Chapter 14 - Death Wish (edited)
Fei continued to grip Luna's hand as he pulled her to the banquet table.
Cederic followed them and separated her from the warlock.
Her fellow Amazon, who had been seated next to the werewolf, watched them go with a sparkle in her dark eyes.
She could hear murmurs and low, seductive chuckles accompanied by the clinks of glass.
Cederic's eyes were a dark invitation, daring her to walk closer.
How foolishly impulsive of her to accept his challenge!
Luna's mouth dropped open in shock when she saw the vampires having a cocktail party with the harem girls.
Well, they were civilized enough not to go for the jugular right away.
Blinking rapidly, she took in the dim lighting.
Then, her gaze shifted to the guests draping themselves on the couches while holding the stem of their goblets between their fingers.
The air was thick with pleasure that Luna could almost see the slow heat building up and penetrating the walls.
The food was clearly for the non-vampire guests, male and female, who stood talking, laughing, and flirting with some of the vampire nobility.
Dinner suits lay snugly over lithely muscled Lords while the harem girls wore almost transparent silk strips of overriding themes such as red, black, and gold with the occasional daring splash of white.
Conversations arose as soon as the others saw her.
Then, their eyes flicked behind her, and she almost heard the collective gasp of fear.
A vampire approached her with a glass of red liquid in his hand.
Luna was certain that the red liquid wasn't wine at all.
"Hello, my lady." The words were solid in a beautiful baritone voice, but it was his scent that was intoxicating her—rich, dark, and luscious.
A rock dropped at the pit of her stomach. It was her gut instincts warning her about the dangerous vampire. Alarmed, she drew away from the savage beauty before he could even touch her that she found herself pressed against the heat of someone.
"My name is Jon." He smiled, flashing a row of gleaming white teeth. "I hope we will get along well together."
Heat uncurled between her legs, and she couldn't help but react to his special scent.
It was a unique and highly erotic blend.
"Nice to meet you, but you feel like a threat," Luna whispered huskily, and she paused, frowning.
She didn't mean to make it come out that way.
The vampire's scent had an insidious effect on her that she couldn't control.
He looked down at the blade now pressing against his crotch.
He raised his head to look at her in annoyance. "Who allowed you to carry a weapon, female?"
The vampire scent dissipated until it was completely gone.
"Take your weapon elsewhere, Consort. I am the right hand of the King."
She hid the knife in discretion under her voluminous skirts, and her rushed movements didn't escape the vampire's intense curiosity.
Warmth crept to her cheekbones.
She just threatened the Vampire King's, right-hand man.
Cederic curled an arm around her elbow. "This is the new High Priestess, Jon, and officially the daughter of Hecate. She is not a Consort anymore. She is here under the tutelage of the old man."
"Really?" Jon raised an eyebrow. "Now that's interesting."
"I saw her first, so you'd better back off."
"Claiming the High Priestess when she hadn't done anything about the curse yet, are we?" Jon asked. "I think if you let the lady choose, she will choose me for sure. I'm taller and more muscular. I am big all over and can take here wherever and however she wants compared to---"
"You can keep your big dick to yourself tonight, Jon, or I'd be happy to bust your balls for insulting me, the new High Priestess, and the military general," Luna said.
Jon's eyebrows rose in amusement.
"As you wish, High Priestess."
Giving a half-shrug, Jon wrapped her in his delicious scent for the last time before walking away from them.
Jon's slow smile when he saw her shiver told her he could scent her illicit response.
It didn't sit well with her because he might use that as a weakness.
Once again, the effects faded with each step he took until she no longer craved his scent.
This must be how he made women do whatever he wanted by trapping them in seduction as he did her.
If Cederic didn't come to her rescue, what would Jon do?
"Be careful of your words, My Lady. If you offend someone, they'll kill you without letting you explain." Cederic's hand was a brand on her elbow burning through his skin. "I'm not always around to babysit a witch."
"I know, Sire. Just testing the waters." Luna murmured, watching Jon go to a small curvy blonde as he settled his hands around her waist as a mark of ownership.
She looked up at Jon, captivated.
It didn't surprise her at all given that Jon was a beautiful, muscular vampire.
He was a woman's dream come to life with his silky black hair and midnight eyes.
"Testing vampires, seeing who you can offend and get away with it?" This openly amused Cederic. "You do have a death wish."
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Edited by: RedPandaChick