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Master Vampire’s House (Southern Svetyland)

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

In the dimly lit room, the flickering candlelight cast elongated shadows across the chamber. Darius lay sprawled on his king-sized bed, his strawberry-blonde hair tousled as he savored the warmth of freshly drawn blood from a golden chalice. Beside him, a half-naked red-haired female trailed her lips across his chiseled torso, her hands eagerly exploring every inch of his cool, pale skin.

The chalice was soon abandoned on a nearby Galway low stool, the blood staining the rim as Darius wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His hunger for the woman beside him, however, was far from sated. He caught her lips in a fervent kiss, his hands impatiently tearing away the last scrap of clothing that covered her. His fangs brushed against her sensitive skin, teasing her nipples until she whimpered in pleasure.

A loud knock resounded through the room, echoing off the walls, but Darius paid it no attention. No one was going to stop him from taking those plump cherries into his mouth, not even the master. His mouth closed around one of the woman’s breasts, suckling with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine as her moans soon filled the room. The knocking persisted, yet he remained engrossed in his feast, her gasps only spurring him on.

The door creaked open with an ominous groan, the sound slicing through the room like a blade. In the doorway stood a man nearly identical to Darius. He was dressed in a two piece dark suit, with his strawberry blonde hair gelled to the back and one could also guess that he was a vampire because of his white pale face. Also his name was Damien, and he was the twin brother to the other vampire on the bed.

“Darius, enough of this,” Damien’s voice was cool, a stark contrast to the heated scene before him. His brother’s disregard for his duties was becoming a tiresome pattern.

Darius ignored him, his attention still fixated on the red-haired woman beneath him. She moaned as his fangs grazed her sensitive flesh.

“Master called for you,” Damien said loudly, his tone carrying more weight.

Darius reluctantly released the woman, placing a gentle kiss on her swollen lips before dismissing her with a flick of his hand. “You can go now, little rat.”

The woman hurriedly gathered what remained of her torn clothing, hastily covering herself as she exited the room. Damien handed her the torn skirt and top with an indifferent glance, his focus already shifting back to his brother.

“Still obsessed with your lycanthrope?” Damien asked, his tone laced with mild curiosity as he surveyed the room, taking in the disheveled state of the bed.

“She's my favorite rat,” Darius replied with a smirk, pulling a black shirt over his head. “And since we’re at war with the werewolves, I have to settle for what’s available—my little rat.”

Damien sighed, taking a seat on a plush sofa opposite the bed. “I don’t need the details of your sex life, Darius. The Master called for you.”

Darius's smirk faded as he fastened his wine-colored leather jacket. “Any idea why?”

“He's meeting with the Downtown Alpha,” Damien explained, his expression growing serious. “And you’re to accompany him.”

Darius's demeanor shifted from playful to focused as he processed the information. “What’s the latest from downtown?”

“The wolves are still denying any involvement,” Damien said, his frustration evident. “I’ve attempted to speak with their Alpha several times, but he refuses to grant me an audience.”

Darius chuckled, though his brother's stern look quickly silenced him.

“You find this amusing?” Damien asked.

“Not at all,” Darius replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “But it’s no surprise. The wolves have never been trustworthy.”

“They claim to know nothing about the disappearances,” Damien continued, ignoring his brother’s jibe. “I was able to speak with their Luna, and she denied knowing anything about it.”

Darius’s eyes narrowed, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. “Seventy-nine of our kind have vanished, and they expect us to believe they’re not involved?”

“Eighty-nine of our kind, and forty humans,” Damien corrected, his tone clipped. “Also, Master has decided to go meet with the park Alpha in person.”

“Is that why he called for me?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Damien shrugged. “However, I feel there's more to everything going on downtown. But even under compulsion, they claim innocence.”

“And I still feel they are behind it. Figures why I never like them.”

“But you dated one in the past, and if I can remember, her name was Francisca.”

Darius glared at his brother who had a victorious smirk on his face. He hated to be reminded about his past lover — Francisca, she was the only woman he had ever truly loved in his five hundred years on Earth, and although she was a werewolf, he didn't allow the grudge between vampires and werewolves to come between them. And they both were planning to be together forever, but like the saying goes, not everything goes as planned, because before they could both tie the knot Francisca left him.

Twenty-two years had gone by since he last heard anything about her.

“I hate you.”

“The feeling is mutual, brother,” Damien retorted, standing up from the sofa.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

The Master’s chamber was steeped in darkness, the only illumination coming from the pale light of the moon that filtered through the heavy drapes. The walls were covered in black wallpaper, adorned with intricate patterns in red, white, and gold. The floor was carpeted in deep maroon, the rich color barely visible in the gloom.

At the center of the room stood a grand canopy bed, shrouded in sheer, white curtains that lent an ethereal quality to the otherwise ominous space. The Master vampire sat in a high-backed chair near the far end of the room, his figure cloaked in shadows. He was dressed as always, in dark jeans and knee-high leather boots, a black hoodie concealing his form. His pale, angular face was partially hidden beneath a beanie, his red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

He was deep in thought, his mind swirling with concerns about the mysterious disappearances downtown. The threat to his kind was growing, and the need for action was pressing.

“Enter, Darius,” the Master’s voice resonated in Darius’s mind before he even reached the door. Telepathy was one of the many abilities the Master possessed, and he used it with ease.

Darius stepped inside, bowing respectfully before his uncle. “You summoned me, Master.”

The Master’s voice was rich and velvety, with a subtle British accent that gave his words an air of authority. “Yes, Darius. We are meeting with the Downtown Alpha, and I require your presence.”

“By foot, or by that petrol eating machine?” Darius inquired, knowing the Master’s penchant for surprises.

“The latter,” the Master replied, rising from his chair with fluid grace. He picked up a talisman from a nearby table, its surface etched with ancient symbols, and slid it into his pocket. He never went anywhere without a talisman. His crimson red eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses, adding to his already imposing presence. “So shall we?”

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Alpha’s House (Downtown Svetyland)

The moon hung high, casting a silvery glow over the sprawling suburban landscape of Southern Svetyland. The Master vampire’s car glided silently through the quiet streets, its engine purring like a predator. Beside him, Darius maintained a stoic silence, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mixture of curiosity and disdain as he drove.

Arriving at the Alpha’s house, Darius parked the black Mercedes under the cover of tall oaks that loomed over the driveway. He stepped out of the car, followed by the Master vampire.

Just two blocks away from the Alpha's house, a party was holding and with the scent that filled the air, one could tell that the party was crowded with younger wolves. The party, clearly in full swing, filled the air with a charged energy that Darius could almost taste on his tongue. His sharp eyes could easily pick out the flashes of light and movement from the distance, hinting at the wild celebration underway.

As Darius and his uncle approached the entrance of the Alpha's house, the Master’s gaze swept around it, noting the subtle signs of life within—shadows moving behind the curtains, the faintest of heartbeats, and the quiet murmurs of conversation. He knew they were being watched, assessed even before they rang the doorbell.

Darius pressed the doorbell, and in an instance the door fell open, revealing the face of a beautiful female. She looked like she was in her early twenties, dressed in pink Jeans and a pink top that had the inscription; 'LUNA'S DAUGHTER.’

To anyone outside the pack, the lettering might have seemed like a playful or trendy slogan, but to those in the supernatural community, it was a clear marker of her status within the pack. This woman was not just a pretty face—she was the daughter of the Luna, the pack’s matriarch, and she carried her lineage with pride.

"Master vampire?" Her voice was smooth and Darius loved it. If the longstanding feud between vampires and werewolves didn’t exist, he might have considered how her voice would sound if she was underneath him, moaning his name. “My father has been expecting you. May I take your jacket?”

She extended her hand toward Darius, who couldn’t help but chuckle softly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. She had mistaken him for the Master.

“I’m not the Master vampire,” Darius corrected with a charming smile, nudging his head slightly towards the silent figure standing behind him. “He is.”

Her blue eyes widened as she glanced at the Master, realization dawning on her like a heavy weight. Quickly, she stepped aside, bowing her head in a gesture of respect. “I apologize, Master. Please, come in.”

Darius and his uncle entered the house at the girl's invitation. It was a necessity for all Vampires to have an invitation to enter into a house, otherwise they'd burn to death. It was all vampires' Achilles tendon and they all kept it as a great secret away from the wolves, because they knew it would surely be used against them.

But the Master was an exception. He was not just any vampire. He was an original, a creature of immense power, and the rules didn’t always apply to him. Still, Darius knew his uncle well enough to understand that the invitation had been given out of respect, not necessity.

The young woman led them through a lavish hallway adorned with dark wood paneling and plain tapestries, leading them to a spacious parlor. The room was decorated with rich, earthy tones, a massive fireplace dominating one wall, its flames crackling softly. The furniture was elegant yet practical and plush, designed for comfort rather than show.

The Master and Darius settled into the plush chairs, the silence between them thick with unspoken thoughts while the young woman excused herself to fetch her father, leaving the two vampires alone with their thoughts.

“If it isn't the Master vampire himself, here in flesh,” The voice of the Alpha resounded across the parlor as he came down the stairs, with his Luna trailing at his back.

The Alpha was a man in his sixties, but he had the look of a man in his early thirties. He was lean and muscular, one could easily tell he worked out a lot. His wife — Eleanor, on the other hand, looked exactly like her daughter. A complete replica, except that her hair color was different. While her daughter's hair was auburn, hers was chestnut.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” The Alpha asked as he and his wife sat opposite the Master vampire and Darius.

The Master vampire remained composed, his demeanor calm as he spoke. “I’m sure you’re aware of the recent disturbances in downtown,” he began, his voice carrying a quiet authority that demanded attention.

The Alpha’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing slightly. He draped an arm over his wife’s shoulders in a possessive gesture, as if to shield her from the conversation. “My pack knows nothing about the incidents. We’ve kept to ourselves, and none of my wolves have been involved.”

“Yet, every single one of the missing persons was last seen downtown,” the Master continued, his tone even and measured. “Charles, I believe someone within your pack is involved, whether you realize it or not.”

“It could just be a coincidence.”

“If it's once then it can be counted as a coincidence, but one hundred and thirty nine people have gone missing and they were all seen downtown last. It can't be a coincidence,” The Master stated calmly, adjusting his shades. “Someone within your Pack is definitely behind this.”

The Alpha’s reaction was swift and intense. He leaned forward, his eyes flashing with anger. “I don’t care who you think you are,” he growled, the underlying threat clear in his voice. “Master vampire or not, you will not come into my home and accuse my people without proof.”

“I'm not here to point fingers, Charles, I'm simply here to cut off fingers behind the killings.”

“And what's that supposed to mean?” the Alpha yelled.

“Charles,” Eleanor murmured softly, placing a calming hand on her husband’s arm. She began to rub slow circles on his back, trying to ease the tension radiating from him. “Calm down.”

The Master vampire remained unfazed by the Alpha’s outburst, his expression unreadable behind his dark shades. But Darius was less controlled—his fists clenched at his sides, his blood boiling at the disrespect shown to his uncle. It took every ounce of his self-control not to lash out, to remind the Alpha of who he was speaking to. But he knew better than to escalate the situation further.

Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, the Master vampire rose from his chair, signaling the end of their visit. Darius followed suit, his jaw tight with suppressed anger as they made their way out of the house.

As they stepped into the crisp night air, Darius couldn’t help but mutter curses under his breath, his frustration evident in the way he moved. His uncle remained silent, his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie as he followed Darius to the car.

Just as Darius was about to unlock the car door, something made him stop in his tracks. A sudden, powerful force rippled through the air, tingling at the edge of his senses. It was a dark, ancient magic that Darius had only felt a handful of times in his life, and it was coming from the direction of the party two blocks away.

“Do you feel that, Uncle?” Darius asked, a sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“Yes, I do,” his uncle simply replied.

Just as he turned back to look at his uncle, who without a word, had taken off in a blur, moving with the kind of speed only the oldest and most powerful of their kind possessed. Darius blinked, momentarily stunned before he gave chase.

The Master didn’t stop until he reached the source of the disturbance—a large, open yard where the younger wolves had gathered for their party. The scene was chaotic. Younger werewolves were forming a circle, and they happened to be the epicenter of the dark magic…almost like they were being controlled.

Quickly, the master vampire stepped into their circle, brought out a talisman from his jeans pocket and threw it on the grass, breaking whatever spell that might have been placed on them. And it worked because the younger werewolves all fell unconsciously to the ground.

Then, he noticed someone in the middle of the circle. It was a female, and he could tell she was just an ordinary human.

He reached for the girl and noticed the blood gushing out from her arm. As she laid unconscious, her eyes were closed and she looked innocent and fragile. He crouched beside her in an attempt to lift her up when a glint of recognition flashed his eyes as he stared at her, as if seeing a ghost from his past.

“Master, what’s happening here?” Darius skidded to a halt beside him, panting slightly from the exertion.

The Master didn’t answer immediately, his mind racing as he processed what he was seeing. Finally, he stood, holding the girl securely against his chest. “We’re taking her home,” he said simply, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Darius, though still confused, simply nodded. “Home.”

To Be Continued…