Page 96 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“Oh, gods no,” Sienna cut in, retying the bow. “My first client. I was young, he was handsome and made me feel important. He told me he’d love me forever, and then once he’d had his fill, he got a new donor and forgot about me. I don’t know what I’d do if it wasn’t for Harris. No one else would take me. No human will ever want me. This is my life now.”

No words could express the devastating cocktail of emotions Verity felt. Some vampire had marked Sienna, marked her with no care or consideration for her health or future, and then thrown her away.

“Don’t look like that,” Sienna said. “Don’t pity me. Harris takes good care of me, I’ve got my own room at his house, way nicer than a human could afford. He buys me whatever I want, and… I help people. I know it might not look like it but…”

“No, I get it now,” Verity told her.

Every new thing she learned about Sienna reframed the image Verity held of her. Every time she told someone to calm down, to stop drawing attention. Every kick to stop them spilling secrets, every hug, every text, every cold drink offered to a thirsty donor who had been dancing all night.

Sienna wasn’t Queen-Bee because of Harris. She was Queen-Bee because she deserved it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Theo’s feral grin, the roaring pride and lust, as he wiped Verity’s lipstick from his knuckle was short-lived.

“We were starting to think you’d got lost,” Viv called as he entered the Green Room — the Blue Room’s bigger, greener counterpart with four curved couches in a circle — and settled in a space big enough to share with Verity. Viv smiled but Theo didn’t trust it. Even before Viv got promoted above him, he hadn’t liked her, thought her a smarmy kiss-ass.

“Just needed to talk to Verity,” he said.

“Trouble in paradise?” Abe asked, accepting a drink from Viv.

“Oh, please,” Gerald, Lord Palmer, said. “He was getting handsy. He stinks of her.”

Theo shrugged. There was no denying it. Even now he could smell her, on his hands, his clothes. The lingering scent of her lust followed him and…

Oh fuck. They’d agreed Verity would stay over again today, after the club. He’d made up the spare room for her, but if she started pushing him again, she might not need the extra bed. Or any bed at all.

Conversations resumed around the room, a couple of new donors finding laps to sit on and talking to their clients, voices low. The green tones of the room gave the vampires a sickly glow as they began feeding, both from necks which Verity would be sure to remind him of later.

The two girls who had been sitting with Verity wandered in, gravitating towards Abe. Verity was right, they were young. Too young. The image of one of them leaning over and whispered something in Abe’s ear didn’t sit right with him. Was this the age of the university students? The ones he would encourage to donate? It didn’t look right. Didn’t feel right.

He met Abe’s eye, the Blessed leaning back in his chair to watch Theo. Abe didn’t smile, not his usual cocky self. He just watched. Weighed. For a brief moment he wondered if Abe could read his thoughts, he was watching so intensely. Of course he couldn’t. It wasn’t as though Theo knew the Blessed well. Phoenar only knew when Abe had visited Havenshire last, and Theo hadn’t been to Salvation since the early days, three centuries at least. But he knew him well enough to know something was wrong.

The two girls took their places beside Abe, and Viv handed them both a glass. It wasn’t until the blonde one turned to Abe and he nodded, that they started drinking. They answered to him rather than Vivienne? They hadn’t been with him the last time they met. Had he picked these girls up during his visit? The thought made his jaw clench. What the fuck was Viv thinking allowing such a thing? This was exactly why Verity needed protection.

The door opened and Verity and Sienna waltzed in, Verity’s makeup fixed but a blush still staining her cheeks. She slid into the seat beside him. He swung his arm around her, cradling her warm body as she shuffled into him, one hand on his knee, the other reaching for a drink.

“Enjoying yourself, Verity?” Abe asked, smirk back on his face.

“Oh, very much.”

Gerald snickered around a mouthful of neck, but Verity ignored him, raising her glass to Abe before sipping.

“Really? Because I hear a certain vampire is holding out on you,” Abe said, turning his gaze to Theo.

Verity’s heart started to race, sensing the unspoken threat that Theo didn’t understand. Conversations stilled, heads turning.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Verity said.

“You want your neck biting, but he won’t do it,” Abe said with a wicked grin before taking a sip of his whiskey.

Theo’s whole body tensed, the arm around Verity pulling her in close. How the fuck did Abe know that?

Gerald barked a laugh, pulling away from his donor. “What?” he exclaimed. “Why not? Give her what she wants. Come here, Verity, I’ll sort you out.” He grinned at her, holding his hand out as if she would actually go to him.

“I’m quite happy here, thank you… Sir.” Verity kept her voice sweet, trying to sound calm but it was no use. Everyone knew she was panicking.

“I think…” Theo started, but Abe cut in.