The planet of Gnos was outside of the immediate star system and took a week to get to. Both Brandy and I asked for vacation time to come out to Gnos. The vampire planet was full of a thriving vampire culture but also had species the vampires fed on such as humans. Gnos orbited two suns, but they were so distant they were like specks of light. The cloud cover on Gnos and the moons filtered out most of the light. Gnos shone like a jewel of emerald and sapphire on the moon’s constantly gray bleak sky. The moon Vesta was where my mother lived. I was apprehensive about the trip to see my mother. Though I had visited Gnos periodically over the years, I left Vesta at 18 and very rarely made it back. This would be my first visit since incarceration. I did not think mother would help me, but I had to try, the only alternative was far more dangerous. Brandy seemed as worried as I was. Her teeth were clenched. This would be the first time I brought a mate home. Knowing my mother, this visit will not be pleasant.

 

Brandy’s nervousness wouldn’t do her any good, especially with my mother, so I cupped her face in my hands and gave her a kiss. At first it was a light kiss on the lips, but then I nibbled on her bottom lip. I pushed my tongue between her lips and massaged her tongue with my own. Brandy was caught off guard, but some came around and answered my passion with her own. Her nervousness faded away. My objective accomplished I let my hands roam over her body.

“Brandy, I need you strong, positive, and confident if my mom is going to accept you. And I know that’s who you are so you can relax.” I didn’t add how mom would definitely not approve.

“It couldn’t be any worse than the impression you left my mom, kidnapping her kid and all.”

I laughed, she didn’t, “Look it will be okay. Just don’t show fear.”

 

We landed on the surface of Vesta with clearance from the local air patrol. With the ship docked, Brandy and I tentatively stepped out onto Vesta. Brandy had dressed up for the occasion in a cobalt blue dress that hugged her curves. The dress went down to her feet. Her high heels gave her even more height than usual. The moon was dark and covered with smog. It felt like a homecoming. The dark moist environment was just the sort of place a vampire would be most happy. There was a marketplace right next to the docking station. Rare gemstones were on sale at some of the stalls. The sparkling gemstones were prominently displayed. I looked at the rubies and diamonds remembering that humans exchanged rings as a sign of marriage. The mining colony was the source of most people's income on Vesta. We were not too far from a mine. Brandy took my hand in hers, "This moon is pretty dark and smoggy can you see what's ahead?"

"No Brandy, although my eyes are made for this type of environment, due to the changes to my genetic structure I can barely see." 

"What's it like to be home again?" Brandy asked.

"It's a bit disturbing. Although I like the lighting, I can't say I'm a fan of being anywhere remotely close to my mother. You'll see why."

Together we walked down the street and made our way into the housing district. My mother owned a black dome house. We came upon the house down the third street from the beginning of the housing district. 

I knocked on the door. It was midmorning on a weekend day so my mother probably was resting before work. The door opened and my mother was there to greet me, her oval face was a pale mask with onyx eyes that could see right through me and cheekbones almost as sharp as her fangs. The living room behind her had white walls, a black tile floor, and red furniture.

"Mother, I've come to see you." My voice was heavy with the admonition. It was not good to see her and certainly not for a good purpose.

"This is a surprise visit. Come in. Who is this beautiful guest with you, she looks absolutely delicious?" Mother was wearing her own dress a striking scarlet with a deep v neck that showed her cleavage to full advantage.

"My name is Brandy."

"She's my partner. Brandy, this is Priestess Matriarch Noirana Suryava, my mother."

"I didn’t realize you would settle for… prey." My mother's disapproval was evident in her tone.

My mother walked up to Brandy and trailed a nail along her jugular. "Are you sure you brought Brandy as your mate? She would do as a fine glass of blood."

I shoved my mother away from Brandy and hissed.

"How dare you bring prey to my house and say I can't drink her blood?"

"Brandy is not prey, she is strong. Brandy rescued me from prison and acts as the security chief on The Lancet. I’ve seen her fight the enemy with bloodlust in her heart." My mother ran up to Brandy and lifted her by the neck. Pushed her against the wall.

"I don't see strength, I see weakness." Brandy kicked my mother and hit her arm to get out of her grasp. My mother dropped her. "She has fight in her but not enough to merit mating my daughter."

“I have 27 confirmed kills and I had the gall to show up here. Is that strong enough?” Brandy’s voice was fierce, I thought it was adorable, only 27 confirmed kills.

 

My mother ignored Brandy and gestured for us to sit in the living room. "What do you need, Ela? You're strong and not prone to visit."

I nearly hissed at the suggestion that I was weak for coming.

I sighed, “Mother I was stronger than my opponents, I was fighting a group of humans when I drank some blood.”

“Okay, what’s wrong with that? I sense there is more to this story.” My mother held out her hand in a gesture outstretched to get more information.

"They tricked me, I drank tainted blood with a virus that shuts off my vampirism.” I have to tell my mother how strong I am otherwise she won’t go for it. “I held up successfully against the humans and even went on to fight 20 vampires. However, the virus has had a toll on my body. I need vampire DNA to repair the damage."

My mother laughed "You came here with prey and as prey yourself. You aren’t even a true vampire. You know not to come here when you're sick. You come to me weak as a human, how dare you? Even worse, you ask for my blood, the blood of a predator, when you are nothing but prey." My mother stood and grabbed my neck, her claws making indents along my jugular.

"I had to try. We’re family. I need my strength back."

Mother's mouth opened in shock revealing her large canines.

"You openly admit your weakness. You must be desperate. Do you remember all the time and effort I put into teaching you about being self-sufficient?"

"Yes mother, I know I can hunt vampires to get the blood. Better for me to try and fail than to admit my weakness."

"Good, now get out. You disgust me, to think the vampire I raised has become merely human" My mother dragged us to the door. Me by the neck and Brandy by her scruff. 

“Wait mother, don’t you love me? Don’t you want me to be a fierce predator again?” Her grip faltered for a moment.

My mother let us go, her eyes gleamed obsidian, “I’m not sure I ever loved you. I am sure I don’t love you as you are now. Come back when you’ve restored yourself to your full glory. I have nothing left to say to you.”

“With your help I can be at my full glory. All I need is some of your blood.”

“You're an adult now, have you forgotten our ways also? Don’t come to me again or else I can’t promise the safety of your girlfriend, or that I won’t register you for the hunting grounds as prey. As far as I’m concerned my daughter is dead.” My mother as a matriarch priestess had the authority to register me for the hunting grounds as prey and as a vampire I’d have to serve.

She shoved us both out the door. We both bowed goodbye. The door shut behind us and we looked at each other.

“I’m sorry I came I just made things worse by coming,” Brandy sighed and crossed her arms.

I touched her shoulder, “You may not be right for her, but you’re right for me. Besides now I’m going to need your help. We have to go hunting for vampire blood.”

"I guess we have some hunting to do." Brandy said, still jarred by the meeting with my mother.

"Okay. So this is what we will do…"

 

We began the hunt on Vesta. Crouching in an alleyway we waited for a passerby that we could quickly snatch off the street. Brandy and I were holding a pack of syringes. A single slender female pedestrian with long black hair and black eyes sauntered toward the alleyway. Brandy and I both pounced on her. I held her arms back as Brandy trained a gun on her.

“Stay quiet, all we want is a little of your blood. Then we’ll leave you.”

“I don’t think so.” The female said scowling. She pulled me in front of her, breaking my hold on her easily and smiled. Brandy took aim and shot the female in her shoulder. She released a hiss and jumped onto the rooftops.

“Great, we can take a sample of her blood. It dripped on the ground.” Brandy took a tissue and retrieved the blood. 

“I don’t know if this is a good thing. We have a much bigger problem now.”

“What is she going to report us?”

“No.” I could feel her glare from the rooftops above. “We need to find cover.”

We took our exit plan, a metal door into a warehouse. We locked the door behind us. It’s not going to be enough. As if in answer a grating sound against the door resounded. Then a loud thumping sound began to pound repeatedly against the door. 

“Come back outside, we were just getting started,” The female growled from beyond the door. The last thing we wanted was to be outside with her. I searched the warehouse for another exit.

The banging on the door stopped and it was as if our breath hung in the silence. Next thing we knew chunks of wall were crashing toward us as the female broke through the wall to get to us.

Brandy raised her gun and set it off of stun mode to kill mode. She shot at the hole in the wall. The female entered, the injury on her shoulder hadn’t healed up as the laser shot UV rays.

“Did you think I would let you get away with my blood?”

“We need it to save Ela,” Brandy cried.

“Give it back or I will kill you and desecrate your corpses.”

Brandy shot her gun at the female and managed to graze her stomach as she bolted towards Brandy. I ran to intercept her. My speed wasn’t nearly fast enough because of my weakened state. The female was choking Brandy as the gun fell uselessly to the ground. Brandy was off the ground struggling to get the female’s hand from around her neck. Brandy was convulsing as she could not breathe. I picked the gun up quickly and trained it on the female.

“Let her go or I’ll shoot.”

“Go ahead and shoot weakling, I’ll kill her first.”

I dropped the gun on the floor.

“Smart girl, I think I’ll kill you quickly.”

Brandy reached into her pocket. Before the female could notice she whipped the knife out and plunged it into her heart. The female dropped Brandy and grasped at her chest. The area exsanguinated over her clothes and on the floor. We now had more than enough of a blood sample from one donor. The female fell to her knees, her black hair a mask over her face.

Brandy fell with the vampire; the vampires blood covered her. It was a little while before she got back on her feet.

Brandy had removed the knife from her heart and wiped it on a rag. She pulled open the vampire’s mouth and pulled on her fang until it ripped out of her mouth. Brandy pulled out both, cutting her hands on the sharp teeth. She left the corpse kneeling on the ground. Brandy put the teeth in her pocket as trophies.

“You took the fangs of the first vampire you killed.” I said looking at her pocket.

“Not every person can say they defeated a vampire in open combat. No one is calling me weak again. Should we hide the body?”

The blood from the female vampire was all over Brandy’s clothes. Her hair even had flecks of blood. Brandy looked delectable covered in blood. The temptation to seduce her was alarming. Brandy was victorious in battle and covered in the blood that proved it, I became wet at the thought. I want her. I barely remembered her question.

“No, we don’t punish murder. If you are weak enough to fall prey, it is on you.” My voice was husky with my arousal.

“How has your civilization lasted if you can get away with murder?” Brandy had no idea how hot I was for her and was more concerned with our escape.

“Most vampires don’t want to mess with other vampires and take the risk. What’s really weird about our society is you can be punished if you kill prey. That’s why Gnos didn’t intervene in my trial. I killed the prey. There is of course the exception for prey who attack you as you did the poor female.”

Brandy nodded and grabbed my hand, “Your vampire society is tough. How many more times do we have to do this?”

Brandy put her hand to her neck and took a deep breath.

“We need at least five donors to resequence my specific genome. Plus, they need more blood to help combat the virus. Not all of them are going to go so easy.”

“Oh, this was easy?” Brandy sighed and put her hands on her knees as she gasped some more, taking big gulps of breath.

“Yeah, we got lucky she was a fledgling. If we face a priestess matriarch like my mother, we won’t stand a chance.”

“There has to be another way of doing this. I don’t know if I have four more of these in me.”

“Well, we could try the hunting grounds and by that,  I mean I should try them, not you.”

“Regardless of what we do next, no I’ll be there with you and we’re bringing your guards for the next mission. This needs to get done right. I’ll contact Captain Guthrapali.” 

We staggered back to the ship with pieces of bloody clothing and fangs from the female’s corpse. No one interrupted us and everyone gave us a wide berth as it was clear we had just come from battle. We got onto our ship and flew away.