My eyes opened to what at first appeared to be the sunshine. I blinked in confusion until my vision cleared. I knew that I wasn't in my bed though I didn't immediately remember why.My fingers brushed the soft fur of the comforter, and I remembered the events of the previous night. Tony Yates. This was his house. I sat up and allowed my legs to swing over the side of the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in.I dressed and examined myself in one of the many mirrors. My eyes weren't as vibrantly gold as the night before, but nothing else about my look had changed. I puffed my hair. Damn, but I was loving this two-toned gold hair. My skin had even taken a slight golden sheen. I didn't need even a touch of makeup. I rubbed my hands down my toned belly and thighs. I did a little spin to admire the shape of my butt.A woman cleared her throat behind me. How the hell didn't I hear that with my new hearing?It was the Asian Council woman, the one who had called me out for using the wor
I don't like being grabbed, and I felt my teeth extend even further than ever.Tony's brow furrowed and he released his hold. "Kim, tell me what happened." I hurried around him. "Wait a minute, Kim!" He grabbed my arm again.I pushed him off balance and thought of the long corridor that led to this lower level, and was standing there an instant later. I knew Tony was hot on my heels, so I darted into the main room—where something bowled me over and left me sprawling on the floor.Tony pinned me facedown on the cool marble floor. My bag went flying. My first instinct was to struggle, kick, and claw, but facedown I had no power. Instead, I froze."Look," Tony growled in my ear. "I'm going to let you up, but stop running. I can catch you without breaking a sweat. Do you understand?"I didn't move.He gave me a small shake. "Do. You. Understand?!""Yes," I grumbled.He rose off me and offered me his hand. I didn't accept it so my rise wasn't quite as nice as his had been.He
He smiled. "First things first." He offered me his hand. "We're going shopping."I wanted to protest but couldn't. I really wanted to go shopping because I wasn't rolling in spare clothes.He led me outside to a waiting black Mercedes-Benz in the driveway. "You drive?""Of course. I'm not so far gone that I can't appreciate nice things." His eyes appraised me. He was flirting again. Hmmph. I wasn't going to bite. He led me to the car and I saw Mei Wah behind the wheel waiting. When I got in, Mei Wah gave me a look that seemed full of shame. "I'm sorry, Miss Kim. Tony told me about Kaniji sneaking into the house."I noticed he referred to me as Miss, but there was nothing in front of Kaniji's name. "Believe me, if I had known she was in the vicinity," Mei Wah said, "I would have made certain that she would have never entered the lower level.""Thanks, Mei Wah. I appreciate that."Once we were settled in, Mei Wah turned on the CD player and some gentle jazz wafted through the s
I shivered and turned to him, my mouth slightly open.A lady sat behind us taking notes on my reactions. The lights dimmed even further, and the music changed. It was now a sultry, jazzy tune. The next model came out wearing lingerie. I glanced at Tony suspiciously. I hoped he wasn't thinking that he was going to get a private fashion show later with me as the model.The lingerie was tasteful, though. The skinny models wearing the thongs made me remember that my new and improved body gave them a run for their money. Unlike their asses, mine was filled out in all the right places.The lights came up, and I almost applauded. It had been a wonderful show. Tony watched me with a slight smile that made him look so sexy."Did you enjoy that?"I nodded. "I thought we were going to the mall or something.""The mall? Never." He stood and took my hand."What's next?""Home."I looked at the empty catwalk. "When do we pay?""We? You're my guest, in all ways. And I have already taken c
"So, why wasn't I offered his seat on the Council?""Because ... you're a Third. No Third has ever been strong enough to defeat a Council member, so we deemed it an accidental killing, which allowed for Johan's Second to take his place. I'm so sorry."I waved away his apology. "So what am I if not a Council member? I mean, what will be my role in this … Vampire nation?"Tony's eyes hooded. "The lowest ranked on the totem pole."I frowned feeling slightly ill. "Tell me what it means to be the lowest on the totem pole, and please be completely honest.""It would mean that you are the last to be considered and the first to be sacrificed. You have no voice in disputes. A Second will always be above you. You would be watched to make sure you don't mingle too closely with the humans because Thirds with no memories of our history are our biggest threat. Thirds handle all of our dirtiest jobs from killing humans who are undesirable to testing metal to see if it's silver. And being a Thir
Animals have a keen distrust of Vampires.Master vamps generally take blood every day but only need it once a week as long as they do not allow their systems to become depleted and are not undergoing some type of physical exertion. The lack of blood will not kill a vamp, but it would make for an unbearable existence.Garlic has no effect on Vampires.Vampires can be killed by mutilation of the heart, decapitation, being branded by a holy item, or caught in sunlight. Other things that would normally cause pain to humans would also cause pain to Vampires—maybe even more so because where humans might die, Vampires continue to experience pain until they heal.Vampires have a limited control over humans by allowing a bit of what animates their body to slip into humans. It was the way we mesmerize or hypnotize humans. And because of this a human who continually feeds a Vampire can often gain some of the Vampire's ability while still remaining human.Vampires are required to take a numbe
I could see every window on three sides. They were floor-to-ceiling and gave the impression that we were a part of the outside.I turned slowly. Everything was done in black. Black bed, black slate floor, black wool rugs, black wood and glass tables, black flat screen television suspended from the ceiling, black fireplace, black component system. He turned on a light switch, and though we had been in total darkness, I had no problem seeing anything. When the lights came on it looked as if stars were imbedded in the ceiling. The distant cityscape and natural starlight from outside seemed to meld as one with his room."Tony, I can't believe this room." He picked up a remote control, and the sounds of Billy Holiday came from the speakers. "Do you like Billy Holiday?" "I love Billy Holiday." He smiled. "Kaniji hated jazz. She could only listen to Japanese music. And she hated this room because of the windows. She was thought that at some point the sun would weaken the protective ba
Tony moved his hand to my ass and mimicked my movement while his other hand continued tweaking and tugging my nipple in a way that made my body quake. I needed him inside me! I couldn't take it anymore. The taste of him, the feel of him was more than I could bear. His knees bent, and he thrust upward. My mouth opened and blood spilled down my chin. My tender clit swelled at the contact of his bruising thrust. "Do it again!" I begged. Tony planted his hands on my ass and lifted me. My legs went around him, and I held on. My eyes focused on the blood running from the holes in his neck, and I couldn't stop myself from planting my lips on his neck again. I lapped at it, the thick liquid coating my tongue until it pooled in my mouth and ran down my throat. "So good …" I muttered. I pushed my hips forward trying to force his thrusts against my clit again and again. I'd never done anything like this. It was as if I was a wild woman—and I didn't care. I'd never been so completely consu
"Are you ready, my love?" Alexis asked."I'm not sure," I said. "She's still so little."Alexis kissed the dark curls at the top of our daughter's head. "Tiye is strong enough to travel back to our realm. We've been here a year. Don't you miss home?""Yeah, but a year here is only like five minutes in the Above," I said."More like a few weeks," Alexis said. "The Ladies are anxious to meet their new niece."He gently lifted his sleeping daughter, tucking her blanket carefully around her body. She had just turned three months old and was as round and plump as a melon. Her thick, curly hair was sure to be as wild as mine was when I wasn't wearing the plaits that Oni put them in. She looked like us—my brown skin with Alexis' nose and Mona Lisa smile.Alexis had named her after an ancient Egyptian Queen who was the deity of light. Leave it to him to name his daughter after an angel and a queen.He carried her outside and stood on the porch staring out at a vast sea made by his own h
Paul smiled and relaxed. I led him to the study where Alexis was waiting. Alexis nodded in greeting."Alexis, thanks for agreeing to this meeting," Paul said.Alexis gestured to a throne. "Please, have a seat."Paul looked at the throne and sat. "Mmm, comfy."Alexis moved the other two thrones to form a triangle, and we sat."We saw the gathering video," Paul said. "We didn't know we were being filmed," I said."I figured as much," Paul said. "But you made a good point when you said that one supernatural group cannot rule over another. My Werewolf Council has been meeting for the last few days. We don't want a war with the Neratomay.""And we do not want a war with the Werewolves," Alexis said.Paul nodded. "We have been in discussions with the Alliance of the Supernaturals, and I expressed King's beliefs that if we do not work together then we will all fall together.""That's right," I said."After a lot of negotiation, the Alliance would like to extend an offer for you to
Ran continued. "We asked the Wolves to coordinate their attacks with ours, and that is all they agreed to do.""But what about the carnage that occurred in Epic Cu?" The Councilmember asked."Are you for real?" I asked in irritation. "There were hundreds of Rectors at that gathering! All it would have taken was for one of those Rectors to snap Alexis' neck before he could summon King to close the portal to the Underworld. We had to take out the Rectors and luckily the Alpha aided us or—well we wouldn't be here and you'd still be kissing the ass of your demon master!"Alexis put his hand on mine but Ignacio smiled in amusement. Will you be quiet! Cyrene snapped silently in my head.When has that ever happened? I snapped back.Ladies, Alexis interrupted. Now is not the time. My love, try to be more…diplomatic.Fine, I replied."We won that war by any means necessary," Alexis said, his voice annoyed. "We don't appreciate your line of questioning. Do you want to go back to the way
The Neratomay flashed themselves away once they were outside of Epic Cut. The Supernaturals carried away their dead and injured, and what was left inside of Epic Cu was blood, gore, and ash. Paul left with his pack, and Ran, King, Alexis, and I flashed back to our villa where King fell in an exhausted asleep.Alexis and I watched him with pride. "It could have gone so much different," I whispered."No." Alexis continued to gaze at King's small sleeping form. "Not if we understand King's true potential—this is the way it was meant to be."It was time discover the fallout so we turned on the radio and television. Many countries were in a state of emergency based on what had happened over the last several hours. News outlets and radio stations made announcements that people should stay indoors because there were reports of wild, strange beast attacks. Videos of humans turning into Vampires and using impossible speed to attack the beasts clogged the Internet. Supposed experts in the s
I moved from zombie to Wraith, pushing them through the portal and trying not to think about those they had possessed.The Wraiths will take you…Oni had said.I saw Alexis keeping King in the light flowing from the portal, but the portal had grown smaller.It was working!King was closing the portal to the Collective!As I zapped zombies and Wraiths, I noticed with surprise that the Supernaturals were fighting with the Neratomay to kill the zombies! When they ganged up and killed a zombie and the wraith left the zombie's body, I was able to zap the Wraith and send it back where it belonged."Aleawdat 'iilaa alealam alsuflii!" I chanted loudly along with King. Although I didn't understand the words, I could repeat them exactly.Then Ran, who still stood sentry beside me, began repeating the words. Alexis joined our chant, and that portal began shrinking even more.The larger Wraiths became bottlenecked trying to squeeze up and out of the shrinking portal. They were so freaking g
I stared at the center of the pentagram where so much power was streaming through to seek out vessels, as if that power was a thinking, conniving being. It infused its targets with power so they could fight for it. And Alexis thought that my son should face that? My little boy?"Alexis, he's just a baby!""He is a demon!" he said sternly. "He only pretends to be a baby because that's what you need, Kim. You have to know that it has been many years since our son was a baby."The way King talked to the Wolf Council, the way he seemed to understood so much and so easily, the way he commanded attention whenever he spoke. I didn't want my child to fight this battle, but Alexis and King both knew this was what King was meant to do.Alexis released me and turned toward the pentagram. He raised his hand and began pulling power from the portal in the center, pulling so much that he glowed with the unnatural light that the energy emanated.Paul squinted and stepped in front of me, preventin
Alexis raised his hand. "We learned the truth, secrets that have enslaved us all!" Alexis' nose began to bleed. He stumbled and swiped at the blood angrily and then raised it to show everyone. "Secrets that prevent me from speaking these truths. But you see! You see!"Ran glared out at the group. "We know, even if we can't speak it. But if you can read it in our heads, you will know this secret, too!"The pain was so sudden that I could not have taken a step. I couldn't even see! Buzzing filled my brain as instead of a dozen bees, hundreds of them seemed to fill my head. I had expected it and thought I was prepared, but there is no way to be prepared when someone is inside of you filling your brain to bursting!"Kim!" Paul shook me.I tried to open my eyes then realized they were open. I couldn't see!"Build your wall!" Paul shouted. "Build it now!"I tried to imagine the bricks—white bricks. White…but I could only see black vapors!Then Alexis was inside my head cutting through
I smelled Alexis and Ran, but so had Paul. He was already heading toward them. When we finally met up, I dropped Paul's clothes on the ground before him. He changed quickly back to a man while I stared up at the castle where more Neratomay than ever attempted to enter Epic Cu."Once we're inside we cannot flash ourselves out," I said.Paul narrowed his eyes. "You'll be trapped inside?"Alexis frowned, but Ran and I nodded.Paul slipped his shirt over his head and peered at the castle. "We can blow this bitch up.""Blowing up Neratomay won't kill us," Alexis said. "Not unless our heads are severed or our hearts pierced.""Why does this castle remind me of Hogwarts?" Paul asked.I smiled. "That's what I thought!""How do we enter?" Paul asked. "That entrance is a hopeless bottleneck." "You could enter through the front door once we're inside," Alexis said, pointing at the opening four stories up. "That's how we exited."Paul licked his lips. "I can make that jump.""Not as a
"You're behind this, aren't you? Somehow—"His head exploded. I flinched at the spray of gore. When it turned to ash, I brushed it off me."Which one of you did that?" I asked."He searched my head," Alexis replied."Well, warn a sister next time," I said.Then I felt a loud buzz in my head, and across the room another Elder's head exploded.This created more bedlam and screaming from Council members who flashed themselves away or who sought the aid of another Elder."Do you feel that?" Ran asked."I don't feel anything because these people are screaming and hollering so loudly," I said.They were the most cowardly individuals I had ever seen. These powerful Vampires sat here crying like wusses! The very Council members and Elders who had tortured and murdered other lower level Neratomay could only hide and cry when they met a foe they couldn't overpower. They were the very definition of bullies!Ran turned to me. "It's Paul.""Paul? How…?""I can still hear him from my tim