Page 13 of Vampire Kings Box Set

“Nothing I won’t recover from in due course.”

Maddox sighed. “Can you not stay out of trouble?” He did not know why he was bothering to ask the question. When still human, Lorien had been a gadfly and a cad. A rake and a gambler. As a vampire he was still all those things.

“It would seem not,” Lorien gave a slight shrug. He would never have admitted it, of course, but he was here seeking asylum. Begging for help silently with those wicked green eyes which charmed his human pets, intimidated his enemies, and could never hide anything from Maddox.

“You’ll stay here. Under my protection. And you’ll help teach Will to hunt. Do not tell him anything he is not ready to hear, understand? I do mean anything.”

There was a very brief moment in which Lorien didn’t fully understand what Maddox was saying. Then his expression cleared.

“Oh, he doesn't know!” Lorien laughed. “That’s classic.”

“It is not classic. He’s vulnerable. If you do or say anything to harm the process, I’m…”

“Don’t worry, Maddox. I won’t say a word,” Lorien said. “Ernest almost ensured that I couldn’t say one anyway.”

He unbuttoned the top of his coat, revealing a nasty wound on his throat. It had already begun to heal, but Maddox had the strong impression that it would have incapacitated the younger vampire when it was first inflicted.

“Tell me what happened,” he said, keeping his tone controlled.

“I was jumped at the Library,” Lorien explained.

‘The Library’ was not a library at all. It was a club where vampires socialized, which was about the most stupid thing Maddox had ever heard of. They were solitary predators by nature. Giving into the human habit of hanging about in groups was always going to end badly.

“And?” Mad prompted.

“I don’t have more details than that. I barely made it out of there alive. Crawled under a dumpster and laid low for a few days until the bleeding stopped, then I came here.”

“That would explain the state of you,” Maddox sighed. This was not good timing. He needed to have all his attention focused on Will right now. Things were sensitive and delicate. Things could go wrong if he took his eye off the pup for more than a moment.

“So,” Lorien said, his cold lips twisting in a charming little smile. “What are you going to do with me?”

Indeed, that was the question. It was a question that could only have one answer, however.

“While you are under my roof, you will avoid all social contact with others of our kind, do you understand?”

“I remember,” Lorien said. “I’m not feeling particularly sociable at the moment. Don’t worry. It won’t be like last time. I’ve learned a few lessons since then.”

Maddox had a fairly reasonable idea that it would be exactly the same way it had been last time. Lorien was too young a vampire to act with appropriate foresight. His instincts and impulses would always win out. That was why fledglings needed their makers.

“Come here,” Maddox beckoned.

Lorien took an obedient step toward him, a sliver of uncertainty dancing in his eyes.

Maddox wrapped his arms briefly around Lorien’s shoulders. “Welcome home.”

FLOMP!

“ARRRRRGGGHHH!”

There was a sound outside, a thud followed by a very high-pitched scream. Both Maddox and Lorien turned curious gazes toward the source of the sound. There was no further thudding, but there was quite a lot of grunting and moaning.

“What was that?”

“That, if I had to hazard a guess, was my pet attempting to escape.”

“Poor thing. He sounds hurt.”

“FUUUUUCCCKK!”