Chapter 7
I had been summoned to Gabriela’s den. She was the Queen of our clan, and it was her responsibility to remind me of the accords. This was not unexpected after I’d killed two people. She had not caged me yet, but she still punished me every time I lost control. After all this time, I still didn’t know her reason for taking me in, when she could have left me where she found me. As I approached the house that she resided in, I recalled the first time I’d seen her.
I was feral, lost in the haze of bloodlust and hunger, after having killed the one who turned me. I hunted with an appetite fuelled by rage and confusion. I had torn through my wife and told my daughter to run, then proceeded to cause great terror in Venice. A shadow in the dark, snatching people off the street to satisfy my hunger. Their screams as much a joy as the hunt and the kill. I hid in my villa during the day, stalking the city at night.
Buried deep under my feeding frenzy, I was vaguely aware that the human’s screams had become whimpers as she cried in pain and fear. At the sound of a footstep, I moved to protect my meal, hissing in warning, blood dripping down my chin. A black-haired woman stood over me, watching me with curiosity, but showed no fear. She didn’t smell human.
“So, you’re the vampire of Venice I’ve heard about. Aren’t you a wild little monster?” she asked, flashing red eyes at me. “I’m not here to take your meal. Perhaps you’d share it, though.” She lowered herself to my level, fangs bared.
“You’re like me,” I said, the words strange in my mouth. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spoken out loud.
“You’re surprised by this?” she asked, moving towards me.
“I’ve only seen one other. I killed her after she turned me into this.” I didn’t even know what I was.
Her eyes widened in surprise “You killed your maker? That’s not something I’ve heard of before. The blood bond is usually too strong for a newly turned to raise a hand against them.” She tilted her head, studying me. “Quite a hungry little vampire, aren’t you? Ruthless.”
“V ampire,” I echoed, “Is that what we are?”
She started laughing. “You didn’t know you were a vampire? Did your maker not teach you anything before you killed her?”
Angered by her laughter, I growled. “Who are you?” I demanded “Why are you here?”
“I’ve come to help you. Word of your existence has spread. The humans have summoned hunters, so your presence here is well worn out,” she said. Her eyes lowered to the human below me. “Share it with me; then we can leave.”
“I don’t share,” I told her. “Find your own.”
Her delight rang out as she laughed. “What’s your name, little feral?”
I hadn’t spoken my name in the three years I’d been turned. “Matteo.”
“I am Gabriela.” She moved fast then, closing the space between us. “Give me a taste,” she murmured, and licked blood from my chin. I froze, baffled by her action. It filled me with pleasure, and I growled from deep in my chest, a sound of satisfaction.
“Oh, I think he likes that.” She followed me as I tried to back away from her, until I realised she’d claimed my meal, her body over it. Before I could do anything, she dropped her mouth to the human’s throat. A moan escaped from the person I’d been feeding on, one of pleasure, not pain.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
She looked up at me, blood dripping from her mouth. “You have a lot to learn about what we can do. Your maker should have been the one to teach you. What you’ve become in absence of such guidance, you are quite an animal. Surviving and nothing else. Come with me, and I will show you how to enjoy the hunt, and how to make them enjoy it.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I insisted. “Get away from my meal.”
“Share her with me,” Gabriela repeated. “Join my clan. You might find you like being around others of your kind.”
I was intrigued, and my hunger got the best of me. As she fed, I bit into the other side of the human’s throat. Gabriela’s hand stroked the back of my head, and again, the sensation of satisfaction flooded through me. I’d never fed with anyone before, and I had to admit it was pleasing .
A hand touched my shoulder, pulling me back from my memory. I turned to find piercing blue eyes, full of concern. He was slightly shorter than me, and leaner. His curly brown hair was messy, windblown. “Carlos, I’m glad you’re here.” Relief washed over me. Whatever Gabriela was going to serve out, at least there was someone in my corner.
“The whole clan’s here,” he said. Despite being fluent in Italian, Carlos was Spanish, but never spoke of his life as a human. He’d once told me he didn’t miss being human, and that looking at his life was pointless.
“You’re her second; how bad does it look?” I wondered if this would be the time she caged me.
A human walked past us, from Gabriela’s den. He bore the twin puncture marks of fangs, his eyes glazed over, a smile on his face.
Carlos watched him. “Matteo, you didn’t…” he winced, growling. “It wasn’t…” He let out a sigh.
I frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.” His eyes avoided mine. I sensed unease and remorse through our blood bond. He wasn’t one to feel guilt often, so my own concern grew.
I stopped, grabbing him. “Carlos, what are you trying to say?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s just get this over with, I have three lovely human women waiting for me at home, and Celeste isn’t happy that we got disturbed.”
Three human women who were probably chained up for him and Celeste to feed on while they had sex.
I grinned. “Your house is no doubt filled with the delicious scent of fear right now.”
Laughter boomed from him. “I do enjoy the spice of fear, but I released them from their terror while they await my return. I can’t have their hearts give out in my absence.”
I paused before we opened the door. “I don’t remember killing the woman,” I admitted. “The man, yes, I tore out his throat after he stabbed me. After what he was about to do to Quinn, he deserved worse. But the woman, I must have needed more than I thought.”
Carlos froze, his hand on the door handle. “Who’s Quinn?”
I groaned inwardly at the slip of her name. “It’s not important.”
His eyes turned red. “Have you found us a human to play with?” His smile widened. “It’s been a few years since we did that. Although I must admit the last one broke a little too quickly for my liking.”
A low growl rose from me.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re possessive over a human? That isn’t like you at all. When did this occur?”
Our conversation was interrupted by the tug from Gabriela, her impatience clear.
“We’ll talk about this after,” Carlos told me. “I’d like to meet the human that elicits that response. Especially knowing that you killed for her.”
I followed him into the house. Thirty vampires awaited. My clan turned to face us, ceasing their conversations as we entered. A few surrounded me, showing their support. I hated that I lacked the control they were all capable of.
‘ It’s not your fault, ’ Carlos spoke through the blood bond that Gabriela had once forced on us. It had been something she’d done in an attempt to stabilise my feral nature, giving Carlos a maker-like bond with me. If not for that, I may have fallen deeper into the feral madness .
‘ In a way, it is, ’ I responded. ‘ I killed my maker. If not for that, I’d be like the rest of you. ’
‘ It’s also likely you would not have joined our clan, ’ It hurt him at the thought as much as it hurt me. While we had hated each other to start with, and tried to kill each other many times, we soon developed a friendship closer than any in the clan.
“Matteo Barone, you know why you’re here.” Gabriela’s tone demanded our attention.
‘ Whatever you do, do not tell her you killed for a human. ’ Carlos instructed me silently.
“I know why I’m here.” I confirmed.
“Do you have any defence for your actions?” she demanded.
“I lost my temper with the human male,” I admitted. “He stabbed me. I killed him willingly.”
She glared at me, her anger heavy in the room. “What of the female?”
Carlos stepped in. “Matteo has admitted to me that he doesn’t remember killing her. It is likely it wasn’t him.”
His own anger struck against me through our bond as he stared down Gabriela and she growled in warning. Lorenzo glanced across at me with a frown. I shrugged. Carlos backed down, submitting to her with a bow of his head.
“Well, seeing as he is aware of the first body left in that same location, I think it’s safe to assume the woman was his too.” Gabriela met the gaze of everyone in the clan. “Does anyone disagree?”
No one spoke.
“I want nothing more than to cage you. Each time you lose control, I feel The Bloodking’s anger. We made the accords with the first hunters, and their descendants have the right to claim your life. Your latest slip-up has gained the attention of hunters; many have seen them in the streets, seeking our presence. It makes our own hunting difficult.” She glared across at Carlos. “My second however, has informed me that your absence now would raise concern in the human community. You have established yourself as an artist and intend to open an art gallery next week. Is that correct?”
“It is, my Queen,” I muttered. “To not attend the grand opening would-”
“Kneel,” she commanded.
I fell to my knees, succumbing to her power; one only Kings and Queens had over their clan.
“I sentence you to three days of starvation,” she declared.
My heart skipped. “Starvation?” Starvation was the most painful punishment she could give me. Three days with no blood. I sought out Carlos, but he had nothing to offer for help.
“You’re lucky I don’t defang you.” She approached me, and vampires moved out of her way.
She smiled down at me, hunger in her eyes. I knew what was coming next and braced myself. The small smile she gave me was enough for me to know she would enjoy this. Her fangs were in my throat. Venom spread through me, stronger than that of normal vampires. My eyes rolled back, and I strained to hold back the moan. Already hard, my fangs lengthened, and despite my best efforts, I groaned. Hands pressed against my back, my clan holding me up.
Flesh tore as she jerked her head. Pain flared through me, and I let out a scream. She released me and moved away, a low chuckle rumbling from her .
“Was that necessary?” Carlos asked in a hard tone.
“Are you questioning me?” she demanded.
Blind with pain, I could only listen, my body spasming. Hands pressed against the gaping wound in my throat, vampires whispering to comfort me. My screams became whimpers.
“You never used to be this cruel,” Carlos’s voice softened. “To take joy from the pain of another vampire, that’s not who we are. Gabriela-”
“Silence!” her voice boomed across the room. Carlos swore under his breath. “For that, you will be the one to watch over him. You’ll be with him to ensure he doesn’t feed. Then, to help him maintain control, he will not feed without you present.” She let out a sound of disgust. “Get him out of here so I don’t have to listen to that.”