by Shae Shannon
Aiden didn’t know if his sudden domination of her was too much, and he couldn’t tell by her blank expression. Her eyes were sparkling, her breathing shallow, and her lips slightly curled at the corners. Minutes passed. He started debating his approach, thinking he should have eased into the alpha that he was. He was pure dom through and through.
She stepped up close enough to where her full chest was grazing against his. Looking him in the eye, she smiled. “Hear this, Aiden Grey. I decide who I keep company with and who I don’t. Your alpha dog doesn’t scare me in the slightest.”
Aiden smiled at the fire he had lit under the beautiful woman. She would prove to be a challenge, one which he couldn’t wait to conquer. Tilting his head down to her cheek, he took in a long breath of her scent. Lilacs and spice. Mmm. His dick shoved against his zipper, straining the seams in the fabric. She gazed at him and watched his animalistic actions. Without flinching, she kept her glare locked on him. Reaching down, he brushed his lips along hers in featherlight pecks. Her breath slightly hitched. Aiden grazed his tongue along the seam of her mouth, outlining the pouty bottom lip extra carefully. The pink flush washing over her was the only giveaway to her arousal. He smelled the air again, allowing a sigh of satisfaction escape his lips to blow his warm, moist breath along her mouth.
“I smell your sweet arousal, Giselle. I can’t wait to get my mouth on you so I can taste the sweet cream that is soaking your panties right now. Such a waste.”
He lowered his head again, capturing her mouth. His tongue made entrance, immediately seeking out every corner and crevice. He deepened the kiss, his demand forceful but promising as he sucked her tongue, kissing her with urgency and giving her a glimpse of what was to come. And then, without warning, he broke the contact, turning and walking away without a single word.
Giselle was left speechless, her mind mush and her face flushed. How could one single kiss from a man she barely knew turn her into a melted puddle? Shaking her head, she realized that there was still quite an audience that had witnessed the toe-curling kiss. Avoiding embarrassment, she squared her shoulders, flashed a smile at everyone, and walked away.
Chloe found her in the kitchen, ordering the servers to start filling trays of drinks. “Giselle? Um, are you okay?”
With a smile, she patted Chloe’s arm. “Yes, dear. It seems the big bad wolf hasn’t had the pleasure of dealing with a witch before. As much as I did enjoy his kiss, he has another thing coming if he expects me to fall to my feet and obey. I do believe he will have to learn a few lessons, starting with the fact that it takes a lot more than a kiss to capture my attention. Granted, it was a hell of a kiss, but that is information that best stay between you and I for now.”
Laughing, Chloe hugged her. “If anyone can tame an alpha, I do believe it would be you, Auntie. He has no idea what he just got himself into! Do you need help in here? The guests are arriving as we speak, and I would like to get the music lined up for the evening.”
“No, I got this part. You go ahead. I will be along shortly.” Chloe left Giselle smiling, knowing that the woman would definitely give Aiden a challenge.
After the music was lined up with the band and the jukebox programmed for the intermissions, Chloe walked back to the front to greet the guests as they arrived. Gabe had set them up with an awesome vampire band who, over the centuries, had perfected their own unique sound but also could play any song requested. All were dressed in tuxes and masks, except the only female band member who had just walked up to join them. She wore a black, tight, vintage-looking gown, her mask made of black feathers, ribbons, and rhinestones. As soon as the woman had stepped on stage, Chloe felt tension in Gabriel, and turned, looking for him. He was beside her in a flash, his mouth a thin line.
“Chloe, I would like you to meet someone. Ophelia! Would you mind coming here, please.”
Ophelia stepped down, her expression blank. “Hello, brother. Quite a party you have here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I heard about the grand opening and decided I should attend. I have never been one to resist a ball. The menu smells absolutely delish.”
“Watch yourself, sister. There will be no hunting on this property. Humans are off limits.”
Laughter sharp enough to cut glass vibrated from her, sending a chill up Chloe’s spine. “Pity. I hope that the beverages served live up to their hype.” She turned, glaring at Chloe. “My brother has always lacked in manners. I am Ophelia. His more attractive, smarter sister. And you are…?”
Chloe felt tension radiating off of the woman. She could see a dark cloud around her, but it was mixed with shades of blue. Confused, she stretched her hand toward her. “Chloe Kent. It is a pleasure to finally meet my mate’s sibling.”
Eyebrows raised, Ophelia jerked her attention back to Gabriel. “Mate? Well, dear brother, congratulations. I believe we must celebrate the new human joining the family tree soon.” Her eyes pierced through Chloe and landed back on Gabe. “Strangely, I did not see her coming. I haven’t seen you in any visions either. Peculiar, don’t you agree?”
Gabriel moved closer to Ophelia, dropping his tone to a mere whisper. “Yes, quite strange. I figured you were too busy sucking the life from as many humans as you could to bother inviting you to a ‘human’ party. Why are you really here, Ophelia?”
“Like I said, no ball is complete without the princess, and I am, after all, the princess. I also wanted to find out what is going on with you. You dropped off my radar about a month ago. Believe it or not, I do love you, Gabriel.”
“Have you visited Mom and Dad?”
Ophelia rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic display. “Pssh. You can’t be serious. And sit through a boring lecture about how my views on life aren’t holy and what we were meant for? I’ll pass. So, a human, huh? I have got to say, brother, I never saw that one coming. Doesn’t it make you feel dirty?”
Gabe slammed his fist onto the floor of the stage, smashing her face to his. “Watch your tongue, sister. She is anything but ordinary. If you remember correctly, our mother is human. I hoped that eventually you would get to know her and see that the whole world is not evil. Behave yourself tonight, or else. I mean it.”
“Blah blah blah. Like I said, I am just here for a good party. Who better to sing for your guests than me?” Gabriel’s eyes slanted, and his brows dipped. With a single nod, he walked over to Chloe and escorted her away.
Gabe wasted no time in allowing the others to know of his sister’s uninvited arrival. He loved her dearly and would die for her but didn’t trust her given her current state in life. When Blake and Amy finally came up from downstairs, he immediately filled him in. The girls were busy oohing and aahing over each other, giving them time to converse with the wolves and the other two vampires that were there to help, Andrew and Thomas. They were both lifelong friends, and the only other two vampires that Gabe and Blake truly trusted. Thomas was assigned to watch Ophelia, because he had abilities that could outmatch hers. They all went to stake out their places as the room started to fill up.
“Oh my gosh, Amy. You look fabulous!”
“Thank you, Chlo, but you have definitely stolen the spotlight tonight. I can’t get over how perfect and majestic you look! We are for sure the main attraction tonight! Let’s go hit the bar, girl. We need a little somethin’ to calm the nerves!”
“Yeah, I still have to speak in front of everyone…which you may have to do for me, because you know how I am at public speaking. I either puke or faint. Neither of which I want to do today.”
“Oh, no I am not speaking for you, Chlo. Anything but that. You know I love you, but I would probably go rogue and end up embarrassing you.” They both giggled as they ordered a vodka cranberry each. Sipping on their drinks, they noticed that the room had filled almost to max capacity.
“What a turnout, Amy! Can you believe it? It’s like the whole town brought in their long-lost relatives to attend! I guess it is time for us to start mingling. Shall
we?” Hooking her arm in Chloe’s and spreading on her best sweet smile, Amy led the way into the sea of bodies.
The band started to play. A modern beat pumped through the air, and the dance floor quickly flooded with people. They made the rounds, promoting the shop and mingling with all of the different people in attendance. Chloe felt Gabe and Blake heading in their direction before they approached.
“We have company.” She pointed in the direction that they broke through the crowd, and they watched smugly as the men dominated the space they walked through.
“Whew. Talk about breathtaking. We have to be the luckiest women on this earth, Chlo. Damn, those men are sexy!”
Chloe’s mouth hung agape in pure amazement. “That we are. How long do we have to make an appearance again?”
Laughing, the boys grabbed them in bear hugs smothering them both with kisses. Gabriel pulled Chloe out of his grasp to address them both. “Ladies, might we have the pleasure of this dance?”
The girls looked at each other, then back to their men, answering in unison, “Yes!”
The girls were having the time of their lives. Both were wrapped up in the strong arms of their big bad vampires. Some of the women of the pack were chatting and laughing with Chloe and Amy, making future plans to hang out. Gabe and Blake didn’t leave their side, but instead of focusing on the conversation, they were both busy scanning the crowd for any sign of disturbance.
Gabe caught Blake’s gaze and took the opportunity to reach out and talk to him telepathically.
“I got a bad feeling. Even with all of the extra muscle we have here to help, I still can’t shake the feeling that something is going to go down.”
Blake nodded in agreement. “I have felt the same way all night. There isn’t a whole hell of a lot more we can do until something does happen, though. Let’s just stay with the girls. Hopefully we are just being overcautious, bro.”
Gabe wrinkled up his face in concern. “ I hope so.”
The night was half-over thankfully, with no incident, and soon they could put this all behind them and focus on the future. It would be easier to be on the offense than having to play defense.
The crowd was busy dancing, eating, drinking, and socializing wonderfully. Chloe and Amy were so happy about the turnout. It was time for Chloe to say a few words, so she made her way to the stage as the band took a break. Her hands shaking, she grabbed the microphone, trying to inhale deep enough breaths to keep her stomach from spilling all over the audience. The crowd stilled and went silent. Her heart was pounding in her chest, making it hard for her to calm down. Closing her eyes, she tapped deep within, trying to pull out a calming energy. What she didn’t expect was for the room to suddenly seem like it was frozen. She gazed around, everyone stuck in some sort of weird freeze tag. What the heck!
Her eyes scanned the crowd, panic clutching her stomach. Everyone seemed literally frozen and oblivious to the current predicament. “Well, I guess that is one way to cope with stage fright…Now how do I tag them back to life?”
As soon as the statement left her lips, she felt eyes boring into her. With a snap of her neck, her eyes narrowed in on the creeper in the back of the crowd. A vampire. He was tall, with enough muscles to walk through brick walls, sandy-blond hair, green eyes, and a cocky-ass smirk tilting his too-thin lips.
“I see we were a bit unaware of the capabilities that you hold, witch. Not to fret. We came prepared for anything.”
“Who are you?”
“That isn’t important now. What is important is that we hurry before your spell wears off. I am not sure exactly what you have done, but I don’t think that you know either. Silly girl. You just made your own kidnapping simple. Thank you. So much capability wasted on a naïve, puny human.”
Fear and anger ripped through Chloe. With her teeth clenched together, she released it in a blast of emotion. “Kidnapping? Are you kidding? There is no way I am going anywhere with you. I am thinkin’ that you might want to get out of here now before I practice my fire skills, asshole. Don’t think for a second that you can scare me.”
The vampire laughed a booming, eerie roar, sending goose bumps all over Chloe’s skin. “I didn’t realize you would be stupid, too. I am not alone, bitch. Vince! Baxter! Get the others in here, and let’s get out of here while things are…frozen. Your little party here was looking a bit stiff anyway.”
“You will never get away with this, asshole.”
Chloe was shaking as anger and fear washed over her. At least five vampires were walking in her direction, somehow unfazed by the freeze tag that she had performed. Okay, think, Chloe. You can take these shitheads. Chloe watched while they closed in on her, forming a circle to surround her. As they moved in, she closed her eyes and reached her hands over her head. Within seconds, she had drawn fire to her, allowing small flames to tip her fingers. As they got closer, she lowered her arms and blasted them with a roaring flame. Cussing and screams escaped them as they rolled to the floor in an attempt to extinguish their clothing. Once they were all busy rolling, she turned to run, only to find herself hitting a brick wall. Where did that wall come from? What the hell?
She hit the ground with a thud and was jerked back up and subdued in the blink of an eye. Her vision was blurred, but she could tell she was being moved fast. Her mouth flew open, and screams burst out. She tried to fight. She tried to concentrate and use magic. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, Chloe decided if she couldn’t prevent this, she could try to find out what the whole plan was and devise her escape route before her kidnapping finished. The man that had her was a pureblood as well. He was taking her to an old Victorian house on the outside of town. Okay, now I know where I am going. Let’s see what else I can find out. The man’s name was Joseph. A lot of anger radiated through him, but she could tell he wasn’t always bad. Something had recently happened to make him go off the edge and help with this.
They arrived sooner than she expected. She was still trying to dig through the man’s thoughts for anything that might be helpful, but nothing but nonsense came to her. As they crossed the large yard, she took note of all of the landmarks and surroundings. There were trees that lined the back and a cellar door that opened a few feet from the house. He sat her down. His huge arms were still surrounding her, and fighting would be pointless. Okay, fighting is out. Let’s try talking.
“You don’t have to do this. Please, let me go, and I will make sure nothing happens to you. You seem like a nice guy. So let’s go back to the party, and you can get something to drink. I have blood chocolate made. It is amazing.” She thought back to the night before when Gabriel had given her a tiny morsel to taste. He had kept a heart-shaped tin that had been a gift from his mother on his last visit. Her heart leapt in her chest at his heartfelt gift.
“Shut up. I don’t like doing this, but I have no choice. So listen carefully to me. Don’t speak. No one in here is near as nice as I am. If you are smart, just keep your mouth shut and do what they say. Now go in.”
A strong urge to stick out her tongue like a child came over her, but she contained it and looked around once again for any type of escape. Joseph grabbed her arms and thrust her forward to enter the door.
* * * *
Gabe could sense the panic in Chloe. He began to push against the force that was holding him in place, and soon he was able to break free. He ran to Giselle, hoping she could get out and help. Using telepathy, he explained what was going on and soon was able to hear her thoughts responding. In a few minutes, she, too, was back to normal and turned to see what exactly had happened. “Giselle, we have a few major problems here. First, somehow my little witchy poo managed to make statues of our guests. Second, and most importantly, she is in trouble. Someone by the name Joseph has taken her. From what I gather, she fought off five goons by herself before the brute grabbed her. I have to get all of my men unfrozen and en route for a rescue before they can hurt her. Can you fix this?”
“I can’t believe she was able to do this
. I can fix it in just a few seconds.” With that, she spun in a circle, chanting something in a foreign tongue that he had never heard. When she stopped, she clapped and everyone was moving and back as if nothing had happened. “It was a time freeze. I have no idea how she was able to do it, and even though I had to fix it for her, I am proud. Now go! I am going to go tell Amy to oversee everything here, and I will meet you at the back door.”
“Okay. Thank you, Giselle. I owe you big. I just want her safe.”
“Me, too. Now go!”
Gabe turned and blurred off to find his army of wolves and vampires. In a fit of rage, his fangs had descended and his eyes had clouded into a deep crimson. May God have mercy on the poor fools who have taken Chloe.
Chapter 11
Amy stood on the stage, trying her best to appear like the perfect host. She was terrified and wanted to go help get her best friend back but knew that she would only get in the way. All of her faith lay in the hands of the supernatural. Wow, if someone would have told her months ago that she would be relying on vampires and wolves to protect her, she would have laughed her ass off. Time to get the party moving along.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?” The now unfrozen, clueless crowd focused on the front stage. “I want to thank you all for coming and celebrating the opening of Java Delights. Chloe and I have been working hard to make the best hangout for people from all walks of life. We are unique, and offer a wide range of drinks and food. Our doors will be open in a week, and I hope to see you all in line for the best cup of coffee and treat of your lives. Our love and dire need for extreme caffeine in the morning has fueled us to produce exciting flavors. We want you all to love mornings because of our products. With that, please dance, eat, and have a wonderful night!” The crowd applauded, sending a few catcalls in her direction as she shimmied down the stairs.
As she descended the last step, a large hand reached out to steady her. Amy looked up into the smiling face of Brett.