16 - The devil has nothing to do with it

Fraser

My throat is burning again.

It's been a week since Laird Sinclair has fed me. Even the poisoned blood is enough to keep me living, keep my dead heart beating.

The rats I've been feasting on do help, but not by much. They are simply a small bite in the midst of starvation.

What makes it worse is Ailsa's appearances. I hate the way my eyes automatically track her neck, my gaze fixed on her pulse with every tick of her veins under her pale, delicious skin.

It puts me in a mood, and not a very good one.

The dripping of water down the stone reminds me of the drip of blood from the corner of my lips as I drop rodent's and their bloodless bodies.

It's shameful. I feel like a rat myself. Scurrying across the ground in search for scraps, hiding the evidence of my tiny meals in the bucket mean for my waste.

Little do these humans know I have no need for such things.

A creak from the door is the only sign I need to tell me that someone is approaching. One whiff and I know it's not the human girl. Another long inhale also proves that it's not the all too precious Laird Sinclair.

I freeze.

Who is this newcomer?

The scent of testosterone in his sweat is enough to tell me he's male. It's not hard to figure out he's human. Not just because of his overpowering scent of naivety, but the knowledge that there are none of my kind in this clan.

I know my brothers will come for me. It's only a matter of time.

"Hello, monster." The words of greeting have me twisting my mouth to the side in distaste.

I'm not surprised by this statement, but it's odd hearing it from a stranger. This man does uneven know me, and yet he chooses to hate me. It's the human way I suppose. I should not be shocked by this reaction to meeting someone he's likely been told is a vampire.

I don't bother responding. My words will mean nothing to him. Humans are typically very decided. Their lack of knowledge and understanding limits their field of vision. They know what they know, and that's all they care about.

"My Laird has sent me to feed you, you disgusting, pathetic exuse for a life." He spots. "Maybe I shouldn't even call you that. You are undead after all."

I roll my eyes, knowing how wrong he is. I wonder how he would react to hearing that I was carried and born from my mothers womb, no different from him. The only difference is that my mother was a vampire, as was my father.

Of course we can turn others to our way of life, a long and excruciating process that I haven't had to perform often.

When a human is turned into a vampire, they die and essentially come back to life. Their heart stops and then starts again. That's when their new life begins, an immortal life.

But when I was born I was already an immortal, therefore I did not need to die to become what I am.

An explanation like that would be lost on this human, but I find myself curious of what Ailsa would think of this information.

She doesn't even know I'm a vampire.

I'd she discovered the truth, or if I somehow explained it to her, how would she react? Would she hate me? Curse me? Abandon me to the dungeons and never return to me?

I would miss her.

The thought startles me.

"I didn't believe in your kind for the longest, but how can I doubt my Laird?" He steps closer, and I see the flask that Laird Sinclair brought for me last time.

It must be the dead man's blood. That's the only explanation for my reaction last time I guzzled the poisoned drink.

He wants me alive but weak. Dead man's blood is the way to do that, I just cannot figure out how he knows such a thing.

Any information of our kind has been carefully kept out of the hands of humans.

That means that Laird Sinclair is more of a danger than I gave him credit for.

The human is just a boy. Maybe 20 or 25. Young. Impressionable. Naive. All the makings of a monster, a true monster, in Laird Sinclaire pudgy hands. He would shape him like clay until the young male became a horrendous beast just like Sinclair.

The vision makes me oddly sad.

"I'm here to deliver your food, monster." He pops the top off of the silver canteen, tilting it side to side. "Disgusting creature. How can you drink this stuff?"

The boy lifts the flask to his face, the opening under his nostrils as he takes a deep inhale of the liquid's scent. He cringes, pressing his wrist to his nose as he shivers.

I have to grin at that. It may not be the perfect, pristine, fresh blood that I prefer from my meals, but it smells damned good to me. That's just because I'm starving right now. If I had a choice I would undoubtedly go without.

The human boy takes a step forward, offering me the silver flask with a lopsided grin. He's confident, too confident. He's not being careful. I see where this road is heading.

His hand slips through the bars, his whole arm going through the safety of the door until his biceps stop him from journeying any further.

He looks down at me, shaking the canteen at me like I'm an animal he's calling for supper. He probably sees a pathetic man laying on his side, no energy or strength left to be of any danger to anyone.

He couldn't be more wrong.

I don't waste a second, nor even a sliver of time is discarded. I need to be quick or I could lose this chance.

I strike like a snake, my objective similar in nature to the reptiles. I'm also a master of stealth and hunting.

The boy doesn't react until my fangs are sunk onto his arm, my hand tightly wrapped around his wrist, the other clenched down on the elbow. I like to keep my meals in place, after all.

"What the devil!" He barks, scrambling as he tries to wrench his limb free, but it's too late for him. His fate was sealed the moment he stuck that hand into my territory.

The canister of dead man's blood goes flying, clattering against the ground and spilling its contents over the rocks like a red river.

I pay it no mind, concentrated on the flood of tangy blood sliding down my throat. I groan. Ecstasy is alive in my veins, red hot and pulsing.

The boy screams, trying desperately to claw his way away from me and my hungry jaws. I just clench my fangs tighter into his muscle, sinking my sharp teeth into his veins full of warm, strength giving blood.

His nails go for my face. I angle myself away, availing his reach and any scratches that may come with it.

"Unhand me, you devil!" He says, and I can't help but grin as I gulp another bush of his blood.

The devil has nothing to do with it.

I drink and drink and drink, not stopping even when my stomach starts to twist, not slowing when the human boy becomes quieter and can't quite stand without leaning on the bars.

I even hold on as he slouches to the ground, my jaw right and unrelenting, the blood still warm and tasty in the back of my throat. I hardly give it time to wash through my mouth. Usually I would savor the experience, let myself taste the meal in its entirety.

There's no time for that here and now. I'm somewhere unsafe. I'm alone. I'm practically starving. I'm as close to a mindless monster as I've ever been.

The boy, still a nameless stranger, doesn't speak another word. His eyes droop. His head lulls to the side.

His heart stutters. Still, I drink. His blood slows. I don't slow.

And finally, his organs shut down as he is drained almost entirely. Then, and only then, do I release my meal.

I gasp, stepping back until my back collided with the stone wall behind me that I've become so familiar with these past weeks.

My muscles and bones seem whole now, as if there were cracks in them before and now they've been sealed.

I flew every part of myself, testing my strength that was wrongfully stolen from me. I took it back, swiped it right under Laird Sinclair's nose, even as he tried to force more poison into my mouth.

Kicking the canteen of dead man's blood, I sneer, spotting the dead body still crumpled on the ground.

I am responsible for this death, this murder, this sin. Although foolish, this boy was innocent, and my instincts were no match for him.

Laird Sinclair would pay for making me do this. He would pay dearly.

2023 will bring 2 chapters a week!! I love you all. Please comment what you think so far!! See you soon ❤️