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I remember thinking that I was going to die. It was my fault, I was careless with myself and got caught...
My body was stiff, and something in my stomach felt hollow. I was thirsty and starving. I was left chained to a dirty hard bed somewhere underground with old rusted pipes jutting dangerously out from the ceiling of a dark cement room, dripping gross dirty water. There was no light, and my night vision was failing me the longer I went without eating.
At this point death seemed to be the more desirable option... but it seems as though whoever brought me here wanted something from me, and kept me alive.
It was painful. My gums ached for food, and the lack of it made my body weak. I couldn't even break out of the flimsy metal chains keeping me tied down. It would have been easy otherwise, but something was keeping me from having a clear head. So all I had to do right now was sleep, and wait for something I didn't know would happen.
How long had I been here now? Days? Weeks? There were no windows, so I had no freaking idea what was going on.
I'm so hungry... Why can't I just die already? Curse this stubborn body of mine, I'd rather die at the hands of a decapitation happy Hunter than like this. I can't even see behind me! For all I know there is a giant window where people could easily peek in on me while I had no idea.
CREEEAAAK
What the... A noise? It sounds like a door. It was right behind me. I didn't dare speak though, keeping my throat closed due to the misuse.
Then came the sound of keys jingling, but since my senses had been dulled, I couldn't tell much else. The door I heard then closes, and I swallowed down my instinct to call for help. Who would help me?
Footsteps walked up behind me. I felt goosebumps along my arms, and then suddenly a light blinded me. Pain lanced through my skull, and I had to hiss and close my eyes. What the fuck?
"So you're finally awake," a voice, deep, says to me through the pain. "Honestly, for a vamp, you sleep like the dead."
Was that a joke? Vampires were already dead, stupid asshole.
All I did was keep my lips shut, and hope the light went away before I started getting a bad headache. Aside from the hunger, a headache would be terrible.
"What? Not going to answer me? Not after I came all this way to see you?" I sure hope the scowl I made was enough to make him see that I was irritated. No, I wasn't scared. Just... Inconvenienced. "I see, you must be hungry. That's why you won't answer me, right?"
Food... My stomach lurched painfully, making the person chuckle at me. Ugh great...
I was ready to just keep ignoring him, but then the light goes away and a smell hit me. Sweet, spicy, and... salty?
My gums watered, my stomach growled. My eyes opened and I saw the man in front of me for the first time. Tall, dark hair, and a... nun outfit? What? Hold on... I know this smell... He's a vampire too. So why...
In his hand was a bottle, clear and filled with... Blood!
"Uhh... P-please..."
Please, give it to me..! I'm hungry!
"Oh," he chuckled again. "So the beast can speak. Is this what you want?"
A delicate hand covered in a bandage lifts the bottle higher, and the scent overwhelmed my already weakened senses. All I could feel was the hunger tearing me apart, and my lips releasing saliva like a leaking faucet.
"Hnn... P-please..."
I wasn't above begging, so if I saw food, I did anything I wanted.
"Oh? You're not going to be tight lipped and admit to what you want? Don't you have a coven you'd be dishonoring by begging so shamelessly?"
I shake my head, still feeling drool pooling on my cheeks. His smirk falters, and he swallowed hard.
"Oh really? And why is that?"
Well, if this was what would get me food faster...
"I'm... a nomad, a no one with no coven to protect me," I finally croaked, and the pain of not speaking in so long made my voice sound crackly. "P-please... I need..."
He sighed, and I saw indecision in the way he held the bottle in his hands. Was his coven the reason I was caught? Was this to keep me from encroaching on their territory?
"So, you have no one," he asked, and I nodded. "Hmm, that's... certainly abnormal. Tell me, who is your creator? Do you have one or many?"
I shook my head, closing my eyes to ignore the promise of food in front of my face.
"Can't... remember. Was bitten and left to die, been alone all this time feeding off humans..."
He gasped under his breath, and I opened my eyes. He was frowning now, his egotistical smirk now gone. Holding the bottle in both hands now, he seemed to hesitate before sighing.
"I see. And I thought we had just caught another spy trying to scope out more nest territory. Well... Can I only assume you're starving right? How about we talk some, and I'll let you have this? I'll have to talk to my underlings to make sure they know who they're capturing before waiting three weeks to tell me. They should know better by now."
Three weeks... Strange. It felt longer than that. I was wasting away, how would I have known anyways.
Again he holds up the blood, and I had to refrain from whining pitifully.
"Fine, fine," I answered, heaving a pained breath. "I'll tell you anything you want, just, please... I'm so hungry..."
My groveling seemed to work because a wide smile split his lips and he nodded in approval. Had I been a self respecting coven member I would have been spitting in his face with anger and self preservation. But doing anything to survive kind of warps the idea of honor for survival.
He seemed to understand because the next thing I knew he was untying me and waiting for me to get up, but I felt tired still, despite my hunger. A smile lit up his face, and he holds the bottle over me. My arm can barely grasp the plastic, but he still has a hold on it. I stared at him, his smile growing... somewhat comforting?
"What's your name, chibi?" he asked. Normally Iw ould have gotten angry, but I was too hungry to care. I had to swallow down my annoyance and answered as calmly as I could.
"I-It's... Ruki. Just Ruki."
He nodded, and finally, he let go of the bottle and I was slow in uncapping the bottle due to the weakness. But once I did and I tilted it into my throat, all I could do was moan unabashedly. It was so sweet and spicy... I can't remember the last time I had such wonderful tasting blood! I could already feel my strength coming back and I was able to finish it all in one go, sucking it down greedily.
"Do you have any abilities, Ruki? I'm sure you must, just as every other vamp does?"
Of course, I do indeed.
"Yes... I can sense illnesses in people's blood, and choose healthy people from the sick ones when I hunt. I can also see really good in the dark."
But since I was starving these past three weeks, my powers started to dwindle a bit.
"Ah, so you're a sensory vampire. That's a very useful power to have, indeed."
"Thanks... I guess."
It was only when I was done that he decided to answer the question lingering in the back of my head all this time, albeit subconsciously.
"It seems I haven't yet told you my name, young one." I looked up from eating, and I guess I looked funny with blood running down my lips and throat.
"Which is?"
He laughed, and suddenly he reached out to brush away the blood on my lips with his thumb before bringing it to his own mouth, sucking on it. Heat crawled up my face, and I swallowed the leftover blood in my mouth.
Now that I look at him... He's fucking gorgeous.
"Uruha. I'm the leader of this coven. And I want you to join us."
"Wha- seriously? Just like that?"
After just meeting me, he was accepting me into his coven?
He smiled at me and held out a hand to help me up from the bed. My legs wobbled but thankfully I was able to regain my balance.
"Of course, I can't let a perfectly healthy youngling stay out there on the streets where a hunter can easily end your life! That would be irresponsible of me as a coven leader! Your abilities would be greatly treasured, that is if you choose to accept us. You'll be offered a high position in my ranks, and you will be greatly treasured as a powerful one of our kind."
He helped me to walk to the door and let me out. But he was offering me a home... Somewhere to belong. Something I haven't felt in almost a hundred years. A total stranger like him... What did I have to lose? Freedom? More like certain death at any second. This, being in a coven where I could be safe, was freedom. All I had to do was make sure not to expose us.
Plus I had all the blood I could drink to look forward to. It sounded like heaven...
"Um... Yeah, I'll join you," I answered softly, and his face once more lights up, causing my chest to give a squeeze. If I still had a heart I am sure it would be beating like crazy right now. He puts his left arm around me and leads me out of that hell hole.
"Wonderful! Welcome home Ruki. I'll make sure to give those guys that kept you here a piece of my mind."
"Good. I hope you kick their asses."
His arm tightens, and I can't stop myself from secretly loving his large frame holding onto me.
"Oh don't worry, I think I will do more than that. But first, you need to shower. You're filthy."
END