I know, I know. I've gotten a little slow in posting my chapters but I thank you all for sticking by, being patient and reading my stories. I'm grateful for all of the reviews and I'm happy that you're enjoying it! While I have been working on my real work, my brain has also been spiraling for more TLB stories: one a branch off from this series about how the boys came to be living in Santa Carla and a couple of history stories. David and Dwayne's are the most solid in my head right now but I'm sure Paul and Marko will get there eventually. I might even write one centered around Max but who knows. Needless to say, I certainly haven't been slacking off, that's for sure! Anyway, here's the next installment and I hope all enjoy it!

"It's a little late to go to dinner, isn't it? I don't think anything will be open. Besides, I'm not very hungry."

"I think you're lying," David said to Star as they pounded the Boardwalk.

Star was right. It was three in the morning. Nothing was open except the vampire buffets warming themselves on the low flames of the fires on the beach. To David, Detta was nonexistent, neither Paul's nor Dwayne's demeanor had changed and Marko looked noncommittal. He was unsure of what to say or do, especially in front of the others and Detta was just as awkward. Needless to say, there would be no joint feeding tonight. But on this night it was Star's turn to make the change, not a time for focusing on Detta's mishap. Star was in a do or die situation and, from how she had acted before, it looked as if 'die' would be a better fit. They turned down a flight of stairs, Star falling slightly behind before she stopped completely.

"Wait a minute!" she wailed, standing a couple steps up from the sand. The gang turned to face her, all of them rather shocked that she was being even remotely defiant. "I want to know what's going on. I'm sick of being kept in the dark and ignored. I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me something."

David smirked and walked back towards the stairs, walking up behind Star and placing his hands on her shoulders. "No need to get angry. I was wondering when you were going to ask."

"Wondering . . . but I've been asking—"

"Detta will show you what's going on, won't you Detta?"

His face was fierce; on second look he wore something closer to a sneer than a smirk. It was a test. He was trying to see just how far her insubordination would go. It was in her will not to comply but what would shock him more: the balls Detta would have to defy him yet again or to actually submit? Her instinct was to tell him to go fuck himself but her thoughts drifted to Marko and what he had risked, and what he was risking, for her. She could feel the eyes of her brothers, and her lover, on her, expectant, hesitant, waiting. If there were ever a time to swallow one's pride, now would be it.

Detta stepped closer to Star and David and as she did, she morphed into her vampiric form. The severe angles of her Nosferatu face shown through, her fangs protruded, her eyes were flaming. Star seemed to choke on her own tongue, a scream catching in her throat. Her eyes were wide, too scared to cry, her body unwilling to move, held firm by David's hands.

"You see, Star," David started, spinning her around to face him. Her scream found its way out of her throat when she saw David's inhuman form but he quickly covered her mouth with his hand and turned her to face his group, now in full vampire mode. She screamed again, this time it was a low, muffled ripple from her throat as she tried to squirm out of David's arms but it was pointless. Now tears had started to form. "You have two choices: be one of us or die. Show her, Detta. Show Star what we do."

Detta looked over her shoulder towards the closest bonfire. Around it mingled some kids their own age, perhaps younger. Pot was heavy in the air. She looked back towards David again and his look said 'do it.' He didn't need to make her fear him. Nothing would work. His apathetic features were a stark contrast to the flailing Star who was now swatting at David behind her. There was no eye rolling, just determination. She walked quickly to the bonfire before breaking into a sprint, a very unlucky day hurtling towards the nearest human. He didn't even know what hit him but he realized he was halfway to the Boardwalk's stairs before he saw the scene at the bonfire he had just left. As Detta pulled the boy away, the three vampires launched themselves at the group and began their slaughter. Upon seeing this, the boy began to flail but Detta held firm.

When she reached her spot on the sand, just in front of David and a relenting Star, Detta tossed the kid in front of her, holding him close to her body so he wouldn't get away. She looked from David's now smirking face to Star's scared and lost expression before diving into the boy's neck. As Detta drank and the kid died, she could not hear Star cry out but just weep for what she was becoming. She finished her meal and tossed him aside before looking up at Star to see that she was no longer fighting David although he still held her firm. She was looking off into the night, away from the carnage, tears streaming down her cheeks. Now she had no escape, and she knew it.

"You have your answers now, Star. Do you feel any better?" Detta asked.

David's head jerked towards the fire before he released her and walked away, passing her off to Detta. She slumped to the stairs, a look of stone on her face, and looked up at Detta.

"I didn't ask for this," she said, her voice hoarse and tear-choked.

"You think that maters? It's what David wants, not you."

"I don't care. I don't want this."

"Then you die. There's no other way about it. You know our secret. You either follow suit or we take you out for lunch."

"Is this a joke to you?" Star looked affronted, almost sickened.

"We all deal with it in our own way but my situation's different from yours. I chose to live rather than die. David was never part of the equation, not at the beginning. In the end, if you accept this, you must accept obedience."

"But I don't accept this!" Star said, thrusting herself up. Standing on the stairs, she was inches taller than Detta. "And I will not play into the arms of a man who deceived me."

"You still have a pulse," Detta edged closer to her, her vampiric features gone although the blood remained, "therefore you accept it. You don't have to come to terms with it, Star. Your guilt, your fear doesn't have to be gone. You haven't outright denied it nor asked to die so you accept it and all of its clauses. You think I enjoy being subservient to the man who had tried to kill me on two different occasions? I have Stockholm Syndrome being shoved down my throat and I'm in a sexual relationship with someone who, in our world, is my brother. Freud would have a field day but in the end, you have to want it, not have it thrust upon you."

"What's going to happen to me?"

Detta shrugged. "That's up to you but you can't get out on your own, not now. You're in too deep."

Detta whipped her head around to the sound of a struggle near the fire. The boys were arguing. She looked up at Star quickly before running over to the scene to see what was going on. Paul and Marko were feebly attempting to be mediators between Dwayne and David but to no avail. A few moments went by before Detta realized that hidden behind Dwayne's legs was a small boy of around ten. He was dirty, shaggy, had obviously latched on to the group that had just been slain. It took Star even longer to spot the single remaining mortal but when she did, she didn't hesitate to run to him and scoop him up, a second barrier between him and David. Detta knew that the boy was the age of Star's brother when he died. She also knew that this was going to be amends for her, reparation. She couldn't help her brother but she could help this boy.

"There's plenty of other meat around here, David. You're not touching him." Dwayne, who was normally so stoic and quiet, was roaring, his voice deep and booming, sending shock waves into the air.

"Wasn't for me. I was going to give him to Star. Small kill for a small girl. It wouldn't take her much anyway." David looked savage standing toe to toe with Dwayne. Had they been in fang, blood would have been spilt already. "What's it to you?"

"Not the kid," Dwayne said, his jaw clenched.

"You're not touching him, you fucking monster!" Star yelled to David. She held the boy in her arms, his face buried in her shoulder, his legs wrapped around her body. "You're not touching him." Star tried to sound fierce but the tears welling in her eyes told the truth.

David laughed and backed away from Dwayne. Detta inched closer to Marko and Paul while Star remained behind Dwayne who was standing his ground, his face unwavering.

"C'mon, man. He's just a kid. I thought Max said—" Paul had started but was cut off my David's death glare.

"Well, looks like caviar is off the menu. Fine."

"It's not all a game, David," Dwayne said. "Even you aren't above Max."

David gave Dwayne the same glare he gave to Paul. "Ok. Lets put the ball in Star's court." She looked at him, tears still in her eyes, her hand resting on the back of the boy's head. "You decide. Either we get a little brother or we have dessert. Choose."

"You're not going to kill him. You'll have to kill me too," she answered.

David just laughed. "Is that supposed to be a challenge? Choose, Star. He becomes one of us or he dies. It's a simple decision."

"I won't let you kill him."

David smirked, a satisfied look on his face. "Looks like we got ourselves a kid brother, boys."

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