The Fugitive

The video on the EyePad started to play, and Lennox's lips parted, his eyes widening at what the screen was showing before him. "I.. What is this?" He feigned innocence.

Gabriel looked at the screen, where the person who had infiltrated the club had recorded everything from the warehouse's entrance where vampires were paying to enter for the night's entertainment. In this particular video, they entered a giant maze where kidnapped humans were released, and the vampires would chase them. There were multiple posters on the walls reading that there were no limitations to what the vampire could do to their human. The video revealed one vampire draining a body then sprinting off to the next human who was screaming for help and trying to escape up the side of the grey walls.

"This is horrifying, your Majesty.." Lennox began, then paused when the second body was drained, and the man approached the person recording, smiling at them.

"Kim is NOT a part of this!" Lennox's voice sounded in the video, and the person turned the camera on him, but the man marching forwards was wearing a full facemask, much like the others who worked there. He shielded them from the crazed vampire before hugging them. "Kim, why did you come here? You know you smell delicious, and the others are not like me. They won't stop until you are drained of all blood."

Gabriel pressed pause on the video staring at him expectantly. It was obvious Lennox was the one speaking in the video. "Are those humans not feeders.." He began, then paled further. Whether they were feeders or not, the humans were being killed in this club's maze, and it was on camera looking like a damn horror film.

"Th-this is not enough evidence to convict anyone, your Majesty. As this is in my domain, I will personally search for these masked men myself and bring them to you," Lennox recovered from his shock though his eyes were hard, his lips set thinly from the video.

"I am glad to hear you take this matter more seriously. It seems whoever really owns The Playhouse is setting you up to fail as Duke, Lennox.. Luther, please bring our finest feeder down for the Duke." Gabriel glanced at Lennox, whose shoulders relaxed, and he slouched further into the armchair. He smirked, "Kiki is a personal favourite of mine."

Lennox cleared his throat and nodded, "You honour me! To think I will be drinking the finest blood that the King drinks from."

Gabriel started to whistle a light, cheery tune, one that made his men grimace and look at the foolish Duke like he was an idiot for believing the King was dense. Gabriel stared at him, enjoying the man squirming in his seat under his intense gaze, acting as though he had nothing to do with the club.

Gabriel focused on Lennox's mind, and unlike Esme, he could enter the Duke's mind quickly. He pushed past his panicked thoughts and looked directly through his memories like watching a movie. The first was of Lennox and others wearing masks sitting at a round table speaking about how they wanted to feed off humans who didn't WANT to give their blood like the feeders. They wanted the rush of chasing after their prey and the taste of fear in their blood.

The next memory was of the first batch of humans being thrown into cages, looking ready to be slaughtered. The games played in The Playhouse were to entertain the vampires who wanted to kill. It was not unusual for humans to go missing due to vampires, but this was at a grander scale, and Gabriel was pissed that it seemed to have happened over a five-year period. The five years that he was missing from the throne.

Gabriel stopped whistling and looked up at the first sound of heels clicking on the floor and Kiki's floral scent filling the room. The leggy blonde sauntered towards Gabriel, a coy smile on her face, her hazel eyes covered in thick make-up. Before becoming one of his feeders, she was a model, and he wasn't lying when he said she was his favourite.

Lennox's mouth gaped when she had entered the room, and he jumped up from his seat, his eyes wide. Kiki sat down next to Gabriel, her manicured hands on his chest, leaning into him, her eyes only on him as though she was a lovesick puppy.

"Where are my manners.. this is Kiki.." Gabriel began, then smirked at Lennox. "Oh, I forgot you already know each other.. you called her Kim in the video, right?"

Lennox didn't respond and sprinted towards the exit. Gabriel sighed and listened to the vampire being tackled to the ground. "You will be compensated for the time you spent there, Kiki," Gabriel said quietly while Lennox was being dragged back to the middle of the VIP room. The guards stopped and waited for Gabriel's order.

He returned his attention to Lennox, who was struggling in the guards' arms. "You will regret this!"

Gabriel stood up, shaking off the feeder and buttoned his suit jacket as he stepped towards the Duke. "You will regret this.. I will get my revenge.. This is not the end.. Let's see.. Luther, have I missed any out?"

"Hmmm, I can't think of any others," Luther smirked.

Gabriel grabbed the Duke by his face, squeezing his cheekbones until he heard a slight crack. "What do you think, Lennox.. A stake through the heart or beheading?" Gabriel tilted his head to the side. "I believe they are too quick, though-"

"Please have mercy!"

Gabriel clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Mercy? You brought unwanted attention to your domain so you can play out your sick fantasy. Now the hunters are swarming around there like flies ready to kill or kidnap the vampires who were under your protection." Gabriel released the vampire's head, who sighed in relief then gasped as the King punctured his hand through Lennox's chest and grabbed his beating heart,

"Mercy would be to kill you right now," He squeezed his heart, then let go and pulled back. "But you do not deserve it. Take him to the dungeon until I decide on what to do with him. Do not feed him," Gabriel ordered the guards, flicking his hand and turning away from the Duke. He held his bloodied hand out, and Luther placed a handkerchief in it.

Gabriel started wiping his hand, grimacing at the thought of that insect's blood on his hand. At least it wasn't on his suit. "Make sure the vampires in the videos are tracked down and killed. Release the humans after using compulsion on them and remove any evidence. Shut down The Playhouse; in fact, burn it to the ground. I don't want the hunters snooping around there. Also, make the people of his duchy aware that the Duke's position is available."

Luther nodded and followed the guards dragging Lennox away, placing his phone against his ear. Gabriel looked back at Kiki, who played with her hair and pulled the strap to her dress down. He was very thirsty..

Within seconds Gabriel was before her sinking his fangs into her neck. Kiki groaned then sighed as he drank from her. It had been a while since he'd had fresh blood, and Kiki was delicious. But for some reason, it didn't taste as great as it used to. He pulled back, staring at the two holes in her neck with a frown; she was in a blissful state but opened her eyes and frowned at him after feeling her neck bare.

"Why did you stop?" She breathed before placing her hands on his chest and clutching at his shirt. Gabriel didn't reply; instead, he sunk his fangs into her neck, clenching his eyes shut as he clung onto Kiki's hair and thought of the little she-wolf, Esme, whose blood really had tasted amazing. He wondered if she would cling onto him, moaning as he sank his fangs into her flesh.

Kiki's groan snapped him out of his little fantasy, and he pulled back, looking at her in disdain. When she opened her eyes, the King was already walking away from her to the bar. "Rest now.." He poured some whiskey and knocked it back, his thoughts still on Esme and what she might be doing with Niko.