Page 9 of Shut Up and Bite Me

“Viv! There you are. You’ve been missing for like a half hour.” I spin and glance up, spotting Ava standing outside of the ten-foot-tall arched doors as she begins descending the stairs to the landing I’m on. “I had to make so many executive decisions, and it was terrible. You know I hate making any and every decision. Ever.”

A chuckle escapes my lips, disappearing into the dark, foggy night. “I know. I’m sorry. I took a call from Harriet and just got lost in my thoughts, I guess.”

She squints and furrows her brows, halting in place. “Is everything alright?”

Nodding, I dismiss the sense of unease in the pit of my stomach and begin to ascend the stairs, the red satin of my gown billowing in the wind. “Everything’s great. Are we ready for the arrivals?”

Her eyes darken, and a wicked smile tips one side of her lips up. “They already have begun and ended, and might I add, some of them lookextradelicious.”

Rolling my eyes, I hook my arm in hers as the double doors of the front entrance are pulled open for us by my staff.

Security is very important. It is especially of the utmost importance tonight. No human other than those invited may attend the Culling. It is a sacred tradition, and our secrets can never become the public’s knowledge. That is the most treasured rule.

Glancing at the large clock tower in the center of the foyer, placed perfectly beneath the sky-high ceiling and dangling Victorian chandeliers, I check the time. Eleven fifteen p.m. The main event begins at midnight. But there is still much to do.

The humans have already all arrived, so now we are just waiting for our guests. They’ll trickle in over the next half anhour, finding their seats in the auditorium hidden beneath the clock tower. Then, the doors will seal shut, and the night will really begin.

Tapping the head of the microphone, I hear the thumps boom in the speakers of the dim and candle-lit circular room. Standing in the center of the stage, I spin around, looking through the tinted glass into each booth on the other side of the dark pane, where the guests have gathered. If it weren’t for my enhanced sight, I doubt I would be able to make out a single face.

Once I have acknowledged everyone on the bottom row, I glance up to the second row of booths and do the same, repeating it once more with the third and final row.

My heart is pounding so hard in my chest I’m afraid it might actually burst right here. I’ve hosted this Culling since the very first one. I have hunted vamps and killed them for breaking our laws. I have faced fear and death itself and won. But speaking in front of a crowd this large always makes me feel sofragile. I suppose that’s the humanity in me, after all.

“Welcome to the Barlowe,” I announce, and light, muffled clapping from behind the glass is heard throughout the circular room. “The night is finally upon us, and I know you are all eager to begin. For those of you who are joining us again, welcome back. We are so happy that you are here. For our newbies in the house, I’ll explain how this will work.” Lifting my pen into the air, I slowly spin around and show all of the booths. “You have each been given a pen with a red button on the top. The press ofthat button will signify your bid. You can bid as many times as you’d like, but you can only win once.”

I continue. “If an individual piques my interest, I will simply press down on this and speak my bid into the tiny microphone embedded in the side of the device.” I demonstrate the motion. “Your bid will then be announced by Jason in the soft-spoken speaker system in each of your booths. If another bid is recognized after yours, you will need to bid again at the higher price to stay in the game. Please, if you have any questions, ask the concierge placed outside each of your rooms. Enjoy your night, have fun—” My tone straightens like a line drawing taut, leaving no room for argument. “And please—” I pause. “—remember the rules.”

My heels click against the hardwood circle stage as I make my way to the exit and through the door, passing the microphone off to Jason, who will be calling the auction tonight. He, of course, can bid; he will just have to do it simultaneously. But he’s not new to this; he’s done it for the last five years.

“Wonderfully done, Vivian,” Jason praises as I push open the door into the hallway with a smile on my face.

“Thank you.” I grin, stepping through the threshold of the door and making my way to my booth, the one I share with the rest of the High Council.

Ava lightly claps for me as I enter, pride etched in every pore of her perfectly smooth skin. “You did amazing, babes. Seriously.”

“Thank you,” I coo, sitting down in the empty velvet chair next to hers. “I don’t know why I still get so nervous.”

“Because public speaking is fucking terrifying.” She laughs, and I join in. Our laughter immediately dims when the first human steps onto the stage with a smile and a wave.

He’s adorable. Messy brown hair. Looks like he’s maybe in his late twenties. He’s a cutie. Someone is certainly going to snatch him right up.

He does a fun twirl with a happy grin on his lips. None of them are required to do anything when they come onstage. There is even an option of a chair if they simply want to sit while the auction takes place. Or they can share a talent, a story, information about themselves, or whatever they desire. It’s completely up to them.

It just gives us a little insight into who they are, what they want out of this experience, and depending on what the vamp’s interests are, that may sway them one way or another to place a bid.

Jason introduces our first human from the card he filled out when he arrived tonight. “This is Alex. He’s twenty-eight years old. He loves to play basketball in his free time and listen to country music. He prefers to date women but has no preference on age or ethnicity.”

This earns a few cheers as well as a few boos, which I can’t help but giggle at. I’m sure there is someone in here who would love to take Alex home.

Jason continues. “He has type B positive blood and is looking to make this experience a romantic one to remember.”

There is no starting bid set, but it is kind of an unwritten rule that you bid high, knowing that your donation is seen by the High Council, and our favor goes a long way in this world. There are lower-level auctions held for vamps of lower income, also overseen by their local councils, all held in different districts on the same night.

Mine, however, is for the filthy rich and wealthy. If you want to participate here, you have to be prepared to dish out hundreds of thousands in the course of an evening to the council and the selected human.

Jason’s microphone only plays in the booths; the humans can never hear what he says. We like to keep it that way so there doesn’t become a sense of competition to them on who can earn the highest bid. There’s enough gossip in the vampire world when it comes to the Culling without adding the human gossip in.

Soft instrumental music lightly sounds in our booth, seeping through the glass of the stage. We play the music to help keep them relaxed and to cancel out any potential noise from us.

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