The Leopard King (13 page)

He ignored the question. “Listen carefully, we don’t have much time.”

“Is my murder on a tight schedule?” She didn’t mean to respond at all; the words just burst out.

“If I wanted you dead, little cat, you would be.”

It was hard to argue that. In fact, Pru didn’t understand any of this. “Then…?”

“I bear a message for your mate. You will reveal it only to the master of Ash Valley, or the consequences could be unthinkable. To the rest of the pride, you will apologize for getting lost on your first patrol. Do you understand?”

“You expect me to pretend that I’ve been wandering aimlessly for this long?”

“If you don’t agree, I’ll end you and find another way. Butcher.”

Provoked, she curled her hand into a fist. “You invaded our sanctuary and nearly opened my throat. Trust me, you don’t occupy the moral high ground here.”

“Think twice about our first meeting. If I meant to kill you, how did you get past me? Do you truly believe that your pathetic reflexes bested me?”

Pru froze, trying to remember. He’d lashed out, clipping a lock of her hair, and then she made it all the way downstairs on human feet, at human speed.
How?
Now that he’d spat words limned in mockery, underscored with grief, she couldn’t get it straight in her head.

“If you have any doubts, try now.” He stepped back so they were equidistant to the door.

Though she knew it must be a trap, she threw herself toward the exit, and he was there, so swift she sensed rather than saw his movement. Shaking, she dropped into a crouch. Close up, he smelled of cinnamon, cloves, and blood. His skin gleamed pale as a pearl, and his lashes were white, so they disappeared into his skin, leaving only the crimson of his gaze.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered.

“We weren’t there to kill the master of Ash Valley. In fact, we were sent to
warn
him that an attack was eminent, but our rescue went wrong. Probably because you were there, he didn’t seem to hear us, only fought harder, and the sleep serum on our weapons didn’t function as predicted. He shook it off and then you…
you
murdered my brother. I watched you tear his throat out with your teeth.”

No, this isn’t true. It can’t be.

“Why would Talfayen send Noxblades to save Dom? And from what? This is insane.”

“He didn’t. This is the warning you must carry—at cost of your life, if necessary. Talfayen has turned traitor, and he is working with the Golgoth. There
will
be blood spilled at the conclave. Now it is only a question of how much.”

“Why didn’t you just pull me aside? This is absurd for a simple meeting.”

“The hold is full of eyes and ears, you stupid cat. But please, test that privacy. You’ll be stunned at what you discover. This way, if Talfayen learns of our meeting, if you betray me, I will know precisely who to blame. And can act accordingly.”

“I don’t believe you.” But it was a rote objection as grains of the explanation accrued, coalescing into an undeniable truth like a picture layered in colored sand.

The assassin clenched his jaw. “That’s your choice. Trust me, I long to kill you myself. Because of you, I will never see my brother Oriel again, never drink with him or share a laugh, or…” Gavriel’s voice broke.

Suddenly, she had no doubt he was telling the truth. “I’m sorry. But… they had Dom cornered. He was
bleeding.
”

“That didn’t strike you as odd? Why would two fully trained Noxblades have difficulty dispatching one weakened Animari? If they had come at him with full skill, you would have found his corpse. Yet he suffered only superficial wounds.”

Much as she hated to admit it, his words rang true. Dom had predicted he would fall sick soon after the attack as a result of poison blades, but that never happened. In retrospect, she should have noticed the inconsistencies. Guilt settled in her stomach like a heavy meal.

“But you didn’t say a single word, only hunted me down.”

“I was trying to subdue you. I had no orders where you were concerned,” the Noxblade bit out. “Prior intel reported that he was alone. We were to extract the master of Ash Valley and bring him to this location for a private meeting.”

“With who?”

“Suffice to say, we are working to unseat Talfayen and restore peace to my people.”

Desperately she sorted the influx of information, still sifting for inconsistency. “If Dom was in danger, why did you sabotage the Rover?”

“The brakes were already disabled,” Gavriel snapped. “I only made sure you couldn’t careen into a tree. You really should thank me. By that point, I wanted both of you dead myself.” His calm tone sent a shiver down her spine. “I still do. Without my current instructions, this story would have a much different ending.”

“Your orders… who gave them?” Pru didn’t know enough about Eldritch affairs to speculate who might be acting in opposition to Talfayen, assuming he truly had turned traitor. What that meant for the conclave, she couldn’t fathom yet, but the idea of all the accords dissolving and returning to chaotic days of constant war—

No, I can’t let that happen.

“You must earn more information.”

“Do you think we’d side with Talfayen and the Golgoth?” Pru asked, horrified.

“I have no idea about your pride’s politics. The important issue here is that your mate is still in danger, and his second’s temper is well-known.”

Her whole body iced over. “You have a deal. I’ll repeat what you’ve said—only to Dom—and let the rest of the pride think I’m incompetent. If you’re telling the truth, let me go. I’ll need to run for a while in ocelot form to purge your scent.”

To her surprise, Gavriel nodded. “We can’t let anyone connect me to your absence. I risked much joining Talfayen’s entourage and stand to lose more than my life if I’m unmasked.”

She didn’t ask what he meant by that; presumably he had loved ones who would suffer. “I’m so sorry about your brother. If I’d known…”

“I carry my share of the blame. I misjudged your ferocity. If I had called out to you instead of giving chase, Oriel might be alive. Yet we are shadow warriors, not diplomats. It would have been better to send emissaries versed in such, but they would’ve lacked the skills to remain hidden and could not have fought if we arrived late. Thus, it was judged best to extricate the pride master first and explain the particulars later. That miscalculation proved… costly.”

“So if the sleep serum had worked properly, you’d have removed Dom from the retreat and had this talk with him instead?”

“Precisely. But you thought we were the assailants and responded accordingly.”

“You
are
assassins,” she muttered.

“You dare?
You
?” The Noxblade leveled on her a look so full of anguished rage that her heart crumpled. For a moment, Pru suspected she might die anyway and damn his orders. Then he let out a long breath. “Get out before I change my mind about killing you.” Gavriel moved away from the exit.

Pru didn’t ask him to avert his eyes when she dropped the overcoat. He did so naturally as she shifted. When he opened the door, she raced into the night.

Slay is my
friend. I will not kill him.

But with each passing hour, the urge to choke the life out of his second increased until Dom could hardly contain it. Multiple patrols searched for Pru quietly, and each time they reported nothing, he fought panic that made it hard to breathe, let alone think.
This can’t be happening. Not again.

But I can’t let on. If Raff and Beren find out, they’ll blame the Eldritch.
He’d already hunted down that damned red-eyed assassin, who’d turned up in one of the lounges. The bastard claimed no clue as to the video tampering, and Pru—

Pru is still missing.

His chest ached. “Tell me again how you lost her.”

Before Slay could reply, the radio crackled. Dom grabbed it with desperate speed. “Give me some good news.”

Magda’s relief came through bright as sunrise. “We’ve got visual on her. She’s approaching the side gate. All ocelot, all healthy from what I can see.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He ran through the rush of relief, despite weak knees and the echo of fear that tasted like copper in the back of his throat. When Dom arrived, Pru was getting dressed. She didn’t seem worried or shaken, and she kept apologizing for getting separated from the group. With obvious skepticism, Magda eyed him above Pru’s head, and Dom shrugged. For this moment, he only cared that she was back.

She’s home. She’s safe.

Ignoring the cluster of security personnel, he scooped Pru into his arms and headed for their quarters. He drew a few eyes that way, and at first she struggled. “I need to tell you something. It’s urgent.”

Dom didn’t hesitate or put her down, despite the shiver her breath against his ear roused. “I don’t care.”

That startled her to silence long enough for him to get inside the apartment that already felt like home. Her father wasn’t around, just as well, given Dom’s current mood.

“Seriously, this is—”

He interrupted her with a ferocious kiss. Pleasure surged like a night-kissed ocean around the iceberg of terror his heart had become when she parted her lips and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Really important,” she said against his mouth.

“Still don’t care. Give me an hour. Right now, let me be your man. Do you understand that I need you?” The admission hurt, but it got easier when her body softened against his.

“All right. You have me.”

“Good.”

Finally, Dom could breathe again, and he put his face in her hair to savor the sweet essence of her: crisp wind and balsam wood, an echo of cinnamon. Raw longing boiled over as he swept a hand down to the flare of her hip. Watching Pru’s eyes go smoky-hot was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen. Instinctively, he pulled her arms up and pinned her wrists overhead with one hand. Her back arched to hold the pose, and suddenly he wanted her naked, exactly like this, up against the door.

“Can we go to the bedroom…?”

“No. Take your clothes off.”

Pru started to protest; he clicked the manual override on the lock. “Anyone could hear us, passing by.”

“Maybe that’s the point. Maybe I want everyone to know I’m fucking your brains out. Maybe I want them to hear you come.”

Her cheeks flushed prettily, and she didn’t argue further as she pulled the shirt over her head. Though her movements were quick, each article of clothing she dropped got him harder, until the press of his cock against his pants felt like torture.
Worth it.
Especially when he put her back in position against the door.

“I want to touch you too.” She squirmed a little against his hold, so he tightened it.

“Not now. You’re being punished.”

The spike in her breathing turned him on even more. “I am?”

“Definitely. The penalty for dereliction of duty and worrying me is…” He set his mouth on her neck and bit until she moaned. Her skin filled with heat, her pulse racing beneath his tongue. Afterward, he licked the spot tenderly, feeling the shivers that worked through her. Her nipples puckered when he kissed her shoulders, rubbing his open mouth over her collarbone. Testing his hold, Pru squirmed, but he held her still, completely open to him. Dom teased her with his lips and fingertips, so that she shifted against him feverishly. Her heat might burn him alive before he gave her more.

“Please,” she whispered, eyes hot and bright.

“What?”

“I want your teeth.”

Yes.

He grazed her nipples with them, just enough pressure that she arched and cried out. Alternating teeth and tongue, he controlled her body so that she couldn’t get the friction she wanted against her shifting hips. A sound of pure frustration broke out of her, low and throaty. Slowly, gradually, he nibbled downward, but he couldn’t keep hold of her wrists.

“I’m letting you go. But if you lower your arms, I’m stopping. Understand?”

“Got it,” she muttered.

Such a sexy, petulant tone.

Dom dropped to his knees before her and parted her thighs. For a while, he nuzzled her there, back and forth; she shivered from the ripple of his breath. Already soft and slick, her pussy demanded immediate attention, and he gave it with long, lavish licks, avoiding her clit until her legs quivered. She groaned a protest, and then he went in, savoring her wild reaction. His heart hammered in his ears—to the point that he couldn’t hear—and Pru hooked a thigh over his shoulder, bucking against his face. He didn’t mean to let her come this way, but she was almost there, so he pressed just so.

Her juices sweetened his mouth, but he didn’t give her a chance to calm down. With one hand, he opened his pants, and then he lifted her. “Hang on to me now.”

She needed no further instructions. Pru wrapped her legs around his hips, arms about his shoulders, and then he took her.
Mine. You’re here. You’re safe. You’re mine.
Each thrust pounded her against the door. Impossible to pull back completely, but she drove him wild by grinding in slow, tight circles in a controlled but demanding fuck. He pushed deep and held so she could feel him throbbing. At one point, he heard footsteps pause outside, and by Pru’s fevered expression, she did too.

He pushed. Arched.

She panted. Moaned.

Feels so good.

“Yes. Fuck me.
Please
. Harder. Dom, please.”

For some reason, the words hit him like a sex typhoon, the hottest thing he’d ever heard.
My name, sweet kitten, you said my name. Begging me for it.
His cock swelled inside her, and she rolled her hips faster, thighs squeezing, sex tightening on him until he couldn’t do anything but take more of her, all of her. Her hands kneaded at his arms, his shoulders, clumsy and frantic.

Her audible grunts as her back slammed the door were too guttural to be sexy, yet they got at him until he might lose his mind.
She’s coming again.

Dom didn’t even try to hold on; orgasm swept him like him a tidal wave. The strength went out of his arms and legs. Somehow he switched off the manual lock and staggered with her to the bedroom because it would be beyond awkward for her father to catch them naked in the foyer. Collapsing with her on the bed, he closed his eyes for a few seconds, pretending there was no big picture, no problems looming.