Page 79 of You Will Obey

Behind me, I could hear his sons cry out in pain and I knew what was happening to me was happening to all of my vampires. Deacon’s wolves all seemed to be suffering some effect of what their Alpha was going through, but it didn’t look to be as intense. Deacon was gripping his chest and gasping, his eyes closed tight as his son held him. Tylendel only looked on, as he could do nothing more. I didn’t know how many minutes passed by with this pain wracking our bodies, but when it finally went away, I was exhausted, horny, and starving for blood.

“Jesus, that was intense,” I heard Deacon say. I looked over to see him rising to his feet, using the wall and his son to help steady himself. “Something is different, I can feel it.”

“Dad, something has definitely changed… shit,” said Deacon’s son, then he reached down, grabbing his crotch and giving it a squeeze.

“Let’s test it,” Tylendel said, then he rose and walked over to Deacon, taking his hand into his own and conjured his fire.

“Oh shit!” Deacon yelped, his eyes wide, and tried to snatch his hand away, but Tylendel held fast. Deacon stopped struggling and looked down at his unburned flesh. “Oh my god,” he gasped, then cackled with what I assumed was a mixture of joy and relief.

“Well, we know you’re immune to fire now,” Tylendel said.

“Do me next, that way we’ll know if it changed the whole pack,” Deacon’s son said.

The wolf held out his hand and Tylendel conjured his fire and it had no effect on the wolf. There was a collective howl amongst them and smiles broke out over weary, bloody faces.

“I think we can see what else is new later. For now, that’s a big deal. Why don’t you go home and rest,” I said.

Deacon smiled and nodded. “Yeah, sure. Wow, fucking hell, fire can’t kill us anymore.”

“Remember our deal, you’re mine now,” I told him.

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. “I won’t forget the deal I made with the devil.”

I laughed. “Good.”

He turned and wrapped his arm around his son, and he and his pack started making their way back through the tunnel, stopping to pick up the bodies of his fallen wolves along the way. I turned to Tylendel.

“Let me see if I’m also fireproof.” I held out my hand, which seemed like the safest way to find out. Tylendel did the same test and the fire had no effect on me and I smiled, because I felt a plethora of emotions. Something that I feared my entire life was no longer a threat to me. “What about your venom?” I asked in my excitement.

Tylendel shrugged. “Can we test that when we’re not in this dirty tunnel? I mean, once I bite you, you’re going to want to fuck. I’d rather not do it here.”

“Fair enough,” I said, then walked over to Théoden and helped him to his feet. “You did an amazing job protecting my territory, son.”

“Thank you, Father,” he said with a crooked smile.

“Let’s get some blood into you.”

We left the tunnel and made our way to the closest sanctuary. There were no windows, but the lights were on and the corpses of vampires were scattered around. Those who managed to breach the sanctuary through the tunnel. The smell of blood was thick in the air, not as thick as it was in the tunnel, but still, very enticing.

“My King,” Horace addressed me, then went to one knee, head bowed.

“As you were,” I said.

He nodded, then rose, a look of grave concern on his face. “My King, something has happened… I felt great pain.”

He looked like he’d been in a battle like the rest of us, bloody and weary. “We have become stronger, I will explain. For now, we need blood,” I told him.

“Yes, of course, my King.” He ran off to gather humans for us to feed on. I sat Théoden down on the sofa and walked over to the door.

“Father, are you sure?” Théoden asked.

“I have to know, Théoden,” I said. He swallowed hard but nodded. I opened the heavy, steel door, letting a sliver of sunlight shine through. I took a deep breath, then stuck my hand in the beam of sunlight. Instinctively, I jerked back, but when I realized I only felt the heat of the sun and not the pain of its intensity that I was used to, I put my hand back into the beam.

“Oh my god,” Théoden gasped and struggled to rise.

“Stay where you are, child. You’re far too weak to walk,” I said.

I smiled at the result, seeing as the sun didn’t burn my flesh like fat on a griddle. For over two thousand years, I’d been accustomed to the night and all of its beauty. I never regretted becoming a vampire and the sacrifices I’d made to be as powerful as I was. But now, thanks to whatever Alexander had done, I no longer had to make such sacrifices. I opened the door wider and let the brightness of the sun embrace me and I felt… relief… happiness.

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