Chapter Ivy
Ivy
Ivy was enjoying herself and it was because her shadow, who went by the name of Voresta, was blissfully absent. She didn’t have to hear his naysaying, and wasn’t subject to his piercing grey glares whenever she did or said something he didn’t like.
When she thought about the way she and Finare had deceived Leseldh to get here, she felt a shred of guilt.
But since his investigation was absorbing every bit of his time and attention, she doubted he’d even realise she’d been gone for as long as she had, or where she’d spent that time.
Despite what she felt for Leseldh, she wasn’t about to chain herself to his mansion out of loyalty to him.
She’d spent too many years having her mother dictate her life in Naum to continue doing that in Noctis—especially when forever stretched ahead of her.
No, the choice to leave Veldmoor and Voresta behind was an easy decision in the wider scheme of things. As she looked about the club, feeling sprightly from the blood she’d consumed and effusive from the alcohol, she realised that the only thing that was missing was her partner in crime.
Finare was there but not there. He was distracted and not his usual fun-loving self. Perhaps he was still feeling the effects of last night’s alcohol, even after his feed. He wasn’t up for dancing, and every time he left to get a round of drinks, he insisted on going alone.
When he left to get himself a ‘top-up’ feed and was gone for longer than usual, Ivy’s boredom threatened to take hold.
She made her way to the mezzanine to find him, but when she recalled the way he fed earlier this evening, she reconsidered.
The memory of her Broodmate devouring the long-haired male made her blush, and she remembered feeling like she was intruding on something more than a meal.
Her quick transaction with the female saw a need filled, but it felt like Finare’s need differed to her own.
Once on the mezzanine, she decided a break from the pulsating crowd downstairs was in order.
She headed over to the stone railing and leaned against it to look down at the churning mass of bodies beneath her.
She picked out random creatures in the crowd and watched their movements, before growing tired of them and switching to a new target.
Ivy felt a sudden pressure on the back of her neck and the world tilted as she was lifted off the ground.
In that moment of weightlessness, a blur of movement entered her field of vision from the side.
Before she could react, she was pinned against the wall.
The hand moved to her throat and applied firm pressure to hold her in place.
The sudden movement left her reeling, and as her disorientation faded, the first thing she saw was a pair of red eyes staring directly into hers.
“It’s not safe for Fledglings to be wandering around on their own around here, you know.
” The male’s growling voice sent chills up Ivy’s spine, and her fear spiked as her feet dangled above the floor.
The words were reminiscent of something Voresta would say, but instead of sounding like chiding, from this male they were a threat.
He flooded her senses—the sheer size of him dominated her view and his wood and vanilla scent was overwhelming.
The steady pressure of his fingers on her throat was a portent of the danger she was in.
As Ivy took in his red eyes, razor-sharp fangs, and the pure fury that radiated off him in waves, she realised she was in peril, and she doubted if anyone would come to her rescue.
“What do you want from me?”
“It’s not what you can give me. It’s what I can get from your Ending.”
The male’s words made her heart stall, and she could taste his hatred on her tongue as he growled at her. Dread wrapped its cold fingers around her heart when she realised that Drachen had sent his Hunter for her, after all.
Stall him, Ivy’s mind screamed. Keep him talking and someone will come. It was a tenuous hope to hang onto, like using thread as a rope, but she gripped it desperately.
“And what’s that?”
“Redemption.”
The word reverberated through her, and she gritted her teeth to stop her jaw from trembling in fear.
She couldn’t control the rest of her body, though, as it dangled from his effortless grasp.
The sheer strength of this male was scary enough on its own, but the entire package that invaded her space was downright terrifying.
“Redemption? For little old me?” She attempted to push confidence and bravado into her response, but her voice still quavered as she stared into those blood-red irises.
“Old? Something tells me that you’re just a baby.” His statement echoed Finare’s words from the previous night, making her shudder. She felt his grip tighten on her neck, and for an insane second, she wondered if a Vampire could suffocate.
Over the pounding music, Ivy heard a click close by, but she couldn’t determine the source. A flash of movement drew her eyes to a dagger pointed at her chest, and the male’s lips spread into a roguish grin.