Page 9 of Our Sins in Shadows (Coven of Sin 2)

“For once, I agree with him. Mortal females aren’t built to endure fae males,” Eros added.

I folded my arms over my chest, bristling. “If you could stop treating me like a dainty princess, that would be really great, thank you very much.”

Vincent took hold of my shoulders again, but this time his grip was mean and hurt a little. “You may be hard headed but the rest of you is dainty and easy to break. I won’t be the thing that destroys you.”

“What are you saying? That you won’t mate me now? How’s that going to work if I’m supposed to have your baby?”

“I already told you I plan on taking you as my bonded mate. I haven’t been able to think of anything else since the second I laid eyes on you. But not until I can get a better hold over my returning abilities.”

“What if I want it to be here and now? I don’t give a shit if that’s exactly what they want. It’s not like we’re going to let Dagon bring back my dad, so I’m not scared to be mated to all of you. I want you. And you want me. I’m sick of everything getting between that. You promised to claim me, and I want you to make good on that promise, Feral.”

Eros rattled the bars, drawing our attention back to him. “Am I missing something? When did you two talk about this?”

Vincent’s lip curled with a sneer as he veered his attention to his brother in the next cell. “When you were too busy being passed the fuck out. Don’t worry, I saved our girl while you took a nap.”

Here we go again. Were these two ever going to give it a rest?

“A nap?” Eros’ lips peeled into a lethal snarl doused in violence. “You mean when I was out cold because someone broke Warehouse rules and used their fucked-up powers to beat me within an inch of my life? You should be on your knees, begging for my forgiveness. Not making deals withmymate while I’m knocking at the door of true death.”

“Fuck you,” Vincent spat. “My apology was saving your useless carcass from the Boston Coven. Sharpe would have shot you full of silver holes if it wasn’t for me.”

“If it wasn’t for you, Sharpe wouldn’t have used me as bait in the first place. The princess wouldn’t have fallen into the trap at the factory, and we wouldn’t be in this situation right now. So, if you think about it, all this isyourfault.”

Vincent started for the other vampire with his fangs bared and his fists balled at his sides. Thank God for the bars. Otherwise, they’d be brawling again.

“Enough!” The command that tore from my throat was so imposing that both of them froze. The shriveled cigarette pinched between Eros’ fingers fluttered to the ground, and the space surrounding us became so quiet I could hear the rapid lash of my pulse. My voice was barely my own, rough and grated and booming.

I snapped my eyes shut for just a moment, realizing it was that other part of me coming out to tell these two jerks how things were going to be. It was an uphill battle trying to establish trust with that domineering, monstrous streak I’d inherited from my father, so, in an act of faith, I let her have her soapbox for just a moment.

“Both of you, stupid, screaming, squabbling males, are acting like feral little children. You.” I jabbed a finger into Vincent’s chest so hard he let out a low growl. But he lifted no hand against me. Instead, he watched me with a burning interest that had the fire inside me blazing brightly.

“You’re a stupid caveman of a male. Possessive and cruel. I like it...” I sauntered forward and pressed myself into the muscular wall of his bare chest. Planting a hand onto the valley between his pectorals, I traced his raven tattoos. I didn’t bother dodging the wounds the iron had created, either. His nostrils flared, and he exhaled a low hiss when my fingertips danced over the burns. I skimmed the defined ripple of his abs, and the sound he made shifted into something more hunger-filled when my hand slipped beneath the waistline of his shorts to cup his heavy balls.

My coy smile turned impish. “To anextent.”

I squeezed his balls hard enough to make him cry out in pain. He tried to push me away, but my hold on him was as unrelenting as my resolve to make him understand the depths of my sincerity.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Feral. You made a promise to me. Break it, and I’ll start claiming body parts. You swore to play nice with your brother. So that’s exactly what I expect you to do. Can you manage that for me?”

When he didn’t answer, I gave him another squeeze, and he let out a delicious grunt that bore a hint of pleasure beneath the agony. “Yes.”

I stretched onto my toes so that our lips were just a kiss away. His irises had gone all bloody, and something swirled in those crimson pools that made my whole body shiver with dark delight. “Swear it.”

The tension between us was dangerous and as untethered as an electrical storm. For the span of one heartbeat that seemed to shatter time and reality, we stared at one another in a thunderstruck trance.

Then he spoke, his words pitched low. “I swear it.”

He arched down as if to kiss me, but I released him and stepped back before his mouth could find its mark. “Good. Now I want you to apologize to Deathwish.”

Vincent blinked several times, dazed. It was as if he was recovering from a spell. “Apologize for what?”

“For taking this grudge of yours a hundred steps too far. I understand we hurt you by mating in the locker room before the fight. But allowing your monster to pulverize him wasn’t the right move. Now, go on.” I ran my tongue over my smirking lips, positively giddy with the power I felt in this moment. “Don’t keep me waiting, baby.”

Chapter four

A Bloody Plot

Theenergyinthecold, concrete basement of the Boston Coven’s skyscraper turned arid as I let my inner monster out to play. There were no training wheels on this bitch today because right now, I needed that part of me to help strong-arm Vincent and Eros into communicating in a way that didn’t involve right hooks and death threats.

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