Negotiation And Cohabitation

"All the humans are.... gone!? Ok, I feel like I walked in on a bad porno." Rory's eyes had lit up with need despite his statement. Cornelius' gaze zeroed in on Rory in an instant.

"A hybrid!" Cornelius gasped. "How did I miss you before?"

"You were.. otherwise engaged." Rory joked. Cornelius sniffed the air more carefully.

"I can't tell if I like your scent or loathe it. Come here." Cornelius pulled free of Alexandre as Rory walked forward. He offered his arm to Rory. "Do you want a taste? I can tell by your eyes the bloodlust is strong for you too." Rory leaned in eagerly and Cornelius pulled back slightly.

"But be careful-my blood is potent, less is more." Cornelius warned and Rory nodded. He bent his head over Cornelius' arm and tasted his blood. With a moan, he gripped Corneliu's arm tighter as Cornelius dug his fingers into Rory's long hair. There was a subtle shift in the smell around the two.

"Come on Carys-we'll worry about finding Rory a room later." Alexandre chuckled softly and I nodded with a smirk. Alexandre placed a hand on my back and escorted me to the nursery, where he changed Mina and sat down beside me on the bed with a sigh.

"I just can't control myself when it comes to you." He said softly. I leaned in and kissed him.

"I know." I murmured against his lips.

"I'm not forgiving you yet." He snarled, pushing me back onto the bed.

"Forgiving me? Excuse you!" I retorted, squirming to break free.

"Carys..." He growled, looking pointedly at his pelvis, which I had been actively wiggling against.

"Oops." I mouthed and Alexandre tackled me, driving me wild with his kisses until he stopped abruptly, panting, to look at me desperately.

"May I?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered quickly, and then Cornelius and Rory weren't the only ones smelling of lust.

Mina woke me, Alexandre was crooning to her while he changed her and she was making scattered fussing noises as if not wanting to cry outright, so she could continue to listen to his voice.

"Flatterer." I complained and Alexandre chuckled. "Have you heard anything about getting me out of the summons?" I asked. It had been several weeks since I had received it. The Nurse's court date loomed. Alexandre shook his head. He turned with Mina in his arms, a prominent frown on his face.

"So far it's been 'We don't think the conditions presented warrants excuse from proceedings due to the vital testimony possible from an eye witness' blah blah.. They shot down you having a nursing newborn and rare disease all in one go. They won't even let you alone even though they can't get you to say you saw Fran attack you. They want you to take the stand to testify for dramatic effect more than anything else to sway the jury. Basically, playing on emotions by presenting a survivor of the attacks, if there's not enough evidence to convince the jury to press charges in the first place." Alexandre said with distaste.

"That is really disgusting." I snorted.

"You don't have to tell me." Alexandre sighed. He sat on the bed beside me, Mina still cradled in his arms. "But don't worry, I'm still trying to find a way." He kissed my temple.

"Good morning vampires-or like those of us living like to say-good night!" Rory called happily from the nursery doorway. I looked at Mina quickly. She was getting accustomed to the bustle of activity around her, thankfully, so she did not wake. I caught Rory's scent.

"You're drunk!" I complained.

"Only partially-I burn through it pretty fast because of the half vampire thing. It sucks. Ha! I made a pun!" Rory laughed.

"I'm assuming the party went well then." Remarked Alexandre.

"Yeah, I stayed 'til I was sober enough to ride my bike back, that's why I'm home so late." Rory rubbed the back of his head in that nervous gesture of his. It was like he was checking in with his parents after missing curfew. I laughed.

"What's so amusing?" Alexandre asked and I shook my head.

"I hear creatures stirring, how's Mina?" Cornelius grabbed Rory around the waist and placed his chin on Rory's shoulder, looking in the room at us.

"Fine. Yes, you'll get to do your usual weekly exam later." I griped. Cornelius grinned.

"Ugh, you reek of alcohol!" Cornelius complained to Rory, then sunk his teeth into his neck. Rory moaned and collapsed into him. "I could nearly get drunk just from tasting your blood." Cornelius commented, licking his lips.

"I can't help it-the vamps had booze for everyone, and you know how it is-they don't like me, so there was nothing for me to do, really..." Rory whined.

"So you drank." Cornelius replied wryly. He licked the blood from Rory's neck and Rory turned into the movement, gripping Cornelius' hair.

"Hey-our turn to tell you guys to get a room!" I griped. The two had become closer since Rory had started staying here, and although I was happy for Cornelius, I was beginning to understand his complaint about always walking in on hormone filled rooms. Dang. I clenched the sheets under me and Alexandre eyed me speculatively.

"Don't get ideas-I intend to visit Luc this morning." I told Alexandre. He leaned in close to me.

"Not smelling like that you won't." He growled and I blushed.

"Listen, if nobody has anything else to do this morning, I'd like to talk to you guys in the kitchen a little later, ok?" I addressed the room, trying to ignore Alexandre.

Now that there were four of us, we felt safer honoring Luc's request to see Mina again. Correction, I felt safer.

"Are you insane?" Roared Alexandre.

"Carys, that really doesn't seem to be.." Cornelius interjected.

"I thought you said he tried to kill you?" Rory cut in.

"Guys-calm down." I spoke calmly, waiting for the uproar to end. We were sitting around the kitchen table and I was sipping a mug of blood. Every week Cornelius or Rory arranged another small group of humans to drop by, combined with the bagged blood, we were all rather well fed these days. And because of Rory, the kitchen was also well stocked in food as well. He had groaned when he saw that we had let the human food supplies decline and took over the shopping for himself.32

"Listen-he barely has any use of his limbs and his muscles have all but atrophied. It's going to take a lot more blood to get him back to one hundred percent, and we all agreed to do that slowly, since we're trying to introduce the virus Alexandre and I have to his system. By the way-Cornelius, how is that going for you?"

"Oh ah, I don't think I'll be requiring as much of your blood. An occasional boost should do. It seems I found the missing element." He looked slyly at Rory. I smiled into my mug. It was nice to see him happy.

"Anyway, there are four of us, and we are all well fed. Surely between us all, a plan of action could be made to ensure everyone's safety." I pleaded. "It's better now than when he's recovered.." Alexandre ground his teeth together and slammed up from the table.

"I say no." He snarled. I blinked. His normally cool temperament melted where his brother was concerned, but I was still not used to him unleashing this beast in front of me. "She's half my daughter too Carys, and I don't trust him."

"Xan, you haven't spoken with your brother in a while.. The majority of the blood he's getting is from you and Carys.. He's not quite the creature you remember." Cornelius said quietly.

"I said NO!" Alexandre roared. This time Rory and I both flinched.

"I'm just saying maybe you should talk to him before making a decision." Cornelius continued. Alexandre's next growl was more animal than human, and the scent coming off him reeked of danger. I unconsciously moved away as Alexandre loomed over the table.

"She's not your child Cornelius. No matter how much we all enjoy playing house together. She's MY daughter and I WILL NOT RISK HER LIFE!" He shouted, slamming his hands on the table. Rory's eyes were nearly as wide as mine. My mug shattered as I gripped it too hard in fear.

"Alexandre, you're scaring both our mates now. Either calm down, or I'll take you down." Cornelius looked up at him under his brows, a dangerously calm expression on his face. Alexandre's angry expression turned to Rory and I. I flinched and Alexandre's face twisted into a pained expression. He turned on a heel and stormed from the room.