The Supernaturals of Las Vegas Books 1-4

by Carrie Harris

  This last option filled him with glee, but he tried to keep it off his face. On the outside, he hoped he appeared as his normal self, quiet and grave, but on the inside, he felt like dancing a jig. Having her leave entirely was more than he could have ever hoped for. She wouldn’t be messing with Liss anymore, or waylaying him in the middle of court with her latest machination. If only he were so lucky and it was true.

  Tait nodded. Gregor couldn’t help it. His face broke out into a wide smile. Perhaps that smile was out of character for him, because it attracted Liss’s attention from all the way across the crowded room. Or perhaps she’d been watching them casually. Either way, he noticed her begin to weave her way toward them from across the room, stopping to exchange pleasantries when necessary. She looked beautiful in the Grecian gown that Dagmar had worn. He remembered the day Dagmar and Konstantine had married, and he didn’t intend any slight to anyone when he said that Liss took the gown to new levels. It was only right for him to be biased in favor of his new bride. The bride that he very badly wanted to kiss. He’d had to plant one on her cheek, when they’d been married. Otherwise, his vampiric pheromones would have taken over, and regardless of whether they’d been in a church or not, that simply wasn’t proper.

  Tait grew visibly more uncomfortable as his sister approached and actually moved to the opposite side of Gregor so he wouldn’t have to stand next to her. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and appeared to be trying to make himself small and unnoticeable, which would have been a feat for a man of his size. But maybe he succeeded better than Gregor had thought possible, because Liss didn’t even acknowledge his presence.

  “What’s so delightful?” she asked Gregor, stopping a short distance away.

  He couldn’t stand the space that separated them. He wound an arm through hers, drawing her gently closer. She gave only a token resistance and smiled up at him.

  “Your brother has just informed me that Chandra has left. Perhaps he will tell us the details,” he said.

  Liss didn’t seem as pleased as he felt. Her mouth tightened as she turned to Tait.

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “Chandra is gone,” Tait said, looking at his shoes. “All of her things were packed up. Closets emptied, and that kind of thing. Her thralls are gone too. I don’t know where, but I expect she won’t be back.”

  “And why is that?” asked Gregor.

  But Tait just shook his head. It appeared that he wasn’t going to answer until Liss took a step forward. Tait immediately retreated before her anger, practically cowering.

  “Answer the question,” demanded Liss.

  “She was supposed to take me with her,” choked Tait. “Can you blame me? Everyone’s treating me as if I have leprosy, and so when she said she was going to go overseas and join the Italian court, I asked if I could go with her. They don’t have thrall limits, you know. She could have taken me along with her other thralls, and no one would have minded. We were supposed to leave early tonight, but when I got there, she’d already gone.”

  Gregor glanced at Liss to see how she was taking this news. It was one more betrayal from her brother, and he worried that hearing it would ruin their wedding night for her. That was the last thing he wanted. But she didn’t seem angry—not any angrier than she’d been before, anyway. She simply looked unsurprised by this news.

  “Come, husband,” she said, tugging gently on his arm. “Dance with me.”

  Gregor arched a brow rather than asking the obvious questions. She caught his meaning immediately.

  “There is nothing to be done about Chandra now except keep watch for her return,” she said.

  “And your brother?” he asked, allowing himself to be pulled toward the dance floor. The current dance was just winding up, and the dancers bowed and curtsied to each other before exiting the floor for rest or refreshment. It was perfect timing for them to enter the new formation, once the next dance was announced.

  “Him?” Liss glanced over her shoulder at her sibling, who still stood where they’d left him. “He’s broken. It makes me sad, but I’d rather focus on the positives tonight. And since my new husband hasn’t thought to ask me to dance, I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said, and twirled her onto the floor.

  Chapter 22

  Liss felt strangely happy. She felt like she ought to be worried, or at the very least alert to the political currents that surrounded her. Most of the people at her wedding were not her friends, and some of them wouldn’t be sad if she up and died and might even be willing to help that process along. At the very least, they were strangers. But she didn’t care. At least for the evening, she’d take their kindnesses at face value and enjoy herself. After all, she didn’t intend to get married again. This would be the one chance she had to enjoy being a bride.

  She was doing just that. She danced with Gregor and her father. Chatted with Oliver and his parents. Held the baby for a whole two minutes before she began to fuss. She had a nice talk with Isabeau and was pleased to find out how many interests they had in common. She’d never really thought of vampires as friend material, but she thought they honestly might get there. Oliver and Isabeau would be a part of her staff after her coronation and so would Dagmar, and she was incredibly relieved at the thought that she’d be surrounded by people she knew she could trust.

  And then there was Gregor. With every moment that they spent together, she became more and more convinced of his true feelings for her. So why wouldn’t he kiss her? She could understand his propriety during the wedding itself, but he’d barely touched her since. They’d danced, and he’d held her hand, and she knew he wanted more by the smoldering expression he wore when he looked at her. She couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t made a move.

  Finally, when they stepped off the dance floor, she’d had enough of being patient. She took him by the hand and steered him toward the back of the ballroom. On one side was the opulent buffet, full of hors d’oeuvres, including her favorite lobster puffs. A sparkling champagne fountain stood off to the side. Beyond that were the curtained areas normally used for vampiric feeding. She’d never been in one, but she knew the general principle. Each one contained a fainting couch, much like the one she and Gregor had used on the balcony. They also contained cleaning supplies and mirrors so that both participating parties could clean up after the deed was done. It wasn’t the most romantic location, but it was private, and she had to know for sure. Had she read him correctly or not?

  He wore an expression of surprise when she dragged him into the closest open salon and pulled the curtain closed behind them. When she turned to face him, he’d put his hands behind his back and was watching her patiently as if waiting to see what she’d do. She tilted her head and looked right back at him.

  “I don’t get you,” she murmured. The one thing the salon didn’t offer was soundproofing, and she didn’t want to advertise their private conversation to the rest of the court.

  “Beg pardon?” he asked.

  This would be embarrassing to say, but she had to get it out. She took a deep breath and plunged in.

  “I know you care about me. You’ve proven it time and again, and before this evening, I would have said that it wasn’t just friendly. But now we’re married, and you’ve barely touched me. Is there something wrong?” she asked.

  She hadn’t been really worried until that moment, but once the words came out, she realized that maybe there was a problem. Maybe he was regretting his choice now that it was made, or he’d realized that he wasn’t interested in her after all but had gone through with it anyway because he was a gentleman. If that was the case, she would still be his queen, and she would do a good job of it, but she felt quite certain that her heart would break.

  There was no way to escape the reality of it. She loved him. She loved his quiet enjoyment of her presence. The way his eyes lit up when he looked at her. She loved the fact that he would always come to her rescue whi
le trusting that she could rescue herself. She loved his confidence in her and the way he seemed to know what she needed before she even did. After such a short time, he’d realized how much she needed her friends by her side in order to take a spot in the monarchy, and he’d made it happen.

  She loved his kiss. She wanted more of them.

  He looked horrified, and her heart plunged to her feet. There really was something wrong. She felt faint. Good thing the fainting couch was there, because she might honestly need it. She sank down onto its cushions and focused on not hyperventilating.

  “No, there’s nothing wrong at all,” he said worriedly, sitting next to her and taking her hands in his. For once, his hands didn’t feel so cold. Probably because it felt like all of the blood had drained out of hers. He seemed to notice and gripped her harder. “Liss, I’m sorry. I just…”

  He trailed off, and she squeezed his fingers.

  “Gregor, you can tell me. Whatever it is. We need to be honest with each other from day one, or this won’t work. You know that.”

  He nodded. He didn’t seem to be able to meet her eyes. It reminded her of Tait’s shame, but Gregor was different. He just seemed…shy, somehow.

  “I know if I kiss you, you’ll respond. But I’ll never know if that’s what you wanted, or if it’s just because of biology. And I don’t want to take advantage,” he said quietly. “I want you to want me as much as I want you.”

  Relief washed over her in a rush, followed by the warm tingle of desire. He did want her. The problem wasn’t that he didn’t care at all, but that he cared more than she’d realized. He wouldn’t make the first move because he wanted to be sure of her desires. There was one way she could think of to assure him of that. She leaned forward, ever so slowly, and put her lips to his ear.

  “I do want you,” she whispered.

  He needed no further urging. Within moments, his mouth was on hers. His kiss was urgent and hungry and left no doubt as to his desire and intentions. His hands were in her hair, messing up the elaborate half-updo her hairdresser had so meticulously constructed. She didn’t care. She gasped against his mouth, wanting him even before the heady cocktail of his vampiric pheromones washed over her.

  His hands were everywhere, and she couldn’t wait any longer. She tugged at his clothing, wanting to free him to her touch. He lifted her dress. She felt electric with desire, and when he touched her most sensitive areas for the first time, she barely kept from screaming his name. Instead, she moaned it in his ear, and that only seemed to excite him more. He entered her at the same time his teeth plunged into her neck, and everything went white with bliss.

  They spent a long time putting each other back together, afterwards. Not because there was so much work to do to achieve that goal, but because they knew the coronation was coming soon, and impeccable appearance was non-negotiable. Luckily, the bite marks on Liss’s neck had faded fast, and Gregor had assured her that they were completely gone. Still, she kept running her fingers over the spot he’d bitten, expecting to find marks.

  When Gregor took note of her worry, he became instantly concerned.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Do you hurt?”

  “No, I’m just worried about marks,” she replied, sotto voce.

  “Don’t worry. I told you before—”

  “I know. Gregor’s Magic Saliva is at work.”

  The silly nickname surprised a laugh out of him, and she smiled contentedly.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Are you?” she retorted. “And are you sure about this?”

  He patted his suit pocket, where he’d secreted a sharp pin. In the wake of their lovemaking, she’d found herself suggesting the most outrageous thing to him. Perhaps the most outrageous thing about it was that he’d agreed readily, and now she kept having to reassure herself that he truly meant it.

  The two of them laced their hands together and took their time making their way to the dais. After all, if they couldn’t set the schedule on their own wedding night, when would they be able to?

  Liss felt like she was glowing with happiness. She was sure that her satisfaction with what had happened in the feeding chamber was written all over her face regardless of whether marks were visible on her neck or not. This should have embarrassed her, she felt. But then again, she was a married woman, and married women were allowed to enjoy their bodies and their husband’s bodies, especially in close proximity. So she tried not to worry about that, although she was fairly sure that her cheeks were flushed with pink.

  When they reached the edge of the dais, they found Liss’s parents already waiting for them. Atop the dais, a second chair had been added next to Viktor’s old one. They appeared to be part of a matching set, both made of heavy, carved wood with cherry-colored undertones. Liss had ordered them upholstered to match in tones of muted copper shot through with threads of twinkling gold. It was the first time she’d seen them together, and they looked lovely and royal in a way that brought home the reality of what was about to happen for the very first time.

  But there was no time for last minute nerves. She and Gregor walked up the steps to the chairs hand in hand, and any nerves that she felt were eased by the reassurance that she wasn’t in this alone. He was by her side, and they would be the kind of partnership she’d always secretly wanted but never dreamed would be possible for someone like her. A thrall.

  Except that, as she sat down in her chair with Gregor beside her, she would no longer be a thrall. Her developing magic would eventually provide the same benefits that Gregor’s blood had given her. She would not need to take from him, and in fact, she’d be able to meet his nutritional needs without him having to bite her, if it came to that. Although the biting had been rather enjoyable, so maybe she wouldn’t cut that from the repertoire altogether.

  Dagmar climbed the dais to offer Gregor a heavy signet ring that matched his own. Since there were no crowns for this particular vampire kingdom, and the only real ornament that had symbolized Viktor’s status was his ring, they’d ordered one to match for Liss. It was sized down to fit her hand but otherwise matched his to the slightest detail. A ruby flashed bright red in the lights as he took it off the pillow.

  He took Liss’s hand in his and, with slow deliberation, slipped the ring on her right hand. Then, as they’d planned, he took the pin from his pocket. Ever so carefully, he pricked her index finger, and then his own.

  She met his eyes. “Are you absolutely sure, Gregor?”

  He nodded. “Yes, my love.”

  It was the first time he’d called her such a thing out loud, and it made tears spring to her eyes. There was no better answer than what she was about to do. She could only hope that her magic would be there, but with his strength to draw from, she knew that it would work.

  She pressed her finger to his, and together, they drew the glyph that would bind their blood together, forever. Whatever happened to one, the other would sense. Dangers. Pains. Love. Happiness. They would share it all. It was an immense act of trust, and Liss could barely believe that she’d suggested it, let alone that he’d agreed.

  As the glyph was completed, she felt a cool breeze pass over her, and her hands tingled as the magic in her blood mingled with the magic in his. For the first moment, nothing felt different and she worried that perhaps she might not have successfully cast the glyph after all. But then, a wave of sensations pulled at her. Her senses intensified until she could hear the air hissing out of the vents. If she focused, she could hear her mother’s heartbeat. And from Gregor, she felt nothing but love and contentment.

  He really did love her. And she loved him. She didn’t need to say it, because if he hadn’t been able to tell before, he certainly would be able to now. But she wanted to.

  “I love you, Gregor Valdemar.”

  “I love you, my queen.”

  Hand in hand, they stood to face their court. Applause washed over them, but they only had eyes for each other.

  Chapter 1

/>   The air smelled of wet dog and rotten garbage, and Citrine Avonmora took a deep, luxurious breath of it. It tasted like freedom. Unfortunately, a couple of deep inhalations of freedom made her feel a little sick to her stomach, so she decided to stop before she vomited.

  Her first moments in the human world didn’t feel all that different from Faerie. Of course, Faerie had palaces of otherworldly gorgeousness and trees with leaves of chiming silver, but Citrine had rarely gotten to enjoy those things. During her long imprisonment, she’d been shut up in dank places that didn’t smell any better than this. Sometimes they’d smelled worse.

  The Wand of Doors would take her anywhere she wanted to go, but since Citrine hadn’t ever been to the human realm, she hadn’t been able to be very specific. Really, anywhere would have been better than where she was. So she’d imagined somewhere warm. Her cell was always dank and cold and left her shivering at night. A warm place with people all around seemed like the perfect solution to her problems. She’d be able to hide there. Maybe, just maybe the king wouldn’t be able to find her.

  The mere thought of King Ilimitaine made her feel queasy all over again, so she pushed him from her mind and stowed the wand carefully in the tooled leather of her right boot. She’d stolen the footwear along with her wand, and it felt strange on her feet, but she liked how they looked. Hopefully her tattered dress and leather boots wouldn’t stand out too much among the human crowd. She’d met a few humans, but they’d been stuck in Faerie for so long that it was hard to know how accurate their information had been.

  If she was going to survive this, she had to take stock of her situation. Right now, she was sheltered from view by a tall thing made of metal. It reeked of trash. Behind her back was a stone wall. Under her feet crunched glass and unknown garbage. It was dark now, but lights burned overhead, and she could hear the sounds of people not too far away on the other side of the metal thing. From the sounds of it, there were a lot of them, and they were either having a party or cheering as a pair of gladiators fought to the death. In her experience, the two things sounded fairly similar.