Blood Match (15 page)

Ethan arrived a few minutes later with Roma.

Serena stared at her in amazement. Were there any average looking vampires in this house at all?

She was a tall willowy vampire with very large breasts and a mass of wild curly dark hair. She had the prettiest smile Serena had ever seen and large innocent looking red eyes.  She looked to be quite young… in her late teens perhaps, and was wearing low cut jeans, riding boots and a tight green t-shirt with an eco slogan emblazoned across her ample chest. She smiled at Serena and said hello and went straight over to Adam. She bent to look at his face closely and ran her fingers through his messy blond hair fondly. He opened his red eyes briefly and snapped at her baring his new sharp teeth and hissing loudly.

“Oh, he is just so beautiful” she said. “May I have him, Mama?”

“Roma, that decision is not ours to make. We must ask Father for guidance with all this.” said Ethan.

“Perhaps Adam would like a say in it too” Serena suggested, but deep inside she knew Adam would just love Roma to ‘have’ him.

“Serena, come with me. I will take you to Father and explain.” Ethan said taking her hand. Serena left Adam with a final fond look. There will be no more humanity left in him when she saw him next. She wept again, tears streaming down her face. Ethan comforted her as they walked down yet another corridor in search of Father.

Chapter 28

They opened a door and entered what must surely be the library. It had a musty book smell and was teeming with ancient looking tomes. Another beautiful female appeared before them.

“Camille. I need Father. Is he here?” said Ethan urgently.

“He is in the book repair room. Mending his new batch of books.” said Camille looking Serena up and down with interest. “What is so urgent brother and who is this lovely woman with you?”

“This is Serena; she is to become my mate soon. Cammie, I think you two share a lot of common ground. Serena also has a business degree… anyway that discussion is for later. We have a family problem to deal with.  Nina has turned Serena’s brother out of revenge and jealousy and without the proper permission. She has broken the first rule Cammie!  I must speak with Father now. We will all meet later about this affair.”

Camille bought her hand up to her mouth for a moment in shock.

“No!” she exclaimed. “She knows full well that carries a death sentence! Oh Ethan, this is terrible news. What has she done?”

Camille rushed off towards a side door

“Father!” she called. “Father!”

Father appeared in the doorway. Father did not look very fatherly, any more than Mother looked motherly. He was quite similar in appearance to Ethan, perhaps a little more mature, not much though, with shorter hair and darker eyes. Another stunning handsome male vampire. He had a greater air of authority. That was evident to Serena straight away.

Ethan explained what had happened and the two of them made plans to leave soon. Ethan rushed out of the door to collect brother Francis to assist them. Francis was apparently the fastest and best tracker in the house. He would be useful in tracking down Nina.

Father and Camille stood in the centre of the library with Serena who was feeling overawed, overwrought and still highly upset about her brother.

“So you are Serena…” he said walking around her slowly. He came to a stop in front of her and picked up a tendril of her tousled long fair hair rubbing it between his fingers and bringing it up to his lips. She came out in goose bumps all over under his gaze. “Mmmm, so very, very, delightful.”

His head bent down to her neck and he drew in a long breath. She stood frozen to the spot.

“Ah, the scent is so strong… you are a blood match with Ethan, are you not? Absolutely perfect! I can see why my son has chosen to mate with you.”

Serena still had no idea which part of her blood matched, but she nodded all the same.

He lifted his hands and placed them on her breasts, squeezing them a little. Her face flamed. Camille giggled.

“A little on the small side, aren’t we…? When you turn, you will become much fuller in that area… but you are more than suitable otherwise…. I will steal a kiss, if I may….”

Serena gasped as he took her into his arms and kissed her very passionately. Afterwards in disbelief she stood stunned and silent.

“Stop teasing her Father.” said Camille. “Honestly, you are such a flirt.”

Serena felt this went way beyond flirting but of course she had never dealt with vampire patriarchs before.

“Do not be concerned little one… I do not wish to mate with you… I just like to taste my family now and then… purely to check on their wellbeing” he said calmly.  “So, are you now sure, my dear… about Ethan? It is a big step for a human, to join us… Not to be taken lightly at all.”

He paused for a moment to begin walking around her again.

“I know you have caused him some pain, haven’t you…? I know all about it. I am always supplied with all the information I need. You see, it is my household and my responsibility to keep my family content… I was about to intervene and force my son to feed today. It would have been an unpleasant task. Ethan can be very stubborn at times. Thankfully that situation seems to be resolved now. Ethan looks to have recovered somewhat miraculously. He must have dined well with you, hmmm?” He laughed heartily.

Serena managed a small smile.

“Yes, he did. And I am now very sure about Ethan…. I was confused and shocked for quite a while after I found out who he really was, who you all really were…. Excuse me please, but should I call you Father too?”

“Yes Serena, that is who and what I am. Daniel is my given name, but we call each other father, mother, brother, sister, etcetera… that is the household etiquette… and Serena, I am so sorry about your brother Adam. We will find the delinquent Nina soon and you may deliver the final punishment, as you wish…”

Serena’s stomach contracted with alarm. No! She didn’t want to kill Nina herself… she was extremely angry with her… but killing her was something else!

Ethan returned with the young very hot looking, black skinned vampire with long dreadlocks who she had seen before in the restaurant. He was dressed casually in bright multi-coloured tracksuit bottoms which hung low on his hips, a pure white t shirt and was barefoot.

He bowed his head slightly in Serena’s direction, flashing his reddish eyes a little.

“This is Francis, Serena. He will lead us to Nina. Do you wish to join us on the hunt?” asked Ethan.

Serena shook her head.

“No…How can I? I will just be a burden to you… can I stay here with Camille…?” She asked hesitantly, looking in her direction. She was sure she did not want any part of this vampire hunting drama. Sitting in a room full of old books was far more to her liking.

“Of course you can” said Camille taking her hand. “Do you like books Serena…? We have very rare and wonderful volumes in here.  I shall give you a tour.”

She took her hand as Ethan, Father and barefoot Francis left the room.

Chapter 29

It was late evening when they returned with a struggling hissing Nina. Serena was sitting in the main salon of the house with her new friend, book lover Cammie who had kindly supplied her with some human food. Father strode in holding Nina tightly by the hair at the back of her head, lifting her off her feet at times to control her. She looked very small and fragile next to these three large powerful males. Serena was worried. She didn’t want Nina to die. Not because of Adam or her. It would cast blight on her relationship within the family. A bad start to her new life. He held her up like a trophy and then led her away screaming obscenities at her loudly. Serena asked where they were taking her and Ethan explained she would be taken to a special room called The Pen. This was a tiny secured and padded empty room.  He picked Serena up and carried her back to his apartment talking as he walked.

“We will have a meeting tomorrow evening when everything has calmed down and Adam has had his first feed. Then we will all decide, as a family, how to proceed. Nina is not well liked here. She has always been a rebel and a trouble maker. I am not the only one who she has tried to mate with either. There are several. We do not mate with our sisters and brothers. We look outside for human mates, or to other houses, such as ours. What she has done to Adam is the last straw. One by one vampires like Nina are being culled. We want to integrate in the modern world of the human. Vampires like her make unnecessary waves and cause fear and resentment. They draw unwanted attention to us… this is the way it must be Serena. I can see you don’t like it. But this is my world.”

They arrived back at his rooms… where he dropped her lightly on his bed.

“Ethan, I don’t want Nina dead…” she said calmly. “Can I stop this?”

“We shall see… just now I have more pleasant things on my mind, other than the troublesome Nina. I have a human mate to care for, don’t I?” He smiled at her with his perfect white smile.

“Serena, did Father give you the welcome pep talk and kiss?” he asked smiling broadly.

“Honestly Ethan, You could have warned me… he also touched my breasts and called me small… he said that they would grow if I turned…” she spluttered with laughter at the memory.

“Yes, Father is very sensual. He also has a fixation with breasts… he likes very voluptuous women….  I like you just as you are… you are perfect to me.”

Her mood lifted to another level and she smiled her first really genuine smile of the day.

“Father is very much a traditional vampire. He and mother do still mate but they are not monogamous. Not exclusive…I think you call it these days. He is also rather partial to men too. We all get a welcome kiss such as yours… and the occasional one in passing, when the mood comes upon him. But do not worry. He is very honourable these days. He would not harm or interfere with my mate, no matter what his feelings are. He likes to prowl looking for tasty vampires and humans to feed upon… it is a great passion and a craving for him. That and his strange obsession with his dusty old rare books.

And of course there’s Roma, his daughter. They are very close. They often ride the trails on our fine horses. They love each other’s company.

He is a very old vampire, far older than you would think… he is nearly 400 years old… His tales are those of a bygone era. When vampires often killed for blood, for fun and sport… I think he was far less honourable than he is now Serena. Father has a very dark past.”

Ethan thought about his own dark past for a moment… he had not been that honourable himself at times… but he couldn’t reveal that side of himself to her… not when he had just earned her trust…

“He has seen a lot of change and changed with it. He wears well, don’t you think?” he continued…

“Yes, he looks fabulous for 400. So very handsome and so passionate too” said Serena quite truthfully.

“So you think he is handsome and passionate do you?” he said with his voice hardening a little.

“I do! He made me go all a quiver when he kissed me and I loved him touching me up…”

“Serena, please. Stop it!”

“Just kidding… did I detect a little green eyed monster rearing his head just then!” she asked grinning.

He didn’t look amused. She felt guilty winding him up other over men, and so soon after his near death experience which was caused by just such a thing.

“Look, before we start to play games I have some questions to ask and a request too…”

“I rather thought you might… ask away Serry. What do you need to know?”

She started with her request.

“Ethan, why do you leave me in bed on my own? I don’t want to wake up alone. It’s very upsetting” She said. “I would very much like you to be curled up next to me every time, like you were earlier today.”

“That is because I do not sleep for very long. Much as I like looking at you, I need to do something to pass the hours away. Then I end up sleeping elsewhere so that I don’t disturb you on my return. Once we establish our routine, I will make sure I am there for you, when you wake. You could call me anytime, you know? My hearing is more than excellent!”

“Right… as long as you know it is important to me that you are there.  Now, I have a couple of burning questions… what happens when you turn… how do you turn… and why are you all so perfect and young?”

“Turning is quite simple really Serry, as your brother will most probably tell you tomorrow. What happens is that you will drink a little of my ichor. That is the name of my thicker darker blood. We could do this privately together or as part of a family gathering. That is your decision alone, once we have permission. Your cells will then start to regenerate to their human peak and way beyond that. The perfect cellular formation is achieved during the process.   This ensures any imperfections and signs of aging are completely reversed. The cells are crystallised in time. They will never age any more. You simply feed your body with what it needs and it will look the same for ever. The DNA in a vampire’s blood adds many times more cells to the sense receptors in the body, such as the retina, the tongue, the nose and the ears and also enhances the sensual parts of the brain. Oh yes, then the stomach shrinks and adjusts over time to accommodate the new diet…  I could explain all the changes in minute detail if you like… but those are the main points…”

“So would I look any different? Will Adam?”

“You will look even more perfect Serena, if that is possible!  Adam too… I am most interested in what happens to Adam’s muscular form. He could be a very powerful vampire indeed! But we are not all beautiful you know, vampirism doesn’t change bone structure…. I have seen some very ugly ones in my time!”

“Ethan, Tell me about Roma.. how old is she…?”

“Roma is mother and fathers child, as you now know. She was born about 50 years ago, in Rome, when mother mated with father as a human, before she was turned. She became a vampire when she was fifteen human years and has matured some more since then. She will never look any older than she is, this is her peak cellular form. She is very lovely, isn’t she…? I can imagine your brother may enjoy her company very much…she is sporty and fun loving. She looked quite taken with him when she saw him as I recall and she is far more experienced than she looks… ” Ethan grinned.