The Luna's Vampire Prince

nsl

ck is

e weeks now. Everything is gray. The sky. The muddy earth. Even the buildings. No one in my village ha

nsl

outside the bakery. Most days, we end up giving blood at the same time, so we find ourselves standing he

face, like he knows the answer already. No, of course, I didn

n my bones beginning to radiate up to my brain. I've given s

nning a hand through his dark hair. He's a lot taller than me, so I h

m she's about the same, maybe a little worse. Today is no different. I s

re both required to do community work to help out our fellow citizens of Beotown or find a job. It's difficult to get steady work these days, and I have two younger siblings and a sick mother to take

he loss of vital bodily fluids. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself and not feel nausea

"Smell what? All I s

closer around me. It had been my mother's at one point. The thread is so bare, parts of it are practically translucent, so it doesn't do much to keep out the autumn chill. Proper

to. Likewise, I will be able to pick up on my mate's scent. I'm not sure if that's a

do you

now I'm famished. I haven't eaten in two

ked up on that iron-like, aluminum scent that tinges

step forward, which I do, backward, and then wait for

too fast and get woozy. Lenny puts a hand on my arm to steady me. I feel nothing, only ambivalence. It's a shame because he's a good guy. I

vior," Lenny notes. He's probably not wrong. But there've been times in the past

er. Shaking my head, I decide to let it go. If I'm lucky, I won't see any of them. I hate most pe

pir

ead for nearly two hours. My feet are soaking wet. I'm tired, and I want to get home to my family. Mom reall

Mr. Laslo Black, brother to the mayor, Angus Black, rebukes t

now, and she can only give blood once a week. Who knows how long it's been since she ate anything at all? No gardens. No hunting. All of that is illegal here, th

pir

r coin, or get your old ass out of here. I've got other customers." Laslo jabs a meaty finger at the door, and every

o not. I have exactly forty-five, enough to buy one loaf of bread for my mother and si

. No one else is chim

y to give blood. His parents, himself, and his older sister. No

have to buy

louder than I should if I actually don't

't be

Ms. Mildred gathering up her coins, tears f

who stands behind him with a smug look on her chubby face, that they are both a

use his daughter, Olga, and I never got along. I can't help that she's always been a self-righteous bitch. Sh

of bread, two for him, two for his wife, and I think

most my

counter, but only the rich people can buy those. The people that run this place, like the mayo

whiff of metal and ignore it. I hope Lenny's right.

uints his beady eyes at me.

t. "One loaf of bread please, sir."

so fucking long to get a loaf of bread. Sometimes, he even

e" vlads, he motions for his chunky wife to hand me my loaf of br

shining in the dim light of his shop. "I don't like it when people

espond. But I can't help it. The words slip from my lips. "It'

pletely open as he struggles with some sort of a retort

kno

le. Tomorrow, I will have to beg Mr. Black to please give me bread. I'll have to

t one he had in his shop, but it's bread. It's food. And it's mine. I imagine the look on Mom's face when s

he street. I'm approaching the corner, a smile on my face, the bread held high in my hand. I see

y shoulder. Something, or someone, has hit me in t

been wrapped in. I see it silhouetted against the gray sky, watch it

thunks into the puddle, splashing the muddied water a bit as it

faster than the wolf, and in me

e bastard that has robbe