Thread: Hiding in Plain Sight [Nothing_Is_As_It_Seems & GhostOfWinter]

As his daughter gazed up at him with a hungry visage, Augustus realized he had made a mistake. He had let the teasing and flirting go too far, and Gabriela, who still had not attained mastery over the vampiric instincts she inherited from her mother's people, was growing desperate. Truth be told, these were exactly the sorts of close calls that made him reluctant to let his daughter leave the manor in the first place, but now that it was upon them, it was a situation that must be dealt with. As she spoke to him, through her whimpers, he could see her incisors elongating slightly into the telltale fangs of her people. He glanced around quickly, confirming that the proprietor was on the other side of the store. A dhampyr's fangs were not as pronounced as a full vampire's, but it would still give her away if they were seen. The carriage was still parked out front, but it would be incredibly risky taking his daughter outside in her current state. He didn't know how strong her cravings were at the moment, but it was within the realm of possibility that she would pounce on someone if he denied her too long. Quickly assessing his options, Augustus took Gabriela's hand, and led her back inside the dressing room, drawing the curtain closed. It was less than ideal, but hopefully the proprietor would grant them their privacy. He could feel her gaze upon him, her eyes tracing the line of his neck. He could feel himself being drawn towards her, a sort of pull in the back of his mind, as he could feel his senses soften as a supernatural wave of calm and relaxation took hold over him. He tried to focus, reaching into his cloak and drawing out the small phial of essence, the precious red liquid that could be used to control Gabriela's cravings, but a growing part of him told him to let go, to let it be, to let his little girl climb into his lap and curl her body around his, to breathe in her scent and relax as she sinks her sharp teeth into his neck. The Viscount had fed Gabriela his blood before, it was one of the quickest ways to help a Dhampyr recover from an illness or injury, but always in a goblet or saucer, never directly from his own body. He knew from experience with Adelina, though, that it would feel marvelous for both of them, intoxicating and arousing all at once. They would become of one flesh, little different from the other ways a man and woman could join themselves together, as she would directly take his essence into her body. He knew that she would writhe against him, that she would welcome his touch anywhere on her body, that she would mewl and moan and consume his affections with an insatiable hunger. The possibilities filled his mind as she seemed to glide towards him, her voracious appetite expressed plainly in her beautiful eyes. Augustus knew, however, as he felt a heavy weight bearing down on his conscious mind, that this was very dangerous. Gabriela was inexperienced and untrained, if she didn't kill him outright, she could drain enough blood to incapacitate him, and be discovered, covered in his blood while he lay powerless to protect her. As much as he wanted to satisfy his daughter, he knew that this was the wrong time and the wrong place. Drawing upon his own training, he steadied his mind, and pushed back the effects of her vampiric charm. Against a mature vampire lord, Augustus would stand no chance, but Gabriela was young and acting on instinct alone, and he was able to break her hold on him, if only momentarily. Popping the stopper off the phial of essence, he lifted it to her lips, forcibly tilting her head back and forcing her to swallow the viscous red liquid. Watching her taut neck as she swallowed the liquid, drop by drop, he felt a pang of regret, knowing how much better they both would have felt if it had been his warm blood, fresh from his body, flowing across his young daughter's tongue and down her throat. Once the liquid was gone, he stumbled back against the wall, dizziness crashing down on him from the mental exhaustion.