Chapter 7 #4
Rafe’s senses went on alert as more patrons filed into the arena.
With no empty tables, donors and vampires lined the perimeter of the room.
Music reignited and a shimmering apparition appeared on stage.
In waves of blue and silver, the image morphed into the shape of a wave.
The domed ceiling parted, revealing a descending platform.
Purple rope knotted in diamond patterns bound a naked man to the glass structure.
Smoke billowed through an opening in the floor.
As it slid open, a tall lithe figure emerged.
With rhythmic movement, she began to dance.
Dark magick filtered through the room, her apparent prey dangling from the platform.
The human appeared dazed, bespelled by the creature under him.
With long platinum hair that dusted the floor, she tore off her scarf, revealing her pale skin.
Dressed in a deep purple see-through gown, she glided across the floor as if she were floating.
She wore an elaborate feather headpiece, her bright red lips pursed below her ornate mask.
Rafe leaned to whisper in Skylar’s ear, his intuition warning him. “It’s going to be okay.”
Her wide eyes met his. He sensed her fear, her heartbeat beating ever faster.
“Trust me. I’ll protect you.” Her scent filled his soul, his wolf readying to attack.
Rafe looked to the exit where the waiter had disappeared. Something was off. Topper was on the run. And there was nothing his wolf liked more than a good chase.
Rafe glanced at Greyson who nodded to Xavier.
The vampire appeared transfixed on the performance.
The mesmerizing performer pointed at Xavier then cupped her breasts and licked her lips.
She spun and bent over, touching her toes.
With a flick of her hair, she stood up and approached the man above her.
His eyes flashed open in both fear and arousal, his dick hardening in front of everyone.
Rafe sniffed the air, the scent sweet. Too sweet. Seducing. Demonic.
Skylar scrunched her nose and whispered to him. “What’s that smell?”
Tuberose. Deadly to paranormals. Rafe looked back to Xavier who remained in a trance. “Hey dude. Snap out of it.”
A loud groan echoed throughout the theater as the music cut to silence. She once again turned with her gaze on Xavier and bent over. As she rose, her hand trailed up her calf onto her thigh. She spun around, brandishing a dagger and tracing its tip through the air, looking upward to her victim.
“Rafe.” Skylar’s eyes widened.
The Alpha sent his calming energy through his fingertips, hoping she’d still be able to look at him when the night was finished.
The man whimpered as she trailed the blade down his abdomen, her fingers brushing his skin. By the time she reached his dick, he was trembling. He cried out as she wrapped her hand around his cock and began stroking him.
Rafe glanced at Skylar who’d covered her eyes with one hand, occasionally stealing a peek at the spectacle. The man groaned, convulsing, fucking the air.
The frenetic energy grew thick in the air. Rafe looked to Xavier who’d begun to stand. “What’re you doin’ man? Snap out of it.”
Xavier blinked as if he’d been woken from a hypnotic trance.
The crowd gasped as she took his dick into her mouth. Out of the corner of Rafe’s eye, he saw Laz in the doorway gesture to him. He gave a short nod and disappeared into the darkness.
“Let’s roll,” Rafe said to Greyson. “Kenji. Keep your eye on Xavier.”
A primal scream of terror echoed as she stabbed the dagger into his groin.
Blood streamed out onto the floor, and she broke out in maniacal laughter.
She reached for the corner of the platform, giving it a strong push, sending him spinning in circles.
The blood sprayed out onto the crowd as vampires rushed from their seats and descended on him.
“Shit.” Rafe scooped up Skylar in his arms. Within seconds Greyson had flashed them into the corridor where Laz had been.
“Oh my God!” Skylar bent over, coughing. “What just happened? That man. Oh my God. She stabbed him.”
Rafe cupped her cheeks gently, forcing her to look up at him. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. Take a deep breath. That’s it. I’m sorry you had to see that back there.”
“But she…she…that man.” She shook her head and held her hands over her mouth.
“You’re all right,” Rafe caught her hand in his and nodded, sending his energy to her. “We’re almost done here and we’ll get you home.”
“Okay.” She nodded as if she was attempting to convince herself, still wearing a confused expression. “But that woman. The blood.”
“Sorry, love. It was a bit messy out there.” Greyson retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Skylar. “It’s no place for ladies such as yourself.”
“What?” A single drop of blood trailed down her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
Rafe tugged the cloth from her hand and gently dabbed at the blood on her forehead, then made quick work of removing it from her cheek. “Just have a little bit—”
“Oh my God. Am I bleeding? What is happening?”
“No, no, no, no. You’re fine,” Rafe assured her, concealing that the blood belonged to someone else. “Did you recognize anyone back there from the party?”
“What? Yeah, no. I didn’t. I’m sorry. I was…it’s just I’m not used to…ugh, this.” Skylar stole a glance around Rafe’s shoulders. “Where are we? Another tunnel?”
Rafe took in his surroundings and shrugged. “It’s a hallway. A small one.”
A dark mint green stone hallway appeared to descend downward into the earth. What a fucking day. Filled with regret for bringing her to the club, Rafe changed his mind and turned to Greyson. “I think you should take her back to her parents now. This is too much.”
“No, no. I’ve come this far.” She shook her head and bit her lip. “I’m okay. I promise.”
Greyson stepped closer. “I can have her locked down back in Vegas. I’ll be back in a flash.”
“Rafe.” She pressed her palm to his chest and looked up to him.
A hot wire of awareness strummed through him, her mere touch awakening his soul. His beast released a low growl, his focus set its sight on his target. Skylar. Mine. The rush of emotion took Rafe off guard as he struggled to calm his thoughts.
“I promise I’m okay. Let’s find Topper. I might see someone I remember. I’ll go back to my mom’s later. I promise.”
Rafe’s heart squeezed in his chest. Instincts told him to never let her go, but there was no other choice. “If there’s any trouble, Greyson’s flashing you out. We find Topper and then we’re outta here.”
Rafe sucked a quiet breath as she removed her hand. Sadness flashed in her eyes. She knew. They both knew that they had no future. She’d go home. Live her extraordinary human life doing human things. No matter what his wolf wanted, desiring a human was a fool’s errand.
“Promise we’ll get you home safe.” Guilt stabbed at his gut. He should have taken her back to Kade. Or her mom. Anywhere else but Vegas. “We’ll be done soon.”
Xavier held a hand to his head. “What happened back there?”
“You okay, dude?” Rafe asked the vampire.
“It’s the tuberose. Its scent can be deadly for vampires. It’s like a drug. You’re all right, lad. Suck it up.” Greyson told him. “You’ll recover nicely.”
“Geez.” Xavier pinched his nose. “What the hell.”
“Give it a few seconds. Take a deep breath,” Rafe advised. “Don’t let it get to you. He’ll never let you forget it.”
Rafe gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “Let’s get this done. Sky. Stay behind me. Kenji. Please keep eyes on her at all times.”
“Ma.” Kenji said with a smile.
Greyson shot him a curious look.
“Ma. The space between.” Kenji nodded.
Rafe looked to Greyson. “You’re both ancients, so I’m sure he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve we haven’t seen.”
Kenji shrugged. “It is my sister you have to look out for. She’s ferocious.”
“You smell that?” Rafe held up his hand. The scent of death lingered in the air, dried old blood, the decay of a human body.
“Yeah, I do.” Greyson wore a concerned expression.
They continued to traverse deeper into the hallway, but within minutes it came to a dead end.
“Where are the rooms? Where did Laz go? The kitchens?” Greyson asked. “Blood rooms were supposed to be in the back.”
“We all just watched the wolf disappear back here. No, something is off. They’re hiding.” Rafe stopped in his tracks, the dark magick swirling around him. “Glamour.”
“It’s playing in our faces.” Xavier commented. “No windows. No doors.”
“Weakened wolves don’t disappear behind concrete walls,” Rafe noted.
“Tricksters.” Greyson sniffed the air. “Sulfur.”
“Black magick.” Rafe extended the tentacles of his power. Dark energy crawled over his skin, and he instinctively recognized its origin. “Demonic. I can feel it.”
“I don’t sense full on demons,” Greyson commented. “It’s something but I don’t know.”
“Witches? Any creature who likes to play in the dark realm really could create an illusion.” Rafe held his hands to the wall once again and moved down the hallway. Cool energy appeared to dissipate underneath his fingertips.
He wrapped his knuckles along the wall. Thud. Thud. Thud. “Solid.”
Once again he moved his palms over the cool concrete. As he worked down the hall, heat tingled his skin, the air drenched with the stench of death. His fingertips glossed over a seam that ran from the ceiling to the floor.
“Something’s behind here. Stand back.” Rafe took a deep breath, focused on the wall, rapping his fingers onto it. Bang. Bang. Bang. A hollow sound reverberated back to him.
“What are you doing?” Greyson asked.
Rafe didn’t second-guess his instinct. He backed up and ran full speed at the wall, lunging his shoulder into the wall. A loud crack reverberated through the hallway. The wolf backed up again and kicked at the wall until his foot broke through to the other side.
“Sometimes you have to break the illusion and do things the old-fashioned way. Smash that shit.”
“Nicely done, wolf.” Kenji bent over to peer through the hole in the hidden door. “Looks like…maybe a kitchen?”