Page 10 of Halfblood Deceived

Aella gulped and rummaged through her purse, handing him five grand. According to the intel, that’s what it cost to skip the line and get a VIP entrance.

The bouncer grinned. “Welcome to Lilith, Miss.” His voice carried a light Russian accent.

Aella nodded and went inside a small receiving area where two more bouncers guarded another set of double doors. Her skin prickled when she crossed the threshold.

Vampire wards, she mused.

How was she immune to them, unlike other gargoyles? She had no idea. She had asked Father Israel, and he hadn’t answered.

The two burly bouncers opened the doors for her, barely giving her a cursory glance.

Aella faltered in her step when she entered the club. It was so much louder than anything she had ever experienced. Rainbow-colored light flashed on the dance floor which was almost to full capacity. The bar was just as full. Ten smiling bartenders took care of the patrons with practiced ease. The floors were polished white concrete, and the walls were black and white.

There were so many people.

She had never been among so many people.

Aella coaxed her lungs to work again, and she inhaled a mix of expensive perfume, fresh sweat, liquor, and sensuality that was surprisingly alluring instead of repelling.

Massive columns supported the three-story ceiling. The third level was the control room. Its tinted black glass windows didn’t allow a view of the office, but Aella somehow felt watched. The mezzanine on the second floor was less busy, but there were far more gorgeous people than Aella had expected. That’s where she had to go. That’s where the vampire royal spent his time, according to the vampire the gargoyles had captured.

The dance floor was the most distracting part, however.

Couples danced to the rhythm of a slow, sensual song. A tall, dark-haired man had a petite blonde’s back against his chest, his hands set possessively on her hips. The blonde pressed her backside against his groin in a grinding motion that caused a notorious reaction in the man.

Aella quickly looked away from them, but what she saw next was even more scandalous—two women boldly kissing. One was taller than even Aella, with velvety medium-brown skin, a tiny purple dress, and curly hair. The other had dark hair, and many piercings, and was dressed all in black. The smaller woman was almost hanging from the neck of the taller one, their chests flushed together, their tongues entwined. Their kiss was as passionate and desperate as it was sensual and gentle. Something tightened low in Aella’s stomach. It wasn’t a bad sensation—the opposite, actually—but it was completely alien and confusing.

Aella swallowed hard, her throat dry, and glanced at the VIP area, her destination.

I can’t do this, she thought desperately.

Aella was tempted to run as Isaiah had suggested, but she was rooted to the spot. What was she thinking? She had no idea how to seduce someone. Micah had been right. And the women in the VIP area were beyond stunning. Some had to be vampires, for they had that extra edge of perfection in their postures and poreless skin humans couldn’t quite emulate.

She chewed the inside of her cheek until she bled. Paralyzed. Her eyes stung, and she had to blink several times to control the itching.

She would run as soon as her stupid, useless legs started to work again.

Heat blossomed across Aella’s shoulders. A prickle of awareness ran down her spine, sending sparks of heat everywhere in her body. Most of her panic loosened—melted under the sudden warmth bubbling up in her veins.

“Are you going to stand here all night?” asked a rich, amused male voice.

Aella froze for a second, and then, as if pulled by a magnet, she turned, facing the most beautiful male she had ever laid eyes on.

Admittedly, the first thing she saw was the hint of collarbones through a white shirt with two open buttons. He towered almost half a foot above her. But she felt her mouth part in awe as she slid her gaze up an elegant neck, sculpted jaw, full lips, and straight nose to meet mischievous, almond-shaped jade eyes.

He was about 6-foot-5. His features were bold and masculine but harmonious, making it difficult to think of him as anything but gorgeous. The elegant black suit accented his broad shoulders and athletic, lean build. His dark hair fell in a straight curtain to his collar, a lock of it brushing his sharp cheekbone.

His lips tilted into a small smile. “Cat got your tongue?”

Aella gulped.

“Are you looking for someone, perhaps?” he asked, his voice carrying a particular lilt that was hard to place.

You, Aella almost said.

And really, she had seen a picture of the vampire standing before her countless times. Why was she so stunned by his beauty, if it was now as familiar to her as her own reflection?

A photograph and reality couldn’t compare, however.

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