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The four of them squealed, flocking under his arms, and he swept them toward Kleitos without missing a step. That left one with me. She didn’t seem to mind. Her hips swayed side to side as she crossed the small space between us, her gaze raking me up and down like I was the next thing on the menu. “And whatever do you mean by ‘I can get what I want’?” she asked, leaning in until her breath tickled the shell of my ear.
I kept my smile polite, my arm slipping naturally around her waist to pull her closer, closing the space as if we were old friends. Bending down, my voice dropped into a low whisper by her ear. “I mean,” I chuckled. “I’ll get you as many drinks as you desire. I’m a gentleman, after all.”
She chuckled, a dark sound under the music. “You must be some pureblood with that gentleman crap.”
Another smile crept across my lips as I looked down at her. “How about you find out?” I murmured, my words brushing her ear, my lips grazing her earlobe. Pulling back just enough, I watched her reaction.
She let out another soft giggle, her gaze sliding down my face to my chest before returning to lock with mine. Easing out of my arms, she nods. I kept my smile in place as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided us through the crowd.
Kleitos, in the short span since, had already secured a private section at the far end of the club. Bottles of Trinty sat buried in ice trays, their deep crimson catching the glow of the lanterns. He and Bomani were already deep in conversation with the women they’d gathered, each with an arm around a pair, laughter flowing freely over glasses filled to the brim.
My companion slid into the far corner of the couch, directly onto my lap. For a fleeting moment, I considered pushing her off. If Valentina could see this, she’d either laugh in disbelief or end the girl’s life without a second thought. But she didn’t know any better, and I had a role to play. She crossed her legs, draping an arm over my shoulder with casual intimacy.
Mirroring her, my arms circled her waist as I leaned in. I brushed my lips against the warm curve of her neck. “Are you all sisters or something?” I murmured, inhaling deeply. “You smell… perfect.”
Tilting her head toward me, she granted me better access. “Oh no,” she said softly, her voice dipping into a whisper. “We’re not sisters. Just… friends from our past life.” The way she leaned into my touch made my stomach turn. It was subtle, but it disturbed something deep in me. I had to shut my eyes for a heartbeat, forcing myself to remember why I was here. I wanted information, and I’d get it however I could. This was harmless enough. I wasn’t doing anything that would truly betray Valentina.
Even with my emotions sealed off for Mark and the chaos ahead, my love for Valentina wasn’t something I could switch off. That bond was too real, too soul-deep, to be touched by any passing moment like this. Still, I smiled through the quiet disgust coiling in my chest, keeping my focus sharp.
Sliding a hand down her waist, I rested it in the curve of her hip. “You want a drink?” I asked casually.
She nodded before reaching for the Trinty bottles, plucking one from the ice. The cork popped with a soft hiss before she filled two glasses. The thick crimson spilled into the cups, staining the crystal as it slid down. She kept one and handed the other to me.
Taking it, I swirled the liquid once before sipping. I leaned forward, pushing us both toward the table to set it down again. “You know,” I said lightly, “I’ve never met five women who smelled so much alike. Is that a perfume thing?”
Her laughter rang over the music as she took her own drink. She turned back to me with a sly smile. “Why are you so curious about my scent?”
“Can you blame a man for being curious?” I countered with a quiet laugh. “It’s rare, like a needle in a haystack.”
She sighed in my arms, her body gradually melting against mine. I leaned back into the couch, letting her settle in closer. The more comfortable she felt, the more likely she’d talk. “We’re part of an Elguto coven,” she said casually, taking another slow sip of her drink. “I want to say it’s the biggest in Ameega.”
“Oh, really?” I asked, keeping my tone light and even. “How big are we talking?”
She shrugged lazily. “Well… I don’t know the exact number. What I do know is that I help the new girls when they come through the portals. These girls—” her eyes flicked toward the others—“were brought here one week ago.” She took another sip, almost offhand, but my arms tightened around her instinctively. Resting my head against her shoulder, I masked the way my thoughts sharpened.
I glanced toward the group, watching them laugh with Kleitos and Bomani. If these five are barely a week old… how many more have just come through? “That’s interesting,” I said with a crooked smile. “Guess you’re part of the welcome committee, then?”
She gave a soft scoff, finishing the last of her drink. “Well, I don’t really have a choice—” Her words cut off, and her shoulders stiffened as if she’d just stepped into a trap. “I mean… I was appointed to the position; I’m grateful for it.” She added quickly, forcing a smile. But the change in her was immediate. The lightness drained from her voice. Her gaze darted around the club, scanning faces like she suddenly remembered she wasn’t alone. “It is getting close to dawn… we should get going, girls,” she called out to the others, a thread of urgency weaving through her tone. “We weren’t supposed to be out too late anyway.”
The group of girls exchanged looks, disappointment etched across each face. Clearly, none of them wanted to leave the comfort of our booth, but one by one, they rose. They cast Bomani and Kleitos' reluctant smiles as they passed. Even the raven-haired woman slipped from my lap with a tight smile on her lips. “It was nice meeting you,” she said, her tone sweet but brisk.
“It was nice meeting you as well.” Standing, I took her hand in mine. I pressed a polite kiss to the back of it, letting my gaze linger just enough to sell the charm. “Until next time.”
She gave me one last winning smile before she and her girls wove through the crowd, disappearing into the press of bodies without another word.
I’d like to say the week that followed fared better, but the truth was, the first night had been the only one that yielded even a scrap of information from these sired bastards. We never crossed paths with those women again, and every lead fizzled before it could spark.
Night after night, we prowled Ameega's pubs, shops, markets, and craft houses, anything that might hide a thread for us to pull. But the harder we searched, the denser the scent became, pressing into the air like a storm cloud. More of them were arriving. If that were true, then William might not even be in the vampire realm anymore. Which meant all of this… could be for nothing.
Tonight, we’d retreated early to the inn. I lay sprawled on my bed, Kleitos was face down in his, unmoving, as if sleep had claimed him whole. The knock at the door came sharp and insistent. Kleitos didn’t so much as twitch.
Sighing, I rolled from the bed and padded over to answer it. When I swung it open, the last face I expected stood on the other side. Her scent hit me first, smoke rolling off a fire, tangy citrus laced with melancholy. She locked eyes with me before her gaze traced down my figure. “Why did my bultungin have to call me in to clean up after you?” Arianna’s smile was all teeth as she stepped gracefully into the room. “Couldn’t figure it out without me?”
TAINTED| CHAPTER 36
Trap House
Alexander’s POV
