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It is Such a Wet Dream Being Kidnapped. At Least for Kate.

“Leah! You’re awake!” Kate rushes over and pulls me close in an air-crushing hug.

“Gentle now, my dear,” Luc orders, sinking back down onto the mattress, “our lovely, little Leah is not nearly recovered enough for such rough handling.” He smiles. “Stop by later this evening, and she’ll be more able to reciprocate.”

I turn bright red, shoving off Kate’s arms. “This is not an erotic girl-on-girl scenario! She’s just glad I’m not, you know, dead!”

“I am glad,” Kate exhales, grinning broadly. “I am also more than game to make out with you.”

“What?!”

“Come on, you never went there in college? And if Luc’s going to enjoy it, we’ve gotta at least try, right?”

I frown, putting worried hands to her cheeks. “Kate, look at me. You’re just under his spell, but you do not have to do as he says--”

“That only happens holding eye contact,” Luc supplies, “anyhow, dear Katherine needs no such coercion.”

“Kate is short for Katelyn, actually.”

Luc gives a dismissive wave, never taking his eyes from me. “Katherine sounds more elegant.”

“Okay.” She gives a giddy sigh. “Katherine it is then.”

“Kate!”

“What? Do you not see how dreamy he is?”

“He kidnapped us!”

“And do you know just how long I’ve been waiting to be kidnapped by a six-foot, dusky skinned, green eyed hunk? And a vampire no less.” She fans herself. “The feeling of that bite… even better than sex,” she sighs, and I purse my lips, refusing to admit I felt the same. “God, I am so glad I took you out last night.”

“It’s true,” Luc supplies, still tracing lines up and down my leg, until I slap away his hand. “I usually do not bother to leave the VIP booth. I let the women come to me, and someone so unremarkable as Kate would have never been invited up.”

“Okay, ouch,” she emphasizes, finally prickling.

“You’re my back up, only until Leah here is back at full vitality and able to better satisfy me,” Luc continues, with blasé disregard for her feelings. “Now give us your hand. I’m feeling peckish.”

Kate’s eyes light up, and she raises her wrist. Luc pulls her right into his lap, keeping his eyes locked with mine, as he sinks his teeth into her wrist. I know that look. He’s trying to make me jealous, make me beg to go join in, though it’s far from an effective taunt since he can’t seem to stop himself from grimacing, drawing back his teeth the second Kate’s blood crosses his lips.

“Something wrong?” she gasps, the anticipation in her eyes dipping to disappointment.

“I find I’ve not much of an appetite after all.” He pushes his hand through her long blond locks. “Give us a kiss instead.”

She smiles, eagerly supplying, but he keeps his eyes open even then, burning into me, so that I cannot help but blush, knees curling up into my chest.

This is just like when I’d pick out some guy to dance with at the club, hoping all the while that Gracen would finally walk over and shove him aside, taking his place. Gracen, who’s even hotter than Luc without those unnaturally distracting glasses of his.

Gracen, who may not even have survived last night’s brutal brawl.

I yank the needle from my arm, casting about the room in search of my smartphone, though my kidnappers may have already destroyed it. Better just make a b-line, straight for the exit.

Luc pulls away from Kate in an instant, moving in a blur of speed and shoving me back against the pillows. “Now, now. Where do you think you’re rushing off to?”

“Get off me. I’m leaving.”

He laughs. “Why ever would you want to leave? No one wants to leave once they’ve been chosen--”

“Guess I’m aiming to be a new trendsetter then,” I cut him off. “Now get your hands off of me, and tell me what you did with my phone.” He won’t tell me what happened to Gracen after all. I can tell by the way he deflected and just changed the subject earlier. I can only hope they did nothing more than send him to the hospital with that broken arm. I’ll never forgive Luc if his goons took it farther and killed him.

He can see that hatred and that dread, burning bright within my gaze, and he pulls back from me with a sigh. “Damian might find that expression of yours appealing, but I do not. You have no reason to fear me, Leah. I would never force you to anything.”

“As if that blissy mind-control of yours is any different from brute strength!” I snap. “Different means, same result.”

“It is not mind-control,” he mocks, already headed for the door. “I simply have an allure. I’m nothing like that half-breed, Gracen.”

“What do you mean?” I swallow. “Why do you keep calling him a half-breed? And where is he anyway?”

“I would imagine he is back working whatever mundane job it is he uses to shield himself from detection. Though he will have something of a… different effect on the populace without those glamoured glasses.” He gives a wicked laugh, pulling open the portal. I stagger my way to my feet, grabbing his arm.

“Why would it matter whether or not he’s wearing glasses? Just because he looks…” I blush at the memory. “different without them--”

Luc drives me up against the wall, hovering his lips right over my own. “I really do tire of talking about him. Do me a favor, dearest, and never speak his name again.”

I hold tight to my anger, even though a part of me just wants to nod along and comply, just like Kate. “You know, Gracen is actually way hotter than you are. Is that why you hate him?”

Luc flushes. “You ungrateful…” He cuts himself off, turning back toward the exit. “Katherine, love.”

“Who? Oh, wait, right. That’s me,” Kate remembers, giggling. “Yes, Luc?”

“Be a dear and give Leah here another transfusion of watery, garbage blood. She’s simply delirious with anemia at the moment. Then dress her in something suitable and bring her out to dinner. It’s time she met the rest of the coven.”

“So you can show me off as arm candy?” I guess, and Luc just smiles, shaking his head.

“No, gorgeous, so you can be our delectable appetizer. A good host always puts his best foot forward when sharing a meal with his guests.” I pale. “Damian in particular has been so very looking forward to the event. Though take care with him. He always leaves his praels battered, if they’re still breathing at all that is.”

It’s just a petty threat. I tell myself that. There’s no way he’d let me die when he’s developed such an obvious addiction to my blood. There’s no way he’d lose control again tonight, and kill me himself...

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