Chapter 29
Kate climbed out first. She grinned wickedly to Luken and linked her arm through his, "Ready to raise some hell?"
He lowered a mask over his face, grinning. The boys were rather simple, but Kate's outfit was hardly that. She looked like she was going back in time to an era ahead of what the vampire party might've been. Her mask was plain red, plastic backed and slid over her upper face easily. It was red as blood, surrounded by shiny red sequins. She wore a simple, sleeveless red dress and matching pumps. The boys didn't look like they'd tried; a few were wearing button downs. Romulus looked to be the only one who dressed up. I fastened my mask with its ribbons behind my head and glanced to him. He smiled slightly in reassurance and held out his arm, "Let's."
We crossed the lawn less in grace and more in command. A pair of male vampires at the door were smoking, their brows raised toward us as we ascended the steps and quietly slipped inside. My breath was taken away. It wasn't the kind of party I'd expected, with orchestras and wine and couples drinking blood in corners. The furnature had been pushed away and the dancers, though graceful, elegant and timeless, moved to heavy, modern music with an undertone of bass. Luken and Kate stopped beside us.
"Boys, go set up a perimeter. Kate, Luke...don't kill anyone." Romulus's voice didn't carry far, his eyes never once moving from the crowd, "Abbey and I are going to go dance."
"I can't promise you anything, Rom," Luken replied, nudging Kate to follow him. She released his arm and slipped off, causing him to roll his eyes as he followed her. In time with the thumping bass, we entered the room and made our presence known. He glanced at me in silent reassurance. Maybe it was the instinct, but he moved with musicality whether he meant to or not. One of my hands slipped into his, the other resting on his bicep. His rested at my waist, guiding me into a quick-paced waltz. He led well at least; I faked knowing what I was doing for his benefit. One song melded into each other, elegant and modern. I caught sight of our hosts at the very center of the crowd and lightly nudged Romulus. His eyes flicked to them and narrowed slightly.
I reminded myself very suddenly that we were in a room of the undead and that the girl I was looking at was pretty much their queen. She looked the part tonight. A full-bodied gown hugged all the right places, a silk bodice bound like a corset around her little midsection and fluffing out like the bloom of a flower into a train draped in burgundy lace. It looked like bloody spider-webbing. Bram wore entirely black, save for his red tie and very red mouth. I wasn't sure if it was from the kisses they kept stealing from each other or if they'd been on a killing spree before- or during- their soiree. Romulus's expression gave away his suspicion before I could even voice mine. At least we were on the same page.
When the music slowed, they broke apart only slightly. So did we, pausing right in the center of it all. My heart was pounding against my ribs so thoroughly that the ice glazing my hands felt as if it were forming solid gloves. He released her lace-gloved hand and disappeared into the crowd. With only her approaching, I felt the urge to puff up like a dominance-seeking peacock. Her burgundy eyes flickered over my dress and a demure smile graced her scarlet lips, "You certainly never cease to amaze, Abbey."
I wasn't sure to thank her or take offence. From the smug glint in her eyes, I was inclined to believe she thought I'd show up in a dress made of skinned werewolves. Her mate appeared out of nowhere, offering the both of us glasses of what appeared to be sparkling juice, "We weren't sure of the diversity of the crowd we'd have. I'm sorry if you're disappointed."
Romulus's raised brows lowered slightly, "It's nice. I'm surprised you've lowered yourselves to our level for even one night."
They both wore equally mocking and cruel smiles. They were obviously holding back comments of their continued superiority, but I just glanced to Romulus and took a sip in hopes that he wouldn't continue. He raised his glass in a faux toast. Bram nodded, clasping Gory's hand in his once more. "If you'll excuse the both of us, we really should get around to greeting the rest of our guests."
"Have fun," Romulus replied. He took a sip as the couple walked away, glancing to me and lowering his voice, "I can't tell if they just hate everyone or if they're up to something."
The air of superiority hadn't fallen among their kind any. I was still on edge, even as he guided me toward the stairs and glanced around. One by one, the pack trickled over from their posts. Kate and Luken were flushed and giggling, obviously having been dancing much longer and with much more passion than us. "We should go within the hour, just in case it takes a turn. Alright?" Obviously, he hadn't anticipated a response. Kate sighed dramatically, "Rom, it's a party. Let up a little."
Deugi shrugged, "It's not half bad, even for a bloodsucker party."
"Come dance with me," Kate said, extending her hand, "I need a new partner."
He glanced to me uneasily. I smiled, waving him off in the direction of the dance floor and allowing Kate to take him off with her. Luken sat on the steps, grinning with exhaustion and elation, "Jealous any?"
I shook my head and sunk down beside him, "Worried."
"It's not every day we go into the enemy's lair," he commented, fanning himself. I watched them, a spot of white and a glitter among the dark, muted bodies of the contained and elegant undead. Apparently, the guys were too. Deugi didn't look at me, but somehow I knew he was talking to me. "She loved him, you know. Back in Wolf Point. He was a lot like the vamp. He had his way with ladies."
My throat felt too dry to swallow, so I took another gulp of juice. Luken rolled his eyes, "He went on one date with Dahlia before Kate moved in. By then, her mom was already shacked up with Collin and they were just trying to escape what they left behind. That's why we couldn't bring Rocco, he still doesn't remember what happened."
I glanced to him, "What happened?"
"Their dad died in an accident. They hit a bloodsucker and the bloodsucker ripped off the door and tore his throat out. From what their mom told mine, it probably would've killed them too if he hadn't been screaming at her to drive the car."
My heart dropped into my stomach. Romulus twirled her; both of them were grinning. I glanced at him again, but he was staring at her. "You probably think she's the coldest, most bitter bitch on the face of the earth. She's got her reasons. Maybe tonight will change something in her."
"And she loved him," Deugi pitched in, "Rom's made some progress with her. They get really pissed off with each other, but hell, they might as well be family now."
I smiled, brushing my fingers over my skirt. If it wouldn't mess up my makeup, I would've rubbed my eyes. The exhaustion from my stress and my movement had finally settled in. I glanced at them, the sensation of anxiety and the thrill of a potential fight had subsided in us all. Finally, my eyes fell on the shadows in the corner. Glistening ruby eyes, powdered porcelain skin and the predatory watchfulness of a hunter about to strike stood out in my sights. Something was horribly wrong. Among the crowd, Kate swayed. Her knees buckled and she collapsed against him. The cold in the pit of my stomach took on a new sense of urgency. I got to my feet and slipped between couples to him, touching his shoulders. My legs felt weak. His eyes, dark and glassy, met my own. We dropped in unison, and suddenly the vampires around us were giving us a wide berth of space. The air felt warm, no matter how hard my crystal was working.
"You're smart, I'll give you that." Her voice rung out as clear as a bell, the painful musicality of it a side effect of vampirism. My stomach heaved. Kate rolled onto her back, almost submissively. Her face was burning. Romulus held her up slightly, my eyes flashing across the crowd to our slumped-over friends. The vampires strode around to us and a pair of elegant fingers lifted my chin. I looked up into Gory's face, my chest heaving with as much force as Kate's. The illness, I could tell, was universal.
"You must have some wolf in you after all," she commented, grinning wickedly, "Too bad. You might've been a nice addition."
"Don't touch her," he snarled.
"What are you going to do, dog? Roll over and whimper?" Bram replied, crossing behind his mate and resting his hand on her lower back, "It's almost painful how easy it was to bring you down."
Gory laughed, baring her pearly fangs. She took a delicate step back, releasing me and entering his gentlemanly hold. They looked as if they were posing for a portrait, his hand at her waist and hers laying delicately over it, "A little silver nitrate in your drinks and it brought you down like poison to a rat."
"Poisoning the rat kills the owl," Kate replied. Her breath was coming heavy. I glanced at Romulus, panic in my eyes. The panic only caused pain to begin to radiate from the center of my body. He boosted her, holding her tightly, "You got your point across. Now...let them go."
She shrugged gently, "How about no?"
"Goddamn it, they never did anything to you!" he snarled, his voice taking on the double timbre of a half-snarling-wolf, half-booming-man, "Let my pack go! I'm the Alpha, you do to me what you want to do to me, but you need to let them go!"
"I've pardoned enough of you animals for one day. It's bad enough 'Laura thinks it's amusing to go roll around in the hay with one of you, but to have you step out of line the way you've been is purely and simply unacceptable."
"Please," I half-whimpered. Their eyes trained on me, the amusement only growing. "Please," I repeated, "She not well. Okay, you make point, we not fight back. Please. We let you win." My vision was getting fuzzy around the edges. Still, somehow, all they did was smile, "Abbey, you poor naive little girl...you could get rabies lying with dogs. And unfortunately...there is no cure for dying."
"If you wanna keep us, keep us," Kate replied, her breath coming in light pants, "Just let Abbey go. Okay? Abbey didn't do anything. The only thing she's guilty of...is giving a shit about Rom."
"We're not that cruel. You kill one, you have to kill both. Otherwise they die on their own," Bram replied. He made it sound as if it were mercy. His mate was significantly less remorseful, "The punishment for betrayal has always been death."
I felt a cool breeze against my back and the slam of a door. Gory's eyes widened in shock before her expression twisted in fury. I glanced back, shaking as my arms struggled to support the weight of my body.
Draculaura and Clawd stood in the entryway, blocking the vampires' exit. Clearly, they hadn't come alone.
"Not today it isn't," he replied with strong, eery calm. I broke into a smile before crumpling to the floor.
