Carmen was pouting, as usual, though Talon ignored her while he studied the twelve near the front of the room as they argued about how to deal with the newest variety of vampire. He’d been tempted to skip this meeting, since they’d returned to Fangri La late and he had other duties today, but he didn’t want to get his information secondhand. Sadly, the meeting had been horribly boring so far.
“While I’m willing to admit that their last leader was unstable, I’ve spoken to Abram, and he seems quite nice,” Nola argued. She was a petite woman with dark brown skin, short brown hair, and nearly black eyes. Her loud, commanding voice, did not match her appearance.
“Ha!” Shane snapped. He was an extremely pale man with nearly white hair, greenish-grey eyes, and a stocky build. “Those monstrosities should be put down before that virus has time to spread.”
“I agree,” Yasmine chimed in. With her face and hair always covered, Talon had yet to see more than her vivid blue eyes. “We already know they’re dangerous. We tried working with them, but they lied to us, and we cannot forget that they are the reason Connor broke from the council.”
Talon had heard her argue on Connor’s behalf before. Carmen had explained that Yasmine was the original representative from Connor’s territory. While she hadn’t been back there in decades, she clearly retained some loyalty to the people in her original territory, unlike most council members.
“This arguing about Abram and his people is getting us nowhere.” Eleanor spoke with authority. Dressed in white, her brown hair was pulled back, making the scar on her forehead stand out even more. Talon had yet to learn how she’d gotten that scar. It was a pity she didn’t seem fond of Alistair, since she was one of the few women here who fascinated him. Her power made his dick so hard he thought he might explode when he got close to her. Sadly, he was going to have to settle for jacking off to thoughts of her.
Carmen tugged at his arm, pulling his attention back to the meeting.
There were shouts at the front of the room, and council members were talking over the top of each other as they argued about what to do with the new variety of vampires. It was a typical council meeting where no one would agree on anything—meaning matters brought before the council were rarely resolved.
“Silence!” Eleanor shouted, and Talon nearly groaned. Damn, that woman was hot! When the room settled down, Eleanor spoke. “We have discussed this issue to death. You would need a unanimous vote to destroy Abram and his people. That is not going to happen, so why are you wasting my time by calling this meeting, Shane?”
“Because we cannot ignore this danger!” Shane shouted.
“I agree that something needs to be done,” Eleanor began in the same tone he imagined her using to soothe a child, “but you had better come up with something other than killing them, or you won’t get the rest of the council to agree.”
Shane slumped down in his chair, clearly angry with Eleanor’s response.
Finally, the boring meeting was dismissed, and Talon latched onto Carmen’s arm to lead her somewhere they could talk privately.
“Carmen and Alistair!” Eleanor called after them, and Talon gritted his teeth.
Carmen shook off his hand, and they both turned to face Eleanor. “Yes, Eleanor?” Carmen’s smile was strained.
“Where are you two off to in such a hurry?” Eleanor asked with a frown.
“We’re both scheduled in the tourist areas today,” Carmen explained, and Talon barely suppressed a shudder. High-ranking council members got out of tourist-time, but he and Carmen had to spend at least twenty hours interacting with stupid humans every week.
“Then I’m surprised you attended the meeting,” Eleanor remarked casually. “To be honest, I’ve been surprised to see the two of you at so many recent meetings.”
Talon said nothing, waiting for Eleanor to play her hand. Nothing in her stance made him believe she was suspicious of their actions, but why else would she stop them?
“I’m curious about these new vampires and what’s going on with the trade agreements in Connor’s territory,” Carmen replied, sounding somewhat nervous.
“Why is that?” Eleanor asked.
“Neither of us is comfortable with the way things stand,” Talon replied, trying to sound more sniveling like Alistair would when confronted. “We’re afraid other territories might also decide to break from the council.”
Eleanor nodded, looking thoughtful. “That concerns me as well, Alistair. I admit that I’m just surprised to see you showing up to these things together. You’ve never been close, and neither of you have attended many meetings in the past.”
“I’m on two committees with Alistair,” Carmen huffed in annoyance. “That means we’re spending more time together. Is that really a reason to be suspicious?”
“In these times? Yes, it is,” Eleanor told her. “I’m sorry if that upsets you, Carmen, but I’m not here to make everyone happy. I’m here to keep our government running as smoothly as possible. Is there any reason you’re so defensive?”
“Carmen is just bitchy because she hates tourist duty,” Talon interjected before Carmen said something really stupid.
Carmen silently fumed at his side.
Eleanor nodded, but he got the impression she didn’t really trust them, which could be a problem if she decided to have them watched. Eleanor held a lot of power in the council.
“There’s also the fact that this thing with Connor breaking from the council has made for very entertaining meetings,” Carmen added with a shrug, and Talon was thankful for her uncharacteristically quick thinking. “What can I say? I enjoy the drama, and I’ve been dragging Alistair along so I have someone to gossip with about it later.”
That seemed to satisfy Eleanor. “You’re probably not alone in that. Well, I’ll let you go so you can get to the tourist areas.”
With that, Eleanor walked away, and Talon steered Carmen in the opposite direction to an empty room.
“That was close,” he muttered. “For a moment, I thought Eleanor knew what we were up to.”
Carmen snorted. “Nosy bitch needs to be taken down a peg,” she complained. “If I could have one wish right now, it would be to put a knife through her heart.”
“You may get that chance, but for now, it would cause too many problems,” he told her. “If she were to die, everyone would be clamoring for the top. Although, the death of another one of the main twelve would be useful. As I said before, we need to recruit others to our cause.”
“I agree,” Carmen said thoughtfully. “It would definitely help to have someone close to the top on our side. Now, we need to go play nice with the humans.”
Talon shuddered at the thought. “Yes, let’s go play the role of friendly vampires for the twits.” He could not wait to get his hands on Arawn’s daughter and get back to the Fae realm, where he would be the one with the power. Then it occurred to him that she should be in this time by now. That meant he would see her soon. His body practically trembled with anticipation.
Chapter Sixteen
Cam had fully expected Claire to balk at sharing a room with him. According to the vampires who’d escorted them to the house the four of them would be sharing, this was the only space they had available for guests. It was isolated from the other housing, and close to the front gates, which were heavily guarded.
He and Claire were alone in their room, and Cam had to work hard to keep his eyes from landing on the bed they’d be sharing. His dick was straining against his pants, and Claire seemed to be doing everything to avoid looking at it. Of course, it was almost constantly hard around Claire. If a male could die from horniness, Claire was definitely going to be the death of him.
“You should eat first,” Claire insisted, as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Cam had ditched his shoes and shirt as soon as they’d walked in the door, and after being cooped up in the jeep for hours, he was ready to ditch his pants as well, but that might make Claire even more uncomfortable.
Cam shook his head and kept his distance from his jumpy mate so she wouldn’t feel threatened or pressured. “Your needs come first.”
“I really want to argue with you,” she began.
“But you’re not stupid enough to go without blood just to be stubborn,” Cam finished for her.
“That about sums it up,” she agreed with a laugh. “I’ve only fed from an actual person a few times, so this is still pretty new to me.”
“I’ve fed more than one vampire,” he assured her, still keeping his distance, no matter how much he wanted to touch her. “If the intimacy makes you uneasy, I can feed you from my wrist.”
“No,” Claire replied automatically. “From what I was told, it hurts more feeding someone from your wrist, and I’m not going to cause you more pain just because this makes me a little uncomfortable.”
That’s when Cam couldn’t stay away from her any longer. Even knowing his mate’s skittishness was the result of his proximity, he had to be close to her. Gliding across the room, he stopped a few steps from her and reached out a hand. “I’ll take care of you, Claire.”
She merely nodded and took Cam’s hand as he pulled her against his body, careful to position her so his erection wouldn’t press against her belly. That would only result in her being more uncomfortable with all of this. Yes, she knew he was turned on, but she didn’t need the reminder. He also needed to stop thinking about his cock and how much he wanted it rubbing against her.
While he wasn’t very tall, Cam had half a foot on Claire. Leaning down, he placed his throat near her lips, and then shuddered when her tongue darted out to stroke his pulse. The scent of her arousal grew stronger, proving, as always, that their attraction wasn’t one-sided. The urge to guide her to the bed where things would definitely turn more intimate while she fed was strong, but he resisted. He really deserved a fucking award for self-control.
“Please,” Cam breathed out in a strained voice, and he was rewarded by the erotic sensation of Claire’s fangs sliding into his throat. The sharp pain made him even harder, and he couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped his lips. That sound was echoed by Claire as she fed from his throat—an act so intimate Cam’s already painful erection was threatening to tear a hole in his pants. He’d never fed Claire before, and the intensity of it shocked him. This was beyond what he’d experienced with any other vampire. It was more than physical pleasure; he was feeding his mate, providing what she needed. His eyes closed tightly as he allowed himself to slip into the fantasy of sinking his teeth into her throat and marking her.
When Claire’s fangs left his throat, Cam’s mind was focused on one thing, pleasuring his mate. Her arousal was utterly irresistible. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her from the floor and walked her to the bed, pressing her down onto the soft mattress and covering her with his body. Claire’s legs opened, giving him space to settle between them. His erection was pressed against her core, only separated by their clothing, and he wanted more than anything to rip that clothing off and sink into her body, but he wouldn’t until she was ready to give herself to him. Things wouldn’t go that far today, but soon, they would.
“I want you in me,” Claire moaned as she reached for the fastenings on his pants. Cam caught her hands and pinned them beside her head.
“Not yet,” he murmured. “I’m going to fuck you very soon, sweetheart, and when I do, you’re going to beg me to mark you and make you completely mine.”
“Cocky asshole,” she accused.
“I told you before, I will own you as much as you already own me.” Without waiting for a reply, Cam claimed her mouth in a kiss that was meant to show her how much she meant to him. His tongue invaded her mouth like his cock wanted to invade her body. It nearly killed him to tell her she couldn’t have his cock now, but he wouldn’t accept halfway with Claire. She was going to give him everything.
Claire’s legs wrapped around his hips, and she pressed against his throbbing erection.
“Fuck, Claire,” Cam groaned against her mouth.
“That’s exactly what I had in mind,” she purred as she rolled her hips against him.
Cam was pretty sure Claire’s hands would be trying to get his pants off if they weren’t pinned to the bed. “Soon,” he promised as he nipped her jaw and then returned his attention to her mouth. This time, he rocked his own hips, grinding his throbbing cock against her. Based on the sexy little whimpers coming from the back of her throat, Claire was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing.
He found a rhythm with his tongue and continued to roll his hips against her, while Claire struggled under him to get more pressure with her clit. She needed her orgasm, and he had no intention of denying her today. He continued to rock against her until the mewling sounds grew in volume, and her legs stiffened. Cam could practically feel her pulsing with her orgasm even through their clothes, and that was enough to send him over the edge.
Cam’s kiss gentled, and he nibbled on her lips before releasing her hands and cupping her face so he could stare into her beautiful blue eyes.
The pounding on the door broke the moment and reminded Cam they were sharing a house with two people who had very good hearing.
“You’ve fed her and fucked her. You can eat on the way there, Cam. Let’s go,” Ian shouted through the door.
“Shit,” Cam hissed, resting his forehead against Claire’s. “I’m sorry about doing that with them so close.” While he wasn’t at all embarrassed, Claire wasn’t a shifter and definitely wasn’t as comfortable with sex as he was.
“Can you get off of me, so we can get ready to go?” Claire asked. “Something tells me you need to change your pants.”
Cam rolled off of Claire, giving her a sheepish smile. “Would you believe me if I told you that’s never happened to me before?”
Claire’s shy smile gave him hope, but her refusal to meet his eyes made him nervous. “We’d better hurry. You can try to convince me you usually last longer later.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he practically purred, “I promise to prove my prowess to you very soon.”
Chapter Seventeen
It wasn’t easy looking at Cam after what had happened—well, almost happened. After seeing how frazzled Claire was, Ian had tried arguing that Cam didn’t need to come with them to discuss the danger to Connor’s territory since he was a shifter. That would have given her some much needed space from Cam. Unfortunately, Claire knew the discussion affected the shifters, too, and had been the one to argue that Cam needed to be there. After all, Cam and the other shifters had been willing to put their own asses on the line by declaring their support of Connor to the council in Fangri La. So, it was her own fault she was squirming in her seat like a little girl who’d been caught misbehaving.
They were now seated in the front room of Marie Therese’s house, with Cam even closer to naked than he had been when she’d fed from him. As if sensing her need for space, Cam was sprawled out casually in a plush chair, wearing nothing but shorts. She wasn’t sure that was an improvement, since she now had an exceptional view of his nearly naked body. Of course, she couldn’t forget that he would soon be completely naked when he shifted for Marie Therese.
“So, what’s going on with the council that we don’t already know about?” Ian asked.
Eleanor had been doing a pretty good job of keeping Connor updated on any of the council’s actions that could affect his territory. Up to this point, they’d mainly been suggestions of idle threats and committee meetings. From what Claire had learned, the council’s real power came from the trade agreements they had. Connor, as well as some of the other coastal territories, had trade agreements of their own and could get most of what they needed without the council. That made them harder to control.
“From what I understand, there are a lot of problems within the council at the moment,” Marie Therese began. “I know you’re going to ask me what’s new about that, but this is more than the usual squabbling. I was approached by a small group fro
m Fangri La, and they had two lower-level council members with them.”
“Which two council members?” Ian asked.
“Alistair and Carmen,” Marie Therese replied.
The names were vaguely familiar to Claire, but based on Ian’s raised eyebrows, he knew them.
“Can’t believe those two actually left Fangri La.” Ian looked thoughtful. “Hell, the thing I’m having the most trouble believing is that they left there together.”
“Apparently, a common enemy is enough to make them work together,” Marie Therese said with a shrug.
“And Connor is their common enemy?” Ian looked thoroughly confused by that logic. “Sorry, but I’m not really understanding any of this. While I don’t remember them being friends with Connor, I’d hardly say they viewed him as an enemy or a threat.”
“According to them, Connor’s decision to break from the council destroys their unity and risks the lives of other vampires, or some shit like that,” Marie Therese explained.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that’s a big line among the council, but Alistair’s always been terrified of leaving Fangri La, and it seems that he’d be thrilled Connor broke off since Connor often argued for more ethical treatment of humans, which Alistair opposed. As for Carmen, she’s never concerned herself with anything that happens outside of Fangri La. It’s one of the reasons she’s never moved up in the council ranks. She’s far too short-sighted,” Ian argued.
“No need to convince me,” Marie Therese told him. “I think there’s a much bigger agenda here, but let’s start at the beginning.”
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