Right Kind of Wrong
By: Delilah deSora

Chapter 3

 Shido yawned and opened his green eyes. Candlelight shimmered around him, making the large room seem warm and mysterious at the same time. It chased along the golden threads shot through the heavy violet fabric of the canopy above the bed. He sighed, shaking his head at the symbolism of Cain’s chosen colors. He threw off the covers and slid bare feet to the floor. The Romanian winter turned the stone cold and for the first time since he had originally been brought to this room he actually felt it.

Gritting his teeth he snatched a robe from the chair before the fire and wrapped the warm fabric around his naked form, sighing in pleasure as the heat suffused through his skin and chased away the chill. With a sigh he sank down in the chair, drawing his feet up underneath him as he stared into the fire.

It had been over a month since he had admitted his changing hunger to Cain. Cain had urged him to return to Romania but he had refused, adamant in his decision to leave behind the life of a vampire forever. Unfortunately his hunger had only grown and though it galled him he had allowed Cain to feed him. As much as it nourished him, however, it seemed to make him even more dependant upon the older vampire’s blood.

Human blood interested him less and less as, strangely enough, did Riho’s. At first he had been relieved with this turn of events and though it meant he had to rely on Cain he had managed to content himself with it. He had rebuffed all of the other vampire’s attempts to convince him to return to their home, convinced that his changing hunger was just a passing thing.

His conviction was shaken when, after a particularly frustrating day that had proven to be nothing more than a waste of time, he had turned upon Riho for nothing more than the fact that her cheerfulness irritated him. She had forgiven him and he had felt even worse for he knew that she had not realized how much danger she had been. He knew that if he had caught her he would have hurt her for in that single moment he had lost all of himself and been drowned in the predator that existed within every vampire.

It had shaken him badly but he had tried to ignore it. Unfortunately it would not go away and had developed into an almost overwhelming paranoia whenever she was around. He had fallen back into the patterns of his past and gone back to Cain. When the golden haired vampire had once again suggested their return he had been forced to agree. If he could not control himself he would remove the danger he represented to his friends.

Ever since their return he had cloistered himself away in the relative solitude of Cain’s wing. He could feel the other vampires of his mate’s court like a buzz in the back of his head. At first he had feared that their closeness would make him want to go join them but to his relief it was much the opposite. He felt the same towards them as he did to Riho. They annoyed him and the few that had dared Cain’s wing he had met with aggressiveness.

There were only two vampires that did not raise his ire. Cain he felt no aggressiveness towards. Strangely he found his normal annoyance and anger with Cain lessening. It didn’t bother him much for always when he was hurt or hungry Cain seemed a source of comfort.

What did make him wonder was growing comfort with Adrian’s presence. He and Adrian had never been very close. Their bond was the weak one of family. Adrian had once been the lover of Cain’s sire and upon his death the closest Shido could figure Cain had taken Adrian in under his care. Shido didn’t fully understand it for never had he seen another vampire do the same.

Even stranger was the fact that Cain seemed to expect nothing from Adrian. The older vampire had a sophisticated prettiness that Shido doubted he could ever match and he knew Cain’s obsession over physical beauty, which made the fact that Cain had never attempted to take the dark haired vampire to their bed even stranger.

Shido sighed and let his head fall into his hand. Dizziness overtook him and he closed his eyes until it passed. There was a soft knock at the door and he turned slightly. Adrian stood there, waiting patiently for permission to enter. Shido lifted his hand wearily and the older vampire drifted across the room, completely soundless.

As it always did Adrian’s presence seemed to calm him. He drew the robe tighter about him as Adrian knelt next to him. Long fingers brushed over his forehead and the worst of the dizziness passed. Sparing a smile for the other man Shido sank further back in the chair.

“Do you want a blanket?” Adrian inquired.

Shido shook his head. “No. The fire is enough.” He sighed, suddenly annoyed with himself and the world in general, “I wish I knew what was wrong. I would say I was sick but . . . vampires do not get sick.”

Adrian’s golden eyes, so like Cain’s, narrowed slightly before he shrugged. “Do not worry over it. I do not sense that the final death is growing within you, nor does Cain. It is indeed a strange thing but I do not think now is the time to worry.”

“I feel cold!” Shido snapped, “How am I not to worry about that?”

“At least it is not pain you feel.”

Shido twisted in the chair to peer back at Cain as he moved through the room towards them. He took Adrian’s place as the dark haired vampire rose. Shido didn’t miss the gentle brush of Cain’s fingers over Adrian’s arm nor did he miss the knowing glance that passed between them. His eyes narrowed as the moment passed. Adrian left the room and Shido shivered as the heavy weight of his mate’s hands came to rest on his shoulders.

“You still do not feel well?” He inquired.

Shido snorted. “If I felt well I would not still be here!” He snapped.

To his surprise the golden haired vampire shrugged it off. A hand brushed the hair back from his face and Shido leaned back, his eyes sliding close as he purred in pleasure. The soft touch made him shiver in delight while relaxing muscles he hadn’t even realized were tense. Lips touched his forehead and he opened his eyes.

“Come to bed.” Cain murmured, a sly smile playing over his lips.

Shido growled. “I don’t want to go back to bed.”

“I know, but I do. Come now.”

Shido allowed his mate to urge him up onto his feet. The sinfully soft bed sank under their combined weights as they climbed across the soft sheets. Shido had made Cain replace the normal silk sheets when he had begun to feel the cold for whenever they touched his skin they made him hiss in displeasure and shrink away. The covers Adrian had replaced them with were as soft as down and held the warmth of the fire. He loved the way they felt against his skin.

A hand pressed against the small of his back and he tilted his head back as Cain’s shirt was crushed between them. Unconsciously he lifted a leg, allowing Cain’s leg to slide between his as their bodies entwined so that they could get closer. Shido felt the change slip over him as Cain’s chin lifted and he was presented with a long column of bared neck.

One hand crept up to bury itself in the soft curls at the back of Cain’s neck. He tugged gently to bare more of the white skin. There was a moment of contentment as he nuzzled and then the moment passed. The vampire within him flooded to the surface the moment he felt the muscles of Cain’s back relax and he struck. There was a muffled snarl from the other as his fangs found their mark and he tightened his hold on the long blond hair.

Hands closed about his arms and his jaw tightened as he growled in warning. When no move was made to push him away he relaxed and the blood once again flowed. He drank until the vampire sank away, fat and sated for the rest of the night. Fangs receded as the muscles that extended them relaxed. He sucked at the weeping wounds as his mate’s healing powers were allowed to do their job.

Shido let himself slid down Cain’s chest, the white ruffles at the collar tickling his face. He buried his face in them, breathing in the musky scent. His mate lay still as his body slowly reorganized itself. Eventually it would force him to feed to replace the blood he’d lost but for the moment he lay quietly, content to allow his body to do what it needed to do.

Shido wasn’t sure what alerted him to the approaching breed but suddenly he was painfully aware of it. He pushed himself upon to his elbows and hissed as the creature appeared in the doorway. It was not a very large creature, certainly not something he would normally have to fear but he could not stop the wave of alarm and rage that its presence stirred within him.

Then the creature, sensing that it was in danger, turned and fled.

It was the worst possible thing it could do for in that split second it went from being a threat to being prey. Shido couldn’t stop himself as he leapt from the bed. His entire world narrowed to the chase and he tore after the breed. Upon reaching the hall the creature froze, unsure of which way to go, and that was all that Shido needed. He rode the creature to the floor, growling in pleasure as his fingers tore into yielding flesh and warm blood flowed over his skin.

His descent into a predator made him lose track of himself but it wasn’t until he blinked and realized he was crouched over a rapidly cooling body that he became aware of it. Behind him he heard Cain and Adrian arguing with each other. He turned to face them, blinking slowly. He felt strangely disconnected from the world as though he were nothing more than an observer as he watched the dark haired vampire hiss angrily at his mate. Cain cradled a hand with an obvious bite wound on it as he responded, his lowered voice just as angry as the vampire before him.

Shido licked his bottom lip, frowning as a mixture of blood played across his tongue. He recognized Cain’s taste though it was nearly overwhelmed by the foul taste of the breed. Gagging he climbed off the remains of his kill. He moved towards the arguing vampires, cocking his head as he focused on them and their voices formed into comprehensive words.

“He must go!” Adrian growled.

“I can’t be away for that long again!” Cain replied, “In a few months . . .”

“It will be too late! Do not argue with me about this! You have not gone through it, you know nothing of it!”

“Nothing of what?” Shido asked; surprised at how calm he still felt. Normally he was sure he would be angry but for some reason he simply couldn’t find the emotion needed for it. Both vampires turned to stare at him and he frowned. “Where must I go?”

Silence reigned for a few moments before Cain stepped forward, gently taking his elbow and guiding him back to the room. “It is nothing.” He murmured, “Adrian is just worried about your . . . condition. That is all.”

Shido sniffed and pulled away. “I want to go out.”

Cain fixed him with a firm look. “No. You need to wash and afterwards it would be best for you to relax.”

Scowling Shido glared at him but Cain would not back down. Out of spite he closed the door firmly on his mate as he climbed into the bath. The warm water felt wonderful as he filled the tub to his chest. He leaned back against the tile and let the water lift him. He staid in the bath until the heat began to seep from the water. Washing the blood from his skin and hair he dried quickly and returned to the bedroom.

Cain met him with a heavy robe and they spent a few minutes in front of the fire. It was obvious that the golden haired vampire was uncomfortable with his closeness to the flames but Shido refused to be coaxed away. Cain eventually relented and left, though Shido could hear him in the room beyond speaking with Adrian.

Finally both of them left and Shido rose and dressed quickly. Slipping from room to room to make sure they were truly gone he made his way to one of the large windows. Normally he would have simply jumped but when he moved to climb out of it a feeling of unease came over him and he shrank back. Confused but unable to force himself to jump he crept through the castle until he reached one of the doors once used by human servants before the area had been claimed by vampires.

It felt wonderful to stretch his legs and run among the trees. In the city he had been forced to forgo such pleasures as pushing himself to the limit for doing so would endanger himself if too many humans saw him. Here in the dark of night among the trees he had no such fears as he pushed his body to its limits. Something inside of him seemed to urge him onwards as it filled him with joy at the sudden freedom.

All too soon he reached the first signs of human civilization and was forced to slow his pace. He slipped from shadow to shadow as he moved through the small town. Animals stirred at his passing but not once did he see any humans. He came to a well-traveled road and he stood on it, staring down it to the swell of mountains beyond. His eyes could make out a patch of sky that was brighter than the rest, the result of the city that lied just beyond.

It was in that city he had gone to live among humans for the first time. He had been happy there before plague and fire had taken it all away. Shido frowned, his hand coming to rub his chest before sliding down to rest against his stomach. Would that be his ending as well? As much as he hated calling the changes in him an illness he could find no other word for it. It was a strange illness that forced him to seek out the warmth from one of the things that would truly kill a vampire. Would it drive him until the fire destroyed him as well?

He absently stroked his stomach as Adrian’s words came back to him. Where did he want him to go, he wondered, and why, if he knew what was wrong, did no one tell him?

These thoughts nagged at his mind as he turned and retraced his steps back to the castle.

“He must be a new one.”

Natalia shook her head as she rewound the tape. “I don’t think so. He didn’t have the nervousness of a new vampire.”

Next to her Andrew frowned. “We haven’t seen him before, why would they bring in an older vampire?”

With a shrug Natalia marked the times on the tape where they had the best image. “I don’t know.”

Andrew shifted in his seat and Natalia knew it wasn’t boredom that was making him nervous. “You think he’s one of them, don’t you?"

She sighed as she began filling out an information card. “I don’t know, Drew. He’s probably just rejoining a family member.”

Andrew snorted, his brown hair falling in his eyes and making him look even younger than he was. “Older vampires don’t just ‘rejoin family members’. Once a vampire sets out on their own they stay on their own. Besides, we both saw how he kept touching his stomach.”

“Which means nothing.” Natalia insisted.

Dark brown eyes narrowed, though they still sparkled. “Come on, I’m not stupid. We’ve been watching this clan for decades because it’s the only clan that we’ve found that has two possible velassi. A father and a son, Lia! We knew one or the other would eventually take . . .”

“No!” Natalia snapped as she stood and retrieved the tape, “We’ve been hoping they would. There is no guarantee that they would or even have. This could be nothing, it probably is nothing, but we can’t move until we’re sure.”

Andrew sighed and leaned back. “Yeah, but I can still get excited about it, right?”

A faint smile broke through her façade. “Yes,” she admitted, “we can still get excited.”