Deadly Ends (Book #4)

Chapter Two

(Picture of Cordelia's nightgown and also a link to a song that I had on repeat while writing this chapter, because it really does set the mood)

After the sun had set, with no sign of Christine or Louis, I marched up the stairs, needing to speak to Montgomery regarding the new responsibilities of the shapeshifters.

"Cordelia, have you forgotten how to knock?" Montgomery asked, as Samuel and Archibald both looked at me.

I gave both of them a look, letting them know to leave and as they followed outside, I closed the door behind them "What is the meaning of your latest order?"

"You mean regarding the supply of blood?" he asked, standing up.

I looked up at him "We are already having them guard this manor inside and outside and now you wish to send them into the forests to gather blood that we are all more than capable of gathering ourselves"

I replied that my voice had grown louder and I cleared my throat, not wanting to come off as disrespectful.

He put his hands on his desk, looking down as he gathered his thoughts "You and no other vampire is capable of going on at any hour of the day to retrieve the blood we all so desperately need!"

I stepped back, not used to an angry side of him.

"Do not cower before me, not now. I am only doing what is best for you and everyone else relying on this coalition to come out of this alive" he continued.

"I mean no disrespect, I am just concerned, and because just three days ago, we agreed that we would find new human servants to replace the jobs that our previous ones held, including the gathering of the blood supply" I said.

He nodded "Yes, we did agree and I took every word of that discussion into consideration, but at a time like this, I cannot place the trust of my coalition into the hands of a human that I cannot say will not betray us in some way or form"

"So this is a matter of trust?" I asked.

"Yes, so I instead placed the responsibility of our blood supply into the hands of those that I can trust and know will protect us and do us no wrong" he stepped forward, lowering his voice "I am well aware that you have become involved with Louis and I am against it for obvious reasons. However, what you do in the privacy of your room is none of my business" he sat back down in his chair "Just remember that a shapeshifter's first and main job is to protect us, not romance us"

I was clearly upset by his comment, but he was the eminent and as his second, I was required to stand by his decisions, so I nodded.

"I understand your reason for putting them in charge of our source of blood, but may I request that they do this job in the daytime, instead of so close to sunset?" I asked.

He nodded "Yes, I can agree to that and starting tomorrow, that is the way we will handle it so that we do not place them in further harm" he looked up at me "You must realize that the only reason I am enforcing such a rule is because with all these new vampires here, our blood supply is running extremely low"

"Yes, Montgomery, I understand" I looked at the door "May I be excused to my room?"

"Yes, you may" he answered.

I quickly left the room and retreated back into my own, glad to have changed the timing of the rule, but upset that I came off as disrespectful.

All of this was because I did not want any more harm threatening Louis and perhaps I was selfish for that.

I gathered the peonies on my bed and walked to my balcony, watching them drop to the ground below, as I let them go.

I know that my feelings for Louis are not seen in the best of light, because I could potentially become a distraction from his main goal and I did not want that to happen.