Gypsy Freak (All The Pretty Monsters #2)(36)
He actually stands in place, looking around as though he’s been struck.
“Perhaps she is a gypsy freak if she can refuse Dorian’s charm at the mention of his name,” Emit says from right beside me.
Distracted by Violet, I never even heard him approach.
“Why would the werewolf alpha show up at the vampire’s ‘Welcome Back From the Grave’ party when tensions are so high?” I ask him on an angry breath, as Violet picks back up with her horrible dancing far away from the still-stunned Dorian.
“Why is Dorian Gray here?” he asks instead.
“The better question is, where is Arion when he’s supposed to be with Violet and keeping her away from men like Dorian?” I point out.
“I’m right here.”
Arion’s voice has us both whirling around, finding the vampire himself smirking, as he casually leans against the wall behind us.
This room is so full of vampire scents that it makes it far too easy for everyone to sneak up on me right now.
His hands are in his pockets as he glances over the edge at Violet. “Rather peculiar method of dancing. I’ve been underground a while, so correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s wretched, is it not?”
I expect to have to step between him and Emit when Emit’s hands turn to fists.
“Looks like you’re healing, old chap,” Arion chirps, still smirking as he looks over at Emit. His eyes turn to meet mine. “I assume that sheet she was wearing was yours. Tell me, was she nursing your wounds, and things just got too hot and out of control?” he goads.
Emit takes a step forward, and I don’t make any move to stop him.
“You two here to team up and try your luck?” Arion goes on, glancing down at Violet once again. “Because I’m rather positive she hates it when we fight, given the events of last night.”
“What’s your play, Arion? I saw the marks inside the coffin. I know you woke. I’m sure you’re pissed. Out of the four of us, no one loves revenge more than you. I can’t let you reignite the war,” I tell him calmly, trying to remind myself we’re in a home full of really powerful and top-tier vampires. “There’s been a lot of changes this past century that certainly restricts us more than ever before.”
Emit likely reminds himself where he is as well. At least, I’m assuming, since he bites his tongue and keeps himself on a leash. One more night until the full moon. It’s a miracle he’s doing this well with so many vampires around.
“Draining a vampire normally does leave them unconscious. However…I’m an alpha tied to the Portocale curse. When the first one died while I was underground—”
“You felt it,” Emit says quietly, his jaw grinding. “That was maybe five years after you went under.”
“Was it? Seemed like I was under there for an eternity, since I had no perception of time. Maybe next time leave me with a watch or two,” Arion goes on, talking as if it’s no big deal, when we all know better. “Anyway, that certainly woke me, and my hundred-year rest became an agonizing state of unrest after that,” he continues with a conversational tone.
“Then we’ll consider it even and our people can stop trying to kill each other for a past conflict that has been more than substantially paid for in turn,” Emit says, surprising me a little.
More than a little, actually.
Arion cuts his eyes toward him. “Your wolves aren’t finished. They want me eternally underground. You really should take control of your packs, alpha,” he says, smiling bitterly. “Before they show you the same courtesy just for being in their way.”
Emit rolls his eyes. “They are strong-willed, like any wolves. I put Ian in his place tonight—”
“Did you give him a good lecture, wolf? I bet that really did the trick, alright,” Arion interrupts in a sarcastically disgusted tone.
Insert ten minutes of verbal jab after verbal jab between the two of them. I lose interest for a moment, checking my emails to see if there are any leads to my unsolved cases.
“Says the merciless vampire,” Emit dryly counters after one particularly nasty insult.
“Says the disturbingly pathetic wolf, who can’t get over the first wolves he killed to become immortal,” Arion counters in a cold, calculated tone after Emit volleys another insult his way.
Tuning them out again, my eyes flick back over the balcony to find Dorian once again trying to talk to Violet. It’s when he touches her arm in a way that most would perceive as an innocent touch that I start to leap over the balcony.
However, I barely stop myself when I see her quickly disentangle herself like his thrall doesn’t really affect her.
I pay close attention to the way she once again excuses herself, and moves to yet another spot on the floor to dance.
“I think we all know the real reason you two crashed my party and decided to lurk in the shadows. Her name starts with a V, and she lacks any rhythm,” Arion states with some amusement.
I shift my attention between Violet and Dorian, barely listening to the vampire by this point. I’ll deal with him later. There’s another alpha who is pissing me off far worse than him right now.
Shera intercepts Dorian before he can make a third attempt to corner Violet, and his eyes swing up to the balcony, just as Arion and Emit perch on either side of me.