I rose and wiped the blood from my mouth. I looked down at the young girl, snoring peacefully on the ground. No, I thought, she'll be fine. Probably just wake up with a bad headache. I feel better, though. Fuller. With blood in my veins and belly, my primal need has been satisfied. For now. I disappear into the night; it is almost morning.
I awake later in the evening, about four. The sun is beginning to dim, and while it's not completely gone, I can withstand it. It's a common misconceptions that vampire's can't deal with any daylight, but it's not entirely true. Daylight won't kill me, only weakens me. Younger ones might perish in the full light of the sun, but not me. Not as old as I am.
I walk through the halls of my mansion. Claire, my cleaning woman, bids me good evening and I give her a charming smile. I know that she is still gazing at my muscular legs and ass, and I smirk as I continue down the hall. Good old Claire. I don't know if she knows exactly what I am, but she's compensated handsomely to keep my house clean, and she probably doesn't care.
I shower, allowing the burning hot water to warm my icy blood, then I dress appropriately. A dark grey vest over a white collared shirt, a matching tie, and black leather shoes. Only the finest. I study my fair complexion in the mirror above the sink; dark hair, pale skin. Eyes that are normally deep and dark shone a pale brown right now, since I am satisfied. I had only been in Seattle for a couple of months, and already it was a challenge to feed. The world was changing, people were becoming less and less trusting.
I made a living from my art, my books, and for a while, my talents as a lawyer. I had enjoyed my legal career, but had to write it off about 70 years ago. I had gone by the name Aaron Hawke, and everyone in southern Florida thought he died suddenly in a plane crash. Of course, the body was never found. A job simply attracted too much attention, being around the same people every day. So, for now, I lived alone and spent my time writing, sculpting and painting. I have amassed a fortune over the years and did my best to stay off the grid, off the books.
My real, first name given was Theron, which of course, means hunter. Very appropriate for what I have turned out to be, I've often though. I've had hundreds, maybe thousands of aliases throughout my life. I can't give you the exact year of my birth, since historical events have been distorted so much. The Romans were about to conquer Greece when I was born. I remember my father, and my lovely mother, but the memories in my human mind often fail me. I was with them until I reached the age of 18, before we were sold into Roman slavery. That was the last time I ever saw them. I have been back to what I believe as my birthplace, several times. I believe I even found their graves, and of course, I have seen my name on many graves. I was named after my father.
Luckily, my slavery involved educating the daughter of my new master, Galorius. His daughter, Vatia, was lovely and kind. I never felt like a slave in their home. At least, that was until Vatia and I were discovered together. My master was furious. I was brutally beaten and sent away.
I hid in the wilderness, not knowing where to go next. It was deep in the woods where I first had my encounter with a vrykolakas, or what we now know as a vampire. The word vampire had yet to be invented. Whatever the name, it was a creature of the night. His name was Nikolas, and he attacked me one night when I was sleeping. He had never meant to wake me, yet I arose from my slumber as he began to feed on me. The following struggle left me mortally wounded. Dying, I begged him not to leave me. The details are a blur, but everything after I awoke that morning is now imbedded perfectly, sharply, in my memory. There were no fangs, no chalky skin, only the feeling that somehow, I was impermeable and fearless.
Nikolas had been raised in Sparta, and his father had perished in the battle of Thermopylae. He had been turned at a younger age, and was a true hunter of the night. His power was immense, and he was intelligent, strong and loyal. I was immediately drawn to Nikolas, and he became my friend, my family, and my teacher. Over the years, he showed me how to live, how to observe, and how to stay hidden in the shadows. He taught me to sway the minds of mortals, to read their thoughts, and to feed from them without killing them.
However, it was difficult to abandon my human life so easily. I went back to see Vatia only mere months after I was changed. I showed her who I was, what I had become. I had hoped to change her, for her to be my mate. Her reaction was that of disgust and repulsion. She cursed at me, told me I was a demon, and ran from me. Nikolas and I had to flee soon after, knowing that she'd bring the wrath of the whole city on us. He tried to comfort me, but a part of me died. I wanted my humanity back, but I would never know it again. So I wrapped myself up in the world.
We went anywhere and everywhere we wished. All over Greece, Italy, Rome, and Russia. I eventually left Nikolas, and went back to Rome, after the death of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony. In Rome, I found a beautiful slave, and I knew I wanted her as my mate.
Her name was Ianthe, and she was intelligent and beautiful, wise beyond her years. She knew immediately that I was different, and it made me love her all the more. I bought her, not as a slave, but as a wife. I gave her everything her heart desired, and she was loyal and faithful. When I finally showed her what I really was, she was frightened, but it was nothing like the rejection Vatia had hurt me with. The night I turned her was unforgettable; an incredible, erotic experience. I lost her a few centuries later when we were attacked by others who suspected we were not what we seemed. I tried to save her, but I can still hear her scream as she was decapitated. We are immortal, but we can be killed. Losing her was not easy, and I wanted to die afterwards.
I traveled back towards Sweden, then to England. In 1100 AD, I decided I wanted to sleep for a few centuries, and I laid down not long after King Henry I (Beauclerc) took the throne. Nikolas locked me in a tomb not far from his home, and promised to never stray too far. I slept until the 1500's, and I was amazed upon wakening. The world had changed so much, and I felt so much joy and excitement in all the discovery, that I damn near felt human again.
Nikolas helped me rejoin the world, and I dove into education. I wanted to learn everything I could, and know all there was to know. I was so old by now, but each time I learned something new, I felt like a child.
I came to America in the 1800s, when the country was fresh and new. I had many women, many lovers, beautiful Indian women, strong black women, pale Englishwomen. I never found another worthy to be my mate. The world was changing, and I changed with it. New things were being discovered, and people were changing, evolving, trying to stop treating each other like shit. I know for certain that some vampires, as well as angels, were behind these movements, urging women to stand up for their rights, and trying to show humanity how to love and care for one another. Others of our kind simply laughed at their stupidity, and fed from them. I simply sat back and watched, enjoying my long and lingering life. I was no longer human, but I was among them, laughing with them, loving with them. I did not suffer with them, however.
I had met many of our kind before, but did not care to linger with them. Nikolas was the only one I would ever befriend, for he was the one who created me. I thanked him and cursed him simultaneously for my immortality. However, today would be different. When I was informed I had guests, I did not expect to meet another vampire.
