"Ma'am, just answer the question." The man repeated.
"Why don't you answer hers?" Alexandre's voice rang out as he opened the door wider, exposing me standing there with the baby in my arms. The cop blushed.
"I'm sorry ma'am.. I um... Carys Ayers?" He cleared his throat and I nodded. "You've been served." He handed me some papers and left, I could hear how his heartbeat had doubled. He was embarrassed. I looked at the papers and groaned. It was a court summons.
"Damn." I growled, clenching the papers. I wanted to rip them to shreds with my teeth. Alexandre shut the door.
"Let me see Carys. You have to loosen your grip or I'll rip it." Alexandre said soothingly. I unlocked my aching fingers and he read it and sighed with relief. "Oh good, it's just as a witness. We may be able to get this summons dropped as harassment, or maybe for medical reasons." He ran a finger along he baby's head. "Let me make a few calls."
"Alexandre, wait." I gripped his arm. "We don't even have any proof she exists." I chewed my lower lip.
"Carys-you're doing it again, the blood..." He ran a finger across my lip and I saw the red there before licking the rest away. "Do you really think Cornelius and I are so useless? He actually keeps a licence, and we did send off for a birth certificate and things with him signing off as performing an emergency at home delivery. We've got it handled love. Calm down." He kissed me and ran his tongue along my lip, capturing the rest of the blood. "Hmm, have I told you lately that your coconut flavor is even more intense?" He licked his lips. "Delicious." I swatted at him.
"Unless you're opening a vein for me later, you can't have any-I already have one little monster draining me dry." I grimaced and repositioned Mina.
"I have a new shipment coming in this afternoon, in the meantime, Cornelius has come up with a, rather objectionable, plan." Alexandre frowned.
"Oh God, why do I feel like I'm going to hate this?" I asked.
"Yup, I hate this." I announced as Cornelius finished telling me his idea.
"Listen, I know these people, or know of them through others. There's this whole party-goers atmosphere about them and they literally just love and live for all things vampire. Ask Alexandre about.. Mmph!" A book squarely hit Corenlius in the face and Alexandre glared from across the room.
"Oh my God, you had groupies?!" I gaped at him, looking him up and down. "Yeah, I guess I can see it-I mean, the accent, the money, the clothes.."
"What you're not going to comment on my looks?" Alexandre asked wryly. I stood and walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek.
"Your looks aren't why I fell for you sweety." I murmured, patting his chest as Cornelius burst out laughing behind us. Alexandre's jaw dropped and he stared after me as I circled towards the door. "How are you getting them past the media and cops?" I asked, leaning on a chair. I couldn't refuse the offer at this point, I was desperate for blood.
"Baby shower/party type thing. Rich people like to show off their infants and wealth. Sometimes the parties drag on for awhile, or people may drop by later to see the new baby you know, that kind of thing." Cornelius' eyes danced with excitement.
"Fine. NO orgies." I growled and Cornelius' face fell.
"But partners are alright, right?" Cornelius asked.
"Consenting partners-in. your. room. Try to keep the volume reasonable, and like not a whole lot of people you perv." I waved him off. "I have a temperamental baby and mood swings to deal with-don't test me." Cornelius' eyes twinkled again.
"I'll agree to that. I'll keep the numbers small, say batches of fives or tens. I can do blood draws, plus we can do live feeds and they can stay for a few hours or day or two and then be on their way before we call in the next group. Just tell me how hungry you are so I know how many for the first crew." Cornelius started making plans.
"Starved." I growled and Cornelius blinked, chuckling nervously.
"Ten it is then." He said and left the room to make preparations. Alexandre sauntered over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck.
"What do you mean my looks weren't what attracted you to me." He growled suddenly. Despite the threatening sound, I could sense no danger from him. In fact, it was almost playful.
"Oh you know, you just look kind of... regular to me." I replied offhand, then squeaked when he growled again, squeezing me tight against him.
"Then what exactly did you like about me, you little succubus?" Alexandre nipped at my neck, making me shudder.
"Mostly..." I gasped as he pulled my hips back against his and his teeth sank into the flesh over my pulse "...who you are rather than what you look like. Your heart, your soul, the way you think and feel." I replied, panting. Alexandre spun me around, and his expression had the most tortured look of love I had ever seen on his face. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and gripped me tightly to him, trapping my arms in his embrace. I stood there awkwardly while he held me.
"Carys..." He whispered ".. That was.. I love you so much."
"Aw does that mean things aren't going to get all hot and heavy? Because I was getting all excited there for a moment." I whined. Alexandre groaned and loosened his grip on me.
"I love you too Alexandre." I said softly and kissed the top of his head. He squeezed me tightly again briefly.
"Why is it every time I leave you two alone, I come back to a room reeking of pheromones and then get scolded for reacting to it like any healthy male would?" Cornelius complained. I groaned.
"I thought that was why you were calling company." I sniped.
"Part of the reason, since you still won't let either of us touch you, though I'd say you're adequately healed by now. Or at least will be with a little extra blood tonight." Cornelius grinned. I licked my lips.
"You actually got people to agree to come here so we could drink their blood?" I asked incredulously. Cornelius smiled and nodded.
"About fifteen decided to show this time, safety in numbers and all that. Especially when they found out there were four adult vampires here. I'll do blood draws on the ones who we don't drink from to set aside for later for Luc." Cornelius could barely contain his excitement.
"What about the baby? Did you tell them Luc was unconscious?" I bit at my lower lip again, and could feel Alexandre's and Cornelius' gaze zero in on it. I must not be the only one who was hungry.
"Don't worry about it. I told them there was a human child in the home from your past life to simplify things, and a seriously injured vamp which is why we were 'ordering in'. They also understood the precautions I set in place, so they'll arrive in small groups in separate cars with gifts to appear as though it's for a baby shower." Cornelius waved me off, but his eyes never left my bleeding lip.
"Down boy." I growled and licked the blood away.
"When will they get here?" Alexandre asked, tearing his gaze away from me.
"Around sundown. I suggest you two get some rest. I understand these things can get quite...rowdy..." Cornelius smirked.
"Cornelius.." I warned.
"Relax, I told them to keep things to a dull roar." His grin grew
"Why don't I trust you?" I sighed.
"Because he's not trustworthy." Alexandre said, kissing my hair and then leading me out of the room.
"He is right though, let's get some sleep." I heard the baby's cry from the nursery.
"After I feed the baby." I sighed and darted up the stairs. I had already settled on the bed with Mina when Alexandre walked into the room.
"Has she been changed?" He asked and I nodded.
"I did that first so I could go to sleep." I yawned. "Not that it will help, she'll probably make a mess again after she eats." He chuckled then sat on the bed facing us. This was our new sleeping arrangement. The two of us curled around our daughter protectively. Sometimes I woke up to him humming gentle tunes to her when she got fussy. It always made me smile. Alexandre ran the back of his knuckles down my cheek.
"What are you thinking about?" He murmured.
"You." I replied "And Mina." And his eyes lit up as he grinned. He ran his thumb over my lips.
"Those are some of the sweetest words to grace this mouth and I never wish to cease hearing you say them." He leaned over the baby and kissed me. Mina fussed and he chuckled and kissed her too, before laying back down with his head on his arm to stare at us. "I love you Carys. Both of you."
"Eternally." I replied with a small smile as he ran his thumb over my lips again and his eyes filled with that heartbreaking loving look again. I fell asleep to that expression and don't think I've ever slept more peacefully. The baby woke me later, fussing and I got up to burp her and change her again, then sat with her in the rocking chair, gently patting her little back while humming to her softly. I heard Alexandre roll over on the bed and glanced over to see him watching us with half closed lids. I blushed.
"What?" I asked self consciously.
"I'm just trying to remember every moment of this." He replied softly and I blushed again.