by Kym Grosso
Jonathon glared at Quintus, who nodded. “Tell him what he wants now. You’ve got two minutes before you start to pass out. Do you really trust that this scum watching in the wings is going to save your ass? Might be time for a new king. Maybe yes. Maybe no. You wanna find out?”
“Fuck you,” the vampire sighed.
“The Kris.” Jake’s fangs descended, his body readying to shift.
“It’s at 66689 Bourbon St.”
“A house?” Jake questioned.
“That’s all I’m telling you. It’s been there for hundreds of years. No one can find the damn thing but it’s in there. Now blood,” he screamed.
“If I find out you’re lying to us, I’m going to rip out your spine and shove it up your ass, you hear me?” Jake told him.
Kai lifted her eyes to Quintus, the thick walls of a tunnel closing in around her. “We’re outta here,” she heard him growl. Her world spun into oblivion, accepting her fate, and altogether unsure if death waited on the other side of darkness.
Chapter Nine
“Jesus, Quint.” Jake struggled to catch his breath. The furniture swirled around him like he was on a fucking carnival ride. He lay on the bed, still clutching Kai.
“There’s no easy way to do it, my friend. We’re here, good enough.” Quintus shrugged and walked toward the door.
“We’re here?” Jake glanced around the strange room. “Where exactly is that?”
“Mi casa es su casa.” Quintus gave a nod of his head. “Make yourself at home, mate. Sorry I couldn’t zap us back to your place, but I was runnin’ on instinct and this is home base.”
“No worries, man. Appreciate it.”
“Jonathon and his crew won’t find us here. Even if they did, Kade would kick his ass across the Mississippi before they stepped into the Quarter. Besides,” Quintus rapped on the drywall. “Got wards. No one’s getting in here tonight.”
“Like I said, good enough.” Jake smoothed the back of his hand over Kai’s cheek. “Tomorrow we’ll regroup.”
“Is she okay?” Quintus asked.
“She’s sleeping. Pulse is normal. Whatever happened to her in there…” Jake’s chest tightened as he recalled how she’d partially shifted. He’d watched in awe as she fed Jonathon to the lethal school of fish. Not once did she flinch during the brutal attack. She’d only stopped after he’d commanded her.
“You’re her master.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure what that means. The whole thing could’ve been a fluke. I’ll admit I’m turning into an Alpha. But this…what she did…” Jake sighed, recalling her strength. “Did you see her in there?”
“Oh, yeah. I saw all right. Wouldn’t want her coming after me. Your girl looks like she can bite, too. You see those choppers?” Quintus laughed.
“She looked more like a lion than a wolf…but not really. And that light thing she does? She was like a fucking glow stick. I don’t even know what the hell that was about.”
“She’s a pixiu. Powerful.”
Jake glanced to Kai’s arm. Her creamy white skin was splattered with droplets of crusty brown-colored blood. “This isn’t hers.”
“Jonathon has a shot of getting his hand back.” Quintus shrugged. “Maybe yes. Maybe no. It’s hard to tell. Some of us regenerate.”
“What the hell are you talking ‘bout?” Disgust washed across Jake’s face; his nose scrunched at the thought.
“You know, like a lizard. Cut a tail off. Grows back.”
“Now that is something I don’t need to see.”
“Leo does it.”
“You?”
“Well, yeah. It’s not like you lose an appendage every day. But you know…things can go missing.” Quintus laughed.
“Things? What sort of things?” Jake’s eyes widened as the possibilities ran through his mind. “Yeah…I don’t want to know. I’m good stopping right there in this convo.”
“Look, a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. You never know what can happen. Lose a finger. A foot. Hell, I’ve seen a vamp or two lose their dick.”
“Hey now.” Jake held up his hand in protest. “No. Don’t even tell me that’s happened to…”
“No worries. I’m not telling you any secrets, wolf.” Quintus laughed, turning away. “Listen, I’ve gotta get something to eat. Zapping us all back here…it takes a lot out of me. I’ll be back.”
“Hey, Quint. With Kai…if I really am her master.” Jake paused, afraid to speak the question that pinged around in his head. He’d spoken to her beast, and it listened. Whether happenstance or otherwise, she’d submitted to his command. Mate. He closed his eyes briefly and blew out a breath. It was impossible. “I just don’t get this. How the hell am I mixed up with a pixiu?”
“You know how the Goddess works. There are things we cannot explain. I can’t say your task is an easy one. Kai’s correct about one thing. Others will seek to destroy her, to steal her fortune. Until she is bonded, commanded by no other, she is most vulnerable. She needs her mate.”
“Ho, ho, hold on there,” Jake said. His eyes fell to her lips and back to Quintus. “Let’s not go throwin’ ‘round the ‘M’ word. She’s not a wolf. I’ll admit we’ve got chemistry, but that’s all that’s goin’ on.”
“You know there once was a man who believed, himself, that he’d never find someone to call his own. Then one day, he met a pixiu. She was magnificent. But he was young. Selfish. Led around by his dick, not his brain. He fucked up.” Quint sighed and stared at Kai. “These creatures are courageous and lethal, but in the end they’re like us all. They can submit to the weakness of death. Do not let this happen. You’re her master. Command and protect her as you would your own pack.”
Jake’s attention went to Kai as Quintus dissipated into the air. He placed his hand on hers, calming his wolf. Jake yawned, and suspected Jonathon’s magick had drawn on his own. He glanced to his palms, and grimaced at the sight of the crusty blood on his hands. If they hadn’t needed information about the Kris, he would have let Kai kill him.
Jake gently rolled Kai onto her back, and shoved off the bed. As he trod inside the darkened bathroom, he flicked on the wall switch. Dim recessed lighting reflected on crimson walls and ebony marble floors. The simplicity of the masculine design paired with Quintus’ dark personality.
As Jake turned on the shower spigot and crossed the room, he questioned how he’d become tangled with the vampire. Once a foe, Quintus had threatened his life. But over the past few days, they’d developed an odd bond. It was clear he’d once loved a pixiu and Jake suspected he’d been her master. His connection to Kai wasn’t clear, except that he seemed to hold an interest in the preservation of her species.
As Jake passed the mirror, he glanced at his reflection. Blood was splattered across his tanned face, and his thoughts drifted to Kai’s attack on Jonathon. Her feral nature both surprised and captivated him. He recalled the first time he’d shifted. It had been exhilarating, the power of his wolf coursing through him. But at no point had he been out of control. It wasn’t as if there weren’t times when Jake had let his beast take command, but each kill had been calculated. When he’d watched Kai, he’d noted the wild fury in her gaze, intent on killing the vampire. Jake could have cared less about Jonathon, but dead men don’t talk. Kai, more than anyone, knew the stakes, but hadn’t been able to control her beast.
It also occurred to Jake that the vampires hadn’t sensed her unique powers. Even Jonathon, the most powerful vampire in the coven, hadn’t placed her kind. He’d been suspicious of her lie, for certain, but never questioned it further.
The mirror steamed over and Jake peeled off his clothes, tossing them onto the floor. He strode into the bedroom, and gave a small smile as Kai’s eyes blinked open at him.
“Hey,” he said, not shielding his nudity.
“Hey. I…” Kai gasped and jolted upward in bed, taking sight of her blood-covered limbs. “I…I did this.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Jake moved to
the edge of the bed next to her. He reached for her shoes, and began to undress her. “Let’s clean up and get some rest, yeah?”
“I shifted,” she whispered. Fear shone in her eyes.
“It’s okay, Kai. Come here.” Jake didn’t wait for an answer as he took her hands in his and stood, lifting her onto her feet. “Let’s get undressed, ‘K?”
Kai nodded, tears brimming her lashes.
“Come on now. Let’s take a shower,” Jake told her, his tone that of a command. His fingers brushed over the metal clasps that held her bustier tight. His eyes went to hers and she nodded.
“I’ve gotta get this off me. What I did…” She held her breath as Jake slowly released the fabric and tossed it aside. “Jake…I…”
“Shh…it’s going to be all right.” Jake made quick work of removing her skirt, the lace pooling around her ankles. His fingers teased the edge of her panties, and as he dragged them down her legs, his eyes flashed to her perfect breasts. Exposed, her nipples hardened as the cool air touched her delicate skin.
“Jake…” She lost her words as her eyes fell to his chest; a lingering silence filled the air.
He swiftly lifted Kai into his arms, cradling her. His cock hardened as her cheek settled against his chest, the warmth of her tears on his skin. His wolf stirred, again urging him to take her. It mattered little she wasn’t lupine. Kai. Pixiu. If he was her master, she was his mate. It warred with logic but his gut told him there was no other way.
As Jake entered the bathroom, a thick steam poured around him. He set her gently on her feet inside the marble shower enclosure. She went to reach for the soap, but he wrapped his fingers around her wrists.
“Don’t move,” he told her, pleased as she stilled.
“Jake…tonight…I was out of control,” she admitted, her voice shaking.
“You were fierce.” Jake took her hands, his eyes locked on hers.
“I would have killed him. My beast…she has no limits.”
“I will give her limits.”
“But Jake…this cannot be. I can’t…”
“I didn’t say this makes sense. But the creature you are…the one you will be…” Jake’s eyes narrowed on hers, his expression heated. Mate. He couldn’t say the words aloud that passed through his mind. But his wolf growled, insisting he claim her. “You’re mine.”
Jake detected her heart race at the sound of his statement. He plowed his fingers into her long locks, gently tilting her head back into the hot spray. His cock lengthened as her lips parted slightly.
“Tonight you were my responsibility. My creature. My woman.”
Jake reached for the shampoo, lathering her hair. Her eyes remained on his as he rinsed the bubbles away, his fingers massaging her scalp. She moaned, her hands sliding up his wet chest. As she did so, he gently turned her toward the wall, placing her palms against the tiles.
“I want you like this,” he whispered in her ear. He slid a knee between her legs, widening her stance. She’d learn to submit. “Open for me.”
“Jake,” she breathed, her head lolling backwards.
“Tonight you were…” His eyes traced over the contours of her body. Goddess, she was beautiful. A dangerous treasure. “Lethal. Wild. Magnificent.”
“Ah…” Kai arched her back as Jake ran a soapy hand down her skin. “I don’t want this thing between us to end. I’ve been alone for so long.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. Jake had been single for over a hundred years. He’d only known Kai a few days but his wolf drove him to her, the attraction to her escalating by the second.
“You don’t understand,” she sighed. Kai shivered under his touch and he smiled as she shifted her hips.
Jake closed the distance between them. His hand found her breast, teasing its tip. His dick brushed the crease of her ass, and he sucked a breath, her warmth radiating against his chest.
“There’s nothing to understand. Something’s brought us together. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But I know what happened tonight.” He grazed his hand over her hip and onto her stomach.
“I’ve never…” Kai hesitated as Jake’s slippery fingers teased her bare mound.
Jake smiled, his lips pressed to her shoulder. “I’ll keep you safe, Kai,” he promised.
“You are the first supernatural I’ve ever been with,” she confessed. “What if I hurt you?”
“You’ll never hurt me, sweetheart. Not now. Not ever.” He contemplated his next words. The Alpha rose inside, and he claimed his place. “I’m your master, my sweet girl. And now, I’m going to taste you, have every part of you as my own.”
As he slid his finger through her folds, he rocked his erection into her bottom. The temptation to take her quickly speared through him but Jake exercised control, teasing his dick between her thighs. Withdrawing and brushing between her legs, he lamented the sweet torture of delaying their gratification.
“I don’t scare you?”
“I’m Alpha, Kai.” The declaration came as natural as breathing. Claiming his role in her life, he let his power emanate through her. He couldn’t say how the rest would pan out, the wolves he’d lead, but she would be his.
“I’m not wolf.”
“The only thing that matters is that you’re mine. Tonight in that club, I saw you shift into a beautiful feral creature. When I called on you, you submitted. I won’t pretend to know what’s going to happen next, but I know this. I’m your master.”
“But what if I don’t submit? This is not my nature.”
“Ah, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about that.” He gave a small bite to her shoulder, his fingers circling her clit. Kai heaved a breath, her forehead resting on the tiles. “You will learn in time.”
“Jake…”
“You see, there is a gift in your submission.”
“I…oh Goddess,” she breathed.
“I can bring you to the edge like this,” he whispered, spearing his finger deep inside her pussy. Kai whimpered as he pumped inside her, his thumb to her clit. “Or I can stop.”
“No, no, no,” she repeated as he withdrew his fingers and slowly tapped them on her mound.
“You see, I will know what’s best for you.” Jake reached for her waist, slowly guiding her to face him. Her eyes defiantly locked on his, her frustration palpable.
“Why did you…please don’t stop,” she begged, placing her palms on his chest.
“Because you will learn to trust me…to submit.” Jake’s lips crushed onto hers, tasting the woman who’d destroyed his sense of reason. Her lips tasted of citrus and honey, and he moaned into her kiss. His wolf howled, demanding he mark her. Jake resisted the temptation, and tore his lips from hers. He lowered her onto the marble ledge, and stood between her legs.
“Show me your pussy. My pussy.”
“I…” she stuttered.
“Do it, Kai. I’ll finish what I started but I want to see you do it.” He smiled, pleased as she did as she was told, spreading her legs wide. Jake feasted upon the sight of her glistening pink flesh and fisted his cock. Her finger gripped the ledge, beads of water dripping off her taut nipples. “That’s a girl. Now touch yourself.”
“Jake…please…I can’t…” She shook her head no.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, or we might be having a spankin’ before we get started. Not that you won’t have one before the week is through.”
Both anger and arousal flashed in her eyes and Jake knew he’d identified a fantasy his wild creature would enjoy. As her fingers trailed down her stomach to her mound, he stroked his hard length. Jesus Christ, she was delicious. He couldn’t wait much longer to taste her, but her lesson in submission would come first.
“Ah…” Her fingers slipped through her lips and she moaned, closing her eyes.
“That’s a girl. Fuck your pussy for me. See how good that feels,” he praised her. Closing the distance between them, Jake brushed his cock against her cheek. Her eyes widened at the sight of him towering a
bove her. “Open your mouth.”
“Hmm?”
His eyes narrowed in on hers, silently demanding her compliance. She licked her lips, rocking her pelvis as her fingers slid deep inside her core. With her free hand, she reached for his cock but he reprimanded her.
“No touching. Just open your mouth. Do as I say. Now.” Jesus. He’d love for her to stroke him off, but she needed to learn how to trust him.
As she acquiesced to his demand and parted her lips, Jake dragged the tip of his dick over her lower lip. “Stay open just like that, sweetheart, until I tell you you can have it.”
With his eyes locked on hers, he gave a sly smile, knowing she’d struggle to comply. In his peripheral vision, he spied her hand twitch as she strained to do as she was told. Instinct would drive her to rebel, but his will as her Alpha would prevail.
“Good girl. Now you can have it.” Jake tapped the tip of his cock on her lips and held his breath as her devilish tongue danced along his velvety crown. “Goddess that feels good. That’s it. Ah…” He groaned as she welcomed him, licking and sucking.
Jesus, he should have told her to stop. She’d taken control within seconds. As she lapped at his shaft, suctioning him down her throat, Jake shivered, her equally powerful energy sizzling through his pores. Her strength would make her eventual submission all the more satisfying.
Kai opened her mouth wider, taking his entire length down her throat. Her lips slid over his shaft, and Jake grunted, tilting his hips forward, fucking her mouth. Her stifled moans grew louder, and he sensed she was nearing climax. Without warning, he withdrew and reached for her waist, lifting her to him. Jake captured her mouth as he speared his hard cock into her slick core. She cried into his devastating kiss, her lips on his. Jake positioned her against the glass wall, plunging inside her. Her pussy pulsated around him, and he struggled not to come.
Their combined energies swirled around the room. His lips went to her delicate neck, and she flickered with the same iridescent glow he’d witnessed earlier in the night.