by R. E. Butler
“Wanna grab a drink in the family room?” Ven asked.
She looked toward the offices where work waited. But she didn’t really feel like working. She’d ended something she should have cut off far earlier. She’d tried to see the good in him, tried to stick it out and hope for the best, but his best was awful and she deserved better.
Much better.
A good way to celebrate the new freedom she felt would be to blow off work and hang out with her friends.
“I’d love to.”
Temple put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll find Mr. Right eventually, Cell.”
“Ugh, hard pass on that anytime soon.”
“Don’t go all sour on love,” Ven said as he fell into step with them.
“I’m not. But I won’t try to force it again.”
After navigating the crowded dance floor, they reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the family’s private room. The guards stepped aside and let them up. “So that’s a no to speed dating?” Temple asked.
Ven opened the door to the glass-enclosed room and she laughed as she walked in. “No thanks.”
“No thanks for what?” Arissa asked. She and Brone were seated on one of the couches.
“No thanks to speed dating. I kicked Quaid out.”
“Aw, sorry.” Arissa tilted her head. “Do vampires even speed date? Is that a thing?”
Cella ordered a drink at the private bar and turned to face her family. Her human family had died eons ago, lost to the ravages of war and hardship. She’d been saved by Mishka, who turned her and brought her under his wing, treating her like his sister and a beloved family member. Over time, the other members of the family came to join them, and she’d never cared for a group of people more in her life. She was disappointed that Quaid hadn’t worked out, but more than that, she was sad that she hadn’t just been content with her life as-is. Her beloved was out there somewhere, and she’d wait for him, no matter how long it took.
She joined her friends and lifted her glass of chilled SyBl. “To the rest of us finding our beloveds when the time is right.”
“Hear, hear,” Ven said.
Temple clinked his glass with hers and smiled. “Timing seems to be everything with beloveds.”
Brone smiled at his mate, for whom he’d waited a thousand years for. “Indeed.”
Chapter Four
After the holidays, Cyrus was in the groove at the vamp restaurant. He’d been working construction since he was old enough to swing a hammer, starting off in his father’s family-owned company, which merged with Midas’s ambush-based company once he took over as king. Cyrus loved building things. He liked driving around Whisper Creek and seeing what he’d helped build – homes, barns, a coffee shop, a gas station remodel. He liked doing all of it. He liked creating and seeing the reaction of others when what they imagined came to life through wood and nails. He’d gotten the bug for building when he was a kid, hanging out with his father and uncle as they worked on small home projects for the ambush. The first thing he’d ever built was a bird house for his mom, which had earned him a busted thumbnail, three splinters, and a healthy respect for his father’s bench saw, but he’d never been prouder than when she hung it up outside the kitchen window and gushed about how much she loved it.
And now, twenty-some years later, he was installing stainless steel countertops in the kitchen of a vampire restaurant. Pretty far from the bird house building of his youth. But the project didn’t matter. He always did everything to the best of his ability.
“Give me a hand, Cy?” Gavin called from across the kitchen.
Cyrus put down the cordless drill and strode to where his cousin was installing a light fixture. He looked up at Gavin on the ladder. “What do you need?”
“This bulb is busted. Grab me another?”
“Yep.” He found the box of fixtures, dug out a new bulb and handed it to his cousin. Cyrus watched as Gavin switched it out with the broken one. Taking the broken bulb from Gavin, Cyrus tossed it in the trash and asked, “You think Aeryn might apply for a job here when she graduates?”
Gavin looked down at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “Are you out of your damn mind? It’ll be full of hungry vamps.”
Before Cyrus could say anything, Merrix, one of the vampires on the construction crew, shouted over, “We’re not eating you right now, Gavin, and it’s not just because we don’t like the taste of jackass. We can control ourselves, you know.”
Cyrus barked out a laugh as his cousin climbed down the ladder. “He’s got you there, man.”
“Come on,” Gavin said, his cheeks red with embarrassment. “It’s different for females.”
“Aeryn can kick anyone’s ass,” Cyrus pointed out. “She’s a tigress. The hell she’d let anyone put their fangs in her if she didn’t want them to.”
“Is she single?” Merrix asked, brows raised.
The vampires in the kitchen laughed, and Gavin made a ta-da gesture. Gavin, who had grown up helping out with the family business and then joined the ambush crew a few years after Cyrus did, had taken a job opening at the restaurant. Cyrus was glad to have him around, and not just because he was fun to harass.
“What the hell did you start, man?”
Cyrus chuckled. “I’d say I’m sorry, but you know I’m not. It’s always a good time to piss you off.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Takes one to know one, man.”
“Ugh.”
“Aren’t you glad you came along with me to this job? It’s a helluva lot more interesting than the basement remodel we were supposed to start.”
“True. The downtown scene is pretty kickass.”
He’d been curious about the coven’s properties and talked to Temple, one of the higher ups in the coven, who’d explained that Mishka had bought as many of the neighboring properties as possible so that only vampires controlled the area. The coven had enemies in the form of a fanatical group masquerading as a church, that did everything they could to drive the vampires out of Cleveland.
Cyrus was glad that tigers didn’t have enemies like that. There were always people who didn’t like shifters for one reason or another, but to have an entire group of humans decide to try to kick you out of your home by any means necessary was extra-strength crazy.
“Hey.” Merrix stopped next to the ladder and took off his work gloves. “I just got a text that Mishka and his mate are doing a walk-through in an hour to see the progress. You don’t have to stop working when they’re here, just make sure your area is as clean as possible.”
Cyrus had met Mishka when he’d come on the job. He was the master of the largest coven in the Midwest. Cyrus had known some about the male from news reports. He was the number-one bachelor in Northern Ohio until he mated Harmony, who was some kind of supernatural creature. The couple didn’t leave the club very often, and it was his understanding that the reason for the restaurant was so they could have a place to go out to eat that was protected by the coven.
“Sure thing.”
Merrix strode away, and Cyrus looked up at Gavin. “You need help getting the rest of the fixtures in?”
“Nah,” he said, looking at the ones left to hook up. “I’m good.”
Cyrus searched out all the ambush members to alert them to clean up their areas before Mishka and Harmony arrived, then answered a text from Midas about staffing and returned to his work on the stainless-steel counters that surrounded large grills. Just looking at the cast iron grates made his stomach rumble, and he glanced at his watch and found the hour had elapsed. He stood, running his hands through his mop of blond hair, and tucked in his denim shirt, making sure his ID tag was straight.
He heard voices at the front doors and knew it was most likely Mishka and his mate. But then there was a third voice.
Feminine.
Silky.
His cat rolled in his subconscious, his skin prickling as fur emerged and reced
ed along his arms and the back of his neck.
What the actual hell?
Without thought, he left the kitchen and strode out into the restaurant to find the source of the voice. He saw Mishka and a brunette on his arm, who were looking up at the art deco lighting hung from the ceiling.
And then he saw her.
Long, blond hair. Curves like a goddess, deserving of worship. Fangs peeking from her parted, ruby lips.
He froze in place, inhaling deeply and filtering through the scents in the room until he was certain his cat was fully interested in the blonde. Their gazes collided, holding for what felt like an eternity, until his cat urged him forward. Stalking toward her, he stopped just inches away and curled his hands into tight fists to stop from grabbing her.
Her chest heaved as she panted for breath, her body strung as tightly as his was.
He was holding onto his sanity by a thread, but he wasn’t the sort of male who simply put his hands on a female without asking permission.
“You’re...” he started, clearing his throat as his voice cracked and his cat rumbled out a loud purr. “I’m Cyrus.”
The female’s eyes darkened, and she licked her lips, her fangs gleaming in the overhead light. “I’m Cella.” She closed the short distance between them, staring up at him as her breasts rubbed his chest with each deep inhale. “I’ve been waiting for you, Cyrus.”
She rose onto her toes and brushed her lips over his.
“Mine?” In his head it was a statement, but his cat phrased it as a question. Was this female his? With her lips that made electricity flow through him and her scent like a rainstorm that made his brain short out?
“Yes, yes,” she said, breathing the words as she slid her hands up his arms, over his shoulders, and buried her fingers in his hair.
Their lips crashed together, his cat roaring in triumph as they parted, and their tongues touched in a sweet, slow slide. Her lush frame fit perfectly against him, and he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the floor. Without breaking the kiss, he moved her away from the others and toward a dark corner where he pressed her lightly against the wall. He cupped her face, brushing his thumbs over her soft skin and marveling at how amazing their first kiss was.
His whole body was strung tight like a bow. His skin pinched in a vise and his cock uncomfortably hard against his fly.
He whispered her name, brushing his lips across her jaw and down her throat, nipping at the soft skin and already imagining his mating bite. She curled her fingers into the collar of his shirt and pressed her lower body against his.
A throat cleared noisily behind them, and his cat was full-on ready to slash some throats.
Cella chuckled and lifted his face, cupping his head with her delicate fingers. “Don’t kill him. He made me.”
“As you wish,” he said, nipping her thumb. He eased away from pressing her into the corner and tucked her against his side. Her petite frame was a half foot shorter than him, but a quick glance down her sexy curves showed she was wearing pretty tall heels, so she was even shorter than that. He couldn’t wait to get her out of them. Or, maybe keep them on.
“So this is interesting,” Mishka said, his brow arched and a smile curving his lips. “At least you didn’t pass out like someone I know when she saw her beloved for the first time.”
“Hey!” Harmony said, smacking his arm.
Cyrus had no idea who they were talking about, but he didn’t care. He had Cella in his arms. His stunning truemate. Everything else was just details.
“I came for a tour,” Cella said, looking at Cyrus. “I haven’t been here since November.”
“Midas put me on the crew around Christmas. Now I wish I hadn’t waited so long for a change of scenery.”
Cella rested her hand on top of his that was settled on the curve of her waist. “Cyrus, do you know Mishka and his beloved, Harmony?”
Mishka and Harmony walked closer, and Cyrus shook their hands. To Mishka he said, “I met you when I took the job, but I haven’t met your mate. It’s nice to meet you, Harmony.”
“This is so awesome,” Harmony said, giving Cella a hug. “Welcome to the family, Cyrus.”
Mishka looked at Cyrus and Cella for a quiet moment, and Cyrus mulled over the way Harmony had focused on the word “family,” as if it meant more than what it traditionally stood for.
Mishka broke the silence. “I believe the appropriate course of action is for my beloved and I to take our leave and allow you two to carry on as you will. We can meet at sunset tomorrow in my office.”
“Of course,” Cella said. “Thanks for suggesting I get out of the office for a bit.”
Harmony smiled broadly. “Our pleasure. Nice to meet you, Cyrus. See you guys tomorrow.”
The couple walked into the kitchen, talking quietly. When Cella and Cyrus were alone, he turned to face her, picking up her hands and kissing her knuckles. “I... don’t know where to start,” he admitted.
She smiled so sweetly that his body warmed from the inside out. He could feel the start of their connection as truemates beginning to form.
“I guess the first question is whether you need to go back to work until your shift is over, or if you can just come with me to my chamber.”
He placed his hand on her lower back and pulled her to him. “I can definitely leave with you, but I need to check in with my crew and make arrangements. It’ll take me a few minutes. Stay with me?”
“Of course.”
They linked hands and walked into the kitchen, where he introduced her to Gavin as his truemate.
Gavin’s brows disappeared into his hairline. “I can’t believe it! Congrats, man!” He hugged Cyrus and slapped him on the back a few times. Then he smiled at Cella. “I’m the cousin. The best one, by the way, no matter what my sister says.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“You’re taking off?” Gavin asked.
“Yeah. I’ll call Midas and let him know. Will you handle getting our people out of here at the end of the shift for me?”
Gavin nodded. “You bet. I’ll keep this to myself until you have a chance to share the news with our family.”
“Thanks.” Cyrus put his tools away and then gave Cella’s hand a squeeze. “Did you still want a tour?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Not really. I just want to go someplace we can talk in private.”
“Me too.” He breathed out a sigh of relief that she was as anxious to get him alone as he was her. On the way out, he checked in with Merrix and explained Gavin was in charge.
“I heard the news from Mishka,” he said, nodding at the two of them. “Congratulations. Gavin and I will handle things. Enjoy each other.”
“Thanks.”
Cyrus and Cella exited through the back door and crossed the employee parking lot. They hurried across the alley between the restaurant and club, and she greeted a troll who was standing guard next to a door marked “Private.” She used a keycard and then a code to unlock the door. Inside a small vestibule was another security door, which she used a code to unlock.
“The coven’s pretty serious about security,” he said as they walked down a long hall, passing doors labeled as storage.
“We have problems with the church, so we have to take precautions to keep everyone safe.”
“I’ve heard some about the church.”
“They go by the name of The First Church of Humanity. They’re an anti-vampire group that hides behind a religious façade to try to drive vampires out of the States. There are churches in every major city, and they do everything from picketing vampire-friendly businesses to abducting the mates of coven members.”
“Shit.” They reached another door and he opened it for her. She smiled at him, her body brushing lightly against him as she passed, her wild scent filling his nose. “I didn’t know there were hate groups like that out there.”
She hummed as they passed a coat check and continued on toward a set of glass doors where two males sto
od guard. He pulled her gently to a stop.
“Is something wrong?” she asked with a low voice.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Her brows furrowed. “Um, what? I thought...” Her voice trailed off and her cheeks darkened in blush.
Tucking his finger under her chin, he lifted her head until her gaze met his. “I thought we could maybe have a drink and talk for a bit before we make any other decisions.”
She smiled sweetly. “That’s a good idea.”
He looked down at his work clothes – worn jeans, a denim shirt, and boots – and the sexy way Cella was dressed – short skirt, dark red corset, and tall heels that sparkled in the overhead lights.
“I’m probably not dressed for the club though,” he said. He didn’t have much in the way of dress clothes. In fact, the only nice thing he could think of that wasn’t made of denim or flannel was the suit he’d worn to a funeral two years earlier. Not exactly matching with the gorgeous female in front of him.
“You look great. Besides, it’s not as if you went to work tonight expecting to find me, right?”
“Right.”
“We can go up to the family room.”
At his confused look, she explained that the family was Mishka’s inner circle, and included her, and five vampire males. “We have a place to hang out that’s quieter. Let’s go.”
“Lead the way, beautiful.”
They turned around in the hallway and headed into the club, where the pulsing music and multitude of different smells in the air made his cat’s hackles raise. He’d known Cella less than an hour, and already she was the most important person in the world to him. With so much distraction assaulting his senses, he’d have to be even more careful of her safety. He swung his gaze around as they skirted the edge of the club, filtering the scents of perfume, cologne, sweat, and hormones. Lasers and strobe lights overhead added to the disarray, and he was never more thankful to be heading up a flight of stairs to the private room and out of the club craziness.
