CHAPTER 12
WREN
∞
I’m in the kitchen when Alex walks in. “So, what’s this all about? You never do meetings over meals and you sure as fuck never ask anyone into your home.”
“I ask you, don’t I?” I snort.
“That’s not the same and you know it. Wait…are you cooking?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem with my cooking?”
“I wouldn’t know, you’ve never made me fucking breakfast. What’s gotten into you?”
“Chess refused my advance. She doesn’t seem to appreciate the way I just throw around money, so I figured if I didn’t order in, it would seem a bit more frugal.”
“Your very existence is anything but frugal. Pretty sure you threw away any chance of that with her stepping foot into the tower. It still doesn’t make sense as to why you’re even having a breakfast meeting.”
“I don’t think she’s eating.”
“What?”
“When she showed up last night…I don’t think she had eaten anything all day.”
“So? That’s her problem, not yours.”
I turn away from the stove to glare at him. “It is my problem, Alex. Her wages have been cut under my watch and she can’t even feed herself. She’s probably spending every spare cent trying to pay off Jullian, for money that she doesn’t even owe him.”
“Fine. If this will make you feel better, have at it.”
“Anything is better at this point than the way I’ve been feeling.”
“Still feeling like shit?”
“Yes,”
I sigh. “No matter what I do, I can’t calm the hunger…except last night…I felt it go away for the first time in a long time.”
“After you fed on Erin?”
“No. After Chess left my office. I didn’t notice at first, but after she left, I felt…calm.”
“That’s weird.”
“I agree. There’s something about her that I can’t quite place. Her presence is both troublesome and calming, and I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
“Are you?”
“What?”
“…losing your mind. Have you been feeling any symptoms?”
“I’m fine, Alex.”
“When was the last time you participated in bloodletting?”
“I said I’m fine!”
“Don’t shut me out, Wren. If you’re struggling, you need to talk about it.”
“I’m fine. I promise, Alex.”
I understand his concern. I haven’t actually been bloodletting…I haven’t done it in a few months, and I know I’m lying to myself and to Alex in saying I’m fine because I’m not. I can feel my mind slipping on occasion as more time passes, but I just haven’t felt the need to do it. Purebloods are at risk of falling into insanity if we don’t expend enough of our venom. Bloodletting is the easiest way to do so without running the risk of completely ruining our feeders. Venom through a bite has a higher potency if we push it far enough, but we have control over that and typically let off just enough to make the process euphoric.
Bloodletting allows us to lace our venom into our blood flow, and when ingested, it works through the system differently but quickly. This is why we have to share our blood with those we attempt to turn. By draining them to the brink of death and then replenishing them with our own essence, it allows room for the virus to take hold within their system…when it decides to work.
“Fine. I’ll let it go for now, but don’t let yourself slip too far because if you fall…all of us fall with you.”
“Do you mind running down to the lobby? Chess should be here any moment.”
“Why do you call her Chess?”
“Because I don’t like the name Frankie…it doesn’t suit her.”
“She goes by Frankie though.”
“I know that.”
“You’re going to piss her off,”
he laughs.
“I already have. She’s adamant I call her Frankie, and I don’t know why she holds so much offense to me calling her Chess.”
Wait.
“Are you able to pull up any more information on her past?”
“Only what I’ve shown you so far.”
“I want you to do another search, but this time, don’t use her full name. I want you to look her up as Chess Denali and cross reference it with Jullian.”
“What’s this about?”
“I think there’s still more we can dig up, but we have to go about it differently.”
“Don’t you think you’ve dug far enough?”
“What?”
“None of her past matters to what she’s doing for us. She has no real vampiric ties outside of Adrian, so it should be fine to use her.”
“Alex,” I growl.
He throws up his hands in surrender and gives me a smirk. “Alright, fine. I’ll see what I can find out. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He exhausts me when he pushes like that. Fucking hell, he’ll be the death of me.