by Erin R Flynn
I couldn’t even blame him for being a perv. I was warming up to people watching naughty fun as long they were the right people. And he was.
I ate a lot though, and I was super tired from pushing my body. It was for the right reasons, but I could barely keep my eyes open by the time dinner came around.
And then there was my date with Kristof. I thought it was a date at least.
“I wanted to show you something and suggest some ideas if you’re open to it,” he explained as he opened the door of where he’d brought me. I didn’t get to see the sign from the outside, but once we went by the lobby I saw it was a museum.
Awesome. I loved checking them out even if it was creepy that they were dark and abandoned. Plus, there had been several that had corrupted hiding in them.
“Let me know if this isn’t enough light,” he said as he brought out an adjustable battery operated lantern.
“It’s fine,” I whispered, still feeling awkward with him. “Thanks.” I bit back a flinch when his hand was suddenly holding mine. I wasn’t sure I was okay with that, but it was that I never sensed when he did stuff like that and it was easy to feel jumpy.
“You’re welcome.” He snorted when he glanced down. “I can’t say I’ve ever escorted a lady where jungle cats were her chaperones, but it is amusing.”
I shrugged. “They wanted to see what the secret fun was.” I smiled as Maggie hopped onto a bench and then checked out something in a case, Simon right next to her. “What did you want to show me?”
“This,” he answered as he led me over to a large display of fossils. “I know you are overwhelmed with all the plans to build, and everyone is focused on gathering supplies and needs, but there are more needs to be addressed. As someone who has seen civilizations rise and fall and become a new nationality or race at times, I think it important to preserve what we can.”
“Have a museum at the coven?” I asked, sounding hesitant.
“No, outside the coven, but within an easy distance to keep it safe. That way others could visit and see what life was to teach the young or even to not forget what was lost. Once enough of the lands are cleared and you return the area to nature, there is no reason it couldn’t be on its own.”
I went to argue that we should just leave it, but I’d already seen cracked windows and weather damage to the building. It wasn’t safe in forgotten buildings. “If we protect it, should we just leave it open like that?”
“Hmm,” he hummed thoughtfully. “And is it up to you to protect? Many have made the arguments they didn’t steal treasures but were able to protect them and it was the responsible thing to do. There are other questions you will struggle with.”
I bobbed my head as I moved along the display. “What to take? What is the right stuff to protect? Should we touch it like we’re meddling in the fate it was meant to have? But can we just leave it like a sinking ship? Another few years of winter storms and no one taking care of the building and this could all be ruined.”
“Or the proper heat is needed. Air conditioning in others. Too much is being damaged that way.”
“That’s a huge undertaking, and should that be a priority?”
“Priority? No, people are the priority, and we are doing that with killing corrupted. I tell you this because there is more to the world and vampire gifts than you understand, so some of this won’t be as hard as you think.” He moved closer and gestured to the display. “Would you save fossils? Should they be saved?”
I didn’t answer right away, turning to look at him as if wanting the answer to this test, but I got lost in his pretty eyes that were brimming with emotion. This was important to him.
“You know the answer, Inez,” he whispered, his lips almost touching mine. “Trust yourself, My Princess, and let me guide you on this because I believe you would regret later not having done anything.”
“Save the fossils if we can,” I answered, my voice coming out a bit breathy.
“Good, now you have a goal to build on,” he murmured, moving his arm around me while still holding my hand. “That dress is very flattering, and I’m thrilled you wore it for me.” He chuckled when I flinched. “Yes, I know you spilled on your clothes during dinner, I saw. You still chose this knowing you were meeting me.”
“It’s soft and comfy. I like the skirts and dresses if I don’t have to deal with heels. Heels in the apocalypse are just ridiculous.” But I did like the sweater dress. It was off the shoulder, and it made me want to check I was covered, but it was flirty with the bra strap showing. And I wore real winter boots, cute and stylish maroon ones, but no heels and they were perfect with the gray dress.
“I agree.” He ran his nose along my cheek, making me shiver.
“You’re confusing me again,” I whispered as I about fell into those light mocha eyes.
“How so?”
“The moment we returned to camp you were back to normal you. And now you’re like—are you flirting with me on a museum date? Is that what this really is?”
“Yes, and I’m horrible at it, but I want to with you,” he admitted. “I’ve never truly courted a woman. And I have barely spoken to people the past few centuries.” He pressed his lips to my ear so the shifters wouldn’t hear. “Some of that is to protect you. I might not ever be a man who shows you much public affection, but that is worth reminding people I’m not to be fucked with as I protect you.”
“Thank you for explaining.” I glanced at his neck again and cleared my throat. “Sorry. Wow, that’s rude. I know you were teasing me with your blood but—”
“I meant to play at first, but then I realized you’re too young for it. I didn’t understand how little blood you’d had, and I haven’t been around baby vampires in a very long time, as most annoy the shit out of me. You need—if Cerdic’s took you on an overwhelming ride from just a mouthful, mine is too much, and I would never risk you. All my blood is yours when you’re ready.”
“Thanks for explaining,” I said again, meaning it. There was a lot I didn’t understand. I wasn’t any better with people than he was.
“I may ask for the same. I would like to be able to, as I will miss a lot.”
“Please ask. I’d prefer that to any more misunderstandings.”
“As would I, so please, always ask.”
I nodded and then thought about what he’d said. “What other ideas do you have?”
“I think the museums and galleries should be filmed in their entirety before we start collecting items.” He led me over to another display. “Like this. This is not fossils or anything to be preserved. It’s toys and models to show what was from what they knew. You’re right that we can’t take everything, but we can take footage.”
“We could have a whole section of the library with tablets that have videos on subjects or places like this. That’s cool. Yeah, I like that. I have no idea how to do it, but I like it.”
“I spoke with a few of James’s crew, and three have backgrounds in art history and were sad so much was going to be ruined or not preserved. I believe they could be assets in this project if you would allow me to speak with them.”
“That would be great, thanks.” I smiled at him. “Really, thanks. I would have been upset later if we had missed thinking of this.”
“I know the responsibility of preserving history and knowledge well, as I am the last of a house that had much history. Knowing what to preserve and share with others is a heavy burden, but to do nothing is worse.” He brought me to another display. “Now some of these are true items, but others are replicas. How would you handle this?”
I didn’t answer right away. “I think I shouldn’t be the only one to decide that.”
“Well done,” he praised, leaning in and kissing my hair. “For sure film it, yes?”
“Yes, but then put it to a vote. Say those of my court, including the knights, and maybe one representative from each shifter species? Is that how it normally works?”
“No, not remotely, as shifters
are seen as third class citizens under regular vampires.”
“That’s disgusting. I know I’m harsh on humans, but that was from the perspective I thought I was one and they would be selfish and risk others when infected. I never did if I was scratched or bitten. But this being better than others is bullshit.” I frowned. “Maybe not by species. That sounds—wouldn’t they get more votes than vampires then? What would be the right balance?”
“Most covens have larger numbers of vampires than shifters. Shifters got fed up at being treated that way. I remember when it was a majority of humans who knew of us, then shifters and vampires about the same number, but the court and nobles at the top.”
“I don’t want to set up a government,” I grumbled. “It gets so complicated fast and people asking if I’m making my own money or how am I going to run things. Like seriously?”
“It’s overwhelming to lead, especially starting a new coven and in this environment for sure. But you handle it as you have been, a little at a time. You made decisions just now. Save fossils and other items you feel right making the call for alone. That’s more decided than yesterday.”
“Thanks.”
“May our escorts wait in the lobby or the other room?” he asked quietly. “That’s at least not right with us but not alone either.”
I opened my mouth but then closed it. “I think we’re here holding hands and having a nice conversation about plans, and that’s better than yesterday so don’t push it.”
His lips twitched which shocked me. “Yes, My Princess.”
We moved along the museum and just enjoyed the exhibits. There wasn’t as much as I’d seen in other cities, but it was still nice, and it was important some of it be preserved. I didn’t want to rewrite history, but I also knew a lot of the way history was written was bullshit, so it was definitely a dance and line that would be hard to navigate.
“Do you want to settle something else in your mind?” he asked me softly like he didn’t want to startle me.
“My head’s pretty damn ready to pop,” I admitted. “Making the semis and stuff is a lot harder than charging them. I feel almost physically sore.”
“Do you or almost?” he inquired, stopping us. He frowned. “It’s an important distinction. If you’re physically sore, then it’s too much. If you feel depleted like you might when you are dehydrated or maybe needing to stretch feeling, you’re riding the line but not hurting yourself.”
“The second,” I said after a moment.
“Good, but tomorrow should be easier, and you need it. Don’t let people’s excitement push you too hard, Inez.”
I nodded, thanking him before continuing to check things out. “How do you know you can settle something else and you just won’t open a can of worms for me?”
“Because you’ve mentioned it twice, and it’s a topic I have much experience with.” He cleared his throat. “And maybe my princess would reward me with a kiss if I helped?”
I stopped and stared at him. “No. I don’t like that. You want to help take things off my plate so I have time to spend with you tonight, that’s sweet and reasonable, but I’m not giving you any sexual favors for help. Even a kiss. That’s the line that gets murky.”
“I understand. Yes, that makes perfect sense.” He searched my eyes. “I thought asking for what I wanted as a reward would tell you how I felt, but it’s pushy, isn’t it?”
“Not with my time but advice and helping me, yeah.”
“Then I leave those instances to you, and I will keep helping in other ways in the hopes you will join me on dates.”
“Okay then.” I bit back a smile as we started moving again. “So what is this issue you’ll settle that I would be grateful for?”
“Having your own coven dollars and cents. The US wasn’t the only one with dollars. They actually adopted the money name from another. Don’t be cute and come up with another name, as no matter which you choose, someone will pick at it. There has to be evolution after what has happened, so evolve, don’t try and act like the idea of currency is novel. It’s not.”
“What else?” I asked after thinking on it. “How do I really start a currency in another country?”
“The country is gone, and if they threaten my princess as they grasp at ruins and rubble, I will make them extinct,” he said firmly. “I have a feeling this will be worked out, the logistics of that at least. Now, I would speak with your engineers on how to print paper denominations, but this is where you should have species representation. Make the bills have the shifters of your coven, not your face like a despot.”
Again I sat with that. “What else?”
“Declare it now so people know there’s a plan. Even those who are good with the crew will worry about money, it’s the nature of people to want to feel secure, and will try to squirrel away gold and whatever has value. And don’t let them have it. Assign gathering to your nobles and knights knowing that you will handle their homes and more that they could worry about.”
It was a good plan. I did find a few issues though. “So I just say they have to give it to me? I mean, that’s shitty when we’re all working. They don’t know me well enough to trust me like that.”
He stopped, and his eyes were full of heat and amusement. “What would they have to give you, My Princess? All of the jewelry stores, pawn shops, and gold dealers were cleaned out before they arrived. A lot by humans, but the rest was cleaned out and hidden.”
“You did it?” I gasped, thinking that was a whole lot of expensive goodies to hide away.
“As I should for my princess who gives us so much. It will bring stability to the coven that will keep everyone safe. The banks were ordered not to be touched, but allow people to clean out safes in houses as they raid for what we need. They clean out the house of supplies, and they can keep what’s found. We empty the banks and safety deposit boxes for the coven.”
I studied him as I tried to process how much he seriously fucking got done so fast. “So there would be a treasury under the castle or something? And the dollars represent the gold we have?”
“Gold, silver, and platinum and gems are padding to make sure there’s never an off balance.”
“You did this before we made up,” I realized, unable to look away from the emotions dancing in his eyes. “Why?”
“Because I will do whatever I can to help you, Inez, especially since I can and it will help to make up for the areas I’m lacking.”
“You should kiss me,” I said, my mouth ahead of my brain again. He gave me a hesitant look, and I nodded. “Yeah, that’s amazing and romantic even if not in a traditional way.”
He cupped my face with one hand as the other slid along my neck and held the back of my head as he lowered his lips to mine. The kiss was as intense as he was, his tongue immediately pushing in my mouth as he demanded I give him everything I could in that moment.
And I wanted to give him all I could. I slid my arms around his neck and melted against him. One of his hands moved to my back and down to my ass, cupping it and pressing me against him so I felt he was hard for me. He angled my head and kissed along my neck until he was nibbling on my ear. It put my lips by his neck too, and I licked his skin.
“Has a princess ever fed from you?” I wondered as I smelled his blood under his skin.
“Not by choice,” he muttered as he kept kissing my skin.
“And me? You’ll offer to let me bite you?”
“I said my blood is yours.”
“We both know you can give me blood and not let me bite you, trust me with your throat.” I bit him to make my point, not with fangs but with my teeth, and I did it hard enough to leave a mark, glad when he moaned. I pressed my lips against his ear, flicking it with my tongue. “If you let any woman touch that cock you said was mine, I don’t care how you beg, I’ll never let it near me again.”
“I only want you,” he promised. “And I have a lot of fantasies of how I want you, and even thinking of those makes masturbating pleasurable
.”
“What do you want most?”
“For you to take me in your perfect, pert bottom,” he said under his breath, chuckling when I shivered. “Yes, I want that. Someday, when you’re ready. I want to completely fill you and make my princess scream.”
I nodded, not sure what else to say to that, as he was gigantic and that might make me scream and not in pleasure, but maybe it would. I leaned back and met his curious gaze with my own. “What is something you want to add to the coven?”
His eyes flashed surprise that my mind went there, and his hands squeezed my ass as he moved us in a gentle sway. “A hidden grotto in that jungle habitat you’re planning for the shifters. One with a waterfall and clear waters that I can whisk you off to and have as our special spot to bathe and make love to my princess in nature.”
I cupped his face and gave him a soft kiss. “If you keep clearing out and squirreling away what we need for the coven treasury like you did, I’ll make sure we have one. I’ll tell Darius to design one as perfect as you want, and we’ll hide it for dates.”
His nostrils flared, and he backed me against the wall as he growled. “I accept, but I have to get you back. Your scent just got stronger and pushes my control, so I want you to know that’s why and why I’m cutting the date short and not because of anything else.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks for explaining, and I’m glad you accept. That’s an awesome idea.”
“I have others,” he promised.
“Oh, I just bet you do,” I chuckled, giving him another peck. He whisked me back to camp, and there was an awkward moment where he was basically giving me back to Darius and Jaxon knowing I would feed from them and what we’d do. Or it was awkward for me. I leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I enjoyed the date.”
“As did I. Thank you for joining me on it.” His gaze was heated and intense as I backed to the trailer door. I smiled as I turned away and hurried inside. Maybe he hadn’t had a breakdown but a change of heart?
Had I been mean to assume someone as old as him couldn’t have one?