by Morgan Fox
Ryder flipped his leg over the bike and sat down. The bike sagged under his weight. “Bianca’s my mate, Tiffany.”
“I know, honey.”
“She has another lover.”
Tiffany gasped. “That bitch. I’ll kill her. Where is she? I’ll put a curse on her girlie bits so it’ll burn the pecker right off that bastard.”
“Your mouth has gotten sharp since I’ve been gone.” Ryder chuckled. Tiffany was special to him, and apparently he was to her as well. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course I would,” she said, sounding surprised he even had to ask. “I love you. You’re like the father I accidently kissed and didn’t know I was related to.”
Ryder groaned, bile rising up in his throat. “You’re never to bring that up again,” he told her. “That never happened, and we never mention it to anyone. Got it?”
Tiffany giggled. “Touchy,” she whispered.
“Thanks for the heads up, babe, but I think it’s time I called Sebastian directly.”
“Good idea. Things have gotten a little out of control around here,” Tiffany said, her words provoking curiosity.
“What do you mean?”
Tiffany sighed, a flutter of emotion seeping through the phone and into him. “Brie’s sick. Lilly did something to her. She’s been draining Brie’s powers somehow using Kayla. We’ve bought her a little time.” Tiffany sighed heavily. “Oh, Ryder, I just don’t know how much longer my sister has.” Tiffany’s voice shook. “We need to find Lilly. Killing her is the only way to save Brie.”
Ryder’s heart ached for Tiffany, Brie, and Sebastian. He couldn’t imagine the pain of losing someone he loved, especially his mate. “I’ll check in soon. I’ll do everything I can to help save your sister, Tiffany.”
“I know you will, Ryder. Be careful.”
He ended the call and quickly searched his phone for Sebastian’s number. The line rang. “You have no idea how pissed I am right now, Ryder O’Laughlin. Why haven’t you checked in? What the hell is going on?”
Ryder sucked in a deep breath, his heart thumping hard in his chest. He respected Sebastian and understood the situation better than most. “I’m sorry. I had a…something happened.”
“Explain,” Sebastian bit out, with a force that told him Brie was in real bad shape. He could almost feel Sebastian clawing at his throat to drag the words from him.
“I found out Bianca is not working for Lilly. She’s actually been trying to help us destroy the vampire queen.”
“By kidnapping my child?” Sebastian barked, disbelieving. “Or by allowing Lilly to do something to Kayla with the knowledge that it would ultimately kill my wife and mate?”
Ryder closed his eyes, hating that he was caught in the middle of a world spinning out of control. The vortex of hell was sucking him in faster than he could climb out. “No. She planned to give me Kayla. She never said anything about the child being hurt or anything being done to Brie.”
Sebastian laughed, but it wasn’t filled with joy or humor. It was filled with pain and disappointment. “Ryder, you are a fool to think she’s anything but a traitor. She has been in it with Lilly from the start.”
“No, I know her.” Not really. “She’s trying to get back in with my pack. She doesn’t want anything but to right the wrongs that were done to her.”
“You’re blinded by the mating bond,” Sebastian argued.
The air was sucked from Ryder’s lungs as his words soaked into his mind. Sebastian knew he mated with Bianca. “How do you know that Bianca is my mate?”
“I know a lot of things,” Sebastian said with a growl lodged deep in his voice.
“Who. Told. You?” Ryder said more adamantly. “If you’re coming to kill my mate I deserve to know who told you.”
Sebastian paused, and the silence between them was deafening. Finally, he confessed, “Bryce Sullivan.”
Ryder’s fist clenched. Something in the pit of his stomach had told him it would be his friend. Well, someone he thought had been his friend.
“I’m not surprised,” Ryder muttered, hating that he didn’t know who to trust anymore. Everyone around him was trying to deceive him. “Did Bryce also tell you that he was spying on me to my own council, giving them Intel about our findings? Did he mention that his twin brother happens to be my mate’s lover? A twin brother he might possibly resent just a little?”
“That’s not my concern,” Sebastian said dryly.
“No, but it will be if Dominic shows up to kill Bianca,” Ryder said plainly. “I know he and Ryken are on their way here. I’m assuming you think Bianca can help locate Lilly.”
Sebastian growled. “Tiffany called you. Didn’t she?”
“How could she not. I’m her guardian. We are linked. I know you won’t hurt her since she is your mate’s sister.”
“I would never hurt Tiffany, but I will speak to her in regards to keeping family secrets.”
“I’m her family, Sebastian, and we have no secrets,” Ryder said coldly. “I’m also one step ahead of you, which I’m sure might make you happy. Bianca is willing to go back to Lilly to give us what we need.”
“Of course she is. Bianca wants to go back to her master.”
“No,” Ryder snapped, wanting to reach through the phone and smack the alpha for being so one sided. “You really need to let go of that anger, Sebastian, and think with a clear head. Bianca is going to be bait. We are going to follow her to the lair and attack. Once Dominic and Ryken get here, the five of us will head out.” He held his breath, waiting for Sebastian’s reply.
“Before you do anything, you call me and tell me where you are and where you are headed. If you need backup, I want to make sure you get it before you get in over your head.”
“Done. Now call Dominic and Ryken and tell them to back off Bianca or this entire deal is off. I won’t have them hurting my mate. Once this is over and she’s proved herself loyal, you will grant her a clean slate.”
Sebastian sighed heavily. “If Bianca proves her loyalty and helps us destroy Lilly…she will have nothing to fear from us.”
“Good,” Ryder said, ending the call.
Ryder trusted Sebastian, but knowing that Brie’s life hung in the balance, he couldn’t be sure that Sebastian wasn’t lying. He knew damn well that if Bianca needed him, he’d do whatever had to be done to protect her. When Dominic and Ryken showed up, he would have to be on guard, never allowing Bianca out of his sight. That also meant that Brody would be close-by. Roaring to the sky above, Ryder figured the night wasn’t going to get any better.
Chapter 11
Bianca’s knees knocked. Nervousness, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, surged through her, settling in her belly. Breathless, she couldn’t seem to keep air in her lungs. Her blood pumped so forcibly through her veins she wondered if she’d spring a leak at any moment. Perhaps an aneurism would be the salvation she sought.
“Calm down,” Ryder ordered, his teeth clenched tightly.
Bianca swallowed the apple sized lump in her throat. “I can’t,” she muttered. “They’ll kill me the moment they get a chance.” She glanced back to see Dominic and Ryken eyeing her. “I can feel their cold stares. They want me dead.”
“Yes, they do, but can you honestly blame them?” he said, not bothering to mask the obvious with flowery words of comfort.
“Thanks,” she replied, rolling her eyes at him. Ryder had never been one to soothe wounds that were the cause of stupidity. Then again, she had thought that trying to save her people and the lycans was far from stupid. Perhaps her decision to align with Lilly wasn’t as well thought out as she’d first thought. Yep. Dumb. “You really know how to make a girl feel better.”
Ryder glanced down the hill and through the trees that lay in front of them. “It’s not my job to stroke your ego, Bianca. Right now, you need to prove you’re worthy of being trusted…and saved.” He inclined his head to lock gazes with her. “This was your plan from the start, r
emember. Now you need to fulfill your end of the bargain.”
Bianca nodded. As cold and direct as Ryder’s words were, he was right. Showing them where Lilly’s lair was located meant nothing if she couldn’t get inside again.
Bait and diversion. That’s what I am.
Bianca scrunched her forehead. “I’m still unsure of why Lilly wants you and Brody to be with me. What does she want with the two of you?”
Ryder shrugged, his eyes refocusing on the path in front of him. “We’re about to find out.”
As they closed in on the entrance to the lair, Bianca had a fierce need to take both Ryder and Brody’s hands in hers. For whatever reason, she was sure this might be the last time she would ever see them again. She needed their touch, their comfort more than she could say.
Ryder hadn’t spoken one word to her about Brody since finding them together. She was both grateful and surprised. She had expected to be beaten as any cheating mate would be, but Ryder had ignored her, only speaking to her about the mission.
Her heart ached in a way it never had before. Sadness loomed deep inside her soul. Nothing had felt right since Ryder had walked away from her, and she had no one to blame but herself. She could’ve stopped Brody, should’ve stopped Brody, but she hadn’t. She’d welcomed his touch, had missed it dearly, and if presented with an opportunity to love Brody again, she’d take it.
The crunching leaves and twigs beneath her boots jolted her back into the present. She had to keep her focus if she had any intentions of surviving. Later she would speak with Ryder. Would ask him what he wanted of her. If he told her she had to give up Brody, she wasn’t sure what she would do. But she did know that Ryder had every right to kill Brody for touching her and that couldn’t happen. The thought alone choked her, suffocated her. Her heart and mind were at war, and the sting of loss and pain was kicking her ass.
Why does trouble so easily find me?
Ryder’s fingers gripped her arm, pulling her against him. His warm breath dipped into her ear as he leaned dangerously close to her. Instantly her pulse quickened. His touch could work her into a frenzy in a matter of seconds.
Ryder’s intense eyes searched hers. “Act like you belong here, Bianca. Get your head out of the clouds,” he muttered, a low growl lacing his words.
She sucked in a deep breath. Brody’s fingers grazed the back of her hand. The touch, the connection of both her mates, was rejuvenating.
Her mates? Yes, that was how she thought of them. Her heart belonged to Brody, but it had belonged to Ryder first. He had set her soul on fire long before Brody had even come into the picture. How easy it was to remember that longing she’d felt as he held her close, his eyes molten with passion.
She licked her lips, scanning Ryder’s face as if to place each exquisite detail to memory. The hard lines of his jaw, high cheekbones, straight nose, smooth suntanned skin, deep penetrating eyes that seemed to harness a hint of blue surrounded by swirling silver and gold, and full lips that had her pushing to her tiptoes.
Before she knew what she was doing, her mouth pressed against his. Slowly she glided over his lips, teasing him with a wet, delicate kiss. Then her arm came around him, her hand at his nape, pulling him down for a better angle. She tilted her head, claiming his mouth more aggressively. He hadn’t responded right away. She felt him stiffen against her, but then his hands were on her body, massaging her back as her lips caressed his.
Lost. Powerful possession clawed at her mind. Everything inside her warned her that she shouldn’t go into Lilly’s lair. That she was walking right into a trap. She eased back from Ryder, her lips tingling and swollen from their heated kiss. Her mouth dried as her breath came quick.
“This is a trap,” she whispered. “Lilly wants you and Brody for some reason. I don’t know what—”
“It’s too late,” Ryder said, cutting off her words.
Her panther had forced the kiss, fearing this was the end, and Bianca had to agree. Ryder was stubborn, but he was also committed. He would see this to the end just as she would. Even if it meant their lives, and it just might.
The sound of pounding feet drew her attention toward the opening beneath a wall of rocks and bushes. The secret entrance wasn’t so secret. The lair had been hidden in plain sight. The rolling hills covered by trees and shrubs provided a natural shield.
A few dozen vampires revealed themselves and quickly moved to surround them. Ryder shifted closer to Bianca, and she knew it was the mating bond forcing him to jump into protection mode. Brody did the same thing. Her heart twisted. This was not at all how she saw things unfolding in her mind. Standing in the center of a bloodbath, with the men she desired above all others, left a cold chill racing down her spine.
“Showtime,” Brody muttered softly.
Bianca stepped forward, steeling herself and erecting a wall to protect against her battling emotions. She glared at the vampires in front of her. “Are you here to escort us in, or are you just going to stare at us like some fucking idiots?” She scowled. “Lilly wants these men brought to her immediately.”
The vampires blocking the main entrance parted and a tall, dark figure moved forward from the shadows. Gregory. He wore an outfit that would be suitable for military life. A black T-shirt that looked one size too small, gray-colored camouflaged pants, and black boots. His body swelled with muscle and strength. Immediately, Bianca knew that Lilly had placed him in command after she’d disappeared. She wasn’t surprised.
“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Bianca said, smirking at the cat reference.
Gregory closed the distance between them. One side of his mouth lifted into a crooked smile. “I never thought I’d see you again,” he murmured softly.
Bianca took his hand, shaking it like old friends. Gregory had been her one ally on the inside. He never learned the truth about Bianca’s plan, but he seemed to be morally grounded when needed. Unlike the other vampires, Gregory had been forced to join the lair. Lilly had his family in containment, and if he didn’t do exactly as she said, whatever she wanted, she’d slaughter them all.
“I’m glad you’ve decided to return,” he said with an arched brow. “I really don’t want your job anymore. It sucks.”
Bianca grinned, but the sentiment quickly faded. “You better take us to Lilly before she gets pissed.”
Gregory nodded, his eyes darkening as he resumed his rough exterior. He clicked his fingers, rounding on his heels. He was quickly swallowed into the depth of their earthy hell. Following close behind Gregory, she could feel the hot breath of the vampires beside her, glaring at her for a chance to sink their fangs into her flesh.
Bianca had been the only were-animal in the lair. All others were out in the world doing who knew what. The vampires, all but Gregory, resented her. She was the enemy in their eyes, even though she claimed to be on the same side.
Brody slammed into her back, and she quickly grabbed hold of his arm before he could launch himself at the vampire who’d pushed him.
They’re just looking for a reason to kill you.
Brody snapped his head in her direction, his eyes a silvery-green mix of his pissed-off panther.
Don’t give them the chance. I need you too much to lose you now.
Brody nodded.
Within moments they were standing inside Lilly’s newly decorated bedchamber. In less than a month, the vampire queen had redecorated with the skulls of those she’d killed. As Bianca studied the heads that hung in the center of the room like a chandelier, she noticed the skulls were a mix of vampire, lycan, and human. Swallowing hard, Bianca wondered if Ryder and Brody would be her first panther kills. A chill raced up her spine at the gut-wrenching thought.
Naked, covered by only a sheer robe, Lilly rose from a chair that resembled a throne. Her tiny body was a true contrast to the powerful vampire Bianca knew her to be. Her midnight-black hair had grown, draping over her shoulders like a shield keeping her breasts hidden from sight. Her soulless, black eyes were out
lined and smudged with kohl that only made her appear more like the walking dead. Long red nails trailed down her body as she slowly closed the distance between them. Each step Lilly took was overexaggerated, her hips swinging in a manner that forced those to watch the sway like a pendulum. Surely a tactic she used to hypnotizing her prey before she struck.
Smiling, Bianca carefully raised her hand and gently wiped away a drop of blood that clung to Lilly’s face. “You’ve got a little blood on your chin.”
Lilly shrugged. “They didn’t mind,” she said, darting her gaze to the bed where her three concubines lay bloodied and lifeless, their cocks practically removed from their bodies. “It gives new meaning to sucking cock, don’t you think?”
Bianca’s gut soured, and bile shot up into the back of her throat. She somehow managed to keep her repulsion masked. Calmly, she said, “I never did have your appetite, my queen.”
Lilly grinned, slithering her way to stand in front of Brody. She trailed the tip of her fingers over his chest and down to his waist, shredding through his white cotton T-shirt. The material dropped to the floor.
Lilly gasped, the sound of pleasure purring from deep in her chest. “Oh, Bianca, please tell me you’ve had this one, too. He’s”—she cupped his cock and balls—“big.”
Bianca’s throat constricted. When she met Lilly’s gaze she nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth in a devious way. “Yes, I’ve tasted him. All of him.”
Brody’s bluish-green gaze locked onto Bianca’s the entire time Lilly stroked him. His face was strained, his muscles tight. Bianca’s heart lurched as the vampire queen licked his chest. Her claws glided over every inch of his body in a thorough inspection.
I’m so sorry, baby. Bianca’s heart slammed against her ribs, as a burning anger rested in her belly.
I only feel your hands on me. Your mouth. Always.
Brody’s words would haunt her forever. She had to get Lilly to stop touching him, had to distract her. But how?
