by K A Young
The sound of the back of his hand hitting her cheek echoes off the walls, the vampire grasping a handful of her hair before bringing his face just inches from hers. He motions to the cattle cage, "Anyone of them would kill to be in your place. I can replace you in a heartbeat with any of them. Sex slave toy...or a blood slave...better outweigh your options quickly and realize how much better you have it not being in that cage."
She's on her knees, begging him in a panic, "No, please sir..."
He strikes her once again, her head visibly whipping to the side as she cries out in pain and clutches her cheek. Curling up into a broken little ball, she continues to cry, a red mark forming quickly where he had hit her, knowing that dark bruising would soon follow in the days to come. With an ominous growl, he glowers, "Quiet! Look how pathetic you are...begging this way...how about you show me how sorry you are."
Is he for real?
Is each of these women like this one? Broken and beaten into submission to the point where they no longer care for freedom? Serving these leeches becoming the very heart and soul they live by?
If the vampires living here are leading to believe that I am a hunter...then why am I still alive? Admittedly, I should be dead by now...what purpose is it that I am here?
A groan passes through my parted lips while I try to shift up onto my knees. I then steady myself as I slowly rise on my feet, legs wobbling slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, the vampire's attention is immediately drawn to my unexpected movements. Curiosity lingers in his eyes as he begins to approach my cell with slight caution.
"Where am I?" I manage to cough out, my throat dry and the stale air within this dungeon is not making matters any easier.
"I'm not sure why you are even here," He crosses his arms over his chest and comes to a stop a foot outside the bars, his eyes scanning over me as he does so. I can't help but admire the deadly and beautiful creature before me; his shirt clings to his muscular body. When our eyes lock, and he arches one brow stating, "You really are a hunter aren't you?"
No...everyone's irises are white...of course, I am!
But...am I really?
By my birth I am...but how I turned my back on who I was...no, I'm not a hunter.
I finally respond, "No, I'm not."
"Your eyes tell a much different story," he replies smugly as footsteps approach the door to the room.
Oh look, you did notice...dumb ass.
The door swings open with a groan on the hinges, and I peer around the vampire to see...the very same pureblood which I came face to face with eight years ago enters the dark room. He wears similar clothing to the one standing close to me. The dark slacks he wears falls over a similar matching tone of boots. He wears a black long-sleeved button-up shirt. He too appears to be perfectly sculpted, hand-crafted by God's design. His white hair shines in what little light illuminates the room, those haunting icy irises seeming having locked onto me the second he steps forward.
Stop thinking like that...I mentally check myself. Though he may appear to be a gift from the heavens...if he even had a soul it'd be as black as a dark abyss.
I know that I'm in a hazardous situation, with no other hunters to help me...I'm already dead, just waiting for my execution date. I am all alone, and not nearly as skilled as I should be if I had stayed with my parents. Regret is a horrible thing, and it's eating at me, chipping away what little confidence I have.
Subconsciously, I check my bindings, the chains holding firm.
Shit...
My gaze glances at a young girl who appears to be around the age of sixteen. She had followed another male vampire into the room after the pureblood had entered. The girl stands by the door very quietly. This one has long blonde hair with striking emerald eyes, a marveling contrast. The vampire that accompanies her nears me at the exact same time the pureblood approaches, coming to stand beside the vampire who had been talking with me.
Three of them, each stare sends conflicted emotions.
The one question burning at the tip of my tongue that the first vampire could not answer...
...why am I here?
Alive at least anyway...
I grow incredibly uncomfortable under their hypnotic gazes, not exactly sure which one I should be looking at as they all frighten me. However, as scared as I am, I conceal my fear, hiding behind a wall that continues to build brick by brick at each passing second of silence.
Suddenly...that silence ends when the pureblood says, "Emily," his voice is stern and seductive, a weird mix and I think the girl feels that same sensation.
The girl by the door is slightly startled by his voice, coming to life and whispering quietly, "Yes Master Locaine?"
"Be a dear and come here," he orders her without glancing away from me for a second.
The girl quickly comes to his side like a trained dog and bows her head as a sign of submission and respect. Her long blonde hair falls over her shoulders in two pigtails. Now that she is closer, I can see that the maid uniform that she has adorned barely covers her ass and cleavage with thigh high socks and high heeled shoes to pull the whole ensemble together.
Locaine begins to unbutton his long-sleeved shirt, pulling his arms from the sleeves as it falls away from his body. Underneath, he has on a plain white shirt.
Damn...
The shirt outlines every muscle hidden beneath the thin fabric.
He quickly hands Emily his long-sleeved and commands, "Go wait by the door."
"Yes Master," She takes the shirt without question and quickly returns to her post.
I can't believe what I'm seeing.
Is this what my family had fought so hard to destroy?
Are hunters really that powerful, to destroy a whole coven and save those captured?
They are treating me like a hunter, isolating me and taking precautions. They see me as a threat when really...I'm the furthest thing from ending their lives. Heck...they have a better chance of a natural disaster killing them than me, years of allowing my blood magic to become dormant only hinders me now.
"Adam, please open the door," Locaine says aloud, and the vampire who had been speaking to me reveals a key from his pocket and begins to unlock the iron door to my cell. A small click echoes in the room causing my heartbeat to accelerate much faster than average. As the door swings open, I instinctively take one step away, my eyes shifting trying to figure out what I can possibly do to get out of this unfortunate situation. My legs shake beneath of me, my fear rising at the sudden realization of what I had done.
Apparently, Locaine believes I am doing the something entirely different, attempting to use my blood magic perhaps because in an instant I feel my back slam against the hard, cold stone wall while my head whiplashes, making an ugly cracking sound erupt from the back of my skull.
I cry out as he holds my body firmly in place, taking a grip on my wrists and locking them quickly into the chain that had been hanging above me. I cough the second that he releases me. My head really aches now, and I feel hot tears come to my eyes, biting the inside of my cheek as I keep them from falling. I attempt to breathe deeply again, but I just continue to cough after the impact with the wall.
I yank on the chains that bind me in place, but they don't budge. Instead, I stare into Locaine's eyes, wondering what he is planning on doing now that I am entirely restrained for the taking. "I have it prepared for you, Locaine," the dark-haired vampire speaks, the only other sound is me coughing, but I can't see what he is holding, as Locaine is standing in front of him and blocking my full field of view.
"Thank you, Michael," Locaine replies, giving me a smirk. He takes a step toward me, and I try to move away, but the chain holds me in place.
Fear finally reflects in my eyes as I attempt to yank on the chains again, thinking that now they must surely give under my duress.
"You must feel very vulnerable," Locaine taunts me with my impending doom and with no ability to escape, it closes in around me. This time, the step he takes closes the
gap between us. He encircles his left arm around my lower back and brings me to his body. It is the first time that I had noticed I am wearing the same clothes as the night at the club, the netting around the dress torn in many places.
He is the absolute perfect predator, and I am his prey.
He trails his warm lips against my neck, making me shiver against him at the very feeling. I can feel the tip of his fangs brush against a pulsing vein, my heart stopping for a second in my chest.
"Don't..." is all I can say as I cough once again, remembering the previous night where I had been begging for my life. I don't want it to end...not here, not like this...completely weak and powerless before this strong creature.
He moves his lips closer to my ear and whispers, "It won't be long before that word is no longer a part of your vocabulary."
Something ignites within me at the sound of those words. I don't want to be like those girls all chained and cowering away in fear, just waiting to fulfill the next order given to me. In my frustration, I growl and quickly sing the chain that binds my wrists above my head, smacking my elbow into his temple with great force.
"Now that wasn't very smart, now was it?" He glares at me and pulls back slightly, "I could have bitten you." Michael hands him something out of the corner of my eye, but I'm not sure exactly what it is.
Adam takes a few steps toward me to stand right beside me. With a knife in his hand, he spins it once before grasping the collar of my dress and drawing the knife through the fabric like butter. It cuts with ease, the blade sharp and the threads parting in its wake while the two side pieces barely cover my breasts.
"Stop!" My voice sounds a little ordinary, trying to fight away that growing fear. I attempt to move away, but I can't budge from the spot I am in.
Unexpectedly, I felt a sharp pinch just under my ribs, and I shakily glance down to see Locaine holding a syringe and injecting me with some type of liquid.
They're drugging me...
I can't think of anything else. The burning sensation begins to teeter off as he withdraws the needle from my skin and nonchalantly hands it back to Michael. Adam takes with him the knife he'd used to cut my dress, walking directly outside of the cell to a reasonable distance while holding the key.
Surprisingly, aside from the initial stinging pain, I hardly feel any different, if anything I am just curious now. Locaine notices this and informs my curious mind, "This is Lovenox, it is a blood thinner used to suppress a hunter's innate blood magic trait. You will receive this injection at the beginning of every day to ensure that you are kept under control." My jaw drops slightly at his explanation...still not answering the question I want to know.
He is making sure I can't escape. Taking away the only power that I have...even though I hardly know how to control it at this point.
With a smug look, Locaine folds his arms in front of his chest and speaks firmly, "I am Lord Locaine, the leader of this coven. You will refer to me as either Master Locaine or Master. During your stay here, you are my slave. You will serve me in any way I see fit." He then motions to Adam and Michael, "All other vampires you will refer to as Sir or Miss."
Why keep me alive?! I want to live, believe me, but none of this makes any sense.
"Do you have any questions?" Locaine asks me, his eyes hardening by the second at my utterly shocked expression.
I snap back to reality and gaze into his eyes before asking, "Why? Why did you bring me here? Why didn't you just kill me like you would any other hunter?"
It's almost like he's been waiting for me to ask this...
Locaine smirks at me and unfolds his arms from across his chest. He takes my hips in his hands and brings me gradually to him while I begin to grow sick with his touch, "Slave, this is all about revenge. Your family killed my brother, it's only fitting I get to do what I want with their only living daughter. I did tell you, you were going to wish you were dead, did I not?"
Is he waiting for me to answer?
Because...I have nothing left to say. He wants to get back at my family by using me...
He holds my left hip still, and with his right arm he suddenly pulls back, and before I can register what has happened, he punches me right in the abdomen. A scream rips from my lungs at the impact, and I immediately begin to cough again, finding it hard to catch my breath.
I guess he doesn't care for my response.
He reels up again giving me another hard punch to my stomach, my eyes widening at the increasing strength he exerts. My head hangs forward in defeat as I cough up blood, my eyes crossing as my vision attempts to stay in focus. The blood drips from my mouth, rolling down my chin before beading off onto the stone floor. Locaine releases the hold he has on my hip and informs me, "First, you will know pain. Submit to me, and I won't have to punish you."
I can't believe what I am hearing.
I watch a small pool of blood form on the floor in front of me, tasting the metallic coppery taste in my mouth. I try as hard as I can, focusing with all my strength on that hopefully forgiving pool, but I can't even make it move a centimeter.
I can't protect myself.
"Do you understand?" Locaine asks through my hazy state.
I remain silent, wanting to block everything out around me. My voice suddenly becomes lost, a foreign friend I once knew. Everything goes black for a split second when I scream again throwing my head back as the pain ripples through every fiber of my being. The punch he threw, does not connect with my abdomen like the first two...instead, this time his fist cracks my hip bone, a sick feeling left in my stomach at the mere sound let alone the pain.
"Y-y-yes," I can barely speak, croaking out my answer in fear he'll start breaking more bones.
He grabs the back of my neck harshly and brings my face just inches away from his. He bares his fangs and hisses with anger, "Yes what?"
I really, really don't want to fall before him, but the pain is too much.
"Yes M-Master," I whisper my reply, feeling the blood continue to drip down my chin. The word feels vile on my lips, a burning sensation lingering on my tongue from the disdain. His icy blue eyes unexpectedly shift to a black rose color. At that moment, my fear reaches an all-time high, and I became terrified of what he is about to do next. With his free hand, I feel the pad of his thumb brush against my skin as he wipes the blood trail from the corner of my mouth and brings it to his lips...and licks it off.
Gross...gross...gross...
"Oh, dear love, it seems we have a problem," He releases me and shakes his head as if he knows something I do not...or maybe something I should know, "You have made me crave human blood, and I don't believe I can control myself. Your blood was quite pure, as much as I expected from a hunter," He turns on his heel and exits the cell confining me.
Bloodcurdling screams are echoing from the cage of women that are kept as livestock, and then everything finally falls into place. Those women aren't just blood slaves, they are for him to indulge in...
I yank on my chains with all the strength I have left, and yell, "No! Stop!" I cough again and watch on as Michael strides away to stand beside Emily as Adam locks the cell door shut. Locaine's hands dip inside of his pocket, and when he brings it back, he reveals a key much different from the one Adam used to lock me in. In the next moment, he opens the door to the cattle cage.
The women within have wide doe eyes, all of them back away in fear against the bars. He reaches out and takes hold of a woman who appears to be in her early thirties by her upper arm. He roughly pulls her from the cage, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him in the process. Once secured, he places the key back into his pocket and brings the woman close to him, walking her to the center of the room.
She glances around the room in complete terror.
This is my fault.
"Annika," Locaine speaks my name for the first time, making me shudder at the way it rolls off his tongue. I slowly lift my chin and meet his gaze, "Look at what you make me do."
"Please do
n't kill her!" I cry out. It's not fair...none of this is fair!
Locaine ruthlessly pulls the woman's head to the side, exposing her beautiful flesh for his eyes to feast upon. Locaine's jaw opens, his fangs elongating in the process while he viciously bites into the side of her neck, blood spilling everywhere.
I can't handle her scream, it is terrible, absolutely the worse sound I've heard in my entire life...more pained then that of Alyssa's.
Memories flood back to me as I attempt to avert my eyes from the display before me.
Alyssa, mother, father...help. Please help me. Someone...
It only takes a few moments before the woman's screams are entirely silenced. Locaine dislodges his fangs and simply drops her body onto the ground like it's a sack of potatoes. It makes a sickening thud when the corpse collides with the stone floor.
Our eyes meet, his black rose color reverting back to the icy blue he once held.
If you are bitten by a pureblood vampire, you will either die or become a vampire.
Without another word, he walks over to Emily as she holds his shirt out for him to take. He takes it from her outstretched hand and then turns to say, "Have a nice day, slave."
Michael and Adam soon follow Locaine out of the room, Emily right at their heels. The door closes shut in their wake, and I hear a deadbolt slide into place. The lifeless body of the woman lay in the middle of the room for everyone to see, a reminder that no one here has any power.
Your life can end in a second.
**
-Locaine
"Master Locaine, a vampire hunter as your slave?" Emily whispers, her voice slightly on edge as she questions my choice.
I halt abruptly, turning around to face her. Her eyes are on the ground, apparently trying not to offend me as she's seen the devastation I've caused over the years. Vampires don't take hunters as slaves, let alone a pureblood like me. They prove too hard to train with their never faltering hate and urge to slay us. Not only that, this goes against the very idea that their species will soon become extinct.
