Forgotten Desires (The Duchess & Mr. M)

He gazed at the house, listening to Lara leave without comment. If he decided he wanted her, he would go find her later. For now, though, there was an imperative.

He heard a footstep through a door, and launched himself at it. A servant, bedraggled and dominated into doing the drudge work of the household, had been carrying out some waste water, and the Duke's impact knocked him flying, bones cracking. He didn't bother to seek out a door; that would no doubt be warded and locked. Rather, he reached out with all senses, finding the scent of blood, the sound of Charis's breathing, focusing on the floor. He finally thought he found it, or close to it, and once he'd found the spot, he knelt, focused all his energy in the way he'd once learned from a Chinaman, and punched. The board cracked with a mighty impact, and a second punch shattered it. He reached into the crack, and ripped apart the two surrounding boards, then leapt up. He reached the ceiling, and shoved off against it, increasing his velocity, and smashed the rest of the way through the hole he'd ripped in the floor, landing crouched like a cat amid flinders of wood in a basement chamber, casting about even before he landed for a target at which to direct his ire.

Abby had cut her wrist and layed the girl down in front of her, she was holding her vampiric blood over the girl but it only touched her lips when he crashed into the basement, Abby spun her head around and almost growled at him before grinning lightly " hello... come to join the party duke" she said and tilted her blond head to the side while she sat there in all her glory completely naked with charis beside her and her cut wrist starting to drop into her mouth more and more.

He could smell the blood, both human and vampiric, and saw what she was doing. He thought he knew, but calculated on his own and realized he might as well buy a little time. “What do you think you’re doing, Abby? Conspiring against an ally, invading my private demesne, stealing my property. Do you even know what you have reawakened? Do you even comprehend what I’d do to get Katerina back?”

He didn’t even realize he’d used the ancient name, the forgotten name. It tripped off his tongue like it was nothing. Hearing it in the air, from his own lips, made something ache inside him, but he didn’t have time for it; he was focused on Abby.

Abby smiled at him and licked her lips that had a bit of Charis' blood on it, she grinned at him and looked down at her then tilted her head " Now that you say that she looks just like your little Katerina, I thought it was just a coincidence...but the way you look at her when she isn't looking mmmmm makes me jealous....but I think you were in denial about everything that has to do with little charis here and you don't deserve her duke... oh sorry Micheal " she said softly and leered at him " when I caught her scent I had to have her something inside me snapped alive and now... I will have her " she said and layed down on the bed before looking at him again " you don't seem to willing to get her back though " she said in a chimey voice and continued to drip her blood into charis letting more and more poor out " I am only doing what you failed to do"

He was waiting; he knew from the scent of it that Charis had already been dangerously drained. She needed vampire blood to survive, at this point, and Abby was already performing the service. If he ripped her head off, like he wanted to, Charis might not get enough to survive. So he bided his time.

"I don't bring anyone over without a choice, Abby. I would have, once she knew what she was getting into." Something finally penetrated his focus, and it caught him completely off-guard. "Kat... Kater..." He gasped as "forgotten" memories nudged at his consciousness, clamoring for his attention, memories of a past long dead that he'd wanted to forget, so painful were they. How Abby knew about his life before his vampirism, he had no idea, but if she was looking to give him even more reasons to kill her, she'd found an excellent means.

She smiled devilishly at him and leaned back before making her cut a bit deeper to let the blood just drain into her " but you left her so vulnerable, such an easy target I wonder what she would say to you Micheal if she found out that you left her to be so easy to get to" she said and looked down at her again, the blood was starting to work and soon her lips curled around abby's wrist and started to suck like her life did depend on it, she kept her eyes closed and placed her hand on abby's arm, she heard voices but they were muffled.. all that matter was that red life source flowing down her throat and into her body she whimpered and gasped letting her eyes pop wide open her body shivering and her hand gripping the sheets of the bed tightly those brilliant green hues turning a deep red. Abby grinned and watched him.

“Twist and lie all you want, Abby, it won’t…” and he paused when Charis began to respond, when she began to feed as a vampire. Then he moved.

The first thing he did was close on the table. He didn’t seek to take Charis away, oh no. He just wanted to be sure her hands were free. As she came to strength on Abby’s blood, she would grab the elder vampire’s wrist and hang on for dear life. It was always troublesome getting a neonate unstuck from one’s veins, which was why bondage was so popular during the embrace of unlife. He stayed out of Abby’s reach, however, knowing she would be reticent to move far, given Charis’s early stages. If anything, Michael wanted to help that.

After he made sure Charis could grab her, he moved behind her, feinting to see how she would react. Would she pull free of Charis to defend herself? She must have known she was at a disadvantage, giving of her blood to the girl on the table, while he’d been feeding all night, unbeknownst to her. It mattered how she reacted when he slipped out of her immediate sight.

Abby twisted her body to keep looking at him making sure he stayed within line of site, she had forgotten the braces to hold charis down.. how foolish of her to do so, she tried to pull away now hissing at the girl, charis only narrowed her eyes at the woman and sucked deeper making her weaker, her mind was in a blood lust rage, and her human life seemed almost fuzzy not there anymore, she saw the duke and recognized him and soon the memories flooded back to her after staring at him for a while with those red red eyes, with how he took care of her when she was ill and all the months they spent together before finally that passionate night by the fireplace, she hung onto that one playing it in her mind as if it were someone Else's memory, she then saw more and more before finally the party, he left her to be vulnerable to the blond vampire and soon she started to believe what Abby had told her. Abby had been nothing but kind to her and now she was giving her new life, she drank then finally Abby had to jerk away and off the bed, charis had blood on her lips and some had made its way to her delicate looking neck, she swallowed and licked her lips like a blood thirsty predator. She looked to Abby then to Micheal not sure what to believe or who to trust at the moment but she was still thirsty. Abby walked away from where Micheal was rather quickly and wrapped her arms around charis " you see Micheal she loves me" Abby said before charis got angry when Abby touched her, she took her arm and with her being the newborn she was stronger than ether of them. She soon flipped Abby up and off her throwing her against the wall and watching it crumble around her slightly making her groan from her weakened state, charis sat there and watched the woman then looked to Micheal almost in a growling sort of way like she dared him to get close to her.

With Michael’s fortification and his own battle-rage, he might have been equal to the new rush of strength of Charis’ newborn vampire body, but he didn’t care to test it. Instead, he looked straight into the eyes of his former slave, his lover, and what he now realized was the image of his long-ago lost love, and tried to reach her mind.

She arranged it, Charis. She coveted you, and arranged for my distraction at the party. I left to wreak vengeance this evening, and in my haste, I did not lock up after myself. That’s two mistakes of mine. But had she not arranged for one, and been waiting to take advantage of the other, you would still be safe in our home. Hate me if you must, I did commit grave errors. But I would not see you taken in by this harpy’s lies. I’m sure she stole her last pet, as well, and pledged the girl her undying eternal love, also, before she threw her over for you, just as she would eventually throw you over for the next object of her fickle desire.”

He could see Abby start to rouse, slow in her drained state, and knew he had to finish. He drew himself up straight, the Old World noble, and nodded. “I have broken my promises to you, accidentally. I have left you vulnerable. But I have not victimized you.” He raised a pointing finger toward Abby, but his eyes never left Charis. “You have seen what I would do to those who hurt and exploit those I love, as I love you. I’ve already killed the one who fed on you last night. But now, now you no longer need me to take your revenge for you.”

With that, he finally let his eyes flick over to stare at Abby; if Charis hadn’t understood him by now, this gesture ought to seal the deal. It was between Charis and Abby at this point; if she turned on Abby, he would gladly join with her, but if his love took the other vampire’s side, he would submit himself to her wrath. His body cried out for battle, but his will was stronger, and his will did not care to continue in a world where his one love was returned to him but spurned him.

Stared at him and then shifted her eyes slightly to Abby before looking back at him, she heard everything he said and then she thought about something, would he be here if he had set it up to get rid of her or drive her away? that wasn't how that worked, she didn't breathe as she sat there now almost like a statue before she swiftly stood up and moved over to him a little fasted that she intended, she looked up at his face and tilted her head a bit to look at him to see if he was lying, when she found nothing she moved away from him with out a word and kicked Abby in the head then grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the giant iron casing, she knew what it was and she opened it to reveal large spikes sticking out from ether side that would normally kill a human but this was a vampire, once Abby opened her eyes and saw what it was she darted up and got out of charis' hold and got behind her trying to push her into it instead. Charis then grabbed her arm and swiftly pushed her in before quickly closing the door on her making Abby scream in terror, Charis looked around before locking it and grabbing the oil lamp an draining it in the little hole where abby's head was and soon dropped the long wick into it, she stepped back watching it catch fire before she grabbed another one and another one throwing it at the hole where her head was and soon the wood around them caught fire, she looked to Micheal before speaking softly " lets leave" she said and made her way to the stairs going up them quickly not realizing she was doing that not yet used to such speed.

He stood still, meeting her eyes as openly and honestly as he could. He knew the name for what he felt now; that had been unlocked with his memories of his lost love, his ancient wife. He no longer had to wonder in his alien way what his emotions were. But now... now he just had to try and show her that he knew. He put everything he could into his gaze, and poured it into her eyes. She must have seen something in it, because she turned away, toward the real mastermind behind her whole seduction and turning.

He did not move as she got her revenge. He, himself, would have done more with his bare hands, but that was his nature. This was hers, using what was available, and doing well. He watched Abby's just punishment impassively, and when Charis suggested they go, he followed gladly. He remembered now what it was like to first get adjusted to the power; she thought she was moving normally, it wouldn't be until she realized how the rest of the world seemed to move so slowly when she was like this that she'd see the difference.

Outside, they paused and watched the rest of Abby's house catch fire. He sighed. "There is one left. Lara, Abby's pet. She can't have been innocent in all this, but then again, she found me, and brought me here. She didn't fight me. So I leave it up to you. Do we track her and destroy her, as well? Or do we let her live, and simply start teaching you what you'll need to learn to continue your new existence?"

Watched Abby's house still completely naked and standing outside, she didn't feel anything and that made her frown she looked at him and crossed her arms over her chest to hide herself at least a little bit " you still want me..." she said softly and turned her gaze up at him, her green eyes now gone and have turned to red she moved closer to him and reached out taking his hand. He didn't feel cold to her anymore now that they were the same it was going to be different...very different, she looked at him and squeezed his hand " lets just go home"

He squeezed her hand back. "Of course I want you. You know how slow I am to change, but you'd already won my heart. I didn't want to curse you with this, but... since you're here, that just means... that just means I don't have to lose you again."

He shifted to face her, taking off his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders. She didn't need it for the warmth, but he knew she'd feel more comfortable with some sort of modesty. He took her in his arms and kissed her, tasting the blood on her lips, and knowing it was something else they could share. With the house of their enemy burning brightly behind them, they kissed for the first time in their new lives. From here, no one knew where it would go: the future was open, for them to share.