Alphas for the Holidays

by Mandy M. Roth

She peered up at him from beneath her lashes. “Aw. Worried about me?”

  The hand on her shoulder tightened, then he leaned down, whispering in her ear as Erik had earlier. Though she was playing Erik’s wife, his whispers didn’t send shivers down her spine as Saker’s did.

  “You’re going to gain his attention if he’s here,” he all but growled, the air warm on her ear, his lips soft on the outer edge.

  “That’s the point,” she whispered back. Licking her lips, she watched him. Sure enough his gaze dropped to her mouth and followed her movements. Tempting fate, she reached out and ran a short, trimmed nail down his arm, feeling the muscles bunch beneath. “Want to dance?”

  His gaze rose back to her, his gaze swirling green. She’d gotten to him. Reen smiled.

  He took her hand and jerked her to her feet, the chain dangled between them. He picked it up, ran it between his fingers. “You like this?”

  She hated it, but she smiled again and licked her lips. “I like a bit of danger.”

  “Careful, or you might get a hell of a lot more than you bargained for.”

  He didn’t move them towards the dance floor, just stood there staring at her.

  Kladovik watched the gyrating bodies from his loft above the club. She was here.

  He knew exactly who she was.

  Cyzarine—Reen—a Hunter. An assassin, no doubt searching for her dear friend, Oleana.

  Well, if she wanted to see her, he could definitely arrange it. After all, he wanted to get to know dear Cyzarine more. Much, much more.

  He smiled at the men with her. He knew all about them. When he’d heard of her, he’d run a search and found all he needed to know.

  She was a firebird. The rarest of the rare.

  He only wished she were white. Bright white feathers that could flame and destroy or bring luck.

  She would be his new lucky find.

  He smiled to himself and watched as one of the men she was with spoke to her beside the table, his hand going to the chain and the collar around her neck. Was she into both men? He knew they all worked together. He had ways of finding things out. But past the job, did she do both?

  He’d wondered. Trios were nothing new around here, nor were same-sex partners. None of them mattered to him.

  All he cared about was the Firebird.

  Normally, he searched for treasures and when he found them, he took them. Rarely did they all but land in his lap.

  This was a refreshing new twist. Did they, did she know whom she taunted?

  A demon?

  Guardian of treasures? He chuckled. Poor stupid fools.

  He pressed an intercom button and waited. A female voice came on. “Yes?”

  “Natasha, I want the woman that’s sitting at table four. Make certain you give her enough. And the men as well.”

  A pause. “Yes, sir. What specifically do you want me to give them? One of the men just placed an order of drinks.”

  He thought about it for a moment. He wanted the men to be relaxed, not on guard. He knew supernaturals. Knew they were most vulnerable when they’d spent a lot of power. Short of getting into a fight, the best way to relieve energy was sex.

  He might even get to see how well his newest treasure performed. How passionate she could be.

  He smiled. “Make sure they get a performance drink. I want to watch her bind with a mate.” Whichever one it was. And it wouldn’t matter. She’d be so lustful after her drink, anyone would do. If she caused a fight, and distracted her two bodyguards, he’d move then. Otherwise, he’d wait… And watch…

  Then take…

  Chapter 6

  Saker pulled her closer, keeping enough slack in the chain on her collar that he didn’t jerk her this way or that.

  Her body moved against his, taunted him. He glanced around and noticed others jostling around them on their way to the dance floor.

  A woman in the cage screamed, drawing his attention. But it was hardly a scream of pain. One of faked pleasure. A man holding a dildo was with her.

  Saker hated these places. He’d worked in enough of them. It wasn’t that he detested being here, so much as he couldn’t stand the thought that Reen was here.

  He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact she was… A what? An assassin.

  He’d known, but knowing and accepting when every instinct in him was growling for him to protect, were two very different things.

  She sure as hell didn’t appear like an assassin in her current dress. She looked like a fuck-girl. Or what he thought of as fuck-girls. She screamed sex, of submissiveness. Which was what they’d all planned on.

  All but him.

  She was his. The more time he spent with her, the more he couldn’t get her out of his damn mind.

  He knew her smell—woman, exotic, strong. It was a dark and tempting scent that wrapped around him every time he was around her. Her pulse, just there, beat quickly where her neck joined her collar. He ran a thumb over the pounding skin, pale as moonlight and soft as silk. The ends of her hair skimmed the back of his knuckles. He tucked a strand behind her ear and met her slanted, amber gaze. “You really shouldn’t be here.”

  A slow smile lifted her lush lips, painted scarlet red. “You just want me all to yourself,” she whispered, her voice husky and full of promise.

  He narrowed his gaze at her. “What game are you playing?”

  Her tongue slowly licked her bottom lip.

  Saker wanted her.

  Plain and simple.

  Erik cleared his throat. “Drinks are here.” He passed them around, along with a warning look at Saker, until Saker finally let the chain slide between his fingers.

  Erik reached over and snagged the end of the links.

  Reen’s laughter danced out, as sensual as the woman herself. She picked up her drink and took a sip, then drained it.

  Saker raised his brow. “Thirsty?”

  She eyed his drink then challenged, “You chicken? I thought all you warrior types could hold your own.”

  “Reen,” Erik warned.

  She turned and offered him a smile. “Come on, Erik. It’s not even alcoholic, I’m just giving the ass a hard time.”

  Erik’s gaze shifted from her to Saker. Saker downed his own drink.

  Erik shook his head, and sipped his, frowning, then set it aside as he sat in his chair. “We should mingle.”

  “You mean I get to wander around all by my little lonesome? And here I thought I was your slave for the evening.” She leaned over, her corset-plumped breasts right in Erik’s face.

  Saker reached out to jerk her back, but then fisted his hand.

  The mission… He didn’t want her flirting with the damn vamp.

  He gritted his teeth as she ran her fingers through Erik’s dark hair.

  The club pulsed around them.

  She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and straightened. “I want to dance.”

  The music, still slow, deep, dark, floated over the room. The lights flickered off and on.

  Erik’s hand held the chain, but Saker snatched it from the other man. “Fine, let’s dance and see what we can learn.” To seem as if he didn’t have a care in the world, he added, “Place is probably a waste of time just like the last.” He held the chain and led her to the dance floor. It was crowded and they made their way through the melee of bodies closer to the stage where there was a bit more room.

  The dark music seemed to move through his body, swirl around his head. He shook his head and took a deep breath, but all he smelled was her.

  Cyzarine’s scent. Dark and promising.

  An image of them wrapped and tangled together flashed in his mind.

  It seemed to come alive, manifest itself.

  His cock grew, pressed against his black pants. He pulled her closer, looking only at her eyes.

  She moved against him, her thighs brushed his, then her groin, her hips, her trim waist, her breasts.

  A wave of liquid desire brushed and moved against
him.

  She sucked in a breath, her amber gaze glowing gold at the edges.

  The music beat against the air. Something buzzed through his system.

  Her desire wrapped him in a tight fist and he shook his head again. But all he could think about was her, her body, sinking deep and hard into her. Her arousal wafted between them and he jerked her closer, insinuated one thigh between her boots, pressed and pulled until she straddled him.

  The music filled his head, thoughts of fucking her slammed into him, twisted the desire tighter and harder inside him until that was all that he could think of. All he could focus on.

  She raised her arms, and her breasts, pushing against the edge of the black corset, threatened to pop free. He leaned her back over his arm and bit down at the sight of her areoles, then her nipples, a pale dusky pink. Saker could no more stop himself than his next breath, even as some inner voice blared a warning in his head.

  He could feel her power, her lust brush against his.

  Her eyes were shut, but he didn’t care. He kissed the top slope of one pale breast, then moved to the other, quickly licking and laving the sensitive peaks.

  She grasped his skull, her fingers raking through his hair. “Saker,” she said, an edge of plea to it.

  He pressed his thigh higher, harder against her and could feel the heat from her core. She was already wet.

  He growled and jerked her up, chest to breast to him. Her mouth devoured him, her tongue feasting and dueling with his.

  “I want you,” she muttered between kisses, “I want you now.”

  Some sane part of his brain knew this wasn’t right, but he couldn’t stop. Couldn’t keep from raising her skirt.

  “Please…”

  “Just a minute, baby,” he told her, glancing to their right and the small stage. He turned them, grabbed her ass and set her on the edge of the dark stage. Blue lights rained down on them.

  He didn’t care.

  The music thrummed against his skull. And only one thought burst through.

  Take her.

  Take her.

  Take her.

  He grabbed the scrap of silk between her legs and ripped it away, shoving it into his pocket.

  Her eyes were golden pools of light, vague, yet as bright as topaz.

  “You’re mine,” he growled.

  In some part of her mind Reen knew this wasn’t…right. It was what she wanted, what she needed, what she had to have. But something didn’t seem right.

  All she could smell was him—dark forests, deep secrets. Images of them wrapped together, of Saker thrusting into her filled her mind.

  She couldn’t think beyond him, beyond her want of him.

  Her breasts were still caught above the edge of the corset, every rake of his clothed chest against her nipples made her gasp, made her want.

  Then he ripped her thong away and her body pulsed.

  She knew she couldn’t shift. Couldn’t let her power fully free. But the need to was almost overwhelming.

  It had never been like this before.

  Lights started to swirl around them, but she couldn’t think about that, couldn’t concentrate.

  “Now, Saker, for God’s sake. Now!”

  His cool fingers parted her, jerked a moan from her throat as they grazed over her pulsing flesh, wet and slick with her own needs. His fingers slid deep and she arched against him, even as his thumb pressed her sensitive peak.

  “More. I need more.”

  “And you’ll get it.”

  “Move! Move!” A voice yelled, but she didn’t care.

  She could feel him poised there, hot and hard, just there at the edge of her opening.

  “Reen! What the hell are you doing?” someone shouted.

  Reen grabbed Saker’s ass and arched against him, jerking him into her.

  She cried out and the air exploded around them. “Damn it! Stop!” the voice yelled again.

  But she couldn’t, simply couldn’t. Saker groaned above her and she could only stare at him. The air around them glowed, shimmered and shifted, and muffled everything, the music, the yells, the people.

  All she saw was Saker, his black gaze glowing green, a muscle ticking in his clenched jaw. All she heard was his breath, faster and panting, his growls and groans, her own.

  Then he reached down and flicked his finger over her clit and she shattered, screaming out her release as Saker yelled his own and thrust again into her one final time. Sparks rained down on them and for a moment everything seemed to still, to calm, to comfort.

  “Fucking A!” the voice yelled, then Saker was jerked from her. Her brain couldn’t get around anything.

  The room seemed to spin around her.

  “What the fuck are you doing, you stupid son of a bitch.” Roars and curses filled the air, pressed in on her.

  Something’s very wrong…

  She couldn’t stop, couldn’t grasp…

  Someone lifted her from behind. “Come, my pretty, let’s get you out of here.”

  A prick bit the side of her neck and she moaned as fire burned beneath her skin.

  “No,” she mumbled.

  Reen felt herself lifted, tried to turn and see who it was, but didn’t have the energy, couldn’t…

  Stop…

  The world went black.

  Chapter 7

  Erik slammed his fist against Saker’s jaw, snapping the other man’s head back.

  “You sneaky bastard,” Erik snarled, his own power charging over him.

  Patrons had made a semicircle around them.

  Saker shook his head, and swiped out at Erik. “She’s mine!”

  “Not any more.” Rage roared through him. Erik had no idea what the hell had happened, but one minute he was weaving through the crowd, up on the catwalk. Then an energy, pure sex charged across the club, aroused the air and thrust against him.

  He’d glanced over, across the converted warehouse to see a couple on the edge of the stage.

  Fury had lit inside him like only a few times before. Saker and Reen. The air glowed around them, as it only did with mates. For long seconds, then moments, Erik couldn’t get to them.

  Saker and Reen.

  Reen…

  She’d been fucking a falcon on a stage before a club full of people.

  Warning screamed through him.

  But it had been as if a barrier kept them from everyone else.

  Until, finally, Erik, enraged, had gotten through then jerked the son of a bitch around. “How dare you.”

  “I dare because she’s mine,” Saker stated, his eyes still glowing, his power too close to the surface.

  Erik growled, felt the sharp edge of his fangs against his tongue and wanted to suck the bastard dry.

  He glanced to the stage.

  The empty stage.

  He froze.

  Saker slammed into his jaw, and Erik didn’t even try to fight the man off. Instead he tamped down on his own rage, to focus.

  He shoved Saker away. “She’s gone,” he rasped.

  The fury in the other man still hummed in the air, but Saker stopped, lowered his raised arm and turned to look.

  “No. No!” Saker let out a cry, high-pitched and shrill. The call of the falcons.

  Fuck. Erik said into the microphone hidden in his sleeve, “Flame is missing. Repeat Flame is missing. Report. Search the outer perimeter of the building.”

  Saker shoved people out of the way, and leapt back onto the stage, his own team members pulling out of the crowd and surrounding him. One man, Gregori, Erik recognized. Gregori had left the royal palace with the young dethroned prince years ago and had remained loyal ever since.

  “Perimeter is clear, sir,” a voice said in his ear.

  Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

  Saker whirled and across the expanse of the space, Erik knew that whatever their differences, they would work together to find the woman they both loved.

  He carried her through the underground passage. The club’s
music beat through the floor, the pulse hard and pressing against his nerves. He knew he needed to get back or they might suspect him.

  Not that they would find him. And if they did, chances were they wouldn’t find his pretties.

  They’d searched before and no one had found them. Not when they were still alive, and not when he’d turned them into his.

  The tunnel, dripping wet from overhead pipes, the old bricks cold and slick from years of mold and slime, turned sharply to his left. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled.

  He peered down into her face.

  Perfection…

  A firebird? He smiled and leaned down, sniffing, pulling her scent deep within his lungs.

  He’d have fun with this one. She was passionate. He now knew that.

  Kladovik frowned. The lights. He’d seen the lights shimmer and dance as this pretty mated with, not the one she arrived with, but with the bodyguard. He’d seen lights like that before.

  The Mating Glow, many called it.

  So who was her mystery man? Or had it simply been his little additives and incantation?

  Kladovik shrugged. It hardly mattered. Those looking for her would be all over the club.

  The darkness enveloped them as he quickly carried her. He slung her over his shoulder and climbed the ladder, shouldering the manhole lid out of the way. Thankfully, it hadn’t been frozen in place. At the top, he scanned the deserted area.

  Empty.

  Three blocks away.

  He quickly climbed out and deposited her in the waiting limo he’d called. The driver was a lower demon trying to climb through his powers and ranks. Still had a lot to learn, but he was eager to prove his worth. There weren’t any better.

  Kladovik didn’t question the younger demon’s loyalty.

  “Take her to her new home. Put her in the third room.” He straightened, then secured her hands and as a last precaution, hung an amulet around her neck. He muttered a binding curse and pressed it to her chest.

  Her legs were long. He ran a hand down her torso and felt his dick harden. “It won’t be long now, pretty.” He nodded to the driver and slammed the door, slapping the roof of the car.

  With that, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his office. He hated transporting, especially when he had so much to do later and knew it would drain his energy.