“Isn’t the presentation soon?” Margaret asked.
“Tomorrow night. You do have a wonderful memory.” Dante nodded.
“Presentation?” Alex was confused yet again. Would this night’s many questions ever be answered fully?
“It’s for vampires and our chosen humans or donors. We present ourselves and them to the others with donors to let them know who is exclusive to us. This prevents any unwanted attacks, supposedly. It is stupid in my opinion because if there were any attacks, it wouldn’t likely come from any with donors already would it?”
Dante took his wallet out. “Margaret is free to go now. Just walk out. I’ll make sure Rose doesn’t stop you. Here is a few hundred. Call a cab and get some take away on me when you get to Alexandra’s place. Enjoy the rest of your night, ladies.”
Dante hugged Margaret and whispered, “You’re very welcome. Don’t worry…I know,” as she thanked him and then for something Alex couldn’t quite hear. Margaret’s manner was back to normal, Alex noticed. As if she had not caught two under age kids canoodling and roused on them. But Alex had a feeling that was what the second part of Dante’s answer was about; reassuring Margaret that the kiss was a once off. A mistake. Something that shouldn’t have happened.
Alex placed a hand on his chest as she asked, “When am I going to see you again?”
Dante studied her before taking her hand and kissed it. Obviously his favourite move. “Soon. Take the time to spend with your mother.”
He gave her the grin she loved as he walked out of the room.
*
“How did it go?” Michelle asked when Dante climbed into the car.
“Better than I’d hoped.”
“I’m so glad for them. It’s about time they got some good news lately. Especially Alex.”
“I didn’t tell her about Lauren yet,” Dante said, looking straight ahead.
“Why not?”
Dante glanced to the hospital. “I couldn’t. She was just too happy. She had a lot put on her tonight, including the circumstances about her father. Yet she still never failed to impress me on how well she took everything. I didn’t want to completely ruin the reunion further.”
“I think you should’ve told her, honey. It would’ve been best coming from you.”
Dante nodded grimly. “Perhaps, but we still have no proof she has been turned. It only looks that way. And Vickrant did not admit or answer my question at all last night. Maybe I care about Alex too much. But if there is one thing I have learned, when it comes to news, good should always take precedence over bad. Bad news can wait. There is always more of it around the corner.”
“True enough,” Michelle rubbed Dante’s leg affectionately as she started the car and drove off.
Chapter Twenty
The Next Night
Alex could not have been happier here in her own living room surrounded by Margaret, Michelle and Dante. Less than a day ago, she might have considered this the strangest assortment of people ever.
The previous night was a blur of happy tears and shared stories. Dante had been right about the nurse, Rose. Whatever he did or said to her worked, she had not stopped them leaving. When Alex and her mother arrived back at Alex’s apartment, they talked until both had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion. Among a mountain of other things, Alex asked why Margaret looked so cross at the kiss she had shared with Dante.
“It didn’t mean anything mum. It was just, I dunno, a thank you.”
“Darling, don’t kid yourself, it is never that simple with a vampire. With Dante. He is wonderful and if I thought there was any chance you two could be happy, I would say go for it,” she replied, thrusting her fist in the air to give added emphasis. “We can’t let ourselves fall in to that trap. Humans I mean. There has never been a successful relationship between a vampire and human. Not one. That’s because most vampires, like Dante have no idea how seductive they are. The others do, and prey on that. It is pure ignorance and has found a lot of men and women either broken hearted, turned, or dead.”
“It’s not like that, really,” Alex assured her. Margaret had given her a disbelieving look, but let the matter drop.
In the morning, they woke still holding hands.
“Let me make some breakfast,” volunteered Margaret.
“Oh, mum, no. You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to, sweetheart. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for many long years now, and you’re not going to stop me.” Margaret gave her daughter a determined grin.
After breakfast, they ventured out shopping together and went to the movies. They both felt they were making up for so much lost time.
Later that evening, Michelle arrived with Dante, clearly to check on them, but Alex was grateful. So here they were, laughing and reminiscing about old times. Michelle as it turned out hadn’t told Alex the truth either, she had known the story about Alex’s parents, but obviously couldn’t say so. But as Alex looked over, she didn’t mind now. Michelle and Margaret had never spoken before, yet immediately they were like best friends. It would’ve been perfect for Alex except for one thing. Matt wasn’t here. She really didn’t know how she felt about him anymore, which probably meant she no longer loved him. And maybe she hadn’t for some time. But she still missed him. Those three years had meant a lot, to her anyway. She wondered if there was any point in salvaging things. Was Matt the type who could still be friends?
“Alexandra, there is something I feel I should tell you,” Dante called, from what felt like far away.
“Hmm?” Alex snapped back to attention
