by Ariel Marie
A fleeting glimpse of a pair of beautiful gray eyes flashed in his mind as he opened the door. A part of him wished that he would discover Bella on the other side of the door, but it was Riana. Her wavy black hair was left down to flow around her shoulders. Her forest green eyes, crinkled with her smile and the floor-length dress with thin straps hid little from the imagination.
“Prince Teague,” she said, stepping into the room. “Welcome back.”
“Riana, it’s good to see you,” he said as she closed the door. Her green eyes twinkled as she stepped close to him, running her hands along his bare chest.
“I’ve missed you,” she said with a little pout. He grunted in response, he eyes captivated by the pulse at the base of her neck. His stomach rolled a little at the sight of her pouting.
What the hell?
He tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach as he grabbed her hair, and pushed her up against the wall. She gasped as he pulled her head to the side, exposing her plump artery.
He wouldn’t think of Bella right now. He would take what he needed tonight with Riana. He was a vampire, after all; he needed this.
She moaned as he slowly licked the side of her neck, preparing her. The taste of her before would have excited him. Tonight — nothing.
His fangs slowly descended. She moaned in anticipation, spreading her legs so that his one leg could brace himself between hers, pinning her against the wall. She ground her pelvis against his leg just as his incisors pierced her flesh.
“Teague,” she moaned as he fed from her. Her hands roamed up his biceps, down his chest and towards his cock.
His very limp cock.
“What’s wrong?” she gasped as she continued to run her fingers alongside his flaccid length.
He closed his eyes tight, never before experiencing anything like this. Usually, one taste of fresh blood from Riana, and his cock would be hard as granite. She reached her hand in side of his sweats, grabbing his bare cock in her hands, stroking it, trying to wake it up.
Nothing.
Her breaths quickened and he knew that she was close
What. The. Fuck?
He reached his hand under dress, finding her bare. She spread her legs even wider as his fingers found her pussy warm and slick, sliding his two fingers into her. Her hand, having given up, found its way to his hair as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. Her moans increased while her fingers gripped his hair painfully tight.
Her coppery nourishment slid down his throat as he took one last pull, not wanting to take too much from his little blood servant. He slid his fingers over to her little nub, strumming it as if he played a guitar. Her body became tense just as he pinched her clit, sending her into a hard orgasm screaming his name. He licked the pinprick holes closed on the side of her neck.
He could feel his face flush as he pulled back away from her. He couldn’t believe it. He had never had this problem in the past. Never. He looked down at himself unable to believe that his cock wouldn’t get up.
Chapter Seven
~Bella~
“I think that vampire likes you, Bella,” Kitt said from the back seat of the truck.
“Who are you talking about?” Bella asked, trying to pretend she didn’t know whom Kitt was talking about. She tried to keep the blue-eyed vampire from creeping into her thoughts.
But she knew.
Her mind had been on Teague ever since leaving the Olaru home yesterday. She just couldn’t get him out of her head. They had arrived last night at her family’s home and she didn’t get much sleep. When she did fall asleep, she dreamed of nothing but Teague.
“I’m insulted that you would act like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Kitt said wryly. “And you are a bad liar. You know I’m talking about Teague, the vampire who came to Aphadore to request our help.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Bella said, staring out the window as their human driver Austin drove them to their destination. “I am a sworn valkyrie; love isn’t in the stars for the likes of us.”
“Who said anything about love?” Katri said from her seat. “Just fuck him.”
“Katri!” Bella looked sharply at Katri. “You know the vows we took when we were chosen by the Gods for our positions.”
“I know,” Katri sighed. “I’m just joking,” she muttered under her breath as the other females murmured in the car.
“Well, I hope that you are,” she cautioned. “You never know when the Gods are listening,” she said, turning to look at all of them. She definitely couldn’t let them know that she already had similar thoughts. She would be a total hypocrite if they knew.
A few minutes later, Austin turned down a dirt driveway. They were on their way to visit Ravyn Vexx, a powerful witch notorious for knowing everything going on in the paranormal world and usually willing to talk if she was heavily compensated.
“Viva, I want you with me in the witch’s house. The rest of you, I want you to assess the perimeter of her land. I don’t want any unexpected visitors while we are in the house,” she instructed as they got out of the truck. “Never trust a witch,” she reminded them quietly.
Austin would remain in the parked truck, with the engine idling. She watched as the other four valkyrie paired off, and departed in different directions.
“You think she’s going to talk?” Viva asked as they walked up the stairs to the old two-story house.
“If she doesn’t, we’ll make her.” Bella glanced at Viva, who nodded in understanding.
That’s why she wanted Viva in the house with her. Viva was an expert at interrogation. There wasn’t a person that she couldn’t break and Bella was ready to go to extreme measures to get the information they needed. It was critical that they find Rowena and Ravyn would be the best place to start.
Bella banged on the door. She looked around the bare land, noting that the sun was descending. She turned back to the door as it opened slightly.
An elderly, small woman, who was barely tall enough to reach Bella’s chest, answered the door.
“What do you want, valkyrie?” she snapped, her beady eyes staring through the small opening.
“Ravyn, let us in.” Bella demanded, pushing open the door and strolling into the house with Viva behind her.
“It has been many years since a valkyrie has been seen in this realm,” Ravyn noted, shutting the door.
“You know why we are here,” Bella said, turning to Ravyn, not wanting to play games. She never trusted witches.
“You hunt Rowena,” Ravyn said, slowly walking around the small living room and taking a seat in a high back chair. The furniture looked as if it was on its last leg. “Please have a seat.”
“We’ll stand,” Bella responded as Ravyn shrugged her small shoulders.
“If you know why we are here, just tell us what we want to know,” Viva snapped, patience clearly was not one of her virtues.
“Patience, warrior,” Ravyn snapped. Her dark eyes stared across the room at her. “You’ve already barged into my home, at least show some respect.”
“Respect?” Viva growled. Bella held up her hand, silencing Viva.
“You walk a thin line, Ravyn Vexx. The God Adros himself has sent us to this realm,” Bella said, keeping her voice low. “Believe me, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of a valkyrie’s blade. Tell us what we want to know. Now.”
“Your God doesn’t mean a thing to me!” Ravyn snapped. “He’s just a—”
The sound of Viva pulling one of her short swords out of the sheath silenced the witch. Ravyn’s nervous eyes bounced between Bella and Viva.
“Now we can do this the easy way, in which you tell us what you know,” Bella offered, her voice still calm, as she walked toward the witch and stood behind her. “Or, we can do this the hard way and I can assure you,” she whispered softly in Ravyn’s ear, letting her voice turn cold. “It will get messy in here.” The sound of Ravyn swallowing hard was the only one that filled the air.
“Xalak f
reed her,” Ravyn began, a shaking hand pushing her stringy hair out of her face. “She is finally free and she’s pissed. She will go after the vampire king and queen.”
“Tell us something we don’t know, witch,” Viva growled, skillfully twirling the sword in her hand.
“Where is she?” Bella’s cold voice demanded to know. She was in warrior mode and would not stop until she had her answers.
“She’s hiding in plain sight,” Ravyn rushed. “There are plenty that would like to see the vampires fall. The necromancers freed her thinking that she would work for them, but they didn’t know her too well.”
“That was their mistake,” Bella murmured, coming to stand in front of the witch. “What happened?”
“Once Xalak got the location from the vampire princess’ memories, he went there. He was cocky enough to think that if he demanded Rowena to work for them, she would just bow down and do it.”
Ravyn’s eyes jumped back to Viva’s blade. Bella watched as a drop of sweat formed along the witch’s hairline.
“Continue,” Bella snapped, causing the witch to jump in her chair.
“Rowena doesn’t answer to no one. She seeks revenge—”
“Where is she?” Bella demanded again. She already knew that Rowena had her sights on the vampire royal couple. She needed to find the witch fast, before it was too late.
“Her followers have hidden her deep in the country. There is a cabin that they had prepared for her. You will find her there. If you plan to stop her, you must hurry. The full moon is coming and she will be at her strongest.”
Chapter Eight
~Teague~
“Why are you not talking?” Toma asked as they sat perched on top of the downtown building. They were currently on patrol together and Teague’s mind had been elsewhere.
“It’s nothing,” Teague said, glancing at his older brother, the only brother happily mated. Teague shook his head at the wonder that the big bad Toma had fallen hard for his human mate.
Teague liked Anika as if she was a sister. She had been the best friend of their younger sister for years. Anika was actually one of the few humans to work in the local paranormal hospital alongside Nadira as a nurse.
Toma almost went crazy when the necromancers had captured Anika. Teague never thought he would see the day that Toma would fall in love. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
His thoughts turned again back to Bella. He just couldn’t get his mind off her, her gray eyes and her golden hair haunted his dreams. His body was already drawn to her, the bond slowing, weaving its way around his heart. If what happened the other night with Riana wasn’t an indicator, he didn’t know what else would be.
“If you sigh one more time, I swear that I will throw you off this fucking building,” Toma growled, glaring at him. “Talk!”
“How did you know that Anika was your mate?” he asked, cringing on the inside. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of his older brother. Toma stared at him for a moment before turning away.
“The day we first met. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I shook her hand when Nadira introduced us and that was it. I just knew,” he said, glancing back. “If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you.”
Toma’s icy glare had Teague second-guessing whether his brother would really kill him if he breathed one word of their conversation. He knew that he wouldn’t, but it did have him looking at his brother twice.
“I won’t,” he nodded, thinking that even if someone tortured him, he wouldn’t be repeating this story to anyone.
“Why?”
“I’m just asking,” Teague lied, shifting on his perch. He looked up at the clear midnight sky, taking in all the beauty the world had to offer. “With all this talk about us having to find our mates, it just has me wondering if there is truly a vampire for me. Maybe my mate is something else.”
“The council doesn’t care at this point if the mate you choose is your fated mate or just someone you decided to mate with. They want us to secure the throne by mating with vampires. But Father is trying to change that.”
They both drew silent, staring off into the night, lost in thought. A sound caught both of their attention coming from the alley.
Rogues.
Toma peered over the edge of the building, holding up his hand, signing four rogues. Teague glanced over the edge, catching sight of the rogues.
Rogue vampires had been an issue for the Dark Shadows for centuries. They were an evil that was into a category of their own. They tended to run in packs, attacking and turning anyone in their path. Growing in numbers, rogues were vicious vampires that had been consumed by blood lust. They did not live by the code of the vampire and were a danger to both human and vampire societies.
The necromancers had been discovered using rogues in their conquest to eliminate the vampires. It wouldn’t hurt for him and Toma to try to get information out of these rogues before killing them. They just might know something.
Toma motioned for them to make their way over the ledge behind the rogues. They would then be able to approach through the alleys between the downtown building without being spotted. The brothers jogged to the other end of the rooftop before vaulting without hesitation over the ledge.
They landed without a sound behind the rogues. Teague drew one of his twin swords from it’s back sheath, just before the first rogue turned around.
“Warriors,” a rogue hissed.
His burning red eyes switched back and forth between Toma and Teague. One look at Toma and the rogues backed up. Teague smirked, knowing that one cold look from his older brother would have the devil himself trembling.
Teague sized up the four rogues and knew that he and Toma would have no trouble taking them out.
“You’re going to give us information,” Toma growled, stepping closer to the rogues as they shook their heads. Teague knew before they even moved that they would make a run for it.
And they did — but failed.
Within seconds, two of the rogues were dead on the ground with their heads rolling slowly away from their bodies. Teague had one rogue pinned against the wall of the dirty alley while Toma had his pinned on the ground with his foot on the rogue’s neck.
“Now look at what you made us do,” Teague said, pressing his sword against the rogue. The smell that permeated from the rogue was almost enough to make him gag. He hated getting close to rogues. “Talk.”
“The necromancers are going to eliminate your race,” Toma’s rogue gasped.
Big mistake.
Teague rolled his eyes as Toma instantly whipped his sword, decapitating the rogue.
“Now,” Teague growled, turning back to the last rogue. “Don’t make the same mistake as your friends.”
“You’re going to kill me anyway,” the rogue gasped.
“Teague, he’s stalling,” Toma said, coming to stand next to Teague, his crimson eyes locked on the rogue. “Kill him now; he knows nothing.”
“Wait!” the rogue exclaimed, his eyes growing wide. “You’re all hunting the witch while the necromancers are hunting the leader of the Dark Shadows.”
“Where is the witch?” Teague asked.
“I don’t know!” The rogue shook his head, his wide eyes frantic as he looked between Toma and Teague. “She disappeared. But the rumor is that the valkyries are here looking for her too. Their queen has been feuding with Rowena for years, ever since Rowena killed their queen’s lover.”
Chapter Nine
~Bella~
Bella stalked through the Olaru mansion behind their butler, Watson. She came with information on Rowena’s whereabouts. Not that she needed to report to Nicu but she felt that it was a courtesy toward her ally. That’s what she kept telling herself. She was in constant denial that she hoped to catch of glimpse of Teague while here.
“Why are we here?” Katri asked as she and Ulrika walked behind Bella.
“We could be halfway to the witch’s location by now,” Ulrika muttered.
> “Don’t question me,” Bella snapped, turning quickly on her heel to face her team members. She understood her team members’ desire to jump into battle. They usually didn’t work with anyone else but still, Bella didn’t like her plans being questioned. “Need I remind you that I am the leader of the valkyrie. We are here to work with the vampires. Our allies. This is politics.”
They both nodded before Bella turned back to catch up to the butler who had stopped a little ways down the hallway. Being in the vampire’s home made it hard for her to concentrate on her meeting with Nicu. Her mind kept drifting to Teague who was the star of her late night fantasies. Watson showed them into the masculine office filled with a few of the vampire warriors. Nicu stood from behind his desk, coming to greet them.
“Arabella, it’s good to see you again,” Nicu said, shaking her hand.
But her attention wasn’t on Nicu. It was on the vampire who sat on the windowsill. Teague’s light blue eyes met hers and she would have sworn she forgot how to breathe.
“Please let me introduce you to members of our team, Khalid and Phaelyn,” Nicu said motioning to the new vampires.
“Nicu, thank you for having us again,” she said after introductions were completed. Nicu motioned for her and her team members to have a seat in the chairs in front of his desk.
“What can we help you with?” he asked, sitting on the edge of his desk.
“It’s not so much what you can do to help us,” she began, trying to keep her eyes from wandering back in Teague’s direction. “We know where Rowena is,” she announced. The room drew silent. “I am coming to you as a courtesy because we are going after her.”
“Your source is reliable?” the vampire Khalid asked from his side of the room.
“Valkyries have ways of making people talk,” Viva boasted, eying the vampires in the room. “We may not be of this realm, but we have our sources. She would be a fool to lie to us.”
