Angiluzza Maniscalco's Story

Thud, thud, thud It was amazing to think that Annabelle Jefferson had forever at her finger tips... and she found entertainment in throwing a rubber ball at the ceiling of her bedroom. It was all purely educational of course; despite the fact that the vampire had increased reactions, she was choosing to be slow and not to really pay attention. In her head, Annie was trying to work out how hard a human would need to throw the ball for it to go through the ceiling she was hitting it at. She knew that she could, if she wanted to, achieve that goal without trying, but it was much more fun to work with hypothisis you didn't plan on getting the answers to. Annie would probably ask Adonis or Jasper to complete the expierment for her... when she felt like it.

It may have seemed strange to an outsider; watching the blonde throwing a ball and catching again like a child; however Annie liked to keep busy and set herself nice, silly, little tasks to do. It stopped her from thinking about serious stuff; something she'd had far too much of her life time. Finally, the blonde caught the small rubber ball and threw it at the laundry basket, aiming with a perfect accuracy. 'And that... is why i'm a genius' She spoke aloud, smiling to herself as she stared over at her laptop. She needed to write a blog entry soon; otherwise she would lose readers. Not that she cared. She'd lived this long without worrying about her popularity, why should she start now? It wasn't like it had that many readers anyway...

It was then that the blonde heard a loud shout coming from outside; at lightening speed she stood up, staring out of her window to see what the cause of the commotion was. She saw Adonis; being surrounding by a gang of men. Before she had time to react however; Annie saw a man walk in the fray, causing all the other men to flee. Annie's knuckled clenched on the window seal; It was Isaac. That man would get himself killed one day... she didn't want that to happen. She knew that was being stupid, Isaac was a vampire after all and could look after himself, but she was just so protective of him. She'd put it down to the fact he reminded her of Mathew and the two were basically joined at the hip. But just recently, She'd felt herself grow closer to him... like there was something more. After the her past, this thought scared her. She couldn't let herself become that weak to a man again... love makes you weak. She thought to herself; shaking off her train of thought almost instantly.

Then, Annie grabbed a grey cardigan that complimented her outfit and made her way downstairs, hoping to catch Isaac before he wondered off; she found him just walking back into the building. She stood directly in front of him, blocking his path, 'You could have got yourself hurt out there you know.' She said coolly. She had chosen this approach wisely; shouting at him would have given away the fact that she had been worried sick about him for that split second he was out there alone. 'Never go into a fight with back up, especially when you don't really know who the opponent is, do you understand?' She finished fiercly. She wanted him to understand that she was stupid; she never wanted him to cotton onto the fact she was worried.



Jasper had been watching TV; there seemed something better than watching the high lights of the 20/20 world cricket series circa 2001. Oh the joys of living in a house full of vampires. That had been on Jasper's favorite seasons, he'd sat there religous blocking out everything else; including a social life just to watch. He smiled as he remember how Robyn used to nag him to get things down and instead he'd trapped her on the sofa to watch most of the game. She hadn't had as much of a passion for it as he had. She'd watch it, but Jasper got the feeling never truely understood it. He gave a small smile of sadness, oh Robyn, why aren't you here... with me? She'd have loved it here; it was the house that dreams were made of her, except the fact that there were blood sucking creatures everywhere you looked. Granted, they were nice enough people; didn't mean to see they couldn't kill you if they had the chance....

Jasper stood up and smothed down his shrt; he was hungry and it was time to eat; he knew he was the only one that used the kitchen well... used it properly. He was a self confessed god in the kitchen; even some of the vampires, namely Angel, enjoyed his cooking. She'd probably be along soon; once she'd smelt the food. She often sat and watched him cook, sometimes in complete silence. That was unnerving to the male; but he knew she was judging him, watching his every move. Quite a lot of the vampires did that; Jasper had noticed, he had gotten used to it.

It was then that Jasper's thought turned to Eva; should he make her dinner? No doubt she'd be hungry by now. He make a little more and save it for her; they had to stick together right? Sometimes she was genuinely the only thing that kept him sane. That and the thought of getting vegence on the bastard that killed Robyn...

She heard Dmitri shuffling along to grudgingly obey her orders, and as he sat, she uttered her order for Kaleigh, listening as the girl slowly took off her clothes. The vampire could practically smell as comprehension dawned on her, her human mind finally grasping the concept of Helena’s game this night. Her smile grew as Dmitri’s bristling anger filled the room. Oh, yes, this was going to be fun. Then again, Helena could change her mind half way in and leave both of them tied up to do something more fun. She’d forgotten about Kaleigh a couple of times in the past, merely leaving the girl tied up in the basement, because she’d become distracted. It wasn’t really that unusual.

After a while she’d recall her little human because she’d get a little hungry and then be reminded of Kaleigh’s scent under her nose, but it could take hours. One time she’d gone hunting elsewhere and completely forgotten the little redhead in her basement for almost a day. Since no one else was allowed down there, unless she expressively told them to, no one had come to get her, and she’d been a little hungry and thirsty once Helena thought of it. She’d felt bad for a while about it, cooing at her pet, taking care of her like a mother would a babe. That was the other side to Helena. Her moods and her personality swung back and forth, not really consistent at any way, and sometimes she would get very motherly with Kaleigh.

A disturbingly amused smile grazed her lips when Kaleigh then began begging her to make Dmitri leave. Oh, this was simply joyous! She crouched down in front of the girl, her right hand moving to gently caress the young girl’s cheek, wiping away the tear. “Now, little bird,” she cooed, “what would be the fun in that?” Her smile grew as she stood and she clapped her hands in excitement, spinning around to move to Dmitri in the chair, binding him to it with heavy chains, one wrapping tightly around his neck and the chair to keep his head completely steady, and his eyes pointed towards Kaleigh.

Then she let a few nails run down his neck, almost in a caress as she purred into his ear “it’s no fun if you don’t watch. Close your eyes and I will cut off your eyelids. Hers too.” This was as much an experiment as a game to the female Fallen leader. She wanted to break Dmitri entirely, to diminish every bit of fight he had left in him, choking it out of him like sand would a flame.

She wanted to figure out just how much Kaleigh meant to Dmitri, because he was astoundingly good at withstanding pain, even when she tortured him. Sometimes it was a fun challenge, and she always won it, but at other times she got bored with him halfway through. However, if Kaleigh was who she thought to him, well, then Helena could pride herself on having found a lovely little weakness in the stubborn human. She grinned up at Kaleigh, her eerily red, unseeing eyes focused on her, even as Helena’s cheek remained against the side of Dmitri’s face, her body bended downwards slightly. She knew her touch was nauseating to Dmitri, and she loved it. She loved the effect she had on him, just as much as she loved the one she had on Kaleigh.

She straightened herself then, one finger twirling in Dmitri’s hair, the nail scraping against his scalp without breaking skin. “I believe Dmitri and I would like you to remove all of your clothes, little bird.” Helena then purred before stalking towards the small, frail thing, a hand quickly unclasping her bra then, nail slicing through the sides of her panties, effectively removing the fabric. “Hmm,” she hummed then, smiling once more as sadistic light lit up her eyes. Yes, this would be a fun game.

---

The male could easily feel Eva fidgeting beneath him, and he knew she had to confused, a little hurt, and probably shocked too at how this felt as oppose to the other times he had taken her blood as his life force. He hated this. He hated that he needed to do this. Hated Alessa’s timing. Hated that he was forced to behave so unlike himself. Her whispering of his name registered, but he didn’t pay it much mind. In fact, Derek knew exactly when a human wouldn’t be able to take any more, and he had an impressive amount of self control in… well, all that he did. He felt really bad about doing this to her, though. She deserved better; most humans did, sure, but her in particular. Eva was a sweet, caring, and helpful type of girl, and generally he’d have wished her more than this life…

But, he hadn’t had much of a say in the matter. She had been insistent and though Derek had since berated Isaac on the matter, telling the kid never to make coven decisions without his or Alessa’s counsel at least, he had let Eva stay. And the taste of her blood reminded him why. It was heavenly, his senses sent into a intoxicating spiral as he sucked from her, his tongue lapping up any stray blood. He was in a hurry, but he didn’t need to be messy. He moved the hand on her hip around her when he felt her growing weaker, steadying her against the wall as he selfishly stole her blood. How was he going to make this good again? How could he possibly explain his situation to a human?

Generally, Derek wasn’t your open, talk-about-whatever kind of vampire. In fact he detested small-talk, and he despised explaining himself to anyone. He would have to with Eva, however; he knew that much. When Eva finally whispered to him that she felt sick, he pulled back simultaneously, carefully sliding his fangs out of her neck, gently licking the small puncture wounds, almost like tending to a wounded loved one in regret. “I’ll make this up to you,” he promised her quietly, moving to scoop her into his arms like you would a bride and as he cradled her, he pecked her forehead sweetly, giving her a vague smile, his fangs back in hiding at this point. He gingerly placed her on her bed and sighed, putting his small gift on her bed, next to her pillow.

It was a small thing, but it made him feel at least a little better about the whole situation. He would have said “sorry” if he were the type to. But he wasn’t. Not even when he genuinely regretted his actions, and sometimes that bugged him. He hadn’t uttered a proper apology in all of his life. The closest he got was “I apologize for…” and that was really more of a kind warning than an apology to him. He hadn’t missed the sound of Adonis, but had more or less ignored it, much like he was currently ignoring both Angel and Jasper downstairs. He gently brushed a hand through Eva’s hair, murmuring “just rest. You’ll feel better soon.” Or, in about an hour or two anyway. That was the usual coping time when he had fed on a human this way.

Then he left her room without another word, closing her door behind him, a slight sigh escaping the male. Fucking Alessa and her lack of control. It still stunned him, how you could be 1601 years old, and not have mastered the art of self control. She was worse than Lucan and Angel had been when they were new. Of course he was there for her, and he supported her, but he didn’t understand her. He couldn’t.

Soon, the tall vampire was inside Alessa’s car, riding shotgun, although he hated it, his movement nothing but a blur in the wind. He looked at her then. He had fed on Eva in only a minute’s time, total, so she hadn’t had to wait for long. He gave her a brief nod, gaze turning out the window in the next instant. “Let’s go,” he told her, saying nothing else. He was still a little upset with her timing.

Derek pulled back immediately after her comment. Eva sighed. She didn’t know if it was relief, content or delight, but it certainly was not the near orgasm she typically felt. It was nothing like what she usually felt. For the first time, her body was rejecting him. Instinct was telling her to get away from him. She wasn’t hurt but she didn’t feel right. Eva felt loopy and she clung to him, and he to her. She felt Derek tighten his hold on her, bearing more of her weight. She shifted and her head lolled into the hollow of his throat.

“I’ll make this up to you,” Derek whispered, sincerity bleeding with his tone. It was the closest thing to a sorry he had ever given her. He seemed as unhappy as she was, but even more so. Eva ran her hands down his arms, allowing herself to grip his biceps, to feel the tension in his body, the petrified muscle hard as solid marble. Her fingers could barely ply at his skin. As he stepped away from the wall, she fell slightly but he knelt and swept her into his arms. The motion was so fast she felt her stomach churn and the loopiness in her head rapidly degenerated into a wave of vertigo. “Woah,” she said in surprise, her hands shifting to bring herself closer to his chest. What other chance did she have for him to carry her princess style? Eva gasped and inhaled sharply, looking at his face so close. Staring into his eyes, he leaning forward. Her entire body shivered in anticipation, a flush running up the length of her cheeks before fading back to the pale tone associated with her lower blood level. Her lips were parted, and she tilted her chin ever so slightly, bringing her mouth closer to him. Then he bypassed her face entirely, pressing his cold lips to her forehead, just below her hairline. Eva didn’t feel capable of hiding her disappointment. He pulled away and she turned her face into his shirt. God damnit. Does my face not scream kiss me?

Derek moved quickly then, setting her back down on her bed. “Just rest. You’ll feel better soon,” he told her vaguely. Eva laid on her side, pulling her hands under her pillow after adjusting the collar of her sweater to cover her neck. He leaned over her briefly, allowing himself to run a hand through her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut then, feeling her body respond to his touch while an odd numbness seemed to spread through her arms and legs. When she opened her eyes, Derek was closing her bedroom door. It seemed that just as fast as he had come, he was gone.

The brunette was confused. Her eyes shifted as she looked at the clock on her nightstand, past the small bright mini orchid. The small silver box containing his latest gift caught his eye. Eva didn’t want to open it for the first time. It was just so weird. She felt so…used and even a little dirty? Was this what a one night stand felt like?

Eva tried to sleep. She rolled so that her back faced the door, sliding her legs under her comforter. A chill ran up her spine, making her shiver. The sweating came shortly after and she knew immediately that her blood sugar content was probably low, meaning she needed to eat and have some juice. Just like when any person went to a blood bank, she needed her drink and cookie. Slowly she sat up. When she moved too fast the light headed feeling returned and she felt dizzy. She had walked into doors and fallen down the stairs before and didn’t want to do that today. Eva wrapped a smaller fleece blanket around her shoulders, gripping it in her hands under her chin. Conscious of where she stepped, she left her room and slowly walked down the stairs, gripping the banister for balance.

When she hit the landing she smelt Jasper’s cooking. It was comforting to know that she would likely not have to try and make something by herself. Fashion was her talent, not the kitchen. As she entered the kitchen she couldn’t help but hum her delight, moving to the fridge to open it and grab the bottle of orange juice. Using her left hand to grip it, she turned to set it on the counter only to feel her hand slip as the numbness of blood loss hit her hands. “Crap,” she gasped, trying to grab it. The plastic jug hit the floor with a thud, skidding over to Jasper by the stove. Eva tugged the blanket around her shoulders tighter to her body, clasping it with one hand while she retrieved the juice. As she stood she felt the dizziness hit her and she wavered in her position before looking at Jasper with a weak smile. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you like this,” she apologized, looking at the typically sullen man who was also a pet to the forbearers. She knew that Derek’s bite mark on her neck was likely still pink and healing. She knew that Jasper would know right away what she was dealing with. Still, she didn’t want to ask him for his help because all she wanted something to eat and some orange juice so that she could crawl back into her bed and stop feeling the way she was feeling. Maybe she did need to take a bath now. She felt a little dirty. Then she realized Angel was also present, the female vampire standing close to Jasper. She was dressed...a little oddly. Eva swallowed. "Didn't mean to interrupt you either Angel," she murmured.

He didn't understand. He didn't understand why Annie had come down here. That was good, right? That had been what the female vampire had wanted. Not to show him how she truly felt about him. She couldn't; it would make things far too complicated. Still, there was a part of her that shriveled up a little when she saw that he gave an angrier response back. Ahe really did need to talk to someone about how she felt. She was smart, granted, but feelings? That was a whole different ball park. Maybe she'd talk to Angel about it, the female vampire was like a sister to her. Annie searched for Angel's scent, locating it not too far away. It mixed with the smell of cooking.. and Jasper. Ah, perhaps now wouldn't be the best time.

She smiled, accepting Isaac's apology; she secretly marveled in the way that she was able to make him turn around and say sorry so quickly.. She shoved the thought to the back of her mind. She didn't want the male to feel he shouldn't hurt her. She could see it in his eye every time she looked at him and she hated it. Isaac's abrupt departure left her a little shocked, had she done something wrong to upset him? Of all the people in the covern, Isaac was the one whose opinion truely mattered to her. 'Hey,' She called, a softer, more playful edge to her voice, 'Try not to get into any fights this time.' She smiled to herself as she watched the handsome vampire walk away.

It was then that she heard another slam of the front door, looking up she saw the broken form of Adonis. Annie hide herself in the shadows, not wanting to startle or frighten the human. She watched as he stumbled across the hall, obviously quite hurt. Somebody should check if he was okay. She searched the house for the scents of her covern. Only Angel, herself, Isaac and the humans. Derek and Alessa must have gone out. With the other two vampires in the house currently preoccupied, although what Isaac was up to she had no idea, the blonde decided she had better go and check on the human. After all, they were pets, not slaves; they needed looking after.

Just then, Isaac came back. He looked a little upset. What the hell had distracted him so and then made him like this? For once, the female vampire let a little concern seep into her expression as she looked at him. She came within a second of asking Isaac what was wrong, but then he spoke, asking her if she wanted to grab something to eat. 'I'll join you in a minute, i'm just going to and check on Adonis, he looked in a pretty bad way when he walked past a second ago..' She said quietly, staring into the eyes of the handsome vampire before casting her eyes downward, turning around walking away at human speed. ' Oh and Jasper's in the kitchen, making food, however I think Angel got their first.' She gave Isaac a small smile, before running at vampire speed to find Adonis.

Within seconds she was at is room. She knocked on the door firmly 'Adonis, it's Annie. Open the door please?' She spoke softly but clearly, not wanting to scare the human on the other side of it.



Jasper was making brunch. In normal human life's, this would have been dinner time, but this wasn't a normal human life. The humans didn't really sleep in the night time, they slept more in the day; much like vampires did. So the meal Jasper was making was more across between breakfast and lunch. Bacon, Eggs, sausages and beans. A hearty meal. He liked cooking it soothed them male greatly to have total concerntration on what he was cooking. Jasper espeically enjoyed cooking for others, it gave the male a great deal of satisfaction to see others enjoy something that he had created.

It was then that the male heard a thump on the desk, he stepped back from the counter, startled by the sound. It was then that he saw Angel. It was instantly apparent to the male that there was something different about the female. She was dressed in an extremely short dress that showed all her assets of..quite nicely actually. Not that Jasper cared; she looked good, just not as good as Robyn did. There was something in the female vampires eyes that was scaring him. She looked..almost manic. This meant only one thing in Jasper's head. It was feeding time for Angel.

The male was aware of somebody entering the room as Angel spoke. She told me how hungry she was; he suspected it wasn't just for the food he was cooking. Angel was regular company of his; when she wasn't feasting on his bloody was actually ok to be around; however at this moment Jasper knew he had to comply with what she said; for his sake. 'Angel' He began softly, before he was interrupted by something falling to the floor behind him. He turned to see an extremely weak looking Eva staring back at him, the two of them now standing in a pool of orange juice. He knew she'd been feed on almost instantly. There was something in the male that didn't like that. Not one little bit. He know, of course, that it was her choice to be here as much as it was his, the two of them had discussed, at length their reasons for being here. However, there was something about the weak female standing opposite him that didn't sit right with the South Africian. He almost resented the vampires for doing to her.

'That's quite alright, there's another carton in the fridge,' smiling at her as he brushed past her, opening the fridge and pouringo out another cup full for Eva. 'Go and sit over there,' He said soothingly, pointing to the sofa's not ten yards away from them, 'I'm about to dish this meal up, sit and eat it here. That way I know you've eaten.' He told her simply. Jasper was an extremely calm person, he always cared about those who were close to him. He had become quite good friends with Eva, she reminded him of his old self in a way. Well when she wasn't recovering from being feed on at the very least.

The male then turned back to Angel; the vampire was still crouched on the desktop, watching the whole scene like a hawk. 'Why yes, Angel, you may have some of my meal, please sit down and I'll bring it over.' He told her quietly, completely ignoring her obvious lust for his blood as he began to serve the meal.

Eva quickly realized that Angel was tense and more than normal. She didn’t know how she hadn’t noticed it at first. Self concern had her ultimate goal the fridge and its contents. Having found Jasper was a bonus. Seeing Angel now, staring at her as she struggled to clean up the mess she had made only made her hands shake more than they already were. The brunette had a rather scathing stare when she was annoyed. Eva felt incredibly small and foolish the moment she looked into the vampire’s eyes. Biting down on her lip, she wasn’t quite sure what to do. The mess wasn’t as large as it could have been. The plastic of the jug had split, leaving a small puddle where it had landed and nothing more. She collected it and dropped it in the sink, eying Jasper and fidgeting. Normally she would have happily greeted Angel and tried to make her smile – likely showing her some new fashion sketch she had come up with (and there were a few upstairs in her room and on her mind). But today when she was close to a hypoglycemic reaction, she was quiet, flashing her eyes at Jasper as he smiled at her like nothing was wrong.

“That's quite alright, there's another carton in the fridge,” Jasper told her matter of factly. He did so in a way that she didn’t feel terrible. Still, with Angel so close and kneeling on the counter looking ready to pounce, Eva didn’t want to push the scenario. She smiled weakly back at her friend as he moved to collect a second carton of juice from the fridge, taking a glass out for her and filling it without so much as batting an eye. She took it in two hands, keeping her blanket high on her shoulders to cover her neck. “Thank-you,” she whispered, her voice low. A hint of her usual peppiness was present.

“Go and sit over there,” Jasper offered, extending a hand to one of the couches off to the side of a large kitchen table. Eva nodded slowly, bringing the glass to her lips and taking in several mouthfuls of juice. The glass was half gone but her head was instantly clearer. Still, she knew her body was reacting to her low blood level and likely would for the next few hours like Derek had told her. It was weird though. Normally all of the vampires were willing to return the blood favor. Even a lick of vampire blood would ease the effects of blood loss incrementally. Derek had not been so charitable today and Angel looked about ready to…do unthinkable things to one of them that Eva knew better. She could take care of herself after all. “I'm about to dish this meal up, sit and eat it here. That way I know you've eaten,” Jasper added. Eva nodded again before walking away from the tense situation to sit on the couch, hunching over and shivering from her chill, hugging the juice between her knees and trying to close her eyes. Still, she heard him speak to the other vampire tersely. She couldn’t help it and at once she was concerned.

“Why yes, Angel, you may have some of my meal, please sit down and I'll bring it over,” Jasper said to Angel. The scraping of books and the clatter of plates told Eva that he was doing just as he said he was – plating his meal and a portion for herself. “Non ho tempo per i giochi, Jasper. Sarebbe saggio di voi non per testare i miei limiti,” Angiluzza barked back at him. I don't have time for games Jasper. It would be wise of you not to test my limits. Her harsh Italian came off quickly. Eva had been around long enough to know that when Angel was speaking in rapid Italian she was hungry. Just as Derek had been earlier, she was famished and unfortunately she was eying Jasper in a less than friendly way. “But she’s a forbearer…she won’t kill him?” Eva thought lowly to herself in wonder. She could never tell with any of them. Derek had told her once to leave the coven while she could, paid off to never say anything. After she had arrived with Isaac upon being told what they were, all of them appeared weary to her. She understood the fear of an outsider but to a degree she hadn’t understood the warnings until she had experienced their thirst. All of the forbearers seemed to push themselves to a point where they were almost ravenous at times. She wished they would take a little often rather than a lot occasionally. It was easier that way, less painful, more pleasurable.

“I am going to ask you politely one more time. I suggest you come out with a smarter answer. Jasper, darling. May I. Have a bite to eat?” Eva heard Angel demand. The words were sharp and unrelenting, offering no other option for Jasper. “Has any of us ever said no?” she wondered to herself, keeping her eyes downcast and focused on her glass of juice that was already half full. She wished she could just sleep through all of this but her body had her awake and aware. Painfully aware now with the juice in her too.

When her vampire chuckled in response to her words of Kaleigh and Dmitri, it was a clear message that he had understood her, not that she was surprised. Kristof always understood her. Even when she hardly made sense to herself. She grinned, satisfied with his reaction. This was why Kristof had been perfect for her. Not the sex, not the good looks, nor the devotion… but the cruel, violent, unrelenting side to him. Even as a human, he had torn into his enemies with viciousness rivaled only by her own. She had loved watching him; simply looking on from the shadows as he hacked and swayed, his technique impeccable. He was the most magnificent human warrior she had ever laid eyes on.

However, as Kristof then sighed, Helena’ face whipped up, her unseeing eyes on his face instantly. It was most likely more of a habit than anything, though, because really, she could be directing them anywhere and it wouldn’t matter one bit. Well, that, or maybe she did it for Kristof’s benefit, although that would be exceptionally unselfish of her, and most wouldn’t consider her the type. Maybe Kristof was different. Well, that much was a given, but no one knew how much. Not even Helena herself. She had no clue how important the male was to her sanity and generally… life. But he was. Important, that is. More than anyone, Kristof was the thing she could not exist without.

Not anymore, anyway. He had grown too close to her, and she depended on him too much, which was probably why two days without him was like an eternity to her, which was funny, because she sorta had lived an eternity. She realized how much she needed him when he wasn’t there, but then promptly disregarded it when he was back, because hey, would never leave her. She felt secure in that belief. They were the perfect fit, always had been. Well, once he had been properly introduced into life as a vampire, as it was.

Before Helena had decided to say something, Kristof shook his head… and then his lips were on her, scorching her cool skin, his hands clasping her hard enough to break bones had she been human. She moaned into the forceful, hungry kiss as she responded instantly. This, she had longed for. This, she had missed. This… she needed. Her hails dug deeper, puncturing the skin on the back of his neck, little trickles running down the steely skin, as his mouth began nicking her, drawing blood in little doses. And Helena… well, she was mad for him already, her head thrown back against the wall as her body pushed itself as close to his as possible.

He had her pinned though, and in the throes of ecstasy, she even tended to forget she was the stronger of the two. Then his fangs were suddenly deeply buried in her neck, and Helena groaned right along with him, the pleasure almost too much after two days without him. Her blouse had bloody holes in it by now as Kristofs fangs had torn through the fabric to get to her breasts. She didn’t even care. Not for a second. As he fed, Helena’s one hand, the one in his hair, guided his teeth deeper by pushing down his head, causing another moan to escape her. It was so good.

Kristof would not draw back from her this time. She knew that, and so Helena let herself go, not caring if anyone else heard or saw. Hell, they should be used to it by now; Helena and Kristof never gave a fuck about things being public to the rest of their coven. They never had.



Helena was blissfully naked in the rubble that had once been their livingroom. Now it was… well, a mess. The walls had holes in so many places they might as well just put up new ones. All the furniture was in pieces, lying around in different places. A couple of windows had been broken, and… well, Helena herself had puncture wounds… everywhere. So did Kristof. A lot of blood had been exchanged, but that was how it worked. It was a pleasure drug, and none of them actually lost any blood, because they’d just take it back from the other after losing it in the first place. She was grinning up at Kristof, who was still on top of her. They would both be fully healed in minutes. Even the deep scratches on Kristof’s back, caused by her nails.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, guiding his face properly to hers and she licked some stray blood from his chin. “Mmm,” she murmured, satisfied after two thorough, rather rough rounds. “I will never know how the others avoid breaking their human sex toys.” She added on a thought, the splinters of the broken wood poking at her naked back as a reminder of how Kristof had thrown her around, passion ruling both of them. And just like that, she wanted another round.

However, her ears perked at the sound of the humans in the forest. They were all still alive, but finally divided. However, they were calm now, more or less, feeling like they had lost their monstrous captors. If they only knew… the hunt had yet to begin. It would take only one death to get the other two running again, but they were tired. However, the survival instinct in humans was sometimes extraordinary. That was what made them fun; their unrelenting wish to live. Helena’s hands trailed over Kristof’s broad shoulders and onto his collarbones, adding a playful “I do believe our fast food slowed down.” With that, she turned them both around in a blur, grinning as she pinned him, the spark in her eyes now also sexual. “Let’s hunt naked.”

---

---

The forbearer protector was watching anything but his leader and sister. Instead, his thoughts were on their home, and their humans. Eva was a centerpiece at current. He pondered the ethics of even keeping humans the way that they did. Sure, their humans wanted to be with them, but what happened when they didn’t anymore? In the past, Derek had killed humans because of this purely to protect his coven. That was another part of his job. The hard tasks always fell into his lap, and so he had emotionally distanced himself. It was better that way. While the humans were there, however, Derek was civil, albeit usually rather removed and cold towards them. Eva was different though. Perhaps because he felt guilty for the emotions she harbored.

It wasn’t that he felt any actual romantic feelings towards her, but perhaps he had grown to care for her in his own way, in spite of his wish not to. Last time he had cared for one of their humans was 600 years ago, and he’d had to kill a girl he had come to view as a younger sister, because she had wanted to leave. He had warned against it; told her it would not be safe, that he would have to take steps. However, she hadn’t cared. She wanted more out of life, being a woman of only 22. And so he had ended her life. It still got to him now, but the uncertainty had been too much of a risk. How was he to know hunters wouldn’t sniff her out and torture her for information, or what was just as bad, the Fallen would?

No, the risks had been too great. He was pulled out of his own world, when he felt Alessa’s eyes on him and her voice traveled towards his head. He glanced at her, granting her a curt nod, his eyes traveling to the wheel she was clenching. “Don’t break the wheel.” He merely noted, seeing no reason to make a comment towards her apology. Not that he particularly cared, since he would merely have it fixed, but his nod had told her he accepted it, and that was simply that. Derek merely had to simmer a bit more and he’d get over it. Guilt was a powerful thing, however. Especially to a man like Derek.

Soon, Alessa pulled into the parking lot of one of her regular hunting grounds, and Derek merely watched as she armed herself. She motioned for him to take his pick, but he merely snorted and shut the thing, glancing at her revolver with disdain. He shook his head, getting out of the car. The protector hated guns. He always had, and he probably always would. They weren’t honorable, nor did they take any particular amount of skill to handle. They were easy, and too… human. Way too human. Especially since a bullet wouldn’t do shit to a vampire, so what was the point? It wasn’t like he was worried about the humans.

As for the other weapons, Alessa should simply know better. Derek always carried throwing stars, knives and various other little trinkets; things that could actually hurt a vampire if thrown hard enough. And Derek definitely threw hard enough. He followed her in silently, though. This was Derek when he was irked about something; he got a little moody, and he didn’t bother hiding it from Alessa. She would know he merely needed a little time to figure out how he wanted to deal with the situation before he could officially move on.

The protector took a quick, but thorough look of their surroundings, all of his senses helping him register every blind angle, every unclear patch. Nothing was unknown to him once Alessa spoke to him. He sighed in reply, shaking his head. Firstly, none of the women appealed to him in any way. Probably because he had just fed on the most amazing blood, and he didn’t like gorging on blood. Ever. He never fed even twice in a day. Well, unless he had lost blood in battle or the like, but on a normal day, Derek didn’t drink much. Not compared to his fellow coven-members. For some reason everyone seemed to need more blood than he.

“Ally, I just fed. And ruthlessly so. I’m not really in the mood for... slutty humans.” He told her quietly, using the nickname only he had ever called her to show her he wasn’t angry with her. He knew she was offering because she felt guilty about him feeling guilty. Geez, they were a nice pair, eh? He rubbed his neck, sending a vague smile her way. She needed to feed... now. He could practically feel her hunger. “Just get it over with, please.” For some reason, the male wanted to get home and be with Angel.

It was just one of those times where Derek felt like being sociable, and unlike most others, Angel was perfectly comfortable with his silence. He'd leave explaining things to Eva, up to Alessa. Hell, she'd offered, and he was more than happy to accept if it meant he'd get out of it.

Kaleigh Ann

Kaleigh knew better to struggle against the chains so she kept perfectly still, or at least as best she could as Helena strapped her down. "Helena please," she cried as the little spikes piers her skin. Warm trickles of blood flowed down her arms and legs. It was a familiar sensation. The little rivers were there, comforting her, and screaming to her about her pain, all at the same time. Her trembling only sent the spikes deeper in, and caused them to move around uncomfortably. After a minute or two, Kaleigh grew accustomed to the spikes, enough so that she didn't want to cry out in pain. Despite regularly being tortured, she never got used to the pain, only enough to help her not to scream. Just as soon as she thought Helena might change her mind, the human felt a knife cut the tender skin of her stomach. She cringed, only causing more pain to course through her body.

"Helena!" she screamed. Helena had done something like this before, but on Kaleigh's arm, with a razor blade. the blade cut through her skin a lot easier than this knife, and the pain was easier to handle. After a few minutes of Kaleigh begin Helena to stop, Kal gave up. She knew that the vampire wouldn't. She resorted to just laying there, sobbing. She refused to look at what Helena was doing to her stomach and chest, although from what she could feel, she guessed Helena was about to skin her. Kal imagined Helena drawing out shapes like a puzzle, and one by one, she would pull the skin away from her body. The thought caused Kaleigh to jerk in pain, and the knife stabbed a bit deeper into her stomach. “Kaleigh...” Dmitri said. At the sound of his voice, Kal let her tears fall. Helena didn't seem to notice. of course she noticed, but she didn't care. Finally, the woman was distracted, and she disappeared upstairs.

“Dmitri,” Kal whispered. She could hardly hear her own voice. Dmitri spoke again and his voice was heart breaking.

“I...I'm sorry, Kal... This is my fault. I never meant for this to happen to you...God. Please forgive me,” he said. She looked over at him as much as she could. He was staring into her tear filled eyes with his own.

“No, it’s not your fault,” she said. “It’s not your fault,” she said again. The girl didn’t know what else to say.

[b] “If she kills me. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid. “Just promise me that....Okay...love?” he asked her, wanting her promise. Kaleigh took a deep breath, absorbing his words and the pain being caused to her.

“I promise I won’t do anything stupid, but just know living without you will be the stupidest thing I could ever do,” she whispered. She hoped he understood without him she was as good as dead. “You are the only reason I am still alive. You promise me you won’t leave me,” she demanded. She knew it would only be to make her feel better. Neither of them could promise their lives. That would end the very next day. Kal only wondered when Helena would be back. She assumed Kristof was back. A dull thought crossed her mind and she hoped she wouldn’t be forgotten down here for a day again.

Isaac Warren

Isaac was once again lost in his own world. Annie didn’t want to get food with him. She went to check on Adonis instead. The young vampire would have said something to her about him healing the pet, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He wandered into the kitchen. He listened to only a little of Jasper and Angel’s conversation before leaving and going to his room once more.

Being in his room was much better than being with the others. Here he felt safe. He felt safe to be with Marie. He began doodling in one of his many journals, drawing pictures of Marie and himself. He sighed and looked at his empty walls. Maybe he would put up a picture. He hung his newly drawn picture on the wall with a tack and admired his work. The black and white drawing was a stark contrast to his red walls. He smiled as he got an idea. He went to the basement and was back up in his room in a flash with tools for painting. He pained a mural on one side after moving his bed across the room. Of course, it wasn’t the most beautiful.. well it wasn’t really anything actually. Just shapes, and lines. That’s what everyone else would see. Of course, Isaac could clearly see his life story. There was his real mother’s name, and what he imagined she might look like. Then there was Marie, and her tragic death. Finally, there was Anabelle. The part of his other was fuzzy and the paint was blurred. With Marie, it was violent and angry. Annie’s was beautiful strokes of black paint. Isaac admired his work for a while before cleaning up his room again.

Derek didn’t even bother answering Alessa when she asked him to stay close. Instead he regarded her with an almost dignified look, as if to say “when have I ever not been close?” but no words came out of his mouth. He then watched as she made it over to a group of males, and he himself walked to the bar, taking a seat that gave him perfect view of everything Alessa was doing. Then he ordered a whiskey and merely listened, his eyes straying to the group unnoticeably once in a while.

When his sister met up with the only one of them who seemed to ever look himself in the mirror, Derek was aware, and he snorted at the guy’s “Italian” accent. It was so fake, the male vampire had to force himself not to roll his eyes. Seriously? What the hell was even up with that? If men had to resort to cheap little tricks like that, they probably weren’t the types you should hang with. They were never good company. Why were so many humans so unbelievably stupid? It was completely beyond Derek’s substantial comprehension. Besides, just… the words he spoke made Derek want to get up, stalk over there, and rip the guy’s head from his neck.

It was just so obvious that he was no fucking Italian, and Derek was almost embarrassed that Ally bought it. But then, she had this odd tendency to be rather… naïve, considering she was his age. All of a sudden, “Luca” was telling his goons to leave him alone with Alessa, which made Derek pay more attention. Something was up. He took a sip of his Whiskey; however, seeming like nothing at all was going on in his mind. He paid attention to their exchange even as a blonde woman made her way over to him, seating herself next to him. He barely spared her a glance, not at all interested.

Apparently that only made her more interested though, and she leaned over, her generous breasts only just kept in by her shamelessly revealing red dress. Again, he wished himself home. Angel would make better company.
“Hey there,” she began, Georgia accent gently rolling off of her tongue as she let her eyes dance up his body. Derek couldn’t help a wry smile. Women of this time had this tendency to go for the guys who were the least interested. Why was that, exactly? In reply, Derek took a swig of his whiskey and calmly said “hello to you too.” He had no intentions of letting her think he was the least bit interested.

“I’m Ariadne,” she then added, smiling at him, doing the whole eyelash bashing move and everything. “But ya’ll can call me Ade. What’s your name, darlin’?” He couldn’t help but think her slightly amusing, but still, he longed for home. He really wasn’t in the mood for these… frankly, slutty humans. He gave a brief nod, emptying his whiskey as “Luca” began carrying “Kikki” towards the door behind the bar. He’d have to get up and go with, for Ally’s sake.
“Name’s Derek,” he told her coolly, smoothly sliding into a standing position as he regarded little Ade with a polite smile.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me…” he trailed off with at that and promptly left her, sliding into the shadows as he stalked Alessa and her prey. He moved into the hall, but turned around a corner, watching the pair out of the corner of his eye, out of sight himself. He watched the happenings, hands clenched into fists. What the hell was she waiting for here? He was a fucking human. Well, now he was a dead human, granted. It might be that Alessa could easily overpower the guy, but no one touched a member of his family like this. Derek was officially tempted to hand him over to Helena, just because he knew the female vampire would either change or kill him. A change would take away his guilt of killing a human. The kill, well, it’d be well deserved.

When the human slung the woman Derek considered a close sister over his shoulder, the vampire growled under his breath, the instinct to protect those dear to him, forever ringing clearly. He was about to moved when Alessa finally took charge of the situation. About fucking time, if you asked this vampire protector. When she latched onto his neck, Derek moved out of the shadows and watched her silently, knowing he would have to pull her off of this one. She had been too hungry, too desperate, and too pissed at the human… which were all pretty good reasons for her to lose control. Which she would. Derek didn’t doubt that one second.

After a little while of her sucking furiously, the male’s heartbeat slowed too much for it to be healthy anymore, and ignoring the guy’s murmured comment, he took a single step, bringing himself closer to Alessa, and he crouched down, one hand placed at her jaw to force it open, another at the back of her neck, as he powerfully pulled her head, and thereby her teeth, from the human. “Ally,” he murmured soothingly, turning her head to look into her eyes. “No more. You’re taking too much.”

The human was whimpering, scared and weak as he remained horizontal on the ground. Derek was focused on Ally right now, however, and his eyes bored into hers until the bloodrush had calmed and then he leaned in, kissing her forehead. “Did you have enough, or are you still hungry? You were starving when we arrived. You really need to stop pushing yourself so far.” He shook his head, sighing before finally glancing at “Luca”, still trying to decide ultimately what to do with the guy. He wanted to kill him, so badly, but he knew it could potentially be dangerous. Many had seen him go back there with Alessa.

---

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When Kristof asked her whether she was sure she wanted to start now, she wasn’t quite certain what he meant. Hadn’t she just told him that she wanted to hunt now? Naked, too. Did he need more than that? She’d stated what she wanted. However, then Kristof’d hands were wandering on her body, caressing her in all the right places, and just as expected, Helena purred in pleasure, her body softening in his hands, her own palms wandering up his chiseled chest. Her nails scraped gently against the hardened skin, his muscles flexing beneath her.

He really was the most delicious thing she had ever touched. Then he pulled her down onto him completely, and she giggled, one hand moving into his hair, the other coming to rest on his muscular shoulder. She wanted him. Again, and again, and again. Apparently Helena really didn’t take well to being away from Kristof for days. When she had been younger, before changing Kristof, she had been lonely, but not desperate like this. Why it was different with this male, she didn’t ponder, mostly because she hadn’t really thought to ponder it. It wasn’t important to her brain why she apparently couldn’t be without this vampire, only the fact that itself.

Besides, she could feel him wanting her too… again. A shiver went down her body at the thought of him taking her once more. “You feel so good,” se purred softly, her slender body curving to his wants as always. Just like that, she was distracted from the hunt. One would think sex ought to have gotten boring between them after all this time, but with a man like Kristof, one didn’t simply grow bored. It was too amazing, and in fact, it had only gotten better over the years. They knew exactly what the other liked, and doing those things had become instinctual.

Kristof was about to penetrate her once more, starting another round, which she was anticipating with glee, but then he paused and she responded with a pout, her lips trailing kisses up his neck, until his words caused her to stop instantly. She sat up, her blind eyes narrowed, fangs immediately bared as she hissed. There would be no touching of Helena’s man. None. Her nails dug into his chest as her body tensed, ready to burst into the forest at any point. She would die painfully for this. Helena saw red, and red alone, anger coursing through her at an alarming rate, her possessiveness causing her reaction to be rather exaggerated by normal standards. “I’ll tear her apart, limb by limb,” she half sneered half purred.

Kristof was hers and hers alone. No one else was to touch him. The word mine kept drumming in her head and she subconsciously dug her nails even deeper, a low growl emanating from her the more she thought about it, but Kristof still had his hands on her. When he got up though, and put her down, she was bristling with fury and she set off after him, however heading in a different direction. She quickly picked up speed, bypassing Kristof in seconds as she ran, no clothes to hinder her speed in any way, and so Helena let go of inhibitions. Oh yes, she was filled with the need fro vengeance. The human had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

The second Helena reached the girl, she burst through the brush, hand shooting out to grab the girl’s throat, slamming her into the nearest tree, which bended back, groaning in spite of its great size, the whole thing hardly even a blur to the human, and so she blinked, confused. It didn’t take her that long to register that Helena’s fangs were bared in a soundless sneer as her red eyes glared into the girl. And so, panic spiked, Adrenaline kicking in. Helena didn’t care. Fear had stopped being the point. Now pain was all she wanted this girl to experience. So. Much. Fucking. Pain.

“Mine,” she growled, nails digging into the girl’s throat. She didn’t pay attention to the whimpers and she sobs. She wanted screams, and begging and thrashing. Helena was mad with anger now that she was far from Kristof too, every sense of logic taken over by her fury. “You will suffer,” she then added in ancient Greek, the language smooth and almost sexual, if it hadn’t been for her deadly expression. She was too far gone to recognize any other language, or the fact that the girl wouldn’t understand a word.

She threw the girl down onto the ground, which wrenched a scream from her, and Helena grinned, a cold, angry grin. No amusement. Not really. This was strictly revenge.
“P-please,” the redhead stuttered, tears already running down her cheeks as she tried to scramble away from Helena, “d-don’t hurt me… p-please.” Helena laughed, the sound so filled with cruel anger, it made cold sweat break on the girl’s orangey skin. She was still laughing when she told her “no one touches Kristof,” in ancient Greek once more. Which the girl of course didn’t understand.

Helena grabbed a hold of the girl’s ankle when she tried to move without the vampire noticing, which was of course impossible in all. And then she twisted, the ankle breaking with a loud crunching sound. The human screamed, throwing her head back onto the bed of leaves behind her. Helena’s cold smile became satisfied as she broke the other ankle too. “No more running, little lamb,” she told the human in a sing song voice, the Greek still being her choice of language. But of course, the girl’s loud scream and subsequent whimpering sort of drowned the words.

Annabelle knew all too well what she had let herself in for as she stood at the door to Adonis's room. He was a hard one to control, she would never deny that, but she found him interesting; ironcially enough like the rest of the men in the covern. Of course, the whole process was purely objective and scientific; Annabelle wasn't curious because she wanted them. Well in most case at least. After observing Adonis for a while, the blonde vampire had concluded that the person he put on to most people, was in fact, an act. But what was he like inside and what was he trying to hide?

She stood with a hand on her hip, a dismayed looked on her face as Adonis opened the door; only letting a single eyeball show as he asked what she wanted in her business was in Portuguese. She raised an eyebrow; he'd never be that forward with Alessa, why to her? The boy needed learn a little respect for the people he lived with. 'I came,' She began coldly, ' To check how you were. That was quite some chase you had in the woods earlier. Oh and please don't speak in Portuguese to me, I much prefer Spanish.' The blonde smiled as she fondly remembered the little experiment she had conducted a few hundred years ago. Ah Oiliver, what a lovely reunion that would be.

Annie was also acutely aware that she had probably just offended Adonis; but eh what did she care? The male seemed to have no appreciation for the fact she'd come to check on him. She sighed, 'Look, there's food in the kitchen, I believe Jasper's making something... I'll see you later.' She ended the brief encounter; fully satisfied that the male was healthy enough. Annie didn't show a lot of compassion, when she did it only came out as anger; like with Isaac earlier. Right now the blonde wished she stayed with the brown haired male rather than and find Adonis.

Turning on her heel, Annie searched for Isaac's scent. Traces of it still lingered in the hallway and it the basement for some reason. However, it was strongest in his bedroom. Annie gathered her thoughts for a second. She had done an awful lot of tracking him down lately. What if that came across as desperate? She snorted at herself inwardly. What was this? A seven hundred and nine year old vampire weak at the knee's of what, in vampire terms, was a boy. This could be dangerous for her, she needed to talk to Derek or Angel; most probably Derek, just because the conversation would be a more sane level, even if it was on a more objective and cold one.

For now though, Annie traveled to Isaac's room. He was the best company the blonde had expierenced for a long time. She loved her covern, of course she did and she was grateful for everything they had done. But never had she felt so comfortable around anyone as she did Isaac. Of course, she loved Angel like a sister, but there was just something about Isaac that turned her world upside down and made her feel safe at the same time. Quickly, she knocked on Isaac's Door;

'So, the rude little so and so didn't need my help... Can we go for a run before I self conbust' She said plainly.

Derek watched intently as his sister for all intents and purposes took several deep breaths. For some reason, the human habit had always had an oddly calming effect on her. He supposed it was because it was so far from vampiric that it had come to be a sort of reminder that she wasn’t a monster. He didn’t miss the slight hesitation before she replied to him though, and Derek, being the man he was, didn’t doubt for one second that she wasn’t being entirely truthful when she spoke.

He sighed, looking her over. She had definitely quelled the bloodlust, but he knew she would feel much better if she had a bit more. Hmmm. He would force her to drink a bloodbag or two when they got home. Which reminded him that they were low on stock. He sighed, taking out his blasted phone. He hated these devices, but he couldn’t deny that they were useful, and he’d definitely gotten used to them. He typed in a text to Isaac, the forbearer procurer:
To: Isaac
“How’s the O negative stock? I’m taking Alessa home and she’s having two. I hope you made sure we have enough.”

Derek was always rather strict with always having O negative in the house. The bloodbags weren’t exactly delicious, but they did what they were supposed to, and they were important to have when they were really in dire emergency. Alessa’s control had a tendency to slip. It was a good thing he cared as much as he did, because a lesser man would’ve probably taken over. He could do it. He was only a little younger than her, far superior in every fighting class, and he had control in bunches. Fact of the matter was, Derek loved his sister and he would never let her fall. Besides, he didn’t actually want the position as leader.

He felt comfortable where he was. Well, except when he was forced to feed on Eva like he had today. The thought still made him inwardly cringe. Regardless, Derek spoke to Alessa. “Are you sure?” His voice was skeptical, and she followed it by explaining that the human couldn’t give her anymore. He shook his head, seeing the guilt painted on her face. “Ally, please don’t feel guilty about this. He’s a spineless bastard who preys on innocent women.” His voice was cold at the next sentence and he subconsciously flexed his fists, recalling a male many years ago.

He had been human too, this man. But instead of Alessa, he had been trying his luck with the newly changed Angel. She had been not even a day old – as a vampire – when he had walked into the room Derek had rented for her. Derek himself had been away to buy her clothing, and had only just walked in when she was about to kill the man. He had pulled her off, yes, but he had wanted to rip the man’s head off himself. Well… once he’d found out why his presence caused his new fledgling to break down entirely. He had held her in his arms as she sobbed, and the memory still made him livid.

As Derek returned to the present, Alessa was leaning on the wall, and asking him what they should do with the human. He almost smirked. Almost. Why would he want to be leader? She already looked to him on most things. He didn’t like how she was fighting to keep the bastard alive though. Derek himself wanted to leave him dead in the streets. Of course he couldn’t, but he wanted to. Next time he tried this with a woman, she might be human, and she would have no way of escaping. Hell, how many women had he already mistreated? Maybe even killed? His protective instincts were demanding he kill the male.

And he was going to. Oh yes, he was going to. Point in case was that Derek did not like uncertainties. Leaving this man alive, they could not know whether or not he would remember anything, and Derek didn’t need him leaving descriptions around as he rambled. Some hunter might pick up on it, and then his family would be in danger. No, none of that. He couldn’t have that. See, that was the reason he always grabbed his prey from behind. Ever careful, Derek never let the victims see his face.

That way, he could leave them alive, and they would ramble about vampire, maybe, but they wouldn’t even have a scar to prove it, because the male always fed them a little of his blood afterwards and they’d heel right up. This, however, had been messy and complicated, and he didn’t like it. And so, Derek shook his head at all of Alessa’s suggestions and straightened, looking down at the human with determined eyes. “I don’t like the doubts – there are no guarantees any of it will work.” He told Alessa, although his eyes were on the human. “Let’s just kill the bastard.”

It was rather unlike Derek to be so callous about the life of a human, but he was nothing if not determined to protect his coven, and this scum could potentially jeopardize them. He continued, his plan spilling forth in calm, collected tones. “We’ll knock him out, place him out back, and then wait until someone comes out and sees him asleep. We will be cleared of any suspicions as he was now last seen alone. Then we’ll snatch him up and kill him. We’re moving soon in any case.”

As Jasper heard Angel's meanicing threat in Italian; it made his inside's run cold. He was aware that he was running on borrowed time. He, of all people, knew that the vampire wasn't a very patient person. He seemed to be a particular favorite of his. What could be more wonderful, being the flavor of the month with a psychotic vampire? Jasper rolled his eyes; was this price he was paying for the one he loved? He supposed it wasn't all bad, Eva made it slightly more bareable as did some of the others in the covern. However, when they were hungry, there was no stopping them.

After he had dished up the food he had just prepared, the male looked up at Angel as she spoke. She was actually quite attractive. Then agian, Jasper supposed that was part of the lore. She was meant to be beautiful. Her repeated question was venous and caused the man to do something out of character for just a split second; he let fear fill his eyes. He was scared, he annoyed Angel by playing games. Now, the male wasn't sure whether he was going to enjoy this experience or not.

Almost as soon as he let his fear show in his eyes, Jasper turned away from her to look at the fellow human in the room. Now there was a sign of true beauty. Eva was beautiful, Jasper had no denying that; even when she was recovering from being bitten. He was still a little angry about that, as he always was when he saw her in that state. However, he knew the whole thing was completely pointless. She was totally... enthralled by Derek, she was more than willing for him to take from her, as was the dark haired male standing in the kitchen. He blinked and shook his head, aware that he hadn't spoken for quite some period of time. 'Eva, your meal's on the side here.' He began, giving a small smile. He didn't want to be fed on here. Not in front of Eva. The poor girl had expierenced enough without watching that sort of event. 'Will you excuse us for a few minutes?' He asked Eva before gesturing to Angel. 'After you my dear.' They'd probably go to her bedroom, she may even do it in the corrider if she was that desperate. Jasper gulped. He was genuinely scared.

The couch was comfortable, almost too much so. Eva hunched forward, tapping her nails along the glass in short rhythms. Her fingers alternated through the pattern until the noise because too dizzying. She paused to sigh, bringing the glass to her lips with both hands to down the remainder of it. Shakily she set the empty glass on a stack of milk crates serving as a side table. She leaned forward, watching Jasper move throughout the kitchen unconcerned with Angel’s leering glare and animalistic posture. She flinched as he froze when the vampire leaned in and threatened him. Biting her tongue, she closed her eyes to try and ignore the virtual action thriller emerging in their kitchen. She had had enough of their feeding today. Derek had never been so aggressive. What had changed? She rubbed at her eyes and sighed, looking over towards Jasper again to see him portioning his cooking of the day. He looked over his shoulder at her, smiling weakly. Eva smiled back, trying to convey that she was worried for him, that she cared for him. They had become close since she had joined the coven as a pet. He had taught her so much. Now she wished she could help him, defend him, tell Angel off. But they had no right. This was what they had signed up for after all. But Angel was always the most imposing. The more Eva spent time around her, the more she felt like the Italian vampire was the most…vindictive. Then again, they all could be that way. Derek had certainly shown her that today.

“Eva, your meal's on the side here,” Jasper explained. Eva shook her head before nodding, her cloudy mind tuning into his words. She saw the plate he had left for her and she smiled wider, licking her lips. “Thank-you,” she smiled. “Will you excuse us for a few minutes?” he asked gently. Eva shrugged and looked away then, knowing he was being polite but recognizing that he was also heading to a separate room with Angel alone. It was unsettling today to know that. She couldn’t say why. She had never thought of it in that way before. Her lack of comment had Jasper gesturing to Angel for them to head for their bedrooms, his endearing nature continuing. Eva sincerely hoped his pleasantries would buy him a more favorable experience.

Eva stood up clumsily, tucking the blanket around her shoulders tighter, and walked back into the kitchen as the two exited. She could hear the hum of Angel’s verbal licking as the two proceeded to private room and she continued to feel unnerved as she claimed her dinner, a fork, and the remainder of the jug of orange juice from the fridge. She didn’t want to be out in the open. She felt exposed. So slowly she moved to the stairs and taking them slowly she managed to make her way back up stairs. In thought she verbalized her every motion to keep herself focused and her hearing focused on the mental sound of her voice and not the noises of anyone else.

When she got to her door she was thankful and when she closed it behind her she felt relieved. The sight of all of Derek’s gifts again was somewhat overwhelming and she set the juice and her dinner on her bed, taking the time to clear a spot on her nightstand and to set his most recent unopened gift aside. She moved around her room slowly still, turning on an old TV set on a nightstand on the opposite side of her bed and booting up an old DVD player. She pulled out a digital copy of one of her favorite black and white films – the 1964 version of My Fair Lady. Eva had always been a sucker for classic films but for some reason the story called to her. As she hit play she moved back to her bed, propping herself up against the wall with her dinner in her lap to eat and watch, keeping the volume loud enough to drown anything she didn’t want to hear without being so loud that Adonis could hear it word for word – something he had complained about on occasion. She had to wonder absently where everyone was as the opening credits rolled, and moreover what mood they were in.

Lucan leaned his head back, running his fingers through his hair. Where was Rox?! Humans were good for some sex, but they just weren't sturdy enough for him to reach his peak. He frowned and threw himself onto his bed, closing his eyes. His mind wandered as he thought about the time when he was a Forbearer. If he had such a chance to 'rise'...He would. They weren't just his Coven; They were a family. Dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless. He would never be able to shake from his mind the look on Nicholas' face when he was thrown out by him.

That disappointing gaze haunted his dreams.

He rolled over as another equally hurt face entered his thoughts; Angiluzza. She had helped teach him everything he knew about surviving as a vampire. She wasn't chatty, but she played the most beautiful music he ever heard. She was the older sister he never had. He was a shameless man, but the guilt of disappointing them was one he couldn't shake. He sighed and opened his eyes before sitting up. Why was he even thinking about them right now? He should be thinking about destroying Rox as soon as she came home.

He licked his lips hungrily and made his way out of his room and...where was he going? His wolf pups followed behind him curiously as he simply wandered the house aimlessly with a blank mind.

You know...Nicholas and Alessa will blame you for these deaths. You were the eldest here. Two food sources gone, an Enforcer, and the only Procurer. That leaves us down to three Vampires and only two humans.


We were outnumbered! Isaac was so young! Gaspard and Morganna and Paul were all just barely younger than me.


Aww. Too hard? You sound like a whiny little brat trying to make excuses. There is no excuse and everyone knows it. This. Is. All. Your. Fault.


We'll be fine with just Adonis and Eva and we can always get replacements!


You'll be fine with just Eva and Adonis...? Is that so? You realize that nobody but Nicholas feeds from Eva? Alessa fears to feed from Adonis. And you find both of their blood types absolutely revolting. The only human here with a use is Eva and the only person benefiting from her use is Nicholas. You and Alessa are shit out of luck because Adonis is pretty much useless. But you're fine right...? You fucked up, Angiluzza. You fucked up.

---

Helena tilted her head rather slowly as she listened, her face expressionless for once safe for the slightly widened, blood-red eyes she sported at all times. She could feel him at her side, could sense the second he let his fangs slide out. She knew the sound so very well. After all, she had heard it countless times, both as he bit into her, but also when he bit into others. It was a sound which never failed to make her reach out, a hand landing on his upper arm, just to feel him physically since she could not see him. The contact was enough of a substitute.

Then, however, the human spoke and Helena’s own fangs slid forth in irritation as a soft growl escaped her, one which could only be heard by Kristof as the female vampire took a few steps away, closing her red eyes to focus her energy. Fortunately Kristof was there. If he hadn’t been, this would be around the time Helena tore out the irritating human’s throat. The mere sound of her voice now irked the redhead. While it was slightly amusing, Helena much preferred the fear. It was not supposed to disappear this easily!

Helena could feel the human’s eyes on her, but she did not move. Instead the coven leader remained perfectly still, her hands at her sides, eyes closed as she listened, her posture relaxed but alert. Then Kristof spoke again and Helena noted the moment the girl let her silly little metal thing fall to the forest floor. But still she did not react. She stood quiet, still as a statue even as she sensed both of them turning to move towards her, Kristof of course reaching her first. She already knew what came next. Kristof had told her once that he did not wish to sire vampires, so of course he would use her blood to change the human girl. Helena forced back her irritation, part of her grounded enough to know that Kristof wanted this one.

Besides, Helena felt fairly certain she would not find another human like… like Kaleigh. Oh, Kaleigh! Her poor little pet was still chained to the table, wasn’t she? The thought made a sadistic grin curve her full, red lips as Kristof brushed her hair to the side, her neck now presented to him without a second obstacle. She felt his hand in her hair and she let him tilt her head back, the grin still remaining as she moaned lowly with his bite. The hand remained, keeping her head in place as he moved back, and soon Helena felt a stranger’s tongue licking her pale, smooth skin. She remained in place, knowing very well that the dominance as well as the display turned Kristof on.

The girl’s tongue and lips barely caused any reaction from Helena. Kristof’s hand in her hair, however, had her humming with contentment, her lids still covering the red of her eyes. Next Helena heard Kristof move and then a crack as he snapped the head of the human while she was distracted. From the puncture wounds Kristof had made on her neck, blood trickled down slowly, undisturbed. As he spoke, Helena hummed softly, adding drily “Let’s hope she comes back less irritating.” With that, Kristof’s teeth were back inside her neck, and she moaned, her hands finally moving to clasp him to her, keeping her body meshed with his.

Everything else escaped her mind when Kristof pinned her against another tree and let her soar once more. She did however notice when he merely kicked the human out of the way and the cruel disregarded forced a giggle from her, even as a moan attempted to escape at the same time. All too soon the pleasure ended, however, and just as the human stopped screaming, Kristof pulled away. Helena easily moved onto her feet once more. She was swimming in the bliss of her orgasm – in the tranquil clarity, but still she let the red of her eyes land on Kristof as he spoke. His words made her giggle.

She put a hand up as though in class before she spoke up. “We might also just do it for fun,” she added, not caring that the girl might end up scared. Which she didn’t. What was wrong with her? The irritation was back, doubling only when Kristof moved to help her up. She growled deep in her throat, eyes narrowing slightly, but the girl’s words made Helena’s mind go in a whole other direction. Kaleeeiiigh! Helena grinned suddenly. “Oh, I know!” She spoke, knowing Kristof would understand that it meant she had a solution to that particular problem. “Let’s go make little Dee Dee very sad,” she chirped, already speeding off to the basement. She was there in no time, bursting through the door very abruptly.

It smelled like… tears. And blood. But they were both still in their places. Keeping Kaleigh alive anymore was only going to make Dmitri think he’d won something, and it was going to make him want to escape more… for her, no matter how futile. Now, she could kill Dmitri, but really… what was the fun in that? He’d only be freed from his misery, and she’d never have truly broken him. This… however, just might do the trick. A gleeful grin spread on her face she turned to Dmitri. “Have you ever wondered,” she began as she waited for the others to join her, approaching him slowly, “what it would feel like to have the one thing you love… die in front of you?” Her grin widened, completely ignoring the now frantic sobbing from Kaleigh.

---

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---

Derek couldn’t help chuckling when Alessa fought to get onto the roof of the building. She looked clumsy for a vampire, really, but then, Alessa had never really achieved the grace he had. It was odd really, since she was the same age, but nope… she’d always been different like that. Or maybe he was different. But nah, it was probably just Alessa. Even Angel was more graceful than their beloved coven leader. Alessa’s strengths were not physical in any way. No, her strength was in her inspiration. As a leader, Alessa left most of what would normally befall her, to him. Not because she was lazy, but because she wanted the best possible to take care of important jobs.

So he was charged with them, and really, Alessa was a genius when it came to figuring out another’s strengths. She had everyone do what they did best and perhaps that was why, in spite of her lack of… well, control, everyone in the coven accepted her. She did not lead because she was the best – she led because she did so without dominance. Honestly Derek wouldn’t do too well under the hand of someone who tried to domineer him every step of the way. He’d been there, he’d done that, and he’d gone his own ways regardless. Luckily so, because if he hadn’t he would’ve been quite fallen by now. She’d certainly done her best to convince him, his maker.

When she settled next to him, he glanced at her quietly before his eyes landed on the dead human in the alley. Then she spoke, and he smiled wryly. “You did indeed,” he agreed lowly, still not looking at her. He was eager for this hunt to end. Not because he wanted away from Alessa, but because he simply got restless when the two of them were away from the house for long simultaneously, leaving vampires half their age to defend if something was to happen. He let a sigh pass his lips. He was patient, but the world around him waited for no one, and if something happened while the two leaders were away, it would be on Derek’s shoulders. He was the protector.

Her quote made him quirk an eyebrow, gaze searching the streets beneath them. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, if I recall correctly. Act 3, scene 2.” He glanced at her with a playful smirk at that. “If you’re going to quote Shakespeare, at least make it challenging,” he told her teasingly. He didn’t really care to battle her on it, but back in the days of Shakespeare himself, much of Derek’s circle had been rather wealthy, and quite prone to the works of the man. In simple turns, he had watched many a play. He had even had a few interesting conversations with the man and Alessa had chosen one of the most well-known quotes from one of the most well-known plays.

The sound of Alessa’s phone ringing then, caused Derek to frown lightly, wondering who would be calling her now. The others usually didn’t call either of them when they were out hunting. When his pseudo sister picked up, Derek watched her carefully, considering every intake of breath, and every frantic word on the other end. It was Adonis, and of course he was speaking Portuguese, one of the few languages Derek hadn’t bothered learning. He did know Spanish, though, along with Italian and French, and so most of it made some kind of sense. Someone was there and he needed them to hurry home.

Derek stood immediately, jumping off the roof to hit the ground on all fours. Then he immediately straightened, looking up at Alessa. “I don’t know exactly what he said, but I know we need to hurry, so come on. We’ll leave the human and skip town. Our DNA isn’t in any database, so we should be fine.” He looked back at forth, his body brimming with what to humans would work much like adrenaline. In vampires it was the instinct… to kill, to protect. If anything had happened to his coven – anyone in his coven, Derek was sure to seek revenge. He was impatient now more than ever and he needed Alessa to get the hell down. When she finally did, he hurried to the car and slid into the driver’s side. This may be her car, but they needed to hurry, so he was driving.

Fortunately it didn’t take them long to reach the house, but they did, the air was permeated with the scent of blood and Derek stepped forward slowly. No strangers were alive present at current – he could tell as much, so that meant he could do nothing, but three scents were much too familiar. He sped up, bursting through the door only to freeze briefly at the sight, his eyes scanning the scene.

Angel was huddled in a pool of blood, hulking and sobbing uncontrollably. The room was littered with dead bodies, three of which belonged to members of his coven. Annabelle, Jasper, Isaac… Derek stood there for a moment, staring at the bloodshed. He didn’t doubt who had done this; the perpetrators were dead at his feet as well. “Angel,” he breathed suddenly as he came back to himself, and he hurried forward, not caring that he soaked himself in blood as he sank to his knees next to her. She was the only one he could help right now. The others were… beyond him, and so he chose to focus his energy on her. Alessa could deal with their remaining humans; a vampire who was completely out of it was a danger to everyone, and so he simply needed to prioritize.

Derek moved a hand to Angel’s cheek, wiping tears from it as he watched her. Then suddenly he leaned forward and pulled her into his embrace, holding her like a little girl as he more or less cradled her in his arms. He’d not seen her like this in centuries, and it still did not sit right with him in any way. It just… felt wrong. “Shh,” he added softly as he held her, trying to make her calm down.