Chapter 127 - In good hands

**Ambrogios pov**

“Back so soon?” Tony’s happy teasing voice was heard in the hall before he came loping to meet me. His expression changed quickly.
“Father?” He looked at the woman, then at me. Like the guards, he understood what had happened, but he didn’t understand why.
“Brad! Fredrick!” He called to his brothers in his general’s voice and they quickly came running.
“What? What’s going on?...” They stopped abruptly and looked at the scene in front of them. I could see admiration behind their questioning expressions. Not because she was beautiful, which was obvious. It was because she was the first one I’d turned in a very long time , they knew that she would be strong, of high rank, and it would be their job second only to me to raise her and keep her safe. They saw their new sister.
“Father, let them take her. You need to get blood.” Tony gestured to his brothers to follow his command while he watched me both with concern and caution. I growled a little and pressed her harder against me.
“Father, she will be in good hands, nothing will happen to her, let them take care of her , make her comfortable, you’ll be there when she wakes up.” Tony knew exactly, he knew the feelings and protectiveness that followed a conversion. My growls continued as I reluctantly let Brad take her from my arms, my fangs were out and the slightest misstep could result in fury.
“I’ll take her to the room next to yours father, you’ll have her close.” Brad’s words brought me to my senses. He was talking about Zandra’s room and I looked at Tony, as always he was quick to find a solution.
“Take her to the room next to mine instead, it’s close enough, I’ll help watch over her.” Brad waited for me to approve of Tony’s proposal and when he saw me nod weakly, he slowly backed away with the woman in his arms, the woman named Ana.
“Get some tappers in here, he needs blood from a vein!” His next command was to Fredrick who hurried off to accomplish his task.
“Come Father.” He gently put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me towards the smaller living room. I slipped into one of the large leather armchairs tilted my head back and closed my eyes. My blood loss was palpable, the blood from the three men didn’t do much good anymore. A couple of minutes later, Fredrik arrived, followed by five tappers.
We didn’t kill our tappers, normally we didn’t drink from them either. They lived a comfortable life here among us in exchange for blood, that blood was kept in blood bags. I bit the first one, a young strong man, Tony stood close and listened to the mans heart, to be able to interrupt me in time and bring the next one. The tappers knew they would be well rewarded for this side step so they willingly let me drink. I also knew that there would be gossip down in their quarters for the rest of the night, about the honor they got to feed the Father himself.
“Hrm…” She cleared her throat to get attention and I looked up over the neck of the last tapper I just drank from.
Fuck! What was she doing here? Why wasn’t she asleep in her room? I didn’t want her to see me like this. I let go of the tapper and got to my feet quickly, but not to face her, no, I turned my back on her and walked over to one of the windows while trying to wipe away the blood that was pouring from my mouth. After the blood rage of the evening, it was a ridiculous move but it was on reflex.
“Miss Zandra, my father is occupied, let me walk you back to your room” Tony greeted her politely.
“What you’re going to do is help this young man to bed, make sure he gets a proper protein meal, I’ll take care of your father.” The authority in her voice was impressive. There was no trace of horror or disgust at what she had just done witnessed.
“But Miss Zandra, I don’t think…”
“Now listen to me young man, do I look like I’m having trouble walking?”
“Uh, no?”
“So, what do you think I’ve got this cane for? “
“I don’t know…” I could picture Tony’s confused expression looking at her cane and found myself smirking.”
“It’s for whipping little boys into obedience! Now get going, that man doesn’t look so good!”
“Father?”
“It’s okay, you can go, I’m okay…Tony…make sure to be by her side, let me know if there’s any change, and I mean it Tony, you’ll come get me right away!”
“Of course father, but you know she’ll be out for the next 24 hours.”
“Slightest change!” I repeated myself so he would understand, it wasn’t just her awakening, it was the way there that was important as well.”
“Sorry, of course father.” He and Fredrick helped the last tapper to his feet and out of the room, leaving me and Zandra alone.
“You shouldn’t be here right now Zandra…” I could hear the coldness in my voice myself and that wasn’t how I wanted to sound, not when I was talking to her, never to her.”
“Where else would I be? Locked in my room?”
“I can’t promise you’ll be safe walking around by yourself.” I heard her chuckle before answering.
“Stupid man...I know you’d never leave me alone if I wasn’t safe.” I felt her hands on my back and my muscles tensed in defense. Could she sense the turmoil inside me? Could she sense my concern for Ana? Had she seen what I’d done? I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes, trying to control my emotions and relax. Her fingers drew small patterns on my back, trying to calm me down.
“Can you come with me? Let’s go upstairs, you need a bath, let me take care of you.” She leaned her forehead against my shoulderblade and I don’t know what confused me more, her warm concern or the lack of horror at what I had done. I turned slowly, partly to see her but also to let her see me. My blood splattered face, my burning eyes and my fangs. My appearance would not calm down until I did and too much had happened this evening and night for me to be calm. She took my face in her hands, smiled a smile not without sadness, and repeated herself.
“Please come with me.” She turned and pulled me with her, and I let her. We walked in silence all the way up to my quarters. When we stopped outside my bedroom, she looked at me and waited for me to open the door.
“Zandra, I don’t want…that room..I have..”
“Ambrogio…let’s not pretend I don’t know who you are…what you are…I’ve always known and still, here I am.” My tongue played with my one fang as I pondered on her words and her gaze was drawn to it, still no sign of disgust, instead she quickly licked her lips.
“Well?” She looked towards the door and I gave in and opened it.
It took a few seconds for her to orient herself but then she hurried around. She went into the bathroom and turned on the bath water, she went into her room and came back with something that she added to the water. She rummaged through my cupboards and found towels and a robe and I almost expected her to ask for my underwear.
“No, you can get them all by yourself.” Damn, she saw that thought.
“It’s okay, I usually sleep naked anyway.”I smirked at her. Her cheeks turned red at my answer and she disappeared into the bathroom again.
“It’s done” I heard her call. When I entered, the bath was full, some candles were lit and the atmosphere felt very relaxing and pleasant. She lit some kind of incense and I chuckled at the gesture.
“You know I have limited taste and smell right?”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t feel the effect.” She smiled and was about to pass me to leave the room. I stopped her and took her cheek in my hand.
“Please stay...”
“I’m not going anywhere, but I’m not going in that tub with you. Now, take off your clothes and get in.” The last thing, she said with a firm voice and left the room. I did as she said. My clothes, which had started to congeal from all the blood, fell to the floor and I sank into the large tub. When she was sure I was in and my lower parts were covered in bath foam, she returned. My prude little witch…
She sat down on a stool next to me and reached for a bath sponge. Was she going to wash me? This night only got more confusing as it went on. She started with my shoulders and my neck, long soft movements, she poured more soap on the sponge and focused on my face, I heard a soft giggle and looked at her.
“Now I know what Santa would look like with fangs.”
“Sorry, they will retreat.”
“Shh..it’s ok.” She smiled and continued washing me.
“I know a little of what happened tonight..little bits...do you want to tell me more? Do you want to tell me about the girl?”
"Not right now...right now I just want to be here with you. I’ll tell you everything when we go to see her. She nodded weakly, washing my chest in soft circles. I took her hand and kissed it.
“I love you Zandra.”
“I know...”