A Muse for Mishka (Wiccan-Were-Bear #12) (8 page)

Bridge said, “Does the
family
use the
booths?”

“The
family
members have their own
chambers underneath the club, but what I learned from Mishka’s
memories is that they aren’t allowed to bring random food down to
their chambers unless they’re taking someone under-the-fang.”

Being
under-the-fang
was when vampires
chose a lover they fed exclusively from. It could be for a short
period of time, or for years. Mishka had a lover years earlier he’d
taken under-the-fang. Elizabeth was a Wiccan, and Mishka had cared
deeply for her. They’d been together for several years, but she’d
also fed Brone weekly, and she had other supernatural lovers. She’d
mated twin were-bears and left all her lovers behind, which had
devastated Mishka at the time. He hadn’t taken anyone else
under-the-fang. It didn’t surprise her that Mishka had been hurt by
what had happened. Harmony was certain she would have felt equally
betrayed if someone she’d been intimate with for years suddenly cut
all ties for strangers, truemates or not. Whatever hurts had
transpired since that had happened, Mishka was the male he was
because of it, and Harmony was crazy about him.

“Temple was telling us earlier that there’s a
food manager for the coven, and they call her and tell her what
they want for their food,” Tamar said.

“I can’t wrap my head around calling a person
food
. Or ordering a person for dinner. It’s just too weird,”
she said. “But it’s home now. Is everyone okay with living up here
and working at the club?”

Each member affirmed his contentment, and she
grinned. “Let’s get the schedule together, and then I need to go
see my beloved.”

Chapter
9

Mishka could feel Harmony as she walked down
the hallway toward his office. The beloved connection surprised him
on so many levels. He’d known about vampires becoming beloveds, but
he’d never asked what they felt. Brone had shared some information
with him, and Mishka had witnessed how quickly Brone and Arissa had
grown close. Now Mishka felt that same way with Harmony – she’d
been a virtual stranger to him, but then, suddenly, she was the
center of his world. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

She opened the door and smiled at him. “Are
you busy?”

“Never too busy for you,” he said, pushing
back his chair and standing. “How did your meeting with your
friends go?”

They met in the center of his office, arms
immediately wrapping around each other. He felt comforted and
turned on at the same time, calm but excited.

“It went well. They’re excited about their
new jobs.”

After talking it over with Harmony and then
the
family
, Mishka had opted to ask her band to take over
the musically related duties of the club, which included booking
shows and handling the talent. For the last year the duties had
fallen to several of the
family
members, but none of them
was interested in those duties becoming a full-time job.

“I’m looking forward to hearing you sing and
you not passing out on me,” he murmured, his hands sliding under
the hem of her thin sweater and rubbing her soft skin.

She writhed in his arms with a soft purr of
pleasure. “I’ll sing something extra sexy for you.”

She tipped her face up to his and smiled, her
eyes dancing. He pressed his lips to hers and said, “I’d love to
take you out tomorrow night.”

Her brow arched delicately. “On a date?”

He nodded, dropping his hands to hers and
linking their fingers. “I’ve heard it’s traditional to go on at
least
one
date before getting married.”

“You don’t eat.”

He growled softly and drew her hands up to
his lips, kissing along her knuckles. “Don’t I?”

She blushed scarlet and giggled. “Food, I
mean.”

“There’s a restaurant west of the city meant
for vampires with non-vampire mates. It’s called Bistro
Claret.”

“So you’ll drink SyBl and I’ll eat steak, and
we’ll make small talk about jobs and family before groping each
other in the car?”

It was his turn to laugh. “You are precious,
my heart.”

“Is this a fancy place?”

He nodded.

“I’ll be ready at sunset,” she said, going
onto her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her
against him, lifting her off the floor slightly. He walked backward
to the door and swung it shut, snapping the lock in place.

Lifting her legs around his waist, she sank
her fingers in his hair as he turned and walked toward his desk,
intending to make her scream his name at least two times.

Maybe three.

* * *

Although Mishka had been on numerous dates
over the years – he was five hundred, after all – he’d never been
on a date as important as this first one with Harmony felt. She was
already his mate, so whether the date went off without a hitch or
not, nothing about their relationship would change. But he still
wanted her to know how much he cared and how special she was to
him. Through their beloved connection, he’d seen her relationships,
and she’d seen his as well. Everything before her was like dust to
him now, a speck in the sand of eternity that waited for them.

He tugged on his cuffs, rubbing his thumb
along the cufflink, a stunning moon sapphire that matched the
energy highlights in Harmony’s hair.

She walked out of the bathroom in their
chamber wearing a simple black dress and the necklace he had given
her. The dress hugged her curves sinfully, stopping just above the
middle of her thighs. Her legs were bare, her feet encased in
strappy stilettos that brought her petite height just a little
closer to his. She’d arranged her hair to one side so that his mark
on her neck was visible. Every possessive instinct within him rose
as he settled his hands on her waist and tugged her close.

“You. Are. Gorgeous.”

“I’m in good company,” she said, running her
finger down the center of his dress shirt, her nails scraping
against the mother-of-pearl buttons. “I’m the luckiest woman in the
world to have such a handsome mate.”

He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her
only briefly. She made a soft sound of protest, and he chuckled.
“If we
really
kiss, then I won’t get to woo you.”

“I’m already wooed.”

“I insist.”

“We’ll still do that groping in the car
thing, though, right?” Her brows wiggled in jest.

“As if I could keep my hands off you.”

With another all-too-brief kiss, they walked
hand in hand to the door of the chamber and then out into the hall,
where they took the elevator to the first floor. Waiting in the
reception area of the offices were Vex, Rage, Finn, and Dolan.

She clicked her tongue. “Four guards to go
out to dinner? How many would we need if we also went out for
dessert?”

“A minimum of eight,” Rage said, “but if
you’re talking about ice cream, then it’s ten.”

“At least,” Vex added.

“Lucky for me I can have dessert at home,”
she whispered as she looked up at Mishka and ran her tongue along
her upper teeth.

It took a tremendous amount of willpower to
actually leave the club, but he forced himself to put one foot in
front of the other, so that he could take his beloved out on a
date. A real one, not her eating in the cafeteria while he drank a
mug of heated SyBl.

Rage and Vex walked on either side of Mishka
and Harmony, while the others brought up the rear. Security at the
club was very tight because it was not only a gathering place for
vampires but also where the coven lived.

Their group moved into the garage, and Vex
strode ahead of them and opened the door to the town car.

Mishka helped her in and settled next to her
on the plush leather seat. Vex shut the door and sat in the
passenger seat while Rage sat behind the wheel. Harmony peeked
through the tinted window, watching as Finn and Dolan climbed into
a stretch limo parked just ahead of the town car.

“They’ll leave first,” Mishka explained, “and
drive past the front of the club. Protestors will believe that I’m
in it, and we’ll be able to leave the club unnoticed using a
private alley.

She frowned. “Maybe we should stay home?”

“Whatever for?”

“It’s dangerous for you to be out in public.
You’re the king of the coven. Don’t you have enemies?”

Vex snorted and tried to cover it up with a
cough. Mishka couldn’t help but smile.

“First, love, I’m not the king. I’m the
master. And second, of course I have enemies. I’m five hundred
years old and master of the largest coven in the Midwest. But it
doesn’t mean that our guards won’t keep us safe, that
I
wouldn’t do everything in my power to ensure that we make it back
here in one piece.” He cupped her face and kissed her. “Being
powerful means many things, but it doesn’t mean that I will allow
anyone, particularly small-minded fools like the First Church
members, to tell me how to live my life.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Most certainly.”

“Okay. I just found you. I don’t want
anything to happen to you.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere, my
heart.”

“Good.”

She leaned against him, snuggling close, and
he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes for a brief
moment. It would be heaven if life weren’t dangerous for them, if
he could walk down the street with her and not worry about
protestors.

“Ready, Mishka?” Rage asked as the limo
disappeared out of the garage slowly.

“Yes.”

After a brief pause, Rage pulled out of the
parking spot and circled the garage, heading for the back of the
concrete enclosure and the private entrance that led to the alley.
Eventually, the limo would meet them at the restaurant, but it
would take a detour designed to lose anyone who might follow
them.

When they reached the restaurant forty-five
minutes later, Vex got out and opened the back door for them.
Mishka exited, and Harmony took his hand and slid out of the car,
holding a black clutch in her free hand.

The parking lot was full, and several couples
stood around outside, talking and enjoying the evening. The limo
pulled up a few moments later, and in a heartbeat, he and Harmony
were surrounded by their guards and walking into the restaurant. He
could hear the clicking of the cell phones as people took pictures
of them.

“Tell me they’re not going to put those
pictures online or something,” Harmony whispered as the maître d’
rushed toward them, his face alight with happiness.

“At the very least,” Vex said. “You’ll be on
the news tonight for sure.”

“We’re just going to dinner.”

“He’s the master of the city, and he hasn’t…”
Rage’s voice died off, as though he struggled with what to say.

Harmony rolled her eyes. “He hasn’t dated in
years, blah blah. All his memories are banging around in my brain,
don’t forget.”

“Sorry, mistress,” he said, bowing
slightly.

Her brows arched so high that Mishka was
surprised they stayed attached to her skin. Then she grinned. “That
was fabulous.”

Mishka chuckled. “In public, the coven will
always address you appropriately.”

The maître d’ said, “Master Mishka, it’s an
honor to have you join us tonight and with such a beautiful woman
on your arm. Please, follow me to the chef’s table.”

They wove their way through the restaurant,
where whispers erupted in their wake as vampires, humans, and
shifters recognized him. He glanced down at Harmony, whose cheeks
were pink and her lips curved into a beautiful smile, and he knew
that going out in public with her had been a good choice. He’d been
a recluse after his last failed relationship, and it wasn’t good
for his coven to believe him to be a male who could be cowed by
something like a lost lover.

They were seated at an intimate table that
had a semi-circular booth. Harmony slid across the seat to the
center and Mishka joined her. Their guards moved away to give them
privacy, but they stayed close enough to keep an eye on them. This
gave Mishka the added benefit of comfort because he didn’t want to
worry about anything but Harmony’s happiness.

“I don’t suppose we can go groping each other
since everyone knows who you are,” she said.

“Any time you want to put your hands on me is
okay with me, my heart,” he said, lifting her hand and kissing the
top.

A waiter appeared with the restaurant’s
private label sparkling water, and he filled a glass for
Harmony.

“May I tell you about our specials, my lady,
or would you prefer to see a menu?”

“The specials please,” she said.

He recited a long list of items that included
chicken, salmon, and several types of beef, along with a variety of
side dishes. She listened intently, and then said, “I’ll take the
filet, rare.”

After she looked at the wine list, she
ordered a glass of red and then handed the menu to Mishka. On the
back page was a list of blood varieties available.

“I’ll take a glass of SyBl,” he said, closing
the menu and handing it to the waiter.

He nodded and disappeared to place their
order.

“Why didn’t you order real blood?” she asked,
turning slightly in the booth to look at him.

He rested his arm on the back of the booth
and wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger. “I have you.”

“And?”

“I don’t want anyone else’s real blood except
yours.”

Her brow furrowed for a brief moment, and
then she leaned forward and kissed him. “You’re so sweet.”

“I’m just honest.” He wasn’t sure that anyone
else’s blood would even taste right to him. The synthetic blood
nourished his body, and that was all he needed. He used to chase
after vintage bloods, wanting to try everything he could. One of
his coven guards, a fallen angel named Darian, had hunted rare
blood for him.