I examined August. The camper we had fed from, been intimate with, after the court case. There he sat, dropping the biggest bombshell on us like it was nothing, and his heartbeat was still a steady thrum. He still didn't even smell anymore nervous than when he first came in. Alexandre and I had both attempted, and thought we'd been successful, at convincing him he'd just had an amazing dream that he would forget, and yet, here he sat.
"I mean, I don't really know what you are. My memory is still a little bit.." He blushed. "I don't know what's real, what isn't. Hell, I wasn't sure you two were real until you opened the door. I just know.. I can't go back to my normal life." The last sentence was said in a rush, then August exhaled and ran a hand through his hair again. "I've come up with a bunch of theories. I don't know which is right. It all sounds ridiculous. From aliens to some kind of mythological creature like werewolves or ghosts. Point is.. I don't know what you are, but I can't just go about my life pretending you don't exist. That what happened wasn't.. amazing, terrifying, fantastic, mystifying, even.." He rubbed his neck. Alexande leaned forward in his chair slightly, elbows on the table, steepling his fingers in front of his chin.
"So you thought we may be some sort of dangerous supernatural creatures, and sought us out anyway?" Alexandre asked, lifting a brow. August gulped. Now his heartrate sped up.
"Uh.. yeah. I just.. I had to know ok? I had to know if I was crazy or not. That day was amazing. I've had dreams about it. I kept wanting it to.. happen.. again.." August swallowed again. Now his heart was racing for a different reason and the scent of hormones, arousal washed across the table at me.
"Did you come to proposition us?" Alexandre asked with amusement, sitting back in his seat.
"Yes, no, I don't know. Look, I just can't go back to my normal life. Especially now, now that I KNOW.." August trailed off.
"Did you ever stop to think, that if we were these supernatural creatures, as you suspect, we might be dangerous to you?" Alexandre's voice lowered as he stared intently at August. As if to prove his point, I moved to the biohazard fridge and pulled a blood bag from it, taking it to the counter and filling two mugs and warming them. August's eyes bugged slightly as I brought the mugs back to the table, handing one to Alexandre, who had a darkly amused look playing across the corners of his eyes and lips. He took a drink as I sat down. August's heartrate had sped again slightly.
"Drink, drink!" Mina chanted, so I leaned over the table to pick up her no-spill cup and poured a little blood from my mug into her cup, making sure to run my finger through the spill on the side of my mug and pop it in my mouth, before reattaching the lid on Mina's cup. Now, the scent of fear hit my nose.
"Here you go baby." I cooed, handing her the cup. She swallowed eagerly while I eyed August over the rim of my mug. I could see Alexandre across the table from me, fighting back a wolfish smile as August swallowed audibly.
"But.. you won't kill me." August whispered hoarsely.
"Oh? What makes you think that?" Alexandre took a drink of his own mug and cocked his head curiously.
"Be..Because you would have done it in the woods.. if you were going to.." August gulped.
"You weren't a threat to us then." I pointed out and August's eyes darted to my face.
"I'm not a threat to you now!" August swore, eyeing me cautiously.
"Then what do you want here August? Because you had to know if you approached us, we couldn't just let you go." Alexandre's voice was firm. August licked his lips.
"Let me stay, let me.. join you? I want.. No, I need.. more.." August pleaded, his voice a harsh croak. Alexandre sighed.
"We can't let you stay, unless you choose to become one of us. There are too many.. complications.." Alexandre looked at Mina, and then beyond her in the direction of Luc's room.
"And what exactly are you?" August breathlessly.
"My dear boy, I think you're smart enough to have figured that out by now." Alexandre smiled wickedly, running a finger along the lip of his mug, eyes falling upon the scar on August's neck. August raised a hand to it, shock playing across his face. He stood, knocking over his chair. His heartrate had suddenly skyrocketed.
"N-No.. No way.." August gasped. "But you were out in sunlight.. and she's pregnant! That's not possible!" August shouted. Alexandre heaved a sigh.
"Myths, my dear boy." Alexandre stated, reminding me of my first days with him.
"Should I go fetch Dracula?" I asked wryly and Alexandre grinned fiercely at me.
"Dra-Dracula? He's real?" August had backed against a wall and jerked when Alexandre laughed.
"I meant the book, doll." I answered with amusement.
"What does literature have to do with this?" August squeaked.
"Quite a bit, and very little." I shrugged. Alexandre grinned again.
"Now Carys, let's stop being cryptic with our guest." Alexandre stated, setting his mug on the table.
"Crypt, good one." I huffed, but we got no further because August fainted. "Dang Alexandre, you scared him to death."
"I did not! His heart still beats!" Alexandre objected. I patted his hand across the table.
"It was a joke, darling." I soothed and his eyes lit up.
"This 'darling' thing is new.. Will I be receiving more spousal pet names?" Alexandre asked, his eyes blazing. I grinned.
"Yes, but after we figure out what to do with our guest." I answered. We both looked at August slumped on the floor.
"Man fell down." Mina observed seriously. I couldn't help myself then, I burst into helpless laughter, tears forming in my eyes.
"That he did little love, that he did." Alexandre replied, amusement still coloring his voice.
For lack of a better option, we locked August in a spare bedroom until he could come to.
"Does it count as kidnapping if he came to us?" I brooded.
"This bothers you, but killing him does not?" Alexandre's eyebrows shot up.
"When did I ever give you that impression?" I snapped, then took a deep breath, placing a hand on my forehead. "Sorry, this is crazy, I'm out of control. Did you search him for a cellphone?" Alexandre's expression flashed from anger to bemusement.
"Yes love." He kissed me gently. "And you're not the only one not handling it well it seems." He sighed. "This is.. very stressful." I sighed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.
"What are we gonna do Alexandre?" I moaned, burying my face in my hands. He crouched in front of me.
"What we have to." He responded. I flinched.
"There seems to be a human male yelling from one of the bedrooms." Luc's voice woke me from a sound sleep.
"Ah crap." I muttered, rolling myself out of bed groggily. "Where's Alexandre?" As my eyes focused on Luc I noticed he did not seem too very happy with me. In fact, he looked like he was carefully controlling a fit of downright rage.
"I don't know." Luc replied. "But is this what we're doing now? Holding humans against their will?" Luc was leaning on his cane with a grip so tight I felt the handle should have shattered.
"No Luc. He overcame a mental block. He knows what we are." I sighed. Impossibly, Luc seemed to get angrier.
"And you let him live?!" Luc shouted. I rested my head in my hands.
"I don't like killing if it's not necessary. We're not monsters." I sighed.
"That's not the point! You've put us all in danger! "You've put Mina in danger!" Luc yelled. I stood and walked carefully towards Luc, approaching like I would a feral animal. I laid a gentle hand on his arm.
"I seem to remember someone else who was a danger to Mina that I refused to have murdered as well." I murmured. Luc stiffened, a look of rage briefly flashed across his face before it was enveloped by guilt.
"I'm... sorry." Luc muttered. "But I still think something should be done about the human." I patted his arm.
"And it will be." I replied. "And Luc, I didn't say that to make you feel guilty. I just wanted to remind you that he's not an exception. I treat everyone very much the same. We've offered him the virus. I don't want him to have to die." Luc gritted his teeth, but nodded once.
"I think Alexandre is in the gardens with Mina." Luc forced out. He turned and limped from the room, leaning on his cane. I had a feeling I had trespassed where Luc was concerned, though I wasn't entirely sure I understood how. I made my way to the gardens thoughtfully. Alexandre had recently had a small play area designed and installed for Mina, one that he was now planning to expand since baby number two was on the way. I shook my head with a small grin. Mina had a little swing set plus ridiculous wooden construction that truly belonged on a playground somewhere. He'd somehow managed to blend it into the garden to make it look like it belonged in a strange way, and though Mina was still a bit young to use most of the equipment, she still enjoyed the swings and climbing the wooden stairs to the smaller of the two slides. I heard Mina's angry squeal as I approached.
"Hot Papa! Hot!" She was yelling. When I got close enough to see the action, I saw her shoving a jacket away that he was trying to place back on her small frame.
"Baby, Papa doesn't want you to get sick." Alexandre cajoled. The weather was turning colder, but not unduly so. I leaned against a tree with my arms crossed to watch the show.
"NO! HOT!" Mina yelled, turning to dash around the wooden playset. Alexandre grabbed her easily enough and she squealed bloody murder again. "No, no! Hot!" She squealed. I snickered. Alexandre caught the sound and his head snapped up, exasperation and pleading warring for prominence on his face. I decided to throw him a bone.
"I keep telling you, she's just like you-hot as a stove. Can't stand those heavy jackets." I shrugged.
"Mama!" Mina yelled and I snickered again. This would be the only time she'd be happy to choose me over him. Momma always championed her clothing issues. Alexandre rubbed the back of his neck and I laughed outright at that.
"Just wait til the other one's born." I called. Alexandre gave a faux grimace, but a smile quickly stole over his face as he carried Mina towards me.
"I can't wait." He murmured, and kissed me on the lips, just enough to make my heartbeat stutter.