A Vampire's Wicked Hunger: An Edgy Paranormal Urban Fantasy Romance featuring Sexy Vampires, Werewolves, Wicked Witches and Shapeshifters (Love on the Edge Book 4)

by Chloe Adler

  We sat across from him.

  “The reason we needed a Signum lawyer on the Council,” Benedict said to me, “is because there are some specific laws we want to change and we need to make sure everything we're doing is legal.”

  “Okay,” I said. “And?”

  “And I don't agree with the changes they're proposing,” my father snapped.

  “Are they illegal?” I asked.

  “No,” he responded stiffly, “they're too lenient. Distant Edge is a refuge for our kind.” He spread out his arms. “And to open up our borders to include . . .”

  “Werewolves,” finished Benedict.

  “Them,” sneered my father. “It's not safe.”

  I leaned on the table. “Werewolves? I thought they were a myth.”

  “Well, they aren't,” said Benedict, his tone even and calm.

  “So there's another breed of Signum?” I asked.

  “They're not Signum.” My father's voice dripped with condescension. “They're barely more than animals.”

  “Then what are we? Or shifters?”

  “Shifters can control their changing,” my father returned, pointedly ignoring my first question. “They cannot.”

  “Have they been in hiding all these years?”

  “Yes.” Benedict turned to me. “I know what an advocate you are for Signum rights, and since your father is specifically a Signum-rights lawyer, I asked him to sit on the Council in order to help with the influx of weres.”

  “If those creatures move here, I'm leaving. And I'm taking my family with me, including you.” He looked at me pointedly. “No one else will be comfortable living with them among us either. Are you prepared to lose half the population here?”

  “Why should they be considered any different than we are?” I matched Benedict's tone, low and composed. “They're Signum too.”

  “Wild beasts are what they are. Uncontrollable. Feral,” growled my father, pounding his hands on the table.

  “Dad,” I kept my voice calm and rational, “why don't we give them a chance? You of all people should understand the prejudice and fear they're trying to overcome. It wasn't that long ago when you fought the humans of Granada to carve out a home for our people and our family.”

  “Enough.” My father stood up, then rounded on Benedict. “Is this why you had me come here? To turn my own daughter against me? Make her fight your battle?” He turned to me. “I thought you were better than this, Maria. And I thought you cared more about your little house.” He stormed out into the lobby without a backward glance.

  Benedict pushed his chair back, and I followed suit. “I'm sorry for assuming your father would listen to you and putting you in the middle of that.”

  “You knew I'd be pro-werewolf even without knowing they previously existed?”

  “Of course. I know you. I know how much you care about everyone, humans included.”

  Apparently he knew me better than my own father did, and that stung. “Now what?”

  “Now the Council votes.”

  “Right now?”

  Benedict nodded. “If you're interested in the outcome, you can wait in the lobby.” He stood and went to open the door for the crowd of Council members who stood outside, waiting to come in.

  Among the twelve who entered was a tall, good-looking guy with slicked-back blond hair and a three-piece suit. I didn't recognize him.

  “Who's that?”

  “A new Council member,” he whispered. “He replaced Adam, who moved to Sedona last month for his wife.”

  Ah yes, Adam was a shifter, so this new guy must be one too. In order to maintain balance, three of each race of Signum and three humans sat on the Council. That way no one could strong-arm another race. My father brushed past me with what sounded like a growl. He had replaced one of the vampires who had moved out of the country with his family.

  “Burg, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this topic is currently under wraps?” my boss said.

  I forced myself to nod, teeth clenched.

  “Good.” He jutted his chin and I left to wait in the lobby.

  “Are you working tonight?” Jared asked when I got home.

  If I hadn't been sworn to secrecy, I would have shared the shocking news with my closest friends. Not only was there a whole new race of Signum, but the Edge was full of cowardly bigots. Well, the second part wouldn't have surprised them. And it wasn't full of bigots. The vote had been a tie, six to six.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “So's Alec. I thought I'd come watch you both dance and hang out.”

  “And if I weren't?”

  “I'd take you to the movies or something.” He walked over and put his arms around my waist. “I can tell you had a bad day.”

  “I'm exhausted. My dad . . .”

  “What'd he do this time?”

  “Nothing, Jared, he didn't do anything.” I bristled. Why didn't he understand that my dad was a hard-ass because he wanted the best for me and the Edge?

  “Did he find a house to rent?”

  “After hours of looking, yeah, there was one that finally passed muster.”

  “I didn't know he was so picky.” Jared let go of me, sitting on the couch.

  “I don't think it's him. He kept saying, 'Margery only likes modern,' and 'Margery only likes brushed steel.' ” I collapsed on the couch next to him and he pulled me in.

  “I'm sorry, Burg.”

  “I'm sure she's great. I guess they're just still in that new phase of their relationship when they're so concerned with being perfect for each other.” She must be amazing for Dad to be so enamored with her, and I was happy for him. He must have stayed with Mom for so long because he felt obligated, and that was no way to live.

  “Are you guys having a cuddle puddle without me?” Alec walked into the living room and flung himself on top of us.

  “Never.” Jared threw his arms around his man.

  My phone beeped.

  “Who's that?” asked Jared.

  “Geez, doesn't she get any privacy?” said Alec.

  “We tell each other everything,” said Jared.

  “Everything?” Alec raised his brows.

  “Yes, darling, everything.” Jared looked over my shoulder, reading the text.

  It was from Tiyah. I bit back a sigh. That woman and her husband were dreamy. Dreamy? Really, Burg? I sounded like a damn teenager, but I hadn't been this excited about anyone since . . . ever. Snap out of it. It's just infatuation.

  Jared pecked my cheek, still staring at my phone screen. “Ohhh, that sounds promising.”

  “Dammit, you two. Now I want to know.” Alec tried to look at the phone too.

  “It's the new woman who was hired at the V. I'm showing her around tonight, after my set.”

  “Showing her around your titties,” laughed Jared.

  “Whatever.” I got up and went to shower.

  The Club was always hopping on the weekend, and that night it was in full swing. I had gone in early. Tiyah had wanted to meet up before her set and I was helping her get ready in the main dressing room. She perched on a stool in front of the bank of mirrors, applying her makeup.

  “You're going to be great,” I said encouragingly.

  “I don't know, I've never stripped before. I'm classically trained.”

  “Don't think of it as stripping. I don't. It's dancing. It takes a lot of skill.”

  “Can you go on with me?” She looked like she was about to cry.

  “Benedict's never promoted a doubles act here.”

  She stood up. “I'm going to go ask him.”

  “Wait.”

  She stopped.

  “You're serious?”

  She nodded. “I can't do it alone. I don't really need this job. Elijah makes enough to support us both.”

  How? As a dive instructor? “Hell, no. You wait here. I'll talk to the boss.”

  Benedict's office was upstairs where he could survey his kingdom. I knocked on the door.

&
nbsp; “Enter.”

  He was sitting behind a bay of monitors, watching the scenes below. There were cameras everywhere, even in the sex rooms, but Benedict didn't have monitors for those rooms. Tapes would be watched only if someone got hurt.

  Swiveling around, he eyed me quizzically. His gaze trailed down and then back up, which surprised me. For years, Dr. Benedict Volkamoff had given off the distinct impression that he was asexual, ever since moving here from England and purchasing the V. Either the man's libido had just woken up or he'd accidentally let his guard down.

  “Dr. Volkamoff.”

  “Ms. Rosales.” He smiled. “You must want something.”

  “Yes, sir, it's the new girl.”

  “You want the new girl?”

  “Most definitely, sir.” I grinned back. “But I would not come to you about that.”

  “I would hope not.” He swiveled his chair back toward the monitors.

  “Tiyah's not used to the kind of dancing we do here, and though I know we've never done couples acts, I was hoping we could, just for her first dance. So I can help her out.”

  “I did not hire Ms. Clarke for her shyness.”

  Shit. Not good. “Yes, sir. I'll go tell her.” I turned to leave. Should I ply her with drink?

  “Wait.”

  I stopped with my hand on the doorknob.

  “I trust you, Burgundy. Do it and let's see how it works.” He tapped the monitor trained on the stage. “I'll be watching.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  Benedict liked things to be his idea; simple, really.

  Back in Tiyah's dressing room, I helped her pick out an outfit that would match mine: two black sequined numbers like something out of Cabaret.

  I picked music from the soundtrack and spent twenty minutes teaching her some moves and sketching out some choreography for the set. She was a fast learner.

  We appeared on the darkened stage together, striking a pose with me behind her, as the lights rose to illuminate us. The clapping began in earnest.

  Throwing some of the choreography to the wind, I leaned toward her ear, breathing deeply. Sandalwood and peaches. Did she taste like peaches too? Focus.

  “Let's go off cue a little. Follow my lead, okay?”

  Her head nodded against me.

  Dropping my hands to her waist, I held her there, following those gyrating hips, matching her movements with mine. I let my hands flow up and down her sides, reaching in front of her to slowly unbutton the pinup dress she'd settled on. Her back arched, revealing her white lace bra as it peeked through the top of the dress. She pushed her ass back, grinding it hard against my crotch. Ignition.

  Turning my head, I spied Elijah moving toward us through the swaying crowd, his gaze pinned. On me? The bulge in his pants was evident even from this far away. Still, his lips were tight, and his eyes were narrowed, almost at half-mast. Either he was out of his mind with lust or he was at war with himself over an unwanted attraction. I lowered my lids and licked my full bottom lip. He sucked in one of his own in response, chewing on it while his gaze clung to me like a rock climber about to lose his foothold.

  Tiyah moved my hands up to cover her bra, shimmying and grinding into me. While I unhooked the front clasp, she continued unbuttoning her dress, letting it drop to the floor. I circled to her front, offering my hand to help her step out of the fabric pooled at her feet. In turn she busied herself with my outfit, slowly running her warm hands over my form. This was, by far, the hottest dance I'd ever put on at the V, and my G-string was drenched to prove it.

  The dance lasted until we struck our last pose fifteen minutes later, both of us breathless and wearing nothing but pasties and G-strings. We were supposed to be looking at the audience, but instead, we gazed at each other.

  “Fantastic job,” I whispered at her when the lights had lowered again.

  The crowd flew out of their seats, clapping and yelling—the first time since Alec had come to the V.

  “Bravo!” “Encore!” “Why haven't they had doubles acts before? That was brilliant.”

  I reached for her hand and she took it. I led her backstage where Elijah stood, arms folded tightly over his chest.

  “Oh baby. Wow.” He threw his arms around her, smiling over at me as he clung to her. “Very sexy. Burgundy, you two were amazing together.”

  Chapter Seven

  Benedict approached us at the bar where the three of us sat in a row. “Your act together worked surprisingly well. I'd like to see more. Can you develop at least one more to roll out by the end of the week?”

  “Tiyah?” I asked.

  “That would be great.” She clapped her hands together. “I'm much more comfortable dancing with Burgundy.”

  “And you two looked amazing together,” said Elijah.

  “Good, then it's decided. We'll announce it in tomorrow's newsletter.” Benedict turned and walked away.

  Tiyah excitedly touched my arm, and whether she did it on purpose or not, I didn't know, but her breast rubbed against me, shooting a jolt of pleasure straight to my crotch.

  I glanced at her man and he was smiling and nodding. “I can't deny that it turns me on to no end, watching you two together.” He licked his lips.

  I would have to work to compartmentalize because I wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss her.

  A throat cleared behind me and I turned to see my father standing with a woman I didn't recognize.

  She was surprisingly short, not quite five feet, with straight, stark-white hair styled into a long bob. Her face was an unlined oval. The eyes peering at me looked almost feline except they glowed aquamarine. She had to be wearing contacts. The woman was very pretty, though I hadn't expected anything less. Dad had standards and if he was leaving Mom, I had no doubt he'd traded up. But still, her severity surprised me. In the past he'd liked softer, more feminine styles.

  I leapt off my stool to throw my arms around him but he only briefly hugged me back, stiffly, before pushing me away.

  “Maria, I wanted to introduce you to Margery and her daughter, Deenie.” He motioned toward a girl who appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties, the spitting image of her mother with the same white hair. Deenie wore hers long down her back, almost to her waist. Neither woman was looking at me; their heads were craned toward the stage, watching Alec, mouths unhinged.

  I placed my hand on his shoulder and leaned into his ear, “Dad, why did you bring them here?”

  “You told me this is where you danced and it was a club for vampires. You did not tell me you were a stripper.” His eyes flashed.

  It was true, I hadn't actually told my parents I was stripping but more out of respect for their ages than out of fear of judgment. I shrugged. “It's not like anyone gets completely naked here. It's just fun.”

  “I don't even know what to say right now, Maria. This is not a place for ladies. Margery and Deenie are ladies,” he said loudly.

  And I wasn't? His remark certainly chafed but surely he hadn't intended it to. Was he just trying to keep peace with his new woman?

  “Now, now, Hervé.” Margery turned toward him and linked her arm with his. “We're here to meet your lovely daughter. Let's not make a bad first impression.”

  There we go. But at the same moment, her body language belied her words. Those eyes sizing me up were cold. Calculating. Was I misreading her? Being thrown into a new and different element, especially this one, could make anyone uncomfortable.

  “Maria,” she extended a hand toward me, “your father has told us much about you.” She looked me up and down, her eyes trailing slowly from my face down to my silver stilettos and then back up again, pausing at my waist and cleavage. “He did not, however, mention what a big girl you are. My, my.” She flashed her teeth. “It must take a lot of work to,” she waved her hand over me, “look like that.”

  Deenie covered her mouth with her hand, stifling either a laugh or embarrassment, I couldn't tell which.

 
Immediately my attention swung to my father but he was smiling at his lady and absently caressing her back.

  “Excuse me?” I said to Margery.

  “Such a lovely girl.” She smiled at my father. “Your wife did such an . . . interesting job with her, don't you think?”

  My father either had no idea this woman was putting me down or didn't care. I chose to believe it was the former. “Si, si.” He smiled at her. “Burgundy was a handful. As you can tell, she always had her own mind.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

  Reminding me that he'd asked me to rein it in for them?

  “Mama, can we leave?” Deenie's high voice hung in the air. “I don't like it here. I thought we were going to a classy place.”

  “Darling,” she purred at my father, “will you take Deenie and wait for me outside? Please?” She blinked her thick, mascara-clad lashes at him and Dad nodded quickly, escorting Deenie out by her elbow without saying goodbye to me.

  “Let's talk a minute, shall we, dear?” Margery nodded at the far end of the bar.

  “You can talk to me right here.”

  “I love how spirited you are.” She leaned in closer. “I make your father very happy, and I know you love him and only wants what's best for him, yes?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well then, you can play by my rules and be welcomed into our family with open arms, or . . .” She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Or?”

  “Well, let's just say I wouldn't want to think of the alternatives.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “Oh my, no. I would never.” She moved her hand to her chest and held it there. “We both want what's best for your father, I know we can agree on that.”

  She sneered, her lips stretching over her top and bottom teeth, wide and gruesome.

  “I hope you'll come to”—she air quoted—” 'dinner' at our new house tomorrow night.”

  I shook my head. “Why would I do that?”

  “So we can get to know each other better, plus,” she looked toward the door to the club, “your dad has some exciting news he wants to tell you.”