Chapter 5

Taken Away

Once again that day, Juniper found himself stunned. A cold sweat formed on his brow. The vampire—the crown prince—must have been speaking to his family because his mother replied.

“Y-yes, Your Highness. I’ll go get him.”

She was scared, her voice quivering. Jun could hear her rise and walk shakily towards the entrance of his cellar. The moment had come.

“Juniper, please come up.”

The boy rose from his bed, letting the blankets fall away. He took a second to straighten out his simple cotton shirt and mess with his hair—as if that helped in presenting himself to the vampires. The nerves were getting to him. He took a deep breath in an attempt to get oxygen to his brain and climbed up the ladder.

His mother stood at the entrance of the closet when he emerged. Her gentle hand grasped his shoulder as she whispered, “When we enter the living room, get on your knees and bow your head… I love you, Jun. I’ll be right there with you.”

The boy mustered up as much courage as he could and directed it into each step as he followed his mother down the all-too-short hallway and into the living room. The room that held so many cherished memories with his family now felt like a place of doom.

Mother took his hand and guided him further into the room. When she stopped, they lowered themselves to their knees and bowed their heads low. Jun couldn’t see them, but he could feel multiple sets of eyes on him. The air was overwhelmed with dominance and superiority.

Juniper also felt something else, and it frightened his very core—lust. He couldn’t suppress a cold shiver. His body began to tremble.

One of the vampires came forward to stand in front of Jun. A firm and rather large hand gripped his chin and forced his head up. The voice of his finder addressed him.

“Let me get a look at those eyes.”

The full intensity of the crown prince’s stare pressed down on him. He hoped the prince wasn’t expecting him to meet his eyes. Wouldn’t that be disrespectful anyway? When the vampire finally released his hold, Jun immediately bowed his head again, relieved to escape his scrutiny.

“Ian, hand me a pad.”

There was a brief shuffling, and the vampire named Ian approached the prince.

“Here, sir.”

Prince Isaac walked towards the other family members, tapping and swiping on the pad.

“Male head, Phillip, why was it reported that this young man died as an infant?”

“Your Highness, Juniper was born without sight. He would have been disposed of.”

Jun was impressed that his father could answer while maintaining his steady voice. He was so strong for them.

“So you went against the laws and kept him hidden on this farm?”

Jun couldn’t decipher the prince’s tone. He didn’t sound angry or even accusing, just stoic and emotionless. It was somehow even more terrifying.

“Yes, Your Highness. It was my decision.”

Father attempted to place the guilt on himself. At that moment, everything felt like too much for Jun. He reacted without thinking.

“Please! Please, Your Highness, I’m the one that s-shouldn’t be alive. Please, punish only me.”

Mother reached out for Jun, attempting to quiet him, but the boy couldn’t contain himself anymore.

“My family are good workers. They are still useful—”

Pain fired across Juniper’s face. Another vampire had come forward and slapped him. He instantly crumpled to the floor, holding his stinging cheek. The force of the blow was more intense than anything Juniper had ever felt.

“Such insolence, speaking out of turn!”

Mother sobbed next to him, still in her kneeling position. Jun could feel the hurt from his family members and their desire to reach out to him, but the vampires had them cowed.

“Enough.”

The prince didn’t speak the command loudly, but the whole room halted without a sound. It was devastating the amount of power the man held.

Jun was startled by surprisingly gentle hands that helped him to his feet. Unfortunately, there was no strength left in his legs, and Jun unwillingly leaned into the prince for support. A firm hand wrapped around Jun’s waist. The touch felt warm through the thin fabric of his shirt.

Jun’s whole body stiffened when he sensed that lust again. He had heard that vampires were creatures who insatiably sought out pleasure. Was this desire directed at him? Being so close to the prince and feeling the deep rumble of his chest as he spoke drained all further thoughts from Jun’s head.

“The boy has managed to live for this long, and from what I have witnessed, his lack of sight has caused him little hindrance. He is eligible for a blood test. Let us see how useful he can be. Then we will decide on appropriate punishments.”

Before Jun could process the words and what they meant for him, the prince ordered new commands.

“Take family 20902 to the overseers building.” The hold tightened around Juniper, almost possessively. There would probably be bruises left on his fair and sensitive skin. “I will escort this one myself.”

In a flurry of motion, vampires forced his family to their feet and bound their wrists. Jun could hear quiet sobs from his mother and Willow, but there were no screams of protest, no struggles of resistance. They understood that the best chance for survival lay in obedience. Jun could feel deep heartache from all of them.

Prince Isaac took Jun by the arm in an unyielding hold, the whole of the vampire’s hand easily wrapping around his upper arm. Prince Isaac led him out the front door. A door Juniper had never before ventured through.

Unfamiliar with the terrain, Jun’s footing was unsteady as his worn boots dragged along the gravel driveway. He stumbled a bit, but the prince’s firm grasp kept him upright as he guided Jun away from the only place he had ever known. There were sure to be bruises on his arm too.

The commotion all around overwhelmed Juniper’s senses. He could hear the other vampires leading his family away from him—the sounds of shuffling feet and car doors opening and closing.

The prince stopped at the luxurious vehicle designated for him and opened a door. He guided Jun into the seat, and then the door shut behind him with a click.

A moment later and another door opened. Jun could sense the prince getting into the seat beside him. A console separated the soft leather seats, and Jun felt relieved that he was no longer in direct contact with the man. The flesh on his arm and waist, where the bruises were forming, felt oddly cold now.

This was the first time Jun had ever been in a vehicle. His family had a sturdy truck that got them to town and hauled supplies. But he never needed to ride in it.

Jun wasn’t sure what to do with himself. His mind reeled. He began to wring his hands together in an attempt to stave off the tremors. 

The front car doors opened, and two more figures took their seats. The driver, Jun could sense, was human, and the passenger was another vampire.

Jun reached out for the driver’s emotions, curious about another slave. He could feel a sense of dignity from the man. He was proud of the job he had. There was also a desire to please and a little fear.

“Take us to the overseers building,” ordered the prince.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the driver replied obediently.

The vehicle lurched forward. Jun flinched at the sudden movement, and his hands went out to grasp for something to hold onto. He found the armrests and clutched them, knuckles turning white with pressure as the car rolled ahead.  

The crown prince chuckled. Juniper never thought he would hear such a light-hearted sound from the vampire prince.

“I see you have never ridden in a car before. I suppose there is much you have never experienced,” noted the prince.

“Yes, Your Highness. I… I didn’t get out much,” Jun replied tentatively.

This vampire thoroughly upended Juniper’s expectations. He thought he would be swiftly executed. He might still be, but at least now, it seemed there was a chance. The prince had said his blood would determine his usefulness. After a lifetime with seemingly no purpose, Jun yearned to be useful more than anything.

“Come here.”

Abruptly, the prince pulled Juniper onto his lap—legs straddling powerful thighs. The vampire maneuvered him seamlessly as if he weighed little more than a feather.  

The unsteady movement of the car and Jun’s new precarious position forced his palms to rest on the prince’s chest to steady himself. The vampire was impressively muscular. His chest felt like stone beneath Jun’s hands, with very little give, even when Jun slightly leaned in.

“Such an oddity I have found.”

Prince Isaac cupped Juniper’s cheek, the one that had been struck. It was still quite painful, and Jun couldn’t prevent a couple of tears from pooling in his eyes. At least he kept them from spilling.  

Then, the vampire began to explore Jun. His hand descended under the youth’s jaw to run down the length of his neck. Fingers brushed along his collarbone, then over his chest. Isaac settled his hands around a soft and slender waist.

Now both cheeks reddened. The touch was slight through the thin cotton shirt, like a whisper over his skin. Touch-sensitive, Juniper shivered in response.

It was as if the prince was taking stock of him and measuring his worth. Jun had never fathomed being handled in such a way.

He hoped the vampire hadn’t found him lacking. The lust was there again, but Jun found it impossible to connect such a feeling between the prince and himself. He simply presumed vampires always felt that way—at least, that was how his mind rationalized it.

“Was this used to cover your eyes?”  

Prince Isaac brushed the familiar cloth sash over the backs of Jun’s hands.

“Yes, Your Highness. It helped protect them,” Jun said, surprised the sash was in the prince’s possession. He had thought it was still lying under his tree—the place where their encounter occurred.

“It’s a pity to cover up such an asset. I’ll hold onto this for now.”  

Jun was thankful that the vampire had found at least one thing of value about him, even if it had seemed like such a trifling thing in his opinion. How useful could a pair of apparently pretty eyes be?

Silence filled the interior of the car. Jun wished he could return to his own seat. The vehicle kept its pace, but the old dirt road made the ride unsteady. Jun kept tightening his grip on the lapels of the prince’s expensive feeling suit jacket. He worried he might be wrinkling it, but the man said nothing. Jun felt awkward, as it seemed the prince kept scrutinizing him.

It wasn’t long, though, before the vehicle slowed and then came to a stop. Juniper’s body tensed. They had arrived at the overseers’ building.