Junkyard Queen (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 12)

by Trina M. Lee

  In a daring move I turned to him and traced a finger over his lips, peering into his eyes of ice. Jenner grabbed my wrist tight enough to hurt just a little. He sucked my pinky finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around my fingertip.

  Power hungry and more than a little emotionally confused after seeing Kale again, I had to let off some steam of my own. A brow raised flirtatiously, I grinned. “Don’t worry, Jenner. You can loosen your hold on that amazing control you have. It’s your lucky night.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Having left his victim with fresh bite marks and a high she’d never forget, Arys returned to us with a self-satisfied smirk. He took one look at us and nodded. “So tonight then?” With a half shrug he slid his arms around me from behind and hugged me close. “Sounds good to me. Shall we?”

  I let him choose the location. Because I didn’t trust myself. When he chose my office, I worried that it might be too private. However, I didn’t want to put on a show for my patrons.

  “Are you sure about this?” I asked when the door closed, shutting the three of us in together. “Not that I need your permission but, still, it’s Jenner.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Jenner managed to look offended despite his drowning pupils. He glanced about the office, openly scrutinizing the change since he’d seen it last.

  “Nothing.” I had no quip to back that up.

  Arys claimed a spot on the couch, lounging with his feet propped on the coffee table. “He’s suffered enough. And he’ll suffer after he leaves here. We can give him this. As long as you want to.”

  “Gee thanks,” Jenner scoffed. “I appreciate that shred of giving a damn after you both made me your bitch for the rest of my existence.”

  Anger wouldn’t do. So before he could get too riled up, I beckoned him to me with a finger and a wave of sensual heat. “You’ve been most helpful, Jenner. Let me show you how much I appreciate it.”

  He resisted, just long enough to prove he could. Then he closed the space between us in two strides. Casting a glance at Arys who watched with intrigue, Jenner played the game. Despite having three months’ worth of craving built up, he moved with slow calculation. Slipping a hand into my hair, he crushed a handful tight in his fist.

  I stared up into his face, taking note of everything from the size of his pupils to the way his lips parted slightly before he kissed me. The brush of his lips gave me little warning before his tongue delved into my mouth.

  There was a gasp I recognized as me. The force behind his kiss was surprisingly delightful. The tone of his energy felt so much like Arys. It always baffled me, in a good way.

  Having Arys watch fed my hunger. We’d made Jenner ours together, and I suspected before the night was over, we would enjoy him together again.

  Jenner searched my mouth with a yearning I could feel. The power flowed out from me to wrap him in my thrall. He kissed his way down my neck to my jugular, just lingering there, feeling the rush of blood beneath his lips.

  Jenner had waited too long to rush this. He wanted more than a mere blood spill. He wanted the whole rollercoaster ride to euphoria. Yet what he wanted most of all was for me to desire him. To want him as bad as he wanted me. He pushed back against the energy of my thrall with his own. The charge created a resistance that felt good, as our two wills battled before becoming one greater force.

  I fell into him, enjoying the plummet. Taking hold of his jaw, I guided him away from my neck, back to my lips where I ever so gently traced my tongue along the edge of his mouth. When he tried to deepen the kiss, I pulled back, toying with him.

  I did want Jenner. Because he felt almost as good as Arys. And because he was mine.

  He didn’t like being teased though. With a frustrated rumble he turned me toward the desk and lifted me onto the edge. Luckily, I kept my desk tidy, so there was nothing to sweep off onto the floor in a dramatic gesture. Shoving my legs apart he stepped between them. Both hands on my lower back, he held me tight, grinding his hard on against me.

  So much promise there. So much want.

  It wouldn’t happen, Jenner and me. Not here and now and certainly not with Arys lounging on the couch watching us like we were Masterpiece Theatre. Despite Arys’s claims that most succubi and incubi form harems to meet all their needs, I figured mine had grown large enough. Although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to screw Jenner senseless right in that moment.

  Again he kissed me, a bruising claiming of my lips. Drenched in lust-driven power, we grew hungrier by the second. A buzz started in my ears, rising in volume along with the energy burning between us. I wrapped my legs around his waist, wanting to feel him. Full and erect between my thighs, Jenner moaned, filled with want and pain.

  That sound drew a wicked laugh from me.

  A glare adorned his face as he stepped back. He put just enough distance between us, so he could slip a hand inside the waist of my pants. Then he paused, surely waiting to see if either Arys or I stopped him. When neither of us did, he proceeded. Finding me warm and wet, a slight smirk crossed Jenner’s face. He stroked me lightly at first. Enough to make me quiver, longing for more.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arys lean forward. For a better view. Daring to meet his gaze, I found his midnight eyes drowning in desire. He enjoyed this. Fed on it. And we were his feast.

  Jenner’s touch sent sparks of pleasure cascading through me. A light, teasing caress had me unable to sit still. When he slid two fingers inside me, it was all I could do not to cry out. Every stroke of his fingers inside me fed the power flowing between us. The pressure built steadily, seeking release.

  I grabbed his arm to steady myself on the desk. Claws protruded from my fingertips, piercing his tattooed flesh.

  He’d wanted this. More than once he’d tried to touch me like this. Now he got his wish, and damn if he didn’t prove that he knew quite well what he was doing. I couldn’t have held back if I tried. The swell of pleasure overflowed. He rubbed me like he meant it, hitting the right spot at the right time.

  And he knew when my climax approached.

  Just like Arys he timed it perfectly. As I came, he went for my neck, sinking fangs. I cried out then, unable to hold back. My legs tensed, and I held tight to Jenner with both hands. My blood spilled into his mouth as my body released under the precise manipulation of his fingers.

  Jenner sighed against my skin. His tongue worked the wound, drawing forth my potent blood. The heady rush swept me up in the euphoric pull. The room spun and I didn’t care. Everything was bliss.

  The moment Jenner lifted his head from my neck, Arys sprang off the couch in a blur of motion. Grasping a handful of Jenner’s bleached blond hair, Arys jerked his head back and promptly bit into the side of his neck. Ice-blue eyes widened in shock, Jenner’s back arched, and he gave a strangled groan. The atmosphere warmed with the heat of his sudden unexpected climactic arrival.

  I saw this immediately for what it was. Punishment. Possibly because of the friendship he’d formed with Kale. And most certainly it was a reminder. Arys sought to ensure that Jenner never forgot that he was ours. Arys’s bite lacked the affection and respect he showed Shaz and me. This was a territorial display of possession and power.

  As soon as Arys released him, Jenner beelined for the attached bathroom.

  I slipped off the desk, listing slightly to one side before righting myself. “Was that really necessary?” My breathy question lacked the hard edge I’d gone for.

  “Of course.” Arys’s cool reply was entirely unapologetic. He returned to the couch and sat back down, licking a stray drop of crimson from his lip.

  Knowing Jenner could hear us, I didn’t push it. Not only did I not want to throw down with Arys right then, I didn’t want to ruin my high. I eased into my office chair, enjoying the sensation of floating outside the realm of reality.

  Just a few minutes to bask in the afterglow. Then I’d get back to real life. Demons and wolves and some such nonsense.

/>   When Jenner emerged several minutes later, he appeared to have pulled himself together. The blood had been washed from his neck and his hair slicked back into place. His pupils were still wide as all get out, but renewed awareness graced his eyes.

  He came to a stop a few feet from Arys, crossed his arms, and glowered down at the other vampire. “Was it because I fingered your wolf or because I became friends with her illicit lover?”

  Hot damn. My stomach tightened. If they ruined my high by fighting like spoiled siblings I’d kick both their asses.

  Arys pondered the question, head tilted to one side in contemplation. “The latter, mostly. I never expected such betrayal. You know how I feel about him.”

  “Betrayal.” Jenner all but spat the word in Arys’s face. “He’s just a fucking guy that’s going to die in a month’s time for your lover. It’s not like I married your fiancée and then murdered her.”

  Oh, goodie. This again.

  Truth be told I didn’t blame Jenner in the slightest. Had Arys done such a thing to me, I’d have held a generations’ long grudge as well.

  Arys conceded that point with a slight nod. “True. I suppose that makes it ok that you were making deals for Sinclair’s protection in my city with my wolf. Behind my back.”

  I cleared my throat even though I’d much rather have stayed out of it. “Excuse me, but that’s none of your damn business, Arys. I’ll make any deal I like with whomever I like.”

  “There you go,” Jenner said, expression emotionless. “You heard the lady.”

  Before Arys could fire back, I butted in again. “I thought you two were over this whole holding-grudges shit. You’re brothers. Are you ever going to let the past go?”

  They stared at one another in stony silence. Maybe they needed a time out.

  Finally Arys said, “Our relationship is complicated, Alexa. Centuries with a person will do that.”

  Jenner quipped, “Yeah, so will lies and betrayal.”

  “Centuries, huh?” I mused. “And it’s just been a year for us. I dread to see what another hundred years or so will be like.”

  Arys didn’t respond to my teasing. He was too invested in his stare down with Jenner. “So.” The manifestation of a self-appointed god, he lounged there with his devil-may-care attitude. “Now that you’ve gotten what you came for, what does it really benefit us to have you in our city?”

  These two were so up and down. Back in Vegas they’d hated each other. Then Jenner had come here during my death and turn, and they were on good terms. Now back to shitty. Complicated was right.

  “I joined my new friend on his journey home.” Jenner hit hard on the word friend. “I figured he could use the support seeing as you haven’t rolled out the welcome mat. I’m sure you can use me in your upcoming demon struggle. Also, I have a little something for Alexa.”

  “For me?” I gripped the arms of my office chair as the room continued to whirl.

  Jenner angled toward me, keeping Arys within his sight as well. “You need some leverage with your local FPA sector, and I have it.”

  Arys and I exchanged a glance. This could be interesting.

  “Blackmail material?” I asked. “I imagine that won’t come for free.”

  Jenner chuckled, a vicious sound thanks to Arys for firing him up. “Nothing comes for free, darlin’. If I tell you what I know, I’ll be expecting payment before I leave town.”

  “Let me guess. A repeat of what just happened here.” I knew how this worked. Everybody had a price. Jenner’s seemed to be predictable.

  “Something like that,” he confirmed. Wickedness glinted in his eyes. He jerked his head toward Arys. “Alone. Without him.”

  Naturally. Should’ve seen that coming.

  “Not fucking likely,” Arys muttered, fists clenched.

  Ignoring him, I considered it. “Depends what you give me. If I can actually work with it, then we may be able to arrange something.”

  Jenner smiled, enjoying where this was going. “I have some dirt on your sister. Shit that will get her fired if the big bosses find out. Possibly worse.”

  Now that I hadn’t expected. I couldn’t help but be damn curious. What had my little sister been up to down in Sin City? “Ok, spill.” I waved a hand for him to go on.

  “First you have to agree to my terms.” Jenner held out, knowing he’d planted the seed of curiosity and every passing second caused it to bloom.

  From his place on the couch Arys grumbled a few choice obscenities. He didn’t like it, understandably, yet he should have expected it. Jenner was a Harley Kayson vampire. And those fuckers were downright wicked.

  I caved. “Fine. I accept your terms. But only if it’s as good as you say it is. Now talk.”

  Wary of Arys’s close proximity, Jenner sat on the coffee table. “There was an incident in Vegas. She fucked up a sting operation. Would’ve been arrested by her own people if Kale and I hadn’t bailed her out. Not only did she kill the wrong man, but she had us cover it up to save her ass, by itself enough to get her thrown in lockup. At the very least.”

  Interesting. “I’m listening.” One foot on the floor, I spun my chair from side to side. “Details.”

  “She burst in on a deal going down with the Vegas blood ring. Thought she was killing one of the bad guys. Only it was one of her own. A secret agent. She took matters into her own hands and made a reckless move that got one of her people killed and disrupted years of undercover work. Kale and I made it look like the blood ring had taken him out.”

  Evidently a lot had gone down in Vegas during Juliet and Kale’s time away. I puzzled over this, gnawing my lip. The remaining high made it difficult to focus. “And that would get her fired? That mistake?”

  “An amateur mistake. She should have known better.”

  It felt like there had to be more to the story. Although, did it really matter? It certainly explained her willingness to help Kale.

  “I thought you were supposed to be taking control of the blood ring. Why is the FPA involved?” I frowned, feeling uneasy. Perhaps Arys and I needed to revisit Las Vegas. “Has anything changed since we were there?”

  The old Jenner resurfaced, the one who’d had nothing but disdain for me. He cast a withering scowl my way. “Do you think that shit happens overnight? I’ve put an end to the trafficking of children. The rest, it takes time. I can only do so much so quickly. The FPA are working their own angle.”

  Again I looked to Arys, finding his expression unreadable. How much did he know about all this?

  Before I could give voice to my thoughts, Jenner hissed, “Stay out of my fucking city.”

  Touchy vampire.

  I stopped spinning in my chair and pinned him with a mischievous grin. And then I hit him with a dizzying slap of power that was by no means gentle. Jenner closed his eyes, shaking with the effort it took not to react.

  “Now, now, Jenner.” The mocking tone fell from my lips like poison. “Is that any way to speak to your queen?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The passing of the next few nights was not without worry. Try as I might to make time crawl, it refused to be mastered. Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury would fall into place, lining up on one side of the sun; Venus, Mars, and Saturn on the other. The energy of that alignment would boost the power of all magical endeavors, including mine. I was pretty sure I could use all the help I could get.

  Gabriel had reached out to Arys through their blood bond. Willow might have swiped the kid, but that didn’t shut down his telepathic connection to his sire. He had let us know that Willow planned to conduct his ritual outside the large church four blocks down from The Wicked Kiss. Willow wanted a downtown location where he could watch his great purge break out among mankind.

  Not to mention the rest of us evil doers.

  The night of the planetary alignment arrived and, with it, a moment of self-doubt. Because the planets would align at 2:11 am, we had to wait. And waiting fucking sucked.

  “You’ve got to
stop stressing this,” Arys admonished, watching me pace the parking lot of The Wicked Kiss. “You know what to do. One step at a time. It will happen as it should.”

  I couldn’t stand to be inside. The walls kept closing in on me. So I had come outside hoping the cool winter air would calm me. It didn’t.

  “It might not work.” I wrung my hands. “Or I might just piss Willow off enough that he up and kills me.”

  Arys leaned on my car, arms crossed, watching my every move. “I get the feeling that you’re more afraid of succeeding than you are of failing. Do you not think being human would be good for Willow? A fresh start. A second chance. He could live a normal life if he chooses. That’s a good thing, Alexa.”

  Sure it was. I knew that. Arys was right. Because the damn vampire was always right. I did fear success. Taking his celestial power from Willow, making him human, it meant making him less than what he’d always been. Unable to protect himself. Vulnerable. None of that felt right.

  “I know he’s suffering as he is.” Nervously I twisted my ponytail around a finger. “He doesn’t deserve to be a demon. Willow isn’t evil. But becoming human will come with its own price. I just can’t decide if it’s the better deal.”

  “Of course it is. If you don’t do this, he’ll never stop. This purge will just be the beginning. Do you really want to see what else he dreams up?” Arys asked, making a valid point. “He’ll take over the city if you don’t step up and lay claim to it now. He’ll make us all his slaves.”

  In my pocket the vial of Salem’s blood taunted me. What if it wasn’t enough? What if I couldn’t do it? I had no backup plan. This was my only option.

  “I’m going to do it. I just don’t want to.” Story of my life.

  As the clock ticked closer to the time when everything would change, our friends and allies arrived: Jez and Smudge, who would keep their distance, ready to run interference should Willow succeed in pulling off his fool plan. Jenner and Shaz, here because of their ties to Arys and I. They had their role to play.