Alexander nodded. He returned to the room. Greer turned to look at him as he squeezed the bags of blood. He pulled the chair close to the bed and sat down. Alexader stared down at them, feeling his grief overwhelm him. He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell them about Drago. He hoped they would forgive him.
Greer lingered in the room, monitoring the bags for a few minutes then, he left him alone. Left alone, he finally let go. Tears ran down his face, and he felt like he might drown from the grief.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Should have tried to protect him. I failed you.” He cried until he couldn’t cry anymore. Wiping his eyes, he got up and moved to the ensuite bathroom. He filled the basin with warm water and dipped a towel he found hanging on a hook in the wall. He wrung it out and then returned to the room where he wiped away the grime and dirt from his parent’s face and arms. He turned on the heating, even though it didn’t have much effect on them. But he wanted them to wake up to a warm and cozy room.
He sat back down and then watched them. Every hours he got up and changed the empty bags of blood for a full one.
Blade returned just as dawn returned with more. He placed the cooler box at the bottom of the bed and came to stand besides the chair.
“Are they doing okay?” he asked.
“They’re slowly waking up. Colour is returning to their skin,” he said. Blade nodded, but there was still worry in his eyes. Alexander knew that he blamed himself, and he wished he could take that feeling away from him. “Sit with me,” he said.
Blade hesitated.
“Just for a little while,” Alexander said. He got up and pulled the remaining chair close, then guided Blade into it. Alexandersat down too. “Mom and dad won’t blame you for what happened.”
“I know. It’s just hard to see them. They’re going to be devastated. I wonder, maybe we shouldn’t have woken them. They still had two more centuries to go. Maybe…”
“Delaying won’t change anything. I would rather do this now, than wait,” Alexander said. “Besides, I think we need them to bring back life into the clan. There are few of us left…the castle feels empty.”
“You could turn more humans,” Blade said.
“No. If anyone wants to join my clan, they’ll do it willingly,” Alexander said.
“The families out number us. What if they see this as a weakness. And attack, end the Blanc’s reign once and for all.”
“They would have done that while I was sleep.”
“They didn’t have a reason to do it back then. No one knew if you would wake up or not. Now that you’re back, they might think you are going to force them to join your clan to grow again.”
“I would never do that. I’ve always respected their need to follow their sires,” Alexander said. He turned and looked at Blade. “What’s bringing this on? Did something happen while you were out?”
“No,” Blade sighed. “I’m just thinking out loud.”
“If something happened you would tell me, right?”
“Yes,” Blade said. He leaned his head on Alexander’s shoulder. They sat there in companionable silence for a little while. Blade yawned and sat up.
“You should go to sleep. Its morning already,” Alexander said. Blade got up and walked to the door his eyes half closed.
“Goodnight,” he mumbled as he walked out the door.
“Night,” Alexander said, he returned his gaze to the bags of blood, making sure everything was still following properly. Hechanged the bags of blood as needed and kept watch over them. With every day that past, his parents’ skin grew more healthier and he dreaded it. He wasn’t looking forward to having that conversation with his parents. But it didn’t matter how he felt. His parents had to know.
That was why he woke them up before their agreed time. He had to face this. And maybe they could do something for Drago. Send him off the right way.
“Fuck,” Alexander mumbled under his breath, the burden on his shoulders suddenly feeling so heavy. He closed his eyes, folded his arms across his chest as he leaned his head on the headrest of the chair. Damn, he was so tired. He hadn’t slept well since he woke up in that coffin. The only time he found a moment of peace was when he’d wrapped his arms around Boaz this two days ago. It had been a short blip of a moment, but it had felt so good. Alexander held on to that feeling as he finally drifted away.
“Alexander?” a soft, rough voice said a few seconds later. Alexander’s eyes popped open and found his dad sitting there, staring at him. He was awake.
“Dad,” he said, swallowing hard. He got up and rounded the bed, to sit next to him. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” he said looking around the room. “Is it time? It feels like we slept only yesterday.”
It probably felt like that. Turned vampires didn’t dream. The memories they held when they slept, were only thing that remained. Unlike him and Drago, who were retained their human traits.
“No. Its not yet time,” Alexander said his heart clenching in his chest. “I’m sorry to wake you up but I needed you.”