Fate (The Edge of Forever) (12 page)

I shook my head, my brow furrowing together, “No actually. Ninety-five percent could pass for vampires. They are somewhat weaker but have all the same characteristics of normal vampires. The others five percent are the worse. They have all the weaknesses of both classes. No sun, no silver, no strength. Need blood. But the age like humans.”

“Where do you fit in?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“I’m the only one like me. From what research the nest has done, I am the only day walker ever in existence.”

The topic ended as abruptly as it had begun and we didn’t revisit it again. We settled in for the day and just enjoyed our brief window of time before I was forced to leave.

***

A week and a half passed in a blink of an eye. I had been keeping myself extremely busy. I didn’t get to see Grayson the day before the opening, but we still found time to talk and text. He was working on a big buyout of a small software company. They had a certain program that his company was wanting. We had been seeing each other as often as possible. We had dinner dates, and less frequently some lunch dates where he would join Shawn and me. They both seemed to be getting along great. I also couldn’t seem to keep my hands off of Grayson. If sex was like this for the rest of the world, I have no idea how people got anything done.

My mother’s insistent attempts with Anton only got more and more obvious. On Friday, before the opening, Anton was going out hunting, which my mother is completely against. He doesn’t kill humans he just feeds and wipes their minds, a gift I hadn’t quite mastered, but was working on. She shoved me at him, saying, “You need to learn how a real vampire does it.” Then blurred away, giving me no one to argue with.

We went out and found a couple of college girls that had too much to drink. It wasn’t that I had never fed from a human before. I had. It was one of the lessons I had been taught when I was little. ‘How to feed without killing 101.’ I just didn’t enjoy it. Why do it when I had a blood bag back at the house that I didn’t have to find, force to cooperate or listen to scream in my ear? Anton, like my mother, wouldn’t take no for an answer. He compelled both girls to stay still. After he fed off of his girl, a young brunette with a form fitting dress, and wiped her mind, he came to give me a little one-on-one training, which I didn’t need and found entirely unnecessary. 

“The vein that runs here,” he spoke, running his finger down the girl’s neck. She was blond and looked to be younger than the other, but her outfit was much more provocative with her low cut blouse and short mini skirt. I wanted to roll my eyes at Anton because he was talking to me like this really was my first time. The girl was so out of it, with alcohol and the compulsion, she didn’t even shiver from his cool touch. “You want to sink your teeth here.” He pointed to a section close to the base of her neck, with two fingers, symbolizing fangs. “If you do it just right,” he turned to face me, “you can control how much flows and not waste.” I wasn’t going to argue. I just wanted to bite the girl and be on my way. The sooner I could get away from Anton the better.
 

I stepped into her. Cupping her face in my hand, I tilted it away giving me the best angle. I relaxed my fangs letting them drop. Like a cobra, I sunk into her neck. I felt her pulse in my mouth as the blood flowed into me. It was sweet, definitely tasted better than the bag. I felt Anton lean into me, almost as if he was smelling me. I tried to ignore him and pay attention to beat of her heart so I wouldn’t take too much and hurt her or worse. Just when I felt her pulse starting to slow I pulled back. I licked my lips clean then stepped back for Anton to clean her memory. Apparently some frat boy got a little to handsy and bit her, which she realized she liked, but not as hard as he had done it. I laughed at Anton’s choice of stories.
 

He sent the girls on their way and we watched them stumble down the street. We turned in the direction of the nest’s personal apartment building. I hadn’t even taken three steps, when I lost my balance. Anton grabbed my arm keeping me from falling.
 

“I’m fine,” I spat, shoving him against his chest, which caused me to almost fall as I stumbled again. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I slurred. Anton chuckled, which I didn’t like. If he found something funny it was probably bad. “You did this,” I stated accusation hanging in my words.
 

“No,” his voice carrying amusement, “you did this to yourself. I believe you are inebriated.”
 

“I’m drunk?” I asked trying to push myself away from him, with little success.
 

“I believe so.” Then it clicked. Those girls were drunk. I had never fed off anyone who had been drinking.
 I could get drunk, thanks to my half human side, but I never thought of the effects from alcohol in the blood of someone I was feeding off of. I never had to. I ate solely from blood bags.

“You did this! You picked the girls! You knew!”

He held a hand up in surrender. “How was I to know that their blood would affect you like this? As you can see, it had no effect on me. It must be your human side that is to blame for this.” I pushed harder. “Will you stop that? Let me help get you home.”

“I don’t want you touching me,” I mumbled.

“If I do not touch you, you will fall over and spend the evening lying on the street. Is that what you truly want,” he threw his hands up releasing me, “then fine.”

Glaring at him but feeling too tired to argue and not wanting to fall, I settled on him supporting my weight.

There were too many people out for us to blur. They might catch a glimpse or feel an unexplainable breeze, so we walked at human speed. 

“Why do you keep trying to pull away when you know you can’t walk?”
 

My body stiffened. “Because you being this close to me makes my skin crawl.”
 

He chuckled. Yes, he actually laughed at my insult. “I could do so much more, if you only granted me the opportunity to show you.” I shoved hard against him, sending myself falling. He grabbed my upper arm yanking me up, pulling me against his chest.
 

“No thanks,” I hissed through my clenched teeth.
 

“Why ever not, Gabriella? Your mother would be pleased. Do you really want to live forever, never knowing the touch of a man?” he whispered against my ear. I felt my heart begin to race. We were treading through dangerous waters. I knew if he asked... There would be no way he would buy my lie. So I ignored him, refusing to answer his question, which he found humorous.
 

When we finally made it back to the apartment, Anton leaned me against the door of my room. I refused for him to take me in.
 

“Think about what I said, Gabriella.” Then he blurred down the hall.

I rolled my eyes and turned to the door. “Think about what, Gabriella?” I turned to see Ava standing directly behind me. She was pissed. God, this was the worse time to find myself drunk. If she attacked me I knew I’d be no match for her.

“Nothing, Ava. Anton’s just talking out his ass again.”

She nodded tightly. “Did he talk out his ass, as you said, about the incredible evening we shared?”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. I laughed so hard that I thought I was going to fall over from the lack of breath. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the fact that Ava actually thought I cared. I looked at Ava’s face and saw her anger had increased which only made me laugh harder. “I’m sorry Ava. I don’t mean to upset you. I just find it funny that you think I care.” I shook my head trying to calm myself. “Why is it that no one in this godforsaken nest understands that I want absolutely nothing to do with Anton. You want him?” I saw her glaring at me. “Have him!” I threw my hand out like I was throwing him to her.

“I am not sure what game you are playing at…”

“No game.” I confessed. “You come at me with information like you think I’m going to turn into some jealous girlfriend, but I’m not. I. Do. Not. Want. Him!” I articulated very slowly so there was no mistake between my drunkenness and her hardheadedness.

Her anger dissipated and sadness lingered. “But he wants you,” she stated.

I gave her a soft kind smile. “Yeah, he does,” I whispered.

“Why?” she barked. “Why you and not me? Do I make myself available to him too easily? Should I be like you and pretend to hate him?”

“I don’t pretend,” but it was like she didn’t hear me.

“I do everything I can to please him but yet he still seeks you. The attention of a half-breed.”

“Look,” I threw my hands up in protest. “I am not going to stand here and listen to you insult me. I have no idea why Anton wants me or why he won’t take every hint I give him to leave me the hell alone. Trust me, you being with him would be in my best interest. It would get him to leave me alone. Now if you’ll excuse me, he got my ass drunk, so I’m headed to bed.” Without waiting for a response, I spun as gracefully as I could, which wasn’t very smooth at all and went into my room.

***

The night of the club opening, I was thrilled to get away from the nest and more importantly, Anton. I met Shawn at his apartment where Grayson arrived in a town car to pick us up so we travel in style.

When we arrived at the club, there was a line wrapped around the building. Knowing we were on the list, we walked to the head of the line to the man holding the clip board. He looked up as we approached. Without even looking at the list, he unclipped the rope. 

“Mr. Alexander,” he said with a nod. Paparazzi were busy snapping pictures. I was just grateful vampires didn’t care for tabloid news. I knew we would be on the covers come Monday. I could see the headlines
Billionaire Grayson Alexander and Mystery Girl
. Grayson put his arm around my waist as we walked in with Shawn trailing close behind us.

The club was magnificent. There were two levels. The bottom level was lined with a huge bar that ran down the longest wall across from the entrance. Behind the bar were shelves that housed the liquor. Each shelf was lit up, showing off the contents of what it held. Several gunmetal tables, some with chairs, some tall enough for you to stand at, were boxed around the dance floor. The whole room had a sort of modern feel. I looked up. I could see the second level. It was set up similarly to the first. Tables and chairs lined the wall, but where the dance floor was on the first level, the second had an balcony, where the onlookers could see the people dancing below.

Grayson led us to a table. He pulled out a chair for me, being the gentleman he was. I smiled and adjusted my sapphire blue dress before I sat. It was spaghetti-strapped and came to rest just a few inches below my hips. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” He leaned into me yelling so I could hear him over the music. I smiled at him, it wasn’t necessary for him to yell, since I could hear him even if he whispered.
 

Helping to prove my point, Shawn yelled, “Watermelon mojito and a Cocoa Chanel.” Grayson’s eyes shot to him. He had been leaning in so close to me that a normal human wouldn’t have been able to hear what he said. He smiled crookedly, shaking his head. When his eyes drifted back to me, I returned his grin then double tapped my ear. He nodded before he left to go retrieve our drinks. I watched him as he walked away, admiring the view. He was wearing dark jeans with a gray and black button up shirt. ‘Sex on a stick’ was the term that came to mind.

“Stop checking him out and let’s dance.” I nodded to Shawn.

Shawn and I had become accustomed to dancing together. We moved together without effort. With my back to his chest, we ground together like a couple. We were having an amazing time dancing. I looked up a few minutes later and saw Grayson was back at our table with our drinks. His lips pulled up at the corner as he watched me dance. Shawn had moved so he was a few feet away.
 

“I’m going to go sit down for a minute. Grayson’s back with the drinks.” I spoke at normal volume. Shawn nodded, acknowledging that he heard me.

I made my way back to Grayson. He pulled me into his arms, whispering, “You looked wonderful out there.”

 
I beamed at him, wrapping my hands around his neck. “Why don’t you join me then?” 

He grinned hugely, shaking his head. “Uh... No. I don’t dance.” I pulled back a little, raising a quizzical brow. With how good he was in the bedroom, that surprised me. You know what they say about men that can dance? He chuckled, pulling me close he whispered against my ear, “That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy watching
you
dance.” His breath sent chills all over my body. I turned my head, pressing my lips against his. My tongue slipped past his lips, tasting the scotch in his drink. I eased back slowly, my breathing ragged. Grayson smiled before placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. I spun in his arms, grabbing my mojito. I downed half of it and then turned back towards Grayson. “Fine. Then watch me.”

I set my glass down and headed back to the dance floor. I looked over my shoulder at Grayson whose eyes were locked on me.

Shawn was closer to the middle of the floor. He looked up as I approached him. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me to him. We danced and were grinding against each other. My eyes caught Grayson, who just smiled shaking his head. I had my back to Shawn, coming face-to-face with another dancer. He was tall with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. There was nothing unusual. Not thinking anything of it, I continued dancing. The stranger got closer to me and started dancing with me. I normally didn’t mind, but with Grayson watching, I wasn’t comfortable dancing with him. Shawn was one thing. He was my friend and was gay, but this guy? I turned around to dance facing Shawn, but when I spun he was no longer there. He had been pulled into a group of girls, who I’m sure thought he was straight.