No wonder he was so distrustful and angry and broken. He didn’t even trust himself. Actually, he seemed to trust himself less than anyone. If Henry Tennyn weren’t already dead—
“So…”
I gasped as Jade poofed into being right next to me and scared the absolute crap out of me.
“Are you gonna go after him?” she asked, nudging me with her elbow.
“Don’t do that!” I yelled, glaring at her a moment longer for good measure. “Ash said—”
“I know what he said. I heard him. Are you?”
“We need to tell the—”
“Already informed them of his decision. They are quite impressed with their Guardian. They are also clothed, fed, and resting for the moment. At least until I get my hands on them. Now, stop stalling and answer me. Are you going to go after him?”
I stared hard at my dearest friend. “You knew. You knew, and you didn’t tell me.”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell. Going or staying?”
I sighed defeatedly, able to recognize when I’d been bested. Which was even easier since it was usually Jade doing the besting. I took a deep breath and stared into the darkness where Ash’s wolf form had disappeared.
“He’s long gone, and I don’t know where he went.”
“Hmmm…” Jade sighed wearily. “If only we knew someone who could scout from the sky, fly faster than a wolf can run, and had a better sense of smell than anyone on the planet.”
“Yeah, good plan. Demons running around, attacking the wolves, probably looking for their Guardian and Anchor. Let’s send her out into the night sky alone over rural Washington.”
Jade closed her eyes and sighed deeply, then she groaned, “Fiiiine! I have an idea where he might have gone. If you’re interested, I will take you.”
I cleared my throat, suddenly nervous.
“You are so high maintenance for an angel. I’ll go with you, and I’ll stay with you. Deal?”
“Deal. No take-backs”
Jade rolled her eyes in a very non-goddess manner. “You owe me. Only one of those hot werewolves is mated, you know. The other three would’ve been mine. But on the plus side, I get to inform you that we are going to a club.”
“What?” I screeched… Again... I screeched again.
Jade just stuck her tongue out at me and ran for the house.
I hated clubs. I hated crowds too, but I really hated clubs. I always felt so out of place. Jade loved them, but she thrived in the spotlight. Must be a goddess thing.
20
Alex
About half an hour later, we poofed into the alleyway beside the Seattle club, and I bent double to steady myself for a moment. Travel by teleportation was not on my list of favorite activities. I was more uncomfortable than normal clothed in my finest jeans and one of Jade’s favorite tops. It was backless and damn near frontless, but she argued that if I had to wing out it wouldn’t be destroyed, and I wouldn’t end up completely topless or destroying one of her outfits.
I thought that was a fair point. So here I was in next to nothing so that I wouldn’t end up in actual nothing.
We made our way to the street and turned toward the entrance. I headed immediately for the very lengthy line, but Jade walked right past them, heading for the bouncer. I caught up to her just as she reached him and heard her whisper something in his ear about knowing the owner. I was about to ask what she meant when the bouncer responded.
“Sweetheart, I don’t know if Mr. Ash knows you or not, but I’m pretty sure he’d want to.”
“Mr. Ash?” I questioned, as he unhooked the rope to let us pass. Jade just smiled, so I peeked up at the sign over the entrance as the bouncer stepped back to let us pass. Ashes 2 Ashes...
“No way.”
“Yes way,” Jade trilled joyfully and without hesitation.
I looked around, taking in the scene as we entered the club. Ash’s club. “I guess he really did have to go to work. I thought you said you didn’t know about any work he had to go to.”
“No. I said it was funny he hadn’t mentioned it whilst curled up at your side for almost two weeks.”
The lighting inside was all blues and purples, and the music was at a decent volume, though it wasn’t your typical dance music. I could hear the dulcet tones of John Legend being played on a piano and could see a large number of patrons gathered around the source of the music in a corner near the front.
Then I heard his voice. It was melodic, enchanting. I’d never heard anything like it in my life. I was entranced. I felt drawn toward the sound and found myself drifting that direction almost subconsciously as the traitorous butterflies in my stomach took flight. The group opened up suddenly, allowing someone to exit and head to the bar, and as the crowd parted, I finally got a good look at the performer.
“Oh, beloved Entity.” It was Ash. Ash playing the piano like an angel. Ash singing like a siren beckoning me to my death. And I was ready to go.
“I gotta get out of here,” I said, turning to flee.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Jade countered, grabbing my arm and pulling me back. “You made me come with you. I’m here. I left three gorgeous, young, single werewolves at home all alone. You are here to clear things up with that hot piece of ass right over there,” she said, pointing toward Ash where he was still sitting at the piano, surrounded by tall, thin, beautiful women in tiny dresses and incredibly tall shoes. “Now go.”
I was terrified. Utterly, completely, one hundred percent filled with terror at the idea of confronting Ash. I stood stark still and stared at his back as his fingers danced across the keys. If it weren’t for the club rats perched next to him, I could almost imagine he was playing for me, singing to me. I felt a growl start low in my chest. It rumbled powerfully through my throat and found life so forcefully that several people near me shied away. In that moment, I knew what I wanted. Or rather, I accepted it. I’d known for a while but had been swimming too deeply in my guilt to really own it.
I wanted Ash. All of him. The good, the bad, and the douchey. And I wanted to give him all of me, even the parts I’d thought lost. It was suddenly the only thing that mattered, the only thing I could think about. Desire consumed me as I felt the heat of my shift begin to rise within me and the heat of burning coals in my eye sockets.
I turned to Jade, trying to hide the glow I knew was emanating from my eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay. Look around you. This is a Supe club, baby girl. Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
I did as Jade said, tentatively at first, but with my partially shifted angel eyes and a little attention to detail, I could see everything. I could see and smell other wolves, big cats of at least two varieties, bears, and the smell of something sickly sweet which, when I focused on it, led me to a number of men and women with perfectly porcelain skin.
They seemed ageless in the truest sense. Their eyes were what betrayed them. They looked young, fit and beautiful, but their eyes spoke of decades, centuries even. Some spoke of millennia.
Vampires.
Vampires were real. Jade had told me. Ash had told me. Of course vampires were real. I was an angel-human hybrid, a nephilim, my bestie was a goddess, my other bestie had been a werewolf, and my potential… something… was a werewolf-demon hybrid. Why did vampires shock me so much?
Then I caught the mild aroma of fire and brimstone, from which my angel recoiled. Demon! I spun around trying to pinpoint the location of the trespasser when Jade caught my shoulders, steadying me with a strength I didn’t realize she possessed.
“Everyone here is a ‘mythical being’. Everyone. The club is Supes only, but they have no idea what you are, and they won’t look too closely. It’s common courtesy, here,” she stressed, trying to help me rein in my behavior. Then she turned me back around and said, “Now go!” shoving me hard in Ash’s direction but succeeding only in sending me cascading into a guy walking by. She snickered as we collided, spilling his drink all over him as his glass crashed to the ground.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” I stuttered out, flustered and embarrassed. I reached down to try and clean up the mess, but he had the same idea, and we smashed into each other again. We both came up rubbing our heads and laughing, but he was giving me the oddest look, like when you know someone but can’t place them. Although, I was pretty certain we’d never met before.
This was the type of man you’d remember. He was exceptionally tall with a strong jaw and a muscular build. His skin was pure porcelain, contrasted beautifully against a thick mane of wavy, dark red hair, crystal green eyes, and full, kissable lips…
Whoa… Where had that come from? Full, kissable lips? What, was I writing a romance novel now? I took a deep breath, inhaling his sweet yet musky scent as the fluttering in my tummy increased tenfold. “Vampire.”
Mr. Kissable smirked at me. “Good guess. This your first time here?”
“Is it that obvious?” I asked, praying he would continue speaking. He had a very subtle but crazy-sexy accent that was too subtle for me to label but sounded similar to something British, and it was beautifully highlighted by a deep, rumbling voice that vibrated within my chest as he spoke.
“No, no, it’s... Okay, yeah. Yes, it is,” he said, laughing, then hurriedly clarifying. “Not in a bad way. You just look... awestruck. I haven’t seen so much wonder in someone’s face in… maybe ever.”
“Sorry,” I laughed awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
“No, no. I’m quite happy to have a woman like you stare at me anytime.” He held my eyes, grinning seductively.
“What, confused and clumsy?”
“Sorry, I should rephrase. I’m happy to have you stare at me anytime.”
I literally stopped breathing. He must have some kind of vampire juju or something, because either he was way too charming to be real or I was definitely under some kind of spell. Either way, I needed to get out of there.
“Would you come have a drink with me … um… I’m so sorry. How rude of me. I haven’t even gotten your name yet. I’m Aiden.”
“Oh, sorry, I’m Alexis… Alex.” Out, out, out. Need to get out of here, now. Before I get in deeper than I can deal with.
“You’re sorry that you’re Alex? It can’t be all that bad now, love. Or perhaps it can? How about I get us that drink, and you can tell me all about what it’s like to be Alex?”
Oh. My. God. Any minute now the fluttering mass in my tummy was going to explode out of my abdomen, Alien-style. I took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to steady my raging heart. And stomach. And hormones.
“Thank you for the offer, really, but I’m on my way over to speak with my friend, and I, um… I need to make something right.”
Yes! I did it! I said no! Sort of. But the victory felt bittersweet as I watched his face fall ever-so-slightly.
“Ah. I see. Friendship is very important. They are the family we choose for ourselves. Perhaps later then, after you’ve fixed things with your friend?” He still looked disappointed but not angry, and his words seemed genuine. Too bad. He seemed like a really nice guy. Vampire. Whatever.
“Perhaps,” I responded, then nodded my head to him once and ducked around the wall of man toward Ash. The field of piano groupies had thinned out significantly as the first song ended and Ash slid effortlessly into yet another melancholy tune. One model-like blonde still sat at the piano next to him, and she narrowed her eyes at me as I stepped up behind him. Seeing her glare, Ash threw a quick glance over his shoulder and his face turned stony.
“What are you doing here, Alex?” he called over his shoulder, never missing a stroke of the keys.
“You left before I had a chance to respond. We need to talk.”
“Nothing else to say, Alex, and I had to get to work, which is where I am now. At work, aka busy.”
“I need to talk to you, Ash.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, Alex. Just go. Dance, drink, it’s on me. Or better yet, just leave. I don’t want you here.” At that final insult, the girl next to him smiled menacingly at me and snuggled up to him.
“Ash—”
He slammed his hands down on the piano keys, interrupting his song for a moment as he sat still. It was only a split second, but I could feel the anger and fear wafting off him in droves. He turned and grabbed the girl next to him by the back of the neck and pulled her to him. I flinched when their lips met, and her tongue slipped between his lips.
Claws began to emerge from my fingers, and I could feel the sharp pain in my back and tailbone as the Guardian inside me struggled to force its way free. It took everything I had to hold the change back. I forced the claws and wings and tail back inside, tucking them away, but Ash had already gotten his way. He’d hit the nerve he needed to, and I turned back toward the club, a perfect storm of rage, jealousy, and hurt.
I stalked back into the crowd, intent on telling Jade I was an idiot for coming here and then leaving. As I neared, I saw her near the door we’d come in, chatting with Aiden. A second stab of jealousy, almost as strong as the first, radiated through me and a growl erupted from my throat before I had a chance to stop it. A few heads turned and Jade looked up, smiling knowingly as I approached and glancing between me and Aiden.
“Really?” Jade purred before capturing the full force of my gaze. “Ah, crap. What did that dumbass do now?”
Aiden looked up as she asked, his face lighting up at the sight of me before he caught my expression and tamped it down. Seeing him standing with Jade and still ecstatic to see me lifted my mood significantly.
“He’s busy,” I said, keeping my eyes on Aiden’s as the fluttering storm in my abdomen spiraled quickly out of control.
“I’m sorry, Alex,” she said gently. “He’ll come around.”
I shrugged, still watching Aiden as the storm raged. These goddamn bipolar butterflies were killing me. Couldn’t they decide who they wanted to flutter for? Or had this new power awakened some hidden need within me? Some unquenchable hunger that could never be sated? At that moment, it didn’t matter, because I didn’t care.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Alex, you met Aiden earlier. He’s a… very old friend of mine,” she said with a slight chuckle I didn’t understand.
“Yes, we met.”
“I’m sorry you couldn’t work things out with your friend, Alex,” Aiden rumbled, keeping his eyes on mine.
“You know what, I did what I could. I can’t make him not be a douche canoe, so if that’s the choice he’s made, I don’t see why it should ruin my night.”
Aiden raised one perfectly arched red brow. “Well, perhaps there’s a silver lining here. Would you allow me to buy you that drink now?”
“I’d like that.”
Jade shot me a surprised look, but I raised a challenging eyebrow, and she smiled. “I wondered what it was gonna take for you to get mad at these assholes for taking you for granted. You do you, baby girl,” she said with a smile and raised her glass to me. Aiden offered me his arm, and I gave Jade a quick wink and a smile as I slipped my hand around his bicep. Whatever this unnatural attraction I felt was, I was just angry enough at Ash to explore it. In front of him. At his club.
The beautiful vampire at my side escorted me toward the bar. As we walked up to the bar, no one said anything, but barstools suddenly emptied, making room for us to sit. Aiden pulled out a stool for me and I lifted my hips up to perch on the stool as he leaned into a modelesque pose against the bar. A female bartender appeared behind him, like magic, tossing her rich, chocolate curls off her ample cleavage and over one caramel shoulder, but Aiden’s eyes never left mine.
“What can I get you, guys?”
Aiden nodded to me, waiting patiently, and I turned to the bartender. “Double vodka and Coke, please.”
She smiled politely, then turned heated eyes to my escort, who simply said, “Scotch, neat, and a shot of something… a little more potent.” As the last few words left his lips, his eyes flitted toward the girl. She nodded once but e
yed me strangely as she turned to leave. I didn’t have time to indulge in my paranoid curiosities though.
Aiden’s bright green eyes found mine, fixing me with a smoldering stare. The smile that split his lips was absolutely radiant, and the effect was intoxicating. I was glad I was sitting because my legs felt suddenly weak as the winged terrorists in my gut threatened to burst from my flesh.
“So, Alex…”
“So, Aiden…” I replied with an awkward grin, and he laughed.
“I’m sorry I’m so awkward. I’m kind of at a loss, I guess. I haven’t struck up a conversation with a young woman at a bar in a very long time, but… I just had to be near you more. Something about you called to me, and I just needed to know you.”
Based on the confused look on his face, I caught him off guard when I laughed. “Do you practice these lines before you deliver them? Cuz… wow.”
“Well, quite honestly, I’ve never needed much practice before now,” he chuckled, and when my eyebrows shot up in response, his chuckle gave way to a fit of delighted laughter.
His laugh was melodious. The sound of it made me feel buoyant and giddy, but it also set warning bells off in my head. The entity now residing within me knew this wasn’t real. I could feel her pressing against me, hear the gentle warning growl in my mind, but it surprisingly gave way to a deep rolling purr. She wasn’t defensive, wasn’t trying to attack, or keep me away from danger, only warning me not to trust my own responses.
“What is that you’re doing with your voice?” I asked, opting not to play whatever game this was.
His brows drew together, wrinkling the skin above his nose, and his head pulled back slightly as he regarded me curiously for a moment.
“How did you… What are you?”
“Well, that’s rude,” a familiar voice called from behind Aiden, and I peered over his shoulder to see Jade just behind him, leaning back against the bar. “It’s also against the rules of the club. You should know that better than anyone, old friend.”
Veiled Guardian: A Borne of Angels Novel (The Awakening Book 1) Page 18