Cat's Choice (7 page)

Just outside the doors, the patio was made from Venetian paving stones and the outside furniture made from the same Calamander wood as the inside had been. The clan carpenters had constructed them, as well.

His mother and he took the steps down to the open garden, walking a path lined by large hedges, heading toward a wide circle with a grand fountain in the center. In the fountain stood a beautifully sculpted statue of Baldassare and Adreana, the god and goddess of the Vampire s. Like all Vampire s after him, Baldassare was sculpted as a beautiful and alluring man, with a strong, square jaw; long, straight nose; and full, lush lips. His hair was long and framed his face, which was as beautiful as an angel, while his body was that of a god. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, wide chest, leading into a tapered waist with a six-pack abs, toned buttocks and thighs, and a long , thick cock jutted out from between his legs. In his arms, he held his mate, the goddess Adreana. Her long hair took on the appearance that the wind was sweeping it about her body. Her face was turned up looking at the god. Her full, pouty lips parted slightly; her nose was neither short, nor long; and her eyes were large and lined with thick, full lashes. Her small, delicate looking hand rested on the god’s cheek, and they appeared to be in a passionate embrace. Where the god’s body seemed hard and toned, the goddess was soft and curvier than what a modern human would prefer. Wide hips, full rounded breasts, a gloriously round bottom, and soft, thick thighs. Her stomach was not flat, but dipped in at the waist and rounded slightly going into her hips.

Orfeo often caught himself coming out here to just admire the god and goddess. He wondered if his male mate would be so well sculpted as the god, and he wondered if, maybe, his female mate would look a bit like the goddess in body; he never enjoyed taking a woman who was too thin or small for him . He wanted to be comfortable enough to be a bit rough , without breaking her.

“Orfeo,” his mother pulled him out of his musings again. “Come, sit and stop examining the goddess so closely, lest the gods see you and become jealous.”

Orfeo smiled at his mother’s attempt at humor and sat on the bench next to her.

“Darling,” his mother started by putting her hand over his , “w h y are you so distressed?”

He sighed and leaned back, knowing it would be useless to keep anything from his mother. He took a minute to think of the best way to speak.

His mother took his silence as unwillingness to speak and continued, “You know you can tell me anything, son. I want to be there to help you as much as I can during this time.”

“I know, mama,” Orfeo patted her hand in reassurance.

She smiled at him and pretended patience, even though Orfeo knew she had always been an impatient person when it came to knowing how to help others. His mother was such an empathetic person. She usually bore everyone else’s burdens more than she could, even when she couldn’t do anything about them.

“It’s nothing so bad really. I ‘m just anxious to begin what is needed t o be done to fulfill my destiny, “ h e lied.

“I know that is not what bothers you, Orfeo. You should know I know you better than that.”

Orfeo stood abruptly and walked towards the fountain. He stared at the beautiful statue in front of him; not wanting to face his mother’s questioning eyes. He felt her small hand touch his shoulder but still refused to turn and look at her.

“Orfeo, I feel your pain and longing, and I know what troubles you. Why do you not confide in me about it?”

He did turn to look at her then. Her large, deep brown eyes gazed at him in sympathy, but he didn’t wish to feel anyone ‘s sympathy. He could feel his anger building again. He refused to take it out on his mother, so he tried to calm down. This was the fall back of being such a strong Vampire , from a strong fam ily. His dominant instincts were constantly trying to kick in, no matter the situation.

“I don’t feel sympathy toward you, Orfeo, only empathy. I remember how it felt before I met your father and knew I would soon.”

“Mother, you should not be reading my thoughts.”

She looked at him indignantly. “Well, how else am I supposed to be able to know what bothers you, when you won’t tell me?” she said unrepentant.

Orfeo grabbed her hand and placed his cheek in her palm. “I ‘m sorry , mama; I just don’t know how to deal with these feelings. Will you forgive me for being a beast?” He c losed his eyes against his mother’s pain. “Nothing satisfies my blood hunger, and I feel as if I am dying of starvation even though I know I ‘m not.”

“And what of your other thirst? The lust for a willing body to sink into ?”

His eyes came open in surprise. He knew his mother knew of his sexual needs, but they had never spoken so casually about them. “Ma ma ,” h e said in disbelief.

She drew her hand away and swatted his chest, “Oh come, Orfeo, do you think I wouldn’t know of your sexual activities? You are over 600 years old. Do you think me naive ? I wasn’t born under a rock.”

If Orfeo could blush, he knew he would have been red as a ripe berry. “No, mama, but I wouldn ‘t have thought you would feel comfortable speaking to me about it.”

“And why not? You’re a grown man. Vampire s are very sexual beings, possibly even more so than any other. Before your father, I had my own dalliances to speak of. Just don’t mention them in front of him, then he is truly a beast, and it takes me days to soothe him.”

“Mama, please
,
” Orfeo couldn ‘t believe it . His mother made him feel like an adolescent, embarrassed of his parents.

“Orfeo, you’re a grown man. How do you young people say, get over?” s he said sternly. “Now, tell me. Are your sexual hungers being satisfied?”

He knew he wouldn’t be able to get her to drop the subject and sighed in surrender. “No, mama, they ‘re not. I don’t even have the desire to lay with another at all.”

A flash of understanding came into his mother’s eyes, and she gave a wide smile. “So, you’re close then, to finding your mate. It ‘s only when I was close to finding him that I no longer wished to be with any other.”

Orfeo felt a small bubble of hope, in the depths of his stomach. “How long did it happen before you found him, mama?”

“It started about two years before I met your father.”

And with that, the bubble popped. Orfeo didn’t even feel he could wait two more minutes, let alone two years.

“But the pain only got worse as I got closer to the time I was supposed to meet him, ” s he looked as if she were pondering the mysteries of life for a moment. Then she smiled again , and clapped her hands together. “Let’s call your father back now. I feel this is very good news and only justifies your father’s and my decisions.”

Within minutes, his father was joining them at the fountain, his countenance seeming less angry and more sympathetic when he looked at Orfeo. It was only a sign that his mother had been allowing his father to hear the conversation between them through their minds. Orfeo thought to himself that he should have known his mother would do that.

“Attilio, tell Orfeo of the news you received this evening, “ h is mother said as his father wrapped her in his arms.

“The New Council has replied to our letter. Their Alpha has informed me that many other supernatural beings have allied with them. He says that many packs and various other groups have moved to where the New Council resides and built homes of their own.”

“So what does this mean? Does he wish us to move there to form our alliance?” asked Orfeo.

“I think it means, if we wish, that it could be a possibility. We would have to meet with them in person, and see how things will go from there, first.”

“But we couldn’t possibly think of moving our entire clan to America. This place has been our home for over a thousand years . What will become of the Castle, our home, our village, and all of our people ?”

His father let go of his mother and stepped toward him. He clasped his hand on Orfeo’s shoulder and said, “Orfeo, my boy. You are the future of this clan. You will soon be their Sire . If y our future is in America with this New Council, not here, and that is your destiny, it is also the destiny of our clan.”

“But father, I don’t want to lose our home. Who will be here to keep this place if we are all to go to America?”

It was his mother’s turn to step forward. “Orfeo, your father will be passing the role of Sire to you . We will still be Elders of the clan and will stay here. Worry not; it will not be lost to us. And this may be a moot point. It may not be necessary to move the clan. You will be negotiating the alliance.”

“But what if the Alpha doesn’t wish us to live there?”

“I daresay he would not have mentioned it, if it weren’t a possibility.” His father chuckled at the same time his mother said, “Then you will come home.”

“But I can’t leave you behind.”

“Orfeo, love, you’re not leaving us behind. We will always be here for you when you wish to return home and plan to come visit as soon as you can, birth us grandbabies. This is not an end, darling, but a new beginning , “ h is mother said.

“What about the Siring ceremony? I thought we were going to wait a little longer for that.”

“Yes, well, your mother has brought to my attention that you are close to meeting your mate. I think that we need to rethink that and have it sooner.”

Orfeo swallowed against the suddenness of it all. “How much sooner?” h e asked, afraid of the answer.

“We’re preparing for it now. The clan has been notified and is gathering in the grand hall as we speak. We figure we could have you made Sire and on a plane to America just before dawn, the flight is fourteen hours so you should arrive just after sunset .

With that, his mother grabbed his hand and began tugging him back toward the house. “Come, boy, time to face your destiny.”

***

Orfeo lay down in his bed chamber and stared at the ceiling. After the conversation with his mother, he wasn’t sure exactly what to do. He always thought his mates would be here, in the clan. Or they would somehow find him. Now, moving to America, he was wondering if he would find them there. For so long he had waited, and it seemed like either he was going to be waiting for a lot longer or he would find his mates in Colorado.

Pushing the thought aside of moving, he concentrated on his mates. In his mind, he always thought he knew what they were like. In the recent years, he even had dreams about them. He would be eternally happy if they were as he imagined. Because they were both his type, his male mate strong and buff, with all the muscles in the right place, and his fe male mate, she was short and curvy , just how he liked them, her long hair soft to the touch. He could feel his cock growing, and knew before long; he was going to have to take care of it.