by Trina M. Lee
“Please,” he repeated, sniveling and crying. His tears didn’t move me in the least. “I’ll never do it again.” They always said the same things: whining, pleading, promising.
I was so over it. “Blah, blah, blah. Save your energy for screaming.” I considered snapping another finger but instead brought his wrist close, breathing in the scent of blood pumping beneath the surface. Baring fangs, I made sure he got a good view before I plunged them into his vein.
Scream he did, more so in horror than pain. The disgusting creeper was shocked that a creature such as me existed. So I crouched beside him and smiled, revealing bloodstained teeth.
“I bet you’re freaked the fuck out right now,” I said. “The horror you’re feeling, the disbelief, that’s what those girls felt every time you touched them.”
I ran my tongue over my lips, licking the spilled blood. High pitched, wheezing gasps came from him as his fear climbed to a new high. With a gentle push of power, he fell quiet, captivated by my thrall. A caress of his face and a naughty whisper in his ear and he was a puddle of desire.
He watched me drag my tongue over the wound in his wrist, both confused and aroused. “What the hell are you, lady?” His lusty energy felt tainted, rotten. I didn’t want it. This man’s sexual nature didn’t hold the lively rush I sought. It was plagued with the bitterness of his sick urges.
I shoved away from him, dropping my thrall. The sensual charge I craved wouldn’t be fulfilled with him. Bummer.
“Right now, I’m judge, jury, and executioner.” Wrenching his head back, I bared his throat nicely. My gaze strayed from the jugular to the carotid. He deserved nothing less than a slow bleed, but I didn’t have all night.
Again he whimpered, pleading for absolution. He wouldn’t find it here. I’d managed to drag this out for an hour now. I could go all night. However, Arys wanted to meet at The Wicked Kiss, claiming to have news for me regarding our search for other twin flames. I didn’t want to be late and have him seek me out.
Frustration stacked up like bricks, layer upon layer, until I was seething. This pitiful human was not meeting all of my needs. What started off as fun was growing tiresome. Deciding that I was done with him in all ways, I extended a clawed finger and dragged it across his throat, from one ear to the other.
For just a second the wound hesitated. Then the blood gushed forth in a flowing fount. I stepped back and watched him grab for his throat as if that would contain the precious fluid. Red soaked his shirt before puddling on the floor. His eyes bulged, and his mouth moved like he was still trying to beg. Then he pitched forward onto his face and was still.
The air moved. Falon stood near the door, appraising the scene. “Holy shit, you’re a mess, aren’t you?”
Annoyance flashed through me, and I turned to him, glaring daggers. “Why are you here?”
Shadows stole his arrogant smile away. “You called me. Or do you not realize that?” When I stared in silence at him, he continued. “Some part of you put out a call to me. That’s how it works with us angel and demon types. We can’t be everywhere at once. Instead we feel the call.”
“Yeah?” Crossing my arms, I eyed him with a renewed interest. “Which one are you again?”
“You tell me.”
Our gazes locked, silver on blue. We stared into one another with the heavy weight of unspoken and illicit desire. My anger melted as the hunger found its target. What I couldn’t get from the dead piece of crap on the floor I could certainly get from Falon.
There was no decision made, no words exchanged. I’m not sure who moved first. His lips were on my neck as his hands slipped beneath my top. What I wanted was the hard flesh beneath his clothes, and I wasted no time seeking it out.
Clothing was shed as we chased the freedom we’d come to find in each other’s arms. For me it was the escape from what and who I was, combined with the craving for eroticism and power that led me to leave everything else behind when I was with him. For Falon it was not so different. Where I sought to forget, he sought to remember. Another time, another life, another woman. I didn’t know and I didn’t care.
Falon spun me around and bent me over the bed. If taking me from behind made him feel like the dominant for a few minutes, I could accept that. But then it would be my turn to take control, just the way I preferred it with him. This was no exchange of emotion or even mutual respect. It was nothing but ridiculously hot sex between two people who felt nothing for each other. That was what I loved about it. No feelings. No ties. Nothing.
He jerked my leggings and underwear down, giving me just a moment to kick them aside before he grabbed my hips and thrust inside me. My gaze traveled over the dead man on the floor and the dingy motel room before landing on the mirror across from the bed. It gave me a perfect view of our carnal activity.
My blonde hair was in disarray, my eyes such a deep vampire blue, they almost glowed. Falon held tight to my hips as I took everything he threw at me. I hated that I couldn’t touch him. It was vital for me to take all that I wanted from this encounter.
He knew it too.
At one point he glanced over, and our eyes met through the mirror. It became surreal then, like this couldn’t be happening except in another time and place. That place beyond the reflective glass.
That was when I plunged into that headspace where the darkest parts of me lived. I spun around to face him, ignoring the irritation that flashed across his face. With both hands on his firm chest, I shoved Falon down on the bed and climbed atop him.
“You have a ridiculous need to be in control,” he said, entangling a hand in my hair.
“You talk too much.” I took him inside me, sighing at the rush of arousal and fallen angel energy clouding my mind like fog. That was just what I needed.
Falon chuckled and tightened his grip on my hair, showing with that simple action that he still retained a great deal of control here. “Too fucking bad. I don’t belong to you, Vampire Queen. Don’t forget that.”
I kissed him, if only to shut him up. Nipping his lip gave me a taste of that immortal blood without dosing me with enough to fuck me up. Drawing on Falon’s eternal power took me to that wonderful place where nothing else mattered. It was a feast for all the senses, and I was ravenous.
Falon felt the need to remind me that he wasn’t one of mine. Curious. The three men who belonged to me, enthralled by my blood, were all vampires, and two of them were in Las Vegas. Something about Falon’s remark struck me as dangerous, but in my current state, I didn’t give a damn about anything but taking what he was giving.
Feeling devious, I grinned, a smile that felt like pure evil on my face. I moved slow, painfully slow. “No? Feels like you do. Every part of you is mine right now. And you fucking love it.”
I was toying with him, our constant banter that neither of us seemed to tire of. If anything, we were constantly challenged to outdo the other with every encounter. Falon tried to frown, but his expression was lost as I paused with him buried deep inside me.
“I hate you,” he muttered, fisting my hair hard enough to hurt.
My grin became a laugh as I recalled a recent conversation we’d had where I’d said that very thing to him. “I hate you? You’re usually much better at this.”
Mocking Falon with his own words brought me vicious delight. He groaned and shook his head, unable to speak as I slid up the length of him, teasing and unhurried. With each slow stroke I ran my hands over him. Down his chest, through his hair, drawing on his energy like a wilted flower suddenly drenched in water.
Eyeing his throat, I had to talk myself out of going for it. Unless I had a use for his blood, it was dangerous to take it. But he tasted so fucking good.
Everything about this was dangerous, if I were to be honest with myself, something I wasn’t so great at these days. The hunger for power was a greater burden than the craving for blood alone. There was no shortage of blood to be had. However, power of this caliber was not as common.
My though
ts strayed to Arys and his insatiable hunger for my power. It was what we were. And it was deadly.
Falon, seeming to sense my sudden shift in thought, grabbed hold of my hips with both hands and tore control of the situation from me. I was on my back staring up at the ceiling before I realized he was going to flip me.
“That’s enough of that,” he said, hooking one of my legs over his arm. The fervor with which he took me would’ve knocked me breathless had my lungs still functioned in that manner.
Having him on top of me took me to a weird place where I was conflicted by the intimacy of it and the need to ensure nothing about an encounter with Falon crossed into intimate territory. That wasn’t what he was to me. He was my prey, and he needed to remember that.
Though Falon had assumed an intimate position, there was nothing intimate about the way he fucked me. There was no other word for it, nor should there be. Making love was a far cry from what we were doing.
My claws tore through his flesh as I clung tight to him with my back arched and my head thrown back. His mouth was hot on my neck, his hips pumping vigorously between my legs. And a few minutes later, it was over.
Like every time we did this, I was forced from euphoric bliss back into reality much faster than I’d have preferred. I pushed him away and sprang off the icky motel bed, putting my clothes on in record time.
Falon lounged on the bed. Rolling onto his side he propped one hand beneath his head. He regarded me in all his naked glory, his mask of arrogance back in place.
“Get out.” I didn’t give him a chance to speak. After tugging my top back into place, I ran my fingers through my hair as if that would get rid of the obvious sex hair.
“No.” Falon was calm, watching me too intently, picking me apart. “You can’t just beckon me to scratch your itch and then banish me when you’re done.”
“Can’t I? Seems to have been working just fine so far.” It was tough to meet his gaze with him lying there nude.
“I’m not your toy, Alexa. Don’t treat me like I am, or you’ll be doing a lot of itching in the near future.” A smirk played about his features, but those silver eyes shone with the seriousness of his statement.
I had to laugh at that. “I don’t think you’re my toy, Falon. I think you’re my prey. Don’t get too cocky. You’re not the only one able to scratch my itch.”
“Is that so?” he countered, stretching out languidly on the bed, trying to draw my focus to him. “Then why do it with me at all? Oh, that’s right. You’re afraid to be with anyone else. Yeah, that’s right. Afraid. I know your secret. I feel it when I’m inside you.”
I whirled on him then, fingertips crackling with power. “You shut the fuck up.” There wasn’t much else I could say. He wasn’t wrong. For different reasons, I was beyond scared to be intimate with Shaz or Arys; I was downright terrified. “Get dressed and get out.”
Falon sat up, a glare on his too perfect face. “Until the next time you need a fix? I don’t think so. It doesn’t work that way. You need to remember who you’re fucking with. I didn’t get where I am by letting people like you walk all over me.”
The heat of his anger washed over me, and I smiled. “What’s wrong, Falon? Are you feeling disrespected? I can’t imagine that’s new for you.”
He came off the bed fast, backing me up against the wall. Pressing close so that it was impossible to keep from touching his nakedness, Falon stared down at me from his greater height. “I’m a fucking force to be reckoned with, and you’d be wise to remember that. I’m not someone you want to piss off.” His tone dripped venom, flashing me back to a time not so long ago when he’d stripped me of both my power and clothing in front of a crowd of vampires, as well as Arys and my sister.
Falon was right. Forgetting that he was pure evil would be a grave mistake.
Because I was too damn stubborn to show him the respect he was demanding, I said, “Back off, Falon.”
He didn’t. Instead he leaned down so close that our lips almost touched and murmured, “As good as it feels to have you wrapped around my cock, you’re still an abomination. An unnatural. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that. If I didn’t need your help to trap Shya, I wouldn’t even bother with you. You’re the queen of vampires, not angels. Never forget what I am. I sure won’t forget what you are.”
Malice tainted him with a heaviness that clung to me like an unwanted second skin I couldn’t slough off. His words came from a place of ugliness and truth, and yet, there was a lie among them. I could smell it all over him.
His claim that he wouldn’t bother with me if Shya weren’t an issue, that was false, though I couldn’t imagine why he would lie. The possibilities were unwelcome. I didn’t want to entertain the thought any further.
“Good.” I was too aware of the erection pressed against my thigh. Too aware of the heat coming off his skin. Power rolled over, around, and through us, driving me to fist a handful of his silver hair. “Glad we’ve established that our mutual hatred of one another is an undying force of its own. Now either get out of my face or give me a reason to believe you’re worth my respect.”
The silence was loud in the moment that followed. Then Falon crushed his lips against mine in a bruising, heated kiss before dragging me back to the bed.
Chapter Five
Arriving at The Wicked Kiss meant checking and rechecking my appearance. I fixed a smudge of eyeliner and tried again to finger-comb my sex-tousled hair. My skin glowed with a warmth that only came by stealing it from someone else. A few spritzes of perfume wasn’t going to cover Falon’s scent from anyone with enhanced senses.
Hiding what happened wasn’t my intention. That would make me a liar. However, going in there flaunting it was not my goal either.
Unable to resist, I cast a glance over at the ’73 Camaro at the end of the lot. My heart squeezed, and a flood of unwelcome emotion slapped me. Eventually I had to move that car, but I couldn’t bring myself to unlock the door, let alone drive it. I fucking miss you, Kale.
I buzzed with the remnants of so much illicit power. The brightly lit sign over the door that boasted the nightclub’s name flickered and briefly went out as I passed beneath. That explained the erratic behavior of the dashboard lights in my car on the way over.
Like usual, I felt Arys before I saw him. I could’ve found my way to him blindfolded. He stood at the bar, next to Willow and Jez who sat on barstools, each with a drink in front of them.
He didn’t glance over at my approach. That lack of acknowledgment spoke volumes. Arys knew who I’d been with. It was in the hard set to his jaw and the rigidness of his shoulders.
Jez’s green gaze drifted over me, a brow lifting in silent appraisal. “Hey, Lex. You look like you’ve been kicking some ass. Someone Brinley sent you after?”
“Yeah. A john. Total pig. He had it coming.” I stood near Jez, leaving space between Arys and me. It was hard to meet his gaze.
Willow started to slide a tequila shot toward me, then abruptly dragged it back. “It’s going to take some time to get used to you being unable to drink with me.” His gaze lingered as if he could sense Falon all over me. Maybe he could. He had the grace to smile as if he didn’t notice. I was relieved not to be the subject of his scorn and judgment.
“I’ll drink with you,” Jez volunteered, raising her pink cocktail.
I frowned but didn’t say anything. Lecturing her would only make her defensive and understandably so. I could only be a support and a reminder. It wasn’t my place to wrestle the drinks out of her hand. Yet.
Arys shuffled his feet, drawing my gaze to his. A deadly storm was brewing in him. “I found a set of twin flames. Here, in the city. They’ve agreed to meet with us. We have to get going.”
“For real?” This was good news, or so I hoped. “That’s great. Let’s go.”
I looked to Jez who sipped her drink, making yummy noises that made me envious. “I’m going to stay here with Willow,” she said. “He’s agreed to answer a few questions f
or me about my…heritage.”
There was nobody I trusted as much as Willow, once. Seeing the recent changes in him slowly manifesting was no comfort, but I still trusted him to take care of Jez. He could guide her better than I ever could.
I laid a hand on her shoulder. “Try not to go overboard, ok?”
Jez leaned in close so the loud club noise kept her from being heard by anyone but me. “Says the woman who smells like sex and fallen angels.”
“Jez.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Don’t let her call Arrow or go to The Spirit Room,” I instructed Willow, ignoring Jez when she shot me the middle finger.
I’d turned to go when Willow caught hold of my wrist and turned me back to him. “Alexa, I’m sorry for last night. That was unfair of me.”
Aware of Arys waiting with obvious impatience and growing ire, I gave Willow a smile I hoped was genuine. “It’s cool. No worries.”
Arys was already on his way out the door, not waiting for me to catch up. He was pissed. I found him outside, waiting for me beside my car even though his Firebird was parked near the door.
“Do you still want to do this?” he asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Or are we just wasting our time?”
The contempt in him triggered my defenses. It was impossible not to get angry in response to his bitter emotions. We were too tightly bound not to be influenced by one another.
“If you’re looking for a fight, Arys, I’ll give you one. You might as well say what you really mean by that.” Driven by the force roiling about inside me, I advanced on him, getting dangerously close.
He regarded me with a mix of intrigue and irritation. I got the feeling he wanted to kiss me as much as he wanted to slap me. “Do you expect me to believe this is important to you? Even if your eyes weren’t flashing silver, I’d still know you just fucked him. I can feel him all over you.”
My eyes… Shit. Arys had a right to be pissed off, but he had to remember we were both victims here. “Yeah, I was with him. And I hate myself for it. Sometimes, I hate you for it, for doing this to me. But then I remember that we’re both suffering. This is fucking hard for me, Arys. Being with Falon is the only time I don’t have to feel anything, and I need that right now.”
