by Mandy Rosko
A crash sounded on the marble floor, its nasty metal clang vibrating and echoing across the walls, stealing the attention in the room.
Cedric’s heart hammered in his throat as his worst nightmare came true. All chatter stopped, the cellos and violins screeched, and every head turned.
His body froze, and beside him, Ben grabbed his arm with a falcon claw grip, ready to teleport them out.
But no eyes stared in their direction. When the enraged yelling started, it wasn’t at either of them.
One of the waiters had dropped his tray, and one of the older vamps in a penguin tail suit, was bent over him, yelling as the poor creature scrambled to collect the broken glass.
“Idiot! Worthless were-fool! That crystal is older than your grandparents!”
There were collective nods throughout the room. The waiter sputtered his apologies, but the yelling only seemed to make his hands clumsy, knocking away the broken shards when he meant to pick them up. The ladies put their sharp noses in the air while some of the males smirked at the show. Nearly everyone whispered amongst themselves as they watched.
Wow, and he’d been thinking about fucking one of these snobs.
“Jesus, let’s just go,” Ben muttered.
Cedric was a hair away from agreeing before the next scene unfolded. “Wait.”
Another vampire, similar in appearance to the first but for the modern style of his black Armani suit and more youthful features, came and put his hand on the older vamp’s shoulder. The shouting stopped, and the younger vampire motioned with his fingers for two more servants with rags and brooms to enter the ballroom. They scuttled in quick succession toward their fallen coworker before quickly and efficiently helping him with the shattered crystal.
Cedric’s eyes went back to the vamp responsible for the tiny mercy.
Whoa. Hello.
His dark hair was just long enough to produce a bit of a wave, framing a pale face with high cheekbones, a strong nose and square chin. He stood tall, proud, and serious, an eagle amongst a flight of pigeons. Cedric kept his eyes locked on him, not wanting to lose sight of the man should he disappear as quickly as he’d come.
Whoever he was, he addressed the room with authority. His clear voice carried easily and wrapped around Cedric like a blanket fresh from the dryer. “Ladies and gentlemen, please accept an apology from my parents and myself for the intrusion on your night.” His mouth broke into a wide grin, revealing teeth that were perfect—even with the inclusion of pointed fangs—and as white as his skin.
With a start, Cedric realized this was the vampire the party was being held for. The son of the lord of the house.
The great and honorable Lord Silus Wiktor Veturious...was defending a servant? Better still, this was the vampire Cedric wanted to take to bed.
Oh. Shit.
“I bid you all please resume your entertainments, and more food, drink, and music will be available until well beyond sunup.”
Several vamps lifted their blood glasses in a toast while others, mostly the males, clapped their hands and cheered.
Ben, who had somehow obtained his own flute of blood without Cedric noticing, lifted it to his lips.
Cedric raised an eye at him.
“I’m not going to drink the whole thing. And it’ll help me keep up appearances until we can get out of here.”
That really meant, until Cedric gave up and decided to go home.
“I’ve made my decision.”
It was only the tiniest of sips that Ben took, but he still choked on it, coughing up just enough blood to put some of the nasty droplets onto his chin. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his suit, ruining it. “What did you say?”
Cedric nodded toward Silus, who accepted the occasional handshake, or celebratory slap on the back, whether for his centennial, or for his smooth handling of the scene, Cedric couldn’t tell. Didn’t matter.
He’d chosen the vampire he wanted to spend his last hours as a free man fucking.
As if he heard his thoughts, Silus turned his head, and his black eyes met Cedric’s golden ones.
Cedric grinned and thought wicked, wicked thoughts. “I want Silus Veturious.”
Connect with Me Online:
Rizzorosko.com
Twitter
About the Author:
Mandy lives as a hermit with her cat and dog, and works, in Ottawa, Ontario. Every once in a while she peels herself from her computer chair to shuffle out into the sun and talk with real people.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter One