Status: I'm a horrible updater.
Bat Country
Chapter 6
No one seemed to mind the nudity of both of them. In only seconds, people were humming around her. Everyone inspected her. Scrutinized every part of her. She wasn’t sure why she was unabashed by her own nudity, but she shrugged it off.
“Excuse me,” Alexis blurted. “But when the fuck is someone going to tell me what the hell happened?”
A tall, lean man who she vaguely remembered was called something like Rev was in front of her with his finger pointed at her face.
Matt quickly grabbed Rev’s finger and pushed it back into his own space. “Dude, not really wise.”
“But I wanna see her teeth.”
“Alexis, would you please show him your teeth.”
Alexis’s lips pulled back and the double fangs were exposed. When her mouth opened, everyone dropped to their knees. This was too weird. She closed her mouth and looked over at Matt.
“Why are they doing that?” She asked looking from him back to the 7 people on their knees before her.
“You’re rare for our kind.”
“What kind? Can we just…you know…out with it. This is getting old. And what smells so good?”
“Do you remember the alley?”
Quickly, Alexis poured through her memories. She remembered being warm and then pain all over. Then burning. “Only in pieces…”
“You were attacked.” He said. His eyes fell on Syn who averted his gaze to his knees.
Alexis closed her eyes and tried to get more. “…I was going somewhere, but I don’t remember what for. It smelled like rotting meat. I was afraid…then I wasn’t…then it hurt so much, then it hurt worse. I was on fire…I was burning…That’s all I have.”
“You nearly died in that attack, so we had to turn you into one of us. A vampire.”
Alexis laughed loudly and then tears came to her eyes. “But vampires don’t exist.”
“I promise you they do…” Matt ran his hand from the top of Alexis’s head down the length of her hair and rubbed his shoulders.
“But vampires are dead! They’re pale! Then what’s wrong with me, and it sure as fuck doesn’t explain him!” Alexis pointed to Syn then dropped her arm. When tears were streaming down her face, she wiped them away, but her hands returned bloody. She looked up at Matt confused.
“Vampire tears are bloody.” His eyes looked sad now, and he was almost deflated. “Don’t worry. There’s a lot you don’t know yet, but you will. You’ll have an easier time when you learn more about what you are.” Matt pulled up Alexis’s hand and kissed it softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up and dressed.”
Alexis nodded.
Matt lifted his head. “Isabel, please take her to her dressing room.”
The petite brunette slowly rose and held her hand out for Alexis, and Alexis placed her hand cautiously into the other woman’s, and with full speed they were out of sight.
“I’ve not seen one in 300 years.” Matt was sliding a leg into his pants. Everyone had followed him on orders to not crowd Alexis. “300 fucking years since I saw one last.”
A shorter man with a dark Mohawk spoke out first. “Yeah because there can’t be more than 10 anyone even knows of.”
“Johnny‘s right. 7. At last count there were 7.” Rev corrected. His arms were crossed, and his eyes slightly distant.
Matt slid a belt through the loops on his pants and buckled them. He reached into a drawer in a black dresser for a shirt. “Yeah, no fucking surprise. There’s like…almost no trace of them in our blood now.”
The blonde woman spoke, fear delicately laced into her voice. “Are none of us taking a minute to realize that we have an original type vampire in here who is fucking pissed? She could easily control us. She could kill any of us. With ease.”
Matt grinned. He wasn’t worried. “I know. It’s fantastic.”
“Fantastic?” she asked, her eyebrows raised. Disbelief danced across her face. “She can kill us, she could kill you…and you think it’s…fantastic? Originals are notoriously bloodthirsty. That’s why you heard so much about them about 100 years before you were made, Matt.”
“Callie, just--”
“No, Matt. When originals were around they weren’t just hunted by humans. They were hunted by us. They threatened to expose us. No one believes in us now because there’s so little of them to blow our cover. I don’t know why you think her blood is more important than ours. Our…diluted…” she cringed on the last word. “blood is just as good. It makes us better adapted for secrecy. I won’t allow her to stay he--”
Without even a blink, Matt was at her throat and he loomed over her, his fangs bared. “Callie. If you touch her in any way, and I do mean in any fucking way, you won’t have to worry about her. You will answer to me and I will show no mercy in hunting you down if you run.”
Everyone’s eyes shifted down, acknowledging Matt’s authority.
“Matt,” the obnoxiously red haired woman began carefully. “She--”
“Miranda, defend Callie again and I will reject you from my nest.”
“Yes, sir.” Her eyes went back down.
Matt stepped back and Callie’s eyes became brimmed with red tears. “I’m sorry.” she blurted. “But I--”
“Callie. Shut the fuck up. Get out of my sight before I kill you. You’ve blatantly disobeyed me so many times. I simply don’t care. Alexis is mine. I’ll fucking worry about her behavior.”
Callie bowed her head and nodded, backing out of the room. Miranda followed her quietly and before long they were gone.
“Don’t lie to me, any of you. Are any of you uncomfortable with this?” Matt’s expression cooled.
“In a way, Callie has a point.” Rev began.
“But not a good one.” Johnny interjected, his eyebrows shrugging. “Originals form strong bonds with their makers, and within their nests. I’ve heard stories were an original is in a nest with werewolves and demons. Their bonds run deep, and they protect their nestmates, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.”
“Callie’s always been a fucking moron.” Syn finally joined the conversation. “While yes, it would be quite easy for Alexis to destroy a vampire like one of us, originals hardly ever attack nestmates.”
“Only one case that I can recall ever hearing about. A nest in France brought a new vampire in and it destroyed the original’s child when it came back from an unauthorized hunt.” Matt said, finally sliding his shirt on.
“What happened to the other vampire?” Zacky asked.
“The original bled it for days, ripping off body parts until there was nothing left to do but take off its fucking head.”
“Fuckin’ brutal, man.” Rev smiled and laughed. “Fuckin’ brutal.”
Matt grinned and his eyes shifted over and his face slowly lost the smile. “Zack, how do you feel?”
“Callie might be mine, but I don’t agree with her. Given the attacks on our nest, Alexis could be our biggest asset.”
Matt’s face dropped and became expressionless. “How many attempts did they make while we went to ground?”
“Just three.” Zacky’s blue green eyes slowly met Matt’s minty ones.
“They’re slowing down. This is not a good sign.”
Again, everyone’s eyes shifted down.
“They’re preparing for war.” Zacky said softly.
“Excuse me,” Alexis blurted. “But when the fuck is someone going to tell me what the hell happened?”
A tall, lean man who she vaguely remembered was called something like Rev was in front of her with his finger pointed at her face.
Matt quickly grabbed Rev’s finger and pushed it back into his own space. “Dude, not really wise.”
“But I wanna see her teeth.”
“Alexis, would you please show him your teeth.”
Alexis’s lips pulled back and the double fangs were exposed. When her mouth opened, everyone dropped to their knees. This was too weird. She closed her mouth and looked over at Matt.
“Why are they doing that?” She asked looking from him back to the 7 people on their knees before her.
“You’re rare for our kind.”
“What kind? Can we just…you know…out with it. This is getting old. And what smells so good?”
“Do you remember the alley?”
Quickly, Alexis poured through her memories. She remembered being warm and then pain all over. Then burning. “Only in pieces…”
“You were attacked.” He said. His eyes fell on Syn who averted his gaze to his knees.
Alexis closed her eyes and tried to get more. “…I was going somewhere, but I don’t remember what for. It smelled like rotting meat. I was afraid…then I wasn’t…then it hurt so much, then it hurt worse. I was on fire…I was burning…That’s all I have.”
“You nearly died in that attack, so we had to turn you into one of us. A vampire.”
Alexis laughed loudly and then tears came to her eyes. “But vampires don’t exist.”
“I promise you they do…” Matt ran his hand from the top of Alexis’s head down the length of her hair and rubbed his shoulders.
“But vampires are dead! They’re pale! Then what’s wrong with me, and it sure as fuck doesn’t explain him!” Alexis pointed to Syn then dropped her arm. When tears were streaming down her face, she wiped them away, but her hands returned bloody. She looked up at Matt confused.
“Vampire tears are bloody.” His eyes looked sad now, and he was almost deflated. “Don’t worry. There’s a lot you don’t know yet, but you will. You’ll have an easier time when you learn more about what you are.” Matt pulled up Alexis’s hand and kissed it softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up and dressed.”
Alexis nodded.
Matt lifted his head. “Isabel, please take her to her dressing room.”
The petite brunette slowly rose and held her hand out for Alexis, and Alexis placed her hand cautiously into the other woman’s, and with full speed they were out of sight.
“I’ve not seen one in 300 years.” Matt was sliding a leg into his pants. Everyone had followed him on orders to not crowd Alexis. “300 fucking years since I saw one last.”
A shorter man with a dark Mohawk spoke out first. “Yeah because there can’t be more than 10 anyone even knows of.”
“Johnny‘s right. 7. At last count there were 7.” Rev corrected. His arms were crossed, and his eyes slightly distant.
Matt slid a belt through the loops on his pants and buckled them. He reached into a drawer in a black dresser for a shirt. “Yeah, no fucking surprise. There’s like…almost no trace of them in our blood now.”
The blonde woman spoke, fear delicately laced into her voice. “Are none of us taking a minute to realize that we have an original type vampire in here who is fucking pissed? She could easily control us. She could kill any of us. With ease.”
Matt grinned. He wasn’t worried. “I know. It’s fantastic.”
“Fantastic?” she asked, her eyebrows raised. Disbelief danced across her face. “She can kill us, she could kill you…and you think it’s…fantastic? Originals are notoriously bloodthirsty. That’s why you heard so much about them about 100 years before you were made, Matt.”
“Callie, just--”
“No, Matt. When originals were around they weren’t just hunted by humans. They were hunted by us. They threatened to expose us. No one believes in us now because there’s so little of them to blow our cover. I don’t know why you think her blood is more important than ours. Our…diluted…” she cringed on the last word. “blood is just as good. It makes us better adapted for secrecy. I won’t allow her to stay he--”
Without even a blink, Matt was at her throat and he loomed over her, his fangs bared. “Callie. If you touch her in any way, and I do mean in any fucking way, you won’t have to worry about her. You will answer to me and I will show no mercy in hunting you down if you run.”
Everyone’s eyes shifted down, acknowledging Matt’s authority.
“Matt,” the obnoxiously red haired woman began carefully. “She--”
“Miranda, defend Callie again and I will reject you from my nest.”
“Yes, sir.” Her eyes went back down.
Matt stepped back and Callie’s eyes became brimmed with red tears. “I’m sorry.” she blurted. “But I--”
“Callie. Shut the fuck up. Get out of my sight before I kill you. You’ve blatantly disobeyed me so many times. I simply don’t care. Alexis is mine. I’ll fucking worry about her behavior.”
Callie bowed her head and nodded, backing out of the room. Miranda followed her quietly and before long they were gone.
“Don’t lie to me, any of you. Are any of you uncomfortable with this?” Matt’s expression cooled.
“In a way, Callie has a point.” Rev began.
“But not a good one.” Johnny interjected, his eyebrows shrugging. “Originals form strong bonds with their makers, and within their nests. I’ve heard stories were an original is in a nest with werewolves and demons. Their bonds run deep, and they protect their nestmates, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.”
“Callie’s always been a fucking moron.” Syn finally joined the conversation. “While yes, it would be quite easy for Alexis to destroy a vampire like one of us, originals hardly ever attack nestmates.”
“Only one case that I can recall ever hearing about. A nest in France brought a new vampire in and it destroyed the original’s child when it came back from an unauthorized hunt.” Matt said, finally sliding his shirt on.
“What happened to the other vampire?” Zacky asked.
“The original bled it for days, ripping off body parts until there was nothing left to do but take off its fucking head.”
“Fuckin’ brutal, man.” Rev smiled and laughed. “Fuckin’ brutal.”
Matt grinned and his eyes shifted over and his face slowly lost the smile. “Zack, how do you feel?”
“Callie might be mine, but I don’t agree with her. Given the attacks on our nest, Alexis could be our biggest asset.”
Matt’s face dropped and became expressionless. “How many attempts did they make while we went to ground?”
“Just three.” Zacky’s blue green eyes slowly met Matt’s minty ones.
“They’re slowing down. This is not a good sign.”
Again, everyone’s eyes shifted down.
“They’re preparing for war.” Zacky said softly.