**Ch 294: Close Call For Nora

"Nora!" I heaved as she called yet again, but this time her voice resounded closer.

In a scramble, Jack and Rome quickly stuffed the woman's body behind the couch. Rather fast, Rome sat on the arm of the sofa, and Jack flopped a seat on the middle cushion as a spring made this noisy pop.

"There you are!" Nora addressed me once she walked inside. She looked over at Jack and Rome, who acted suspiciously, since they failed the part of playing it casual.

My mouth dropped to the floor to spot the dead woman's hand somehow managed to stick out, right from underneath the couch side by Rome's shoe. A little late, but he noticed her hand after he traced my gawking alarmed eyes. Quick to thinking, his heel kicked her hand further underneath the sofa before Nora peeked at his feet from hearing a scuffling sound that his shoe made against the carpet.

"Did you need something?" I quickly veered her backside towards them as I tried to distract her by talking. "Didn't Rose find you?"

Nora giggled. "She did, but I just wanted to tell you I was leaving."

"Ohh!" I took a fairly deep breath.

Nora lifted her eyebrow. "Am I interrupting something?" She twisted her neck to eye Kai and his friends. "You're acting extremely strange."

I wanted to facepalm myself, especially whenever Rome and Jack gave her a childish grin when they briefly waved their hands at her. Kai conducted his usual and kept his souring scorn.

I turned her shoulders my way. "No, not at all. I'm just getting tired." I lied through my teeth which I hated doing.

"Me too." Nora agreed without realizing I lied. "Well, happy birthday again. I'll see you on Monday."

"Thanks for coming. I'll see you at the campus." I chimed while giving her a big hug before she left. After she was gone, I exhaled from feeling heavily drained by that close call. If she would've learned the truth about vampires existing, Kai would've killed her without hesitating. There wouldn't be anything I could do to stop him.

"Relax, Princess, she didn't even notice." Rome chuckled without care.

"First you made out with Rebecca, and now you both almost got my friend killed!" I spat, exasperated more at Rome over Jack.

"I apologize for that." Jack frowned, being sincere, unlike Rome, who was more blithe about the severity of the circumstance.

"Don't be mad," Rome chortled. "It's not like Rebecca means anything to me."

"Ugh, how did you even pull this off? You were just sucking tongue with Rebecca. Then somehow you manage to feed on another woman with Jack!" I growled through my gnashed teeth, and Kai seemed relatively amused by it.

Rome laughed louder. "What can I say,

I'm talented like that, Princess."

Now Kai and Jack laughed up a storm. Meanwhile, I rolled my eyes, but before I had any chance to chew their ears off. Rose and Ace appeared with noticeable guilt written on their faces.

"I thought you were going to watch out for Nora?" I griped directly at Ace.

Ace awkwardly chuckled while he scratched his neck. "Well, we did, but we didn't realize that was going to happen."

I rolled my eyes just as Mr. Collin randomly popped into the room. "Kai, I told you not to feed on any of the guests!" he scorned, harshly. "Now, clean this mess up before anyone else sees her body. You shouldn't be upsetting your wife like this while she's pregnant!"

"Yes, sir." Kai smirked, taking the blame, and I was fairly stunned by it since I was mad at his friends, not him. Mr. Collin walked out, not even realizing Kai was innocent this time.

"You could've told him it was us." Jack informed him, but Kai nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, having no laxity.

"It's not worth my effort," he uttered with a small laugh.

Then he took my arm again, and we left the room to walk the corridor. Once I got away from Rome, my animosity started to diminish. Now I was only getting furthermore worried about Nora after what occurred without her realizing it. It's a given, the vampires were getting antsy to feed, and Mr. Collin forbids anyone to feed on his party guests. If Jack and Rome lost control, then I know that can't be good news.

"Can I ask you a favor?" I muttered, unsure to even ask this from him.

"What's that?" he says, briefly peeking at me before looking straight ahead again.

"Can you send your most trustable guardians to make sure Nora makes it back to her dorm safely," I implored, and Kai stopped dead to face me.

I gulped the lump in my throat as his eyes narrowed at me like I lost my mind. He wasn't mad, but I can tell he wasn't pleased I'd ask such a request from him.

"She's not part of the Coven, so I don't care for her safety." Kai chided, disdaining each of my words.

I frowned. "But she's my friend, and I wanna be sure she is safe."

Kai irritatedly rolled his eyes before he tightly shut them. Then he unfurled them with a huge exhale of aversion. Right, that second, three of his Slither minions appeared before us.

"Make sure my wife's friend returns home safely," he instructed. "Afterward, you're off duty for the night. Unless I require your services."

"Yes, Master." They chant together before they vanish in less than a snap.

"Thank you," I merely whispered once we started to walk again.

Kai slightly shakes his head with an unusual smirk on his face. Yet he remained quiet, so I couldn't know what he was thinking. Shortly after, that thought came to rest once he took me inside this spacious dome garden that was on the top of this lower rooftop within the hotel. It stretched out wide and far from where your eyes could see. Starlight twinkled above our heads from the glass rooftop. Plants and flowers flourish the room with enrichments. There were Koi ponds that flowed into narrow streams throughout the garden. Waterfalls misted over the plant life, which naturally watered the garden. Narrow pathways guide you through the breathtaking sight. A small bridge went over one of the ponds, which was beautiful whenever we crossed it. Overall, the garden was a catch for anyone's imagination. Romance was on a high raise from these sweet aromas that scented the entire room. Serene dimly lit lighting even enhanced such a magical warmth. It felt as if Kai and I were exploring a fairytale realm together. He took us right to a bench that gave the perfect view of this one small waterfall that was trickling from the stones while the multicolored Koi fish swam freely beneath it.

"I noticed you were looking for a particular gift," Kai mentioned, taking my hand.