Chapter 35

The very next day, Eli sat in his home office reviewing the final paperwork for a building he was purchasing. Beside Eli's desk was a large map of the entire city with red thumbtacks showing the places which now belonged to him and white thumbtacks showing the places he planned to buy in the future.

He wasn't planning on buying all of Harlow city, just a few businesses, and land which will be useful in the future. Eli always stayed in tune with the rumors passing amongst his circle and other creatures. He knew this peace of remaining hidden while the humans believed they were top of the food chain had a ticking time boom.

All the creatures were becoming restless and tired of hiding away as there was no use to. Well, there was one reason. A sword that fell from another world that was meant to kill a God or Goddess. It could harm any creature with no chance to heal itself.

A special group of humans who knew about supernatural creatures had claimed to own the sword and would use it on anyone who would disobey the rules they set.

With each new day and no sight of the sword, they were all believing the humans claim to be a bluff. But it didn't mean the group of humans weren't a threat. They had become a huge organization filled with trained hunters. Catching whatever creature they stumble upon and tearing the creature apart seeing as that was their only way to keep them healing.

Many vampires were captured and taken away to this organization because they had sucked humans dry for blood.

Eli was preparing himself to be two steps above what anyone planned to do.

Knock! Knock!

There was a loud noise which followed the two knocks on the door. It was a signal Noah had arrived.

Rolling his eyes and mentally preparing himself for the chaotic mess of Noah he loudly said, "Come in!"

Once the door finally opened he saw Noah frantically trying to pick up a bunch of papers. How Noah could be so clumsy Eli would never know. Most likely he had some news to share and was in too much of a hurry to tell Eli. But still, he was a vampire with quick reflexes so how could he be so clumsy? Was Noah hanging around humans too much?

"Are you done?" Eli asked placing one leg over the other, intensely watching Noah who was now chatting with a maid who stopped to help him.

"Yes!" Noah exclaimed seeing how almost terrifying Eli looked in front of the large glass window. It reminded him of how Eli's father used to look sitting on the throne. Like a tyrant but Eli was a bit kinder. "I brought everything you asked for," He informed Eli placing the files on the desk.

There was also something he wanted to mention to Eli but felt too nervous. He didn't know how Eli would take what he did especially now Eli was spending more time with Helen. The strange man spent the majority of his day with that woman.

"Uh, Eli? I know you didn't want to but I did a background check on Helen," Noah gulped seeing the look on Eli's face went from annoyed to calm instead of being angry. That scared Noah more.

How could Eli look so calm but the room felt suffocating all of a sudden? This was why Noah was so scared of Elaine. Eli was no different from his mother who Noah believed was even scarier. Why were the members of the old royal family so scary?

"You'll be happy to know her background is pretty clean. Yay!" Noah repeatedly clapped his hands trying to make the situation better. "Oh, except the orphanage she was from burned down a week after she left. But other than that, yay!"

"You had no reason to do a background check on her. If I was so curious about her past I would've done so myself," Eli stated slightly annoyed Noah had done this without asking him first. 

"I just wanted to make sure her background was clean," Noah tried to explain his reasoning for doing it behind Eli's back.

"I'm a fucking vampire. You think I'm worried about whose background is clean. I would prefer if it was messed up as mine so I'd be less of a monster in front of her," Eli said through gritted teeth, his fangs slowly making their appearance.

He felt tempted to through something at Noah but refrained himself from hurting one of the few people he cared about. Eli forced his fangs to disappear, releasing a small groan from the sting of doing so.

"Thank you for caring about who I bring around but you need to ask first Noah."

"I'm sorry," Replied Noah bowing his head apologetically. One thing for certain he knew today was Eli had completely entangled himself with that woman.

Noah was happy Eli was finally experiencing those emotions for a woman but he also worried for the woman's wellbeing. 

"Do you have anything else to report?"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Helen sat upstairs Essence monitoring how the second day of opening was going along. So far it was a bit better than the first day as the visitors who didn't get in before closing time yesterday had returned and there were newcomers most likely recommended from those who got in yesterday.

Today she also had no more visits from any of Mary's friends thankfully. She assumed Grace and Edna spread the word of her being "rude". Helen was expecting Mary to call her for an explanation but she didn't. Then again, if Grace and Edna told Mary they knew Helen would also mention what they said about her.

Grace and Edna knew they couldn't bring this up to Mary right now. They'll plan something along with the others. The ones who believed you should only care for a child you birthed. Yet some of their children didn't turn out to be model citizens. 

Her cellphone which she muted buzzed on the table with Julie's name showing up. "Hi," She answered the phone.

"I haven't heard any news of how your date went. Not even from Isabelle who is the Helen news source. What did you two do after you left?" Julie asked dying from curiosity. 

"I haven't spoken to anyone since you all left and when I left with Eli, he just drove me home."

"That's all!?" Julie exclaimed scaring a few of her customers in the salon on her end of the phone call. "Seriously, nothing happened?" She asked lowering her voice.

"He did ask for us to be something more but I said I'd give my response after the third date."

"Wait wait! Hold the phone. It was my understanding yesterday didn't count as one of the dates. What changed?" Julie wondered out loud.

"He kind of upset me so I told him it counted as the second date," Helen responded examining her nails which were due for a touch-up. 

Julie couldn't help herself from laughing at Helen's pettiness. "Why didn't you just say yes like I know you will?" She questioned. Anyone who saw Helen almost kissed Eli yesterday knew she was going to say yes.

"Just because he asked doesn't mean he should get what he wants right away. It's all on my terms," Helen smiled deviously. 

"You sly fox," Julie responded.