“What? No. This seems like a shitty idea.” I grabbed for Aveline but she grinned, turned her grip on me, and used it to drag me into the lounge.
We skirted the ‘fun zone’ and walked around to the sofa, where Aveline cleared her throat and waited impatiently for Cian and Indra to look up at us.
The vampire king was smiling at Indra the entire time, and I had every notion that he knew we were here and who we were. Indra, seated in his lap, looked up at me with a sweet smile that changed to one of surprise at my shifter features.
Shit.
“I thought you were a witch. You are a witch,” he corrected himself, shifting to look at us more clearly.
“She’s a hybrid,” Cian finally looked up at us. “I told you I sensed something more to her, didn’t I?” He looked to my cousin with his winning grin. “Good to see you’re looking better than you were.”
Her grin was just as bright as his. “Thanks to you and George,” she replied. “We were celebrating, actually. Turns out George is staying in New Orleans. She tells me you might be as well.” One hand on her hip and the other firmly gripping my wrist, she glanced down at the sofa. “Can we sit with you?”
“Depends.” Cian’s gaze switched to mine. “Is your cousin going to keep breathing if you do?”
“Oh she’s fine.” She sat down suddenly, manhandling me into doing the same, and dragged me forward so I was in the huddle. “I’m Aveline.”
“Cian. This is Indra.” He ran his fingers affectionately through the hellhound’s hair, over both his ears, and pulled him more comfortably back against his chest. “Akiva’s busy, but he’ll be thrilled to meet you.”
“Really?” I couldn’t help myself. “He wasn’t so thrilled to meet me.”
“Well, you called him a zombie,” Cian pointed out patiently.
I switched my gaze to where Akiva stood and saw that he had unbuckled the woman’s hands from her manacles. She was walking away, not looking at all put out, and Akiva fixed us with a mildly surprised glance.
“I told you I saw her down there,” he stated, walking over to us, perching on the arm of the sofa and looking at Aveline. “You’re the cousin.”
“Aveline.”
He smiled at her and it was nothing close to the leer he’d given me. “I’m glad George got you back in one piece. Did I hear you say you’re staying?” Just like that, he was speaking to me.
“I am. I’m living with Avi. Guess you guys are staying too, since you’re king of the castle and all that.”
We still hadn’t had anything to drink, and I was surprised to see that Aveline was still so unattached. Normally she had a radar for picking up men that helped her get laid very quickly.
“You look uncomfortable,” Akiva observed, eyes on mine. “I think you don’t belong here, unlike your cousin. Does it make you uncomfortable?” His grin turned to a fucking smirk that he seemed to save for me. “Perhaps that is why you didn’t come over here while I was playing.”
“This doesn’t bother me,” I snapped in response. “Quite the opposite.” Perhaps not entirely true, but I wasn’t going to say that to him.
The lich’s grin grew. “Would you like to play with me? I’ll let you strap my wrists in over there and we can discuss how you feel about the way I speak to you.”
“I…” I cast a glance to the middle of the room. “I’m not–“
“Or would you prefer that I am the one handcuffing you?”
“I would think you wouldn’t be handcuffing strangers and playing with them,” I replied, working towards my title as master of misdirection. “Don’t your boyfriends get jealous?”
Aveline situated herself back on the sofa, looking more amused than anything, and did not help.
“They would enjoy the show, either way,” His one shouldered shrug was smooth. “For all that this isn’t quite true to our lifestyle,” Akiva said.
“We were going to head out soon,” Cian agreed. “We were recommended Euphoric by a few of the clade,” he nodded to the vampires snuggling on the throne, “But this is a bit tame for us. Though we’ll have to come back for the burlesque.”
Oh. While I might snip at Akiva, having seen them here wasn’t unpleasant, and I was interested at the thought of getting to spend some time with them in a less hostile setting.
Still it was most likely for the best. If they were really as experienced as it seemed, I’d most likely embarrass myself in front of them.
“Sorry,” Aveline laughed. “We try here, but you can’t really operate a bar and a fetish club, you know? The drinking, the photos, and all that.”
“You work here?” Indra turned his red gaze to hers.
“I dance here,” my cousin answered.
“Probably convenient for you, George,” Akiva drawled. “I’m not sure you’d make it if I asked you to play with me.”
“Convenient for you, you mean,” I shot back. “Only think how embarrassed you’d be when I did.” It was safe to banter like that; they were leaving, we were staying.
“Oh, my bad.” His grin widened like that had been the answer he’d wanted. “Then by all means, why don’t you come with us to our other destination?”
What?
My own grin faltered and Cian glanced between us.
On the other hand, my cousin had sat up and looked intrigued.
“We can’t,” I laughed, staying confident. “Aveline made plans for us to celebrate here–“
“No I didn’t. Are you guys headed to Portal, by chance?”
Now it was Akiva’s turn to look surprised. “You know of it.” He looked at me again. “And you don’t.”
“I’ve been. No complaints here, if George is down to get her kink on, I more than support it. And I have friends at Portal.”
“Oh…really?” I tried to convey my discomfort while maintaining my smile and wide, friendly eyes. “I don’t want to put you out, Aveline,” I said to her through gritted teeth.
She
