Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

back down. “As much history as some of your elderly vamps have gone through, the wars they have been involved in, the changes that they have witnessed throughout the human race. I daresay a book has never been written to cover all that they have stored in memory. And what our children will walk away with is a treasure of knowledge. It will also teach them to respect their elders. This is a lesson that doesn’t get taught anywhere near as much as it needs to in the human society.” Suddenly, she was out of steam. She glanced over at Charles as she took her seat, hoping he would continue if anything else needed to be added. After a moment, she realized that she had referred to the children as “our” children during her speech. She wondered if anyone else had caught what she had said as well. Well, she might not be a vampire, but she had already met some of these children and had fallen in love with them instantly. If she was now considered part of Charles’s family, human or not, she was also part of the vampire society.
    “Hear, hear!” Mr. Atkins suddenly exclaimed, causing Erica to jump in her seat. She stole a quick look over at him. He was beaming with delight.
    A short time later, the council was taking the matter up for a vote. Everyone liked the idea except for Felippe, and Erica was sure it didn’t matter what had been brought up as new business today, he would not have been in favor of it. Was it possible for a vampire to get up on the wrong side of bed, or was he always like this?
    Right before the vote was taken, Charles added one last comment. “If we decide to pass this idea, I think we should establish a committee that heads up this village. They, of course, would be responsible to us. But, I would ask that everyone consider putting Erica on that committee since this was originally her idea.”
    “By all means, Charles!” exclaimed Mr. Atkins. “This girl is a true treasure! You have my vote already!”
    Voting proceeded, and the yes’s outweighed the no’s by nine to one. Felippe was the only one to vote no. The council also agreed with Charles to set up a committee to be responsible for the village. None of the nine members that had voted yes on the original plan even batted an eye on putting Erica on that committee. Several members even suggested that she be named head of the committee, with Mr. Atkins leading that suggestion. Charles walked out of the meeting so happy and pleased with the outcome that Erica briefly wondered if he was going to kick up his heels and dance his way back to the elevator.
    Once they were on the elevator and on their way back up to the VCTF office, she decided to inquire a little about Mr. Atkins. “I didn’t know Mr. Atkins was on the council board,” she stated, hoping Charles would open up and fill her in on the information she was searching for.
    “Mr. Atkins might be getting old, but believe me, he still can run circles around most of us,” Charles replied on a chuckle. “I had a call from him after you and Kate went to see him. It seems he was quite taken with you.”
    “Well, he did seem to enjoy the company,” Erica replied with a smile. “He told me all about working with Abraham Lincoln and then his involvement in WWII. He also told me he worked with you for a short time, and helped train Kevin.”
    “Yes, he ended up in this area shortly after the war. Back in those days the VCTF didn’t pay very well, but I liked his personality, and he was more than qualified. He worked with me for numerous years, and then when Kevin was ready to be trained, he played a large role in that. He and Kevin hit it off way back then, and he still thinks the world of Kevin today. You know, Kevin would have been very proud of you today. You even managed to surprise me going back at Felippe. I was ready to jump in, and you never gave me the chance. You did a really good job in there today,” Charles stated kindly as they stepped out of the elevator.
    “I’m glad you had the chance to meet Atkins before today. Having his support helped us out tremendously. The retirement village probably would have gone through today, but having Atkins’s support made it easier,” Charles continued.
    Charles and Erica arrived back home a short time later, with Erica feeling a glorious high. This had been her first major presentation, and it felt wonderful to have it go as successfully as it did. Her stomach was growling by the time they walked in the door and she quickly