Bride of Blood:: First Kiss by Anthony E. Ventrello

uneasiness and almost a strange sort of pain.   It was as if his flesh didn’t want him to touch her, but his heart longed for her.
                              Both of them were lost in thought when Chelsea pulled up in the van.   The backseats had been removed and there were two coffins in their place.   Since any sort of long distance travel risked exposure to sunlight or to mortals, the only way for a vampire to travel was to be shipped.   Coffins were the simplest because no one would ever open it during transit.   Besides, international corpse transport was actually quite common.   And of course the shipping company was paid well by The Order to not ask questions.   They oversaw coffins in and out of Africa, the States and all places in between.
                              Chelsea knew the routine, so she opened the van’s sliding door and let in the vampires.   Anton and Alexander would have to go into a sort of hibernation-like state in order to make the journey.   They would need to feed as soon as they arrived.
                              Alexander kissed Chelsea on the lips and got into his coffin.   He closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.   Suddenly his skin became like a marble statue.   No matter how many times Chelsea saw a vampire go into that state, it still freaked her out.   To her it was like seeing Alexander die before her eyes, which was her worst nightmare.
                              “You know what is to be done, right love?” Anton asked her.
                              “Yes of course,” she replied, stammering.
                              “Just remember, give them this manila envelope and they will take it from there,” he said handing her a big envelope.   She knew that it contained papers, instructions, and a nice sum of cash.
                              Anton hugged her, tightly.   She closed her eyes and whispered in his ear, “Be safe and come back to me…both of you!”
                              He nodded, kissed her forehead and got into his coffin.   Chelsea turned her head away this time, as he transformed himself into the mummy-like state.   She closed her eyes when she closed the lid and secured it.   Even with all that, she still got a chill up her spine.
     
                             
    Alexander opened his eyes and sat up.   He glanced up at the ceiling that simulated daylight and smiled.   Even though he knew it was just an illusion he still enjoyed it.   He knew he would never get to see the true daylight ever again, but this was the next best thing.
                              He glanced over and stared at the dead mortal girl lying next to him. Her lifeless eyes stared back at him, frozen in the look of terror.   She was naked as he was but she had been for feeding not pleasure.   Not that he would have made her because he could have cared less.   Her throat was gaping open where he’d torn it and fed.   He’d been so ravenously hungry he didn’t care if she suffered or not.   This was not like him at all, but a hungry vampire could not be held responsible for what he did.   It was why The Cleaners were kept employed.
                              With a quick shove, her body rolled off the bed and onto the hard wooden floor.   Her head made a loud smack when it struck the floor.   At that instant, three of Lady Bernadine’s handmaids appeared from out of the shadows.   They didn’t lift their eyes or acknowledge Alexander as they retrieved the corpse and quickly changed the linens on the bed.   Just as quickly as they came, they disappeared.  
                              Alexander stood beside the bed and put on the white robe the handmaids left.   He ran his left hand through his hair, which now ran down past his shoulders.   He hadn’t bothered to cut it for a while and