The midnight air chilled Tawne’s body as she slid from the vehicle. The car door closed behind her and when she looked up, a mansion larger than she had ever seen before was laid out before her. The voice of Robin Leach echoed through her mind, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
“I want to bring her to my room first to clean up,” Olivia announced.
“Then we’ll bring you around the back entrance to avoid foot traffic,” Jesse told her.
Tawne turned and found her car parked behind the limo. Something of hers was here anyway. The lights of the limo went off and darkness consumed the area where they stood.
“Jesse, lights please?” Olivia asked.
“You got it.” Jesse brought out his phone and the screen illuminated. He pressed a button and outdoor lights around the side of the home lit. “This way, ladies.”
Olivia took Tawne’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I live here now. My home is yours anytime you need it. You’ve been trusted with a great gift. My only hope is you’ll accept it without judgment.”
Without judgment. She would never judge Olivia for her lifestyle. When she knew her before, she’d talked often about having a ménage. Whether that was with another man or woman, it didn’t matter to Olivia. She wanted to have fun, live her life the way she saw fit, damn anybody else’s opinion.
Tawne smiled and squeezed her hand in return. “I won’t try to pretend to understand, but you know me, I won’t judge. Now, you said that you want us to clean up some?”
“Yes, and by us, I mean you.” Olivia grinned and led the way toward the side entrance of the home.
When the door opened, light poured out onto the walkway. Inside were cream colored walls lined with artwork, vases— Tawne gasped. “Is that an indoor water fountain?”
Olivia smiled. “Yes, yes it is. I love that fountain.”
“Holy shit,” Tawne whispered. “You hit the jackpot, didn’t you?”
Olivia shrugged, a sly grin playing across her lips. “Something like that.”
They stepped into the hallway and the door closed behind them, Jesse on their trail.
“Jesse is my bodyguard. Whenever I leave the home, he’s my detail and always with me. He’s become sort of the brother I never had.” She looked over her shoulder and Tawne watched her wink at the burly man. He returned the gesture with a grin.
“Aww, okay,” Tawne whispered. “Other than your men, who else is here tonight?”
Olivia touched her chin and didn’t answer at first.
Tawne’s stomach fluttered with anticipation over what waited for her behind the closed doors. Had the vampires and demons always lived around her and she was none the wiser? How did she live in this world and never know of their existence?
She glanced at her friend and squeezed her hand once more. “I don’t know how you held all this in.”
Olivia smiled. “You’ve said that already,” she chuckled. “I promise, the understanding will settle, and soon it will be just like breathing. There’s a few of the coven members here tonight. Soon, the pairing ceremony, like the one where I was paired with my men, will take place again. There’s some here that are interested in alternative measures.”
Tawne lifted her brow and smiled. “Alternative measures? Hmm, okay. As for the understanding, how are you so sure? You’ve known about this your entire life. I’ve been in this for five minutes.”
Olivia stopped walking at the base of stairs. They were gold painted and spiraled upward. “Do you trust me?”
Tawne nodded. “Of course.”
“Then let yourself go and have some fun. There are others downstairs eager to meet you. It’s not often our world gets to intermingle with yours. As many questions as you may have, they’ll probably have some of their own.”
“Oh great. I can only imagine it will be like speed dating, but with a twist. I’ll sit a table while Vampire Joe, Demon Bob, and Werewolf Tommy come over to ask me for a date.”
Olivia laughed and started the ascension up the stairs. “We don’t have werewolves. Sorry, I hope you’re not disappointed.”
“Wait,” Tawne pulled her to a stop. “No shifters?”
Olivia shook her head. “Shifters, yes, werewolves like you know in the stories, no. So, we have shifters of any species you can consider, demons of all shapes and varieties, and vampires. Disappointed?”
“Hardly.” They continued up the stairs and maneuvered down the hall. More portraits hung on the walls. Tawne gasped and stared up at a life size painting of her best friend. In the portrait, Olivia wore a Victorian type dress, white in color. Her dark hair hung over one shoulder while blood trickled down her neck on the other. It was tragically beautiful. “Olivia…you’re so…wow!”
“One of my men is an artist. He painted me from his mind’s eye like this.”
“You didn’t pose?”
Olivia shook her head. “He is amazing.”
“I would agree with that.”
Olivia took a step back and Tawne turned to follow. A few paces down, her friend opened a door to a bedroom. They walked in and Tawne gasped at the room. A king-sized four-poster bed sat against the far wall with sheer drapes hung from each column. The cream colored satin blanket and pillow were made tidy, with a few blood red and maroon throws. The walls were cream, like the part of the home she had already witnessed. A large dresser, vanity, and wardrobe set the room. It was like walking into a room for a princess.
Olivia broke the silence, “I have a dress or two I’d like you to try on. Would you mind?”
“So long as it doesn’t have puffy sleeves. You might live like a princess, but we don’t have to dress like one.” Tawne bit her lip when Olivia raised her brow. “Oh hell, do we?”
Olivia giggled. “No, not at all. The one I have in mind for you would look amazing with your skin color and hair. It’s a spaghetti strap dress, black, that’s fitted to the waist. It’s loose around the hips and legs with a sheer black tulle underneath.”
Tawne grinned. “Well, you’ve sold me. Let me see it!” She looked around the room, from the vanity to the bed. “Where should I undress?”
“Wherever you like. It’s just us in here. Your bathroom is the left door over there.”
Tawne followed where Olivia pointed and bit her lower lip. If the bathroom were anything like this room, she may turn into the princess from children’s beast story and never leave her room. She removed her clothes and laid them across the bed. “What shoes will I wear?”
“There’s a few we can try. Go for comfort over style. Trust me on this. You’ll be standing a lot.”
“Right,” she said and sat down on the edge of the bed. The comforter chilled her backside and she ran her hands over the fabric. It was softer than any blanket or bedspread she had ever laid her hands on.
Mesmerized with the room, Tawne didn’t realize Olivia had disappeared through the other doorway until she reappeared.
“Here we are,” Olivia said and brought out a black dress from what had to be the closet. “I think this will be perfect on you.” She unzipped the backside and held it down.
Tawne stood and grabbed one of the bedposts, then stepped gingerly into the dress. Olivia brought it up over her hips to her upper body and she slipped her arms through the slender straps, then turned around. “Oh, your hands are cold!”
Olivia chuckled and zipped up the dress. “Sorry about that. Turn and let me see you.”
Tawne turned around to face her and placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, Olivia, this dress, it’s everything! I feel… Hell, you’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
She laughed and nodded. “Yes, I am. Say it.”
“I feel like a damn princess!” Tawne laughed and shook her head. “What shoes, and is there makeup in the vanity?”
Olivia pointed toward the dressing table. “Yes, help yourself. I’m going to figure out the shoes.”
Tawne opened one of the drawers to the dressing table and smiled at the contents inside. Organized the only way Olivia would have it, the eye shadows, blushes, and eye pencils were set inside. She pulled out a few pallets, then opened the next drawer. Inside were foundations, powers, and mascara. She picked the colors to match her skin tone and began to apply the makeup. Moments later, she applied the mascara. The top drawer on the other side held lipstick and lip-gloss. She picked up a soft pink lipstick and applied it to her lips. She smiled and stood from the vanity.
“You need earrings and a necklace to go with these shoes.”
Tawne turned to find Olivia leaning against the bedpost. She had managed to change into a red, fitted dress and black heels. Tawne gasped at what she held in her hands. “Are those—”
“Yes,” Olivia giggled.
They were close-toed, low heels and across the top sat a glittering butterfly. She hoped it was glass and not diamonds, but the hell with it. She would feel like Cinderella tonight.
Olivia handed over the shoes and Tawne held them like they were precious gems. “I don’t know if I can wear these,” Tawne whispered.
“Why not? They’re only shoes.”
“They’re not just shoes, they’re Louboutin!”
“And they’re mine on loan to you. So, you can definitely wear them.” Olivia reached around her and opened a jewelry box. A song played from it and glancing over at it, Tawne wondered if she would see a small ballerina dancing. Sure enough, a white swan dancer spun in circles. “This box was mine when I was a child.”
“I recognize it,” Tawne whispered. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
Olivia smiled and picked up a pair of diamond earrings, then a silver chain with a tear drop diamond. “Here, put these on. It’ll be perfect.”
“I don’t understand the fuss for all of this. It’s a dinner party, right?”
Olivia nodded. “And you’re the guest of honor. Everyone is dressed up for the occasion. It’s not quite a black tie, formal ball, but something like that.”
“Oh,” Tawne whispered. “But why? Why for me?”
“I already told you. You’re new to our world and it’s a historic event,” Olivia said with a smile.
Tawne nodded and put on the earrings then the necklace. She slipped on the shoes and stood.
Olivia smiled and pressed her hands together. “You look exquisite!”
“Thank you. I feel exquisite. I don’t know when you managed to change so quickly, but you look hot!”
Olivia giggled. “Why, thank you. Are you ready for your introduction?”
Her throat suddenly felt dry. “Can I have a shot of something before we head down?”
Her best friend smirked. “It’s best if you don’t. I wouldn’t want you stumbling down the stairs. You’ll be fine. I’ll be there the entire time.”
Tawne nodded then walked out of the room. She held onto Olivia’s hand and squeezed it. “How do I act? What do I say? What do I do if someone wants to feed from me?” The questions rushed from her before she had a chance to think about what she wanted to ask.
Olivia grinned. “Just be yourself and everything else will fall into place. No one will feed from you without your permission. Trust me, though, nothing like that will happen to you tonight.”
Tawne nodded, and they made it as far as the staircase before Olivia turned to her and placed her hands on Tawne's arms.
“You’ve got this. One step at a time. I’ll see you at the bottom.”
“Wait, you’re not walking with me?”
Olivia smiled. “No, you’re a princess now, remember?”
Tawne stuck out her tongue, then grinned. “Go on. Pray for me I won’t slip.”
Olivia took the stairs down and Tawne watched her descend in the spiral rotation. She hadn't realized music was playing. It wasn’t until it stopped and a semi-silence descended over her that she realized it had been. The murmuring of voices from below ceased, and she could barely hear her friend announce her arrival.
Her heart sped in her chest and if she wasn’t careful, it would leap free and run away, leaving her body behind. She gripped the stair rail and began her decent, one step at a time. The staircase twined downward and the bottom floor appeared.
Dark pants and black shoes came into view, followed by dress jackets of suits and tuxedos. The men turned toward the staircase and Tawne’s breath caught in her throat. Every one of the men stared up at her and each of them were the most attractive specimen of males she had ever laid her eyes on.
She heard Olivia clear her throat and it was then she realized she had stopped on the stairs. A heat rushed over her neck and up her cheeks. She smiled, hoping to cover the moment of embarrassment before starting forward once again. Once at the bottom, she made her way over the polished floor to Olivia.
“You must be Tawne,” asked a man who came up behind her best friend. He placed his hands possessively on Olivia’s shoulders. “My name is Jared. Welcome to our home. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Tawne’s brows rose. This was one of her men? Holy hell, he was gorgeous.
“Yes, this is Tawne,” Olivia answered with a grin. “Tawne, this is my Jared.”
“Hi-Hi,” Tawne started and cleared her throat. “Very nice to meet you.”
“Mia Bella,” came two more men. “Is this your beloved Tawne?”
Tawne’s mouth opened slightly. The man who spoke had shoulder length dark hair with soft curls. A man who looked similar to Jared stood beside him.
“Yes, my love,” Olivia answered. “Tawne, this is Landon,” she motioned to the one with the curls. “And this is Jake, Jared’s brother.” Both men held their hands out for her.
She accepted Jake’s first as he stood closer to her. “Nice to meet you.”
She turned to Landon. He took her hand and pulled it to his lips. He feathered his lips over the back of her hand, then let her go. “The pleasure is mine.”
“Oh,” she whispered and felt a heat rise in her body once more. How did Olivia deal with these men?
“Ah, this must be the beautiful Tawne.”
She turned to a man with skin like smooth, dark chocolate who approached. She smiled and nodded.
“Well, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Aidan and it’s very nice to finally meet you.”
She sighed a long breath and met her friend's gaze.
“We’ll leave you to it,” Jared whispered and pressed his lips against Olivia’s cheek.”
She smiled and each of her men walked their separate ways.
Tawne shook her head. “I’m not going to even pretend to understand any of this.”
“There’s nothing to understand,” Olivia told her. “It feels like they were made for me, and me for them. I can’t imagine my life without them in it. We are bonded in a way I am still trying to understand.” She waved off that last comment. “I’m getting ahead of myself. Come, there’s others here looking forward to meeting you.”
Tawne grasped Olivia’s outstretched hand and allowed herself to be escorted into the main part of the room. Men and women stood, talking amongst themselves. One by one, each person turned to face her, and she wondered who were the vampires and who were the demons. Considering everyone appeared to be human, she decided to not try too hard in deciphering anything right now. Instead, she decided to go with the flow. She would follow Olivia’s lead and if anything, she would hide out at the bar and people watch.
Then, as if the crowd parted, like Moses split the red seas, four men walked into the room and Tawne’s breath caught in her throat. She squeezed Olivia’s hand and heard her friend hiss.
“Ow, Tawne. What’s wrong?”
“Who in the hell is that?” she whispered.
Olivia turned around, then smiled. She looked back at Tawne with a smirk filled with mischief. “Would you like to meet them?”
Tawne’s stomach flirted with intense desire in wanting to know who these men were. She loosened the tight grip on her friend's hand, then nodded. “Yes, please. I feel as if I have been asleep for years and only just now woke.”
Olivia grinned a little wider. “Get ready to be swept off your feet by a passion you’ve only read about.”