Until the Sun Falls from the Sky(69)

Tonight, she did especially as she was wearing a black dress almost like the one Leah had worn last night. Not the same quality but close enough.

Everything about her was not the same quality but close enough.

He knew she captured his attention because she reminded him of Leah. It had been the reason he’d never taken her. He was anticipating the real thing, not an oft-used imitation.

But tonight, she’d do.

Her eyes caught his and she smiled beguilingly, an open and eager invitation. It was clear she was his to do with as he wished and this Feast, as he wished, had very few boundaries.

He looked away, allowing his aversion to show.

Eager and willing were not what he wanted. Spirit, personality, passion, defiance, fear, challenge, those were what he wanted.

After centuries he finally had all of that, a great deal of it. It was just that he was finding it maddening to an extreme.

And excruciatingly frustrating.

Lucien attended Feasts often, even if he particularly liked the taste of his concubine and, it went without saying, he particularly liked the taste of Leah. He was a vampire with a healthy appetite and Feasts allowed him diversity in that appetite.

However, over the last several centuries, he’d grown weary of them.

All the mortals who attended Feasts were registered with The Council. They were safe, healthy, willing, well-bred, from well-to-do families and their time was limited. They had two years to attend Feasts, any Feast they wanted, as many as they could attend before they were retired.

Fallen concubines were a different story. They came to Feasts and, out of respect for their legacy families, they were reluctantly allowed to attend but they weren’t registered. However The Council tracked them and after a few years the fallen concubines were eventually banned.

There were times when vampires had a taste at A Feast that they exceptionally enjoyed, one they didn’t wish to share. If this was the case, they could petition The Council. If The Council found the mortal suitable, the family would be approached for recruitment. If accepted, that mortal could become the vampire’s concubine. But also that new concubine’s line would forever be in the life.

The mortal never refused. Every mortal there hoped to be claimed into the life, ensuring their own continued feeding and their line’s future.

It rarely happened that a vampire made this petition but it was encouraged by The Council. More choice at Selections meant happier vampires.

The concubine lines detested it when this happened, more choice meant less opportunity for their own line to be chosen.

Surveying the crush of bodies in the room, Lucien couldn’t imagine petitioning for such a mortal. Although he enjoyed Feasts on a variety of levels, most especially being with his brethren in a place where they could be who they were without hiding, without secrets, he didn’t enjoy the mortals they drew. They were, for all practical purposes, whores without any money changing hands. He fed from them, naturally, but he’d never chosen from a line recruited from A Feast. The very idea of entering an Arrangement with such a mortal was repugnant to Lucien.

This attitude, Stephanie told him, was alarmingly superior but he didn’t give a fuck.

To take his mind off the woman on the dance floor and his thoughts, he started to sip his martini and noticed the glass was drained. He turned away from his position facing the room to the bar, caught the bartender’s attention and jerked up his chin. The bartender acknowledged his order and started to work on another martini, leaving the drinks he was preparing sitting on the counter unfinished.

Lucien looked at the three women whose drinks had gone wanting. Mortals. All looking at him. All smiling at him. All smiling the same smile the blonde had tossed him.

His eyes raked over them in revulsion and their smiles wavered, one went pale and turned away. Lucien did as well.

And his thoughts went instantly to Leah.

It had been difficult to shut her from his mind but he had succeeded in doing so the last ten hours, mainly with work.

There were many vampires who amassed their fortunes and happily lived their eternities managing them and living off the interest.

Lucien was not such a vampire.

Unlike everything else in his life, his business never ceased to be a challenge. There was always a new mountain to be tried, tested and conquered. New inventions, new technologies, new strategies and more and more money to earn. If it hadn’t been for that, he would have gone mad ages ago.

The bartender served his martini. Lucien paid for it, turning back unseeing to the room and allowing his thoughts to travel to Leah.

His fury had cooled considerably since their confrontation. Although, the thought of her declaration of him “disgusting” her still made him clench his teeth.