What the hell?Logically, I knew the moan could be coming from fae beasts who were feasting on Darian’s and Locke’s corpses, but my instincts told me I wasn’t in danger. Still, I wasn’t taking any chances. Pulling out one of my daggers, I grasped the steel hilt of the weapon and stepped slowly toward the trees.
Careful to keep my body hidden, I said a silent plea to the Goddess Falia that I wasn’t about to find Locke’s and Darian’s mutilated bodies, or you know, even bust the males relieving themselves, because there were some things I didn’t need to see. As I peeked my head around the tree trunk, my eyes flared wide, and I stilled as I took in the scene in front of me. Locke sat shrouded in darkness with his back to a tree, his long legs parted and his fangs buried deep into the soft flesh of Darian’s neck. That was right; Locke waseatingmy siren.
I grasped my dagger tighter, ready to charge forward and attempt to save Darian’s life, when a moan slipped from his lips. I blinked, gaping at where Darian sat slumped against Locke. Strands of Darian’s silver hair had fallen loose from his ponytail and hung over his face, but I could still make out the pleasure etched into his expression.What?
I stayed where I was, unable to move. I knew Locke was a vampire, but I’d never seen him drink from anyone. A stupid part of me hadn’t thought it was something he did.Is this the reason we stopped for a rest? Why Locke looked so pale?Darian moaned again, a soft sound that barely left his lips, and I knew I should leave. There was something so intimate about the moment, but a twisted part of me wondered what it would be like to have Locke’s fangs buried in my own neck. I thought then of how Locke had sucked my blood from his fingers while he pressed between my thighs. Goddess, would I moan like Darian? I mentally shook myself, trying to banish the thought from my mind, but as I moved to slip away, Locke’s gaze flicked upward. Predatory onyx eyes fixed on me, his dark stare freezing me in place.
Locke’s nostrils flared, and I knew he was dragging my scent into his lungs.Fuck.Hunger swirled in the vampire’s eyes, and he didn’t take his gaze from me as his arms tightened around Darian’s body. His fangs sank deeper into the siren, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked, and I watched, transfixed.
Darian moaned even louder, his face contorting with pleasure, and I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry.Ho-ly Goddess.
As Locke drank, I started to worry about Darian’s life again, but a snarl ripped from Locke’s throat as he finally released the siren’s neck. Black blood dripped from Locke’s exposed fangs as he lifted his head, and my heart pounded hard, a steady, thumping beat in my ears.
Locke opened his mouth to speak, and I sucked in a breath, ignoring the inner voice that was telling me to run. Instead of danger, anticipation made my stomach flip, even though I knew it was wrong.
But when Locke spoke, his voice was animalistic and unkind. “Leave, Raine,” he growled, and the gravel of his voice made me shiver.
I stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.
“Now!” he snarled even louder, his voice lashing out, and it was enough to spur me into action. Almost tripping over my own feet, I staggered backward before spinning around and walking briskly to where Kade and Asher remained sleeping.
Fucking vampire,I internally cursed as I settled between Kade and Asher again, but despite Locke’s harsh command, and even after I’d caught him feasting on Darian, the thought of the vampire coming after me made my body prickle with anticipation rather than fear.
CHAPTER 4
~ Raine ~
Themoonwasstillhigh in the sky when Asher roused me from sleep. Stretching out my limbs, I tried not to be obvious as I watched Darian and Locke from the corner of my eye. The pair of them were acting normally, but two small marks were still visible on Darian’s neck. The siren’s skin was pallid, and there were circles under his eyes, but I didn’t comment, and neither did anyone else. Now that I’d come to my senses, I told myself I would have fought Locke off if he had tried to bite me, but I knew the only person I was fooling was myself.
Darian stopped beside Prince Azaren’s limp form and stared down at the prone male. “Sweet Toros, Kade. How hard did you hit the poor fellow? If he doesn’t wake soon and get some fluids into his body, I fear he won’t wake at all.”
“The fae should be thankful he’s alive,” Kade responded gruffly as he checked the sharpness of his blades. “He deserves worse than that.”
I wanted to point out that the prince possibly had nothing to do with the murder of Kade’s family, but I didn’t. The wolf shifter was still hurting, and I couldn’t fault him for that. Crouching beside the prince, I pressed two fingers to the male’s slender neck, glad when I found a pulse. It was weak but still there, a slight flutter against my fingertips.Thank the Goddess.Standing again, I said, “We need to keep him alive. He’s our only chance at stopping a war between the Katakin monsters and the fae.”
“I’d wager war is unavoidable now,” Asher commented as he chewed on a hunk of dried bread.
I thought then of my sister, Cara, who was still back in Katakin. I knew I was doing the right thing. Finding a cure for the curse afflicting Katakin was the only way to stop Warrick’s outliers, but the idea that the fae might attack Katakin while we were in the fae realm made my stomach pinch. “What defenses are there around Katakin? How have you kept the fae away in the past?” I asked abruptly.
Kade and the others were surprised by my question, but Locke was the one to answer me. It was the first time he’d spoken since I had awoken, and having his attention on me brought back images of his fangs buried in Darian’s neck as he watched me. “Katakin City is watched night and day from the sky and ground. Because the fae are able to create portals anywhere they wish, there was no point building a wall around the city.”
“The alphas of the high houses are responsible for keepin’ certain areas of the city safe,” Asher added as he finished his bread and folded his thick arms in front of his chest.
“But what if there’s a full-scale attack while we’re away?” I asked, trying and failing to keep the worry out of my voice.
Having noticed my distress, Darian stepped behind me and began massaging my tight shoulders. “Katakin will lose unless the houses agree to unite and form a coordinated defense,” the siren said grimly in my ear. “The council would need to bring everyone together if the monsters are to stand a chance.” His fingers were like magic as they loosened the tension in my muscles, and despite what he was saying, a moan threatened to slip out of me.
“And that’s about as likely to happen as Darian shittin’ rainbows,” Asher said with a chuckle.
The others looked at Asher, unimpressed, but the demon shrugged. “What?” he defended. “In two hundred years, the alphas and the council have hardly been in agreement over anythin’. We all know if the fae attack in large numbers, we’re fucked. Well, unless Warrick’s outliers annihilate the fae first. Though, from what we’ve seen, the outliers are as likely to destroy the Katakin monsters as they are to go on the offensive against the fae.”
My muscles tightened again, and Darian shot Asher a halfhearted glare for ruining his efforts. Asher returned the glare with a grin, but as if it was his apology for being the bearer of bad news, he took hold of my left hand and began massaging my palm, running his thumbs down the insides of my fingers.
The bond that pulled me toward the siren and demon further ignited, and my head grew light as my body warmed. Closing my eyes, I tipped my head back and hummed.
“Stop that,” Kade growled. “If she keeps making that face, we won’t be going anywhere for some time.”
Much to my approval, Asher and Darian ignored him and continued massaging me. I opened my eyes again and stared innocently at Kade. “What face?”
