July 2013
I ducked and darted out of the way of my opponent's quick swipes. There was no way that I was going to let a fellow trainee take me down. I had been fighting Duklan for nearly two weeks now, and I just barely able to keep up with him. My enhancements were coming along nicely. I moved so quickly that my body blurred when I dodged another blow and dashed around my opponent to get a good kick to his the back of his left knee. I was strong enough now to lift nearly a ton of weight on my own, and my muscles bulged even more acutely from my body than the day I graduated boot camp.
Taking down a hot-headed Trainee was child's play. Speaking of which, my opponent had just fallen thanks to the punch I threw at his jaw. He waved a hand in defeat as I loomed over him, ready for any backlash, but he didn't get up. There was an appreciative applause as I dropped my guard and helped the other Trainee to his feet. He offered me a bashful grin before limping off to join the ranks of onlookers.
The game was a free-for-all. One man would stay in as long as he could, and the last man standing got the prize. I came in after four had been eliminated, then took out three myself. There were still 9 men to go though, and as tough as I had gotten, I doubted that I would last much longer. Michael was the next unfortunate soul to be pushed into the fray. He was less timid than he had been back when we came to Pluto. He was the best free-fighter in our group, so I wouldn't be going easy on him.
He came at me like a tornado. He moved faster than the eye could see and punched me six times before I could so much as land one blow. Yeah, I was done for. I estimated three moves before he beat me.
It took four.
As I grinned at him from the mat on which he had just thrown me, he offered a small smile.
"I'm done," I said, breathing heavily. He helped me up.
"If you weren't already exahusted, I bet you could beat me," he said, good-naturedly, patting my shoulder.
He was lying. I'd seen him lay down some of the toughest vamps in our training group. The guy may have looked like an angel with that fair hair and those soft features of his, but in reality, he had all the fighting qualities of a demon.
"I bow down to your awesomeness!" I joked, giving an exaggerated bow, and the crowd around us laughed. "May you win this battle of idiots and receive the trophy of a half day tomorrow!"
The crowd cheered as I stumbled away, half letting them catch me, so I wouldn't just fall over on the floor and pass out. I was exhausted. Done for the day, and not willing to stick around and watch the rest of the spars, I made my way to the showers. When I finally stood under the hot spray, I allowed myself to slump against the walls.
It had been a tough couple of weeks.
Training had been brutal, and though I had trudged through the majority of it, I was starting to fold under all the stress. From boot camp to this place - what had I been thinking? It was a nightmare.
I couldn't wait to hit the short recovery period when I got my vampire. However, I had learned a lot for being here, and the enhancements were a plus. I felt like a superhero with a shitty cause. Guard the prisoners - was that a joke? Half of the prisoners had more privileges than I did! In fact, I had it under good authority that Hazel Greyson had her own phone line! I wasn't even allowed to call home until I had formed a true bond with my vampire. Not to mention, I wasn't even sure if that was a guarantee anymore. The leadership hadn't mentioned it again since day one. I wondered if it had been their way just to get us to shut up and listen in the first place.
I was a marksman with the Nex-Nine, I was an excellent fighter, and I knew the rules of Pluto inside and out. But of all the things I was capable of, I could not figure out how to make Domare Greyson leave me the hell alone.
He had been a pest lately!
I had gone from being tolerant and a bit worried over his little quirks and his inexplicable interest in me, to downright annoyed. At this point, he was practically stalking me. I secretly called him, "The Creeper".
Worse yet, I had other things to worry about, things like the side-effects of the Nexus. My personal favorite? Impotent to anyone other than one's partner under the Nexus.
Impotent.
I shuddered. I hadn't had sex in ages before I joined the Marines, and now this? It hadn't occurred to me to be worried, until I started to realize how many vampires in Pluto were male. That percentage was worryingly high. Worse yet, there were only two females in the line-up of vamps that our group was matched to.
Two!
I had heard some of the others talking about it, most hoping and praying that they would get one of the girls. At this point, my chances were looking pretty slim.
Don't get me wrong. I had the stereotypical college experience, and while the sex had admittedly been enjoyable with the men as much as the women, I had a preference. When it was all said and done, I decided so there was no point in revealing that little tidbit of information to my family and friends. Even masturbation seemed to be out of the picture lately, and God how embarrassing was that? At least I had about a million other ways to vent my frustration during the day.
Run forty miles? Check.
Beat the shit out of someone? Double-check!
I figured I could survive impotency for now, as long as I didn't think about it too much. Maybe I'd get really lucky and end up paired with one of those girls or at least a very open-minded male. But I seriously doubted it, especially since I'd had that conversation in the hall with Domare a while back.
The possibility of us being paired is very high, he had said.
And didn't I know it. Those words had a tendency to bite at me when I least expected them. Something told me that the jerk was right, but I didn't want to acknowledge it yet, not until I could be absolutely sure. Until then, I could hope.
I finished my shower and went straight to bed. My nightmares had been extra prickly lately, and I had sacrificed a lot of free time trying to get some sleep around the nasty dreams. Sure enough, as soon as I delved into the depths of sweet bliss, I found myself in a very bad dream.
Cemetery. Graveyard. Resting place for the dead.
I stood amongst a row of gravestones overgrown with moss. A thick haze covered the ground beneath my feet, and it stretched into an oblivion of fog. Grass rose up in tangles around my calves. It was wet and itchy against my skin. My head felt heavy, like I had gone days without sleep. I walked among the gravestones, the smell of earth and rain in my nostrils, arms swaying at my sides. I had no destination in mind, just walking for the sake of walking. Everything was calm and utterly quiet.
Until the whispering started.
At first it was just one voice, repeating my name in a litany: "Winston, Winston, Win...ston."
It was not particularly frightening, but unnerving nonetheless. I found myself walking faster and hopefully away from the terrible voices.
Then a second voice chimed in, and though I couldn't place it, it sounded familiar.
"Winny," it sighed. "Winny. Winny."
"Winston, Winston, Win...ston," repeated the first voice at the same time.
The third voice was a low growl, and it said nothing at all, but I knew what it wanted.
It was the wolf again.
I started running as the beast emerged from a nearby coffin that sat askew on top of an unmarked grave. The wolf was the full-on red of blood; I didn't stop to meet the familiar black gleam of his eyes. I just kept running, as hard and fast as my body would allow me. I ran and ran and ran until finally my feet started bleeding, bleeding, bleeding.
The cemetery didn't seem so vast anymore, as it started to flood with red. The rain became fierce and slick. I didn't want to drown today. I hated drowning.
"HELP!" I screamed, and the wolf howled from further back, then snarled so violently that I stumbled in surprise.
"No, no, no!" I cried out as I fell into the ever-deepening river of blood. It was inevitable now. I turned around and met the wolf's eyes.
"No, please," I pleaded with it. "What do you want from me?"
The beast ducked his head, getting ready to lunge. Its fangs flashed vivid and white against the red of its fur.
Something new happened, though. I heard the violent flapping of wings, and a shadow fell over me from behind. The wolf froze, eyes now locked onto the figure at my back. I was too afraid to turn and face whatever it was.
"Go away," it said and I let out a hysterical laugh. I spun to face it – him – Domare, ready to say something sarcastic, and froze in astonishment.
He was taller than usual, much taller, and looked more monstrous even than the blood-red wolf. A pair of huge bat-wings were extended from his back, and his eyes were shot black all the way through. His skin was as pale as the moon that now gleamed in the miraculously clear sky behind him. He looked like he was wearing pajamas though, and that somehow ruined the effect.
"Domare...?"
He rolled his eyes and the wolf growled.
Domare growled back, baring his teeth and revealing his elongated fangs.
The wolf took a few steps back, tail tucked between its hind-legs, and whimpered.
"Domare," I repeated, "What are you...?"
He glared. "Wake up!"
And so I did.
I sprung up from my cot, completely disoriented.
Domare sat beside me, looking cross.
"Your dreams are fucking weird, Winny," he declared.
"Everyone's dreams are weird," I snapped back groggily. "How the hell did you get in my head?"
He gave me an exasperated look and retorted, "if you can't figure that one out on your own then I am not going to be the one to tell you. Goodnight, Winny."
He left so quickly that I barely had time to register the ridiculousness of his sleeping attire: an old Christmas sweater and checkered pajama-pants. That guy needed medical attention.
"Speaking of which, I need medical attention," I mumbled, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. Around me, my squad-mates slept peacefully. Lucky bastards.
I moved to get out of bed when the relevancy of what had just happened dawned on me. Domare had been in my nightmare, in my head.
Think about what that means.
I fell back on the bed and groaned, because there was no doubt in my mind now. Domare was my vampire.
Sparring with Duklan was also relaxing somehow. I spent the following morning dodging his deadly blows and trying to keep my mind off of the inevitable, but for some reason I just couldn't keep up.
"You're thinking too much, Winston," Duklan said after pinning to me the mats for the third in less than an hour. "What's wrong?"
I sat up and sighed. "I think I've figured out who I'm paired with."
Duklan appeared surprised at my admission. "Just now?"
"Not really," I mumbled, propping myself on my hands. "I think I figured it out a while back. I just didn't want to acknowledge it yet."
Duklan crossed his arms and gave me a knowing smile. "Domare?"
I grimaced. "Yep. Everyone knows it, too, don't they?"
He chuckled. "Well, everyone noticed when Domare started paying attention to someone other than himself."
"Of all the vampires," I muttered. "Why him?"
Duklan sat beside me on the mats. "Domare has a special way of dealing with people, and nobody likes him for it."
"I hope that's not supposed to make me feel better."
"He's difficult," Duklan continued, "but he's important to everyone here. You'll understand that more as time goes on. On the other hand, you also have a special way of dealing with people, in a completely opposite way."
"I'm friendly?" I surmised.
"You're sociable, kind, and compassionate."
I made a face. "Seriously? Thanks for the vote of manliness, Duke."
He laughed. "I don't mean to offend. No one finds you any less masculine for caring. If anything it makes you more intimidating."
"What? I'm intimidating?" I found that really hard to believe.
"You're good. You hold a higher moral standard than anyone I know. You also pack a hell of a punch, and you're not afraid to defend what you believe in, even if it gets you in trouble."
"That does sound like me."
"Domare, however, loves causing trouble, but he's not a bad person. He's just horribly repressed. Can you imagine it, Winston? Having been born here and never knowing anything else? He's never seen the sun in the sky or a field of grass or animals or anything. I'm not even sure that he could survive on his own out there. Domare in the face of technology is a horrifying thought."
I bit into my bottom lip, contemplating.
"Pluto's not exactly a nurturing environment," Duklan added. "I'm not saying you should pity him, but try to see it from his point of view."
"He gets in my head," I admitted. "Walked in my nightmares."
"Already? That's impressive. The bond between you is already forming."
"It's strange," I said. "I'm not sure that I like it."
"Revel in it," the vampire hissed. "It's not a thing to fear. Take pride in the bond. You'll appreciate it more as time goes on and be bereft without it."
"So they say."
Duklan stood up again, pulled me to my feet.
"Shall we spar again?"
I let my eyes wander over the tattered blue mats. "Nah. I can't focus today."
"A battle waits for no man," Duklan said simply.
"Yes, and when it's necessary, you better believe that I'll be ready to fight it."
"Understood, good Winston."
"I was named for Churchill, you know."
Duklan raised a brow. "I had wondered."
"I'm gonna hit the showers. Join me for lunch?"
"Certainly.
Lunch was a plate of cafeteria spaghetti for me, and a steaming cup of blood for Duklan. We enjoyed the meal in companionable silence, until trouble walked through the door. I rolled my eyes when Domare took the empty seat to my left and glared across the table at Duklan.
"I see you've captured Winston's attention again," he accused.
"I see you're vying for it," Duklan replied snappily.
"Ooooh, burn!" said Nefilia, slipping into the empty seat next to Duklan. He immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Morning, love."
She smiled in response. "Morning."
Domare made a face, and I nudged him in the side with an elbow.
"Stop being a jerk," I told him with a scowl.
He gave me a surprised look. "I don't take orders from you."
"No," I acknowledged, the word full of meaning.
His mouth fell open slightly. "So you've figured it out finally?"
"I figured it out a long time ago," I said truthfully, taking a bit of spaghetti.
"Then there will be no more beating around the bush," Domare said, and surprised us both by smiling. I smiled back, though I was a miffed to see him looking pleased over my admission.
"I thought you'd be more upset about it."
"I was," he affirmed, "but it's too late to turn back now."
"Too bad you got stuck with him, Winston," Duklan taunted. "He'll drive you mad with his petulance."
Domare snarled. "What's wrong, Duke? Not satisfied with your halfwit?"
"Excuse me?" Nefilia objected. "What the hell did I ever do to you, Greyson?"
"Not you. Your vampire. His attachment to Winston doesn't bother you?"
She laughed mockingly. "Are you joking?"
"No," Duklan intervened, "he's just jealous."
I choked on a mouthful of spaghetti, and glanced over at Domare. The vampire looked utterly furious.
"This is getting out of hand," I interjected, hoping to stop the oncoming argument.
"How dare you accuse me of jealousy," Domare growled.
"But you are, aren't you? You hate the fact that your slayer likes everyone in the world more than he likes you, but that's not his fault, is it?"
Domare was fuming.
"Shut up, Duke," I demanded.
The young vampire addressed me coldly. "You're taking his side, DeBrock?"
"There are no sides," I grumbled. "You're provoking him simply because he's easy to bait."
"I resent that," Domare announced.
"And you," I continued, pointing my fork accusingly at the man, "are possessive and rude and temperamental. I am not a thing for you to control."
"Damn straight," Nefilia contributed. "Humans are not pets, and neither are vampires." She slapped Duklan across the back of his head. "Get your shit together, Duke. You should know this."
He pouted. "Sorry, Lia."
She nodded imperiously.
"Domare?" I quizzed, giving him a look.
He huffed. "Whatever."
"Good."
Duklan and Nefilia stared at the pouting but silent Domare in awe.
"He listened," Lia said. "That's new."
"I'll listen to Winston," Domare explained, "don't expect anything otherwise."
"Right," Duklan said, getting up from his seat. "Let's go, Lia. I can only handle so much Greyson in the morning."
"Grandmother's always around," Domare allotted, "and we both know how fond she is of you."
"Whatever," Dulkan mumbled, leading Nefilia away from us.
I continued eating my spaghetti, eventually telling Domare, "You're kind of an asshole."
"I am aware."
"I'm sure that there's stuff going on between you and he that I don't know about. What's Hazel go to do with anything?"
"Nothing," he lied. "I'm getting some blood. Don't wait up if you finish before I'm back."
"Of course," I replied, watching him go.
I practically breathed in the rest of my spaghetti and left the cafeteria as quickly as possible. I, too, had enough of Domare Greyson for one day.