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“Turn that frown upside down!” She declared with a smirk. I took the glass and sipped it some. It was surprisingly sweet and there was no alcohol taste, all signs pointed to me ending the night shit faced. “You look like a little piece of cake, I could just eat you up!” She reached out and pulled one of my dark curls over my shoulder. “I take it you’ve seen Aleksi’s new whore. She is nothing compared to you.”

“She’s very blonde.” I murmured as I watched them thread through the crowd together and stop for pictures. She was pretty in a very Californian kind of way, very tan, very slender. “And very pretty.”

“She’s nothing. My brother is stubborn, he’ll come around. You had every reason to be upset… but I’ve said it a thousand times now.”—
Do you want him to come around?
—“Garrett is making eyes at you, you should go talk to him.”

“I shouldn’t… do you know he’s—”

“I know, we dated for a week. Or rather we had copious amounts of coitus.” She giggled out. “His blood is like opium. So yeah, you could say I know intimately.” She whispered with a bit of
a blush. “Oh! There’s Tristan and Leslie.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me through the swarm of people as I sipped my drink. It took me a moment to realize I was wearing the same color pink as Colette. The thought didn’t cross my mind until I saw Leslie and Tristan wearing garnet. Leslie wore a very short garnet cocktail dress with white diamond like details around the hem and Tristan wore a garnet jacket with black embroidery at the cuffs. Their masks also matched, with feathers and crystals of the corresponding colors. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at Colette they weren’t telling me something. “Drink!” Colette demanded gesturing to the champagne flute. I giggled at the randomness of the order and downed the glass. She took it from me almost immediately after I finished. “This is a celebration! No frowns allowed here!”

“I knew you’d look amazing in that dress!” Leslie squealed as she wrapped her arms around me. She was obviously drunk, in Tristan’s hand was a glass of that pink champagne. “Doesn’t pink look good on her, Tristan?” She turned to Tristan and his eyes danced
over me.

“She looks positively delicious, Love.” He said in a soft little purr.
Something’s up.

“Elizabeta is being confirmed as Princess tomorrow night, so there’s a huge Vampire Gala later this evening. You have to attend because you’re Aleksi’s servant. Elizabeta asked for you to be there specifically… I’ll let that sink in while I get you another glass. Another Leslie?” Colette asked with a smirk. Leslie grinned and nodded still hanging off of me. Not only was it tasty but the champagne was also strong, the one glass already me feeling a little light headed.

Tristan spun the champagne flute between his fingers, he didn’t look pleased.

“What’s wrong?” I asked tilting my head to the side.

“Hamlet has returned to being insufferable, dearest Ophelia—leaving the rest of us to deal with his mess.”

“Am I that mess?” I raised a brow and Leslie pulled me close.

“Autumn, you are no one’s mess! That
skank, however… that is a mess.” Leslie added with a bubbly giggle as she gestured to Aleksi’s blonde arm candy.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s a werewolf, a well-known werewolf. Vlad’s line shouldn’t sleep with dogs.” Tristan twisted his lips. I stopped myself from pointing out that Colette had
too, as she returned with the champagne.

“But Garrett—”

“Garrett is tolerable, and the only one of those mongrels that
seems to have any sense.” Tristan sighed out. I watched him carefully as Colette pressed the champagne flutes into mine and Leslie’s hands.

“I loved Masques before I was turned!” Colette chirped as she twirled, her pink skirt flaring. “The entire point is to get as drunk as possible and do things you would never do otherwise. Take men to bed you’d never give a second glance to, and find something inside of yourself you normally keep locked tight away.” Tristan shot Colette a rather angry look that I would have never thought him capable of before actually seeing it. “This only applies to those unattached of course.” She added the caveat with a playful smirk and a wink.

The gala passed quickly with Colette feeding me drinks all night. At some point, Tristan stood up on the stairs to the balcony with Leslie and spoke about the changes to come and the merging of the companies. Elizabeta joined them also and said a few words since she owned both. I found it odd that Kendra wasn’t on the steps with them, and I also couldn’t spy her amongst the guests.

      
After Elizabeta and Tristan spoke everyone slowly filtered out. It was only eleven, peak time for vampires. I watched as Aleksi’s date left out of the front while he dipped into the back. I, thinking it wise in my drunken state followed him.

I near to tripped over my dress as I made my way through the maze of rehearsal space following Aleksi. He turned a corner, and I chased him, but by the time I rounded the bend he was gone.

Alone in the hall I suddenly felt vulnerable amongst the familiar painted cinderblock. That vulnerability probably came from the two bottles of champagne I had consumed over the course of a few hours. As I rounded another corner, I was greeted by another empty hallway, Aleksi was nowhere to be found. It was like he disappeared. I paused lingering in the hall, swaying slightly with intoxication.

Unseen hands reached out and pulled me into the doorway behind me. Panicking I squealed like a snared animal as the door clicked shut in the darkness. Something about the body standing in front of me in the darkness calmed me. I felt something, something comforting, vague and relaxing. The panic bled from me as the figure stood inches from me, their fingers brushing against mine.

“Don’t follow me again.” It was Aleksi, his voice was so cold I couldn’t stop the frown that turned my lips.

“Elizabeta summoned me, apparently.”

“Autumn, I mean it. Don’t follow me again, we’re done.”

“How can we be done if we never started! Huh? How about that? Can you
end something that doesn’t have a beginning? Caaaan you? No.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Well it is a masquerade, aren’t you supposed to get drunk and have all sorts of wild anonymous sex?”

He sighed. “I take it you’ve been talking with Colette?”

“So I’m supposed to show up unprotected?”

“What?”

“The thing.”

“You mean the celebration later.”

“Yes, I’m supposed to go there alone. And unprotected because… because—”

“You aren’t supposed to go at all.”

“But I’ve been summoned, whatever the hell that means… sh-summoned.”

“It doesn’t matter, you’re not supposed to show up. Especially not drunk.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I couldn’t keep from laughing. Miss Manners was too busy swinging from the chandelier in my head to tell me to keep my mouth shut. “Do you really think she’d let me get away with that? Last time you did something to cross her she sent me to England and essentially told me I was expendable. So excuse me for not wanting to be beheaded or…something. I know it wouldn’t mean anything to
you, but I would miss being alive.” My slurred words silenced him. He growled, the dark primal sound seemed to emanate from everywhere in the hungry darkness. I couldn’t help but to leaned forward and stand on my toes, guessing in the dark to feel out that vibrating Adams apple. My lips touching his skin seemed to amplify my drunkenness. I moaned loud enough for the sound to ring out in the shadows.

He stood frozen as my lips worked their way up his neck, kissing and suckling upon the taut, silky flesh. I nibbled at his pulse and he angled his head so I could have better access. I wanted to worship his body. To trail my lips and tongue over his entire existence, to feel my way blind across the perfect landscape of his physique. I nibbled at his earlobe, coaxing the first sound from his lips since the growl. The half gasped moan warped quickly back into that growl and his hand was at my throat pressing me back against the wall before I could blink. His growls and my panting were the only sounds in the room. His thumb traced over my windpipe and he slowly started to squeeze, cutting off my air. I struggled against him in my drunkenness. He closed the inches between us and pressed his hips against mine, rendering my legs useless as he gathered my wrists with ease in his free hand and pinned them above my head. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t, no sound could escape as he cut off my air. I started to see spots in the darkness and he relaxed his thumb, leaving me to pant for a handful of breaths before me returned to choking me.

“Poor drunk little Autumn.” He growled as I twisted against him. My toes curled, and I felt my pulse spring to life between my legs. He let up for a few breaths again, and to my surprise I moaned. If the room hadn’t have been pitch
black, he would have been treated to my eyes wide and shocked. “Mmm, that scent. I bet your pussy is dripping wet, isn’t it?” He pressed on my windpipe again. “You like this level of control don’t you? I bet it never occurred to you that this could be a turn on,” he hissed into my ear. He held on longer this time and those pinprick stars in my vision seemed to blossom wider. When I thought I was definitely going to black out, he released his thumb again and stroked my throat with it softly and I panted desperately. “We could have had so much fun, it was almost like you were made for me.” He pressed his thumb once more and I felt that slick wetness spread down my throbbing slit, dampening the lace of my panties. I rolled my hips and I swear to god that little strip of cotton actually squished, or at least that was what it sounded like in my alcohol addled mind. A dark chuckle broke his lips. “Oh, lovely Autumn.” He sucked his teeth. “I’ll extend my protection to you during the celebration. But this does not mean our other status changes. You are my servant, Autumn; but other than that I want no claim to you.”

Even with those cold words my hips raised to press against his and I felt his massive erection straining against his tuxedo pants. He let me breath again and pressed his forehead to mine as I panted. His other hand dropped my wrists and moved to my waist for a moment. It was like he had forgotten what he said seconds before. He lingered waiting for me to catch my breath, stroking my hair lovingly before he pulled away from me, leaving me to whimper.

“When you get to Crimson Hill, I’ll be waiting for you in my rooms.” He added swiftly before slipping back out into the hall, leaving me in the dark to rub my throat.

I rode to Crimson Hill with Tristan, Leslie, and Colette. In the car, Leslie put on a garnet colored collar and Tristan attached a thin lace leash to it. My mind was drifting all over the place, Leslie and I each had one more glass of champagne before we got into the car. My fingers felt a little numb and tingly from the champagne.

“Aleksi… said…” I trailed off as I looked around the car. We were in Colette’s adorable
four-door Mini Cooper that was—I shit you not—ballet slipper pink. “He said I had to meet him in his rooms.” My hand reached up and stroked my neck, I couldn’t help the shiver from remembering his strong hand on my throat. “I don’t remember where his rooms are…” I trailed off with a bit of a pout.

“You make three L’s down the halls, neither of us can help you get
there, unfortunately. Leslie has to be made presentable and Colette has to help Elizabeta.” Tristan exposited, his eyes never leaving Leslie’s throat.

“I told you he would come around.” Colette practically sang as she raced down the highway.

“Has he?”

“He’s offering you protection, that’s a good start. Try to talk to him while he gets ready.”

“Autumn, you naturally do everything that would get Aleksi’s attention. Don’t over think things and he’ll come around. You probably won’t even need to talk. I can’t imagine that mongrel is very obedient.” Tristan chortled as he fingered the lace of Leslie’s lead. I stared at them with envy as we finished the drive.

When we arrived at Crimson Hill, past the front gate was almost completely filled with cars. Colette started cursing as she turned down an access road and drove around the grounds. After zig zagging through the gardens, she came to an underground access to a garage. Colette grumbled the entire time she drove us through the parking garage. Eventually, she pulled in beside Aleksi’s shiny black Mercedes. We all filed out together and walked up a large staircase that slowly changed from concrete into the elaborate baroque style that matched the rest of the building.

On the landing was what looked to be a valet talking to someone. Without a word or warning, Colette turned the valet around and backhanded him. The much larger vampire staggered to the ground holding his face as blood poured between his fingers.

“Would you please be so kind as to do your fucking job. I’m going to be late because of you.” Colette hissed before gathering her skirt in one hand and practically running down the hall. Similarly, Tristan and Leslie walked away in the other direction leaving me alone staring at the bleeding vampire.

I had no clue how to get to Aleksi’s rooms from where I was. On top of it all I was still extraordinarily drunk. So I chose a direction at random and started walking.

My heels clicked into oblivion as once again I explored the palace. In the haze of drunkenness, everything seemed amazingly beautiful. The gold almost seemed to glow in the warm, dull light, it made me feel like I was in a dream. However, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare as I found myself in Vlad’s shrine. He was still laying on that raised altar like he had been before, his lower half wrapped in that black velvet. I rubbed my palms I could almost feel it again. I made a point not to blink.