Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Titus winked at his mate across the bar at Nightfall the following evening. He hadn’t considered leaving her at home while he went to the nightclub. Alessia was safer with him. Her brother’s men didn’t stand a chance against a bar full of vampires. And besides, she was adorable.
“What do you mean you invent a special drink for mates?” Alessia yelled over the music as he leaned toward her.
“The named cocktail thing started with Carina, Marcus’s mate. I made up a recipe for a drink with the things she loved and named the concoction the Carina. We sell a ton of them every night,” Titus explained. “It’s tradition now. You like cognac. Do you want something with brandy as a base?”
Immediately, she shook her head. “That’s for a quiet evening drink. I need a party celebration.”
“I agree,” Carina’s upbeat voice said as she slid into the reserved spot. “Hi, I’m Carina.”
Alessia’s eyes widened as Carina grinned at her. Titus stepped in to help. “Teeth, Carina.”
“Oops!” Carina slapped her hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes and wiggled as if she were concentrating intently before peeking back at Titus. “Better?” she asked, smiling at him once again.
“Perfect, Carina. I’m glad you’re here. Let me introduce Alessia,” Titus said before explaining to Alessia, “Carina comes to Nightfall frequently with Marcus, so he can keep an eye on her.”
“Oh! Hi, Carina. I’m glad to meet you. Titus was telling me about your cocktail,” Alessia said quickly.
Titus noticed she looked carefully at Carina’s mouth to check for the fangs that had extended past her lips before.
Alessia hadn’t reacted much to his news about being a vampire.
Was that because she didn’t quite believe him or had her turbulent life made her glad to have a supernatural entity on her side?
“I love it. They had to make a ton of blackberry syrup to keep up with all the orders,” Carina said. “The Carina is so yummy! What are you going to put in Alessia’s?”
“What’s your favorite festive alcohol, Alessia?” Titus asked.
“I don’t go to parties or nightclubs. Attending unsupervised social events wasn’t allowed,” Alessia admitted. “Maybe whatever goes well with fruity stuff?”
“Let me put something together for you. Carina, do you want to try my first attempt at an Alessia too?” Titus asked.
“Yes, please!” Carina bounced on the seat with excitement.
Titus flipped a shaker cup into the air with a flourish and caught the container behind his back.
The movement captured bystanders’ attention, and people gathered behind the two women.
Titus grabbed a white bottle and twirled it on the bar counter like a kid playing spin the bottle.
Everyone leaned forward to see where it stopped.
The gold top pointed directly at Alessia. Titus winked at her. “I couldn’t have accomplished that better,” he boasted and boosted himself over the bar to kiss Alessia as oohs filled the air along with a few “lucky girl” comments.
“Now that’s inspiration,” he said, dropping to his feet behind the bar before licking his lips. Titus adored the quick flush of her cheeks that defied the cover of the low lights in the bar area. How did he get so lucky to have Alessia as his mate?
“I’ll add some of this delicious mixture that won me that lucky kiss,” he announced and twirled the gold lid off with a dramatic swipe.
He created a waterfall of the creamy white liqueur into the metal cup.
Picking up a bottle of rum, he twirled it around his hand in the air before adding a generous splash as well.
“What’s your favorite tropical fruit? Mango? Pineapple?” he asked Alessia.
“Lime?” she suggested.
Carina clapped. “Lime is so good. It’s in my drink too. I’m going to like the Alessia!”
The audience of fifteen or more women clustered behind her agreed.
One asked Alessia if she could teach them how to pronounce her name correctly.
Titus loved how the request brought Alessia out of her shell.
She didn’t need to be isolated from this crowd.
Alessia should be safe to interact with others here.
He added some lime to the mixture and jumped on the bar to shake the container up.
Turning, he jiggled his ass in front of Alessia, loving her delighted giggles and the heat that filled her eyes at the sight when he looked back to judge her reaction.
The lighting guy up on the observation platform focused a spotlight on Titus’s gyrating figure, and a howl of approval from all over Nightfall rang out at his performance.
Titus milked the attention for a second before bowing and bouncing down to the floor behind the counter. He winked at Alessia. “Just for you,” he mouthed and laughed as she covered her heart as if she were swooning. He loved that she was having fun.
Titus poured the frothy mixture into two glasses, added some soda water to make the drink fizzy, and selected loopy straws from his special stash. He set the drinks in front of Alessia and Carina and waved his hands to invite them to try his new creation.
“You first, Alessia,” Carina insisted, sitting back from hers to give Titus’s mate the initial taste.
Alessia wrapped her lips around the straw, making Titus glad he was no longer standing on the bar when his cock instantly perked up at the sight. Her hum of enjoyment ricocheted into his mind. Mmmmm!
“That’s so good,” Alessia told the crowd.
Carina immediately sampled hers. Raising her hands over her head, Carina celebrated the delicious flavor. “That rocks!”
Immediate requests for the Alessia flooded him from all sides. Grabbing a pitcher, Titus concocted a large batch as he mentally sent the recipe to Bram at his computer. The tech guy typed up the ingredients and the directions before adding the Alessia to each bartender’s station.
With a whooping yell on the other side of the club, Luke jumped onto the bar to shake his ass. Women swarmed his area, eager to taste the drink. Men followed the celebrating women. The dance floor was packed soon.
I’ve never seen so many shimmying butts in my life, Donovan observed dryly from his position in the DJ booth. You may have just simultaneously created the newest dance trend as well as the drink of the month.
Titus leaned forward and shared that droll comment with Alessia and Carina. Both women laughed and sucked up big drinks from their glasses before grooving on their barstools.
“Alessia? Want to dance?” Carina asked.
Alessia checked with Titus for permission. He nodded. “Go. Stay with Carina. I’ll keep your seats reserved here.” In a flash, they were off, boogying before they took their second steps. Titus shook his head and kept mixing.
Well done, Titus.
Titus’s head popped up at the sound of Alaric’s voice in his mind.
My awesome shaker technique? he asked, keeping his tone light.
Even after centuries of being in the elder’s presence, Titus registered the impact of the power that radiated from Alaric.
Their clan leader did not frighten him as much as he awed Titus with his strength.
Yes, exactly those skills. Alaric’s amusement rang from his words. And for finding your mate. She comes with complications.
Titus scanned the dance floor, instantly on edge. Spotting Alessia having fun, he relaxed and bantered with the women in front of him as he dispensed drinks. Marcus had sent one of his security force to collect money for Titus and control the crowd still milling in front of him.
Your mate is safe. Can you trust her motivation and intent?
With my life. Titus didn’t hesitate. She is the sibling Enzo Costa deems expendable.
Families are complicated. I’ve always found clan politics more palatable. I am doubly pleased then that you have bonded with your mate.
Thank you, Alaric. Is there anything I can do for you?
Not at present, Titus. I am curious now what concoction would earn the name the Alaric.
I would never presume to call a mere drink after you. A new spirit, perhaps. Wine or whiskey, Alaric?
Alaric’s amusement bubbled in his mind. Titus enjoyed his elder’s lighter side before the presence ebbed from his brain. He glanced up at his next customer in time to focus on his interactions.
“Hi, Titus!” The scantily clad woman greeted him with a sultry look. “How do I get a drink named after me?” Titus would have considered her extremely attractive before meeting his mate. Now all women seemed ordinary in comparison with his precious Alessia.
Carina answered that for him as she and Alessia reclaimed their empty stools, “Sorry, it’s a special club that’s either in your blood or not. Check out that tall guy on the dance floor. He told me he’d love to meet you.”
“Really? Thanks!” The woman headed for her new target.
“Smooth, Carina,” Alessia complimented her.
“Nobody gets near our mates,” Carina said, glowering. A second later, she slapped her hand over her mouth once again.
Titus checked in with Alessia to see if she was concerned or frightened by Carina’s fangs appearing.
“Could I have another one of these?” Alessia asked without a hint of reaction to her new friend’s toothy problem.
Titus nodded and checked with Carina, “Alessia, Carina?
“Yes, please!” Carina answered, obviously back in control of her fangs.
Titus anticipated Alessia would have a lot of questions for him at the end of the night. And he would be glad to answer all of them. After making her scream with pleasure several times. He grinned as he squeezed the lime.
A warning message went out to all the clan from Marcus.
My staff are fielding reports from returning Nightfall partygoers that a reporter outside is taking pictures of their glowing tattoos.
They’re all excited to be in the local paper tomorrow.
The person disappeared before I got to them.
Anyone want to bet that Nightfall won’t be featured in an article in the Daily Times?
Costa’s gathering intel on our doorstep. He needs to be eliminated. Titus fumed.
“Da… Titus, are you okay?” Alessia asked, correcting herself from using the intimate name he’d asked her to call him.
Carina smirked, and Titus guessed she knew exactly what Alessia had started to say.
The dynamic between Marcus, Nightfall’s security director, and Carina was strong.
He’d been happy his clan member had found his mate.
Envious, definitely. Now, Titus also appreciated the support Carina could give his own mate.
The two already appeared to be fast friends.
“I’m beyond perfect, Alessia. Just listening to the security group talking about a minor problem outside.”
“My Daddy’s safe?” Carina said.
“He’s upstairs, Carina. Want to go see him?” Titus asked.
Her chair was empty before Titus finished his question. Alessia stared at the space where Carina had sat a fraction of a second ago. She scanned the room and turned back to Titus with her brow furrowed in concern.
Yeah, she was going to have a lot of questions. Titus smiled reassuringly at Alessia. “Want to dance with me, Little mate? I have a break now.” He didn’t, but someone would take over for him for a few minutes.
“I’d love that!”
Donovan? How much would I have to pay for you to spin a slow song next?
Titus! You’re ruining my upbeat groove here. A second later, Donovan sighed dramatically and continued, Come on! The minute you’re on the dance floor, everyone is going to flood there no matter what I’m playing.
I owe you one, Donovan, Titus told him as he steered Alessia toward the crowded dance floor.
I’ll remember that.