CHAPTER 76
FRANKIE
∞
The drive home is quiet, and Wren holds my hand the entire way. I have no urge to tease him as I did on the way to Adrian’s, and I didn’t even fight him to drive home. I know he’s processing everything that’s happened, I’m doing the same thing. Wren almost died today. He killed his sire, and I killed Adrian, and yet, I feel hollow. Their deaths won’t bring the innocent vampires back…it won’t bring Alex back.
All of this happened over fucking power, and it’s making me realize just how difficult this life really is. Wren may be King, but he’s a target. Charlotte won’t be the last to try and overthrow him, but I hope her death sends a message. I know he’s going to have to make it public to the vampire community. They were already in disarray when the vamps started dying around them. A unified fear that they could be next, but Wren came through. He put an end to the killings, and in a sick way, it was all because of me.
If I hadn’t been assigned to him, would he have realized the connection? If he hadn’t felt some pull to protect me, he wouldn’t have gone after Jullian and started this snowball effect of chaos. If Jullian was still alive, Adrian wouldn’t have accused me, and he wouldn’t have gone after Alex after he had been fired. No…he would have still gone after Alex because he was on the list. He was tied to Wren by blood, and that’s all they cared about.
I know he feels guilt over this. Everything that’s happened is because of him. It wasn’t even his fault. Aiden chose him to be King, it wasn’t like Wren forced his hand. He was chosen because he is the rightful King.
“I’m glad you’re with me, Chess,”
he says quietly as we slow into the city. His voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I glance over to look at him. His features are drawn, and sadness creases his brow.
“I’m glad I’m with you too, Wren.”
I give his hand a squeeze and he lifts our hands to his mouth as he glances over at me, placing a gentle kiss along my knuckles.
“We still have a lot to take care of before we can finally live our lives.”
He’s right. There’s a lot of cleanup that needs to be done, and he needs to make a stand to the rest of the vampires, so they know he means business. I won’t allow anyone else to hurt him in any fucking way.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you,”
I say quietly.
He gives me a small smile and turns his head back to the road as we near the tower. “I…I don’t know if I can bury him, Chess. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for what needs to be done, but I just…I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know, Wren.”
He parks the car, and we head for the elevator. When the doors close, I place myself in front of him. He looks down at me with a still guarded expression. I drag my fingers down his chest and prop myself up on my toes to kiss him. He kisses me back, and at first it’s sweet and timid. I touch my tongue to his bottom lip, and he growls out a breath, looping his arms around me and crashing his lips to mine.
We both need this right now. We both need to feel something other than heartache and pain. We almost died today, and right now, fucking will make us feel alive.
His fingers dig into my ass, and I fumble with my own pants as I drag them down my hips. He lifts me up and I curl my legs around his waist as he turns me, so my back is pressed against the wall of the elevator. His mouth shifts to my neck as I rip at his belt and drag the zipper down on his pants. I grab his cock and line him up to my pussy, and gasp as he thrusts into me hard.
I claw at his hair and bite my lip while his mouth continues to move across my jaw. His fingers dig into my back, and I cry out again as he rams into me harder and faster. I can feel the desperation in him as he slams every inch of him inside of me.
“Wren,”
I whimper. My body fills with heat and my clit is throbbing as I try to get some friction on it from him. I rock my hips forward and it hits his pelvis blissfully. “Oh fuck, Wren!”
A shiver crawls up my spine as my orgasm edges closer. I can feel everything in such a heightened way, that it leaves me gasping and moaning in its wake.
“Fuck, Chess. I love fucking you. Come for me, my Queen. Let me hear you.”
His voice is rough and primal, and it sends even more heat pooling to my pussy. I’m so fucking wet. I can hear it as his cock slams into me over and over. “I’m coming, Wren,”
I gasp. “Oh fuck. Fuck!”
My scream of pleasure chokes out of me, and he claims my mouth with his. He swallows my moans as he continues to fuck me through it and pushes me even further. I’m so fucking sensitive that it almost hurts to come again. The second wave rides along the first, and I feel like I’m flying once again.
The elevator pings behind us and my eyes drop to the door. Zen is standing there with wide eyes and his mouth gapes open. “I---”
He starts.
“Get the next one,”
Wren growls, making me giggle as the door closes on Zen’s stupefied face.
“You know he’s probably coming up to see you, right? He could have ridden with us.”
“Absolutely fucking not.”
He pulls out of me, and I place my feet on the ground. My pussy is still throbbing from the pounding he just gave it, and my thighs are sticky and wet. He grabs my pants from the floor and hands them to me. “I don’t want anyone else seeing you naked,”
he grumbles. “Your body is mine to appreciate and mine alone.”
He grips my hand and pulls me from the elevator when it opens. His steps slow when we near Alex’s apartment. “You don’t have to do this yet, Wren.”
I can only imagine how hard this is for him.
He takes a deep breath and drops my hand to grip the handle on the door. “I have to. He deserves it.”
He pushes the door open, and I follow behind him quietly as he makes his way to Alex’s room. “What?”
I see him sway in the doorway and then his knees hit the floor.
I rush towards him, and confusion hits me. “Where is he?”
Alex is no longer in the bed where we left him.
“Who took him?”
He growls. His body is shaking, and I settle my hand on his shoulder.
“No one knew you brought him up here, Wren.”
“Where is he?!”
He roars as tears break through his lashes.
The closure I was hoping he would get from this, shatters as he screams for his fallen brethren. I walk past him towards the bed and see a flicker of red in the comforter. I pluck it and twirl the thin string between my fingers. Such a random thing to find. His comforter is white and there isn’t a single thing in here that it could have come from. I turn back to Wren with the string in my hands and hold it out to him.
He narrows his eyes and pulls it from my fingers. I see it glitter for a moment as though powered by an internal flame. “Fuckers,”
he hisses, lifting back up to his feet. “The Fates have claimed his body.”
“What? What does that mean?”
He rolls the string between his fingers and furrows his brows. “It means I don’t get to bury him. They gave me you and took him…he’s gone, Chess. Alex was payment for finding my mate.”
“Wren…I’m so sorry---”
“Don’t. Don’t fucking apologize because this isn’t your fault. Alex would never blame you for this, and neither will I. He wanted me happy, Chess, and you make me happy. I can’t bury him, but I will honor his memory, and I won’t squander the gift that has been given to me.”
I wrap my arms around him, and he pulls me in closer to his body. “You’ll rule over this city the way Alex wanted you to, Wren.”
I tip my head back to look at him and he smiles.
“With you by my side.”