She jumped at the change of subject. “Yes, from tomorrow evening, that is. I need to meet with his tracker and my magic teacher first.”
“Perfect.” He reached into his coat, took out a black card with gold paint, and held it out to her. “This will allow you to enter Nyx’s Kingdom. Mention your name, and our top steward will escort you wherever you wish.”
“Not you two?”
Laurie replied, “If you want us to accompany you, then mention it to Oliver Jones. He’ll find us. But one more thing about that card—until the claiming is complete, it won’t allow you to partner anyone else inside.”
Meadow frowned. “Wait, you’d allow me to jump into the arms of another right after?”
“I hope not, and I have faith we’ll convince you otherwise. But that’s in the future, and we’re not here to dictate what you must do. However, until you allow us to claim you, our vampire’s instinct for you will intensify. And to avoid causing a fight, or worse, please don’t invite anyone else into your bed, male or female. Will you promise?”
She stared at the card. There was a design of a woman in a flowing gown, and something written in the old vampire language that people only studied in universities back in her time.
But no matter what it said, the thick paper and gold paint felt so much heavier than they were.
Even so, Laurie and Joseph were giving her space and the chance to see what she’d never experienced herself, at least without magic. And it wasn’t as if she were going to have people lining up to bed her, or anything.
So she nodded, replied, “I promise.”
Laurie asked, “Will you come tomorrow? We can even provide a demi-mask, if you want to be anonymous.”
She finally met his eyes again. They were deep brown with flecks of amber, and a little inset. However, combined with his straight nose and soft-in-a-masculine-way lips, he was quite attractive. Willing her cheeks not to flush, she said, “Yes, I’d like one.”
Joseph spoke up. “We’ll send you an outfit as well. Our modiste has collaborated with the one you visited today, so she’ll get your measurements.”
Her gaze moved to Joseph. His eyes were more serious, but the dark brown drew her in, almost inviting her to learn more about him. Maybe as his lips kissed down her neck.
Stop it, Meadow.All this talk of sex clubs was getting to her.
She answered, “If it’s even possible to get something made so quickly. Just don’t put me in a teddy with a feather boa.” At theirconfused looks, she clarified, “Nothing too revealing. I won’t feel comfortable walking around in my underwear.”
Laurie and Joseph shared a glance—they did that a lot and seemed to have entire conversations without speaking, which made her a little jealous—and Joseph finally replied, “Of course not. We would never embarrass you or force you to wear something that made you uncomfortable.”
In other words, they wouldn’t want everyone watching her rolls wobble.
Meadow’s desire instantly died. Maybe going to the sex club was a bad idea.
As she tried to think of a polite way to decline, Joseph’s hand covered hers. She should move her own hands away. But as his thumb stroked her skin, some of her anxiety faded.
“Look at me, Meadow.”
She did, right into Joseph’s gorgeous eyes. Ones with longer eyelashes than any male should have.
As he continued to stroke the back of her hand, he stated, “You are beautiful, Meadow Vale.” His free hand cupped her cheek, and against her better judgement, she leaned into his touch. “Who convinced you otherwise?”
Closing her eyes, she tried to block out first her father’s words and then those of the males she’d slept with, but two slipped through.
After her father knocked a bowl out of her hands, he shouted, “You don’t need to eat anything else. How can I use you and your powers to seduce powerful people if you’re too fat for anyone to want to fuck?”
Her first supposed boyfriend, after he took her virginity, had rolled out of bed a few minutes afterward and dressed as he said, “I expected your magic to make that better. It’s probably the only reason I got hard at all. Don’t call me again.Without your magic, who would ever get aroused with such a fucking ugly female?”
It was only when someone brushed tears from her cheek that she realized she was crying. Forcing her eyes open, she saw both Laurie and Joseph in front of her, them both wiping her tears away.
Laurie whispered, “Meadow, what’s wrong?”
Joseph added, “It will stay with us, and no one else, we promise.”
As she glanced between them, she wanted to tell them. Oh, how she wanted to finally unburden the horrible memories. She’d barely ever seen her siblings after going into hiding, and when she had, she hadn’t wanted to ruin the precious stolen moments by sharing her troubles.
