Arundia Returns Read online

  As I leapt to my feet, the chair crashed to the floor. “Leave! I have no need of an inquisition.”

  Gregory climbed slowly to his feet and faced me. “If Matriarch were here....”

  How dare he speak of Belora! “She isn’t. She’s dead, Gregory.” My face twisted into a snarl. “Now leave my presence.” With a stiff finger, I pointed toward the hall.

  He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. “No. You need to feed. If Alexis refuses to fulfill her duty...”

  “She was my lover; not my thrall.”

  Anger darkened his gaze to honey gold. “A lover would not desert the one she loves!”

  “This is none of your business, Gregory. Leave.”

  “I will not leave.” He shot across the small distance separating us. His arms crushed me against his hard chest as his mouth crashed down on my lips.

  I clamped my lips shut, but his strong probing tongue forced them open. As his tongue darted in, heat slammed through me and I gasped. He pulled me tight against him. The feel of his rigid length straining the front of his jeans teased a moan from my throat. His hand grasped my buttocks and snugged me hard against the bulge in his jeans. Flaming spears of desire shot through my groin. In spite of everything, my arms wound around his muscled back.

  I rubbed up against him. My hands scrabbled until I yanked his shirt from the waist of his pants. My fingers clawed hunger streaks down his back. He groaned into my mouth.

  The door slammed open and bounced against the wall. “What in all of Caine’s Hells is going on?” Alexis stood in the doorway, anger swamping her eyes.

  Flustered, I quickly stepped away from Gregory and stumbled.

  Gregory reached out and grabbed me. As soon as I caught my balance, I drew away from him. Embarrassment flamed red on my cheeks.

  Before I could speak, Alexis raged, “This is how you respect our mating? How long has this been going on? Or has it never stopped? Maybe you prefer the hardness of a male’s member inside you? Maybe I'm not enough in ways that I’ll never be able to change!”

  Gregory stepped toward her. “Alexis! That is enough!”

  She thrust her hand out, palm upward. A blue flame flashed into existence and danced on her outstretched palm. “Do not come toward me, General. And do not tell me what is enough. This is no concern of yours, unless you intend to be her mate.”

  “Why you little...” He started to take another step, but I caught his forearm.

  Alexis glared at my hand grasping Gregory. In a cold voice, she said, “This is finished. I should have known that no vampire can ever give up their true nature. It’s not in you to be faithful; to love a mate--not like a human does. You were right, Serena. There is no such thing as True Love for a vampire.” She whirled away.

  It felt like a hand reached into my chest and yanked my heart out. “Alexis!” My hands reached for her, but she had already left. I folded my arms around my stomach and crumpled to the floor. Even the hurt of finding Hauk Morningstar’s murdered and mutilated body all those years ago could not compare to this tidal wave of pain. I had deeply cared for the father of my daughter, but I loved Alexis. Oh, Goddess, I loved Alexis, even if she was a traitor.

  Gregory knelt and drew me into his arms. Silently, he rocked me until my cries faded into whimpers.

  Chapter 9

  Serena Longer

  When Nikki’s delicious scent of fresh raspberries and cream reached my nose, I clutched my arms around my stomach and curled around them. “Tell her to leave, Gregory. I fear what I will do in my weakened state.”

  Gregory grasped my chin and forced my face up toward his. “Let her feed your lust, Serena. Lust is not love. It is only a hunger that you must feed or you endanger every human on this island. I can feel the burn of your hunger and soon it will become a wildfire that will consume everyone--male or female--who happens to cross your path, whether you will it or not.”

  Nikki’s jeans rustled as she walked steadily closer. My head whipped up and I snarled, “Leave! You have no idea how much danger you are in, human.”

  She dropped her gaze and didn’t speak. Kicking her runner’s shoes off, she undid the buttons of her shirt then let it fall to the floor. “Before I was a Warrior, I was a wanton. I know the danger that I flirt with, but I am sworn to serve your needs in any and all ways just as I am sworn to protect those under my care.” Jean fabric whispered as she stepped out of her pants and tossed them to one side. She knelt before me, head bowed. “Please,” she whispered, “let me serve one of your greatest needs.”

  The sweet scent of Nikki’s blood-- so unlike the scent Alexis exuded--wafted into my nostrils. My teeth elongated. A growl vibrated from my throat. Saliva filled my mouth. Bolts of desire shot through my sex. My body clenched with need.

  Was this, too, part of Gregory and Alexis’ scheme? Hunger swamped my senses. I didn’t care why this human entered my home.

  The rapid beat of her pounding pulse beckoned me. The scent of her arousal pooling between her legs drove me beyond control. I lunged from Gregory’s grasp and slammed into the lieutenant’s body. Pinning her to the floor on her back, I rubbed my face between her breasts. Her nipples peaked. Desperate to feel the silky skin beneath mine, I reared up and tore off my clothes.

  Roughly kneeing her legs apart, I shoved my sex over that sweet junction between her well-muscled thighs. The deep throbbing in my clit drove me crazy. I ground against Nikki’s thick curls. I stretched my body over the top of hers and nuzzled the side of her throat.

  Though I had recently fed my bloodlust, the steady rhythm of her pulse called to me. I scraped my teeth over a taut nipple. Nikki tossed her head and moaned.

  Hand grasping the cheek of Nikki’s ass, I held her tight and thrust hard against her mound. My mouth latched onto her peaked nipple, sucking hard. My teeth scraped against the deep rose colored areola. I clamped my lips around that taut nipple and sucked even harder, pulling much of her breast into my mouth. My canines scored the areola. A trickle of blood oozed from the scrape. I sucked hard at the shallow wound. The warm blood teased my tongue.

  Nikki writhed beneath me. She spread her legs wider and thrust upward.

  I shifted the position of my hand on the tight buttocks beneath me and tilted Nikki’s sex up so that my swollen clit rubbed against her heated slit. My tongue roughly plundered her mouth, jabbing and swirling and lashing.

  Nikki flicked her tongue and struck the tip of one canine. Rich blood ran across my tongue. Bloodlust blazed through me. I reared back and struck.

  My teeth sank into the Warrior’s neck. Blood--sweet, sweet blood--filled my mouth and gushed down my throat. I thrust harder and faster, grinding circles over Nikki’s sex. The woman moaned and met me thrust for thrust. Human hands clutched my naked back. Fingernails scored my bare skin, heightening my lust.

  My body clenched tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe. A roaring filled my ears as the wave of lust rose ever higher. I barely registered Nikki’s cry of release and, shortly afterwards, the thud of her hands as they fell to the floor.

  My climax crested on the thin edge between pleasure and pain. It slammed through me. My body jerked and shuddered with the release. From far away, I heard a voice calling to me then blackness overtook my mind.

  ****

  Hands pinned me to the floor. Panic flashed through my chest. I yanked a hand loose and lashed out. My fist cracked against someone’s head. The assailant grunted, but his rough hold did not loosen.

  “Serena!”

  The voice sounded familiar, but the need to be free overwhelmed my mind. I flipped my legs up and twisted just so. They wrapped around my assailant’s neck. With a tremendous thrust, I flung his body to the floor then leapt to my feet and crouched, hands positioned to fight.

  I blinked rapidly as my eyes began to register the scene. Gregory struggled to his knees. Behind him, Nikki lay sprawled on the floor; her skin as pale as death. Huvam healer Kira knelt next to the still body, hands on Nikki’s
bare chest, eyes closed. Blood spatters marred the floor. A solid line of dried red trailed from the wanton’s throat to a small puddle beneath her neck.

  I sank to my knees, hands splayed on naked thighs, head bowed. Eyes squeezed shut, I could not bear to witness the death I had wrought. Murderer! My mind shouted. Murderer! You’ve broken your vow to Artemis to take no life except in defense of yourself and others.

  Gregory scooted over and put an arm around my hunched shoulders. I didn’t deserve comfort. I shrugged him off.

  “Serena,” Gregory’s gentle voice brought tears to my eyes. “Serena, Nikki will be all right. I gave her my blood. Kira is healing her wounds. You have nothing to regret.”

  My head fell forward as if it weighed hundreds of tons. I could barely lift it and focus on his amber eyes. “If you had to give her your blood that means I nearly killed that child. I find a lot to regret in that.”

  “You denied your hunger for far too long.”

  I shook my head slowly from side to side. “That does not excuse my savagery.”

  “It may not excuse it, but it damn well explains it!” The hard edge to his words whipped my focus off of the child lying there so deathly pale. I looked up into his face. Harsh lines told of the anger he repressed. “Alexis promised to provide for your needs, yet because one time you took blood and lust with others, she refused to provide for one of your greatest needs. That is on her, Serena.”

  The concern in his voice brought tears to my eyes. Am I wrong? Are things not what they seem? Oh, Goddess, how I ache to believe Gregory remains my friend and Alexis truly feels devastated that I might care for another.

  “Alexis just wanted to be enough, Gregory. She wanted what many humans seek; what even Hauk Morningstar sought--someone to love her as devotedly as she loves me.” A tear trickled down my cheek. Angrily, I palmed it off. “I never should have let her hope for love from one such as me.”

  Gregory sank back on his heels. His big hands gripped his muscular thighs. “You gave Alexis love, Serena. What she wanted was to remake you into her own image. We cannot remake those we love. Love is about accepting the whole person for what they are, beyond their relationship to us.”

  Fool! Do you wish to believe their sweet lies again? Do you choose to be blind? I closed my eyes and wished the voice in my mind would vanish.

  Too exhausted to fight it and too heartsick to wrestle with the hurt in my soul, I clambered to my feet. As I pulled open the door, I said, “For Born Vampires there is no such thing as True Love, Gregory. It’s a myth. All that exists is the brutal needs of a brutal being.”

  Chapter 10

  Alexis Night Runner

  Lying on the rocky ground, I couldn’t get Nikki’s voice out of my head. I replayed our argument over and over again.

  After walking in on Serena and Gregory, I had stormed to the Warrior’s quarters. Pacing back and forth, I’d told Nikki what had happened. Instead of sympathizing, she had laid into me.

  “For Goddess’ sake!” she ranted around my office. “Do you have any clue what you’ve done? The danger you have placed every human and vampire on this island in?”

  I folded my arms across my chest and glared at her. “I’ve simply, finally, ended a bad relationship.”

  Nikki whirled and faced me. “No, that is not what you’ve done.” In a low, angry growl, she continued. “What you have done is to deny a vampire one of their most basic needs—the need to feed lust. You haven’t gone home in days, yet you expect First Councilwoman to not take lust with someone else. Stupid, much?”

  While I was smarting under her lash of words, she went on. “Doesn’t it get through your thick head that she was going to take lust with a male? The First Councilwoman does not emotionally bond to males. She’s a lesbian even when she fucks males to feed her lust.”

  The hurt and anger inside spilled out. “It doesn’t matter. We were supposed to be exclusive. It isn’t like this is the first time she’s fucked someone else! That’s why I haven’t been home, or did you conveniently forget that little fact?”

  Nikki heaved a deep sigh and blew it out. “Don’t you realize—taking lust with a male is like drinking bagged blood. It feeds the basic hunger but that is all it does. As for First Councilwoman going to the House of Females—maybe you should examine some of your own actions before you condemn her for taking care of her needs.”

  As she stomped toward the door, I demanded, “Where are you going?”

  Nikki spun to face me. “I am going over to offer my body to feed First Councilwoman’s lust. If she will accept my offer, I may be able to avert the danger that now exists for all of us.” She slammed the door behind her.

  Staring at that blank door, I’d made my decision. Serena needed someone as liaison with the werepanthers. Nikki could take over the Warriors. She’d done so when I’d been gone those six months.

  Overhead black clouds threatened to burst. A weather-sensitive huvam had predicted an approaching storm. Hard pellets of rain pounded down by the time I guided the small boat out of the hidden cove. Chased by my memories and the storm, I’d guided the boat to the mainland.

  ****

  I twisted to dislodge the rock digging into my stomach. A waxing three-quarter moon ruled the cloudless night sky. Other Sight—part of the perks of being a Magic User--tinged the scene in the valley below with a transparent blue. Satisfied that we had collected all the information possible at this time, I back crawled down the slope until my head was below the crest of the hill. Climbing to my feet, I stretched. Off to my right, bushes rustled. I tensed until a lanky woman strolled into view. With a toss of her head, she signaled that it was time to leave.

  Regretfully, I glanced toward the ridge line. It had been two weeks now and we still hadn’t gathered enough intel on the enemy encampment of rogues to decide on a course of action. Watching for roots and low branches, I picked my way down the hillside, glad that it wasn’t raining.

  ****

  Slumped in the wingback chair that I gravitated toward every time I entered Elder Coahoma’s living room, I gazed around the large space. Ri, looking like she needed to gain another ten pounds, sat on one end of the soft fabric couch. Elder Coahoma stood by the fireplace, looking like the painting of an old-timey monarch with the orange and blue flames flickering behind her.

  “How many are gathered?” the Elder asked.

  If Serena’s lack of communications since I’d arrived bothered the Elder, she didn’t show it. I couldn’t help but think that the tentative agreement to ally with the panthers had been set aside. When I had phoned Gregory earlier that day, he said Serena wouldn’t speak to him about the alliance with the panthers, either. Like me, he worried that she meant to call it off. Since she had not recalled me—hadn’t even asked Gregory where I was--I wondered where that left me.

  I shook my head clear of those musings and focused my attention on the subject at hand.

  Lieutenant Kaia Herald sipped her glass of iced tea then carefully set it on the table next to one end of the couch. “I’d say about twenty people. Of course, we have no way of knowing how many they might have out on patrols or raids.”

  The Elder gave a solemn nod. “Noted. Alexis, could you tell if they were vampires?”

  I pushed up straighter in the chair. “Three of them moved like vampires. The rest....” I shrugged.

  “Most of them moved like panthers, Elder Coahoma.” Kaia crossed her long legs as she settled against the couch back.

  “That would be seventeen panthers. Do we really have that many rogues?” Ri restlessly got to her feet and crossed to the wet bar on the far side of the room. She poured a cup of coffee then stirred in creamer. When she turned, she leaned against the counter, her eyes on her aunt.

  The Elder pursed her lips and held her niece’s unwavering gaze. “I'm afraid so. We’ve always had those panthers that disagreed with our policies about one thing or another. As long as they didn’t bring danger to our People and didn’t slaughter others, they
could travel their own paths. After all, we naturally tend toward the solitary life. Now, however, we have those who believe we are superior to humans and they chafe at having to remain hidden.”

  A disbelieving snort burst from me. “Blood brothers and sisters to Arundia. How did we get so lucky?”

  “Queen Coahoma, with so many gathering only a few hills away, I ask again for permission to move you and Heir Rianna to someplace safer.” Sven’s voice rumbled from beside the fireplace where he stood with arms crossed over his massive chest.

  Elder Coahoma flicked a dismissive hand. “I’ll tell you what I’ve said for the past three days. This is my home, Sven, and has been for many decades. Forest surrounds us; we have a mountain at our back and a ravine to one side that is deadly to those who do not know how to traverse it. I see no reason to run.”

  “Panthers would have no problem traversing the ravine, nor would the forest be a detriment to their hunting skills. And though vampires may not easily find our village, even a rogue panther would have little trouble locating us.”

  “Sven, I agree that having vampires among the rogues bodes ill, but I won’t blindly run away from my home.”

  “Auntie, please think about what Sven is saying. We know the vampires are using magic to hide their true scent from the rogues when they are in human form. There’s no way to know what other kinds of magic they might use.” Ri set her empty cup on the counter and made her way over to the fireplace. She took one of her aunt’s hands between both of her own. “Auntie, please, at least think about what Sven has said. I don’t know if I could stand losing you.”

  Elder Coahoma lifted a wrinkled hand and stroked Ri’s hair. “You remind me so much of your mother.”

  Eyes pleading, Ri said, “Please, Auntie?”

  “Don’t fret so, child. We do not become old panthers by being foolish. I will take Sven’s suggestion under consideration.” She dropped her hand and turned to face Kaia and me. “Is there anything more you can tell me?”

  We shook our heads.