The Gift.

12

"Desanto's maker was much like mine, just slightly less powerful. But Santo's maker, well she was different. She was a sensualist and so needed sex almost as much as she needed blood to live. Santo gained that trait from her as well. She spent long hours teaching him how to gain the most from each experience.

"That left only Carlo without being turned. I was heartbroken. How could I damn him to this life? But my maker made my wishes immaterial. He ordered me to kill Carlo, due to jealousy at how close we were." Even now the memory makes Jesse angry. 

"So, I had no choice. In another century when the blood didn't call so strongly and I wouldn't be such a weak vampire I might have been able to resist the order. But with the strength of the order and the call of the blood being so strong I gave in." Jesse clenches his hands in remembered anger as he kills his brother. He still feels the skin under his mouth, the sound Carlo makes as he bites him. At least he was able to make the death pleasurable.

"What my maker never expected was that I was strong enough to turn Carlo. For a month I was able to hide Carlo from him. I was able to control my blood lust and that of Carlo as well. At the same time I was only around my maker when he commanded my presence. 

"I think it was that, that made my maker realize just what a mistake he made in ordering me to kill Carlo.

"He became angry with his siblings for some reason that I never found out. He had all their made vampires and those that were bound to them killed. He had me watch as they were one by one killed. 

"I watched helplessly as he got closer and closer to my brothers. When he didn't kill them I was shocked.

"I was even more shocked at what he did next. He severed the maker bonds my brothers had with his siblings and gave them to me.

"I watched in disbelief as he then callously killed his brother and sister.

"I hadn't realized that he had seen me with Carlo at that time. He knew that I, a newborn had created and controlled a newly turned vampire myself. It shouldn't have been possible for another century, but he'd seen it for himself. That is why he gave me the control of my brothers, that and he was trying to gain my forgiveness for ordering me to kill Carlo.

"It was only as he was preparing to leave that I found out that he was in truth the vampire king and then he named me his heir.

"He set me up and ordered me to bring peace. Not just among the humans, but among the supernaturals and the humans.

"I slowly and surely took over one territory after another starting with my father's. It wasn't that hard to kill him. I just waited for him to finish with his whore. I killed him and his whore that was pregnant with his child. That just infuriated me.

"My mother was less than pleased at the death of her husband. Santo took care of her." Jesse smirks and Esme looks over to Santo. He refuses to look at Esme. What he did to his mother isn't something he's proud of, not that it's wrong in the vampire culture. There is very little wrong in the vampire culture when it comes to certain things.

"After that all other territories came under my control. The humans were in dire need of protection. Between the incessant wars and the supernaturals picking them off they were dying."

"That is the reason for the treaty or accords or whatever the hell you want to call them?" Esme says in sudden understanding.

"Yes, that is the why and how they came about. Cities were decimated. Whole villages were gone. They were happy to gain my protection with just the loss of one girl every decade. It wasn't ideal, but it was far better than they had before." Jesse agree with her.

"The werewolves have long been a dying breed. The humans had damaged the wolf packs to the point that there was just one and it too was dying. The old alpha, Areon's father, doesn't remember that part of the history. He just remembers that the wolves would go and take what ever human they wished. They are actually far stronger now then they were in his great grandfathers day." Carlo adds in.

"Wow, no wonder you were so upset at my village not following the accords. You've done a great deal for them."

"We still do. But we do the same for the supernatural people as well. That is why they respect Jesse," Desanto says.

"What happened to the one that hosted the party?"

"Santo seduced the daughter and was ultimately the one to kill her. By the time we left all the humans had been killed. The humans in the village, either came with me to my father's territory or they were left unprotected for any that wanted them. Most came with me." Jesse says fighting to not fall back into the memories.