Rhea popped the last chicken wing in her mouth, stood, and stretched like the predator she was. “Ready for another round?”
Felix looked at Emmy, clearly torn between dancing and staying with her.
“Go dance,” Emmy told him. “I’m going to talk to Zander and Spence.”
She’d taken her shoes off while she sat, and she slid her feet back into them, stood, and made her way through the tables toward Zander and Spence, talking to the vampire who’d fucked her on stage for one of the early feeding frenzies.
Zander’s gaze found her immediately, his blue eyes tracking her approach. The vampire he’d been speaking with took one look at his expression and politely excused himself.
“Emerald.” His voice was warm, possessive, and the sound of her full name on his lips still sent shivers down her spine.
She stopped in front of them, close enough that the heat from the nearby coal-filled bowls couldn’t quite reach.
She met Spence’s gaze a few seconds and then looked to Zander. “Would it be possible for your boy to walk me to the restroom?”
Zander’s grin was slow and knowing. “Spencer, would you escort Emerald downstairs?”
“Of course.” Spence offered his arm like the gentleman he was, and Emmy took it, feeling the solid strength beneath the luxurious fabric of his jacket.
They walked to the exit in comfortable silence, the music fading behind them as they descended the utilitarian stairs.
Security stood at the top and bottom of the stairs, and in the hallway for the short walk to the bathroom.
The bathroom was nicer than the ones on the flock’s floor, and with no showers, it wasn’t as wide. Sinks on the left wall, toilet stalls on the right.
A few flock members were touching up makeup or adjusting costumes, but no one paid them much attention.
Emmy took care of necessities quickly, emerging to find Spence washing his hands at the sink. He’d taken his jacket off and pushed his sleeves up, and she found herself watching the movement of his forearms, the way the muscles flexed and moved beneath his skin.
He caught her looking in the mirror and gave her a soft smile.
She washed her own hands, and he was there immediately with a paper towel, the small gesture so quintessentially Spence.
“Thanks.” That wasn’t enough, so she added. “You always know what I need.”
They walked back to the stairwell, lit by the same utilitarian lighting as the rest of the security floor. Above, the muffled thump of music vibrated through the walls with a driving beat that made the air itself seem to pulse.
“The aurora is incredible tonight,” Spence said as they started up the stairs. “I’ve seen dozens of displays, but this one—”
“Is magical,” Emmy finished, climbing beside him. “The colors are amazing. Almost otherworldly. Toby knows his shit.”
Before they reached the landing, Emmy stepped up and in front of him, blocking him from climbing higher, her face slightly above his, looking down from inches away.
His breath caught, but the two just stared at each other, close enough to see the flecks of amber in his eyes, to scent his wolf sitting up to take note.
She framed his face with both hands, her thumbs brushing his cheekbones.
“I’ve wanted to do this for months, but you belong to another.” She brushed his lower lip with her thumb. “But he seems happy to share you with me.”
His throat worked. His eyes went a tiny bit wider. His pupils dilated.
And the scent of his arousal bloomed around them.
She moved one of her hands to the back of his head, tilted his face up to hers, and brought her lips to his.
This wasn’t the devastating conquest Zander had delivered, but gentler, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips until he opened for her.
She took her time learning the shape of his mouth and the way he tasted, his underlying wolfiness mixed with the rich wine he’d drunk. Her lips moved against his with careful authority, thoroughly claiming him.
