Brad walked into the living room carrying the pastry box and drink tray. “I don’t think our cider is very hot, but I hope you’ll like it,” he said with a brilliant smile.
“You’re practically glowing,” I teased.
He nodded and sat down beside me. “We can finally be ourselves, how can I not be glowing with excitement. Now… before we begin, can you explain why you have bags of blood? Who delivers to you, and why are they doing it in such an archaic manner?”
“I told you, my father gets it for me.” I rolled my eyes and realized that it probably sounded like we steal from the local blood bank. “He’s a retired doctor, and he funded a blood research center, they have three biologists who are truthfully doing the research, it’s just that they… well… they always have a little more blood than needed, and my father does the inventory. How do you get your blood?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I go to the store or have it delivered. We have our own grocery stores, and the bagged blood is commonly used for fledglings that are learning how to control their fangs, and are being trained on how to follow our rules while living in society.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, “I normally have control of my fangs.” I immediately became embarrassed.
“Are you telling me that that was your first time that you lost control?” he asked with amazement.
I nodded. “I don’t normally allow people close to me, and when he… it doesn’t matter, I’ll never let another try that again.”
Brads eyes darkened as he said each word in a low, angry snarl, “What did he do to you?”
I nervously shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell it doesn’t, did he hurt you; do you know what you are?”
“Yeah, it was already explained it to me,” I muttered, “it doesn’t matter, he didn’t hurt me. He scared me, and I saw a side of him that I really don’t like.”
“Did he inappropriately touch you?”
Brad was really angry, and I knew that he wasn’t reading my mind or he would have already known what Charles had said and done. I stood up and held my hand out to him. “I think you need a hug,” I said with my best smile.
He chuckled and stood up; he pulled me into a tight hug and softly caressed my back. “No one should ever be allowed to touch you without your permission.”
“I know, because I can have children right?” I was a little miffed considering that most human, females can have children.
He pulled back and held my face in his hands. “No, it’s because you are a woman. You give the gift of life, you are a teacher to your young, a lover, a doctor, a provider, and you would give your life to protect your young. Men try, but it is the women who succeed, and they make it look easy. I would be just as angry if someone were to touch my sister, my mother or my grandmother.” His eyes softened as he explained, “Granted, you can give birth without losing your life, there are not many humans who survive the birth, and that does make you a Queen amongst our kind, but whether or not you are a Queen, you are still a woman who deserves respect.”
I pulled his hands away from my face; I reached up and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you,” I whispered before I pulled away.
I watched his anger wash away. “For what?” he chuckled.
“For being you and for opening my eyes. After talking with a friend of my fathers, I began suspected that everyone was using me or hoping that I’d be their baby machine. You still see me as woman, and that means a lot.”
