Matt couldn’t stifle a chuckle, but nodded. Calling a guard from nearby, he requested the cell door to be opened, and stared off the guard’s questioning look. When it was open, the prisoner backed away. He seemed to know something was about to happen but couldn’t pick out what. With that, Matt waved the guard away and turned to Tomas. “We’ll be waiting, but don’t feel rushed. You’re an important part of the web that makes up this place, so take care not to feel like you’re being a bother with any requests you have.”

Smiling a bit, Matt turned and went back through the death row level and went to the elevator again. It was quicker than the stairs, and Matt was notoriously lazy. Stepping out again once he was out of the underground levels, he was met immediately by Daren and Carter. “So?” Daren asked shortly.

“He chose Sven.” Matt noted. Daren wrinkled his nose.

“That bastard? I was looking forward to taking his life myself...” Absentmindedly, he rubbed his chest, where Sven, a werewolf, had stabbed him just a month ago. He’d been going on a drug-fueled rampage through the island, killing anyone in his way but showing quite surprising strength. “I don’t even think he deserves this death.”

“Well, Tomas ought to be just fine afterward. It’s near the full moon, so he’ll have a lot of energy built up.”

Daren rolled his eyes, then turned to Carter. “Okay. We’ll get on over to the Cliffside house now. Andrew will stay back here to bring Tomas afterward.”

Silently, Carter nodded. He’d only ever been outside when he was two years old. Again when he’d been taken from his prison and into the transport vehicle, but then he’d been blinded by rage. Now he’d be able to see everything. Hear everything. Everything that, until this point, had only been in pictures.

Tomas lay in the darkness for a long time before he heard Sven draw his last breath. Calming himself down from the high enthusiasm his mother's blood had given him, he stared blankly over at the now dead werewolf. He had sensed the large amounts of pent up energy this man had running through his body when he had picked him, and came to the conclusion that the man was in fact a werewolf. It had been a particularly... violent few hours and Tomas had to wait for his wounds to heal back up.

Once he was done, he got out of the bed and dressed himself, wincing slightly at his aching muscles. He had become more lean now that he had fed, he could no longer see his bones. His clothes fit him better and his belt could be loosened slightly. He knocked on the door and was released at once, dodging looks with the guard. He was sure the vampire would have heard them and didn't want to meet his eyes. He moved towards the upper floors, glancing at the time. It had taken nearly half a day to fully drain the werewolf of all his life essence, and he wondered vaguely where the others would be.

Andrew was leaning against the door that led to the underground levels, and when Tomas appeared, he twitched from a cat-like doze and shook his head. “There you are.” He said with a sly smile. “Carter and the others are at the house now---they’re waiting for us there.” He put a hand on Tomas’s shoulder and led him along. “It ought to take about an hour to get there.”

They went through a side door, which led into the underground garage. Many grates led to a sewer system that constantly filtered rainwater out as it flooded in during the rainy season. Among the tinted black cars, Andrew went to a specific one and unlocked it from halfway across the garage.

***

Daren sat on the couch in the living room. He had gone around the house with Carter, showing him everything. The basement and its waterproof storage, the first floor and its open concept floorplan, the upstairs bedrooms, of which there were three, and the attic, which had been made to look like an extra bedroom, complete with a small bathroom. Daren called Carter from the kitchen, and noted the seat beside him. “I know your teeth are better suited for tearing and ripping flesh.” He said, motioning for Carter to open his mouth. He did so, and Daren inspected them. “You resemble someone I knew at one time.”

“There was another of... me?” Carter asked as he closed his mouth. It was difficult to imagine, another of whatever he was.

“Yes. But he’d been killed, beheaded. If I’m right, and you’re the same thing, you’ll be able to retract your teeth at will. He was able to choose which teeth to bring away at a certain time, and often left himself with a pair of fangs that let him blend in with other vampires.”

“If you learn to do that you’ll be better hidden.” Matt said from the window. It looked out onto the extensive yard that eventually led to the cliffside, and over. If one was quiet, they could hear the rushing of the ocean far below.

Tomas sat in the passenger seat, gazing silently out the window as the world outside moved passed. Andrew was a quiet man, his strange cat-like eyes stared unblinkingly at him before they took off. Tomas didn't feel like conversing, though he did ask if they could drop by his apartment so he could get some supplies. While there, he rung his sister to explain that he was going away for a work related thing. After she made him promise that he would be careful, he packed his suitcase and joined Andrew at the car.

The drive was uneventful, and when they finally reached the secluded location, Tomas was glad to be let out of the car. Andrew weirded him out too much. They walked up the mossy footpath and knocked on the door, waiting to be let inside. Tomas glanced around the section, noting how the house seemed to be hidden in a small forest, near a large cliff.

Matt was nearest the door when a knock sounded, and went to answer it swiftly. When he did, he found only Tomas there, and a Siamese cat behind him that darted inside as soon it could. Matt ushered Tomas in, shutting the door behind him. “You took a public road here.” He said as they went to the center of the open area. “Next time you have to leave, you’ll see red markers tied to trees leading through the entire hundred miles of the West District’s woods. I know it sounds annoying, but we’ve dealt with this type of thing before. Always best to be overly cautious, just in case.”

The Siamese cat, Andrew, who had quickly taken on his animal state before the front door was open, jumped onto the coffee table in front of Daren and Carter, looking specifically at Daren. “You did well, Andrew.” He said, and the cat nodded once before settling on the table. Daren stood, approaching Tomas. “This is where you’ll be staying with Carter until further notice. I will, in the meantime, have my men and women following whatever clues we pick up, and details outside our control to pinpoint just what Carter is and how to handle his discovery.”

He went around to a hallway nearby, motioning for Tomas to bring along his bags. “I know this place is quite large, Tomas. But, if worse comes to worse and you and Carter need to hide, this place offers a wide array of dark and secretive places to keep away from intruders, including a secure room in the basement. Carter’s already chosen his rom, so there are a few others at your disposal. You can choose whichever you like and get settled in at once. I’ll have Andrew take care of your apartment while you’re here, and each Sunday you’ll receive an unmarked box from a red-haired woman---that’s for Carter, since it’d be better he didn’t try to go after anyone---including you---should he run out of a ready supply of blood.” They reached a staircase, and Daren paused. “You understand so far?”

Tomas was startled when the man had changed into a cat. He thought that Andrew was strange, he never realised that the man was a werecat, a strange and rare creature with the ability to change into a cat at will. They were known to partner up with witches, taking form as black cats and providing their cleverness and trickery. Tomas had never met one before, so he couldn't help but stare at the cat that now curled up on the table in front of him.

After being led about the house, and listening to Daren's explanations, he nodded to show that he understood. Glad to know that a supply of blood would be delivered, not wanting the teen to start feeding on him. "I have two questions, sir," Tomas spoke now, standing outside a large room. "What about my sister? Can I stay in contact with her? Also... My... Needs..." he trailed off and blushed, glancing away from his boss and staring into the large room.

Daren turned Tomas away from the room and led him to the second floor. "Well, Tomas, you're not going to be forced to stay up here indefinitely. It's best for you to leave, and take Carter with you around the island. He needs to understand the place he lives, and you need to take him with you to the department for shooting lessons, which I hope won't be necessary---It might be a bit of a shock, but when you've got a rare breed under your protection, both of you need to learn defense."

He passed a closed door---that was the room Carter had chosen, and had a few sets of clothes to be made due with until Daren could find time to send a new wardrobe with the next week's blood transfer. "Anyway, Tomas, as to your 'needs'. If you find it too intimidating to continue to take advantage of the death row inmates, you can always make due with the degenerates in South District. The things wandering there are all on the underside of the island, the useless thieves, small-time killers, serial rapists---we just can’t catch them all, you know. I have a feeling that, once you’re there, you’ll be just fine. But Tomas---if you find a young black-haired vampire in all-black, somewhat Gothic in appearance, don’t you approach him. He’s a dear friend of mine, and his death would be... unfortunate.”

They stopped halfway down another hallway, and Daren gestured to two doors. “Those bedrooms are free. Choose which you like---the others and I won’t be here much longer.” He turned, patting Tomas on the shoulder before walking slowly back down the hall and downstairs.

Tomas listened to Daren talk and once more felt ashamed of his mother's blood running in his veins. If there was a way to get rid of his incubus urges, he would. As he was left alone in the upper floors of the house, he wandered down the hallway, looking into each room. He chose a small room near the end of the hallway, one with a little window that over-looked the ocean behind the house. He sat on the bed for awhile before joining them downstairs. He hoped nothing bad would happen.

When Daren returned downstairs, he found Andrew sitting on the window sill Matt had been standing at. “We ready to go?” Matt asked, standing. Carter looked around as the man nodded, and turned his attention to the boy. “We’ll be a phone call away. The lines here are untraceable, and in the kitchen there’s a list of phone numbers depending on your worry or need. Any questions so far?”

“How far can I wander?” Carter asked. “Away from this place.”

“Well, this entire area is wide open for you and Tomas to use. Of course you can go anywhere here, but stay away from other homes. There aren’t many, but they’re all surrounded by high fences. This place is used as a prowling grounds for werewolves, but this house is reinforced in case they wander up here, which is nearly unheard of.”

Carter nodded as they stepped to the door, followed by Andrew, still in his cat state. As Matt and Andrew darted through the rain to separate cars, Daren paused. “Don’t answer the door for anyone outside the list I left for you and Tomas.” As he nodded, Daren hurried away, following Matt. He watched them leave, lingering in the open door for a moment before closing it.

Tomas waved goodbye and closed the door after them, turning around and staring at Carter. He felt dread and regret settle deeply into his stomach. He was now alone in the middle of nowhere with some vampiric creature capable of decapitating him with a single bite. He sighed heavily, breathing out and glancing away. He left the door and walked towards the kitchen, thinking that a drink would calm his nerves.

"Do you need anything to eat?" he asked Carter, unsure if the creature could eat anything other than blood and flesh. He himself couldn't digest anything other than blood and life force. He shuddered as he remembered what he had just done. Reminding himself to have a shower as soon as possible, he found a glass and poured himself a drink of water.

Carter shook his head slowly. "No." He said as he looked around, realizing Tomas had turned his back to him. "They've left what I'll need to not attack you or nearby creatures." Going around the center island that separated the kitchen from the living room, Carter went to the box left and opened it. A cool wafting sensation came up from the box, having been lined with ice to keep the contents cold. A typed message atop pint-sized blood bags read in bold: KEEP REFRIGERATED. Carter nodded at that, lifting the box and taking it to begin storing in the fridge nearby.

"You look a bit different." Carter commented as he put the contents away and took the box to the sink. Lifting out the bags full of ice, he opened them. "Must have been busy, but I'd guess that's why you took so long." He chuckled, opening the bags and pouring the ice into the sink.

Tomas watched as the creature stored the blood away, feeling slightly queasy at the sight of it. He had an aversion to blood ever since his father used to spill his to feast on nightly. He started slightly when Carter mentioned how he no longer looked as though he was going to drop dead at any minute. He blushed brightly and glanced away, his hands beginning to shake.

"I was busy," he finally said, leaving the room and going back into the living room, staring out the window at the rain outside.

Carter unfolded the box and made it flat, watching Tomas leave to the other room. “Busy?” He repeated almost knowingly. “Oh, I don’t doubt.” He laughed, following Tomas to lean the flattened box against the wall beside the door. “Daren told me a bit of what you were. Not a lot, mind, I have a lot to learn. Succubi and incubi aren’t well written in magazines and newspapers, and I find that sad. They’re probably my favorite.” He smiled, but was behind Tomas, so he couldn’t see it. “So interesting. Sometimes I wonder about their real thoughts. What they consider in their... victims, if you’d actually call them that.”

He laughed at that, falling onto the nearby chair that faced the window Tomas was at.

Tomas blushed brighter, wondering why Daren had told Carter what he was really. He was almost in tears as he turned around and glowered at the teen. "Now listen here! Forget what he said. I am not like that. I am not an incubus at all. I don't see anything in my 'victims'..." he stopped short, gasping for breath after his sudden rush of anger. He left the room, feeling the tears starting to fall as he went towards his room. The way Carter had spoken of his other side, the way he had laughed... It brought back painful memories of his childhood.

Carter wasn’t surprised at Tomas’s reaction. Half of him had wanted it, but the other half, the one he usually ignored, understood where the slightly older man stood. Carter was sure he’d have killed someone like him by now, had he been forced into this. Rolling his eyes, he stood and followed Tomas after a moment, making it to the bottom of the stairs in time to hear the door to an upstairs room slam.

The door to his room and the empty bedroom stood slightly open. Coming to a stop outside the closed door, he crossed his arms. “Hey.” He called. “You know, you’re not the only one that’s been tortured because of what they are. Even if you don’t regard half of yourself as a useful being, others do. And if I were you, I’d get over my ridiculous insecurities. Because with me, you won’t get an apology. It’d be a good idea to not take everything I say so damn seriously.”

Tomas jumped slightly and quickly rubbed his eyes, trying to hide the fact that he had been crying. He glared over at Carter and then what he said slowly sunk in. Sure, the other part of him wasn't something he liked, but here was a creature of unknown origin, that had been locked in a basement for most of his life, standing there and telling him, a rare breed that should be proud of being what he was, to get over himself. He sighed and turned away, lying on his new bed and staring out the small window, watching the rain falling.

"I don't expect an apology. I know I am being childish. It's just... The wounds are still fresh." He didn't expect Carter to understand. "Leave me alone. I'll be down in a few minutes. I need to... Calm down."

Carter uncrossed his arms and leaned against the door jamb. “You’ve had time. I was told your father died some time back. In this world you have to adapt quick, or you’ll be left behind and forgotten or just trampled over because you were too damn slow. I just got out of a bona-fide Hell on Earth where I’d chew the chains keeping me in place so my teeth didn’t grow out of control, and I’d sit in my own filth day after day while waiting for a stray rat to come close enough so I could grab it. The diseases they have kept me sick most of the time, and when my ‘grandparents’ were forced to get close to me, one would use a horse whip to knock me out long enough to take care of it.”

He was shivering now. The rage that had built up over his time in that hovel had returned to the surface, and to avoid lunging at him, Carter left Tomas to his business and stomped down the hall and stairs.

Tomas stared into the distance, watching the blank wall opposite as if it contained the answers to all life's problems. Sighing, he stood to his feet and went to his suitcase, collecting some clothes and going to the shower just down the hall from him. He turned on the hot water and cleaned himself, feeling the dirtiness from his actions before being washed away. After a long time in the hot water, he left it and dried himself, looking at how pink his skin had become as the hot water had made the blood rush closer to the surface.

Not thinking anything more on it, he dressed himself and shaved his chin with a razor he had brought in with him. He wasn't a very fast grower of facial hair, but with the increase of male energy after a feast, he could grow a beard in a few hours. He didn't like facial hair at all, so he always made sure to shave after his shower. He cut himself here and there, getting tissue paper to wipe most of the blood away before walking back down to the living area.

Carter decided to take out his annoyance on the box he’d set beside the front door. Biting through its soft cardboard, he shortened his teeth drastically and retracted the fangs that would force venom into whatever he bit. Most of the time he’d keep his fangs extended, but now it seemed to serve little purpose unless he had a desire to catch and kill a small animal, or a degenerate that Daren had said called South district their home. He wandered halfway through the living room when Tomas appeared.

“Nice to see you decided to join us.” Carter said, lying the flattened box beside a couch. He didn’t feel like staying mad---it was a waste of energy, after all, and he found little in dwelling about the past. As the distance between them closed, however, something reached his nose. “What’s that smell...?” He asked slowly, stepping toward Tomas. “It’s coming from you.” Whatever it was, he couldn’t ignore it. He put his hands on Tomas’s shoulders and studied his face. Small cuts defaced his chin, and oozed small amounts of blood. It wasn’t the same as the animals and humans he’d managed to smell, and when he sealed his lips over one of them, drawing the blood into his mouth until he let his tongue run over the wound, healing it completely, Carter realized it wasn’t the same in taste either. It was very different, and somewhat addictive. He moved down the half-blood’s neck, and had to fight the urge to bite into him.

“You’re much different.” He said, breathing deeply. Somehow he could still smell the blood, though there were no more open scratches or cuts. “Must be your... ah... rare blood.” He chuckled, pulling back and staring at Tomas for a moment.

Tomas flinched as Carter got closer and felt his heart almost stop beating when he licked his wounds. Damn! He had been so stupid. He always forgot how addictive his blood was to other vampires and now that Carter had had a taste... He shuddered and pushed the teen away from him softly, glancing away and blushing. He knew that if he hadn't just feasted he would have lost control entirely as Carter had licked his skin.

"No... I mean... You weren't..." he had no idea how to fix this mistake, feeling as if he should hit himself. "Damn, I'm so stupid. I forget that my blood... Even small amounts..." He backed away towards the window, looking about for a distraction.

Carter followed Tomas slowly, stepping with an even movement that allowed Tomas a bit of time. "Forgot about it? That sounds doubtful. Or you've just grown a bit slow." He laughed. "And why not share? We're going to be sticking together for a good long time, I'm sure. We ought to know about one another, shouldn't we?" Carter smiled, stepping up on Tomas and bringing up a hand, running his slightly pointed nails down Tomas's arm. "Or are you still so shy around me?"

He snapped his jaws, the sound similar to bare bones being cracked together, and turned away. It was hard to disregard the absolute oddity of his blood, the way it wanted him to come back, almost. But he gritted his teeth hard to ignore the pull.

Tomas shuddered again as he felt the creature's nails being dragged across his skin, leaving a strange tingling feeling lingering on his skin. He felt something strange twist in his chest, something that happened when he was ready to feast and before he could stop himself, he held Carter tightly from behind. He licked the teens ear slowly, whispering in a voice unlike his own, "Come bite me..."

He snapped out of it quickly, falling back from Carter and blushing, shivering visibly. He couldn't understand what had just happened to make him lose control like that. He knew that Carter would laugh and make fun of it and he found himself crying again. He turned away and stared out the window, wiping the hot tears from his eyes and waiting for the creature to tease him about what had just happened.

His eyes widened quickly, a defensive mechanism stiffening his body until a soft, warm tongue slid over his ear. It sent an involuntary shudder down his body until Tomas let go, and left Carter in a slight numb shock, rooted to the floor where he stood. In a sense it was thrilling. Carter knew Tomas was a mix of two different creatures that could get vicious, and to have seen through that shell and into what he really was, to hear the voice that wasn't uncertain and hesitant and, instead, forceful, would have made Carter smile. Of course he couldn't bite Tomas without inflicting a massive amount of damage... unless he could control the length of his teeth. Perhaps he could practice.

Carter turned slowly, stepping around Tomas to face him again and leaned close. He inspected the older man's watering eyes, breathing in the last remains of the blood that was impossible to see. He opened his mouth a bit, leaning forward a bit more until their noses almost touched. "You're a little bi-polar." He whispered at last, backing away a little. "Perhaps it can be worked on... hm?" Withdrawing, Carter turned and slid across the living room. It had certainly been an entertaining day, he couldn't deny it...

Tomas flinched as the creature came close, and felt relieved as Carter retreated away from him. He couldn't help but to smile at the teen's comment. Bi-polar would be an easy way to explain it. He shuddered and hugged himself, his fingers running over where Carter had scratched him, wondering how the tingling sensation had made him almost lose control. He had just eaten, so how could that have happened? He shouldn't be losing control so easily.

He continued to stare out the window, watching the rain fall heavily into small puddles on the ground. He had always liked the rain... He removed his glasses and wiped them, watching the scene through mostly blurry vision.

Carter settled himself on the couch nearby and studied his hands. The last thing he’d done was lightly scratch Tomas along the arm. Had that twisted him up like that? He tested the movement, scratching himself but feeling nothing more than the usual sting that came with being scratched. So he placed his left pointer finger on his tongue and drew it down, tasting a strange metallic tinge. Was it some kind of venom? The thought was a bitter thing---he could have used this hidden ability to collect a good amount of vermin for what little food they offered.

He looked around to Tomas, finding him fiddling with his glasses. “So what is it you do, anyway?” Carter asked stiffly. “Are you some guard for something others find important or is it some jack-of-all-trades type thing?” He tilted his head slightly, as if truly interested. Really he was, but could live without the knowledge.