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MOM AND KYE THREW AN engagement party a few nights later. It was held at a restaurant that catered to supernatural creatures. Spells warded humans away and the windows were heavily tinted. We didn’t have to be painstakingly careful to hide what we were in here.
Aurora used her fake name of Angela whenever we mixed with strangers. Mom and Kye knew how important it was for her identity to remain a secret. Only a handful of people knew her real name and what sort of being she was.
I’d met mom’s friends before and knew they were an assortment of shifters. The woman who’d found a home for the kid who’d tried to steal my car took me aside as soon as we arrived. “The boy and his sister are doing really well in their new home,” she told me. A weretiger, she was fiercely protective of children and had a few of her own.
“That’s great,” I said in relief that they’d been able to stay together. “I hope he never gets desperate enough to steal someone’s car ever again.”
“Especially a crap mobile like yours,” Aurora said cheekily.
I gave her a fake scowl and followed her to our table. Mom and Kye sat side by side. They were holding hands and looked ridiculously happy. I gave them both a kiss on the cheek and Aurora did the same. “You look hot, Big Momma,” I said to my mother as I took a vacant seat across from her.
“I know,” she said smugly. Her shirt was the same shade of pale green that was mixed with the bright yellow in her hair and eyes. She wore a feminine, cream-colored skirt with yellow roses on it. Aurora and I were wearing blouses and jeans rather than sexy outfits. It was mom’s night to shine, so we didn’t want to draw attention away from her.
Kye was smiling so widely that a hint of fang kept showing. “It’s nice of you to take the night off to come to the party,” he said. Cute, in a ruggedly scarred way, his brown hair was shorn close to his head. He was muscular and exactly mom’s height. I was still getting used to the idea that he was going to be my stepdad soon, but he was a pretty good guy, for a vampire.
“I told Ruen I wasn’t available, but knowing him, he won’t take no for an answer if a mission comes up,” I warned them both.
“We’ll understand if you have to rush off,” mom said.
The rest of their guests arrived and took their seats. Kye’s friends were all vampires and worked for the merchants in the catacombs. None of mom’s old bounty hunter friends had been invited. As far as they knew, she was human. There were only twenty people in total, so it was going to be a small party.
One of Kye’s friends was sitting next to Aurora. His face was too lean and he looked scrawny and underfed. He hadn’t washed his hair in at least a week. His clothes were clean, yet badly wrinkled. He looked Asian, but I wasn’t sure what his exact heritage was. “I’m Emile,” he said with a faint accent.
“I’m Angela,” she replied, then hiked her thumb at me. “She’s Saige, Pearl’s daughter.”
Emile flicked a look at me, then returned his attention to my bestie. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Where are you from?” Her accent was similar to mine because she’d spent so much time with me, but it was obvious she wasn’t from here.
“I’ve moved around a lot,” she said vaguely. “How do you know Kye?”
“We work together. Do you want to get a drink after the party?”
Used to being hit on, she smiled sadly and shook her head. “I’m getting over a bad breakup and I’m not ready to date anyone else yet.”
“I’ll pay you two hundred bucks to let me drink from your neck,” Emile said, sounding far too intense for my liking.
“Blood will be provided for all of the vampires,” mom said with a frown. She didn’t like the vibe Emile was giving off. Neither did I.
He jerked when Kye kicked him under the table and tore his eyes away from Aurora’s throat. “What?” he asked belligerently.
“Chill out,” Kye said. “Blood will be delivered to us soon, bro.”
“It isn’t the same drinking blood from a glass,” Emile said sulkily. “It’s better when it comes fresh from a vein.”
The other vamps nodded in agreement, then the conversation resumed again. I leaned back and caught Emile’s eye when he turned to stare at my bestie again. He flinched at my silent warning, then forced himself to turn to his colleague on his other side and strike up a conversation.
“What’s it like being a bounty hunter?” one of mom’s friends asked. My mother hadn’t told them much about her former profession.
“It has its ups and downs,” I confessed. “It can get pretty messy when I have to take down crazed rogues. I’ve ruined a lot of clothes that got splattered with gore.”
Heads turned in disapproval from the other diners, reminding me that they were trying to eat. I shrugged in apology, but I was now the center of attention.
“There seems to be a lot more rogues turning up lately,” one of Kye’s colleagues said. “Does Lord Gilden have any idea why?”
“I’m just a lowly employee,” I said to deflect the question. “He doesn’t exactly take me into his confidence.”
“Did you end up catching the fairy you were chasing in the catacombs?” another leech asked.
I shook my head, waiting until the waiter handed me my drink and moved on to Aurora before replying. “Not yet. She did a disappearing act, but I’m sure she’ll turn up again sooner or later.”
“You have to hunt down a fairy?” mom’s weretiger friend asked. “What did she do to deserve death?”
“I can’t talk about an ongoing mission,” I said. “Lord Gilden’s orders.” She nodded wisely, then changed the topic.
Aurora’s shoulders were hunched and she was leaning towards me without realizing it. Emile kept sneaking glances at her and was making her extremely uncomfortable. He sipped his beer, but it was obvious he wanted to drink from her instead. Alcohol and other liquids did nothing to quench vampires’ thirsts. Only blood could satiate their appetites. Kye kicked his friend again and Emile bared his fangs in a silent snarl.
Aurora’s head turned to me and our eyes met. Her expression was bleak. We both knew this wasn’t going to end well. I just hoped I wasn’t going to have to ruin the party by staking the leech to death at the table. No one wanted to get ash in their food.
It was a relief when our meals were brought out. Emile snatched his glass from the waitress. He gulped down the contents so quickly that blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. His tongue came out to lick his skin clean, then he licked the glass next.
Aurora was almost cringing against me by now, since his eyes had been glued to her while he’d devoured his meal. Mom and Kye must have splurged, because another glass of blood was delivered a short while later.
“To the happy couple!” one of Kye’s friends said in a toast. We all raised our glasses, then drank. Emile’s eyes had become glassy and he was grinning secretively. He didn’t gulp his second glass down as fast, but he made sure to lick it clean again.
I looked across the table at Kye, who was trying to hide his disturbed expression. He gave me a small shrug to indicate this wasn’t normal behavior for his buddy. Mom caught my eye and slid her glance to my kill-bag that was slung over the back of my chair. I nodded surreptitiously, assuring her that I’d take care of him if he lost control of his hunger.
