CHAPTER 2
WREN
∞
Alex slips through the door again and gives me a small bow. “Frankie Denali is here to see you, Sir.”
I nod my head to him, and he steps out of the way, opening the door further. My eyes widen and then narrow at the girl walking through the door.
“Is this a joke?”
I snarl, lifting myself to my feet. I step closer to her, and she stands up taller, straightening her shoulders. My nostrils flare at the smell coming off of her and my steps pause.
What the actual fuck.
“A human, Alex? You brought me a fucking human to handle vampire business? Are you actually stupid? No, not just you. I’ll fucking wring Adrian’s neck for this bullshit.”
Alex drops his gaze further as I glare at him. I can’t even look at the girl, and I’m getting even more irritated as her scent envelops every fucking corner of this room.
Fuck, she smells good.
I shake my head at the thought and step towards Alex. “I’m sorry, Sir. He sent his best…that’s what I asked for and that’s what he says…he says she’s the best.”
“She’s human, Alex, and a fucking girl. You think this thing is going to be able to handle what’s going on in our world? How the fuck is there a human enforcer under my payroll?”
“You’re acting like a fucking asshole.”
My entire body freezes and I slowly turn my attention to the girl. Anger rips through my body at the audacity of her even addressing me directly, let alone with a mouth like that.
“Do you have any idea who I am?”
I hiss out quietly.
“I do, and I don’t care. You’re acting like a fucking asshole, so that’s who you are.”
Alex tries to step in front of me as I step towards her, and I glare at him with a withering look until he shies away. “Alex, leave us.”
“Sir, please…”
“LEAVE US!” I roar.
Alex scurries off out the door and I slam it shut behind him. The girl lifts her chin in defiance as I glare at her, and I’m actually impressed with her for showing no fear, while Alex ran off like I just kicked him.
“Human---”
“Frankie.”
“What?”
“My name is Frankie…not human, so I would appreciate it if you addressed me by my name and not my genetic makeup.”
“Your services are not needed. Go back to the compound and I’ll have Adrian give me someone appropriate for this assignment.”
“You don’t even know me or what I’m capable of.”
“I don’t need to know anything else about you. The fact you’re human, is enough.”
“There is no one else better suited for your needs.”
I raise my eyebrow at her, and she glares at me with a hard look. I take a small step back from her as her smell creeps into my sinuses once again. She smells like honeysuckle and vanilla, and no matter how hard I try…I can’t stop myself from inhaling it into me.
Now that I’m actually looking at her, she’s definitely not what I expected. She’s got a hardness to her features, as though she’s been through some turmoil of her own. Her dark hair is slicked back into a sleek ponytail that hangs between her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes are vibrant and loaded with hidden hatred. She’s wearing tighter cargo pants, and I see a small blade nestled into her hip. A low tank top is leaving plenty to the imagination as the swell of her breasts strain against the material.
She’s cute.
She’s curvy and muscular and it’s clear she’s trained hard to be in the position she’s in, but that’s still not enough. Humans can’t handle going against any of the dark worlders, least of all a sadistic vampire. It has to be a vampire killing his brethren. There’s no other explanation for it, and this girl is just going to end up getting herself killed.
My eyes finally settle back on hers and she raises an eyebrow at me. I realize then that I’ve been staring at her without a word for a few minutes. I clear my throat and step back from her again. “No, you’re not. Go home, kid. It’s time you stop playing dress-up before you get yourself killed.”
“I can handle myself just fine, and I’m not a kid.”
“No?”
I laugh. “You look like a kid and you’re not what I need.”
“You wanted the best. So, you rather settle for second best because I’m a human?”
“Adrian is clearly fucking with me. A human girl shouldn’t be an enforcer, period.”
“So, which is it? I’m inadequate because I’m human or because I’m a girl.”
“Both!” I growl.
“I am the best. The fact you don’t even know who’s on your enforcer list, just goes to show how much of an asshole you really are.”
I don’t even remember the thought, but suddenly, her throat is in my hand, and she’s pinned to the wall behind her. I feel my canines lengthen as I shift my face closer to hers. She’s gripping my wrist with her hands, clearly panicked by my reaction.
I know this is over the top because she’s human, but I don’t see any other way of getting it through her thick skull that she’s not meant to be here. Being this close to her is fucking with my head though. I see her vein pulsing in her neck, and the smell of her completely envelops my senses. My mouth actually begins to water at the thought of my teeth sinking into her delicate flesh.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,”
I whisper harshly.
“Let me go,”
she hisses. Her gaze hardens further as I give her a wide grin.
“You’re weak…useless. The only thing you’re good for in regard to our kind is sustenance and nothing more.”
Just one taste…I need to know if she tastes the way she smells.
The hunger inside of me is roaring at the thought of her blood pooling against my tongue. I haven’t felt this way in ages. I haven’t wanted to taste someone’s blood as much as I do than in this moment. I feel her body begin to tremble the closer I get to her neck. I dart my tongue out lightly against her skin, closing my eyes at the pure insatiable hunger I feel right now.
I snap my head away from her when I feel a sharp pain in my chest. I glance down to see her blade completely embedded in my chest, mere inches from my heart.
“You missed,”
I smirk at her, loosening my hand from her throat.
Her body isn’t shaking from fear, it’s vibrating with pure rage. “I’m not one of your fang-bangers, so if your face comes near me like that again, I will fucking kill you,”
she says angrily. She slaps my hand away from her throat and rips the dagger back out of my chest. “Oh, and I don’t miss. Next time, it will be your heart.”
I brush my fingers along the wound as it heals and smirk to myself. I would have bitten her…if she hadn’t done that, I don’t think I could have stopped myself from draining her where she stands.
“Just so you know, it takes a lot more than that to kill me, Chess.”
I glance up at her and her eyes narrow. “What?”
“I’m a pureblood…and I’m old. You can’t kill me like that.”
She shakes her head and pushes past me, making me stumble. “No, not that. What the fuck did you just call me?”
“Chess…I’m assuming your name is actually Francesca, correct?”
I see her back stiffen and she turns her head slowly to glare at me over her shoulder. “My name is Frankie.”
“Well, I want to call you Chess.”
“Frank-ie. Frankie. Not Chess, not Franny, not Chessy or any of the other bullshit you might come up with. You call me by my name.”
I step towards her, and she whips around to face me. Clearly she has a bit of an issue with vampires at her back, and I’m surprised she turned it to me originally. “I think I can call you whatever I want. You, little doll…work for me.”
I reach my hand up to brush her chin and she slaps my hand away.
She has quick reflexes; I’ll give her that. She also has zero interest in me, that is blatantly obvious. Every second I spend with her, has me more and more intrigued on what could have happened to her for her to be this hardened creature in front of me. She’s nothing like the other mortal women that I’ve come across. They either fear me or lust for me, and I oblige them on the latter when the need arises.
“I am not your little doll,”
she spits out. “I don’t want to be here, but it’s my job. The last thing I want to do is work with you on anything. You are exactly the shithead douchebag I thought you were going to be, so thank you for proving me right. You won’t get anyone else from Adrian. I’m the best there is on his team, and either you accept me as your enforcer, or you can fuck off and do this fucking thing yourself.”
She has a fucking mouth on her.
She’s not shy in the slightest about expressing her hatred of me, and as much as it pisses me off, it’s also a bit refreshing. I’m a King amongst our kind, and in turn, treated like one. No one would dare speak to me the way this insolent human has.
She clearly doesn’t realize who I am…
“Fine. I’ll give you the chance to prove yourself, but I still think this is a bad idea. If you die, that’s on you. I won’t be coming to your rescue.”
“I’m not some damsel that needs saving from the likes of you. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”
“Also, the suit will be coming out of your wages.”
I can hear her teeth grind as she glances down at the cut through my shirt, now stained with my own blood. I motion for her to head towards the door, and she rolls her eyes before walking past me. I grip her elbow gently and she staggers away from me with wide eyes.
“Don’t touch me,”
she hisses. Her face looks panicked, but I can’t really figure out why. I barely touched her and even though I’m a vampire, which she clearly hates, that reaction was extreme.
“Leave your number with Alex and he’ll be in contact with you tomorrow to go over the details of what I’m expecting from you.”
She drops her eyes from mine and brushes her hand against her elbow, as though trying to clear away the remnants of my brief touch on her skin.
“Fine,”
she sighs.
I open the door for her and she steps through it. “I’m Wren by the way.”
She looks at me over her shoulder and the icy glare from her has me snapping my mouth closed. “I told you…I know who you are. Have yourself a shitty evening, King Valkyrie.”
She struts out through the door with her shoulders back and her ponytail swinging as she goes. Alex scrambles after her as she yammers at him, and his eyes dart to me in panic.
“Alex, when you’re done with her, I require your assistance.”
He nods his head and takes off after her as she heads for the elevator.
“Fuck, she’s infuriating,”
I grumble, closing the door between us. I brush my fingers against the torn fabric on my chest and I can’t help the snort of laughter that bubbles up my throat. “This is going to be interesting.”