Page 25 of Beast

I firmly intend to fuck her at every given opportunity. Iknow I should play it cool, but I’m also honest with myself. I won’t be able tohold back, and I don’t really want to try. This crazy possessiveness is only aphase. Fucking Kaja will put everything back on an even keel.

“Fine, you’re a man-whore,” Meg says, flustered. “I thoughtyou would want to get to know her, that’s all.”

I stare at her. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I justsaid.

“Not in a sexual way,” Meg complains. “Men. Have you eventalked to her? Have you asked her about her home plane and what she missesabout it?”

“Of course,” I retort. “It sucked, and the men there suckedin bed. Then she just moaned a lot. Don’t look at me like that. I learned anenormous amount of information about her from those moans. I learned that shelikes the middle setting on a vibrator. A nice twist and midlevel hum and shegoes off like a rocket.”

Meg rolls her eyes. “You are useless, Dante. Fine. I’ll go,but when you’re done, please send Kaja to my tent for some breakfast.” Shelooks down at the wolf with a friendly smile. “We can have some food and get toknow each other. We’re family now. It’s so awesome. I have a werewolf in myfamily.”

I feel another surge of irritation. “You have a vampire aswell. I don’t see you gushing over me.”

Meg shrugs. “Vampires aren’t as cool as I expected them tobe. In romance novels, vampires are all dark and broody and sexy. In real life,you talk an awful lot about stocks. It was a definite disappointment. But Kajathere seems like a real werewolf. I can’t wait to get to know her.” She turnsand starts to head out. “Oh, and we have to stay close to the market today.Beck and Ci got called away. There’s some trouble in a Fae encampment on theother side of the plane. Something about fields and starvation and stuff. Cianneeds to do his Green Man thing. Beck is worried about him being alone too farfrom civilization. Can you believe he used that word to describe this place?”

I roll my eyes. “You can stay here all you like. I’m takingKaja home. I’m not spending our bonding time on a pallet in a marketplace.”

I want to get her in a real bed. I want to see her laid outon sumptuous sheets, with her hair haloing around her pretty face.

“You walking then?” Meg asks with a shit-eating grin.

What the actual hell? I’m going to have a long talk with mycousins. “Damn it. Why did they take both bikes? They fit on one.” We traveledto the marketplace on two of my customized Harley hover bikes. Each one seatstwo, but no, my cousins took both, leaving me stranded.

“They fought about who would drive. Cian says he’s theobvious choice, and Beck won’t give up control, so they took both. Besides, Ithink they think you’ll babysit me. As if.”

Meg walks out, and Kaja changes immediately. She ignores thefact that we’re stranded here. She seems to have other things on her mind. Hereyes stare at the door Meg disappeared behind. “She likes me, Dante. She wishesto dine with me and speak with me. I should hunt and get her a good meal forour breakfast.”

Her pretty face is flush with excitement. I can’t help butsmile back. “Meg is a nice lady. She’ll be a good friend to you, but you don’thave to worry about hunting. Food is taken care of.”

“What is friend?” Kaja sits back, obviously eager to learn.

Lustful thoughts flee. “Damn, love. What was that place likefor you? A friend is someone you can depend on, someone you share your lifewith and talk to and stuff. It’s different for a girl. Guys hang out and watchsports and bail each other out of jail. It’s more intimate with women. You talkabout feelings and stuff. And you apparently buy a lot of shoes.”

She opens her mouth to ask another question.

“Meg would be better to explain the whole shoe thing,sweetheart.” My lustful thoughts are back, and I don’t want to talk fashionwith her. She’s lovely and naked and sitting on our bed. She’s completely outfrom under the influence of the aphrodisiac. All I need to do is convince herthat making love is a good idea. I lean over and run my hand across the softskin of her arm. She shivers slightly. “Why don’t you come back to bed, Kaj?”

Her eyes narrow, wariness clear.

I pat the place next to me. She won’t be beside me for long.She’ll be under me as fast as I can get her there. I feel my fangs lengthen.The silver is obviously out of her system, too. I’m pretty sure the silver waswhat kept her from changing forms. There’s no good reason not to sink my teethinto her smooth skin. I can see the faint blue vein that runs up the side ofher neck. There’s another vein in her thigh that will work as well. I can drinkmy fill, all the while breathing in the scent of her arousal. My mouth willfill with her blood, and then we’ll be married in the traditional way of aroyal vampire.

Gods, I’m suddenly so fucking hungry. For the first time inmy life, I know a meal pill won’t do. I want her. I want to take her blood andthen fill her with my cock.

“Your eyes are strange,” Kaja whispers.

There’s the faintest hint of fear in her voice. She backsaway slightly. My irises are bleeding out, and my entire eye will be a vividgreen before too long. I’ve only seen myself this way a few times. I probablylook alien and dangerous to Kaja.

I don’t like her backing away. She’s drawing somethingprimal out of me. I’m a good-time lover. I’ve always been this way. I enjoy thesex and have kept many mistresses, but I can easily walk away and find anotherif they show they don’t want me. It won’t be that way with Kaja.

“It means I want you. My eyes change when I want somethingvery badly. Look at me.” It’s an old trick royals use on peasants to draw themin for a nice meal. I never felt a compulsion to try my hand at persuasion, butthe impulse is overwhelming now.

Kaja does as I asked. She stares into my eyes, and I feelthe moment I catch her. A savage sense of satisfaction fills me.

“Come to me,” I command in a voice that sounds foreign to myears.

Kaja moves forward and places herself in my arms. Shecuddles close, tucking her face into the crook of my neck. “You are workingmagic on me.”

I force her head up. “Do you want me to stop?”