My gaze narrows as I look at him. “And who asked you, fang face? I could fill a thimble with what you know about my life.”
His grin is both smug and predatory as he moves closer, tucking his hands in his pockets. It somehow makes him look even fucking hotter, and I can barely focus on his face as my skin heats. “Because, witchling, I’ve tasted your blood. You’d be amazed at how much access that gives a vampire as old as me, even with the small amount I was given.”
“You what?” Khol hisses as he slithers behind him, putting Dezi in a tight headlock before any of us even know he’s moved. “You knowthe treaties state you cannot do that without permission and IknowSassy didn’t give herbosspermission.”
The protective BS is annoying, but also kind of hot, so I roll to my side clutching the almost empty bottle of magical booze. I watch the elder vamp smirk, not concerned by the angry basilisk at his back in the slightest. Tiernan sighs as he looks at them like naughty children, and Rev scoots in behind me while we’re all distracted.
“What if I said I sort of allowed it?” I ask curiously. “I mean, it was kind of a ‘no-no’ at first, but then… it wasn’t. And it wasn’t much because he got all freaked out and fluttered off like a damn drama queen into some secret passage.”
Rev snorts, burying his face between my shoulder blades. “Seriously, man? You’re older than all of us. How are you fucking bad at this?”
I giggle as Khol arches his brow and loosens the hold slightly. He leans in, still hissing a bit as he asks, “Is that true, mosquito? Did you bitch out?”
Dezi rolls his eyes to the ceiling, and it feels like he may regret his choice to accompany us on this stupid magical bondage bus. “Yes. But not because of what you children think.”
“Why would you suck her blood and run, then?” my leopard asks as he leans back on the bed, propping himself on his elbows. “Cause it sounds like you bitched out, Rev’s right.”
“I…” The vampire starts, then sighs as he pauses. “I knew what she was, and it was jarring. I prepared myself for a life where that wasn’t an option, and yes, I have had some horrendously poor endings to relationships. I’ve been running the bar and indulging without concern for more than physical pleasure for a very long time. Suddenly, everything changed, and I did not handle it well.”
I blink, tilting my head before I swig the last of the sparkly juice in the bottle. Tossing it to the floor, I let out a huge belch and my eyes go wide. All the men laugh uproariously, and I roll my eyes. Beingfemale doesn’t mean I have no bodily functions, for fuck’s sake. Once they shut up, I whistle loudly, getting their focus back on me.
“You’re saying you bitched out, Ruby.” I grin like a madwoman. “And I kind of like that. ‘Cause I’m not very good at this shit, either.”
“Why is that, witchling?” he asks in a low voice. “You’re attractive and smart, with a good sense of humor. It seems like you shouldn’t have such a problem with men wanting you.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, wrinkling my nose as I mutter, “Because I’ve never actually dated anyone before. One and done, no strings, and no contact. If you never see them again, they can’t betray you.”
The room is so silent you could hear dust settle, then Khol releases Dezi. He jerks his chin at him and the vampire nods… which I assume means they’re cool. Both of them come over to join Tier and Rev as they surround me on the stupidly large mattress that takes up half the fucking bedroom.
Did I mention this bus is so wide it would never fit on real goddamn roads? Because it is, and Faerie is so damn weird.
They all look at me—the bonded and unbonded—with sincere expressions and because I’m full of Fae booze, it doesn’t make my ass clench.
“Mates are forever, Knuckles,” Tiernan says as he lays his cheek on my leg. “You’re stuck with us and even if the vamp has a pole up his ass, he’s in, too, because he’s here. But you can take the time you need to adjust. You’ve been doing well so far, haven’t you?”
I look back at Rev, then over at Khol, and at Dezi for a moment before coming back to Tier. “I think I have. But I’m worried I’m so fucked up I’ll hurt one of you and… that sort of matters to me now. So you have to tell me if… I’m fucking up.”
His smile is brilliant. “You won’t fuck up and you’re doing fine. And you’re cute as fuck when you’re off your tits on Rev’s magic sauce.”
Well, duh.
It didn’t occur to me to check the bus over for things the non-Fae in our group should be wary of, and I can’t decide if that was a mistake or not.
My lips curve up as our girl lolls on the bed, giggling and dropping more vulnerable honesty bombs than sheeverwould sober. Missing this would have been criminal, so I’m leaning towards my negligence being the smartest fuck-up I’ve made in a long time. She was bottling up her feelings about leaving Fluffy and definitely clamping down on her jealousy of my people. I’d rather she knock the teeth out of a groupie with zero fucks given than put it in a box. I can fix any problems she causes and if not, the vampire can compel them to forget.
Seeing her let loose is fucking beautiful, and I want every ounce of that fire.
“Lass, Tier’s right. You look positively edible when you don’t hide everything under the bristly exterior.” I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers. “The sparkle in your eyes right now is almost as bright as your glittery trail when your magic fritzes.”
Fi snorts, socking my shoulder lightly. “That shit isall your fault, buddy. One freaking trip to this place with you and suddenly I’m dropping craft herpes everywhere I go. I feel like a fucking cheerleader.”
Pulling back, I laugh at the various expressions on the others’ faces when she says that. “Oh, lass. I don’t think you should have putthatimage in everyone’s heads.”
Her eyes narrow as she looks at each of us suspiciously. “No way. All of you? What the hell? That’s nothing like me. I’m offended.”
Khol clears his throat and gives her a slightly fangy grin. “Haven’t you ever seenBring It On, Sassy? I think you’d make a perfect bad girl in a skirt.”
That makes my brain fritz for a half second and I think I’m not the only one.
