Adina Falling (Threads of Fate) Read online

  Backing out of the driveway, Giorgio caught my eye in the rearview mirror, “We are going to pick up Iris. She’s so excited to see you. Don’t tell her I told you but…she just got engaged to that guy she’s been dating, Ben. He’s a Halfster, you know. Nice enough though. Very successful and treats her like a princess. Which, girl, that Iris is such a princess.”

  A Halfster is what we call those who are half vamp and half were. And, I probably should mention that we call half Vamp half Fae Dusters. I have no idea where that originated from; the only thing I can think of is from the idea of Fairy Dust, which is such a myth anyways.

  Iris was a Vamp I met back in my college days. She had been dating a mortal guy I hung around with whose name I had long forgotten. But she and I became friends and, even when their relationship had fizzled, she and I did not. I was thrilled that I would get to see her; it had been a few months since we had gone to dinner. She had just started dating Ben the Halfster and she knew that he was “the one”. She was right, apparently.

  The car ride to Iris’ house was quiet. Nigel was sulky and Giorgio was brooding. I silently wished I had insisted on meeting them. Hopefully Iris would liven up the car a bit; she was a very bubbly person who made everyone around her happy. She was the girl we all wished to be when we grew up. Beautiful, successful…she owned an online business that got bought out for multi-millions which she parlayed into another online business that was getting poised for a buy-out. And she was now marrying the guy of her dreams, though he would always have a slight dog odor. She was definitely envy-worthy.

  Iris lived on a huge estate. The kind with a long and winding road that leads up to a massive fountain in the middle of a gigantic drive situated in front of a rambling manor home. She’s that kind of wealthy.

  She was waiting outside and started jumping up and down excitedly when she saw us drive up. She slid in next to me and squeezed me, “I was so thrilled when I found out you were coming out tonight. Where the hell have you been?”

  I laughed, “I was locked away in my writers cave but I am now out for an airing.”

  “Fill me in on what’s happening. I feel like we haven’t spoken in ages.” Her voice was silky and refined but she always seemed to have a little girl trying to get out.

  “Really Iris, not much of anything new here. I just finished another book which will be released soon. Other than that, plain boring. What can I tell ya?” I squeezed her hand happily, “I’m just excited to be going out with some of my favorite people.”

  Iris leaned over and whispered, “What’s up with those two?”

  “They’ve been like this since I got in the car.” I used my short distance telepathic communication because my whispers were never quite whispery enough.

  “Ah. I see. Pre-buzz buzz kill.” She answered back the same way.

  “No shit.”

  “Girls, no secrets!” Giorgio budged in.

  “Okay, since you asked. Why so quiet?” Iris demanded lightly.

  “Nigel here is upset because he wanted to have a quiet night with just the two of us. Which, we always have quiet nights with the two of us. He’s not a good sharer, are you Nigel.” He reached over and squeezed his silent partners arm. Nigel playfully swatted back.

  Nigel, happy to be on the receiving end of attention, perked back up. “G, you should be pleased that I am so in love with you, that all I want to do is be draped over you at all times.” He drawled in his thick Southern accent. Nigel was a good looking guy, as to be expected from a vampire. Short blonde hair gelled into a high-fashioned style, leather pants and a crimson silk top that screamed expensive; Nigel was a total metro-sexual homosexual.

  Giorgio was the more masculine of the couple. His finely-toned body was a drawing board for tattoos, his head shaved nearly bald and a well-trimmed goatee; he looked more like the front-man for a rock band. Women always surrounded him and quickly became bitterly disappointed when they realized he was more attracted to their male dates.

  We drove for another twenty minutes, chattering and teasing each other compatibly. Arriving at a deserted warehouse, Giorgio pulled into a crowded underground parking lot. From the looks of it, others had the same idea. Only, it seemed everyone else arrived earlier than we did.

  “Shit! It’s going to be a crowded mess inside.” Nigel complained.

  “Oh shush sugar, it’s going to be fun. I’m always on the list, Mason, the owner, has me down permanently for a table. It’s all good darlings. We’ll find ourselves a little something to take home and play with.”

  They clasped hands and led Iris and me toward the entrance to The Blue Club. There was a long line; I was surprised by how many of our kind there actually were in the area. It looked as though our numbers had grown tremendously, which was a great thing. Maybe not so much for humans though but we didn’t really mess with ones who didn’t want to be messed with.

  Since Giorgio knew the owner of the club, we were ushered in almost immediately, receiving dark looks and negative comments from the peanut gallery.

  We were led to a large table close to the dance floor. It had been roped off with a sign stating “reserved”. A waitress quickly came and took our orders and we looked around at the crowd as we waited for her to come back.

  There was a band playing, Smooth Aggression. They were a fairly big deal in the vampire world, no wonder the line had been wrapped around the parking garage. Great group but if I had been forced to stand in line while wearing my Louboutin’s, shit would have hit the fan.

  The volume was so intense that conversation was nearly impossible. Although, none of us really got dressed up and ready to go in hopes of having conversation, we could pick up the phone all day long for that. All four of us were on a hunt, even my newly engaged friend Iris.

  The waitress sat a little blue cocktail napkin down and placed my drink on top. I picked it up and sipped from it thirstily. I had asked her to surprise me and whatever I was drinking was sweet, cold and delicious. It went down smoothly and quickly and I signaled for the waitress to bring me another one. After the day I had, I needed to drink the stress away. That nightmare seemed to be lingering longer than it normally did.

  I looked around the night-club; there was not an unattractive person to be found. Killer outfits, too. The style in the room could put any Fashion Week to shame. It seemed that every couture house was represented.

  Grabbing Iris’s hand, I dragged her to the dance floor. Nigel and Giorgio had taken off to the bathroom, there were always Vamp Tramps lingering in the stalls, waiting to be taken. I wasn’t desperate though, I wanted to take my time and pick out the perfect specimen. Or two.

  While Iris and I were dancing, we were approached by two men. Both were tall and handsome. One had brown hair with blonde tips and brown eyes, the other had shoulder-length, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. Both were built like Roman Gods.

  The longer haired man put his arms around my waist and pulled me close, molding our bodies together as we danced. He would definitely do for tonight, even though he was also a vampire. I had been thinking more along the lines of human but sometimes it was fun to mix it up a bit.

  “What’s your name?” I figured if we were going to dance so close, I should at least know what to call him.

  “Caleb Locke, m’lady. Yours?” I almost started drooling; he had the most beautiful accent to top off his stunning looks. Accents were always my poison when it came to men.

  “Adina LaCroix.”

  “Ah yes, the author. I’ve heard of you. My sister enjoys your writings.” We had stopped dancing but he still had his arms wrapped around me and was speaking softly into my ear.

  “Oh, how nice. I love learning about my fans.” Caleb was running his hand up and down my back now; a spark was igniting between my legs from his touch.

  “Adina La Croix, are you as good in bed as your books suggest?” His words seemed innocent enough but they made my blood boil. I felt as though I was being called a slut in a very proper way.

/>   “Well Caleb Locke,” I reached around and grabbed his hands from my back, “You, sir, will never know.” I stormed back to the table leaving a very hot man looking burned.

  Iris was still dancing with Caleb’s friend and the boys were still in the bathroom so I chose to order another one of those delightful drinks. I had no problem drinking alone. I was good enough company for myself.

  I checked my phone, another call from Unknown but no voicemail which meant Unknown will remain forever unknown. Unless whomever it was decided to make themselves known. I never called back unless I knew who it was that would be picking up at the other end.

  There was a text from my mom, she had found out where the Elders were but she didn’t want to text it, she didn’t trust that it wouldn’t get into the wrong hands. Big news, she wrote. And I should call her in the morning. I was tempted to run outside and call her but I figured it really could wait until morning.

  As I was looking through my emails, Caleb slid into the booth next to me.

  “If I have offended you, I am truly sorry. It was not my intention.” His eyes scanned my face; he seemed pretty sincere in his apology.

  “What kind of gentleman asks a lady if she’s good in bed?” It was a fair question, after all.

  “You’re right. Sometimes I don’t think before I speak and unfortunately, this was one of those times.” He tilted his gorgeous head to the side and gave me a look that made things flutter in places I didn’t know could flutter. “Please, tell me how I can make this up to you.”

  “Well, Caleb Locke, you are lucky that I’m in a generous mood. You are forgiven.” I gave him my best seductive look as I sipped from my drink.

  He bit in his lower lip exposing a bit of his white fangs. Obviously he was attracted to me which caused my fangs to start extracting. I happen to be somewhat shallow, if I’m being given positive attention, I respond appropriately.

  Taking my drink, he gulped down the rest, crushed an ice cube between his teeth and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet.

  “Where are you taking me?” Since he was leading me toward the back of the club, I assumed we weren’t going to be dancing. At least, not on the dance floor.

  “Somewhere a little more private. Where we can discuss a plan on how I can redeem myself.” He pushed us through the crowded bar until we came to a door clearly marked ‘Do Not Enter’.

  I tapped him on the shoulder; surely he must have seen the sign. If he did, it didn’t stop him. He turned the knob and led me up a set of dark wooden stairs with a surprisingly elaborate railing. I was expecting more of an industrial, generic area but this rivaled a 5-star hotel.

  When we hit the first landing, he gently barricaded me against the wall with his muscular frame.

  “My, my Adina, you are lovely to look at.” His eyes swept my face.

  “You aren’t so bad yourself.” Oh he wasn’t, he really wasn’t. Physically, he was my favorite type. His lips were so deliciously close to mine. I had to muster the strength to keep myself from making the first move.

  I let my hands run gently along his shirt; I could make out the firmness of his chest and the ridges of his stomach through the thin fabric.

  He looked at me intensely, “I really am so very sorry for offending you earlier.” Tracing his finger down my cheek, he reached over and gently kissed me.

  “Bygones.” I started feeling slightly nervous and I wasn’t sure why. Something was completely off and I couldn’t place my finger on it. I hoped it was just residual vibes from the encounter I had with Michael earlier. It had left me a tad out of sorts, in a constant state of checking my surrounding. I couldn’t trust my vampiric instincts; they seemed to be on the fritz. I hadn’t even felt it when Michael was approaching which was strange considering we had shared blood. I should have been more in tune yet, I had been blind-sided.

  Caleb must have sensed a shift in me; he raised a thick brow questioningly, “What’s the matter, beautiful?”

  I laughed it off, trying to appear nonchalant, “Oh nothing. Hey, let’s go back and dance some more, huh?”

  He feigned disappointment by thrusting his thick lower lip out into a pout, “Sure. Why not. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?”

  Relieved, I lightly kissed his full lips, feeling the scratch of his stubble, “There will be time for other things later. Besides, I’m a bit hungry.” I pouted back at him.

  “Then let’s go find you something to eat, shall we?” Taking my hand again, he led me back down the stunning staircase and we made our way back into the club.

  We headed back to the table where Iris was making out with Caleb’s friend. Her hand was moving up and down inside his pants while his was tucked away underneath her skirt.

  Giorgio and Nigel were locked together in intimate conversation. They were cute together, much better than the last prick Giorgio hooked up with, a controlling cheater who sent Giorgio spiraling into depression. Iris and I had to talk him off a ledge; he had been threatening to overdose on the crap Michael manufactured. It was nice to see that he was himself again.

  There wasn’t much room left in the half-circle booth for us so we stood shoulder to shoulder with our backs turned to the table. We were busy inspecting the, ah, menu for the evening. The pickings seemed to have gotten rather slim.

  Couples paired off quickly in these types of first come, first serve places. It was incredible how fast my species worked. When we fixated on something we like and we go after it, we don’t waste time deliberating and debating. Vamps are very sight and smell driven and when the combination is pleasing to us, we move in for the kill, most oftentimes figuratively, of course.

  With a bit of possessive air, Caleb casually draped an arm over my shoulder and I leaned into him a bit. The uneasiness I had felt in the stairwell had subsided and I enjoyed being near him. I felt small and safe, something I hadn’t experienced in quite a long time. I was always in such complete control of myself that I never let my cool guard down. I never wanted to be taken advantage of again the way I had let Michael take over me.

  My solution had been to never get close to any man. I only allowed myself flings, casual dating that, most oftentimes were purely physical. My ways inevitably led to the demise of those so-called relationships. Because I never let myself emotionally invest, I always landed on my feet, ready to run into the next fling.

  Standing there with Caleb, I wondered if it was time to start letting men in, and not just in my pants. Really let them in, for a real, adult relationship. I knew I was running short on time, my mother had already warned me that the Elders were close to getting involved in my personal life. I certainly wasn’t the type to be told what to do and who to do it with, especially not from a higher authority. The only thing I wanted from the Elders was to find out about this dream. Other than that, they could meddle in other vamps affairs and leave mine alone because I might actually end up doing just fine fixing myself up.

  I was brought out of my thoughts when Caleb whispered into my ear, “I’m sorry?” I hadn’t heard him; I was too busy talking to myself. “I didn’t hear you.”

  “Did you set your sights on anyone?” He looked back out into the crowd; I followed his line of vision over to a couple standing by the bar. They were stunningly human. The woman had a halo of blonde, shoulder-length curly hair which was draped across her face as she bent down to sip from the straw in her drink. The man was quite lovely, too. Similar stance to Caleb, his arm was tossed casually across the woman’s bony shoulders. They were there with each other, both on the same quest. To romp with the vampires.

  “They’ll do just fine.” I whispered back, keeping my vision on the couple.

  He took my hand and we headed over to them. In unison, they looked us up and down. I felt like a piece of meat, now I knew how humans felt when we assessed them before plunging our teeth into them, along with other parts of our bodies. I got it, though. There had to be an element of attraction from humans, they were doing most of the giving. It need
ed to be worth their while too.

  It was apparent when we passed their initial inspection, their demeanor changed into instant warmth. Standing in a small, tight circle, we exchanged names. They were newlyweds, Sandy and Phil; they left out their last name, which in the scheme of things had absolutely no significance anyway.

  She had one of those baby voices that made my teeth curl but his was pleasantly deep. It’s not that vampires are overly shallow, tones were important to us, our sense of hearing was enhanced and if a voice was grating, it was quite a big turn off. I could overlook her voice tonight though; her husband was the one I wanted to do naughty things with. I wasn’t sure about the whole newbie thing, though. I was too impatient to assume the teacher role.

  We tried to have a bit of a conversation, to get to know each other but the band was playing and the bass was overpowering our communication. So, we just stood and smiled at each other while sipping our drinks. It was a somewhat uncomfortable situation but our options were limited.

  Caleb reached across the bar, grabbed the nearest bottle of alcohol and nodded his head, signaling for us to follow. Like good puppies, we did as directed. Offering me his hand by wriggling his fingers, I grabbed on to him. He gave me a couple of squeezes, turned to me and smiled broadly. I liked the way his eyes danced when he looked at me. Maybe, just maybe, I had finally met someone I could be with for longer than a couple of months. My mom would be thrilled, although I did not know anything about this Caleb Locke aside from his name and raw hotness.

  He led us back to the stairwell we had been in earlier. It amazed me again, the elaborate engravings on the bannister, the fine woods used to make up the steps and the lush carpet running up the center of the staircase. From the outside, it looked like a completely deserted warehouse but it was palpable that glamour was used to trick brains into believing something other than the truth. This was a mansion, not an industrial warehouse. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even caught the shimmer that usually surrounds areas where glamour is used. I guess I hadn’t been paying enough attention.