Who's the Enemy?

29

Alana thought she might be too stressed to eat and so wasn't expecting to actually eat much. But taking a bite at Jeffrey's urging and she finds herself unable to stop eating other than to answer questions directed to her or to ask a question to others around her at times. In no time she finds that she managed to eat everything Jeffrey had put on her plate. 

The food had been set up buffet style since many of the vampires would enjoy eating the human food and not just have blood. But since it would be too difficult for the servers to know which would prefer solid food to the liquid red kind it is set up so that they can get their own. Many blood donors are also standing by the buffet table so that their masters or others might partake of them for dinner.

Alana had never actually seen a vampire feed on a human before and more than once Jeffrey had to nudge her to get her fascinated look off of a vampire/human feeding. He leans in and whispers, "If you ever want to know what it feels like, I would be more than happy to bite you, my sweet. It is especially wonderful when having sex. Makes sex so much more pleasurable for both of us."

Alana turns to him and has a hard time not letting her jaw drop in astonishment at his words. "More pleasurable than what it already is?"

Jeffrey hums and leans in even closer so his breath fans across her already sensitive neck, "Oh, yes, my sweet. Much more pleasurable. I haven't ever asked to bite you, because you aren't food to me, but that is something else altogether. I could show you after we retire tonight if you wish?"

Alana bites her lower lip as just the thoughts of what Jeffrey is able to do and has done to her before runs through her mind. Biting during sex would bring even more pleasure? She's not sure how that could possibly happen. Wouldn't it hurt? But whatever it does, she now has an undeniable urge to find out. None of the human blood donors seem to mind being drained of their blood and she needs to understand why.

"Please?" Alana finally responds to Jeffrey's words.

Jeffrey smiles in delight. He's wanted to do so with her for some time now and had no idea if he would ever get the chance. "Very well, as soon as we retire I will show you. That is, if I am allowed to spend the night with you?" Jeffrey had forgotten that he is no longer in the same room as his wife. He curses his stupidity once more. This is something he could have done with her before if he hadn't been so stupid.

Alana rolls her eyes at Jeffrey, "Of course you can. It's your room as well, Jeffrey. It was your room first actually, so if any one should leave it should be me."

Jeffrey pleased by her words caresses her face and Alana closes her eyes in delight. "But I was stupid and moved out of the room giving it to you. I will be more than happy to return, but only if you wish me there."

"It will be rather hard to fill that nursery if you aren't sharing my bed. Besides, I believe you have a story to finish telling me."

The happiness that Jeffrey was feeling was gone, just as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him. That story, Chronos's story, is intricately connected to his own and he's not sure how Alana will take it. Doesn't matter though, she deserves to know. She needs to know after the message he was told by Chronos earlier. They were coming and would be here in the morning. Once they get here there would be no hiding this and it will be better that she learn it from him than be broadsided by others telling her, or figuring it out on her own.

The time seemed to drag for Alana, she was more than a little uncomfortable being around so many vampires. Not afraid really, the power coursing through her keeps that from happening, but there's something about being surrounded by hundreds of vampires that makes her not entirely comfortable. 

"Having fun, mother?" Chronos asks scaring her since she didn't know any one was at her back.

"Chronos? Hasn't any one ever told you that sneaking up on people isn't polite?" Alana scolds Chronos as she gets her heart rate back to normal.

Chronos smirks at Alana, "Well, how else are we to kill our enemies? Announce ourselves and start a fight that we might not win?"

Alana cants her head and searches Chronos's intensely, "Do you consider me an enemy, then?"

Chronos sobers immediately, "Never. I think you are the best thing that has ever happened to father, Alana, and that's the truth. He's happier tonight than I've ever seen him, but something's off. You said something to him at dinner. He was practically shining in happiness as you were talking then, suddenly, he sobered completely. What did you say?"

"I don't know. We were talking about when we retire. Oh, it might have something to do with the story he was telling me about earlier." Alana looks down guiltily.

Chronos waits for her to continue and when she doesn't he says, "Which story was he talking to you about?" There are things Chronos doesn't even know about his father. Jeffrey is very close mouthed about many things in his life. Hence, no one knowing just how many children Jeffrey lost all those centuries ago.

Alana bites her lip as she looks up at Chronos, "We were talking about your story. About how you became a vampire, the treachery of your family and your sister."

Chronos stiffens at her words. Alana has a right to know but still, the pain of his family's betrayal is still sharp. Then he thinks about the story and how it ends. "Ah, yes, now I understand why father acted as he did. He doesn't like talking about that time any more than I do. Listen carefully, mother, because he isn't likely to ever talk about it again. It is, as far as I know the one and only time he's ever made an exception to his rules and it came back to bite him in the ass when he did."

Alana stares in shock at Chronos's words. Jeffrey made an exception to his rules and was hurt by it? What rules did he make the exception for and how does the story tie into that? Now more than ever Alana wants to know the story. It must be very sad to have both Jeffrey and Chronos acting like that. She heard the pain in Chronos's voice before he was able to fully get control of it.

"I can tell him to not finish the story, if it would be better?" Alana says uncertainly.

"No, it will be better for you to know and understand just what the hell happened and why father feels the way he does. Especially since you'll be meeting my niece and nephew soon." With those words Chronos leaves her side and the party to return to his sibling to have some pain relief.

"What did he say to you for you to look like that?" Jeffrey says coming up to her.

"Just that I need to listen closely to the story you're going to tell me because you won't ever tell it again. And then he said his niece and nephew will be here soon." Alana is facing her husband. "Is it so very terrible? If it is then you don't need to tell me about it."

"It is, but you also really do need to know and I'd rather be the one to tell you. We can retire now if you'd like."

Alana nods and so Jeffrey leads her out of the ballroom and slowly they make their way to their room. They are both lost in their own thoughts wondering what will happen next.