SEVEN

SIX

MOTHER HUBBARD AND a gnome on steroids.

Couldn"t they have waited thirty more seconds? What did a girl have to do to get a meal around here?

With a snarl, I yanked free from the man, easily dislodging his grip.

"Wait, don"t go. We were just getting started," he pleaded.

"Another time," I lied.

I"d already forgotten him by the time I found Caroline facing off against three others. Vampires, I realized a second later. Two men and a woman.

I recognized the bright red hair first. It was hard to mistake. Kat Davinish—wannabe nemesis and overall pain in the ass.

She was one of those vampires who gave all vampires a bad name. Politically ambitious, back stabbing and with a superiority complex that would have put even a millionaire socialite to shame.

She had the dubious honor of being the third vampire I"d ever met. The whole experience had done a good job on souring me to the entire species. Since then, her enmity toward me had only grown.

That was okay. She wasn"t my favorite person either.

Currently, she was busy smirking at Caroline. "Your kind isn"t welcome here, wolf."

As if in response to the potential for danger, a small bubble opened around us where humans still danced, unaware of how close to peril they were.

"Who is going to stop me?" Caroline asked.

The tips of Kat"s fangs peeked out from between her lips as she smiled. "Look at that, the mutt is feeling brave. Maybe we"ll have a little fun after all."

A growl rumbled from Caroline. The ghost image of her wolf shrouded her, the first sign of a shift.

I shoved forward before the situation could deteriorate further. "Kat, how disappointing to run into you again. All out of parties to organize?"

There was a sadistic gleam in Kat"s eyes as she focused on me. She looked happy, much happier than I typically made her. She was up to something.

Not surprising really. She"d had it out for me since our first meeting.

"Aileen, I"ve been waiting for you to do something I could punish you for." She smiled. The first real one I"d ever seen from her. Usually, the smile she gave people was a political one, meant to manipulate or deceive. Not this one. "Looks like you finally have."

I paused, thinking over everything I"d done lately. Nothing came to mind.

"What exactly have I done?" I stopped next to Caroline so we faced Kat and her two henchmen together.

Kat"s blood red lips curved up. "You never asked for blood rights. Hunting without permission is a punishable offense. Not even your master can save you."

Oh.

I glanced at the human I"d been prepared to turn into a slurpy straw. He waited on the edge of the crowd, confused and a little angry I"d left him hanging.

"I wasn"t aware this place was part of Clan Davinish"s holdings," I said, stalling.

It was one of the reasons we"d chosen this club as opposed to Asylum, Clan Davinish's main club.

Kat couldn"t have looked happier. "It"s not. It"s Clan Glaise's."

Last I"d heard, Kat didn"t have the power to enforce Clan Glaise"s will.

"As the master"s right hand, it"s my job to ensure his rules are enforced even in another clan"s territory," Kat explained.

Caroline flicked an uneasy look at me. This wasn"t good and we both knew it.

No one had told me anything about blood rights in the training sessions I"d conducted with Liam and his enforcers. It was something you"d have thought they"d make sure I was aware of.

With no other options, I decided to bluff. "I never bit him. Can"t really punish me for something I didn"t do."

Kat"s eyes narrowed. "These aren"t human rules, honey. Vampires don"t need proof."

To the two at her side, she ordered, "Grab her. If she fights, hurt her."

Caroline tensed, claws sliding out of her fingers.

"Bring the mutt too." Kat flicked her hand, already preparing to leave.

"She"s not a vampire; you can"t touch her," I said in a harsh voice.

Kat"s look was chiding. "Our rules apply to everyone. She strayed into territory she doesn"t belong. She can pay the price like the rest of the dregs."

I lunged forward, only to bump into Connor"s back as he appeared between me and the rest of the vampires. Power rolled off him in waves. Scary and intense, carrying with it the feeling that you were about to be sucked under a heavy undertow.

The two male vampires stopped, caution entering their postures.

Vampires respected those who could inspire fear and right now those two radiated it. Even Kat eyed Connor with a wariness I hadn't been sure she could feel.

"What are you doing?" Connor asked calmly as if he hadn"t cowed the trio of vampires with merely a look.

Kat recovered first. "The yearling trespassed against blood rights. She needs to be taught a lesson."

Connor made a thoughtful sound, his expression still carefully blank. "That"s strange. I put in a formal request for hunting rights for my house to the master of the city this evening. He granted my request."

Kat frowned. "I wasn"t aware any such request had been made."

Connor"s smile was sweet. "Why would you be? You"re nothing."

A choked sound came from Caroline as Kat flushed a deep red.

"I"m sorry, but that doesn"t excuse her trespass," Kat said in a stilted voice. "Even her link to the master of the city cannot protect her."

Connor still didn"t move. "Thomas"s permission extended to all those in my house—including Aileen."

Kat"s disbelieving gaze shot to me. "She"s in your house?"

"No."

Fear shivered down my spine, that one word carrying with it a wealth of warning. The two men who flanked Kat edged back.

Victory flashed in Kat"s eyes.

"I"m part of hers," Connor finished.

Kat"s expression froze. Her eyes rose to meet his.

Connor inclined his head in a bow toward me. "I consider it an honor to be accepted into Aileen"s new house. We were in the midst of celebrating when you interrupted."

The men with Kat glanced at each other. What had been a fun way to pass the time—putting the baby vamp in her place—was no longer quite so entertaining. Without a word, they faded into the crowd behind Kat, leaving her to face us on her own.

Her expression hovered between murderous and incredulous. I hated to say it, but I had a talent for inspiring that sort of look.

Liam moved out of the crowd. His lips twitched with amusement as he took in the four of us. "I hope I"m not too late for the festivities."

"Not at all," Connor murmured. "Lady Davinish seems to be suffering from a misconception. Perhaps you can help clear it up."

Liam"s gaze moved over me, the briefest flicker of warmth touching eyes a blue so deep and vivid that they seemed supernatural. As quickly as it"d come, the warmth faded, leaving ice behind as he bent his focus on Kat.

He prowled forward, danger in every movement.

Liam always reminded me of an unsheathed assassin"s blade. Powerful. Always carrying the potential for death.

He moved with a self-possession that was rare, like he knew he could deliver a killing blow in a single instant. He didn"t think he was at the top of the food chain; he was the food chain. Only his opinion and the opinions of those very few he cared about mattered.

Somehow, I found myself one of those few.

As it always did when he was in the vicinity, my stomach fluttered.

Liam had features guaranteed to give him a starring role in many a woman"s fantasies. With cheekbones that could cut glass and lips I knew from experience were infinitely kissable, he could have any woman he wanted. Yet for some odd reason, he"d decided I was the only one who"d do.

It still flabbergasted me.

Liam cut a dangerous look to Kat. "It"s good to have ambition, but be careful you don"t have too much. Thomas makes a practice of destroying those whose ambition outstrips their talents."

Power crackled, bringing with it the sting of ice. Liam might not be as strong as Thomas, but you"d never know it. He wielded what he had with precision. He was a maestro and his power the instrument.

It nipped and bit along the skin of those closest to him, a reminder of exactly why he was so dangerous.

"The master of the city decreed Aileen has hunting rights in all of the clan territories. Had you spoken to your clan master, you would have known this," Liam advised.

Another shiver raced along my nerve endings. He sounded gentle, but all I heard was death. I hoped he never spoke to me like that.

Liam"s lifted eyebrow was imperious. For once, I found myself glad that arrogance was working for me rather than against me.

Kat"s mouth flattened, but with no one at her back and the rules on my side, she had no choice but to give ground. She dipped her head in a submissive nod before spinning on her heel and stalking off without a word.

The four of us watched her go, waiting until she"d put enough distance between us.

Only then did Liam arch a questioning eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. "You told me to practice."

"With me—when I"m present."

I smirked at him. "I guess you"ll be a little clearer next time."

He shook his head as my smile widened. He pretended at irritation but I knew better. He got as much out of our exchanges as I did.

I glanced at Connor. "Where did you come from?"

He nodded at the door. "I came through the same entrance as you."

Caroline quirked an eyebrow. "A smart ass, I like him. He"ll fit right in."

I ignored her in favor of shaking my head at Connor. "Such a stalker."

He had the gall to look insulted. "I wasn"t stalking you. I was monitoring your well-being."

Caroline laughed and nudged him in the arm. "That"s pretty much admitting to stalking."

Connor shuffled, the confidence from when he"d confronted Kat draining away to make him seem less sure of himself.

Caroline propped her elbow on my shoulder. "You have the most interesting friends."

"Says one of those interesting friends," I observed dryly.

Liam ignored our antics, addressing Connor. "I hear congratulations are in order."

Connor"s smile was faint, barely gracing his face before it was gone.

It wasn't the first time I"d noticed he seemed to emote less when either Thomas or Liam was present.

I still didn"t know if that was because of suspicion and fear, or whether his feelings were too big to chance anyone seeing.

I had a feeling it was the second.

Sometimes the people we love most had to be handled the most carefully. Whether that was because of anger or regret, only Connor could tell. I had enough of my own emotional baggage to want to venture where I hadn't been invited.

"Why is it that whenever I"m out with you, I end up in a fight for my life?" Caroline asked.

"Because you have awesome taste in friends?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don"t think that"s it. You"re lucky things didn"t get messy. I love these shoes."

I thought the other vampires were the ones who"d gotten off easy. If Kat had forced the issue, she would have quickly learned how Caroline had managed to climb her pack"s ranks, years before anybody expected her to.

We would have gotten a bit bloody and bruised, but I could guarantee that between the two of us, our attackers wouldn"t have been looking too pretty by the end either.

"As am I," Liam said. "Brax would have been less than pleased to learn his youngest wolf was in trouble once again."

Caroline grimaced, her gaze sliding away at the reminder.

The alpha and Caroline had a strange relationship. He tried to tell her what to do, and she pretty much did the opposite whenever she could get away with it.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked.

Liam sent a challenging look at me. "What? You don"t appreciate my timely interference?"

"I"d appreciate it more if I knew the reason for it."

Liam was a tricky one. Just because we sometimes shared a bed didn"t mean he gave me a free pass.

He leaned forward, dropping a kiss onto my frowning lips. "So suspicious, mo chuisle. A man would think you didn"t enjoy his company."

When I only stared at him, he smiled again. "I really did come to congratulate you and Connor on establishing a house. It is a big step."

I thawed, seeing his honest happiness. I wasn"t entirely overjoyed with the way this house had come about, but I could admit it had already proved beneficial.

I slid a glance toward Connor. Maybe this wouldn"t be such a bad thing after all.

"But since your meal was interrupted, how about I help you find a new one," he offered.

I scoffed, not fooled.

Every time he"d "helped" me hunt, we ended up in bed with my fangs attached to his neck.

It was why I"d elicited Caroline"s help in Operation Feed.

Liam"s lips tilted up in a taunting curve. It was the exact same expression he used when we sparred, seconds before he would knock me on my ass.

"Aaand, I"m out," Caroline said.

I blinked at her. "The night is still young."

There were plenty more hours for fun.

Her grin was lopsided. "Maybe for nocturnal creatures, but for the rest of us, it"s getting late."

She scratched her neck as she looked around the club.

My gaze followed hers, my eyes narrowing as I noted a few familiar faces in the crowd.

It looked like Liam wasn"t the only one who"d wanted to offer congratulations. Nathan and Anton watched us from their post at the bar.

"Besides, knowing I"m surrounded by vampires on all sides kind of takes the fun out of the evening." Her gaze was rueful as it met mine. "It"s hard to cut loose when you know you"re being sized up to see how juicy you might taste."

Sure enough, I found more than one pair of eyes focused on our little group.

I sagged with disappointment. "This isn"t exactly how I thought the evening would go."

Caroline shrugged. "No worries. I had fun."

I did too, right up until the vampire with an attitude problem interrupted.

"I"ll walk you to your car," I told her.

She flipped her hand up, already walking away. "No need. You"re not the only badass in town."

With that, she slipped into the crowd, lost from view within seconds.

"I guess that means my evening is over too." Disappointment filled me. All dressed up and heading home before midnight. What a depressing thought.

Liam"s hand on my hip stopped me, his chest brushing my back. His breath whispered across the exposed skin of my shoulder as he leaned down. "Stay."

My hand touched his as he started swaying us to the music. It was tempting. A night where I forgot my problems and let myself go.

There was an itch under my skin begging to be scratched, and its name was Liam.

Nothing waited for me at home but Netflix and pajamas.

"If I do that, we both know where this night will end," I said in one last token protest.

A bed and our bodies tangled together, nothing separating us.

"I'm not seeing a problem," Liam growled, the feel of his lips against my skin sending shivers down my neck. "Stay. I"ll make sure you don"t regret it."

Abruptly, I turned in Liam"s arms, catching the longing in Liam"s eyes.

"Okay," I heard myself say. "Why not?"

His eyes flashed, the dark smile on his face making my heart jump, fear and exhilaration fighting for supremacy.

Liam wasn"t someone you engaged on a whim. Yet, that was exactly what I was doing.

Liam pulled me closer, his hips rolling against mine as his head dipped, his lips feathering across my chin, up to the corner of my mouth and away again. I couldn"t help the slight smile as I laced my fingers behind his neck, letting myself fall into a rhythm, similar to the one we found when we made love.

I lost myself, raising my hands above my head, letting him guide us through the music as I set aside the burdens I carried and remembered what it felt to be young, to live and rejoice in simply being.

The music changed to a faster beat. Our bodies remained locked together as we moved faster and faster.

I caught a fleeting glimpse of Connor standing next to Nathan and Anton, talking, before Liam whirled me and I lost sight again.

When we drifted to the edge of the dance floor an hour later, Nathan appeared out of the crowd, shot glasses clutched in his hand, a woman dogging his footsteps like an overenthusiastic puppy.

One of Liam"s enforcers, Nathan was also, strangely enough, my friend.

Light where Liam was dark, he had a roguish charm that made him hard to ignore. He"d always had a smile on his face, but recent events had put a darkness in his eyes that hadn"t been there before. What had happened with Niamh had left its mark on him.

The shadows of the experience still lingered when he thought no one was watching.

"A, I see our fearless leader has finally gotten you to loosen up and have a little fun. So good of you to join us on the Good Time Express." Nathan"s smile was wicked as he handed me one of the shot glasses.

Anton arrived, holding two more shot glasses, one of which he handed to Liam. To my surprise, he jerked his chin at me in that universal greeting guys had. It was probably one of the more cordial exchanges we"d ever had.

Anton wasn"t my biggest fan, although he seemed to have thawed toward me since I was instrumental in saving Nathan"s life.

Like the two beside me, Anton was built like a warrior from some long-ago era. Unlike them, he"d been turned when he was a little older—probably around his early forties. He was handsome with dark hair and eyes the color of fall honey. Laugh lines around the corner of his eyes said his human life had been full of love and warmth.

"Where"s Connor?" I looked over their shoulders, but didn"t spot a tall man who could have doubled as a ghost.

"He said he"d see you tomorrow night," Nathan responded.

I frowned. That sounded awfully unlike the stalker who"d followed me here, despite my express wishes to the contrary.

"He also ordered us to see you safely home at the end of the night," Anton drawled, looking bored. "I believe there was an "or else" implied in there somewhere."

That sounded much more like my stalker.

"What"s this?" I asked, lifting my glass and changing the subject.

Nathan smirked. "Don"t tell me you don"t recognize a shot. What kind of education did you have?"

I sent him a quelling look. "Thanks, genius. I know what a shot is. I"m asking why you handed it to me."

Judging from the liquor"s smell, it wasn"t one of those fun shots, the ones with the salacious names and interesting flavors.

This looked like straight liquor, the kind that burned as it went down.

Call me crazy, but why drink something that tasted like lighter fluid if it wasn"t going to leave me drunk in the end?

Nathan"s smile turned sly. "Not this type of shot. There"s a special ingredient."

"Tell me there aren"t fairy tears in here," I pleaded. A thought occurred to me. "Or blood."

Nathan didn"t answer. He nudged my hand as his evil grin threatened to split his face in two. "Drink up, drink up, there is a party to be had."

Liam lifted his shot and downed it in one quick swallow. He lowered the glass and grinned at me, daring me to follow.

I lifted the shot glass to my lips. "I can"t believe I"m letting vampires peer pressure me into doing shots with them."

"Do it, do it," Nathan chanted as I tipped the liquor down my throat. It burned, warmth spreading and lighting a fire in my belly.

As I lowered the glass, I caught a familiar face in the crowd. The strange woman from the police station. Pelt, I think her name was. I frowned. What was she doing here?

I almost hadn't recognized her with her hair down, makeup covering the dark circles from before, and wearing club clothes.

But that was her. I was almost sure of it.

The crowd swallowed her in the next second, making me doubt what I'd seen.

Nathan's cheering distracted me as he grabbed the glass from me and handing it to Liam. "Now, we dance."

He didn"t give me a chance to protest, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the dance floor.

I twisted, trying to spot the person I'd thought was Pelt. No luck. Maybe I'd imagined it?

Liam caught my eye, a small smile tangling the corner of his lips. Just like that, my worry about the weird human didn't seem so important.

If she really was here, I was sure it was a coincidence. Baby vampires and demon tainted wolves weren't the only ones who needed a little rest and relaxation too.

"Aren"t you going to stop this?" I mouthed at Liam.

"Why? You look like you"re having fun," he mouthed back.

Okay, maybe a little.

The music changed as soon as we reached the middle of the floor.

"I love this song," Nathan screamed.

He threw his hands in the air, jumping up and down with little care for grace or technique. His enthusiasm was contagious and soon I followed suit.

Nathan spun, shimmying his shoulders while singing the words to the song. I sang them right back, throwing my arms wide and shaking my hips for all that I was worth.

When Nathan put one hand behind his head, then used the other to do the sprinkler, I started cackling.

A few of the guys around us took notice, repeating the action until there was a hole row of sprinklers going.

By then I was laughing so hard I couldn"t breathe. That only seemed to spur Nathan on as he pulled dance move after corny dance move out of his repertoire. His fans repeating them as soon as he used a new one.

What was even stranger was the realization that not all his followers were human. A few vampires busted out those corny dance moves like they"d done them a thousand times.

"I see a couple of cool moves out there," the DJ said over the speaker. "Let"s see if you know the dance to this one."

"Baby Shark" came over the speakers.

Next thing I knew Nathan was doing the dance, opening and closing his arms as he bopped his head along with the song.

Laughing, I didn"t hesitate to join him.

I didn"t think I"d ever had this much fun while in a vampire"s company.

Liam caught my eye from his spot on the dance floor. He lifted a drink that didn"t quite hide the smile that reached his eyes, warming them.

"Baby Shark" ended, replaced by a song that reminded me of the 1920"s and swing.

Nathan grabbed my hand, moving me along with him.

"You know swing?" I asked, impressed in spite of myself.

Nathan"s look was chiding. "My dear Aileen, I lived through the era. It would be odd if I didn"t."

I threw my head back on a delighted laugh. I"d always wanted to learn swing, but I never thought I"d have the opportunity from someone who"d learned it as it was being invented.

Vampires were the ultimate hunters, always adapting and evolving to better stalk their prey. Keeping up with current trends was part of that.

It would be hard to draw someone in when you looked like you"d escaped from a renaissance fair—unless of course you were at a renaissance fair. Then you"d fit right in.

"I always wanted to learn," I confessed.

Nathan"s expression was arrested; seconds later a smile dawned. "Lucky you have me then."

He took my hand, setting it on his side before picking up my other hand. "The first thing you need to know is that swing is easy. Feel the beat and listen to your partner."

Nathan didn"t care that we were in a noisy club, young twenty somethings jostling us as they bounced around doing what they considered a close approximation of swing.

He was patient as he showed me what a triple step and rock step was, demonstrating the different positions and how to do a turn.

Thankfully I was coordinated and liked dancing. I was nowhere near an expert, but with Nathan I managed to feel like one as he led.

The chant of rock step, triple step, triple step kept me occupied for the rest of the song as I concentrated on not stumbling over my own feet.

The song ended and another song made for swing began.

"I"m surprised they"re playing this," I said.

Nathan waggled his eyebrows at me. "Perks of this being a vampire club and us knowing the owner. They play what we like."

I got the sense that "we" didn"t mean the enforcers—at least not entirely. Judging by the number of vampires who had made their way onto the dance floor as the night got older, this was a hot spot for my kind.

"Not everything has to be a fight, A. There are good parts to being a vampire too," Nathan said softly.

My smile was faint. "I"m beginning to see that."

Nathan"s eyes were uncertain as they searched mine. What he found there caused a slow smile to spread across his face.

"I knew we were growing on you," he crowed.

I lifted a shoulder. It was hard to argue given my current position.

Nathan spun me. I went easily, my hand leaving his.

Liam caught me in the next second. "Dance with me?"

There wasn't anything I"d like more.

"Always," I told him.

He took my hand, leading me through the same steps Nathan had taught me. While I looked like a tentative colt balancing on legs for the first time, he moved with an ease and flair I couldn"t help but envy.

He effortlessly turned the simple steps into a thing of beauty, somehow making it seem like I knew what I was doing.

"Having fun?" Liam asked as we moved back and forth.

There was a smile still caught on my lips, and I knew my cheeks were flushed and my eyes full of laughter. "I am, yes."

"Good," he said. "Hold onto that thought."

He moved quickly and suddenly the world was flipping as I spun over his arm. I landed back on the ground my eyes wide and mouth open in disbelief. Around us people pointed and clapped.

He"d flipped me like I was a damn top. He looked pretty proud of himself too.

He arched an expectant eyebrow.

My smile widened with delight. "Do it again."

*

We danced for hours. Until my feet hurt and the club announced last call. Not all of it was swing. After two more songs, they transitioned back to typical club fair. Liam, Anton, and Nathan didn"t abandon the dance floor. Instead, they took turns as my partner.

The brief glimpse of Pelt—if that was who it had been—was a distant memory by the time the club closed.

I don"t think I"d ever laughed or had so much fun. At least not in recent memory. The only thing that would have made it better was if Caroline had stuck around.

The shots we"d started with were only the first in a long line, leaving me a tad more inebriated than I"d planned when the night began. Singing "Baby Shark" softly under my breath, I stumbled toward the club"s entrance as the light"s came up.

Liam steadied me when I tipped, nearly running into a door. Anton and Nathan brought up the rear.

I stretched, a broad smile on my face. "This was so much fun."

"Night"s not over yet," Liam said with a tender look on his face. He watched me like I was some fey creature he"d never seen before, but was afraid might disappear if he looked away.

I dropped my arms and blinked at him as the two enforcer"s moved past us, disappearing into the night.

"Later, A," Nathan called. "Let"s do this again. Next time we"ll do salsa."

I frowned at him. "Isn"t Liam your ride?"

The two didn"t even bother hiding their smiles. Nathan waved at me. "We can find our own way home."

That didn"t seem fair. Dudes that came to the club together, left together. Or did that rule only apply to the females of the species?

Too late, I opened my mouth to protest only to find the two blurring away. Nathan let out a war cry, leaping into the air and appearing on the roof of a one-story building seconds later.

Anton bounded after him.

I shut my mouth. "Yeah, you better run."

Liam"s warm chuckle had my attention swinging to him.

Now that we were alone, I felt uncertain. Sometimes what I felt for him was too big to process. It often left me in the default of retreat.

Liam didn"t let me tonight. He drew me closer, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand.

"I should probably get back," I started.

"Stay with me tonight and tomorrow." His grin was roguish. "I"ll make it worth your while."

I had no doubt about that.

Liam wasn"t the cherry on the sundae. He was the whole, damn decadent treat. The type you knew might ruin you for other men, but you went back for seconds and thirds despite knowing you might regret it in the end.

Shivers of anticipation ran through me as my core clenched.

A dark light entered his eyes. He knew exactly how he was getting to me.

I was tempted. Oh, was I tempted.

Still, I hesitated. Going home with him meant staying the day. As lovely as that prospect was, it was a step I"d hesitated to take up to now.

It was a stupid hang up, but one I hadn"t yet conquered.

Liam waited with a patience that I wasn"t sure I would have had in his place.

"Please." He let me see a vulnerability and need that I couldn"t resist.

My willpower snapped. That word on his lips was better than catnip to a cat.

"Fine, but you"re dinner," I told him.

Carnal knowledge was written on his face as he pulled me closer, his head dipping. "I wouldn"t have it any other way."