Page 25 of Absolution
“I’ve sort of always been angry. Being undead didn’t really change that.”
“I’m headed to the fight club would you like to come?”
“Will it smell like last time?”
He laughed. “Unfortunately it pretty much always stinks.” He dug in his bag to pull out a small bottle of vapor rub. “A dab under each nostril will help.”
“Seriously?” I took the jar and followed him down the street, surprised how close we were to the fight club. Was there supposed to be a first rule “there is no fight club” type of thing?
“Seriously. Careful though, the first kick of this stuff will make your eyes water.”
I dabbed a tiny bit under my nose and oh yeah that burned! “Crap!”
Max took the jar back. “Potent, but it works. If you ever go someplace you think the smell will bother you, either by making you hungry or just because it stinks, use this stuff.”
“Tricks of the trade, eh? Thanks.” I walked with him a while and wondered where I was going. Did I really want to watch people pound on each other when I’d just left behind a guy for doing the same? Only there was a difference wasn’t there? Control verses loss of control. Luca had lost control. “He started a fight with a lycan. Maybe I overreacted, but he just reminded me of bad things. Does he do that often? Get into fights?”
“Not as much as he used to. Mostly he keeps it in the ring. Have you shared blood yet? Both of you?”
“Yeah. Right before we started dancing.” Which had been a few hours ago according to the rotating digital clock on a bank sign.
“He was territorial then. Someone got too close to you, yes? Perhaps interrupted or broke you apart? The dhampirs have always been that way. Vampires are territorial, but not as much so as their human counterparts. Luca has never liked feeding from just anyone. Even I, who am his father, can’t flaunt my lovers around him, though I do nothing more for him than give him a cup of blood once a month.”
That was an interesting revelation. “It was no big deal. Some guy was kind of pushy. The bouncers were coming to remove him.”
Max nodded. “Gabe hasn’t spoken to you much of territory and vampires?”
Gabe didn’t speak to me about much of anything. Just the basics on how to bite and attract people so I wasn’t blood-raping them, but I wasn’t about to tell this stranger that. “I’m sure he’s got that planned for down the road somewhere.” Along with the discussion on redouts we had yet to have.
We arrived at the club and the same guy was there as last night. He opened the door for us. “Let me give you the bare bones of it then,” Max said. “When a vampire feeds on someone, they become his. Sometimes it’s about controlling their emotions so they will come back to us later—our influence on them. Other times we simply enjoy their company.”
“I’ve fed on a lot of people and never felt any of them were mine.”
“I think you do. I think that’s why you’re so angry. You’ve not claimed any of them. Though you were obviously close to claiming Luca if you let him feed from you.”
“I don’t understand. You mean like make someone my Focus?”
“Not at all. It’s more a scent. A pheromone perhaps. We vampires don’t discuss much with science or let them study us. Secrets protect us in times of trouble.” He paused, stopping in the middle of the hallway. “Does your friend Seiran smell like Gabe?”
“I guess. I never really paid attention, but yeah, it’s there, usually faint, but there.”
“That is what it means to claim someone. Seiran would have had that scent before Gabe made him his Focus. Though it is a step in the process to making someone a Focus. Oftencibo’ssmell of the vampires they serve too.”
“You think if I claim someone I’ll be less angry?”
“I do. We are very territorial around those that are ours. Luca saw you as his. He’s fed on you and maybe not yet scent marked you, but the thought was still there. I’m not sure he could scent mark you if he wanted to as that is a purely vampire trait, and he’s not yet one.”
“How does one scent mark someone?”
“Sex is the easiest way. But exchange blood enough and they will start to smell of you anyway.”
“And it’s some sort of invisible sign to tell other vampires to keep away?”
“Other supes in general, I suppose. Anyone who could smell it, which would extend to higher level witches as well as lycans and vampires.” Max headed toward the fight room where a small man met him with a tablet in hand. “Perhaps you should call Luca back and discuss his outburst? He should have enough time to calm down and realize his error was territorial anger. He’s old enough to recognize it even if he can’t always control it.”
I sighed, not ready for that yet. Sure, I’d probably overreacted. If Gabe had been more forthcoming maybe that wouldn’t have happened at all. But there was no point in playing the what-if game. “I’d rather fight. Burn off some aggression.” The place was packed tonight. First fight already a mash of grunts and hard flesh hitting flesh. There were cheers and jeers from all around. How long would I last in one of these? Would it clear my head at all like beating up those thugs in the alley last night had?
Max studied me for a moment before he finally nodded. “I can arrange that.”