by Larissa Ione
Rasha raised an eyebrow. “Tseeveyo. What of it?”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“She’ll be mated to a clan chief.” Rasha’s words were careful, measured, as if reciting from a book. “It’s an honor, especially for someone like her. She’s very lucky.”
“Lucky?” he asked, incredulous.
“She’s weak and crippled. She’s bad breeding stock. Who else would have her? Certainly not any other clan chief.”
Hunter sat stunned. Rasha truly believed what she was saying, and she honestly saw the mating as a great opportunity for her sister. “Aylin isn’t weak. She’s one of the strongest warriors I’ve ever met,” Hunter snapped. “She held her own in Samnult’s realm, and she deserves far better than Tseeveyo.”
“I know.” Swallowing hard, Rasha turned away. When she met his gaze again, genuine fear had glazed her eyes. “It’s her only shot at getting away from ShadowSpawn, Hunter.” Now her voice was strained, almost pleading, as if she was trying to convince them both that mating Tseeveyo was for the best. “Without me there . . . I don’t think she’ll survive.”
“And you think she’ll fare better with Tseeveyo?”
“He won’t kill her,” she said urgently. “He’d be a fool to risk my father’s wrath.”
Hunter doubted there’d be any wrath, but whatever. “What if she were offered a pureblood male from another clan?”
Rasha shook her head. “Nothing will sway my father. I’ve tried. In trade for Aylin, we’re getting another midwife to replace the one you got killed.” Yeah, he really appreciated the reminder. “Even more important, NightShade will pledge allegiance to my father.”
If Rasha had whipped out a pistol and shot him in the chest, he couldn’t have been as shocked. Clan leaders made treaties and formed alliances, but they never swore allegiance to another.
Never.
To do so was to give up authority and lose independence. So why in the hell would Tseeveyo, leader of the third-largest clan on the West Coast, swear to follow Kars?
“Surely you see the importance of this deal.” Rasha tapped her long fingernails on the desk. “War with the humans is only a matter of time, and vampires need to join forces.”
The big picture was starting to become clear, and Hunter had to hand it to Kars—he wasn’t a fool. He was getting the clans in line by strategically placing his daughters. Did he have alternative plans to bring other clans under his thumb? Kars was dangerous now, but if he had more than one clan at his side, no clan in the world would challenge him.
More than ever, Hunter had to prevent an alliance between ShadowSpawn and NightShade. “What if the thing Tseeveyo wants Aylin for was taken away?”
“Her virginity?” Rasha shook her head. “Who would fuck her?”
I would. And according to Riker, so would everyone else in the clan. Another growl bubbled up. “Let’s just say it happened.”
She rolled one shoulder in a skeptical shrug. “My father would demand the head of the male who defiled her. Tseeveyo might negate the deal, but do you really want to face my father’s fury? Why do you give a shit about this, anyway?” she asked. “Someday we’ll have to make mate matches for our sons and daughters. We’ll have to make political decisions based on what’s best for the clan.”
Screw that. He braced his forearms on the desk, leaning forward so she got, real clearly, how he felt about this subject. “We won’t be having any children, and even if we did, I would never send a child of mine away to mate with someone they don’t like, simply to gain friends and allies.”
One blond eyebrow cocked up. “And that is why my father considers you to be a weak leader.”
“And I consider him to be a brutal dictator. Not a leader.” He glared. “Tell me, do you think I’m a poor leader? Are you ashamed to take me as a mate? Maybe you’d rather have Tseeveyo?”
“Don’t be absurd. He keeps a harem. I wouldn’t tolerate other mates.” She gave him a pointed look. “Or mistresses.”
No, he didn’t plan to take mistresses. He’d seen what his mother had done to some of his father’s bedmates, and he had a feeling Rasha would make his mother’s bloodbaths seem tame. Still, he couldn’t resist pushing some buttons.
“You know the law,” he drawled, with the nonchalance of someone planning to take advantage of said law.
“Of course,” she snapped. “After the mating ceremony, a clan chief can announce his intention to take more mates or to sleep with a mistress. The female he just mated with can either accept his decision or fight him.” Her glass clinked on her fangs as she gulped a drink and then leaned toward him, her eyes glinting with murder. “I will fight until every one of my bones is broken and I’m not able to lift my head off the ground. If you want mistresses, you’re out of luck. I will destroy every female I merely think you want.”
And that, he knew, would include Aylin.
MOON FEVER HAD a different vibe at MoonBound than it did at ShadowSpawn, and even though it wasn’t night yet and things could change, Aylin could only marvel at how much more civilized these people were.
Tension was high, sure, and tempers ran hot. By mid-afternoon, Aylin had seen four fights break out, three of them between males and one among three females. But there were no serious injuries and, better yet, none of the bloodsport events that had always haunted Aylin.
Rasha was probably right about Aylin being the worst vampire ever.
As she finished drying the last of the dishes in Rasha’s kitchen sink, her sister came out of the bathroom in a slinky leather dress that didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. A plunging neckline would allow Hunter to feed from anywhere he wanted from her cleavage up, and the crotch-short hemline would allow him to feed from her femoral artery—or to put his mouth anywhere he wanted—without disturbing her dress at all.
Aylin wanted to throw up.
Two more weeks, she told herself. Two more weeks, and then I’ll be out of here. If Riker and Nicole’s plan worked, she wouldn’t be expected to mate with Tseeveyo. But that would just mean she had to go home to ShadowSpawn.
Except she wouldn’t. She didn’t care if she had to spend the rest of her life leaping through portals and scrounging for food where she could. She would not go home, and she would not be mated to a scumbag like Tseeveyo.
Rasha rushed over and took a wet glass from Aylin’s hand. “I told you not to clean my apartment. You did enough for me by going with Hunter on Samnult’s quest.”
Aylin snatched the glass back. “I don’t have anything else to do.”
Rasha let out a frustrated curse, but relented. “What happened during Samnult’s trials, anyway? I know you aren’t supposed to talk about it, but Hunter says you fought well.”
Grabbing a dry towel, Aylin wiped down the glass with short, brisk strokes.
I saw Hunter naked. I practically begged him to have sex with me. But don’t worry, he turned me down. Aylin settled for a clipped “I did what I had to do.”
“Well,” Rasha said softly, “whatever you did, I’m grateful.”
If you knew everything, you wouldn’t be.
Shifting gears, Rasha strutted over to the full-length mirror on the bathroom door and struck a few slinky poses. “What are your plans for tonight?”
Oh, I’m probably going to be having sex with some random stranger. “Nothing.”
“Why don’t you join the other females who aren’t feeding a male? I hear they’re going to watch some sappy romantic comedy in the common room.”
There were more females than males in the clan, so not every female needed to participate in the full-moon fever, but Rasha made it sound as if the extra females were all losers no one wanted. It was so tempting to say that Riker was arranging for a partner for Aylin, but knowing Rasha, she’d sabotage the plans.
For Aylin’s own good, of course.
Sometimes Aylin wasn’t sure what to believe.
She gave a casual shrug. “Maybe.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. Nicole’s shift in the lab would end in a few minutes, and she wanted to get a “before feeding” blood sample to compare with an “after feeding” sample. The tests would determine whether Aylin’s blood-clotting difficulty was, indeed, an issue caused by a lack of feeding males. “I need to go. Do you need anything else?”
“No.” Rasha frowned, a pretty pout that drove males nuts. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Myne around.”
“Myne? No. Why?” That was one scary male. He kept to the shadows, and he seemed to have two moods: pissed off and more pissed off. Then there were his fangs. Titanium, Nicole had said when Aylin asked. Aylin shivered.
“No reason.” Rasha waved Aylin off, but before she could even put down the dry glass, Rasha called out, “Wait.”
Sighing, Aylin turned around in time for Rasha to slam into her with a huge hug. Stunned, Aylin could only stand there and wonder if her real sister had been abducted by aliens.
“Don’t say anything,” Rasha murmured into her ear, “but I have a plan to save you.”
Aylin jerked backward. “Excuse me?”
Genuine affection glittered in Rasha’s eyes. “I was talking to Hunter yesterday, and he made me think. The match with Tseeveyo is wrong. I mean, it’s good for ShadowSpawn, but the thought of you and him . . .” She gripped Aylin’s shoulders in an almost bruising hold, and to Aylin’s surprise, her sister’s hands shook. “You can’t speak a word of this to anyone, but I’m planning to be pregnant tomorrow. I’m taking Nicole’s conception potion.”
Aylin stumbled back a step, feeling as if she’d been shot through the heart. But at the same time, the fact that Rasha was so concerned about Aylin left her speechless, grateful, and feeling more guilty than ever about what had happened with Hunter in Samnult’s realm.
“Rasha,” she squeaked. “I—I don’t know what to say. Thank you, but . . . why? Can’t you wait until you and Hunter are officially mated?”
She shook her head. “If I get pregnant, I can tell Father I need you to help. Then you can stay here.”
Somehow Rasha had just made staying at MoonBound sound worse than mating with Tseeveyo. “He’d never go for it.”
“Trust me,” Rasha growled, “he will.”
Aylin doubted it, but even if Rasha was right, it would only buy her nine months. “And what happens after the baby is born? I’ll be shipped off to Tseeveyo.”
“But we’ll have time to come up with a plan.” Releasing Aylin, Rasha hooked a strand of hair around her finger and twirled it, something she only did on very rare occasions when she was stressed. Was she really that worried about her night with Hunter? Or was Aylin’s future a concern? Either way, it was good to see Rasha’s heart beating like a normal person’s.
“Don’t do it, Rasha.” Aylin placed the glass, now extra dry, in the dish rack and rounded on her sister, desperate to stop the crazy pregnancy plan of hers. Yes, someday Rasha and Hunter would have children, but Aylin didn’t want to be around to see it. “I’m taking care of Tseeveyo my own way.”
Rasha frowned. “How?” Realization dawned, and her eyes shot wide. “You . . . you’re planning to sleep with someone tonight, aren’t you?”
Aylin didn’t confirm or deny, knowing that Rasha would see through a lie and jump all over the truth.
“Just . . . be careful, Aylin,” Rasha said quietly. “There’s only so much I can do to protect you. I can handle Father, but anything else is a gamble.”
Aylin had no idea what to say to that. Hell, the entire conversation had been weird, as if they’d both been discussing the same book but Aylin had only read the CliffsNotes.
She needed to get out of here. Her head was spinning and her emotions were raw and tangled, and she suddenly had no idea what to think anymore.
Excusing herself, Aylin went to the lab, but Nicole was already gone. The salt-and-pepper-haired male named Grant took Aylin’s blood instead. Just as he was finishing up, Hunter entered.
Maybe she was dizzy from the blood draw. Maybe she hadn’t eaten enough at lunch. Or maybe she swayed drunkenly simply at the sight of Hunter sauntering toward her, his dark gaze locked on her, his broad shoulders rolling under a weapons harness, his thigh-length leather jacket billowing out with every step.
As he approached, he flashed his fangs at Grant. “Leave.” The single word sent Grant scrambling out of the lab, leaving her alone with MoonBound’s leader.
“That was rude.”
“He’ll get over it.” Hunter stopped in front of her. “I’ll make this fast. Why didn’t you tell me you’re supposed to mate Tseeveyo?”
Ah, crap. She’d given Riker and Nicole permission to find her a male for tonight, but she hadn’t thought Hunter would be involved.
“Because it’s none of your business,” she said.
“Bullshit. Is it because you didn’t want me to know what Tseeveyo promised your father?”
She blinked. “What? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Then why didn’t you tell me? You told Nicole, and it wasn’t any of her business, either. So what gives?”
Abruptly, anger steamed in her veins. Funny how easily the emotion kindled in her now, and how freeing it was. “I was ashamed, okay?” she snapped. “My own father thinks so little of me that he’ll sell me off to a fiend. How can I not be humiliated by that?” She looked past his shoulder at the door. “Can I go now?”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Shit. I’m sorry.” He dropped his arm. “Do you know what kind of alliances your father has made with other clans recently?”
“No, why?”
“I think he’s up to something. He might be trying to unite the clans.”
“Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Samnult said war with the humans was coming.”
“Uniting the clans is vital if we want to save ourselves from extinction. But your father wants more than allied clans. He wants the allied clans under his control.”
“Like a king? That’s crazy.” But was it really? Kars had always been power-hungry, and she’d often wondered why he spent so much time digging into the affairs of rival clans. “You know, now that I think about it . . . Remember I told you about the competitions ShadowSpawn has been holding? We’ve had more than usual, and clans have been coming from farther away than ever before. JaggedSky from Montana and BoneSworn from New Mexico. They’d never been to one of my father’s competitions before, but they’ve both been twice in the last three years. He’s even arranged for truces with sworn enemies. Like you.”
“Damn,” Hunter breathed.
For some reason, she pictured him saying the same thing, just as softly, against the skin of her throat. Her breasts. Her inner thighs.
As if he knew, his dark gaze sparked. He swore again and inhaled raggedly. “You okay? How have you been?”
“Do you really want to chitchat?”
A low, pumping growl vibrated the air and rumbled through her in an erotic wave. “What I want to do is strip you, throw you onto the counter, spread your thighs, and lick you until you scream. That’s what I want to do. I want to be the male who takes you for the first time. And every time after that. The thought of you being with someone else tonight is killing me, to the point where I’m tempted to have Riker lock me up so I don’t do something stupid. I don’t understand it, and frankly, it’s pissing me off. But there it is.”
His stark, raw honesty stole her breath. She wanted all of that, too, could relate to everything he’d said. Here he was in front of her, and she couldn’t have him. And in this moment, she was ashamed to admit that if he offered her even the smallest scrap of his attention, she’d take it. Without thinking, she reached for him, but he stepped back with a hiss, his massive fangs bar
ed.
“If you touch me, I’m lost.” His big body trembled as he continued backing up. He took panting breaths, and his eyes were as wild as a cornered cougar’s. “I . . . have to go.”
“Hunter, wait.” She moved toward him. He stopped, and she had a feeling he was fighting a battle with himself deep inside. Good. Now he knew how she felt every time she saw him. “Don’t have sex with her. Not tonight.”
He barked out a laugh. “Really? Just yesterday you told me to get it over with. Now you get jealous?”
“This isn’t about jealousy,” she said. Okay, it was, but there was also the fact that Rasha mentioned getting pregnant. “You can’t . . .” You can’t trust Rasha. Aylin didn’t say it. She couldn’t. As true as it was, she wouldn’t sell out her sister like that.
“Can’t what?”
Aylin closed her lids. “Nothing. Just trust your instincts.”
“I got news for you,” he said roughly. “I can’t trust myself right now.”
He took off in a rush, and something told her he was heading straight to Rasha.
HUNTER HAD ALWAYS been one to play with fire, had never minded the burns. But Aylin burned hotter than any flame, and if he hadn’t left when he did, he’d have turned to ash.
Holy Spirit, she tested his self-control. Samnult’s trials were a piece of cake compared with the challenge of keeping his hands off Aylin.
He bolted through the halls, the moon fever licking at his heels. He wasn’t sure where he was going, and he didn’t care. As long as he got away from Aylin before the demands for blood and sex became too much, he didn’t give a shit where he ended up.
Except that somehow he found that he’d circled back around to the lab, where Aylin’s scent still lingered inside. Like an idiot, he peeked in, but she wasn’t there.
Lifting his face, he inhaled, caught her grass-and-sunshine aroma, and started to track her.
Dammit! Panting, he dug his heels into the ground. He bent over and braced his hands on his thighs in a desperate attempt to get hold of himself. It didn’t work. He could smell her. See her in his mind. And practically taste her in the back of his throat.