✓ | 𝟑 | 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐃'𝐄̂𝐓𝐑𝐄 ━ Jasper Hale

𝖛. What is the importance of men

Eloise is sure that Maria does not like being belittled.

Many covens are planning an attack, watching their every move.

Just because a coven of women is leading and successfully winning, achieving territories because of their skills, does not mean they have the power to belittle their power.

Eloise is being threatened by the so-called rumors.

It was expressed that a woman is the second-in-command of the Mexican Coven, and being led by a woman, apparently makes them weak.

But Eloise is the main threat because of her skills and talent for battle strategies and fighting.

They plan to kill her. Maria could not afford to lose her greatest weapon.

"Just what I have told you. They plan to kill you and take over. And I do not want that. We need someone to shadow you, to be the one in front of the field. Protection"

Eloise almost scoffed and rolled her eyes at Maria's statement.

The mere idea of someone taking her spotlight and hard work is not exactly an ideal idea for her.

It does not add to the fact that they lost territory to another coven.

Her anger and frustration are clearly evident.

"Then let them come; they are digging their own grave. They do not scare me." Eloise tells her, her confidence oozing from her.

It is not in her demeanor to be scared or be afraid anymore, not with her immortality preventing her from an easy death.

Eloise also told her that she could simply change herself to look like a man.

Maria dismissed it immediately, saying that it would take too much of her energy.

Maria walks towards her and says, "Think about it, Eloise. If we have other vampires in our coven, they'll be the ones in charge of disposing of those useless newborns. You despise that task, and you'll be able to get help with training the newborns. And I'll make do with a third-in-command per se. But don't fret. You'll always be my favorite."

It was no secret that Maria had a lingering infatuation with Eloise.

Eloise is hard to ignore, with her beauty and her hope for her humanity.

Maria always noticed her but never acted upon her emotions.

Being with a woman is unfamiliar territory for her, and she does not want to explore it anytime soon.

Maria still hasn't been able to truly move on from her beloved.

Her thirst for revenge always overcomes her feelings toward Eloise.

The idea of finally being freed from the task of disposing of the old newborns gave Eloise a sense of relief, finally minimizing her count of killed over the decades she'd been alive.

It was tempting.

But the fact that she'll have to take someone's human life makes her feel guilty.

Temptation be damned.

She'll never force someone to immortality.

But Maria wants it. Maria gets it.

There is always a choice, but when it comes to her mentor, there will always be one choice.

"If that's what you please," Eloise says with a sigh, slightly shaking her head. She finally agrees with her.

"It is," Maria says with a slight purr in her voice, satisfied that Eloise agreed.