Lucien tried to bite his captors when they approached, but they didn’t acknowledge him. A rattling clink came from behind him, and his arms fell forward. He didn’t take the time to rejoice in his freedom or the ease of the ever-present soreness that seeped into his muscles so long ago.
He lurched toward one of them, but someone jerked his arms behind him again. Someone else grasped his ankles and lifted him off the ground. Thrashing, kicking, and hissing, Lucien sought to break free, but starvation had weakened him. His struggles were useless as they carried him through a tunnel.
He saw nothing of his surroundings until he was led into a large, open pit and tossed into the middle. He spun toward whoever carried him, but they were already exiting the pit and shutting a steel door behind them.
Unwilling to let them get away, he flew across the pit and flung himself against the door, but he was like a weakened mouse against an elephant. The impact threw him back and knocked him on his ass.
Pushing himself partially up on his hands, he blinked as he tried to take in his surroundings through the white lights shining down on him. In front of those lights stood a group of vampires who all gazed down at him with mixed expressions of boredom, curiosity, and eagerness. Someone shouted to bring in the others, and then a door across the way opened.
Gladiator pit.
He had only a moment of lucid thought to recognize his surroundings before they shoved five women into the pit with him. Fivehumanwomen, and they all had delicious, life-saving blood pumping through their veins.
Lucien didn’t realize he was standing or hear the rattle of his chains as he raced across the pit, grabbed the first woman, and sank his fangs into her throat. The sweetest blood he’d ever tasted filled his mouth.
And then a pain unlike anything he’d ever experienced exploded in his head, and he reeled back.
The End
* * *
