My Vampire Baby

Nina's Family

Nikki's POV

Cicero stands as the speaker.

"All council members are present. This meeting can begin. The first matter to be brought up is Mina's placement." He states.

"Why is this being brought before a full council?" Calder asks with a sigh.

"Because Lord Calder this pack is passed due to be culled." Rihat answers coldly. Gasps are heard. I stand calmly to face the ancient.

"This pack has been granted permission by this council to grow as it chooses, but not to exceed twenty." I defend. Thanks you Cicero for writing out a brief history and a list of grants received from the councils to Nina's pack.

"Yes well that was when William led this pack. I don't believe the new leader has the ability to lead so many." He sneers.

"Jack is..."I barely get out when Jack interrupts me.

"I have proven myself for over a hundred years." Jack fearlessly faces the ancient.

"How dare you speak out." Rihat hisses.

"I think the man has a right to speak for his family." I back him.

"Yes! Nikki is right let him speak." Imhotep smiles at the apparently Twelve year old boy. Jack straightens up as tall as the boy can. He looks at me with such gratitude for acknowledging his long life.

"Well as I was sayin I've proven myself, so has everyone in my family. All of us except Nina and Angel is over a hundred now. We stay out of trouble mostly. We do your bidding. Have you forgotten it was my family who took care of that vampire rat thing in New York. We were strong enough to do it. It was Nina you used to take out that meth lab cause of her gift. Em rescued one of your hybrid babies from that nutty hunter who thought he was gonna train him to hunt his own kind." Zolin acknowledges this with a bow of his head. "We handled those fledgling rogue children years back. We've done a lot for you all. Now you want to cull us like some cattle." He goes silent and looks each council member in the eyes.

"You still can't keep Nina the baby of your pack from law breaking." Rihat spits out.

"Well you know women can be difficult sometimes. I do try to keep the women in my family out of trouble and happy." Jack huffs. "I know." Tom snickers. "That's not what I meant Tom." He rolls his eyes at his brother. Several council members chuckle.

"She has a long list of infractions." Rihat states ignoring the innuendo.

"When did this become about Nina?" Cicero asks. I wanted to ask the same question.

"You all seem so enthralled by her. You bend the laws for her to much. She has drank from some of you only her sire and mate are allowed this. She's been in your beds. It's forbidden by our laws." Rihat complains.

"Well technically it was on a beach." Brian smirks. I try not to be jealous and keep my mind on the real subject.

"This is serious. She has made her family stronger beyond what is allowed thanks to this behavior." Rihat continues. He actually looks scared.

"Rihat, Nina and her family are loyal to us. Their minds are always open. They hide nothing. They have no plans to form a childe rebellion like the one that happened in ancient times." Imhotep speaks trying to reassure.

Cicero leans close and whispers.

"One of his hybrid sons was killed during that uprising. He's been on a crusade ever since." I feel sympathy for him, but I'm not going to let him take his pain out on Nina and her family if I can help it.

"Read us Lord Rihat. We are loyal to you all." Jack offers.

"The only thing I need to know is this pack is over the limit. If you add Mina that brings them to fifteen. I believe the usual method of choosing is by drawing lots. Set with his authority as a first one has granted Nina and Mina immunity from this lottery unfortunately." Rihat says coldly ignoring Tom.

"Rihat it has to come to vote and it has to be a majority from both councils." Enki reminds Rihat.

"Not when a first one has granted me the authority over this matter. The children packs will be culled to a reasonable and controllable number." He grins.

"Which first one would give you such authority? Where is your proof?" Cicero asks with controlled anger. Nina rushes to my side in tears. This is beyond me I feel helpless. I just hold my Nina close. I look around the table the vampires are stunned.

"Apophis and here is his written permission and signature." Rihat says and passes it to Cicero. He studies it.

"It's legitimate." He says low in anguish. The others mutter among themselves bemused. I hear the name Apophis the serpent. From what I can understand he's another brother of Osiris and Set.

Suddenly Tiye is on her feet.

"I won't let you do this." Tiye says glaring at her husband. She leaves his side and stands before the Children. His shock is written all over his face. I don't think his wife has ever spoken out against him. Sarah one of the children comes to her and clings to her.
"I won't let you hurt my daughter or her family Rihat. You are going to far. None of these children are guilty of killing our son." She says and begins to weep.

"You created a childe? How could you knowing how I felt!" He hisses.

"I didn't want her to die. I was married to another before I met you. I had a daughter and Like some of the others among us I kept track of her descendents. I found Sarah dying in childbirth. She was to far gone to save so I turned her." She cries. He slowly softens in the face of his wife's tears. He sighs and is beaten by nothing but her tears.

"I will do nothing to hurt you beloved. I withdraw my charge of over the childe limit against Jack's pack. I mean his family." He sighs sitting down in his chair looking tired and lost. His wife rejoins him bringing her baby with her. He looks the girl over then takes her hand gently and kisses it excepting his wife's offspring. I sigh in relief. Maybe now Rihat will ease up on the children vampires.

Just when I'm starting to relax an alarm sounds. What the fuck now? Tara comes running down the stairs.

"Things are climbing up the cliff towards the the coven house." She cries out terrified.

I follow Cicero and Imohtep into a room off of the council room. There are several screens most showing the surroundings of the LA coven house. The mansion sits on a cliff over looking the ocean and that's the screen that has their attention. Human shaped creatures scale the cliffs like spiders. Their eyes glow menacingly. There has to be at least a hundred. I hear a noice behind me. I look and see Set there.

"How many vampires do we have to make a defense?" He asks.

Forty counting the children pack." Imhotep answers. He presses a button and I hear metallic sounds coming from the windows and doors. The mansion is being locked down.

"What are those?" I asks as calmly as possible.

"Those are hybrids." He answers me.

"Like Dorian?" I question.

"No these have never known human mother's milk, human food or love. They've only been fed blood and left to mature, from the looks of them the blood of an ancient. They grew quickly from what I sense from their minds none are over five years." He answers quietly.

"Sire." Nina whispers as she peeks around the door.

"Nina we need you to make a distress call, we need reinforcements. Tell all who can hear. We are being attacked by hybrids of an ancients creation. There are over a hundred converging on the LA Coven House. Help needed urgently." He finishes.

"Anything else father?" She asks.

"Tell Tara to take all mortals below." He answers her. She leaves her eyes slightly distant.

"Nikki you should go below just in case they breach the windows and doors. You will be safe there. They can't get down there I made sure of it when I built this fortress." Imhotep says softly.

"Are Nina and the vampire children going below?" I ask.

"No we are going to need the numbers." He admits.

"Then no. I stay with my wife Nina." I say without a second thought.

"I guess I need to make you less destructible. Tom go bring me a syringe from the infirmary." He says catching Tom peeking around the door.

"I'm starting to have a grudging respect for you Sixx." Set grunts