Sacrifice

Soul Mates: Sacrifice

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher. Soul Mates: Sacrifice

TOP SHELF

An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers

PO Box 2545

Round Rock, TX 78680

Copyright 2007 © by Jourdan Lane

Cover illustration by Rose Lenoir

Published with permission

ISBN: 978-1-60370-102-0, 1-60370-102-8

www.torquerepress.com All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680. First Torquere Press Printing: August 2007

Printed in the USA

2

Jourdan Lane

Chapter One

I sat up in bed and hit the switch on the headboard. The soft light that illuminated the bed wouldn't bother Lucien, but it was a sudden shock to my eyes. I'd been staring into darkness for the better part of an hour, my mind restless. A dream had ruined what could have been the most perfect day of sleep in a long while. Knees to my chest, I leaned against the headboard, one hand on Lucien's head, thumb moving lightly back and forth over his forehead. Lucien had fallen into a deep sleep long before dawn had arrived. He'd fed and then rolled over and crashed, mumbling that he was sorry he was so sleepy. It was still so soon after what had happened to him. Being taken from his own bed, impaled on a bed of spikes in the floor of a coffin, and then buried for over a week tends to take a lot of out of someone. As it was, if we'd been even hours later in finding him, Lucien would have been dead. Permanently. He wasn't fully recovered yet. His leg still hurt him more than he would acknowledge and he was weak from the blood loss and power drain. The best donors available had fed him, and his wounds could no longer be seen on the surface, but his body was still damaged on the inside and needed to heal. So far, Lucien had been in good spirits. He'd seemed to be dealing with everything okay, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before it really hit him that it was Caleb who was the cause of everything that had happened. Caleb. The one he'd loved and cherished for so long—the one he'd trusted above all others. Hell, I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around what Caleb had done. And I'd seen the damned video of him and Cyril together. I knew he'd done it, heard what at least part of his motivation had been, but part of me still couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it. The last time I'd seen Caleb was the night before the Coven meeting. I'd run into him right outside my bedroom door and he was in a big-ass hurry to get away. I guess now I knew the reason why, but I couldn't understand why he'd even come back here after everything he'd done. 3

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None of it made sense to me. Only Caleb knew why he'd done what he'd done. I'd always been of

the belief that jealousy makes people do stupid things. But this? This was beyond stupidity.

I shook my head and crawled off the bed, wandering over to the closet. I found a pair of jeans and

was just slipping them on when I heard the lock on the bedroom door click.

Xander.

As I buttoned my jeans, I poked my head out of the closet. He wasn't wearing anything but a loose

pair of black cotton shorts and his hair was disheveled. He'd been sleeping.

"Hey, baby."

"Hey." His voice was almost a whisper at first. No doubt because he'd just rolled out of bed. "You

okay?"

"I'm fine. Just couldn't lie there anymore."

"You've got a lot on your mind." It was a statement, not a question. "Maybe getting out of here for

a little while would help."

I considered it for a moment, knowing exactly where I'd go if I left this room. Xander stepped into

the closet and handed me one of Lucien's T-shirts. I sighed and took it from him.

"Will you stay with Lucien until I get back?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?"

I shrugged. "Guess that depends on whether someone saw him."

"The bear shit in the woods, the man saw him, the bear ate the man. Does that mean the bear didn't

shit in the woods after all?"

"I don't know. Did he?"

"Of course he did. The wolf was watching. The wolf knows all and sees all."

"What if the bear ate the wolf?"

"Not a chance, baby." Xander laughed and shook his head. "Why do you ask me stupid questions

like that?"

"You're the one that asked me about bears."

"I don't mean that." His expression went serious. "You know I'll stay with Lucien. You know that's

why I'm here."

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"I'm sorry I woke you."

"That's just us, Peter. And you apologizing for it makes about as much sense as putting a bucket

down a dry well."

"Last thing I want to do is take advantage of you, Xander. It's always better to ask than order."

"Since when?" He waited until I pulled the shirt on to grab me by the shoulders and force me to

look at him. "I understand you're fucking exhausted and that you're not quite clearheaded at this

point, but dammit, Peter—please don't pull away from me."

"I'm not pulling away from you. I'm just…"

"What?"

"I'm tired." I shrugged his hands away so I could hug him. And when I did, it was as if I couldn't let

him go. "I'm tired and I'm scared. Scared of everything that's happened here lately, where it leaves

all of us."

"Things are gonna be fine, baby," he whispered, holding me tight. "You have to believe that."

"They may be fine, but they'll never be the same." I pulled away and gave his forehead a quick kiss.

"You want me to bring you anything?"

He shook his head. "I think I'm just going to curl up with Lucien and sleep."

"I'm sure he'd like that."

"I would, too." Xander rubbed at his neck, sighing. "It's been a long… well, however long it's been

since I slept last. All my damned days have run together."

I frowned. "You haven't slept?"

"For about an hour." He shrugged. "I've been downstairs."

"With Nikolas?"

He turned and headed out of the closet. "Sort of."

I followed after him and grabbed his arm, turning him to face me. "What's going on? What aren't

you telling me?"

"Just go," he said as he shrugged away. As he crawled onto the bed, he looked back at me. "We'll

talk when you get back, okay?"

And just like that, I'd been dismissed. Part of me wanted to lash out at him for it, but another part of

me just wanted to let it go. Letting go won out. Xander was the last person I wanted to fight with.

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"Fine." I turned and headed for the door, not even bothering with shoes or boots. I took one last glance toward the bed as I shut the door. Xander had snuggled close to Lucien and pulled the comforter up nearly over his head. I started to go back and turn off the light above the bed, but Xander's arm flailed up, searching for the switch. As the light went out, I shut the door. I stood in the hallway for a moment, listening. Off in the distance, I could hear voices, though I couldn't make out any words. The sound of a vacuum cleaner starting up covered the voices a few seconds later. So the house didn't magically clean itself after all. I found myself walking down the stairs toward the lower level of the mansion. There wasn't much on this lowest level. Some people called it Hell. I called it…interesting. One of the escape routes was through this level, leading to a long, long tunnel, guarded day and night. A transport vehicle, bags of blood, and a case full of money awaited in case of an emergency. I hoped that option was something we never had to use. A ragged cry rang out from the next corridor off to the left. The Dungeon. It surprised me that I'd come so far and not realized it. I came to a stop in front of the door leading into the massive dungeon area. There were punishment cells as well as play rooms, but there were times when it was hard to figure out which was which. Some of our people had interesting ways of getting off. The moment I stepped inside the door, I knew something was wrong. Well, maybe not wrong—but off. Normally, there was no shortage of sounds. Moans and cries of both pain and pleasure were a mainstay. Now, there was nothing but silence. I paused at Nikolas' private play room. The door was cracked open, but a cursory look inside showed the room to be empty. I moved on down the corridor and found that every single play room was empty as well. At least one of them was usually occupied during the day by some of our werewolves. I hit the end of the corridor that led to the punishment and holding cells. I opened the door and stepped inside, cringing when it slammed behind me. Oh yeah, way to be quiet and not attract attention. The first two cells were empty. In the third cell was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was wearing fatigues and something about him made me pause. I wasn't sure if it was the clothes or the military-style crew cut of his salt-and-pepper hair. The man looked at me with bored, hateful eyes, but didn't bother getting up from his small bunk.

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I walked a little farther and picked a clipboard off a nail beside the man's cell. We kept records on every single person who was brought in, telling who brought them in, why, what was to be done to or with them, and finally, what they were marked for—if anything. The man was marked as Nikolas' private play toy. He'd been brought in by the team and by the date and the description, he was the same vampire hunter that I'd directed Silver to bring into custody over a week ago. I'd wanted him to be a gift for Nikolas. I didn't know why the hunter was still here, still alive. We were going to have to fix that—and soon. I replaced the clipboard on the nail and looked up to see the man standing before me. He curled his lip in disgust, but there was desperation in those eyes. "Why am I being held here?" "You know the answer to that." "Who are you? What do you do here?" When I didn't answer, he reached out for me. "Maybe we can come to some kind of agreement, here. I can make it worth it if you help me out, man." "Now, why would you want out of here?" I asked. "You've got a roof over your head and you're fed three times a day… Really, it seems like you've got it pretty good." "You're one of them," he snarled. "The very one who ordered to have you brought in. Tell me, hunter… What else shall I add to your list of scheduled…activities?" He swallowed hard and backed away. "That can't be possible! How can you be awake during the day?" A scream ripped through the silence around us and I turned away from the man in his cell in favor of finding the source. It hadn't come from the holding cells, and, from what I could gather, it hadn't come from the punishment cells either. There was only one other possible place and when I realized that, I quickened my pace. The heavy metal door opened just as I reached for it. Screams poured from the open door and with them came pain. I clutched at my head, stumbling, bile quickly rising from my stomach. Hands grabbed me up and then there was a body before me, warm and familiar, yet not. I blinked and looked up. "I tried to get to you before you opened the door," Logan said. "You won't be able to go in there." "What's going on?" I suddenly felt as if I'd been hit by a Mack truck going seventy. "What are you doing awake?"

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"I've always risen early." Great. From what I'd gathered, only the more powerful Masters rose before the sun set in the evenings. God help us all if he decided he wanted to lead, rather than follow. I managed to steady myself and tried to pull away from Logan, but he clung to me. "Let me go, Logan." "If I let you go, the pain comes back." Christopher had done the same thing; dulling my senses the first time we'd found a decomposing body in the club, and Lucien had done it for me when Caleb had been attacked. There were just a few people I had enough of a blood bond with to feel pain through—and two of them were up in my bed asleep. "Caleb's awake?" "Well, whatever's in that cell is awake," Logan replied, shaking his head. "Can you shield against him?" I started to say yes, but I wasn't sure if I could. Lucien and I had worked on my shielding for a long time. I wasn't as good as I could be, but considering I was still human – though how human was now fully debatable – I was damned good. But I'd still had Lucien to lean on. I could lean on any vampire for the support, as long as there was a blood connection. I grabbed his hand and turned it over, exposing his wrist. "Give me." Without question, Logan brought his wrist to his lips and bit down to break the skin. His wrist was offered without a word and I grabbed it, fastening my lips around the two bleeding punctures. The first sip was rich and inviting, the second was even better. His blood and power surged through me with each and every sip and I only stopped when the wound healed. Logan dropped his arm and I pushed away from him, already working on shielding. Once I managed to get my head in the right place, I stopped touching him and tried to shield from Caleb on my own. But his power beat furiously against my defenses and I knew I'd never be able to face him alone. And that? Was a very, very bad thing. I offered my wrist up to Logan. "Hurry up, then." He smirked and took my wrist. As he brought it to his lips, his tongue played back and forth over my skin. The more his tongue worked, the less I cared about what was behind that door. When he finally bit down, I groaned. I expected – and if truth be known, wanted – him to take his time. I wanted to feel the pull as he took from me, wanted to relish the exquisite sensations. But he stopped after only a few sips, the expression on his face not quite disgust—but pretty damned close. I jerked my wrist away. "Sorry to disappoint." 8

Jourdan Lane

Logan shook his head, mouth still working as if he'd bitten into something nasty. "Your blood is… Peter, it's not right." "No one else has complained."

"I'm not complaining; I'm concerned." He blanched and stumbled away, bracing himself against the

wall as he vomited up the blood he'd just taken from me. "Your blood is toxic."

"To?"

"To everyone." He stood and looked at me, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What

happened to you while you were gone?"

"I don't know," I said. "It's a blank, for the most part."

"With all due respect, you need to find out what they did to you. And why they did it."

"What, you can't figure that out by touching me and getting one of your visions?"

"Not and help you shield Caleb."

Okay. So maybe he wasn't as powerful as I'd feared he was. I didn't really want company when I

saw Caleb for the first time, but my options were pretty damned limited. No way would I bring Lucien down here this soon. If anything, I wanted to prevent him from seeing Caleb until he was a little more healed physically—and a lot less vulnerable emotionally. I grabbed the door handle and opened it. The screams had stopped at some point and I was glad. Screams from a human were annoying enough, but screams from even the weakest vampire could be incapacitating. Logan went in ahead of me and I followed behind him after shutting the door. "Where's Nikolas?"

Logan pointed ahead. "When I left him, he was in the viewing room."

The viewing room. Right. It was similar to the viewing rooms you'd find in just about any police

station where other officers or lawyers could watch an interrogation in progress. Except, our oneway mirror was bullet and predator proof. For the most part. The room connected to our viewing room was reserved for the worst-case offenders and the most violent creatures the team managed to bring in. There were times when we'd been afraid that the mirror would never hold. It had once taken on a pissed off, fully shifted werelion. So far, he was the only one to have cracked that one-way mirror, forcing us to replace it with something bigger and better.

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Soul Mates: Sacrifice

Man, that night had been a fucking mess. Literally. Territorial bastard had pissed all over everything he hadn't bled on—and then some. He was also the reason we'd installed shock pads in the restraints, the floor, and on the wall. Some motherfuckers just couldn't be convinced to play nice. Nikolas was leaning against the wall, looking tiredly out the one-way when Logan and I walked into the viewing room. He wasn't wearing a shirt and was covered in blood. Some of it fresh, some of it old and dried. There were cuts all over his neck, chest, and arms, along with a long, nasty-looking gash on his right cheek. His black leather pants had long gashes in them as well, and I didn't doubt there were wounds that I couldn't see beneath them. I went right to him, but when I tried to kiss him with just a peck on the lips, he turned his head away and offered his throat instead. To anyone else it would have been a sign of submission, but I knew what it meant where Nikolas was concerned. Kissing in private was one thing. Kissing in the company of others was something else. Something he just wasn't quite ready for. I licked at his throat and nuzzled my way up his chin. "You look like hell." "Kinda feeling like hell at the moment, princess." He gestured to the window and the room beyond. "Our boy there has been showing me just how pissed he is about being in those chains." I turned and faced the window. Caleb paced back and forth like a caged lion that was ready to snap. He was heavily restrained at the neck, chest, waist, wrists, and ankles. The chains were on a complicated pulley system and retracted into the wall when necessary. They were just long enough to let him move around, but short enough that freedom wasn't an option. A control panel for the entire room was located on the wall just off to my right. Caleb's clothes were shredded, only a few pieces of material hanging off him here and there. He was covered in blood from head to toe, and from what I could tell, it was all his doing. Long, nasty looking claws extended from his fingers and he flexed and worked them as he paced. He stopped abruptly and scented the air, looking right at me. I knew he couldn't actually see me, but he certainly knew I was there. Those once-beautiful brown eyes of his were black and filled with a malevolence that I'd never thought Caleb could be capable of. Caleb lunged forward, fighting the chains holding him. He screamed and raged, clawing at himself as he tried to get free, alternating between cursing me and pleading for me to help him. The curses I could handle. But the pleading made me ache for him—for the Caleb we knew and loved. I sighed and turned my back to the window. "Talk to me, Nikolas." "His head is in a seriously fucked up place." Nikolas stared at Caleb for a long while, then looked at me. "You remember when we met Cyril in the diner? How I didn't want you to touch him?" 10

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"Yeah…"

"One of Cyril's powers is reading people by touch."

Logan pushed away from where he stood on the opposite wall. "Like a psychic?"

"A psychic with an agenda," Nikolas said. "His main goal is to find out a person's biggest fears,

weaknesses, and desires."

"Why?" I shook my head. "What does that possibly do for Cyril?"

"I think the more trouble he can stir up, the more he gets off on it. Cyril is what some people call a

Watcher. One of those angels that are just supposed to sit and watch, I guess."

"But watching wasn't enough for him," I added.

"He liked to dip his fingers in the water and play with the human-folk. It didn't set well with his

higher-ups, but instead of punishing him, they changed his job description. He's supposed to be

a…" Nikolas paused in thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Well, not a warrior and not a

guardian. Something in-between, though I can't remember what they're called at the moment." Logan cleared his throat. "So, what does this have to do with Caleb?" The look Nikolas gave Logan was far from kind. "Are you still down here for a reason?" "Nikolas, don't—" Nikolas turned that look on me. "This is my territory, Peter." "In my house." The muscles in Nikolas' jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth. "Step outside for a moment,

Logan."

"Peter?" Logan questioned.

"Don't go far," I answered, waiting until Logan walked out and shut the door behind him before

addressing Nikolas. "You can drop whatever fucking power trip you're on because I will not do this

with you."

"Why is he down here?"

"Because I can't shield Caleb on my own. Without him, I'd be on the floor screaming."

Nikolas rolled his eyes. "Well you could have just fuckin' said so."

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"What's the deal, Nikolas?" He met my eyes and I knew part of the reason then. Even a werewolf

needed his rest. "How long have you been awake?"

He shrugged. "I lost count a long time ago."

"Have you eaten?"

"Sure, Caleb was kind enough to take a thirty-minute break in screaming so I could go grab a few

burgers." He sank down onto the floor and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes

as he spoke. "In all my years of doing this, I've never been so scared of breaking someone."

"I think he's already broken."

"That's why I asked Logan to sit in here for a little while."

"You asked Logan to come down here, but berated him for still being here?"

He shrugged. "I never claimed to be consistent."

I crouched beside him. "Did Logan have any insight as to what's going on in Caleb's head?"

"If he could have gotten into Caleb's head, he might have."

Confused, I shook my head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Caleb, a low-ranking vampire with limited power, managed to keep Logan, Master vampire with considerable power, out of his head. I think the only insight we're getting at the moment is that Caleb's fucked in the head—and is more powerful than ever."

"But you're afraid of breaking him," I said hesitantly. "Does that mean you don't think this is

permanent?"

Nikolas looked up at me. "Honestly? I'm not sure yet."

"How do we find out?"

"We either wait until he's worn himself out…"

"Or?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"No, Nikolas. Or what?"

"Or we get Lucien in there with him to try to calm him down."

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Jourdan Lane

Chapter Two "No."

"Figured you'd say that, so I wasn't even considering it as a valid option."

"It's too soon for Lucien to be anywhere near Caleb."

I stood and walked to the window, bracing myself on the ledge. Caleb was still going at it. I was

glad the room had the soundproofing that it did, or the screams would have been intolerable.

Nikolas followed after me and leaned his hip against the wall.

"Then we bleed him to weaken him and we wait."

Or…

"Pull the chains tight, get his back to the wall." I pointed to Nikolas' boots. "Give me those in case

you need to use the shock pads."

"Oh, hell, no."

"And let Logan back in here, please. I'll need to talk to him before I see Caleb."

Nikolas just stared at me. "Take me back to the part where you decided this was a good idea?

'Cause really, I think you've lost your fucking mind!"

"Lucien is in no condition to come down here and face Caleb now, or any time in the near future.

And you know coven rules just as well, or better, than I do. We can't weaken him before we punish

him."

"Lucien is gonna have my fucking ass," he snarled, bending to unbuckle his boots.

"I'm not going to stay in long, I promise."

"Not like it's going to keep him from hurting you."

I grabbed a boot as he kicked one off and slipped it on, not bothering with the buckles, doing the

same with the second boot. Nikolas walked over and opened the door, holding it open and

gesturing for Logan to come back in. 13

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"He's going to need your help," Nikolas said to Logan.

I could feel Logan's eyes on me before I even looked up and decided to stop any protests before

they were voiced. "Logan? Your best bet right now is to just do what I ask of you."

"Whatever you need."

I glanced at Nikolas. "Now that? Is something I'd like to hear every now and then."

"Yeah? Well those of us who actually give a damn about you might be a little harder to convince

when you're about to do something stupid."

I ignored Nikolas. "Logan, if you can get into Caleb's head while he's focused on me, maybe we

can figure out what to do next."

"I hate to even suggest this because of how dangerous it is, but—"

"Then don't suggest it."

This time Logan and I both ignored him. "If I can hold onto something of his…"

I turned and looked at Caleb. There wasn't much on him, but if it'd help, I'd do my best to get

something. I blew out a shaky breath, trying to give myself a little pep talk. There weren't really any options. This was something that just had to be done. Something that was part and parcel of being co-leader of this coven. But I had to admit – even if just to myself – that the whole thing was like a small platoon facing an entire army. You just knew going into the fight that the other guy was bigger and stronger, but you trudged on anyway. Not because you thought you could win, but because it was your job to be there. Nervousness ate at my gut, but I put my game face on anyway. I walked to the door and opened it,

but paused and glanced back at Nikolas, who looked like he was just about ready to snap.

"Watch my back, Nikolas."

He settled a little, but the look in his eyes was as intense as ever. "I've always got your back."

"I know."

I shut the door and walked the few feet to the room Caleb was in. The door buzzed open as soon as

my hand touched it, thanks to Nikolas at the control panel. At that moment, I wished he'd have

taken his sweet time in buzzing me in.

But it was too late now.

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I pushed the door open, grimacing at the heavy scent of blood filling the air. I'd played with Caleb many times and had relished the sweet, rich taste of both him and his blood, but there was nothing familiar here. This was acrid and bitter. Oh, so bitter.

Caleb's screams stopped. Black eyes studied me as I moved into the room.

"Hello, Caleb."

Silence.

"Do you know who I am?"

Caleb grunted, but I wasn't sure if it was in response to my question or because he'd just pulled

against a restraint. I suddenly wondered why I thought this was a wise idea. I mean, what could I

ask someone who was – for all intents and purposes – not in his right mind?

"Do you know why you're here, Caleb?"

He looked away, staring at the floor. "Fuck off."

"Great, so you can do more than just grunt and growl. And I guess it's obvious you know who I

am." I walked closer. "I'm not gonna play games with you."

"Xander."

"Xander isn't here."

"Bring him to me."

"You're in no position to make demands."

Caleb swung his head up and glared. "Bring him to me!"

"Why? So you can hurt him like you hurt Lucien?" Caleb grimaced as if the mere mention of

Lucien's name physically hurt, so I kept on. "You do remember Lucien, don't you? The man who gave you everything?" "No..."

"You took him from his bed, from his safe place, and you buried him in a fucking wooden box. But

no, that wasn't enough, was it? You laid him on a bed of silver fucking spikes and bled him,

poisoned his body—"

"No!"

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He struggled against the restraints, and when they didn't give, he turned his attention back to me and screamed. I felt Logan there in my head, acting as a buffer, and I knew that if he hadn't been I'd have been on the floor. There was a sharp prick at my cheek and I reached up, only to find blood on my fingers. Another prick on one arm, then the other, and then on my chest. Son of a bitch. Nikolas' injuries and cuts made sense to me now, but I wasn't about to let Caleb think I was just going to walk away. I stepped forward and grabbed Caleb by the throat, meeting his eyes. "You left him to die!" He struggled and tried to bite me, but Nikolas pulled the restraints back just at the right moment, tearing Caleb from my grasp and preventing me from getting my arm ripped open. Caleb immediately went silent, refusing to even open his eyes to look at me. This had gone absolutely nowhere and I'd yet to see anything in him that was even remotely redeemable. Maybe the punishment for Caleb should be the same that anyone else would receive for this crime. But I couldn't think of that. Not now and certainly not while standing in front of him. I stepped away and shook my head. "You'll be kept here until a decision is reached on what to do with you. You may not have managed to kill Lucien, but you sure as hell lost him." I walked to the door and waited for Nikolas to buzz me out. Just as I was about to close the door behind me, I heard a whimper from Caleb. I stopped, but didn't look back. "Xander…" "Yeah, you probably lost him, too." Caleb roared out again, but this time I heard something other than anger in those growls and screams. Something that sounded a little like fear and a whole lot like sorrow. The door to the viewing room opened and Logan leaned out. "We need to talk." *** "So what you're telling me is that he shouldn't be punished for what he did?" "No, no." Logan sat forward in his chair. "I'm only saying that he wasn't fully aware of the consequences of his actions. He had Cyril constantly in his head, clouding his rational thinking. Caleb still knew what he was doing was wrong. He just couldn't seem to care because Cyril was always there, working his magic." "So it's all Cyril's fault?" 16

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"No…"

Nikolas mumbled something around the mouthful of burger he had stuffed in his mouth. Simon had

brought him four burgers less than five minutes before and Nikolas was almost finished with the

third.

I rolled my eyes. "Anybody ever teach you to chew before you speak?"

He flipped me off and took a drink of his tea. "What psychic boy over here means is: Caleb had the

desire to do what he did. Cyril just gave him the power and the means to do it."

Logan shifted uncomfortably. "Caleb's issues may have been buried so deeply that he may not have even realized they were there." I'd heard enough. For now, at least. I stood and took one last glance at Caleb. He hadn't moved since I'd walked out of the room. I was so conflicted about what needed to be done with him. There was a strict coven rule about weakening someone before they were punished, but I figured different situations warranted different actions. "Bleed him. Call me when he sleeps." I couldn't look at Nikolas when I gave the order. I was afraid that if I did, he'd give me that smug,

satisfied look that said 'told you so' and that might have made me change my mind again.

"If I'm awake—"

Nikolas snapped his mouth shut when I turned to face him. "If you're not here, then make sure

whoever is here knows exactly what is to be done."

"I will."

"Peter…" Goose bumps rose over my entire body and it almost felt as if Lucien was right there

behind me, touching me. I could almost feel his breath caressing my neck. "Come to me, lover."

"I'm on my way. Are you okay?"

"I need." He was in that weird space he woke into on rare occasions where his body was waking

and hungry, but he was still a bit disconnected. It never lasted too long, but it was both painful and

disorienting as hell. "Need to…"

"Xander is right there with you, baby. He'll feed you."

I could feel the struggle in him and I knew that if he could just open his eyes, he'd come out of it that much faster. And then he did and I saw Xander through his eyes. Xander hovered above Lucien, fingers moving over Lucien's cheek, his expression full of love and devotion. "See? He's right there, ready to give you what you need." 17

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"I need you."

"I promise; I'm on my way."

I broke contact with him and didn't bother to say another word to Nikolas or Logan as I headed for the door, and both of them remained silent as it shut behind me. I managed to make it to the outer door of the dungeon before a throat cleared behind me. "Peter?"

I stopped and turned to face Logan. "You'd better not be coming to plead Caleb's case."

"I wanted to make sure my position was clear where he was concerned."

"Right. It was pretty clear to me that you don't think he was fully aware or responsible. But you

know what? That's not something the rest of the coven is going to understand."

Logan sighed. "My words and my meaning are not matching up."

"Then by all means, please tell me exactly what you mean and stop beating about the fucking bush

already."

"Was he fully aware? No. Was he still responsible? Yes."

There was more he wanted to say; I could practically see the thoughts whirling about in his head.

"But?"

"At any time, Caleb could have gone to Lucien – to Xander – and asked for help. To say, 'hey, I've fucked up and I need some help'. But he didn't." "And that makes him responsible." I rubbed at the back of my neck. This shit was giving me the worst kind of headache. "Did you see that in his head? Moments where he knew he was fucking up?" Logan nodded. "Several of them."

That knowledge hurt more than I thought it would at this point. "I thought you needed to touch him

to get these visions of yours."

"That was before I knew you had a blood-bond with him in the past. There's not much left of it, but

there was enough for me to find a way in."

"Did he do it, Logan? Did he take Lucien from his bed? Did Caleb put him in that box?"

"Do you really want to know?"

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"No, I don't really want to know that someone I loved and trusted and called a friend could do anything to hurt the most important person in my life. But I won't be able to think about anything else until I do know." He seemed to consider that for a moment. "He was there."

"Logan…"

"He never physically touched Lucien, but he did help take him from the room. And seal the box.

And reset the grave stone."

"And then came back here like everything was fucking fine."

"But I can tell you that he was in pain—"

"I don't want to hear about his goddamned pain." I shook my head and stared back down the empty

hall behind us. "You were there, Logan. You saw Lucien when we pulled that box out of the

ground. You saw what they did to him."

"I know."

"So don't tell me about Caleb's pain. I honestly think he hasn't had enough."

Logan looked down and away, shaking his head. "I don't mean to say that what he did was

acceptable, in any way, but I can tell you that his pain was real to him."

"His pain isn't an issue. All that matters is that he fucked up and he has to pay for it." And in that

moment, my decision was made. I wanted him punished and I wanted him to have to live with what

he'd done. "If he's given an ounce of special treatment—"

"You and Lucien will lose any and all respect from the coven," he said, looking up at me

sympathetically.

"And if Caleb gets off easy, then others might be tempted to…" I couldn't finish that thought.

"I know it's hard to think of punishing someone you once loved – and still do, deep inside – for

committing a crime so severe. But when you accepted your place at Lucien's side, it was no longer

just about you and Lucien, but the coven as a whole."

"Shit. I need to get upstairs. I've kept Lucien waiting long enough."

"I understand. If you need me for anything, just call."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He caught my wrist as I turned to leave. "I like it here, Peter. Thank you for giving me a chance."

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"You've been very helpful since you've arrived. Some people don't believe that your showing up here when you did was a coincidence. They think it was wrong of me to trust in you so quickly." I patted his hand and pulled away. "Don't prove them right, Logan. Don't make a fool of me." Before Logan could say another word, I opened the door and walked out. The trip back upstairs seemed to take forever, but most of that was probably because other people were waking and starting to roam about the mansion. I nearly bumped into Silver as I rounded the corner leading to the private wing. He stepped aside with a small smile. "Hello, Peter."

"Hey, Silver. How's it going?"

"I'm not quite sure yet."

"Because?"

"I'm headed down to keep an eye on Caleb for a while. My night's going to depend on how well he

behaves." He eyed me a little closer. "But that's where you just came from, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"So? What should I expect?"

"Not much, I hope. I gave the order to have him bled."

"I see..." He seemed to think about that for a moment. "It's for the best, I'm sure. Get as much of

Cyril's blood out of him as possible."

"And then see how he reacts," I added. "I'm not comfortable making any decisions until that

happens. I know it's against coven rules, but—"

"It's not if you believe he's been tainted. I may not think too highly of his ability to lead, but I have

known him long enough to know when he's not Caleb." He patted my shoulder. "Have faith in

yourself, Peter—in your ability to lead. You're doing a damned good job."

"Someone once told me that humans were never meant to lead a coven of vampires. I think I've just

now realized how true that statement was."

"But you're not human. You haven't been human for quite some time. And you know what? Even if

you were? I'd still think you were doing a kick-ass job."

"Thanks, Silver."

He nodded and stepped aside. "Give Lucien my regards."

"I will," I said as I started past him. I paused, though, when I realized Silver had just come from

that direction. "You weren't down here to see him?"

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"Uh…no. I was coming to see you." "Something else you wanted to talk about?" "No, no. It's all good." "You sure?" "It can wait until this is all over with." Silver inclined his head respectfully. "My lord." Silver had asked about some things in passing, curious about Lucien's thoughts. I knew he was excited about some of the changes we'd discussed. And more, I think he was anxious about the possibility of becoming the coven's team leader. He'd been leading by default, but I knew he wanted to feel more secure in what his place and duties were. Problem was, I'd yet to fill Lucien in on everything Silver and I had discussed. He waited until I nodded to walk away. Well, if moving that damned fast could be considered walking. My lord. That was something that was going to take some getting used to. It made me feel like some medieval fucking tyrant, commanding a host of servants. I continued on down the hallway and when I got to the bedroom door, I stood there for just a few minutes, trying to relax as much as possible. If I went in all worked up, Lucien would want to know details. At this point, I figured details were a bad thing to be giving out. A muffled cry sounded from the other side of the door, prompting me to get on with it and scan my hand to get inside. The light flashed green on the first pass and I opened the door, only to hear two of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Lucien and Xander both grunted and groaned, but I was sure there were two very different reasons for it. I couldn't see them from the doorway because of the curtains around the bed. Xander had apparently pulled them shut after I'd left. It was a habit of his; always wanting to sleep closed off from the rest of the world. About midway to the bed, I started stripping off my clothes. It wasn't until I got to my jeans that I realized I was still wearing Nikolas' boots. He'd come looking for them after he got a little rest. I was sure of that. The boots were his favorite and I couldn't see him leaving them with me for long out of fear that I'd take them over. I kicked them off and to the side, then stripped off my jeans. I made my way to the bed, but before I got there, I felt an odd prickling down my spine. The sensation was one I'd only felt once before. The night Nikolas had attacked me I'd gotten my first glimpse at Xander's power. It was something I'd never forget. There was no reason, however, that I should be feeling it now. Xander kept a tighter lid on his powers than anyone else I knew. Lucien had never seen even a glimpse, as far as I knew. I quietly continued to the bed and drew part of the curtain aside. The soft light of the room filtered into the darkness around the bed. 21

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At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But to someone who knew Xander, who'd felt Xander's power before – and knew how he felt about showing any of it – this was so totally wrong. Lucien was above Xander, feeding. With each pull, I could hear a groan of satisfaction. Xander was beneath him, legs spread, hips rocking up against Lucien's belly. His breathing was slow and deep, a grunt preceding each exhale. It was grunting that drew my attention—or rather the pulse of power that came with each one. Or maybe it was the way Xander was planting his feet on the bed and grabbing on to Lucien's shoulders as if he was about to push Lucien off and away. In the next second, Xander rolled Lucien to the bed and pinned him to it. Lucien struggled, arms flailing as he tried to push Xander off. "Xander!" I crawled across the bed, but when I touched him, he turned that power on me and shoved me back. The impact with the headboard knocked the breath out of me and I could only watch, struggling for breath, as Xander planted his palms on Lucien's chest and dropped all of his shields. Power exploded all around me. The sensation was nothing and everything like the night I'd been attacked. The power Xander had let slip there outside the hunting area – the power he'd shown me – was a slow, gradual reveal. This was all of that power magnified a dozen times and concentrated into one place. The air around the bed was alive, and the sensation of hot, sticky fur rubbed along my body, trying to find a way in. And I just wanted it to stop. I tried to get to Lucien, but it was as if the power created a physical barrier between him and Xander and me. Lucien bucked and gasped, body bowing, eyes rolling back in his head, his hair growing longer and longer. After a few moments, Lucien grabbed Xander by the shoulders and flung him away. Xander hit the curtain on the other side of the bed and fell to the floor. The silence was almost deafening. Or would have been if not for Xander cursing and Lucien lying there panting as if he'd just run for miles. I crawled to him, turning his head so I could see his face. "Lucien? You okay?" He opened his eyes and looked at me, licking a spot of blood from the corner of his mouth. Nodding slightly, he closed his eyes again. "If he does that again… I will kill him." I touched at his hair, confused, but wary about mentioning it. "You'll have to stand in line." Xander drew back part of the curtain and sat on the edge of the bed, but didn't make a move to come any closer. "I see how it is. Try to help out and I'm the bad guy?" I glared at him.

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"Trust me," Xander said. "You'll both thank me later. Nikolas will need to feed you tomorrow

night, Lucien. After that, you should be back to normal strength."

"Nikolas has fed me this way before." Lucien glared at Xander as well. "He's much better at it than

you are."'

"Maybe." Xander got to his feet. "I'm going to eat. Call if you need me."

The door to the bedroom closed a few seconds later as Xander left and I looked down at Lucien.

"You really okay?"

"Fucking bastard."

"I'm sorry."

"He had no right."

"Guess he thought he was helping."

Lucien sighed and shook his head, clearly irritated as hell. "Helping me? Or helping himself?"

That, was something I couldn't answer. For all Xander's pleading about me not pulling away from

him, it seemed he was doing exactly that. Maybe I was reading too much into things; seeing things that weren't really there. Or maybe there were things going on with him that I needed to explore a little further. After all, Caleb was someone I had loved and trusted, too.

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Chapter Three

After a while, Lucien nudged me with his elbow. "Talk to him when you get a chance. Find out what's up with his sudden…" He looked over at me, shaking his head. "I'm not even sure what to call it. Change of attitude? I do feel there's something going on." "For my sanity, I hope we're both wrong."

He turned onto his side and kissed my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but otherwise okay." I chuckled. "Wouldn't the better question here be: how are you

feeling?"

"Actually? I feel pretty damned good." He sat up a little, rubbing at the back of his thigh. "Leg

doesn't even hurt."

"Really?"

Lucien nodded. "But if you tell him how much it helped me, I'll kick your ass."

"Will you?" I leaned up and kissed him, shifting to straddle him as he lay back. "There are much

more pleasant things I can think of that involve you and my ass."

He groaned and caught my face between his hands, pushing me back just enough to look me in the

eyes. "I need, lover."

It hit me then, that when he'd said he needed as we connected in the dungeon, just exactly what he

meant. Sometimes it wasn't all just about blood and feeding. I felt like an ass for taking so long.

I worked a hand between us, fingers rubbing at the soft, smooth skin just behind his balls. "What do

you need, baby?"

His legs spread wide, hips surging up to try to get my touch a little lower. When I refused to budge,

he nearly whimpered in frustration. "Need to feel you inside me." "That all?"

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I brought my hand up and spit on my fingers before sliding it between us again. I pushed two slick

fingers into him and he gasped.

"Oh, God." He clutched at my arms. "No. Need you to…"

"Need me to what? Make you come?"

He nodded, but there was so much emotion behind it that it just seemed wrong. He turned his head

and rubbed his face against the inside of my forearm. "Need to forget."

That stilled me.

"What's wrong, Lucien? What happened?"

"Dreams… Memories… I don't know which," he whispered. "Please don't stop."

"Oh, baby."

"It kills me to admit that I was…" He clenched his teeth, face contorted as if in pain. "I was scared. So scared that I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. Whether I was home or in that box just wishing I was here. When I woke—" "Xander was giving you a power feed." "It hurt so much, Peter. All I felt was pain and I panicked." I bent and pressed my lips to his. "I'm sorry I didn't get up here sooner." "You're here now." "I am." I pulled my fingers from him and rolled him to his belly. He resisted a little at first, but once I managed to get him over, he stretched out and settled. I kissed a long line from the back of his neck, down the length of his spine, enjoying the groans and moans of pleasure and the way he squirmed with the touch of my lips against his skin. "Peter, please, stop teasing." "Shut up, you know you love it." He growled and spread his legs a little wider. "You know what I mean." "Mmm…" I slid down and flicked my tongue along the crack of his ass, working my way down even further. He groaned and spread his legs even more, arching his ass up toward me. "Like that,

do you?"

"More!"

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I spread him open, pushing my tongue against his hole. He gasped and bucked, body shuddering hard. I fucked him with my tongue, enjoying the way he just opened himself up and begged for more. I moved over him and straddled his ass, rubbing my cock along his crease. "Inside me."

"Are you sure, lover?" I teased him just as he liked to tease me.

He reached back and pulled at my hip, growling in frustration when I swatted the hand away. I

pushed into him then. The tight heat of him was almost overwhelming and I dropped my head to

his shoulder, letting my teeth scrape his skin.

He turned his head and I stretched for a kiss. The movement sent me deeper inside him and he

nearly bucked me off as he shoved back for more. I thrust into him over and over again, just

fucking him slow and deep.

I licked and sucked at the skin at the back of his neck, between his shoulders, wherever I could

reach. He let out a long, low, rumbling growl.

"Just like that. Just…"

"Deep and slow," I whispered.

"Yeah."

Moans soon became cries and whimpers and I could feel him tightening around me. It sent fire

straight to my groin. I shook as I tried to stave off the orgasm.

"Come on, Lucien. I'm right there. Don't want to come without you getting off."

"Hard, hard," he panted.

The moment he shoved back, I exploded inside him, feeling like my balls were trying to shoot out

my cock. Lucien gasped and buried his face into the mattress, crying out, ass milking my already spent cock, keeping me half-hard. I finally had to pull out of him so I could catch my breath. "Oh, God, Lucien, I already wanna fuck you again." "You say this like it's a bad thing. Goddamnit, Peter. I needed that." I smiled against his neck. "Good. So glad I could help." He laughed. "Come shower with me?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world." *** 26

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"Why don't you fill me in on some of the things that took place while I was gone." Lucien sat at the

desk and propped his bare feet on the edge. "I'd rather have a little more than bits and pieces."

I stopped beside him, pausing the towel-drying of my hair to bend and kiss the top of his right foot.

"Do we have to do this now?"

"Yes, we do. I have been away too long and if I don't start working again soon, it could lead to

chaos."

"Chaos, huh? That sounds… terrible. Let me grab my brush and get comfortable first. You'd think

whacking a few inches off my hair would've made the fucking tangles less of a problem."

I walked to the bedside table and grabbed a brush before going back to the desk and sliding onto the edge. It wasn't as comfortable as I thought it'd be, though, so I grabbed one of the Queen Anne chairs and pulled it up in front of Lucien. "Why did you cut it?"

I shrugged. "It was so full of glass and blood it was the only way to get it clean."

"Okay." Lucien growled, eyes going dark. "Let's not go there just yet."

"Hey, you asked."

He stretched one leg out and nudged my legs apart. When I took the hint and spread them, he

propped his feet up on the chair between my legs, ankles crossed. I took a moment to caress them,

to admire them. Graceful, yet strong, perfectly shaped…

"Peter?"

I looked up at him. "Hmm?"

"I asked about the club."

Man, I'd totally missed that question. I started the long process of detangling my hair with the

brush. "What about it?"

"Has it been closed down since your accident?"

"Yep. Didn't really have anyone to send to take care of things who wasn't already busy here."

"I figured as much. We need to get it reopened as soon as possible. Every night that we're closed

down is a night that we're losing income—as are our employees."

"Well, they're not. I pretty much told them at the coven meeting that their pay would be adjusted

for the Monday nights we're closed. I just figured it would be good to pay them for downtime, too."

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"Whatever for?"

"Because I know how hard it is when you have bills to pay and you need those hours and that

paycheck. They'll need to be paid like…yesterday."

Lucien sighed and grabbed his ledger and a pen. "Keep talking, lover. I'll be here a while."

I grinned and stuck out my tongue. "Let's see… I told them we'd have a coven meeting on the

following Monday. I think. God, I don't even remember exactly now. Might want to get that

rescheduled."

He nodded. "Already taken care of. How about team-related issues? Tell me what you and Silver

discussed."

I paused mid-stroke with the brush. "That was a private conversation, Lucien. I promised him that

what was said would remain between me and him."

"I didn't intentionally go into your memories for it. I got bits and pieces before I even woke. But I

will promise you that none of it will leave this room."

"And that you'll not hold a word of it against Silver," I added.

"Of course not."

I started brushing my hair again, suddenly uneasy about this whole thing of filling Lucien in on

everything he'd missed. "Team stuff, huh?"

"Now don't be like that. You were confident enough to discuss these things in my absence. Have

the confidence now to make me believe in them."

"Sure we can't start with something easier? Like… Caleb?"

"No. He's your concern for the time being."

"Lucien, I can't make the decisions about him without—"

"I can't go there yet, Peter! You'll have to deal with it for now."

Okay, okay. So maybe team-related shit was going to be easier to tackle after all.

"Fine." I thought for a moment, trying to figure out where in hell to start. Silver and I had discussed

so much that night. "As you know, the team has been divided for a while. Vampires on one side,

Lycans on the other."

"Mostly my fault, so yes, I know."

"Lucien," I chastised. "Don't go there."

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"Just stating fact," he said, not bothering to look up as he turned the page in his ledger.

"Everyone came together and worked to search for you. And they seem to be getting along well

since then. But I do think we need to keep a very close watch on what's going on. The last thing we

need is a war between species."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Did you know that the Lycans are breeding again?"

He looked up, eyebrows raised. "I wasn't aware that they'd stopped."

"The lack of little cubbies at coven functions didn't give that away, huh?"

"Maybe it was more of a case of not wanting to know what was going on—or not going on, in this

case." His brow knitted in confusion. "What do you mean by breeding exactly?"

"From what I've been told, the chance of passing on the Lycan gene between born werewolves is

only twenty-five percent. But now, we have born Lycans breeding with infected ones, resulting in a

sort of 'hybrid' werewolf. The chances of the genes being passed on now is up to fifty percent."

"What are the qualities of these hybrid wolves?"

"That, I don't know."

"Then I suggest we bring in someone that can do some baseline tests."

"Good idea. We need to at least know if these 'hybrids' can infect people. If they can, this is going

to lead to some new rules and laws about the circles those children play in."

He nodded in agreement. "What else is there?"

"There's quite a bit we discussed about the team situation. One thing was that instead of having the

team do things as a whole, it needed to be divided up into sub-teams according to job specialties and level of expertise required." "Break it down further so I'm sure we're thinking the same things here." "A house team: they never leave the grounds while they are on duty. There'd be house patrol and ground patrol. Sentry: werewolves in the day, vampires at night. Someone to watch over us as we sleep. An enforcement team. A hunting team. A clean up and disposal team. We need to get people in the right positions instead of throwing them onto the team and giving them blind orders. The people in these positions need to know what they're doing—and how to do it well. Unfortunately, this is going to take some members off the team entirely and we'll need to find a place to put them where they can still serve, but out of the action, so to speak." "You do realize that, in order to do this, we are short some qualified team members?" 29

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"That's where recruitment comes in. Imagine, Lucien: guys with know-how and experience. Soldiers, mercs, ex-cops, ex-law enforcement. Guys that are good at what they do and have a history of serving under command. Well, maybe not the mercs, but you get the point." When he looked up at me, eyes narrowed, I inclined my head. "Right?" "Large-scale recruiting? You do realize that might become a very costly idea…" "Yeah. Because along with that, they're going to want and need upgraded weapons. However, we've possibly got one way to fund it. Hire out them out to the Council. Let them be the guys who go in and fix things." "The Council has their own team, Peter." "Oh, I'm well aware of that now. But you know what? Out of all those guys, there were two that knew what the fuck they were doing. One of them, I'd only know if I saw him again. The other was Tomas. They just… They stood out, you know? They knew what they were doing, took charge and led, yet they still took orders. Do you realize just how valuable a team full of men like that could be for us?" He stared at me for a long while, but I could practically see him trying to work out the specifics of it all. "If we decide to do this, it would take some creative financing. Sure, we're okay to run it for a hundred years or so, but we need to make sure the income for it is there even further down the road." I fought like hell to keep myself from grinning. This was going over pretty damned well. "We'd need to do some heavy psych evaluations first, too. Make sure we're getting good stock." "I like that. Good stock." Lucien laughed. "Is there anything else?" "Silver mentioned that he intended to challenge Caleb for his position as former team leader." "I don't see how much of a challenge can come of that considering where Caleb's at and the fact that he no longer holds the position." "I know. So, what do we do about that? The team's already been too long without a leader and I think Silver would be perfect for the position." "There's only one thing we can do. Dog law." I raised a brow. "And that is?" "Anyone who thinks they have the power to lead will fight for it. All at once, no weapons, no preparations in advance. Last man standing takes the position." "Oh…that. Well, whatever you think is best."

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"I'm fairly certain that Silver will come out the winner either way. However, this is the only way

for him to get the position and the respect he needs to use it."

"'Don't respect the position, you respect the man that holds the position.'" I quoted Silver's words to

Lucien. "I think you're right. And I think that's it."

Lucien pointed to the door to the bedroom. "Tell me about this monitor."

I turned to see what he was asking about, then it hit me. I hadn't filled him in on the elaborate

security system that had been installed – and was still in the process of being installed, in certain areas – inside the mansion. "That would be a part of our new security system. The monitor is because I was getting paranoid about opening the door up to just anyone."

"This is our private wing; no one should be down here that isn't supposed to be."

"Caleb's room is down here, Lucien. While you were gone, I was waiting on Silver. There was a

knock at the door and when I opened it, Silver wasn't there. No one was."

"But someone was there."

"Yeah." I shrugged. "Mainly, it was for my peace of mind. I've kept the knowledge of the security

system to a minimum. The only people who know are us, Simon, Silver, Nikolas, and Reid."

"Xander does not know? I wasn't aware that you were having problems with him while I was

gone."

"No, no, no. I just forgot to tell him."

"Will you tell him now?"

"Probably not." I shook my head slowly. "At least not any time soon."

Lucien closed his ledger and set it and his pen on the desk. "Throw some clothes on, lover. Let's

take a walk." *** Although he hadn't said where he wanted to go when he mentioned taking a walk, I soon found out that he wanted me to lead the way to point things out to him and show him the basic designs of the system. The designs Silver had made up were in the secured room with Reid, though, so I figured it would all work out pretty well. As we walked, I remembered the painting Xander and I had found at Reid's old place.

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"Before you were taken that day, did you tell Xander to get Reid's things moved from his place to the mansion?" "I did. Why?"

"Just curious. After what happened, I wouldn't have been surprised if that'd been some part of the

scheme to get you alone."

"No…" Lucien sounded thoughtful. "I wanted him to have things here. To feel like this was his

home."

"Oh, Lucien. Where he was before was certainly not home. The address we had for him was the

place that he and Paul shared. Lucien… Reid was going back to a rat-infested apartment just to be

in the place that he and Paul shared. Mostly, to stare at a painting on the wall Paul had done of the

two of them together."

"A painting?"

"Yeah. Right on the sheetrock. Xander and I managed to cut it out and leave it whole. I thought

maybe we could find someone to get it fixed up and protected in a frame."

"I think Reid would like that."

I stopped in front of the secured room and knocked on the door. "Reid, it's me, Peter."

Reid opened the door a few moments later, looking tired and disheveled. His eyes went wide as he

saw Lucien and he dropped to one knee.

"Masters."

"Get up, Reid," I said with a chuckle. "I want you to get us authorized for the system and then I'd

like you to show Lucien how it works. You free to do that?"

"Of course."

Reid opened the door wide to let Lucien and me in, then closed the door. There was a hiss and the

sound of locks clicking back into place.

I raised a brow. "More locks on the door?"

"Better ones. Not even a werewolf can get through the door now," Reid answered. "This is the most

secure room in the house, except for your bedroom and the escape route, of course."

Lucien sat in one of the chairs and leaned over to look at the screen in front of Reid. "This looks like a good setup, but is it something you intend to handle on your own?" "Honestly? This is going to require a twenty-four-seven watch. Silver and I have been handling it so far, but—" 32

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"I'll get you some help as soon as possible. Until then," Lucien frowned. "Well, some of it may

involve going over recorded feed instead of getting it via live feed."

Reid thought for a moment. "I could set up a temporary connection to my room so that I would hear

any alarms that might be triggered."

Lucien nodded. "Do that, then. We'll figure out the rest as soon as possible."

"I should get you both scanned in. Your hand-sigs are fine, but I'll need optical scans to give you

full access to both the system and the room."

"Do Peter first. I'm going to play with your computer here and see if I can learn a few things."

Reid looked horrified for about half a second, but quickly hid it. "Yes, sir."

"He's only teasing," I said to Reid.

"Just in case," he whispered.

I grinned, as did Lucien, but he turned away so Reid wouldn't see it. He then started typing away at

the computer, switching screens here and there. From the Middle Ages to the age of computers—

Lucien seemed to fit in well in any time period.

Reid went through the process of getting me in a chair and arranging me in just the right way. He

grabbed a small instrument that was connected to one of the computers by a long cord. It looked

similar to the optical scanner that Silver had used to access the room a few days ago, but this one

was larger.

"I'm going to cup this over your eye. Try not to blink."

That was easier said than done. When you're trying not to blink, it just makes the need to blink

seem even more necessary. After a few seconds at each eye and Reid checking the computer after

each one, he stepped back.

"All done."

"Lucien, honey, I think that's your cue."

Lucien stood, but when he did, a buzzer went off. He looked at Reid, then looked at me. "What's—

?"

The door opened and Silver stepped in, smiling, nodding his head politely to the three of us. "Good

evening."

"Hey, Silver," I said with a grin. "How's it going?"

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"Good, good. Just had a few minutes' break from supervising things down the hall. I had some

numbers and specs to give Reid here on the vid-cams in the dungeon area."

We'd had some cameras there before, but they weren't compatible with the new system and most of

them were no longer working. "Got some of them replaced?"

"A few. I'd like to see how much we can tweak them before we go all out for more."

"Always nice to save money when we can," Lucien added with a wink.

"There is no price too high to be sure we're safe and secure." I smiled at Silver and pointed to the

door. "Reid's about to get Lucien authorized for the system. Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure."

He opened the door and walked out, leaving the door cracked open for me to follow. I glanced at

Lucien as I grasped the knob. He looked up at me with a knowing expression, giving a slight nod.

I walked out and shut the door. Silver's eyes met mine and he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Lucien and I discussed the position of team leader earlier. He – we – have decided that with no

one in the lead position now, that the best way to decide who will lead is—"

"Dog law," he finished with a whisper.

I nodded. "This wasn't exactly what I'd planned on, Silver."

"It's the way it should be, I suppose. After all, who's to say that I actually deserve the position

anyway?"

"You know you do."

"Of course I think I do. And maybe I can convince you and a few others of that. But unless I earn

the position, all I'll ever be is the guy who got promoted because someone else fucked up."

"Is there anyone on the team you're worried about facing?"

"Gage."

My gut twisted at the mention of his name. Gage was a hotheaded, arrogant bastard who had a

habit of acting without thinking. He was also one of the half-shifted werewolves who'd taken part in eating someone right out in the middle of the club a couple years back. No matter how much I was a part of this world, that fucking image was one I could not get out of my mind. I shook my head. "Gage cannot be leader of our team."

"No," Silver said thoughtfully. "It would be a disaster. While he's an invaluable member of the

team because of his strength and his size, he has power issues—mainly, a desire for more."

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"And he eats people," I whispered, mostly to myself.

Silver crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me oddly. "That is why you don't like him?"

"Did I ever say that I didn't like him?" At Silver's raised eyebrow, I threw my hands in the air.

"Jesus, Silver! There are some things I can't wrap my weak, human fucking mind around, okay? You don't have to like it or agree with it, but the last thing I need from you – or anyone – is to be called on it." Silver dropped his arms and clasped his hands before him, bowing his head. "It won't happen again, m'lord."

The last thing I needed was for word to spread that there were certain members in the coven that I

didn't like—or that I played favorites. Even if I did.

"And I expect that anything you and I discuss will remain private?"

"Of course, m'lord."

"Good. Now stop calling me 'lord' and tell me you're going to win this."

"I know better than to make promises I'm not a hundred percent certain I can keep…but I will do

my best."

"I'm afraid it'll take all you've got." Silver started to say something, but the words never passed his

lips. "What is it?"

"I hate to bring it up in fear of being labeled a cheat…"

"I believe we're already cheating."

He still seemed somewhat uneasy. "Well. If I could feed well beforehand—"

I raised my hand to cut him off. "Do not let those words pass your lips."

"I… Sir?"

I inclined my head, gesturing down the hall leading to the dungeon. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

Silver nodded as we started walking. He remained silent, though I knew that he was confused as

hell by now. It wasn't often that Silver was uncomfortable with anything, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. But I didn't want to talk about this with him. I didn't want the words to pass between us. Didn't want it to sound and seem exactly how it was.

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We stopped before Nikolas' bedroom door a short time later. Before I managed to knock, the door opened. Nikolas stood there in nothing but a pair of raggedy, old, low-slung jeans and a knowing smile. "Well, hello there, princess." He glanced at Silver, frowning a little. "Something wrong?" "Wrong? No. I just thought maybe you and I could have a little… talk." Nikolas raised an eyebrow and stepped back, gesturing for us to come in. "Okay, then." I patted Silver on the arm. "If you could just wait here for a minute? This won't take long." Before Silver could object, I shut Nikolas' door in his face. Nikolas scratched his head. "What are

you up to?"

"I need a favor."

A grin slowly spread over his face. "Now, I'm all about favors. What's in it for me?"

"I haven't told you what I wanted yet."

"I know you, princess. It can't be that big of a deal. I just want to know if I get something out of it."

"In a way… yeah."

Nikolas groaned. "This can't be good—you beating around the fucking bush."

I figured the best way to say it was just to get it over with and wait for his reaction.

"The team needs a leader and with Caleb in his condition there's no way for anyone to challenge

him. Tomorrow night there will be a challenge for team leader."

"And this concerns me how?"

"The main fight will be between Silver and Gage."

Nikolas sat on the arm of a chair, shaking his head. "Gage can't be allowed to—"

"No. He can't."

"What exactly do you want me to do? What are you asking me for?"

"I'm not asking you for anything."

Nikolas stared at me for a long while. I held his gaze, hoping he'd figure it all out on his own and I

wouldn't have to actually say the words with him, either. It would be so much easier to explain

and/or deny if the words were never spoken.

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Finally, he stood and went to the door. When he opened it, Silver stood just where I'd left him.

"Come on in, Silver."

Silver hesitated, looking to me for permission. At my nod, he entered, standing just inside the

doorway, arms locked behind his back, head held high. Nikolas shut the door and went to Silver,

trailing his fingers down Silver's neck. Silver growled, snarling.

"Easy there, fang boy."

"You know I have no problems with what men in this coven do, but it's not my—"

Nikolas' hand over Silver's mouth shut him up and I fully expected Silver to sink fang into Nikolas'

palm. But he didn't. He just stood there with a pissed off glare.

"Not your thing? Yeah, yeah. I know that. I also hear that you need me."

"I don't…" And then Silver looked to me, realization of what was going on finally hitting him. "I

don't know what to say."

"Nothing. We do this tonight, we do it tomorrow." Nikolas took another step toward Silver,

bringing them inches apart. "And we never speak of this again. What I do is not for you, but for the

pack and the coven as a whole."

I felt that was my cue to leave. I stepped up to Nikolas and kissed him on the back of the neck.

"Thank you, Nikolas."

He leaned back against me, rubbing just slightly. "Get out of here."

"Silver? It was nice seeing you," I said with a smile. "You boys behave, now."

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Chapter Four I didn't look back as I left. When I got out into the hall, I paused, wondering if I'd done the right thing. If you wanted to get technical about it, I hadn't really done anything but give Silver advance notice. And, perhaps, give him the tools he needed to win this thing. I set off to find Lucien, but didn't expect to see him waiting at the end of the hall as I rounded the corner. I watched him as I walked toward him, but not once did he turn his head to look at me. He cupped his hand to his face and I slowed when I saw a thin trail of smoke rise into the air. When I finally made it to him, he offered the cigarette; one of Silver's custom rolled smokes. I took it and looked at it, then at Lucien. "Since when do you smoke?" "Simon is cooking," he said, shrugging. "I thought you should eat." I took a drag off the cigarette and reached out to steady myself against the wall, knowing that first hit would tilt my world sideways. Instead, Lucien pulled me against him, nudging one of his legs between mine. He leaned in and the barest touch of his lips to my throat made my heart skip a few beats. "God, Lucien, what are you doing?" "If you have to ask," he whispered, sucking up a mark just beneath my ear, "then I'm doing something wrong." My head was buzzing and I couldn't seem to come up with any sort of response. He grabbed my hips and pulled me close, forcing me to rub up and down against his thigh between my legs. "Oh, fuck…" I dropped my head to his chest. His scent washed through me. It was a mix of a dozen things all put together to make it Lucien and Lucien alone: leather, a little cinnamon, clove, and vanilla, and that one deeper, darker scent that had nothing to do with spice or flowers and everything to do with something rich and infinitely dark—blood. I pushed his T-shirt up with my free hand and tucked it behind his head, his arms still trapped in the sleeves. For a moment I was dumbstruck, just staring at that flushed skin, his perfectly sculpted chest…

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No matter how many people I'd been with in the course of my life – and even in my time in the coven – no one compared to Lucien. He was the only one who could make me feel like this. Vulnerable. Exposed. He was the only one who made my heart race with such excitement and anticipation. The one who owned me with not only his touch, but the intent behind it. The only one whose caresses could leave a blazing trail of fire along my skin so intense that it threatened to consume me. He was the only one I could lose myself in completely. I ran my hand down the center of his chest, watching in awe as his muscles contracted beneath my hand. The sharp intake of his breath drew my gaze up to his. Pale blue eyes stared back at me with an intensity that just shattered me. And he knew it. Lucien turned us, putting my back to the wall. He took my hand that held the cigarette, nearly halfash now, and pulled it close. Confused, I watched as he took a deep drag. He then pushed my hand away and captured my lips with his. Just as I opened to him, he cupped me through my jeans and gave a hard squeeze. I gasped, drawing in the smoke of the cigarette. He pulled back, putting his fingers over my mouth before I could exhale. "Hold it as long as you can." He took the cigarette and held it between his lips as he stripped my shirt off. Once the shirt was off and had been dropped to the floor, he handed the cigarette back. As his fingers worked at the enclosure to my jeans, he bent and flicked his tongue over my right nipple before sucking it into his mouth. His sharp fangs grazed my sensitive skin and I had to fight not to groan. Finally, I couldn't hold my breath any longer. I let the thin trail of smoke escape and, just as I did, Lucien turned me around and pushed me against the wall. He worked my jeans down and spread my ass open, spearing me with his tongue. "Goddamn, Lucien…" "Finish the cigarette," he whispered. The last thing I wanted to do was smoke, but there were only a few hits left. I took another drag, managing to hold it in just long enough for it to count as an inhale. The thing about panting and smoking was that the quick breaths of air rushed the drug into the system even faster. I closed my eyes. Lucien alone was a trip. Lucien on drugs was a euphoria that I wasn't sure I could handle.

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As Lucien stood, he licked a long line up the middle of my spine, sending a violent shudder

through my entire body. I pushed back against him, feeling the blunt head of his cock brush my

hole, the hair on his thighs as they cradled mine, the scrape of his nipple rings against my back.

One of his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. He took the cigarette from my hand

and held it to my lips. "Take the last hit, lover."

It took me a moment to comprehend how to even do that. The way he flicked his tongue against my

ear and thrust his hips, teasing me, I could only think of him being inside me. When I finally

managed that last hit, Lucien pushed his way into me.

I inhaled so deeply I thought I'd pass out.

"So good," Lucien whispered, hands holding my hips tight, "Stay still."

Exhaling, I reached back with one hand, curling my fingers around his thigh, letting my head fall

back. My muscles clamped down around him and I ached for him to just move. "Please…"

He traced up the back of my neck with his tongue, pulling out and pushing back in just a little.

"That what you need?"

It wasn't enough. That shallow fucking, while good, was more frustrating than anything else. I

shook my head. "More."

"More?"

At my nod, he sped up, but continued with those short, quick thrusts. I whimpered, trying to pull

him deeper, and failing. His hands moved up my chest and he teased at the rings in my nipples, pulling at them, rolling them between his fingers. "Do you know what you do to me, Peter?"

My heart was racing, body breaking out in a sweat. I swallowed hard, my words coming out

broken. "I've g…got an idea."

"What I could do to you?"

Before I could respond, he sighed. "Tell me how you want me, lover."

"I need more."

"Faster?"

"No."

"Harder?"

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That one made me pause. It was always difficult to say no to 'harder'. But that wasn't what I wanted—what I needed. "No." "Deeper?" "Yes…" He pushed hard and deep, stealing my breath, claiming me, my thoughts, my everything. Filled me so completely, I could think of nothing else. Lucien's head dropped to my shoulder, hands holding my hips close. Once my brain registered that I could move, I ground against him. He sucked up a mark in the bend of my neck, rocking his hips forward. His hands moved up my sides, around and over my belly, up my chest. The sensations took my breath away, set every nerve on fire. Lucien's pants and groans at my ear set me on edge. It was too much and not enough and the only thing I could manage to do was brace myself against the wall and let him take me. Take me as deep and hard as he wished. Take me to the point where I didn't think I could possibly stand any more— and then take me beyond it. I came without warning, the orgasm shattering me, threatening to turn me inside out. Lucien's pants and moans at my ear increased and before long he filled me with his heat, arms holding me tight. My whole body shuddered, legs feeling weak and wobbly. Lucien kissed the side of my head. "Now. About dinner…" I laughed, struggling just to form words. "I'm gonna need a moment." *** Simon's ability to grill salmon to perfection reminded me just how much I loved eating. I was back up to one full meal a day instead of choking down whatever junk food I thought wouldn't come back up; Simon made such high calorie, high fat foods for Reid and me that one meal a day was probably all I needed. Lucien and I were left alone, Simon excusing himself to take Reid his meal. Lucien poured himself a glass of wine and sat close, stealing touches every now and then, the look in his eyes full of love and a vibrancy I'd missed for so long. When I couldn't possibly eat any more, I pushed my plate away and sat back, closing my eyes. Lucien's hand covered mine, thumb moving back and forth over my hand. "You feel like taking a walk?" I opened one eye and looked at him. "Guess that depends on how far we're walking."

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"Just to the garage."

I closed my eye again, pretending to think it over. "Well, I guess…"

He chuckled and grabbed my mostly empty plate as he stood. "It won't kill you."

"Might."

"Peter…"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." I stood and grabbed the glasses, taking them over to the sink where

Lucien had just set my plate. "Why are we going to the garage?"

"I want to see this painting you and Xander saved." Lucien took my hand, lacing our fingers

together. "And I thought it would be nice to do something we haven't done in a long while."

"What's that?"

He grinned and tugged at my arm. "I would like to hold your hand, lover."

I started to tease him about being such a sensitive romantic, but decided against it. There were

things we needed between us that had nothing to do with the coven and everything to do with us as a couple. "Lead the way, baby." *** I leaned against a workbench, watching as Lucien studied the painting. He seemed so intrigued by it that I didn't want to interrupt whatever thoughts were running through his head. Finally, he shook his head and sighed, but didn't look away from the painting. "Were there any other paintings?"

"No," I said. "Just this one in what I think was their bedroom. Why?"

"With talent like this…" He looked up at me. "I never knew that Paul was such a talented artist."

"Lucien, honey, you can't know every single thing about the members of this coven."

"I should."

"And I might agree if there were less than a hundred. But with werewolves and donors included

there are nearly five hundred. No matter how much you'd like to know everything, I don't see how it's possible."

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"You mentioned putting files together on coven members a few weeks back. Would you still be

interested in doing that? Or hiring someone trustworthy to do it?"

"Of course, Lucien. I think it'd be an invaluable tool for us."

He nodded, but I could tell he was holding something back.

"What else is bothering you?"

"I want to know them, Peter. Or at least know about them." He gestured to the painting sadly. "I

should have known about this."

I wasn't going to tell him that it still wasn't possible to know each and every little detail about the

members of our coven. What he wanted was to be able to connect.

"I tell you what. Once I round up some help for the files and start getting things down? I'll set up a

calendar on your computer. Maybe set up an alert for things happening during the week, people

that you should see."

"Will you include things like birthdays and anniversaries, too?"

"If you want."

"Yeah." He considered it for a moment longer, then smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Just be patient with me, okay?" I walked over and slid an arm around his waist. "It may take me a

while and I'll have to get you to give me names of the vampires and donors I don't know and those

who don't frequent the club."

"I'm hoping that, by being there, by showing people that I really do care for them…" Lucien trailed

his fingers along the edge of the painting. "I know it won't take the hurt away that I've caused in the

past year, but maybe it's a start."

"I think that acknowledging that you hurt people and admitting you've made mistakes would go a lot further. Most people know and accept that you can't take that pain away. What they're going to want is a promise of things being different." "I want things to be different." "I know you do, baby. And you know what? I respect the hell out of a man that can admit when he's wrong. I have a feeling everyone else will, too." "Respect is earned, not given. I think one of my biggest mistakes has been not remembering that when trying to lead. Maybe things would've been different now…"

"Meaning?"

"If I were well and truly respected, perhaps Caleb—"

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"No." I cut him off and turned him to face me. "You will not blame yourself for what happened with him. What Caleb did was wrong. He knew that it was wrong, yet he did it anyway. I don't think there's anything you could have done short of getting rid of me. And even then? He'd have been jealous of each and every person he felt was a threat to his position." "Where did I go wrong with him? What could I have done to make him this way?" "I don't think you made him this way, Lucien. I think the thing with Caleb is that you were his

friend before you were his master."

"What could that have to do with anything? It's not so unusual."

"Have you ever considered that maybe Caleb wanted more from you than just friendship?"

"That's… No. He'd have—"

"Said anything as long as it meant he wouldn't lose you. And he might have even believed it

himself, after a while." I hadn't considered it much before, but now, Caleb's actions made a little more sense. "When I came along, it might have been fun and new for a while. Once he realized I wasn't going anywhere, maybe that knowledge was too much to handle." "And Cyril offered to give him what I wouldn't." "'A mighty pain to love it is, and 'tis a pain that pain to miss; but of all pains, the greatest pain is to

love, but love in vain.'"

"Anacreon?"

"Or at least Cowley's interpretation and paraphrasing," I said with a shrug. "You have to admit, it

does ring pretty true."

"Didn't that have something to do with gold and curses?"

"I don't have a clue, Lucien. I got confused halfway through that one, but that first part stuck in my

head."

"You've been spending entirely too much time in the library, lover."

"The point is that unrequited love can lead to jealousy and jealousy can lead to some pretty stupid

shit."

Lucien sighed. "So where do we go from here?"

We hadn't talked about what had happened, for the most part. There was the acknowledgement that

it had happened and talk of his healing and recovery, but the mere mention of Caleb's name made him snap every time.

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"How about with how you feel right now?"

Lucien shook his head. "I want to scream and rage until I physically just can't anymore—and, as

stupid as it sounds, I want to hold him in my arms and not let him go."

"That's not stupid. I think it's the normal course of loving and losing."

"I wish he could have accepted it for what it was, but I did love him."

"I don't think either of us will ever stop, no matter what he's done. Or how much pain he's caused."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Well, since he was so full of Cyril's blood and power, I gave the order to have him bled." Lucien

tensed, but didn't say anything. "If nothing with him changes once Cyril's blood and influence is gone? Then I think my order for his punishment would have to be death." "Death?"

"If we can't bring him under control, he's a danger to you and the coven. No matter how much he's

loved, that's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"I had no idea he was that bad."

"You can see it all in my memories, Lucien. I think that'd be the best way for me to show you

what's been going on."

I didn't think he'd do it, but only seconds later, I felt him in my head. It always amazed me how he

could pick out bits and pieces of information so quickly, and this time was no different. All he could do, however, was shake his head. "Tell me I did the right thing."

"You did just as I would have," he said. "As I should have. I shouldn't have pushed it all off on

you."

"Oh, no, it—"

"I have not handled this well." His fingers covered my lips. "And Logan was right. If we give

Caleb special treatment, we leave ourselves open to anyone else who gets the notion they can do

what they will and not have to pay the consequences."

I smiled, pushing his hand away. "What do you think about Logan?"

"I like him. It's been a long time since I've met someone of his age and power who wasn't looking

for a seat of his own. But, that said? Don't be bringing any more stray vampires home from the club."

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"It irritated Xander that I brought Logan home."

"I saw that in your memories. You were fighting about it when the accident happened."

I snorted. "Accident?"

"Well. The very convenient accident. Either way, I saw that Xander wasn't happy."

"I would never admit it to him, but he was probably right. I just… I wanted to treat Logan better

than other covens might have. I wanted to give him a chance to prove to me he was as genuine as he seemed." "You read people very well, lover."

"Probably from years of listening and watching from the other side of the bar." I took Lucien's

hand, attempting to tug him toward the door. "You done looking at the painting?"

"I'm actually waiting on someone." At my raised eyebrow, he laughed and pulled me in close. "Someone who can fix it and put it in a frame as it should be. You did want to give this to Reid, correct?" "If it won't throw him into nine kinds of depression, yeah."

"I think he will be fine."

There was a knock at the door, but whoever was on the other side made no attempt to come inside.

I looked at Lucien, confused. Anyone we knew generally knocked as they were already opening the

door.

"Come in," Lucien called out. "It's not locked."

"Oh," a familiar voice said as the door swung open.

Gino.

"Wait up, baby!"

Eric.

I groaned. I liked Eric well enough, but there were times when his nonstop chatter and going on

was just too much for me to take. And Gino? Well, wherever he went, Eric was normally right

beside him. Or in this case—behind him.

"Hello, Gino. Eric."

"Master," they responded in unison, both of them nodding courteously.

Gino glanced up at Lucien, but refrained from meeting his eyes. "You needed me?"

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"I did." Lucien let go of my hand and turned, walking over to the bench where the painting rested. "I would like for you to look at this and tell me if you can save it. And if you can, I want it framed." Gino followed Lucien and Eric followed them both. I hung off to the side, just watching. Gino studied the painting for a moment, then shook his head. "This is Paul's work." He glanced at Lucien. "Where did this come from?"

Lucien looked to me, urging me to answer.

"Xander and I found it when we went to gather Reid's belongings."

Gino turned and looked at me, seeming disturbed. "Was there anything else there?"

"No… Why? Should there have been?"

Eric and Gino shared a look. Eric was the one who spoke.

"When Paul died, the apartment was full of paintings. Beautiful, haunting pieces. Some of them

were commissioned works, but others were for a show in a gallery. Paul had been offered a big spot and the potential returns for that show were astronomical. But… They were all Reid had left of Paul and he was very, very protective of them. He didn't want them in the show because he was afraid he wouldn't get them back." "A few weeks after Paul's death, someone broke in and stole a number of the paintings. And a lot of them were destroyed," Gino added. "It nearly killed Reid to walk in and see that." "I think Reid's had a hard go of it for a long time," I said. "So why ask me if there were more?" "Reid saw one of Paul's paintings in another gallery one night during a show. I guess I just thought that maybe you'd found some of the pieces that had been stolen. Paul's paintings were worth a considerable sum of money." Lucien's eyes met mine and I knew that it hurt for Eric and Gino to know things like this, but for him to be so in the dark about it. But Lucien played it off well. "I'll look into the missing paintings if you want to give me the details later on. But for the moment, Gino? What do you think of this one that we do have?" Gino turned back around, head bowed. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't think it'll be a problem to get this one

cleaned and framed. How soon do you need it finished?"

"As soon as you can possibly get it done," Lucien replied. "The sooner the better."

Gino looked at Eric, shrugging. "A day or so?"

Eric nodded in agreement.

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"Good." Lucien smiled. "As I said, I want this kept quiet. If you run into any problems or you need

something, please come to Peter or me."

"Yes, sir," Gino and Eric both answered.

"Peter?" Lucien started toward me. "You ready?"

I started to ask him what for, but decided a simple nod was more than enough. As Lucien and I

walked out, he caught the door and poked his head back into the room.

"Be sure to lock up when you leave here."

Lucien and I walked across the garage in silence. Before we walked out the main door leading to

the house, I stopped. "You really going to look into the missing paintings?"

He nodded. "If they were stolen, I would like to get them back to Reid. Whether he chooses to keep

them or sell them legitimately, it will at least be his decision on what's done with them."

"How in the hell are you going to find paintings that went missing two years ago?"

"I think that you and I will have to make some public appearances," Lucien said with a grin. "How

do you feel about art galleries?"

I groaned. "I feel loathing, Lucien."

He tsked. "I'm sure I could make the experiences worthwhile."

"Yeah. About like I'd enjoy needles shoved under my fingernails."

He leaned in and kissed me, swatting me on the ass in the process. "You are so fucking hard to

please sometimes."

"Keeps you on your toes."

Lucien tensed, cocking his head to the side. I knew that look; we weren't alone. He straightened and

scented the air, frowning as he pushed open the door. I followed after him as he walked out. Ahead, just outside the private entrance, were two of our team members. They were in their tactical gear and armed, as was usual when they were on team assignments. For the life of me I couldn't remember their names.

"What's going on?" Lucien asked.

One of them looked from Lucien to me, and then back to Lucien. He didn't seem to know how to

answer. "We've been ordered to guard this entrance."

"By whom?"

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"Xander, sir."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes, sir. It seems there was a fire at Master Peter's old residence. From what I understand, this is

just a precaution."

My stomach twisted into knots. We'd kept my apartment in case anyone in the coven needed

emergency temporary shelter. Lucien had bought the building itself, but allowed the residents at the

time to remain. All of them did, except for old Mrs. Taylor who lived across the hall from me. The

idea of paying a vampire rent was just too much for her to handle.

"I see," Lucien said. "Let us pass."

The guards moved aside, opening the doors for us, keeping their heads bowed as we walked inside.

As soon as the doors closed, Lucien took me by the shoulders. "Call Xander. See if you can get in touch with him." "Where are you going?"

"I need to make some calls and check on the tenants of the building." He kissed me on the

forehead. "I'll be right back."

I went to the bedroom and scanned myself in. It took me a minute or two to find my phone and when I did, it was just starting to ring. The display showed Xander's name and a number of missed calls. "Xander? What's going on?"

"Finally! I've been calling you for an hour now. Listen. There was a fire at your old building."

"I know. Lucien and I just met up with the guards outside our private entrance. Was anyone hurt?"

"No. No one was hurt…"

"But?"

"The fire originated in your old apartment."

"How is that possible? No one's been there for months."

"The fire department is looking into it. So far, they say it looks electrical."

I sat down on the bed, somewhat relieved. "What do you think?"

"I think it happens all the time and this time's probably no different. I'm sure it's nothing to worry

about."

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"Are you there?"

"Yeah, but they won't let me in. I'm waiting for the inspector to leave so I can take a look around.

In the meantime, I did order the team to be on guard at the mansion. Better to be prepared than

not."

"True." I yawned suddenly and started kicking my boots off. "Call me if you find out anything,

okay? I'll have my phone close."

"Will do. You okay?"

I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me. "Yep. Just had a big dinner and I think I need a nap. Be

careful, Xander."

"Always."

I started at the phone in my hand for a moment before setting it on the bedside table. The bed felt

so good beneath me that I couldn't help but lay back. Sinking into the cool, comforting softness, I

closed my eyes.

Just for a second.

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Chapter Five When I opened my eyes, the curtains around the bed were drawn and I could hear the clicking sound of someone typing on a keyboard. Lucien.

The TV was on, but it was at such a low volume that I couldn't make out any actual words.

Everything sounded garbled and distorted. I blinked a few times, wondering what time it was.

"Have a good nap?" Lucien asked, the clicking of the keyboard pausing for a few seconds.

"Damn. I didn't mean to just fall out like that. I think we need to have our bed checked."

Lucien moved the curtain aside. "What for?"

"For being so goddamned sleep-inducing. What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "Why?"

"I feel like I've been awake forever."

Lucien crawled across the bed and lay down beside me. "You have been awake forever. While I

was out for the day, you sat here and stared at me."

"How do you know that?"

"I felt it." He traced my jaw with the tips of his fingers. "You were so restless inside."

"I had a nightmare, but I couldn't remember what it was once I was awake. And then all I could

think about was the shit with Caleb and Cyril. Was that why you woke so early? Because of me?"

"I'm not sure. You know, it really is odd to wake in the afternoon."

"Silver was awake early, too."

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Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded. "I met him in the hall outside when I came back to the bedroom. I didn't even think about

what time it might have been. With this part of the mansion locked down during the day, I never

know."

"Were there any other vampires awake at this time? Do you know?"

"The only other vampire I saw was Logan, but he mentioned that he has always risen early." I

curled up against his bare chest. "You feel okay, though?"

"Better than ever." He reached up and pulled the cord to open the curtains at the foot of the bed,

then grabbed the remote for the TV. "I've been waiting to see if they'd show this."

I shifted so I could see the TV. Images of my old apartment building in flames filled the screen. It

might have started in my apartment, but it'd spread throughout the building. The camera panned to the onlookers and I actually saw Xander standing off to the side, an angry look on his face. "I wonder if that was before or after he called me," I said, gesturing to the TV.

"He doesn't look happy, does he." It was a statement, not a question. "When I called him, I only got

his voicemail."

"He didn't call you back?"

Lucien shook his head.

"He said he was going to take a look around as soon as the fire inspector left. Maybe he's in wolf

form?"

"He'd better be," Lucien grumbled. "I refuse to tolerate insolence."

"Yeah, well, what are you going to do to him? He's pack alpha."

"Is he?"

"Oh, God, Lucien… Not you, too."

"Not me, what?"

"I've heard enough from Nikolas about how… No. You know what? I'm not going to get into that

right now." Though there was one thing I'd never even thought of asking. "So, explain to me why

the leader of the Lycans answers to you."

"He has sworn fealty to me."

"Fealty?" I was blanking on the word. "Explain?"

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"Perhaps I should stop pointing out ancient poetry to you and direct you instead to some history books?" I smacked him and lay back on my pillow. "Don't be an asshole." He leaned over me, shaking his head. "Why do you ask these things now?" "Because I never thought to question a lot of things before. I just accepted them for what they were, never caring or knowing what it all meant. I care now. I have to know everything about how this coven runs—especially if we want to make it better." "It's simple, really. I'm the one with the land, the property… The one with the money." He paused, shrugging. "The pack was struggling when I took over. They had no money, they had no structure. Steven did the best he could, but he could not even get half the pack into housing. So many of the wolves were left out on the street to fend for themselves." "And you just magically fixed all of that?" "No. But we negotiated a workable solution." "You mean after Nikolas was shafted and forced to throw the fight for alpha to Xander because of Caleb's bullshit?" Lucien looked away and I immediately regretted the words that had come out of my mouth. I nudged him with my elbow. "I'm sorry, that was shitty of me." "Yes, it was." It took a moment, but he finally looked at me again. "I did what I thought was best back then." "I know, Lucien, and I'm sorry. I just have a hard time with that one. As much as I love Xander, Nikolas should have been pack leader. He had ideas, he had visions…" "We both did," Lucien said quietly. "Sometimes, no matter how much we want something—it's just not possible. And sometimes, when the things we want are prevented from happening? It's for the best." "I guess." "Where would things be now if you'd taken over the pack as you should have?" "That's just the thing, Lucien. A few weeks back when you said a human was never meant to sit on the throne? It pissed me off so much. But I get it now." "I was angry when I said that, Peter." "Doesn't matter. You were still right. With every decision I've made or tried to make so far, I've second-guessed myself. I think to lead and command a coven of immortal beings, one has to be immortal himself."

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"Actually, that has nothing to do with whether you are human or not and everything to do with you wanting to make the best decisions possible. Anyone in a position of leadership who tells you otherwise is either a fool or a liar." "So fealty is what? Some kind of—" Lucien rolled off the bed before I finished my sentence. I leaned across the bed, trying to see what he was up to. He was bent over, sorting through books on the shelf in the lower cabinet of the desk. "What are you doing?" "Finding you a book." "Lucien," I grumbled. "Can you just explain it?" "Did you take history in high school?" "Do you know how long ago that was?" "Aha! Here it is." He walked to the bed and tossed the book to me. It landed on the bed with a muted thud. "History is to be savored and appreciated, lover. Not slept through." The book was at least four inches thick. If he expected me to flip the book open and start reading, he was out of his fucking mind. I looked up from the book and my breath caught in my throat. Lucien had stripped out of his pants and was standing beside the bed, presumably waiting for me to move so he could get back in. But I couldn't move. At least not back. I stretched forward and brushed my lips over the head of his dick, just enjoying the feel of his silky soft skin. A growl rose from his throat and a second later a bead of precome escaped his slit. I caught it with the tip of my tongue, smearing it over the head of his cock before licking it away. The salty-sweet taste of him exploded on my tongue and I stretched forward wanting more. Half-hard when I took him in, I worked him with my tongue until he was at full length, heart throbbing in the vein running up the length of his shaft. Lucien's fingers tangled in my hair and he thrust forward tentatively. I grabbed his thighs and held him close, swallowing him down. He pulled away after a few moments and climbed over me, dragging me back to the middle of the bed by my ankles. I started to get up to move, but he straddled me backwards, giving me a perfect view of his ass. His hole was right there, balls hanging, cock dripping with precome and spit. Hot, wet heat enveloped my dick and I growled, grabbing Lucien's hips and pulling them down. I licked over his hole with the flat of my tongue, then lifted his ass so I could get to his balls and the skin just behind. Believe it or not, we'd only managed to sixty-nine it a few times over the past year. Most of the time, we were so hard and heavy to get off we just ended up fucking. But this, this was… Goddamn, we had to make more time for this.

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And this wasn't going to last. His fangs scraped the sides of my shaft as he took me deep. I pushed up desperately, thrusting in and out of his mouth. Precome dripped onto my own lips and I realized I wasn't doing anything but letting him suck me. I rose up and sucked him into my mouth. Before I could manage to pull off and tease him, he thrust deep. I gagged at the sudden intrusion and he pulled out slightly, allowing me to just catch my breath before shoving in again. I was ready this time when the head of his cock hit the back of my throat. I relaxed my throat and let him fuck my mouth, enjoying the feel of him, the flavor of him. He took me in deep and one of his fangs pierced my sensitive flesh. The mix of pain and pleasure sent me right over the edge and I came with a muffled cry. He sucked me 'til I thought I would shatter again. He pulled out of my mouth and turned on the bed, straddling my chest this time. His eyes locked with mine while he jerked his cock, and just before he came, he rubbed the head of his cock against my lips. "Open." I opened my mouth and he pushed in just a little. The first spurt of come landed on my tongue, the taste of him rich and sweet. He pulled back though after that first one, coating my lips and chin with his spunk. I would have come again if I thought my balls would survive it. He sank down over me, licking at my lips, my chin, my face. Every kiss that followed was flavored with him. Finally, he smiled down at me. "Weren't we discussing something?" "Nope." I shook my head quickly. "Nothing at all." Fucking and sucking and coming down afterward was much, much better than discussing history. *** "Would you be still?" I flopped again, trying to get comfortable. But truth was, I was restless and I wasn't sure why. Maybe because I'd had my nap, however short it was, I just wasn't ready to call it an early night. I looked over at the clock. Only 11:30. This was turning into the longest day ever. I didn't want to just lie here. I wanted to do… something. "Wanna go for a walk?" 55

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"To where?"

"Anywhere."

Lucien made a sound somewhere between a grumble and a moan. "Not really."

"Let's go for a swim."

"No."

"Oh, come on," I begged, rolling over next to him, nuzzling against his chest. "We've had the pool

for months now and we've never even used it."

"So why should we start now?"

"Because I want to."

"You are more than welcome."

"It's no fun swimming alone." I bit down around a nipple, teasing the ring with my tongue. "Please?

It's heated and it's dark out. It'll be relaxing."

Lucien groaned and rolled over me, nuzzling at my throat, slowly inching his way down my body.

"That may be, but the moment we walk out of the house, we'll no longer be alone. Our guards will

be watching."

"The guards are there to watch what's happening on the grounds and around the property—not us."

He grumbled low against my belly. "I just want some alone time—with you."

"Then fuck the guards. Tell them to," I pushed at his shoulders, trying to get him to move, "I don't

know, tell them to take a break for an hour or so."

He growled.

"You're being a pain in the ass, you know that? Since when do you give a shit who's watching us?"

"When I realized that there were certain intimate moments between us that I didn't want to share."

He sighed, his breath against my skin making me shudder. Which seemed to relax him a little more.

He looked up at me, glaring. "You really want to swim, huh?"

"Please?" He grumbled and growled, and as he got up, I grinned. "Thank you."

"Bastard." ***

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The two guards were still standing outside the private entrance when we walked out. When we got a few feet away from them, one called on his radio for a ground patrol to move to the immediate vicinity. Lucien stopped abruptly and turned. "No patrol."

"I'm sorry, sir?" one of the guards asked, clearly confused.

"I did not stutter," Lucien snapped. "No. Ground. Patrol."

"As you wish, my lord."

Lucien turned on his heel and stalked toward the pool. I followed, smiling when I heard the guard

stammering into the radio for the ground patrol to 'get fucking lost'.

When we reached the pool, Lucien relaxed a little and dipped his foot in the water, testing it. I

moved up behind him, pulling his robe back over his shoulders. "Is it warm?"

He nodded.

"Good." I pulled his robe off, shrugged mine off, and threw them both over onto a nearby lounge

chair. He groaned as I slid closer, hips rocking just a little against his ass. "How 'bout we get wet?"

His belly went tight beneath my fingers. "You make that sound so dirty …"

"Mmm-hmm." I bit down on his shoulder. "There something wrong with dirty?"

Lucien turned and his lips found mine, tongue pushing in deep. His arms came around me and held

me tight as he used his weight to pull us both into the water. I had a moment to gasp a breath of air in before we went under. Water bubbled up over my head, the sound muffled. I opened my eyes, ignoring the slight sting of the chlorine. Lucien's eyes were open, watching me. I breathed out a little, but knew I wouldn't be able to stay under as long as he could. Hell, he couldn't drown. He kissed over my closed mouth and a few moments later our heads were both above water. As I took a breath, he slid down, licking at the hollow of my throat before disappearing under the water again. My back hit the wall of the pool and I had to grasp the bricked ledge to stay put as Lucien's mouth slid over my cock. He sucked and licked and teased and then resurfaced, licking at my lips. "I think I prefer to taste you without the water." I locked my legs around his hips and rocked against him. "I'm just awed that you can do shit like

that."

"I can't do it for long without feeling like I'm drowning, even if there's no chance of it."

"Why?" I asked, curious.

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His tongue traced my bottom lip. "When I took the sword, I drowned in my own blood. With all of the things that I have managed to forget over time—I wish that would have been one of them." "Me too, baby." Fingers traced along my thigh toward my ass, teasing. "Did you have plans to swim… Or were you interested in… something else?" "Something else is a lot more enticing than swimming at the moment." The tips of his fingers brushed my hole, teased, and then he pulled them away completely. I was about to object when he slid his hand between us, palm moving over my cock, my balls, and then his fingers teased at my hole again. I was about to turn to give him better access, but he shoved a single finger deep. I bucked against him, holding tight against the brick, eyes wide. "Fuck, Lucien!" He grinned and found my gland, working it, seeming to take great pleasure in my thrashing around. Another finger joined the first, and words left me. His tongue pushed between my lips, lips sealing against mine as he swallowed my moans and whimpers. His fingers curled and worked right over my gland and just when I thought I'd come, he pulled his fingers out, leaving me desperately empty and bucking against him, legs tight around his hips. "What's the matter, lover?" "Oh, God… you just stopped!" He moved his hand from between us and leaned in, whispering at my ear. "Don't let go." I was about to groan and complain, but when he shifted so that his cock rubbed right against mine, I cried out instead. He held me just tight enough against him so that he could rub us together. The feel of his hard, heavy flesh against mine was dizzying. I almost lost my grip when his teeth and tongue began working their way along my throat. It had been so long... Breath coming faster, I bared my neck, just hoping, praying that he'd give in—wanting so desperately to have him feed from me, even if it was just a couple of drops to tide him over. We were rocking in sync when he set his fangs against my neck. Fire shot up through my balls, my cock, and I was just about to fall over the edge when Lucien sank his fangs deep. My eyes rolled back in my head as everything shorted out and I thrust and thrust and thrust, heat spreading between us and dissipating quickly with the small waves of water washing over us. Lucien shuddered and licked at the wound before pulling back just far enough to kiss me. His tongue, coppery-sweet, slid over mine and I clutched at his shoulders, forgetting all about holding on.

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But instead of sinking, he moved us through the water and we ended up on the wide ledge that separated the hot tub from the rest of the pool. I lay back, arching up as his lips found one nipple ring, then the other. He kissed his way to my navel, dipped his tongue in to tease, then pulled back, sighing. "You were right; the pool is good for relaxing."

I turned my head and winked at him. "With the right people."

Arms crossed, he propped himself up on the ledge with his elbows. "I wanted to fuck you, but the

water isn't very conducive to slick and easy."

I laughed. "You didn't know that?"

He shrugged. "The bath always seems to work fine."

I rolled to my side and ran my fingers through his hair. "That's because we use oils in the bath and

it gets soapy. Still not great, but I'm normally so far gone with wanting you inside me that I don't

care how slick it is or isn't."

He caught my hand and turned it over, licking and sucking at the inside of my wrist. "Right now I

want slick. I want to be able to shove right into that tight hole, over and over again. Pull all the way

out, push back in; hard and fast; slow and easy; fuck you all night long…"

I caught his face between my hands and kissed him, trembling at his words. "And just fill me with

you?"

"Fill you so full of me that the word human will be nothing but an afterthought," he whispered.

I stared at him for a long moment, heart pounding. "Don't tease me, Lucien. Not about this."

"I've been selfish, Peter." He pushed up out of the water and hovered above me on his hands and

knees. "For so long, I've told myself—and you—that I wanted to protect you from this world. I

think what you needed protection from the most… was me."

I frowned up at him, shaking my head. "Why would you say that?"

"I fear what the incubus will do when I finally give it the freedom it's wanted for so long."

"We've never had any problems before." I smiled, trying to keep this from going downhill. "I'm

rather fond of the incubus part of you."

"With all honesty, I would not have said if there were problems."

"Have there been?"

Lucien nodded slightly.

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"We're supposed to be in this together, Lucien."

"I know. I just…"

"What?"

"It wants you so desperately. Wants you in ways that have nothing to do with love or respect. It

wants to ravish you. To bask in the glory of your blood, your pleasure… your pain…"

"I'm okay with that. And you know what?" I drew him close, kissing across his jaw and down his

throat, before nuzzling a spot on his neck and biting down. "My blood, my pleasure, my pain… I

would give it all to you."

Lucien growled and moved off me, though I didn't know quite how. One moment he was above me

and the next he was out of the pool, pacing back and forth along the concrete.

"Run, Peter."

Confused, I awkwardly made my way to the ledge and got out of the pool. I started for Lucien, but

he turned, snarling, voice deep and full of… Oh…

"Run."

Every part of me responded to him, and the last thing I wanted to do was run. I wanted to stay and

play, to see where it would lead if I teased the part of him he feared the most. I knew in my gut

there was nothing to fear.

He advanced and I bowed up, grinning. "Then come and get me, lover."

Lucien turned away from me and roared, every muscle in his body tense and shaking. My courage

faltered then. I'd never seen him so uncontrolled and on edge. I turned on my heel and almost slipped on the wet concrete as I started for the house. If I could just make it inside, there'd be places to hide. To tease.

I quickly figured out that it was hard running while laughing. And that running with a half-hard

dick was a pain in more ways than one. I ended up cupping my dick and balls as I ran and I had a feeling that anyone watching would have thought I'd lost my mind. They might've been right, too. The guards, who'd been leaned against the door and talking, separated and drew their guns. I tried to wave them off. "Just open the door!"

"Is everything—?"

"Open the goddamned door!"

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Apparently, Lucien was close enough behind me that they realized no one was out to get us. One of the doors opened and as I passed one of the guards, I heard him laugh. Bastard. I ran up the private corridor toward the main part of the house, my mind going ninety to nothing trying to figure out where to go. To my left was a corridor that I'd only been down a few times. The rooms down in this area were mainly used for storage. I veered off down the corridor and about halfway down, ducked into a recess and plastered myself against the wall. Panting, I tried not to laugh. How could I have known that the walls I made fun of for being so damned decorative would give me a place to catch my breath? But the break was short-lived. Lucien was close, the air suddenly becoming thick with need. My belly tightened at the thought of Lucien finding me, cock filling in anticipation. I bit at my lip, head falling back against the wall. Suddenly, the wall disappeared behind me and I fell backward. I gasped when my bare ass hit the cold floor. I tried to get to my feet, but before I managed it the part of the wall I'd fallen through slammed shut.

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Chapter Six The room was so dark I couldn't see my hand only inches from my face. I got to my feet and found the wall again, running my hand all along the surface in search of a door knob or a light switch. When I found neither, I put my back to the wall and tried to figure out what to do next. The floor at my feet was cold, but smooth. Almost like the marble floor in our bathroom. Intrigued, I stepped away from the wall, hands searching the darkness before me. After a few steps, the floor gave way. I fell on my ass, feet going out in front of me. I realized that the floor hadn't gone after all. I was at the top of a set of stairs. My eyes began to adjust—hearing, too. Lucien was close. I went back to the wall, grinning like hell as I heard Lucien pass by, growl, stop… then come close to the wall. Okay. So maybe I really wanted him to catch me. But this whole run-hide-tease thing was fun. Now, if only there'd be some serious seeking. I felt Lucien touch at my mind, no doubt trying to see through my eyes to get a clue on where I was. I didn't have time to shield, but realized that all Lucien would see anyway would be darkness. Quietly and carefully, I turned back and started making my way down the stairs. After about the tenth one, I started wondering just what the fuck this place was. I was going down the stairs, which meant wherever I was at was huge. Maybe it was an old part of the dungeon… A soft growl sounded from somewhere close, though I couldn't place the direction it came from. Goose bumps rose over my body and I shuddered, knowing that Lucien had made his way inside without me realizing it. The air became heavy, Lucien's scent invading my senses. My body reacted—heated, hard, wanting, heart racing in my chest. I felt Lucien coming toward me and for a moment, I couldn't move. I was frozen in that one spot, fear washing through me. I managed to shake it off a few seconds later, still trying to move forward, cursing him inwardly for not playing fair. The stairs gave way to a flat surface and I was relieved to be able to move faster again. I ran ahead, hands still in front of me so I didn't crash head first into a fucking wall. He hit me hard in the back, pushing me forward.

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We landed on a raised, carpeted area and I struggled, trying to throw him off. Hands pinned my wrists, Lucien's weight on the back of my thighs keeping me immobile. The more I struggled, the more he growled. Without warning, he sank his fangs into my shoulder. I cried out in pain and he pulled off, licking at the wound. Breathless, I tried to get him off me again. He shifted and trailed his tongue a little further down. "Lucien… Fuck!" He bit into me again and again, working his way down my back, each time sipping only a little before licking at the wound and moving on. When I tried to move my hands and arms, he'd growl and pin them back above my head. After a while, he let me go, but I didn't dare move. His tongue teased the crack of my ass and I tensed, eyes going wide. But he didn't bite; didn't do anything but pause just above me, letting his breath tickle and caress my skin. I bit at my lip, swallowing hard as I arched back toward him. He buried his face in my ass, inhaling deeply. His tongue found my hole a few seconds later, licking and teasing before pushing deep. I groaned, head dropping to the floor. He pushed me forward and spread my ass cheeks, licking the skin between my hole and my balls. I clenched my jaw tight, knowing what was coming. When the pain of his bite flooded through me, I let out a growl. My hands shifted, claws biting through the carpet into the wood. But I stayed where I was, waiting. "I want you to get off, but not because it feels good for you. I only care that it adds to the feed— that it adds to my pleasure." He flipped me onto my back and spread my legs. "Whatever you refuse to give me, I have no problems taking." Lucien waved a hand and light filled the room. I couldn't see the source, but it was unnaturally bright. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open after being in darkness for so long. His black gaze held mine before traveling down my body, but I had a hard time tearing my gaze from his face. It was rare that I got to see so much of this part of him. "You can't take what's freely given." A sharp claw moved down my throat. "There are so many things I want to do to you." "You want my blood?" "Yes…" "My pain?" "I love the sounds that escape your lips." "You want to kill me?" 63

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"I want to drink you dry."

"Then do it. Right now." I bared my neck and spread my legs further, like some filthy whore just

begging for it. "Fuck me, fill me, take me. Take all of me."

He growled and thrust into me, sinking his fangs deep. He fed like a starved thing, shoving into me

hard and fast as if he hadn't come in years. It was nothing but pain, but I refused to scream. I'd

offered, he'd taken. I wouldn't take the satisfaction from him.

It was the first time Lucien had ever laid himself so open, giving the incubus almost complete

control. And he was so controlled—cold, calculating, violent, and oh-so-dangerous.

After a few seconds, he froze, as if something inside of him had snapped. He licked at my neck to

heal the wound, then rose up, pulling out of me, off me.

"No." He sat a couple feet away, turned away from me, panting, shaking his head. "Can't. Not yet.

It's not time."

Even though Lucien had said the incubus wanted nothing to do with love or respect, it was clear to me that he might have been just a little bit wrong about that. If that were true, I'd either be dead, or on my way to being undead instead of lying here, watching him fight for control again. Maybe, just maybe, despite all the time Lucien had spent fighting and pushing back this part of himself, he didn't really know it. "Lucien?"

He refused to look at me.

"Lucien, look at me." He scrubbed a hand over his face then looked back at me. I smiled and

reached out my hand for him. "Come here."

He warred with the decision for a moment, then moved to lie beside me. He kissed my chest and

lay his head down, sighing. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell for?"

"This went too far."

"Baby? When are you going to get it through your head that I love you? That I love the incubus

part of you just as much?"

"I know you do," he whispered. "That's what scares me. Instead of running and getting away, you

just gave yourself right up."

"Not going to run. I'm as safe with the incubus as I am with you."

"You can't truly believe that."

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I did. And there was no way that we were going to come to any sort of agreement tonight. I changed the subject. "Where are we?" "This is the old—"

"Lucien?" Simon's voice echoed in the large, empty space. He walked up a few seconds later, but I

didn't see where he'd come from. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a phone call for you."

Lucien sat up, still a little unsteady, taking the phone from Simon's hand. "This is Lucien."

There was nothing unsteady about that low, deep voice. I trailed my fingers along Lucien's spine,

probably teasing myself more than teasing him. He stood and turned to face me and Simon, a huge

grin on his face.

"I'll be right back."

I lost sight of him as he walked away, then looked at Simon. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long." He smiled shyly when I looked at him a little harder. "The sounds you make… In all

my years, I've never heard anything so beautiful."

"I find that very hard to believe, Simon." I patted the floor in front of me. "Let's talk while Lucien's busy." Simon frowned and looked back at the door before moving to half-sit, half-kneel before me. "As you wish."

"Who in this coven knows what you are?"

He picked at the carpet, not looking up. "Nikolas."

"Just Nikolas?"

He nodded. "Unless someone else has figured it out and just hasn't said."

"I see. What about Xander? You two seemed pretty close—like there'd been something between

you before. Was I reading into things?"

"I—" Simon swallowed hard. "I'm really not comfortable talking about this."

"Surely you have nothing to hide from me," I said, leaning forward just a little. "Or do you?"

"It was never my intention to hide anything."

"Yet you did. All I want to know—is why. And how."

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"Well, the how is easy enough to explain." He stood and began to unbutton his shirt. "But the

why," he shook his head, "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say. I can try, but…"

He dropped his shirt to the floor and sighed. I looked up at him, at that beautiful, lean body, and

shook my head. "I don't understand, Simon."

"You will." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned away from me.

My gut twisted as his back came into view. A long line of deep, nasty scars marred his otherwise

perfect skin from just between his shoulder blades to the curve of his lower back. They were an

angry red, almost as if they were fresh wounds instead of scars. I got to my feet, wanting to get a

closer look.

The closer I looked, the more they seemed like wounds. I reached up and touched his back with the

tips of my fingers. Simon sucked in a quick breath, flinching, and I pulled my hand back.

"What is this, Simon? What happened?"

"I was…stripped of my wings."

"But these are fresh wounds, Simon."

"No, they're not," he whispered softly.

"I don't understand." I tried to turn him to face me, but he shrugged away and bent for his shirt.

"How long ago did this happen?"

He made an awkward sound, somewhere between a laugh and a cry. "A very long time ago."

"Oh, Simon…"

"No!" He turned to face me, shaking his head adamantly. "Do not pity me, Peter."

I sat down again, shaking my head. "But I've seen you cut yourself in the kitchen. You heal just as

quickly as any vampire or werewolf. Why doesn't your back heal?"

"Because that was part of my sentence." Simon sat beside me. "'To forever bear the weight of what

I used to be.'" He looked over at me. "Sounds a bit melodramatic to me, even now."

"And when your sentence is over, what happens? You get your wings back?"

"My sentence will never end and I will never get my wings back."

"I don't understand."

"There's nothing to understand. I committed a crime and this is my punishment." Simon reached

over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "When Lucien found me, he assumed I was immortal. I saw no point in correcting him. After all, what is an angel without wings?" 66

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"I would say…" Lucien walked into view. "That he's still an angel in my book."

Simon shifted off the raised area to his knees before Lucien, face buried in his hands. "I'm so sorry,

Lucien."

Lucien started to touch Simon's shoulders, but seemed to think better of it, moving his hands to the

top of Simon's head instead. He tilted Simon's head back, forcing him to look up.

"Do not apologize to me for this."

"But I—"

"You are treasured, Simon. It does not matter what you are, but who." Lucien crouched before him.

"However, I do have a question for you: how did you end up in such a place? How does an angel

fall into the hands of a man such as Malik?"

"I was bought by him."

"Did he hurt you?"

"He tried, but for some reason, he couldn't touch me without being hurt himself. My blood was like

acid to him."

"Has anyone else had the same experience? Have you given blood to anyone else?"

"The one Malik bought me from had something similar. He couldn't touch me, so he didn't want

me. That's how I ended up with Malik." Simon rubbed the back of his neck. "I believe Xander has

tasted me, maybe Nikolas… But to my knowledge, there weren't any unusual side effects."

Lucien thought on it for a moment. "Do you mind if we have you tested against random vampires

in the coven? They will never know what the test is for or why, but I would feel more comfortable

if I knew that you haven't been tainted in some way."

"No… I understand." Simon's shoulders slumped. "Especially after what's happened."

"It has nothing to do with that, Simon. You and Cyril are nothing alike."

"Even if we are brothers?"

Lucien kissed Simon on the forehead. "Even if."

Simon stretched up and stole a kiss from Lucien's lips before wrapping his arms around him in a

tight hug. Stunned, Lucien held his arms out to avoid contact with Simon's back.

"Please," Simon whispered. "Please… I won't break."

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Lucien met my eyes over Simon's head, looking at me as if to ask what was going on. I could only shrug in confusion. Lucien looked back down at Simon and after a few moments, wrapped his arms around Simon and kissed the top of his head. They stayed like that for the longest time, Simon needing, Lucien reassuring. I won't break. Right. Just how much more could you break someone who was already broken? *** Simon left a short time later, but not until I'd made him promise that we'd talk again. He'd been quick to agree, saying that there were things he needed to get off his chest. How long had we taken him for granted? How long had we turned to him when we needed things, not even knowing the burden he carried? Lucien sat beside me and I leaned against him, needing to be close. "How could we not have known? Not have seen?" "It's hard to see things that others are trying to hide." "I still don't understand. Xander's been with him. How could Xander have not seen? He'd have… I know he'd have said something." "Even so, it would not have been Xander's story to tell." "Oh, don't give me that. If he thought Simon was hurt, he'd have fucking said so." "I think you've just answered your own question." Lucien sighed. "Perhaps one of Simon's powers is the gift of illusion." "Maybe…" I pulled away from Lucien and sat forward, looking around the huge room we were in. Torches lined the wall, flames dancing, sending shadows across the walls. The stairs I'd come down had, in fact, been part of some elaborate stadium seating. I'd come right down the middle, but the seating area wrapped around half of the room. There was another raised platform on the opposite side of the room, but on it, there was a huge chair. No, not a chair—a throne. "What is this place?" "The old throne room. This is where all of the coven meetings were held. If there were punishments or executions, they were done here, too." Lucien looked around. "It hasn't been used since I took over."

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"Really? Why not?"

"This was Malik's stage. So many terrible things had happened down here that, at the time, I

thought it best to just leave it be." Lucien shrugged. "And then there was Brandon… which sort of

freaked everyone out even more."

"Brandon?"

"We had to hire a team of parapsychologists that kept several priests on staff to deal with him. He

would scream and beg for mercy, beg for the pain to just stop. Sadly, he didn't know he was already

dead."

"Fuck…" I shivered at the thought, remembering ghosts were one thing I was going to ask Lucien

about. "I was kinda hoping that ghosts might have been the one thing on the list that wasn't real."

Lucien chuckled. "Real, and for the most part, harmless."

"For the most part doesn't make me sleep better." I lay back and closed my eyes, arms stretching

out over my head. "Is it bad that I like this place?"

"Do you?"

I nodded. "It's… I don't know. It just seems like a gathering place. A place of power."

"Does it?" Warm lips pressed against my lower belly, tongue dipping briefly into my navel before

drawing a line down to my pubes. "Shall we move the coven meetings down here?"

"Maybe." His hair tickled my thighs and I reached down and tangled my fingers in it. It was still a

little jarring to see him with long hair. "Do you think everyone will freak about it?"

"Probably," he said with a small laugh. "But it will change things up a little, keep them guessing."

"Change can be good."

He licked and teased at the head of my dick, tongue pressing firmly against the slit. I bit my lip,

forcing myself to stay still. But I couldn't. I groaned and propped myself up on my elbows, needing

to see.

Lucien pulled off me then. "Come on, lover. Let's go get you showered."

"Oh, you are a cruel bastard."

"Yep."

He grabbed my hand and helped me up, giving me only seconds to either follow behind or be

dragged by him. We walked around the raised platform and stopped at the wall. Lucien pushed a

thick hanging tapestry aside, revealing a door set into the wall.

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"Clever."

"Wait until you see where it leads."

He grinned, opened the door, and waited for me to walk through before closing it behind us. Soft

light illuminated the area just enough for me to see that we were in a long, narrow corridor.

I looked back at Lucien. "Where are we?"

"Would you just keep walking?"

I grumbled and kept moving forward, smacking at Lucien's hands when he grabbed my ass. We

soon came to a dead end and I shook my head. Before I could complain again, Lucien stepped in front of me and pushed at a wall tile. It slid aside and I could see the familiar red light of one of the security scanners. He scanned his hand and when the light turned green, the wall in front of us slid back. The room we entered into was familiar, but I couldn't immediately place it. It wasn't until I saw the two armed guards off to my left that I realized why. "This is part of the escape route from the bedroom?"

Lucien nodded.

I turned and looked at the wall we'd just passed through, realizing that I'd seen it before and not

even noticed that it wasn't a solid wall. Even looking at it again, knowing what I did, it still seemed

like just a wall.

Up another hidden stairwell, we exited into the part of the closet where we kept our tactical gear

and our own personal weapons. Lucien led me straight out of the closet and into the bathroom.

"How 'bout we get wet, get clean?"

I started the shower, smirking. "One can be dirty, even in the shower."

"Oh? Do tell."

Lucien stepped back into the shower, grasping his cock, raising his brows suggestively. I growled

and followed him in, pushing him against the tiled wall. The spray of water was warm and it just

relaxed me in all the right kinds of ways.

Without me asking, Lucien spread his legs and shoved his ass toward me. I trailed my fingers down

his spine, pausing at the tip of his crease. "You want something from me?"

He seemed hesitant all of a sudden, but nodded. I dipped my fingers lower. "Something… here?"

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"Yeah. Let me feel you."

"You look so pretty like this, Lucien." I rubbed the tips of my fingers over the tight ring of muscle.

"Just giving it up, asking for it."

He let his head fall back as I pushed two fingers in. I fucked him with them slow and easy, pulling

out, teasing, then pushing back in. It wasn't long before I wanted to tease him with my prick. I grasped my shaft and moved closer, hips almost flush against his ass. I rubbed the head of my cock around his hole, pushing in just slightly, but not doing anything but teasing. Just as I was about to push my way inside him, there was a knock outside the bathroom door.

"What?" Lucien roared.

Simon's voice didn't waver. "Someone from the Council is here to see Peter."

"Me? What the hell for?"

Lucien pounded the wall in frustration. "Have them wait in the library. We'll be right fucking

there."

My head dropped to Lucien's shoulder and Lucien shook his head. "Goddamnit."

"We can make them wait," I said, rocking my hips just a little. "Or, we can stop and pick this up

later."

"Fuck!" Lucien growled and turned, kissing me, shoving his tongue deep. "Don't want to be rushed.

Let's just rinse off and get this over with."

Lips still stinging from the kiss, I nodded. "That works."

We rinsed off as quickly as possible and dressed in a hurry. I hated the interruption, but part of me

wondered just why someone from the Council would be here so early. They weren't scheduled for

another visit for at least a week. And wanting to talk to me? This didn't bode well.

Lucien and I made it to the library in short time. Just before we walked in the door, I paused, hand

on the knob. "Who was on the phone earlier?"

"Oh, shit!"

"What? Something wrong?"

"No, no, no." He smiled, gesturing for me to open the door. "I have somewhere to be around three."

"Getting close," I warned after glancing at the grandfather clock a few feet away.

"Well, I'm hoping that whatever this is doesn't take long."

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"Yep."

I opened the door to the library and Lucien and I walked in to find Doc and Daniel standing near

the desk. I swallowed hard when Doc's worried eyes met mine. Lucien swept through the room, his

presence commanding as he moved behind his desk.

"Really, you'd think people would learn to call before just popping in like this."

"It's important that this be discussed as soon as possible. Our appointed time would have been too

late and I didn't think calling first was necessary," Doc replied.

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Too late for what?"

Doc looked at Daniel and Daniel cleared his throat. "Lucien, we need a word with Peter."

"Yes, I assumed so, which is why we're here."

"A word with him alone, please," Daniel added.

Lucien looked at me, but I just shrugged. It couldn't hurt. And the way Doc was looking at me, I

wasn't sure I wanted Lucien to hear it right now anyway.

"Okay, then. I do have something else to take care of at the moment. Peter? If you need me, call

me."

"I will."

Lucien left, closing the door behind him. Doc's gaze settled on me. "How are you, Peter?"

I took Lucien's place behind the desk and sat down. "Fine, why?"

"Have you had any episodes?"

I thought about it and realized the last one had been before the accident. "No, I've been fine."

"Good, good. The drug seems to be holding, then."

"What drug?"

"While you were in our lab, you had a few terrible episodes. I used a combination of drugs to help

stabilize the symptoms."

"Where can I get more of it? It seems to work really well."

"It won't last long, and I'm afraid that giving you another dose would only cause more problems."

"I don't follow…"

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Doc shifted uncomfortably, then placed a thick stack of files on the desk, pulling up a chair on the other side. "By now, you're aware that you have Lycan blood in your body?" When I nodded, he continued. "It wasn't put there by Nikolas." I frowned at him. "I don't understand."

"We ran a few tests—"

"When a member of the Council kidnapped us, of course. And drugged me, strapped me to a

fucking table. Beat and bloodied Xander all to hell—"

"None of that was supposed to happen. You were only to be brought in for testing. Cyril…"

"Right. Where is that bastard? How come we haven't heard anything about his punishment yet?"

"We've contacted his elders," Daniel said, finally speaking up from the side of the room where he

was inspecting book titles on the shelf. "There isn't much we can do with him, but I have every confidence that they will take care of their own." Images of Simon's back flashed in my head. "If I ever see him again, I will find a way to kill him." "I understand the sentiment, Peter, believe me. But there would be no way for you to win against him. They are, in a sense, untouchable." "I find something really, really wrong with that. Don't they have a weakness?"

"Not that we're aware of."

"Then maybe it'd be a good idea to do some research into that."

Doc cleared his throat. "We haven't had a need—until now."

I looked at him, watched the way he nervously picked at the edge of the file folder. I'd already

forgotten what he'd been saying. "I'm sorry, Doc. You were saying?"

He sat forward and opened the file folder. "We've established that you are aware of the Lycan

blood in your body, correct?"

"But that it wasn't put there by Nikolas?"

Doc nodded, but Daniel moved to stand behind him, grasping the back of Doc's chair as he looked

down at me. "Do you know anything of your father? Who he was? Where he came from?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Doc sighed and looked up at Daniel. "Daniel, please. Can you give us a few minutes?"

"This is important," Daniel argued.

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"That's precisely why I would like to get this part out of the way before you start in on anything else." Daniel grumbled and turned on his heel. "Call me when you finish this."

Doc waited until the door shut behind Daniel before continuing. "That should cause considerably

less confusion for the time being—even if it all is confusing as hell anyway."

"Why do I have a feeling you're about to kill the Easter Bunny?"

He ignored my nervous joking, his expression grim. "There were Lycan cells in your blood before

you were ever attacked by Nikolas—and before you bonded with Xander."

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Chapter Seven "That's not possible." "There are certain markers in the DNA that can distinguish between an infective transmission and an inherited one. Your markers are consistent with that of an inherited, but dormant, gene. We believe that contact with both a born Lycan and an infected one has brought it out of the dormant state." My heart thudded in my chest so fast I could hear it in my ears. This was bad. "What does that mean? Am I stuck like this? Is the transition I've been fucking begging Lucien for impossible now?" "Impossible?" He smiled warmly. "No." "How did this happen?" "Your bond with Xander, to start with. The progression was slow, the dormant genes awakening, and then, those genes beginning to fight with Lucien's blood in your system. Did you ever notice that Lucien's blood eased the cravings for you for a while? That you just felt better after drinking from him?" "All the time," I said slowly. "It was like… like he was my fix." "I would imagine. From what I can tell, Lucien's blood to you was like a magical elixir. Perhaps Lucien marked you in some way that even he didn't realize, but it was as if your body expected to become vampire." "That's all I've ever wanted," I whispered. "So, all of this? It's because of my bond with Xander? What if that had never happened?" "I'm afraid so. Without your bond with him, the Lycan genes would have remained dormant. You see, the dormant genes were too weak to awaken and mutate on their own. They needed a stronger carrier – of Lycan descent – to bond to; like an infection. But, with as much blood as you take from Lucien, all of those cells are continually fighting with the vampiric cells for dominance." "So I have been infected?" I scratched my head, confused. "I have to tell you, Doc. I wasn't very good in biology."

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"We've searched our records extensively through the past few centuries and have not yet found another case similar to yours. This is why Daniel has inquired about your family history. Namely, your father." "I never knew my father," I said. "He left before I was even born."

Doc frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, Peter."

"I'm not." I shrugged. "I'd rather have nothing than the bastard I always heard he was. So what's the

deal? Am I fucked?"

"We ran a battery of tests and every one of them came back with the same positive results."

"And that is?"

"Lucien should be able to transition you, just as he would with any other vampire. Technically,

your body won't die as much as it will mutate. But it—"

The room was starting to spin and I blinked hard. "No… no. I couldn't—can't—take any more of that shit." "Breathe, Peter. There's more." Doc took my hands, massaging my knuckles with his thumbs. It calmed me almost instantly, despite the fact that the thought of more should have had my stomach rolling. He smiled. "Right now, you are still human. Already, though, you are healing rapidly and have had episodes of partial shifting. Is that correct?" I nodded.

"Lucien's gift will give you the immortality that you seek."

"It's not that," I said softly. "It was never that. I just wanted the cravings that I couldn't sate to go

away. A hunger without a fix, you know?"

"You will be an entirely new species. You will live as a vampire, but you will be able to shift as a

Lycan." He sighed and squeezed my hand. "We're not sure of anything else. You could be

incredibly weak… Or you could be the most powerful thing we've ever faced. Either way, we will

help you as much as we possibly can."

I pulled my hands away and scrubbed them over my face. "I'll be a freak. Not one or the other.

How the fuck… No one will respect me, not vampires, not Lycans."

"Oh, I highly doubt that."

"Is there any way to go back? If Lucien doesn't bring me over—"

"Now that the dormant Lycan gene has reawakened, it has no way to sustain itself. As it is now,

your body is aggressively trying to bring it to the forefront as the cure, but it's too weak. Your body

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has no idea that it's selected the wrong gene. Since you cannot progress through the stages to become a full-fledged werewolf, I'm afraid Lucien is your only hope for survival." "And how is Lucien the fix for all this?" "Your death, even in its temporary form, will halt the process of mutation. The Lycan genes will still be there, but they will be unable to take over." I scrubbed my hands over my face, shaking my head. Maybe there were some things I didn't need to know. "Are you sure I'll make the transition?" Doc nodded confidently. "I would not even suggest it if I thought it would fail. However, you are running out of time." "That's why you're back so quickly." He nodded again. "The drug I concocted to help stabilize the side effects of what's happening in your body will run out very shortly. In fact, from my tests in the lab, it should have run out already." I stood and walked to the window. Instead of looking out over the yard, I closed my eyes and let Doc's words replay through my head. Infected…mutating…genes, cells…should be able to transition you… entirely new species …running out of time… "So what it all boils down to is…I'm dying."

"In a very short version? Yes."

I leaned against the cool window, sighing. "How long?"

"Two, maybe three days."

My whole body went numb. A dozen things went through my head at once—things I needed to

take care of, people I needed to see—yet I was at a loss for words. The door to the library opened,

but I didn't bother to look back.

"Peter?" Daniel called from across the room. "Do you understand everything that Doc's explained

to you?"

"Unfortunately." I turned and faced him. "What I don't understand is why you're here? What does

any of this have to do with you?"

Daniel gestured to the chair behind Lucien's desk. "If you'll have a seat, I'll explain."

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I started to argue but his expression hardened. He was beautiful, no doubt, but beneath that there was an air of cruelty; born more out of necessity than nature. Something told me that it would be wise for me to just shut the fuck up and do as he said. I gave a nod, taking my seat behind the desk. "As you know, Cyril was a member of the Council. With everything that's happened, there is now an empty seat." Daniel paused, sitting on the edge of Lucien's desk and looking down at me. "I would like you to fill it." "Excuse me? In case you've forgotten, I'm still human."

"But not for long," he said.

"Even if… Why would I want to be a part of the Council? I know next to nothing about it, other

than the fact that you're the governing body for vampires and..." I trailed off, not really knowing

how to group everyone else. "Others."

"To make a difference, Peter. The Council needs new blood, needs those who will lead in the best

interests of the people. The world is growing and changing rapidly. If we do not grow and change

with it, we become stagnant. That is something our people cannot afford."

"So why are you offering me – someone who could very well be the weakest vampire or Lycan

known in our world – a position on the Council of Elders?"

"You could very well be the most powerful."

"You're willing to chance it either way?"

"It is safe to say that, even if your physical abilities don't amount to much, your leadership skills

are well above par."

I shifted in the chair and leaned back, looking up to meet Daniel's gaze. "Tell me something?"

"Anything."

"Why not Lucien? He's a much better leader than I am."

"Honestly, I don't agree. Lucien is a superb Master and is very well-respected. He leads well, tends

to have a heavy hand at times, but he seems to lack…" He waved a hand as if trying to think of a

word.

"Ambition." Doc finished it for him.

Daniel pointed in his direction. "Exactly. Lucien was torn away from a coven he was happily

serving in and no amount of time or experience can change the fact that he never wanted to lead.

You? You want to do things. Change things. Make things better for your people. You have a desire

to move forward and make this coven the best that it can possibly be."

"Lucien wants that as much as I do."

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"After you pointed it out to him, of course."

"Look, Daniel, I appreciate the gesture and all, but I just don't think it'll work."

"Perhaps the benefits will persuade you?"

"Probably not."

"Just in case," Daniel said, smiling as he reached across the desk. He placed a bound file before me.

"I took the liberty of listing the benefits you—and the coven—would receive if you were to take

the seat."

I picked up the file, shaking my head. It was nearly an inch thick. "I'm not promising anything."

"All that I ask is that you give it serious consideration."

"I've got two, maybe three days left and I'm supposed to go through an inch-thick file to see if I

want to take a seat for the Council, when I may not even be here to utilize it." I laughed. "Oh yeah,

I'll get right on that."

There was a knock at the door, but it didn't open right away. "Yes?"

The door opened and Adam poked his head in shyly. "Master Lucien is asking for you. He's in the

front drive."

"Thank you, Adam."

He nodded politely and retreated, shutting the door behind him. I looked at them both. "If you'd

like, we have rooms available in the guest wing."

"If it would be okay, I'd like to stay a few days," Doc said. "I would feel more comfortable being

here, just in case there's a need for my services."

"Actually, Doc? I'd feel better if you stayed." I glanced from Doc to Daniel. "Separate rooms?"

Daniel smiled. "Please."

"Very well, then. Make yourselves at home." At that, I stood. "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I

believe my presence has been requested." *** Adam was waiting for me as I left the library, head down, hands behind his back. I stopped just in front of him. "Everything okay?" "Yes, sir. Master Lucien asked me to wait for you." 79

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"Ah, I see." I realized that I hadn't spoken to him since I took his blood in the library. "Listen,

Adam, I want to thank you for your help the other day."

"It was my pleasure," he said softly. "Simon explained what had happened. I'm glad to have

helped."

"And you did, Adam. I don't think I'd have found him otherwise." Adam smiled, but remained

silent. "Daniel and Doc will need guest rooms. Can you handle that for me?"

"Of course, sir."

"Come on; let's not keep him waiting, then."

We walked through the house to the front door and when we reached it, Adam opened it for me. I

would have thanked him, but my eyes were on Lucien—who was surrounded by a half-dozen

wolves. I stepped out the door, but hesitated.

"What's going on, Lucien?"

"Come here!" He laughed. "You play with big, bad werewolves but these little guys scare you?"

"I'm not scared. I'm being cautious." I started toward them, slowly. "Where did they come from?"

"A friend."

"Yeah?"

One of the larger wolves stepped away from Lucien and headed for me. I stopped and let him

come, holding my hand out just slightly. The wolf nuzzled against my hand, sniffing me, then bit at my fingers before licking them. I dropped to one knee to pet him, running my fingers through his thick, gray-brown coat. At first, the wolf stood stiff-legged, his entire body tense and alert. Yellow eyes scrutinized me closely and for a moment, I thought he was going to bite me in the face. But after a few minutes, he relaxed, tongue lolling out as he panted. "What a pretty boy you are," I said softly. "And soft, too."

He sat, then collapsed onto his belly before rolling to his back. I'd seen that enough times to know

what it meant. Funny, how wolves and werewolves had some of the same behaviors. I scratched his

belly and his chest, enjoying watching him as much as he seemed to be enjoying the attention.

I looked at Lucien as he walked up, smiling. "He's pretty."

Lucien nodded. "He's yours. They all are, Peter."

"What?"

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He took my arm and pulled me up, hands framing my face. "A gift, lover."

"Oh, Lucien…" I hugged him tightly, fighting like hell to keep from breaking down into tears.

Would I even be here to take care of them? "Thank you."

"What is wrong?" he asked after a few moments. "Your emotions are all over the place."

I couldn't go into it now. Not when he'd gone to the trouble of surprising me like this. This was

supposed to be about the good and the happy moments. I shook my head.

"I'm just tired. You want to go sit out in the grass with the wolves?"

"Sure."

He took my hand and led me to the grass. I looked back to see if the wolf I'd given attention to

would follow, but he wasn't there. I looked around at the other wolves who seemed to be pondering

whether to follow, but he wasn't with them either. A sharp nudge at the back of my knee drew my

attention and I looked down to see him, sitting on his haunches at my feet. "There you are." I sat on the ground and gave him another pet. Lucien laughed as he sat next to me. "He likes you." I bumped shoulders with Lucien, smirking. "Why wouldn't he?" He lay back, grinning as he looked up at me. "You are rather likeable." I stretched out next to him, sighing as I looked up at the predawn sky. "I love the grounds at this time of night." "I do, too. Everything just seems calm and quiet." He rolled to his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "Except for you." The sympathy in his eyes was just too much to take. I closed my eyes in avoidance, fighting not to break down. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What did they say to you?"

"They want me to take a seat on the Council."

Lucien sounded surprised. "Really?"

I nodded.

"Are you going to take it?"

"Oh, I don't know." I frowned up at him. "It's just… weird, don't you think?"

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"I think it's soon, but certainly not weird." He bent and kissed my forehead. "It's a good

opportunity."

"I didn't think you liked the Council much."

"For the most part, no. But mainly because they have refused to change over the years and listen to

what's going on. They've refused to move forward." He smiled a little, though it was far from a

pleasant smile. "And they can be pushy bastards when they want to be."

"I don't know what to do, Lucien. What will this mean for us and the coven if I do take the seat?"

"It won't mean a thing, other than the fact that you'll be out of town every three months for a

meeting."

"For some reason, I don't think that's all. They gave me an inch-thick file on the benefits." I shook

my head. "They don't give you that much without expecting a hell of a lot in return."

"It can't hurt to look into it."

Daniel hadn't even pushed me this much. "Would you do it?"

"No," he said without hesitation.

"Then why push me?"

"I'm not trying to push you, Peter. I just—"

I glared up at him. "You want the benefits."

"I just think this is something you should put some thought into before turning it down. All you

know of the Council is what I've said about them from my own experience. My opinions aren't always objective." His thumb played over my bottom lip. "Look into it. If it's a good fit for you— do it. If it's not, or they require you to sign your soul away—don't. I only want the best for you, lover." A weight against my thigh drew my attention. I looked down to see the wolf curled up beside me,

head resting on my thigh. I looked up at Lucien, smiling.

"How'd you ever orchestrate this so fast?"

"Actually, I had this planned before…"

His words hung in the air.

I didn't want to go there. I cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down to me, tongue pushing

between his lips. He groaned as our tongues slid together and shifted so that he straddled me. When

his weight pressed down on me, it was in the right fucking spot and I bucked up against him.

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Lucien broke the kiss, half-laughing, half-opened-mouth moaning. He couldn't have looked sexier to me than in that moment. So open, so wanting. I concentrated hard and managed to shift one of my hands. I wasn't sure how long I could hold it, as the shifts never lasted more than a couple of seconds. Carefully, I slid a sharp claw along the seam of Lucien's pants. The pants gave way just as my hand shifted back to normal. I curled my fingers on each side of the seam and pulled, tearing them open. I slid one hand between me and Lucien, fingers finding his hole. He growled and rose up slightly, then sank back down, hips rolling as he rode my fingers. He grunted and managed to get my pants unbuckled and unzipped, then worked at his own. After a few awkward moments of shifting and rearranging clothes, Lucien rose just enough so the head of my cock rested at his hole. "You gonna ride me? Right out here in the fucking open where anyone can see?" Lucien shuddered. "Don't care who sees anymore. Just want you." I pushed up as Lucien bore down and slid right into that tight, velvet heat. "Oh, fuck." He nodded, hips rocking hard and fast, gaze locked with mine. It wasn't long before Lucien closed his eyes and let his head fall back, just giving himself up to the sensations. He was so tight around me and with each and every roll of his hips he'd tighten around me even more. I dug my boot heels into the ground and thrust up. Lucien growled and cried out, hand going to his cock. He jerked a couple times, then came all over my shirt. The sight and scent of him coming sent me over and I clutched Lucien's hips, holding him tight as I filled him. Lucien blinked down at me and I grinned, pulling him down for a kiss, almost giggling. "I think your pants have a hole in them." *** When we walked into the bedroom, Nikolas was lounging in the middle of the bed, waiting. "What are you doing?" Lucien asked playfully. "Waiting for y'all to quit fucking in the yard and come see me. I'm supposed to feed you, Lucien. Xander did, after all, offer me up." I'd completely forgotten that Xander had offered Nikolas up for a power feed—but that shouldn't have been until sunset tonight. Lucien took off his shirt and threw it at Nikolas, who snatched it out of the air and held it to his face. "I don't know why. What he gave me earlier, yesterday—it was more than an adequate feed. I don't need another." "Yeah, well, that's about right." Nikolas grumbled, scratching his belly. 83

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Lucien seemed to notice the dejected look in Nikolas' eyes. "But if you'd be willing to give blood instead…" Nikolas' eyes lit up. "It'll be dawn soon, you know." Lucien shrugged. "I've got enough time for a shower. You are more than welcome to join me." Nikolas slid off the bed, hands going right to his pants as he looked at me. "You comin' too, princess?" I was pretty much done, as far as sex went, but lying on the ground had made me feel dirty and itchy. I nodded, smirking. "I guess." Lucien snorted at Nikolas' raised eyebrow. "We've had a long night." Nikolas stripped off his shirt as he kicked off his pants. "I have, too, though I doubt it's been in the same kind of way." Lucien headed on into the bathroom, working on getting his pants off. I looked at Nikolas. "Xander said Lucien needed a feed from him and you before he was back to normal." "I think Xander fibbed." "The water's hot," Lucien called from the bathroom. "Anyone coming or am I showering alone?" "Go shower with Lucien, feed him." I turned on my heel and started for the door. "Tell him I'll be right back." "Where the fuck are you going?" I didn't answer, just let the door slam behind me. Xander wasn't in his room across the hall so I had to take a moment to try to feel him out. He was still in the house, which gave me a limited number of options. I checked the kitchen first, finding it empty. I then went along checking the library and a few other rooms before pausing at the door leading down to the dungeon. Xander's scent was stronger here. I entered through the main doors, making my way through the cells and corridors. Unlike my last trip down here, this time there was an eerie silence. The hunter was curled up, facing the wall when I passed by and I made another mental note to talk to Nikolas about that. If Nikolas wasn't going to play with him, he needed to be executed. The viewing room was empty when I opened the door. Confused, I turned to walk back out again. When I did, my breath caught in my throat. Xander was in the cell with Caleb. He sat with his back in a corner, cradling Caleb against his chest. His head was bent, lips pressed to Caleb's forehead, even as he spoke.

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A wave of emotions went through me—anger, betrayal, sympathy…pride—but I wasn't sure what I felt more of. The anger and betrayal went hand in hand. By him sending Nikolas to me and Lucien when he did, that pretty much guaranteed him alone time with Caleb. It wasn't like I'd forbidden him to talk to Caleb, so his going about it this way didn't set well. But I could feel his hurt and pain and confusion, so it was hard to stay angry. I watched them for a short time, but finally reached over and hit the button so I could hear what was being said. "It hurts so much."

"I know it does, baby. Just relax. Just a few more minutes."

Caleb shook and writhed, Xander doing his best to keep a tight hold on him. "Why… why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you, you fool."

"I hurt so many people…"

"Yes, you did. And I'm furious with you for it." Xander brushed a lock of hair from Caleb's eyes.

"But that doesn't make me love you any less. You're going to be punished for what you did. You understand that, don't you?" Caleb nodded shakily, crying out as he clutched his stomach. "I'll be here, every step of the way."

"Don't deserve it, Xander."

"No, you don't. Now, shut up and just let the dawn take you this time." Xander shifted, holding

Caleb against his chest, chin resting on the top of Caleb's head. Caleb seemed to relax almost instantly. "That's it, baby. I've got you."

After a few moments, Xander broke into tears, clutching Caleb to him like some kind of stuffed

animal. I hit the button for the intercom system, some of that anger coming back.

"Did time alone with Caleb really require you to lie to me?"

Xander snapped his head up in shock, gaping. "Peter? What are you—?"

"I will not talk to you through this goddamned mirror, Xander."

He gently moved Caleb to the floor before getting to his feet. He used the security scanner to open

the cell door. When he entered the viewing room, his eyes were downcast.

"'Nikolas will need to feed you tomorrow night, Lucien…'" I quoted his own words back to him.

"You'd better start talking."

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"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to be straight with me, Xander."

"No, you don't. You came down here to rip me a new asshole for lying to you when that wasn't my

intention."

"What was your intention? Send Nikolas off on his way so you could finally get some time alone

with Caleb? Is this where you were when you said you were sort of with Nikolas?"

"Does it matter where I was?"

"No, it doesn't fucking matter. What matters is that you're only half-ass answering my damned

questions."

"Why didn't you tell me he asked for me last night? That he begged for me over and over again?"

"It wasn't Caleb asking for you last night."

"I don't believe that."

"Believe what you want." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Last night wasn't the time or place

anyway—considering what you did to Lucien."

"I helped him!"

"No, Xander. I think you helped yourself. You found the perfect opportunity to play your games

and you took it. Problem is: you got caught."

"Five minutes," he said. "That's all it would've taken."

"When did the idea hit you? When I was tossing and turning and couldn't sleep? Did you figure out

that if you could get me to leave, you could work this around in your favor? You knew exactly

where I would go if I left, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm a regular mind-reader. Jesus, I'm not fucking psychic." Xander braced himself on

the ledge of the mirrored window and was quiet for a long while. He finally shook his head. "I love

him, Peter. Right now I think I'd do anything just to let him know that."

"And fuck everyone else, huh?"

"I let him pull away from me before and I didn't push because I was afraid that'd just make things

worse. I keep thinking that if I'd just fought a little, that maybe none of this would've happened."

"None of it was your fault, Xander. Relationships grow and fade—that's just life."

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"It's life to try to pick up the pieces and move on, too." Xander looked over at me. "I love you and Lucien more than anything, but I'm in love with Caleb." "And you figured this out by fucking Nikolas?"

"I figure it's kind of like you fucking me—or Nikolas. That doesn't mean you love Lucien any less,

does it?"

That was low, even for Xander, and I found myself without an answer to give. I'd known that what was going on between Nikolas and Xander was just fun, the two of them just blowing off steam together. But part of me also hoped that maybe they'd last a little longer than a couple weeks. I walked to the door, heart in my throat. I'd known that letting him go when he found someone

wasn't going to be easy, but the thought of him with Caleb now was like a kick in the gut.

"Peter?"

Hand on the doorknob, I paused. "I'm asking you to let him go."

"I can't do that… Not even for you."

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Chapter Eight Nikolas was in still in bed with Lucien when I walked into the bedroom. They were curled up, facing each other as if they'd been talking. Nikolas' breath was steady and deep, soft snores escaping him. I wanted to go over and climb between them, but the knot in my stomach just wouldn't let up. Instead, I went into the bathroom and started the shower. There was still a bit of condensation hanging in the air, the mirrors covered with it. The shower had been awfully long and hot. Christ. How long had they waited for me? I stripped and stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would relax me. But the more I relaxed, the harder it was fighting off the tears. I pounded the wall in frustration, then finally sank to the shower floor. The water rained down on my head, streaming down my cheeks to wash the tears away. So much was changing so quickly. It seemed that every time things started going right around here, something else came along to fuck it up. I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting the heat of the water soothe me. After a while, cool air invaded the hot shower. I looked up to see Nikolas staring down at me. "Everything okay, princess?" I shook my head slowly. Why was it that I could never lie to Nikolas? "How 'bout we get you out of the shower and you can tell me all about it?" He held his hand out to help me up, but when I tried to take it, I found I couldn't lift my arm. I attempted to shake it off, figuring I'd been sitting in the hot water for too long. But my other arm and both legs were the same. Just heavy and still. Two, maybe three days. Doc's words went through my mind again and I panicked, fighting like hell to move. When nothing happened, I screamed—just a wordless cry of fear and frustration. Nikolas disappeared for a few seconds and came back with a couple of towels. He didn't make a move to help me, just leaned against the open shower door and stared. 88

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Soon, he went blurry and the floor felt like it was moving beneath me. It turned my stomach and I

groaned. "I don't feel so good."

"Don't look so good either. You promise me you'll stop that crying and screaming and I'll get you

out of here."

I wanted to flip him off so badly. "Asshole."

He stepped away from the shower and laid one towel on the floor. Then he stepped back into the

shower, straddled my legs, and hefted me up against him. After he got me out, he laid me down on

the towel and started drying me off.

I sighed. "And I wasn't crying."

He stopped and glared at me. "You were in there crying like a little cub that lost its pack. Mewling

and howling—don't know how I'm supposed to sleep through shit like that."

"I was not."

"Oh, so now I'm lying to you?" He stopped the drying. "How 'bout I just leave you here until

Lucien wakes up?"

"Just put me in the bed, okay?"

Nikolas grumbled and growled, getting my body and hair dry before picking me up and cradling

me against his chest. He carried me easily, putting me right where he'd been lying when I'd come

into the bedroom. He started to edge off the bed, but stopped.

"What's wrong with you, princess?" he asked softly. "You smell all wrong."

"Dying," I answered.

"What? Wait a minute, now. You're supposed to be getting better. You haven't had an episode

since—"

"Since they drugged me all up when I was in the Council's custody? Yeah, well, the drug's wearing

off."

Nikolas sank down beside me, his warm, naked body pressed up against mine. "Lucien can fix that,

though. Can't he?"

"Maybe."

He sighed heavily, lips brushing along my collarbone. "He doesn't know, does he?"

"No."

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"Tell me I didn't do this to you…" He rose up on his elbow, fingers tracing my jaw.

"No, Nikolas, it wasn't you."

"Who did?" Nikolas frowned angrily. "You tell me who did this and I'll—"

"Xander," I said softly.

He frowned even harder, shaking his head in confusion. "But he was born a werewolf. How can

that be?"

I didn't really want to go into the whole thing as Doc had explained it. Frankly, most of it still

confused the hell out of me. But I knew Nikolas wouldn't back down. When I'd finished explaining

what I could remember, he nodded.

"That explains what I sensed in you."

"Guess you were right."

"Oh, princess… I'm always right."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut. Up."

He smiled, damn near grinning. "So is that it?"

"Isn't it enough?"

"For what all I heard in there?" He gestured toward the bathroom. "There's got to be more."

"So, suddenly dying isn't enough, huh?"

"Yeah, but you can be fixed. Your fix is lying right there behind you. All you have to do is tell him

what the fuck is going on and you'll no longer be dying, but transitioning." His look dared me to

argue, but he didn't give me the chance. "So suck it up, pretty. Tell me what else has got your heart

breaking." "Xander chose Caleb over me." The words left my mouth before I realized it. "Happy now?" "Well, no, not really. Xander was a good piece of ass. I hate to lose that. Especially to Caleb." "Nikolas…" "Didn't you know that he always would?" Nikolas' tone was as serious as I'd ever heard it. "I know he loves you more than just about anything. And while I had fun with him—and he with me—I

knew that he was always wishing it was Caleb in my place."

"Didn't it hurt to know that?"

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"Are you kidding me?" Nikolas shook his head. "It was a relief, if anything. Last thing I need is

someone following me around like a love-struck pup."

"There's nothing wrong with loving someone, Nikolas. It's not a sign of weakness."

"Can I get you anything? Any ideas what might help you shake this off?"

"You're changing the subject."

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Fine," I grumbled, knowing he wouldn't talk anymore about Xander or love or feelings in general.

"Blood. Do you think you can get me some of Lucien's from the supply?"

"The fresher the better?"

I nodded. "There should only be a bag or two. He hasn't added to the supply since before he was

taken."

"That's not very fresh. My blood help?"

"No! No Lycan blood." Before Nikolas had the chance to get offended, I added, "I think it'd do

more harm than good."

"I'll go down and see what's there, princess. But for future reference? Could you have these

episodes when other vampires are actually awake?"

I laughed, wishing I could smack him. "I'll try harder next time."

He bent and kissed my forehead. "Be right back."

Nikolas got off the bed and the bedroom door closed a few seconds later. I wondered if he'd even

had the good sense to throw on a robe. The thought of him naked and roaming the halls made me smile. Knowing him, he was giving everyone a show and enjoying every moment of it. *** Warm liquid splashed on my face. I looked up to see Lucien, blood dripping from his lips. I opened

my mouth to let the blood drop onto my tongue. It wasn't enough; I needed more.

"Peter…"

I reached for him, but he just seemed to be getting farther and farther away.

"No!"

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"Peter!" Nikolas' voice cut through the haze and Lucien was suddenly gone. "Open your eyes.

Come on, you have to be awake to drink this."

I hadn't realized I was asleep, but the words were enough to make me open my eyes. Nikolas held a

small bag of blood in his hands. I tried to take it, but couldn't move my arms. I panicked for a

moment, but remembered how this whole thing had started.

I licked at my lips, the taste of Lucien's blood there and real.

"You okay now? Nikolas shifted the bag in his hands and put it to my lips. "Had a hard time

waking you up."

His voice was full of concern and compassion, two things that were definitely not in his normal

scope of behavior. Hearing them now was a really bad sign.

"Fine. Just need…"

He gave the bag a squeeze and warm, rich blood filled my mouth. I swallowed as fast as I could,

but he was squeezing too hard and some of it ran from my mouth to trickle down my chin and neck. A low, rumbling growl bubbled up from his throat and I looked at him. Our eyes met and my heart thudded in my chest. The look in Nikolas' eyes was part wolf, part human, and part sex. But mostly sex. I swallowed the last of the blood and Nikolas tossed the empty bag aside. He straddled my hips, his

gaze never leaving mine. "Can you move yet?"

I tried to lift my arm, but only managed to move my fingers. "What are you doing, Nikolas?"

"What's the matter? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

"Because you can't move? Can't defend yourself from the big, bad wolf?"

I swallowed hard. "I know you won't hurt me."

"Permanently? No." He bent and licked at the blood on my throat. "I value you – and my life – too

much for that."

"What do you want, Nikolas?"

"You want me to lie to you?"

"I hate being lied to."

"You might want me to lie; just this once."

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He licked up the side of my face with the flat of his tongue and I had to fight to stifle a moan. I turned my head, just as he did, and I licked at the corner of his mouth, chasing a drop of blood. Lucien's blood was doing what I thought it would. The muscles in my arms and legs twitched, my entire body going hot. Part of me wanted to let this go, to see where it'd lead. The smarter part of me realized that if I gave him this now, I would always be an easy target for him and his games. I curled my hands into fists, planting my feet on the bed. As Nikolas nipped at my throat, I slid my hands between us, palms against his chest. There was a moment of indecision in his eyes as I moved and I took the opportunity to push him off me. He growled and snarled and attempted to roll off the bed. The growl and snarl pissed me off. Just as he stood, I lunged at his back, knocking him to the floor. He started to fight back, but I straddled him and grasped the back of his neck and locked my arm. I shoved him face-first into the floor. "There are many things that I will consider being: a friend, a confidant, a casual fuck when the urge strikes—but the one thing I will not be is your fucking toy. You will treat me with the same respect you show for Lucien, or at the very least, as a friend who once put everything on the line for your miserable fucking hide, or we are going to have a very, very big problem." "Jesus, princess! You don't have to get all bent out of shape." "Here's the thing: I don't think you understand the dynamics of our relationship just yet." I shifted, putting more weight into my grip at his neck. "Was I wrong about you, Nikolas? Are you someone else I have to watch my back around?" "You bet." "Are you trying to piss me off'?" "Might as well, princess. It'd happen eventually anyway." Some of the tension went out of him. "I mean, come on, it's only a matter of time before I'm out of this little circle of yours." "What the hell do you mean by that?" "Nothing." "Nothing and fuck me, right?" "Pretty much." "I don't understand you, Nikolas. You try to act as if you're the biggest, toughest thing there is." I bent to whisper in his ear. "But all you want is to be loved and accepted for who and what you are." "You don't—!" He struggled, his words sounding desperate. "Get off me!"

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"Scares the fuck out of you, doesn't it?" I flicked my tongue along his ear. "Wanting it so much,

scared of what'll happen when you actually get it, then terrified you'll lose it."

"You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

"I don't even understand," he whispered. "Look, just let me up and I'll go."

I moved off him and lay close by his side. I'd thought he'd have been up and out of the room as

soon as he was free of me, but he just lay there, eyes closed. I watched him for a few minutes

before rolling against him, placing a kiss on his bare shoulder.

"Talk to me. I promise you—no judgments."

When he shook his head and made no attempt to answer, I sighed and started to sit up. He grabbed

my wrist, holding tight.

"You make me feel…"

"Feel what?" I turned and looked at him.

"Just feel." His eyes met mine, sad, confused. "It scares me. To not be in control. To not know why

things are this way between us."

"What do you think is between us?"

"I don't know."

I sighed and placed a hand over his on my wrist. "Maybe a better question is: what do you want to

be between us?"

He looked away, staring hard at the floor. "This would be so much easier if it was just about sex."

"But it's not?"

He shook his head.

It didn't look like I was going to get too much more out of him, willingly, at least. The fact that he'd

talked this much was a miracle. But I was afraid of just leaving this hanging between us.

I scooted close and tucked a long, strand of candy-apple red hair behind his ear. "Whatever this is,

Nikolas, I want to work it out with you."

"Why?" He made a wide gesture that I didn't understand. "Why not just toss me out of here like I

know you want to."

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"Last thing I'd ever do is toss you out," I whispered as I leaned close. When my lips touched the corner of his mouth, his breath caught. "Want you to know that I'm here, okay? Whenever you're ready to work this out, all you have to do is say the word." His breath rushed out of him and he caught me in a kiss that was totally chaste and full of wild, untapped emotion. My hands framed his face and I pushed him back. "I love you, Nikolas. Love you for—" "No!" He stumbled back away from me as if I'd hit him, eyes wide and wild. "I… I have to…!" I watched in a mix of horror and shock as he scrambled away from me and threw open the door. It slammed behind him with a loud crack and I stared at the door, expecting it to break in half. A roar filled the corridor and I literally felt the moment he shifted. A loud commotion followed, and then claws scraped and screeched along the marble floor. I went to the door, opening it before peering cautiously out into the hallway. Paintings lay on the floor, chairs were overturned. A long line of claw marks marred the otherwise perfect wall, the white of the sheetrock stark against the rich burgundy walls. For a long while I stood in the doorway, dumbfounded, wondering what in hell I'd said or done to warrant this much anger. When I realized that he wasn't coming back any time soon, I shook my head and shut the door. This was not good. Nikolas. Pissed off and fully shifted. I glanced at the clock. At ten in the morning. *** I tried to sleep. From curling around pillows, to curling around Lucien—none of it worked. I tossed and turned, my thoughts completely scattered. Several conversations over the course of the night had left me worrying. So much was happening at one time that I wished like hell everything could be put on pause while I sorted through it all. The anxiety was adding up and with it came a giant knot in my stomach. The file Daniel had given me earlier sat ominously on the bedside table. With nothing else to do, I crawled over and retrieved it. I lay back down beside Lucien and pulled the comforter up high, trying to get warm. About a quarter of the way through the file, I realized that the benefits gained when serving on the Council were just too numerous to list. The monetary compensation per month was more than I'd made in ten years of bartending. There were private jets, armed guards around the clock, and even travel opportunities for the member, a companion, and their entourage.

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If one wanted to go on a trip and was also master of the coven, the Council would provide a master-in-absentia to watch over the coven until the Council member/master could return. It applied to spouses and/or companions, too. I lay back, thinking of all of the travel books I'd read in my time here. How cool would it be to actually visit some of those places? To stand on the grounds where Lucien had led his men. To see where he was from. Of course, this wasn't a decision that could be made based solely on the vacations it could get us. But I had to admit, the privileges were looking pretty damned good so far. In fact, too good. I'd yet to see anything that would make me think twice about joining.

I flipped through the book, ignoring benefit after benefit. There had to be something. And like most

places, I figured that the disadvantages would be listed last—and in tiny, mostly unreadable print.

Closer to the end of the file, I found what I was looking for.

In joining the Council, they required that you give them at least fifty years of service. In those fifty

years, there was no out. Once in, the only way out was by death. After the first set of fifty years

was over, they didn't just let you go either. They negotiated for another fifty.

Fifty years.

What was that to an immortal being?

My cell phone vibrated on the table next to the bed, working its way toward the edge. I grabbed the

phone just before it rattled its way onto the floor.

"Hello?"

"Why are you whispering?"

Sabaan.

"Lucien's sleeping." I glanced at the clock, then at Lucien. If yesterday was anything to go by, he

was sleeping more than he was dead to the world. I quietly got off the bed and walked into the

bathroom, shutting the door. "How are you, Sabaan?"

"Tired." The line went silent for a moment. "I need to see you."

"I'm not sure when I'll be able to get away. There's a lot going on right—"

"I'll come to you. It's important."

I leaned against the counter, frowning when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were

bloodshot and had dark purple smudges beneath them as if I'd been wearing makeup. My skin was

paler than it had ever been, making my hair look almost black as it graced my shoulders.

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"Peter? You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry." I turned away from the mirror and leaned against the wall. "What's so important

again?"

"I'd rather not talk about it over the phone," he said.

"Can it wait 'til tomorrow? The next day?"

"No."

"Sabaan…" I huffed into the phone. "You'll come here?"

"Yep, don't go anywhere."

The line went dead and I flipped my phone closed, shaking my head. I set it on the counter and

ambled to the toilet. As I shook off and flushed, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The feeling was similar to the ones I'd had before when I thought someone was watching me, but subtly different. I turned to go to the sink, but Sabaan stood right in my path. I jumped and might have yelled had he

not plastered his hand over my mouth.

"Shh, don't wake Lucien yet."

I pushed his hand away, glaring. "Goddamnit, Sabaan! How the fuck did you get in here?"

He raised a brow. "Nikolas didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

The air shimmered around him and he disappeared. I covered my face with my hands, fingertips

rubbing my eyes, almost convinced that I was in some weird ass fucking dream. Sabaan reappeared

a few seconds later, a smile on his face.

"No, pretty. Not a dream."

Silver and I were going to have to talk about this. Teleporting demons had not been on my list of

important things to worry about when we'd discussed security. Not that I was worried about

Sabaan, but I was sure he wasn't the only one out there. I was beginning to think there wasn't a

place that was safe from every supernatural being out there.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet me? Come on, Peter." He closed the distance between us and wrapped his

arms around me. "Act like you like me just a little."

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"I do like you." I hugged him back, shaking my head. "Your timing just sucks."

"Well… Nothing I can do about that." He pushed me back and his smile disappeared. "This can't

wait. Put on a robe and we'll go talk."

I grabbed my robe off the hook before I opened the bathroom door, slipping it on as I walked.

Sabaan was right on my heels as I opened the bedroom door leading out into the hall. I

contemplated going into Xander's room, but decided against it considering the argument we'd had.

"What happened here?" Sabaan looked around, clearly concerned. "Someone was obviously…

pissed."

"Yeah." I walked ahead of him a little, running my finger along a ruined section of wall. "Whatever I said or did—it didn't set well." Sabaan placed a warm hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure it'll work out."

I nodded and inclined my head. "Library would be the best place to go, I guess. That part of the

house is locked down during the day."

"Sunlight doesn't bother me too much."

"It bothers me," I said.

We continued on to the library, but it seemed to take forever. It was as if exhaustion was finally

setting in and my lack of sleep was beginning to become an issue. By the time we got to the library, I was shivering. Sabaan stopped just inside the doorway, but I went to the fireplace and knelt in front of it. There was already a stack of logs on the rack, so I opened the flue. I came up short on what to do next. I'd never had the need to light a fire myself before. Sabaan knelt beside me, one hand at my back. "You okay?"

"Just cold and want a fire. I'm a little lost."

"Here, let me." He gestured to the fireplace and in seconds a fire was crackling and burning. "Can I

grab you a blanket?"

There were several draped over one of the couches, but I was in no hurry to move away from the

fire. "Please?"

He did even better than that; instead of a blanket, he brought over several pillows and blankets.

After I got settled, Sabaan sat beside me. I looked up at him. "So what are you so desperate to talk to me about?"

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"When Lucien was missing, I found some files on you in the Council's computers. For some tests.

Do you remember that?"

"I already know what the tests mean, Sabaan. Doc and Daniel are here. I met with them shortly

before dawn."

"So you know that your time is short?"

I nodded.

"When is Lucien going to transition you?"

"When the time is right." I shrugged. "And it's not guaranteed that he'll even be able to."

Sabaan frowned. "You haven't told him yet, have you?"

I just shook my head.

"Peter," Sabaan chastised. "Why not?"

"Yesterday… Last night. It was so good for it to be us again. I didn't want to ruin all that, you

know?"

"Peter, honey," Sabaan whispered, "I understand the sentiment. Really, I do. But you have to tell

him what's going on as soon as he wakes. There are things he needs to do to prepare."

"I know." I pulled more of the blanket up, sighing. "This wasn't what I expected."

Sabaan lifted one of the blankets and laid down beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and

pulled me close. I was too cold and too tired to bother arguing. Or to point out that it probably

wasn't a good idea for us to be this close.

As the heat from Sabaan's body began to warm my own, I groaned, laying my head on his chest.

"So warm, Sabaan. Can you stay a while?"

"Yeah." He ran his fingers over my brow, then through my hair. "I think maybe you need a warm

body to feed off of for a while."

"What?"

"They didn't tell you?"

I looked up at him. "Tell me what?"

"You need to be careful of the company you keep until you're transitioned. Your body will exhaust

every effort to keep you alive. Since you already have some of the traits of an incubus, its last

resort is by feeding off energy. The more alive and powerful the people around you are the better

you'll feel."

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"I should be fine once Lucien wakes, then."

"Lucien's power can be deceptive, Peter. While he seems warm and alive, his power is of the dead.

Which makes it a cold power."

"Sabaan… no. I don't want to talk about all of that right now."

He sighed and tightened his arms around me. "Okay, then."

We lay silent for a long while. I enjoyed the heat radiating off him, and might have fallen asleep if

other things weren't popping up in my mind.

"Can I ask you something, Sabaan?"

"Anything."

"What do you know of angels?"

He tensed. "I know of a few specific angels, but not much about them as a whole species. Are you

thinking of a specific one?"

I nodded.

"In this coven?"

I nodded again.

"Ah. So you've found out Simon's secret."

"I want to help him, Sabaan. I want to take away his pain, to give him his wings back."

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do for him," he said. "He must fulfill the terms of his

punishment."

I propped myself on my elbow. "No matter what he did, I think the punishment was harsh—

considering who his commanding angel was. If Simon did something wrong, it was only because

he thought he was doing the right thing."

"You don't want to get in the middle of this, Peter."

"I'm already in the middle of this. Simon is a member of this coven and if there's something I can

do to help him, I'm going to do it."

"And damn the consequences?" He sighed and met my eyes. "What do you want to know?"

I resisted the urge to grin like a fool.

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"Thank you, Sabaan." "Don't thank me yet." He kissed the top of my head. "You'll be okay for a minute or so? I'll go get my book." I nodded. In the next moment, he was gone. It was still disconcerting as hell to have him pop in and out of the room, but for some reason I trusted that he'd behave about it. I had a feeling that if he ever popped into the bedroom while Lucien was awake, Lucien might just kill him for it.

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Chapter Nine The minutes ticked by and just when I thought Sabaan had found something better to do than warm me up and tell me about angels, he reappeared. He frowned when he looked around and realized that he was standing on a chair. "Hate it when I misjudge a room." "Could've been worse." I laughed. "You could've ended up in the fire." "Fire does not harm those who can control it." He winked and stepped down off the chair. "How

are you feeling?"

"Better. Much warmer, thanks."

"Good." He sat down beside me, a weathered, leather-bound book in his lap. "Your color looks

better, too."

"So I don't look half dead anymore?"

"Oh. Well. I wouldn't go that far. You're still pretty…" He seemed to think better of his words,

smiled, then patted my hand. "Yes! Pretty."

"Don't make me beat you, Sabaan."

"Would you?" He leaned in, tongue just barely grazing my ear. "Who do you think would enjoy

themselves more?"

I groaned and pushed him back. "Angels?"'

He frowned. "Terrible things, aren't they?"

"Sabaan!"

"Sorry, sorry." He shifted his position a little and started to open the book, but paused. "You should

know that I'm no expert. You'll have to take the information with a grain of salt and come to your

own decisions."

"I think I'm capable of that."

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I reached for the book, but Sabaan wrested it from my hands before I got a good grip on it.

"Silly boy. Unless you can magically read my language, I suggest you leave the book to me." He

opened the book and searched through a few pages before settling on one. "Now. Where do you

want to start?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"I know that angels aren't as I've always imagined them."

"How so?"

"Biblical and all."

"Good grief, who told you that?" He held his hand up, waving away my answer before the name

ever formed on my lips. "Never mind. I know exactly who. Let's get a little something out of the way here: Nikolas believes what he believes about certain things because he has to—not necessarily because it's true." "Meaning?" "Meaning that the only way he stays sane is to believe that some creature that's supposed to be all about life and love and protection didn't kill his sister just to hear her scream." "Cyril." Sabaan nodded, and I sighed. "Maybe we should start with him. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on with him at the moment, would you?" "I have been trying to get information on him and his whereabouts, but the only thing I've found out is that his superior is dealing with him." "That's pretty much the same thing Daniel told me," I said. "It doesn't make me feel too much better."

"I can't see why it should. This isn't the first time they've had problems with Cyril. As you can

probably guess, there were problems when he was a mere Watcher. After what happened with

Simon, Cyril was held partially responsible and moved to a different position."

"For what? As he is now?"

"Well, they figured that he just wasn't a good Watcher. That maybe he'd make a better Warrior."

"So, let me get this straight: Cyril got moved to a different position and Simon got physically

punished? That doesn't sound fair at all."

"I believe that if Simon had begged for a reprieve, he might have gotten it. He may not have had to

spend the last," he paused to think, "however many years with this pain."

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"That's not Simon," I said, shaking my head. "He'd never beg for mercy."

Sabaan nodded. "He'd take the punishment and he'd live with it. So, why do you want to interfere

with this? This is something he's accepted."

"He might have accepted it, Sabaan, but—" I thought back to the throne room, to the pain and

sadness Simon fought so hard to hide. "He's broken. There's an emptiness in him that shouldn't be

there and I want him whole again."

"He may never be."

"Why?"

"Regardless of how happy he may seem here, one fact remains: he's an angel that's been cast out of

his realm. He'll always want to go home. But he can't go back."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He's been here, living as human, for too long. Other angels don't take too kindly to that. He would

be marked, tarnished. And, even if he were to get his wings back and his physical pain taken away,

he will never, ever fit in here either. He'll forever miss what he had before. I can guarantee that if

you ask him about home—he won't think you mean here."

I hated that this was beginning to sound like something I couldn't fix. But even if I couldn't, I was

going to do my best to at least try. After all, trying never hurt a fucking thing.

"Daniel has already pretty much said that the Council's hands are tied when it comes to the affairs

of angels."

"Not necessarily," Sabaan said. "While the Council has a limited power over them, the angels are

interested in having a vote on things. Which is why Cyril had a seat."

"The seat I've been offered."

Black eyes met mine. "You're kidding."

I shook my head.

"You just may have some leverage, then." Sabaan opened the book, skimming through a few pages

before settling on one. He didn't look up as he spoke. "Have you given an answer yet?"

"No."

"Do you know what your answer might be?"

"Don't know." I lay back, staring up at the ceiling. "On the one hand, it's got a fucking mess of

benefits. Not just for me, but for Lucien and the rest of the coven. On the other hand, there's the

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whole once-in-hard-to-get-out thing. Not sure how I feel about giving them at least fifty years of

service."

"I wouldn't worry about the time commitment. If they want you badly enough to offer you a

position while you're still a puny human? I'd say that's a negotiating point."

I slugged him. "Don't be an asshole."

"Just saying…"

I glanced over to what he was reading. "Looking for something in particular?"

"What?" He looked up, then shook his head. "Oh, no. Just a name. Look. I think you're going to

have a hell of a time if you decide to go through with this. But I'm willing to give you names to at least help you out." "Gee, Sabaan. Thanks." "You're so very welcome." He grinned, closed the book, and set it aside before stretching out next to me. "First thing you'll have to do is negotiate with Daniel. Use Cyril as an excuse for not wanting to take the seat. After all, if Cyril is the kind of person the Council takes, then why in hell would you want to be a part of it?" "But he's already—"

Sabaan's fingers covered my mouth, shutting me up.

"Gone? Yes. But, it won't hurt to play on that some more. And how do you know he's really gone?

How do you know he won't escape from wherever he's being held? Really, I think the Council should try to make some sort of amends to you and the coven for the hell you were put through by one of its members. Surely they can do one measly favor for you and let you speak to the person in charge of Cyril's punishment." I was beginning to see his point. "And if I got to speak to whoever that is…" "Then you'd have him right there to inquire about Simon and his situation. It all boils down to

politics, pretty one. And if you can pull off the necessary grandstanding to make it work."

"So who should I demand to speak with?"

"The one you want is going to be Zephyr. He's one step above Cyril and is the commander of the

Warrior angels. He will know what's been done with Cyril—and he'll also have first hand knowledge of Simon and his situation, since he's the one who had to clean up after the mess." "Was it such a big mess?"

"Sort of. See, when someone is fated to die, and someone intervenes and prevents the passing?

Someone else must fill that spot. So, while Simon saved one that should have died, he caused the

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death of someone that should have remained alive." Sabaan sighed and turned to face me, tracing my jaw with a blackened fingernail. "I know it seems such a small thing, but it alters the course of the fates—and of history as it should be. Some things were forever changed in that moment." "Still. I think he got shafted."

"I'm sure." He shrugged. "Cyril was his trainer—his partner."

"Tell me something, Sabaan?"

"Anything."

"How do you kill an angel?"

He smiled sadly. "I’m afraid that you can't."

"So wanting his head on a platter is nothing but a wish that'll never be fulfilled?"

"You'd be better off hoping he's condemned to an eternity in hell. Because, whether his

commanders want to believe it or not, he's an angel that has fallen—and fallen far. There is no good

in him."

"Speaking of hell…" I bit at my lip. "I'm wrong about demons being from there. Right?"

"Oh, no," he answered. "Some are. But me? No. I'm not."

"Where are you from?"

"That's not important, Peter," he said, lying back on his pillow. "All that matters is that I'm here

now."

"I'd like to know. About you. Where you're from. Do you have… I don't know. Family?"

"I did. Once." His face was suddenly awash in a myriad of emotions, mostly sadness and despair.

"Before I killed them."

"Before you—?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it."

"And I'm all about the right to privacy, but you can't just throw something like that out there and

expect me to leave it alone."

He held out his hand and a flame appeared in his palm. It was golden in color, intermixed with a

flicker of blue. The longer he held it, the bigger it grew. It began to travel up his arm, but nothing

burned. He took my hand and ran the hand covered in flames over it.

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Warmth surrounded me, but it didn't hurt. I watched in amazement as the flames flickered across

my skin.

"Wow."

He sighed and pulled his hand away, the fire dissipating.

"Simple parlor tricks to some, but for a young demon coming into his powers? Very hard to

control. Especially if it's not a power he should have in the first place."

I just knew where this was leading. "I'm so sorry, Sabaan."

He ignored the sentiment. "Where I'm from, our families live in compounds. One entire family in

one place. Unlike some races, we have a need to be close to our family. We're not like humans,

who seem to think they must leave home at a certain age and strike out on their own."

"I think that depends on the culture. I know several people who live in family groups."

Sabaan shrugged. "One night, as everyone slept, I had this… dream. It was nothing but heat and

flame and when I woke, I was in the midst of a roaring blaze, the compound crumbling around me." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes. "There is no way to describe the moment when I realized that the screams of terror and pain coming from the ones I loved were caused by me—and that I had no clue of how to stop it or control it." "Is that why you live underground surrounded by steel and concrete?" "It's my only way of being assured that I won't kill anyone else." He opened one eye, smirking.

"Unintentionally, of course."

"Jesus, Sabaan. I can't even imagine living with that."

He looked at me then. "They say time heals all wounds, but it really doesn't. It just makes them hurt

a little less every year."

Coming up short on words, I leaned over and kissed him. Just a soft press of my lips to his, hoping

to offer my comfort and sympathy in something other than words. When I pulled back, he rose up,

searching me out again. His lips met mine hesitantly, as if he was asking instead of just taking.

But Sabaan's kisses were dangerous. No way was I going to get caught up in him or his kiss and

blatantly disrespect Lucien. It took a few tries, but I finally managed to pull away completely. I

licked at my lips, the taste of Sabaan still lingering.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I only wanted a taste."

"He is rather addictive."

My heart stopped at the sound of Lucien's voice. I looked up to find him leaning casually over the

back of the couch. Shit. How had I not known he was there? How long had he been there?

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"Lucien, hey." I started to get up, but he stilled me with a gesture of his hand. I settled, still

nervous. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I know."

Lucien glanced at Sabaan, who hadn't dared to move at all. He seemed to be trying hard to act as if

he was just sprawled against the pillows, but the tension in his body made him look less than

relaxed.

"You were in my private chambers."

"It was unintentional, I assure you. I was only seeking out Peter."

"You have tasted his blood, then?"

"A teeny bit," Sabaan replied, gesturing with his thumb and forefinger. "And it was mostly by

accident."

Lucien grumbled. "Mostly?"

Fucking hell. This shit could go on all night.

I held out my hand invitingly, hoping we could avoid any sort of fight. Either with Lucien and

Sabaan—or Lucien and me. "Come sit, Lucien."

Lucien straightened and walked around the end of the couch. Instead of sitting on it, as I assumed

he would, he sat on the floor between me and the couch, leaning against it. He held my gaze for a

long while before looking over at Sabaan.

Sabaan was now propped up with his elbows, that tail of his flicking slowly back and forth, teasing

along the inside of one of his thighs. He trained his eyes on Lucien, but didn't say anything. He just

seemed to be…waiting.

The air in the room became thick. The heat level rose and sweat broke out over my entire body. My

robe was too much, too hot. The fire was too much. I loosened the belt, but before I managed to get

it undone, Lucien's hand covered mine, stopping me.

"I'm grateful that you helped Peter to find me."

"What I did was nothing above and beyond. I was only helping out a friend."

"And you did not hold my past mistakes against him. Thank you for that."

"Past?" Sabaan's tail wrapped around Lucien's wrist, brushing low against my belly as it did,

drawing my eyes downward. "Why, Lucien, I do believe that some of these things weren't too far in the past."

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Lucien closed his eyes, jaw twitching. "No, they weren't."

I suddenly had images running through my head of the three of us in the throes of orgasm, Lucien

and I fucking Sabaan, Sabaan's tail inside… I whimpered and rose to my knees, hand fumbling at my belt, trying to get out from under Lucien's grasp. "Stop, Sabaan." Lucien's voice seemed so far away, yet he was right there, still touching me. "This is too much."

"It's not just me," Sabaan replied, clearly amused.

"Both of you stop, goddamnit!" My balls ached, cock filling. "Decide what you want, play or

talk—or I'm going to decide for you."

"What would you decide?"

"Shut up, Sabaan."

"Lucien, please!" I tugged his hips against mine, groaning when his hard length pushed against

mine. "You don't want to do this, do you? You don't want to be with Sabaan…"

"Filthy demon," Lucien hissed, casting a glare at Sabaan. "Always wanting to fuck."

Sabaan was suddenly on his knees, almost wedged between us. He leaned over and licked at

Lucien's throat, that forked tongue working over Lucien's skin making me groan. I couldn't just

watch. I leaned in and joined Sabaan, stealing a taste of Lucien, savoring the lust and the heat

radiating off him. Them. Unable to resist, I pushed a hand down Lucien's loose pants. He rocked against my hand, leaving a

slick, wet trail along my palm. I closed my fingers around the head of his cock and tightened them.

Lucien gasped and let his head fall back.

"Like that, do you?"

His belly tightened and I looked down to see Sabaan flicking his tongue over one of Lucien's

nipples, tiny fangs scraping the skin but not breaking through.

"Like what Sabaan's doing, too?"

Lucien's brow knitted, almost as if he was confused. "I—"

Sabaan moved lower and pushed Lucien's pants down his thighs, tongue flicking over the head of

his cock, around my fingers. I reluctantly let Lucien go, hand moving down Sabaan's back. The

satiny material of Sabaan's robe was annoying when I wanted skin.

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I pulled the material up until his bare ass was exposed. His tail flicked back and forth seductively, pearlescent skin just glowing. I touched the base of his tail and Sabaan's entire body bowed up. The way his body responded to touch at that particular spot just amazed the hell out of me. It was only then that I became aware of the tip of his tail, moving up between my legs. When he reached my sac, I spread my knees a little and let him touch. And he did for a little bit. But it wasn't long before he was pushing the tip of his tail against my hole. There was a moment when I opened my mouth to stop him, when I thought about pulling away, but when he pushed inside and hit my gland at the same time, all thoughts of that disappeared. Lucien growled and took my face between his hands, jerking me up for a kiss. His tongue pushed between my lips and found mine, insistent, hard; growls, grunts, and snarls mixing with the kiss. One of his hands dropped to Sabaan's head, holding the demon close as he began to thrust into Sabaan's mouth. His other hand cupped the back of my neck, preventing me from pulling away. Sabaan shifted position slightly and it wasn't but a second later that my cock was sliding into his mouth alongside Lucien's. The slick, tight heat of Sabaan's mouth and Lucien shoving in and out, cock rubbing against mine—it was all too much. Fangs scraped sharply against my skin, adding a prick of pain to the pleasure. I was so fucking close, the sensations building in my groin and through my balls. The tip of Sabaan's tail teased my gland as if fucking and fingering me at the same time and I clung to Lucien, shoving my tongue and my moans of ecstasy into him. Lucien came right behind me, his warmth filling Sabaan's mouth and washing over my spent, but still half-hard dick. As Sabaan licked us clean, I rested my forehead against Lucien's, still out of breath. "What the fuck?" Sabaan rose up, a satisfied smirk on his face. But it wasn't me that he was looking at. "Never forget that I am the incubus and you are only part incubus." It was then that things started clicking into place on why Lucien and Sabaan had never gotten along. While both of them had the sex-related powers of the incubus, and both had the potential to make someone do things they may never have intended—or wanted, there was a constant struggle between the two for dominance. Sabaan, being the full-blooded incubus, would always win. He knew he'd always win, yet he challenged Lucien every chance he got. Oh. This wasn't nice at all. I shook my head, pushing Sabaan back. "Maybe I was wrong about you." "What?" He pointed at Lucien. "He started it!" "He's right," Lucien replied. He sat back on his heels and sighed, gaze going to the floor. "And I lose every fucking time." 110

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"So let me get this straight: you two have some sort struggle over who can… what? Out incubus the other?" They both refused to meet my eyes. "Oh, would you two fucking grow up already?" "It's not that simple," Sabaan said in his defense.

"Yes, it is." I said, meeting his eyes. "Of course you're going to be stronger at this shit. It's what

you are, what your powers are."

"But—"

I turned my attention to Lucien as I cut him off. "And maybe if you'd concede that point and meet

him head on with vampire powers instead, you'd get a lot farther and you'd be a lot less miserable."

He stared at me for a long while, then looked at Sabaan, who looked right back at him. They stared

at each other for the longest time, as if neither one wanted to be the first to speak. Finally, Lucien spoke. "I can acknowledge that."

Sabaan smirked, but my glare quickly convinced him to be serious. "Well, I guess if you can do

that, I can at least stop trying to fuck you."

"And him," Lucien said, gesturing to me.

"I can speak for myself, thank you." I took Lucien's hand to make it seem like less of a

chastisement. After all, I'd already treated them like two warring five-year-olds who couldn't share

toys. "But yeah, me, too, Sabaan."

"Oh, come on." Sabaan flopped back on the pillows. "You're not serious!"

"Someday, maybe," I said, looking at Lucien who shrugged as if he'd think about it. "But right

now? I've got too much shit going on for—"

Sabaan gasped and sat up. "That's right! You need to… I should go."

Lucien bit at his lip and extended his hand to Sabaan. "I meant what I said. I am in your debt for the

help you gave Peter and the rest of the team."

"Like I said, I consider Peter a friend." Sabaan finally took Lucien's hand. "In time, maybe you and I could be, too." "Nikolas is in the dungeon, if you'd like to… to see him." Sabaan opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly. Lucien smiled. "I can still read your mind." "Bastard."

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Sabaan was gone in a matter of seconds, just teleporting right out of the room. I realized that while Lucien and I had managed to get off, Sabaan hadn't. Damn. We could have at least given him that. "What's on your mind?" Lucien asked. I started moving blankets around and when I grabbed one, there was a cold, wet slick spot. "Well, I was going to say that we could have at least gotten him off, but I think he managed." He watched me clean my hand on a corner of the blanket. "That's not exactly what I meant, lover. There's something heavy on your mind. Something you're intentionally blocking me from finding out. I would like to know what that is."

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Chapter Ten Intentionally blocking? I hadn't thought I was. Hell, I didn't even know I could. I looked at my hands and decided that they weren't clean enough. I shrugged my robe back into place as I stood. Lucien blocked my way to the tiny little bathroom. "Talk to me, Peter."

"Just let me wash my hands."

He reluctantly stepped aside, but followed me to the bathroom. I could feel his gaze as I soaped up

and washed. I was tempted to shut the door and sink into a corner to think it all out, but a simple door wouldn't keep Lucien away. Nothing could keep Lucien away. If he couldn't get to me physically, he'd do it by projection. How did you bring something like this up? Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that I'm dying. Lucien stepped up behind me as I dried my hands, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his

chin on my shoulder. I leaned my head against his, sighing.

"I kinda lied to you by omission last night."

"I know. I could tell."

"Last night was just… Lucien, it was amazing. It was us; the way we used to be."

"Tell me what is going on."

"Doc says I've only got two, maybe three days left."

"For what?"

"For anything." I shrugged. "It seems I had Lycan gene cells in my body before I ever bonded with

Xander. Dormant, of course, but the bonding and introduction of his blood did something to them.

Made them awaken and mutate and—"

"I don't understand. Two or three days? You're dying because of what's going on in your body?"

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I nodded. "I still don't understand it all, but apparently there's some war for dominance between my body, the Lycan blood, and the vampire blood. Cells are mutating and becoming parasites, which in turn explains the episodes and the partial shifts." "But you have not had any." Lucien paused. "Today, you had something. As I slept. I felt your fear."

"I did. Doc said they'd be coming back soon, but that there was nothing else that could be done.

The only way to fix me…"

"Is to bring you over."

"That's what he says."

"I don't understand, Peter." Lucien was clearly aggravated. "You knew my wishes when you had

this conversation with Doc, yet afterward, you didn't bother to tell me because you didn't want to

ruin the moment?"

"I'm sorry."

"Goddamnit, Peter! How could you not tell me about this? You know that I have to prepare days in

advance with my own feedings. There are donors to line up for both of us, clean donors, not just

any-fucking-one off the street."

"I said I was sorry, I gave you my reason." I turned in his arms, pushing him away. "Now, let me

out of here."

"I should lock you up just so I can keep track of you."

"Do it and you'll regret it."

He captured my face between his hands and tilted my head back. There was more worry in his

expression than there was anger and I hated that I'd put either look there. He kissed my forehead.

"We will handle this," he said gently. "It can't be done tonight because I'm not ready physically.

But I'll go down right now to see who I can round up to feed me. Did Doc mention anything about

me avoiding the wolves?"

"No, I don't think so."

"I'll check with him before I ask Nikolas, just to be sure."

"You won't be able to feed from Nikolas." I bit at my lip, nervously. "He's already feeding someone

else."

Lucien narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you realize what you've done?"

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"Created an unfair situation? Given preference for one person over another? Hid it and did my best to make sure the parties involved wouldn't speak a word of it? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I knew what I was doing." "One of these days, you are going to have to put some of these issues behind you. Gage isn't a bad person." "I never said anything about Gage."

"You didn't have to. I well know your feelings about him. I also know that he will fight for the

position."

"He's an arrogant, hotheaded prick with a power-hungry streak. Trust me. It has less to do with

what I saw Gage doing two years ago than it does with how I've seen him act in the past year."

He smiled. "I love it when you think you're right about something."

"I am right." I poked at his chest playfully. "Now go. Do what you have to do."

"Do you know where Xander is?"

"We had a fight this morning." Sudden tears burned my eyes, but I managed to blink them away.

"It's no longer any of my business where he is or what he does, but I'm pretty sure he's down with

Caleb. After all, he did choose him over me."

"I told you," he whispered, pulling me into his arms, "that this thing with Caleb and Xander would

end up making us miserable."

I hugged him back, shaking my head. "Knew I'd have to let him go—I just didn't expect it to be this

way."

"Or to someone who has hurt us as Caleb has?"

I nodded. "This feels more like betrayal."

"Then we take Xander out of the circle." He kissed the top of my head. "We discuss nothing with

him that we wouldn't discuss with any other coven member. I know you haven't wanted to talk

about it, but maybe it's time you take over the pack… As is your right."

"I won't take that from him, Lucien."

"You've already taken it from him. And the pack knows it." Lucien sighed, and held me at arms

length. "Maybe this is something you should at least put some serious thought into. Do you really

think that Xander can be trusted with Caleb at his side?"

I wanted to say yes, that I trusted Xander just as I trusted Lucien. But with Caleb that close to him?

I just couldn't do it. Not anymore. Whatever Xander saw in Caleb was enough to push me out of

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the picture. If he didn't need me, didn't need Lucien, then there were a number of changes he could

make to use the pack for his advantage.

"I hate this, Lucien."

"I know, baby. But this is… life. Things change, people move on."

"Not like this." I shook my head. "They shouldn't change like this."

"Will you let me get someone to stay with you for a while? I don't want you to be alone in case you

have another episode."

"If you want." I didn't relish the thought of having a babysitter, but after the paralyzing shit earlier,

it might be for the best. "Nikolas is out of the running for that, too."

"By what he did to our hallway? I pretty much gathered that."

"How did you know it was him?"

"His scent is all over the place. With a little fear mixed in. So, whatever happened between you two

this morning? It scared him more than it pissed him off." Lucien winked. "He'll get over it."

Man, I fucking hoped so. I could only take losing so many people at the same time.

*** Doc knocked on the open door to the library before walking in. "You doing okay, Peter?" I nodded, setting aside the mail I was browsing through. "I'm not sure I want to say so for fear of jinxing myself."

"I spoke with Lucien a little bit ago. He mentioned you had an episode this morning. Would you

mind coming down into the treatment room so I can run a few tests?"

"He said he'd get someone to stay with me. I didn't know he meant to keep me occupied by having

me poked and prodded."

"Actually, it'll only take a few minutes." Doc smiled. "I just need some blood from you so I can

check your levels, and I want to take some X-rays."

"Yay! Poke, prod, and see inside me." I stood and walked around the desk. "Lead the way, Doc."

Doc laughed until we made it out of the library. "I'm glad that you're not letting this get to you."

"Oh, I was. I cried and wailed like a fucking two-year-old about it all. But crying about it won't

change it." I looked over at him sheepishly. "And maybe if I'd told Lucien about it all this morning instead of waiting until this evening, I'd have felt better about it long before now."

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"Funny how that works."

We walked along the corridors in relative silence. When we reached the treatment room, he opened

the door for me, waiting for me to go in before closing the door behind us. I went straight to the

narrow bed and hopped up on it.

"How do you want me?"

"You're fine, just relax and let me get some vials together."

I watched as he set to work gathering supplies. It didn't take him long. He'd obviously learned his

way around when he'd been here treating Lucien before. A short time later, he pushed a cart over to the bed and sat on a stool. He made quick work of finding a vein and getting the drawing of blood started. "I meant to ask you about something earlier," Doc said after a long silence.

"What's that?"

"How would you feel about having someone medically trained on staff on a permanent basis?"

"You interested in hanging around, Doc?"

"Oh, no, not me," he said, and laughed. "I have a couple of trained physicians who are looking for

coven placement. One of them has a significant amount of training in treating many different

species. I think he might fit in well here."

"Is he as good as you?"

"Probably better. I've been training him since he was a small child."

"Not that it matters, but what is he? Human, vampire, Lycan…?"

"Actually, none of the above. He is one of the few born immortals among us."

"An immortal?"

"Like me." He glanced up after exchanging a full vial for an empty one. "No special power besides

quick healing."

"I wondered about you," I admitted. "You were awake all hours of the day and night and you ate

the food Simon cooked."

"Simon is a damned good cook."

"That's probably something I'm really going to miss."

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Doc went silent and finished up filling the seventh or eighth vial. He set them aside and scratched his head. "Last year at some point, Christopher was here. Did he talk to you and Lucien about a serum for the vampires?" "Yeah. He did. And if you want to maintain a good relationship with me or Lucien or the rest of this coven? It's not something you should mention." Doc frowned. "I could have sworn he said you'd think about it." "If, and only if, the serum was tested and retested and didn't have the withdrawal effects that it had before. I think it's dangerous and unstable and just any vampire shouldn't have access to it. Imagine a vampire with an agenda or a vendetta that was free to roam in the light of day." "As Lucien has experienced firsthand, that's a dangerous combination." "Exactly," I said with a nod. "Some day in the far, faraway future? Things may change. But for now we're pretty damned happy being 'left in the dark'." "I understand." He stood and pushed the cart to the other side of the room. "Do you want to hang out for a bit and let me run a few initial tests or would you rather get the X-ray's done so you can get out of here?" "Well, Lucien was going to get someone to stay with me while he ran around and gave orders, but since no one's shown up, I guess I'm free to do whatever. I am not, however, going to spend more time up here than necessary." I got off the narrow treatment bed and made my way to the couch on the far side of the room. "If I fall asleep, just wake me up when you need me." "I was going to point out that some sleep might help you." "Yeah, yeah." I lay down and got comfortable, then realized it was a little chilly. I so didn't want to get back up. "Hey, Doc? Toss me a blanket?" *** It was dark when I opened my eyes. I had a second or two of trying to remember just where the hell I was. The smell of antiseptic was strong so I was pretty sure I was still in the treatment room. Someone brushed against my back with an arm or a hand and I realized I wasn't alone. Blindly, I searched behind me. My hand landed on someone's head, the hair long and soft. Tiny horns rose up beneath my fingers and I smiled. "Sabaan?" "Hey there, sleepyhead." He moved up to kneel above me. "Scoot over a little and let me in."

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I scooted as far into the back of the couch as I could, lifting up the blanket. It was only then that I realized I was naked. I dropped the blanket and held a hand up to stop him from sliding onto the couch beside me. "I know I went to sleep with a robe on." "You had some kind of seizure while you were sleeping. Doc had to do some work on you. If you'll

pay attention, you've got some chest pads still attached."

It was too dark to really see, but I ran a hand over my chest. "And the fucking drama never ends."

"Pretty much."

I lifted the blanket and scooted back again. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Last resort," he said before placing a kiss to my temple. "Lucien's got everyone busy doing shit for

something tonight. I offered to stay with you a while so he could go give orders."

"That was nice of you."

"How do you feel?"

"Numb. Like I might have actually slept longer than an hour."

"Try five."

"Oh, shit!" I started to throw the blankets off again. "What time is it?"

"Relax, Peter. It's not even six yet." He pulled the blankets back over us. "You might as well get

comfortable and try to get some more sleep while you can."

I tried to settle back down, but the material of Sabaan's robe was irritating my skin. Even as soft as

I knew it was, it still felt scratchy and rough.

"Well, if you're gonna stay?"

"Yeah?"

"Take off your robe. I don't like the way it feels against me."

Sabaan laughed, the sound rich and deep, vibrating against my back. "Only if you promise not to go

humping me in your sleep."

"You fucking wish."

"Well… yeah." I elbowed him hard, making him yelp. "Okay, okay. I'll be good. I promise."

Uh-huh. With fingers crossed, I was sure.

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* * *

I woke with a sigh, kicking the blanket off me. Oddly, I'd gone back to sleep in Sabaan's arms, but I was alone on the big, wide couch. It was hot. Sweat drops ran in thin lines from my hair and down my neck, making me feel as if I was stuck to everything I touched. "Peter? Everything okay?"

The voice was definitely not Sabaan's, but it was familiar. It took me a second to place it.

"Logan? Geez, what happened this time?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"I had a seizure the first time I went to sleep. I went back to sleep with Sabaan lying beside me and

now he's gone and you're here. Something happen?"

"Not… exactly." He got up from wherever he was sitting and walked toward the couch. He sat on

the edge, careful not to touch me. "Lucien came to check on you while you slept and I think he had

issues with Sabaan being so close to you."

"That's it?"

"I know he's your friend, Peter, so forgive me for being out of line. But, sometimes… Sabaan just

doesn't know when to shut up."

I smiled a little at that. "No. He doesn't. Especially when it comes to taunting Lucien. Lucien didn't

hurt him, did he?"

"Oh, no. He didn't get the chance." Logan chuckled. "Though, if he'd have laid hands on him,

Sabaan might have been in a little bit of pain."

"And enjoyed every second of it." I rolled my eyes. "What time is it?"

"A quarter to eight. Lucien said that the next time you woke it'd probably be a good idea to escort

you to the shower and all."

"Only if you'll hold me up and wash me."

"If you wish."

"Joking."

"I would be glad to bathe you."

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I looked up at him then, meeting his gaze. Even in the dim light of the room, his blue eyes shone

bright. In that moment, I realized something about Logan that both confused and pleased me.

"You would do anything I asked you to, wouldn't you?" At his nod, I shook my head. "Why?"

"As I told you before, I like it here. I want to stay here."

"You don't have to be at my beck and call just to stay in the coven, Logan. In case you might have

missed it, we've already accepted you here."

"And I thank you for that." He inclined his head respectfully. "But you should know that I do

consider you to be my master. Lucien, too. There is nothing that you can ask of me that I won't do."

"You shouldn't be so accommodating, Logan. It's dangerous."

"It's not accommodating. It's faith and trust in my master – masters – to take care of me in the way

that they feel is best." He smiled a little. "Now, if you order me to castrate myself or something like

that? Then, I might be a little hesitant."

"You won't have to worry about that."

I shuddered and grasped the back of his neck, pulling him down into an embrace. Touching him

felt so intimate, so deep. It was an odd sensation that warmed me and made me feel complete. So

protective. Was this what Lucien felt for the rest of the vampires in the coven?

"At home, please don't call me master."

"Unless we have company that warrants it?"

I nodded. "You want to stay here at the mansion?"

Logan looked up at me hopefully. "As in live here?"

"Yeah."

"I would love to, provided you allow me to contribute something to the coven. It wouldn't feel right

to just stay here unless there was something I could do." "I'm sure we can find something. Just stay and we'll talk about everything else once things calm down a little around here." I pushed him back and sat up, feeling more than a little stiff from being in one place for so long. "May not need help with my shower, but I could always use the company." Logan got to his feet and offered a hand. I took it and let him help me up, feeling just a little bit woozy. Halfway across the room I looked down to see the little pads still on my chest. "Hang on, Logan. Help me peel these pads off."

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A mischievous grin graced his lips, but he didn't smart off like Nikolas or Sabaan might have. He helped, leaving me to pull off the one just beneath my right nipple. I peeled it off slowly, hissing as the damned thing pulled out hair. Logan watched intently, gaze traveling downward. He cleared his throat as he stepped back. "I'll find your robe." "I'd appreciate that." I watched him as he went back to the couch and retrieved my robe. When he turned around and saw that I was watching and waiting patiently, he smiled and hurried his step. "Nothing wrong with looking, Logan. Nothing at all." "Good." He laughed and held up my robe. "It would be a shame not to stop and admire the scenery every now and then." *** When I came out of the bathroom, Simon and Logan were both standing near the closet talking.

Simon looked up at me and smiled, stepping away from the wall. "You feeling better?"

"Oh, yeah. Amazing what a little sleep and a shower can do. What are you up to?"

"Everything," he said. "So much to do in such a little amount of time. But I'll get there."

"I wish you'd take it easy, Simon."

"Why? Nothing's changed. I'm still me."

I know, but—"

"Peter, please. If you're going to treat me differently, then I'm going to regret the day I opened my

mouth."

I stood there feeling nine kinds of chastised. I hated that feeling and if it were anyone but Simon, they'd have been in the floor with my foot shoved against their throat. "I won't speak a word about it again, if that's what you wish."

"It is," he whispered, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips. "Forgive me for being out of line. I

just…"

"I think I understand." After all, people were treating me differently left and right and sometimes the constant parade of well-wishers was just a little much. I pulled my hand away, pointing to the clothes he had laid over his other arm. "Those for me?" Simon nodded. "Lucien had specifics on what you should wear." "You're kidding me." 122

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"I think he wants a show of strength," Logan offered as he started across the room. "It's kind of an

important night for the coven as a whole."

"Logan's right. Everyone will be here," Simon said as he laid the clothes out on the bed. "Lucien

also asked me to use a little makeup on you. Do you want me to do that before or after you dress?"

"Maybe he's got me and Lilly mixed up," I growled.

Simon held his hand out. "Come here."

I took his hand and let him lead me to the bathroom. He flipped the switch for the light and walked

me to the mirror, turning me to face it. I swallowed hard at what I saw. Gaunt and gray, I looked like I was a few breaths away from death's door. I looked worse than I had the last time I'd looked into a mirror. No wonder people were falling all over themselves to help me.

"So… makeup?"

Simon nodded. "Not much. Just enough to give you a little color. A little eyeliner for your eyes."

I frowned. "I look evil when I wear eyeliner."

"I think that's the point," Logan said from the doorway. "What would you like me to do?"

"You might as well go on and get dressed. I'm sure Lucien will be here by the time Simon finishes

up with me. Come find me when you get down to the staging area. I'd like you to stay close."

"As you wish." Logan nodded and backed out of the room.

"Alrighty, then." Simon hummed. "Let's turn you from the ghastly Peter into the evil overlord."

"So not funny, Simon."

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Chapter Eleven I looked into the mirror for what seemed to be the hundredth time, blinking. The makeup was light, but it'd made me look ten times better than before. With the right kind of shading and eyeliner applied just so, Simon had turned the gaunt into the sharp and I looked positively evil. Truly.

And I might have liked it just a tad too much.

I'd sent Logan to get dressed and Simon had been called away by someone who had apparently

broken something. Alone in the bedroom, I was getting antsy. I looked at my watch. It was nearly ten and I hadn't seen Lucien since he'd woken earlier in the day. He'd seen me on several occasions, as I'd been told, but that just wasn't the same. I wanted him here—needed to have him close. "Lucien?" I tested the connection between us. "You there?"

"I'm always here, lover. What is it?"

"I'm ready, missing you, and about to start pacing the floor. You'll be here soon?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can." There was a pause. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Would you find Xander and tell him he is NOT eligible for this fight? I do not want any surprises."

"I can do that." I had a feeling I knew where he was anyway. "Anything specific I should tell him?"

"Just that, as leader of the pack, he is excluded from leading the team as well. Keep it simple. If

you have any problems with him, call me. I'll be up to the house to get you soon."

Before I managed to fit in a simple 'love you' he was gone, the connection not broken, just faded. I sat for a moment longer, not particularly interested in having to go down and speak to Xander. Even if part of me just wanted to run down and pull him into my arms and forget everything that had happened between us.

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Sadly, as much as I wanted that, it'd never happen. One moment we were so close, so right, and the next like enemies. I forced myself up and out of the bedroom. Each and every step that brought me closer to the dungeon was harder to take than the last. Never let it be said that I was a fan of confronting someone after a fight. It was so much easier to let them come to me. I entered the main part of the dungeon and our captive hunter was sitting on his bed without a shirt. He was tearing his shirt into strips, a long length of it pooled in his lap. I stopped in front of his cell. "What are you doing?" "Fuck you," he mumbled, not bothering to look up from his task. "If you want to die, hanging yourself isn't necessary. I'm sure that one of us could be persuaded to help you out." "Fuck. You." He met my gaze with a glare, but his expression faltered. He went back to tearing at his shirt. "If you were going to kill me, I'd be dead already." "You think so?" He didn't bother to answer. I couldn't very well leave him to hang himself with a makeshift rope. "Strip for me." "No." "Stand up, bring all of the materials you've ripped from your shirt and drop them outside the bars. Then I want your pants, your belt if you're wearing one, and your boots—both laces included. You can keep the underwear." "You hard of hearing, pretty boy? I ain't stripping off my clothes so you fuckers can get off to it." Hrm. Without a word, I turned on my heel and walked back up the corridor to Nikolas' private play room. I knocked once on the open door out of politeness, even though I knew he wasn't there. I went straight to the desk on the far wall and opened the second drawer. Beneath a stack of photos of men in a variety of sadistic poses there was a hidden panel. I lifted it up and retrieved the .45 out of the velvet-lined box. I checked the safety and popped the clip, finding it full. I pushed it back in and chambered a round. I then turned and walked back out of Nikolas' room and down the hall. When I stopped in front of the hunter's cell again, he looked up at me with bored eyes. "Give me a break." "Stand and strip. Those are my orders." "Whatta'ya gonna do?" He stood, looking defiant. "Shoot me?" "I've shot people for less." And that was the truth of it. Though the last hunter I shot was because he refused to stand. Of course, that was hard to do with a broken leg.

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"I don't believe you."

"Really? 'Cause, see? Here I am with my loaded .45 and there you are with your… ripped up shirt

tied into a makeshift rope. But know this: if I shoot you? I won't be shooting to kill you. I hear

there's nothing worse than being shot in the knee. What do you think?"

"I think you're a fucking pansy who wouldn't know his ass from a hole in the ground."

I aimed and shot, the round hitting the floor about an inch from his right foot. He jumped about

three feet into the air before stumbling back.

I smirked.

"I didn't miss. Now. You've got to the count of five to get out of those clothes and throw them out

of your cell. Next time? You'll bleed."

Three was the magic number. He stripped off and tossed his clothes out of the cell faster than I

could have ever imagined. Standing there in his blue and white plaid briefs, he looked positively

scared.

Good.

I kicked his belongings to the far wall before continuing down the hall. Deciding against putting up

the gun for the moment, I tucked it in the back of my pants, the slight warmth of the barrel

comforting. As I entered into the restricted area, I remembered just why I was coming down here.

Xander stepped out of the viewing room, a concerned look on his face. "Did I just hear a gunshot?"

I nodded, but didn't offer an explanation.

He frowned and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Look, Peter, I—"

"I just came down to talk to you about the fight tonight," I said, cutting him off. "You need to know

that you are excluded from fighting for position as team leader."

"What?" He shook his head. "Why the fuck can't I?"

"As leader of the pack, you have an obligation to remain as leader of the pack. If you're out leading

the team, you can't lead the pack. The same rule applies to me and Lucien. Neither of us would ever

be eligible for team leader."

"Did Lucien give the order for this?"

"It doesn't matter. Lucien's order is my order."

"This is fucking bullshit!" He shouldered his way past me. "Are you trying to burn every last bridge

between us?"

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"No, Xander. I think you'll end up doing a pretty good job of that on your own."

He growled and stormed out, slamming the steel door behind him. For a moment, I stood there, just

inhaling his scent. I half expected him to come waltzing back, but every moment that he stayed

gone was a hard reminder that things had changed and Xander wasn't interested in anything I had to

offer.

Chains rattled nearby and I cocked my head, considering whether to go in with Caleb or to just

walk far and fast to avoid him. No one had given me a report on his condition, though I think it had

more to do with me and how distracted I was than with any sort of disrespect.

I turned and buzzed myself into Caleb's cell. He looked up at me in shock, his eyes wide and his

body frozen in place in the corner where he'd been sitting. I raised a brow as I glared down at him.

"You dare to look upon me?"

Caleb's gaze snapped to the floor, but he remained silent.

"Can you speak?"

"Yes… sir." His voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I can speak."

"Good." I grabbed a chair that had obviously been brought in by Xander, if the scent on the wood

was anything to go by, turned it around and straddled it, never taking my eyes off Caleb. "Because

I'd like you to tell me why I should bother letting you keep your head."

Caleb shifted and got onto his knees, head bowed. "M-may I address you informally?"

"Why should I give you that?"

"I don't really know how…"

"How to what?"

"To be formal. Lu… I never learned."

"Then I guess now is the perfect time." He tucked his head tight to his chest and went silent. I waited and waited for him to respond, and was about to call him out for being obstinate, when the chains at his hands clinked softly. I glanced at his lap, where his hands were clasped tightly together. He was shaking steadily, body tensed up and making it more pronounced. He wasn't being obstinate, and hell, wasn't even bowing. He was cowering. Like a dog that'd been repeatedly kicked by its owner, he was waiting for that next blow. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I was ten seconds away from going to him and putting my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. To let him know that I wasn't about to beat the shit out of him—even if he did deserve it.

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Instead, I stood and kicked the chair back and walked out the door. I entered into the viewing room and slammed the door behind me, looking around for… something. A forgotten pack of cigarettes lay on the table. I walked over and picked it up, giving it a shake, hoping it wouldn't be empty, knowing it probably would be. But it wasn't. There was something inside the box. I flipped the top open and smiled. Inside the box was a slim red plastic lighter and two cigarettes. 100's. Nikolas. I slid a cigarette out and the lighter, helping myself. That first drag was nice. It didn't turn my world up on its side like Silver's smokes did, but the nicotine rush was something I'd missed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the area of the window. Caleb had lain down in the floor and curled up into a ball. He was shaking and for a moment I thought maybe he'd been drained too much and then not fed enough in return. But there wasn't anything wrong with him physically and he wasn't shaking out of fear anymore. He was crying. It hit a nerve and I wanted – more than anything – to go in and scream at him to suck it up—that he didn't have the right to cry. As much pain as he'd inflicted on Lucien, he deserved… What? To sit there stone-faced and angry? Yeah, that'd have pissed me off more. So what did I expect from him? Him smiling and happy? Not a fucking chance. I wanted to hate Caleb. I wanted to punish him and make him hurt and bleed. My own words to Lucien flashed through my mind. A Master is like a father. He loves, he cherishes, but he does not hesitate to punish to keep his children on the right path. Did a father hate? No experience there, but common sense said no. So, if a master was like a father, a master wouldn't hate either. I took another drag and stared at Caleb. I guessed fathers were disappointed in their children all the time. Did it lessen the trust? I was sure of it. But the love? Okay. So, maybe I was going about this thing all wrong. I was trying so hard to hate him when all I really was… was angry with him. Very angry, but angry nonetheless. I took a final drag off the cigarette and ground it out in an ashtray on the table, then left the viewing room. When I walked back into Caleb's cell, he looked up with wide eyes, but quickly snapped his gaze to the floor and got to his knees. "Forgive me, Lucien." "Peter?" Lucien waited, I felt him there in my head, confused and concerned. "Peter! What are you—?"

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I knew he'd be coming to get me as soon as he could, but I was going to take this chance to try to get some answers while I could. I imagined a wall between me and Lucien. Nothing concrete, just enough of a block to let him know I didn't want him in my head. Not right now. I grabbed the chair and carried it across the room. I put it right in front of Caleb and sat down. "Relax, Caleb," I said with a sigh. "We're gonna talk this out. Just you and me." He breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you." "Don't thank me yet. Have you been fed?" "Yes, sir." "The last time I was down here, you just wanted me to fuck off. I told you that when I figured out

what your punishment would be, I'd be back. Do you remember that?"

He shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"There are things… things I can't remember. Others that—" A sob racked his body and he covered

his face. "Others that are so horrible, but I can't get them out of my head. Things that I've done…"

To keep from reaching out, I took the last drag off the cigarette and flicked it across the room. I curled my fingers into my thighs. "Well. In any case, I have decided what your punishment will be. Nothing you tell me now will change that punishment. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let's talk about Cyril."

At the mention of Cyril's name, Caleb ducked, his eyes darting around the room. "He's not here, is

he? Oh, God, he's everywhere! You can't get away from him!"

"Cyril is in custody, Caleb. He's nowhere near here."

"Are you sure? He hides. He finds you when you think you're safe." Caleb looked at the floor, head

shaking slowly back and forth. "His touch goes deep."

I sat forward. "How deep, Caleb?"

He looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Deep enough to leave a black stain on my

soul. I feel… wrong. Dirty."

"Did you feel dirty when he was fucking you?"

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Caleb straightened defensively. "I never—"

"Do not try to lie to me, Caleb. I've got it on video."

"If I did…" His brow creased as he seemed to try to think back. He shook his head. "Oh, God, if I

did…"

"What is it that you want me to believe, Caleb? That you hold no responsibility for your actions?

When did you meet Cyril? Where did you meet him? How did you get involved with him?"

"At the club, I think." He shook his head, closing his eyes. He swayed back and forth a little, as if

he was in some sort of trance. "Or maybe while I was on patrol. I can't say when—six months ago? Maybe? He offered to feed me. I was so hungry, but his blood… It was…bitter. Made me gag." "Yet you continued to feed from him?"

"It got better. The blood was…addictive. And he was always there. It was like he knew when I

hungered."

"You are a child of Lucien's. Do you really expect me to believe there was no sex involved for you?" "I don't…"

"Caleb? I watched you offer yourself up to him as if you had a hundred times before, loving each

and every moment. I watched and heard him promise you that you'd have Lucien back—and that

I'd be gone forever. Out of your hair."

"I'd never want you gone!"

I propped myself on my knees with my elbows.

"See? Here's the thing. Cyril fucked with you. I'll give you that. I'll even give you that maybe he

fucked with your head so much that you weren't sure what was real and what was not. But in order for him to get anywhere with you, there had to be something there first. There had to be some underlying jealousy or hatred—I'm not sure which. Maybe you can tell me?" "No! I swear—" "Be careful what you swear at this moment," I said. "I want your complete honesty. If that requires you to give it some thought, then so be it. But I will have those answers, one way or another." He inched forward so that his shoulder almost touched my shin. But each time he seemed to settle back to think, he'd move again. Finally, he touched his forehead to my knee. "I don't know where to start."

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"As I recall, you seemed to like me well enough when we first met."

"Oh, God, yes. I did—I do! You made me feel like I was special. Looked right past my scars and

saw me. That may not sound like much, but vampires are a vain bunch at times."

"So what happened, Caleb? What changed?"

"I guess I just realized my place—finally." He looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"For so long, I'd been with Lucien. I knew he loved me, but that he didn't love me."

"And I became your competition."

"No! It wasn't like that. I mean, it was, but it wasn't." He shook his head. "God, that doesn't make

sense. And it has nothing to do with now. I got over it, I dealt with it. I was happy for you and

Lucien both. If it wasn't for you, Xander and I never would have come together."

"Maybe you didn't deal with it as well as you thought you did."

"I swear it on my life—I thought I had. I was happy. Happy that you and Lucien were happy."

"I know that you had moments in all of this when you knew you were in trouble, that you needed

help. Why didn't you come to one of us? To me, to Lucien, or even to Xander?"

"I did. Once." He frowned as if the memory just came to him out of nowhere. "I remember standing outside the private entrance for the office. He said he had me where he wanted me, that I was his now. It scared me." "Why didn't you come up?" "You were leaving. Ran into me on your way out. When I tried to help you up…" He looked up at

me and shrugged. "You were in a hurry."

"When was this, Caleb? The night Lucien met with Adam?"

"Adam." Caleb's eyes widened. "Oh! Did Lucien do it? Did he bring him over?"

"I thought you knew. Didn't you see him after? He's been at the mansion ever since."

"I didn't know." He breathed a sigh of relief. "But I'm glad he's okay. Thank you for telling me."

I had a sinking feeling that the night Caleb might have been coming to talk to me, I might well

have told him off. "Did I say anything to you that night?"

Caleb looked down and away.

"Caleb?"

"To fuck off, I think. Something close, anyway."

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"I'm sorry, Caleb." I reached out and rested my hand on his head. When he moved into my touch, I pulled his head down into my lap. He buried his face against my thighs, arms wrapping around my legs. My God. Had my selfishness paved the way for everything that had happened? "I'm so sorry, Peter." He was sobbing heavily now, entire body shaking. "I know it's not worth much, but I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I didn't mean to hurt Lucien. I didn't mean… Didn't mean to hurt anyone." I listened to him repeat himself over and over again. The anger had subsided at some point and I kept waiting for it to come back. When it did, it wasn't Caleb it was directed at—but Cyril. I didn't care what it took, I would see that bastard fry in the fiery pits of hell. Something else occurred to me. "Caleb? One more question: You haven't asked about how Lucien is." "I didn't figure I had any right." Caleb sucked in a harsh breath, trying to get himself back under control. "And Xander told me both what I did and how Lucien was doing. Please don't be mad at him. I asked – begged – him to tell me what was happening." "Look at me, please." When he turned those beautiful brown eyes up at me, I leaned forward, grasping his face between my hands. "I am angry and I am disappointed. And like I said before, you will be punished." "I accept whatever punishment you give me. Anything to make this right." "Things may never be right again. I want you to know and understand that. Some things are just… They can't be undone and they can't be fixed. I'm going to be honest with you: I don't trust you." "You have no reason to." "Trust is earned and once shattered?" I shook my head. "But I want you to know that I do love you." He went to throw his arms around me, but hesitated. I pulled him into an embrace and rested my chin on the top of his head. It may not have been what others would have done, but I've never been one to follow the crowd. Right now, what Caleb needed most was a stern hand and a reminder that he was loved. ***

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Just as I closed the door to Caleb's cell, the door to the viewing room opened. Lucien stepped out into the hall and walked up to me, drawing me into his arms. I held onto him tight, but it seemed he was trying to comfort me as much as I was trying to comfort him. Finally, I pulled back. "You know? You're gonna have to stop shielding and sneaking up on

people."

"Then they would know I was there. Where's the fun in that?"

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it from the black stain on his soul onward." He glanced at the door to Caleb's

cell. "I almost came in."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "I thought it best to let you finish the talk with him instead."

I wanted, more than anything, to change the subject. I'd had enough of dealing with and talking to

Caleb for one evening. "Did Xander come to see you?"

"He did." Lucien rolled his eyes. "When I told him he was more than welcome to fight for the

position if he gave up his status as Lycan leader, he quickly changed his tune."

"You fight dirty."

"I fight to win." He winked. "Speaking of fighting: we need to get out to the field and give

everyone our undivided attention."

"I don't know about undivided…"

He slid an arm around my back and urged me to walk with him. His hand brushed the gun stuffed

into the back of my pants and he paused, raising a brow. "Were you going to shoot someone?"

"That fucking hunter we've got locked up. He pissed me off."

Lucien laughed, the sound rich and deep and just music to my ears. "Did he, now?"

"Yes." I glared at him and continued walking again. "Bastard didn't believe I'd shoot him."

"He obviously hasn't seen anyone tell you no."

"I didn't used to be like that." I nudged Lucien with my hip, smirking. "So. Anything I need to

know about tonight?"

"Yes, there is. Let's get outside of the dungeon before we discuss that, though."

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He gestured to the hunter who was on his bed, curled up as far into the corner of the wall as he could go. The hunter's eyes widened when he saw me and I slowed, eyeing him through the bars. I wasn't sure he'd even blinked since he'd laid eyes on me. I met his gaze and held it, grinning. "Boo!" He yelped and jumped and I laughed, sighing in some weird sort of contentment. Lucien rolled his eyes again and pulled me along with him. "Now you're just being mean." I tossed a look back at the hunter and winked. Man, if Nikolas didn't take care of this guy soon? I might be convinced to play with him a little myself. I stopped off in Nikolas' room and put the gun back as it was when I found it, one round short. Lucien waited patiently in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. I couldn't believe that I hadn't noticed his clothes when he stepped out of the viewing room. The leather pants he wore had corset lacing from hip to knee. They were tight, low-slung in the waist, and hugged him in all the right places. His boots came up to just below his knee, the lacing complicated and sexy as fuck with all the grommets and D-rings. His shirt was black and tight, with just a hint of metallic silver shimmering in the light. The arms of the shirt were about half the length of a regular tee and stretched over his muscular biceps. When he moved, I could see the glint of his nipple rings. My own clothes mirrored his in a way, except I didn't have the sexy corset leather pants and my own shirt was a deep burgundy instead of black. My boots, while nothing too special, made me feel like I was a foot taller. I found out quickly that while my pants were pretty comfortable, they didn't suit getting hard. And I was well on my way. I stepped up to Lucien, nuzzling into his throat. "You look sexy, baby." "Do I?" He tugged my hips close, grinding against me. I could feel him hard in the confines of those pants and wanted nothing more than to fix that for him. And more than that, I had a sudden craving to taste him on my tongue. But not his blood. Him. "Uh-huh." I licked a line up his throat, across his jaw, sucking the lobe of his ear between my lips. When he groaned, I smiled, biting my way down his exposed neck. I dropped to my knees and without a word, unlaced the front of his pants. The scent of leather and hard, male flesh was strong and I bent for a taste.

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I flicked my tongue along his shaft, then pulled his pants down just a little more in front to release him from the confines of his pants. His cock jutted out proud and hard, precome beading down the slit. The pants were too tight to pull down any farther, so I had to settle for teasing his balls through the material. Lucien grabbed onto the door frame, moaning as I traced the length of his cock with my tongue. I knew every inch, every vein, every little spot that drove him wild. Yet it was always like it was something new I'd just discovered. I took him in fully, scraping my teeth lightly along his shaft when I pulled off again. He growled and tangled his fingers through my hair. "Suck me." And I did. Hard and fast and deep. It wasn't long before his hips jerked and the salty-sweet, coppery taste of him exploded on my tongue. I didn't get much, as when he started coming he shoved deep into my throat and just held himself there. I pulled off him after a few moments and licked him clean. He licked at his lips, shaking his head. "What was that?" "Just had a craving," I answered with a mischievous grin. I stood and started tucking him back in, helping to get his pants laced up again. He caught my hand. "You do not want, lover?" "I got exactly what I wanted."

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Chapter Twelve The ride down to the hunting area was quick. The fight tonight was taking place just outside it. Huge lights illuminated the clearing, heavy equipment looming on the far edge. Bleacher seats were set up in a large circle. It wasn't until I got out and we'd almost made it to the area that I noticed a dais with several large chairs at the head of the bleacher circle. And then I looked out across the circle and realized that it was a huge hole in the ground. It had to be at least twelve feet deep and fifty feet in diameter, maybe more. "What's up with the hole?" "Since we don't have a permanent pit, we make one," Lucien answered. "Damn." I was impressed. "All of this in such a short amount of time?" Lucien laughed. "That's the way the coven works. Nothing is too much or too big when it it's something I give the order for." "Oh, and I bet you like that a whole hell of a lot." "No, me? I don't know what you mean." I elbowed him playfully as we started to walk through the crowd of people. Most of them smiled or bowed their heads respectfully. There was music playing somewhere off in the distance, something hard and edgy. Lucien and I took our seats and I sat back, closing my eyes, trying to figure out where I'd heard the music before. The air was charged with energy—vampire and werewolf. So much energy and power gathered in one place. When I opened my eyes, there was a procession of people coming to Lucien with questions or needing advice. I tuned it all out and just tried to relax, watching the people, taking in the atmosphere. Hell, I wished I could absorb some of the energy for myself. I closed my eyes again and just as I got comfortable, someone plopped down in the chair beside me. I cracked one eye open only to see Nikolas grinning at me. I smacked him in the chest and he leaned over, biting down on my shoulder. Groaning, I turned into him. Our lips met, but only briefly. 136

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"We okay?"

"I just kissed you in public. I think it's fair to say we're getting along just fine." Nikolas sat back,

lighting up a cigarette. "You look like you're having fun, princess."

"I just got here. Not like I've had a chance to really get bored yet."

He hummed in agreement. We shared a comfortable silence and I was thankful that whatever had

happened between us earlier wasn't some big, fucked-up thing. Lucien leaned over me, startling me with a kiss. "I'll be right back, lover."

"Okay." I watched him wander through the crowd and stop in front of someone, pointing out

toward the pit as if giving orders.

A few minutes later, Xander stepped up onto the dais and stopped in front of Nikolas. "You're in

my chair."

"Then I guess you should have gotten here earlier to claim it." Nikolas laughed, and thrust his hips

forward, grabbing Xander. "You're more than welcome to sit in my lap."

Xander growled and lunged toward Nikolas as if he was about to hit him and Nikolas stood, getting right in Xander's face, a wicked grin gracing his lips. "You really don't want to do that. I will not hesitate to meet you all the way this time." At Nikolas' threat, I knew I needed to break this up. "Xander? You find anything out about my old

apartment?"

"No. Wasn't anything. Electrical."

"Nice of you to let me know that—like I asked you to."

"I'd already told you they said it was electrical. You said to let you know if I found out anything

other than that." He shrugged. "Then I got busy."

Leave it to Xander to get technical about it all.

I stood. "Go on, Xander. Sit somewhere instead of trying to stir up trouble."

Xander met my eyes. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Us."

"Oh, honey. Remember? There is no us."

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Xander stalked off toward another chair and Nikolas looked over at me, nearly cringing. "That had

to have stung."

"Sit down before I make you move, too."

I sat back down and got comfortable, keeping an eye out for Silver. I found Logan, instead, who'd

shown up wearing a pair of tight-fitted black Wranglers, boots, and a black polo shirt. He stopped

before me and I licked at my lips.

"God, Logan. You look hot tonight."

Logan seemed amused. "Does that mean you approve?"

"Approve? Oh, yeah…"

He smiled and leaned down and kissed one of my cheeks, then the other. He paused before rising.

"I'd hoped you would."

I clenched my teeth to avoid an audible groan and Logan rose and inclined his head before moving

on. Nikolas and I both leaned forward to watch as Logan walked away, the tight Wranglers fitting

Logan like a denim glove.

"Fuck me." Nikolas murmured. "I think I've got a new appreciation for cowboys."

"Too bad we can't fuck him," I said, then realized it'd been out loud.

"I say we tag team him," Nikolas added.

I groaned. "Wouldn't that be a night to remember?"

Nikolas sat back with a wistful sigh. "So much ass around here and I don't get nearly enough."

I laughed and sat back as Logan disappeared into the crowd. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a

few werewolves gathered at Xander's feet. A pang of jealousy went through me, strong enough that I wanted someone to sit at my feet, too. A few more than Xander had, of course, because that would only be right. But there was no one here for me. I had to fight the urge not to stand up and stomp and demand for someone come to sit before me. Something clicked into place, wheels turning in my head. Maybe Nikolas and Lucien had been right all along. Maybe the pack wasn't something for me to want—but to need. And maybe they'd been right about me being leader already after all. I was through denying their words without hearing them out. Next time, I would listen. And maybe even ask for advice.

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Xander looked up and met my gaze, brow furrowing as he seemed to hear my unspoken thoughts. Oddly, he didn't seem worried at all. Did he think his place was safe? And that I'd never even think of taking his position away from him? It was tempting to do, just to teach him a lesson. Something brushed against my leg, drawing my gaze away from Xander. I looked down to see my alpha wolf nudging my leg with his shoulder, leaning against me. I held my hand out for him, smiling when he licked my fingers and set his teeth gently against them. "Hey there, boy." I scruffed up the thick fur at his neck, scratching behind his ears. "You seem to

be finding your way around the property. Like it here?"

"You talk to him like he's going to answer you."

"Shut up, Nikolas."

Nikolas leaned forward, eyeing my wolf that I'd yet to name. "He was raised around vampires and

werewolves. He just might be a decent dog."

"Bite him!"

The wolf snarled at Nikolas and Nikolas laughed, just amused as hell. "Careful, wolf. I bite back."

I scrubbed my fingers through the wolf's fur and sat back, wondering when this thing would get

started. I wasn't bored yet, but if things kept on like this, I would be in a short time.

Someone kneeled before me, eyes happy and bright. He acted as if he knew me – intimately – but I

didn't have a clue as to who he was. Short brown hair, dark brown eyes, body lean and lithe. He

wore loose black pants and a tight-fitting, long-sleeved red shirt. I racked my brain, trying to come

up with a name.

His eyes looked so familiar…

"Hello, Sabaan."

"Nikolas." The man took Nikolas' hand, exposed his wrist, and ran his tongue over the soft flesh.

"You miss me?"

"Sabaan?" I leaned forward and grabbed the man's face, forcing his gaze to meet mine. "That really

you?"

"Of course it is." His eyes bled to black from the nondescript brown. When he smiled, it revealed

his tiny fangs. "I guess we do need to teach you a little more about demons."

"I don't understand."

"I can't very well go around in public in my true form now, can I? Imagine the poor babies in the

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I laughed and leaned forward, kissing him. "You're not in public here, Sabaan."

"Yeah, but… There are so many people here I don't know. It's too," he considered his words,

"open. Makes me nervous."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Mind if I sit here by your wolf?"

"Not at all."

Sabaan didn't just sit at my feet, he wormed his way to sit with my legs bracketing his body. Every

now and then, he'd rest his head on my lap and smile up at me, pointing out this person or that that he thought was hot. It was nice having him here, having Nikolas at my side. The only thing that might have made it better would've been for Xander to be sitting here, too. Before I could dwell on that again, Lucien walked up onto the dais. He leaned in and kissed me,

scented the air, then jerked his gaze down to Sabaan at my feet.

"Sabaan?"

"In the… Well, in one of my fleshes."

"It's him," I said with a laugh. "When is this going to get started?"

"I'm about to start it. Everyone that is fighting for the position is in the pit."

"So, what? Everyone just starts fighting when you give the go-ahead?"

"Pretty much. Last man standing leads the team."

"Wow. How… simple." "Some things need to be." He kissed me again. "Get comfortable, lover. This could take a while and all you need to do is be here. If you need anything at all, you have Sabaan and Nikolas here at your service. Doc is on the far side of the pit and so is Daniel. If you need blood…take from Sabaan. I'm sure he won't mind." "Not. At. All." "Shut up, you big perv." I thumped Sabaan on the back of the head and turned my attention back to Lucien. "Where are you going to be?" "I'll be here, for the most part. But with everyone gathered, it's inevitable that I'll be called away for something."

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I was okay with that. It'd been a long time since Lucien was just there for the people of the coven. This would go a long way in trying to make up for lost time and hurt feelings. That was too important to get in between. "Not a problem. Was just curious." Lucien kissed me on the cheek and rose up, turning to face the crowd. His voice boomed as he welcomed everyone. Idle chatter stopped and all eyes turned to him. Including mine. Of course, I was looking at his ass, noting the way the leather hugged him just right. Admiring his muscular thighs as they flexed and bunched as he moved this way and that as he spoke. His lean hips, his broad shoulders, muscular arms that were cut in all the right ways. "Settle down, Peter," Sabaan whispered. "Not doing anything." "You keep looking at Lucien like that and I'm going to get horny, too. I get horny and we're going to have a big, big problem on our hands." "There ever a time when you aren't horny?" "Well, no. But trust me, Peter. It's a domino effect when there are several with incubi abilities gathered in close proximity." And we had quite a few. I forced my gaze away from Lucien, but it didn't stay off. He gave the command for the fighting to begin and his voice reverberated through my entire body. He turned as he started back to his chair and our eyes met. Heat flared in them, in what I assumed was a response to the way I was looking at him, but he quickly snuffed it out. When he sat down, he put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me as far against him as he could with the arms of the chairs between us. I felt him in my head, calming, soothing. "Put your attention on the fight, lover. It'll help." "Sorry." "Don't be. You'll be able to learn how to control it soon enough." Tomorrow night it would all begin. Or end, if something went wrong. But I didn't want to think about that now. I couldn't, or I'd end up driving myself insane. I turned my attention to the pit below. Growls and snarls and roars of battle filled the air along with cheers from the crowd gathered around watching. If you watched closely, you could see the splattering of blood when someone took a blow. With over thirty people in the pit, that was a lot of blood. The point wasn't to kill, of course, but to

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wound your opponents to the point of them dropping out of the fight. It had only been going for a few minutes and there were already wounded being helped out of the pit. Maybe this wouldn't take so long after all. I tried to pick Silver out of the commotion, and found him once. After that, I lost track. Gage, however, was kicking ass and taking names. I hoped like hell when it all came down to it that Silver's feeding from Nikolas had done him some good. Adam stopped in front of Lucien and handed him what looked to be a tumbler of Scotch. He then offered me a glass of ice water with a wedge of lemon floating in it. I took it and thanked him. He nodded politely and moved on to Nikolas. I nudged Lucien after Adam had wandered on down the line of people on the dais. "Have you spoken to Adam much since you've been back?" "A little bit," Lucien said. "He seems to be fitting in well. Simon has taken him under his wing –so to speak – and is showing him the ways of running the house." "You think he'll be happy to be a servant?" "He was a servant before I turned him," Lucien said with a chuckle. "I think he'll be fine." I nodded absently, taking a sip of my water, trying to turn my attention back to the fight. After a while, I'd had enough. My ass was numb and I had to piss. "The building open in the safety zone?" "It should be." Lucien patted his shirt and pants where his pockets should have been had he been wearing normal clothes. "I guess I left my keys in the truck. If it's not open, there's a key on a nail under the first step." I handed him my nearly empty glass of water. There wasn't much left in it, but I had a habit of not wanting my drink left unattended. Too many years of bartending, maybe. But experience had shown that sometimes people would go to any length to fuck you up if they wanted to. "If you walk away, give it to Nikolas." Lucien nodded. Having heard my excuses about the safety of my drinks a hundred times before, he'd stopped arguing or even teasing about it. After everything that had happened in the recent weeks, I was even more paranoid. I made my way off the dais and through a small crowd of people. One glance at the building made me groan. We were farther away from it than I'd initially thought. *** I opted for a clump of trees off to the left and headed for them instead of the building. I just didn't have it in me to bother walking that far just to piss. My wolf – who had apparently been following 142

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me – darted off into the woods. I paused for a moment to watch him and smiled when he met up with the rest of the pack and they took off as a group. Once behind a good bunch of brush, I unzipped. A few seconds later, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I couldn't really just stop what I was doing, so I waited where I stood. With Lucien and the coven within yelling distance, I still felt pretty damned safe. However, when one man followed another into the woods, most of the time it never worked out well for one of them. Only when I finished and had myself tucked in did I turn around. Daniel was leaning against a tree,

staring off toward the pit area. I took a step toward him, but hesitated.

"What are you doing out here, Daniel?"

"I thought it might be a good time for us to talk."

"While I was taking a piss?"

Daniel shrugged. "Pissing doesn't interfere with your ability to speak, does it?"

"What do you want?"

"Have you given any thought to what we discussed last night?"

"Actually, I have. But I haven't discussed it at length with Lucien yet."

"It is none of Lucien's concern."

"Now, see. That's where you're wrong. What concerns me, concerns Lucien. It goes both ways. If

you don't like that? Then maybe I'm the wrong guy for you anyway."

I started past him, but he grabbed my arm at the elbow.

"I do not want to get off on the wrong foot with you, Peter. I only meant that this is a decision that

you have to make on your own."

"Whatever." I turned to face him. "How much do you really want me to take this seat?"

"I would not be here if it was a passing interest."

"I have looked over the file that you gave me. I have to say, there are a hell of a lot of benefits

involved." Daniel started to speak, but I held a hand up. "However. The time commitment concerns

me."

"It can be negotiated, Peter. That is not set in stone."

"Sure sounded like it in the file."

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"It is…for most."

"But you want me badly enough to forego the time." Daniel looked uncomfortable. "I have some

other concerns, Daniel."

He eyed me cautiously. "Like what?"

"If Cyril is the kind of person the Council wants at its table, then I'm not so sure I want to be a part

of that."

"Cyril is gone, Peter."

"So you say. But you know what? You people didn't seem to know what the hell he was doing

while he was on the Council, so why should I assume that you know what's going on with him

now? How do I know he won't escape from wherever he's being held?"

"He can't."

"But I don't know that. After everything Cyril did to Lucien and me and Xander and the rest of the

coven… Surely, the Council can humor me by showing me that he's gone. Permanently. Let me

speak to the person in charge of Cyril's punishment."

"That is not possible!"

"Not possible or not something you want to bother with?"

Daniel looked at me incredulously, but didn't respond.

"Well, then," I turned on my heel and started walking, "I'm sorry, Daniel. My answer is no."

If Sabaan was right and I managed to call Daniel's bluff in all this, then he'd stop me before I got

too far. The farther I got from Daniel, however, the more I felt as if I'd failed. Miserably. If he let me go now, he wouldn't be back. I'd made it a good fifty feet away from him when I heard an audible curse. "Peter? Wait!"

I stopped, but didn't turn around. "I think I've said all I needed to say, Daniel."

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll see what I can do," Daniel said as he walked up beside me.

"The angels are… complicated. Dealing with them is like running in circles."

"Funny," I said with a smirk. "I used to feel the same way about vampires."

"Used to?"

I shrugged. "Well, some are still more complicated than others."

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He smiled, but it quickly vanished. "Like I said, Peter. I'll do what I can."

"If you get me a meeting with this angel, I'll take the position and the fifty years. Otherwise, I stay

here and the Council continues its search for someone to fill that vacant seat. Do we have a deal?"

Daniel did not look happy, but he nodded. "We have a deal."

"A binding deal, Daniel," I said as I held out my right hand, palm turned upward.

His lips pursed together tightly as he grabbed my hand and drew a line down the middle of my

palm with a razor sharp claw. The blood pooled immediately, but I held my hand steady so as not to let too much of my own blood fall to the ground. He sliced across his own right palm before sliding his hand over mine. We shook, and as we did, our combined blood fell into a small puddle in the dirt. A deal sealed by blood couldn't be broken. Not according to vampire law, anyway. If Daniel didn't follow through, I could take the case to the Council. He could be punished severely and forced to submit to the terms of the deal. Daniel jerked me close, mouth next to my ear. "Do not try to play me again because I guarantee that you will lose."

"Is that so, Daniel? It seems I play you rather well."

He let go of me and wiped his palm on his pants. "Do tell Lucien that I was, regrettably, unable to

stay any longer."

Daniel disappeared before I bothered to respond. I wasn't sure if teleporting was one of his abilities

or if he was just that fast. I was pretty sure I didn't care, either way. I licked my palm clean and

looked down at the ground. I couldn't see exactly where the blood had dropped and soaked into the

ground, but I knew someone else that would be able to smell it.

I turned and headed back to the dais. When I got there, I glanced down into the pit. There were four

people left. Silver and Gage were two of them. Gage looked like hell and Silver looked a little

bloody. I doubted that much of the blood on Silver… was Silver's.

Lucien frowned up at me. "Did you get lost?"

"I ran into someone. Fight looks like it's going well."

"It is," Lucien replied softly. "Everything okay?"

"Couldn't be better."

When Lucien turned his attention back to the fight, I sat down and leaned forward to wrap my arms

around Sabaan's shoulders. I flicked my tongue over his ear, just to tease, before whispering to him.

"Do me a favor?"

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Sabaan nodded.

"Out near the trees behind the dais, there is a small bit of blood that is soaked into the ground. Do

you think you'd be able to find it for me?"

He turned his head so that our lips almost touched. "You made a deal?"

"I did, Sabaan." I dragged my tongue along his bottom lip. "Want a taste?"

He whimpered and turned even more, tongue pushing between my lips to taste my own. I pulled

him up as I sat back and he straddled my lap as he kissed me. After a few moments, he pulled

away, still licking his lips.

"I'd taste more, but I think it might get me in trouble." He glanced at Lucien, who was staring at us

as if we'd just fucked right out in the open. "I'll be back."

At that, he slid off my lap and grabbed one of Lucien's empty tumblers as he walked away. Lucien

leaned over and caught my jaw in one of his hands. His grip was so tight it was almost painful.

"What have you done, Peter?"

I twisted just enough to loosen his grip and tongued one of his fingers before sucking it into my

mouth. His jaw clenched tight and he pushed another finger in alongside the first. I took it and

leaned in even closer, making the action as perverted as I possibly could.

"If you think I won't fuck you right up here on this dais in front of everyone, you're severely mistaken." "Do it, lover. Take me, fuck me. Right here. Right now. Let them all wish for a taste." He jerked his fingers away and pulled me close, kissing me. The kiss was hard and almost painful, but I liked it way too much to bother complaining. Just when I thought he'd pull me up and rip my pants open for access, he shoved me back, licking at his lips. There was a drop of blood that I had to restrain myself from leaning forward and licking away. He caught it with the tip of his tongue and eliminated the temptation. I sighed and sat back in my own chair, adjusting myself. "That fix whatever this was?"

Lucien chuckled.

"That is something I never hope to fix, lover."

"That is not what I'm talking about and you know it."

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"Ah, that." Lucien gestured absently. "It scares me when you go out making deals with vampires on

your own."

"Do I hear a 'but'?"

I'd better have heard a 'but'.

"But you seem to be a natural at it, so I'll shut up and try not to worry so much."

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Chapter Thirteen Before I could manage a witty comeback, a collective gasp from the crowd drew our attention.

Lucien sat forward in his seat. I followed his gaze and my heart nearly stopped.

Silver was on the ground, Gage straddling him and punching the living fuck out of him. And Silver

was just lying there letting him do it. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

"Shit."

"He's fine, he's fine, he's fine," Nikolas hissed in my ear. "Settle down."

"Nikolas…" I had no words.

"He's not a perv like the rest of you. Us. Whatever." He pointed down into the pit. "Keep watching,

princess. Maybe you'll learn something."

I glared at him.

"Gage is expending a lot of energy," he whispered. "Where do you think that energy is going?"

I snorted. "Right into… Oh!"

Nikolas nodded. "Look at Silver. Watch him just soak it all up."

"You do remember that Silver is as straight as a two by four, right?"

"Terrible, isn't it?" He glanced at me briefly before turning his gaze back to the fight. "His bite is

nothing but pain. I could be convinced to feed him on a more regular basis."

"I believe you'll have to take that up with Silver. Not sure how he'd feel about you getting off while

he was that close to you."

"There is that…"

Nikolas shut up, finally, and I leaned over the arm of Lucien's chair. I hooked my arm through

Lucien's and rested my head on his shoulder. He pointed down into the pit. "Nikolas is right. Silver

is feeding."

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"Isn't he losing energy by getting the shit beat out of him?"

"Not much."

I watched, wishing like hell Silver would just kick the shit out of Gage and end the damned fight.

Sabaan walked back onto the dais and sat down between my chair and Lucien's. He handed me the

tumbler of dirt, grinning.

"Here you go."

I took it and held it close. "Thank you, Sabaan."

He tipped his head back. "Anything I can do to help." I looked down at him just about the time Silver struck Gage in the chest and Gage went flying out of the pit. He landed on his back on the opposite side of the pit… and didn't move. I watched as Doc rushed over to check on him, smiling when Doc looked across to Lucien and gave a thumbs up. "Look at that," I whispered. "Our new team leader." "Just as it should be." I let him go. "Go declare it, lover."

Lucien shook his head. "Not just yet."

Movement caught my attention before I could ask why. Silver stood at the edge of the pit just in

front of us, head bowed. He went to his knees almost immediately.

"In order to lead, one must know how to follow." Lucien straightened. "By your service to me and

your actions tonight, I judge you worthy of both."

"Thank you, my lord."

Lucien stood and walked the couple of steps to close the distance between him and Silver. He

placed a hand on Silver's shoulder.

"You answer to me and you answer to Peter. No one else. Will this be a problem?"

"No, sir. It won't."

"Then it is my wish that you lead the team. Do you accept?"

"I do, my lord. Thank you."

"Hold onto this for a second." I handed Sabaan the tumbler of dirt and got up, going to join Lucien.

I touched my hand to Silver's head. "You fought well, Silver."

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"Thank you, sir." I looked up at Lucien, grinning. "Declare him already." "Up, Silver." Lucien waited for Silver to stand, then turned him to face the crowd. "I hereby declare Silver as leader of the teams, chief of security, and protector of the coven!" A round of cheers went up and just off the side of the dais, I saw Lilly. I gestured for her to come on up and when she did, Silver grabbed her and kissed her. The cheers became whoops and hollers and I grabbed Lucien and pulled him back. "Oh! One last thing." Lucien stepped forward again. "Two, rather! The club will reopen tomorrow night. Peter and I will not be there, as we have a previous commitment, but I have made arrangements for someone to watch over you all. Logan!" Logan walked up, smiling, just as easygoing as anyone I'd ever seen. He nodded his head toward the crowd and when someone whistled, he bowed. Lucien threw his arm around Logan's shoulders, laughing. "I will get a full report, so I suggest you all be on your best behavior. Also, if anyone is interested… We have food up at the house. For Lycan and vampire, alike." That, more than anything, got the crowd going. Logan said something in Lucien's ear and broke away. Lucien turned to me then, putting his arm around me and pulling me close. "I do believe tonight was a success." "I think you're right." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Xander staring at us. The look in his eyes was far from happy, as were the expressions on a couple werewolves sitting with him. Then I realized that Xander wasn't looking at me, but at Lucien. "Baby? Take a look at Xander. He seems… unhappy." "As he should be. I have taken away his power to command the team." *** There wasn't much of a celebration for the people Silver hand picked to join him on the team. He divided the men according to experience and appointed a leader for each sub-team. When he had the teams divided up as he wanted them, he'd pointed toward the pit and ordered it filled in. As Lucien and I were walking to the truck, we ran into Jack and Mike. Lucien and Mike automatically started off a conversation about some sort of trip Mike was supposed to take. Jack stood there looking everywhere but at me. Somewhere along the line we'd lost touch—we'd drifted apart. 150

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It was hard to believe that we had once been so close. Hell, the last time I'd seen him had been at the club a couple of days before the accident. He'd let me know that he was more than a little jealous at my relationships with other people and I'd sent him home for acting like an ass. Nothing would ever – could ever – be the same between me and Jack. As much as I hated to admit it, there was too much of a gap in status. I was master, he was servant. That was the hard, cold truth of it. I loved Lucien, loved the people in my life now, but it didn't stop me from missing what I had before. Before, I might have considered pushing the whole master crap away to just be his friend, but after the debacle with Caleb? I'd seen what the consequences of that were. But now, standing here in front of him? All I wanted to do was hug him. So I did. I pulled him into my arms and hugged him tight. He hesitated, then hugged me in return.

"How are you, Jack?"

"Good," he answered quietly. "Enjoying my time off."

I laughed. "Club reopens tomorrow night. I think your time off is over for a while."

"Um." He pulled away, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "Well, that's what we're here for."

"What do you mean?"

"Mike's going to be gone for a while. I'd like to go with him."

"I see."

Jack just nodded, glancing at Lucien and Mike as they continued their conversation. He finally

looked at me, meeting my eyes. "Forgive me, Peter. But I have to get away for a while. I need to… To move on." "Jack, I'm sorry."

"No, no, no," he said quickly. "Don't be. I've got things I need to work out and it'd just be easier to

do somewhere else. And I miss Mike when he's gone."

"Yeah, I know that feeling well."

Lucien wrapped his arm around me and looked to Jack. "You sure you want to go?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm sure."

Mike took Jack's hand and looked at me. "It's not forever. Just a few months or so."

Jack nodded in agreement.

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I grabbed Jack up in a tight hug again. "Want you to be happy, Jack. I really do."

"Thank you." His breath hitched. "'S what I want for you, too. I'll be back."

"You'd better be." I let Jack go and hugged Mike, whispering in his ear. "Take care of him, okay?"

"Always."

Silver called Lucien's name from a few yards away. I looked up to see him waving a cell phone in

the air. "It's important! Peter, for you, too."

"Guess that's our cue," Lucien said. "Jack, Mike? Be careful in your journey."

"And maybe let us know how things are going every now and then," I added.

"We will," Mike said. "Thank you."

Lucien pulled me along with him, but before we made it too far, Silver was jogging up to meet us

halfway. "What is it, Silver?"

"Fire," he said. "Peter? I'm afraid the news isn't good."

"Just tell me!"

"There was a fire at your grandparent's place. There were no survivors."

"What? What happened?" My chest felt tight. "When?"

"Early in the evening. Reid caught it on the late newscast, recognized the name, and called me.

From what the reporter said, it looks like it was caused by a gas leak."

"Two fires in as many days? I cannot consider this an accident or a coincidence."

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel. My last visit to my grandparents’ place had been shortly

after my mother's funeral. It hadn't gone over well and I was pretty much told that I wasn't

welcome. Resentment toward them had long since turned to indifference.

Was I sad that something had happened to them? Of course. Just as I would be for anyone that I

knew that had passed on. However, I wasn't drowning in despair. I hardly knew my grandparents

and their last words to me had been filled with nothing but hatred and judgment.

The common denominator in both fires was pretty clear, though I couldn't figure out why anyone

would bother setting fire to either place. Anyone that knew me also knew that I had no real

connection there. Was it to get my attention? And if so… Why?

"Can we go there?" I looked to Lucien. "It's not that far. We can get there and back in plenty of

time before dawn. Just take a look around?"

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"I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Peter."

"Actually," Silver began. "It might be. This is the second fire, if we look at them as being

connected. We need to find out if Peter's got some enemy from the past trying to cause trouble. A pissed-off ex, maybe?" "No." I shook my head, thinking. "Only guy I ever really dated was killed in a car accident over ten years ago. Someone from my stint at Rave, maybe?"

"That does have possibilities," Silver said.

"Is there anyone you ever had problems with specifically, lover? Anyone who sticks out in your

mind as unstable?"

"Half the clientele," I said with a sigh. "There was one guy we had to keep throwing out. Name was

Carl. He was a touch on the scary side, but I never painted him for a firebug."

Silver's expression brightened a little at the prospect of a lead. "Got a last name?"

"No, but Darren would know. There was an incident where the guy punched one of the bouncers,

broke his nose. Darren kept a copy of the police report."

"I'll get Reid on that. He should be able to get it directly from the police computer's records." Silver

tucked his phone into his vest and scratched his head. "I'm going to send out the team, keeping them divided so they can cover more ground." "Send one of the teams to the house. I don't want to be surprised when Peter and I get there. If they get there before we do, make sure they know not to touch anything."

"You need anything else, just call." Silver inclined his head and turned away.

As he walked off, he began shouting orders. I watched as the team members – even Gage – jumped

to action, their respect for Silver clear. The team had never, ever, jumped like that for Caleb—even on his best days. Lucien laced his fingers through mine. "I'm sorry for your loss, Peter."

"It's an old loss," I said. "I just hope it comes down to being an accident—and that they didn't die

because some bastard out there is jonesing for a little revenge."

*** "Careful, Peter." Lucien caught me as I took a step and the ground gave way. "Hang onto me until we get over there." I gestured to what was supposed to be the front of the property. "I'd hoped maybe I could find something here in this mess, but…" 153

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"It's mostly ash and pieces of concrete." "When Silver said fire, I just jumped to the conclusion that there'd still be some structure here. Never once did I put fire and gas leak together in my head to realize what the results would be." "I expected damage, but this? This was one hell of an explosion." That was an understatement of epic proportions. We were in a crater where the house once stood. The parts and pieces of house and belongings that hadn't been blown over a block away were beneath our feet. Remnants of household fixtures like bathtubs and toilets were upturned and broken into pieces. Charred, splintered wood poked up this way and that, strips of clothing, pieces of insulation, broken dishes… it all formed a complicated maze from one side of the crater to the other. I took a step and glass cracked beneath my foot. I absently glanced down, and when I did, finally recognized something familiar. A picture frame. One that I had made my sophomore year in high school. I'd decided on a whim to take shop, and when everyone else was doing structural welding, I was making a picture frame. My instructor and the rest of the class had given me hell over it, but I'd been proud of it at the time. It was probably the only time in my life I'd managed anything even remotely artistic. I'd given it to my grandmother as a Christmas present with a picture of me and my mother inside it. I wiped some of the grimy, wet soot off the cracked glass, but the frame was empty. I turned it over. The cardboard backing was wet, but otherwise intact. "A frame, but no picture." I shrugged. "I'm sure she got rid of it long before now." Lucien took the frame from me and inspected it closely. "There is residue on the cardboard where something was stuck to it. Look here. It's been torn away." I looked up at Lucien, shaking my head as I took back the frame. "Why would anyone take something like this? It was a picture of me and my mother from years and years ago." "I do not know, lover, but I have every intention of finding out." I nodded. "Let's go home." Lucien wrapped his arms around me and levitated us out of the wreckage of the house. I stumbled when he let me go and had to hold onto him to keep from sinking to the ground. "You okay, Peter?" "Just tired all of a sudden."

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"Stay here. I'll go get the truck."

Before I could answer that I'd be okay to walk, Lucien was gone. I had this overwhelming urge to

just lie down on the ground, but settled for dropping to my knees instead. I had a moment of panic,

thinking this was a precursor to another episode. When nothing happened, I sat back and waited for

Lucien.

I could hear a few of the team members talking and murmuring, watching over me as I waited. I'd

largely ignored them the entire time we'd been here and I'd been grateful that they'd left Lucien and me alone. I told myself they weren't here to help—they were here to safeguard. After a while, a warm, familiar hand squeezed my shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Peter."

Instead of going into a long diatribe about how it wasn't really a new loss for me, I just accepted his

condolences. "Thanks."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them back. The only thing I wanted from him…was to have our

relationship back the way it was only a few days ago. What I wanted and needed, was irrelevant.

"No, Xander, there isn't."

Xander knelt beside me, his chest touching my shoulder. The heat radiated off him and I had to

force myself not to lean back against him. I curled my shoulders a little, eliminating the contact.

His hand rested on my back and he leaned in, chin touching my shoulder.

"Look, Peter… I'm—"

"Don't. Please, Xander. Just…go."

Lucien pulled up in the truck and Xander's radio squawked almost simultaneously. I got to my feet

and walked away, going right into Lucien's arms. He brought me to the passenger side of the truck

and helped me inside. I sat back, running my fingers over the picture frame.

I heard Xander calling Lucien's name and Lucien and I both looked up. Xander jogged up and came to an abrupt stop, expression grim. "You two need to get home—now!" "What is the problem, Xander?"

"There are two large groups of hunters out tonight. One of the teams has already been in contact

and eliminated a few of them, but there are many."

"I guess this explains a few things." Lucien growled. "I want a team guarding the house twentyfour hours a day until every single one of those bastards is dead. Tell Silver I will call him once I get Peter home." "Can I—?" 155

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"No, Xander. You may not."

Lucien slammed the door and walked around to his side. Xander's hand touched the window and I

looked up at him, meeting his eyes. They were full of tears and confusion and before I had to

bother looking away, Lucien backed up.

"What did he want, Lucien?"

"The very thing he's already chosen not to have—you." Lucien sighed and shook his head. "I can

well see that he's confused about what he wants and needs and even that he's said or done some things he didn't mean out of some emotional…whatever." "But?"

"But he's trying to drag you into whatever this is so that he can lean on you one minute and shit on

you the next. He wants it all, Peter. At some point, one has to realize that some things are just not

meant for us to have."

"What does that say about me, then?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because you are in a position to have it all."

"What good is having it all when you have to force those you love to pretend to love you in return."

I laughed, but not out of amusement. "Sometimes having it all just isn't worth the heartache."

Lucien reached over and took my hand, squeezing tight. "Those are the words of a cynic."

"Or the words of a man who's too tired to care anymore."

The ride home was quiet and I lay down in the seat to rest my head on Lucien's thigh. His touch

soothed as his fingers toyed with my hair. I was just about asleep when the truck came to a stop.

"We're home, baby."

"Carry me inside?"

"If you like."

"Kidding." I smiled and sat up. "Even though it is tempting."

Lucien got out and came around to my side of the truck to open my door. He waited for me to get

out and wrapped an arm around my waist. We walked into the house, down the hall, and to the bedroom. Lucien took the frame from me, set it on the desk, and led me to the bathroom. 156

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I sat on the edge of the tub and fumbled with my boot laces as Lucien started the shower. A minute or two later, he knelt in front of me, taking over. I watched him as he unlaced my boots, my heart speeding up just at the sight of him. No matter the things I lost—Lucien was all I needed. His long, dark hair spilled forward to frame his face and I had a moment's insight into what he might have looked like as a knight. Valiant and strong and so damned beautiful. I reached forward and twirled my fingers in his hair. I'd liked it short, but this long length just seemed to fit. "Have I told you how much I love your hair like this?" "I believe you might have." He removed one boot and started on the other. "Does that mean you

don't want me to cut it?"

"If you want to cut it, I won't stop you."

"I haven't had it long in nearly seventeen years."

"So you cut it when you came here?"

"Sort of. I cut it after the trouble with the serum. Just couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror

as I was."

"How do you feel when you see yourself now?"

"Like a man who has been put back together again."

"What I said in the truck." I caressed his brow and down the side of his face with the tips of my

fingers. "You do know that you are all I need, don't you? That everything – everyone else – is just

decoration?"

"Are you saying that I am your cake?"

I grinned. "The cake, the rich cream filling, the icing…"

"Hmm." He drew me in for a kiss. "Then come here and taste me, lover."

I pulled back, bottom lip caught between my teeth, and shook my head. "Clothes first."

"Clothes can be replaced."

"Yeah, yeah." I pushed him back. "Strip for me."

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stood. "What would you like me to take off first?"

Oh. This was an interesting turn of events.

"Your shirt."

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He slowly pulled his shirt up and off. His nipple rings gleamed in the soft light of the bathroom, both nipples drawn up tight and hard. My eyes traveled down his chest, taking in every cut curve of muscle. I wanted to pull him to me and let my tongue work my way down his torso. "Unlace your pants. Slowly. Front, right side, then the left. But don't push them down." "As you wish." I watched him as he worked, the way his fingers so gracefully tended to the laces. I loved his fingers, his strong, masculine hands. The way the veins rose and traveled up his forearms, the tendons and muscles that flexed and jumped with each of his movements. Soon, he stood right in front of me…waiting. I grabbed hold of his pants and pulled them down, licking randomly at bits of flesh as they were revealed. I rubbed my palm against the crotch of his pants, enjoying the fact that this was turning him on. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, a moan escaping his lips. I pushed his pants to his knees, and smiled at the way his hard cock stood tall and proud. I licked at his slit, savoring the salty-sweet taste of him, the way he felt against my tongue. His breath caught and he froze. I took in his full length, and just held him in my mouth, loving the way I could feel every beat of his heart. After a few moments, I pulled off him and flicked my tongue against his balls, teasing. "Turn around." He turned without a word and I had to force myself not to touch him. The view from behind was as inspiring as the view from the front. Broad shoulders, muscular back, curved just so because of the way he stood. I grabbed his hips and made him stand straight. But once I touched him again, I didn't want to let go. I kissed the small of his back, then lower…and lower…tongue teasing at the very tip of the crack of his ass. "Unlace your boots, Lucien." He glanced back at me, eyes heated. "Peter…" "Do it. Please." Lucien bent down and began the painstaking process of unlacing his boots. I let go of him for a few moments and sat back, admiring the view. There was something so goddamned hot about having him bent before me, his ass spread wide open, his balls hanging between his legs. As he worked, I stripped off my shirt and unlaced my own pants.

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And then I sat forward, grabbed his hips, and buried my face into his crack. He froze again, but only for a moment. In seconds, he was pushing back against me. I pried his cheeks further apart to expose his hole, teasing the tight muscled ring with the tip of my tongue. "Feels so good." He groaned and growled at the same time, having trouble with his second boot.

"Tastes good, too."

I teased the smooth patch of skin behind his balls, licking him hard there. He arched those hips,

trying to give me more access. There were times when I could make him come by licking that one

spot. But I didn't want him to come.

Not yet.

"Stand up, Lucien.

When he did, I stood and kicked off my pants. I moved close enough to him so that my chest was

pressed against his back. I grasped my cock and rubbed it back and forth over his hole.

Lips pressed to his ear, I whispered, "Remember the dildos we had made last year?"

He nodded.

"Go get the one of me."

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Chapter Fourteen Lucien shuddered and awkwardly made his way out of the bathroom. He was back in only a few seconds, a black case in his hands. I opened it and took out the custom-made, carbon copy of my own dick. I grabbed the tube of lube from inside and pointed to the counter. "Set the box down and come back to me." He did, then took his place in front of me again, bending over. I smoothed the lube over the dildo, stroking it with my hand to get it warmed. We'd had these things made, but had only used them once. Lucien had come as soon as the dildo was pushed into him that first time. I worked two fingers into his hole, then began guiding the head of the fake cock along those fingers inside him. Lucien's breath hitched. "Oh, fuck, Peter—" "Good?" He nodded, pushing back. "Feels just like you…almost." I had a sudden urge to push him to the floor and double fuck him with my fake and my real cock, but managed to push the urge to the back of my mind. We'd have to play with these again real fucking soon. I stood, keeping my fingers pressing up against the suction-cup bottom. "Kick off your boots and pants and let's get in the shower." It took more than a little awkward maneuvering, but with my help, we managed to get him undressed. Every step he took to the shower was followed by a grunt of pleasure. Once inside the shower, I changed my grip and helped him to the tiled floor. "Oh shit!" He jumped, trying to keep from being fully impaled by the dildo. "Too much, too soon…" "Don't you come yet, Lucien." I stood and reached for the lube we kept in the soap tray. When I looked down, my dick was right in Lucien's face. "See something you like?"

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He didn't answer, just met my eyes and leaned forward, swiping his tongue across the tip. I groaned and grasped my cock in my fist, pushing it between his lips. He took me in, moaning as he did, the vibrations almost too much. Almost. I braced myself against the wall, shoving in and out of his warm mouth, loving the way his fangs scraped the sides of my dick, drawing blood. I fucked his mouth hard and fast, never taking my eyes off his face. At that very first burn at the base of my spine, I pulled out and sank to my knees, straddling his hips. He'd stopped holding himself up off the floor at some point because he pulled me to him and kissed me, shoving his tongue between my lips and against my own. I could taste myself on him, precome and blood mixing together—a taste I'd grown to both love and crave. As we kissed, I fumbled with the cap on the lube and squirted a glob of it on my fingers. I slid them into my own hole, then found his cock, slicking him up. I rose up and he impatiently guided the tip of his cock to my hole. He stretched me open as I sank down onto him, filling me so completely. I rolled my hips forward and the movement seemed to fry Lucien's brain. I grinned, rolling my hips back, then forward again. "How's it feel, lover? To fill me up and be filled by me?" He opened his mouth as if to speak, but grabbed my hips and forced me to rock back instead, then fastened his lips to mine. I rode him hard and fast, knowing that each time I moved, the dildo moved. My fingers found his nipples, twisting and pulling at the rings. A few seconds later, one of his fingers pushed into my hole alongside his cock. I gasped and rolled my hips hard. "Oh, God, Lucien… not fair!" "Harder, lover. Fucking ride me like you mean it. Show me how much you love having my cock shoved deep inside your ass." My entire body shuddered and I felt like I was on fire. I rode him harder and soon one of his fingers became two and I gasped, head falling back as I bucked hard. Almost there. Just… "Lucien…" "Beg me," he growled. "Please!" "Please…what?" "Oh, God…" I grabbed onto his shoulders, nails biting deep enough to draw blood. I smelled it, the coppery-sweet smell invading my senses. "One more… please, just one more!" Two fingers became three and he shoved hard, fucking me, fucking himself. Something between a growl and a scream escaped my throat. My gaze locked with Lucien's and I knew what I wanted, what he wanted.

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I bared my neck, knowing it wouldn't make a fucking difference if he fed from me now or not. He struck hard and I came so hard I saw stars. It felt as if my orgasm could turn me inside out and it just kept going and kept going. I rode him, rode the sensations, body just flying. He pulled off me, gasping, panting, movements finally slowing. Blood coated his lips and ran down his chin and I couldn't help but lean forward to lick it off before the water from the shower washed it away. As I did, his hands smoothed up and down my back. I kissed him, but broke away because I couldn't catch my breath. Forehead pressed to his, I let out a shaky sigh. "I don't think I can move." "I don't think I want to." I gritted my teeth and rocked my hips hard, causing him to gasp. "Bastard." "Can I plug you, Lucien?" He pushed me back, eyes contemplative. "Now see, I've been asking you that same question for a while now. You give me that? Then I'm game." I had a feeling he was going to say that. I'd let him fuck me with any of the toys we had, but a plug was just… too distracting. But, I guess there were some things you had to give on to get in return. If that was my prize, he could use any of the fucking plugs he wanted. "Okay," I whispered, then kissed him. "After… you know." He nodded, eyes bright, face just calm and happy. "After." The euphoria was wearing off and I had a sudden need to be clean and dry. The spray from the shower was warm, but it wasn't warm enough. I rose up slowly off Lucien, then removed the dildo from him before helping him up. He took it, rinsed it off, then poked me with it playfully. "Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'go fuck yourself', doesn't it?" "Ha-ha." He winked and handed me a cloth before grabbing one for himself. We made quick work of getting clean and Lucien was done before I was. He waited for me outside the shower with a towel and my robe, helping me dry before walking with me to the bedroom. I climbed up into bed and pulled the comforter up. Lucien didn't follow me right away. He wandered the bedroom, turned on the news, grabbed up a stack of files and papers and his phone, and then got into bed. He spread his things in front of him and looked down at me. "You okay?" I nodded, shivering just a little. "Cold, but I'll warm up soon enough."

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"Bother you if I work a little?" "No, baby. Not at all." I pointed to his phone. "You'd better call Silver. He'll be worried if you don't." I lay there for the longest time, enjoying Lucien's company, enjoying the cadence and rise of his voice as he spoke to people on the phone and gave orders. For a while, it took my mind off how cold I was. It made the shivering less noticeable. After a while, Lucien's warm hand touched my shoulder. "Peter, I think something's wrong. Should I call Doc?"

I shook my head. "C-can you call Sabaan?"

"Sabaan? What for?"

"Because his power is all heat. Earlier…When even the fire wouldn't warm me, he did. I know you

don't like him, but—"

"I have made peace with Sabaan, Peter. If he can help you, I'll call him."

And just like that, he did. No fighting, no arguing, no getting mad even at the notion of Sabaan

coming to our bed to help me out. It was different, but it was a good different. There was a knock at the door a short time later and Lucien laughed. "Door's open, Sabaan."

Sabaan materialized right in the middle of the bed, back in his own form, tumbler of dirt in his

hands. He handed the tumbler to Lucien. "Peter's deal."

Lucien took it and scented the dirt before setting the tumbler on the bedside table. "What was that

deal all about?"

"Want me naked?" Sabaan piped up.

I nodded. "Please."

Sabaan must have made a face that I missed because Lucien growled. "Behave, Sabaan. He's in no

condition to play."

Sabaan crawled under the blankets and spooned me from behind, arms tight around me, one leg

sliding between mine. "He will be when he wakes."

"Then I suggest you be gone by then."

"Touchy, touchy."

"Would y'all stop?" I snuggled further into Sabaan's arms. "God, Sabaan. You're so warm."

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Lucien reached out and trailed a hand down Sabaan's arm. Sabaan shivered and grabbed Lucien's hand, putting it between Sabaan's belly and my back. "It's almost where the most heat is." "Damn," Lucien whispered. He then moved his hand – voluntarily – lower, his groan that followed almost inaudible, but not quite. Sabaan shifted and leaned over me, pressing a kiss to Lucien's lips. Lucien didn't freak, didn't balk, just accepted it. If I hadn't already been lying down, you could have knocked me over with a fucking feather. When they parted, I held my breath, just waiting for the shit to hit the fan. But nothing happened. Sabaan lay back down behind me and Lucien pulled away, smiling down at me. "Get some rest, lover." I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm so proud of you two." They both laughed and I soon found my eyes growing heavy. I must have slept, off and on, because there were times when other people were in the room, talking quietly. I'd wake up again and all would be quiet except for the soft purring of Sabaan behind me and the sounds of the TV. Silver came in at some point, talking about hunters and hunter activity. His voice had sounded grim and I wanted to know what they'd found out, what was going on, but I'd been too sleepy to manage to even open my mouth. *** I awoke to furred bodies, claws, blood... And the scent of sex, thick in the air. Xander was beneath me, mostly shifted, and even though he was trying to push me off him, I had

him pinned. His scent washed through me as I buried my face into soft, black fur. I was hard.

So hard.

Rubbing and humping at his fur-sheathed cock.

He growled as I pressed hard against him, claws biting sharply into my shoulders.

I sank my teeth into muscle, through fur, hoping for a taste of blood. "Want you."

"No... Not like this. Let me shift."

"No," I growled. "Want it all."

Xander hissed through razor-sharp canines as I bit him. But instead of continuing to fight me, he

tugged me closer.

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"Nikolas."

I frowned up at him, confused. Nikolas wasn't here. Nikolas was—

I felt the bed dip behind me just before rough, wet heat slid up the crack of my ass, then followed

along my spine. I sank down against Xander as Nikolas' furred body covered mine.

"Oh, fuck, yes!"

"What are you doing?" Nikolas asked, his voice gruff and gravelly in wolf-form, but his words

clear to me.

"You have to ask?" I arched and rubbed between my two wolves, the heat and sensations exquisite.

"I wanna fuck."

"Really? Because you're acting more like you want to be fucked." Nikolas nipped the back of my

neck and I groaned, spreading my legs farther apart. "You have to be clear, Peter."

I reached behind me and grabbed a handful of fur, tugging. "Yes... Fuck me. Just like this."

"I can't do this," Xander groaned. "Won't do this."

He began to fade from my arms, just disappearing. Anger rose from somewhere deep as I writhed

on the bed where Xander had just lain. I wanted him. Wanted fur beneath me. Wanted his scent, his touch—his blood. I was suddenly afraid Nikolas would disappear, too. I rose up on my knees and grabbed at Nikolas' partially shifted arms, pulling them around me, placing those huge, half-paw half-hands on the insides of my thighs. I rubbed my ass against him, rolling my body. "Please, Nikolas..."

He pushed me forward and pinned me to the bed, one hand between my shoulder blades, claws

drawing blood. The scent of blood excited me, even if it was my own. Lucien's cool, soft fingertips

moved across my brow and down my cheek. I turned my head slightly, mouth open, tongue seeking

out those fingers in hope of a taste.

He grasped my chin a moment later, his grip hard and insistent. "Come on, lover. Open your eyes."

"Don't want to. Feel so... Oh, I want."

"I can't let this happen unless I know that you know what's happening."

"Need," I whispered. "Nikolas..."

Nikolas' weight became heavier at my back and he licked at the side of my neck. "You called my

wolf. You've bared yourself for him, offered your ass for him to fuck."

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"Inside me." I whimpered, aggravated at all the talking going on, wanting instead to be filled and fucked and bled. "Please..." There was more talking as I squirmed and writhed against the bed, rubbing my cock against the sheets in hopes of some sort of relief. And then Lucien's fingers pushed into my ass, cool and slick. I spread my legs wider, rocking back. He was saying something, whispering, but I couldn't seem to understand his words. As long as his fingers kept working, though, I couldn't seem to care. After only a few moments, Nikolas' weight shifted and he began to push slowly inside me. That slick, blunt head stretched me impossibly, my hole feeling as if it was on fire. Yet he still wasn't completely inside me. He kept pushing, kept sliding that huge cock into me, and when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, he paused. Lucien's fingers massaged around my hole, trying to ease the burn, trying to get me to relax. And the moment I did, Nikolas thrust his entire length into me. I screamed in pain, teeth gritted, hands forming claws in the sheets. The material shredded beneath me as I struggled and tried to get him off me. I growled and tossed a look back to tell him to just fucking stop, to get that huge fucking thing out my ass, but he shifted his hips and I melted instead, pure fucking ecstasy rushing through my body and my blood. Lucien appeared before me and grabbed me beneath the arms, gently helping me to my knees. Nikolas' fur brushed my naked back, my ass, and I groaned, leaning my head back onto his massive chest. But then Lucien was pressed against my front, humping at me, cock leaving a slick, wet trail over my belly. I raised my head and looked at him, but both his hands wrapped around my neck and his thumbs forced my head back just a little. He moved even closer, pressing his lips to mine. As I opened for him, warm, rich blood flowed from his mouth to mine. Nikolas' blood. I drank it down and felt the power explode inside me. I shook as I tried to contain it, to let it dissipate, but it only made it harder to control. That power soon burst and I roared in excitement, grabbing Lucien and pushing him onto his back. He spread his legs and arched for me, trying to angle himself to take me in. The moment the head of my cock touched Lucien's hole, Nikolas shoved hard and I entered Lucien in one powerful thrust. Lucien's eyes went wide, body taut and covered in sweat. His eyes had bled to black, irises beginning to glow faintly red. There was a wicked expression on his face, one I loved, but didn't see quite enough of. I bent and licked up his throat, over his chin, then when he opened his mouth, I licked at his fangs. He hissed and tightened around me, grinning. "Take us both, Nikolas." Nikolas growled and grabbed my hair, yanking my head back at a painful angle. "I want your blood. Your body. And your pain." I reached blindly behind me, for any part of him I could touch. But he pushed me forward, growling, thrusting, sending me deep into Lucien's ass. My gaze met Lucien's, and in that moment, I knew that he'd seen a part of me that I still couldn't quite grasp. There was no fear, no disgust. He craned his neck up to lick away a drop of blood at my shoulder.

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"Take control, Peter." Control. I had a moment of hesitation, as if I'd just woken up and realized I was in way deeper than I could ever possibly handle, but something hidden within me flared to life. It was warm and familiar... and dark. So very dark. Instead of fearing it, I embraced it. Opened myself up and gave it its freedom. Nikolas and Lucien both gasped, and Nikolas increased his pace, suddenly moving harder and faster. His claws bit into me, sliced through my flesh every time he touched and grabbed at me. As my blood ran, Lucien licked it away. I floated on the sensations of being so impossibly full, of filling Lucien, of fur and blood and pain. Panting, I grasped at Lucien with clawed hands and set my teeth in the side of his neck. My gums itched and ached and I needed to bite down on something... someone. Lucien bared his neck, grunting and gasping. "Hard, lover." I hated not having fangs. Fire shot through my groin and exploded throughout my body. Seconds later, I bit down into Lucien's flesh. At the first taste of his blood, I came. That darkness touched each and every part of me. Nikolas' heat began to fill me, his growls and grunts loud. But I wanted more. More of him, more of his heat. He soon stopped his thrusts, but I could feel his power rushing through me. "Yes..." I growled and threw my head back, wishing that Xander hadn't disappeared on me earlier. Having both of them inside me would have been... I suddenly saw Xander. He was in a hallway somewhere in the mansion, leaned up against the wall, a look of shock and elation on his face. In that moment, I knew I had him, too. The abyss saw him, recognized him, and gave me a way in. I drank and drank, riding the euphoria until Nikolas yelped and left me empty. That yelp of pain thrust me back into reality and I froze, shaking. Lucien reached up and pulled me down onto his chest. "Easy, baby." I shook my head and pushed off him, looking back at Nikolas. He was still in wolf form, but was dazed and trembling. Shit. I'd never meant to hurt him. I edged toward him, hand out. "Nikolas?" "Not hurt." He moved a little further up the bed toward me and Lucien, but sank down after moving a few inches, sighing. "Just... drained." Lucien propped himself up on his elbow and ran his other hand gently through Nikolas' fur. "Can you shift?" Nikolas shook his head and closed his eyes. Within a few seconds, he was asleep. I looked at Lucien and shook my head. "What have I done?"

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Lucien kissed me on the forehead, sighing. "There are some things that we cannot learn by instruction alone. Unfortunately, this is one of them." I frowned and looked up at him. "What do you mean?" "I could have told you about the consequences of feeding, but without having experienced it firsthand, my words would have no real meaning—no weight." "What the fuck, Lucien?" I rolled off the bed and stood, glaring at him. "What was this? Some sort of lesson? Is that why you let it go on? Why you let it happen?" Lucien remained calm. "It was what you wanted." "Right." I sat on the edge of the bed, only to wince and jump back up from the pain in my ass. Not just soreness... pain. "What I wanted. I don't even remember how it started. Just remember wanting, needing." "I wake every single evening, wanting. Needing so much to feed until I cannot take anymore. To fuck until I cannot move and I've drained the very last bit of energy from whoever decided to be my next meal. It's instinct, Peter. To feed until we are no longer hungry. But if we do this, those we care about are the first to suffer the consequences. It doesn't matter whether we love someone or not. The hunger does not pick and choose its source of food based on love or emotion." I glanced at the beautiful, black wolf in the middle of the bed and the harsh reality of what happened—what could have happened—hit hard. He'd trusted in me and I'd somehow called him to me to fuck and feed. All I'd cared about was more. About getting as much from him as I could. And I was still human. The thought of holding someone's life so delicately in my hands scared the piss out of me. I couldn't fathom feeding as a vampire. "I don't think I can do this." "You don't have a choice." Didn't irony suck? All this time, I'd begged to be turned, begged to be brought over to sate my cravings. Now that I was getting it—I was getting cold feet. "Teach me how to control it, Lucien." I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight. "I don't want this to happen again." "Neither do I." He pushed me back and stood. "Let's get you to the bath, get you relaxed and ready for later. Okay?" I nodded, letting him lead me into the bathroom. He started filling the tub with water, adding in some of his most expensive oils. Guilt weighed heavily, as it finally began to sink in just what I'd done. A tremendous ache filled me, making my chest feel tight. The one thing I'd promised Lucien; the one thing I'd promised I'd never do… Yet, I'd lain there beside him, in our own bed, and begged someone else to fuck me. 168

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How he could even stand to look at me was a mystery. When Lucien and I met, I'd been adamant that the last thing I wanted was a one-night stand. But looking back now, that's exactly what I'd been having—only with the same people over and over again. What had started out as something Lucien and I could share, had become something I did whenever I felt like it. Sure, I could blame it on the coven, on the people who insisted it was just 'part of coven life', or I could turn the blame back where it belonged.

To myself.

Lucien turned to reach for something and our eyes met. The guilt was too much and I had to look

away. He was there in an instant, hands framing my face and forcing my gaze back to his.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

"I'm so sorry, Lucien."

"Non… non." I hated the sympathy in his voice. "Come, lover. You're shivering."

"Would you just stop?" I pushed him away. "Fuck! Why are you doing this?"

"I wasn't aware that running you a bath was grounds for a fight."

"You know that's not it," I snapped. "Jesus, Lucien! I just got royally fucked by someone else—in

our fucking bed! Don't you have anything to say about that?"

"Should I?"

I threw my hands in the air, turning away. "That's nice. Answer my question with more questions. I

guess some things never change."

"What would you like me to do, Peter? Rant and rave and throw a fit about it all?"

"Yes," I answered softly.

"Why? What would it change?"

Yeah. What would it change? I sighed, shaking my head. "I just… It hurts. And I feel like a total

asshole for everything I've done."

"I think we need to talk." His arms came around me, holding me close as he walked us to the tub.

"But first, I need you to get in the tub."

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Chapter Fifteen I sat at one end of the tub and Lucien reluctantly sat at the other. The heat of the water went a long

way toward relaxing me, but there was too much on my mind—too much hurt and guilt…

"Stop, Peter," Lucien said, drawing me out of my thoughts. "There is no need for you to feel guilty.

If anyone should, it's me."

"Why? You didn't beg him to fuck you."

"No, but I could have intervened; I could have stopped any of it before it went too far." He sank

down farther into the water and stretched one leg out so that he could rub his foot against my outer

thigh. "Pour celui, je suis désolé."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"You don't think so?"

"Let me ask you something: how many people have you fucked without me?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but seemed to change his mind before he spoke the words. "Why

does it matter?"

"Just answer the question. How many?"

"None, but—"

"I've fucked three, not including the countless others I've done with you. Do you remember when

we first met?"

"I could never forget it."

"Do you remember what I said? How I was tired of one-night stands? How I didn't want that

anymore?"

"I hardly call what happens here one-night stands. If you think about the people you've been with, I

think you'll realize there is a common thread." At my raised eyebrow, he continued. "None of those

three are strangers. They are all people you care deeply for."

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"That's no excuse."

"This is a different world; you know this, Peter." Lucien sighed. "What you are, what you're

becoming… Sex is your way of connecting. It's your way of feeling closer to the people you love.

You shouldn't make it out to be some dirty, disgusting thing."

"You're an incubus, Lucien. Sex is like breathing for you. So how come I'm the one screwing

everything that moves?"

The corner of Lucien's mouth turned up in a sad smile. "Because you cannot feed as I do."

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

"While I can feed and sate much of my desire for sex with energy and blood, all you can do is sate

it physically. Sex is your way of both connecting and feeding. I would say most of this is my fault."

"Why?"

"I gave you the cravings and the desires, but no way to sate them. If I had not been so selfish…"

There was no need for him to even finish the sentence. It was something he and I both knew, but I

saw no point in driving the wedge in any deeper. He'd done what he thought was right; he'd had

fears that had kept him from turning me. But it was all over now; tonight, I would be turned.

Or, I would die while he tried.

I sank down further into the water, sighing. "I don't want to do this anymore."

"Bathe?"

I grabbed a cloth and dragged it through the water before throwing it at his head. It hit the floor

behind him with a wet plop and I rolled my eyes. "Smart ass."

He nudged me with his foot. "Come sit with me while you tell me what you don't want."

I moved across the tub, but instead of sitting before him and leaning back, I curled up against his

chest. Lucien wrapped his arms around me, chin resting on the top of my head. One of the things I

missed most in the past year was this: sitting in a hot bath, touching, talking—communicating.

Hell, maybe if we'd stuck to it, so many things wouldn't have gone wrong between us.

I was determined not to let that happen again.

"I don't want anyone else; don't need anyone else." I nervously ran my fingers back and forth across

his wet skin. "Could it just be us? Do you think it would work?"

He stilled my hand, bringing my fingers to his lips. "I don't think that's something we should decide

on right now."

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"That's what I want, Lucien. If you need – want – someone else, then—"

"No. If that's what you want—what you truly want—then yes, that's something we can strive for."

"I hear a 'but'."

"Tell me something, Peter. If I were to call Nikolas in here – hard, naked, and ready to fuck – can

you honestly tell me you would have no inclination to fuck him? To suck him off, to let him suck you off? What about Sabaan? Could you say the same for him? Xander? Provided your relationship with him was healed?" "That's not a fair question," I whispered. "I'm afraid it is, Peter. These are the people in our circle. They are tied to us in ways that no one

else is. The desire for them will always be there, no matter how hard we might try to fight it."

"Just because it's there doesn't mean we have to give into it."

"No, it doesn't. But do you really want to spend the next few hundred years fighting it? It seems a

miserable existence to me, if you want my honest opinion."

He scored on that point.

"And then there will be occasions – and don't say it won't happen, because I know the occasions

well – that you will need the full effect of a good, hard feed and fuck."

"That's different."

"Is it? See, I would think you would have far more problems with that than you would being in bed

with someone you truly cared for."

"I never intended to have a circle of people that it was okay for me to sleep with. I came into this

relationship wanting you—and only you."

"You have me. In every single way that counts."

"Then tell me why every time I touch someone else it feels like I'm betraying you."

"You do not have it in your heart or your head to betray me, Peter."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He hugged me tight. "You are loyal to a fault."

I had nothing left to argue. "The water's cooling off."

He grunted in agreement before pushing me off him. He turned on the water and pulled the plug,

letting some of the cool water drain as the hot water began to replace it. When he was satisfied that

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the water was getting hot enough again, he replaced the plug and got out, heading for the cabinet against the far wall. I looked up at him, confused, but when he turned away from the cabinet he held a small vial in his hands. "What's that?" "A special oil I ordered a while back." He held it carefully between his fingers, showing it to me.

"It'll help you relax."

I frowned. "Won't it be weird, mixing it with the other oils?"

"No," he answered, chuckling. "They complement each other quite well."

There was a knock at our bedroom door, drawing both our attention. Lucien growled, grabbing a

towel as he walked out of the bathroom. He was only gone a couple of minutes; when he returned,

Doc was with him.

Doc smiled down at me. "Hello, Peter. How are you feeling?"

"Anxious."

He nodded. "I'm sure."

Lucien sat on the edge of the tub. "Doc needs to get his things ready. Would you like to do this

here, in our bed? Or would you rather do it in the treatment room?"

"I'd rather stay here." I bit at my lip, shrugging. "But, if you think we should do it down there…"

"I think it would be best," Doc said. "You can always be brought back up here afterward."

"You think something's going to go wrong, don't you?"

Doc sighed. "I only want to be prepared."

Lucien looked up at Doc. "Can you be ready in an hour?"

"Oh, I'm ready now," Doc answered. "I spent the afternoon in the treatment room making sure I had

everything I might possibly need."

"I want this to be private, Markus."

I'd never heard Lucien address Doc by his real name.

Doc reached out and squeezed Lucien's shoulder. "You have my word, Lucien. I'm only there if

you need me."

Lucien nodded. "We'll be down as soon as we finish here."

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As Doc left the bathroom, Lucien stood and opened the vial. "Just sit back and relax, lover. Let me take care of you." I leaned back, watching as he poured the contents of the vial into the water. Almost instantly, the scent of vanilla and cloves filled the air, along with several scents I didn't recognize. Apart, the scents were ordinary, but together, they were rich and relaxing. Lucien grabbed a sponge and began the process of bathing me. I was sure he noticed the way I couldn't stop shivering, but he made no comments about it. He just hummed and whispered, his voice and his touch calming me as much as possible. He slid one hand between my legs, fingers searching out my hole. I was too relaxed to object, just moaning and spreading my legs a little further as he slid a finger inside me. And then, the finger was gone, almost as quickly as it'd invaded me. Lucien's small murmur of 'good' made me smile, breaking through the nervousness just a little. How odd was it for a current lover to check for damage you might have acquired in a one-time fuck with a fully shifted werewolf? Only in this fucking world could people be so damned understanding about things. A short time later, Lucien rose and stepped out of the tub. He took my hand and gave a small tug. "Let's get you out and dry." I let him help me out, and when he insisted on drying me, I stood still and let him. I wondered if this was some sort of ritual for him, something he did for everyone he brought over. "Only for you." He knelt, drying my legs, and I placed my hands on his shoulders, closing my eyes. As much as I wanted this, I was terrified that something was going to go wrong; terrified that this would be our last anything together. Lucien's head rested against my thigh and he sighed, placing a kiss against my skin. I knew he was in my head, knew what I was thinking and feeling, but that he had no words to fill the silence spoke volumes. He was as terrified as I was—maybe even more. Finally, Lucien stood, wrapping my robe around my shoulders. "It's time, Peter." *** The treatment room looked nothing like what I was used to. Someone had gone to the trouble of setting up a bed on the far side of the room, then cordoning off an area around it with wispy, gauzy materials – from floor to ceiling – giving the room an almost ethereal feeling. The whole look seemed familiar, and I had a sudden flashback to Sabaan's place; the way the material was used was almost exact.

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It seemed our teleporting demon had gone out of his way to be nice and useful. I gave Lucien a questioning look, but he just shrugged, trying to hide his amusement. The fact that he was being nice to Sabaan was one thing, but allowing him in the mansion in this way was entirely different. He was trying so hard to make up for lost time. I caressed Lucien's cheek in lieu of saying anything, knowing that words would only ruin the moment. He caught my hand and kissed my palm before helping me out of my robe. I pulled the comforter back and climbed onto the bed. Lucien followed after me, but grabbed the comforter and pulled it up around us. I shivered, wrapping my arms around Lucien and resting my head on his chest. "I don't care how weak it makes me sound. I'm scared, Lucien."

"I am, too."

It was the first time he'd ever echoed the sentiment. Most of the time, his only words in response to

my fears had been that things would be fine, everything would work out. A nervous laugh escaped

me.

"So."

"Hmm?"

"This is weird. Awkward."

"I'm sorry." He rolled to his side and slid down so that we were face to face. "I just thought we'd lie

here for a bit, take things slow."

I caught a length of his hair between my fingers. "Tell me about others you've brought over?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"I guess I just… I want to know what to expect."

"Have you forgotten the part where none of us know what to expect?"

I flicked at his nipple, laughing when he growled and caught my hand. "I hate it when you're a

smart ass."

"No, you don't." He rolled onto his back and pulled me on top of him. "In fact, I think it's one of the things you love most about me." "I'm not so sure about that." I grinned and stole a kiss. "There are so many other, better, things about you that I love."

"Are you saying I suck at being a smart ass?"

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I kissed my way down his jaw, pressing my lips to his ear. "It's not your best feature." Lucien pushed up and I groaned as our cocks rubbed together. Slowly, I began humping against him, just enjoying the sensations of heat and skin. After a bit, Lucien rolled me to my back again, kicked my legs apart, then slid a hand between us. Fingers pressed against me, but not inside me. I put my fingers over his, pushing down on them. To me, there was something just as intimate about having someone's fingers inside you as there was having a cock or tongue inside you. That's what I wanted now, his touch, his fingers. "Please, Lucien." He smiled knowingly and pressed his fingers into me – one, then two – stretching me, teasing me, making me gasp. I ground down, biting at my lip as his fingers grazed a sensitive spot. Heels into the bed, legs bent and spread wide, I moved with him. Grinding down, bucking up, just riding his fingers. "Come on," Lucien whispered, fingers working that spot a little harder. "For me. Come just for me."' I had no warning. One minute I was grinding and riding his fingers and the next I was coming, a wordless cry escaping my lips. Lucien rose onto his knees, free hand wiping the come from me and spreading it over his own cock. His fingers slicked up and down the shaft and I had a moment of wanting to lick him clean. "Not this time," he answered, as if reading my mind. "Next." I nodded, body still writhing on the bed beneath him. "Lucien, I feel…" "Just ride it, don't fight it." Lucien pushed inside me, then sank down over me, his weight a pleasant addition. His movements were slow, unhurried, and it was just as good to me as if he was pounding me into the mattress. My skin prickled with heat and power, making me shudder. I couldn't stop moving, writhing. It was as if I was on some sort of drug, just floating, riding the waves on an anchored boat. Lucien nuzzled my neck, licking, sucking. I turned my head, baring my neck even more. One of his hands caressed my cheek, thumb pushing between my lips. I rode the euphoria, the sensations building higher and higher until I felt I would explode. Pain at my neck froze me for a moment and I set my teeth around Lucien's thumb, crying out. As Lucien began to drink, that pain became a pleasure like I'd never felt before. As many times as he'd fed, teased—never had it been like this. It was so good… So fucking good. Lucien filling me… filling himself with me. 176

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The give and the take…It was… Lucien began to thrust harder as he fed, each thrust and pull like a seesaw going up and down. My balls drew up tight and I was right there, just… Lucien thrust again and I gasped, eyes going wide as no air rushed in. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed at him, punched at him, tried to fight him off, the burning pain in my lungs too much. He grabbed my wrists and pinned my arms over my head. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I jerked, still fighting him. "I've got you, Peter. Just let go…" There was a commotion in the distance. Xander's voice, Xander screaming… But I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. The pleasure of before becoming nothing but pain. I couldn't seem to keep my eyes open, no matter how hard I tried. The last thing I saw through a haze of pain and tears was Lucien's beautiful face, pale blue eyes worried, my blood staining his lips. *** Sick. So fucking sick.

I fed at a cut in Lucien's neck, Lucien urging me to drink more, me trying not to choke. I felt so full

of him, so full of his blood. I kept pushing him away, but the more I did, the more he forced into

me. Finally, he lay down behind me and wrapped his arms around me, warm body cradling me.

Everything hurt. My neck where he fed earlier throbbed painfully and my stomach felt as if red-hot

fireplace pokers were being thrust into me repeatedly. I hadn't hurt this much—ever. Not in all the

episodes that had threatened to turn me inside out. This was worse.

So much worse.

A wave of pain went through me and I gritted my teeth, trying like hell not to scream.

"W-what's happening? 'S supposed to be okay now."

"Your body is dying, Peter. But you will come out of this. You will. I'll be right here when you

come out on the other side."

I clutched him tight, trying not to scream as wave after wave began to hit. "Don't leave me."

"Never leave you, Peter."

"It hurts. It hurts s-so much."

"I know, baby… I know…"

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My gut felt as if something was trying to claw its way out of me. I squirmed and writhed, trying to rock to soothe it some, but it just made it worse. Made the pain stronger and stronger. I felt like I was going to puke up every drop of blood Lucien had forced down me, but pain exploded behind my eyes this time. And I screamed. *** I could smell food. People. Blood.

Dozens of people were talking, near and far.

Heartbeats, breaths of air.

Gasps of pleasure. Gasps of pain.

I tried to open my eyes, but they felt gritty. Dry.

Wherever I was, I wasn't alone. But I didn't need eyes to see who it was. I could feel Lucien right

there beside me like nothing else. Lucien touched my face and for a second it felt so good. Until I

realized that it felt all wrong.

"What happened? Where am…"

It wasn't my voice. It was a rough, gravelly growl, instead. Startled, I managed to open my eyes.

And everything was still all wrong. Where there should have been colors, there were none. Lucien

looked at me sympathetically and his eyes weren't even blue anymore.

I reached for him, but my hand, my entire arm was covered in fur.

Fur!

Oh. Shit.

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Chapter Sixteen I awoke with a gasp, eyes going wide. Color burst behind my eyes, everything so detailed it was

like a weird fucking acid trip. The painting above the bed was so alive with color it was as if it

were moving. But that couldn't be. Paintings didn't move.

It was loud around me. I could hear cars, but couldn't figure out why. People were talking.

Whispering. Swallowing. Fucking. The tick-tock of clocks, the thump-thump of heartbeats. It was

so much to take in. Too much. I tried to shut it out and oddly enough it began to fade.

I sat up in bed, looked down at my naked chest, my arms, felt my face. No fur, just a little hair. My

hands were normal hands, not some half-shifted paws of a wolf.

Goddamn. That was some fucking dream.

There was a gnawing pain in my stomach and I turned my head and looked to the side. Lucien was

propped on his pillow, relaxing, one arm tucked behind his head—watching me. My body just

tingled at the sight of him and I leaned over with a smile, kissing him.

Something sharp poked the insides of my lips and I pulled back, surprised. Fangs. I laughed,

running my tongue over them, feeling them with the tips of my fingers. They felt a little awkward

at first, but oh-so-fucking-awesome.

"Such pretty fangs you have," Lucien teased.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming."

Lucien laughed, smoothing my hair back. "No, not a dream, lover."

"Because you wouldn't believe the dream I had. It was so…" I broke off as Lucien's smile

disappeared and he looked more…sympathetic than anything. "Oh, God, it wasn't a dream, was it?"

"You mean the part where you turned into a wolf? No."

I flopped back on the bed, groaning. "I hoped Doc was wrong about all of that."

"If it's any consolation, you are beautiful."

I looked over at him. "A wolf, huh? As in the 'big-bad'?"

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"Huge."

I raised an eyebrow. "How huge?"

"Until now? Xander and Nikolas were the largest werewolves we had. Nikolas looks like a pup

compared to you."

The pain in my stomach gradually got worse and became more of a burn. "I don't feel so good,

Lucien."

"But you'll be fine; I promise." He kissed my forehead and got off the bed. "You only need to

feed."

I lay there for a couple seconds, but finally threw the comforter off and moved to the edge of the

bed. I pulled the curtain back and stood, wobbling a little. My body felt almost alien to me, and it

took me a few moments to steady myself. One foot in front of the other, I half-shuffled, half-

walked to the closet. Lucien handed me a pair of soft, black leather pants. I looked at the pants,

looked at him.

"Please don't tell me we're going out."

"We are—but not until you've fed." He grinned. "I advise against the shirt until you get the hang of

not making a mess."

I smacked his arm and he lost his footing, going headfirst into the rack of clothes. I grabbed at him,

trying to catch him. "Oh, God, I—"

"Obviously, some things need to be discussed sooner than others." He steadied himself, shaking his

head, laughing. "Your strength is also… huge."

"I'm starting to feel like the elephant in the room."

"No, no one pays any attention to it. You're more like the bull in the china closet."

I sat on the arm of a chair and started pulling my pants on. The material was rough and scratchy

against my skin, not at all how I remembered these pants. I handed them back to Lucien.

"Can you hand me a different pair?"

"Why?"

"I don't like these."

"You'll get used to it."

I huffed and stood, going into the closet. Every single piece of clothing I touched was the same,

some fabrics worse than others. The silk pajama bottoms I once loved were like sandpaper.

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"What the hell?" I grabbed the first pair of pants Lucien had originally handed me and started putting them on again. "This fucking sucks." There was a knock at the door and Lucien patted me on the shoulder. "I think this will make you feel better." I finished putting the pants on and walked out of the closet, only to see Rhys standing in the middle of the room. He was one of the few donors that only fed Lucien. Rhys didn't hang out much at the club, but when he did, everyone remembered it. I couldn't count the number of people who'd requested to feed from him over the past year. He smiled up at me, dark brown hair hiding one of his blue-green eyes. I could hear his heart beating strong and steady. His breath as it passed through his lips. Could smell his arousal, musky and male. I moved toward him and the rest of the room seemed to just fall away. "Hello, Rhys." I stepped behind him, fingers brushing along the smooth expanse of his neck. "Haven't seen you in a long time." "Been… " He shuddered, groaning as I licked just beneath his ear. "Away." "I'm so glad you came home." His heart sped up. "Wouldn't have missed this for anything." "Is that right?" I pushed his shirt up and off, one hand going to his belly, the other moving to his chest, finding a nipple and rolling it between my thumb and forefinger. "I'm honored, Rhys." Lucien's hands grabbed at my hips, teeth nipping at my neck. "Listen to his heartbeat; he's ready." I tried to concentrate on Rhys' heartbeat, but the way he was rubbing and squirming against me made that difficult. Lucien reached around us both, pressing a thumbnail against Rhys' neck. The moment I smelled blood, I growled, pushing his hand away. I licked the blood away, set my teeth against Rhys' neck, but couldn't bite down. I started to pull away, but Lucien pushed my face into Rhys' neck. "First time's the hardest." I found the spot again and bit down. Rhys gasped, back bowing, and I almost let him go. But his blood, rich and sweet, coating my tongue was too fucking good. The burning, gnawing pain in my stomach disappeared almost immediately. Rhys' knees buckled and I followed him down to the floor. "Oh, Fuck. Oh, God…please… can I?" I didn't know what he wanted, what he needed, and I wasn't sure I cared. I growled, holding him tighter as I continued to feed. 181

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"You may, Rhys," Lucien answered gently.

Rhys shifted a little, but instead of moving away, he leaned back against me. Short, quick bursts of

movement followed, his moans and cries growing louder, harsher. The more he moved, the louder

he cried, the sweeter his blood became. I drank and drank, feeling his blood seep into every fucking

part of my body.

"Heartbeat, Peter," Lucien reminded with a whisper.

Rhys' heart was beating fast, but there were skips and stutters. Suddenly, Rhys bucked against me,

heart racing, blood just pouring down my throat. When he relaxed against me, Lucien's fingers

rubbed insistently against the side of my mouth.

"Stop!" Lucien gave me a nudge as well.

I pulled off, careful not to tear him open as my fangs left him. Poor thing, I'd bitten him twice. Four

small holes and a purplish bruise marred his otherwise perfect skin. I licked at his neck, cleaning

the blood from around the wound.

Rhys reached up, shakily cupping the back of my neck. "Fuck. That was…"

"I'm sorry I got you twice."

He shook his head. "I didn't notice."

"Thank you, Rhys."

"Trust me; it was my pleasure." He pulled away from me and lay down on the floor. "I'm just

gonna lie here a minute."

Lucien slid his hands down the front of my pants. "I'm so proud of you, lover."

My dick went from half-hard to hard in a matter of seconds. I caught his hands and pressed them

tighter, rocking my hips back and forth against his palms. He growled, fangs scraping my shoulder.

I reached behind me, unbuttoning his pants and working them down. He did the same, shoving

mine down to my knees. I tried to spread my legs open, but the pants restricted my movement. I

forced them apart, the leather material tearing right in half.

"Oh, that's going to cost you."

Lucien grabbed my hips and jerked me back. I flailed, managing to brace myself before my face hit

the floor. I barely had time to blink before he pushed inside me. The pain was instant and mind-

blowing, and I snarled, attempting to roll and buck him off.

The moment I moved, the pain was replaced by sheer ecstasy. "Oh, fuck!"

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He fucked me hard and fast, grunting and growling with each thrust. "Do you know how much I loved watching you feed? Do you feel what it did to me?" "Like that, huh?" "Beautiful. Fucking. Goddamned. Beautiful." My damned cock slapped painfully against my belly and I reached down to jerk myself off. Lucien growled and pulled one of my legs out from under me. I twisted and landed on my back and he moved between my legs, holding one of them up above his shoulder as he shoved into me again. I rose up, pulling him down for a kiss. We met in the middle and he shoved his tongue into my mouth, kissing me as hard as he fucked me. He licked at my fangs and my body went taut. I pushed him back, growling. "No fucking teasing." I lay back and this time my head hit a soft, warm belly instead of the hard floor. Lucien changed his angle and I felt as if he'd lit me on fire. I jerked at my dick, wanting so much just to come. I was almost there when Lucien leaned over me. Instead of kissing me, he moved a little farther up. Rhys bucked and cried out and I turned my head to see what Lucien was up to. Lucien's face was even with mine when I did turn, his lips stained with blood. I leaned up to lick it away and Lucien kissed me, pushing his tongue between my lips. Blood rushed from his mouth to mine. He reached between us and pushed my hand away before wrapping his fingers tightly around me. Hard and brutal strokes followed, but there was an edge of pleasure to the pain. I tried to pull him in closer and the slight shift in position made me gasp. "Oh, fuck… right fucking there…" "Let me feel you." "Lucien, I'm…" I bucked against him, body bowing as heat sprayed over my belly. The orgasm was intense, shattering, and it just kept going. I recognized something familiar in the sensations and latched onto it, albeit cautiously. Rhys gasped and panted, fingers tight in my hair, and I fed from his pleasure without another taste of his blood. Lucien roared as he came, collapsing onto me. I felt him in my head, helping to sever the energy feed connection with Rhys. I'd managed to get it going; stopping it seemed to be tricky. Rhys' belly rose and fell harshly as he tried to catch his breath. I reached up awkwardly and patted his chest. "You okay?" "Uh-huh," he answered, voice cracking. "I think I came in your hair." 183

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"You know, Rhys? I think that's a first."

Lucien laughed and looked up at Rhys. "Would you like to shower with us?"

"I don't think I can stand up right now, so I think I'll pass."

"Okay, then." Lucien kissed me before getting to his feet and offering a hand out to help me up.

"Come on, lover. We've a long night ahead of us." *** After a quick shower, Lucien and I stood once more in the closet, him handing me things to wear, me tossing them back to look for something else. I finally settled on the third pair of brown leather pants. He handed me a soft, silky black shirt. "This one feels nice."

I took it, grinning. "Of course it does. It's yours."

"Don't say I never share."

I slipped it on and smoothed it down. The door to the bedroom opened and I stepped out of the

closet after Lucien, smiling when I saw Simon. He carried over a tray with a domed lid over a plate

and set it down on Lucien's desk before coming to me and hugging me tight.

"Oh, Peter. You look wonderful! How do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful."

"I'm so glad this is over for you. No more pain, no more episodes."

I scented the air. "Salmon and a burger?"

Simon grinned. "I wasn't sure who would be your first feed."

Unable to resist, I went over to the desk and picked up the lid from the plate. The grilled salmon

and veggies used to make my mouth water. But now, I felt nothing. Well, except for a small bit of

desire for the salmon. I guessed that old habits died hard.

Rhys walked out of the bathroom then, fresh from the shower he'd found the energy for, towel

around his hips. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Simon and the moment Rhys looked up from

drying his hair, he froze. He and Simon stared at each other for the longest time, neither of them

moving.

And I wasn't sure if either of them breathed.

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Lucien turned from his spot near the bed and raised a brow. "Simon, I think you may have met

Rhys before. Rhys?"

"We've met," Rhys said softly. "Hello, Simon."

The chemistry between them was so strong, so palpable. Both of their hearts were beating hard and

fast in their chests. A bead of sweat and water rolled down the middle of Rhys' chest and Simon

made an odd sound, stepping back.

"Simon? Can you arrange for Rhys to have the closest guest room, please?"

Simon nodded to Lucien. "Of course."

He left, moving from the middle of the room out the door faster than I'd ever seen him go before.

Rhys stared after the closed door, a stricken look on his face.

"How long will you be in town, Rhys?" Lucien asked.

Rhys shrugged, a slow, graceful rise and fall of his shoulders. "It's pretty open-ended."

"Well," Lucien said with a smile. "You are more than welcome to stay at the mansion and make

yourself at home."

Rhys seemed to be considering a lot more than just how long to stay in town.

"Take your time and just relax," Lucien added, "Your room might take a little while to get ready.

Don't leave this room, though, or you'll be locked out until Peter or I can scan you back in."

"Thanks, Lucien. If you don't mind, I think I'll crash on the couch here for a while."

"I don't mind at all. Just be sure you eat first. You are welcome to sleep in the bed."

Rhys just smiled, but I noticed it was a sad smile instead of a happy one. Before I could say

anything, Lucien grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the door. "We have a lot to take care of

tonight."

As the door closed, we started walking. "How long was I out for?"

"Not long. I took you on Tuesday, it's now Thursday."

"No complications?"

He looked at me as if having a wolf-form wasn't enough. "For most of last evening, you were in

and out of wolf form. It seemed your body couldn't decide whether it wanted to hold wolf or human

form."

"Being stuck in wolf form would have sucked."

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Lucien nodded. "I'm superficial enough to agree." "I think I might be offended." I rolled my eyes, smirking. "So. What's been happening while I was out?" "There'll be more than enough time to catch up after we've played a bit—and you've learned a thing or two." *** We pulled up at Rave and I grinned at Lucien. "Oh. My. God. Are you taking me hunting?"

"I am, lover."

Excited and eager, I opened the car door and got out. I was at the door, pushing my way through in

a matter of seconds, and Lucien was there to grab me back. He spoke quietly at my ear. "Now,

now, don't go barreling through here like the big, bad monster."

I realized that I might have been a little too eager, considering I'd never even seen the bouncers as I

passed them. I slowed, turning to face Lucien as we made it inside the club. The music was

pumping, loud as ever, the bass like a heart beating in my chest.

The place was alive with energy, desire thick in the air.

"Where shall we start?"

"The dance floor, of course."

He grabbed my hand and led me onto the floor. The only thing louder than the beat of the music

was the heart beats of the people surrounding us. They were loud and strong, enticing. The scent of

sex was everywhere, and it was strong, even over the smell of alcohol-laced sweat.

Immediately, I spotted a couple near the center of the crowd. They were dancing and grinding

together, hands roaming as they kissed. Cute young men, but somewhat plain. What drew me was

the want and need surrounding them.

I moved to them, circling them, stopping behind one of them. Lucien stopped behind the other and

whispered in his ear. I nuzzled against the man before pressing my lips to his ear.

"Mind if we join you?"

"I—" The man's heart thudded heavily in his chest and he glanced up at his partner—who had his

head back against Lucien's shoulder, letting Lucien suck at his neck. "S-sure."

My hands smoothed down his hips, around his belly, tugging him close. "You don't know how

happy that makes me."

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The man groaned and ground against me and Lucien's wise words went through my head. I remembered him warning me about how I'd want to fuck and feed at times, instead of just getting blood. Suddenly, I was glad we'd never come to any decision on how monogamous we'd be… Or not be. But I didn't want to fuck. Not tonight. I wanted a taste of desire-rich blood, to feed and not be remembered. Lucien crowded the man's partner, forcing him to walk, so that we could move to a darker corner of the dance floor. I sucked up a mark at the man's neck and he bared his throat. It seemed so natural to just strike then, but I was used to being at The Den and at Iniquity, where people expected to be dinner—or at least a snack. "Lucien?"

"You're doing fine, lover. Just take a sip."

"Don't I need to… I don't know… do something to him first?"

"Your power comes naturally, Peter. You don't have to do anything. Just strike."

I nuzzled the man's neck, the scent of his desire still strong. I set my fangs against his neck and bit down. The first spurt of blood was fucking ecstasy, as were the second and the third. I held him close, taking long, slow pulls. Something. There was something I was supposed to…

Heartbeat.

As his sped up and skipped, I pulled off, licking at the wound. The man was still swaying and

rocking against me, completely oblivious to what had just happened. I gave him a nudge.

"Thank you for the dance," I said at his ear. "Enjoy your night with your lover."

Lucien and I slipped away without another word. We walked to a more deserted area near the wall

and I leaned against it, frowning.

"Okay. I've got questions."

"I figured you might," he said with a smile.

It was amazing how we could talk normally and still hear each other without having to yell over the

music.

"How do you do the clouding of their minds? How do you make them forget the encounters?"

"It is a thing that comes naturally, so I'm not sure how to explain it. You don't really have to do

anything."

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"So…what? I just have to think that I don't want them to remember and my power will take care of the rest?" "For the most part." Lucien shrugged. "Now, there are times when someone might be resistant. Eye contact with them with a force of will against them is very persuasive." "I see." "The best advice I have for you is to not think about it. Just do it. Just feel it. If it feels wrong, you'll know it. When it feels wrong, you move on." He stepped forward and kissed my brow. "Want to try it again? How about picking someone out of the crowd and calling them over here?" I nodded and looked around his shoulder, searching the club for someone to call over. I found him within seconds. A young blond who was on his way to the back room. Lucien stepped away and leaned against the wall beside me and I moved away just a little. I focused on the blond, and just him, wanting him to come to me instead of continuing his trek to the back room. I could be what he needed. What he wanted. The blond looked up and his eyes met mine, bottom lip caught between his teeth. In that moment, I knew I had him. He came to me without hesitation, stepping up so close I almost grinned in victory. "Don't bother with talking to him." I framed the man's face and pulled him in, then nuzzled at his neck. His head fell back and I set my fangs, piercing his flesh. His fingers curled into my shirt, a moan of pleasure passing over his lips. I only took a few sips before pushing him back. I wanted him to move on. To continue his walk to the back room where he'd been headed before. Something passed behind the man's eyes. Not confusion, but more like a moment where he'd had a sudden idea to do something and had been sidetracked. He looked at me absently, as if I hadn't just had him in my hands with my fangs deep into his neck. Oh, this was nice. I turned to Lucien with a grin. "Just takes practice, I guess."

"It does." He leaned in and licked at the corner of my mouth. "You want to hit the street for a

straggler?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Then we'll go to the club and see some familiar faces."

That sounded even better.

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Chapter Seventeen Lucien and I quickly found the exit and started down the street. We'd made it two blocks when pain shot through my chest. I had a moment of paranoia, thinking that somehow the episodes had come back. And then Lucien cried out in pain and fell to his knees. We'd been through this. I knew exactly what this was. Something was wrong. One of our own was hurt—somewhere. I knelt beside Lucien. "Who is it, baby?"

"Don't know. There's too much. Too many…" He growled and pounded his fists against the

pavement. "Goddamnit, so much fucking pain!"

I started to tell him that if he stopped pounding the pavement, it would be less, but realized that he was trying to use one pain to drown out another. Lucien's cell phone rang and I felt through his pockets, finding it quickly. I flipped the phone open. "This is Peter. What's happened?" On the other end of the line, I could hear nothing but hysteria. The screams of fear and pain and

panic loud.

"Peter?" Silver yelled.

"Yes! What's happening, Silver?"

"There's been an explosion at the club."

My gut twisted, fear and anger setting in. "We'll be right there."

I shoved the phone into my pocket and tried to help Lucien up. It took a moment, but he finally

managed to get his sensations under control. His eyes met mine, but I could tell he was afraid to ask and find out the answer to his question. "Tell me," he snapped.

"There's been an explosion at the club." At my words, a look of defeat passed over his face, a look

of failure. "No…"

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"We need to get going." "If I cannot protect my people, what is the point?" "Our people, Lucien. These things are not just your weight to bear anymore. But right now, we have to get to the club, find out how bad things are." He got to his feet, seeming to shake off his moment of shock. We found the car and Lucien took the driver's seat. He was driving away from the curb before I managed to even get the door closed. He didn't bother with speed limits or traffic laws and how we didn't have cops trailing us to the club, I'd never know. I could smell the smoke before we pulled into the parking lot. The car was left running, doors open once we came to a stop. I rushed toward the club, horrified. There was so much damage to the Iniquity side, that I was surprised the entire structure wasn't laid flat. There were injured everywhere. Dead everywhere. Bodies littering the ground, blood pooling and mixing with the charred embers. I stopped in my tracks, Lucien stopped beside me. I shook my head. "My God…" Silver jogged up to us. "I swear, we've been checking the club every night before opening. It was all clear." "Then it had to have been done after it was checked," Lucien said. "Impossible," Silver said. "Unless… unless it was on someone. But even then, we should have smelled it." I looked around in disbelief, not really knowing what to do or where to start. The team was helping out and aiding the injured and searching for more survivors. I realized that they hadn't found everyone yet. I swallowed hard. "Who was working the club tonight?" Silver started giving a list of people, naming them off the top of his head. He paused after several names. "Xander was working the door." "At Iniquity?" He nodded and I suddenly felt sick. I searched for that link between me and Xander, but found only a small flicker. I had a feeling the transition might have changed a few things and how they worked. Lucien took off at a dead run and Silver and I exchanged a look of concern, following. We came to a stop near a pile of debris and found Logan pinned beneath it. He was trying to sit up, but there was a long steel rod through the top right side of his chest. I assumed it went all the way through.

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Lucien and I knelt beside Logan. I reached for the rod, but stopped, not knowing what would

happen if I pulled it out. "We need a fucking medical team."

"We do not have anyone qualified."

"Then we let county come and help. The fire department will—"

"No! We cannot afford for any of the werewolves to be taken in. It would be more of a disaster

than even this." A tear rolled down Lucien's cheek and he looked up at Silver. "Call Daniel. If you

cannot get him, call the emergency line for the Council. Get us a Search and Rescue crew – and

Medical."

There were times that I forgot that while humans knew of vampires, they didn't know anything of our weres and shifters. It was a secret that had been kept for century upon century. Springing the news now could cause a wave of mass hysteria. Logan tugged at my arm. "Pull the rod out."

"Logan, I don't know what'll happen if I do. We've no one to feed you."

"I'll be fine. Just pull it out."

Lucien grabbed the rod with both hands and yanked hard.

Logan roared, hand going to the hole in his chest. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing," Lucien answered. "Just rest a minute and conserve some of your energy."

"It's just a little," Logan faltered, blinking hard, "just a little hole."

A warm, familiar energy seeped into my consciousness. I looked around, but couldn't figure out

where it came from. Something told me to turn around. When I did, I found Xander. He was beat up as fuck, clothes torn and burned, hair almost white with ash and debris. His eyes held a dead expression, much like everyone else I'd seen so far. In that moment, all of the fights and arguments between us were forgotten. I ran to him, hugging him up tight. "Oh, Xander. Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, confused.

"Don't know what I would have done if I'd have lost you, Xander."

I pulled away, trying to check him for injuries he might not have been aware that he had.

Thankfully, I found nothing.

"Thought you were…" Xander shook almost violently, just sort of standing there, "I saw you just

before it happened."

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I pulled back. "I wasn't here, baby." He nodded. "Yes. I saw you. You winked at me, wanted me to follow you. I was halfway into the room when I lost sight of you and…" Lucien walked up and embraced Xander, obviously relieved that Xander was okay. When Xander just stood there, Lucien looked to me. "What is it?"

"Xander saw me before the explosion."

"That's impossible. We were at Rave."

Silver's radio squawked nearby and I heard something about hunters being trailed. I turned to

Xander. "Stay here. Don't wander off. Help is coming."

Xander just fell to his knees, staring at the ground.

I broke away, going to Silver. "What do you have so far?"

"We had a trail, but it's thin."

"Was it a team of hunters?"

"We think so at this point. There are some in the area."

I turned on my heel and stalked to the car, intent on finding some fucking answers. There was one

person at the moment that I could think of that would have an inkling of what was going on and who was responsible. Vaguely, I heard Silver yelling for me to come back, but I put the car into gear and left anyway. Pure fucking rage began to settle in my gut. The closer I got to the house, the angrier I got. These sorry motherfuckers had hurt enough of our people and I was tired of it. The house came up quicker than I realized and I whipped the car into the drive, leaving it running, doors open. I stormed into the house and went straight down to the dungeon. From the moment I stepped into the cell area, a heartbeat filled my ears. Fast and getting faster. I stalked down to the hunter's cell and stood before the door, glaring at the hunter inside. His fear filled the air, the scent of it sweeter than blood, sweeter than any candy. I yanked the barred cell door open and went straight to the hunter, grabbing him by the throat and

dragging him off the bed.

"Where is the rest of your team?"

He screamed, struggling to get free, gasping for air.

"Where do I find them?"

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"No team. I swear." He reached for me, pleading. "I swear! It's just me." "There's never just one of you. You're like fucking cockroaches. Where there's one of you, there are always a dozen more." "I don't know! I swear!" My hand tightened and he screamed in terror. "Please! Please don't kill me!" It pissed me off even more, knowing that our own people screamed in terror and panic while in the hands of hunters, that our people had begged for their lives—and they'd been slaughtered anyway. The hunters seemed hell bent on continuing this fucking war, but we were going to finish it. Even if we had to do it one hunter at a time. I yanked the man up and struck his neck. As the blood began to flow, I searched the man's mind almost instinctively. I growled, finding nothing. Nothing but fear and terror. And it sweetened the blood. The more the man screamed, the sweeter his blood ran. The better it tasted. The man's heart stuttered and he grabbed at my hands, desperate for me to let him go. I felt an odd twitching at my face, but before I could think about what was happening, my mouth and nose began to grow and shift into a muzzle. The man's heart skipped a few beats and he fought like hell to get away. In a flash of a moment, I pulled him up and set my mouth at his throat, biting down into his flesh. With a quick jerk of my head, the man's throat was nothing but a huge, gaping hole. I spat out his flesh and dropped him to the floor. Blood surrounded him in a pool and I looked down at him, feeling nothing. No remorse. No regret. Perhaps a small desire for another taste. Another heartbeat filled the room, steady and strong. I turned to walk out the room. Nikolas was standing in the doorway of the broken cell. I paused when I got to him, licking the corner of my mouth. "I think I broke him." Nikolas' eyes met mine, unflinching. "There'll be more." Unfortunately, he was right. There would always be more hunters. Now, more than ever, I was determined that we needed to wipe them out—before they managed to wipe us out. When I turned to walk away, Lucien was in my path. The expression on his face was more concern than horror. "Peter? What happened?" "I wanted a few answers." "Did you get them?"

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"Just one." I stopped even with him, leaning in close. "The only thing sweeter than the taste of sex—is the taste of fear."

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Epilogue I sat in one of the new thrones on the dais at the front of the throne room, watching as people filed in and found a place to sit on the other side of the room. Quiet murmurs filled the air, but there was a noted lack of laughter. A polite smile passed here and there, but for the most part, the happiness was gone. Destroyed by tragedy and fear and loss. It had been three weeks since the explosion at Iniquity. Twenty had been injured and required medical treatment. Whoever made the bomb had incorporated silver-coated pieces of metal and, from what we could figure out, some sort of powder with a high grade of silver, both deadly to vampire and Lycan alike. There were over a hundred dead; three-quarters of them ours, most of them Lycan. To see so many people hurting and in pain – whether physical or emotional – and to know I could do nothing to ease it was a rude awakening. For so long, I'd been fooling myself into believing that we were invincible. That nothing or no one could hurt us as long as we stood together. The club was a complete loss as well. What hadn't been damaged by the explosion had been ruined by fire and water. The structure was so unstable that we'd had to hire a demolition crew to tear it down and clear the property. Lucien and I had stood in the dirt two nights later and vowed that we would rebuild, bigger and better than ever. That we would implement any and every measure possible to make sure this would never happen again. And then we'd cried until we couldn't cry anymore. I had hoped that the next time we brought the coven together, that it would be under happier circumstances. That we'd have answers about what had happened, that maybe we'd manage to find those who responsible. But we still had nothing. The trail had long gone cold and we were being forced to pick up where life before the explosion had left off. Tonight, however, was the night of Caleb's punishment. We'd put it off and put it off until we couldn't any longer. Xander had come to Lucien and me both, begging for Caleb to be punished so that he could at least be brought up from the dungeon. It hadn't been an unreasonable request. After all, Caleb had been down there for nearly a month. It was time to put an end to this, to bring it full circle, and move on.

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Someone squeezed my shoulder and I glanced up, meeting Logan's gaze. He smiled sadly, giving my shoulder another squeeze. "Are you okay?" I nodded. "Just…thinking." He knelt at my feet, arms crossed over one arm of the chair. "Things will get better, Peter." "Will they?" I asked, my voice just a whisper. "Or is it wishful thinking? Look around, Logan. Do you see even a smile? Do you hear a hint of laughter?" "I see fear on their faces, Peter. Hear it in their words—in their thoughts. All they want is to feel safe again." He took my hand. "You and Lucien can do that. And I know you will. You have already begun the process." "It feels wrong to do this punishment now. To make an example of Caleb in the wake of such a tragedy." "It must be done, Peter. If you hesitate here, they will not trust in you or believe in your abilities to lead, or in Lucien's." He squeezed my hand, then pulled his away. "Where is Lucien?" "He went to the library for something. He should be back in just a minute. You need something?" "Oh, no. I was just curious." He looked around the room. "Guess I need to find a seat. Place is filling up quickly." I nodded. "Yeah, time to start here shortly." He kissed the back of my hand, stood, and walked across the floor. When he sat down, it was next to Reid. They shared a few words, a small smile, a brief touch. A quiet hiss drew my attention to the area behind the dais. I looked back to find Nikolas. He inclined his head toward the door leading to the dungeon. I got up and followed him, closing the door once I was through it. "What's up?" "Nothing. Just saw you sitting there lookin' all sad." He crowded me into the corner of the door frame. "Thought I'd, I don't know, feed you or something." I grabbed him and pushed him into the opposite doorway, kissing him, then nuzzling my way down his throat. His heart pounded with excitement, blood rushing quickly through his veins. I pulled back and looked at him, a little dazed at the way the hunger hit hard and fast. Nikolas was dressed in his scariest leather, his eyes dark with kohl, hair spiked just perfectly, one long strand in the front covering his right eye. I pushed a leg between his, grinding myself against him. "We don't really have time to fuck, princess."

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"'S too bad." I scraped my fangs against his neck, drawing just a little blood, fighting the urge to sink my fangs deep into his flesh and just feed. Fuck it. Just a sip. "Just a little…" Nikolas bared his neck a little more. "Hard, Peter." And I did strike hard. Hard and deep, my fangs piercing his flesh like a hot knife sliding through butter. He would have screamed, I think, had I not been shoving two fingers into his mouth at the same time. He bit and sucked at my fingers, panting and gasping with each pull of my mouth on him. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, then rang. I growled, not wanting to end this yet. But the longer my phone rang, the more important I guessed the call probably was. I licked at the marks on Nikolas' neck, stopping the flow of blood. They began to heal before I'd even managed to pull away. I dug out my phone and leaned against the opposite wall, still licking my lips as I opened the

phone. "Yeah?"

"Hello, Peter."

Daniel.

Perfect fucking timing. I hadn't heard from him in weeks and he picked now to call? The fates were

fucking cruel.

"Hang on," I growled into the phone, pushing the mute button.

Nikolas stepped forward and kissed me, though I knew it was more for the taste of blood than

anything else. "See you in a little bit."

"Thank you, Nikolas."

"I won't even lie and say that I only do it for you." He smirked. "Fucking love it when you feed

from me."

"Gee, I never would have guessed by the way you're always offering yourself up to me."

He flipped me off and started down the hall. I put the phone back up to my ear and took it off mute.

"You have the worst timing, Daniel."

"I hear that a lot."

"What do you want? In case you didn't get the memo, we're busy here tonight."

"I'm sure you are. I needed to let you know personally that your new physician is on his way to you

this evening. I just dropped him off for a chartered flight. Will you have someone meet him at the airport? A truck would be best, considering he does have several trunks."

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"Yeah. I'll have someone meet him. What time's his flight coming in?"

"At three. I've emailed you the specifics."

"I'll let Silver know so that the transport will be guarded." Lucien opened the door and raised a

brow inquisitively. I held up a finger for him to wait just a second. "Is that all, Daniel? We're about

to get started."

Daniel hesitated. "For now."

The phone went dead and I smiled at Lucien. "Everyone here?"

He nodded. "What'd he want?"

"Our new physician is coming in tonight at three on a chartered flight. We'll need someone to pick

him up and a team to guard them all."

"I'll let Silver know so he'll have a few hours to plan. You know how he hates last-minute things."

"Yeah."

"Come on out, lover. Take your place on the throne beside me so we can be done with this night."

"Sooner the better," I said softly.

He leaned further inside the corridor and kissed me. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

Lucien opened the door for me and, as I edged by him through the doorway, I kissed him back. He

groaned and followed me out, but stepped off to the side to talk to Silver. I continued on to my

chair and sat down. A few moments later, Lucien walked up onto the dais and looked up into the crowded room. He remained quiet, just standing there as if waiting for something. The door from the dungeon opened and Nikolas walked out, holding a length of heavy chain. At the end of that length of chain was Caleb. He wore nothing but a pair of white cotton pants and the manacles at his wrists and ankles. His eyes were fixed on the floor as Nikolas walked him across the room. They stopped in front of the St. Andrew's cross that had been installed in the center of the floor. Nikolas gave Caleb the order to face the cross and grasp the handle at the top left side. Caleb complied, but when Nikolas gave the final order to grasp the top left side, Caleb hesitated. Nikolas gave the order again, but Caleb still balked. I shifted in my seat and Caleb noticed me then, looking at me through the X. I made a gesture, half-pointing at the right side where he should have already had his hand. He bit at his lip, but finally raised his right arm up, letting Nikolas bolt him in. 198

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When Nikolas stepped back, Lucien spoke.

"I'm not going to give a long, drawn-out speech on actions and consequences. In fact, I'm not going

to give a speech at all. We're here, because in accordance with coven law, a person's punishment must be witnessed by his peers." Lucien walked to stand on the other side of the cross so that he could face both Caleb and the crowd. When Caleb kept his head bowed, Lucien growled.

"Look. At. Me."

Caleb did, eyes filled with tears. It was the first time they'd seen each other since before Lucien was

taken. I knew it had to be hard for both of them to stand there and look each other in the eyes.

"Do you understand why you're being punished?"

"Yes, master."

"And you understand I'm not going easy on you out of the kindness of my own heart?"

"I do, master."

"I gave you this life, Caleb. I could so easily take it away." Lucien stared at him, hands curled into

fists. "There have been many disappointments in all my years, but you have become my greatest. It

is for that reason that you will forever wear the scars of your punishment here tonight." Lucien shifted his stance and I saw Caleb's face. His expression was full of remorse and regret, a sad acceptance. But there was a whole lot more in his eyes. I'm sorry, I was wrong… I still love you… please don't hate me. I had to look away to keep the tears from falling. As I did, my gaze landed on Xander who now sat in the very front row, practically on the edge of his seat. He smiled sadly and looked away, lips pursed tightly together. It was at that moment, I think, that I realized just how much Xander loved Caleb. Loved him enough to stand beside him when no one else would—or could. Loved him no matter what he'd done. Loved him enough to put the past behind them and hope for a better future. I wouldn't begrudge him that. I wouldn't make him choose between me or Caleb any more. After all, I was lucky that I had the love of my life. Xander deserved to have his. Xander shifted and his eyes met mine again. I mouthed the words, "I love you," and when he looked at me as if he couldn't believe I'd said them, I nodded and mouthed them again. It was as if a giant weight lifted from me. I turned my attention back to Lucien, who was just accepting a nasty looking bull whip from Nikolas. The thing was long and thick and sharp, silver 199

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barbs threaded in with the leather. These first ten strikes would be the worst, but not necessarily because of the equipment involved. Lucien turned his back to the crowd, taking his place behind Caleb.

"Your punishment is one hundred lashes. The first ten are my own, and you will wear the scars of

them for the rest of your life."

Lucien struck then, the crack of that first blow loud. Caleb screamed and jerked against the chains. Lucien landed another blow, and another, not giving any pause between each crack of the whip. They quickly came to the tenth blow and Lucien struck, then dropped the whip to the floor. He quickly skirted Caleb and the cross and walked to the dais to take his seat beside me. As Nikolas took Lucien's place, Lucien reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers. Nikolas' strikes began without warning and though I loved seeing Nikolas yield the whip, I was conflicted about it being used on Caleb. I hadn't forgiven him yet, but I knew I would. In time. Trust, however, was something else.

It was odd, the way things had changed so much in my time here. I'd come to realize that nothing

stayed the same for too long. Whether it was the nature of the world in general, or the growth and

stagnancy of relationships of the people involved in it—things would always change.

People would always change.

Hell, I'd changed, too.

I'd killed a man out of nothing but pure revenge and hatred. I had bled him and ripped his throat out

and dropped him to the floor like a piece of garbage—and I'd felt nothing.

No remorse. No regret.

Just a thrill of satisfaction that I'd terrified the shit out of him before I'd killed him.

I'd gained friends, lovers, and a family here. I loved and was loved in return. Accepted for who and

what I was. This was my home, in every sense of the word.

My humanity was a small price to pay to keep it.

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