Julien Gregg's Immortalis Chornicles One: The Society Chapter 10

 TEN - Final Chapter of Part One 

I waited while they packed everything up. Then I called a moving company and had them move it all to Jordan's. He was waiting for it. He made sure that each box, marked clearly by Todd went to the right room. He said that Jason and I would be side by side with a connecting room. I thought that was good. I called my father and told him we'd be out tonight. He said it wasn't necessary to be out so soon. I told him it was already done and I was leaving the food. He thanked me and told me he loved me. I told him I loved him and then we drove over to the mansion.

Jordan had all of our boxes in the right rooms. There was a bunk room right next to mine with a connecting door. The room had two connecting doors. One to Jason's room and one to the bunk room. There were six bunks in there and everyone moved in. I didn't know what they thought of the bunks but they never said anything. They chose bunks and started making the beds with sheets and blankets that they found in a chest. I went back to my own room. The bed was already made. My boxes and computer were all in there. I put the computer back together and hooked it to the wall jack. I put the stereo and television in place and hooked it to the wall joint. Then I put my clothes away in the chest of drawers and the closet. I broke down my boxes and stacked them. I'd have one of the bonded take them to the trash dumpster later.

"So you moved in?" Jason asked.

"Sure did," I said. "My father needs his house and I wanted to live with you guys."

"Well welcome home," he said with a smile. "Dad tells me you have a new bonded."

"Ian," I said. "He's in the bunk room getting acclimated. I figured after the demonstration the best thing was to let the bonded sort him out and assign him a night. I told him what he needs to know. He just didn't believe me until I cut myself and let him watch it heal."

"Well that's you back to five," he said. "I have five, Arena has four. Jordan said he'll have five when he's done. William doesn't want bonded. Roland keeps telling him he has to have them just not to double bond another."

"I don't know what to say about William not wanting bonded," I said. "I'd be lost without mine."

"Something tells me you wouldn't be," Jason said. "You're a go getter. You get things done with or without your bonded. That would have been the case if you had no bonded."

"Well I'm happy that you see me that way," I said with a smile. "But really I rely on the bonded a lot more than you think."

"We'll see," he said. "You finished unpacking?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"We have to make ourselves scarce for the bonded party," he said.

"I have to make a cup of punch for Drake," I said and we went to do that.

Once we had that done we left with Arena, William, Roland, and Jordan. Nicole was already gone. We went to play miniature golf and drive go karts. We had a good time that night. We had dinner at the Clubhouse. That was a restaurant that catered to the park. It was like a country club but not as private. We had a grand time. When we got back to the house there was a disturbance. Drake was furious. He'd been given the elixir and he was fit to be tied. William told him that he was Immortalis now and needed to act like it. He just kept asking him why.

I took my bonded and went to my room. They fanned out on my bed and put a hand on me. Even Ian. He was confused about what happened downstairs and we weren't going to tell him. He needed to acclimate to being one of my bonded and fast. We had school in two days. He was going back to school no matter what. I already had Declan making his school transcripts. He was working on them now in another room.

Drake was still screaming about being tricked. He wanted to know who had put the elixir in his cup. I walked out of my room and looked at him. I said, "I put the elixir in your punch because William had been trying to give it to you but you refused to take it. You were a bonded man. William was your Immortalis. You were not in charge. You do what you're told when it comes to the elixir. You can beg and you can plead but in the end you drink it. You are now Immortalis. Act like it. You're throwing a fit like a child. You're not a child. You know how this works. I know you've seen it happen over and over again. Now it has happened to you. Suck it up. William is done with you."

"This was your idea?" he asked, turning to William.

"I tried to give it to you the right way but you wouldn't take it," William said. "I wanted to purge you but you just refused to drink anything I handed you. So my grandson helped me. Yes it was my idea. He just added elixir to a cup of punch and told his bonded that you got the purple cup."

"So you wanted this," he said.

"Yes, Drake," William said. "I wanted this. You are not going to Milan with me."

"You're going to Milan?" Drake asked. "When?"

"When my son and his children leave this city I will go to Milan," William said. "You are not welcome."

"So you're kicking me out?" Drake asked.

"You know how to brew the bonding potion," William said. "Five million dollars has been placed in your account. You have the money to go anywhere. Go, Drake."

William handed Drake an envelope. Inside was a ticket to somewhere I didn't know where. Drake looked at it and smiled. "We were happy there once."

"Go there, Drake," William said. "You can build your life there."

"Yes," Drake said. "My plane leaves in two hours. You really planned this out. I have to pack."

He went off to pack his bags and then William drove him to the airport. I was shocked that William was going to Milan. Drake was off to God knew where, and Ian was safely in the bunk room away from this conversation. Declan came to me to hand me Ian's school transcripts. We'd talked to Ian and found out that he'd only been out of school for a month. He'd have to catch up but he'd be all right. I handed these to Roland who was going to act as Ian's father and enroll him in two days. Everything was planned out now. I went to my room. Jason went to his. I didn't have a bonded on the schedule tonight. I took a shower and got in my comfy clothes. Then I sat in my bed and read a book. No one came out of the bunk room or if they did they didn't come into my room.

What I didn't know was that Roland had taken Ian's measurements and sent them off to Nicole. When he told me that I was surprised. He told me he used to live in Milan and work for Nicole. He made the clothes. He smiled at me and told me that there was much that I didn't know about him. I just laughed at that and thanked him. Now he had the transcripts and he'd done his measurements. Nicole would send him his own clothing and he could stop wearing Todd's. All was working out for me so far. My father called my cell phone and told me that he had moved into the house. He commended me on how well it was kept. I told him that one of the things the bonded did every day was clean the house. He laughed about that. He asked about Ian and I told him that I had his transcripts printed and he was ready for school. He was acclimating. He was happy to hear that.

Then David called and asked where I was. I told him that I had moved with all five of my bonded to Jordan's house. He said he wondered when he saw Dad and his bonded moving into the house. He didn't like that I was on the other side of town but he said he understood it. He said Jordan finally had all three of his children under the same roof. I said he certainly did. I told him I didn't know if this was going to work out or not. I wasn't rocking the boat yet. He laughed at that and we got off the phone.

The next morning Roland took Ian and enrolled him in school. There were people there but we didn't go back until Wednesday. Today was Monday. I checked out my room in the house. I had a sitting room and a bathroom that was all mine. The bunk room had the same thing but no sitting room. Their room was larger than mine so I understood why Jordan made it into a bunk room. Their bathroom had toilet stalls and shower heads and sinks. Five of each. It was really set up for bonded. This place was made for Immortalis. Jordan explained that he had it built this way when the house was his. He'd hired the same crew that had worked on my father's house to do what he wanted. There were other rooms like the bunk room connected to Jason's room, Arena's room, Roland's room, and his room. William didn't need a bunk room because Drake always slept with him.

I had breakfast in the dining room. Arena made it and set it up for me and Jason and Jordan. She left more in the kitchen so that William and Roland could get plates when they came in. We ate and talked about Drake and Ian. Drake was out and Ian was in it was a whirlwind when you said it that way. Ian was even acclimated to having a night with me. They'd explained it all to him. Todd told me that Ian was happy.

After breakfast we got our school books and backpacks ready. I put mine next to the desk in my room. Then I sat in the living room with my siblings. I didn't know where the bonded were. I wasn't used to not seeing them. Jason told me they were teaching some of Jordan's new bonded. I thought that was a good idea. Ian was learning to drive like John had. They went off to find vehicles for him to drive that would give him the training he needed. I was told he took to it really well. Then before I knew it we were sitting down to dinner. The bonded had their own dinner and it was cooked by one of Jordan's bonded.

"So, Damon how are you finding life in the mansion?" Jordan asked.

"It's different," I said. "I'm not used to not having the bonded around me all day. It's going to take some getting used to."

"Well you can have them around you all day if you want," he said. "We just don't spend that much time with ours. It may spark jealousy with the other groups."

"Well that would be a problem but I miss having them around all day," I said.

"Well then have them around," he said with a smile. "No one will stop you." 

I put that to the test later that afternoon. I sat on the floor in the living room. This time it was Ian's first night with me so I sat him down and I sat between his legs and leaned against him. He liked this. Then the others sat around us and put a hand on my legs or my arms. We watched television like this. Jordan smiled at us. Then before I knew it Jason was doing the same thing with his bonded. Arena watched us with interest. She brought hers out and did the same with them. They were elated. Jordan shook his head. We were closer than he was with his bonded because of the way that I treated mine. Jason and Arena would get closer to their bonded if they kept this up.

"School starts the day after tomorrow," Jason said.

"I know," I said. "But we're seniors and then we have the summer."

"Going to Milan?" Arena asked.

"No," I sighed. "Nicole is purging her bonded and bonding five more."

"Ah," she said. "She does that now and then."

"She just lets them die?" Ian asked.

"No," I said. "She gives them the elixir of life."

"It works on us?" he asked.

"After so long it will," I said. It was a little lie but none of he bonded needed to know that it would work on them and make them want it. They needed to be bonded for a while.

"William is without bonded now that Drake is gone," Arena said.

"Yes, but he says he doesn't want bonded," I said.

"He has to have bonded," Jason said. "How will he live without them?"

"How has he lived with just Drake for so long?" I asked.

"That's true," Arena said. "Maybe he really doesn't need bonded. I do though."

"So do I," I said.

We sat there and watched a few television programs and then went to bed. I had Ian with me so we went to the bathroom and started the shower. We stripped and I got my first look at him naked. He was a vision. We got in the shower and I washed him thoroughly. I washed his shoulders, arms, and torso. Then I washed his legs and feet. While I was knelt down there I washed his balls and then rand my soapy hand up his dick once. Then I had him turn around. I washed his shoulders, the backs of his arms, and his back. Then I washed his ass and inserted a soapy finger into his ass and he jumped. Then I washed the backs of his legs and stood up. I rinsed my hands and applied shampoo then I rubbed it into his head. I washed his hair and had him rinse his head and did it again. Then I pushed him into the spray to let him rinse.

He got the idea and did the same to me. He washed my shoulders, arms, and torso. Then he washed my legs and feet. He washed my balls and ran his soapy hand up the length of my dick once. Then he had me turn around. He washed my shoulders, the backs of my arms, my back, and my ass. He didn't put a finger in me. He just ran his soapy hands down my crack. Then he washed the backs of my legs. Then he washed my hair once and twice. Then we were rinsing and getting out.

"That was fun," he said.

"All part of a night with me," I said.

"I get one a week?" he asked.

"That's all any of them get," I said. "But you can all have sex with each other. The others are all pared up because you're with me. When another is with me pair up with the others they'll sort you out."

"Cool," he said. "Aren't you worried that I'll fall for one of them?"

"Will you?" I asked.

"I don't think so," he said. "I never want to fall in love."

"Neither do I," I said. "I think you'll be fine."

I led him to my bed and grabbed the lubricant. I lubed my dick and had him sit on it so he could control how much and how fast he took it. He surprised me by sitting all the way down. I fucked him that way for a while. Then I turned us until he was on his back with his feet on my shoulders. Then I reinserted my dick and fucked his prostate. He liked that. 

I did that until his ass clamped around my dick and he shot cum up his torso. I went back to long dicking him until his orgasm subsided. Then I went back to fucking his prostate. He looked at me with wide eyes as I did it. But before he knew it he was clamped down and firing more cum up his torso. 

This time he milked the cum out of me. It happened with all of them. I pulled out slowly and sat back. He went to the bathroom to clean up and out. Then he came back and handed me a towel. I wiped by dick and he climbed in bed and we cuddled up and went to sleep.

"Good morning," he said as he stretched and yawned.

"Good morning to you," I said. "We need to get up. Our night together is over."

"Sure thing," he said and got out of bed. He dressed in more of Todd's clothes.

Todd was happy to share but the clothes really needed to arrive so that Ian could wear his own clothes. I knew for fact that there were chests of drawers in that bunk room. There were closets for them too. It was a really strange room to have in your house. Definitely the house of an Immortalis. I thought about that as I showered and got dressed. I went down to breakfast and ate scrambled eggs, toast, and hash browns. No biscuits today. I did have coffee and it was so much better than what they'd been buying for my house. I loved it. I sat in the dining room with my bonded and ate. Eric had to go to the school to get his classroom all set up for students as of tomorrow. 

Todd and Evan went to check on John to get him over to the house so I could show him how to brew the bonding potion. I needed him over here so he could learn. It was time for him to stop being stubborn. They brought him back and I showed him how to brew it. Then he took that with him along with the cashier's check for five million to finance his bonded. He said he knew just who he was going to bond. Then he asked me if he was still a member of the Alpha Society. I told him he was. Then he left.

"He didn't even stay to say anything to us," Declan said.

"He's not one of you anymore," I said. "He's an Immortalis."

"Yes but all of the Immortalis in this house at least talk to us," Declan said.

"Well it's hard for John," I said. "You know that. Maybe he just can't talk to you guys right now."

"If he hadn't been so stupid," Declan said. It was clear that he was angry with John for what he'd done.

"You know it doesn't pay to be angry with him," I said. "He made a mistake and he has to live with it for the rest of his long life."

"Yeah," he sighed. "It's why I don't even think about the elixir. I don't want to hurt myself in the process. Being connected to you is like nothing else in the world. I miss David at times but I wouldn't give up this feeling for anything. I know he wants me to drink the elixir but I refuse."

"David has told you to drink the elixir?" I asked. This was something I hadn't known.

"He said that we could be with our bonded together and be the best friends we used to be," he said. "I told him that I love being bonded and wouldn't give it up for anything. So unless you tell me to drink it I won't even entertain the idea."

"All right," I said. "Thank you for telling me this."

"You're welcome," he said. "I tell you everything anyway. You're the holder of my bond. I love the way it feels and I'll be open and honest with you forever, Damon."

"Thank you," I said. "Now I just have to get the others to feel that way."

"They do," he said. "Evan reveres you. You got him out from under his strict parents. You showed him a world he'd never have seen on his own. Todd is in awe of you. You got his dad to stop beating him, hell you killed his dad for him. He will never leave you. Evan either. I don't know what Eric thinks. He doesn't have those kinds of conversations with us. He just tells us that he loves being one of us."

"Well you leave Eric to me," I said. "He talks to me about this stuff. He wasn't happy being bonded but he grew happy being bonded. He told me that much."

"Well why does he talk to you and not to us?" Declan asked.

"Because I'm his bond holder and you're a bunch of teenagers," I laughed.

"Right," he said, shaking his head.

"Did I hear my name?" Eric asked as he came into the dining room.

"Yes you did," I said. "Declan was telling me how everyone feels being bonded to me. He said you don't talk to them about stuff like that. I said you talk to me because I'm your bond holder and they're a bunch of teenagers."

"That's not it at all," he said. "I don't talk because I have nothing to say on the subject of how happy are you being bonded to Damon. I'm happy with the way things are. I don't want them to change any time soon. I was sad to see John go but he made his mind up and drank the elixir for a stupid reason. It seems that if he was in love he should have stuck around to get what he could."

"Well there you have it," I said, smiling at Declan.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving his hand at me.

We started school the very next day. It was back to being popular and doing the right thing. We had our first meeting with the Alpha Society that very day. We discussed philanthropic events and I reminded them that it was adopt a resident time and that we had the dance that would be thrown soon so it didn't interfere with prom. Yes, we were going to prom, and no we weren't asking anyone we wanted. The Gamma Society would be our dates just like they were to any other event we went to. We were also going to do a lot of toys for tots and hot lunches for children stuff.

We started the adopt a resident that very week. I got my resident and went shopping for him and bought him his candy and his newspapers and magazines. I sat with him and talked, did his laundry, and basically took over essential care for him. I made sure he took his med's and ate his food. I wheeled him down to Bingo and other events that were thrown by the retirement home. That lasted for six weeks.

Then we had the dance. It was for the whole school as it had been. The Gamma Society told us that night that they'd be our dates for prom. That was all sewed up. We had a great time at the dance and two huge cakes were brought out. One in black and white icing and it said the Alpha Society the other was in white icing with gold piping and said The Gamma Society. We had cake and punch and then it was time to go home. People were happy and that's what I wanted. We had other philanthropic events to get through.

We collected toys and wrapped them for birthdays and such. We'd done this once already for Christmas. But that was expected. This time it was birthday wishes and things like that. We did a modified blanket run. We did toys and candy and cake for the children. We did that on a Saturday and it took all day long. People were really happy about it. Then it was time to start taking donations for hot lunches for the kids all summer long. We got those donations and made a few of our own. Needless to say they had the money for hot lunches for the kids all summer long.

Then we were getting ready for the prom. It was finally here. We rented tuxes with golden bow ties and cummerbunds. The girls had golden dresses and we posed for pictures once again these were special and I bought mine and my date's. We had dinner in a restaurant with half the senior class and then went to the dance where we were cheered as we entered the place. We had fun and when it was time to elect the King and Queen I was surprised to find my own name on the paper. We voted for ourselves and then the ballots were counted and I was King and Arena was Queen. Did they not know that we were brother and sister.

"Sister," I said, giving her my hand when the dance was announced.

"Brother," she said, taking my hand and letting me spin her around to ooh's and ah's from the crowd.

We danced to the song and then I went back to my date and she went back to her date. We still had the crowns on our heads. I had a great time that night. The cake was good. The punch was good. When the dance was over we drove our dates home and kissed their cheeks. Then we went home and got out of the tuxes. I was in shorts and a t-shirt before I knew it. Then I had ice cream in the dining room with most of my bonded. Eric was still at the school because he was a chaperone for the dance.

We had baseball practice in the morning and a game that night. We got up the next morning and dressed in our practice uniforms. Then we went to the field and ran through everything he wanted us to do. We had batting practice, pitching practice, catching, running, all of it. We left practice and had dinner after our showers. Then we put on our uniforms for the game. We were playing against another school and we played hard. We won but it was just one run over the other team. Eric was happy with us but we weren't the best team. A lot of them didn't do what they should.

Things went on. I had a lot of fun with my brother and sister. I continued to sit on the floor with my bonded and so did my siblings. Jordan purged his bonded. I recorded them all in the database and they left the house. Then he bonded four men and one woman. I didn't get to know them because they were being taught by my bonded and they were always in another room. We were getting ready for graduation and they were still teaching. We got our caps and gowns and invitations to graduation. We sent out our invitations but most of them went in the trash. Declan invited his family. I invited my father and his bonded. Jason and Arena invited the whole family. Nicole arrived and got ready to go to our graduation.

That night we were all in line waiting to be called out to the field. Then my name was called and I went and got my diploma and posed for pictures. My dad and his bonded cheered for me. Then I was off the stage and sitting in the chairs for the students. All of my bonded were sitting around me. We waited for all of it to be over. I was tired of it. We had a party at the mansion and everyone was there. We had cake and punch and little finger sandwiches. Nicole said she wished we could come to Milan but she had too much going on to be with us when we were there. I told her we could do it next summer and she smiled and said she'd make sure that we could.

Then I got a surprise. A woman walked up to me at the supermarket and stopped me. She smiled as she looked me up and down. "You look so much like your brother," she said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I hoped you'd recognize me," she said. "I'm your mother. I'm Elaine Moore."

"I'm afraid of you," I said.

"Why?" she asked. "I have no reason to hurt you. I put you up for adoption because I couldn't be a good mother. But now that you've graduated high school I thought it was time to introduce myself. I was in the crowd watching as you walked across the stage to collect your diploma. I'm so proud of you, Damon. I would have named you different but that's out of hand now. How are you?"

"I'm fine," I said. "I have five boned that take care for me."

"You're Immortalis already?" she asked. "I thought Jordan would make you wait like he did with Jason and Arena."

"Jordan was looking for me," I said. "He put the elixir and bonding recipes on a web site. I found them and it worked. I emailed him and found him instead of him finding me."

"That's exciting," she said. "You have nothing to fear of me. I won't hurt you. I love you. I always have. I just couldn't be your mother."

"You've said that," I said as my bonded came to stand with me.

"Who is this?" Eric asked as he looked at her.

"She's my mother," I said.

"Elaine?" Declan said.

"You know me?" she asked.

"We've heard about you," Declan said.

"Tell Jordan to stop looking for me," she said. "I'm fine. I have bonded to do things for me, too. Damon it was good to talk to you." She took a card out of her purse and handed it me. I took it. "You can reach me at that number."

She walked away from us and I just stood there and watched her go. Eric and Declan were looking at me. I told them we had to get home. We went and then I handed the card to Jordan. He looked at it and then at me. "She stopped you?"

"She did," I said. "She said she's loved me my whole life and she's proud of me."

"That's a crock," he said. "Mother, I've found Elaine."

"Where?" she demanded.

"She's right here in Claymore," he said. He handed her the card.

Before I knew what was what Nicole had taken the card and left the house. I looked at Jordan. He just looked at me. I didn't want her killed. She was my mother after all. What if what she'd said was true? Maybe she did love me. Maybe she was proud of me. I didn't know. I knew that I wanted to find out. I wouldn't if Nicole killed her. It didn't take very long for Nicole to come back.

"She's got five bonded," she said. "They're all men."

"Are they guarding her?" Jordan asked.

"No," she said. "They're fawning over her."

"She's crazy," he said.

"Of that I'm certain," she said. "Damon did she try to hurt you?"

"No," I said. "She said she was at my graduation and that she's proud of me. She was a little shocked to learn that I'm Immortalis with five bonded of my own but she got over that and told me that she had bonded too. Then she told me she loved me and had always loved me she just couldn't be a mother. Then she said she wanted to know me."

"Well if you want to know her that's fine," she said. "But I intend to beat the living shit out of her."

"Just don't kill her," Jordan said. "She is Damon's mother after all."

"What are you doing?" Nicole asked.

"I'm entering her into the database," I said as I did it.

"What do you think of your mother showing up like this?" Jordan asked.

"Well you told me to fear her and I did," I said. "I'm still not convinced that she's not a threat. She said she has no desire to hurt me. She just wants to know me. So I'll play it by ear. Always meet her in public places, that sort of thing."

"Sounds good," Jordan said. "I can't advise you on this. I don't know her anymore."

"Well you were looking for her and she found me," I said. "What do you all want from her?"

"I want to know what happened to Jackson Price," Nicole said. "He was my lover until she convinced him to drink the elixir and follow her."

"Well she didn't mention another Immortalis," I said. "We didn't talk long though. I can ask her."

"I'll ask her while I beat the living shit out of her," she said.

"Or you could do it that way," I said.

"Don't worry she'll heal from every blow I give her," she said.

"I'm not worried," I said. "She has this coming from you. I'm not going to try to get in the way of it. Just don't kill her."

"I'm not going to kill her," she said. She gathered her bonded and left.

"She's going to beat her badly," Jordan said. "She's wanted a piece of her since she took off with you in her belly."

"Well she's getting her piece," I said. "I hope that she still wants to talk to me when this is over."

"Well she knows you're with us," he said. "So she should have expected one of us to come to her door."

"I think she was expecting you," I said.

"I have nothing for her," he said. "I have you in my life now so all I was upset with her about is over."

"She told me to tell you to stop looking for her," I said.

"I haven't been actively looking for her since I found you," he said.

"Well all right then," I said. "I don't know how to feel about this."

"No I don't guess you do," he said. "I'm part of the reason for that and I'm sorry. It seems she just wants to know you."

"Well there's the fact that she gave me up and took me away from you guys, too," I said.

"Yeah, there's that," he said. "She's done many things."

"Well she's back now and I want to know why," I said.

"Why she's back or why she did the things she did?" he asked.

"Both," I said. "Why did she come here when she knew you'd find her if she thought you were looking for her?"

"I can't answer that," he said. "Maybe she really wanted to see you and to hell with the consequences."

"Well I still don't trust her but I want answers to my questions," I said. "When and if I get them I'll decide if she needs to be a part of my life or if I need her to be."

"That sounds about right," he said. "Remember we're all getting ready to go to college in the fall. William is teaching there. Roland is teaching there. Your adoptive father is teaching there and all of us will be students there. I, of course, will be in grad school. You, your brother, sister, and all of you bonded will be undergrad."

"I know that," I said. "I'm just worried about Elaine being here in Claymore. I was fine with her out there somewhere. Now suddenly she's here in my face."

"Damon do you need to talk it out?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I don't know what to feel about this."

"I can't advise you on what to feel about it," he said. "I can be here for you as it happens."

"Thank you, Jordan," I said.

"You're welcome," he said.

Nicole and her bonded came in and she looked mad enough to kill. She sat down and looked at her nails. She looked at me and sighed. All of the anger left her. "I didn't beat her ass I just punched her in the face," she said. "She really is here to see you. She doesn't know where Jackson is. He left at the same time as she did but he didn't leave with her."

"So she didn't take him with her?" I asked.

"No apparently not," she said with a sigh. I punched her in the face for taking you away from us. You wouldn't even be Immortalis by this time. You'd be in college like your brother but your first trip through and you wouldn't have been given the elixir until you were twenty-five."

"Well it worked out this way and I'm really happy that it did," I said. "I'm happy that you all found me but I had an upbringing that made me a bit different than my siblings. I'm not saying they're bad but they compliment me in ways that they likely wouldn't have."

"Well I'm happy that you feel that way," she said with a smile. "I for one am happy that you're Immortalis too. I was just saying what would have been the other way if she hadn't run off. You'd have had your mother and your father."

"Yes I'm a little pissed off that I was taken away from my father but again it turned out all right," I said. "My adoptive father was great. I love him and will always love him but I'm happy that I found Jordan. It's right for me to be here now."

I went to see Elaine at a restaurant. We ate and talked to each other and got along very well. I asked her why she took me from the Arcola family. She said because she couldn't stand to be Jordan's bonded anymore. She left with the elixir and drank it as soon as I was born. She wasn't going to jeopardize me with the elixir. She wanted me to be born perfectly. She had me in a hospital and then signed to let me be adopted because she was going to drink the elixir and she wasn't sure who she'd be. She said she didn't want me to be neglected and raised by drones. I was happy for that, too. I told her all about my family and how I grew up. She listened closely. I told her that I wasn't told that I was adopted until my adoptive mother left my adoptive father. I was afraid it was because of me. I mean I knew that I wasn't her son because David was only a few months older than me. I thought that I was my adoptive father's mistress's child and she was forced to raise me and got tired of it. It turned out that she just ran off with a younger man.

"That's hilarious," she said. "Not for the reason you think. It's just that I bond younger men. Women want younger men most of the time."

"Well what are your bonded like?" I asked.

"They're much like yours only their slightly older," she said. "They love me and I love them. I don't mean I'm in love with any of them. I learned not to fall in love from Jordan. They love me like I'm family and I love them like they're family."

"They are," I said. "They're the family you make for yourself. That's why I don't want them to drink the elixir."

"I don't want mine to do it either," she said. "I did it but I don't want them to do it."

"I get it," I said. "I drank it and I've since had to give it to two of my bonded. One for a very laudable reason and the other for a stupid mistake on his part. But I don't want the others to even want it."

"It's all in the way you treat them," she said. "Jordan treated us like sex partners and nothing more. The only reason he has female bonded is to have children for him. If you treat them better they stay with you longer."

"I treat mine like family," I said. "A very close family. They touch me a lot and I encourage that. We sit in the floor with me in the middle and them with hands on me most of the time. I have a schedule with them they each get one night with me and then I have two nights off. Of course they're all sleeping with each other so they aren't as pent up when they get to me. I have time to take my time and enjoy my time with them."

"That's the ticket," she said with a smile. "That's it exactly. I treat mine in much the same way though they do like to take care of me."

"Mine learned from Jordan's bonded to be facilitators of each move we make," I said. "I have one learning to do defensive and aggressive driving. I never know what life is going to throw at me."

"Have you run into any of the other Immortalis?" she asked.

"We had a get together with a lot of them," I said. "We went zip lining. We spent a week with each other and then they all went back to where they'd come from. I have a database of all of them and where they are. That way if we need help we can locate them with ease."

"Efficient," she said. "This was your doing wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," I said. "Jordan told me what a problem it was to people the world with Immortalis so I set about finding them and entering them in the database and address book."

"You, Damon, are a breath of fresh air," she said. "Jordan was all plots and schemes to do this and to go there. You seem to be happy no matter where you are. I envy that. We move every ten years. I'm never anywhere long enough to really enjoy it. But it keeps us from being noticed. I came here just to see you. I've known where you are for a very long time but I didn't want to come while you were with your adoptive parents. When I learned that you were graduating from high school I knew you'd be turning eighteen in July. So I came to see you."

"Well I'm glad that you did," I said. "I've been wondering about you."

"Well here I am," she said. "Ask me anything."

"Where have you lived?" I asked.

"London, Paris, America, Canada, Mexico, and all over this fine country," she said. "I loved London and I'm planning to return there eventually."

"Okay," I said. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything from you," she said. "I just want to know my son." 

And get to know me she did. She even came to the house to visit with me. She was nervous there with Nicole sitting there but she had a rather pleasant visit with me and my bonded. We talked about what was next for me which was college. Then I'd move to another place and start over. She laughed at that and told me I'd have a wonderful time of it. She said she loved the moving and starting over she always got to be someone else with a different back story. I told her I got that loud and clear.

I hung out with my bonded and my siblings. We had games and food and trips to take. We did end up in Milan for a month. That was where I turned eighteen. Nicole has asked that I not divulge anything that happened in Milan. I told her no one is going to believe this tale anyway. She just made me promise. So there you have it. This has been my story of how I drank the elixir of life and bonded a family. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed telling it. I may tell what happened next in another volume.