Archive of Our Own

Cyrene is a beautiful city, but all cities have an undercurrent of darkness and Cyrene was no different. Fun fact: every major city in the world has an evil supernatural population. Demons, Lycanthropes, the Unseelie, Fallen Angels, Goblins, and the True Knot to name a few. For Cyrene, the issue was vampires. They absolutely fucking loved the city. With its sophistication, opulence, and steady influx of tourists, it was an ideal place for a Vampiric populace.

In order for a vampire population to be successful, they needed to adhere to certain rules. One: no overfeeding; it was important to maintain cover. Two: vampires needed wealth, which would smooth over a myriad of issues. Three: they needed animal and human food sources, and four: they needed to be transient. It was important to know when to leave. Follow these guidelines and a small coven of vampires could be successful for decades in a city before they had to move on. But that did not mean that the Vampires were without problems.

Their biggest problem came in the form of the Mwindaji wa kifo. In layman terms, the Hunters of Death, also known as the Obsidian Sisterhood, a millennia-old order of huntresses who specialized in taking out corrupt supernatural forces. A select few bloodlines were tasked and given unique physical and occult gifts to combat evil and hold the darkness at bay. Okoye Ahmose was one who was chosen. Blessed with enhanced strength, speed, agility, durability, and a limited form of precognition, she was without equal.

This was an especially good week for her. She had killed three vampires which in and of itself wasn't bad, but that last kill…that one was especially vicious. The monster was in the form of a child; an eleven-year-old Asian girl, a lovely little female who looked so sweet and innocent. It had been preying on the Arbor district for months.

The child vampire fought like hell and putting her down was especially gruesome and brutal. Even though Okoye knew that it wasn't human, killing a monster who looked like a child deeply disturbed her…and it was disturbing for the wrong reasons. There are certain sounds that evoke an immediate emotional response, and the snapping of that little vampire's neck was one of those sounds. Okoye felt overwhelming joy from slaughtering the child monster, but she was still unsatisfied because it wasn't Him. He was her main target and she had been tracking him for close to a year with no success.

This particular vampire was the stuff of legend. He was whispered about and feared. The other creatures of the night gave him a wide berth, an ancient vampire who moved with impunity. The Dark One, Prince Attuma. Okoye spent countless hours at the Order going through esoteric tomes researching and studying any information she could get her hands on. He was at least 500 years old and richer than God. Attuma had become her obsession. She wanted to learn everything about him. He was the most powerful creature that the order ever encountered. Okoye was determined to end him. Between her regular huntress duties and trying to find Attuma, Okoye felt an alarming amount of disquietude.

When she was particularly restless, she'd head over to the First Baptist Church of Cyrene. Her mother loved that church. It was one of the oldest in the city and the congregation consisted mostly of Black folks. It was a beautiful two-story building with an outstanding choir. Okoye wasn't a believer, not like her mother was. They would clash about the existence of God and his so-called goodness on numerous occasions. Okoye could not understand the concept of a God that could allow the monsters she hunted to roam the earth destroying life. How could God allow the killing of innocent people in unspeakable horrifying ways? Her mom always said that's why the Obsidian Sisterhood existed; to do His will and be His answer.

Going to First Baptist felt a little like home; like she could access a part of her mother. She loved to sit in the balcony and listen to the angelic soulful gospel music. The songs were full of grace, mercy, love, and peace. They were full of light and light was something Okoye desperately needed. She was immersed in so much darkness being a huntress.

These last three years had taken a devastating toll on Okoye. It was the darkest period of her life in more ways than one. Her mother, Nia, was a huntress as well and she lost her to something more insidious than any demon. Ovarian cancer had ravaged her beautiful, dynamic mother. Okoye would never fully recover from the loss. She was Okoye's light, and a woman of incredible faith. Nia never allowed the darkness to infiltrate her. The same could not be said of Okoye.

A year later, a freak car accident took the life of Okoye’s boyfriend W'Kabi. That was the icing on a shit cake that left her feeling utterly abandoned. He was just an ordinary sweet guy she truly cared about. He was good for her. W’Kabi was unremarkable in a way that was extraordinary to her. They did commonplace things like going on dates, cooking meals, and spending lazy days at the beach. W’Kabi was her tether to normality and suddenly, he was gone. He made her feel like she was a part of the world, like she was normal and she no longer had that. Without her mother and without W’Kabi, Okoye felt disconnected. Yes, she had the love and support of the Sisterhood, but honestly it wasn't enough. Okoye was anchorless and deeply lonely, and the darkness that she was sworn to protect others from was consuming her. She was drawn to it.

The truth was, Okoye enjoyed the slaughter, loved it in fact and she was an exceptionally gifted killer. The best, the most ruthless, and it scared the shit out of her.

Whenever she attended church, Okoye never sat with the other parishioners. She felt unclean and unworthy to sit amongst decent folks. She would stay in the shadows, listen to the beautiful singing, and then she'd leave. She refused to return to the order with Director Ramonda and her shield sisters. Okoye had kept a small two-room apartment for the last seven months because she needed solitude. The apartment was located in the Lisbon district, which was considered to be the wrong side of the tracks
for Cyrene.

She needed privacy and space after a kill. The killings made her feel alive in a number of ways. She could never tell her shield sisters what she did when she was alone. She would go back to the apartment after a kill and shower. In the silence of those sparse rooms, Okoye would think about Him.

Her precognitive ability, while not the strongest of her gifts, was a great aid in tracking vampires and she was pushing herself to the limits in her efforts to locate the vampire prince. Okoye sighted him at least three times over the course of eight months. But he somehow always managed to elude her. Why wasn't she able to get to him? Why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

After showering, she climbed into bed and her hands would drift between her thighs. Her secret shame. He was beautiful and she couldn't deny that. In her darkest heart, she wondered what it would be like to be with him…to feel him? What would it be like to have his hands on her body? Would he taste of blood and violence? As these thoughts flooded her mind, Okoye’s fingers worked her clit and she yielded to the pleasure.

She was filled with disgust and revulsion afterwards. She needed to be free of this; of Him. It was filthy and unnatural to fantasize about a monster. Okoye would kill the prince; it was the only way to get rid of those disturbing thoughts.

***

Prince Attuma sighed in displeasure as he sat in his drawing room, toying with the reddish-gold ring on his third finger. One of his children had just disposed of a blonde that he used for this evening’s entertainment. All the women that he bedded were the same. They moaned the same, they moved the same. He would fuck them, drain them and kill them. It was something to pass the time. Boring and oh so predictable. They simply weren’t worthy of him. He was biding his time for Her, the Huntress. Okoye haunted his every waking moment. And he was well aware that she was chasing him. She was a beautiful, fierce predator and unbeknownst to her, she had now shifted to prey. Prey was never supposed to see the predator until it was too late. The time to take her had come.

He'd watched Okoye for a few years now. She was so desperate to be a part of the light, but no one who killed the way she did was born of light. She didn't recognize her own iniquity; she constantly fought against it, but he was going to educate her.

Okoye had grown careless running to that church. She had established a pattern, and it was one that he was going to exploit. He knew she'd be there tomorrow night, he could feel it and as any hunter would, Attuma planned and prepared with meticulous detail. Okoye was dangerous, and a misstep on his part could shift the balance in her favor. He refused to allow that to happen. He was going to take her. It was time.

His long elegant fingers stroked the vibranium neck-wrist restraint. Soon, he thought.

***

Wednesday night service had just started and it was a full house. The choir had just finished singing “Hosanna,” as Okoye made her way to the second floor mezzanine. She was afraid she'd miss the praise and worship segment. She'd started to mimic her prey, sleeping all day and hunting at night. Okoye was also hunting by herself. It was dangerous, as Director Ramonda always had the sisters hunt in pairs, but for Okoye she made an exception. The mezzanine was empty but she still sat four rows back. Dressed in all black: jeans, tank top, motorcycle boots and a cut-away trench coat, she certainly didn't look like the average church-goer, but the unspoken rule was Come As You Are. The choir had just started singing “Total Praise” when she heard the deep baritone of His voice.

"Beautiful. This song never fails to move me."

Okoye jerked around, dumbstruck. Prince Attuma stepped out of the shadows. She had never been this close to him and wasn't prepared for what she saw. He was ethereally masculine, stunningly imposing, and wickedly beautiful. Dressed in an eigengrau-colored Armani suit which draped his powerful body in effortless elegance. His sleek shoulder-length sable hair was neatly secured at the back of his neck. The vampire's sloe-colored eyes were incandescent. She was in the presence of a demigod. Before Okoye could speak, Prince Attuma raised a finger to his sensual mouth in a gesture to remain silent as he sat down three seats from her.

"We finally meet."

She opened her mouth to reply but he shushed her once more.

"Quiet. You don't want to be rude now, do you, Okoye? Are you surprised to see me? You should have been able to, but I blocked your little clairvoyant trick.” He held up his left hand, which displayed a mottled red-colored ring. "Orichalcum. This gives the wearer precognitive immunity. " His lips curled in a sly smirk.

She glared at him. Fuck! No wonder I could never use the sight to find him. None of that mattered now. Okoye couldn't afford to panic. Lives were at stake.

She whispered harshly. "You must be out of your fucking mind if you think I'm going to allow you to hurt these people!" Rage at being caught unawares was coming off her in ripples, but Attuma could also smell an undercurrent of fear. Okoye locked eyes with him as she slowly reached for the Shamshir hidden in the inside pocket of her cutaway trench. The curved blade was enchanted vibranium coated with silver.

Attuma knew she was reaching for her weapon. The prince gave her a sinister smile. "You'd really put all these lives at risk? Bad Huntress," he tisked.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep these people safe. We'll fight and once they realize what you are, they'll get the hell out of here!”

Attuma's expression was contemptuous. "Is that what you think? That they'll get away? Before you pull that blade out, take a look at the congregation."

Attuma’s sloe-colored eyes glowed golden and she turned to look downward. Several sets of vampiric eyes met her gaze. There were six vampires in total, scattered amongst the parishioners. Attuma gave a slight nod and the vampires turned their gaze forward.

The prince noted the change in her; fear that was an undercurrent was now a tidal wave. He could see the beginnings of perspiration on her beautiful bald head. Okoye sat motionless and he could see she was struggling to come up with a plan to try and save these people's lives. He was going to lay everything out for her. He began to speak.

The timber of his voice was…seductive.

"Okoye, there's no need to fight. You're going to come with me, peacefully, and if you do, these nice God-fearing folks will remain unharmed. If you choose to fight me…I'll signal my children and they will feed and slaughter this entire fucking church. It's up to you how this plays out."

Terror gripped her, she couldn't see a way out of this. She had no healing factor like Ayo, and she couldn't cast spells like Nakia. She was a warrior, and even if she fought, lives would be lost. There was a good number of small children and elderly; they'd never make it out in the ensuing hysteria. There was no other option. Okoye's heart was racing like a freight train but she spoke calmly.

"If I leave with you, how do I know you won't kill these people anyway?"

The prince raised his eyebrow roguishly. "You don't. I'll feed one way or another, Huntress. Decisions, decisions..." His eyes smoldered with a perverse dominance.

With an unsteady breath, she nodded and slowly began to rise from her seat, but the prince stopped her. He reached inside his suit jacket and removed a neck-to-wrist restraint. Attuma gestured for her to move towards him. "Give me your hands, Huntress."

Okoye stood frozen, staring at the restraint with trepidation. "No. Are you on crack? I'm not letting you restrain me, vampire. I already told you I'd leave with you."

Prince Attuma stood up. "Either you give me your hands or we do this the hard way."

Okoye continued to stand, not moving.

Attuma's expression jaded. "The hard way it is." His eyes began to glow, indicating that he was communicating with his children.

Dismayed, Okoye spoke. "Don't!" she hissed.

Attuma’s eyes converted back to their original hue and he watched with twisted admiration as Okoye closed the distance between them and presented her hands. He fastened the cuffs around her wrists. When he placed the connecting collar around her neck, he could feel her pulse thud with fear and it took everything in him not to sink his teeth into her throat. He let his hand slip inside her coat pocket. "I'll take this." He removed her blade.

Okoye was beyond agitated. He was too close. This felt…intimate. Was he…smelling…her?

He allowed himself a brief moment to enjoy the closeness of her beauty, the euphoric feeling of absolute power over her. She was breathtaking, richly melanated skin, espresso-colored doe eyes framed with long sooty lashes, high cheekbones, nubian nose, voluptuous, pillowy lips. She was lean, yet so gorgeously full in all the right places. The huntress was an intoxicating mix of lethal exquisiteness.

Okoye avoided his gaze. Attuma refocused and got back on track. "Get moving, Huntress."

***

Okoye and Prince Attuma sat facing each other in the sleek asphalt-black Mercedes-Maybach Pullman as one of his underlings drove. They were moving through the La Paz district and the terrain was hilly. The landscape along this route was unfamiliar to Okoye. Vampires tended to hunt in more populated areas. The night sky was a black starless void and the mood was ominous. They rode in tense silence.

The prince hadn't taken his eyes off of her since they entered the vehicle and she looked everywhere except at him. She had to be careful. Attuma was ancient; he had numerous dark gifts, including the power to enthrall. Okoye understood the risk of her calling. Being a huntress didn't come with a 401k or a retirement plan. She was going to die tonight. He was going to take her somewhere secluded and drink her dry. There was a great possibility of torture as well. She wanted to scream. She wanted to jump out of the car. She wanted to be free of the restraints. She wanted her sword back and she wanted to bury it to the hilt in Attuma’s eye socket. Okoye was afraid, but she wasn't going to give this motherfucker the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart. She was pulling on every mental acuity to remain calm. It was slim, but perhaps there was a way out of this nightmare.

***

They turned onto a private two-lane road and then a large gray stone English manor house appeared. Stately and refined, the house was surrounded by beautiful foliage and woodland. Of course he wouldn't slum it. Okoye thought ruefully.

The car stopped and Attuma opened the door and gestured for her to get out, but not before placing her Shamshir on the seat. She reluctantly got out and watched the car pull off. Another wave of dread hit her. She was weaponless and alone, and without her weapon she was at an extreme disadvantage. Okoye had killed countless vampires and other dark creatures over the course of her career as a huntress but Attuma was in a completely different category. She needed her blade to level the playing field. Without a weapon her chances were dismal. She had intended for the car to be her method of escape. He stepped towards her and put his hand on the small of her back, indicating that she should move forward. But she didn't. Attuma nudged her more forcefully the second time, and they began to walk through the porte cochere to the entrance of the manor. Attuma led her past the foyer into a drawing room and motioned for Okoye to sit on a chaise sofa. The room was elegantly furnished and there was a limestone fireplace with a fire already burning. The firelight gave the room an eerie air of sinister sensuality.

The prince took a seat in an opulent arm chair across from her and finally spoke. "Would you like a drink, Huntress?"

Okoye laughed mirthlessly. "You brought me all the way out here for a drink? No vampire, I'm good…but let's cut to the chase. Obviously I'm not getting out of this alive.” She sat up, iron in her spine, and lied. “I'm not afraid to die. Just get it over with." The only thing she could hope for was a quick death, but she knew that was a longshot.

Attuma rose and walked over to the bar. "A woman of business, then." He chuckled. "Suit yourself. I'm certainly going to have one." He poured himself a single malt scotch, consumed it in one swallow, and sat back down.

"Okoye, I have no wish to take your life. On the contrary. I could have killed you in the church. You say you aren't afraid to die, but are you afraid to live?” His voice held a strange but pleasurable cadence.

The huntress looked confused. "So, you're going to let me go, Prince Attuma? I highly doubt it. You did all of this for what? Shits and giggles? And why am I still bound?" she replied archly.

The prince laughed. "Of course not. I'm not letting you go, Okoye. I'm going to set you free. You're going to experience true liberation.”

Okoye's stomach dropped in horror as a terrible understanding dawned on her. He was going to turn her…he was going to make her into a vampire. She stood up, adrenaline flooding her body, animal instinct taking over. It was fight or flight, and since she was restrained, flight was her only option. Before she could take a step, he was on her with preternatural speed. Attuma towered over her and wrapped his hand around her throat, firmly holding her in place.

"I know you want to run, Okoye, but that would be a mistake. Don't, it brings out my predatory instincts. Sit back down."

Okoye was looking around the room wildly, trying to determine which way to run.

Attuma growled. "Sit down, Okoye!"

His icy stare held her in place and he removed his hand. His smile was slow and menacing. "This is your last warning. I won't ask again."

Okoye yearned to run but she knew Attuma's threat was not idle. She willed the pandemonium that raged through her to still. Okoye dropped back down on the sofa, overcome. Pleased with her response, Attuma gave her a bit of space by stepping back a few feet.

Okoye's mind was racing and she couldn't hold back her question. "Why? Why would you want to turn me? I'm your enemy."

"No," Attuma said. "We aren't enemies, Okoye. We're kindred. I'm going to remove your restraint and we're going to talk. And Okoye…you'll behave yourself." The unspoken threat was obvious.

Attuma met Okoye's gaze with a pernicious unblinking stare. She held out her hands for him to unfasten the wrist restraints but stopped him when he went to remove the collar.

"I got it," she said measuredly. She then shrugged out of her trench. Weapon or not, she was preparing herself for the ineluctable fight as the vampire took the restraint and returned to his seat. He gestured for her to sit back down.

"Attuma, I'm nothing like you. If you want to threaten me…to terrorize me, go ahead. It's obvious you have the upper hand."

To her surprise, the Prince's lips curled in delight and his smile looked genuine…almost gentle.

"I have no intention of hurting you, Love. But aren't you tired of pretending, Okoye? Aren't you exhausted by the masquerade? You run to the light but you're more comfortable in the darkness, Huntress, just like me. You were born on the wrong side, my Love. Switched at birth; why do you think you have such an affinity for this? The joy of the kill; no one else in your order is thrilled by it like you are. You crave it."

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about." She lied. She was perturbed that he recognized her macabre tendencies.

"Huntress, you're a lot of things. But a liar? No one who kills the way you do and takes pleasure from it is born of the light. We're drawn to each other. We're both apex predators, I'm just the bigger one. Why do you think I was able to get this close to you?"

"You're fucking insane. I have a sworn duty to fight against the darkness. I kill because that's part of the job. Yes, it's brutal work, but what do you expect? I can't exactly hug you fuckers to death."

Attuma chuckled. "Okoye, you can fool humans, and God knows it's so easy to fool those stupid fucking sheep, but our relationship is going to be forged in truth. I've been watching you for a few years. I've witnessed numerous kills. I've also watched you go back to that shitty little apartment."

Okoye looked visibly unwell when he revealed that.

"I know what you do when you're alone, Love," he whispered.

Alarmed, her body immediately went rigid. "Shut your filthy mouth!" she snapped.

Attuma sat unmoving on his makeshift throne and arrogantly smirked.

"I know you rub your pussy and think about me. I sit on the roof of your apartment building and smell your arousal. I hear those quite desperate moans as you climax. We're connected. I can feel you. I understand you like no one else does because we're the same. You don't return to the order because you need privacy. Can't have your Shield Sisters hearing you moan like a whore for my cock."

Okoye was stunned, humiliated…and aroused. He knew. He knew her dirty secret. She paused, trying to process everything. She refused to address what he just said. She wouldn't talk about That with him.

"You could have killed me. You could have come into my apartment and ripped my throat out. Why are you telling me this? Is it to scare me? What do you gain by sharing this with me? If you could have taken me, why didn't you do it sooner?"

"As I've stated before, I have no desire to kill you. I needed you vulnerable. And I've removed every obstacle to have you. But I also wanted to show you how serious my intentions are and how generous I can be. I can give you things and experiences that no one else can. I attempted to give you a gift three years ago, but your mother refused.”

Okoye was growing impatient and perplexed. "My mother? What the hell are you talking about, vampire?"

"I went to your mother on her deathbed and offered to turn her. A present for you, Huntress; your beloved mother given back to you, to show you my seriousness and a declaration of my affection. I informed your mother of my desire for you. That I was going to take you and that I was going to turn her. We were going to be a family. She was horrified; she vehemently refused it and she begged me to stay away from you. Out of respect for you, I rescinded my gift and watched her die.”

Okoye's head spun, trying in vain to hold on to rational thought.

“Your mother died knowing that I was going to have you."

Attuma watched her, absorbing her anguish and anger like a sponge. Okoye rapidly shook her head, fighting back tears. She sprung up, assuming a battle stance. Attuma could not have been more pleased. He could feel his cock harden as she approached. Her words were laced with hatred and venom.

"You really are the fucking devil! You stole from her! You took her peace! You made her last moments on Earth terrifying. You hateful, monstrous, son of a bitch! I'll eat your fucking heart for what you've done!" Okoye pounced; her left fist connected with the vampire's jaw. He absorbed the blow unperturbed. Attuma grabbed her, pinning her arms before she could strike again. Okoye was pressed up against him; she could feel his erection. She had to do something. Undeterred, she headbutted him and had he been a human, his nose would have broken. The vampire tightened the hug, forcing Okoye to still and when she did, he effortlessly flung her back onto the sofa.

"Are you flirting with me, Huntress?" Amusement was laced through his tone.

She felt his black eyes skitter over her form, crawling, lingering over her breasts, watching them rise and fall. And she couldn't help the way her nipples hardened.

Okoye scrambled to find her footing, ready to charge him again.

"Sit back down," Attuma calmly instructed. "We both know you don't possess the brute strength to take me."

Okoye swallowed hard, giving the vampire an unabashed contemptuous scowl, and sat down.

"That's better, my Love. Shall we continue?" He smirked.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not your fucking Love. Stop talking to me in this intimate way!"

"What else would you be, Okoye?"

"I'm your adversary," she snarled.

"Wrong. You're my other half, and I'm your destiny. Or did you think that human was?"

Okoye felt ill, bile rising in her stomach. She didn't want to ask, she didn't want to know what else this abomination had done but she was compelled to.

"What did you do?" she whispered.

Attuma gave her a slow devious grin, exposing his ivory fangs.

"I did what was necessary to ensure our happiness. You wanted to cosplay as a regular citizen with that little bitch you called boyfriend. You wanted to play house with him. As though you'd ever be happy living a stale existence with that pig. He couldn't even fuck you properly. Can you imagine? You, living in a two-story ranch. Him polluting your body with his dullard offspring while you slowly choked to death on your so-called life of mediocrity. Did you think I'd allow that, Okoye? Did you think I'd allow him to stand in my way? To come between us?" he responded caustically.

She stammered. "You're a liar. W'Kabi's death was an accident…he lost control of his car…"

Attuma drawled in disdain. "I crushed his skull and slammed his car into a telephone pole. I didn't even want his blood. He was unworthy of you."

Her insides twisted in a knot. This was unreal. She was in a hellscape. God, No! He's dead because of me! This is my fault…all of it my fault!

Okoye began to rise, as irrational as it was, she was going to try and run again. She had to get away from this…it was all too monstrous.

"Don't. I know you're frightened.” His deep voice softened, taking on a soothing quality. She shook her head violently. He was using his voice to try and bewitch her. She was on her feet, but why hadn't she started moving?

I have to fight this.

Okoye choked out a nearly inaudible whisper. "You're going to exile me from everything…from life! I'll be a warped version of myself. I don't want this!"

"That's not true. I'm going to set you free, just like Lucifer did Eve. You and I were made to create chaos, Daughter of Darkness. Come and take your place by my side."

"You want to make me into something I'm not! Maybe I am broken but I'm trying to do what's right! I fight on the side of Light…of goodness!"

Attuma sighed. "Okoye, stop trying to do what's right. Do what's real! Darkness is your true calling and pleasure is what's owed you. You're not broken, you're misaligned. Don't fear your future, my angel." Attuma moved to stand in front of her. "You've thought about this; being able to touch me, wondering what it would feel like to have me inside of you. You're ashamed of those feelings. Why are you ashamed? Who taught you that? You needn't be. It's natural to desire your mate. I want you to tell me what you want, Okoye."

"I…w-w-want to leave. I want to leave this place alive and unchanged. Okoye said haltingly. She was terribly shaken by the proximity of him.

"Don't lie, Love. Your pussy is wet for me. Even now." He caressed her face, his hand gliding down until it reached her breast. He toyed with her nipple, his thumb and forefinger twisting it. Attuma gently lowered his head. "Open your mouth, Huntress. Let me taste you."

"No. I don't want this. Please let me go."

"No more lies, Okoye.” His voice was low and husky. “I've come to set you free, starting with your pussy.”

Her will was depleting, but Okoye jerked her face away. She hissed. "Don't touch me!"

Attuma's hand gripped her jaw…not hard, but with just enough pressure to hold her steady.

"Okoye, I don't want our first time to be difficult, but if you continue to resist me, I will…discipline…you."

Okoye pressed her hands against his chest, shoving as hard as she could. Adrenaline gave her a power boost. "I'm nothing like you. Get your fucking hands off me!" she gritted out between clenched teeth.

He stumbled, but not much.

Attuma's expression was one of sinister lust; his eyes like a solar eclipse. "My true bride, rebellious to the end, just like I knew you would be. We're the same, Huntress. Lie if it helps as I fuck you into submission."

Then in one swift movement, Attuma propelled her over his shoulder, her head swinging over his back.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed. Everything rushed by in a blur. Okoye wasn't entirely sure what was happening. The wind whipped around her face and he was moving so impossibly fast she couldn't tell if he was flying or running.

Pulling her from his shoulder, Attuma stood her upright. Okoye caught her breath in surprise as her feet hit the floor. She blinked, disoriented, trying to steady herself when she noticed where she was. She found herself in a gothic grandiose bedchamber. Dim light from several dozen candles flickered giving the room a darkly seductive feel.There was an exorbitantly large, exquisitely carved four-post Venetian-style bed in the center of the room layered in intricately embroidered silks of burgundy and emerald. The walls were decorated with what looked like classical art, but the pictures were so erotic, they bordered on pornographic. She didn't have time to take in more detail.

She turned to see Attuma standing a few feet away from her, discarding his suit jacket. Okoye looked around frantically, spotting the entrance. Attuma was between her and the closed door. He began to unbutton his shirt as he approached her.

"Huntress, you have an appetite for darkness. You crave things that others can't comprehend. Perverse, filthy, decadent exploits you instinctively know that only I can provide. The Dark Gods played a trick on me, placing you with the Obsidians. You are meant to be with me and I finally have you. You want me just as much as I want you. Why fight it?"

Okoye swallowed; she felt a tightness in her throat. She shook her head. "No. Attuma you can just let me go. I'm nothing to you. We can avoid each…call a truce. Just let me go!"

"You're everything to me, Huntress. And I will not give you up. I swear, you'll only know pleasure from my touch." He was right in front of her. His expression did not waver, but those dark eyes drank in Okoye from head to toe. Attuma's hands slowly started to lift her shirt and she couldn't look away.

The very act of viewing Attuma felt like a sin. He peeled the fabric from her and let it fall to the floor. He made short work of the rest of her clothing. She stood before him nude and trembling; heart pounding, blood racing. Her darkest fantasies never encompassed her being turned. She was frozen with fear.

"Do you know how long I've waited for you? Ached for you, yearned for you…my true mate. My bride. So unbelievably perfect. So beautiful."

Attuma vanished his remaining clothes. He was terrifying in his beauty, regal in his maleness. Broad torso, muscular arms, long powerful legs, his tawny complexion without flaw. He must have been turned at the peak of his virility. His thick, veiny cock was inhumanly large and violently erect. Silky precum leaked from the tip.

She told herself: Just look away.

But her eyelids refused to close and her vision refused to waver. She was so slick, the way her pussy throbbed at the sight of him.

Why can't I look away?

Attuma dwarfed Okoye. She was physically strong and incredibly capable, but he made her feel like a damsel. His slow, devilish expression conveyed pure carnality.

Okoye felt anguish at the way her body was responding, at the sickening unwelcome physical arousal. She squeezed her thighs together trying to stop the sensation, but that seemed to only make it worse.

And then he reached for her. Okoye kicked, clawed and punched at him as Attuma carried to the bed, but it was useless. She was no match for the immortal. He overpowered her like it was nothing and trapped her wrists above her head. Her struggling set off a frenzy in him. The vampire was going to have her and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening. Nothing.

All the losses she experienced, the sacrifices she had made, the pain she’d endured was nothing compared to what she was about to lose. Okoye's last bit of remaining pride broke and she tearfully started to beg.

"Attuma…please don't do this…please let me go….please…I don’t want this…"

He silenced her pleas with a kiss and it was like nothing she ever encountered. Okoye had braced herself for pain, but this…It was a total assault on her senses. Delicious heat flooded her body; the taste of him was potent, intoxicating and so very dangerous…it felt like she was falling into the abyss. Okoye hadn't even realized that she was kissing him back. And she hated herself for it.

He manipulated her breast with his free hand. The touch bordered on rough and it should not have been enjoyable, but the fact that she had grown even wetter was proof that it was. Attuma lowered his mouth and extended his tongue, teasing her thick erect nipple, swirling his tongue around it, gently pulling it with his teeth, making it pulse with every swipe. He darted his mouth between her breasts giving them equal attention. The self-loathing she felt when she mewled and arched was at odds with the spectacular pleasure she was receiving.

The scent of her unfathomable, fragrant, succulent pussy was driving the vampire to madness. He was salivating for a taste. Attuma removed his mouth from her breast and spoke. His deep voice commanded her body like a spell.

"I'm going to release your wrists and devour your sweet cunt, Okoye. There won't be any more resistance from you. You're going to lie back and enjoy this.”

He could sense her turmoil as Okoye fought against him with everything she had left. Her will was at odds with her flesh. And now it was his turn to beg.

His tone became coaxing. "Let me taste you, Huntress, let me please you. You were born for this. You were made for me. I won't hurt you. Don't fight this, Love."

Okoye may have been defeated but she was not tame. “No!” she hissed.

Attuma released the hold on her wrists and for an instant, she thought he was going to be merciful and allow her to rise. That was a short-lived celebration as the vampire began to crawl down her body with aggressive grace, his mouth burning a trail of wet heat as he languidly licked and kissed his way to her center.

Okoye grabbed his hair with the intention of yanking it, but the vampire prince had reached his final destination. Attuma's face was directly in front of her cunt. He inhaled the dark thatch of curls and Okoye froze in shock as his mouth made contact with her pussy. She was too overwhelmed, too mortified. Okoye attempted to scoot backwards, locking her knees, but the prince would not be denied. Attuma gripped both of her locked knees and pried her legs apart.

Okoye was crying in earnest; she never felt so exposed and vulnerable in her entire life. She never felt such shame. He gazed at her pussy, totally enraptured, breathing over her, smelling her. He started speaking.

"I knew you were exceptional, Okoye. Your cunt is the most beautiful that I've ever seen. The sweetest, so pink and esculent, open your legs wider, Huntress, for there'll be no secrets between us."

“N-no," she sputtered.

Attuma responded by carefully tonguing her swollen lips and lowering his head further between her thighs. His large hands curled possessively around the crease where her thighs joined her hips, holding her firmly in place. He groaned hungrily, latching on to her pussy as Okoye's sweet moisture flooded his mouth. Her nectar was as addictive as opium. Every swipe of his skilled tongue was rapture. She gasped and withered as Attuma licked up the sweet juices from her drooling cunt.

"You taste delicious, Huntress." He extolled.

Okoye was soaked and panting; heat boiled beneath her skin. Terror and arousal were fighting for dominance.

His tongue…God, she had never experienced anything like it. He ate like a remorseless animal, lapping and slathering her quim. He tongued her pulsing clit, sucking and massaging the sensitive nub. She couldn't help herself. Okoye began to roll her hips, moaning. It was vulgarity and degradation and ecstasy. Eyes closed, Okoye grasped his sleek ebony strands, fucking herself against his mouth. His long thick tongue left no part of her untasted.

Attuma changed tactics, slowly dipping a single finger to her bundle of nerves, swirling it around her clit torturously slow, making Okoye wither.

"Look at how your body responds to me, Huntress… so wet. Look at me, Okoye," he purred.

"Fuck you," she huffed as Attuma's long finger dipped down to her entrance and pushed inside her heat. Okoye bucked her hips up against him, clenching around his finger.

"Oh…you most assuredly will do that, Okoye."

His finger made contact with the soft spongy spot inside of her, making Okoye gasp. Attuma added a second finger and started to move in and out of her rapidly. The ache and intensity was too much to bear. She placed her hand over her mouth trying to stifle her moans. It felt spectacular. Okoye was too sensitive, wound too tight. She couldn't stand much more and she was going to come apart soon.

He dove back into her pussy, hungrily englutting, long, smooth, wet strokes up and down the full depth of her. He grazed her clit with his fang and she hissed. He could spend an eternity between Okoye's delectable thighs. He swirled his tongue around her clit, giving it a hard suck and the Huntress arched weeping, her pussy spasmed as Okoye's release burned through her. Attuma's eager mouth greedily siphoned the orgasm out of her. It drew a moan so deep in her chest that she shuddered.

Okoye's body went lax with relief. The aftershocks finally subsided.

"My beautiful Huntress…my divine mate…little goddess, you're extraordinary…" Attuma murmured words of indulgent praise.

Okoye was revolted by his endearments. "Don't call me that. I'm not your mate. You've humiliated me, now let me go," she said quietly.

Attuma looked at her with a bestial hunger. "Am I such a monster?"

"Yes!" she snapped.

He licked her pussy once more and then kissed the inside of her thigh. "And yet…at the hands of a monster, despite yourself, you are ravenous for more."

Shame and fury at him and her feelings erupted inside of her. Her body was in agreement with his statement. "What you are is a bastard and a rapist. Just because you can drag an orgasm out of my body doesn't negate that fact."

Okoye locked eyes with him, determined to keep herself from trembling. Some wretched part of herself hated to acknowledge his beauty.

God, you're beautiful. Like something out of a dream. How can something this beautiful be so evil?

"You cannot stop this from happening, Huntress. Accept it. There's no need to fight. Enjoy it." His tone was darkly amusing. The silky timber of his baritone was taunting.

Attuma began to move up her body, positioning himself between her thighs. Okoye froze, limbs taut with dread. She wanted to recoil but he made it impossible to do so. Attuma's physicality was overwhelming. His lips and nose descended on the crook of her neck, licking, kissing and smelling her sensitive skin. Okoye was terrified.

"What's the matter, Love? He paused. "I can feel you tensing up."

"Are you-are…you going to turn me now?" Okoye asked carefully.

"No. I won't give you the Donativum without forewarning, Okoye. I care about you too much for that." Attuma responded.

"You care about me but not enough to stop and let me go,nor to let me remain human."

"Okoye, what choice do I have? Would you rather I take a gentler approach? Would you have allowed me to woo you? Could I have taken you on a date to the Four Seasons? Court you like a mortal? Wine and dine you? Would you have allowed it? The only approach was a direct one. So I made an executive decision concerning our future. You know who I am and what we share." Attuma said.

"We don't share anything! We're mortal enemies and you are delusional. I will never willingly give myself to you."

"I've grown tired of this discussion, Okoye." Attuma breathed. He did nothing to conceal his impatience.

The vampire lowered his head. He was mere inches away from her mouth. He moved to kiss her and Okoye allowed it, welcoming his tongue, wantonly responding, her hands snaking through his silky hair. She realized that he was somehow lulling her. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. Okoye's ire and defiance rose, willing her to fight back. She bit down hard on his lip, desperate to regain some control. Attuma growled like a demon, deepening the kiss. Her resistance was undeniably arousing to him.

He urged himself between her legs, spreading her legs even further apart as his hands gripped the back of her thighs. Okoye tensed as Attuma's thick, imposingly large cock aligned directly in front of her soaked pussy.

Okoye whimpered. "N-no…you're too big...you—you'll hurt me. I…can't…pl—please…"

His eyes held her, desire reflecting in his black gaze. "Never. Okoye, I will never hurt you. Give yourself to me…I'll make it good for you. I swear it." And Okoye couldn't help but react to the dominance in his tone, simultaneously sickened and lust-ridden by it.

Attuma's cock throbbed painfully as his eyes trailed down her naked body. She was his deepest fantasy made flesh. Okoye's ripe pussy glistened with need, her lips were turgid, her dark curls wet with her sweet essence. A flicker of fear flashed across her eyes but he could sense something else as well…anticipation.

"You have no idea what you do to me, Huntress. Your blood, your body calls to me every night." His voice was husky as he began to slowly shunt himself inside her unimaginably tight, exquisitely hot cunt. He let out a guttural moan, penetrating her gradually inch by inch, giving her body time to adjust to the size of him. He pushed in with more care than she expected, but Okoye felt as though she were being stretched beyond her limits. He was massive. She let out a strangled moan.

"Okoye, be still my Love. Relax your body," he groaned.

Anxiety swelled in her but she had to master her emotions. I can get through this. Just breathe, don't panic…

Okoye willfully began to relax her pelvic muscles. The vampire gave her a few moments, letting her body acclimatize to his size as her soaking passage expanded around his immense girth. She relaxed further, her enhanced durability kicking in enabling him to ease more of himself in. Now fully hilted, he began to move slowly inside of her, shallow thrusts as pleasure proceeded to take hold of them. Every nerve ending in him was on fire with an unbearable sensual gratification. Her pussy was so warm and tight, he could think of nothing else. Attuma’s cock pulsed and his strokes became more rapid and incessant. Okoye welcomed each one. Their flesh slapped lewdly.

Okoye's body jolted.This was different from anything she ever felt; his cock massaged places she never knew existed. She whined as her hips moved against his. Her sex squeezing him with each thrust as rhythmic waves of pleasure moved through her. A mixture of fury and ecstasy washed over her. Goddamn him for making her like this. Okoye averted her gaze and clamped her teeth together to keep in a needy noise. How dare he! My God he feels so fucking good! Why does he feel so good?

Attuma's pace increased, pummeling her cunt relentlessly, battering her silken walls.

"Okoye, don't look away from me. Keep your beautiful eyes on me as I fuck you." he grunted. "You're mine, Huntress…you belong to me. I'll never relinquish you!" he scowled. He leaned over, capturing her full breast in his mouth. He sucked rhythmically, pressing the flat of his tongue against her nipple. She squirmed from the attention. His possessiveness was repulsive but she was responding to it like an unmitigated whore. It was glorious.

Nothing else mattered but the mind-blanking pleasure coursing through her. Each thrust hit her like a lightning strike; her pussy felt as if it were short-circuiting. The vulgar squelching sounds only heightened the experience as did Attuma's filthy utterances.

"Your cunt feels magnificent, Huntress. You're taking me so well. Admit that you want me…you want this. Your cunt is mine. So wet…so fucking tight. Cum for me. Soak my cock. Cum for me, Love!"

Okoye was not a religious person but she found herself praying to some unidentified God as she matched his pace. Every thrust felt like deliverance. Attuma could feel her pussy constricting, she was close. He immediately fucked himself into her with renewed speed, his hips snapping and rolling at a breathtaking rate. Her walls fluttered, her inner muscles clamped down around his cock. She wailed and sobbed as she climaxed, and the vampire fucked her through it. Now it was time for them to truly join.

Attuma descended on her, his mouth close to her ear. "Give me your throat, Okoye," he whispered softly. He heard her breath hitch and a low moan escaped her. He hadn't stopped thrusting into her and she knew he was going to take her. He ran his nose down the column of her throat to her pulse point. Attuma deeply inhaled, her blood beckoned him.

She opened her mouth to beg one last time. "Attuma, please don't hurt me. Please don't…I don't want this. I'm scared."

He kissed her. His voice was an inebriate, pouring over her. "I'm selfish…I want to make you mine. I want you for eternity, my Love. I would never hurt you. Let go…you don't have a choice."

Okoye could feel his mouth on her throat, feel his fangs begin to extend. She inhaled as they pierced her flesh. Attuma started to suck, drawing Okoye's blood into him. Her life essence tasted like liquid fire. Okoye's blood rolled over his tongue, down his throat. He withdrew his cock. He had to, he was becoming overwhelmed. He didn't want to lose control.

He wanted to gorge. Delicious honeyed blood filled his mouth as he buried his teeth deeper. A rush of sweet arousal and hunger swept through Attuma as he struggled to restrain himself. He was not some young untested vampire. He was centuries old and he would show discipline.

Okoye cried out but not from pain.The intensity of the Donativum was not at all what she expected. Eddies of pleasure rippled throughout her body.
It felt otherworldly and she wanted more…she wanted him.

"Oh my God…you feel so fucking good. Don't stop." She gasped. Okoye was undulating against his thigh. He reluctantly tore his mouth away and Okoye keened and slumped back against the bed, delirious from the bite and weak with blood loss. Her skin took on a deathly pallor and her heartbeat was slowing as she closed her eyes. Attuma had drained a lethal amount of blood.

"No! Please fuck me, Attuma…please! Don't stop." She was near death yet she begged for his touch.

The vampire preened as he sat up, satisfied that he had pleased his bride. And there was so much more to come. He extended the nail on his left ring finger and slid it across his wrist. Vampiric blood now oozed from his veins, and he brought his wrist to Okoye's lips.

"Drink, my Love."

Attuma pressed his wrist against her mouth and her tongue flicked, but she was too weak to swallow. The elixir of immortality coated her mouth and tongue and trickled down her throat. Attuma waited for his venomous blood to take effect and it didn't take long. Okoye's eyes flew open and her hands shot out to Attuma's wrist. Her mouth pressed against him, sucking with a frenzied desperation. Okoye sat up, moaning, eagerly ingesting the fluid.

Okoye's eyes rolled back in her head as she sucked and sucked and sucked. Some of the liquid spilled from her mouth. Attuma hissed but he allowed her to continue. He never allowed his other children to drink more than a few mouthfuls but Okoye was special and she was entitled to all that he had. She was his bride and he would bless her with as many dark gifts as he was able to. She would reign by his side.

Several minutes passed and he finally pulled his wrist away. Okoye groaned and collapsed against the bed panting, covered in blood. Attuma watched as her skin regained its color and shifted beyond its normal hue. She was luminous. The first sign of the transformation.

"Fuuuuuuckkkk," she moaned as she sat up and licked her lips, chasing the taste of him. Her eyes were a mesmerizing amber. Her senses were unbelievably heightened. She could feel, hear and taste everything, Her hands moved on their own accord as she cupped her breasts, rolling her hardened nipples between her fingers. Attuma chuckled darkly; there was only one way to describe the Huntress: blood-drunk. She slithered into Attuma’s lap with preternatural grace. She was ravenous.

"I want you," she breathed.

She didn't give him time to respond as she claimed his mouth in a kiss that burned like acid. Okoye slipped her hand between her thighs, fingers gliding over her slippery labia as she collected her sopping wetness. She broke the kiss and placed her fingers in Attuma’s mouth and he licked, she was more delectable than anything he'd ever tasted.

Attuma had held off on his orgasm, wanting to focus on Okoye's pleasure but now that she’d turned, he was aching for release.

"Ride me, Huntress."

The words barely left his mouth before she was on him. The blood had unleashed her and she was completely uninhibited.Okoye's belly clenched with a taut coil of liquid heat as she pushed him down and clambered on top of him. She straddled his thighs, and his enticing, mouth-watering cock twitched. Okoye's nostrils flared,she could smell his musk, feel his blood pounding. Reaching down, she ran her hands over his chest and she could feel power radiating through his skin. Okoye watched in awe as her fingernails grew and sharpened. She raked them across his chest, drawing blood. Attuma groaned, eyelids fluttering. Okoye licked her fingers, relishing the taste.

"Huntress." His gaze was as hot on her skin as physical touch. Okoye was flushed with impatience, her pussy throbbed with eagerness as she lifted her hips and impaled herself on his awaiting cock. Attuma bared his teeth in a snarl as his eyes darkened, slowly bleeding gold. Okoye returned his gaze, her eyes like molten honey, and she began to rock. Biting her lip from the sheer pleasure,Okoye could feel the beginnings of fangs distend. She rocked her hips faster and they groaned together with every undulation. Her breasts swayed with every primal roll of her hips against his. Okoye twisted, sliding his cock even deeper as she rode him. She growled as his hips snapped harshly. She wound around him like a serpent, increasing her speed even further, seizing his wrist she bit down and drank, pleasure and pain merging. They were both predator and prey.

"Okoye." Her name spilled from his lips like a chant. Raw need was coursing through his body. She tensed; her pussy clamped down as he thrusted up to meet her. She held him tight, constricting him, overwhelming him. "Sit up." She commanded. Attuma adjusted himself to an upright position. Okoye grabbed his hair and yanked hard, forcing him to present his throat. His hands moved to her ass, squeezing, urging her to move faster.
Without hesitation she sank her fangs into his throat, piercing his flesh…drinking deeply. Pain and ecstasy shot through him like an electric current. The combination of Okoye’s sublime pussy and sadistic bite was the sweetest torture he'd even known. She removed her mouth from his throat and yanked his hair, effortlessly exerting her dominance as she captured his mouth in another insatiable kiss.

The Huntress was lost in a fervor, riding him with abandon. A symphony of gasps and moans from their fucking permeated the chamber. Corruption flowed between them and she could sense his release approaching. Her eyes bore into his, a hypnotic stare that promised pleasure and pain in equal measure. Okoye's voice was laced with satisfaction and a hint of warning.

"You've earned your orgasm vampire, Now cum."

And he obeyed.

Attuma roared as he broke. Thick, ropey strands of cum rocked into her, he shook with the force of a stampede. Okoye soon followed, shattering; her screams dancing through his ears. The climax was so intense, it bordered on painful. A gush of liquid heat spilled from her. She sighed, utterly spent as she slid off of Attuma’s body.

Attuma fell back, awestruck. He had never cum so hard his existence; he had never been fucked like that. He thanked every Lord of Hell. He had chosen well. Okoye was not just his mate; she was his superior and he would spend the rest of his immortality worshiping her. He gathered her in his arms as his eyes glowed golden. Several minutes passed as they lay silently. He was pensive, imagining their new life together. He turned his head to gaze at her, noting more of her transformation. She was stunning; blood-drunk and fucked-out. He scooped her up and Okoye instinctively nestled against him. He could feel their bond growing.

Attuma carried her to a luxurious marble and quartz bathroom. Okoye lifted her head from his chest. The colors were dazzling: sumptuous teal-greens and gold. He placed her on a curved sea moss-colored chaise. Okoye could smell the fragrant bathwater and she could sense something else. She could hear a series of faint whispers in her mind. Attuma was communicating with someone. It was unclear and she gave it no more thought as Attuma placed her in the opulent spacious marble tub. He stepped in behind her and it felt heavenly to be seated between his legs as the hot water caressed her. Okoye's head lolled back against his chest as he gently began to wash her. She was deliciously intoxicated. Her mind was hazy.

She was quiet and he understood why. The power of the blood could be overwhelming to the newly-initiated. He spoke soothingly to her.

"Your body is transforming rapidly, my Love. You must rest. The next phase of the Donativum is…taxing, and you'll need your strength.Tomorrow evening, we'll feed."

Her eyes were closed as he cleaned her flesh. Okoye was unsure of how long they spent soaking in the tub. She could feel Attuma’s blood altering her; it was extraordinary, this rebirth. But she was extremely exhausted. Attuma lifted her from the tub and placed a scarlet bath sheet around her body. Okoye stood up, still reeling from the effects of his blood as she made her way to the vanity. Her mouth dropped open in shock. She stared at her reflection in utter disbelief. Her eyes were a startling amber color. Her hands moved to her head. Her hair had grown back; thick, coily dark strands reaching past her shoulder blades. Attuma came up behind her and, leaning over, kissed her shoulder.

"The Donativum can manifest in many different ways. Don't let this alarm you, Huntress."

Okoye's altered appearance had a sobering effect. She turned to face Attuma. She had so many questions. "My hair…how did I not notice that? Attuma, you said we'd feed tomorrow night? Vampiric transformations take three days, don't they? What's happening to me? I…I don't understand this. I heard voices in my head…are there others here? I–I–"

"Sshh, my Love. Okoye, I know you're anxious. Let me take you back to bed. You must rest. I'll answer all of your questions."

Before she could protest, Attuma picked her up bridal style and carried her back to his bedchamber. She observed that the bed linen was changed. The new bedding was onyx and pewter. Attuma gently placed her on the bed and handed Okoye a sleeveless silk chemise in scarlet. Donning the sleepwear, Okoye noted that it was a perfect fit. She glanced at Attuma, a look of confusion on her face.

He climbed into bed and motioned for her to join him and she reluctantly did so. He opened his arms to her but she sat on the side of the bed. She was frightened and confused. Attuma wanted to reassure her. He wanted her to relax but she was hesitant. He sighed and began to answer her questions.

"Okoye, normally the transformation does take three days. Your change is accelerated because I allowed you to consume a tremendous amount of my blood."

"Is this happening so quickly due to your age? Okoye asked.

"Yes, the older the vampire, the more potent the blood."

"I suppose that makes sense. The blood of a five-hundred-year-old immortal must be pretty powerful,” Okoye mused.

"Oh, I'm significantly older than five hundred years, Love, but that's a tale for another evening. And as for the voices you heard, that's telepathy. Yes, there are others here to tend to our needs. I had one of my children clean and redress the bed. Our home is fully staffed. You'll find that you have many new gifts. Flight, shape-shifting, mind control, healing factor, enhanced speed, strength and so many others. Over time, the full range of your gifts will manifest. The Donativum blesses each of its children with unique abilities. I'm excited to see yours develop."

Okoye was silent as he spoke, struggling to come to terms with what he was saying. She had lost her humanity. Her heart constricted in grief.

“And the nightgown, Attuma? It's a perfect fit." She said quietly.

He reached for her but she shook her head. He ached to take her in his arms. "My Love, your comfort is my responsibility. As your husband, it is my duty to see that you lack for nothing. I had an entire wardrobe created for you. The finest garments, jewels, perfumes…anything you desire, Okoye. All that I have is yours."

Okoye permitted herself to lay down and began to weep softly. She had nothing left. The darkness had taken everything from her and she was so very tired. Attuma moved beside her, ready to hold her in his arms, but she stopped him.

"Don't…just don't. You've taken everything from me. I have nothing. I'm alone. I c-can't… return to the Sisterhood. I'm an enemy now. Being a huntress was my life's work. It's all I've ever known. I'm a monster now. I can't feed off of humans…I can't do that. I'm afraid. I don't know what to do."

She turned her back to him and sobbed. More than anything, she wished for the presence of her mother. Okoye longed for her arms, but it was the vampire who embraced her. Attuma held her, gently stroking her hair using his vampiric gift to comfort her.

"Okoye, you are not alone, You have me. I know that you're frightened, I will not forsake you. I'll make the transition as easy as possible, my Love. I'll withhold nothing from you. All of my knowledge and power are at your disposal. I'll never lie to you. Okoye, I can meet all of your needs if you allow it. You were lonely in your former life. The Obsidians didn't understand you. They couldn't, my darling. But I do. You don't have to hide your truest self anymore."

"Attuma…I don’t know how to do this. Everything, it's gone…all of it. I don't know who I'll be..what I'll be..." She sobbed brokenly.

"You'll be Okoye, my Love, and that's enough. It's more than enough. And you can still hunt. There is still evil in the world, my angel…of the human variety. Murders, child predators, racists…rapists. You can still be a huntress and you'll never starve. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't support your calling and encourage your gifts? I can teach you so many things. I want you fulfilled. I want you to enjoy your new life, to embrace it. In time, you'll understand that what I'm saying is true. Everything will be alright. Let me take care of you."

Okoye could sense the truthfulness of his words, the sincerity behind them. She closed her eyes, resting as he pulled her closer. Their bond was deepening. Okoye could feel the changes; her flesh and mind shifting into something else, something other. She was so very tired..she just wanted to rest.

"I'm tired," she murmured.

"I know…just rest, my Love. I'm right here. Rest." He could feel her body relax, feel her mind recede as she drifted into a state of impassivity.

Attuma tenderly kissed her and smiled in the darkness. A single word encompassed all of his desires.

Mine.