by Zena Wynn
“Gotcha,” Thor said triumphantly, capturing their immediate attention. Thor spoke while he typed. “Using the time stamp on The Gladiator’s security feed, I check the street cams surrounding the nest and found this.”
On the screen, a black four-door sporty sedan with dark tinted windows came into view. It crept down the street toward the club before coming to a stop at the curb a block away. The rear passenger door opened and his Heart’s Blood’s long slender legs stepped out, followed by the rest of her. She tugged uncomfortably at the dress, a scowl on her face. Reyna said something to the occupants of the car, nodded resignedly, and closed the door.
After glancing in both directions, Reyna trotted across the pavement to the other side as soon as there was a break in traffic, and strode briskly toward the club. Behind her the passenger’s window lowered and the female inside stuck her head out and yelled something.
“What’s she saying?” Tariq asked.
“Rewind it, Thor, and slow it down,” Darth instructed.
Thor complied.
“Remember…one hour…sixty minutes, not a second less,” Darth lip read.
On screen Reyna didn’t acknowledge the reminder. She merely squared her shoulders and kept walking. The car stayed at the curb.
“They sat there another forty-five minutes, watching, before driving away,” Thor said.
“Making sure Reyna kept her word?” Tariq wondered aloud. “It would explain why she kept checking her watch.” She’d done so again when he’d commanded her to dance with him. Is that why she’d capitulated? Her hour hadn’t been up?
“The car’s registered to a Delany Rogers. I ran the tag,” Thor said.
Finally, a lead. “I want to know who Delany Rogers is, where she lives, where she works, and what her association with Reyna is. See if you can discover the identity of the other woman in the car. I—”
The unit in his ear beeped. Tariq held up a hand, signaling he had an incoming message. He pressed a button on his earpiece. “This had better be good.”
“Master, sorry to interrupt, but I think the woman you’ve had us searching for just appeared in the club,” one of the bartenders stated.
Tariq stood so fast his chair flipped over. He ignored the stir his actions caused and focused inwardly until he found a lock. Then he vanished.
Why am I here again? Reyna asked herself, standing near the same bar inside The Gladiator where she’d huddled last night, once more cradling a drink she didn’t want. Yesterday’s visit had been stupid but understandable. She never had been able to resist a dare. It came from always having to prove herself as a child. Prove she was as tough, as strong, as feline, as any other Felini child.
Children, especially child predators, could be cruel. Anyone perceived to be weaker was considered prey and therefore fair game for tormenting. The words “I dare you” still had the power to make her see red, and a double dog dare? Those challenges were particularly important to win because when she did, her challenger had to complete the same dare and most times, they failed the task. In time winning those contests had won her the respect and admiration of her peers, making her if not their equal, than someone they knew not to mess with.
It had also served to create in Reyna a competitive spirit that would not allow her to simply slink away with her tail tucked between her legs. She was not a coward. Even the suggestion she might be acting in a spineless manner was enough to cause her to lose all reason and a good measure of her hard won maturity as well. Hence, the situation she currently found herself in—claimed by a male of the last species on Earth she’d have ever chosen for herself, a vampyr.
Reyna sighed. Jorlan was right, damn his hide. Despite all her attempts, she’d never fit in with her Felini pride. From her eyes to her personality, she was too different. Maybe, as Jorlan suggested, it was time to give her father’s people a chance. Was it fair to punish an entire species for what he’d done?
During the long hours while she’d waited on Jorlan’s body to heal, she’d thought hard on the words he’d spoken. Was it significant it had taken a vampyr to bring on her estrous? Was she more like her father’s species than she’d originally been led to believe? God, she hoped not.
As Reyna sipped her wine cooler, she faced another hard truth. By vampyr law she was now bound to the male who’d claimed her unless she could convince him to release her. Her understanding of vampyrs was they didn’t accept no as an answer. Either Reyna came to him willingly or he could and probably would kidnap her and hold her by force. There was no one to stop him and as powerful as her species might be compared to humans, they were no match for the Vampaliens.
She wasn’t as convinced as Jorlan seemed to be that accepting the vampyr’s claim would lead to love and happiness. However, she couldn’t live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. The vampyr would have to be dealt with, which was why she was once more in this damnable club.
Reyna need to speak with him, see if they could come to some sort of compromise. Right now, she didn’t see how a relationship between them could work. Her species didn’t do long-term male/female relationships. The thought of suddenly being thrust into one was overwhelming. Honesty compelled her to admit she wanted to be given more emotionally than she’d been raised to expect from a Felini male. But could a vampyr meet her needs?
The only example she had of vampyr males was her father, and he’d been worse than any Felini. No Felini male would force himself on a woman. It wasn’t tolerated.
Reyna wanted what seemed to be common among humans—a family unit consisting of a male, his female, and their offspring. Having been denied it for most of her life, she wanted to be loved and accepted for who she was. She was tired of being different, being the outcast. Barring that she’d settle for children, her own little family. Cubs who’d love her and whom she could shower love on in return.
I should find a human male.
She’d been living among humans ever since she’d been kicked out of her pride at the age of nineteen. Maybe it was time to make the transition complete. She wasn’t accepted by the majority of the Felini’s and despite Jorlan’s suggestion, wasn’t sure she wanted to join the Vampaliens. She’d been doing a good job of hiding her real nature from her human friends. It helped that she’d been unable to shift and was little more than human herself. Now her cat had awakened and life wouldn’t be too much different than before.
Reyna hoped.
But could she live the rest of her life hiding what she was from the person who was supposed to mean the most to her? Hadn’t she spent enough time suppressing the real her? Did she even know who that was?
The answers to those questions could be explored at another time. Right now all Reyna knew was her body was ripe for coupling. Her skin crawled and her sex burned with the need to be filled, to be taken. Her nipples were hard points, drawing attention to her small breasts displayed by the thin black halter top she wore. She didn’t know what the vampyr had done to her but it had her on the verge of begging to be fucked, long and hard until she couldn’t see straight. At this point, her cat didn’t care who did the deed as long it got done.
Reyna shifted, uncomfortably aware of the growing dampness between her legs. The coarse inseam of her red leather pants abraded the tender flesh of her sex. Where the hell was he? She needed to get out of here before she did something stupid.
Jorlan had promised the minute she appeared on the vampyr’s turf, he’d know. “Go back to The Gladiator and I guarantee he’ll find you.”
“Tomorrow, maybe. I’m still thinking about what you said,” she’d told him.
He’d still been pale, his features were drawn tight with pain, but it hadn’t prevented him from commanding her, “Go tonight, and wear something sexy. Or would you rather the next time he tracks you down it be in your lair?”
Her blood had run cold at the thought of the Vampalien here, in her personal haven. “I’ll go, but I need to make sure you’re al
l right first. I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Jorlan had sighed. “I’ll be fine. My concern is you. Reyna, I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” she’d argued.
“No, kitten, you’re not. I doubt you know what happiness is,” he’d said tiredly.
“Okay, maybe not happy, but I’m content with my lot in life,” she’d admitted.
“Kitten, you know I love you, right?” he’d asked suddenly.
“Yes,” she’d agreed without any hesitation. Jorlan had been the one constant in her life.
“Have I ever steered you wrong?”
Reyna had hesitated before answering, sensing a trap. “No.”
“Then trust me. If I’m wrong, if things simply don’t work out between you two, I promise I’ll come and get you. I won’t let him keep you from us. Don’t let fear or resentment stop you,” Jorlan had said, his voice groggy.
His eyes had closed and she’d known he needed more rest. Still, she hadn’t been able give in. Not yet. She’d muttered, “I don’t even know the male’s name.”
“And whose fault is that?” Jorlan had murmured.
“Smart ass.” She brushed a kiss on his forehead. “Go to sleep. I’ll make sure one of the others checks in on you while I’m gone.”
So here she sat waiting for her mystery man to make an appearance. Reyna glanced around again and caught the bartender’s gaze. The way he watched her every move creeped her out. She rose from the stool and began to roam aimlessly.
Where is he? Maybe she shouldn’t have bypassed the front entrance but she’d seen no need to stand in line waiting when she could just teleport in. Which reminded her, she’d have to tell Jacey she’d lost the coin. Hopefully Jacey wouldn’t end their friendship over it. The thing had to be worth a couple of thousand. It was doubtful she could replace it.
Recognizing the dance floor where they’d danced, Reyna stood near the railing and studied the men on the floor. None struck a chord of familiarity. No one had his height or his remembered bulk.
Why had she let Jorlan spook her into doing this tonight when she could barely think straight, her body a building inferno? Her cat wanted her to strip off her clothes, splay her thighs, and tug the nearest man on top of her. Reyna fought desperately for control. Maybe this was why Jorlan had pushed her to come tonight. As the strongest male in the pride her cat had set its sights on him.
A lock of hair blew into her face, disrupting her thoughts. Before Reyna could track the source of the unexpected breeze, a muscled arm clamped around her waist. She was tugged close to a hard, familiar feeling body before the air shimmered and she found herself facing a massive, decidedly masculine, platform bed.
“I’m not letting you get away from me again,” a deep voice growled into her ear.
Reyna gasped as his fangs sank into her neck. Ice shot through her veins and spread outward into the rest of her body. A second later the frost began to burn as she found herself flying through the air. She landed on the bed and bounced once. Using her recently discovered feline agility, she twisted and sprang up to crouch on all fours facing the vampyr, teeth bared. Had she been in her cat form her fur would be standing on end.
Raising one hand to grip her bleeding, throbbing neck, she bared her teeth and hissed. “Why’d you bite me? What the hell did you inject into my neck? It hurts. ”
He shrugged out of his shirt, allowing it to drop carelessly to the floor. “Mating venom. It prepares your womb for my seed.” His belt followed the shirt. “It also works as an aphrodisiac.” He glanced up from unlacing his boots. “After tonight, you won’t have any other lover besides me. If you like that outfit, I suggest you remove it while you still can.”
“Look, I didn’t come here to…Ahhh!” Fire streaked past her clit and hit her pussy full force, bowing her back.
“Too late,” he announced. A quick slash of his claws and her leather pants were no more.
Reyna’s cat purred approvingly at the dominant action. This was a male worthy of tangling with. “Please.”
Both her feline and female selves out of their mind with need.
“Oh definitely!” He fell on her like the beast he was, flipping her onto her belly before covering her. Reyna, or maybe it was her cat, elongated her spine and lifted her ass into the air enticingly.
The male fisted her hair in one hand and used it to anchor her head and shoulders to the mattress. The damp tip of his cock found her opening and with a mighty thrust, filled her to the brim.
Reyna screamed. Her claws sprouted and ripped holes in the fancy bedspread.
He set a brutal pace, his hips plunging and retreating rapidly. His body blanketed hers as he pinned her in place. She bucked in his hold, trying to move closer, urging him deeper. He sank his fangs into the back of her neck near her spine and her cat went crazy. Ecstasy detonated like fireworks in her system.
Then the Vampalien side of her nature took over. Her fangs lengthened and she sank them into his forearm, feeding deeply. Her starving cells soaked up his more powerful blood, but more than his blood filled her. Her mind got hit with a stream of images, flashing by at warp speed—him as a child, as a young man, a warrior, and a leader. More importantly to her heart, she saw his loneliness as he waited for the one woman to whom he could bind his soul.
Reyna still didn’t know the male’s name but had the feeling she was truly seeing the essence of who he was. It should have freaked her out, this previously unknown ability manifesting, but instead felt totally natural. She was operating with instincts she hadn’t known she possessed.
The part of her she’d gained from her father, the part she’d been forced to suppress all of her life, that newly awakened section pushed past her feminine sensibilities and Felini reserve and opened her spirit wide, letting this man, this Vampalien into her heart. Then it locked the door behind him so he could never leave and threw away the key. It recognized the emptiness in him for it matched the lonesomeness in her. A barren landscape he slowly consumed and filled with his essence.
Reyna felt a brief glimmer of awareness. With this man, this vampyr, she could find the love and acceptance she’d been searching for all her life. All she had to do was take what was being offered to her. If she had the courage to do so.
It doesn’t matter, a voice she’d never heard whispered. He is ours and we are his. You can’t fight destiny.
What’s done is done. There was no going back and nothing to return to, Reyna realized and let loose the last minute particle of her restraint. She felt her soul reach out to his, and the connection, when it came, was explosive. Wave after wave of emotion crashed over her. His, hers, theirs. His pleasure and hers combined, setting up a feedback loop with each surge more intensive than the first. When it reached crises point, Reyna screamed as she imploded. The Reyna she thought she knew was no more and someone else, someone greater rose from the fiery ashes like a phoenix to take her place.
Can’t. Stop.
The mating venom searing his higher cognizance, Tariq rutted on his Heart’s Blood like a stag gone berserk. Fangs embedded in her skin and talons out, he humped mindlessly. One overwhelming impulse drove him—the need to get closer. He had to be inside of her and not just her body. He was obsessed with the desire to imprint his soul on hers and bind the two of them together so tight she’d never want to be free of him again.
Then she sank her incisors into his arm and began to feed, and Tariq learned what being out of control truly meant. One orgasm. Two. Three. It wasn’t enough.
He felt it when she opened to him. Her emotions and thoughts washed over him in rapid-fire sequences. Tariq felt her fear of committing to him and of what he was. Her loneliness and utter aloneness in the midst of those to whom she should be closest. Her need to belong, to be accepted, and to be loved.
Tariq saw how Reyna viewed herself and thought, No, that’s wrong. You’re more. You’re special. Loved. But he knew words alone would never be enough
to convince her. He sensed more things he couldn’t completely grasp but knew doing so was the key to understanding his Heart’s Blood.
He saw her fragility and her strength. She’d opened herself to him after all the pain she’d been through, and it was a gift he didn’t deserved. Tariq vowed then and there to be worthy of her trust.
In gratefulness and with a bone deep need to connect with his Heart’s Blood on every level possible, Tariq gave himself to her. His heart, his soul, his body— the very essence of who he was at his core—Tariq gave it all. Without her he was nothing. She was his everything. The blood in his veins. The very beat of his heart.
She accepted his gift, magnified it, and gave it back. He echoed her actions. This cycle went on and on until heart pounding, blood thundering, Tariq roared as he released the last of himself into his Heart’s Blood and was…reborn.
Chapter Six
Tariq slumped on top of Reyna, his body a deadweight, flattening her on the mattress. He had neither the strength nor the energy to care how his weight affected her. As long as he was inside of her, surrounding her, she couldn’t flee. She’d come seeking him but it hadn’t been out of a desire to commit to their mating. Reyna had wanted to bargain with him for her release.
His Heart’s Blood didn’t recognize she belonged to him as completely as he belonged to her. After this last lovemaking session, Tariq felt he understood his woman very well. Until all of her accepted the inevitability of their mating, he planned to keep her chained by his side.
By whatever means necessary.
Tariq didn’t waste time lamenting the fact Reyna wasn’t Vampalien or a malleable human. The Ancient One didn’t make mistakes. He’d given Tariq this beautiful, complex, obstinate woman, and it was up to Tariq to hold onto her.
They would talk. He planned to learn all of Reyna’s secrets and reveal all of his. The first thing he wanted to ask is who was the man she’d been with in the cave? Reyna had loved him enough to be protective of him, and concerned for his safety, but she wasn’t in love with him. Now that he had her with him and jealously wasn’t clouding his vision, Tariq realized what he’d felt from her emotionally hadn’t matched what his eyes told him. He could also see what he’d missed before. Reyna had been feeding from the male’s neck. In the future she could plan on getting the blood she needed solely from him.