nothing wild or uncontrolled about the other vampire’s behavior.
Making his way through the crowd, Cain headed for the bar, wanting to take a closer look to make sure the woman wasn’t in distress. He chose an angle of approach from which the other vampire couldn’t see him, even though he was aware that the vampire would sense him.
When Cain was close enough to listen in on their conversation, he stopped and watched.
The woman was in her early twenties, pretty, and endowed with a set of boobs any Hollywood starlet would be envious of. Her hand was on the vampire’s jeans-encased ass, and she was clearly pressing him against her—admittedly very enticing—body.
Cain heard the vampire groan. “Sugar, you keep on doing that, I’m gonna have to take you right here.”
She giggled. “Well maybe then we should get out of here.”
He sunk his head to her neck. Cain went on alert. Would he bite her in full view of several hundreds of human witnesses? Cain’s legs moved of their own volition, bringing him closer to the unknown vampire.
Suddenly, the vampire lifted his head from the girl’s neck and turned to stare at Cain. Cain’s eyes instantly honed in on the woman’s skin, but it was unblemished. Then he met the other vampire’s stare.
The stranger nodded briefly, letting Cain know that he’d seen him and knew that he was a vampire. Then he turned to the woman in his arms.
“I think it’s past your bedtime,” he said to her, making no effort to lower his voice.
Cain turned away. Clearly, the vampire was in possession of all his faculties, nothing crazy about him. That he wanted to take a human woman to bed was none of Cain’s business, particularly since it appeared that the woman consented wholeheartedly.
“Have fun,” Cain murmured, knowing that the other vampire would be able to hear him.
As the vampire left with his conquest for the night, Cain walked to the other side of the club which he hadn’t covered yet. There, mirrored partitions separated the dance floor from an area with high tables and bar stools. It was only marginally quieter there, but just as crowded.
Again, Cain walked through the area, watching for any signs of vampires, but he didn’t see the tell-tale aura that surrounded a vampire, something only other preternatural creatures could see. Having completed his sweep of the first floor, he headed for the stairs. When he set his foot on the first step, something in his peripheral vision caught his attention.
He whipped his head in its direction and noticed a door that was ajar. It could easily be overlooked, because it was made of the same material as the shiny black paneling that surrounded it. A dim light came from inside the room.
His heartbeat kicking up a notch, he walked toward the door, his eyes scanning the people around him, but nobody seemed to pay him any attention. With the tip of his finger, he opened the door another inch, then spied inside. From the little he could see from this angle, the room appeared to be a private party room, furnished with a large sectional.
Cain let his senses reach out, but couldn’t sense the presence of a vampire. He inhaled. What he smelled made his gums itch violently: blood.
“Shit!” he cursed and pulled the door open wide enough so he could squeeze inside. He closed it behind him, holding his breath as he did so.
It took his eyes one second to assess the situation, and his stomach an additional one to turn upside down.
***
Zane narrowed his eyes, focusing on a group of youngsters who screamed with the music and danced wildly, when he picked up a scent. Next to him, Amaury growled: he’d smelled the same thing.
Simultaneously, he and Amaury pushed through the crowd and cleared a path to where the smell of blood originated. Zane scanned the area. Beyond the bar, which was of similar size as the one on the first floor, smaller booths were tucked away in a corner, their entrances partially obstructed by mirrored screens. The booths were furnished with plush seating arrangements and low tables for drinks.
As he got closer, Zane sensed the aura of a vampire. He stormed into the booth, Amaury only steps behind him. A vampire was sucking on the neck of a young Asian woman, her struggles evidence that the bite was not a welcome one, and that the vampire wasn’t employing his mind control skills to pacify her. His hand was clamped over her mouth