Page 33 of Fangs with Benefits

"Sure," she says as she walks with me toward the bedroom. "What's on your mind? I heard that you escaped your protection detail the other day. Was it to go and see the witch?"

"That isn't what I want to talk about. I want to pose a question to you and see what your answer is."

"Okay," she says with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think would happen if the clan was left without a leader?" I lower my voice significantly to keep anyone from overhearing, and Vanessa must notice, because she asks,

"Are you planning on dying soon?" she asks. I know she's joking, since we're immortal. I think she's just trying to lighten the mood I created with the serious question.

"No. It's purely hypothetical."

"Of course," she says with a look that lets me know she doesn't believe me at all. Vanessa isn't stupid. But that's exactly why I want her opinion on this. She's also one of the only vampires in the clan I can remotely trust not to go blabbing our conversation to everyone else.

"Well," she says as she pauses her just outside the room,. "I think it's fair to say that the clan would descend into chaos and all hell would break loose."

I try to hide my dismayed look, but I fail. It's even more upsetting for me to hear her answer, because I know she's right.

"Look, I might not know exactly what you're planning to do," Vanessa says in a hushed whisper. "But I can tell that you don't plan on sticking around."

I look around the hallway nervously. There are eyes and earseverywherein the den, so I pull her into the bedroom with me and close the door behind us.

"I can see that you're distressed," she says once we are inside and have a bit of privacy to talk. "But I think I may be able to offer you asolution."

"A solution? To what?"

"To you wanting to ditch the clan."

"I didn't say that I wanted to—"

"It's okay," she interrupts with a smile. "Honestly, I don't blame you. Being the leader for these people isn't easy. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Okay, what's your solution?"

"Well, you need someone of noble blood to replace you, right? That way there won't be a lapse where the vampires can run wild without a leader."

"And you know where I can find one?" I ask with a spark of hope.

"No."

That spark of hope is instantly snuffed out.

"But I do know where you canmakeone."

I'm lost.

"I'm not from nobility," she says. "But I canpretendto be. No one actually fact checks these things anymore, and I can play the part well, trust me."

She is right about the fact that no one seems to question the leaders about their bloodlines anymore. It's a matter of showing a few pedigree papers, maybe saying a sentence or two about your family's heritage, and then everyone just kind of goes with it. For such a refined species, we sure take a lot at face value.

"Why would you even want to be clan leader?" I ask.

"Eh, I'm bored. There isn't much to do when you've already done it all. This might be something interesting to try. Besides, I'd rather keep control over the clan then see these knuckleheads destroy the city."

"And you really think you can do it?"

"Sure! I don't know if you've noticed, but I can hold my own. And everyone knows it, so they pretty much leave me alone. I'd be able to get everyone to fall in line. I could even forge a few ancestral family trees to prove lineage to a bloodline that doesn't exist. I'm a great liar."

"I'm not sure if that should make me feel better or worse about all this," I say half-teasingly.

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