Blood Slave: A Realm Walker Novel by Kathleen Collins

and, at the moment, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. “Do you have so little faith in me that you felt it necessary to lie about where you were headed? Do you not believe that I would give you the space you needed to do your job? This conversation tires me, Joya , I must go. Just…call me if you need me.” He hung up without waiting for a response.
     
    ***
     
    “You’re quiet,” Nathaniel said as they drove to the feeder club that night.
    “Sorry,” she said but didn’t elaborate. The truth was Thomas’s words kept playing over and over in her head. She had hurt him, that much was evident and she didn’t know how to fix it. As much as she loved her mate, she was still a complete idiot when it came to relationships. She always seemed to be doing or saying the wrong thing. Maybe she should just quit overthinking everything so much and do what she wanted. If she had, Thomas would be here with her now and none of this would be an issue.
    “According to the little information we’ve gathered, at least two of our vics frequented this place. Probably more given the nature of the establishment.” Nathaniel joined the queue waiting to park. Finally, he pulled up in front of the club and a valet opened Juliana’s door. She stood looking at the building, taking it all in. Three stories tall, it was painted black and the windows were darkly tinted. ‘Gluttony’ was scrawled across the front in a dark blue script. Nathaniel placed his hand on her arm and steered her toward the door. They both showed their ID to the pair of bouncers and Nathaniel paid their cover. After entering, they stepped to one side to get out of the way and just took in the scene before them.
    Music vibrated through the room and people teemed on the floor or sat at the tables around the perimeter. Lights flashed and bodies writhed against each other in a twisted version of a mating ritual. What set this place apart from every other club Juliana had been in was the open feeding going on around the room. Vampires drank from wrists and throats next to business men sucking down martinis. No wonder Kansas City had such a large vampire population if this was the kind of establishment that welcomed them. Morgan had made a haven for depravity here. They never had to deny themselves or control their natures. This was the kind of shit that made Thomas livid. The kind of environment that he felt bred trouble. And Juliana had a handful of blood slave zombies that proved his point.
    A familiar face caught Juliana’s attention. Bobby, the regular she’d met at Lust, was smiling down at a petite blonde with a pixie haircut. He’d cleaned up since Juliana saw him last. His dark hair was slicked back, every hair in place and he was clean shaven. The suit he wore was a welcome upgrade from his jeans and t-shirt as well. He laughed at something his companion said and his fangs were on full display. She hadn’t known he was a vampire. She hated not being able to use her gift but glowing eyes didn’t exactly help her fly under the radar.
    Nathaniel touched her arm and indicated with a wave of his hand that he was going to circle the room to the right. She nodded and tipped her head to the left. They could meet up in the middle. She looked back to Bobby just in time to see him take the blonde by the hand and lead her into a curtained alcove. That was undoubtedly for those that wanted to get a little more intimate. Or drink their meal in peace.
    Her view was suddenly blocked by a dark t-shirt covered chest. She shifted her gaze upward to find the man in front of her smiling down at her. A bit of fang showed between his lips and she corrected that to vampire. He was handsome enough she supposed though his features were a little too angular for her, the look in his eye a little too calculating. He bowed his head in greeting, making his long brown hair swing forward. “I am Peter,” he said.
    She returned the nod and stepped sideways to move around him but he mirrored