CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

NATALIA MOROZOVA

The Blood Moon Gala. I'm at The freaking Blood Moon Gala! I can barely believe it even as I turn in a slow circle, trying to take in all of the sights, the sounds, and the men—none of whom is the one I was nearly forced into marrying. I glance over at Alexei Volkov as Ekaterina Sokolova mixes two drinks of what she calls "Kiss This."

Drinking in the sight of Alexei's full lips, I catch myself wondering what they'd be like pressed against mine. Or perhaps what they'll be like. I did promise myself that if I made it out of my doomed wedding to Viktor Dragunov, I'd be spending the night tossing my V-card out the window, for good and forever.

I grin like a madwoman. Bet that Dragunov creep is livid. I study Alexei as he watches the Succubus blend our drinks. His all-black ensemble is fitted impeccably to his muscular build. Not a hair out of place, but his bright blue eyes are disturbed. Whoever this individual is, he's seen death. And a lot of it. Warrior, perhaps? Perhaps he has ties with the Royals? I mean he's here, so I know he has to be a supernatural—but he's one I've never seen. I'm not able to get a reading on him.

He's not a shifter—at least, not a wolf—and he's not pale enough to be a vampire. And the way he looked at the blood? I smile. No, no chance in hell this guy is a bloodsucker. I don't scent sulfur or salt, so he's not a fire or oceanic creature.

What are you, Alexei? Besides devilishly handsome and muscled like the hero of a romance novel. I catch motion out of the corner of my eye, and turn to my right in time to see a black cat with adorably oversized ears dragging a black dress into the bathroom. I laugh. Only at The Blood Moon Gala would that be a normal thing to see.

"Here you go, beautiful." Ekaterina sets a drink in front of me, then sets the same in front of Alexei. "And that one's for you, handsome. My, my, you two are a beautiful couple." She leans further over the bar.

"Oh, we're not a couple," I say, as my face grows hot with blush.

"No?" Ekaterina's eyebrow raises. "You should be. You're absolutely stunning together."

A woman slides in beside me, her blue hair appearing nearly purple in the dim lighting. She glances over at me, her striking eyes outlined in black and fringed in thick eyelashes. Her nose ring glints as she grins broadly.

"Hello," she says, holding out a hand. "I'm Mila Volkova."

"Natalia," I reply. Mila's glittering amber eyes scan me and come to rest on Alexei.

"Hello, handsome. Can't say I'm surprised to see your kind here."

Frowning, I turn back to Alexei who's gone a bit paler. "Kind?"

"You two together?" Mila asks.

"Not yet," Ekaterina says with a teasing smile at Alexei. Jealousy shoots through me, a completely ridiculous response to a totally innocuous situation—but there it is. "What can I get you, doll?" Ekaterina asks Mila.

"Whatever you're serving, but make it strong."

"Got it." As Ekaterina occupies herself with preparing Mila a drink, I focus on Alexei again.

"You all right?" I ask, curious. If he hadn't looked so worried when Mila suggested she knew what he was, I wouldn't have pressured him. But honestly, at this point, I don't care. He could be a pig shifter, and I'd still be attracted to him.

I nearly snort. The wolf and the pig…tale as old as time.

Taking the small glass, I sip. The Baileys is creamy, rich, but club soda provides a delightful pop in my mouth. It's quite possibly the most delicious drink I've ever had. And I wasted a few years rebelling and drinking anything and everything.

Glancing across at Alexei and the way his mouth is contorted in grim disgust, I very much doubt he feels the same. I laugh, loud and free, no longer concerned with being the pack's future Beta. Tonight, here, I am simply Natalia. A shifter without morals. Because tonight, I plan on losing it all.

My worries.

My virginity.

All. Of. It.

Alexei reaches out to me, and I stand rooted where I am. He wipes a thumb across my cheek and pulls it back, revealing a smudge of whip cream that must have been left on my face from my drink. I grab his wrist and pull his hand to me before he can wipe it on a napkin.

He stares at me, wide-eyed, and I nearly chicken out. Now or never, Natalia. I part my lips and close them around his thumb, sucking off the whipped cream. Alexei's pupils dilate. His heart rate accelerates, and he breathes out as he gazes at me.

I lean back, taking another sip from my glass. "Seemed like a shame to waste it."

"Damn, girl. That was—" Ekaterina pauses with a wink and fans herself with a perfectly manicured hand. "I think you deserve another."

I reach into my drink and take out my cherry, setting the red fruit between my lips before pulling the stem out. He's watching me, mesmerized, and it doesn't matter anymore that I've felt so helpless these past few months. Because right now, the way Alexei is looking at me—I feel more powerful than I ever thought possible.

"Here you go." Ekaterina sets another drink in front of me. "So, what are your names?" she asks, studying me with interest. I've never been up close to a succubus before, so I try not to stare.

"Natalia," I tell her. "This is Alexei."

Ekaterina trains red eyes on Alexei and looks him up and down appreciatively. "Alexei, eh?" She laughs and runs a pink tongue over full red lips. "Well, Alexei, you can hang on my door anytime. I swear there's always room." With a wink, she walks off, and I glance over at Alexei, who has gone bright red.

It's so freaking cute.

Alexei swallows hard and clears his throat, tossing back his drink with a flick of his wrist and turning to study the rest of the group. "So, what do you do when you're not riding by moonlight to high-end parties?"

"Not much," I admit. "I was in college—getting my bachelor's in childhood education, if you can believe it."

He raises an eyebrow.

"It's true. I love kids, and I wanted as normal a life as I could have."

"You used the past tense. Why aren't you anymore?"

I laugh humorlessly. "I'm engaged. Was supposed to be married by about an hour ago, actually."

Alexei stiffens beside me. "You're engaged?"

I look over at him and shake my head. "Not willingly."

"Oh."

"That decision was made for me when I was pulled out of school and tossed into a spelled room where I was to wait for my fate." I realize dumping my story out to some stranger isn't the most brilliant idea—particularly if I want to sleep with him—but as I'll more than likely never lay eyes on him again, why the hell not? It's been months since I've been able to speak without restriction. Hell, it's been months since I've been in a position to talk to anyone but those Viktor allowed in my life.

"That's bullshit."

"It really is," I agree.

"So, The Gala saved you from a loveless marriage."

"Saved…postponed. Honestly, I'll take either if it means I get to have fun for a night." I hold out my hand. "You up for an adventure tonight? It would seem I'm dateless."

He stares at my open hand for a fraction of a second before weaving his fingers into mine. "It seems I am, too."

"Then let's go have fun." I start to walk but stop and turn to look up at him with a completely serious look on my face. "I'll never let go, Alexei."

He snorts and shakes his head. "Shit. I didn't see that one coming."

Throwing my head back, I laugh like I don't have a care in the world because, tonight, here at The Blood Moon Gala with gorgeous and mysterious Alexei, I don't.

Pulling him along through the crowd, I head toward a side door, towing us out onto Siren's Deck. Cool, damp air closes around us, and I'm caught up in the beauty of the water below.

I grasp the cold handrails and lean over it just far enough to take a deep breath and fill my lungs with the salty air.

"What the hell is that?" Alexei asks, gesturing towards a dark form lurking in the sea.

I trace his line of sight and gasp. A wrecked ship floats ghostly along the dark surface. But that's not the strangest part. There is a woman on the deck—completely naked—as she looks out toward us. Her skin glows a faint blue like the moon, and she raises her hand in a wave-like motion as she disappears completely.

"I have no clue," I reply honestly.

Guess I should have anticipated some strange shit—considering we're in The Devil's Veil."

I glance at him. "We are?"

He nods. "Didn't your gargoyle friends tell you that?"

"They left that part out."

"Thoughtful of them," he says, and takes my hand again. "Shall we?"

"We shall." I grin, following him along the side of The Crimson Ark. We're nearly at the stern before I pull him to a stop. "Woah, that's beautiful."

A Shadow Lift, tubular in structure, is positioned just aft of the vessel. Made of some sort of iron, the rods twist together in a complex gothic design that's perfect for the decor, but probably not native to the original ship.