-Lucien-

I set my empty glass down onto the bar with a hiss, savoring the alcohol burning down my throat.

I welcomed it, cherished it infact, already feeling the sensation of my previous glasses taking their effect on my body.

Dulling my instincts enough to slightly smother the feeling of their offset I was experiencing every waking moment of my life.

"Another fill, sir?" Derryk asked from the other side, the bottle of overproof rum already in his hands.

He was a good chef for us. A good human who never asked questions and made phenomenal food.

"Please," I replied, pushing the glass towards him so he could do just that.

Alcohol was never a long fix of it by any means, not like others I've discovered, but it helped enough to where I frequented it.

Anything that subdued the heir instinct somewhere in me to not constantly bite at me I took as a win.

I can deal with the tipsy in exchange for that.

It helped that I didn't wake up today feeling awful. It was eerily close to yesterday's effects.

The constant exhaustion across my being, the clawing feeling in my chest was there, but it wasn't pressing into my lungs and making me fight for each breath.

I wasn't bedridden, I felt fine leaving the isolation my room provided.

I'll take what I can get while it's here.

It felt like I'd had too many good days in a row. I was bound to feel a hard drop here soon.

Maybe tomorrow when Erik's here to check over my pet. That'd at least give him something to work with in terms of me.

He was the only other person outside this family who knew of my deal. Mine and my only full sister's.

I turned to where she sat beside me on a bar stool, sipping on a fruity... girly cocktail of sorts I guess.

I think it had a similar effect on her, though her issue wasn't nearly as overbearing as mine. Even if it did substitute for that in other ways.

Her brows rose when she noticed my stare, turning my attention to me with a tilt of her head.

Ready for whatever I was about to say. Whatever concern or problem she thought was going to fall from my mouth.

Ready to try to tackle it with me however she could.

She was always willing, always for me.

She understood what I lived with more than anyone else, and she was so dead set on finding a fix for it. For us.

But, I had nothing to say, just through that strayed my eyes to her.

So she started the conversation with a question of her own.

"Have things been getting... bad for you recently?"

I quirked a brow, raising my glass back to my lips for a sip.

"Not necessarily," I answered, "Why do you ask? Has it for you?"

"Oh," She blinked in surprise, "No I just figured... With the new pet and all."

Ah, right.

She knew my issue didn't exponentially rise my need for fresh blood like hers did, but she was right.

I did tend to go for pets when I needed more accessibility to fresh blood. Even if it didn't fix the problem, it still helped like the rest.

"Nah that was just an..." I trailed off.

Would it be fair to call it an impulse purchase?

A fifteen thousand dollar impulse purchase...

That truly wasn't where I planned on ending up that night. I was just passing by to a Coito Club I frequentedfor some stress and instinct relief when the neon sign caught my eye instead.

That shop was only open so often and held an assortment that was interesting and curious to see. It filled the time and the nights when I knew sleep wasn't going to be too kind to me, and I didn't have the energy or drive for anything else.

Watching the vampires there go nuts for the littlest of blood tweaks and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars as if they truly made a difference to the quality.

I suppose after last night I became one of them.

After showing a human who produces too much blood? And with A negative no less?

I'd be an idiot not to jump on that. Anyone would, and everyone did.

If there was one single perk to this mess of a life I've been thrown into, it was access to royal money.

Royal money I can get back if she doesn't end up being all she was hyped up to be.

She said it was true, begrudgingly, and was telling the truth, but I'll wait for Erik's approval before I decide what to do with that information.

The excess blood wasn't worth it if she had an underlying illness being the cause of it. The last thing I needed was tainted goods.

But Layla didn't need to know all that. Not yet.

I shrugged, " It was just time for another one, I suppose. I gutted my closet to give them their own space. Might as well get one to use it."

"I'll still never understand why you did that for a pet of all things." She chimed.

I knew she typically kept hers in cages in the corner of her room, but that just never sat right with me.

Another swig of my drink, "I like my personal space and they tend to like theirs. It keeps them out of my way."

Keeps them busy, comfortable, and then by default, away from me.

I thrived in my privacy, and needed my isolation on days things were particularly bad and I didn't want anyone there to witness it.

Most of them don't even dare leave the bathroom unless instructed otherwise.

Most of them.

"How is she? I saw her for a bit this morning, but couldn't get a good read on her."

Layla was there too? Marcus had only mentioned Evie and Adi.

"She's gonna take a bit to adjust, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it." I said, embellishing my answer as to not show her the truth.

She's gonna be a pain in my ass here soon. I can feel it.

I knew what I was into purchasing a rogue. Especially one who was only two weeks into being one.

Rogues were always interesting to work with. What they lack in manners they make up for is self-sustainability.

I more often than not didn't have the energy to care for them in that way, so that kind of exchange felt worth it.

After the tour she went on today with those boys, I better not have her coming to ask me for anything she can't go and get herself.

She didn't seem like one to not want to do things herself. Thankfully independent already.

It was evident enough that she was a spitfire. One was very angry with the world and the changes it recently brought her.

Which was understandable, but I wondered how long it would last her. How long she'd keep it up before this reality broke her.

Her attempted escape was expected, and from what I've seen so far, I'm sure she's trying to fabricate a new one right this moment where I left her in her room.

Until then, though, it was at least entertaining to witness.

I flicked the tip of my tongue back against the stud ball there, running the back of it across my bottom teeth.

She did reak of fear, even if just a little bit when the boys returned her to me, surely having figured out the hard way the family she'd been brought into the middle of.

Especially if Evelyn was the one who got to her first.

I smiled at the thoughts, almost wishing I'd been there to witness it. Largely since I'd caught that same lingering scent on her all day.

"You've met her. Right, Derryk?" I piped up.

She was on her own in terms of food now, so it would be wise of her to know the man who was making it.

Marcus should have made sure of that much. He was a good and thorough kid with basically everything he does.

Derryk paused from his dish drying and adjusted his glasses before looking my way.

He thought for a moment, flicking the low ponytail of straight dark orange hair back over his shoulder.

"Sort of. The meeting was brief, but yes. She didn't look to be in much of a talking mood."

Really? I would have thought that was her most favorite thing in the world.

I accepted that with a nod, swirling the ice around my cup and turning back to my sister.

"And what about you," I began, "You haven't been around as much in the evenings as usual."

Her face blanched a few shades. The look of someone who'd been caught.

My eyes narrowed at the sight, waiting for her to elaborate before I had to ask her to.

"I've just been out... with the Vanderwoods." Her voice was meek, and her eyes pointed at anything other than me.

My pushing gaze dropped into a scowl

Not this again. Not this scheme of hers.

"You're still aiming for the princes?" I pressed. I would have thought that she'd come to her senses by now.

"Oh come on. What other choice do I have?!" She exclaimed, finally braving my gaze.

That's been her plan for a while now.

Fix her imbalance through the forced reset and enhancement of her genes by that of a royal wedding, and in turn, use the new power she's gained, the power of her then high royal blood to fix me as well.

In the ways, Lord B- father would never attempt for us.

It was the only cure we could think of. The only one that made sense.

And she was so damn committed to it, she has been ever since those Princes began residing in our territory.

She saw it as her one and only chance. Her chance to do something about our fucked up biology. Or moreso, mine.

That was her concern. Her own issues were just an afterthought. An added bonus that came with the success of her plan.

She'd seen me suffer all her life, and wanted so badly to do something regardless of the times I've told her that I don't approve of her methods.

I could admit the logistics of her plan, but there was no good way to go about it that felt worth it to me.

There were so many downsides, so many risks in her plan that I didn't want her braving just for this. Just for me.

I didn't want her stuck in a loveless marriage for a shot at normalcy that might not end up working. Stuck as a lady for the rest of her life when even our mother couldn't stick around to bare it.

She knows what happens when we try to leave the territory and yet she persists.

"Pick another one then! Not the Vanderwood heir!" I snipped, sounding like a broken record.

Too many times we've had this conversation, and it always ended with the same result.

That family had such a good reputation in this world, and they definitely weren't stupid... well, the heir wasn't.

That's who she was aiming for, but the second son got snared into this incidentally and was now in too deep to get out.

I found it merciless and cruel the way she continued to string him along. For a pet they'd been 'sharing' for a while now.

All in an act to inch closer to the heir.

"There are no other options here, Lucien!" She defended, "When are we ever gonna have an heir living in our territory again? When am I ever gonna get this chance again?"

"Layl-"

"I can bare the consequences of leaving the territory with the promise of a quick marriage, I can't bare with those effects for as long as it would take to find another heir in their own territory. This is all I can do, so I'm going do to whatever it takes to see it succeed!"

I drew in a long sigh, leaning forward and pinching the bridge of my nose, trying to will myself to not think about it any longer.

Heightened emotions, especially frustration, did strangely help my body reach something close to an equilibrium, but I wasn't going to target that toward her.

The mix of this and booze wasn't going to end well, and despite the foolishness I found in her actions, she was still my sister.

"Whatever," I grumbled, shooting back the rest of my drink and lifting myself from the chair, "I'm gonna head to bed."

I didn't have the energy in me to fight with this any longer.

I could feel a headache starting to present itself, and the tiredness digging harder into me thanks to the alcohol.

It was late enough, and I had things to do tomorrow. Calling it quits now was in everyone's best interest.

There was the slightest hint of regret in her features, angled brows mixed with the way she shrunk in on herself.

"I...," She began, but decided against it in favor of different words, "Goodnight."

I inclined my head before turning and walking out.

I clung hard to the various stages of exhaustion showing all over me, hoping that it might work in my favor tonight. That it would convince my instincts to stop fighting each other long enough to allow me at least a couple hours of sleep.

So I could hurry and brave the reset within me that came with each new day. The differing level of offset that came every time my instincts stirred to life or returned to 'normal' after something stirred a rise out of them.

I just hoped in vain that this streak of particularly good days continued.