Bloodline | Maknae Line (21+)

32:

Chapter 32:

"Alright, baby girl, show us the way." You cringed at Caden's hot breath near you ear, but you obeyed, turning and pointing in the direction of the manor. You looked back at Jungkook, who was walking, his shoulders hunched, in between two of the hunters. The other three stood behind you, with cruel sneers on their faces.

"So, why do you want me, Caden?" You asked, turning your head back to face front as the troop walked down the wooded road. "Don't you love Katie?" Caden sighed, rubbing a pattern into your shoulder that made beetles crawl over your skin.

"Katie's great, but you were always the object of my affection. Unfortunately, you decided you hated me and you were also stuck with your nose in books so I could never try anything on you. And believe me, I wanted to." He grinned, giving you a side look. You literally felt bile jump into your throat and you had to concentrate in order to not emit anything. "Plus, there must be something about you that makes you even more appealing to these vampires." Caden added, sending a distasteful glance over his shoulder.

"I had no idea..." You mumbled, turning your head away so he wouldn't see your repulsion.

"Of course you wouldn't. You never notice anything unless it's punching you in the face." He threw his head back, cackling, but you didn't see the joke. "Alright, my turn. What exactly got you involved with these... bloodsuckers?" Caden asked, making you stiffen in his grip.

"I don't see how it's relevant." You muttered, racking your brain for a suitable excuse. What could you tell him? Not the truth, he would absolutely exploit you if he knew the truth about you.

"Aw, come on, you can tell me." He squeezed you close and whispered in your ear, making you flinch. "Did they make you a deal you couldn't refuse?" You closed your eyes as he cackled loudly, joined by the other hunters. You could hear Jungkook make a disapproving growl from behind you, but there wasn't anything he could do. And you didn't want him to do anything anyway. You could still see the blood seeping out of his ears even though you weren't looking at him. You clenched your fists.

"I want to know something." You said, interrupting Caden's laughing. "What are those precautions you talked about that keep you from being compelled? Do you all have them?" You glanced at the other hunters, who gave you sneers and evil grins. Caden sighed and twirled a strand of your hair in his finger.

"I'm not really sure I should tell you." He said in a mocking tone. You clenched your jaw, forcing yourself not to snap at him.

"It's only fair if we're about to be together after all this. I'll find out eventually, won't I?" You said, forcing yourself to sidle closer to him, like you were actually excited about being with him. Caden's smile widened and his eyes glinted. He took the bait.

"Fine, I suppose you're right. I guess I'll have to tell you the story of how our organization came to be." Caden said, taking a deep breath before he started his story. "See, a long time ago, like in the 1800s or something, a man found out about the existence of vampires. He woke up one day after blacking out to find he was being experimented on by these monstrous creatures. They wanted his blood for some reason, but not to drink, to study. It turns out that his blood was unique in that it was poisonous to vampires and he couldn't be controlled by them." You blinked, staring at the road in front of you as he continued his story. He hadn't noticed your reaction. "He escaped the vampires and started the vampire hunter organization. He found out exactly how to kill vampires and how to torture them. He invented the vampire whistle and the stake crossbows. He also used his own blood to manufacture special pendants that can be worn as jewelry that protect hunters from the vampire influence."

"What made him so special? Why was his blood like that?" You croaked, your muscles tensing as you anticipated the answer.

"Nobody knows, but thank God for him because he managed to store pints and pints of his blood before he died so we have a bountiful supply to prevent vampires from controlling us." Caden lifted his free hand and touched a silver ring on his middle finger. You studied it to see a gemstone fastened at the top that was red, but it didn't look like a ruby or another red gemstone. As you looked closer, you saw movement swirling inside the gemstone, which you concluded to be blood. You gulped and blinked back at Jungkook, who looked just as in awe of the story as you were.