HBWnovel Chapter 32 - 32: Seduced By Old Money
Chapter 32 - 32: Seduced By Old Money
"Not now." The scent of blood wine still lingered in the air as Olivia turned her sharp gaze toward Gen and Ezra.
"Our next stop is Count Griffin," she announced, her voice carrying an undertone of excitement. "We need to turn this marriage into a coven."
Ezra tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "A coven?" He echoed. "How does that work?"
Gen leaned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Covens are essentially harems," she explained. "Given the relatively low male vampire population, a male vampire is needed to form a coven because the sole purpose of a coven is to cultivate vitality."
"And that's why coven members are more powerful than ordinary subjects," Olivia added, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Subjects?" Ezra asked, feeling the weight of yet another layer of vampire society pressing down on him. Once again, what's with these dudes?
Olivia waved a hand dismissively. "I'll explain later. They're done." She said, drawing their attention to the custodians who had just finished cleaning up. She approached them, her demeanor suddenly respectful. "Hi. I'm C7V200143.
Could we get a ride to Count Griffin's sanctuary?" she asked the lead custodian.
The masked custodian nodded. "Of course," she replied, her voice soft and melodic. "Come with me."
They followed the custodians out of the room, navigating through dimly lit corridors that bypassed any places touched by sunlight. An elevator took them down to an underground parking lot where three sleek hover supercars awaited.
Ezra stared in shock as the custodians each entered a car and invited Gen, Olivia, and him to join them.
I'd had daydreams about these cars. Each one costs at least two hundred thousand credits.
He climbed into the car, his fingers trailing over the plush, leather interior. He couldn't help but marvel at the luxury surrounding him. The custodian he was riding with glanced at me. Ezra was sure she was raising an eyebrow behind her mask.
"How are you all so rich?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
The custodian's smile was hidden by her mask, but her voice was tinged with amusement. "Old money," she replied simply. "Our older vampires who died during the Death Wave left a lot of cash to us. We're not as rich as a City Lord, but we're comfortable."
Her words sank in, and he tried to imagine the kind of wealth she was talking about. Comfortable. That's what rich people say when they don't want to offend poor people with how rich they are.
As the cars ascended from the underground parking lot and emerged into the daylight, the sunlight bounced off the windshields and windows, sending a beautiful rainbow of colors dancing outside.
Light entered the car, yet it didn't have any power over them.
Ezra watched in open-mouthed wonder, mesmerized by the dazzling display. Before he could fully process it, she continued. "We'd like you to join our coven. We can offer you a hundred thousand credits a week."
Ezra choked in shock. What the fuck? That had been out of the blue. Who the heck offers a hundred thousand credits a week for a fuck buddy? The number was too astronomical for him to comprehend.
"Oh? Too small?" The custodian misinterpreted his reaction, quickly amending her offer. "Two hundred thousand credits a week," she said, her tone earnest.
Ezra kept staring, unable to find his voice.
"You'd be well taken care of," she added softly, her eyes
Olivia paused, taking in the sight. She took a deep breath and turned to look at her marriage mates. "Ready?" she asked, her voice steady and sure.
They both nodded, feeling a surge of resolve. "Ready."
And with that, they took their first steps.