Page 6 of Little Wing (Shades of Fairhaven #1)
A fter my shift, I walked down a few blocks to The Royal Nomad where I knew Kait would still be working.
It was primarily a human bar, but it always remained busy enough that my presence barely attracted any attention.
It was one of the first places I began to frequent in Fairhaven instead of continuing to isolate myself inside my apartment after work.
It was how I met Kait, after all. She was the first person I officially met when I settled in Fairhaven.
She had the kind of energy that would prevent strangers from taking advantage of her.
But if you knew her personally, then you knew she’d set the world on fire if it meant her friends would be safe and happy.
She was a beautiful woman with a strong build and hazelnut-colored hair cut into a short bob that framed her jaw.
After a few visits where I just sat at the bar and admired her making cocktails for all the other patrons, she looked right past my timidness and set a glass of O negative in front of me.
Without needing to explain, Kait understood me.
She never questioned me or asked to hear stories that dug deep into my history.
She never pried past what I offered to her freely.
After that encounter, I made trips to the bar a part of my regular routine after my shifts at the bookstore.
And one day when Reina decided to join me for a drink after work, our trio was finally formed.
Everything from that moment felt complete.
Despite the looming shadow that never truly left, I was happy.
I had a job and friends—some of the things I never thought I’d have the luxury of holding dear to my heart.
After making my way through the crowd, I took a seat at the bar where Kait already acknowledged me with a smirk.
“You’re here a bit later than normal,” she pointed out. “Hot date or Reina keeping you busy?”
I slapped my bag on the counter and pulled out my wallet.
“Hot date?” I scoffed and with graceful dexterity, slipped my card from my wallet and held it out for Kait to take.
“You know a date is the last thing on my mind when Reina is so excited about this event. I’m sure it’ll keep me busy for a while. ”
Dating was indeed the last thing on my mind. In a town like Fairhaven, I preferred to keep my head down on that front. If I craved attention—well, there were ways around that without attachments.
Sweeping the thought away, I rested my elbows on the bar top and smiled at my friend. “How about you? How are things on your end?”
Kait tucked a cloth into her back pocket and took the card from me to slip it into a small folder at the register.
“Aside from a few more people signing up for open mic night, nothing really.” When she turned back around, already with a bottle of synthetic blood in hand, she tipped her chin at me.
“Then of course there’s the slew of texts from our darling Reina. ”
“She got you, too?” I smirked, keeping my lips tight. “Did she also send you the real estate listings or just her vision boards for what she had in mind for a future bookstore.”
“Themed cocktails,” Kait chuckled, “and the real estate listings, of course.”
I watched Kait grab a chilled glass and pour the viscous liquid before sliding it in front of me. The aroma excited my senses—O positive. Pigs blood. “Thank you,” I uttered, raising my glass in quiet salute.
Our conversations never truly had an end.
We spoke in between her serving other customers and I simply enjoyed the buzz around her and the overall scene that never failed to unfold at the bar.
One of the pastimes I missed the most had to be people watching and the bar was a perfect setting for such an activity.
The open mic nights were fantastic spectacles from people reciting spoken word poetry to small town musicians holding out for a chance to be discovered by a record label.
Other nights, it would be me watching Kait bang on the bathroom doors with a broom to scare young couples from fornicating in the already cramped stalls.
I did recall a time when a man rushed out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles.
I suppressed my grin at the memory and brought the glass to my lips.
I certainly did not remain celibate, but I took my escapades out of Fairhaven or took matters into my own hands if I truly craved such a release.
As I took a long sip, I allowed the coppery fluid to settle on my tongue before turning around in my seat to observe the evening crowd.
An acoustic performer sat on the small stage, playing a delicate tune on their guitar that barely rose above the sound of rowdy men talking about their stocks, cars, and more than likely the size of their dicks.
This was one of those times where I did not treasure my vampiric abilities.
The ability to practice selective hearing was one I worked on each day, zeroing in on the sound of the music instead of stories of their romps that made my dark blood boil.
Though I enjoyed the performance, I caught sight of a man in a fitted blue jacket on the other side of the bar.
He was eyeing me with visible interest. I could see his bright eyes darting from my mouth to my glass enough times to make the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention.
Vampire.
I did not need to stand beside him to hear that familiar hum only heard in immortals. It penetrated the air that was thick with alcohol, human blood, and indie music.
I leaned back and gave Kait a quick wave, letting her know I was going to step away from the bar. At least this way I could lose myself in the crowd of drunken patrons, their scents shrouding me from the onlooker.
“Don’t look, don’t look,” I whispered to myself as I squeezed past a man hiccupping into an empty bottle of imported beer. Italian. Hoppy. Floral. A Positive. I wrinkled my nose to get the aroma of the man’s blood away so that I could focus on the vampire across the room from me.
Despite this being mainly a human bar, the occasional vampire would come around.
Clearly, I did, but I certainly avoided trying to draw too much attention to myself.
The man was still standing there, leaning against the bar and though he barely interacted with those around him, his presence was there, heavy and dominant.
It was common knowledge that vampires had their own unofficial part of Fairhaven that catered exclusively to them.
Restaurants, bars, businesses—all made accessible that if vampires really tried, they never truly had to interact with humans unless they made it to the heart of the town.
So, why was I getting so worked up about a man just…
existing. Maybe it was in the way his eyes followed me and the way his tan skin held onto the glow of sunlight without having to stand in it.
I had to get out .
After I finished the last drop of my drink, I rushed back to the bar where Kait was cleaning up.
Clearly, the final wave of humans due for a drink were beginning to clear out, which would leave those too drunk to leave or too desperate to slink back in defeat back to where they came from.
Women, men—there would always be someone to choose from to take home for the night.
Oh Lotus, I thought to myself. Of course! I was in later than normal, so I rarely got to see the bar so sparse. Why wouldn’t a vampire swoop in to scope out the scene for tipsy people willing to make some poor decisions? Typical.
“Hey Lo, you heading out?” Kait hummed, pulling my credit card from the drawer she kept the others in.
My fingers tapped on the counter impatiently enough to have Kait raise her brows. “Sorry, I just completely spaced out on the time. Gotta get some sleep before Reina puts me to work hardcore tomorrow.”
Even I didn’t have myself convinced, but Kait bobbed her head and finished closing my tab. “Okay, just text me when you get home. Maybe we can plan something together later this week. Maybe after the event?”
I scribbled my signature on the receipt and offered Kait a tight smile. “Sure…” That would only be a sure thing if I didn’t have to pack my stuff up and get out of town because the little attention I was getting from one man was making me feel like I was unraveling.
“See you later!” I announced, grabbing my bag and storming out of the bar to head back home. No stops, no thoughts, just pushing my long legs forward till home was finally in sight.