“I mean, it’s fine, but it’s sort of weird, right?” I add to recover, worrying what the hell happens if Arion gets pissed at someone because of me.
I glance over in time for Shera to shoot me a horrified glare, as though she can’t believe I’d put her life at risk or something. How can Arion read between the lines so well on some things, but be perfectly obtuse with so many more obvious things?
Surely he’s not that crazy.
Fortunately, he seems to relax. “It’s only fair she spend the evening with us. Four omegas versus one beta,” he says, whispering the second part in my ear. “Keep it fair, Violet.”
I’m confused about the part where he thinks I ever agreed to actually freaking date him. His talking skills are hit or miss. Listening skills? He’s got a big ol’ goose egg for his batting average.
With Dad already uncomfortably climbing into the front seat like he’s bewildered by the entire situation, I’m stuck climbing into the back. Arion smoothly slides in beside me, and his arm goes around my shoulders, as though we do this sort of thing regularly.
“We’re hitting that new bar in town,” Arion tells Shera, who gives me another little glare in the mirror before she pulls away from the curb.
“So how long have you two been dating?” Dad asks, glancing around at the town as we pass through.
“Not all that long,” Arion says before I can come up with something of my own to say. “But we formed this rare connection, and Violet’s more open with me than she is with the other three because of that.”
I know I turn pale.
I also stop breathing for a second.
I feel the sting of pure, utter horror wash over me as my dad chokes on air.
Shera grins so broadly it must hurt her cheeks.
“Other three?” Dad asks, clearing his throat repeatedly.
Fuck. My. Fucked. Up. Life.
“It’s just a really wrongly used figure of speech,” I say, lying worse than I ever have because there’s just no quick way to recover. “He’s trying to be funny and failing.”
“Embarrassed by us?” Arion asks in a hushed tone as he whispers into my ear.
“Okay,” Dad says, clearing his throat again.
Arion moves in closer to me when I touch the side of his smooth, firm jaw and turn his head so I can get closer to his ear. I’m not even surprised that he uses it for an excuse to try dragging me onto his lap.
“Please remember what it’s like to have to speak to a girl’s freaking father right now. I don’t even know what is going on at this current moment, but there isn’t an us to be embarrassed about. You’re the one making this up as you go,” I whisper a little angrily.
His cheek nudges mine, as he lazily drags me a little closer, like he’s unable to help himself once he gets too close. It always feels as though he’s starved for affection, and it messes with my head that he stays starved for it, and the need isn’t getting sated by anyone else.
This is my problem. It’s what lures me in every single time when I should clearly run the other way.
He loves another woman.
She’ll be rising soon.
No one seems to have told him yet, so I wonder if that means Vance hasn’t one hundred percent decided.
“I’ll be as good as I can be,” he says with a grin against my ear.
“That’s not at all reassuring,” I tell him seriously as I pull back to look at him.
He just grins, eyes flicking to my lips again, and I’m forced to endure how perfect he really looks this close up. He’s more mischievous than all three others combined, and that’s with Damien pretty much carrying the other two.
It makes him feel so full of life and energy, and he can seriously make someone feel like the central focus of all his attention when he wants to.
He’s also the one who’s the most likely to turn on me the second Idun’s back, so that helps me keep things in perspective.
I look away, and I exhale, quickly getting distracted when I see us pulling up to what looks like a private gate. Shera rolls down her window and waves at the man, who is visibly shaking and scrambling with the buttons to open the gate.
“I don’t need to have a fancy coat or anything to get in, do I?” Dad asks as he looks around, his gaze roaming over the elaborate gate system.
The bar comes into view as Shera drives over the hill and starts down the newly paved section. The bar, however, does not look like it belongs behind that ornate gate.
It looks like it belongs on the side of an abandoned highway.
“Certainly not,” Arion tells him, grinning as he snakes his arm around me and pulls me closer, content so long as I’m letting him touch me.
I get a little wary as we get out, especially when Dad walks in first like there’s no cause for alarm. When I hear some commotion inside, I quickly walk in behind Dad to see absolutely everyone staring directly at us like they can’t believe what they’re seeing.
One man takes a small step toward us, narrowing his eyes, and I realize Arion is such an asshole. Well, I already knew that, but now I really know that.
My father and I have just stepped into a private vampire bar, it seems.
The man advancing on us quickly stumbles back a step, just as a chill rises up my back. Arion’s hand lands on the chilled spot, soothing it, as he steps in and starts guiding us through.
Everyone, with zero discretion, jerks their gazes away, and some actually tremble like they’ve been caught about to fuck up in front of him.
I exhale in relief, which is so messed up, but I just can’t deal with vampires and my father right now.
My father picks a table, looking around curiously at everyone like he finds them all rather suspicious and odd. I turn around to evil-eye Arion, who smiles down at me as his arms go around my waist.
“A vampire bar?” I hiss, glaring at him.
A girl walks too close, and I start to worry what happens if they hear me snapping at him.
Arion just grins broader, so it’s clear he’s not concerned. Which means I can get appropriately furious.
“Mostly omegas in here, love. You don’t mind omega wolves.”
“I personally know the omegas I allowed around my father. I trust them.”
“Can’t learn to trust each other until you’re introduced,” he goes on.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Couldn’t this have happened on a night when my father wasn’t here?”
“I don’t know. You can’t seem to understand there’s an us, so I’m having to make this up as I go.”
I can’t imagine how they’ve dealt with this for centuries. Five minutes in, and I’m already exhausted.
“It’s like you save up the things I’ve said to you for moments when you can throw my words back at me and make me feel like somehow I’m in the wrong,” I state very accusingly. “I don’t like feeling manipulated by anyone.”
His expression sobers just barely.
“Remember the same is true for me.”
“I’m not trying to manipulate you,” I point out.
“You haven’t had to yet, love. I’m learning more and more that you do love being chased.”
“I don’t know why I bother speaking,” I say as I turn and head toward the table.
I don’t think it’s healthy to have an argument about communication barriers on the date you’ve been manipulated into taking. In. A. Vampire. Bar.
I take a seat across from my father, putting on my best smile, as Shera slides into the seat next to him. I glance back, finding Arion talking to the super tense bartender.
He catches me looking and shoots me a grin, but I just narrow my eyes as his grin grows.
“Nice place,” Dad says, prompting me to turn back around.
He’s looking over at Shera, who gives him a smirk and a nod. “I think so as well,” Shera says to him, before cutting that devious look toward me.
“I should hit the head if he’s getting our drinks,” Dad says before standing abruptly and heading to the bathroom off to the side.
“Your father is adorable in that very short, pudgy sort of way,” Shera says as she stares after him. “You must look more like your mom.”
“Are you out of your mind?” I hiss at Shera.
“Are you out of yours?” she fires back. “If I tell you not to say something, you’re not supposed to say it. Aren’t you supposed to be good at keeping secrets?”
“I’m not sure where you heard that, but you shouldn’t have been taunting me from behind the wheel if you wanted me to get in the car all stoically and shit,” I point out.
She hesitates and purses her lips, before she finally smiles again. “Fair enough.”
“Well, what are we talking about over here?” Arion asks as he takes a seat and puts his arm around my shoulders.
The music’s a little loud in here, so I’m guessing that was drowning us out too much for his super-hearing.
Shera gives him a tight, annoyed smile. “Waxing and other girl things,” she lies.
Arion’s lips twitch like he knows she’s lying, so he looks to me.
“Why are we in a vampire bar?” I ask him instead.
“Because the drink mixes here are to die for,” he says with a straight face, before that grin tugs up at one corner of his mouth.