by Alicia White
“And if you get hungry, you can feed in the safety of the club,” Elijah added as he walked into the bedroom.
“Okay,” Erin took a deep breath. “So, I’ll…uh…just send a text message with the details.”
“Don’t be nervous.” Mikael rubbed a smooth hand up and down her back. “They’re your family. They’ll accept you.”
Erin smiled, although she really wasn’t sure if she believed him. “Honestly, I don’t know. After seeing Dani, I’m not sure how the others will react. Hell, I’m not sure how I’ll react.”
“We’ll be by your side the whole time,” Elijah promised as he joined them on the bed.
“Okay,” Erin simply said.
Typing in the four-digit security code, Erin started a group message. Tonight is the last night of our vacation in New Orleans. I’m hoping you’ll meet me at a private club in the warehouse district called Underground. Please mention Mikael Moreau’s name at the door and you’ll be allowed to come inside. I hope to see you all there. She quickly clicked the send button before adding another text with the physical address of the building.
Her hand was shaking by the time she was done. Now, she just needed to wait. As the seconds turned into minutes, Erin dropped her phone onto the bed. “I’m gonna go take a shower.” She abandoned the device and practically ran into the bathroom.
“Hey.” Elijah joined her. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried that I’ll never see my friends again.” She exhaled on a sigh. “I’ve already lost my family. I can’t lose them.”
“You won’t. I promise.” Elijah started unbuttoning her blouse, slowly stripping off her clothing. His hands wandered up and down, caressing and massaging. “Let’s take a shower. I want to wash you.” From the sound of his voice, she knew he had a lot more planned than simply soaping her up.
Elijah left her side for a moment. Leaning into the oversized shower stall, he turned the water on before pushing a button. Six small showerheads came to life, and Erin grinned at the pure decadence. The men lived in style. She moved past Elijah and stepped into the enclosure, letting out a small moan of pleasure.
“Hey, don’t start without me.” Elijah chuckled as he stripped off his clothing. She didn’t hear Elijah move. One moment he was getting naked and the next, the man was standing behind her, their bodies a breath apart. “You’re so beautiful, my love.”
“Thank you…so are you.”
Reaching around her, Elijah picked up a bottle of shower gel and squeezed out a large dollop of the jasmine-scented soap. The fresh scent of flower surrounded her, and Erin inhaled deeply. When his large hands touched her skin, Erin smiled and stood still, allowing him complete access. Elijah didn’t pause, he moved his fingers, massaging as he washed.
“Your phone beeped,” Mikael said, walking into the bathroom. “Do you want me to read your messages?”
“Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
“Okay, first message is from Dani…” Mikael cleared his throat. “We’ll be there. I’ve been told I’m very tasty.” Mikael paused, opening the glass door. “I want to make sure you can hear me clearly. Okay, she said, and I quote…I’ve been told I’m very tasty. Try to resist the urge to take a bite this time. Love you.”
“Well, I guess all is forgiven.” Elijah chuckled. “Although, nobody tastes better than you, love.” Leaning in closer, Elijah dropped his head and scraped his teeth along the column of her neck.
“O-M-G…” Mikael started, and Erin started laughing. Hearing him use that particular expression was almost too much to bear coming from the ancient vampire. “It seems that your friend Faina likes to use a lot of question marks and explanation points in her messages. Here it goes.” He winked before starting to read in a high-pitched voice. “You’re okay? I’ve been so worried! I’m so glad to hear from you! I have so much to tell all of you! See you tonight! Hugs!”
“There goes another beep. Poor Erin. She didn’t think she’d hear from her friends,” Mikael teased, and she rolled her eyes heavenward. “This next message is from Heidi. Yes, explanation point.”
“Oh, beep number four is from Shayla. Thank god. I’ve been worried sick about everyone. I’ll be there! And what do you know, all your friends accepted.” Mikael leaned into the stall and pulled her into a kiss before closing the door and leaving the bathroom.
“Wash me faster, Elijah.” She winked and squirted a large amount of shower gel into her hand before slapping it against the man’s sculpted chest. “I need to figure out what to wear.” He worked the soap around her body, and she did the same, mimicking each move.
* * * *
Standing in front of the mirror, Erin inspected her figure. Since becoming a vampire, her body had undergone some major changes. She had filled out, becoming a healthy, vibrant-looking young woman versus the skeleton she was before. For the first time in a long time, she felt content in her own skin.
“Are you ready?” Mikael asked, coming up behind her. The man was dressed to impress, wearing a pair of black slacks, a button-down white shirt, and dress shoes.
“Let’s do it.” Turning on her heel, she took hold of Mikael’s arm for support as they left the house.
Elijah stood outside the car, with the doors open. “You look absolutely breathtaking, my love.”
“Thank you.” Erin brushed a kiss against the man’s lips before getting into the backseat of the posh vehicle.
The drive from their home in the Garden District to the club located in the warehouse district went by quickly. When the car stopped, Erin looked around, trying to spot the club. But between the large brick buildings, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
The place looked dark and abandoned.
“It’s right there,” Elijah told her, pointing toward one of the buildings.
“Where?” She looked around until she finally spotted a single nondescript door with a tiny sign that read, Underworld. “This is it?”
Mikael chuckled. “This is it.”
“It doesn’t look like much,” she muttered, unimpressed.
“It’s a paranormal club. No humans allowed. It’s not supposed to draw attention.”
“Oh, right, of course.”
Mikael opened her door, and Erin stepped out of the car. With a man on each arm, she walked toward the entrance. Her heels clicked against the concrete, echoing out into the night. As they grew closer, she noticed a large man standing guard. Where the hell did he come from? She hadn’t noticed a bouncer there before but shrugged it off. This was the paranormal world, and she still had a lot to learn.
“Mikael…Elijah…” The bouncer tilted his head in recognition before moving to the side and allowing them access.
Erin took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she stepped over the threshold. The inside was very similar to the outside. Brick walls, concrete floor, with barely enough lighting for a normal human to see. Gothic music boomed out from speakers around the club, dark and menacing, sending a tingle up her spine. Everything about the place would send any normal person running in the opposite direction.
“Couldn’t the place be a tad more inviting?” she asked, and Mikael chuckled, clearly amused with her question.
“Let’s get a table.” Elijah gently tugged on her arm, and Erin followed his lead, sweeping her eyes through the club, searching for a familiar face.
When she sat down, her leg immediately stared bouncing as nervous energy flowed through her system. Mikael put a hand on her knee, stopping the action. “Calm,” he softly ordered, and Erin’s body followed the command.
“I’ll get you a drink.” Elijah winked before heading off to the bar.
Erin kept her eyes on the entrance waiting for someone to walk through the door. They were early, but she knew once she was dressed that she wouldn’t be able to just sit around and watch the clock.
After a few minutes, Elijah slipped a drink into her hand. “Vodka, rocks.”
“Why is it red?” S
he asked the question as she smelled the liquid. Erin could scent the vodka’s strong fragrance added with a coppery overtone—blood.
“A little snack.” He kissed her forehead before sitting down in the chair next to hers.
“Your blood I hope?” She couldn’t tell with the mixture of alcohol.
“Of course.” He made a sound of disbelief in the back of his throat, as if he couldn’t believe she had asked that question. Erin took a sip and moaned in delight as Elijah’s blood hit her tongue and slid down her throat with the top-shelf alcohol. Licking her lips, she drained the contents of the glass. “Would you like another?”
“Yes, please.” The alcohol rushed to her head, spinning her world for only a moment before she felt normal once more.
After a few minutes, the door opened and Erin saw Dani’s head peek inside the club before she stepped in with the twins, Gavin and Maddoc. Reaching out, Erin gripped Mikael’s and Elijah’s arms for support. When the trio spotted them, they walked toward the table. Dani surprised her. She tugged her hand free and ran toward Erin. The men shouted her name in alarm, but that didn’t seem to stop Dani. The woman was on a mission.
Erin stood up when Dani got closer, and her friend threw her arms around Erin’s shoulders, hugging her tight. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay. You know you’re stuck with me as a friend forever now?” Dani happily babbled on, and Erin merely smiled at the excitement flowing through Dani’s words. It felt as though the past was magically erased.
Once they were seated Erin began to feel a little awkward until the door opened once more and Heidi, Shayla, and Faina strolled in one right after the other—each accompanied by two men. There was a whirlwind of activity, and she sat back, patiently waiting to tell her own story. As the minutes ticked by, Erin felt the hunger grow inside her gut. A waitress passed by, and Erin order a vodka on the rocks, knowing full well that either Mikael or Elijah would add some blood to the mix for her. She kept her outward appearance calm, not wanting to frighten her friends.
Even though she’d known them all since college, Erin felt different and disconnected all of the sudden. She wasn’t like them, not anymore, and she barely had control over the hunger that raged inside. Maybe in time, she would feel more comfortable spending time surrounded by them all, but at this point, Erin didn’t. She was no longer human.
As everyone continued to talk and laugh, Erin reached out a hand, and Mikael and Elijah automatically started touching her fingers and arm. They gave her the support she needed to stay in the moment.
“I’m staying, as well,” Erin volunteered. “I was sick before the trip. Meeting Mikael and Elijah saved my life.” All eyes were now focused on her, with varying looks of concern on her friends’ faces. “I’d been sick a long time.” When it looked as if her friends wanted to interrupt, she shook her head. She didn’t want to hear any remorse or sad thoughts. She was alive, and that was all that mattered. “Changing into a vampire was the only way to heal me, and honestly, I was lucky that Mikael found me wondering around the cemetery. I’m whole and healthy and ready to travel the world.”
Erin glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her men, relieved that they had her back. She could feel their love, and it kept her strong.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dani asked, sounding as if Erin had betrayed her in some way.
“Because I thought I would be okay, but then things got worse and I didn’t want you all sitting by my side as I died.” She hadn’t wanted to see their faces as she got sicker and weaker. She’d taken care of her mother as her health had declined, until she finally passed away to escape the pain.
“That should’ve been our decision,” Fiana said firmly, and everyone nodded in agreement.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” Erin shrugged her shoulders. Everyone should have the right to choose to care for an ailing family member or friend. She’d taken the decision away from them all when she kept them in the dark. “I should’ve said something.” She couldn’t go back and change anything, but at least she knew her friends wanted to be by her side.
“It’s a blessing that Mikael was in the cemetery,” Dani added, and Erin couldn’t agree more. “I was so scared when I left you alone to search for the others. I’m just glad you’re okay now. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Smiling softly, Erin realized that she couldn’t imagine her life without her friends. Maybe she had changed, but at least she was still here, alive. Things may have changed drastically, but Erin knew she was blessed to be sitting at the table with her friends.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Erin smiled. She’d been smiling nonstop since Mikael and Elijah took her away from New Orleans. True to their word, her vampires had taken great pleasure in showing her different parts of the world, things she’d never thought to ever experience because of her failing health.
She’d walked along the Great Wall of China, went zip-lining in Costa Rica, and went kayaking with giant blue whales. Her entire life had flipped upside down, until suddenly, it was absolutely perfect. She never would’ve thought that meeting her friends in New Orleans would change her life for the better, not after so much disappointment and loss.
Now, standing on a secluded beach in France, Erin dug her toes into the sand as waves lapped at her feet.
“It’s gorgeous.” Erin couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. Looking over her shoulder, she winked at her two vampires. Both of them were barefoot and shirtless. Mikael had on a pair of low-slung jeans while Elijah got into the spirit, wearing a pair of swim trunks. “Thank you for bringing me here, for everything.”
Mikael and Elijah strode toward her. They sandwiched her between them and held her close. “We’re going to show you the world, love,” Mikal said, and it was a promise she knew they would keep.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I fell in love with romance novels after reading my first one many years ago. I read everything I could get my hands on after that and thousands of books later I’m still an avid reader. I love being able to take trips inside my mind, meet wonderful characters, and fall in love with Alpha heroes without having to leave the comfort of my home.
I love to hear from readers so please feel free to contact me anytime. Happy reading!
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