Leaning back did he take a moment to consider the work made by hand. Once more considering that of arms and legs. Not about to mess around with getting anything swung at him, lips tugged upon their corners. Feeling rather satisfied with the work done. Not that there was an effort to bound her mouth, it seemed almost too cliché to go full kidnapper mode. Especially when there was no reason to refuse her to speak when she wanted too. What fun would it be to have a wannabe queen when she couldn’t talk. The fun part was listening to attempt to be frightening when in actuality, he’d seen kittens with more spunk than this one.
All that mattered was keeping her bound. Of course wanting to avoid her getting the idea of crawling away the added measure had been cinched around that of hog tied ankles. Tied to a neat little hook cemented into the floor. With a companion one being within the roof. Useful for the old slaughter house this place had once been.
They didn’t want their hanging slabs of meat to swing around wildly or drop to the floor haphazardly. Lucky for her that the room itself was no longer refrigerated. It was just a useful place to take those of rather unruly victims.
He had to eat still and most of the time people didn’t much care to come with him to such a place by nonchalant agreement. Suppose he could use the means of compulsion but that had a nasty effect of giving out when the person had a pair of fangs in them. Funny how pain could be such a stimulate that it broke through mental spells! Not that it mattered.
“Hmm?” He turned curiously at the sound of a door opening elsewhere within the place. Straining hearing for a long moment before easing a smirk back to features. “I was starting to think you might not have wanted to show up for the fun.” Asking into the darkness with an expectation, Leopold sighed somewhat after. Putting hands behind his head, “She didn’t really give a lot of fight after a good knocking about. So lucky for you, she’s practically pristine.”
“Lucky for you that you caught her by surprise,” murmured the voice casually stepping into the small lit area rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. His clothes were expensive and immaculately put together, and his dusty brown hair slicked back out of his face. He looked completely out of place in an old meat packing warehouse, with the sort of old money looks that hinted he be far more suited in an English manor.
After an inspection of the ropes himself, David pulled something out of his pocket to pop open the lid and wave it gently under Juliette’s nose. Once it appeared she was coming to, he cast his accomplish a wide charming grin over his shoulder, only to slowly step around the women to stand out of her line of sight.
Juliette’s first immediate thought was that breathing hurt. Her insides felt as if they’d all been crushed, inflated and then crushed again. When she did manage to drag in a staggering breath, her arms and wrists had that same dull aching feeling. Only now, she realize that was due to her wrists being bound over her head and baring the weight of her entire body.
When her vision cleared she found herself locking eyes with a familiar face.
“You.” the hissed word was enough of a threat for now, as Juliette quickly pulled her weight up enough to properly to stand then finding her feet were bound too! Grabbing onto the rope above her she jerked it hard a few times to test where ever it was anchored, having full intent to either jerk it down with enough swinging – or better yet, if she had just enough leeway to pull herself up and claim the knife hidden in her brassier intending to cut herself loose the second she had a chance.
Then someone laughed, loud and delighted behind her. The sound echoing in the empty warehouse. Juliette froze. There might have been a look of dread on her face, but only a split second as stone cold expression replaced it. This drastically changed how she could handle this, and Juliette wasn’t so sure that was a good thing. Jordan was going to assume she’d left him, which meant he wasn’t going to bother looking for her. If it were just vampires, maybe she could bluster and bluff her way to escaping on her own. With David? He wasn’t going to let her go.
Juliette would die before she let the son of bitch try to keep her.
“I did warn you about him,” said David chimed in, finally stepping into view. From Juliette’s perspective he looked a bit wild. Everything about his clothes and hair seemed to be perfectly in place, but there was this pinprick intense look in his eyes that didn’t match his present sunny disposition.
“That you’d regret everything choosing Jordan Harrow.” he continued, clasping his hands behind his back. “Here you are, literally born to be a Queen, and you chose the failure. After everything you and I have been through, you pick a false king that can’t even keep his own shit together. For what? To accept money like a paid whore? I could have given you that money.”
Other than keeping a wary eye and listening ear of exactly what direction David was doing his pacing, Juliette wasn’t paying attention. While he blabbered his mouth, she was busy twisting and turning her ankles to see how loose she could get those ropes. She darted a quick look around to see where the exits were – or additional weapons if she got herself down and they caught up to her.
“I see. The silent treatment.” he paused, frowning for the first time. Then only to brighten immediately into a broad smile. “Ah, but that’s what my friend here is for. I knew you would take some convincing. Leopold has a fun variety of ways to be convincing.”
“If you touch me, I swear to god, you’ll find out first hand how vampire slayers are made!” she warned, as calmly and coolly as she could.
David merely laughed again.
“Lets put it to the test! I believe I owe her a stab wound, myself. Do as you will, Leopold.”
Considering the man as he came within the space properly, you’d think he had just recently gone over to the golf club for a drink rather than stepping into an place with that of their newest little guest. Certainly holding himself to a standard that appeared like he had his shit in order. How much of that was actual fact mattered little to him, simply chuckling at the suggestion that he was lucky the queen was caught by surprise.
Tonight had been a little bonus for them! As he hadn’t expected to catch her either like a well fed fish on a empty hook. Apparently it wasn’t going to be as difficult as one thought to have her dislodge from the current king!
With a lazy sort of motion of hand to suggest that David was willed the right to wake and instigate the conversation with his former lover; personally he crossed that of arms over chest. Offering a little wiggly finger wave when the woman locked eyes with him and hissed a singular word! Before trying her luck to see if she would wiggle or shimmy her way from the current dangle and tangle of placement. Something that was unlikely to happen, this was hardly his first time taking someone by force. You tended to learn how to deal with wily souls such as Juliette’s over the years! Assuring they didn’t have as much freedom to snake around to untie their bonds.
Merely leaving this moment to David to bluster himself. Offering a willing audience member when as Juliette seemed like she was going to offer nothing more than glaring sights. Listening to how David presented himself as well with mental thoughts kept plenty to himself. Only stepping up closer as hands flexed. Stretching their stance as it seemed that Juliette leapt into a growling attempt of being so fearsome, “Oh you precious child, if I feared vampire slayers, then I wouldn’t still be here.” Leopold softly chuckled as though he were humouring her little joke. “As you wish. Though I would suggest avoiding stabbing her, we wouldn’t want you to use your bargaining chip now, David.” The man commented wryly. A flesh ripe wound dripping with blood was only liable to make him frenzy and he’d be sure to drain her dry. Seemed counterproductive, now didn’t it.
Instead he cleared his throat with sighs pressed upon her. Coming up nice and close as he took a fistful of her golden embroidered dress hem. Feeling it between fingers, “Don’t worry, girl. This won’t be unpleasant.” Bunching the cloth whilst other cool hand could reach in and grapple upon that of thigh. Being certainly more than a little cheeky. Holding firm as though he’d have to dig claws in again to hold her still, heat expanded like a hot iron. As though it were to sear palm print to skin rather than the pushing of energy to move the compulsionary charm into her. “Let’s remember now to be a good girl and answer every question David or I asks now.” A flow of what could be called magic ought to be felt. Moving heatedly through veins and sinew alike to rise and claim upon mind like gnarled claws.
Smirking slowly as he felt that grapple and would step back to lightly rub hands together. “There, she ought to be far sweeter now. I do hate a rather spoiled treat.”
A war between trying to stay calm and think rationally waged with the rising panic thundering unsteady heartbeats in her chest. She twist ankles and wrists only proving to rub skin raw and stinging. Nearly jolting where she barely stood on tippy-toe of heels when the vampire bastard dared to tangle his sleazy hands into the embroidered velvet of her dress. Briefly considering whether or not her weight was making the ropes too tight to even try and snap her own thumbs in an attempt to slip right through the ropes just to escape his intended means of touch!
Sucking in a hiss of breath at the sudden singe of heat, not daring to scream lest she give some thrill of joy to the fangy predator and his sociopath companion. As it seemed to be what they were hoping for to have her sobbing and begging for mercy, so they could cackle and delight in her suffering. Her resolve to remain stoic shook the moment that pin-prickling sensation starting creeping through her veins, like someone crawling their way under her skin and into her spine. A shot of heated molten morphine, making her feel as if her mind was being pried open by singing fingers.
Pure terror set in then. Juliette could weather harassment and pain knowing she could escape, but this was vicious and invasive. So horrifying that all plots of clever planning for a wily escape were lost in a flurry of hysterical fury. She needed out! Out by any means possible even if that meant she needed to goad them into killing her to do it!
“Oh, is it a sweet good girl you’re looking for,” she shot out, her voice going up an octave with a lit that bordered on frenzied. Renewing her efforts to try and pry her hands loose, skin be damned, she’d skin herself alive to get free!
“Juliette-” David attempted to injected with that softly amused, asinine condescending chiding of his.
“DAVID,” she shouted back to interrupt him. As long as she was shouting at them, they weren’t going to be able to ask her any questions or start twisting things up in her head.
“You both fancy yourself strong and powerful, do you? Think you’re going to be kings of vampires with your weaselly little plans!” Juliette continued, almost laughing out the words. “So afraid of ME that you’ve got to keep me tied up and force compulsion because you do nothing else but stand there impotent and delusional. A deranged vampire and a witless prick afraid of what? Afraid of ME.”
“You think you’re so powerful, cut me loose and face me without tricks you fucking cowards.”
It should concern him that she was rebelling against what he was attempting to do. Cursing her insistence on being a particularly bad guest but to witness her figurative writhing that bore itself into squealing shrieks and jumping panic, he found his grin unable to be suppressed.
Stepping back another step to look upon her with newfound glee! Shouting as she wanted before he found a giggle spilling forth.
She was panicking. Overwhelming herself with ripe punctuated emotions that forbid his ability from taking root but this also gave them a means of power in itself. Tilting his focus to the mortal man with equal bemusement. Demonstrating with a lackadaisical flip of palm towards that of their squawking parrot. “My compulsion won’t work on her right now but for that to happen doesn’t mean too much. She screams and shouts as if she is truly something to fear but for it not to work only implies that your former little flower, David, is afraid. She’s a blustery little thing, now isn’t she? I admitted, this ought to frustrate me but knowing that as much as she is trying to pick a battle, she is simply showing a face of terror. Delightful, isn’t it?”
That maniacal giggling. It alone could haunt her forever, but that wriggling probing feeling was still there clawing at her with every staggering breath she took. With no hope that she could return the favor to needle at his pride and get into his own head. Worse; he bragged about a job well done.
Yet David… her words must’ve landed there, for his expression went dark. That normally lackadaisical smile faded into a grim line, leaving only a blank expression and those pinprick eyes staring her down. That was enough for her to frantically try harder.
“So I am terrified,” she confessed, not liking the tremor in her voice but unable to hide it now. “Yet I am not the one hiding behind a vampire like a useless dolt because I’m too much of a coward to handle my own!”
David sneered.
“There is Jordan-“
“Jordan isn’t here, is he!” she shot back. “There is you, there is me, and there is him! And you let him lay his hands on me because you’re too gutless to dirty your own hands. You know from experience when it is down to you and me, it’s YOUR blood on the floor. By all means David, keep hiding behind your new vampire lord! At least he is something to actually be afraid of!”
Juliette watched David’s blank expression contort into a vehemence she’d never seen before. The furrowing of brows and sudden snarl he unleashed was almost as surprising as the way he advanced on her so quickly to put his hand around her throat and squeeze so tight she couldn’t swallow.
“A vampire is exactly what I plan to be, Juliette.” he hissed through his teeth. “From the moment your idiot father blustered about that contract and the Byron journals, I knew exactly what our future held. It’s the very thing you were born for. To be with me as I take what I have always been due.”
“You think… he will turn you?” Juliette choked out with her eyes going wide. The things he said weren’t making any sense right now beyond the delusional statements of an obsessive stalker, but they did reveal where his buttons were. “You’re a tool. And now you’ve done your job, you’re nothing.”
He released her, turning to stomp away from their poorly lit little circle, leaving Juliette to gasp quickly for breath. Praying that she’d pissed him off so badly that he’d walk off for good, but finding herself with no such luck. Somewhere in the darker areas of the room she heard him shuffle and grab something and then his heavy footsteps as he returned.
A knife. Her freaking kitchen knife that’d stabbed him, he’d apparently been keeping this whole time! In that moment, Juliette was certain vengeance was about to come in the form of stainless steel stabbed into her side. Squeezing her eyes shut when he reached out quickly towards her, only to feel him grab her wrists to hold her steady and the few swift sawing motions before something when SNAPSNAPSNAP and her whole body dropped to the floor in a heap.
He’d cut her down. Not the binding around her wrists themselves, but it was enough. Juliette rolled to her stomach and onto her knees. Bent forward to curl her fingers into the collar of her dress. Gratefully not having to fake the pain in her muscles to mask what she was doing, audibly making a soft pained protest at the movements.
“How could I have forgotten how much of a masochist you truly are,” remarked David over her. “This could have been EASY for you, but you like the pain don’t you? Juliette, if you wanted me to hurt you, all you had to do is ask.”
David bent down to slip his hand into her hair, mussing up what was left of her updo, angling his knife in thoughtful indecision of exactly where he intend to poke the tip of blade.
Juliette didn’t have that same indecision. The second she had her own tiny little blade free from it’s hidden sheath, she twisted and drove that knife into David’s calf then down. A sickening amount of blood spurted from what was now a deep long gash as he howled in startled pain and stumbled backwards.
If she were lucky that vampire would finish him off, if not… She didn’t think about it, already quickly trying to cut free the ropes at her wrists with her blood soaked hands.
Humans were so entertaining. And, absolutely frustrating.
If he needed further proof that David was a man who was so full of himself that he might as well have been called autosexual by the means of today’s standards! That the queen was so easily able to pluck the man’s apparent strings that it was surprising the hadn’t started to sing like a fiddle. For the fellow was the one who was supposed to be in command yet only to bend like a rubber branch. Raising his stare to rest at the accusation of his existence here and how he willingly could do the means of trying to instill efforts of application onto her and yet the mortal man would not, sully his delicate hands.
It suited him just fine. Having no need to really worry whether or not David would bother with the effort, just he found an internal room for heavy sighing at how this whole moment went from cleverly arranged to derailed.
His pride was wounded so easily –an unfitting quality of what ought to be a monarch- to where he was goaded and she was successfully dropped from her binds upon the upper hook. This time causing him to sigh. Crossing arms as he had no intention of getting involved in this lover’s quarrel. Yet.
If David wanted to use his own means of getting her to behave, then so be it. Just thus far it looked like they were no more than a pair of verbally jaded pre teens that had only just learnt that swearing was cool. Spitting back and forth till it seemed Juliette truly did have the upper hand. Provoking the damn mortal into reactionary demands that certainly didn’t pan out the way he had wanted. Less he enjoyed being stabbed as a past time.
The scent alone was a slap to the face. Heady and sickly sweet. Filling air with a explosive expansion! “Damn you!” Unsure if that was aimed at her or David! Just that the room was drenched in the red harmony of hypnotic allure! Shoving the mental control aside like a fat man on his bounding way to cake! Making sure no one stood in his ravenous rage. Hissing no sooner by lack of control of his own frame, vision rested upon David. A feral consideration to be held as woman herself seemed to be well on her way to freedom.
Lunging forward to grab at her hands attempting to saw at the rope, making a snatch for the weapon as David would be the next little addition to a treat. “Don’t you know it’s rude to dash before we dine? Or are you in that much of a rush to get away from this place. I mean… if you want too. I don’t mind,” Leopold grinned, “I just that pathetic waste of skin to reveal himself after all. You aren’t that important… at least not right now.”
Juliette refused to give up her knife without fight. Even with her hands still bound, she nearly snarled a scream at the vampire as she struggled to keep a grip on the tiny knife with her slippery fingers. Appearing to twist her legs as if she’d forgotten her feet were still tied to that blasted hook on the floor, using the motion to hide the knife David dropped in his howling surprise beneath the long skirt of her gown.
“Your appetizer is getting away!” she breathed out in a rush, gesturing with her head over her shoulder. At this point finding herself dizzy enough to have her vision swimming, but like hell was she going to quit now. One man was down, there was only one left to go! If she didn’t save herself there wasn’t going to be someone else! Even if Jordan dug up the care to wonder where she’d disappeared to, how would he even know where she’d gone. Juliette was on her own.
David was bleeding out fast and seemed to understand the need for self preservation, as he’d removed his belt to cinch tight around his calf to try and halt some of the immediate blood flow to the wound. With a gash like that, he was going to need a hospital and that was if he out ran hungry feral vampires. He was well on his way to leaving the meat room, a long trail of blood in his wake.
She wasn’t wrong. His appetizer was in fact getting away but the thing of it was –as much as he wanted to wheel around and chomp upon the dripping red that David was leaking – that appetizer was for later. When they were ready to make sure David was willing to be turned and to deal with the damn chaos and discomfort that came from a fledging!
And they needed Jordan for that, now didn’t they! They couldn’t kill the king and take over without the man present.
The battle of wills was truly like trying to fight a herd of elephants. Struggling and using her own means of trying to get away from him as the means of focus. “Oh but I always was one for desserts first!” Cackling wildly –as if that was going to help- grabbing that damn knife away from her before he dared to lick at the blood upon hands!
“Eyugh! No!” she shrilly screamed, yanking her hands away from him and tumbling over onto her side the second she felt slimy tongue flicking at the gore splattered all over her skin. As if it weren’t bad enough to have him lay hands on her in the first place and the way even now she could still feel that creepy crawly lingering sensation of something intrusive prickling in the back of her mind.
Staggering for breath Juliette found it harder and harder to find the will to sit back up. With David fleeing like the coward bastard he was, so did her primary fears. Somehow, even at the risk of this cackling vampire prying away her control and digging his claws into her thoughts, that was less frightening than if David were there getting to do what he wished with her. She knew what David would do. The vampire was still a wildcard she could work around.
Juliette played possum to catch her breath and try to will herself not to start crying. Not knowing what move to make yet, just knowing she couldn’t allow him to have control over her. By whatever means it took.
“Alright…” she paused between breaths. “Then have a bite if you dare,” she challenged on a whim just to see how he’d react. “Sling my blood across the damned floor even. Best to be sure I’m dead, because if I live, you won’t.”
Whatever was going on in her mind, it clearly was of no interest to him! All that mattered was she had to stay alive for everything to come to fruition! How she got there was entirely up to her. Battered, broken and hobbled could be the way to go. So long as there was a heartbeat and her organs were moving every workable part in the way it was meant to be, then there was no reason to even bother with keeping her all pretty, now was there?
Adjusting his posture to make his move to straddle her down so she might stop flailing around like a damn fish out of water; it seemed whatever manic thoughts in her head were certainly very interesting.
Going from fight to suddenly giving him the invite for a bite. Baring a unhinged grin at the kind offer. “Oh dear child… we need you alive for many, many reasons.” Nails dug down as he gave her a sharp jerk forward. Finangling grip to hold two in one as other reached and did the same as David had. Grabbing fistfuls of hair to stop her head from thrashing about, “But since you offered so sweetly!”
Maw parted ungodly wide. Baring for all to see the spread of sharpened fang as he tugged hair violently. Pulling arms away as to keep her from getting an idea to try and thrash at him. Snapping down to clamp jaw on whatever the hell he could get. A little bit of blood loss would do her well after all, she’d be less rowdy!
Well, if he felt like it.
Juliette had made a terrible, terrible mistake.
She should have enticed him into a villains monologue. She should have just started to scream or flop or ranted away like some deranged banshee. She could have gone for David’s knife still hiding underneath her skirt and stabbed him. Or better! Stabbed herself! For what was this allusion to keeping her alive for many reasons? As bait for Jordan, she understood. But she doubted these vampires had any allegiances to David and his stupid plans or reasons.
On flash of fangs, Juliette had regretted the taunting. If this was no fatal goodbye, then she didn’t want it at all! One bite could lead to many bites and like hell was she going to be the All You Can Eat Juliette Buffet!
Except it was too late to take it back, even with her startled scream and attempt to somehow shake him off. The prick of teeth, not at all reminiscent of Jordan’s hesitant and careful attention. This was a brutal pain and the more she struggled the worse it felt, until she had to stop with a gasping protest. Juliette refused to sob about it, but there was no stopping the tears sliding down her face.
This business with vampires and covens under the direction of the so-called king was only one side of a multi-faced object. Not so much a diamond but certainly a bloody jewel of some sort. Presenting numerous ways all of this could have gone. While he was one side that certainly had no problems living amongst the ideal that vampires took as they pleased. Acted as they wanted and if she was going to act the part of willing meal, then who was he to look at her gracious offer with a snub of nose to the air!
Rather this was killing two birds with one stone! Getting a bite and getting her to simmer down once more so that maybe if David wasn’t about to become one of the dead, he could at least learn something about being not such a gullible little peon. Easily duped into reacting because his damn ego was too big for his teeny tiny body.
Honestly he didn’t much care for whatever part he clamped on to. Just that fangs met skin to sink fast. Digging down hard with a gnashing caress till gumline was fully flush with the salt of flesh. Tugging the means of red to be pulled in happy devouring with a thrilling hum that vibrated between greedy gulping. Holding tense upon her refusing to relent. He’d been struck before by a victim and it only proved to irritate a voracious predator into clamping tighter.
Just well, he hadn’t expected interruption.
Save for the sound of something crashing somewhat nearby and the sounds of anguished delight that ought to have been a fair notice that there were others soon present. Shouting begun and the sickening sensation that walloped violently across his skull was a sure fire way to rang his head like a god damn church bell! Erupting vision into a violent white light, forcing mouth to retract from supple treat with a involuntarily cry. Turning to gasping blood flecked flinging by efforts that were made by physicality. At least the first one.
He’d barely struck the floor like a pile of discarded trash before making a sweeping fling to ring against the furthest wall with a ghastly crunch. Driving lungs to give up any oxygen and the barely swallowed gulp of blood from throat with a projectile ejection. “Get her out of here!” Unceremoniously he slid down the wall surface like a cartoon character. Heaping into a pile on the ground making a bleary wink wonk. Bearing shadowy witness as head thrummed with sheer pain and hot salty drips from crown.
“This place is…” Another spoke before making an guttural whine at the fragrant delight that was likely the saturation of both David and Juliette’s one heart’s blood, “Y-you,”
“Get. Out!” Command barked and before he personally could even manage a crippled grin, he was in renewed flight once more.
Her shoulder felt as if an entire chunk of meat had been stripped off the bone and Juliette was too afraid to take a look to even confirm it. That voice, that beautiful recognizable voice, was both a shock and a relief to hear. Almost drawing her to fall back limp to the ground in knowing things were now fine. She was fine.
Except… things were not fine! If Jordan were here, that was the very thing these toothy mongrels wanted! A trapped laid just for him, and in what ways she didn’t know, but it was bound to end with her fiancé murdered.
Thus she fumbled forward and shifted her legs, grabbing at the black velvet now quickly getting stained with not just David’s blood, but her own. Looking for the blasted knife she’d thrown her knees over. The second she had it in hand, she carelessly sawed the already frayed bits of rope until they fell loose enough for her to wrangle her wrists from. The bindings at her ankles came off even easier, even despite her trembling fingers, but off none the less!
Juliette staggered up to her feet with kitchen knife clutched tight in her hand. Her vision hazy and her stance dangerously tilting, but her fury far more potent than any desire her body had to give out. Ready to start swinging stainless steel at anyone who dared to touch her, if the wild look on her face was any indication! Fully intending to fight every damn vampire in the building until she didn’t have a breath left to breathe!
Fashioning what looked to be a handkerchief to face, it was a poor attempt to keep herself from smelling the enticing beckon of the vibrant red. Meshing the air with every sweetened promise that drove mind and body to want to twitch like a horror show. Writhing in flesh till the maniac desire overtook and she was no more than a cackling gremlin bent over licking the ground from the drip drops of carelessly dropped blood. “Augustus.” Emery snapped at him going so far to pinch her nose as the other vampire was making a perfectly futile staring show at watching the king making someone bounce around the room like a meaty basketball. Every so often the gnarly sound of bone or flesh making contact with himself to be popped.
They might be monsters but even that was going further than she wanted to hear. Or see. Having enough memories of watching the king from their youth do far worse. “Stop staring and get the queen out of here!”
He gave his head a hard shake. Hissing involuntarily to turn and present his own vision to woman that was looking like a zombie extra. A crazy looking thing with a hellion grapple of features! Prompting Augustus to take a step back before Jordan was yelling at them again to get out!
“The sun is going to be coming up soon, we don’t have time for this!” Emery snapped as her gaze went to the bloody trail of someone who had drug themselves off. Maybe if they were lucky they’d go and die behind the dumpster of this shithole.
“My queen,” Augustus tried to call at Juliette, “We need to go. Please!”
For fuck sakes. This was not the time to ask politely. She was clearly deranged and bleeding from the one that was the king’s bloody toy! Forcing her to stomp over and give the man a unkind push. “Jordan you’re damn wife is eep!—” She had started only to barely be missed by the incoming projectile that resulted in body being crumpled into a bloody near paste onto the floor closest to her. Staring momentarily with a sort of mental horror that this was one of the reasons they sought not to get on the sire’s worse side. Worse too was the likelihood of being a vampire and living still while one’s bones were no more than mashed potatoes in a meat skin!
Lowly the rumbling growling exited at the heavy approach as the blare of red glared at them each. Snorting at the smell like the delectable scent was going to just vanish with such an effort, “Then take that thing,” Lips curled, fangs bared and eyes pin pricks upon skull, “And kill it.” An order issued to one, “Find whatever else is in this place and do the same.” Knuckles cracked with a slow rotating to drag the pulp bag of a vampire closer as for one of them to grab.
Looking at Augustus, “You can deal with that.” Emery claimed making a step backwards. There was no way in hell she was touching that! “What if it’s a human here.”
“I don’t care.” Words were absolute to the lack of consideration, “Kill them. Eat them, do what ever the fuck you want. Just do it!” King barked letting volume raise to rattle against buildings duckering panels before turning to seemingly turn towards the deranged looking queen.
If there was ever a more fitting pair, it was not likely to be found. “Peristéri,” And yet she found the way he could speak softly such a word almost far more nervewracking than the rest.
“Get moving already, I don’t want to be here when the sun comes up, Augustus.”
“R-right… Right. Sire…” There came a glare they both knew and surprisingly they were both making use of legs in that very moment. Anywhere else but here.
There was no initial visible indication that she’d heard Augustus or Emery, but their voices did register as familiar, even if she completely ignored their pleading. Juliette merely turned her head to listen to their frantic conversation… In her head thinking she ought to shout at the them that she wasn’t leaving, but only finding that she’d been holding her breath the entire time and was so focused on being hyperaware of what was moving around the space incase she needed to swing her knife into someone’s gut.
Then it was Jordan snapping orders and he was furious. Moreso than she’d ever heard him before, almost frighteningly so. Yet the cold ferocity of his voice didn’t hold a candle to the expression across his dark features. That vermillion, murderous look making him almost unrecognizable.
His minions scattered. Were there others nearby? Juliette tightened her grip on the knife.
“This wasn’t a test,” she croaked out first along with a hard swallow glancing around at the bloody mayhem that had fallen across the meat packing floor. “I didn’t do any of this.” she gestured towards the ropes and the blood with her knife, only to pause with a stricken look across her features.
“That is a lie. I did a stabbing. I would have stabbed the other two had it not gone so wildly out of my control!”
Somewhere along the statement she’d cracked, choking on a sob and quickly bring her the back of her hand to stifle it. Only to immediately look cross, and visibly struggle with trying to bury it. They could not see her cry. Juliette would never let any of them see her break!
Momentarily from the corner of his eye did he consider how Augustus was attempting to pick up the mangled existence that was the one that had went by Lucas. The mental knowledge that there had been a Leopold here but found himself resting mentally in the eye of the hurricane of murderous thoughts that Lucas and Leopold were not the same person. A persona used to egg on those who did in fact recall Leopold but still, Lucas’ voice was familiar. Things that tossed in the winds of that violently turning mind that barely softened as Augustus picked up the being. Looking surprisingly disgusted by carrying around was probably closer to a trashbag of goop than an actual living thing any further.
Emery herself had high tailed it out of there. At least that was one thing she was really good for. Running when necessary.
The smell in this room was doing absolutely nothing to calm his ire. Rather it was driving it up in leaping notches. Caressing dangerous parts of a primal mind that thought in singularity of hunger. Testing endurance to see just how long he would last while trying his hardest to cool the venom in his voice to bid upon the woman that had been the truest victim in this all.
And her scent was absolutely enthralling. Gnashing teeth in threat that they might break with the vice grip strain, he found her speaking and saying something of a test. Budding brows to confusion for now –likely to clue in to her meaning later when his head wasn’t swimming in both a feasting want and homicidal enchantment – as she made a open motion to the very scene that rattled his fury all the more. Tugging inhuman volumes of gnarling from throat. Only for her to say she had no part and promptly correcting. Pointing out that she stabbed someone and had thought of adding to that list.
Other two?
Not right now. “Love,” Jordan bid once more softening is tone cautiously. Wilting in a way that felt surprisingly agonizing at the choking sound she made. Attempting to hush it. Stepping forward himself with an obvious means of his own abandonment for safety. “Juliette, will you come here?” Asking her rather than demanding it. Having a bare idea that she was probably struggling harder with this than she was allowing herself to feel. Pronouncing her strength even if he hated it in his very second. But it was his wish to ask her to come instead of forcing it. Tonight if he could tell by the scraps of anything around was hardly made to her comfort or her allowance. “Please?”
He took a stepped toward her and she took a step back – an instinctual motion as she raised the knife in front of her, hesitating on which direction it was going to go.
She recognized his voice, she knew his face, and yet he felt so wildly un-himself. Something on the cliff’s edge of monsterous, something as wild as she felt in that very moment. Questioning, even, if that bastard vampire had finally managed to climb inside her head and make her see things and feel things that weren’t real at all. Because Jordan couldn’t really be there, could he?
“I am not,” she paused, struggling with getting the words out with an even breath. “I am not something to be controlled. If you are a trick I will cut my own throat to spite you.”
The warning game with an ominous hold of the knife to her neck.
“Who are you to me,” she pleaded. “Are you even real? How do I know?”
It was such a strange sensation. To want nothing more than to lunge at her in that moment. To shake her out of whatever the hell turbulent nonsense was rattling around in her head, or how much he wanted to do nothing more than to bite and lick at that festering drip running in taunting invitation. All the while feeling the heat of burning loathing holding hands with hatred for this entire night spent looking, tracking and racing against a clock that they had no idea if it had a end too!
Yet she was stepping back and offering a sort of reply that caused a great deal of pain. Even if he could understand it, to witness her react as she had was certainly enough to put a cutting thread in his chest. Threatening to be tugged too tight that it would slice right through vital organs. But he would not take another step towards her. Especially when she was raising that knife to threaten to her own neck. Contemplating if he could just tug it free from her hands but felt that even with his telekinesis, she’d likely take that risk of cutting her throat.
And the plead, that string tugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know what I am to you.” Jordan let out a pained breath. “That’s not something I can answer because I am not you. To imply I knew, would be suggesting I know your thoughts.” Had they done something to her or tried too? He couldn’t say honestly but it was a frustrating situation. Nagging at tender parts of skull that merely begged him to give in to those feral wants. “All I can tell you is my side… that I spent an entire night looking for you. Being lectured by your best friend because of things that I don’t want to say or acknowledge because if I do, it puts you at further risk but how much more risk can you be than this?” The last part was more of a mumble to himself.
“Juliette, I can’t convince you that I’m real. Not by words, you need to prove that to yourself.” So what did he have to do.
His guard would have to be dropped. Letting arms fall to sides, as palms gave an open gesture. “Take your best shot if that’s what you need to convince yourself.”
What a funny thing, that the way she knew he was truly himself was his way of over complicating simple questions. Not only making things difficult for himself, but then directly tossing it back to her to make the choice. To accept him or damn him. This foolish, frustrating man that for some reason beyond her she stilled loved so much that she couldn’t even be properly mad.
The knife slowly lowered until her arm hung limp and it slipped from her bloody fingers with a loud echoing clang to the floor.
Juliette did finally move then, her legs feeling ready to give way to collapse, but she’d still staggered forward fast enough to throw her arms around his neck and hold on for dear life. She didn’t want to sob and cry, but what did her pride matter now?
“They were going to kill you,” she choked out, burying her face at his neck and shoulder. “You could have died.”
He’d likely never know how this moment came to be a strong relief. Watching her grip loosen to drop away that of the weapon. How it rattled upon the concrete floor with an unpleasant metallic clang as she seemed to come wobbling close enough to use him as the anchor.
Twisting features at the rush of bloody smell that made his head feel oh so fuzzy. Warm, sweet and on edge. Given strength by the way she seemed to give into the measure of welled emotions that dumbly had been uttered about him being the target and to be slaughtered. Tensing grasp around to intermingle across shoulder blades. Scrunching the ruined gown between fingers as he plunked nose and mouth alike to the top of apex. “Juliette, how can you be worried about that when you were the one taken and harmed.” She needed attention. For her own health and to keep him from losing his absolute mind wanting to make her a chew toy! Just that he moved to seek to cradle cheeks. Bidding her out of the shelter of neck to brush thumbs over the apple. Fussing brows tense in genuine worry. Shortly bumping brow to her own, “I could have lost you tonight, dove. And that, is far worse than any death I may meet one day.”
They’d have to have a serious conversation soon. Now was not the time however.
Grunting uncomfortably even as he moved the unbound erratic locks from features and shoulders, pulling the threads away from the chomped tear of teeth that made their mark upon her. It turned his stomach in hot waves. Feuding with the effort that was slipping by the second. Busying mouth to press a kiss upon temple before making the motion to sweep feet off ground into grasp. “Rest against me. We need to leave now… It’s almost sunrise and you need medical attention.”
Juliette found herself furrowing of brow as she was scooped up off her feet, ready to protest that she needed to walk out of the building on her own, lest his vampire minions see her as weak and fragile. Yet now that she was off her feet and cradled safley in his arms, she couldn’t find the energy to put up the fuss. Instead finding solace in burying her face at his shoulder and letting her whole body melt into a puddle of nothing.
“I need fettuccine,” she corrected, with a whispered mumble. At least finding just enough left in her to gently tease. “I promise not to die if you make me the fettuccine again.”
Somewhere along the way she’d rested her eyes, finding it increasingly difficult to keep them open. Giving a soft frowning hum when she’d caught herself nearly falling asleep in the process.
It was such a dumb little comment that even had he not wanted to laugh, the effort of withholding it would have been too much! Letting out the airy laugh as he brushed chin over her crown. “I’ll hold you to that, love.” Not that he would ever say no if she wanted him to actually put effort into some means of a meal. An expression of affection that was easy to do without making it some grand spectacle.
Getting outside was quite literally a breath of fresh air. Not that it was perfect –hardly that- but it lessened the smell of heart’s blood from invading every part of his thoughts. Laying gaze upon the pacing presence of Emery as she was looking between the slowly lightening sky and then them exiting the door. Likely previously just the door. “Took you god damn long enough! If you wanted me to erupt into a fiery ball of flames, you are seriously well on your way, Jordan.”
He offered her a glare but didn’t readily comment on her shrilling. Motioning rather for her to make her hands useful to open the car door so he could set Juliette into it. He had better get her back to the house less everyone start wondering what had happened before offering their own twisted spins.
It wasn’t often that even he took to sleeping, though after the whole event and glaring fiasco that was her kidnapping; he was rather persistent after Baldwin’s effort of mending the gnarly bite upon Juliette that he would remain present. And leaving Myra to play additional house guest once more to keep Hannah calm when the news was to be broken that Juliette had been found. Had been returned to the manor and that the means of disruption was intended to be kept to a minimal.
Having drawn curtains to darkness, the over expenditure of his own abilities and fury alike require seclusion from light. To recluse in a sense while leaving the efforts of grilling Lucas to Augustus and Emery. Deciding that for their efforts they might as well enjoy exacting their own sort of wicked revenge whilst having to keep the maggot alive.
It didn’t lessen however the mental pressure that seemed to rise and crested like a tempest abused shore that his thoughts even in rest were demanding action. Things had to change and he wasn’t sure yet if he made the dramatic turn or if he did something worse.
When Juliette awoke she founder herself surrounded in pure darkness, with no sense of whether or not it was night or day, or honestly how long she’d even slept. All she knew for certain was that it was Jordan’s bed – their bed – as the soft scent of Elisa’s laundry detergent mingled with something very specifically Jordan, whether it was some sort of cologne he wore or his favorite soap.
Vaguely she could recalled Myra fussing about cleaning her up and Juliette making some dark comment about needing to hunt down a new wedding dress to account for battle wounds. Similarly she remembered Jordan’s concierge doctor… Baldwin? The man made sure to look at every bruise and wound she had, and damn it all, there were enough that even now as she shifted beneath the covers she could feel the tug of the bandage on her shoulder and the deep ache where fingers had bruised her skin. All the while Jordan would be lurking nearby with such a grim expression on his face, or if she couldn’t see him, she could hear him pacing elsewhere in the room.
Then she’d slept forever, so it seemed. Dreamless too and Juliette was grateful for that. As now that her head was clearing up, she could distinctly remember the terrible feeling of something creeping up under her skin. How close David had gotten to finally binding her to him. How she’d never been so horrified of anything in her entire life.
“Jordan?” she whispered to the dark, hoping he was still somewhere close by. Juliette was reluctant to leave the safety of their bed, but she at least needed to know he was there.
Somewhere beyond the boundaries of closed shut doors he could hear movement. Murky and distant from the efforts of being in a state of preferred slumber for the time being. Ever aware but also not so present that he’d be leaping up in a hasty jump should someone think about rapping knuckles upon the solid surface.
Taking the allowance of mere existing for the time being while thoughts made themselves no more than jelly. Nothing uniformed.
Save for the eventual notification of movement that was light rustling between sheets. Bidding that wandering vague focus to alert itself to cognizant. Willing effort itself to respond to sudden demands that gave at least arm an ability to finagle itself around. Pulling from stasis to reach and grab to haul rather liberally the whispering form closer. Yes he was nearby, so close for once that it might have been comical to think that this was hardly his norm! Just he wasn’t about to start sleeping in a coffin any time soon, even if he didn’t sleep that often.
Making effort to move himself as well closer as not to drag her form across the spread of sheets. Huffing somewhat low against breath till they could be suitably blended in equal territories of shared middle. Lining palm to slip itself between arm and rest over midsection of feminine bends. “Hush.” He mumbled upon a coarseness of throat, “I don’t think you are quite ready to start trotting about.”
“Am I not?” she answered in that same whisper, a ghost of a smile on her lips to find with a great deal of surprise he wasn’t just close, but right there in bed with her. Now a breath away, where she contentedly nestled herself as close as she could get, body to body, every intent to have him as a weighted blanket to shield her away from the world.
Juliette had nearly fallen back asleep then. Her breathing settling back to long soft breaths. Only a twitch of her nose followed and a small frown. It seemed her body had enough of rest, or at the very least of sleeping. At the very least she needed to fetch herself something to eat and maybe then she could fall back into oblivion.
Only she wasn’t going to dare leave the embrace she was in now. Drawing her own arm around him to be sure he wasn’t going anywhere himself. Vibrant vermillion eyes of fury coming to mind, making her certain he himself needed this moment to sleep it all away.
“No.” A soft reply certainly intending to stop her in any means necessary if she decided she wanted to leap out of the bed with a renewed vigor not yet fitting! Mentally deciding that he’d probably throw a pillow at her first and drag her back into this bed like a caveman if he truly had too! Not above grabbing her ankle, stuffing her in and tucking the blankets around her like a finger trap. For his peace of mind and to keep the insistence that right now, they were to stay here.
In this room until he was certain that she wasn’t about see how far her luck could go.
Rather grateful that she wasn’t about to turn impish but instead sink in. Taking herself as close as she wanted too to where it did well to soften the prickly edges of his own self. Feeling akin to a porcupine at this moment! Ready to throw quills in the means of defense.
“You’ll just have to be a prisoner for a while till you are recuperated enough that I don’t have to worry about you. Which… may be a very long time.”
Her body shook briefly with the softness of a quiet laugh, perfectly fine to adhere to this demand, at least for the time being. Juliette was in no rush to escape such a prison where she was warm, comfortable, and most of all felt secure enough to just exist as she was without pretense.
“I’m fine now,” she tried to reassure him anyway. If anything he needed to know, despite him hurting her damn feelings, despite vampires and David of all people managing to snatch her up, that she wasn’t going anywhere. She’d been terrified in the moment, but she wouldn’t have taken any of this back to avoid it.
Juliette shifted just enough to pull back, squinting eyes in the darkness to find the outline of his face. Bringing a hand up to cup his and softly brush her thumb there.
“Are you alright?” Frowning just a bit at the question, feeling as if she’d had to ask it too often this week. Juliette didn’t know what he had to charge through in finding her. If some sort of maniacal trap had been set up to brutalize him down into nothing, or if it had all just been lies to toy with her.
Her attempt to suggest her state of being was fine merely tugged a frown onto face. Etching it in a threatening permanence that he hardly believed the word was remotely acceptable at this time. Honestly it might as well have been considered a swear!
Rather than getting all huffy puffy about it, a response came to merely bump his forehead into her crown.
Till she drew back. Seeking palm to lay it’s placement upon his own to where once more she asked a question that found more than he bargained for. “No.” Any pretense of stuffing down the sort of build of emotions or erecting a strong façade of control, were absent. Cinching the two black lines together once more to bundle and scrunch, “In a mere moment, you were gone.” Voice drooped to a low octave, “And now… I don’t know which way to go for it all.” Bumping forehead once more to her own. “Surely you know as I do that this… is more than anyone should go through. I know… I should cut the ties here. Now. To put that shield back that indicates that lines no longer be crossed. To remove you from all of this is what I should be doing.” He was so going to blame all this god damn mushy bullshit on Hannah, he swore it. “And yet… last night was a glaring knowledge that I’m not ready to let go the person I love for any reason. So no, I’m not alright. I nearly lost you Juliette and I’m tired of trying to play the game of fantasy and coy affections just to meet ends. You’re life isn’t worth that… and I don’t want to keep pretending.”
That single word of No sent her stomach lurching and worse yet the words that followed had her believing he finally reached his limits in what he’d deal with concerning her. That despite everything she offered, she was more trouble to him and his life than what he’d ever wanted.
Except he’d said those few words. Those precious startling little words that made her suck in a breath and have to swallow hard lest she start crying then and there, making him think he’d done something wrong all over again. Nothing about this was wrong – this was good. This was everything!
Juliette leaned forward, finding his mouth in the dark to give a long, lingering kiss. A soft affection before she dared to pull away.
“I belong to you,” she murmured soft in that whisper voice. “And that is my choice. Let me love you and we’ll weather the rest. Let a whole hoard of toothy bastards stick their noses in our business, in the end it’ll still be me there with you and only you.”
After a moment of chewing into her bottom lip, she lightly tapped her thumb against his chin.
“Tell me again?” she asked, begged, really. “I want to hear it again.”
Those hours looking were hell. A feat considering he thought having his former existence taken and made into something that was clearly not his favourite thing in the world. However, the night prior spent searching, digging, tracking and mentally fatiguing himself with pleading hopes that things would not turn out in the graphic depictions made by a author’s telling, true; he learnt the meaning of hell.
Every minute that had been unsuccessful only lumped on the growing anxiety. The feeding fury that might as well have made him truly a madman on a witch hunt!
Now, that she was returned to a home that was hers to create; of course he didn’t feel alright. His mind was pressed upon the knowledge now that this was not just an emotionless attachment for mutual benefit. Nor was it just a fun little experiment to see if they could become friends with another to make this at least suitable for living. There was earnest affection that had shifted from mere innocent affections into passionate comprehension of that four letter word.
It terrified him now. More than ever to know even he was a victim to such a powerful force. How logically he knew that Juliette being caught up in all this with her friends and those she cared for was incredibly dangerous, the rest of him greatly outweighed that logic. Telling him clearly that should he chose the reasonable and wise choice, he’d be miserable. Somehow worse than he could be already. Declaring that the option was not on the table any further and to be honest to the point that if ridicule was to be his reply, he would take it.
Save his dramatic thoughts weren’t given such allowance. Rather, she stole close. Laying flush a press that felt as though it had ended far too soon. Pressing the heat of palm to throat, passing slow brush of thumb across as she made it clear that this was her choice. Not his. A hard thing to fathom but no less true. “Don’t make such wide promises so soon, peristéri.” Actually he just didn’t want to think about toothy bastards with their noses in any of their business.
Yet she managed feats of pure awe. Bidding a tug of corner to offer a bare smirk with her tip-tapping touch. Asking for something that he gave to no one.
Stealing back that limited space to brush light lips across, rather grateful then and there for the dark as heat flushed across cheeks at his own bashfulness. “I love you.”
“Good. Good,” stressed with such a relieved sigh and following it up to return his kiss with something quick and earnest, lingering just long enough to have to pause to take a breath. Returning only briefly before a second sigh had her whole body melting to curl back up under his chest as a pool of limp limbs. Muttering another good under her breath for extra measure.
“You have no idea who infuriating you are when you do so many lovely things, prompting me immediately in want to say I love you and I couldn’t,” she murmured her complaint, now that she was free and clear to do so without fear of what he’d do.
“Now I can finally do as I please,” she affirmed, tilting her head back once again to regard him in the dark. “Jordan, I love you. And want to marry you. You will have to let me leave this room so I can find a different wedding dress.”
He was infuriating! What a little—
“And why couldn’t you?” he dared to ask wandering just what sort of nonsensical restrictions she had put on herself that barred mouth from saying such things. Likely guessing somewhere it had to do with the once she blundered it out only for him to behave like well… a boy. Merely missing tugging on pigtails as he did it.
However, he would still argue about it.
Maybe just not at this particular second. A welcoming hum to hear the coined phrase replied with added bit of wanting to marry before the suggestion of her leaving the room was to be uttered. “No.” Adjusting to prop crown to palm, he’d tug the blankets up to cover her straight to chin. “Damn the wedding, at this point you’d ought to consider yourself lucky I haven’t found a way to put you in a jar to be carried around for eternity! An entire room will just have to be your place for existence.” He gave her a low hum crossed with a potent for a growl, “I’ve told you before, I am a petty man.”
Why couldn’t she tell him? He could play innocent about that if he wanted, he knew full well what he did! For now it seemed he was busy trying to tuck her under blankets as if that was enough to keep her in place. Prompting her to pull an arm out from under the covers simply to be difficult, even though she very much had every intention of doing as he asked. Within reason!
“Jordan,” she fussed, making a very slow motion of attempting to sit up and trying not to laugh about it. He had every reason to be traumatized and concerned about her, she wouldn’t dare laugh about that.
“You have to at least let me into the whole of the house,” she countered. “Or else Elisa will start to think you’re mistreating me. Move the wedding here, if we must. I could set something up quite beautiful in the yard if I found a good landscaper fast enough.”
An arm came free and he had every thought to tuck it back underneath. Considering it till his name was spoken and she continued this efforts of being a menace! Rising up till she was neatly situated that he in turn felt it necessary to follow.
Forming pillows to take up blank space behind back as he gave a rather heavy sigh at her. The idea of having to make use of the whole house was too much. Of course the manor had its own means of being protected but that didn’t mean he was about to allow it. Even if she referenced Elisa would take to thinking the madam of the house was being kept captive! “You’d want your parents back in your home?” He asked rather seriously, “I’d rather the original plot if it meant your father eyeing someone else’s wealth.”
By no means was he a happy camper. Frustration still held firm that any of this happened. “Top floor. That’s as far as I give.” He huffed, “Today.” He knew that rightfully he couldn’t stop her from doing as she pleased. Nor would he want too but it didn’t abate those present twists in his skull.
As long as he lived, the last woman he had loved died hundreds of years ago. And it was after his own enslavement to this reality. Having pushed away these emotions seeing them as pests than use.
And yet, “I’m sorry, Juliette. For it all. Everything.”
So he could make good counter-points as well even with keeping her captive, as Juliette most certainly did not want to invite her parents back into their home if she could help it. He’d even propped up pillows behind her, furthering eating at her resistance until she leaned back against them with a defeated sigh.
At least until she pulled her arms up to wrap them around his neck, ignoring that twinge in her shoulder as she did so.
“I’m not sorry,” she confessed, leaning to rest her forehead against his cheek. “I’d fight your vampires again. If you need me to stay in this room for now, then I’ll stay. We’ll tell Elisa I had an accident and I am ordered to bed rest. As long as we still have our wedding as planned, I don’t mind.”
She did pause, though.
“You’ll stay with me? Not the entire time, obviously, but enough. To rest?”
It seemed that the commentary about her parents was enough of a thing not to have her insist on the idea of turning their home into a open door! For anyone. It was one of the last refuges that were still in place but the yard itself was not given the same charming ways of protection as the walls of this place were. So he’d much rather not invite party goers here. Especially considering she had been taken during one of his company’s largest events! What the hell could happen at their wedding if they were not careful.
Arnould’s assumed of kleptomania was minor by all means!
Save that his mind was certainly a disheveled land of squirreled thoughts. Offering them at random while one in particular felt vital to speak.
A thing he did not give easily was that of apology. For bringing her into any of this at all. However she rose to make loops of arms. Gathering around neck and uttering that in return, she was not sorry. Wrapping grasp around back as he gave a humourless sigh. “I would prefer you didn’t. I know what vampires are capable of and yet to know that you went through hell to a point that you’d even take your own life due to uncertainty does not bring me comfort. Rather duress.” That sat with him like an ugly doll. Staring at him in the face that what she suffered was enough to make her question reality. Fairly too but to know that someone you loved was willing to slit their own throat… it was far too much like a rat willing to chew off its own arm to escape.
“I need you to stay.” He mumbled as if to allow the means of vulnerability in. If it meant she’d see that even he was easily affected, then so damn well be it. “I’ll stay as long as you need me. Or until Hannah comes blasting through that door.” Jordan pressed his brow with a renewed exhale, “I know it is also not what you wanted, but she also knows the truth of everything. I didn’t want her to be oblivious but I may wish parts of that for her active imagination is truly something I would not wish for.”
Juliette realized then that it hadn’t just been those snatchy bastard that had terrified Jordan, but Juliette’s actions that gripped his heart into this snarly vice. That she had clawed and spat and struggled, so ready to flay her own skin and die to escape before he would even have a chance to come and find her. He didn’t need her to be fearless in the face of death, he needed her to live.
“I’m sorry,” she offered, so genuinely full of regret that should he ask he to stay in that room forever, she might’ve done it. Shifting to kiss his cheek and murmur her apologies softly in his ear. “I’m so sorry. I was reckless with myself and I won’t ever do that again. I promise I’ll take no more bets with death. The reaper’s number is hereby blocked.”
At the mention of Hannah though, that did cause her to pull away and let off a soft curse of blast it. A furrow of brows as she debated if this were a good thing or a bad thing. For the most part, she was glad to no longer have to lie to her dearest friend. The world was difficult enough with many faces, she hated having to give a false one to the only other person in the world actually so dear to her.
On the other… Hannah set loose in a world of vampires! Well, they were all in trouble now.
“If you ever need new ideas for torture, one only need ask a romance author,” she muttered. “It… might be for the best. We may as well build my own court of council, so that they can get things done for me while I am here at your mercy.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” He meant that. As much as such a thing had happened, he did in fact understand it. She was the sort that went down swinging and she made that clear! Not to be anyone’s little happy compliant captive and if she had a chance to make sure she provided no use to whomever, then that choice was made! It was survival and it was the means of making her own choice at the end of the day. Things that were being taken away at that time.
It did make sense but it didn’t sit well either.
One could just hope that she meant that. That she wouldn’t turn to the point of reckless abandonment with a knife at the ready to play slit the throat to escape whatever another thought they could do. It was an image in his head that would be forever burned there.
And he wanted to ignore it right now. Cover it over with dirt and darkness so it might never see the light of day. Turning voice to express that her best friend was now part of the inner loop. She had come to see that the night was actually full of those that nibbled on necks with fiendish delight. But this would also be information that Hannah would need. For it meant she would be wiser to the darkness of the world. Able to prepare and be on her toes.
Tucking some stray locks behind an ear, he gave her a slight look. Before departing and making a motion that at least eased the curtain back a inch to allow some light into the room. Barring away the shadows without it spreading across them. Not sure they needed to witness him hissing like a cockroach and scurrying under the bed because he was sensitive to it while recuperating. “I don’t think I want her ideas. It was bad enough last night the sort of thoughts she came too in a flash thinking about you being killed.”
Adjusting posture so he could actually sit with back pressed to the coolness of backboard, making a vain attempt to moderate sloe locks. “I council would not be bad though I would seek a blended council. It is because of Emery and Augustus last night that I was able to find you at all. And for that… it is time I start making the coven whole. As the one that bit you yesterday was neither part of their groups. Hannah actually assisted Myra and Eden learning some things. They believe that compulsion has been used on some of the coven’s vampires to lead us astray. The information about Zephyr and the…” he cleared his throat some, “Kendra. A lot of information of course but as chaotic as it all is, it’s a lead.”
Palming at cheek as if he were worried that a moment without physicality might result her in fizzling into nothing. “I know all of this is not what you want to think about but… what happened? If we are to work together and build a proper coven then… we need to start at square one. And right now whomever this is behind it, clearly wants you.”
Juliette could easily imagine what lengths Hannah’s imagination would leap to, being an avid reader of her novels. Being a fan herself of reading such terrifying dramas, even if she didn’t want the experience of actually living it. Grateful that he tugged a curtain, as it gave her a moment to bury her face to allow her eyes time to adjust and for her to make sure she didn’t let her amusement at his distress show on her face. It wasn’t funny. Juliette just found it hard to contain that giddy knowledge that he did, actually love her. That it all actually mattered to him so much that Hannah’s panic had been contagious enough to shake him.
His palm to her cheek had her leaning in, now with the faintest bit of light finally getting to appreciate the face belonging to her fiancé. Wanting to smooth away all those lines of worry and fix it for him. To erase everything that had upset him, yet knowing there were no words that could do it. There was simply this moment now and how they could approach things going forward.
“To be honest, it is all a bit fuzzy now,” she admitted, trying to think back on it. “I was upset and told Hannah I needed to step outside for fresh air. I had every intention of coming right back. He just – He caught me by surprise.”
Taking a deep breath she attempted to piece it all back together, but was finding it strangely difficult. Juliette could very vividly remember single moments, but they all felt disconnected and out of order.
“David was there. Which I suppose is not a surprise considering everything. He called the vampire Leopold, and they intended to kill you. David seemed to think he would be taking your place. The other… I’m not certain?” she made a grimace at that immediately. Shifting away from Jordan to push back the covers and pull up the edge of her nightgown to see if there was a burned handprint still on her thigh. Relieved to find nothing was there but Juliette could almost feel it still.
“He tried to crawl his way inside my head, Jordan, I don’t– It’s hard to remember after that. I panicked. I’m sorry.”
Head was shortly shaken at this mention of apology! While he personally didn’t have the means of compulsion himself, he knew how it worked. Every ability they had came with loop holes. Even his own was bound to weaken when he over used it. It was a mental prowess that if his head was fatigued, the use of it was useless. And over using it left him with a bloody headache that could kill a horse, while crumbling to the means of needing to feed sooner. Much akin to a car needing fuel, the more it drove the more gas it would need sooner.
Compulsion came with its own ways of limitations. It was likely why most vampires that had it developed ways to get around such things. Granted, he never asked.
Yet to see her pushing the covers away to look at her legs, he wasn’t sure what was supposed to be there. Using the moment to raise knee to brace arm across it instead. “That wasn’t Leopold.” He stated, “I don’t know who the hell it was but I have a feeling it may have been one of Leopold’s little lackey’s. That name is from the old coven. The right hand to the previous king, but this is all theory.” He wasn’t giving confirmed affirmations of knowledge here. Just that him and Emery could clearly remember what that humanize spider looking bastard appeared like and Lucas had been too handsome by comparison. Likely less so now.
However he let out a long sigh at the mention of David and the idea that he may think of taking his place. “He might have tenacity in some way but that seagull dropping is too gullible if he thinks he would be able too. I think you are right to lay uncertainty. If this is in fact Leopold in some fashion, he wouldn’t let a new fledging take the position of King. But it would be good bait to an self indulgent twat that thinks the world belongs to him.” Vampires were greedy. And he doubted that any veteran would stand aside to let a newbie take over the position. Not to mention, they had to kill him first and take his blood.
It was no easy feat. Even himself had enlisted help to do so. Human help that had been offered repayment by fortunes, protection and insurance of their families lives. His human council were the offspring to such contracts after all.
For now he motioned for her to come closer. To wrap her back up in grasp and denote her brow with lips lingering. “That panic is likely the only reason why he wasn’t able to get the means of compulsion onto you. Strong emotions stop the crawling from digging in. But don’t apologize for anything in this. The fact you made it out and were able to survive is all that matters to me.” Still he took a moment, “There was a lot of blood however. It was hard to function in such a place and I know it wasn’t yours seeing as it has a certain… fragrance to it. You said you stabbed someone, I’m going on a limb to say it was David seeing as I didn’t see him anywhere. And the other two reported that the building was devoid of others when they searched.”
That was a vivid memory, the blood soaking her hands and pooling down her arm. The vampire trying to lick it off as if she were some sort of strawberry syrup covered ice cream cone. Juliette welcome his arms once more, all but halfway crawling onto his lap at this point. Pausing only to take a look at one of her bandaged wrapped wrists, hiding away where she’d rubbed her own skin raw. Or had she cut herself too in trying to get the ropes free? It was hard to remember and she hated that she couldn’t!
“They didn’t find him there too? Preferably bloodied in the parking lot or hanging half dead out of his ridiculous car?” Lucky David. Why was he always so lucky! He was furious enough with her before and she’d only stabbed him once. Now he was stabbed twice over and sure to have his ego battered even worse.
Something else caused her to frown, though. Tilting her head back to regard Jordan curiously.
“Was is truly only the two of them? Even if you had come alone, two couldn’t possibly be enough to take you. David might have been gullible enough to think so, but the other? Seems a pointless plan to snatch me up and then not have a plan for when you arrived. Unless they assumed you couldn’t find me.”
Head was given a shake then at her question of how they hadn’t found David dangling in a dramatic death position because he had tempted his fate with Juliette once more. You’d think the first time of getting stabbed ought to have been an indication that she wasn’t afraid to do so but he also didn’t know the whole encounter from start to finish. Who was to say what happened in its totality.
Which seemed for her to point out the very thing that made him easily just as troubled. “I don’t know. Usually it’s not too difficult to tell if there has been a variety of people in a certain place or not. But the whole air saturated with blood, it doesn’t make us as vampires very good hound dogs. Rather rabid wolves.” He was by no means exempt from it! The very thought alone ignited his mind with a wicked salivation. “If there were more there, they got the hell out of dodge the moment I threw that fire extinguisher at Lucas’s head. Or maybe sooner.” That was the thing, they found incredibly little. So there wasn’t a lot they could say. Maybe they had been ballsy enough to think that only two of them would be enough to take him on.
Goad him into doing something stupid or to use Juliette as a means of leverage.
He didn’t know.
Simply coiling grasp around her to squeeze tight. “We’ll just to let Lucas reform a little from his beating so maybe we can pull some answers from him. Though I don’t expect cooperation.” Rolling eyes at the thought, knowing how stupidly stubborn someone could be knowing they didn’t die too easily. Beaten to a pulp ought to have been an indication to work with them but he wasn’t about to start believing that would actually work. “I wish I had an idea to their motive but—” the end of sentence ought to be enough to state that wishful thinking was going to get them nowhere.
Instead making move to lightly touch upon the bandage wrap that made up her shoulder. Grateful for the lack of smell due to Baldwin’s diligence but no less memorable on the mind. “That little bastard ought to be lucky I don’t pull out his fangs myself.” Brows tensed into a murky glare. “No one gets to treat you as prey.”
With her bloody knife swinging, Juliette had inadvertently made things for difficult for them to truly investigate. Potentially had even put herself and them in even more danger because of it. There was a slight frown on her features and she almost opened her mouth to apologize again, but he’d pulled in tight and it was easier to curl up against him and let it rest for now. She couldn’t take back all the mistakes she’d made in the moment.
She could make sure and ‘next time’ didn’t happen.
“I might have baited him to try it,” she admitted, that regret clear across her face. “I may have told him if he didn’t kill me then, he would be the one to die later.” Juliette might’ve not told him at all of her folly in that moment, but in this case… the more details she could recall, the better. If they made him furious enough to legitimately lock her away in the master suite, she would deal with those consequences later.
“…you hit him with a fire extinguisher?” she asked with some surprised. She’d not known at all how he’d gotten off her, only it was sudden and she was quick to remove her bindings. What happened to the vampire after the fact was nothing more than a hazy blur.
“I am not even remotely shocked.” He didn’t have to bluff at that part. To hear that she had baited David by pulling by the sounds of it, threads against his pride. To suggest that if David didn’t reacted to slaying her first, he’d be the one laying face down. Which if the smell was anything to go by, the man was probably very very close to that prospect. Honestly, it would do them all such a favour if David fell down into a shallow hole and died.
However, he believed the human man had many familiarities to that of a insect. Sighing internally at this.
Moreover this confirmed at least that David knew things he shouldn’t and was making deals that were probably sounding too good to be true but lacked the nuance to get a clue that it was in fact that. Too good.
“Hmm? It was the closest thing to grab.” Jordan shrugged nonchalantly at the fact that she seemed startled that her assailant had been assaulted by an fire extinguisher. The thing was easily expired in the old building but it had been there. And it worked just fine as a projectile at the damn beast’s skull. Separating his fangs from Juliette while stunning him momentarily to become the human sized ball to throw around.
Arms cinched till chin could rest upon the top of her head once more. “I suppose I ought to be a good helper and fetch you something to eat since I doubt you ate anything at the event itself.”
“I had the glass of wine,” she confessed, burying herself deeper at his chest, finding herself reluctant to let him go even if the need for food was already apparent by her protesting stomach. Almost afraid that as soon as he walked out the door he’d forget everything he said to her. That they’d be right back at the beginning again. She couldn’t very well hold him hostage in there with her, though!
Tilting head back again, she lift a hand to caress cheek. Reluctant to let him go but having to trust he’d be right back.
“Could we tell Elisa something as close to the truth as possible?” she asked. “A sudden kidnapping, details unimportant since I am home safe and sound. It’s growing difficult to lie to her, and she’ll fret so much worse if she cannot get even a look at me before the wedding.”
“Hmm, certainly not enough.” It would be best to start her off with something generally light in case her stomach was decidedly hungry but prone to flops after all the turmoil. Something better than a glass of wine! However he wasn’t exactly scuttling out to attend to the need either so readily. Seemingly staying put till it seemed she was ready to release him slightly.
Only to mention a desire if they could tell Elisa something close to the truth. Tugging a frown, “Yes. I can… not that I want too but I suppose it would be wise to at least do so.” Kiss pressed to crown as he begun to make his shimmy then, “I’ll convey as much as possible without delving into the who and why too liberally.” Gaze pointed down to the bed however, “Stay put. I may be tired myself but I am not above using my own abilities to hold you here.” He wasn’t sure how he would do it but he could get creative.
“I will be back momentarily.” Making use of feet upon the surface of the floor to grab that of robe to offer a semblance of modesty, he dared a secondary look across his shoulder. As if testing to see that she hadn’t just sprung up to bounce on the bed like a defiant toddler. “Do you want me to let Hannah know you are awake as well?” Asking before he would slip out of the room, sure that the two other women may be wide eyed and waiting like Theix might for a meal at the door.
“We best let her have at me for a bit, else Hannah might regale you of more terrible what-ifs about me,” she affirmed. Knowing how much Hannah had been upset over Felix, a man she barely knew for a few days, Juliette knew the girl was likely torturing herself with her own imagination over a friend she’d had for years. Besides, if Juliette was banished to the bed for the time being, she needed someone to run out and do things in her place.
After all she needed a new wedding dress. Where bruises might fade in time and be covered in makeup, the gash of teeth on her shoulder wouldn’t. There would have to be an entirely different cut and style to hide the marks. Now more than ever, Juliette actually wanted this wedding to be something beautiful and memorable. For the BEST reasons.
Once he let the room, Juliette did push back the covers to slide to the edge of the bed. Not to be deliberately defiant, only that she was human and humans had needs other than eating and sleeping! The whole endeavor of movement around proved to be aching and tiresome. Bandages that matched her wrists were around her ankles. Muscles she hadn’t realized were even used were sore and stiff. She tip-toed softly to the bathroom not only to avoid Jordan making good on those threats to hold her down, but finding that moving around in general was an overall exhausting experience.
When she exited the bathroom a few moments later a quiet shrill squeak nearly made her jump out of her skin.
“Eeee, what are you doing out of bed! Jordan is going to hang me in the back yard!” Hannah ushered behind her, urging and pushing with gentle hands for Juliette to move as quickly as possible back across the bedroom and straight back into the bed. Before she knew it, the redheaded menace had stuffed her so tightly under the blankets that Juliette had to wriggle in protest to get her arms free.
“This is entirely unnecessary,” insisted Juliette.
“Jordan said if he comes back up here and you are not calmly relaxed in this bed dozing away that he’s going rip all of my nails off and bury me in the backyard,” Hannah insisted, with such a straight face that anyone else might’ve believe her.
“He did not, Hannah!”
“He said it with his eyes,” she nodded seriously. Then plopped her own rump on the edge of the bed, looking every bit the worried mother hen. “How are you doing? Are you really okay? Do I need to hunt down some kind of vampire therapist for you?”
“A therapist for vampires or a therapist that happens to be a vampire?” Juliette asked with some amusement. She could only imagine what sort of nightmare job that might be, trying to offer mental health to a bunch of wild vampires that were so used to being feral that they’d forgetten how to think and feel. Maybe it was something they actually needed to do! A mental health center for vampires!
“…I am sore and exhausted, otherwise perfectly fine. I am going to need some assistance, however, as I’ve been banned from leaving this room.” Juliette explained without even a hint of ire about it, in fact there was a softness in her expression that made Hannah pause for a second to side-eye her.
“And you’re just okay with that? Being told you can’t do something?”
Juliette laughed giving a shrug of her shoulder, knowing the way her smile widened was likely purely embarrassing if anyone else had seen it, but in the moment not caring.
“I think I scared him to death more than those wretched assholes just be means of being viciously reckless with myself. If he needs to keep me safe in a bubble for a few days for his peace of mind, it is easily done. I would’ve done so even if he hadn’t admitted he loves me, but now I suppose I need to stop being so ready to die.”
“Oh thank GOD!” breathed Hannah in a rather dramatic sigh of relief. “Like I seriously thought he was going to call off the wedding! The entire thing had him so shook that he’d genuinely seemed ready to just call it quits, and that was before be blabbered out the whole vampire thing and I scared him to death with murder scenarios. I’m so so glad he didn’t do something stupid!”
Juliette’s eyes went wide for a multitude of reasons. For one, if Jordan had decided to end this relationship… she didn’t know what she’d have done. It sure as hell wouldn’t have been good. Attempting to force him to stay in it would’ve backfired terribly, and if she’d walked away from him… what would be the point of anything after that? She was spoiled now! Juliette now had a life full of meaning and passion, even with all the messiness. A world without Jordan in it seemed bleak.
“I couldn’t tell you the full truth,” Juliette tried to apologize, with Hannah quickly waving it off with a hand.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. It really wasn’t your secret to tell. I’m not upset – uh. I guess I’m freaked out knowing the world is still full of so much unknowns? But it’s not like I can’t go back to my life. I’ll just… be a little extra careful about who I’m dating.”
“So you do not wish to be a part of a vampire queen’s council,” Juliette asked gently.
“I’ll help you vibe check people!” Hannah offered cheerily. “Interview with a vampire style and everything. But there is no way in hell I’m going to be held accountable for any sort of screwups around Jordan! No offense! He’s just – oh my god – the most intense thing I have ever seen when he’s pissed off. I’ll leave the teasing him to Myra. I’ve already got your new bloody reputation to manage.”
That cause Juliette to laugh again, reaching out to gently pat the girl on the arm.
“Do I have a bloody reputation now?”
“Are you kidding? Myra said this morning there’s already gossip that you’d killed someone before Jordan even arrived there. …did you?” she asked curiously.
Juliette could only hope David crawled into a hole somewhere and died, but as far as she knew she wasn’t that lucky! Such was surprised to know rumors were that quick to fly, however. She barely remembered who she’d seen there. A brief thought of hearing Augustus and Emery arguing?
“Not likely, but if they want to believe I am capable, then by all means.”
As much as Juliette loved Hannah and was happy to have her there, maybe Jordan had the right of things in that Juliette wasn’t ready to be trotting about with all of this energy. Once she knew Hannah wouldn’t worry anymore – giving the girl instructions about how to take over the wedding plans, and to bring up her laptop later so she could do work in her room – Juliette had found herself dozing back to sleep.
Talking to Elisa over the means that he was actually constructing something from the newest load of groceries put into the fridge was… something. Of course she had been worried about the lapse of sight that was Juliette come the morning. Prompting and prodding for a reply whilst he was trying to consider a lighter meal that would still be filling without upsetting a potentially leery stomach. Whilst giving Hannah that chance to slid into the room to play… well he wasn’t sure.
Just that he hoped she wasn’t about to get all wild with the means of grand stories and nonsensical tales that entirely didn’t happen.
Elisa herself given the choice honest details had taken it about as well as one would have expected. Barely managing stopping the woman from picking up her skirt to go scurrying upstairs so fast that she might have given the roadrunner a run for their money. Making a demand that Juliette be unbothered for the time being and when he required additional help, he would ask her to step in. Earning a look that he was sure his own mother had given him more times than he could accurately recall but managed to tame the fussy housekeeper for the moment.
Taking a quick stop within that of his own study to procure a small bottle of the unmarked embossed black glass, the meal itself was organized. Mentally wondering just where the hell Myra was but also decided that his thoughts on the matter were not so important that he go calling for the human sized gremlin!
The room itself was empty of voices. Stirring him to wonder a moment as he listened before giving door a push shut with heel. Coming about the oversized hall wall to the side to find focus playing across dozing sort. Earning a silent hum whilst settling bottle for himself and small plate of endive salad and garlic shrimp nearby.
Allowing him a moment to at least shed robe to be replaced with surprisingly just a simple shirt. Certainly not his fanciest thing but it was hardly needed now!
He needed the time to heal his own depletion of energy. And with a promise to stay present with Juliette, it seemed perfect enough for him to enjoy a lazy day.
Stepping back to kneel to the edge of bed, lightly brushing the back of knuckles across cheek. “As cute as you are resting, don’t make my work for you go in vain, my love.”
Juliette made a soft sound of protest, rolling a little more comfortably into her cozy spot with intent to maybe sneak in a few more minutes of napping. Except with a slow deep breath something smelled too tantalizingly tasty to ignore and she was reminded just how close to ravenous she actually was.
“I don’t believe anyone has ever referred to me as cute before,” she murmured, tempted to grab his arm and yank him right into bed on top of her. Having to resist the urge, as he’d likely fuss at her for the strenuous activity! Instead she shifted to sit up properly, adjusting the pillows propped up behind her and smoothing out the blankets over her lap.
On sight of neatly arranged plate of what looked like a classically trained chef’s idea of an appetizer course, she did press her fingers briefly to her lips trying to control that instantaneous smile. Juliette should’ve expected as much. For a simple thing to have her satiated and to go straight back to sleep, she might’ve thought of a hot mug of soup. Of course Jordan never did anything in a simple way!
“This is a very good example of an I love you moment,” she decided upon accepting the dish. “I can only imagine Elisa standing in the kitchen open mouth in awe and confusion. Has she even seen you in it before for anything beyond coffee?”
“I am sure if they had, you’d likely contend it previously.” Smirking at the slow movement that she made to both wake and adjust. At least she wasn’t flipping right over to tug the blankets over head because the want to rest was calling stronger than a meal.
Though he worried about her strength knowing that a light meal would do well to rebuild the waning efforts. Making an effort instead to wait till she was sorted and made the means of selecting the items up on their plate to hold till she was ready.
Momentarily pausing at her statement of how this was a good moment that would have formerly been a second that pulled her to speak but to be held instead. Considering the meal before laying hands to dormancy upon lap. Just that she asked a follow up question to pull a slight smirk. “She has. I’ve made her a few meals myself when I felt like she was overburdening or needed a night off. Not often mind you. And partially done to convince her that I can feed myself.” Jordan made a roll of eye. Standing once more to snag the bottle itself. Temporarily dipping beyond the wall to grab a glass that rested in the room so he wasn’t just tipping back the whole thing!
Not sure he required the entire black bottle but could yet be surprised.
Shortly returning with both to venture to the unoccupied portion of bed to rest butt upon. Leaving the red to be poured momentarily for favour of rubbing brow somewhat. “Did you require anything else before I return to being a lump on a log with you, dove?”
By the way he moved, it was clear to Juliette that Jordan must’ve been just as exhausted as she. And why not? He’d spent an evening scouring the city, snarling at his vampire minions, and then… she remembered vermillion eyes and the cracks of bone. That feral look of fury in his features that seemed to match that wild panic sitting in her chest.
They both must’ve looked quite the pair. Her drenched in blood, ready to swipe steel towards anyone who took a step towards her, and him with a stare that could’ve turned someone to stone.
Juliette almost opened her mouth to insist she was fine and didn’t need this much of a fuss, but as Jordan’s newest prisoner, she quickly caught on that the fussing was something he needed. Not only did he now have a fear that she could be easily snatched away, she’d added on to it by being too ready to die. He could fight all the vampires in the world, but what good would it do him if she was ready to destroy her own life for an escape!
She’d have to allow him the chance to take care of her. Difficult, when she was so used to charging forward with everything that she had. Picking herself up and trudging forward, regardless of what mental or physical wounds she had.
“We’ll call up Elisa if I need anything else. Get into bed, Jordan and don’t you dare get back out or I might go haunting the manor grounds to follow.”
A wicked threat for certain, but Jordan too also needed the care. She might’ve offered her own blood to him, if she didn’t already know he’d snarl at her for daring the suggestion. Instead she pulled back the blankets enough for him to climb in proper when he was ready and put her focus to attempting to eat.
It didn’t take more than a few bites to result in a sigh of relief. Even she was a little worried that she wouldn’t have much of an appetite for food, but the endive was light and fresh. The shrimp simple and buttery. The combination doing a far better job of satiating her starving stomach than any plain mug of soup could’ve.
Blinking at her a bit curiously with the way she decided that if anything was required, Elisa could be summoned. While tacking on the means of him needing to get in and stay exactly put less she see if best to practice her best wailing Bloody Mary through the halls. Leaving him to rattling this all through thoughts once more till he could find no reason to decline.
Not that he was in a particular mindset to do so! Rather he wanted to make sure she was kept cozy, safe and under his direct line of sight for the next while.
Within the course of one’s thoughts, he knew what had happened was more than enough to shake his typically solid foundation!
Nor was he in a hold to try and argue either. Just that he agreed with the means of shedding housecoat to be hung once more. Sliding back into the bed itself to almost chuckle at her for pulling back the blankets as if this was a silent insistence that he was to get in there! Where in turn he was observing her to make sure she ate!
He would fend himself with the drink brought along. Momentarily remaining quiet till it was noted that she was taking in the bits of arranged food so he could prop shoulders back against the headboard. Not so quick to slip under the blankets entirely but appreciative to take the weight off his feet once more.
Rather offering a momentary branch of hand to come out to comb back the wily status of crown that was sloe coloured. “Once you are recovered, it would be best to have a proper meeting with both Emery and Augustus. As they expressed worry from the night prior.”
“Today, perhaps? Tomorrow?” she responded, with that faeish smile to make it clear she wasn’t serious about making the meeting so soon. Despite the fact it would truly be in their best interest to do so as soon as possible. In Juliette’s opinion, she was well enough to have serious discussions with his two coven leaders. In fact, making herself known and seen to his whole blasted coven even as bruised and battered as she was would be proof enough that Juliette was NOT someone who could be cowed or frightened by a pair of snatchy sociopaths.
The food may have been doing her too well, for now her mind was gaining the energy to think. And when Juliette started thinking, she soon needed to start doing, which meant staying in that bed, and in the room was going to grow more and more difficult.
Jordan would have his hands full within a day to be sure.
“I never thought I would want to see Emery to thank her,” Juliette admited after a beat. She wished she hadn’t been so delerious with fear and rage and panic, so that she might have truly appreciated seeing him BE a king, instead of the fractured and jumbled memories that still didn’t want to settle into place. Even now that she was feeling some sense return with her satiated stomach.
Then again, if she were truly honest with herself, did she want to remember the details?
Lids fell half way to offer her an unimpressed motion. Aware that she was joking due to the way her lips were making themselves play the part of perfect imp, but he also had to wonder just a little bit too if she was. Deciding instead to reach over and pull those blankets ever tighter across her lap. Making his own point that he was unlikely to let her attempt it even if there a very slim chance of her trying to make it so soon.
Settling down shortly to instead rest that of palm across cheek. Cradling its hold as a moment of a few short words was enough to make him lightly chuckle. “That would make us equals. I didn’t think I’d ever come to rely on either of them. But their abilities proved vital for finding you. I owe them much. And you of course for implying the need for correction in which I’d let crumble so far.”
As much as Juliette wanted to fuss about this blanket tucking, simply to be contrary and difficult… Jordan actually admitted – out loud! – that she’d been correct about bringing his coven together was enough to give her pause. She had enough grace not to give him a needled I told you so, especially considering this was the last way she would’ve wanted him to come to that conclusion. Juliette hadn’t meant to be a cautionary tale on the consequences of a fractured coven.
“Hmm, then we shall see them together, first thing.” She responded with a soft smile, conveniently not setting a time and date for such a meeting. A day in bed at the minimum would do them both well, she couldn’t argue about that.
It didn’t take her long to polish off her meal, being hungry enough to be almost tempted to want more, but rather glad in the moment that it was a managable enough portion to eat quickly and not feel over full. While her stomach itself had no issue with food, it was the deep bruises that were giving her all the trouble. It took a great deal of control to not let those flickers of dull pain reflect in her expression when she shifted and set her empty plate on the bedside table.
Now with the freedom to get comfortable, she scooted the inch closer to Jordan, loosening those tightly tucked blankets (by happy accident of course) and set her attention to gently trying to gently peel the tape off the bandages on her wrists.
“I am glad at the very least that Emery wasn’t joyfully dancing at my strife and that Augustus was true to his word,” she murmured.
So long as she avoided giving him times and dates, the better he would be. Less likely to confine her to the room like some spoiled brat that was sent to their room without dinner! Settling to agree with the means of eventually on the side of sooner than later, they’d meet with the two leaders of the broken coven.
It would be necessary certainly. As Juliette had managed the feat of getting him to realize how detrimental the two were. Even if he had his reasons for disliking the whole thing. However, if they were going to repair this rift, then he had better get his grudges settled. Put to a long permanent rest. Seeing as he had no intention of keeling over any time soon, so it was going to have to be the long standing distaste for the vampire race.
Rather than letting his mind settle into the mood of bleak settlement, he was content to welcome her closer. Frowning as she went to pick at her bandages and sought him to reach out to insist she didn’t. “I’m not the best person right now to test with blood.” He offered softly as a sort of gentle warning.
She’d been through enough and he didn’t need to get all fangy because he was worn out!
“Colour me surprised. I thought at least Emery would prove to be a right sodding wench, but she was well behaved. Concerned in her own way but concerned no less.” He frowned a little then, “Suppose I have much to make up for with my stubborn refusal to look past my own nose then.”
Juliette almost apologized again, but she’d done quite enough of that already. Instead running her hand over the uncomfortable bandaging, and wondering if she’d even managed to rub the skin down to blood and bone in her wild attempt to escape. How HAD he managed to keep his senses if she were drenched in so much blood!
“You only need to make up for a quiet evening spent with me. As one has been stolen from me twice now, and should it happen again I might personally go chasing down your vampires and slinging them across the city.” she muttered softly and so pleasantly, it might’ve just been a promise to worry about.
In the mean time, now that she was no longer able to try and pry off those awful bandages, she set her hand to reaching up and softly stroking her fingers through his midnight dark hair.
“You won’t have to do it all alone. Augustus was very clear about how he wanted the future to go. I imagine Emery might wish to be a little more powerful and important, but if there is a threat outside this coven, that is enough reason for her to protect what she already has here with you. I can resist tossing her into the ocean to talk to her myself if need be.”
“I can certainly try. Though I can’t stop outside forces from barging in at their leisure.” Vaguely giving a gaze sidelong to suggest the door on the other side. Whomever was wanting, willing and daring to come stomping on through; there was little he could do to stop that. Threatening only worked so long and well, there were people outside himself that were naturally worried about the queen to be.
Perhaps, he might not even bother to be upset should any force bold enough did come through. “You think vampires are the only ones to worry about?” It was mostly rhetorical. Forbidding himself from thinking of other things or people that could come over to ruin a third evening.
That just might be inviting bad luck in if he were to say anything more.
Settling to be the distraction for hands. Hardly complaining as he would take this over her picking at bandages. She was still human after all, needing to recover.
“You think it is an idea to allow Emery that much even?” Honestly he was asking her genuinely rather than a sardonic quip. “I cannot help entire the sense of worry that rises with the thought. Though I am sure it is due to my prior history with her. Rather than new.”
Augustus he was surprisingly less worried about. Not to say it was entirely missing but less. Settling for shuffling closer so he might nudge arm free to spindle itself about feminine shoulders. To make a motion to draw near to rest. “Although they would be best on our side regardless. After whatever… nonsense has been promised to that of your ex and his vampiric backer, I suppose allowing Emery that measure of power is hardly anything.”
“If anyone other than the three ladies currently residing in this house try to come barging in here, vampire or not, you can dangle them right off the balcony for all I care,” insisted Juliette with enough of a huff, that she might just do it herself should anyone actually dare. The only thing tempering her thoughts was his arm winding around her, giving her enough of a reason to settle back and rest her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh.
“I cannot trust her until I know her beyond our… turbulent first impression. I am willing to give her the chance, as I know what it is like to snap and claw and fight, and to have that be the only thing you know how to do. We might… have the common grounds.”
A thing that was difficult to admit, but true nonetheless. Juliette could only hope that Emery Hart herself knew how to behave in a way that was advantageous for herself, and know when not to act like a pesky little brat.
Juliette could be tolerant, but only so far before she snapped back.
“Hannah has given me interesting ideas on how to appeal to her and others like her. They want grandeur and spectacles with the glamour of royalty and court. You say vampires are possessive and territorial, well… whatever foolish plot these outsiders have, it may have accidentally backfired. I am your coven’s queen just as much as yours, and someone dared to try and steal me.”
Effortlessly the laugh tumbled out of him. Marveled with the means that should anyone but their current guest storm their room, they would be privy to being held over the side of the balcony. Unsure if she truly meant he could do it or if she just might get her own hands involved. Rather taking the chuckle for its worthwhile sound slowed to eventually bend to a thought to whether or not they ought to give Emery such power.
Knowing he had a lot of held grudges that were influencing his reasoning for distrust. However if she was willing to impart the means of wisdom to his own mulish mind, then he had best start to listen. Humming a little as it seemed there could be some shared common grounds between the future bride and the ancient vampiress.
Keeping them interlocked to merely appreciate the comfort that came seemingly easy as of this point. Likely due to the release of emotions that had been questioned more often than a serial killer’s profile! “I feel as though Hannah may possess a real talent for corralling vampires and or offering you ideas on how to do so.” Which apparently involved grandeur and spectacles. Hints of lavish courts and nonsense he found personally bothersome. As one thought sitting in a large home himself –never mind.
However as much as he suddenly grit his teeth at the reminder of her kidnapping, she was correct. She was the soon to be queen of this broken coven. “I suppose that would be good enough reason to rally together in itself. We are… moronically possessive and territorial.” He was of course not excused even as he bumped his nose against that of chocolate crown. If anything, he was easily the worst one!
The thought alone made his chest constrict and stomach roll. Turning then to assess the selected bottle so he might momentarily depart to well, pour a drink of the thick red syrup. Letting it drip gradually into its glass, “Though now… we will have to try and track down your former lover. I am not sure which will be the easier prey, just that however many there are, they need to be removed.”
His laughter was more of a healing medicine than anything else could be, filling her with a sense of warmth that seemed to ease many of the lingering creepy crawly feelings that still lingered under her skin and in the back of her mind. She wished it was enough to carry her through the grim thoughts about David.
While Jordan pulled away to pour a glass of thick crimson, Juliette found herself leaning back against the headboard wondering just what she would do about that growing problem.
David had to die. A callous, immediate conclusion she’d come to without any sort of remorse to it. Plaguing her existence was a problem, but at this point… he was playing with things so much bigger than himself. Dangerous, frightening things that went beyond her worries about Hannah’s safety, or even Jordan. If David ever succeeded in his ambitions to be a vampire, to somehow gain power through a coven of his own? What a disastrous horror he would be to the world.
Only, what sort of person did that make her, being so willing to have someone killed. She may very well be everything David said she was. A manipulative and maniacal monster, right up there with the worst of them.
“…I may take Emery as my hand,” she murmured finally in response. “She’ll get the title she craves, and honestly maybe we will bond over hunting a man.” A terrifying way to bond with someone, but Juliette had a feeling Emery might actually prove to be useful in things even beyond David if they could get past difficulties.
“Then you might take Augustus as yours? He’d certainly vex you less than Emery.”
He’d nearly drop that glass when she mentioned taking Emery as her hand. Fumbling with it so he might clutch it close and to give her a look that was easily on par if she had grown another head! Trying to see the reason for her statement even as it was told.
Feeling lips press into a grim line even. Staring down into the remains of cold bloody ichor as if its surface would play Magic Mirror. Surprisingly he didn’t say anything to it. Unlike where he generally might be prone to rattle off an extensive over explanative distaste. Settling to listening. Mulling over with due careful care.
Thus far, Juliette had proven beyond capable of seeing things he was blind too. However, he wasn’t sure if that was entirely because he was a failure as a leader or not at this point.
Tipping glass back and forth to watch its contents dip before humming. “If you think that’s best.” Seemed he was not about to start coming up with counter arguments.
“I’m not sure if it’s what’s best, but it will be an unexpected move,” she admitted.
It was impossible to miss his reaction to her suggestion. Juliette wanted to laugh, but she understood how difficult all of this truly was for him. Jordan had to fight against his own hatred of everything the vampires were. His experiences with them over the past few hundred years. And now worse, having allowed himself to let her into his life and risk having something meaningful be at risk! That didn’t even take into account how he might not be so comfortable with suddenly sharing these responsibilities of power. Her choosing to take on Emery as quite possibly the closest person to her was no doubt a horrifying thought for Jordan on so many levels.
Yet he didn’t argue with her about it. He didn’t hiss his hatred of the women or the coven. Jordan simply acquiesced to her suggestion. That was a great deal of trust to put in her hands. That was a great deal of trust to put in Emery’s hands.
“I love you,” she uttered softly, her tone mystified with the very moment. How nice it was to actually say it, in those tiny moments that Jordan would do those little extraordinary things that baffled her, and solidified that very feeling of love. He had no idea how much these things meant to her, how rare and special it was to trust someone that much!
It would be unexpected. Clearly. He’d almost dropped the damn glass because of its unexpectedness.
Which would take a great deal more time for him to even mentally grow a sliver comfortable with it all. At least he had limitless time to do just that. Just now there was an extra pair of hands. An added mind and a new point of view that he was missing or avoiding that would do well to assure there was no more fumbles. At least to the same degree. Exactly what he had expressed previously to her. That he needed someone willing to speak up rather than fear his ire and his stern refusals.
He trusted Juliette immensely. Just he was missing the trust for the others. They had earned some of it the night prior by leagues but that didn’t mean he was ready to give them the proverbial key to the city. Thinking of things that may need be discussed for Juliette’s sanity when it came to dealing with Emery. Save if he was about to crack open that figurative book, it was stalled. Pulling dumb blinks at the mystified reply of three short words. Pulling brows into a soft motion of awe himself before features readily warmed. “And I, you.” Replying with genuine affection that seemed to incite him to put the untouched glass back to the side.
Growing to be too busy with grasp insisting to wrap about once more and lay a press to that of brow. “I’ll trust your guidance and thoughts in this process, Juliette. If you think you can tame Emery, then I have no reason to doubt you.”
She’d somehow derailed him from drinking the sustenance he needed, but found herself hardpressed to feel any regrets as he appeared to have a slight flush to his features even when he wrapped his arms around her. Giving her that giddy rush and dancing butterflies in her stomach.
Prompting Juliette to decide that arms were not nearly enough physical contact to sustain her. As bossy and demanding as ever, she ignored the protest of her bruised muscles to crawl herself comfortably onto his lap. Pulling blankets up to arrange around them both, and tilting to reach for his abandoned glass. Placing it gently in one of his hands, only to unabashedly arrange his other arm neatly around her.
He could drink as he needed AND hold her. There was no reason now not to do both!
“I do no such taming of vampires,” she mused out loud, missing the fact she’d just wrapped one around herself! “Enchanting, maybe. Charmed. I am a charmer of vampires.”
In a manner of seconds, the pair of them were rearranged. Acting as the newest position of chair to be enveloped by bodily heat and blankets to cover where she may not, grasp was formed about and given drink in reply. Soundlessly speaking volumes that there was no obvious reason not to have both. Seemingly he would not need to figure out a way to do both when Juliette made the motion clear on how to accomplish it all.
Yet he couldn’t help but raise a brow at the suggestion that she didn’t tame vampires. “I dare to disagree.” Using that very second of silence after to take that much needed replenishment of vital red. Purposefully staving off the means of explaining what he meant before rolling orbs around in sockets.
It wasn’t wrong. She charmed him effectively but he didn’t exactly believe either that she wasn’t capable of taming either. They were no better than animals. Himself included.
“And what does a charmer of vampires do with her new founded ability? Raise a whole underworld to her beck and call?” he dared to ask after making half of the sickly drink vanish. Assuring that there was no red to be left behind with a careful swipe of thumb, looking to avoid appearing like a starved red fanged beast even if the attributes of those very things made themselves known once more. Carefully giving her a side look of vermillion rims, sure to find her reply amusing enough or possibly questionable.
All it really would take for her to be ambitious and she could easily beat David for his want of power. Without ever having to be one of them.
Right now the charmer of vampires was softly regarding those vermillion ringed eyes, searching for any signs that she might need to worry. Not worry for herself, just a need to be sure he wasn’t being tortured by being forced to stay there with her and drink blood from a glass rather than to get quicker from another source. Of course, Juliette couldn’t stand the idea of him putting his mouth on someone else… but he wouldn’t exactly agree to drink from her now!
Satisfied in finding no signs of clenched jaw or hard blank stares, she settled to rest against his chest. Almost melting into the warm he and the blankets provided. Nestling in until her breathing fell into a nice easy pace and it was comfortable enough to rest her eyes closed as they spoke.
“One might believe funding my business is the gift you gave to me, but your vampires are… interesting. Challenging? Anyone can recover a business, but who could dare to organize and attempt to even sate those that have lived so long they’ve gotten wild and unwieldy? If I can charm your vampires, we might build so many great things.”
With that she sighed deeply.
“…it sounds ridiculous saying it out loud. Like one of Hannah’s sentimental stories.”
It was a short matter that seemed to spawn a sort of dawning realization that she wasn’t so much looking at him but rather looking. Developing a quick uncertainty as to why on earth she was spending such a lengthy moment giving him a look that didn’t seem to last too long. Merely long enough that even as he put the item aside so he might reach and pull the blankets up to slide along slender shoulders, he had to mentally check he hadn’t done something peculiar.
Where she sought to settle down that the thought was lowered to a simmer. Becoming faded so he might instead listen to the suggestion of what she would do with her new found prowess. Merely missing chair and whip to really sell the function of being a charmer of sorts!
“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of even entertaining daydreams of what great things could be accomplished.” Admittedly he spent more time trying to just himself out of the idea of being associated vaguely. If she had ideas, he was going to have to rely on her to offer those insights. Even if she shortly thought it to be ridiculous. Influenced by her writer friends antics.
“Does she know how to write sentimental stories? From what I’ve heard, she had gaggle of older women flocking to talk about smut rather than anything sincere or schmaltzy.”
Juliette laughed softly, her shoulders giving a gentle shake as she tried to reign it in and not outright cackle. For a multitude of reasons! She let it simper off into an amused little hum as she adjusted under the blanket to curl an arm around him, stealing a hand away under that simple tshirt of his to steal away as much warmth as possible and absently brush her thumb against bare skin.
“There is a common theme in all of her stories, of epic romantic love and sentiment woven into adventure, sprinkled with the sort of sexual deviency that should make little old ladies blush. Hannah says a book with all sugar and no spice is a boring affair.”
It was something Juliette had to agree with… in this one case. As she didn’t think she could stomach reading any of Hannah’s novels if they were nothing but nauseating sweetness, batting of lashes, insipid declarations of love every other chapter. Maybe Juliette had a weakness to some romantic inclinations, but she had no desire for rotted teeth.
Of course, some of the scenes were so filthy they could even make a vampire king’s toes curl, so Juliette wasn’t about to pass Jordan her copy of Hannah’s Two Masters at Midnight or Fangs For the Memories.
“I suppose she would know as the writer of such things.” He deferred in that moment. Just because he enjoyed reading to an extensive amount didn’t actually mean he knew how to put such a set of words together to form something worth reading! So if a romance novel with smut involved was intended to be sugar and spice, then he would just have to believe.
They were not the sort of books he would have readily on his shelves any time soon!
“I am just still boggled that your best friend is a notorious filth peddler while looking like she ought to be a kindergarden teacher.”
Strangely enough, Juliette could easily imagine Hannah switching gears and deciding to teach kindergarten, while also somehow still writing all of her filthy novels. Honestly, Hannah could do just about anything if she put her mind to it, the world was quite lucky she was too busy with her head in romantic clouds to menace society at large.
…though Juliette did wonder how dragging her best friend into this torrid world of vampires was going to change the course of the woman’s life. She’d always thought of Hannah as someone soft and gentle; a marshmallow that’d be squished under the weight of grim things. Yet she was still there, ready and willing to give her own brand of advice and perspective.
Poor Jordan! He’d added another wicked woman to his human council by accident!
Hiding her sudden smile quite easily tucked under those blankets, Juliette kept that thought to herself.
“Perhaps you’ll find her inspiring? As I am not to leave this room, I suppose you’ll have to work with her in my stead on adjusted plans and vampiric lessons. Unless you mean to trap Felix or Dominic as her caretakers, and spend all of your time with me?”
“Inspiring?!” he wasn’t sure if that was a joke or a cruel and not so cleverly hidden suggestion. Unsure of what on this green earth he was supposed to take away as inspiring at all! Adjusting attention to hopefully glean some of that madness that she was sprouting. Only that in all of that she simply gave him one out.
“I can work from here to assure you are well rested, while I can throw Felix under that bus once more. He isn’t that injured.” And at this point he wasn’t sure if Hannah caught on that Dominic was also a vampire. Not to mention whether or not she would want to even interact any further with his group of fangy freaks! “Plus, I intend to spend the time with you. It was not just you that had the last few days interrupted repeatedly after all. I am only being kind right now because my worry for you is far more than my lust. But there is no telling when I will give into that portion. So I will just have to stay near in case it creeps.”
“You may need to move the poor man into the manor too at this rate, if he is to get any rest himself.” Juliette was fairly certain the man getting shot and potentially chewed on himself was a far worse state to be in than her own, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain about Jordan spending the entire time with her.
In fact, she was ready to protest there was no reason for him to worry about her stamina in terms of his creeping lust with another laugh. Except… when she shifted she could feel the pull in her shoulder and it drew her thoughts away to an unpleasant little place. As soon as that bandage was gone, there was sure to be scars there for a long long time. Would he even be able to look at her and see them without remembering how they got there?
“I do want you to be near,” she admitted, though without that usual tease and spicy flirt that colored her voice when he usually said such things.
“Or move Hannah in with Felix at his place.” Jordan found his mouth moving faster than he could stop it. Turning to offer her a almost apologetic look but not quite. He wasn’t even sure he felt bad about it actually! It would do well for Felix to have someone else nag him and it would keep Hannah occupied rather than in his hair.
Granted, he didn’t believe she would anyways. It was pretty obvious that she had become a little uneasy around him. As one would expect.
In a second his entire direction was distracted. Softened with the gentle admittance that his presence was welcomed. “Then I have no reason to go anywhere else. Nor do I want too. But you should rest a little more, the night was well… much.”