Chapter 32

ELIZABETH

Damon sat back in his chair, a frail human draped over his knee as he sucked from her thin wrist. He licked his lips with satisfaction and winked at me.

I gave him a brilliant smile. “Do you want to try mine?” I asked him, holding up the arm of the beefy, jersey-wearing tourist lying at my feet.

Damon considered my question, his head tilting as he took in the unconscious American I was sucking from.

“He smells greasy.” He wrinkled his nose. I shrugged one shoulder.

“Well, I’m allowed a cheat meal.” I grinned at him. He let out a low chuckle and returned to his petite Italian human.

In the distance, I could make out sharp footsteps, then our bedroom door slammed open. Demetrius strode into the room.

He looked a mess. His eyes were wide and bright red, and his auburn hair was tousled, full of leaves and dead bugs from his run. He was seething.

“I take it the human didn’t survive the turn?” Damon asked our son, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Of course not,” Demetrius snapped. “She was only ten years old! No child has ever survived a turn.”

“It’s a shame Rose didn’t share it around a little more,” I mused. “She smelled so good. “

“I’m well aware,” Demetrius snarled. He was pacing our room.

“How is Rose?” I asked.

He turned toward me, glaring at me from the other side of the room.

“Fucking heartbroken.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “She’ll get over it. She’s strong.”

“She shouldn’t have to,” Demetrius growled. “We were hurting no one! Eleanor wasn’t hurting anyone! One, little, baby human, and you were all trembling in your boots!

“Why were you so afraid of her, Mother?” He marched toward me. “Really, I’d like to know.

“Because, for the life of me, I cannot fathom a single reason to explain the amount of fear you felt about a ~fucking~ human!” he snarled.

I scowled at him.

“Demetrius. You will calm down. You will not address your mother in that way,” Damon spoke calmly, the human slipping to the floor at his feet with a splat as he rose from his chair.

Demetrius and Damon glared at each other.

“Sit down, Demetrius. And drink something,” I stood, smoothly handing him the hand of the overweight American.

Demetrius gripped its wrist. Slowly, he lifted its wrist to his face, bit down, and drank deeply.

I watched as his eyes flickered from crimson to green. He let the human drop, empty.

“Now,” I stepped over the body to where Demetrius had sunk in a large armchair. His head hung down. He looked defeated.

“Son, you are angry. Rose is angry. We can see that. There is no point in making a scene. The child is dead. This ends here,” I told him.

He shook his head slowly.

“What you fail to understand, ~Mother~, is that Rose will never forgive me. She will never forgive you, and she will never forgive herself. She’s broken. And what harm could it have possibly made to let the child live?”

“It was an embarrassment,” Damon snarled. “We do not stand for embarrassments in this family. You know, just as well as us, that our standing is growing more and more fragile.

“If turned vampires do not fear us, if they do not respect us, how can we rule over them? And how much respect do you think they’ll have for a crazy woman ~adopting~ her lunch!”

Demetrius hissed at his father.

“Go now. Go to Rose. We will go back to Hokkaido for a few decades. Come and see us when you’re feeling better,” I placed my hand on my son’s shoulder.

He shrugged it off, standing, glaring at me. “You will not come near me or my family,” he growled at us. “You will not contact Aric or the twins. You will stay the ~fuck~ out of our lives!”

He slammed the door as he left.

“Give him fifty years,” Damon reached out his hand for me, and I slipped into his arms.

He nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck, breathing in heavily.

“I would like to have drained that child,” I murmured.

“I know, my dear. Take it up with Lucius for taking pity on Rose.”

I leaned back and placed my lips against his, lightly. His hand slid up my back and held me in place, his soft lips moving with mine.

“Damon. I should see my brother. Tell him about the human.”

Damon let me go with a growl.

“Come back soon,” he ordered as I sauntered out of the room.

I found Lucius with his darling granddaughters and grandson Alexander in the parlor. Alexander quickly stood, moved to my side, and kissed my hand, his blue eyes dancing.

“You look radiant,” he told me.

“I just fed,” I informed him.

Lucius stood slowly, grinning at me.

“Dear sister. We were just discussing your granddaughters!”

“Phoenix and Venus are quite beautiful,” Alexander grinned, “They take after their grandmother.”

“Stop flirting with my sister, or I’ll have your fangs ripped out!” Lucius snarled at his grandson. Alexander gazed back at him fondly.

“Admiring. I’m admiring her and my cousins. Phoenix especially.”

Lucius rolled his eyes.

“I apologize, Lizzie, for my grandson’s behavior.”

I tapped Alexander on the top of his head.

“Don’t. It’s healthy to be looking for a partner at his age. Of course, my husband tends to rip out the throat of any man who even looks in my direction. But you’re free to admire my granddaughters.”

Alexander blanched slightly. Lucius chuckled.

“They will be four hundred soon?”

“Yes, in the next ten years.”

“And do Demetrius and Rose have suitors in place?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’d like one of them to marry Alexander.” Lucius pointed at his grinning grandson.

“I’m sure the girls would be delighted.”

“Do you think they’d be able to have twins themselves?” Alexander asked.

“I have no idea. Rose was the first. But they could take after her,” I replied.

“That would be truly amazing.”

“Indeed. You’ll get Demetrius to give us his blessing before they turn four hundred. Those girls are going to get snapped up fast, being Blake, Mcnoxnoctis, and Night purebloods.”

“I agree. I believe there is also a young pureblood in China, Chen family, who could be an interesting partner for one of the girls.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“What about Aric?” I asked.

“I spoke to him,” Lucius replied. “Though, I didn’t get much out of him. He seems completely uninterested in marriage. Still.”

“I’ll have to look into that,” I murmured. Lucius nodded in agreement. Aric was going to be five hundred soon. He was well of age to marry and start a family.

“Possibly Eloise?” Lucius asked.

“I doubt it. Aric has always ignored her.”

Lucius frowned. “Something to look into. What of Jude?”

“He’s in India. I believe Aleesha has plans for him.”

“Good,” Lucius patted Jessica’s head lightly. “Now, how is Rose?”

“I haven’t seen her since last night,” I admitted. “The child didn’t survive.”

“Of course not,” he scoffed.

“I wanted to drink it,” I said bitterly. Lucius chuckled.

“I was surprised when Rose bit the thing. I truly expected her to try to make a run for it.”

“That girl was so yummy!” Jessica informed us.

“Rose made the right decision in the end,” I agreed. “They’re leaving. Probably back to Alaska.”

“That’s probably best,” Lucius mused. “I don’t understand the infatuation they had with that human. She didn’t seem special to me.”

“Me neither.”

“Just delicious.” Jessica grinned.