Page 116 of This Blood That Breaks Us

That made him crack a smile. “Is this all for us?”

“Take a wild guess.”

His eyes lit up as he took another sip. Aine from the blood bank was dressed in a cocktail dress with her hair pinned up. She was on the other side of the room with an older man.

“Aine!” He waved her over with a big smile. “Can I get you anything?”

“You’re the guest of honor. I think I should be askin’ you that.”

“Oh, right. It doesn’t matter. I’ll get you whatever you want.”

She rolled her eyes but bit back a smile. Not surprisingly, my brother made her blush. His natural effect on women. Her attention landed back on me, and the smile faded. My natural effect on everyone.

“Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Calem. Congratulations to you both on your promotion.”

That’s what they were calling it. She scanned the walls and the wrapping staircase while she sipped her martini.

“I’m glad you came,” Luke said.

“My father is here. Would you want to meet him?”

“Absolutely.”

I let them chat while I greeted a few people. No one else I knew, but they knew me. The alcohol was working faster than it usually did. Damn vampires.

As the day went on, the thumping music grew louder and the lights shifted. Aine and her dad left as the sun disappeared and the crowd got wilder. Luke came back with his face flush and that electric excitement he got in the eyes from meeting new people. It was like hooking him up to a car battery.

“Enjoying your party?” Ezra grabbed my shoulder.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been able to have a party like this.” Sirius appeared beside him. “I hope you’re both faring well and enjoying your time to relax.”

“With someone putting a drink in my hand every five seconds, sure,” I said.

I was already feeling the third. Or was I on my fourth? Luke had traded for something stronger and was swaying to the music.

“We want you both to enjoy your night. Worry free. There’s nothing for you to look out for. Leave that to us.”

“No one will go near the cathedral.” Sirius looked directly at my brother. “She’s safe.”

When they left, Luke beamed.

“Wow, this is so fun. Come on. Let’s go dance,” he said.

I followed Luke into the middle of the foyer where a horde of people were standing. Everyone was pinned together and swaying to the music coming from the DJ. There was a strange sense of peace as we lingered in the crowd. It went from a party on the lawn to an all-out house party in the foyer with music that deafened me and vibrated me from head to toe. Somewhere in the music, the haze of the lights bathed the room in iridescence.

It could have been the alcohol, but I might have been a little bit happy.

All the faces in the crowd showed me the same expression. Flashes of teeth and chants of praise and encouragement. They wanted me there. It was working. Luke was having a great time too. There was no pain. Not even the slightest hint of ache in my bones.

Why had I fought this so hard? I was meant for this place. It had taken time like Ezra and Sirius said, but I was coming around. This place was perfect.

The bodies pressed against me made me feel warm again. I had new brothers and a new family to keep the cold of winter from ever freezing me again. One that would do anything for me.

That last shot did me in; I was floating in the crowd. Luke and I got lost. There were hands all over me, moving down my back, my chest, and my arms, but I didn’t care. It felt good to be wanted. Worshipped. Godlike.

Luke’s glow was back as he bounced up and down in the absolute surging wall of bodies. I wasn’t worried about him, though. Not there.

Someone grabbed me in the crowd, and I let them take me to the corner of the room.