Since today is the last day of 2008, I've decided to upload a new chapter for all. Wishing everyone a glorious new year and the best of wishes in the new year 2009. I have to admit I am dreading this very day, where I have to return to my 24/7 studying and no playing days. But I will continue to write chapters and I hope that everyone out there will continue to support me! So yeah, here's another chapter! Happy New year, too!

Chapter 5: The Date

How does it feel like to kill?

Do you feel anything? Or do you feel nothing?

I've killed once, and I felt nothing. Not because I was cruel or cold-blooded, it's because there was somebody that I wanted to protect. Two of my children, merely infants. I will kill and I will not feel anything. If it was killing for fun then I will definitely feel something.

But if kill to protect, then I'll tell you straightforwardly; I feel nothing.

Not even the slightest feel of remorse.

Nothing.

But of course, I can't tell my kids that. They will think I'm cruel, cold-blooded and almost as disgusting as they were themselves. At least they have an excuse for being cruel; it was in their nature to be. But I'm different, I am no monster. I have to have sympathy, hesitations and any other feeling that you have after killing someone, or something. If you don't, then you aren't human.

I guess I am not human, then.

The clock strike six and I'll be late if I don't get going. I have managed to convince Marcus to not come to the house to pick me up for our little 'dinner'. We were to meet at a simple classic chic restaurant at seven. I choose that restaurant because it is the most crowded places packed with humans and the only place where Marcus couldn't turn furry and attack me. Well, the same goes for me anyway.

I usually don't go out with weapon in hand, or hidden for that matter. Just because we're going to some chic restaurant with a good amount of witnesses doesn't meant I should leave any weapon sitting at home while I go out on a dinner date with a werewolf. Anything could happen, and I'll feel safer with at least the Firestar in my Mulberry gold leather shoulder bag.

Hiding weapons isn't easy, especially when their big and bulky. So I've settled with black wide legged trousers and sleeveless chiffon champagne-colored top. The ends of the trousers are wide and loose so it was easy to hide two silver knives in my suede black boots and no one will even notice it. What's even more interesting about these trousers is that it has two slanted side pockets and two concealed back pockets, which I've slipped a small silver pocket knife in.

You may think that I'm being extreme, but hey, the last time a werewolf attacked me was in my home. So there is no way am I taking chances.

I didn't meet any of my kids on the way out; Fragrance is on a date with guess who? Marcus's brother, of course. And Nathaniel should be at his friends place. Fragrance held no interest in guys what-so-ever. She hardly looked at any guy no matter how gorgeous, drool-worthy they are. Who can blame her when she is a goddess herself?

Nathaniel too held no interest in girls. I have yet to see him with any girls. I could guess with my heart on the bet that the both of them are still virgins. Hah, you could say that as a mom I'm worried about their hormones.

I stalked towards the waiting Marcus who was standing there in front of the chic restaurant with the waitress throwing herself all over him. He was standing there looking slightly annoyed at the redhead waitress and looked up towards my direction as I approached.

Marcus was dressed unusually different from normal; black pants, black waist-length jacket and leather boots with straps running all the way up to his knee. What intruded me the most was the pure red crimson silk shirt underneath the opened jacket.

I stalked slowly towards Marcus, felt his eyes scanning my whole figure, swaying my hips a little and let a seductive smile played on my lips. His eyes went wide when he saw me approaching him; something else inhuman danced behind his green orbs. My smile deepens when the redhead waitress saw me and her face fell, knowing instantly from Marcus's face that his 'date' has arrived.

I stopped right in front of Marcus, still keeping my smile on. "Spiffy."

Marcus wrapped an arm around me and leaned down so his lips would be brushing against my ear when he talks, "Does that meant I will get more than just dinner?"

I fake giggled like most girls will do when their honey says something like that. The redhead gave me a deathly glare before showing us to our table, with Marcus's arm still over me. When the redhead was gone out of sight, I elbowed Marcus hard enough to make him move his arm.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

Marcus pouted; yes, he literally pouted, bottom lip fully stuck out and looked annoyingly adorable. I rolled my eyes at him, "If that was supposed to make yourself looked kissable, stick it back in; 'cause it ain't working."

Marcus did stick his sexy bottom lip back in, but he didn't forget to leave on a sexy gorgeous smile that left the young waitress who was supposed to serve us dumbstruck. I raised an eyebrow at him and his smile widens at the waitress's reaction to an immortal's charm.

I rolled my eyes at him before turning to the dumbfounded girl and snapped my fingers at her, "Hey, is anybody there?"

She snapped her head to me, blinked a few times and nodded slowly, "Err, yes, sorry, what was your order again?"

"I haven't had the menu yet."

She looked down to the menus in her hand and blushes a deep red, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Err, here's your menu."

She handed me the menu hastily and scurried off.

I glared at Marcus over my menu and he looked innocently at me.

"What?" he asked as he flipped through the pages.

"Stop that," I narrowed my eyes at him, "you're embarrassing that poor girl."

Marcus raised an eyebrow at me, "Oh, you sure it wasn't because you're being jealous?"

I resisted the urge to pull the Firestar out from my shoulder bag and fire at him. I scowled at him, "Don't flatter yourself, Marcus. Little charms like this won't work on me."

He frowned slightly, "I really don't understand you, Adele."

The waitress came back to take our order, this time avoiding any eye contact with Marcus. When she was gone, I leaned towards Marcus with a smile on my face but my eyes remained humorless, "Tell me, Marcus, why do you come to New Orleans?"

"No particular reasons,"

Marcus was avoiding my question but I wasn't about to leave it at that, "Really? Is it not because Cassandra was pushing you to come down here? Or maybe because this place is your birth place and something happened here that caused you to come back after so long?"

Marcus eyes snapped up to me, his eyes so cold and hard that it sent a shiver down my spine. His body was hunched and tensed, both of his hands gripping the oak table too hard that it was starting to make squeaking noises. A low growl escaped his lips, "What are you talking about? You know about my parents?"

Wow, bull's-eye.

I placed the glass of wine to my lips, frowning slightly pretending to not understand what he was talking about, "Huh? What are you talking about? I was just guessing, that's all. Why? Did I hit a bull's-eye?"

Marcus seemed to relax a bit in his seat and his hands removed from the table, "You…how old are you?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Age is a women's secret. How old are you?"

"Twenty," he smirked at me, "I'm guessing you're somewhere about forty?"

"Thirty-three,"

Marcus eyes widen a little, "You were sixteen when you got…is that why you're avoiding any possible guys going after you? Were you raped or did you voluntary did it with a werewolf or did you not know he was one until--? What happened sixteen years ago?"

"Wha-how did we get to this topic? Weren't we talking about you? You haven't told me anything about yourself, you know." I was avoiding those questions and I know it very well, but I am not going to tell him anything. About Julian, about the Donahue's or anything that has to do with how I got pregnant with twin werewolf kids. Nope, no way is Marcus getting any information on any of this, yet. More importantly, I need to find out whether or not is Marcus related to Ruberg Dmitri.

Marcus frowned, "You're avoiding my question."

I mimicked his frown, "So are you,"

This time an older waitress served us, apparently Marcus had scared of that poor young girl. I smile with delight at the food placed in front of me; grilled salmon with cheese and a very cute looking chocolate ice-cream pie. Marcus snorted and I snapped up to glare at him, "What?"

His smile widens, "That's awfully childish for an adult."

I stabbed the salmon with a fork, imagining Marcus's face on it, "I love chocolate, so what?"

Marcus merely shrugged, but a smirk was widely spread across his face. "So, what do you want to know about me?"

"Tell me your name first," I said, barely glancing away from my salmon.

"Marcus, Marcus Gates."

I mentally said a 'thank you' to whoever is up above, thankful that Marcus is not related to Ruberg Dmitri in--

"But that's my mom's maiden name."

My head snapped up to him, "Huh?"

"We got our names changed when I was five, my mom wanted it." Marcus raised an eyebrow at me, "Hey, you ok?"

"I…yeah, I'm fine. Wh-why did your mum wanted to change your surname? What happened?" I place the glass to my lips, pretending to be drinking when I was trying to avoid his eyes. I know he can hear my heart beat that had shot at least three stories high, damn those incredible hearing.

Luckily Marcus just shrugged and continued, "Well, I'm not so sure what really had happened but I heard it from my mum that my father was murdered."

I coughed, nearly spilling the wine over him. Marcus looked at me quizzically, wondering why am I reacting so extreme. Thank goodness he wasn't exactly smart. "What? Murdered? How can that be?"

Marcus poked the steak with his fork, "He was--"

"OMGOD!! Marcus, it really is you!"

I rolled my eyes at the oh-too-familiar shrilly voice of Ginger's. She practically danced to our table, before flinging herself into Marcus's lap. Ginger's hair was done in a high braid, her makeup done twice the thickness and she was clad in a skimpy mini-dress with a faux fur over her pale shoulders. She threw her arms over Marcus neck and giggled oh-so-annoyingly, obviously not noticing me that was sitting across them.

Don't get me wrong; I am not jealous.

Just merely amused at the fact at how invisible I can be.

Marcus didn't seem that all amused, "Excuse me, Ginger, you're interrupting my date."

Ginger frowned and turned to look at me, scowled before turning to face Marcus with a sexy pout. "What is she doing here? Marcus baby, why did you ask her out instead of me?"

I rolled my eyes, "Geez, Ginger, I didn't know you'd be here too. Looks like your date," I nodded towards the entrance where a man in his late fifties stood waiting with an annoyed expression on, "doesn't appreciate you in Marcus's lap."

I am guessing the man that was scowling at our direction is Ginger's new sugar daddy, from the way he was dressed in black designer dinner suit to those shiny gold diamond rings worn on each stubby fat sausage fingers, it simply just screams rich.

Ginger threw me a dirty glare before jumping off Marcus's lap, leaning into Marcus so her cleavage would be more than obvious, she purred sexily in his ear, "Call me if you're bored with her!" Winking at Marcus, she skipped to her 'gold mine'.

Marcus leaned into the table, "So…where were we?"

"Let's see…what do Cassandra meant by recruit? She said that the first time we met; what is that supposed to mean?"

Marcus frowned a little, "Oh, that? We are looking for people to join the pack."

"Why?" I asked him while savoring the sweet chocolate ice-cream melting in my mouth.

"It's something personal."

I sighed, "Something personal, huh? Why? You're ganging up against the pack you came from? Hatred towards the Alpha, perhaps?"

"It's amazing how good you are at guessing." Marcus looked amused, "Yeah, it's some grudge I have against the Alpha in the pack I came from."

"Why?"

"He killed my mom."

I felt my blood ran cold as he stared at me with his amazingly green eyes. His eyes were so intense it was scaring the daylights out of me. "What—what is his name?"

Before Marcus could answer, my phone rang. To my relief, it broke Marcus's stare and I am free from his captivating green orbs. I fished the phone out from my bag effortlessly and frowned slightly when I saw the caller ID.

"Sorry," I smiled apologetically at Marcus before answering the phone, "Yeah?"

"Mom, are you alone?"

Something's wrong; I can easily tell from Fragrance's voice. She sounded worried and above the static I could hear an inhuman howl. Now she got me worried, I looked up at Marcus and he smiled at me, "Err, Marcus is with me..."

"WHAT? Get the hell out of there NOW!"

Ok, now I'm really worried.

"What? What is going on?" I asked, standing up. I shook my head when Marcus stood up with me. He sat down reluctantly and I pointed towards the front door, indicating that I'll be outside to continue my phone call. He nodded and I made my way out of the chic restaurant. When I'm out and the door closed, I talked into the phone again, "Fragrance, where are you?"

Fragrance cursed into the phone and I rolled my eyes. She shouted into the phone, her voice slightly disturbed by the static. "—away—dangerous—now!!"

I frowned, "I can't hear you, Fragrance; where on earth are you?"

Fragrance cursed even more, but the static has lessen and her voice cleared.

"DAD KILLED HIS MOM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? HE'S AFTER YOU!"

My blood ran cold in its veins as I turned to face Marcus who just came out of the door. He had obviously heard Fragrance because he looked just as shocked as I was. Then, anger took over. I backed away, my hand still holding onto the phone and another clutching the shoulder bag tightly, feeling the Firestar in it.

Marcus let out a low growl and a cold shiver ran down my back as I stared back at the monster looking out from behind his glowing green eyes. Why oh why, does the street have to be so empty now?

"Mom, can you hear me—mom? Mom!" Fragrance cursed before the line went dead.

Jeez, you all gotta review to tell me what you think of this chapter. To the Donahue lovers; the Donahues are coming back, await the next chapter!!