Transformation

She shouldn't have been able to hold him up. She was strong, too strong. The pain was excruciating and he was getting weaker with each passing second. He gasped and felt her tighten her hold, holding him against the wall as his vision started to swim. His legs had given out a long time ago; the only thing supporting him was her and the wall behind him. Where she was latched onto his throat it was hot, almost on fire, while the rest of him had started to go cold.

He groaned and she let him sink to his knees and eventually to the ground. The next few seconds felt like forever. Hands grab him and turned him over to his back. The hands then lifted his head and laid it down into a lap. "Damien… I need you to stay with me now, my dearest." He felt hands caressing the sides of his face, pushing his hair back from his forehead. "Look at me, Damien… Look at me!"

The voice was intense, harsh and angry. He forced his eyes to open. He looked up at the face above him as it swam in and out of focus. The face he looked calm, almost relieved. Not at all matching the tone of the voice he heard just a second ago. When the voice came back it was hurried, urgent. "That's it my dear, keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes on me… stay with me."

It was hard to focus, hard to stay awake. Everything hurt but was strangely numb at the same time. "We don't have much time, I need you to do as I say or you won't survive."

Something slipped beneath his neck and he felt his head tilt backward. Fearing she would lock onto his throat again, he panicked and attempted to pull away. Fingers tightened around the back of his neck, holding him in place. "Shh, no, my love, hold still and do as I say."

Pain shot through his spine as the fingers tightened on his neck, making him gasp again while something was pressed against his open mouth. "Drink."

He felt something sliding into his mouth, warm and slick. His eyes widened at the metallic taste… Blood!

He panicked, lashing out.

The hand on his neck tightened and the pressure of the wrist against his mouth intensified, locking the two in place. Automatically he started to choke and gag on the blood now flowing into his mouth. Her voice was harsh again. "Don't fight it, drink it or you will die. Now drink!"

He continued to choke, and once his lungs screamed in protest from the lack of air his body choked the blood down to give him room to breathe. He gagged, this time as his stomach turned with nausea when the blood hit his stomach. He had just enough time to gasp for breath before more blood got in the way, cutting off his air supply, forcing him to swallow so he could breathe.

As this continued, he felt himself panic less and less and start to relax. Falling into a steady rhythm; breathe, swallow and breathe.

"That's right dearest, drink. Don't worry about a thing just now. It's almost over. The pain will stop, I promise."

Breathe, swallow, breathe and swallow. It was second nature; he didn't even have to think about it anymore. His body did it on its own.

He stopped swallowing though, cringing against the sharp pain suddenly forming in his chest. He gasped as the pain suddenly lashed across it, accidentally inhaling a mouthful of blood causing him to choke again. The wrist was pulled away from him and once he could breathe, he screamed. It felt like his heart was being torn out through his chest.

The pain increased. Starting at his chest is spread until every nerve end felt as though it were on fire. She let him go as he started to thrash. His stomach turned against the blood in his system. His heart pounded against his chest and blood pounded through his ears. His own screams muted from the pressure.

He collapsed.

Stretched out face down, shaking, he managed to stop screaming. Flinching away from the feeling of a hand pressed on his back. "I am sorry my love. I know it is painful. However, it will soon be over and you won't hurt anymore. It's almost over."

He clenched his teeth as the pain increased and he continued to shake. After what felt like an eternity, the pain climaxed and he screamed again and then everything went quiet.

- + - + - + -

Marion watched from her seated position near Damien's still form. She made no move to approach, simply sat and waited quietly.

Suddenly, he gasped and took a sharp breath before pushing himself to his hands and knees. He started to cough. Once that stopped, he knelt there, panting for breath. Marion looked amused, "It's no longer necessary for you to breathe. But if it gives you comfort from the action… take your time." She watched him as he shook. When he spoke the clenched his eyes shut. "What have you done to me?"

"I've made you powerful, Damien. As I promised that first night that we met all those years ago, remember what I showed you? What you have become is far better then I could have hoped."

Damien opened his eyes, staring at his hands underneath him. His breath hitched as he noticed they were sharper, taking on the form of taloned claws.  He started to shake again. He cringed as a familiar pain lashed through his stomach, hissing through clenched teeth that fit together oddly, now baring fangs. "What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you and whoever says differently is a fool. You will learn to deal with those who judge you quickly enough. Until they learn to fear you appropriately." She watched him, her lips pulling into a smile that almost made her look sweet, loving even. "I have a feeling you will gain the respect you deserve quickly."

He growled, the noise sounding unnatural in a human throat, the sound to animal. It made his stomach turn in disgust. Flinching away when he felt fingers touching his hair again, he kept his eyes locked on the ground when he saw her crouch near him. Her hand hovered above his head, but she made not move to touch him again. "Damien?"

When he did not look at her she sighed, carefully standing to her feet. "You are most likely hungry. You need to eat, Damien. Luckily I have come prepared." Getting to her feet she walked over and opened the door.  

He looked at the door as she vanished from view for a brief moment. His eyes widened when he heard the muffled screams of the tied-up servant in her hands that she pulled into view. "No."

"You have to eat. What I gave you will not sustain you long enough to keep going, you need more."

He looked away as she took one of her nails and ran it down the man's neck. The smell hit him and made him freeze. Horrified more at the second animalistic growl that was rising up out of his throat. She held the servant up. Grabbing a handful of hair, she forced his head back. "Eat. The hunger will only get worse if you don't."

He kept his eyes turned away, his attention carefully diverted from the offer. There was a growl that didn't come from him causing him to glance in Marion's direction. She wasn't there.

The servant had collapsed to the floor, his eyes wide in fear as he looked around the room. Damien didn't get a chance to look. He felt fingers weave through his hair and then his head was roughly pulled backwards. Her features were contorted in rage as she looked down at him. "Do not make the mistake in thinking that you have a choice in this. Starving yourself will not benefit you. And I have little patience for your reluctance right now, Damien. I would take no joy in forcing it down your throat."

"I can't."

She tilted her head in wonder at his words. Keeping a hold on his hair she walked around to stand behind him, and pulled his head back more.  "Because…?"
He gritted his teeth against the pain of the angle on his throat. "It's wrong."
She shrugged one shoulder indignantly. "He's only a servant."

"He's been with my family since I was a child."

Marian looked over at the bound servant on the ground. "Sentimentality is wasted on our kind, Damien. Clinging to the past, to loved ones… Like your sister."
He snarled at her and she twisted his hair to make him stop. Leaning down to his level and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth. Looking at him and then moved to whisper in his ear. "Calm yourself, my darling. I will not hurt her, if you do as you are told. I told you before; I have no interest in her, only you."
She stroked his face and then released him, walking back over to where the servant lay. "Now, you need to eat."

Damien pushed himself to his feet as she walked away. "I can't."
When Marian turned around to face him, her face was livid. Her eyes switched from chocolate brown to sharp gold. Squaring off her shoulders she walked back toward him. Her hips swaying as she moved. A head shorter then him, she stopped when she was a bare inch away. Looking up at him, she smiled sweetly. He watched her, staring at her shimmering gold eyes before her smile turned into a sneer and she slammed him against the wall. Still stronger then him as she held him pressed against the wall. "You are not allowed to argue with me. I won't have it. You will do it or I'll kill the girl."

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt her."

She snarled. "That was before you broke yours."

"I made no promise."

She growled again. "You did, when your father died. You swore to do as I asked if I left the girl out of it. If you will not keep your word then I see no reason to keep mine. Especially since it seems to be the only incentive you are willing to respond to."

Damien glanced back over at servant still on the floor, the man's eyes filled with horror as he looked back at his master. There was a growl of impatience from Marian. "What is it going to be, Damien? Do you obey, or do I kill everyone in the house saving your sister for last?"

He didn't take his eyes off the servant. His voice was low, soft when he spoke. "She'll have no one. She'll be alone."

She only laughed at him. "It is not as if your family is poor, Damien. You will not need it and will be leaving it all to her. She will have the servants, with the exception of one, and because she is so wealthy, young and pretty. She will be married off quickly. Perhaps even have children of her own."

She suddenly snarled though. "But only if she survives the rest of the night. If you do not stop fighting me at every turn then I will kill her, and you will never be able to watch your nieces and nephews grow from afar."

She reached up to lightly caress his cheek before backing away from him and allowing him to move. Walking back over to the servant to pull him back up to a kneeling position and expose his throat again.

Damien could feel his own fangs lengthen, the smell of the man's blood continuing to wash over him. He wasn't entirely sure when he moved. The next thing he knew was he was latched onto the man's throat, swallowing mouthfuls of blood.