Right Kind of Wrong
By: Delilah deSora

Chapter 9

Adrian bared his fangs, too weak to otherwise fight as the human approached. His body was a dead weight and his joints ached too much for him to move away as gentle fingers manipulated and probed his arm. There was a pinch and he growled at the burning in his veins as the foreign substance mingled with his blood. The burning suffused throughout his body and he closed his eyes as the trembling began. He heard the human withdraw and exchange angry words with Miron. Gritting his teeth he wished the anger to get out of control and both of them to kill each other.

Unfortunately Miron’s self-satisfaction tempered his anger and he let the human’s words slide over him without repercussion.

There were hands on him then and Adrian snarled, clawing at the bare mattress as a heavy weight settled on his back. His body was too well used to feel much pain at the sudden invasion and too weak to take much satisfaction in the unwanted pleasure the act forced him to feel. He closed his eyes, trying to distance himself from the burning in his blood and the words of ownership panted in his ear.

He’d been a fool to agree to Miron’s conditions but it had never occur to him that the sire would harm his nephew’s mate, especially now that Shido was with child. He opened his eyes, staring bleakly at their merged shadows. How had none of them noticed how twisted his values had become? Even now he could hardly believe that his mate’s brother would allow humans to take Shido.

Miron growled and Adrian felt him tense. He stared at the wall, waiting for the sire to finish and leave him. Miron collapsed on his back, crushing him into the mattress and he forced himself to lie still, unwilling to betray his secret. He knew he had been seen in Miron’s presence before leaving with him and twice he had snuck off to leave word to his son on the journey here. It would only be a matter of time before Cain would find them.

He prayed it would be soon.

The human was leaving that night. Shido had already been sent away but Miron had retained the human’s service a few days longer so that he could administer the drug they had said they believed would increase the chance of conceiving a child between them. It made him bleed unnaturally and gave Miron’s blood seed more cells to bind with, at least that was the theory. The human had warned that it had never been tested before and it might cause a defect in the child. Miron had not cared.

“One step at a time,” he had joked. “Once our people have seen him swollen with child we will be seen as a mated pair. So what if the child does not survive? We will have another later.”

Adrian’s hand curled into a fist. It was a dangerous game he played. If the drug’s presence before conceiving could harm the child what would it do after a child had begun growing within him?

As it had been for the last three days.

Twice before he had carried children and he could recognize the feeling that came with new life. None of his kind had been able to explain how they had known but those who had carried before never failed to recognize the sensation again. He had considered telling Miron, if only to get the younger vampire to leave him be but to do so would mean he was trapped to his mate’s brother with no way to be free of him again. Miron would undoubtedly inform the elders as soon as he knew he had conceived and anyone causing his death would be put to the same measures. He couldn’t risk it. If Miron were to be killed before he had told anyone of his condition he could lie and save Cain’s life should it be he would kill Miron. None of the elders would hold him responsible for the death for Miron had brought it upon himself by taking his mate.

Miron pushed away from him and Adrian hid his face in the fall of his hair, watching as the younger velassi left him. He drew his legs up against his chest, resting a hand on his stomach, somewhat grateful for the drug that made him bleed. Miron would not be able to smell the blood nest the child made for itself as long as he bled unnaturally. It would buy his son time to come for him and then they would be able to set right all Miron had set wrong.

Andrew basked in the adulation he received from his peers as he watched the doctor’s gently manipulate the unconscious velassi’s body. The air fairly buzzed with excitement as machine printout after machine printout answered old questions. No one had seen a velassi child before let alone one in the process of carrying one and Andrew was more than happy to be the recipient of their people’s gratitude.

The best, though, was still to come. Natalia had been invited, at his insistence, to study at the lab. She was too old to be trapped in a rural village, slinking through the woods to observe from afar. In the last four years she had seen two vampires, neither of which were suspected to be the velassi she was so fascinated with. He had always looked up to her and he longed to see the happiness when she was finally able to watch the miracle that they had all heard about from the scientists but which none of them had seen.

He hoped she hurried, though. From what he had been told they suspected it would be soon. The velassi’s stomach was swollen, the skin stretched tight, though he did not carry the child low like a woman in her final days. There was much speculation over how the child would be born and they had finally decided to simply wait and see what would happen. They had also decided to move the velassi in with their other specimen, a velassi that had been in their care for generations.

There had been some argument over that decision. People feared that the other would harm their new specimen but in the end the choice had been made. People were too interested in seeing how the two would react to each other to listen to the words of caution.

 

Andrew couldn’t fault them. He too was caught up in the excitement of it all.

Shido groaned, pushing at the cold floor underneath him but unable to sit up due to the heavy weight of his stomach. He felt ill, as though his body wished to purge his stomach’s contents, though he knew there was nothing there for him to throw up. He had not fed in a long time and his fangs ached with the urge to bit into something. The blood they had been feeding him kept him alive but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t what he craved.

His reflection stared back at him and he frowned, studying the great-mirrored wall before him. He was surprised that Miron had allowed the human to take him. All along he had expected him to turn on the human and destroy him. That he honored the contract confused him.

Gritting his teeth he struggled into a sitting position, leaning his back against the wall. His hips ached and his shoulders slouched as the extra weight pulled him down. He shivered though the air was warm against his bare skin. He was too tired for shame at his unclothed state and privately he was glad for it. His stomach was sensitive and cloth irritated the skin.

Movement caught his eye and he stiffened, shrinking back defensively. Another watched him from the other side of the room, clothed in nothing but a heavy spill of golden hair. He seemed too thin though Shido could find no evidence for such an observation. It was not that he looked thin but rather that he felt thin. He frowned, wondering at what would make him think that.

The man sat back, his hair moving back from his face and Shido’s eyes widened as he realized whom he looked upon.

“My god,” he whispered, leaning forward as though to prove his eyes wrong, “What have they done to you?”

The golden haired velassi frowned as though trying to understand foreign words. Shido stood unsteadily, bracing himself against the wall. His back ached fiercely and his knees threatened to give out but he grit his teeth and forced himself to move forward to where the other crouched. As he neared burgundy eyes narrowed and the other sat back on his heels, watching him warily.

“Do you not remember me?” Shido asked, pausing to give his body a moment’s rest.

The other watched him impassively, his eyes showing neither recognition nor confusion. It was as though he were simply waiting for things to play out. As though he didn’t care that he should know the violet haired man before him. Shido shivered for the blankness was not the same as Adrian’s occasional bouts of memory. This was pure emptiness, as though there were nothing left for this once powerful velassi to contemplate.

Shido closed the final steps between them, giving into gravity and the alien weight he carried as he knelt. Long fingers reached out and he touched the golden hair.

“I remember you,” Shido whispered, “though we were never truly close. You were so watchful then, always aware of everything. How did you come to this, Alexandru?”

Alexandru’s attention focused on something over his shoulder and Shido heard the all too human breathing as boots struck the solid ground of their cell. He shrank back, unconsciously trying to shield his stomach as the men came but neither tried to come near him. Instead they coaxed Alexandru to his feet. He followed them quietly, neither trying to escape nor showing any displeasure at their presence.

Shido frowned. “Wait!” He called; using the language the human had spoken to Miron in.

The humans stopped, surprise on their faces, as though they hadn’t known he could speak. It grated on his nerves but he forced down the angry words that came to his lips. “I am cold and uncomfortable,” he growled, “surely you can return my clothes or at least give me a blanket or something.”

The two men conversed among themselves, glancing once at Alexandru who seemed to neither notice the exchange or care. Finally one man step towards him hesitantly. “This distresses you?”

Shido frowned. “Wouldn’t it distress you?”

The men glanced at each other and left, a door he could not make out along the mirrored glass closing behind him. He heard three distinct latches click into place after the door closed and leaned back in the corner, sighing. He longed to draw his knees up but his girth prohibited such a thing. Resting a hand over his stomach he smiled as he felt a flurry of activity. “I must say,” he murmured, tapping lightly on the swollen skin, “since you came along things have certainly been interesting.”

There was movement where he tapped, a small scratching as though the child were pawing at the area. With a sigh he leaned his head back against the cold glass, giving in to his body’s need for rest.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Andrew whispered, though there was really no need to do so. The doctors had insisted that those within the cell couldn’t hear anything but it just seemed right somehow.

Both of the velassi were asleep. He wished they had not given the violet haired one the blanket for he had wrapped it about himself and they could get no glimpse of what made him so special. The older velassi slept on the other side of the cell, his head cushioned on his arm.

His words received a meaningless murmur and he glanced at the woman at his side.

“I though you would be more excited.” He said, forcing a smile. “Everyone here is downright euphoric. These two don’t seem to know what to think of each other but we’re all hoping that once he gives birth the other one will approach him and we’ll be able to study the process from the beginning.”

“They stay away from each other?” Natalia asked, a frown pulling at her face.

Andrew nodded. “They think its because the child isn’t his. From what I hear they suspect that the child is acting like a mark that this one belongs to another male. Once he gives birth the mark will be gone and the other will move to claim him.”

Natalia met his gaze. “You talk of them like animals.”

Andrew frowned. “You sound like you don’t approve.”

“Damn right I don’t approve! I’ve never approved of this!” She snapped, causing him to take a step back.

“But . . . we’ve been waiting for this for centuries! One velassi is fine and good but it does us no good. We’re interested in what makes these creatures different from vampires! We’ve never been able to study it up close before and now we can!”

“They’re not things, Andrew!” She replied, her voice cutting, “Didn’t I teach you better than that? They’re living creatures, like you and me! They have names! They have families.”

“But . . .”

“And what of the child? What life will he have here? What kind of life is growing up in a cage, taken out only to be poked and prodded? This is wrong Andrew.”

“I thought you would be pleased. To see them . . .”

Natalia shook her head. “I’ve seen them, Andrew.”

He snorted. “Glimpses in a dark forest. A moment’s look . . .”

“That’s all I need. That is how they are supposed to be seen. They are secretive and keep to themselves. That is their nature. Not . . . this. They will never be mates, Andrew. Oh I’m sure these bastards will eventually force them to copulate and then pat each other on the back and praise their own ingenuity but they will never be mates. You may even force them to create a child between them but it won’t be life you’ll be witnessing here. It’ll just be a slow death for all of them and I’ll have no part in it.”

He caught her sleeve as she turned to go, staring down at her pleadingly. “Natalia . . .”

Her voice was ice as she pulled away from him. “Goodbye Andrew.”

And then she was gone.

It hurt.

Shido bit his lip, trying not to cry out in pain. It felt as though his child was trying to rip its way out of his body. He whimpered as the child thrashed inside of him, making his back spasm as he tried to curl tighter around his stomach. He was grateful for the semi-darkness that served as a simulated night time, all of his senses were painfully heightened and the light would have hurt his eyes. Another spasm of pain and he hissed through clenched teeth.

He needed to stop the pain but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t understand what the child needed, wasn’t even sure if what he was feeling was the equivalent of his kind’s labor or if the stress of the last month hadn’t been too much and his body had given up and he was losing the child. He shuddered, pushing the thought away. As confused and angry as he had been in the beginning he didn’t want to lose what his body had cared and harbored for so long.

A hand touched his shoulder and he wheezed.

“Please.” He whispered, peering up at the man above him. “I don’t know what to do. I wasn’t raised like you, I don’t understand.”

Burgundy eyes were unreadable as the other stared down at him.

“You know what to do!” Shido insisted, crying out softly as the thrashing came again, the child tearing at him from inside.

 The pain didn’t stop this time and he began to pant, forgetting that he didn’t need to breath at all. He squeezed his eyes shut, fangs tearing at his lip as he writhed. “Oh god, stop!” He whispered to the child inside of him, “Please stop!”

He was vaguely aware of hands pulling his away from his stomach, cold fingers settling against the skin. He arched back, biting into his hand to stifle another scream. Fingers danced over his stomach, coming to rest above the source of all of his pain. They stroked the spot, pushing hard against his stomach as they passed and little by little the sharp pain eased, leaving only the aching pain left in the child’s wake.

He peeled open his eyes, staring down at the hand on his stomach. When he wearily stared up at the other man to thank him he met measuring eyes. Before he could as a hand passed over his face and he fell back. He felt claws tear into his skin and a hand plunge into his body before his consciousness faded away. A sweet darkness, where there was no pain or fear, enveloped him and he was content to be cocooned in it, unable to even worry about the fate of the child trapped within him.