(DANE POV) Watching her motionless on the bed, a wave of shame washed over me. I berated myself for letting the situation spiral to such a dire point. Her hand remained in mine, a connection to the bond I was so afraid of breaking now. I held on, desperate for any sign of her awareness and needs, any slight response to my presence. Deirk broke my cycle of remorse the second he walked back in. "Well, she has color again," he remarked. His observation, though meant to be reassuring, only reminded me of how pale I'd let her become under my care. The irony that I had always prided myself on being able to protect those I cared about, and I ultimately ended up endangering her, was not lost on me. The mishap had been a close call, too close. Failing to notice the disconnect when my wound healed, leaving us no longer linked in that crucial moment, nearly cost her life. It was a lapse that forced me to summon Magness for help. A decision made in utter desperation. "Yeah, and there
As Dane's whisper filtered through the darkness, confessing his reluctance yet the necessity to give me more of Magness's blood to hasten my recovery, I yearned to communicate my consent. Trapped in this void, anything to quicken my return to reality was a lifeline I desperately wanted. Anything. Even that assholes blood. "I know this isn't ideal, but it's necessary," Dane's voice was a soft echo in the void, "Mag's blood... it'll help speed up your return to us." Though meant to comfort, it carried a resignation I could sense even in my disoriented state. The sensation of a needle piercing my arm jolted me. Dane's excitement at my physical response to the discomfort was the most hopeful sound I'd heard in an eternity. "You're starting to come back to us. This should help you open your eyes soon," he encouraged. I clung to Dane's words, imagining the moment I could see again, be part of the world I was so abruptly torn from. As Dane checked my pulse, his lips on my neck fe
(DEIRK POV) I couldn't shake the feeling that Camilla had a hand in orchestrating this entire situation just for me. The tailored suit I donned, a gift from Dane years ago, was supposed to instill confidence, but instead, it served as a reminder of the facades we often hide behind. Reflecting on the past month spent with Jo, I realized there was never a moment of desire beyond brotherly protection. My heart didn't race from our closeness, not in the way one might expect. Yes, I admired and cared for her, but the absence of any deeper romantic or sexual inclination towards her was a truth I could no longer ignore. Despite my affection for the company of women, my heart veered in a different direction. Perhaps my upbringing, surrounded by women with a stark absence of male companionship, influenced my inclinations more than I cared to admit. Dane wrapped me in a hug, his confidence in me unshaken. "Little lord, you've got this," he encouraged. His casual use of the nickname didn't
(DEIRK POV) "We've got this under control, thank you," I stated firmly, trying to keep the situation from escalating with Magness's involvement."Nonsense. I'm already here," Magness countered smoothly. I might as well lend a hand."I scrutinized him carefully, always wary of his intentions. Freed from his direct influence, I observed him through a lens of wary independence, yet the scars of past manipulations lingered. My detachment from Magness was a bittersweet liberation, the freedom tainted by the deep-seated wounds of our dark history I was forced to often revisit. Dane remained entangled in Magness's web, a connection I resented for keeping me tethered to a past I yearned to forget. My loyalty to Dane was unwavering, but it tethered me to the creature responsible for my deepest traumas.Effortlessly, Magness dealt with a couple of the resisting wards, their feet barely touching the ground as he escorted them to the dining hall. With his unparalleled charm, Jax persuaded anoth
(DEIRK POV) I caught Cami's eye, signaling for a moment of her attention. When she approached, I suggested, under the guise of the overcrowded room, that Percy and I step aside to solidify our newfound bond in a quieter setting. "You know he will try to follow. It would be best if you had Dane," she cautioned quietly.I responded, "Can't, Jo's awake already."Cami's frustration was evident. "This is why I wanted you all in the west wing. I can't let you take him off grounds, not right now. If he tries to escape..."Percy began to interject, but Cami firmly silenced him with a hard slap. I felt a protective instinct kick in, and I wrapped my arm around Percy, which drew a knowing smile from Cami.She leaned in, whispering, "I was worried you were just claiming him to keep him from Mag, but I can see that's not the case. Three days, Deirk. Three days, and you keep control of him. If he runs away, I will have your head. Do you hear me? And in those three days, I need you to convince D
(PERCY POV)I never imagined my life taking such a drastic turn. Hunger gnawed at me relentlessly. It had been days since I last ate, pushing me to the brink. Stealing from the gas station wasn't exactly my proudest moment, but desperation had a funny way of narrowing down choices.It was either that or resorting to grazing on the grass like livestock.I had been selling myself again, trading my blood for cash in a bid to satiate my hunger. But I knew the vampires wouldn't appreciate a donor fed on vegetation. So, I stole those noodles, hoping to restore some semblance of nutritional value to my blood, to remain enticing to my nocturnal customers.Yet, in a twist of fate, my theft didn't lead me back to the shadows of the street but into the presence of vampire royalty. The irony wasn't lost on me. Standing before the vampire king's son, I couldn't help but reflect on the bizarre events that led me here.Turning to Deirk, I asked, "Wait, if the king is your marker and your brother is
(DEIRK POV) Holy shit, Percy was a blood dealer. Not here for that, but he was one. Selling blood to vampires could get you a life sentence if they caught you. To put it simply, if a vampire was resorting to buying blood from the street, there was a reason. I suspected Camilla had figured it out, too. That's probably why Percy had been holed up in the newbie dorm for the past six weeks. They were likely testing his blood to ensure he wasn't carrying anything that could be passed on to us. Vampire-transmitted diseases were a grim reality, not well-known outside our circles for obvious reasons. Trying to maintain my composure after his confession was a challenge. This was the aspect of the vampire world I despised the most. Humans, driven by desperation, made choices like Percy's only to end up punished far beyond what their so-called crimes merited. Percy could have easily become a plaything for someone like Magness...tortured and drained nearly to death...all because he was driven
(PERCY POV)I was utterly bewildered by what had just transpired. It was the most intimate and powerful experience I'd ever had with a vampire. Before, every encounter was rough, violent, and aggressively impersonal. They'd often force me into doing other things right after feeding, seldom bothering to heal the bites.That's why I was so covered in scars. But this time was different. No vampire had ever tried to cuddle with me after. Yet, here I was, nestled in a vampire's arms, and he seemed so content, almost radiating joy.Overwhelmed, I asked, "Why was it so different this time? All the other times, it was always so rough and aggressive. What just happened... it wasn't like that."His face was buried in my hair, his lips pressed against the back of my neck, and I could feel his grin. In a hushed tone, he whispered, "Because none of them cared about you like I do, Cariño.""Cariño, what does that mean?" I asked.When he didn't respond, I rolled over to face him, eager to look into