by Jourdan Lane
"Have you spoken to Adam much since you've been back?"
"A little bit," Lucien said. "He seems to be fitting in well. Simon has taken him under his wing –so to speak – and is showing him the ways of running the house."
"You think he'll be happy to be a servant?"
"He was a servant before I turned him," Lucien said with a chuckle. "I think he'll be fine."
I nodded absently, taking a sip of my water, trying to turn my attention back to the fight. After a while, I'd had enough. My ass was numb and I had to piss.
"The building open in the safety zone?"
"It should be." Lucien patted his shirt and pants where his pockets should have been had he been wearing normal clothes. "I guess I left my keys in the truck. If it's not open, there's a key on a nail under the first step."
I handed him my nearly empty glass of water. There wasn't much left in it, but I had a habit of not wanting my drink left unattended. Too many years of bartending, maybe. But experience had shown that sometimes people would go to any length to fuck you up if they wanted to.
"If you walk away, give it to Nikolas."
Lucien nodded. Having heard my excuses about the safety of my drinks a hundred times before, he'd stopped arguing or even teasing about it. After everything that had happened in the recent weeks, I was even more paranoid. I made my way off the dais and through a small crowd of people. One glance at the building made me groan. We were farther away from it than I'd initially thought.
* * *
I opted for a clump of trees off to the left and headed for them instead of the building. I just didn't have it in me to bother walking that far just to piss. My wolf – who had apparently been following me – darted off into the woods. I paused for a moment to watch him and smiled when he met up with the rest of the pack and they took off as a group. Once behind a good bunch of brush, I unzipped.
A few seconds later, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I couldn't really just stop what I was doing, so I waited where I stood. With Lucien and the coven within yelling distance, I still felt pretty damned safe. However, when one man followed another into the woods, most of the time it never worked out well for one of them.
Only when I finished and had myself tucked in did I turn around. Daniel was leaning against a tree, staring off toward the pit area. I took a step toward him, but hesitated.
"What are you doing out here, Daniel?"
"I thought it might be a good time for us to talk."
"While I was taking a piss?"
Daniel shrugged. "Pissing doesn't interfere with your ability to speak, does it?"
"What do you want?"
"Have you given any thought to what we discussed last night?"
"Actually, I have. But I haven't discussed it at length with Lucien yet."
"It is none of Lucien's concern."
"Now, see. That's where you're wrong. What concerns me, concerns Lucien. It goes both ways. If you don't like that? Then maybe I'm the wrong guy for you anyway."
I started past him, but he grabbed my arm at the elbow.
"I do not want to get off on the wrong foot with you, Peter. I only meant that this is a decision that you have to make on your own."
"Whatever." I turned to face him. "How much do you really want me to take this seat?"
"I would not be here if it was a passing interest."
"I have looked over the file that you gave me. I have to say, there are a hell of a lot of benefits involved." Daniel started to speak, but I held a hand up. "However. The time commitment concerns me."
"It can be negotiated, Peter. That is not set in stone."
"Sure sounded like it in the file."
"It is…for most."
"But you want me badly enough to forego the time." Daniel looked uncomfortable. "I have some other concerns, Daniel."
He eyed me cautiously. "Like what?"
"If Cyril is the kind of person the Council wants at its table, then I'm not so sure I want to be a part of that."
"Cyril is gone, Peter."
"So you say. But you know what? You people didn't seem to know what the hell he was doing while he was on the Council, so why should I assume that you know what's going on with him now? How do I know he won't escape from wherever he's being held?"
"He can't."
"But I don't know that. After everything Cyril did to Lucien and me and Xander and the rest of the coven… Surely, the Council can humor me by showing me that he's gone. Permanently. Let me speak to the person in charge of Cyril's punishment."
"That is not possible!"
"Not possible or not something you want to bother with?"
Daniel looked at me incredulously, but didn't respond.
"Well, then," I turned on my heel and started walking, "I'm sorry, Daniel. My answer is no."
If Sabaan was right and I managed to call Daniel's bluff in all this, then he'd stop me before I got too far. The farther I got from Daniel, however, the more I felt as if I'd failed. Miserably. If he let me go now, he wouldn't be back. I'd made it a good fifty feet away from him when I heard an audible curse.
"Peter? Wait!"
I stopped, but didn't turn around. "I think I've said all I needed to say, Daniel."
"I can't promise you anything, but I'll see what I can do," Daniel said as he walked up beside me. "The angels are… complicated. Dealing with them is like running in circles."
"Funny," I said with a smirk. "I used to feel the same way about vampires."
"Used to?"
I shrugged. "Well, some are still more complicated than others."
He smiled, but it quickly vanished. "Like I said, Peter. I'll do what I can."
"If you get me a meeting with this angel, I'll take the position and the fifty years. Otherwise, I stay here and the Council continues its search for someone to fill that vacant seat. Do we have a deal?"
Daniel did not look happy, but he nodded. "We have a deal."
"A binding deal, Daniel," I said as I held out my right hand, palm turned upward.
His lips pursed together tightly as he grabbed my hand and drew a line down the middle of my palm with a razor sharp claw. The blood pooled immediately, but I held my hand steady so as not to let too much of my own blood fall to the ground. He sliced across his own right palm before sliding his hand over mine. We shook, and as we did, our combined blood fell into a small puddle in the dirt.
A deal sealed by blood couldn't be broken.
Not according to vampire law, anyway. If Daniel didn't follow through, I could take the case to the Council. He could be punished severely and forced to submit to the terms of the deal.
Daniel jerked me close, mouth next to my ear. "Do not try to play me again because I guarantee that you will lose."
"Is that so, Daniel? It seems I play you rather well."
He let go of me and wiped his palm on his pants. "Do tell Lucien that I was, regrettably, unable to stay any longer."
Daniel disappeared before I bothered to respond. I wasn't sure if teleporting was one of his abilities or if he was just that fast. I was pretty sure I didn't care, either way. I licked my palm clean and looked down at the ground. I couldn't see exactly where the blood had dropped and soaked into the ground, but I knew someone else that would be able to smell it.
I turned and headed back to the dais. When I got there, I glanced down into the pit. There were four people left. Silver and Gage were two of them. Gage looked like hell and Silver looked a little bloody. I doubted that much of the blood on Silver… was Silver's.
Lucien frowned up at me. "Did you get lost?"
"I ran into someone. Fight looks like it's going well."
"It is," Lucien replied softly. "Everything okay?"
"Couldn't be better."
When Lucien turned his attention back to the fight, I sat down and leaned forward to wrap my arms around Sabaan's shoulders. I flicked my tongue over his ear, just to tease, before whispering to him. "Do me a favor?"
S
abaan nodded.
"Out near the trees behind the dais, there is a small bit of blood that is soaked into the ground. Do you think you'd be able to find it for me?"
He turned his head so that our lips almost touched. "You made a deal?"
"I did, Sabaan." I dragged my tongue along his bottom lip. "Want a taste?"
He whimpered and turned even more, tongue pushing between my lips to taste my own. I pulled him up as I sat back and he straddled my lap as he kissed me. After a few moments, he pulled away, still licking his lips.
"I'd taste more, but I think it might get me in trouble." He glanced at Lucien, who was staring at us as if we'd just fucked right out in the open. "I'll be back."
At that, he slid off my lap and grabbed one of Lucien's empty tumblers as he walked away. Lucien leaned over and caught my jaw in one of his hands. His grip was so tight it was almost painful.
"What have you done, Peter?"
I twisted just enough to loosen his grip and tongued one of his fingers before sucking it into my mouth. His jaw clenched tight and he pushed another finger in alongside the first. I took it and leaned in even closer, making the action as perverted as I possibly could.
"If you think I won't fuck you right up here on this dais in front of everyone, you're severely mistaken."
"Do it, lover. Take me, fuck me. Right here. Right now. Let them all wish for a taste."
He jerked his fingers away and pulled me close, kissing me. The kiss was hard and almost painful, but I liked it way too much to bother complaining. Just when I thought he'd pull me up and rip my pants open for access, he shoved me back, licking at his lips.
There was a drop of blood that I had to restrain myself from leaning forward and licking away. He caught it with the tip of his tongue and eliminated the temptation. I sighed and sat back in my own chair, adjusting myself.
"That fix whatever this was?"
Lucien chuckled.
"That is something I never hope to fix, lover."
"That is not what I'm talking about and you know it."
"Ah, that." Lucien gestured absently. "It scares me when you go out making deals with vampires on your own."
"Do I hear a 'but'?"
I'd better have heard a 'but'.
"But you seem to be a natural at it, so I'll shut up and try not to worry so much."
Chapter Thirteen
Before I could manage a witty comeback, a collective gasp from the crowd drew our attention. Lucien sat forward in his seat. I followed his gaze and my heart nearly stopped.
Silver was on the ground, Gage straddling him and punching the living fuck out of him. And Silver was just lying there letting him do it. This was bad. This was very, very bad.
"Shit."
"He's fine, he's fine, he's fine," Nikolas hissed in my ear. "Settle down."
"Nikolas…" I had no words.
"He's not a perv like the rest of you. Us. Whatever." He pointed down into the pit. "Keep watching, princess. Maybe you'll learn something."
I glared at him.
"Gage is expending a lot of energy," he whispered. "Where do you think that energy is going?"
I snorted. "Right into… Oh!"
Nikolas nodded. "Look at Silver. Watch him just soak it all up."
"You do remember that Silver is as straight as a two by four, right?"
"Terrible, isn't it?" He glanced at me briefly before turning his gaze back to the fight. "His bite is nothing but pain. I could be convinced to feed him on a more regular basis."
"I believe you'll have to take that up with Silver. Not sure how he'd feel about you getting off while he was that close to you."
"There is that…"
Nikolas shut up, finally, and I leaned over the arm of Lucien's chair. I hooked my arm through Lucien's and rested my head on his shoulder. He pointed down into the pit. "Nikolas is right. Silver is feeding."
"Isn't he losing energy by getting the shit beat out of him?"
"Not much."
I watched, wishing like hell Silver would just kick the shit out of Gage and end the damned fight. Sabaan walked back onto the dais and sat down between my chair and Lucien's. He handed me the tumbler of dirt, grinning.
"Here you go."
I took it and held it close. "Thank you, Sabaan."
He tipped his head back. "Anything I can do to help."
I looked down at him just about the time Silver struck Gage in the chest and Gage went flying out of the pit. He landed on his back on the opposite side of the pit… and didn't move. I watched as Doc rushed over to check on him, smiling when Doc looked across to Lucien and gave a thumbs up.
"Look at that," I whispered. "Our new team leader."
"Just as it should be."
I let him go. "Go declare it, lover."
Lucien shook his head. "Not just yet."
Movement caught my attention before I could ask why. Silver stood at the edge of the pit just in front of us, head bowed. He went to his knees almost immediately.
"In order to lead, one must know how to follow." Lucien straightened. "By your service to me and your actions tonight, I judge you worthy of both."
"Thank you, my lord."
Lucien stood and walked the couple of steps to close the distance between him and Silver. He placed a hand on Silver's shoulder.
"You answer to me and you answer to Peter. No one else. Will this be a problem?"
"No, sir. It won't."
"Then it is my wish that you lead the team. Do you accept?"
"I do, my lord. Thank you."
"Hold onto this for a second." I handed Sabaan the tumbler of dirt and got up, going to join Lucien. I touched my hand to Silver's head. "You fought well, Silver."
"Thank you, sir."
I looked up at Lucien, grinning. "Declare him already."
"Up, Silver." Lucien waited for Silver to stand, then turned him to face the crowd. "I hereby declare Silver as leader of the teams, chief of security, and protector of the coven!"
A round of cheers went up and just off the side of the dais, I saw Lilly. I gestured for her to come on up and when she did, Silver grabbed her and kissed her. The cheers became whoops and hollers and I grabbed Lucien and pulled him back.
"Oh! One last thing." Lucien stepped forward again. "Two, rather! The club will reopen tomorrow night. Peter and I will not be there, as we have a previous commitment, but I have made arrangements for someone to watch over you all. Logan!"
Logan walked up, smiling, just as easygoing as anyone I'd ever seen. He nodded his head toward the crowd and when someone whistled, he bowed.
Lucien threw his arm around Logan's shoulders, laughing. "I will get a full report, so I suggest you all be on your best behavior. Also, if anyone is interested… We have food up at the house. For Lycan and vampire, alike."
That, more than anything, got the crowd going. Logan said something in Lucien's ear and broke away. Lucien turned to me then, putting his arm around me and pulling me close. "I do believe tonight was a success."
"I think you're right."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Xander staring at us. The look in his eyes was far from happy, as were the expressions on a couple werewolves sitting with him. Then I realized that Xander wasn't looking at me, but at Lucien.
"Baby? Take a look at Xander. He seems… unhappy."
"As he should be. I have taken away his power to command the team."
* * *
There wasn't much of a celebration for the people Silver hand picked to join him on the team. He divided the men according to experience and appointed a leader for each sub-team. When he had the teams divided up as he wanted them, he'd pointed toward the pit and ordered it filled in.
As Lucien and I were walking to the truck, we ran into Jack and Mike. Lucien and Mike automatically started off a conversation about some sort of trip Mike was supposed to take. Jack stood there looking everywhere but at me. Somewhere along the line we'd lost touch—we'd drifted apart.
It w
as hard to believe that we had once been so close. Hell, the last time I'd seen him had been at the club a couple of days before the accident. He'd let me know that he was more than a little jealous at my relationships with other people and I'd sent him home for acting like an ass.
