Conclave (Hypernaturals 3)

Home Guard

Denise sat in the living room, looking at a magazine when we arrived. She looks relaxed, but I know better. Everything about Denise is deception. She also looks young, soft, rounded, and Georgia Peach pretty. She is two of those, but she is a senior member of the Council's Cleanup Crew. Experienced, strong, and deadly.

Denise is one of two members of the Crew that were assigned to protect Rachel when she first came to evaluate me. The other Council hitter, Anne, is not in sight, but her scent is in the room. She is around here someplace.

I greeted Denise with warmth and a small wave. "Hi, Denise."

Denise and I have had a few crucial conversations over the short months of my conversion. She seems to respect me more than the average female Vampire, which is odd given her job is occasionally hunting down the male rogues and killing them. I have pretty good evidence of her respect: Both Denise and Anne are keeping quiet about what my pheromones can do. Neither Vampire hitter knows about the second half of that. The part where Jessica and Helen got pregnant.

Now only Jessica is. It came back to me. I did not let that show. Not on my face. Not in my scent. Denise is no dummy, and part of why she is keeping the secret is that Rachel asked her too. I have no doubt that if she thought the Council needed to know she would tell them.

Strongly consider it.

Might not.

She knows pissing off Helen is not good for her longevity. In Denise and my rather complicated first meeting, she learned that I would try to save her life from another hit squad Helen set in motion to protect me. If I had been taken out by a negative Council decree, the entire Council and whoever on the Crew killed me would have been taken out.

Helen does not mess around. As I am off probation, the contracts are now canceled.

Now here Denise is guarding Helen against the biggest rogue Vampire of all Vampire time.

"Hey, Adrian. I hope you don't mind. Rachel said to make myself at home."

"Mi casa es su casa. You know where everything is. This is your third time here. House rules say you are family and that means you have to serve yourself. You know where the Tea and Coffee are."

"Understood, brother. I'll let Anne know not to expect you to wait on her hand and foot." Denise acknowledged, and I loved the quick uptake.

"Where is Anne?" I asked.

"Outside, looking over the property. Scenting things. Seeing who has been here, and when. We have a pretty hard to defend situation here. Four humans, including your parents. The hostage situation scenarios are rife."

I needed to warn my parents about Anne and Denise. They did not know that the four humans here are in on the Vampire secret since that is not officially sanctioned. No Vampire discussions around them. I need to remind Danny and Lori too.

"Have you seen my parents yet today?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I heard some stirring out there." A wave to the RV area.

"I'll go say 'hi' then. Back in a bit." A quick glance at Jessica told me she understood what I am up to.

I stood next to the RV, listened, heard quiet voices talking about their lost grandchild. I did not want to eavesdrop. Only make sure they are awake. Anne's scent is not near here, so she probably has not been listening in either. I registered no Anne sized heat signatures nearby. I knocked quietly and waited. Dad opened the door.

"You look like you have not slept a wink, my boy." He greeted me.

"I haven't. Can I come inside for a quick second?" I requested.

"Absolutely." Dad stepped back, and I climbed up inside their mobile home.

Mom came up front from the bedroom and asked: "What's wrong?"

I lowered my voice and waved them close. I reached over to the thermostat and turned the air conditioner on. Anne did not have to be that close to overhear. She is not as auditorially gifted as I am, but I am taking no chances.

I spoke in low tones. "There are more Vampires here, and will possibly be even more soon. None of them know that you know about them, and none of them would be happy to learn that you know about them. Not happy as in 'erase your memory' unhappy. Ditto Danny and Lori. Further, you guys are probably in danger here. No telling what this William character might do. I'm protected, but to these Vampires, you will not be their first thought to defend should things go sideways." 

I ticked off points on my finger "Three things: I need you guys to not mention anything about Vampires. Period. Second, can you get a slot at an RV park? And third, can you help Danny and Lori rent an RV and get a slot next to you? Maybe up by Lake Buchanan? I want to be able to know where you are, come to find you, all that. I want you to be able to come here. Look in on Helen. I need you safe too. I need to not be worrying about taking care of you and Jessica."

They both looked very troubled. Their first instinct is to be here. To help. I saw the protests bubbling up, cut them off "Two of the Vampires here are members of the elite assassination squad the Council uses. In addition to deadly fighting skills, they both have Vampire hearing. You even talk about it out here, and if they are close, they will hear you. The same way I heard you talking about your lost grandchild."

It was low of me, but I needed to make my point.

Mom and Dad exchanged sorrow-filled looks that spoke volumes. They had not said anything to me about this, but how could they not talk to each other about it. I softened it a bit, still in low tones, still listening for any sounds outside that would indicate Anne coming close. "Mom, Dad, it means more than I can say to you that you two think of our baby as your grandchild. You may not grok this, but a lot of parents would be a little freaked out by the idea that their married son is having babies with two different women, not to mention all at the same time as learning about this whole other invisible world of Vampire and their son's induction into it."

A silent conversation ensued. The kind married people have. Mom took the lead "Of course she was our grandchild. You know how we feel about not only Jessica, but Helen too. It's weird to think of these two young women as centuries older than us, but ... love is love. You didn't invent polyamory. Not even close. We don't judge. We want you to be happy. In this day and age, alternative lifestyles are not nearly the eye-opening thing that they were ... before."

There is this thing you are not supposed to know about your parents. Not only do they not have sex, they not-have-sex only with each other. Yet, in that one pause, and their scents, I knew that my parents have been more than the traditional married couple they seem to be. I thought about all the RV rallies they go to, and wondered, then stopped myself.

It is worth underlining something for them. About Vampires and what we can tell. About the danger they are in here. "Really? Swingers? You two? That explains my shower."

Dad blanched. Mom rolled her eyes "Where did you get that?"

"Mom. Please. There is this thing about Vampire senses, and mine in particular, you really need to understand. I can tell things from the slightest scents. Hear inflections most cannot. My brain is rewired to put that data together in new ways. I know now. It's OK. You guys are not judging me. I'm not judging you. I will tell you this, for whatever it is worth. Helen and Jessica are the only two. It turned out that, for some reason, I am the first Vampire since William's parents who can cause a female Vampire to regret unprotected sex." I looked at them, their eyes a bit wide "A lot to absorb. I know. I'd like there to be time for longer discussions, but I need you two to be alive for that. And Danny and Lori. Can you talk to them? Quietly. Get them out of here?"

"Ok. Ben, you go talk to them. I'm going to check on Helen." Mom said, ending the discussion.

Dad saluted, and we headed down the tall RV stairs.