Andrew peered over the stack of canvases he held at Jen, who was descending the stairs in front of him with a similar pile. They were on their way to the gallery to deliver what he had painted so far and to pick up the promised large canvas for his final piece for the show. They made their way down the stairs and across the lobby, but just as Jen was approaching the door it swung open. Jen stopped and stepped aside, but when the person who'd opened it stepped into the door Jen's ears went flat back and she hissed.

It was the tiger that had attacked Andrew. He stopped in the doorway, looking more than a little uncertain. Jen slowly set down the stack of paintings, and then she flung herself at the larger feline, her claws bared. The tiger ducked aside and his buddies, apparently with him as always, came in through the door. Andrew took a step backwards. He was trembling. He wanted to run. But... he couldn't just leave Jen to fight all three of them by herself. So he set down his paintings as well and stepped forward, fangs bared, trying to look as aggressive as possible. Part of him was utterly terrified, but part of him was eager. To visit violence on his abusers... that would be very good indeed.

The pair moved to flank him, but before they could even touch him Andrew heard a horrible sound, like nothing he'd ever heard before, and glanced over to see, to his shock, that Jen had torn the tiger's throat out. The tiger clutched at the spurting wound and fell to the floor. Jen, covered in blood, grinned broadly and leaped at the coyote. More than a little shocked, but also quite heartened, Andrew closed with the dog. But he didn't get a chance to find out if he could fight or not, because both of them turned tail and ran.

“Finally!” said Jen with satisfaction. She didn't give chase, she just stood looking down at the still form of the tiger, who lay in a pool of blood. “Those bastards have been avoiding me, so I couldn't pass up the chance.”

She looked over at the stack of paintings, then down at herself. “Though I guess we'd better take a minute to go back up to my room and clean up, or else we'll scare the living daylights out of Marian.”

Andrew nodded wordlessly, still more than a little shocked, and picked up his stack of paintings. None of the blood had reached them. Though it would hardly matter if it had, given how much is on them already, he thought somewhat absently.

Jen seemed hardly affected by what had just happened, she sponged off and got fresh clothes quickly, making Andrew blush by undressing while he was still in the room. It was only ten minutes or so later when they again set off down the stairs. In the lobby there was still blood puddled on the floor, but no sign of the tiger. Andrew tried to not step in any of the blood as they went out the door.

Out in the cold night air Andrew felt a little better. It had been shockingly sudden, and shockingly bloody. But for once he had faced down something, and not run from it! And now he was on his way to the gallery, to prepare for a real art show. He found himself worrying that Marian wouldn't like the rest of his paintings. But Jen had assured him they were all good, and that Marian would love the portrait of her.

When they reached the gallery she greeted them warmly and ushered them up to her office. “Let's have a look at what you have for the show.”

Andrew set down his stack of paintings, but kept the small portrait in his hands, turned so that Marian couldn't see it. He had the urge to surprise her with it. She shuffled through the stack, exclaiming with delight over all of them, even the ones where he'd slashed the finished painting. “These are exactly what I'd hoped for! Wonderful! What's this last one though?” she asked, pointing at the one Andrew still held. He smiled, a bit shyly, and held it out to her.

She looked at it and let out a startled gasp. “Oh! It... it's me!”

“Yes. I wanted t-to say thank you. For everything. I p-painted it first thing when I left here last time. So it's your b-blood, sort of, on it.”

She looked at the portrait. “This is... I don't have words. It's the nicest weird thing, or maybe the weirdest nice thing that anybody has ever done for me, I think.”

Andrew shrugged. “You did something very nice for me. Several somethings, if you count the art show too.”

Marian smiled. “And I've a thing or two left, really. Though even without your very wonderful present I would be more than repaid, if everything goes as I hope. And speaking of which... I do have the large canvas for you. I also have made some arrangements. Which,” she glanced down at her watch, “should actually be arriving any minute now. So let's go stow these paintings and then we can go downstairs and meet them.”

Andrew was a little puzzled, but he followed Marian out of her office and into a large store-room. Racks held dozens of paintings, and a massive blank canvas, easily five feet tall and six or seven feet wide, stood against one wall. “Getting that home is going to be fun,” said Andrew.

“You could paint here, if that's easier for you,” offered Marian. “I wouldn't mind you staying here, even. There's a couch you could sleep on.”

Andrew considered it. He thought of the hotel. It was “home” only because had nowhere better to go. He wouldn't mind spending some time elsewhere. Looking around the room he saw only one small window, behind several racks of paintings. It would probably be dark enough during the day. “I think I might take you up on that,” he said.

From downstairs came the sound of a bell as somebody opened the door. “Ah, that should be them now,” said Marian. She descended the stairs with Andrew and Jen trailing after her.

Standing just inside the door was a young couple, a male rabbit and a female cat. Marian greeted them cheerfully as Andrew slowly descended the stairs.

When he reached the bottom she said, “Andrew, this is James and Alice.” He smiled a bit hesitantly at them and took James' offered hand. “They both have an interest in vampirism and are willing to be donors.”

Andrew blinked at the couple, a bit startled. Jen, who had followed him down the stairs, chuckled. “Well, this is where I go then. Unlike my friend here I rather like the challenge of hunting my own dinner and I don't feel too guilty about it. Nobody's objected too strenuously to my methods yet.” She grinned broadly, and swayed her hips suggestively as she turned to leave.

Marian gave Jen an amused look as she went out the door, then turned to the others and said, “Let's go upstairs, where we won't have anybody coming in at an awkward moment.”

In Marian's office Andrew found himself looking between James and Alice somewhat uncertainly. “You actually want to give blood to me?”

“Yeah,” said James. He grinned.

“But... why?”

Alice licked her lips. “Because vampires are... interesting.”

James laughed. “They're hot, you mean.”

Andrew blinked, an expression of bafflement on his face.

“That too,” said Alice. She smiled at Andrew. “I suppose you've never met any, but there are a lot of people who find vampires and vampirism attractive. They're romantic, unusual, dangerous and maybe deadly, but then maybe not. And they're something very different from our dull, humdrum, everyday lives.”

Andrew couldn't help but smile just a bit at that. “Yeah, I guess we are. Though some days I'd take my old humdrum life. Different doesn't mean better.”

“Well,” said James, “That's why this little arrangement is ideal for Alice and I. We get to experience the excitement, danger, and romance, without actually having to be vampires. Being this close to one is good enough.”

Marian chimed in, “Which is why your paintings will sell like hotcakes, by the way.”

“Yes, I want to see your paintings when we're done here,” said Alice. “But first, the reason we came. I won the coin toss, so I'm going to donate now, and James will donate when you're done painting.”

Andrew nodded. He shifted a bit, trying to keep from looking as nervous as he felt. Alice stepped closer and he could smell her. Blood was the scent he noticed the most, but there were other notes. She smelled feline, predatory, and feminine. He swallowed, blushing, as she stepped so close she was practically touching him. She looked up at him, and tilted her head to the side. He took a deep breath, then rested his hands on her shoulders as he leaned in and bit into her neck. Once again the heady pleasure of blood drinking overwhelmed him. He was lost in it, awash in warm, red bliss. But he was still peripherally aware of what Alice was doing. She had wrapped her arms around him and she was moaning softly as he drank, moans not of fear or of pain but of pleasure. Her fingers dug into his back and she pressed her body against his as he took from her.

When he lifted his head from her neck she was still pressed to him. He flicked his ears nervously, not sure what to do. The feel of her softness against him was good, in a very different way from the way her blood had been good. But it was also frightening. After a long moment during which Andrew stood stiffly, trying to think of what to do, she loosened her grip and stepped back.

“Ooh... That was intense,” she said.

“I bet,” said James. “It looked hot.”

Andrew blushed again. He didn't know what to make of any of this. Marian seemed to realize how uncomfortable he was though because she said, “Why don't you go have another look at that canvas, you were going to work on it tonight, yes?”

Andrew gave her a relieved smile. “Yes, I'll go do that.” He glanced at Alice, who was leaning against James with a somewhat dreamy look on her face. “Thank you,” he said.

She suddenly grinned. “You're welcome. Any time. Really, any time. Mmm.”

Andrew practically fled the room.

Back in the storage room, among the racked paintings and blank canvases he calmed himself. Someday I need to learn how to be around women without embarrassing myself, he told himself with a sigh. Oh well. He turned to the huge canvas that leaned against one blank wall. He ran and hand over the smooth fabric. Time to begin.