(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) 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

(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

(JO POV)Being trapped in my body, able to see and hear everything but unable to move, was a torturous improvement over the complete darkness that had enveloped me before. The realization that Dane had been changing my diapers and feeding me with a bottle while I was incapacitated was mortifying. Part of me wished to remain oblivious rather than face such indignities.When Deirk introduced his new human, a striking blonde guy who strongly resembles Dane, I was thrilled. I couldn't contain my excitement about having another human around, especially since I had been isolated from any human companionship since this all started.Dane returned from the market with food that catered to our new housemate's tastes, which apparently didn't align with my usual food choices. Sitting in Deirk's lap while he perched on a bar stool, we watched Dane cook. According to what he said, he was preparing chicken and eggplant parmesan, the new guy's favorite. I was eager to eat it, particularly since my

(PERCY POV)Waking up with Deirk holding me tightly was comforting and a reminder of the previous night. It felt like he was clinging to me like I was the only thing keeping him together, and perhaps I was at that moment. The usual tension in my chest each morning had loosened slightly, maybe because I didn't feel alone in this strange new world for the first time in a long while.Deirk's presence, a comforting constant through the night's delirium, had somehow held the shadows at bay.The nightmares had tormented me again last night, vivid and terrifying. Between the haunting replays of situations I unfortunately found myself in, I was in a dark, endless void, with eerie whispers and shadows that seemed to be closing in on me. But then, they shifted. I was back at the orphanage, surrounded by the first kindergarten class Miss Morgana had allowed me to lead after I proved to her I could. Strangely, this shift made me feel even sadder than the nightmare. I missed those kids terribly.