Page 16 of Bite Marks

“You’re her girlfriend?” I guessed, leaning against the counter.

“One of many,” she confirmed, turning to catch my eye with her aquamarine stare. “Ren and Dana too; we’re a coven.”

I blinked.

This vampire had to be older than Sel.

She could’ve been—and probably was—Ren’s sire. Dana’s too.

“Oh,” I said again, lamely, everything clicking into place at once. “I see.”

That explained Dana and Ren’s flirty competitiveness at least. Covens, though not always polyamorous, were like little vampire family units. At their centre was a sire—the head of the family—the rest of the vampires off shooting like wheel spokes.

If Elsie was the moon, with her silvery blonde hair and pale skin, Juniper was the sun, with that fiery copper hair and the expertly careless bronze eyeshadow ringing her narrowed eyes. The effect, paired with her soft round features and full figure, was stunning.

I really,reallyneeded to get over my aversion to dating apps. Every single woman who worked here was somehow completely different from the other and entirely my type. A recipe for absolute disaster if I didn’t at leasttryto keep my head.

My eyes flicked to Ren down the bar, finding her already looking back at me with her mouth set into a line.

Another little rush zipped through me.

Jealous vampire.

I couldn’t say that I minded.

“That a problem?” Juniper sneered. Annoyed, I guessed, by my shifted attention.

“No, not at all,” I answered quickly, offering her a smile.

She hummed thoughtfully, swivelling in her seat to look at the stage. “Oh, I love this part.”

Elsie was lying on the stage now, her cheek pressed to the polished wood with her ass lifted, slowly bringing it to the floor with a roll of her hips.

My mouth was completely dry on the third rotation. No wonder she was the club’s moneymaker.

She kicked her feet slowly, lifting her hips and pressing them down in a way that made me wonder what she’d look like in a strap. Specifically while Juniper, with her dark red lipstick, had her lips wrapped around it.

Like she could hear my thoughts, I had the undeniable feeling she was looking right at me, her painted lips parted on a pant that sent heat pooling to my core.

Girl, get agrip. Don’t you have a job to do?

“Can I get a refill?” Sel called with a smile, like they’d read my mind. “Unless you’re on the menu. I like a live one from time to time.”

I pushed off the bar and grabbed a shaker, leaving Juniper to watch Elsie on her own. “Sorry, honey. Not tonight.”

“That’s not a no,” they said with a chuckle, earning them a scowl from Ren. “Then the drink will do. A double.”

“Coming right up!” I said quickly.

I’d nearly missed Ren’s hissed, “You can’t be serious, don’t do this to me again man.” as I rushed through making the cocktail, eager to have them served so I could watch the rest of the number, but by the time I was done pouring the dark red liquid from the shaker into a coupe glass, the last few notes were coming from the speakers.

I handed Sel their drink and accepted the offered bills—way too much for a single cocktail.

“How much change?”

“Keep it. When you’re old like me, you have more than you know what to do with.” They waved me off, grabbing their glass and heading into the crowd—likely to find a better seat to enjoy the rest of the show.

Or maybe, I wondered absently, to make their way into the VIP to play.

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