Page 5 of Awakening the Dhampir

It’s for our own good, I told her. Our only chance of survival is to stay strong and stay away from him.

I don’t know why I tried to talk to her. It wasn’t like she could hear me, right? The sadness deepened, sharpening the pain in my chest. I sucked in a shallow breath and tried to push it aside. I’d think about it later.

The door opened, and Conrad entered with another man. Conrad’s orange chocolate scent greeted me, but his was the only one. I could deal with just one vampire. I recognized my hunger, but it was nothing more than an acknowledgment.

My other visitor eyed me warily with dull gray eyes set deep beneath his bushy eyebrows. A full beard and mustache, the same color as his thick brown hair, covered the lower half of his face. He drew in a deep breath and took a step closer. I didn’t move from my spot while the enormous man loomed over me.

“All I smell is fae,” the new guy said. “And a little human.”

“You’re certain?” Conrad asked, not taking his eyes from me.

“Yep. I remember the dhampir, Conrad.”

“Jared!” Conrad called over his shoulder.

The door opened again, and Jared stepped inside. He smiled at me, and I softened my scowl just long enough for him to see.

“Bring two more,” Conrad commanded. “Have the last two waiting by the door.”

Two male vampires joined Jared a moment later. Too many secondary smells mingled with the chocolate. I couldn’t even distinguish the orange anymore. The box I’d sealed my dhampir in rattled, and hunger churned in my stomach, but I kept my expression neutral. I refused to show this asshole anything.

“I’m telling you, Conrad. She ain’t dhampir,” the bearded stranger said. “No way she’d be able to sit there all calm like that with four vampires in the room.”

“The rest,” Conrad growled.

Two females entered my room next, forcing the others closer. The smell of vampire blood thickened the air. My hunger turned into an intense need, a longing that threatened to break free, but I refused to let it go. I refused to let them see my dhampir. If I could convince this stranger I wasn’t what they thought, maybe Conrad would let me go.

The bearded guy walked over and knelt in front of me. I drew in a breath, inhaling his scent. Pine and cloves diluted the chocolate, suppressing my hunger. Barely.

“You got a name, beautiful?” he asked.

While caging my dhampir—however long ago that was—I’d decided on a name for my new persona. I couldn’t be Lorna or Mallory or even Gale while I was here. This place would kill all of them if I didn’t find a way to protect them. So, I would be her until I left this place.

“D’laej,” I replied.

He smiled at me and rose to his feet. “She ain’t dhampir. Demon maybe, but not dhampir.”

“She is no demon,” Conrad spat. “Demons don’t procreate, and you know it. Everyone out!”

The bearded guy winked at me and followed the others out of the room. Everyone but Conrad. He lifted a finger and pointed it at me. Before my eyes, his fingernail grew into a long, sharp claw.

“Fight this all you like, D’laej. I will have your magic, or you will die. There is no escape.”

He pierced his forearm and dragged the pointed nail from his wrist up to his elbow. Blood pooled along the cut, and his fruity chocolate scent hit me like a fricking truck. This was worse than a room full of vampires. My hunger surged forward. The familiar feel of my fangs ached in my mouth. My dhampir’s box rattled even louder than before.

I lay down on my hard ass bed and turned my back to him. I couldn’t let him see me react. I refused to become what he wanted. I’d fight him until the very end. The door slammed a few seconds later, but the smell of his blood didn’t leave with him.

I rolled over and nearly fell off the bed. He’d left a puddle of blood on the floor, a temptation to draw out my dhampir. Evil bastard. I didn’t even get a sandwich this time.

I swallowed hard and dropped my head between my knees. What was the best way to get rid of it without implicating myself? I tried to think, but his blood called to me. My dhampir pounded on the walls of her cage, but I couldn’t give in. I wouldn’t.

What would a normal human do? What would my sister do? She’d puke her guts up over the sight of a little blood. Then she’d continue to throw up while she made her husband clean it.

Okay, I could do this. I still had a half bottle of water. Once it was empty, I could refill it in the sink and clean up the messy temptation on my floor. I could also bitch up a storm about nasty uncivilized animals. I tipped my head back and glared up at the camera.

“Who the hell leaves a puddle of blood on the floor?” I screamed at whoever was watching me. “You disgusting pig! Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? I don’t even have a rag to clean that shit.”

I muttered several curses under my breath and dumped water on the bane of my existence. I refilled the bottle several times in my little sink and washed the blood down the small drain in the floor. Another wave of sadness crashed over me. I suspected it was my dhampir. Maybe if I ever got out of this, she and I would find a compromise.

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