by T. S. Ryder
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, beautiful?"
"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 nodd
ed. 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.
The vampire shrugged. "Not exactly like this."
"This isn't what I expected, either," Audrey said. "So maybe both of you should just leave and find other women."
"Unlikely," Sanjay said.
"I've claimed you," Dimitri told her.
"As have I," Sanjay interrupted before she could say anything. "I studied your vampire rules, Dimitri."
The king scowled, but didn't protest the use of his name.
"It's Audrey's choice who she mates with. And it is going to be me, vampire."
"Yes. The choice is hers. But her choice might not be what you think."
Audrey shook her head. "Or I could just not choose."
Both turned to look at her. Both faces were grim. Sanjay was the one to answer that thought. "Then we will fight to the death to see which of us can have you."
Audrey's heart almost stopped. She stared from one to the other, unable to believe it was true. Would they really kill each other over her? They didn't even know her! Up until this point, she thought it was all sexual, that they saw a nice piece of ass to have some fun with.
But it looked like this was far more serious than she could ever have imagined. She had never had a boyfriend that would have been willing to fight for her, they all just expected her to give up everything for them, and now she had two men she barely knew willing to die just for the chance to be with her? What was wrong with them?
"What have I gotten myself into?" she gasped, clutching her chest. "I didn't… I don't want you to start killing one another!"
"You have until the festival is done, one month, to make the choice," Dimitri said. "By then you'll know which of us you want more. Humans don't have strong instincts in these matters as vampires or shifters, otherwise, this would be resolved already. I will stand by whatever choice you make."
"As will I," Sanjay agreed.
Audrey held up both her hands and shook her head. This had been a bad idea. A bad, bad idea. "No. No, it's not like that at all. I'm not here to find a mate. I know I signed up for it and everything, but I am not going to leave with a husband."
"Mate," Sanjay corrected. "You humans can simply decide not to have a husband or wife anymore. It's not the same with us. It's a deeper connection—"
"I don't care!"
The vampire and shifter both stepped towards her. She shied away and shook her head again.
"I'm not here for that. I'm here because I'm a reporter and I wanted an inside scoop on the festival. I have notes and the start of the article I'm writing. I can sign in on my work account if that's what you want! But there is no point in fighting for me or whatever it is that you think you should be doing because I'm a fraud."
Both men were frowning heavily by the time she was done. Sanjay glanced at Dimitri, but the king folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at the reporter.
"We have a non-disclosure agreement that you had to sign before being let onto the property. If you publish a story, I'd have every right to sue you and your paper. Why risk it?"
"Because nobody has gotten anything about what happens in here, except from the occasional woman who doesn't find a mate. They only talk about how amazing it all was without giving any real details." Audrey dropped her arms, forming fists to conceal her shaking hands. "You can't get anywhere in journalism without taking a few risks. A story on you guys would have fast-tracked me to the head of the race. Maybe even get me permission to do a story on shifters next."
Sanjay stepped forward so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Dimitri. "What kind of story?"
"A day in the life sort of story. What challenges you face, what your lives are like."
"What their lives are like? Are you a journalist or an anthropologist?" Dimitri asked.
Audrey shrugged. "I want to be a little of both. But the point is, I lied and schemed my way into this thing in the first place. It's all a big scam, so whatever you thought was drawing you to me, it isn't real. I'll just pack up and go, and then you can just not fight over me. Okay? You're both mad that I lied and that's the end of it."
The vampire and shifter glanced at each other. Something seemed to pass between them, something that made Audrey shiver. Whatever they were thinking, she somehow knew that even her confession to her crime wasn't going to get her out of this predicament.
"Irrelevant," Sanjay said.
Audrey stared at them in alarm. "Excuse me?"
"The reasons you have come are irrelevant. A reporter or not, looking for a mate or not, we have both claimed you. You could try to leave, but I think you'll find yourself unable to. Or if you do leave, you'll be drawn back to us until this is resolved."
"Look, I already said that just because you're interested in me doesn't mean that I—"
"You're here," Dimitri interrupted. "And you have proven receptive to both of us. We are not saying that we'd force you to stay, but when non-humans find their mates, they cannot be denied. If you leave, you'll be back soon enough, wanting us."
This was crazy town. Audrey opened her mouth to tell them both just that but stopped. Maybe it was because their smoldering eyes were on her, making all sorts of wicked thoughts dash about in her head. Her hormones were kicking into overdrive again, making her want to pull them both onto the bed with her.
What the hell is going on with me?
Audrey had never considered herself much of a sexual adventurer. The kinkiest stuff she had ever gotten into was doggy style, rather than missionary. It wasn't that she didn't like sex, but she was so busy that she didn't really have the time or inclination to research other ways of doing it. But right now as she looked at the two handsome men, she was getting hints about something else entirely.
"We will fight for you," Sanjay said, stepping closer. "We will woo you and if you do not choose, I will kill the vampire for you."
"More like die for her," Dimitri said.
"You've heard of me, haven't you?"
The king nodded. "You are well-known and respected among shifters."
Sanjay grinned. "Then you know if you tried to fight me, I'd kill you."
A shrug was his only answer.
Audrey pushed past them and headed for the door. "No. I am not going to be responsible for you two killing each other. And the only reason I'm not leaving right now is because I'm going to prove it. You'll see. By the end of the week, you'll be begging me to go away."
Chapter Four
The pale golden fingers of dawn crept through her window. Audrey stared out the window, still in bed.
It had been a week since the shifter and Dimitri had told her she had to choose one of them. In that time, there had been plenty of times when she felt like running away. But Sanjay had volunteered to give her an interview about what his life was like, and she couldn’t pass that up.
It surprised her that he was a big shot among the shifters. He wasn't an Alpha, per se, because he didn't have a pack. But when other shifters were nearby, they treated him like a celebrity. Getting an interview with him was a big break.
Not to be outdone, Dimitri had then arranged for her to interview three vampires and two shifters without mates, six human women looking for mates, and then a dozen vampires, shifters and humans who had already found their mates.
Unfortunately, every time they were alone, he kissed her and she forgot about asking for an interview from him. Not that they were alone much. Usually, whenever she wasn't in her room, both Sanjay and Dimitri were with her. And she hadn't been able to convince them she was wrong for them yet.
The sound of her cell phone ringing brought her out of her concentration. Audrey glanced at the caller ID and groaned. It was Tiana, her boss. This wasn't going to be pleasant.
Tiana was a nice enough person most times, but w
hen it came to the latest story, she had no social filters. It was frustrating, and occasionally humiliating. How many times had Tiana encouraged her to get closer to her targets to get the best scoop? No doubt she was going to press her for more details about her relationships with Dimitri and Sanjay. Audrey wouldn't be surprised if it ended up on the front page of the paper.
"Hey, Tiana. Bit early isn't it?" Audrey greeted, trying to keep her voice neutral.
"You're up, I'm up. What's the problem?"
"Did you get the stuff I sent you yesterday?"
"I did. But I'm more interested in this note that you put in here." Tiana's voice sounded thrilled. "You have a Liger shifter and the vampire king competing for you? This is terrific news! You have to write down everything, I'll give you space for a short series about your experiences with the vampires. I love the stuff you've been sending me, but what we need is something more personal, you know? The voice of a woman finding herself torn between the sophisticated vampire and the pure lust of a shifter."
"Shifters aren't like that. Sanjay is just as sophisticated as Dimitri, and Dimitri can be just as lustful as Sanjay."
"Really? Spill."
The reporter ground her teeth. "That's my personal business."
"Audrey, darling, the public loves a good, old-fashioned love triangle. Write up your first meeting with the two of them and send it by tomorrow night. Don't leave out any of the sordid details."
Why did I have to mention Dimitri and Sanjay to her in the first place? You'd think that she was running a tabloid.
Writing like this wasn't going to help Audrey's plans for the future. There were enough snobs in the world that thought women couldn't write professional news. She wasn't going to give into the pressure to sensationalize what happened during the festival. Or disclose the personal details of her life. Her writing served a purpose, which was to debunk misinformation and help people who weren't given a voice to share their stories.
"Tiana, I—"
The door opened and Dimitri and Sanjay both entered. Audrey cursed.
"Don't you use that language at me," Tiana said. "You don't like the idea? Fine, you can stick with your exposé. But you could have just said it."