After all that eating, both Elizabeth and Arthur wanted a nap. So they laid out in the sun and slept. They had no idea how long they slept, but it was almost evening when they awoke. Arthur went back to his guest house and Elizabeth went to her cabin. She was giddy with happiness. For the first time, she couldn't wait for Aaron to come to the cabin tonight. She passed the time as best she could by reading or watching TV shows on her portable DVD player.
And then Aaron came through the door. Tonight he had a suitcase with him. Arthur was sitting in the recliner. He had set the table with a salad and cut up pieces of fruit for them to munch on.
"You can go, Arthur," Aaron said.
Arthur grabbed some of the fruit and walked out the door. For once, his face was not filled with sadness. He had every confidence in Elizabeth.
"Hello Elizabeth," Aaron greeted.
Elizabeth was lounging on the chaise lounge. Instead of answering him, she appeared right in front of him.
"You really are something," he remarked with a hint of surprise. "To have such a transformation must have been quite hard on you. I assume you had a rough night. But, I knew you would be a powerful half vampire. You move almost as fast as me."
Before she could get out a word, he scooped her up, carried her to the table, and set her down in her usual chair. Before she could blink, he was in his own seat.
"I could feel your strength when I picked you up," he said. "That's good. I know it was sometimes painful when I grabbed you in the past. I trust it wasn't too uncomfortable this time. I didn't cut off your oxygen or squeeze your bones."
"No," she said boldly. "It wasn't painful at all."
They continued to make small talk. He asked her about her day and she answered proudly with tales of her hunting.
"The two of you combined will kill all the wildlife on my land! You better slow down and kill some more fish."
"I know. I've already decided to do that. But what about you?"
"Most of my feeding is done as a bat, so I get blood that way. I don't have to kill much. Fresh meat is mostly fish. But I occasionally have a rabbit or two."
For once they were speaking as equals. They were sharing their hunting escapades and comparing skills. And she was unafraid of him. For the first time since they had arrived on the island, she felt she could defy him. She was more alive and more powerful than she had ever been in her life. There was only one good thing to happen to her since being abducted and that was becoming a half vampire. She felt like a part of her had been missing and she was now a whole person. I'm a real woman now, she thought fiercely. Finally, she had grown into the woman she always wanted to be. A powerful one.
"Let's go to bed," Aaron commanded. "Tonight will be a whole different experience for the both of us."
"No," she quickly asserted. She pushed back her chair, stood up from the table, and moved to the side. Then she morphed into a dog. Aaron coolly sipped at his wine.
"Elizabeth, I warn you not to challenge me. I warned you the first night you got here. It's better me than anyone living out there."
Elizabeth stayed as she was. She trotted over to the chaise lounge, hopped on top, and curled up into a ball. She watched as Aaron opened up his suitcase. And then he was instantly in front of her, placing something around her neck. It was a dog collar. An iron dog collar. He had literally clapped her in irons. A chain attached to the collar was gripped in Aaron's hand.
"Elizabeth, I am warning you. Bark if you want me to take this collar off so we can go into the bedroom together. If not, I warn you that the consequences will be grave for you."
Elizabeth stayed silent. Aaron sighed and pulled her off the chaise lounge. Though she was strong, Aaron was still more powerful and she couldn't resist. He walked her out the door and continued on past his own markers. Inwardly, Elizabeth was beginning to feel intense fear. She had never travelled this far past the cabin and had no clue what awaited them. After about ten minutes of walking at vampiric speed (which would make it the equivalent of a run) they reached a large tent. It was a camping tent that looked to be built for a dozen people. There was light emanating from the tent. As they approached, a large man appeared in the opening.
"Who is it?" the man asked.
"It's just me, Gar. And I've brought Liz with me."
"That poor girl you took?" he paused and then said, "She's a dog!!!???"
"No, you idiot. She's a human that has become a half vampire from frequent exposure to me. Her animal self is a bitch. This also tends to be her human self as well."
Elizabeth growled.
"Well come on in. I got a fire going."
Aaron walked Elizabeth into the tent. And to her surprise, there was actually a fire going. Gar had an old fashioned, portable stove. It was like something from a movie out of the 1800s. It was a small black stove with a glass door. Inside the door was where he had thrown in chopped up branches and set a match to them. On top of the stove was a pot and she could see steam coming from it. She thought about the potential fire hazard this presented in the tent while she continued to admire its quaintness at the same time. Gar seemed to read her mind, because he said, "The fabric on this tent is flame retardant. I'm not saying that makes it safe to have an indoor stove, but it's still safer than what it could be."