Age restrictions are such silly, human notions. To have rules about what a person can or cannot do based on how old they are is absolutely preposterous. As if reaching the big 'eighteen' somehow made someone different. As if it could turn any old, selfish, entitled ass into a person with enough maturity to vote, take out a bank loan and get married without parental consent.

There are countless adult scumbags roaming around town without enough sense to put two and two together. Conversely, many bright eyed teenagers are intelligent enough to informed decisions about their future, their bodies and their well being...yet aren't legally allowed to do any of those things. Hell, if they have consensual sex with an adult it's considered statutory rape. They are at the mercy of their parents or guardians, regardless of the fact that those adults may not have their best interest in mind. Or that they might be insane, inept and ignorant.

What a stupid world to live in.

Carmine takes a quick shower and slips into a grey t-shirt and shorts. She tiptoes downstairs, intent on slipping out the door for a morning walk when Red clears her throat.

"Happy birthday Carmine." Red walks up to Carmine and gives her daughter a hug. "Today is a big day for you. But it's also a triumphant day for me as well. It's a reminder of the fruits of my labour- eighteen years of hard work raising you and now look at you. You are a beautiful, intelligent and perfect daughter. I couldn't be more proud of you sweetie. Come, I made you breakfast."

Carmine follows Red into the kitchen where a hearty spread is laid out before her: fat sausages links, a mountain load of bacon, sweet ham slices, a fruit platter and fluffy golden pancakes.

"Thanks Mother, this looks great! Will Father and Blake be joining us soon?"

"Yes, they will be down shortly. But dig in before it gets cold!"

Carmine doesn't need to be asked twice. She picks up three bacon slices and shoves them in her mouth all at once. One of upsides or perhaps downsides of having superhuman strength, speed and intellect is the constant need for calories. Despite her slender form, Carmine eats about as much as a 250lb full grown man. Sometimes her ravenous hunger comes at an inconvenient time but for the most part, it's a gift really, because she can literally eat as much as she wants and burn it all off in a few hours. And that's a supernatural ability all in itself.

Blake swings into the kitchen, pouncing on the last slice of bacon. "That's a lot of meat for breakfast," he points out, shoving the slice into his mouth. "What's the occasion?"

Red glares at her son with disapproval. "It's your sister's eighteenth birthday today. How could you forget something so important?"

Blake glances boorishly at Carmine. "Happy birthday sis. Sorry I forgot. My mind's been...preoccupied lately."

Carmine reaches for a handful of raspberries, popping them one after another into her mouth. "It's okay Blake. But after breakfast, I want to talk to you about something."

Red arches her eyebrows at the enigmatic comment but decides not to make a big deal out of it.

Blake shrugs. "Okay."

Mason joins them a few moments later, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside Carmine. "I see you've already finished half of the food all by yourself," he chuckles as he pierces his bag of 'breakfast blood' with a protruding fang. He starts noisily sucking from his pouch. Then he pauses and in a more serious tone, "I'm running out of blood. And since I've recovered perfectly, I plan to start hunting again. And I'll be going back to work next week. It's high time I started providing for this family again. I'm sick of being babied like a child."

The announcement raises a few eyebrows.

Because Mason can't go out during the day, he takes on odds and ends night jobs. He's never held onto a job for very long because of his aggressive tendencies and bursts of anger. His last stint was a two week long bouncer gig which he had been promptly fired from for assaulting a drunk who was harassing an underage girl. If he could have his way he would just glamour people into forking over their cash but Red wanted to make an honest man out of him, and he didn't want to disappoint her. So he kept his nose to the grindstone and quickly discovered that acting like a regular human being didn't get him very far at all. Being just a "regular guy" in Richmont is tough as hell.

A little part of him probably regrets giving up all the family money, cars and lavish lifestyle for Kardinal, but he never let it show. To make up for the lack of income after Mason got sick, Kardinal took on a second job and became the main breadwinner of the family.

Mason looks at Carmine once more. "I appreciate all the hard work you've done for me, Carmine, but I can find my own food from now on. And Kardinal... my beautiful wife...No decent man should ever let his woman work as hard as you do."

Red smiles. "I don't mind. I like my work."

Red works as a travel agent on commission during the week and as a private pilates instructor on weekends. She is damn good at her job, and her paychecks prove it. Twice voted the most promising travel agent of the year at Hotlist Travels, Red carries a degree of respect there.

Carmine stops mid-bite, pouting. "But I can continue hunting, can't I? For the ritual? It's my favourite time of the month."

Ritual Night is the only time of the month Carmine truly feels alive. It's a day when she can concentrate all her energy on one mission and feel the satisfaction of being a breadwinner - or rather, a bloodwinner to her family. Mason has been coaching her and Blake since they were toddlers the art of luring victims, and for a while, Carmine felt powerful because she was in charge of bringing home the ritual victims.

But if Mason starts hunting again...They won't NEED her anymore. Not in the same way anyway. When Mason was weak and too feeble to even stand up on his own, the whole family relied on Carmine's abilities. Now, her victims will simply be the by-product of another training session. Silent Stalking 101. Tranquilizer Mastery Lesson 5. Proper Blood Draining Technique #3. Mason will be hovering over her, checking to see if she uses the knowledge he teaches her and he will take all the credit for the lure.

That was how it had been for years growing up. But Carmine wants to hunt by herself now. For herself. Without her Father telling her what to do and how and when. She craves the independance only flying the coop can give her.

Mason's loud voice commands the room. "Of course you will continue to lure for Ritual Night. You need to continue honing your skills and I want to start teaching you Glamour soon. We need you. This family needs you in the event that I can't be there on Ritual Night. Who knows where my next hunt will take me? I might have to go as far as Larksdale to avoid suspicion. And I won't be back for at least a couple of days."

"A couple of days?!" Red stands up, forcing her hands down on the table. "Why in the world would it take a few days when, at your speed, you can easily get there in about half hour?"

"I need to attend to some clan business. I will need to stay overnight."

"Clan business? Why is this the first time I've heard of this? Do you not discuss anything with me beforehand anymore?" Red storms over to the kitchen counter and starts making herself a cup of tea to calm down.

As she scoops tea leaves into the pot, her hands tremble and she drops the teaspoon, spilling its contents all over the floor. "Shit," she mumbles as she reaches for the broom.

Watching Red sweep up her mess, Mason reassures her in a calm voice, "Don't worry my love, I'll be back before you know it. But I think for Ritual Night this week, you and Blake will have to rely on Carmine. I have no doubt she will find a suitable victim. Blake, look out for your sister will you? I know she's tough and strong, but it's always nice to have someone as backup."

"Yes Father," Blake agrees, setting down his fork. "If only SOMEONE wasn't so stubborn and headstrong about it all. Carmine refuses my help all the time."

"Because I don't need it," Carmine retorts. "I'm am more than capable."

"Enough," Mason interrupts. He tosses his emptied blood bag into the garbage bin. "I need to start preparing for my trip. I leave tonight."

"Tonight?" Red asks, her voice breaking. "But, it's Carmine's eighteenth birthday. I made plans."

A look of guilt crosses Mason's face. He forgot. "I am so sorry Carmine. To be honest, I completely forgot. I'm afraid I can't cancel my plans though. They are rather important. Will you forgive me? I will make it up to you when I get back."

"Of course Father. Don't worry about my birthday. I don't care that much about turning eighteen." Carmine bites her lips. It's true, she doesn't care about turning eighteen...but she still wants her Father to be here with her on her special day. After all, he's never missed any of her birthdays before, least of all for "clan business".

Carmine doesn't know what exactly the elusive term "clan business" entails but it usually takes a few days to complete and Mason always comes back in a better mood. So it can't be bad, can it?

One thing Carmine does know is that when Mason chose to marry her mother, he abandoned his family, the Redoza Vitulli Clan, to be with her. He had been first in line for a massive inheritance complete with prestigious social status and opulent estates in Britain and Italy. He would have had control over three different gangs across Europe and his name would have opened doors anywhere he went.

But he threw it all away for love. When Mason's father was staked through the heart four years ago, Mason would've inherited millions. But instead it went to his younger brother, Carmine's uncle Lyon.

It was only recently that Mason began to reconnect with his roots again. He was very private about the details but it had something to do with investments with distant cousins and a handful of nephews.

Perhaps "clan business" isn't a bad thing if it helps Mason deal with his inner demons. He is always calm and self-assured when he comes back. A glimmer of his old self peeks through and he seems to be that handsome and proud vampire he was so many years ago. Who knows, maybe his family will even take him back and they will no longer struggle to make ends meet.

Carmine briefly fantasizes about being some wealthy debutante; a fabulous Vampire princess. Then she shakes it off and with a small nod to Red, excuses herself from the table.

"I don't want to nag but I would like to gently remind you that Ritual Night is tomorrow. I hope you made the appropriate scouting sessions and chose a location to pick up the sacrifice. Try aiming a little higher too, honey, an eight or nine would be marvellous," Red mentions nonchalantly. "And please be back for dinner. I'm making a full veal roast."

Eight or nine? Carmine smiles demurely before stepping out the door. Mother always has such impossible expectations.

Red developed a ranking system for the victims a long time ago based purely on their appearances.

It is an incredibly shallow measure and Carmine often thinks the ratings are completely arbitrary and useless. Blood is blood, in her opinion. Whether it comes from a clean shaven man wearing a $5000 suit or a homeless drug addict matters little. As long as it's clean, it's tasty.

But to please her mother, she will aim to land a wealthy asshole this month.

***Whew! That was a long, difficult chapter to write. What do you think about Carmine's history with Liam? C'mon don't be shy, I'd love to read more comments! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for fun quotes, teasers and media! -Jackie