Chapter 15: fifteen

Cole

The morning was spent consoling my little pet. Breakfast arrived, but no one had the appetite to eat.

Marcus, in his infinite wisdom, had put a pause on work, but I knew I had to get through the proposal quickly.

Most people assume vampires are immortal, and that’s true, to an extent. But what happens when you have no food? You starve. Mystical creatures are no different.

The proposal was crucial. It needed to be implemented immediately. My idea was simple: humans would donate blood freely and live safely within the village. It was a win-win for both species. Of course, if they broke laws, there were always the breeder camps, the blood banks where humans were essentially drained.

I also wanted harsher laws for vampires, especially those like Annabelle who thought they could just drain pets. A better system needed to be in place before chaos erupted.

The proposal was nearly complete, but it needed Marcus’s approval.

Late in the afternoon, I realized Olivia had crawled onto my lap and fallen asleep. I took a few moments to admire her, her pale skin, her rosy cheeks stained with tears, and her peaceful breathing.

My thoughts were interrupted by the beeping noise of the lock keypad to my office. It had to be Brayden; he was the only other one who knew my code.

He walked in, looking defeated. I knew there was probably no escaping this ridiculous gala, but I was still hopeful.

I stood up, cradling Olivia in my arms, and walked across the room to place her gently on the large chair. I stroked her head softly before covering her small, fragile body with a blanket.

“No luck, I take it?” I sighed, turning to Brayden.

“I’m afraid not. Many I spoke to confirmed her story. Marcus made it a stipulation last year due to chatter among the elite vampires. I’m unsure why they care so much. I gather there’s money involved, otherwise, we both know Marcus couldn’t give two fucks about it.”

“Marcus doesn’t need money; this must be about something else. It doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that we finish this plan, get his signature, and get the fuck out of here before I massacre everyone.”

I felt nothing but disdain for this place. My only goal was to get Olivia and get out. Of course, I had to put on a good show and hope that some good would come out of me being here.

“What’s the plan now, Cole?”

I rubbed my temples, trying to think. A plan. A plan…

“I don’t know. If I protest too much, it’ll raise even more speculation than there already is. I obviously don’t want to take her; she definitely doesn’t want to go. If the dining hall makes her nervous, I can only imagine a room full of them. Maybe I can strike a deal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure if I agree to take Annabelle, I can keep Olivia in our room. She can stay safe, and Annabelle will shut the fuck up about it. Plus, I’m sure Marcus will be happy I attend.”

“I can’t believe you… are you actually considering this? I mean, you know what it will look like if you take Annabelle to that?”

I didn’t even have to look up to see the disgust on his face. Honestly, I was getting sick just thinking about it, but I was low on options.

“I can’t take Olivia. It’s not safe. I’ve waited too long to have her, and I’m not about to jeopardize that now.”

***

A few hours later, I was still trapped in this fucking office. I asked Brayden to take Olivia back to the room and ensure she ate once she woke up. I had a meeting set up with Annabelle to discuss the arrangement.

She didn’t take long to rush over. She didn’t know my keypad code, thankfully, so I had to let her in.

As soon as I opened the door, she strolled in, wearing next to nothing. What did she think this was about? Or did she think this would impress me?

What a skank—no. I had to stay calm. As sickening as it was, I needed her.

“Annabelle. Thank you for coming right over. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

She just smiled and made her way to the edge of my desk, her dress rising up slightly. Was I really doing this? I’m going to be sick.

“Well, Cole. Let me know what I can do for you.”

She reached out for my arm, and it took everything in me not to rip off her head and throw it into the fireplace.

“Annabelle, I have a proposition for you. Since it appears I have to attend your birthday party, I propose we go together.”

Her face instantly lit up.

“Oh, Col—”

“Please.” I put up my hand to stop her. “Let me finish. Since I will be accompanying you, it will be too much for me to bring my human pet.”

Before I could even suggest leaving Olivia behind, she interrupted me. “I know! Why don’t you leave her behind? I’m sure Daddy won’t notice one human girl missing. Does this mean you are going to be my date?”

“What a terrific idea. I wouldn’t call this a date, simply two friends engaging in a platonic manner for one night.”

She seemed to be thinking it over, but it didn’t take her long to decide. I’m sure in her mind she thought she could seduce me and win me over with her “charm.”

We spent the next few moments discussing the expectations, really it was just me repeating over and over for her not to run her mouth and tell everyone we were “dating.”

“This is going to be a thrill, I assure you! You won’t regret it, I promise! Oh, and one more thing, don’t feed from your pet that day. Unless you want to ruin your appetite.”

Appetite?

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. But I suppose Daddy won’t be too upset if I let you in on it. He’s been collecting humans in the dungeons. There aren’t many, but he plans on using them for a live feeding event.”

“What do you mean by ‘live feeding’? Aren’t there usually goblets of blood provided for these sorts of occasions?”

You know that sensation when your stomach plummets, and it feels like you’re in a free fall?

Exactly.

“Since the pets will be in attendance and he wants to show the benefactor vampires that he’s serious about human affairs, he’s going to secure the human to the dining tables.

“We’ll feed from them and, of course, drain them. There’s one I’m particularly excited about. A fiery redhead rogue who dared to infiltrate the castle armed with a butcher knife.”

She pranced out of my office, leaving me in stunned silence. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I stumbled back into my chair. Redhead rogue. Raven, Olivia’s friend. I’d been so preoccupied that I’d completely forgotten about her.

Shit.