***<\/p>\n
The door to the mansion opened to admit Willow who greeted the minion with a smile. Her voice was eager, \u201cHi! It\u2019s me. I\u2019m here to see Cordelia. She\u2019s expecting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mistress awaits you in the study,\u201d the vampire waved her inside.<\/p>\n
Racking her brain, Willow just couldn\u2019t remember if this was Mel or Keanu. \u201cWhich one are you again?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dropping his formal tone, the vampire leaned in, \u201cI\u2019m Mel, tasty bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eep! Mel was looking at her like she was good for an afternoon snack. Suddenly, Jude appeared from the study and issued a warning to the other vamp. \u201cWillow is not for you, Mel. Keep you hands and fangs to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scurrying over to Jude\u2019s side, Willow added her agreement with a stern nod. \u201cWhat he said. No snacking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mel laughed and walked back into the living room where some of the other minions were watching television. Over his shoulder, he winked at Willow. \u201cSee you later, pet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJerk,\u201d mumbled Willow as she followed along behind Jude.<\/p>\n
\u201cBest to stay away from Mel unless someone else is around,\u201d Jude suggested. \u201cMistress Cordy hasn\u2019t yet whipped the fight out of him. He occasionally tries to think for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whipped? \u201cY-you mean that figuratively, right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jude gave her a surprised look, but answered, \u201cRiiight!\u201d<\/p>\n
The redhead suddenly forgot all about Mel as she hovered at the door of the large study. There were boxes and boxes of computer components\u2014 a hacker\u2019s dream. She couldn\u2019t wait to dig in and find out the details of the project.<\/p>\n
Catching movement out of the corner of her right eye, Willow saw that Cordelia was in the corner with Angel and in the process of being rather thoroughly kissed. Her leg was high on his hip while the vampire\u2019s hand was curled around her leather-garbed butt cheek. A soft gasp left her throat, almost too quiet to be heard by her own ears.<\/p>\n
Then she changed her mind about what she was seeing. Maybe it was Angel who was being thoroughly kissed, because Cordelia certainly seemed to be playing an equally intense role. Willow found it hard to tear her eyes away even when Jude nudged at her arm. She looked up to see him lift a finger of silence to his lips and then nod toward the large L-shaped mahogany desk.<\/p>\n
They were supposed to work\u2014 now?<\/p>\n
Come in Willow. Come to me.<\/i><\/p>\n
Jude tried to stop the girl from interrupting, but Willow ignored him and walked right up to Cordelia and Angel. Yanking on the vampire\u2019s shirt sleeve, she commented dryly, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t barge in like this normally, but you vamps might not come up for air anytime soon since you don\u2019t need to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWillow,\u201d the sound of frustration in Angel\u2019s voice was obvious as Cordelia returned her leg to the floor and stepped away. \u201cI thought I told you to stay away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be mean,\u201d Cordelia poked him in the chest. \u201cI invited Willow. I told you why she\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave me one reason,\u201d Angel lifted a dark brow telling his mate that he knew she was up to something. Willow and Cordelia had never been friends. This seemed like a strange time to strike up a relationship with a girl who now fit into the category of prey.<\/p>\n
Looking down at the redhead, Cordelia sent her a bright smile. \u201cIgnore him. He\u2019s just being his usual growly self. Why don\u2019t you start unpacking the boxes? Jude will help. I think my Angel need some more attention. Your little interruption left him as hard as steel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d protested Angel as her hand came down to cup the bulge in his pants. Jerking her hand away might have been a mistake, because now Willow had a direct line of sight. Her green eyes darted up to his and Angel noted the faster pace of her heart and heavier breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just Willow, silly vamp,\u201d Cordy nibbled at his ear even as Angel tried to push her away. Her mouth brushed across his cheek. \u201cJust a little longer. I need your kiss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel gave in deciding that it wasn\u2019t any worse than a couple making out at a public park except that he knew someone was watching. Besides, she was so damn addictive. Like a drug in his system, she kept him wanting more. Willow was close, still hovering around at their side despite Cordelia\u2019s suggestion to start unpacking the computers. The scent of her increasing arousal was mixing with the air and that simply seemed to make Cordelia all the more eager.<\/p>\n
See something you like, pet?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Willow whispered her answer obediently.<\/p>\n
Cordelia plastered kisses over Angel\u2019s face and neck until he suddenly pulled her up to take her plush mouth with his own. Their kisses were earth-shattering and sensual and far sexier than anything Willow had ever seen. They were moaning against each other\u2019s lips and it was all she could do not to echo the sound. Cordy\u2019s lips were wide and soft as they smooched at his.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s mine.<\/i><\/p>\n
In fact, the redhead realized that she didn\u2019t have a problem with fact that for some reason. Willow\u2019s finger crept up to her own mouth running its tip along the moist inner curve of her lower lip. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Somewhere in the back of his lust-filled mind, Angel recognized the fact that Willow was conversing with herself and not Jude who quietly leaned up against the desk. Yes. Okay. Was it a voyeur\u2019s encouragement to watching him kiss Cordelia up close and personal? Yes. Okay. Then it suddenly clicked\u2014 he knew what was happening. Yes. Okay. They were responses to his mate\u2019s mental cues.<\/p>\n
Pushing Cordelia away from him so that she tumbled to the floor, Angel let out a growl. \u201cWhat the hell are you playing at, Cordy?\u201d<\/p>\n
As she licked her kiss-swollen lips, Cordelia simply smiled. Her eyes swept over his body noting that he was still hard. \u201cI know you want me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I\u2019m talking about,\u201d the vampire returned towering over her. Grabbing the still-hovering Willow by the arm, he yanked her close. She slapped at his hand, but he ignored it. \u201cIt\u2019s Willow. I know what you were doing, Cordelia and it\u2019s pissing me off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wasn\u2019t doing anything except kissing you, stupid vamp,\u201d Willow tried to force him to release her, but her arms was encased in his iron grip. The girl\u2019s attitude was different than usual, noted Angel as she told him threateningly, \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t touch me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is that Willow?\u201d Angel turned his dark gaze upon her.<\/p>\n
Hush, pet.<\/i><\/p>\n
Willow paused in thought as if she knew the answer, but couldn\u2019t put it into words. \u201cI-I\u2014 don\u2019t think I can say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen get to work,\u201d Angel suggested darkly, \u201cwhile I take Cordelia upstairs and paddle some sense into her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia let Angel lift her to her feet. On the way out the door, she asked eagerly, \u201cAre you really going to spank me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You\u2019d enjoy that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pouting, Cordelia followed him up the stairs to their bedroom. \u201cThen why are we here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to tell me what you\u2019ve got up your sleeve. Willow is an innocent despite all that she has seen at the Slayer\u2019s side.\u201d Angel warned her again that he would be her protector if necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat will you do, Angel?\u201d Cordelia trounced over to the bed and sat down. \u201cStake me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frankly, he didn\u2019t know how he would react. He wasn\u2019t a fool to think that Cordelia and her minions were suddenly going to take on a diet of pig\u2019s blood. As long as they were here in Sunnydale, people were going to die. \u201cWillow has seen enough death. I don\u2019t want her to be the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictim? For helping me with my computers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough of that bull! Give me a straight answer. I don\u2019t know all your tricks, tigress, but I do know that your abilities include projecting your thoughts. Turning the will of another to your own.\u201d Angel moved closer with a lethal gaze in his dark eyes. \u201cIf vampires are susceptible to your suggestion, I assume that humans are easy prey for enthrallment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia\u2019s lips curled into a smile, the tip of her tongue peeking out from between her white teeth as her eyes flashed mischievously. \u201cWillow has been part of my life since the sandbox at kindergarten. Is it so wrong to keep her around?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were her nemesis, Cordelia,\u201d reminded Angel. \u201cShe had every right to be jealous of you, especially when you allowed yourself to be claimed as Harris\u2019 girlfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaimed? That\u2019s an exaggeration. Xander didn\u2019t get much past the kissing stage,\u201d Cordy told him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember,\u201d Angel recalled exactly how Cordelia had described it to him on the night that Angelus turned her. \u201cThe boy is lucky he lived as long as he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smirking at him, Cordelia relished the fact that his demon drew so near to the surface at times like these. \u201cXander never gave Willow any reason to think that he would want her. Not as a lover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that you know of, Cordy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh. She hadn\u2019t thought about it that way. \u201cWillow will tell me if I ask her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen ask her. Don\u2019t yank the information from her mind,\u201d Angel doubted that she knew of the risks involved. \u201cThere are dangers for you as well as Willow if you keep up with this little game of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pfft! Dangers? She had been perfecting her abilities for the last year. Nothing strange had happened. The only results seemed to be her growing financial status and the cherry red Corvette on the front driveway. \u201cSuch as what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour gift is rare, Cordelia,\u201d he admitted. Now he knew the result of allowing a turning childe giving her that much blood, though it had to combine with something innate in her own being\u2014 some predisposition. She possessed something even more powerful than her sire. It was something he could not control unless he bent her to his will alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought so,\u201d she smirked.<\/p>\n
\u201cRare, but it\u2019s not unique,\u201d Angel wiped her smile away. \u201cI have seen the like over the past two and a half centuries. Continued contact with the vampire creates a dependence upon the part of the human. A need they cannot understand. It can lead to madness if it\u2019s not managed right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel continued, \u201cThe vampire is also at risk to a lesser degree. It may start out as simple enthrallment. Forcing a human to answer to your wishes. Keeping them near\u2014 a pet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019d noticed her shoulders stiffen. \u201cDoes that word bother you, Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Cordelia looked a little defiant. Angel wasn\u2019t going to talk her out of her plans for Willow Rosenberg. Just imagine Buffy Summer\u2019s face when Willow dumped her best friend for the sake of being near Cordelia instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never had a pet. My parents wouldn\u2019t allow it. Willow is smart and funny even if her sense of style needs a change, but that is right up my alley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDressing Willow might sound like fun,\u201d Angel\u2019s eyes narrowed slightly at the thought, \u201cbut it rarely stops with sharing thoughts. Soon it\u2019s about sampling blood. Later comes something that I warned you I will not allow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia stood up abruptly which put her within inches of his hard body. \u201cThanks for the warning, sire. I\u2019ll try to be a good girl, but just so you know\u2014 I\u2019m keeping her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking hold of her waist, Angel knew that he could not stop her once her mind was made up. This was probably going to piss Buffy off more than he could imagine. \u201cJust keep your minions away from Willow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know the score.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Jude assisted Willow with the placement of the heavier computer parts though most were sleek and streamlined. It looked like Cordelia had bought the best. Or acquired the best.<\/p>\n
After half an hour, Willow kept glancing at the door every couple of minutes before she asked the vampire, \u201cWhen is Cordelia coming?\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed with a sparkle in his eyes. \u201cMistress Cordy is probably cumming right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blushing, she clarified herself, \u201cI meant arriving here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that,\u201d he told her he was just teasing. \u201cDespite the soul, I think my sire is pleased with finding her mate again. It is certain that they find pleasure together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh\u2014 well, I don\u2019t need to know about that,\u201d Willow muttered. \u201cNone of my business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jude looked at her slyly. The little redhead was completely clueless. Mistress Cordy had warned them to be careful around Willow. The vampiress had informed them that Willow was smarter than most humans, could bulldoze you into bewilderment in ten seconds flat, and was not only a computer whiz, but a fledgling witch. While his brethren were curious as to the reason their sire did not simply turn the girl, it would be interesting to have her around.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia would want you to feel at home, Willow,\u201d he told her. \u201cEverything that goes on here at the mansion is your business now. Do you want to know what I hear when I listen to this place?\u201d<\/p>\n
Since it seemed like she would not get to talk to Cordelia anytime soon, it was as good as anything for killing time. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shifting in her seat, Willow thought it a little strange that a vampire was being so nice to her. Then again, Cordelia would not let her fledglings harm her. Jude told her so himself. She did feel a little curious about Angel and Cordelia, but that was only natural. It wasn\u2019t her own curiosity that concerned her, but the flare of arousal that made her loins ache as Jude turned his attention toward the other parts of the mansion. His voice was deep and sensual as he described what he was hearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe television is loud in the living room. My brethren are watching\u2014 uh, the Romance Channel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow snorted, turning redder. \u201cI can hear that part myself. It\u2019s not the Romance Channel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, so it\u2019s cable porn. We haven\u2019t gotten out much while planning this move,\u201d Jude admitted with a laugh. Then he returned to his descriptions as Willow\u2019s eyes became a dark circle of green in a sea of white. \u201cI hear the slap of skin on skin, but it\u2019s not coming from the television.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be shocked, Willow,\u201d warned Jude. \u201cWe are vampires. Things are different than in the human world. The other vamps will not hurt you, but they will certainly heckle you if you show any sign of fear at what you see here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel\u2014,\u201d she started to say that Angel would not allow heckling, but knew he wouldn\u2019t be around all of the time. Willow did not even realize what she was thinking. It was just a natural acceptance that she would be spending a lot of time here at the mansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cMistress Cordy\u2019s sire is powerful and dangerous. Though he is bound by the weakness of a soul, they rightfully fear him. Angelus is the master of the Order of Aurelius\u2014 that is our line of descent and to the extent that we do not betray our sire\u2019s wishes, we must answer to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow\u2019s voice stuttered as she repeated the name he used. \u201cA-Angelus?\u201d<\/p>\n
Waving his hand in the air, Jude brushed away the distinction. \u201cAngel\u2014 if you are more comfortable with that. It\u2019s the same thing. He is the same vampire. At least that is what he spent last night convincing my mistress to accept. That he is her sire and mate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou eavesdrop a lot, don\u2019t you, Jude?\u201d<\/p>\n
Amused at her expression, Jude shrugged. It made things more interesting. The others were content to sit in front of the glowing orb that was the television all day. Jude much preferred computers, but as they were not set up yet he kept himself otherwise occupied.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast night wasn\u2019t my fault. I returned from walking you home only to find my mistress and her sire naked on the couch. At first, I watched to ensure that he was not hurting her, but it quickly became apparent that it was pleasure rather than pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought vampires liked pain,\u201d Willow commented then clapped her mouth shut. So not the right direction to take this conversation. Not that she should even be having anything to do with this naughty talk with Jude. This wasn\u2019t like talking about a movie where the actors had a love scene. It was people\u2014 vampires\u2014 that she knew.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do,\u201d he grinned as he leaned over the desk, \u201cunder the right circumstances. Depends on who you\u2019re with and if the purpose is pain alone or if it culminates into pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d More blushing followed and the vampire\u2019s eyes wandered over her skin.<\/p>\n
Distracting himself, Jude let out a sigh at the memory of seeing Cordelia and her sire together. It had been so easy to picture himself there with her rather than the master vampire. Not that it was going to happen since it was made extremely clear that Cordy was not going to let them touch her in a sexual way, though she did not seem to mind if they brought home a victim or two now and then.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mistress is so beautiful,\u201d he had a far away look in his yellowing eyes that made Willow a little wary.<\/p>\n
Still, she had to agree, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs is Angelus,\u201d Jude added without any sign of jealousy. He said it with equal interest as he did in describing his mistress. \u201cThey were quite mesmerizing together. I must have watched them for ten minutes before either of them realized I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow let out a little gasp, surprised that Jude wasn\u2019t a huge pile of dust on the floor. Her imagination was filling in quite well for her lack of experience and she wondered exactly what the vampire had seen. Unfortunately, when she asked, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d He misunderstood her.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d Jude shrugged. \u201cThey preferred to be alone. So I returned to my room and took care of the\u2014 problem that had developed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProblem?\u201d Willow asked with her wide green eyes full of ingenuous ignorance even though she knew what he was referring to. She had the sudden urge to hear him say it. Gosh! How naughty was that?<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mistress may be mad at me for corrupting you,\u201d Jude moved back to sit upright on the edge of the desk as he ignored her question.<\/p>\n
Silence filled the void as Jude sat in stillness and Willow fiddled with the computer. After five minutes, she asked, \u201cWhat else do you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
With his back to her, Jude smiled. \u201cI hear the flutter of your heartbeat. The quickening of your breath. Upstairs, I hear water sloshing against the side of the bathtub. They are there together, my mistress and her sire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWashing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d The girl wasn\u2019t that innocent. If so, she would have already run screaming from the mansion and he would have been left to explain the reason to his sire. \u201cPerhaps that is a part of the reason they are there, but if Cordelia\u2019s keening cries suggest anything to you I think something else is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow was squirming in her seat again, only this time it wasn\u2019t from embarrassment. It was because her panties were sticking to her in a way that wasn\u2019t quite comfortable and because moving around just a tiny bit helped ease the tension there. She let out a little moan as she pressed herself hard into the seat of her chair and rotated her hips against it.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t as if Jude could see her. His back was turned. \u201cI think it is time for you to leave, Willow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Cordy\u2014,\u201d Willow protested that once again she had gotten to spend just minutes with Cordelia when it was her invitation that brought her to the mansion in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mistress is still with her sire,\u201d Jude turned suddenly and placed his hands upon the desk. His eyes were pure gold as he stared at her from his vampiric face. There was anger in his voice and a sound that signaled he was reaching the limit of his control. \u201cYou need to learn to wait your turn, pet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJude?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo home, Willow. Now, before you regret coming.\u201d He looked like a beast on the edge. \u201cYou know vampires. It\u2019s not just our hearing that is enhanced. I can scent your arousal, hear the shifting of your skin against your skirt and the slight squeak of the chair. See the blood flushing your skin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jude stared down at her with lust in his eyes. He could practically taste her on his lips\u2014 the blood and sweet essence of her. What a scrumptious little treat Willow would make if only she wasn\u2019t off limits. So much for warning her about Mel, he thought with a leer.<\/p>\n
Staggering to her feet, Willow edged toward the door. \u201cI-I think I\u2019m going now. It\u2019s still light outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jude called out to her as she reached the door and asked knowingly, \u201cI\u2019ll see you again tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy would want her to be there. The network wasn\u2019t finished yet. \u201cYeah. Tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Buffy demanded as Willow strolled up with a lost look on her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you.\u201d Willow shrugged, adding a sigh of frustration. \u201cAt the mansion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grabbing her narrow wrist, Buffy ordered her, \u201cCome here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow found herself dragged onto her own front porch as Buffy lifted her red hair away from her throat. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking for bite marks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody has been biting me,\u201d Willow pushed Buffy\u2019s hand away. \u201cWhy would you even think that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. \u201cYou\u2019ve been in a vampire lair for the past couple of hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Protesting, \u201cI was at Angel\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich had vampires in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow shrugged, \u201cAngel is a vampire. That only makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it make sense for you to be there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was working on the computers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh. No doubt Cordelia gave you an earful about me while you were there. Bragging about stealing Angel away?\u201d Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.<\/p>\n
Tucking her hair behind her ears, Willow stalled for time. \u201cUh\u2014 no. Cordelia didn\u2019t even mention you.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised Buffy who continued to question her, \u201cAnd Angel? What did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour name didn\u2019t come up, okay?\u201d Willow heaved a sigh and grabbed for the doorknob. \u201cI didn\u2019t even get to see Cordy for more than a couple of minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh?\u201d Buffy\u2019s eyes narrowed suspiciously. \u201cIn the middle of the day? Where was she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBusy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing what? Filing her claws into sharp points? Flossing her fangs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGeez! Stop pestering me.\u201d Willow was getting rattled. \u201cShe was with Angel. What do you think she was doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Willow didn\u2019t bother to wait for Buffy\u2019s answer. She let herself into her house and shut the door behind her.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
\u201cEternity looks beautiful on you, my dear,\u201d Richard Wilkins held out both hands to Cordelia in greeting. \u201cWelcome to my home. Please come in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me that in a hundred years or so,\u201d Cordy laughed. She had dressed more demurely tonight since the mayoral candidate disapproved of showing too much skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I invite your friends in?\u201d He looked over the three muscular guys wearing suits and ties.<\/p>\n
Glancing back at Mel, Brad and Tom, she flashed them a smile. \u201cNo, I think not. Better that they remain outside and keep an eye out.\u201d<\/p>\n
They chatted for a while catching up on things since they last met in Los Angeles. Then the discussion finally turned to business. \u201cThings are going quite according to my plan,\u201d Wilkins told her with a satisfied smile. \u201cYour help in my election campaign will be very valuable. Between my natural charm and your\u2014 persuasive skills, the voters will have me in office by a landslide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia rolled her eyes as if her part was miniscule. \u201cRichard, I told you that Sunnydale could be yours. The Hellmouth is exactly what you needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Ascension will follow soon after the election. There are still a few pieces that need to fall into place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me as well,\u201d Cordy nodded. \u201cAlthough things seem to be running smoothly for the moment if my sire doesn\u2019t dig too deep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh! Mr. Trick explained that Angelus has returned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she did not bother to correct him on the name. Cordelia figured that he didn\u2019t need to know the fearsome Scourge of Europe was bogged down by a soul. Let Trick tell him if he was that interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he know of your plans?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all of them and I\u2019d like to keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raising an eyebrow, Wilkins gave her a little lecture on keeping secrets from one\u2019s lover. \u201cThat never ends well, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll know soon enough,\u201d Cordelia responded with a curl of her lips. If he doesn\u2019t dust me for it afterward, things will be just fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you certain you won\u2019t change your mind about remaining in Sunnydale after the Ascension?\u201d He was offering her more power in the demonic rule that would follow. \u201cI can set you up with a little something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia had no interest in his offer or in Sunnydale for that matter. No, he could have the town. She would hand it to him on a platter and let him lord over the Hellmouth if that is what he desired. \u201cThanks, but no. As long as my own interests remain safe and secure while this goes down, Sunnydale is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n