I prefer my luxury more subtly stated and less likely to draw attention. “I am here.” I don’t want him to get sidetracked. “And you damn well know why.”
He grins. “Thought about it all day, didn’t you?”
“If I skip right to admitting you’re right, will it earn me an introduction sooner?”
“Perhaps.” The office door opens, and Selene enters. “Ah, my love. Is everything ready?”
“Yes.” She’s also smiling.
If this were any other vampire besides Lucius, I’d be expecting a trap, a betrayal. “Why are you so eager for me to meet the source?”
His smile fades. “Time and my recent change of circumstances has made me see things in ways I have not in centuries. Perhaps you are not as maudlin about humans as I once thought you to be. By that I mean the validity of your feelings about and toward them. Perhaps you were the one who was correct.”
He holds out a hand to Selene, and she drifts over to him, where she curls against his side. The blatant love I see between them isn’t something any vampire can fake.
It’s also something I find myself envying in nearly painful ways right now.
“Love changes a man,” he continues. “Had you not admitted the idea of greeting the sun, I likely would have kept our little secret to ourselves. However, even I know when there are things beyond my ken, both in knowledge as well as experience and abilities.” He sighs. “Perhaps I’m simply being a romantic, and there won’t be an attraction between you two. But…I can hope. While there is no immediate danger, you and I shall talk later. I want you to meet them first.”
“They’re…in danger?” The thought irrationally triggers something strongly protective within me.
“I do not know. And no,” he quickly adds, “I’m not being deliberately cagey. There is a history I’m certain I do not know all the facts about.” He slips his arm around Selene’s waist and draws her closer. “Did you ever hear about thegwyllgi?”
I nod, and the way he asks it tickles something in my deepest, darkest memories. “Are…are we talking shifters again?”
He slowly shakes his head. “Just keep it in mind for later. I could be wrong, but it’s what I thought of. Then again, I don’t know all the details. There might be more facts surrounding this mystery than I am aware.” He releases Selene and steps forward. “Come on. Let’s see what happens.”
We return downstairs to the ground floor level, which houses the nightclub. I follow Lucius and Selene as we make our way along the fringes of the dance floor, on the far side of the space from the bar. We aim for the lounge seating area, where one of his men holds a table open for us. I’m painfully aware of the prickling feeling in my mouth, the memory of last night’s drink, and I fight the urge to beg Lucius to quit the games and introduce me.
We settle at the table and one of his household humans hurries over to take our order. The woman wears short black shorts, a perfectly pressed button-up dress shirt, and a black ribbon tied around her neck.
Lucius leans in and gives her our order, for alcoholic drinks, not “house specialties.” She hurries away, heading to the bar.
She is not the special vintage—that much I can tell. She’s been blooded before, by teeth, not a needle. The eager hunger she exuded as she looked me over tells me that much, and I’m certain if I untie the black ribbon around her throat, I’ll find plenty of old fang marks on her.
Sensing Lucius’ gaze on me, I watch the waitress as she leans over the bar and speaks to the blue-haired woman behind it.
Unlike the other servers, the blue-haired beauty wears a black Club Toxic T-shirt, and the neon pink logo across her round breasts lights up from the black lights scattered here and there.
No ribbon around her neck, no sign of a collar.
From the way both of them glance over at our table, I know the server has informed the bartender who the order is for. The bartender then sets about mixing our drinks.
Lucius leans in. “By the way, anything you order here is on my tab. I’ll make sure the staff knows.”
“Thank you,” I idly say, still focused on the blue-haired woman behind the bar. “I appreciate that.”
“Save your thanks, Dexter.” He smiles. “I do so hate to make a man repeat himself.”
4
Eilidh
It’s a busy night,but then, all nights at Club Toxic are some varying degree of busy. Even Tuesdays, like tonight. We open at seven, and it’s slow at first, until about eight. The floor starts to fill with eagerly gyrating, half-drunk, two-legged Lunchables, and there will soon be a line down the block of people waiting to get in.
I start out working the tables in the lounge, running back and forth to the bar with drink orders. I don’t mind because some of the vamps are really good tippers, and every little bit counts.
Especially since I don’t have to share tips. One of the special concessions Lucius gives me.
