Page 7 of The Vampire's Redemption

Nikolas rounded back and dropped beside her. “Are you all right?”

“No,” she sighed. “But I have to be. Please give me a second.”

“Take all the time you need.”

Gabby closed her eyes and adjusted her senses to reduce the flow of information into her system. When she opened them again, she was as blind and uncoordinated in the world as a human.

Every time she did this, she wondered how she had traversed the world as a mortal. It was as if someone had cut all her senses off.

No longer feeling like her brain would explode, Gabby swept her gaze across the city, landing on the Central Tower, where they would stay for the duration of the Gathering. Her heart sped up for a reason other than the outward stimuli.

Felix.

His presence had strengthened as she’d approached Vegas. He was here, waiting for her.

To be honest, she was surprised he hadn’t already shown up.

Nikolas was silent, his steady presence a calming rock for the roiling waters within her. As much as she appreciated Nikolas, she wished Maria was here. However, only the Head of the House and one member of their choosing were invited to attend the Gathering. The restriction made sense. Considering their race’s volatile and destructive nature, it was never a good idea to have too many powerful vampires together for longer than a few days. This time, with the human diplomats joining them, it was imperative every vampire be on their best behavior.

With that in mind, and with whatever Felix might have planned, Nikolas had been the prudent choice. Maria had shown her how to use the computer and the phone, so they could at least talk.

Below her was a busy street full of people, vampires, and humans alike mingling with each other. In the sky, vampires flew with their bat-like wings.

No need to hide or mask their presence. Or to wipe a human’s memory if they were seen in the sky.

Nikolas had shown her videos of the riots and protests and violence from when Alistair had announced their existence to the world a hundred years ago. Gabby was glad she’d slept through those times. The transition had been brutal, and Haven had lost members to human mobs hunting their kind.

Yet, it was worth it.

A loud sound, one with a rhythmic beat to it, drew her attention. She couldn’t imagine what it would sound like without limiting her senses. There was a strange quality to it she couldn’t ignore.

“What is that?” she asked, finding herself nodding to its beat.

Nicholas’ lips quirked up into an amused smile. “That is music.”

“Music?”

Intrigued, Gabby spread her wings and glided down, Nikolas following behind. They landed before a dark door guarded by two huge, muscular men. Though they looked intimidating, they were human. Above them flashed a neon sign that read, “The Flying Lotus”. Humans formed a line next to the building, waiting to enter.

Gabby had an unfortunate whiff of the humans and was inundated with scents of sweat, drunkenness, and something else she couldn’t identify. Not all the humans were clean, and she didn’t want to drink their drug-infused blood unless she was desperate.

“What’s inside?” She retracted her wings and they disappeared into her back. Their arrival had caught the attention of those closest to the entrance. When the barely-clad women squealed, the sound splitting through the night air, she cringed.

“Please! Please! Take me!” a few shouted and surged forward, reaching toward Gabby and Nikolas.

The two guards blocked the crowd. One guy told them to back the fuck off in a thick and gruff voice.

“Hey, beautiful!” A young and handsome man stalked confidently up to the guards and winked at her. Gabby was too stunned to be offended. He waved at Nikolas as though the two men blocking his way would not crush him at the slightest indiscretion. “Forget about him. Take me. I promise to show you a good time!”

Gabby smiled at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. “Did he just proposition me?”

“Yes, he did,” was Nikolas’ wry confirmation.

If this had happened while she’d been human, her brother would’ve challenged the daring man and slashed him to pieces for her honor.

Now it was all different. Men and women alike propositioned one another without consequences.

When the human male reached out to touch Gabby, Nikolas gripped his wrist and pushed him back.

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