Page 71 of Awakened Light

I picked up the glass and slammed the rest of the blood.

“Damn.” Aiden blew out a slow whistle as he took the stool on the opposite side of me. “You’re gonna blow through all those bottles of blood before the hour’s up.”

“I know,” Annella agreed. “I was just suggesting maybe some fresh off the vein would help him perk up a bit.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Aiden scanned the sweaty bodies on the dance floor.

I followed his sweeping gaze and noticed Emilia and Mark dancing together in the center of them.

Aiden jutted his chin to the left side of the DJ’s stage. “What about that red-head? I can see her jugular from here.”

“I don’t want to drink from anyone,” I mumbled as I pushed my glass forward.

The bartender appeared again and asked if I wanted another.

This time I looked up and locked up with his intense green eyes. “Just keep ‘em coming, man.”

He nodded his head, and a piece of his dark, wavy hair fell in front of his eyes. He pushed it out of his face as he took my glass. Before he could get it off the bar, Annella caught him by the wrist and stopped him. When he looked at her, she gave him her signature seductive stare.

“Hey, hot stuff,” she crooned as she curved her full red lips into a smile that would make the Cheshire cat green with envy. “What’s your name?”

“Owen,” he answered as he leaned closed to her.

She traced her long fingernails across the tattoos that climbed up his forearms and wrapped around his biceps that were bigger than my head. This massive dude had to stand a couple inches above Lothaire. He looked like he should have been a bouncer instead of a bartender.

Or maybe a WWE wrestler or an MMA fighter. Hell, maybe he was, and this was just a part-time gig. If it weren’t for my vamp powers, there’s no way I’d ever pick a fight with a guy his size.

Annella twisted a piece of her long, auburn hair between her fingers. “Hi, Owen. My friend here needs to slow down on the Bloody Marys. How about you give us a few minutes?”

His pupils dilated as he stared at her, and I couldn’t decide if she was influencing him, or if he was just attracted to her.

Likely the latter based on the sound of his heart speeding up as he raked her body with a heated gaze.

“Of course,” he answered. “Just let me know when you’re ready for one.”

She blew him a little kiss as she released his hand, and it brought on a bright white smile that contrasted his olive skin.

“Holy fuck is he hot,” she whispered as he walked away. “I wanna climb him like a tree.”

Aiden laughed, and normally I would have too, but this time I just kept staring at that damn spot on the bar.

“You okay, man?” Aiden asked, bumping me with his shoulder.

“No,” I answered honestly. “Far fucking from it.”

“Hey, Nella? You want to give us a minute?” Aiden twitched his head toward the end of the bar.

She kissed my cheek. “Of course. Love you, boo. Hey, Owen,” she called to the bartender she couldn’t stop making eyes at. He turned to look at her, and she pointed to the end of the bar. When she met him there, she whispered something in his ear, and he followed her into the stockroom. No doubt she was going to have a little fresh blood herself... or knowing Annella, a little something more.

Aiden reached over the bar and grabbed a glass and a bottle of whiskey before plucking the bottle of blood from the ice bin. He filled up my empty glass with blood, and poured whiskey in his, then clinked them together.

“Welcome to the broken hearts club, brother.”

“Fuck this club,” I growled and took a long swig of my blood.

“It’s the worst club in the world, and I should know. I used to be president of it.”

Scoffing, I nodded. “I remember it. Well. In fact, it’s the whole reason I’ve kept my ladies at arm’s length. Losing Isobel almost killed you, man.”