by R. E. Butler
His nose wrinkled. “I think my body would reject jeans.”
“That’s okay. It’ll be nice to dress differently.”
“I’m sure that Cella would love to take you shopping. And Arissa as well.”
She thought back over what she’d learned about the coven. Arissa, a Wiccan, was the beloved mate of Brone. “I’d like to get to know them.”
“When they were planning the Saints and Sinners party, Arissa said she’d noticed I wasn’t acting like myself. It was because of the dreams.”
“I’m glad we’re not just together in our dreams anymore.”
“As am I.”
They continued their walk down the long hallway. He pointed out the chambers of the family members, who all lived underground with him. When they reached an elevator, he pressed the button. “This elevator leads to a hallway – one door leads to the offices, the other to the dance floor. Beyond the dance floor is a secured area where the coven has their daytime resting places.”
“I thought vampires had to sleep underground.”
“That’s a myth. As long as we’re out of the sun, we can sleep anywhere. Some coven members choose to live in their own homes in the area, but most sleep here. All coven members work in the club.”
“Do you add to your family? Like if one of your inner-circle vampires marries a vampire, would you welcome him or her into the family?”
The door to the elevator opened, and he ushered her inside, pressing the button for the first floor. “It would depend on the mate and the feelings of the other family members. I would consider it, but it wouldn’t be an automatic addition.”
“What about me?”
“It goes without saying that you’re part of the family. You would be the exception to the rule.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” she said, smiling.
When the elevator door opened, she could hear the beat of the music from the club even through the heavy, closed door. “Since we were distracted earlier, I meant to ask you if you needed to feed,” she asked.
He opened the door that led to the coven’s offices and held it for her. “I fed from you last night. I would normally need to drink blood every night when I wake, but I’m feeling particularly satisfied.”
“Is it because we’re beloveds?”
“Or because your blood is so powerful.”
She hummed. “It might be the same reason that my hair turned so blue when I only sang one song.”
“We’re definitely made for each other.”
They reached a wooden door with his name inscribed on a bronze plaque. He opened the door and switched on the lights, and she stepped inside. The office was very typically male – dark furniture, bookshelves with old books and knickknacks, and a large maroon rug in the center of the room. On one wall hung a tapestry, and she walked over to it. Immediately, she recognized the scenes on the tapestry as being from his life – battles he had fought and won.
“This is beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you. It’s quite old. I sometimes think I’ll put it away, but I like to be reminded of the good times when things don’t go my way.”
She turned to face him with a grin. “I think things go your way more often than not.”
He smiled and it took her breath away. Damn, he was sexy.
“Careful. Compliments will get you pleasure.”
She heard the thud of heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. Mishka linked their fingers and tugged her close, brushing his lips over hers with a whisper of a caress. She wanted more but managed to hold back on the wanton moan that was bubbling inside her. The door was open, but the beautiful woman in front of the group of tall, muscular men knocked.
“Enter,” Mishka said, turning his attention to the group. Because of the shared memories, Harmony felt like she knew everyone in the group intimately. It was a strange feeling, to know people before she met them personally. They were Mishka’s family, the most important people in his life, the ones he trusted and cared for the most. That made them important to her, too. Not that she was any great fighter, but she would sing a person to death for any one of these vampires in a heartbeat.
The group filed into the room and behind them came Harmony’s friends.
Mishka cleared his throat and said, “I’d like to formally introduce my beloved, Harmony Celeste. Harmony, this is my family.”
He spoke their names, and each one gave her a nod in turn, except for Cella, who closed the distance between them and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you both,” Cella said as she released Harmony and smiled at Mishka.
“Thank you. I heard you’re a girl who likes to shop,” Harmony said.
“Definitely,” she said with a wide smile, revealing pearly fangs. “And so does Arissa.”
Arissa, whose red hair was a stark contrast to the black shirt her mate, Brone, wore, grinned from where she was being held tightly in his protective embrace. “Heck yes. I haven’t been shopping in a week!”
Harmony glanced at Mishka and he nodded. “The night is yours, beloved. If you want to go shopping, then do so with my blessing.”
Even though she knew every inch of the club thanks to Mishka’s memories, she still wanted to see it in person. “I think I’d like to get an official tour of the club first, and then talk to my friends.”
Mishka nodded. “I believe you have much to discuss with your friends. Cella has set up an office for you next to mine so you may meet in there if you’d like.”
She didn’t really want to be away from Mishka, but she wanted to talk to her friends. She had no clue what they wanted to do now that she’d found her truemate. Hell, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted either, except to never leave the bedroom again. After kissing Mishka on the cheek, she greeted each family member personally.
When she shook Temple’s hand, he smiled. “Is it weird to meet someone you know from someone else’s memories?”
Arissa piped up. “It’s completely nuts.”
Harmony chuckled. “It’s bizarre. I feel like you’re all strangers but also my family, like I’ve known you for years, even though we’ve not met until now.”
She looked back at Mishka and blew him a kiss before following Cella out of his office to her own. Unlike Mishka’s formal office, Harmony’s was modern with a hint of whimsy. Pale green carpeting covered the floor, a shade lighter than the walls. Paintings of forests hung on the walls in oak frames, and a ceiling fan swirled lazily. The desk was feminine, made of light wood with carved legs and accented with old-fashioned drawer pulls. Each corner held a realistic silk tree in a wicker container.
Wyst whistled appreciatively. “This sure beats the kitchen table in the RV.”
“Mishka texted me after you’d shared blood and told me your favorite color was green, so I went with that as a starting point. Anything you want to change, just let me know,” Cella said.
“It’s perfect,” she said.
Cella smiled graciously and said, “I’ll leave you to your meeting. When you’re ready to go on the tour, my office phone is programmed into yours.”
“So,” she said when they were alone in the office, “when Mishka and I shared blood, we also shared memories. Like every memory. Did any of you know that would happen?”
They all shook their heads.
Bridge said, “I thought it was just a strong connection. You actually saw his life?”
“Like a movie in my mind. It was the oddest thing, but also very cool.” Except for the times when he was romancing a female. Those memories she could have done without.
Pulling out the high-backed green and white fabric covered chair, she settled in it and folded her hands on top of the smooth desk. Tamar and Bridge sat across from her in the matching chairs, and Wyst sat on a green striped love seat.
“How did the set go last night?” she asked.
“Great. It wasn’t the same without you, but the crowd had fun,” Wyst said.
“I’m glad.”
“What’s going to happen now?
” Tamar asked.
“I don’t know. Mishka and I haven’t really talked about my purpose here in the coven.”
“You still have to feed your nature. What if they had us become a permanent house band?” Bridge asked.
Her eyes stung suddenly with tears. “You guys don’t want to leave? You’d stay here?”
Wyst’s dark brows rose. “As if we’d leave. You’re like a sister to all of us. When we signed on to play music with you, it wasn’t a temporary gig. I know that you’re mated to a master vampire and that will change some things for you, but our friendship won’t change. Ever.”
“I’m so thankful to have you in my life. If you all want to stay here, then you can. I’ll talk to whoever is in charge of the music in the club. Plus, you need a place to live, too.”
“Cella said that there are renovated apartments above the club,” Bride said. “They were used in the past for special visitors, but they’ve been empty for a while now. There’s a private entrance outside, and they’re already furnished.”
“I want to go on a tour of the club. Do you want to come with?” she asked.
“We already toured it, so have fun.” Wyst said as he stood. “I’m going to pack up my shit from the RV. I called dibs on the biggest apartment.”
“I’ll come visit you later,” she promised.
Her friends left, and she looked around the office for a moment. It was really perfect for her. She hadn’t needed to tell Mishka her favorite color was green because he’d known it because of their bond.
Lifting the receiver, she pressed the button next to Cella’s name.
“Ready for the tour?” Cella asked.
“Absolutely.”
“I’m on my way.”
Ending the call, she dialed her mother’s phone number. “Hi, Mom,” she said when her mom answered. “I’ve got some interesting news.”
“Hello, sweetheart. Where are you calling from?”
“A vampire club.”
“Oh! You found your truemate?”
“I did last night. I was singing on stage at the club and passed out when our gazes met across the floor. His name is Mishka, and he’s the head of the coven in Cleveland.”
“That’s the most wonderful news! Congratulations!”
“Thanks. I’m glad I don’t have to travel anymore.”
“And you can finally make a home for yourself. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“When can you come?”
“I need to stay here until the full moon, but I can come for Christmas. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. How are things going with the pack?”
Her mother had been living in a wolf pack’s territory for several years, helping to keep the peace in the pack with her power. Instead of singing in a club, she sang at weekly pack meetings, and she used her powers to help others in the nearby town. Harmony enjoyed being on the stage, but she also liked the idea of the low-key lifestyle her mom had adopted.
“Very well. The alpha’s oldest son had a daughter who is super fussy, so I’ve been living in their home for the last month helping her to feel better so she can sleep.”
“Aw. You could probably rent yourself out to hospitals and new parents and make a fortune.”
Chuckling, her mom said, “You and your crazy ideas.”
She told her mom about Mishka’s club and about her band’s intention to stay. “It’s not that I thought they’d take off on me, but I wasn’t really sure. We hadn’t talked about what would happen when I found my truemate.”
“I’m not surprised. Your friends are very loyal and you’re lucky to have them in your life.”
“I know.”
“Tell your beloved that I said hello, and I’ll look forward to meeting him the next time we Skype.”
“Love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart.”
Harmony looked up as she hung up the phone and found Cella smiling as she leaned against the doorjamb. “How long have you been searching for Mishka?”
“Two years.”
Her brows rose. “Wow. I wish vampires had dreams leading them to their beloveds. That would be really cool.”
“It is and it’s also frustrating. My dreams weren’t very specific. If Mishka hadn’t had fangs in my dreams, I might have thought he was human.”
In order to reach the club, Harmony and Cella had to walk down the hall past the family offices, through the reception desk where Arissa sat, and past a set of glass doors guarded by coven males. They walked down another hallway past another set of guarded doors and reached the coat-check, where a human woman was taking a beautiful fur coat from a vampire female and accepting a ticket in return. After a quick introduction to the coat check girl, they headed into the club.
“Are the bartenders all coven members?” Harmony asked as they moved slowly along the back wall.
“Most of the club workers are part of the coven. We do hire humans for small jobs like coat check, and the more important jobs of food. We have trolls for daytime security as well.”
“No shifters?”
“There are a few who work as personal guards. Arissa has two wolves and a leopard as her guards. Shifters do come to the club to hang out, but they have their own clubs.”
Harmony searched through Mishka’s memories. Shifters had been blood slaves for vampires for centuries. It was outlawed by vampire law, now, but shifters had long memories and held grudges. It didn’t really surprise her that shifters weren’t gung-ho to hang out at a club crawling with vampires.
“I’ve been in a lot of vampires clubs around the country, from the grungiest dive bar to classy places decked out in chrome and mirrors. I like Fang. It feels like home.”
“That’s so sweet. I feel the same way about the club, too. I’m glad you’re here. Mishka was lonely. It was hard for us to see him that way, especially after Brone found Arissa.”
“I’m thrilled to be with him, too. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Chapter 7
Mishka grimaced as he looked at the video footage from the front of the club. Protesters were harassing those waiting in line to get inside. He turned away from the computer screen and looked at Brone, who was the head of club and coven security.
“The police?”
He shook his head. “The protesters are on the sidewalk, which is technically public property. As long as they don’t touch anyone, they can stand there being assholes all night.”
“I don’t suppose Arissa would be willing to hex them?”
Arissa chuckled from where she stood in Brone’s embrace. “Sorry. I hate them, too, but I can’t just go around hexing people who aren’t technically being evil. Now if they start acting badly, that’s different. I’ll hex the hell out of them.”
Sighing, he leaned back in his chair. He wished that Harmony were with him right then, so he could pull her into his lap and hold her tightly. He knew she was safe in the club, guarded by her friends, but he still wanted her there.
“That damned church,” he said. “I wish they’d find something else to be fanatical over. Go ahead with your plan to increase security. Reiterate to the coven that no one is to go anywhere alone. I don’t want our people to become easy targets.”
Brone nodded, but instead of leaving, he stared at Mishka in silence. Mishka glanced at Arissa, whose smile had slipped slightly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Your beloved needs protection.”
“Of course.”
“Her bandmates are fighters and clearly stand by her, but I’d like to assign coven guards to her. As mistress of the coven, it makes sense that she would be guarded by vampires.”
“I’ll speak to her about it.”
Brone nodded. “I’ll assign Finn and Dolan.”
Mishka nodded. Both males were mated, so they wouldn’t push Mishka’s need to keep his mate away from unmated males. Although she was currently with her friends who were all unmated, he knew from her memories that
there had never been anything sexual between them and that she valued them as brothers and nothing more.
When Brone and Arissa were gone, he looked at the video feed of the protestors. It amazed him that humans could be so violent and hateful and still not see themselves as monsters. These particular protestors were members of the First Church of Humanity, an establishment that had sprung up several years ago with the sole focus of destroying vampires. There were churches all over the country, wherever large covens were, and they looked for ways to hurt vampires. Some of the groups were less violent than others, simply interested in getting covens out of major cities. The one in Cleveland, however, had done terrible things in the name of taking back the city. They’d attempted to kidnap the mates of the vampires, they set fire to the club in an attempt to push the vampires out into the daylight, and they’d even worked with an evil witch and nearly killed Arissa. The First Church was a menace.
Mishka’s stomach churned. Seeing those protestors brought to mind Harmony and her need to be protected. Rising to his feet, he headed for the door, reaching for the connection of their beloved bond. He could feel her in the club and knew she was in the converted apartments on the third floor.
As he exited the offices, he was flanked by Vex and Rage, who always accompanied him whenever he headed out into the club. Although he could and would fight if necessary, it was always better to have security. Especially with those damn church members hanging around.
As if reading his mind, Rage said, “I could just go kill them all. Problem solved.”
Mishka snorted. “If it were only that simple.”
“Hell, I probably wouldn’t even break a sweat.”
“Perhaps, but you’d be held accountable by the human court system, and I’m in no mood to go through that mess again.”
During the previous fall, Arissa had set up a protective barrier around the club. A church member had crossed the barrier in order to grab the mate of a coven member and had been severely injured. The man had brought a lawsuit against the coven for harming him. It had been a non-starter – the idiot was on the surveillance cameras trying to abduct the female – but it had wasted time and money and been one large headache after another.