Blood Lust

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE





Isaac ran his hand over his hair. “I hope you’re trying to get me to cower on your lap.”



Before Seth made a reply, a strong knock upon the basement door proceeded Kon calling down, “We have a problem.”



Seth responded, “She has several fledglings suffering transformation madness with her. They want nothing so much as to tear into Receivers and glut on their blood.”



The mental images alone terrified him. “I have a half dozen pistols and rifles. Any of them a help?”



“Not unless you have ultraviolet-loaded ceramic-nosed rounds.” Seth stood. “Kon, I shall join you in a moment,” he replied, pitching his deep voice. He dressed in briefs, jeans, and hiking boots. Bare-chested and beautiful, he held out his hand. “Come with me, boy.”



Isaac rose. He had to release his lover’s hand to drag on track pants. Then, he caught Seth’s hand and twined his fingers with his man’s. “Let’s go.” In the back of his mind, he wondered if he could ever deny that simple summons of his lover’s offered hand.



They ascended the steps. Kon waited there, Jay at his side. She looked close to dissolving from fear. The Russian said, “Swords?”



Seth nodded. “Upstairs.”



They went up as a group. In that curious museum of a room, Seth and Kon selected weapons. They spoke in a language Isaac classified as a mix of Latin, the romance tongues of Spanish and French, with perhaps ancient Egyptian influence.



Jay spoke from the doorway. “I just wrapped my mind around vampires’ ability to provide kindness and safety.”



Isaac walked to join her. “It’s like any people, group, or religion. Good and bad come in them just the same.” He hugged her to his side with one arm. “I’m actually good in a scrap, guys,” He said to the vampires. “No real formal training, just natural talent for brawling. And, I’m a great shot. Scared, but willing to help.”



They looked at him in tandem, replied in unison. “No, boy.”



Isaac gazed down at his cousin. He couldn’t seem to summon up an objection to their macho, alpha male protectiveness on his behalf. “Guess we play damsels in serious fucking distress.”







A quarter moon reflected on freshly iced-over snow provided a great deal of light. Kon and Seth stepped outside as Jay and Isaac watched through the bay window of the front living room. That brittle-looking, yet beautiful woman stood with three horrifying creatures. If Kon’s appearance had frightened Isaac, these … animals’ physical presence screamed death and pain. Hair matted with something both greasy and crunchy like old blood, pale skin showing blue veins, eyes red with brilliant irises, bobbing and weaving forms that seemed both emaciated and aggressive, they gave the impression of ruthless predators.



Jay half-gagged, then sobbed. Isaac held her head to his chest, pressing her face there and hiding her eyes. “Don’t look.”



Speed of the encounter threatened to defy human perception. Transformation-maddened vampires fell quickly. Kon and Seth ripped them apart, leaving their bloody remains on the moonlit snow. Under the lunar illumination, the gore looked shiny and almost black. That female vampire waited, watching the fight, seemingly unconcerned as the minions she’d brought with her fell.



When she stood alone, she gave a guttural, mirthless laugh. “You know me,” the female vampire shouted. “You’ve not seen a fraction of my power.”



Seth stood breathing hard from the fray. “Aurora, you’re in direct disobedience of the council.”



She shook her heavy-looking, glossy blond mane back over her shoulders. “I’ve no concern over that ancient bitch trying to find me. Let alone deliver discipline.” Smiling without humor, she said, “You came to this shit hole to hide from vamp society. Makes it hard to threaten me with it, convict.”



Isaac winced, attempting to absorb the interaction. Clearly portions of Seth’s past remained unknown. Jay flinched and shuddered. He held her tighter. “Keep your face on me.” If something awful transpired, he didn’t want her to see it.



Seth replied in a flat tone. “Convicted of your crime. I spent twenty years locked in Karreguard Prison for the unlawful kill you made. Go and don’t come back. Leave me and mine alone.”



Aurora turned her head. Staring into the window, she smiled. Long blood teeth glinted. “What a sweet sight. Those blood whores holding each other.”



Kon attacked in a fragmented blur.



The female vampire lifted her long-nailed hand and sent him flying off to land on the freeze-crusted lawn. “Do not presume to fight me, Russian. I lived when Byzantium reigned. You’re little more than a child to me.”



Isaac leaned down and kissed Jay’s head. Something in his gut refused Aurora’s cavalier attitude. “Stay in here, cousin.” He set her gently from him, rose and walked outside. Barefoot on the icy porch, he waited until the female and his mate faced him. Kon righted himself, his black eyes catching the moonlight much the same as the spilled blood.



Isaac inhaled. “Aurora, leave Kon and Seth alone. If you possess so much power, and want me, then fight me.” He descended the steps, soles of his feet numbing.



She rushed to him, smelling of expensive perfume and death. “I already tossed you around.”



He met her gaze, frightened, yet emboldened. “When I knew no better.”



She hissed and vanished.



Kon gathered up Isaac, cradling him to his bare, warm chest. “You have become the strong one.”



Loving it, he relaxed into the vampire’s embrace. “Kon, you’re my brother now.” In his entire existence, he had never known such welcome and comfort as with these members of another species. With Jay trailing, the Russian carried him inside and down into Seth’s bedding area. Kon set Isaac upon the bed.



Seth stepped from his periphery, seated himself, and pulled Isaac into his arms. “My mate. My powerful mate.” They all sat upon Seth’s subterranean resting place.



Isaac kind of collapsed, weary, undone and sighed, “I’m not powerful.” In the warmth of the house, with his man’s arms holding him, the relief swelled.



Seth replied, “You faced-down a vampire strong enough to perhaps defeat Kon and I both.”



He tried to work through the events. “Maybe because I didn’t know enough to properly cower.” He twisted to look into his lover’s eyes. “How? How did I do it, and how the fuck did I know I could?”



Kon replied quietly, “There are legends concerning a strain of Receivers with the ability to turn upon our kind and change from submissive to dominant. To make pets of their once-captors or owners.”



At the word ‘pet’, Isaac sat up straighter. He whispered, “Will you and Jay excuse us, please?” As he heard them returning to the first floor, Isaac queried, “Anything you wanna confess, my love?”