Page 31 of Queen Takes King
The gnawing hole in my midsection expanded. Urgency tightened inside me like a bow, but I didn’t know why. “I’m not a thrall. If you wish to sample my bloodfirst—”
“I won’t taste someone I don’t trust. I learned that lessonalready.”
I had no idea what she meant. If she wasn’t willing to share her blood with me, then it was a waste of time for me to stay. I didn’t want to be a sib, even if one of these Blood were willing to feed me. I tried to go to the door. I really did. I would just leave. New Orleans wasn’t that far away. If that queen wasn’tinterested…
My body would not move. An inch. Panic welled within me, as if the walls were slowly moving in, trapping me. Was she holding me here? Or was it someone else? Her goddess? I’d never felt like this before. Like I would rip apart if I didn’t stay here. Right here. Withher.
The younger feline Blood suddenly jerked to attention like someone had stuck a knife in his back. “It’sKendall.”
The big alpha growled and squeezed her so hard against him that she squirmed in his grip. “Fuck.”
15
Shara
Rik squeezedme so hard my ribs creaked. “Kendallwho?”
He loosened his grip enough for me to breathe, but kept me tight against him. Even squeezing me harder between his thighs, as if he’d just enfold me with his entire body. “Skye.”
His former queen. Daire had a guilty, panicked look on his face and he quivered as if he had fever chills. “He’s asking. He wants.Fuck.”
Alarm shrilled through me. I pulled free of Rik—actually he more moved with me, still pressed against me as I stood—and reached up to cup Daire’s face in my palms. I closed my eyes and felt for hisbond.
His fur bristled instead of flowed, his beast all teeth and claws and terror. Instead of rumbling a purr of pleasure, the warcat hissed a warning and curled away fromme.
Protectingme.
Fromwhat?
“Kendall was our sib,” Rik said. “He’s a lower Blood, but we both have a blood bond withhim.”
Have. Nothad.
Sweat beaded on Daire’s upper lip. I reached deeper inside him again, ignoring his warcat’s snarl. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I touched his bond again, looking for anything new or different. He felt the same to me, our bond strong and sure. But underneath it… There was a shadow. It was like walking into your dark bedroom as a kid, and feeling the certainty that something was watching you. Waiting for you to crawl into bed. In fact, it wasunderthe bed. Creepy eyes staring out at you. A claw ready to snag your ankle as you ran and jumped for thebed.
“He’s in you,” Iwhispered.
Daire whimpered and gave a short, jerkynod.
The implications were staggering. After nearly contaminating myself with Marne’s blood, I’d known it could be dangerous. I just hadn’t realized that even sibs had blood bonds that connected back to the queen. That anyone who’d ever fed my Blood prior to them coming to me would still have a bond unless they were dead. I’d assumed my bond took over, or wiped themout.
We shared our thoughts and feelings through that bond. I could talk to them without anyone knowing. Like Xin, and my doubts about why he was here. I could give themorders…
My heart raced. “Can he commandyou?”
“He’s trying,” Rik said, his tone grim. “Or Keisha’s trying throughhim.”
“Can they get toyou?”
“Never. I’m alpha. He can’t touchme.”
But he could touch Daire. I looked deeply into his eyes and hardened my bond inside him. I glistened like hard, cold steel. “I’myour queen, Daire. You’re mine. You’re stronger now, remember? My power is yours. They can’t touchyou.”
“Yes,” he whispered. “But he’s still in me, and I don’t want to fail youagain.”
“What does hewant?”
“He wants to talk to you.” His trembling settled a bit, his voice stronger. “He swears he means you noharm.”
