by Grosso, Kym
She scanned the room, noting the usual spectrum of auras. Excitement. Hunger. Desire. Jealousy. She nervously tapped her fingernail against the glass, waiting for her friend, Avery, to arrive. Avery was the only soul in New Orleans who knew her secret. She’d been her savior, helping her to hide. After sensing the dark ones, she speculated she’d need a stronger witch to find a spell to ward off the evil. The mere fact she could sense it meant it knew she existed as well. She needed someone to better shield her powers, to keep her safe from the hell that sought her soul. Yet the thought of a new child weighed heavily on her shoulders. If what she suspected was true, she wasn’t the only one in danger.
A shuffling of patrons alerted her to a new arrival. She turned to face the bar and glanced in the mirror to observe the commotion. Struggling to keep her composure, she lifted her eyes to the reflection. Both men and women appeared captivated by the dark haired, well-dressed man who’d entered the room. The air thickened with palpable arousal, auras flickered to red, with fangs descending in response. The stranger stopped to take in his surroundings, looking over to the bar. Laryssa lowered her lips to the rim of her glass, attempting to look uninterested.
As soon as he glanced away, her eyes were once again drawn to him. He was tall, at least six-four, his lean muscular build carefully concealed underneath his form-fitting black suit. Strikingly handsome, he smiled with a cool arrogance that told her he was a vampire. And he wasn’t a neophyte; quite the opposite, he exuded the confidence of a master. He laughed at something his friend said and winked at a passing waitress. The rugged good-looking fellow who accompanied him looked out of place next to the debonair vamp. Casually dressed in jeans and t-shirt, his forearms were painted in tattoos, the stubble of his day-old beard darkened his jaw. She’d be surprised if he was anything other than wolf, as his aura shone in relaxed blues. Like the magnetic attraction of polar opposites, the odd pair seemed inseparable, and she wondered about their connection.
Her curiosity seemed to get the better of her as she swiveled her stool to catch a glimpse of them leaving. Unconsciously, she tugged at her short black wig, pressing a stray hair back underneath it. Her breath caught as the vampire stopped in his tracks and turned to stare over at her. Her traitorous heart sped up slightly in response to the way his gaze caressed her body. Laryssa crossed her thighs together as warmth spread throughout her chest. Like a blushing schoolgirl, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Hastily, she spun away from the sight of him, but not before his eyes locked on hers and she caught his broad smile in the mirror.
She wasn’t sure if it was his stare or her own confusion, but as she tried to tear her eyes off him, the slippery leather seat gave way. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, her hands flailing to reach the bar top. Expecting a hard fall onto the stone floor, she cringed, anticipating the pain. Air rushed from her lungs as strong hands wrapped around her shoulders, jerking her upright. She grasped her sunglasses that had fallen down her nose, revealing her emerald green eyes to her rescuer.
Léopold felt somewhat guilty for throwing the human off her game. As soon as he’d entered the bar, he’d spotted a woman dressed in black leather. Leather in Mordez was hardly unusual, but this woman looked tightly wrapped, like a Christmas present waiting to be opened. He observed the way she tugged at the ends of her short black hair, as if she was pulling a baseball cap down over her face. Interesting, he thought. Try as she may to blend into the supernatural crowd, her vitality licked at his senses the second he sniffed the air.
Although he hadn’t come to play, the way her pulse increased, if only for a second, told him she was aware of his presence in the room. He didn’t have time to get distracted, but when he noticed her tottering on the barstool, he rushed to her side. Catching her right before she landed on the ground, a rush of desire slammed him as the swell of her restrained breasts grazed his chest. Léopold felt her quiver underneath his touch, but she quickly recovered. He caught a glance of her captivating green eyes right before she shoved the black glasses onto her face, shielding her from his gaze.
“Careful, pet,” he told her.
“I’m fine…really,” Laryssa stammered.
“But of course you are,” he chuckled at her defensive posturing.
Léopold was about to engage her further when he heard Dimitri call his name. Merde, cock-blocked by the damn wolf. He was starting to regret the day he’d become involved with the whole lot of mongrels. He nodded to Dimitri, who was staring at him as if he’d grown a second head.
“Take care, mon petit lapin,” Léopold commented as he grazed the back of his forefinger down the side of her cheek.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. Laryssa had hoped the vampire would leave her alone. Quite the opposite, he’d positioned himself within inches of her body, invading her personal space. His leg brushed hers, and she took a deep breath, her mind warring between sliding her hand down his thigh or running out the door. Lost in her own confusion, she heard someone call out toward their direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she observed his sexy pirate-looking friend give a wave. Refusing to acknowledge the lash of sexual awareness that he’d left on her skin, her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass.
“I’m afraid I must go. Be safe, mademoiselle. This is no place for a single human,” he warned.
Léopold hesitated but a second before returning to Dimitri. While nonchalantly guiding them through a sea of bodies, he stole a glance back to the girl, wondering who she was…what she was. Her scent was like lilies on a spring morning, sweet and fresh. But it was her energy that alerted him that perhaps he was wrong about her. When he’d touched her cheek, her smooth skin sizzled underneath his, and he’d detected something otherworldly. Yet he could tell she was neither vampire nor wolf. A witch, perhaps? Maybe, but the look of innocence and fear in her eyes worried him. She didn’t belong in Mordez, and his curiosity about her stood to distract him from the entire reason he’d come to the club. He shook the feeling off as he spotted the person he’d come to meet, making a beeline toward him. Lady Charlotte Stratton.
Laryssa breathed deeply, forcing her physical response into submission, all the while despising the way she’d lost control of her equilibrium. Not only had she broken character, she’d fallen like a dumbass, totally distracted by the sexy but dangerous stranger. His touch had scorched her skin through her jacket, leaving her tingling in his wake. As her eyes caught his, she struggled to slow her pulse, to control the power that could easily spill into the room, revealing her true identity.
Although Laryssa had never met the vampire before, a sense of familiarity and desire had washed over her. There was something about him, something driving the rapid fluttering in her stomach that made her want to jump into his arms. The rush of lust threatened to push her into a panic. She forced herself upright, stiffening her spine, and ratcheted down her foolish and dangerous response to him. Goddammit, I almost revealed my identity. The warmth inside her was shaken cold when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“What?” She spun around to see her friend, Avery, smiling broadly, a hand to her hip. Glancing over to where she’d last seen the handsome stranger, she saw nothing but customers quietly engaging in private conversations, but the smirk on Avery’s face told her she’d witnessed the embarrassing spectacle.
“Smooth move, girl,” Avery laughed and took the seat next to Laryssa. She held up her hand to the approaching bartender, in an effort to get his attention.
“Please tell me you didn’t just see what I did?”
Avery laughed harder, nodding.
“Yeah, just call me Princess. Nothing but grace. God, I’m an idiot for coming here.” Her face reddened.
“It was kinda funny. But what was really interesting was watching the most powerful vampire on the east coast catch you like a football. He’s hot, I’ll give ya that. Smokin’.” The bartender approached and she cleared her throat. “I’ll have two Sazeracs, please.”
“What did you just say? Oh sw
eet Jesus, please. Who was he? No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” It was best she didn’t know who he was. If she knew, she’d be tempted to Google him, look him up or otherwise stalk him. She shook her head. This was so unlike her. The man had her rattled and he’d barely even spoken to her.
“Hey, it’s not that bad. You did make a nice recovery. His name’s Léopold Devereoux.”
“How do you know him?”
“I don’t really know him, but he’s visited the coven house a few times to see Ilsbeth. I heard that he’s some kind of a billionaire philanthropist. Rich but deadly. It’s rumored that he likes to kill with a smile.”
“Nice.”
“Well, I suppose you could still date him. Samantha, one of the new witches; she married one…a vampire. Luca. Kade’s his maker and Léopold is the grand mac-daddy of them all.”
“Shit, shit, shit,” Laryssa muttered under her breath.
“Look on the up side.” Avery took the drink from the bartender and sipped it up through a pink cocktail straw.
“What could that possibly be?”
“Samantha doesn’t seem to be afraid of Léopold. I’ve seen her with him.”
“Yeah, why’s that?”
“Apparently he saved her…once upon a time. Long story.”
“Does he have a girlfriend?” Why do I care?
Avery laughed. “No way. That one there is the epitome of a playboy. He’s here often enough…a different woman every time. And he’s kinky as hell.”
“Kinky, huh?” Laryssa took a deep breath and tried to tone down her interest in the subject. If she let her mind wander, imagining what sorts of things he did in Mordez…no, she wouldn’t let herself go there. “Well, he may be hot, but it’s not like I’m lookin’ to get involved with anyone.”
“Go ahead and tell yourself whatever you want, honey, but I know you. That man had you all seven ways to Sunday flustered. Not that I blame ya. I mean, he is seriously a fine piece of man candy.”
“Stop it, Avery. Not happening. Anyway, we didn’t come here to talk about my sex life.”
“Or lack of one?” Avery teased.
“Yeah, that’s about it. Seriously, we need to talk.” Laryssa looked over her shoulders to make sure no one was listening and lowered her voice. She knew that despite her whispers, the supernatural could hear her and she’d need to remain cryptic.
“No problem. I mean, I’m sorry we couldn’t meet at your place but I’d already promised Mick I’d meet him tonight.” She shrugged, and swiveled her head toward the dance floor, searching for her boyfriend. “It’s date night.”
“Does he know? You know you can’t tell him.”
“Come on, Lyss. I’m not stupid, okay. He doesn’t know anything about you. What’s going on?”
Laryssa put her arms around her friend in an embrace, and whispered into her ear. “I need help. I need you to up your wards. If you know what I speak of, nod your head.”
Avery’s face dropped in concern. It’d been years since Laryssa had asked for her help. Her eyes darted from side to side, taking in the vibe of the room before she quietly nodded.
“It isn’t safe to talk…not here…not anywhere. I just need you to do what you can, okay?” Laryssa took a sip of her wine and sighed.
“We should’ve waited until tomorrow to talk. You can come to the coven,” Avery suggested. She wasn’t comfortable discussing this issue out in the open with so many wolves and vampires within hearing distance.
“No, this couldn’t wait. I needed to see you. I need to know that you’ll help me.” Laryssa couldn’t stand the waiting. “I can feel them.”
“Do you feel it here?”
“No.” Laryssa scanned the room. She’d instantly recognize the dark presence that haunted her outside her home, the heavy feel of the air. Dead, stale pressure pounding into her lungs. Here, the air was tinged with sex and excitement, lust and hunger, but no darkness.
“Listen, Lyss, I’m not discounting what you’ve sensed, but maybe things aren’t as bad as you think. Someone could’ve been cooking up some black magick just to try it out…you know, things are always a little funky in the Quarter. It’s just the way down here,” Avery assured with false bravado. She didn’t want to worry her friend, but there wasn’t a whole lot more she could do to protect her on her own. She’d need the help of her sister witches to provide anything else than she’d already done. Inwardly she shrugged, knowing that her spells had only been temporary.
“I just…I’m not sure how to describe what I feel. Something’s off.” Laryssa spied Mick approaching and changed the subject. “Hey, I don’t want to keep you any longer. Just, uh, stop by my store, tomorrow, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.” Avery nodded. “I’d better go find Mick, now. If I don’t stay with him, the leeches will come crawling out of the woodwork.”
“Looks like he found you.”
Laryssa pressed her lips together in a tight smile as Mick surprised Avery, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her friend jumped in surprise, giggling in recognition. Maybe someday, Laryssa thought. But as things stood now, she knew that she’d be lucky to survive, let alone find love.
It wasn’t as if Laryssa hadn’t dated. She’d always purposefully chosen humans, since they were considerably safer than supernaturals, and thankfully, clueless to the existence of her kind. She thought about her last boyfriend, David, who in their final argument, had described her as frosty the snowgirl. Despite their uninspired and utterly vanilla encounters, she’d tried to make their relationship work. Granted, he’d been good on paper, someone her parents would have approved of; responsible, held in good standing in the community, well off and practical. So she’d continued dating him, afraid to admit her clandestine, carnal fantasies even to herself. The sex they’d had was like eating bologna sandwiches for lunch. It was okay to eat every now and then, but hardly nutritious or satisfying.
They’d both known the deal, but still, she’d been surprised when he’d finally broken up with her. The past two months since, she’d become entirely too familiar with her purple plastic friend. Regrettably, while he brought relief, the little fellow was no substitute for the intimacy she craved.
Lady Charlotte, the proprietor and owner of Mordez, glided across the dance floor with the grace of a ballerina. Dressed in a dark satin purple corset and matching mini-skirt, she stretched out her hands toward Léopold, beckoning him to come to her. Her long straight black hair was pulled high onto her head in a ponytail. While she looked as if she were in her mid-twenties, she was several hundred years old. The influential vampire, neither sired to Léopold nor Kade, had been rumored to have been a pirate who’d come to enjoy her fortune shortly after the war of 1812.
“Léopold, darling,” she crooned over the blaring music.
“Lovely as always,” Léopold said with a brief bow.
“Still the sweet talker, I see. This way.”
Lady Charlotte gestured to an exit behind one of the bars, and they followed her. As the door slammed, a dull vibration was all that remained of the music. After a dizzying climb up a spiral wooden staircase, they entered a large living room. In the corner sat an oversized mahogany desk and red velvet chair. A sectional u-shaped red leather sofa faced a set of clear French doors that led to a balcony, overlooking the entire nightclub. Charlotte flipped a switch and a small gas lit fire pit blazed to life, instantly warming the room.
Léopold, familiar with his surroundings, strode into the room. “Char, this is Dimitri LeBlanc. He’s beta of…”
“Acadian Wolves,” she finished Léopold’s sentence, slinking up to Dimitri. She flipped her hair, and smiled seductively at the wolf. Her voice grew husky as she let her palm fall onto his shoulder. “Yes, I know who you are.”
Dimitri smiled in return, carefully removing her hand and placing a kiss to the back of it. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Charlotte.”
“A gentleman,” she commented with a wink to Léopold.
“
He’s smooth with the ladies,” Léopold responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Clubbing with the wolves these days? My, my, Léopold. Things are changing.” She went to the bar and pulled a bottle of aged rum off the shelf.
“Let’s just say Dimitri is a special wolf, one worthy of my loyalty and friendship.”
“You are a suave one, Leo. You’d better stop with the compliments… they’ll say we’re fallin’ in love,” Dimitri jibed. After the blood donation and the set of blue balls he’d nursed, all he wanted to do was go down to the dance floor and find a she-wolf to fuck. But no, here they were in the lair of the very knowledgeable but dangerous Lady Charlotte, and the damn vampire still hadn’t explained why they were there. Considering it’d been a long shitty day, he gladly accepted the drink she offered.
“Where’s your Alpha, Dimitri?” Lady Charlotte filled another glass and then handed it off to Léopold.
“Logan? He’s home with his mate. I’m taggin’ along with the big vamp here.” He shot Léopold a look as if to say, ‘What the fuck are we doing here?’.
Léopold simply smiled and fell back into a chair, making himself comfortable.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Léopold and promptly took a seat on the sofa across from him.
