Page 85

Story: Feral Beauty

She rolled her bottom lip into a practiced pout and trailed her hand down his chest to his waistband. “I could use a painkiller.” The action had his dick sitting up, taking notice.

“Like the stuff the humans use?” He played dumb, making her work for it. And, oh, how he was rewarded.

“No, my darling.” She cupped his hardening cock through his pants. “I don’t need a pill for what ails me. Come, and I’ll teach you all the wonderful differences between good girls and bad.”

“Vivian?” he managed to croak.

“Yes?” she purred.

“Are you wearing long johns?”

She turned and sauntered down the hall. “Why yes, I am.” Then she paused, unbuttoning the catch on her trapdoor, offering him a tantalizing glimpse of one rounded cheek.

His mouth went dry, and his heart jumped like a manual transmission in a newbie’s hands. Only Vivian could strut her stuff in a pair of thermal underwear and make it look sexy. The fact she didn’t seem to miss her fancy silk lingerie wasn’t lost on him.

Suddenly, the idea of spending eternity with abad girlwas, oh, so appealing. Maybe they could make this work after all.

Twenty-Two

Vivian shiveredand smoothed her hand across the vast expanse of empty sheet beside her. “Liam?” she croaked in a thickened voice. She cracked one eye open and glared at the sliver of sunlight stabbing through the draperies. Without Liam’s big, hot body wrapped around her, it seemed the temperature in the room had dropped twenty degrees.

She propped herself up on an elbow and eyed the pile of tangled clothing on the floor. The sight of her borrowed long johns drew a smile across her lips. Who knew the effect that silly trap door would have on her mate? When this dagger business was over, she’d order a few pairs of her own.

Her mate.

She sighed.

Those two words didn’t fill her with the same level of panic they did a few days ago. The fact she planned to include Liam’s preferences in her next sleepwear purchase said a lot. Without meaning to, she was already including him in her plans. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe it was time she stopped fighting fate and accepted that they were destined to be together.

She slid into Liam’s shirt and retrieved her woolen socks. Before leaving, she snagged a blanket and wrapped it around her body. A minute later, she found the great room just as vacant as her bed. It was possible that Alex and Jericho were still sleeping, but where was Liam?

The welcoming aroma of fresh coffee teased her nose, and she made her way into the kitchen. Not the espresso she preferred, but it would do. Once she’d poured a cup, she went in search of her mate.

Muffled voices rumbled from the rear of the cabin. She sauntered through the great room, meandering in the direction of the back deck. Through the window, she spied Liam and Jericho outside. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their backs to her, arms propped on the railing, steaming cups of coffee in hand. Not a terrible sight to wake to. She smiled and headed for the door.

The sound of her name locked her body in place. They were talking about her?

She eased back, tucking behind the wall and a long length of curtain. Because that is what bad girls did, after all.

“Well of Souls, huh? Sounds easy enough,” Liam said.

She frowned. The Well of Souls was the place immortals journeyed to die. When they tired of their endless existence, they gave themselves into the care of the priests who guarded the temple. Once the sacred ceremony was complete, their souls were cast into the bottomless well.

Jericho grunted a noise of agreement. “Victor says if you toss the dagger inside, the well will draw the souls from the stone, rendering it powerless.”

She bit her lip.But what happens to the souls?

“What happens to the souls?” Liam asked, giving voice to her concern.

“No one knows for sure,” Jericho answered. “The priests believe they journey to another plane where they’re treated like gods and revered for their sacrifice. Skeptics will tell you there’s a beast at the bottom of the well. The monster feeds on the souls. Priests are there to feed the creature.”

Liam snorted. “For all we know, we could be casting them into hell.”

Vivian’s heart sank. In doing so, she’d be no better than Alistair.

“Still, it solves your dagger problem,” Jericho added, his tone somber. “Seems to me, you either cast them into the well, or someone uses them to wreak havoc on the world. At least with the well, they’ve got a chance at finding peace.”

“Hard call to make,” Liam said, “even if it is for the greater good.”