Page 81 of Queen Takes Queen
He smelled like ancient jungles lost in time, ruins of once powerful cities tumbled down and forgotten. Yet magic still hummed in his blood. I could taste his power, even without putting my mouth on him. Feeding on him even once would push my expanding power evenhigher.
But my heart did not stir in the slightest when I looked at him. My blood didn’t sing with excitement. My body didn’t tighten with need. My fangs didn’t eventhrob.
“Tepeyollotl, you will best serve me by continuing to serve your queen and Zaniyah’s futurequeen.”
His eyes flashed like black mirrors and he inclined his head, dropping down to one knee, fist to the floor. “I hear and obey, myqueen.”
Then her brothers approached, striding down the aisle toward me like an angry thunderstorm. Their energy hummed in the air, turbulent, violent, desperate. As one, they dropped to their knees before me. "My queen, we'reyours."
I touched Mayte's bond flowing in my mind like a ribbon made of velvety petals.:Are you up to moving aside so I can take yourbrothers?:
She lifted her head, a smile curving her lush lips. She leaned up and rubbed her mouth softly against mine in a chaste kiss, and then accepted Tepeyollotl's hand to stand. She moved slowly, like her head was still stuffed with cotton. I hadn't drank that much from her. HadI?
I listened to her bond again, trying to sort through what she felt. She met my gaze and blinked, slowly, her tongue peeking out to wet herlips.
Oh.Goddess.
Her head was stuffed, but not with cotton. She gave me an image of silken sheets and soft down and her limbs entwined withmine.
I dragged my gaze away, my cheeksflushed.
The brother with the black sun tattooed on his face spoke first. "My name is Itztli Zaniyah, my queen. It means obsidian, and I always carry an obsidian blade." From a sheath on his hip, he pulled out a hand-hewn blade that sparkled like glass. Holding it in both hands, he bent low and laid the blade at my feet. "I would be honored if you would accept me as yourblade."
I stared at him a moment, and I couldn’t deny my response. I’d looked at Mayte’s Blood and seen attractive men and a powerful god, but they hadn’t moved me at all. When I looked at her brother… I wanted to know what he tasted like. I wanted to know if I was right about what his power would be when he shifted. And yeah, I wanted to see how he’d fit in with the rest of my Blood. If he could be mine, wholly mine. Unlike Mayte’sBlood.
I held out my hand out to him. Scooping up his blade, he stood to take my hand, coming closer between Daire and Nevarre, which was no easy feat. Daire hissed and rumbled a low warning, and even Nevarre, my normally very cheerful Blood, radiated a cold darkness that dimmed the bright lights of the party. It wasn't like Xin's fog of invisibility. This darkness had a weight to it that was suffocating. Dread prickled deep inside me, even though Nevarre wasmine.
Itztli dropped to his knees once more and leaned against me, tipping his head so that I had access to his throat, though he kept one wary eye on my alpha behindme.
Rik made a low rumble that stilled the new man's advance. "Sheathe the weapon first, unless you wish her to use it on you and spare you the power of herbite."
Itztli flashed a broad grin that lightened the fierce lines of his face and he sheathed the blade. "Fuck, no, I'm eager for her bite. I'm all yours, myqueen."
I sank my fangs into his throat and for all his eagerness, he still bellowed with surprise as he climaxed. His yell sounded strange, and it finally dawned on mewhy.
He sounded more like a giant dog than aman.
His blood burned down my throat and my nose suddenly seemed to be working overtime. Scent took on colors and textures and nuances that I'd never been aware of before. I could smell the grass he'd crushed beneath his feet as he walked outside earlier today. The soap he'd used. The healthy sweat and energy he'd burned off sparring with his brother, trying to take the edge off his desire before tonight'sprocession.
His bond formed in my mind. A gigantic black dog with a broad head and jaws that could engulf me in one bite. But his eyes were a deep, soulful brown and he whined, softly, creeping closer to lay his giant head onme.
I drank from him a long time. Long enough for his twin to make a low noise of dismay and impatience. I looked up at him, with my mouth still locked to his brother's throat, and offered him myhand.
He came closer, his eyes flashing gold. He dropped to his knees beside his brother, ignoring the growl Daire gave him, though my warcat did slide away enough for him to comeclose.
"Tlacel, my queen. I'm yours, however you wish to useme."
When I withdrew my fangs from Itztli, he made a low sound of disappointment. Until I offered him my throat. Eagerly, he lunged for me, as if he was afraid I'd change my mind and make him wait until after this formal presentation was over. I gasped as his fangs sank into me, my heart thudding heavily. Tlacel pressed closer, one arm around his brother, his other sliding up around me, daring my alpha to snap his arm off. As soon as he got close enough, I sank my fangs into himtoo.
He shuddered against me. His climax was quiet and controlled. In fact, the people watching may not have even realized that he'd climaxed. In his bond, though, I felt the depths of that release. I'd rocked him to his core. Green-gold feathers plummeted toward the earth, twirling, spiraling faster, harder. Much like when I'd taken Mehen and sucked his dragon into me along with the majority of hisblood.
The feathers grew longer, Tlacel’s wings bigger, more powerful. He shot into my mind with a rush of feathers that smelled like a jungle sky filled with a multitude of green, lush plants and thousands of wild creatures. He swept me up with him, higher into a bright blue sky, twirling toward the sun. So hot, so bright. For a moment, I feared that he was an agent of Ra, the god of light. But he enfolded me in those feathered wings and we coasted back down through theclouds.
I fed on one twin, while his brother fed from me. Both brothers pressed closer, pushing me up harder against Rik. My breath caught on a groan and my desire torchedhigher.
Itztli finally released me. He sprawled on the floor, his legs sliding off the platform. He would have slipped off completely except he hooked his hand in one of the criss-crossed bands that formed the side of my dress. Tlacel came up over me and locked his mouth to his brother's bite, and the sun we'd been flying toward exploded inside him. He shuddered, still quiet, but the taste of my blood made him comeagain.
Oh dear. This was going to beinteresting.
