Page 36

I leave Willan at the bar, or maybe he left me.

I’m not exactly sure how it happened but he’s not with me when I make my way back to the group, with my bottle and one more for Kai.

By the time I make it there, we’ve lost Bedeer and Jesminda, who had to leave to “get up early for work”—go home and bone in other words.

It’s fine though, because I slide myself in between the remaining trio of Jax, Lusce and Kai and let the alcohol and blood pump through me while I dance in the centre of the hot mess of bodies.

Considering how much of my free time is spent loitering around a bar, I rarely drink all that much anymore. Certainly not since I ended up getting accidentally turned, and never enough to feel like this.

Swaying under the flashing lights, I can’t help but wonder why.

It feels so nice. I can’t even remember what I was so worried about before.

In fact, I feel freer than I have in months.

The anxiety that’s been clamped around my chest since I turned, tightening a little tighter every day, is just… gone .

“Having fun?” Kai asks, his hands around my waist, pulling me tight to grind himself into me.

He’s laughing at me, I know, but I’m too buzzed to care. Which is why I sneak my hands down the back of his pants. They are too tight for me to really get in there, and cup those peachy cheeks, but it still feels fantastic. Just like his thigh pressing against my crotch.

“I am having the most fun,” I laugh, my head rolling back, eyes shut so the colours danced behind my eyelids, the club swaying in time with our movements.

Over the pulsating music I can hear Kai’s laughter. Or maybe I can feel it in his chest.

“I don’t know, it kind of looks like Jax and Lusce are having the most fun. Look.”

My eyes are super heavy and it takes a couple of blinks to get them to focus in the direction Kai’s pointing.

And yeah, they might actually be having the most fun because they are currently making a vamp sandwich out of a jacked, horned vampire, in a slick suit with blue skin and a nose almost like a minotaur’s.

Lusce has the vamp’s tie wrapped around his fist, pulling the vamp in like a fishing line, while Jax grinds on him from behind.

I hadn’t even noticed they disappeared. Kai laughs again, squeezing me tighter when I turn back to face him, wide eyed and slack jawed.

“They’ve managed to bag the owner. That’s quite a feat. And on their first visit too.” He has to press his lips right against my ear to talk and it’s too much.

I groan, loud and long, shuddering against him. I know he can feel how hard I am for him. He tugs me closer, forcing me to keep in time with him, because those Assassins haven’t really helped my rhythm.

His lips don’t leave my ear, instead kissing the sensitive spot just behind there.

It feels incredible, so I let my heavy head fall to the side to give him more room.

Of course he accepts the invitation, sharp teeth, soft lips tormenting the sensitive skin.

He only plays at biting, letting his fangs graze over my throbbing pulse until I let out a growl of frustration. He chuckles as he bites.

Pain flares extra hot and bright without sex to distract from the initial piercing of the flesh, but the overwhelming pleasure almost instantly overrides it leaving only ecstasy.

His strong hand comes up to grip my head, fingernails scraping my scalp as he angles me just right, while his other hand stays at my back, holding me upright.

It’s necessary. My legs are like jelly. His tongue strokes over the wound, lapping up any stray droplets, even though I’m pretty sure this shirt is now ruined.

Is that why vampires like to wear black? Less stains?

I’m vaguely aware that beings and vamps are watching me, completely boneless in Kai’s arm while he feasts on me, but all I can really think is how dangerously close to coming I am.

Just as the peak threatens to crash over me, Kai pulls off my neck, leaving a trickle of blood seeping from the twin punctures. He jerks off so quickly I stumble, my legs unprepared to bear my own weight and I two step backwards into the beings close behind me.

Kai’s face is feral, smeared with my blood, but he doesn’t let me get too far. His hand darts out faster than my alcohol soaked, horny brain can recognise to grip my arm and haul me back against him.

He nearly crushes me, he’s holding me so tight.

“You taste too fucking good. I almost couldn’t stop,” he growls, glaring over my shoulder at someone I can’t see.

He did take a lot of blood, and between the loss of it and all the dancing, I need another drink. Kai’s eyes are closed in bliss, his body moving with the fluid sensuality of a siren .

“I’m going to the bar,” I place a hand on his chest to steady myself, rising on my toes to shout up at him. Kai’s smile is dreamy as his eyes flutter open. I think he’s gotten tipsy off my blood. He nods, blinking slowly like he’s trying to get himself together.

“I’ll come with you.” He doesn’t sound entirely convinced, so I shake my head.

“No, you stay here, keep dancing. I’ll be back.” He doesn’t let me leave without a kiss, cupping my face in his hands and smacking his lips against mine.

Laughing, I leave him and make my way to the bar.

It’s busier now than I ever could have imagined, and Kai and I weren’t the only ones feasting on the dance floor.

Many couples—and more—are taking advantage of the freedom of Hearts Gate, and I have to dodge all kinds of configurations to get to the bar in one piece.

I check the group chat while I wait in the line. There’s a good night message from Bedeer and Jesminda. Willan has left too, apparently, if his “I’m out” message is any indication.

I don’t know where Jax and Lusce have gone, but they’ve just sent some emojis. The orc, the witch and the horned being, followed by a fire and a bunch of spurting emojis to be specific.

I’d rather not know.

The line takes for-fucking-ever to move and the winky bartender from before keeps trying to make chit chat, but I just want my two bottles of blood and to get back to Kai.

How was I ever so silly to think there was a problem between us? Maybe I need to see a doctor because I’m very obviously imagining things. We don’t need a label—we already have one. Kai and Finn . And that’s much better than any silly old label like boyfriends.

Happy that I’ve overcome that emotional hurdle, I force my way back through the crowd to Kai .

I’m knocked off my happy little cloud when I finally get close enough to see him. He’s still dancing. But he’s not alone.

I recognise the beings surrounding him. They have been circling all night.

And now they’ve caught him. Kai looks all too happy to be dancing amongst them.

There is barely a speck of distance between them, and that disappears entirely when the smallest of the trio places his hand on Kai’s chest, using him for balance to say something in Kai’s ear.

Just like I did, only minutes ago.

Kai shakes his head with a smile at the short being, but he doesn’t stop dancing.

It’s like a slow motion car crash. I can’t seem to look away. The club falls away and it’s just Kai, surrounded once again by beings almost as beautiful as him. Beings who want him. The flimsy facade I’ve built for myself—with the help of those Assassins—is pulverised like wet cardboard.

Nikolo’s words from earlier ring through my head, and I realise that no, I am very much not prepared to deal with the reality outside my comfort zone. In fact, it’s making it very hard to breathe. I mean, not literally, but figuratively.

Alcohol-fueled dread replaces rational thought.

I need to get out of here, I realise, before I do something terrible, like scratch the eyes out of the vampire currently grinding up behind Kai, working in tandem with the small, touchy one. Anything to get the look of victory off their lecherous faces.

I turn on my heel and push my way back the way that I came, and when I reach the bar, I turn blindly towards what I think is the exit.

Luckily, I’m right. The lights of the foyer are horribly bright—they burn like the sun after the dark of the black room. The noise of the club dulls instantly as the door slams behind me and I bolt down the hall, still clutching both bottles of alcoholised blood.

“Finn! Wait!” Kai’s panicked cries chase me and it takes a second to realise they’re real. He catches me, funnily enough, in the alcove where we saw the vamp feeding earlier tonight. With his hand painfully tight around my elbow, he jerks me to a halt, spinning me to face him.

“What’s wrong?” He strokes my cheek with his thumb, face crinkled in confusion. “Why are you crying?”

I didn’t know I was, but I must be, because he’s wiping the tears away for me.

“It’s nothing Kai, you can go back. Those guys, they seemed…” I can’t think of an adjective that isn’t bitchy. “Nice.”

Even I’m not drunk enough to think that’s the right word, but it’s the one I’ve got. Kai pulls a face at me.

“What? Those guys? I was just dancing while I was waiting for you.”

For some reason, probably all the alcohol confusing my brain, I think it’s a good idea to step backwards out of his hold and wave him off. Trying to be casual and cool about it all and failing miserably.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. You don’t have to stay with me all night if you find someone you’re interested in. I mean, it’s cool.”

This time it’s Kai that steps back, the confusion on his face gone entirely and replaced with pain.

“What do you mean? Someone I’m interested in? I’m interested in you. That’s what… I don’t understand what you're saying?”

With one hand on his hip, he shoves his hand through his hair, making a mess of it. It’s painfully sexy.