"Okay, got it. If everything does work out like it should, are one-night-stands okay?"
Victoria laughed when she realized Zoey was joking. Zoey hoped humor would ease her mind with what was to come. So far, it was working.
"All are good choices, except for the drunkard," Victoria said. "But remember, tonight is not about sex. Ignore everything your body tells you when you feed, at least until you get more practice. Do not go inside yourself, and don't forget that you are dealing with a living, breathing mortal, whose life is in your hands."
"Wow. Okay. At least there's no pressure or anything."
"You're going to do fine," Victoria said, with a reassuring smile. She read Zoey's eyes, saw that she was a bundle of nerves. "But first, fun. I like this song."
Not only did Victoria start dancing, but she started dancing well. The elder vampire shifted once again, and Zoey nearly forgot she was watching a woman that she'd been drinking blood with on a daily basis. Victoria signaled Zoey to join her, and she happily agreed. They danced as they moved, all the way to the stairs to the first floor. They wiggled onto the floor and joined the rest of the mortals. Zoey still heard things she didn't want to. An argument on the other side of the club. A woman suffering from diarrhea in the bathroom. A bartender sneaking money out of the register and slipping it into his own pocket. She closed her eyes and did her best to tune everything out, focusing only on the music.
She could sense eyes admiring them from all directions. Not just Victoria, but them. She even heard someone across the club tell his friend to check out the sexy jar of mayonnaise in the black dress dancing with the nice rack. While the jar of mayonnaise line didn't appeal to her, the rest of it did.
The song changed several times, and the pair continued to dance, even talking briefly and smiling at the people around them. For a short time, Zoey forgot she was a vampire. She was just a young woman spending time with her friend in the city.
She leaned close to talk with Victoria. She didn't need to, but old habits were difficult to break, and she did have something for Victoria, and not the space between them.
"I actually feel…hot."
"We can feel temperature, just like everyone else. It just doesn't affect us quite as much."
"No. I mean hot. Like sexy."
"You are very gorgeous, Zoey."
Somehow, coming from her, the words had more meaning.
"I also feel normal. It's been a while since I felt that."
Victoria grabbed her shoulder and stopped dancing, giving Zoey her full attention.
"You are normal. This may be a mortal world, but we belong in it just as much as they do." Victoria gave Zoey a nod and returned back to her seductive dancing. "And I hate to admit this, but I might have to steal some of your moves."
"It's okay," she said, dancing as well. "Youth wins out."
"But, I hate to burst your bubble," Victoria said, laughing. "But my legs are still better. They've seen a lot more action."
Zoey wasn't going to argue. Victoria certainly knew how to move them.
They danced another song before a man carrying a beer convulsed as he made his way to Zoey. It took her a moment to realize he was attempting to dance. She backed away, not liking the vibe he gave off. His smile was a little sleazy for her tastes.
Victoria moved in and danced with the man. Zoey watched as she expertly danced ever so close, touching his chest slightly. She turned and pressed her back to him, swaying her hips back and forth across his pelvis. Arching her neck back, she moved her lips close to the stranger's. He laid a hand across her stomach, under her shirt. Zoey was shocked at first, but wondered if she found the man attractive. She didn't really know what got Victoria's engine running. All the guy talk so far mostly revolved around Zoey.
The man followed Victoria's movements, under her spell. He tried to move his hand up further when Victoria spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her hips against him and hooked her foot behind his knee, drawing him in further. He held her in return, the beer bottle against her back. He was several inches taller than Victoria, and leaned down for a kiss. Zoey was amazed and repulsed by the display. She wondered if there was a hotel room in her future. Victoria's lips were less than an inch from the stranger's.
They never touched.
Victoria slid underneath his jaw and pressed her lips to his neck. There was no violence, no sudden, jerky movements. Only subtlety and grace.
Zoey didn't even have an idea of what was going on until his eyes shot open, the supernatural sensations nipping at his alcoholic buzz. She glanced at the mortals around them, wondering if any of them were suspicious. Not many even gave Victoria much thought, except to admire her figure through her tight skirt, and to gawk at what they thought was a public make-out session.
The stranger's knees buckled, and Zoey thought he'd collapse at any moment. Victoria wrapped an arm around his waist and held him up easily. Without even looking, she nimbly grabbed the beer bottle from his hand just as he dropped it. The look on his face told her he was in another realm of pleasure.
She didn't know how much time had passed before Victoria loosened her fangs from his neck. All she knew was she'd stopped dancing, mesmerized by the display. Victoria's tongue lashed out quickly, like a serpent's, licking the tiny wounds. She returned the beer bottle to his grip. In one smooth motion, she backed away and took Zoey's hand. Victoria spun her friend like a professional dancer before dragging her through the crowd.
"Let's go shoot some pool," Victoria said.
Zoey nearly stumbled trying to look behind them.
"Shit! Victoria? Did you just…?" She couldn't finish.
"I did. Tell me, does he look hurt? Traumatized?"
The stranger looked anything but. It was difficult not to notice the erection in his jeans.
"It looks like he's going to cream in his pants."
"Then I stopped just in time. No sense ruining his night by giving him a wet spot."
"I'm not sure he'd agree with you."
Zoey and Victoria found an empty pool table and started a game. It wasn't long before a group of young men and women joined them, wanting to take turns on the winner. Victoria was still thirty-years-old, her smile big and bright as she beamed.
"Sure!" she said. "Although I'm not very good at pool. My cousin here shoots me under the table. My name's Sherry. My cousin over there is Jaima. She's from out of town."
"Really?" one of the cuter guys said. "Never been to Baltimore?"
Zoey smiled and immediately played along.
"No. This is my first trip. It's a little scary, to be honest."
It didn't take long before the flirting began. Another guy stepped up.
"Don't worry. We're not all bad here."
Zoey felt a touch of guilt at giving out a fake name. But it was also exciting. It was almost like she was on an adventure, that anything could happen. The group introduced themselves, but Zoey's mind was running all over the place. Most of the names didn't even hit her short-term memory.
They played pool with the group, taking turns and having fun. As Zoey was leaning over the table, lining up a shot, she overheard two of them behind her whisper about her pleasant shape. She stretched just a little further, held her pose a little longer for their enjoyment.
Victoria was shooting a game with one of the women as Zoey leaned against the wall. A guy whose name she actually remembered slowly approached her. They hadn't talked much until that point, only the occasional comment over their only pool game, which she won. His name was Shawn.
"Hi," he said. "I'm Shawn."
Zoey laughed at the reintroduction, and formally shook his hand. It took her a second to remember her alias.
"Jaima. Nice to meet you."
"You shoot a mean game of pool."
"I thought you were just letting me win."
"No. Believe it or not, I was trying to beat your ass."
They shared a laugh.
"You've been my only c
hallenge so far." He gestured to his friends. "It's not hard to beat these clowns. They're all half-drunk."
Zoey noticed for the first time he was the only one in his group without a bottle.
"You don't drink?"
"Can't. I'm the chauffeur." He showed off his wrist stamp. "And a little too young. Old enough to vote. But not drink. Does that make sense?"
"Not at all." She held up her own wrist alongside his. "And look at that. We match."
"You know what they should really serve in clubs?"
"You mean besides beer?"
"Yeah. Pizza. Pizza and beer."
The thought of pizza took Zoey to a happy place. One of her favorite pictures of Kylie and her was when they had a pizza party to celebrate Kylie's thirteenth birthday. Kylie's grip on her slice had slipped, and the perfect moment was captured in time as cheese and sauce fell down her shirt. Zoey laughed at the top of her lungs while pointing.
"Mmmm," Zoey said. "Pizza."
"Pepperoni and sausage."
"No." She tried to hide the sadness in her voice. "Mushrooms and green peppers."
"You want to go get some? There's a good place a few blocks over."
The invitation came out of nowhere. Zoey regarded with curiosity, a half-smile tugging at her lips. A look of horror took hold of Shawn as his cheeks turned red.
"Oh, God," he said. "Did I just say that? That probably sounds like the worst pick-up line ever."
"I don't know," Zoey said. "I thought it was pretty good."
"I swear, that was not a line. I just really am hungry. But…really? You want to grab some pizza? We could zip out for a half hour and swing right on back."
Zoey opened her mouth, but said nothing. What was she supposed to do? Victoria didn't prepare her for this at all. Glancing quickly at her mentor, she was focusing on a shot, showing off a fair portion of pale skin. She met Zoey's eyes for an instant and whispered, knowing she was the only who could possibly hear her.
"And sometimes," she said. "The prey comes to you."
"Sure," Zoey said, smiling. "I'd love to."
"Cool. I promise, I won't keep you out long."
"I trust you."
Shawn raised his hand to signal his friends.
"Hey, guys," he said. "We'll be right back. We're going out to grab some food while you all get drunk."
"Oooh," one of his friends teased. "I bet you are."
"Dude, c'mon. Shut up."
"Relax, Jaima," one of the ladies said. "Shawn's harmless."
"Awww," Victoria said, trotting forward to give Zoey a tight, exaggerated hug. "My little cousin is all grown up."
"Stop," Zoey said, genuinely embarrassed. "What are you? Ten years old?"
Victoria smirked, and the vampire Zoey had gotten to know was visible just for a moment.
Zoey and Shawn side-stepped and shuffled their way through the crowded dance floor to the front door. Zoey's emotions danced just as much as the mortals around her. She was excited. Terrified. Nervous. Apprehensive.
She was also thirsty.
Was Shawn being true? Were they really going out for pizza? They'd known each other for thirty minutes. Maybe he was going to lead her to a back alley with bad intentions?
She shoved those thoughts aside. The only one with different intentions was her.
"Oh, wow," he said as they stepped outside. "You don't realize how hot it is in there until you feel that nice breeze hit you."
"Yeah, for sure," Zoey said. She wiped sweat from her forehead, but it had little to do with the temperature.
"My minivan's back here."
Zoey giggled. "Your minivan?"
"Well, my mom's," he admitted. "Not the coolest ride. But it's the only thing big enough to pack all those drunks into."
"Hey, no shade here," she said, raising her hands. "I don't even have a car."
She studied where Shawn pointed. He was parked in the back of the lot. No lights. No people around at all. Only a fence was behind him, no street or sidewalk.
It was perfect.
But where was Victoria? Was she going to help her? Was she still inside? What was the plan? Could Zoey do this on her own?
The memory of Steven forcing her against the alley wall in Stewardtown haunted her once again.
Shawn unlocked the door and even opened it for her. He was making it very hard for her to do what she needed to do.
Zoey steeled herself as she watched him circle around front. Her knees bounced up and down nervously. He opened the driver's side door and settled behind the wheel.
"Okay. Pepperoni, here we come—"
Zoey closed the distance between them, faster than she meant to. She was sitting still, her hands on her knees, and the next second she was on Shawn's lap. She'd lost her shoes in the movement. Shawn managed to let out a startled gasp before his voice caught in his throat.
She didn't know where she was biting. Would any part of the neck do? Did it matter? She simply buried her fangs wherever they landed. They penetrated his flesh and he cried out quietly. The blood gushed in her mouth, her eyes dilating at the sensation.
Cold blood was tasty. Warm blood was delicious. Blood with life pulsing from a mortal's neck was indescribable.
Shawn shifted underneath her, his hands resting on her hips and gripping them. He was enjoying himself as much as Zoey. She loosened her hold just enough to flip her hair behind her shoulder. It was getting in the way.
"Good," a voice said. "Go slow. You didn't have to straddle him. And you could have fed from his arm. But this will work."
Zoey darted her eyes to the left to see Victoria, facing toward them from the passenger's seat. Where did she come from? Zoey didn't hear footsteps, or a door open and close.
She didn't even realize she'd straddled Shawn. Her dress was hiked up to her hips, her thighs against his. His breathing quickly grew more erratic, and she felt the growing erection underneath her. She smiled as he moaned. She wasn't an expert at sex, but knew when a guy was having a good time. Jay Byer, her old boyfriend, certainly didn't complain after her parents left the house and he sneaked in through the window.
"You have to slow down."
Zoey thought she heard words, but quickly dismissed them. Shawn's hands drifted to the back of her bare thighs, which felt good. She sighed in response as she bucked her hips. If only their clothes weren't in the way.
The steering wheel pressed into her back. With her right hand, and without missing a drop of blood, she fumbled for the lever on the side of the seat. They dropped a few inches. Much more comfortable.
Her body tingled as she slid back and forth. It wouldn't be long now.
"Zoey…."
More words. Were they saying something important? It didn't matter.
Shawn's body arched and stiffened as he climaxed. Zoey groaned along with him, gripping his hair so her fangs wouldn't slip away from his flesh. The air in the minivan changed scent. She continued to slide back and forth across Shawn's erection. She was in another world. Her own climax wouldn't be far behind.
A hand grabbed her arm. She realized it wasn't Shawn's and annoyingly swatted it away. The grip returned, much stronger, and a set of fingers laced through her hair. She screamed in pain as her head was forcibly removed from Shawn's neck.
"Hey!" Zoey shouted.
Victoria manhandled her with ease, shoving her across the van into the passenger's seat. Zoey's head bounced off the rolled-up window. She rubbed the sore spot and eyed Victoria angrily. Victoria's body obstructed her view of Shawn. Her mane of red hair hovered near his neck. Zoey assumed she wanted to slip in for her own drink.
"What the fuck is your problem?"
Zoey adjusted herself and sat upright. Her hand was halfway to Victoria's shoulder when the older vampire whirled around. With some strength, Victoria placed her hand on Zoey's chest, preventing her from moving forward. Victoria's gaze was serious, concerned.
"Stay back."
It wasn't a request.
Zoey's ey
es fell on Shawn, and her jaw dropped. Every emotion she felt a second earlier was replaced by another. The power she felt over making him climax had vanished. The lust, joy, strength, intimacy. All gone. Only horror and fear remained.
Shawn shook in the seat, but not in the way that involved the aftermath of a wonderful sexual experience. His eyes were rolled back into his head, leaving only white globes. His complexion was pale on a level that rivaled Zoey's. Drool slowly leaked from his mouth onto his shirt. Victoria had been near his neck, but not to feed. She licked the wounds Zoey had left behind to heal them.
"Shawn?" Zoey said. "Shawn! Ohmygod! Shawn!"
She leaned forward, only for Victoria to shove her back again. There were no words. Only a non-verbal warning.
Victoria leaned her head against Shawn's chest and felt his wrist. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever. Shawn finally stopped shaking and appeared to fall into a deep sleep. Victoria still didn't pull away, continuing to listen.
Zoey couldn't help. She was useless. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at him. All he wanted to do was take her out for pizza.
"Is he going to be okay?"
Victoria said nothing. Zoey felt like she'd vomit. She opened her mouth to say something. The silence was threatening to drive her insane. Victoria raised her head and sighed. Zoey couldn't tell whether it was a sigh of relief or sadness.
Before Zoey could say anything, Victoria reached into Shawn's pocket and pulled out his phone. Zoey didn't need to see which numbers she was dialing.
"Hi," Victoria said. "I'm at the club at the corner of West Avenue and Fifth Street. I just walked through the parking lot and think I saw a young man having a seizure. It's a gray minivan, parked in the very back."
Victoria hung up, offering no other input. She wiped the phone on Shawn's shirt and shoved it back in his pocket. Zoey was suddenly very conscious of everything she'd touched in the minivan. Should they wipe the entire minivan for fingerprints?
"Straighten your dress and get out."
Zoey did as instructed. Her body trembled as she struggled to stand on her own two feet. Victoria was right behind her. Zoey's eyes never left Shawn as Victoria straightened her own skirt, even taking the time to double-check her appearance in the passenger's side mirror.
Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) Page 14