A Vampire For Christmas Ch 04

Author's Note - Thank you to those who have read and rated my previous attempts. Your acceptance of this tale and its characters continues to warm me and inspire me to write more. Comments are welcome and appreciated. I thought the first chapter would be a one off when I started. The end is not in sight. As this is Chapter 4, reading the previous ones will aid in the understanding of this one. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing.

Chapter 4:

I awoke to see a pair of beautiful brown eyes staring at me.

"How long have you been awake?" I mumbled.

"Only a few minutes," Diana responded. "I think Colleen is going to like this view each evening."

"You should talk. You and Helena get to wake up looking at one another. I know men and women who would kill for that. I think that waking up next to Colleen, I'm getting way the better part of the bargain."

"You really don't know how beautiful you are do you?"

"You're just flattering me hoping for more sex," I teased. "Thank you. I'm glad you think so. What do we do now? Do you leave and head back to Helena? Do we go downstairs and meet them?"

Before Diana could answer, the door to my room flew open and I was hit with a flying naked woman jumping on top of me. Colleen kissed me and rolled off laughing.

"Morning, Love. Hi, Diana. Well, how did things go last night? Mother kept me from coming up here to ask for the last hour. How does she know when you're awake, Diana? Shouldn't Katherine and I learn how to do that?"

"I texted her." Diana sat up laughing. "Speaking of Helena. How was YOUR day?"

"Great," said Colleen. "I've not seen her so happy in years. She had a lot of, let's just say, energy. You're in serious trouble tonight, Katherine," she laughed.

Just then, Helena knocked at the open door. "Is there room for another?" she asked.

My jaw dropped as I saw her framed in the doorway, naked. She was a vision fully clothed, but nothing in my imagination prepared me for what was underneath. I stared, unable to respond. It was Colleen who said, "Come in, Mother."

"I'm happy because you're happy, Colleen. And this woman here," she pointed to me, "is the cause. How are you Katherine? I'm also quite keen to know how you two got on."

"Wellll.....," I pointed to the strapless. "I think it was more she got on me."

Everyone burst into laughter. Helena climbed into bed and hugged Diana, then me.

"Details, Ladies, details. Don't make me go all Matriarch on you."

I looked at Colleen and said, "before we do that. Can I say something?"

"Of course," said Helena.

"Colleen. I know you're in love with me. As sure as I know my own name, I know that one thing. I would know even if you hadn't said it. I know it from how you treat me. I knew from our first in depth conversation at the party. It was part of why I made the decision I did.

"When we awoke our first day together and were goofing around, I said 'it's a good thing I'm in love with you'. I didn't think much of it at the time. I'm pretty sure you didn't think about it either or your reaction would have been different. It was part of a teasing moment.

"I should not have said it like that. Those words, especially for the first time, deserve to be said from the heart. "

She sat back her arms loose around me, looking into my eyes.

"I think I realized how I truly feel about you after I bit you the first time and you didn't just smack me when I hissed at you. You were gentle and understanding. The love you showed me broke down a wall I built inside. I have always had serious trust issues. I've always been afraid to let anyone in for fear they would leave.

"I should have told you then how I felt. I was stupid not to. I'm sorry I didn't. I want to say it now. I want Helena to know. Diana already knows. She was the one who made me sort it last night. I am in love with you, Colleen. Completely, with all my heart, now and always.

She pulled me in close and kissed me deeper than she ever had. "I love you Katherine. You owe me nothing, least of all an apology. You said 'Yes' when I asked you to be with me. That one word was enough for me."

"Do you want me to tell these two to leave," I laughed, pointing at Diana and Helena. I noticed they both had tears in their eyes.

"Oh, no, you two. You don't get to make me cry, then kick me out," teased Helena. "I've put up with your moods for two years, Colleen. You scared us senseless. If you two are going to get all loving and sexy, I'm joining in. And, just try to exclude Diana. Not ever going to happen."

We fell all over one another laughing, hugging and kissing. Finally, Helena said, "Now, I want a report of your day. In your state, Katherine, I can hardly trust you to be thorough. You are justifiably distracted. So, Diana, I guess it falls to you. Besides, 'Professor', you're trained for this."

"My Queen, here is our report," said Diana, trying to look official.

"Knock it off, D," Helena said, laughing. "Stop stalling and spill."

"Seriously, since Katherine let the cat out of the bag, yes, we used the strapless. She had never done before. I can officially report that we both endorse it."

"The tasks you set were accomplished. I'm certain that Katherine understands the basics of Vampire blood, feeding, strength differences among Vampires. I impressed on her the need for caution where sharing pure blood is concerned," she said as she looked at Colleen who blushed and seemed embarrassed"

"What's that all about," I wondered

Diana looked at me and winked as she said, "Katherine asked good questions. A LOT of good questions." It was my turn to blush.

"As for the other task, she received a full feeding from me. She heard our desires for bonding as you and Colleen have done and wants that herself. She suprised me a bit. She grasps already that her role in the family will affect her personal relationships. She even knows that there will be limits to her relationship with Danielle. I think she'll be able to retain a great deal of their closeness."

"It was a really good day. We shared a lot. It seems that Colleen's instincts have proven, once again, spot on. We'll be a solid foursome."

Helena hugged Diana. "Thank you. I knew you and she would be great together. You need that bond. She will as well."

Helena hugged me. "I expect it will take a while for you to feel as close to me as Colleen does. I think it will take less time for you and Diana. I said I would like it, but I am not insisting, that you call either of us 'Mother'. I don't presume that you will be comfortable doing so, at first. You will, in time. I WILL refer to you as daughter, especially when others can hear. I will do so to remind us and the family that the esteem in which I hold you is equal to that in which I hold Colleen. You earned that when you accepted her."

I started to cry. "Thank you. I promise to do everthing in whatever power I have to be worthy, just as I promise to love and respect Colleen. Wiping my eyes, I said, "I see one small problem here. I mean, it feels like home, but I have no idea where I am. Any chance someone could show me around?"

Helena smiled, "Colleen warned me about you and your sense of humor. I propose we get dressed and meet in the kitchen. Did you bring any clothing suitable for exercise?"

"Yes. Force of habit. My stress relief was always the gym."

"Good. Physical powers today, then. Come on, D," she said to Diana. "Let's get dressed and give these two a moment. See you two in an hour."

They left and closed the door. Colleen pulled me in for hugs and kisses. We lay on our sides, just looking at one another a while.

"God, you're beautiful in the morning or evening, however we talk about waking up. Time is all jumbled," I said. "I get goosebumps just looking into your eyes. To think, we'll look like this for some number of lifetimes. How many do you suppose?"

"Nice try, but I am NOT going to tell you how old Mother is. I will say that apart from some unforseeable event, or if we decide we've lived long enough, we have centuries to look forward to."

"What do you mean by 'decide we've lived long enough'?"

"From time to time, a Vampire decides he or she has lived as long as they want and chooses to end their life," she said.

"How do they do that?"

"We call it 'facing the Sun'. The Vampire simply walks out into the Sun and waits for the Sun to destroy the structure of its blood. Then, they collapse and die. As we discussed, their corpse reverts to what it would look like depending on how many years they were changed. I've seen it. It doesn't seem painful. Though, the cases I've seen have been involuntary, so there was mental anguish you would expect from someone who doesn't want to die."

"You've SEEN it? Oh my God, why would you have done that?"

"As part of my Office as Crown Princess. This house has a Sun Chamber. It's not a place to go for a tan. It's an execution chamber. All Mother's houses have had one."

"When a Vampire has been declared a threat, they are taken to the Chamber and chained. After sunrise, the outer wall and roof of the Chamber are retracted, leaving the Vampire in full sun. They are confined there until they die. The stronger the Vampire's blood, the longer it takes. You or I would take half a day or more."

"Damn, how is a Vampire declared a threat?"

"Mother decrees it. Anyone who is facing such a judgement can ask for a trial, but, the court is Mother, Diana, Me and, now, You. Besides, Mother doesn't have to accept their request or our decision. She is the ultimate authority. The chances of a reprieve are almost non-existent."

"You were involved in a decision like that?"

"Yes. There's more. In instances of imminent danger to the family or humans or if a Vampire were to attack one of us purebloods, we can dispatch that Vampire immediately, with Mother's full support. She trusts us to know when justice has to be swift."

"Wait. I might be called on to assist Helena in a judgement of life or death of a Vampire whom I might or might not know?"

"Yes."

"And, I have to decide if some Vampire I might or might not know should be killed, on the spot, if the situation warrants it, based on my sole judgement?"

"Yes, except for one omission in your question. Not only would you decide, you would be the executioner."

"I would kill them? Fuck. How?"

"Well, you could rip their head off. Seriously, you could. You have that much power and strength. Oh, the Vampire might try to fight you, but think how successful a fly would be against a spider. The times I watched Mother do it, she used a sword. Quicker, more efficient."

"I have THAT much power and authority?"

"Yes. It's why we only have four purebloods. There were Vampire uprisings in the past. There are always rogue Vampires. Mother will protect the family and innocent humans without hesitation. Criminals, whether human or Vampire, receive no protection."

"Remember how she found me. I told you what she would have done to those men. She would have. In seconds. Without a thought, without remorse. If they were lucky, she would not have tortured them. She was incensed enough that she might have. They would have faced a very painful, ugly end."

"Colleen, I've heard a couple of times now about something that happened to you. 'Oh, Katherine', they say, 'you are the first person Colleen has wanted since......' then they trail off and change the subject. No one talks about it. Diana even said the story was for you to tell, not her. Can I ask about it now? Will you tell me? Ever?"

"I never want to talk about it. But, since we're on this topic, it seems an appropriate time."

"A couple of decades after I was changed, I became friends with a Vampire named Belinda. She was about four hundred at the time. Her partner had ended. He was tired of living. She was not. She looked to be about forty years old. She had black hair, blue eyes. She was about 160 centimeters. Five foot three, so you'll understand. You need to learn conversions. I won't always do this. She was hyper cute, innocent looking, even a pixie hairstyle"

"We became casual lovers. She would spend days at my place. She never quite moved in, but, surely, you know how those things go. She constantly told me how much she loved me. It was good to hear. I started having feelings for her."

"She wanted sex, all the time. She didn't have a leadership role, so she didn't get periodic feedings. But, the number of times we had sex meant she was getting more pure blood than anyone. She bit more than I thought was normal during sex. I figured it was just a habit from her being so much older."

"It was Francois who first called her actions to my attention. He said the amount of time we were together seemed excessive and worried how much pure blood she was getting. More importantly, he was hearing rumors about Belinda and several other Vampires discussing pure blood and how to get enough to change themselves. He wondered if she was using me for that purpose."

"I immediately took Francois to see Mother. She was PISSED. Not at me, fortunately. She knew how much I wanted a companion. She asked how often Belinda stayed with me and how much blood of mine she was taking. She was disappointed that I did not see the warning signs, but allowed that I was young. She took the blame for not training me better."

"We thought up a plan. Belinda knew that I kept a supply of pure blood at my house. So, we arranged to leave the storage area unguarded and unlocked. One day, after sex, she arose and went to the storage area. She took a bag of blood and started to drink it. Francois, who had hidden himself, caught her and set off an alarm. Security was there in seconds. I was right on their heels."

"We apprehended her, though it was a struggle. She was stronger than she should have been. It required both Francois and I to help security subdue her. She was transported to Mother's house in chains, heavily guarded by Francois as well as security. You do realize, he's one of the most powerful Vampires in the family, right?"

I nodded. "Diana alluded to as much when she used him as an example of blood strength."

"Another powerful Vampire went along as well, Liana. She is the most powerful Vampire who is not a Pureblood. she was also his human sister. It was as a show of her love for Liana that Mother changed him. But, that's a story for another day. A pretty interesting example of Mother's world view."

"Anyway, Belinda wilted under examination. Don't ask. You don't want to know. She had two co-conspirators who she gave up quickly. They were also apprehended. Each was an older Vampire, but, like Belinda, only moderately powerful. Their plan was to steal the store of pureblood, then, with that temporary power, kidnap me, hold me, and feed from me until they could each become pureblood, then kill me and overthrow Mother."

"Mother was beside herself with rage. I don't know how she didn't simply tear them limb from limb. I have never seen her so furious and hope never to again. Mother called a leadership meeting, requiring all in positions of authority to be present in the Throne room. There, she called the two co-conspirators to the foot of the dais, naked and chained. They were forced to kneel. She reached behind her chair, pulled out a broadsword and decapitated them in front of the attendees."

"She ordered their bodies to be hung like meat and drained of blood to be added to emergency stores. Then, their bodies and heads were to be cast into the Sun. Next, she ordered Belinda to be brought in. She was also naked and in chains. She was forced to kneel in what was, by now, a sizeable pool of blood. Mother declared her to be a threat to the family."

"Belinda immediately appealed for a trial. At that time there were only two chairs on the dais. Diana had not been changed yet. Mother looked to me and asked for my judgement. I looked at Belinda. She pleaded with me for mercy. I think my heart, which was normally happy and open, hardened in that instant. I almost vomited. I was overwhelmed by the whole string of events. I said one word. DEATH."

"Mother issued her decree. Belinda was ordered to 'face the Sun' at dawn. All in attendance were ordered to be observers. I made the suggestion that when Belinda was taken to the Sun Chamber, that she be drained of two liters of blood to be added to emergency stores. Why waste all of it? That started a new step in Sun Chamber executions. Belinda was taken away."

"At just before dawn, she was chained in the Sun Chamber. When the Sun had risen, Mother and I entered the Chamber. Mother asked Belinda if she had any last words. Belinda pleaded for her life. She said she was sorry she had lied to me and asked me to forgive her. I slapped her across the face, turned, and left the chamber. At the appointed time, I pushed the button to open the room to the Sun. Belinda began screaming, begging not to die, as the Sun's rays hit her. She lasted about twenty minutes. All that was left was a pile of dust and some bone and tooth fragments."

"Mother then addressed the attendees. She asked if anyone present had anything to say. No one dared speak. She said that anyone who threatened me or treated me with disrespect would share Belinda's fate."

"It was then that she informed them that not only was I the Crown Princess, I held the same status and love as if I were her daughter. She explained that relationship was stronger than our official titles. Since then, we've used those words to remind each other of, and to impress upon the family, the strength of our bond."

"It's that bond she now offers you."

"I've thought about that day often. For the first time in my life, as a human or a Vampire, I killed another being. I didn't feel bad about it. Actually, I wished I had used Mother's sword. I even imagined myself ripping her head off with my bare hands. The impact of those thoughts taught me the wrong lesson. Never trust anyone other than Mother."

"Since then, I've had only a few friends in the family, Francois, Liana and Akshay being the closest. Diana and I share a bond only a minute fraction less than I do with Mother. She, alone, I trusted as I do Mother. I swore to never again underestimate the power of pure blood and the effect its call can have on a Vampire. Until you, it kept me from considering the idea of a mate. Believe me, I understand your concerns about trust."

"Diana said Mother was worried that you might end yourself. How recent was that?" I asked.

"Over the last couple of years. I began to feel that having all these years to be alive seemed pointless. Just day after day of family matters, much of it boring or bullshit. Sex was not as much fun. Having pretty much unlimited funds was valuable how? I was in a dark place mentally, deep within myself."

"Then, Francois. Good old reliable Francois. He came to Mother asking permission to create a mate. Mother, Diana and I all had to approve before he could. I listened to him explain how he came to know Danielle. His emotions for her touched a part of me I thought was dead."

"As you know, we all said yes. My vote was self serving. I wanted to meet this Danielle. She sounded like a free spirit. I hoped she might bring some light to my life. We became friends instantly. You know how she is. She's so vibrant and so much fun. Mischievous, yet whip smart and disciplined."

"The more time we spent together, the more she told me about her life. Her only regret was leaving you. She told me tales of you two. She wanted you badly. But, you were unavailable to anyone. So, she held back. She would have married you, Katherine."

"Under the pretense of protecting you, I started.....well.... stalking you is close. I could have had others track you and report, but something made me want to do it myself. I'm glad I did."

"Danielle seemed about eighty percent sure you would accept my offer. Either way, we both reasoned that you deserved closure. So, I told her to call you and I set up the party. Not surprisingly, we enlisted Francois and Liana to help. The rest, you know. Had you said no to my offer, you would have still received a significant cash gift. And, no, it would not have been to buy your silence."