Anna smiled, against her will.
"Can I do all this?"
"Oh, Anna. Don't get any ideas. I'm immune to your gifts. But you can do this and much more. You just need to find a way to know how to do it."
"Why are you immune? That doesn't seem very fair..." Anna insisted, wanting to see Maxwell turned into a frog.
"Anna... What would you do then? Kiss me to make me your Prince Charming?"
Anna lost the amusement in her gaze.
"How do you know what I was thinking?"
"How I know is the answer to why I'm immune to your gifts." Maxwell said and moved closer. "Your mind belongs to me, Anna. There's nothing you can do without my permission."
"So... Even if I become Bruma..."
"You're already Bruma, Anna."
"And that means you're going to control me all the time? Everything I can say with my gifts... Will only be with your permission?"
"Yes. I can do that, but I'd rather not. I don't control all vampires, but I am the law of all of you, and I haven't imprisoned any of you in my will. I will never interfere in what you do as a Bruma, but as a vampire, you have to follow our rules."
"What are your rules?"
"Jasmine will talk to you about it."
"Your mother! I'd forgotten about her, too. Did you make me see her younger? Because she looks your age now. Compared to Suzy, she's a girl."
"We don't grow old. We don't die. But we can look older if we suck up someone older, according to our will. You don't know it, but werewolves have acquired a miraculous water that allows them to slow down their body's timeline. They are usually older than they look. But this is a choice that few of them make, as they abhor the idea of going against the course of life. You'll notice some werewolves ageing, and others not, but unlike us, young or old, they all die."
"I already know this healing water. I think Genevieve took some of this water... What is Genevieve doing here? I saw her when she was in the coffin, and she looked dead to me."
"It was Genevieve, but she wasn't quite dead yet, Adam made a request of me, and put her in the coffin. He manipulated all the werewolves so that they wouldn't hear her faint heartbeat, I was intending to refuse, but Ian..."
Anna looked puzzled at Maxwell.
"Ian?"
"Adam talked to Ian in front of Genevieve's coffin. I was nearby, Anna. I heard. Ian accepted that Genevieve would become someone like me."
"Ian is just a child. You shouldn't make him have to make that kind of choice for other people! Does he know she's alive?"
"All the time, he knew."
"He mourned her death!"
"Yes. Before he knew she could live, being another creature."
"Her werewolf side just disappears?"
"She can't feed both monsters, Anna."
"I don't understand."
"Maybe if she was born a hybrid, that would be possible, but there's no such thing as a vampire and a werewolf."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. But they are two enemy species, with two masters who can manipulate their wills. What would become of such a creature?"
"You don't seem to be Adam's enemy."
"We're the same, Anna. Adam and I, we have the same blood. There's a strong connection between us. Something inexplicable. I would give my life for his and I know he would do the same for me. He's already lied to so many people that I was a werewolf, to protect me..."
"He needed to protect you?"
Maxwell took a deep breath.
"Yes. He had to, because when we were children, vampires were still very rare."
"And now there are so many of you. What happened? An outbreak?"
"Jasmine will explain that part better for you, Anna."
"What about the triplets? Are they... Vampires?"
"Donald and David yes, I'm sure, although they can choose to live as humans, without blood, but Tayme..."
"Tayme?"
"She's a Bruma."
"How can she be a Bruma if she's not my first daughter? According to the order of the generation, Bruma would come from Ian, right?"
"Yes, but I think that now we have more Brumes, the order of things will be different."
"New times?"
"Yes. New times."
Anna nodded as if she understood.
"I'll talk to your mother, but first I need to answer Ian's pleas. I know he wants to see Adam. I can accompany him, every time they have a video call meeting..."
"No, Anna. Adam doesn't want to see you. He wants to see Ian. And I'm afraid he's had some strange idea, so I'm going to let them start talking tomorrow. But you mustn't stay in the room with them."
"Adam's the victim now? He kills me and now he hates me?"
"I don't think it's possible for Adam or me to hate you, Anna. But you don't have to understand his motives, you just have to respect his will."
Anna looked angrily at Maxwell. But her anger was because he was right.
"When will I be able to talk to your mother?"
"I'll ask her to stay the night at our house. As soon as she returns with our children, you can, and should, talk."
"Max... The cook..."
"It's okay, Anna. That's part of the learning process. I'll choose someone for you and I'll monitor your diet so that it's very pleasant and long-lasting."
"I don't want you controlling me all the time, Max! I'm not going to admit it."
"It'll only be until you learn, Anna."
"And as for the cook, she's in my car."
"You'll bury her. But you can decide when to do it."
"I thought that as a good husband, you would be willing to carry out this task for me."
"As a good husband, I'm willing to let you learn to be responsible. I won't bear the consequences of your mistakes, Anna... And I need to ask you a question..."
"You don't need to ask me. Read my thoughts."
Maxwell laughed.
"How do you feel about me now?"