by T. S. Ryder
"No. I'm here for the vampire king, nobody else."
What the... What had possessed her to say that? Audrey tried to smile. There was a non-disclosure agreement with signing up for the festival, and if she revealed her true purpose she'd be ejected. But she could have found a different excuse to refuse the handsome shifter.
Sanjay's eyes darkened, but before he could say anything else, a vampire turned towards them. He actually stepped between the Liger and the human, flashing her an easy grin. His fangs were the longest she had seen yet. It must have been all the pheromones floating around from other women looking to mate, but Audrey suddenly had the urge to ask if the length of fangs corresponded with the size of… other parts of the body.
"You're interested in the king?" the vampire said.
Audrey nodded, although she couldn't help but wince at the look on Sanjay's face. Frustrated, annoyed, and maybe even a little hurt. I don't owe him anything.
"Yeah. I want to meet him. I've never seen any pictures or anything."
"The king likes his privacy." The vampire clamped an arm around her waist. "I'll take you to see him."
Sanjay gripped the vampire's shoulder and yanked him away from her. "She was talking to me."
"And it looked to me like she was done."
Audrey looked between the two men, eyes widening. They weren't going to start fighting, were they? She certainly didn't want that! And as much as she would like to stay and talk with Sanjay about why he was here and what life as a shifter was like, being able to speak with the king himself was a huge break for her. There were no photos of him, let alone a real, honest-to-goodness interview.
If she was able to get an exclusive on him, her career would skyrocket. She might even get the Pulitzer for it. It was a chance she couldn’t turn down, so she stepped between the two men.
"I really do want to meet the king," she told Sanjay. "But you and I could talk again. Just talk, though. Like I said, I'm not looking for a shifter mate."
Sanjay's lips pursed but he nodded stiffly and stepped back. The vampire once again put an arm around her waist and led her away from the party.
Now that she wasn't comparing him to Sanjay, Audrey could see that the vampire was quite attractive as well. Paler than she normally went for, but it suited him well with his brown hair and hazel eyes. And while not as muscular as the shifter, he was no string bean. It was no wonder so many women flocked to the palace every year for the chance of becoming a vampire's mate.
The vampire led her up a set of polished oak stairs and into a room at the end of the hallway. A fire flickered in a hearth across the room, and two full walls were covered in books. A desk sat in the corner next to the fire, and in the center of the room was a white couch.
"So is this the king's library or something?" Audrey asked.
"Yes." The vampire closed the door behind him. "And now that we're alone…"
He was on her in a second. His hot, hungry mouth captured hers, his arms wrapping around her waist. He pulled her tight around her, the wool pencil skirt she had elected to wear already riding up on her thighs. Heat flooded through her as he expertly kissed her. Sparks exploded in her brain and for a moment all she wanted was for him to lay her down on the floor and take her where they stood.
The sound of her own moan caught her off guard and she pulled back, pressing her hands to the vampire's chest, gasping for breath.
"What are you doing?"
"I should think that it's fairly obvious," the vampire replied with a roguish grin. "And don't tell me you didn't like it. You don't make sounds like that when you're not enjoying yourself."
Heat rose on Audrey's face. She shoved at the vampire, but he was too strong and didn't release her. Her eyes narrowed. "Let go of me this instant!"
"I can make you enjoy yourself a lot more than that," the vampire said, his voice husky. "Have you ever been drank from? Trust me when I tell you that you've never felt anything like it. It's an instant orgasm with just my lips on your neck."
Audrey was speechless for a moment. Not only because she was shocked by what he was saying, but also because how much her body responded. Everything in her screamed for him to clamp down on her neck, piercing her skin with his fangs. She bit her tongue hard, bringing her back to reality, and shook her head.
"No. You're not going anywhere near my neck. Now let me go!"
The vampire's brow rose, but he let her go and stepped back. "Better?"
"Much. Can you even introduce me to the king?"
"Yes."
"Good. Go get him." The vampire didn't move. Audrey narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "I said go get him."
The vampire chuckled. "You didn't even ask my name."
"I don't care what your name is, I only want—"
"It's Dimitri."
Audrey's eyes widened. Her stomach flip-flopped. He was the king. The king had kissed her. And she had ordered him around. There goes my exclusive interview.
"Changed your mind about my mouth on your neck?" the king asked, his gaze dropping to her throat.
"Er… no." Her voice came out a squeak. She had told Sanjay she was holding out for the king, so what excuse would she give now?
Dimitri stepped closer. "You will. I want you, Audrey. And I always get what I want."
As she stared into his eyes, Audrey believed him. Her heart lurched with a desire to just give in, but the more stubborn part told her not to. She was on the job. She wasn't going to start sleeping around just because everybody here was so good-looking.
Afraid that she would give herself away if she opened her mouth, Audrey walked past the king, leaving him behind in the room. I'm in trouble. Big, big trouble.
Chapter Two
The human women were housed in a special wing of the palace dedicated to their needs, although many had already moved in with their new shifter and vampire mates.
Audrey knew that a lot of people thought the whole thing, vampires picking out women as their mates, was sexist. From what she observed, however, there was as much of women picking out their vampires and shifters as it was the another way around. Maybe more so.
She stared at the screen of her laptop. If the king of the freaking vampires hadn't kissed her, she would have been fine. But she had been here less than twenty-four hours, and already she had a king telling her he wanted more than just kissing…
Was he serious, or was he just messing with her? What would she do if he really did want her as his mate?
The reporter shoved thoughts about Dimitri aside. She didn't have room for romance right now, or to let some hot guy distract her. She was on the fast track to becoming the greatest reporter in the world. After her article about the festival was published, she hoped to go live among shifters for a time, to tell their stories from their perspectives, instead of the hyper-sexualized ways they were often portrayed.
Sanjay floated into her mind. Maybe she'd ask him for an introduction to his way of life… But would he expect more, too?
I always get what I want. She shivered as she remembered the raw lust in Dimitri's eyes. Worse was the way she had wanted to succumb to that lust. Audrey pushed herself away from her desk, realizing she had been staring at the blank page for an hour.
And then she remembered Sanjay's glare as the vampire put his hands on her and her desire for the massive shifter as well. Her gut twisted. This was crazy. She was used to getting hit on, but not having this strong of a reaction to men. Certainly not men she just met.
A sudden roar from out in the hall made Audrey jump. She ran to the door and yanked it open. All along the hallway, doors were opening and women peering out. Audrey's jaw dropped when she saw the cause of the commotion. Three vampires were blocking the hallway while another two were attempting to pull Sanjay's hands behind his back. The massive shifter caught sight of her and winked before putting one of the vampires in a headlock.
"Let me pass," he demanded, easily catching the second vampire in a headlock as well. The
y both yanked at his arms but did as much good as if they were kittens fighting against a bear. "My female is waiting for me."
The three vampires blocking the corridor pulled silver blades from their belts. If they hadn't, and Audrey's heart hadn't leaped to her throat at the thought of this getting even worse than it was, she might actually have felt jealous that Sanjay had found himself another woman–which was ridiculous because she wasn't here for men. And even if she was, Dimitri was ready to go whenever she was, so there really wasn't any reason to be jealous of Sanjay's lady friend.
"Turn back, shifter, before we are forced to hurt you," one of the vampires blocking his way said.
Sanjay's eyes gleamed. "Do you really think you can take me on? I'm sure you've heard of me. I defeated an entire pack of Bears by myself. There's a reason they all know my name and draw back in awe when I walk by."
Full of himself much?
Audrey started forward before she knew what she was going to do. While she thought Sanjay could handle himself against these vampires, she had no desire to be nearby for a full-on battle. If they were left to their own devices, it was certainly going to end with blood.
And she didn't want to see Sanjay get hurt.
"What is going on down here?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
One of the vampires turned to her. He wore an apologetic expression. "Pardon the noise, Miss. This shifter is trying to gain access to the female's quarters uninvited."
"I was invited, you just won't believe me," Sanjay replied. "You're talking to the female that is waiting for my company."
At that, all the vampires jolted, as though they had just been hit by lightning. Even the two that Sanjay had in headlocks stared at her. She could feel heat creeping into her face, but tried not to let her own surprise show. Sanjay was wanting to see her? After the way she had brushed him off the previous night? It was… intriguing.
"That is the king's female," one of the vampires snarled. "Why would a woman who has the favor of our mighty leader invite a filthy animal like you to her quarters?"
"For one thing, he's not a filthy animal," Audrey said, hot anger flaring in her chest. "For another thing, just because your king kissed me, it doesn't mean that he owns me. I can invite as many men as I want back to my quarters. And third, you're a disgusting racist. Let him go."
The vampire looked shocked for a moment. He looked at her and Sanjay, who smirked. Finally, the vampire shrugged. He muttered something in a language that Audrey didn't know, and gestured to his men. They put their knives away. Sanjay dropped the two vampires he was holding and strode past them. In a single motion, he picked Audrey up and slung her over his shoulder.
She yelped, but when the vampires stepped forward she glared at them. She'd have private words with Sanjay about this. "My room is—"
"No need," the shifter turned into her room and shut the door. "I can smell you in here."
Audrey wiggled on his shoulder. "Put me down."
Sanjay placed her on the floor but kept his hands on her hips. He grinned down at her, eyes still gleaming. There was a peculiar scent coming off of him, something spicy and sweet that made Audrey's mouth water. She suddenly thought of the notes strewn over her desk and pushed at the shifter's strong arms.
"Will you let me go already?"
"No." His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer. "I think I'd like to hold you for a long, long time. Everywhere. In a bed, in the forest, under the full moon, on the rooftop…"
Audrey's jaw dropped even as heat pulsed through her. "Do you non-humans have any sense of modesty?"
Sanjay rose a brow.
"I know that this whole Harvest Moon thing is about finding a mate, but aren't there dating stuff that you do before going directly to the sex? You don't even know who I am! I certainly don't know who you are."
The shifter's nostrils flared. "And yet I can smell that you want me as much as I want you."
Holy batman. He could smell that?
"I… uh…" She didn't know what to say.
"You have a delicious scent," Sanjay continued. One of his huge hands traced the curve of her hip. "When I smelled you for the first time, I wondered why you weren't already swamped under a dozen men. And then when I finally saw you, my confusion was doubled. You are a most singular woman."
Audrey's throat was dry, but she had enough experience to know that when a man was this smooth around her, he was too smooth, and she couldn't trust a word coming out of his mouth. Not that she didn't want to believe him.
She hit him firmly in the center of his chest with her fist. "Let go of me now."
Sanjay dropped his hands, smirking. "Don't like being out of control?"
She smoothed her hair, aware of her pulse frantically beating in her throat. "I don't like it when men come into my room and start feeling me up without telling me why they're here in the first place."
"I haven't been clear enough? I want you."
"That's not what I mean. I mean you have given me no reason to believe you're not looking for a quickie before you move onto the next woman. And I told you, I'm not looking for just any mate, I'm here for the vampire king."
Sanjay adopted a too-serious expression. "And the vampire king apparently has already claimed you, but you're rejecting that claim by letting me into your quarters."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "So he kissed me. That's not a claim. It's not like he proposed or anything. If he wants me, he'll have to do more than just give me a quick snog."
"So you are open to other men."
This was straying into dangerous territory. She swallowed hard. Maybe she should just fess up and tell him exactly what she was doing here, and that she wasn't looking for a mate at all. But then it would put her work in jeopardy. She opened her mouth to tell him to leave, but her brain had other ideas.
"I guess so."
Triumph flared in Sanjay's eyes. He wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her tight against his body, and kissed her.
Chapter Three
Stupid hormones. Stupid, traitorous body.
Audrey clung to Sanjay, pressing herself to the tips of her toes to get better access to his mouth. When that wasn't enough, she fairly climbed up him, putting her legs around his hips to anchor herself. Sanjay's kisses were just as desperate as hers, filling her body with the most wonderful tingling sensation.
She knew this was a bad idea. Knew all the reasons why she shouldn't be kissing him, not the least of which was the fact that she had been in this exact same situation with a vampire just last night.
Well… maybe not this exact situation. She was wearing jeans this time instead of a skirt. And they were in a bedroom. And Sanjay was walking towards the bed while moving his mouth to her neck, and she didn't have the shock of having him kiss her when she was expecting someone else to jolt her out of her blind lust…
At the moment, she understood why so many couples had been making out in the ballroom the previous night. She wouldn’t have cared if they were in a crowded room, either. Everything in her screamed for Sanjay's body. To shed their clothes, to have skin on skin.
As he laid her down on the bed, an arm suddenly wrapped around the huge shifter's throat. He was yanked back, Audrey rolling off the bed and onto the floor as he released her. She gasped, hands flying to her mouth. The shifter was thrown across the room. He was back on his feet in an instant, snarling.
Dimitri planted himself between Audrey and Sanjay. His hands bunched into fists. A deep, threatening growl filled the room, but Audrey didn't know which of the two it was from. Her heart hammered hard against her chest, and she opened her mouth to protest… but protest what? That Dimitri had interrupted? That they were fighting over her?
"You are not welcome here, shifter," Dimitri said. "I have already claimed this female. Find another."
"She invited me into her quarters. She didn't tell me to leave and she certainly wasn't protesting the possibility of our mating." Sanjay winked at her. "Were you, be
autiful?"
"I have claimed her," the king said again, this time with a deep, throaty growl.
Audrey shivered. She finally got hold of herself and scrambled to her feet. It was also at that moment that she realized that her shirt had ridden up, showing off her lacy bra, and she quickly covered herself. The two men glared at one another, and she put herself between them. They both stepped back.
"I don't give a damn if you've 'claimed' me," she told the king firmly. "I am not your property, and I'll do whoever I please."
Ugh. She had meant to say whatever, not whoever. Oh, well, at least the king was looking at her now, instead of glaring at Sanjay as though he wanted to tear his head off. She swept her long hair out of her face and folded her arms over her chest. Her hormones were still going crazy, but she forced sex out of her mind and focused on the situation at hand. She didn't want anybody to die in her room.
"I don't know what crazy rules you vampires have, but where I come from, a woman doesn't owe a man anything just because he wants her."
"You said that you were here for me," Dimitri reminded her. "And yet now you're saying that you want to dabble with this shifter as well?"
"What's it to you?"
The king swallowed hard. "I—"
Sanjay snickered. "I think it hurts his pride that a woman would rather be with a shifter like me than with his royal majesty."
"I never said I'd rather be with you," Audrey was quick to reply, and it was Sanjay's turn to scowl, and Dimitri's to smirk. "Let's just all calm down, okay?"
Dimitri took another step back and nodded. A look of regret came over his face. "This wasn't what I wanted when I invited shifters to participate in the Harvest Moon Festival. I want to improve relations, not end up in a fight with one myself."
"You must have known this sort of situation would happen," Sanjay said.