by J. L. McCoy
“Shut. Up,” he commanded staccato a second before his mouth came crashing down on mine in an angry, heated kiss. His tongue seemed to punish me as he roughly explored my mouth, but my body was loving every second of it; forgotten for a moment was the fact I was in some seriously deep shit with my Sliocht leader.
After a few moments, I tried to speak around his tongue, attempting to ask him how he’d found me, but it was no use; his delectable, yet furious anger filled every single inch of my mouth.
Soon, his free hand was all over my body; exploring, demanding, taking what he wanted. He unzipped my leather tank and threw it across the room then did the same with my leather pants, all the while his left hand was still wrapped around my throat, his tongue still commanding my mouth.
All questions I had intended to ask him flew out of my mind as his fingers teased my sensitive bud and then filled me. Once I was putty in his hands, he widened my stance against the door using his leg and undid his pants. In two seconds, he was inside of me, fucking me hard and relentlessly, his hand still gripping my throat. I took my sexual punishment willingly, letting Archer do what he pleased with my body. I even enjoyed the precise choking he delivered as he angrily pounded my pussy.
I was already close to coming, and his voice abruptly barked in my head. “No! You don’t get to come until I say you can. You’ve been a very bad girl, páiste, and I’m not near through with you yet.”
With that, he withdrew from me, spun me around, shoved my cheek against the door and reentered me, this time harder and faster than before. The sex was unrelenting, angry, yet oddly loving at the same time. Every time I got close to my peak, he’d edge me back down with a firm “No!” and a change of angles. It was frustrating as all hell, and I knew he was definitely doing this to reprimand me for what I’d done to him, but I didn’t care. This angry sex was turning out to be some of the best lovemaking we’d had in weeks.
Archer’s pace quickened, and he withdrew unexpectedly and flashed us to the bed, him on his back with me straddling him. “Ride me,” he demanded coarsely as his hands roughly palmed my aching breasts.
I did exactly as he said and rode him hard and fast, the friction of our hips beating together rubbing my sensitive clit, and I was closer than ever to coming. Without warning, Archer sat up, wrapped his arms around me, and sank his fangs deep into my neck; his resulting venom was strong, and I grunted with each thrust of my hips as I came closer and closer to my release. “Come for me,” Archer demanded in my head. “Now!”
Finally being allowed, I screamed out my blessed orgasm for a few seconds before the fevered need for his blood took over and I sank my fangs into his neck as well. We fed from each other as we both rode out our climax.
When it was all over, we withdrew our fangs and laid down on the bed, both panting from the physical exertion. After a few silent minutes, Archer got up, grabbed his clothes, and threw me mine.
“Get dressed,” he demanded. “We’re leaving.”
“Archer, I-I can’t leave,” I answered unevenly as I sat up and stared at him in confusion.
“The fuck you can’t,” he replied, glowering down at me. “You have no business doing the Dark’s dirty work. Not even to mention you neglecting to ask my permission before embarking on this little stunt of yours. Your ass is coming home with me where it belongs. Your father made his bed, Skye. He can very well lie in it.”
“As my maker, I may not have asked your permission, and I understand I should have, but as your girlfriend, I’m a free woman and can do as I wish as long as I am faithful and respectful of you. I have done both here,” I said heatedly. “I called you and told you what was going on, and I asked you to stay out of it for your own good, not because I didn’t want you here.” Shaking my head and holding up my hand, I cut him off when he tried to speak. “How in the hell did you even find me, Archer Rhys? I didn’t even know where I was half the time.”
Scoffing, he found my cell phone on the bedside table and held it up. “Your cell, Skye. I had Quinn track you and find you.”
Stupid fricking technology! “That was unnecessary. I told you I was fine and would be home in two weeks tops. You aren’t supposed to be here, Archer, and Atticus will lose his shit if he finds out you are!”
“I couldn’t give two shits about what Atticus thinks!” Archer roared. “Now get dressed!”
“Archer, please,” I begged as I quickly pulled on my clothes. “Please understand. I can’t leave until I find Stanus. This isn’t just for Atticus or my father. This is for Nikki.”
Sighing, Archer ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Fine,” he said after a long moment, “but I’m staying with you.”
“Archer, you can’t!” I exclaimed. “Atticus only agreed to Hagan accompanying me on this mission, and I had to beg for even that concession. There is no way in hell he’ll agree to you. He’s very protective of Corvus and made me swear no one would touch him. I know you hate him—”
“Fucking Corvus!” Archer growled, his eyes fading white in anger. “Of course I hate him. He almost ruined my son!”
What? Was I about to find out the big secret as to why everyone hated Corvus? “What are you talking about?”
“Jameson,” Archer explained angrily. “Corvus Frost wooed Amani away from Jameson back in ’45 and broke his bladacracin heart. I didn’t think he’d survive the heartache of losing her, and I was forced to watch him endure many rough decades after that. All because of him! So yes... I hate the very sight of him... and her!”
Oh my God! That explained so much! The looks of disgust Archer gave Amani when we ran into her at Les Oubliette, and when the family had said Amani left Jameson for some Dark One. It was Corvus Frost!
The realization hit me hard, and I sat back down on the bed. “Holy shit, Archer. I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t know. It’s not something we go around talking about. It was incredibly embarrassing for Jameson and the family as a whole.”
“And that’s why you both have been so protective of me when it came to being around Corvus,” I said, realizing the deeper issue. “You’re both afraid he’ll steal me away from you.”
Archer’s lips formed a tight line, and he remained angrily silent. He didn’t have to answer me because in that moment I realized the truth.
“Archer, I love you,” I explained, getting up from the bed and wrapping my arms around his muscled waist. “I’m so damn in love with you I can’t even think straight sometimes. No man in this entire universe holds a candle to you. You are my very breath, love. You are my everything. There is nowhere I’d rather be than in your arms. You have nothing to worry about. I’d rather die than ever lose you, Archer Rhys. Do you understand me? When I take my last breath, it will be with you in my heart and your name on my lips.”
The anger immediately melted from his face as he gazed lovingly into my eyes. He slowly reached up and softly brushed my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “How in the hell am I supposed to stay mad at you when you say things like that?” he questioned rhetorically before lowering his face to mine, brushed his lips against mine. “I’m staying by your side, and that’s final.”
“Archer, please,” I begged, trying to get him to understand. “I didn’t want you finding out where I was because I knew you would do this and this is dangerous.”
“Even more reason why I should be by your side,” he said roughly.
“I. Can’t. Die,” I stated firmly, leaving no room for retort. “You can! I’m coming home at the end of this, but if you come with me, there’s a chance you won’t. You know what I could potentially be going up against. I know you remember what happened out at that airfield a couple of weeks ago. It’s important to me that you are safe and keeping our family safe as well. If you are with me, I’ll be more worried about you and your safety than I am about taking care of business.” Sighing, I caressed his face. “You will be a distraction, love, and one that I simply can’t afford.”
Frowning, Archer pull
ed his face back. “But Hagan is allowed to stay.”
“Because I wanted someone with me who would have my back and best interests at heart. Who better to have than one of The Faithful?” I explained carefully. “Hagan is trained for this. He’s also sort of neutral in Atticus’s eyes. He’d never have agreed to you coming along and you know it. Firm instructions are in place to not harm a single hair on Corvus’s head. I’ve had a hell of a time just keeping Hagan from killing him. Do you think you’d actually be able to refrain?”
Archer jerked his head once to the left in an irritated no.
“See?” I sighed. “Honey, please, just this once, listen to me. I know what I’m asking is huge, but you have to trust me that I’m doing the best thing for all parties involved.”
“Fine,” he agreed through gritted teeth, obviously unhappy, but willing to grant me my wish, “but when you get home, there will be hell to pay for disobeying a direct order from your Sliocht leader in the first place.”
I gulped hard as my face fell. “And what’s something like that going to cost me?”
“Oh—” He grinned mischievously, and I almost blew out a sigh of relief. “—you’ll find out in two weeks.”
A knock at the door sounded, and I jumped from the unexpectedness. “Oh shit! What if it’s Corvus,” I asked silently, and Archer audibly growled. I hushed him with a gentle finger to the lips before ushering him quickly to the bathroom.
“Stay,” I commanded, then realized who I was talking to. “Please, honey. Stay put for a just second, okay?”
Archer begrudgingly obliged, and I shut the door behind me and raced to see who it was.
A woman wearing a chic chiffon pantsuit greeted me with both arms full of garment and shopping bags. “I have a delivery for Mademoiselle Benoit,” she said sweetly, pushing herself in without invitation.
“Um... thank you?”
“Monsignor Benoit instructed us to bring you these items straight away,” she purred in her suave French accent. Putting everything away in the walk-in closet, she turned and handed me her card. “Do telephone if you should require anything else. Bonsoir.”
“Thank you,” I said again, surprised. Looked like Corvus came through with the disguises we would need for tonight.
With that, she left straight away, and I was thankful. Archer let himself out of the bathroom, and I glanced over at him from the door of the closet. “My disguise showed up.”
“What are you even doing here?” he asked, confused.
I briefly filled him in on the last twelve hours, and he was not in the least bit happy when he saw the guns and ammo I carried.
“This is a really dangerous thing you and Hagan are doing. What if he gets caught tonight?”
“He won’t,” I explained with mostly full faith in Corvus. “Corvus is taking care of things. You have to trust me.”
“I do,” he sighed. “I just don’t trust him.”
“Trust Hagan as well. He’s smart and savvy. He’s An Dilis for goodness sake. He knows what he’s getting himself into.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” he said sweetly, cupping my left cheek, and I leaned my head into his touch.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave either,” I admitted, then asked the question I’d most wanted to know. “Did you run into anyone on the way to my room? Did anyone of importance recognize you?”
“I saw a couple of human maids and a few human guests, that’s about it.”
Sighing with the immense relief I felt, I smiled diminutively. “Good... that’s good. Corvus absolutely cannot know you were here. If Atticus were to find out, he may renig on our deal and kill my father.”
“I still don’t understand why you care so much about saving his life, Skye.”
“Moot point, my dear. We’ll go in circles all day if I tried to explain. I would tell you and you would retort with some brilliant yet insightful psychologically true shit, and then I would come back with my own self-serving need to save the world... It would just be exhausting.”
“I think I love that most about you, Skye Morrison. You always try to see the good in people and help others. You’ve got the purest soul I’ve met in a very long time.”
“You’re just saying that because the make-up sex was so good.”
Laughing, he tucked a stray stand of my hair behind my ear and grinned. “It was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
I delivered a devastatingly satisfying kiss, told Archer how much I’d miss him, and promised him I’d be careful, before cautiously secreting him out the door and to the service elevator.
Once he was gone, I went to the closet to check out the items that were delivered. Corvus thought of everything. There were contacts for my eyes, an array of makeup, a short blonde wig, a beautiful cerulean blue ball gown, and shoes and undergarments to match. He even scored me a small thigh holster for my dagger. How truly thoughtful of him.
Giving up on resting, I glanced at the clock on my cell phone and noted Corvus would be rising in a couple of hours, so I showered and got ready for the night. The blonde wig was a short, chic bob and paired perfectly with the blue contacts Corvus secured for me. After contouring my makeup just right as to give the illusion of higher cheekbones and a more heart-shaped face, I slipped into the dress and shoes, noting that Corvus spared no expense on my attire.
Gazing in the full-length mirror, I smiled with satisfaction. I looked nothing like my true self and knew I’d pass inspection
A few minutes after helping myself to the room’s fully stocked minibar, Hagan showed up.
“Lord, have mercy,” I gasped, taking in Hagan’s decked out form. He was wearing a fitted, black Brioni tuxedo, and his hair was swept back into a sleek low man bun. “Hagan, is that you?”
He smirked at my giggles as he disinterestedly pulled on his shirt cuffs. “Haha... very funny.”
“You look hot, sir,” I acknowledged truthfully. “Positively smoking!”
“You’re not the only one who cleans up well.” He winked.
“Aww, is that another compliment? Easy there, sir. Your soft side is showing again.”
“Shut it, Morrison. Or should I say, Mrs. Benoit? You look pretty different as a blonde.”
“You like?” I inquired, playfully fluffing the left side of the bob.
“I do.”
“Now I know your type,” I joked, laughing.
“So when did Archer show up?” he asked, cocking one eyebrow knowingly, and I almost choked on air.
“What?”
“Come on, Morrison,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I smell him all over this place.”
“Fuck,” I exclaimed, eyes wide. “We’ve got to get out of this room before Corvus shows up. He can’t know Archer was here.”
Grabbing my wine glass, we hightailed it out of the room and down to the main floor bar, talking along the way. I filled him in on the brief visit and Archer’s promise of punishment once I got home.
“I tried to warn you,” he said, shaking his head. “Girlfriend or not, you can’t go against your Sliocht leader like that.”
“Hopefully he’ll take it easy on me.”
“Fat chance. You’re his girlfriend. He’ll have to dish out a standard punishment as to not show favoritism. He may even give you a harsher one to prove a point.”
“Fuck. I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
“Completely.” He nodded and then chuckled. “You’re a fucking handful, Morrison. If you were mine, I’d tan that hide.”
“Ooh, kinky.” I laughed lightheartedly, wagging my eyebrows at him.
“Did I hear someone say kinky?” Corvus asked, and I turned around and screamed.
Staring me in the face was a back, medieval plague doctor’s mask, complete with its long, beaklike nose and slanted eyes.
“Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me! What is wrong with you!”
“What, kitten?” he chuckled, removing the mask from his face. “You don’t like my mask for tonight? I secured a si
milar one for Mr. Benoit.”
I watched as he passed Hagan a version of the mask in white.
“You didn’t mention this was a masquerade party,” I whispered. “I spent an hour contouring my face so I’d look different.”
“You are a vision, as always, darling, but I much prefer the real you to this facade.”
“I suggest you put that mask back on, Frost, or someone might recognize you,” Hagan stated, donning his.
After complying, he handed me mine. It was a gorgeous blue mask with tall peacock feathers sprouting out of the right side. It was delicately painted with silver filigree and absolutely beautiful.
“Where did you find this?” I questioned, slipping it on and allowing Hagan to tie the silk ribbon in the back. “It’s stunning.”
“Paris is full of stunning things, kitten. You should explore with me... maybe once this little adventure of ours is complete?”
“Keep dreaming, Prince Charming,” Hagan scoffed, answering for me before lending me his elbow. “Mrs. Benoit, the ball awaits.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Corvus inquired, feigning offense that I allowed Hagan to escort me.
“Pretty much.” I winked, following Hagan to the hotel’s main ballroom.
Chapter Fourteen
“Names, please,” the door attendant asked, sounding bored, his eyes already scanning the clipboard.
“Benoit,” Hagan provided. “Party of three.”
After checking off our names, he allowed us through the red velvet rope where we were met by a half-naked male vampire. I’d guessed he was our “test” by the way he was covered in tiny splotches of blood from careless attendees not cleaning up after themselves once they were finished biting him.
“Wherever you’d like,” he addressed me after I waivered a second too long. I was worried about Hagan and dared a quick glance at Corvus before turning my full attention to him.
“Thank you,” I replied simply before taking his proffered arm and sinking my teeth in.
I withheld every single drop of my telltale venom as I drank a mouthful from him. He tasted relatively tolerable, though he wasn’t my type. I preferred my blood living and breathing, thank you.