Chapter 29

After the conversation between me and Credence happened the rest of the dinner was more or less quiet with the Council glaring in my direction and I was eating as quietly as possible. Stuffing myself with the noodles and all the forms of roast pork seemed like the best option at the moment.
“I have never seen a beautiful woman like you eating so voraciously,” said Credence as I almost dropped the fork and then swallowed the piece of the pork and looked at him. Once I finished swallowing I asked,” Should I take that as a compliment?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I have been looking at all kinds of wrong women until now,” he said with a wink and it was scandalous. There were gasps all round the table.
A High Lord of Vampire Council was openly flirting with a royal member of the werewolf kingdom of Amorentia. Now if this was not scandalous then I did not know what else could be. Drima was shaking her head, she knew that I was in an impossible situation of which I had to get out.
“You are really too kind, Lord Credence. But I am sure that you would not be suggesting that you are interested in the kind of people who might very well be at war with you tomorrow?” I said. And his eyes went absolutely cold. I was glad that I did that. I was under no circumstances going to do anything stupid at this point of time which would make it impossible for me to tell other people that I was involved in something which I was not actually guilty of.
The other vampires sipped their blood in a stony silence from the goblet when the desserts were presented and I moaned at the sight of them. Holy Heavens!! I would choose these over any man any day….
My stomach did ecstatic cartwheels as I turned my eyes upon the chocolate ice cream sundae, a ruby-red cherry perched atop the inviting drizzle of gooey syrup. Colourful sprinkles were tauntingly scattered upon the chocolate mound of goodness. Mouth foaming uncontrollably, I almost neglected to pick up my spoon as I eagerly reached for the delectable dessert.
I wanted the triple fudge delight. It was a cookie covered in a muffin covered in chocolate ice cream. And that was covered in a hot fudge. It was served with a creamy hot chocolate with whipped cream.
Drima glared at me but I did not even bother. Ambernette also squealed looking at the dessert and we both started scooping what we wanted on our plates.
“It seems like the Red Hearts Heiress has a sweet tooth,” said Mason from the end of the table and I grunted. All of them smiled and laughed and the tension was broken again.
When everyone was finished with their desserts they all were served with coffee or wine and I simple asked for another chocolate fudge. It was disgusting to drink alcohol when you had such beautiful delicacies to taste.
“Blaming the politico-economic system for taking resources from the developing world, leaving them destitute and starving, is akin to blaming a slaughterhouse for dead cows. The system is doing what it was set up to do. This is why we need system change,” said Rubina and everyone was starting to agree with her. She shot a triumphant smile in my direction and I let her have her moment for a few minutes before I started speaking.
“It's time for a politics that can separate cause from symptom, for when we do, progress to societal healing will be rapid and solid. Stress harms health, education and lawfulness, yet those are symptoms of poverty. When we tackle poverty we fix multiple issues at once, and it is cheaper to fix than ignore. When people have their essentials guaranteed, they relax, their brains work better, they have a chance to calm their sympathetic nervous system. That's when things get better, when they stay healthy, learn more, volunteer more... It's so simple, so obvious and so loving... so let's stop debating things we already know the answers to and fix our nation,” I said and everyone was looking at me.
“You have been certainly trained well, heiress,” said Torah begrudgingly. She did not want to admire me but she could not help it. After all this was a State Dinner and I had to play my part as the politician here as well.
“I hope that it does not offend you at all, Council Woman,” said Rubina and she looked at her and nodded her head saying no. It went on for another boring hour while we all spoke and mingled. More or less the dinner could be considered to be a success. When finally it was over, Lord Credence came near me and said taking my hand,” You might have a visitor tonight. Keep your windows open.”
My eyes were as big as oranges and I wanted to slap him again for his insolence but heat pooled in my belly and he had already moved on by then. My goodness! What was happening with me?
It did not take a long time for all the other people to disperse as soon as the dinner was broken and the guests left. I usually slept with Luke beside me, it was a good form of therapy for me as well as good for my protection as well, however tonight it seemed like I needed to be alone.
I knew that it was a grave mistake but strangely I did not want to not experience this as well. I knew that I had been brash and I could have handled the attention of the vampire a lot more carefully but it felt like it was the fastest way to drop him like hot potato.
Everyone was tired and we all needed to sleep. It was going to be the day for another test of the Summit tomorrow, so we needed our rest. Luke curled up by my side after I changed and brushed my hair.
I placed my hand on his fur and gently rubbed him for a while, as he was content and then I said,” Luke, do you think that you can let me stay alone for the night? I need to stay alone for some time.”
“Is everything okay? Are you worried about what happened at the dinner? Is that the reason that you want me to leave you?” he asked and I sighed. I hated the fact that I had to lie to him.
“I need some alone time to think and to contemplate what I am supposed to do tomorrow. I know that I have not slept without you in since like ever however tonight I think I need to be alone for a while. DO you think you can sleep with Serafina tonight? You know she loves having you near,” I asked him gently. This had to be done in the way so that he did not come running if there was any sound in my room.
“I can. But this is a large room, Sin. I can sleep anywhere and you can have the bed all to yourself. I don’t need to go out all the way to someone else for that!” he grumbled and argued.
“You are worried about me,” I said in a teasing voice and he growled at me.
“Fine. You want to be alone for a night. That can be done. But make sure that you have your daggers underneath your pillow,” said Luke and I rolled my eyes.
“Yes Mom,” I replied and Luke gradually sauntered away from the room. And with that I was left alone in the room.
I felt that it would be better to read something useful while I was waiting for the vampire. I did not know who was going to come but I had a strange sense that he was the one who was going to be my visitor at night. I curled up on the couch with a cheesy romance novel because at the point of time I felt that this was the best way to relax. I did not how long it would take for the vampire to arrive so I was so engrossed in the scene between the hero and heroine in a hot tub I did not even hear him entering through the window.
“I would have never pegged you for a Harlequin romance kinda gal,” said Credence in a smug voice as I almost toppled over from the couch at the sound of his voice.
“Do you have no courtesy at all?” I asked as I pulled the robe closer to myself.
“You listened to me and kept the window open. So I am sure that it was an invitation for me only. And I am definitely courteous if not anything else. I have had nine hundred and twenty eight years and four months to teach me manners. You must have heard that proverb, isn’t it? Manners maketh a man,” he said as he took a seat at the settee near the foot of my bed.
“But you are not a man, are you? You are a monster who lives feeding off others,” said Sin as Credence was immediately by her side and tried to hold her hand.
"Don't touch me!" Sin turns to the window, face rigid.

Credence ignores her, moving close enough for her to feel his body through her clothes, hands loose at his side. He hears her breathing become deeper, her posture alters yet she stays close. Starting at her knees he lets his hands touch gently, slowly moving them up to her waist and then pausing for her reaction. Sin turns, locking her eyes on his, pale blue into deepest brown. His right hand raises to her hair, tucking the auburn wisps behind her ear. Then it is Sin that moves in first, Credence needing no more invitation. They kiss, savouring each moment, lost in a heady trance of passion.
He was all logic and feigned cool detachment until her touched her skin. Then something not only stirred in him, but it took over his thinking. The rest of his world became an unimportant blur that was banished into the far recesses of his mind. The only thing that mattered was touching her more, kissing her mouth, her stomach, her breasts. He tried to be gentle with her clothing, not to rip the lace, but it was hard.
“Don’t. This is not right. We should not be doing this and definitely not here,” said Sin but her voice betrayed her passion and Credence suckled the base of her throat.
“And tell me that you don’t want this, little wolf,” said Credence as he chuckled.
“I might want a lot of things, Lord Credence but inciting a civil war is not one amongst them,” said Sin as she turned in his embrace and locked eyes with him.
He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her up close against his chest. His hand gently glided through her hair, as he looked at her in a way he had never looked at a girl before. Her eyes were candles in that night, their light a spark of passion... desire. As a small but teasing smile crept upon her face, goose bumps lined her skin, not the kind than one gets in the cold, but the kind one gets when nothing else matters except right here, right now.