"Leave me alone," Louis swore, amazed by Lestat's strength. "I have to meet Freniere."

"Listen Louis," Lestat said, "I'm sorry for my harshness of words. But, you must understand the journey are on has to be undertaken with no mercy, no compassion for mortals. It will kill you, drive you to despair, if you continue to cling to your rags of humanity. You're my song, my passion."

"You don't understand, Lestat," Louis ragged, pulling and straining against Lestat's hold on him. "If I don't give Freniere the money he and Babette will involve me and my family in a scandal. My sister's prospects will be ruined. This has nothing to do with you. You must let me go."

"Let you go?" Lestat said, baffled at Louis' utter lack of consideration for his warning and his declarations of love.

"Louis," Lestat tried to say patiently, "You have no need to concern yourself with Babette and Freniere. Simply go on and kill them."

"Kill them? Are you mad! Are you insane? I know Freniere and Babette. Kill them. Let me go," Louis doubled his efforts of struggle.

"Then I'll kill them," Lestat said calmly. Inwardly he was enormously pleased at the prospect of killing them.

"No. No, Lestat. It's my problem, not yours. I'll handle this. Don't harm them," Louis begged, "Please it would be personal. It would be murder."

"It would be a perfectly natural thing to do, Cher," Lestat said, reasonably. "When an animal gets out of hand, becomes a danger, you kill it. No one but myself can have nay influence over you, Louis. Too many prying eyes endanger us both. And the people in our keep."

"They are not animals," Louis pleaded. "She's a dreamer whose desire for freedom from the drabness of her life led her to desperate measures. He's a lonely alcoholic, who feels out of place in his surroundings. Can't you have even the smallest amount of compassion for them?" Louis quickly slipped out of Lestat's sudden yield of him. He turned to face Lestat on the bed. His confusion reflected by the blush on his face. Part of him wanted to curl under the quilts with Lestat. But the pull of commitment towards his family held more sway over him. "Thank you, Lestat," he said shakily. He hurried out.

As Lestat heard the slam of the door, he threw his fist threw the wall. Never in his life had anyone frustrated him as much as Louis. No one ever perplexed him as much. Didn't Louis have any natural instincts? Where was Louis' vampiric nature hiding? Lestat had never met a more maddening lunatic than Louis. Except for himself, he snarled to himself, heading for the door. He had to be the biggest lunatic of all to be chasing after Louis.

Louis hurried to the designated meeting place in the clearing. He caught sight of a nervous Freniere, his fingers twitching for a drink. He nervously chewed on his moustache. He lit up upon seeing Louis.

Louis dismounted from his bay. He handed Freniere the money.

"Louis," said Freniere his voice full of desolation, "I thought you weren't going to show up." He narrowed his eyes at Louis. "You look like your beautiful self again. Are you recovering from your illness?"

"I'm not beautiful," Louis said quickly, "Listen, I gave you and Babette the money. This has to end. You and Babette have no idea of the disaster you are both playing with."

"Are you threatening us?" Freniere said coolly. "If you are your threats may be too late in coming. I'm fighting a duel tonight near dawn."

"A duel," Louis marvelled, "Why?"

"A Spanish boy, my lover in fact," Freniere couldn't keep the pride out of his voice that he actually had a lover, "challenged me to a duel. He found out about my more casual affairs. What do they say about hell hath no fury?"

"Pass," Louis said gently, "Win, lose, you'll die in the end."

"Louis, I want this," Freniere said firmly, "I want this supreme drama in my life. Babette is beside herself with anger at me. I've just brushed her off. For the first time in years. I need this duel. If only so at least I'll have someone to mourn me. I'm sorry Louis for what we did to you."

"I'll, I forgive you," Louis said, shaking his head sadly, "But, life is so wondrous. Why flirt with death? Why? Let death come to you in its own sweet time. There's no need to hurry it. I learned that the hard way."

"Because Louis, my Spanish boy has invited death to a party, and I plan on attending, too."

Pulling Louis to his arms, Freniere kissed Louis openly on his lips. Louis in his sorrow for Freniere kissed him hard and lovingly back, his body still humanly warm from Lestat's blood.

Freniere released Louis, raising Louis' chin for a kiss of good bye. He mounted his black, and waved, leaving. Louis turned around, to find himself face to face with a coldly furious Lestat.

'No'. Louis mouthed the word to Lestat. "No," he pleaded, grabbing at Lestat's arm, as Lestat turned away. "No!" he begged, chasing after Lestat. "Leave Freniere alone. This is between him and I. This is not your concern. Lestat, listen to me."

Turning on Louis, Lestat netted Louis' shoulder, and said in a deadly frozen tone, "Freniere is my prey. He is no longer any influence to you."

Pushing Louis back with a cold look on his face, his eyes grey slabs of marble; Lestat mounted his spirited horse, galloping towards the river swamp where Freniere and the Spanish boy were fated to fight their duel.

Straddling his bay, Louis quickly gave the horse, a quick whip with his riding crop galloping after Lestat, praying that he would make it there on time.

Lestat leaped from his horse, watching the two duellists from a grove of cottonwoods, his face a study in waiting. Louis jumped from his bay, running to Lestat, restraining Lestat in his arms,

"Please, Lestat. Leave them alone. Let them live out their destiny. I'll do anything. Be anything to you."

Smiling cruelly at Louis' imploring eyes, he said, "I have everything Louis. Everything you give, I'll take. Everything you won't give, I'll take. You're already owned. You have nothing I haven't already claimed."

"Louis put his full weight on Lestat. "That isn't true. You know it isn't true," he hissed, angrily.

"I take what I want Louis," Lestat grinned evilly at Louis, pressing Louis' closeness to him. "Tonight I will have Freniere."

Startled from their argument, they heard shots ring out. The Spanish boy lay dead attended by the mortals who witnessed the duel. Freniere stood alone, his pistol still held in his hand. His look was of detached defeat. He wanted to spare his lover, but cowardly self-preservation sneaked into his intentions. He felt every inch the loser in his so-called victorious duel, which ended in the slaying of his lover.

Stumbling into the swamp, Freniere took the pistol inside his mouth, his hands shook rapidly, his unsteadiness caused him to slip the gun from his mouth to his chest. He weakly pulled the trigger. Ripping into his chest, the bullet caused him to fly backwards into Lestat's crushing arms.

Quickly, before Freniere had a chance to die, Lestat drove his fangs into Freniere, enjoying the jerks and spasms of Freniere's body. Louis stood stupefied and helpless. There was no help for Freniere now.

Freniere could feel the jerk and pull of his blood being swept out of him competing with the flow of blood pouring from the gaping hole in his chest. "Louis," he whispered, as his dying eyes dimmed.

Throwing Freniere's body at an anguished Louis to catch, Lestat sneered, pointing his finger at Louis.

"That is what we immortals do Louis. We take. We destroy. No mortal has power over our affairs, least of all blackmail." He laughed at Louis, "Drink, Louis," he taunted, "You know you're thirsty."

Seeing the dying embers of Freniere's half-closed eyes, Louis' thirst compelled him to sink his fangs into the almost empty veins of Freniere. Instead he let go of Freniere's body. "I'll never forgive you this death," he snarled at Lestat.

"Add it to the long list of things you'll never forgive me for," mocked Lestat, cupping Louis' outraged face in his hand, giving him a teasing kiss on his mouth. He wished to do more to Louis, but dawn was approaching fast.

"Do you want to die, Louis? Quickly mount your bay and follow me to Pointe Du Lac."

Waking the next evening in his coffin in the oratory, Louis tossed the events back and forth in his mind of the night. He remembered the helpless horror on Freniere's face as Lestat took his life away. Louis shut his eyes tightly, remembering the lust he felt as he watched Lestat kill Freniere. A lust that almost drove him to join in on the kill. A lust he'd never admit to Lestat. He had a dream where Freniere was backing away from him in horror. Louis dreamt he was crouched low like a panther. He dreamt he was a wild cunning, hungry animal, snarling at Freniere's fear. His eyes devoid of humanity. His being stolen from his personality. He sprang at Freniere tearing him to pieces with his angry mouth, sinking his fangs into his soft meaty body. Savouring the blood. The greenery of leaves and grass ran with thick, red blood. The scent of the blood mixed with the smell of evergreens, grass and wild flowers. Louis reared his head in joy, happy to have the scent of blood on his person, the taste of it in his mouth. Louis dreamt he lapped from a river of blood whose source was a mass of humanity.

A tear ran down Louis' cheek. He knew he was no longer a man, but something unrecognisable to his past. He accepted that he was a beast, a vampire.

Suddenly, he felt himself smacking the lid of his coffin. The lid fell open, releasing Louis to fall on the cold, stone floor. Someone had over turned his coffin.

He tried to get up, but Lestat was straddling him. His breath smelled like blood and brew from too many drunken victims.

"So, if it isn't the widower of Freniere." Lestat sneered, stroking Louis clothed buttocks, roughly with his hands, "Do you miss him cher? Do you miss his blackmail?"

He turned Louis on his back, angered at Louis' beauty evaporating before his very eyes due to lack of human blood.

"I hear you like to be fucked."

He sneered, pressing his open mouth on Louis' gasping mouth. Lestat forced his tongue around Louis' mouth, teasing and playing with Louis' tongue.

Louis sadly, listened to the tear of his vest as Lestat ripped it open. He heard the buttons of his shirt pop from their places. Feeling Lestat's violent hands pulling down his breeches, Louis could only cry,

"No, I'd rather be loved."

Shamed and angered, Lestat leaped off Louis as if Louis was made of fire and brimstone. Cursing, he strode out of the oratory with Louis hot at his heels. "This has to end Lestat," Louis screamed after him.

Lestat slammed the door of his bedroom in Louis' face. Louis grabbed the brass doorknob to confront Lestat, he heard Lestat raging curses, furniture being smashed and destroyed. Lestat's fist going through walls.

Weakly, still starving, Louis leaned his back against the door, sliding down it, till he was sitting against it on the floor.

"This won't continue, Lestat. It was my decision to make, not yours about Freniere. Have I no rights! Can I not be able to make a decision any more? To take a position? To decide for myself about anything? Is every step I make now going to be measured out by you?" Louis smacked the floor with his open hand. "I will not be led. I will not be controlled, ruled over by you! Do you hear me! I refuse! This will not continue."

Falling backwards, against the opening door to the floor, Louis once again found himself straddled by Lestat.

"I, Louis, I alone will decide when the pleasure of your company has waned. I alone will decide whether or not we will continue." Lestat said coldly, calmly.

Lestat stood up and walked away from Louis' body on the floor. Dressed immaculately, he finished putting on his riding gloves. He turned around facing Louis. His handsome face stared at Louis. He looked like a fiery sun god about to burn someone's poor soul to a crisp.

"I am going to hunt. I'll give you Babette's life. Do with it what you will. A present for you Louis from me. Warn her through not to interfere any more with her schemes of blackmail. Her life is yours."

"She won't," Louis said sadly, propping himself up on one elbow. "This death, her brother, she loved him so, Lestat. This death will dispirit her."

"For now it will," Lestat laughed bitterly, thinking of Babette as little more than a hungry schemer. Wishing she was dead.

"I'm going now. Want to come with? I'd be happy to escort you to the nearest chicken coop."

"Get out, Lestat," Louis rasped, "Get out."

"As you wish," Lestat gave Louis a low, formal, insulting bow.

Horrified, Louis looked inside the bedroom, witnessing the destruction of Lestat's anger. The mattress had been torn in two. Feathers flown about the room busy doing a demented dance. Wallpaper was stripped from the walls. The walls had holes decorating them. The furnishings were destroyed rendered to being bits and pieces of firewood. Cloth and padding from the cushions lay scattered about the room. The mirror sparkled in a thousand pieces.

"You fiend," swore Louis. He ran to the porch to have it out with Lestat once and for all.

Lestat was already on his black, spirited, steed. He saw the fury on Louis' face. Causing his steed to rear up on its hind legs. Lestat smirked at Louis, blowing him a kiss, and doffing his hat to him.

Louis leaned against one of the columns on the porch of Point Du Lac. He swore to himself, If I have to burn down this whole plantation to escape him, I will.

Without Babette's and Freniere's help, Louis ended up losing everything after all. Pointe Du Lac, his family, his place in society. He exchanged society for a world at his disposal. A world helpless to his rapine. He could and he did take what he wanted now, under the protection of Lestat. His mortal family was replaced by immortals. Claudia and Lestat.

He preyed the length of streets and avenues, dangerous, sleek, elegant, and silent, no longer the being he was born to be. No twilight years would claim his nights only Lestat owned his evenings. He was a beautiful, kept creature.

Reflecting as he watched the players performing Faust, Louis felt a tiny hand creep on to his long slender one. The tiny hand belonged to his daughter, Claudia.

"This is the scary part," Claudia whispered to Louis." Her eyes wide open watching the opera being played out before them.

"So it is, Cherie," Louis smiled reassuring as he held her baby girl's hand. She was such a beautiful child, babyish and sweet.

Lestat smiled at Claudia, then returned his eyes back to Louis, where they had been all that night, Louis was much more entertaining to watch than the opera. The way his eyes would light up at his favourite parts, how his eyes would close, his lips would part, his body would slightly sway when particular notes played in succession moved Louis in to a heavenly other world.

Louis quickly glanced at Lestat's brilliant grey eyes. Lestat ducked his head at that glance, quickly turning his eyes on to the opera. It was only fun for him if Louis didn't know he was being watched.

Louis knew he was being watched. Being watched constantly under Lestat's possessive, admiring sight.

The burn of his plantation did not provide escape from Lestat. He tried to go to Babette for help. Her plantation being the closest. He needed shelter from the dawn after he ran away from Lestat. She cursed him for a devil, and threw a lantern at him, setting his coat on fire. It was Lestat who saved his life, putting out the flames. Lestat raped his way into Babette's mind with his mind. Planting ugly pictures of Freniere's death in her soul. Showing her every drop of blood that seeped from her brother, every drop of pain that Freniere suffered in his moments of dying. Freniere's sufferings became her punishment. Lestat did not stop tormenting her mind till she became helplessly insane.

Later he told Louis that Louis was to blame for Babette's insanity. The result caused, Lestat lied, because of Louis revealing his vampire nature to Babette.

Louis tried to leave Lestat after he burned down Pointe Du Lac. He kept trying to escape only to have Lestat force him back, until Lestat found the perfect trap to keep Louis to him, Claudia.

When Louis tried to impress upon Lestat the evil of creating a helpless vampire. Lestat simply laughed at Louis.

"You are the reason for her creation. You alone, Louis. Do you think you, a witless vampire, who won't even feed himself properly could survive without me protection? I made her to keep you from running away, Louis. To save your life. You wouldn't last a month alone. I already created a helpless vampire. Another helpless vampire walking the Earth doesn't affect me Louis."

Lestat showed his fangs at Louis, "You will stay forever now, and help me care for her, won't you? I'm not always kind as you're well aware of."

Louis stayed. He noticed the more effort he put into pleasing Lestat, the kinder Lestat was to Claudia. Other wise, if Lestat sound a reason to be upset with Louis, his words and actions visited upon Claudia were harsh and sharp.

Louis understood what was best for all. He dressed for Lestat. Wearing Lestat's favourite colours on himself, choosing the most expensive of fabrics. He choice cuts of clothes, which followed the dictates of fashion. Cuts of clothes that flattered his wiry, slender frame. If Lestat wanted green watered down silk, Louis wore it. If Lestat wanted soft satin, Louis wore it. And he and Claudia were rewarded with Lestat's pleased smile for Louis' efforts.

After the opera, the three strolled down the dimly lit street. Lestat kept them laughing with his witty observations of the people on the street as they strolled. All three had already eaten.

Lestat decided not to tell Louis how he really felt about him. That he needed and depended on him. He was too afraid of Louis holding him in contempt over the love he felt for Louis. He almost felt his love for Louis was a weakness. He wasn't proud of being in love with Louis, he felt it made him to open to being mortally wounded by a even just a cross glance from Louis.

He kept Louis as close as possible, but far enough so as not to be an easy target for Louis' wounding scorn.

He used every cheap way possible to subdue Louis, physical force, and insults. He overwhelmed Louis with everything in his arsenal, but for love.

He felt it would be too costly to him to tell the Louis the truth. That he loved him. He may love him, but he didn't trust him. The less Louis knew the less Louis could attack him with.

They entered Rue Royale; Lestat lifted Claudia who was wearing a dress of pale orange and yellow silk, with too many ribbons on it to count, in his arms. "Time for bed for you, Cherie."

Lestat took Claudia to hers and Louis' coffin. Lestat helped Claudia to undress, slipping a simple nightgown over her halo of yellow curls, and her lovely oval face.

He tucked her in the coffin, as Louis watched, putting a blue combed cotton baby blanket up to her chin.

"I'll read to her tonight, Louis," Lestat said softly.

Louis sat down on the bed, listening to Lestat read Peter Rabbit to Claudia. Lestat made amusing voices for each character, much to Claudia's delight.

Louis sighed, how he wished this moment could last forever, this moment where all three of them were at perfect peace with one another. He knew these moments spirited themselves away too quickly.

Lestat kissed Claudia's forehead, and bid Louis to kiss her too.

"No, I'm not tired," protested Claudia. "I want Louis. Louis lay down, too."

"Sorry, Cherie," Lestat said gently, "You know Louis and I must have out adult conversation before he can join you."

"But," Claudia said helplessly, her little hands playing with her baby blanket. "Please!"

"No, Claudia," Lestat said firmly. He took Louis by the arm leading him out the door. He turned and locked the door on Claudia.

"I hate it when you lock her in alone like that," Louis said sadly.

"Would you rather she watched, my beautiful one? She's fine. Claudia isn't a coward. Come, Louis," he smiled pulling Louis along. "It's time for our conversation.

Lestat led Louis by the arm to his bedroom. Once inside Louis walked to the window, looking out into the darkness of the night. He fancied he could see faces in the evening air. His mother's, sister's, Paul's, other people's faces from his past seemed to be out there. The faces were barely discernible and drifting away from him, but out there.

Sighing, he informed Lestat, "It's raining again."

He watched fascinated as the drops hit the glass, flattening themselves out in to sturdy streams of water. He put his forefinger to the cold window, tracing a raindrop's course with his finger along the glass.

"Come away from the window, Cher," Lestat said protectively, taking Louis by the arm to the fire he made.

"I want you to listen to me Louis. I do have feelings for you."

"I know," Louis said, watching the reflective colours in the flames, red, orange, yellow colours danced before his eyes.

"I have feelings for you too, yet Lestat, we're so different. I'm so lost in this existence. I never now which way to turn."

"You could turn to me you know," Lestat said softly.

Louis shook his head, not saying a word.

Lestat shook his head back at Louis. He wanted to both hold him and tear him into pieces. He took off Louis' calf length boots, sliding Louis' breeches down to the floor. He pressed his tongue on Louis' soft balls, enveloping one of Louis' balls into his hot, impatient mouth, sucking and teasing it, twisting his tongue against it. Louis gave out a pleasured cry, closed his eyes, and played with Lestat's hair. Lifting Louis' legs up in his arms, he took Louis' member in his mouth, sucking the tip of it, pushing Louis against the wall for support, as he thrust his mouth on Louis' rigid member repeatedly. Louis felt himself release in Lestat's mouth. He found himself thrown on the bed. Lestat stripped quickly. Lestat parted Louis' legs, as he turned him on his stomach.

He forced himself into Louis, glorying in the tight strength of Louis' muscular hot hold of him on his member. Louis' muscle tightened and squeezed around Lestat. Lestat pulled Louis upward against him, pressing and pulling between Louis' legs. Tweaking and stroking Louis' aroused nipples. Louis moaned, abandoning himself to Lestat's burning demand of his flesh as Lestat exploded inside of him.

Kissing Louis' lips roughly, throwing Louis on his back, Lestat again lifted Louis' legs, thrusting, entering him again with no mercy, pounding himself into Louis, till he jerked and stiffened, his orgasm seemingly unending. Lestat wept with open, lustful, satisfaction.

"Stop, Lestat, please this is way, too, too,"

Louis begged at his insatiable lover. Lestat laughed at Louis pleading face, rubbing his rigid member against Louis' sore, tender, swollen nipples. Louis sighed, feeling a sharp aching pain inside of him. Lestat ran his member down to Louis soft prick, masturbating himself against it, making Louis close his thighs around his still organ.

"I can't get enough of you," Lestat gloated.

Opening Louis wide, he turned Louis on his knees, thrusting again and again till Louis cried out in a scream of suffering and ecstasy.

"Stop, he gasped, as Lestat released him to fall on the bed.

"More," Lestat demanded, yanking Louis again up to his knees, driving his angry cock into Louis.

"Leave me alone," Louis pleaded, gasping for air. Lestat was in an aggravated frenzy of passion. Louis felt drowned, out of control, as his legs were forced wide open, agape, Lestat again slammed his hardness into Louis. He humped and pawed at Louis tiring body, rocking against him, spraying Louis hard with his cum. Louis felt like six or more men were in bed with him taking turns as Lestat took him over and over again.

Doubling up in pain, Louis screamed. "Enough!" Lestat creamed into Louis' sore, wound. Driving his fangs into Louis' neck, he put his wrist to Louis' longing for its mouth. They sucked and bit at each other lustfully, rocking against each other, each swooning, each thinking of no one else but the other. Louis felt himself explode into an orgasm that raced through him endlessly as the blood rocked and poured through his veins.

Later, lazily Lestat redressed Louis. He paused to gently kiss Louis bruised, swollen lips. He brushed a strand of hair form Louis' high cheekbone on his hurt face.

"Mine, you'll never forget that will you? That you're mine?"

"Never," Louis whispered.

Lestat smiled approvingly at Louis.

Louis clothes hung about him in a dishevelled wreck against his body.

"Lestat," he whispered, his body reeking of Lestat's sex.

His head lolled against Lestat's chest, as Lestat carried Louis back to Claudia, keeping his promise.

Lestat carefully laid out Louis next to Claudia in their coffin.

"You sleep well the both of you," Lestat said, winking at Louis.

Cum seeped out of Louis' body, as Claudia put her baby arm around Louis' heaving fall of his chest.

This madness. This absolute demand of me has to end. He felt both repulsion and desire for Lestat. He loved Lestat, yet he hated the way Lestat kept him like a slave, watching his every move, not trusting him. His lovemaking bordering on rape.

This won't continue, Louis thought to himself as Claudia slept. His passion for me will burn out. Twenty, ten, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps two hundred years from now he won't even remember my name. Louis tried to remember what Babette and Freniere looked like, he people that littered his history, that would some day be gone from his memory.

Yes, he decided, Lestat will forget me some day!

End