TheRaven: The Tragedy of Ashley Bilefoot

Chapter 8

Jake and Pam had returned to Beth's apartment shortly after leaving Clove. Their ride back had been silent and slightly tense. Jake knew how anxious Pam was about tonight and if Ashley would keep her word. It was something he was curious about himself, if he was being honest. The vampiress wasn't known for being a liar, but that didn't mean she didn't have a plan of some sort. She was as calculating as Goth, maybe even more so. What was she playing at? He wasn't sure, but whatever it was he knew that she was going to use Beth as a pawn in her game.

He had called Goth to update her on what was going on, and to let her know that he wouldn't be coming home tonight. Surprisingly, she was fine with it. There was something about the tone of her voice that had him slightly on edge, though, almost like she knew something that he didn't. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but between the mornings events and that conversation he was feeling uneasy about everything. Honestly, everything with Goth had his head spinning whenever he stopped to think about it. Her moods had been all over the place lately. He was used to the anger and distant regret that she had fallen into, but these bouts of happiness and sympathy were strange. If there was one thing he knew about her for certain, it was that above all else she was a master manipulator. The problem now was telling if she was trying to do that to him or if she really was just being human.

"Jake, can you come here for a moment?" Pam's voice broke his concentration.

He needed a distraction anyways, so he walked into the kitchen where his friend stood leaned against the counter. "What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied, "You were giving me a headache with whatever you're thinking about."

He frowned and asked, "What?"

Pam tapped the side of her head and simply said, "Empath, remember?"

"Oh, sorry," he said, "Just trying to figure out what Ashley is up to and why Goth has been so...weird lately."

"You mean outside of obsessing over you and shutting out her emotions?" she asked and he nodded, "She's human again, Jake, fully and completely. If the stories she told me are to be believed, she is older than old, bordering on ancient. In all her time on this earth, she has spent the better part of it locking away all the weaknesses that come with being human. Emotions such as guilt, regret, pity, sympathy, and empathy are all things that she believed would hinder her ascension to Godhood. That is, again, if you believe that she was telling the truth."

"I know she was," he replied.

"How?" Pam asked.

"When you were being held at the hotel back in Citiville, the rest of us made it to Dilatrix and her lair," he said, "She showed me my past lives and how Goth had been chasing after me through each of them. Every single time, I died either by her hand or my own trying to get away from her. I saw it with my own eyes, same woman, different me. She's at least as old as she claims to be, maybe even older."

"That would explain a lot," Pam replied as she pulled a small stone out of her pocket.

Jake watched curiously as she muttered something and produced a book from nowhere, "What do you mean?" he asked.

She shrugged as she began thumbing through the book, "You were, and still are, the only remaining link that she had to her humanity. I admit, I never understood her obsession with you, but if she's been chasing after you then maybe the tale of the Knight and the Witch holds some merit afterall."

"The Knight and the Witch?" he repeated.

"An old story that she told me and the few other chosen disciples," she said without looking up from her book, "Long, long ago there was a girl who was little more than a slave. She was used and abused continually by the men who claimed dominion of the castle and by extension her and her sisters. She was born from rape, born from blood, and raised as a servant to become a slave, but the girl hated the men who had taken from her the life she never had."

"One day, when the girl was still young, she met a boy. The boy was the son of a nobleman and an aspiring squire. She'd met boys before, but this one was different. This one was the first to show her any kindness. Time went on and the girl and the boy would talk whenever he came to the castle; as she grew into a pleasure slave, he grew into a knight. He promised her that one day they would be together, that one day he would save her from the bondage that had been her life."

"Years continued to pass and nothing came of it, but the girl continued to hope. It was one night, a dark and stormy night, when a man appeared to rob her of that hope. She was forced down, bound and gagged, while he had his way with her. Hour after hour he continued his fun, sex turned to beatings which turned back to sex. Her heart was shattered as the man told her that the knight she had come to love had been slain this evening and that she was never going to leave. He left her, broken and crying on the floor with only her pain and the echo of his laughter filling her mind."

"Time seemed to freeze as she was visited by an unknown woman with blazen red skin and hair as white as snow. The woman was a demon, but not just any demon, she was the Demon Queen Lilith herself. She had appeared with an offer for power and vengeance for the girl, she would be allowed to punish the men who had wronged her and her sisters, but in exchange she would swear fealty to her. Not seeing an alternative and filled with more hate than she had ever thought possible, the girl accepted the offer. Power flowed through her at once and she was given dominion over magics once thought superstition and myth."

"She took the title of the Witch that night by slaughtering the very men of the castle who had tormented her since her birth. What she didn't know until it was too late, was that her beloved knight hadn't fallen and had only just returned. His armor was still on and his helm down, she killed him in cold blood and shattered what little remained of her already broken heart. She held him in her arms and even in death, he forgave her and apologized for being too late to save her. She swore, that night, that somehow some way she would find a way to be with him no matter the cost. In time, she usurped Lilith and stole her powers, she has had many names since then, and has earned both love and hate from both men and women. She chose her new name and stood before us in a castle she modeled after the very same one she had lived in centuries ago."

"Are you serious?" Jake asked.

Pam set her book down and looked him in the eyes, "I am only telling you the story that I and the other girls were told. The story of a love so strong that it transcended time and space and drove an innocent woman to forsake all earthly ties in pursuit of the power to take said love for herself. Think of it what you will, but based on what you've told me there might be more truth to it than I had previously thought."

Jake stood there for a moment as his friend started looking through the cupboards. She pulled out various items and set them out to prepare a meal. "Did you believe it when she told it?" he finally asked.

She grabbed a knife and started slicing a tomato as she thoughtfully replied, "For a time I did, but then again I took everything she said as truth and gospel. It was one of the reasons that I ascended beyond the rank of a simple acolyte, I never doubted her. I had my doubts, sure, but after everything I saw and everything I had to do it became harder to do so. There was always the nagging feeling of disbelief in the back of my mind though. It wasn't until I met you that I truly started to doubt the truth of her words."

"I simply couldn't believe that you were the boy from the story, no offense, but a boy who dresses as a bird doesn't exactly scream knightly to me. Then Beth came to me, after seeing how far she was willing to go for you I started to wonder if you silly little costume was more than met the eye. My views shifted a final time once I realized that I had developed feelings for Beth, but the more I think about it the more I wonder if there isn't something to the story. Beyond what you've told me you saw, I myself developed feelings for someone who was little more than a slave to everyone else. As I said, there may be more merit to the tale than I had ever considered; both factually and in the message."

"So in your situation, you're like the knight and Beth is the slave," he said.

She sighed as she moved to put a pot on the stove, "It isn't as black and white as that, but in a sense yes. You of all people should know that matters of the heart are not defined by definity, but rather by the areas in between. Love is neither good nor evil, it is somewhere in between and something that drives someone both to new heights and new lows."

He gave a thoughtful hum before chuckling, "I can tell you've spent a lot of time with Dilatrix," he remarked, "You're starting to sound like her."

She rolled her eyes and thrust a second pot at him, "Shut up and fill that with water," she ordered.

He did as he was told and took the pot to the sink. He turned the water on and let it start to fill as he asked, "Are you hungry or something?"

"No," she replied as she opened a can of sauce, "I'm anxious and need to do something to take my mind off of everything. Beth might be hungry when she gets here and I'd like to have something just in case."

“So you’re making spaghetti?” he asked as he finished filling the pot and set it on the stove’s eye, “You know she’s a vampire now right? You’re not going to put blood in the sauce are you?”

“Yes, yes, and no you idiot,” she said with a half smile, “How someone can be both so smart and so stupid is beyond me.”

He grinned and started breaking noodles before dropping them into the water, “Got you to smile,” he said.

“Would you shut up,” she said with a small laugh, “You are a good friend, stupid, but a good friend nonetheless.”

“I prefer to think of myself as charmingly goofy,” he replied, “Really rolls off the tongue.”

The duo worked together in the kitchen. They talked and laughed off and on as they prepared a meal together. It was a nice distraction from the worries and fears that were plaguing both of their minds. Both of them were worried about Beth, but Jake was more preoccupied with trying to piece together Ashley’s plan while Pam was wondering if the vampiress would keep her word. Neither of them voiced their concerns, but that didn’t make them any less present in the back of their minds.

Time ticked by at an agonizingly slow rate for both of them as they sat in silence waiting for sundown. Pam had gone off into Beth’s room sometime ago and had left Jake sitting in the living room alone. He had started to get restless and decided to check on Pam. Being alone with his thoughts had proven problematic since his return to Metropolis. Usually it ended with memories of the evening in the hotel, both what had happened and what could have happened. It was a maddening experience every time it happened and one he would prefer to avoid at all costs.

He found Pam sitting on Beth’s bed staring at a blank screen and holding Beth’s game controller. It was a bit of a strange sight to behold. The blonde was just sitting there running her thumbs along the analog stick and the buttons on the opposing side. She hadn’t seemed to notice him yet and after a moment he cleared his throat, “Pam, are you alright?”

She didn’t look up as she spoke, “I used to watch her play her games. It’s funny, isn’t it? Small things like this are what stick out when you’re wondering if you’ll see the one you love again. The way her face used to light up when she beat a level, how she would sit back with me and watch the little videos or let me read the lore, or the way she’d lay in my arms and look up at me with those sweet eyes that seemed to only be for me and the people she cared about.”

Jake let her talk and reminisce about her and Beth’s recreational time together. It was funny, he knew his friend was a gamer and had spent many nights off doing just that with her. He never would have guessed that Pam would take an interest in her hobbies like she had, but given what he knew about the two it wasn’t too terribly surprising. The slight hitch in Pam’s voice almost made him flinch and he was about to try to comfort her when there was a loud banging on the front door. He looked in the direction of it, but Pam had all but knocked him over as she ran to the direction of the noise.

He was right behind her as she bolted out of the bedroom and through the living room. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her move so fast in all the time he had known her. She literally threw the door open and he could practically feel the excitement rolling off of her. Standing there in the doorway was the source of Pam's worry and the object of her affection, but something wasn't right. Beth stood there with her head held down and looked like a sweaty mess. Her hair, short though it may have been, was matted and disheveled. Her body seemed to twitch and her shoulders were slumped. He'd expected her to throw herself at Pam, but it looked like she was fighting to keep herself locked in place.

Pam must have sensed something was amiss because she took a cautionary step back, "Kitten?" she asked.

Beth's eyes snapped forward and that was when Jake saw it. He pulled Pam's arm to move her out of the way just as his friend lunged at her, "Look out!" he yelled.

Beth's eyes were the crimson he expected, but there was a fogginess to then that shouldn't have been there. There was a predator hunger in those eyes that gave him a sense of dread. The seconds after he saw those eyes and his friend throw herself at Pam fangs first he knew what had happened. Ashley had starved Beth to the point of insanity. He'd experienced it briefly when he had been turned, but it had never been to the point that he was seeing now. He wasn't wasn't sure if Beth knew where she was and who she was attacking. He hated it, but there was only one thing they could do, they were going to have to subdue her.

Beth's speed was admirable before all of this, but now that she had been turned it was remarkable. She stopped herself after she missed and stood there in the living room with her shoulders still slumped. She was like a wild animal, like she had truly become what she had been calling herself. She took a lurching step forward before spinning herself around slowly. She snarled at them for a second then stepped back. She brought a hand to her head and closed her eyes. Jake watched her carefully, something was wrong here. He furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out just what that something was. It almost looked like she was fighting for control of herself.

"Beth, talk to me," Pam said which caused Beth's attention to snap to her.

"Pam, she's not in control of herself!" Jake yelled which drew Beth's attention to him, "I don't know what all is going on, but right now she's only got one thing on her mind: food."

At the mention of the word, Beth launched at Jake who dodged out of the way. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to get her off her feet for a moment at least. With that in mind, he pressed his hands onto her back as he dodged and raised his leg to send her to the ground. She rolled with the motion and found herself smacking into the wall of her apartment. "What are you doing?!" Pam cried.

"She's trying to feed on us!" Jake snapped back, "I know it's hard, but we're going to have to fight her and get her restrained."

"She's been through enough!" Pam yelled, "I'm not going to hurt her anymore!"

Beth vaulted towards Jake once again and he rolled out of the way. "I'm not saying hurt her!" he yelled as he took a defensive stance, "But we have to get her restrained before she does something she regrets. I hate to say it, but it's her or us right now. We can't help her if we're dead!"

Pam stood frozen for a second as Beth tried once again to pounce on Jake. After watching him evade her assault she cursed, "Goddamnit this isn't how this night is supposed to go!"

She summoned her ethereal chains and launched them at her girlfriend in an attempt to bind her, but to her amazement she deftly avoided the incoming attack. The chains moved in an arcing formation that Beth sidestepped, ducked, and charged through without any effort. Pam's eyes widened as she realized that if she didn't do something fast she would be her mate's meal. She stepped back and flicked her wrists to redirect her summoned weapons in the direction of her lover. She was torn between admiring Beth's finesse and growing frustration at missing again. Remarkably, Beth managed to transition into a flip and vault out of the way of the chains and land behind Pam. Her arm was wrapped around Pam’s neck before her mistress could react. She was about to sink her teeth into the exposed flesh when she was struck with a birdarang that hit her between the eyes.

“Jake!” Pam chided as she stepped away from her pet, “You said we wouldn’t hurt her!”

“It might leave a mark, but she’ll be fine!” he yelled back, “Would you rather me have let her drain you?!”

“Well, no obviously,” she retorted as she ducked under a wild swing from Beth, “Just be careful.”

“She’s a vampire, Pam, she’s more resilient and durable than ever,” he said as he moved in front of Pam to counter Beth’s attack.

He wasn’t strong enough to completely catch Beth’s attacks, but he could redirect them thanks to his training. Typically, he and Beth were close to being on par with one another, but given his friend’s mental state her attacks were more wild than focused. She swiped at him with open hands that he easily ducked under or swatted away. What she lacked in offensive coordination, however, she made up for with evasive defense. She dodged any counter attacks that he threw, dipping and diving underneath them with pinpoint accuracy and ease. If he hadn't trained with her for so many years fighting and training with her then he would have been caught off guard when she flipped over him and tried to surprise him.

Beth landed behind Jake once more and tried to surprise him with a kick to the back of his leg. Jake was quick, but he wasn’t able to evade the blow in time. He was on his knees with Beth’s hand clenching at his jaw. She was so close, all she had to do was bite him and this nightmare would finally come to an end. She was so focused on quenching her thirst that she failed to notice the chains that were rushing towards her until it was too late. Her arms were bound along with her legs as they wrapped tightly around her. She growled as she fought against the mystical binds around her.

Pam had managed to save Jake from being bitten by Beth, but her pet was incredibly strong. She was holding a good portion of her power back, but even with that it should have been enough to restrain her lover. Somehow, against all odds, Beth was breaking the hold! It shouldn't have been possible, but Beth was stronger than most even before the change. She felt her bonds slipping and attempted to pour more energy into them, but it was too late. With a brilliant flash of orange, the chains were dispelled and turned to ethereal shards. Were it any other opponent she could have used the shards to her advantage, but this wasn't the case. She was being forced to do battle against the woman she loved, and that was a fact that was making her weak in the face of battle.

Beth was overwhelmed by an all consuming hunger and rage. She had told herself repeatedly on the way here that she wouldn't attack, but the mere sight of her friends as prey had pushed her over the edge. She couldn't stop herself from attacking them, and all she could think about was quenching the damned thirst that was clouding her mind. She screamed at her body to stop, but it was past the point of abiding her will. She'd lashed out at Jake and nearly had him when she was hoisted into the air by Pam. It should have been the moment she calmed down, but instead it only added fuel to the growing fires of her hunger induced rage. Instead of seeing her beloved mistress, she saw only prey determined to be her next meal. With more strength than she thought possible, she shattered the chains that held her and moved to finally quench her thirst.

"Pam!" Jake yelled, his voice seeming like a distant echo in her mind as she closed the gap between her and her target.

Pam watched as her Kitten ran at her with fangs glinting in the light, but she didn't falter. Instead, she stood her ground and planted her feet. With more courage than she should have had she tried a final desperate command, "Beth, stop!"

The words echoed in her head and she found herself suddenly frozen in place. Her baser instincts pleaded with her to drink her mistress' blood, but her conditioning caused her to stop. The look in Pam's eyes and the tone of her voice brought back nights of time alone. Punishments, rewards, and their intimate moments of cuddling flooded her brain. Her body shook and she felt warmth run down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. She cried and forced herself to look up at the woman she loved. The eyes that looked down on her held more compassion than she felt she deserved, and she couldn't stop herself from breaking down. It was like that night so long ago at the castle, her body was wracked with sobs of guilt and quaked with every breath.

"Mistress," she managed between sobs, "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me."

It took everything she could to not take her beloved into her arms right there, but Jake robbed her of that chance. He'd taken a set of hand cuffs and slapped them onto Beth's wrists followed by a second set around the link of the first. He hauled her to her room and fastened the set to a bar in Beth's closet. Pam trailed slowly behind her and felt her heart breaking as Beth continued crying and pleading for forgiveness. She had to look away when Beth suddenly shifted from a sobbing mess to a once more trying to lash out and attack Jake. She caught a glimpse of Jake's face as he exited the room and the glum look on it. She could tell that this wasn't something he was happy with either.

"This isn't right," she said as he closed the door, "We can't do this to her."

"We didn't, Ashley did," he said grimly, "She starved her in hopes that she'd bite one of us and turn us to her side."

"That conniving bitch!" Pam growled, "If we can't cure her through magics, then we have to kill Ashley. She's the matriarch of all this, is she not?"

Jake nodded, "She is, and I agree."

"That's it, no argument about killing?" Pam asked.

Jake shook his head, "No, she's gone too far this time. Even if what she said is true about Beth storming in there, she nearly drove her insane. Hurting me is one thing, but hurting the people I care about is another."

"Let me see if there's anything that I can do to slow down or reverse the effects she's under first," she said, "I can't leave her like she is, she's so close to the edge and she must think we hate her."

"Fine, but be careful," he said as he grabbed his things, "She's not in control of herself and might try to manipulate you."

"I'll be fine," she reassured and then asked, "Where are you going? You can't just leave her!"

"I need to grab a few things from my apartment," he said, "I'll check in with Goth, grab my suit, and some additional equipment. Don't worry, I'll be back later tonight, watch out for yourself and for her."

Pam watched as her friend exited Beth's apartment. With him gone she was left alone with the sounds of her beloved. Howls of pain turned to rabid growls before shifting once more painful sobs. She couldn't bear to hear it, but she also couldn't bring herself to cast a silencing spell around the room. As agonizing as those sounds were, it meant that Beth was still here and still alive. She didn't have a lot of time to study and prepare, so she blocked out the feelings that swirled inside of her and opened her tome. If there was something, anything, to be done for Beth she would do it. She owed the girl that much at least.

Jake had practically ran the entire way back to his and Goth’s apartment. He took the steps two at a time and burst through the door. It startled Goth who had been reading in her chair, "Jake, what the hell are you doing?!" she asked.

He rushed into their room and called back, "Ashley sent Beth back to her house, but she's basically feral."

She walked off after him to see what he was doing and said, "I thought that she already was the Feral."

"Yeah, well now she's literally a feral vampire," he said while he rummaged through his drawers to retrieve his suit.

"Oh my," she said and brought a hand to her mouth, "What are you going to do?"

He started to change as he replied, "I'm going to kill a vampire queen."

She was torn between surprise and delight at his words. This was exactly what she had hoped for, but she had to be careful not to give herself away. She hid the smile that threatened to spread across her face and said, "Poor Pamela must be absolutely distraught to have lost her little pet."

"We didn't kill her," Jake said as he fastened his utility belt, "She's restrained at her place, and Pam is looking into a way to slow down the effects before it becomes permanent."

"You let her live?" Goth asked and betrayed herself with the question, "Why? She's a danger to herself, to you, and to Pamela!"

Jake froze as he realized just what Goth was insinuating, "You want her dead," he said as he clenched his fists and glared at her, "You wanted us to kill her."

"Don't be absurd," she defended, "I know how much she means to Pamela. I would never-"

"Bullshit," he said as he took a step forward, "You've always hated Beth, and you've always despised Pam's attachment to her, even though their story isn't that different than your knight!"

Her eyes widened and she asked, "Who told you that story? Pamela, ugh, wretched little urchin. I should have killed her years ago when she tried to steal from me."

"You'd rather your only friend in this world be dead than have me know that tale?" he asked in disbelief.

"That story is personal and something I revealed to my initiates as a means of demonstrating what can be attained," she replied, "It isn't hers to tell, and frankly if I had just killed her all those years ago then none of this would be happening! I'd have you by my side and at my feet, where you belong, and I'd have my powers!"

"But you didn't and you don't," he said coldly, "I don't know whether I hate you or pity you right now."

She took a step back, hurt by his words, "You don't mean that," she said.

He shook his head and shrugged, "I don't know, to be honest, all I know is that this is your fault. You brought Ashley back, you didn't tell me what you'd done, and Beth is suffering because of you again! You're so damn miserable that you have to infect everyone else. You're the most selfish person I've ever met in my life!"

"Everything I've done, I have done for you!" Goth yelled, "I had Ashley brought back to force you to fight because you're ruled by your fear of failure. I never intended for Elizabeth to get herself into this mess, she is not mine to control!"

"And that's what it's all about, isn't it?" he asked, "Control, if you're not in control then you feel weak and pathetic. You didn't summon Ashley to help me, you did it to try and get your power back through her. You can't stand not being a Goddess to everyone, even if...even if you were always one to me."

He had been yelling up until the last part, but his voice dropped to barely a whisper by the end. She was dumbstruck by his comment, and she was certain he hadn't meant for her to hear it. She reached out to him slowly, "Jake, I-"

He pulled away and sidestepped her, "No, whatever it is just no," he said as he walked to the doorway, "You're getting what you wanted, I'm going to kill Ashley to save Beth. If I don't act fast then you'll also finally be rid of her. I hope you're happy."

He exited their room and headed for the study. She shook off the hurt and shock and followed after him. His emotions were all over the place and she could feel how conflicted he was. It showed, physically, in the pace that he kept as he marched down the hallway. "Jake, wait!" she called after him, "Please, listen to me."

He entered the study and opened a locker he kept in the corner. Inside were some of his tools and new tech he had been working on, but he stopped and spun on his heel to face her once she entered the room. "No!" he shouted, "I'm through listening to you and I'm through wasting time going in circles! You don't get to play the victim here, Rebecca, everything that's happened is because of you! Your actions, even before Ashley, are what caused all of this and the reason I'm just a shadow of who I used to be!"

She flinched at the venomous tone in his voice, the look in his eyes, and the sincerity of his words. She snapped back at him before she could stop herself, "You were broken long before I found you! You were living in a shadow of yourself, denying who you are in the name of some silly little concept of right and wrong. I am why you got stronger, I am why you could accept yourself, and I am the only reason you survived for so long!"

"There's a difference between surviving and living, Rebecca," he said coldly, "I became your Raven to save my friends, and like a blind fool I believed you loved me!"

"I do love you!" she screamed and took a deep breath before continuing, "I have always loved you, that story that Pamela revealed was completely true. I've spent lifetimes trying to find you again, and every time I've been thwarted. You are my knight, my Raven from so long ago."

"Is that why you killed me in a past life?" he asked.

"How would you know about that?!" she demanded, outraged.

"Dilatrix," he answered and decided to turn around and gather his equipment, "She showed me my past lives and how every time you were the death of me. Every single time you've entered my lives, you've done nothing but bring me pain."

"Jake...you don't understand everything," she said, " My past, our past, is complicated. It would take time to explain, but for me to do that you will have to calm down and listen."

"I don't have time for this," he said, "The longer we sit here, the worse Beth is going to get, and the more likelihood that she gets loose and kills Pam! As much as I know you would absolutely love that, I am not going to sit back and let that happen.”

“Jake-” she began.

“I’ve got to go,” he said as he finished collecting his items and prepared to leave, but he was stopped by Goth’s arm, “Don’t do this, don’t test me right now, I am in no mood.”

“Jake, you aren’t going to get far like that,” she said.

He frowned up at her and decided to play along, “What are you on about?”

“Your equipment, while adequate, won’t be enough,” she explained as she walked over to a large chest she had tucked away beside the bookcase, “These items may be older, but I promise they will serve you well. Gather everything that you can and get back to your friend, we will be talking when you get back.”

"Oh I’m sure we will,” he said as he inspected the contents of the chest.

Pam was trying to concentrate on her reading, but Beth’s cries had gotten worse. The worst part was that her screams had evolved to calling out for her. She had resisted for as long as she could, but as time went on her strength to resist began to wane. Every time that she heard her name in either that vicious tone, or worse, that broken voice that reminded her of that night so long ago. The myriad of emotions pouring out of that room only added to her dilemma. She could feel every ounce of regret, failure, hunger, lust, and sorrow that ran through her girlfriend’s mind. It was driving her crazy.

She hoped that Jake would have been back by now. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since he had left. What she did know, however, was that she had been reading the same paragraph for at least twenty minutes. A final agonizing cry caused her to abandon her efforts, “Pam, mistress, please help me…”

She hadn’t been able to glean much of anything useful from her tome, anyway. She closed it and approached Beth’s room. The door was still closed and she hesitated just outside of it. She was afraid to see what awaited her behind that door. Just seeing Beth in that frenzied state was enough to break her heart and she wasn’t sure if she could face her again. Another pained cry touched her ears and she couldn’t hold back any longer. She turned the handle and slowly opened the door. Her eyes locked with Beth’s as soon as she set foot into the room. There she stood, still chained to the closet bar with her body slightly slack against the restraints.

She tentatively stepped forward, “Kitten?” she whispered.

For a second it looked like Beth was going to say something, but instead she tried to lunge forward. It hurt her to do it, but Pam held up a hand to reinforce the bindings and the bar to stop Beth from advancing. She had to look away as Beth snarled and growled at her while she fought against her restraints. She couldn’t do this, there was no way that she could stare into those tormented eyes. She was stopped by a weak plea from her beloved, “Mistress...please...please don’t leave me.”

She turned to face her and moved over to Beth’s bed. She sat down on it and faced her strung up pet, “I told you, I will never leave you, Kitten,” she said, “I’m here, can you hear me?”

Beth nodded weakly, “I-I can,” she said in a strained voice, “I can always hear, but I can’t...can’t...argh!”

She stopped as she started to convulse and growl once again. She lunged against the restraints, but stopped herself short. Pam got up and started to approach, “Beth!” she yelled, concerned.

“Stay back!” Beth growled, “I can’t stop myself right now. Can’t...can’t think straight...need to feed!”

Pam was reluctant to just sit there and let her beloved suffer like she was, but she did as she was told. She frowned as she said, “Kitten, you called out to me for help. Tell me what you need, please, try to concentrate for me.”

Beth panted and fought to regain some semblance of control over her mental faculties. It was easily one of the hardest things that she had ever done, but somehow some way she managed to reign herself back in enough to force herself to answer, “Need...mistress...I hurt, it hurts so much...can’t think...keep trying to hurt you...hurt Jake...please, please...Pam...kill...me.”

Pam’s eyes went wide as Beth finished her labored speech and she shook her head, “No! I will not do that.”

“Do you...do you love me, mistress?” Beth asked between heavy breaths.

“You know I do,” Pam said, “I love you more than anything, and that is precisely why I can’t and won’t kill you.”

“Mistress, please...I can’t take this,” Beth pleaded, “I know...I know how much you love me...and...and I hate putting you in this position...but I don’t have much time...please...please just kill me.”

Pam shook her head and tried to reason with her, “We are going to get you back to normal, I’m going to make that woman pay for what she did and save you.”

“There’s no time!” Beth yelled as another wave of pain shot through her and tears welled up in her eyes, “Pam...you are everything to me...you’re the only person I can trust besides Jake...I’m sorry...I love you and it’s okay...just please end this pain.”

“Beth…” Pam said quietly and stood up.

Beth watched as Pam rose from her bed and she prepared herself for whatever fate she was in store for. She had made her peace and was ready to die, she was honestly just ready for this nightmare to be over. She stepped back, however, when she saw Pam taking a slow step towards her. She wasn’t in any sort of attack stance that she had ever seen her girlfriend take, and while she wasn’t sure what she was doing she didn’t like it. “Pam, what are you doing?” she asked, “Get back, I can’t...I can’t control myself!”

Pam knew what she was doing was bordering on insane, but since Beth had come into her life that seemed to be the norm. She continued walking forward and held her arms out, “Shh, I know you can’t, Kitten,” she said softly, “It’s okay, I promise. I’m going to take all that nasty pain away.”

The closer she got, the more difficult it became to resist. She grit her teeth and tried to convince Pam to reconsider, “M-mistress, y-you can’t do this!”

Pam wrapped her arms around Beth’s waist and craned her neck, “You do not tell me what I can and cannot do, Kitten,” she said, “Do it, be my good girl and eat.”

Pam tried to prepare herself for the sensation of the bite, but she couldn’t stop herself from tensing as Beth’s teeth sank into her neck. What came next was easily the strangest thing she had ever felt. She could feel her blood being drained from her neck and with every bit that was pulled out of her, she felt something being pumped into her. There was a transfer of sorts happening in her body and she shook as it happened. She felt Beth’s hands take a firm hold of her lower back and pull her closer. It was a surprisingly intimate experience all things considered.

It lasted several minutes, but finally Beth pulled away and let loose a carnal roar before it devolved into a contented sigh. Pam had fought to keep herself strong and standing throughout the feeding. Despite having finally been able to drink her fill, Beth’s body gave out on her and she collapsed in Pam’s arms. She was tired, and after everything she had been through she just wanted to sleep in the arms of her mistress. Pam lifted her body and carried her over to her bed. She laid down next to her and ran her fingers through her hair like she’d done so many times before.

She kissed her pet’s head and whispered, “There’s my good girl, rest now...I’ll have to tell Jake what I’ve done, but...if anyone can do this it’ll be him. I love you, Kitten.”