23
That night as John sat watching the plains to the side of the house little ones came visiting. Clearly Ianto had explained that they were known now and no one was afraid so tiny Vampyre padded barefoot along the walkway to greet John.
He knew he smelt different, his own distant Vampyre blood luring them and he knelt to let them sniff him with little chuffs then the little boy spoke in the melodic voice of true Vampyre showing they were not hybrids but the real deal, "Hello Captain. Tadda tells us you have worked hard to ensure our survival."
"Yes" he breathed softly, these little ones probably twice his age due to the slow aging process, "I have more work to do though, I want some traps set tomorrow and such."
"The Gwen" the girl spoke, her words clipped as the females did not speak much as the telepathic nature of these creatures made more conversations internal, "She is gone."
"Yeah, eaten I hope" Jack said flatly as he joined them and little heads turned to smell him too, the scent of their adopted parental thick on him and they hummed as he found himself engulfed in a cuddle.
"They smell him" John explained, "They want comfort. I take it Eye Candy has been preoccupied lately and not spending his nights with them?"
"Ianto and I… not an every night in the same bed thing yet but he does insist on night patrol so we can sleep" Jack gingerly drew them in and cuddled them, crooning as he felt their cold bodies. Jack felt affection for the little lost souls, although not Ianto's they were little chicks with no one to warm their nest and Jack knew the sorrow of losing your parentals. Then Ianto was there, engulfing them all and the warmth was glorious before he pulled back and the chicks were released with glowing faces full of delight.
"It is a cold night, your little selves might freeze to the planks and we would have to chip you off with a hammer and chisel" Ianto scolded as they giggled, music to the ears. "Go on, Andy has your sheep waiting."
"Sheep" they both shivered as they took off and Ianto laughed as he rose to watch them go.
"Sheep?"
"They must drink" Ianto turned to face John knowing he had felt it, "they are pure. The read deal. Yes. They do not kill it, merely imbibe. The sheep with the red tags are their flock. Once a week they feast and then go dormant for a day or two unless they have issue to speak with me. It is enough for them, combined with their empathic feeding of those in the house."
"Pures" John sighed, "Rare. Able to feed off emotions of those around them."
"Maybe the last of them for all I know" Ianto shrugged as he looked back in their direction again.
"There is a coven" John said as he settled back in his perch, "I visited there about…. Three years ago. About three hundred or so living in an old monastery. They had a special pass to remain, some royal blood thing."
"Really?" Ianto said with interest, "So they might one day breed? I had mourned their loss of potential mates. Siblings so they could not. Hah. I will ask Toshiko to look into that, thank you Johnty, that has made my day"
John found himself liking this man even more as he saw how internally repressed he was, that animal instinct honed and gliding just beneath the surface beyond that cool exterior. No wonder Jack was smitten, he was some bloody rare catch indeed. Probably coupled like a ferocious animal.
Mace chose that moment to appear with his weapon to sit beside John and look over the moonlit field.
John refocused on him and smiled, "Hello sugar tits."
Mace snorted and didn't flinch.
Oh really? Hmmmmm.
John decided he really liked it here, this place was interesting.
And the scenery was grand.