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Leslie started to cook, apparently it didn’t bother her at all that Colette was talking about drinking Evan’s blood in front of him. To me, however, the conversation was more than a little morbid. Evan seemed bothered by it as well, his arms fell from Colette and he started inching towards the door.

“Aren’t you curious as to how you tasted?” Colette inquired as she beamed at Evan with a
million-watt smile and those luminous blue eyes. He swallowed and furrowed his brows, but stayed silent. “I’ve often wondered what I used to taste like, I imagined it to be similar to Aleksi only less… masculine.” She danced away from Evan and got four wine glasses and set them on the island. She filled each glass and then upended the bottle over her little kittenish mouth swallowing the last drops.

Tristan was the first to take a glass, he smelled it first like people did glasses of fine wine at tastings. After a moment, he took a sip and twirled the stem of the glass like he did with every other glass. Evan looked horrified, his gray eyes were like saucers. Colette snatched up another glass and sipped it with her eyes closed. She practically purred as she savored the taste. Aleksi also grabbed a glass, however after taking a mouthful he traced his tongue over his teeth and shrugged. You could practically hear the ‘I’ve-had-better’ that crossed his mind.

The lone glass lingered on the counter, Tristan rolled his eyes.

“Drink it, and if Leslie doesn’t mi
nd I’ll let you taste her later,” Tristan huffed out, as he leaned over Leslie watching her sear the steaks. “Only a fool lets good blood go to waste, though I’m certain you’ll find our dear Colette exaggerated about your taste.”

“No.” Aleksi’s voice cut through the room, and we all turned around and looked at him. “No. If he doesn’t want to drink
it, he doesn’t have to. I’ll drink his glass, and he can taste Autumn.” I turned around and furrowed my brows. He said he’d never share me, but here he was sharing me. Evan blinked in shock at the offer, and the look of astonishment on his face probably mirrored my own.

“I… I don’t know what to say
,” Evan stammered as I stood mute staring at the two of them.

“Thank you should be where you start. Vlad made me drink my own blood right after I was turned. He said it would give me strength. All it did was make me realize that all blood doesn’t taste the same, and I wasn’t a fan of my own vintage. It took me decades to taste another male. I was an acquired taste apparently. But in reality
, I think I tasted my own death.” His voice was oh-so grim, and those amazing eyes miles away.

“If only fre
ezers existed when I was turned,” Colette swooned as she finished off her glass, her little pink tongue cleaning the glass of every last drop. Aleksi growled.

“I wouldn’t have made the offer to you. I have pity for Evan—he’s stuck with you after all.” Aleksi snickered between sips. Did I really want some stranger’s fangs on me? “It’s not as bad as you think, Autumn. With Elizabeta gone…”

“He’s going to have to let others taste you.
I know it can be difficult to fathom, but it’s an unfortunate custom,” Tristan spoke softly. Those lips of his twitching into an attempt at a reassuring smile as he looked at me while he held Leslie close. “Leslie and you will both have to be tasted by Council’s Envoys at the welcoming reception. It’s tradition.”

“We’ll see
,” Aleksi grumbled.

“It’s tradition, Aleksi. And I’m just as miserable about it as you are, but we don’t have Elizabeta to hold our hands anymore. We’re at the top now and we have to put out our own fires and deal with our own problems.”

“No, you’re at the top. I’m still in the middle, being picked on because I share blood with the great Uniter.”
See, he can’t really protect you.

“Yes, and
I’ve a whole host of my own problems to deal with. Your inability to accept your place in the grand scheme of things is at the very bottom of that list.” Tristan narrowed his eyes at Aleksi and I got a glimpse of why he was the new head honcho.

“Boys!” Colette yelled, that
high-pitched voice of hers almost came out with a squeal. They both looked at her with angry laser eyes. “Tristan can’t stop everything, Aleksi. He’s working on it. You two have been friends or lovers for over a century now. You know he doesn’t want to hurt you, Brother. Elizabeta protected us from a lot, and now she’s gone. She has taken off our floaties and dropped us in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Letting the Envoy taste Autumn is probably the least of the ignominious shit-storm that we’ll have to endure in the coming month as every dumb ass comes out of the woodwork to challenge Tristan. You know the alternative to doing things this way, Aleksi. Do you really want Tristan to reach out to Fabien?” Aleksi’s lips twisted into a frown at the high pitched solution. “That’s what I thought. You’re so very stubborn, Brother. This is when we sink or swim. Personally, I want to swim to shore and kick Gregory square in the nuts with my tiny little ballerina feet.” Both Tristan and Aleksi laughed a little. Evan looked a little paler as he shied away from Colette.

“Fine.” Aleksi rolled his eyes. “Colette’s right, I’m sorry if
I’m being an ass…” Aleksi trailed off.

“It’s okay. We’re both concerned for our servants. But I really am doing everything I can. I’m not Elizabeta. Vlad was my Sire, not my lover. I don’t have the threat she did. And I don’t have the money she does.” Tristan went back to sipping the blood in his glass as he pulled Leslie back into his arms and giving her a little squeeze.

Moments later, Leslie served up the steak while humming. It was like she was ignoring the others in the room. I was almost tempted to say something, but then she set the plate in front of me. Within seconds, my mouth was full of saliva and I felt like my IQ had taken a massive hit. Clearly, I had underestimated my hunger. We ate at the island while the vampires circled around us like sharks. However, once I had finished I was smacked with fatigue everything felt so fuzzy.

The world seemed almost dreamlike as I watched Tristan lean over Leslie’s neck and kiss her quickly before a soft gasp left her lips. I actually got to watch as her pupils contracted while he fed from her. I had to look away, it was one of those moments that seemed just too intimate. Meanwhile, Colette left the room pouting with another canister of blood and her wine glass.

Aleksi took me by the hand and wordlessly lead me to Evan. I was suddenly very aware of how tall the two of them were compared to me. I knew Aleksi was tall, but I rarely felt the full force of his imposing height. At that moment, as I stood between the two of them I felt utterly dwarfed. I came up to a little higher than mid-chest on both of them. I was helplessly pressed between two monoliths of alabaster flesh who could pretty much do whatever they wanted to me.

“Shhhh,
” Aleksi purred as he turned me around so that my back was to Evan, who moved my hair over one shoulder baring my neck. I shivered and all I could think about was being sandwiched between the two of them. Miss Manners huffed at me,
You need to calm down, Missy! You’re Aleksi’s and his alone.
Aleksi cupped my chin and used it to tilt my head to the side to elongate my neck. “Evan will be gentle; he has a very delicate bite. Don’t you, Evan?”

“You’ll…you’ll scarcely feel a thing
,” Evan whispered against my throat, I tensed against him. It was nice to know he was nervous too. His breath was so very cold and foreign against my skin. I wanted to protest at being shared, but at the same time I wanted to comfort Evan, the same as Aleksi apparently. The odd show of sympathy from Aleksi was what steeled my resolve to not protest, to Aleksi I’m sure this was a grand gesture. But even I knew part of him was enjoying my obedience.

Aleksi traced his index finger over the line of my jaw as Evan traced his nose over my thudding pulse. Something about the sensory overload just felt too good. I automatically arched back against Evan, my head fitting almost perfectly in the crook of his neck as he tested my pulse hesitantly. I panicked for a moment, thinking Aleksi would notice and be angry, but he didn’t seem to care.

“You don’t live feed very often do you?” Aleksi observed canting his head to the side.

“No, Colette rarely allows it,
” Evan answered sheepishly.

“Put your hand around her waist and pull her against you
,” Aleksi instructed as he held my chin in place. Evan obeyed, his long limb snaking around my torso pinning me back against him. “Now take your other hand and grab her hair, the tauter her neck is, the less it will hurt.”
So he’s been making his bites hurt on purpose.
Again Evan obliged, threading his pallid fingers tentatively through my dark hair. I braced myself for a yank but was instead met with more of a gentle urging. “See where the mark from the last feeding is, don’t bite her there. Bite closer to her shoulder”—Evan moved his head as Aleksi spoke—“right there. Bon Appetite.” Aleksi snickered out before he leaned in and kissed me deeply.

Hungry, desperate noises were trapped in Aleksi’s throat as his tongue thrust its way into my mouth. I was so distracted by the kiss I only felt a small pinch on my neck when Evan broke the skin. Aleksi’s bites earlier were more ferocious. Aleksi’s hands moved to my shoulder and he got more into the kiss, pressing his mouth hard against mine. He urged his hips forward, pressing me back against Evan. After a few moments, those fingers slid from my hair as he released me, I could hear his soft, breathless panting, and feel as he licked at the wound. Aleksi broke the kiss and rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. “Good girl,” he purred softly releasing me, leaving me overwhelmed and what I could only explain as high. There was no other way to describe it, I was inebriated.

      
Evan leaned his cheek against mine and Aleksi took a step back and looked at us, his head tilting to the side like he was contemplating something. “I never get to see this moment. You are art in our arms, Autumn Darling,” he purred with a smile. Evan slowly released me and shook his head, I felt a little more than lightheaded. I wandered to Aleksi and pressed myself against his chest. He welcomed me with arms that wrapped around me as I snuggled sleepily against him.

“She’s…” Evan trailed off and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve never tasted anything so brilliantly delicious in my entire life.”

“And she’s all mine,” Aleksi practically sang as he held me closer, rocking me back and forth like he was swaying to music only he could hear. He leaned his cheek against the top of my head.

“Thank you… both of you.” Evan leaned in and kissed my forehead.

“You’re welcome. If Colette gets too
overbearing, let me know. You’re a talent, Evan. I don’t want you to burn out or kill yourself over her.”

“Aleksi finally taking someone under his wing? Gasp! Are you actually preparing for Nikolai?” Tristan’s voice cut through the press of silence. “He’ll need a lot of
tutelage.”

“I honestly don’t think Nikolai will pass the interview, so the point is moot.
I’m being kind to Evan because Colette is slowly turning into Elizabeta if you haven’t noticed.”

“Colette strikes me as kinder than Elizabeta
,” I spoke up, Tristan and Aleksi snapped their attention to me and Tristan actually laughed.

“Elizabeta used to be sweet and even submissive. When I first met her she had problems meeting my eyes. But I doubt Colette is turning into Elizabeta, she is my second Aleksi. She’s just adjusting to having more power.”

“Is she also staying behind?”

“Half of the time, yes. She’s not going to Italy, Spain or the UK with us
,” Evan prattled off, glancing warily at Aleksi, who seemed to seethe with sudden anger.

“So you’re all abandoning me? Is she retiring too?” Aleksi snapped.

“No. You will get to dance the normal roles with her Giselle, Sleeping Beauty… Swan Lake,”

“What?”

“The Bolshoi asked for you to reprise Prince Siegfried, and I acquiesced. Think of the money you’ll earn.”

“And the twenty percent that you get for my suffering.” His fingers started tracing nervous patterns on my back.

“It’s just a Ballet, Aleksi. You come off as weak by avoiding everything related to it. Colette still dances La Masque, and Evan was actually upset that he didn’t get to reprise his role.”

Evan took that as his cue to slip out of the room. I watched as he snuck out while Tristan and Aleksi were busy giving each other laser eyes. Leslie had fallen asleep leaning against Tristan and he was idly stroking her hair even as he and Aleksi engaged in their ocular showdown.

“Their bodies weren’t used as pa
rtial payment for those Ballets,” Aleksi hushed out, before placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“You aren’t the only dancer from the old Bolshoi in the company, Aleksi.”

“No, but I am the only one who had their leg tied to a bed for six days.” He took a deep breath and let his hands fall from me. “I’m going to bed.” He stated bluntly as he headed for the door. He paused at the threshold, giving me time to catch up
with him. He turned and looked back at Tristan for a moment, his eyes flitting to me for a breath before returning to the golden blonde vampire. “Pela’s not Odette or Odile, right?”

“
No, it’ll be Colette with one of the Principal’s from the Bolshoi for an understudy. I’m trying not to be cruel.”

“Good night.” He clipped out as he took my hand and led me back up to our room. We went to sleep wrapped in each other’s arms. Or at least I slept, something told me Aleksi stayed up for a while. I could almost see him lying there completely awake with those all too blue eyes fixed on the rain hitting the window.