Adonis Charmides's Story

Isaac sighed and closed the blind. He had been looking for.. Well he wasn’t sure what. It had been a few minutes, or possibly hours, Isaac didn’t know. The man straightened his jacket and sat in a chair in front of his desk. He opened the old wooden drawers and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. He began writing. His handwriting was very neat, and beautiful actually. After years and years of writing calligraphy, he had become extremely talented. He sometimes even made cards for people, in return for money or blood. It’s not like he needed the money, but the blood was a different story. He wrote for a few minutes, taking up a sheet and a half of paper. The letter started the same way as they always did, To my dearest sister Marie, and ended the same way, With love from your brother Izzy. When he finished the letter and made sure the ink dried completely, then folded it carefully and put it in an envelope. He sealed it shut and walked over to his bed. He pulled out a box from underneath and opened it. It was filled with envelopes and little papers. There was a necklace and a dried white rose in there as well. He placed the new letter in with the rest and pushed it back under his bed.

He sighed once more and began walking downstairs to see what Adonis was up to. He was getting a bit peckish. He would find Annie after he got his bite to eat. Just as he was rounding the corner, he heard a desperate cry for help. He recognized the voice immediately. It was Adonis. He rushed to the window and could see there was a group of men surrounding another who lay on the ground. He walked to the door and once again adjusted his faded purple hoodie. He opened the door as rage filled his body. Adonis was his friend. Yes, he was a complete asshole sometimes but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to protect him. He was kind of Isaac’s responsibility, as of now. He grabbed one of the men by the back of his shirt and threw him ten feet away. He did the same with the others, receiving incredulous looks in return. He looked each one in the eye. “Don’t ever return here. And if you lay one hand on Adonis, I swear to God I will rip each and everyone one of your throats out,” Isaac said, venom dripping in his voice. His fangs were drawn back to intimate them even more. They all ran off. His threat was a bluff, but it sure as hell didn’t sound like it. Isaac helped Adonis sit up on one of the stairs. He silently inspected his wounds. His arm looked either broken or badly sprained. His face was swollen and bloody. Isaac licked some blood off of his owns hands then bit his own wrist. “Here, you need to heal,” he said and let Adonis drink from him. He always wondered what vampire blood tasted like to humans. Was it just like blood? Or did they get the same feeling as the vampires did? Isaac pushed the thought away. “Just make sure you don’t get yourself into any trouble and go dying on us. We don’t need you turning,” Isaac said and walked inside. His skin was feeling itchy and uncomfortable from being outside. He sat on the couch. Maybe he would feed from Jasper. Where was he?



Kaleigh was curled up in a chair reading a Harry Potter book. She was going through the series for the third time. A smile covered her face as she read, she couldn’t’ help it. He face always reflected what was happening in the book, and right now Fred and George were being funny as usual. She heard a faint creak of the door opening and closing. Someone was home, but there was no possible way to know whom it was. Kaleigh looked her door, and waited for anything that might tell her who it was. She hoped that it wasn’t Helena, and just as the thought crossed her mind it was crushed by a sweet sing song voice. “Dmitri, dear, come along. You too, little bird.” Little bird. Kaleigh heard the nick name and cringed. Coming from anyone but Helena it might be cute. It almost ruined the song Little Bird by Ed Sheeran. It was one of her favorites. Anything by Ed was what she liked.

“I’m coming Helena,” Kaleigh called out. She marked her book and put it on a nightstand. She shuffled out of her room and walked down stairs behind Dmitri. She knew he knew she was there, but they didn’t say anything. Kaleigh didn’t know why Helena wanted them both. She only fed from Kaleigh. Hopefully Dmitri wasn’t in trouble. Kal walked quietly into the living room and sat down. She looked up at Helena. She was looking happy and bored all at once. Either way, Kal knew she was in a playful mood based on her smirk and sweet voice. Hopefully it wouldn’t last too long. Absent-mindedly Kal let her fingers trail over her wrist and forearm. There were a few holes there from the last time, and there were pale pink and white scars scattered across her fragile skin. She could feel adrenaline starting to seep it’s way into her. Sometimes it came from just seeing Helena. Her body began connecting Helena to pain and fright, so upon receiving signals she was around, Kaleigh’s body released a small amount of endorphins. This didn’t do much for her pain, but rather associated Helena with a pleasant experience. It was all very complicated, and Kaleigh’s feelings and bodily reactions were always very mixed up. She sat silently as this battle went on in her brain. Every so often she would steal a glance at Dmitri.

Kaleigh wondered if she would get a day to herself soon. There were only a few days, maybe less than she thought that she could just lock herself in her room and not come out all day. That was usually when Helena was gone,or in such a foul mood she had to kill something. Kal knew she wasn't the vampires first choice to kill, so she was safe those times. Although, Kal had a feeling Helena would eventually get bored with her. Her chest tightened at the thought of being killed, but was immediately relieved by imagining escaping this horror. She just needed to keep Helena entertained. Doing things differently, attempting to surprise her. Those would be the only way to stay alive. Kaleigh had long dreamed of someone coming to rescue her. There had to be someone out there capable of defeating these vampires. In passing she had heard of another coven, the Forbearers. Apparently Kal was the replacement of a slave that was killed by one of these other vampires. She couldn't decide whether this made them better or worse than the Fallen.

Alessa Fia Dattolo

Sweat beaded above her brows. The warm liquid trickled down the length of her face, stopping at her chin. Angrily, she ran the back of her hand over the line, swiping it away. Her lips curled back over her white teeth, and her fangs gleamed in the dim light overhead. Her body was positioned in a crouch, with her upper portion leaning slightly forward. A snarl erupted from her mouth, echoing throughout the small room. The bright brown eyes adorning her face formed slits, and she looked out at the dark figure in front of her from under her long, dark lashes.

Abruptly Alessa sprinted forward. She sprang out of her crouch, launching herself forward. Her arms pumped quickly. Her nails dug little crescent moons into the palms of her hands from the tight way she clenched her fists. The muscles in her long, bare legs bulged, straining. They pumped hard, and even harder as the vampire pushed herself. She had never gone so fast, for she never had a reason. Never had she been the prey, fleeing from an attacker. She was always too fast, and too strong. Wind blew through her hair dark hair which hung freely down her back. The long tresses flew in the breeze she had created. The speed was exilerating, and she would've whooped with glee if she wasn't so angry.

As she neared her target, Alessa placed her left hand on his right cheek. Her nails dug into his face, finding a hold. Satisfied that her grip was secure, the momentum carried the rest of her small frame upwards. Before spinning full circle, her left leg braced on the side of his neck, and she dug the heel of her sneaker into his broad chest. Grabbing the side of his head with her right hand, she dug her palm into his locks and grabbed a fistful of hair. The momentum of her run pulled her still, and as she flung the rest of her body away, her nails still dug into his head. A terrible rip sounded as the head of her target separated from his body.

Grinning, Alessa laughed as the head of her rubber boxing dummy tumbled to the floor and rolled down her long run way. Glee and pride filled her mind as she turned to stare at her now headless workout company. She was so successful this training. Her muscles were still aching from the straining during her long sprint, and she was positive that that had been her fastest time yet. How accomplished she felt, and how. . . powerful. All of her training sessions for the past however many centuries felt as if it finally paid off. All of this was to prepare her for the Fallen.

A scream broke through her train of thought. It was blood-curdling, and familiar. Living with the same people for centuries as Alessa had, she had grown to recognize the slightest murmur any of her coven made. And suddenly, she recognized this one. Adonis.

Not even bothering to slip her blade into a pocket of her workout ensemble, the vampire bolted out the door. She had been in a one-room gym she built years ago into into the surrounding woods of her home. It was five miles back from her house, but she could clear that distance in two minutes. The room wasn't wide, but it was long. There was a long runway in which she used to time her intervals included. Her training today definitely helped in her situation. Now, she ran just as fast as she had in training, trying to reach Adonis. He was a favorite of hers, despite his horrid attitude towards others. He was almost always kind to her. She also felt the need to protect him was like the need to protect a child. He was fragile to her, and she hated thinking of anything happening to him. She longed for the day when he gave in and permit them to change him.

Alessa reached the house in one minute and fifteen seconds. Slinking through the brush in the woods, she sensed more than one being by the home. This frightened her even further. Had it had been one person, Adonis would have been able to handle himself. How many would she have to go through to help him? She resented killing humans in any way, shape, or form, but she wouldn't think twice about to save her family. Family. That word had grown on her when she had met her coven. She became leader by accident, but they accepted her willingly, some more so than others. They had grown on her, too, and she loved them all.

At last she erupted from the brush, only to come to a screeching halt as she saw Adonis sitting alone and in one piece on the step of their home. She stood there, staring wide-eyed at the human, trying to catch her breath. He seemed to be fine, except that his arm seemed to be lying on his lap awkwardly. She thought about how she must have looked, probably frightening as she had arrived so quickly. She pulled her hair out of her face and tied in back with her bandanna headband. "Adonis," she said finally. "You're okay."

Walking to him, she sat next to him on the step. Her breathing slowed, and Alessa calmed herself. She pushed his hair out of his eyes, and leaned on his shoulder. How scared she had been. Never had she been so happy to see a human. Her eyes closed as she took in his scent. He smelled wonderful. The blood thundering through his veins intoxicated her, and took over her senses. Her eyes fluttered, and she briefly noticed the scrape on his arm. If she hadn't been resting on his shoulder, she would have swayed. Only then did she feel the all-too-familiar burn of her thirst make it way up her throat. Her eyes darkened at the feeling, and she brushed her tongue over her teeth. Involuntarily, she leaned closer to Adonis.

Immediately, she froze. Holding her breath, she stood and ran across the yard. She searched his face, looking for any sign of fright. She would never hurt him in the way she was just thinking. Though he was with the vampires to be a blood bank, Alessa would never risk drinking from him. As old as she was, she hadn't gotten the resistance to human blood as her fellow vampires had. Any smell of fresh blood - such a cut- could take her on a rampage. To this day, Alessa won't feed on her own. She was so close to Falling as a newborn, and fears that she is always that close when feeding.

"I'm. . . . I. . . I'm so sorry." Alessa spoke through gritted teeth, while trying to tuck her fangs back into their hiding places. Now, her eyes were pitch black, frightening against her wind-blown look. "I. . .I've got to go." Turning away from Adonis, she ran around the house, and slammed through the back door. Derek. Her protector. He was the only one she trusted enough to take her hunting. She sensed people upstairs, and caught Derek's scent mingled with Eva's. No doubt that he was feeding. Alessa didn't bother calling him. Anyone in a mile radius could have heard the door slam, and Derek would definitely recognize the reason for it. She hadn't told any of her other family members about her issue. She didn't want them to think less of their leader.

Sprinting, Alessa went up to her room to change. When hunting, she mostly flirted with her victims, stole blood from a bank, or looked for lonely stragglers. Nightclubs were good places for hunting, for the alcohol in a blood stream always added extra flavor. Blood banks were easier, for she could manipulate the employees to get what she wanted. The stored blood never tasted as good as fresh blood, and it didn't settle well in her stomach. Lonely victims were her favorite. They weren't always healthy or clean, but they didn't seem to have a destination, meaning that no one would be looking for them if they didn't make the meal.

In her hunting gear, Alessa waited in the garage on the side of the house. She sat in the driver's seat or her black Lamborghini Murcielago. The car was a favorite of hers, and she rarely let anyone else drive it. The speed was like nothing she ever experienced besides running herself. Her nails dug into the leather of the steering wheel as she tried to control her breathing. The burning had gotten worse, and she felt as if her insides were consumed by the fire. Her head throbbed, and she leaned it against the wheels. Where was Derek?

When Eva told him she had merely been reading, he nodded absentmindedly. It explained the thud he had heard upon entering her room. It seemed she had hidden her book quickly, which only made him wonder what she had been reading. However, he was by far more focused on the hunger burning in his throat by now, and the sound of running not too far from the house. It smelled like Adonis, but the scents following him were more or less unfamiliar to Derek. Quietly and in no time he moved to Eva’s window, looking in the direction of the sound. Trees were everywhere, though, rendering him unable to see Adonis. He was wary. This seemed like trouble, although they were all humans. Humans could easily hurt Adonis, though, as he was no more than a fragile human himself.

He heard Eva apologizing behind him and heard her moving, but he paid no attention to her. He was busy. Folding his hands behind his back, his stature straight and primed for battle, Derek waited for Adonis to run into view, not that he couldn’t have gone to help him in the forest; he could’ve followed the sound, but he would much rather have a better advantage, and Adonis seemed to be keeping himself at a distance from these intruders. People being in danger was not foreign to Derek. In fact, he was very used to it, and it was his job to make sure everyone within his coven was safe. And so, he knew he would have to leave his meal if it came down to it.

However, when Adonis pushed through the trees, the other humans right at his heels, Derek heard Isaac moving and soon the younger vampire was in the lawn in front of their house, taking care of the humans, which meant Derek didn’t need to. To Derek, Isaac was a child, so seeing him all threatening and on top was a little amusing if nothing else, but he would admit the kid was useful at times like these. Eva spoke again behind him, and as the fight ended downstairs, he relaxed his stance slightly and glanced at the human girl who looked more or less uncomfortable at this exact moment. He didn’t blame her. He had ignored her for a while as he looked outside, registering everything but her, and it had a tendency to unnerve people. Apparently he was very intense.

He cast her a brief smile before moving towards her once more, his senses finding Alessa close in that same instant. It seemed his family had decided to invade his senses all at the same time and all while he should be feeding. Timing, timing, timing. How many times had this not happened to him? Derek’s eyes were on Eva once more, however, and he was focused on her. No one was in danger anymore, and he was hungry. Eva’s scent was all around him, mixing with the flowers in her room and her subtle perfume. It was seductive to his hungry senses, and he couldn’t help but move towards her as he finally replied, his voice smooth and deep; a sexy purring as always. It wasn’t conscious on his part; it was just how his voice sounded. “Mostly…” he began, his eyes intense on hers as he added “I’m hungry.”

With that, the tall male moved quickly, having picked her up and pinned her against the wall in the next instant. His manners had a tendency to be neglected a little once his hunger was burning in him like this, and Eva was too delicious to resist, so he leaned in, his lips already against her bared neck when he spoke again, his voice a husky murmur, “and you smell amazing.” Derek let his hands slip from her wrists which he had used to capture her against the wall and moved them towards her hips, one settling there while the other cupped her jaw, his palm against the side of her neck he wasn’t murmuring against, thumb on the opposite side of her chin.

His grip on her jaw was firm yet gentle as he tilted her head to the side, baring more of her glorious, smooth neck to him. He would give her his present once he had sated his thirst, he decided as his fangs extended, folding out like those of a rattlesnake. He scraped them gently against her neck, almost in a caress, waiting for a sign of approval before digging in. He didn’t wish to overwhelm her, and he knew his fast movements were confounding to her as it was. That was when he heard the door slamming. Alessa was hungry, it seemed. Ah, fuck. Was Adonis bleeding? He’d hardly noticed, too focused on Eva’s tantalizing scent.

Derek sighed quietly. This meant he had to hurry his feeding on Eva, which was incredibly frustrating as she was an especially delicious treat and he’d rather enjoy her blood than gulp it down greedily. “I apologize for this,” he whispered then before simply digging in. Mostly he was apologizing for the way this feeding would go down. Usually he took his sweet time with her, doing all he could to make it amazing for her. This time he simply didn’t have the time, but he hurriedly released the proper amount of toxins, knowing that even then, it wouldn’t be as pleasurable to her. He would make it up to her, he soon decided as he gulped down the amazing, thick, sweet substance that was Eva’s blood.

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...

Eva couldn’t focus on anything else but the tall and brooding vampire before her. Derek’s presence stole all of her attention. She watched him and wrestled with her own hands in her lap as he momentarily looked out the window. She heard a scuffle and then Isaac shouting. The brunette watched Derek with parted lips and mild concern. Was something serious happening outside? Then his lips pulled into a wry smirk and she exhaled a sigh, knowing that if it was really bad – whatever was happening that is – he would have left her there and gone to help. He turned back to her and she went rigid the moment his eyes landed on her. She curled her toes involuntarily, wrenched by the power of his gaze.

“Mostly…” he told her, replying to her earlier question as to how he was, “I’m hungry.” His voice was jagged and sharp, the slight rasp causing another wave of goose flesh to tear up her arms. She shivered and as she shook he suddenly moved towards her and almost like her daydream, he pulled her to stand. Only with the force and momentum of his inhuman speed, Derek pinned her to the wall. Eva was immediately breathless, her body heaving with air as her senses were suddenly driven wild by his touch. He held her hands at her waist, but not too tightly. Never too tightly. He was gentle and yet forceful. Just like that damned book. It made her moan lowly.

“I know,” she breathed lowly, looking into his eyes in flashes. She looked up at him and then down at the floor several times, somewhat baffled by how fast he moved. Still, the proximity was driving her mad. She wanted him to be this close. But most of all, she wanted him to be doing other things. He leaned in then, and Eva tilted her head away from him, leaning her forehead into his shoulder, feeling his lips graze her throat. Her fingers tensed into fists. She was pinned and could do nothing but feel what he wanted her to feel.

“And you smell amazing,” Derek added. The low tone of his voice so close to her body sent vibrations through her torso. Eva straightened all at once, sighing with a groan, knowing she shouldn’t be enjoying this so much but she did. She loved this. She would die to have this happen every hour of every day with this man…this vampire. He made her feel like she was on fire, his cold touch like flames to her skin, igniting something so passionate and heated in her core. It had to be real. This feeling, this was what all the books talked about didn’t they? When you just knew you couldn’t live without something or someone.

His hands released her wrists, pushing her closer to the wall. His body leaned into hers and her legs were locked between his. While her hands were free, she could do nothing but reach out to brace herself by holding onto his sides. He held her head steady and she leaned her chin towards the support he offered with his palm. She closed her eyes then, softly, her hands squeezing him. She hummed lowly, a sign she had developed in the time he had been feeding on her – as if to say I’m ready. Derek ran his fangs along her throat and she felt her skin react as if tickled.

Then it came – hesitation. Eva felt him stop moving and she flickered her eyes open, batting her lashes as if dazed. She was high from having Derek so close, from having his hands on her. She wanted him to bite into her, to feed. She wanted that release. But he was delaying it and he sighed then and she began to wonder. That momentary lapse in thinking led to surprise.

“I apologize for this,” he whispered. “Wha--?” Eva began to mumble. Then it came. The bite was vicious, like nothing before. She couldn’t suppress the natural squeal of surprise that came from her throat. Eva’s eyes widened and she groaned, feeling the discomfort of his fangs before the natural numbing proceeded. Isaac had explained once that vampires dosed humans with toxins before drinking, making the moment pleasurable or horrific. Normally, Derek would spread that orgasmic good feeling throughout the whole of her body but something was off in this instance. He pulled back quicker than any time before and suddenly was drinking. And quickly. The normal numbness, the high, the sensual orgasmic feelings that had accompanied the nine previous times were almost absent. She felt him pull the blood from her veins and it was uncomfortable. Eva clenched her teeth, tightening her grip on his hips. He kept going, so quickly she was rapidly light headed. “Derek…” she whispered, urgently. The numbness came in her feet quickly and within seconds she knew that if he pulled back she would collapse.

She knew she had had enough suddenly. Eva had never hit the point before but her body began to resist him even though her heart and mind were more than willing to let him keep going. Her hands released his sides, her left slapping the wall. Eva tried to move her feet again, fidgeting. Any heat, any excitement she had felt before was gone. She felt raw and sore all at once, numb in places but above all just plain loopy. When she opened her eyes again, Eva saw stars. The bedside lamp on her nightstand suddenly seemed ten times brighter. His voice was louder in her ears. She felt like she was falling when she suddenly reached out to grip his shoulders, to hold on while her heart felt like it was racing for dear life in her ears. She had never felt like this before. "I feel sick," she struggled to tell him. Her hands were shaking by the time he pulled back. Eva felt jarred when she heard someone move loudly past her bedroom door. The steps loudly continued up to the attic staircase beyond her room. She knew at once it was Adonis and sudden crashing noises had her concerned. Yet just as suddenly as it happened, she forgot about it, her focus on Derek and what he was doing, listening for...anything.

---

Scarlett lingered on Oliver’s mind as he moved back to the room he had claimed as his own. The blonde’s fresh scent remained heavy in the halls, taunting the monster within him. Oliver subdued his desire to drain the pet with another wave of images of his most recent victims. So many blondes came to mind. All young women. All eerily like Scarlett. His subconscious was speaking for itself. He was angry as he dropped is towel and dressed himself in clean clothing. Why did he want this girl so bad? Why didn’t he just go through with it, as he always had? What was so special about her that he almost wanted to keep her alive. Well obviously he did. Was he actually able to control himself around her and prevent himself from drinking? He had never, ultimately, been able to keep himself away from a human he had wanted. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had never made it more than six weeks without finally killing that person. Scarlett had been with the Fallen coven for months – no…years!

Oliver paused as he ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows furrowing with the thought. How had he failed to recognize this? This was good wasn’t it? But how long had it been since he had been able to think this rationally? Years? Had he lapsed that long just to please Helena? Was he really enjoying the power of being a vampire for such extended periods of time now? It shook him up and he felt his lips twitching as he moved to take in his personal space. One wall was exposed brick. His double bed backed onto it, the frame simple. The bedding was still astray from when he had tried to lay still the day before. His unrest had led him to hunting, and to killing again. He hadn’t been able to occupy his mind lately. Today he was about to pull an old leather bound diary from a small dresser when the old groaning sound of the house’s beat up piano filled his ears. Oliver tilted his head, feeling the frustration ebb slightly. The song was light and smooth. His mother had used to play the piano, when he was human and had hated them all. But the sound felt like home and suddenly he was closing the drawer and moving away from his bedroom to the hall, following the noise like a butterfly to flame. He found himself in the doorway to the large upstairs loft area, his eyes raking in Scarlett’s back. He should have known.

For awhile he stood in listened as the song gained intensity. He watched as her fingers danced over the keys, how her head swayed with the song and how her body seemed to curl over the keyboard, moving from one stretch to another, lost in the song. The smell of her was tantalizing and he could feel his fangs extend, releasing pleasure toxins into his mouth. The venom gathered on his tongue bitterly and he swallowed, recognizing that he needed to leave, to clean up his mess as Helena called it. He sighed, walking away from the blonde without a word. He moved quickly, knowing that if he hesitated he wouldn’t leave. He forced himself down the stairs and out the door. He was there long enough to hear Kaleigh begging between sobs. It was enough to send him running back to the bar, stopping only to collect a few important things.

He hadn’t truly been away that long. An hour and a half tops. Surprisingly the bouncer he had persuaded to bar the bathrooms was still at his post. No police cars, ambulances or other human organizations were present. No one had been discovered yet it seemed. He leapt up the fire escape, unemotional as he returned to the bathroom window he had broken through. He looked inside, the bodies where he had left them, water still streaming out of the broken sink. It was almost knee deep and the dead women floated earlier, their blood swirling ominously. He crawled through, wading through his mess to claim their bodies. The water was doing enough to remove evidence of his presence, and of them. Still, he wasn’t stupid enough to leave traces of their blood. He hauled the two corpses over his shoulder, kicking in the broken faucet to bend it closed. He hauled them out onto the escape before he withdrew a bottle of gasoline from his coat, stolen from a campfire stove in the neighbors shed. He tore the cap off the canister, splashing it up the walls and bathroom stalls before crawling back through again, standing close enough to light a match, hissing at the flame before chucking it through. The water mixed with the gas to burn brilliantly. The heat flashed through the window, one blast enough to sear the back of his neck. It healed quickly as he hoisted the bodies onto his shoulder, his face grim as he jumped onto the rooftop and moved to a conservation area behind a local park. It was closed at night and he was able to do what he needed to do, disposing of the two women as Helena had requested. He moved fast, not wanting to spend more time than he needed looking at their faces, still it was time consuming. In a good way, however, he was focused on the task at hand and not the situation at home. Or Scarlett.

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.

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.

Alessa Fia Dattolo


Dark, matted hair fell into her face, dragging across the stone. The nails on her slender fingers were sharp, long. The soft but sickeningly frightening sound of her bare footfalls echoed in the silent night. Her body was positioned into a half crouch as she crawled down the alley. These traits combined were all but welcoming, though none of them made the young man at her feet truly shudder.

Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and the man gave a silent gasp at the sight of it as he crawled slowly backwards down the alley. No creature he had ever seen could surpass her beauty. The smoothness of her olive skin, the gentleness of her jaw line. But when he dared to look into the eyes of the monster, he turned to stone. Her dark lashes lifted and stared forward. Though the whites of her eyes were visible, the pupils weren’t. The irises were as black as the night sky above her, blending in with the pupils. The midnight of her eyes was everything but dark, however they shone brighter than the full moon.

The man at the end of the alley was still locked into place against the stone wall as the woman came closer. She was on top of him in lightning speed, not giving him any time to defend himself as she attacked. She gripped his face and lunged her head into his neck, digging her fangs into his flesh. The blood curdling scream of her victim shrilled through the air before he felt the pleasure of her feeding. The monster was too overwhelmed to care, swimming in the blood that flowed freely out of his neck into her mouth.

“Let’s go.” Alessa jumped when she heard the low purr of Derek’s voice. Her painful reminiscing had restricted her from hearing or sensing his approach. Her hands still trembled as she turned the key in the ignition and drove smoothly out of their garage. The memory had been horrible, though she barely remembered the experience. The event had taken place long ago, and she hadn’t been conscious through most of it. It had been her first feeding as a Fledgling, the feeding that turned her into a newborn vampire. Going so long without feeding had turned her crazy, sending her on a rampage that nearly killed a man, and nearly made her fall.

Alessa shook her head, shaking away the memory of the first night. Now wasn’t the time to think of such things. She had to focus on the road, not that it was necessary. She could be facing backwards in the driver’s seat and still drive better than most humans.

Turning briefly, she noticed the stone expression on her protector’s face. Derek gazed out the window, not bothering to look at her. She sighed. “I. . . apologize – to both you and Eva. This came suddenly, and it wasn’t polite of me to not respect your feeding and Eva’s wellbeing. I’ll make sure that when we return I will apologize immediately, and explain to her that her sore experience had been of my fault.” She gripped the wheel tightly, hoping Derek would understand that she was sincere. She wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t take her apology. She didn’t feel like she deserved it.
T
he drive was quiet for the most part; neither of them felt like talking. Alessa didn’t blame her passenger. She would’ve been upset, as well, if she had hurt and maybe traumatized someone she truly cared about. Eva must feel horrible back at home, sick after the fast feeding. Alessa resolved to make it up to the girl, later. She hated feeling responsible for the girl not feeling well. And what had been wrong with Adonis? The Forbearers’ other pet didn’t seem in good spirits after Alessa had let his side. Well, anyone would feel sour after having been almost murdered by someone you thought of as a friend. What had he been mumbling about in his room? The female vampire picked her brain as she tried to remember Portuguese. Kissing. He had said something about kissing. Is that what his earlier fight had been about? Had he kissed some guy’s girlfriend and gotten chased by a goon? Alessa sighed. Adonis was always getting into trouble. She couldn’t stay mad at him though, she would talk to him later. She loved him, and wanted to make sure he was okay.

Love? Alessa thought about the word that had appeared in her mind. Love, she repeated. Never before had she questioned which love she had felt. Surely she loved all of her coven members, but she loved them like family. Adonis didn’t really count as a coven member – did he? – so family love might or might not apply here. Sure, the leader favored him, but was this the reason why?

Alessa snapped out of her train of thought when Derek asked out their hunting venue. She pondered this quickly while he patiently waited. She thought a nightclub was best, and wanted some alcohol flavor in her blood tonight. She suggested this, and drove onto another road. This road was long and mostly deserted, except for a lone bar that sat halfway down the road. It was a bar, nightclub, and a truck stop. Drivers came here to take a break from driving long hours on the road. It was an ideal feeding place for Alessa, because if something did go wrong during her feeding, no one would notice a truck driver missing from out of state.

She drove off the road and into the dirt parking lot, parking around back. She stuck her keys into the glove compartment, and pulled out a blade. It was six inches long with a leather bound hilt. She slipped it into the sleeve of her jacket, and motioned for Derek to take any of the other weapons in the compartment. Alessa pulled out a shiny revolver and stuck it the waistband of her pants by the small of her back.

After Derek closed and locked the compartment, they stalked into the club. It was small, but not claustrophobic. The darkness was welcoming, and it seemed like others had the same feeling as the club was crowded. Smoke flowed through the air, and the
crowd stared awestruck at the vampires in the doorway when it cleared.

Vampires, being predators were perfect in human eyes, and this feature came in handy when looking for a meal. Already, Alessa spotted several men who would do, and sent a smile their way. She spoke softly in Derek’s ear, telling him that he was free to feed if he wished. The female vampire said that she would talk to the men in the corner and wait for him while he took his time feeding on a female in the room. Several of them were eyeing the protector, already. Alessa could hear the giggles as they appraised him.

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.

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.

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.

Eva had dozed off. Sitting still in her bed, her empty plate in her lap, the brunette had finally given into the tired weight of her body. Normally she was a light sleeper, so the knocks on the doors and noises from downstairs didn’t rouse her. She was captivated instead by a dream of Derek (but really, when wasn’t she dreaming about him?)

She was in her room, but not the current one she had made for herself in their house. No, she was in her home in Easton, the big house the one she had so desperately wanted to escape to New York from. The walls were painted a pale yellow, the color her mother had chose for her nursery when she hadn’t known the gender of her only child. It had never been a color Eva had admired and as she’d grown more drawn into fashion and theater and the stories of New York and Paris and London and Milan, her walls had gradually become plastered with posters and sketches and drawings. All of it remained. In the corner were a pair of dress forms and beside them a desk littered with fabric scraps and sewing paraphernalia. Tacked up along a bay window were fairy lights, which were turned on as the rest of the lights were shut off. A hundred candles were also lit and scattered across the room, all adding to the ambience, taking away from the cluttered walls.

Laid across her double bed was Eva herself, as she was currently, twenty one years old, her hair long, dark and curly. She was dressed in a black lace corset and stockings, kitten heels on her feet as she displayed herself for the man who stood in the center of the room. Derek smiled at her, unbuttoning a fitted white collar shirt that he wore. He strode across the room, eyes glued to her. As he approached the bed Eva rolled onto her back, pressing her hands to his shoulders without the hesitation she felt every day around him. No, she wanted him. She couldn’t deny how much she wanted to give herself over to him. Instead, however, he sat down on the edge of her bed instead of crawling over her. Derek sighed, stopping with undoing the buttons of his shirt. Immediately Eva sat up, drawing her hands over his left shoulder and under his right to clasp across his chest. She rested her chin on his shoulder. “Please,” she begged. He leaned his head into hers and she saw him smile. It was always a game. Suddenly he was whirling her back onto the bed, shifting with vampire speed to pin her hands and press her back into the numerous pillows. He hovered over top of her, his eyes taking in her frame. He leaned in, the tension building. Eva’s eyes fluttered and she closed them, inhaling deeply, wanting him to kiss her.

A loud crash forced her to open her eyes. Eva took in the surroundings of the house and the screams from downstairs, her plate sliding off her thighs and onto her bed. Her heart was immediately racing in her chest as she stumbled, her weak legs buckling as she moved to her bedroom door. She landed in a heap by it instead, pressing her face up to it to listen. She swallowed, hearing noises she didn’t think possible. Screeches, animalistic cries and shrieks. It didn’t last long as suddenly it was ended by the most wretched tearing noises and cries. Her heart lept into her throat then, as silence fell. Eva opened the door to her room and stood on the landing then, looking down wearily, so confused, so dazed. She could see Adonis, a phone in his hands, his voice frantic but his words beyond her. Instead she heard the most frantic and hysterical of cries coming from Angel.

"Alessa! Apresse casa! Não está lutando! Eu não sei quem está aqui, mas Jasper estava gritando e Angel é louca e eu não sei onde é Eva e Annabelle e Isaac não posso ouvi-los! Depressa, por favor! Eu não posso ouvir mais nada!" It went on and on, building, the weeping growing. Eva’s eyes widened as she moved down the steps one at a time. As she turned the corner she was met with a blood bath that took the breath right out of her. She fell, her feet losing their grip. She bounced down three steps before her hands flew out to grip herself on the banister and wall. Her fingers slid through a spray of someone’s blood and she gaped, so stunned that for several minutes she didn’t know what to think. Angel’s hysterics were the only noise in the dead silent room that she could hear. Eva felt herself begin to hyperventilate as she took in the Italian vampire on her hands in knees, surrounded by the heads of strangers. “Oh..oh,” Eva gasped, her face knitting into uncontrolled sadness as she suddenly became aware that three of the bodies were not strangers as well. Isaac. Jasper. Oh dear Jasper. And Annabelle, blessed woman. They were all torn to shreds with the strangers, their heads and limbs so strewn about like someone had thought it a funny game. Fear caught her chest tightly but for some reason she was too stunned to cry.

The main door to the house flew open suddenly and Derek stepped in, his eyes going immediately to Angulizza. Eva leaned back into the stairs, her lips trembling as she saw Alessa behind him. Derek didn’t hesitate, he went straight to his hysterical companion on the floor, fighting her as she wept and pushed him away.

“Angel,” he whispered, sinking to his knees to bring her into his lap. “No! Get off of me!” she yelled. Eva watched the exchange continue, how Derek suddenly moved to caress the Italian’s cheek. Her cheek. Not Eva’s. No. He was coddling the threatening bitch who had an hour before wanted Jasper’s head for disobedience. Well she had it now didn’t she? Her friend was in the pile of bodies. Isaac too, the very man to whom she had grown close to. And Anna, the wise voice of them all. Eva felt her eyes burn then, not with sadness but hurt unaltered jealousy and fear.

“Shh,” he cooed. Eva gasped like she had been stabbed. How many times had he done that to her after feeding on her? It was no longer some special thing. She had convinced herself that he only treated her the way he did but it was so clear then that that wasn't the case. “I'm so sorry,” Angel apologized. “I tried to protect them! I did...But it-”

Eva’s eyes knitted, her lips twitching as she sucked in air so rapidly. Protect them? She had actively participated in all of it! For all Eva knew she had shredded their coven members in her ‘defensive’ rage.

“Its...my fault. And I'm so sorry. Please don't make me go...Don't let me go,” she sniffed. Eva forced herself to get up then, her knees shaking as she suddenly forced herself down the stairs. She couldn’t see this. She didn’t want to see this. Derek was with her. It was so clear now. The dreams, everything had made it seem so real. She loved him, so loved him so much but months of this, months of merely being fed on and pleasing him, that’s all it was. This display, this coddling and whispering and consolation was so much a display of affection to Angel. It was so much more than she had gotten in months. What did that say about how he felt about her? She knew she had to leave. She had to get out of this horrific house, away from them all.

She threw herself through the open door and started to run.

Alessa laughed at Derek’s response. It was a greatly well-known quote. Perhaps she would have to do some more reading; make the quotes more challenging to guess. Then again, Derek most likely read any book she could pick up, as he wasn’t much younger than she.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she quickly pulled it out. Who would call them while out hunting? If anyone needed anything, they knew where it was. They knew that they shouldn’t be contacting others while out hunting; unless something was wrong. Looking at the phone, she saw who called. Adonis. She pressed the phone up to her ear, listening to the human speak in frantic Portuguese. He shouted over the ruckus. Why was there ruckus? Alessa asked the question, speaking very fast. Maybe too fast. She took a deep breath and spoke slower, slow enough thcat Adonis could understand. Derek, she knew, didn’t know perfect Portuguese, but knew enough to understand that they had to go. Now.

He leapt off the roof, waiting for Alessa. She jumped, barely hearing him talk about leaving the human. What human? Nothing else mattered besides her family at home. The two were in the car and driving home in no time, the speed of the Lamborghini coming in handy. She begged, demanded Adonis to stay on the phone, not wanting to be cut off from the only connection she had. She asked about Eva; where was she? The vampires could handle themselves, but the humans were virtually defenseless.

A miles from the house, Alessa heard growls. Being 1601 years old, her hearing was extremely acute. The closer they got, the quieter things became, and the more anxious and terrified Alessa became. Derek paid no mind to reassigns, driving as fast as the car could go, seeming a blur to passing pedestrians and other vehicles.
T
hey came to a halt in front of the house, and neither of them though to be rational. Alessa ripped through her seatbelt, nearly unhinging the door from the rest of the car. The door was gone. More terror. Inside, Alessa gasped at the sight of blood. The new home was drenched in red, covered in bodies. Oh, no. Who was missing?! Adonis was in his room; she memorized his breathing pattern along with Eva’s, who was nearby. Derek immediately consoled a mourning and frantic Angiluzza on the ground, and, looking closer, the remains of the rest of the coven and blood pet was on the ground. If she hadn’t fed, Alessa would be frantic, but, if she hadn’t left to feed, this wouldn’t have happened.

Suddenly, Eva burst from the room. Adonis was alive, Angiluzza was in Derek’s hands. Eva needed help. She sprinted to catch up to her, standing in her path to catch her and embrace her in a hug. She held her tight, murmuring how everything was alright. But was it really? Sitting on a rock, Alessa sat Eva next to her, telling the human to talk. Alessa would talk next.

The blood. It was everywhere. On her hands. Soaking through her jeans. Clinging to her back, causing her shirt to stick to her. It was on her neck, her feet. She wanted to escape it, to get away from them. Was else was there for her to do but run? She needed to breath, she needed it to stop. She needed her mother, her friends, and a life that didn’t revolve around giving herself to a man she loved so much it hurt. She did. She loved him so much that it was physically painful. Eva felt her heart beat painfully in her chest, skipping a beat when she was halfway through the yard, her bare feet hitting the grass with an expert runner’s pace. It was no match for them though. They had all seen her flee, Derek with Angel in his arms, Alessa who stood by watching. She wanted him to be there. Was he running? She heard the familiar crack in the air of a vampire’s run which caused her to close her eyes and try to sprint, the tears breaking the barrier and involuntarily running down her cheeks. What about Jasper? He was dead? What did that mean for them? She needed him! He was so much kinder, sweet, and caring than Adonis. And he had been so in love with his late wife. What about their murderer? Who would search for them now?

Eva shrieked when she was stopped, her legs suddenly removed from the ground as strong arms wrapped around her. Her eyes opened wide and she found herself in Alessa’s arms. Not Derek’s. So he really didn’t care enough to run after her now too? She wrestled with the coven leader. Eva didn’t want to be around this woman who had promised her this life was so much more than what it had been shown to be. Isaac had promised her the world and back. His head was on the floor of their living room too. “Please! Please let me go! Please! No, no no!” she shrieked, her lungs burning with the effort to be as loud as possible, to get as much attention as she could, to make Derek hear her where he consoled his coven member.

Restrained, Eva couldn’t fight against Alessa as the woman sat her down on a large boulder by the tree line, sitting next to her, arms on her shoulders, one on her waist, giving her freedom but not so much that she could weasel away. Eva cried. She didn’t know what else to do. “I don’t want to die!” she yelled, her chest heaving as her fear reached def com one, like a panicked soldier. “Don’t make me go back. Don’t make me go in there to look at them again, their faces, their heads,” she pleaded. “Don’t make me watch him with her, coddling her, loving her.” She didn’t know what she was saying, her words coming out in a slurred gush with tears and phlegm as her face melted into a horrified contorted mixture of sorrow and terror. "Don't. Please. I can't. Jasper. Isaac. Annabelle. Please. Please. The shrieking, the tearing noises, they replayed in her head as they sat there, painfully reminding her of what she had seen. She could hear Angel's cries from where they were, which only proved to make her cry harder.