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It had been a hell of a week. Kristin had been in rare Mistress form barking orders at everyone she came in contact with and keeping herself behind closed doors. I knew that she had been in meetings with other masters around the world, and figured it had to do with Portage and his message, but she wouldn’t even talk to me.
Our group had remained quiet about Hugh, and I had to wonder if Kristin had somehow compelled everyone without my knowledge. I didn’t think that she did, but stranger things had happened.
One of those strange things was the absence of Hugh. Kristin had neither seen him, nor spoken with him all week. Was she not wondering what he was thinking? What he was planning on doing? God knew that I was.
That’s why on Friday night while I was bored, I decided to give him a call. He answered on the second ring, “Hello?”
“Well, hello there sexy.”
“Angelina, how are you?”
“I’m just ducky, but more importantly, how are you? Did we scare you off last weekend?”
“No, you didn’t I’ve been busy at work. Your friends coming to town caused quite a stir. I’ve been putting out fires all week.”
“Yes, I would assume that they did to the humans.”
“I actually glad you called. There is something that I have been wondering all week.”
“Just one? If I were you, I’d have a list of a thousand.”
He chuckled and I smiled into the phone. I did enjoy the sound of his laugh. “Oh, I do have a lot, but one that I need to know the honest answer too.”
“Then ask.”
“Did Kristin do that compulsion thing on me to get me to drink her blood?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she needed to know you would be safe. First off, humans can’t go into the club, consorts can. She also knew that if things went down the wrong way, and for some reason they decided to take you, she would have been able to find you since you two had formed a bond.”
“Did we? I mean, did we actually form a bond?”
“Yes. She had your blood earlier in the night, taking hers completed that bond. Had it been days between, it would not have worked the same, but she would have still been able to find you.”
“So she did that to protect me, not try to convince me to turn?”
“Why? Has it convinced you?”
“No, I didn’t say that.”
“What has her blood done to you?”
“Made me wonder, that’s for sure. After I took it, I felt more alive than I had in years, but that only lasted a couple of days. Now I’m feeling weaker, I guess more like my normal self.”
“Or you could be in the first stages of failing, Hugh. It would be smart to make your decision.”
“You say that like I’m just signing up for a club, not changing my entire existence.”
“We are a very elite club, Hugh. The cream of the crop, especially Kristin and I, and you saw just how special she is.”
“Are you special like her?”
“Do you mean can I compel the world around me to stop moving? Sadly, not. I can compel someone that I am close to, or have shared blood with, but I can’t control an entire room full of people.”
“What can you do then?”
I sighed wearily, “Nothing. Well, nothing really special, or if I can, we haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Why can she if you can’t? I thought you were twins.”
“To be honest, we aren’t sure. There are so few of us that we don’t know why some can and some can’t.”
“So we don’t know if I’ll be able to do anything.”
“What we do know is that you will be able to lend your strength to her. That is what will be important.”
“And how would I do that?”
“My god, you ask a lot of questions.”
“Hey, you called me. Is she there by the way? Did she ask you to call me?”
“No, she’s not, and no, she didn’t. She doesn’t know that I am speaking with you.”
“Alright, so tell me how I would make her stronger.”
“By mating with her.”
“Like marrying her, right?”
“If you want to put it that way, yes, kind of.”
“What if I don’t want to mate with her?”
“Why would you not? You happen to enjoy having sex with her, it’s not that different. You have sex, you exchange blood, you go about your days and you help her when she needs it.”
“Yeah, but what would my days be like? I mean, I would have to leave my job, so what would I do?”
“That I don’t know, besides learn our ways and help her when she needs it.”
“Could I keep my job?”
“Could you only work at night?”
“Um, no.” I could practically see the frown on his handsome face, “I guess I couldn’t then.”
“Perhaps after you got into the world a bit, you could be the liaison between us and your human friends, or co-workers, or whatever they are to you.”
“You think that’s possible?”
“Anything is possible, Hugh. Would Kristin go for the idea? I think she would once she trusted you. It might take some time, but I think she would come around.”
“Are you saying that she doesn’t trust me? If that’s the case, why would she want to mate with me?”
“I didn’t say that, but I will tell you that she does not trust easily. You need to earn that trust.”
“How is she?”
I shrugged although he couldn’t see it, “Being a bit of a brat right now.”
“A brat?” He laughed, “I can’t imagine that.”
“Oh, trust me, my sister can be a brat, a bitch, a bore and all those other B words that you might come up with. She’s under a lot of strain right now with the breed and other masters.”
“Has she heard from Portage again?”
“No.”
“What is she doing tonight?”
“I think she is in a meeting right now. Why? Do you want to come over and have some fun with her?”
“I thought maybe we could talk.”
“Boring—” I sang into the phone. “Why don’t you come over and get her all hot and bothered. She could use a good sexual release. Might put her in a better mode.”
“Do you people always talk about sex so blatantly?”
“Are you asking in general of our population or me in particularly? Because to me it’s like taking a shower, something that you need to do regularly, just more enjoyable.”
He laughed, “I have to tell you, Angelina, I do enjoy talking to you.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Hugh. I enjoy conversing with you, too.” Although if I had the chance to have you in my bed, I might not ever let you out again.
“Maybe I’ll come over.”
“Please do. I’ll let Ryker know to expect you. If she’s busy, you can visit with me. I’m bored out of my mind. Maybe I can help you get ready for her.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Angelina, but I’m not sure I could handle both you of.”
“It would be fun to try.” I said to him before I hung up. Not that I wanted to share him with my sister. No, I most certainly didn’t. I’d prefer to have him all to myself. Maybe if I were lucky enough to mate to him, some dormant power would manifest itself in me.
Not that I was normally envious of my sister, I hated her job, hated what she had to do, but sometimes it did suck to be in the background.
I heard her apartment door close and went to speak with her. She was sitting on her couch, her head in her hands.
“What has you so doom and gloom?”
“Nothing,” She wiped her hair back from her face, “Everything.”
I snickered as I sat down, “Talk to you me.”
She flopped back on the couch, “There have been issues all over the globe, small skirmishes, nothing major, but just enough to be a nuisance. All of the masters are looking at me and demanding to know what I’m going to do about it.”
“Tell those old pricks to take care of their own territories.”
“Yes, I have, but they think I started the small uprisings with my stunt with Portage. Which they are right about. Had I not bated him; this might not be happening.”
“No, we’d all be sitting around waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fuck them, Kristin. You’re the only one who has done anything proactive. They should be backing you up, not giving you problems.”
“Maybe.” She sighed heavily.
“Well, maybe I have something that will cheer you up. Hugh is on his way over to see you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I just spoke with him. I figured one of us needed to and since you have been so busy with breed business, I took it upon myself to get you a booty call. You should be thanking me, not giving me that stern look.”
“I’m not in the mood for a booty call.” She muttered.
“How are we sisters?” I asked her and she laughed for a moment.
“Did he say anything else?”
“Do you mean about turning? Not really, but he did ask some questions, and I told him about the possibility of mating with you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he has the right know. If he is going to turn, I know that you will want him to mate with you.”
She made a gurling noise in her throat, “To be honest, I don’t want to mate with anyone.”
“But think of the power that he holds. The power that will combine with yours.”
“I know, but that doesn’t make this any easier. I also hate saying to him, okay, we’ll turn you but then you are mine to do with as I please.”
“What man wouldn’t want that?” I asked teasingly.
“Hugh.” She said.
“Maybe you are right, Hugh does seem to have a strong mind, but I think that if he knew all the stakes, and you explained to him how you feel, he might decide to do it. It’s not like you two have to mate for life. Just mate with him until this war is over and then find someone else that you want to be with.”
“You know that’s not how I do things. I want to care about the man that I am with.”
I laughed, “I’m pretty sure that you didn’t feel that way about dear old dad when you first mated with him, and if the stories are true, you were drugged when you mated with Trent. So I call bullshit on that. As for Alex, I know you always cared about him, and I know why you mated with him.” I stood up, “Look, just get the guy to transition, mate with him, use him while you need him then boot him to the curb.”
Then I can have him for myself. I finished in my head and found myself perplexed at my own thought. I didn’t want to be mated either. What I did want was to see if mating to a reborn would bring about any special abilities. Was that wrong to want to use the man that way? Wasn’t that what I was asking my sister to do?
“Look, go shower, get something pretty on, and when he gets here, have wild animal sex, and then talk to him about the transition and mating. See what he says.”
“Fine, I do that, but the wild animal sex might need to wait until after we have a talk. I know what he tastes like now, Angelina. I’m not sure I can hold myself back from taking more.”
“Maybe he won’t want you to.”
“Before I take more from him, he needs to make a decision.”
“Then tell him that.” I told her as she walked away, and I left to find Ryker and let him know Hugh was to be brought up to her room.
I stood in the elevator, my arms crossed and tapped my toe restlessly. My hope was that he would turn, she would mate, and then she would get this war over so she could move him along and I could enjoy him for a little while.
Was that too much to ask for?