Chapter 10 Sebastian
Sebastian
Istood at the railing outside my office and surveyed Nightfall’s grand opening night. The floor below was a mass of bodies bumping and grinding. The sight of people so close reminded me of moving against Kayla and bringing her pleasure.
I’d barely seen her the past two days. After she rejected me and ran away from the kitchen, it had seemed… prudent to allow her some space. Even I knew humans liked to process these days. But I missed her.
What if she was pulling away? Worse, what if I lost her completely?
Now that I’d found my mate, would I survive without her?
Mate.
It was such a tiny word, but it meant so much. The woman I didn’t want to be without. She couldn’t reject me now—not when I’d just found her, just become certain of what had drawn me to her from that very first moment.
This was bigger than anything I’d thought about Leia. I didn’t want to control myself now. I wanted to submit to instinct and claim Kayla as mine.
But we had an added complication.
She might even try to get out of her contract—the business part.
And that would be a big fucking mess to explain to Nic.
Drawing a deep breath, I looked out over the club again.
Everything was perfect, the midnight decoration bringing the night of New Orleans inside — but at the same time, we’d stayed classy and relevant.
The contractors had carried out a triumph of a reconstruction.
This place wasn’t recognizable at all as The Neutral Zone.
My gaze strayed to the empty stage, and my heart ached for the lack of Kayla again. The music playing in the background was dreamy and bluesy, but it just wasn’t the same as seeing Kayla, or hearing her sing. I had no doubt she had a beautiful voice.
I deliberately hadn’t ridden with her in the car.
I didn’t watch any rehearsals and hadn’t even waited nearby while she got herself ready in the dressing room downstairs.
There was too great of a chance that having me so close would upset her all over again before she went up on stage, and I couldn’t risk that.
The door opened, and I hurried down the stairs as Nic and Leia entered.
“Very nice.” Leia looked around the newly remodeled nightclub and even managed an approving whistle.
She’d seen it when the place was The Neutral Zone, and by all accounts, her experience hadn’t been entirely positive. Her approval tonight was important, especially since it would carry a lot of weight with Nic.
Nic clapped me on the shoulder. “Looks good.”
His praise meant more than I could say but I shrugged it off in front of him, rather than let him see how proud his approval made me. Holding my arm out, I gestured toward the VIP balcony, which was one of the exclusive areas of the club, directly opposite my office.
“If you’ll just come this way,” I murmured.
I led the way up the stairs, which were exactly like the other set that led to the offices, to the tables where Aimée and Tomas were already waiting, along with Kyle, Jason, and Temple. The only person missing was Ben, and that was because Nic had him watching over The Pour House again.
That poor guy. He always seemed to be doing all the work and never getting to any of the gatherings to see us.
Aimée stood and approached our brother and Leia. She threw her arms around Leia, and I chuckled as she pretty much ignored Nic. Then again, vampire siblings were old news when we’d spent centuries together.
“Leia! You look so well.” Aimée managed an almost squeal as she tugged Leia closer.
Leia nodded and surrendered to her hug. I’d nearly forgotten that Aimée had sat with Leia through her turning, and although Nic hadn’t told me much about it—not that I could exactly blame him—I’d gathered it hadn’t been pretty.
Leia had suffered. It had been a risky time for Nic’s future.
Aimée tucked Leia’s hand at the crook of her elbow and almost dragged her to an empty seat. Nic chuckled and followed the two of them, and I cast my glance over everyone, checking whose drinks needed to be refilled and whether the VIP servers were doing their jobs properly.
Temple was hanging out at the back of the group by himself, but that was okay. He always did loiter more like a Victorian pickpocket than a deadly vampire. His home was the shadows, and we all knew that.
It was rare of him even to attend a group gathering like this since he didn’t like too close of an association or affiliation with any one group. Not in public, anyway.
He had his finger in too many pies and he took too many risks to make a careless move or reveal a friendship where he shouldn’t have had one.
I drew up a chair next to Nic. “What do you all think of the changes?” Okay, so I was mostly after an ego stroke. I was proud of the changes myself, but it always pleased me to hear that other people agreed.
Just as they started to nod and Nic parted his lips to reply, the lights in the club dimmed, and I all but flung myself to the railing to watch Kayla step onto the stage.
It was a stage I’d created just for her so that all eyes would be on her when she performed, although now I regretted that slightly.
The only eyes I wanted on her were mine, the only gaze appreciating her. That was my right as her mate. I curled my hands into fists before relaxing them as I watched her.
She was perfect.
The crowd below fell silent, and I grew still, my focus solely on Kayla. She was like a beacon burning just for me.
She wore a silver gown, and it almost twinkled under the spotlights, as if all the starlight had gathered to wrap her in perfection.
The dress hugged her, showcasing every one of her curves — the same curves I’d molded under my hands the other night.
I almost palmed my cock, which made itself known as soon as my thoughts wandered over Kayla’s body in place of my hands, and offered it an apology because now really wasn’t the time for it to demand attention.
So, I focused on Kayla again, determined to remember this moment.
When she turned to greet the people all around the stage, her back was bare, and I longed to touch the smooth skin there, to feel it under my fingertips.
Her dark hair was crafted into wide curls but they were swept off to one side, exposing half of her neck, and her pulse beat wildly as she took several deep breaths.
My gums ached as my fangs descended, and I didn’t dare look at Nic.
He’d know each of my thoughts. I breathed deeply, mimicking Kayla’s calming breaths.
Her scent carried to me across the club, the allure of sweet-smelling jasmine washing over me like a wave.
Ignoring my dick was no longer an option.
I discreetly rearranged myself, hoping the shadowy interior of Nightfall provided enough cover, especially if all eyes were on Kayla.
Pride warred with jealousy over the fact that everyone was watching her and seeing the same beautiful woman as me. I wanted to leap to her and carry her away to a place where it would be just the two of us. Where she would only exist for me as I wanted to exist for her.
But then Kayla’s music started, and she glanced down before taking one final breath and beginning to sing. Her voice soared through the club, warming the atmosphere, and capturing me as if she’d bewitched me.
I’d never heard her sing before, and now it was all I wanted to do. Well, besides touching her and bringing her pleasure again, perhaps.
“Incredible,” I whispered as the music changed rhythm and couples switched to slow dancing instead of grinding frenziedly against each other, their lips meeting in soft kisses.
It wasn’t the song we’d agreed on when she’d submitted her choice for my approval, but this felt more intimate.
Kayla sang of home and the pain of not finding her place anymore.
It was like another layer of her spell, like there was a message in her music meant just for me.
I leaned against the railing, completely captivated by my mate and her song.
When the last note of her set died away, the end surprised me. The entire club erupted in applause, and Kayla sashayed from the stage to the sound of cheering and wolf whistles.
I exhaled a long breath as I watched her disappear through the black curtains that led to the dressing room. Then I jumped as Nic spoke just behind me.
“Looks like you have it bad for the singing witch, brother.” His nostrils flared as he spoke, and a shiver of panic rolled through me.
Nic wasn’t the only other vampire in this club, so he wasn’t the only one who’d know Kayla’s status.
But I played it cool, and I stayed exactly as I was, casually leaning against the railing, neither confirming nor denying his words.
He spoke again, amusement coloring his tone. “Maybe I should warn you, though, that the performance was quite the siren’s song, and if you don’t go to her now, you almost certainly won’t be the first in line.”
I turned abruptly at his words, and he jerked his chin in the direction of the stairs.
“Go.”
Behind him, Leia offered me a thumbs-up, her smile broad. “You’ve got this,” she murmured.
I almost blurred down the stairs without another thought. I certainly didn’t care to wait around for the opinions of the other guys in the VIP area. What they believed, or didn’t believe, had no bearing on my behavior at all.
Then I stood in front of her dressing room, my hand poised to knock, and I almost second-guessed myself.
What if she still didn’t want to see me?
What if this door remained locked to me, too?
Not that a lock would ever truly stop me, but if it brought Kayla comfort to think it could keep me away from her, I was content to let her retain that belief.
I knocked softly, even though I wanted nothing more than to demand to be let in. I wanted to make Kayla mine. She was mine already, but I wanted everyone to know it.