89
After the whole ordeal of my introduction and acceptance as a Sire I was bombarded by unannounced visits, phone calls and emails. Sires from all over sent me gifts and more than a few of them wanted to know if I would train their future Sires to fight vampires.
I was kept so busy that I hadn’t seen Megan for four days now. I had received a multitude of alliance offers and business proposals sent my way and I was feeling very out of my depth. Lucas had laughed and put the phone down in my ear when I called him for advice.
It also seemed that I had somehow gotten a new nickname and even the Elders had started referring to me as the Hunter. Abeloth loved it and basked in the glory of all the attention we were getting where I hated being put in the spotlight.
“Come in,” I said at the knock on the office door.
“Morning Sire Ryder,” she said as she opened my door and remained standing in the doorway.
“Linda, please come in,” I said as I stood up.
Linda proceeded to walk into my office followed by Brenda who looked ten times better than she did a few days ago. My heart did strange things inside my chest knowing that we were responsible for both mother and daughter glowing.
“Sire…” Linda began as I cut her off.
“Please, just Ryder,” I said and she smiled.
“I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to thank you enough,” she said as emotions crept into her eyes.
“The look on both your faces right now is thanks enough for me,” I said to her, “in time though I would like to hear Brenda’s story when she feels comfortable enough to share it.”
“I have to apologize as well Sire,” Linda said reverting back to my title.
“For?” I asked her looking as confused as I felt.
“When I came to see you that first time I was convinced that nothing would come of it. I thought you were going to be just like Andrew and not be bothered about some missing girls,” she said as she looked down in shame and I started laughing.
“Linda, please look up,” I said through my laughter and now she was the one looking confused, “of course that’s what you thought. I’m young and inexperienced but one thing that I do know how to do is to kill vampires. My job now is too look after each and every member of this lair, even if they’re missing.”
“You’re already a very good Sire,” she said softly.
“I noticed that your file said that you’re unemployed,” I said and Brenda shot her mother a look.
“Did you quit your job Mom?” Brenda asked her.
“Andrew fired me stating that I was too emotional but now I think it’s because I kept asking questions,” Linda said to her softly.
“What work did you do?” I asked her as she kept looking down.
“My mom used to be Andrew’s assistant sort of, she ran his office here,” Brenda said.
“Great, you’re hired,” I said and Brenda smiled as she looked at her mother.
“What?” she asked looking up in surprise.
“I’m stuck in here the whole day fielding phone calls and trying to decide which emails are important and which aren’t when I should be out there doing my job,” I said to her.
“My mom can certainly help you with all that,” Brenda said giving me another smile.
“Think about it Linda, I really do need your help, let me know what will work for you salary and hours wise, I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out that works for both of us,” I said to her.
“Yes Sire Ryder, I’m sure we’ve taken enough of your time already,” she said and stood up as she grabbed her purse.
They left my office quietly and I liked the idea of having someone else do the dirty work in here and Linda did seem like a good choice especially if this was what she did previously. I hated having to fend off all these Sires that didn’t seem to catch on that I didn’t want to talk to them.
“Ryder Grey speaking,” I answered the office phone as it started to ring again.
“Good afternoon Sire Ryder, it’s Elder Michael speaking,” he said.
“Hello Elder Michael, what can I do for you today?” I asked him.
“We wish to inform you about a general Sire meeting which will be held in Chicago at the end of the week. All Sires and future Sires under the age of twenty three have been invited,” he said and I closed my eyes briefly.
“Why?” I asked him and he chuckled.
“The apple does not fall far from the tree,” he said, “it is to encourage new alliances, friendships and business opportunities among our own kind.”
“Fine send me the details,” I said to him.
“It should already be in your email, good day to you Sire Ryder,” he said and ended the phone call.
‘This is just great,’ I thought to myself as Abeloth seemed to enjoy my discomfort.
I sent Chase a text asking him about this meeting and if he was really going to attend. There were too many social gatherings for my liking whereas Chase liked the mingling. I checked my email and found the invitation that had been sent a week earlier, it seemed to be glaring at me.
I checked the venue and time and noticed that it was black tie. Everything was black tie and as was the custom you were required to bring a date. I shook my head at that last part, the last time I had attended an event with a date it had ended up with me killing nine vampires, kissing Megan and having her avoid me like the plague.
I heard the front door and looked at my watch. This was usually the time that Megan arrived home from work and I stood up and walked down the short hallway and found her as she put her bag down on the kitchen counter.
“Hey,” I said as I stood behind her awkwardly.
“Hey yourself,” she said and granted me one of her smiles which lately made my heart soften as Abeloth said, ‘when you go all soft in the head.’
“It feels like I haven’t seen you all week,” I said to her. I hated the awkwardness between us but I also didn’t really know how to fix it.
“I guess we’ve both been busy,” she said as she unpacked a bag of groceries.
“Would you like to attend a Sire meeting with me?” I asked her straight out.
“I don’t know Ryder,” she said not looking at me.
“I’m required to bring a date,” I said to her.
“Friends don’t act as dates,” she said this time looking me in the eye.
“Then go as my date,” I said and she laughed suddenly.
“What are you doing Ryder?” she asked me.
“What do you mean?” I asked as I moved closer to her.
“You know I’m dating Alex and the last time…” she said her voice faltering at the end.
“The last time we kissed,” I finished her sentence as she blushed again.
“Exactly, friends don’t kiss like that,” she said.
“Maybe we’re not meant to be friends, maybe we kissed like that for a reason, maybe we were always meant to kiss like that,” I said to her.
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked me frowning.
“I think we were meant to be bonded halves, I think it was me that you felt dying,” I said as her eyes widened in shock at my words.
I was standing right in front of her now and I put my hands on her waist leaning closer to her as she looked down. I tilted her head upwards to look me in the eye. I lowered my head to her neck on the side where my mark was supposed to be and I breathed in her scent. I could feel her react to my every move as I sought out her mouth and kissed her.
“Do you feel that? That sensation that tells you I’m right, that feeling deep in your soul that wants me to claim you. This is what tells you that nobody will make you feel what I can because you know you should belong to me,” I whispered when I broke the kiss off.
“I can’t deal with this now,” she said as she pushed me away and rushed out of the kitchen past me.
“Real smooth halfling,” Abeloth said.
“Like you could’ve done better,” I said as he laughed at me.
Megan didn’t come out of her room that night and she left early the next morning for work. She was back to avoiding me and I missed her presence in the house. I had woken up rather late, or late for me, and I found Linda in my office much to my surprise.
“Morning,” she said cheerfully as I opened the office door.
Papers that had littered my desk were now in neat heaps. The table had been organized and the aroma of fresh coffee filled my nose.
“Morning,” I said with a smile.
“Would you like to have coffee while I inform you about your agenda for the day?” she asked me.
“I never say no to coffee,” I said and she smiled as she prepared coffee for me and I sat down in the visitor chair in front of my desk.
Linda ran me through my day and then she also confirmed the Sire meeting with me. In the span of the two hours she had been in my office before me she had taken charge and I felt more comfortable and relaxed at my choice to hire her.
“Do you already have a date for the Sire meeting?” she asked me.
“No, just RSVP for me,” I said to her.
“You can’t arrive alone. You’re a young Sire and you should arrive with someone on your arm. It’ll only make you look weak if other Sires perceive you as single,” she said to me.
“How do you figure that?” I asked her.
“If you can’t even manage a date for a black tie event how will you manage an alliance or a business proposal?” she asked me as I looked at her.
“I knew hiring you was the right decision,” I said as she laughed.
“I’m sure we can find someone,” she said as she studied me.
“I tend to not get involved with lair members, it might create the impression that I’m interested and that just creates conflict later on when it doesn’t work out,” I said to her.
“That’s a smart move, but that can happen with any dragonkin woman you get involved with, long term or not,” she said and I knew what she was insinuating.
“So who do I take then?” I asked her as she smiled.
“I’ll ask Brenda to go with you, she will have no illusions about the evening and I think it’ll do her good to get out,” Linda said and I smiled.
“That just might work,” I said to her.
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