by Cynthia Eden
No, no. Calliope couldn’t be dead.
“Better than heroine,” he repeated. She couldn’t break free of his hold. He was too strong. “At least, you’d better be.” His fangs shot toward her throat even as her knee shoved into his groin.
He grunted and—
The window crashed in. Shards of glass flew across the room. One sliced over her arm, making blood spill onto her skin. Enzo let out a ragged groan, and he yanked her arm upward. His mouth closed over the wound, and he sucked—
“Get your fucking mouth off my mate.”
But Griffin didn’t wait to see if Enzo followed his order. He ripped the vamp away from her, and Enzo’s fangs scraped over Valerie’s skin. She gave a little cry, mostly in anger, and Griffin immediately pulled her into his arms.
“He hurt you.” Rage was there, glittering in Griffin’s eyes. “He’s dead.”
Griffin whirled away from her before she could tell him that technically, Enzo was undead.
The vamp stood near the bed, fangs bared, face twisted in fury. “I was having a meal!” Enzo yelled. “You don’t interrupt a—a—” His knees gave way. Enzo fell and slammed face first into the floor before Griffin could so much as touch him.
Valerie glanced toward the closed door. No vamps had come swarming in. Maybe they were too distracted by the blood party to notice all of the noise. Or maybe Enzo had given orders that he wasn’t to be disturbed during his “meal” time, no matter what sounds might come from the bedroom. Valerie was sure plenty of screams had echoed off those walls before.
“What’s wrong with him?” Griffin kicked the vampire onto his back. “Why does he look like that?”
Enzo’s face had frozen into lines of agony. Blisters lined his mouth. His hands were raised and stuck in curled claws.
“He took a hit of heroine. Or something like that.” Valerie took her time advancing toward the vampire. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere. She frowned up at Griffin. “I had the scene covered, by the way. Didn’t need you rushing in.” Glass crunched beneath her high heels. “So you’re just…what…flying all the time now? Not even worrying that any pesky humans might glance up and see you?” At least he’d only partially shifted—just sprouted dragon wings. She reached for his shoulders. Big, powerful, broad shoulders. She spun him around and saw that his wings had cut right through the back of his clothes. The wings were gone now, though. “It’s a good thing I can work magic for you. I swear, you destroy too much clothing.” She wiggled her fingers. And because she was the one dressing him…she went for something different. Something very new for her edgy beast. Not a t-shirt and jeans. Not this time.
A black tux. Rich elegance. Sex appeal in a bottle.
“Much better. You’ll fit in with the party group now.”
He glanced down at his body. “I don’t give a fuck about fitting in.”
Obviously. And he didn’t fit, not exactly. He stood out. Lickably gorgeous.
His head cocked. “You’re not…angry at me any longer.”
“Of course, I’m still furious. Totally enraged.” But…hadn’t she been just the tiniest bit glad to see him when he burst through the window and told the vamp to get his fangs off her? That had been hot. She wouldn’t lie to herself. “And this changes nothing between us.”
He stared at her. His emerald eyes were positively killer.
The vamp twitched.
“I should kill him,” Griffin said. “He put his mouth on you.”
The vamp’s eyes rolled toward him. Then her.
“We will kill him, but I need information first.” She knelt next to the vampire. “Someone can’t handle his heroine.”
Another twitch.
“Drugs are bad for you.” Valerie smiled. “My blood is a very, very bad drug for vampires. First, it freezes you. Shuts you down so that you can’t move at all. Then it burns. Has the burning started yet?” Valerie peered at him closely. “I don’t think it has.”
A keening cry came from him.
“Is that a yes? Or a no?”
Griffin’s fingers slid over her shoulder. “You’re still bleeding.”
Her arm was bleeding. Not too badly. It would stop, eventually. “A long time ago, a group of vampires tried to drain a friend of mine. First, they made him weak. Took out his protection. Then they sliced open his throat. When his blood flowed, they fed and fed on him. They wanted his power. They pissed me off.” She gave a quick smile to Enzo. “So I killed them all. And then I thought…if vampires like the taste of power, of magic blood, they are going to want me. Because, as we all know, I’m awesome.”
A gurgle was his response.
“So I made sure that any vamp who took my blood—that vamp wouldn’t ever forget me.” Her fingers tapped against his forehead. “You won’t forget, will you?”
Sweat covered his body.
“Is Calliope dead?” The question came from her, quiet and calm. She’d locked down her emotions.
Enzo keened.
“I don’t think he can talk,” Griffin muttered.
Right. Her bad. “Enzo, blink once if she’s still alive. Twice if she’s dead.”
And…one blink.
So he’d lied to her before. Or he’s lying now. “You tricked her, didn’t you? Promised her protection, but you just wanted her blood.”
One blink. She took that as a yes. “You’ve got her hidden, don’t you? Where?”
No blinks.
Valerie sighed. “I can stop the pain. I can make it all go away. And you can go about your business biting humans and scaring the world. But I need to know where Calliope is. Right now.”
He hadn’t taken enough of her blood to kill him. Unfortunately. And as she watched, some of the tension left his body. His hands uncurled. His mouth parted. Enzo turned his head toward her. “You bitch.”
Griffin pounded a powerful fist into the vamp’s face. “Don’t talk to my mate that way.”
Warmth spread through Valerie. Ridiculous, of course. She was furious with Griffin. He’d betrayed her. But it was nice to have someone at her side. To have someone defending her.
He also looked super sexy.
Focus. The mating had to be messing with her head. She was not the forgiving type. Valerie cleared her throat. “Tell me where Calliope is, or the shifter will rip you apart.”
Enzo looked at her, then Griffin. Then her. “Your blood is poison.”
“Don’t ever forget that. Spread the word to all of your vamp friends.”
“Calliope tasted better.” Enzo smirked at her. “Just a little blood left in her. Almost finished her off—”
Griffin punched him again. The vamp’s nose broke. His blood trickled down his face.
“Calliope,” Valerie spat. “Now. I won’t ask again.”
Enzo’s tongue licked away the blood that had dripped onto his upper lip. “She wanted to hide from the witches. If I tell you where she is, then Calliope isn’t exactly hiding, is she?”
The sonofabitch. Valerie could only shake her head. “You’ve been lying to me.”
Griffin’s claws were out. He went for the vamp’s throat.
“Don’t!” Valerie grabbed his arm, stopping him. “He hasn’t hurt Calliope.” The guy had kept her location secret, even when he knew death would be coming. “I think the dumbass might have even fallen for her.”
“I have not!” Enzo instantly denied.
“Whatever.” She let go of Griffin’s arm. “This is how it will work. Tell Calliope I’m back. She’s in serious danger, and she needs my help. Get her to meet me at Stefan’s club, Daybreak, at sun—”
“She will not meet you at sunrise,” Enzo cut in. “And she won’t be meeting you alone. I’ll be at her side.” His eyes turned to slits. “Sunset.”
“Fine.” She’d accomplished her mission. “But you keep her alive until then, got me? If something happens to her…”
Enzo glared at Griffin. “You’ll sic your dog on me?”
“He’s not a dog.” Sparks danced above V
alerie’s fingers. “He’s a freaking dragon. And you won’t have time to scream before he burns you to ash.”
Enzo’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“See you at sunset, vamp.” She reached for Griffin’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Griffin stiffened. “You’re…not trying to leave me?”
She wasn’t having this conversation with a vamp watching her. “I’m still bleeding, and my blood is going to smell like heaven to every vamp out there. So keep me close, would you?”
He pulled her closer.
She could have used some magic to bounce herself out of there except…
Except the bite from the vamp had drained her. She was totally bluffing right then. She was weak and her stomach was twisting, and she seriously needed her shifter to protect her ass.
Her blood was a paralytic drug to vamps, but when she got bit—her magic was drained. That was the way magic worked. You never got something for free. She had to pay a price for what she could do to the vamps.
She’d be okay again, just not in the next few moments.
Griffin opened the bedroom door. Sure enough, as soon as they started strolling through the penthouse, all of the vamps jerked to hard attention. Some took frantic steps toward her.
“Don’t even think about it.” Griffin flashed fang at them. Wonderful, sharp, shifter fang.
The vamps backed down. Watched her with hungry eyes. Licked their lips.
She pressed even closer to Griffin. Walking in her heels was an effort. Staying upright was an effort. Enzo had only taken a few drops of her blood, but she felt the pull of weakness so strongly.
This one particular spell cost her too much.
Griffin had his arm around her shoulders. His body was hot and strong against her. She wanted to press closer to him, but doing so might reveal her weakness. She couldn’t let him know her secrets. No one could know them.
One vamp tried to touch her. Griffin caught his hand before the guy could make contact. Snapped the fellow’s wrist and threw the foolish vamp through the air. A piano broke his fall. The vamp didn’t get up.
And Griffin still had one arm around her.
Once they were in the hallway, she pulled in a deep breath. The vamps might follow her, though, so they needed to get out of the building. “I’m hoping you have a car waiting.” If not, then she would be flying dragon skies.
“Elliott is downstairs.”
Great. The whole crew. She would’ve made a flippant remark but…
It’s been one hell of a night.
“What’s wrong?” Griffin asked, voice gruff.
They were in the elevator. Heading straight down. Her lashes had fallen, but she forced them open. His bright stare was on her. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.” She swallowed. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Valerie…” He caged her against the elevator wall. “What the hell is going on? The last time I saw you, you were ready to rip my eyes out. And that was very recently.”
She could give him this truth. “I’m tired.” A sigh slipped from her as her hands rose and pressed to his chest. His very big, very powerful chest. “And I could use some strength.” Having a dragon at her back in the coming battle would only be a good thing. If she could trust him.
If.
“You’ll need to grovel.” She let her eyes close. “Prepare for that. I deserve a million apologies. I will get them.”
Silence. Then he moved away from her. Her hands fell back to her sides. She could totally just fall into a puddle right there. Not an option, of course. But…
“Valerie.” Griffin said her name differently this time. Harder. Rougher.
She forced her eyes to open. She looked straight ahead, then down.
Because he was on his knees before her. The king of shifters? Kneeling for her? Oh, shit, she must have passed out. She was having a dream. Wonderful. In reality, she was probably sprawled in front of him in an unconscious heap on the floor.
Gazing up at her, he said, “I swear allegiance to you.”
His voice seemed to drift straight through her. Her right hand rose. Lingered in the air above his shoulder.
“I will not turn on you. I will not betray you.”
She couldn’t look away from his eyes. If this was a dream, it was the best one she’d had in ages.
“I will stand between you and danger. I will never use poison on you. I will never hurt you.”
Her heart was beating too fast. Her fingers latched onto his shoulder. Pinched.
His lips curled even as the elevator dinged. “What’s the pinch for?”
“To see if I’m dreaming.”
“Shouldn’t you have pinched yourself?”
Why? She wasn’t into self-pain. “You’re on your knees.”
The doors slid open.
He stayed there. “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand…who you were.”
Her tongue swiped over her lower lip. “You still don’t.”
Now he rose, towering over her. “Don’t be so sure of that.”
But she was sure. How could he know her? She didn’t even know herself. He twined his fingers with hers and led her out of the elevator. They strolled through the gleaming lobby and headed right past the vamp guards who watched them far too closely.
Then they were outside, walking into the moonlit night. An SUV waited near the curb. Curious, she asked, “Where’d you get a ride so fast?”
“Sweetheart, there’s something I should tell you.”
Her head turned toward him.
“I’m fucking rich as hell. I own an island close by. One that’s even bigger than the Lord of the Dark’s.”
She schooled her expression. “Size doesn’t matter.”
He crowded closer. His mouth was just inches from hers. “Liar,” he whispered to her.
She laughed. She shouldn’t laugh. Things were screwed to hell and back. Vamps were watching her. Her allies were dead—or missing. She was being hunted.
But she still laughed.
And maybe that was okay. After all, everyone said she was crazy, anyway. Maybe they were all right.
Griffin’s hand lifted, and his fingers curled under her chin. “I love your laugh.”
Okay, maybe he was crazy. She knew what her laugh sounded like. No one loved it.
No one loves me.
She shook her head, slamming the door shut on that particular thought. Absolutely not. She was amazing. She didn’t need others to love her. She loved herself. “Take me to your island. Let me judge for myself if it’s big enough.” She yanked open the SUV’s back passenger door and slid inside. Valerie wasn’t at all surprised to find Elliott in the driver’s seat.
He’d turned his head to watch her. When her dress slid up and the slit in the side gave him a glorious view of her legs, Elliott let out a low whistle. “You cleaned up nice.”
“I always do.”
Griffin jumped in beside her. Her shifter king made the big back seat suddenly seem small as he crowded close to her. “Get us out of here,” he barked.
Griffin hadn’t complimented her. Hadn’t said her legs looked killer. Hadn’t told her that the dress made her look like sweet sin. All compliments plenty of other men had given her in the past. He hadn’t even said she looked beautiful.
But…
“I swear allegiance to you.” He had said that. And…“I will not turn on you. I will not betray you.” And even her eternal favorite… “I will stand between you and danger.”
“Don’t fucking ever look at her legs again,” Griffin ordered, voice sharp. “Keep your eyes on the road, asshole.” He turned toward her and immediately yanked her dress down to cover Valerie’s legs.
Her hand caught his. “How do I look to you?”
“Like you need more clothes.”
Griffin was truly the most prudish shifter she’d ever met.
But his gaze narrowed. She could see him perfectly in the dark. Thanks to her spells. Why have magic if you weren
’t going to use it to its full potential? A question she’d always asked the others. The ones without imagination.
“What do you want to hear?” He pressed even closer. “That you’re beautiful? The most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen? That I want to rip the dress off and fuck you right here?” Anger hummed in his voice. “I’m sure you’ve heard those words from plenty of men.”
“Yes.” Plenty.
He gave an animalistic rumble.
Why did she like that sound? What was up with her and her new attraction to rough beasts?
“You are beautiful.” His hand slid to her cheek. “You are gorgeous. I want to fuck you every minute.”
Okay, now she was getting turned on. Liar. She’d been turned on from the minute he’d burst through the window. Other than her henchmen, she didn’t often get heroes rushing in to save her day. And certainly not heroes like the shifter king. “Fuck me…and not kill me?”
“You aren’t going to let that go, are you?”
Probably not. But maybe.
“You’re getting color back in your cheeks.” And his fingers lightly caressed her skin. “You gonna tell me what the hell happened back there?”
“I’m supposed to tell you all of my secrets?” Had he missed the part where she’d repeatedly run from him?
“That’s kind of the deal with mates.”
Ah, that word. “Are you going to keep questioning me or are you going to kiss me?”
Silence. She didn’t think her question had been that hard.
Then his answer came. Deep. Gravel-rough. “If I kiss you, I won’t stop. I’ll fuck you in this SUV.”
Goosebumps rose on her skin. The good kind.
“And I don’t particularly want to give Elliott a show, so I’m keeping my mouth off you.” A pause. “For now.” He leaned closer to her, and his breath teased her ear as he promised, “But when I get you to my island, you’re mine.”
Her heart was beating a little too fast. “I thought I already was yours.” Wasn’t that why he’d run after her? The mating bond? Because he didn’t have a choice.
For some reason, the thought made her sad. She wasn’t the sad sort.
“You’ll always be mine. Don’t forget that.”
He eased back.
She felt colder.
“Where’s Rio?” Griffin demanded. “We need to pick him up and take him to the island with us.”
