Page 22

Kai

Hot Stuff

Have you heard of Hearts Gate?

The message surprises me. Because where in the name of the Gods did Finn hear about Hearts Gate?

It’s been days since I’ve seen him, and honestly, it’s making me more antsy than I like.

Seizing on the excuse to give up on the stretches I’m doing with Nikki, I roll onto my back, holding my phone above me.

Nikki, being the dick that he is, slaps my phone out of my hand, sending it smashing into my nose.

“Ow! What the fuck?!” My eyes water immediately, tinging my vision pink. I sit up to rub the throbbing pain out of my nose.

“Stop looking at your phone. We’re stretching.” Nikki grunts, bending his body in half and looking at me through his legs.

“Not anymore, we’re not.” I get up from the floor and move to the couch instead, a safe distance from my friend and his random violent tendencies.

Nikki shakes his head, moving into a new pose. “Let me guess, Finn messaged. ”

There is a definite tone to my friend's words. I don’t like it. “What’s your problem with Finn?”

“I don’t have a problem with Finn. I have a problem with this . He’s tying you up in all kinds of knots. I can’t tell if he’s being willfully ignorant or if he’s just enjoying the attention. But I don’t like seeing you like this.”

I can’t do anything but blink at Nikolo.

Where has this come from? I mean, obviously he has the wrong end of the stick.

For a second I think maybe he’s jealous, not because he wants me like that, but because I’ve been kind of preoccupied with Finn lately.

While Nikolo has had partners before, it’s not been my thing.

Maybe he’s not used to me having someone else in my life?

But that doesn’t feel like Nikki. He’s not that kind of guy.

And this is not the first time he’s made a comment like that, about Finn enjoying the attention.

I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.

I mean, Finn wouldn’t string me along like that, would he?

He doesn’t seem like the type. Not that I have heaps of experience of being interested enough to be strung along in the first place.

With no real way to defend myself, I resort to childishness instead. “You have no idea what you're talking about. You don’t know him.”

Nikki twists himself into a pose that allows him to roll his eyes so I can see. He’s lucky he doesn’t strain his eyeballs with how hard he rolls them.

“Yeah, I said that. Look, you’re my friend. I’m just looking out for you.”

I’m almost too scared to ask. “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know. There is just a vibe.” See-sawing his head, Nikki sinks deeper into the pose.

“Okay, you guys apparently go at it like horny teenagers whenever you are behind closed doors at the club, but otherwise? He just shrinks back. He couldn’t even say goodbye properly to you at work the other day.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I see you tripping all over yourself to chase him.

I guess I’m not getting the same energy from him. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Well, now I really feel like a dick. Because as much as I don’t like it, there is a teeny, tiny little voice deep in my head that has been saying something dangerously similar to Nikki’s warning.

It’s been quiet, but it’s been there. I’ve been putting it down to insecurities I didn’t know I even had—this whole thing seems to have awakened them in me.

Rubbing at my sternum, I push down the uncomfortable feeling. I just have to have faith, I remind myself. I know how things are with Finn, and how I feel when I’m with him.

“Well, thanks. I guess. And I’m sorry. But there is nothing to worry about with Finn. He’s a great guy, seriously.” Nikki nods in acknowledgement of my grumbling apology. “He’s, uh, asking about Hearts Gate, though. Maybe we could all go together?”

Nikki hums, his interest obviously piqued. “I could probably be persuaded for a visit.”

I smirk at his back, the muscles rippling with his fluid movements. No shit, he could be persuaded to go. “Sick. Maybe he can invite his friends or something. They seem keen on the whole vamp thing.”

Nikki hums, not really caring either way about the additions to the group. Either way, I have his agreement, so I jump into the messages and start replying.

“Actually, that reminds me. One of his friends apparently knows you from when you were kids or something?”

That stops Nikki in his tracks. He stands to face me, one hip popped, arms crossed over his chest. “What do you mean?”

Looking up, I see the look on his face. It’s not exactly worried, but it is concerned. “Uh, yeah. I mean, he came in with Finn a little bit ago. I meant to tell you, but he didn’t seem like a freak and I spaced. He’s a mage. I forget his name. It’s like Will something.”

Nikki’s brows knit together with his frown, and if he weren’t a vamp, I’d swear his skin would have lost all its colour.

“Willan?”

“Yeah. Is that a problem? I can not invite them or whatever if it is?”

Trying to read Nikki’s expression is impossible. He completely shutters away whatever is going on, blanking his features entirely. He shakes his head, faking casual coolness while he resumes the last of his stretches.

“Not a problem at all. Should be a good night. Just let me know when.”

Not entirely convinced, I finish my reply to Finn.

Yeah, I’ve been. Why?

I just saw a post about it on Crumbles. I thought it might be fun to go?

We not enough for you at Bloody Temptations anymore? You lookin to get wild?

What? No! No. I just…

Never mind.

Forget I said anything.

What are you up to tonight?

I take a moment to rearrange myself for full effect and snap a quick selfie.

It takes a couple to get the angles just right.

I’m not at all ashamed to say I look good.

I stripped my shirt off when we started working out.

Would I have preferred to change into something other than my loose basketball shorts?

Sure. But I also don’t want to come across as desperate. Or catch any more shit from Nikki.

Just been doing some stretches with Nikolo. We’ve got work later.

I send the photo with the message.

But back to Hearts Gate. It’s a pretty intense kind of place. You really wanna go? Nikki and I were planning a night out there soon.

It’s one of the few places where it’s okay to feed in public nowadays.

Since bottled blood became a thing a hundred-ish years ago, things for vamps really changed.

Unless a vamp has a private arrangement with a donor, we nearly all consume bottled blood on the regular.

Many baby vamps haven’t even used their teeth.

In theory, it has helped us be more accepted into general society or whatever, but really, the bottled blood industry was super sketchy up until about thirty years ago, which didn’t really help.

Even now, black market stuff is a problem, where unwilling or coerced beings are bled in really horrible conditions.

So it’s just been a whole other reason for the rest of the being community and humans to turn against us.

Places like Hearts Gate probably don’t help either.

It’s everything that those that hate us are scared of.

Every election cycle there are all these ridiculous opinion pieces about the wild, debaucherous parties that happen in vamp bars.

Bloody Temptations gets dragged into it sometimes too.

That’s when Maddy drags out her old twinsets and pearls and goes campaigning.

Personally, I’ve always thought the idiots who wrote those opinion pieces have secret vampire fetishes. Why else would they come up with all these fantasies about vampire orgies where we go around biting and fucking each other and every being in existence?

I mean, yeah, biting is as much a part of sex as it is for feeding, and there is a lot of it going on at a place like Hearts Gate. It’s not like that at Bloody Temptations, though. Biting, at least gratuitously, will usually get you kicked out for public indecency.

Seriously though, it’s kind of insulting that they write the shit they do, but somehow we’re the freaks.

Because of all that, and you know, ethics, the most important rule of Hearts Gate is that everyone is there willingly.

The owner is only a new vamp to the area in the past couple of years, but the vampire who used to own the place ruled it with a terrifying iron fist and didn’t tolerate compulsion or feeding by force.

Anyone found breaching the rules was dealt with, usually violently.

When the new vamp took over, everyone was worried the standards would slide and it would become unsafe. So far, the fears have been unfounded. Just another example of the “all vampires are unrestrained monsters” bias really.

Nikki wraps up his workout and disappears into the bathroom, leaving me nervously chewing my thumb nail while I wait for a reply.

Yeah. Kinda? Is that… bad?

Of course not. And look, Hearts Gate can be intense, but it’s safe. Just a lot for a first timer .

The seconds tick by while I wait for his reply and I almost give up to go get ready for work.

I don’t suppose I can join you?

Is that okay? Totally fine if not. I don’t want to intrude on your night.

Actually never mind. That’s weird. I shouldn’t invite myself like that. It’s rude. Have a good night at work!

I’m not in any way proud of the dance I do in my seat at the rapid relay of texts. Thank the Gods Nikki isn’t in the room.

Calm down lol. Of course you’re invited to come. Wouldn’t want it any other way *winky face emoji*

Seriously?

Yeah, why wouldn’t I? Do you want to invite your friends too?

No, because they will be embarrassing. But I will anyway.

Haha, fair enough. Why don’t I lock down a time with Nikki and we’ll make a plan?

Sounds good to me.

And thanks. Not just for letting me tag along. For everything. For not getting freaked out by the weird baby vamp who came to hang out at the bar. I appreciate it. A lot.