Chapter 3-Second Birth

David woke up gasping.

“Goddess! What—“ He coughed from the sheer dryness of his throat. It took him a couple of minutes to regain his breath, and he wheezed a bit as he calmed down. David groaned and slowly sat up against the pillows, looking around the room.

It took him a moment to recognize the lamp on the bedside table and the lavish red carpeting and dark drapes drawn over the window. This was the hotel room. Laura’s hotel room.

‘How long was I asleep? What time is it?’ He thought. He coughed a bit and rubbed his sore throat. ‘And why do I feel so thirsty?’

The door opened up and Laura entered the room wearing a bright green dress that hugged her form. Her hair was down and she almost looked to be glowing for some reason. In her hand was a crystal glass filled with red wine.

“Good evening, David. I trust you had a wonderful sleep.” Laura smiled.

“Danica, what…what happened?” David rasped. He held a hand to his head and winced. Why did everything he did sound so loud? “Damn, was everything a—“

“A dream? No, it wasn’t. We had sex, David, and my you were a vigorous lover.” Danica smirked. David looked at her with wide eyes.

“Wait, evening? How did it get to evening, it was night when we had sex.” David said. He tried to stand, but a stumbled back onto the sheets, clutching at his stomach. There was a weird mixture of pain, and something similar to hunger pangs. A deep hunger pang that was well into the pain field as well.

“Here. Drink this.” Danica came over to him and sat on the bed with the glass of wine in hand.

“Wine? Danica, it’s too early to have wine.” He told her, but she pressed the glass into his hand. The red liquid was oddly alluring. It made his dry throat flare up and his stomach grumble a bit louder.

“Hush and drink. You’ll need your strength.”

David reached out with pale, clammy hands to grasp the glass and lifted it to his lips with Laura’s assistance. The first sip tasted strange. It was a bit metallic, not like wine at all, though regular wine wasn’t something to marvel at even though high society people drank it all the time. But as the drink poured over his tongue, that metallic aftertaste went away and the most wonderful flavor washed over his tongue. Sips soon turned into gulps, and he drank down the glass entirely. It was euphoric. He could feel the warm liquid slide down his throat and pool in his stomach, making him feel warm.

“Wow, this is really.” David hummed, now sounding and feeling a lot better. Danica took the glass from him and placed it on the table. “What kind of wine is this?”

“I’ll tell you about it later. How are you feeling?” She asked.

“L-Like hell. I feel a little better after that drink, but I still feel so weak.” He said.

“You’ve been sleep since last night. You’ve had a bit of a fever, but it’s passed now. Not exactly the way I wanted to end off our wonderful night, but it’s to be expected.” She shrugged. “Do you remember anything?”

David shrugged. “I do remember us having sex, which was amazing by the way. Then near the end I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I don’t know what it was exactly…”

“That was me biting you.”

“Oh, okay.” David nodded. Then he paused. “Excuse me?”

“That pain was me biting you when we climaxed. I thought the best moment to bite you was at that moment. You climaxing made the blood flow faster.” Danica said calmly, as if her words made sense.

David looked at her shocked and disturbed. “Why—why did you bite me?”

“Oh David,” Danica sighed, though her red lips wore a smirk that looked far too sinister to be teasing. “You know why.”

“B-But…” David reached up to where she bit him, but only felt smooth skin. Acting on a hunch, he pressed a thumb to his wrist and felt for his pulse. He felt one heartbeat, but after a few seconds he felt nothing. His eyes widened as his pulse beat a second time after a solid minute and looked up at Laura. “What is this?”

“It’s exactly as it appears, David. I’m not just a pretty face here to see the sights.” Danica walked around the bed over to the window, where the curtains were still drawn. David watched with growing horror as her amber eyes slowly turned into a deep shade of red, the sclera of her eyes turning pitch black and her irises blood red. The eyes of a monster.

“You’re a vampire!” David exclaimed. Danica nodded, smiling wide enough to show off her fangs.

“Correct. And now you’re one too.” She said.

“What?!” David shouted.

“Yup. I turned you into a vampire while you were deep in throes of lust.” Danica rolled back and forth on her heels like a little girl telling a juicy secret. “You’ve spent the past twenty four hours in a coma undergoing the transformation. I’ve spent all that time making sure you didn’t die from dehydration. It was a pain changing your clothes and the sheets.”

“You…you turned me into a monster!” David roared. He shot out of the bed to lunge at her. “I’ll kill—“

Danica drew back the curtains to allow the sunlight to spill into the room and David caught the full force of it. It was as if the light of Hemera herself were shining down on him. His vision went white and he felt his body reel back in vertigo, falling back onto the bed. He tried to scramble away, but he was too disoriented and dazed.

“Rule number one: the sun is your enemy. It will sap your strength and weaken you to the point that a dainty noblewoman could lob off your head if she really tried.” Danica said. She stood over him, her shadow blocking the sun from his body, allowing him to recover somewhat. “One of the fundamental rules about our kind. Please remember it in the future.”

Then in a flash she was upon him, pinning his hands to bed and bending over him. David struggled against her hold, but her grip was iron clad and she didn’t even seem to be straining to hold him down. She leaned over him so that they were staring each other in the eyes, his fearful blue eyes gazing up into her blood red orbs. Even with her fangs bared and her eyes in their vampiric state she looked beautiful.

“I’m sorry I sprang this up on you, David, but I’m only fulfilling your wish. You want to hurt the hunter who killed your friend. Well, you won’t be able to touch him the way you were as a human. The only way to kill a hunter is with another hunter—us.” Once she was sure he calmed down, she let go of one of his hands and cradled his face. “I gave you the power to kill him, but you must learn how to control your new abilities and you need me to do that.”

David looked at the glass of “wine” she gave him and paled. “That was blood. You gave me blood!” He muttered disbelievingly.

“Yes, and it soothed your pain, didn’t it? You must drink soon after your turning or you’ll go mad from the thirst. And we can’t have that happening, can we?”

David realized that he wasn’t getting out of this by kicking and screaming. He was duped by this beautiful minx and now his whole life just took a turn for the worst. Danica smiled and got off him to close the curtains. He sighed in relief but remain guarded against her in case she decided to get rough again.

“Oh relax, David, you’ve made it through the hard part. I understand you’re mad at me now, but you’ll be thanking me once you rip that man’s head from his shoulders.” She said.

“I’m not killing anyone.” He said.

“Not even Jacob’s killer?”

Her question made him pause and he remembered her line of questioning from last night. How badly did he want that hunter dead? How far was he willing to go to get justice for Jacob? Laura saw she had his attention and walked up to him.

“I know this is hard for you, David, but we can take it slow. I will teach you how to live as a vampire, and you will learn how to hunt, how to fight, and how to survive. After all, I’ve managed it for over 400 years, haven’t I?” She grinned.

David glared at her, but he knew she was right. He wouldn’t last an hour outside in the state he was in now, and with a team of vampire hunters stationed in the next city over, he couldn’t act stupid right now. As for the hunter, William, if this allowed him a chance to even the score, then he could stomach the thought of drinking blood for the rest of his life…for the time being.

Danica saw the grudging acceptance on his face and smiled. “Good. I knew you were a reasonable man. Now, first things first, I have to get you back home. But before we do that, you must feed. Newborns are notoriously ravenous in their first month, and we can’t have you going berserk in the middle of a crowd of people, can we?”

“Just give me a few more glassfuls and I’ll be fine.” He said. Danica gave him a look and snorted.

“Oh where’s the fun in that? Bottled blood is fine, but blood is at its best when it’s fresh.” Danica walked over to the closet and threw open the door before pulling something out. No, it was someone.

“Goddess,” David hissed as Danica dragged out a young woman wearing a black and white maid’s dress. She was one of the servant girls working in the hotel. The girl’s face was wet with tears as she struggled in Laura’s iron grip, her mouth gagged and her hands tied together at the wrists with rope. “What did you—“

“I procured you a proper source of food, David. You’re going to have to hunt humans sooner or later, so you might as well start now before you accidentally kill someone.” Danica threw the girl onto the bed and held her before David, ripping apart the collar of her dress to expose her neck and shoulders. “Now go ahead, drink. You still need to feed before we leave this room.”

“No.” He growled.

“Do it!” She hissed.

“No!” He shouted at her.

Danica glared at him as if he were an unruly child and lifted her hand. Her index finger lengthened into a claw and she slashed a deep cut into the girl’s shoulder. Blood welled up from the wound, and David’s senses went crazy. He groaned, swaying a bit as his eyes rolled from the lovely scent that filled his nostrils. His eyes flared and he felt his teeth sharpen into long fangs. A low growl emerged from his throat and he stared at the crimson liquid dripping down the woman’s shoulder.

“Go ahead, David. Feed and be at peace.” Danica whispered. “Only then can you walk among humans again.”

David’s now blood red eyes glared scathingly at her before his head shot forward and buried his fangs into the girl’s throat. Her pained squeals were muffled by the David’s moan of pure bliss. His fangs easily sank into her flesh and as blood gushed into his mouth he drank it down greedily. He pressed his face deeper into her neck and gorged himself like a man dying of thirst. The world around him faded away as his taste buds flared up with a flavor that was nothing like he had ever tasted before.

He felt the maid’s body sag against him, her breath becoming labored as she gave quiet, muffled moans. He held her body close as he drank and drank without pause. David felt his stomach slowly fill up with the blood he drank, and though he felt close to bursting, he still wanted more. But after a few more minutes he regained his senses enough to force himself to pull away from her.

“No!” David gasped, blood coating his mouth and teeth. “I will not kill her!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already done it for you.” Danica, who had been feeding on the girl from the other side of her neck, pulled away from the now dead maid with a breathy sigh, licking her lips with a satisfied expression. “I needed that after last night.”

David looked at the still, pale body of the maid that hung limply in Laura’s arms. The girl’s eyes were open and blank, and there was not a drop of blood in her body, most of it devoured by David himself. The vampire ran her tongue over the bleeding holes on the girl’s neck and the bite marks healed up in seconds.

“Remember to always lick the wounds. Our saliva will heal them and hide any evidence that we’ve fed. And just to make the illusion more convincing…” Danica took her claw and slashed it across the maid’s neck, easily cutting through her flesh but not blood came out. David gagged and almost fell off the bed. “If you’re going to stage a murder, we have to make it look convincing.”

David just stared at her as if she were a two headed monster. He didn’t dare move from his spot as Danica lifted the corpse onto her back and made her way to the door.

“I’m going to plant the body in one of the other rooms. While I’m gone, please get dressed and wait for me. I’ll escort you to my real home here in the province so I can give you a proper explanation.” Danica smiled at him from the doorway as if she didn’t have a rapidly cooling corpse hanging off her shoulder. “Please don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

With that, Danica was gone, out the door before David could say anything. He sat on the bed covered in blood and panting heavily as he struggled to process everything that just happened. David slowly lied back down on the bed and put his hands over his face, trying and failing to stop himself from trembling.

“Oh goddess, what the hell is happening to me?” He whispered forlornly.

XXXXXX

Danica returned to the room and David quickly changed clothes, wanting to leave as soon as possible. She escorted him out of the hotel with a firm grip on his arm, and as soon as he stepped out into the fading sunlight, he was assaulted by a strong wave of dizziness and vertigo that nearly made him collapse had Danica not been holding him. It was only for a few minutes, as the sun was starting to go down in the evening sky, but it was enough to throw David for a loop.

“How the hell can you stand the sun?” David whispered to her.

“I’m old enough that the sun doesn’t bother me. It’ll get better as you grow older, trust me. Right now, the sun is and will always be your worst enemy, so try to steer clear of it whenever possible.” Danica said.

As they walked, David struggled to deal with the overwhelming assault on his senses. He could practically hear everything around him, from the people talking to the sound of carriages moving through the street and every beating heart within a foot of him. His nose caught the smell of cologne and perfume and various baked goods and tea and so many other things…but the most prevalent scent was blood running through the veins of the unsuspecting people around him.

And his eyesight felt clearer than it had ever been before. It was as if he spent his entire life looking at the world through foggy glasses and had taken them off for the first time in ages. The colors seemed so vibrant and if he really focused he could see small details in the wood of the passing buildings and the clothes of the people who walked past him.

“Come on, David, don’t drag behind. It’s not nice to hold a lady back.” Laura said.

He looked over at her and was once against struck dumb by her appearance. If she was beautiful to his human eyes, then she was twice as much to his enhanced vampire sight. Her skin somehow looked clearer, her eyes more vibrant, and her hair luscious and clean. Her body was slender, womanly, but he noted how she walked with the grace of a lioness, a hunter on guard at all times, her muscles ready to move at a moment’s notice. Always alert and ready.

‘Is this how a vampire sees the world?’ He thought.

“I take it your new senses are starting to kick in?” Danica asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“My senses?” He said stiffly.

“Yes, your body is still adjusting to your new senses. Sight, smell, hearing, it’s all enhanced beyond human capabilities.” Danica said. “How do you think we’re able to hunt so efficiently?”

“I…” David had no answer to that. Honestly he didn’t really know all that much about vampires aside from the common stuff, like they drank blood and were very strong. Not many people aside from the rare scientist or biologist bothered to know anything about vampires, considering they were mainly seen as unholy monsters forsaken by Hemera. Now that he was a vampire, David realized just how out of his element he was.

“Don’t worry, I promised to teach you everything, didn’t I?” Danica smiled up at him. “But let’s do it away from prying eyes, yes?”

“Wait, my parents…what did you tell them?” He asked.

“I sent a letter saying that you were a little sick and needed to rest over at my residence. The letter also included a length introduction of myself and a detailed description of our relationship.” She chuckled. “I figured they deserve a little warning that they’ll be seeing me with you a lot in the coming days.”

David froze at the thought of this…monster being anywhere near his family. He didn’t know what Laura was truly capable of, but he knew well enough that she was dangerous to some level. Danica patted his arm but said nothing, as if wordlessly saying that she’d never do anything to his friends and family after what they’ve gone through.

“You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t entirely trust you.” David told her.

“I don’t blame you. Just keep in mind that I’m here to help.”

“You have a funny way of helping people.” He replied.

Danica grinned. “Oh you have no idea.”

The sun had completely set when they reached their destination— Danica’s manor in the heart of the wealthy quarter of the town’s residential area. It looked no different than the other manors that lined the cobblestone street; made of white stone with a black gate leading up to it. Honestly the manor looked to be one of the more modest homes compared to some of the larger buildings. David could only wonder how much Danica had to pay to buy it.

As it turns out, Danica had moved to Rozzaria a month ago from Araluen, not to escape the growing violence between vampire hunters and vampire covens, but to gain some solitude from the covens that harassed her in Araluen. According to Danica, the high class vampires of Arcadian high society couldn’t fathom a female vampire being more powerful than them, and tried to either make her subservient or kill her. They began resorting to throwing large covens under their control at her but she slaughtered them all. It wasn’t until she leaked the location of their headquarters to the Order that she really pissed them off and decided to high tail it out of the country.

“I suppose you didn’t just steal this from some wealthy couple you’ve fed upon and murdered?” David asked, looking up at the nice looking house.

“I bought this place with my own money, thank you very much.” Danica said, though she looked more amused than insulted. “I’ve saved more than enough money to afford a place like this. Did you think I lived in a cave, or some incredibly ostentatious dark castle in the countryside?”

David did not want to say that some part of him did expect that, and felt incredibly embarrassed that he even entertained such a notion. Danica sent him a grin that said she knew exactly what he was thinking.

She unlocked the gate and walked up to her door, opening it and letting it swing open to reveal a dark doorway. “Welcome to my humble abode, lover.” Danica smirked. “You’ll be spending a lot of time here.”

David gave her a look and followed her inside. There was no turning back now, not that he had a choice.

XXXXXX

Like many of the houses in Rosemary, Danica’s house was just as pretty on the inside as it was on the outside. It had a dining room and kitchen, a living room, and a second floor where the bathroom and bedroom were located. It was simple yet in typical Bretonnian fashion fancy enough to look opulent to the common man. And knowing Danica, there was only one bedroom and there were two vampires residing here now.

“What do you think?” Danica asked him as they entered her living room. It was a quaint little space with a plush couch and a fireplace with a bookcase adjacent to it. Very warm and safe, and it lessened David’s anxiety somewhat.

“Your home is certainly impressive. You have good taste in real estate.” He said, sitting in a chair across from her. He didn’t think he could think properly sitting next to her after last night. “But I didn’t come here to talk décor.”

“No, you didn’t.” Danica smoothed out her dress and looked at him expectantly. “Ask anything you want and I will do my best to answer your questions.”

“I think my first question would be the most obvious. Why me?” He asked, staring her in the eyes. “Why choose to turn me? Did you spend all that time with me luring me into some sense of false security or something?”

“I wasn’t lying when I said that I took a liking to you, or that I’ve been through the same tragic circumstances as you. You’ve lost people close to you and it’s made you become tired of life itself. You live day after day as if it were a dream, and it’s honestly painful to let such a brilliant man such as you waste away because of your grief.”

“So you just decide to turn me based on that? I don’t know if you realized this, but being a vampire isn’t an attractive prospect right now with all the fighting going on in this country alone.” David said.

“I know, but as I said, it’d be a tragedy to let yourself slowly wilt like a dying rose from the weight of your grief. I wanted you and I got you.” Danica’s pink lips spread in a smirk, her hair covering one eye. “That’s how things usually go for me.”

David scowled but let that remark go. “So what now? You basically turned me into a monster. How am I supposed to live with my family now?”

“It’s not that hard, David. So long as you regularly feed, you won’t suffer from any serious urges. And I’ll teach you everything I know so you can blend in with humans. It’s not as hard as it sounds.”

Feed. David really didn’t like how she said that word. The way she said it made it sound like she was talking about pork or chicken instead of another human being. Just the sheer callousness in her tone made him shiver. He remembered that maid he fed upon back in the hotel. He remembered how wonderful her blood tasted, and how much he drank before he stopped himself. That girl would have been alive had Danica not killed her. Or worse yet, he could have killed her himself had he not stopped himself.

‘Gods above, I’m a monster.’ He thought in despair.

“As a newborn, you will have to feed a bit more than the average vampire for a while until your body adjusts to the changes. It won’t be like this for long, but you’ll get used to it.” Danica said.

“Get used to feeding on people?” He frowned. Danica rolled her eyes.

“Yes, David, get used to it. We are predators, and humans are our natural prey. You are my progeny and I will not have you trying to sustain yourself on animals like some common bloodsucker living in the gutter.” She said firmly.

“We can feed on animals?”

“Blood is blood. So long as it’s not another vampire, we can feed on any kind of blood. I would not advise feeding on animals, David. It lacks the nutritional value human blood has. Not to mention many high class vampires like me consider it to be rather savage.” She replied. “Now, until your diet stabilizes, you will be staying here with me. Your parents have already been informed that you are recovering from a fever, which means more time for us to get to know each other better.”

“Wonderful.” He drawled.

“I’m not going to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness from you, David. Unless it pertains to sex of course, then I’m all for it.” Danica grinned at David’s blush. “But this arrangement goes two ways. I’ve turned you to be my mate, and in return I teach you how to kill a human, or more specifically, a hunter.”

David’s expression hardened and he straightened up in his seat. Danica barely withheld her smirk, knowing that she definitely had his attention. Revenge was such a great motivator to cooperate.

“Hunters are trained to kill vampires, and they’ve perfected their craft over the centuries. Even that piece of human trash you’re going after is a highly trained warrior. The only reason he screwed up that day is because like many hunters these days, he didn’t take the job seriously.” She shook her head and walked over to a cabinet. “Humanity’s first defense my garter straps.”

“Even still, it shouldn’t be too hard to kill him, right?” He asked. He knew hunters were not just men who knew some fancy tricks with a sword, but William looked like he’d been out of practice for some time.

“Depends on how we go about it. Even a retired hunter can still fall back on old habits and skills. Never underestimate a foe, human or vampire. You’ll live longer if you keep that in mind.” Danica said seriously.

David nodded and took a deep breath. This was something he never saw himself doing, but knowing that the man was still out there alive while his friend died for his mistake…he couldn’t rest. This was going to grant him a solid spot in hell but right now justice needed to be upheld.

Something cool tapped his face and he looked up to see Danica holding a clear glass of ice cold blood (he still couldn’t wrap his head around that) out to him.

“Drink. We will start your training soon, but first you need to rest.” She said.

“I just woke up almost an hour ago.” He said.

“Don’t argue, David, you won’t win.” Danica warned him like a scolding mother. “Tomorrow once your body has fully completed its transition, we will get started on preparing you for your first kill.”

David swallowed hard at that, but steeled himself and took the glass from her. That lovely smell that came from the blood filled his senses and he almost eagerly drank it all down. Danica placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it lovingly.

“Do not worry yourself with the details. Come with me,” She took his arm and pulled him from the chair, guiding him to the stairs. “A newborn needs his rest as much as he needs his sustenance.”

David bristled a bit at her relating him to a child, but considering he was still struggling not to look at the swell of her breasts with his enhanced vision, he conceded the point to her. He just needed to hang on until he killed that hunter. After that…it was up to fate to decide.

XXXXXX

“He hasn’t come back?”

Edward shook his head, giving the sweet Anna a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, madam, but Master David had come down with a fever while in town yesterday and is staying with a friend while he recovers. She was kind enough to send us a letter to inform us of his situation.”

“Her?” Anna frowned. When did David meet a woman? A small pool of jealousy blossomed in her breast and she was quick to stamp it out. “Do you know who wrote it?”

“A Danica Acerola. She’s been meeting with Master David shortly before Mister Jacob’s untimely passing.” Edward said.

“I see.” Anna said softly. She left early in the morning right after breakfast to speak to check up on David. She knew grief could be heavy on the heart and David looked like he was at his breaking point. “When he comes back, could you tell him I’d like to speak to him please? I just want to see how he is doing.”

“I will do that, Miss Anna.” Edward smiled. “Do you want to come in?”

“No thank you. I have a few errands of my own to get done.” Anna said and walked back down the pathway to her carriage.

Thinking about this mysterious woman that caught David’s attention caused a frown to form on Anna’s face, and though she tried her best, she started to feel a small ember of jealously spark in her chest. Part of her hoped that their relationship was just one of acquaintances, but she knew it wasn’t so simple.

A woman could dream, right?

XXXXXX

Despite the previous night’s revelations, David slept like the dead until morning. Even though Danica clung to his body like he was a teddy bear, he slept soundly and woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. What was more curious was that his senses didn’t feel so out of control like it did last night. A sign that his body’s changes were probably done or close to it at least.

When Danica woke up, the first thing she did after having a quick morning romp (apparently she really enjoyed having sex with him. It was hard not to let that get to his head) she pulled him out of bed and took a quick bath with him before hailing a carriage to take them to the western path that led to the city a few miles from Rosemary. Danica was cryptic about where they were going, only telling him that they were going to head into the forest to properly display their “full vampiric might” away from mortal eyes. David would have preferred it not be bright and sunny (it took every ounce of self-control not to flinch every time sunlight touched his body) but Danica was not a woman to be kept waiting.

They took the carriage as far as the gates before getting off and entering the forest. Danica easily traversed the uneven terrain despite the dress and heeled boots she wore, while David was struggling to keep up as he avoided the sunlight that was already giving him a headache.

“Now that we’re here, can you please tell me why the hell we’re in the forest? This isn’t exactly a place for a well-dressed lady such as yourself.” David said, wincing as sunlight hit his face.

When he opened his eyes in the shade of a tree, he yelped when he found Danica’s face right in front of his and jumped back. He barely heard her move!

“You’d be right, except I’m not just an ordinary lady. I am Danica Acerola, a vampire of 400 years who has seen and done things that even the greatest explorers could only dream of. A little dirt on my shoes is nothing.” She said. She took a step back and raised her arms to motion to their surroundings. “We are here so I can train you in private. My home is far from spacey and we need to have room to practice to our full capabilities without alerting the mortals.”

“So you’re going to school me. I understand that,” David nodded. “But what I don’t understand is why we’re doing this in the daytime.”

“The sun won’t kill you, sweetheart. At least, not yet. It hurts now because you are a newborn, but eventually you’ll grow somewhat resistant to its effects as you grow older. Just don’t stay out in the sunlight for too long or you’ll grow too weak to move. I’ve seen many vampires suffer a slow death from exhaustion and dehydration from staying out in the sun too long.”

“Why do I get the feeling some of those deaths were caused by you?” David said, crossing his arms. Danica had the audacity to give him a sweet little grin.

“Now you’re starting to understand me.” She said. “But flattery will get you nowhere today. I am a strict teacher, and if you want to kill that hunter before he leaves town, then you will listen to everything I tell you, do you understand?”

David nodded. “I understand.” He said seriously. “So, what’s my first lesson?”

“Your first lesson is a simple one.” She said.

Danica crouched low before sprinting at David. He was caught off guard and had no time to react as Danica punched him hard in the chest and sent him flying back two feet into a tree. He slid to the ground, coughing and trying to breathe. A punch that strong would have killed a regular human. Laura walked up to him, looking down at him with a disappointed look on her face.

“Lesson one: always be on guard, even among friends. Vampires didn’t last as long as they did by being lax in personal security.” Tilting her head, she added, “And let’s work on your reaction time and defense. If I were another vampire, you’d be torn in half by now.”

David groaned and slumped against the tree.

XXXXXX

For the next few hours Danica relentlessly trained David in his new abilities, and he absolutely loathed it. She was a strict teacher, pummeling him with blows that could shatter stone (and had already tore holes in the trunks of the surrounding trees) and having no experience in fighting in general David was unprepared for how much it would hurt. Or maybe that was just because Danica was more of a hands on teacher. While she spent most of the day kicking his ass, she schooled him on the strengths and weaknesses of his new race.

Vampires were stronger, faster and had more acute senses than humans. They were literally born to be better than humans so they could hunt them, in a way a lion hunts gazelle. Normally a vampire could rely on their natural instincts to get them through a hunt, but for humans like vampire hunters who knew how to fight vampires, one must not just rely on instinct, but also experience and intelligence to survive in a fight against a hunter. Yes, vampires were stronger and faster than humans, but most vampires lacked the discipline and experience needed to fight off dangerous threats like hunters and other seasoned vampires.

In terms of weaknesses, aside from other members of their kind, vampires were weak to sunlight, fire and silver. Unlike the legends and myths, sunlight did not kill them on contact, but rather it weakened them. Depending on how long a vampire stayed in the sunlight, the detrimental effects could range from mild irritation and blurry vision to severe exhaustion and dehydration, eventually leading to death. As Danica said, they grow resistant to sunlight as they get older, but it was still a serious weakness.

Fire was another powerful weapon due to its ability to negate a vampire’s regenerative powers. Silver was another weakness that left wounds that could scar, but Danica had no idea why that was. Things like garlic and holy items were useless despite Order propaganda. These tales were born from a time when the Order was more religious minded and saw vampires as unholy creatures of the dark that were repelled by the forces of light and the divine power of Hemera.

“This is nothing new, David. Many of the old stories and legends about our kind were born from the belief that we were unholy creatures born from darkness. You know, the usual “undead monster” crap and all that nonsense. Many stories about garlic and crosses were supported by vampire hunters and holy priests, but there are some stories that we vampires invented too.” She said.

“Why do that?” He asked.

“Why do you think? To lure our prey into a false sense of security.” Danica smirked. “I once slaughtered an entire town with my lady friends by herding them into a church. They thought they were safe under the crosses and statues of the Day Goddess, but you should have seen their faces when we smashed through the windows using the cross as a landing pad. Mmm, their terror still gets me a bit hot even now.” She moaned.

‘She’s fucking mad.’ David thought in complete awe.

Danica spent most of the morning and afternoon training David. His training consisted mostly of running away from Danica as she chased after him like a raging bull, her punches leaving craters in the ground or tearing chunks out of tree trunks. David was forced to rely on his newfound speed to escape her powerful blows, and while leaping through the trees was terrifying to him at first, he began to get acclimated to moving as fast as a cheetah.

The feeling that he felt as he leapt from tree to tree like a bird was indescribable. He felt free, unrestrained, and for just a moment he forgot about everything else and just let his senses run free. The wind on his face, the smell of trees and leaves and foliage, the vibrant colors illuminated by the sunlight shining through the trees. The world seemed so much clearer to him now. Did vampires experience this all the time?

David’s sensory euphoria was interrupted when he took a hard punch to the back of the head and was sent tumbling to the ground, landing face first in the dirt. He groaned in pain and slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the sharp pain in his skull as he leaned against the tree.

“I know running at full speed is fun, dear, but be mindful of your surroundings.” Danica said as she landed beside him. Her dress only looked a little wrinkled and her hair was as smooth and well-kempt as it had been when they started. She didn’t even look out of breath. “Though you’ve certainly acclimated to your newfound speed.”

“I got a bit carried away.” David grunted. The pain in his head was easing away but he still had a small throb in the back of his head. “Did you have to hit me so hard, though?”

“Those punches are strong enough to kill a human. Be thankful your skeleton is denser than the average human’s. but seeing as you don’t seem to have a problem dodging and running, we’ll focus on another skill,” Danica’s grin showed her fangs as her eyes turned red and slightly crazed. “Close combat.”

XXXXXX

A few days later

William glared hatefully out the window at the heavy rain pouring outside. It was a sudden downpour that came out of nowhere, though anyone who knew the signs knew it was coming. Just his luck that it would rain this hard just as it was raining. The world seemed hellbent on shitting on him today, wasn’t it?

“Stupid fucking kid.” He grumbled, chugging down the rest of his whisky before slamming the glass down. The other patrons of the tavern avoided him, both for his unruly appearance and the reputation that hovered over him. The hunter that killed an innocent man.

‘Those backwater fucks don’t even understand that it was an accident!’ William thought angrily. He was making a name for himself in the Order and was gaining ground with his growing kill count of vampires. Then he had it all ripped away from him just because some two spoiled rich kids were stupid enough to stand in the way of his shot. That vamp wasn’t even that strong!

Now he couldn’t go anywhere without people glaring at him like he meant to kill that boy. It was enough of a hassle just trying to get a drink at the tavern without worrying about the barkeep pulling a rifle on him. Luckily for him, they wouldn’t dare touch him thanks to his connections to the Order. They were a holy organization, and if you didn’t want to be publicly shamed, you didn’t fuck with the people who protected mankind from the leeches who hide in the dark.

William was pissed at his exile, but he knew that he could still be discreetly hired by the Order for jobs as an independent hunter. Not to mention there were plenty of towns and villages that needed a good cleansing, even in this day and age.

Glaring at the other patrons giving him dirty looks, William finally got sick of it and stood up, grabbing his coat and trudging past the other men to head outside. Why did he care about these good for nothing rose-sniffing bums when there was a good whorehouse just waiting for him?

“Bet the town’s whores will treat me better than those cunts.” He muttered. Pulling his coat tight around his shoulders, he stepped out into the rain and made his way down the street.

Unseen by the hunter, a lone figure watched him from afar. A pair of red eyes followed the man down the street and waited until he turned the corner before following after him. Despite the heavy rain coming down on his head, the figure was not deterred and could easily track William with no problem.

William had made it to the marketplace when he sensed that he was being followed. When you hunt vampires for so long you developed a sixth sense for being hunted by your prey. That tingly feeling at the back of your neck you get when you feel someone watching you, the instinctive shudder that signaled you were being followed. Things only a veteran could tell for sure. William looked over his shoulder but saw nothing. Looks like he might get his second chance after all.

A grin formed on his face and he calmly walked into a small alley between two shops. Once he was deep enough, he turned around and faced the mouth of the alley.

“I know you’re there, asshole. You’re not fooling me.” William called out, his hand reaching for his crossbow. "It’ll take more than that to get the drop on me!”

He waited for a few minutes before a figure appeared in the mouth of the alleyway. William’s keen eyes noticed that it was a woman, most of her features covered by a dark cloak save for her face. William didn’t relax his stance as he drew his crossbow and aimed it at her.

“What’re you doin’ out here, girl? And following me around at that?” He demanded. “And before you say it, I know you ain’t no whore. I’m not that lucky.”

The nameless woman took a step forward, but William grunted and shook his crossbow.

“Don’t even try it! Who are you and why are you following me?” He asked. He couldn’t see her face so he had no idea if she were a vampire or not. “Get lost, girl, I’m not in the mood for your shit tonight!”

The woman smirked at him as if she heard something funny. “If you are what counts for a hunter these days, then humanity is in deeper shit than I thought.”

“What the hell did you say? Who the hell do you think you are, you dumb bitch! Don’t go talking to me like that unless you want to end up with a black eye!” William yelled. “Now beat it before I toss you out at the whorehouse where you belong!”

The woman sniffed at his attitude, scrunching up her face. “On second thought, this distraction isn’t nearly as fun as I thought it would be. You may have him now, David.”

William blinked. “Huh? What are you—“

A large body slammed into him from behind and William was pushed forward off balance. William tried to throw the person off, but what he got was a perfect view of a large mouth and two fangs before they sank into his collarbone. He screamed as the fangs sank into his flesh and pierced his collarbone, blood spurting like a broken fountain as his vampire assailant gnawed on his flesh before pulling his head back. There was a sickening crunch that was followed by a searing pain as the vampire pulled his head back and ripped a large chunk of flesh from William’s shoulder.

William screamed and tried to raise his crossbow, but the rapid loss of blood had made him dizzy and he fell to his knees. Blood spurted from the open wound in his shoulder, the bite having taken not just a chunk of his flesh but also a piece of bone underneath. Pain blinded William for a moment and he couldn’t keep his hold on his weapon, and it fell from his grasp.

A hand gripped his hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up at his attacker. It was the noble boy that was friends with the man he killed last week. He looked different from the weak young man that broke his nose in their last encounter. His eyes were black with red irises that burned like twin suns and his mouth was unhinged and wide open, exposing his bloody fangs. He looked demonic.

“Y-You…?” William rasped. He coughed and blood welled up in his throat.

“Yes,” David hissed, his eyes burning with rage. “Me.”

William tried to speak, but he was steadily losing strength by the second. Any longer and he would lose consciousness. David wouldn’t give him the pleasure.

“I told you I’d kill you.” David said. “You thought you’d escape justice with those band of killers, but you were wrong. If the justice system couldn’t give you the punishment you deserve, then it falls to me to do it for them.”

“You…you fucking d-dumbass.” William coughed. He was deathly pale now and his vision was getting blurry. He didn’t have much time left. “You sold your soul just to get me? Big mistake. The Order’s gonna kill ya and leave you out to d-dry, leech!”

“They’re welcome to try. I could honestly care less at this point.” David heard William’s heartbeat fading and decided enough was enough. “Might as well finish this while you’re still conscious. I want you to feel everything before you die.”

David hissed and opened his mouth wider than was humanly possible before his head shot forward and he sank his fangs into William’s throat. He didn’t drink any blood, no this was for the pure satisfaction of killing the man. Like a rabid dog he thrashed his head and dug his fangs as deep as they could go into the man’s neck before pulling back with all his might. William’s screams choked off into a wet gurgle as the front of his throat, along with his windpipe, was brutally torn out. Blood splattered onto David’s face and chest, but he didn’t stop there. He raised his claws and dug them into William’s chest, ripping through skin and bone to get to his juicy innards.

Danica smiled as she watched her progeny tear apart the hunter with savage glee. It was a little arousing to see the usually mild mannered man act this way, and she hoped to draw more of that side out in the future. This was going to be the start of a wonderful relationship.

XXXXXX

The next morning the town of Rosemary was in yet another uproar. Another murder had taken place not even a week after the death of Jacob Hawkins. But this murder was even more gruesome.

The victim was William Burkins, former vampire hunter of the Order. It was hard to learn his identity considering his dismembered body parts were impaled on stakes in the town square for all to see. Five large wooden stakes shoved deep into solid cobblestone and had each of William’s body parts impaled on them. His head and torso were side by side, with the torso looking like a bear had ripped into it.

The townspeople were of course horrified of this act, regardless of William’s crimes, but curiously, the only two people who weren’t appalled at the gory display was David Talbot and his young lover Danica Acerola.