AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was at the bar, knocking back a drink. Perfect. I made my move, slipping into character, slowing my stride to exude sensuality rather than my usual swift step of determination. Moving like a woman transfixed by the mighty Morgon, I sidled up next to him, waving over the bartender—a slender Morgon female with hunter-green wings.
“What’ll you have?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure.” I turned to the man next to me, the man I’d been looking for all night who reeked of money in a silk gray button-down. “What should I have?” I laced my words like a sultry invitation. “I’ve been drinking beer tonight, but I need something a bit stronger.”
His gaze slid over my face, neck, and hair, assessing every line. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Brevette is always a good choice.” His voice was a black, silky serpent—sexy and deadly in the same vein.
Brevette was a human-made whiskey. Strong and expensive. The perfect drink to lure in a human girl looking for a big-spender. I ordered a glass and reached in my back pocket for money. He flipped out a large bill. “Allow me.”
“Thanks.” I flashed a bright smile, leaning forward and flipping my hair over one shoulder. While watching the bartender, I felt his eyes following the design on my back.
“I’ve not seen you here before.”
“This is my first time. Cool place.” I smiled again, letting my eyes trail obviously over his wings in an appreciative manner. Sharp and strong, an odd shiny black, as if covered in shimmery scales, and cut more jagged than other Morgon wings.
He reached out a hand. “And who do I have the pleasure to be standing next to?”
I took his hand. “Who do I have the pleasure of standing next to?”
His mouth and eye did that tic motion, then his lips opened in a wide grin. He took my hand, not exactly shaking it, but not letting it go. Against all my instincts, I didn’t pull away, fighting my natural inclination to narrow my eyes in defiance.
“My name is Borgus.”
Hmph. Doubted that.
“Moira.” I saw no reason not to give him my real name. Even if he discovered my last name and tracked me down, the only thing of interest he’d find was that I was a rich girl from an aristocratic family with a sister who intermarried with a Morgon. All my articles from The Herald were published under my pen name, Marina Creed. I wanted to make my own way, not on the coattails of my father’s.
“Moira.” He sang my name in a breathy whisper.
I had to physically keep myself from trembling.
“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
I smiled, slipping my hand from his to take a sip of my drink. He angled his body closer to mine. I forced myself to stay in place, his chest brushing my shoulder.
“I suppose men tell you that all the time.”
“No. Not really.” Truth. “Maybe they’re intimidated by me,” I teased, then lifted my glass of Brevette and let the liquor touch my lips rather than slide into my mouth.
He laughed. A deep-barreled sound. “Oh. That is certainly so.”
Trying to keep my cool, I kept my expression flirty as his eyes wandered to my corset and what it held. He was appraising, measuring, knocking numbers off a checklist in his head. My heart rate picked up pace. Hopefully, he recognized it as excitement, not the fear shooting up my spine.
“You’re not intimidated, are you?” I asked in a low whisper.
His black eyes glinted with something feral. Just as he was about to respond, an arm wrapped around my shoulder. “Hey, Moira! Where’d you sneak off to? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Conn squeezed me in a tight grip. Thanking the heavens I hadn’t given a false name, I whipped my head back to my suitor. Gone.
“Damn it.” I shrugged out of Conn’s embrace, peering over the bumping-and-grinding crowd.
“Moira, I’m not trying to come on to you, but that guy’s a creep show. You don’t want to hang with Morgons like that.”
“Actually, I did.” Ignoring his puzzled expression, I grabbed his arm and said, “Just tell Kraven ‘he’s here.’ Okay?”
I stalked off, pushing through the crush of people dancing in the low light. The room was huge, but I caught the sharp shape of angular, shiny wings slipping toward an alcove. I followed as fast as I could, but that hulking creep I met with Layla earlier pulled me into a tight embrace and rubbed himself all over me. I pushed off with a violent shove. “I told you. I’m not interested!”
He leered. “Thought you needed more convincing.”
