With my mate ill and stressed about, I didn’t have the time or energy to deal with Margaret’s interference. I braced myself for her to get irritable with me, but instead she gave me a long, hard look, then disappeared back into the shadows.
To save time, I told a bat servant to fetch Theo while I picked up Caleb myself. But when I arrived at the door, he wasn’t alone. Adriel was the one to greet me.
“Yes?” he said.
“I assume Caleb is here.”
“He is,” Adriel replied. “What business do you have?”
I grew slightly irritated at his tone, which I also wasn’t in the mood for. “Benji is sick. He wants his brother.”
Instantly Adriel’s fussy demeanor melted away into concern. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine,” I told him. “But he wants Caleb for support.”
Adriel nodded in understanding as Caleb ran up to the door behind him.
“What’s going on?” Caleb asked.
As we headed back towards the main mansion and dining hall, I explained the situation to him. “Benji requires blood for the baby.”
Caleb paled, his eyes flicking to the ground. “Oh. I see.”
“It can’t be helped,” I said. “It’s necessary for the baby’s growth and survival.”
“I know,” Caleb said softly. “I don’t judge him or anything. But it must be hard.”
My chest clenched. I knew Benji had been dreading this moment for months now, and it was finally upon him. I picked up the pace. He needed all our help if this was to happen as smoothly and quickly as possible.
When we finally reached the dining hall, a shiver crawled up my spine.
Beside Benji sat Margaret.
“What are you doing here, mother?” I snapped. My voice came out angrier than I intended, but it was fuelled by fear. Ever since she struck Adriel, then tried to attack Caleb, I couldn’t help but feel wary about her presence at any moment.
“Oh, Pierce,” Benji said. He offered me a smile but it was weak from lack of strength. “It’s okay. She and I were just talking.”
Was Margaret even capable ofjusttalking at this point? I didn’t like the sound of that, but didn’t reply. To make a point, I placed my chair in between Margaret and Benji.
“We’re all here,” I said gently to Benji. “Now, Theo is fetching the blood wine. Please take your time. There’s no rush.”
Benji tried to smile again. “I know.”
Caleb took a seat on Benji’s other side, away from Margaret. Thankfully, none of her attention was on him - she seemed too focused on Benji to notice anything else. Adriel didn’t sit down. I suspect he was on the lookout and wanted to be prepared in case Margaret lost it again. I appreciated his help in holding us all together.
Theo arrived a moment later. His usual upbeat energy was toned down for the occasion. He placed the glass of deep red liquid in front of Benji and bowed out of the way.
“Try to think about a different taste, one you actually enjoy,” Theo added. “That helped me a lot when I had to drink the first time.”
“Margaret told me that too,” Benji commented.
Did she now?I thought, casting a glance her way. She paid me no mind, since she was laser-focused on Benji. I didn’t know if that made me feel relieved or even more concerned. But Benji didn’t look discomforted by her presence, so I left it alone.
“Okay,” Benji said with a shaky sigh. “Here we go…”
He fingered the glass stem, hesitantly curling his hand around it like he was afraid of getting burned. The liquid sloshed as he picked up the glass and raised it to his lips. He cringed slightly at the scent. I’d grown so used to the odor that it was second nature for me to associate it with feeding, but for Benji, this must have been an awful, alien experience.
“You can do it, Benj,” Caleb encouraged. “Just think about your baby. That’s who you’re doing this for, right?”
