Chapter 5: Graduation
Ian was introduced to his grandfather's men and allies, and mentally stored everyone's name. He knew that this was important to his grandfather. The families of the graduates were also at the party, but they seemed focused on Ian, as if they recognized that they were in front of someone as important as a king, without knowing what that really meant. And when Adam handed Ian his present, all the other graduates' families did the same with their children, and the surprise was widespread. Ian took the small box from his father Adam's hand and found two shiny new keys. One of them was for a car, and the other key, he imagined, was for a house, but it wasn't.
“I thought I was going to live in your mansion with you.” Ian said, lifting the key Adam had given him, in a disappointed tone.
Adam's eyes became amused.
“And you will. Do you think I'd waste my hard-earned money buying you a house?” Adam asked wryly. The relationship he had with his son was one of camaraderie, despite the love and friendship. “This key is for a room I had made in the mansion, which is connected to the room you chose... Tayme decorated your room, so don't blame me.”
“And what's in that room?”
“What you like best.”
Ian thought for a moment. What he liked most was guns, but he didn't need a room to store a gun, a safe would be fine, besides, his room already had guns, they were old, but there was an arsenal there.
“You bought me a gun? And put it in a room in my bedroom?”
“I bought several weapons, modern ones, and your initials are studded in gold on all of them. On the new ones, and on the old ones.”
Ian felt his heart leap, and he couldn't wait to see them all. He hugged his father, happy to know that he had always made sure he had everything he had ever dreamed of.
Anna arrived and pulled them away from the hug, then stared at Adam.
“You gave Ian guns!” She accused with critical eyes.
Adam shook his shoulders.
“I thought you didn't have vampire hearing anymore...”
“I don't. But I know my son, and their eyes only glow yellow around you when you're talking about guns.”
Adam looked at Ian.
“I never realized...”
“My turn.” She said and bumped into Adam with her shoulder, deliberately, to push him away.
“Just a moment, Mom...” Ian said and looked at Adam. “Dad, how am I going to get a car from here to the States?”
“The car is in Nevada.” He said, looked at Anna, and stepped aside to let the other people approach Ian.
“Darling, one more velvet box... By the end of the party you'll have a collection of them.” Anna said and looked back, and Ian followed her gaze. His family lined up to hand him the velvet boxes.
Ian opened the box his mother handed him, and there was the gold ring with the ruby stone from his graduation. He hugged her and she made room for the others to have their chance.
Ian received gold chains, gold bracelets and even a pair of earrings, which he liked very much, as he had one of his ears pierced and secretly also had some tattoos. One of these tattoos he got together with Adam and Ryan. His mother discovered it one day when she came into his room without knocking, as she always did, and found him coming out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel. When he saw her astonished gaze at his chest, he thought about covering himself with the towel, but something else more embarrassing would be in evidence, and neither of them talked about it. Ian knew that Anna wanted him to explain his tattoo, without her having to ask.
She crossed her arms and watched him, but said nothing. It seemed, for the first time that Ian could remember, that Anna had lost her voice. He shook his shoulders and many days later, Anna stared at him in annoyance, before forgetting all about the tattoo.
His father, Maxwell, was the last in line. And his present was the one that caused Ian the most anxiety. He opened the velvet box and inside was a gold watch. He looked at his father in amazement. And frowned. How had he found out that he had dreamt about that watch? He immediately put it on his arm. And by touching a tiny key, the watch reflected images from the security cameras, which were there inside the party hall. The watch was state-of-the-art and had the ability to track any camera and show him, in real time, everything the cameras were focusing on, and it could hear everything too. It also had a cell phone function. He could make and receive calls through it. It also told you what the weather was like anywhere in the world, and gave you forecasts of what it would be like over the next few days. And anyone who saw it would think they were looking at an ordinary watch. That watch cost the price of about seven furnished mansions, and he thought he would never have one of those. He hugged his father, speechless, to say how happy and grateful he was for the gift. He knew it wasn't because of the expensive price of the watch his father was giving him, but because somehow someone must have told him that he always went to a watch shop to see his dream of consumption up close. Ian hadn't remembered that werewolves could sense his desires.
After all his friends and their families had left, and only his family, the werewolves and his grandfather's allies remained, Henry formally handed over the leadership to Ian, and everyone came up to kiss his ring, which now meant not only that he was a lawyer, but also that he was recognized as a leader, and that from now on, all his grandfather's business should go through him.
The werewolves were just as happy and entered the hall as soon as they realized that the humans inside knew their secret, and the real party began. They didn't spare themselves. They drank a lot, danced a lot and even fought among themselves.
And after all that, Ian decided it had been a tiring day, and asked his father Adam to let him stay at his parents' mansion and not leave until the next day.
Adam understood that his son was exhausted and accepted the offer, calling the pilot and releasing him from his post. They wouldn't be traveling that night.