The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

He stood on the platform, a well-placed bank of black lights shining up to make his robe glow while a golden yellow back lit his head. He didn’t need such trickeries though. He was Solomon, and he was power. Most vampires had presence, old ones had enough presence to influence those around him. Melissa actually saw some younger vampires fall to their knees in his presence, and the older ones were clasping their hands in an almost sexual joy.

Melissa was confused. She was just a week out of the ground, so she should have felt more affected by him. So why didn’t she? She could feel his power, but was not enslaved to it.

“Greetings,” the Blood Saint began in heavily accented English, his voice as sooth as a mountain brook, “and thank you all for you attendance this glorious night.” He let his gaze drift over the crowd, seeming to look in each creature’s eyes in turn. Melissa wondered about those eyes, which seemed to burn red even from this distance. But her eyes were drawn to the hand grasped by Sadie. Her friend was trembling.

‘She must be terrified,’ she thought at first. Then she realized that Sadie wasn’t terrified. Her ties to her creator were strong enough that she could pick up feelings, leaking out of that carefully crafted shell like molten rock. Sadie was angry. ‘No, anger isn’t a strong enough word. This is hatred.’ Melissa wanted to pull away. There was so much hatred in Sadie’s mind that it hurt to be this close.

Solomon continued his address. “For over seven thousand years, I have watched our race grow strong. With our noble allies the elves and the noble magicians, we have come back from oblivion. Now, we are poised to take the next step. We are no longer content to live in the shadows of mortality when they should be standing in ours. We have been bound by mortal law, and we vowed never to break the law.” Solomon’s full lips crept upward, but didn’t make it as far up his face as they should. That wasn’t a happy smile. “But there is nothing to say that we can’t change the laws.” He looked at Frost.

“We have long been stymied by human law, but here, in the New World, we have a chance to change that. We now have all the pieces in place to make ‘democracy’ work for us.” Frost smiled. It was a handsome smile, but Mel didn’t think it compared to Solomon’s. Nothing did. “And what makes this so delightful is that it is completely within the boundaries of the current law.”

Solomon nodded. “One vote on the Darkworlder Oversight Committee is all we need to tip the balance to open up our ranks in the United States, and Senator Trefauld, who will be joining us this very night, will be able to provide that. We have the judges needed to validate the new rules, and will be gaining enough members of both houses shortly to keep the new rules from being overturned. We will soon have sufficient clout in the business and financial sectors to keep the President himself in line. And when the United States opens its arms, it will influence the rest of the world and embolden our people overseas. And it starts here . . . in Midian.”

“Friends,” Frost picked up, “Midian is to be the genesis of our rebirth. The largest population of vampires in the world is here. The most powerful vampires in the world are here.”

It was time for Solomon’s finale. “It is here in Midian where our new Paradise begins. What was thwarted so long will be given a second chance.”

The applause was like thunder and it shook the ground beneath them.

“But,” Frost began, “first we have some business to conduct. Before the Turning of the new candidates, we would like to introduce those who have Turned in the last month, as well as their creators.”

Melissa watched as each pair was escorted to the front, and both the Turned and the creator kissed the hand of Solomon. It wasn’t uncommon at all for the newly undead to stumble or even faint in the presence of the Blood Saint. Melissa had had a feeling they were saving her and Sadie for last. She was right.

“Finally,” Frost said, his voice raising to a gloat, “we have our last couple of the night before the Turnings can begin. A recent tragedy involved my own personal assistant and a young woman named Melissa Neron left that very woman in a state near death. Even though it breached protocol and tradition and law, Sadie Hewitt, formerly of the Arbiter’s Bureau, took it upon herself to bring Miss Neron over rather than losing her to the eternal night. While I understand the compunction to save the life of a friend and concubine –”

Mel almost growled herself at that comment. She belonged to Mary, and that was by her choice.

“–, nevertheless, we have laws of our own. But Lady Hewitt has agreed to throw herself on the mercy of her fellow vampires and the Blood Saint. She will humble herself before this court and beg its forgiveness. The, if it pleases Solomon, we as a body may decide to speak on her behalf to the authorities and return her to the role which could prove quite useful to her brethren. Would Sadie Hewitt and Melissa Neron please approach the front.”

“Show time,” Melissa whispered. Even though the time was almost upon them, she still couldn’t believe that Sadie had caved. What was it about Solomon being here that made things so different? Why had that finally made the vampire shut down inside? She was tempted to spit in Frost’s face, but she didn’t want to get her friend in more trouble than she was already in.

Solomon stood up, staring at the woman in the simple peasant dress that approached. There was something not right. Melissa could see it in his eyes that he was concerned, but even he couldn’t tell why. Then Melissa and Solomon met stares, and Melissa was shocked to her core. She didn’t know why or how, but she knew Solomon, as if they had a connection. It was obvious from his face that he sensed it to.

“Sadie,” Melissa started to say, “what’s going on?”NôvelDrama.Org content rights.

Frost looked at Solomon. “My leige, whatever is the matter?” He looked at Sadie, growling. “Show your face to your God!” he shouted. “Take your place at his feet!”

“His feet?” came Sadie’s voice from beneath the hood. Then the laugh started, low and and maniacal. “Oh no, I think not. There was a time I worshiped Solomon all right, but those days are long in the past.” She raised her face and pulled the hood back. “Aren’t they?”

Everyone in the clearing stopped and stood silent as they gazed upon what was unfolding. Solomon’s face had frozen for a moment, then shifted into disbelief and finally . . . finally terror.

“No,” he whispered, “it’s not possible.” He looked from Sadie to Mel and then back to Sadie. “It can’t be you!”

“Don’t go making a scene,” Sadie hissed. “I thought you might want to meet your sister.”

Murmuring broke out everywhere. The former Arbiter had apparently gone stark raving mad. Frost was glowering at Sadie, though he seemed shocked at Solomon’s reaction. The Blood Saint was the most powerful vampire alive. Why would he be nervous about these younglings? “Sadie Hewitt, you will –”

“I know what I said I would do,” Sadie said, staring down Solomon. His guards, both physical and magical, had no idea what to do. “I will take responsibility for my actions and accept my place within the hierarchy. And I intend to do just that. I’ve made mistakes in the past,” she said, glaring a hole in Solomon’s head, “and I intend to correct one of them tonight.”

Frost and the entire congregation saw Solomon take a step back. “No,” he said shaking his head, his mouth breaking into an evil sneer. “You can’t be her! I killed her!”

“You tried,” Sadie replied, her eyes beginning to roll back in her head.

Melissa was terrified. “Are you okay?”

“You know her?” Frost asked, looking at Solomon. The Blood Saint never left his fortress retreat except under the most rare and blessed of circumstances, and he had never previously been to the United States.

“Tell him my name!” Sadie shouted, and her voice carried over the throng with power that even made Solomon tremble.

“You can’t be –”

“TELL HIM MY NAME!” Sadie’s voice almost seem to glow as it emanated from her mouth.

“I will not –”

“SPEAK MY NAME!”

“Eve!” Solomon shouted, his voice cracking like a twig. “Betrayer!”

And just like that, silence returned. No one was staring at Frost or Melissa or even Solomon. Everyone was looking at Sadie . . . the woman Solomon claimed was Eve the Betrayer. By their legend, Eve was one of the three original vampires born of Lillith, and she had made war out of jealousy against her brothers Adam and Solomon. She was supposed to have died in that war along with Adam, and Solomon had barely survived.

“That’s not possible,” Frost said.

Sadie smiled, but the smile was cold and empty. “Do not claim to know what is possible or impossible,” she said. Her eyes were rolling back and her body began to tremble. To Melissa, it almost seemed like . . . like she was going to orgasm. Then Sadie’s body seized up, and a rush of power rolled over the ground and through the air. Sadie . . . Eve . . . had achieved release, but not in the way Melissa thought. But somehow, Melissa understood. Eve . . . Sadie . . . no, definitely Eve, had been hiding her presence and her power. She had kept it bottled up for . . . millennium. But why?