“David…?” The thin sixteen-year-old did not open his eyes at the sound of his name. “David?” The voice was more urgent now, but the boy remained motionless. “DAVID!” The voice outside the cage was screaming. At long last, David opened his eyes to half-mast, his pupils glinting gold beneath the lids.

“What do you want?” he murmured, sitting up and pulling his blanket around his naked shoulders. There was a pool of black blood where his body had been moments before. The man outside the cage smiled, his pointed teeth bared.

“Am I not allowed to speak to my favorite son?” David winced.

“I’m not your son!” The man’s eyes became slits behind his curtain of black hair, his thin lips turned upwards in amusement.

“Why do you hate me so, love?” The man was very close to the cage, his black-gloved fingers resting casually on the bars. “What have I done to you?” The man’s smile widened as he stretched his fingers in through the bars and rested them lightly on David’s neck. David could feel him running his fingers over the small puncture marks below his jaw line. David winced again and pulled away. The man laughed softly.

“Do you know what day it is today, little David?”

“Yes,” David answered slowly. The man laughed again, but this time it was high and unnatural.

“Of course you would know, love. Of course.” The man moved away from the cage slowly towards the small window at the back of the dark room. “The full moon.” The man bared his teeth again and threw the shutters away. Silver moonlight fell across the his face, his fangs growing as they glinted in the dim light. The vampire gasped in a mixture of pain and excitement as black, leathery wings sprouted from between his shoulder blades, tearing through his white, collared shirt. His shoulders grew broad and his skin became white as snow. Growling hungrily, the man tore away what remained of his shirt and made his way towards David, who was cowering in the corner of his cage.

“Do not be scared, boy. I won’t kill you…yet.” He laughed his high, freakish laugh again and unlocked the cage. David kicked at the man, but the vampire was much stronger than the skinny boy in chains. He pulled David out of the small opening and dragged him to his feet. David screamed, but the man threw him against the wall. David fell to his knees, his head throbbing. The man grinned and pulled him back up, pressing the boy’s arms to his side.

“Do not scream, precious.” The vampire growled low in his throat and pressed his mouth the boy’s neck. He did not bite him; not yet. First, he licked the boy’s skin, heightening himself into dizzy excitement.

“W-what are you doing?” David whispered, nearly fainting from fright.

“Hmm, just tasting you, love.” The man pressed his body against the boy’s and nuzzled his neck with his nose. The vampire’s thin, spidery fingers, still encased in their black gloves, ran through David’s hair, then down his face, his neck, and his chest, feeling the blood pounding in his veins. The man smiled and pulled his face away from the boy’s throat. His velvety black eyes were glinting as he watched David’s pale face move in the moonlight, his chest pounding, his breath quick and fearful.

“Please, father, please. I’m so weak…I can’t breath. Please, let me go!” Tears welled in the boy’s gold eyes, shimmering in the diamond light. The vampire thought for a moment. His son did not have the power to transform at each full moon, as all the other vampires of their clan did. He was useless; hardly a vampire at all. He made his choice. With one fluid motion, he pulled David towards him and sunk his pearly fangs into his son’s soft skin. Warm blood gushed over his lips and down his chin. The vampire moaned in ecstasy. David was screaming, his whole body trembling violently. Unable to stand, he fell sideways, tremors shaking his pale, naked frame. His father licked the blood from his lips and moved towards David. The boy lay gasping on the floor. The vampire dropped to his knees and pulled David’s head unto his lap. He watched the young man struggle to breath for a moment, vaguely contemplating the possibility of biting him again. Finally, he pulled his son into a half-sitting position and ran his tongue over the wound, relishing the warmth of the dark blood in his mouth. David groaned, the wound on his neck searing with the vampire’s venom.

“Father, please, you’re hurting me…” he begged.

“You know nothing of pain, love,” the vampire hissed in the boy’s ear, his nails racking the boy between the shoulder blades. David gasped as fresh blood spilled over his skin, running down his back. “You know nothing of…hunger…” The vampire bared his fangs again and brushed them against David’s throat, pricking him lightly, just enough for a trickle of blood to slid onto his tongue. “Nothing at all…but you will, love. You will.” And with that, he sunk his fangs into the boy’s flesh until both knew of nothing but blood and screams...