Page 50

Milo no longer sits at the top of the stairs, and I quickly search the living room for any sign of the quiet vampire, but he’s nowhere in sight. As Harlan swings the door open, a motorbike engine roars to life while we all watch from the front porch as Milo climbs onto his dirt bike. Unlike all the other motorbikes parked in the driveway, his is the only off-road bike. With bright green flames painted on the vehicle's body, Milo’s bike stands out from the group like a sore thumb.

Giving the engine a good rev, Milo speeds away in the opposite direction from town, his silhouette disappearing into the darkness of the forest that lines the road.

“He isn’t coming with us?” I ask the group as they make their way down the steps and towards their rides.

“Crowds aren’t really his thing,” Cassius replies, while Ambrose slides onto a Harley-Davidson with ape hangers, his arms outstretched above his head as he throws his hair back and kicks the bike into gear.

One by one, each vampire gets settled on their bike until the entire street is rumbling. Harlan is the first to peel from the driveway, his giggles drifting with the breeze as he zooms away. Ambrose is close behind him, while Cassius waits for us.

Xander slides a helmet over my head and puts one on himself. We’re the only people wearing helmets, and even Cassius gives Xander a strange look.

“Tell me again, why do you wear a helmet, old man?” I poke Xander’s side as I slip in behind him on the bike, immediately wrapping my arms around his waist.

“To set a good example,” Xander chuckles, patting my thighs and turning his bike on.

The vibrations of the engine shoot up my spine and I gasp. I don’t think I'll ever get used to this. With my heart racing and my entire body lighting up with excitement, Xander, Cassius, and I pull away from the house and race into town.

Chapter Fourteen

Xander

This entire week has been a whirlwind. I don’t think my life has ever moved so quickly in all my 130-odd years.

From nearly dying in the forest at the hands of the creature meant to kill my mate, to loving him—body, heart, and soul—and now having my colony beside me like no time has passed at all… my entire world feels unrecognizable.

Church is already pumping with energy as we pull into the car park. With the day slowly growing old, it’s normal for a place like this to always be alive no matter the time.

Harlan waves and bounces on his toes as if he has ants in his pants, while Ambrose picks at his fingernails, looking rather bored and grumpy.

“What took you so long?” Ambrose asks, while Harlan yells at us to hurry up.

I help Noah down from my bike and clip our helmets to the handlebars. Taking his hand in mine, we walk together with Cassius following closely behind.

In all these years he’s always the one to stray behind. Whether it’s pack mentality or not, everyone in the colony has silently agreed he’s our leader. It helps in part that he's practically indestructible.

“Aww,” Harlan coos at us, “Don’t you two just look adorable with your matching jackets.”

Noah giggles and squeezes my hand tighter. “Ready for some fun?”

Am I? Ideally, I'd rather have my mate sealed away ten miles underground with a 24/7 watch crew and zero bathroom breaks.

Cassius has our backs. Harlan and Ambrose hold the flanks. And somewhere beyond the trees, Milo patrols the boundary. With my colony surrounding us, Noah is exactly where he belongs—safe. With us.

“Let’s make this quick. We don’t need to spend any longer here than necessary,” Ambrose grumbles as we step under the red neon sign and slink into the dark entrance. The bass of the upstairs level is pumping, but there are only a handful of patrons swaying on the dance floor.

We aren’t here for the top floor. Not tonight, at least. I nearly grin as my imagination draws Noah’s surprised face when he finally sees what sits below the more… vanilla level.

Instead of walking straight ahead towards the bar, Harlan makes a sharp turn and pulls aside the black curtain, revealing a steep staircase lined with red torches that flicker at the walls. He looks up at us and smirks before speeding away into the darkness.

We follow Ambrose, and the music changes from a techno, high-energy tune to a more sensual melody that vibrates through my chest.

The air thickens with lust and mixed scents, and for a moment, my head spins as I adjust to the bombarding smells.

“Is this the same club?” Noah whispers. His hand tightens in mine, and a waft of anxiety flows from him.

Cassius sidesteps us and slinks into the darkness, leaving me and my mate alone on the stairs.

“Are you okay, sweetheart? We don’t have to go any further; we can go straight home,” I reply.