Jesse

2

I got dressed after a shower, grabbing jeans and a button up before long socks and a pair of dress shoes before going down the hall.

I had called his name through my penthouse and heard something along the lines of a coherent sentence about getting up.

Knocking on his door it was opened with Eli dresses and still half awake and stumbled right into me.

"Are we going now?" He asked righting himself and I just pushed him towards the kitchen.

"You're going to feed one more time so we're both in top shape, then we will head out." I told him and handed over a bag of blood.

"They're meeting us at the place?" He asked and I nodded. He drank heavily and was done way before me. I watched as he looked around for the trash before seeing it. He aimed and took one look at my face before walking towards it.

"It's like raising you all over again." I whispered and moved to drink my own before heading towards the trash. "Grab a coat." I told him as I opened up my closet and he rushed to grab my best coat and I tugged on a sweater.

"So your friend... her mom... how important is she to you? Another best friend?" Eli asked as we got to the spotless elevator and I just nodded.

"Aaron Titan is a hybrid. She won't die on me. She's nice and great and has an amazing singing voice. She has supported me in whatever I wanted to peruse." I told him and he nodded slowly.

"Not like mum." He old accent slipped out and I just nodded. Imogene was more scared than supportive. At least 700 years ago she was.

We walked to the small restaurant in silence and when I spotted them already sitting in complete silence and nodded their way and led the way.

"Air. This is my son Eli." I loved tot he side to show him off after she looked up.

"Your son?" She asked and I nodded. I saw a slight narrower look telling me that I would explain later before she smiled wide at him.

"I'm also your daughters mate." Eli said as she shook his hand and I sent him a glare.

"What?" She looked from him to Lina and I just moved to sit down.

"Lina came over last night when Eli showed up. Hands touched, eyes connected and apparently they are mates." I summed up and worked my jaw and Eli was all smiles.

"How old is he?" She asked me and I looked at him.

"He was 17 when he turned." I told her and she looked from me to him.

"So how is he your son?" Aaron asked me and I gulped.

"She doesn't even know about mum?" His accent slipped again and I looked to Lina.

"I was married and had two sons before I was changed." I told her quickly and she glared now. "I didn't want you to-"

"So you can help me raise my kids and be my best friend and know all my deepest darkest secrets but I can't even know you were married to a woman and had kids?" She asked loudly and I winced as people started to look towards our table.

"Still married to a woman." I commented and her eyes started to turn red. "Calm down. Please. I haven't had real visits from any of them for almost 700 years. I haven't seen Imogene in that long, Eli maybe 340 years... and my oldest has flat out refused to acknowledge me for 500." I told her and I saw her eyes sadden over the truth and she looked to Eli.

"And why don't you visit your father?"

"Would you spend 300 years with your parents hovering over you and not take a chance at freedom?" He asked her and I saw the age in his years finally peak out. Some kind of wisdom was inside him.

"Why did you wait so long?" I heard Lina mutter and I looked over at her.

"She speaks." I heard Eli and I kicked him ankle under the table. "I mean because we were vampires in the UK. We were hunted. We either look like a normal family or be suspected and killed anyways. We stuck together until we got to the new world." Eli looked over at me and I turned away. "Plus without mummy and daddy together it didn't feel like family." He added and moved to take some of the water.

"And what do you do?" Aaron asked watching him a mama bear.

"Dear old dad here invests for me. Independently wealthy." He told her and she worked her jaw.

"And where do you live?"

"I have a couple homes. I had been living in California for a little while but as of right now I'm going to stay with dad." Eli looked over at me, silently asking if he should say why.

"Why? Shouldn't you get your own place?" Aaron asked and I looked towards Lina before Eli.

"I mean I guess Lina and I could pick out a home. That's something mates do."

"I don't think so." Aaron cut in and I held in my smirk and gave Eli a look.

"Which is what dad told me. Which is why I am staying with him." Eli lied and I looked at the menu in front of me.

"How do you know you're mates? You're a vamp." My eyes snapped up on their own, noticing the way she said that. Almost as if she didn't trust my kind.

"She said it." Eli told Aaron and I saw her eyes narrow.

"So you don't feel a pull. You don't really know what it's like to be a wolf. You're just a vampire." She spat and I glared now.

"Then I guess us Vamps better head out. Eli." I nodded and it was like he was 15 all over again. He did as I had ordered. Standing and nodding to our company. "You are welcome over any time Lina." I told her before turning my back on Aaron calling my name.

"Dad what did you just do?" He asked as we started walking towards my condo again.

"Just because she is my best friend doesn't mean she gets to act like you are not worthy of her daughter because you're not a wolf." I told him and he nodded and as we got closer to the condo I knew we both smelled more blood.

Eli took off first and I followed before seeing my first born in my car, hands nailed to the steering wheel and his throat torn but not as bad as Eli's had been. 

"Who have you pissed off lately?" He asked me as soon as the door was open. He glared and shivered and I reached in and pulled the nails out of his hands.

"I'm not the one bleeding." I told him as he moved to get out.

"Not what they said."

"Who is they?"