Deep burgundy eyes, stared intently down on her. An alabaster nose merely a millimeter away. Black strands of hair brushed against her cheeks.

Drew blinked once. Twice.

A slight pressure upon the sides of her face. Drew pressed back against the surface she was laid on, trying to put distance between them.

"You are awake," Aro murmured above her.

"Uh huh…" she nodded, getting a feel for the soft material below her hands. "Question."

"Anything," he blinked, tracing his fingers over her jaw and cheek.

His scent filled her nose as she inhaled. He did not move from where he was hovering above her.

"While this view isn't necessarily unwelcome…" She exhaled. "Why are you in my face?"

She couldn't feel too indignant to awaken with him so close to her. He was a handsome man. She quite enjoyed looking at him.

"You fainted." A line appeared between his furrowed brows.

"I recall." She lifted her hands capturing Aro's face.

She gently pressed on his cheeks, Aro backed with her touch. No fight was given, she was sure he could remain if he wished. He frowned.

"Nothing personal, just a little creepy to wake up with someone right there." She waved her hand over her face.

Aro sat back from her.

Drew mirrored his movement.

In a flash Aro caught her shoulders steadying her.

Drew froze.

"Careful, you mustn't move too fast." He warned.

"I'm fine—"

"Drew Elizabeth Danvers." He growled.

She shut her mouth. Eyes wide. Her heart picked up in pace. Her stomach twisted her name so sternly. He'd been speaking so softly.

He cupped the side of her face, running a thumb over her cheek once more. She took shallow breaths.

"You will listen to me." He kept her eyes upon him. She gulped. "You fainted. I may not be a medical professional, but I am quite educated. Your loss of consciousness is quite serious, and you will not down play the severity of it. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." She nodded.

"Good. Now, let us get you to the emergency clinic."

"Do we have to?" Drew sighed fixing herself to sit up fully. She swung her feet off his lap onto the floor. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"You fainted."

"Yes, and I'm alert and responding. I do not require immediate medical attention. I can remember we were discussing your brother being my mate as much as it disturbs me." She argued.

Not that she wished to remain on that topic long at this moment. The ideas of mates, and multiple partners. She shook it from her mind. She turned herself to face him more directly as she had been.

"It is a serious issue." He pressed.

"You caught me in time. I'm not injured. I was overwhelmed and needed to breathe." She bit back the urge to scream at him.

"You will see a doctor." He snipped. "You will not risk your life."

"I'm not!" Drew rubbed at her temples. "Good lord Aro, listen to me. If I'm not feeling good tomorrow, I'll go. Can we first start with food and juice? Not jump to the last step on what to do when a human loses consciousness?"

She stared at him once more, trying to get her words through his head. He was silent for a moment.

"Yes, of course," he stood in a blurred flash. "What would you like?"

"Apple juice sounds good, water too. A ham sandwich, would that be too much? I can make it at home if it is." Drew made to stand.

Aro caught her shoulders settling his hands upon them keeping her in place. She frowned looking up at him.

Aro leant over her, getting closer. Her cheeks burned.

"Nothing you request is too much. Do not ever think you could become a burden to me." He whispered pulling back. "I apologize, I was worried for you. I implore you to go slow when you move."

"Alright." She agreed.

He stood back up, snapping his fingers.

Drew tilted her head. She looked around the common room they had moved to earlier in the evening. Nothing changed. Did he mean for something to appear?

"Do you have some magic abilities that automatically brings things to you, or—"

A knock on the double doors across the room interrupted her. She peered around Aro remained standing in front of her.

The doors opened in seconds. A large man entered cloaked in dark grey robes and a suit. His dark hair perfectly styled and deep crimson eyes passed her before landing on Aro.

"Master?"

Drew's brows scrunched together. What in the word choice? Master? Boss, or to refer to him as sir would be appropriate, yes? Why Master? Was this man a servant? What era had she entered?

"Have the kitchens prepare a few sandwiches and retrieve some refreshments, water and apple juice." Aro listed off.

"Please and thank you!" Drew blurted.

The large man zeroed in on her. No expression came upon his face. Only a slight downward pull on his lips.

Did she say something wrong?

Sure, Aro was quite rich and an apparent ruler of vampires –oh. He was an essential king of vampires, and this was his servant. He was used to given orders. Drew clasped her hands together trying to not facepalm. Kings simply ordered. Her Gran would smack her if she ever dared to order someone around. This was quite the conundrum.

"Yes, Master." The man nodded before retreating in a flash.

Drew returned her gaze up to Aro who had not once turned to the man who had just taken her order.

He had a small smirk upon his face. "Use your words, Doctor, I can see the distain within your eyes."

"You didn't say please and thank you…"

"I am a King," he removed his suit jacket at a human pace. He folded it, tossing it on the couch across from them.

He rolled his sleeves not moving his gaze from her. He took a seat beside her once more. He was leant back relaxed, facing her.

"I reached that conclusion…" She murmured, cheeks burning. "It goes against everything I was taught and believe in. Class systems are so archaic in my eyes. It's why I didn't say anything. I'm sorry."

"I did ask for you to tell me, do not apologize for voicing your opinions to me." He waved her apology away. "Felix is one of my loyal guards, he and the guard have called me Master for centuries. It is just our ways. I assure you, the guard while they service us do it on their own free will. They are compensated well monetarily and through luxuries."

"I am so going to struggle with the whole class system you have. I probably won't participate in that for quite some time. If ever." She commented.

"I would not expect you to be different from who you are Doctor, you may wish to prepare for the guard to ignore your requests. They are in their habits as you are." He warned.

"Fair." She shrugged. "I don't need to call you Master, do I?"

"No, you my dear are free to call me by my name." He took her warm hand in his. "I do not mind if you wish to call me Sir."

"Only in bed." She snorted.

"You would welcome me in your bed?" He queried.

She snapped her gaze up to his face from their hands. He had a lazy toothy grin upon his face. She cleared her throat.

She hadn't exactly thought the comment through… truth be told. She'd meant… meant what? With all that had transpired within a few hours. All that she had learnt about him. Would she really let him in her bed? In both the ways implied.

She looked him over once more in his relaxed state beside her not saying anything.

She'd meant what she said. In any future time in her bed, weather curled up watching something. Passionately making out… foreplay… She realized she would welcome him in her bed.

She hadn't had a chance to stop and digest the news. He was a vampire. He was also her boss… also the man she was dating? He ruled a complete vampiric world. What exactly did this mean going forward? Would she continue to work the contract, then return to Canada? Did they still date, or did this eternal thing mean they were essentially married?

She didn't want to think of it as being married… she really wanted to go through all those firsts with him of a new relationship. She wanted to stay the first night with him, in the capacity she could… she wanted to get to know everything about him, like he technically knew about her. She wanted to experience their first time together… Could he physically be with her?

The passionate night in the alley fluttered into mind. The way he'd held her and lifted her without effort. She bit her bottom lip.

Could he safely be around her during that time of month? He'd been near her before, with injuries that had been stitched and fresh. He'd said the blood had not bothered him… was that just him being polite?

What if she really was torturing him being so close with him? She was human after all. A walking meal.

No. She stopped the train of thoughts. This whole time he had still been a vampire. He still drank blood the first day she met him, to now. Nothing had changed about the man in the mere hours they'd been conversing. She'd just learnt a truth about him. That was it. Just a secret…

…Well… A giant secret. Which humans weren't to know about. Shit.

Drew paused focusing back on Aro. He remained watching her. She saw his hands were back within his lap.

"Are you alright?" Aro broke the silence.

"Humans can't know about vampires."

"Yes,"

"I'm human. You said the law is to either turn the human, or to kill them. You said you won't kill me. I must become a vampire, don't I?" She asked.

His face fell void of all readable emotion. "Does this upset you?"

Did she want to become a vampire? She hadn't the faintest clue. She hadn't thought about it. Beyond watching Dracula, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she had not wished to be anything but human. She never thought there was anything else. So why would she try to be something she wasn't? She really needed time to think this over… would she have time?

"We would never force you to choose something you did not wish for." Aro spoke up, after she'd fallen silent again.

"Does it need to be right now?" Drew cautioned.

Forget contemplating the whole process, or science behind becoming a vampire, she had to get things back home organized. She couldn't just drop everything and become a vampire at this moment. She had a home in Canada, a job that she was on leave from. She had friends to tell that she would be moving. She had bills to close out, personal items she needed to get together… did she need to immigrate?

She pursed her lips… she also really didn't want short hair for all of eternity… What if vampire hair couldn't grow?

Aro cleared his throat.

She focused once more, cheeks warming.

Aro offered a soft smile, reaching out for her hand. She scooched over to him taking his hand. His smile widened.

"You have every right to worry over such matters, amore." He assured her.

"You don't think I'm being vain?" She pressed.

"Eternity is a large commitment, to do so unprepared, would be foolish. Not everyone gets the chance of approaching the change with preparation. Your desires, we will always wish to accommodate. If you would like time, it will be granted." He promised. "This will also, allow our bonds to grow. While the mating bond influences us towards each other, it does not create emotions or relationships that do not exist. We can still court." He answered her silent questions.

The door opened catching their attention. Felix flashed in placing the requested items in front of Drew, along with another dark bottle for Aro. He was gone as quickly as he came.

"That is seriously amazing news." She exhaled beginning to smile. She reached over for the juice downing it. "I've got so much to organize. The whole vampire thing is one thing, but poly relationships? I don't know how to feel about it. I'm not off put –beyond your brother's terrible personality –only cautious. I don't do relationships because of how much commitment it takes. I never really gave myself the time. I was so focused on my work."

"We will work with you to understand it, as we work to understand it. A poly bond is uncommon. It has happened before, however not often. You come from a Christian country as well, this is unheard of for you."

"Well, I've heard of it, like a lot of things, experienced it? No. I've met some poly couples at pride, but never got to talk in depth with them about it." She took a few bites of the sandwich realizing just how hungry she was.

"You do retain quite a lot of knowledge for a human." He mused. "I am curious if this will proceed into your immortal life. While our minds are much faster and vaster than the human mind, we tend to forget what we do not wish to continuously remember, like a memory from childhood it is murky and vague. That is how a gift manifests in humans, a skill one is good at can change in the process of becoming a vampire."

She nodded with a shrug. Mouth full.

"We will see. Right now, we will focus upon us."

She swallowed. "What exactly happens now? Now that I know."

"Well, we've established you wish for time as a human. We can take this slow we have eternity after all. We can continue to court. You can build your bond, and relationships with Caius and Marcus. The guard as well, you may wish to get to know."

She finished her bite. "Marcus, huh."

That was her third mate. He was a quiet man, reserved. In the last few weeks, he'd been working with her upon the project for those bodies, he had been pleasant. He was kind, not as terrifying as his height would have one believe.

"All three of you are vampires, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay." She paused. "I'm wasting my time going through your records, aren't I? Those four bodies. You know how they got there."

Aro sipped from his chalice. "Marcus has been using the opportunity to get to know you. If those bodies had been meals for us, they would have been burned along with our others. That manor was not entirely ours. I mentioned five rulers to our coven, yes?"

She nodded mouth full once more.

"That home belonged to our sisters. They had their own manor at one time. They now occupy a wing of the palace as we do. The place burned to the ground during an attack of a rival coven. The first level, and basement was all that remained. They were the ones to put the bodies there. They have been known to take part in some illicit trades and work." Aro sighed. "I would have destroyed them had I known."

"You will not destroy that mummy." Drew objected. "I've very much confirmed that it came from the mummy trade and business from the period. You will return that to the country of origin. Then the half-decomposed mummy, and two skeletons will be buried as they should have been years ago."

"I will do as you order." He vowed. "Here you were doubting you could give orders, Doctor."

She shot him a glare while finishing off her sandwich. She put the plate down and downed half of her water.

"Okay, can I ask about the hand now? Why was it down there, and was it what you were looking for this whole time?" She questioned.

"The easy question first, no it was not what I was looking for. I am looking for something long taken by Athena, she hid it away six centuries ago and finally told me where it was." He huffed. "The hand was merely tossed into storage by mistake. It was a punishment for a rogue vampire for attempting to steal from us. He was forced into servitude for another crime. He still works for us. It reminds me, it should be returned to him."

"Why don't you just ask Athena for it back?" Drew scrunched her nose up. "Why waste the near millions of dollars you have on hiring humans?"

"She conveniently forgot where she put it, and the fact she set up many traps throughout the basement." He frowned.

"There aren't anymore hands in the basement are there?" She shuddered. "The whole Thing Addams concept is just too much."

Aro laughed. "Yes, my dear, there should be no more hands in there."

"I will put blood on the next one and throw it at you. Don't test me." She warned getting up on her knees to try and tower over the man.

Aro raised a brow. She took his chalice setting it down on the table.

She pushed him back against the couch. She straddled his lap, up on her knees hands on his shoulders.

"I am serious."

Aro took her hips in his hands pulling her down to sit.

She fell forward, she caught herself against his chest. He slid a finger under her chin recapturing her gaze.

"You are quite terrifying," he whispered, lips brushing over hers. "I vow to make sure there are no more hidden hands without owners."

"Good." She pressed a kiss to his lips.

She pulled back with a smirk.

"Now Doctor, I believe I owe you another apology."

She tilted her head "For what?"

"Leaving you as frustrated as you were last night."

A/N: Hi everyone thank you for reading. Please know this will be the last post for NOVEMBER as its NANOWRIMO I am participating this year. So I am working on Luna/IM and my original work :) so December may have a few more chapters. Thank you!