My Little Ventrue Pt. 07 Ch. 21

"You're going to get sick," he said.

"I'll be fine. Just... you kinda stirred up some bad memories. My fault, I know, bringing up your sister. But unlike you, I can use some nice alcohol to--"

"Now arriving, the Circle of the Crone, and elder Jacob. With him, Beatrice Damor, Jennifer Denver, Aaron Jones, and Othello Manu, champion's guards during the assault on the hunters."

The crowd looked to watch the witches enter the ball. Or, two witches, three warlocks? He still wasn't clear on that.

Jacob was wearing a gray suit, something with the modern flair Invictus fashion demanded, but at the same time, it had enough old school flair that it reminded Jack of something worn by maybe a Roman soldier? Or even older, like, Greek? The suit jacket had something like a toga flap to it, and a sash. It would have looked ridiculous, if not for how seamlessly it was blended together.

Did the elder have a tailor? The idea of the eyeless bastard with his own tailor made Jack laugh.

Othello and Aaron wore tuxedos, though Jennifer obviously had a hand in picking them, because they left a fair amount of the chest exposed, no tie or bow tie, with jacket unbuttoned and under shirt unbuttoned to the pants. Clothes you could only get away with if you had the body for it.

Jennifer and Beatrice wore similar dresses, both in black. They were long enough to go past the knee, but each skirt was barely anything more than strips of black fabric, circling and connecting like rope. The ropes connected in the back, and crisscrossed in the front along the sternum, with thin slices of fabric just enough to cup the inner edges of their breasts and hide their nipples, barely, before tying around the neck, with a black choker. The only difference between the two women were the patterns in the dresses, the way the rope-like construction left slits of flesh exposed. Beatrice went for gaps that looked a lot more visceral and fleshy, harsh, uneven diagonal slashes. The message was clear: sexy witch. Jennifer's dress, which must have been made from the same starting point, had her straps all arranged in even patterns that crisscrossed along her whole body. The message was very clear: two sexy witches, different but similar. Considering they had similar hair and height, it was definitely an image. Anyone with a twins fantasy would be looking their way a lot tonight.

Zigzag, crisscross, Jack noticed that pattern in a lot of women's dresses. He didn't know shit about fashion, but it did seem to be a recurring theme. The kine were dressed more formally, with tuxedos and classy suits, or beautiful -- if dark -- gowns. They looked good, and tasty. The Kindred on the other hand, were dressed to kill. Apparently, only Damien and Jack hadn't managed to put that together, but it was easy enough to undo a few buttons. Not so easy for a woman to put a dozen strategic gaps in her dress to show skin without actually going naked.

Then again, as Jack looked around, he noticed a few of the Kindred took his cue, and undid some buttons. Not their own buttons, they'd already been undone. They were undoing some of the buttons of the kine they'd brought with them, exposing the chests of their male kine they'd undoubtedly spent months grooming into fit, lean, strong sources of food.

Yeap. There was going to be a Kissing buffet tonight. Damn it.

"Oh. And arriving with the Circle, is... Sándor Pavel, Begotten," the announcer said.

That surprised Jack. It shouldn't have, considering how obvious it was Jen was manipulating Sándor into being her friend. But for her to bring the man, literally on her arm, was a pretty huge a statement to the other covenants. She had dibs. Of course, in the Danse Macabre, dibs meant shit all, and everyone was undoubtedly going to try and manipulate the man into their good graces. She was smart to get there first.

As the witches walked down the white stairs and onto the main floor, people gave them plenty of space. Much as everyone was giving Jack room out of fear of his rumored curse, they knew Jack, knew Julias, and knew the Prince. He'd become an anomaly for them, someone they used to be able to predict and trust, but not anymore, not quite. The witches, on the other hand, were entirely the latter. No one trusted them, especially Jacob. Now they had a Begotten with them, a nightmare monster, and one everyone knew was a deadly beast who'd been a slave to the hunters. To say that people gave them their space as they stepped onto the ballroom floor was an understatement.

But, much as they were giving them their room, they were all looking, and more than a few people were looking with hungry eyes. Yeah, the witches cleaned up good. And Sándor, now that Jack got to see him in a proper, fitted suit, was definitely a handsome man. A bit tall, with a lean, muscular figure, and enough width to his shoulders to give him an imposing mass; highlighted by the suit, of course. Jennifer knew what she was doing. A lot of the women in the crowd, who'd backed up to give the newcomers room, set their eyes on him, taking in the sight and presence of the monster, and how good he looked.

People probably knew by now that Damien occasionally fed on Fiona, and that it was a powerful experience. Sándor was a taunting fruit dangling from a forbidden tree, for the Kindred eying him hungrily. And, kine or Kindred, women wanted what they couldn't have, as if forbidden was tantalizing icing on a cake, and not a deadly decree.

Time to get to work. It kinda was his job to have everyone getting along. That job wasn't meant to focus on the covenants, but with Sándor in their group, it was a good idea he get involved anyway. He walked up to them, and Clara followed.

"Sándor," he said. "I'm glad you came."

"Are you?" he said coldly. It would have been offensive if he'd been looking at Jack, but he was looking around, doing his best to absorb the sight of almost two hundred Kindred and nearly a hundred kine all looking at him. He was distracted, and uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I am. There's a lot of people here who need to know Begotten aren't terrifying nightmare monsters... er, well, you know what I mean." As Jack talked, Othello and Aaron walked off. Aaron found a Mekhet Jack knew, and began a conversation. Maybe about a book, given what Jack knew of the man. Othello, on the other hand, walked over to Isabella, of all people, and started talking. The beauty was wearing a corset and a gown, surprisingly making her one of the more clothed vampires in the Black Hall, though the corset had pushed her breasts together and up to the point they looked like balloons ready to pop.

Isabella was a lesbian, as far as Jack knew. Othello really wasn't the smartest man. Except, maybe he was? He wasn't alone. He'd brought a woman with him, not a vampire, a ghoul maybe, a black woman with very short curly hair. And she was wrapped in a black sheet, a fancy sheet that someone probably lied about and sold as a dress. One tug and the dress would come right off her, probably as planned. Whoever the ghoul was, Isabella and Hella both looked at her with the same eyes Jack saw on a lot of the women looking at Sándor.

"Jack, my dear," Jennifer said, coming straight up to him. Her eyes slid away, fell on Clara, and looked her up and down a couple times. "Oh my, Clara. Dare I say, damn."

Jack rolled his eyes, but he did look to Clara to see how she responded to the compliment. The werewolf grinned, a small and sly thing. Probably trying to figure out if Jennifer was manipulating her, or being sincere. Jack could see the sincerity in his fellow Ventrue's eyes, but to Clara, it probably seemed a little too forward. But that was Jennifer being Jennifer, Ventrue being Ventrue.

"Thank you. I figured, after the last ball, I'd be better off dressing... uh, less?"

Jennifer nodded, smile growing bright. "Exactly! I had to convince Sándor here, and the tailor, that the party would require some skin."

The begotten frowned slightly. "The invitation--"

Jennifer cut him off with a small wave. "You're new to Dolareido, and don't know the subtext of things, or people's proclivities. You'll learn."

"You're looking great too," Clara said. "Tits not hanging out this time."

"Yes, well, I don't plan to get frisky with the kine tonight." And with that, she leaned in close to Triss, and nudged her cheek against her friend's for a moment. Cheek against crocodile teeth.

Jack expected Triss to pull away in friendly annoyance. She didn't. She didn't exactly reciprocate with her own cheek rub, but that was just Triss being Triss. There was a twinkle in her eye, a touch of happiness Jack hadn't expected to see. Angela's death had fucked with Triss, Jack knew that much. Half of him had expected her to suffer another session of depression, like she'd suffered after Julias died, but based on what Jack was seeing, Jen hadn't let her.

On the surface, Jen seemed like nothing more than a typical Ventrue manipulator, content to use her intelligence and beauty to control conversations and get her way. But, if that'd been all there was to her, Julias and Triss wouldn't have let her get so close. Even knowing that, he still hadn't expect her to be able to help Triss. Dumb of him to think like that.

He looked past the two girls for a moment, to Jacob. The man had walked past them with only a second's glance for Jack, complete with a knowing grin, before joining Garry. While everyone made sure to give the old bastard his room, the Carthians didn't seem as scared of him. Still scared, sure, but not as scared, since their boss was talking to the man regularly.

"How you doing, Triss?" Jack said.

"Better than expected, honestly. Was kinda tempted to stay home, but I thought Athalia might show up." Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down for a few seconds, before recovering. "And because I'm an idiot, I thought I should be here if she does."

"Right, Athalia." Jack shuddered and looked around some more. "Hard for me to sense Begotten when they're hiding. I couldn't sense Mark, and I bet I won't be able to sense Athalia either."

"You think? Mark seemed to specialize in being a sneaky fuck. Athalia, I don't know."

"Good point, but I'm still not going to let my guard down."

"Guard? Your mom invited her, Jack."

"My mom isn't the smartest woman," he said. Everyone looked at him like he'd just insulted a kitten, and he rolled his eyes. "What? I love my mom, but I'm not delusional."

"How's your sister?" Triss said.

"She's... It's complicated, I guess. She wants to leave, but something's happening that's making her stay. Or at least, not want to leave yet." He almost didn't say it. There was a good chance whatever Mary sensed had something to do with the unknown force sneaking around in Dolareido's shadow, and he didn't want everyone knowing about that. But after everything present company had gone through, he felt he could trust them, at least more than a week ago.

"Doesn't want to leave?" Triss raised a brow, before looking past Jack to Jacob. "I'll ask the boss about it. We haven't had a chance to talk to him at all since the incident, but I... I think we all know he's up to something."

They all chuckled, nervous, small chuckles. Except for Sándor, of course.

"So," Jack said to the gargoyle, "I guess I should probably show you who's who?"

"I'll educate him." With a grin and a small wink, Jen took Sándor's arm, hooked elbows, and started guiding the man through the crowd.

People didn't avoid them as much anymore, finally picking up on the atmosphere that the witches and Begotten weren't a threat. Well, they were, but not a threat at the moment. Everyone was here to relax, and as the music played and people mingled, the crowd stopped staring at Jack and his friends like they were going to snap and kill them all. That was Antoinette's intention, to get everyone to settle and be calm around each other, something Kindred didn't exactly do naturally without some coaxing.

"You really do look great," Triss said, smiling at Clara. "Thinking of partaking?"

"Partaking? Oh, right, the inevitable buffet. You know I'm not a vampire, right?"

Triss shrugged. "Doesn't mean you can't get involved. Hell, you're a werewolf. Put your neck out there and you could have vamps lined up to have a taste of you."

"I... I really should just say no to that, but Matt and Art, and Mason have gone on and on about how good the Kiss is."

"Any girls in your pack get Kissed yet? One of them you can ask?"

"No."

Triss grinned. "From the occasional girl kine Jen and I had in bed... from before, I can attest that the effect is pretty damn strong, sexually speaking. Maybe give it a shot?"

Rolling her eyes, Clara couldn't help but laugh. "I'm gonna go hang with the pack. Jack, think about what I said, ok?"

"I will. I am."

Her following sigh said a thousand words. She didn't believe him. Well, she was wrong.

She walked away, and Jack and Triss stared after her. No need to glance at Triss to see where she was looking, both were staring at her ass and how the black dress hugged it so tight, nothing was left to the imagination.

Once she was a ways away, in the crowd and mingling with her fellow werewolves, Triss leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Dude, you can't make room for her in your bed?"

"I'm pretty sure she wants more than just a fling with me and Antoinette, Triss. She wants a relationship."

"And you're still dead set on that being a no? I think you two have a lot more in common than you and the Prince."

"I love Antoinette. Like, a lot, you know? And Antoinette would never share me in a romantic sense."

"I guess I'm just suggesting it, because it... it's really helped me, you know? Julias died, and I thought everything was over. And that damn slut over there," she pointed at Jennifer, who was showing off Sándor to some Carthians, "has helped me more than I can ever repay her."

"I guess I just don't see it happening. Antoinette's very possessive of me, and I kinda like that."

"She shares you with her ghouls."

"Eh, it's not the same. She'll share me in a purely sexual context, you know? She's so ancient, sex and romance are two completely separate things for her. But, I know she'll never do that with a woman who's interested in me." Never, never ever ever, would he get used to the idea that two women were into him. For all his Ventrue hubris, that seemed to apply only to his willpower and strength. The idea that maybe his looks and personality intrigued multiple women? Madness.

"Sucks to be her, then."

"I hear she's been getting it on with Jessy's ghouls."

"Yeah, but like you said, she's looking for romance."

Sighing, he nodded. Guilt sucked, and the more he thought about Clara being romantically into him, and him having to say no, the more guilty he felt. It really was a shitty feeling. Infinitely less painful than how guilty he'd felt over Mary and Julias's death, but now that the hunters were dead, those aches were starting to fade. More subtle aches, like this strange feeling he had with Clara, were reappearing and growing.

"So, Jen and Sándor?" he said.

"Ha, well, he is really sexy. And he pulls off that whole dark and brooding thing super well."

"But?"

The Nosferatu sighed, set an elbow on his shoulder, and leaned against him a bit. "Jen sees some similarities between him and me, after what the hunters did to the both of us. She's planning to use him to help me get over Julias."

"She's too smart."

"Ch'yeah. Not so smart I can't tell what she's up to, though."

"Is her plan working? She making progress with you?"

"Eh, well... I mean, not sure about her plan, but yeah I guess she's making progress." Sighing, she lowered her elbow from his shoulder, and stepped in close enough to nudge half her body into his, a sort of armless hug. "It hasn't been very long since your sire died, you know? Not... not long enough, anyway. Jen's doing everything she can to help me move on, and she's convinced sex is the way to do that."

Jack laughed. Yeah, that fit what he knew of Jen.

"I'm gonna talk to Garry," he said. Jacob had just moved on from a conversation with the man, leaving him open. "I figure now's a good time. Less chance he'll start a fight."

"Need back up? He is my old boss."

"Nah, I'll be fine. Go have fun. Or, you know, keep Jen out of trouble?" Laughing, he looked toward the girl and the man she was dragging around on her arm. "She's going to get him into trouble."

"Yeap, she definitely will." Triss nodded, and walked after her twin.

Jack smiled after her. It felt great, seeing how much better she was doing. Yeah, Julias's death really wasn't that long ago, not even a couple months yet, but she was recovering. He was, too. Beating the hunters was like removing a ball and chain from around their ankles, like Mary said.

God, what was Mary talking about? Lines that tore? Things in the darkness? Much as he wanted his sister's ghost to pass on, before the situation killed his mom, or him, he was damn glad she hadn't. He needed more information from her. Maybe he could find a way to bring her with him, out of the house?

He walked over to Garry, and immediately, the nearby Carthians backed off, keeping their eyes on him but otherwise giving him his space. Annoying that everywhere he went, he became the center of attention, but it was kind of nice having that leverage. This was how Viktor must have felt when walking around in his parties and balls, the feel of power and thrill of authority. An addicting feeling.

"Jack," the Gangrel said.

He nodded to the man. "Garry." How to play this, how to play this. "Gonna stop shitting down Xnomina's throat any time soon?" Smooth.

Smooth enough to make Garry laugh. "It's not personal, Jack. Xnomina's been a pain in the Carthians' asses for decades."

"Yeah, I get that. Is it the money?" Garry liked cutting through bullshit, and Jack could do that. Garry also liked it when people came at him with a little aggression, and Jack could do that too. Not in the past, but now? Easy, with or without the curse.

"Money's a part of it. Just because I got Terra Den working for me doesn't mean I'm swimming in money."

"You could be, if you--"

"Ha, what, conspired to take over a bank? All the banks in Dolareido work for the Invictus, in some way or another."

"True. I guess we got a rubber band around your balls."

"You did. I'll punch a hole in your bullshit with Terra Den."

Jack nodded, and as a waiter walked by, Jack scooped a wine glass from the tray, filled with red. A sip confirmed it was blood, and Jack smiled down at the drink as he leaned his back against the white marble wall.

"I don't mind."

"Say what?" Garry said, eyebrow raised.

"This economic stuff? Fighting over territory and money? After everything that's happened, some scuffles in the streets, the occasional brawl, a broken arm here or there, and maybe some blackmail, sounds like a vacation."

Laughing, the Gangrel leaned back against the wall with him. "Your boss disagrees."

"Michael? Well, he's old, and smarter than me. He probably thinks all this shit between you and him will turn sour, and Kindred will start dying." Jack offered Garry a single, harsh glare, but only kept it up for a second before he took another sip of the blood. "I'd prefer it if Kindred didn't start dying, Garry."

"You and me both."

"Then why are you pushing so hard?"

"Because your boss has been pushing on us for long enough. Before you were even born, let alone embraced, that asshole's been in our grill, fucking shit up, ruining lives and causing problems."

"Thought you said it wasn't personal."

The Gangrel snorted, shrugged, and nodded in Michael's direction. On the other side of the ballroom stood Michael and Maria, now talking with Damien and Jessy. A business conversation, based on the expressions on their faces.