Lily slept in the circle of Diego's arms. Her head rested on his chest. He
carried her effortlessly up the stairs to Nino's bedroom.
Their leader looked up as he came in. He waved them away. "Take her to your room." He spoke lazily before going back to his book.
Diego nodded and left quickly. Nino was in a poor mood and Diego didn't want to risk punishment by sticking around too long. He carried her back down the hall to his own room.
Lily woke briefly when Diego set her on the bed. "Nino?" She yawned.
Diego shook his head. "He's angry." He undressed her, pulling off her pants and unzipping her top. "T-shirt okay?"
Lily nodded groggy. "Why?"
He pulled a white v-neck t-shirt over her head. She lay on the bed bonelessly and he had to pull her arms through the sleeves for her. "I took his privilegio della prima caccia, his right of the first hunt. Nino can be possessive some times."
"Oh." Lily blinked a few times and curled onto her side. She was asleep before Diego finished undressing.
***
For a moment when she woke, Lily thought she was back in the cave, Dwayne curled up beside her. The illusion was shattered when she opened her eyes and Diego looked back at her.
"Buona sera, cara."
"Evening." She rolled into him, so her head was against his chest. If she closed her eyes again and Diego stayed silent, Lily could almost imagine it was Dwayne in bed with her.
"Hungry?" Diego's voice broke the spell. Lily realized she was hungry and nodded. "Nino will take you out."
"Not you?"
He shook his head. "It will be better for everyone if Nino has you all to himself tonight."
A knock on the door made them both look up. The door swung open and Nicolo stepped inside. "Nino is looking for you Principessa."
"I just woke up." She yawned and stretched.
Nicolo shrugged. "He only said to go to Diego's room and retrieve you."
Diego gave her a little push. "Go on, Lily."
She leaned back and kissed him before bounding out of bed and following Nicolo out of the room. Nicolo threw an arm around Lily's shoulders and led her down the hall to Nino's room.
"Here you are, piccola ragazza." Nicolo bowed briefly and pushed the door open.
Nino was reclined on his bed, reading a book. He looked up when Lily came in and motioned for her to close the door. "Join me, Lily."
She climbed under the down comforter and let Nino pull her into his embrace. "Diego said you'd take me hunting."
"I will." He set his book aside and turned to face Lily. "The hunger will fade soon and you will only need to feed every few days." As he spoke, he had worked her t-shirt up and was tracing patters over her stomach. "I need you to answer a question for me."
"What?"
Nino brushed his hand over Lily's bare stomach. "Tell me how they came back to life."
She stretched luxuriously. "Hmm? Oh, it was a witch."
"A witch? What's her name?" He nuzzled her neck.
"Madigan."
"Where is she now?"
"They brought her to the house." Lily rolled on her side. "I'm bored, Nino. When are we going out?"
Nino laughed. "Soon, piccola. Go get dressed. I'll meet you down stairs."
Valentino and Mauro looked up when Nino appeared in the kitchen.
"I want you to go to Lily's house and find the strega that brought back the Lost Boys. Her name is Madigan." He told them.
They nodded. "Bring her back here?" Valentino asked. Nino nodded and the two vampires took off.
When they were gone, Nino headed down into the basement. A soft sobbing was coming from the small room at the back of the house. He grabbed a key ring off a hook by the door and unlocked the door.
"Are you ready to behave Ottavia?" He asked as he opened the door. The young woman was curled into as much of a ball as the chains around her wrists would allow. She looked up and nodded.
"Please Nino. The sun," She started but couldn't continue. She just looked at the partially blocked window. Nino designed the covering to allow only a few feet of darkness in the room during the day.
"You will apologize to Lily?" He asked as he unlocked the chains.
She nodded. "I will."
"Okay. Then you may come with us to hunt tonight."
"Thank you." She knelt at his feet, taking his hand. He pulled his hand out of her grasp and waved her away.
"Go clean up. We'll meet upstairs."
She nodded and scampered up the stairs before he could change his mind.
***
"Nino, I want to ride on the carousel." Lily said softly. The couple was wandering aimlessly down the boardwalk, the rest of the pack trailing along somewhere behind them.
"If you like." He let her lead them to the old carousel. The rest of the pack disappeared for more exciting rides. She chose an old fashioned gondola that gently rocked back and forth during the ride as opposed to the horses. The ride started and Lily settled back with Nino's arm around her shoulder. As they turned around, Lily caught sight of the Lost Boys walking down the boardwalk.
***
David and the other Boys watched as some of the Malvagità walked down the boardwalk. Paul quietly seethed at the sight of member of the rival pack walking so freely on their boardwalk.
"Easy Paul. I won't be drawn into a pack war here. Too many civilians." David said quietly.
"There's the leader." Marko pointed to the carousel where Nino was helping a young woman off the ride.
"Who's the girl?" Dwayne asked. The girl was dressed all in leather with purple streaks in her hair.
At that moment, the girl looked directly at them with familiar hazel eyes.
"Lily!" David cried and started toward her. Marko and Dwayne held him back. "They changed her." He realized in horror.
"This is what they want David." Dwayne said softly, keeping a firm hold on their leader. "They're trying to shock you."
Lily watched the other pack as they pulled their leader away. "That's David." She said softly. She took a step in his direction but came up short when Nino took a hold of her arm.
"You belong with us now Lily. They have no hold on you anymore." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and followed him, glancing over her shoulder at the Lost Boys. Something was stirring inside of her and Lily wanted to know what it was.
Their leader looked up as he came in. He waved them away. "Take her to your room." He spoke lazily before going back to his book.
Diego nodded and left quickly. Nino was in a poor mood and Diego didn't want to risk punishment by sticking around too long. He carried her back down the hall to his own room.
Lily woke briefly when Diego set her on the bed. "Nino?" She yawned.
Diego shook his head. "He's angry." He undressed her, pulling off her pants and unzipping her top. "T-shirt okay?"
Lily nodded groggy. "Why?"
He pulled a white v-neck t-shirt over her head. She lay on the bed bonelessly and he had to pull her arms through the sleeves for her. "I took his privilegio della prima caccia, his right of the first hunt. Nino can be possessive some times."
"Oh." Lily blinked a few times and curled onto her side. She was asleep before Diego finished undressing.
***
For a moment when she woke, Lily thought she was back in the cave, Dwayne curled up beside her. The illusion was shattered when she opened her eyes and Diego looked back at her.
"Buona sera, cara."
"Evening." She rolled into him, so her head was against his chest. If she closed her eyes again and Diego stayed silent, Lily could almost imagine it was Dwayne in bed with her.
"Hungry?" Diego's voice broke the spell. Lily realized she was hungry and nodded. "Nino will take you out."
"Not you?"
He shook his head. "It will be better for everyone if Nino has you all to himself tonight."
A knock on the door made them both look up. The door swung open and Nicolo stepped inside. "Nino is looking for you Principessa."
"I just woke up." She yawned and stretched.
Nicolo shrugged. "He only said to go to Diego's room and retrieve you."
Diego gave her a little push. "Go on, Lily."
She leaned back and kissed him before bounding out of bed and following Nicolo out of the room. Nicolo threw an arm around Lily's shoulders and led her down the hall to Nino's room.
"Here you are, piccola ragazza." Nicolo bowed briefly and pushed the door open.
Nino was reclined on his bed, reading a book. He looked up when Lily came in and motioned for her to close the door. "Join me, Lily."
She climbed under the down comforter and let Nino pull her into his embrace. "Diego said you'd take me hunting."
"I will." He set his book aside and turned to face Lily. "The hunger will fade soon and you will only need to feed every few days." As he spoke, he had worked her t-shirt up and was tracing patters over her stomach. "I need you to answer a question for me."
"What?"
Nino brushed his hand over Lily's bare stomach. "Tell me how they came back to life."
She stretched luxuriously. "Hmm? Oh, it was a witch."
"A witch? What's her name?" He nuzzled her neck.
"Madigan."
"Where is she now?"
"They brought her to the house." Lily rolled on her side. "I'm bored, Nino. When are we going out?"
Nino laughed. "Soon, piccola. Go get dressed. I'll meet you down stairs."
Valentino and Mauro looked up when Nino appeared in the kitchen.
"I want you to go to Lily's house and find the strega that brought back the Lost Boys. Her name is Madigan." He told them.
They nodded. "Bring her back here?" Valentino asked. Nino nodded and the two vampires took off.
When they were gone, Nino headed down into the basement. A soft sobbing was coming from the small room at the back of the house. He grabbed a key ring off a hook by the door and unlocked the door.
"Are you ready to behave Ottavia?" He asked as he opened the door. The young woman was curled into as much of a ball as the chains around her wrists would allow. She looked up and nodded.
"Please Nino. The sun," She started but couldn't continue. She just looked at the partially blocked window. Nino designed the covering to allow only a few feet of darkness in the room during the day.
"You will apologize to Lily?" He asked as he unlocked the chains.
She nodded. "I will."
"Okay. Then you may come with us to hunt tonight."
"Thank you." She knelt at his feet, taking his hand. He pulled his hand out of her grasp and waved her away.
"Go clean up. We'll meet upstairs."
She nodded and scampered up the stairs before he could change his mind.
***
"Nino, I want to ride on the carousel." Lily said softly. The couple was wandering aimlessly down the boardwalk, the rest of the pack trailing along somewhere behind them.
"If you like." He let her lead them to the old carousel. The rest of the pack disappeared for more exciting rides. She chose an old fashioned gondola that gently rocked back and forth during the ride as opposed to the horses. The ride started and Lily settled back with Nino's arm around her shoulder. As they turned around, Lily caught sight of the Lost Boys walking down the boardwalk.
***
David and the other Boys watched as some of the Malvagità walked down the boardwalk. Paul quietly seethed at the sight of member of the rival pack walking so freely on their boardwalk.
"Easy Paul. I won't be drawn into a pack war here. Too many civilians." David said quietly.
"There's the leader." Marko pointed to the carousel where Nino was helping a young woman off the ride.
"Who's the girl?" Dwayne asked. The girl was dressed all in leather with purple streaks in her hair.
At that moment, the girl looked directly at them with familiar hazel eyes.
"Lily!" David cried and started toward her. Marko and Dwayne held him back. "They changed her." He realized in horror.
"This is what they want David." Dwayne said softly, keeping a firm hold on their leader. "They're trying to shock you."
Lily watched the other pack as they pulled their leader away. "That's David." She said softly. She took a step in his direction but came up short when Nino took a hold of her arm.
"You belong with us now Lily. They have no hold on you anymore." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and followed him, glancing over her shoulder at the Lost Boys. Something was stirring inside of her and Lily wanted to know what it was.