The Immortal Queen

She owes him an explanation

****** Adam’s POV ******

Her laugh! Hearing that sound made my heart stop. What is it with this woman? Why can’t I stop looking at her since I walked up to the table and looked at her amber eyes? Truth be told, she is gorgeous. More than that, she has this mesmerizing presence. It’s like I know her or should know her. I can’t shake this feeling that now that I have her in front of me it would destroy me to lose her again… Lose her again? When did I lose her the first time? I have never met this woman; I would certainly remember. I shake off the thought and get back to business.

- Who’s your friend D’Angelo? – as soon as I finish asking my question her laughter stops. I get the feeling she doesn’t want attention.

- I don’t believe that’s any of your concern, Agent Reeves. I suggest all of us get back to what we came here to do. – With this, he sits down in front of her and shuts us out of the conversation.

For some reason, how he is keeping her all to himself and the way he looks at her, pisses me off. I just can’t stand to imagine her with him and you don’t need to be a detective to feel the tension and history between these two. They were a couple, I’m sure of it.

- Reeves! Reeeeves!! – how long has Anderson been calling my name?

- What?!

- Don’t fixate on him. Every time you fixate on a criminal, I have nightmares about what mess you are going to drag us to next. – Anderson is joking but I know he is worried and is trying to conceal it.

****** Catherine's POV ******

- This isn’t the place… - I started saying, hoping to avoid what’s inevitable. I owe him an explanation for leaving him 4 years ago and we both know it.

- Then we will go somewhere else, more private. I don’t care where, as long as you tell me why you vanished 4 years ago and I am not letting you out of my sight. You will not escape me again!

There was something menacing in his words… I knew he loved me when I ran away, but looking now into his eyes, I realize he suffered way more than I had expected. I can almost see a hint of madness in his eyes. Maybe the grief drove him mad, but that doesn’t make sense… He is a vampire, not as old as me. I have estimated his age at about 300 years old at least. I’m certainly not the first lover he lost or left him. Unless… No, it can’t be. Different species and what not.

- Alright, let’s take it easy…

- Take it easy, she says! You ran away with no explanation whatsoever and the worst of it is that we were doing great together! Or so I thought! Apparently, I was wrong… - At this point, he is holding the sides of the table and if he doesn’t let down on the pressure, he is going to break it and I’m not in the mood for pretending to be shocked by his strength, since he doesn’t know that I know he is a vampire.

- That’s enough Stefano! I have told you this isn’t the place; we are not having this conversation in a public place. If it helps you, I promise to get out of here with you, to not run away and to give you an explanation, ok? – I put one of my hands on top of his and immediately he stands still looking at my hand on his. I guess he didn’t expect the contact. I hope he doesn’t realize how much I need it as well, how much I missed him…

- Yes. I believe in you, Catherine. You have always kept your word. I have always admired how such a young one took her word seriously. – He said all that while contemplating our hands together, it seemed his thoughts were elsewhere. Probably why he didn’t notice that he slipped. He made a mistake by referring to me as “such a young one”, a mistake I have made several times. I never liked having to play at my apparent age.

- Good to know. Let’s eat and we can go somewhere else to talk. – I pretend to not have noticed his earlier remark about how young I was.

- We will go to my house. – There was a stubborn glint in his eyes that told me I had no choice.

- Fine. – I conceded. – Now, order your food and let me eat mine in peace and quiet because my headache is getting worse. A hungover is never fun.

It was a lie, of course. Enough time had passed for me to heal my hangover. Perhaps I could be having an “emotional” hangover. Let’s see… Adam could be my whisky and Stefano my wine and I have had enough of them both for the rest of the day.