Blood Descendants (Vengeance and Venom #1)

Chapter 14

I watch out the window as Manhattan flashes by. It’s been dark for two hours, but New York is never truly dark. There are endless lights out there, billboards, street lights, glowing windows from the night owls. New York never truly rests, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Billings drives me without a word. Ares had to be at the ball early, getting everything squared away, making sure everything was in place. And he was meeting with the Barons. Since I needed time to get ready, I stayed at home. Now, it’s fifteen minutes until the starting time, and we’re just a few minutes away.

There are already several other limousines lined up at the curb, all waiting for their turn at the drop off. I watch as one well-dressed man or woman after another climbs out and wonder what the ratio of vampires to humans at this event will be tonight.

Just before we pull up to the drop off, I watch the front doors as walking sin exits. Ares moves like the god he’s named for, his dark eyes fixed on the SUV as we stop right in front of him.

My heart starts hammering as he steps forward and pulls the door open. He reaches a hand inside, and the entire world turns electric as I take it. The skin-to-skin contact leaves me craving more. Leaves me wondering how many volts we could generate if there was more contact. So much more.

“Fuck,” Ares breathes as I step from the vehicle, my dress cascading down around me. Shamelessly, his eyes rake over every inch of me, taking their time.

And I feel weak in the knees, in the chest, in the mind, as I drink my fake fiancé in.

He’s wearing a dark burgundy suit trimmed in black and gold that is the exact same shade as my dress. And it was tailored to hug every inch of his body in the most sinful way possible. He’s traded out his typical silver for gold-trimmed diamond studs in his ears and a golden hoop in his nose. He’s perfectly matched the golden earrings cascading from my own piercings.

“You look…” I clear my throat, trying to make words work because I feel damn speechless.

“Any bodies I put in the ground tonight are all your fault, Vengeance,” he growls, pulling me in close, his breath sliding down my neck as he delivers the words. “Others looking at you makes me feel a little… vicious. But, fuck, who could keep their eyes off you?”

Heat climbs my cheeks as my eyes rise to meet his. I see something new in Ares’ eyes that I haven’t seen before. A darkness is there. Possession. Violence. Feral hunger.

It pours gasoline on the fire that’s already burning in me, the one he lit the second I saw him in that suit.

“I picked this one for you,” I shamelessly confess as Ares wraps a hand around my waist, his palm sliding low, only a hair away from being positioned on my ass. I cover his hand with my own, ensuring he doesn’t move it.

“You’re playing with fire, Vengeance,” he leans in, saying the words to my exposed, bare shoulder before pressing his hot lips to my skin.

Shit. I am going to absolutely combust and burn this fantastic dress to embers.

We walk through the doors and, effortlessly, Ares guides us back into the building until we step into a beautiful ballroom. And my jaw drops.

Everything gleams and glitters. The chandeliers are wild. There are gauzy drapes hanging from everything, making the room feel elegant and intimate. Every furnishing is covered in black velvet. The tables are covered with white tablecloths, and the center pieces look like they cost more than I make in a month. And everyone in attendance is dressed to the nines. Tuxedoes, gowns, elaborate hair, and professional makeup. It’s the kind of event you only see in movies.

“Lana,” a familiar voice calls from behind. I turn to see Sysco walking up, a smug smile on his face. “Aren’t you motive for murder tonight?”

They might deliver it in varying ways, but Sysco and Ares are not that different.

“Good to see you, Sysco,” I say as he takes my hand and brings it up to press a kiss to the back of it. Ares watches him closely, still evaluating the man. I want to tell him he’s got nothing to worry about and that he should just accept the inevitable, these two are going to be friends one day, but maybe now isn’t the time, not when Ares is feeling all possessive with me wearing this dress.

“Ares, you’re looking sharp,” Sysco says with an oblivious smile as he looks my date up and down. “Bold choice with the red. Don’t get offended if I steal the idea for the next preening event.”

“Copycat,” Ares says, the first tiny joke I’ve heard him make. And a small smile cracks the corners of his mouth. “Where’s your date tonight?”

“Not all of us are blessed with perfect better halves, my brother,” Sysco says, still smiling as he surveys the crowd. And I realize I don’t actually know who the hell all these people are or why we’re even here. “My control might be flawless in day-to-day life, but in the bedroom?” He shakes his head. “Might be a while before I dare test that again. How do you manage it, Ares? ‘Cause, trust me, we’re all aware of how you smell, Lana.”

“Which is?” I blurt out, he catches me so off guard with the words.

“Like dessert,” Ares and Sysco say at the same time.

Oh yeah. Ares already told me.

“Trust me, it’s no easy task,” Ares answers Sysco’s question, even as he pulls me in closer, looking down at me like, indeed, he’d like to devour me whole. “But when you’re this obsessed with someone, you’ll do anything to keep them around.”

His words send a cascade of electricity down my spine. I swallow once as I stare into those intense hazel eyes.

“Damn, that’s beautiful.” The words should sound sarcastic, but they absolutely aren’t when Sysco says them. “I’ll see you guys later. I’ve got a bone to pick with Montana. ”

I don’t know who the hell Montana is, but Sysco strides off across the ballroom.

Ares’ words are still echoing in the back of my brain, looping around my organs, settling somewhere low in my belly. But addressing them is way too damn dangerous. So, instead, I look around for a distraction.

“What is this ball actually for?” I ask, circling back around to my previous thought. “Besides proving to Giovanni and Cliff that you’re ready to be a Baron?”

“Look,” Ares says, nodding to a table across the space. At it, there are four children seated, accompanied by a very pregnant woman who looks like she’s spent the entire day prepping to be here, but annoyed at the same time.

Ares nods toward another table. There, I find a set of unquestionably triplet girls who look around fifteen years old. And with them are a set of twin boys who seem just a few years younger.

“The Barons are showing off their families,” Ares says. “Those are Giovanni’s kids. And that’s Cliff’s wife and kids.”

Ares turns, and I follow his line of sight. At another table, I see a woman looking incredibly uncomfortable. With her, she has two children, a boy who looks around six and a girl who I would guess is eight. “Those are some of Augustus’ other children.”

Ares’ half siblings. Though from the look on his face, he doesn’t see them that way. And who could blame him when Augustus breeds them and leaves them until they’re a useful age for him?

“Damn, they’re serious about this breeding program,” I say, a sneer barely suppressed from my face.

“I can just imagine the disappointment on Augustus’ face when we have to tell them you’re not pregnant,” Ares says, keeping his tone low so as to not be overheard.

“He could do with a little more disappointment in his life, arrogant prick,” I mutter, watching my volume as well.

Ares smiles at that, that proud, admiring smile he so often uses. “Come on, let’s get you some food.”

Ares places his hand at the small of my back and leads me forward toward the tables where dinner is being served. I take it all in, trying to get a grasp on this wild event.

Maybe I’m getting some kind of vampire radar, but I swear, I can tell who is vampire and who is human. Of course, there are the human children and some of their human mothers. There are other humans milling about as well. Not just servers but others dressed in gorgeous clothes. And there are more vampires in attendance than just the Barons. If my guesses are right, there are thirty or so vampires in attendance. Which is a pretty large percentage of New York’s vampire population if there really are only a hundred or so.

I don’t know why, but I expected this to be a massive event with hundreds of people. Instead, there are probably only sixty, a few more if I include those who are working the event.

They picked the perfect space, though. It feels busy in here. Any larger of a space, and it would just feel kind of… pathetic.

“Lana Hunt?”

My head turns at my name called. A woman walks up to join Ares and me at our table, her own dinner plate in hand.

“That’s me,” I confirm as she sits in the seat right beside me, undeterred by the lack of invitation.

“Francesca Bosco,” she says as she extends a hand. I take it, evaluating the woman. She’s probably in her sixties, and while she is beautiful, she kind of looks a little… plastic. Like she’s be en fighting the reality of aging and isn’t doing it the most gracefully. “I like to introduce myself to all the human wives. It can be a lonely place to be.”

“You’re also married to a Born?” I say stupidly. It’s obvious, but I’m not sure how to make conversation. There are too many damn weird scenarios in this world.

She nods, her eyes scanning the room. “Giovanni and I got married before I even knew he was a vampire.” She stabs at her salad, but I kind of doubt if she’s going to eat any of it. “Not sure how I missed the signs. I mean, he never left the place during the day. And the way that man could pick me up? I wasn’t the trim little thing you see before you now when we met. Gio was into thicker women at the time.”

As she stares down at her food, I cast a glance at Ares, brows raised. I do not know what to make of Francesca.

“I was pregnant with our first son before Gio told me what he was,” she says, looking up at me as she nibbles on one little carrot. “And by that point, what was I going to do? Take off? I loved the bastard, and we were starting a family.”

Oh boy. I’m a little scared to see where this story goes. Ares pointed out Giovanni’s triplets and twins, and there is no way Francesca is young enough to be their mother.

“I gave that man three sons before this body didn’t want to cooperate anymore,” she barrels right on. “Which is a real shame because I always wanted a whole brood of kids. But you know, modern medicine is a miraculous thing. Did you know they can take your eggs, his sperm, and put them in another woman called a surrogate?”

Oh. I didn’t expect this twist. I nearly choke on my water. “Yes, I did. ”

She nods, pressing right on. “We did that as soon as I couldn’t get pregnant. Thankfully, I still had a good handful of eggs. And you might not think it possible, what with how hard it is for a vampire to conceive, it’s a miracle we got the three we did, but my Gio gave his donation, and voila, that medical clinic cooked up the triplets, and that poor woman. That’s not what she was expecting. But she popped out my girls. Well, not popped out. They had to cut her open. But Gio paid her handsomely for her troubles. And then the twins. Aren’t they darling?”

I’m pretty sure she only took two breaths throughout all of that info dumping. She overwhelmed me like a tide with her oversharing of personal information. “They are,” I say without thinking.

“Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it is possible, even though you’ll keep aging, and they won’t. Gio still goes down on me every Sunday night without fail. Bless that man, forever forty-six, with this old lady. Bless his heart.”

She calls out to someone else and waves. Without a word of goodbye, she stands, hauling her plate with her as she goes to greet her next listener.

“Wow,” I say, my brows rising. A chuckle rises up my throat, and I turn to find Ares with a smile, shaking his head. “I learned way more about Giovanni’s sperm than I ever hoped for.”

“You’re a rock star, taking all of that,” Ares laughs, his eyes following Francesca through the crowd. “You never know, all that information might be useful someday.”

I watch as Giovanni crosses to his wife, pressing a kiss to her temple. “It’s kind of sad though, isn’t it?” I observe. “He’s going to live forever, and she’s going to die of old age someday. Their love will be forever for him, but till death do them part for her.”

She looks like she could be his mother. Like she is, no question, twenty years older. But it wasn’t always the case.

“Only a vampire can love you forever,” Ares says quietly. I look over at him to find him observing as Giovanni takes Francesca by the hand and leads her to the dance floor. I wonder what’s going through his mind, but he doesn’t offer any other thoughts.

But as I look around and see Cliff’s wife sitting with her children, I realize it’s the case for any mixed-species relationship.

Something twists in my chest.

If this were real between Ares and I, it would be our story.

Ares is forever twenty-six years old. And I may only be twenty-four, but give it just two years, and we’d be the same age. And then I would be older. And it would continue on like that forever. Because Ares won’t age another day.

“Ares.”

I look over to see Augustus looking at his son. When he’s caught Ares’ attention, Augustus nods for him to join the conversation.

“Go,” I say. “I need to use the restroom.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead as he rises, and damn. The shock of electricity that races through me at the simple contact is almost embarrassing.

As Ares goes to talk politics and blood, I make my way through the room, passing between immortal vampires and the humans so desperate to be around them.

The bathroom is just as opulent as the rest of the event space. I struggle to use it in my incredible dress, but somehow manage. I wash my hands, looking at myself in the mirror.

Who is that woman looking back at me? It’s certainly not the bitter, half-starved woman I knew a few weeks ago. The woman looking back at me looks so confident. She has her shit together. She knows her place in the world, and it’s impressive, considering that’s as a human in a world full of vampires.

It’s kind of incredible, the influence others can have on you. Ares came into my life, and suddenly, I feel like a whole new person, even if I still feel entirely like me.

One person can come in and change your life so profoundly, it pushes you into evolution.

I dry my hands and step back out into the party.

Immediately, my eyes sweep the space for Ares. He’s standing beside his father still, deep in conversation with Cliff Morgan and two women I don’t recognize. Though, somehow, I can tell they’re also immortal. This looks like it might be a long conversation.

With a sigh, I turn, surveying the crowd.

It almost looks like it should be any regular rich person’s party. It’s all talk, jokes being told, the occasional dance. There are no fangs, no traces of blood, no one is lying dead in a corner with puncture marks in their necks.

Vampires are surprisingly… civil.

“And who might you belong to?”

My skin immediately crawls at the sound of the voice approaching. I turn to find a man who looks to be in his mid-thirties walking toward me. He holds a wine glass with suspiciously red liquid in it, his other hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers .

“I think you’ve mistaken me,” I say, my tone coming out cold and sharp. “I’m no dog. I don’t belong to anyone.”

I turn to walk away, maneuvers running through my mind automatically, ones I would teach my students to use on assholes like this.

“A woman who holds her own,” he says, stepping after me. “A rarity in this world.”

“I doubt that,” I say, still walking across the room. “From my experience, only those who say shit like that hold that view. It’s a you problem, not a general blanket fault.”

“She’s spicy and strong,” he says with a chuckle.

A quick punch to the throat, that would probably stop him from spewing the terrible misogyny coming from his lips. Though, most likely, he’s a vampire. So… spiked heels to the testicles?

“But rude,” he says as I work my way around the outside edge of the room. I’d take him down right here, but damn, do I really want to cause a scene? “The least you could do is look me in the eye as you reject me.”

“Respect is earned,” I say as I step around a woman in the fluffiest ballgown I’ve ever seen. “And you blew that the first moment you spoke.”

“Come on now,” he says, and my heart rate picks up. “It’s all about the game. The pursuit. You realize vampires are predators, right? What do you think your evasiveness is doing to my instincts right now?”

Fuck.

My eyes flick around the room as I realize this might not be someone I can handle on my own. I’ve always been one to have the attitude that a woman needs to be able to save herself. I’ve made it my entire career. But this is no ordinary dick that is chasing after me.

Where is Ares? Or hell, even Sysco? Fuck, at this point, I think I might even try to get Augustus to help.

“Come on, sweetheart, at least give me the courtesy of one minute of conversation.”

A hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me to a jarring halt, flipping me around to face him.

I get two seconds to actually take the man’s face in, telling myself to commit it to memory so I can unquestionably point him out in the crowd later. Black hair. Gray eyes. Uneven facial hair. A scar going down the left side of his face.

But he grins at me predatorily, victory gleaming in his eyes.

“Get your fucking hand off my fiancée.”

The words are spoken in an unforgiving snarl. And movement over my right shoulder pulls my eyes for a fraction of a second before there’s a sickening wet crunch.

Ares’ fist buries itself into the man’s chest. My eyes widen as I take it in. Ares’ hand is gone. Fully submerged. The cracking sounds of bone fill my ears. The man sucks in a wet gasp.

Ares yanks his hand back, and I’ve never, ever heard such a sound. Wet ripping, tearing. Separation. Shredding of tissue.

Ares stands there, his eyes burning a violent, glowing red, with a wrecked heart in his hand. His breathing huffs ragged and savage.

The man stands there for just one second, horrified shock etched over his face. And then he collapses to the ground, a limp mass of limbs on the floor, blood spilling out of him.

And I have no words as I watch the color drain out of his body, and he turns completely gray .

“Finally,” a voice cuts through what I realize was complete silence. I look up to see every eye in the room turned to Ares, but it was Sysco who spoke. “Demetri was such a dick. Had it coming.”

The room is silent, every eye in the room fixed on the barely contained rage that is Ares, a man’s heart gripped in his hand.

“Let it be a warning,” he says, and his voice is ice. It sends a shiver down the length of my body. “Put your hands on Lana, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

I feel numb. Cold. Frozen.

Is this shock?

But as I look at Ares, reality starts connecting just a little.

Red. Ares’ hand is coated in red.

I wait for it. For my vision to tunnel. For my breathing to speed up. For the panic to climb up my throat.

Since my mom and sister were murdered, I see blood, and I shut down.

This is the most blood I’ve seen since that day. It’s dripping from Ares’ hand. It’s pooling on the floor.

But all I feel is shock.

“Always knew Augustus’ line had a flare for the dramatic,” Giovanni says, but it sounds like a compliment. It’s confirmed when he winks in Ares’ direction and turns back to the party.

And like this is nothing more than an argument, the rest of the party continues on. Conversations resume. The music turns back on. And it’s as if everything is normal, and there isn’t a body on the floor and blood pooling on the polished wood.

“Lana.”

My name comes from Ares’ lips in panicked shock .

My eyes rise back to meet his. He’s staring at me with wide, alarmed eyes. As if he’s suddenly remembered what happened the last time I saw blood.

He’s searching me for signs of passing out. Of the oncoming panic attack.

Where the hell is it? I search myself internally for the signs of any of it.

My eyes slip back down to Ares’ blood soaked hand.

I am in shock. But I don’t feel like I’m about to lose it.

“I…” my mouth opens, but I can’t find words in my brain. So, I just shake my head. No. That’s not right. I nod.

Ares drops the heart in the center of the collapsed man. He shakes his hand, dripping blood all over the place. But he places his dry hand on my waist, guiding me to a table. “Sit here for just a minute. I’ll say my goodbyes, and we’ll get out of here.”

I feel too shell-shocked and too numb to respond with anything but a nod. I sit in the chair, casting my gaze about the room. Eyes dart in my direction, their looks evaluative. But there’s something different there than previously.

Fear, maybe?

Respect?

The rules of this world are so different than my own. I don’t know how to interpret them. Do I even really remember how to breathe in this moment?

Sysco told me I was a motive for murder tonight. Ares warned me about any bodies he might put in the ground.

Someone actually died tonight because he put his hands on me.

The sound of silverware clanging against glass startles me, my shoulders shrugging up to my ears.

“Excuse me, if I could have your attention, please?” It’s Augustus. He holds a glass up, his eyes casting about the room. “The Barons of New York City thank you for coming to our event. You are all an important piece of this city. Together, we can make this place a strong hold for our kind. Together, we will make a presence here, in the greatest place on earth. And today, it is my greatest pleasure, my honor, to present to you the newest Baron. My eldest son, Ares Hunt.”

“To Mr. Hunt,” Giovanni says, raising his glass in a vote.

“To Ares,” Sysco says, also raising a glass.

“To Ares Hunt,” Harry Kim says, looking bored of this party.

“To Ares,” Cliff votes lastly, raising his glass.

And my fake fiancé stands there, next to his father. He holds his chin high, his eyes dark as he looks around. He looks every bit the part. A dangerous, powerful leader of creatures of the night in the country’s most populated city.

“To Ares Hunt,” the crowd calls out, raising a glass to toast to him.

And all at once, they sip from their glasses.

And the deed is done.

My hands tremble in my lap. It’s so easy to forget with Ares. What he really is. Why we made our alliance. The darkness that comes with this world.

But this is reality. And I can never forget it.

The conversations resume around the room, and I breathe just a little easier when things seemingly go back to normal.

I feel cold as Ares strides across the room, his eyes fixed on me. He reaches out his clean hand, helping me to my feet. “Let’s go home,” he says, and I can’t quite read his tone. But I’m still in too much shock to do so anyway.

I shuffle forward, my hand in his. Eyes watch us go, but no one remarks. No one stops us. And I realize that Ares is now an important, respected man. Everyone lets him through without question.

Neither one of us says a word as we exit the building. And I don’t know how he knew, but Billings pulls the SUV up to the curb at just the right moment. Ares pulls the door open for me and climbs in after I’m settled into my seat.

The drive back to our building is silent. My eyes look out the window, but they’re unfocused, not taking anything in. My hands are folded in my lap, picking absentmindedly at my expensive dress.

Red.

The sounds.

Ares’ gleaming eyes.

All because that man touched me.

The man who essentially called me his prey.

I saw so much blood, and this time, I didn’t lose it.

What does that mean? Why was this time different?