Trina M. Lee

by Alexa O'Brien Huntress Series Book 1-4 Box Set (Retail)

“Hey now, most of those brawls I was breaking up. Can’t blame me for defending my friend. That asshole is lucky he’s still walking.”

  I laughed off his words, steering the topic away from the evening’s ridiculous events. “This is really nice. We should do it more often.” I leaned forward to turn on the bathtub jets, squealing when one shot out too close to my nether region.

  “You must be pretty happy about Zoey.” Shaz’s hands glided over my stomach. “Power like that will make you a hot commodity.”

  “Or, a name at the top of everyone’s hit list.” I sat up and turned in the tub so that I faced him. “Forget I said that. I don’t want to ruin this moment. But yes, it was incredibly satisfying to discover that I could do something big and actually control it.”

  Shaz pulled me close for a kiss. He tasted of champagne and wolf. “I guess there have been benefits to having Arys in your life.”

  I frowned, forcing a smile before he could see it. “Let’s not talk about Arys. I don’t want to think about him right now.”

  I kissed Shaz again, running my tongue along his bottom lip. The musky wolf scent and taste of him tantalized my senses, driving heat to my groin.

  “He hurt you. More than you’re letting on. I can feel it, the pain, all over you. I can smell it.”

  “I don’t want to think about it.” I spoke the words with my lips against his. Why was he pushing this topic when I wanted to abandon it?

  “I know. You never do. You have to stop burying everything inside, Lex. It’s not healthy.”

  “My entire relationship with Arys isn’t healthy,” I scoffed. “What’s new?”

  “Do you miss him?”

  I pulled back, fixing him with a dark look. Even though my body responded to his delightful touch, I was still clear headed enough to pick up on the odd note to his tone.

  “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t play games with me, Shaz. You’re being suspicious.” My eyes closed when he nuzzled my neck, kissing and licking at the ticklish spot beneath my ear.

  He ignored me and continued to suck at the sensitive place on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I put my arms around him, running my wet hands through his platinum hair. It grew damp under my touch, yet it remained feather soft.

  The cold power of the dead washed over me, as if out of nowhere, and I froze. My heart began to race, thundering its beat like an echo inside my head, drowning out the sound of the jets. There was nothing else like that cool, undead energy. Nobody else commanded it but one man.

  “Arys.” I whispered his name, surprised when Shaz looked up at me with awareness in his jade eyes. He’d already known.

  “You knew he was coming,” I accused, standing up to grab a towel. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “He asked me not to.” Shaz followed my lead, stepping from the tub and wrapping a towel around his waist.

  “When? Why didn’t you tell me you saw him?” I almost knocked over my champagne glass in my haste to tuck a towel securely over my breasts.

  Shaz turned off the jets and pulled the tub drain. “Go ask him yourself.”

  The steamy mirror reflected my flushed skin and confused expression. I was flustered. I wanted to be angry that Shaz had spoken to Arys and had kept it from me. Despite the frustration, I wasn’t their ruler, and they weren’t obligated to tell me everything they said and did. The doorbell rang, and my breath caught.

  “Did you know he was coming right now?” My voice rose in pitch, driven by apprehension.

  Shaz shrugged. “I didn’t know the exact time. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Go open the door.”

  Grabbing my fuzzy black robe from where it hung on the back of the door, I struggled myself into it and ditched the wet towel on the way downstairs. I didn’t want to open the door. I envisioned myself opening it long enough to slam it in Arys’s face. I knew I would never do it though.

  The only sound was my pulse pounding through my head. It had only been two weeks, but it’d felt like forever. I fought back my emotions, refusing to allow anything to show on my face. I clutched my robe closed tight with one hand and opened the door.

  The cold winter air rushed in with an intense chill. Arys stood there with a solemn expression. I had neither anger nor pain in that moment. I was just so glad to see him.

  That damn vampire couldn’t look bad if he tried. In form fitting jeans and a leather jacket, he looked good enough to eat. With a toss of his short, messy locks and a wink, he shuffled his feet ever so slightly. Was he nervous?

  I stepped back, speechless, and indicated for him to enter. I shut the door on the cold dark night and faced him. We stared at each other until awkward became unbearable. I didn’t know what to say. Finally, Arys opened a hand to reveal several playing cards marked with the recognizable name, “Caesars Palace.”

  He tossed them down on the table in the front entry where I threw my mail. They landed in disarray, but I could make out the entire royal family and then some.

  “You were right.” Arys broke the silence, his voice sounding so heavenly after weeks apart. I could never survive a lifetime without him. “You were right to kill Harley when you did. I’m sorry.”

  Those words coming from my dark vampire were almost worth a call to Guinness. It had to be a record of some sort.

  “Um, what?” My tongue was tied. He was blowing my mind.

  His piercing gaze traveled over me, taking in my damp hair and robe. His eyes lingered on my lips, and I shuffled from side to side, anxious.

  “I went to Vegas. I played some cards, won some answers. It wasn’t good.”

  I noted that Shaz had disappeared, leaving us alone. I could hear him down in the living room, the TV on to give us privacy though his wolf ears could hear our every word. I waved Arys in further, and he kicked off his shoes and followed me to the kitchen. I needed to sit down to hear the rest of this.

  “What did you find out?” I wanted him to keep talking. I had had a gut instinct about Harley. I needed to know what Arys found out about him.

  “The clubs he was running there, they’re horrific. Worse than anything I’ve ever seen. I mean, I feel nothing when I kill, no guilt or shame, nothing but the rush. But, this was different. I saw what was happening, and I was ill.” Arys stared out the patio window, seeing something that wasn’t there. “You’re no stranger to some of the sick, twisted things people do. Human and otherwise. From human blood ring trafficking to fetish kills with minors, I discovered some seriously fucked up stuff.”

  Arys fell silent, still staring beyond me out the window. It was dark out and only reflected his image back at him. The shadows that danced behind his midnight blue eyes haunted me. Arys was a killer alright, but he didn’t murder children. I could see how deeply it affected him to know that his sire had no qualms doing just that. Knowing this now, I wished I’d dragged Harley’s death out. No amount of torturous agony could be enough for him.

  “What happens now?” I asked with my throat dry and my pulse pounding. “I mean, Harley’s dead, but is that enough to stop what’s going on there? And, how many other places is it happening? He would have started it here, too, wouldn’t he?”

  “He likely was leading up to that. I made my mark on his Vegas properties before I left town. With him out of the picture, I expect to have little trouble shutting them down. And, if I have to take a trip back there to be sure, I will.”

  I wanted to ask more questions, but the look on his face stopped me. He was reliving what he knew enough without me badgering him for details. I was secure in the knowledge that I’d been right about Harley. He’d had to go, and I had no reason to feel guilty for being the one to bring about his demise.

  Arys leaned forward on the table, dropping his head into his hands. I’d never seen him like this. With anyone else, I would have been comforting and supportive. I wasn’t sure Arys would appreciate that. Instead, I stayed silent, allowing him his moment.

  When at last
he spoke again, it was to persecute himself further. “How could I be so stupid? I’d let him turn my world upside down once before. And, here I was, going down that same path, playing right into his hands.” It took great effort for him to meet my eyes steadily. I could see that he wanted to look away.

  “You’re not stupid, Arys. If anything, I was the fool for going to him against your wishes and starting all of this in the first place.”

  He was already shaking his head before I’d finished. “No. Don’t say that just to make me feel better. I’m far too controlling and territorial for my own good. I fucked up.”

  I was thoughtful, fully in agreement with his statement. However, I didn’t want to seem overly eager to voice that agreement. With a nod I said, “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that he actually taught me something valid? Maybe he was hoping to gain from me if he gave, but not only did I kill him with what he taught me, I put Zoey back into her human body.”

  “Really? Well, you certainly are a fucking powerhouse, aren’t you?” This he said with a grin, and I relaxed in my chair.

  “I missed you.”

  “Not nearly as much as I missed you, my wolf.”

  I couldn’t hold back any longer. I all but threw myself from my chair into his arms. Breathing deeply of his familiar scent, I closed my eyes and savored the moment. He shifted so that he could pull me onto his lap. His leather jacket was cold against my scantily clad skin, but I didn’t care. I snuggled in against him, thrilled when he kissed me hungrily.

  The sound of Shaz channel surfing in the living room reached us. When Arys pulled back, he glanced around uncertainly. “I’m interrupting, aren’t I? I didn’t mean to. I just had to see you. I wanted you to know.”

  “It’s alright.” I stroked a hand through his ebony hair. I let my hand slowly slide down the side of his face, holding him close as I pressed my lips to his. I was aching for him, but my kiss was soft and tender. I wasn’t in the mood to rush.

  I looked up suddenly at the sound of Shaz entering the room. He and Arys shared a look, and I didn’t detect the slightest trace of animosity between them. Their relationship had undergone many changes over the past several months. It wasn’t always this easy going. I could get used to this. Although I doubted they’d ever truly be friends, stranger things have happened.

  Shaz nodded to Arys in a masculine gesture of acknowledgement and held out a hand, which Arys accepted. Their casual handshake spoke loud, and I hid a grin.

  Turning away to the fridge where he grabbed the champagne bottle, Shaz tossed back over his shoulder, “Don’t feel like you have to rush out. It’s cool if you stay.” He took a swig out of the open bottle, and I laughed when he almost lost his towel.

  “Maybe we should get dressed.” I stood up, tugging my robe down to cover my legs.

  “Well,” Shaz took another large, unclassy swallow of champagne and eyed Arys. “We don’t have to.”

  My eyes grew wide, and I blushed. What was it with these two? They were either ready to kill each other or so oddly in step with one another that it was eerie.

  Arys didn’t miss a beat, adding, “I suddenly feel incredibly over dressed.”

  When Shaz opened a fresh bottle of champagne and handed me a glass, I tossed it back with unladylike swiftness, anything to calm the sudden nerves that twisted my stomach into knots. I adored both of these men more than I could put into words. Yet, I still wasn’t used to being with them at the same time. It was still new and mind blowing. It set free a swarm of butterflies inside me and had me blushing like a virgin.

  Shaz flashed Arys an apologetic smile. “Sorry we can’t offer you anything. I can’t imagine having a one course diet.”

  The wicked smile that spread across the vampire’s face left me tingling even though it was directed at Shaz, not me. “Oh, you can offer me something, wolf. I promise I’ll accept.”

  I looked back and forth between them, unable to keep the shock off my face. Arys was bold, and I expected that from him, but to proposition Shaz like that was something he did not do. As if to make his meaning unmistakably clear, Arys let his eyes wander to the pulse that throbbed in Shaz’s neck. I held my breath, fearing an angry retort from my white wolf.

  Surprising me further, Shaz laughed it off. “Well, let’s just see how much champagne I have and how impressionable I become.”

  “By all means,” Arys replied. “Drink up.”

  It wasn’t lost on me that I was the only one in the room feeling uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have been because they were clearly at ease. It was just so unexpected. I was pretty sure they communicated without me more than I was aware though I didn’t get the feeling they’d call themselves friends.

  “So uh, shall we move this little party to the living room?” Shaz asked with a playful smile.

  I swallowed hard and nodded. Excitement thrilled through me, anticipation guiding me as I followed Shaz down the stairs into the living room. Arys was right behind me, so close a shiver raced down my spine.

  A fire was blazing in the hearth, filling the room with a warm glow. A faux fur throw rug was on the floor in front of the fireplace. Combined with the champagne Shaz held, it was a very inviting scenario.

  The TV played quietly, little more than background noise. Arys shed his leather jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa. He didn’t stop there, peeling his shirt off in a swift, smooth motion. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me against him, hard. The glass I held sloshed pale golden liquid onto my hand. I automatically licked the spilled drops from the back of my hand. Arys watched me, his pupils dilating in response to his reaction.

  He guided me down to the floor so that we sat in the center of the fur throw. Shaz set the bottle on a nearby coffee table and joined us, sitting on the other side of me. My nervousness gave way to intrigue and expectation.

  Arys kissed me, a quick but soft press of his lips to mine. “I know I’ve already said this, but … I’m sorry. For everything. I should have trusted you all along. I feared that Harley would corrupt you, and I ran blindly back down that path myself.”

  “Don’t.” I shook my head and caressed his face. I hated the self-loathing in his enchanting eyes. It wasn’t right. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. Harley’s dead. You are here now. It’s over.”

  With a nod, he leaned his forehead against mine. As much as I hated that Arys was in such emotional turmoil, it was a relief, too. He was so much the killer, seeking the thrill of the hunt, guided by unashamed bloodlust. I appreciated the deeper part of him.

  Shaz said nothing, though as the one who had really taken Harley down, I imagined he was still overjoyed about the whole thing. He traced a finger lightly along the back of my neck, sweeping my damp hair aside. While Arys and I loosely held one another, Shaz leaned in to press his lips to my sensitive flesh.

  It tickled even as it sent a shot of heat to my groin. I squirmed and giggled against my will. Shaz slipped his arms around me from behind, and I relaxed into his embrace. I pulled Arys closer for another kiss, this time slipping my tongue into his mouth swiftly. I longed to taste him, needing to make up for the last two weeks he’d been absent.

  I wanted to tell him never to leave me like that again, that I needed him and couldn’t bear to be without him. Instead, I kissed him with all I had, letting my actions speak for me. With one hand, I reached back for Shaz, grasping his hand and holding it tightly. Touching each of them like this, it was hard not to notice the strong current of energy that flowed through the three of us.

  Arys deepened our kiss, devouring me in his sudden urgency. Running his hands up inside my robe, he pushed it down my arms in an attempt to free me of it. Shaz caught on quickly, tugging the robe off the rest of the way. I sat between them naked and feeling exposed. My response was to tug at Shaz’s towel. It came loose easily, and I tossed it aside.

  “What about you?” I grinned at Arys, indicating the blue jeans he still wore.

  “In a hurry, are you?” In no time, Arys
was as nude as Shaz and I. The sensation of their naked bodies pressed to either side of me was glorious, and I reveled in it.

  I turned to Shaz, nuzzling him as I would in wolf form. His musky wolf scent teased me, stirring my lust for him. I bit playfully at his lips before targeting the pulse in the side of his neck. I nipped at it lightly until a soft moan came from him. At the same time, Arys was kissing his way up my arm, pausing in the hollow of my elbow to lick the soft spot that always drove me wild.

  He continued to make his way up my arm, pausing to nip at various places along the way. Arys pressed closer so that I was sandwiched between them. Slipping his arms around me from behind, he cupped my breasts, kneading them firmly. Shaz ran a hand over my cheek and up into my hair, entwining his fingers tightly in my long locks.

  I trembled at the pleasure that steadily grew within me. I kissed Shaz with a passion that swept me with fire. As our tongues danced together, Arys’s lips left a moist trail along my upper back and shoulders.

  With one hand, I felt my way down Shaz’s body. His hard abs and flat stomach drew my appreciation. I followed the path of my hand with my lips. Arys modified his position so that I could lay on the fur throw in front of Shaz. I settled myself between his legs, grinning up at him playfully.

  I allowed Arys to roll me onto my side so that he could stretch out alongside me. As I tasted Shaz, Arys pressed his face against my stomach and breathed deeply of my scent. A hand slipped between my legs, and he lightly stroked me until a rush of heat flooded me.

  I was surprised to see he and Shaz make eye contact. Their unspoken communication puzzled me because I wasn’t part of it.

  I was momentarily surprised when Arys suddenly rolled me so that I was flat on my back staring up at the ceiling. He gestured for Shaz to take his place between my legs, which the white wolf was quick to do.

  My brain struggled to make sense of the swarm of mental and physical affections. My two lovers were commanding my body, and my mind responded in full. It was overwhelming but so intimate and demanding of me in every way.

  A low growl rumbled through the room. Shaz’s wolf was rising to the surface of his being, calling mine to join him. I reached for him with a clawed hand, grasping his forearm and drawing blood.