Chapter Seven

Clicking the button on his fob, the door to the cherry red Ferrari fluttered open. It was parked beneath one of the few working streetlamps on the block. Considering the area where the bar was located, he should have been concerned about having such an expensive car parked out here in the middle of the night. Many in the area knew of him though. They knew that if they were good to him, he would return the same to them. They also knew that if they pissed him off, people had a high chance of disappearing and never being heard from again. Tossing his jacket on the passenger seat, Bram worked the muscle in his shoulder. It felt stiff.

He had to admit, in the moment, the hunt is amazing. Satisfying every desire he had. Satiating every need. Every want. But once it was over, his body felt tired and drained. He would have to sleep Candy off for a few days. If he didn’t spend so much energy to feed like that, he would feel better after, but to do so would cause the humans he feeds on more pain and fear. They would know exactly what he was doing to them without the cover of sex, and that made him feel like more of a monster. Either way they died, but at least this way he was able to provide some small measure of peace to them as he feed.

Closing the door, Bram started around the front of the car, stopping just as he stepped into the street. A small cry came from down the road, catching his attention. Honing in on where the sound came from, he could hear a child running and he could hear a growl not far behind. “I got you now. Looks like I’ll win the game once again. Come here kid, I won't hurt you.”

Bram knew the growl of a hunter when he heard one. It was illegal, in accordance with the accord struck within the Council of Elders, that no immortal would harm a child under the age of 16. His steps quickened toward where the child was hiding. The hunter was already crouched, a hand reaching out behind a trash can.

The vampire didn’t even hear Bram coming as he his foot kicked back, meeting the vampire’s head with such force, that his head snapped, breaking his neck. It wasn’t enough to kill the man. Dropping a knee to his chest, Bram pulled a dagger from his calf, slamming it into the center of his throat. With a few more slices, his head was cut from his body. The last thrust went straight through the sternum, destroying his chest. He frowned at his arms, once again, he was covered in blood. He sighed. Hopefully, no one would notice. At least it was late and few people were out.

Soft sobbing pulled Bram’s attention back to why he came here in the first place. Rubbing his hands on his pants and placing the dagger back under his pant leg, he looked back, seeing only a shadow behind the dirty rotting trash receptacles scattered and standing there. The child didn’t smell much better than the garbage. “Hey,” he leaned down, wrinkling his nose against the stench, “I’m not going to hurt you.” He placed his arms on his thighs, trying to look pleasant despite the blood covering him. “Where are your parents?”

The child looked up, his blue eyes shining in the darkness. “They’re dead.”

“Did this man kill them?” Bram asked. The boy couldn’t have been more than five or six years old. His eyes turned toward the disgusting vampire. Anyone who would hunt a boy this age was disgusting. Even if he’d wanted to eat the boy’s parents, he should have hunted them leaving the boy out of it. Of course, it could be that he was simply a deviant too. The purer the human, the better they tasted. One so young was akin to honey. It’s all any of them would eat if it weren’t banned by the Council.

The boy shook his head, sniffling, as he wiped his tears on his sleeve. “No.”

“Where do you live?”

“In the orph-orphanage. I thought he would be my new d-daddy. He tried to bite me though. They put us down and told us to run and hide.” He stuttered, sniffling. “You’re like him?” The boys eyes studied the blood covering Bram’s arms. “Are you going to eat me?”

Bram frowned. An orphan. Poor kid. Looking at the child, he was reminded of many centuries ago. When he, himself, was a child. His was not a normal childhood, and he was never human, but the light he saw in this boy’s eyes was bright. It was warm. And full of hope. He could tell the boy didn’t believe he was going to eat him. “No. I don’t eat children. So, you have nowhere to go?”

The boy shook his head.

“Do you want to come home with me? I promise to keep you well fed, and I’ll even give you your own room and we’ll get some toys. You’ll keep me company and become my son.” Bram smiled at the child. He even looked like him. Only those who knew him would be able to tell the child wasn’t legitimately his.

He looked surprised and started sobbing again. Bram was confused as to what to do until the child jumped at him, throwing his arms around his neck. “You really want to be my new daddy?” The child squeezed him, and Bram drew the boy into his arms, backing away from the stinky garbage all around them.

“I’ve lived a thousand lives, and never had a son. It’s about time I try something said to bring such joy to others.” Bram chuckled, carrying the boy back to his car. Clicking the fob, the door lifted with a quiet whirring.

“Is that a flying car?” The boy asked in awe as Bram covered his seat with his coat, setting the boy down.

“It’s as close as you can get to one.” He chuckled, buckling the boy in, and closing the door. As he slid into the driver’s seat, he turned, looking at the child, “What’s your name?”

The boy’s smile practically lit the car it was so excited and happy. “I’m Devon.”