Crimson's parents were killed by vampires when she was 6 years old. Because of that she's sworn vengeance on all vampires and spends every night tirelessly hunting for vampires to kill. Lamech is the leader of the biggest vampire clan in the world...
Two more vampires arrived within just a minute. Alair presented them as Stuart and Olivier. I had time to reflect over how the jobs that Alair said they had was evident on how they presented themselves. Stuart truly looked to belong at the head of an army with a rigid posture, while Olivier had the scholarly air of someone that had spent too much time in a dusty library.
But before we had time to exchange any words apart from greetings, Lamech came in with the wolves. I saw that Lamech had, just like Alair, dressed up slightly for the dinner by also adding a jacket over his white shirt. His was a normal suit jacket though, compared to Alair's tail-coat.
I wanted to walk up and place myself next to Lamech, but the Alpha took determined strides towards me upon seeing me.
"Ah, I'm so glad you could join us," the Alpha said and held out his hand to me. "Any friend of Lamech, is a friend of ours. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."
He acted as if the earlier incident hadn't happened at all, and I decided to follow suit, though I couldn't help but feel awkward by his friendliness.
"Likewise Alpha," I said, feeling lost for words and took his hand.
"Now, now, no need for such formalities," he said and turned slightly so that he talked to both me and Lamech. "Just call me by my name if you please."
"Which is?" I asked and he laughed warmly.
"That's right, I need to introduce myself for that. Darren, and this here is my mate Cassie."
The woman had followed him as he'd walked up to me. Just like me, she had changed into a dress though hers was purple and stopped at the knees. She looked at me with her blue eyes. They moved over my face in a way that made her seem rather nervous.
"It's a pleasure to formally meet you," I told her and held my hand out to her, hoping to make the nervousness disappear.
"The pleasure is mine, Crimson," she said and as I had hoped her nerves seemed soothed and she gave me a warm smile. "That dress suits you well. You look gorgeous. I often find that black is a color picked when a person has no better option. But on you it seems like it belongs. Black becomes you instead of you becoming black."
"As if she's one with the night," Lamech said to the side and as my eyes met his, I felt surrounded by thunder.
"Yes," Cassie agreed. "That's a good way of putting it."
Darren introduced the other wolves as well, though apart from the names of the two Gammas, Brian and David, I felt that it was too much information to commit it all to memory at that moment.
After that, Lamech told us to take our seats. I immediately felt uncertain about where I was supposed to sit. I didn't actually belong there, I held no power in the deal that was the reason for the visit. Should I sit among the warriors that the wolves had brought for protection? Or was I considered important enough that I belonged further up the table?
I didn't know if Lamech sensed my uncertainty or would have wanted to do it anyway, but he took my hand and guided me to the table. I felt thankful for it at first, until I realized what spot he intended me to sit in. He, of course, took the head of the table, but then decisively indicated for me to sit at his right leaving the Alpha and Luna to take the seats closest to him to the left.
I wanted to sit further down the table. It felt slightly too much to be seated on what, by etiquette, would be viewed as the seat of the most honored guest. But I also couldn't exactly deny the seat as Lamech pulled out the chair for me. So begrudgingly, I took it and just hoped that the wolves wouldn't think too much of it. I also stopped myself from thinking too much of it. Likely Lamech had no specific intentions behind it, but only placed me there without any consideration of its importance.
Kyle presented the food and the starter was served. The conversation quickly started to revolve around food. Darren made comments and jokes about vampires and food that I felt certain Lamech and the others had heard a million times, but they all laughed along.
It wasn't until the main course that the first topic of conversation that involved me came up.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, Crimson," Cassie said and she looked from one of my eyes and to the other. "But are your eyes naturally like that or is there some magic involved?"
I wasn't surprised by the question at all, though it had been long since anyone had asked it. But the fact that my eyes were completely black did often freak people out. To be honest, I was surprised over that none of the vampires had asked about it at all. So I really didn't mind the question, but the tension grew in the room instantly and I could feel how a lot of it came from Lamech.
"I don't mind at all," I hurried to say and smiled at her. "They are quite unusual and you're far from the first to be curious. But as far as I know, it's all natural. If any magic was involved to make it happen, then that magic must have happened before I even learned to walk."
I laughed at my own joke and moved my leg under the table to gentle tap on Lamech's. He turned and looked at me, slight tension still emanating from him. I gave him a reassuring smile to make it clear that there was no need for him to be upset over the question on my behalf.
"I wonder what could make it happen," Darren said and just like Cassie had before, his eyes looked from one to the other of mine.
"The scientific cause is too much melanin," I said with a shrug. "And I know they look black, but apparently they are just extremely dark brown. Supposedly you can see the color difference from the pupil in very bright light. Not that I've ever cared to check."
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