Undying Hunger

Ch. 1: Why are you here?

Everything sat exactly where Dante wanted it. The coat rack by his office door never moved, so it always caught his jacket or blazer whenever he tossed it. Using muscle memory, Dante didn't need to look up from his phone to make it behind his large mahogany desk. Scanning his assistant's, Gia's text, she reminded him of the mandatory attire for tomorrow night's dinner. Another black-tie event, but this one came with higher stakes.

Dante filed that detail as important inside the big computer that ran his brain. As Dante pulled his chair back, he sorted his list of daily tasks by priority and mentally checked everything off, but he also double-checked coven notes on his phone about members requesting maintenance and explanations about late payments.

A knock on his door kept Dante from sitting. Looking up, Dante cocked his head at Bianca. Fifty years behind him in age, but Dante's oldest friend. Bianca Ventura, despite being in the middle of her pregnancy, styled herself in a yellow flowy dress with thin little flowers that hung off her shoulders. Bianca Ventura pulled back her dark hair, half up in a bow, while her curls flowed down her shoulders. She matched her pearl earrings with a necklace and ivory white heels. She'll most likely wear heels on her way to the hospital to deliver.

"Bianca? What are you doing up?" Dante asked, glancing at the sun setting outside his window. "Everyone else has retired for the night." He knew this from the lack of chatter in Mathew's room because Jace returned to his own home. Ben was on another deadline for his book series, so Nino was being good at giving him space. His head of staff hadn't caught anyone trying to sneak out, and neither did the security cameras.

Smiling softly, Bianca rested her head against the door frame. "Just wanted to speak with you before I went home."

"Went home? Just stay here for the night. It's too late." He motioned her to sit.

Bianca didn't. "It's not too late, and I'd like to go home. All my things are at home, including my husband."

"Sounds like marriage counseling's going well."

"Yes, but I think Evie has bribed the therapist to tell her our secrets," she said, referring to her eldest child, Evie who was growing more and more troublesome the older she got. "She looks at me like she knows things."

"Mother like daughter. Well, for your next one, try to convince Gabriel to let us take care of you. We are constant companions and babysitters."

"My next one?" Bianca blanched, picking herself up from the door. "Can I at least try to get through this one first? How many do you think I'm going to have?"

With a shrug, Dante filled her in on the obvious. "You're going to have five. Because we're five." Dante placed his hand on his slow-moving heart as his sentimental younger sister smiled. "You're the only one who enjoys having four siblings. Anthony will have one because he resents being a middle child. Nino will have two and that will be enough. And I'm not talking about Mathew."

Dante sighed, putting a stop to any conceivable idea that the baby Mathew could be a father. It didn't sound possible. When Dante looked at Mathew, all he saw was the little boy clinging to his pants legs. No way that little kid was seriously dating right now.

Nope.

Now Dante felt a headache coming on.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Are we not talking about Mathew or not talking about Jace?"

Admitting defeat, Dante raised his hands. "You caught me."

Dante went to sit again, but Bianca said, raising her voice out of frustration. "You've gotten me sidetracked! This is not what we're talking about. Obviously, you forgot what day it is."