Page 96 of Theoden
I nodded as I gasped. “Does it always hurt this badly?”
Titus laughed. “Every time, some more than others. You can bear it.”
I had no question of whether or not I could bear it, just no one had warned me about the level of agony I would feel during theembrace.I grew weaker as Marco grew stronger. A powerful wave of nausea washed over me and I gagged, but nothing came up. Probably because the greedy bastard drank all of the blood in my body. My vision became dark and before I blacked out completely, Marco released me.
He was gasping, his mouth covered in blood, but he was licking his lips now. “My god!” he panted. “I live!”
“And now you shit,” Titus said, then ordered the carriage driver to stop.
“Uhn,” Marco groaned as he gripped his stomach. Titus climbed out of the carriage and helped him get out too. “Go behind that tree and relieve yourself.”
Marco stumbled a bit, then puked on the tree at the same time a trail of shit ran down his legs. He didn’t have much to get rid of, as I was sure he hadn’t kept much down in his sickness, but what was in his stomach was purging itself from both ends. I was far too weak to assist or even sit up. I had never been this vulnerable, and I didn’t like it.
My thirst was raging inside of me, demanding to be quenched. All I could think about was blood and how much I needed it. Titus was ordering the carriage man to remove his tunic so Marco could have it. Marco used his old tunic to clean the feces from between his ass cheeks and his legs before tossing it to the ground. In the distance, I could hear two men approaching and knew their intentions.
“Do you need assistance?” one of the men asked Titus.
“My companion was ill, but he is better now,” Titus said. I knew by the tone of his voice, he was not fooled by these men and their supposed good intentions.
“Well, that is good, then. Kindly hand over all of your coin,” the man said.
I watched as he approached Titus, sword drawn and aimed at my brother. The other man, his companion, approached the carriage and looked inside.
“There’s anoth—”
I snatched him by his throat and pulled him inside. I struck hard and fast, sinking my teeth into his neck.
“What the he—” I heard his companion say right before his voice was cut off.
I was lost in the pleasure of feeding. I’d let Marco drain me nearly dry, and filling my body with blood was like heaven. I moaned as the hot blood flowed down my thirsty throat. Nothing could match this ecstasy, with the exception of sex with Tylendel. Once my victim was dead, his body drained of every last drop, I looked to see what had happened to the other guy.
My child, my new son, was feeding now and grunting in his pleasure. Titus was watching Marco, then he turned his gaze toward me.
“Feeling better, brother?” he asked.
I tossed the corpse of my victim out of the carriage onto the ground below and nodded. “Much.”
“Your son is impressive. It was he who attacked our would-be attackers and he bit him without mercy. He’s taking to his nature quite well,” Titus complimented.
I was proud to hear that, but I also suspected Marco would adjust to the new life I’d given him. “I told you he was worthy.”
Titus smirked and we both turned to Marco as he rose to his feet, licking the spilt blood from his lips.
“Did you enjoy that kill, my child?” It still felt odd to me to call him that, but that was what he was. My child. My first born, and he wasn’t even an hour old and already he was giving me something to be proud of.
Marco nodded and ran his hands over his beard that was now covered in old vomit and fresh blood. “Fucking delicious!” he growled, then grinned widely. “My cock hardens.”
I laughed. “Come, we must get back to our inn before the sun rises, and we must talk.”
Marco climbed back into the carriage, followed by Titus. I handed him a cloth to clean his face off with, and he did, then tossed it out of the carriage when he was done. Along the way back to our inn, I explained to my new child what it meant to be a vampire and one in Ara’s kingdom. He listened carefully, did not interrupt until I allowed him time to ask questions, of which he only had a few. I found that to be surprising.
“You aren’t the curious type, I see,” Titus commented.
Marco shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, life seems like it will be easier from now on. We are going to return to Persia where I’m to serve my new Master and King, doing what I love to do.”
“And that is?” Titus asked. Hewasthe curious type.
“Kill cunts who piss me off,” Marco replied.
