Prologue: Blood Spilled & Tears:
Cold Stone
“This will only hurt for a minute. After, wellâ€â€you can be free to do as you please.â€Â
I closed my eyes with no prompting and waited for the rest to begin. Cold fingers brushed under my shirt, close to my heart. I sighed; this was all part of the job.
“Do you trust me?†it was a deep, seductive purr.
“Yes, forever…†I mumbled.
“Then lean back and let go. Be loose.†The fingers were replaced with long, stone fangs.
Several seconds; felt like hours to me, coulda been; passed as gargantuan, overwhelming, excruciating waves of pain and sorrow washed over me. It started where I was bitten and swept all throughout my body. No place was safe from them. A swell so massive, I couldn’t fight anymore, that I succumbed and the black abyss of Death took me under.
†††â€Â
Chapter One: The Hauntless
Bloody Beginnings
“Wake up. Heyâ€â€wake up, sleeping beauty.†A rough voice broke in, it seemed familiar but I couldn’t place where…
“Hmm..? Who’re you?†I asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and examining my new paws. "An' what am I?"
"You're a vampire morpher. Ever heard of em? The voice was maleish, but it held a note of feminity.
My eyes still hadn't fully adjusted to the small amount of light present in the place I was being held captive. You could hardly call it a room... I couldn't tell where I was, how I'd gotten there, who was holding me prisoner, or how in the pits of hell I was going to get out.
"No..."
"Well, sugar, they're vampires but they're also shape shifters. They can become whichever shape they want; imagined or real. You ith me so far?"
"It's Eli." I growled, the sound felt odd and strangely good inside my throat.
"Eli huh? What a beautiful name." Obviously Vampmorphs were gender benders too.
"Yes, I guess. What are you anyway?" My throat felt raw.
"Male, kid. I'll teach you how to switch shape, species, gender, eye color, fur color, skin, whatever you need as long as you don't leave here until I tell you're allowed to, ok?"
"Sure, whatever. Just help me up."