3. Aiden
AIDEN
The line outside of Vanta was wrapped around the building and down the back alley.
The neon purple lights of the sign shone bright above the door, casting a light lavender glow on the beings waiting to gain entrance into the Mortis Family-owned bar.
The snarls and glares tossed in my direction didn’t go unnoticed.
The pair of demons that stood at the front of the line made snide comments when I greeted the bouncer as he lifted the velvet rope for me to enter the building.
Their comments faded into the background as I walked into the dimly lit bar.
Doing my best to maneuver around everyone, I accidentally bumped into a being that stood almost a full foot taller than my five-foot-ten.
My senses kicked in almost immediately when I felt the werewolf begin to turn toward me, and a deep, almost black red aura began to pulse around him.
His anger was radiating off him, and I took a deep, steadying breath.
In a split second, the aura changed to a brighter red as his gaze lingered on me.
Taking a small step back, I bumped into a small table.
“Oh, be careful,” the werewolf said, reaching a hand out and stroking his fingers down my arm.
Tilting my head, I gave him a questioning look.
I couldn’t help but wonder why his feelings had changed so drastically.
Someone rushed behind him, and he took a step closer to me, our chests nearly touching, and I got a whiff of the cologne he wore.
It was incredibly strong. How I hadn’t noticed it before was beyond me.
The strong spice scent hit the back of my throat with a punch; I let out a small cough.
“You’re pretty good at bumping into things, aren’t you? ”
Swallowing, I looked up at the male. He was attractive enough.
He had thick dirty blonde hair that was styled nicely, pushed back away from his bearded face.
He was built like a brick wall, a barreled chest and wide shoulders.
Full werewolf, without a doubt. An alpha even, if I had to guess.
I ran my tongue across my teeth and bit my lip, making sure my fangs were front and center for him to take in.
If he really wanted to pursue a vampire, good for him.
But I was not in the mood. “And you aren’t very good at reading people.
” When I shoved his hand off my arm, I turned and walked toward the VIP section on the loft above the main floor.
I could feel his stare on me the entire time I walked up the short staircase to the small, glassed-in area.
“What the fuck was that?” Desdemona asked me when I sat down in my usual spot in the booth against the wall. She stood in front of where I sat, trying to steal glances onto the main floor, likely looking for the werewolf I just had the run-in with. “Aiden, who the fuck was that?”
“Des, your guess is as good as mine.” Shrugging, I noticed the server making his way over to us.
Once I placed my drink order, Des finally came back to sit next to me.
“Just ignore it, Des. It’s not worth it.
See, he’s back talking to his friends or whatever.
” I gestured back down to the werewolf who had rejoined his group.
They were laughing and taking shots at the bar.
Des threw her head back on the booth and crossed her arms over her chest. Letting out a soft chuckle, I patted her thigh. “I’m sure you’ll get to yell at someone later, Des.”
When she whipped her head at me, she slapped me lightly on the chest. “You asshole!”
We were both still laughing when my drink arrived.
As Des and I sat in the booth, we enjoyed the music and had a few drinks while we observed the main floor.
Vanta was the Mortis Family’s most successful bar in the city.
The Vampire Family owned most of the bars and nightclubs downtown, but everyone knew Vanta and wanted a chance to come for a night out.
The drinks were top-notch. The rotating menu had cocktails that catered to every type of being in Noirhaven.
Special attention was given to the blood-spiked drinks, of course, because this was a vampire-owned bar.
The bar was also connected to one of the large buildings the family owned on this side of the city.
Another reason Desdemona and I took the apartment her mom offered was because it was in this building, and this side of the city needed more of a presence.
Now that we have moved in, the Pulse market downtown has quadrupled, and we have access to more events for art shows on this end of the city.
We have been able to acquire more for the customers and get more Senketsus off the black market.
When our server brought us another round, I spotted a tall, silver-haired figure walking up behind him.
The server jumped when he turned around and spotted Milo.
“Milo!” he shouted, stunned at the appearance of our friend.
Clutching the tray he held to his chest, our server bowed his head slightly.
“So sorry, sir. You caught me off guard. Can I get you something from the bar?”
Milo, the eternal calming presence he was, placed his hand on our server’s shoulder. “Jin, it’s all good. I kinda snuck up on you.” Milo’s lips quirked into a half smile showing off a dimple in his cheek. “Just a dry, blood martini, please.”
“Any preference on type?” Jin relaxed, dropping his arms down to his sides.
Patting his shoulder, Milo said, “Anything is fine.” Smiling, Milo walked over to us. He leaned down, kissing Des on the cheek and fist-bumping me before sitting in the chair next to Des.
“What are you doing here?” Des looked at Milo, shocked, before turning to me. “Did you know he was coming?”
I shook my head and shrugged before taking a sip of my drink. The cool, smooth liquid poured down my throat as I turned to survey the crowd again. The werewolf from earlier was looking up at me.
Averting my eyes as quickly as I could, I leaned into Des and whispered something I couldn’t hear over the music. She slapped his chest, and he backed off, chuckling lightly.
Jin returned with Milo’s drink and another round for Des and me.
“Are you two ready for the auction this week?” Des leaned back in the booth and crossed her legs.
Glancing over at Milo, he was taking a sip from his drink, so I spoke up. “Pretty much. There’s only so much we can do to get ready.”
“Okay, is it just the two of you going?” She looked over to Milo for the answer.
Milo set down his glass. “We aren’t here to talk about work, please.” He leaned over, placing his hands on Desdemona’s thighs and looked at her with pleading eyes.
Raising my eyebrows, my gaze slid over to the two vampires now staring at one another. Milo’s pleading eyes continued to linger on Desdemona's face as her eyes flicked quickly back and forth, her gaze searching Milo’s for an answer to some unasked question.
With a quick gulp, Des finished her drink. “See you later, Aiden.” She stood with authoritative force and pulled the fitted skirt she wore down slightly. Walking past Milo, Des grabbed him by the silver tie he wore and yanked him up out of the seat.
Nearly spilling the red martini on his white shirt, Milo leaned forward as he chugged down the last of the drink.
My jaw tightened at the thought of the dry, harsh liquor hitting my throat.
Without a doubt, a look of disgust was painted on my face when I watched him set his glass down.
“See you Monday,” Milo called over his shoulder with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face as my best friend dragged him out of the bar by his tie.
It seemed that more beings had entered Vanta since the last time I scanned the main floor.
Even though I wasn't technically working tonight, it was hard to shut off the urge to constantly scan my surroundings and be aware.
I had become so accustomed to knowing what lurked behind every corner.
Most of the jobs I did for Vea were all about expecting the unexpected and being ready for anything, so I rarely let my guard down even on a night out.
The werewolf from earlier had moved from his previous spot at the bar with his group of friends, and they stood on the edge of the dance floor now, laughing, each one holding a drink.
Moving my gaze around the room, I felt a presence approach my side before Jin spoke.
“Aiden, another drink for you.” He held out a martini glass.
It looked just like one of Milo’s blood martinis.
I made a disgusted face when he set it down.
Jin laughed softly, “Yeah, I told him you wouldn't enjoy it, but he insisted.”
Confused, I looked up at the server. “Who?”
“The big guy down there.” He gestured with his head toward the blonde werewolf who was now staring directly at me and making his way toward the stairs to the lofted section I sat in.
Looking up at Jin, I grabbed the glass from the table and handed it back to him.
“I'm sorry you went through the trouble of making this.” Jin took the glass and set it on his tray.
I looked over to the werewolf who stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for me to give the security guard the go-ahead to let him up.
“I'm not at all interested.” My statement was loud enough that the werewolf heard me.
He baulked while I turned in the other direction and walked through the back exit of the club straight into my apartment building.