DEAD SEED (AKA "Vampires Don't Exist")

ELEVEN: Lose Control

CW/TW: pretty much forward

Horrible screams plagued her dreams. Someone's pitiable cries as they were slowly being killed. Tortured to death. Blood-curdling cries of pain. The crack of a whip. Aralyn's eyelids twitched in her sleep; her body stirred with each crack.

A moment of silence.

Then the worst scream of them yet.

Aralyn jumped awake, sitting up quickly at the sound of the tortured howl. Pain shot out all over her body from the bites that Sadie and Mabel had given her. Blood pounded behind her ears. The sudden movement blinded her as she was still weak from blood loss.

"Good evening, my love." Aimeric sat up behind her, draping his arm around her and kissing her shoulder with his icy lips.

"Who is that?" she asked, voice hoarse from her dry throat. An oversized sweatshirt fell from her shoulder; she didn't remember changing into it.

"Never mind," Aimeric said, kissing her ear. "Come downstairs and eat something. I'm sure you're hungry, you've been asleep for two days."

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"You were quite weak. Apparently the girls drank too much." He chuckled into her hair.

Aralyn didn't laugh. The memory of what he had let them do to her came flooding back. She narrowed her eyes and frowned.

"Come. You need water too. I gave you what I could while you slept but it wasn't nearly enough. You're dehydrated."

He helped her stand, then steadied her when a wave of weakness and nausea overtook her. Her stomach rolled, making her feel sick. Once he steadied her, he took a moment to look her over, staring into her eyes.

"I trust you've learned your lesson?"

She averted her eyes to the floor and nodded. "Yes ... Master."

Aimeric smiled, then kissed her deeply as if he had been deprived of her. Not wanting to upset him, Aralyn forced herself to kiss him back. He seemed pleased when he pulled away.

"Good girl. Now come."

After making sure she had plenty to eat and drink, Aimeric stood behind her while she ate. He pulled her hair to the side and started massaging her shoulders and neck. She winced when he got too close to one of the bite marks.

"I apologize for having to do that to you. But they'll heal in no time."

Aralyn wondered why he didn't lick the wounds to make them heal faster. Probably because he wanted to make sure she suffered.

He knelt beside her then. She forced a small smile before taking another bite of the food.

"I can make the pain go away if you wish."

She wasn't sure exactly what he meant. Did he mean to make her a vampire at that moment or did he mean something else? Perhaps he had heard her thoughts wondering why he hadn't licked the wounds.

He grinned. "Are you in such a hurry to become one of us? I meant I can heal them the same way I did that cut on your face. You aren't quite ready to be turned yet. You still have some more growing up to do."

That was rich coming from him.

"They don't hurt that much," she said stubbornly. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of asking for help.

"As you wish." He stood. "I will be leaving for a while. I haven't fed since you fell asleep."

That took her by surprise. "Why not?"