Belmont

They had been completely unprepared for our arrival. And I was not ready for the violence that would unfold before my eyes. Sure, I had held a gun, shot at people, threatened idiots with a knife, and been in fights. That was nothing unusual in the area where I grew up; you had to fend for yourself, and every jerk around the corner was a petty criminal. But this—this was pure slaughter. I was in the midst of a war between two vampire clans, and it was so much bigger than I had ever imagined.

The first attack was over in an instant. Clock was systematic and fucking fearless, and it ended with bodies strewn all over the backyard thanks to his surprise tactics. I watched as Clocksworth stepped unbothered over the corpses and walked toward the storage room, and I could do nothing but trust that he knew what he was doing. All I could do was follow on shaky legs.
Without the slightest attempt to hide, he kicked open the door and coldly shot a vampire in the head with the gun he had pulled from his waistband. 

Then he stood in the middle of the room with his arms outstretched and shouted, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

  I remained at the doorway to ensure no one attacked us from behind, waiting with a racing heart for whoever was hiding in the room. "You know I'll find you sooner or later!" Clock roared irritably, but no one answered. 

He turned to me and nodded for me to go right toward a stack of wooden crates. I reloaded my weapon and quietly moved toward the boxes. I had only made it halfway when a shot rang out, and I turned in panic to make sure Clock was okay. But the shot had come from another direction.

"Shit," he sighed, "we needed him alive." 

I looked down at the vampire who had shot himself in the temple; it was clear he would rather die than be captured and tortured by Clock. "What do we do now?" 

"Look for the bottles and other evidence," he muttered sourly.

  I nodded and got to work, but my hands were still shaking, and my head was spinning. He had killed between fifteen and twenty people himself, and I knew he hadn't needed me there. I was only along for the ride because Anthony demanded it, as if it were some sort of punishment for both of us. 

The rest of Clock's group of men had been dispatched to similar locations to secure our warehouses and protect our assets. Clock was the one Anthony trusted the most, the one who did the dirty work that no one else could handle. I glanced over at him as he moved around, prying open wooden crates with a crowbar and spilling their contents onto the floor.

  "You can stop breaking things now," I teased, holding up a piece of paper. "What we're looking for is in another warehouse." 

Clock kicked aside a pile of bags filled with some kind of pasta and I looked around thoughtfully. All this security for a little macaroni? He took the paper from my hand and skimmed through it. "Come on, let's go."

"Wine and pasta?" I muttered as we were back in the car. "Is that what we're looking for?"

Clock leaned his elbow against the car door and ran a hand through his hair. "It's whatever the market demands."

My head was spinning, and I felt the adrenaline starting to leave my body, revealing just how tired I really was, so I leaned my head back and closed my eyes for a moment."So we're dealing with heavy drugs?"

I shivered all over when Clock ran his fingers over my exposed throat. "No one touched you?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine; there were just more of them than I thought."

"Sleep if you want; there will be even more at the next place."

I frowned and glanced at him. "So Anthony is some kind of immortal drug prince?"

"Drugs, weapons, exclusive champagne," he sighed, "whatever they pay for."

"So we're in the middle of a drug war," I muttered. "Does this happen often?"

Clock turned his head and chuckled. "Hardly; it's been about a hundred years since the last time."

"Seriously?" I groaned.

"Yup."

"What the hell, why would anyone start a war right now?" I whined, rubbing my tired forehead.

"Because Anthony has gotten stronger; his empire has expanded tremendously lately."

"Thanks to you and Lu," I remarked. He didn't respond, and I sank further down in the seat, feeling like I could fall asleep at any moment. "They're afraid of him," I continued, but he remained silent, and I could feel him watching me. "Just say what you're thinking."

"You need to be careful, okay?"

My heart started to race, but I tried to stay calm as I opened one eye and glanced at him. I desperately longed to feel those lips against mine again. Damn, the kiss had been really stupid and impulsive. My heart ached when I thought about it. He was the reason I had stayed. 

"If it weren't for you, I would have left..."

He rubbed his forehead with his thumb and index finger. "I know," but then he sighed and looked down at me with an unusually worried expression. "Anthony and I..." but then he stopped himself, weighing his words carefully before continuing, "Whatever you're thinking, it's a really bad idea."

I couldn't wait any longer; I didn't care at all what Anthony would think. I quickly leaned forward, grabbed his jacket, and pulled him down to me. The kiss was everything I had fantasized about, full of desire and longing. His fingers dug into my hair, and I hoped he wanted this as much as I did. All I could think about in that moment was our quick breaths, tongues exploring each other's mouths, hands demanding more—but then he suddenly stopped and gently pushed me away, and I searched for an answer in those serious dark eyes.

"Are you afraid of him?"

He shook his head and looked away. "You don't know what you're getting into, Little One."

"And what if I don't care? My life can hardly get more fucked up?"

He chuckled. "You're an idiot."

"I know," I smirked, leaning closer with my lips near his neck. He was going to pay for all the times he teased me with his sexy smiles, I thought, and I was about to place some equally teasing kisses on his neck—but I didn't get to execute my plan before I was yanked away. 

My body flew forward toward the driver's partition and crashed into the glass wall.Then there was an explosion, the car skidded around, gunshots echoed around us. They hit the car; it spun around several times before suddenly stopping with a jolt. Then everything went black. 

I felt someone pulling at my body. My leg ached, my head was spinning, and the pain made me faint again. I tried to open my eyes; I could hear gunshots again, voices shouting, and more shots.

Clocksworth... where are you? I can hear you... I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I fained again, everything was black. It sounded like fireworks on New Year's. Then everything is silent... deathly silent. 

"Bel! ... Damn it, Bel... wake up!"

I felt the pain easing. My leg didn't hurt as much. Someone was carrying me, dragging me. Everything was black. I wanted to wake up, but I couldn't. A muffled voice penetrated my consciousness. 

"Wake up! You can't die, Bel... you mustn't..."

Everything fell silent... I just wanted to sleep a little... just a little...

"Sorry, Little one... I'm sorry... but you can't die... okay?"

I felt something warm against my lips, something running down into my mouth. It tasted like iron, and I drink until I was full.

The darkness faded, and I heard voices around me. "Do you understand what you've done!!"

"Lu... I had no other choice! ... he was dying; I would never have made it home..."

"...Anthony... he will kill you... this is the worst thing you've done, Clocksworth... the absolute worst."

Clock's voice broke as he whispered, pain dripping from every word. "He's going to hate me."

"... Belmont?"

"He didn't want to become like us, but I did it anyway, because I couldn't bear to see him die, Lu. I couldn't watch him die." 

Lumiere sighed heavily. 

"Stop looking at me like that; you did the same for Marianne."

Lu muttered something inaudible before sitting on the edge of the bed. "His body has almost gone through the whole process."

"Is he okay?"

Lu nodded. "But you broke one of the most important rules."

"I accept the consequences."

"But what about Belmont? Is he going to? Do you know why the rule exists?!" Lumiere continued with frustration in his voice.

"My blood is strong!"

"How do you know? Have you done this before?" Lu snapped.

"...no."

My eyes fluttered open; I wanted to open my mouth and say something, but I couldn't. I heard Lumiere sigh again and rise from the bed. Through small gaps, I saw him place his hands on Clocksworth's cheeks and smile sadly. "I don't blame you, but I don't want to lose my brother and best friend." 

Clock nodded and walked toward the door. 

"Where are you going?" Lumiere asked nervously.

"There's no point in waiting; he needs to know."

The door closed gently behind him, and the pale-haired slender vampire glanced down at me where I lay in the bed. "I hope you're worth the trouble."

My senses sharpened, and I immediately noticed when Anthony stepped inside, Clock walking behind him. Suddenly, the room grew colder. A firm hand gripped my wrist; I was still squinting, and my body ached.

"Wake up," his command made my eyelids flutter, but I was too tired. Anthony muttered softly and unbuttoned my shirt, placing his palm over my chest. I felt a strange vibration fill my body. "You're lucky, Clocksworth; he's healthy, and he will be as strong as you." His voice was cold and icy as he rose. "I never make exceptions; we don't break our rules." He was silent for a long moment, as if he was carefully choosing his words before he continued, "But right now, we need him."

"No one needs to know, Anthony," Lumiere whispered. "Everyone will think it was you."

Anthony raised an eyebrow and approached Clock. He took a firm grip around his neck and stared him straight in the face. "So, another helpless child has made your old heart bleed," he sighed. "He is your responsibility now." He hesitated for a moment, studying Clocksworth intently before his tone softened, and his thumb caressed the thin skin over Clock's Adam's apple. "He needs blood," he muttered before leaving the room.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Lumiere finally moved toward the door. "Will you manage?"

Clock nodded. "Go, I suspect he needs you."

Lumiere agreed and left the room quickly, while Clock sat down on the bed. He lifted my head and placed a cup against my lips. "Drink this, Bel; you'll feel better."

The cold, thick liquid ran down my throat; it tasted strongly of iron, and at first, I was disgusted by the texture. But suddenly, a strong desire awakened within me. I opened my eyes and looked wildly around the room. There, on the dresser, lay three bags. I dashed out of bed, sank my fangs into the soft plastic, and drank until I could squeeze the bag dry. I sank down onto the floor with my back against the wallpapered wall, my hands gripping the bag as if it were the most precious thing in the world. One more. I grabbed the next bag; my teeth were sharp and sank easily through the plastic, and I sucked out every drop. One more. My body screamed, but the blood made me feel better.

A hand stroked my cheek, and I looked into the chestnut-brown eyes. "Come," he held out a hand, and I took it immediately.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to show you your new life."

Suddenly we were on the terrace, and I gazed out over the garden. My muscles felt stronger, my vision sharper, and my sense of smell was incredible."Wow..."

Clock chuckled. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?"

"It's insane." I hugged the railing and took a deep breath. "So I'm still breathing?"

Clock shrugged. "It's complicated; your body still remembers what it was like to live."

I placed my hand on my chest, no heartbeat. "So I'm dead?"

Clocksworth came up behind me and placed a tentative hand on my back. "Are you okay? I mean, I know you never wanted this..."

"What happened?" I interrupted.

He sighed heavily. "It seems they were warned and ready. There were mines on the road, and the car was totalled." His hand wandered from my back to my chest, and his body warmed my entire back. How could he be so warm if he was dead? I didn't understand, and having his body so close was hypnotizing."You ended up under the car," he continued. "I tried to get you out." I felt him resting his forehead against my neck. "But they came for us, and I had to leave you."

"How many were there?"

"About thirty."

"Did you take them down yourself?" I asked with admiration in my voice, feeling almost disgusted with myself.

He stroked my neck. "I had grenades with me."

"Okay," I whispered, letting out a moan, "so is it over now?"

He sighed heavily. "This is just the beginning."

I turned to face him, meeting his gaze. "What happened next?"

He avoided my eyes, and I knew there was something he didn't want to tell me, but I waited patiently. "I made sure everyone was dead before I ran back to you. Your leg was stuck, and when I finally got you free, you were unconscious." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against my shoulder, whispering softly, "I'm sorry."

"It was you?" I whispered, studying his face. A warm feeling spread within me. It had been Clock—not Anthony—who transformed me. A wave of relief washed over me; somehow, everything had turned out for the better.

He nodded slightly. "You never got the choice you deserved," he began, but I quickly placed my fingers over his lips.

"It doesn't matter now. What's done is done," I replied, taking a step closer to him. All I wanted was to touch him, to feel his hair between my fingers again. He was so damn magnetic.

"Belmont. There's something else I need to tell you." 

The serious tone startled me, but whatever it was it couldn't be that bad? "I'm listening."

"Anthony is my husband."