"Father," Eleanor whinged.

"Quiet," the elder said. "Let the man speak."

"A farmer from the nearby town was bitten," Levi said tersely. "His family hired me to investigate."

The elder clicked his tongue. "Eleanor, have you still not learned to control your hunger?"

The vampiress scowled. "Why should I restrain myself, father? I'm stronger than humans, better. Why should I not take what I want, when I want?"

"Then the least you could do is leave no trail, foolish girl," the elder said, a hard note entering his voice. "Not only you were overpowered, you also led a hunter to our home."

"I would've had him," she insisted. "With Fiona at my side..."

The elder eyed her tattered dress, then her sister's bleeding shoulder, and arched an eyebrow. The vampiress gritted her teeth and ducked her head. The elder chuckled.

"Neither of you is a match for him, as you could tell if you put aside your pride for but a moment." He clapped his hands. "But enough recriminations. Let's discuss the matter over dinner." He shot Levi a glance. "You will be our guest of honor, of course."

"I'd rather not," Levi said stiffly.

"Please, I insist," the elder said. "My daughters will serve you; perhaps the experience will teach them some humility. Hurry along and make yourselves presentable, girls."

Eleanor and Fiona rose to their feet, and glaring venomously at Levi, edged out of the chamber. The elder's lips curved up in amusement. Laying a hand on Levi's shoulders, he guided him out into the hallway.

"I am called Abraham. May I know your name?"

"Levi," he said curtly.

"This farmer you mentioned, Levi—has he died?"

"Fortunately not. He's still weak, but he will recover."

"That's a relief," Abraham said. "I will send appropriate compensation, of course—say, ten gold pieces. Will that settle the matter?"

Levi pursed his lips and nodded grudgingly. To a farmer, that was nothing short of a fortune. Besides, he could tell at a glance that this vampire was far too powerful for any lone hunter to defeat.

"Splendid. I always try to reach an accord with the locals. I find that it prevents bigger problems in the future."

Abraham led him downstairs and into a resplendent dining room with a large table. Taking a seat at the head of the table, the vampire motioned to his right. Levi hesitated before sighing and taking a seat.

"You seem strangely cordial given my profession," he remarked.

"Levi, please. You eliminate weaklings who give in to their bloodlust. A worthy mission if you ask me." The vampire flashed his fangs. "I personally ended more than a score of such failures. Not every Embracing is successful."

"Such as with your daughters?"

"Oh no, Eleanor and Fiona are purebloods. The apples of my eye, those two."

Levi's mind reeled at the revelation; such vampires were extremely rare. Before he could ask Abraham as to how such a thing came to be, the door into the dining room swung open. Eleanor and Fiona wheeled in a cart laden with plates of food and dusty bottles. They had changed into flowing gowns, the former's dark burgundy and the latter's midnight blue, and appeared rather peeved.

Their father coughed meaningfully and indicated Levi with his gaze. The sisters exchanged glares and hissed whispers, elbowing each other furiously. Fiona seemed to have won, because she grinned and approached her father to pour him what Levi hoped was wine. Eleanor's shoulders slumped, and she came up to Levi and practically shoved a plate of steak and vegetables before him.

"Where are your manners?" Abraham chided. "Pour our guest some wine too."

Eleanor rolled her eyes irritably but did as asked. As surreal as the experience was, Levi found himself enjoying it on some level.

"Thank you," he said, his lips twitching.

The vampiress huffed and looked away. Levi smelled the wine, then took a small sip. He was no expert, but it was damned good, he could tell that much. He eyed the steaming steak, then sent Abraham a suspicious look.

"Fresh veal from the nearby farmers," Abraham assured.

Levi carved off a small piece and took a bite, his eyes widening at the rich flavor. Even at the capital he didn't get to eat this good. Eleanor watched him eat with a hungry look on her face, but when he glanced at her, she quickly averted her gaze.

"Is the meal to your liking?" Abraham asked.

"It's sumptuous," he admitted.

"I'll pass your compliments to the kitchen staff." Abraham smiled. "Who are, of course, well treated and generously paid."

Levi nodded, a little frustrated at how easily the vampire had predicted his question, and took another sip of the wine.

The vampire leaned closer. "Tell me, has either of my daughters caught your eye?"

The wine went down the wrong pipe, and Levi broke into a coughing fit. Glaring at the smiling vampire, he wiped his lips. "Very funny."

"I wouldn't jest about this. You're a capable man; should you desire either of my daughter's hand, you will have my blessing."

"Father," Eleanor cried, stomping her foot. "Stop talking nonsense."

For once, Levi found himself agreeing with the bloodsucker. "I can't see what you stand to gain from this."

The vampire spread his hands. "My daughters are unruly, wild. Why, my younger still sneaks out at night to chase deer in the forest! They're not century-old fledglings anymore; it's about time they settled down."

Levi snorted. "And it doesn't bother you that I'm human?"

"I myself have married humans three times, and in the end, only one of my wives chose to be Embraced." A melancholic expression crossed Abraham's face, and he looked down at his glass, swirling the wine. "I find that building bonds like that helps us immortals stay... grounded."

"Well, thank you for the offer," Levi said dryly. "But my answer, begging your pardon, is absolutely no."

"Excuse me?" Fiona piped up, crossing her arms. "Any man should be ecstatic about an offer like that."

Eleanor rounded on her. "What are you talking about, sister?"

"He thrashed you even more thoroughly than Cousin Lyra when you insulted her dress. I can't help but be intrigued." She circled the table, swaying her hips, and laid her cool hand on Levi's shoulder. "Maybe I should take him for myself. See what he's made of."

Eleanor gaped at her in stunned disbelief, then seized her wrist. "Don't touch him," she hissed.

Fiona arched a manicured eyebrow. "I thought you hated him."

"Doesn't mean I'm giving him for you to play with," she retorted.

"If he's going to choose, it should obviously be me." Fiona grinned as she touched her shoulder. "He already penetrated me."

"Oh yeah?" Eleanor said, tapping her foot. "He ripped my dress and chased me through the woods!"

Had Levi been drinking, he would have choked. "That's quite enough," he said, looking warily from one crazy vampiress to the other. "As soon as I finish this splendid meal, I'm departing for the town to deliver the farmer's compensation."

The sisters frowned at him, then locked eyes with each other. Some silent communication seemed to pass between them. As one, they turned to their father.

Abraham laughed heartily. "Now now, Levi. It's late, and these old roads are treacherous. You simply must spend the night."

"Thank you, but I really can't—"

"Oh no, I insist," the elder vampire said, his crimson eyes gleaming. "I'll have the servants stable your horse and draw you a bath. It's the least I could do for the trouble my family has caused."

The sisters turned to Levi and smiled eerily similar fanged smiles. He swallowed. Lord, give me strength.

Very clever! Now this is a good story; never seen someone put the prompt at the end of it, not that I can remember.

This was really creating! Is there part 2?