Dark Embrace Part 3

All the characters in the following story are owned by Spelling Television Inc. Vampire: The Masquerade is owned by the cool Mark Rein-Hagen/White Wolf Publishing. Reader Discretion is Advised.

Matthew pushed Frank's head to the side roughly and rested his mouth on his neck. Matthew bared his teeth and then bit into Frank's neck. Frank felt waves of confusion, fear, hopelessness, and pain course through his body. The pain was worse. Frank screamed Julian's name over and over in his mind.

The other two Brujah men rushed over and held Frank down. They all slid to the floor as Matthew drank. Frank's face went blank from the shock and turned deathly pale.

Words came out of Frank's mouth but barely passed as a whisper. But Matthew could hear it.

"Stop...please stop...oh God it hurts so much....stop!"

Matthew continued to bring Frank closer to his body and drank more.

The fight was starting to go out of him but he still pounded his fists on Matthew's back. Frank had never felt so cold in his life and shuddered when Matthew sat up and kept a firm grip on Frank. Frank could see his own blood on Matthew's mouth and chin. Matthew lifted his right wrist and bit into it. He turned the bloody wrist over and a few drops of Brujah blood fell and hit Frank's mouth. Peter, one of the Brujah men, held Frank's head firmly in place while Matthew rested the bloody wrist over Frank's mouth.

Frank felt the blood flow into his own mouth and go down the back of his throat. The liquid fire burned in him and he started to choke. He felt the wrist slowly leave his mouth.

Frank was still so scared.

But what scared him the most was that he was sad to see Matthew stop. After the burning stopped Frank wanted more of the taste of blood but still his anger at Matthew and the other two remained strong in the back of his mind.

Frank opened his eyes and saw the world in a different light.

Everything looked so different.

There was no turning back for Frank now. Frank is Brujah.

Daedalus looked down at Lillie. A scream of terror came from her lips and she passed out in his arms.

A quick knock at the door.

A group of voices and then the sound of shoes clicking on the hardwood floor.

Cameron entered the room with Matthew and the other two men in tow. He looked down at Frank and smiled.

"You've done excellent, Matthew," Cameron said proudly.

Matthew nodded and smiled at his Sire.

The men laughed and walked closer toward Frank. "Come with us, Frank," Cameron said, "come to your true home. You belong with us. You're Brujah now."

Frank let out an agonized animal scream and fled into the stormy night.

Where was he to go?

He felt so cold. The hunger, newborn in his stomach, tightened like a vise. Frank doubled over as he walked desperately toward one desination: Julian Luna.

Dark Embrace Part 4

Daedalus held Lillie in his arms and heard the door open and then slam shut. Julian walked in and moved toward them. A look of panic came over his face when he saw Lillie. A shot of fear hit him when he heard Frank scream out his name nearby. Lillie moaned in Daedalus arms and slowly opened her eyes.

At that moment, Frank started to pound on the door. Lillie wanted to tell Julian something about Frank but she couldn't remember. It felt like her memory was foggy and useless. The pounding on the door stopped and Julian heard two voices outside. One angry and one amused. The door opened and Ashley, Lillie's neonate, and Frank came down the steps.

Frank walked and stood shivering in front of Julian. They were silent for a moment.

Frank looked at Julian and wiped the blood from his lips. His hair was sticky with blood and shone with strange highlights. There was a strange gleam in Frank's eyes that scared Julian. With a tremling hand he reached out to Frank but he stepped back from Julian's reach.

"Who did this to you, Frank?" Julian asked firmly. "Who is the bastard who did this to you?"

Frank looked down at the ground then looked up at Julian again. "It was Cameron and his goons." Frank said strongly.

A look of anger came over Frank's face as he said those words and Julian himself felt his anger rise up.

"I'm so sorry, Frank," Julian said, "please come here."

Frank came forward and watched in fascinated horror as Julian ran his thumbnail over his wrist and offered it to Frank.

Frank stood still for a moment and stared at the blood flowing over Julian's wrist. Julian made no move to force Frank but stood there patiently until he was ready. The smell and the overbearing hunger pressed down and a spasm of pain burst through his chest. There would be no more waiting.Frank rushed forward and took the bloody wrist in his mouth and drank steadily. Frank felt an increase in strength and felt the pain slowly decrease.

Frank could here Julian wince in pain as Frank drank but ignored his plea and drank more and more.

"We are family now, Frank," Julian said as he gently pulled his wrist back and placed his hand tightly over his healing wound.

"Who of the Brujah Clan embraced you, Frank?" Julian asked.

With a clear voice Frank replied: "It was Matthew."

Julian looked over at Lillie, who had by now forgotten what Cameron had told her about Frank,at Daedalus and then at Frank.

"Matthew's life is forfeit. I want him and Cameron brought to me tonight!"

Daedalus nodded his head. Ashley noticed that he was being ignored and started to whine like a child.

Lillie sighed and went over to speak to Ashley. He smiled at her attention toward him.

Lillie looked back and Daedalus and smiled at him and told him thanks for being there earlier. He smiled and walked over to Julian. Lillie admired the brave and noble sould of Daedalus but never wanted to be on his bad side. She shuddered at the thought. Her anger at Cameron returned threefold and she knew Cameron told her about Frank's embrace because he wanted to brag.

"Frank, please come back with me to the compound, you are welcome to stay there with us," Julian said. "Let's go home." Frank nodded his head wearily and walked out with Julian.

They all went out into the still night. The rain suddenly stopped and the fog rolled in.

"How dare you, Cameron!" Julian yelled.

Cameron grinned and sat down in his chair. All the conclave was here to decide on Cameron's fate.

Cameron could feel Cash's glare from across the room and stared back.

"You knew that I was to protect Frank. It was Alexandra's last wish."

"Well, Julian, are you protecting your lovely Caitlyn?" Cameron teased.

Julian hesitated and tried to calm himself down. "Yes, she is under my protection."

"And so was Frank?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, he was," Julian answered.

"Well, I see that you are not doing a very well job of protecting these mortals." Cameron declared.

"I heard from Matthew that Frank's blood was delicious....I wonder how Caitlyn's would taste like?" Cameron asked everyone.

The group heard a low growl come from Julian's throat and he started to rush toward Cameron. Julian wanted to hurt him so bad. He wanted to make him suffer for what he did to Frank.

Cash caught Julian and held him back. "Julian, no don't do it. He's just trying to bait you. He's trying to make you lost control like Eddie did." Cash said Eddie's name like he tasted something bitter.

"Your Brujah Clan has embraced two mortals without permission so far. Don't ever let this happen ever again or your head will be on a platter." Julian said.

Julian started to calm down and sat down from across Cameron.

"Where's Frank?" Cameron calmly asked. "He belongs with us. He is our blood. I am his grand Sire."

Julian shook his head. "I am giving Frank the choice. He can go where he pleases but I am going to teach him the ways of the Kindred and the Masquerade. I will be his teacher.

Julian continued: "Have you seen Sonny yet, Cameron? This embrace has caused him a lot of pain. Sonny and Frank are talking now. I trust Sonny with my life and I know that Sonny will be another great teacher to him. You, on the other hand, will never be a great teacher to him."

Julian felt Cameron get tense and saw the hate grow strong in the Brujah's eyes.

Cameron stood up and started to walk out of the room but then stopped and smiled.

"I will find him, Julian. In time he will stay with us and learn our ways. You will see that. I like Frank. I think Frank and I will have some fun. I will teach him things and in time he will come to trust me and I will trust him."

Cameron started to whistle "Under The Moonlight" and Julian noticed it was the song Caitlyn mentioned from her dreams.

"I warn you: stay away from her!" Julian said.

"We will see about that,Julian," Cameron said with hate. "Someday she might be mine. I might even blood bond with her, or Frank, or Sasha." He left the room with a satisfied grin on his face. For a few moments everyone sat in silence.

Julian looked down at the table and whispered, "Damn you, Cameron. We will never let that happen. Never."

The End?

Copy & Copyright Kimberly Bliss