For the Love of my Fang

Questions

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - QUESTIONS

    When the meeting finally ended, I was more than relieved to come out of it without a scar.   “I have so many questions to ask you.” I told Erick as he escorted me to our room.

    “It’s late.  You should rest.”

    “What about you?” I asked concerned, looking at him.  

    For the past four hours, we had all been sitting in the conference room.  The meeting taking much more time than it originally had been planned.  Not that I complained since I managed to learn a great deal about these people.    

    “I have too many things left to do.” Erick stated exhausted, sitting behind his desk.

    Knowing that if I fell asleep the questions I had in mind would be forgotten, I sat down on the chair that Armand normally sat on.

    “Then you wont mind if I help you stay awake.  This way you can answer my questions.”

    “Questions?” he asked accentuating the plural meaning.

    “Yes.  Questions.  I have many of them.  Like what laws do you immortals have?  What are rogues?  Who are the enemies? What…”

    Smiling, Erick rested against the chair.  “We live by three laws.  First, we must only feed of bagged blood.”

    “No exception?”

    “Well yes, there are two.  You could only feed off a mortal if  there is a medical condition or an emergency.”  

    “What medical condition?  And what do you consider an emergency?”

    “Some of the Immortals, for example me,  have an allergic reaction to dead blood cells.  If the blood we introduce to our system isn’t fresh the nanos will attack our organs.  Eating them piece by piece.”  

    “That sounds painful.” I said grabbing on to my stomach.

    “It is.  As for an emergency.  We consider an emergency anything that will draw blood from us quicker than what we can produce it.  For example, if you are in a car accident and are badly wounded, you need new blood to quickly help cure the wounds.  In that case you are allowed to feed.”

    “Okay. I think I get it.”

    “Good.  Second law, we can only turn one person in a lifetime, which we normally leave for our life mate.  And third, we can only have a child every few centuries.”

    “Why?”

    “There was a time when we needed population control.”

    “Oh.  But not now.  That’s why you are asking to amend the second law?”

    “Yes.” he stated, facing me with admiration.  “I take it that you’ve come to terms with what I am?” he asked concerned.

    “I guess I have.”

    “Sorry to interrupt.” Armand stated entering our room.

    “I’ll be with you in a sec.” he said not taking his eyes away from me.  “You need to rest.”

    “Not until you tell me about rogues and your enemies.  I have so many questions to ask you.  I don‘t even know where to begin.”

    For a moment, as I looked into his surprised face, I believed that he would willingly answer my questions.  But after a moment of hesitation, he turned to look at Armand.

    “There will be time.  Now you have to rest.” he said getting out of this chair and standing beside me.

      At his words, I found myself drifting instantly to oblivion.   

    I was definitely having a word with Armand tomorrow.  He had to stop doing this.  

Erick’s POV

    Unable to concentrate I kept stealing glances at my mate who  slept comfortably in our bed.  A longing to have her, in me.  “Armand, what am I going to do?”

    “What do you mean?” Armand asked looking up from the papers he was reading.

    “I’m dying here.  Having her this close is driving me insane.  Her smell is killing me.  What can I do?  How can I make her accept that she’s my mate?  She prefers the floor to sleeping in the same bed as me.”

    “My friend.” Armand said exasperated.  “You have to change your strategy.  You are doing it all wrong… Do you remember your first mortal love?”

    “Annabelle?”

    “Yes, Erick.  Times haven’t changed that much.  To win a woman’s heart you have to court her. Woo her.”    

    “But with Melanie that would take for ever.  She doesn’t trust or believe in a single word I say.”

    “Isn’t your mate worth the wait?”  

    “I guess.”

    “You guess?” Armand asked completely shocked.

    “Okay you are right.  She’s worth it.”

    “Then you gotta court her.  But not outright.  She already finds it hard to believe that not all men are like Michael.  You have to…”

    “You mean trick her into being with me?”

    “My friend.” Armand stated laughing at me now.  “First you gotta befriend her.  Gain her trust.  Then you express your feeling for  her.  You take things slow.”

    “But…”

    “Dear Lord!   If I ever find another mate, I hope I don’t end up like you.  You’re driving me insane.”

    Smiling at my best friend, I knew he was only teasing.  I really wasn’t that bad… or was I.

    “Worse than what you think.”

    “Since when are you reading my thoughts?” I asked worried.  If Armand could read them then so could the other council members.

    “Since the day you found your mate.” Armand stated without remorse.  “Don’t worry lad, you will be able to get control of yourself soon enough.”  

    “I hope you are right.”

    “I am.  But changing the subject for a second, how long do you plan to keep her chained to this room?”  Armand asked taking me completely by surprise.  “Ever since she left Michael she’s been locked in this room.  No wonder she thinks she’s going crazy.”

    “She told you this?”

    “Yes.  We are friends.”

    “I know.” I stated sadly, realizing that she indeed preferred Armand’s company to mines.

    “Take her out to dinner.”

    “What? Your kidding me?”

    “Do I look like I’m kidding?”  Armand asked completely serious.

    “No… but.”

    “No buts.”

    “But…”

    “No buts.” and with that Armand got up from his chair and left.