Tower of Blood

Tower of Blood

(See bottom for an OOC comment)​

Hollywood had it all wrong. When Alger died, his body didn't flash into flames or poof into a cloud of dust; it didn't vanish from sight or shrivel up, prune like. Alger's body simply became still and quiet, not unlike the hundreds of bodies he'd deprived of life during his two centuries as patriarch of the Hunter Family.

Joseph stood there over Alger's corpse with an emotionless face, speaking words of remembrance and praise, most of which he didn't mean yet delivered with all the sincerity of a true believer.

Joseph had never agreed with Alger's philosophy of quiet survival. Hiding in the shadows, feeding sparingly, drawing no attention; these methods had protected the family from exposure and danger, but they hadn't helped it to extend its power and influence, which was exactly what Joseph wanted.

Joseph Hunter believed that vampires should rule the world!

But he hadn't acted on his desires because, inherent to being turned, his loyalty as Alger's blood son had always prevented Joseph from disagreeing with his maker, let alone acting against him.

But now, as the pole bearers closed the lid to the coffin and hefted the simple pine box upward for the short walk to the incinerator room, Joseph knew that he was no longer restrained. This was his time. He would remake the Hunter family, returning them to the way of life for which they had been given their current name.

He watched the coffin move off, even allowing a tear to descend his cheek and splash upon his collar for the benefit of the dozen or so watching him closely. Some of them were Joseph's blood children and would do anything he ordered; while others had been turned by Alger or his other blood children and, while now theoretically servants to Joseph, would always yearn for the ways of their deceased master.

"Clear the room," he said almost too softly for the vampires to hear, even with their enhanced senses. "Valerie ... please remain."

Without hesitation, the others headed for and through the door as Joseph turned and walked to the windows that covered the full 20 foot height from floor to ceiling. He looked out upon the streets, 44 floors below. A human might muse about how the people below looked like ants from here, but to Joseph -- who, if he wished, could focus in on a single individual and fully describe them even from 550 feet above -- they looked like walking meals.

"How can I serve you, Joseph?" Valerie asked after she heard the massive, oak door close behind them. "My master, Alger--"

She never finished, her words ceasing as the back of Joseph's hand contacted her face, the force enough to snap her head to one side, disorienting her. She began to fall straight down toward the floor, but even that she did not finish. Joseph moved to her, sweeping her up into his arms even before the echo of the slap off the granite walls had ceased. He carried her almost lifeless form across the room speedily, tossing her onto the massive canopied bed.

"Please, Joseph ... don't kill me," Valerie begged, regaining a bit of her senses. She struggled to regain control over her body; she tried to rise to her hands and knees, to escape the bed, but the long black dress she'd worn for the funeral was twisted and turned awkwardly about her body. By the time she was able to regain some semblance of control over her movements, she was looking at a near naked Joseph as he mounted the bed and grasped for her. "Please! Joseph!"

Her struggles were to no avail. The new patriarch of the Hunter family ripped her dress open with a swift, powerful motion, exposing a well shaped form. Another jerk deprived Valerie of the comfortable panties, and a moment later...

She screamed in pain as Joseph violated her from behind, grasping her hips in powerful hands and pulling their bodies together. As he pounding into her repeatedly, she pleaded to him in words only half intelligible. He ignored her; he had no interest in conversation.

What he had an interest in was that which was building up in her blood stream. Endorphins, adrenaline, and other chemical substances flooding her system were the live blood of a vampire. And while frightening someone with the classic Hollywood vampire attack, or passionately making love to them with an energy a mere human could only dream of getting from some TV bought pill was usually more than enough to produce what a vampire needed for survival, Joseph knew that doing both at the same time -- that raping someone -- produced levels of the naturally occurring chemicals that would lift him to physical and mental levels of which no one, neither vampires nor humans, could even imagine.

The pleasure building within Joseph began to peak, and he knew it was time. He reached down to the flailing Valerie and grasped a handful of her long, red hair, pulling her back in a dramatic arch until her head was just before his face. He opened his mouth and extended the second row fangs that typically were kept hidden behind his normal human canines.

"PLE-E-EASE!" Valerie called again, just as she heard Joseph give out a might grunt of satisfaction. She could feel his dick lurching inside her, and she knew her time was coming to an end. "JOSEPH ... PLEASE!"

As the climax surging through his body waned, Joseph leaned forward and sunk his fangs into the now sobbing woman's neck ... and drank up her life force...



It was thirty hours later before Valerie regained consciousness. She sat up unsteadily, still in her torn black dress, still in what was now Joseph's bed. She was shocked to still be alive; she had always been Alger's favorite donor and, upon his death, assumed that her own death was imminent as well. After a long moment, she stood and teetered about, then found Joseph standing statue-like -- totally nude -- at the tall windows, looking down upon the world.

"I will rule all of this," he said softly without turning to face her. He listened to her steps as she neared him tentatively, and when she was only a few steps away added, "This city ... this country ... this world ... everything. Nothing will escape my control."

He turned toward her; he had a smile upon his face and his penis was fully erect and pointing at her eagerly. "I will change this dreadful world to..."

He let the thought fade, stepping forward and again swooping Valerie into his arms. He headed for the bed, laid her out more gently this time, pulled her dress away from her, and made love to her, gentle and sweet. They came almost together, their cries of pleasure echoing off the stone walls as a single sound.

As she came down from her peak, Valerie asked softly, "Will I be part of your conquest, Joseph? Will I contribute...?"

He leaned down and kissed her, then moved his mouth to her neck and answered, "You already did."

And then, he bit into her, and drained her -- this time, entirely...


This role play is open to 1 or 2 more female writers. I plan on writing 4 or 5 male male characters at a time, some of whom are permanent and other of whom will be short term ... 'cause they'll die or will serve a short term purpose.

Please do not post here unless you have asked for and received permission.

If you have a plot you would like me to consider, PM it to me. I will see if it is something that fits the story. What is the story...? After you have read the seeking post, if you still aren't sure, PM me with that question, and we'll talk.

(may I join? And what is the time period?)

Anna sighed as she showered, her body covered in sweat from a long day at work. The ballet company seemed to be putting more and more pressure on the dancers. Her feet were covered in bruises from the hours of pointe she had endured. When she had removed her shoes, her toes were bleeding.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her body, drying herself off. Much better. She smelled flowery, but the scent was very subtle, not noticeable to most people. She went to the window, looking down at the streets of the city, trying to decide what she wanted to do.

After a few minutes, she decided to head to a nearby coffeehouse. Anna pulled on a red sweater and some jeans that showed off her lean figure. She didn't wear much makeup, preferring a more natural look to the glitz and glamour she knew other girls liked.

Grabbing a book, The Picture of Dorian Grey, one of her favorites, she headed towards the coffeehouse. Taking her wallet out of her purse, she ordered, and then curled up on the couch, drinking and reading, a small smie on her face.

She looked very cute to people, short, thin, and delicate looking. She had a sweet personality, cheerful and kind, even to strangers. Soft dark curls of hair fell past her shoulder, and dark green eyes glanced up from the pages occasionally, looking around.

The long, oak table had been stained a deep, rich black decades earlier. And yet, the ominous color was well suited for the moment and task at hand.

Joseph entered the Assembly Room at a brisk pace, the heels of his boots sending waves of sound across the room to echo off the stone walls and back over the others as they respectfully rose from their seats. He was followed closely behind by a tall, muscular, dark haired man who looked 30 but was closer to twice that in reality; and a slim woman with a head of fiery red and proudly displayed cleavage who looked to still be a teen and yet was almost as old as her tall companion.

The pair were more than just Joseph's blood children; they were his first and -- due to a number of reasons -- his last. They had been and would always be the most loyal of the family members, and just as they would lay down their lives for him, he would do the same for them.

Joseph couldn't say that for any of the other vampires in the room this evening. Their level of loyalty to the Hunter Family's new patriarch was questionable at best. Joseph knew that some of them would have to be terminated. They were simply too much of a danger to his control of the family and to his plans for the future.

Ironically, many of these individuals likely already suspected that today might end with them being slid into the incinerator on the floor above. Joseph stopped at the head of the table and looked down one side, then up the other. Seven of the people here today had been members of the family when the last purge occurred, two centuries ago upon Alger's rise to power. They included three of Alger's blood siblings and four of his blood children. Each had at one time or another expressed the feeling that they should be next in line to rule. In the end, of course, Alger had chosen Joseph -- and likely condemned the others to death by that action.

The remainder of the three dozen vampires were blood children of either these seven or of Joseph's own blood children. Joseph had not made decisions about whether any of these people would die soon, but he would very shortly. First, though, he wanted to explain to them the future of the Hunter Family -- and their place in or out of it.

"My family ... I will come straight to the point," Joseph began gesturing the gathering to take their seats. His gaze shifted between the faces as he gauged the vampires' reactions. "We will no longer simply survive. The Hunter Family will thrive."

He registered a variety of expressions. Some of those assembled were well aware of his ambitions; others could only imagine them. Regardless, each of them knew that even just these twenty words were a great departure from the way their deceased, isolation-bent patriarch would have spoken. Change was coming.

"We have everything we need to rise to great power in this world," he continued, stepping away from the head of the table and beginning a slow pace around the group. "We own this building, which gives us a safe place to operate from. We have a net worth of four hundred billion dollars, with which we can buy the loyalty and services of anyone we need. And more than that ... we are vampires!"

They all knew what Joseph meant by that: we are better than they are, they being the mere humans. Joseph had long argued that vampires should be living above humans, not apart from or even along side of. Alger had been able to keep Joseph's ambitions -- which most saw as reckless -- in check while he was alive; but now, without Alger, Joseph simply wouldn't be stopped.

He spent the next few minutes arguing his point, explaining unnecessarily -- as everyone already knew -- how the vampires were better than humans in every way. He had made two full circuits around the big table and was beginning a third before he finished with, "Give me one good reason why we should be the ones hiding in the shadows and not the humans."

"Because they are seven billion," a voice spoke up from behind him, "and we are seventy."

The voice was that of one of Alger's sibling, sitting at the seat directly to the left of Joseph's own. He was the oldest person in the room, in both human and vampire years; the man had been born in 1762 in what was then the North American colony of New France, and had been turned during the American Revolution while fighting against the British. Despite having been a vampire since his teens, he was now an elderly, frail old man, a result of choosing to feed less frequently than was necessary for what the humans would call eternal life.

Joseph turned and walked slowly back to the head of the table. He gazed at the man for a long moment; his expression sat somewhere between blank and amusement. Joseph looked about, then smiled. He leaned over the table, placing his palms flat against the smooth service and locking his elbows.

"And how does remaining only seventy..." he began, turning his gaze to the old sibling, "...help us, then? Look at you ... all shriveled up and waiting to die like your brother. If we were 700 ... or 7,000 ... or 7 million! Then, we could feed the way God intended us to, and we could--"

"God...?" a female voice cut in, this time from Joseph's right. The woman there -- mid-50s in appearance but four times that in reality -- laughed, then shot her new patriarch a hard look. "God...? God has forsaken our kind, Joseph. We are not God's children. We are God's mistake."

There was a murmur about the table. Joseph glanced about, looking for individual reactions and finding just about what he'd expected from just about whom he'd expected them.

The existence of vampires and their role in God's plan had been a topic of dispute since long before Joseph had become a vampire. Some thought, as Alger's sister did, that vampires were an aberration, a mistake of God. Alger had believed this, although he'd never spoken of this belief to anyone but his siblings and Joseph. It was part of the reason he'd prevented the family from expanding; in fact, he had allowed it to contract from its high population of almost a thousand two centuries earlier.

Joseph, of course, thought the opposite. Vampires were God's greatest creation and were meant to rule the world. If that wasn't true, why would they be physically and mentally superior to humans in every way?

Joseph was about to respond when the woman said, "I beg your forgiveness, Joseph, but I need to rest."

She stood and headed for the door, but stopped before the big man who had entered with Joseph. She said softly, "You will find me in my room when it's time. And please ... make it quick."

She turned and departed, and when Joseph turned back to the table, all eyes were squarely upon him. And behind those eyes, he knew the prevalent thought was, If I am doomed to die today ... will I be able to allow it as easily as she did?

Joseph looked to the long, smooth surface before him for a moment, then looked up with a determined expression and said firmly, "We will rule. It is our time. Believe in God or don't ... believe in me or don't ... believe in your-self or don't. It doesn't matter. This is going to happen. This ... is al-ready happening..."



Cooper slapped a hand against his cohort's shoulder, then -- as the man followed the direction of his gaze -- said, "That's her."

Swen smirked, responding with an obvious tone, "I would want her, too, if I was Joseph."

"Be careful how you say stuff like that," Cooper warned, pushing away from the bike rack he'd been leaning against and starting across the street toward the coffee shop. As his partner caught up with him, he clarified, "In fact ... I advise you to not even think stuff like that."

They made their way across the street and into the shop just as the woman was sitting down. Cooper sent his counterpart to the barista for espressos, then made his way slowly toward the beauty in the red sweater and jean. She was lean and naturally beautiful, and Cooper could see his patriarch's interest in her, even if he didn't know what that interest was, exactly; Joseph didn't typically send Cooper out onto the town to find meals for him, and he couldn't imagine Joseph would have him make first contact with a woman he planned on turning either.

He noticed the book Anna was reading and -- just as she looked up and met his eyes -- he smiled broadly and said, "To define is to limit." Anna gave him a quizzical expression. Cooper couldn't know whether she was bemused because a stranger was speaking apparent gibberish to her; or because she knew the quote from The Picture of Dorian Grey but didn't know the context in which he was using it; or because she wasn't to the part of the book that included the quote and would, therefore, give her context. And even if she had reached that portion of the book and did know the context, and still didn't understand why Cooper would be saying this to her, it didn't much matter for Cooper had never read the book and simply knew that one single quote and thought it applied because he had no definition for his reason being here, picking up on this lovely human.

He grabbed a chair at the next table and spun it around to face her, sitting down even as he was asking, "Can I join you for a moment? I have an invitation you might be interested in."

Anna loved the language, the beauty of the writing and how it flowed from one sentence to the next. She had read everything by Oscar Wilde, but this was by far her favorite. It was so interesting, the way Dorian was portrayed. He fascinated her in all of his different actions.

"To define is to limit." Recognizing the quote, she turned to the man behind her. She looked at him in confusion, not sure if he was just quoting or was trying to say something. He was attractive, not exactly her type, but the pale smooth skin made her pause for a moment. And she thought she was pale!

"I'm... I'm sorry. Do I know you from somewhere? Or are you just a fan of Wilde too?" She smiled in a friendly way, completely oblivious to his purpose and what he was. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, but I do like that quote. It's one of my favorites."

She smiled up at him, putting in a bookmark before setting the book down. "Can I join you for a moment? I have an invitation you might be interested in."

"Of course. But, are you sure you have the right person? I don't go to a lot of parties, and I'm not quite sure who would invite me," she spoke, her voice bright and cheerful, a bit like she was singing. "Oh, I think I have seen you before though. Do you live in the towers?"

"Of course," Anna responded to Cooper's question, continuing, "But, are you sure you have the right person? I don't go to a lot of parties, and I'm not quite sure who would invite me. Oh, I think I have seen you before though. Do you live in the towers?"

"Yes," he answered with a smile and an offered hand. As she took it, he clarified, "eighteen floor ... two above you. We were in the elevator together a couple of weeks back. That's how I know ... you know, just in case you thought I was a stalker or something."

He laughed, then turned as Sven arrived with the espressos, handing one to Cooper before reaching for the back of a chair, preparing to join them. Cooper slipped his foot out, catching the chair's leg and stopping it in place. "Did you forget...? You have that thing to take care of."

Sven looked confused, asking, "What thing?"

"That thing!" Cooper repeated, sounding like a man desperate to be alone with a woman he was trying to pick up on. He wasn't, of course; at least, not for himself. But either way, the last thing he needed was the style cramping Sven to become a third wheel in the conversation. He pulled a set of keys out of his jacket and handed them out. "Take my car. Just remember to gas it up."

Sven's expression became even more confused as he took the key ring, stared at what were obviously six keys to doors or lockers, not cars, then gave his farewells and headed out and away.

Cooper waited until the man was out the door before he turned, smiled, and asked, "Where were we...? Oh, invitation. My ... employer ... he knows people who know people. Recently, he sat in on one of your company's dress rehearsals or practice or what ever, and he was impressed with your skill ... your passion. He's having a party Saturday night for some big wigs ... do they still use that term...?"

Despite appearing to be mid-20s, Cooper was a flower child from the 60's, and more than once he'd sounded odd to people as he used words from throughout the decades of his now 63 years of life.

"Anyway," he continued, pulling out a business card and sliding it across the table toward Anna. "He sent me to ask if you would be interested in performing a little solo work ... maybe 5 or 10 minutes." He turned the card over, revealing hand written phone numbers. "Top one is the Director of the Fifth Avenue Musicians League. They'll be providing a quartet for your accompaniment. You'll need to call them and tell them the piece of music you want to dance to. Bottom one's the cell number for your company's costume designer. She'll set you up with what ever you want to wear."

Cooper had been talking quickly and non stop since Sven's departure, and it seemed pretty obvious that Anna wanted to say or ask something. But he was afraid she would say no before he finished -- before he got to the good part -- so he continued plowing ahead, "And before you say you can't because of your contract with the company--" He tapped the third number, explaining, "You might recognize that one. That's your troupe's Director ... and he'd already okay'd your performance ... for a bit of green slipped to him under the table. So, we're all clear, and--"

He stood and fished a manilla envelope out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. It wasn't sealed, allowing Anna to see that it was filled with brand new dollar bills ... hundred dollar bills, thick enough to total at least two or three thousand dollars.

"So ... see you Saturday then...?" he asked, shoving his hand out again to her.

"Yes," she took it, smiling and shaking his hand. "eighteen floor ... two above you. We were in the elevator together a couple of weeks back. That's how I know ... you know, just in case you thought I was a stalker or something."

Anna laughed, blushing slightly as she looked at him. She tried to remember his name... Collins, Cooper? Something starting with a c. She turned her head as another man approached, to whom she gave a friendly smile and nod. But she was surprised by Coopers reaction and more so by the look on Sven's face.

Sven looked confused, asking, "What thing?"

"That thing!" Anna sat, feeling a little awkward as he pulled out some keys. She didn't notice that they weren't car keys, but she wasn't looking at them closely. "Take my car. Just remember to gas it up." She smiled at Sven, turning back to Cooper as he left.

"Where were we...? Oh, invitation. My ... employer ... he knows people who know people. Recently, he sat in on one of your company's dress rehearsals or practice or what ever, and he was impressed with your skill ... your passion. He's having a party Saturday night for some big wigs ... do they still use that term...?"

She blushed, smiling to herself, but was surprised that the man had noticed her. She did have several solos, but she wasn't the lead. Her director told her that he was considering her as the lead dancer, but that would be in several years, once the current one retired.

"Anyway," Anna took the card, looking at it, feeling excited as he spoke. "He sent me to ask if you would be interested in performing a little solo work ... maybe 5 or 10 minutes." Her eyes lit up, and she was so excited she could barely speak. Someone was actually asking her to perform outside of the company. "Top one is the Director of the Fifth Avenue Musicians League. They'll be providing a quartet for your accompaniment. You'll need to call them and tell them the piece of music you want to dance to. Bottom one's the cell number for your company's costume designer. She'll set you up with what ever you want to wear."

But... Her contract. Would the director let her do it? She didn't want to risk losing her spot in the company. "And before you say you can't because of your contract with the company-- You might recognize that one. That's your troupe's Director ... and he'd already okay'd your performance ... for a bit of green slipped to him under the table. So, we're all clear, and--"

Her smile grew bigger knowing that she was actually going to be able to do it. Suddenly her job dropped as he put the envelope in front of her. "I... I..." That was a lot of money, hundred dollar bills filling the envelope. Her eyes went to his, schooled by what he was giving her.

"So ... see you Saturday then...?" She nodded, shaking his hand before putting the money in her purse. Anna stayed on the couch once he left, trying to concentrate on her book, but she felt distracted, until finally she gave up and headed home, changing into her pajamas and climbing into bed


Anna stretched at the barre, warming up as they got ready for the dress rehearsal. She was early, but she wanted to talk to the costume designer first. She was making a black dress that showed off her figure well and was easy to move in. She'd also called the musicians, knowing what variations she wanted to do.

The Lilac Fairy, the bluebird, and the dryad, all from the production they were preparing for. For the next six hours (they ran through it several times) she performed flawlessly. She felt ready for Saturday, her heart thumping in her chest as she danced.

That night when she was returning home, she looked up at the eighteenth floor. She was going to do great, and she knew it. She sat in the lobby, relaxing, wearing sweatpants and a tank top with her hair still in a bun. She pulled Dorian Grey out of her purse and continued reading

Joseph reached out to knock on the door, but before he put knuckles to oak, a man's voice called out, "Enter!"

Joseph hesitated, then looked to Nick, the big man without whom the patriarch had been almost no where since Alger's funeral. Nick stepped in front of his maker and entered the room first; if Alger's blood brother was going to lash out at anyone, it certainly wasn't going to be at Joseph.

Inside, they found Alonzo standing at the tall windows, staring out upon the city. Without turning, he informed the new head of the family, "I prefer death, Joseph ... to watching you lead the family to its doom."

Joseph watched the man for a long moment, then -- resigned to the fact that some things simply had to happen -- looked to Nick a second time and nodded lightly. A moment later, strong hands snapped Alonzo's neck, killing the old vampire instantly. Nick caught the man, cradling him in his powerful arms much as Joseph had done with Valerie two days before; and, just as with Valerie -- and with the female vampire who had objected to Joseph's plans in the Assembly room three days before -- the body was carried to the 40th floor, prepared respectfully, prayed over as only vampires could, then slid slowly into the incinerator.

"It's done," Joseph murmured as he watched the door to the burner close. The purge was completed; in three days, Joseph had retired nine vampires. In addition, six more had taken their lives, in a variety of ways. He looked to Nick and smiled with a nervously twitching lip. "The new era begins..."

Peter Black always looked as if he were about to faint and drop to the floor like a discarded rag doll. He'd been the chief accountant for Hunter Industries, Hunter Capital, Hunter Investments, and another dozen family corporations for nearly thirty years, and yet he still entered and left the tower with an expression of imminent doom on his face, certain that today would be the day one of Alger's people bled him dry.

"Sit," Joseph said, gesturing toward the end of the long table in the otherwise empty Assembly Room. He asked, "So, how are you doing with our money?"

Peter's face, already filled with confusion, became even more so. "Should we wait for Alger?"

"Alger is dead," Joseph said bluntly. "You now answer directly to me."

"Dead...?" the bookkeeper murmured softly. "How...? How did he...? I thought..."

"That we were immortal?" Joseph finished the question. "No. We're not immortal. We just live for a very, very long time. So, back to my question ... how's our money?"

Peter's mind was obviously on his former employer's demise, but at Joseph's third prodding, he asked, "Shouldn't we wait for the Finance Board? Alger and the Board--"

"Alger is dead," Joseph reminded, his patience beginning to fade. "And the Board has been disbanded."

"Disbanded...?" As soon as he spoke the word, Peter's stomach turned over. He knew -- or at least suspected -- that disbanded meant dead, as in killed. Peter didn't know half as much as he should have known to be able to properly invest and safeguard Hunter Family's money, but what he did know had always reminded him of the workings of a crime syndicate. Which, ironically, meant he was probably better off not knowing anything more about them.

What he did know was that he likely wouldn't be seeing any of the Board's members soon, if ever. He opened a portfolio before him and began his summary. Twenty minutes later, after a well prepared, professional presentation, Peter closed the portfolio and looked to Joseph. "In short, the Great Recession, as it's being called, cost the family a quarter of it's net worth."

"What do you need from me to get us back on track?" Joseph asked. Peter began spouting business and investment gibberish that even Joseph -- with sixty years experience helping run the Hunter Family businesses -- couldn't follow. He cut the man off and asked again, "What do you need from me?"

"I need someone to deal with these people," Peter said, pulling a sheet of paper from the portfolio and sliding it across the table toward Joseph. The patriarch lifted it and found four names highlighted. Peter explained, "They are the business or government people who are currently holding up major projects affecting the Hunter Family. We either need them on our side ... or..."

Peter knew what Joseph and his kind could do with a contrary person. He didn't have to speak the word eliminated. Just as with the Board members, who he assumed Joseph had viewed as an obstacle, these people would be dealt with in an appropriate manner, too.

"Give me specifics," Joseph said, sliding the paper back, "and it will be done."



"She's in the lobby," Nick reported, waiting for the patriarch to emerge from his bedroom suite's bathroom before adding, "Just arrived. Sitting there reading a book."

"Thank you, Nick," Joseph responded, adjusting his cuff links and allowing his right hand man to help him into his jacket. After he checked himself in the mirror, he ordered, "Please find Isabelle and give her my instructions for Saturday night. We will need a minimum of eight females and four males ... and tell her I will need an expendable of each gender, too."

"Yes, sir," Nick said without even questioning the need for expendables. Alger had forbidden the killing of donors except in the most urgent cases. It had still happened from time to time, but those vampires who'd taken a life kept their deeds to themselves. With Joseph in charge, though, vampires whose physiological needs demanded taking an occasional life would find doing so more tolerated by their new Patriarch. Nick waited until Joseph headed out of the bed chamber before saying, "I will go to her now."

The men separated, with Nick heading toward the suite that belonged to the Hunter Family's night club owner and Joseph heading to the Security Room to take a gander at the lobby in the surveillance monitors. The Duty Guard sitting at the Console brought up the image from the camera looking directly at Anna. After a moment, the youngish vampire said, "Even in sweats, she's beautiful, sir."

"Yes, she is, isn't she?" Joseph said after a moment, turning and heading for the elevator and, hopefully, a meeting with the woman who'd be the next Queen of the Hunter Family.



He stuck his hand out when the brunette, announcing, "Hello, I am Joseph Hunter. And I believe I'm having you at my place tomorrow evening."

The way in which he phrased his words could have been taken in a number of ways, some of them inappropriately suggestive. Joseph would love to have simply taken the woman straight to his bed and made love to her, then fed from her. But he had a much larger role he wished her to fill than simply lover and donor.

On several occasions when she'd been in the building, he'd been close enough to her to sense her feelings, almost to the point of reading her thoughts. She wouldn't recall any of those occasions, of course; he'd used his advanced mental abilities to block her knowledge that he'd even been there, just feet away from her and, on two occasions, in the same elevator with her. No, looking up at him now would give her a sense of deja vu but no more.

On those occasions, he'd sensed something in her that was very alluring to him. She was undoubtedly a very talented woman, but he could feel that her ambitions simply weren't being fulfilled. The world was a very competitive place, even for the very talented. Even the best in their fields often say their dreams slip by unfulfilled.

It was people like Anna who, Joseph knew, were the best candidates for being turned. Being a vampire enhanced a person's abilities, giving them an edge in pulling ahead of the pack. Joseph would give Anna what she needed to succeed ... if she gave him something in return.

(OOC -- I didn't describe what he looks like. You may if you wish.)

Anna looked up seeing the hand in front of her. Shaking it as she smiled up at him. He was... very attractive. She blushed, unsure how she looked wearing sweats and no makeup. He was about a foot and a half taller than her, pale, and looked very strong. "Hello, I am Joseph Hunter. And I believe I'm having you at my place tomorrow evening."

Anna didn't notice the other things that could be implied that could be implied with that statement. She was young and a little naive, but sweet and friendly. "So, you came to the dress rehearsal. I... I'm really surprised you noticed me. I only had one solo, and the rest was chorus. It really wasn't my best..." She blushed again, wondering if she was rambling.

"I'm sorry. Its very nice to meet you. You look familiar. I guess because we live in the same building, but you just seem very familiar." She paused, smiling up at him. "I'm really excited for tommorow. This really means a lot to me, and I really appreciate it."

"Please, Anna, walk with me a moment," Joseph said. Still holding her hand, he urged her to her feet and turned her politely toward the building's entrance, tucking her arm into the crook of his arm as he started slowly toward the door. Joseph had come from a world and time of chivalry, which was the source of his courtesy; but it had also been a time when a woman did what a man asked of her, without question, so it hadn't even occurred to Joseph that Anna might not want to be led about in this way by a man who was, essentially, no more than a stranger living in her building. "I have an appointment downtown to which I really must reach soon, but I wanted to ensure that you were getting all you needed ... music, musicians, clothes, and such."

He waited for her response, then -- just as they reached the door of the commercial-residential building -- he turned to face her directly, adding, "Tomorrow is an important night for me, Anna. I hope you don't mind me addressing you by your given name...?"

Again he waited for her answer, then continued, "My family recently suffered the loss of our patriarch ... my father, in a sense. I am stepping into his shoes ... taking the reins ... leading the charge ... what ever they are calling it these days. Tomorrow night is, in a sense, my ... well, if I were a king, you would call it a coronation." He smiled and chuckled, trying to make light of his last comment. He was essentially a king; king of the vampires. Saturday night was his coronation. But, Joseph couldn't very well explain that to Anna, so for now he just wanted her to understand that it was a party.

"You are welcome to come early, to partake of the festivities," he continued, releasing his grip on her hand and allowing the Door Man to help him into his long coat as he continued. "But you are not required ... requested, I should say ... until 9pm."

He took Anna's hand again, this time lifting it higher, leaning forward, and kissing the back of it lightly, his eyes firmly set upon hers to gauge her reaction. He released it again, smiled once more, made his farewell, then turned and strode purposefully out the door toward the awaiting town car.

"Please, Anna, walk with me a moment." She stood, letting him take her arm in his, blushing a little. She was surprised by the way he was treating her, locking arms with her like he knew her very well. But she didn't argue or pull away. She kind of liked the feeling of him touching her like that. "I have an appointment downtown to which I really must reach soon, but I wanted to ensure that you were getting all you needed ... music, musicians, clothes, and such."

"I have everything. Thank you though." She thought about the large sum of money she had received, but thought it might be rude to bring it up. It was extremely generous for one short performance in front of a small audience. She stopped with him, smiling with her eyes and mouth.

"Tomorrow is an important night for me, Anna. I hope you don't mind me addressing you by your given name...?"

"It's perfectly all right."

"My family recently suffered the loss of our patriarch ... my father, in a sense. I am stepping into his shoes ... taking the reins ... leading the charge ... what ever they are calling it these days. Tomorrow night is, in a sense, my ... well, if I were a king, you would call it a coronation."

She gave him a small smile, touching his arm gently, genuine concern in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I hope he was happy when he passed away. Her head cocked to the side, showing off her long slender throat to him.

"You are welcome to come early, to partake of the festivities." She stepped back, giving him room as he put on his coat. "But you are not required ... requested, I should say ... until 9pm."

Her heart stopped as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Anna blushed as he kissed it looking down into her eyes, which stared into his. "Thank you," she said smiling as he left.

************

Anna knocked on the door at 8:30, wearing a white knee-length dress. Her dance clothes and shoes were in her purse and her long hair in a low ponytail. She looked around as she was let inside. A small stage with the musicians was set up, and people were talking in small groups. She took a deep breath, drinking some water at the refreshments table, relaxing before she changed and warmed up.

The thirteenth floor was quiet, so quiet it seemed deserted. Hallways Covered in rich soft red carpet seemed unused and devoid of any life. Rooms were vacant of any occupant, furnishing untouched and developing blankets of fine dust. However one large room at the far end of a dark hall held the whispersof life. The curtains were flung open letting a dim trickle of light through the leaded windows. Solancee sat curled up in the window seat her cheek pressed to the cool glass. Her gaze was on nothing in parti,ular and she hummed quietly to herself. A bare leg swung lazily back and forth.

”Alger...Mama... They are gone, so many of them. How...unfortunate.” her voice was loud in the silence. She had a soft voice, gentle and full of childlike innocence and with a distinct Romanian accent. She had learned her own voice well as it wasone of the few she had heard since her birth. Her mother was one of Algers sisters. She remembered her very little. She had seen very few faces in her years. Perhaps it was her own fault. Perhaps it was not. Being locked up all alone had a way of altering ones perceptions.

Solancee had lived alone here for awhile. It was a punishment for not behaving as one of Alger's kin should. But why should she behave in a way that was not suited to her nature. She was a vampire after all. And who coukd blame her really. Ones food should never be inclined to struggle so much. That was all humans were after all. Food, the fodder that fed the power and need of the superior creature. But Alger didnt see it that way. He never did. On his order she was confined to this place,forbidden to leave by the loyalty of blood. But Alger was dead, her mother as well. Nothing bound her here now.

Solancee smiled as she stood, long raven black hair cascading to hsr hips and around her slender naked form. She gazed at herself in the mirror for a moment, contemplating. Even at 190 Solancee looked appeared to be barely 20. She had a slender body, lean with long modelesque legs and ample curves. Her skin was smoith and tan and her eyes were big and violet and rimmed with thick lashes. ”Well I can not see my family like thus...” she murmured softly.

Fifteen minutes later Solancee stepped out into the main corridor. Everything seemed so different. She could hear the sounds of people. She turned looking at herself in the hall mirror. In the brightly lit hallway her hair shimmered as it lay against her skin. She had chosen a black dress a confection of lace and silk that clung toher body. The neckline was cut low to show an ample amount of clevage and a split ran from her right hip down showing off a toned leg.

Smiling to herself Solancee turned and headed down the hallway. She pressed the button and waited for the elevator doors to open. There was a party going on and even she knew what that meant. Tinight the new head if the family would officially take control. Reaching out she pressed the smooth button and it lit up. Floor 55. The others would be there, in that dark room she had only seen once before. Her family was there. The elevator rose slowly and she began humming to herself, a soft funeral dirge. The elevator stopped and the does slid slowly open. Still humming she glided down the hallways, following the scent of blood, old blood.

At the end of the twisting corridor Solancee stood in front of the large wooden door. She giggled lightly and tossed it open. Wordlessly she glided into the room her violet eyes sparkling with amusement. She gave a polite curtsy, her hair soiling over her shoulder to briefly brush the floor. She straightened slowly and smiled looking around the large round table. ”Hello...my family.” she said.

Alger had once joked that the room reminded him of King Arthur's legendary round table ... but without the table. The 55th floor of the Hunter Industries Tower was the most unique, a round room sitting atop an otherwise square building. The interior of the room was thirty feet across and half that high, with floor to ceiling, tinted, shatter proof windows that looked out upon the entirety of the city around them. Tall backed, leather and dark stained oak chairs, each just like the last, sat in a circle; there had been seventy of them the last time the Hunters had assembled here, but today, of course, there were only fifty five.

Despite being Patriarch of the family, Joseph's chair was no different than those of the others with the exception that it was lined in a soft, deep red velvet. He sat in it in silence, tracing a finger across the fabric, enjoying the feel as, one by one, the vampires -- standing beside their chair -- stepped into the middle of the room, proclaimed their loyalty to Joseph, then returned to their seat and dropped into it ... ready to be part of the New Era.

Just as the last of the vampires swore her loyalty, the doors to the Round Room burst open, drawing the attention of all. Solancee entered as boldly, Joseph thought, as she had strode off so many years before to begin her recently ended exile.

The female in the middle of the room moved to her seat as Solancee stepped into the room, greeting the others with, "Hello, my family."

There were no return greetings; the only reaction was that of most of the faces turning to look at the Patriarch ... for his reaction to the return of Alger's blood niece to the fold.

Sheep, Joseph thought to himself of the others. In what direction the lead sheep goes, the others will follow.

He didn't blame his family members for not knowing how to react to Solacee's return. She had let her emotions and youthful excitement get the better of her, so long, long ago. She'd killed a donor -- maybe more than one, Joseph had never been told -- at a time when Alger had forbidden such acts. For this, she'd been locked away on the otherwise deserted 13th floor and restricted from seeing or speaking to anyone other than Alger and her mother. Actually, Joseph didn't even know if she'd been allowed to speak to them. Such punishments were not spoken of by family members, and even the act of gossiping about such things could send a vampire, no matter their importance, straight to the incinerator.

Put simply, disobeying the Patriarch was an invitation to death!

The only thing Joseph knew for certain about Solacee's last years was that, instead of feeding directly from a human, a bottle of blood from the Dedicated -- a group of permanent donors who lived in the Tower -- was delivered to her. The thought of it made Joseph's skin crawl; living off what amounted to left overs was no way for a vampire to survive, and now -- looking at the beautiful woman entering the Round Room -- Joseph couldn't help but marvel at how well she had survived her isolation from the rest of the family.

He stood and strode forward until he was standing directly before the youthful woman of nearly two centuries, staring into her mesmerizing eyes for a moment. Then -- causing a soft murmur to float about the room -- he stepped close to her, took her shoulders in his hands, and pulled he to him in a loving embrace. Speaking in a volume sufficient to ensure each of the vampires heard him -- and understood the significance of the moment -- Joseph said, "Welcome back, Solancee. You have been missed."

Joseph kissed the vampire on the cheek, then -- in a whisper that only she could hear -- he said in a suggestive tone, "I have a welcome back gift for you, my dear. And ... you can do with him as you wish after the party ... no questions asked."

He pulled his face back to gauge her reaction, stepped back a pace, then turned and returned to his chair. With an expectant expression, he waited for her to pledge her loyalty to him, as the other had done earlier.

Her family didn't love her anymore. But why would they. She was nothing but a monster to them. A beast, who deserved to be caged and deprived. All of her family, most younger than herself sat quietly, they did not even speak to her. All they did was look around lost and bewildered. Sheep, sheep to be devoured by a hungry wolf. Is that what they had become? They who dared call themselves vampires. They were pathetic. Nothing more than rotting puppets, pawns.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was suddenly pulled into a hug. She stiffened, she had not felt contact from another being in ages. His voice when he spoke vibrated through her body and she could not help but smile. He must be the new one. The new Master. How interesting he was. To embrace her, the disgrace of her parents, openly in front of the rest of them. It was bold.

"I have a welcome back gift for you, my dear. And ... you can do with him as you wish after the party ... no questions asked." The quite whisper made her smile grow wider. She bowed her head as he stepped back and returned to his seat. Newly returned from exile and already she was being given a gift. One with which she could do as she pleased. One she could kill. The thought sent a tremor of delight up her body.

Lifting her head she strode into the middle of the room. She stopped, casting her gaze over the gathered family members. Vampire's one and all, but so pathetic, so unambitious. But he, he was one worth serving. A true vampire. Slowly she strode forward stopping directly in front of his seat. "You are interesting, different from the rest of these useless puppets, worthy to be called Master. So I will serve you ." she said with smile as she bowed.

Straightening she turned for the door humming her funeral dirge again. And as quietly as she had come, she exited the room again.

The party was in full swing, with the quartet playing soft music from the corner as Vampires, Donors, and Guests alike talked, laughed, told stories, and mingled, not unlike any number of cocktail parties taking place anywhere in the city that night.

While many of the party goers spent a majority of their time in one little clique or another -- discussing culture, finances, entertainment, sex, relationships -- Joseph moved through the crowd constantly, stopping to shake a hand or kiss a cheek, trade a few words, excuse himself, then repeat it all with the next pocket of faces.

"Will you excuse us, please?" a beautiful redheaded woman asked of the group currently gathered about Joseph, taking his arm and turning him away. Naomi -- one of Joseph's only two still-living blood children -- led him to the stage where the quartet's leader brought the music to a structured end. Naomi stood on her toes, kissed Joseph on the cheek, and urged him to the stage, whispering, "Knock'em dead."

Joseph leaned down and returned the kiss to Naomi's cheek, whispering, "That might come later, my dear."

He mounted as his daughter giggled behind him. Almost instantly, the half of the crowd that was vampire went quiet and turned to face the stage, a unified act that took place without Joseph or anyone else making a sound. The human half of the partiers realized something important was happening, and soon all eyes were on Joseph as he stepped to the front of the stage and asked, "Are we having a good time?"

The reactions were varied, from gently nodding heads to light applause to whoops and hollers of excitement. Joseph politely gestured them to silence and he continued. "I want to thank all of you for coming tonight. I could spend an hour up here talking about the future ... the past ... those strange Hors d'oeuvres with the little green cheesy things..."

A ripple of laughter rolled through crowd, and Joseph joined in for a quick chuckle before continuing, "But, instead of that, I want to ask each of you to back a bit..." He made a clear the space gesture, and as the crowd began carefully moving back toward the walls, he continued, "...because we have something special for you this evening."

The vampires in the room moved back, leaving the chairs for the guests to take up. Once a good portion of the open floor was again clear, Joseph looked to an open door -- the the beauty in a beautiful black gown -- and smiled. He looked back to the crowd and said, "Please, welcome one of the city's ... one of the state's rising stars..."

Joseph hesitated, suddenly realizing that he didn't know Anna's surname. It was very unusual for him to not know everything about a person -- male or female -- with whom he had or wished to have a relationship, whether business or personal. The Hunter Family hadn't lasted as long as it had or built the fortune it controlled by not knowing every thing about every one with whom they dealt.

Not wanting to admit his error, he simply gestured toward the open door and said, "Anna."

As he dismounted the stage, the quartet came to life behind him...

Anna heard a voice behind her and turned to see a tall pale red headed woman behind her. "Excuse me miss, but are you Anna?" She smiled and nodded, blushing as she realized even wearing heels, most of the guests were taller than her. She hated being so short.

"I'm supposed to show you backstage."

"Oh! Thank you," she said following her through the crowd, occasionally glancing around for Joseph. She spotted a few people she recognized, celebrities, the mayor, and a lawyer she'd seen on the news who had recently dealt with a large criminal organization.

She thanked the girl again before the door closed and she was left alone. She would need to warm up quickly. She immediately changed, putting on nude tights, black pointe shoes, and a black leotard and tutu, beautifully decorated with rhinestones and embroidery.

Anna had butterflies in her stomach as she warmed up. She'd had solos before, but she was going to be the only dancer performing at the party. She would need to do perfect. As Joseph went onstage, she fixed her hair into a high bun, all out of her face.

As the music began, she came onstage and prepared. The first dance was the lilac fairy variation from Sleeping Beauty, which showed off her flexibility and figure, her body looking long as she did her arabesques. The turns were perfect, with triple pirouettes that she landed gracefully.

It looked effortless, a smile on her face as she performed for the audience and herself. Then she moved on to a more difficult dance, the bluebird variation from the same ballet. It was much faster and required her to lift her leg high in the air. She looked like a little bird, hopping on pointe skillfully and never missing a beat.

She danced for ten minutes, and the audience watched mesmerized, unable to tear their eyes from her dance. They stood as she curtseyed for them, grinning as they cheered. Her eyes went to Joseph, who was the only one who showed no reaction. He looked right at her and turned away, leaving.

She changed back into her dress and returned to the party, thanking everyone who complimented her, as she searched the crowd for Joseph. Slowly, she made her way to the doorway where she had seen him. "Joseph?"

Joseph had been the village hunter before he was turned by Alger; he had mastered the art of moving without appearing to move, to sneak up so close to a deer or elk that he could almost stick an arrow in them rather than draw the bolt back in a bow and send it through the air.

And tonight, as he watched Anna perform, he practiced that same motionless movement, making his way ever so slowly along the backside of the crowd, his eyes only leaving her for a moment when a party guess would whisper She's fantastic or Such grace or Where ever did you find her?

By the time she finished and the entirety of the crowd stood to cheer her performance, Joseph had made his way from one side of the hall to the other, standing before the door through which she had entered ten minutes earlier.

And just as the guests were overjoyed with Anna's talent at dance, Joseph was overwhelmed by her beauty ... her erotic beauty. She was the embodiment of perfect when it came to female beauty, and the skill and grace of her dance only added to his desire to make her his lover ... and more.

Joseph felt eyes upon him and glanced to the center of the crowd. Naomi was clapping casually for Anna but her eyes -- and her knowing smile -- were for Joseph. It was Naomi, his loving daughter, who had first scouted Anna as her maker's mistress ... and donor. She couldn't have known that after seeing Anna at just that one rehearsal that Joseph would so quickly decide that this raven haired beauty would become his Queen. But now, after seeing her beauty, her grace, her spirit, Naomi knew that this woman was the woman to be at the side of the Patriarch for all time.

Suddenly, Joseph felt another set of eyes on him. He glanced right and found Anna looking directly at him. Her expression was that of ... confusion...? disappointment...? Joseph wasn't clapping; he wasn't cheering. His expression was ... blank, as he stared at the woman whose blood he wanted so badly to be filling his mouth with warmth, even as the heat of their love making rose, too.

Without any acknowledgement of her performance, he turned and headed away to the private elevator. The vampire there swiped a key card and the door opened. As Joseph entered and pressed 44, he said, "Have Naomi bring Anna brought to my quarters."

"Yes, sir," the guard responded, immediately turning toward the room still filled with clapping and affirmative calls.




"Joseph...?"

Naomi stepped out from the shadows to answer Anna, "No. He's not here. But ... he is eager to have a word with you."

Naomi opened a double set of doors, beyond which was a main passageway and a bank of elevators. She gestured Anna to the left most elevator -- where a man in a professional suit and a slight bulge in his jacket under his right arm pit stood -- and said, "Just press 44. He'll be waiting for you. And ... you were wonderful tonight."



He pushed through the crowd, stepping up close to Solancee, and as soon as she turned his way, he stuck out his hand and said, "Hello. I'm Hank. Henry Toland. I..." He ogled the young, old vampire for a moment, then locked his gaze on her eyes again and said with a surprised smile, "Wow! I mean ... wow. They said you were pretty, but ... well ... wow."

Hank realized that his dick was coming to life as he considered the evening before him. A couple of days earlier, he'd met a big man named Nick -- who come to find out was the Host's right hand man or something like that -- and had been invited to a party where, in Nick's exact words, he would meet "a young woman who had practically been living the life of a nun and really, really needed to get laid". Nick had thought it a joke, but this Nick guy had promised that Solancee was a sure thing. "Trust me, my friend. I wouldn't lie about something like this."

And now, here he was, standing before this unbelievable woman, eager to get to know her ... eager to get alone with her ... and eager to get very naked with her as well.

Solancee smiled softly as she glided through the crowds. What a lovely party, the sights the sounds, all unseen and unheard for such a long time. Things had changed since she had been gone. Vampires and humans mingled, everywhere her eyes landed. It seemed so strange. Fragile creatures so easily broken mingled unaware with creatures capable of snapping them like twigs. She giggled lightly as she swept her way out of the main crowd.

”Hello. I'm Hank. Henry Toland. I... Wow! I mean ...wow. They said you were pretty, but ... well ... wow."

Solancee froze as the male stepped in front of her, his hand outstretched. She blinked a few times brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. How bold this human was to approach her so casually. She giggled and extended her hand to him. Tilting her head she gave him a small smile. ”Hi, I'm Solancee. You're kind of cute, walk with me.” she said linking her arm with his. The smell of blood and desire was strong. All the more fun for her when she was bleeding him dry.

But he was cute, in a way. He was a little bit taller than her 5'7” at least, and had shaggy blonde hair that fell into his eyes. Solancee tilted her head as she glanced up at him. His eyes, they were so very interesting. They were bright blue with rings of darker blue. Witches eyes they were called, at least in her time. ”Come on then.” she said as she led him to the elevator. The doors slid open slowly. Stepping inside she pressed the button for the thirteenth floor.

Anna turned as she heard a woman's voice behind her. "No. He's not here. But ... he is eager to have a word with you."

Her eyes widened a little, surprised. What did he want to talk about? She thought about his reaction to her performance, wondering if he hadn't enjoyed it. She knew she had done very well, but seeing him with the blank face still made her worry. She gave a small smile, nodding and following the woman through the doors.

Anna looked up at Naomi as they stopped at the elevators. He wanted to talk to her... Alone. Her heart was pounding against her chest, her blood racing. "Just press 44. He'll be waiting for you. And ... you were wonderful tonight."

Anna smilies gratefully. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." As Naomi walked away, she stepped into the elevator with the man and pressed the button. It felt too long as she waited for the doors to open again. She stepped out, looking back as they closed behind her.

She made her way down the hall, opening the door that was slightly ajar. "Hello?" This must be his apartment. The room was dark, lit only by a few candles, the curtains shut. "Joseph?" She stepped inside, feeling a little nervous as she walked to a couch and sat down, waiting for him

(OOC -- I am going to separate my posts for the two men. And sorry it took me so long to write.)

"Hi, I'm Solancee," the woman said, immediately adding, "You're kind of cute, walk with me."

Hank's mouth widened in a proud smile. A sure thing, AND she thinks you're cute. You fuckin' luck duck. As she linked her arm in his and turned him away from the crowd, Hank could feel the excitement building in his groin. Henry Toland was a bit of a player, relative to other men; rarely did a week go by that he didn't get laid, and usually by a new woman. Oh, sure, they weren't always the best woman in the bar or club or even the grocery store, but hey, when the lights are out and you're pounding away at them, what's the diff', right...?

But this woman...! Like he'd said to her, wow. He wanted to find this Nick fellow and give him a big hug!

"Come on then," she said, moving him toward the elevator.

As she selected the thirteenth floor, Hank laughed and pointed at the lit up button and said, "I hope this isn't a bad omen."

At this point, with his dick almost totally swollen in anticipation, Solancee could have been walking him to the gallows and he wouldn't have cared. She was simply incredible, the kind you secretly snap a cell phone pic of when she's naked to prove your story to your buddies at the gym.

The elevator doors opened and they headed for the far end of the hall. Hank's excitement tempered a bit when he realized there was no noise of any kind on the floor. Of course, it was a Saturday night and they were in a commercial building; all the workers would be home, right? But ... wasn't this floor residential...? He should be able to hear a television or a yapping little dog reacting to their echoing foot steps, right?

At the end of the hall, she led Hank into her room ... and he simply froze in place, his eyes scanning the unique decor. Under his breath, he simply muttered in surprise, "Wow..."

"Hello?"

As with their encounters in the elevator -- which Anna hadn't made mention of earlier -- Joseph was right there in the room with her, only ten feet away; while the room was dark, only barely illuminated by the multitude of candles one of his Dedicated Donors had prepared during the party.

He stood there in silence, simply studying her for a long moment. Anna was everything he'd ever wanted in a Queen ... without really knowing that he'd wanted it. Selecting a Queen of the vampires meant, of course, being a King of the vampires, and Joseph had only been that for a couple of weeks. Through his life, he'd had many one time donors and many Dedicated; he'd even killed many, in contrast to Alger's instructions, but only when he'd needed to, for that extra oomph of energy.

That had all been about survival, of course. Turning humans to vampires was continuity, not unlike humans having children to continue their bloodline; but selecting a Queen was about power. Even a King couldn't be everything to everyone all the time; just as humans so often needed a partner in life, vampires -- particularly a patriarch -- needed the same.

Of course, there was only one little problem standing in Joseph's way of making Anna his queen: Anna. He couldn't simply walk up to her and ask, I'm a vampire king. Do you want to be my queen? He had to charm her, woo her, offer her something she couldn't pass up, and then...

Oh, it was going to be a long, hard path, because among human-kind, Joseph wasn't exactly known as the charismatic type. The humans he dealt with -- accountants, mobsters, crooked politicians, even assassins -- all worked with him because he paid them a lot of money ... or scared the crap out of them.

You can do this, he told himself, stepping silently back into the shadows, relaxing his mental suppression of her awareness of the room, then stepping toward her; his foot steps, echoing off the granite walls, alerted her to what would seem like his finally showing up, and as she turned to face him, he emerged from the shadows, with a wide smile on his face.

"Anna," he said, reaching a hand out to her as she stood. Make this good! He took her hand and, again, kissed it on the back, as he'd been doing since the days her great-great-great grandmother had been alive. "You were unbelievable tonight. Thank you. Thank you so very much. I just got off the phone with my people and they say the guests are still raving over you."

He tucked her hand into the crotch of his arm and turned her toward a distant table, upon which a late dinner and bottle of expensive champagne were waiting.

"They are asking about you," he continued, "Your troop ... where they can see you next and more. I told them of your current employment as a back up dancer--"

Joseph wasn't even sure how to refer to her present position: chorus line...? reserve...? Despite his decades and centuries of tasting so many different cultures, dance had not been one of those entertainments that had occupied a great deal of his time. But ... he was going to correct that.

"Many said 'Oh, she must be the lead'," he continued, gesturing her toward her chair as he turned toward his, continuing, "And I heartily agree ... so ... I just got off the phone with your troop's Managing Director..."

He turned to face her as he finished, not wanting to miss her reaction -- for good or bad -- and finished, "...from whom I bought the production. You, Anna ... are going to be a star."

Her room, her floor, all of it her own private playground. She giggled to herself as Henry glanced around her room. In the years she had lived in it the decor had changed so many times. Now it was perfect, her own little fun house. A massive four poster canopy bed dominated the room, the deep red silk curtains shredded in rage. The bed itself however was perfectly neat, the black silk sheets perfectly tucked and the pillows neatly arranged. The right corner of her room was wear her wardrobe stood. The doors were flung open displaying a wide array of dresses in all sorts of colors and style. To the left of the wardrobe a mirror consisting of three separate panels reflected the bit of moonlight seeping in through the windows. The left mirror was shattered and pieces of broken glass lay on the carpet. The rest of her room was a collective amount of her ”projects”. Half finished statues of animals and broken doll pieces took up a corner of her large oak desk and sketches and loose papers took up the rest. An easel stood to one side facing the corner. In the corner a black coffin sat upright, its door open. Inside a silver cross adorned with flowers gleamed.

Solancee smiled softly and spun into the room, releasing the males arm. ”I apologize if its a bit of a mess in here. I don't get the chance to entertain visitors often.” she said with a sigh. She turned her back on him and walked over to her wardrobe. She kicked her heels off first, her feet sinking into the thick blood red carpet. Reaching back she unhooked her dress and let it fall on the floor in a shimmering pool of black. She hummed softly to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Whirling suddenly she crossed the room in a flash. ”Do you think I'm pretty?” Solancee asked looking up at him. Her violet eyes seemed to glow slightly in the diluted moonlight. It cast a soft glow on her bare skin and dark hair. Before he could even answer she grabbed his hand leading him to her bed. She giggled, placing to of her fingers on his chest. She smiled letting absently tracing her fingertips over his collarbone and down the side of his neck.

Suddenkh she shoved him, knocking him onto her bed. Pouncing she landed on top of him pinning his hands above his head. She stared at him for a moment tilting her head to the side. With her free hand she yanked the front of his shirt. Buttons flew everywhere hitting the floor with soft thuds. Solancee Drew in a breath admiring his bare torso in the light. He was toned, though slender and she couldnt resist running her fingers over the smooth flesh of his chest and abdomen. ”What a lovely human.” she murmured.

Hearing footsteps, Anna looked up, a smile spreading over her face as he approached. In the warm candlelight, he looked beautiful. She wasn't sure she'd been so attracted to anyone before. No, she definitely hadn't. She took a deep breath as she stood, placing her hand in his.

"Anna," she blushed, loving the old-fashioned way he had. No one kissed her hand as a greeting, and that made it even more special to her. She had always wanted someone who would do that, someone like the characters in old books she loved, back when chivalry and gentlemen were much more commonz "You were unbelievable tonight. Thank you. Thank you so very much. I just got off the phone with my people and they say the guests are still raving over you."

Anna couldnt stop smiling, clearly happy with what he had told her. She walked with him to the table with food and champagne. She sat with him, placing the napkin in her lap. "Wow, this is really nice."

"They are asking about you," he continued, "Your troop ... where they can see you next and more. I told them of your current employment as a back up dancer--"

Back-up dancer... Great. She might not be the principal dancer, but she wasn't just another girl in the chorus. She'd had dozens of solos. They weren't big parts, but she was more than a back-up dancer.

"Many said 'Oh, she must be the lead'," he continued, gesturing her toward her chair as he turned toward his, continuing, "And I heartily agree ... so ... I just got off the phone with your troop's Managing Director..."

She looked at him in surprise, feeling relieved that he didn't see her as a "back-up dancer". She blushed, looking up at him, not expecting what he was about to tell her. She thought he called the director to say how well she did.

"...from whom I bought the production. You, Anna ... are going to be a star."

Anna put her hand over her mouth, speechless. Was she dreaming? Was this really happening to her? She touched his hand, unable to contain her happiness. Oh my god. I... I don't know what to say. Thank you so much. I've dreamed about this since I was a child. Thank you Joseph." She smiled up at him, feeling happier than she had ever felt before

The room was a temple of contradiction. The massive bed was neatly made, yet the curtains hanging from the canopy had been shredded as if by an angry child. A three panel full length mirror contained only two mirrors; at first Hank thought it was the darkness of the room playing tricks on him, until he took a step forward and caught glimmers of moonshine reflecting off glass shards littering the carpet.

All about were beauty and destruction as one, and Hank began to wonder whether this Nick had gotten him into something in which he didn't want a part. He was about to politely bid Solancee farewell and make a swift exit when the smallish woman, back to him, suddenly stepped out of her high heels and dropped her dress to pool about her feet on the floor.

Wow... came to him again. She ... was ... simply ... perfect. The smooth skinned cheeks of her incredibly tight ass were fully displayed, straddling the thin thong reaching up between them. He was eye balling the garter belt and dark stockings when she turned to face him. His eyes rose to ... just more perfection. Ample breasts, smooth belly ... and an expression that seemed to say This is all for you, Hank.

She crossed the room quickly, asking ”Do you think I'm pretty?”

Do I think you're pretty...? Do I THINK you're PRETTY? he thought, his eyes dropping to ogle her form. No... I think you're the most erotic thing I've seen in a long, LONG time!

Before Hank could respond, she grabbed his hand and lead him to her bed. She shoved him, and he flew back onto the mattress, bounding once as he laughed nervously. This woman wasn't just a horny, sure things like Nick had promised; she was a sexual freak ... and Hank was going to make the absolute best of this all night long!

She reached out, grasped his shirt, and ripped it open; the button tinkled across the hard wood floor that surrounded the big bed. She pounced, pinning him to the bed; Hank tried to be inconspicuous as he adjusted his position below her, pressing his now-fully arouse pick into the "V" at the meeting of her thighs.

She seemed to be studying him, and all Hank could think was I don't care what you do or where you start ... so long as you start! He was so fucking horny for this beauty, and all he could think of was getting deep inside her and hearing her scream in ecstasy.

She smiled down to him as her eyes wandered over him -- particularly around his neck -- as she murmured, ”What a lovely human.”

"The feeling is mutual, Solancee," he said, reaching up to take her upper arms in his hand, to pull her down to him ... eager to kiss her ... touch her ... fuck her ...