I downed the rest of my drink and slammed the glass on the bar. “I think Vlad needs me.”
“If you say so,” Acheron laughed. “Remember Damyr said no murder or stabbiness of any nature on his wedding day.”
I wasn’t going to murder anyone. At least, not unless they absolutely deserved it. And even then, I’d drag them somewhere else. I didn’t want to spoil Damyr and Benji’s wedding day.
See, psychopaths could evolve.
I cut through the crowd and straight over to Vlad and Aleksey. I usually spent most of my time with one of these two, but they weren’t why I was gatecrashing this little chit-chat. Nope. My entire focus zoned in on Wilder Rowan and the way the muscle twitched under his left eye.
Fuck, I could smell him and it was making things worse. Hints of sandalwood and something earthy and raw, like the moment before a thunderstorm, filled my lungs as I dragged the scent of him inside me. There was something so enticing, something sosoftabout him despite how powerful he was that I wanted to wrap him in my arms and never let go.
“Would you be soft for me?” I asked him, my voice a little breathless. Hmm, that wasodd.
Wilder flinched back. “The fuck?”
“You’re so weird, Byron,” Aleksey groaned and dragged his hand down his face. “You can’t say things like that.”
Wilder’s eyes darted between mine as I held his gaze unrelentingly. I could sense apprehension building beneath his skin. Was he going to run?
I dearly hoped so.
I turned to Aleksey, giving Wilder a small reprieve. The vampire had long, bright blonde hair, which he usually wore in a scruffy bun, but today it was up in a half ponytail with all these fancy braids woven through it. It made him look even more like an elf than usual. He’d be pretty too if he weren’t scowling all the time.
“Why can’t I say things like that?” I asked him. I knew why; I just liked winding him up. I had all the tools to pass for a normal person, including keeping my mouth shut when I had to. I didn’t think I needed to do that here.
“Because those are thinking thoughts, Byron,” Aleksey said with a shake of his head. “Not speaking thoughts.”
I shrugged and turned back to Wilder. He was watching me warily, and he seemed twitchy. Like he was ready to run at a moment’s notice.
“Did you enjoy the wedding?” I asked him with a smile.
Wilder took a small step closer to Vlad, who winced at my face. Oops, I guess I didn’t quite hide the creepiness from my smile there.
“Yeah, it was great,” Wilder replied, but his mouth was pinched and his brow dipped. Something was wrong. Wilder wasn’t always the happiest person, but hewasthe type of person to enjoy a wedding. So why did he seem upset?
“Are you okay?” I asked Wilder.
His dark, jagged eyebrows shot up his face. “Um, yes?”
I stepped closer, leaning into his personal space and stared deep into his bright violet eyes. I brushed the creases between his brows with my forefinger. A flicker of his magic brushed against the tip of my fingertip, and he instantly recoiled. “Are you sure?”
He batted my hand away and stepped back. “Boundaries, asshole.”
I smiled again, but I held my ground. I wanted to be close to him, so that’s where I would be, boundaries be damned.
“This is too fucking weird for me,” Aleksey grumbled before slinking off to the bar.
Vlad pursed his lips and instinctively put himself in front of Wilder. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure the big guy knew he did that. He always put himself in the role of protector, but he was a fool if he thought he could protect Wilder from me.
The vampire—yes, called Vlad, ironic, I know—was built like a tank. All muscle and intimidation with the heart of a fucking teddy bear. He was Damyr’s number two and currently ruling the roost while the boss got hitched to his little ray of sunshine.
“Byron,” Vlad growled, low and threatening. “Behave.”
“You know that voice doesn’t work on me,” I sassed back.
He rolled his eyes skyward and took a deep breath. “What would Bishop say if he were here?”
Fair point.