Reincarnation

Onyx

Lana

My heart thudded as I scanned the crowd. Surely, my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. No, this was definitely him. Neoma sniffed around the buzz, trying to force me into a clear headspace. Locate. Find him. Now.

“Lana?” I heard Libby call from the top of the stairs. The waitress seemed eager for us to hurry. Against my will, I proceeded to go higher and apologized for holding them up.

Libby ordered a couple of bottles. The waitress didn’t even know what she was talking about when she asked about any Special Reserve.

“You look like you’re ready to jump back down there,” Libby noted. “It’s okay, if you want to look around, I’ll be fine.”

I shook my head. “I’m not about to leave you alone,. Witch or not, friends don’t leave friends behind.”

I leaned over the glass balcony and continued to scan the people below.

“Do you want to have a drink anyway?” She offered me a flute. I took it, had a sip, and let it sit in my hand as I surveyed the club.

“Don’t forget, we shouldn’t get too drunk.”

“I keep forgetting, the vibe here is so intense it’s hard not to want to party.” She grinned sheepishly. “I can at least have a few shots, right?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, just remember not to overdo it. You need to keep your senses keen.”

“Fair, fair, I’ll be good. Just smack my hand every now and then if you need to. Cheers!” I clinked my flute against her shot glass and watched as she threw it back.

I knew what she meant about the vibe. It was hard not to get lost in it, Neoma could practically taste the mixture of pheromones in the air. It was stuffed with it and hard not to absorb it. Alcohol wasn’t all that necessary when it was already so easy to fall into it.

I took a deep breath and scented the air. His aroma was already muddled with the mass of humans. Did he leave?

I couldn’t help the leakage of disappointment that filled my gut. Bitter, I turned my back to the balcony and took another sip of my drink.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, come sit next to me for a bit. You might as well take a shot with me. Even if it doesn’t do anything, maybe you can get a placebo effect or something.”

I obliged by pouring the next round of drinks out. After taking our shots, I settled back a bit and listened around.

“One thing for sure…” I began to say, but she interrupted.

“This place is swimming in them.” She shuddered. “They don’t feel like you, they feel… Empty… Soulless… Evil… I don’t know how to place it.”

“Yeah… I think this place is definitely vamp owned.” I whispered to her.

“It’s kind of scary to think about all these humans…”

“I don’t know, it could just be a place of business. Besides, I don’t think the vampires would willingly s**t where they sleep.”

“Fair enough.” Money, not food.

“Miss?” I blinked, looking up at the human waitress who approached us. She held a bottle of wine in her hands. “This is a gift from one of our VIP executives.”

“Ah. Thank you.” I smiled at her, to which she blushed slightly. “You two look like goddesses over here, it’s no wonder.”

She opened the bottle and poured me a glass. Libby reached for it, but she put her hand on top of hers.

“This is just for this girl right here.” I frowned, swirling the glass. The aroma… It was like… Taking a sip I realized.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t like that.”

“It’s our special blend.” She seemed a little nervous, backing up a bit, her face flushing.

Taking another sip, the taste exploded in my mouth. Just a hint of it was enough to send the burn flaring inside of my throat. An echo of an ember I haven’t felt in a long time. Oddly enough, it made me feel a little dizzy the more I drank it. I decided to down the whole glass and pour myself another cup.

“You really like that wine,” Libby observed. I sheepishly glanced at her.

“I guess the vampires have their own version of Special Reserve. This place doesn’t cater to wolves, the vampires are the VIP guests.”

“So…” She started off slowly.

“Yes, there’s blood in it.” She looked a little sick, her face turning white. “Sorry.”

“Well, if it works, it works, but who is it from?”

I looked down at my glass. I could take a guess.

“Well, it looks like our cover is blown, we can take that with a grain of salt and just sit and observe.” That much is for sure.

Libby suddenly stood up, looking over the balcony.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel it. The pull. I think there are magic sensitives nearby.”

“Witches?”

“Yes.” She looked at me, her eyes begging. “Can I?”

“Please be safe, it’s not the smartest to really split up right now.”

“They’re in the building, I know it. I promise I won’t take long, and I’ll be safe.”

Sighing, I nodded my head and finished my drink. I felt a little guilty pouring myself another, but it had been so long since I’ve had a taste…

The buzz settled inside, I felt a little guilt as Neoma twinged uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry, I’ll slow down.”

No, it’s okay… I get it, besides maybe it will help since you’re dealing with…

She keeps forgetting that our mate is now a vampire, a sad thought she tries to repress. She was mated to his humanity. Which means, maybe he wasn’t entirely without a soul… Maybe he still had a little bit left inside of him. The thought sent my fantasies into a frenzy and before I knew it. He was here. I could feel him. I felt his arms wrap around my own. The simple gesture sent my heart reaming into a ferver.

“You look so beautiful it reminded me of the last time I saw you… When I was…” I shook my head and painstakingly broke his embrace. Neoma roared in defiance, wanting to run into his arms. I had to remind myself to keep control. Remember the situation at hand.

It’s so hard…

Fight it. Please. Think clearly. I clenched my fists.

“Do you like my gift?” He gestured to the wine.

“What’s going on here, Eli? What is this place?”

“Crazy, isn’t it? I own this club, it’s become a good source of income.”

“This place belongs to you?” Why should I be surprised?

“The question is, why are you here, my love?” His words of endearment created a twist of longing in my chest.

“Just a night out.”

“I highly doubt that.” He gave me a dark smile. His ocean blue puddles pulled me in so deep, I wanted to melt into them. “I figured you would be holed up in your palace.”

“It’s been three years, you’re treating me like a stranger. An unwelcome one at that.”

He paused, swirling his glass of infused wine before taking a small sip.

“You already have my warning. Admit it, in some way, you wanted to seek me out.”

I gave him a sad look. “It really doesn’t need to be like this.”

I flinched when he squeezed the glass to shards, a flash of anger in his eyes. He composed himself, taking a cloth napkin off the table to clean his hands up.

“This is the way it is now. If I were you, I’d take your friend and go back. Don’t dig around in things you have no business in.”

He threw the cloth onto the table and brought his face close to mine.

“I feel like you are my business. What are you planning, Eli?” I breathed, unable to stop the swell of dizziness that came from his close proximity. He grazed his finger on my cheekbone, almost tenderly…

“In time, darling… Be patient and wait for me. Just not in the way you want.”

“And what do you want then?” I closed my eyes, mesmerized by the warm electric tingles his caresses left on my face. “What do you really want?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘with me’.

I opened my eyes, my heart skipping a beat when I realized he was examining my face, his lips were so reachable…

Neoma wanted to give in so terribly, it made me ache.

“It doesn’t matter what I want anymore, Lana…” He said, a twinge of sadness in his composed cool tone. “Enjoy the night, don’t stay long.”

Before I could argue, he was gone. It took everything in me not to follow the trail of his scent, and to force him to acknowledge me.

Just drink. Neoma urged me, wanting to dull the feelings.

“Gladly…” I murmured to myself, pouring another cup of wine.

The minutes ticked on and I realized that Libby was taking too long to come back. I wondered if I should go investigate. Finishing my glass, I decided to follow her scent down the stairs. Sniffing the air amongst the horny mass, I realized it led outside.

The air was cool tonight, but not cold enough to need a jacket. I ran warm anyway.

It was easier to follow the trail outside because it was less diluted, and it brought me to a nearby alleyway. Dread thudded through me, as I warily listened. I could hear her voice and two others that were completely unfamiliar.

The scent of fresh blood in the air made me freeze in my tracks.