“You ever stop to think maybe you’re the jackass? I cannot have a mate.” Alek faced back to the desert and hills beyond.
“How you like having your cats all buddy-buddy?”
Alek whipped around. “Christ, it was you in my head?”
“Shit, I had to nudge you along. You would have been an old-ass man by the time you got around to bringing them together.” Phoenix sucked at the breeze that blew across the desert. “They will still live separately in you but they are one on the outside. You’ll get used to it.”
He should have known. This cat could probably read God’s mind.
“Yeah, you should have known and no, I’m not that good. Alek, you’re special, embrace it.” He looked toward the door. “Your woman’s coming.”
“She’s not my woman.”
“Good God, am I going to have to change her for you?”
Growling, Alek bristled, his hands clenched into fists. If he’d been in his cat his hackles would be up. “Don’t ever touch her again.” Aww hell, this was not a battle he wanted.
Viv stepped through the door. The sight of her had him gulping air. Damn he wanted her. Forever.
Phoenix’s green eyes nailed him to the railing. “When is the last time you thirsted for Nikol’s blood?”
Alek’s mouth opened and closed, opened again but no sound came out. How long had it been? He’d drunk from the prince early in the morning the day he met Viv. That night was when he first tasted her blood. Three nights ago. He’d never gone so long.
“Three days, almost four.” There had been no sexual urges for Nikol, no desire rode his back like a monkey except the desire to have the woman standing in front of him.
Viv’s head moved back and forth, finally resting on Phoenix.
“What are you saying?” she asked.
“You’re his mate, the answer to his prayers. His only thirst is for you.” Phoenix spun past her and stepped in the door. “First and foremost we are cats but we’re also vampyres, so we lust for whatever feeds us. Nothing says we gotta fuck it unless we want to.” He grinned wide. “You guys can handle it from here, right?”
“Hey!” Viv yelled as Phoenix flickered out of sight. “What about my powers?”
His form shimmered back into the room. “The ping in the arm was a booster shot to speed up the mating that would have happened anyway. Your power to dematerialize is fine.” He smiled at them both. “She didn’t want to leave so she couldn’t. You didn’t want her to go so she couldn’t.” Phoenix vanished in a shower of white light.
“Goddamn him,” Alek said. “Maybe he is the fucking devil.”
You’re getting closer but don’t push it, boy. I don’t like you that much. Laughter surrounded the arena.
Thanks, man.
My pleasure.
“Alek, what the hell just happened?”
He couldn’t wrap his arms around her fast enough. His mouth slammed into hers so hard, he drew blood. Running his tongue over her lips, he moaned.
“What happened is now you’re mine, baby.”
“That works both ways,” she purred. “I’ve been yours since the day I touched this.” She ran her nails up the front of his pants. “And I still like how it feels Mr. Got-a-helluva-package.”
His cock throbbed under her hand.
“Viv, there’s so much I need to tell you. I don’t care if you walk on all fours or wear fur ever. Law and Dace hardly ever change, you can be like them if that’s what you want.” He lifted her chin up to gaze into her sparkling blue eyes. “Don’t you want to see the sun again?”
“Yes. I want to see everything the way you do, I want to run with you, play with you in the desert sun.” Her fingers brushed his cheek and stopped on his lips. He sucked one into his mouth and wrapped his tongue around it. She looked at him with so much love in her eyes. “I want to be with you all the way no matter what it means.” She peered at him. “Are you okay with the Nikol thing? I don’t care one way or another.”
“As my true mate you would but trust me, all I need is you, honey. Since the day I first tasted you.” Now he knew it was true, he understood why he hadn’t thirsted for Nikol’s blood, which was what caused his overriding desire to be with him carnally. Phoenix had been right—it was his choice.
Alek lifted her in his arms and twirled around the small space. Taking her to the railing, he placed her ass on it and stood nestled between her legs. The sun began to peek over the horizon and his beasts settled down quietly inside him.
Waiting for Alek to create their mate.