Alexander hesitantly moved his hands, as if not of his own free will. He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the front door key. His arm slowly reached towards her. Ansuya took the keys gently from his hands. She kissed him on the cheek and slipped the key into her skirt.
“Thank you, baby,” she said softly, “You take such good care of me.” She walked toward the kitchen and started pulling food out of the refrigerator. She looked over her shoulder and saw him still standing there.
“Baby? Didn’t you mention something about calling Hagen and telling him to get some people together to watch Kenneth’s house?” she asked innocently.
He seemed to shake himself, “Ye…yeah, I did. I… I’ll go do that,” he muttered as he walked into the study.
She glanced at him disappear into the room. He was still resisting her. It had been a gamble to demand anything from her captor. But she had to test just how powerful her influence was. He would listen to her if her advice made sense to him and if she could distract him as well. Her ability to direct him was growing though, little by little.
After he set a guard or two to watch Kenneth’s house then she would have to convince him to tell her about his associates. If she couldn’t get to Kenneth, then maybe she could get to one of those five other vampires that had been there to jump her on that rooftop a year ago, a year that seemed like a whole other lifetime ago.
“Just do it, Hagen!” Alexander yelled from the office.
Ansuya smiled, who ever said that two men couldn’t be used to help push one in the direction that you wanted them to go.
Alexander stalked out of the office.
“Is everything alright, baby?” Ansuya asked with a touch of fear in her expression.
Alexander shook his head, “No, everything’s fine.” He sat down at the kitchen table and ran his hand through his hair. “Hagen didn’t know why I was still going on about Kenneth. He wanted to know why I should even want to put a guy or two on his house to watch for him.” He smirked as he snorted, “Kenneth is mine. I just needed to remind him who was really in charge.” He leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head, smiling.
Ansuya gave him a cup with a prepared serving of blood which he drank readily. She finished preparing her meal as well. It was a tenth of what she wanted to eat, but with Alexander still awake it would look very suspicious for her to suddenly eat many times more food than he had ever seen her. So, she contented herself with a small portion of rice and butter chicken and forced herself to eat slowly.
Alexander watched her with interest. It was a little disconcerting, being watched while she did such a mundane thing like eat. She looked at him quizzically as she chewed her food.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“It’s been a long time since I had to physically eat anything,” he said quietly.
“You drink blood,” replied Ansuya.
“Yeah, but it’s not the same thing.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke, “I remember what it was like eating, the feel of solid meat and potatoes in my mouth”
“But you can eat and drink normal food?” Ansuya asked.
“Yeah, but it’s an empty exercise!” he exclaimed with derision, “I get nothing from it. It’s just a waste of time, so why do it.” Alexander replied curtly. He looked at her plate and then gazed at the dark curtains that hung closed against the windows.
“I…I’m sorry baby. Do you want me to go?” Ansuya asked. This demure housewife routine was getting old very quickly. She would break this vampire soon then she could drop this charade. She began to get up from the table.
Alexander flashed his hand out grabbing hers, “Stay. I want you to.” He said softly as he let go of her hand.
She sat back down and finished her meal, avoiding eye contact with him. He wanted her close even when doing so meant that he was reminded of those few joyful things he had been forced to give up for his immortality.
“Alexander,” she said with command and force.
“Yes,” he replied evenly.
It was time to see just how strong her influence over him really was, and just how far he was willing to go to curry her favor. “I know that Kenneth has friends, Alexander, at least five of them. Do you know anything about them?”
The blue-eyed vampire shook his head, never letting his eyes leave hers though. “No, they could be anyone.”
Ansuya grabbed his hands and held him, her eyes boring into his as she bathed him in pheromones. “These are five very strong vampires, baby. You would know about them. I need you to think and tell me who they might be.”
The vampire stared back into her eyes, but no knowledge shone there.
Ansuya eased her grip on his hands and her voice took on a melodic tone, much the same way she had talked to Nicolas all that time ago under the Mountain, “Baby, let your mind drift for a while. You want to help me.” Her voice wrapped around his mind and ears sweetly as she spoke. “You want to remember these five vampires. They are friends of Kenneth, and you need to kill him.” Twisting his desires and hers together in her words and his thoughts left him completely entranced to what she was saying.
“These five may be your way of finding him.” She leaned in closer to him, “You want to follow them, baby. Find them. They will know where Kenneth is. We have to find where he’s hiding.”
Alexander nodded slowly. His eyes were empty as she spoke but she could see his mind open and relax with her words. If he knew anything then soon his relaxed mind would make a connection.
“Tell me,” Ansuya spoke quietly.
“I remember a male, green eyes and light brown hair,” Alexander began.
“Tell me what you remember, baby. Tell me his name,” Ansuya pressed.
Alexander’s eyes swam in memories as his relaxed mind jumped from one to another. His mind was desperately trying to answer her questions.
“Kenneth called him, Brian,” he finally answered.
Ansuya smiled and kissed him fully on his lips, leaving him stunned, “Find him, baby. Follow him and let him lead you to Kenneth.”
* * * * *
Kenneth was in a store house. It was a dusty, dirty, empty store house, probably once used for grain or food stuffs. Now it was a relic. A rusted out, cobweb laced, shrine to human greed and disposable purposes. Why fix something when you could spend more money buying something brand new?
He kicked at an inch of dust and God-knows-what that had settled on the floor. The dirt and dust spewed up in a heavy dense cloud that immediately fell back to the floor with a silent splash, scattering the layer of grime on the floor as it landed. The place was dark and even though the place was big, it felt small, claustrophobic.