He’d chanced going home for Christmasbecause it had been a couple of months since he’d returned. He’dplayed the role, but the whole time he’d been terrified this wouldbe the time he snapped. Never had he been so happy to get out of aplace as he was to leave his home. That was the moment when herealized he was slipping beyond the point of salvation.
He hadn’t been home since Christmas, and hisphone conversations with his family had become increasingly briefand rare.
Running a hand through his short hair, hetugged at the end of it. He considered shaving it off again; hehadn’t felt bothered to do it in a couple of months, but then herealized he was only debating it to stall making the call.
He didn’t know what he would say to his mom.After what he’d witnessed with Maggie’s mother, there were so manythings he wanted to say, mostly thank you. Inwardly, he was achaotic mess, but he’d been blessed to have his family, and he’dbeen nothing but loved by them.
Finally, he’d dialed the house phone, andwhen his mom answered, he settled on small talk. He couldn’t bringhimself to tell her about Maggie, not yet, not when he didn’t knowhow things would work out between them. His mother would only worryabout him more than she already did if she learned he’d found hismate but hadn’t completed the bond.
After a few minutes, his mom handed thephone over to his dad, then Mike, and finally his older brotherEthan. He could have told Ethan everything, he’d always confided inhis older brothers, but Ethan and Ian had families now. Ethandidn’t need Aiden dumping more on him, and neither did Ian. So,he’d laughed and chatted and pretended everything was fine while helistened to the shower turning off in the room next to his.
He’d hung up afterward and waited for Maggieto come to him before going to the bar. Now, she drank her fifthwhiskey before chasing it with a beer. A man with a guitar walkedinto the bar and settled in the corner of the restaurant.Apparently, they also offered live entertainment in here as well asthe club.
Maggie watched the man setting up his musicstand. She felt numb. No,morethan numb, she was hollow ina way she’d never been before. Aiden’s quiet presence was the onlything keeping her from breaking down. She appreciated he didn’tthink he had to fill the silence with idle chatter. If she startedtalking, she knew he would listen, but she didn’t know what to sayto him.
The man with the guitar finished setting up,asked for some water from one of the bartenders, and opened with aLynyrd Skynyrd song. Maggie smiled, finished her whiskey, andpushed it across the bar. One of the bartenders refilled it.
Another hour passed, and Maggie foundherself swaying to the music as a pleasant warmth spread throughher body. When the singer switched to “Unchained Melody,” a fewpeople got up to dance.
“I love this song,” she murmured. They werethe first words she’d spoken all night.
“Would you like to dance with me?” Aidenasked.
Most guys she knew wouldn’t be caught deadon a dance floor. She couldn’t picture Aiden, a vampire who torethe throats out of his enemies, willingly doing so. “Youdance?”
“Yes, and I do it well. Come.”
His hand slid into hers, and he rose fromhis stool with effortless grace. He helped her off her stool andled her past the other couples and onto the small, makeshift floor.He spun her around before drawing her effortlessly into his armsand clasping her against his chest. Their bodies melding togethercaused her breath to catch.
She lifted her head to look at him as hedraped his arms around her waist. Maggie rested her hands on hiships and moved awkwardly through the first steps with him. Then, asthe heat of his body warmed her and her muscles relaxed, she fellinto a comfortable rhythm with him. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybeit was the events of this day, but his arms felt right.
She slipped her hands over his hips andpressed them into his back as she settled her head on his chest.His head dropped down. His mouth moved over her forehead, and henuzzled her hair. She desperately wanted to get closer, but she waspetrified of what would happen if she did.
Maggie shuddered, but she didn’t pull awaywhen his hands slid up her back and he held her closer. Hisheartbeat sounded beneath her ear, and her pulse increased to matchthe rapid pace of his.
The evidence of his desire swelled againsther stomach as he continued to sway with her around the dance floorin a slow, sensual pace. At any other time, a man’s arousal duringa dance would have caused her to pull away. Now, her fingers curledinto his back, and she inhaled his enticing scent. She could dancewith him forever, she decided.
Aiden’s head came up when a shout soundedfrom the club. The distant beat of the dance music barelypenetrated this room, but the yelling grew louder, and then someonescreamed. His hands tightened on Maggie when she lifted her headfrom his chest.
More shouts followed another scream that waspunctuated by the smashing of furniture. Aiden’s lips skimmed backwhen the scent of fresh blood drifted from the other room. Hungertore through him, and he realized it had been a while since he’dfed. So focused on protecting Maggie, he hadn’t thought of it.
Now, he started to unravel as the scent ofmore blood filled the air and someone shrieked. He’d been feedingevery day for the past two years to keep the demon within him atbay. It had been almost three days since he’d last had blood.
The realization that whatever was going onin the club could put Maggie at risk heightened his growingbloodlust.
Maggie tried to step out of his arms, but hewouldn’t release her. “I have to go look,” she protested and triedto pull away again. “Someone could need medical attention.”
More screams filled the air and furnituresplintered apart. A man staggered through the doorway separatingthe restaurant from the club. The couple seated in the boothclosest to the man leaned forward as another man barreled throughand tackled the first.
A dozen more fighters spilled through thedoorway. A man lifted a stool over his head and brought it down onthe back of another. One of the bartenders spoke into the phone asMaggie lunged against Aiden’s hold. Before the fight could get muchfurther into the room, shouts of the police resonated through theclub and restaurant.
“Assholes,” the guitar player muttered frombehind them and started putting his things away.
“We have to go,” Aiden said to Maggie.
“But I can help!” she protested.
“Is there a chance someone who comes herecould recognize you?”
