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Chapter Seven: Sire

Rachel's POV – Early Morning

After our little game, Max mentioned that she needed to head back to Blackwell since she had class today. I decided to tag along, curious to know more about the girl I had accidentally turned. We kept to the shadows, avoiding both prolonged exposure to the sun and humans witnessing our impossible feats of speed. When we made it to the school building, we slowed our pace and managed to evade the frankly pathetic security patrols.

Once we got inside the safety of Max's room, she relaxed. "You know, this is only the second time I've broken curfew."

From what I had seen of Max – admittedly very little – that didn't surprise me. She seemed to be on the loner end of the social spectrum. "Shocking, such a criminal. What was the first time?"

"Oh, well remember I mention my…" she left a long pause, considering something, "…friend before?"

Grinning, I nodded. "The one you wanted to chomp on? Yeah, I do."

Max winced slightly at the word before continuing. "You can blame her for that. She does love trouble."

"Hmm, sounds like we'd get along then." There were very few people out there – human or vampire – who loved trouble as much as I did.

"Oh, without a doubt. Which reminds me… I need to speak to her later. With the whole… biting thing, I've been avoiding her," Max admitted sheepishly, looking guilty.

Getting a little annoyed at the endless cycle of self-pity and unnecessary worry, I rolled my eyes. "I don't know why you just don't tell her. If she's really your friend, she'll accept it eventually."

"It's because she's my friend that I don't want to say anything," she replied, biting her lip. "I… I don't want her to hate me or worry if she decides to stick around. More likely she'll think I'm crazy… have you ever told anyone?"

More than happy to change the subject, I answered her question. "Once, right at the beginning. That was a long time ago now."

"How long?" she asked, curiosity flickering in her blue eyes.

A coy smile tugged at my lips. "Oh, curious are we? Why don't you take a guess?"

"Well, you look like you could actually attend Blackwell, around my age, but… I'm guessing you're older than you look… I dunno, like fifty?" she estimated, clearly worried that she might offend me. Such a typical human mindset on age.

I shook my head. "Nope, older than that."

"Okay, um, eighty?" she suggested, eyes focused on me to gauge my reaction.

"Getting closer," I encouraged, waiting to see the next number she would guess.

She gave me a searching stare, eyes boring into me as her brain whirred. "A hundred?"

That was close enough for me to tell her my exact age. "One hundred and six, I think. Or was it seven…? You stop counting after a while. And that's still pretty young for a vampire. Old enough to know what I'm doing, though."

The number seemed to surprise her, eyes widening. "Holy shit… you look like nineteen or twenty."

"Well, we don't age. Hard to when you're technically dead," I mentioned offhandedly. "And I'm guessing you're around eighteen, right?"

"Yeah, around there. I guess… I'm eighteen now," Max replied hesitantly, doing the math. "A couple days in, I think. Or, would be? If I was still… alive. I just turned as I turned. Guess my human years don't really count anymore…"

"Just be thankful you got bitten while you were still young and pretty," I added with a wink. "I've seen some older humans turned into vampires and… so many wrinkles. Glad I'll never get like that."

"So… I'm stuck like this forever?" Max muttered, glancing down at herself.

I shoved her shoulder, making her almost trip over her own feet. "Tch, don't sound so disappointed. Like I said, you're in your prime. Not like you can't change your appearance up whenever you want. You think I've always looked like this? While some vamps get stuck, I like to keep up to date. Besides, we have to make sure to blend in – our appearance is part of that."

She managed to get her balance again, expression thoughtful. "So, what now?"

"Now, you get adjusting to your new…" I hesitated, trying to find the right word, "…undeath? Not really life, is it. And you will get used to it eventually. Honestly, it's not that much different from what you're used to for the most part."

"Except I want to bite my friends and I can't sunbathe… not that I used to, anyway," Max mumbled glumly, flopping down on the edge of her bed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend sunbathing. We might not burst into flames, but we get a killer sunburn… and maybe permanent skin damage. But let's focus on the positives." I sat down beside her without invitation.

"Like what?"

"Well, you're gonna be super strong and fast, as you've already seen. And everyone will find you irresistibly attractive." I gave her a charming smile to demonstrate my point, watching the flickers of mild longing dance in her eyes.

"Yeah, because I've always wanted to be in the spotlight," she added sarcastically.

I shrugged, not having the patience for this right now. "Better get used to it, Max. You know, that would be a selling point for most people. You could have anyone you wanted now."

"Trick them, you mean. Like with… Victoria. And…" Max began to say something else, biting her tongue quickly.

"And…?" I prompted, sensing an interesting story in that unfinished sentence.

"...with Chloe. The friend I was talking about before." I got the feeling she didn't want to elaborate, but she did anyway. "She was acting… strange the other day, and I think it's because of the… you know."

"The 'vampire' thing," I finished for her, watching her nod. "Listen, Max, you'd better abandon those human morals quickly. They don't apply to you anymore, and you won't survive living by old rules."

Curling in on herself, Max frowned. "But… I don't want to take advantage of anyone."

Sighing, I put my arm around her and pulled her closer to me, hazel eyes meeting blue. "You don't have much choice now. Besides, it's not like we're doing all the taking. Whatever we do, blood sucking or otherwise, it can be a very pleasurable experience for the human involved… or vampire as the case may be."

I could see her swallow, eyes not leaving mine. Smirking, I leaned in closer, my face inches from hers now. She had tensed considerably, expression hesitant yet filled with anticipation. Her blue irises flickered with the same animalistic instinct I had seen from her earlier, on a lesser scale.

"You can feel it, right?" I continued in a lower voice. "The beast inside pushing its way forward. That's what we are. And there's nothing wrong with that. Better to embrace and therefore control it than deny and let it run wild too much."

Unable to resist, I bridged the rest of the gap and pressed my lips against hers, just like the first time. Max accepted the kiss, letting me slide my tongue into her mouth. As tempting as it was to push further, I held back for now. No need to rush things and I had a feeling Max would get frustrated for missing class, not to mention it might look suspicious. You never knew who was around.

I pulled back, sensing the disappointment. That almost made me cave, but I held strong. "Don't you have class soon? Wouldn't want to miss that."

"I guess," she muttered, getting to her feet and checking her phone. "Ah, seems like Chloe's finally up. Hello morning text spam." Lounging back on the bed, I watched her text and gather her things getting ready for class. Before she left, she turned back. "Are you… just gonna stay here until I get back?"

I shrugged, not sure myself. "Maybe, guess you'll have to wait and find out."


Jefferson's POV - Photography Classroom - Afternoon

During the photography class today I had noticed a few strange occurrences. The most obvious related to Max Caulfield, one of my quieter students. Over the past week or so, she had been particularly inattentive in class, like death warmed up. Today, however, she had suddenly perked up. Still pale, but able to support her own body weight.

To add to this, something about her aura was… off. Being an 'ex'-vampire hunter, I had trained for many years and was able to detect subtle shifts in the energy exuding from both humans and vampires. When a human interacted with a vampire in some fashion, those energy levels spiked. Max's would suggest prolonged contact or… something much more sinister; that she might be in the process of or had recently turned herself.

Unless I got her on her own and had the necessary equipment to check – the latter I no longer had access to after being discharged from the Hunters' Syndicate for 'misconduct' – I wouldn't know for sure. Well, not as easily. There was always a way.

These observations coupled with a notable increase in coverage of clothing and the possible bite mark I had noticed on Victoria Chase's neck while teaching only raised my suspicions. I made a mental note to talk to her after class. In all likeliness, she wouldn't remember but it was better to check.

Once the bell had rung to signal the end of class, everyone started shuffling and packing up. My eyes followed Max as she left – definitely suspicious.

"Victoria, can I have a word?" I called out before the blonde had the chance to leave.

She smiled, approaching the desk. "Of course, Mr. Jefferson."

I noticed the slight spike in energy levels surrounding her, suggesting recent contact with a vampire. "I don't mean to pry but… may I ask how you managed to obtain that mark on your neck?"

"Mark?" She frowned, feeling her skin as her fingertips ran over the raised bumps. "I… didn't even know that was there…"

"May I?" Getting an uncertain nod in response, I began inspecting the mark. Almost instantly, I knew exactly what this was… a vampire bite.

"So?" she pressed, demanding an answer to the mystery.

"Some kind of insect bite, I suspect," I lied, not wanting to alarm her. "I imagine it will fade soon."

"Ugh, why did nobody tell me about this?" Victoria frowned, using her compact mirror to check the red mark. "Looks like I've been mauled by a jock. Taylor is in serious trouble when I find her."

This could be a one-time thing, but Victoria Chase could also become a recurring victim. Maybe this was my chance to draw the beast I had been hunting down ever since coming to Arcadia. If the vampire in question was a student, they may seek sustenance within the walls of Blackwell rather than venture, especially if that vampire was a fledgling. Given the bite marks, how they were still visible, I suspected that I was dealing with at least one of those. Perhaps the original vampire I had been hunting had turned someone – possibly Max given the signs – which would be problematic. One vampire was bad enough without adding a fledgling into the mix.

"If the…" I paused, trying to find the right words, "…problem persists, I may have a solution. Now, don't let me keep you."

"Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. I'll let you know." With that, the tall blonde turned on her heel and stomped out of the classroom on the warpath.

Stroking my chin, I leaned back on my desk, pondering. The Hunters' Syndicate were too scared of the ramifications, letting these fanged monsters roam free, picking us off one by one. However many vampires had infected Blackwell, I would eradicate every single last parasitic beast. And this was only the beginning of my purge.


Max's POV – After Class

Rolling my shoulders, I left the classroom. I got the feeling that Mr. Jefferson was staring right at me, but that might just be my paranoia. My phone buzzed impatiently with a torrent of texts from Chloe.

Chloe: Yo Max

Chloe: you around?

Chloe: need to talk

Chloe: don't move

Chloe: i'll come pick you up

I shook my head, waiting in the corridor for her. Soon enough, she rounded the corner and waved me down. While the urge to bite had mostly vanished, she still smelled really good. As she approached, I pushed that thought to the back of my mind.

"Ah, I was starting to wonder if you were just an imaginary friend," Chloe greeted, half-joking, half-accusing.

Wincing, I hung my head. "Sorry, Chloe, I've had… a lot on my plate recently."

"Yeah, avoiding me like the plague being at the top of your list of priorities…" Her expression softened when she noticed my regret filled eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you feel too guilty. I just… missed you, okay. So, I figured we could go somewhere for a bit and chill."

"Where?"

"Wouldn't you like to know. Come on." Without another word, she grabbed hold of my wrist and dragged me all the way to the parking lot.

I wondered if Rachel was still hanging around in my room as I got into Chloe's truck. She'd probably gotten bored and gone a long time ago. We drove for a while, stopping when we reached the local junkyard.

"Welcome to my home away from hell, American Rust," Chloe introduced, her arm cutting through the air as she motioned to the space.

"Raw and rough, it suits you," I replied, eager to get out of the sun, already feeling the heat on my skin. "Say, is there any shade around here?"

Chloe scoffed, putting a hand on her hip. "How often do you see the light of day? A little sunlight won't kill you."

"Please…" I begged, not wanting to get seriously burned.

Rolling her eyes, Chloe dragged me over to the small gray brick building beside the train tracks. "Okay, fine. Only for you, Bat Max."

Once inside, the anxiety faded. This was the first time I'd been here, although Chloe had mentioned it a couple times. Graffiti covered the walls, alongside various posters and a dartboard. There was a lot of salvaged makeshift furniture, benches made from old planks and concrete bricks, among other things.

"Impressive," I muttered, examining the building's interior.

She grinned, taking a seat. "I thought so. Kinda like with our old treehouse, except I can actually find the things we need here to make it awesome."

Following her lead, I sat down beside her, not too close. "Speaking of, I stopped by the treehouse the other day."

"When did you do that?" my blue-haired punk friend asked.

"Day after I kicked you out of my room. The last time, anyway," I replied guiltily, knowing there was more than one occasion. "Made me remember a few things about our childhood. Like the day we met, or wine tasting session…"

"Shit, I remember that. Mom and dad loved that," Chloe chuckled, faltering at the thought of William.

"Then, I thought about the day I left for Seattle," I continued more slowly, shoulders slumping. "When you told me to stay."

"Ah, yeah… that was rough," the bluenette mumbled. "But, you came back. And even if you've been acting weird recently, you're still sticking around."

"About that… Chloe, I…" I bit my lip, wanting so badly to tell her my secret. Then Rachel's words came to mind, making the doubt fade away. Cautiously, I shuffled closer to Chloe and took her hands in mine. "Look, this is going to sound so ridiculous, but bear with me, okay?"

"Okay…" she said hesitantly, waiting for me to explain.

Readying myself, I began my confession. "Remember when I disappeared at the Vortex Club party?"

Chloe nodded, clearly recalling that night. "Yeah, I had a mini heart attack."

"Well, I did go to the bathroom but… I've only recently remembered why." I knew how this next part was going to sound, so planned to move to the main point swiftly. "I… someone was with me there, in one of the stalls."

The predictable worry worked its way onto her face, already jumping to conclusions. "Uh… wait, what? Max…"

"Just let me finish, okay." I held up my hand to silence her, Chloe thankfully listening to my request. "It's probably not quite what you're thinking now. There was a girl at the party, Rachel. I thought she went to our school but she doesn't."

Still looking worried, she let out a sigh. "Max, where is this going? Cuz it sounds pretty shady to me so far."

"At first, I thought that maybe I was experiencing a contact high from all the smoke, but… it wasn't." Man, this had sounded so much better in my head...

"Hey, slow down," she soothed, putting a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "You're not making any sense."

"Sorry, it's kinda all jumbled up in my head still," I gathered my thoughts, getting to the point. "Rachel, she… bit me."

"...bit you? What like… outta nowhere? Just..." Chloe clamped her teeth together in a bite, looking even more puzzled when I nodded. "Where? Why? Max, talk to me."

"No, it wasn't out of nowhere, and that's not the important part. Where, on my neck. Why, because… she wanted to…" I faltered, knowing how ridiculous this was going to sound, however true.

"...wanted to what?" she prompted, still looking extremely concerned.

"...drink my blood," I mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. It felt stupid saying it aloud.

"Right… uh, I don't…" The bluenette frowned, giving it some thought. "This still isn't making much sense, honestly Max. Why would she want to do that?"

Here came the punchline... "That's the part you won't believe. Chloe, she was a vampire," I answered, expression serious. "And… that bite…"

"Max… are you feeling okay?" Chloe leaned in, putting her hand on my forehead, frowning. "Damn, you're cold today."

Before she could pull her hand away, I took hold of it and cautiously brought it closer to my mouth before exposing my teeth for her to get a look at my elongated fangs. Her eyes widened as I guided the tip of her finger to one pointed canine, carefully running her fingertip along its length and feeling the point. It took a lot to stop myself from pressing harder to draw blood. Good thing I wasn't really hungry, otherwise I might have given into temptation.

Then, I let her hand go, watched it drop into her lap as she stared at me, wide-eyed. I couldn't tell what she was thinking right now, fear building up inside me. Would she run? Scream? Continue to sit there, stunned? Hate me? Call me a freak? A monster? I prayed so hard that she wouldn't freak out too much.

To my surprise, she didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath. "Okay, okay… so, you're saying that you're a… vampire now?"

I was seriously confused by how calm she was right now. In the back of my mind, I wondered if I had something to do with it. Rachel had already shown that vampires could influence humans in various ways. Maybe without realizing it, that was what I had done now. Softened the shock by willing Chloe to be okay with this… and that thought made me feel bad, guilty. Then an equally strong, conflicting sense of acceptance clashed with that guilt, trying to beat it down. Maybe this was for the best. This way, Chloe didn't have to freak out, save her that confusion and panic. And maybe I was just being selfish...

Still not sure how to feel about that, I pressed ahead. "Yes, that's what I'm saying. It's why I've been so… standoffish recently. I didn't… didn't want to hurt you. And I couldn't tell you about it. There were a few close calls, which is why I suddenly booted you out."

"Close calls?" the blue-haired punk repeated, hesitant.

"I was really hungry, Chloe, and…" Come on, Max. No more secrets. "This is gonna sound creepy or whatever, but you smelled good. I nearly lost myself a couple times, but I managed to resist it. Well, mostly. I… shit, you're gonna love this, I ended up drinking Victoria's blood."

"That's so hardcore, Max," Chloe added, almost sounding impressed... and maybe just a little jealous, or a lot. "You sure don't aim low, huh?"

"Seems not. Rachel was the one to suggest it," I revealed, leaving out the part where I had already been considering Victoria a meal option before that point.

Chloe thought about that for a moment, making some connections. "Wait, so that means you've seen her since?"

I nodded, wondering if Rachel was still back at Blackwell. Something told me she wasn't, that she might be even closer. "Yeah, she came around a couple times. I… she might be in my dorm room now, I'm not sure. She was when I left this morning. Actually, she was the one who said I should tell you. I wanted to but… I was scared."

"And you think I wasn't scared when I couldn't work out why you were ignoring me?" I winced at the slightly resentful tone, Chloe sighing with regret. "Listen, I'm… glad you told me, Max. Even if it did take you this long. As well as just a little mad that you would practically starve yourself." Her expression hardened, almost accusing. "Especially... when I'm around..." she added as an afterthought, almost sounding hurt by the secret keeping. "I guess it explains why you were so ill before. So, technically you're… you know, dead."

"I…" the word made me pause for a second or two, "…yeah, weird thought. I'm still not used to it yet, trying."

"Well, anybody would find it hard. Becoming something you thought only existed in films and games and shit." Chloe added sympathetically, expression softening. "Anything I can do to make it easier for you, just let me know."

"Be careful what you offer…" I muttered, my mind already filling with thought I'd been trying to clamp down on.

She took hold of my shoulders firmly, staring into my eyes. "I mean it, Max. Whatever you need. I don't want my… best friend to suffer for no reason."

I took a long, shuddering breath as her scent started to envelop me. An intoxicating cloud. On instinct, I went to turn away, only for her to pull me back. Her eyes seemed to plead with me, begging me not to run away again, to face this, face her. So, I didn't run. And I did face her. I was so scared now, scared of losing control, scared of crossing some line I could never step back from.

One of her hands found my face, thumb making small soothing circles, the other intertwined with mine. Her blue eyes wandered from my eyes down to my lips and back again, waiting for the go ahead. And that was all it took. That one look sparked something in me, pushing back the doubt in favor of desire. This wasn't like last time, I wasn't hungry anymore, but… I still wanted to sink my fangs into her pale skin, hear the sounds she made as I did.

Unable to hold back, I lunged forward and kiss her, pushing her down until her back hit the makeshift bench. She inhaled sharply, making me pause. Had I gone too far? No sooner than the question had crossed my mind, she had wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down again. That was enough to make the hesitation fade. I kissed her deeply, every now and then lightly tugging at her bottom lip teasing it between my fangs.

On one tug, I managed to draw the smallest drop of blood, using my tongue to lap it up. No offense to Victoria, but even a single taste of Chloe's blood was already more satisfying than a draught of the blonde's. The iron taste sent my mind into overdrive, the beast inside me demanding more.

Pulling back, getting a disappointed whimper in response that almost made my resolve falter, I stared down at my childhood best friend. She had changed so much over the past five years, yet at the same time deep down she was the same Chloe Price I had met in that playground all those years ago.

I could feel her hands on my back, trying to draw me closer, blue eyes pleading with me… but I had to make sure, had to ask and explain despite the overwhelming urge to continue. "Chloe, are you sure about this? I… don't know if I'll be able to stop once I let go. And there's always a chance that you… might become like me, a small one but a chance nonetheless..."

"Max, I already told you," she pulled me into a warm embrace, my head in line with her neck now, her pulse echoing in my mind, "anything you need."

Her grip on me loosened slightly, waiting to see what I would do next. Swallowing hard, I put my lips lightly against her skin, testing the waters. When she let out a content sigh and pressed her body further into mine, it was like a trigger had been pulled. Lust and thirst bloomed in my head and my fangs sank into pale skin. As I pierced her neck, I heard her inhale sharply then exhale much slower and shakier, her fingers digging into my back.

Taking up a mouthful of her blood, I felt it ooze down my throat as I swallowed, savoring it. It tasted so much better than I could ever have imagined. Since I wasn't half-starved this time, I could actually take the time to appreciate the subtle complexities of the flavor. At the same time, my venom was now in her system, circulating. I took another drag on the vein I'd tapped into, causing a moan to fall from Chloe's lips. The sound resounded in my mind and I growled in satisfaction. My hands tightened on her wrists possessively and I pinned her arms above us. She writhed against me as my fangs plunged deeper, feeling my mind begin to cloud over.

All I wanted to do now was… make her mine, in every possible way I could imagine.

"Having fun?" The unexpected question made me falter. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone leaning against the wall. Not just anyone, but Rachel. Her voice pushed through the haze and instinct, pulling me back.

Hazel eyes connected with my blue ones as she approached, suppressing the beast in me without words. I found my fangs retracting, tongue running along the bite mark before I let Chloe's wrists go. Crouching down, Rachel muttered a few things to the bluenette I couldn't make out, lulling her into a deep sleep.

She examined the bite mark, lightly running her fingers over the raised marks before turning back to me with an amused smirk. "I don't know, I leave you alone for five minutes… I'm guessing this is the 'friend' you told me about before."

I stared at my now sleeping friend, feeling the same conflict of guilt and acceptance wage war in my mind, the latter gaining a slight edge this time. "Yes, she is," spilled out of my mouth unconsciously, the thought of lying to Rachel never even crossing my mind.

"Guess you have a thing for tall women, huh," she playfully mocked, giving Chloe a once over.

When she lightly took hold of the blue-haired punk's chin, gently turning her head one way then the other, I felt the now pushed back beast practically howl in protest. Had it been anyone other than Rachel, I would have lashed out instinctively. Instead, I stayed where I was still kneeling over Chloe, watching the blonde closely as the urge to intervene struggled against the now overriding need to obey.

A few seconds later, Rachel retracted her hand and turned to me, smiling. She took hold of my wrist, tugging me to my feet. I followed her silent instruction, giving Chloe one last longing look as I slid off her. The slight flicker of annoyance at being disturbed before I could really get started was crushed almost as soon as it flared up.

"Don't worry, Max. I'm not going to steal her from you," Rachel reassured, allowing herself a soft chuckle. "Although, have to admit she's cute. Bet she can be feisty when she wants to."

I shot another glance Chloe's way, still feeling that possessive pang. "Yeah, something like that. Chloe's always had a fiery streak."

Tapping her cheek in thought, Rachel glanced outside. "Now you've had a refill I think we should head back, hmm? Oh, and you can carry her."

"Will she… remember?" I asked hesitantly, wondering how best to carry Chloe back to Blackwell.

The blonde vampire tilted her head. "Why, don't you want her to?"

"It's not that… well, maybe a little…" I admitted, scooping Chloe up in my arms. Surprisingly, she didn't feel like she weighed much. Guess the increased strength and stuff would still take some getting used to.

Turning towards the door, Rachel began strolling out. "Well, too bad. I'm not interfering in that."

Not sure how to feel about what just happened, I managed to get Chloe through the door without hitting her head and began running after Rachel back to Blackwell.


So… that happened. Wonder what's going to happen next, hmm? Join us next time to find out.