by Katie May
hand out towards where Bash and Devlin had been a moment earlier, only to
notice they had left.
“Well, I charge only a few coins,” she purred, winking.
Charge for what? Was she a sales lady?
“Umm...?” I shrugged helplessly, unwilling to say more than one word at
a time. I knew my stutter would become more pronounced with my anxiety.
“I’ll let you lick my cream,” she continued, and understanding dawned on
me.
Ahhh. She’s a door-to-door saleswoman. Probably selling some type of
sweet cream for coffee. I wondered if I should placate her and buy a bottle as
a gift for Z. Maybe that would get her to leave me alone.
“Only a few coins, you say?” I reached into my pocket and grabbed a
handful of golden coins. They were the official currency of all the Kingdoms,
though some had a separate currency as well.
“For you, handsome boy, I’ll give it to you for free.”
Oh, that was awfully nice. My smile turned genuine. Hopefully, Z liked
her gift.
“Do you have the product here?” I questioned, raising a brow. Her face
creased with confusion before it settled into a... hungry look. What the fudge
pop?
Before I could comment, she dropped to her knees before me.
“We can do it here if you want, big boy.” Her hands moved to touch my
legs, but I sidestepped her easily.
“Um...”
I really, really didn’t understand what was going on.
“Killian!” Bash wrapped his arm around my shoulders, yanking me back.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“This woman was selling me her homemade cream,” I supplied. “I was
going to buy a bottle for Z.”
The woman’s lips popped open, confusion filling her heavily accentuated
features, and Bash’s arm tightened around me.
“Can I talk to you for a moment, Kill?” he hissed, excusing us without
another word. Before I could reprimand him on his rude behavior, Bash spun
me towards him, lips pressed into a tight line. His left eye was practically
twitching. “My god, brother, either you’re the stupidest person known to
mankind or you’re a manipulative asshole.”
Umm...okay? No comment.
Bash scrubbed a hand down his face in annoyance. “She’s not selling you
a product, dumbass. She’s selling you a service.” At my confused expression,
he elaborated somewhat reluctantly. “She’s a prostitute. You know, sells her
—”
“I know what a prostitute is!” I snapped, terror engulfing me. Holy crap.
Did I just...? My horror-filled eyes met Bash’s amused ones. “Do you think Z
will forgive me?”
His smile fled. “Why would she be mad?”
“Because I conversed with a prostitute!” I hissed, working to moderate
my volume. I knew I shouldn’t have talked to the woman. I knew I should’ve
walked away...
“Fuck, man.” Bash pinched the bridge of his nose. “She’s not going to be
mad that you talked to that woman. She would’ve been mad, however, if you
fucked her.”
My horror increased tenfold. “Why would I ever fuck another woman?”
The mere concept was almost laughable. Z was my entire world. My sun,
my moon, and my stars. She was a radiant splash of light breaking apart the
cloudy skies of my life. For one, the prospect of touching another woman
made me want to vomit. For two, I had too much respect and love for Z to
ever betray or hurt her that way. I was almost angry at Bash for suggesting as
much.
“You wouldn’t fuck another woman,” Bash continued, irritated. “None of
us would. That’s what I’m trying to say.”
I glanced over my shoulder, towards the lady who was still on her knees,
and gave her a wave goodbye.
“I’ll have to refuse your cream,” I called to her, garnering the attention of
Lupe who was still at the counter. “Sorry.”
Bash growled, rolling his eyes, and the woman appeared appropriately
confused. Ignoring them both, I stalked to where Lupe was standing, the red
garment still tossed over his arms.
“What was that...?”
“Apparently, she’s a prostitute,” I filled in seriously. “So don’t go
accepting any cream from her, okay?”
The large man blinked at me once, shook his head, and then dropped his
gaze to the red fabric.
“What’s that?” I asked, dipping my chin. His lips twitched slightly as he
stroked it.
“It’s a present for Z. An apology.” His shirt strained against his broad
shoulders as he shrugged. “I know she isn’t like normal girls. I know that she
doesn’t care about materialistic things, but...” Once more, he shrugged
sheepishly, his cheeks tinting the color of the dress.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “She’ll forgive you, brother. She’ll forgive
us all.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because she loves us.” The answer was obvious. As an Incubi, I had the
capacity to sense heightened emotions including lust, infatuation, and love.
Each one had a unique scent, an addicting aroma, that I savored on my
tongue. Z, whenever she was near us, exhibited all three.
I just wasn’t positive she realized it yet.
Devlin appeared from the back room, tucking a brand new dagger into a
holster on his thigh.
“Shall we go?”
I just barely resisted the urge to nod eagerly. It had only been a few hours
since I’d last seen Z’s beautiful face, but it was a few hours too long. I
already missed her. Missed her dewy features and sparkling eyes alight with
laughter. Missed her laugh, her smile, and the two dimples that always made
an appearance on her face. Missed her golden hair that felt like silk to the
touch.
Before I left, I paid for the necklace I had picked out for Z. I couldn’t wait
to see it nestled between her breasts.
And...
I was hard. Damn my dick. Damn it to the deepest pits of hell. Or Z’s
vagina. I wouldn’t mind my dick being there.
My cheeks turned crimson at the direction of my thoughts.
“You behave,” I whispered to my cock. “You’ll see her soon. Don’t be
getting greedy.”
As we stepped out of the store, onto the bustling cobblestone street, I
glanced wide-eyed at the red-haired prostitute who was currently draped over
a Vampire’s lap. How had I not realized who she was before?
Bash snorted a laugh at my expression. “I can’t believe you almost
fucking bought an exchange of oral services from her. Z would’ve murdered
you.”
I shoved his shoulder irritatedly. I may have been the most innocent of
my brothers, but I wasn’t an idiot. I would’ve stopped the woman before she
ever laid a finger on me.
“It’s not funny, dickhead,” I murmured.
“It kind of is,” he chuckled, and I couldn’t help but laugh as well.
Because, hell, it was kind of funny.
Note to future self: cream isn’t always a liquid you put in coffee.
“Holy fuck!” Devlin cursed suddenly, breaking into a run. I followed the
direction of his gaze and felt my own heart lurch i
n my chest.
It was...smoke. Lots and lots of smoke.
As my feet carried me forward, easily keeping pace with the others due to
my athletic body, my blood turned to ice.
The inn we were staying at was on fire. Heavy flames ate at the wooden
walls and roof.
Another blast reverberated, shaking the ground, and the roof caved in on
itself as if an immense weight was resting on top.
Horror like no other filled me. Consumed me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t
think, couldn’t even see.
No. No. No.
“Z!” I screamed, lunging forward. Lupe caught the back of my shirt
before I could take more than a step. “Z!”
Before he could say anything, a figure streaked by us. A familiar figure
with blond hair and magic dancing at the tips of his fingers.
Bash.
He brought his sleeve to his nose as he ducked beneath a low-hanging
pillar, the fire crackling in vicious, unforgiving waves.
The moment he entered the inn, the rest of the roof collapsed in a cloud of
gray smoke and orange flames.
A part of me went numb as I fell to the ground, still holding Lupe. My
mate, my best friend, Ryland...
I wanted to run in after them. The need was almost a physical force, a
voice in my brain demanding I take action. For the first time in forever, I
berated myself for being weak and fearful. For jumping at my own shadow.
How could I protect Z when I couldn’t even protect myself? When I
couldn’t protect my brothers?
My thoughts consumed me like a tsunami as I waited for Bash to exit the
flaming building. As I waited for Z to walk out, covered in soot but with a
beautiful smile pulling up her lips. As I waited for Ryland to emerge from the
shadows like an avenging angel.
But none of them did.
NINETEEN
Z
S moke.
It engulfed me in a thick, gray sheen—swarming around in my
lungs until it felt like I was suffocating.
Licks of fire ate away at the wooden siding of the inn. It was a
surprisingly...beautiful sight. Orange bled into red, and yellow specks
completed the enticing image.
“Z!” A rough voice penetrated the murkiness residing in my brain. I
blinked rapidly, attempting to dislodge the smoke particles caught in my
eyelashes. “Z!” Someone shook my shoulder, and I trembled slightly, turning
away from the kaleidoscope of red, orange, and yellow.
Ryland’s anxious face, devoid of shadows, peered down at me. Smoke
curled around his dark features until only the whites of his eyes were visible.
When I stared at him blankly, unable to articulate a response, he grabbed
my arm and wrenched me to my feet. Half-dragging me and half-carrying me,
he led us beneath a flaming archway.
Finally— finally—I regained my senses, propelling myself forward.
Someone had attacked the inn. Either this person had bombed us or he
had hired a skilled Mage.
Fuck.
Was it Aaliyah? The Kings? A new threat entirely?
We seemed to have entered a hallway that wasn’t permeated by smoke.
The air wasn’t fresh, but it no longer choked me.
“Are you okay?” Ryland demanded, pulling me forward. I wasn’t
surprised that my Shadow mate had memorized the layout of the inn. No
doubt, he knew every nook and cranny.
“I’m fine. You?” My heart thumped erratically in my chest. The others...
They’re fine, I scolded myself instantly. They weren’t at the inn during
the explosion. They’re fine.
I repeated those two words until I began to believe them. I couldn’t
handle any other alternative.
Ignoring the nerves roiling in my stomach, I followed directly behind
Ryland as he pushed open a back door. Immediately, sunlight sliced through
the thick, cloudy air. The heat dulled significantly as we stepped outside,
away from the burning building.
“What the fuck happened?” I demanded, coughing harshly. My lungs
were protesting all of the smoke they had inhaled.
“I don’t—” Whatever Ryland was going to say was interrupted by
something heavy hitting him over the back of the head. I released a startled
yelp, my initial fear resurfacing, as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He
collapsed against the asphalt with an audible thump, blood pooling from a
wound on his head.
Immediately, I slid my favorite dagger out of its sheath and raised it,
narrowing my eyes at the figures surrounding us. Terror thumped through
me, a palpable entity that perfumed the air in a sickly sweet scent.
I counted at least a dozen men standing in a semicircle around me and my
fallen mate. They all wore variations of red—identifying them as Vampires—
and had masks covering their faces. They almost appeared to be...babydoll
masks, decidedly cherubic in appearance. Rosy cheeks, thick painted-on
lashes over pupil-less eyes, and perfectly plush red lips. The Vampires were
different genders, if their heights and builds were any indication.
The only person not wearing a mask was the man directly in the center.
His aristocratic features—sharp nose and jaw—gave him almost a haughty
look. His honey blond hair was swept away from his face. When he stared at
me, it made the wrong type of butterflies flutter around in my chest like they
were trying to escape. Trying to warn me to escape.
“Who the fuck are you?” I hissed.
Aaliyah really needed to stop fucking with me and my men.
“Don’t worry,” the handsome Vampire drawled, a slight lilt to his voice.
“We won’t kill the prince.”
“Do you know who I am?” I demanded, casting furtive glances at the men
—and women—surrounding me (“asshole” didn’t discriminate by gender).
I hoped to scare these people the same way I had terrified the man in the
inn’s lobby. If they didn’t work for Aaliyah, I might be able to convince them
to leave me the fuck alone.
But when Vampire Buttlicker’s smile only grew, I knew I was shit out of
luck.
“You’re Z, the Kingdom’s assassin. And the mate to all seven of the
princes.”
Horror and shock rammed into me like a one thousand pound truck. That
shock momentarily stole my capability of speech. All I could do was gape at
him as my arm lowered marginally.
“How do you...?” I managed to stutter out. To my knowledge, only a few
of the Kings—if not all—knew about my mating bond to the princes. The
Mermaid King had practically confirmed it.
But this random stranger? In the middle of the Vampire Kingdom?
There was no possible way he could’ve known about it.
Unless...
Before my thoughts could formulate into something coherent, I felt
something prick my neck. The world around me began to sway as my eyes
desperately latched on to Ryland’s still form.
No, stay awake, Z. Stay the fuck awake!
But I was fighting a losing battle. With great reluctance, I surrendered
myself to the storm and was promptly swept away by a pitch-black wave.
WE WERE NO LONGER in the grimy cell with stale air and menial
l
ight.
Instead, the room was bright and cheery with a plush white bed, three-
tiered chandelier, and dark carpeting that provided the room with a
masculine flair.
Lying on the bed, a satisfied smile on his face, was Jax. His pasty skin
was smeared with fresh blood—it dripped from his fangs and onto his bare
chest.
As I stepped farther into the room, his head snapped up, baring his teeth.
There was something almost animalistic in his gaze. Something primal and
hungry, as if I was a deer and he was the lion.
But, beneath the savage exterior, there was also something I would
almost describe as...clarity. Coherence.
As if he was no longer driven by the madness that had once consumed
him.
I knew that when Vampires went too long without blood they became
crazed. And for as long as I’d known the eccentric Vampire, he had refused
to drink any. But what changed? Why now?
Horror filled his eyes as he dropped the bag of blood I’d hadn’t realized
he’d been holding. At some point, he must’ve shaved his beard. His jawline
was now smooth-shaven, emphasizing his chiseled features.
“Z,” he murmured, lurching to his feet. Instinctively, I backed away. It
was what I always did when I came face to face with a predator. And that
was what he was now that he’d given in to his thirst: a dangerous predator.
“Z.” His voice was a low murmur, and his face was drawn and haggard.
Despite the clarity emitting from his eyes, he had never seemed more upset.
“I will never hurt you.”
“What the fuck?” I finally managed to stutter out, volleying my gaze
around the elegantly furnished room. “What happened?”
This room was one thousand times better than the piss-smelling cell, but
my heart still lurched unevenly in my chest. Why was Jax here? What had
happened? Question after question ran unattended—rampant—in my head.
Fear coiled in my stomach like a slithering snake.
“I’m so thirsty,” Jax whispered brokenly. As if he couldn’t help himself,
he grabbed the blood bag once more and began to drink in earnest. It
cascaded in red rivulets down his neck and chest, hitting the waistband of his
pants. “I’m sorry, Z, but I can’t stop.”
I took a hesitant step closer, staring at the man as if he was a cornered,
feral animal.
“It’s okay, Jax.” I kept my voice low and soothing, attempting to reach a
