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“Is that a real risk?” Bedeer asks, no doubt feeling everyone else’s apprehension on top of his own.

Nikolo shrugs, turning to Bedeer. Bedeer and Jesminda are standing right next to Willan, but somehow Nikolo manages to edge the mage out of the interaction entirely. It’s as skillful as it is rude.

“To be honest, we’ve never come here with guests before. We’re responsible for you while you’re in there. If you fuck up, we can get banned.” His eyes cut to Jax and Lusce. “So, behave yourselves.”

“Right, that’s enough of that.” Kai claps his hands and rubs them together. “Who’s ready to have some fun? ”

After all those warnings, I’m not exactly sure that’s still the vibe, but we manage to rouse some of our earlier enthusiasm and follow Kai and Nikolo up the stairs.

The gate looks as if it is locked, but when they approach the gateway swings open, allowing us to enter. When I step through the gateway, I can feel the magic of the wards wash over me in a rather pleasant tingle.

Thankfully, the gates don’t shut on the others and we’re all once again huddled together in front of the large wooden door once again blocking our entrance.

Kai shoots me a cheeky grin and raises his hand to the brass knocker—yet another heart. This time three-dimensional, which makes it slightly more grotesque.

The door swings open and at last we’re inside Hearts Gate.

We find ourselves in an expansive entry foyer, with a magnificent double staircase leading to the second story and a huge, glittering chandelier overhead.

The former home has obviously been remodelled to suit its evolving purpose as a club for vampires.

The sounds of the vampires and music filter through the doors leading from the foyer, which is currently empty save for our group and the host who is smiling patiently at us from behind their small podium-style desk.

Kai and Nikolo step forward to talk to the vamp manning the entry, while the rest of us try not to stare like bumpkins—some of us with more success than others.

I hadn’t known what to expect from Hearts Gate, but in all my fantasies about the place, I never quite pictured this, with its fancy antique furniture and stiff, formal portraits of long dead vampires and classical paintings of vampires lounging in the countryside under a full moon .

I’d been picturing something more along the lines of a nightclub. Okay, and maybe a sex club. Not that I really know what they are like, but I’ve seen enough porn to have a rough idea.

But this looks like the kind of place rich old men gather to talk about the economy or something. Or the set of some movie about people who wear wigs and lots of petticoats.

“Finn, come here,” Nikolo calls me over sharply, earning a look from Kai. Sharing my own look with Willan, I leave the comforting safety of my friends and join Kai and Nikolo at the desk.

“What’s up?” I ask hesitantly. I direct my question to Kai, but he nods in the direction of the host.

“Hello Finn, I’m Matteus. Welcome to Hearts Gate. I have been told this is your first time?” Matteus—a tall, slender vampire with jet black hair, a charming smile and no other distinguishing features—has an impeccable customer service voice.

It’s uncanny really. I thought I was unbearably generic. This man seems almost manufactured in his genericness. My brain almost can’t process it as he stares at me, a banal smile pasted across his nondescript face. His unblinking stare makes my eyes feel impossibly dry, forcing me to blink rapidly.

“Uh, yes? Thank you?”

Nikolo snickers at my hesitancy and I really don’t know if he’s laughing at me or with me.

Matteus tilts his head and produces a clipboard. It’s jarringly normal, like being at a doctor's office or something.

“Excellent. We’re always so excited to have new members.”

Really? Because there is absolutely no genuine emotion in your voice, I think to myself, taking the clipboard and pen from him.

“If you could please complete these forms, we can get you all started on your introductory membership. After your visit tonight, we can discuss what level of membership you would like to continue with. Please don’t forget the information on the back for your guests.

When that’s done, I can give you a tour if you like? ”

I flip over the top sheet on the stack attached to the board and look back up at Matteus, mildly overwhelmed and trying to do the mental maths on the membership fees.

Like, secret vampire clubs are fine until you have to pay the bills—I should be able to swing the basic membership, but I need to run the numbers.

At least tonight we don’t have to pay as guests.

“Uh, yes? A tour would be good, I think?”

With Matteus appeased, I quickly rush back to the group, Nikolo and Kai sauntering along behind me.

There are a couple of spindly looking chairs free, so I take a seat and I rush through the paperwork.

I may not have Bedeer’s gift of empathy, but I can still feel the impatience itching at the group.

Even having to provide emergency contacts and sign waivers doesn’t dull the renewed anticipation burning them.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You missed a question.” Matteus politely grimaces when I hand the paperwork back, pointing to the unfilled box requesting my maker’s contact details.

I groan internally, staring at that blank little box beneath his finger. I was really hoping he wouldn’t call me out on the missing information in front of everyone. They’re all gathered around the welcome desk, eager to get past this final hurdle into the club.

After all these months, I still haven’t learned how to handle this one. My stomach tightens uncomfortably and I shift from foot to foot, rubbing the back of my neck. Kai, the only one here who has any idea about my turning, leans firmly into my side.

“Uh, yeah. They, uh, kind of embraced the dawn before I woke up. I don’t have any details other than their name.

And I’m not even certain that’s correct.

” I keep my eyes locked on Matteus. His blank spiritlessness is reassuring before it softens and I get a peek at the true him below the mask he seems to have perfected.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Truly.”

I nod at his sympathy, and true to his professionalism he easily slides right along, distracting everyone from the sympathetic and curious looks they are sending my way, by collecting our coats.

“Damn,” Lusce gasps when Nikolo drops his coat to reveal his outfit for the night.

He’s truly outdone himself tonight. He shakes out the tight blonde curls of his long hair, like he doesn’t have everyone’s eyes on him.

A skin tight black bodysuit–with more cut outs than fabric—sheaths his torso, cut low in his chest to frame his pecs and high in the hips to reveal a sliver of bare skin.

His ass is barely covered by the black pleated leather skirt at his waist. It sticks out, almost like a tutu, concealing absolutely nothing of his bulging crotch or the cut of the bodysuit on his ass cheeks.

The outfit is completed with fishnet thigh highs, chunky high-heeled combat boots and a silky choker that I’m pretty sure is used in breath play.

Not that I’ve ever done anything so adventurous.

“You’re staring. Should I be jealous?” Kai whispers in my ear with a laugh.

I roll my eyes with a scoff and wrench off my own coat to fight off my own feelings of raging inadequacy. It’s a hard battle considering I have Nikolo on one side and Kai on the other.

Kai is nowhere near as flamboyantly dressed as Nikolo but he still looks hotter than any being has a right to in public. I mean, that sheer black shirt he’s wearing is pretty much useless, considering it is unbuttoned to reveal his spectacular body anyway .

I let my eyes drop to his nipples where they are peeking through his shirt. Honestly, he really should just take it off. I bite my lip to keep from doing something embarrassing, like drooling or making the suggestion out loud.

Kai’s eyes dance with laughter when mine snap back up to his face.

“Jealous? Of what? You live with him!” Shaking my head like he’s made the most ridiculous suggestion in the world, my laugh is a little shaky, complete with a snort for added embarrassment.

Hopefully, it still comes across as playful and flirty and not awkward or worse, accusatory, especially since we already cleared up everything about their history.

Kai’s eyes darken as he steps closer so his chest brushes against me. He leans close enough that his lips brush my ear, making my stomach swoop and my knees tremble. His hand catches my elbow, keeping me steady, yet somehow making it all worse.

“Trust me, Finn. On that one, you have nothing to worry about. I only have eyes for one pretty blonde vamp nowadays, and it’s not Nikki.”

Oh fuck. Did I just whimper? Did the others hear? Maybe if I keep my eyes closed, then I don’t have to know for certain. Maybe I can even ask Matteus for my coat back to hide the erection currently trying to break free of my jeans.

As if they can hear my thoughts, someone clears their throat loudly.

“Shall we begin our tour?”

The lights of the club are blinding when I blink my eyes open, ignoring the smirks of my friends and the forced look of boredom on Nikolo’s face.

“Yup, yep. Definitely. Tour. Excellent idea.” Stepping away from Kai restores some of my sense, if not my ability to form coherent sentences .

“Right, this way then.” Matteus, who is professional enough not to draw attention to my situation, waves a hand for us to follow him. The others aren’t that courteous.

“Smooth.” Jax laughs, knocking my shoulder with his beefy arm as he passes.

“Get it.” Jesminda winks, while Bedeer winks at me.

Tonight, I realise, is going to either be the most frustratingly painful or the best night of my life.

“Okay,” Matteus intones poetically in time with my thoughts. His eyes meet mine at the back of the group. “Let’s begin.”