Chapter 54

Almara

After another elaborate meal, Noah offered me a cocktail. I almost said no, but then decided that I didn’t care. There was absolutely no reason that I shouldn’t indulge myself. After all, I would only have one. There was no way that I would get drunk off just one small cocktail.

The drink he handed me was a deep red and smelled like cinnamon and apples. There was even an apple slice on the rim of the glass. As I brought it to my lips, I caught the faintest scent of blood. I paused and pushed my nose deepered into the glass, breathing out so that the scents would bounce back stronger.

Yes. There was definitely blood in this. No more than a drop. I lowered the glass without drinking and looked at Noah. He was watching me intently and memories that I had forgotten about came flooding back.

When I was a child, my parents would tell me stories about vampires just in case I ever came across one. There was a slim chance since their population had decreased exponentially, but the risk was still there. And of those stories came back to me now.

When vampires wished to take a mate, the first step was feeding their intended a drop of their blood. After that, the vampire could find them, see into their mind, and suddenly become the most attractive being to the one they had chosen. It was almost like a date-rape drug that the humans relied on, but with a supernatural twist.

My parents had warned me never to ingest anyone’s blood. Which I thought would have been pretty obvious. Wolves didn’t share blood. That was a vampire thing. And now there was blood in my drink.

I thought back to how isolated Noah was and how he didn’t seem to be part of a pack. I had assumed he was an Omega, but perhaps he’d never had a pack, had never needed a pack because he wasn’t a wolf at all.

I glanced around his house. Noah liked to keep it dark. I had thought it was because of all the priceless artwork that he possessed, but maybe it was for another reason. I didn’t know much about vampires, but I was pretty sure they couldn’t walk out in the sun.

You’ve seen him in the sun, Lily said, interrupting my thoughts. I jumped. I hadn’t heard her voice since I’d fled the rehearsal. She had been unusually quiet but I guest the silent treatment was over now.

It’s nice to hear your voice again, I told her sarcastically. I couldn’t believe she had left me when I had been so distraught. She hadn’t even offered a kind word or any type of comfort. She’d just disappeared.

I was waiting for you to come to your senses, but you’re still running around blind. You’re not going to listen to me anyway. So I’ll let you do whatever you want until you see the truth, she snapped, but before I could ask her what she meant, she continued, But Noah can’t be a vampire. You’ve seen him in the sunlight.

I bit back a retort and mulled over what she had said. She was right. I had seen him in direct sunlight and he hadn’t burst into flame. I’d also seen him eat normal food on numerous occasions. We had literally just eaten dinner together.

And if you looked at his hand, you’d see a bandage wrapped around his finger. It’s clear that he sliced himself open when he was cutting the apples, Lily added and there was indeed a bandaid on his finger.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I must be out of my mind or tired. Or both. I can’t believe I thought my boss and friend was a vampire. If I had stopped to rationally think about it for even a second, I wouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion.

“Is everything alright, Sweetness?” Noah asked, concern clearly etched into his features. I smiled at him and brought the drink to my lips. One drop of blood wouldn’t hurt me. It had clearly been an accident anyway.

The drink was sweet and barely tasted like alcohol. I could easily drink four or five of these. Which meant it was very dangerous.

“Everything’s fine. The drink is very delicious, thank you.”

“If you want another, all you need to do is ask,” Noah said as I set down the empty glass. The offer was tempting, but I knew I couldn’t. Not with the baby to think about.

“I’d better not. The doctor said I had to limit my alcohol intake to just one or two glasses. I think I’ll just stick to one tonight,” I said gently, not wanting to hurt his feelings. I really had enjouyed the drink.

Noah smiled at me before bowing low, extending his hand to me. “Would you care for a dance, my lady?”

I giggled at him. “But there’s no music, Noah.”

He straightened up, a mischievous grin on his face. He clapped his hands and suddenly a waltz started to play. I looked around, trying to find where the music was coming from. I finally spotted speakers carefully hidden in the corners, almost invisible if I hadn’t been actively searching for them.

“Sweetness?” Noah gently prodded, his hand once again reaching out to me. I hesitantly put my hand in his and he pulled me into his arms. One arm slid around my waist, holding me against him. The other held my hand, guiding me in the dance.

After the fifth time tripping over his feet, Noah chuckled to himself and paused long enough to lift me up and set me on his feet. I giggled like a crazy person as he moved us fluidly across the room, unimpeded by my two left feet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck for stability, feeling dizzy as the alcohol finally made its way to my head. It pressed me closer into him and I could feel how happy he was to have me here. I pressed my lips together. We shouldn’t be doing this.

The song came to a close and Noah walked us into a wall. I was trapped, with nowhere to go.

“Noah…” I murmured, putting my arms in between us. I splayed my hands against his chest and I could feel his heart beating fast underneath.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he breathed into my ear and I arched into him. I couldn’t help it. My body was not listening to my mind at the moment.

He laid a gentle kiss against my lips before burying his face into my neck. He placed kisses up and down the sensitive skin, being mindful to skip over Arthur’s mark. I let out a sigh of contentment. Was it really so wrong for me to want this? Arthur had left me and Noah wanted me. I couldn’t really see a problem anymore.

Noah’s teeth grazed over my skin. My body tensed, the thought that Noah was a vampire still fresh in my mind. When I felt two fangs against my neck, I pushed him away with all my strength, fear pulsing through me.

Noah’s violet eyes filled with hurt and I whispered an apology as I ran to my room, my embarrassment demanding that I retreat. I knew Noah wasn’t a vampire, but perhaps the drink he had given me was stronger than I realized.

As soon as I collapsed into my bed, my eyes started to get heavy. Perhaps I was more exhausted than I realized as well. In mere seconds, sleep claimed me.