One Big Happy Family

Chapter 6: Drogo's Secret Treasure

"Are you ever going to let me go?"

Drogo looked at the young woman on the bed.  He licked his lips — her blood tasted life a gift from the gods.  He felt refreshed and empowered every time he drank from her.

"Eventually... yes," he replied, reapplying a violet scarf to her neck and covering his bite marks with it.

Drogo sat down on the edge and caressed her wayward curls.  She turned her face away from him, toward the wall.

"You promised," she whispered.

"Yes.  I did," Drogo answered.  "But I didn't give you a specific date, did I?"

The woman sighed despondently.  Drogo stood up and looked inside the tiny cupboard by the stove.

"You're not running low on supplies, are you?"  He inspected it and found it stocked with the provisions he had brought with him on his previous visit.

"No... but I wish I could go outside... just for a few minutes," she replied.

"I'm afraid that's just not possible," Drogo said.  "It's far too risky for you to be meandering around... for both of us."

He returned and stood by her bedside.

"Look.  It won't be too long now, alright?  Viktor is bound to leave at some point."

"You've been saying that for the past month... yet he's still here," she pouted.  "Can't you do anything to... speed things along?"

Drogo sighed.  "Not without putting myself in danger... and if something happens to me... what do you think will happen to you?  You'll be left here, all by yourself, and you'll eventually run out of food.  Does that sound like a good prospect to you?"

The woman shook her head.  "No, it doesn't."

Drogo grinned.  "So just be patient, alright?  I'm doing my best to stay put and wait things out."

"Unlike you... I don't have all of eternity to wait," the woman replied.

"That's your choice and only yours," Drogo shook a finger at her.  "I offered."

"No!  I don't want to be anything like you," she answered hotly, almost spitting the words at him.

Drogo put his hands up defensively.  "Alright, alright... but don't blame me if you end up dying in here... all alone."

"And who should I blame?  You're the one who brought me to this God forsaken place to begin with," the woman's eyes threw daggers in his direction.

"Let's not rehash that whole thing," Drogo raised his voice slightly.  "When it really comes down to it... it was your own damn fault."

"Just go away and leave me alone," the woman said, sounding defeated.

"I'll see you soon," Drogo approached her and laid a kiss on her forehead.  She cringed at the intimate gesture.  "Will you always hate me?"  Drogo murmured, upset by her reaction.

"Go away, Drogo... please... don't ask me such things," she whispered.  "You know the answer, anyway."

"Fine... be that way," Drogo frowned as he backed away from her and walked to the door.  "Until next time," he said before stepping outside and barring it behind him.

He took a different route to return to Bartholy Manor.  That way, his scent couldn't be tracked easily... by anyone interested in finding him.  Drogo grinned thinking about his carefully concealed plan.  Nobody knew about his secret treasure... not even Nicolae.  Just as he was about to emerge from the forest, Nicolae suddenly appeared in front of him.