[Continued from Part II ]IT HAD BEEN three nights while Ben thought about Lazarus’ offer, and the Ancient wouldn’t leave his ear in the meantime, whispering promises of controlling destiny and forging his own path by removing the muddle of his sensitivities. Lazarus was surprised to find after Ben was willing to be bedded once, that he refused every advance again. He’d thought the sex would be easier than the death, considering Ben’s past at using his own body to gain vampire faith – first Declan, then Arles. Too bad, because Lazarus hadn’t minded that little foray and a repeat would’ve been pleasant. Still, he could work on the sex thing indirectly, and ease into it through the other one. Death, the big D. There was nothing quite so erotic as taking a person’s life.
Lazarus hadn’t allowed anyone to enter Ben’s presence in the meantime, keeping out that nosy Oligarch neighbour of his hadn’t been easy, nor had the heated discussions about letting his blonde sire – Arles – know of his whereabouts. Ben had dragged his feet in telling Arles where he was staying, and so Lazarus took advantage of that, declaring that those of his past were a no-go-zone until Ben had it together. There’d been a few arguments on that one, but Lazarus had won – because Ben had wanted what Lazarus promised. Not to be hurt, ever again.
They were in the alleyway behind Risk after luring one of the groupies away from the back of the line, away from the intelligence of his friends who recommended he be patient and seek entry into the club rather than going off with two unknown blonde vampires, one of which looked cold and dangerous – ironically, it had been Ben they were warning about.
Now Ben was drinking from the guy they’d got, some guy around his age, the kind of groupie that Ben didn’t like because he was practically begging to be fucked, grinding himself against Ben while he drunk. He wouldn’t have minded so much, except the grinding had started well before the bite had, leaving behind all pretence of wholesomeness. It seemed Lazarus favoured the sluts, and why wouldn’t he, when he was one himself? (It was this attitude that the Ancient wished to eradicate out of Ben, not because he was insulted, but because it supported Ben’s prudish behaviour).
The heartbeat was strong, and only slightly began to skip when Ben started pulling back.
“Continue,” Lazarus ordered from near him – almost on top of him, and initially Ben did, continuing to drink, feeling the human’s grinding halt and then his body becoming heavier until his heart began skipping beats, a dangerous sign. Ben pulled away. “Continue!” Lazarus declared, and Ben looked at him with resentment.
“I’m not going to kill him.”
“Then I will, and you will watch.”
Ben started opposing, but Lazarus pushed him aside and caught the falling body that was drained a little beyond the point that Lazarus had drained Ichabod – for this teen couldn’t even stand up whilst against the wall. He would recover, Lazarus knew, though Ben had drained him fairly well. If the mortal had not been as healthy, he might’ve died in a few minutes, in this alley, all on his own. Lazarus intended on speeding that up anyway.
“You’ll fucking watch, and learn,” Lazarus ordered. “Stay where you are,” he said, and so Ben leaned against the wall a few feet away, watching the scene unfold as Lazarus buried his fangs deep into the throat of Ben’s victim, causing discomfort by the sound of the groan that came from the teen, and drank the rest of him until the heart fluttered and slowed. Dropping the body and watching it fall lifelessly to the ground, Lazarus prodded at the corpse with his toe before looking over at Ben, to see if he’d watched.
He had, though it was hard to define the expression on the fledgling’s face. There was no sadness as he looked upon the body on the alley floor, but there was most certainly emotion. Lazarus would have to kill until he saw nothing of that in Ben’s face, then he would try again to get the youngling to kill.
“Join me at my house,” Lazarus demanded.
“No.”
“I want to teach you some more,” Lazarus declared grandly.
“You want to have me in bed, and I said no.”
Lazarus let Ben have that one, for it was true, and decided he’d have to up the stakes next time.
[ To be continued in Part IV ]
