Mine

Part 37 (Colby's POV)

Sam looks at me. "And you said you-"
"I know." I interrupt him.
"Said what?" Brennen asks.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Penny narrow hers as she watched me. "He wants to be one." Sam answers quietly, quickly glancing at Penny. He looked away fast though, as I'm sure everyone in the room could feel her suppressed anger.
Brennen looks to her. "And I'm going to take a very wild guess and say that you don't agree to it."
Penny doesn't take her eyes off me, but I turn my head and stare back, not daring to back down. "He knows I won't do it."
"And I told you before, I don't-"
"We are not talking about this now." She shuts me up. We stared at each other, daring the other to back down and creating a very tense moment.
"Um, Colby, uh, why do you, uh, want to be a vampire?" Sam asks, sounding unsure of his words.
Penny crosses her arms and leans back, still not taking her eyes off me. "Because I have all I want. I have friends, a place to live, someone to love, I have it. I don't need anything else, and I don't want to grow old and die. Besides, then Micheal wouldn't be after me."
"It's not happening, end of discussion." Penny snaps. I open my mouth to argue, but she stops me once again. "No, Colby. Stop asking."
I cross my arms. "Then I'll ask Salina."
She stares at me. "And you really think she's going to listen to you? I'm her boss. Besides, I told my clan that they are not to touch you in any way. They won't do it, and neither will Salina."
"Then I guess Micheal can get me." I snap. Penny's angry look suddenly disappeared, replaced with shock. I had never seen her looking shocked, and I don't regret saying that the look didn't suit her. The room was completely silent.
Slowly though, her anger came back, but more suppressed. "You'll regret that decision when he kills you." She says so quietly I almost didn't hear her.
"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, but why don't you want Colby to be a vampire?" Brennen asks. "Not that I particularly think he should be." I turn to glare at him.
"I've already said this. Vampire's are monsters. We aren't like what you call vampires in Twilight. It changes you. We kill innocent people for our own survival. And to think that he wants to be one? That he wants to be a monster?" Penny answers him. "I won't do it."
"But it's his choice, right?"
"It's my choice too." She says. "If I did decide to let him do that, do you know what I'd have to do? Do you know what he's asking me to do?"
Sam's frown turns into a look of realization. "You'd have to kill him." His voice was quiet.
"I can't do that. And I can't just stand to the side and watch another vampire do it."
Brennen looks up at me. "Colby, you can't be serious."
"I'd still be alive." I reply.
"No, you won't." She say. "Alive means your breathing to live. Alive means your heart is beating. You won't need either of those as a vampire."
"I'd still be walking and talking, wouldn't I?"
"That's not the point! You'd be dead, Colby. You'd have to leave behind your family. Leave behind your fans. You'd have to quit doing what you love doing. You'd have to live in secrecy, and that's not you! Why can't you see that?"
"I wouldn't be a burden anymore! Micheal wouldn't be after me either."
"You're not a burden. And Micheal would still be after you, human or vampire. He wants you dead, and he's proved capable of killing humans as well as vampires."
I don't reply, feeling that this argument would not be going anywhere any time soon. I look down. "Is there a deal we can make?" I ask, trying my hardest to keep my voice even.
Penny stares at me, but I can tell she was debating it. "Maybe in the future."
I knew this was the best I was getting.