dropped my shower caboodle. Emily only cleaned when she was nervous. And she seemed immersed with the microwave.
"Did the witch leave?"
Emily's eyes shot to mine. "Do you believe in that stuff?"
I shrugged as I pulled a shirt on. "Our microwave is kapoot. I think we better." It was meant as a joke, but when her eyes widened and she paled, I thought better of it. So I sighed again, pulled on some jeans, and quickly combed my hair. "Come on, let's go out."
"What?"
"Let's go out. I know somewhere we can get some drinks, maybe even free drinks."
Slowly, she stood. "We're going for a drink?"
"Yeah. We went before."
"That was with Kates. I met Bennett that night." Something flashed over her face and Emily crumbled in front of me. Her face fell. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped like a stone on my bed.
My mouth dropped with her. "Hey. Come on. It'll be good for you."
"I haven't seen him since that horrible night, when we were kidnapped. I know the police said there was nothing we could do about it and that he skipped town. I know you said that Kates was working undercover and went after him, but I still feel like I lost him. I constantly have this sense of being cheated. It's like he died and I felt it." She stopped and a few tears came to her eyes.
One, he had died. Two, you're better off. Three, Kates hadn't been working undercover. None of that was going to make her feel better, so I patted her shoulder instead.
"I feel like I'm grieving for him." She turned and started to sob in my shoulder.
Awkward.
I kept patting her shoulder and then switched to brushing her hair from her forehead. That was always soothing.
"I still think we should go out." I tried to sound cheerful. The wolf would've been handy in this moment.
"Why am I like this?" She kept crying and pulled away to stare at her hands. She held them up with her fingers spread out, and stared down at her palms. "I feel so dirty. I feel like I'm going crazy. I know you said it had something to do with the full moon, but I still don't feel right. I keep up a good front in front of Pippa, but I'm a basket case."
"Oh come now." I shook her shoulder. "You're normal. The guy did a number on you and you have to go through what every other girl does. They're called crushes for a reason, Em. This is the time you jump back up and keep going. Hell, let's invite Pippa. Maybe the witch too? We have friends. We should celebrate."
Her eyes popped out. "Not the witch. Do you believe in that? Really? I couldn't believe it, but then there's the microwave. She's loony."
"Ah. She's harmless."
Emily dropped her voice to a whisper, "I think she's actually a witch. She seemed sure of it and I don't think she's crazy. She said there are vampires. Do you believe in them? Maybe she's delusional. I don't believe in that stuff, but then I never believed in witches." She shuddered.
I laughed on a forced note. "Vampires? Next thing you're going to say that werewolves exist, maybe even were-cats."
"Davy." Emily stood and stared down at me. She was too serious. "I think she does have magical powers. Our microwave is destroyed. We have to get a new one because of her."
I stood and patted her hand. "It'll be okay. Promise. Witches can't hurt humans."
"Really?"
"Really." I smiled at my lie and toed on some sandals. "Are you going like that?"
"We're really going out?"
"Why not? Neither of us have early classes. Let's go. Did you want to invite Pippa too?"
"Really?" Emily stood uncertainly in the middle of the room. Then she gasped and dove for her closet. When she pulled out a red shirt, she stopped, and glanced at me. She looked at my simple white tee shirt and took out a green one of hers. Then she reached for her khaki capris, but veered to her jeans instead. We now looked like twins. Super.
"I'm going to see if Pippa wants to come." Emily darted out the door.
I took a deep breath, but it wasn't long before I heard a knock at our door. Pippa popped her head around the door. "Emily said we're going out? Is it okay if I come?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
She glanced over her shoulder. "Emily went to the bathroom. I wanted to make sure it's okay with you if I come. I don't really think you and I get along?"
"Which is funny because we're both lying to the same person. You'd think we'd be best friends." I tried not to sound so bitchy, but I failed.
Pippa cringed.
"Sorry. That was unfair. I don't like lying to her, but I have to. I'm taking my stuff out on you. I know you said that her kindred will tell her, maybe then neither of us will have to lie to her."
Pippa narrowed her eyes. "I don't really know what powers you have or what you are, but I know you're more than empathic. If she finds out about me, why would that mean you're caught too?"
I opened my mouth and then shut it. The wolf had a point, which was irksome. Emily might not ever find out about me. That should be good news, but it was then that I realized I wanted my roommate to know about me. I didn't want to lie anymore. I didn't want to hide anymore.
So I closed my mouth. 'Well. Fuck me.'
Pippa kept winding a finger around one of her braids. "Where are we going? She mentioned Buds before? That's a vampire bar. I don't want to go there."
I cringed. "You're not the only one. I want to stay as far away from vampires as much as you."
She flashed a relieved smile. "Oh good. I didn't know. I mean, I assumed, but you smelled like vampires so much before. Nevermind. That sounds good to me."
Then Emily came in, excited and scared at the same moment. I knew Pippa sensed it too because her nostrils flared and she shot me a look. "Looking good, roomie."
She flushed, but she was happy. That was all I cared about. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, I am. You guys?"
Pippa nodded, dressed in her overalls and a pink shirt this time. I was starting to wonder if she ever changed her outfit or her hair. She still had the same two braids that hung over her shoulders as she had the first time I met her.
"My pick?" I took my car keys and purse. I started for the door.
"I was wondering if we could go to the Shoilster? Some girls on our floor told me it's supposed to be awesome."
Pippa and I both froze.
"Please?"
The wolf and I shared a shaky look. "Sure."
"I call shotgun!" Emily bounced out the door and we followed at a sedate pace. This night was definitely going to be interesting.
The drive over was tense. Emily fully welcomed the idea of going out so she couldn't sit still in her seat. Pippa and I were much less excited. As we got out of the car and headed towards the bar, I saw Gregory at the door in all black with sunglasses over his eyes.
"They have bouncers?" Pippa looked at me.
I shrugged and burst ahead of the girls. Gregory saw me and froze. I felt suspicion and caution come over him as I slapped a hand on his huge bicep. It twitched under my hand and my hand shot away. I felt scolded somehow and let out a nervous giggle. "Hi! So, I'm Davy. I had a friend that used to come here all the time. Kates? Do you know her? She said we'd be welcome to get in. This is my roommate, Emily, and her friend, Pippa."
They drew beside me as Gregory's gaze slid over both girls and then back to me. He sniffed the air as Pippa was trying not to and turned back to me. I felt his meaningful look. Oh yes. He was aware I had a werewolf in my company. So my fake smile spread wider. "Can we get in? We go to school here and want a fun night out. My roommate heard a lot about this place." My smile slipped.
There was no reaction from the giant vampire, but his mouth flattened into a small frown. "You girls need to stay on the main floor. No one goes into the basement."
Emily was gleeful and skipped through. "Thanks!" Pippa hung her head and dragged her feet behind. Once they out of hearing distance, I murmured, "Please don't kill me."
He harrumphed. "You wait till Roane hears about this."
"Dav
y! Come on. What are you doing?" Emily called from inside and I hurried ahead. A sense of doom washed over.
As we went in, waves of vampires rushed over me. They were everywhere. Before they'd always stayed to the basement, but this time they were in each corridor, in every booth, and on the dance floor. And these weren't normal vampires that went to our university. I glanced around and my eyes went wide. I didn't know what type of vampires they were, but they weren't the normal kind. If they were at the Shoilster and Gregory let us in, they must've been loyal to Roane.
Two vampire males strolled by and eyed us up and down. I scowled at them as Emily gushed. "This place is amazing. The bright lights. Is that smoke on the floor? And what kind of music is that? Is that techno? Don't they listen to that in Europe? Where did all these gorgeous guys come from?"
"It's not smoke, Em. It's dry ice."
It was supposed to make the club more mysterious and it worked. I kept eyeing all the nooks and crannies. I wondered what was happening in those shadows that no one could see. She was right about the guys too. Most vampires were good looking, but these seemed to be the crème de la crème. Some of them were tall and lean while others were a little stockier, built like Gregory. The females resembled Wren, complete with the hooker outfits. They wore lace corsets and leather. A few of them narrowed their eyes at us, and watched us with something that resembled hatred.
Pippa shifted beside me. Her hand touched mine. 'I can't be here. A werewolf can't be here.'
'You're with two humans. They won't say anything.'
'I can't risk it. I'm sorry, Davy. I have to leave. Make up an excuse for me, please?'
'But…'
But she was already gone.
Then Emily looked around, wide eyed. "This was the best idea you've had, Davy. Wait. Where'd Pippa go?"
"Her cousin was sick." It wasn't my best lie.
"Really?" But then Emily was back to basking in the glow of the vampires.
"Excuse me, misses. I have a table ready for you." A server appeared with a black buttoned down shirt tucked in black slacks with two menus in his hand. His hair was slicked back in gel, giving him a smooth Casanova look to him.
A smirk appeared on his face as his eyes shifted from Emily to me. At first he looked at my roommate in anticipation, but then he saw me and read my eyes. 'Back off, buddy.'
He looked away as he led us through the crowd. We kept going upwards, which was surprising. I knew the Shoilster. Customers didn't get preferred seating unless they called ahead for reservations. It was the type of club where VIPs got private boxes, but we went past even those. He took us to a back corner where the music could barely be heard, but we were tucked at an angle where we could still see most of the activity and dance floor.
As we sat, Emily took the offered menu and leaned across the table. "This place is so pretty and we got a great table. It's everything the girls were saying. Oh, thank you so much."
The server took our order and left quietly.
Emily whispered after he'd gone a few steps, "He's cute."
"He's off limits," I growled and opened my own menu.
I hated the Shoilster. The food was made to look pretty on the plate, but the quality wasn't taste-worthy. However, what do you expect from a club/bar/restaurant that's geared towards the vampire customers. They didn't care about the food. As long as it looked pretty, appeased the humans they brought with them, and allowed a lot of drinks to come in dark colored glass, they were satisfied. They could consume their blood in front of any stupid human.
Emily gaped. "What? Why? He's cute."
"You're fragile right now. You need to go out a few more times before dating again. Bennett did a number on you."
"But," she sputtered. "Didn't you say the best thing was to go out and get over him?"
I closed my menu. "No. I said going out, but not going with a guy. It is okay to go out, let yourself soak up the fun, maybe even some attention from some guys, but that's it. Guys are dangerous. You need to get your head on straight in order to handle them."
My roommate made a disgusted face. "You make them sound like they're predators."
If the shoe fits.
Then she added, "What happened to you? You were crazy about Adam before and he wasn't a good guy."
"Adam was a cheater and a douchebag."
"Oh." She fell silent because we both knew she agreed with my sentiments about him. She'd been the first to tell me. Eyeing my roommate, I saw the confusion in her eyes. Maybe if she knew about vampires, about what they could do? Maybe if I told her?
Just then someone appeared at our table and Emily gasped, "Luke?"
My stomach fell and I looked up. Sure enough. There he was, glowering down at me. Emily just smiled at him. I realized she still had her crush for him from before.
"Um, hi."
"Emily, right? You're in one of my classes?" Roane put on a polished façade and seemed happy to see her as he pushed into my side of the booth, shoving me over. As his arm touched mine and I felt how tense he was, I knew he was pissed.
When he continued to chat with my roommate, I tried to sense inside of him. I hadn't gone far before he lashed at me, 'Get out! You shouldn't be here.'
Oh yes. He was pissed.
I hung my head for a moment because he was right. I shouldn't have been there, but I couldn't even deny it. I had wanted to see him. I wanted to go there to maybe see him. When Emily suggested the Shoilster, I hadn't argued, at all. Then I looked back up. My eyes skimmed over his chiseled features that seemed more mysterious from the shadows dancing over his face and I caught a glimpse of Gregory in the background. He'd taken point behind a post with a drink in hand. His eyes met mine for a second before he shifted and looked away. I knew he agreed with Roane, I had been stupid to go there.
I also knew he was our bodyguard for the rest of the night.
It was then that I felt Roane's hand grip mine underneath the booth and he squeezed tight. I didn't know if it was to convey how angry he was with me or if he was trying to warn me about something. Either way, I was fearful of sharing thoughts with him. Other vampires were too close, they might hear them. So I was forced to sit there as Luke talked with Emily because I knew what he was doing. He was making her feel like she was the focal point of his arrival so she wouldn't suspect a thing. I saw how her eyes lit up. She was eating it up and lavishing in it.
I was in hell.
CHAPTER TEN
Roane never spoke to me as he sat with us. And once he left, Emily gave me a dreamy smile and sighed. "He's a great guy. Doesn't seem to like you much, but he's nice."
I cleared my throat and sat up straight, but she stopped me with a wave. "Don't worry. I'm not going to chase Luke Roane. He's way out of my league. I'm not completely stupid. Besides, he's probably already devoted to some beautiful creature."
"What do you mean by that?" What did she know?
Emily shrugged. "That's the fourth time he's ever talked to me, but he never once flirted with me. He's always been nice, polite, and stand-offish. Trust me; he's one of the good ones."
"Right." I breathed easier. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but our food came at that moment. Roane had been there when our orders were taken so the server was the epitome of professional now. I caught him glancing over his shoulder at Gregory too.
I ordered a salad. Emily ordered chicken. Then our drinks started coming.
Emily's face lit up again. "What is this?"
"They're on the house." And he placed two fruity cocktails in front of us, followed by our own pitchers of the same liquid.
Roane had done this. He sat us where we were and he was paying for everything.
Then the server slipped me a note. I slid it on my lap and opened it to read. 'If you're going out, stay here where I can protect you. Enjoy. Don't come back here again. Why are you keeping company with a werewolf?'
Talk about being blunt and hurtful at the same time. I ripped it to shreds and dropped the pieces in our ca
ndle through the rest of the evening. Anybody with magic could've put them back together,