Diary of A Vampire Slayer, Book 2: Gabriela

Prologue

1994

"Veronica," My first-born son was visiting me. I hadn't seen him in fifty years. He refused to see me. Frederick wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't appreciate everything I had done for him.

        "Frederick," I answered with thinning lips. "It's been years. What has brought you out here?" I was seated at my desk staring up at my son. How he had gotten past my receptionist was beyond me.

         I had one of the tallest buildings in the New York City skyline. The Black Family had made it undetectable.  It could only be seen by Hunters in the Coalition.

        "I've heard rumors," he answered not bothering to take a seat. This was not going to be a social visit. "Is it true that the vampires are rising?"

        "You refused to be a vampire hunter. None of it should concern you." I replied curtly to my oldest son. He was now 456 years old. "The three youngest are taking care of the situation at hand."

        "The three youngest are merely boys. They have no experience dealing with centuries old vampires." He replied turning to the door as if waiting for them to come through it. My youngest sons knew nothing about their older brothers. "They are too young to be dealing with the vampires. That Sire wants-"

       "He wants nothing but to turn us into vampires." I cut him off. I didn't want him to keep talking. "We are the strongest and most powerful House that has ever existed. We can take care of it."

        "With only three Hunters from House Matheson?" he laughed at me with a wave of his hand. "Veronica you have fifteen other sons."

       "My other sons left us!" I rose to my feet to stare down at him. My oldest son had never been scared of me. The others cowered from me. "You left your family, remember?"

        "All of us left you. You know why, mother." He hissed at me. "We wanted nothing to do with the family legacy you wanted to give us. The moment the Houses find out what you are they will revolt against you. They will hunt the rest of us down!" he slammed his hand on the desk.

        "And you wouldn't be able to handle the Houses?" I arched an eyebrow eyeing my son. He didn't drop his eyes. We merely stared at each other.

"You weren't at the funeral, mother." He accused me. "William was never the same after Royal was bit."

My lips curled in disgust. William should have listened to me and killed his son. We didn't need that creation in our family.

        "That boy should have been killed years ago." I retorted taking a seat not lifting my eyes from my son. "Why are you here, Frederick?"

        "My brothers have sent me to speak with you. We would like to offer our help to you."

       "All of you can help by marrying and having your own sons." I glared up at him. None of them but William had children. They had all been killed and the only survivor had been the little runt Royal. But of course he had been turned. My son had refused to kill him and had been horrified by the idea of it.

I had given birth to eighteen males. My idea had been to create the toughest and most powerful hunter House. I had expected that by now we've would have been big with multiple family members. We should have been well known and renowned but all of my sons had defied me. They had wanted nothing to do with becoming Hunters. None of them had ever fathered children. My youngest sons were more inclined and willing to accept their life style. I had taken all choices from them. They were expected to become Slayers.

"That is what you can do for me. You are not Hunters. Leave the fighting to Jamie, Ethan, and Liam"

         "Do your favorite sons know about the rest of us?" Frederick's nostrils flared. "How you had sons and threw them away when they were of no use to you? Are you going to do the same with the them?"

         "Don't disrespect me, Frederick." I hissed at him.

        "Mother, what are you going to do when the Houses start asking questions?" he leaned forward. His amber eyes were now gleaming. "You are 700 years old, mother. The first House was created 300 years ago. They have 7 or 8 generations now. House Matheson has only two well three if you count Royal."

I cursed the day he was born. He was not worth the headache that was now starting to form.

        "Nobody questions House Matheson, you of all people know that!"

        "If you say so, Mother." His lip curled as his eyes turned to slits. "Giovanni left a request. He would like a law stating clean Vampires be recognized as legitimate."

       "You expect Royal to join a Chain?" I scoffed at him. My son was touched in the head. They all were. "He will never become a Slayer."

        "William left you a letter," he pulled out an envelope from his inner pocket. "It is the least you can do for your murdered son and illegitimate grandson. You were given a second chance. Why can't he be given one? It wasn't his fault."

My teeth gritted as he spoke.

       "You may go!" I snapped sharply at him. He placed the envelope on my desk without lifting his eyes from me.

       "We offered our help to you," Frederick told me with narrowing eyes. "Don't act like we don't try to get close to you."

        "As you said my son, nobody knows about any of you especially my youngest sons. I don't need your help. You may go." I curled my lips at him.

        "As you request mother," he responded with a small shake of his head. "You want to keep what isn't yours. You were the greatest when you started off but now the other Houses have surpassed you and may even out live you." He walked off before I could even answer.

My upper lip lifted in dislike. My eldest son had always gotten under my skin but he wouldn't be troublesome. He knew not to push me. He would stay away as a way to protect himself rather than to confront me publicly. One thing he said was concerning me. My sons had sent him to tell that they would help me if I needed it. They weren't Slayers, yet he had been here a few moments ago. They must know something that Frederick hadn't told me. It could also be a ploy so that I could visit them. I'd figure it out eventually for now I had to focus on my youngest three sons.

My eyes laid on the letter that my son had written to me. With the tip of my fingers, I lifted it up but without a second thought I tossed it into the flickering fire. Not a single vampire would ever join a Slayer Chain. I turned to face the giant window behind me. It was snowing in the city, the weather made it perfect for a hunt. The night was bitterly cold, the vampires would be active since they couldn't feel the cold. Now wasn't the time for a hunt. In a few months I would be back to my old self. 

The glint of my knives caught my eye. I had nine of them. All had been forged from me. My venom and blood made up those knives. Each of my sons had their own weapon forged from my blood. Gently, I rose from my desk trying to clear my head. Some rest would be good for me. My sons were out Hunting, it was best they stayed away for some time.