Naked Came the Vampire (Hypernaturals 1)

Now What?

As I stood there watching them kiss, I tried to figure out what to do with my hands. I put them behind my back. That felt weird. Decided to leave them dangling. That felt a little like a monkey hanging out.

What is the correct stance to watch old lovers necking? I started to think I am about to be watching a porno. That would be something to do with my hands: Take notes. One of Helen's hands went behind Jessica's head and the other traced a line from her breast around to her back. One of Jessica's hands holding and caressing Helen's breast, from the side.

Something about it all told me in a very visceral way that they have been lovers for a while. The way that they were so familiar with each other. So comfortable in the embrace.

When they were done, Jessica pulled her mouth away, licked her lips, and she smiled at Helen. The hand not touching Helen's breast instead stroked her face lightly and affectionately with her fingertips. Curled behind one of Helen's ears brushing her blonde hair back. "Yes, I'm young and you like to seduce young women like me."

I am not sure who is seducing who. It seemed to me that Helen was the one looking dazed. "Come on, Helen. I know I have a mess to clean up. Tell me the Councils price. You know I will pay it."

Without looking away from Jessica, Helen answered "He.." A small index finger with a sharp nail came up and pointed at the issue, I.E. little ole me. "... is your problem. I mean that in a very literal sense of the phrase and most especially the word 'yours'. When I say 'your problem', I mean, he is quite literally yours, Maria. If he is the source of any serious trouble at all, it is on you. You are responsible for him and everything he does. Keep him under control. Teach him our ways. If he screws up, you screwed up. This is not a lifelong sentence. Two years."

Jessica pulled back from Helen and looked over at me, and it is a look she has never given me before. I guess it is because she has never been completely responsible for me before.

Helen went on, although I could tell she would have preferred Jessica staying in close. She laid a hand on top of Jessica's. The one on her breast. Helen pressed Jessica's hand there. Jessica splayed her fingers and squeezed in response to let Helen know she was still listening even if she was looking at me. "You have to deal with this policeman situation too. It has to go away. We cannot risk discovery because a cop starts looking at you too closely. Un-break his mind if you can. Focus him on someone else. Whatever you need to do. Make it go away, and go away in such a way that no one else on the local police force feels the need to come looking."

"That's it?" Jessica asked. I guess she thought it was going to be more than merely a cleanup on aisle three plus Vampire bondage.

"That's it." Helen assured her.

Jessica was confused. "Helen... I don't get it. Why all the summoning and the scaring the crap out of me and Adrian if this is all the price is?"

Helen smiled. Looked at me for the first time with a very powerful gaze. Those blue eyes should be licensed as weapons. "He knows. It's what he said."

It was my turn to look confused. What the entire hell did THAT mean?

Helen rolled her eyes disappointed. She looked at her old friend and lover "You sure you don't want me to kill him? I would be quick... OK. Fine. It all comes down to this: We have no way of knowing if we can trust him, but we know we can trust you. This problem with the cop is hardly new to our kind. To have assurance about the male Vampire, we need to make you responsible for him. I was loathe to do it, and I would not until I saw the two of you together. Talked to you. You had to come here. We all needed to know if you would take this on."

Lights went on for me. I knew what she meant. "Ahhh... the test for my life is not the conversation. The interview with the council. Not completely anyway. It is... everything else. It is .. How we looked at each other. Held hands. You needed to know if taking responsibility for me would be a burden she would accept..." I trailed off as more bit's went together in my head. I looked over at a camera I saw in the corner of the room and remembered that I saw cameras in the sanctuary as well. I assumed they are for recording the religious service, and for knowing when everyone is inside the sanctuary. They had been watching us. Helen followed my gaze and nodded affirmatively.

"Yes. We watched you. For a male Vampire to survive, a female Vampire must agree to this arrangement regarding him. We got you here fast too. I am surprised Maria is infatuated enough to agree to all this. Not happy mind you. Her happiness is important to me, so when I saw you two together, I knew how this would have to go. Any other female Vampire it would only be that she would take it on. For Jessica: I needed to see you."

Jessica looked at her old friend closely. "Helen, you always surprise me. I am not sure how I feel about the idea that Adrian had a higher bar to pass than most. I also did not know I am this attached to him. Really... after being a Vampire for the better part of a century, you'd have thought I would have had that possibility removed. He is kinda cute. Teachable too."

Helen pulled a sour face. "Honey, I love you more than you could ever know, and it kills me to see you exhibit such bad taste, but it is what it is."

I raised a hand. "Uhmm... I'm standing right here."

Helen looked at me with no expression at all on her face. To Jessica, she said "You two are stuck with each other for the next two years, with this caveat: Maria can get out of the deal at any time. Any. Time. She can decide you are not to be trusted, and therefore have you killed at any time in the next two years. She can do it. She can have me do it." Her eyes narrowed as she verbally emphasized. "No consequences. No charge."

I told Helen in the very lightest of sarcastic tones "Yikes. Well, at least you don't have to pay Jessica for the privilege of killing me." I am not going to let this very scary lady get the best of me.

Helen brightened and squeezed the hand still on her breast "Oh! Good idea! What would you charge me, my dear?" I don't think she is being deadpan. Hard to know. My smart ass mouth is going to get me dead if I am not careful.

Jessica shook her head a firm 'no', and she did not smile. She brushed Helen's hair back again "No, dearest lover. No. He is mine to deal with Helen. Mine. The decision is made, and you were part of it. You gave him to ME. If any killing needs to be done, I will do it. If you ask nice? Maybe I'll share him with you. Later."

Oh. Shit. Better and better. That terrified me in a way that the idea of Helen cheerfully offing me did not. It's one thing to be killed by someone that hates you. It is another thing entirely to get it from the woman you love.

Helen frowned for a second, said "Bollucks" in a sincere way, then brightly added, as if we were not just talking about killing me "Oh well. So: Who's hungry? I know a place...."