"What are you?" He asks me, breaking the silence. I am quite shocked by this question. Mostly because I don't even know how to answer it.
"Werewolf. I think... And you are a vampire," I state. He nods.
"You don't smell like a werewolf." He lifts his...
I am stirred awake a little while later by the sound of loud voices and excited greetings. I slowly open my eyes, testing out of I'm feeling. I'm a lot better already, almost back to normal - I only have a slight headache left.
I see Dom standing in the doorway where a big man, who I assume to be Alasdair, is holding each of Dom's arms and assessing him from top to toe, with a big smile that reaches the eyes on his face. Dom almost looks like a little boy compared to the enormous frame of Alasdair. I pull myself up in a sitting position, just looking at the scene, not wanting to barge into their reunion.
"Oh me lad, ye ain't so wee anymore, eh?" Alasdair chuckles in a resounding sound that comes all the way down from his stomach, which makes it sound like a bass. Now I understand that Dom's comparison of Alasdair to a grizzly is remarkably accurate.
"Still not as tall as ye," Dom answers wittily, again his voice taking on that Scottish accent. Alasdair smiles and lets go of him but gives him a hard clap, squeeze, and shake on one shoulder with a hand the size of Dom's face. It's so hard imagining this big sweet bear to be a fast and dangerous vampire.
"I want to introduce you to someone," Dom then blurts out, like he just remembered, that I am here too. He turns around to face me, and gestures towards me with an extended arm.
"This is Athena," he says, with a bit of a proud tone in his voice. Alasdair smiles big as he squeezes his way through the chairs and over to me. I stand up, ready to offer him my hand, but instead, I'm pulled into a very tight hug that forces all the air out of my lungs.
"Careful, she's not a vampire!" Dom calls out with a bit of concern but also amusement in his tone. Alasdair quickly lets go of me.
"Sorry las," he then says and offers his hand instead. I give him a bit of a judging look and then shake it while clearing my voice.
"I'm Alasdair. I suppose ye're the one who dragged him back home, so I can only thank ye for that," I just nod, not sure what to say, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He looks back over at Dom, who is now approaching us as well.
"So lad, what are you doing with a human?" he asks, but the way he looks down at the napkin on my neck indicates that he may already be expecting me to just be a walking blood bank.
"Actually... She's a banshee," Dom explains, a bit hesitantly, but not ashamed. Alasdair quickly backs away a step or two, lowering his head a bit in respect and maybe also fear towards me. It takes a moment for him to collect himself.
"Ahem, a banshee, ye say?" he answers, his voice now a bit unsure, but Dom just makes a sound halfway between a laugh and a scoff. He then claps the big man on his back.
"Relax big man, she won't bite," Dom jokes, but I just look offended over at him, not happy to be treated like a rabid dog. I fold my arms over my chest and clear my throat, demanding their attention.
"No. I won't bite, actually. But I would appreciate being treated with a bit of respect and humanity," I bite out, and Dom's cheeky smile falters a bit. Both of them then nod, and I decide to find myself satisfied with that. There is a bit of an awkward pause after that, but it's interrupted by a knock on the door.
The old lady walks in, and once again her face lights up at the sight of Alasdair, who seems equally happy to see the old lady.
"Oh me Alasdair!" she shrieks before running to the best of her ability over to him. He kneels down a bit and gives her a hug, visibly more careful with the frail lady. When he pulls back she starts pinching his cheeks and assessing him.
"Do you get enough to eat, me boy?" she asks in that way that only a mother can. However, I know that she couldn't possibly be, so that makes me a bit confused as well.
"Of course, Lily, don't ye worry about that," he answers in a very loving voice, but she just shakes her head.
"I called in some new lasses, as soon as I heard ye were on ye'r way," she then says, and before Alasdair can say anything, the old lady pulls in two even younger girls than before and ushers them to stand right in front of Alasdair. They look just a bit more excited than the three girls who had been in here earlier. They look up at Alasdair with big eyes.
"They are virgins," Lily croaks and winks at Alasdair, with both of her hands placed on one of the girls' shoulders. I see how Alasdair stiffens up at that, and a more primal look flows over his face.
"Are ye a vampire?" one of the girls asks in a very innocent and curious voice, and I can't help but feel my stomach turn. This feels so off. Even if they are willing, he can't possibly want to drink blood from literal children. How could they know what they are consenting to?
"That won't be necessary," I then say in a very firm voice, and send Lily a stare, that commands her to get the kids and leave. She looks offended at me, but gathers in the girls and turns around to walk out. Before she closes the door, she looks back at Alasdair.
"Just call for me if ye need anything," she says in that maternal voice again, but Alasdair seems unable to react. He is all tensed up and looks like he might be holding his breath. Only when the door closes, does a seem to relax a bit. He plops down onto the sofa next to mine, rubs a big hand over his face, and exhales deeply.
"I'm sorry," he then says.
"She means well, but sometimes she forgets all ethics in her pursuit to please me," he continues, and then he looks up at me.
"Thank ye, I don't think I could have said no meself."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
