Queen of Gods

by Scarlett Dawn

  “Fuck you.” The overlord glowered at him.

  “And I thought you preferred redheads.” Cato raised his hands, laughing softly. His eyes returned to me, faking a whisper, “Normally, he’s not this grumpy after a work-fuck with a beautiful woman with red locks.”

  My eyelashes fluttered as I blinked. Twice.

  Lord Xenon and Cato started chatting together about Lord Belshazzar’s exploits with—many—redheads in the past, tossing bantering comments at him every so often.

  “Do you want me to remind you of your exploits?” Lord Belshazzar growled quietly in warning. “Because there have been just as many. Some of them have been damn memorable too, you twats.”

  I turned, my shoulders stiff, and poured whiskey into my drink until the liquid reached the top of my mug. With my mouth shut and my eyes down on my drink on the counter—while the three continued to badger each other—I merely shoved the bottle over my shoulder.

  When it wasn’t immediately taken, I wiggled it in irritation.

  The bottle was jerked from my hand…and a blue-eyed demon’s voice, barely audible, rumbled in my ear, “You still smell like him. His cum is leaking out of you right now.”

  I turned my head to the side, sniffed once, inhaling deeply. I snarled with quiet fury. “At least I took a shower. Her pussy juice is still on your face.”

  My mouth snapped shut. My eyes flew wide.

  I stared in utter shock at the white cabinet in front of me. My entire body didn’t move, no air entered or escaped my lungs. I might as well be in Rest right now.

  Whereas the overlord had simply been informing me, helping keep my time tonight a secret, I had just reacted like a jealous harpy.

  Was I jealous?

  Was I?

  I digested my feelings, nibbling on my bottom lip.

  A redhead. His magic damn cock inside her…

  His sculpted body moving over hers, glistening with sweet sweat. Each muscle bulging as he moved.

  My eyes flashed red…

  Oh. Fuck.

  I was jealous. And I had no right to be.

  Overlords were not on the goddamn menu.

  I grabbed my mug in a hurry, and quickly skedaddled from the kitchen, barely managing a wave over my shoulder to the others. Once out of their sight, I was racing down the hallways to my bedroom.

  What the hell had just happened?

  I never thought this day would come, but it was quite possible I needed to take my jackass father’s advice. I never imagined he would be right—on any subject. But the squishy, stupid heart had no place in politics. And Lord Belshazzar and I were definitely in the political arena together, as were Master Nial and I.

  I slammed my door behind me and rested my back against it. My gaze caught on the mug I had in my hand. I’d managed to keep from spilling even a drop of the liquid inside. I exhaled a shaky sigh and took a large gulp from my cup, allowing my head to fall back against the door. I closed my eyes, attempting to calm my racing heart, letting the alcohol warm me from the inside out.

  I needed to regroup. To focus on my mission.

  Lord Belshazzar was off limits.

  One night of pleasure, no matter how fantastic…and perfect…it had been, did not make his cock mine.

  Master Nial had no hold on my heart.

  An embarrassing past crush turned into a night of sex as adults, no matter how fun it was, did not give him a piece of me.

  My mission here was to be queen.

  Not to further my love life.

  I would be quee—

  Knock. Knock. Knock-knock.

  I stifled a groan and pushed off my door.

  As I turned, I took another large drink and glared daggers at the offending door. I was not in the mood for company tonight, not even from my best friend. Perhaps if I ignored the person they would leave.

  I took another sip. Silent.

  Knock.

  Just one.

  And clearly pissed off since my entire door shook.

  I sighed and pulled my door open.

  My jaw dropped slightly, not at all prepared.

  Lord Belshazzar leaned against my doorframe, still in his black dress slacks, no shirt, no shoes, and tapping the bottle of whiskey against his right leg. While glaring directly at me.

  He hissed in irritation, “Are you going to let me in?”

  The overlord glanced either way down the hall.

  I stood like a statue, until I shook myself internally, and then opened the door wider. I gestured with an arm for him to enter, shutting my gaping mouth at this surprise.

  The vampire growled quietly under his breath, then waltzed inside my room. He grabbed my door from me, shut it, and locked it right afterward. The man stood glaring at me. The overlord watched me stare back at him.

  He snapped, “What?”

  “Why are you here?” I sputtered.

  What. The. Hell.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “No.” I shook my head in slow motion. “No, it’s not.”

  He waved his free hand up and down his frame, motioning at his attire. “My room shut down before I was able to get back to it tonight. I’m locked out unless I want to raise the alarm to get in there. I need a shower, as you not so politely told me. And I’m not in the mood to sneak around my own damn home until I can find a free bedroom.”

  I blinked. Stunned. “You should really get the security system on your room changed.”

  “No shit,” he grumbled. He glanced around my apartment, eyeing the feminine clothes flung around here or there in the living area of the suite. “So, may I?”

  My brows furrowed. “May you what?”

  “May I stay the night?”

  My lips thinned, remembering my mental focusing from only minutes ago. “I don’t…think that’s wise.”

  I wasn’t sure if I could stay strong in my conviction if all of him were to stay with me tonight.

  His regard snapped back in my direction, and his eyes flared red. I stood extremely still as his furious gaze ran down my body, and stopped full force on my crotch hidden behind my black pajama pants. His nostrils flared, and when he peered up at me, his fangs were slightly lowered.

  He snarled, “I don’t take a druid’s sloppy seconds, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  My jaw started to slacken again in embarrassed shock.

  Then my blood warmed in anger, my hands curling around my mug, and I hissed, “Good. I don’t take another cunt’s sloppy seconds either.”

  We eyed one another in the awkward silence, both of our eyes glowing a warm, furious blood red.

  His fangs lowered to their full intimidating length, glistening in the light. “We both had business to take care of tonight. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  My nostrils flared, but with his truthful words—and his attempt to defuse a slippery situation—I nodded in jerky motions. He was giving us an out, which was needed.

  I flicked a finger to the side, speaking as nicely as I could, regaining my inner calm. “You said you wanted a shower. It’s over there.” I glanced up and down his frame, really taking in his apparel. “Are those all the clothes you have access to?”

  The overlord snorted and took a drink straight from the bottle. It wasn’t a large one, but it was enough to make my throat burn just by watching it. He winced as he swallowed, his fangs now retracted, relaxing too. With a slight scowl marring his masculine features, he muttered, “You don’t want to know what happened to my clothes this evening. I’ll sleep naked after I shower.”

  I gulped, my eyes wandering down to his crotch.

  We were both crotch-ogling fools tonight.

  He rocked back on his heels, a reverberating chuckle sparking from his chest. All male. Confident. “My eyes are up top, Gwen.”

  My gaze snapped up to his with my head tipped back so I could hold his sexy eyes with mine. I lifted one eyebrow, not bothering to deny my actions. I kept my words blunt, the disgust only noticeable if you listened ha
rd. “And your dick is still covered in her cum.”

  Apparently, he was listening.

  Lord Belshazzar sneered and turned his back to me, sauntering to my bathroom. The overlord glanced over his shoulder, grousing, “And if you ever want to have sex with me again, never ask while you have another man’s cum dripping out of your sweet cunt. I find it rather repulsive.”

  My mouth bobbed, but before he slammed the bathroom door closed behind him, I growled, “I wasn’t asking for sex! I already had my fun tonight. Good, fun sex. Remember?”

  Boom.

  The door closed with a wobble.

  I rubbed my forehead.

  Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that last bit.

  I tipped my drink back and finished it off.

  I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

  Glared at the door. Set my empty mug on a table.

  The water sprinkled on the tiling in the shower, loud to my sensitive ears. I moved on slow feet, my gut churning with pathetic, weak guilt. I knocked on the bathroom door, then opened it just a crack. The slap of fabric hit the floor—his only clothes, his pants—and I froze, not looking inside.

  “What, Gwen?” he growled. Exasperated.

  I cleared my throat, my voice raspy. “I apologize. That was wrong to say.” There. I had taken the high ground.

  “Fuck off,” he snarled.

  My head snapped back as he slammed the door closed. That was close. I almost got my head bashed by an extremely solid door.

  Apparently, he wasn’t taking the high ground too.

  I sighed, knowing he could still hear me. “Look, I am sorry. I knew it would irritate you, so I said it. I shouldn’t have.”

  Though, why it would irritate him, I wasn’t sure.

  It wasn’t like the overlord was jealous.

  My brows puckered. “Actually, why did it irritate you?”

  Splashes in the shower. After a second, he finally responded, “This is why I don’t let women in my room. I can’t even enjoy a peaceful wash without being pestered.”

  I rolled my eyes. “This is my room.”

  “Same concept.”

  More splashing. More water hitting the tile.

  “Answer my question.” And since he was an overlord, I added a little respect. “Please.”

  His sigh was profound. “Can we not stray to this topic tonight? I doubt either of us would handle it well.”

  I snorted and rubbed my forehead again.

  Could I handle anything else right now?

  Probably…not.

  I lifted my eyes skyward. “You’re right. I’ve got my hands full, and you’ve got your hands full too.”

  He grunted in agreement. But he did add eventually—his tone gentle and teaching, “Gwen, business is business. We do what we have to do—no matter what. You know that.”

  I nodded slowly, hearing the water shut off. I responded just as softly, picking at the doorjamb with a fingernail, “Agreed. Our people are all.”

  I walked into my bedroom and grabbed clothes off the bed that I had thrown there without a care, folding them meticulously while he finished in the bathroom. I was pretty sure I heard him brushing his teeth—and only my toothbrush was in there. I rolled my eyes and pulled the comforter and top sheet down on the bed, fluffing each pillow hard as he entered the bedroom behind me.

  He walked around to the other side of the bed. Thankfully, he was still wearing a white towel around his waist. He pulled the cover down further on his side…

  I slapped my right hand over my eyes. “Goddammit! Couldn’t you have waited until you were in bed to remove the towel?”

  A naked overlord was just too much right now.

  He snickered, his evil smirk clear in his humor. The bed creaked as he got in. It sounded like he freaking bounced a few times as he got comfortable. “I’m sorry. Did that bother you?”

  I turned my back on him, lowered my hand from my eyes, and marched to the light switch. I grumbled with bite, “You are a jackass.”

  More confident laughter until he hissed softly, “What? Two dicks in one night are too much for your innocent eyes?”

  I flicked the light off and closed my bedroom door, only the light from the living room beyond shining around the cracks in the doorframe illuminating the room—even if I could see just fine in the dark. I slid into bed, curling the blanket around my body—ignoring how he hadn’t even covered his delicious naked body with the blanket yet—grumbling, “That was a low blow, my lord.”

  “No lower than yours earlier.”

  I closed my eyes. “Fine.”

  Neither one of us seemed to know what to do with each other. Passion and duty were warring with one another, battling it out without our permission, making confusion the emotion of the hour, smacking us in the face when we least expected it.

  A good fifteen minutes later, he murmured in the quiet dark, “What Lord Cato said, about not involving your heart, it’s true.”

  I didn’t pretend to be asleep yet, but I did keep my eyes shut. “I know.”

  He hummed in thought, his tone quiet and intrigued. “Then what is it about the Original that has your panties in a bunch?”

  I punched my pillow a few times, fluffing it again. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

  He lost his cool.

  A quiet growl. “So you do like him.”

  “No,” I argued easily. “I think he’s an asshole. But it’s complicated. On the flip side, it’s nothing I can’t get over.”

  He turned on his side, facing me. Even with my eyes shut, I could still feel him staring at me, his potent gaze a tangible touch across each of my features. I didn’t think he was going to say anything further he was quiet for so long, but he surprised me, finally mumbling, “Be careful until you get your shit figured out.”

  I yawned, my teeth flashing in the night. “I know that too. Already working through it.”

  “You are still so young.” He sighed. The blanket on his side finally moved as he slid under the sheets, and he switched topics of conversation. “Do you think you can handle staying on your side this time?”

  My lips twitched. “No promises, my lord.”

  “That’s what I thought.” He snorted. A second later, he hedged, “As you know, I’m not allowed to say anything to a candidate about the Challenges. But I am allowed to say this: get some sleep.”

  My eyes did fly open then.

  I blinked at the overlord across from me.

  His eyes were closed as if he had never spoken.

  Gently, I closed my own. I whispered, “Thank you.”

  Morning would be here too soon.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  ~ GWYNNORE ~

  A folder landed on the desk in front of me with a crash.

  It was too early for this bullcrap.

  Turning up a lip, I poked at it and looked up at the overlord who had dropped it.

  Cato. Of course.

  I growled. “What the hell is this? Is my Challenge to clean up your mess?”

  Snorting, he turned and walked back to his seat with the rest of the overlords.

  Lord Pippin slapped his forehead from the ridiculousness of Cato’s gesture. I finally felt some connection to the arrogant ass at that moment.

  Lord Belshazzar yawned.

  Lord Otto and Lord Xenon were rolling their eyes.

  Did they find Cato to be as big of an asshole as I did?

  Interesting.

  Leaning forward in his chair, oversized and ridiculously ornate, he grinned. “Well, my little candidate, are you ready for me to issue your Challenge?”

  “That’s why I’m here, overlord.”

  He didn’t like me addressing him without respect, but he had to earn mine as well. And he most assuredly hadn’t. He narrowed his eyes, and leaned on his knees, steepling his fingers.

  “I have a bit of political intrigue for you, my sweet. There is a human who is running for a powerful political seat. I want him destroyed. That fo
lder,” he swept his hand toward the case file he’d dropped on the table, “has all the information you’ll need to find and destroy him. I’d adore you if you could humiliate him and leave him alive, but I’ll also understand if he’s dead at the end.”

  “A human? You want me to track and kill a human?” Trying to stifle the derisive snort, I pulled the file closer. “You’re kidding. Did you forget that I’m a vampire and tracking humans is what we do? All the time?”

  “I did not say I wanted him necessarily dead,” he reasoned. “I said I want him destroyed.”

  I gagged. “You want me to meddle in human affairs?”

  “If you can’t meddle in their affairs without being found out, how will you learn to manipulate them to your will?”

  I opened the folder, and the picture of the man was staring at me. He was a handsome human, the kind I would toy with before draining him and leaving him for dead. I smiled, licking my lips, thinking about how good he would taste…

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nial raise an eyebrow.

  I wondered if he knew what I was thinking.

  But, in any case, I looked through the file. The target was a very wealthy man, and there were many things to imply that he had ripped off and lied to Cato about financial matters.

  “You’re worried about your gold, overlord?”

  He chuffed at that. “I’m worried about you completing this task, my dear.”

  I continue to thumb through the pages. This was easy. Really. I didn’t see this as a challenge. I had brought down people more powerful and wealthy than this man. Kings and princes. Cato was up to something with this one.

  “What are your stipulations, overlord?”

  “Take him down. He must be humiliated. Dead and used is also acceptable.”

  “I cannot refuse your challenge. Please finish.” I waited. There had to be more.

  His teeth gleamed in the light as he grinned, a flash of fangs against his pale white skin, with lips the color of a blood-red moon.

  It was his smirk that made me decide my conceited father was going to die. I would send my own warriors against him, drain him of the blood in his body, and leave him in the hot noon sun of the Atacama Desert to turn to the dust he was composed of. His bones would bleach and crumble, and I would have him cast into the sea, to scatter him to the four winds for the pleasure of seeing him destroyed. And I would excise his name from the Council of Overlords, much as my grandfather had done to Akhenaten in the days of the 18th Dynasty.