All Souls' Night - Renee Rose Page 0,1

I—”

But he doesn’t finish because a tall young man with midnight skin and model perfect features sidles up behind him.

The gorgeous guy doesn’t just put his arm around Chad. He slides his arm across Chad’s chest and pulls my ex-fiancé back into his body. “Who’s this?” the newcomer purrs into Chad’s ear. The two men share a smile, and then both look at me.

There’s a whoosh, and then all sound cuts off. The club falls away. There’s just me, Chad, and Chad’s new lover.

“This is Gwen. I told you about her,” Chad says. I can barely hear him over the ringing in my ears.

“Oh.” The beautiful man’s voice softens with pity.

“You two are together?” I blurt, and immediately cringe. They’re in a clinch, cheek to cheek. The writing is on the wall and it reads: Duh.

“Yes,” Chad answers. His voice is also soft.

I could say many, many things. Chad and I weren’t just sweethearts. We were best friends. Or so I thought.

How did I miss the obvious? All the puzzle pieces rearrange and snap together. Why he wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. Why he never got hard when we fooled around. Why he didn’t want to come to Club Toxic with me.

“Is this a new development?” Please say yes. Please say you didn’t know, that the years we spent together weren’t a waste.

Please tell me I wasn’t a beard.

Chad closes his eyes, and I hear the answer before he says it. “No.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Chad shakes his head. He opens his mouth, and I raise a hand to cut him off. “You know what? Save it. I hope you two are happy together. Really.” And I whirl around and walk away before he sees the tears.

Dimitri

Club Toxic. Owned by one of my oldest friends, Lucius Frangelico, a Roman vampire. The hottest club in his town. It’s the perfect hunting ground for a vampire.

I love this place. The top floor is open to the public and packed with humans. Choose your preferred vintage from the herd of sexy little things gyrating on the dance floor, and lead them downstairs for a little sip‘n’snuggle in a dark corner. Or a whip and a fuck, if that’s what you like.

I sit in a dark booth and nurse my bourbon, waiting to catch sight of my prey. I select a different dame every night. Will it be the dark-eyed bombshell with fake platinum locks and a real tan? Or the blue-eyed brunette with a fake tan and faker tits?

Decisions, decisions.

When it comes to beautiful ladies, I’m not picky. I have few rules: No virgins. No innocents. No second dates. I want a woman who knows what she wants; who will allow me to give it to her. And at the end of the night, we go our separate ways, no strings attached. Mutual pleasure without the emotional mess. Enjoy and end it, then repeat with another, night after night after night.

Then I see her. The woman I’m destined to be with—at least for tonight.

She’s a vision in white. I’ve never seen anyone wear all white to a club, and it’s a damn shame. She glows in the dark. It helps that she's tall for a woman—taller than most men, and all of the women in her stilettos. She navigates the floor, clumsy as a new colt. That’s all right. I don’t need her to be graceful. I’ll keep her safely on her back, legs in the air, high heels by my ears.

She’ll be mine before midnight if I have my way.

My prey leans on the bar, looking confused by all the bottles. She’s adorable, really, with her long dark hair caught up in a white ribbon.

I drain my drink in anticipation of the hunt.

Then a young man touches her on the shoulder. A rival hunter, closing in for the kill.

I watch their exchange.

No, I was wrong—he’s not a rival hunter. They are acquainted, but there’s no sexual attraction between them.

Ah. A vampire sidles up behind the young man and wraps a possessive arm around him. My lovely vision in white flinches, as if betrayed, and leaves.

Interesting…

I stand and follow.

Gwen

I don’t know where I’m going. I careen across the dance floor, nearly knocking over a gaggle of girls dancing to a techno remix of Lizzo’s Good as Hell. I wish I could do a hair toss, check my nails, and walk my fine ass out the door… but I’m too shattered. I stagger blindly across the club and end up in