Page 4 of The Huntress

If he found her sass offensive, he didn’t show it. A consummate diplomat, he gave a deep belly laugh that sounded authentic. “Yes, something like that. I’ve heard horrendous stories of their sexual prowess. It’s enough to harm my ego.”

“Yours?” She admired his form, stopping to study the pin on his lapel—a large, winged bird embedded in flames.

It was solid gold and crafted by a master jeweler, she didn’t doubt. She couldn’t imagine him shopping at the local stores.

“Can anything harm your ego, Senator?”

“He’s interested, mark my words, my girl.” Carter shifted closer as if intending to share something for her ears only. “When he comes for you, pay attention to anything unusual. I don’t trust these…suckbloods. Never have and never will.” He flicked his two fingers, his business card pinched between them. “Here’s my private number. Call me if you find anything useful.”

She took the card and slipped it into her cleavage. She didn’t want to accept it, but she sensed he’d stay with her until she did. He sauntered away to bombard other guests with his bombastic personality. Goosebumps prickled her skin in an instinctual warning that he wasn’t a man to trust.

She didn’t intend to have another scotch, but the interlude with Carter and his false happiness highlighted the sadness staining her heart. No matter the circumstances, the distractions, the environment, or the company, her sister’s terminal illness circled the edges of her mind. Scotch wouldn’t solve her problems, despite its aged smoothness. Her bed beckoned, and she planned on flopping onto it in a most unladylike manner.

Facing the hall, she caught a glimpse of her scowling captain bearing down on her.

So much for her best-laid plans…

Chapter Two

FORMING AN ATTACHMENT

Leostrodeawayfromthe balcony, his feet tingling like lead. An odd sensation for a vampire. Never had he regretted leaving a morsel as tempting as her. But Syl had summoned him, so he obeyed. Not that he feared his king, but he’d given a vow of loyalty, one that went deeper than blood.

“How was she?” Syl asked when Leo re-joined the party.

Beneath Syl’s jovial demeanor lay a heart of gold. Most only saw what he portrayed—a charmer and a decadent vampire. His ability to assess a person’s character was a gift Leo admired.

The overly perfumed women crowding his king irritated Leo tonight, his usual serenity absent. Shock and disappointment immobilized him—two emotions he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The bounty within Callista’s veins had called to him, rumbling his stomach and moistening his tongue. He’d been too distracted to bother reading her thoughts, and now he wished he’d taken the time.

Glancing around the hall, he frowned at not spotting her. Had she left? He doubted Duhamel knew her. She wasn’t his usual preferred guest, meaning Leo couldn’t syphon any information from him. He sighed, not that he enjoyed trawling a human’s mind. It felt…dirty, as if a thousand baths could not cleanse him.

“You called me back, so I didn’t find out. Strangest thing, Syl. She didn’t succumb to my pheromones” Leo rubbed his nape before dropping his hand with a drawn-out sigh.

To earn his loyalty, all Syl had done was kill Leo’s sire, the bastard who’d massacred his family. The vampire forced him to watch as the blood ran freely from their sliced throats. His parents fought the hardest, wanting to protect their two children. He drained Leo’s younger brother, tossing his corpse like a discarded rag, then licked his lips in absolute delight. Even as a young man, Leo hadn’t been strong enough to fight off an ancient determined tofathera son.

“Off your game tonight?” Syl teased.

It happened. Not taking offense at the implication, Leo spun to the closest woman, a brunette, and smiled, releasing the same amount of attraction he’d used on Callista. The woman gasped. Her cheeks flushed as her nipples pebbled, tenting the silk of her cocktail dress. Her pupils dilated with her mouth parting on a throaty moan. As she reached for him, Leo switched it off and stepped back, leaving her disoriented. He didn’t allow her to stumble. It wasn’t her fault he’d found better prey that evening.

“Game is fine.” He scowled at a blonde distracting Syl. “She complimented my cologne and walked away, unaffected.”

“Intriguing.” Syl slipped a hand up the woman’s dress, baring her thighs in full view of the hall.

No one noticed. She could’ve given him head. Hell, he could’ve fucked her on the buffet table and remain unseen if he chose to hide his antics. Their existence might be public knowledge now, but the full extent of their powers they kept hidden, for the most part.

“To say the least,” Leo said.

“Her thoughts?” Syl nuzzled the woman’s neck as his fingers stroked her core.

She released a breathless moan, and the scent of her arousal—like budding roses, thick and heady—permeated the air to tease Leo’s nostrils.

“Snippets. Nothing solid.”

At Leo’s disgruntled tone, Syl’s head shot up. His gray eyes met Leo’s, and he arched a brow, but his fingers didn’t cease their sweet torment.

“What I could pick up was her desire for a scotch, her self-directed anger over a lost pistol, and a woman called Valerie.”

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