Missing Vampire: Reward Available (Hypernaturals 6)

NorthAm Crew

The new order of the day is where meetings are now held at 'my' estate. They happen by the pool. Serious discussions ensue around tables and chairs, and breaks are taken swimming and eating excellent food and drinking excellent wine. The IPA that Jessica and Morgan made stays a state secret, as too many Vampires are rolling in.

Claremont used to host the entire French government centuries ago, but even opening up and 'restarting' every single room this castle has and doubling up Crew, we do not have nearly enough space.

Over on the other side of the winery's tasting room and gift shop is a place to spend the night. A quaint lodge and restaurant. Helen added it a couple of hundred years ago and made it look like it was contemporary to the main parts of the Winery. Every spare room and cancellation is filled there with Crew. Fiona took in someone as a guest in her suite. We still started renting out every other bit of available lodging nearby. Our Olympic size pool sloshed out of the edges with all the Vampires playing in it.

This deadly serious existential threat to Vampire existence is turning into a mini-Conclave.

We reserved the biggest room closest to our master suite for Denise, Anne, Carol, and Luciana. Three of those four know Diana is a real Vampire hatchling, not adopted, so we'll need to be careful around Luciana. Others that fought with us in Mexico on the Rogue Vampire campaign are coming too, but they are probably not getting here until after phase one, and we can't hold a room empty that long. As it is, we are putting four people into a room with a single king-size bed. That's fine for us married people, but we will set up some air mattresses too, so they don't feel like they are married people too.

Getting Fiona to take a damn break is nearly impossible. At the appointed arrival time for our Crew friends, I put on a robe, scooped up Diana, and headed to the front door. Fiona went to get off her chair, and I pointed at her and wiggled my finger. "Fiona! Sit! Rest!" I said.

"I am not a dog." Fiona said tersely.

"No; You are working yourself to a bone and I can get Helen and Jessica to hold you down if I have to in order to get you to take a damn break." I said, giving no ground.

Fiona crossed her arms and frowned at me, but said nothing.

I left the pool enclosure and went to the foyer, in time to open the door and let in my four Crew friends. Denise came first through the door, saw Diana, and took her from me immediately.

"Oh, Pumpkin! Look at you! You have grown so much since I last saw you!" Denise enthused.

Diana hugged her neck "Aunt Denise!"

Women at the house are 'Mommie'. My Crew friends are 'Aunts'

I watched that hug with a reflection that, for my gender and species, I am damn lucky. Very few male Vampires have as many female Vampire friends, and absolutely not as many on the Crew. Part of that is that I have helped them with situations like Mexico. I am the Liaison and I report to the NorthAm Council leader, Victoria. I am married to a Councilwoman and best friends with another Councilwoman. I like to think that even if all that did not come to pass, we could still friends. They know I am not a threat.

Diana was passed to Anne, and I got a hug.

"Hi, Adrian. In the middle of the shitstorm again, I see. You really scaled up this time!" Denise said.

I suddenly realized that we are speaking English, for the first time in a while. My brain just switched without me thinking about it.

"Different this time, Denise. The HPA had me for less than thirty minutes, and I am going after them only as a tiny part of this; wait until you see the pool. It is FULL of Crew."