A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 46: A Royalty’s Closing Remarks

Gabriel stood on a cliff, his unusually red eyes having a bird’s eye view of the werewoods. His senses were heightened to catch even the slightest of movements. His claws now dug deep into his palm creating a pool of blood beneath him but he didn’t seem to care.

And like a predator who had caught his prey, his eyes narrowed upon spotting some movement in the center of the dense trees. He bit his lower lip, his fangs cutting through it to form a thin line of blood, before he leapt from a crazy distance. Fortunately, he landed with all his limbs intact!

He raised his eyes at the direction of the scent he now picked; fresh human blood! A snarl, and he leapt into the woods in a speed comparable to a blur.

Gabriel had found himself particularly strong since the day he left Eldoria. He didn’t know the cause of it but he suddenly lusted for blood. And not to drink it, to kill! The idea of seeing blood flowing from a dying rogue felt good. And that was what he’d been doing these last few days. However much he killed, he surprisingly wanted more, hurting himself in the process. But strangely, he’d always heal, even faster than a purebred royal vampire would, and it alarmed him!

As silent as the wind, he appeared in a clearing where the scent was the strongest. The dry leaves broke under his foot when he walked. He spotted five vampires hungrily sucking blood from a young boy of sixteen by estimation. Poor soul was staring at the canopy hopelessly waiting for a miracle. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Gabriel frowned in frustration. It was unlike vampires to not notice someone’s presence especially this close. Even if they were feasting, they’d have caught a different scent at least. But this!

"Drinking to your fill I see," he said to catch their undivided attention. And undivided it needed to be because they wouldn’t have another chance to get a royalty’s closing remarks.

The vampires halted to look at Gabriel’s direction. One bared his fangs in frustration and another snarled to scare Gabriel away. The blood was painted on their teeth, still fresh!

"Get out of here if you value your life, bastard," the one with a brown moustache said. He was probably their leader. The others ignored Gabriel and turned to the boy.

"If you value your life, you should let go of the human and I’ll promise you a quick death!" Gabriel deadpanned, his voice so cold it raised chills.

"What did you say?" The one with the brown moustache asked, already upstanding.

"I don’t like repeating myself!" Gabriel sneered. He chuckled, tired by the boring speech he had to deliver to willing corpses.

He uncurled his fingers, the long buried claws in his flesh materializing back. The leader watched this in astonishment. His claws were particularly long for a bastard!

Their eyes locked, and in what could be termed as a blur, Gabriel moved, too fast for the vampire to keep track of. The rogue slashed into thin air but Gabriel sidestepped effortlessly. His claws locked with the rogue’s flesh, digging deeper in his chest to hold his beating heart!

Their eyes met again, with the rogue’s filled with pain and watery. Gabriel drew close and whispered in his ear, "Make sure you have a masquerade ball for your fellow friends when they arrive!"

He pulled the rogue’s beating heart and held it in his palm. The victim dropped on the ground, dead!

The others exchanged glances before they leapt at him simultaneously. Four against one! Gabriel dodged the first few deadly attacks but a claw found him on his left hand. His eyes settled on the vampire who had inflicted the injury on him, his eyes turning a shade redder. The wound only acted to fuel his anger!

The rogue threw a hopeless blow that Gabriel caught with his left hand. His right hand held the rogue’s throat, piercing through every vein that connected his head to the rest of his body. And with just one snap, he severed him, his body falling on the ground into two distinct parts.

The three left were now scared by the events that had unfolded before them.

"Never seen anyone die like that?" Gabriel asked, only to take their fear to unseen heights. And as if that was not enough, he added, "I like giving everyone an equal chance you know. A distinct style to part this world. Shall we?"

He smiled, and the rogues would have sworn he was akin to the devil that moment. The bravest of the remaining rogues attacked. Unlike his predecessors, he was fast, and Gabriel liked it.

However, his acrobatics didn’t last long before Gabriel was bored. This one, he gave a quick death by spilling his guts to the ground.

The other let out a warcry and leapt to only be dismembered mid air into three distinct parts; the head, legs and the upper body.

On seeing what had transpired, the remaining rogue made for the run. He was fast, paving his way through the werewoods.

Gabriel smirked, amused by the fear displayed by those who deemed themselves rogues. The scent of blood invaded his nostrils reminding him of a human behind him.

He walked closer met the eyes of the boy. He was pale, life seeming to leave through his once vibrant eyes. At least eight bite marks were all over his body. His thin lips were cracked, and his heartbeat unsteady. Gabriel knew he wouldn’t live!

The boy moved, his hands clumsily holding Gabriel’s. And before he fell, Gabriel held him steady, his claws hurting the human in the process. How weak these creatures were! He’d have scoffed but she run on his mind!

"Please..." The boy called, nearly choking on his own blood. "End it! Too ... Much ... Pain!"

Gabriel held the boy’s frail hand, not an ounce of remorse laced in his eyes. He was going to do it anyways!

"I understand," he whispered. His hand caressed the boy’s and lifted him by the neck. His scent was not strong but the taste must be good. His gums itched before he sunk them in the boy’s nook until he went limp in his hands.

Standing, Gabriel wiped the traces of blood with the back of his hand. His eyes rested on the boy who was now dead. His eyes were staring blankly into the world, probably blaming it for its mere existence. He crouched low and closed the boy’s eyes.

"They’ll pay, I promise!" He said and stood again. He narrowed his eyes towards the direction that the rogue had escaped to. An evil smile curved up his face. That vampire was going to lead him exactly where the rest of the rogues resided!