THIRST

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Elders (Setekh)

Tonight went better than I expected. Bane did very well capturing his first deer and killing it as quickly as possible. As for me, I enjoy the hunt. I enjoy chasing after my victim, taunting it, forcing it to keep an eye on its surroundings. Never knowing exactly when I'll strike. I waited in the kitchen as Bane got dressed upstairs, getting ready for tonight's unsuspected meeting with the high council. In the meantime, coffee was brewing in a fresh pot as I smelled the aroma in the air and stared out the window.

The war with the vampires is upon us, I could feel it in my bones and within the depths of my very soul as I pondered over what this top secret meeting was all about. From my current position, I had a totally unobscured view of the entire compound. One by one the Elders appeared out of thin air as they walked up to the front door of my parent's home and were kindly invited inside.

"Lady" was the last to arrive as she walked with such elegance and grace up the stone pathway to where my father bowed at the waist near the door. When he shut it, that's when Bane came into the kitchen, wearing dark faded ripped blue jeans and a black fitted shirt. His Amulet hanged freely around his neck as the lights shining overhead showed off the bright red jewel in the center. And the shirt was one of mine, a rock concert I went to about five years ago.

"Have all the Elders arrived?" He asked, going to the fridge.

"Yes. They're waiting for us. Ready to go?"

The door closed shut, the bottles rattling inside becoming silent once again. Bane turned to face me, his eyes showed me the nervousness of meeting with the Elder again, especially after what "Lady" did to me that first night I presented him to them. He came toward me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and stood there until he was finally able to say something.

"How long do you think the meeting will take?"

"I don't know, little one. But I promise you that they will be on their best behavior."

"I hope so. Because I'm still holding a grudge against that Old World Bitch, "Lady".

I barked out a laugh as I leaned down to kiss his head. "God, I love you."

Five minutes later, we knocked on the front door of my parent's home. My mother greeted us both with open arms before leading us into the living room were the Elders sat motionless like statues. Amelia was the first to make eye contact, her long slender legs crossed at the ankles as she smoothed out her skirt. Dmitri, the notary sat next to the fireplace with his parchment and quill as he glanced around the room, admiring the space.

As for Coloman, he leaned against the far wall, standing tall and proud, glancing out the window from time to time, his eyes never missing a thing. And last but not least there was "Lady" who had my mother's reading chair all to herself with her skeleton-like hands folded neatly in her lap and her silvery long hair done up in a beehive. At first, no one spoke as we all looked at each other, casting glances here and there, seemingly on edge. Then that's when my mother walked in with a tray full of tea and cookies with napkins.

Amelia thanked my mother for her generous hospitality and kindly took a cup of tea as she brought it to her plump red lips and took a sip before speaking. "First off, I want to congratulate Bane on being accepted into the family. Immortality suits you just fine, Bane. You and Setekh are perfect for one another. The Wolf Mother knew exactly what she was doing when she paired the two of you together," she smiled and then continued. "Now, to the real business at hand. As I'm sure you're probably aware of that the war with the vampires is greatly gaining attention from the Old World."

"Is that good or bad?" Bane asked.

Amelia shrugged. "It's difficult to say. But right now they're keeping a close eye on all of us. Setekh, what do you know of the vampire, Ari?"

Now it was my turn to shrug. "Nothing more than just a familiar student who went to the same school as Bane and I. Why do you ask?"

"Because we've received reports that Ari is presumed missing or worse dead." Coloman interrupted. "Now what can you tell us about him?"

I sighed heavily. "Ari's dead. I killed him."

A cold chill swept through the room as all eyes were upon me. "Setekh, tell us what inspired you to carry out this action," Amelia replied.

"Ari had threatened Bane on several occasions during our training sessions at the school. So one night as I was going out for a run in the woods, I found Ari waiting for me and we exchanged a few words before we battled it out. And when it came right down to it, I figured that my life was more important to me then his, so I had to kill him."

"So what happened to the body?" Amelia asked.

"I burned it right where I killed him."

"And his remains?"

"Scattered to the winds for all I know. And what the hell does Ari's death have to do with any of this?"

"Because killing a vampire from one of the five original families is punishable by death."

A growl-sound definitely Bane's as he peeled his lips back from his teeth. "They're going to have to go through me first."

Amelia smiled. "Ah, young love. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a bonded male being protective over his mate. You truly have been blessed by the Wolf Mother."

We ended the meeting a half hour later, with Amelia leading the council outside as they vanished from whence they came. I then bid my parents good night as I wrapped an arm around Bane's waist and walked with him back to our home. But when we returned to the kitchen and started making dinner, neither of us hardly said a word.

"I won't allow you to be killed, Setekh." Bane said.

"Relax, babe. Nothing is going to happen to me."

"I want to believe that, really I do. But I can't help but shaking the feeling that something bad is about to happen."

I chuckled. "You know, some people would even call that a hunch, little one."

"That's not funny. How can you stand there and act like everything's going to turn out fine when you should be worried that the Ancients might be planning an attack soon."

"I made a promise to you on the night of our mating ritual that I would give up my life to protect you and our coven. But with you by my side, I know that we can beat this together." I took him in my arms then as he grabbed the front of my shirt and took a deep breath. "Come on, let's eat before our food gets cold."

Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter is finally here! So I have a plan and I want you to tell me what you think of it. First, I can either work on THIRST separately until its completed OR work on THIRST and The Escape Artist at the same time? Just let me know what you think in the comments below. Happy reading. :D