Chapter 5

~ 5 and a half years earlier~

“You don’t have to hold my hand Rien, jeez…I swear I won’t do anything stupid.” Tony tried and failed to reassure me. My hand tightened…as much as I dared without crushing his fragile bones.

“I’ve learned it’s best not to take your word for anything.” I said in a dry tone and he rolled his eyes.

“The guy had it coming, if I didn’t steal his shit someone else would have, he’s a jerk, he deserved it.” He boasted and I shook my head while continuing to listen closely.

“Do you think I could stay by you tonight?” he asked when we finally turned onto his street, looking up at me with big ‘innocent ‘, pleading eyes.

“No. I’ll have guests.”

“I swear I won’t ruin it for you, I’ll just sit in a corner and watch, you won’t even know I’m there.”

Doubtful.

“That’s not the problem…these guests… You won’t be safe.”

“You’ll be there, I’ll be fine.” He said it with such confidence I had to smile.

 “You won’t be, but you’re welcome tomorrow night.” I assured him and when we finally stopped before his gate, I released his hand.

I heard the shattering of glass against wall and we both looked towards his home. The ones he called his foster parents were up to their usual antics again. I shook my head. Humans with their fickle emotions and their quick anger.

When I looked back at him his eyes were once again pleading. ”Just lemme come with you...just tonight RiRi please.” He practically begged, grabbing hold of my hand and squeezing and as always it was not easy telling him no.

“Go straight to your room and lock your doors. You will be fine.” I said prying his fingers from my wrist.

“I didn’t ask if I’d be fine, I asked to go with you.” he said and I could sense his annoyance and if I prolonged this further I would see his anger. He had a temper this one.

“And I said no. Now go and remember don-“

“Don’t do anything stupid, yeah whatever.” He finished, then turned away from me.

I watched as he half ran up the pathway leading to the house’s entrance then pulled the door open roughly before slamming it behind him. I stayed long enough to listen to his feet thudding up the wooden stairs and until he closed his room doors and turned the lock. When I heard the squeak of his mattress I disappeared into the night.

When I arrived at my temporary residence it didn’t take long for me to realize I had company; the screams of an unlucky human was my first clue. The door opened before I could reach for it and I was ushered in by an unfamiliar drudge.

“Brother you’re tardy. Why am I not surprised. Your human has all but sucked out all the good comportment you once professed to have.” My brother Jorlon spoke from the love seat where he was sprawled haphazardly, his shirt opened to expose his smooth stark white chest. Beside him a sobbing human boy lay, warm blood oozing from a shallow puncture in his neck.

On a seat to his left sat Kandane; my eldest brother; calm and composed; legs crossed and arms splayed on either arm of his chair. “It does not do you well to be late for a meeting as important as this brother.

I was helped out of my robe by the drudge before I lowered myself into a seat beside another brother; Marcan who was busy having his fill of a half conscious human girl.

“It could not be helped.” I said simply, then crossed my legs and took in the scene; the white carpet was now stained with blood; they would have to go.

“I’ve seen you with him; your human...you follow behind him like a cur, taking whatever scraps he offers you. It is demeaning.” Jorlon sneered.

“It is pathetic.” This said by Marcan who shoved the now dead body of the girl from the chair.

“It is a disgrace.” Peitre the middle brother spoke finally.

“Absolutely ridiculous.” Jorlon again.

I sat in silence taking in their words. This reaction had of course been expected.

“What do you have to say for yourself? Do you not think this has gone on long enough?” Kandane spoke then, his eyes piercing mine with their intensity.

“My private business has nothing to do with the lot of you.” I said simply.

“What you do has everything to do with us. You are our youngest brother; Father would have our heads if he found out you were out in the mortal world running around with humans.” Jorlon spat.

“Then let him have your heads, I care nothing of it and you are all wasting your time by bringing it up.”

“You ungrateful swine, how dare you speak to your elders in such a manner! You are nothing but a-“

“Enough Jorlon!” Kandane silenced him and he closed his mouth and sat glaring at me.

“Your runnings with the human is pointless Riener, he is weak; never to be accepted amongst our kind; even if you do take it upon yourself to turn him.” Kandane spoke to me as if I were a mere child and I turned my gaze upon him; letting the boredom I was experiencing at the entire conversation show in my expression.

His mouth tightened.

“He is far from weak and when I do decide to present him to the coven he will be accepted.”

They had the audacity to laugh and I shook my head. This meeting was pointless, I stood and their eyes followed me.

“Sit down, you have not been dismissed.” Kandane commanded, his eyes glittering with barely concealed anger.

“I am your brother, not your drudge, do not think you can demand anything of me.” I scoffed  and in a blink, Kandane was upon me, arm poised and ready to strike.

I watched as Peitre grabbed hold of his arm to prevent his abuse. “Remember our father.” Peitre admonished with wide eyes and Kandane finally lowered his arm grudgingly.

“You should be so lucky you are our Father’s favorite.” He spat and I turned my back to him,  fully prepared to retire to my study, leaving them to clean up their mess.

“I’ll warn you but once dear brother; do not present your human to our coven for if you do I will challenge him.”

“As will I.” Jorlon

“And I.” Peitre

“So shall I.” Marcan

“And as is custom  he shall be executed before the coven in the event of his failure.” Kandane finished and I looked around me at the ones I called my brothers and all I felt was manifest disappointment.

“Then I shall warn you…lay one hand on my mate in challenge and I shall disgrace you all before our very coven. No one shall determine my fate but me. Now leave my home at once, at the moment I am repulsed at the very thought of you as my blood.”

I let every bit of disgust I was feeling drip from my tone and one by one I watched them leave my presence, each leaving with me a scathing remark or a dirty look. I took it all in stride and when they had all departed I lowered myself into the love seat beside the still sobbing human.

“Get out and speak nothing of this night.” I told him and in a moment he too was out of my sight. I felt the anger inside me bubble and rise, then I took a breath and it dissipated leaving me wiped of emotion.

The night hadn’t turned out quite as I had expected and for once I was at a loss; completely uncertain of what to do next. I looked around the room at the discarded wine bottles, the bloodstains on the furniture and on the carpet, then at the lifeless body of the human girl still laid out on the floor. I then looked at the closed door my brothers had exited through earlier and pushed up from my seat. I was never one for family bonding anyway.

………………………………..

Five hours

He waited exactly five hours before he decided to give me cause for concern and I found myself actually impressed that he’d managed to go this long without mischief. I leapt from the balcony, darting through the trees and in a minute I was surrounded by the city lights.

I closed my eyes and searched for the sound of his heart beat in the chaos of the town…it was pumping wildly in his chest which was what first alerted me to his emotions. He was afraid.

I navigated the maze of buildings and like a shadow on the wall I went mostly unseen in my search for my boy. Then I found him; on his knees, pants drenched with the filthy sludge of the streets. This particular alley was deserted save for the body of the human lying bloody and lifeless before Tony. I approached the scene without haste, taking in every detail.

“Tony.” I said softly and surprisingly he heard me above the noise of his own broken sobs. I watched as he turned to look at me, hands pressed to a wound in the human’s chest.

“Rien!” sobbing.

“Help him” more sobbing.

 “He’s...”

 “They shot him” sobbing

 “He’s not breathing, help him.”

I lowered myself to the ground, crouching next to my mate and pulled his hands away from the unidentified human.

“He has no heartbeat, I cannot help him.” I said but he shook his head viciously, more sobs racking his small frame as he reached for the human once more.

“Use your blood, use your blood.”

“My blood will heal humans only if they are alive Tony…he is gone now.” Then because he had yet to acknowledge my words I continued, “Who is he? Did you know him very well?”

He managed to shake his head, “No I don’t know, he…they shot him.”

My brows furrowed.

“You do not know him?”

He shook his head again “What if he has a family.” Sobbing, “What if he has a family” was all he said, the tears seeming almost never-ending as they cascaded down his face.

It was this moment that had opened my eyes to the realization that Tony would not survive in my coven. We did not care for petty human life, we did not yearn for those we had lost unless they were our blood, we thrived on war and bloodletting was our entertainment.

Tony would not be able to adapt; not this sweet, caring human before me; a young man who stole from those who wronged him, yet cried for the spilled blood of a complete stranger.

……………………………………

~Present~

As I watched Tony now, turning the knife around slowly in his hand it was easy to see that the young man from years ago who had sobbed for a stranger was not the man who stood before me now.

He stared at the door that housed Kaio’s mate with a hunger for blood I had not known him to possess and an anger he’d still not learned to control.

“He will not be harmed Tony, discard your weapon and do not force me to retaliate.” I said calmly and he shifted his gaze to me.

“He’s our enemy, they killed my men, almost killed me! He can’t be trusted.”

“And clearly neither can you.  Keep your weapon then, it matters not, but you leave a scratch on Kaio’s mate and you’ll find I won’t be very forgiving.

He glared at me in disgust then turned his gaze back to the closed door.

“Do not test me Tony.” I said simply then turned from him to reenter the room.

Both kaio and his mate looked up at me then and I  took a few steps closer to the pair.

“You will tell me of yourself...leave nothing out or I’m afraid you’ll no longer be welcome here.” I spoke to the patient who regarded me seriously before glancing briefly at kaio who nodded.

Then he spoke, “I am Malik Laironov.”

                                              AUTHOR'S NOTES

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited