Temptation at Twilight: Lords of Pleasure (6 page)

Upstairs, Trisha spread towels on Luc’s bed while another Chosen sprinted into the adjoining bathroom for washcloths and a basin of water.

Trisha wrung her hands, face scrunched in worry. “Should I get the healer? Or the priestess? Maybe she can—”

“No,” Aldric interrupted, voice and expression hard. “The witch has already done quite enough, and I don’t want anyone else to know what’s happened, especially the guests. Make sure the staff understands.”

“Yes, Lord Aldric.” Ducking her head, she hurried to obey him.

Leila? Had she somehow caused this? Again he felt that black thread running between them, strangling his heart, and wondered.... Guilt stabbed him in the chest, every bit as painfully as the blade in Luc’s. What disaster had he wreaked on his family by bringing that woman here? The bargain had seemed so simple. Surely a mere human wasn’t so powerful!

“Aldric—”

“Not now. Hold this, and press hard when I pull out the blade.”

Aldric passed him a towel and ripped open Luc’s shirt. Soren swallowed with difficulty and held the cloth ready as his brother took the handle of the letter opener and pulled. The instrument slid free easily, blood gushing forth, and Soren mashed the towel to the wound. A groan escaped Luc’s lips and he stirred a bit. His face was pale, too much so. Aldric smoothed a lock of blond hair off their younger brother’s forehead, his expression softening momentarily. Then he sat on the bed next to Luc and sliced his wrist open with one fang.

Using his free hand, he parted Luc’s lips and placed his wrist above the younger vampire’s mouth to allow a few crimson drops to fall inside. “Luc? Come on, kid. Here’s a taste, and there’s more where that came from.”

For all Aldric’s gruff exterior, Soren could hear the worry in his voice. Long seconds stretched out unbearably. A sliver of real fear began to writhe in his gut like a deadly snake, making him sick. If Luc died, Soren would follow him. Knowing that his bargain had caused his beloved brother’s death would leave no chance for him to ever be happy with his mate again.

Blood trickled from one corner of Luc’s mouth, and the towel in Soren’s hands became soaked with red.
Gods, this can’t be happening! Please, no!

At last, Luc’s tongue flicked out to catch the droplets. Then he reached up and yanked Aldric’s wrist to his mouth, latching on and suckling like a newly made vamp starving for his first sustenance. Soren nearly fell over in relief, but the feeling was quickly tempered. The blackness inside him was a real presence, an unknown entity with barbed talons that had latched on to his core and had no intention of letting go.

What if next time he lost control and there was no one to break the spell?

There couldn’t be a next time. He had to speak with Leila soon. If he had to, he’d kill that conniving—

“Soren.”

Snapping back to himself, he gazed down at Luc, who was looking at him in concern. His throat tightened, because he didn’t deserve anyone’s worry, especially now. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he said hoarsely. “Stop blaming yourself. I can see the misery written on your face.”

He gave a bitter laugh. “Who am I supposed to blame? You tried to stop me from bargaining with that devil, and I wouldn’t listen. If you hadn’t stopped me, I might have murdered Aldric, and I almost murdered you instead.”

His older brother snorted. “You wouldn’t have killed me. You got the drop on me, but I was about to punch your lights out.”

“And I’m fine. See?” Luc mustered a weak smile.

Love for his brothers swelled, clogged in his throat. Even after near catastrophe, they protected him. He pushed from the bed, unable to look either of them in the eyes any longer. “Rest, all right? I’ll check on you later.”

He strode for the door and made the hallway before Aldric caught him by the arm and forced him to turn around. “Forgive me for what I said earlier. I understand that you did what you felt you had to do. I don’t blame you.”

“I blame me enough for all of us,” Soren said, shamed. He shook his head. “I’ll figure a way out of this, even if it costs me the chance to find Helena.”

Giving up would end him. He had not a single doubt. But for his brothers, he’d do it without hesitation.

“We’ll do it together. We’re going to learn what Leila’s game is besides acquiring the Council seat, because I suspect there’s something more she’s after. Then perhaps we can get rid of the priestess
and
bring back your mate. If there is any loophole, we’ll find it.” One of his big hands clamped down on Soren’s shoulder.

“And if there isn’t?”

“We’ll deal with that when we have to. And, brother?”

“Yes?”

“I’m ashamed that I disparaged Helena’s memory,” he said sincerely. “I never thought she was suited to our lifestyle, but I was fond of her.”

“I know you didn’t mean it.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not myself. Ever since I bit Leila, took her blood, there’s something terrible inside me, and that’s what drove me to attack you when I never would have done such a thing before. The violence roiling inside me is like a storm waiting to explode. . . .”

“We’ll fix it.” His older brother’s gaze was intense, his tone allowing for no other outcome.

“Thank you.” Soren nodded toward Luc’s room. “I’ll be back later to see about him.”

Aldric nodded and Soren took his leave, striking out in search of the priestess. The resort was rather large and spread out. But this early in the morning, the guests were still in bed, snoozing off their partying from the night before, so that should cut down the number of places she might be found. Unless she was off snooping somewhere, or was occupying someone else’s bed already. One could hope.

Exhaustion dragged at his limbs. He needed sleep, badly. But that wasn’t happening until he had it out with Leila.

After taking a look in her suite—he drew the line at allowing her to share his—he moved outside. A few minutes of wandering one of the many footpaths brought him to the pretty gazebo by the pond. Inside was the priestess.

Inside the priestess was Nikki, the cute kitchen boy who helped the cook by doing all the menial prep work. Well, he’d gotten an early start on his day and had certainly done some prep, but not in the kitchen. The twenty-two-year-old was waxing her pussy, driving several inches home, causing her to moan loudly while she clung to the back of the bench he’d bent her over—proving he wasn’t such a
boy,
after all.

Soren mounted the steps and stopped in the archway. Normally, it took more than the sight of an attractive couple fucking to arouse him, but his damned cock had other ideas. The pungent scent of their sex reached him, and he steeled himself against the onslaught of lust that threatened to overtake his common sense.

Sexual creature though he was, pleasure was his
business
. He always had the ability to rise above his desires when the situation warranted caution. Yet he found himself a puppet dancing to Leila’s tune. He hated it.

“Harder, damn you! Fuck me harder.... Oh yes! Yes!”

“Gods, you feel so good on my cock! So tight!”

“I’m coming. . . .”

“Fuck, yeah!”

They reached a noisy climax, yelling their completion loud enough to awaken half the resort. When they were done, the young man slipped out of her and accepted her heated kiss as she turned and cupped the back of his head. There was a lot of tongue involved, and Soren wondered if one of them would swallow the other.

And as he watched with growing impatience, he noticed something strange. Where the priestess’s hands rested on Nikki, at the back of his head and on his bare arm, there appeared to be a faint bluish glow around her fingers. He squinted, thinking it must be his imagination, but no. The glow was there, so dim that a creature with lesser vision, such as a human, wouldn’t have noticed at all. What was more, the young man paled and began to sway on his feet.

Alarmed, Soren finally made his presence known. “What in blazing hell do you think you’re doing?” he practically shouted.

Nikki, misinterpreting the reprimand as meant for him, sprang back from Leila, his wide-eyed gaze finding his boss bearing down on them. In his fright, he missed the venomous glare the witch shot between them. But Soren didn’t.

“I-I’m sorry, Lord Soren!” he stammered. “I’m not on duty yet and I didn’t think you’d mind if I . . . well . . .”

“Don’t worry, sweetness. Lord Soren doesn’t mind if you fuck his mate.” The witch delivered that in a seductive purr, raking one nail down Nikki’s cheek. Then she gave Soren a poisonous grin. “Do you, darling?”

The younger man looked panicked. “Your mate? Oh, shit.” He started to backpedal, holding out his hands. “I didn’t know—I swear!”

Choosing to ignore Leila for the moment, Soren anxiously closed the distance between himself and Nikki, touching his shoulder. “Relax, kid. You okay?”

“I guess,” he began. For a couple of seconds, he seemed relieved that his boss wasn’t about to gut him. But then he swayed in place again and had to be steadied. “I’m not sure. I don’t feel so good. I’m sorta dizzy and sick to my stomach.”

Soren shot a scowl at Leila, who shrugged in indifference. He was going to find out what she was about, sooner or later. “Nikki, get dressed and go to the main house. Tell Lord Aldric you need to get checked by the healer.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eager to make tracks, the young man dressed, but not without a little help. Soren let him hold on to an arm to stay steady, but by the time Nikki had on his jeans and T-shirt, he wasn’t as wobbly. Muttering another apology, the kid quickly split.

Soren rounded on his phony mate, barely keeping his temper in check. “What did you do to that kid?”

“Nothing he didn’t beg for.”

Slowly, he stalked forward. “What was that blue light when you touched him? What were you doing to him?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” From her tone, she knew very well and didn’t care that he wasn’t fooled. She obviously had no worries that he would be able to learn her secrets, whatever they were.

“You were doing to him what you did to that Fae male,” he snapped, getting in her personal space. “The one you left a dead husk. Why? What do you get out of it?”

“I was cleared of that charge, and I wouldn’t go making accusations if I were you. Attacking your own brother, a worthy Council elder? What would the Council have to say about one of the community’s finest going off the deep end?” She slanted him a sly look. “I hope I’m not forced to tell them. Feral vampires are executed, you know.”

He gaped at her, anger and a dose of fear snaking through his veins. “Are you
threatening
me?” Blazing Hades, how had she known what had happened in the office when she was out here screwing the help?

“Of course not! You’re my mate.” She winked at him. “I would never speak against you . . . unless you left me no choice.”

The awful rage boiled within him, and he willed it down with an effort. So this was how she wanted to play? Then he’d have to make sure he was better at the game. Not easy when she already had him at a disadvantage.

He tried a different approach. “I have no choice but to presume you’re innocent, and I have no proof you were harming Nikki.”
But I will
. “Now that you’re ensconced at the resort and have everything you could possibly want, including a cushy life and the Council seat, I fail to see why you need me. You and I can simply go our separate ways. The resort’s big enough that we’d rarely have to see each other.”

“We
could
do our own thing,” she allowed, then shot him down. “Except that doesn’t suit me at all. The Council is a tight-assed bunch of bastards, and I’ll be the only woman currently sitting on the panel. I’ll need to be seen as your mate, and Aldric’s sister-in-law, if I’m to make any headway with them.”

“Right.” He gave a derisive laugh. “It’s all to further your mysterious agenda. Do I get to know what it entails?”

“In time. For now, you’ll play your part and look pretty at my side in public.”

Somehow, he managed not to curl his lip at her.
Pretty, my ass.
“I don’t have to put up with this. I’m tempted to call off this arrangement and forget the whole deal.”

She tsked. “Sorry, but you can’t. It’s much too late.”

“Why? Because of this dark
thing
inside me?” His hands clenched. “What have you done to me? I want an answer this time.”

“Just a bit of insurance.”

“Obviously, but that doesn’t tell me what it
is
.”

“No, it doesn’t. You’ll know when you need to and not before.” She smiled. “Be glad you can’t undo our bargain.... If you did, you’d miss out on finding your long-lost lover.”

“Mate,” he corrected, and felt hope flaring despite everything. “My
real
mate. Does that mean you have an idea where she is?”

“Better—I know where she’ll be three nights from now.” Reaching up, she caressed his face. “You and I are going out that night, and you’ll wear your best clothes suitable for Club Lash. Oh, and take plenty of credits. You’re going to need them.”

A barrage of emotions—hope, sick fear, and confusion—weakened his knees, but he didn’t dare show them to the viper. Why was his genteel Helena going to be at a down and dirty sex club like Lash?

A club known for one very hot commodity. Beautiful slaves, trussed and ready to do their masters’ bidding.

And why would Leila follow through at all with bringing home his mate? To torture him, most likely. The witch would enjoy that.

Soren had no choice right now but see this through. Harley had to admit, Val and Zenon were pretty fucking awesome. Not to mention pretty awesome at fucking. The two of them were unlike any demons she’d ever met, not that she’d met many, and certainly none so civilized. Well, for demons.

Even their clan at the compound seemed all right, if a little loud and scary sometimes. Though she hadn’t seen too many of them up close, because her new friends-slash-captors kept her mostly hidden and safe from scrutiny. The pair claimed it was to make sure their investment wasn’t harmed before the auction, but she caught the softening of their expressions when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. They liked her, but at the end of the day, they were demons, with all of their mischievousness and faults.