When Damien finally spoke, his voice carried the same neutral tone he might use to discuss the weather—though Tyr knew better than to mistake that calm for indifference. "And what does Beth think of this idea?"
Tyr flushed with embarrassment. "I... I haven't discussed it with her yet, my Lord." His voice dropped lower. "I wouldn't presume to offer such a thing without your approval."
Alyssa glanced up at Damien, her blue-green eyes bright with enthusiasm. "Beth already knows about keeping secrets. She's part of the Other community - it's not like she'd have to hide her immortality from her friends and family who are shifters."
Lord Damien's elegant fingers drummed a slow rhythm on the rich burgundy leather of the chesterfield's arm. The sound echoed softly in the firelit room.
"I know of no instance where a shifter has been turned, if it has ever been attempted." His unreadable gaze fixed on Tyr. "There may be... repercussions. If it can even be done at all."
Tyr's shoulders tensed. "I've thought of all these things, my Lord." He drew a deep breath, steadying himself. "I had hoped perhaps you might know of others, in your long existence."
"No." Damien's response was immediate and final. "In five millennia, I have never encountered nor heard of such a transformation."
"What would happen to her shifter animal?" Alyssa glanced between Damien and Tyr. "Would she keep her ability to shift? Would the vampire nature override it completely?"
Tyr's fingers clenched on the arms of his chair. He had asked himself these same questions countless times over the past weeks.
"I don't know." Damien's voice carried the weight of his ancient knowledge - and its limits. His expression grew thoughtful. "I will, however, contact the Shifter Council. They have been keeping extensive records on shifters for centuries. If it has been attempted, they will know."
Tyr bent his head. "Thank you, my lord."
Damien's expression remained contemplative, his dark eyes studying Tyr with the careful assessment of one who had witnessed millennia of hasty decisions and their consequences. The ancient vampire seemed to weigh something in his mind, considering implications beyond what had been spoken aloud.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft crackle from the fireplace. Shadows danced across the dark wood paneling as Tyr waited, his entire body tense with anticipation. Even Alyssa remained still, her earlier enthusiasm tempered by the gravity of the situation, her blue-green eyes watching her husband's face with practiced understanding.
Finally, Damien stirred. His elegant fingers ceased their rhythmic tapping on the chesterfield's arm as he fixed Tyr with those ancient, penetrating eyes.
"You will discuss this fully with Beth." His voice carried the unmistakable weight of both permission and caution. "If the Shifter Council has no documentation on this, shemustunderstand that there are no guarantees. No precedents. No way to know if her shifter nature would survive the transformation, or if the vampire blood would destroy it entirely."
His piercing gaze held Tyr's. "She needs to comprehend that she would be the first - an experiment, in essence. The consequences are..." He paused, choosing his words with characteristic precision. "Unknown. Completely unknown."
Tyr's fingers flexed against the leather chair arms. "Yes, my Lord. I understand."
"Do you?" Damien's voice carried a sharp edge. "Because Beth will need to understand fully before making such a choice. The risks. The uncertainties. Everything she might lose, as well as gain."
Alyssa's small hand settled on Damien's arm. "And everything she might gain," she added softly. "We don't know that for certain either."
Damien fixed his gaze on Tyr with laser-sharp intensity. "If Beth agrees to this transformation, she would be expected to swear fealty to me, as you have done." His voice carried the weight of centuries of tradition. "She would become part of our clan, bound by our laws and customs."
"And to me." Alyssa's blue-green eyes gleamed with mischief.
Damien sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between elegant fingers.
Tyr fought back a smile. Even after five centuries together, Alyssa still managed to crack Damien's carefully maintained facade of formality. Their interactions gave him hope - if an ancient vampire and a young Djinn could build such a life together, perhaps his dream of sharing eternity with Beth wasn't completely impossible.
"Indeed, my treasure," Damien's voice carried fond exasperation. "Beth would be expected to swear fealty to both of us."
Tyr rose from his chair, hope and uncertainty warring in his chest. "Thank you, my Lord. My Lady." He bowed deeply, the gesture carrying centuries of ingrained respect.
"Give Beth our regards." Alyssa's warm smile brightened the formal atmosphere. "And let Jacinth know I'll be in touch soon for a Djinn night out."
"Keep me informed." Damien's elegant fingers traced idle patterns on Alyssa's arm. "Safe journey."
The massive doors opened silently as Charles materialized to escort him out. Tyr followed the Steward through the familiar corridors of Lord Damien's penthouse to the sleek elevator that would take him to the private garage beneath the skyscraper.
The elevator's soft hum filled the silence as it descended. Tyr leaned against the polished wood paneling, his mind already racing ahead to the conversation he needed to have with Beth.
How would she react to the possibility of transformation? Would she be willing to take such a leap into the unknown? The thought of sharing eternity with her made his chest ache with longing.
