Page 97 of The Vampire's Thirst
His mouth watered. He already tasted the drug-laced blood. Smooth. Heady. Offering him everything he desired.
Let Chiara play pool with Sig. Or any male for that matter.Hell. Let her take a lover. Maybe he had activated her Blood Coven genes, but he’d never mate her. She was chasing the wrong dream.
“Come on, baby,” cooed the naked female. “You need some help? I can blow you.”
When he snarled, shaking his head, she bent over the bar with her ass pointed at him, her fingers working herself hard.
The vampire Firebrand wondered what brought a succubus this low. What made her shoot opium to offer herself as fodder for males like him? Did she have a brother who cared about her?Damn. Erase. He didn’t give a fuck how she got here. He wiped his mind of any concern for her sad existence. Everyone had a boo-hoo story. As Dax saw it, live the life you’re dealt or get out.
He unzipped his pants, peeling them to his knees. His cock wasn’t stiff, but he wanted to fuck the blonde while he fed from her. He wanted to banish the little witch from his mind. He wanted back where he was comfortable, buried fang and dick deep in an O blud whore. It’s what he deserved.
He had allowed his mother to slip into a life of degradation. Sure, he had willingly offered himself to his stepfather as a substitute for Bounty. But had he done it to save her or to get his grind on? Did it matter? No. The result was the same. When the crunch came, he let his sister down.
He fisted his shaft and began to pump. It didn’t take long to arouse it. Never did. He must be the horniest bastard around. Anything got him up and going.
He didn’t need the little witch with the eyes like rare Darque orchids. All he needed was a hole and some hip action. His head lolled backward. Dax placed his hands on the blonde’s waist, a smile curving his lips, his lids half-masted in anticipation.
****
Kole eyeballed the chaos in the chamber. Vampires bared fangs. Shifters got down and furry. Witches threatened spells while berserkers pounded their chests.
Known for a hot temper and no-shit tolerance, Kole wanted to fry at least twelve of the eighteen Scath leaders until crispy. A twist on the two-thirds majority rule favored by the lawgivers or the Temple of Justice. It was a fantasy. A good one.
Aras, the Temple’s high justice, pounded a gavel.Bang. Bang. Bang. “Order.” When his demand went unheeded, black wings punched from his back while he half-shifted into an eagle, his predatory sharp-pitched whistle rising above the noise. The rotunda stilled, attendees hesitant to piss off a beast with deadly talons.
Today was a rare meeting of Scath’s two governing bodies along with the ministries. Alarik had offered the large high-domed chamber in his Ministry of Well Being.
The room was full of talking heads who cared more about winning elections than doing the right thing. Behind the community leaders sat clerks, interested dignitaries, and gofers. Taking the glaring spotlight were Cadmon and his commanders.
A blessed silent minute passed before the disputants jumped back onto their feet, yelling opinions, obscenities, and threats.
Justice Draven flashed pearly fangs at the djinn Roshan whose finger waved in response. Nymph Lawgiver Nerina slammed her notes on the table, pages fluttering onto the floor, while the demon Lawgiver Mara body-checked her, outweighing the smaller female by fifty pounds.
With the continued disorder, Aras took to the air, his huge-ass wings sending cups flying, empty chairs toppling, documents scattering. The smart ones in the rotunda did a duck-and-cover.
Re-establishing silence, Aras settled back into his seat, naked,sansrobe. An aide stepped forward to hand him a new one. “The Firebrands have come before us to explain recent events. Let them. We’ll listen with civility. Afterward, we will provide informed direction. High Commander, please continue.” He left outor else. But the room understood the implied threat. An angry eagle had an appetite for flesh.
“As I was saying, we are close to finding Cerberus and his Arisen Dawn garrison of fanatic followers, some strung out on Gold Dust, the drug distributed by shifter packs.”
The high commander sank into his chair, white-knuckling the armrests. He nodded for his animus demon Firebrand to speak.
Kole tugged at the neck of his uncomfortable-but-required purple ceremonial robe while he prepared to face the bitchin’ Nancies. He brushed a hand down the sleeve bearing the insignia of the fiery Phoenix. “The other day, Arisen Dawn trapped a couple of my males Earthside at a site now known as the Battle for Bozeman. My experienced warriors assisted the Earther army who was trying to defend their city against feral Aeternals high on this Gold Dust. At the same time, several squads of my Firebrands contained more of their crazies on the Scath side of the portal.”
Justice Dolph glanced up from his notes. Or for all Kole knew, a solitaire game on his tablet. “What was the outcome?”
“Mixed.” Kole cleared his throat. “The Earthers fought hard in this first major encounter but did a cut-and-run when faced with Arisen Dawn’s savagery. To their credit, they regrouped quickly. Make no mistake, the future could be theirs because of superior numbers, advanced technology…”
“Big ass guns,” interrupted Daire, the incubus lawgiver.
“Yes. Also home court advantage.” Kole scrubbed a fist over his buzz-cut hair. “We estimate about twenty invaders broke loose. Polluted on drugs, they’ll be a quick catch but not before they ravage humans throughout the city and countryside.”
“How did your males come to fight alongside the Earthers?” asked Aras, resting on an elbow, trying to look relaxed while two wolf shifters went claw to tooth in the back of the chamber. “Excuse me.” He rose, pounding a fist on the podium. “Somebody get them the fuck out of here. Sorry, Commander.”
Kole shrugged. “Their participation was not by invite. They were on the way home but stopped when they figured the humans needed a hand.”
Chaos erupted again. Obviously, everyone didn’t agree with aiding Earthers.Bang. Bang. Bang.Aras’s gavel pounded. “Commander Jarek. Comment?”
Jarek’s deep voice thundered across the meeting room. “Let me remind you. This same Cerberus who heads Arisen Dawn could be the hound of prophecy who seeks Blood Coven descendants to jumpstart the destruction of the realms.” Uncharacteristically, his djinn power slipped to the surface, surrounding his muscular body with smoke. Before he disappeared into it, though, he regained control.
