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Post by Samuel Jacobs on Jan 18, 2010 8:02:54 GMT 1
Glassy eyes stared back at him. It was an all to familiar scene. At least he had the wizarding authorities to help take care of this one. Usually something like this happened in a human environment, and that never ran so smoothly. The vampire shook his head and stood. Death should never run smoothly. He cast a glance at the blood trails criss-crossing the tiled floor. Bare footprints predominated the marks, and a few booted ones where the doctors had rushed in to help.
The man sprawled on the floor, neck savaged, was long beyond help. The bloodied trail led to the other side of the room, where a fresh tint of blood stained the floor. Other scents were here too, and Samuel knew what else had happened. A new changeling had very few things on his mind. The first, blood, had been taken care of across the room. This bodiless crime scene he now hunkered down by could prove the instance of something else primal.
*Remind me to ask Cam*
The trail could have been followed by human eyes, those bare feet slipping on the floor, wet with blood, marking the stark white corridor with crimson. The trail took him to a storage cupboard, where a second scent joined it. There was no extra blood here, the second person was not a human, and the changeling knew them. Samuel rubbed the bridge of his nose and stood with a sigh. Vivian.
He led the forensic team further down the corridor, following the double scent to the fireplace where it ended. The escape route might have taken the wizards longer to find as the blood trail had stopped at the cupboard, which is exactly why they’d called a vampire in. “He went out here. As to where, your guess is as good as mine I’m afraid.” Samuel never liked to lie, but the wizards could not be involved in this any further. A changeling on the loose was a vampire affair, and vampires notoriously disapproved of wizard involvement in their own affairs.
If it were up to Samuel, he would utilise the wizards – they had skills and resources that vampires lacked – the important thing here was to catch the changeling before he became hungry again; which would be soon. Luckily for Samuel’s conscience, he had a fairly accurate idea of where the changeling was, and after escaping the wizards and calling into headquarters, he was on his way there.
There were worse places than the Hog’s Head. It could do with a fresh layer of paint, and something to remove that lingering smell of goat, but yes, it could be worse. The windows were dark, so Samuel knocked politely on the rear door. Hushed whispers from inside were like shouting to the acute hearing of the vampire, and he could indeed confirm this was where the changeling was.
The door finally opened, just a crack, and Samuel held up the laminate that marking him as an official vampire liaison with the wizarding Ministry. “My name is Samuel Jacobs, I’m here about Scott Kovac, may I come in?”
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Edward Johns
Adult (A)
The Hog's Head Barkeep
Totally screwed.
Posts: 118
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Post by Edward Johns on Jan 18, 2010 14:22:57 GMT 1
There was no way the past twenty four hours could be real but the blood that still stained the bottom of his shower said otherwise. From the moment Ed had seen Vivian’s scared, tear stained face peering down at him and her voice blabbering things about Scotty Kovac as he awoke from his slumbers the man had had the feeling something new and drastic had happened. He knew she wouldn’t have woken him as she did after visiting her dead, good-for-nothing boyfriend’s body, hell she’d hardly said a word about him for the last three days and now all of a sudden his name was all she was saying.
It had soon become apparent why.
Wandering down to the bar Scotty had been the first thing the Australian’s eyes had seen. The boy had been relatively hard to miss, standing shaking and bloodstained in the middle of the bar. Things after that had been a blur. Sitting, sipping a relatively strong shot of whiskey the only the thing the man really remembered was bustling the teenage boy up the stairs to take a shower and then watching as Vivian took him down to the basement. God he had looked so out of it, hell, a night later and a lot cleaner he still did.
Scott sat opposite Ed at a table close to the fireplace, his eyes lifeless and staring at the flames. The bar was uncharacteristically empty; probably due to the fact the barkeep had closed it with a note citing ‘personal reasons’ on the front door. Ed gazed at the boy and sighed, he had no idea what to do with him or whether he wanted a potentially dangerous changeling hanging around in close vicinity to Cassie and his unborn child. The amount of blood that had been on Scotty’s clothes and body had placed that worry firmly in the man’s mind.
To distract himself he stalked to the store room, Rowdy not far behind him. The changeling had said he’d killed someone; what if Aurors found him at the Hog’s Head? Would he and Cassie be implemented in the murder or covering it up? A soft knock at the back door made the man jump near out of his skin, it didn’t help that Vivian had come up behind him. No doubt her thoughts were on Aurors, only because she probably didn’t want them to take Scotty away. With hushed whispers Ed told the girl to stay where she was and proceeded hesitantly to answer the door.
“My name is Samuel Jacobs, I’m here about Scott Kovac, may I come in?”
That accompanied with a flash of a laminate card denoting the familiar man as an official vampire liaison to the ministry instantly had the Australian on edge. Every instinct screamed no, to not let the new vampire inside but if the Ministry wanted to come in there was nothing he could do to stop them. ”I’m Edward Johns and I suppose you can come in but first you need to tell me what you want with him,” he answered gruffly, subconsciously blocking the doorway.
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Post by Samuel Jacobs on Jan 18, 2010 14:50:41 GMT 1
Samuel couldn’t for the life of him figure out what the problem with this boy was that Dacian had. He was surprisingly young, yet he appeared to be sensible. He supposed the boy would have done well not to extend the invitation before finding out what he wanted, but being a public place, Samuel could enter uninvited for the most part. With a full invitation, he now had full run of this establishment. Perhaps that was Dacian’s problem: the boy was too trusting.
The vampire bobbed his head politely. “We have reason to believe that young Mr. Kovac is an unauthorised changeling. We understand there may have been special circumstances involved, which is why I am here. Before we involve the Ministry, I would like to talk to Mr. Kovac, and Ms. Vivian Nazarova.” His response was calm and even. There was no overt urgency to the request, but the sooner he could see the boy, the better.
The gruff nature of the wizard before him suggested stress, and Samuel was impressed that the humans had not already evicted the boy. Despite all their best intentions, changelings were volatile. The wizard and his witch companion were in danger. Even the young vampire Vivian could suffer at the hands of an angry changeling. Samuel had already confirmed that Dacian had nothing to do with this, so the girl had likely been acting alone.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Johns, but other official channels are closing in, and it’s in yours and the boy’s interests if I can see him now. If you please?” He gave a humourless smile, making no attempt to hide the pointed canines, but not overtly displaying them either. “Our only objective it to make sure no harm comes to the boy or those around him. A changeling is not often alone though this process.”
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Edward Johns
Adult (A)
The Hog's Head Barkeep
Totally screwed.
Posts: 118
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Post by Edward Johns on Jan 18, 2010 15:04:47 GMT 1
It was the human’s right to be suspicious of the strange vampire in front of him, especially one tied to the Ministry. Past experiences with a certain other of his kin had left Ed very wary of adult male vampires indeed. The pressing desire to shelter Vivian and her feelings was also driving the man’s mistrustful demeanour. Even though he had wanted nothing to do with Scott after he had hurt Vivian, the girl still cared deeply about him and Ed wouldn’t stand to see her go through more pain at the boy’s being taken away.
The barkeep listened without a word, nodding to let Samuel know he was most certainly paying attention. His brow furrowed the more the vampire went on, especially when the other man revealed the Ministry was not yet involved in the present situation. Hopefully that meant that they were not hiding around the next corner, listening for the confirmation Scotty was the changeling from the hospital. Still it was hard to tell whether Sam was telling the truth or not, again past experiences were making it hard for Ed to trust his word.
”You better not be lying to me. You lay a finger on either of them and I swear to God you will not be able to comprehend the pain you will find yourself in,” he warned before stepping aside and leading the man to the main bar. The smile from the vampire was not lost on Ed but after dealing with so many of his kind fangs were no longer all that intimidating. ”I know he’s dangerous but please tell me you’re not here to take him away are you?” the man asked in a hushed voice before pointing in the direction in which Scotty was sitting.
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Post by Samuel Jacobs on Jan 19, 2010 15:11:47 GMT 1
“I believe you will defend them with your life, Mr. Johns.” He replied as he followed him through the darkly-lit hallways of the tavern. The threat was commendable, but there was not much Edward Johns could do if Samuel put his mind to something. Thankfully this was a mission of peace, and Samuel had no intention of angering the pub’s wizard landlord. “But there is no need to take the Lord's name in vain; I quite assure you I will not harm either of your vampire guests.”
The vampire stopped, standing with the man as they reached the bar. He did not proceed to hush his voice as the man did – the changelings would hear him no matter what volume he chose. “Do not fret, I am not here to take him. I simply need to talk to them and then I will proceed from there. It is not my way to coerce or otherwise involuntarily remove anyone from anywhere.” He looked across the room to where Vivian and her changeling sat strained in front of the fireplace. “If it will ease your mind, you are welcome to observe.” He said over his shoulder to the man.
He stepped across the hardwood floor, bowing his head to Vivian first. “Dobryĭ vecher, Vivian.” Under more pleasant circumstances, he would have greeted the girl more fondly, but he had more pressing business to attend to in the form of the almost catatonic boy. He approached him steadily, and crouched in front of his chair. “Good evening, Scott. My name is Samuel Jacobs. I understand what is happening, but I need to clarify some things with you and Vivian about what happened four nights ago, and last night. Neither of you have to answer, but I can’t help you if you don’t.” The tone was careful and calm. The older vampire exuded nothing but confidence. The boy was no threat to him, and it was important that the boy feel safe rather than intimidated. This was a lot to take in for a young mind.
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Post by Scotty Kovac on Jan 19, 2010 16:01:36 GMT 1
Nothing seemed real, nothing at all. The incident at St. Mungo’s and arriving back at the Hog’s Head afterwards felt like it had happened years ago to Scotty Kovac. He’d barely registered Ed coming down but he still remembered what he’d felt when Vivian had left his side to fetch him. It was incredibly sappy but he needed the girl more now than ever before. By staying close to her side he felt safe, safe from those who might want to find him and safe from becoming the same person he’d become in the morgue. Even though he had the illusion of safety he knew he was still dangerous, especially since he was starting to get hungry again.
Still in shock and looking very drawn he’d woken up only half an hour ago, had put on the clothes the barkeep had leant to him and wandered up to the bar where he’d sat himself in front of the fire without saying a word. Although he’d been pushed into the shower the previous night he was still under the illusion that he was still covered in blood. It wasn’t helped by the orange glow that the fire cast on his pale glow. The trick of the light made him shudder and his stomach turn at the thought of blood. He hated it, yet he needed it so bad.
When Ed sat opposite him Scott couldn’t help but listen to the man’s heart beat in his ears though his stare never broke from the fireplace. The soft knock at the back door rang out like thunder to the changeling and made him bare his fangs and shield his ears. Even through his hands he could still hear the hushed whispering coming from the back of the pub. Scott’s near catatonic mind was at once alert when at the new vampire kneeled beside his chair. He hadn’t moved in that fast could he or was it his numb mind playing tricks on him?
Either way Scotty turned to Sam slowly. ” Dobar večer,” the changeling answered dully in Croatian. Did this man really understand what he was going through like he said? Had he killed and raped someone when he’d woken up? ”I killed someone and did something else I don’t want to talk about. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to but my body did it anyway. You have to believe me,” he cried, his emotions overflowing. ”What help can you offer me?” Scotty sniffed, eying the vampire warily.
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Post by Samuel Jacobs on Jan 19, 2010 21:30:27 GMT 1
The boy was understandably distressed, and answered in what Samuel recognised as a Slavic language. Croatian perhaps. Samuel had a large repertoire of languages under his belt, but not all of them were current. His Croatian was a little rusty, though he’d easily refreshed his Russian after meeting Vivian. It seemed Croatian was next on his list. He always preferred speaking in a more familiar language.
Speaking in English, Samuel was surprised by an Irish brogue. Well, the boy certainly had diverse ancestry. Samuel’s Gaelic was much stronger than his Croatian, but he doubted the boy knew much if any. It was a pity that languages died over time. Something was lost with each language, a poetry that was distinct. Even a once strong language like Gaelic died with time. Samuel had watched the progression of English too over time. It was hardly the same now. Some languages petered out, and others morphed.
If Scott Kovac were a language, this was the turning point in his existence. Could Samuel help him morph and adapt to this new world, or would the boy simply disappear, and lose all traces of the human he once was? The man, still crouched before Scott’s chair, kept a loose eye-contact with him. Samuel did not want to spook him, or provoke a turn of aggression. Samuel felt compassion rise for the changeling, and he offered a sad smile. “I believe you, Scott. It is a side-effect of the change; that the instinctual parts of you will try to rule you. It is harder for some than others to resist, especially for young men like yourself. It is not a reflection on your character, Scott, there was nothing you could have done to stop yourself.”
Taking a chance, Samuel reached a hand forward slowly and rested it on the boy’s knee. “Forgiveness is yours, if you ask of it Scott. God will not punish you for what you have done, and neither will I. This is a difficult time in your life, and you will need guidance and training to control your emotions and instincts. I offer to help you with this. I will teach you about your new nature, and how best to quell the darker sides of it. I will not let you succumb to the darkness, if that is what you wish. I will not allow you to cause further harm while you seek to learn control.” He sat back on his heels, taking his hand back.
“But I cannot help those who do not help themselves. If I am to help you, you will have to commit to this. You may find it hard to cope at times, with your life so fraught with change, but I will help you overcome this fear and hunger so long as you are willing to try.” Samuel was obviously passionate, and he tried his best to express his honesty. “You will have to put a lot of faith in me if you agree, so it is only fair that I put your mind at ease before you answer. I am not a liar. Anything I tell you will be true, even harshly so in certain circumstances. My only goal is to help you, I expect nothing in return but your trust and friendship. I do work for the vampire coven, so by accepting my offer, you will indirectly be associated with them.” He glanced to Vivian. He had presented her a much more diluted version of the same offer, and her time was running out to accept it.
“I have license to stay here for the next few days, after which you must give me a definite answer. We call this arrangement a Surrogacy. Changelings like yourself need guidance, and if a situation arises where a changeling’s sire is not able to provide full tuition for whatever reason, an older vampire such as myself will act as that changeling’s mentor.” Samuel was positive that Vivian had sired the boy, but being barely a few months old as a vampire herself, she was far from qualified to teach Scott. His making was unauthorised and unexpected, not that Samuel disapproved of Vivian’s choice. From what he knew so far, the circumstances had been violent and sudden. She had tried to save him, as her sire had saved her.
“If you accept my offer,” He continued to Scott, “there will be a familial bond between us. I will teach and protect you, and you will listen to and respect me. A surrogate father, if you will.” The boy perhaps did not need reminding of the familial ties he would have to break soon, but there were few similes to describe the Surrogacy relationship. He paused to let the words sink in before he continued. “Is there anything you want to ask me, Scott? I will clarify anything you wish.”
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Post by Scotty Kovac on Jan 20, 2010 2:59:09 GMT 1
Scotty’s chest rose and fell in ragged breaths as he tried to fight the urge to cry out loud. He needed to listen to what Sam told him and sobbing hysterically would just get in the way. It was almost comforting, what the older vampire had said about his behaviour in the morgue being a side effect. However, the boy did not quite believe there was nothing he could have done. Maybe it was because he’d had years of Professor Connery drilling it in his head but he believed he should have fought harder against the instincts; you can always fight something.
” Zašto je moj truplo izraditi mene otmica netko?*” the boy asked with tears streaming down his face. The stress of that single question, the one he’d been asking himself since it had happened, had made Scott slip accidently into his second language. Visibly he flinched as Sam’s hand came to resting on his knee; it scared him and yet it was also strangely soothing. He nodded in wholehearted agreement that he needed training and forgiveness, from everybody. If he wanted that second part Viv would need to know what he did, Scott just hoped Sam explained why so both he and the girl could understand. ”I don’t want to succumb to the darkness, not again.”
He couldn’t, he wouldn’t go through that again and this strange vampire would help him. A familiar optimism couldn’t help but come creeping back. Maybe things would only get better from here? ”I will commit to this, one hundred percent,” Scott said at once. He was already finding it hard to cope, how much worse could things get? If Sam wanted a definite answer he was about to get one. In the boy’s mind there was no other answer except yes.
”Yes to all of it, I agree. I want you to teach me, to stop me ever becoming what I was in the hospital but I’m scared. I’m scared to leave my life behind, and most of all I’m scared because I’m hungry.” He threw a worried glance at the human whose heart was becoming louder with every passing second. Trying to resist the urge to feed the boy clamped his hands down on either side of his chair, the wood underneath splintering from the force. ” I do have another question, I won’t do what I did to the girl in the morgue to Viv or anyone else for that matter will I?”
*”Why did my body make me rape someone?”
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Post by Samuel Jacobs on Jan 20, 2010 7:53:40 GMT 1
Samuel held his left hand out toward Edward, palm up in a gesture to wait as the obvious distress of the changeling took his attention toward the wizard on the other side of the room. “Please, if you can remain calm, stay where you are.” He said calmly, looking past the single ring-adorned hand to the human. His heartbeat was a constant strain on Scott, the vampire knew, but for a few more minutes, it would be good for the changeling to cope with its nearness. “You will come to no harm.” He promised, turning back to Scott.
He knelt forward, laying both broad hands over Scott’s fine and long ones. “Scott? Scott. Look at me.” He said firmly and waited for acquiescence before continuing. “Listen to it. Just listen. Don’t let it fill you up. It is too easy to fall for the siren’s call. This sound is now your life. We do not exist to extinguish it, only to live and learn from it. It is one thing that all of God’s creatures share: a heartbeat. From the humble mouse to the great whale, each and every one had a different song, and we are privileged enough to hear them all.
“For the moment, it will be a test of your strength to defy your instinct and listen only to your rational mind. But once the hunger is under control, I promise you will find more to thank God for this test he has given you. It will be difficult, but the rewards will be just.” He nodded, smiling earnestly.
“I’m glad that you understand, Scott. There is no need to be scared now; I will look after you.” The acceptance of his offer had been quick, perhaps hasty, but there really was no better option the boy could have chosen. Samuel was strong, powerful and experienced. He had never created his own changelings, but his capacity for kindness had led him to take on surrogate changelings countless times.
He assumed an expression of pity, and he shook his head at the boy’s question. He had recalled enough Croatian to roughly translate what he has asked before, but the pivotal adjective had escaped him. Being reminded of the girl confirmed his suspicions over what had happened. It had not just been a blood exchange. “No, Scott. If we work together to tame your instincts, you will not want to hurt anybody again. What happened was unfortunate, but we will talk about that later.” When there were no ladies in the room, or the entire building, if they had ears like Vivian.
“Only time will heal the grief you feel over your lost life, I will help you through that also, but hunger will be a common state for you over the next few weeks. Your body has much to change, and to heal, so you will need to feed when you feel the pangs.”
He glanced over to Edward now, bobbing his head in another of those old courtly gestures. “I think it best if you were not present while Scott feeds; your human condition is quite distracting for him. Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Johns.” Samuel stood slowly, but kept one hand on Scott’s shoulder. He would have passed the room to shake the man’s hand, but under the circumstances, he hoped the wizard would understand why he did not.
While the mortal ascended the stairs to join his partner, Samuel spoke to Scott while he shrugged off his outdoor coat and lay it over the back of an empty chair. “You no doubt know already that what you crave is blood. Human blood predominantly, but in truth any blood will sustain us.” He began working at the buttons holding his cuff, rolling the sleeve back past his elbow.
“Vampire blood is a little different. It will sate your hunger, but it holds very little nutritional value. It does however have some value, which I will explain soon. Human blood, from the source it is most potent, will help you the most. It will give you energy, and it will help to heal you. This is where my blood will come in most useful. It will add to the strength of your blood, and when you come to feed on human blood, you will be able to utilise it more efficiently. We do not digest blood in our stomachs, that is only where we store it. It is our blood that breaks down what we eat and deploys the energy.”
He gave an apologetic shrug. “My scientific knowledge is a little lacking from that point forward, but there are many others who will be able to tell you more.” He turned his forearm to display the underside to Scott. “I have no pulse, so I may not seem at all appetising, but you will have to learn to bite on me first before we move onto humans.” He pointed out the long blue veins travelling near the surface of his skin. “The wrist is usually the most accessible, and least dangerous of biting points. You can draw blood from any bite, but it is easier on certain places. The neck flows most freely, but you must be careful when feeding there as there is great margin for error.
“First we will concentrate on the basics; we have time to work on finesse later.” He showed Scott with his other hand where to aim his teeth. “It is preferable if you can avoid the tendons of your donor. You do not need to worry about me, though, I will heal almost instantaneously. As a result, you may need to bite me quite hard to keep the wound open, and my blood will not flow easily. It will also taste different, and do not worry if it makes you feel a little strange.” He came to stand beside Scott’s chair, and offered his forearm for the boy to take.
“Feel no guilt in this, Scott. Feeding is a necessity now. If you let guilt consume you, rather than seeking forgiveness, you will not adjust.” His last words had a weight to them, as he was not just referring to the act of drinking blood. Scott had much to repent for. His body had committed sins while the darkness ruled him, and it was up to Scott to apologise to those he had hurt. Samuel had already extended his forgiveness to an extent. He knew the boy’s situation, and he believed that he truly was sorry.
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Post by Scotty Kovac on Jan 21, 2010 12:18:22 GMT 1
The promise of no harm that Sam made to Edward made Scott flinch again. How was this vampire so sure that he could keep him, a rabid changeling, under control? If the roles were reversed the boy would most definitely advise for the human to get the hell out of there before his neck was savaged so much the spinal cord was visible. The man’s heartbeat was making the changeling’s stomach turn with want and need. He swore inwardly that he could smell Ed’s blood through his skin and God it smelt good.
No! Enough!
With a shake of his head Scott focused his whole attention on Sam and the sound of his voice as he spoke. Was he mad, encouraging him to listen to the beat like he did. At once the boy shook his head, positively refusing to risk himself giving into the temptation the beat brought. It was hard not to do as the older vampire asked; the look on his face was so reassuring and comforting. ”Fine,” the teen sobbed. He focused and let the barkeep’s heart once again fill his ears but this time he focused his gaze on Sam. With an iron will not to let it consume him again soon enough it became nothing more than background noise and the hunger dulled slightly.
So heartbeats were to be learned from, that was interesting. The talk about God however was not; if there was a God how could he have let someone as good as August die like he had? Scotty did not voice his opinion, instead it settled in the far reaches of his mind to be stewed over later. ”It’s hard, to ignore it but if I focus on something else it seems to dull a bit,” the boy said quietly with a weak, hopeful smile; the first smile –or sort of smile- since he’d woken up.
When Sam did not answer his previous question, a sudden, irrational anger flared up in the teen. It had taken a lot of effort to ask it, didn’t the man realise? As quick as the rage had set on it thankfully dissipated and Scott saw the rational reasons as to why the vampire had not answered but he still wanted answers later. ”Later then,” he murmured, nodding his head. Later when they were alone and there wasn’t a certain someone named Vivian around.
”I don’t want to be hungry all the time, that’s what scares me the most. What if it’s one of my friends I kill next?” the boy whimpered as his stomach growled. Sure time would heal all the pain and grief eventually but he still had to cope with it in the present day. There would be no more family holidays to Dubrovnik or seeing past friends without the fear of killing them hanging over his head. Sam’s voice and Ed’s sudden departure brought the boy out of his moping. Had Sam just mentioned feeding?
With eyes as wide as saucers and looking positively terrified at the thought, Scott shook his head violently but sighed in relief when he saw what his new mentor meant. The man was right when he said he may not seem appetising. There was no tantalizing heart beat to hear or blood running freely through veins to see. Still, he was hungry and didn’t want to snack on a human. Scott watched all of Sam’s instruction almost eagerly; he just wanted to be rid of the pains in his stomach that were eating at him. At first he was worried that he would hurt the man but at his reassurance he’d be fine the changeling at once bit down.
Unlike the other night the blood did not come straight away and it only made him bite down harder. After much biting and sucking Sam’s blood oozed into his mouth. The taste was bitter, like an aged wine but Scott and his stomach didn’t care. It took much effort to keep the wounds open and, still new to how to feed, as he continued with his meal the young vampire positively savaged the man’s wrist.
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