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“Freya,” Ren said, raising an eyebrow and motioning at the bar. “Calliopestillpunishing you for fucking me?”

My gaze flew to the back of his head.

Freya sneered. Her braids were wrapped in a tight bun with a few framing her face. Her lips twitched. “I had a little too much to drink that night, Ren.” She tsked. “Don’t cause me any more trouble. You know how sensitive my baby girl is.” She leaned over the top of the bar toward a glaring Calliope to pinch her chin. She’d let Ren’s arm go at some point. “Now here.”She thumped a wine glass on the counter. Amazingly, it didn’t shatter.

“It’s fresh, but if you prefer straight from the vein there are feeding stations in the upstairs family room if you’re not craving the same old blood.” She directed that last bit at me, dismissively scanning my face. Her lips twitched into a faint smirk.

Feeding stations? Smooth your expression, I chanted to myself. A laugh a little too loud dragged my head toward where Asher was speaking to a lithe beautiful woman who was hanging onto Asher’s every word. As if sensing my attention, Asher turned and met my gaze, his lips twitched down the barest inch and he blocked my sight of the woman, giving me his back. So, this was what they meant when they said ‘trust me’. More detail would have been appreciated. A couple glided by, blocking Asher from my view completely. My lips thinned. No sign of Tobias or Jax in the crush of mingling bodies either.

A long coat brushed against my leg.

While my attention had been elsewhere, a male vampire had approached. He rivaled Ren’s height. The bottom of the tweed coat fluttered at his knees. He stood to my left while I hovered behind Ren who had yet to turn around. Freya slinked away and Ren finally turned.

“Ren Crimson, your absence was noted at the club last month.” The smile across his lips seemed smarmy. I wanted to cringe back from his proximity, but that wouldn’t be very ‘Pet’ of me. His hollowed cheeks gave him a gaunt look that didn’t take away from his attractiveness.

“Charles,” Ren said, smirking. “We’re all bound to get distracted by pussy once in a while.” The words rolled off his tongue with such ease. I rocked my weight from one foot to the other. My toes were starting to get numb.

“Indeed, we are,” he purred and my skin crawled. “Is this the said pussy?” I looked up at the attention and his smile widenedlike a creep. I valiantly tried not to cringe and stuffed down my urge to huddle behind Ren.

“Say hello,” Ren ordered, placing a palm at my spine, forcing me forward.

Instead of saying anything, I turned my head slightly to the side to offer my neck. I focused on the flared collar of his black buttoned dress shirt. He stepped close enough that I could smell the faint sweetness to his breath, but it was overwhelming, to the point that nausea twisted my gut.

Charles’s fingertips grazed my throat. I couldn’t stop the tremble of my hands. My pulse jumped. Dead eyes stared at me.

“I’ll be honored to sample your human.” His head lowered and I held my breath. It shouldn’t be too bad, just like when the guys bit me. It’d feel good. I licked my lips, relaxing my shoulders.

Ren slapped Charles’s touch away and yanked me back by the back of my neck. I grabbed onto his long leather jacket, so I didn’t topple to my ass.

“I said, ‘say hello,’ not offer yourself to him.” He showed me too much fang. I swallowed with effort and dropped my eyes, working to steady myself on my toes. His grip on my neck turned painful.

Charles stiffened; his hands still held out from where he’d been about to pull me toward his mouth.

“Well,” Charles raised both eyebrows. “I suppose . . . not?” He chortled. Ren’s arm banded around my waist, his large fingers settling on my waist none too gently. A puff of air escaped my lips. Ren was pissed.

“It is not like we have not exchanged blood-whores in the past.” Charles made another reach for me, but I curled tighter to Ren.

“Not this one.” Ren’s jawline bunched and he seemed increasingly irate despite the curl of his lips. I thought we weresupposed to be blending in? They nailed into me that I must behave as their blood-whore.

Whatever challenge he sensed, Charles visibly thrived on it. Glee filled his odd, almost black eyes.

“Are you denying me a taste of a human?” Charles tilted his head. In the snap of a rubber band, he no longer seemed to find humor in this. He seemed ready to strike at Ren—a cobra about to attack. We were supposed to be blending in.

“Stop.” I hung onto Ren. Fear rode me hard and my breathing elevated.

“Is a human . . . speaking?” Had I messed up? No shit, I messed up. I wanted to apologize, but I knew it would only make things worse, so I lowered my eyes.

“Seems like she is. Come now, don’t tell me your human doesn’t try to defend you?” Asher dragged his words out in a mocking manner. He glided up with a smirk, blocking my view with his wide back. “You know how possessive Ren is. Wait a few days and he’ll lose interest.” I gritted my molars so hard my jaw hurt.

Ren’s hand at my waist flexed. I peeked up at him. His eyes were narrowed, but his expression was stiff.

“You will not punish her insolence?”

Asher scoffed, “We enjoy humans with a bit of fight.”

“You may have your human do as you wish, but she will not disrespect the customs.”

“Charles, you crotchety twat, what has you blithering?” a rakishly handsome vampire with a golden skin tone queried. “Are you trying to feud with Crimson Coven?” He smirked. “Your Sire may not take too kindly to that.”