Who Is He?

When the boys came downstairs, Heather jumped up and practically ran over to hug Chris tightly, and then each of the other boys. She pulled back and took Chris by the shoulders and looked at him, studying him, "How are you feeling honey?"

"I’m okay Mom, a little sore and tired, but okay," he gave her a small smile.

She started tearing up as she looked at the scar on his neck, "Good, that’s real good. When I saw the bl…" She pulled him into a hug again.

He could feel that she was crying as she held him. "Don’t worry Mom, I’m okay, I’m okay."

Michael came up and hugged them both. She finally calmed down and guided him over to a seat near her. As he sat down he looked around the table and got matching grins from Jamie and Nicky. He looked at them strangely for a moment before turning to his brother and sister and greeting them.

Jason came back into the dining room sipping from a glass. He quietly sat down on a stool near the door to the kitchen and watched them all as they ate breakfast. The servants came in and out making sure everyone had enough to eat and drink. He had a wistful smile on his face as he sat and watched them.

Soon they were pushing themselves away from the table and leaning back in the chairs, even Jamie and Nicky were full. Michael looked around and saw Jason sitting nearby. He got up and went over to where Jason was sitting. His eyes focused on the glass Jason was drinking from as he took another sip. He looked a little uncomfortable as he thought about what was probably in the dark glass.

"I was just wondering what is going to happen today. What Robert has in mind?" Michael asked.

Jason shrugged, "We’ll have to wait until he gets up later today." Michael glanced over at the boy’s.

"What about Travis and Bryce’s families?"

Jason shook his head, "I’m not sure what Robert has in mind, but he’ll let us know later."

Michael ran out of things to say and again looked uncomfortable for a few moments as he tried to form the questions he had. Jason waited patiently as he sipped from the dark glass. Every time that he took a sip, Michael’s eyes would follow the glass.

Jason finally sighed, "C’mon Michael, say what’s on mind."

"Sorry, it’s just….I just can’t believe you’re here. I mean what happened to you, how did you get to be….like you are?" He was having a difficult time wrapping his head around the situation.

Jason said nothing for a few moments before he answered. "I guess that is something you guys need to hear. I don’t think Tyler and Jessie need to hear this, but the boy’s have seen enough that they should probably hear it if they want, especially Chris."

Jason looked over to where Chris was sitting and he sighed, before turning his attention back to Michael. "You’ve done a great job with him Mike. He’s a great kid."

Michael looked over at Chris as well. "Yeah, he is."

Jason got off the stool. "Why don’t we let Jamie and Nicky watch the kids and the rest of us will go talk in the parlor."

Michael nodded, "All right, Jace."

Jason walked over to the twins and whispered in their ear. They smiled and nodded their heads. They got up and walked over to Tyler and Jessie, "Hey, do you guys want to go see the horses?"

Both of them perked up, "Horses?"

Jamie nodded, "Yeah, Mr. Furginson, owns a bunch."

They smiled and got up, "Cool."

Heather looked at Michael, and he nodded, "That’s sounds like fun guys."

Jessie looked at her, "You going with us, Mom?"

Heather shook her head, "No, you guys go ahead. I’ll see the horses later."

They smiled and followed the twins outside, "Okay, bye Mom. Bye Dad. See you guys later."

Once they were gone, Jason motioned for them to follow him to one of the rooms. He brought them to a dim sitting room. The heavy drapes on the outside windows were closed. He turned the lights on and motioned for them to sit. "Make yourselves comfortable."

He took another sip of the dark glass that he had carried in with him while they waited for him to start. When he brought the glass back down they could see a bit of thick red liquid at the corner of his mouth that he quickly licked up. He saw the looks in their eyes. He put the glass down and they glanced at it before looking back up at him. He smiled and nodded.

He gave a small smile, "Yes, it is what you think it is, and it’s something that I have no choice about it, if I wish to survive."

"So what he said was correct, and you’re one as well." Heather ventured.

Jason nodded, "Yes, something I had no choice about."

Chris had a puzzled look, "One what?"

Jason looked at Chris when he asked the question. "A…vampire," he said hesitantly

Chris just looked at Jason, his two friends were shocked. Chris just nodded. "I thought it was a dream, but…I saw. I saw part of the fight in the warehouse before I passed out."

Jason nodded, "Yes, I thought you might have seen that."

"Who were those guys?" Chris asked.

"They were from another family. Well two of them were anyway; the other guy was from a pack, a wolf pack." Jason answered.

"You mean a werewolf." Chris asked in surprise.

Heather was startled, "Werewolf?"

Chris looked at her and nodded, "Yeah Mom. I saw that other guy, the one who helped kidnap us, change and….and hurt Travis. Then those other wolves attacked him. I guess they were your friends."

Jason smiled and nodded, "Yes, they are friends, very good friends."

Chris remembered something, "Are they alright, I thought I remembered one of them had its arm hurt real bad?"

Heather suddenly stiffened as she remembered seeing Nicky with his arm in a sling. Jason noticed and she started to get up, but Jason moved over to her quickly and put his hand gently on her shoulder. She looked up at him with a nervous look on her face. He just smiled at her as he tried to reassure her.

"Heather, you can trust them. They will not hurt them, nor allow anything or anyone to hurt them. Trust me; they would give their lives to save them. One of them almost did give his life last night to save the boys. He was hurt last night, but they heal fast. Not as fast as we do, but pretty fast."

She settled back down into the seat and Jason went back to where he had been standing.

"That was them this morning right? Playing with Tyler and Jessie?" she asked nervously.

Jason nodded, "Yes, it was."

She nodded thoughtfully, "That’s why they seemed to understand you, when you told them to go and get something to eat."

Jason nodded again, "Yep. They were having fun playing with the kids, they’ve been away from their pack for a little while helping me and they miss playing with the kids in their pack."

"They are helping you? Do you mean you or the other guy…Robert?" Michael asked.

"Well, both really. They were helping my family by helping me." Jason said.

"What are they helping you with?" Michael asked.

Jason gestured toward the boys, "Watching over Chris, and his friends and their families."

"You were watching us, all of us?"

Jason nodded, "Yes. In truth, I’ve been trying to watch over Chris since he was about five or six. That’s about the time I found out about him. It was the only way that I could be a part of his life."

They were all quiet for a few moments. Jason drained his glass.

The silence stretched out for a few moments before Michael asked what he really wanted to know more than anything. "What happened to you Jace? You just disappeared. I waited for you to come back with my car after you dropped Heather off, but you never returned."

Jason nodded absently as a shadow seemed to come over his eyes. "I know Mike. I wanted to. I so did not want to be away from you guys, but I wasn’t given that choice. I never wanted to be gone from either of you. You were my best friend Mike and Heather…I thought that there wasn’t anything that would keep me from your side, but I found out that there was. There were times that I wished they had killed me."

"But why are you still living here with them, if they did this to you," she asked him with concern.

Jason looked at her for a moment, before he realized that she had misunderstood him and he chuckled. "Oh…oh no, Robert had nothing to do with what happened to me. In fact he saved my life from the one who turned me."

"Can you tell us what happened?"

Jason looked down as he gathered his thoughts. When he was ready he looked up at Chris and smiled for moment.

"Yeah, but this may take awhile, so I’ll have some drinks brought in here and I’ll tell you about it. Although I warn you, some of what I’m going to tell you is pretty bad. So I hope you won’t hate me after you hear it."

Michael walked over and rested his hand on Jason’s shoulder, "Go ahead, Jace."

He took a deep breath and began, "It happened on the way back to Mike’s house. That’s when my life changed completely."

 

---

 

{15 years ago}

Jason waved to Heather before he backed the car out of the driveway and then headed back toward Mike’s house. He was going to spend the night because he and Mike were going to pick up his ten year old Chevy S-10 truck the next day from the mechanic. The blown head gasket had finally been repaired and he couldn’t wait to get his truck back. He didn’t like having to bum rides from Mike, or his parents, to go to his part time job at Blockbuster or to go anywhere. He missed the independence that his truck gave him.

As he drove near the park, he saw something in the road ahead. Once he got close enough he saw a bicycle lying in the middle of the other lane. He pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. He got out and walked over to the bike and knelt down to look at it. He noticed that the front wheel looked bent up and the handlebars were tweaked a bit. He got up and started looking around. He noticed what looked like someone lying off to the side a little bit. He thought he heard a slight groan and ran over to the body. He saw what looked like a man lying on his side, partially face down. Jason went to move him, but remembered that you shouldn’t move someone who had been hurt unless it was necessary. So instead he knelt down and placed his hand on the guys shoulder.

"Hey man, you okay?"

At that moment the seemingly injured man moved so quick that Jason was taken by surprise. The man had him down on the ground and held immobile before leaning close to Jason’s ear.

"I am now." The man had an evil grin on his face as he looked down at Jason.

The next thing Jason felt was a sharp pain and warm liquid running down his neck. He struggled, but soon started to feel weak and passed out, not knowing what was happening to him.

Milos got up from the unconscious teenager on the ground. He signaled to someone down the street and a van pulled up. Two young guys got out and loaded the bicycle in the back of the van while Milos turned Jason over. Blood still leaked out of the bite on his neck, the initial spray had covered the front of the jacket, soaking it. He stripped the jacket off and used it to soak up more of the blood, before handing it off to one of the guys from the van.

"Go stash this in the park somewhere. I want them to find it, but not right away. When you get back, get in his car and follow us," he ordered.

The one who took the jacket nodded, "Yes sir, Mr. Beloch."

Milos picked Jason up and carried him over to the van and dumped him inside. He got in the passenger seat while the other young guy took the driver’s seat, and they quickly left the area when they saw the other return after stashing the jacket. The van and car left the neighborhood and made their way back to the Beloch estate. Thirty minutes later they pulled into the gated estate and drove around to one of the buildings in the back. Mike’s car was parked next to the van and the two young guys carried Jason into the building by the door that Milos held open. The lay him on the large stone table that had manacles attached to it, located in the small building.

"Zebulon, take the car and park it in a parking structure at some shopping mall, I don’t care which; I just don’t want it found for a few days. Make sure it cannot be traced to you. Ivan, follow him with the van and bring him back here. I’ll take care of our guest and prepare him to be part of our family."

The two guys nodded and left, closing the door behind them. Milos heard the two vehicles start up and their engine sounds faded away as they left to do his bidding. He turned to Jason’s unconscious form and smiled. He quickly removed Jason’s clothes until he was lying naked on the stone table. Once Jason was stripped, he attached the manacles to his wrists and ankles and then waited.

Soon the cold of the stone table seeping into his body caused Jason to wake up with a shiver. He groaned and tried to sit up, but found himself unable to move. He looked around the room, that was dimly lit by some lanterns situated around the room. He looked to see what was stopping him and saw that his arms were stretched out to each side. He was able to lift his head a little and could see that his feet were spread apart and shackled as well. He also realized he was naked and he shivered again from the cold of the stone beneath him. He tried to pull as hard as he could to get free but was unable to move much at all, besides he felt a little weak. He stopped struggling when he heard a chuckle from above his head. He tried to look in that direction but couldn’t move enough to look. He heard someone moving toward him and kept trying to glance around to see who it was. The man came into view and stood beside him. Jason saw that the man was older, at least in his late thirties, with brown hair and dark eyes. The smile that he showed to Jason did not reach his eyes.

"Good evening young man. I’m so glad to have your company tonight."

Milos raised his hand up and in it was Jason’s open wallet. Milos looked at it for a moment.

"I’m please to make your acquaintance….Jason Huntington. My name is Milos Beloch," the man said.

"What do you want from me?" Jason yelled.

Milos gestured absently, "Oh nothing much, a trifling really. I want to recruit you to join my little family."

Jason was confused, "Join your family? What do you mean join your family, like some mafia thing? Let me go, you fucker! Let me go!" Jason struggled against the manacles.

Milos laughed a little, "A mafia thing. That’s good; I’ll have to remember that."

He tried to caress Jason’s cheek, but Jason pulled his head away. Milos chuckled some more as he ran his hand down Jason’s chest with a gentle touch. He continued moving his hand down until he was below his waist and gently took him in his hand and fondled him until he was aroused. Jason gritted his teeth and tried to will it down, but the feelings could not be denied and soon he was completely stiff. Milos took his hand away and looked back at Jason’s face, which now had tears of shame running from his eyes.

He looked at Milos with anger. "Let me go, you fucking pervert!" Jason yelled.

Milos smiled mockingly at him. "Oh, I will, but only once you become part of the family. Then you’ll be free to do what you want. And the freedom you get will be intoxicating, trust me. But first I will have to initiate you into the family. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it as much as I will."

Milos walked a few feet away and started to remove his clothes. He turned back to Jason and smiled an evil smile. The man was a little shorter than average, and he looked to be powerfully built. Milos walked to the end of the table and climbed up between Jason’s legs. Jason really started to get scared.

"No man, c’mon; I’m not into that. Let me go!" Jason cried out.

He saw that nothing he said was going to deter Milos and he started to get angry. "Let me go, motherfucker! Let me go!"

Milos only smiled that same smile and lifted Jason’s hips so he could get into the right position. He looked at Jason and grinned widely. "Motherfucker not usually, but today Jason fucker yes."

Milos entered him savagely tearing a scream from him Jason’s throat as he was invaded. Milos leaned forward until his face filled Jason’s vision. Jason’s eyes then widened in horror as he saw the man’s fangs drop.

"Welcome to the family Jason."

Jason screamed as Milos lowered his mouth to Jason’s throat and bit him. His screams turned to whimpers as Milos continued his assault on Jason. Finally, the whimpers grew faint and Milos sat back and got off the table. He walked around to Jason’s head and turned Jason’s face to look at him. Jason was nearly gone, his heart was beating slower and he was having trouble taking a breath. Through the haze before his eyes, he saw Milos, bring his wrist up to his mouth and bite down, then he placed his bleeding wrist against Jason’s mouth.

"Drink, Jason. Drink and you will be free."

Back in a corner of Jason’s mind he was saying no, over and over. When his mouth felt the blood fill it, he instinctively swallowed and he suddenly felt very thirsty as he latched onto the wrist with his lips and started to drink. Milos smiled as he felt Jason drink. He pulled away after a minute and stood back. He watched as Jason’s body suddenly arched up and he screamed as the change started inside. Jason stayed in that arched position for a few moments, screaming and then suddenly he collapsed. One final breath was expelled and then Jason was still. Milos cleaned himself up from a sink in a room nearby, while behind him Jason’s body expelled all its waste onto the table and himself.

Once cleaned and dressed, Milos left the building after taking one last look behind him. He entered his manor house and made his way to his study to await Zebulon and Ivan. They returned an hour later and came to the study.

He smiled at them when they entered. "Ah, you’re back. Ivan, please see that your new brother is cleaned up and settled in his room. Zebulon, go with him."

Ivan nodded, "Yes sir."

He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Ivan found a couple of the other newer members of the family watching TV in another room. He had them follow him and led them to the building. The smell was strong as they entered.

"You two, clean him up and put him in the basement. Then clean up this place, before you take your rest. Zebulon, watch to make sure they do the job right," Ivan ordered.

Zebulon nodded, "Of course Ivan."

The newbie’s looked at the chore with distaste, but reluctantly did as they were told. They knew better than to argue with either of the older vampires. An order from them was almost as if Milos had given it. Zeb watched as the two unshackled Jason and picked him up. Before they brought him into the house, they hosed him down to get most of the mess off of him. Then after wrapping him in a padded mover’s blanket from a stack nearby, they carried him into the manor and downstairs to the cleaning room, where they finished cleaning him up.

Once Jason’s body was clean, they carried him to one of the small, locked concrete rooms and laid him down. These rooms resembled old castle dungeon cells. The doors were thick and metal bound, with a 1’ X 1’ metal grate in them. The walls and floor were bare concrete with no lights of any kind, or any bed or place to sit. They locked the cell door when they left. Zebulon looked through the grate in the door that allowed him to look into the room and nodded. He reported back to Ivan that Jason was secured.

{Present day}

Heather had moved over next to Jason as he told this part of the story.

"….It was the worst thing that I could have imagined. When he did that….I don’t know. I just wanted it to end."

"Jason, it wasn’t your fault. We don’t hate you for that, just because he did that to you."

Jason looked at her with a sad expression. "I know, but that’s not the worst. It was what happened later that I need to tell you about, and then you can decide what you think of me then."

 

---

 

{15 years ago}

Over the next few days, Ivan made sure that Jason’s body was tended to and cleaned as it expelled all the waste through the changing process. When that part of the change was done, he was taken up to a bedroom and placed into a bed. Each evening Milos would sit and wait for him to awaken. Two evenings after he had been placed in the bed, Jason started to move and finally opened his eyes. The room was dark, but he found that he could see pretty well as he sat up and looked around. He was startled by a voice from the deepest shadows of the room.

"Ah, Jason, finally, you rejoin us," the voice said.

Jason looked around confused, trying to figure out where he was, "Where am I? Where are you?" he asked as he swiveled his head around.

"I am here."

Milos stepped out of the deeper shadows and turned the lights up until the room was filled with dim light. When Jason saw him, he looked puzzled, like he was trying to remember something. This only made Milos grin.

"You have finished your change and now you are ready to join the family. Come, there is a robe at the end of your bed. Join me."

Jason reached for the robe and waited for Milos to turn away, but he didn’t, he only stood and watched Jason. Finally, Jason got out of the bed and pulled the robe over his naked body, closing it tightly with the belt. Milos then turned and led the way downstairs to his study. He motioned for Jason to take a seat while he went to pour two drinks into metal goblets. He brought one over and handed to Jason. Jason was still puzzled trying to remember how he got here and where here was. He absently took a sip of the drink and suddenly gagged at the thick liquid in the glass. He looked inside and was horrified as he realized what it was, blood. He dropped the glass and the blood spilled out of the goblet and onto the floor. He could smell its distinctive odor.

"Tsk, tsk. Such a waste of a good vintage," Milos said with regret.

Jason had a shocked look on his face as he looked at Milos. "That’s blood, what are you trying to do to me."

"Do to you my dear boy," Milos asked with a mocking tone. "I’ve already done it. You are part of my family now and that is the only way for you to survive now."

Everything came rushing back in, the attack, the assault and the last thing he remembered was the face of Milos just before he bit him.

"You mean….I’m….I’m a….v…vampire?" Jason was incredulous.

Milos nodded, "Yes, you are, one of my vampire children; part of my family. You owe your allegiance to me and no other."

Jason shook his head in denial. "No. I won’t be one of you. I’d rather be dead first."

Milos merely chuckled, "Oh you’re already that, now you just have to do one more thing and you will be a full fledged member of the family."

Jason was angry, "I don’t want to be a member of your family. I want to go home."

Milos frowned, "I’m afraid…that…is out of the questions now. Unless, of course, you’re hungry. Family can taste so good."

"Fuck you. I’ll never be part of your family," Jason yelled.

"We’ll see."

Milos went to the wall of the room and pushed a button next to a speaker. "Ivan, would you come here please?"

He stood there and watched Jason. A few moments later the door opened and Ivan came in.

"Ivan, would you be so kind and conduct your brother to his new lodgings. He’s a little reluctant to join us at the moment."

Ivan nodded, "Certainly sir."

Ivan walked over to Jason and hauled him out of the chair. Jason tried to break free, but he found he didn’t have the strength to get free. He continued to struggle, but Ivan, easily carried him out of the room. One of the others of the household helped Ivan carry Jason downstairs and into one of the small concrete rooms and threw him into it. As they closed the door, Jason threw himself against it.

"Let me out of here, you bastards!" he yelled as he beat his fists against the door.

Ivan sneered at him through the grating. "Settle down new blood. It’s time you learn your place. Don’t give me a reason to teach you some manners. You won’t like it."

Jason looked at him with hatred. "C’mon! I’m not afraid of you! Stupid fuck! C’mon!"

Ivan merely smiled at him and walked away. Jason kept yelling until he finally was worn out venting his frustration against the door. He went to a corner and put his head down and clasped his knees to his chest.

 

---

 

{Present Day}

"They left me there for days. Every once in a while, Ivan, or sometime Milos, came and looked in on me. Eventually I started to feel weak and hungry. The hunger was all I could think about…."

 

---

 

{15 years ago}

Jason was moaning a little from the pain in his belly when the cell door was opened. Ivan, and one of the others named Oscar, accompanied Milos into the cell. Oscar and Ivan picked up the weakened Jason and held him between them. Milos walked up and took Jason’s chin in his hand with a tight grip.

"So, my son, are you hungry yet? I know you can feel the hunger pangs. They will only get worse. Obey me and all your pain will go away and you will be truly free."

Jason growled at him, "Fuck you."

Milos scowled at him and backhanded him. He motioned to the others. "Bring him."

Jason tried to struggle against them as they escorted him to the main area of the basement, but they were too strong in his weakened state. What he saw horrified him. Tied to a chair was a boy, about ten or so years old, who was blindfolded. He kept looking back and forth at the sounds he heard as people moved around. He trembled and Jason could hear the fear in his voice.

"What’s going on? Where am I?" the boy repeatedly asked.

Milos walked over to the boy and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder causing him to flinch and look to where his voice came from. Milos removed the blindfold and the boy looked around at the people who stood around him.

"Who are you guys? Where am I? Wh….what’s going on?"

No one answered him and you could see the fear in his eyes. The boy’s chin started to quiver as he fought to keep from crying.

"Come Jason. I know you’re hungry. You don’t even have to hunt. Your meal is served on a silver platter for you. Come, take a sip, and all those pains you have will just… go away. I assure you, it is one of the better vintages."

Jason looked at the boy, who now had tears running down his cheeks. Jason looked into the boy’s tear filled eyes.

"Tony here won’t mind. It won’t hurt, at least not much."

When Tony heard Milos say ‘hurt’, he started to whimper. Milos looked down at him in contempt and backhanded him, causing the boy’s head to rock back. The boy was dazed.

"Shut up, whelp."

The boy could only groan in semi consciousness. Milos looked over at Jason and smiled as he gestured at the boy, and slightly turned the boy’s head so that his neck was presented to him. Jason could see the pulse in his neck.

"Look my boy, all prepared. He probably won’t even feel it. I’ve given him a slight anesthetic."

Milos leaned back and laughed, getting answering chuckles from the others in the room, except Jason.

"NOOOOO! I WON’T, YOU FUCKING PSYCHO! I’m not going to do what you want! There is no way that I will hurt that boy!" Jason yelled and struggled.

Milos looked at Jason with anger and then smiled and shrugged.

"Very well, take him back to his accommodations."

Ivan and Oscar pulled him around and escorted him back to the cell. Jason struggled against him yelling back at Milos, "LET HIM GO! HE’S JUST A KID! LET HIM GO!"

They threw him into the cell and slammed the door. Jason threw himself against the cell door and looked through the grate. He could see Milos gently slapping Tony to wake him up.

"NO, LEAVE HIM ALONE! LET HIM GO!" Jason yelled with tears of frustration running down his face.

Tony slowly came around and looked up at the man standing above him. The man who had just hit him and he started whimpering again. Milos looked over to where Jason was yelling at him and smiled, letting his fangs drop before turning back to Tony. When Tony saw the evil creature before him, he let out a high pitched scream that was cut off suddenly when Milos dove down on him and bit him.

Jason screamed when he saw the blood spray out, "NOOOOOOOO!"

Jason started slamming his fists against the door and yelling at Milos as he watched the boy’s struggles weaken as Milos drank him dry.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU MOTHERFUCKER! COME OVER AND LET ME OUT, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON Of A BITCH!"

Jason slowly slumped down when he saw Tony go completely limp and just kept weakly beating a fist against the door. Tears ran down his face. He heard someone stop outside the door.

"Next time, don’t spurn my gifts, or it will be worse than you can imagine."

Jason continued to cry as Milos walked away. His knuckles were bloody as he pulled himself over to the corner and curled up, crying until he had finally exhausted himself and fallen asleep.

 

---

 

{Present day}

Jason wiped his eyes as he remembered the look on Tony’s face when he saw the real Milos.

"I don’t know…maybe I should have just done it. I would have made it as gentle as I could, but I just couldn’t do it to that poor boy."

The others in the room all had tears in their eyes and Michael had moved over to the other side of Jason and put arm around him, to try to give his best friend as much comfort as he could. Jason felt all the old horror at what Milos had done and he turned and clutched onto Michael tightly as he sobbed. He eventually calmed down and sat back up. Heather put her hand on his cheek.

"We can stop if you want to, Jason. We don’t have to continue," she said.

Jason shook his head, "No, no, I think I have to. You need to hear everything; the good and…the bad."

She nodded, "Okay Jace."

 

---

 

{15 years ago}

Jason was left alone for many days as the pain in his stomach increased to the point that it became all that he could think about. The feelings consumed him. He didn’t know how long but it seemed like weeks and all he could do was lay there, most of that time he was semiconscious. The sound of the door opening brought him to awareness. He felt hands picking him up and carrying him, with his feet dragging behind him. He was set down into a chair and a mug was put under his nose. He smelled the scent, and for a few moments the hunger was all consuming and he drank down the warm thick liquid. As soon as he finished the few ounces that were in there, the cup was taken from him. The feeling of the blood revitalized Jason enough to pay attention to his surroundings. He looked up through eyes that were clearer than they had been for a few days now. Once again, Ivan and Oscar were standing beside him.

Milos had just put the mug down on a nearby table, and turned back to face Jason with a smirk on his face. "Feels better doesn’t it? Some of those hunger pangs have retreated a little bit, haven’t they? Things are clearer, and you are more aware of other things going on around you."

Jason kept licking his lips like he was trying to find any speck of blood that might be left on his lips. Milos motioned for Ivan and Oscar to shift Jason around until he was facing in the opposite direction than he was presently facing. Jason saw something a few feet in front of him and he smelled something that called to him. It took a few moments for Jason to focus as Milos moved into his view. The other scent in the room made him salivate and that made Milos smile.

"Yes. You can smell it can’t you? It’s intoxicating. Come my boy, come and relieve the pain that eats at you. It’s a simple thing and so satisfying. Just accept the freedom that I offer."

Jason staggered to his feet. Ivan and Oscar moved to his side in case he fell. Jason made it over to where he was standing near Milos. Things were still a little fuzzy to him. Milos patted Jason on the shoulder as he reached beside him and pulled a blanket off the object that was lying on the table. The movement helped Jason bring everything into focus. Lying on the table was a boy who was about eleven or twelve years old. When the blanket was pulled off of him, the boy blinked a couple of times in the light of the room. He was tied down to the table. He looked around the room and noted all the men in there. He knew he didn’t know where he was and all of them, except for the teenager standing nearby, looked scary. He started to whimper and his eyes filled with fear. Jason stumbled back into the arms of Ivan and Oscar; Milos looked at Jason with a scowl.

"Remember what I said last time. This is the next time. If you do not accept my gift; it will be worse," Milos warned him.

Jason only shook his head. "No, I….I can’t. I can’t do that; anything else, but not this boy. Do what you want to me, but let him go."

"Oh, did you think that I meant that it would be worse for you? No, no, no. You completely misunderstand me. I meant it will be worse for the victim. I’ve been around a long time and I have learned many things, including how to inflict pain, without going too far; at least for the most part."

Ivan held Jason up, while Oscar moved the chair closer. They sat him down and held his shoulders in an iron grip. Milos smiled as he reached down and gripped the boy’s arm below the elbow and with his other hand grabbed the boy near his wrist and suddenly twisted. There was an audible snap and the boy screamed and started wailing in pain, with his now broken arm.

"You can stop it you know. Just one simple act on your part and his pain, his fears, everything goes away. He will be at peace and you will be free," Milos taunted.

"No, please. Hurt me, kill me, but let him go. I’ll take his place," Jason whined.

"You still don’t understand. I don’t want him, I want you. I want you as a full fledged member of my family. I chose you. Not him," Milos said simply.

Milos reached down and took the boys hand in his, and squeezed until you could hear several cracks as the boy’s fingers were crushed in his powerful grip. The boy screamed again. Jason was now crying along with the boy as he shook his head. Milos slammed his fist against the boy’s rib cage which produced more audible cracks and the boy’s crying stopped as the breath was forced from his lungs. Jason wailed in sympathy. Milos moved a little and grabbed the boy’s foot and twisted it until it was lying at an unnatural angle. The boy let out a low scream and could only whimper now as he was having a difficult time taking a breath. Jason could almost feel his pain. The boy opened his eyes and looked right at Jason. Jason saw the pleading in the boy’s eyes, behind all the pain. The boy tried to form words but no sound came out. Jason was drawn to him and tried to get up, but the two vampires held him down. Milos motioned for them to let him up. Jason was shaky as he stood up and stumbled forward until he was standing next to the table and looking down on the boy. The boy looked up and again he tried to say something. When he opened his mouth, Jason could see that there was a little blood staining the boy’s teeth. He looked into the boy’s tear filled eyes as he tried to talk again. Jason leaned close enough to hear him. The words were faint, but clear to Jason as he leaned over.

"Help…….hurts…so much….please….make it stop….please."

Jason leaned down until he was touching foreheads with the boy and looked into his eyes as their tears mingled on the boy’s cheeks. Jason moved his head back a little and the boy nodded and said one final thing, "Please….just make it stop. I forgive you."

Jason nodded and gently stroked the boy’s sweat soaked bangs away from his forehead and gently moved the boys head to the side, exposing his neck. The boy closed his eyes, waiting for the release of pain. Jason leaned close until he could smell the boy’s scent. He could smell the blood flowing underneath his skin. His fangs extended and he gently brought his lips to the boy’s neck and gently kissed him. "I’m sorry," he whispered to the boy.

The boy whimpered when he heard Jason’s whisper just before he bit down on the boy’s neck. The boy stiffened for a moment and his body tried to fight back, but he was spent and soon he went limp as Jason drew the boy’s blood into his mouth and down his throat. Jason felt his strength return and even expand. As he felt the boy go still beneath him, Jason said a silent prayer.

[Lord, please take this beautiful, innocent boy into your arms. Let him rest among the gentle lands and never feel pain again. Please forgive me for what I have done.]

Jason’s fangs retracted as he looked down at the boy’s peaceful face and kissed his cheek before standing up and looking at Milos with hatred. Milos only smiled in answer.

"Feels better, doesn’t it. The hunger is completely gone and you are feeling stronger and much better," Milos said with satisfaction.

"I hate you," Jason snarled.

Milos gave a hearty laugh, "That’s okay, I can work with that. I understand hate. Oscar, why don’t you show your new brother to his room? I’m sure he’s tired of these spartan quarters."

Milos walked away, not even giving the dead boy a glance as he walked up the stairs. Oscar grabbed Jason’s arm and started to push him toward the stairs. Jason pulled free and looked at him in contempt.

"Keep your hands off me, asshole," he warned.

Oscar sneered at him, "Watch it new blood."

"Fuck you asshole."

Oscar just pushed him forward and forced him to follow Ivan up the stairs. They led him upstairs to a bedroom with a small attached bathroom and left him there. He looked around the room and stripped off the tattered robe that was all he had been wearing since he was put into the cell. He went into the bathroom and cleaned up the days and weeks of dirt and grime. But he couldn’t clean the stain that he felt on his soul for what he had done. When he finished, the night’s events took their toll and he was soon in an exhausted sleep.

 

---

 

{Present day}

Jason just stared down at his hands and let the tears flow.

"I never knew his name. But I remember everything as if it happened yesterday. I’ve thought about trying to find out who he was, but I think it would hurt too much to know who he really was."

Michael rubbed his back, "You did what you had to do to help him. This Milos character would have continued to torture him until you gave in. He forgave you."

"I know, but I can’t forgive myself. I never will."