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Dean's legs pumped hard as he tore passed the front of the house, trying to keep from tripping over the length of chain he hadn't managed to scoop up. He risked a glance over his shoulder just before he whipped around the corner of the house underneath the balcony to the room that had become their prison for a month. Riya, Steven and Crystal were giving chase, but they were far enough behind him that Dean thought he had a good chance. Sam must have tripped them all up again to give him that good a head start. Still Vampires were damned fast and Dean put on every ounce of speed that he could, especially when he caught sight of his beloved Impala straight ahead of him.
Damn, but he was getting out of breath. One month cooped up had really messed with his fitness levels. Run now - breath later, thought Dean. He had forty feet to go when he spotted Benjamin coming at him like a bullet from the other side of the house. Dean grimaced and gave it everything he had while preparing to swing the chain at Benjamin.
Just eight feet from the Impala and with the chain swinging away from him, Benjamin dove at him at full speed like a football tackler. Dean was carried sideways a good ten feet by the ferocity of the impact, and landed hard on his shoulder. Pain stabbed through him, but Dean was so close. He rolled with the tackle and punched Benjamin hard in the face with his chain wrapped hand. Benjamin snarled at him, trying to push him down and to roll on top of him. Dean knew he couldn't let him get the upper hand. Vamps were too strong, too fast, but Benjamin wasn't an experienced wrestler. Dean used his leg to hook around Benjamin's and throw him off balance, then he swung the chain hitting Benjamin hard across the back of his head. Benjamin slumped to the ground, momentarily stunned.
Dean rolled to his feet seeing the other Vamps only forty feet away. He ran and tore open the door to the Impala,. He had his hand on the ignition key before he had finished falling into the seat. He turned his baby over and she roared to life. He was reaching for the gears when Benjamin's hand reached in and snagged him by the front of his shirt. A massive punch into Dean's ribs and two vicious slams of his head into the steering wheel and Dean was gone.
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Sam kept looking over his shoulder to where Dean had gone, even as Raf dragged him roughly by the front of his shirt towards a large building.
Nathanial pulled open a door and stepped aside so that Raf could pull Sam inside.
Sam struggled then - just for the sake of it - knowing that he had virtually no chance. He lashed out with his chained leg with the hope that he could catch Raf unawares or maybe trip him again.
"That is quite enough of that!" hissed Raf.
An unseen blow caught Sam just above his ear. His head snapped back and he sagged, stunned and seeing stars, and felt himself being lifted up into cold arms. By the time he came back to himself he was being tied with rope to a bulky wooden table with his hands above his head and his feet stretching down to each of the table legs. He lashed out again, panicked, and wrenched his hand free but Raf snatched his plastered hand and slammed it down ferociously onto the table cracking a piece of the plaster off. "Nuhhn," gasped Sam and froze.
Nathanial winced in sympathy at the other end of the table as he tied Sam's left ankle down. Raf peered down at Sam. "Plaster casts are very fragile aren't they? Just like your bones." His eyes narrowed a little, "Learn your lesson, Samuel. If you fight me, you will pay."
Sam winced as Raf tied off his wrists feeling the rope cut into the skin. Sam lifted his head. The room they were in was large enough to comfortably fit ten cars into, but it wasn't anything like a garage. The ceiling rose twelve feet up to a small second level with a telescope on it. The large dome like ceiling directly above him had been opened so that the stars and rising moon could be seen. Along the wood paneled walls were some of Riya's watercolor paintings interspersed with softly glowing wall lights. Pushed into a corner was a second telescope, an easel and a collection of carefully encased musical instruments. There was a bar with stools, a pair of comfortable looking sofas and a paint blotched old wooden chair with handcuffs and bits of cloth and rope on it. Everything seemed to have been pushed to the side to make way for the table that Sam lay on, a large rug, and a second table laden with large drinking glasses, some ceramic jugs and a wicked looking knife.
Nathanial tugged Sam's shirt free of his jeans and quickly unbuttoned it, pushing the shirt aside to lay Sam's chest bare. He wouldn't look Sam in the face. His jaw muscles were clenched tightly together and he looked scared.
The door opened again and Sam craned his neck around to see. Steven was walking in backwards and was soon followed by Benjamin and the others. It took a moment before Sam realized that Benjamin and Steven were carrying his brother in. Sam struggled against the ropes, twisting around on his hip trying to see. "No, oh God no. Dean? DEAN?"
"Relax Samuel," said Riya. "He's just unconscious. Some of us were a little more forceful than was necessary," and she threw a reproachful glance Benjamin's way.
Raf wandered over and pulled Dean's unconscious face upward by Dean's hair. "Well done," he said. "Secure him to a chair and then we can begin."
Benjamin pulled the wooden chair forward and Steven lowered Dean carefully into it. Benjamin slipped handcuffs onto Dean's wrists behind the chair. Dean's chin lay against his chest and he stirred a little, moaning. This time it was Benjamin who pulled Dean's head up by his hair. Sam saw a red stripe across his brothers forehead and a trickle of blood trailing over Dean's face. "Dean?" he called again.
Raf turned and was by his side in a flash of speed. "You will be silent now, Samuel or I shall have to gag you."
Sam shook his head. "You said you'd let Dean go. When we were down in the sitting room that day," said Sam desperately. "You said you would let Dean go!"
Raf lifted a hand and brushed hair out of Sam's face. He bent closer looking Sam right in the eyes. "I lied, Samuel."
Sam could feel his heart skip a few beats then. He was caught by Raf's green eyes – like prey before a snake - he couldn't even blink. Sam licked his lips. The words were hard to say, almost sticking in his throat. "What if ..., what if I stayed and let you turn me?"
Raf smiled and traced Sam's lower lip tenderly with his finger, and then trailed it down to trace a line down his throat towards his navel. "I told you," he said softly. "I don't need your consent, Samuel. I will turn you, or not, as it suits me."
"What … . What if … I agreed to be your mate?"
Raf's finger paused, and his eyebrow lifted in surprise."
"Sammy, don't," said Dean from the chair.
Sammy shot his brother a look that was full of relief and fear all in one. Dean was leaning to one side in the chair as if he was favoring his side. His face was pale and blood kept trickling down his face to drip onto his pale green shirt.
"Sorry, Dean. I've got to do this or he'll kill you," said Sam.
"Gag him," ordered Raf, flicking a hand at Dean. He sat on the edge of the table beside Sam and ran his fingers idly over Sam's chest. His smile stretched wider as he caught Dean's infuriated glare.
"Raf, get the f ..." Dean's words were cut off abruptly as Steven stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth and tied a painters rag around his head to hold it in place.
Raf turned back and bent down over Sam. He smiled, but didn't look back as Dean cursed at him through the gag. "Now, Samuel. Tell me what exactly you are offering?"
Sam took a breath. He didn't want to look into Raf's eyes and get caught again by them. He didn't want to feel Raf touching him. He didn't … but he had no choice. Sam locked his eyes with Raf's. "I'll be your mate. Willingly," he whispered, so that Dean didn't have to hear. "I'll be turned, I'll do what you want. My ll..love and loyalty will be yours, if you let Dean leave safely."
Raf stared at him for a long moment and he licked his lips. "You will be mine, willingly?"
Sam nodded slowly.
"Prove it to me, with a kiss."
Sam nearly recoiled, nearly blew it by showing how disgusted he felt. But he parted his lips and let Raf kiss him, and it was the hardest thing that he had ever done. Raf's tongue explored his mouth, brushing softly against his tongue and Sam tried to kiss back. Tried awkwardly to make Raf interested in the offer he was making. But it was so hard, much harder than he had thought, and he was clumsy. It went against everything inside of him. Completely against his nature. He was sure he was going to gag, certain that his body would rebel and he'd end up pulling away, especially when Raf ran his hand over his naked side. He couldn't stop the shiver that rippled up the whole length of his body, but just when he thought he couldn't do this anymore, just when he thought he'd have to turn his head away, he thought of Dean. This was for Dean's life. Sam's lips softened, and he kissed back, tangling his tongue with Raf's, exploring the Vamp's mouth in return, even brushing his tongue softly against some of the retracted fangs. He could feel Raf warming to the kiss. Could feel that he was getting interested.
Raf broke the kiss and lifted his head away a fraction. He blinked heated eyes once, twice, and licked at his lips. "Exquisite," he murmured softly, cupping Sam's cheek in his hand. "You almost make me want to change my mind."
It took a moment for Sam to pull himself together enough to understand what Raf was saying. Raf carded his fingers through Sam's hair once again, a look of regret on his face. "Unfortunately young Samuel, as delectable as you are, the risks are simply too great," he stroked a hand over Sam's abdomen sensuously. "Though with that single kiss, I am tempted anew to risk everything." He turned and stepped resolutely away from the table.
The other Vamps had watched the scene uncomfortably. Riya had turned her back and was busy stirring the contents of the ceramic jugs on the second table. Nathanial's eyes were haunted with some memory; he stared at Sam.
"Lets begin," said Raf. "Benjamin, have you changed your mind? Will you participate?"
Benjamin stepped forward and shook his head. "I don't want any part of it, and wish to separate from this clan. I have my car packed with my things and parked outside. Can I take my leave now?" he asked formally looking at Raf for permission.
Raf nodded his head. "You may leave. Stay safe, Benjamin. I hope you find another clan soon."
Benjamin smiled, and walked hurriedly to the door. He let himself out, and moments later a car could be heard driving away.
"Does anyone else wish to refrain or leave this clan?" asked Raf, he walked passed each of the other Vamp's and waited for them to reply. None of the other Vamps stepped forward. Crystal was wrapped in Steven's arm and Riya and Diane had huddled together beside Nathanial.
"Then we can begin." Raf moved over to the table, picked up a jug and poured a green thick liquid into a glass. He put the jug down and held out the glass to Nathanial. "Warmed by the sun and cooled by the moon on the night of the first one's turning." He held the glass to Nathanial's mouth and Nathanial drank down the liquid to the dregs.
Raf picked up the knife. It was an old knife, silver, with fine script work all over the handle and blade. But the edge and tip were shiny and freshly sharpened. Raf sliced open Nathanial's shirt, and drew him closer to Sam. Nathanial's face was scrunched up with pain. He hissed and bent over as cramps seemed to assault him.
"Nathanial?" called Riya anxiously. Raf shot her a glare and she quieted, biting at her lip. Diane wrapped her arm around her, staring from Sam to Nathanial with huge eyes.
Raf pulled his book from his pocket and read from it over the knife. They were ancient, foreign words. Sam thought they might be Hittite although the language had been extinct for nearly a thousand years. Then Raf tucked his book away again, lifted the knife and carved a symbol into the skin over Nathanial's heart.
Nathanial was writhing and his eyes were dilated. He sagged over Sam's chest and turned his head and snarled at Sam – snarled at his prey. His fangs were out and he wasn't Nathanial anymore.
Sam gasped. He instantly lost any fascination he had had with the ceremony and went into full blown panic. But there was nothing he could do. No way to fight. No where to go. Out of the corner of his eyes Sam saw Dean tip his chair over onto it's side as he also broke into a panic and struggled frantically to get free.
Nathanial grabbed Sam's chin hard and snarled again in Sam's face like a wild animal. His lips drew back from his fangs and Sam knew without a doubt, for the first time, that Nathanial was a Vampire.
Nathanial bit – hard and viciously into Sam's shoulder. Sam screamed with the pain, writhed on the table until the ropes cut into his skin. He could feel the bite burning like acid. He howled again, arching his back up off the table and tried to twist away from Nathanial, but Nathanial caught his hips and slammed him down onto the table and held him still until he was done drinking.
Nathanial pulled away slowly, frowning down at Sam as if he was trying to remember who he was. He straightened shakily and Raf pressed his hand into the bite wound on Sam's shoulder and wiped the blood from it into the cuts that he'd made over Nathanial's heart. There was a sizzling sound and the cuts faded away. Nathanial was staggering back away from him, fangs retracting. "I can feel it, he gasped out. "Raf, it works, I can feel it." He sagged against Raf and Raf lifted him gently and pressed a kiss to his head. Then he laid him down onto the rug.
"Riya dear, your turn," said Raf holding out his hands to her. Riya stepped forward hesitantly staring wide eyed at Nathanial writhing and twisting on the floor.
Raf poured a second glass full of the green liquid. "Warmed by the sun and cooled by the moon on the night of the first one's turning," he murmured huskily, and helped Riya drink the mixture. He sliced open her shirt too and carved a symbol above the tank top that she wore where her heart should have been. He pulled her over to Sam's side before she started sagging, and pushed her down so that her head lay on Sam's abdomen.
Sam had barely pulled himself together again after having been bitten so viciously – after the shock of Nathanial biting him like that, and now found Riya snarling in his face with long fangs exposed. He twisted his head away and squeezed his eyes shut, panting hard in terror and trying to brace himself … . She bit hard into the soft skin in his side. Sam couldn't stop himself from twisting to the side and screaming until he had no breath left. When she let him go, Raf slicked his hands over the wound and wiped it into Riya's chest cuts. She moaned and sagged, shuddering into Raf's arms. He carried her over to the rug and laid her down near Nathanial's twitching form.
Sam was gasping. His blood seemed to be burning inside of him and he still didn't know what was going on, why he had to suffer through all this, what the Ceremony was doing to the Vamps. His broken wrist had snapped again in the ropes and throbbed painfully in time with his panicked heartbeats. He badly wanted to be sick. But then it was Steven bending over his stomach, now a snarling unrecognizable and vicious Vampire. Sam screamed so hard when Steven bit him over his heart that his voice cracked. Black dots flittered across Sam's vision and he turned his head away from Steven, tried not to hear the lapping sounds he made as Steven drank from him.
Dean was on the floor, still struggling. He had twisted so that one arm was around the side of the chair. He was shouting something into the gag and stilled for a moment to stare into Sam's eyes, showing how scared he was for Sam. How badly he wanted to help. How helpless he felt about not being able to. How much he loved his brother.
Sam locked his eyes with his brother's. Tried to hide the pain he was feeling. Tried to hide how close he was to passing out. Tried to hide how sad he was that he hadn't been able to save his brother. Tried to tell his brother goodbye and that he loved him too - "Dean ..." he tried to say, but although his lips moved, nothing was coming out.
Crystal was next. She bit into the skin near his throat and ripped her long fingernails across his waistline leaving four deep, bleeding furrows. Raf snarled at her then, and Sam noted blearily that Raf's fangs were bared, and he was looking at Sam possessively, wildly, losing his control.
Diane was more vicious than all of the rest. She straddled his body when he tried to pull away, slamming his hips back down again and then sank her fangs deeply into his neck. Sam screamed again with a voice gone raw. Raf ripped her away. He bent over Sam's gasping body, breathing in Sam's scent slowly and deeply and licking at droplets of Sam's blood before pressing his hand into the wound and slapping the blood into Diane's cuts. Then he picked up her sagging body and flung her across the room. She sailed right over Dean, struck the wall and slumped bonelessly to the floor and lay there, twitching.
Raf spun and leapt onto Sam's body. He gripped Sam beneath his chin and snarled into Sam's face. "Mine!" he hissed. He bit into Sam's throat where Diane had bitten and Sam choked, shuddered and tried weakly to twist free.
Raf was gone then, over to the other table. He ripped open his shirt and snatched up a jug, drinking down the contents, and wiping his sleeve across his mouth as he glared back at Sam. He said the words as he carved the symbol into his own chest and then flung the knife aside and pounced onto Sam, straddling his thighs and lifting Sam up by the hips until Sam was arched like a bow with his groin pressed against Raf's. "Mine!" he snarled again.
"No!" spat Sam, twisting to try and throw Raf off of him.
Raf bit down into Sam's neck again, then lifted his head before biting into Sam's shoulder. Sam sagged and went limp then, but Raf didn't notice. He bit again over Sam's heart and then over his stomach, then into his side, until Sam's body and Raf's face were both wet with blood.
Raf tugged at Sam's jeans trying to tear them open, and lifted Sam's hips right off the table. He shook Sam by the front of his jeans like a rag doll, trying to tear the material. He froze for a moment and wiped at the blood on Sam's stomach and looked at it dripping from his hand as if he was trying to remember what he had to do with it. Then slowly, he pressed it into the symbol he had carved into his chest.
Raf gasped and flung his blood covered face and arms right back, looking up through the open dome at the stars and moonlight streaming in, forgetting about the body that he straddled as he was caught up in the changes ripping through him, he gasped again, shuddered all over, and suddenly he was breathing in a great gulp of air. His lungs expanded and contracted and he sucked in another deep breath of air. He laughed loudly, up at the stars and ran his hands down his naked ribs, leaving long stripes of blood behind. He bent his head, "Samuel, what a gift you have given me. Given us!" he said not noticing that Sam was unconscious. "I can breathe again, I have a beating heart once more and I feel my body rebuilding, blood flowing, becoming human once …," he sagged and tumbled off of Sam and fell to the floor with a thud. And suddenly the room was completely silent.
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