A/N: a new chapter in Kaz's POV. I appreciate any kind of feedback :D

The little pixie thing is watching me with wide eyes, almost shivering, body coiled tight like she will bolt anytime now. But moments ago I honestly thought she would destroy me. What a surprise that was.

She upped the magic so high, I think the whole city felt it. Asuka sure did, I can feel my lieutenant approaching right now, fast and swift, her signature is drawing near. That power even broke through my concealment spell that should keep anyone from spying on us, that's how strong and wild it was.

I know one thing for sure - Shawna is older than me. Which means that I could have been in trouble. I should have been in trouble because her smell, interconnected with her pure magic, gives off that tinge only the vampires with over half a century age can muster. And I'm barely over one hundred if you count my normal life years. My power has matured in the last thirty years. Nonetheless, it still has room for growth.

It's annoying when dealing with older individuals - most of them think I'm just like them - but some see my youth, and I have to surround myself with my lieutenants. We are undefeatable when together. Individually, we can fall. Not as easily, but we can fall. That's the reason why most of the vampire Lords are old bats.

A youngster like me sure as hell gave them constipation after pulling off taking over the capital. They probably don't have a clue how to react, otherwise, my domain would have been run over with invaders seeking to expand their territories.

For now, they wait to see what will happen and I know exactly who among my neighbors is going to be the first one to break and try something. I'll be ready. Heck, I'm already ready, waiting and plotting, barely being patient to see their faces when they fail.

Some of my satisfaction with that plan must have trickled out because Shawna flinches, violently, her hand almost jerking out from my grasp. Before I can say anything she's making a disgusted face.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of sucking someone dry?"

Huh. That's what she thinks that smile was about? No wonder she does. She dealt with guys like Lucius, he would have done something like that.

Well, I won't correct her assumption. It's in my best interest for her to think I'm some kind of monster. That description isn't that far fetched. I am a monster, just not a flashy one.

"Why, yes. I'm quite famished."

She shoots me a look that screams disgusting. How interesting. I've never thought I'd see that in someone of her age or someone like her. Life is full of surprises.

I have no time to say anything else before Asuka barges in like a madwoman, black hair rising to a morbid halo with power forming a delicately strong web around her. She observes the whole place with her dark eyes, starting with corners and slowly shifting her head to our seats.

The rich silver buttons of her dark overcoat glint in the soft light of the pub as she inches toward us. "My Lord, there was a high concentration of power coming from this place. Was there a problem?"

Always the one to get to the point.

"Nah," I say, careful to use the most uninterested tone of voice I can muster. It will drive her mad. She needs some fun in her boring, boring life.

"My lord," she demands and I can hear fangs slitting one over another. "What happened?"

I smirk, right hand waving toward Shawna. "Meet my concubine."

"What."

Asuka stares with a face tightly controlled to show nothing, but I can feel the power prodding and probing and Shawna coiling tighter, her magic stifling inward almost like she would disappear into herself if she could.

"What do you mean?" Asuka asks after not getting the answer, dark eyes flashing murder.

I tilt my head, amused, but I refrain from laughing. "This is Shawna. She will be joining us as my concubine."

I think I broke Asuka.

Her mouth opens and closes. Once, twice, three times. Then she makes a noise like dying lamb, hands twitching, forming fists. And then she sighs. "Kaz," she says in a tone I know very well, the one that should convey, You moron, what is wrong with you? And I know right there and then I managed to piss her off. She pauses for a long moment, before continuing in a whispered yell, "You're trying to say you're taking an unknown vampire as your concubine?"

"What an astounding deduction!" I keep the mocking tone to the max, and apparently, it works well. It's almost beautiful how her eyes flash in anger, mouth curling into a snarl to let sharp fangs out.

"Kaz, let me get this straight," she starts and pauses to take what I believe should be a calming breath. "You and your childish impulsiveness decided to take a who knows how old and dangerous vampire as a freakin' concubine?"

She yelled the last part and I don't like the tone anymore. I guess she sees it on my face, that she has overstepped, because the next thing I know, my power is rising, seeping through every pore in my body, like a lightning strike it rips through space, clear and wicked and brimming, and Asuka falls on one knee, bow deeper than usual as dark strands fully conceal her pure face.

My power is free and burning, firmly pressing like metaphorical fingers over the place. Asuka doesn't whimper, but it's a near thing as a sound escapes her mouth and the trembling of her limbs feels like vibrations on the floor under the force of contained magic.

But there's a whimper from my left. Shawna shakes like a leaf on the wind, one fang ripping into the skin just under her lower rosy lip and a thin trail of blood trickles down her chin.

It feels nice; to feel powerful, it's alluring in its call and I want to scream so the whole world hears me, I'm doing that, I'm making them tremble in terror!

"Forgive me, my Lord," Asuka says, breaking the oppressing silence that descended upon us.

Fortunately, she remembered the fact that I am the Lord of the city. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. Unfortunately, I can already sense the transformation or the Awakening as others call it, slowly spreading throughout every cell in my body, bloodlust arising along with it.

I snuff it out with one thought. The temptation of arousal is blinding, but I have other stuff to deal with first. I can go all out later.

My hand is snake-fast as I snap it around Shawna's delicate wrist, her magic amplifying with surprise so clear on her open features. I rise and pull her up along with me, a sofa she sat on tumbling on the laminate with a loud thud, heard even over all the blaring music.

"We're going back."

Asuka doesn't need more explicit command and she disappears into the night, the only proof of her nearness a slight graze of the magic signature over the edges of my awareness.