Well This Sucks - CoraLee June Page 0,23

blame him, though this was partly his fault. Our society thrived on titles and ranks. It brought order to a normally predatory dynamic.

“You do realize I’m now assigning you to watch over her for all eternity now, right?” I asked before reaching out to stroke the cheek of the fledgling in question. “I’m also granting you general status.”

Rocky blanched. He wasn’t expecting a promotion, but I couldn’t have a fledgling as careless as Drew pulling rank on my right-hand man. “General, your majesty?” he asked, blinking twice.

“General,” I replied, deadpan. “Don’t get too excited. It’s a fancy term for babysitter.”

It was one of the highest honors you could receive as a guard. I bet Rocky would happily watch Drew take a shit every day for the rest of her life simply because the perks of a general outweighed the tediousness of his new job.

“I’m grateful for your kindness, King Diego, but if I may…”

“Spit it out.” I continued to stroke Drew’s cheek.

“She’s a member of court, but most fledglings don’t require a full-time security detail. And they don’t live very long if they continue to sneak out. Why her?”

She mumbled in her sleep, something about paranormal peens, and I made a mental note to look it up. I didn’t know how to answer his question. How could I explain my strange obsession with this new fledgling?

I knew the easy answer was that I felt responsible for her. I put my neck on the line to keep her alive. Everything she did was a direct reflection of my judgment. There were members of the council waiting for me to fail…

But why even risk it with her? New fledglings were a drain on our society. They required therapy, education, allowances. We had to completely reconstruct their psyche and invest in their successful transformation. Countless hours had to be logged for their training and the compulsion of their friends and family. Not to mention, they drank more blood in their first year than most vampires drank in half a decade. A new fledgling cost our kingdom one million dollars in their first year. It’s part of the reason why there was such prejudice against vampires who were created, not natural born. I ruled as a fiscally conservative king. I didn’t accept new fledglings unless they could pay—with interest—the first year of their change.

So why did I fight for Drew?

“You will receive all the perks of your promotion, Rocky. But let’s keep this new job title of yours a secret until Drew has leveled out a little bit.”

His eyes widened. He knew this was unconventional. “Yes, sir.”

“Your discretion, as always, will be rewarded.”

Drew moaned. I found myself easing her into my lap and holding her close. She was so warm, despite her newly undead status. It was like she kept sunshine in her veins. Her skin was so fucking creamy. My fangs ached at the thought of tasting her. I couldn’t help but feel like I was thinking with my dick.

These were foreign feelings for me. Normally I was completely in control. Of myself, my cock, and the situations I found myself in. But ever since I first saw Drew at Bites, it’s felt like I’ve been spiraling. I couldn’t get a handle on whatever was driving me to her. I was going to have to figure out a way to restrain myself and make Drew take this seriously. I couldn’t keep allowing her to jeopardize our coven and our very existence.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, it was clear that I couldn’t handle her on my own. Taking her to the penthouse above Bites Bar wasn’t going to be an option. Too many humans and blood and temptations. On the other hand, taking her to the compound meant that the entire coven would know I changed her instead of killing her. They might think I was getting soft. It wasn’t ideal, but it really was my only option. It’s not like I could hide her forever.

“Sir, where to?” the driver asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror. He would usually have waited until I gave him further instructions, but we had been sitting outside of Drew’s office building long enough that the meter was about to expire.

“The compound, please,” I replied. The driver pulled into the flow of traffic and started the drive to our haven just outside the city limits.

Going through the initiation process at the compound would force Drew to learn about the coven, who we are