Lover Tamed

 

Chapter 1

The thick beat of techno music was like a living thing, its bass pulsating like a frenzied heart. ZeroSum was the hot spot tonight. It seemed everyone and – judging by what some daring individuals in the crowd looked like – everything was waiting to get in.

“Oh…my…god!” Megan bubbled cheerfully. “I so wanted to come here for my twenty first but I knew all of my friends wouldn’t get in.”

“Oh, I know,” Gina, Megan’s sister, piped in. “Because you know some of them are just not…”

Blah, blah, fucking blah…

Eve Chambers did her best to tune the sisters out. Unlike those two, her enthusiasm for going club hopping was nonexistent. The only reason she agreed to come was because her mother wanted her to go out and meet new people.

These are sooooo not my people, she thought watching a chick in a mesh-y see-through bodysuit walk by. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Eve shifted her focus on her own outfit. She pulled at the black skirt that came to mid thigh and the tight shimmering silver shirt she had on. The borrowed clothing was not something she was used to wearing but her step-sisters had demanded she change into something more befitting of a clubber if she was going to be hanging with them. She felt nothing but exposed, even under the make-up and fluffed up black and silver hair. She felt trapped in an unfamiliar world where everything was so pretty, yet so plastic.

She looked down at her arms, fingering the dozens of little plastic bracelets on each of her wrists. Eve only wore them to hide the evidence of a painful past. They were all different colors like someone had strapped a rainbow around her wrist. Over the years she had grown accustomed to them, and now they were almost a part of her.

As a light breeze carried the warm night air, the city smells of pavement and vehicle exhaust swirled around them. Laugher kicked up from a group of people waiting to get in. There was a vibration of excitement around everyone. They were eager for the sex and drugs that awaited them in ZeroSum.

A rich male voice rumbled through the hum of the crowd and rushed over their eardrums like liquid thunder. “Hello, ladies.”

Eve looked up from the spot that she was staring at in the sidewalk. She looked up and up and up. They were three of the biggest guys she had ever seen.  The shortest was easily a good foot and some odd inches taller than her.

Megan and Gina giggled, posing to flaunt their wonder bra cleavage and killer long legs. They were ready to pull out all the stops, working whatever they had to their advantage to bag the gorgeous men standing in front of them.

“Hey, there,” Megan purred. She was the bolder of the two sisters, and knew exactly how to twitch her assets.

“Hi,” Gina said. Even Eve could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

“Would you lovely girls like to join us? You wouldn’t have to wait to get in.” The one that spoke was the obvious ringleader of the men. He had the smooth confidence of a man that knew what he wanted and exactly how to get it. His hair was spiked up into hundreds of mini black points, tan skin glowed in health, and he smelled like a million bucks. There were seven black studs that run up along the shell of his left ear. A black ring coiled around the very center of his bottom lip and another through his eyebrow. His eyes were one of the more noticeable features; one was green and the other blue. There was also a red teardrop tattoo on his left cheek underneath the blue eye. Didn’t they issue those types in prison?

His friends didn’t have any visible piercings or tats but that didn’t make them stand up guys. Just as alarm bells started chiming warnings in her head, Megan slipped her arm around his.

“Sure, we can hang,” she said coolly. “By the way, I’m Megan.  This,” she motioned with her free hand, “is Gina and Evelyn.”

The guys barely registered Eve’s presence, which was the usual case. She honestly didn’t mind though. She wasn’t the type who ever got second glances from anyone. She was an utterly drab creature; a demure grey dove in the midst of the proud, flamboyant peacocks.  The only way her night would go smoothly is if she wasn’t noticed by any of them. The night could be over soon, and she could back to her quiet, safe life of self-reliance and solitude.

“Well, I’m Qhuinn. This is John and Blay.” He pointed to the two men with him. One had red hair and looked as though he would like to be somewhere else at the moment, something Eve could totally relate to. His other friend, John, had black hair and was the biggest of the trio. He easily dwarfed her into an infantile size even though being around them all made her feel almost microscopic. Gina was quick to simper up to the little giant. As they wandered up to the bouncers, Blay and Eve shuffled behind the group like afterthoughts.  

They were waved right into the club without having to flash any identification. Inside, bodies writhed and swayed to the entrancing music that was so loud the beat pounded against her skin like thousands of tiny fists. Smoke clouded the air and the scent of stale sweat and sex invaded her nose.

Winding through the sea of bodies and to the VIP section, Eve wondered who the hell these guys were. They were obviously high rollers if they were able to get in with the big leagues. They certainly didn’t look like they got their money through legit means. She was willing that they obtained their money illegally. Suit, tie, briefcase, and a nine-to-five definitely weren’t their lifestyle.

They finally came to rest at a table near an exit. Blay was quite the gentleman and offered for her to be seated first. She politely declined. “Thanks, but I like sitting on the outside. It feels less crowded.”

He just shrugged and slid onto the bench. The other four crammed into the opposite side, completely comfortable with each other. The awkwardness was rolling off her escort in waves. He really didn’t want to be here anymore than she did. She briefly wondered why while she snuck a quick glance at him. He was just as good looking as his buddies. He could most certainly have just about any girl in here with a snap of his fingers. She looked away to all the tail that was cruising around the dance floor. Oh, yeah. It wouldn’t be too hard to get under those tight skirts considering most of them would make better dental floss than clothing. Swiveling her head around, she silently observed the others at the table. They were all getting comfy cozy, smiling, laughing, and letting their bodies get better acquainted.

“My buddy John here is mute. I’ll translate for you, but hopefully there won’t be too much time for that,” Qhuinn told the girls. There was more giggling and whispered words that Eve couldn’t make out.

“Nah, he took a vow of silence. Undertaking such a task in our culture is a sign of great strength and courage. He is highly respected among us,” the man went on praising his buddy.

Somehow Eve sensed that it was a crock, but she decided to say nothing. Most girls they hung around probably ate that bull right up like gourmet shit. She needed Zen like control not to roll her eyes even though a small smile played at the corners of her lips. If Gina and Megan got used for a quick slap and tickle, that was their own problem.   

A waitress sashayed up to the table asking them what they all wanted to drink. Everyone but her ordered alcohol. She just got cranberry juice. Drinking for her was not on the itinerary tonight, especially in the company of thugs she had just met. Operating on a clear mind was paramount if around potential danger. And these three gentlemen clearly had danger coiling through their veins.  

“God, Evelyn, you’re such a damn prude,” Megan prodded when the woman came back with their drinks at neck break speed. All the guys had beer and the girls had some pink crap in their glasses. No doubt some sweet, fruity drink with a cute and catchy little name.

Eve stirred her drink with a straw, the ice clinking together like mini icebergs adrift in a ruby red sea. She was bound to get more comments from the peanut gallery tonight so she decided to ignore her.

Subconsciously she pulled out a pen from her bag. The only paper she had was the little napkin her drink sat on so she pulled it out and started doodling on it. “So, Blay,” she said turning wavy lines into hair. “What kind of work do you do?” Eve’s hand pause and she risked a sideways glance at him. His eyes were lingering on the others across from them, Corona idly twisting between his hands. Actually it was trained on one person in particular, a yearning churning in those light blue orbs.

The gaze was broken with her question, those eyes focusing on her. “I’m, uh, I guess you could say I’m a student.”

“Oh, yeah.” One delicate dark brow arched in question. “What are you studying?”

“Stuff. Nothing interesting.”

Well, if that wasn’t a shut down. Eve could only speculate what he studied. Probably something with classes named “Guns and Ammo 101” or “Police Eluding Techniques” were her guesses; all things necessary to be a criminal.

She looked back to the drawing, focusing on the masculine curve of a jaw line. Blay seemed to have no interest in talking to her, and that was fine. Eve didn’t have much interest in talking to him either but the more hospitable side of her personality demanded that she at least make an effort.

“Don’t mind her,” Megan murmured to Blay. “I don’t think she ever had a boyfriend, and wouldn’t know how to handle a man like you.”

“Maybe that jacked bitch over there is more her speed,” Gina said nodding toward the bar, an amused grin tugging up the corners of her lips. The woman there was indeed jacked. She had muscled arms that even a man would be proud of. She seemed to radiate power with a promise of a beat down if you fucked with her. Her black hair was clipped short and her laser-like eyes were scanning the crowd with cool, shrewd calculation.

Eve looked up from the napkin to Gina. She tapped the table with her pen, a gesture born from the agitation rolling under her skin. “Maybe she is,” she snapped through clenched teeth.

“The way you hang around that dyke, I always knew you were a lezzy. Your mother just doesn’t want to admit it and she is hoping that we could help you, which is such a waste of time,” Megan piped in.

“Help me what…become some barfly floozy like the two of you? I fucking pass, sweetheart,” Eve said coldly.

“Ladies, ladies, ladies, let’s calm down and enjoy the night. I’m sure I can get your sister to relax a little.” One blue eye winked in her direction.

“They are no kin of mine, and I’m not interested. Not in you or anyone else.”

“Come on, Evelyn. There is plenty of him to share, and it’s about time you get laid by an actual man. Maybe it’ll loosen you up a little.” A mocking laughter echoed in her tone.

“I’m sure you’re plenty loose for the both of us, Megan.”

“Come on, ladies. You don’t have to fight over me,” Qhuinn chimed in.

Eve couldn’t stop the agitation from becoming full on anger, blooming like a rose of fury. “You aren’t that big of a prize, believe me. And this womanizing male bullshit you’re pulling makes me think you are trying to make up for some sort of inadequacy. It’s not attractive to anyone but bubble wrap like them. I see right through you. You’re all bulk with no worthy substance.”

The heterochromatic eyed male became utterly ridged. Apparently she hit a nerve, but she got no real satisfaction from it. He hadn’t deserved the tongue lashing that she gave him, and now she was feeling like hell because of it. She was just pissed off at her step-sisters for going out of their way to make her miserable, and he just got caught in the crossfire.

 

~*~

The table became silent. The tension thickening the air was a telltale sign that shit was about to hit the proverbial fan. Qhuinn stared at the girl sitting across from him, his jaw set firmly in anger. He was only trying to lighten the mood and she had been a complete bitch to him. Out of his periphs he seen John reach out and touch his shoulder but he shook him off.  No fucking way was he going to let some prissy human bitch who didn’t even know him talk to him that way.

“You know what. Fuck. You.”

“It was definitely a bad idea to do this.” Evelyn slid out of the booth, tugged down her skirt, and started walking away. Before she got away from the table Qhuinn reached out, fastening his hand around her wrist. He tugged her toward him before she even had time to get away.  

“What the hell are you–,” She tried to pulled her arm out of his grip but it was like trying to get the wind not to blow.

His gaze trained on her wrist, his thumb stroking beneath the bracelets over the dark line of scar tissue slashed across her veins. “Next time do the world a favor and cut vertically.”

Evelyn yanked her hand from him, and this time he let her. Her wide light eyes trained on him. They were almost too light to be a normal human eye color. The anger in them melted away to something raw, something that he couldn’t immediately identify. He braced himself, expecting her to come back at him with a heated retort. Instead she tucked the white chunk of hair behind her ear and turned away.  The crowd swallowed her whole in its writhing mess of flesh as she made off for the exit.

Qhuinn refocused his attention to the people at the table, grabbing his beer and slugging down the three quarters that was left in the bottle. He became acutely aware that four pairs of eyes were trained on him as if waiting for the ticking time bomb to go off.

John was the first to break the silence – sort of – with frantic hand movements. Qhuinn, that was pretty harsh. Maybe you should go apologize to her.

Fuck that. Qhuinn hadn’t said anything to warrant the shit that she just threw at him. He was just trying to smooth the situation between the girls. She was the one that should be apologizing. She had said things that were equally harsh to him.

Inadequate…

The word bounced around in his brain, pissing him off even more. All his life he had been told he wasn’t good enough. Because of his mismatched eyes, he had always been looked down upon by the other nobles of his race. The glymera was made up of the vampire aristocracy, the rich and perfect. They didn’t accept any kind of abnormality among them. Even his own family had despised and ignored him, disowned him when he needed them most.

“She always pulls stunts to get attention. Pay no mind to her,” Megan cooed, running her fingers up and down Qhuinn’s arm.

“You know that shit wouldn’t have gone down if you two weren’t such fucking bitches.” This came from Blay who was leaning back in his seat looking plenty pissed off. Blay was always the politest of males. He never swore in front of females whether they were human or vampire, so for him to do so was pretty shocking. He glared at Megan before getting up from the booth. “I’m gonna go have a smoke.” And with that he took off toward the exit.  

Blay did have a point though. If Megan and Gina hadn’t been prodding her the whole time, she would have probably been fine.

Qhuinn stood up as well, but he didn’t follow his friend. He just looked at the two girls he was just sitting beside. “You need to leave.”

“What?” they said in unison.

“Out,” he said, nodding his head toward the dance floor.

“Is there a problem here?” asked a commanding voice. Xhex was the head of security here at ZeroSum. She was the female with short hair and the body of a male.

John regarded her in with a blank face. He had a thing for her, but something had happened between the two that slowed his roll right down. No longer macking on her like he used to, he started playing with the other ladies. Now he was a partner in crime to Qhuinn’s sexual antics, participating in group sex usually containing more than one woman. It was almost a weekly ritual to find a group of willing females, take them to the back, and put their hips to good use. Tonight, obviously, would not be one of those nights.

“Nope, but I would appreciate it if you escorted these ladies out of VIP.”

“But…but,” Megan sputtered, anger ruining her otherwise pretty countenance. Gina just stared wide-eyed and wary as if she couldn’t believe something like this would happen to her.

“My pleasure,” Xhex responded coolly. “Come right this way, ladies.”

The blondes slowly got up and were lead back down to the dance floor. They were smart and didn’t protest because they would have ended up out on their asses. Xhex was not someone you messed with and she usually never had to say a word to get people to follow her command. Most were afraid of the hurt that she could and would bring if she needed to. The crowd that had swallowed Evelyn and Blay up parted like the Red Sea in her path.

We should go check to see if Blay is cool, John signed. He was pretty goddamned angry about something.

“I want another beer before I deal, okay.” John held his hands up in surrender as a waitress came over with freshies for the two remaining. She swept the forgotten drinks of the others away, and then went hightailing back to the bar. Turns out he wanted two more to make the journey to the exit to check on his friend.

 

~*~

Blaylock punched the bar to the exit and walked out into Trade Street. The lines just to get into the club were still winding down the block. The humans’ chatter filled out whatever quiet was left from the loud music filtering out of the club.

Blay slipped a pack of cigs out of his back pocket to light up. Every time he saw Qhuinn with another female the hurt that had settled in his chest grew a little more each day. They had been best friends for pretty much ever, and in that time Blay had grown to love him. Not just as a friend but as a possible lover. Well, that fantasy had kind of been blown to shit once Qhuinn had let him down.

There had been a kissed shared that night. Their one and only Qhuinn had made perfectly clear. Blay’s lips tingled at the memory. He could almost still feel those smooth lips on his, that soft tongue pressing into him, licking over his fangs, battling his own tongue in a series of strokes and caresses. He nearly grew hard just thinking about that little piece of intimacy he had shared with his best friend.

He slipped a Dunhill out of the pack and lit it, sucking in a lung full of smoke. He had picked up the nasty little habit after nights of watching the object of his desire screw random chicks in the club. At least he didn’t have to worry about cancer as vampires were immune.

He looked from the long line waiting to get in to the other end of the club. He had to keep a look out for lessers. The enemy was usually out and about on nights like this, looking to capture and hack down innocent civilian vampires. Blay had to be on watch, not because he was afraid of getting caught unawares, but because he was a defender of his race.

Near the corner of the building a huddled figure caught his attention. She was leaning against the cruddy wall tapping furiously at her cell phone.

Cursing to himself, Blay went over to her. “Hey, uh, Evelyn,” he called out.

The figure jerked her head up and looked at him as he came over to her. She seemed genuinely startled to see him out here.

“Hey, what are you –,” she cut herself off when she saw the cigarette in his hand.

“Are you okay?” Blay asked. 

She looked back at the cell phone in her hand, pressed a key, and frowned. “Yeah, just trying to get a pick up.”

“Listen, I’m sorry about what went down in there. He shouldn’t have said that.”

“Oh…no. What I said was uncalled for. I mean it wasn’t his fault Megan and Gina are such bitches and I don’t know him all like that to make that kind of judgment. Could you tell him that I apologize for what I said?”

Blay nodded then took a drag from his ciggy before plunging, cherry-first out into the street. “Is someone picking you up?”

“Nah, I think I’m just going to trek it,” Eve said, shrugging and taking quick glances up and down the street.

“It’s dangerous, especially in this part of town. You should wait for a ride or call a cab.” Downtown Caldwell – especially at night – was no place for a female to be wandering about alone.

“I’m straight. I only live a few blocks away. No real point in getting a ride anyway.”

“I’ll walk you home then.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, I do. It will give me piece of mind and hopefully make up for my friend.”

“You don’t need to make anything up for your friend.”

“Listen, Qhuinn isn’t a bad guy. He is just a little hot-headed, and a bit dramatic at times.” Blay let out a frustrated breath. “I’m still going to walk with you.”

“I said I’ll be fine. I’ve walked home by myself hundreds of times before. It’s nothing new. And don’t give me that look. I’m not naïve. I know that there are things out there that could hurt me. You could very well be one of those things. How would I know you aren’t dangerous to me?” Eve questioned. 

“If I wanted to hurt you…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you would have done so already,” Eve cut him off. “And how, exactly, is that supposed to reassure me?” She cocked a thin brow at him, a small smirk curling the corners of her mouth.

“Look, Evelyn, I’m just trying –,”

“Eve. Just call me Eve. And I’m just busting your balls. Let’s go. It’s obvious you are not going to let up anyway. But know this. I am a ninja assassin trained in the old ways of serious ass kicking. You fuck with me, buddy, and your ass is grass.”

Blay threw his head back and laughed. “Fair enough, lead the way.” He swung is arms out waiting for her to start walking in the direction of her home. He fell in step with her, heading deeper into the downtown area.

They started to make their way down Trade, toward the poorer part of town. Blay kept watch making sure nothing moved in the shadows. He should have pushed her harder to take a cab, but he didn’t want to get her all worked up again. She would have probably ended up walking by herself if he hadn’t pressured her anymore about being safe.

“So, uh, I know this is none of my business and all, but is what they said true? I mean about you, you know, liking females.” He could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. This was definitely something he shouldn’t have asked but his curiosity had pushed him to it. Being strictly gay in his race was practically unheard of so he had never met anyone like himself. He fully expected her to be completely offended by the question.

For a while she didn’t say a word. He could feel her eyes on him. Blay shifted his weigh and cleared his throat. “Sorry I asked. Just forget –”

Eve’s soft laughter cut him short. “I’m not offended by the question. And to answer you, I don’t like much of anyone. But I do have a female lover.” There was another pause in conversation for about a block. “So, answer me this,” Eve said breaking up the silence. “Does this have anything to do with you wanting your friend in there?”

“How did you know?” Blay looked at her, completely startled that she could tell how he felt towards Qhuinn. John was the only other that knew.

“Was it supposed to be a secret? I could see how much you wanted him. How much you hated seeing Megan rub herself all over him. Does he know?”

“Uh, yeah. I guess I’m terrible at hiding the way I feel because he figured it out just like you did.”

“Blay, I don’t mean to be rude, but is there a point to all this?”

He seemed to turn even redder and stared down at his shiny loafers. “I just never really met anyone who was like me. Someone who likes the same sex I mean. I’m fucking this all up. I guess I just wanted to ask if I could talk to you about it sometime. If you don’t want to that’s cool. I don’t want to bother you about it.”

“I’m probably the last person you want to go to for advice. But I could give it a try, I suppose.”

Blay flashed a small smile. “Have you come out to your family?”

“My mom knows I’m with a woman, which would explain why I’m out with two people I hate. My mom thinks there is going to be some man out there to put me on the straight and narrow,” she muttered. “To be honest, I don’t really think I’m completely gay. There has only been one girl that I have been with. I never had a boyfriend and I never have given it much thought. I’m content with who I’m with right now even though it is more of a casual thing. Have you told them?”

“I want to. I really want to. But here’s the thing, where I come from, it’s socially unacceptable. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to my family.” 

“I can understand that. My step-family…well, they are all about key appearances and they frown upon scandal because they are all in the political spotlight. I pretty much keep my distance from them. My mother and I…well…we are not as close…even less since she got married to Megan and Gina’s father. Have you tried reaching out to gay support groups or anything?”

“No. It wasn’t until recently that this all started to bug me. I’m not much of a group person anyway. It’s just that John and Qhuinn are the only two people that know. While they are my best friends it’s not something I really talk about with them. Qhuinn for obvious reasons and John wouldn’t really understand it all, I’m afraid. It’s just that…”

A scream cut off whatever train of words were about to tumble from his mouth. Up ahead there were two men in a fight. One had long pale hair and he had a hold on a guy that was fighting to get away. Another scream shattered the night calm. This one was of pain as the male’s arm was wrenched behind his back. As to not draw attention to itself, the lesser started dragging the civilian into a back alley next to what looked like a derelict construction site.

“Shit!” Blay cursed. “Listen, I need you to go back to the club okay. Go get John and Qhuinn. Tell them trouble at Fifth and Trade. No cops and hurry!” Not waiting to see if she took off, Blay headed for the back alley. Pulling a gun out of the waistband of his slacks, he hoped his backup would show up soon, because if not he might get into serious trouble.