Playing The Alphas

Chapter 62: The Needle

Samantha’s body went weak. Her legs buckled beneath her. She would have collapsed if the bookshelf had not been there to catch her. The world spun and the lights flickered.

Vera stood over her. The fangs were still visible. The ancient eyes glittered with something that was not quite human. Vera was an ancient vampire-demon. One that could live for a very long time. They could only turn into their human forms for short periods at night. There was no remedy for her to be whole until she smelled Samantha. That Lycan scent. The curse breaking scent.

"You should have stayed in your penthouse," Vera said. Her voice was different now. It was filled with more harshness. "You should have waited for your princes. You have suddenly become my prey now that Lizard Alpha Kayden has told me about you."

Samantha tried to speak. Her tongue was thick. Her lips were numb and nothing came out.

Vera reached into her sleeve. Her fingers emerged holding a syringe.

"First," Vera said, holding up the syringe so Samantha could see it, "we take a sample. Just a little and I promise, child, you will not feel a thing. Well, almost nothing. A pinch. That is all."

The needle pierced Samantha’s arm. She felt a pinch. Her body was too weak to register pain.

Vera filled the syringe with Samantha’s rich dark red blood. She set it on the desk with a soft click. Then she reached into her sleeve again. She took another syringe and took more samples till she was satisfied.

"This blood is special," Vera murmured. "Do you know how special? Do you have any idea what flows through your veins?"

Samantha could not answer.

"It is ancient," Vera continued. "Your blood goes back to when wolves and humans and things that were neither walked the same earth."

"The lizard Alpha has been searching for this blood for centuries. Centuries! He has killed thousands. Tortured thousands. Experimented on thousands. And now..." She held up the third syringe. "I top, have been searching. All the cursed creatures of the universe have been searching. Now it is mine. Well, ours."

After she was done, Vera stepped back to admire her work. Ten syringes were filled. Ten chances to change everything.

"The lizard Alpha will be pleased," Vera said. She was not talking to Samantha anymore. She was talking to herself. To the darkness. To whatever gods might be listening.

She picked up two of the syringes and held them to the light.

"These are for me," she said. "For mycamouflage. For power, for survival. With her blood in my veins, I can retrieve my youth."

Vera laughed. "The rest go to him for his humanity." Her smile twisted. "Foolish lizard. He thinks her blood will make him human. He does not know what she truly is. What I truly am."

She placed the two syringes in a small leather pouch. She tucked it into her sleeve. Then she turned to the remaining eight and opened a drawer in the desk.

She placed the syringes inside. freёwebnovel.com

"The lizard Alpha will get his samples," Vera said. "He will make his cure. He will become human. Or he will not. I do not care. Either way, I have what I need."

She closed the drawer and arranged the desk. She straightened the books and wiped the needle marks from Samantha’s arm with a damp cloth. She kept farting all through. The demon thing she was made her stink! More of the reason she desperately fought to be free.

Her face began to change and her fangs receded. Slowly, she transformed back into the old woman she pretended to be.

Samantha’s eyelids grew heavy and the world faded to black.

When Samantha woke, she was lying on the floor. Her head was resting on a pile of old books.

"Oh! You are awake!" Vera’s voice was cheerful and light. Nothing like the dark echo from before. "I was so worried, child. You collapsed right there on the floor. Gave me quite a fright."

Samantha pushed herself up, her head spinning. Vera was standing by the desk. She was old again.

"What happened?" Samantha asked. Her voice was hoarse. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

"What do you mean, what happened?" Vera shuffled toward her. Her cane tapped against the stone floor. "Kids these days. Always fainting. Always seeing things. You must have stood up too fast. Or perhaps you have not eaten enough. Young girls never eat enough these days."

Samantha shook her head. "That is not... I saw..."

"Saw what?" Vera leaned on her cane. Her eyes were milky. Innocent. Confused.

"You had fangs. And syringes. You took my blood." Samantha’s voice grew stronger with each word. "You said something about camouflage. About needing my blood to be young."

Vera stared at her for a long moment. Her wrinkled face was unreadable.

Then she laughed.

"Fangs?" Vera chuckled. "Syringes? Child, have you been reading too many books? All this dust in the air. It gets to the head after a while. Makes people see things, hear things and believe things."

Samantha tried to stand. Her legs wobbled. She grabbed the bookshelf for support.

"I know what I saw," she said firmly.

"You know what you think you saw," Vera corrected. She walked toward Samantha. "There is a difference. A big difference. The mind plays tricks. Especially when we are tired. Especially when we are scared."

Samantha watched her approach. She tensed.

Vera’s foot caught on a loose stone, making her stumbled. Her cane clattered to the floor and she began to fall.Without thinking, Samantha lunged forward, catching Vera’s arm.

"Oh dear," Vera said, clutching Samantha’s sleeve. "Thank you, child. These old bones are not what they used to be. I would have cracked my head open if not for you."

Samantha helped Vera back to her feet. She retrieved the cane. She placed it in Vera’s trembling hand.

"You are welcome," Samantha said.

"Such a good girl," Vera said. "Such a kind heart. The princes are lucky to have you. Not that they deserve you. But that is neither here nor there."

Samantha wiped her face. Her hand came away wet. Sweat? Tears? She did not know.

"I am not lucky," she said. "I am a prisoner."

"We are all prisoners, child. Of our bodies. Of our fates. Of the choices we make. The question is not whether we are trapped. The question is what we do while we wait to be free."

"I came here for books," she said slowly. "I wanted to learn about Lycan curses. About the triplets. About what they are. Why they are the way they are."

Vera nodded. "That’s a reasonable request. Come along. Let me help you."

Samantha followed but she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. The library was too quiet and Vera’s eyes, when they glanced back at her, were not old at all.

Samantha pushed the thought away. She was seeing things. She had to be. The stress, fear and lack of sleep.

Vera stopped in front of a shelf. She pointed a gnarled finger at a row of thick books.

"These are the ones you want," she said. "Histories. Bloodlines. Curses. Legends. Everything you need to know about the Lycan princes. Everything your mother never told you."

Samantha reached for a book. Her fingers brushed the leather spine.

"Thank you," she said.

"Do not thank me yet," Vera replied. "Knowledge is a burden, child. Once you know, you cannot unknow. Once you see, you cannot unsee. Are you sure you are ready for what you will find?"

Samantha pulled the book from the shelf.

"I have no choice," she said. "I need to survive. And I cannot survive if I do not understand what I am facing."

"Then read well, child. And be careful who you trust. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend. Not everyone who helps you means you well."

Samantha nodded. She tucked the book under her arm.

"I should go," she said. "The maid will be looking for me. She only gave me ten minutes."

"Go," Vera said. "And do not forget your book. Knowledge is the only weapon they cannot take from you."

"Goodbye, child," Vera said. " We will meet again."

Samantha turned and walked out of the library. And in the darkness, Vera smiled.