Talons (27 page)

“
Perhaps we will see one
another again one day, Vivian,” he said quietly, heart in his eyes.
“By then, you will realize all I have told you, and feel
differently.”

“
You’re not getting off the
hook for dumping me,” Vivvie said angrily. He smiled at her
words.

“
I didn’t dump you, Vivian,”
Ty said thoughtfully, his golden eyes filled with emotion. “I only
borrowed you for a time. I knew we could never have anything more.
If it makes you feel better; I’ll miss you more than you will miss
me.”

“
I doubt that,” she said,
conscious of hostile eyes upon her once more. “I understand why
you’re leaving now. I might not agree, but it appears nothing has
changed. Even here, my opinion doesn’t mean much.”

“
Vivian, you will be fine
here,” Ty said and smiled gently. “Just do what you said you would
do. Get your degree, make a life for yourself. Let no one lead you
away from the path you choose.”

“
I don’t want to get all
sad,” she said, feeling her eyes burn. “Just promise to email me
once a week and let me know how you are.”

Ty agreed to keep in touch. The young
ones were sent off to bed then. The adults moved the party down to
the disco. Vivvie went back to her room to change. She was
impressed when she entered the lounge later, thinking she was in a
nightclub back in Melbourne.

Vivvie took extra time with her
appearance, glad she saved the sequined tube top Dina insisted she
wear months ago. She paired it with one of the black leather short
jackets Dina was fond of and a pair of cute jeans. She wore the
strappy black sandals as an afterthought, feeling wobbly when she
first put them on.

Vivvie drew looks as she entered the
party, pleased she went to all the trouble now. If she ever thought
she was even close to looking hot; it was when Ty stopped talking
to a companion and stared at her with golden eyes
simmering.

The room was filled with tables. A
round circular bar dominated the room and a disco ball hung over a
large dance floor. The deejay was playing music loudly from a booth
off the dance floor.

She sat with Jericho and Ty as strains
of rap music blared. The dance floor was packed. She felt the scene
was surreal. None of the inhabitants of the compound lounge, dubbed
Cat’s Corner, were drinking alcohol. She sniffed at the drink in
front of her that Jericho gave her.

“
What is this stuff?” she
asked loudly over the music. “It tastes bitter and makes my tongue
itch.”

Ty grinned and Jericho smiled. “It’s a
drink derived from herbs, said to soothe us. You will like it.
Don’t worry.”

Like it she did, draining one and then
another. She knew she was getting buzzed off of it when the DJ
started playing Rick James ‘Super Freak’ and her head started
bobbing along with the music, her straw dangling from her
lips.

Ty smiled and looked away saying
nothing. He nodded and the waitress brought them another round. By
then, Vivvie was off her seat, dancing around him and Jericho like
a seasoned pole dancer.

She felt wonderful, energized, and more
than a little intoxicated. The drink helped dull the pain of Ty’s
imminent departure, so she soldiered on, drinking more of it than
she should have.

“
Maybe we should tell her,”
Jericho said worriedly as he watched Vivvie dancing amid the others
on the dance floor now, head thrown back, her body moving to the
music.

“
No, this I have to see,” Ty
said, grinning and enjoying the sight of Vivian with her hair down,
losing control.

Jericho grinned. “She’s going to have
one hell of a hangover tomorrow.”

“
She needs to discover
everything for herself, Jericho. This is all part of it. Telling
her she’s drinking pure catnip whiskey won’t likely deter her right
now. Just keep an eye on her. I have to finish packing. I can’t
stay all night.”

Eli entered the disco then and the
females seemed to radiate towards him. Ty saw this and tensed.
Their leader only had eyes for Vivian, who was dancing to another
popular human tune. Ty didn’t like the look in Eli’s gaze, but he
could do nothing to stop what he saw happening.

Eli joined them, his appreciative gaze
centered on Vivian. “She’s wasted,” he said with a grin of
delight.

“
She’s got to learn,” Ty
said and smiled indulgently as Vivian and the others on the floor
began to perform the Electric Slide. “But some things can’t be
taught. Staying away from catnip whiskey is one thing she will
realize tomorrow. It’s good for her. She needs to
unwind.”

Eli obviously had his own thoughts and
ordered her another while she was dancing, his blue eyes glowing
with mischief.

Jericho noticed Eli ordered her a
double and said nothing, for Ty was keeping his eye upon Vivian
dancing between two very young and frisky males, whose eyes seemed
to devour her.

“
I’ll babysit the Newbreed,
Ty,” Eli informed him silkily. “You need to make ready to leave in
five hours.”

Ty saw Eli’s possessive look focused on
Vivian and felt a flash of helpless rage and jealousy. Eli was
determined to exploit Vivian’s present weakness to his own
advantage. He had other things to contend with. Vivian had to learn
to take the drink in doses, as well as their leader. He nodded and
left them, wanting nothing more than to drag Vivian with
him.

Vivvie danced her way back to the
table, ignoring the hands that reached for her from the dance
floor, or the males who fairly growled as she passed, their glowing
eyes filled with appreciation.

When she went to the bar as a human,
she got none of this attention. Dina and her friends outshone her
then. She felt a sense of victory to know she conquered the kitty
world, fairly purring as she came back to the table.

Ty was gone and she felt a sense of
loss and anger at his abrupt departure, but they had said their
goodbyes already. Eli was there and thrust another drink in her
hand. Jericho looked at him with a warning look. She saw none of
it, drinking to dull the pain of Ty’s leaving in four
hours.

Eli leaned near her ear, his words
sending shivers down her spine. “You dance wonderfully, Vivvie. I’m
rather enjoying seeing this side of you.”

“
Take a good look, pal,” she
said as she sipped through her straw, feeling energized from the
cocktail. “I don’t see you out there.”

“
I only dance to slow
songs,” Eli said and smiled as he looked into her dilated gaze.
“They play one of those, you have a partner.”

“
Don’t step on my paws!” she
said and cackled at her own joke, taking a long pull off her drink.
“This stuff is great! This is better than Red Bull! I plan on
having kegs of this delivered to my room!”

Jericho grinned at her words and shook
his head. “Everything in moderation, Vivvie.”

“
Screw moderation, I’m a
wild cat woman now!” she said with a lopsided grin. “Woo hoo! I
like this song!” and she was back on the dance floor with her eager
partners.

“
Go easy on her, Eli,”
Jericho said in a disapproving tone. “She’s hurting.”

“
She will forget about Ty,”
Eli said arrogantly, watching Vivvie dance. “You will
see.”

“
Why do you care?” Jericho
asked in disgust. “You have every female here at your leisure. Why
do you have to have Vivvie too?”

“
Stay out of it,
Jericho!”

“
No, I ask a reasonable
question. Ty hasn’t even hit the door and you’re on his former
woman like flies on stink!”

“
She intrigues me,” Eli
said, sipping his drink, his blue eyes guiltless. “She is nothing
like the others. She thinks and acts human. Forgive me if I find
that stimulating. We haven’t had much for variety these last
centuries, my friend.”

“
You don’t intend to take
her as a mate,” Jericho protested. “Leave her be. She will hardly
go lonely.”

“
Leaving her alone is not an
option anymore,” Eli replied and his eyes were glued on the object
of his desire with fierce possessiveness, his mind reprimanding the
youth that dared touch Vivvie’s backside while they danced. The
youth heard him and kept a distance, eyes glowing with
resentment.

“
She deserves better than to
be one of your females,” Jericho snapped and glared at him. “The
risks she is taking for us alone should command some of your
respect, Eli.”

“
Vivvie has my utmost
respect and admiration, Jericho,” Eli informed him with a look that
said his opinion wasn’t appreciated. “But she needs to learn our
ways if she is to survive. You babying her won’t keep her from
being shot by a hunter, or avoid being run over by a semi upon the
road, will it?”

Jericho nodded sadly. “You’re right,
she must learn. I just question your motives.”

“
Look at her. She’s
adorable, Jericho,” Eli said in amusement. “She has my interest for
now.”

“
And when you discard her
like the others?” Jericho snapped. “Do you think she won’t feel as
sore as she did with Ty? She does not think like our females. She
won’t accept you using her.”

Eli said nothing but made note of the
other elder’s words. Vivvie wasn’t like the females in their midst.
She wouldn’t slink to his bed every time he crooked a finger at
her. She wouldn’t fawn over him and seek his favor as the others
did. For that, he wanted her even more.

“
You have no idea what I
think, Jericho. You sense my emotions, but not my
thoughts.”

“
You should stay away from
her, Eli,” Jericho said tightly. “No good can come of it. The other
females will eat her alive.”

“
Vivvie can fend for herself
and needs to,” Eli reminded him. “Should she find herself in the
woods, cornered by a hunter, any kindness from us now will cost her
precious souls, my friend.”

“
Your plan to use her to
kill Ryken will cost her souls as well,” Jericho replied,
belligerence in his expression. “Have you told her that? My
grandson is vicious, Eli. He won’t fall easily.”

Eli’s lips tightened. He didn’t explain
all to Vivvie, or to Ty. Being newly blooded, talk of losing souls
hadn’t occurred to them. The discovery of her rare gift threw him
off the obvious. Vivvie could use up every one of her souls to kill
Ryken.

~~~~

The strains of ‘Closing Time’ made
Vivvie aware the disco was closing. It was two in the morning and
she was wide awake and jumping out of her skin. Eli danced with her
twice, bringing her up close and personal with his tall, muscular
frame during the ballads.

She felt very female and very aware of
his interest the whole evening. He was doting and attentive, never
letting her drink go empty and having her roaring with laughter at
his clever jokes. Jericho had long since gone to bed, leaving her
alone with the mercurial, impossibly attractive Eli.

“
Bottoms up, Kitty Cat,” he
said with a grin as she nursed her drink, watching people leave the
disco. “We have to get you to bed.”

“
Who would have thought you
would be such a buzz kill!” Vivvie said with a grin. “I’m surprised
you’re not rubbing up on me in some dark corner.”

Eli grinned. “The thought is never far,
but you would only claim I took unfair advantage of
you.”

Vivvie realized at that moment she very
much wanted Eli to take advantage of her, overpower her with his
dominance and force the issue. Then they were being tossed out of
Cat’s Corner by a bossy waitress

She leaned upon Eli as he walked her
back to her room, her vision filled with colors so fantastic her
eyes were like moons. He held a steadying hand on her arm as she
staggered along with him, smiling as she hummed the last song under
her breath.

“
It’s a rare treat to see
you so relaxed,” Eli said as they walked. “I don’t think I need to
caution you in regard to drinking to excess in the future. You will
feel pitiful come tomorrow.”

“
I never drank much before,”
she said with her words slurring. “I was always the designated
driver.”

Eli smiled at that. “Yes, you seem
quite responsible for one of your human years.”

“
My roommate didn’t
appreciate it,” she slurred as she weaved on his arm. “She thought
I was a lesbo.”

Eli chuckled at that and caught her
before she careened into a wall, holding her more firmly as he
walked her down the hall.

“
Well, we both know what
happened to her.”

Vivvie refused to think of Dina now.
She was drunker than a skunk and loving life.

“
Are you coming in?” she
asked him breathlessly as he leaned her against her door to use his
own key. Her eyes were filled with colors and her body felt
weightless.

Eli smiled down at her as he opened her
door, tucking the extra key he made recently in his jeans pocket.
She looked desirable and inviting, if only intoxicated by her over
indulgence. The temptation to take what she offered was strong, but
he knew she would react poorly in the morning, blaming him for
it.