Taboo Kisses(63)

“Felt like half the congregation had a death wish for her,” Gabriel added against her ear. “As a shifter, I sense things like that more acutely. I pinpointed at least two dozen who followed you out of the Hall with hatred in their eyes.”

“Want to tell me why they’d make a go at you if your Empress is the best siren?” Talking around his fangs seemed a touch difficult, and Maximus’s words were over accentuated.

“She might be the best at sleep serenades, but she’s not the most powerful.”

Gabriel pushed her hair over her shoulder and nipped her earlobe. “Let me guess, you are the most powerful.”

“Yes,” she whispered as he sucked her lobe into his mouth.

“Which makes you the most likely siren to take your Empress’ seat should something happen to her.” She should’ve known a shifter would be good at strategy. “And the first they want to remove from the equation in such an event.”

“Yes, but I don’t want it.”

“Either way that puts you in severe danger.” Maximus dragged her pants off quickly. “That you willingly endanger your life so casually pisses me the fuck off.”

“And me.” Although the serenity of Gabriel’s voice could’ve deceived her.

Maximus surprised her when he ripped her corset off. “Maximus!”

His hand clamped around her throat, pressing her head against Gabriel’s chest. “Foolishness, Sameya. My vampyr won’t permit me to let that go without some form of repercussions. Maybe if I make you beg and scream, I’ll satisfy my beast. I have no idea.”

“I haven’t granted you permission to punish me in any way. I do what I must for my Empress. You would do the same.”

As she was getting good and worked up, Gabriel palmed her mouth, silencing her. Maximus tightened his hold on her neck, garnering her full attention. “Your loyalty to your Empress is commendable, but we’re convinced she’s not worth you dying for.”

A moment after her vampyr’s final word, her tiger demonstrated how big a brute he could be. In a series of effortless moves, he spun her around, and tossed her over his shoulder. The impact against her belly startled her for a moment.

“Put me down! Damn you—” Her tiger smacked her ass. “Ow!” In retaliation, Sameya swatted his backside. A lot of good it did her because her revenge made them both chuckle.

Upside down she twisted enough to catch sight of Maximus opening her bedroom door.

Just as she drew air into her lungs to start screaming about how she’d get even for their highhanded behavior, they were inside her bedroom with the door slamming shut. Gabriel tossed her onto the mattress, and she bounced as she swatted hair out of her eyes.

Maximus rummaged through his overnight bag he’d packed earlier and she’d delivered before their arrival. No idea what he was looking for, she didn’t much care either.

She went to sit up, but Gabriel pressed his hand against her collarbone and commanded, “Don’t move.”

The nerve of her guys! She whacked his touch aside. “Goddamn it, you two—”

Maximus yanked her into a sitting position, his roughness cutting off her dialogue. He wrenched her hands together behind her back, and cold metal hit her flesh, making a clicking sound as her wrists were ensnared in cool manacles.

Did he just handcuff me? They were taking things too damn far.

Fury had her serenade tingling at the base of her skull. She struggled to withhold the magic while testing the constraints of the steel. When the cuffs held tight, she glared at Maximus. “You handcuffed me?”

“So it would seem,” Maximus said cool as ice.

“You have no right!”

“We have every right.” The vampyr tied her hair back with something she never got a glimpse of.

“You’re safety is priority number one to us.” Gabriel spoke as she peered up at him. “That we value your life more than you do, infuriates us both.”

“How barbaric! I’m a siren with—”

Gabriel gagged her with something that reminded her of a rubber ball. She screeched, but he calmly secured it behind her head. Next came something soft over her eyes, darkness descended as the tiger blindfolded her. She twisted and jerked at the handcuffs again, but like before, they held.

A fist wrapped around the ponytail, holding her head motionless. Fangs pierced her neck and she cried out in euphoria, as Maximus sucked and licked until she grew lightheaded with rapture.

His incisors withdrew from her flesh. “I can’t decide which tastes better, your blood or your pussy.” He slid his tongue along the wounds, healing them, and she shivered her delight. “You’re at our mercy, Sameya. How does that feel?”