Chapter 5
Emmy danced through two more songs — one with Toby, where she had to lead because he kept getting distracted by the aurora overhead, and another with Rhea that turned into giggles when they both tried to spin at the same time and nearly collided.
But the adrenaline from kissing Zander was fading, replaced by the bone-deep exhaustion she’d been ignoring all night. Her legs felt shaky, and when Felix caught her hand and tugged her toward one of the tables at the perimeter, she didn’t resist.
“You need to sit,” he said, settling her into a chair with the kind of protective fussing she’d usually bat away. Tonight, she let him.
Rhea dropped into the seat beside her, stretching her legs out with a satisfied groan. “That was fun. Also, you and Zander? Fucking finally.”
Emmy grinned, still feeling the phantom pressure of his lips on hers. “It was just a kiss. It isn’t like we fucked on the dance floor.”
Rhea leaned back, tilting her face toward the aurora. “If you weren’t still recuperating, my guess is you’d be downstairs and flat on your back.”
Emmy wanted to argue, but Rhea was probably right.
The copper bowl in the center of their table radiated steady warmth, the banked coals glowing red-orange beneath a fine layer of ash. She was naked from the boobs up, and she’d been fine while dancing, but she appreciated the heat while sitting.
She was just regretting not getting food before sitting down when Zander appeared beside their table, carrying a tray loaded with small plates.
He set it down with the casual grace of someone who’d spent millennia hosting elaborate events, though Emmy knew Master Vampires didn’t usually serve their guests personally. “You need to eat,” he told her, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Emmy looked at the spread, and a warmth bloomed in her chest that had nothing to do with the coals.
Chicken wings, fried mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce for dipping, chunks of eggplant layered with ricotta and herbs, baked until the cheese bubbled, and a plate of stuffed mushrooms, their caps filled with what looked like spinach, garlic, and more cheese.
A server was behind him with a pitcher of water and three glasses. He filled the glasses and left the pitcher, giving a slight bow before he left.
But what made her throat tighten was that Zander had put the vegetarian dishes closer to Felix, and the chicken between Rhea and Emmy.
Three of the dishes were foods Emmy loved that Felix could also eat.
He’d told her he was happy for her friendship with Felix, and this seemed like proof. He wasn’t going to go all jealous and try to pull her from her friends.
“Thank you,” Felix said quietly, and Emmy realized he’d figured it out, too.
Zander’s hand settled briefly on Emmy’s shoulder, a possessive touch that sent shivers down her spine. “Eat. All of you.”
“Thank you for taking care of me and my friends,” Emmy said, unable to keep the smile out of her voice.
His thumb brushed the nape of her neck, and it felt like a promise of things to come — but then he was gone, moving back through the crowd to where Spence stood talking with a cluster of vampires.
Rhea was already reaching for the chicken wings. “You definitely need to keep him.”
Emmy laughed and grabbed a mozzarella stick, the cheese stretching as she pulled it apart. The first bite was scrumptious. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the food hit her system.
Felix took one of the stuffed mushrooms, his expression softening as he bit into it. “He remembered I’m vegetarian.”
“He pays attention,” Emmy said, and meant it. Zander noticed every detail about the people under his protection. It was one of the things that made him such an effective Master — and such a dangerous one to fall for, but it was much too late to worry about that now.
She ate a chicken wing and let herself just exist in the moment. Friends, good food, her lips still tingling from Zander’s kiss, and the aurora painting the sky above them in impossible colors.
A server brought another platter of chicken, two more plates of mushrooms, and several more pitchers of water, and the three devoured it all.
The ball now had people fucking on the tables without bowls of coal, fucking against the wall, and a few flock members bent over on the dance floor being fucked from behind while taking another cock with their mouth.
A lot of people still danced, but Emmy figured it was only a matter of time before most were fucking and few were dancing.
She regretted she probably wasn’t ready for that just yet, but was happy to be here at all.
Rhea popped the last chicken wing in her mouth, stood, and stretched like the predator she was. “Ready for another round?”
Felix looked at Emmy, clearly torn between dancing and staying with her.
“Go dance,” Emmy told him. “I’m going to talk to Zander and Spence.”
She’d taken her shoes off while she sat, and she slid her feet back into them, stood, and made her way through the tables toward Zander and Spence, talking to the vampire who’d fucked her on stage for one of the early feeding frenzies.
Zander’s gaze found her immediately, his blue eyes tracking her approach. The vampire he’d been speaking with took one look at his expression and politely excused himself.
“Emerald.” His voice was warm, possessive, and the sound of her full name on his lips still sent shivers down her spine.
She stopped in front of them, close enough that the heat from the nearby coal-filled bowls couldn’t quite reach.
She met Spence’s gaze a few seconds and then looked to Zander. “Would it be possible for your boy to walk me to the restroom?”
Zander’s grin was slow and knowing. “Spencer, would you escort Emerald downstairs?”
“Of course.” Spence offered his arm like the gentleman he was, and Emmy took it, feeling the solid strength beneath the luxurious fabric of his jacket.
They walked to the exit in comfortable silence, the music fading behind them as they descended the utilitarian stairs.
Security stood at the top and bottom of the stairs, and in the hallway for the short walk to the bathroom.
The bathroom was nicer than the ones on the flock’s floor, and with no showers, it wasn’t as wide. Sinks on the left wall, toilet stalls on the right.
A few flock members were touching up makeup or adjusting costumes, but no one paid them much attention.
Emmy took care of necessities quickly, emerging to find Spence washing his hands at the sink. He’d taken his jacket off and pushed his sleeves up, and she found herself watching the movement of his forearms, the way the muscles flexed and moved beneath his skin.
He caught her looking in the mirror and gave her a soft smile.
She washed her own hands, and he was there immediately with a paper towel, the small gesture so quintessentially Spence.
“Thanks.” That wasn’t enough, so she added. “You always know what I need.”
They walked back to the stairwell, lit by the same utilitarian lighting as the rest of the security floor. Above, the muffled thump of music vibrated through the walls with a driving beat that made the air itself seem to pulse.
“The aurora is incredible tonight,” Spence said as they started up the stairs. “I’ve seen dozens of displays, but this one—”
“Is magical,” Emmy finished, climbing beside him. “The colors are amazing. Almost otherworldly. Toby knows his shit.”
Before they reached the landing, Emmy stepped up and in front of him, blocking him from climbing higher, her face slightly above his, looking down from inches away.
His breath caught, but the two just stared at each other, close enough to see the flecks of amber in his eyes, to scent his wolf sitting up to take note.
She framed his face with both hands, her thumbs brushing his cheekbones.
“I’ve wanted to do this for months, but you belong to another.” She brushed his lower lip with her thumb. “But he seems happy to share you with me.”
His throat worked. His eyes went a tiny bit wider. His pupils dilated.
And the scent of his arousal bloomed around them.
She moved one of her hands to the back of his head, tilted his face up to hers, and brought her lips to his.
This wasn’t the devastating conquest Zander had delivered, but gentler, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips until he opened for her.
She took her time learning the shape of his mouth and the way he tasted, his underlying wolfiness mixed with the rich wine he’d drunk. Her lips moved against his with careful authority, thoroughly claiming him.
Spence made a sound low in his throat and melted into her.
His hands came up to her waist, not pulling or demanding, just holding. Anchoring himself to her as she deepened the kiss.
The scent of his arousal wafted around her like a drug, but beneath it was a note that made her purr with satisfaction — submission and willing surrender. The trust of a wolf offering his throat to someone worthy.
Emmy’s fingers slid into his hair, angling his head exactly where she wanted it, and he let her. Let her orchestrate every moment, every sensation. His breathing quickened, his grip on her waist tightened fractionally, but he didn’t try to take control.
The music above them pulsed through the walls — bass and drums vibrating through the concrete and into her bones. They were suspended between floors, between the magic of the aurora overhead and the utilitarian reality of the security floor, and it made this moment feel even more intimate.
When Emmy finally pulled back, Spence’s eyes were dark and dazed, his chest rising and falling too quickly for a werewolf.
“I’m glad you telepathed Zander,” she said quietly, holding his gaze. “After he kissed me. Telling him you wanted to kiss me, too.” She cupped his cheek with her palm. “I hope you’ll always speak up like that, to let us know how you feel. It’s important.”
Spence’s hands flexed at her waist. “It’s one of Zander’s rules, to speak up about my feelings and needs.”