Ash(60)

After finishing my boring-ass shift, I hobbled home to get ready for karaoke. My leg was feeling better already and I was so pumped for tonight. Hells yeah. A little Celine, a few Whitneys – not to mention some Cindy Lauper – and I’d be in song heaven. Yeah, I had a penchant for 80s power women.

I chugged a bottle of O-negative and then put on some low-rise black skinny jeans, tucking one side into a knee-high flat boot, and the broken ankle side into the walking boot. I then threw on a vintage cut-off Star Wars shirt that exposed my stomach. Remembering Ryder’s compliment last time, I decided to leave my hair down, shaking out the kink from my ponytail. The front door closed and I walked out of my room to find Jayden just getting home from work. He looked at my outfit and I braced myself for his comment about how shitty it was.

“Hmm, it works … in a tomboy, grunge, gothic way.”

I rolled my eyes, but then he eyed my walking boot and his face became serious. “Oliver told me what happened today.”

I grinned. “It was actually fun.”

He raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “Say what? Getting your ankle shattered was fun?”

“No, obviously not that – the excitement of going out on an emergency call, helping save the woman, subduing the ash. It was a thrill. I want to be an enforcer!” I blurted the last part because I wasn’t sure I could keep it in any longer. I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since I went out with Kyle.

Jayden laughed. “Hah hah, like for Halloween?”

I smacked his big-ass arm. “No, asshat, like every day. Do I look like I’m destined to answer phones for the rest of my life?” I put a hand on my hip.

He smirked. “You have a point.”

My eyes lit up. “Really? You think Ryder would let me?”

Jayden’s smirk fell. “No, honey, I don’t.”

I growled. Dammit, weren’t friends supposed to support your dreams?



The brand new Hive karaoke club was on level fifty-five and had the most banging view of Portland. The club had a stage and high-tech karaoke setup, with an oxygen bar off to the side, and some hot-ass female vamp waitresses wearing cut-off jean shorts and tight white tank-tops with brown cowboy boots. It was interesting to see the vampires serving the ash. Rarely in Hive society did that happen. These girls looked like they took the job just to be able to bag a hot ash – judging by the sultry looks and lingering touches between the vamp females and male ash.

As a perky blond vamp with some seriously gorgeous full lips took our drink order, I plugged in a song for Jayden and I to sing next. I couldn’t wait to let loose and feel the beat. My attention shifted then as a familiar group walked into the bar – the sexy six, only they were missing a member, so right now they were the fine ass five. My eyes remained glued on the door for a few extra beats, but there was no Ryder. Sigh. I really needed to get over that shit. I was getting pathetic.

Oliver spotted us first, and with eyes for his boy, reached our table and dropped a kiss on Jayden’s cheek. He turned and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear, “Word has gotten around that you’re no longer off limits. Fair warning.”

He pulled away and I tried to mask my confusion. Was he talking about the blood test results? My eyes darted around, trying to figure out if everyone knew I was infertile now, and why that would make them all think I was open for lots of casual sex?

I seriously hated my private shit out there in the Hive world. This information was something I intended to sit on for like five or six years before thinking too much about it. I’d probably cry about it on that day in the future, and then move on because you can’t change the past.

Unease trickled down my spine and I felt super aware of all the hot ash around us. Was I imagining things or were they all looking at me? I was distracted then by the speaker system. It called for Jayden and me, and at the same time the intro to our song started. My BFF grabbed my hand and together we ran to the stage. As the spotlight hit us, I was suddenly in my element. I was a Leo, and there were two things Leos love: attention and more attention. Thank God for karaoke.

We grabbed the mics and stood together on the stage as the lyrics rolled up. Jayden flashed his full range of pearly whites and opened wide to belt out the tune.

We were pretty tame, right up until the chorus hit, and then it was time to let loose.

“Girls just wanna have fu-un! Oh girls, just wanna have fun!”

I cracked up on the last line as I noticed Oliver, Kyle, and Jared had left their booth and were crowded around the stage. I wasn’t sure if they were singing along or mocking the shit out of us. Either way, they were finally less badass and more relaxed-ass. Even the ash boogiemen needed a night off on occasion. Markus was laughing in the booth but hadn’t joined them. Sam was still in the shadows, nursing his vamp booze. That man had some demons. Even more than…