Page 44

FORTY-FOUR

Reed

L eaving the bed next to Fiona the next morning was a form of torture. We’d slept, fucked, slept some more all throughout the night. My desire for her was insatiable, the new mate bond between us driving me to claim her over and over again.

She was just as insatiable, matching me urge for urge as we came together throughout the night. Which was why the morning light found us bone weary and furious to be summoned to the vampire’s nest.

Fiona deserved a solid week of rest and recovery, but unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to give her anything I’d wanted. A beautiful hotel room surrounded by enemies was not what I’d envisioned for our bonding, not by a long shot. But maybe life was about embracing where you were, with the one you loved, and not perfection at every turn.

Dirge had said I’d have to give up my closely-held control for her, and damn if he wasn’t right.

But when it came right down to it, being with her was enough perfection for me, no matter how much I wanted to give her everything.

“What’s wrong?” she murmured, wrapping her arms around me from behind, planting a kiss on my shoulder as she looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. “You’re supposed to be happy after a night like that.”

There was mirth to the words, but sincerity too. I placed a hand over hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Last night was incredible beyond anything I could have imagined. I just hate that I can’t give you a honeymoon, lying on the beach.”

Fiona grinned, not sharing my melancholy. “Well, how about we do that after we take care of business?”

I snorted, shaking my head at her ebullience. What had I done to get so lucky to have her as my mate? I didn’t know. “Absolutely. Anywhere you want to go, for as long as you want to stay.”

Somehow, against all the odds, by the time we’d eaten breakfast and downed some coffee, I felt better than I ever had and ready to face the vampires. Her bond was a steady presence in my chest, this welcome warmth and awareness that made me feel like I could climb any mountain or chop down a tree with my bare hands.

I’d always been alpha, but with Fiona’s bond, I was a better man.

I was whole.

* * *

Carmine’s nest was located in his first casino, the Sanguine Sinner, which was done up in vintage Vegas style. Bright lights and plush carpets greeted us as we stepped out of the car on the curb, and the automatic doors opened with a puff of rich cigar smoke, threaded with the distinctive scent of weed lingering in the air.

I held up a hand, stopping Fiona on the thick red carpet before we stepped inside. She was the picture of temptation in a blood-red gown, and part of me applauded her boldness, while the other part of me resisted the urge to shuffle her back into the car and away to safety.

“There’s something I forgot to tell you.”

“What’s that? How much you love me?” My heart sped at her private smile, the one she reserved only for me.

“I do love you, more than life itself. But some of the…” I paused, noting the sea of humanity swirling around us and lowering my voice. “Some of the beings inside can read minds. Not all. Only the very old and powerful. But Carmine is at least one with such talents.”

“Okay, good to know.”

“It’s possible to prevent, but it requires practice. You want to blank your mind, think of something impenetrable, like a bank vault door, or a brick wall. Wolves can’t feel it, but you might be able to if he tries. We won’t know until we’re in there. The best you can do is just blank yourself out and try not to think of anything you wouldn’t want to share with him.”

“I can do that,” she said with a defiant jut of her chin.

With that settled, we went in.

Noise, flashing lights, and the sharp tang of the many different types of alcohol on offer barraged us as we stepped through the doors, while tuxedoed waitstaff danced through the crowd on nimble feet.

It was a familiar atmosphere anywhere on the Strip. Here, though, was something different.

The customers were typical humans, buzzed with cheap drinks and the excitement of the bet, but the staff, the watchers, and those you could feel lingering in the shadows just out of sight?

Vampires.

And if you looked closer at the clientele, you could see the twin punctures adorning necks and wrists, the hazy afterglow of a fresh vampire bite. Those who weren’t buzzed were still fresh, yet to be whisked away to a dark recess to be feasted upon.

The back of my neck prickled as I guided Fiona deeper into the nest, a protective hand on the small of her back. We were barely past the craps tables when the sickly-sweet scent of death clouded my nostrils.

“Alpha Monstru, Madame Valentine—if you would follow me, Carmine is ready for you.” This vampire didn’t wear the standard tuxedo, but a ten-thousand-dollar suit, perfectly tailored to his eternally fit form.

“Darick.” I acknowledged Carmine’s second-in-command with a nod, resisting the urge to physically react to his sudden appearance by shoving Fiona behind me.

The negotiations had already started, and I couldn’t afford to put a toe out of place. My Alpha needed me to get this deal done, and I was ready to get the fuck out of Vegas.

He led us through swinging double doors to a back room, where a high-stakes poker game was in progress.

No one even looked up as we skirted the table, so focused were they on the cards and the pile of light blue chips in the middle of the green velvet.

Darick escorted us out of the room as efficiently as he’d led us in, and then up a hidden flight of stairs which wound up to the second story, where there was an entirely different atmosphere.

It was a broad, open expanse of space, a simple black railing all that split the top floor from the open casino floor below, giving anyone up here a bird’s-eye view.

Low booths lined the far wall, with dark curtains available to enclose each cubby, either for business or pleasure.

Only the highest-ranking members of the nest were allowed up here, in Carmine’s personal playground. Every eye turned to fixate on us as we stepped off the top stair and into the sacred space.

The vampire himself was lounging against the railing, looking down over his kingdom with a bored, thirsty expression, despite the frosted glass of clear liquid in his hand. My nose told me it was vodka.

“Carmine, your special guests have arrived.” Darick’s tone was smooth, unbothered, even as no other creature on the landing moved.

It was one of the things I found most unnerving about vampires. They were unnaturally still, in a way that only the undead—who didn’t require oxygen—could be. It was like being in a hall full of threatening marble statues.

Cold, dead, and ready to eat you alive.

Carmine’s dark chuckle preceded his turn toward us, the knowing expression proving that he had been listening in to my thoughts. When he turned to face us, the light played over his golden-tan skin, contrasting with the dark shadow of his beard over his jaw. But his handsome facade was given away by his eyes, their black-rimmed red irises chilling as they locked with mine, even to another predator.

I intentionally blanked my mind, imagining a stone wall, the kind that used to line my parents’ fields in the old days.

“Welcome to Las Vegas, Reed, Fiona.” He nodded to each of us in turn, and I instantly hated the way his eyes lingered on Fiona in her gown. She was a work of art, but she wasn’t his to admire.

I tamped down the frustration, focusing again on the dark, stacked-stone wall. It was an effective distraction, even if frustration still simmered beneath my skin.

“Thank you, Carmine. We greatly enjoyed your hospitality last night.”

“Oh, that was your restaurant!” Fiona cooed, glancing up at me with a bright smile before pinning her gaze back to Carmine. “The food was divine, and so was the service.”

“I’m glad to hear it. That booth does tend to encourage people to get up to naughty things. My staff tells me you abstained. Although”—he inhaled, clearly scenting us, as a slow smile spread across his face—“I see you didn’t abstain for the entire evening. Good food is such an aphrodisiac.”

Fiona blushed, her cheeks pinking at the blatant talk about our all-night sex-a-thon.

“You know wolves don’t share, Carmine, so don’t even consider it. We’re here strictly on business.”

He waved away Darick, seeming bored that I didn’t rise to his prodding. “Yes, I’m aware. Such prudishness from a long-lived species never did make sense to me, but whatever makes you happy, I suppose. Would you care for a drink, or shall we get down to the brass tacks?”

When I declined a tall, willowy female vampire with a bottle of vodka, he continued.

“Very well. I’m given to understand that you’re looking for a prime piece of real estate to open a new restaurant on the Strip? I might have something available that I could sell in the spirit of interspecies goodwill.”

“As much as I appreciate that, Carmine, I’m afraid I’m here on pack business, in addition to restaurant business.”

His serene expression never wavered, but all the vampires around us who’d resumed their normal behaviors once again went statue still. Eavesdropping, every one of them, and not liking the turn of the conversation.

A near imperceptible twitch of Carmine’s finger, and they all resumed motion, his own little puppets on strings.

“That’s not a terrible surprise, given you’ve recently had such turmoil in the wolf dynamics.” His steady red gaze left mine and once again landed on Fiona. I liked it even less the second time.

“Yes, most of it not of our own making, I’m sure you realize. We find ourselves under attack by petty usurpers who don’t like the fact that their own packs historically lack the power of Caelestis and Blackwater.”

He nodded, taking a drink of his own vodka.

“Because of that, we find ourselves in need of something that the dwarf king has.” I saw no point in lying about the fact that he had something of ours. It was possible that Carmine knew exactly what we needed. Vampires were long-lived, and he himself had risen to his current position of power during the omega wars. Putting myself in a position to be proven deceitful in a negotiation only led to weakness. I preferred the position of strength, with all cards on the table.

“And good old Cysernaphus has sent you to repay his debt to me. Intriguing.” He set the vodka on the railing, straightening for the first time since we’d walked into the loft.

“Yes. And I’m more than willing to negotiate on behalf of my pack. As you have real estate you could part with, so do I. My research tells me that your nest has a growing interest in New York City? If you’re looking to expand the Sanguine empire, I’m in a prime position to make that happen.”

It might have galled another wolf to offer up one of my restaurants to a vampire as a feeder club, but frankly, he had to eat, and there were a growing number of humans who actively sought the paranormal for a thrill. Carmine’s reputation was squeaky clean; he didn’t kill his food source.

I could live with it if it kept my pack safe.

He nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest as he considered. “That does sound promising. For a man with appetites such as my own, though, I must confess—I was hoping for a livelier exchange. More of a fight, if you will.”

I couldn’t help but bristle. If he thought I was going to put on a show for his amusement, he was wrong. Vampires valued blood above all else, and I wasn’t going to waste precious time offering him something of low value. A feeder club with pack protection in New York City, where there was always a fresh stream of new humanity looking for a good time? It was a chance he should have jumped at.

So why isn’t he?

“Leave us.” He twitched one finger with the command, and the other vampires in the room all sped out so quickly, even my enhanced sight barely caught it. Some of them went over the railing, trusting that the humans below would never even see the leap.

Between heartbeats, we were alone. No, not quite. Darick still lingered, and his blood brother, Kieran. I focused hard on that stone wall, my fingers flexing on Fiona’s back as I worked to keep my thoughts and emotions neutral.

To her credit, my mate was a staunch presence at my side, unflapped by the sudden show of supernatural speed or the vampire’s bloody stare. I couldn’t squash the pride I felt in her, in how well she was made for me.

A feeling of warmth in my chest that I knew came from her nearly startled me into reacting, but I managed to hold it together at the last second.

“What Cysernaphus clearly failed to inform you of is that his debt to me is not merely one of business or convenience. No, Cysernaphus has paid me a great personal insult.”

Fucking bastard . Of course he’d insulted Carmine. He’d certainly paid several insults to the high alpha through his disrespect of our delegation. Why should he do any less to one of the oldest, most powerful vampires in the country?

“I would say I’m surprised, but he didn’t show much appreciation for the high alpha’s authority either.”

“Pity.” There was a pregnant pause. “But I’m afraid, in order to truly consider the debt to Cysernaphus cleared, I’ll require more than a feeder club, delightful though it sounds.”

In a rare show of feeling, he stroked his throat, as if it were dry in a way the vodka couldn’t soothe.

“You passed my little test last night with flying colors, as I expected. And normally, a few sips of your predator blood would be enough to provide me with extra stamina for months. Combined with your distaste for the entire affair, the insult would be assuaged.”

This time, I did bristle. He’d sent the hunter, which suddenly made much more sense. He was no random straggler, slipped through the vampires’ security. He’d been allowed in, pointed in our direction to see if I had hidden backup from my pack.

Instead of wolves barreling in to protect us, he’d seen Fiona and me fight for our lives, not just against the hunter but the wolves who’d in turn attacked us. I’d had my suspicions, but clearly, he was after something specific if he was admitting it.

Though if my insult was what he wanted—damn Cysernaphus to the nine wintry hells—holding back my repugnance for the idea wasn’t serving the deal. Fiona glanced over at me with a worried frown, probably starting to pick up my tumultuous emotions through our bond, but I smoothed my hand over her back, trying to communicate that it was fine.

A vampire’s bite was intimate, disconcerting for a male of my dominance, certainly. It would also hurt like a bitch and put me on my ass like I had the flu for more than a week until my wolf could work the residual venom out of my system. But there was no price I wouldn’t pay for my Alpha and my pack’s safety.

“I’m glad to hear you think so.”

Carmine responded to my thought out loud, and I realized I’d let my stone wall slip. He straightened his shirt, a gesture so similar to my own, but it wasn’t until I saw the slow, devastating smile spread across his face, saw his men step closer, that I realized exactly what he was about to say.

“Absolutely fucking not. We’re leaving.”

I had already spun on my heel, turning a surprised Fiona with me, when I saw Darick and Kieran had blocked the exit behind us.

“Ah-ah-ah, Reed. You just thought it yourself. There is no price you wouldn’t pay for your Alpha and your pack’s safety. Insult for insult, or there is no deal.”

“You can have anything of mine you want. But not that.”

“Not what? Reed, what’s happening?” Fiona’s whisper was small, clearly meant for my ears only, but Carmine caught it regardless.

“Why don’t we ask your lovely mate? Surely she cares about the pack, now that she’s a bona fide member as of last night. Don’t you, darling?” The way he purred the last word made me want to rip out his throat for daring to address my mate so intimately.

“Of course, they’re my family.” Her innocent acceptance of my pack, so easily, made my eyes sink closed in anguish. She meant every word, and it was a dagger to my heart.

“Excellent.”

My eyes sprang open, glaring at the overstepping undead leech in front of me. “I said no, Carmine. And unless you want an interspecies incident, you will drop this immediately.”

“I see. So, you won’t allow your mate the choice? She seems independent enough to take issue with losing her voice. I’m surprised she’s okay with letting you speak for her.”

I growled, seeing right through the manipulative son of a bitch. He wanted a taste of her power. He’d had wolves before, I had no doubt. But Fiona? She was special, rare . It was possible he’d never scented another of her kind, whatever it was.

“I speak for myself, and Reed knows it. Just spit it out, whatever it is you’re not saying.” Fiona’s eyes flashed hazel, her powers rising with her frustration.

When Carmine’s nostrils flared, his eyes darkening with his thirst and lust for the power she’d just tapped into, I knew it had gone too far. But there was nothing I could do to stop his words, even as my wolf raged in my chest, demanding to be let free, to defend our mate.

“Why, darling Fiona, I merely want a taste of your blood.”