saintsnsinnersbdb

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Entangled Fates: The Call of the Black Window (Part 3)

Written by @Sox_Goose_Tech.

Vishous leaned against the bar, the low thrum of the club buzzing around him like a swarm of bees. The intoxicating mix of scents—sweat, perfume, and the faint tang of blood—filled his nostrils, but his mind was far from the revelry. It was locked on her: Zaerael. She had slipped away like smoke, leaving him alone with the electric tension that still crackled in the air. His heart raced, a primal hunger coiling in his gut. He didn’t like it; he didn’t like her.

A shot glass filled with a deep, dark liquid sat in front of him, untouched. He stared at it, willing his mind to clear, but the truth loomed larger than any drink. She knew him—knew his name, his vision, his darkness. It made his skin crawl and yet… there was something about her, a magnetic pull that was impossible to ignore.

He pushed off the bar, his tall, muscular frame cutting through the crowd with purpose. The pulsing beat of the music thrummed through him, a relentless reminder of the chaos that surrounded him. But he was far from chaotic; he was a predator in control, a master of the dark arts. He needed answers.

As he moved deeper into the club, he spotted a familiar face—a contact from the Brotherhood known for his connections within Caldwell's underbelly. Sael was leaning against a wall, a thin, wiry man with a penchant for gossip and a nose for trouble. Vishous approached him, his presence commanding respect, the air around him shifting with an unspoken authority.

"Sael," Vishous said, his voice low and steady. "I need information."

Sael's eyes flicked to Vishous, widening slightly at the urgency in his tone. "About what? You know the price, brother."

Vishous felt the tension coiling tighter in his gut. He was willing to pay whatever price was necessary. "Zaerael. What do you know about her?"

The change in Sael’s demeanor was immediate. He straightened up, the casual bravado slipping from his features. "You’re asking about the Black Widow? Dangerous territory, my friend. She’s not just a pretty face."

Vishous folded his arms, leaning in slightly. "I’m aware. Tell me everything."

Sael swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "She’s a siren of sorts, Vishous. Draws people in with her beauty, but there’s more—much more. She’s got power, a kind of magic that’s twisted and dark. The kind that leaves you… changed."

“Changed?” Vishous echoed, his interest piqued despite the warning bells ringing in his mind. "How so?"

"Those who get too close often don’t return the same," Sael continued, his eyes darting around the room as if afraid of being overheard. "Some say she can weave fates, manipulate dreams. She’s rumored to have visions of her own. Some even think she can see into your soul."

Vishous felt a chill run down his spine, the weight of Sael’s words pressing against him. This woman was more than just a passing intrigue; she was a force to be reckoned with. The connection they had felt—was it a bond, or a trap? "And what’s her endgame?" he pressed, not wanting to let the unease settle in.

"Power, control, influence. It’s all a game to her, Vishous," Sael said, his voice barely above a whisper. "She wants to be at the center of it all. And she’ll use anyone—or anything—to get there."

Vishous' jaw tightened, the growing sense of unease blossoming into something more visceral. This was exactly what he didn’t need—a powerful woman who could manipulate him or worse, make him vulnerable. He needed to tread carefully.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Zaerael reappeared, gliding through the crowd with an ethereal grace that made it hard for him to breathe. Her presence filled the space around them, a dark magnetism that drew the eye. She looked right at him, her gaze piercing and knowing, as though she could see through the layers of his defenses.

"Vishous," she said, her voice a silky caress that sent a shiver down his spine. "I see you’ve been busy."

He could feel Sael retreating into the background, the energy shifting around him as he faced her. Zaerael stood closer now, her dark aura palpable, a seductive darkness that wrapped around him like a cloak. "I don’t play games," he stated, his tone edged with warning. "What do you want from me?"

Her lips curved into a tantalizing smile, one that spoke of secrets and seduction. "I want you to understand the connection we share. The bond that was forged in the vision."

"You can’t just waltz into my mind and take whatever you want," he countered, crossing his arms tightly. "What you did was… invasive."

She stepped closer, her presence overwhelming. "But it was necessary. You needed to see, just as I needed to find you. We are entangled in ways you cannot yet comprehend."

Vishous held his ground, refusing to let her invade his space, even as his body betrayed him with the urge to pull her closer. "You think you know me? You don’t know a damn thing about the darkness that resides within me."

Her gaze darkened, an electric tension sparking between them. "And you underestimate me. You think you can resist this—this pull between us. But it’s futile."

His heart raced, the primal hunger threatening to overwhelm him, but he fought against it, determined to maintain control. "Why should I trust you? You’ve already proven you can manipulate my visions."

Zaerael tilted her head, an amused glint in her eyes. "Trust? Such a fragile thing. But think of it as an invitation to explore the darkness together. You may find that you enjoy the descent."

As she stepped even closer, he could feel the heat radiating from her, the intoxicating scent of her perfume wrapping around him like a drug. The hunger inside him surged, and for a moment, he was torn between wanting to push her away and pulling her closer, merging their fates in a whirlwind of desire and danger.

"You think you can control me?" he murmured, voice low and dangerous.

Zaerael's eyes flashed with something primal, and in that moment, it was as if the air between them shimmered with possibilities. "I don't want to control you, Vishous. I want you to embrace the darkness we both hold."

Just as their lips were mere inches apart, the atmosphere shifted—a crackle of energy that sent an electric thrill down his spine. He knew they were standing on the edge of something profound and dangerous, a precipice from which they could either soar or plunge into the abyss.

With a last, lingering gaze, Zaerael stepped back, breaking the spell that bound them. "The choice is yours, Vishous. But remember, every choice has its consequences."

And with that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving him alone in the swirling chaos of The Black Widow’s Web, the echoes of her words lingering in the air like smoke. The pull of her presence remained, a dark, seductive reminder of the fate that awaited him.

Vishous clenched his fists, uncertainty mingling with desire as he faced the abyss. The game had become more intricate, and he could no longer deny the truth: their fates were entangled in ways that could not be undone.

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

The Black Widow’s Web: The Call of the Black Window (Part 2)

Written by @Sox_Goose_Tech.

The cold night air clung to Vishous as he made his way through the streets of Caldwell, the city’s usual noise muted by the late hour. He moved through the shadows like a predator on the hunt, his body taut with tension, his mind focused on one thing: the vision. Her. The woman who had haunted his every thought since that night. Her voice, her scent, the promise in her eyes—it was all burned into him, a constant, gnawing presence that he couldn’t shake. The message had been clear: Find me.

And he had.

The club was hidden in one of the seedier parts of town, its entrance nothing more than a nondescript door set into the side of an abandoned building. But beneath that door lay The Black Widow’s Web—a place he’d only heard whispers about. A den of indulgence and danger, where power and pleasure intertwined, and secrets were traded like currency. It wasn’t the type of place just anyone could walk into. But Vishous wasn’t just anyone. He descended the narrow, dimly lit staircase, the air growing heavier with every step he took. The smell of incense, thick and cloying, filled his lungs, mixing with the scent of sweat and lust that seemed to seep from the very walls. His senses were on high alert, every nerve in his body attuned to the pulse of energy that thrummed through the place. It was almost suffocating, the heat and the noise pressing in on him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. A heavy velvet curtain hung in front of him, the last barrier between him and whatever lay on the other side. He pushed it aside, stepping into the heart of the club, and immediately, he was hit by a wall of sound and sensation.

The room was bathed in deep red and gold light, the soft glow of candles casting flickering shadows across the plush velvet walls. The air was thick with the scent of perfume, leather, and smoke. Bodies moved together in languid, sensual motions, the low hum of conversation punctuated by occasional gasps and moans. Everything about this place screamed indulgence, decadence. But beneath it, there was an edge—a sharp undercurrent of danger that hummed just below the surface. His eyes scanned the room, his body tense, ready for anything. He could feel it—the pull, the same electric charge that had drawn him into the vision. She was here. Somewhere. He moved through the crowd, his boots silent on the plush carpet, every step deliberate. His gloved hands flexed at his sides, his instincts on high alert. The deeper he went, the more the tension grew, coiling tight in his chest like a spring. The sounds around him blurred into a distant hum as his focus narrowed. She was close. He could feel her. And then he saw her.

Zaerael stood at the far end of the room, half-hidden in the shadows, watching him with those same dark, dangerous eyes. She was dressed in black, a form-fitting bodysuit of leather and lace that hugged her curves and glinted in the low light. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her pale face. She was beautiful—too beautiful. Almost otherworldly. But there was something in the way she looked at him, a quiet, simmering intensity that made his blood heat. It was the same look she’d given him in the vision, the same silent promise wrapped in danger. She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a knowing smile, as if she had been waiting for him. And she had. The crowd around him seemed to disappear as he moved toward her, every sense locked on the woman in black. The air between them crackled with tension, the same electric current from the vision thrumming through him. His heart raced, his pulse pounding in his ears, but his expression remained carefully blank. He didn’t trust this. Didn’t trust her. But he couldn’t deny the pull.

"Vishous." Her voice was like silk, smooth and sensual, wrapping around him like a caress. She leaned back against the velvet wall, crossing her arms over her chest, her dark eyes gleaming in the low light. "I knew you’d come."

His body went rigid. The sound of his name on her lips sent an alarm ringing through his mind. He hadn’t told her his name. He’d never even seen her before the vision. His eyes narrowed, suspicion hardening his expression. "How do you know my name?" he growled, his voice low and full of warning.

Zaerael’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened, as though his suspicion amused her. "I know a lot about you, Vishous," she purred, pushing off the wall and stepping toward him. Her movements were slow, deliberate, the predatory gleam in her eyes never leaving his. "More than you think."

Every nerve in his body screamed for him to back off, to put distance between them. But he held his ground, his gloved hands curling into fists at his sides. "I don’t play games," he said, his voice a growl of warning. "So let’s cut the bullshit. How do you know who I am? How do you know about the vision?"

Zaerael’s dark eyes glittered with something dangerous as she stopped just inches from him, her head tilted slightly in amusement. "You don’t remember?" she whispered, her voice a low purr that sent an involuntary shiver through him. "The vision was only the beginning."

His jaw clenched. He didn’t like this. Didn’t like the way she seemed to know him, the way she moved as if she had him already figured out. There was too much he didn’t know—too much that didn’t make sense. And that was dangerous.

"You felt it too," she continued, her voice wrapping around him like smoke. "The connection. You were drawn to me, just as I was drawn to you."

His pulse quickened, his breath coming a little faster. The primal hunger he’d felt in the vision, the need to take, to possess, surged to the surface, making his muscles tense, his mind screaming at him to resist. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was telling the truth—at least part of it. The connection was there. But why? And how? "I don’t know what game you’re playing," he said, his voice dangerous and low, "but you won’t win."

Zaerael laughed softly, the sound like velvet brushing over steel, sending a shiver down his spine. "Oh, Vishous," she murmured, stepping even closer until her body was flush against his. He could feel the heat of her through his clothes, the soft press of her curves against his chest. His hand twitched, his instincts screaming at him to push her away, but his body refused to obey.

"You and I," she whispered, her lips brushing the shell of his ear, "are two sides of the same coin. You need this. You need me."

He clenched his jaw, his hand coming up to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer even as his mind screamed at him to stop. Her scent filled his nostrils—dark, dangerous, intoxicating. His body hummed with the same electric tension he’d felt in the vision, the primal hunger roaring to life inside him. But something still wasn’t right. How did she know so much? And why had she invaded his vision, his very soul, without him knowing? "You don’t know me," he growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through them both.

Her smile widened, her eyes darkening with something dangerous. "Maybe not," she whispered, her breath hot against his lips. "But you will."

With that, she slipped from his grasp, disappearing into the shadows as if she had never been there. Vishous stood frozen for a moment, his body still humming with the aftershocks of her presence, his mind racing. She was gone, but the questions she’d left behind burned hotter than ever. She knew his name. She knew about the vision. And that meant she was far more dangerous than he had originally thought.

The game had only just begun.

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Bruises: Nightmares (Part 8)

Co-written with @IfOnly4MyNallas.

Bella: *As I exited from the door from under the stairs and make my way up the foyer stairs … I start to feel the ache in my muscles. The Scribe Virgin created us to be in good physique as long we didn’t glutton ourselves but we still felt the normal aches and pains, but mostly at a higher threshold than humans. Finally making it back to our bedroom, I started a bath and added some Epson salts that magically appeared, probably Fritz (he always knew what one needed before we even know we needed it). I poured in the salts and carefully pulled off my workout clothes drenched in sweat and threw them into the hamper. Then I slowly lowered myself into my bath with a sigh of relief. The heat of the water steadily relaxed my muscles releasing the tightness from the stress of the session with Payne. 

I made a lot of mistakes for the first time, getting hit many times. I could see the bruises starting to appear on my skin. I hope it wouldn’t bother Z, but I knew it probably would. I sighed. I hope he would understand why I wanted to train. I wanted to be able to defend myself if the situation ever arises. Especially if Nalla and I were somewhere outside the manse. It was rare, by ourselves, but just in case. I was also internally hoping that it would rid me of the damn nightmares. @IfOnly4MyNallas

Zsadist: Finishing up a shift with the trainees, I was fed up. Not one out of the group was where they should be. Some of the other Brothers gave them a wider berth when it came to learning this shit. Not me. I expected them to be at their tip-top. This was no fucking game. This was life or death. I needed to know I could trust every one of them to have my six out in the field, and out of the group I had worked with tonight, I couldn’t say that about any of them. They all fucking sucked, couldn’t stay on their feet, not fast enough on the draw, not sharp enough to know exactly what was happening in every inch of their environment, the list went on. Don’t get me wrong, we had some decent trainees in the program. I just hadn’t gotten lucky enough to work with even one of them tonight.

On top of all that, I had to stop in Wrath’s office on my way back to my suite for an evening meeting. As it turns out, the groupie that Phury and I had run into a few nights ago had been at the Audience House last night. Phury, in all his infinite wisdom, decided that she deserved to be heard and gave her one of our AH cards. The guy will never learn. The number of quote, unquote long lost relatives we see in a month kills me. Since we opened the Audience House doors, they’ve come in droves. Most of them females, looking to find some way to entwine their lives with the Brotherhood’s. It makes me sick just to think about it. It’s like they think we are some kind of rock stars, and if they can just get a taste of one of us, their life will suddenly have meaning. Pathetic, fucking, females.

The thought wound through my body as I slammed the door to Bella and my suite just a little harder than I planned. With a heavy sigh, I made my way across the room to the walk-in and began to strip off my gear.

Bella: *I startled as I heard the door to our suite slam close. Z was back from training … and probably in a foul mood. He often was when he came back from teaching. The trainees often brought him back in a bad frame of mind. Not only did they disappoint him but I sometimes feel deep down … he was scared for them. Being a soldier in this world is not what these millennials think they know. They hear the stories, but most live in sheltered or protected lives never to have to come across a lesser … if they’re lucky. And now? More evil … Shadows have appeared and the Brotherhood is dealing with them too.

Thinking about training and all … I wondered if the females of #SafePlace should also be trained for self-defense. It definitely won’t hurt and if anything it may give them more confidence. The more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Perhaps we could get Payne, Xhex or the female soldiers Parry and Nova to help. If they have time in their rotation. Hmmm … I make a reminder to myself to talk to Beth and Mary about it. 

I wash carefully around over the bruising, hoping Z may just go visit with Nalla while I finish my bath to avoid him seeing the majority of my wounds. I can hind most of them under my clothing and robe. I’m hoping it doesn’t add this his mood. He is already worried about the trainees and the Brotherhood, the last thing he needs to worry about is me.

Zsadist: Taking a long, deep breath, I looked in the direction of Nalla’s room. My sweet young. One of the two things that kept me alive on the daily. Just the thought of her settled my nerves until I let the thought seep back in of how these simpleminded trainees would one day be all that stood between her and the evils of our world. That thought made my blood boil. Not if I could help it. These trainees were either going to step up and get shit straight, or I was going to see to it they were left behind. I was done with the wannabes. Wannabe trainees that were never going to be good enough to be considered as a Brother, wannabe females that were just waiting for a Brother to make their lives have meaning… wannabes everywhere I turned my head.

Considering my current headspace, I thought better of going into Nalla’s room. I didn’t want her to feel this energy washing off of me. Bella was better equipped to deal with it. She always knew just how to calm my nerves. However, it wasn’t really fair. It seemed that Bella was doing an awful lot of that lately. I needed to get my own shit in order. Far too often, I came home from patrol or working with the trainees in the crappiest of moods, and Bella would have to soothe my mind. One of these days, I was going to have to come home and surprise her with flowers or some shit. I’d have to ask Mary or Fritz for help with that.

Stepping towards the bathroom, I could hear the soft sounds of water trickling back into a tub. I could envision it before I even stepped through the door. Bella, sitting in the garden tub, scented bubbles lining the top of the water, leg stretched out as she slowly ran a loofa down… over a massive bruise?! “What the fuck, Bella?!” Instantly, every muscle in my body tightened as the reality of Bella’s newest interest slapped me across the face. Payne would get a monumental earful from me the next time I saw her.

Bella: Z, hey. *Quickly lowering my leg back into the bubbly water, knowing he saw the bruise.* Babe, you know bruises were going to happen. I don’t normally work out and do physical activity, it was bound to happen. It just hurts a small bit. It’s expected. You know that. I kept the rest of my body underneath the water … hoping he might just leave it be. But I knew better.*

Z, it really isn’t that bad. I know Payne wasn’t even using her full force. She was just teaching me a few self-defensive moves. Nothing too crazy. I’m fine … really. *I really hoped he could see that I needed this and not freak out about the bruises I was bound to receive as I learned. Scribe forbid, I get a black eye or stitches. 

I knew this would be hard for him. When Nalla received a small scrape outside on the courtyard from chasing a butterfly. I swear it took me hours to convince him not to build a rubber mat all over the “cursed” cement. Toddlers were bound to get little scrapes and cuts. Though you could not convince Z otherwise. Granted his childhood was not conventional. But I remember, my big brother putting bandaids on my skinned knees when I was little. Kissing them to make them feel better. It was a part of growing up.*

Zsadist: Bella’s leg disappeared way too quickly under that bubble-filled bathtub, and it left me wondering how many other bruises she was hiding. If this was the way this so-called training was going to be, I was going to be putting an end to it really fucking fast. I get that she THINKS she wants to be able to protect herself, but she doesn’t need to. She will never be in a situation where she will need to. There will always be someone with her that will do that for her. If not me, then one of the other Brothers.

How did I let her talk me into this in the first place? What led me to believe that this would ever be a good idea? She says she’s fine. Really? Fine? That bruise was purple! A mere slap on the leg didn’t make those types of bruises. She was hit hard. I’d be willing to bet she hit the floor on that one. Teeth gritted, a loud growl bellowed from deep in my gut, just envisioning it.

I realized I had been pacing the bathroom floor and stopped. Turning to look at my shellan, I said as calmly as I could, “Stand up.” I could see the hesitation written all over her face. There were more. “Bella,” I closed my eyes as I tried to get the image out of my head. “Just stand up.”

Bella: *Crap. I knew my male and he was going to lose his shit.* 

Zsadist, you have to remember why I need to do this. I’m not trained like you and Payne and so I will have bruises just like any other trainee the Brotherhood would train. You know as well as I do that it’s going to happen more often than not. I need to do this. Please remember that.

*I gingerly stood up, the water dripping off my body … I was hoping that maybe that would distract my male, but as I looked into his now obsidian eyes … I knew he was more focused on the different colors on my skin rather than the skin itself. I knew this would happen but I hoped he would understand my need to do this for myself.*

Z?

Zsadist: “You don’t need to train to become a …” I couldn’t finish my comment as she stood up in the tub. All I could see was yellow, green, and purple blotches all over her skin. One-quarter of her body had marks on it. As I ran my hand over my scalp to the back of my neck, I barely realized how tense my jaw clenched. I was afraid if I opened up my trap, I was going to say a bunch of shit I might regret later.

A few years back, refraining from speaking my mind was the last thing I cared about, but seeing how that affected Bella when we first got together, I had begun to learn how to handle myself a little differently when it came to barking out every thought that crossed my mind. I needed to stop and catch myself. I could go straight for the jugular without even thinking, and I really didn’t want to be that guy with Bella.

After taking a few minutes to wear a hole in the bathroom floor, I finally stopped and looked my Bella up and down again. Keeping my teeth gritted, I quietly said, “This,” motioning to her body, “is not what I agreed to, Bella. I agreed to self-defense, maybe some krav maga, but going down to the training room and getting a fucking beat down every day was definitely NOT what I agreed to.” I realized that my voice was quickly getting louder, but I couldn’t stop myself. This was not happening. I was also pacing again, and Bella was being unusually quiet, probably giving me some room to process, but it wouldn’t last long. Bella was not one to stay quiet for too long.

I couldn’t even look at her anymore. Those bruises looked way too painful. “One or two bruises, once in a while, is one thing, but this … this is just fucking brutal.” Every single muscle in my body was tense as I visualized retaliating against Payne for this. I was not above beating a female, especially one who thought that stopping just short of putting my female in the hospital was just another day of training. What fucking numbnut thought that starting training with the beat down, without showing someone how to defend themselves first, was the right way to do it? I thought Payne was more intelligent than that. I guess it was just one more person disappointing me.

Looking back at Bella, I opened my mouth and said the one thing that would probably start WWIII between us, but I couldn’t stop them from coming out. Seeing her like this was tipping the scales, making me lose my fucking mind, “This …” motioning once more, “is going to stop.”

Bella: *I went to go pick up a towel and began to wrap it around myself.*

Z, it isn’t up to you. I need this. But if you don’t want to see the bruises … I suggest you find somewhere else to sleep for a while. Or Nalla and I can go stay at #SafePlace and I can train there with the instructor they have come to teach the other females. I only figured you would trust Payne’s training over someone else’s.

*I dried myself off as I could see Z in my peripheral with his mouth hanging open at my statement. I did need this after talking with Mary and understanding my nightmares, I just needed to feel secure in my ability to be able to fight back even if my success was low at winning … I needed to try. I put my robe on and went out of the bathroom and into our closet to get clothes and wondered what will happen now.*

Zsadist: I didn’t move from where I stood. I was not giving in. In an all too hushed voice, dripping in fury, I spoke without turning to my Nalla, “Bella, I can and will stop anyone that tries to train you. So, you can either work with me, or this is fucking over. Your decision.”

There was no way in fuck this was continuing. This was only day one. I didn’t want to imagine what day two would look like. By day three, she wasn’t going to be able to move. She would have bruises upon bruises on top of each other. This literally was like walking into a beating every day. Turning, I entered the bedroom, and my voice got louder. “Where is the defense of this ‘Self-defense’ training?” I asked. “All I see is a solid beat down, which I refuse to have you submit to every single day, even if it is Payne doing it. Whatever happened to walking before you ran? We discussed this. You knew what I would and wouldn’t tolerate. This …” pointing to her body, she was quickly trying to cover with her robe, “... this shit I will not tolerate.”

She could call it whatever she wanted; this was someone beating the fuck out of her and waiting for her to call out, “Uncle.” She could force me to sleep elsewhere, or she could sleep at Safe Place. That didn’t matter right now. I could still stop this no matter what, and I would if she weren’t willing to listen to me and do this the right way. Not sleeping in the same place for a bit was way better than knowing that this was happening to her every fucking day.

Bella: *My irritation was growing as I put on some yoga pants and a t-shirt quickly so I could hash this out with my hellren.* 

First of all, that was not a beat down, you realize that I have never trained in my entire existence, bruises are to be expected. I /was/ defending myself. Or learning to. Even blocking hits will cause me bruises. Clearly you still don’t fucking get it … why I need this. So be it. 

I’ll take Nalla with me to #SafePlace and I will train there. I’m not asking for permission, this is just a statement. And as to the issue of stopping … I’d like to see you explain to Wrath why you step foot into #SafePlace that does not allow males to enter and intimidate and scare all the females and children within. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you meet with him, Beth, Marissa and Mary about /THAT/!

Zsadist: Fuck all! I was trying not to lose my shit, but it was Bella that didn’t get it. I wasn’t against her training. I was against her getting the snot beaten out of her. This was not the person I wanted to be around her. I had come so far from being this male, but seeing all those bruises on her just brought out all my primal instincts to protect her, even if it were from herself.

Following her from one room to the next, I tried to clarify my position. “Bella, I am not against your training as much as you don’t believe me. I am just not going to sit back and watch someone put you through this every fucking day.” I used a technique Mary had taught me to use when I got this way. I started to slow down my breathing, and for a split-second, it worked … but just for a split-second. “Fuck, Bella! How do you expect me to live watching you come home every day looking like someone took a bat to you?” There was no way I was going to be able to do this. “There are other ways to start your training. Like, I don’t know … using gear that will protect you until you get a feel for protecting yourself! Evil Kenevil didn’t just jump a bike over 50 cars right off the bat. He started off with protective gear and jumping more minor things. Then, when he was more ready, mind and body, he started to jump bigger things, and then he started to take off his gear. Baby steps, Bella! You don’t learn how to ride a horse starting off bareback!”

How did she not understand my point in all this? What was so wrong with using protective gear until she got the hang of the moves? “Go ahead and take Nalla to Safe Place if you want, but know this: I don’t have to step foot on that property to make sure that no one there trains you. I just have to make a few calls.”

Bella: *I was fuming. He just doesn’t understand. My whole life I was coddled and taken care of first by my mahmen, then my brother and now my hellren. I needed to do this on my own. The bruises were expected of training. Did he not remember all the trainees these past years? Or was he so blinded that it was me and not some random trainee he wasn’t related to? I knew this would be hard for him and it was only Day #1. This argument was already exhausting and draining after my training session. I just felt all the adrenaline and energy zap out of me in that moment. 

Could I really take Nalla from the only home she knew and the people that loved and protected her? Sure, Marissa, Mary and the other Chosen who often play with her would be at #SafePlace, but all her uncles? I sighed quietly and continued to get ready for bed and grabbed Nalla from her nursery and started to get her ready for bath and bed, ignoring Z along the way. There really wasn’t much to say anymore. I said my piece and I figured he just needed to let this off his chest and get it over with.

I took off her Red Sox onesie and placed her stuffed dragon next to the tub as I placed her in and let her play with the duckies and toys as the water continued to fill slowly with warm water. Wondering how got here. The nightmares were plaguing my every dream for months. Mary and I talked about self-defense training and it seemed like the best solution to help alleviate my apparent unconscious fears.

I could hear Zsadist pacing behind us.*

Zsadist: She wasn’t even going to consider my side in this? She was just going to walk by me and ignore me like my feelings meant absolutely nothing. That’s fine. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and dialed, hearing an annoyed, “What?!” on the other end of the phone. I spoke loud enough so that Bella could hear me in the other room with the water running. “Payne is not to train Bella any more.” Wrath knew I was serious. He also wasn’t about to get in the middle of a fight between a hellren and his shellan, except for the fact that he needed me on my game when out in the field, so if this one request was going to make sure I was solid and had everyone’s six’s, he would approve of it. Anything for the fight. I hung up and left the quarters, going back down to the gym to destroy a few bags.

Bella: *My back stiffened at Z’s call clearly to Wrath about Payne training me. I cannot believe he just did that. Then LEFT! This seemed like how he was at the beginning of our relationship. With the anger and disappearing act. UGH. This male was going to be the death of me.

I knew he wouldn’t understand. I guess it was time to pack our bags then. I couldn’t live with these nightmares anymore and I needed to see this through until the end, with our without my hellren’s support. So be it.

I finished Nalla’s bath and put on her pajamas with tiny angels and grabbed her stuffed dragon and began packing a few things of hers that she would need for an overnight stay. I could get #Fritz to pack the rest of her stuff. I grabbed her things and went back into my closet and grabbed my overnight bag and packed some clothes and my things and wondered if what I was doing was right. But then I thought back to the fact that Z wasn’t even there at the training session to see that Payne wasn’t even really putting all her strength behind her hits and was just showing me the ropes of how to defend grabs and hits that males, men or even lessers would most likely do. He didn’t even talk to her to see what exactly happened to cause all my bruises.

I wasn’t even in any really pain, though I probably will feel differently tomorrow after a day’s rest. Tears fell on my hands as I belatedly noticed I was crying. Nalla sitting on our mated bed leaned into me and gave me a hug and gave me her stuffed dragon. Kissing my sweet baby on her forehead, quickly finished packing and made my way quietly down the stairs and out into the vestibule into the night. I wasn’t sure if Nalla and an overnight bag may be too much for a dematerialization especially with how I’m feeling.

But in the end, #SafePlace appeared in front of us and I went inside to look for Mary or Marissa. Beth might even be inside. It didn’t matter, one of them would let the rest of the manse know where we were soon enough.*

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

The Vision’s Call: The Call of the Black Widow (Part 1)

Written by @Sox_Goose_Tech

The night was unnaturally quiet. Vishous sat alone in his room, his gloved fingers tapping rhythmically against the arm of his chair. The usual hum of the mansion, the low buzz of his Brothers moving about, was strangely absent. It was as if the silence itself pressed in on him, thickening the air and amplifying every soft sound. Outside the window, the moon hung heavy in the sky, casting an eerie glow over everything, bathing the room in cold light.

He shifted in his chair, restless. The fire in the hearth crackled, its heat failing to reach him, a thin layer of sweat slicking his skin beneath his clothes. There was something about tonight that felt off. Wrong. The weight of it settled into his bones, making him twitchy, on edge. His gift — the curse of his visions — had been silent for days, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming. Something big.

He sighed, dragging a hand through his short, dark hair. The scent of leather and smoke lingered in the air, the familiar smells of his room, but there was an undercurrent of something else now. Something faint, like the lingering scent of jasmine mixed with the sharp tang of iron. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it set his teeth on edge.

And then it hit him.

A sharp, searing pain knifed through his temple. He gasped, the sound catching in his throat as the world around him tilted violently. His vision blurred, the edges of the room darkening as if someone had snuffed out the light. The pounding in his head grew louder, deafening, until it drowned out everything else — the crackle of the fire, the whisper of the wind outside. He was being pulled under, deeper into something he couldn’t control.

The scent of jasmine intensified, thick and cloying, wrapping around him like a vice. His heart hammered in his chest, the taste of smoke and something metallic filling his mouth. He blinked, trying to focus, but the room had dissolved into nothingness. The mansion, his Brothers — everything was gone. All that remained was the darkness and the oppressive weight of it pressing down on him, suffocating him.

A flicker of light appeared in the distance, faint and fragile like the last breath of a dying flame. He was drawn to it, instinctively moving forward, though he couldn’t feel the ground beneath his feet. The light pulsed softly, casting long shadows that twisted and danced, almost as if they were alive. The air around him was thick with the scent of something sweet and dangerous, a mix of exotic spices that set his blood humming.

And then he saw her.

She emerged from the shadows, her form half-concealed by the darkness that clung to her like a second skin. Her hair, dark as the void around her, cascaded down her back in loose waves, her pale skin gleaming like moonlight. She moved with an unnatural grace, her body fluid and seductive, each step pulling him deeper into her orbit.

His breath caught in his throat. His heart stuttered in his chest as their eyes met, her gaze locking onto his with an intensity that made his skin prickle. Her eyes were dark, fathomless, filled with something he couldn’t name—desire, danger, maybe both. She was beautiful, but there was something else lurking beneath the surface. Something darker. Something that made his blood run cold even as it stirred something primal in him.

She smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of her lips that sent a shiver down his spine. "I’ve been waiting for you," she said, her voice low and throaty, the words curling around him like smoke, intoxicating and thick. He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. His body felt heavy, unresponsive, as if he were trapped in a dream.

Or a nightmare.

He took a step toward her, compelled by some invisible force that he couldn’t fight. The shadows seemed to part for her, swirling around her legs like living things, brushing against her skin before dissolving into the air. The closer he got, the more he could feel the heat radiating off her, a sharp contrast to the coldness of the room—or wherever he was. It didn’t feel like reality anymore.

Her hand lifted slowly, fingers delicate yet commanding as they reached out toward him. The air between them crackled with energy, a pulse that vibrated through his bones. He wanted to pull back, to resist the pull, but he couldn’t. Her power was like a drug, seeping into his veins, making his head spin and his heart race. He could feel her inside him, crawling under his skin, whispering dark promises into his mind.

"Come closer," she whispered. Her voice was liquid temptation, smooth and dangerous, slipping past all his defenses. He moved toward her, his body acting on its own accord, his gloved hand reaching out as if to touch her. The scent of jasmine was overwhelming now, mixed with something earthier, more primal. It filled his lungs, thick and heavy, clouding his thoughts.

He wanted her. The realization hit him hard, a punch to the gut. It wasn’t just lust — it was something deeper, something darker. A hunger that gnawed at him, a need that clawed at his insides. She was the embodiment of every dark desire he’d ever had, every twisted thought he’d buried deep down. And she was calling to him, pulling him closer to the edge.

The ground beneath his feet was soft, almost liquid, but he didn’t care. His senses were overwhelmed by her—her scent, her voice, the heat of her presence. His hand hovered just inches from her skin, the air between them charged with an electric tension. He could feel it, the pull of her power, the darkness that wrapped around her like a shroud.

But just as his fingers were about to touch her, the vision shattered.

Vishous was slammed back into reality, his body jerking violently as if he’d been yanked from the edge of a cliff. He gasped, sucking in a breath as the familiar surroundings of his room came rushing back. The fire was still crackling in the hearth, the scent of leather and smoke filling the air. But his body was drenched in sweat, his heart racing, and the echo of her voice still lingered in his mind, soft and deadly.

"Find me."

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

I AM NOT ALONE!

Treasure: Slowly and cautiously, I slipped out of the room and down the hallway in the direction of the dining room. Someone there had to be able to direct me to where Teyanna @TroubleWACapT had gone. She could perform the test on me to tell if I was with young. Would a test tell this early? From what I had been told, it had only been a few days. In all actuality, I didn’t need the test. I knew I was. It was hard to describe, and I knew it wasn’t normal, but I could sense the new life inside me. I could feel it reaching out and trying to calm me. However, this created the opposite feeling to flow through my bones; I only wanted to protect it with my life, if necessary.

Determination now pushed me forward as I came upon the kitchen. Only a few mahmens were there feeding their young. One caught my eye, and I quietly approached with a small smile. “Hi. I am looking for Teyanna @TroubleWACapT. Would you happen to know where I could find her?”

The mahmen met my gaze and moved protectively before her two young. Her head shook as she responded to me. “I have not seen her in a while, but her office is down that hallway.” She raised a slender finger to point toward the other side of the kitchen.

“Thank you,” I said before striding across the room.

Making my way down the hall, it was quiet. Most doors were closed, and the open ones had people hard at work, but no Teyanna @TroubleWACapT. I was beginning to panic again. I needed to talk to someone I knew, someone I trusted. Not that I knew Teyanna @TroubleWACapT well, but I had already tried to call Amari @PretyGrlAmari, but she hadn’t answered. Outside of her, I only knew the people I had seen at Havers, Teyanna @TroubleWACapT being one of them. She worked there before me and now only came in rarely, but I had met her a few times.

As I reached the end of the hall, I turned back. I reminded myself this was a #SafePlace, and I walked back down to the first open door.

When I looked inside, I saw a female deep in her work. I felt bad knocking on her door, but I needed to figure out a few things, and if Teyanna @TroubleWACapT wasn’t here, I needed another plan. Quietly, I wrapped my knuckles on the doorframe. “Excuse me. I was looking for Teyanna @TroubleWACapT but can’t find her.” @MaryLuce_BDB

Mary: *I was working on our plans for the new intake process for emergencies after discussing it with Marissa @CaldwellsBeauty, Rhym and the others @Beth_Marklon, @BellaRAhgony and @ChosenAislinn. We all agreed that we would execute our plans as soon as possible. The #Brotherhood was still receiving reports on missing females but so far the incidents have been isolated enough that it hasn’t caused a panic among the race but the entire household was worried, especially since we could not locate @Greyhson_BDB. Everyone was on high alert and all hands were on deck to help where anyone could help.

I just finished inputting the new data into our forms when suddenly, I heard a knocking at my door and when I looked up I saw a new face. Beautiful female with long blond hair and blue eyes. She looked slightly panicked and seemed really anxious.*

Hi! Um, I think ​​Teyanna @TroubleWACapT stepped out. I’m Mary, come on in and have a seat. Is there something I can help you with?

Treasure: First, Amari @PretyGrlAmari wasn’t answering her phone, and now I couldn’t contact Teyanna @TroubleWACapT. The only other person I thought of was Alicia from Havers, but tonight was her night off, and I didn’t have her home number. Either way, it was time to trust someone, and who better than someone in charge at a place called #SafePlace? 

Slowly stepping into the office, I gauged the room. Children’s toys were organized in bins around the room, and a bookshelf containing all kinds of books for all kinds of people: children’s, young adult, fiction, non-fiction, self-help, biographies, and medical books, to name a few. The slender yet tall female sitting at the desk exuded calmness. It was as if you were in a room with her and couldn’t help but relax. However, I still couldn’t relax after everything I had just gone through and was about to go through; there was no way I would feel peaceful anytime soon.

I walked over to the desk and sat in the seat in front of it. “Hi.” I raised my head to the female across from me, hoping to look strong and not as terrified as I was. “My name is Treasure and I’m in need of help. To start with, I need a test to confirm I am with young. After that, I have a long story to tell, and it starts with the fact that I am in serious danger, and I don’t know where to go or who to trust.”

Mary: *The female went right into her issues and I was surprised she was so open about her life. Most of the females here were more reserved and it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk to me. I always wondered if it was because I was human. Perhaps she hadn’t realized it yet … or she was just more extrovert than most. I didn’t know her story so perhaps I will get to know her.*

Ok. Not a problem. We can let Teyanna @TroubleWACapT or we can get a nurse from #Haver’s. Either or will work. No worries. 

You can trust me. I’m here to help everyone that comes through our doors. Everyone here can attest to that. What’s going on? Everyone is safe inside our doors but we do have formidable security if we need it.

*Thinking of the Brothers who would happily assist with any males that would dare try to enter our doors. @Rhage_SASBDB and the Brothers would never let anything happen to anyone here.*

Treasure: ‘You can trust me,’ she said. I certainly was hoping so. Teyanna @TroubleWACapT had mentioned that here I was safe, that the people here in this place were here to help, and from what I had known of #SafePlace from working at Havers for the brief time that I had, I was safe. Today, I would bet my life on how much I could trust her. I no longer had a choice.

Taking a deep breath, I wasn’t sure where I should start. I wanted to start from the beginning, but something had just struck me hard. I may not be the only one at risk right now, but I need to think of the big picture. Sure, I was the last of the Chosen, and some random male had just fed from me. With the taste of my blood being Chosen, he would be driven to find me, and he would be able to do so with his blood flowing through my veins. There are so many problems with that. Normal vampires were not used to Chosen blood, and it can make them do strange things, possessive things to get to what they thought of as ‘their’ females. Most normal vampires knew nothing of Chosen. He would be confused. Not only would I have outed myself as a Chosen, but I may have also outed Chosen as a species subgroup.

This didn’t even begin to explain how it would affect me. I will out myself as the last Chosen to possibly the wrong people and end up imprisoned by the Brotherhood. I could get thrown out on my ass for the male that just fed from me to find me.

“I think everyone here may be in trouble because of what I have allowed to happen, and for that, I am truly sorry.” I blurted out. Continuing, I went into a little more detail, “I happen to be a very special subtype of our species that no longer exists, and I believe that I have exposed myself to an ordinary male of the species.” 

Mary: *As she sat in front of me extremely agitated and nervous she started to explain that somehow she was endangering #SafePlace, I wondered briefly what could be going on and I slowly moved my hand to my cell phone to contact @Rhage_SASBDB immediately. But as she continued with her story she surprised me by basically stating that she was a special subtype … so at first, I thought she meant she was a hybrid like @Beth_Marklon or #Butch or maybe like @SinsSecondComin or #Xhex. But I wondered what she meant by “no longer existing”. But as she continued explaining that she exposed herself to an ordinary male of their species … I interrupted her.*

Wait, I’m sorry to interrupt you. What do you mean by “species that no longer exists” … at first I thought you were saying that you were a hybrid or perhaps … a Chosen?

*I watched as she widened her eyes and seemed surprised by my question confirming my answer with my last statement.* Treasure, you’re definitely not the last Chosen, hon. Actually, the Directrix Amayla @Amalya_SASBDB or even Aislinn @ChosenAislinn should be coming in for their shift in a few hours, I can introduce you to them. But wait a second … why did you think you were the last one? Where have you been if you didn’t come from #OtherSide? How did you arrive here on the #FarSide, the Earth realm?

*Now I was really curious. A Chosen found outside the #OtherSide where they have lived all their entire lives with the #ScribeVirgin as I understood it. Until Phury @PegLegPhury freed them and now they stay at @SinsSecondComin’s #GreatCamp. So, what happened to Treasure and what exactly had she been through?*

Treasure: I was startled when the word “Chosen” dropped from her lips. I was not expecting it to be the first guess out of her mouth. Maybe the rumors were true? Maybe I wasn’t actually alone? I was afraid to get my hopes up, but the way she mentioned the other Chosen, it was as if she knew them personally as if she could just pick a phone and call them as if they were not special. Maybe her “Chosen” are not the same ones I am talking about. She did mention one of them was the Directrix … I was still terrified to get my hopes up. I did not know either of the names she mentioned.

Knowing that I needed to be brave here, I decided to tell her a little more of my story. It may have put the whole place in danger, and they needed to know the severity of that. Also, I needed help. I could no longer do this all alone. I needed people that I could count on. Our kind is a social, communal kind. Some prefer to live alone, but most live in communities worldwide. Even though my mahmen, Alexandria, and I lived a secluded life, there was a community not far away that we could reach out to if we needed anything.

“I have been living in Colorado since birth, a little over 90 years ago. My mahmen, Valencia, had lived in the Sanctuary during the raid. She was pregnant with me, and her friends were afraid of the apparent death they were all looking at. None of them wanted my mahmen and her unborn young to be killed, so they helped her escape. Once out of the Sanctuary, she searched for her close friend, Alexandria, a Chosen who had fallen several years before. She took us in, and after a year or so with no word from any other Chosen, they assumed they had all died in the raid and that we were the only ones left. They have raised and protected me as if I were the last one.”

My eyes became teary as memories of their death surrounded me. I swallowed as I tried to continue, my voice shaky, “A few months back, they were out grocery shopping and got attacked. Both of them died, leaving me all alone.” The tears came a little harder as the stress of everything I was going through was added to the memory. “They had trained me to survive, but I did not want to spend my life surviving. I wanted to be amongst our own people. I had also heard whispers of other Chosen. I wasn’t sure I believed it, but if I could find more of my own, I knew I would be safe, so I traveled here from Colorado.

Unfortunately, I miscalculated my needing and ended up not having enough medication to get myself somewhere safe and get through the whole thing. Now that I have been exposed to a normal male of the species, I can already sense a young’s soul growing within me, and the male will seek out my blood again. So, I’m sorry for the danger I have put you all in by being here. I didn’t expect this to happen.

Mary: *I listened quietly trying to understand her timeline with what I have been told about the attack on the Sanctuary that @Rhage_SASBDB explained to me and with what I have learned from Phury @PegLegPhury and @Cormia_SASBDB from the 1930’s. I’m trying to remember the details of their stories, only that three rogue vampires armed with weapons stormed the Sanctuary in search of the rumored treasures that the Scribe Virgin had but I didn’t recall anything about any deaths or escapes. If her mahmen escaped while pregnant, then she was the last daughter from the previous Primale who died in the process of protecting his females. That much was true. So she was the last Chosen in that aspect. But it was because afterward, the Scribe Virgin rerouted all traffic so no one could enter nor leave without entering her private quarters. And the only people who would even know how to request permission to enter were the Brothers. So it would make sense that Valencia would not have heard from her sisters. 

Before I could think more about what happened before I was even born, she explained that she was possibly pregnant and that the male might track her down here at #SafePlace. Males were not allowed inside #SafePlace so I wasn’t really sure what “danger” she spoke of, unless the this male was dangerous and would try to get inside where all the females and young were being protected within these walls.

I walked around and slowly came around my desk and leaned down to take her hands hoping to calm her down. She became more and more agitated as she explained her story. Squeezing her hands and tried to use my most calming voice.*

Treasure, slow down, everything will be fine. Amayla and Aislinn will be here really soon. Let me text them and my hellren and we can get everything sorted out. No one is in danger here. We have a top-notch security system, the Brothers made sure of that when Marissa @CaldwellsBeauty created #SafePlace. Especially with all the females and young residing here.

*Holding on to one of her hands, I took out my phone out of my pocket and quickly sent a quick text to Chosen and @Rhage_SASBDB. I let him know it wasn’t an emergency but I really needed to talk to him ASAP as soon as he was available. I knew he was out on rotation tonight but I wasn’t sure what shift he had and which team was doing what tonight.*

Ok, they’ll be here shortly. Let’s get you some tea and maybe some cookies, yea? Everything will be fine. You are not alone, not by a long shot. Amalya and Aislinn can help you assimilate wherever you want to go, whether here at #SafePlace, the #GreatCamp, back to the #OtherSide or even at the #TheManse if you want. I’m sure Wrath @LordOfTheManse and @Beth_Marklon wouldn’t mind at least for a little bit while you get comfortable. Alright?

Treasure: Her warm hands comforted me a bit, but not enough. She was sweet, and I knew she was trying to calm me down, but a little handholding just wouldn’t do it. Part of me was still in that fight or flight state, saying, “Run! Run hard, and don’t look back for anything!” I knew that was the worst thing I could do now. I may have just found my people. The Chosen didn’t die? We could have stayed there and lived a normal life with our kind instead of living this life of seclusion and survivalism. I didn’t have to be afraid all these years? At that moment, anger enveloped me against my mahmen and Alexandria. All this time, hiding and terrified that something was coming after me at every corner, we could have just lived our lives to the fullest. How do you let that sink in without being outraged and bitter? Deep down, I knew it wasn’t their fault. They didn’t know. My mahmen thought they were all going to die. She was just doing what she could to keep her young safe. I put my hand on my own belly, knowing I would do the same.

The words Mary was saying started to stick again. The two Chosen she mentioned were coming here? I was about to meet more of my kind … right now … and wait, did she just say Brothers?! The? Brothers? Is she talking about The Brotherhood? I almost missed the part about a top-notch security system. That was good. I didn’t realize that. That deflated one of my concerns.

Suddenly, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. All the stress I had been holding onto this whole time sagged off me like melted butter, and all it left behind was exhaustion. “Tea would be nice, thank you,” I replied to Mary. That’s when the final name spilled from her lips: Wrath. I knew that name. There was only one Wrath — the King of all vampires. “Wr … Wrath?” The Wrath I heard stories about was not a nice male. He was king of the race but wanted nothing to do with it. His only drive was to go out and kill every night. He liked no one. This brought my anxiety back up. “You … you trust Wrath?” I asked, unsure, I wanted to hear the answer. She seemed like she did, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it all. “#TheGreatCamp? #TheManse? I’ve never heard of these places before.” I began to become a little more cautious. I was no longer sure I trusted Mary. I had trusted her this far, seeing as vampires surrounded her, and they seemed to trust her, but she was only human, after all.

Mary: Yes, of course. According to @Rhage_SASBDB, Wrath @LordOfTheManse was a completely different male before he met @Beth_Marklon and took his place as King. Lots of things have changed. You probably wouldn’t have known if you have been secluded all this time.

*I explained as we exited my office and walked down the hall to the main kitchen. You could smell the cookies being baked by the doggen for the kids. I wondered briefly if perhaps mentioning the royal family was too soon. I forget sometimes that speaking about the royal couple isn’t a casual thing amongst the race. I’ve lived at #TheManse for the past few years, that its normal now.*

If you worried, you shouldn’t be … they’re great … *I was interrupted as we ran into @Amalya_SASBDB.*

Oh hey! Perfect timing.

Treasure: Wrath, Son of Wrath, actually took up the throne? I wasn’t sure what to make of this. It seemed so far-fetched compared to the stories I had heard about the male. It was not that they did not respect him or his place as king; it was just that he did not act like a righteous male. They had basically warned me of him, so I was unsure I wanted to throw away all I had been told and meet with this male.

A beautiful female striding down the hall toward us interrupted my thoughts, and I lifted a finger, ready to warn them as the two almost collided. This female, like Mary @MaryLuce_BDB, held a sense of calmness about her. However, the once-over she gave me made my skin crawl a little, and I took a slight step back. Was I doing the right thing here? Should I have opened up to these females? My whole life, I had been safe, and ever since I scored my wrist for Lohre and almost fed him, it was as if I couldn’t do the right thing to save my life, and it was my life on the line. It had become a fumble of one wrong thing after another. Am I walking myself into an enormous mistake, or worse yet, an enormous trap?

That’s when she introduced herself as Amalya and mentioned that she was sorry for how she looked at me, but I reminded her of someone she once knew. Wasn’t that the name of the Directrix? The one that Mary @MaryLuce_BDB mentioned? Is this the actual Directrix? The one that my mahmen spoke of? Is it possible that the person she recognizes in me is my mahmen? “Her name was Valencia. She disappeared from The Sanctuary a very long time ago. Are you related, my dear?” Amalya stated.

A gasp fell from my lips as relief flowed through every cell in my body. I had finally found my race, and there was more than just one of me. I was not the last Chosen in this world. I instantly fell to my knees on the hard tile floor and began to cry the happiest of tears.

#IAmNotAlone #PartFifteen #BettingTheFarm #CROSSOVER #FamilyProblems #PartEighteen #TBC #SaintsNSinners #BDB #SASBDB #BlackDaggerBrotherhood #BDBRPG

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Somewhere in Caldwell. #HeadingTowardsHerNewFuture. #SASBDB #BigDecisions

{My life was not as simple as she thought it was going to be. Things have changed in my life. And now my future seemed as if it was going to head another way. I moved the chair and

~ looked out of the window. I had a lot to think about. I feared for the future at first but I knew that i was going to be alright. It would take some time to put some plans into place. Butch and I had finally parted for good this time. Although we both

~ parted on good terms which was the main thing. We would always stay friends.That was always going to happen. And in a way Butch would always protect me no matter what. The sun's rays were streaming into the window. It was brighter than ever, the sun was

parted on good terms which was the main thing. We would always stay friends.That was always going to happen. And in a way Butch would always protect me no matter what. The sun's rays were streaming into the window. It was brighter than ever, the sun was

finally going down and it had been a long day. Having been overthinking on what to do next. And it seems I had finally come to a decision quickly. The only thing I would have to do was go and have a talk with Wrath, the king of the race and still a very

good friend. He was always going to be in my life someway. Even though we were not mated anymore. A member of the family that is what I was always going to be to him. A sister. A friend. He would give me some advice, good or bad. And taking my feelings

into consideration. I was thinking that I could maybe have a room at the Manse. Something that I was not thinking of at first. But it was the obvious choice. I could not go on sleeping here at Safeplace because it was not going to be suitable. Closing my

eyes as the sun finally came to rest and it was getting dark. Grabbing the cord and tilting the blinds closed towards myself. Then she looked toward the couch that was my bed for the night. I just had to get it sorted. Butch knew of my plans and what I

wanted to do although he never really gave me an answer. So I thought that it must be alright for me to go ahead and ask. I stood up off the chair and started to walk towards the coffee machine that was in the Safeplace office.The pot was still warm.

Grabbing a cup I poured out the hot liquid. This was going to be my fifth cup of coffee today but if it worked that was the main thing. Taking a small sip while holding the cup up my mouth I looked at the phone. It was time to make a couple of phone calls

to the Manse to speak to Wrath and to sort out a meeting for us both.

#BDB #SASBDB #TheChoicesSheHasToMake #FutureMeetingWithAKingOrFamily #StrongFemaleCoping

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Revelations: Submitting to the Darkness Part 28

Written with @Lassiter_SASBDB.

Lassiter: *Well slap my ass and call me pappy, that explains a lot. To have that marker in her blood she had to have been the child of both a Chosen and a Brother. The SV had kept a pretty tight rein on her Chosen and they HAD been indoctrinated in their duty to the species, but if a Brother bonded with one of her priestesses in the course of their duties then they were allowed to leave her service. From that moment on, he was responsible for her safety and for producing young which continued the main purpose of producing strong bloodlines for the protection of the species. That's not to say some females hadn't had their own hopes and dreams, but until Wrath son of Wrath @LordOfTheManse had started making legal changes to give females equal rights in vampiric society, those hopes and dreams had pretty much been the life Sloahne's mother had chosen – mating with a Brother and raising a family on this plane. As Primale, Phury @PegLegPhury had embraced Wrath’s @LordOfTheManse changes. He had no desire to have sex with a bunch of different females even if that was the traditional role. Instead, he and his mate, the Chosen Cormia @Cormia_SASBDB, had decided to act as kind den parents to the young females, encouraging them to find their own paths with their protection and guidance. But, how the hell am I going to convince her of that? My burgeoning irritation is replaced with sympathy for what this female has gone through. Not just with that fucker, Drake, though that was by far the worst, but her whole life. Her mother had left the SV’s service but never escaped the old world societal expectations of Chosen females and she'd imprinted that expectation on her daughter’s rebellious brain. Sloahne had been raised in fear of it, with making a glymera marriage her only out. A marriage in which she would either be a prisoner or a princess, but even as the latter, her life wouldn’t have been her own. I'd have run, too. Hell. I kind of did.

Reaching out, I take her hand in mine. A frisson of electricity runs up my arm and straight to my dick at the touch. What the fuck was that?!! I’d touched Sloahne casually a hundred times before and never felt THAT. Vampires had fed from angels infrequently in the past, but it had been done, and I’d never heard that THAT was a side effect. Down boy, we have work to do. Clearing my throat, I mentally stomp my suddenly awakened libido into the ground. Focus here, boy, you’ve got work to do.* 

So your mahmen mated a Brother and left Sanctuary to be on this plane with him, but she just traded one set of rigid rules for another. And she passed it onto you that your basic function in life was to be property, either for a Glymyra asshole or the Brotherhood, with no say-so over anything, I got that right? *Shaking my head.* Sweetheart, a lot of things have changed. Some of it you have to be aware of, like the changes in the laws, but some of it only the Brotherhood really knows.

Sloahne: <Lassister takes my hand into his and suddenly I feel a spark that was never been there before. My heart is beating faster, my body seems to be reacting strangely to his touch. Heat floods my entire body and I feel the goosebumps that appear on my arm. Trying not to figure out why touching him so so different I listen to his words and wonder how so much has changed. I raise my brow in question.> 

Are you trying to convince me that the foundation of the vampire race over the past however many centuries has suddenly changed? That the Scribe Virgin who created our race whose female vampires who had been bred specifically to serve the Scribe Virgin and to meet the needs of the members of the Brotherhood, as well as Brothers in whatever fashion the male see fits? You’re trying to tell me centuries and centuries of this tradition is shot to Dhund?

<He can’t be serious.>

Lassiter: Well … *Sheesh, how do I explain this without blowing my cover? The Brotherhood knows, and a few others, but it’s kind of agreed that keeping my status on the down low is best for the species. People need traditions and all that.*  

In a word, yes. See, the new Primale refused to go along with how things had always been done. He’s mated with one Chosen and he’s faithful to her. He has a place on this side that he and his mate set up to allow Chosen who wanted to seek their own paths a kind of transition from Sanctuary. And the Queen is half-human. She kinda had a cow when she found out females had no choices over their lives, so that got the King involved. And then …. *Heaving a dramatic sigh.* Other stuff changed. The SV stepped down as deity. She’s not in charge anymore. 

Sloahne: Wait, what? The Scribe Virgin isn’t in charge? What happened to her? Is she ok? <I start to panic. It’s not like any of us normal people have ever met the Scribe Virgin, but she’s the mother of the race, someone you look up to. So hearing that she has stepped down, who is going to watch over us now?>

Lassiter: *Hands go up in an attempt to calm her sudden panic. If this was Sloahne’s reaction, then Wrath @LordOfTheManse was on the money keeping the majority of the species in the dark about the transition.* Whoa, whoa, take a chill pill! It's ok. She’s fine and she’s around, but she felt like the species had reached a point where they needed a more hands-on approach, something she's not comfortable with. She chose a successor who WOULD be comfortable with it - *More like insistent on it.* - And the Creator approved her reasons and her choice. 

*Although I’m still trying to figure out just WHY He approved, but I can't tell her that.*

So she’s cool, He’s cool with it, and the new deity is learning the job.

Sloahne: Oh. Weird. Ok. <Seriously … what else could I say? The powers that be had a shift change apparently. Didn't know that was even possible. Huh. Well. Wow.>

Ok, so someone new is in charge and so things have changed? The Chosen are not being used as basic slaves to the Brotherhood any longer? I mean, you know what I mean. I grew up knowing that the Chosen were meant to breed with the Brotherhood to create the warrior caste, almost a breed apart from normal vampires who have been at the spearhead of the war with the Omega. So all of that has changed? The bloodlines have to remain pure so that all sons are Brothers and all daughters are Chosen. It has been this way for centuries. 

Lassiter: *Lowering myself to sit beside her on the edge of the hospital bed, I forget and take her hand again, trying to give her something to hold onto as I shake her worldview, and son-of-bitch, that electric current jumps up my arm again and my dick starts complaining at the tight restrictions of my leathers. Damn it, angels are supposed to have better control and I'd have thought a deity should be immune! My teeth grit as I will my body back into submission. Focus, boy, focus!*

I'm really sorry your mahmen had that view of being a Chosen and that she passed it on to you, but I know it wasn't the way most of them felt at the time. Most of them viewed themselves as high priestesses performing essential functions for the race. But the very fact that your mahmen felt like that is one of the reasons the SV stepped back. The world was changing. Her people were changing and she didn't think she could change with them. At least not fast enough. 

The fact is that once Phury @PegLegPhury became Primale, he refused to continue with the tradition of sexual submission by the Chosen. He loves Cormia @Cormia_SASBDB too much and he’s got a faithful heart. He's a Brother who had spent his life taking care of someone who no longer needed it and he needed a new mission. Bonding with Cormia @Cormia_SASBDB, then accepting the role of Primale, gave him that. He looked at the traditional role of the Chosen and said “no more”. It was world shaking, but it was time.

The Chosen who choose to will still provide blood to the Brotherhood when needed. More than one would have died recently in the war without it, including Wrath @LordOfTheManse, but it's a choice each one has, not a mandate. The sexual aspect is off the table. If a Chosen wants to hook up with a Brother, that's up to both of them, and I’ll be honest, because of the history of the Chosen the only reason I can think of for why one of today’s Brother’s would do it is if the female was going into her needing and wanted a child by him. It would be him serving her, not the other way around. 

As for creating warriors for the race, pure bloodlines, etc … Phury @PegLegPhury freeing the Chosen forced Wrath @LordOfTheManse to start thinking outside the box. Soldiers are being recruited from the population. Males AND females. The training program is rigorous, but after Bloody Sunday when Lessers massacred so many of your race, we have more applicants than slots, and the entrance “exam” is tough. Most don't make it, but the best that do and finish the program are respected by the Brothers. One of the soldiers from the program has already been inducted into the Brotherhood. No bloodline requirement, just pure heart and ability. And there will be more.

You don't have to hide anymore if you don't want to, Sloahne. You're free.

Sloahne: <I could not contain my astonishment as I listened to the angel. I guess the rumors were true. With the King’s ascension came a new era indeed. I had no idea the Primal was a Brother. I suppose that would explain all the changes and the fact nobody knows about them. The Brotherhood has always been secretive in the past for the safety of the King and their families. But as the Audience House has been created, most have seen the many pherasome Brothers guarding the King in the last few years. It’s been an incredible eye-opening experience for many seeing them in person and up close. 

Could all this be really true? All these years I’ve been trying to hide my secret, I finally felt a huge burden off my shoulders. I finally could take a deep breath and really felt lighter all of a sudden.>

The Chosen are truly free to live their lives? They live out in the world among us? They can do whatever they want? They’re normal just vampires … out there at the bars and clubs? Seriously?

Lassiter: *And … time to hedge just a little …*

They will be able to if they want to. Eventually. They’ve lived very, very sheltered lives, and most don’t have an interest in going to clubs and bars yet. Phury @PegLegPhury is like an overprotective first-time father right now, proud of them and encouraging but still trying to keep them all safe as he helps them overcome the culture shock and learn how to take the appropriate precautions. Some of the Chosen are just getting used to being here. Others have started college classes and are looking into careers and it was going pretty good until … *Heaving a sigh as I run my thumb soothingly along the top of her hand.* Until young females started going missing. You weren’t the only one and we think the other missing are related to the war. And Phury @PegLegPhury, well he’s reacting like any father would, trying to close ranks. He’s asked the ones taking classes to go to online courses until the Brotherhood finds and ends whoever is behind it. He’s mentioned having the Chosen go back to the #OtherSide until then but if he does he’ll have a full-scale rebellion on his hands. *Smiling a little.* They like it here and they like learning to spread their wings. I think even his mate Cormia @Cormia_SASBDB would fight it. 

When it comes down to it, the Brothers have a double dose of testosterone and it comes out in being overprotective of people they think need protection. It's a good trait in warriors, but it does get them their heads handed to them by their females from time to time. 

Sloahne: *I listen in disbelief as Lass talks about Chosen being out in the normal world. Going to college classes!! That has been unheard of! At least it was not known in the vampire world, especially in the Old Country, where I left my family. 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Chosen given a choice to live out in the world but he didn’t say they had complete freedom with the mention of The Primale. Since apparently they would be forced to back to the #OtherSide. An all-white world that my own mahmen spent her first few hundred years of life. A world she drilled into me with so many expectations if I kept choosing not to be mated in the arrangement she chose.

Then there were the Brothers. He hadn’t gotten to the part of explaining what “duties” were still expected.*

Hmmm … ok so they live out in the Earth realm but what about their duties and … expectations expected of them as tradition? It’s been this way for over a  millennia. Surely … the Scribe Virgin’s tradition of her breeding program that produces the Brotherhood? Selective breeding was deliberate, to beget strength from strength. *My anxiety caused me to speak faster and more agitated … and I wondered briefly if I was having a panic attack again.*

Lassiter: *Her anxiety levels shot up like a living thing in the room as she mentioned “duties”.* 

Hey, hey … *Squeezing her fingers lightly then gently cupping her face with my free hand.* Take a breath. 

*Fucking hells, the impulse to kiss her almost overwhelms me. Abruptly dropping my hand from her face, I discreetly shift to mask my raging hard-on. Just what in Dhund is going on? Note to self - no more feeding vampires. It results in major distractions. And find out just what the hell is going on the first chance I get. Duties. Think. That was when her blood pressure spiked.*

Sloahne … *Shaking my head.* There are no more “duties”. Hear what I’m saying. There are no more ehros’. Blood is donated only by the willing to those who are in need. There are no required duties anymore. Everyone is too busy learning how to just be normal over here. There is no one left in Sanctuary. Everyone - Ehros’, Watchers, Scribes - they all chose to come here to check out their options when Phury changed the rules, and they did so with the new deity’s and Wrath’s blessings. There is NO BREEDING PROGRAM. Not anymore. It’s not needed. We learned that strength, courage, and nobility don’t come from the bloodline. They come from the heart and soul of the race. If it came from the bloodlines then the Glymera wouldn’t be rampant with assholes and the history of your species would be a lot different. When the Scribe Virgin put these things, these “traditions”, into place it was a different world. The realization that the world doesn’t exist anymore and that some of those traditions have caused more harm than good is a big part of the reason she stepped back. 

Look … *Sighing.* I get that this is a lot to take in, that it goes against everything you’ve ever been taught. But no one is going to force you to do anything. And no one is going to out you to the King. I’ll take care of the Doc. I’ll pull his Hippocratic Oath on him, to first do no harm, and if he spills the beans on this it would definitely do harm to your mental health because YOU believe it would cause you harm. If I have to, I’ll mind wipe him and disappear your blood test results, but I don’t think I’ll have to. He takes that Hippocratic Oath business seriously. You trust me, right? Well, I’m asking you to trust me on this. This is your secret to tell when you’re ready to tell it and I’ll protect you until you’re ready. *Not damn hard since I’m already feeling protective and frigging possessive. I’ve GOT to get a grip on this.*

Sloahne: <I listened to the Angel and tried to take it all in and believe the words he was saying to me. But it was difficult. I spent centuries believing my mahmen and the stories told about her previous life before she was mated. I spent centuries hiding myself among the race and no one ever knew except the symphaths and moors … and then “he who shall not be named”. 

I contemplated his words over in my muddled mind and my erratic breath slowed down to a steady beat and I felt more calm than before. I laid back on the hospital bed and wondered how my life had arrived at that moment. Inside the Brotherhood Compound, at least that’s where I thought I was, running from a psychopath and meeting an actual Brother. Someone my father could have fought side by side with, someone who could have been close to him and knew many stories that I was not privy to. I missed my father … my fist circled and rubbed my chest in front of my heart as I felt the ache whenever I thought about my father. 

I shook my head at the past and tried to stay in the present. As I did, I felt the electricity running through my fingers and up my arm and wondered briefly what that was I figured I was still probably not well from my ordeal and needed rest and whatever was feeding into my veins from the bags of IV hooked up to me. I laid back on the gurney and tried to relax and sink into the weariness that my bones were feeling from the weight of centuries of running and hiding and wondered where my life goes from here.>

Oh … wow.

Lassiter: “Wow”? What’s that mean? *Females. I can read minds but I try not to. Privacy and all. Plus none of them would ever really trust me if they knew I could but it goes with the gig.* 

So you’ll let me handle the Doc? And you'll stay put, at least until the dirtbag is dealt with?

*I want to touch her again, to reach out, hold her, comfort her. I can tell she’s confused. Everything she thought she knew just collapsed around her. It’s what I should do, what I would have done before just touching her started shooting lightning through my veins. I don't regret juicing her, but I don't dare too much physical contact until whatever this is fades. Instead, I release her hand and lift her chin with one finger, locking eyes with her.* 

After that, we can figure out what's next.

Sloahne: <I start feeling the adrenaline start up again from playing cat and mouse with “he who shall not be named” starts to take over my body.> Just … wow. This has all been a lot of tea and no one even knows about it, right? I mean outside the Brotherhood that is. The race would be in an uproar, #Glymera specifically. They’re all about being Old School and traditional. I mean it’s been centuries. It’s still hard to imagine. You know?

I mean I’ve been hiding for so long. But yeah, I can stay … wait … you mean to stay here in this room? For how long? I mean I need to work, and I have rent to pay and bills. I mean I can’t afford to pay whatever hospital bill the Brotherhood’s personal physician would charge me … I mean … yeah… what about “he who shall not be named” … are you sure he can’t find me here. I mean he’s found me twice now … <I start to panic again and look around. It’s so ridiculous. I was so confused … I wanted to feel what I felt when he had me under his spell but then he just went over the line and the pain … so much pain … then blood, blood everywhere. My blood just everywhere …>

Lassiter: Hey, come on, take a breath here … you don’t have to worry about any of that stuff. If the asshole hasn’t been dealt with by the time the Doc releases you, then I’ll get you cleared for the manse. Wrath @LordOfTheManse isn’t going to let one of his people be put in harm’s way and you def would be out where Drake could sense you again. We’ll figure it out. 

*Fuck, she’s starting to hyperventilate again. Too much, too fast. She’s getting shocky.* 

How about we take a little nap here, huh? Get your pulse rate back into a normal range. You need to get your strength back before you tackle all this stuff.

*She’s already halfway to trying to get out of bed. I scoot in closer and loosely wrap my left arm around her, not to restrain her, but to catch her when she goes down for the count. Touching two fingers to the center of her forehead …* 

Sleep … 

*She sags against me, her breathing leveling out. I can sense her pulse slowing, steadying to a normal pace. Her fever is gone, so juicing her worked. She just needs some rest and my, ummm, “suggestion” should have her out for a solid 8 hours. Gently, I lean her back and then rise. I gotta go talk to the Doc, and make sure he remembers his oath requires patient confidentiality. Sloahne’s not a young and she’s able to make her own medical decisions now, so he’s got no reason to breach that by squealing to Wrath @LordOfTheManse about her blood work. Hmmm … I think I’ll make that documentation disappear anyway while I’m at it. If she ever wants it, she can have it done again voluntarily. With a last look, to be sure she’s settled, I go invisi to hunt down the Doc. He’s a tough cookie, but the element of surprise is always on my side.*

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

TL Fun - Date Night

Rhage: I am looking for that someone that can take care of me.

Mary: *Looks around ...* Oh? Is that so? Has that /someone/ come forward yet?

Rhage: *Looks you up and down with a sly smile.* Oh, My Mary yes, you have.

Mary: *Points to myself.* Me??? Ohhhh, I thought you were looking for /someone/ ELSE.

Rhage: You are my other someone. *Wraps my arm around you.*

Mary: *Smiles* Oh I see. I thought maybe I wasn't enough for you and you were looking for someone "new".

Rhage: Oh, no sweetheart. You are my everything. *Leans over and takes a long whiff of your gorgeous hair.” I’ve missed you.

Mary: I've missed you too. You have been on rotation too long. *I move in closer and rest my head against your chest.*

Rhage: *Wraps my arms around you and holds your head against my chest. Kisses you on top of your head.* I’m ready for some well-deserved time off. And some time to take care of My Mary so I can treat you right.

Mary: Oh? What do you have in mind, my Beast?

Rhage: Some dinner. Maybe a movie and mint choc chip ice cream. To top it off a little Die Hard

Mary: *Giggles* Dinner, of course. That's a given. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is also a given and of course, Die Hard. Sure, honey. Whatever you want.

Rhage: What would you like to do? *Looking down at my beautiful Mary.*

Mary: Let's do your idea. I don't mind. I just want to be with you and hang out.

Rhage” *Pulls you close and holds you.* You are the best shellen around. A great female of worth. I love you.

Mary: *Blushes* Love you too. Let's get something to eat. I'm actually quite hungry.

Rhage: Ok, I made the plans. *Grins* You choose the place.

Mary: *Ponders for a moment.* Perhaps we can get #Fritz to make some burgers and fries for us and then, in addition for you, ... steak, tacos, spaghetti and meatballs. He can bring it to our room ... I'm not feeling being out in the world right now.

Rhage: *Nuzzles your neck.* It’s like you can read my mind shellen. *Kisses your neck.* Maybe after I have a Mary appetizer then work on some other food. Then ice cream and a movie. While I hold you more.

Mary: *My body starts to warm under your touch and I shiver slightly forgetting the food all together.* Mary appetizer, huh? Mmmmm ... yes please ...

Rhage: *Plop on the couch in the den of the mase and bring you down with me.* Unless you want to start here. *I take your face in my hands and rub your nose with mine.* What do you think?

Mary: *My mind goes blank for a moment as I feel my hellren's body underneath me, feeling his nose against mine.* Hmmmm ... uh ...

Rhage: *Kisses you tenderly.* What do you think Mary? *Kisses your neck breathing you in.* Breathe My Mary.

Mary: *The sensitivity in my neck strikes nerves that are connected all the way down my body to my lower regions as I feel myself getting wetter.* Huh? *My mind finally hears his command and I take a deep breath of air.*

Rhage: Do you want to start here or go to our room and wait for #Fritz to bring dinner? After I have my Mary appetizer. *I grin and I feel the warmth of the beast start to stir as I start to smell the wet aroma of my shellen. My eyes start glow.* We have missed you Mary.

Mary: *I can barely breathe much less think and decipher the words my hellren is saying. I try to clear my head but my body just continues to rub up and down his hard abs gaining friction where I need it most.* Hmmm ... mmm ... *Then a glow makes my eyes open.* Oh ... hello ...

Rhage: We need you to decide Mary. *I shake my head, letting myself get carried way.* I got a little carried away, I’ll make the choice for us then I will carry you to our room, I call #Fritz dinner please upstairs in one hour. *I kiss your forehead and scoop you up.*

Mary: Uh ... huh ... *I say breathlessly as his body heat warms me from the inside out as I continuously grind against him searching for relief. It's been so long ...*

Rhage: Breathe my Mary. *I take the stairs two at a time and straight to our suite. I lay you on the bed and take my daggers off as they make a thump on the floor and unload my guns and pull my shirt off. Layover you and start on my Mary appetizer.* Don’t forget to breathe.

Mary: *My mind clears as my body registers cold air and my back against the mattress in our room. I look up and see my beautiful male above me. I reach for his t-shirt to take off and remember to breath.* Uh huh ... ok. Take this off baby ...

Rhage: *As you help me take off my shirt I lean over and kiss on your neck I unbutton your shirt and open it up and unclasp your bra, and start to work my way around. I slide up your skirt. Then I work on unfastening my leathers and drop them down to the floor. Climb back on.* You good?

Mary: *My nipples go hard at the cold air of the room as I feel my skirt bunch up on my stomach. I watch with heavy eyes and nod as his leathers hit the floor w/ a fascinating thud and as always my Rhage has gone commando, his phearsom cock springs up and still amazes me every time.*

Rhage: *Looking over my beautiful Mary, my eyes glowing again.* Our Mary, are you ok? *I take my hands and spread your shirt wide open looking at the beautiful body that lays in front of me.* Mary, we ache for you we both have missed you so much. *I lean back over and start at her ear.*

Mary: *The room glows from his eyes and I know I'm with his beastly dragon. We are well acquainted ... this is going to be so good. I feel his warm tongue lick my ear and down my neck ... all the nerves are electrified going straight down making me more and more wet.* Mmmmm ... yes.

Rhage: *I lay over top and working my way down, I lick down to her navel and make my way between her legs, taking her all in as I taste her I feel a jolt of energy and move back up I slide in and completely fill her my first thought … HOME.* Oh Mary, our Mary.

Mary: *My back arches from the bed as he reaches my apex and with a brief taste and then quickly he easily slides through my wetness and my body tightens around his member.* Oh, sooo good. Please ... *I beg for him to move. I'm already so close.*

Rhage: *Kissing your neck as I move in and out feeling your body tight around me bringing me to the brink.* There you go my beautiful Mary come for us. *I can feel her start to shake.* Take what you need. *I feel her hands on my back and my dragon stirs as he feels her too.*

Mary: *My body starts to spin and shudder as he moves and fills me to the brim. He is so big that I feel every ridge of his cock rub the inside of me and brings me closer to cumming. My nails dig into his skin and I can feel his dragon on his back moving as well.* So close ... *I pant.*

Rhage: *I work on the spot right behind her ear as I move in and out my breathing harder feeling her nails dig in, my eyes so bright I am pushed over the edge. I couldn’t believe I came hard. I look down and Mary and make sure she’s ok.* Oh my Mary are you ok? *I feel my dragon calm down.*

Mary: *When Rhage nibbles behind my sensitive ear, I cum violently as he fills me with his essence. As I come down from my high I hear his concern.* Mmmm hmmm ... *I start to tilt my pelvis up and down as I rub our fluids together between us where we are connected.*

Rhage: *I kiss her on the top of her nose.* I say you must have enjoyed that. *I feel her move and surprisily I’m still hard.* I will love you till I go to the fade. *I take her in my arms and hold her till I hear a knock on the door.* He does have perfect timing.

Mary: *Moans and I complain.* Tell him to come back in a bit ... *I lean up and bite his neck where I've seen the other couples kiss their mates hoping for more from my male. I lick up his neck and bite him again.*

Rhage: *I chuckle.* No ma’am I need to feed my female. *I stand pull my leathers on and smack her on the ass. I open the door looking at the best butler ever.* Ah, thanks man, you’re the best. *I take the cart with the buffet on it of just about anything anyone can want.* Dinner honey.

Mary: *I quickly cover my body with the duvet as Rhage opens the door to bring in the food. I could smell the food and my tummy does start to rumble.* Yay.

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Change in the Air: Deliverance Part 25

*We were on rotation on the south side of Calwell and I was teamed with Tohr @TohrSASRP, @Qhuinn_SASBDB and Axel @WoodWorkersSon working our way to #ZeroSum. It has been quiet the past few hours. It was almost midnight and we have only run into the human scum roaming through the streets with their drugs and problems. I was getting restless as time went on. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the night with no action or just with my life in general. 

I got another text from Vishous @Sox_Goose_Tech. He has never been comfortable with me being on the regular rotation with the Brotherhood. I was training the Brotherhood trainees and even the females of the manse. I was recently training @BellaRAhgony in self-defense to help with her confidence and comfort. Though I had a feeling Zsadist @IfOnly4MyNallas would be paying me a visit soon. I smiled to myself, I was looking forward to it. I have only ever sparred with Wrath @LordOfTheManse and Vishous @Sox_Goose_Tech. I wanted a go and test my skills with the others. But with the ongoing war, the Brothers were busy training the new recruits and trying to get ahead in the war. Lately though, something was going on with Vishous @Sox_Goose_Tech since @Sloahne_BDB was in the clinic so I hoped it was the distraction he needed to stop micromanaging my life. Ever since I came over from the #FarSide where my dear mahmen kept me in suspended animation for hundreds of years. 

He was the brother I /thought/ I always wanted as I watched him grow up all these centuries and realized that it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be to really have him present in my life afterall. He constantly hovered over me and tried to pull rank when and where he could as he was the eldest male in our family. It was lucky that I sparred with Wrath @LordOfTheManse for several months before he knew I was V’s twin that he pulled the King card by giving my dear brother the middle finger of his right hand, which of course held the massive black diamond when V tried to protest against me going on regular rotation. I learned later why all the Brothers were stifling laughter at the hand gesture. Apparently, it meant something I wasn’t aware of. I have been taking a crash course on the idiosyncrasies of everyone in the manse as well as just learning how different this world was from the Sanctuary for the past few years. Regardless with Wrath’s @LordOfTheManse approval, it didn’t help that V would sometimes show up on my rotation when he had some free time and tagged along.

Tonight, we were all on edge a bit. Tohr @TohrSASRP briefed us before we started the night about what he learned from @Leethall_SASBDB and the fact that @Greyhson_BDB was taken by a lesser … so we were now on high alert. We were searching for lessers to question about the whereabouts of the missing females. It’s been a Dhund of a few days since learning that females were going missing and now one of the Chosen under Phury’s @PegLegPhury protection. 

We were coming up to #ZeroSum’s doors when I heard a sound coming from the alley near the back door and I smelled a faint whiff of baby powder. Yes, I grinned … this night was getting better already …*

# #Deliverance #PartTwentyFive #SaintsNSinners #BDB #SASBDB #BlackDaggerBrotherhood #BDBRPG

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Gilded Cage: Submitting to the Darkness Part 5

Originally Posted October 2016

Sloahne: <I felt groggy as I tried to force my senses to get back online with my body, I tried opening my eyes and they felt swollen and dry like sandpaper. My whole body felt raw and tender as I tried to move from the fetal position I found myself in ... I could feel the burn on my upper back, ass and thighs as the cool air drafting against my skin. I felt so weak, dizzy, dehydrated and just drained of all energy that I could barely pull myself in a halfway sitting position. What the fuck? Vampires didn’t get food poisoning or dehydration like humans, but the symptoms sounded similar to my predicament. 

I can feel satin sheet beneath my hands as I attempt to find purchase in getting myself upright. Satin?? As I pry my eyes open, searching for illumination and seeing a ray of light towards the right of me, I hear a jangle and look at my wrists to find lambskin leather cuffs surrounded by very thin lead chains. Fuuuuuck … what the hell is going on?

My head is spinning as I tried to remember the last place I was or what I was doing. Then, I remembered the rejection, the walk down memory lane, the #Dungeon and then the scene. I stopped contemplating the chains and looked around at my surroundings. I was in a huge poster bed where the chains connected to the headboard, the chains were long as I gingerly tried to find some coverings since unfortunately I found myself naked in a strange room. @@IAmAGildedCage

Drake: Considering how depleted my new pet was, I wasn’t surprised with her sleep. Being thrown into subspace, then fed on, would undoubtedly drag her to the brink of exhaustion, or worse, collapse. I had no concerns with keeping the beauty weakened, but I was not about to endanger her into collapse. One did not tarnish the diamond of their collection.

As the sensor chimed to let me know she was indeed awake, I rose from laptop, closing the program that had allowed me to sneak in and delete all security footage surrounding the #Dungeon … for several miles. Government monitoring was all well and good, for humans, but I didn’t consider myself worthy enough for their screen time, and I certainly didn’t want any trace footage of my car with the precious cargo I’d transported in the trunk.

Yes, I had felt a little guilty about the trunk, but I soothed myself with the fact she’d never remember.

Collecting the tray of food brought by Elan, my doggen, I made my way to the lead bolted door and calmly entered the safety code before sliding the lock aside. A check of the monitoring screen in the wall, to ensure she was still on the bed, and then I slipped inside, shutting it firmly behind me. The safety bolt shot home, a default trigger that could only be unlocked by myself, with a code that changed as soon as I left the room.

If you’re wondering … yes. I have been doing this a while. 

To be fair, the room itself was larger than many in my home I gave to the usual guests. A king bed, a dresser, bathroom and shower. Every luxury … bar freedom. Because they all belonged to me once they were here. And I couldn’t bear for them to leave …

“Good morning, Leelan,” I murmured, watching her on the bed, eyeing the chains that slinked and chinked against her. They were a precaution, for now. The sooner she accepted, the sooner the chains would be removed. The elegant lead bracelets I’d arranged for her would replace them, so she would have greater movement in and around the room … then perhaps the house. “I’ve brought you something to eat,” I muse, stepping closer, “and someone to drink.” I spread one arm wide, indicating myself. 

A few mouthfuls would be enough to keep her from the collapse I feared … but not enough to afford her the strength she might need to resist me. 

Sloahne: <I was startled when I heard an actual bolt being open as I brought up the satin sheet and brought my feet to the floor to find my bare feet meeting very plush carpet, expensive. I was even more surprised to recognize the new comer as the Dom I had played a scene with last night. Leelan?! What the fuck happened last night?>

Where am I? Why am I here? <I could scarcely recognize my own voice, as it came out as a hoarse whisper. Not that it mattered, he would be able to hear me clearly enough. I knotted the sheet around me to cover myself and tried to stand so I could meet him head on, face to face, eye to eye. My sudden adrenaline rush was enough to get me to my feet but the months of not feeding and my lacerations and bruises did make my movements cumbersome that I almost collapsed back on the bed.

I could clearly tell he wasn’t expecting my defiance as I drew in all my training and I quickly scanned the area for any weapon I could use because certainly he had nefarious plans for me considering the chains I found myself in and the dead bolt. Dearest Scribe, what have I gotten myself into?> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: I let her use the sheet as some meager cover, but after last night there was really no part of her I was unfamiliar with. At least physically. She was yet to explore me however, but I’d give her time for that. Her blood tasted Chosen, but I was beginning to suspect she had not had all that much training as far as those pure females went. All the better for me. I’d much rather a female with fight and spark that tasted divine.

Giving her the time to assess the room, I hid my bemused smile and waited patiently, letting her reach the inevitable point of exhaustion and frustration. There was no mocking, no goading. I wasn’t about to torture her. Not unless she asked.

“Are you done, my dear?” I murmured, taking one small step closer. 

I could feign shock at her reaction, at her fierceness, easily enough, but in truth I’d suspected as much. It was why I’d bothered with the chains at all. Subs were one thing, but I now knew this female to be a Switch, meaning she had defiance, ferocity, personality. She was a female Chosen alone in the human world, by all accounts, and would have to be strong to endure it. All this I’d gleaned simply from observation and suspicion, though I hoped she’d fill in the last of the empty spots once she’d calmed and had something to eat. Better to be prepared for all scenarios.

“As you can see, you are no more harmed than what you wanted of me this past eve,” I continued, taking another small step, letting her have the time and space to accept my approach. “However, I must confess to my own break in protocol. I sampled your blood last night, Leelan. In the heat of the moment …”

I trailed off, a small shudder running down my spine before I fixed her with a steady look.

“You were ambrosia. I knew without a doubt what you were the moment you hit my tongue. Chosen.” And how could I let a Chosen go? “But in doing so I weakened you further, and I wish to offer you some of my own blood in return, if you wish. To stabilise you.” [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <Dearest Virgin Scribe! He knew! He damn well took blood from me without my knowledge. F. M. L. It took every fiber of my being to not panic and focus my thoughts on how I could escape. There had to be a way.

I was so royally screwed … no one knew where I was. No one even knew that I visited the #Dungeon early this morning. How long was I out? It felt like days around going by how much my body was depleted … just looking at the tray of food and seeing the faint blue lines of his veins had my fangs descending, making my mouth water.

It had been well so long since I last fed properly. Human blood only staved my hunger and I couldn’t control my reactions. Only undermining my growing need to try to appear strong and in control. The marks he had given me the night before were still branded on my skin giving me another disadvantage to my weakening state when I would have recovered otherwise had I been feeding properly.

I could not believe what a fool I've been. In my my near craziness to forget, all my guards were down thinking I was safe at the club. How the fuck did he smuggle me out of the #Dungeon. There had to be video footage, monitors, something … someone must have noticed. I just need to buy some time.

I felt another bout of dizziness as I was forced to fall down on the bed grabbing my throbbing forehead in pain. I didn't want any part of this male inside me much less being indebted to him in some way. Besides, I also had no idea what was in the food. He could be lacing the meal with narcotics to keep me compliant.>

Never. <I whispered vehemently as I gave myself over to the darkness and blacked out again.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: “Blast…”

Watching as the female crumpled back to the bed, I took a deep breath to calm the instinctive need to reach for her, cradle her. Instead I carried the tray to her bedside and set it down gently, careful not to disturb the contents incase she was inclined to have them when she woke. Perhaps she needed a tester before she’d trust it … hm, food for thought.

Mindful not to remove the sheet she’d inelegantly wrapped around that stunning form, I shifted her until she was once again lying across the bed, coddled by comforters and pillows. Looking at her now, I could see the toll, the effect my feeding coupled with this shock had done. She was too pale, the first blooms of dark shadows starting under her eyes. When was the last time this glorious female had fed? And from whom?

The idea of another male servicing her had my fangs punching down for a second, a growl threatening to rise in my throat until I choked it back. Shaking my head, I raked a hand through my hair and moved away from the bed.

I had two options. Allow her to come to again, try to coerce her into feeding enough to not border constantly on collapse, or force feed her. The latter was definitely a tempting option when she was already unconscious. A slice of the wrist, a mouthful or two fed into her, and then I’d have a little colour back in those cheeks.

And yet… I suspected force would only further cement me as the monster in her eyes. They’d all looked at me like that at first… but with patience and practice I had won them over. I could do it with her too.

So with a concentrated effort I moved away from the bed, taking the seat furthest from her but in her field of vision for when she woke. And I watched. And I waited. Hoping she wasn’t too far gone enough to return to me. [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <I took in peripheral senses before opening my eyes and knew that the vampire was present in the room I seemed to have been trapped in. I slowly opened my eyes and viewed the ceiling above me. Beautiful canopy … such an odd thing for me to observe. 

My body was so weak … I slowly turned my head to my captor. He sat elegantly clothed on a chair in the corner of the room watching me intently as I peered into his ice blue eyes. Why was he doing this to me? Surely, if he was able to ascertain that I was a Chosen, he also knew he risked the wrath of the Brotherhood if they had knowledge of my whereabouts. The King would have his head … 1) for capturing a Chosen against her will 2) and using her as a blood slave which had to be his intentions. A law that the King had abolished years ago as a gift to one of this Brothers it was rumored. Either cases … he risked himself and the fate of his family. He clearly came from a noble family considering the state of the room I awoken in. Money, power, esteem … I turned my eyes away back to the ceiling … no longer able to comprehend my predicament.

I had a choice to make … I could just lie here and die slowly and quite painfully in the next few days or feed from this male and try to find someway to escape this seemingly gilded imprisonment. Tear droplets slowly ran down my the sides of my face as I thought about my father. He would be horrified to see me this way after so many years of teaching me self defense to be strong and confident. When now, all I felt is feeble, inadequate and ashamed. I was so steadfast in my desire to forget … that I truly neglected all my training from my own father as well as #Trez and #Xhex. Crap … they must be so worried and more than likely pissed off. That made me smile a little. But they knew not where I was. I could only rely on myself to get out of this plight of enslavement.

I silently laid on the bed taking deep breaths as I waited for my captor to issue his edicts … I’m sure he had some … while I strategized my way out of here.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: I knew when she came to again; heard the faint rustle of the sheets and the breathy cadence as she drew in a deep inhale. She was weak, too weak to rise again, and I felt something inside me give a visceral twist of alarm and frustration. Tamping down the impulse to storm my ass over and thrust a vein at her, I took a breath of my own and rose slowly. A few steps and I was closer, close enough to take in the lines of that graceful form still hidden beneath the sheet I’d left wrapped around her. She was breathtaking, even when weakened. She would be unimaginable when strong …

“I would offer my vein again, my dear,” I murmured, not coming any closer, not without her permission. “I beg of you to take it. You are terribly weak, and I fear I would not be able to find another male to come here in time enough to keep you from falling further ill.”

Looking into her eyes, so full of woe and distrust, anger and misery, I tried to let her see my own sincerity. All I truly wanted, right now, was for her to feed enough to heal. I wanted her well. I wanted her happy. I wanted her resplendent and smiling and sliding those elegant fingers across my skin. But I wanted her to ‘want’ it …

“Please … please let me help you.” [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <I could only discern the cold around me as I sensed my life slowly draining from me. The satin sheets below my head were wet with my tears as I breathed in and out slowly to stay conscious. My chest ached as I took my breaths and as the male neared me, I felt my fangs knick my bottom lip and I was aware of my choice as I closed my eyes.> Ok.

<For whatever reason, the male seemed to be relieved at my acquiesce. As he brought his wrist towards my mouth, I tried to lift my head to bite and realized that I could not. He realized my failed attempt and quickly scored his own wrist and brought it back down to my lips. Soon after, the life sustenance was wetting the back of my throat as I quickly swallowed gaining more strength to begin sucking at his wrist as a babe would. The room felt warmer as I was able to perceive my surroundings. The taste of his skin, the soft cotton of his shirt … and the blood was taken away very soon after.

I gradually opened my eyes and into his eyes as I tried to focus. My stupor began to dissipate as I move my limbs to touch the bed and sheets as I made an effort to sit up and felt his arm around me assisting me up into a sitting position while maintaining my covering. He kept surprising me with his contradicting actions and manners in his duplicity. It was just confusing.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: Just a few mouthfuls and the female was looking better, her breathing settling, her eyes darting back and forth beneath those delicate lids. The feel of her lips on my skin was heavenly, and I had to make a concentrated effort not to let my own fangs slide down in longing.

When I thought she’d had enough, or just enough rather, I withdrew my wrist, slipping an arm around her to help her sit up, ensuring her covering was staying in place. Drawing pillows over from the pile, I gently placed them behind her, to help keep her upright without needing my presence. As much as I wanted to be there. When she was comfortable, I calmly withdrew, stepping away and toward the wardrobe tucked off to the side. It held simple luxuries; nightgowns, dresses, even slacks and blouses. Those I pictured her in when she was striding around the manor, giving orders to the doggen. It was a pleasant thought.

“Your attire from the #Dungeon was lost in transit, I’m afraid,” I murmured, sounding as contrite as I felt. It /was/ a lovely little outfit. “I was uncertain what you would like to be dressed in and thus thought you would like to make the choice.” I gestured toward the smaller style wardrobe. In this locked room, it was small. Upstairs had a much greater selection. “Please select whatever you like. If you like, I would be happy to assist you in eating as well, until you feel more yourself.”

Scribe, please let me feed you. Please … [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <I remained silent as he walked towards a closet apparently filled with clothes for me, specifically for me? WTF. How long was he planning on keeping me here? I started to panic slightly and I forced myself to breath normally so he wouldn’t notice my anxiety. I need to get away from him and escape this place.

Assist in feeding me? Feeding the opposite sex by hand is an intensely intimate gesture between the two persons. When a male offers to feed a female from his hand, it is a way of showing respect. Respect and affection. I could use this to my advantage … clearly he has some thought about this /relationship/ he has created in his head. Normally, I play the Dominant role as a Domme where I control a situation, as a sub that would not come into play since he clearly wanted to be in control. But topping from bottom may be key in my survival and hopefully freedom. He would expect some resistance from me … yet as a Dom, he would only tolerate so much. It was a fine line that I was walking. I would have to tread these waters very lightly.>

I’m ok. If you could just help me with the tray I can manage. [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: It wasn’t what I wanted - far from it - but she was ready to accept some aid, and I was ready to be patient and wait for more. Good things come to those who wait, right?

Fetching the tray, I placed it near her on the bed then assisted until she was seated comfortably. Putting the tray in her lap, I then retreated to a respectable distance and tilted my head, watching her curiously.

“There is a shower through this door,” I murmur, gesturing off to the side, “and again, I am ready to be of assistance if needed. Nothing untoward.” 

The bathroom was equipped with the basics for sanitary needs… and absolutely nothing else that could be used as a weapon. I had a sneaking suspicion that would be the first thing she investigated in this room, but in truth there was very little if anything she could turn against me. [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <I nodded my acknowledgement of the location and request.> Ok.

<I thought he would leave at that point, but to my disappointment, he remained waiting for something perhaps? I have no clue. To be observed so closely and attentively was unnerving to say the least. As well as unexpected. Most males wouldn't want a long drawn out conversation … they mostly rather just deal with a little small talk, and a suck and fuck. Done. Not this one apparently. 

I tried to pretend he wasn't in the room as I ate my meal slowly. I still felt immensely tired and drained and could barely use the utensils to cut the chicken and sides that were prepared for me. I was too famished to consider any use of narcotics to keep me passive. I needed some energy to fight and survive my time here so I forced myself to eat what he had provided and remained quiet and I waited for him to fill the space.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: The calm, reserved silence as she ate was yet another testament to her strength of character. A will that would most definitely be hard to break. She was strong, independent, and I suspected had never much relied on anyone but herself. How exhausting …

“Is the food to your liking?” I murmur, eyeing the plate. “If there is something you’d prefer I would be more than happy to provide it. I care not about the expense or how rare,” I add with a small, tentative smile, looking to her hopefully. “And anything you wish to drink.”

The hopeful, almost doleful expression wasn’t over done; if you pushed too much they were too suspicious, but when you were cautious, like them, they settled. Mirrors were soothing when people thought they saw themselves. [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <My own preferences? I’m a captive in his home for some unknown reason and yet I get a choice in food and drink? None of this is making any sense to me. I raised an eyebrow at this comment and considered my next few words as I decide we need to put all the cards on the table.> 

Hmmm, anything I want? I would prefer to be able to leave. <Watching his facial expression, I knew the answer to that, so I added.> Why am I even here? We had one scene, if you wished to see me again, you only had to ask. Are you looking for a ransom? Because I hate to tell you … I’m no one of value. <I almost felt my lip quiver slightly at how much that hurt for me to admit. I’ve kept to myself for so long in order to hide my secret that I only had a smaller than a handful of people who knew that I even existed. I quickly charged forward and changed the subject, the food was fortifying my cheeky behavior and asked.> What is the need to imprison me? You must realize that blood slaves are forbidden now. [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: I tilted my head at her first ‘preference’, and judging by the light in my eyes she probably already knew the answer to that one, so I let her continue. As she wondered about a ransom, I felt the tide of her emotions swell, as if she was thinking of either how little she had, or how few people there might be to miss her.

“Maybe I don’t see it as imprisonment?” I offer after a moment, voice quiet and contemplative as I watch her. “Maybe I see it as protection?”

Leaning forward ever so slightly, enough that the light caught my eyes and turned the blue into the sweep of colour that ran just off the shoreline in the ocean, right before dropping to darker water, I spoke honestly.

“I would not ransom you, for there is no price one could pay. You are priceless,” I murmur gently, aching to take the weight off her shoulders so that for just a while, she didn’t have to be so strong. “You have such strength in you, but I cannot fathom how exhausting it must be to bare the burden alone. It is not my intention to bleed you like a slave,” I add, my nose wrinkling in disgust as I shook my head. “I will not take again unless it is freely offered, and that I have done so already I truly apologize for. My only reasoning is that I was undone in the #Dungeon, and lost myself in you.”

And I was sorry for that. Had I realized this exquisite female was so depleted I would never have dared touch her vein, even after the pleasurable high. Looking into her eyes, I kept my voice calm, level. So very matter of fact, as if the whole world was aware.

“Do you not see how beautiful you are? How exquisite?” [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <”Protection”? What? Like he was the #Primale? That’s why I was hiding in the first place, to avoid the #Primale. I took every effort to not roll my eyes in anger and ultimately in irony. But then as he continued with his explanation and I watched emotions reflected in his eyes as he was solely focused on me. 

It was difficult to keep a clear head as his words washed over me like a soothing balm to my recently unsettled ego. My past and the present anguish mixing together in the last 24 hours causing this cocktail of a clusterfuck that has led me here in the first place.

I knew that whatever he was saying was a ploy to earn my trust but at the same time … for some reason … they made my chest ache wanting the words to be true. It must be my weakening state that had all my emotions in a turmoil. From the rejection from the club to recollection of my childhood to the loneliness that has been plaguing me for years … my psychological walls have finally fallen. Gathering as much fortitude as I could muster, I replied quietly.> 

Again, I’m no one. <What I needed to remember that this isn’t real. This male had no idea who I was or what I’m really like. It was essential that I play this game he was orchestrating for as long as I can so I can escape this luxury jail cell. I finished all I could and place the utensils back on the tray and pushed it away signaling my completion.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: There was the bite of attitude in her eyes at my words; a disbelief and cynicism toward the world that was too deeply ingrained for me to wash it away with a few sweet words in one sitting. No, that I could not combat, at least not right now. But every hopeless romantic had to start somewhere to convince the girl she was the one.

Yet the longer I spoke, the more my words sank in, I could see they meant something to her, some of that tension seeping away as she looked away from me, avoided my gaze. How could no one see her value? How could no one look upon her and not feel beholden? It was astonishing to me, and were I to ever meet the male or males that had made her look so withdrawn, think herself as ‘no one’, then I would gladly rip their spines out and garrotte them to death with them. 

“To the world you might be one person, but to one person … you might be the world,” I murmured gently, reaching out slowly and taking the tray, carrying it to the door and setting it down. “Would you like to shower?” I offer, gesturing toward the door. “I would not presume to accompany you unless you would like assistance … but I would very much like to stay in this room should you need help or call. I would hate for you to fall in there,” I add honestly, the thought of her slender, curvaceous form hitting the marble making my gut twist. [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <The world, hmmmm? I quickly shook my head slightly to rid myself of the pretty words I’m sure he has spoken to others to gain their affections. How I could I trust a male who has kidnapped me and holding me against my will?

The thought of a warm shower would be extraordinary … but then I remember my cuts in my back from the previous night. I lifted my torso slightly, keeping the sheet over my chest as I peered at my back using the beautiful cheval mirror in the corner of the room near the bed, I winced slightly at the pull of the muscles. With my earlier feeding, they had closed but were still raw and puckered red, so the shower would be ok.>

I’ll be fine. <I gradually made it to the bathroom, covering myself with the sheet, but my strength waned a bit and I had to instead grip the marble counter and it pooled on the ground around my feet. I could hear him coming closer and held my hand up.> I’m fine … 

<I took my last bit of strength to close the door and slowly collapse to the floor to rest a bit before crawling to the shower to turn it on. I sat against the wall allowing the cold tile to cool my back as I waited for the water to warm and quietly cried. I have never felt so defeated before. I was so physically exhausted … I undoubtedly waited too long to feed combined with the lashing I received last night and the very little blood he gave me to just recover enough … was frankly not enough to get me back to normal at all. It was his plan, no doubt … to keep me pliant and amenable. Submissive. It has been almost a century since I last cried … it was so unlike me. Scribe, it was infuriating. My rising frustration resulting in tears. Once the room began to fog, I crawled into the shower allowing the water to cleanse my body of the sweat, dirt, but the shame remained all the same.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: To my credit, or perhaps will power, I didn’t move to collect her, or even put a hand to her back to assist her as she made her painful way across the room. When the sheet fell I couldn’t help but take a step, yet her hand rose, holding me back with such a simple gesture.

As the door shut, I let out a breath and ghosted closer, leaning against the wall silently and listening for sounds of distress. When the muffled murmur of her tears reached me, I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath and hardening myself to keep from venturing in. Mine was not the comfort she wanted now, yet mine was all she had. Oh, how the waiting game became so much harder when they meant that much more. All that beauty and strength and none yet who had appreciated it? Was I the only male left with eyes?

Leaning properly against the wall, I faced into the room and waited, fists clenched at my sides as I tried to breathe through the impulse to step in and scoop her up, give the aftercare to the wounds we’d revelled in the night before, and hold her as she succumbed to an exhausted sleep. For now that was a dream, but so often my dreams became reality … [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <My tears ran down the drain along with the water as I laid there pondering what I needed to do to escape this place. The whole scene in the bedroom running through my head attempting to clear it of the mind games he was playing with me and distinguishing fact from fallacy. 

Time passed as I sat in the shower, pruning up and I wanted to wash my hair but as I reached for the bottles provided above me, they fell on top of me bouncing back from the tile and hitting my back. The wounds peeled open easily due to sitting in the water for so long and as the hard plastic struck my back it forced me to unintentionally cry out as I gasped in pain.> [@IAmAGildedCage]

Drake: The cry of pain ruined my resolve to stay out and give her space, too concerned for her welfare to let her pride hinder me now. Opening the door I darted inside, brow furrowing as I took in her bowed form, crumpled in the shower. Blood was running fresh from the marks down her back, and as I took in the bottles of product littering the floor I realized she’d reached for them from her weakened position and brought them unintentionally crashing down on her.

Without hesitating I strode forward, my long sleeved shirt sticking to my arm as I reached into the shower and flipped off the water. Reaching for the dense, fluffy towel hanging from the rack, I knelt beside her and ignored the tense set of her shoulders, the uncertainty, the faintest tinge of fear. It was fair to be afraid; in a strange place, with a strange man, naked and vulnerable, many women would cower. Yet her fear seemed so much less than so many others before her. 

She was incredible.

Tenderly wrapping her in the soft material, avoiding skin on skin contact as much as possible and pointedly not staring at the perfection that was her body, lest she think me beyond redemption, I then carefully slid my arms beneath her and lifted. She was all slender curves and muscle, her weight hardly noticeable as I tucked her against my chest and carried her from the bathroom back to the bed.

Setting her gently on the mattress, I darted back to the bathroom and returned with another towel, calmly lifting the wet ropes of her hair to pat and press dry. They weren’t washed from what I could tell, but I certainly didn’t want her resting with wet hair, and there’d be time for that later. When the masses felt damp rather than sodden I tossed the towel aside, kneeling at the edge of the bed. 

Without thinking I lifted my hand, baring my fangs and scoring my wrist. The burst of pain was fleeting, and yet it helped me see her that much more clearly as I brought my wrist to her mouth and offered her more. A few more mouthfuls and her wounds would heal, she would stand under her own power without flinching, and she would sleep that much more peacefully. I could deal with that, I realized numbly. I needed her to be okay more than I needed her to be compliant. Interesting … 

“Please drink, Leelan. Take more. I cannot bare to see you in this much pain,” I whisper honestly. Let me give you the aftercare you deserve, I thought desperately, the ache in my chest something visceral. [@Sloahne_BDB]

Sloahne: <I knew it was too much to consider that he was still in the vicinity to hear my exclamation. I heard his crashing entrance into the bathroom and felt him hovering over me from above as he turned off the water and gathered me in a soft towel and brought me back to the bed. 

I sank into the bed with extreme fatigue and could not fight him as he dried my hair and body of wetness. His gentleness was so contradictory from the situation, it was perplexing. The feelings of inadequacies for some reason faded as he cared for me so reverently that I had to squeeze my eyes shut to remind myself of the precarious situation that I was in … rather than some dream life I would never have imagined for myself … a male to take care of my needs after years and years of being alone and taking care of myself.

He surprise me when he scored his wrist once more to feed me. I had no choice, I needed to heal and feed. As I drank his nutriment, I knew he would be able to find me anywhere. That was the disadvantage of feeding from someone. You can feel the echo of yourself inside of someone for a period of time. I would have to hide for months on end until it faded from my system. 

I flinched slightly as he called me Leelan again. A term of endearment in the old language, loosely translated as "dearest one". I finished drinking once I felt my skin start to knit together and my hunger diminished. A passing thought cause me to hesitate, but decidedly I licked his wound to seal it closed. 

I could feel my eyes closing from my enervation as my consciousness was shutting down to allow my body to recuperate.> Only use my name. <I quickly murmured to his foreseeable question before my world went black once again.> Sloahne … [@IAmAGildedCage]

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Echoes of Obsidian the Abyss Comes Calling: Pound of Flesh Part 4 CROSSOVER Submitting to the Darkness Part 27

Written by @SinsSecondComin.

Rehvenge stood at the threshold of his newly acquired cabin, nestled deep within the serene embrace of the Adirondack Mountain range. The crisp mountain air enveloped him like a cloak, carrying with it the scent of pine and earth, a welcome respite from the suffocating confines of city life. the crisp mountain air biting at his skin as he surveyed the tranquil surroundings. The Adirondack wilderness stretched out behind him, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within his own soul. The cabin itself, a pioneer-style log home, stood as a testament to his newfound solitude — a sanctuary far removed from the prying eyes of the glymera and the shadows that lurked within his own mind. Inside, the cabin was a study in contrasts — a seamless blend of rustic charm and modern luxury. High ceilings soared overhead, adorned with exposed beams that spoke of a simpler time, while granite countertops gleamed in the soft glow of ambient lighting. The massive stone fireplace, the heart of the cabin, cast a warm, flickering light that danced across the walls like playful shadows. But despite the comfort and beauty of his surroundings, Rehvenge could not shake the weight of his own guilt. The thought of returning to his old cabin, surrounded by the pure-hearted Chosen, was a prospect he could not bear. The memory of his mother, her honor tarnished by his own sins, loomed like a specter in the depths of his mind, a constant reminder of the darkness that threatened to consume him.The flickering flames of the massive stone fireplace cast eerie shadows across the room, illuminating the scene before him with a haunting glow.

A bottle of sleeping pills lay discarded like a fallen soldier on the coffee table, remnants of his most recent sin—a desperate attempt to conceal the truth of his captive from prying eyes. With a heavy sigh, Rehvenge poured himself a glass of cognac, the amber liquid glinting in the firelight as he nursed it in his trembling hands. The female lay sprawled upon the bear rug before the fireplace, her naked form a testament to Rehvenge's own depravity. He had partook of all she had to offer him carnally and in the way of sustenance, and now she lay unconscious, a mere pawn in his twisted game. As he watched her slumber, a wave of guilt washed over him, threatening to consume him whole. For a moment, he teetered on the edge of darkness, the siren song of the dopamine, and the lifesaver it offered in this tumultuous sea of darkness he was in; calling out to him like a lover's embrace. He resisted its pull, tossing the vial into the flames with a reckless abandon. The glass shattered with a satisfying crash, the liquid within evaporating in a hiss of steam. But even as he wrestled with his own demons, Rehvenge could not escape the relentless barrage of missed calls and texts that danced across the table. His cell phone, a lifeline to the outside world, lay silent and untouched, the messages piling up like ghosts of the past. With each unanswered call, he could feel the weight of his mother's disappointment pressing down upon him, a constant reminder of the shame he had brought upon her name.

Kneeling before the fire, sweeping up the naked glymera female who slumbered upon a bear rug before the fireplace, Rehvenge felt a wave of conflicting emotions wash over him. Guilt, shame, and a glimmer of hope — all intertwined in a tumultuous dance that threatened to tear him apart from the inside out. Rehvenge set about his grim task. Using her as a vessel to keep Drake alive — a desperate gambit born of necessity and desperation. But even as he tended to his captive, he felt the tendrils of his own inner demons tightening their grip, threatening to drag him down into the abyss. He had brought Drake to his new cabin and the safe room he had installed with Drake in mind, he couldn't keep him in the club much longer without drawing so much attention and potential risk it posed to his plans and newly founded addiction.

Withdrawing from the safe room he deposited the female within one of the many rooms inside the cabin to sleep off her drug induced slumber, licking her puncture wounds closed from Drake’s own small feast. Rehvenge made his way back to the main living area of the cabin, with a hand he swiped the pill bottle into a garbage basket. Rehvenge sank into the nearest chair, his gaze fixed upon the flickering flames of the fire. The cabin, with its high ceilings and granite countertops, offered a semblance of comfort amidst the chaos of his own mind. But even in this sanctuary, he could not escape the truth of his own sins — the darkness that lurked within him, waiting to be unleashed once more. As he sat there, bathed in the warm glow of the fire, he knew that the battle was far from over — a war waged not with weapons, but with his own inner demons, addiction, and the all-consuming shadow that threatened to consume him whole.

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Down the Rabbit Hole We Go: Pound of Flesh Part 3 CROSSOVER Submitting to the Darkness Part 26

Written by @SinsSecondComin.

The night draped over Caldwell like a heavy cloak, suffused with the primal scents of decay and desperation. Rehvenge prowled the labyrinthine streets, a ghost in the darkness, his movements fluid and silent as he navigated the city's underbelly. The neon lights of ZeroSum pulsed like a beacon in the night, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the damp pavement below, drawing in the lost and the forsaken with its siren call. 

As he approached the club's entrance, the thumping bassline reverberated through his bones, a visceral reminder of the raw energy that thrummed within its walls. The bouncers, mere sentinels in the realm of chaos, nodded in recognition, parting the crowd to allow him passage into the heart of the storm. Inside, the air was thick with a heady mixture of sweat, arousal, and something darker—an unspoken tension that crackled in the atmosphere like electricity. Rehvenge's eyes, twin pools of amethyst flame, swept over the crowd with predatory intent as he wove his way through the throng of bodies. Each patron was a pawn in his game, their desires and motives laid bare before him like pieces on a chessboard. He could feel the tension building, a palpable sense of anticipation that hung heavy in the air like a storm on the horizon. 

Ascending to his office in the upper echelons of ZeroSum, Rehvenge's mind churned with the twisted fantasies that awaited him in the hidden chamber below. In the depths of his depravity, he relished the thought of what was to come, a dark hunger gnawing at the edges of his sanity. For once, he was grateful for Xhex's absence, her absence sparing him the prying eyes of his own security detail. He craved the solitude of his sins, the intimacy of his darkest desires laid bare. 

An addiction had taken hold of him from the moment he laid eyes on Drake, a man destined to pay for sins he had yet to commit. Unlike Slohane, Drake would not have the luxury of salvation at the hands of Rehvenge's allies. No, Drake would face the full wrath of his vengeance, alone and unrepentant.

As Rehvenge approached the hidden safe room within his office, he could feel the anticipation building like a crescendo in his veins. Drake lay bound and helpless upon the cold steel table, a symbol of everything Rehvenge despised. And in that moment, surrounded by the echoes of his own darkness, he knew that there would be no mercy—only the cold embrace of retribution, and the sweet release of his own twisted desires fulfilled.

As Rehvenge stood over Drake, his heart pounding in time with the sickening rhythm of his victim's screams, he felt a surge of raw power course through his veins. The safe room, a chamber of horrors hidden beneath the polished veneer of his office, seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy—a twisted sanctuary where the boundaries of morality blurred and the darkness within him reigned supreme.

The air was heavy with the scent of blood and fear, a metallic tang that clung to the walls like a miasma of despair. Every sound, every whimper and cry, echoed off the soundproof barriers with a chilling clarity, bouncing back to envelop them in a cocoon of torment.

Rehvenge's fingers danced with a macabre grace as he wielded the tools of his trade, each strip of flesh peeled away with a precision that bordered on obsession. Drake's screams, once sharp and piercing, had become a symphony of agony—a cacophony of pain that fueled the fire burning within Rehvenge's soul.

His eyes, once the cool hue of amethyst, blazed with a fiery crimson as he reveled in the exquisite torture of his victim. With each agonized cry, he felt a perverse sense of satisfaction wash over him—a primal urge that drove him ever deeper into the abyss of his own depravity.

But beneath the facade of control, there lurked a darkness that threatened to consume him whole—a gnawing hunger that could never be sated, no matter how deep he delved into the shadows. And as he stood amidst the carnage, bathed in the sickly glow of crimson light, he knew that he had become something more than what his kith and kin saw him as.—something monstrous, something beautiful in its own twisted way. 

As Rehvenge stepped into the scalding embrace of the shower, the hot water cascading over his skin like a cleansing baptism, he felt the weight of his sins bearing down upon him. The echoes of Drake's screams still reverberated in his mind, haunting him like a ghost that refused to be exorcized.

The steam filled the bathroom, swirling around him in a haze of heat and humidity, a veil to shield him from the harsh realities of the world outside. With each drop of water that fell, he could feel the tension in his muscles slowly begin to unravel, the adrenaline-fueled high of his actions giving way to a bone-deep weariness.

Leaning against the tiled wall, he closed his eyes and let out a ragged breath, the events of the night playing out in vivid detail behind his eyelids. The sensation of flesh yielding beneath his touch, the symphony of pain and anguish that had filled the air—it was a tableau of horror that threatened to consume him whole.

But amidst the darkness, there lingered a glimmer of something else—a flicker of doubt, of remorse, that refused to be silenced. For all his power and influence, Rehvenge was still a man haunted by his own demons, tormented by the choices he had made and the lives he had destroyed. As the water continued to cascade down his body, washing away the stains of blood and sin, he couldn't help but wonder what awaited him on the other side of this cleansing ritual. Would he emerge from this baptism reborn, purified of his sins? Or would he remain forever shackled to the darkness that lurked within his soul? 

With a heavy sigh, he reached for the soap, lathering his skin with a mechanical precision that belied the turmoil raging within him. The scent of sandalwood and musk filled the air, mingling with the steam to create a heady cocktail that enveloped him in its embrace. But even as he scrubbed away the physical remnants of his sins, he knew that the scars they left behind would never truly fade. For Rehvenge, the path to redemption was a treacherous one, fraught with pitfalls and perils at every turn. And as he stood beneath the torrential downpour of the shower, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find his way back to the light; or if he even wanted too.

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

TRULY SCREWED

The expanse of time it took me to stop crying felt like days. Suddenly, it had all sunk in. I was not in danger due to where I was. I was at Safe Place. I knew all about it from my time working with Havers. This was a place for wayward females of the species and their young; a place where they could go to get away from abusive situations, situations where the sire in the family had passed and left them with nothing, and situations where they lost their homes and had no place else to go. This was a sanctuary. From what I heard, the security system was state of the art, above all others, so at this particular moment, I was safe, but I couldn’t stay here forever.

Despite all that, I was still in danger, more so now than ever in my entire life. Why had I been so callous and not listened to my mahmen and Alexandria? Why had I insisted on coming to Caldwell after their passing? They must be so disappointed in me, watching over me from above. There is no way I could have let them down more than I had by putting myself in this situation.

All my life, they had told me never to come here. In all truth, they had told me never to leave our home in Colorado. Although, after they passed, I was so lonely. I needed to find more of our people. I needed to connect with more Chosen if there were more out there. The only rumors I had heard were that some might have settled in Caldwell, so I did the stupidest thing I could do and drove 2,000 miles across the country into the lion's den, hoping to find more of my kind.

There were so many problems with my plan. One was I knew no one in Caldwell, nor did I know anything about the city and surrounding areas. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The second thing was rumors that the Brotherhood had inhabited the area were also floating around. What if I was wrong? What if we were the only Chosen left, and now it was just me? Would the Brotherhood find, catch, and keep me imprisoned for my blood and womb? The third thing that had never even crossed my mind was my needing. How did I end up not considering that? How had I had the timing so far off on that?

Now, my plan had gone so far awry that I was in Caldwell, no closer to finding out if there were Chosen or the Brotherhood here. I ended up going through my needing with someone I don’t know. Someone who could come looking for me now that he has the taste of my blood pumping through his veins. The worst part of it all… I could now be with young. Scratch that, I was. Don’t ask me how I knew. I just knew. It is as if I could sense this little seedling taking root well inside my soul. 

Standing up, I went looking for Teyanna. I was truly screwed.

#TrulyScrewed

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

#SASBDB

#ATrueVisionOfPureBeautyAndHerWorth

A Little Update Somewhere in Caldwell The Pit:

{She was sitting in the Pit, No one was around just her and the thoughts that she had running through her head. What she was wanting to do with the future

her job, the precious beauty that was in her life for such a long time. She grabbed the hot mug off the coaster on the huge table in front of her. and sipped the slimmering hot contents. Taking only small sips at first. She brought her legs up towards

herself. And curled up. Placing the throw around herself and cuddling into the soft fabric. Wishing that her Nallum was here and not out patrolling. She needed his cuddles more than she needed this strong hot coffee that is for sure. Her long locks flowing

over her shoulders in waves as there was a slight breeze. She threw her hair onto the other shoulder. Laying back onto the chair after she picked up her tablet. Switching on the button on this little piece of equipment that Marissa would never leave the

house with. It finally switched on and connected to the broadband. The beauty and female of worth was thinking about what she needed to do and that was to note down that she had told the King and Queen of the race King Wrath and Queen Beth. That she needed

some help of any kind. That means including someone that could help her with the day to day running. But first she might seek some help with a library. Think the females might enjoy something like that. Marissa picked up her journal and looked at the list

of appointments that she was still to attend. And as she suspected it was full to the brim of things that she still had to do. "Lots of things to do today and there is no time to be sitting here and doing nothing" First on the list was to visit that local

bookshop somewhere in Caldwell and to see if the owner will help her with anything. She opened up her arms wide, placing the mug down onto the table and throwing the blanket that was around her onto the large leather couch. Got up and folded it up quickly.

Then she grabbed her tablet quickly and walked into the bedroom to get dressed. There was more to this. This was her life and it was only her worth. She needed Safeplace to be perfect for everyone. This was her life now with her Nallum the family and

Safeplace And she would do everything that she could to make it perfect. #HerWorth #SASBDB #BDB

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Stygian - New Drug on the Block: Deliverance Part 24

Omega: *Running my hand along the top of the cages, the females inside pulling as far back as they can. Their scared eyes watching me, their thin and frail bodies a testament to how long I have kept them here. The old welts and bruises like my calling card and all over every inch of their flesh, their time was almost up, and yes like Dorothy they would be able to click their heels and go home. But unlike Dorothy they wouldn’t be happy to get there! Sending Mr. C my orders into his mind at the top of the basement stairs guarding the door like a good soldier. ‘Bring me down some stygian in any form, wait bring me down whichever acts the fastest!’ Leaning my back against the last cage, the whimper from within sends a shiver down my spine. Pain, even from a woman, was just so tantalising. My eyes locked on the back of the female vampire still tied to the chair in the middle of the basement, the floor around her a mess from our last session together. The smell now a mix normal bodily fluids and actions, plus the older blood pools I had left her sitting in. Mr. C had done as I asked, not let her eat but he did make her drink. Holding out my hand as I hear Mr. C descend the stairs, taking the bag of black pills, sending him back upstairs to keep watch. Over the last few days I had turned all the human boys hanging out here into Lessers, so Mr. C was only watching out for vampires. For my sister’s army, the Brotherhood! Shaking the bag of pills, my voice low, almost seductive.* Wakey wakey, time to get back to Kansas Dorothy. *Pushes away from the cages stepping up to the back of the chair.* You can even bring all your little friends here, hell I insist. @Greyhson_BDB    

Greyson: *I suddenly felt like I was falling as I heard a loud voice waking me awake. I could barely open my eyes as I realized I was still in the chair. My head felt heavy as I tried to raise my face toward the voice. My heart is thundering in my chest. My arms and legs ached from lack of circulation, and I could see bruises changing from shades of blue to dark purples and black. The smells around me were shocking knowing that most of it was my blood congealing on the floor beneath me. I was going to die here. I knew that … but how was what I was terrified of.

I could see the other females in the cages in front of me from my peripheral vision. They were all cowering in fear in the corners of their prisons. I’m still wondering what the Omega was going to do with us. Only human males can be turned into his lessening army created by the Omega to serve him and eradicate the vampire race. As Chosen, we never really ever had to experience the lessers being protected at the Sanctuary. We would see through our seeing bowls the devastation of their determination to wipe out the Scribe Virgin’s creations.

Then I heard the loud voice again. What or who was Kansas Dorthy?*

Omega: *It was a gift, but the moment the female woke I sensed it, it was the slight raise in her heart beat. The turn of her head, her fear heavy in the air of the basement. Turning away from her towards the cages, calling down some more Lessers, handing over the bag of black tablets. It may have once been ecstasy but it was now my drug, it was Stygian and the vampire race were about to get a good look at it tonight. Sending the Lessers into the cages to make the female vampires swallow them, coming back to the female tired to the chair. Crouching down in front of her my smile is a truly evil one, holding out my hand showing her the two black tablets then grinding them to a fine powder between my fingers* So your time with me is coming to an end, but before we say our goodbyes I have a gift for you. I am hoping you fight me on this, I really really hope you fight me on it. But one way or the hard way you will swallow them. *Leans in close breathing in her smell of fear, my lips by her ear.* And just so you know, from my test subjects you won’t die. But you will go insane and wish you were dead. You will also go mad, you and all these females here. *Biting hard on the females ear lobe drawing blood, spitting it out onto the floor adding it to the rest* Now open up! *Trying to force the powder into the female’s mouth, but the screams coming from the cages as my Lessers fed them was starting to annoy me. Pulling away from the female in front of me my annoyance getting the better of me*       

Greyson: *The smell of his breath was nauseating and foul. His nearness brought fear and pain all at the same time. He commanded orders to his Lessening Army and I was helpless to help any of the other prisoners as the undead began feeding them some kind of drug. He presented the drug and it was some sort of black powder. The screams all around me penetrated my thoughts that I could barely hear the Omega over all the chaos from the cells. I felt excruciating pain on my ear but tried to turn my head and avoid the black substance.

I almost broke my neck trying to avoid his hard grasp on my head and then heard more yelling as the effects of the drugs were swift and instant. I don’t think the Omega anticipated the same prisoner’s insanity and the fact that he just initiated the whole pandemic of the drug all at the same time without the lessers figuring out a game plan. There was a frenzy of yells, screams, and lessers trying to push all the prisoners up the stairs and what I assume out the door. The Omega cursed and started using his powers to corral them so they would stop fighting his army.

I was left forgotten …*

Omega: *Glaring at the females and how they were all acting like animals, they didn’t even seem afraid of my Lessers anymore. Mixing ecstasy with my essence was working out very powerful, and fast! Turning myself into black smoke and pushing all Lessers and Females up the stairs and out of the house, returning to my body a phone pinging in an annoying high tone. Looking at my Lessers only to realise that the noise was coming from my own pocket, pulling the accursed device free and looking at it. It was a middle level Lesser, answering as I can feel his fear through our link. Was it a full moon or something! A middle level Lesser shouldn’t be contacting me. Not even remembering his assigned name as they were, just answering with a low grunt* What! *Watching as the females get pulled and pushed away to spread mayhem and pain throughout the night, the Brotherhood won’t know what has hit them. Tuning back into the Lesser on the phone, his words at last sinking in* WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BROTHERHOOD HAVE SOME OF MY DRUGS! *Just hanging up and putting the phone away, the Brotherhood having my new drug was never part of the plan! Just flashing away all thoughts of the female still chained to the chair in the basement forgotten.*

Greyson: *I could hear the roar of anger coming from the floor above. Apparently, the Brotherhood had discovered the drugs and the Omega had not expected that. Pretty sure I probably wasn’t supposed to hear that but I could hardly blame myself, the Omega sounded infuriated that he forgot all about me. Thank the Scribe.

I tried again fruitlessly at my binds. No way of getting myself out. I tried to instead move the chair to see if I could make my way up the stairs and see if I could try and yell for help.*

To be continued …

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Truth Finally Revealed: Submitting to the Darkness Part 25

Written with @Lassiter_SASBDB.

Lassiter: *As the fire alarms went off the doc came out of his office. I’d counted on them getting his attention and it had worked. Staying ghost, I followed the doc into the young Chosen Talia’s room and watched him start to restitch the wound she’d torn open in her jailbreak attempt. When it was obvious she was totally out of it and wasn’t going to get back up and try to make another run for it, I left him to play doctor as I went to watch over Sloahne. Both females had made some damned bad choices and were paying for them now, but I could understand Talia’s. She’d hit her rebellious stage and had even more restrictions and expectations placed on her than a glymera debutante. But Sloahne … man, I just don’t get it. She’d always been secretive, but this? To hook up in some dungeon with a random male was /not/ in character. And to top it off I’d had to take a back seat in finding her. It was frustrating. I’d had more freedom as an angel to nudge and help than I did as a deity. Yeah, yeah … “With great power comes great responsibility.” Spiderman can bite me.

Still invisi, I take her hand and whisper into her ear.* Girlfriend, you and I are going to talk when you wake up. You have a future and Ima’ gonna see you make it to it.

*The door creaks as Manny comes in. Still invisi, I step back and lean back against the wall, letting him tend to her. Nobody’s better than the doc, but still, if a little deity-level healing was required to keep her stable, I was in. My eyes narrow as he fills several vials with her blood. She hadn’t wanted him to take any before. Come to think of it, she’d always been weird about the idea of having bloodwork done. Now might be the time to find out why.*

*The doc fussed with her a little more, vitals and crap, and then tucked a sheet over her before heading for the door. With a quick look at Sloahne to be sure she was still sleeping, I followed him out. He shut the damned lab door in my face without realizing it, but pffff, what’s a door? When I’m hiding in plain sight I really am nearly a ghost. I walked through the wall in time to see him set up his tests. It took a little time, and I popped in on Sloahne a few times to be sure she was still ok, but I was still there when the computer finally spit out the results. Manny’s brow furrowed as he looked at the labs, and the look on his face was not one of a doctor who saw what he expected to. That can’t be good. Leaning over his shoulder, still invisible, I looked over the test results. I was no doc, but I’d done my due diligence on the species when I was assigned to Tohr so I could monitor his recovery.

My eyes narrow as I look at the report in the doc’s hand. The red cell count, while elevated by human standards, was within vampire norms. The white cell count was high, but that was to be expected with the fever she was running. But what the hell …? She had all the normal enzymes a female vamp should have but what was THAT one? My brain worked furiously to ID the extra one that she /shouldn’t have/ and then it hit me. Straightening back up, I demat back to Sloahne’s room immediately. Motherfucker. Now I know what she’s been hiding. Standing beside her, I take her hand and whisper.*

Oh, sweetheart, we gotta talk. And we gotta do it before the doc spills the beans.

*My head jerks up as the door squeaks. The doc walks as I wink out and move my invisible self to the corner. Being covert is the norm for angels and I’d had a lot of practice. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for Manny to know I was there, but somehow, I think maybe it’s best he doesn’t. I might have to do something drastic and I don’t wanna do a mind wipe on him.*

*I watch as the doc works on Sloahne and I can’t help but wince as he inserts the needle in her arm. I hate fucking needles … but I’ve watched him do it enough to know it’s no big to him. It’s the medical SOP for an unconscious patient. He’s just not ever getting to put one in ME. The bigger concern was the variety of meds he was injecting into the line and the worry radiating off of him. I mean, I try not to read their minds. I do. It’s just bad manners unless it’s in the line of duty, but he’s practically shouting it. And that’s not all. He’s thinking about going to Wrath with what the tests revealed. Isn’t that against HIPPA laws? The human Hippocratic Oath? Something. But the guy’s in a bad spot. She’s got no next of kin and the King would have jurisdiction to give permission for procedures and from what I’m reading from him, the infection is damn near out of control. I could heal her. I mean, I’m a deity, and I’ve got the juice, and she’s important to me but … I’m pretty sure doing it to the extent needed would violate the Creator’s mandate about mortal free will and the consequences of it. Damn it, what’s the point of being a deity if you can’t help the people you care about? With great restraint, I manage not to punch the fucking wall and freak out Dr. M, but it’s a near thing. There’s gotta be something I can do … wait … I’m a deity but I’m also still an angel, and angel blood is powerful. What runs through my veins isn’t just blood, as humans and vamps think of blood. It’s my essence, my grace. It’s what powers me instead of a soul. He’d thought feeding from any male would help but feeding from this male? It would supercharge her immune system and technically it’s not performing a healing so no issues with the Big Kahuna. I move from the corner to the edge of the bed and materialize with a thought.*

She needs to feed from me.

*The doc’s not the kind to be easily spooked, but I guess seeing an angel just suddenly appear in front of you would cause anybody to jump a little. Still, he gets his professional balance back fast.*

“Your blood might not be compatible with her. Human blood doesn’t provide much of a boost to vampires. I don’t know if it’s just a species difference or if we’re lower on the evolutionary scale, but we don’t have what it takes. I get you’re not human, but you’re not a vampire either.

*Cocking an eyebrow at Dr. M’s skepticism over my “qualifications” as a blood donor.*

I’m an angel, doc. *Deity, but we won’t quibble about details.* It’s not just blood. It’s grace. It’s what makes an angel an angel. And it will supercharge her mortal immune system and speed up her healing.

Sloahne: <My body feels as heavy as a damn SUV sitting on my chest. What the fuck was going on with me? The last thing I remember is Lassiter catching me and the girl in the garage thwarting our escape. Damn the Angel. I hear soft footsteps around me and some beeping from a machine. Taking a deep breath I smell antiseptic, a little bitter, with undertones of the artificial fragrance contained in soaps and cleaners. Fuck, I’m back inside the hospital room. I slowly try and open my eyes but they feel so damn heavy with fatigue as if I was asleep for days. How long have I been out?

As the light finally filters into my view, a figure in a white coat moves back and forth monitoring the machines and starting to touch me and check my vitals.> Hey doctor … what happened?

Lassiter: Sloahne….

*Doc M steps in between us, giving me “the look” as he takes her hand.*  

“Making a run for it wasn’t your best idea. You passed out. Your wounds are infected. You’re running a high fever and your white count is nearly off the charts. I’m worried about septic shock setting in. It could be fatal. I’ve got meds we can try to get the infection under control, but,” the doc shakes his head, “this is new territory for me. Vampires aren’t prone to severe infections, in my experience. I consulted with #Havers after I did the bloodwork and he tells me human antibiotics run from minimally effective to useless. The most common treatment is to have you feed, but against infection, it may or may not work, even with the antibiotics.”

*Impatiently I interrupt and grab the doc by the shoulder, making space for myself at Sloahne’s bedside. Warningly, I glance at him.*

She needs to feed. From me. Now.

*Focusing on Sloahne, I kneel my 6’ 9” self down beside the bed.*

What I’ve got is high octane and it’ll stay with you.  

*Fangs I’d not used in an eon descend and I score my wrist, blue-tinged silver grace flowing like blood from the cuts. The liquid welling from the fang punctures drips and leaves a bluish cast on the sheets.*

C’mon, sweetheart, *coaxingly.* Take your medicine like a good little female. Drink. You’ll feel better after you do. You’ve been through a lot but trust me, everything will be alright. *Lifting my wrist to her lips.* But drink now.

Sloahne: <Feeling the warm elixir of blood hit my tongue, my body decided it was time to feed. I feel my canines lower as they pierced the skin of the male offering me his blood. At my first swallow, I felt a rush of adrenaline like no other I have ever experienced. It was like what I think humans feel when humans take a hit of cocaine. I instantly opened my eyes to the bright lights above my hospital bed. I could feel my wounds heal immediately and the soreness and aches disappear instantaneously. It felt amazing and yet so surreal.

I never realized how much pain I was carrying all this time … not just from my capture and imprisonment but just how much I was carrying on my shoulders in life. My body felt so free and lightweight as if all my troubles were gone forever.

Before long, however, I felt gentle fingers tapping my face as if an indication that I had enough. Which I’m sure I have, but this blood was so addicting it was very difficult. I forced myself to stop knowing my wounds were healed and I didn’t need anymore.>

Lassiter: *As she fed, bruises disappeared, going through the normal transition of colors in seconds. The odor that always accompanies infection, no matter how hard a medic works at keeping it at bay, vanishes. I can’t see beneath the bandages without invoking deity power but I can feel her pain dissipate. I’ve never seen Dr. M’s jaw drop before but it does now. The heart beep on the monitor starts to speed up abruptly and he looks alarmed. He puts his hand on me and tries to pull me back, but he might as well try to move a mountain with his bare hands.*

“You have to stop! Her heart can’t sustain this.”

*My eyes never leave Sloahne as I answer,*

It’s normal. My blood is spurring rapid healing but it’s not magick, at least not as humans think of magick. Her body still has to do some of the work, so it’s going to respond like an adrenaline burst. Her BP is up a little, but not enough to stroke out and her heart rate is no higher than if she was running a race. *Or having an orgasm, but we won’t go there.* It won’t last beyond the time it takes her to feed.

*Her gentle feeding has become more aggressive now. She’s got the rush from it. If she needed it I’d let her continue a little longer, but she doesn’t. Her body’s healed and her brain is experiencing the euphoria that accompanies the rush. I lightly tap my fingers on her cheek to get her attention.*

It’s enough, babe. Let go.  

*I can feel her now, feel her reluctance to stop, and the effort of will it takes from her as she does. She’s part of me now. Feeding from a vampire male would enable her to be able to find that male for some months afterward, but it doesn’t work like that with angel blood. Yeah, she’ll be able to find me if she needs me but it will last her lifetime and it’s a two-way street with angel blood. And I’ll always know where she is and what she’s feeling. What I gave her forged a lifetime connection to her. It’s going to take some work for me to be able to block her off, but I’ll get it done. It would be an invasion of her privacy not to. And, to be honest, mine as well. As she releases my wrist, she looks up at me. There’s a sparkle in the depths of those dark brown eyes that has nothing to do with mortal mischievousness. It’s the reflection of my grace running through her. Over time it will tone down but there will always be flashes of it now. I lift my wrist and lick the wounds shut myself. She’s still too high to think of it and I expected that.*

Angel blood does more than rev up the healing process. It affects the pleasure centers in a vampire’s brain to the point we can become an addiction. *Glancing over at the doc.* So the fact I can do this doesn’t leave this room. I can’t do it for the Brothers, they’d need a female angel, and I won’t do it for anything less than life and death. It creates a lifelong connection between me and the patient. One that could be dangerous. So the benefit of doing it has to outweigh the cost. It did today.  Now I need you to give us the room. *He looks at me stubbornly.*

“I want a blood sample. Maybe I can analyze it and isolate the healing properties. If I can negate the sex differentiation and void the connection aspect I might come up with something that I can use for extreme injuries.”

*I shake my head.*

Not happening. It’s not just blood, doc, it’s GRACE. It’s what makes an angel an angel. The equipment you’d need to even analyze it doesn’t exist and you don’t have the words for what you’d see if it did. Now. The room. Please.

*He grumbles as he shuts off the monitors and turns to go but I ignore that.* And Doctor Manolo?

*The formal address is cold, colder than I’ve ever been with any of them since I came to the manse. It stops him in his tracks but I want him to know I’m invoking his professional ethics and that I’m not just that goofy, annoying angel that’s always hanging around. I’m a being of power. The power I’ll use if I have to.*

What you saw on that blood work report? That stays in this room, too. Sloahne’s awake and perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Wrath doesn’t need to become involved unless SHE wants him to be. Got it?  

*His eyes narrow. He’s a male that doesn’t intimidate easily, if at all, but he got the message. He nods and leaves, shutting the door a little harder than necessary. I turn my attention back to Sloahne and drag a chair over to the bedside. Touching the bed controls to raise the head so we can be pretty much eye-to-eye, I begin.*

Okay, little one. We need to talk.

Sloahne: <I’ve never felt better in my entire life as I did at the moment with the Angel’s blood running through me but my elation comes to an abrupt halt as I finally tune into Lassiter’s conversation with the human doctor.

Fuck!!??!! He took my blood? He knows! That I also run with Chosen blood as well as the blood of a Brother which makes me cattle. Goddammit. As the humans say. I’m defining FUBAR now. But then I hear the deadly tone of the Angel’s warning. Is he evoking the doctor’s Hippocratic oath on him? Hope rises as I hope he remembered his ethical standards.

But as the doctor leaves and leaves me alone with my savior … I realize that means the Angel knows too. Damn it.>

About what?

<I’m going to try and deflect this whole thing, I’m not really to admit that I belong to the Scribe Virgin her league prison of breeders and slaves. My mind searching for different escape routes while I stall.>

Lassiter: *My eyes narrow and my mouth becomes a grim line*

Ok, so if you want to play it that way, then we will. I saw the blood work report and I’m capable of understanding it. I know your secret. The question isn’t are you going to tell me? I already know. The question is do you trust me?

*I’m getting pissed now. Sloahne is someone I care about. She’s like family, if I actually had one, and she’s treating me like the enemy. *

I just saved your fucking life and NOT because of what I saw on that report. I did it because I care about you. I did it because my allegiance isn’t just to Wrath. It’s to the species both as a whole and as individuals, which means you. And I did it because I’m more than you think I am. So, do you trust me enough to talk to me? And don’t think about bailing on me. I know you are, but there’s no place I can’t find you now. That little infusion of grace you just took in makes everything a whole new ballgame. We need to talk about that, too.

Sloahne: <I bit my lip as I was properly chastised. I knew he was right. But it’s been hundreds of years of hiding and keeping my secret that it was difficult after all this time lying to him. Granted I didn’t lie exactly … but there had been lots of omitting the truth.>

I … um … <Sighs deeply.> I’ve been hiding something sorta important, I guess. I’m the child of a Brother and … a Chosen.

<I slowly and painfully admitted.>

I left the Old Country and immigrated to the New World when my mahmen attempted to arrange for me to marry an aristocrat from the glymera, Some sexist, privileged male who believed females should be kept at home. Before entering the Fade, my papa always taught me that a woman is worth more than just being the head of her household. Unfortunately, the Scribe Virgin’s ways were still used to guide my mahmen, a Chosen to the core. We never saw eye to eye.

<So here I am in a hospital bed knowing my past has finally caught up with me and I’ll end up serving the Scribe Virgin to be receptacles for The Brotherhood … to be a Chosen, whose only existence was to be fed, bred, and fucked. Fuck me. What am I going to do now?>

To be continued …

[saintsnsinnersbdb]

Blood of Life: Blood Oath Part 5

Written by @My-Own_Male and guest @Evayhne_BDB

Assail: *Six months had passed since Marisol’s body left me, but her soul, her spirit had come to me this day. I had heard her, seen her, felt her touch as a gentle whisper of wind. And I would count myself mad from grief and starvation, but for the blood red teardrop ruby pendant I still clutch in my hand. The pendant I had buried her with and that she had left behind with me this day.*

Marisol … *I open my hand to see the jewel lying in my palm, a reassurance that what I was about to do had her blessing. ‘Do this for me,’ she had said. ‘Feed.’ And though the thought fills me with such sickness of heart, soul, and body that I can barely stand to exist, there is nothing I would deny her. Not in life. Not in death.  And she had been right, I thought as I catch a glimpse of myself in the same mirror I had seen her in. I see myself through her eyes, through those of my cousins’ and Markcus. I am a weak, wasted creature. Nearly skeletal. Even Markcus had not been in such shape when we rescued him. Nothing remains of the muscular, robust male I had been. All had been urging me to feed, and now, though death would be preferable, I must. I have one task left to complete in this life, the death of Tony Silva, and though the trap is laid and the prey moving into it, I have not the strength left to spring it if I do not do this one, detestable thing.*

“Assail.”

*My hand closes over the ruby and I turn slowly at the sound of Evahle’s rough voice and raise an eyebrow.*

“Ehric called. He is returning with the female we approached. She is known to you.”

*A thread of anxiety runs in the undertones of his voice. I can surmise he fears I will reject a female I do not know, though in truth, it no longer matters. I /must/ do this. Curtly, I nod at him.*

Bring her into the study when they arrive.

*He nods back at me and then steps away, leaving the door ajar. He fears for me. It is a clinical observation. I can no longer muster the bonds of family feelings. But he needn’t. I will have my vehngance and to have it I must do this. I promised Marisol I would do this. Those are the only two things that matter. Turning, I go to the window. From here I can see the moonlight dance on the water. It was a view Marisol had loved. I recall the nights we’d sat on the veranda sipping wine and watching the river flow. Her grandmother had liked to serve midnight meals there for all of us, directing Ehric and Evale to set the patio table and carry the food as Markcus trailed her like a queen’s retainer, willingly seeing to her every need. She’d treated us all as sons and, in truth, we had all become closer because of it.  Marisol had made me a better male, but Mrs. Carvalho had made us a family. The memories send a stab of anguish for the dear old lady through my heart. I hope she made it, I thought. I hope she rests in that heaven she was so certain of.*

*A flicker of light catches my eye. Headlights approaching the meandering driveway. I watch as they turn in and know that Ehric is home with this female who “is known to me,” but I do not move. I simply watch through the window as the car disappears into the garage and the descending door blocks out the light, leaving the night once again pristine.* @Evayhne_BDB

Evayhne: *I was surprised by the unexpectant call from #Ehric, it had been a while since the last time I called them for a feed and maybe some extracurricular activities if he and/or his brother #Evale were available. They rarely called on me as I assumed they had other sources. Their dangerous looks could get them any female or woman for their needs. I could keep a normal feeding schedule with the help of #Rehv, #Xhex or #Trez and the other employees at #IronMask.

The twins picked me up in a blacked-out Range Rover and started driving to a beautiful estate on the outskirts of Caldwell. The house came into close focus and I could make out the garage doors and back door. There were full floor-to-ceiling glass windows running down the rear flank and around the corner that turned to the Hudson River’s shoreline. Three stories up. Lots of glass and lots of security cameras. It seemed like overkill, but I knew very little about Assail except for a few occasions years back. It's been a long time and we only met at the club though I had visited his private condo when I fed from the twins. It’s where we met to meet my blood needs a few times. They always helped me in a pinch so I felt compelled to agree to their request to assist Assail. It was not a hardship. He was a very handsome male. After #Ehric parked the SUV, #Evale opened my door and led me into the garage door into a mudroom and into the kitchen.*

Assail: *The door from the garage opens and shuts. Though my body is wasted, my hearing is still acute. The sound of the security system accepting the code and resetting, assures me that we will be safe during this time. Feeding makes both parties vulnerable and I will require both Ehric and Evale to remain with us, both as chaperone and as insurance that once I begin, I do not become so ravenous as to lose control and take more than this female can spare. As unwelcome as this task is to me, the need for blood is instinctive and I have denied it for too long. Losing control is a very real possibility. Marisol would not want that, even though my need is great.*

In here.

*I speak calmly, giving no voice to my inner turmoil. Though I am not loud, I know my cousins will hear me. They always hear me. It's as though they have attuned their minds, always so close to one another, to mine as well the last few months. Frequently they anticipate my needs and often simply appear before me, unasked but knowing when I should not be alone. I hear Evale murmur to them to follow him and I wait.*

Evayhne: *The kitchen was a cook’s dream, with beautiful cabinets and high-end appliances. A gorgeous island with plenty of space for entertaining. I wanted to look around but the boys softly nudged me along into the living space. Breathtaking in its vastness as well as its furniture and decor. Again, I was ushered down the hallway to what seemed to be an office.

A male sat in a chair. I gasped internally as I realized it was Assail. Gaunt with clear starvation. No more the muscular and darkly handsome male only a handful of years that I saw him last. Though time was different for vampires than humans. It was more like 5 months ago rather than 5 years ago.

I had been working for him in a small capacity, being a sort of informant. He must have known I only gave him information that The Reverend would have already known or whom I already told. I was loyal to my employers since they took care of me like many of the females including humans they had employed.

But I had a relationship with this male, albeit brief, but his cousins were my friends. I quickly came to his side.*

Assail …

Assail: *I had sunk into a chair facing the door as I waited. Now, as she enters, I gesture for her to sit on the settee across from me. “A female who was known to me” Evahle had said. I should have known it would be Evayhne. Though we had not had direct contact in some years, she had continued to funnel information to me through the twins from time-to-time and they had maintained a blood and – if their demeanor after seeing her was to be any scale of judgment – occasionally physical relationship.*

Please, take a seat Evayhne. It has been some time since we’ve met. Would you care for some refreshments?

*I just want this over before I lose my resolve but to be discourteous to a female doing me a great service would be unseemly. Even though the social niceties feel like sandpaper running across an open wound, I would not disgrace Marisol and her grandmother by failing to observe them.*

Evayhne: *This once very strong man seemed broken. What had happened to him? He seemed so formidable when we first met, I had even mistaken him for a Brother. Knowing the ones that frequented the club always sitting in the corner booth near the exit. I had never met them personally … but the rumors and the chatter that came in their wake every time they visited was hard to ignore.

I sat down as requested but shook my head and politely declined any refreshments. The twins were always formal and courteous, I knew something was wrong when they ushered me straight into, which I assume is Assail’s office l, after bypassing the kitchen and living space. They would have taken the time for common courtesy. Assail was in urgent need.

Assail seemed very sad and clearly reluctant to feed. I wondered if he was too far gone for the wrist … but I offered nonetheless.>

Please, take what you need …

Assail: *She offers me life, and yet I cannot bring myself to rise from the chair to take it from her. This is a need so basic and yet so long foregone that I should be overwhelmed with blood lust, but all I find within myself is sadness.*

I do not think I can.

Evayhne: *I watch as different emotions pass across his face. He seemed so broken. I score my wrist and lean up towards his mouth hoping the smell will entice his fangs to descend and the biology would take it over from there.

He unquestionably needed to feed but there was such reluctance. I wasn't aware of his situation but I hoped that I could help him.*

Assail:  *The scent of iron fills the air as her blood begins to slowly flow. My fangs descend of their own accord, and still I hesitate.*

Thank you for this. It is a great gift.

*I kneel before her and take her wrist in my hands, holding it as delicately as fine, aged china, and then lift it to my lips.*

Evayhne: *I watched quietly as he struggles with himself and the thoughts that must cloud his mind with so much conflict and watched several different emotions cross his face.

I wondered once again what has led us to this moment so dire that the twins had to reach out to me. Clearly, he needed to feed based on his gaunt appearance and just as evident in his reluctance.

His mate. It must be because of her.

As he finally decided something he came toward me and thanked me for my service and I could feel my own heart break a little just hearing the anguish and something else I could not name.

I just replied, “you’re welcome. Please take my vein and replenish yourself.”

I briefly felt a sharp bite of his fangs and the gentle pulls of life’s sustenance helping another.*

Assail: *For a moment my eyes meet Evayne’s and grief wells up within me again, a knot of bitter bile in my throat, and then I feel the cool, ephemeral touch of my love on the back of my neck, gently urging me to take from this female. My fangs sink into the soft flesh of Evayne’s wrist, and in spite of myself I begin to draw from her. At first I am delicate, but as I feel the strength flow through me my instinct’s take over and I drink deeply. And all the while, I feel Marisol’s gentle touch ruffling through my hair, caressing the back of my neck. Her love bathes my broken heart in light, her tenderness enables my mind to focus on her presence instead of the female in front of me.*

Evayhne: *At first, I thought he was going to stop before he even had enough but slowly time seemed to change his mood slowly and he drank as his body was surely demanding of him. I hoped whatever turmoil he was going through would pass. But before my thoughts could really form onto what I could do, I felt faint …*

Assail: *Even as I feed, I can feel muscles filling in, skin stretching taut over them again. My long abstinence broken, my body demands more and more. I am no longer thinking, only feeding, the beast within me coming alive. Though Evayhne’s arm had been relaxed and steady in my hands as I took from her wrist, it began to tremble, and still I feed. Until Marisol’s voice breaks through my bloodlust even as Ehric’s hand rests atop her otherworldly one on my shoulder and his voice echoes hers.*

‘Stop, Assail. You have to stop.”

“Boss, it’s enough. Pull back.”

*Their tandem voices pull me back to the now. My mind is sharper than it has been in months and I realize that I have very nearly taken Evayne to the point of no return, but I cannot return to her the gift she has given me. I had allowed no one to feed from me since Marisol entered my life. As a human she had not required it for life, and I had not required it to desire her. To feed a female … it is a bridge too far, even now. Quickly, I lick Evayne’s wrist, sealing the bite wounds and look to Evale. He had moved with Ehric and had knelt beside her to assist if I had been so locked in bloodlust that they would have had to physically separate us.*

Evale, give her your wrist before she faints.

*I shake off Ehric’s hand and rise, once more myself, a male in his prime with the physique of a Brother, if not the sense of duty. Marisol’s touch fades but I can still feel her presence. Gently lifting Evayhne's chin with two fingers as she sits, clearly weakened but with courage that would put many a male to shame, I meet Evayhne’s eyes.*

I allowed myself to over-indulge. I ask your pardon. I know my cousins will be anxious to see to your needs. I will give you the room while I attend to some business. Cousins. *Both look at me with expectation in their eyes.* See her home when she has been restored.

*With a nod to Evale, I rise and leave the room, though I do not go far, just to the kitchen where I stand looking out the window at the woods that surround all but the front of the house. Ehric had seen to packing the SUV while Evale had gone to get Evayne. There was little for me to do now but wait. If a low, frustrated growl escapes me, well, it is to be expected when I have worked six long months to get to this point and am now only hours from the end. A soft laugh, almost inaudible, comes from behind me. I turn to see Marisol’s … ghost? Soul? I don’t know what to call it, except … Marisol. I turn to see her translucent form seated on the center island.*

You can laugh?

‘You always were impatient. You would never have made a thief or an assassin.”

That is well because I never wanted to be either.  Well, perhaps that is not /quite/ true. I have been an assassin now and again. In a good cause. But it did not require extensive waiting on my part. I’m more of an opportunist in such matters. I simply put my quarry where I want them and take advantage of it.

‘Whereas I could lay in a snowbank with a pair of long range binoculars for hours.’

*I cannot help but smile.*

I remember. And still, I caught you. *The smile fades, quickly.*

‘Don’t.’ *She is somehow off the island and in front of me, her fingers a whisper caress on my jaw, her voice firm and unwavering.*

‘I can see you regretting it now. Don’t.’

If I had let you be, ignored your presence, you would still be alive.

‘And you would be dead instead, Ehric and Evale forced to pull the plug on you in the Brotherhood’s clinic. You would have died trying to overcome your addiction and we would never have had our time. I would have never known what it was like to love and be loved so completely. It was a gift, Assail. One I will take with me into eternity. I regret nothing and if you do then you insult what we had.’

*I blink at this. This is my Marisol. This is the female that took no shit and told no lies. That had to have been a drawback in her line of work, but, smiling to myself, it was what I loved most about her. I, on the other hand, had no problem with lies. I force a smile, unwilling to allow her to see what is in my thoughts.*

You are correct, my love. You were a gift, one I did not deserve. I won’t tarnish it with regret.

‘Then get on with dispensing vampire justice so you can move on.’

*She fades from my grasp, and it is just as well, because if she had seen my eyes she would have known there would be no ‘moving on’ for me. I inhale deeply and focus my thoughts, going to stand in the doorway to my office to be sure that Evayhne recovers completely.*

Evayhne: *I was still seated in the comfy chair and felt wetness on my lips and a low sexy voice in my ear.*

“Drink Evayhne.”

*My fangs descended naturally at the scent and I carefully bit down on a wrist that was provided and drank slowly as my senses came back online. Assail was as starved as he looked as he has taken more than normal that I became faint. I saw from my peripheral and he seemed much more the powerful male I remember. I hope he would take care of himself. His cousins seemed really concerned when they picked me up. It was none of my business, but I did care for the family. Hopefully, everything will work out.

I took more normal pulls of sustenance into me as I drank Evale’s vein as Ehric watched attentively. I felt better minutes later and licked my bite marks.*

Thank you.

Assail: *As the female’s lips rise from Evale’s wrist I see a glint of devilment in his eye. One I had not seen in a long while. He is looking at Ehric, who had seated himself beside Evayhne, his arm still around her shoulders in support. Ehric’s eyes mirror Evale’s. It is good to see. They are fond of this female, and when this is over, perhaps they will be able to seek her out and find some semblance of “normal”. Ehric, as is their norm, speaks for both.*

“It’s we who should thank you, Evayhne. He has fought us over the issue of feeding since the death of his mate. When he finally agreed, you were the only one we trusted to bring to him. You could have refused once you saw his condition. You had to know once he began to feed he might not be able to stop himself. Yet,” he took her hand and kissed her knuckles in gratitude, “you had the courage to think of him instead of yourself. We owe you.”

Yes. *Speaking loud enough they would hear me easily.* We do. And it is a debt that shall be repaid. But for now, we have an appointment. *Looking at Ehric and Evale.* Do not dally over long. We leave here in an hour.

Evayhne: *Finding my footing, once I felt better after feeding, I got to my feet and looked at the males surrounding me.*

I can demat home from here and you can make your appointment. I don’t want to keep you.

*I ran my hands down my clothes smoothing them unconsciously in nervousness. My heart ached for Assail and the loss of his mate. It explained a great deal his refusal to feed. It can be an intimate act which is why unmated young females were often chaperone by the male of the household. I understood now why he was hesitant and hoped that he would continue to feed regularly, I know the cousins were clearly concerned and cared deeply for their family. To be part of such a family. Shaking my head at such thoughts.*

Please, you don’t owe me anything. Please take care of yourself Assail. The twins care a great deal for you. I can feel it here. *Placing my palm on my heart.* I can take my leave now. Please keep your appointment.

Assail: It is not possible to dematerialize from within the house. Come. We will walk you out.

*Taking her elbow, I gently guide her to the front door of my home, my cousins following in our wake. As I open the door, I catch sight of the river. It is breathtaking tonight, the full moon glinting on the waters. I pause a moment on the front steps and my hand goes to my heart as I bow to this selfless female as deeply as I would have to any Glymera debutante in the Old Country.*

Fare thee well, fair Evayhne.

*She dematerializes, sending her molecules racing across the city to her home, and my face grows impassive as I address my cousins.*

Arm yourselves and meet me in the garage. Tonight it ends.