Crimson Red - XXL - Preview by Jeanette Peters (top 10 books of all time .txt) 📕

»What do you want, Ci?«, Zacharias asked.

»Our visit will be here soon. I’m just here to inform you«, Cirrus explained, stroking his bloodslaves hair. »If you want to eat something before entering human company, this would be the time.« He grabbed the black velvet ribbon the young woman was wearing. It was used to cover the bite marks on the bloodslaves' throat. »If you don’t like any of the bloodwhores, I’m willing to let you have Angela for a while. I don’t mind sharing her with you.«

Zachariah’s eyes wandered over the white neck. Immediately his eyes found the perfect place to approach and his hunger appeared. However, it vanished when he discovered the many bite marks of his brother. Slowly he shook his head.

»Thank you, Ci. I appreciate your offer, but I was already eating early in the evening«, Zacharias said.

»As you wish, brother«, Cirrus replied and giving the young woman a little push. »Go back to the others. I’ll call you.«

»Thank you, Sir«, she whispered softly. She kept her eyes lowered. As he watched her leave the room with her hips swinging, Zacharias realized how extensive her education must have been. Too many people forgot the first rule of dealing with a vampire.

Never look into their eyes.

It was easy for them to manipulate people and get them to submit. In many cases, even a short look was sufficient. One glance and the will of the human who crossed him was subject to the will of the vampire. Of course, there were also people who had an unusually strong will. They managed to resist the vampire for a while longer. But in the end, they all came out on penalties.

»Who is our guest again?«, Zacharias asked. He looked closely at his brother. When time didn’t matters, the nights would merge. Usually he rarely took care of the family business with humans.

»Brother. After all, it was your vote that led to this deal coming to an agreement«, Cirrus' voice easily contained reproach and sharp amusement. »It’s about the crack whore who's trying to sell us her daughter.«

Something was bothering Zachariah’s mind. Yeah, he remembered. The contact to this whore had been mediated to them, a few weeks ago, by one of their human coworkers. One of the day she told them that her neighbour was looking for contact with a vampire who would be willing to buy her daughter.

Zacharias shook his head with a smile. The price the whore demanded was ridiculously reasonable. Especially if you considered how young her daughter was.

They had discussed for a long time whether it would be advisable to take such a young person with them. Cirrus and Fayn, one of their cousins, thought it might be worth preparing a human for life as a bloodwhore from an early age. Agenta, Zacharias’ sister, and Nikolas, also a cosin, however, were of the opinion that the waiting time until the girl could be used as such did not outweigh the effort. Of course, ten or twenty years was not a significant time for those who lived for all eternity. Nevertheless, they expressed concerns.

In the end Zacharias' voice was the determining one. They agreed to take the girl as some kind of test subject. Her development would show whether it was worthwhile for them all to take this new path. Clearly this human child would have a better life under their roof than in the care of the crack whore. There were many women, like the mother of the kid. Should this girl become a success, they were able to breed a completely new generation of bloodcompanions. And the children would find a better home than with the people who didn’t care anyway.

At that age they were completely innocent and very easy to manipulate. They would grow up with the tasks that would be their responsibility and have a completely different relationship to those who did make the choice to commit to the vampires in later years.

Whether the children were willing to, or not, he did not care, most of the bloodwhores were just like that, because they could not resist the rapture which came over them when one of them nourished himself on a human being.

Zacharias got up and his brother matched him.

»I will receive our guests«, he explained to Cirrus. »You can get the others, they certainly won’t be unaware of the arrival of our latest addition.«

Cirrus nodded contentedly as they left the room together.

Although they had servants, Zacharias refused to miss the opportunity of welcoming customers who offered them lucrative deals in person. He knew how vital people were to their survival, which is why he considered them a necessary evil. However, it did not occur to him to bind himself to a human being.

Taken a bloodwhore usually was a one-night deal. Bloodslaves were bound to a vampire, but the vampire also attached itself to this person. As far as his family was involved, this was always on a voluntary basis.

The bloodwhores lived in a separate wing in the house. There, they waited to be chosen for one night, whether he himself, a family member or a befriended vampire. They were given food, lodging and, if necessary medical care. The choice was left to them as to whether they wanted to be the vampire’s will. In the end, they still had the opportunity to reject the offer. In addition, they had the possibility to be coached by more experienced humans.

The bloodslaves were usually given a room near the vampire to which they were bond. Or, as in the case of his brother, who liked to keep several bloodslaves, a separate part of the house, which was obviously different from that of the bloodwhores. They were granted more space because they were physically and emotionally attached to their vampire. This connection could vary in strength, but it always kept them from betray them or theirselves.

The girl they would buy from her mother today would be made familiar with the rules of the vampires all over. When she was old enough, she was allowed to choose for herself whether she wanted to become a bloodwhore or a bloodslave. Besides, of course, she had the choice to refuse if someone wanted to make her his slave. A choice that was denied to bloodwhores often when they joined a harem. Bloodwhores had to be available to every vampire. They were also used much less for this purpose.

She would initially live with the bloodwhores, because they had enough time to take care of the girl. It was Agenta who had selected two women and instructed them to care for the child’s welfare at all times. They received a small payment in return. Although his sister was against the admission of the child, she had been anxious since the decision was taken to have the test object supplied. This trial run should go as smoothly as possible.

That child would be the beginning of a whole new era for all of them. No member of his family wanted to risk anything going bad.

They had decided to provide the child with a comprehensive school education. This would, of course, take place in her house, next to the classes in which every bloodmate could participate. They did not agree on the age when they could feed on her for the first time. But they all agreed on one point: She needed to make the decision on her own.

People who were forced to offer themselves as a source of food often went mad or simply died. It was irrelevant whether enough blood flowed through her body. In all the centuries they had not been able to find out the reason for this. A natural protection of human beings against their peers?

Zacharias shrugged off the thought and concentrated on the road that passed in front of her mansion. The car had already arrived. He could feel the presence of the driver, who was working for his family. So his guests had to be somewhere on the property.

He found them almost immediately, when he focused his senses on the family estate. He opened the door and waited, looking calmly outside.

So far he had only met the mother, and she had certainly been very pretty by human standards in the past. But the years of increased alcohol and drug addiction had taken away her beauty. Nevertheless, he was curious about the daughter, because she would have no chance to fall into such vices.

By the contract they had drawn up, she was bound to his family for her entire life, except if they would release her as well. This only would occur if she was willing to commit to a vampire as a bloodslave.

His view wandered across the property. The high cedar trees lined the entire estate and blocked the view from the outside. Because of their daily servants, the wide lawns were neat and clean. The path leading up to her house softly gleamed in the moonlight. The flowers exuded a pleasant scent that merged with the mild air of the night, creating a perfect alliance.

Then he discovered the tall, blonde woman dragging a child by her hand. He narrowed his eyes slightly and watched them more closely. The girl struggled to keep up with her mother, almost ran. Her eyes were wide open and he himself could see the speed of her breath.

Slightly disgusted, he shook his head. It was a long way up to the house. If the mother had set this speed from the very beginning, the girl’s exhaustion did not surprise him.

The wind turned direction and carried their voices over to him. He understood only scraps of words, but nevertheless it was clear to him what was spoken.

»...ait please, Mommy«, a wheezing was brought by the wind. »...ot that fast, please, Mommy.«

He could see the woman stand still and turn away from him to look at her daughter. »...on’t....ch... no-- on! You...untank...ucking brat!« He heard the helpless sobbing of the child as it was grabbed by the mother’s hand again, which continued at an unchanged pace.

Zacharias really wished that this child would prove itself. He was aware of how many of these children still existed, which would certainly find a better life among them.

A scream reached his ears even before he consciously perceived what could have led to it. He only knew this one had come from the child.

When he focused his eyes to mother and daughter again, he saw the girl lying on the floor and heard a quiet sob. The girl’s little hands enclosed her knee. Apparently the child had stumbled over the many stones, or it had simply been moved on by its mother, as it could no longer keep up with the speed.

Again he heard the nagging of the mother who grabbed her daughter by the upper arm, brutally pulled her to her legs and began to shake the child. »Don’t be stupid! Why are you always ruining everything for me? You’re so ungrateful! I always, always took care of you, and what do you do? You always ruin everything,« she shouted. Her words went on as she shook the girl more and more firmly and the teeth of the little ones hit each other.

Before Zacharias became aware of what he was doing, he left his position and moved towards them. Just in time, as he realized. When he came to a stop just behind the mother, she raised her hand to beat her daughter.

»Can I be of any help?«, he asked in a gentle voice. It gave him immense pleasure as he saw the mother freeze in her movement.

She drove around to him and smiled at him friendly without looking him in the eyes. She had been well instructed. »Dear, Sir«, she purred and there was nothing left to see of the disparaging attitude she showed towards her daughter. »You didn’t have to meet us, it was very kind of you and your family to send us a car.«

Zacharias' eyes slipped past her and