Vampire King’s Little Killer

Playground: a place where a particular group of people chooses to enjoy themselves.

Tessa

“Yeah, I have a parents’ issue for sure. My dad was never a role model, I was never close. I was practically raised by my grandparents.”

Nero and I were talking in his apartment. He decided to stay and accompany me while waiting for Vesper. We talked about my half-brother yesterday, though somehow I had a feeling that something was off like he knew something that I don’t. I did not expect that from him. I have no idea why he would keep things from me. Maybe I should just ask, but I have trust issues.

“Come on, little killer, Vesper is here.” Nero kissed my temple and tugged me out of the bed. I didn’t even hear the front door opening. I still envied their vampire sense and Nero knows it.

“Father, I was summoned. I thought you’d be at the den. I should’ve known by now that you’d be with my future mother.” Vesper announced himself when he entered Nero’s living space with Aldrich following behind him.

“Um… right, not at all a weird conversation to have in front of the human girlfriend.” I stiffened when Vesper laughed and pulled me in for a hug.

My future stepson. Eh… okay, I don’t even know how to have a real relationship with humans, let alone think of having a long-term one with a vampire. I’d be all wrinkly in a couple of decades and he’ll still be all handsome and hot as hell.

“We have some news,” Nero took a seat on the sofa, completely ignoring his words. He eyed the space next to him and like his good little killer, I followed his unsaid request and took the seat by his side. “I’m sure Aldrich had filled you in on what happened at Tessa’s apartment. Now, we have this new information given to her yesterday by Tessa’s handler, Chad.”

“Handler?” Vesper asked while he flipped through the sheets of information given to me yesterday. Both Vesper and Aldrich sat on the sectional sofa while reading the information on my half-brother.

“A person appointed to be my point of contact between me and the big boss,” I answered and Vesper nodded while his eyes gazed at the picture and the name underneath it. “Lowell Varg, you know what this means, father?”

Nero nodded and that was it, the thing that he was hiding from me. My brother’s name.

“Does anyone want to share what it means with me?” I asked, annoyed that they were keeping things from me.

Nero leaned in close and whispered, “Their last name. Lowell Varg. ‘Varg’ means wolf in Norse. We did smell wolf in your apartment that day,” Nero looked at Aldrich and then at Vesper, who nodded telling us that he had talked to the werewolf and he was convinced that the guy didn’t lie. He didn’t recognize the scent.

“It all makes sense, Varg is a long way from their pack. I wonder why they ventured all the way here in the first place, or maybe this Varg is one of those lone wolves. One thing for sure, I could ask around about Varg’s situation and find out what we’re dealing with.” Vesper explained and Aldrich nodded, telling us that he too will ask around about the pack. It’ll take time since they don’t know the pack’s name saying it has been more than a couple of decades, but it was not impossible.

Their talk left me reeling. I had always thought of my family as a rich boring upper-class family, but now I might have a werewolf half-brother who wants me dead because of what… I don’t even know. A sense of dread filled me in my inner side, thinking I need to find my parents.

But right now I was feeling upset and I did what I knew best, deflect what I was truly feeling.

“So, why didn’t you tell me before?” I asked, feeling the little sting of uneasiness.

Nero sighed. “I didn’t want to upset you. And to be honest, I wasn’t completely sure until now.”

I was still adjusting that I might have a halfbrother who wanted to kill me, and now I had to learn that he might be a werewolf.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Nero said, taking my hand. “But I’ve seen enough in my time to recognize the signs.”

“What signs?” Tessa asked, still feeling skeptical.

“I think I know why he was giving you three months’ notice, then lastly the forty-five days one when he wreck your apartment.”

“Why?” I demanded with less enthusiasm, I was tired and felt so suddenly boxed in.

“I think he’s waiting to shift.”

“Huh?”

“O-oh… You might be right,” Vesper said and Aldrich seemed to agree with them just by sitting stoically.

“Shift means turning his human body into the ugly wolf monster.” All three vampires scrunch their noses, I would laugh at them if I wasn’t so frustrated with myself.

“So, he’d be able to kill me easily.” I nodded, at least now I know what’s with the marked time of death.

“Varg is an old name, they might be dangerous. I know,” Vesper rested back on the sofa his hands clasped to his knees and his eyes looked straight at me.

“Because you were bad once upon a time, and you know it.” Nero interrupted and Aldrich snickered.

“Sire,” his bratty son whined, but still try to defend himself when he say, “at least know we know what and who we’re dealing with. And if he’s a lone wolf he won’t be that strong without a pack to defend him. Tessa will be alright.”

“I will be fine, and I think I need some air.” I decided that I’d had enough. I nodded, understanding. I appreciated that Nero had wanted to protect me, but I couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed that he had kept this from me.

“So what do we do now?” I heard Vesper ask, ignoring my little dramatic exit from the living room.

Closing the bedroom door, I went straight to the walk-in closet. I stripped my clothes and pulled on my black jeans and black t-shirt, sheathed my knives, and got my gun. I need to find Chad. I need something to get this annoyance out of my head. It’s been too long.

I need to hunt.

“Tessa, where do you think you’re going?” Nero asked when I reached for my black leather jacket lying on the kitchen counter, after putting on my boots.

“I’m getting back to my apartment. I know who, and I know when. He won’t be bugging me until then. I’m free to do as I pleased.” I said the words with more hatred than I wanted and I saw Nero shake his head. Again, as if he was expecting me to be his obedient little killer and go back to sit by his side.

Nope. That was not going to happen.

“Tessa,”

I smiled and let him deal with his guests. But, it was all too fast when I stumbled upon a wall of the sturdy chest that smelled enticingly just like Nero’s. I sighed when I realized it was him, these vampires move too fast for my liking.

“I need Chad,” okay, that came out so wrong when I saw his jaw twitch. “Um… I mean I need info from Chad. Look, Nero, it’s been too long and I need to hunt. My hands are itching, even my knives are begging me to let them out to play.”

I could hear Vesper’s laughter, and Aldrich was standing next to him ready to follow whatever instruction his sire told him to do. But I won’t be held back by these vampires, I needed to get away from the penthouse.

“Come on, we all go hunting. I know Vesper is starving for his prey. Aldrich will take us to our playground.” He put his hand on my arm and made sure that I know that he was not going to let me go out alone.

Well. Okay then.

I stayed quiet the whole ride as Aldrich takes us to what I know was the bad side of the city. Where all the alleys were too dark, and the crime rates were off the charts.

“There, I hear them.” Vesper happily interrupted my thoughts when he told Aldrich to park by the curb. He got out of the car like a child that was too excited for his playtime.

But then I hear the screaming, a woman. And slurs from men coming from the alley just meters away from us.

“You go first, Aldrich, make sure no one gets away but let the woman go.”

The instruction was obvious, and I couldn’t help but think that this was not their first time doing this. So I decided to tail Vesper and what I saw was a disgusting image where four guys were trying to rape a young woman, very young. Probably less than twenty years old. She was sobbing, and her makeup was smeared all over her cheeks. She looked like a prostitute who was having a very bad day. I’ve heard about what happened to them in this part of the city.

“Come on boys, I heard her say no.” Vesper walked into the alley, singing the words happily and all the men were startled by the sudden interruption.

“Go away!” One of the sleazy guys hold out his knife and acted like he was ready to defend himself. I almost laughed, but then I felt Nero’s hand on the back of my waist urging me to walk toward them.

And I didn’t waste any time, well maybe I smiled at him a bit too sweetly as I took off my leather jacket and gave it to him. before I walked deeper into the alley and join Vesper.

My heart beats excitedly, my instincts played the part. I have been waiting for this, for far too long. Vesper was beside me telling me that he’d be my sidekick for the night. And all things went chaos when the knife guy pushed forward and thought it was easier for him to hurt me. But I was quicker when my knife went straight into his abdomen. The man cried out in pain and suddenly they let go of the woman and she ran out and leave us to play. Finally.

The second guy tried to come at me with his gun. But I could see the safety was still on when I smiled at him and sliced his gun hand. The man dropped the gun instantly before he cried like a freaking baby. Two down and two to go. Vesper was being greedy when he went for the second and went for the vein greedily.

The third guy looked at him in such horror that he forgot about me, and that was when I tapped him on the shoulder and cut off his pinkie. Okay, it was not necessary, but I think Chad made me addicted to cutting off pinkies. I was tackled by the fourth guy when his drunken breath invaded my senses. I groaned when I pushed my knife straight to his jugular and his blood smeared on my face and black t-shirt.

“Damn, I just had this washed,” I complained but Nero was by the drunk dude’s side and he sank his fangs and looked at me as he drank from the guy. I got to watch as Nero’s eyes gleamed with viciousness while the guy struggled when his life was slipping out of him.

So. Fucking. Hot.

At that moment, I know I was going to ride my vampire boyfriend after this. So fucking hard, that he’d wish he had invited me to their playground instead spending time apart and hunting without me.