Lust For Her Master's Blood

A heavy fog seemed to cloud my mind when I woke. Everything just seemed so heavy. My arms, my head even my eyes and I struggled to open them to look at my surroundings. I couldn’t remember much at first, just that something rather bad had happened and when my mind recognised that, the night's events seemed to drop into place like giant stone puzzle pieces. With new energy, at both the embarrassment and anger, I groaned and rolled onto my side, hiding my face in my hands.

“Good to see you are finally awake.” Arnold said from his chair beside the bed I was currently in.

I peeked up at him then glared at him when I noticed the smile on his face was amused.

“What time is it?” I asked.

He leaned back and glanced at the clock. “Ten past eight.” He replied and went back reading the thick hardback book that was resting on his lap. “In the evening I might had.”

I quickly decided that I had been out for nearly a day and forced myself up. When Arnold realised what I was doing he moved to stop me but a moment too late. As soon as I managed to stand I folded up and fell heavily to the floor.

“You shouldn’t be moving yet Susan.” He said and helped me back onto the bed. “The Master took more blood than he intended so you are very weak now.”

I glared at him. “I have work to do.” I tried again but was forced to be still when Arnold placed his old hands on my shoulders, easily stopping me from rising.

“Everyone has been fine without you for the past few days. Another day or so won’t matter.”

My eyes widened dramatically. “Wait wait wait wait. The past few days?” I repeated.

“You have been sleeping rather heavily while your body recovered. The Master was worried and very rarely left your side but the rest of us knew you would be fine. Your heart was beating strongly and you had no problems breathing so we knew you will be well soon enough.” He eased himself back into his chair and picked up his book. “Now go back to sleep. The sooner you rest the faster you will be back on your feet.”

I glowered and huffed but I did as he said. I curled up on the bed and threw the cover over me so I could hide in the darkness. Very quickly, I fell asleep.

*

The next thing I new I was staring blindly from beneath the duvet. Something felt wrong but I couldn’t quite place it. I didn’t feel threatened and no one had entered the room but strangely I felt anger. Both anger at myself and whoever was speaking to me. It made no sense. Slowly I pulled the duvet back and instantly found Arnold’s chair which was empty.

I glanced about when I heard the tinkering of metal against china and saw the elderly butler pouring milk into a china cup. He glanced up and smiled as he came back to his chair with the cup of tea in hand. He looked at me for a moment and seemed to asses me before he spoke.

“What’s wrong Susan?”

I jumped, slightly startled but forced myself to calm. “I’m going insane.”

Arnold readjusted his glasses and peered down at the book as he read. The pages on one side of the book had grown thicker somewhat, telling me I had been asleep for a good while again.

“And what makes you say that.” He asked.

“I feel angry at someone, someone I am speaking to.”

“So you are angry at me then.”

“No not you even though you do irritate me sometimes.” I said firmly. “Someone else I am speaking to but I am not speaking to anyone else as we are the only ones in this room thus I have decided I am going insane.”

“You are not insane Susan. This is something that is to be expected.” He removed his glasses and closed the book with his finger within its pages to mark his place. “The Master had never bitten you before for a number of reasons. The most obvious is what you feel when bitten, in your later years anyway. As a child he felt it was too close, too personal, to bite you. It is why he always cut your hand and drank from the wound. The other reason is that when a vampire feeds from a witch, actually biting and marking her, not simply drinking from a wound, he not only becomes addicted to the blood but the two form a bond. You two can feel each others emotions and what causes them, feel each others pain and even know where you are. So what you are currently feeling is the Master's anger, not your own.”

“So we are bonded now.” I said more to myself than to Arnold and drew my eyebrows together in both confusion and annoyance.

The whole idea of that particular man knowing what I was feeling, thinking and doing put oil on the already burning flame of rage that was flickering in my head and made me want to sock him over the head for invading such a personal space.

Arnold nodded and opened the book. “It’s ironic if you ask me. The one person who wants the master dead is the only person who can keep him sane.”

I pulled a face of annoyance at the comment. “So what is he angry about?”

“The people who came in earlier this evening must be testing his patience now.”

“Who?”

“Werewolves. They wish something of the Master who cannot give them what they want. If they don’t tread carefully there is going to be a fight breaking out soon.”

I chewed my lip then concentrated on my toes, wiggling them firmly. Feeling confidant, I swung my legs over and very carefully stood. After a moment of balancing I felt happy in the strength of my legs. I then looked down at Arnold who was observing me calmly.

“Take me down there please.”

Arnold nodded and placed both the book and cup aside then led me out of the room. It did not take long to find the large lounge where the Master and his guests where in and I knew I was drawing closer when raised voices floated down the hall. Arnold swiftly opened the door, without even knocking which would normally surprise me if it wasn't for the reason why we sought out the Master, and allowed me to enter before him.

Instantly the shouts became hushed when several eyes swivelled to focus on me. I stood tall with a sharp glare at the several casually dressed men standing opposite from the chair the Master was in. I could sense the wariness from the werewolves and the sudden defence in the stature at the sight of me. I didn’t know whether to feel repulsed or felt the Master's anger dwindle slightly and a slight calm came over his nature when he glanced at me.

In here I was not acting as a maid but as a guard. What better guard dog to have than someone who is both rare in blood and has the natural instincts and power to kill any supernatural creature. The alpha male, a very large burley man, stared at me hard and I returned his hostile stare with a cold stiff smile. Eventually, after the silent sizing up of opponents, the man backed down. He stood swiftly, his eyes flickering from myself to the master.

“If you don’t destroy the Mother while she still rests nor allow us to do so then you have just made enemies of every Pack in the country. We don’t have much time before she wakes and once she does she will hunt down the Packs and the Prides for fun just as she always did so don’t think we will back down.” He snarled ferociously. “Until that old bitch is awake or dead you are at war with us.”

With one last glare thrown at both the Master and myself the werewolves turned and left the room. I stared at the door for a moment before I approached the master who was sitting in his chair, though still keeping my distance at the whole ‘bond’ thing. His posture was stiff with a hard look on his face as he thought deeply.

“I will not let them harm anyone in this house, Master.” He looked up at me when my voice caught his attention. “I won’t let them harm you either. You know my creed.”

He smiled faintly. “I know.”

He stood wearily to his feet and glanced at the window. The afternoon sunlight would be burning him by now if it wasn’t for the fact the curtains were so thick. I watched him carefully when the worried expression returned.

“I’d let them have her Susan.” He muttered. “But I can’t, I just can’t.”

I didn’t have time to leap out the way when he approached me and nuzzled the top of my head affectionately before he turned and wondered out the room. I would have snarled obscenities after him for being so familiar with me if it wasn’t for the amount of rage, self-loathing and fear that was spinning around in the back of my mind and knowing it was not mine.