I drove towards Indigo only to find the place locked tight. There were a few shops nearby still open for business, but most of them were empty. Every once in a while, some police officers walked by on patrols, but otherwise, the streets were dead.
I sat in my van, biting at my short fingernails and worrying if this was what we had to look forward to from now on. People too afraid to leave their homes for fear of being attacked.
It was evening by the time I got back, and all I had managed to do was save one old lady from being mugged by a group of human teenagers. I also gave a man directions to the nearest open grocery store.
You know, real hero stuff.
After so many years of constantly fighting a battle, I didn’t trust the quiet. It made me antsy.
At the house, I found Tegan, Alvie, and Amanda in the kitchen preparing dinner. They all seemed to be working together to make a stew, and the counter was a mess of chopped vegetables.
“Ever heard of the saying ‘too many cooks spoil the broth?’” I asked humorously, sitting down on a stool to watch them. I picked up a raw carrot and took a bite.
“Oh, shush,” Tegan said as she turned back to consult the recipe book she was working from. “I’m just not used to catering for so many people.”
“I say you give up now and order a pizza.”
“What’s going on in here?” Lucas asked as he entered the kitchen. Amanda tensed at the sound of his voice.
“We’re cooking dinner,” she replied, meeting the dark-haired vampire’s eyes coolly. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring him down.
His gaze seemed to move along her body appreciatively before a guilty look crossed his features. I remembered Tegan mentioning that he’d been the one to introduce Amanda to the vampire world. That was how she became addicted to being bitten. It was interesting to know he felt remorse about it.
“You look good. Healthy,” he said, and Amanda’s lip trembled.
I watched her actively fight whatever feelings she was having before plastering on a neutral expression. “Thanks.”
An awkward silence ensued. I glanced at Tegan, and she shrugged her shoulders. Lucas cleared his throat. “Right, well, I better get going to Crimson. Are you all coming to the party later, or …” His eyes went to Amanda once more, but she refused to look at him.
“Only me, Delilah, and Ira are going,” Tegan answered. “Everyone else is staying here.”
Lucas nodded. “Right, well, I’ll see you later then. The rest of you have a good evening.”
He left, and Amanda seemed to slump in relief once he was gone. Poor girl. It must’ve been rough getting clean from addiction and then having to stay in a house with the thing you’d been addicted to. Tegan put a hand on her friend’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Amanda gave a little nod to show she was okay, and they continued to prepare the stew.
When Alora entered the kitchen, I was distracted from everything else. She seemed to have that effect on me. I called her over to where I sat on the stool before pulling her between my legs and wrapping my arms around her middle, her back pressed to my front. Tegan and Alvie were not so subtly watching us out the corners of their eyes, but I didn’t care. I wanted Alora to be my woman, and I couldn’t give a crap who knew about it.
Leaning forward, I placed a soft kiss on her neck, and she shivered.
“You hungry?” I asked in a low voice.
“Mm-hmm,” was the only reply she gave, and I could tell she was shy about me being openly affectionate with her in front of everyone. Well, she’d better get used to it because I had no intention of stopping.
I stroked my hand across her belly, and when Tegan began gathering vegetables and dumping them into the pot, she watched us curiously. The front door opened and shut, and seconds later, Cristescu strolled into the room. He laughed tenderly when he saw Tegan fretting over her concoction. The tender way he looked at her gave me pause. I’d never really seen the two of them in an everyday environment like this. It made them both seem so normal … and so in love.
So, vamps were capable of real emotions. I had proof standing right in front of me. Another brick on the wall of my prejudice fell crumbling to the ground. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t immediately realise Alora was tugging on my sleeve.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“I’m good,” I said, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I’m always good when you’re near.”
The way her long lashes cast shadows on her face as she glanced away sent a bolt of arousal through me. Interesting. It seemed I liked it when she got shy. Sadly, my burgeoning stiffy was a problem. I had to think about something gross so as not to embarrass myself … such as Theodore naked.
Brrr.
Yep, that did the trick.
We all sat down for dinner once Tegan’s stew was ready, and despite the mess they made of the kitchen, it actually wasn’t half bad.
Once night fell, Tegan, Cristescu, Lucas, Delilah, and Ira left for the party at Crimson
while the rest of us retreated to our rooms. I thought about inviting Alora to spend the night with me again, but I didn’t want to rush things. With the city how it was, I couldn’t court her properly, couldn’t take her out on a date like I normally would. There was also the possibility that she might be a virgin, which meant going slow was important. I wanted her to feel safe with me and not pressured into doing anything she wasn’t ready for.
I lay down on the bed, bunched up the pillow until it was just right, and closed my eyes. Several minutes later, I started to feel cold, and I realised that the temperature in the room had dropped drastically. I glanced out the window, and there was frost on the glass. The weather wasn’t exactly warm today, but it certainly wasn’t cold enough for frost.
Sitting up from the bed, I walked over to the window and ran my hand along the surface of the glass. I quickly withdrew my hand when a zing of what could only be described as magic flitted across my skin. This was just too weird.
The frost had grown so thick that I couldn’t see out anymore. I jumped when something moved across it, clearing some of the ice, and my heart thumped when I saw a hand. Someone was on the other side of the window—a window high up on the second floor.
Moments later, a circle had been cleared, and I found myself staring through the pane only to be met by Rita’s dark gaze. An unnatural grin formed on her lips as she crooked her finger at me.
Tegan
I’d say one thing for Nicu Arcos, he really knew how to throw a party. I entered Crimson arm in arm with Ethan. Delilah, Ira, and Lucas were behind us, and all I could see was glittering gold and red confetti as it fell from the ceiling. It was sort of magical how the lights reflected off the confetti, making the entire place seem as though it was sparkling.
The vampires all cheered at Ethan’s arrival, some of them even thrusting bouquets into his arms. If it was anyone else, they might look bewildered, but not Ethan. He took it all in his stride with an urbane smile and genteel words of appreciation.
For a second, I was reminded of the victory march of an ancient Roman general, returning home with the spoils of war. Only I wasn’t sure that holding power in Tribane was a victory so much as a poisoned chalice. I considered the fates of every governor I’d met. Herrington, Pamphrock, and Whitfield had all suffered distinctly gruesome deaths.