I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. It was going to get stuck in there if I kept hanging around him. "Both."

"I could make you," he licked his bottom lip seductively. "Maybe then you would loosen up some."

I held up my middle finger and opened the pa.s.senger door before sliding into the seat and allowing the last bit of the power leave my body as the nights events sank in. Tomorrow night I was going to meet Dracula in the flesh.

Nineteen.

"Tell me the plan again," Ryder growled, still upset that I hadn't been able to explain how I could raise the spirits of the dead last night, but then it wasn't as if he was on a need to know everything about me basis.

"I go in on your arm and we separate. To make me look unavailable, since Vlad likes what he can't have, I play dumb blonde and make myself s.e.xy." I glared as Adam barked with laughter at my words.

"No going off of the plan, when he takes you in the back room-and he will, you work the information out of him without blowing your cover, or him."

I shot the glare to Ryder. "I have no intention of bobbing on Vlad's k.n.o.b. Or yours." I tossed in to remove the wide smirk my response had given him and it worked.

"No surprises in there, if you get in trouble this ends. Do you understand me?"

"Yes master," I grumbled and then winced at the heat that flashed to life in his eyes.

"Mmm I like that word on your lips."

"Whatever, let's get this done. I need sleep."

Adam and Larissa spoke into the mic's they wore, testing them before I left the bus with Ryder. I fidgeted with the black short lace up vinyl skirt that matched the lace up top of the same tight material. I seriously looked like a hooker with matching s.h.i.+ning black heels that were well over six inches high.

"Stop fidgeting, you look fine," Ryder whispered as he slid his hand down my naked back.

"I look like a cheap hooker," I grumbled to distract myself from the feeling of his hand on my skin. I had more make-up on tonight then I had worn in my entire life. He stopped me by moving his hand further down my back until it rested on my backside. My breath hitched with the fire his hands were igniting inside of me.

"You need to get over this reaction you have to me."

I snorted. I wish it was that easy. "Try not touching me."

His golden eyes slid down the thin silk s.h.i.+rt to where my nipples pointed up with need. I chewed my lip but stopped when I tasted the bitterness of the lipstick. "Work on it, or I will see if I can replace you with Larissa for the Gala, I cannot have my soon-to-be-bride shying away from my touch."

"Lari can't use glamour the same way I can."

"She could if I helped her..." He let the words hang in the air between us before continuing. "Arianna cannot die. Especially not while under my protection. It would create an unbalance that this world might not recover from. Do you get what I am saying?" He growled fiercely.

"Got it," I growled right back.

The bouncers at the wide doors separated as Ryder held up some kind of badge. Both gave him a respectful look and nod and allowed us entrance much to the groans of the long line of humans that waited for a chance to get inside Nightshade.

Inside was exactly what you would think a Vampire club would look like. Red velvet seats covered a long wall while bottles partially filled with water dyed red lined the walls. A throne chair sat on a stage where a band was currently playing and doing their best to avoid the chair.

"How cliche."

Ryder turned around and looked down at me sharply in warning. "Showtime Synthia, kiss me."

My mouth went dry. All the fluid inside my body went shooting straight to my v.a.g.i.n.a. I licked my lips nervously. "Seriously? That is like the opposite of what I just said outside."

"Prove you can do this, now." His eyes search my face and with the single look I melt for him. I was pathetic, a pile of f.u.c.king mush from once single look!

I reached up running my fingers through his hair even as they shook from what I was doing. I was doing exactly what I had said I wouldn't do just last night inside the cemetery. I had to do this, it was a job. I kept saying it like a mantra inside my head.

His eyes remained locked with mine until our lips met softly, his felt of the finest silk and yet I'd sampled their need last night and it had literally made my toes curl. He wasn't making it easy on me. He didn't deepen the kiss, so I did pus.h.i.+ng my tongue past his lips searching for his.

When I found it, he growled low in his chest and held the small of my back as he caressed my tongue gently with his own matching the tempo perfectly. The room around us faded away and the only thing left inside of it was us and this kiss. He pressed me against his body and I didn't fight him, instead, I melted against his much larger frame and moaned my need into his mouth.

When he pulled away, I was left breathless, my body hummed with unshackled need and by his playful smile, he knew the effect he had upon my hormones. I so needed to get laid-but not here. And not with him.

"The usual table?" A female vamp dressed in a dark sapphire blue evening gown asked.

"Yes Eve, please," Ryder purred as his eyes slid over her ample bosom.

I felt a slight twinge of regret in my chest but pushed it away. He was getting married for f.u.c.k's sake and here I was getting territorial and like that wasn't bad enough he was Fae! I liked having my soul intact even if it was immersed in darkness from practicing the Dark Arts.

"Will your companion be joining you, or is she unmarked?" She continued eye-f.u.c.king Ryder right in front of me, as if I wasn't even there.

"I'm not-"

"She is not fully marked, yet, I'd like to see how does on her own tonight." Ryder interjected stopping my next words before I could tell her I wasn't his d.a.m.n anything.

I smiled coldly at Ryder who ignored me completely.

"Shall I find someone with more attributes for your meal, or do you prefer to hunt for your own?" She said looking me over and finding me lacking.

I almost growled but decided it was time to split before I cursed her with some magical STD for s.h.i.+ts and giggles. "Copy," I whispered testing the frequency for my team that was still outside monitoring us. I almost groaned when I realized they'd heard me kiss Ryder.

I approached the narrow bar and looked at the red liquid inside the bottles. Freaking Vampires. Rumor had it that they were a "made" branch of the Horde. No one knew how it happened, we had heard that it started with some Fae creating these beings that started out life as humans so they had much of the beauty, magic and deadliness of the Fae, but unlike the other castes of the Fae, they fed from blood while other Fae fed off essence and emotions. It was getting obvious to me after the vamp-signs at the last crime scene that the Horde needed to find their king. He was the only one who could possibly keep his people in check.

"Pick your poison baby," a deep voice said from the other side of the bar.

"Gin and tonic please," I replied back before remembering I didn't have a wallet or my purse on me. "c.r.a.p, never mind," I said shaking my head.

"It's on the house, first time in here?" The bartender said friendly enough.

I turned taking in his dark features, his black hair was multicolored in the lights from the dance floor, his eyes a beautiful silver color that marked him Fae in origins. He had well defined features, which made him both beautiful and deadly.

I smiled, "Is it that obvious?"

He smiled wide showing off a set of wicked looking fangs, "I always remember a pretty face."

"I bet," I mumbled turning to take in the clubs clientele, "They just come in and offer you their throats."

"Some do, others come in to see what we offer. Some come in and beg to be turned."

"They have no sense of self-preservation. The fact that this is a Vampire club should get them all an idiot of the year award."

"And here you sit, inside the undead and unfed section."

"I didn't come here to be a snack," I replied smoothly.

His silver eyes sparkled, "No, you came in with the Dark Prince, not fully marked but undecided if you want to be his?" He reached over the bar and grabbed the necklace I still wore, pulling me forward, "Try a Vampire," he licked his left fang and tilted his dark head to the side, "Before you commit yourself that is. I promise you won't be sorry."

I reached up and removed his ice cold hand from the necklace Ryder insisted I keep on. It was more than his mark, it was a name tag. His. I allowed my eyes to slide down the Vampire who wore the clubs logo on a plain black T-s.h.i.+rt and vinyl pants that hugged his waist seductively.

He wasn't as big as Ryder, but I could see the well-defined body beneath his clothes. I watched as he turned around and started flipping bottles with a shocking speed that my eyes could barely register. I had to refrain from switching on my second sight to be able to keep up with his speed.

When the gla.s.s was full I smiled and accepted it with a thank you and took a drink to help calm my nerves. "So the real Dracula runs this place?" I asked trying to pull information from him.

I felt bad using his kindness against him but we needed to know if what had been happening to us was also happening to them. His smile faltered as he looked over my shoulder briefly.

"So you want to sneak a peek at Dracula? What's so fascinating about him? Or are you looking for the whole tortured soul thing?"

"Tortured souls are over rated. Just curiosity I guess."

He smiled and winked, "You know what they say about curiosity right?"

I gave him a full smile before replying, "Do I look like a p.u.s.s.y-cat?" I winked back at him while he laughed outright.

He placed both his palms on the counter and grinned impishly, "If you were a-cat, I'd chase your tail through any dark alley," his fangs grew as his eyes swirled. I blinked and his face was back to normal.

"Cool trick," I whispered before taking another drink from the gla.s.s in front of me.

"I got a few more," he wiggled his eyebrows and moved to refill another woman's gla.s.s. I spun in the chair to look at where Ryder had been, but his table was empty and the bar wench was missing as well.

"He's in a booth," the bartender said when he came back.

"Figures," I grumbled and turned back around.

"So, you never told me your name," he said.

"You never asked," I replied enjoying the comforting burn of the alcohol as it warmed my skin.

"I'm asking," he continued his smile still in place.

"Synthia."

"Pretty name, for a pretty girl," he said offering up his hand for me to shake.

"And yours is?" I asked holding up my hands to take his.

"Dracula."

I blinked. "Seriously?"

"Oh I get it, you think because I'm a legend that I should be all blah, blah I vhant to suck your blood?"

I chuckled unable to help myself. "Something like that."

"You should smile more often Synthia. You could take anyone in this place home."

"Is that so?" I flushed from the compliment.

"I'd take you home," he said as he leaned in closer to my face.

I swallowed and gave him a small smirk as he refilled my drink again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me."

"You'd be right about the first part, the second one," he sighed dramatically, "I don't relish my death at Ryder's hands."

"You think a prince could take you out?" I inquired needing the information. I knew Ryder was deadly, but I'd not found very much on him while researching him. It was like he'd popped up on the Fae-Human radar somewhere around sixteen years ago.

It was common for Fae to disappear and then resurface years later but he had no backdrop story. Nothing I could use to get out of the contract or use against him.

"He's a very powerful man, not one I plan on p.i.s.sing off," he replied carefully as if he knew why I was asking him. "Show's about to start and your man just walked back in."

I snorted and finished the second drink, setting the gla.s.s back onto the smooth counter before replying. "He is not my man."

I stood up wondering how to bring up the subject of the killer up without making Vlad back off and become suspicious of me. When I turned around to speak he was gone and in his place was a buxom blonde who also had wicked fangs showing.

I looked around the room but didn't see any sign of Vlad. s.h.i.+t! Ryder was walking towards me scanning the area around me so I decided to meet him halfway, but the moment I stood up and started walking, the club went dark.

I stopped. Sending out feelers, knowing the minute I used my high beams to see around me, this adventure would be over and I'd be outed due to glowing in the dark. I held still, listening to everything around me. I could make out the humans from the vamps by the sound of their breathing, as if they antic.i.p.ated being in the dark with the Vampires-freaking idiots.

The Vampires made no sounds at all. I moved my eyes to where Ryder had been walking towards me but the moving, glowing white brands made me gasp in surprise as Adam walked towards me slowly. Why was he out of the bus? He should be there protecting Larissa from the s.h.i.+t load of Fae shoved inside it.

When he was inches away from where I stood, the lights came back to life and everything inside of me froze. My heart stopped beating. The air in my lungs froze on a whimper. My bottom lip trembled as hot tears shot to my eyes with disbelief.

Turquoise eyes so strikingly bluish green watched me as his brands glowed even with the lights of the club back up and running. My hands itched to run over his chest, but I knew this wasn't real. This was a trick, it couldn't be real. I watched his features come into view. He was so beautiful, so alive. His dark blackish-brown hair looked longer, his smooth lines in his face more defined now. He was more beautiful than I last remembered.

He smiled and I saw his fangs. It's a trick, only a trick. The Vampires knew who I was. They'd known we were coming here. I gave up on caring and flashed on my second sight seeking to see beyond the glamour the Vampire wore. Crimson aura floated around his body, but he wore no glamour.

I inhaled and pushed away the tears as he stepped closer and lifted his hand to cup my cheek. His touch was shockingly cold, he was undead. I placed my hand over his as tears broke free and ran down my cheek.

"Adrian," I whispered through a broken sob that exploded from my trembling lips.