Page 27 of Every Bite You Take
“Good!” Caleb bellowed back. “We’re better off without your drama.”
Angus stormed out of the Nocturnal Lounge.
Van groaned. “Like dealing with toddlers. This is why I drink.”
I ran after Angus, barely catching up to him as he headed outside and climbed over the railing.
“Angus,” I called out. “What are you doing?”
He ignored me and leaped overboard.
“Shit.” I ran to the railing and searched for him in the dark waters churning below. He popped up, breaking through the surface. Then he went beneath it again. The next time when he resurfaced, he was in selkie form. At least he was okay. He swam away from the ship and then disappeared.
Unbelievable.
I stared out at the water for a long time, trying to process how everything had fallen apart. First with Kylie. And now the band.
Kylie.
Losing her hurt worse than anything. She was gone, far across the country on another shore, another ocean.
“Hey, Damien,” Bria said as she turned the corner, interrupting my rumination. She waved as she passed and continued her laps.
“Bria,” I said and straightened.
Seeing her reminded me of our very brief encounter in the past and how different things had been with Kylie. What we had was real. Lasting. Not fleeting.
It was time to do something about it. Go after what I wanted.
And if Kylie didn’t want me?
Then… I gulped. I’d have to live with it.
Turning inside, I rushed to the internet café and booked a flight to Boston.
I steppedinto the Danger Zone, the rock club where Kylie worked, and the thump of a Rob Zombie song echoed off the dark walls. The dark gothic ambiance with skulls and cemetery decor fit the vibe, and I would have loved to visit on any other occasion, but tonight, I only had one goal.
Find Kylie.
I scanned through the throng of moving bodies, their scents an array of human and supernatural, until I found her and sucked in a sharp breath.
Kylie stood behind the bar, where she made a drink and chatted with patrons. Her violet hair reflected the light like an amethyst. She wore a black shirt with a gothic skull printed on it.
The moment our eyes met, a jolt surged through me, igniting a spark I thought had long extinguished. The lethargic rhythm of my undead heart thumped with a resounding beat—the way it had when I’d first met her. It left me stunned for several seconds. Only she could do this to me, make me feel alive once more.
But I didn’t travel all this way to gape at Kylie from across the club. I maneuvered my way through the crowd, where several women and a few men sang along and danced to “Dragula.” A fitting entrance for a vampire.
I reached the bar, leaning slightly to catch her gaze again. Her expression turned wide-eyed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice breathy and tinged with disbelief.
I stepped closer, a one-sided smile tugging on my lips. “I came to see you.”
She blinked slowly before widening her eyes. “Wh—why?”
As I approached, her scent hit me—that fragrance that had haunted me for weeks. The taste of her sweet blood had added to the torment, reminding me we were connected and should be together. That she was the one.
Most of the people in the club were oblivious to my declaration, save for those nearby who watched us in rapt silence. But they all faded away as I pulled together my chaotic thoughts into words.
