Sins of the Father

Chapter 16





I stalked to the alleyway and stuck my arm and middle finger in the air when Dean and Archer called my name. There was no way in hell I was going to speak to them anymore tonight. I had had more than enough bullshit for one day. Why did everyone treat me like I was weak and stupid? I was an adult and could deal accordingly. So what if I wasn’t a pack Alpha or a 1,300 year old vampire? I wasn’t some delicate flower dammit! I handled Archer’s ‘I’m a vampire’ news pretty damn well I thought…and Dean’s.

I sighed as I picked up my pace, desperate to get as far away from The Mausoleum as possible. I was so angry at everyone right now. What I couldn’t wrap my mind around was why Archer tried dictating what I did, where I went, and who I saw. Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn’t own me. I’m not his girlfriend, I’m his assistant. What a high-handed assbag!

When I got to the end of the alley, I turned right and made my way toward the multi-level parking garage a few blocks away. Archer’s Audi R8 was on level 5 waiting for me. All I wanted to do was get back to Archer’s, pack my shit, and go home to my duplex. I may have to work for Archer, but I wasn’t going to let him dictate where I could live. I missed my bed and I missed Styvi Nix. I felt a tear slide down my face and I hastily wiped it away.

I was about 100 yards from the parking garage when I heard someone walk up behind me. I stopped, glanced back, holding my keys between my knuckles at the ready, and saw that it was a well-dressed older gentleman. I relaxed a bit, turned back around, and kept walking to the car.

“That was quite entertaining,” the man said from behind me.

I stopped and turned around to face him. “Excuse me?” I asked, confused. Is he talking to me? I looked around and saw that the street was completely deserted; not even a car in sight. That’s weird, I thought. Where did everyone go?

The man chuckled and stepped closer. I got my first good look at him and saw that he was around 40 years old or so with slicked-back dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and high cheekbones. He was lean, semi-tan, of average height, and wore an expensive black tailored suit with a crisp white mandarin-collared shirt underneath.

He cocked his head to the side and studied me for a few seconds. “You are so headstrong,” he said in a thick foreign accent. I had never heard an accent quite like his before and I had no idea where he was from, but I could tell that he definitely wasn’t from around here.

“Excuse me,” I said again, my brow furrowing with the beginnings of anger. “What are you talking about?”

The man chuckled and took another step closer. “In my time, women were nothing more than property; to be used and traded accordingly. They did not talk to their masters as you have just done. How interesting…”

My jaw dropped in shock. “Look here, mister,” I huffed as I took a step back. “I don’t know what your deal is, but what I do is no concern of yours. Have you been following me?”

He smiled slyly and took another step forward.

I put my hand out in front of me to stop him from walking any closer. “Stay the hell away from me, weirdo. I’ll call the cops if I have to.”

I turned around and walked faster toward the parking garage. I suddenly had a really bad feeling about that man and I wanted to get as far away from him as I could.

I blinked for a second and he was suddenly standing in front of me. I stared into his eerie blue eyes and I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

“Silence, child,” he whispered, as he stared into my eyes and closed the gap between us. “Do not move.”

All of a sudden, my body didn’t feel like it was my own. My mouth closed and my body relaxed. This man, this thing, was somehow controlling my body. Oh my God. RUN, I screamed to myself in my head, but my legs refused to obey. I had no choice but to stand there and watch as he cocked his head to the side and studied my face intently.

“So headstrong,” he whispered, inches from my face.

I tried desperately to move my legs, my arms, a finger, but nothing would respond. What has he done to me?

The man chuckled and reached out to touch a strand of my waist length red hair. “I have enthralled your mind, human,” he said simply. “You are a means to an end and you will come with me this night.” He released the strand of hair and reached out to brush his knuckles across my left cheek. He smiled and I saw his long, deadly fangs slide down. “Such a shame…” he whispered as he leaned closer and put his nose in the hollow of my neck, taking a deep breath.

I screamed inwardly and started praying. Oh, dear God, please don’t let him drain me. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…”

The vampire threw his head back and laughed. “Your God cannot save you, human,” he said as he slowly walked around my body. “Do you know how many have prayed, just as you have, in my presence? Nothing saves them. Your God does not exist. I EXIST!” he said venomously, raising his voice. “I have been around longer than your weak, shallow human mind can even fathom. I am the beginning!” He came to stand in front of me and grinned wickedly. “And, I shall be the end.”

I felt tears slide down my face as I silently resumed my prayer.

“Enough,” he commanded and my mind immediately blanked. All I could do was watch him as he stared at me.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a sharp stone dagger. He extended his hand up and gently slid the tip down the left side of my face, to the side of my neck, and stopped when he reached the hollow there. He grinned savagely as he reached down and grabbed my wrist.

“I have waited over a millennium for the opportunity to exact my revenge,” he snarled as he vertically sliced open my left forearm. Blood immediately welled up and poured down my arm. I watched as he held it out and let the blood pool on the ground beside us. I felt no pain, and was unconcerned as I watched the precious life blood quickly drain out of me.

After a few long moments, the man licked the stone blade and the blood from my forearm, and put the knife back in his jacket. He stared into my eyes and I saw for the first time that his eyes were no longer blue; they were solid black; not even a smidge of white remained.

He suddenly sniffed at the air behind us and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he grinned savagely. “It’s time,” he whispered and then commanded me, “Scream.”

I opened my mouth and released a bloodcurdling scream. I screamed for all I was worth. All too quickly, his voice was at my ear.

“Sleep,” he whispered to me and I immediately descended into a deep darkness.