Truce and Lies

Chapter 9: domesticated

"I'm never sleeping with you again if you're going to take this long to pick out clothes," I remarked from my position on the bed. "Mostly because we'll never have time."

"Shut up," Stefa laughed. "This is an important day. Other clan members thought before that I was silly and frivolous;" she tossed her fiery curls, "but I've never understood that. We are dead. We can't change ourselves, so why would we all keep boring hair colors. Plus, it helps detract from my pale, pale skin."

She frowned at the closet. "I don't want to wear black because black will seem like I'm trying too hard. I like the plum dress, but it doesn't really go with my hair."

"I like the grey dress," I suggested. "It's serious, you'll match, and you look great in that dress."

Her eyebrow arched. "Conor, I think we've domesticated you too much if you're giving me wardrobe advice."

"Then don't take it," I yawned. "Oh, before I go shower, you should drink my blood so I can wash off the smell."

"It's only in case of emergencies," she told me. "I don't need to."

"Yes, you do." I sat up in bed. "You know that this won't go well. That's why I'm here and why you're so nervous. But we need a way out of this mess if it comes to that. And I doubt we'll get time if someone attacks us. I can't fend off a room of vampires, Stefa."

She didn't say anything but frowned at me, her grey eyes sad.

I stood and wrapped my arms around her bare shoulders.

"And if I'm worrying for no reason, you can tell me 'I told you so' afterward. Please?"

I stroked her cheek with my hand and she sank her fangs into my wrist. She was more delicate than Grant ever had been and released me much faster. She wiped her mouth and turned back to sorting her closet without saying anything to me.

I showered and dressed in the navy suit that Stefa laid out. I helped her zip up into her grey dress as she held her curls. Jenny knocked on the door a short while later and we wordlessly followed Jenny to the front where the car was parked under the overhang. We hopped into the car, but Stefa grabbed my hand and squeezed. I smiled at her and she leaned over to straighten my tie.

"We'll be there in an hour," Jenny told us.

"Amber didn't want to come?" Stefa inquired.

"No, I'm just coming straight back, aren't I? Who knows how long you'll take."

"On good terms? A day or two," Stefa sighed. "Don't worry, Conor. They'll feed you."

"I wasn't worried," I remarked.

The hour didn't seem long compared to the ten before. We arrived at a small house in the middle of nowhere. There weren't any trees. There weren't any cars. There was just a covered drive that we pulled into. Jenny turned around to give us a smile.

"Have fun, I guess," she said.

Stefa sighed and stepped out of the car, taking my arm as we entered the house. Her fingers pressed a little too tightly against my arm. I was a little worried that it would bleed and so I stopped, gently moving Stefa's fingers away from the bite mark.

"Sorry," she said.

"What do I do?" I asked as a silent human took Stefa's overnight bag. "We never went over this part."

"We'll do the meet and greet first," she said. "And then you'll stand quietly behind me; the whole point of bringing a human along is for a food source. Jackson will probably squawk at you, but, and I hate to admit this, seeing fresh marks on you will calm him down."