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Filled with a sudden discomfort at the way this conversation is going, I manage a nod in return. It has been beaten into me that I must take over the family seat on the council, though after I uncover what is sure to be hidden, I’m not sure the other council members will be in favor of our bloodline holding a seat any longer.
“I understand you have much weight to bear and sift through, son. I don’t mean to burden you with this, just know my words come from a heart filled with pride for the man you’ve become. Come now, our guests will soon arrive and I’m sure you’ll want to freshen up first after a long night of travel.”
After a refreshing shower, I descend the stairs to cordially greet each of our guests. I shake her father’s hand then begrudgingly, kiss the top of her mother’s, then turn to hug Amelia. I chance a glance at my mother, wishing I could smack the satisfied look off her face. Instead, I force a smile. My father nods, no facial expression whatsoever. I’m beginning to believe he isn’t the happiest of men.
Mother commands the servants as she always has to take the Brandts’ luggage to their rooms so they can change into their hunting attire and I decide to do the same. My parents need to keep thingspureas they call it, and for things to remain as they once were centuries ago is archaic. Everything evolves—humanity, sexuality—I can’t think of a single entity that doesn’t outside them. They don’t like the wayhumanshave allowed society to digress and prefer the days of old. And while I don’t necessarily disagree with portions of that statement, I know not all humans are to blame for this.
Donning my leather trench coat, the desire to hunt isn’t there. Given the fact I’m hungry, bowing out now would draw unwanted attention. At least this will be a good way to keep an eye on them, especially mother dearest.
Amelia and I are the first to arrive back downstairs. She purrs seductively as she close in. “Have you missed me, David?” she asks while tracing the ‘V’ neckline on the top of my shirt with her freshly manicured nails. Her beauty would stun Aphrodite herself, but I’ve never been fooled by it. Amelia is tall and slender with long, billowy blonde hair that cascades down her back in ringlets to her waist. Her hypnotic sapphire blue eyes have brought the strongest of men to their knees.
Once the others arrive, the pack hikes into town, Amelia keeping pace alongside me. I wonder if my mother had somehow been forewarned of my arrival and notified the Brandts so they would return. Too many things aren’t adding up with this trip. If Mother does have a coven of rogues, are they tracking me?Note to self, notify Tristan and heighten security for Jess.
As we cross the bridge into town, Amelia asks, “What brings you back to Varna, David? Have you finished school?”
“No, I have three years left.” Elaborating any further would risk giving too much away.
“I heard you had a human concubine,” Amelia speaks with such disgust I have to fight back the urge to choke her.
“Yes, but that’s over.”
“Oh really,” Amelia purrs. How she thinks she has a chance is beyond me.
We reach the seedy edge of town where the taverns and whorehouses were. Generally, we’d lurk in the shadows, wait for unruly bar patrons to get expelled and start fights outside. Assess them, and pick our prey from there. I despise using humans as meals, but it’s a necessary evil of being an immortal. While waiting, I scan the area for my mother and spy her eying a young couple that’s walking down the other side of the street. She licks her lips as though they are a priceless treat.
They aren’t bothering anyone, merely enjoying their evening out. With their arms tightly wrapped around one another, they are completely oblivious to what is going on around them. From here I can sense their love for one another and no evil radiates from them therefore they should be of no concern to the pack. But Mother feels otherwise. The rest of the pack is gravitating toward a group heading to an alley behind the tavern. I stand back, assessing my mother’s next move. She senses my watchful gaze, shifting her interest from the couple to the group the rest are tracking.
I catch up to the others who’ve moved ahead. They are tracking a seedy group of men that has trapped a young bar maiden. They taunt her as she begs for her release. The men shove her down onto a table and push her skirt up. There is no way in hell I’m letting them take that from her. Without thinking, I dart out of the shadows and grab the man closest to her around the throat and feed. This sets the rest of his drunken comrades into mass hysteria though they don’t stand a chance as the pack decended upon them.
There’s nothing like taking that first bite, breaking the skin, the feel of the warm blood as it pulses through your veins. The rush you get is like heroin to a vampire. A euphoric frenzy to which nothing else compares.
The bar maiden screams and runs without looking back. She is of no concern to us, but just to be safe I drop the man I’m finished with and catch up to her. I compel her to forget what she saw and send her home.
We pile their lifeless bodies in the nearby forest, and swiftly set fire to them. Luckily, we are in a remote part of town on the far west side that isn’t heavily populated. This is a poor, working class village and the likelihood of anyone seeing anything is minimal. Once all that remains were skeletal bones, we bury them and turn back toward the castle.
During the journey, my father paces himself alongside me. “That was a noble thing you did for that girl. I’m proud of you, son.”
Stifling a grin, I nod. While I wasn’t looking for my father’s approval, it’s still nice to hear. I gaze up through the group and discover my mother is not with us.
“Father, where’s Mother?” I ask.
He shrugs and says nothing, but keeps pace with the rest of the group though I turn back to search for her.
Re-entering town, I recall the young couple she ogled and wonder what her devious mind had in store for them. I backtrack up the main road, in the direction I last saw them. As I passed the familiar buildings, I hear a dreadful sound coming from a nearby alleyway. The coppery scent of freshly spilled blood wafts out and I follow it. What I stumble onto next stops me dead in my tracks. My mother is doused in blood, hovering over the lovers’ butchered bodies, their necks severed by her demented feeding craze.
“Mother!” I scream.
She turns and snarls. Her eyes are as red as the blood she’s spilled. She’s too far gone to recognize me. When vampires fight or feed, their eyes are black as night—never red. Red is the sign of a rogue, a soulless vampire. She releases a deep, guttural growl and flees in the opposite direction of the castle, leaving her disfigured prey to rot.
Out of respect for the humans she mercilessly obliterated, I carry their corpses to the woods, and dispose of them in the same manner we did the others. If their remains had been found this would be detrimental to our community. I bury the bones and trek back to the castle, texting Tristan along the way.
Me: Tighten security. I fear rogues will be dispatched.
Tristan: Consider it done.
I walk up to the castle and Amelia stands outside waiting for me.
“Has my mother returned?” I ask as I try to walk past her.
