Chapter 20: Missing information
I looked at Dave in askance. So he already knew Guy from before.
'You never talk about your mother,' I told him then. He smiled grimly.
'You never asked me about her.'
He was right, of course. It was a very painful topic for me as I never got the opportunity to meet my parents, so I didn't go around asking others about theirs.
'As I told you, she was Head of security. After the attack, even though that Nani saved her, she was severely wounded and she retired to Mahar.'
'I didn't know that vampires lived on Mahar too. They don't.'
'So why did your mother go there?'
'To spend her last days. The toxin had already entered her system but on Mahar it would take more time. It was imperative for her to impart all her knowledge before death claimed her,' Dave explained in a flat tone, without expression. I was sure that he must be hurting so much and he was only to camouflage his emotions.
'Ash, I've lost her more than 100 years ago. Time does heal wounds partially. This is why sometimes people refer to vampires as cold creatures without emotions. That's not true. We simply have more time than others to process our emotions and forget the pain, Dave explained patiently.
The more he talked to me, the more relaxed I became until I was completely leaning into him. He also leaned back on the bed so that I followed him until my head was lying on his firm chest. What a wonderful pillow it made. The beating of his heart beneath my ear was a soothing therapy and I fell asleep in this position. Unaware to me, Dave had taken his phone and with his free hand, he typed in a message.
'She trusts me completely.'
I woke up all alone on the bed. I stretched my arms like a cat, almost purring with pleasure.
'I see my pussy is awake,' Dave's voice was heard from the doorway. I rolled my eyes at his poor joke filled with innuendoes.
'You need to work harder Dave.'
'Oh, I'm just asking that, to work, harder', emphasizing on the harder. 'So, you want me to be hard for you Ash?' he continued, with his eyes glowing with mischief.
'I think you need to get wet Dave,' I replied maintaining eye contact with him. 'In the shower.' Giving him the once-over, I asked, 'Where had you been. You're covered with dust.'
He looked at me sheepishly and confessed. 'I was in the store-room, going through Nani's papers. I hope you don't mind.'
'Why would you need to do that?
He tried to avoid my gaze and I felt distinctly uncomfortable at that.
'Are you trying to hide something from me?'
'You're not ready yet Ash,' I seemed to hear him say yet his lips had not moved at all.
'Did you say something? Are you hiding something?'
The sound of the doorbell broke in the conversation. The tension had become so thick that you could almost cut it with a knife. Dave seized his chance and said, 'I'll get it', and left before I could ask him any further question. Was he trying to hide something from me?
It was Claudia who had come to check up on me and she had brought dinner.
'I couldn't wait until tomorrow to talk to you. I hope I didn't disturb you,' she said eyeing my bathrobe and looking suggestively at me.
'I'll leave you two girls to your conversation. I have some important work,' Dave answered and before I could tell him anything he had turned around on his heels and was at the door.
Coward.
He turned to me, mouthed a 'sorry' and left. I was left staring at the door closing behind me.
'That was intense.' I finally turned to my friend who was looking at me with glee.
'I thought that you were here to feed me, not feed the rumors,' I pointed out to Claudia. She smiled and started taking out containers from her wicker basket and placing them on the table in the kitchen. I knew it was just temporary respite until she came back with her questions, but at least I managed to buy some time.
'The lasagna was wonderful Claudia,' I said, rubbing my belly contentedly.
'I'll thank my mother on your behalf,' she said. 'Now tell me what's between Mr Hunk and you?'
'I thought you came to talk about today's incident.'
She looked at me with a guilty air and taking my hands in hers, she softly replied, 'I'm so glad you're safe Ash. Do you know the two boys who attacked you?'
I felt a bit odd to disclose it, but given that Claudia was a half-vampire she had to know more about werewolves than me. 'They were were-wolves Claudia and they were looking for a vampire. They were not out to get me at first, until they got hungry of course, but anyone would have done, I guess.' Then in horror I looked at Claudia, 'Do you think they had been looking for you Claudia?'
Apart from her I didn't know any other vampire. I looked at her and for once she seemed to beat a loss for words. 'Maybe you need to talk to your mum about it.' She nodded in response to my comment.
'Why were they looking for a vampire? Werewolves usually try to stay as far from vampires as they can as they are mutually a threat to each other.'
'You mean that vampires can kill werewolves too?'
Claudia looked at me aghast, 'You did not think that only werewolves were dangerous, did you?'
'Well, with the toxin they can ...'
'Ash, werewolves are as wary of vampires as we are of them, if not more. My mum once told me of a vampire who bare-handed killed a werewolf by beheading it.'
I cringed at the image it thought even though it evoked some admiration as well.
'You know, usually werewolves need vampires to cross to other worlds,' Claudia said. Ah, she also knew about the existence of these. I felt dumb and thought that I was the only one to have been unaware. 'And in films, which are sometimes based on real facts, they look for virgins,' she added in a scholarly manner. She seemed to be enjoying herself now. She then braced herself for more effect and delivered her conclusion triumphantly. 'So if you are not a virgin anymore, you won't be the one they are seeking. What do you say about that?' She seemed to be so convinced by the efficiency of her solution that I felt like laughing.
'If you and Dave, you know,...then it will keep you safe. Killing two birds with a stone. Safety and an orgasm to boot.'
I blushed at her words. An image of Dave and me in bed flashed in my mind at that time. It would be so easy to just give in...I didn't even know why I had been resisting for so long when it was obvious that we were attracted to each other.
But wait, I wasn't a vampire, Claudia was. 'Why are we not talking about your safety?' I looked at Claudia and she was red till the roots of her hair and avoiding my gaze. 'Miss Kim, is there anything you are hiding from me?'
'I'm sorry Ash. I know we have always shared everything, but it's all so new that I didn't get time to tell you.'
I looked at her with expectation growing in my stomach.
'I've met someone, and it's very serious.'
'That's great Claudia. When are you making me meet him?'
'He's always so busy during the day. It's only at night that we get to meet.
'Oh, a creature of the night,' I said waggling my eyebrows. We both laughed. but at the back of my mind, I felt that there was something off.
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