“It works for us,” Viggo says.
Allison chews her lip, as if pondering something important, then asks, “What about that girl I saw you with? Why do you drink from her if you have this available?”
I move closer to her. “Sometimes it tastes better straight from the source.”
Because of the questions swirling in Allison’s eyes, I have an unexpected desire to say I’ll never drink from anyone other than her, but Viggo captures her attention and we continue leading her through the tour of my facility.
“So, how old are you, Viggo?” she asks him.
“Not as old as Draven, that’s for sure,” Viggo says. “I was born in 1899. I became a vampire when Bogdan wanted to create a few extra slaves to do his bidding,” Viggo says.
“How did you escape?” Allison asks.
He shrugs. “In the sixties Draven found me, offered Bogdan a good deal to let me come work for him.”
Allison stares at me. “What did you offer him?”
I grab a bottle of the blood, holding it in the air. “This. It was brand new at the time, and I knew I had an idea to combat our problems of ever-growing task forces searching for missing people.”
She grabs the bottle, reading the label. “DN-Ade,” she reads aloud. “Clever name. I get it, like Gatorade.”
A sense of satisfaction settles over me, tilting my lips into what I hope doesn’t look like a cheesy grin, happy she likes my product. “Exactly.”
“What about you?” She nods toward me. “How did you become a vampire? Was it Bogdan who turned you too?”
I shake my head, not wanting to tell my story about the time I was turned. “No, it was just some random vampire who left me in an alleyway to die.”
“Oh.” She touches my arm. “I’m sorry.”
I continue showing Allison how everything works in the lab, and after another hour, we head back to the front of the building and step outside. Ferik pulls up the Bentley, and I open the door for my wife. She slides into the car, and I nod to Ferik, thanking him for watching the car.
“Where to now?” she asks once I’m in the driver’s seat.
“I was thinking we should buy you a dress for the ball.”
“Um… what ball?”
“Every year I hold a masquerade ball, and this will be a good time for you to meet the other clans.”
She tilts her head. “Is that smart?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Don’t they all want to kill me?”
“Not yet, but once they find out what you can do, they will.”
“You still think it’s smart to hold the ball?”
I laugh a little. “It would raise more questions if I didn’t have the ball. I’ve been having them for years.”
Allison breathes in deep. “Ok, then I guess I’ll need a dress.”
“Let’s go shopping.”
She smiles wide at this idea, and I head to the designer shop, owned by my favorite vampire couple.
When we arrive, I park the car in the small lot in front of the building. Allison waits for me to open her door this time, and I help her out of the car, thankful she’s letting me protect her.