Chapter 6
Mitchell's parents and siblings had died years before. He hadn't seen them since before he was turned because they believed he had died on the battlefield during World War 1. For all he knew his so many greats nieces and nephews could be living in Ireland but he had never been back to Ireland. The idea intrigued him though as it would be interesting to find out if he did have family still living in Ireland. Of course he had no idea how they would react to find out that their so many greats uncle was actually still alive and the reason why.
"Penny for them?" Amber asked.
"I was just thinking about the possibility that I could have family in Ireland. Descendants of my siblings and cousins etcetera," Mitchell said.
"That thought had occurred to me. Have you ever been back to Ireland since you know, since Herrick turned you," Amber said.
"To be honest, no," Mitchell said, "I don't know how my family, if their descendants are in Ireland, would react to me. I'd have to explain why I was still alive and that would mean revealing my true nature to them," Mitchell said.
Amber nodded as she could understand the implications of that.
"Did you want to go to Ireland and see if there are any Mitchells in the area you lived in? That would be the best place to start." Amber said.
"No I don't think it's a good idea. I really don't know how I'd explain who I am," Mitchell said.
"Ok fair enough, forget I asked," Amber said.
"Thanks," Mitchell said.
"I'm so happy for you. Mitchell seems like a really great guy," Roz said, joining them again.
"He is, he's wonderful," Amber said.
Mitchell slid his arms around Amber and Amber smiled happily.
"I'm so so happy. Girls I think I'm in love," Amber said.
"How long have you been together?" Roz asked.
"2 months," Amber said.
"Geoff's been around again," Geraldine said.
"I know. He showed up at mine and had a go. Mitchell caught him hitting me and sent him packing. Scared the daylights out of him in fact," Amber said.
"He's lucky I didn't kill him. I wanted to rip his throat out when I saw him hitting Amber," Mitchell said.
Roz and Geraldine could understand that.
"It's great that you're so protective of Amber. Geoff was a complete douchebag to her. He used to to hit her all the time," Roz said.
"You're kidding me," Mitchell said.
He hadn't realized how bad things had been and later after the party finished and they were heading home he asked Amber about it.
"How bad were things with Geoff? Honestly," Mitchell asked.
Amber looked at him tears in her eyes and slowly told him everything.
"I should have ripped his throat out when I had the chance to. Doing what he did to you. What a douchebag" Mitchell said, when she was finished.
"Killing him is not the answer to the problem. You're doing so so well. Why go and spoil your good work over a douchebag like him," Amber said.
"You're right. However I'm sure one of the other vampires would love to feed from him," Mitchell said.
"No Mitchell I couldn't possibly go along with something like that. Geoff might be a douchebag but he doesn't deserve to die. He needs to get help for his anger issues," Amber said.
Mitchell nodded.
"You're right. But I don't like it. What if he shows up at yours and has another go at you? I don't know if I could control myself if I caught him hitting you again," Mitchell said.
"I don't know. But if he did hit me again and you caught him in the act and killed him his death would be in defense of me," Amber said.
"That is good to know. But there's still the problem that if I kill him I WOULD feed from him. I wouldn't be able to help myself," Mitchell said.
"And it only takes one feeding for you to fall off the wagon. I understand," Amber said.
"Yes. I daren't feed even once," Mitchell said.
Amber could only hope and pray that Geoff didn't show up at hers again and start hitting her. By then they were back at her place and Amber invited Mitchell in for a coffee. As Amber put the kettle on Mitchell watched her his eyes roving over her slim but curvy body his thoughts on how it would be to make love to her. His body grew warm as desire spread through him even though he knew he couldn't act on it. He wondered if they got married where they would marry. There was no way he as a vampire could marry her in a church as he couldn't go into a church.
"Babe if we were to marry where would you want to get married?" he asked.
"Well originally I wanted a church wedding but I realize that won't work for us because of your condition. So I was wondering what you'd prefer," Amber said.
"I would like it to be in a registry office. Nothing religious is included in a ceremony there and that's safest for me. I'm sorry if that disappoints you," Mitchell said.
"It is absolutely fine. I understand completely," Amber said.
As it was still a bit soon to be thinking about weddings and getting married they changed the topic to Mitchell's friends.
"Nina and George have been contacted by an outfit called CenSSA. It's the Center for the Study of Supernatural Activities and they claim to have a cure for lycanthropy. I'm somewhat skeptical but they are wanting to give it a try," Mitchell said.
"What do they have to do?" Amber said.
"They've been asked to go to CenSSA's facility by a man named Kemp. He has said he can help them," Mitchell said.
"I hope he is right," Amber said.
"Kemp also thinks he can help Annie cross over," Mitchell said.
"How does he intend to do that?" Amber asked.
"I don't know," Mitchell said.
Amber felt uneasy but didn't let it show.
"I have some other news as well. The vampires want to stop drinking blood and have asked if I can help them set up a support group," Mitchell said.
"Does Seth know about this?" Monda asked.
"He does but the vampires don't recognize him as the new leader of the coven. That's what a group of vampires is, a coven," Mitchell explained.
"Are you going to help them?" Amber asked.
"I'd like to," Mitchell said.
A week later Amber and Mitchell had dinner together and Mitchell told her that he'd set up the group for the vampires who wanted to abstain from drinking blood.
"It's like an alcoholics anonymous group if you know what that is," Mitchell said.
"Yeah it's a group for recovering alcoholics and they support one another and I think are accountable to the group. It's' completely anonymous so only the members of the group and the facilitator know who is in the group," Amber said.
"That's spot on. The members of the group are going to support each other to stay on the wagon. I'm facilitating it and it's great to be helping others," Mitchell said.
"I'm proud of you. If there is anything I can do to help just ask," Amber said.
"There isn't. You're not a vampire so you aren't one of us so to speak. We have to do this ourselves," Mitchell said.
"Is Seth going to cause any problems?" Amber asked.
"I don't know. He's not interested in being part of the group that I do know. The vampires recognize me as their leader not him. I've told him he isn't welcome at the coven unless he promises to give up blood as the rest of us are," Mitchell said.
"Bet that went down real well not," Amber said.
"You got that right," Mitchell said.
The vampires met once a week to support each other and Amber would usually think about Mitchell at that time and hope he was doing ok. He would come and see her after each session and let her know how it had gone. For the next three months everything went smoothly and Mitchell made great progress with the vampires at the meetings. But then one evening Amber was watching TV as she usually did while Mitchell was at the support group meeting and thinking about Mitchell and what he was doing. When the programme she was watching had finished Amber realized that Mitchell should have been there by then as he usually showed up during the programme. Something felt wrong but Amber told herself not to panic and that Mitchell had probably been delayed. So she got ready for bed hoping Mitchell would eventually turn up. As it grew later and later and he didn't show up Amber became more and more concerned about him. It wasn't like Mitchell to not show up as he'd shown up regular as clockwork every week and she was worried something had happened. She called George and told him that Mitchell hadn't shown up and that was worried about him. George told her that he wasn't there either and that he and Annie were worried about him too. Finally Amber had to go to bed and she fell into a restless sleep, hoping that Mitchell was ok and would show up the next day.
The next morning Amber heard on the news that there'd been an explosion at the B Edwards funeral parlor. Fearing the worst Amber raced around to the house Mitchell shared with George, Nina and Annie.
"He didn't come home at all last night," George said, after letting Amber in.
This was the worst possible news she could hear as she now feared that Mitchell had been caught in the explosion.
"Crap. I heard there was an explosion at the funeral parlor last night. He was there! The vampires were having their weekly support group meeting," Amber said.
"Oh no. Oh no," George said.
He raced out the door Amber following. It didn't take them long to get to the remains of the funeral parlor. It didn't look good and Amber burst into tears fearing the worst. George wrapped his arms around her and tried to comfort her as best as he could.
"At least it would have been quick," George said.
"I wonder what happened last night," Amber said.
They found out that a bomb had been planted under the funeral parlor and that it had gone off during the time the vampires would have been having their meeting. There were no signs of any bodies. Amber cried even harder to hear this.
"Come back to our place for now," George suggested.
So Amber returned to their place with him. Both Nina and Annie were very upset when they heard what Amber and George had found out. Amber and Mitchell had been together for 5 months by that time and Amber couldn't begin to imagine life without him.
Later that day everyone was surprised when Mitchell walked through the door. Amber threw herself into his arms, tears pouring down her face.
"I thought I'd lost you," she sobbed.
"I'm ok Amber. I'm ok," Mitchell said.
His face was streaked with soot as were his clothes.
"When the place blew up Ivan shielded me saving my life. I was knocked out for while then when I came to I was confused and disoriented. Daisy had survived as well and she took me back to hers so I could rest and recover," Mitchell said.
"Who are Ivan and Daisy?" Amber asked.
They are, sorry, were a married couple. Ivan died in the explosion and Daisy's distraught," Mitchell said.
"Who the heck would have done such a thing?" Amber asked.
"I don't know but it makes me furious that so many vampires have been wiped out. Everyone was doing so well in staying clean," Mitchell said.
He broke down and it was Amber's turn to comfort him. Once he'd regained his composure Amber looked at him.
"How many people⦠sorry I mean vampires were there?" Amber asked.
"32 including Daisy and I. And no Seth wasn't there," Mitchell said.
"That's a shame as it would have meant he wasn't a threat anymore," Amber said.
Mitchell and Amber went back to Amber's as they wanted to be alone together for a while. At Amber's they cuddled up on the couch and just held each other close for a while.
"I'm just so glad you are ok. I thought you had been killed. I love you so much that I don't know what I'd do without you," Amber said.
"I thought I was a gonna myself to be honest," Mitchell said.
"I'm so thankful to Ivan for shielding you. He saved you," Amber said.
"But at the cost of his own life. I don't know what Daisy is going to do," Mitchell said.
"That isn't our problem. I'm just so glad you survived. Were you hurt at all. I know you'd heal pretty quick," Amber said.
"Nah I'm fine," Mitchell said.
He kissed her gently on the lips and soon they were making out. When they came up for air Mitchell smiled at Amber.
"When I had recovered I realized something. I've been given another chance. What if I'd been killed in that explosion and you'd lost me. There are so many things I still want to do and I want to do them with you," Mitchell said.
He stood then got down on one knee.
"Amber Reigns I love you. Will you marry me and be my wife?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes. Yes. Yes. I love you John Mitchell," Amber said.
Mitchell got to his feet and drawing Amber close kissed her intensely.
"I haven't got a ring to give you but we can go to a jewelers tomorrow and I'll buy you a ring," Mitchell said.
