The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 29

Having Davidson and Naomi in my home was marginally more tolerable than having Magnus and his ilk staying overday. I was not particularly worried that that they would touch my humans, but I still did not like it, rational or not.

It was no worse than someone not wanting other people to drive their precious car. Come to think of it, I would not be handing over the keys to my sweet baby over to them for a joyride, either.

Still, at least with the softies, I was less on edge about the safety of my humans and there was always the added bonus of revelling in their frustration at the situation.

I eyed my guests as we sat in my lounge. They had been here for an entire day and part of the night and had still not gotten to the point of their visit. It was certainly not because they liked me and wanted to stay longer, because if anything Davidson was even less comfortable with being in my home than I was having him here.

He was clearly waiting for me to broach the topic, but it was silly for him to think he could beat me at something like this. I would let them stay for a month if it came to it before I asked him the purpose of his visit. My amusement bubbled up again and made the whole ordeal worthwhile.

We were making small talk about human maintenance, although I sensed that was not at all what they had come for. We could have spoken about such matters between council meetings if that was all they wanted. Naomi was getting entirely too comfortable while chatting about the subject, so I broke her off at the earliest polite opportunity.

"Could I offer you some coffee?" I asked.

"Please," Naomi said, almost automatically. Davidson nodded at her words.

"Dean, please fetch us some coffee," I called to my guard.

"Yes, Mistress," he said and quickly went on his way, leaving the other guard alone with me, not that I really needed him with these two here.

We continued chatting and the conversation moved on to the merits of mandated versus voluntary human exercise, when Dean returned with Trisha. Both carried serving trays and put them on the coffee table between us three vampires. With almost synchronized respectful nods, they backed up. Dean returned to his proper place and Trisha quickly left, but I did not miss the affectionate expression that passed between them before she was out the door.

I had never truly experienced such a thing as human love. I did not know what it was like to want to grow old together with someone. When I had been human, the men who had tried to court me had not impressed me with their ridiculous expectations, much to my father's consternation.

They had all seemed to want me for the purpose of ornamentation and for other purposes I had not fully understood at the time, innocent as I had been so long ago.

As little more than a foolish, discontented child, I supposed I had been easy prey for my sire.

I picked up the carafe and poured some into each cup swiftly and handed one to each of my guests. "Blood?" I offered, extending the creamer.

With my smile firmly hidden, I watched the slight widening of Naomi's eyes and the slight furrowing of Davidson's brow.

"Come now, you don't think me such a rude host that I never offer my guests refreshments?"

They would be right to think that, since my humans belonged to me, but I could spare a little collected blood for the cause of disconcerting them and extending our little game of chicken indefinitely. I still had about two months until the next quarterly. How long could I drag their torture out?

"No, of course not," Davidson lied, taking the creamer and pouring a moderate amount of blood into his cup.

Naomi held her cup almost nervously. "They say, but of course—"