Chapter One
Cella carried a box of her belongings to the elevator in the basement of Fang, the vampire-owned club where she lived and worked. She pressed the button to call the elevator, her nerves jangling with excitement as she heard the whir and click of gears announcing the car’s descent.
A bell sounded and the door opened. Temple, one of the members of Cella’s coven, smiled at her, holding the door so she could step inside before he stepped out.
“Hey, how’s the move going?” He looked pointedly at the cardboard box.
“Good.”
“Do you need a hand? I’m not busy at the moment.”
“This is the last box.”
“He’s a good guy, right?”
She stepped into the car and nodded. He was talking about the human male she was taking under-the-fang. “Of course,” she said. “Quaid passed all the background checks and I like him.”
Temple stepped free of the elevator but kept his hand on the door to keep it open. “We’ll miss you down here. Are you sure this is the right choice for you?”
“You’re worrying over nothing.”
“Not when it comes to a family member.”
“You’re very sweet to worry, Temple, but it’s all good. If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll be back.”
He arched a brow. “Four family members have found their beloved mates in the last few years. Are you positive you want to do this?”
“It’s nothing new for our kind to take a human under-the-fang.”
“It’s unusual for you though. I thought you were set on waiting.”
She let out a sigh. “I’m lonely. I want to do this.”
“Okay, okay. Just know that if you need me, I’m here for you.” He took his hand away.
“I know,” she said as the doors slid shut. She pushed the button for the first floor, where the coven’s offices and the club were located, as well as the daytime living spaces for the coven members. As a family member – part of Mishka’s seven-person inner circle – she had the luxury of living in a private chamber under the club. However, since she’d made the choice a few weeks earlier to take a male under-the-fang, she needed to temporarily move into the common area living space with her chosen male to ensure the decision was right for her.
Cella had decided on Quaid, a thirty-year-old ex-boxer who worked part-time at his family’s gym as well as his job as paid food – an employee whose job it was to offer his wrist or neck to vampires. She was the food manager and had hired him six months ago. She found him charming and sweet, and as they’d gotten to know each other, she’d decided that he would be perfect to be her permanent food.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. She carried the box down the hall and out to the empty reception area. It was dawn, which meant the offices were closed until an hour before sunset. She turned toward the living area, which was essentially a very large room that had been set up with moveable, fabric-covered walls that formed living cubicles. There were several available, all roughly the same size – big enough to hold a full bed and a dresser and not much else.
She set the box on top of the dresser and peeked around the corner of her cubicle. She smiled at Leighanna, a coven member who worked behind the bar mixing drinks for the humans who visited the club.
“Welcome, neighbor,” the curvy redhead said, smiling as she walked across the hallway.
“Thanks.”
“Today’s the day, right?”
“Yep.”
“Are you nervous?”
“A little. I want it to work out, and quickly. I miss my chamber already.”
“Ah, I get that. I wish I was part of the family so I could have a chamber. I’ve heard they’re really great.” She leaned against the open door and folded her arms. “How long do you have to wait to bring him to live in the chamber with you?”
“There isn’t a time limit, it’s more just going on my feelings. This is a trial to see if we’re really compatible. Have you ever taken someone under-the-fang?”
“Nah. I had a boyfriend before I was turned, and he stuck with me for a few months, but he didn’t want to be permanent food or turned so we split. I think about doing it from time to time, but I guess I haven’t found the right guy. And honestly, I wouldn’t want to live in the cubicle with someone full-time. They’re not big enough for more than one person.”
“Mishka’s got an apartment complex downtown.”
“I put in an application a while back but there weren’t any openings.”
“I can check for you, if you’d like.”
“Yeah?” She smiled sweetly. “That would be cool. Thanks.”
“My pleasure.”
“Sweet dreams,” Leighanna said.
“Same to you.”
Turning back to her cubicle, Cella slid the door closed and unpacked the box, leaving two drawers for Quaid’s things. Pushing the empty box under the bed, she slipped off her three-inch kitten heels and wiggled her toes in the plush rug for a moment before stripping and grabbing a tank and matching set of shorts. After she was dressed, she put on her slippers and walked to the bathroom to clean up.
Once she was back in the cubicle, she got into bed and fluffed the pillow. Closing her eyes, she hoped it didn’t take her long to fall asleep. She hadn’t slept anywhere except her chamber in decades. Her mind spun as she thought about what the coming night would bring. This was the first day of a new life she was charting for herself. Going out on a limb, she’d invited a male to live with her so they could get to know each other outside of the club environment. If things went well, she’d move him to her chamber. But she was aware she was getting ahead of herself. He hadn’t even moved in yet.
First things first, see how it goes. Then she could decide if he was the right male for her.
The question eating at her though, was if there was a beloved mate out there for every vampire. Beloved mates were treasured, a perfect match that allowed them to share a unique and powerful bond. So far, four family members had found their beloveds – Brone, Mishka, and twins Vex and Rage, who shared a mate. Brone was a thousand years old, and he’d waited all that time for Arissa.
Here Cella was only three hundred, a fraction of his age, and she was pushing things forward with Quaid simply because she was lonely.
Sighing, she rolled over and shut off the inner monologue, finally drifting off to sleep.