Page 59 of Bloody Temptations

Laughing, I leave him and make my way to the bar. It’s busier now than I ever could have imagined, and Kai and I weren’t the only ones feasting on the dance floor. Many couples—and more—are taking advantage of the freedom of Hearts Gate, and I have to dodge all kinds of configurations to get to the bar in one piece.

I check the group chat while I wait in the line. There’s a good night message from Bedeer and Jesminda. Willan has left too, apparently, if his “I’m out” message is any indication.

I don’t know where Jax and Lusce have gone, but they’ve just sent some emojis. The orc, the witch and the horned being, followed by a fire and a bunch of spurting emojis to be specific.

I’d rather not know.

The line takes for-fucking-ever to move and the winky bartender from before keeps trying to make chit chat, but I just want my two bottles of blood and to get back to Kai.

How was I ever so silly to think there was a problem between us? Maybe I need to see a doctor because I’m very obviously imagining things. We don’t need a label—we already have one.Kai and Finn. And that’s much better than any silly old label like boyfriends.

Happy that I’ve overcome that emotional hurdle, I force my way back through the crowd to Kai.

I’m knocked off my happy little cloud when I finally get close enough to see him. He’s still dancing. But he’s not alone.

I recognise the beings surrounding him. They have been circling all night. And now they’ve caught him. Kai looks all too happy to be dancing amongst them. There is barely a speck of distance between them, and that disappears entirely when the smallest of the trio places his hand on Kai’s chest, using him for balance to say something in Kai’s ear.

Just like I did, only minutes ago.

Kai shakes his head with a smile at the short being, but he doesn’t stop dancing.

It’s like a slow motion car crash. I can’t seem to look away. The club falls away and it’s just Kai, surrounded once again by beings almost as beautiful as him. Beings whowanthim. The flimsy facade I’ve built for myself—with the help of those Assassins—is pulverised like wet cardboard.

Nikolo’s words from earlier ring through my head, and I realise that no, I am very much not prepared to deal with the reality outside my comfort zone. In fact, it’s making it very hard to breathe. I mean, not literally, but figuratively.

Alcohol-fueled dread replaces rational thought.

I need to get out of here, I realise, before I do something terrible, like scratch the eyes out of the vampire currently grinding up behind Kai, working in tandem with the small, touchy one. Anything to get the look of victory off their lecherous faces.

I turn on my heel and push my way back the way that I came, and when I reach the bar, I turn blindly towards what I think is the exit.

Luckily, I’m right. The lights of the foyer are horribly bright—they burn like the sun after the dark of the black room. The noise of theclub dulls instantly as the door slams behind me and I bolt down the hall, still clutching both bottles of alcoholised blood.

“Finn! Wait!” Kai’s panicked cries chase me and it takes a second to realise they’re real. He catches me, funnily enough, in the alcove where we saw the vamp feeding earlier tonight. With his hand painfully tight around my elbow, he jerks me to a halt, spinning me to face him.

“What’s wrong?” He strokes my cheek with his thumb, face crinkled in confusion. “Why are you crying?”

I didn’t know I was, but I must be, because he’s wiping the tears away for me.

“It’s nothing Kai, you can go back. Those guys, they seemed…” I can’t think of an adjective that isn’t bitchy. “Nice.”

Even I’m not drunk enough to think that’s the right word, but it’s the one I’ve got. Kai pulls a face at me.

“What? Those guys? I was just dancing while I was waiting for you.”

For some reason, probably all the alcohol confusing my brain, I think it’s a good idea to step backwards out of his hold and wave him off. Trying to be casual and cool about it all and failing miserably.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. You don’t have to stay with me all night if you find someone you’re interested in. I mean, it’s cool.”

This time it’s Kai that steps back, the confusion on his face gone entirely and replaced with pain.

“What do you mean? Someone I’m interested in? I’m interested in you. That’s what… I don’t understand what you're saying?”

With one hand on his hip, he shoves his hand through his hair, making a mess of it. It’s painfully sexy.

“What I’m saying is that you don’t have to hold yourself back because of me and whatever this is between us. If you want to hookup with someone, don’t think you can’t because you have to babysit me or whatever.”

What in the actual fuck am I saying? The sober part of my brain—small as it is—is begging my dumb, drunk mouth to shut up. And maybe for the room to stop spinning.

---