Page 2 of Queen Takes Blood
Opening my eyes, I scanned the surrounding area. Rather than dropping down toward Memphis, I’d taken us on a twisting, narrow series of two-lane blacktop highways across Arkansas. Nothing but trees, hills, curvy roads, and a run-down shabby motel just outside of Mountain Home.
“I still don’t get why a queen would be here in the middle of nowhere with no one to protect her,” Daire said. “That would never happen in a million years, even if she’s the weakest queen ever born.”
“Yet Keisha Skye sent four small groups of unBlooded warriors out across the United States to see if they just happened to find a young queen ripe for House Skye to bring into the fold. She must know there’s someone to find.”
“Wait a fucking second.” Daire’s arms tightened around me, his voice ringing with a sharper edge. “You think we were sent out to find some young, lost queen and bring her back to New York? Toher? Fuck that shit. No inexperienced queen is going to be able to stand up to Keisha Skye.”
“Which is why we don’t go back,” I replied softly. “If—when—we find our queen, we keep her as far away from New York City as possible.”
Daire might love me as much as I loved him, but we craved more. A queen of our own. Generous with her blood. Ripe with power. The kind of queen who could fell the mightiest warrior with a single look.
“A lost queen in the middle of bumfuck Arkansas,” Daire mused. “I sure hope you’re right.”
“I’m right. I know it.” I turned to face him and gripped his nape, letting my arm weigh heavily on his shoulder, my fingers unrelenting as I lowered my head to whisper against his lips. “And we’re going to find her.”
2
ALRIK
We could have kept rolling through the night, trying to find the next mysterious kill that would confirm we were on some kind of trail. But the dead thrall was at least a couple of weeks old. The elusive queen that I hoped to find wasn’t going to suddenly slip away if we didn’t find her tonight.
What was slipping away all too quickly was my time with Daire.
I burned to find our queen. That would never change. Becoming her Blood would be a dream come true, even though I had no idea what kind of queen she would truly be. For instance, whether she would be a jealous queen.
Or if she’d encourage her Blood to love one another as much as we loved her.
Daire was the only bright spot in the hell of Skye Tower. He’d been my first true friend outside of my own House. Some might have said that he saw my potential as a future alpha Blood and attached himself to me, hoping to elevate his own status accordingly. But Daire could have attached himself to anyone. There were certainly many other alphas who would have taken him under their wing and protected him. His easy smile complete with dimples and witty charm made him a popular date, whether male or female.
He could have had anyone, yet he’d chosen me. He followed where I went. While I hoped and prayed to the Great Mother for a generous, loving queen, I’d seen the darker side of power all too often. If I led us to a cruel or selfish queen…
Every single time we fucked, I couldn’t help but fear it might be our last time together.
I got us a room in the cheap hotel at the kill site. Places like this didn’t ask too many questions and generally didn’t have elaborate security cameras. For the most part, Aima moved through this world the same as any human. I had a New York driver’s license that said I was twenty eight, though that was off from my actual age by sixty years. Daire looked like he was barely nineteen rather than sixty nine.
I’d have to leave a hefty tip in the morning to make up for the mess we were about to make. Because when Aima fed… we also fucked. And this crappy room was about to get fucking messy.
I’d barely shut the flimsy door, and Daire started stripping his clothes off. Flashing a smoldering smile over his shoulder, he made sure to shake his ass and swing his dick for my approval. We’d been together—and lived long enough—to have played all the sex games and then some. We knew each other inside and out.
Daire was a brat. A tease. He liked me to show some force. Rough him up. Even hurt him. He loved it, and most of the time, I loved testing my alpha control just as much as he did. I would need every ounce of that control once I found our future queen so I could please her in all the ways she asked without hesitation.
But lately, I couldn’t help but feel that edge of desperation crossing over into my relationship with Daire. I had to find our queen. Soon.
Even though it meant that I would lose him.
Would I be able to serve at our queen’s side and see him day in and day out but never touch him again? Never taste the unique spice of his blood. Smell the warmth of his scent, the softness of his throat against my lips. The tender skin of his groin where the blood was so close to the surface, just begging to fill my mouth.
Lust thickened my voice. “How many times can I bite you before you come?”
He stretched out on the bed in a casual sprawl of sleek, lean muscle. A magnificent jungle cat draped over a limb, lazily watching his prey creep closer. When he gained his Blood form, I had no doubt that he’d shift into some kind of big cat. “As many times as you want.”
Which was both a lie and a challenge. Biting was just another kind of delicious penetration for us, so he sure wouldn’t be able to last long.
Me neither. My fangs ached, my dick was rock hard, and a low, hungry growl escaped my throat. My control was already slipping, and I hadn’t even touched him yet. I tried to take my time stripping off my clothes, but he made a soft little panting moan as I shoved my jeans and boxers down my thighs. I tossed the shirt as I dove for the bed. For him.
My face in the crease of his thigh, my arms around his hips. I sucked in a deep breath, taking in as much of his scent as possible. I could almost smell his beast’s fur, the animal trapped inside his body, waiting for a queen’s blood to set him free.
I could feed on him for days and never get my fill. Would I feel the same—or even more—for my queen? Goddess, I hoped so.
