28 | white gowns and family affairs
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN STOOD IN THE STREET, HER FIST STILL CLENCHED AROUND THE SKETCHING PENCIL. HER EYES LOOKED OVER THE CROWD, ignoring the stares that looked back at her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She knew why they were staring. She was a porcelain beacon in the daytime, with the sun reflecting off of her ice white skin and silver hair. The white gown she wore didn't help dull the shine.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Many women there were dressed the same way she was. She didn't know why she was such an eyecatcher. Sighing in frustration, she brushed her hair away from her face and looked once more over the crowd.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Davina wasn't here. That much was obvious. Or if she was, she was very good at hiding.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her spell had led her all over the city. The magic seemed to spark in different parts of New Orleans, but it felt like she was everywhere. Her type of magic was tricky anyway, with her source being the ancestors. They may have been trying to hide her from Wren.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Giving up, she tucked the pencil away in her clutch and began to walk down the street. Her white ballet flats clicked against the warm concrete.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. Wren's arm began to glow in defense as she went to wrench away from the assailant.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Easy, cousin." Visily's golden eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. "You're a hard bird to find these days."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Chalk one up to vampire bodyguards," Wren's tense posture didn't relax any as she turned toward Visily. "What do you want? Here to deliver another warning?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I wanted to say that you've got some major balls, claiming Regency like that." Visily grabbed a glass of red liquid from a nearby vendor, leaving a couple dollars on the table. "Valeriya is pissed."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren scoffed, smiling a little to herself. "Good."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"She's gonna challenge you for leadership, Wren. You need to be ready for it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren wrung her hands together. "When?" she asked, clearing her throat.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Three days, on the full moon. The way the Gemini Coven used to do it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I thought the point of our ancestors leaving the Gemini Coven was so we didn't have to follow their traditions anymore." Wren rolled her eyes. "The coven will be on edge."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"They already are. Most of them think that Valeriya is going back to the old ways. Anybody who's not old and wrinkled is on your side." Visily grabbed Wren's hand. "I'm on your side. Valentine too."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Valentine?" Wren held back a scoff. Not even a month ago, he was aiding Valeriya in her little torture session. "And Alexei? Haven?" Wren searched her cousin's eyes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Alexei is, of course." Visily hesitated, glancing away. "Haven hasn't been home for a while, Wren. She ran off with some coven a little while ago. I suspect it was because of Valeriya."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What?" Wren snapped. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"We couldn't exactly do that. The security around you is a little difficult to penetrate."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren ran a hand over her face. "You've had no contact with her? At all?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I haven't." Visily shrugged. "I'm sure Alexei has. Those two got real tight after Valeriya sent you off."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's face tightened. She would have to set up search parties and find her sister before she got into magic that she couldn't get away from. Sighing, she asked, "Is that all?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Visily put a hand on Wren's shoulder, squeezing it. "For now, it is. Can I give you some advice?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren nodded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Stay close to Klaus. Your mother is many things, but she isn't stupid. She knows she couldn't beat him in a fight. Let him do what he was meant to."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren pressed her lips together but nodded again. She needed to see him anyways. Pulling out her phone from her bra, she shot him a quick text.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀To: Nik ♡
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Where are you?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Moments later she received one back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀From: Nik ♡
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀At the compound. Come home. We'll resume the search at sundown.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Smiling a bit to herself, she tucked her phone away and threw her arms around Visily's thin shoulders. The girl felt skinnier than she did. Frail, like a bird with hollow bones. "Call me if you need anything," she told her fiercely. "I love you, Vis."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Not waiting for a reply, Wren broke away from the hug and began to walk across the street. The festivities and partying around her didn't fit her current dilemma, but she wasn't complaining about the distraction.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Pretty soon the gates to the Abbotoir were welcoming her home. They opened with a squeal, alerting everyone of her presence.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A couple of vampires looked toward her from where they were playing cards, only to look away with a roll of their eyes. Wren arched an eyebrow curiously, but ignored it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She needed Klaus right now, and that's exactly who she was going to get.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her light footsteps echoed around the stone courtyard as she headed towards the stairs. She knew he could hear her coming.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes eagerly watching the open door. His hands picked at each other, but his figure was otherwise steady.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He finally saw her. Dressed in white, she rounded the corner and smiled at him. He loved that smile. Her eyes would crinkle at the corners and her eyebrows did a little dance when she was truly happy about something. "Find anything, love?" he finally forced out, licking his dry lips as she came toward him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren shook her head with a sigh. She observed his face as his eyes traced her figure again. He was looking at her dress, she realized. "You like it?" She did a little spin to show him the way it flowed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You look magnificent as always, darling." Klaus lay a hand in the dip of her waist as she came to a stop in front of him. Oh, the things he would do if she would let him rip-
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Reaching up, Wren pulled the zipper down from the back of the dress and let it loosen on her front. Goosebumps danced over her skin as she saw the tinge of gold dancing in her mate's eyes. "What?" she grinned as she pulled the lace sleeves off and began to push it down her chest to let it pool on the floor.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You are an evil little thing."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren smirked as she fingered the edge of her white lace bra. "I'm an angel," she murmured as she pushed him back by his shoulders to climb over him. Sitting up on her knees, she released her hair from its braid and let her white locks blanket them from the world.
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stirred with a moan as she felt her source of heat trying to escape her. "No," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck as he tried to gently remove her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Love, it's sundown." Klaus sat up easily, taking her with him. "The nightwalkers are waiting for instruction."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Just a few minutes longer." Wren tucked her face into his neck, kissing at his skin before nipping at the spot.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The growl she got in return made her tingle all over. "If you keep doing that I won't be able to control myself."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren moaned at the thought, clenching her legs around his hips. "Who needs control?" she whispered, sucking at his neck gently.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus squeezed his eyes shut as his length pressed against the inside of her thigh. "We will continue this tonight." His vow was left in the open air as Wren sighed in defeat.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Fine," she said in disappointment, pulling her face away. The ache in her chest matched the ache between her legs as she climbed off of him and headed for the dresser. She grabbed one of his shirts and threw it over her head, leaving his room as he called for her to come back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She knew it was childish, but she wanted to be more important to him than a grab for power. She wanted to be his focal point, like he was hers.