Cage
The crowd was worked into a frenzied chaos.Alcohol,bad decisions and a promise of future regret were pretty much foregone conclusions.
It was just what I needed to let off a little steam.
"Armand is goinng to be pissed if you fuck up the Treaty," Kieran, always the voice of reason,spoke from behind me, as we made our way through the mass of people.Our treaty with the hunters had held strong for the past six months.We stayed off of their territory and they kept a safe distance from ours.
Tonight we were on common ground.
Even if we happened upon hunters, I doubted they would provoke me. They knew my status with the Vampire King,Armand.He created me many centuries ago. I was the Prince,heir to the throne. I found the title pretentious and unnecessary,but alas, tradition was a hard thing to break.
Reaching the bar, I ordered and turned to face Kieran. "Really Kieran, it's just a drink.How much trouble could I get into?" I asked,already knowing he was going to call bullshit on my response.
He didn't disappoint. His eyebrows rose is disbelief. "Do you really want me to itemize all C. .. ...
of your past indiscretions? Because I am not certain eternity is enough time to sufficiently do them justice."
Natalia laughed, the sound bubbling from her throat,her chocolate brown eyes dancing mischievously. She was just as eager to lose herself in the moment, and let the night take her where it desired. Kieran frowned. "Talia,don't encourage him."
She opened her sable irises wide and pouted playfully. "I'm hurt you would think such a thing of me."
He rolled his eyes at her transparent feigned innocence,but his expression softened.I smirked. She had him wrapped around her little finger. The bartender slid a glass in my direction and I caught it with ease.Finally,maybe I could relax.
However, my plans for a normal evening of carousing,satiating my thirst,and maybe a touch of frolicking with one or possibly two willing participants, went radically haywire because just as I brought the drink to my lips,I caught the scent.
A hiss escaped through my teeth. Every muscle in my body locked down,rigid and tight,straining against the confines of my clothing.
It wasn't possible.
It was exceedingly rare to come across a
human that carried the scent of one of the ancient vampire bloodlines, but it happened.
But this was different..wrong.
Whoever it was,most certainly carried a bloodline scent. It just wasn't one of the only five bloodlines known to exist. And that is what made it impossible. Kieran's frame went equally tense next to me and he hissed, "What is that?"
So,he smelled it too.
I ignored his question and slowly turned my head in the direction of the scent,scanning the crowd. Kieran fell silent, recognizing my posturing. The human wasn't hard to identify even in a room thick with drunken party revelers.
She was staring right at me-intently.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins,heightening my already extreme senses. Who the hell was she? What did she know and what did she want?
I drank in her features. She was shockingly young but the hard set of her shoulders indicated a maturity and determination beyond her age. Strawberry blonde hair framed her round face, with full lips and large crystal blue eyes. Her alabaster skin shimmered under the lights. She looked completely normal. I could find no physical clue to her identity. Except her damn scent,
sweet, mandarin and spice. Intoxicating.I breathed it in deeply. Fuck, there was no doubt in my mind, she was dangerous.She had to die.
But not before I got answers.
Her gaze was intense but riddled with confusion, almost as if she were surprised to be staring at me. That made no sense.When she finally tore her attention away,I noticed for the first time, who sat next to her-Hayden.
Fucking hunter. And not just any hunter, of course not, she had to be cozied up with their leader.My hands automatically curled into fists, the pressure causing my knuckles to crack. I fought the overwhelming urge to hit something...or someone...hard.
This was even worse than I thought.
Only the slight inclination of my head gave away my intent, as I honed my extrasensory hearing on their conversation. The petite female's eyebrows puckered and her succulent full lips turned down into the smallest of frowns, as she questioned Hayden, "How did you know I spoke English?"
Interesting. He was a stranger to her.
He hesitated,obviously caught off guard by her direct and unexpectedly intuitive question, but recovered quickly. "Your blonde hair and pale features. I had a hunch. And
while I may have presumed your language correctly, I doubt very highly that I would be able to guess where you are from."
He was lying.
That son of a bitch knew exactly who she was.
But how was that possible when we had no knowledge of her? How could he know about bloodline humans? If that was what she was.I wasn't convinced this wasn't some sort of elaborate, and admittedly complex, scheme.Nothing made sense.
She studied Hayden carefully. I could almost read her thoughts. She suspected he was not being 100% forthcoming. Hmm, she was perceptive. But a moment later, she seemed to let go of her doubt. "New York."
The crowd shifted, blocking my view.I grasped Talia's hand and pulled her out to the dance floor. She looked up at me in surprise,but immediately acquiesced into silence when she read my expression of fury. I turned our bodies and found her eyes again.
And once again, they were trained directly on me.
This was bullshit. I was going to get answers....directly from the source. I didn't give a damn about Hayden.She was too dangerous to ignore.I spun Talia into the arms of an unsuspecting man. She favored him with a sly smile. The shocked patron
found out it was his birthday and Christmas,all rolled up in one tiny little seductive package.I snorted and made my way through the mass of bodies toward the enigmatic beauty.
As I approached,she flushed heatedly.Her heartbeat raced,causing my unreleased fangs to ache. I may have had no answers about her identity, but I knew the female body exceptionaly well. And she definitely wanted to be closer to me.
I would give her exactly that. 92
I bowed and right before the words released from my lips, I remembered not to use English. I didn't want to give her the same apprehension that Hayden had. I spoke fluidly in Romanian, "(Would you permit me the honor of a dance?)"
She blinked. A lovely pink hue rose to her cheekbones. Her mouth worked to form a response but none released from her lips.I smirked and contemplated just tossing her over my shoulder and walking out with her.The driveto get her alone...and touch her creamy skin...rode me hard. I wanted nothing more than to bathe myself in her intoxicating scent. But I suspected she would not take kindly to my caveman-like display. So,I waited.
Hayden interrupted her self-imposed trance,clasping a hand on her arm.His tone was clipped. "I don't think that's your...safest
idea."Subtle. I bit back the growl that crawled up my throat. He needed to remove his grubby paw from her before I did it for him,painfully.
Her blue eyes snapped back to him in confusion. And something else...anger. So she was feisty. She clearly did not like being told what to do.
Perfect.
My lips turned up into a wicked smile and I purred, "I am certain she is capable of reasoning and deciding for herself." I was confident she would respond favorably to my obvious dare.
Exactly as expected, she planted a polite smile on her face as she removed his arm. "I'll be fine,but thank you for the concern."
Impeccable manners.
I loved it.
Hayden scowled,but she wasn't looking at him anymore. Her attention was focused on me.My smile widened as I guided her to the dance floor. Finally,I could touch her.
I held her, distracted by the exquisite feel of her body in my hands. Her scent was intense,pulling on me. I wanted to drown myself in it.
I wanted more of her.
Hell,I wanted all of her.
I spun her in my arms, so that she faced away from me and pulled her tight against my chest. She gasped, the sound finding an immediate reaction in my dick. She raised her arms above her head,opening her body to me, and completely surrendered to my touch.
Fuck,she was sexy.
My hands slid down her sides,grazing her breasts to firmly grasp her full hips.She shivered and moved perfectly in sync with me to the pulsating erotic rhythm. Her body was seduction in motion. I had a myriad of questions she needed to answer, but right now, all I wanted to know was what pleasured her.She had unapologetically stared at me earlier. It had me curious. I leaned down and growled low, "Do you like to watch?"
I didn't think it was possible, but her heartbeat fluttered even faster.She stammered,"What?"
"Watch..." I repeated and added to clarify, "Do you get off on watching? You seemed to enjoy it earlier."
Her body visibly jolted and she spun to face me,her features fiery as she hissed, "What I get off on is really none of your concern!"
I smiled wider, enjoying her physical reaction and her attempt to put some distance between us.I purred,"It could be."
"Of all the arrogant..." she muttered under her breath, the temperature of her body rising even more, leaving a pink stain on the crests of her cheekbones.
Her reaction caught me off guard. It didn't seem coy as though she were playing hard to get. She looked genuinely uncomfortable with the topic. I touched the intense blush on her cheeks in surprise. "You're blushing?" My fingers slid under her chin, forcing her head up so I could see her eyes. "Could you really be that innocent?"
She refused to meet my gaze.
Shit, she was a virgin. What the hell was she doing playing with fire like me? I relaxed my hold to give her some space and murmured to myself in amazement, "You are that innocent."
Fuck...She was too appealing for her own damn good.
She bristled and hissed, "Could we talk about something other than my sex life?"
My smile widened as I relented, "As you wish." She exhaled heavily, the tightness in her shoulders eased, obviously relieved for a change in subject.
Her scent seemed to envelop me. I wondered if she knew what it meant.Searching for answers, I leaned down and purred, "Tell me,what is that lovely scent you are wearing?" I knew it wasn't perfume, but wanted to hear
how she would respond.
She shivered as my breath tickled her neck,and answered hesitantly, "Um...soap,"
Laughter rumbled through my chest. No,she had no idea how very unique she was.
Her body stiffened.
Shit,if I wasn't careful, she was going to bolt and I needed to get her away from here and alone.My voice lowered soothingly,"I'm Micage,but please call me Cage. What is your name?"
She hesitated again, clearly not sure if she wanted to tell me."Raine."
Okay, I was going to have to do better to loosen her up if I planned to get the answers I wanted without using force. I cringed at the thought of hurting her, but it had to be done.I would make her death quick. I tugged on her hand and led her toward the bar inquiring,"Would you like a drink?"
She nodded. "Are you thirsty?"
I couldn't help my wide grin at her unintentional pun and answered suggestively,"Always."
She blinked in confusion, shook her head slightly and then followed me. I caught the bartender's eye and ordered.He turned to Raine, and his features lit up in obvious appreciation. "Certainlv... And for the ladv?"
My eyes narrowed.
She replied easily,"Sirena Dunarii 2000 Dulce Riesling."
Hmm,for being so young,she was familiar with fine wines and had excellent taste. That was unexpected. Curiosity burned through me to unravel all of her secrets.
The bartender winked at her and before I couldstop it, a low warning growl emanated from my chest. His eyes shot back to me. He knew me. I held his gaze. He nodded and moved quicker to get the drinks. I turned back to Raine, intent on getting more information,"Tell me Raine, where are you from?"
Her eyes were wide as she held my gaze. For a moment,she said nothing and I thought about repeating the question. I knew the answer of course,but I needed her to tell me.She was too perceptive, and would have noticed my slip.Finally she seemed to break out of her daze and mumbled, "New York."
It was a start. I continued smoothly, "And your family? Are you visiting relatives?" That was the question I most wanted to know. What was her lineage?
Her expression faltered and tears pricked her eyes.
My anxiety spiked. Apparently, it was a hot topic for her as well. I waited for her to continue.Unfortunately, the bartender took
this opportunity to return with the drinks.I scowled at the interruption. I might have to kill him later. Raine quickly brought it to her lips,avoiding the topic.
My patience was wearing thin.
Suddenly, she looked past me, her eyes wide with shock. I turned to track her line of sight...Only to be confronted with Hayden again.Anger radiated over his features as he said coldly, "I believe the requested dance is now completed." He held his hand out to her and spoke softer,"Shall we?"
Fucker.
I didn't give a shit about the Treaty. If he got in my way, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Raine held her glass in midair. It was clear she hadn't expected his response. That would work in my favor.
I glowered darkly, "And yet, it appears she is still talking with me."
Hayden, being the jackass hunter that he was,accepted my challenge by stepping closer.Raine hastily brought the wine to her lips and threw it back like it was a shot glass.If I weren't so pissed, I would have laughed at her response. Hayden snapped,"Which undoubtedly will be cut short, once she gets to know you.So why don't we skip the waste of time and move on?"
Oh,fuck no.
Kieran hissed a warning behind me.
Hayden was unusually aggressive, much more so than trying to protect a normal human.He knew I wouldn't hesitate to attack him if he pushed me. And he was pushing pretty damn hard,risking a hell of a lot, to keep her out of my hands. I turned to face him, excitement for the fight radiating in my feral smile.He braced himself, but didn't back down. Instead,he seemed just as eager.
Damn...what did he know about her? I would never be able to force the answers I needed out of him, making it even more critical to get him ouIt of my way, so I could get her alone.
Abruptly, Raine interrupted us, "Okay! That does it for me. Thank you, gentlemen, for the...um, interesting evening." Without waiting for either of our responses, she spun and walked away.
I made eye contact with Kieran,who immediately went after her. Her abrupt exit worked for me. I planned to keep Hayden busy 'talking' until I was sure he couldn't follow her. It seemed to work for him as well.His shoulders loosened and his stance relaxed,as she disappeared out the front door.
What the hell?
My eyes narrowed. The thought of the hunter's touch anywhere near Raine's porcelain flesh caused crimson to bleed into my eyes and an utterly foreign word,
sounding oddly like mine, to sit on my tongue,but I shoved the feeling down and purred,"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't ignite a lover's quarrel. She was truly exquisite...a tasty morsel...just the thought of her lush curves makes my mouth water."
He took the bait, his features transforming again. A muscle in his jaw twitched and his frame slunk imperceptibly lower, signaling his intention to attack.
I smirked. It was a tightrope dance that I loved,relishing in intimidation tactics and power plays. It was what I had been created for,the Vampire Prince, heir to the throne,and what I was damn good at.
A low buzz interrupted our
testosterone-fueled conversation.Hayden ignored the ringing phone in his pocket,aware that no conversation he had could be kept private from my more-than-human hearing. But even I could tell the urgency of the call when the buzz faded, only to be replaced a moment later by the tell-tale ping notification of a new text message.Hayden frowned and extrapolate the device, angling it away from my hawkeyed view. The lines in his forehead deepened.
"Problem with the pups?" the inquiry fell from my lips. I didn't expect an answer but enjoyed any opportunity to goad him. It was highly unlikely, but maybe one day he would let something slip.
Today wasn't that day. His teeth clenched, his blue eyes stormy. "Nothing I can't handle," he muttered and walked away.
Finally.
I walked out into the black night, and yanked my phone from my pocket. One speed button later, I growled to Kieran, "Where is she?"