~ Kaelos Pov~
"Gabriel, how can we use Vark Slade's lifestyle against him? We can't just do that. You said he's a powerful man with many connections. It's going to be tough to take someone like him down, especially when we don't know anyone in the city except Eric."
"So, what are you suggesting, Kaelos?"
"It's simple. We need to wait for my power to manifest."
"Until when, Kaelos? Are we supposed to wait until Vark Slade takes over everything and it's too late to stop him?" Gabriel asked, sitting up straight.
"But don't you believe in the prophecy, Gabriel? It says I will defeat him, so let's focus on that, unless the prophecy changes," I replied.
"Hold on, Kaelos. I'm not saying I don't believe in the prophecy. I do believe in it because werewolves and vampires follow prophecies. But we should still make a move before your power manifests. We just need to be careful!"
"So, what do you suggest we do now, Gabriel?"
Gabriel stood up and moved closer to me. He asked me to sniff his body. I was puzzled and asked why, but he insisted I should do it.
I sniffed Gabriel and smelled animal blood. I told him, and he explained that this wouldn't work because Vark Slade would recognize him by his scent and could track him down.
Gabriel then suggested we wait for Eric. He texted Eric, asking him to come by the house once he finished work because we had something important to discuss, and Eric might help us get closer to Vark Slade.
I asked Gabriel about his plan to get closer to Vark Slade and who would do the job. Gabriel mentioned that Eric might know someone we could use—someone Vark Slade wouldn't suspect.
I agreed with Gabriel and waited for Eric, but the loud neighbor downstairs was becoming an annoyance. She was screaming so loudly I couldn't think straight.
***************
"Hey everyone! Ligaya here! Come buy clothes for yourself, your girlfriend, or even your wife. Remember, looking s*xy is healthy!" Ligaya shouted from downstairs.
I asked Gabriel if the noise was bothering him, but he said no and pointed out that there's nothing we could do about it.
"I'm sorry, Gabriel, but if you won't do anything about this, I will! Eric paid for this apartment; we're not living here for free." I stood up, irritated by the noise.
"Kaelos, there's nothing we can do about it, and Eric said we shouldn't go outside."
"If he said not to go outside, he didn't mean we can't go downstairs. Sorry, but I need to fix this!"
I rushed outside despite Gabriel's protests. When I got downstairs, I saw Ligaya with a wheelbarrow full of clothes.
"Hey, what are you staring at? Looking to buy clothes for your girlfriend? I bet you have plenty of girls interested in you," she yelled.
"Seriously? I thought you were just noisy, but now I see you're also a flirt." I said, trying to hide my irritation.
"What! Don't insult me, Mr. Man. I'm not a flirt. You're the one staring at me, and you're not even my type." She rolled her eyes at me
"Me? Staring at you? I'm looking at the clothes. You're making a racket like this place is yours, and it's bothering me. By the way, you're not my type. I don't like noisy people, especially those who sell clothes." I turned away from her.
Gabriel rushed over and apologized to Ligaya instead of helping me. I couldn't believe it! Gabriel insisted we go back upstairs and started pulling me by the wrist.
"I'm not afraid of you, young lady. Just stop shouting. I hate noise!" Gabriel dragged me upstairs while Ligaya yelled insults at me.
"I hate this! I can't even believe the owner of this house gives the house to that psychopath, he just ruined my day, guess I need to resell my clothes tomorrow. Ehw, what a jerk!" Ligaya grumbled as she took her wheelbarrow inside.
*Upstairs*
"Kaelos, we agreed not to step outside, but you went out and made a scene!" Gabriel yelled at me.
"What? Are you blaming me, Gabriel? We both heard her yelling. I couldn't handle the noise. Remember, where I come from, it's quiet," I said, sitting down on the couch.
"Look, Kaelos, I'm not blaming you. Just remember, we're hiding here, and we don't know the neighbors. What if one of them is a vampire working for Vark Slade?" Gabriel spoke more calmly.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I just can't stand that lady. Eric promised the neighborhood would be safe for us," I replied.
"Just rest, Kaelos. I need to take a nap before Eric comes back." Gabriel went into another room, leaving me alone in the living room.
I tried to lie down again when I heard Ligaya shouting from downstairs. She was warning me to stay out of her way and not to come downstairs again to insult her.
I controlled my temper. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me angry. The only thing on my mind was her comment about me not being her type. Did she really think I would like someone like her? No way. I had to force myself to sleep before Eric arrived, just like Gabriel.
~ Jessica POV ~
It was still the beautiful day, and I was glad to have completed one of my father's requests—setting up the board meeting with our investors. But my day wouldn't feel complete if I didn't get a chance to drink human blood. With the meeting still some time away, I decided to indulge myself and walked toward the company's darkest room.
This room was on the sixth floor, reserved only for our VIP members. It was where we kept humans who provided their blood for us. After their blood was drained, their bodies were disposed of.
The room was silent as I entered, the only sound being the click of my high heels on the floor. This was intentional; it kept things discreet in case a mortal happened to wander by.
I walked to the section where we stored the humans, wrapped in nylons. I removed my suit jacket and cut one of the nylons open with my vampire-strengthened fingers.
Then, I knelt down and began to drink. The fresh, warm blood was delicious, especially since the person I chose still had a beating heart, making the blood taste even sweeter.
No one on the second floor could hear anything from where I was, even if someone screamed. After I was finished, I got dressed and returned to my office.
"Good morning, Madam. All the investors are in the board meeting room, waiting for you," the secretary said as I stepped out of the elevator.
Without responding, I headed straight to my office and called my father to let him know everything was ready and that the investors were all present. On my way to the meeting, I saw Eric talking to one of his colleagues, asking her what was going on.
"Why do you ask?" I approached him and inquired.
"Nothing, Madam. I was just surprised by how everyone is behaving like a big event is about to happen," Eric replied, looking a bit suspicious.
I noticed something odd about his gaze, but I decided it was best not to jump to conclusions. He seemed like a human, and if he wasn't, I would have detected a different smell.
"Don't worry, Eric. Once everything is set, we'll make sure to update everyone." I smiled and walked away.
*Board Meeting Room*
The secretary opened the door for me, and I walked in to find all our investors already seated. They greeted me with a welcoming look, their eyes glowing faintly red. I took my place beside the central seat without saying a word.
"Now that you're here, I suppose we should start the meeting," one of the investors said, with the others nodding in agreement.
"We can't start just yet. My father isn't here, so let's wait for him. Does anyone have a problem with that?" I replied, placing my hands on the desk and looking around at their faces. No one objected, instead, they were scared that my father is attending the meeting.