Youre sure about Chompers? he croaked.
Completely. Im warded from neck to ankle just to keep him under control, but I can still hear him.
A miracle he didnt ask for proof.
Lets talk about this tomorrow, after your medication has worn off, she said on a sigh. All right?
He watched her lips as she spoke. They were red and lush, and he wanted to bite them, too.
Maybe he hadnt taken enough blood from the human. Wait. Scratch maybe. He hadnt. Otherwise, his mouth would not be watering. His gums would not be aching, his muscles clenching.
Aden?
He almost leaped from the throne and threw himself at her. If he didnt look away, he would throw himself at her. Stand behind me. Please.
The demand was harsher than hed intended, but he didnt apologize.
Shock rather then affront claimed her delicate features. Then her eyes narrowed, and she pivoted, standing beside him rather than behind him as ordered.
He could still feel the heat of her body, the warmth of her breath trekking over him. Close vicinity of any kind was also a problem, then. But before he could send her away, a female moan echoed, followed by the grunt of a male. Instinctively Aden reached for the daggers strapped to his ankles.
There were no daggers strapped to his ankles.
Didnt matter. He stood, surveying his throne room. His subjects had yet to enterhe could hear them gathering outside the room, speculating about what he desired. How long would they
A couple locked in a heated kiss entered through the far left door. The male had his back to Aden, was walking the female toward a column, pressing her against it. Aden saw dark hair in disarray and a T-shirt ripped along the ribs. Saw jeans worn loose and bagging around lean hips. In fact, the only things holding up those jeans were the girls legs.
They must not have heard about the meeting.
The female was a blonde Aden hadnt seen before but somehow recognized. Her eyes were closed, but he knew her irises were hazel. Her fangs chewed at her bottom lip as blood dripped down her chin. Clearly, she had fed before theyd started this.
This. In his throne room. Without his permission.
Adens ire rose. And yet, deep, deep inside, he was also amused. Maybe even a bit envious.
Victoria must have only just realized what was happening, because she gasped. Aden didnt need to turn around to know her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink. The heat blasting off her had intensified, wrapping around him like an invisible chain.
He waited until the pair finished and the boy was zipping up his pants, the girl straightening her robe. A robe very much like Victorias. Long, dark and easily removable. Dont go there. The couple was lucky the others hadnt ceased their debate outside the doors.
Aden cleared his throat as he sat back down.
The boy wheeled around, and the first thing Aden noticed were the perfect punctures in his neck, set in the eyes of the snake tattooed there, both still seeping with bright crimson nectar.
His mouth watered again. Was he drooling?
Seeing him, the girl gasped in horror and dropped to her knees, her head bowed. Your majesty. Im so sorry. I should not have entered without your express permission. I will shear my hair, rip my skin to ribbons and throw myself over a cliff. Just say the word. I would never have intentionally offended you.
Be quiet. Bloodtaste
He must have stiffened or made ready to rise, because Victoria settled her hand on his shoulder and held him down. He could have brushed her aside but didnt. He liked the weight there, slight though it was. Liked knowing he had only to grab her wrist and tug and she would be in his lap. Her neck, close. Her blood, in his mouth.
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Again. Again. The bloodlust faded, but only slightly. Slightly, but enough.
Yo, Ad, the boy said.
Aden studied a face hed seen every day for months. Rough, scarred in a few places. Seth. What are you doing here?
Seth flashed an unrepentant smile. Came looking for you. Dans worried. Everyones worried.
Emotions came back in a flood, guilt the front-runner, but each evaporated in the blink of an eye. How did you find me?
Shannon. He followed your friend Riley, who snuck into your room to grab some of your crap.
Shannon lived at the D and M, had been his roommate, and was one of the good guys. He also had tracking skills Aden hadnt known about.
Gotta admit, though, I didnt expect this. Seth waved his hand across the gothicly designed room. I mean vampires? Can you say incredible?
Adens attention returned to the girl, who was still kneeling, her body quaking as she silently cried. Enough. You had permission to be here. I summoned every one for a meeting. Now rise and take a seat.
Thank you. Thank you so much, majesty. She straightened, her gaze never finding the courage to meet his, and backtracked to obey.
Part of him took great satisfaction in that. The other part of him was distressed. Have you been claimed as a blood-slave? he asked Seth.
No, way! Im no ones slave. Seth flicked an invisible piece of lint off his shoulder. Did someone try to claim me, though? Yeah. Some dude. Until I mentioned how tight you and I are, and he couldnt get away from me fast enough. Had the opposite affect on the girls. Its been open season on my body, baby.
Tight? Once upon a time, Seth had wanted to hack him to pieces and nail those pieces to the ranch walls.
No wonder you kept this place a secret. You got all the tail you could wantand more.
How long have you been here? Victoria asked, her voice as sharp as one of the daggers Aden had wanted. How many times have you been bitten?
Dark eyes swung to her. And stayed. And fell over her, taking all of her in. Aden stiffened and forced himself to hold on to the armrests before he did something hed regret. Namely, rip out his friends eyeballs.
Hinges creaked as a door was opened. Footsteps sounded. Multiple pairs. No conversation, however. That had ended. Vampires and blood-slaves came into view, each finally taking their places on the tiers, as ordered.
Seth looked back at them, waved with enthusiasm, then returned his attention to Aden. I havent been here long, he answered. And Ive been bitten a lot.
No symptoms of losing too much blood? Aden asked at the same time Victoria said, Are you craving the bites?
What is this? National Interrogate Seth Day? No symptoms. And yes, Im craving. Who could have guessed how fun those fangs could be?
Aden heard her swallow a mouthful of crackling air, knew she was concerned and confused. But your eyes are not glazed.
I know, Seth replied. Theyre straight up awesome.
But Victoria twirled the ends of her hair around her finger. How have you not become a blood-slave, addicted to the bite?
Seth wiggled his brows. Maybe I havent been bitten by the right girl. Hey, so, you want to give me a go?
Victoria rolled her eyes, and Aden gnashed his teeth. Flirting with the princess was not allowed. Ever. Does Dan know where you are?
Seth shifted from one foot to the other, at last uncomfortable. Not really.
So you disappeared, like me? Worried him?
Well, its not like I can tell him what I found, now, is it?
More and more vampires were filing into the room. He could feel their eyes on him, their curiosity blistering him. More than that, he could feel the desires of their beasts. Those beasts wanted to be with him, to touch him. Theyd missed him.
What about the other boys? he asked, continuing his conversation with Seth. He was king. He could do whatever he wished. How are they?
Well, Terry and RJ are moving out as planned. Next week, in fact. Oh, and Dan caught Shannon and Ryder together.
What? Hed known Shannon was gay. Known Shannon had thoughthopedRyder was gay. But Ryder had treated Shannon as if he had the plague ever since Shannon had made a pass at him. And?
And, Dan was pretty cool about it. He told them the rest of us arent allowed to date while were on the ranch, so they arent allowed to, either. They cant be alone together or anything like that.
Dan was a better guy than Aden had given him credit forand hed given the guy a lot of credit. You have to go back.
No. No way. This setup is too sweet. The chicks come on to me like theyre flies and Im honey. Seth pursed his lips. I mean, like theyre bears and Im honey.
Aden didnt want to know how many bears the boy had entertained. Have there been fights over you?
Seths chest puffed up. Dont mean to brag, buthell, its not bragging if its true, right? Yeah, theres been a fight. Just a few hours ago, in fact.
And the loser was now enslaved. Youre going back, and thats final, he said, something inside himsome kind of heatwrapping around the words as they left his mouth.
Seth straightened abruptly, and his eyes glazed over. Yes. Going back. He spun on his heels and strode down the red carpet without another word.
Shocking.
Wait, Victoria called, a bit of panic in her voice.
He kept walking.
I said wait! she shouted.
Again, he kept walking.
Aden, stop him, she pleaded.
Her desperation reached the core of him, and he found himself reacting, obeying. Seth, stop, he called, the heat still pulsing around the words.
Seth halted but didnt turn around.
Tell him to forget his time here. Her hand, which had never left his shoulder, tightened its grip, her fingertips digging into his muscle. Tell him theres no such thing as a vampire.
And hell believe me? Just like that?
Yes.
Doubtful. Still. Aden thought about it, wanting to please her in this, but unsure why he wanted to please her in this. In the end, he said, Seth, return to Dan. Tell him you found me, that Im alive and well and living somewhere else, but do not mention the vampires.
Return. Dan. Found. Well. No vampires.
Thats when realization struck. His heart beat a ragged tattoo in his chest. Voice Voodoo, Mary Ann called the vampire ability to speak and manipulate. Right now, Aden was using Voice Voodoo. He didnt know how, wasnt sure it would last, but damned if he wouldnt enjoy it.
You hated when Victoria used Voice Voodoo on others.
Well, that was before.
Before you became an asshole? Power is going to your head, and if you dont fight this, youll stay like this forever.
Great. He was still talking to himself. And wasnt that a wonderful development. One half of him loathed the other half of him. At this rate, hed soon be fist fighting himself.
Tell him to forget us, Victoria begged. Please.
No.
Why?
Because Aden could use a human ally. Because having eyes and ears on the outside was a good thing. Because hed said so. Seth. Go.
Seth went, leaving Aden alone with his vampires. The tiers were now overflowing with bodies. A sea of pale faces, both male and female. There was Draven at the front, a fake smile aimed up at him.
Lauren and Stephanie, Victorias sisters, were up front, as well. They were scowling at him. Scowls that did nothing to diminish their beauty. Both were blonde, but one had blue eyes and the other green. One was a warrior, the other a wannabe human.
And there were the silver-haired councilmen, paler than all the rest because theyd been alive so much longer and could no longer tolerate the sunlight.
Every vampire wore some type of black robe, and every slave wore some type of white robe. White and black, white and black, interspersed, hypnotizing.
Shifters in full wolf form lined the bottom of the rows, guarding their beloved vamps and watching him warily. While the vamps might follow him blindly, the wolves never would. Oh, they would serve whoever was crowned king, but he would have to work for their affection.
Affection was important to cultivate, for the wolves produced the substance that could slaughter Adens people.
I brought you here for two reasons, he said, not deigning to rise. Silence greeted the announcement. The first, to remind you that I am alive and well.
Now, murmurs arose. Whether they were of approval or disappointment, he wasnt sure and didnt care.
The second reason is to remind you of what I can do. Beasts, he called, ready to make his point. Come to me.
Expressions morphed to differing degrees of horror. Someone whimpered. Someone else groaned. Behind him, he heard a scream. Then, shadows began to rise over a few of the vampires. A few more. More. All. Dark wings expanded, flapping, filling empty air.
Slowly those shadows solidified, becoming monsters straight out of nightmares. Snouts formed and scarlet eyes glowed. Thick, dragonlike torsos roseroseand those solidified as well. Hoofed feet appeared next and stomped down the steps.
Vampires screeched and scrambled away. These monsters had been inside them, but when freed, even they couldnt control them. And usually, a beast went for its host first, chomping and chewing until vampire organs were mush inside the supposedly indestructible skin. This time, the beasts raced for Aden.
He stood, cast a quick glance over his shoulder to ensure that Victoria was safeshed pressed herself against the far wall, her eyes wide with fear. Chompers stood beside her, clawed feet scraping at the dais as he tried to hold himself back, his nostrils flared, his fangs exposed, his saliva blowing at Victoria with every exhalation he made.
To me, Aden reminded him.
That beastly head swung around, and their gazes met. Like a favored pet who knew hed get a treat, Chompers lost his air of aggression and clomped his way over. His tongue rolled out and his tail wagged. Then Aden was surrounded, being licked and nudged by others.
Chompers shoved his way to the front, snorting once, twice. He seemed tofrown?
Whats wrong? Aden asked him.
The beast sniffed, sniffed, and yes, he was indeed frowning.
Do I smell different, boy? Like a vampire?
A nod.
And you dont like it?
Another nod.
The cold part of Aden took offence. The other part of him, still buried so deeply, wanted to fix it. Come on, he said, scratching behind Chompers ear. Lets all go outside and play. Maybe thatll help.
None of the vampires protested as he led the beasts outside the throne room and through the hallway and foyer. The floor shook, and the furniture rattled. Knickknacksprobably priceless vases and things collected throughout the agesfell and shattered.
Aden didnt pause, didnt ask them to be careful, and finally stepped into the gloomy morning, his army behind him, practically ripping the front door from its hinges as they hurried to once again surround him.
He picked up a few sticks and tossed them. Those sticks were chased and grabbed between strong jaws in seconds, then brought back to him. How surreal they must look out here, playing fetch. A true stranger-than-fiction moment.
For a while, he was able to forget his troubles. But deep down, he suspected that the moment he left this clearing, his life would changeagainand still not for the better.
EIGHT
RILEY OF THE MANY NAMES raced through forests, along paved, graveled and dirt roads, through neighborhoods, congested shop ways and back alleys, his stride never slowing. Not when the sun fought free of the patchwork sky and burned him despite the chill in the air, not when that same chill agonized his lungs, and not when the moon at last appeared, a half crescent of gold he so wanted to howl at. Hour after hour disappeared, the miles eaten up.
To distract himself, he let his mind roll with everything hed been called throughout the years. His brothers called him Riley the Randy. Or Riley the Shut the Hell Up. Victoria had recently begun to call him Riley the Pain Who Never Lets Me Get Away With Anything. And it was usually said with a stomp of her royal foot.
To enroll in Adens school, hed taken Connall as a last name. Connall meant great, mighty hound in the ancient language. Victoria had suggested Ulrich, which meant female warrior. One of the first jokes shed ever cracked. Hed been so proud of her, hed almost done it. But Riley Ulrich was a little too foreign-sounding when hed wanted only to blend in.
Maybe he should have gone with Riley Smith. Or Riley Jones.
Some of his past girlfriends had called him Riley the Asshat. Or, his personal favorite, Riley the I Hope You Contract VD, You Rotten Piece of Shit.
His relationships never tended to work out, for whatever reason. Whatever was always his fault, he knew. And not just because the girls told him so. He purposefully kept himself at a distance, for their good as well as his own. He had a possessive streak that went bone deep, and if he ever decided a girl was his, well, hed keep her. Forever.
Sure, the girls might have wanted him in the moment, or even for a few weeks or months into the relationship, but that could change. She could change.
He wouldnt change.
You couldnt teach old dogs new tricks because the old dogs just freaking didnt care to learn. Riley had lived over a hundred years. Among humans, he was old. Therefore, he wasnt learning anything new.
Among his own people, he was still a babe, but that didnt help his argument, so he wasnt going to toss that into the equation.
Also, the girlfriend, when she truly got to know him, might not understand his lifestyle, might not like it and might decide to leave him. But if hed taken things to the next level, it would be too late. Anyone you brought to Vlads home stayed in Vlads home.
Vlad wasnt calling the shots anymore, but Riley understood the reasoning behind the edict. Protection of the species. Still. By bringing someone into the fold, you opened yourself up to challenges.
Look at Vic and Draven.
Riley hated challenges. What was his was his, and he didnt share. And maybe he felt that way because hed grown up in a pack, and every scrap of food, every piece of clothing, every room, bed and unmated femaleand yes, every unmated malehad been considered community property. That had gotten old fast. So, like hed said, he kept a part of himself distanced from his girlfriends and never allowed himself to consider one exclusively his.
Until Mary Ann.
Somehow shed snuck past his defenses. Hell, maybe shed muted them like she muted everything else. Hed wondered, finding it strange that hed been intrigued by her since the beginning. And yeah, hed also been panting for a little action. All that dark hair hed wanted to fist, those so-deep-you-could-be-lost-forever eyes of fall-brown hed wanted to search. That olive skin, pale with the slightest hint of color, hed wanted to lick. (Hey, he was a dog.)
She was tall and slender, pretty in a quiet way, graceful in an even quieter way. Like, she might trip while she was walking, her mind lost in thought, but when she reached up to brush her hair out of her face, her fingers tracing over her cheeks and temples, she was all fluid motion, a study of sensuality.
She didnt know her own appeal, and that had been obvious in the beginning, too. She sometimes looked down at her feet, shyly kicking stones. She never purposely sought attention; she sometimes blushed. She was reserved and nervous, yet determined to overcome every test tossed her way.
At first, he hadnt known how smart she was. Hed just thought, wow, shes prettyand sweetand more concerned with others than she is with herself. But hed learned fast. Real fast. Her mind worked at an amazing speed. She took nothing at face value, researched everything and, though reserved and nervous, had no problem voicing her opinions with people she was comfortable with, believing what she said one hundred percent.
Whats more, she told the truth, always. No matter how harsh. He admired that trait because he was the same way.
She was emotional, too. Something he was not and had not realized he liked. Until her. She wasnt afraid to cry all over him or hug him. Or to laugh and twirl around a room with happiness. Quite simply, she held nothing back. The complete opposite of him and everyone hed ever dated, really.
She was vulnerable, and she didnt care. She justlived.
Leaving him hadnt been about protecting herself. He knew that. Leaving him had been about protecting him. She didnt want to hurt him, and he got that. He did. He didnt want to hurt her, either. But separation? That wasnt the answer.
So she was a drainer. So what? Theyd deal. Every couple had their problems. And okay, okay. Her problem could kill him. Theyd find a solution before that happened. Guaranteed.
A rock sliced into his paw, but he didnt stumble. He kept running, sweat dripping in his eyes. Unlike non-shifter dogs, he could sweat (among other things) as human and animal collided inside him. And sweat he did. A lot. His fur was plastered to his pelt by the time he reached the big, bad city.
Panting, he whizzed past peopleall of whom yelped in shock at the large (really large) animal streaking bybypassed cars and barreled past other animals. Pets on leashes, wild things foraging for food.
So many auras, each boasting colorful layer after colorful layer. One for the physical body, one for self-directed emotions, one for emotions directed at others, for the logical mind, the creative mind, the practical mind, for truth and lie, for love and hate, for passion and finally, for peace and chaos.
People wore those layers like coats. Glowing coats that broadcast their thoughts and emotionstheir everything. Wouldnt be so bad, if each layer was a simple color from an organized chart. Red, blue, green or yellow, something easy like that. But, no. He saw varying shades of the same colors, different colors on top of different colors, colors blending together, colors, colors and more colors.
That was another thing he liked about Mary Ann. Her aura. He didnt have to waste time interpreting the colors pulsing around her. They were too pure, too strong, each one stacked on top of the other, nothing murky or open for interpretation.
Where are you, sweetheart?
Last time hed seen her, too many days ago, shed been in Tulsa, Oklahoma. How shed escaped him, he didnt yet know. One moment hed seen her, the next, when she turned a corner, he hadnt. Hed smelled her, though. That sweet fragrance of wildflowers and honey. But just like her, the scent had faded, leading nowhere, and hed lost her trail completely.
He would have stayed and continued searching, but when hed called his brother Nate for an update on Vic, Aden and life at the mansion, hed flipped. Hearing his personal charge was crying a lot and shut in her room, as well as worked into a blood craze and threatening to damage people had sent him into a tailspin of panic. Hed stolen a car and broken every speed law known to man to reach her.
He could have driven back here, that would have taken him only three hours, but he preferred to run in his animal form. To scent Mary Ann. To know who had interacted with her.
When he reached the street where hed last seen her walkingsmack in the middle of a busy shopping centerhe at last slowed. Horns honked, cars swerved to avoid him. He moved into the shadows, staying close to building walls. Would be a major pain in the ass to deal with Animal Control and their tranq guns.
Adrenaline surged through him, thick and potent, making his blood like fire in his veins. The sweat kept dripping from him, leaving a noticeable trail along the sidewalk. He probably smelled. Good. Everyone would stay the hell away from him.
He sniffedsniffedso many odors, blending together. He sorted through them, continuing to sniffcaught a hint of magic, and the hair on his spine lifted, even wet and weighted as it was. Magic equaled witches, and the witches hated Mary Ann with a murderous passion.
A coven could live here, unaware of the drainer now in their midst. Or a coven could be following her.
He sniffed, sniffedthere. The drum, drum of his heart increased in speed and ferocity. Mary Ann. The scent of her hadnt just lingered; it had grown stronger. She must have taken this path several timesand recently. Why? Had she run into the witches? If so, had she sucked the magic out of them or had they captured her? Or worse?
He studied the area. Clothing boutiques, a deli, cafés, a coffee shop. A short distance ahead was a hill, highlighted by a multitude of lamps, a yellowing lawn and a tall, sprawling building. It was older, comprised of brownstone, with steepled roofs and concrete steps. A library.
Bingo. Mary Anns mother ship.
Riley closed the distance and clomped up the steps. Closing time had already passed, which meant the building was empty for the night. He turned, sniffing. Oh, yes. The sweet scent of Mary Ann saturated the air. Shed been here many times. Researching, as her nature dictated.
What was she researching? Drainers? Even the thought caused his stomach to churn with a bucket of acid. Paper trails were a bitch, and yeah, witches tracked that kind of thing. Who didnt? Theyd be on herif they werent alreadybefore she could click her heels together and pray for home.
Sniff, sniff. He frowned. He also caught the scent of something, someone, familiar. Dark, a little citrusy. Familiar, yes, but not enough to immediately register a name.
Then, Riley lost the scent altogether. Cigarette smoke wafted through the air, masking everything else as it wound around him. He growled, low and throaty. He hated that crap, and as soon as he found the source he was going to
A dirty guy with a whiskey bottle sat behind one of the columns, the smoke snaking around him. Here doggie, doggie, he slurred.
Seriously? Riley threw another growl the guys way.
That earned him a drunken chortle. Mean little thing, aint ya? Little? Hardly. Dude, youre lucky I dont piss all over you. Riley flashed his sharp canines and turned. He could see the shopping area hed just left and a good expanse beyond that, rundown apartments, most likely crack houses, and what looked to be several crime scenes, police lights flashing red and blue. Beyond even that was downtown Tulsa. Lots of lights and towering buildings, both glass and chrome.
Mary Ann wouldnt have traveled so far from the library, even to lose herself in the crowd. One, she couldnt afford it, and two, information was her crack, and shed want to be close to the source, just in case a new idea struck her and she needed a snort. So. Cheap motel, here I come. Riley trotted from the building, always sniffing, until he found the correct trail. There! Anticipation flooded him, and he picked up speed.
First thing hed do when he found her was shake her. Second thing, kiss her. Third, shake her again. Fourth, kiss her again.
He was sensing a pattern.
Shed probably taken a hundred years off his life. And he wasnt grateful! Shifters didnt live forever, but they did have a long, long life, and he wanted every moment of his.
His parents had died before their time, with too many regrets. He didnt want that for himself. Course, theyd died in a fairy raid and not because of one little human girl who drove them crazy.
Fairies, man. They had such a God complex, always slaughtering other supernatural races in the name of protecting humans, when the truth was, they just wanted to be the most powerful beings on the block.
Kinda like Vlad, who had raised Riley. Whom Riley had always served. Until Aden had taken the crown. Then Rileys loyalty had switched, and even when hed discovered Vlad still lived, Riley hadnt betrayed Aden. The bond had already formed.
This new Aden, though There was something different about him, something Riley didnt like. What, he wasnt sure. Still, he wouldnt betray his new king. Once he had Mary Ann safely tucked away and guarded, he would help Aden rediscover his old personality. Some how.
The scent of magic increased, and Riley slowed. His gaze sharpened, darting past colors, slicing past shadows. Across the street, he spotted two telling glows. One a metallic gold, the other a brownish gold. Magic.
Hello, mentor and apprentice.
His ears twitched as he listened to all the conversations around himand even those miles away, and inside buildingsdiscarding idle chatter, focusing, focusing
have to strike now, while shes without protection.
He knew the voice. Marie. A witch. The leader of the coven that had come to Crossroads.
I know. But her wards are a problem. He knew that voice, as well. Jennifer. Also witch. The student. Well have to plan our strike precisely. We cant allow those wards to save her.