Vampire (Alpha Claim 1) (Brief-Bites Novelette) by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Author:Tamara Rose Blodgett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: vampires, suspense, paranormal romance, dark fantasy, episode 1, tamara rose blodgett, marata eros

Beth, you must let us do the talking. Under no circumstances should you volunteer to train for a combative role. There are alternative roles for female Reflectives.

Beth crinkled her face at the memory. She understood all of what they wanted of her, and she would not shuffle papers and sit behind a desk, looking like the dolls she had given up playing with.

All Reflectives were far more mature than their human counterparts from the other twelve sectors.

Beth spoke like a teen, though she was five cycles. She puzzled through things that confounded adults.

She was faster, stronger, and brighter.

Beth was female.

When Commander Rachett of the Reflective Militia who operated under The Cause leaned forward and delved deep, he tried to pierce young Beth's very soul, she met him halfway.

Her small body leaned boldly toward his, unafraid.

In their people's ancient language of Latin, he posed the question: What role will you fill within The Cause, young Beth?

Beth narrowed her eyes, and Rachett's brows raised slowly.

He had studied her, no doubt because she was a half-breed, and female besides. She had met his stare with an unwavering gaze.

“A combative role, of course,” Beth said in her childlike voice, though the meaning was very adult, because she understood and communicated like one.

“No! Beth…” her mama said.

Beth swung her legs back and forth underneath the chair. Her eyes drifted to the candy dish poised at the edge of the desk before returning to the commander's.

Beth's stare matched Rachett's.

Rachett had to know what she was: a warrior. The attribute was either present, or it wasn’t.

Her papa stood.

“We can't have her fight. She is female… and not big for her gender.” Her father's face pleaded with Rachett to see reason.

Commander Rachett wasn't known as a reasonable man.

Rachett steepled his fingers underneath his chin, looking at Beth’s adoptive parents. Good people, common folk who were loyal to The Cause, believers in the Principle.

Rachett's gaze shifted to Beth. He scrutinized her face: eyes like crushed brown velvet; hair like a raven's wing; and skin like polished marble, pale but not pasty.

She is too beautiful to fight, he must have thought with regret.

Beth saw that future remorse on his face.

Then he looked at her hands, long-fingered and limber.

His eyes shifted back to hers.

“Beth?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Commander Rachett?” Her small fingers held something.

He frowned, obviously distracted from his planned comment.

“What do you have in your hand?”

She opened her palm, revealing a large reflective marble—a shooter coated with hard-laced mercury.

Rachett sucked in his breath.

“That's a locator.”

Her parents looked at each other.

“Where did you get that, Beth?” her papa asked carefully.

Beth's eyes touched on the worry that each face held, and she felt her face scrunch.

“They hand them out at the front entrance…” Rachett said thoughtfully before Beth could answer.

Beth nodded carefully. The nice lady had given it to her to entertain herself with.

“Do you know what those are for?” Rachett asked her.

She nodded again.

Beth knew. She liked the feeling of the smooth glossy surface. Her fingers worked over the cylindrical perfection delicately, with reverence.

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