As I pushed open the door, stepping inside the hotel room, the scent of rotting blood assaulted my nose and my gun was in my hand, before the light switch even came on. As the room was flooded with harsh light, my gaze moved to the figure standing in the middle of my hotel room.
“Well, hello Miss Brennan.”
Korin James stood in the middle of the room, his grin alarming, in the light. The pistol in my hand rose and I levelled it at him, as he took a step toward me, as if I wasn’t a threat. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”
The vampire’s gaze lowered to my body, and I felt it travel over my figure, as if covering me in a thick layer of ooze. The thought to run to Tony and Maddison, or to scream, coming to mind, but I knew it would be easier and quicker to shoot this asshole in the head and deal with the aftermath later.
Why the fuck had I sent Rhayden away so quickly? If he were here, then this would be a whole lot
Fuck… there it was.Rhayden had warned me about snooping into Korin’s archives, of what might happen. I had just hoped it would have taken him a bit longer before he realized we’d been in there. Enough time to find something. Anything. But we hadn't been able to even peek... “We needed information.”“What kind of information?”“The kind you wouldn't give willingly.” I replied and his eyes paled back to brown, mouth closing over his fangs. He sat back against the chair, adjusting his jacket as he stared at me, as if waiting for me to continue… so I did. “We needed to know what you were doing. See if there was any link between you and Vince. With you and the Mated being slaughtered.”“And why would there be a link?”“There are too many factors which are similar. Same brand of extinguisher, same method of death, even the same flites in the arrows. What would yo
It had taken everything in me not to have sprayed Marley’s hotel room with Korin’s thick, putrid blood. How fucking dare he be in her room without permission. I didn't give a fuck that he owned the hotel, or half the buildings in the street. He had been told my hunter was off limits.I could have handled the snide remarks, as I had warned him away from her the night before, or the mentions of his sleazy antics towards Marley… but to find her one swipe of his claws away from death… to have him to close to her, that he could have leaned in and kissed her... that had been one step too far. When I had asked Rhayden to leave Vegas, the only other option was to be there myself
Absinthe gripped my hips, allowing me to rock against him. The pleasure built, his hands tightening on my hips and my orgasm peaked. Throwing back my head back, I cried out. “Abe!”He sat up, bringing me closer to him. I tipped forward, allowing him to grip my ass and lift me a little, ramming into me. Fangs nipped at my throat, heightening the pleasure, before he sealed them with a stroke of his tongue. Then he bit down, drawing a mouthful of blood, before raking his tongue over the marks again, his voice thick with lust as he moaned my name. “Marley.”My orgasm built again, my clit rubbing against hard, cool abs. “Abe…”He flipped us, rising above me, slamming his hips against mine, the bed shuddering with every inhuman thrust. My arms lifted and I reached out not for him, but for the headboard, holding it hard, as Abe’s thrusts became wild.His mouth lowered, biting the edge of my breast. Tender flesh yi
“Thought I might find you here.”Looking up, I rolled my eyes as my brother walked over to me and sat beside me. I turned my head and looked back out over the twinkling lights of Vegas. “What do you want?” Abe didn’t answer. I turned and looked at him and saw a flash of fear come over him. “What is with you and heights?”Oh yeah, that’s right, my perfect brother wasn’t overly keen on heights. Probably had something to do with me pushing him o
“You look tired Marley.”I looked to Maddison, “I-I had a visitor.”“Yes, Lord Raynes spoke to us before he left this evening. I am sorry about what happened last night, with Korin.”“It's ok. I wasn't expecting him in my hotel room. He didn't give me a chance to do anything but talk with him, even though I would have rather put a bullet in his brain.”Maddison giggled and I smiled, this woman, this vampire was quickly becoming one of my confidants, and I considered her, my friend. “So, Lord Raynes came all this way to…?”My face heated and Maddison smiled.“Ahh… You seem to have a touch. Absinthe is not one to swoon or fall for someone, he hasn't even been Mated before. You must have a very, very big pull. Not only him, but Rhayden too? Two powerful, old vampires wanting you. Girl, you are the bomb!”I laughed, tipping my head back and Maddison join
I sat opposite my cousin, staring at him, while he stared right back. “Cousin, so good to see you again…”I rolled my eyes. “Let’s cut the crap, Korin. You know I can’t stand being in the same city as you, let alone the same room.”Korin’s throaty chuckle echoed around the room, earning a few sniggers from fledglings in the shadows. I could smell the stale blood in their veins. They were barely a week turned. How long my cousin had fallen… “Oh I do miss this. The old jabs and barbs. Tell me, are you still sore about Loretta?”
He was still a crappy driver and I held onto the seat as Rhayden raced through the streets of Vegas. “Where are we going?”“Somewhere safe.” He growled, his hands tight on the steering wheel. My eyes slammed close as Rhayden swerved into oncoming traffic to get around a tour bus.“Rhayden! For fuck’s sake slow down!” He put his foot down harder and the car lurched, making me grit my teeth, “Rhayden, please.”He didn’t listen and I knew he wouldn’t. He had a mission.Get me to safety. He would do that, and I wouldn’t be able to change the way he did.So while he drove like a maniac and I hoped to hell we didn’t get pulled over by cops—because Rhayden Raynes would be difficult to explain— I thought of other things.Like Johan.How had he found me?After two years, why had he suddenly surfaced?The last time we’d seen each other,
I didn’t think my heart could have taken much more… but the punch coming from Mars had been so left of field, that when it happened, the only safe option was for me to leave. If I had stayed, I would have thrown her against a wall and hurt her. I might have even killed he…Never in my life had I met someone so infuriating. But that was what she was. My infuriating, beautiful human lover. And there in lay the problem. She was human.
Something woke me.The sun was still up, I could tell, because Rhayden and Absinthe were still asleep.Turning my head, a sliver of sunlight was just visible between the curtains. my hearing intensified, trying to pick out what might have woken me in a house full of sleeping vampires.I maneuvered my smaller frame from under both Absinthe and Rhayden and slipped out of their embrace. Picking up my clothes, I dropped my robe and slipped them on; doing up the belt to my jeans.Moving through the blackened room, I made my way to the door and stepped out into the hallway. It was eerily silent, and I didn’t like it.Not when every single fiber in my body screamed danger.I had moved about the mansion before, confident, safe—now my skin crawled, as if dozens of pairs of eyes were on me. Maybe it was because of the trial… getting up this early, before the vampires. The thought of how easy it would be for me to leave…No… it had to be something else.Walking to the front doors, I opened them,
My hands were on Mars again, grazing over soft flesh, raising goosepimples along her skin. Marley tipped her head back as my lips trailed up her neck, nipping at her skin with my fangs, drawing tiny drops of blood which tasted sublime. “Mars.”She wrapped her arms around my neck, letting me plunder her mouth with my tongue. I didn’t know why the simple act of kissing this woman sent me crazy. Maybe it was the difference in temperature. My cold tongue against her hot mouth, the sensation was phenomenal.My hands gripped her buttocks, squeezing them and she sighed against me, pulling away and looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. “You know he’s in the other room, right?”“So?” I asked, smirking, kissing along her jaw.“You’re going to fuck me, with your brother in the next room?”“Yep.”I turned Marley around, pushing her against the cold tiles, bringing her hips back
He looked younger in the picture than when I’d spoken to him two weeks prior. But that smug look… was still there.I let my hand off the page, letting Rhayden flip to the next one. He turned the book, turning it toward me.Looking down at the picture, my eyebrows furrowed. “He looks like… Hang on.”I reached out and grabbed my phone, and held it to the book, looking between photos. “It’s… It’s him. The one in the alley.”“It might not be.” Absinthe muttered, pulling the book toward him and I stared at him.“I’m not fucking stupid Absinthe; I know it’s him. It’s the tattoo on his neck.” I said, turning the phone and stood, putting it next to the picture of the man. “See, there.”Rhayden leaned in, looking at it. “She’s right you know.”“You shut it.” Absinthe said, looking at me and he pushe
All I wanted to do was break down the doors of the library and go to Mars. But I waited patiently behind my brother, as the doors opened, and we calmly walked through them.Marley stood as we walked over to the table and at any other time, she would she poked her tongue out or said something snarky. But not this time. Her gaze dropped to the table and she sat down as Absinthe and I took our seats.She looked tired.Beyond tired. She looked drained and… sad.“Marely, are you okay?”My head turned to Absinthe as he asked her what I’d been wanting to and I looked back to her in time for her to nod. “I’m fine. Lord Othello and I have been talking.”“About?” I asked.What had they been discussing for the last few hours. For that was how long we’d been pacing and waiting.Mars’ gaze went to Othello, who nodded. “Go on, you can tell them.”S
Othello had walked me to a bathroom, leaving me to do my business and then back to the library, where a plate of food was waiting. “Eat, I will be back in a few moments.”I stared at the food, my stomach rumbling with hunger, but also churning with sickness.Othello was nothing like the monster others had told me he was. He’d been sweet and kind, listening to me speak about my sister. He had questioned me about my working relationship with the Raynes and what had me agreeing to the contract I’d signed with Absinthe.I’d even told him of my doubts about my lover, about him keeping information about Johan from me. Which had been rebuked.“Absinthe wouldn’t do that.” “Which part?”“All of it.” Othello had replied. “I was present when he was born, with Absinthe being the heir to the Raynes’ coven, it was my duty as Lord of the Vampires to oversee the birth. Strapping, healthy young vampire he was, his hair as dark as night. So, I know Absinthe and what he is like, he would not tarnish th
If I could have been in the cell with Marley. I would already be there.Not being allowed to be anywhere near her, while she was going through this was breaking my heart and my spirit. And not to mention what it was doing to Rhayden.My brother had always told me he would never sully himself with a human, that because he was a born vampire, sleeping with a human was beneath him… Until he set eyes on Marlene Brennan.I had to admit, even I was quite surprised with how visceral my attraction to her had been when we first met.Now I sat here, in an empty parlor, watching my brother pace and brood. “I don’t give a fuck who he is, if Othello touches a single hair on Mars’ head I will skin him.”That threw up images of my pale haired, alabaster skinned brother, covered in black blood, while he carved Othello’s skin from him… and honestly, it painted quite a pretty—“Are you listening to me?”Rolling my eyes, I looked at my brother. “Of course I’m not.”“Asshole.” Rhayden spat, continuing hi
There was someone in the room with me…“I will get you a better bed.”My body stilled as the voice spoke and chills sped across my skin. Slowly, I opened my eyes and rolled over. There was a man standing at the door, barely taking up the doorway, but the authority he threw off, told me he was important.I climbed to my feet and stepped back, pressing myself against the wall, as he stepped inside the room and the door closed with a heavy thud behind him.The man… no creature in front of me was old. There was a blue tinge to his pale skin. Head bald, mottled with dark spots, he wore a dark suit, which hung off his thin frame. But there was not even a hint of danger coming from this man.Finally, I found my voice. “W-who are you?”There was a moment’s silence, “I am Othello, human hunter.”Oh shit.This was The Lord of the Vampires. The one every coven in the United
I paced the room, aware of Absinthe watching me from his comfy chair. My mind was on the woman in the room, near the armory.It had broken my undead heart, pushing Mars into that room and closing the door.“Rhayden, you’re making me dizzy.”Rolling my eyes, I glared at Abe and kept pacing.How the fuck had everything gone so fucking wrong? And Mathias…“I’m going to gut him.”“Othello wouldn’t approve of you slaying one of the vampire Lords, little brother. No matter how much of an asshole he is.”And by god, Mathias was one of the most assholey of all assholes. He had a mean streak to him, which came to the surface with his superiority complex. He thought he was better than everyone else, just because of his bloodline, because he was a vampire lord.Yeah, well that didn’t excuse his behaviors. Especially in our mansion.“Rhayden.”&ldq
“So, this is the murderess of my Coven member?”Barely had I stepped out of the elevator, when I was overcome with the scent of spoiled blood. Great… he was one of those vampires.Looking past Rhayden, who had stopped in the middle of the corridor, I looked at the vampire before us; his skintight on his bones, his eyes copper with anger, claws descended.In seconds, Absinthe had stepped past me, and was standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, blocking the volatile vampire from reaching me.“You are in my mansion Mathias, remember that. If you even lay a finger on her, I will rip your head off and use it for a soccer ball.” Abe’s tone was blunt, to the point and my fear kicked into overdrive. What would happen if the vampire didn’t heed Abe’s warning? Would I become a casualty of a fight between them?Mathias leaned forward, looking past the vampires protecting her, lee