The Progeny (The Progeny Series) (2 page)

“Now
.” He spoke English with a muddled European accent that was much stronger than his siblings. “Let’s see how well you were listening.”

* * * *

Ascher knew she wasn’t paying attention. The word
jerk
frequented her mind several times. He didn’t mean to come off as one, but it was best to keep his distance. The muted ache, of before, was now a gut twisting agony.

Her scent was the perfect storm of deliciousness. Vampires had a term for what she possessed—the trinity.
Humans possessing just one of the three variables were hard enough to resist, while all three were maddening. Vicious flames scorched his throat, reminding him that he was thirsty. The craving spiked, hurling his keen senses into overdrive. A few things became clear to him.

One, she was a vegetarian. Their blood was always fragrant and appealing. Vegetarian blood could satiate the worst thirst and satisfy
the most finicky of palates.

Two, she didn’t drink alcoholic beverages. Her blood was free of such impurities. She hadn’t even a grain of
aspirin in her system. Alcohol and most medicinal remedies thinned the blood, making the flow of it dangerously heavy.

Three, Shauna
was a virgin.

W
aves of hunger tortured him, taunting him until an intense pain claimed his mouth. “Excuse me.” She was affecting him, and he had no choice but to retreat to the restroom.

Ascher tried to calm down
, but the ache continued. Remembering the pure sweetness of her scent made his mouth water. He splashed cold water on his face and took deep cleansing breaths, but it didn’t help. The pain only grew worse.

He
was in desperate need of help.

Control was usually his strong suit
, but
she
was different. She might as well hang a sign on her back that read, 'Bleed me dry.' The fact that her appearance coincided with the one night, in a three-month feeding cycle, he was thirstiest was inopportune. Being in the same building with him put her in a great deal of danger.

He’d never exper
ienced this type of insanity. Sure, he’d passed the occasional pink-cheeked baby on the street. An uncontrollable surge of saliva filled his mouth when he got a whiff of the blood and its strict formula diet, but this was something different and much harder to control.

The fact that she was a trinity only sparked half
the anguish. There was a compulsive urge and hunger he’d never experienced before tonight. He wanted to drink her just as much as he wanted to sex her. It was powerful, all encompassing, and downright dangerous. Such delicious blood should never reside in such a tempting shell.

The things he’d do to her, if given a chance
, might finally push him over the edge.
J’ai besoin d’aide, I need help!
Closing his eyes and clenching his fists, he tried to think about something other than how her blood and body made him feel. It was no use; he'd reached the point of no return. Opening his eyes, he glowered at the image in the mirror.

The monster was emerging.

Blood red eyes glimmered against the low light like cursed rubies. Fangs protruded from his anguished mouth. He punched the mirror, splintering his reflection into dozens of red-eyed fiends. The likeness represented the many facets of his broken existence.

He channeled Quinn
, hoping he would hurry, but if his brother chose to ignore him, Ascher understood. He’d nearly dismembered Quinn when the smell of a baby’s blood had thrust him into sudden thirst last summer. Ascher was eighty-seven, but his family still considered him young. Learning to control his urges was an essential part of keeping his secret.

Quinn
rushed into the room. “Ash, man, try to calm down.” He popped the top of a bag of synthetic blood and tossed it to him. Artificial blood and bank donations supplemented their liquid diets. “I know it isn’t ‘fresh from the tap,’ but it’ll have to do for now.”

While Ascher hated feeding on humans, there was something vital and erotic about the sluggish pulse a carotid gave as it gushed its sweet offering. The lines between sexuality, sensuality and the intense pangs of thirst tended to blur duri
ng feeding. Concentration was of the utmost importance. It simply wasn’t a time for lost control.

Ascher
gulped his 'snack’ and watched as the mirror reflected red eyes returning to their pale blue shade. “Thanks for coming down, bro.”

Quinn remained a good distance away.
“She got to you, didn’t she?”

“I was helping her to get familiar with the bar set-up
, when I lost it.”

“She’s beautiful,
delicious and her scent is everywhere. Tristan took Kara home because she couldn’t handle it. I drank four bottles of synthetic and took a long walk to rid my body of her.”

Ascher nodded, he knew how hard it was for his brother
, Tristan, to care for his wife. Kara, after all, was a newly born vampire who had little self-control over the urge for blood, as of yet.

“Gabe was channeling
the new girl earlier,” Quinn added, watching Ascher closely.

Curious, As
cher stilled. “He was?”

“
Yeah, he has some preoccupation with her.”

“She’s different, Quinn. There’s more to her than just a pretty face. Storms brew in her eyes.”

“Watch it!” Quinn took a cautious step backward. “She’s important to Gabe. I’ll go back out if you can’t control yourself.”

The burn in
Ascher’s throat was minimal, but the primal urges remained. He couldn’t smell her again, without exposing himself or satiating his sexual urges. “That might be best. I think I’ll hang out in my office until the party.”

Two ~ Contemplation

The lack of customers sent Shauna’s mind into a tailspin. Her thoughts wandered most of the t
ime over inconsequential things that made her wonder if she had undiagnosed A.D.D. Today, her thoughts centered on her imperfect childhood. Coming from a long line of Catholic parishioners, she and her sister, Katy, half-heartedly attended mass. Father always told them,
“If you live in my home, you will worship God.”

Catholic school was also a part of growing up
as a McCutchin, and Shauna had hated it. She’d done things that landed her in trouble, just to spite her parents for exposing her to such torture. Sister Mary Margaret had been the worst of all the sisters. Excessively critical and strict, she used any deviation from her instructions as an excuse to give Shauna a good whack with the ruler.

Sh
auna’s absence at home was difficult for her sister, but she was coping. Katy’s bubbly, energetic personality masked the pain festering inside. The sisters were close, mostly from a shared hatred of their upbringing, though Katy had embraced Christianity more readily. Now that she was on her own, Shauna accepted her flawed upbringing and deemed herself a free spirit—believing nature ruled the world and that she was a beacon lighting the universe.

Her parents now
considered Shauna public enemy number one, and because of this hard consideration, Katy lied to them to spend time with her. This weekend’s cover was her friend Lisa McConnell. Katy was nosey, obnoxious and overly focused on the hotness of random dudes. All of that said, she was still her little sister, and Shauna loved her dearly.

Once again, t
heir parents had overstepped their bounds. Shauna understood parents wanting their children to be enlightened. She could even stretch her mind to understand their need for conformity, but she couldn’t fathom the things they did in the name of
God
.

The sassier of the two sisters, Shauna was rebellious. Most of her childhood mornings
began with prayer in a three by three foot closet for refusing to obey. After being told, hundreds of times, that
you‘d burn in hell
for disobeying, you start to believe it. Was it child abuse? She didn’t know. Not that it mattered now, she was an adult and on her own.

Katy informed her that she was being pushed to join the convent
to become a nun. Just when she thought her parents had reached the bottom, they did something that further proved their religious neuroses.

A hunk of
gorgeous guy approached the bar.

Shauna perked up, smil
ing as she shoved her cleavage out and batted fake lashes. “What can I get for you?”

“You can relax
, because I’m not a patron. I’m Quinn. Ash sent me out to finish your training.”

She gave him a thorough once over. He was tall
—like his brothers, but with a thicker, more muscular build in the chest and arms. His massive form reminded her of body builders on TV.
Sexy
. The blond locks were different, but his eyes were the same alarming shade of ice blue.
What is it with those cool neon eyes?

Their eyes were the exact same color but Ascher’s were different, somehow
. Ambiguous warmth glowed from their beautiful depths. She’d noticed it earlier when he'd attempted to smile.

Quinn was just as gorgeous
, but in a way that frightened her. Of the three, Ascher and Gabe looked most alike—facial hair and height the only things differentiating the two. There was still something about
Ascher.
The image of his face flipped somersaults inside her head.

What was it about
him
?

Plenty
of guys had dark hair and blue eyes, but not
that
color blue. He was a jerk, but there was something else there, too. When he shook her hand before, his touch felt foreign, like a feather gliding across her skin. The sparks emanating along her body, from the contact, were electrifying.

The sensation from his
fingertips had jolted straight to her core. His eyes spoke to her, questioned her, radiating countless emotions directly into her. Just thinking about him affected her body—made her stomach flip, her pulse race, her mind wander over naughty thoughts. She knew she shouldn’t obsess over him, especially when he seemed so indifferent towards her.

Sh
auna couldn’t help it. She wanted to see him again.

Quinn smirked
and cleared his throat.

“Sorry.” Her
gaze drifted across the room. Ashamed, she avoided his inquisitive stare while steadying herself, in a more casual stance, against the bar. The last thing she needed was to fall flat on her face. “What happened to the other guy?” She opted to forgo the use of his name in the hopes of sounding detached.

“My brother isn’t feeling well tonight.”

“I don’t need help now,” she snapped, sounding as crabby as she felt. Quinn was only trying to help and wasn’t deserving of her ill temper. “I’m really sorry for being rude.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to show you
anything
?”

“No. This isn’t my first bartending job. I’ve had several
.”

“You have trouble committing to jobs?”

“No.” She gave him an awkward stare. He was nosey—so unlike Ascher. “I’m a college student.”

“Ash is a student too. Where do you go?”

“Birchmont University.”

“I bet you two have seen each other.
Ash goes there; he’s a Psychology major. What about you?”

“I’m undecided, but leaning towards Supernatural and Paranormal Studies.”

Quinn’s expression grew puzzled. “You want to be a ghost chaser?”

“I’ve always had a fascination with the weird and taboo. If society ran from it, I’d flock to it with open arms.”

“That’s fucking bad ass.”

“I thought my parents might have me exorcised as a young child.”

“They sound religious.”

Sh
auna paused, realizing that she’d just plunged into a sticky subject. Religion wasn’t something she openly discussed with strangers, but she’d started it and he’d accepted the invitation. He did seem genuinely interested in her. “That’s an understatement. They’re
beyond
religious.”

“
That doesn’t suit you.” It was a statement more than it was a question.

“I think most people make their own hell right here on Earth.”

“So, you don’t believe in an afterlife?”

H
esitating, she completely shut down. She’d bared enough of her soul for one night. “I don’t mean to be rude. I know I started the conversation and that you’re only trying to be polite, but this is making me really uncomfortable.”

* * * *

Ascher sat in his office with closed eyes, listening in on their conversation, via Quinn’s thoughts. His brother was prying into her past for his benefit. He concentrated, sharpening his ability to channel deeper into her subconscious.

The way
Shauna’s brain worked was curious, because the abundant chatter was trivial and petty. Yet, she mulled over and pondered it as if it were rocket science. Her filter was strong, stronger than most. The majority of the thoughts never made it to her mouth. She was more of a thinker than a talker.

His thirst
muted, Ascher made his way up the back stairs to the gathering spot. The urges were still there, so it was better to avoid Shauna until he fed. He thought about his eavesdropping session. Shauna effortlessly shifted her mind. A tiny block of memories existed in a place Quinn couldn’t access, but Ascher was sure that, with time, he’d decipher every detail of her life story.

I
mages of his own face flitted across the new employee’s mind, but another appeared just as often—Katy. She worried about her younger sister and loved her more than life. He admired her loyalty, loving nature, and honesty—he’d lifted this conclusion from Gabe’s mind, earlier.

Quinn was right. Gabe
had channeled Shauna’s trip to Rousseau’s, only stopping when she’d arrived. Looking at her through the confines of Gabe's mind, Ascher saw the attraction he held for her. His brother adored Shauna as much as a man married ten years. Yet, he hardly knew her. That wasn't Gabe's style at all.
How could that be possible?

The gathering spot was an enormous room on the second floor that they used exclusively for feeding purposes. The chairs around the edges of the room were for
the women to sit while they waited. Calming piano music played over the speakers on the wall. The middle of the room housed several chambers for the women’s
enlightenment
—a less sinister description for the act of hypnosis.

Gabe administered the subtle mind washing
that created the distant gaze in their eyes. He usually flashed them a small subliminal when they arrived, to calm them. When taken upstairs, the women got a more thorough 'convincing.' No woman in complete control of her faculties would ever allow a vampire to bleed her life’s blood. They were willing, but only because the fear was wiped from their brains.

Enlightenment
allowed more primitive and carnal desires to emerge. The human mind was capable of amazing feats, with inhibition and fear removed. Gabe was a pro at it. Using his hypnotic eyes and the lush silkiness of his voice, he planted suggestions deep into their subconscious, rendering the women submissive to their hidden desires.

“The girls are coming soon. Are you ready?”
Gabe asked.

Ascher gave him a look of uncertainty. “I guess so
.”

“I know it’s hard for you
, but it’s a part of who you are.”

“
You’d think I’d be used to it after eighty years. Does it ever get easier?”

“Not easier
, but more manageable. I never had the guilt that you do. I was only impatient. You’ve done well, young one. You’ve never so much as spilled a drop, or killed anyone.”

“
You’ve killed some of them?”

“Unfortunately, I have. I wasn’t a very composed newborn. My thirst was such that I was dangerous. Father
secluded me several times in my first five years. Unlike you, I wasn’t genetically engineered with human sensibilities.”

Ascher gasped. He couldn’t imagine Gabe
requiring seclusion. “But you’re so in control.”

“That'
s just a product of many years of practice. You're the most controlled of all of us. We concluded it was because of your sensitive human nature. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m very proud of you, Ascher.”

Ascher frowned, k
nowing Gabe wouldn’t be proud of the way he’d reacted to Shauna.

“
What was that face about?” Gabe peered closely at him.

“Nothing
.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s been a tough night.”

“You should be happy. A birthday is something to celebrate
. Not dread. Summon our brothers. You’ll feel better after you feed.”

Ascher sent subliminals to Quinn, Tristan, and Carlos—the only human at Rousseau’s that
knew
exactly
what they were. Loyal and trustworthy, he’d been with them for thirty years. Gabe never needed to wipe his brain clean. It was Carlos’s job to guard the staircase on feeding nights.

Quinn and Tristan hurried into the scarcely lit room.

The young women soon followed, lining up, side by side, to give the brothers a closer look.

Ascher inhaled deeply, tasting the women’s essences with his powerful senses. None of them smelled like Shauna, but one was close. She was ordinary—
brown-haired, short, slightly built and a vegetarian virgin.

The
brothers walked the aisle sniffing, tasting the air with their tongues and channeling the young women’s minds.

“The birthday boy has first choice tonight.” Gabe chuckled. “Which one do you want?”

Ascher shifted his eyes toward the dark haired vegetarian virgin.

“As you wish
.” Gabe led the young woman to the 'prepping area’—ten minutes later, she returned in a more subdued demeanor.

Ascher and
the young woman walked the narrow red hall, stopping at room two. The woman stumbled over to the bed. Unlike Shauna, this woman
was
a drinker—drunk on cheap beer. Under ordinary circumstances, he dodged the drinkers. Tonight, he was too thirsty to be choosy. Besides, her virginity just about masked her love of stale brew.

In an attempt to make small talk, he asked, “What is your name?”

“Natalie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Natalie.”

“I don’t suppose you brought me back here to talk.” She was direct in a way that he appreciated.

“I don’t suppose I did.”

“Let’s get on with it then.” Natalie traced an imaginary line with her hand, from his forehead to his chin.