future. Roseline forces herself to be patient as Nicolae fights to control his anxiety.
“Only one more to go.” His foot plunges over the edge and he breathes an audible sigh of relief. “We’re not done yet. There’s a winding tunnel up ahead.”
Nicolae nods and reaches out his fingertips to keep track of the walls on either side of him. Years of grime, smoke and who knows what else brushes against his fingers as he moves forward. Roseline remains directly behind him, encouraging him along the way.
A light- barely perceivable by the human eye- fuels Nicolae forward. His footsteps lumber loudly against the floor as he rushes ahead. Roseline keeps pace with him, her hands outstretched just in case he face-plants.
“I see something-” his cry cuts off abruptly as he crosses a scent trail. He halts. His fingers lasso around Roseline’s wrist. “What is that?”
“Thatis Torrent .”
Blood. Smoke. Decay. A hint of musk filters down the passage. A red light shines in the gloom, beckoning them. Loud bass pumps from a rectangle of light at the end of the hall.
Nicolae yelps as Roseline suddenly whips him around. “Don’t attack me,” she hisses, pinning him to her chest. His back molds into the brick, his hair flattens into the sludge.
“What are you-” he gasps as her nails sink into his forearm, silencing him.
Roseline’s cat-like eyes flash a warning in the dim light as she wraps her leg firmly around him, intimately pressing against his chest. She leans in and flicks her tongue over his neck just as a burly man with wads of curly chest hair peeking out from his V-neck shirt emerges from the room. A petite brunette, wearing a lacy teddy straight out of a Victoria Secret catalog, giggles obnoxiously on his arm. Globs of red glitter plaster her eyelids.
The couple fumbles toward them, bouncing from wall to wall. The brunette’s high heels rap out an uneven staccato. “Oh Albert, isn’t he a doll?”
Muddy brown eyes droop to stare at Nicolae, or what little of his face can be seen around Roseline’s mass of curls. She ignores their comments and works harder at enticing Nicolae.
Roseline’s mouth trace a velvety line towards his. Nicolae losses himself in the moment as Roseline’s tongue flicks along his lower lip. She tugs his mind into sweet oblivion.
“I want one,” the brunette pouts, her high pitch voice grating on Roseline’s nerves.
Hairy Chest pats her on the back and pushes her past. “I know, baby. Maybe we can find you a nice treat before the sun rises.”
Roseline’s lips retreat as she listens to their departure, her leg slips from his side. Guttural sounds erupt from Nicolae’s throat as he smashes his lips against hers, pleading with Roseline to continue.
“Nicolae, snap out of it.” She grips his shoulders and shoves him out to an arm’s length. He protests, fighting against her hold. Gritting her teeth, Roseline finds a pressure point near his clavicle and digs in her nails.
He cries out, sinking down the wall. His vision clears as pain overrides his hormones. Nicolae twists out of her reach.
“I’m sorry about that,” she says.
His green eyes glow brilliantly in the dim hall light. “How about a little warning next time?” He snaps, massaging his shoulder.
A growl builds in her chest as she pins him against the wall. “I just saved your life. Pretend to be grateful.”
Chapter 14
Roseline opens the door and navigates Nicolae through the red haze created by a long row of recessed lights in the ceiling above. Earthy browns wallpaper the interior. Large wide-framed paintings hang on the walls, not all that unlike those found in a human coffee shop.
“Not quite what I was
“Only one more to go.” His foot plunges over the edge and he breathes an audible sigh of relief. “We’re not done yet. There’s a winding tunnel up ahead.”
Nicolae nods and reaches out his fingertips to keep track of the walls on either side of him. Years of grime, smoke and who knows what else brushes against his fingers as he moves forward. Roseline remains directly behind him, encouraging him along the way.
A light- barely perceivable by the human eye- fuels Nicolae forward. His footsteps lumber loudly against the floor as he rushes ahead. Roseline keeps pace with him, her hands outstretched just in case he face-plants.
“I see something-” his cry cuts off abruptly as he crosses a scent trail. He halts. His fingers lasso around Roseline’s wrist. “What is that?”
“Thatis Torrent .”
Blood. Smoke. Decay. A hint of musk filters down the passage. A red light shines in the gloom, beckoning them. Loud bass pumps from a rectangle of light at the end of the hall.
Nicolae yelps as Roseline suddenly whips him around. “Don’t attack me,” she hisses, pinning him to her chest. His back molds into the brick, his hair flattens into the sludge.
“What are you-” he gasps as her nails sink into his forearm, silencing him.
Roseline’s cat-like eyes flash a warning in the dim light as she wraps her leg firmly around him, intimately pressing against his chest. She leans in and flicks her tongue over his neck just as a burly man with wads of curly chest hair peeking out from his V-neck shirt emerges from the room. A petite brunette, wearing a lacy teddy straight out of a Victoria Secret catalog, giggles obnoxiously on his arm. Globs of red glitter plaster her eyelids.
The couple fumbles toward them, bouncing from wall to wall. The brunette’s high heels rap out an uneven staccato. “Oh Albert, isn’t he a doll?”
Muddy brown eyes droop to stare at Nicolae, or what little of his face can be seen around Roseline’s mass of curls. She ignores their comments and works harder at enticing Nicolae.
Roseline’s mouth trace a velvety line towards his. Nicolae losses himself in the moment as Roseline’s tongue flicks along his lower lip. She tugs his mind into sweet oblivion.
“I want one,” the brunette pouts, her high pitch voice grating on Roseline’s nerves.
Hairy Chest pats her on the back and pushes her past. “I know, baby. Maybe we can find you a nice treat before the sun rises.”
Roseline’s lips retreat as she listens to their departure, her leg slips from his side. Guttural sounds erupt from Nicolae’s throat as he smashes his lips against hers, pleading with Roseline to continue.
“Nicolae, snap out of it.” She grips his shoulders and shoves him out to an arm’s length. He protests, fighting against her hold. Gritting her teeth, Roseline finds a pressure point near his clavicle and digs in her nails.
He cries out, sinking down the wall. His vision clears as pain overrides his hormones. Nicolae twists out of her reach.
“I’m sorry about that,” she says.
His green eyes glow brilliantly in the dim hall light. “How about a little warning next time?” He snaps, massaging his shoulder.
A growl builds in her chest as she pins him against the wall. “I just saved your life. Pretend to be grateful.”
Chapter 14
Roseline opens the door and navigates Nicolae through the red haze created by a long row of recessed lights in the ceiling above. Earthy browns wallpaper the interior. Large wide-framed paintings hang on the walls, not all that unlike those found in a human coffee shop.
“Not quite what I was
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