Checkmate

𝐭 𝐡 𝐫 𝐞 𝐞

03 | Mackenzie

Mackenzie Rousseau hated the color dark emerald, yet Nox Toussaint continued to drape her curves in any fabric of that shade she could find.  Emerald hair clips? They were more often than not intertwined in her red curls.  Her fingernails? Emerald points that stretched out far longer than Mackenzie thought acceptable.

Tonight she was dressed in a satin emerald dress that dipped low in the front and had absolutely no back.  Mackenzie had even noticed her heels, which were a stunning gold.  She sparkled all over.

It was one of those sparkly events that needed a dazzling dress to match a dazzling face.

Mackenzie had been hoping to get through the night with no problems.

That didn't last long for three men that used to work for his father had dared to come to the party in straight tuxedoes and gelled back hair after they'd left his father high and dry on a mission.  Mackenzie had dealt with them smoothly and swiftly- just like he'd been taught.  Their remanents were tossed in trash bins and their organs had been sent to the local witch doctor to fix for people who needed them.  He pitied the woman who'd dealt with the hearts and lungs of those three bastards.

Mackenzie may be a cruel killer but he wasn't a heartless monster.

The rest of the evening had been uneventful.  Dinner had been served and it was delicious as always.  The food at the Chateau de Chastillions was always excellent.

Now everybody was standing up and plates were being taken away by the plethora of servants.  Music began and vampires and humans spun around the ballroom floor as laughter filled the empty pockets of silence in the air.

Mackenzie was trying to enjoy himself for it wasn't every night that they had events this large.  It was an unusual Thursday evening and his father had invited every important person in England there was.

He tried to enjoy himself- he really did- yet everywhere he turned Nox seemed to be.

Mackenzie seemed to always be seeing flashes of her silk floating around the room or her tinkling laugh.  Everywhere he turned there were gaps in the crowd that showed her dancing with some man, far too close for Mackenzie's liking.

How dare she be close to an innocent human man when she herself was a blood drinker.  A sin.  She didn't deserve the happiness a human man could bring, she only deserved the lifelong misery of a vampire.

The same misery that he himself was subject to.

Mackenzie thought it was time she'd avoided her responsibilities long enough.

He knew what would be coming for her though.  He'd aided his father in the plans and contracts night after night.  Soon she would realize how unfair it was for her to get to be free and happy while the rest of their elite four suffered in the realization that they would likely never die.

Mackenzie was tired of somebody else getting to be happy when he was so very much not.  And perhaps he didn't want to admit to himself that all he really wanted was a little bit of Nox's happiness for himself.  Maybe to be around or maybe just to love.

+++

"You look like shit man."

"Kas do you ever use decent language?" Zara complained, poking him in the chest.

Mackenzie watched them with a raised eyebrow.  It confused him how they could be so civil and even laugh together when all he wanted to do with Nox was rip his hair out and hers as well.

"This is bloody ridiculous."  Mackenzie snapped, trying to steer clear of the happy best friends for the night.  They may be vampires but somehow Zara and Kaspian found a way to enjoy themselves.  "Why is this event even happening."