Human, You Are Delicious

*LEON*I sat at the dining table and looked down at the failed works in front of me. The more I stared, the more I wondered what I was doing wrong as a chef and as a leader. I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned. "What are these?"I could tell Frank was anxious. There was a slight tremor in his stance, and his pupil size increased as he twisted the ends of his perfectly curated mustache.I could also hear his thoughts turning over instead of his head wondering what was going to happen next, and how he was going to afford to replace his son's worn out sports gear if he were docked as a result.I pinched my nose and sighed."Frank, instead of spending all of your time fixing your mustache, why don't you spend some time studying the dishes? This is your job. Take control, or I'll do it for you. Understood?""Understood, chef. I'll take care of it."Frank took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat. I pushed the food away from myself as his thoughts flooded into my mind's eye. "You're the dev

*VICKY*The woman pushed herself off the bookshelf, causing a few items to shake, and stared down at Leon with her hands on her hips."You didn't even properly research her! Her resume is clearly forged—what if she's a criminal!? For fucks sake, she could be a murderer! You're a Knightly, she could easily be someone using this to get close enough to kill you, or even worse…get to your fortune!"At this, Leon scoffed and rolled his eyes. He turned his gaze to her, his distaste clear on his face. Whoever she was to him, he didn't care one bit."Her background is clearly written here. She has all of the qualifications required, and judging by the apple tart I tasted earlier, the talent."My heart skipped a beat. He just admitted to liking my dessert. I'm already on the right track."Now, do you have anything else, Osip—"Osip. As in Osip Spenser. It made perfect sense now why she felt entitled enough to grab the resume from Leon's hands and stomp my way. She slammed the paper into my ches

*VICKY*Frank led me through the Kingsland Hotel and down a long series of hallways to a private kitchen. When he opened the door, it was like all of my fears and worries about working, especially for Leon, had disappeared. It was every chef's dream—stainless steel appliances, high-end fridges, and endless supplies to make any delicacy imaginable. I had no idea what I envisioned, but this was not it."This is—wow," I stated as I ran my finger along the matching steel island top.And then the smell hit me again. The Blood Perfume and it was the strongest it had been all day.After my first interview, I had come to realize that the concentration of Blood Perfume increased the closer I was to Leon or places where he spent a substantial amount of time. Considering the density of it here, this was one of those locations.To make sure there was no mistake, I turned and stuffed the nose plug back in when Frank wasn't looking. It would help—at least until I could take another tranquilizer."Do

*VICKY*As soon as I entered through the front door of my house, and it clicked closed behind me, I felt the weight of the previous altercation fall off my shoulders. I couldn't believe what I had heard Osip ask Leon, and I couldn't get it out of my brain. Did I want to fuck her fiancée? I mean, I couldn't deny the feelings his Blood Perfume brought to me…the way it completely enveloped my very being. And some part of me—even despite his stoic demeanor—felt that a piece of him recognized it too. Like our souls understood all of this before we did.But I couldn't give in. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't go through it all again. The betrayal, the heartbreak. It was all too much the first time around, and that wasn't even a Blood Bond. What would happen if this didn't work out? If it couldn't? I might as well be a Berserker. So, I needed to stop it; separate myself from him and Kingsland Hotel for good. I took off my shoes and sat down on the couch cross-legged, opening my lapt

*LEON*The next morning…After today's earlier encounter, I thought she might leave, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Truth be told, it kind of caught me off guard how fast it did occur. Less than 5 hours. I knew that she liked Kingsland Hotel and was bursting with excitement to have a full-time position doing what she loved. So when my phone dinged after dinner and I read her email…well, I was angry. Not at her, but at Osip. She had cost me another employee with her antics. If it wasn't for my reputation on the line, I would've left a long time ago. But my name as a Knightly meant nothing otherwise; not without this place. And without it, my mother's wish for me—for my financial mobility—would cease to exist. I sighed as I mulled over the email for a third time. What was I going to do? The busy season was creeping up, and I was now out another staff member. That, and if I was being honest with myself again, Vicky's cooking was by far the best I had tasted in a long t