The Feeder

by E. M Reders

  When he was finally able to focus, I smiled. I could see the power in his eyes, feel it coming off him in waves as it flowed through his veins. I made to move forwards when suddenly a great wave of dizziness struck, causing me to stumble against him. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “I'll be fine. Just a little dizzy, that's all.”

  “I took too much,” he reprimanded himself, a scowl marring his handsome face.

  “No you didn't, you took just the right amount. Now go. You are on a much closer level with him now. My blood will keep you strong and powerful for days, but you will never be as powerful as you are now with my blood fresh in your veins.”

  “And your taste lingering on my lips,” he smiled wickedly. “I'm going to end this, Eve. I'm going to end him and free you forever,” he vowed, leaning down to brush his lips softly across my own before disappearing as if by magic, his new strength allowing him to move at much greater speeds than he had before. I just hoped it was enough.

  “One more moment, Thayne,” Sebastian commanded just as he was about to descend the stairs. And I mean commanded. This was a vampire that meant business, not the friend I had been introduced to just minutes before. “We don't need our friend down there running away; as I'm sure he will do if he senses your new found strength.”

  “Oh my god, he's right. Gideon will sense the power of my blood in you in an instant.” I didn't think he would run like Sebastian seemed to think, but I knew it wasn't a good thing him knowing, especially not for me.

  “Which is why I will shield that power from him, at least until it is too late.” He smiled, the image sending a chill down my spine.

  “How will you do that?” I asked. I’d heard of and seen a lot of vampire gifts over the years but never had I heard of a vampire being able to hide power before.

  “A simple glamour, that is all. It will mask Thayne’s new power from all others, for a while.”

  “Okay,” Thayne nodded, seeming to understand all this. Me? I was still lost.

  As Sebastian closed his eyes, his brow furrowing in concentration, a wave of power crashed over me, its focus on Thayne. In an instant the strength and power that I had felt within Thayne died, all signs of his new strength leaving him entirely until he felt the same as always. What the hell?

  “How did you do that?”

  “We all have our secrets,” Sebastian grinned. “Better get a move on, Thayne. Time is short.”

  Leaning down, Thayne whispered in my ear, “I love you.” The warmth of his breath fanning the side of my neck reminded me of the feel of his lips, of his fangs deep within my neck. It was crazy, but I wanted him to bite me again, wanted to experience the pleasure again… maybe during sex next time.

  Next time? I really have lost my mind.

  “Stay up here.”

  “No.”

  “Yes. I need to be able to concentrate, and I can't do that if I'm worrying about you. There are a lot of vampires here tonight, Eve, a lot that you do not know. Stay up here with Sebastian. That way I know that you will be safe, and I can concentrate on ridding us of this bastard for good.

  Thayne

  Gideon was pissed, like majorly pissed. I’d kept him waiting much longer than I had wanted to, but Eve was more important than this fuck, and I’d needed those few moments alone with her before she witnessed the brutality that was about to take place… just in case I didn’t survive it.

  I think she also needed those moments. She wanted to see the end of Gideon, wanted true freedom, but what she didn't want was to see me fight and possibly lose my life for it.

  Fuck I loved her so much, and she loved me. It was clear to see; she didn't even have to say the words. Giving me her blood was the one thing I’d never expected to happen, the one thing I knew terrified her more than anything, and she had done it, feeling pleasure from doing so too. Thank fuck.

  Stepping through the throng of vampires Gideon had assembled, I tried to stay calm. It wouldn't do to show any of these here that I was afraid. If I was to be the Master vampire in this area, I had to make sure that they respected me from the start.

  “So you've finally decided to show your face,” Gideon sneered. “And here I was hoping that I would have the pleasure of dragging you out here to die.”

  “Sorry to spoil your fun.”

  “Well you're still going to die, so I'm not too bothered.”

  “I wouldn't be too sure about that.”

  Standing in the middle a large circle of vampires, Gideon paced, walking in circles with a smug grin on his face as if he had already won. I wanted to ignore him, forget about the fucker and cast my eyes up to the balcony where I knew Eve stood watching me, Sebastian by her side. But that would be stupid. I couldn't afford to take my eyes off him. I may be stronger now having taken her blood, but one dose was nothing compared to the amount of time he had been forcing her to feed him. I needed to be smart. Keep my head in the game. Not let it wander.

  Which was becoming a hell of a lot harder than usual. I could feel Eve’s eyes upon me, her gaze burning into me from above.

  “Well?” Gideon snapped, forcing my attention back to him.

  Fuck, I need to get it together!

  “Well, what?” The fact that I hadn't listened to a thing he’d said seemed to be pissing him off.

  “I asked if you had anything to say before I put you to death.”

  “Not really.” And who said I was the one that was going to die? With this new power pulsing through my veins, I felt like I could do anything. “Can we just get this over with? I have more important things to do than talk to your ass all night.” Like burying myself deep in Eve.

  “You want to die that much? Fine!”

  And so it began. Gideon didn’t pussyfoot around. There was no theatrics, no big show as I had expected. He really must want me gone.

  Using his stolen speed, he attacked, taking me by surprise and knocking me to the ground, the impacted cracking the tiles beneath me.

  Another thing to fix when this is all over.

  As his fist came flying towards me, I wanted to move, to flash around him and snap his neck before he had the chance to counter me. There was just one problem with that, though. I’d promised Sebastian that I wouldn’t show all my cards until the moment was right. First there was something we needed to know.

  “Is that all you got? I’ve seen Younglings with more strength than you,” I taunted. A growl of anger passing his lips at my remark. A Youngling was a newly turned vampire. They were as close to human as a vampire could get. Weak, and unless trained by their Sire, easily killed.

  “I highly doubt that,” he sneered. “I think you’ll find there are very few people stronger than me.” Now we were heading in the right direction.

  Ducking to the right, I narrowly avoided the fist he sent flying towards me, following it up with a right hook of my own. I may have been told to hold off for the time being, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t get a few punches in here and there.

  “I bet that drives you mad, doesn’t it? Knowing that, even now, there are others stronger than you, more powerful. People that could take you out like that,” I teased, snapping my fingers for effect.

  When we’d discovered that Gideon was partaking in Feeder blood, had used his newly acquainted strength to take down and replace a Master, even though it was plainly obvious that he had no intention of doing the job he had required, Sebastian had done a little digging into his past and found something of interest. Gideon was a Youngling of William, the same vampire that had sired Sebastian. But there was a significant difference between the two vampires. While Sebastian had become a treasured member of the vampire race, accepted and trained by his Sire – even if said Sire had turned out to be a vindictive, demon loving, power hungry psycho – Gideon had been abandoned, left to fend for himself. And because of that and the success Sebastian had found, becoming one of the most powerful vampires in our history, he’d made it his mission to destroy him.

  Now we just need
ed him to confess to his plot before I took the fucker out. We also wanted to hear the truth about his fight with Denton from his lips. If there had even been a fight.”

  “Maybe for now, but not forever. I’ll be stronger soon. The strongest.”

  Going for the attack, I made to grab him, only for him to step to the side and spin at the last moment. Grabbing me by the neck, he pulled me back and slammed me to the floor once again.

  Fuck, he could move fast. Straddling my legs he growled as his fist connected with my face again and again. Blood filled my mouth, the scent and taste of my own blood being spilt causing my anger to burn.

  That was it! He wasn’t going to get a hit like that in again.

  “I doubt that,” I snapped, spitting the blood from my mouth. It was time to twist the knife. Fisting my hand in his hair, I pulled him down to whisper in his ear. “I'm afraid your source isn’t yours alone anymore.”

  His eyes widened at my words and he studied me carefully for a moment. “You lie! I sense nothing different about you. You’re still the weak bastard you have always been. And even if it were true, she wouldn’t be any use to you once I drain her dry, kill Sebastian and that twisted sister of his, and become the most powerful vampire ever to walk the planet.”

  Red mist descended the moment he talked of draining Eve, taking away my ability to hold back. Sebastian had better of heard everything he’d wanted to hear because I was ready to kill this son of a bitch. No one threatened my woman.

  Eve

  I couldn’t stand this. Watching the man I loved fighting for his life while I stood above witnessing it was killing me. A few times I’d contemplated going against his wishes and rushing down the stairs. It was stupid, I know. What would I be able to do? Other than get myself killed, or get Thayne killed. But every time the thought entered my head, Sebastian seemed to know exactly what I was thinking and say or do something to stay me.

  As I watched Gideon pounding Thayne’s face, splitting his lip and spilling his blood, I took a step towards the stairs. Strong fingers wrapped around the top of my arm, the grip unforgiving. “I made a promise, Eve, and I intend to keep it.”

  Gazing up at him, I could see the heat burning in his already blazing eyes. That wasn’t good. “I thought you didn’t desire my blood?” This was Thayne’s friend. Thayne had said that we could trust him… Had he been wrong?

  “Your blood? No, I do not desire it. But I am still a man, and you are one delectable woman. But Thayne is your guy, and I would never go after a female already claimed.”

  “Claimed?”

  “Yes, claimed. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t still strap you down to keep you from endangering yourself. Now relax, and watch as Gideon’s world comes tumbling down around him.”

  “How can you stand this?” I sobbed as Gideon knocked Thayne back to the ground. Every hit he received, every knock to the floor, felt like a blow to my heart. Tears ran down my cheeks freely.

  “I do not like to see those I care about in pain, but I have lived long enough, and experienced enough to know that sometimes it is necessary… for the greater good.”

  The greater good? Gideon was going to kill him. How the fuck could that be a positive thing?

  “Thayne is strong. Stronger, thanks to you. He will not let a few hits and a little pain get the best of him. He has something worth fighting for.”

  But was it enough? Was I enough?

  “You would be surprised the difference having someone to fight for can make,” he whispered, almost to himself. His eyes were on the floor below, but I could tell that his mind was somewhere else. Where had he gone to?

  Returning my attention to the fight taking place below, I gasped. Thayne was no longer on the floor but advancing upon Gideon, his fists a blur of motion as they connected again and again with the bastard’s body.

  “It seems that it is time to inform our friend of your betrayal. Stay beside me at all times. If Gideon is going to attempt to run, it will be now. And I doubt he will want to leave without you.”

  No, I couldn't imagine him doing that either.

  Once again I felt a blast of Sebastian’s power wash over me. Gazing down upon the crowd gathered below, I wondered if any of them could feel it too. A few stiffened, but the rest just carried on watching the fight as if nothing had happened. Looking more closely, I realised that those that hadn’t reacted were those closest to Thayne, the ones that had more than likely known that Sebastian was here.

  I knew the moment that Gideon sensed the blast of power and felt the change that happened to Thayne’s strength… all hell broke loose.

  Thayne

  I have to say; I ’d done a pretty excellent job with Gideon’s face during my rage. His right eye was swollen shut, and blood was running down from a cut above his left eye, making it even harder for him to see. His bottom lip was split from where his fangs had caught when I'd hit him in the jaw, snapping his mouth shut. Altogether I was pretty damn satisfied.

  The moment I felt Sebastian’s glamour being removed, I stepped back, waiting for Gideon’s reaction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reese and Trent getting into position. If Gideon ran, there was no way he was getting out of this room alive. Not that he would be living for much longer anyway.

  Moving his eyes to look above, he snarled. “You! You'll pay for this.” Whether he was talking to Sebastian or Eve, I did not know, but he wasn't going to get a chance of attacking either one of them because I was about to end this.

  “What’s wrong, Gideon?” I challenged. He couldn’t out Eve without outing himself as a cheat. Not that anyone would believe him. Feeders were ancient history and very few even remembered the stories.

  “You cheat!” he snapped, his eyes burning with rage. “Hiding behind that bastard’s magic.”

  “I’ve hidden nothing… but you have. Tell us, Gideon. Tell us how you defeated Denton?” Circling, I made sure to keep my distance. Now was not the time to strike. “You know I still find it strange that no one here within the region witnessed it, or anyone out of the area in fact. So tell us, how did you manage to defeat Master Denton in a fair and legal fight?”

  The more I talked, the more his anger grew. He was about ready to blow his top; he just needed a little push. “Unless you didn’t,” I stated as he remained silent. “Unless you snuck in here when no one else was around and killed him before he had a chance to defend himself!”

  “It should have been me,” he roared suddenly, glaring up at the balcony above, his eyes burning with hatred. “I should have been on the Council. I should have lived the life of luxury amongst them, not you! You stole what was mine! I was only taking what I rightly deserved. You destroyed the Council and gave yourself the title of Master and no one questioned it, so I did the same.”

  “And so you planned to kill me?” Sebastian said calmly.

  “Yes. And I may have failed in my plans, but there will be others.” Of course there would. That was a reality Sebastian had lived with for centuries. Where there was great power, there was always someone wanting to tear it down.

  Looking to Sebastian, I waited for his reply, but it seemed he had heard enough. Catching his slight nod, I moved fast, faster than I had allowed myself before and struck. He never even saw the punch coming; he was so focused on the man above. The hit rocked him back, sending his head snapping to the side as he stumbled. Not giving him a chance to recover, I aimed a fist at his jaw and followed it up with a hit to his side. I wasn’t pulling my punches anymore either. With every hit, I both felt and heard his bones breaking.

  As he knelt on the blood-soaked floor, his eyes still burning with rage, never leaving those above, I made my final move. Grasping his head, using all my new-found strength, I twisted. There were only three ways in which to kill a vampire. Exposure to the sun – though it wasn’t an instantaneous thing like you see in the movies. Destroy the heart. Or my favourite, removal of the head.

  As his neck snapped his body went limp, crashing to the floo
r. Holding my hand out, I waited to be passed the blade that I’d given Chad earlier that night, just in case things had worked in my favour. “Here you go… Master,” he smirked.

  Ignoring his words, not really wanting to think about the consequences of what I was about to do, I closed my hand around the cold, silver blade. Wasting no time, I quickly brought it down upon Gideon’s exposed neck, severing his head from his body and sealing my fate.

  It was done. As the crowd around me roared in approval, I glanced up, my eyes clashing with the only person in there whose opinion I cared about. I had killed in front of her. Would she hate me? Despise me? Be afraid of me? That was my greatest fear.

  Stood beside her, his face full of approval, was Sebastian. The Master vampire had used his powers before and during the fight to hide his presence from all but me and a select few, only allowing the mass of power he held within loose once he was sure of his suspicions. Gideon had been after him; he was the end game in the bastard’s twisted mind.

  Speaking to the crowd, he smiled. “I give you, Master Thayne!”

  Master Thayne. What the fuck had I just gotten myself into?

  I suddenly found myself in a mass of bodies, hands of congratulations pounding me again and again on my back.

  “I knew you could do it.”

  “You’ll make a great Master.”

  I was grateful for their confidence in me, but right at that moment, I needed to make sure that the person I had done all this for – the main one, anyway – was okay with what she had just witnessed, and not freaking the fuck out. Luckily Reese and Chad seemed to realise the same thing and were parting the crowd to allow me passage. Not that I needed to go far. The moment my path through the crowd was clear, a body came flying at me, my arms opening upon instinct at the sight of her auburn hair.

  Wrapping her arms and legs around me, Eve buried her face in my neck, her body shaking like mad. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I soothed, rubbing my hand up and down her back as she sobbed in my arms. “Everything is okay.”