Pleasures of Midnight [open]

Victor hated it when the coven argued. It seemed like that was all they did recently. Argued over hunting ground. Argued over mates. Hell, they even argued where they would lay their undead heads for the day while the sun shone overhead. It seemed like he could never escape the constant bickering. Of course being the leader made them all run to him for solutions to their miniscule fights. As it were though, he had bigger things on his mind then in consequential arguments.

In fact it was one of those bigger things that made him decide to stay out so late. It was almost dawn, the sky just beginning to turn back towards the light. A human wouldn’t be able to tell, but to a vampire whose very existence meant avoiding the sun, the sky was already too bright for comfort. He would make it on time though, he could already see the large mansion where his small coven resided. Sadly, returning with enough time also meant returning to Alicia.

She just wouldn’t leave him be. Kept going on and on about how they were meant together, that she was the strongest female within the coven, the only one worthy enough to be at his side. The only time he could get away from her was when he left to hunt on his own.

Before he could even step into his own home however, rather unusual sight met his eyes. A human girl, beautiful in her own way, stood knocking on his door. She obviously had no idea what kind of danger she was in. Her own exhaustion was overwhelming and with a single look he knew how desperate she was for shelter.

“Can I help you?” He asked, his voice like silk through the air.

Victor looked at the girl, his expression curious. Now he could smell the alcohol that tainted her blood, a sick smell alongside the sweet nectar that ran through her veins. Oh how sweet it was to his senses. He had taken many humans in his many centuries of life, but never had the scent of a human so achingly called to his very being.

His first instinct was to spill that delicious blood and drink till his thirst was satiated. But he wasn’t thirsty, not this night at least, and such a meal he would want to enjoy fresh and alone. Right now blood tainted it, and with his coven so close the smell of fresh blood would draw them like hungry vultures to the carcass.

Yet, as much as he wanted to drink her dry, something else called to him. Something more than just her blood. Something deeper and far more dangerous as far as Victor was concerned. He should just send her away. Tell her there was no room to be had. Undoubtedly it would save her life, and save him from whatever called to him.

Yet, Victor was not the type to simply send something like her away. Was he reckless? Yes, most definitely, but when you lived for hundreds of years you had to find ways to keep things entertaining after a while. With the sun rising as well, he had no more time to make decisions.

“I’ve never been one to refuse a damsel in distress. You may sleep here. However, you cannot leave the room I give you until I come and fetch you. Do you understand?”

He knew it wasn’t really fair to ask such a thing, or to put his own power behind the demand. Victor had the uncanny ability to lull his prey into compliance, making them do whatever he asked. However, if she truly wished to fight him she could of course. Though he doubted with an exhausted mind and an alcohol riddled head she would be able to do much.

Victor smiled slightly as she swayed on his doorstep. Taking her arm in a light but firm grip he opened the door into the mansion and shut the door quickly behind them. The sun had started to truly rise, thin light beginning to warm the sky. He needed to get to his rooms himself, to sleep the day away and get away from that burning glare. Of course he couldn’t take a step into the house, even this close to dawn without Alicia waiting for him.

“Victor, you’ve returned.” She said, her voice floating through the air in a seductive song that had many a male victim dancing to her tune. The sound was only aggravating to the patriarch who currently was holding up a drunk human girl.

Alicia of course couldn’t just ignore the girl. Her blood would call to all the vampires in the house, though not in the way it called to Victor.

“Bringing them home now? But I thought you decreed…”

“Yes. I did, and my law still stands. She is not to be touched. Understood?” He put his power behind the command, claiming it law as soon as it fell from his lips. As a member of his coven and lower in the hierarchy she had to obey him. Everyone in the coven would feel that power of his command in their very veins if they tried to get too close to the girl with malcontent in their hearts. It wouldn’t stop them from hurting her, but it would be a large deterrent. Disobeying him meant expulsion from the coven and the safety it afforded them at best. At worst, it meant death in the most painful way a vampire could die.

Without waiting for Alicia to gather her wits about her again, he led the girl upstairs to an empty room, one that was rarely used because it faced the rising sun and no matter how careful they were sometimes rays of that dreadful ball would invade.

“Sleep here.” He said softly. “I’ll collect you when night has fallen.” As he turned to leave the room, he took one last look at the human girl and inhaled deeply, her unique scent filling his nostrils. For some reason he doubted that she would ever leave the mansion alive, though he had every intention of letting her leave that night.

Either way, the time was for him to sleep as well. As only a master of the house could, he made his way to the master bedroom and prepared himself for sleep. When the sun finally showed itself on the horizon Victor was as still as death.

The funny thing about vampires was that they didn’t “sleep” in the way that humans did. Vampires did not dream or feel the fear of a nightmare. They fell instead into something akin to a coma, only their chests did not rise or fall with breath. For all intensive purposes they looked like a corpse. At least until the sun set once more.

Once its life giving rays were below the horizon Victors eyes snapped open, his chest filling with air as he swung out of bed. Victor did not sleep in a coffin or some other such nonsense. He didn’t even know where such a ridiculous myth originated. Instead he slept in a stately bed, with bed hangings surrounding him that acted as blackout curtains. That way, even if some sunlight peeked through his darkened windows he was still protected.

It took him no time at all to “wake” and change into a new set of clothes. Some of the others thought his obsessive need for cleanliness as absurd considering his nature, but he couldn’t help himself. An old habit from his mortal days.

He didn’t waste any time however. He didn’t want to leave the human girl alone for long. It wouldn’t go well for her if the other residents of the house found her before he did. So he made his way quickly down the hall to her door, stopping for nothing and no one. When he reached her door he paused, mastering his own thirst and opened the door. Giving her no warning as to his presence.

No matter how much preparation he gave himself however, it wouldn’t have been enough to help him against the onslaught that was her scent. Without the taint of alcohol it was by far the sweetest most tempting thing he had ever had the pleasure of experiencing, and it took all his years of willpower and control to not kill her on sight.

Victor fought his impulse to drain her dry like he fought his impulses to tear Alicia limb from limb, with a determination and fortitude that was unheard of in most vampires. He didn’t want to kill this innocent girl when he was trying so hard to keep her alive. Why he was keeping her alive at all was yet unknown to him. After all, it was usually in his nature to absolutely annihilate humans, and take them for his meal. They were lower beings after all, put on this earth to feed him and his fellows. Just like humans believed they were here to have dominion over all other earthly things, vampires believed they were above humans and thus were the true rulers of the world. While Victor did not live his immortal life believing that he was superior to all living creatures, he did have the same belief that humans were food. While he could be compassionate and unlike some of his companions always made his kills quick and painless, he had never actively tried to keep one alive before.

Of course, the sickly sweet smell of Alicia was always quick to bring him in control of his impulses. With full knowledge of her standing in the doorway, and knowing she would never go against his direct order, he swept into a low bow and said, “I am Victor LeMont. Master of this house.”

Standing upright again to see a delicious blush on the girls face he smiled again, his face more handsome then before.

“And I believe I do not yet know the name of my beautiful house guest.” he said, his eyebrow rising ever so slightly. With his hypersensitive hearing he could hear the almost inaudible gasp as Alicia heard his words, and he deliberately kept her out of the girls sight, wanting her reaction to his words to be untainted by the vampiress behind him.

“Because you’re not welcome here.” Alicia hissed, angry at the obvious treatment that Victor was giving the human. She couldn’t stand the idea of some other female, especially a human female, getting his undivided attention in such a way. He was practically flirting with her, and right in front of Alicia.

However, before she could get another word out, or angrily rip Chloe apart, Victor turned on her and with his most dangerous smile said lightly, “I believe you owe our guest an apology Alicia. This house welcomes all our guests and you this very well.”

In one sentence he not only reasserted his own dominance, but also reminded Alicia of the worst period in her immortal life. Being a lone vampire is one thing, being a starving lone vampire and begging on another’s door step was and entirely different matter. She would never escape the debt she owed Victor, the one who taught her how to be a vampire and fend for herself. How to keep herself hidden from human eyes, and hunt the one who called himself the greatest hunter.

She nearly growled at the reminder, and turning to the human she bowed abruptly and snarled out, “Please accept my humble apologies. I did not realize my lord took in all the rabble these days.”

Before Victor could respond Alicia fled, seeming to vanish in the blink of an eye. To her, Chloe was only here as another one of Victor’s many ways to torment her and flaunt other women before her. Alicia would deal with this current intrusion on her home, but like a woman obsessed, she believed with her undead heart that Victor would soon tire of the human and come back to her.

Victor turned to Chloe, his face a set mask hiding his true feelings on what had just occurred perfectly.

“Please pay no mind to Alicia. She is…jealous of her privacy.” He said, thinking to himself how absolutely politic his words were. Of course he couldn’t tell this human girl what Alicia was truly jealous of. It was truly petty.

"Sadly, she is not the only one who is so...protective of this home. That is why I wished for you to remain here until I returned. I did not want something, untowed, to happen. My family does not take well to strangers."

Victor sighed. This wasn’t going as he planned. Then again, what was his plan for this girl? He hadn’t really thought about it. He knew that he didn’t want to eat her. Otherwise he would have done so the moment he entered the room. He was not the type to play with his food. Then again, he couldn’t just let her leave either. Especially not now after Alicia had already become so hostile and now even Nuke was eyeing her like a home cooked meal he hadn’t expected to find.

Nuke was not like Alicia in that he did not owe Victor his life. He had joined the coven of his own volition, and he could leave if he wished too. He would obey Victor as long as he lived in the house, but he would not take orders blindly. He liked to question things, and as the open curiosity on his face showed, he would most certainly question this.

At this point, Victor knew he could not keep anything secret from Chloe any longer. She was bound to find out sooner or later, and with Nuke in the doorway, sooner seemed to be her fate.

“No snacks here. She’s mine Nuke. Spread the word. Ill not have her touched.”

Victor sighed and ran his hand through his hair. This was definitely more complicated now. Chloe would die if she left the house. Once she was out of his protection there would be no going back. If Alicia didn’t kill her, Nuke would. Not because he wanted to go against the leader, but because he wanted her, and when Victor let her go, she was free food for any vampire willing to take up the hunt. Yet, how could he explain that to this innocent girl?

“I’m afraid that you indeed stepped up to the wrong doorstep last night. Should you leave this place, you will die. Of that I can assure you. Should you decide to stay, I will be able to guarantee your safety. The choice is yours. I will not force your decision in any way.”

With that Victor turned and began to leave, before he completely left the room however he said simply, “If you decide to leave the exit is down the stairs and to the left. Should you decide to remain…well, you need only stay in this room. I will come in one hour to check on you. If you are still here, then your choice is made. If you are not, then I sincerely hope you are still alive.”

With that said Victor shut the door behind him and made his way towards his private study. He would wait out the hour and if for some reason she didn’t flee the house he would make the necessary arrangements then. For now, he simply would work. If course such things were not allowed the master of the house as he entered his study to find it already occupied.

Victor sighed as he sat down in his chair, ignoring the angry woman who currently occupied the only other chair in the room. As he settled himself he finally looked at her, placing his elbows on the desk to prop up his chin he said scathingly, “And what brings me this particular pleasure, Alicia?”

The sound that came from her throat could only be classified as a growl as she stood so she could tower over Victor, trying to use height to amplify her fury. Of course, as Victor sat there unfazed her fury only mounted higher.

“Are you trying to hurt me Victor? You bring in this pathetic Human,” she hissed, seeming as if the very word caused her physical discomfort, “And then expect the coven to just accept her? She is our natural food! Was it not you who decreed we shall keep none as pets?! Yet you flaunt her before my eyes, degrading me, making me apologize to that filthy creature!”

Victor had taken Alicia’s rants before. Usually he would either ignore her until she was spent and ran off in a huff, or he himself would get up and leave. The end result was always the same. She would yell and gripe and moan about whatever she felt was an injustice, and then come crawling back to him all sugar and honey trying to cuddle up to him. He was starting to wish he had just let her starve those many decades ago.

There were the rare times however, when he simply could not let her continue. When what she said was either so ridiculous or so out of line that his own rage stepped forward and then she remembered who she was yelling at.

“Thank you Alicia. For reminding me of your earlier disrespect and blatant disobedience.” Before he uttered another word she was against the wall with his hand at her throat. He had such a tight grip that she couldn’t speak, her eyes filled with fear. The only other time he had ever laid a hand on her was when Nuke joined the coven.

“I need not explain myself to you or to anyone else. Do you understand?” He said, his voice dangerously low. “You don’t like that, then you can leave and never come back. If you wish to remain here then you will follow my orders.”

With that said he dropped her like she was some diseased animal. Quickly she scrambled out the door, her pride hurt. As she walked down the hallway, her pride hurt and thoroughly shamed, she vowed that she would kill that human. Even if it was the last thing she ever did.

Alicia tried to ignore Nuke. She really did. As much as an annoyed and shamed Alicia could ever ignore being taunted by the irritating vampire. Finally she snapped, and spun around, her brown shimmering waves flipping over her shoulders as she snarled at him.

“I didn’t do anything Nuke. I merely wanted to know why he decided to shame me in front of an inferior. Why he keeps that human here is beyond me.”

As she finished her anger began to dissipate and melancholy took hold. She didn’t want to fight with Victor. She wanted him to love her, to choose her to be his mate. Now he was angry again when all she did was demand to know why he had shamed her so. ‘No matter.’she thought to herself. ‘The human will be dead soon.’

Victor spent the rest of the hour calming himself before finally decided enough time had passed to check to see if Chloe was still in his home. He noticed her wandering the hallway and felt a twinge of sadness, thinking that she had decided to leave. When she turned back towards the room he had left her in he couldn’t help the smile that graced his features. He was…relieved.

Before he could dwell on why he could possibly be relieved, he took a couple steps forward so she would notice him and said simply, “I see you’ve made you’re choice.”

Alicia looked like murder, before a very odd smile graced her features. “Of course it would be one of Victor’s dear tests. I should have expected this to happen.” It didn’t’ take much for Alicia to completely change her perception on everything that had happened, and of course to completely delude herself as well.

“I’ll make sure not to tell Victor of your letting out his little secret. I’m sure he wouldn’t be too happy with you.”

She walked off then to plan how she was going to pass this new test for Victor’s love, her deluded mind happy and content.

Victor watched Chloe closely, tying to see what was going on in her head. “Of course not.” He said simply, crossing his arms. “My house is now your house.”

“However there are some rules that must be observed. I’m sure you understand the penalty if they should be broken?”