Annie Nicholas - Catch

I glanced over my shoulder.

Rurik stood behind the transparent fabric. Grim concern masked his face. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on smoozing with the different political vampire factions attending the party if he worried about me. We both knew Tane prodded my temper on purpose. Why would he want me to slip and lose it? I took a deep shaky breath. Maybe he wanted to follow through on his threat to punish me publicly and set an example. A cold shiver ran down my spine. It was going to be a very long and trying night.

I blew a kiss to Rurik. Not much of a comfort, except it offered my love.

He lowered and shook his head then left in the other direction.

A tug on my arm spun me to face a group of strangers approaching Tane. They bowed. The only times I’d ever seen a person bow to another were in movies. It took me off guard. Did I curtsy back? I squeezed Tane’s hand, hoping for some kind of cue, but would he give me one or let me make a social gaff?

Slipping his arm around my waist, he pulled me close as if we were the best of friends. They stated their names. I couldn’t keep track of them. It went in one ear and out the other, because Tane stroked his thumb along my rib cage as he observed the shallow pleasantries and responded in kind.

His touch sent all the wrong signals to my brain, which misfired and misinterpreted the sensations. Instead of getting squeamish or nauseous at the tender strokes, warmth spread low in my abdomen; I wanted to lean into the strength pressed against me.

The group moved on, replaced by another. Parties annoyed me. These vampires were just a bunch of bottom feeders who didn’t really want to be together but needed to show their loyalty. Surrounded by such friendship, no wonder Tane wanted Rurik to stay. True allegiance was a rare fish in the vast sea of politics.

One of the guests lifted the wrist of a pretty young man next to him and offered it to Tane.

He released me and took the gift. Angling himself so our gazes met, he bit into the snack.

The young man hissed in pain with initial puncture, then relaxed into the arms of his vampire as if mesmerized.

Tane didn’t drink long, only a taste.

With a murmur of their joy at his safe return, the group moved on.

Next to me, Tane sighed.

I jerked and glanced at him. For a moment, I could have sworn he sounded sad, but it didn’t show on his face. In his position, he probably couldn’t ever show what he truly felt. Watching the vampire and his young love as they made their way to an isolated corner, I had to wonder if Tane missed Eric.

“Come, Rabbit, let’s find something to drink.” He presented his arm.

“You just had a drink.” I placed my hand on his forearm and followed at the leisurely pace he took, like a good little pet.

“I need to wash out the flavor. He tasted tainted with some kind of drug and its turning my stomach.”

Halting, I spun him around and whispered urgently. “Not the drug.” The one used to capture him.

He smirked. “No, I can’t taste that drug. I mean recreational stuff.” He smacked his tongue as if testing the flavor. “Heroin, I think.”

“You can detect that?”

“I’ve had time to develop a sensitive palate.”

Yeah—a millennia. For some reason I couldn’t see past a vampire’s youthful appearance. I treated them as if they were my age. Tane walked the Earth before recorded time. It made me feel insignificant.

A servant came with a tray of martinis. Tane took two and gave me a glass.

“I can’t drink alcohol.”

“Does it make you sick?” He gulped his.

“If I start I won’t stop. I’m a recovering alcoholic.”

He lifted the glass from my hand. “Not even one?”

“There’s no such thing as just one when I start. I haven’t had a drop since Budapest and even that, Rurik tricked me into taking.”

The second martini paused on the way to his lips. “Really? I haven’t heard this story.” He stepped closer and I could smell the gin on his breath.

“Why should you have?” The scent triggered a dormant craving. My demon wanted to piss me off and he pushed every button he could to make me lose control.

“Rurik told me most of what happened.” He sipped. “Some in detail.” He winked.

Stabbing my thumbs into his eyes would have given me great satisfaction. Could I believe him? “Well, I guess you can ask him about it.”

“I plan to.”

Eat me.

“ Only if you say please.”

I gasped. “Stay out of my head. How did you get past my mental shields without my detection?”

“The bond—and I’m talented.” He finished his drink and a servant materialized to retrieve the empty glass. “And you almost shouted your thought. It was kind of difficult to not hear it. Shouldn’t be long before you explode.”

“Why are you doing this? You asked me to behave in public and I’m doing my best, but you keep poking at me.” All this spoken in a quiet voice and in one breath.

“Because it’s fun. These events are so tedious. The least you can do is provide some entertainment.”

“What?” It echoed throughout the room and the hum of voices lessened. I produced my best fake laugh, hugged Tane, and used my ditzy blonde drawl. “You’re so funny.”

Most lost interest right away.

“Nice save.”

“Thanks. Stay out of my head. It’s rude.”

Pressed against Tane’s chest, I realized with my stilettos we fit well together.

Warmth built between us and butterflies took wing in my stomach.

Tane cleared his throat and retreated a step.

It was about time I scored a point in this game.

“I need another drink.” Giving me a wide birth, he left me.

Being alone at a vampire party when you’re human could be dangerous. I scanned the area however with the dang curtains hanging everywhere I couldn’t spot Rurik.

A young woman watched me from behind a piece of fabric. Her long honey blonde hair was pinned from her face and spilled behind her shoulders. She wore an old fashion high-waisted gown with thick embroidery. When our gazes met, she smiled and flashed fang.

The cool jungle breeze blew in through the open garden doors and fluttered the material. I glimpsed Rurik sitting on a pile of cushions conversing with a group of women. One of them slid over, resting her head on his shoulder.

I’d had enough. Tane could do his own mingling.

Before I could move forward the blonde girl, who’d watched me from behind the curtain, blocked my path.

“Are you Tane’s new companion?” Her blue eyes shone like sapphires and a dimple appeared in her right cheek as she smiled shyly at me like a pretty little vampire doll.

“Yes, but he refers to me as a blood slave .” I raised an eyebrow at her and scowled.

She giggled. “That’s a very old title. He made people stop using it centuries ago. I wonder why he’s returned to using it now?”

Her laughter caught me off guard. Most of the vampires I’d met since traveling with Rurik fell in two classes: overconfident-smug-asses or take-everything-out-of-context-serious. She didn’t fit in either. How interesting.

A tall slim man with long brown hair came behind her. I remembered him from my rescue from Luckard. He helped remove the bars from Tane’s body, yet his name slipped my mind. “Our Master is hurt by Eric’s betrayal, my love.” He placed his arm around her.

“I doubt he’ll be very kind to you, Ms. Bence. My apologies for your circumstances.”

“Thank you…I think.” This one fit in my latter category.

“I am Archios, and this angel is my wife, Belatia.”

I recognized their names from the story Tane told of a blood slave gone crazy with the hunger when her master disappeared. “Rurik told me you helped to lead our rescue.