Brian raises his glass as well and Vanessa notices that his hand is slightly shaking. Cole then looks at Vanessa and asks, “Should I tell him or?”
Vanessa smiles and Brian asks, “Tell me what? Did something happen?”
Vanessa takes a deep breath and replies, “I’m pregnant.”
Brian is visibly shocked! He chugs down his whiskey and replies, “What?! Are you guys serious?!”
“It depends, are you angry or happy about it?” Cole asks.
Brian gets up and says with a bright smile on his face, “Of course I’m happy! That is great news!” He then gives Vanessa a big hug and also quickly hugs Cole. “So, I’m going to be an uncle?!”
“Yes,” Vanessa replies.
“That is great! Finally, some good news! Wow, I was not expecting that.”
“Yeah, me neither. She kept it a secret for quite some time. But, I have to go to the toilet,” Cole replies, as he walks off to the toilet.
Brian and Vanessa sit back down, and Brian says, “I’m so happy for both of you, really. I can’t imagine that my little sister is going to be a mother, that’s crazy.”
“I know, trust me. I still need to get used to that idea as well. But, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Are you drinking blood again, I mean, Igor’s blood?”
Then there is a moment of silence. “What… why would you think that? Where does this question even come from?”
“I can see it in your eyes, and your hands are also shaking. I’m not stupid.”
“Come on, do you really think that? I’m just tired, that’s all. You know that I wouldn’t do that again. Last time it almost killed me. I have been busy lately and I just had a long flight, that’s all.”
“Yes, I know that. But I’m not stupid, so just stop lying and tell me why you are drinking his blood again!”
Right at that moment Cole comes walking in and he asks, “Um… am I interrupting something here?”
“No, we were just talking about our father, that’s all,” Brian replies.
Cole sits down next to Vanessa again and asks, “Did something happen to him?”
“No, nothing happened. We weren’t even talking about that.”
“Sister, please! Do you really have to bring this up right now?”
“Wait, what is going on?” Cole asks.
“Brian is drinking Igor’s blood again. Oh, and to give you a little backstory, he used to be addicted to Igor’s blood.”
Brian takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “Addicted to Igor’s blood? Why? And… I don’t even understand this,” Cole says.
“Remember when you were in The Vampires Nest? There were humans in there that drank the blood from the vampires and allowed the vampires to bite them. Why? Because their venom in their fangs and bloodstream makes you feel good. It’s like a drug. But the blood and a bite of a Dracul vampire is way more powerful. It makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. And in case you’re wondering, the venom also works on other creatures,” Vanessa replies.
“But… is that the only reason you’re drinking his blood again or? And you really were addicted to it before? I mean, why? What’s going on? What happened?” Cole asks.
Brian takes a deep breath and replies, “Well, I hate to talk about this, but remember when I told you how we met Igor in the past and how he one time just disappeared? Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I’m sure my sister already told you about how my father used to train me, and what it did to me. So, because of that, I sneakily went to see Igor without Vanessa one night. He saw that I was struggling and that I looked very bad. So, we talked, and I told him about my father and how he trained me, but then he said that he might have a solution. He told me that if I would drink his blood, I would feel so much better, but he would only let me drink it once. Because he knew that it is very addictive. So, I drank his blood and about ten seconds later it hit me. I felt amazing and I felt like… I don’t know how to say this, but like I was immortal. Like I really was on top of the world and I felt like I could take on anything and everything! He told me that it would last for about twenty hours and he also said that he hoped that I would feel better. And trust me, I did! Well, at least for those twenty hours. After the effect was gone, I felt like shit again. So, I went back to Igor and asked for more blood. He refused at first, but I kept on begging and begging until he finally gave in. And yes, after that, I kept on drinking his blood for weeks and I became addicted to it. I even became so addicted that I got suicidal thoughts if Igor didn’t show up one night. But then, Vanessa found out about it, I still don’t know how, but she just knew something was off and she told our father about it. So, I went back to see Igor one night, but right before I started to drink his blood, our father showed up, as a werewolf, with five other werewolves from my pack. Igor disappeared lightning fast, and my father had a lot of wolves walking around at night to look out for Igor. But, Igor never returned after that.”
“Alright, but that was back then. Why are you drinking his blood now again? You are the leader of our pack, you got a lot of money now, and this creature world is at peace,” Vanessa says.
“Yeah, I would also like to know. I mean, thanks for sharing all of this, but what is going on? Why do you need it? And, are you addicted to it again?”
“I’m drinking his blood again because it is stressful, being the alpha and also the boss of Packs United Motors in Malmö. I thought that it would be fine and easy, being the alpha and all that, but I would never have thought that it would be this much work. I have to take care and try to please as many people in my pack, and next to that I got a lot of work with the company which I also have to take care of. It’s just… I don’t know. It has become very stressful and I needed something that would calm me down. Something that would make me able to handle all of this. And I could only think of one thing, and one thing only. So, on your mother’s funeral, I asked Igor if he could let me drink some of his blood again, and he agreed. Of course, that’s not a surprise. He loves the fact that I need him, well, I should say needed him, because I stopped a couple of days back. And that’s the reason why I’m still shaking. But I promise you, I quit for good this time. And I am sorry.”
“On Julia’s funeral?! Are you kidding me?! And why couldn’t you just tell me that you were having a hard time?! I could have helped you!” Vanessa says.
“You know I don’t like to talk about my problems, but you’re right, I’m sorry.”
Vanessa shakes her head and Cole replies, “Well, I think it’s good that you did tell everything now. At least now we know what’s going on, and if you ever need help or someone to talk to, then know that we are here for you, and we will always be here for you.”
“Thank you, that means a lot, really. But sorry, I didn’t want to ruin the mood.”
Cole pours in some more whiskey in both glasses and says, “You know, I’m going to call David and let him know that I will meet the new brown werewolves tomorrow. Because today, we celebrate. What happened, happened. We can’t change it anymore and we should just forgive and forget.”
Vanessa laughs and replies, “Shouldn’t I be the one to say that? But, I agree. Sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten angry about it. Like Cole said, let’s just forgive and forget.”
“Yes, let’s talk about this baby that is on its way,” Brian replies with a smile.
Cole raises his glass and says, “Cheers!”
Brian raises his glass as well and Vanessa raises her bottle of water. The hours fly by and it’s getting darker outside. Cole, Vanessa, and Brian are seated at the dinner table eating dinner. “You know, about Igor. Something strange happened yesterday,” Cole says.
“What happened then?” Brian asks.
“Something so strange that made you miss your flight?” Vanessa asks with a smirk.
With a smile, Cole replies, “No, but after the alpha meeting he came into my office and we talked. I told him that we discussed it and that we agree
d that he should be the one that will represent the vampires and join our meetings, and next to that, he told me that he hasn’t heard anything from James and Vlad yet. But then I got an email from a colleague from London. I completely forgot to tell this by the way, but he showed me that the mansions, including the mansion of Lord Williams, were renovated. So, I told Igor about it, and it looked like he just saw his suits going up in flames or something. And after that, he just disappeared.”
“Yeah, Igor, what can you say about him. He is just strange,” Vanessa says.
“Yes, but it’s indeed odd. Have you heard anything from him since?”
“No, nothing. And still nothing from James and Vlad either.”
“I hope he’s alright,” Vanessa says.
“Yeah, me too. But I’m going to wait until the new year, and if by that time he still hasn’t shown up, then I’m going to look for him,” Cole replies.
“I agree, I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a strange feeling about it. But, Daniel already has shadow werewolves looking around in Romania. Maybe you should give him a call and ask if they can also look for Vlad,” Brian says.
“Yes, I think I will,” Cole replies.
“But I’m sure Vlad doesn’t know anything about the new rules yet, nor does he know that the shadow werewolves and the gray werewolves are our friends again. So, if they would find him, I’m sure he would completely freak out,” Vanessa says.
Brian laughs and Cole replies with a smile, “I think so too, but I will tell them to approach carefully.” But then Cole’s eyes start to glow for a short moment!
“Is everything alright?” Vanessa asks.
“No, I get a feeling like something is wrong.”
Brian gets up and says, “It either means that your pack is in danger, or that they stumbled upon something dangerous. You should check it out.”
Cole and Vanessa get up as well and they walk over to the front door. Cole opens it and sees three brown werewolves, in human form, standing in front of his porch. Cole, Vanessa, and Brian walk onto the porch and then they see that Vlad, who is wearing glasses, wearing casual clothes, and has yellow eyes, is standing in front of the brown werewolves! They’re shocked! One of the brown werewolves turns his head around and says, “This vampire walked up to your house and he might be dangerous, do you want us to do something about it?”
Cole walks down the steps of the porch and says, “Don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. He is my friend actually. It’s alright, don’t worry. But thank you for protecting my house.”
“Of course, we will protect your house, but alright, then we will leave again. Have a nice evening,” one of the brown werewolves replies. The brown werewolves then walk away and wave Cole and the rest goodbye.
Cole looks at Vlad and says, “Where have you been?! What happened to you?!” He then gives Vlad a hug.
“Sorry, so sorry. I had a really good time at my uncle, I learned a lot from him. But I completely forgot about you, and Brian and Vanessa, and your mother’s funeral. I am so sorry, really. I understand if you’re mad, you have every right to be, but I hope you’re not. You’re not mad at me, right?”
Cole smiles and replies, “I’m not, buddy, I’m glad you’re back.”
Vanessa and Brian walk over towards Vlad and give him a hug as well. “So, how is everyone? I am so happy to see you all again!” Vlad says.
“We are too, but let’s go inside, it’s freezing,” Vanessa says.
Cole nods and they walk inside. They all sit down on the couches in the living room and Cole asks, “So, tell me, how are you, buddy? What did you all do? Tell me everything.”
“I’m good, really good actually. But, I visited my uncle, like I said, and we immediately had a connection. We talked about everything and also about his addiction and mine. I told him I was addicted to drugs, thanks to you, Vanessa. And I don’t mean that in an angry way because it actually helped me to connect with him. So, for the record, I meant that in a good way. But yes, we had a great time. But, like I said, I completely forgot about you guys. I am so sorry, and, Julia, if you can hear me, then I would like to tell you that I’m so sorry. I hope you’re not angry at me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s not. If you want we could visit her and my father’s grave tomorrow.”
“Really? Where are they buried? And your father has a grave? And, how is everything going with you guys? And what about the shadow werewolves? And I heard you have a pack now.”
Vanessa laughs and says, “He hasn’t changed a thing.”
“Yeah, but everything is going well with the pack and with the company. And yes, I recently found out my father has a grave as well and my mother is buried next to him. Their graves are deeper into the forest, but I will show you where exactly tomorrow,” Cole says.
“And, Cole and Vanessa have some great news,” Brian says.
“Oh, really?! What is it?!”
“Well, I’m pregnant.”
Vlad immediately gets up and replies, “Really?! That is so awesome! Wow, how does it feel? I mean, the fact that you’re going to be parents? And that there will be a little human growing inside of you. I don’t mean that in a weird way, did that sound weird?”
“It doesn’t don’t worry. But it feels great, at least for me,” Cole replies with a smirk.
“Very funny, but it feels good. We are very excited,” Vanessa says.
Vlad sits back down and says, “Well, congratulations! We should drink on that! Well, not you, because you’re pregnant, but I mean, well, you know what I mean, right?”
They laugh, and Cole grabs another glass from the kitchen and pours some whiskey into it. He hands it over to Vlad and Vlad raises his glass and says, “Well, to Cole and Vanessa, who are going to be great parents! And to Brian, who is going to be a great uncle of course.”
They all cheer to that and they keep on talking about everything that happened and about the pregnancy.
The next morning, Cole wakes up while Vanessa is still sleeping next to him. He gets out of bed, puts on a hoodie and a pair of jeans and walks downstairs. He walks through the living room into the kitchen and sees Brian, who is already seated at the dinner table with a cup of coffee. “Good morning,” Cole says, as he pours in some coffee for himself as well.
“Good morning, how did you sleep?”
Cole sits down at the dinner table as well, takes a sip of his coffee and replies, “Good, what about you?”
“I slept well, but you might want to read this,” Brian says, as he shows Cole a note.
Cole grabs it and sees that the note is from Vlad. He wrote, ‘I’m sorry, but I had to go back to London again. Family obligations. See you soon,’ on it. Cole puts the note down and is visibly confused. “Family obligations? And he really left already?”
“Yep, I checked his room already.”
“That is not like him at all. He just came back to see us yesterday, I mean, it’s strange.”
“I know, but who knows, maybe something bad happened to a person in his family and he freaked out and immediately left.”
“Yeah, maybe, but I feel like something is off. I don’t know what, but something is not adding up here. I mean, he disappeared for months, which is not like Vlad at all, no one could find him, and after that, he just shows up to leave the next day again.”
“So, what do you think happened?”
“I don’t know, really. But I think I’m going to give Danny a call and see if he can find Vlad and keep an eye on him.”
Right at that moment, Vanessa comes walking into the kitchen as well. She gives Cole a kiss and asks, “How did you guys sleep?” She then grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and sits down at the dinner table as well.
“Vlad left,” Cole replies.
“Really? Why?”
Cole gives her the note and Vanessa starts reading it. “Did something bad happened to someone in his family?” Vanessa asks.
“We don’t know, all I know is that this isn�
��t like Vlad at all. Brian and I talked about how this situation is just very strange with him disappearing for months and all that. Something is going on.”
“What do you think is going on then? I’m sorry, but Vlad is kind of strange, to be honest.”
“That is true,” Brian replies.
“I know that, but this isn’t like him at all. Anyway, like I told Brian, I will give Danny a call today and ask if he can find Vlad and keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, you could do that, but I’m sure he’s fine, really. Don’t forget that he’s a vampire now, he can handle himself,” Vanessa replies.
“Handle himself? That is very debatable,” Brian says with a smile.
“Yeah, I know. But another thing that is strange is that yesterday he wanted to go to my father and mother’s grave today, but now he’s just gone already.”
“It’s strange, I agree. But like you said, just give Danny a call and then we will find out what he’s up to. Maybe something bad did happen to someone in his family, we don’t know. Anyway, I’m sorry but I have to leave as well,” Brian says.
“Really? Why? And don’t you want to stay around for breakfast?”
Brian gets up and says, “No, I’m sorry. Earlier I got a call from Leo that he and the others might know where our father is. So, I’m going to check it out.”
“Why would you care where our father is? Just let him be.”
“I don’t know, I just want to be sure that he’s fine, that’s all,” Brian replies. “But okay, my taxi should be here already, I really have to go. It was nice being here again and I will see you guys soon.”
Brian gives Cole and Vanessa a hug and then he walks outside. Cole and Vanessa step onto the front porch as well and Cole says, “We’re going to Paris on New Year’s Eve, feel free to come as well.”
“Yes, and greetings to our father, if you will be able to find him. But don’t tell him I’m pregnant.”
Brian smiles, shakes his head and replies, “I won’t, don’t worry. And I will see if I will be able to make it to Paris, I will let you guys know. Alright, bye!” Brian then gets into the taxi and the taxi drives off.
The Agkron werewolf_A world of Dracul vampires Page 8
