Page 57 of An Acquired Taste

Alcohol seems like the last thing I need, but my mouth is dry and my hands are shaky, so I take the drink he hands me anyway, and drink when he encourages me to. It’s so sweet. Deceptively sweet, probably, like the one he made for me in his apartment. I sip it as I look around. Every time I do, I catch more details under the red lights. In the middle of the dance floor, Ispot a man with his teeth buried in a woman’s neck and his hand up her dress. On one of the couches, a man is bound at the wrists and ankles while two vampires take turns biting him.

The vibe here is intense—all black clothing and blood, sex and barely restrained violence. Everything seems consensual, but something about it feels off. Or maybe it’s just not for me.

It’s astonishing to remember that I once would’ve been into things like this, craving that rush and attention. If I had been Alexander’s valentine, I’m sure I would’ve been down. But now… now I think of the quiet estate on the mountain, the crackle of the fireplace, the leather-and-ink smell of the library. I miss it. I miss home. I miss Sebastian.

And as my chest aches at the thought of him, I finally admit to myself that I’m not ready to give up on what we have yet. I need to try to make things right. Which means I really shouldn’t be here.

I’m just going to finish my drink and tell Alexander I’d like to leave. But as I’m about to take my final sip, his cold fingers close around my wrist and he tugs me toward the dance floor. My protests are lost in the thumping music, and once we’re in the crowd, I’m boxed in on all sides. I fight back panic as Alexander yanks me against him, his hands on my hips. My head is spinning.

I pull away, and thankfully, Alexander finally gets the picture and helps me off the dance floor. I only realize when I’m out of the crowd that we’ve made it over to the couches the vampires are using to feed. It stinks of blood and sex. I sink onto the first available couch anyway, trying to catch my breath, and Alexander is at my side in an instant.

“Are you having a good time yet?” he asks, his hand on my knee. “Or am I going to have to try harder?”

His hand slides higher. I reach to push it away as politely as I can, but he suddenly pulls me onto his lap with all of the ease oflifting a rag doll. I feel queasy with the knowledge of how strong and fast he is. My heart is thumping. I hope he’s just misreading my signals, but if he doesn’t… if he wants to hurt me…

“I can’t believe I still haven’t had a taste of you,” he murmurs as I freeze. One hand cradles my spinning head and tilts it to the side, exposing my neck to him. “But I know it’s going to be worth all of the restraint I’ve shown…”

“Stop,” I say weakly as I feel his mouth graze my neck. “I don’t want—”

“Alexander?”

Alexander freezes, the tips of his fangs against my skin, as a figure approaches from the crowd. And then another. I slip from his arms while he’s distracted, pushing myself to the other side of the couch.

I recognize the two vampires approaching us from the night of the Valentine’s Day Ball. Dante and Dominic, with their piercings and tattoos. The ones who almost fed on me before Sebastian scared them off.

Alexander doesn’t look particularly happy to see them. “Hello, little fledglings.”

“Sire,” says Dominic, the one with dark hair and piercings. He dips into an over-the-top bow.

Alexander’s lip curls over his fangs. “What do you want?”

“A word.” Dominic steps closer, leaning over and lowering his voice till I can’t hear it above the music.

Sire. Fledglings.Those are coven terms, I remember with a queasy flip of my stomach. Alexander is the one who turned these two into vampires. Which means I doubt I’ll find allies in them.

But Alexander is distracted, so I take the chance to push myself from the couch on wobbly legs, teetering on my heels. I glance from Alexander to the staircase on the other side of theroom, and my heart sinks. I’ll never make it through the crowd on my own. Still, I have to try.

I take a step forward, and a body is suddenly in front of me. Looking up, I see the silent, tattooed Dante staring down at me, and my despair grows. But then he shifts so he’s blocking me from Alexander and inclines his head. I follow his gesture to see a small neon sign behind the couches:Exit.

It must be a fire escape. Another way out. I glance at Dante again, and he jerks his head more insistently.

I don’t know why he’s helping me, but I’m not going to ignore the chance… or the clear warning. This whole time, I had still been telling myself that maybe Alexander misunderstood what I wanted, but now I’m not so sure. I swallow and creep toward the exit sign, step by slow step, until I’m out of Alexander’s line of sight. Then I open the door and—

“Leaving already?”

I freeze at Alexander’s smooth voice and then slowly turn to face him. Of course he’s right behind me. It was stupid to think I could sneak away from someone with his senses.

“The night is still young, Amelia,” he says, his eyes boring into mine. “Stay a while longer.”

I hesitate. It sounds so reasonable when he says it like that, but… no. No. What the hell am I thinking? I shouldn’t be here in the first place.

“No, I don’t think so,” I say. “It’s time to go.”

Alexander’s face hardens. As I turn to leave, his hand darts out and catches my wrist.

“Iinsistyou stay,” he says with a fanged smile.

I freeze. I’m all too aware of the sharpness in those fangs, the strength in his grip. There’s no way I can get away from him by fighting or running. And while other vampires are starting to look our way—including Alexander’s two fledglings—none of them seem eager to step in to help me.

---