Blood Bound

Chapter 31: Idle chats and planning

I nod back and make my way up to the guestroom, though my legs protest in earnest when I walk up the stairs. I don't bother with taking off my clothes whilst inside; Too much of a hazzle when your arm is in a sling. I let myself fall onto the bed and feel the gradual warmth envelop me, like a warm bubblebath.

****

I stir from my sleep when I feel something brush against my forehead. I'm too tired to open my eyes so I ignore it. It's probably a strand of my hair or something. But I feel it again, this time brushing against my cheek. Something cold. I open one eye tentatively and see a hand hover above my face. I turn to the side and a startled Sophie swiftly pulls her hand back.

"Oh, you're awake," she says non-chalantly but I can see a faint flush on her cheeks. I was apparently not meant to see that.

"Now I am," I grumble sleepily, pushing my glasses up so that I can rub my eyes. "Why are you awake?"

"It's almost 6 PM," Sophie says. "I woke up half an hour ago."

"And you were just here the entire time?" I ask yawning as I sit up.

"Not the entire time!" Sophie hastily blurts out, the flush in her cheeks becoming more opaque. "I just got here to see how you were holding up."

A small trickle of warmth spreads through me as I can almost sense the concern that eminates from her. It feels nice, in a weird sort of way, that a vampire is worried about my wellbeing.

"I'm fine," I assure her, getting up and stretching my sore legs. Sophie cocks an eyebrow, still unconvinced. "I really am," I reassure her with a smile. "Kenji did a great job with the stitches and his chef made a whole pot of beef stew for me."

"His chef?" Sophie's eyebrows rise even further up her forehead.

I nod. "Yeah, his name is André. You haven't seen him?"

Before Sophie can shake her head, Kenji steps in.

"He went to get a few things extra for dinner," he explains. "Apparently the leftovers are not enough for all of us."

I blush, blaming my eagerness that took over me this morning. I mumble apologies but he just waves them off.

"So, that chef of yours," Sophie inquires, folding her arms over her chest and casting suspicious glares at Kenji. "Is he human?"

Kenji meets her accusatory glare with a defiant expression of his own. "Yeah, he is. Got any problem with that?"

"And definitely not a Sangue, right?"

"No, just a regular human like your friend Leia here," he replies and his calm tone drops to a slightly dangerous one.

Sophie snorts loudly. "You sure he's not one of your boy toys?" she sneers.

Kenji stares silently at her for a moment but the anger within him is almost palpable; his muscles all tense up under his shirt and he stands more rigid.

"No, he's not," he says calmly but his eyes are flashing.

I look back and forth between the two vampires, the tense atmosphere similar like last night. I'm worried that either one will start strangling the other. Instead of continuing with the third degree questions, Sophie gives him a somber look, like she's pitying him. She sighs. "Just, I don't know, don't do anything stupid," she says weakly.

It's Kenji's turn to snort sarcastically. "You're one to talk," he scoffs which earns him Sophie's flipped finger.

"In case you haven't noticed, Kenji's gay," Sophie tells me flatly, walks out of the room but not before giving Kenji a punch in the arm.