From the conflicting set of emotions on his face, I could see he’d cared for her.
His movements were rough as he slipped the cuffs into his sleeves. “No, it’s fitting you wear that.”
“Are you sure?” I crossed the room to set a hand on his arm, waiting until he looked at me. “I don’t have to.”
The necklace was certainly pretty, but it wasn’t nearly as important as Connor’s emotional state. If the sight of it hanging on my neck was going to hurt him, I would rather not wear it at all.
Connor took my hand in his to give it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s no one more deserving to wear what she once did than you.”
He swept a courtly bow, brushing his lips across my knuckles before rising and offering me his arm. “Shall we, my Matriarch?”
I set my hand on his elbow. “Only if you never call me that again.”
The party was in full swing by the time Connor and I rejoined it. Music thumped from the level below. Somehow muted enough that it didn’t overwhelm the low drone of conversation.
Humans mingled in the throng of vampires. Dressed like the wait staff below, they wove through the crowd, offering refreshments. Only the refreshment on tap wasn’t alcohol but rather the blood in their veins.
As I watched, a vampire slid his hand along a man’s back. He guided his prey toward one of the nooks that existed along the edge of the room. The man didn’t resist, following willingly as the vampire pressed him down on one of the couches.
I looked away as the vampire exposed the human’s throat, knowing what came next. That didn’t stop the human’s moan from reaching my ears a second later.
It acted like a magnet, drawing my attention back to the pair. The human was already lost in pleasure, his hips bucking wildly as he sought relief. The vampire was rough as he pulled him more fully into his arms, nearly lifting him off the couch as a feral growl left his throat.
The feeding lasted only a few more seconds before the human’s features went slack. There was an unfocused look in his eyes as the vampire lowered him to the couch. Satiated, the human didn’t move from where he was placed, lost in a pleasurable bliss.
The vampire strode away, not stopping to check that his partner was alright. It was like the interlude was nothing but an afterthought for him. A necessary piece of business that didn’t impact the rest of his evening.
“Aileen?” Connor stopped, sending me an inquisitive glance that made me realize I’d fallen behind.
I shook myself from my distraction, sending him a strained smile. “Sorry about that.”
Connor didn’t say anything, his gaze peering through me and seeing too much.
“All the humans here are volunteers,” Sienna said, appearing beside him. “They’re well compensated for their time.”
I had no doubt about that.
The second floor wasn’t like the first. The humans up here knew about our world and what they were getting into by signing a contract with Clan Davinish, who owned the club. It was a service the clan offered when anyone hosted gatherings here.
The humans agreed because of the many benefits. Besides the monetary portion, there was the fact that our bites could cause extreme pleasure or pain based on our whims. It could also extend a human’s life by decades and cure most ailments.
Those last two only happened when a human was fed off regularly and supplemented with a little of our blood.
It was enough for humans to line up to be donors, though. Many of those here were probably hoping to make the jump to a formal companion someday. They didn’t realize the high degree of difficulty in reaching that level. Or the sacrifices that came after.
Sensing my hesitation, Connor offered me his hand. “I won’t leave your side. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said, placing my hand in his.
Connor didn’t disappoint, remaining by my side as we worked the room.
“This is quite the crowd,” I commented, staring at the faces around us, noting the many new ones.
Sienna nodded. “There are vampires from all over our territory present tonight.”
No wonder I didn’t recognize them.
“Any reason for that?” I asked.
