The Red Wing Mansion

The Pearl Wing Mansion : Chapter Twenty

Alix's POV

Pearly waits by the front door as I walk out of the bedroom wearing a cute black dress, latex, actually. It's super short and super sexy.

Claudius had returned before nightfall to get ready for the meeting and he was taking out some wine bottles from storage. He is mixing blood from freshly delivered blood bags with some of the red wine for his vampire friends.

"Enjoy the movie, girls," Claudius doesn't look up right away, he can only see me waltzing across to the front door at the corner of his eye, reaching Pearly as I quickly nod at her to get going.

"See you later," Pearly holds her bag under her arm as she opens the door.

Fontaine looks up at the last second. He finally sees the tiny black latex dress I'm wearing without permission from his collection of BDSM outfits out back. I wave and wink as he starts spilling red wine onto the counter, past the rim of the wine glass he was meant to be filling.

My incubus Dom husband opens his mouth to reprimand me but then he notices the mess he's making and curses loudly, "Christ!"

"Go, go," I whisper and run after Pearly as I step out and slam the door behind us. We walk to the black sedan where Isela is dropping off Dagger. She will be coming with us to the movie. I feel bad that she doesn't know our plan right now, she looks so excited to go, sitting in the driver's seat grinning at us.

Dagger shuts the passenger door, wearing a ruddy brown suit from earlier. He is so handsome and tall, catching Pearly's eye and taking a few slow steps toward her as he rounds the back of the car. He is still in Old World mode, moving in slow motion as he leans down to kiss her cheek, touching the back of his hand to her hand, their knuckles brushing, "Pet. Don't worry about me, enjoy your movie," Dagger kisses Pearly's other cheek after hesitating on the unfamiliar word.

Pearly whispers something under her breath to him but I don't pick up on it. Then he moves past me. Dagger blinks twice at what I'm wearing but is too polite to comment on the look; it's more skin than cover.

I get a shock though when he also leans in and gives me a polite kiss on the cheek too, "Keep my Pearly safe, Alexandra," his sad eyes hold mine with such sincerity that my heart skips a beat. Or maybe it's my life essence slipping against his lips for that half-second he made skin contact.

"Of course, Dagger," I agree and move past him.

Dagger walks into the house.

He'll be alone with Claudius for a while; hopefully they don't kill one another.

Pearly sits in the backseat, leaving the front for me and Isela.

I jump in and Pearly and I share a look as Isela starts to back us out to the road, away from Cabin 72.

"I am thrilled for this movie, to spend time with you both outside the –" Isela begins, but is cut off by her baby sister.

"No. You'll have to park at the back of the property, Isela," Pearly speaks firmly.

Isela holds the wheel tighter, "What? We're disobeying Claudius, aren't we?"

"Yes. I can explain," I tell Isela, "Drive the same speed, now to the back, so you don't look suspicious."

"Will you tell on us, sister?" Pearly asks, nervous, leaning closer to Isela's shoulder.

"No," Isela shakes her head, "I'll help however you need."

And so our plan begins.

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Claudius' POV