Sire Bound: Part 2

by Edith Warner

  The next building on her right was a fancy hotel. She jogged past the valet parking man into the lobby. As soon as she was indoors, she rubbed her hand over her skin. It didn’t seem to have any lasting damage, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  “You’re gonna be killed if you don’t keep things more low-key.”

  She turned to see a burly man with sunglasses and a solid black jacket.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to play it off.

  The man just chuckled and held out his hand. “The name’s Darrell. Miss?”

  She stood frozen in place for a moment. The words Warren had said about the Montgomery name ran through her mind. She decided to be honest about her identity. “I’m Selene Montgomery.”

  “Montgomery, huh? I know Wren quite well. He’s a good man.”

  Wren?

  “Yeah.” She flashed him a sheepish smile.

  “Listen. I’m headed to the shelter if you want to come.”

  Selene had never felt more out of her element. What was the shelter?

  “No. I’m good. Thank you though.”

  “You sure? I heard they have fresh blood in the bank.” Darrell‘s voice got quieter, even though they were already speaking at a level that was inaudible to humans.

  Her curiosity peaked. “Do they kill people for it?”

  “Nah girl. It’s the same stuff I smell in your bag. Didn’t they tell you how it worked?”

  “I actually got this from Warren.” Selene’s eyes drifted to the floor.

  “Then you definitely need to come with me. That place is hard to find the first time.” Darrell raised his eyebrows.

  She thought about the possibility of having food without taking human life. It was enough to make her agree, though she would keep her guard up. “Okay.”

  “All I ask is for a bag of your blood when we get there. Besides that, you don’t have to worry about nothing. I’ll make sure you get there in one piece.”

  She refrained from widening her eyes.

  Darrell didn’t wait for her to agree to the exchange. A broad smile spread across his face. “I got a room up in this joint. We’ll wait there until it gets dark.”

  It took a moment for Darrell to get the keys from the front desk. After they reached the room, Selene took the opportunity to drink some of her blood while Darrell took a shower. Something told her that the sight of it might make him ravenous.

  They spent the next few hours resting in separate beds while sitcoms played on the TV in the background. When Darrell’s cell phone alarm went off, he immediately switched into go mode. Selene found the balance between lagging and walking so fast that humans would notice to be a hard one, but Darrell had it mastered.

  She followed directly behind him as he weaved through the people on the sidewalk.

  “We aren’t going to drive?” she asked after the hotel was out of sight.

  “Sorry princess, but I don’t have a car. Not all of us can obtain a fake license like your boy. We just do what we can to stay under the radar.”

  After an hour or so of walking, they were in a more secluded area filled with abandoned storefronts. Darrell took her down an alley which had a dead end. He looked around before climbing the wall onto a grassy hill. Selene mimicked him with ease.

  “Halfway there now. Be alert.” Darrell drug her in front of him by the handle on the top of her backpack. He stayed inches behind her, giving her subtle cues and instructions. After several minutes, he began rushing her. She tried to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other, but her senses told her that someone was watching them.

  They reached an old neighborhood. What were once houses for the affluent were marked with graffiti and decay. Large oak tree branches loomed overhead, and a sense of foreboding gripped Selene. Movement entered her peripheral vision, followed by a raspy female voice.

  “You’re in my territory.”

  A thin frame blocked the sidewalk in front of them. Darrell stepped in front of Selene and shielded her with his body.

  “Move!”

  “Not until you pay your tax for being in my domain.” The woman cocked her head to the side with a determined face.

  “We are not hunting tonight, just heading to the bank. We don’t owe you any tax.” Darrell snarled at her.

  “You don’t, huh?”

  Several figures appeared behind the woman. Darrell took a step back before Selene felt hands grabbing at her backpack. She threw a clenched fist that landed square on a man’s jaw. He hissed a curse word before snatching her up by the neck.

  “Who do you think you are? You cunt.”

  Darrell rushed toward her before two other males grabbed him by the shoulders. Another stepped forward and head-butted him in the nose. “She’s a Montgomery, you sons of bitches.” Selene heard him yell over the scuffle.

  The man gave Selene an inquisitive look and softened his grip. He studied her appearance before she saw a spark of fear in his eyes. Her shoes popped against the asphalt when he instantly released her. “Let them through.”

  “You know I can’t do that.” The woman cackled.

  “I said to let them through!” He glared at the woman with clenched teeth. She pouted her lips before throwing her hands in the air and stepping to the side.

  Darrell and Selene rushed through the area without saying another word. Even with the large man by her side, Selene felt vulnerable. She longed for the security she’d felt in Warren’s presence.

  More vampires watched them as they got closer to the bank, but Darrell looked pissed enough to keep them warded off. They walked past more storefronts before exiting the city limits. Houses started being more spaced apart. They made so many turns it was hard for Selene to keep track. Eventually, they reached a residential community with a large black gate. A young man with brown hair and perfect skin was guarding the entrance. Darrell flashed his teeth at him, and the man smiled, revealing his own pair of fangs. The gate creaked as it slowly opened. Selene stepped inside the fence where several large houses with brick mailboxes were lined up. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. It seemed like a community that would be filled with rich retired people.

  Darrell led Selene to the top of the hill, where a large office building sat. It emanated light, but it didn’t give Selene a headache, even when she stood directly underneath one of the outside bulbs. She noticed that the bulb looked different than any other type she’d seen before. They entered a double glass door, and she registered the pungent smell of chlorine. She turned to see an Olympic-sized pool and a separate room with gym equipment. It was completely unoccupied, except for a woman who stood behind the desk. She smiled at them like any other attendant would, until Darrell flashed his fangs again.

  After that, she nodded and waved them forward; they followed her to a closet with a sign that read ‘employees only.’ There was a key in the woman’s front pocket, which she used to unlock the door. A bucket of soapy water for mopping sat in the corner, along with a cart loaded with towels for the pool. The large drain in the center of the room didn’t look out of place since a hose hung from the wall for rinsing things off.

  There was a metallic shifting sound underneath them. Selene realized that the woman was holding a small remote in her hand, which looked similar to a car clicker.

  “It’s open now,” she said, before lifting the grated drain from the floor. “Enjoy your visit.”

  Selene looked down; the circular hole was completely dark inside. Darrell went down without another word, and she followed right behind. She fell for a couple of seconds before landing on her feet. Her knees didn’t even ache from the pressure. She heard the shifting noise again, and the light from above faded. She was kind of relieved when it was gone. The darkness was much more preferable.

  They were standing inside a small room, which looked similar to a basement. The far wall automatically began swinging away from them. The blocks lined up so perfectly, Selene hadn’t realized it was a door. A tall, m
uscular man with a shaved head stood on the other side.

  “ID’s please.”

  Darrell pulled a card from his wallet, which had his information, a photo, and a barcode printed on the front side.

  “I’m new,” Selene said when the man turned his gaze on her.

  He raised his eyebrows and gave her a lewd look. “Well then, I might be able to let you in, if you convince me.”

  “She’s a Montgomery. That’s all of the convincing you’ll get.” Darrell stepped forward and glared straight into the man’s eyes. Selene could’ve sworn he wanted to spit.

  “You can register to the room on the right.” The doorman put on a professional face and stepped back.

  A large dark room with bunk beds lining the walls extended in front of them. The man barricaded the door behind them with a metal pipe. As Selene stepped deeper into the room, her muscles began to tense. Not with fear, but anger. She was suddenly furious that they had to resort to using Warren’s name again.

  I don’t need to rely on him. Goddamnit!

  Her head began to swim with emotion. She knew that she was wishy-washy, but that didn’t mean that she could control how she felt. Ever since the change, she’d had so many mood swings that she didn’t even know who she truly was any longer. This side of her felt independent. It was who she’d mostly been before Warren had swept in and flipped her whole world upside down. But ever since then, feelings lurked under the surface that she didn’t want to admit. They’d been so strong around Warren, she hadn’t been able to resist them. She’d hoped they would disappear once she was out of his presence, but they hadn’t. Maybe that’s why she’d gotten so angry. Or maybe she was just losing it all together. It certainly felt like it when she saw an innocent civilian on the street and wanted to rip their throat out.

  A naked ass began pumping in Selene’s peripheral vision. She tried not to look, but she couldn’t help herself. Two nude males were fucking against the wall, right in front of everyone. Their muscular bodies seemed to mesh together as a steady rhythm built.

  Darrell didn’t even give them a second glance as he led her to the registration room. A middle-aged woman with a bob haircut sat behind the desk. Nothing on her body was permanently modified, but she wore a lacy black dress with fishnet tights. Red rose petals decorated the corner of her desk, along with what appeared to be an actual human skull.

  Selene sat down in a heavy gothic chair; it didn’t budge an inch under her weight.

  “Who you gonna be, sweetheart?” The woman asked. Selene saw the nameplate on her desk read ‘Victoria.’

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a newborn right?” Victoria twirled a strand of hair around her index finger.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, then you can pick any name you want. Your old life is over now.”

  The thought of starting things over crossed Selene’s mind. She could be someone new and shake off the freedom and restraint that came with bearing Warren’s name. It would be like he never existed.

  But that would be a lie. I’d be lying to myself.

  “My name’s Selene Montgomery.”

  Victoria shot Darrell a quizzical look. He nodded, before she blurted out, “Then why on earth are you here, hun?”

  Selene didn’t know how to answer that question. She was there because Warren had turned her into someone she never thought she would be. She was there because ever since then, her mind had been in a haze. She didn’t know what in the hell she was doing. She was just desperate to find a state of equilibrium again.

  Victoria scoffed at her for the rest of the visit. Selene was too confused to feel angry again; she didn’t have the mental energy nor the right answers to defend herself. When Victoria handed her the ID card, she was eager to get out of the room and took it without asking any questions.

  “Well, I got you here. Are you going to pay up?” Darrell gave her a straight face, suddenly seeming uninterested in her well-being.

  “Right. Your blood.” Selene took a bag of blood from her backpack and handed it over to him.

  “Pleasure doing business with ya.” He reached out and shook her hand.

  Selene soon realized it was a farewell gesture. She followed him into another crowded room, but several people quickly separated them. He was ditching her on purpose.

  How would I ever get back on my own?

  Vampires were walking from the front of the room with bags of blood in their hands. Selene inched her way through the crowd, before being pressed back by a couple of large males. Apparently, they’d been waiting in line for some time. During the rustle, one of the males reached down and felt her breast. He reeked with beer and cheap cologne as he asked, “How much?”

  She shrugged his hand off and made her way to the back of the room. She still felt eyes on her, so she decided to take a rest on one of the bunks. Blood wasn’t worth being molested for. At least, not yet.

  As soon as her mind began to relax and she willed herself to close her eyes, a skinny man with ripped blue jeans jerked her to the floor.

  “That’s my bed.” His long gray hair and scrunched up nose reminded her of a wolf. She backed away, feeling repulsed by his behavior. Did no one have any decency?

  Selene soon discovered that almost every space had been ‘claimed.’ The only place she found some solace was in the corner, next to the entrance where the two males were still fucking. She was defeated and alone.

  The rest of the night consisted of her fending off more advances by both males and females. Apparently, it was common to trade your body for a bag of blood. She kept her backpack strapped on and leaned back against the wall, hoping it would be enough to keep her things from being stolen.

  After a few hours of restlessness, Selene was relieved when the others began to settle down. She took the opportunity to check out the shelter while most of the other vampires were asleep.

  Three large rooms were open to the public. One had the bunks, another had tables and chairs, and the third was being used to distribute blood. She was pleased to find that the restroom had boxes of toiletry items labeled ‘free’ and took advantage of those. Then she made her way to the blood room. There weren’t many people in line, and in no time, it was her turn to be served.

  A woman with blonde highlights asked for her ID card. She then scanned it with a handheld device which kept track of the quantity given. Selene was surprised that they’d lowered the limit to five free bags per week. That was barely enough to keep from starving. Apparently, there had been a rise in demand since vampires were learning about a new type of poison that could inhabit blood. This was all completely new to Selene, and she wondered if Warren knew about it. She hoped that he would be safe.

  The woman told her that the blood was distributed from donation centers to affiliated banks across the globe before someone beside her mumbled a familiar word.

  “Did you say Montgomery?” Selene asked another bank user.

  “Yeah.” A tall woman answered. She towered over Selene’s 5′5 frame. Her blonde hair was wrapped in a neat bun on the top of her head, and she was well dressed.

  “I’m a Montgomery, too. My name’s Selene.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed as she seemed to try and recall a faint memory.

  “We’ve never met before, but it’s nice to see someone else who’s a part of the family,” Selene said.

  “Actually…I believe we have. You were just unconscious. I’m glad to see that you made it. My name’s Christina.” She reached her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you here getting blood for Warren? I’m surprised he’d let you come here on your own.”

  “No. I’m just here.”

  A look of horror spread across Christina’s face. “But you can’t be staying here. Come on.” She began walking forward as if Selene should just automatically follow.

  “But I’m not sure about going back,” Selene said as they got near the door.

  “We’re not going to Warren’s. I live on my o
wn, silly.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes! Now come along. You can stay with me tonight.”

  “I don’t want to be a burden…”

  “Shh!” Christina put her finger on Selene’s lips, much in the same way that Warren had. “Just come. You won’t be a burden. I’ll find something for you to do in exchange, and it won’t be grotesque like out here. I know how it is. It’s almost impossible to find a job when you don’t have a public identity.”

  Selene couldn’t see herself being able to stand one more night at the shelter. Warren told her to trust no one, but Christina was a Montgomery, too. Who else would be more trustworthy? She followed Christina to her car, which happened to be a nice Mercedes-Benz, and waited to see what fate would decide next.

  CHAPTER 6

  ~

  I WANT YOU. THOSE WORDS had haunted Warren’s mind ever since Selene left. How could he be so foolish to believe that he would find someone capable of filling the void left from Annabelle?

  He rolled over on the bed, looking at the soft features of the brunette lying beside him. She smiled as if he’d done something wonderful for her the night before. But he’d already devoured her contents. She was just a shell to him now, like everything else.

  He’d lived long enough to know that emotions are just a product of a chemical process, and he’d killed enough humans to know that everything means nothing when you’re dead.

  Consciousness is just a result of a process happening within our body parts. Once our flesh loses life and rots away, so do we. Eventually, the cares of everyone else we’ve ever known do, too. Parents and children, husbands and wives, those who’ve gone before us, rich or poor—it doesn’t matter. We all end up in the same place. In death, there is nothing but silence. We know that, but it doesn’t stop us from loving each other until the end, even when it hurts. That’s what life is.

  But when love is life, I am lifeless.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a humming sound. He reached over to the bedside table and picked up his cell phone.