The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 98

[Journal, Alpha William Padua, December 1918]

December 15, 1918

-

The long nights mean vampires are out more. Tonight was different in one thing. A vampire came to the territory and begged an audience with me.

He stated that he was a messenger for the new vampire Master of the territory. He seemed proud to be acting as a go between. He was respectful, which was rare with them.

I agreed to meet with his master tomorrow night. I didn't want to go into this meeting without knowledge. I looked through all the information I had on vampires.

Masters of territories are responsible for the actions of the vampires who live in the territory. They are the law, not like a mayor, like a king, a sheriff, and a parent rolled into one. The behavior of their people directly affects them.

No one knows the actual history of vampires. Some say that Cain was turned into one by Adam's first wife, Lilith. Others claim that vampires started off as a living species, but the dead vampires soon outpaced them for creation of new vampires. They turned the living ones into slaves, writing off the power and abilities of them until they died and became the undead.

Vampires fed on blood. They preferred live blood of humans and supernaturals. They could drink animal blood, but were not fond of it. Fae were in the most danger from vampires. Their blood was magical and would imbue vampires with some fae like abilities for a short time.

Some fae were hunted to extinction by vampires because their blood enabled the vampire to walk in the daylight without burning. I mourned for the lives lost in pursuit of the ability that I so took for granted.

Myths and legends surrounding vampires were just that. Stories. Though some took on a ghoulish appearance after death, there were others who looked just like a normal human, but pale. I already knew that, but it was good to be prepared in case this Master was one of the ghoulish ones.

Vampires are not weak against religious artifacts. They are not affected by garlic or running water. Their reflections are just as ours. They are simply powerful beings who are not alive.

To kill a vampire, they need to basically be destroyed. Fire and sunlight were the best ways to kill them. Vampires were not more flammable than other living beings, except the ghoulish ones. They had little to burn before the fire got to their organs.

The best way to kill a vampire was to remove its head and heart. Guns worked without silver bullets if they were guns that did massive damage and fired true. Head and heart was a precaution. Destroying the heart didn't work in some vampires.

I will leave my Beta, Wilson, in charge of the pack and I will take my Gamma David, with me. The meeting is set for just after sunset tomorrow evening. I'm prepared to fight my way out if I need to. Goddess, watch over me, my pack, and my family. Don't let me die tomorrow night.

-

December 16, 1918

-

I met with the vampire Master, Grigori Drozdov, this evening. He was everything I'd heard a vampire could be. Nothing like the vampires I'd experienced before.

He was calm and elegant. His eyes were a deep red that almost looked like the most expensive rubies. He was shorter than me. I'd place him around 5'11" with dark blond hair. Though he's thinly built, he is not ghoulish.

My pack was not the only group invited to this meeting. In front of the vampire's home, I was met by Fenton Aimes. The leader of the witch coven in the area. Lila had introduced us once, but we didn't do business often enough for me to remember his look. Fenton was over 6'0" tall. Close to my 6'2". He had dark brown hair and fae eyes that nearly looked gold. I knew that look from some of the fae in the area. The closest a human would call it is hazel or amber unless they got a close look at it. Lila was attracted to him, but I didn't see why. He had the look of someone who smelled something decaying. Though, I probably had a similar look. The smell of vampire was strong.

We knocked together and a vampire answered the door, guiding us into the house and to a well-lit study. Grigori was waiting for us, standing and focused on the doorway. He made sure we understood that he saw us as important enough to stand for. I add the following conversation from the best my memory serves. We introduced ourselves and Grigori asked us to have a seat across from him. It seemed he had actually been here for a few weeks. The house was well appointed and put together. "I want to thank both of you for accepting my invitation. Unfortunately, Mistress Maeve of the fae did not. I hope to earn her trust in the time to come." Grigori started.

"What exactly do you want of the coven?" Fenton asked.

"And of my pack." I added.

"Ah, yes. Straight to business. I suppose it was a little foolish to think we could get to know each other first. The fact of the matter is, I want to form an alliance in the territory. Ideally, I would ally with every pack in the territory, and every coven, and all the fae. I want to create a place where all supernaturals can live peacefully and watch out for each other. With fictional horror books and motion pictures about our peoples coming out, more humans are turning hunter. We can't just watch our own backs." Grigori insisted. "So you want to start with those of us near your home and expand out? You honestly think that witches and wolves will ever take this seriously? The fae will never join with vampires." Fenton scoffed.

"I would be interested." I said. "The safety of my pack is my priority. If you and your people will fight for us, we will fight for you. What other benefits can you bring in an alliance. My people will be wary of allying with vampires. There hasn't been a master here in the entire time my pack has been here. The vampires out here do as they please."

"Yes, I have spent the last couple weeks working to deal with the worst offenders. I am open to negotiations. I want to make this an equitable agreement, Alpha Padua." He smiled.

"Vampires rarely get along with light witches." Fenton huffed. "What could you possibly offer my people?"

"Aside from peace? Protection. If we see hunters after a witch, we will take care of the hunters. If a witch needs vampire assistance for gathering night plants, we can send someone with them." Grigori offered.

"Have you already spoken with the dark witches here?" Fenton pressed.

"I have spoken with Miss Lila Thorne. She informed me that she could not be allied with me without a price."

I snorted. "That sounds like Lila. Nothing without a price."

Fenton smiled briefly before schooling his face. I knew he and Lila were an item. She told me the last time I took her out picking ingredients in the pack lands.

"What do you want from us?" Fenton asked.

"Spells, occasional feedings, daylight protection. One thing I would like to ask for while we're getting things settled, is someone to take care of my daylight needs. I have no human servant as of yet, mine is back home working on packing my old house to move here. Might you have someone who could work as a daylight servant for me. It would simply be cleaning up around the house and being here so no one breaks in while I rest." Grigori requested.

"Most witches are wary of vampires. I can offer you use of my daughter. She has finished school and is awaiting her fiancé's arrival. She has nothing to keep her busy during the day. She must be home no later than an hour after dusk and you must be the one to deliver her." Fenton insisted.

"Why would you offer your daughter?" I hissed.

"If he feeds on her there will be no deal. She's mine to do with as I please. I have a housekeeper. I don't need her there. This will work in my favor. Until her fiancé arrives, my daughter shall work for you. As long as she returns home in the same condition as she left, I will sign on to your alliance." Fenton said.

I couldn't believe he would offer a defenseless girl to a vampire. There was something wrong with the man. I wouldn't offer any of my children to a vampire, no matter the conditions.

"I need to know that she won't try to kill me as I sleep. Vampires are also wary of witches." Grigori said.

"I will simply order her not to kill you. My daughter is an obedient girl. She does as I command." Fenton smirked.

"How do I know you won't order her to kill me?" Grigori asked.

"This is how we establish trust. I send you my daughter, a witch with two affinities who is important to my coven. You do not molest her; she doesn't kill you. We gain trust for each other." Fenton offered.

"Deal. Call your daughter. I would like to meet the woman who will have my life in her hands." Grigori said with a slight smile.

It seemed like he had gotten exactly what he wanted. It almost appeared that he was holding back his happiness. It made me wary of him and his intentions. Maybe he had just really wanted a servant, I decided to stay and see.

Fenton used Grigori's phone to call his home. His daughter would call a carriage to bring her to us. Grigori used this time to try and get an idea of what we were needing to seal our sides of this agreement.

An hour later, the girl arrived. She had her father's strange eyes and black hair that was tied back in a braid. She was short and slight, almost fragile looking.

"This is my daughter, Grace." Fenton said proudly. "Starting tomorrow, you'll be coming here every morning to care for Master Grigori's home."

She kept her eyes down and curtsied. When she did look up, I saw that she had soft looking petal lips. Her cheeks blazed with a blush, as she looked past me.

I turned to look at Grigori. The look in his eyes told me this was more than just getting a servant for him. No one was that happy to gain a servant. Something else was going on. Fenton didn't see it, and I was under no obligation to tell him.

This alliance would be beneficial, but I wouldn't get involved in a war between the vampires and the witches. The girl was pretty, but not worth the lives that would be lost if a fight happened. I would have to see how it all played out before I threw in for one or the other.

If nothing else, this would be an interesting few months. I looked forward to the negotiations. I wanted to see what this vampire truly had to offer.

-

December 31, 1918

-

I went to Grigori's home today while the sun was out. I wanted to talk to Grace and be sure that she was safe. I hadn't liked her father just giving her away like that.

There was no answer when I knocked. There was no bell, so I started walking around the house, looking in every window I could. When I got to the shaded side of the house, I found her.

She was sitting on the desk in Grigori's office with her arms and legs around a man who was kissing her like he needed her to breathe. For a moment, I thought her fiancé must have arrived early, but they pulled apart and I saw that it was Grigori. I had no idea that vampires could wake before the sun went down.

He caressed her cheek and gazed at her with love. She was looking up at him with the same expression. I got as close to the window as I could so that I could hear.

"I love you, my flower. What shall we do this afternoon?" Grigori asked.

"I just want to be in your arms, Grigori. I want to enjoy my time with you." Grace replied.

"Let me make love to you, Grace. I want to be one with you, my flower." He murmured. "My Solus Amor."

"Not yet. I want to be sure my father truly isn't going to storm in here or do more than a skin check for bite marks." She giggled.

"You remember your part for getting your fiancé to reject you? He comes soon, right?" Grigori asked.

"Of course I do, my love. What if my father tries to marry me off to another witch again?" Grace sighed.

"We will keep making them reject you until I'm the only option. I'll send my vampires after any man who lasts more than a day with your annoying act." He chuckled.

"I will be the most tedious woman in existence. No man will want me. I just need to keep my father from figuring it out." She smiled.

"He never pays you enough attention to do that. If he did, then he would have realized that I've already taken your heart." Grigori said, kissing down her neck.

"My father doesn't think women are anything but property. Why would anyone waste time listening to a mere unthinking creature when there are men about, who actually have brains? Speaking of that, I have something for you." Grace said and pulled a pouch from her pocket. "It's a protection charm I made. I know you're not worried about spells, but I am. This will keep him from making you forget me."

"I could never forget you." He told her, taking the charm and setting it aside.

"Please. Light witches can't do much, but erasing a person from someone's memory isn't considered a dark ability. If he finds out.... I'll need you to find me and make me remember you. Promise me you'll keep this on, my love. Grigori, it's important to me." She pled. "I will wear it for the rest of my life if it makes you happy, my flower."

He put on the charm and they started kissing again. I snuck away as quickly as I could. When I returned home I looked up the words he said. A Solus Amor is a vampire's mate. I'd have to let them know that I knew.

Mates are too important to us to let Grace's father separate them. I would help them in any way possible. Imagining my life without my mate made me feel sick. From the way he held Grace, I was betting Grigori wouldn't want to give her up either.