloé asked.

"It's Columbia University," he paused. "They want me to work for them."

"That's great! I didn't realize you had applied."

"It was months ago. I was hoping to have an answer long before now."

"Well, it's great to know you're wanted, anyway. Maybe you could do that in a year or two."

"Yeah, it's just that they want to hire me now. Someonoe left suddenly."

"Well, they're going to have to wait."

"I don't know, şekerim."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to work there. It has been a dream of mine. I'd be making nearly triple what I make here. They'll even put me up in a place."

"But isn't that in South Carolina?"

"New York City, actually," he said. He stepped closer to her and continued, "I've wanted this for a very long time. How quickly can you break your lease here?"

"What?"

"This apartment. How much money does it take to leave?"

"To go with you?"

"Yes, of course, tatlı."

"But what about the school here?"

"It is wonderful to work for these people here and I've done so for a few years, but I am ready to move on."

"How soon do they want you?"

"Immediately."

Chloé sat down on her couch to think. A million ideas were running through her mind. For one, she had only been at this apartment for six months, and getting in took extra work because of her sub-par credit score. She made such a big deal about it and Marie had been really understanding. She felt guilty.

But ... someone else would be happy to take this place and she'd be overjoyed to be with him but was this a good idea to move in with him away from her plans, so soon?

"So, Chloé, what do you think?"