The Fifth Clan Read Free

small mountain village.
     
     
     

3
     
    Long Beach California: February 4, 2005
     
    I pulled up to my apartment after reliving the memory of that snowy blood filled night. Heading straight upstairs I unlocked the door, the old memory drawing me inexorably forwards. I didn’t want to look, but I knew I would.
    Inside I dropped my keys onto the table by my bed and slowly turned to face my wall of swords. Hanging in a spot of honor, right in the center was a Wakazashi.
    The Wakazashi.
    The one Tatsuhito was carrying the night I killed him.
    “That’s the sword isn’t it?”
    I didn’t turn around to face the woman standing behind me.
    “This is the second time in as many days that someone has snuck up on me. I must be losing my touch,” I said. I looked to my right at the Tai Chi sword I’d been practicing with earlier that morning. It was too far away for me to get to and draw before the person behind me could attack. There was only one option available to me at the moment. One that I did not want to use for personal reasons but I had no choice.
    Moving as quickly as I could I snatched the hilt of the Wakazashi as I spun on one foot drawing the blade and bringing it around and down to point directly at the nose of the woman. “It’s been a while, Vera,” I said, purposely repeating what I’d said to Claus the previous evening.
    “Yes it has,” she said. “I’ve missed you. My bed has been rather cold without you.”
    “I don’t appreciate being treated as a pet,” I snarled. “And spending 20 years chained to you was more than enough for any lifetime.”
    In case you, who are reading these words were wondering or hadn’t guessed by now, I am a vampire. I am three hundred and twenty seven years old, born in the year 1678. I no longer remember where I was born, only that I lived for a time in Ireland before I was turned at the age of 18. I have worn many names over the centuries, a requirement that only grew after I cut ties to the Brotherhood of Vampires and Werewolves and hid myself amongst humans. Today I am known as Gabriel Winters.
    Contrary to popular belief Vampires are nearly indistinguishable from humans. We sweat, we breathe and sleep. We also do enjoy the pleasures of the flesh as it is sometimes called. I’ve read a number of vampire stories where the vampires depicted shun all forms of physical intimacy, preferring instead just to bite their chosen victim. Just goes to show they were wrong as I did not feed from the lovely Rachel the night before.
    “You’ve had a woman here.” Vera said, bringing me to the present. “I believe I will have to find her, now that I have her scent, and kill her… painfully.”
    I swore mentally. My face showed no signs of the turmoil going on inside. Vera, was a werewolf. As such her sense of smell rivaled even mine and I have frequently, in the past, tracked a person by their scent alone.
    This was not good.
    What made it worse was that I knew that with my current armaments I had no way of killing her. Damned Lychen immunity to all damage except that caused by silver. I had promised myself a long time ago that I would never wield Tatsus’ Wakazashi except against one man. Threntü would be the first and only creature to feel the bite of Tatsus’ blade. The vampire that turned me would die by the edge of that sword.
    Vera, would not.
    “Why kill her Vera?” I asked. “She’s just a human, practically a child, far beneath your notice.”
    “You belong to me,” she growled. “I cannot let some slut share your bed and get away with it without retribution.” Her left hand came up and she slapped the blade away from her face at the same time darting in past my guard. Her hands hit my chest and she shoved me up against the wall behind me before I had a chance to react. The next thing I knew her lips were crashing violently against my own, my lip splitting open against my teeth. She held the kiss, if it could be called that, for several moments as she