Chapter 8

Damien’s POV

I wasn’t even supposed to be here. The Blood Feast was still ongoing, and while I didn’t ever directly participate in the activities, I generally observed them.

When I was told that my wolfless tribute’s wounds continued to worsen, with Sophia even relaying that the tribute was inferior and would die soon, I didn’t seem much point in continuing to oversee the Blood Feast.

My hopes had been mildly lifted at the thought of being entertained by such sweet-tasting blood. To know that was no longer possible soured my mood straight back to indifference.

I certainly wasn’t going out of my way to visit the PET hospital, I just happened to go for a walk, and that walk led me near the exterior building. And from there, I caught a whiff of the blood I had hoped to savor tonight.

I still didn’t understand why that blood called to me. But I couldn’t deny the smell… the taste… was somehow special to me.

It was annoying to not be able to remember, but that wasn’t all that uncommon for me. I had been alive for so long that I had forgotten more than I remembered. Much of my beginnings were little more now than a blood-filled blur.

Yet, surely this blood couldn’t have haunted me then. Werewolves did not live so long, and this one, as a tribute, could only be between the ages of 15 to 20.

Perhaps I was being tricked or deceived, in an attempt to manipulate me. But who would dare attempt such a thing against me, the oldest and most powerful of all vampires?

The question intrigued me, and I credit this, as well as the allure of the blood, that turned my feet toward the hospital and led me inside.

To my surprise, I caught the wolfless tribute trying to escape.

Even more surprising, she did not recognize me, and instead saw me as the werewolf doctor who treated the pets of this place.

I could have stopped her. I could have commanded her back to her bed like a mindless husk. I could have done whatever I wanted.

But… something about this reckless and fumbling escape attempt, where she didn’t even know who I was…

It amused me. And, as old as I was, I hadn’t been amused in a very long time.

For this purpose, I was willing to see this through, slightly hopeful the amusement would continue.

“You… want to escape too?” the tribute asked, looking at me. She had a rounded face that was pleasant enough on the eyes, and shoulder-length brown-blonde hair. Her eyes were a darker kind of brown and filled with emotion. Vampires learned to hide their true feelings, but this wolfless seemed an open book.

I wasn’t prone to lying. With powers like mine, I found I didn’t need to deceive anyone anymore, to get them to do what I wanted. With her though, for this game, I was willing to play along.

“Vampires are vicious creatures,” I said.

She nodded, accepting that reasoning without question. “Yes, that’s true. Come on, then.”

She started to turn toward the far door.

Before she took one step towards it, I said, “That won’t work.”

“I can’t just stay here,” she said. “We have to try to leave.”

“No,” I said. “I mean, that door leads to the operating room. The door behind me is the way out.”

“Oh…” She spun on her heel and started walking the other way.

So trusting…

“You can’t just walk out there,” I said. “You will be recognized, dressed as you are.”

She stopped again and looked down at herself. Then she glanced back over her shoulder at me. “What do you suggest?”

I shrugged. “You should dress as a nurse. There are outfits around here.”

I moved toward one of the other doors along the hall and pulled it open. At once, we found some suitable clothes. The nurses simply wore white coveralls over their everyday clothes. I tossed a fresh set to the tribute who quickly put it on.

When she was disguised, she made a small turn as if to show me. “Good?”

There was no way in hell anyone would confuse this woman for a vampire nurse, but again I played the part. “Good enough for this.”

Together we made for the front door and stepped out into the courtyard.

Immediately, I saw Sophia near the door to the main castle, speaking with a few nurses and a group of guards. With my hearing, I could tell she was suspicious of my pet. We wouldn’t have long before her absence was discovered.

My pet must have also seen what I saw. At once, she grabbed me with her thin, weak arms around my waist and tried to tug me around the corner.

I didn’t move at first, confused.

“We have to hide!” she whisper-yelled.

Oh. I hadn’t need to hide from anything or anyone in a very, very long time.

My amusement continuing, I allowed her to pull me. We moved around the corner, but even there, there weren’t many places to hide.

“There!” she said, pointing to the nearby gardens, at the bushes and flowerbeds.

Tugging my sleeve, she led me there.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the guards were doing their rounds, and walking through the other way.

“Get down!” my pet said and collided with me. I allowed us to fall down.

I landed on my back, crushing some of the flowerbeds beneath me, but here, we were safely hidden in the shadow of the bushes. My pet was draped overtop of me, and seemed in no hurry to move.

“Stay still,” she whispered.

Nearby, I heard the approaching footsteps of the guards.

Yet soon, that sound was drowned out entirely by the pulsing of my pet’s heartbeat. I scented the air slightly and detected the sweet aroma of her wound, her blood. So fresh. So… delectable.

This close to the source of the blood, it was even more tantalizing. Leaning up, I scented the side of her neck. My eyes burned, the red undoubtedly swirling within them. My fangs started to elongate, ready to pierce the tender flesh of her neck and suck my fill of her delicious blood.

Before I could, she surprised me by placing her hand, palm flat, over my mouth. This action woke me from my entranced state. I blinked away the burn and forced my fangs to retract.

Voice barely as loud as the breeze, she said, “Don’t make a sound.”

The guards continued by, but then stopped at the edge of the garden. I knew this was part of their regular pattern, but from the pounding of her heart, my pet did not.

As my pet moved her hand way, I suggested, “Perhaps one of us should lure the guards away while the other flees?” I watched her as she seemed to consider the idea. Undoubtedly, I expected, she would want me to be the one to lead the guards away. “I could do it.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m the one who pulled you into this mess, so I’m the one who should lure the guards away.”

How curious.

I didn’t stop her as she seemed to prepare for what she was about to do. Her heartbeat thundered wildly.

Then, without another word, she jumped off of me and dashed forward.

The guards caught her immediately. “There you are!”

They grabbed her roughly by the arm as she tried to run by. The arm they grabbed was the wounded one, so she cried out in pain.

I didn’t like that.

In the blink of an eye, I moved from the ground to standing before the guard. I snatched his offending hand by the wrist and pulled it back, shattering the small bones in my grasp.

“V-Vampire Duke Damien?! How have I offended?”

The guard who was with the injured one immediately straightened and saluted with respect.

My pet’s eyes went wide with shock as she looked at me anew.

“Vampire Duke…?”