by Lea Davies
She smiled as she laid back and put her hand between her legs, then began to rub herself. “No one can punish me for this.” She thought.
Scene Forty-Two - Feeding
The woman nodded with encouragement. “It's OK, Dear,” she said, “just be gentle.” Ruth nervously glanced over at Matthew, and he nodded in agreement for her to proceed. Cathy Lester rolled up her sleeve and held out her wrist, but Ruth chewed her lip, still afraid of getting it wrong and hurting this lovely woman offering to feed her. “Remember what I told you,” Matthew said. “lick the area before you bite, and Cathy won't feel any pain, then, as soon as you pierce the skin, release your serum.” “How do I do that?” She asked. “Don’t worry,” he said, “it’ll just come naturally to you.”
Ruth was further reassured as fine lines appeared around Cathy’s eyes, as again, she smiled her encouragement. Ruth led her across the room and sat down next to her on the sofa, then exposed her fangs as she took Cathy's hand and licked along her wrist. Learning to feed on a consenting human being for the first time was an important lesson to learn. Matthew had told her that it was extremely important not to go too long between feeds as it would help her to keep control of her hunger and reduce the risk of killing the donor.
As her fangs pierced the skin, she released her fang serum, and within moments, Cathy threw her head back and moaned with ecstasy. Ruth heard Matthew's voice guiding her. “Remember, Ruth,” he said, “only take what you need.”
She had to learn restraint. The events in the alleyway would never have gotten out of hand if she had, and she wouldn't have lost Callie. Her lip trembled as she thought of what she had done to her cousin, and of the way she had looked at her.
She retracted her fangs and wiped Cathy's blood from her mouth. “Thank you.” She said. Slightly amused, Matthew bent down and whispered in her ear. “She won't hear you, Ruth,” he smiled, “She's otherwise engaged.” Ruth looked puzzled as his smile grew wider. “I think that when she wakes up, she will be the one thanking you.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and Ruth giggled as the penny dropped.
Embarrassed on Cathy's behalf, she tapped his arm playfully. “Stop that.” She said. “Let's give the poor woman some privacy.” Ruth stood and gently lifted Cathy’s legs up onto the sofa, while Matthew guided her body down onto the cushions, then, in a blur, he disappeared from the room and returned moments later with a pillow from his bed and placed it under her head. “
He looked down fondly at his old friend. “Remember Agatha Longbridge?” He asked. “She's the lady who helped me survive when I was newly turned.” Ruth nodded. “Of course I remember,” she said, “it was such a sad story.” “Well,” he continued, “Cathy is one of her descendants, and like Agatha, she has afforded me the privilege of feeding from her for decades, so this isn’t the first time I’ve seen her in this position.” His smile reached his eyes. “Besides,” he continued, “look at her; she doesn't care; this is what she wants.” He picked up a brightly coloured throw from the arm of the sofa, and carefully laid it over Cathy's legs, then took Ruth's hand, and led her from the room, quietly closing the door behind them.
Dawn was almost upon them as Ruth followed Matthew down the stairs to his basement bedroom. She had had a traumatic night and was exhausted both emotionally, and although it was difficult to achieve as a vampire, physically.
“I've messed up badly.” She said as they sat on the bed. “I don't think Callie will ever forgive me for what I did, and to be honest, Matt, I don’t blame her.” “Of course, she will,” he comforted. “I know it doesn't feel like it at the moment, but if you can forgive your mother for everything she said and did, then I'm sure that when Callie has had a chance to calm down, she'll forgive you too.” “I know what you're trying to do, Matt,” She argued, “but can you please stop. I don't deserve kindness from anyone right now, especially you.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head vigorously. “No please,” she said, ”let me finish.” He used his finger and thumb to zip his lips in a promise of silence.
“Stupidly thinking that I knew better,” she said, “I ignored every bit of advice that you and Tori gave. I schemed and plotted behind your back, and even worse, I lied to you, Matt. My behavior was beyond reckless, and I will never stop apologizing for it.” After a few moments of silence, he nodded. “All true,” he said, “but the reality is, that what happened is as much of my fault as it is yours.” She studied his face. “In what way?” She asked.
“I was stupid to belittle your need to hit out at Jessica,” he replied, “instead of helping you to satisfy your anger in a controlled environment, I played your feelings down when I, of all people, should have known better. Maybe if I had actually listened to you, it wouldn't have gotten as out of hand as it did.” He shook his head in regret. “I'm truly sorry, Ruth; I let you down.” She looked puzzled. “What do you mean? you of all people.“ He closed his eyes and braced himself.
“I don't know if you're aware,” he said, “but I’m Tori's Uno Parente.” She nodded. “She told me that you were, but not about how it happened.”
“Our father hated us.” He continued, but she interrupted. “I know,” she said, placing her hand over his. “Tori told me.” He sat up. “What else did she say?” She smiled, her eyes moist with tears as she thought of what he and Tori had suffered. “Only that he blamed you both for the death of your mother. He must have had a sick and twisted mind if he truly believed that.” “Oh, believe me,” he said, “he was sick and twisted. To the outside world, he claimed to be a God-fearing man, preaching the word of the bible to anyone who would listen, but behind closed doors, I lost count of how many times he beat me senseless,” he tapped his fingers to his chest, “his own child.”
Tears dropped onto her face, and he put his arm around her. “It’s a long story,” he said, “but unknown to me, Tori was dying from consumption, and didn’t have long left to live. So when I was transformed, I managed to persuade her to become like me, and I, already knowing it would kill him, deemed it fitting to use that hateful man as her first feed.” He shook as the memories of that time flooded his mind, and his heart broke for his sister. As much as they hated their father, Tori had told him that feeding on him was the worst thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.
“He had taken to hitting Tori as well as me,” he continued, “and I was determined that he would pay for it. Hurting me was one thing, but when he laid his hands on my sister, he took it to a whole new level, and there was no way I was going to let him get away with it.” His nostrils flared in rage; His hatred for his father hadn’t waned in the slightest in over two hundred years. “Even though it was against his will, he ended up being good for something in the end,” he laughed, “You could say he gave Tori life for the second time.”
Instead of the anger he was expecting, her face showed only love, compassion, and complete understanding. He turned to her. “Ruth, did you hear what I just said?” He asked. “Even knowing that it would kill him, I fed my own father to my sister for her first feed in retaliation for him hitting her, so telling you not to retaliate makes me a hypocrite.” She smiled warmly. “It must have been very hard for you to tell me that Matthew, so thank you for sharing it, but the blame lies firmly at my feet. I won't let you wear my stupidity on your shoulders.” Relieved, he laid back and pulled her down next to him. “Let's leave it there for now and agree to disagree,” he said, “we can sort things out tomorrow.” He waited for her response, but she was already asleep.
Scene Forty-Three - Reporting
Stephanie Mercer nervously bit her lower lip as she stood at the foot of the sizeable four-poster bed, and waited for permission to make her report from earlier that night. Isabella looked as if she were on the cover of a high-end fashion magazine as she sat gracefully on the bed and bade her to come forward. “Tell me what you have learned.” She ordered.
Isabella's volatile nature was well known, and Stephanie knew that the next few minutes would not o
nly be dangerous for her, but possibly also for each of the guards who stood at her side. She braced herself. “I regret to inform you that the rumours of him choosing to become an Uno Parente again are true.” She said as respectfully as she could. “Recently, I’ve tracked his every movement, and a few nights ago, I saw him giving tuition to a young woman newly created in a park. They showed each other affection, so I thought it safe to assume that she was his child.” The air grew tense as the words left her lips.
Isabella stood from the bed and walked towards her. “Go on.” She said. Stephanie continued with her report of the events that had happened in the alleyway earlier that night, and when Isabella learned that Matthew's new child had attacked a human girl, she let out a blood curdling scream of rage that echoed from the walls. “I want you to find out who this human girl is and why she was so viciously attacked by Matthew's child.” She growled.
She returned to the bed. “Continue.” She ordered. “Instead of the anger you would expect, Matthew held and comforted his child until she calmed before he led her away.” Stephanie licked her dry lips. She knew that what she was about to say next could bring about her death. “I'm sorry to have to tell you, Isabella, but from what I have seen so far, I believe that he has fallen in love with his child.”
Isabella looked at her guards. “Get out.” She said through gritted teeth. As the door closed behind them, she beckoned Stephanie to approach the bed. “This is not the news I wanted to hear,” she said, “but you have done well. Come forward and claim your reward.” Stephanie had often fantasized about this moment but had never, in all her wildest dreams, truly believed that it would ever happen. Isabella pulled her spy down onto the bed. “Do you desire me?” She asked, already knowing the answer. The rest of the world melted away as Stephanie nodded and answered her with a kiss.
Scene Forty-Four - Terrified
Later that night, Jessica sat terrified on her bed and hugged her legs to her chest as she replayed her encounter with Ruth over and over again in her head. “Vampires aren't real, are they?” She thought. “But that's exactly what Ruth looked like. A vampire.”
Her hands shook violently as she lit a cigarette to help calm her shattered nerves. “It can't be real, but I know what I saw.” She said to herself. “I know I didn't imagine it. If I had taken drugs, I could have explained it away as a hallucination, but I didn't.”
She picked up her mobile to call Jason but thought better of it. “He won't believe me.” She said aloud. “He'll just take the piss.” She took one long last drag and stubbed out the cigarette, then, exhausted, she laid down and eventually drifted into a terror-filled nightmare.
Again, the attack played out before her, but in this version, the ending was different. This time, she wasn’t rescued by the handsome stranger. Instead, he stood by and watched, laughing as she begged Ruth for mercy, but her pleas fell on deaf ears as Ruth bit into her jugular vein and drained her of blood. She saw herself lying at his feet with her eyes wide open. Dead.
Breathing rapidly, Jessica sat bolt upright in her bed and cried into her hands. Vampires were real, and the person she had relentlessly tormented for the past year had become one. She took a few moments to gather herself, then stood, tiptoed across the room, and pulled back the curtains. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the street below was empty, but there was one thing she knew for certain. Ruth would be coming for her.
Scene Forty-Five - Forgiven
Butterflies flew playfully in her stomach as she saw Callie's car pull onto the driveway. She made her way to the front door and waited nervously for her cousin to knock. Matthew appeared beside her. “At least she's here and wants to talk,” he said reassuringly, “I'll be downstairs if you need me.” She nodded her gratitude and braced herself for the confrontation that she well and truly deserved.
Instead of the loud pounding she was expecting, the doorbell cheerfully sang out its playful tune, and taking care not to expose herself to the hot afternoon sun, she opened the door. Callie's eyes were red, and she looked like she hadn't slept. She was shocked to the core as her cousin stepped inside and hugged her tightly. Ruth cried with relief. It was the last thing she had expected to happen.
When the tears subsided, she stepped back, pulling Callie with her, and closed the front door. “Please believe me Cal,” she cried. “hurting you was the last thing I wanted to happen. I wasn’t even aware of what I did to you.” Callie sighed. “I know,” she said, “and I've been awake the entire night thinking about it, but the truth is, I'm just as much to blame as you are. I realized that, even though I had some reservations about the way you were acting, not once did I try and talk you out of going to the club; in fact,” she said, “I actively encouraged you, remember? Besides, you told me to stay back, and I didn't.”
She paused as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “But when I saw the look on your face Ruth, I thought you were going to kill her, and I panicked.” Ruth nodded. “You were right to do what you did, Cal; I really felt like I wanted to kill her, and I honestly think that I would have if you hadn't stepped in.” She said honestly. “But I should never have tossed you aside the way I did, and for that, I will never forgive myself. How badly were you hurt?” Callie took a deep breath to explore the damage. “My ribs are a bit sore, but apart from that, it's all good.” She said. “Can we please put it behind us now?” Ruth nodded gratefully as her cousin turned and opened the door.
“You should come home as soon as the sun goes down,” Callie said. “I've already had to lie to my parents this morning about why you never came home with me last night.” Ruth had been in such a state when Matthew got her to his house, that she hadn't even given keeping up appearances with her family a second thought. “What did you tell them?” She asked worriedly.
Callie grinned proudly at her cunning. “I told them about your imaginary job, and that your new boss had asked you to do a trial shift, and was even going to let you stay the night in the flat above the club, and seeing that your mum was doing well, you were happy to go for it.”
Ruth was impressed at Callie's creativity and threw her arms around her cousin. “I don't know what I would ever do without you, Cal.” She said. Callie smiled affectionately. “Let's never find out.”
Scene Forty-Six - Summoned
After visiting with her family, Ruth had returned to Sedan Street and sat with Matthew in his basement bedroom. Tori tapped lightly on the door and entered. “Matthew, you have a visitor.” She said. Ruth moved to follow him as he rose from his chair, but Tori stood in her path. “I think it would be a good idea for you to wait here.” She said. “This is council business.” Concern covered Matthew's face. “Who is it?” He asked. Tori looked at him worriedly. “I don't recognize her, but she says that she has a message from Isabella.”
Ruth sensed the sudden tension that filled the room. “Who's Isabella?” She asked warily. “She's my Uno Parente and the head of the council,” Matthew answered. “Please wait here for me Ruth. Don't come upstairs until I tell you it's safe to do so, do you understand?” After recent events, she was determined to rectify her behavior and follow his instructions to the letter. “Of course,” she said, “I'll wait until you call for me.” “Or if I call for you.” He smiled as she playfully saluted him, then followed Tori as she led the way up the stairs to the lounge and presented him to the vampire sitting on the sofa.
His hackles immediately rose as he recognized the woman in his home. She was a troublemaker who had a personal vendetta against him and had schemed for many years to usurp his position as Isabella's highest-ranking enforcer on the council. It was common knowledge that Isabella had a soft spot for Matthew and favoured him above all others. They had been lovers for many years and wild with jealousy, Stephanie had openly resented him. He had once told her that it was not because of him that Isabella had not invited her to her bed, but because she had never wanted her in it. He smiled at the memory. She should count herself lucky that he had never seen her as a r
eal threat and ended her, but now, he wondered if she had achieved a higher ranking in his absence.
She stood as he approached and offered her hand in greeting, but he looked down at it and sneered in derision. “Stephanie,” he barked, “What do you want?” She didn’t care for his abruptness and secretly vowed that someday soon, she would make sure that he regretted his harsh tone.
“Why have you not been to pay your respects to your Uno Parente Matthew?” She asked him. “She is aware that you know of her return to this country after searching, and still failing to find, the great one.” She paused to allow her words to sink in, and was rewarded as Matthew looked to become a little unsettled.
“Knowing Isabella for as long as you have Matthew, it will come as no surprise to hear that she is extremely frustrated that her search was again unsuccessful, so when she found out about your new child's behavior a few nights ago, it did nothing to improve her mood; She was a little, how should I put it.” She playfully tapped her fingers to her lips as if trying to find the right word. “Vexed.”
His impatience grew as she did nothing to hide the obvious pleasure she got from his discomfort. “I've been busy, as I still am,” he said sharply, “so if you don't mind, answer my question. What is it you want?” She raised her eyebrow, amused at his growing anxiety. “I must admit,” she purred, “I quite enjoyed the spectacle your new child put on with the human girl she so brutally attacked.” She tilted her head forward, but her eyes remained firmly locked onto his. “However, Isabella did not find it amusing.” She paused and squared her shoulders in pride. “We have become close lately,” she exaggerated, “even though my report greatly displeased her, she rewarded me beyond all my wildest dreams for my diligence and eagerly invited me into her bed.”