The Reign shuffled from foot to foot, unsure of what to make of him standing there, cock flying in the air. His growl cut short a snicker from one in the back.
“You got something to say, boy, spit it out.”
“No sir.”
“I can’t hear you.” Alek was having a little fun. They were afraid of him. Not the kind of fear you have for your ex-leader. Their fear lay in not knowing exactly what he was. Fanfuckingtastic. “Get your asses out there. I see any slacking in practice, you’ll answer to me. Go,” he bellowed. His new sense of power overflowed and infected each of them as they scuttled by.
Yeah, he was different.
Alek felt like the king of beasts.
* * * * *
She sat up in the strange bed, the smell of sex surrounding her.
Alek was gone.
She was pissed off and her mind veered in every direction. She cleaned and clothed herself using her people’s magic. Searching far and wide around the grounds, she couldn’t feel the bastard.
Hell, she’d been with men both dead and alive. Alek was different. Hunger clawed and twisted her insides. Viv’s veins contracted, screamed for blood—his blood. “Lord, don’t do this to me.” She’d heard about this feeling.
No way the weirdass cat could be her mate.
Unable to dematerialize, she paced the floor and waited. When she got her hands on him she’d…
“What? You’ll do what?” Alek’s voice shook her to the core. It was as if warm honey drizzled over her cold, dead limbs.
He strode across the room from where she stood. “I like your hair out.”
Something was different, an air of superiority even worse than before shone from his eyes.
Viv’s nostrils flared at his new scent. Lion…and tiger. Both were so distinct she leaned into him sniffing loudly. Wonder replaced anger. He smelled like a goddamn lion. Shit, the stories were true. A Kind abomination already, a new mixture of monster stood before her. Three of the world’s most dreaded creatures rolled into one.
Tiger, lion and vampyre!
And the crazy fucker could walk in daylight.
“Get me the hell out of here.” Fear, claustrophobia, whatever, Viv needed the night air in her lungs. Her heart fluttered against her rib cage. “I’ll kill Phoenix when I see him.”
Alek chuckled at her discomfort.
“Bastard, get me out of here. Now!”
“Easy, baby. You’re safe with me, nothing, no one, will ever harm you.” Alek enclosed her in his arms. “But don’t make me go up against Phoenix. I won’t win. Now, let’s get out of here.”
Wrapped tight in his arms, before Viv had time to blink she sucked the cool night breeze through her lips.
“Tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Your power to vanish has been, well, the best way to describe it—stolen. For now. I’m sure it’ll be returned.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Pulling away from him, she walked to lean against the nearest tree. “What are you, Alek?”
He looked at the ground, rolled a stone with the tip of his boot. Brief glimpses in his mind were no help. Viv needed to see more but was unable to grasp anything. An audible gasp heaved from her throat at the turmoil in his head.
Finally he gazed at her and moved to her side. Alek pressed his body into hers, forced her against the hard bark. Raising his wrist, he said, “Feed.” Thirst for sustenance beat at her. Desire for his blood and only his drew her parched mouth to the vein in his arm. Her fangs lengthened. Biting into his flesh, deep to the artery, Viv gulped at his life force.
Pictures flashed through her mind. Two cats on their hind legs dancing, clinging to each other in the sun. Lion and tiger, neither fighting nor giving in to the other. Balanced on large padded feet, they clung together.
Never fear me, baby. This is what I am.
Jerked back to reality by the voice in her head, she stopped drinking.
Releasing her hold on his wrist, she licked her lips and savored the last drop. Her tongue swept across the wound, closing it. Viv melted against the tree holding her up.
Alek’s mouth touched hers so softly she wasn’t sure it was real until his tongue prodded her lips for entry and she opened up to him like a flower. His taste fresh in her mouth, she kissed him back.
A dark corner in his mind remained shuttered with steel and she couldn’t break the barrier.
Let me in.
You’re inside every part of me. Damn, I want you. His hands moved down her hips, one inched between her thighs.
What are you hiding from me? She had to know. Clutching his fingers in a viselike grip, she stopped his progress.
Viv caught herself from falling when he pulled away.
“Come on, I’m taking you out. We can both use food.” He smiled at her brightly. “Who knows what else we can get into? Relax and have fun with me tonight.”