Inception

It took two weeks before anyone let me anywhere out of their sight even to go to the bathroom. Thankfully Alex put a stop to the fucking bodyguards following me in. But I can’t say that Alex was much better with the over protectiveness. But he wasn’t just hovering over me, he hovered over Hunter. Margo made a special trip to the Night Light building to sit with him and talk, but Hunter, like me, was not very talkative the first round.

Dorian wouldn’t let me come to work. He refused to let me call Dae’lin or my father. And he insisted I only call through Marco. Apparently I was persona non grata at the Apex Unlimited building and I wasn’t even the one that broke the law. But I supposed being exiled was better than the alternative of my friends being hunted – my family, my Alex.

Days passed one like the other, I woke up with Alex’s mouth on my lips and his body on top of me. It was rare we woke up alone so when we did Alex liked to wake me up in all kinds of fun and kinky ways. His voice was in my head The door is locked pretty boy, can you stay quiet? I nodded sleepily as Alex worked his mouth down to my neck, we were still wearing too many clothes, but that was half the fun.

We were in the process of removing those clothes when a throat cleared in the shadows. “Sorry, Nox, Alex, but it’s important.”

Alex groaned, “Fucking vampires!”

I sighed, “What is it Jin?” Alex rolled to the side and started pulling his shirt back on. Two weeks and this was how sex usually ended up for us if we were in the Night Life building. Privacy was not something my new personal assistant cared for. It had been Cari’s suggestion with all the supernatural meetings I was apparently having. I just wanted a few minutes alone with Alex. We had lunch everyday at his place, which usually took the edge off all the interruptions but I knew Alex was getting testy. I wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to stay happy with the arrangement. And the fact that he hadn’t interrupted my train of though meant I was right. And he was brooding. I watched as Alex pulled on a pair of sweats and then looked back at me, his eyes intense. “Pretty boy, I’m not going anywhere.”

I gave him a weak smile. “Fears are never rational,” I said and he smiled at me and leaned back on the bed and crawled back over to me and kissed me hard.

“I’m sorry this is testing my patience.”

“You think it’s not testing mine?” I sat up and climbed out of bed. Alex had still had a few articles of clothing but he had worked mine all off and they were scattered about the room. Jin’s eyes immediately averted when I picked up my clothes. “I need a shower, Jin, whatever it is can wait for that?”

“I will see that Reginald Silverman is made aware of the situation but, Nox, don’t keep him waiting too long,” Jin said just before she stepped back into the shadows.

Fucking vampires.

Alex started for the door but I caught his arm, “Please join me,” I begged.

There was no hesitation, “We might keep the golden dragon waiting.”

“I need a shower, and I need you.”

Our shower was quick, I pampered my blue eyed boy with all the attention he deserved and washed myself quickly in its aftermath. Alex left me to the bathroom, he shaved while I washed and after running his fingers through his hair he was essentially done. I should have been alone in those moments, but I wasn’t. The moment Alex stepped through the bedroom door into the hall, Vin and Jin were both standing outside the bathroom door. Vincent Ricci, was an embraced vampire of the obfuscation blood line or more commonly known as the Shadow blood line. When Ant wasn’t by my side, Vin was.

Vin was just another one of those things that was required now that I was on the Venatori hit list. Or at least that’s what Il Cane, Ant, and every other leader of the supernatural world thought. And apparently I was important to them, and I had no fucking idea why.

Jin started rattling things off while I applied a thick line of eye liner. “Other than Reginald today, you have a meeting with the council, and interviews with tutors for the children. Mr. Vega has sent over several resumes of those he feels are suitable to home school each of the children. Your lunch date with Alex is blocked out with an hour on each side as requested. And the notes specifically say do not disturb should anyone try to finagle your schedule at all without my knowledge.”

“What council meeting?” I asked.

“The vampire council.”

“What?” I almost shouted as I nearly stabbed myself in the eye with the pencil. “Why am I meeting with the vampire council? And what the fuck are they doing in New York? Does my father know?”

Vin answered first, “The Venatori are not aware of the councils presence it happened overnight They want to discuss the book and you, and they have a job for you.”

Jin sighed. “The Vampire Council asked that I cancel all other meetings for you so you could get to work, including your lunch date.”

I stepped out of the bathroom without my t-shirt on and Jin’s eyes went wide as they always did when she saw my back. The petite Asian woman was still embarrassed by seeing the abuse of my demons. Which thankfully hadn’t reemerged after killing him. Nothing of the dreams were the same anymore. Even Alex and I didn’t start off in the room with the blocks and the word monster drifting through the air. Now I woke to a strange foreign landscape and Alex joined me, or he would spirit me away to some foreign place – we’d been to Paris, Rome, ancient Egypt in our dreams among other fantastical placed I’d never see in my life time. But I could visit them with Alex in our dreams. I looked forward to sleep for the first time in my life.

I was still adjusting to the new regime. The bedtimes were later, and so were the mornings, but Alex was more than accommodating with my routine. I hadn’t seen a sunrise in two weeks, at least not one with my eyes open.

“But you didn’t cancel my lunch date.”

Jin looked embarrassed, but she shook her head. “No. It still stands as I said. Three hours blocked out.”

Vin laughed. “They tried to bully her until Ant stepped in. He didn’t even have to say anything he just stood their glaring at them and they relented.”

Jin added in a whisper, “I might have also mentioned what the time was blocked out for and why.”

I laughed. “You told the vampire council that I was having lunch with my boyfriend?”

Vin laughed. “No. She said, and I quote, ‘he and his mate are breeding’.” Vin continued to laugh harder. “She didn’t mention your mate was a he, or that it was extracurricular, or everyday. Alec Moretti laughed. Aurora DeJesus rolled her eyes. The rest were stunned by the information.”

“Do they know where we have lunch?”

Jin shook her head. “They cannot read it from me, or force me to say because I do not know. Vin is the same. Ant knows but they wouldn’t dare breach his walls, or Alex’s.”

“They fear me that much?”

Vin shook his head. “The three of you are a terrifying act to follow.” He smiled. “And one I am proud to watch over.”

Jin continued as I pulled my shirt on and then moved to the closet to find something other than the gray hoodie that was laid out next to my clothes, I should at least look presentable if I was going to meet the King of the Dragons and the Vampire council. “Matt said Hunter slept well, but it’s your turn tonight. He wanted to remind you of the date you agreed he and Laker could go on.”

I nodded. “Did you make the reservations for them?”

“I did. 7 pm tonight. And the boys will be meeting with Adrian Sheridan to speak about what it means that they were born into the pack – a pack.” Jin shook her head. “I never did understand pack rules.”

My stomach rumbled. “Anything else?”

She shook her head. “I will bring Reginald Silverman into the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” I said and Vin and I were walking through the halls to our shared kitchen, while Jin shadow walked to where ever she kept the visitors until I was ready to receive them.