“Can I have some more pigs blood?” Xairin asked.
Ethan smirked. “Cows blood a little bitter for ya?”
Xairin nodded. “Yes, a little too bitter.”
Ethan went around and offered everyone a second tube of pig’s blood for those that requested it, some actually liked the cattle’s blood and asked for more.
The second tube managed to get the cows blood down, with a minimal after taste.
“Knowing which blood types agree with you and how they taste is important. “Most of us always go for pigs’ blood, my personal pref is O-.” Ethan offered.
Ethan returned to his perch, “On the tablet provided, please enter the animal type, and the blood types you preferred. It's helping us determine what to stock in regions heavy with vampires.”
Xairin noticed the tablet on his desk and picked it up to answer the questions. Pigs blood should have come with a double check mark option.
Ethan then smiled. His mood was becoming more chipper. “Now, as for feeding, the next subject in feeding to cover is one barely mentioned in those videos. Thralls… Can anyone tell me what a thrall is?” He pointed at Xairin after no one replied. “You, Mr. Thunder? What’ is a thrall?”
Xairin was caught off guard. He tried to recall from the videos and remembered a little. “A human that drinks vampire blood, right?”
Ethan nodded. “More than that. For one, any immortal can create a thrall.” He looked at a few faces before diving in to the subject. “When any immortal offers but a few drops of our blood to a mortal, our blood, our cells, go straight for their fat cells so to speak. It converts them into what science calls stem cells, though these are not the ones that occur in nature, these are imbued with a few of the immortal’s traits. They repair the human body first, then depending on how much you fed them, modify them to some degree. They become a little stronger, faster, physical flaws can be corrected after a good night's rest. After that, a link, a psychic link begins to form with the cells that emerge inside their body. After that, an immortal can influence the thrall, control them to a point so long as they are in range. Normally the psychic link between an immortal and their thrall is around a hundred miles or more, depending on the caste of the immortal. In most immortals, they would enthrall human subjects to influence and control them to help keep themselves hidden, using the thralls to carry out tasks. this was a common practice mostly in more ancient times. It involved controlling political figures, religious leaders and even law enforcement. Most immortals used thralls to keep them safe, hidden. Not to mention, keeping the immortal population down. With vampires, we took it a step further. We are the only immortals that could feed on our thralls without killing them obviously.” He noticed a few people looking perplexed. Ethan huffed the words. “Think about it, if a werewolf had a thrall, eating their thrall meant someone lost an arm or a leg…” The denser in the class nodded after getting it.
“A thrall can be immortal as well and bonded to the immortal that first enthralled them. The cells the develop are specific to the one who originated them. As for their immortality, they just have to drink three or four drops of blood a month after that from any immortal. Otherwise the cells inside them eventually die off after a year or so when the hormones our cells produce are no longer present. Naturally their enhanced state of course wanes until they become as they were before. At that point they can be enthralled again, by a new governing immortal.”
Ethan snarled. His fangs glistened. “Hunters would kill us for our blood. Some hunters would even subdue us and keep us captive, so they had an endless supply. All it takes is silver after all.”
A woman sitting beside Xairin, what looked like a teenager with pixie cut dark hair, sprung her hand up. “If we can control our thralls?”
Before she could finish Ethan was already on it as he leaned back against the desk with his arms crossed. “Silver can poison us if it touches our flesh long enough or gets inside us. It prevents us from controlling our thralls and our immortal spawn. It's a slow and agonizing death. Most hunters would target Alphas for captivity. Alphas tend to live a few years, even a decade or two depending on how old they were under such constant exposures. Also, there are herbs that can force us into hibernation, wolf’s bane for example, or nightshade, the dosage of course plays a factor. Once you’re in hibernation, your ability to influence your underlings dissipates. Another herb was agrimony, aka churches steeple, it could induce fever much like a virus would to a human. It can make us weak, very weak, and could force an immortal into hibernation also. However, garlic is a myth, it just has a strong odor.”
Ethan smiled. “As for our thralls, having a few thralls did come in handy, and it is still a common practice. Outside the door, waiting in the hallway, is a thrall for each person in this room, courtesy of my own nest, lending a few. They are willing humans, that can donate a sip or two of their blood. Often a vampire would have a dozen thralls on hand to summon when they needed blood to keep from killing. One of the benefits of our race compared to the others that need raw meat to survive.”
He looked at Xairin again. “Each of you will learn to taste human blood straight from the tap. It tastes more pure than cloned blood. This is a lesson in controlling your ability to feed from a living donor. Once you’ve fed, simply scratch your wrist, bite it or prick your finger if you have too, simply offer them a drop of your blood to heal what you have taken from them, it's that simple.”
Xairin’s chest filled with dread at that thought, as did a few other vampires in the room. Many never once conceived the thought of having to feed from a human at all, only the cloned stuff. While Xairin sat there pondering this predicament, Ethan informed the class that all vampires were being mandated to learn the art of taking only what they need. That and making sure to offer a drop or two of their own blood.
Xairin squirmed as the humans came in. They were in street clothes. It had been approved by parliament to allow the Society of Night to conduct this activity, so that all vampires could control their feeding as a safety precaution, despite the readily available cloned products.
Ethan seemed to hone in on Xairin again, noticing his facial expressions hinting at his displeasure in this art.
“When you bite, you’re going to instantly taste the blood. Your first urge is going to be to keep drinking, and not only that, but to bite harder, and begin sucking at the wound. You need to anticipate this, and try to not clamp down, just suck, and do not clamp down hard. Due to arteries and such, I suggest biting the shoulder, never the neck. Going for the neck directly, can be dangerous to the donor. Bite the arm, the shoulder, even the back of the thigh and or the calves. Use your infrared vision to help you place your fangs. If you’re not in an artery, the blood will flow slowly, and you will naturally stop because the blood flow is slower. This is where you resist biting again to widen the wound. Make sure to target the areas I mentioned. Another thing is you’re going to instantly feel your tongue raise and will feel a gland under your tongue secreting saliva. Like vampire bats, our saliva has a potent anticoagulant that prevents clotting. This anticoagulant in our saliva also has an additional property… It induces states of euphoria in humans and thralls. Some humans even get off on it, literally in some cases. That myth is true as well. Some humans that were privileged enough to know of our existence even became addicted to it and would pay top dollar to be bitten. Because the anticoagulant element in our saliva is so potent compared to our bat counterparts, it's imperative to offer them your own blood to force the wound to close. Everyone understand?”
Xairin didn’t pay attention to the others acknowledging the Alpha’s instructions. All he paid attention too, was the woman standing at his desk, waiting to be bitten. She had curly brown hair that was past her shoulders. She was wearing a flowery dress, which surprised Xairin. It seemed dated. She was young, in her twenties. She even offered her name. “Hi, I’m Gabby.”
Xairin was standing. He was looking into her brown eyes. He was starting to bre
ak a sweat. “I’m not doing this.”
Ethan walked up to Xairin first. He wasn’t the only one that was unwilling to perform. Ethan was insistent. “Every vampire at some point is going to taste human blood straight from the spicket so to speak. No vampire is leaving quarantine until they have demonstrated they can bite, control their bite, take a mouth full of blood only, and heal the donor. Do you understand Mr. Thunder?”
Xairin crossed his arms as his green eyes locked with Ethan’s. “Please, this can’t be part of the rules, can it?”
Gabby placed her hand on Ethan’s chest as she stepped forward. “It's ok. I got this Ethan.”
Ethan walked off while rolling his eyes. Meanwhile Gabby looked at Xairin. “It's ok. I’ve had several new vampires feed on me. Bite my wrist, it's easier for me to whack you upside the head with my other hand if you get out of line. Just do like he said, get a mouth full, and that's it.”
Xairin looked terrified. “I don’t think I can hurt someone.”
Gabby smiled. “You’re not hurting me. Trust me, the moment you bite, that enzyme in your saliva will numb the pain, and have me acting like I had a few drinks. It's ok. Just try.”
She put her wrist in Xairin’s face. His eyebrows raised. Everyone in the room seemed to be a mile away. It felt like it was just him and her, standing there. He closed his eyes. She pressed her wrist against his lips. The smell and heat coming off her arm set off the animal inside him. His eyes opened, solid red.
He had a tear dripping down his cheek. He really didn’t want to do this. Now his fangs were out. The animal instincts inside him were more powerful than he realized. His hands grasped her arm, holding it in perfect precision. She used her left hand to raise his chin up, so that he was looking in her eyes. “Look in my eyes, it may help you keep focus.”
He could see the life flowing in her veins. Every vessel, every artery, the heart, the entire circulatory system was glowing right there in front of him. His red eyes caught her off guard. She had never seen a vampire with red eyes before. She gasped.
Xairin looked down at her wrist and felt his mouth watering. He felt the pressure under his tongue. He had never felt that sensation before. His mouth was filling up to the point he was about to drool. He quickly opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around the woman’s wrist. His fangs didn’t need instruction, instinct took over.
She moaned, loudly, not painfully but in a sensual manner.
Xairin tried his best to focus on only a mouth full. The blood was flowing slowly at first, but the enzyme in his saliva was helping that along. He had a mouth full of blood, he swallowed. He had a second mouthful and gulped again. Ethan was right. The enzyme in they secreted caused all sorts of hormones in the human body to release. It made the blood taste sweeter. Xairin equated it to a warm version of a delicious strawberry milkshake, it was definitely more satisfying.
He kept eye contact. He saw her head tilting backwards. Her moaning alone, became annoying to Xairin. A man moaning was a turn on, a woman moaning, wasn’t. Xairin suppressed the animal instincts and released his lips hold on her wrist. He saw the wrist bleeding. He quickly bit his right pointer finger, cutting it on his lower incisors, and before he could do anything else, she was sucking his finger like a hard cock. Xairin frowned as his voice became clearly monotone. “Ok, we’re done.”
He pulled back his finger, and watched the woman smiling at him. His nose began to twitch. He could smell her scent coming from between her legs, the woman had gotten off on his bite. “OH, what in gay hell?” He thought loudly.
Xairin looked at Ethan. He was watching others in the class feeding. “Mr. Holiday, can I get a bleach wipe please? It's for my finger.”
The next thing Xairin heard was Mr. Hawkins, the thin man a few seats over, growling as he bit into a man’s shoulder. Hawkins wasn’t restraining himself. Xairin’s mood shifted from being annoyed to horrified at how Hawkins lost control. The man’s sensual moans quickly became painful, he was biting too deeply, biting faster than his enzymes could take effect. Ethan rushed to the thrall and grasped Hawkins by the throat with his left hand. Hawkin’s mouth released its grip as Ethan raised the man up like a Marinette. “IT'S ALWAYS THE ARROGANT ONES THAT LOSE CONTROL!” Ethan yelled.
Hawkins was stunned by Ethan’s strong grasp. The next thing Xairin knew was seeing Ethan toss the man against the far wall hard enough to dent the metal structure. A picture fell.
Ethan quickly bit into his wrist and used his fangs to sheer his flesh, so his vampiric blood would spew out. His blood sprayed outward over the injured thrall as he forced his wrist to the man’s mouth.
Xairin counted the seconds in his head. He reached ten, by the time Ethan withdrew his wrist the man started healing rapidly right before Xairin’s eyes. “OUR BLOOD CAN DO THAT?”
Ethan looked over at Xairin. “I guess the videos missed that part…”
_____
The next day was just another day for Xairin for the most part. He got up, showered while doing his best not to check out any of the men showering next to him, and got dressed quickly to keep from caving in to watching the well-built men around him. The mandated attire was white scrubs still, and no shoes. Once Xairin was dressed, he picked up a pair of swimming trunks that had been provided, white ones.
He made his way out of the room filled with bunk beds and walked down the long hallway passing the gym. As he walked by it, the sounds of Thomas and Parker working out, almost turned Xairin on, if it weren’t for their attitudes he might have decided to lean up against the outside wall to listen.
The stairwell he made it to, was spiral. It went down one floor, and into a small locker room, that had two entry doors, one separating the men, and the other for the women. Thankfully here, Xairin could undress in peace given it was segregated. After putting on his white trunks, he hung up his issued scrubs, and grabbed a towel. Afterwards he opened the wooden door at the end and saw the pool. It reminded him of a pool at his local YWCA, though it wasn’t as long as an Olympic pool, but close.
He dove in the deep end and began treading water near the bottom of the twelve-foot slope. He liked being in the deepest part as it soothed him. He couldn’t hear voices in the water, nor did his biosonar annoy him. His sensitive genes had heightened a bit so picking up thoughts had been more prevalent. At least he wasn’t having headaches anymore. He figured the vampiric genes had something to do with that.
After a few minutes of blessed silence, a splash interrupted his peaceful focus. It was Calvin Trejo. Xairin did his best to stay out of the muscular Hispanic man’s way. Though Trejo’s black eyes watched Xairin as he swam by him.
Xairin came up for air, and then swam under the rope to get into a lane by himself. Given his enhanced agility, he swam four laps in under a minute flat. He came up at the end of the pool near the deep end and held onto the side to catch his breath. Trying his best to not look over to the right, didn't go so well. Calvin was on the edge too and watching him. Calvin’s Mexican accent wasn’t all that thick, but enough to make some people ask him to repeat himself, this wasn’t one of those times. “You like being by yourself, don’t you?” Calvin asked.
Xairin was afraid to avoid replying to the tan skinned hulk and stuttered. “Yyyeah. It's relaxing.”
Calvin pushed off and started doing a backstroke while replying. “I get that. The pool is quiet compared to the gym.”
Calvin swam faster than Xairin, six laps in under a minute. When he reached the far end, he saw Xairin climbing up. He couldn’t help but notice Xairin’s unusual shaped birthmark. “Is that a tattoo or a birthmark?”
Xairin reached for his white towel to get the water out of his ears. “Birthmark.”
The man got out and walked over to Xairin. He looked on Xairin’s back, feeling it, it didn’t have a texture to the mark. Xairin found that odd but didn’t say anything until spoken too. “I’ve never seen a moon shaped birthmark before. That’s really interesting.”
Xairin shrugged. �
��My mom, and my siblings had it too, hereditary I suppose.”
“Whole family? Interesting indeed. Where I come from, they would say such a mark like that meant something, especially if it was passed down like that.”
Xairin shrugged. “I never really gave much thought to it other than it being something my mom had that I inherited.” Xairin was cautious and turned around slowly, extending his hand. “I’m Xairin.”
“Calvin Trejo, I promise I’m not as mean as everyone thinks I am. I used to be, but, finding inner peace has been a goal of mine for quite some time.”
“Inner peace?” Xairin asked softly.
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