Water sprinkles down from above her, and she steps into it, squealing and then moaning after a moment when steam starts to waft off the water. The tactician of the Vulpi, as Skull previously described her, turns so that her front is on full display as she tilts her head back and wets her hair. Then the show truly begins when she grabs a bottle of soap and starts to work it all over her body.
“Enay will be right in and we can get started. Hope you don’t mind me cleaning up while we wait,” Kiffin declares, and I’m tempted to offer an objection, but I keep my mouth shut.
I glance at the Scorpions, but each of them is focused on something that isn’t her, and my hackles lower slightly. Skull is very focused on the dagger in his hands, Scorpius is scanning titles on the spines of books that fill up a shelf over by the desk, and Bones is watching me. I can’t read the look in his eyes but decide it doesn’t matter when not even Kiffin’s soft moans entice a glance in her direction.
I never knew that one’s cunt requires several minutes of fingering in order to ensure that it’s properly clean, but Kiffin’s apparently does. Then again, I haven’t personally played with the counts, so what do I know? I study the Vulpi, trying to garner the purpose of this erotic display, but not knowing her or the history between her and the Scorpions makes it hard to say. This could simply be something she does because she’s comfortable. Or she could be trying to make them uncomfortable, and then there’s always the message that she could be trying to send to me.
When she pulls the plug from her ass and then bends over insearchof something, I have to keep myself from snickering. I also have to keep myself from informing her that her counts missed a spot when cum drips out of her now unstoppered hole. I shake my head at the ridiculousness of it all and move to sit on the arm of a chair. If Kiffin is trying to make me jealous or encouraging me to make some sort of scene, she’s going about it in the wrong way. If anyone in this room was truly interested in her, she wouldn’t be trying so hard. If she’s simply trying to make me uncomfortable, then she should spend more time in the sleeping quarters of blade slaves. There isn’t a thing about what can be done with or to someone’s body that makes me uncomfortable, just so long as it’s consensual.
I relax, and a small chuckle pulls my attention to Bones. He’s still looking at me, but now the mysterious glint in his eyes has made way for amusement. The water turns off, and I’m ready to leave before this meeting has even started. I’m not even sure if these females have legitimate information for us or if the summons here was all about…whatever Kiffin is trying to do.
“Bones, I had Dar fetch some peaches for us. I know how much fun we had playing with them last time,” Kiffin giggles, and then she’s suddenly standing in front of him, now wet and naked, with her hand outstretched.
Because Bones is still staring at me, I catch the lightning-quick flash of a grimace as he reaches up and takes the fruit from Kiffin’s palm. Instead of biting into it, like he’s being set up to do, he offers it to me instead.
“Have you ever had a peach?” he asks, a cheeky smile on his face.
“No, silly, that’s for you,” Kiffin objects as she grabs his arm.
My blade is pressed to her throat before she can so much as tighten her grip on his wrist. Her crystal blue eyes narrow instead of widening, and I know the game she’s been itching to play has just officially started. Scorpius and Skull both draw closer, but I lift a hand telling them to back off. Thankfully, they do.
Kiffin isn’t the only astute tactician here. It’s loud and clear to me thatthisis what Kiffin is really after. She wants to know what my place is, test my mettle, see for herself what it is about me that made the immovable Scorpions move. The Vulpi and Scorpions are allies—that’s not an easy feat when it comes to what we do. On some level, each of them probably knows what drives the other Order, what their tells and pressure points are, how to get what they need when they need it. However, I’m an unknown, and howIwill affect that important dynamic is really what this vixen is after.
I suppose it’s time to show all of them the kind of Scorpion I intend to be.
ChapterForty-Two
“Threatening the Order of Vulpi is unwise,” Kiffin states, her tone just shy of a growl.
“So is what you’re doing,” I counter, purposefully dropping my eyes from her infuriated stare to where her hand is still holding Bones’s wrist.
A challenging smile tips her lush lips up. “Cria, I’ve touched more on this male’s body than we have time to recount.Thisis nothing,” she disputes, her pale blue eyes searching mine as she tightens her grip on Bones’s arm.
“Thathas nothing to do with me,” I tell her evenly. “Thisdoes,” I declare, drawing a line between how things used to be and how they will be from here on out.
It would be one thing if Bones showed any indication that he welcomed Kiffin’s advances, but he isn’t. He won’t even look at her, none of them are. I don’t know if the Scorpions’ lack of reaction is out of concern for their alliance or because they also want to see where I stand on things, but Kiffin is crossing a line and she knows it. This isn’t about marking territory, it’s about respect.
I press the small blade more firmly against her throat. It’s one of the knives that Skull made for me that resembles the one I stole from Scorpius during his bath. I really like the idea of using it to cut this presumptuous bitch up. Blood pools at the edge of the blade, but instead of pulling away, Kiffin leans into it and laughs breathily.
“Well, now you’re just giving Bones exactly what he wants,” she taunts as she reaches up with her other hand and spreads blood down her breast and around her nipple.
Kiffin’s eyes light up like she’s certain she’s proved that I’m out of my league. I can’t fight my smile. My assured grin throws her a little, but she hastily banishes the doubt from her features and doubles down by smearing more blood down her chest with a small moan.
I keep my smirk wide and beaming as I drop my fangs.
“Am I though?” I mock.
Kiffin’s eyes finally grow wider, and she gasps as she takes a step back. “You’re…you…you’re Sanguinna?” she stammers, looking from me to Bones and back again several times before she turns and snatches something from her bed.
“She is,” Bones answers, his black eyes still fixed on mine, only now there’s an undeniable heat broiling in his ebony stare.
Kiffin pulls on a robe, securing the tie around her waist, and I bite back thefucking finallyI want to huff out as she does.
“I had no idea. I thought they’d disappeared,” she murmurs as she looks at me as though she’s seeing me for the first time. “I get it now. Forgive me.”
Kiffin’s demeanor morphs from hostile and challenging to contrite so fast it makes my head spin. I expected the fangs to help her realize that I’m more of a threat than she realized, but I didn’t expect an immediate and almost reverential response. I figured I’d have to fight harder than that to get her to back off, or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. I really was looking forward to breaking more blades in. I thought one of them would look lovely stabbed through the middle of her wrist. I suppose there’s always next time, although judging by the way Kiffin is now looking at me,next timemight be off the table.
“I’m so happy for you, Bones. If anyone deserves a miracle like that, it’s you,” Kiffin declares, and there isn’t an ounce of jealousy or malice in her tone or countenance, only respect and genuine regard.
