Holy hell.
“I don’t know. Truly,” she told her companion, her expression troubled. “I’ve never heard of a vampire’s bite causing this reaction in a human.”
“But you knew something was wrong?” the Harpy pressed.
“Yes, but I had no idea Gaius was causing such damage,” she carefully hedged before turning the conversation away from what brought her to Louisiana. “I felt the lingering consequences of the infection as we were traveling through the swamp. Is it fading?”
Solaris’s lips thinned, but she allowed herself to be diverted. “Yes. Once the human was locked away the hostility began to lessen. Hopefully it will be completely gone by tomorrow.”
The words didn’t ease the tight knot of dread in the pit of her stomach, but it did give her hope that if they moved with enough speed they could contain the worst of the plague.
“What do you intend to do with him?” she asked, nodding toward the cell.
“Study him for now,” Solaris said with a shrug. “He’ll be dead in a day or two.”
Nefri was caught off guard by the blunt announcement. “Dead? He’s not ill. At least not physically.”
“No, but he refuses to eat and he continues to damage himself no matter how often we sedate him. He won’t survive for long.”
Lord, what a mess.
Nefri pressed a hand to her temple, suddenly aware of her heavy weariness. Dawn was approaching at a rapid rate and she needed to rest and feed to regain her strength.
“I must speak with the Anasso,” she said, more to herself than the Harpies who eyed her with open suspicion. “He has to be warned.”
“First, will you tell me what is happening?”
“The only thing I can tell you is that I will do my best to track down Gaius and put an end to his contamination,” she promised.
Solaris arched a brow. “And if I decide I wish to keep an insurance policy until I can be certain the vampires clean up their mess?”
Nefri met the stormy gaze without flinching. She was an ancient clan chief who had faced down the most powerful demons. She didn’t allow herself to be intimidated.
Not by anyone.
“Then I would have to confess that it wasn’t Styx who sent me to capture Gaius.”
Solaris froze. “Then who?”
“The Commission.”
Santiago should have been happy as a freaking lark.
After being escorted into the Harpy nest, he’d found himself ensconced in a luxurious set of rooms. The large living room had an Oriental flavor with black and gold furnishings and jade figurines set on low lacquer tables. The connecting bedroom shared the Oriental theme, the king-size bed canopied in gold silk and the poofy chaise lounges covered in black satin.
Even the lavatory was matching in the dramatic color scheme, although he had no idea why women insisted on such elegance in a mere bathroom. Give him a shower and a bar of soap and he was satisfied.
Not that he didn’t spend several painful minutes imagining Nefri soaking in the marble tub that was deep enough to drown in and surrounded by a dozen different oils, soaps, and shampoos.
Oh, the things he could do to that female in that tub . . . her raven hair floating on the water and her lips parted in astonished pleasure as he knelt between her thighs.
It was the scent of female Harpy that pulled him out of his fantasies and back into the living room to discover Charis had returned, a smile of invitation on her beautiful face and her lean body still naked.
“Hello, gorgeous,” she purred, leaning against the edge of a sofa so her pale wings could contrast with the dark material and the arch in her back could emphasize her full breasts.
Never let it be said a Harpy didn’t know how to flaunt her assets.
“Have you come to release me?” he demanded.
She pouted, giving a toss of her dark curls. “Don’t you like our little nest?”
Santiago swallowed his impatience. The female looked harmless, but one misspoken word and he’d find himself being roasted by a barrage of fireballs.
“I’m always delighted to be in the company of beautiful women.”
She licked her lips. “How beautiful?”
“As beautiful as a freshly bloomed orchid.”
“Would you like to touch?”
His lips twisted. The female couldn’t know how much her simple question troubled him. She was tender, exquisite, and oozing with sexual invitation. Only a eunuch wouldn’t want to toss her on the sofa and give in to temptation.
But his body remained stubbornly indifferent to the pleasures the woman had on offer, his fangs refusing to lengthen, and his cock unimpressed. Instead, he was wracked by a compulsive need to find Nefri and make sure she hadn’t been hurt.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to enjoy the delights of Harpy hospitality.”
“Why not? Your female is busy with the Matron.” Abruptly straightening, Charis strolled toward him, running a finger down the line of her throat. “And I brought you dinner.”
His short burst of laughter held no humor. “It looks delicious, of course, and I can’t express how desperately I wish I wanted a sip or two.”
She halted, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“My appetite seems to have become extremely selective,” he said dryly.
The gray eyes flashed with anger, but Harpies had rigid rules of protocol and Charis had been well trained. “Very well,” she conceded defeat. “If you would prefer another female, that can be arranged.”
“I would prefer to return to my companion.”
“Why? You’re not mated.”
He shivered at the mere thought. This . . . obsession with her was bad enough. How much worse would it be if they were actually mated?
Mierda
.
Aware that the Harpy was waiting for his response, he managed a thin smile. “I’ve pledged to protect her.”
“She’s in no immediate danger,” Charis said, her expression petulant. “And she won’t be leaving until we’re satisfied she isn’t responsible for the nasty humans invading our lands.”
Santiago’s irritation was replaced by a sharp curiosity. This had to be the reason they’d been forced to the Harpy nest. “Nasty humans?”
Charis wrinkled her nose. “They carry violence with them, infecting the entire area with their madness.”
Hmmm. He folded his arms over his chest. “Why do you think Nefri or I might be involved?”
“The Matron hasn’t shared her suspicions with the younger warriors, but the humans were bitten by two fangs. Most of us assumed it was a vampire who infected them.” She sent him a questioning gaze. “What else could it be?”
Gaius. It had to be.
He could feel it in his very bones.
“Yes, what else,” he muttered.
“Can we play now?”
Santiago barely noticed as Charis moved close enough to tug the leather band from his hair, allowing it to spill down his back. He was far more interested in the scent of jasmine and feminine power that sliced through him like a bolt of lightning.
Suddenly the hunger that Charis hadn’t been able to stir was charging through him at full throttle, hardening and lengthening his body in all the right places.
Hiding a smile of anticipation, he covertly watched as Nefri strolled into the room, her body stiffening at the sight of the young Harpy running her fingers through his hair.
“Maybe later,” he murmured softly, gently dislodging her fingers and pushing her away. “Can we have some privacy, Charis?”
With yet another toss of her head, Charis headed toward the door, pausing to send a flirtatious smile over her shoulder. “I’ll be in the common rooms if you change your mind.”
Waiting until the Harpy had disappeared down the hallway, Nefri offered Santiago a smile frigid enough to give him frostbite. “Please don’t let me interrupt.”
His lips twitched, his eyes running a slow survey down her rigid body. Even with her jeans covered in swamp muck and her hair tangled, she appeared as regally beautiful as always.
Perhaps it wasn’t so shocking that no other woman could satisfy him. None could possibly compare to this magnificent female.
“Jealous,
querida?
” he taunted, moving to stand directly in front of her.
“Tired,” she corrected him, clearly hoping that he didn’t notice the way her dark eyes dilated with arousal. “The Matron has kindly extended an invitation for us to remain within her nest until nightfall.”
He was instantly distracted. “Invitation or command?”
“We’re not prisoners if that’s what you’re asking, but dawn is less than an hour away.” She gave a dismissive lift of one shoulder. “It seemed preferable to remain here than to risk being caught without a suitable place to rest.”
His eyes narrowed. “And you’ve come to discuss your decisions with your partner?”
“If you prefer to leave I won’t stop you.”
Yeah, like that was ever going to happen. Not until he had fulfilled his promise to Styx, and more importantly, not until he had this aggravating female well and truly out of his system.
“What I want is an explanation for why the Harpies believe the vampires are infecting the humans.”
Her jaw clenched at his smooth attack, but astonishingly she didn’t try to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. In fact, she met his gaze squarely. “Not vampires,” she said. “Gaius.”
“So it’s true?”
“Yes. I witnessed the human. He’s . . .” Her words broke off with a grimace.
“He’s what?”
She took a few seconds to answer, her composure a brittle facade that was clearly about to shatter. Santiago resisted the urge to tug her into his arms and offer her comfort. Not only was she more likely to slug him as thank him for his efforts, but he needed to know just what the hell was going on.
“He carries violence with him like a plague,” she at last admitted.
“Did you know this was possible?”
“No,” she denied, her sincerity unmistakable. “But we must warn Styx. He’ll need to send his Ravens to track down any infected humans and contain them.”
He made a sound of disbelief. People accused him of being arrogant? He was an amateur compared to Nefri.
“You expect the Anasso to send his personal guard to clean up a mess that the Oracles specifically told him was none of his business?”
“Yes.”
He gave a rueful shake of his head. There was no point in arguing. Styx would agree that the humans had to be halted before they could cause chaos.
“And what do you intend to do?”
She shrugged. “Find Gaius.”
“And his companion?”
Her expression gave nothing away. “If he has one.”
Santiago gave a low hiss. Not just at her refusal to admit exactly what they were facing, but at the growing fear that they were all stumbling in the dark.
Including the Commission.
“I don’t like this.”
She gave a weary shake of her head, stepping around him without warning to move toward the back of the room. “Neither do I.”
With a swift motion he was blocking her path, ignoring the burst of her icy annoyance that crawled over his bare skin, just a breath from true pain.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“I intend to have a shower and then rest for a few hours.”
His earlier fantasies of Nefri in the black and gold bathroom consumed his thoughts, instantly making him as hard as a rock.
“Here?”
“This is the only guest room available.” Her head was held at a proud angle, but she couldn’t disguise her reaction to his blatant arousal. “We’ll have to share.”
“Share?” He chuckled in wicked anticipation.
Chapter 8
Nefri sniffed at her companion’s male pleasure, pretending as if she hadn’t been the one to insist that she share a room with Santiago.
Why give him the satisfaction of knowing she couldn’t bear the thought of him in another woman’s arms while she spent the day alone and aching with unfulfilled desire?
Besides, she hadn’t actually lied.
These were the only guest rooms, although Solaris had offered to have one of the numerous bedrooms belonging to the Harpies cleared for her use. It was ridiculous to put the younglings out of their own beds.
Right?
Turning her head, she avoided the dark promise smoldering in his eyes.
“Can you contact Styx or would you prefer that I speak with him?” she asked, her tone brisk.
He reached to smooth a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek. “I’ll take care of it.”
She shivered beneath his soft caress, a tingling excitement racing through her blood. Oh . . . heavens. It had been so long. So insanely long.
And now the desire that she’d kept locked away for more years than she could remember threatened to turn into an avalanche.
Too fast,
a voice whispered in the back of her mind.
This is all going too fast
.
“Then if you don’t mind, I’ll use the shower first,” she said in a sudden rush. “Once I’m done you can have the bedroom and I’ll use the couch.”
His grin widened as he stepped back and waved a hand toward the connecting door. “It’s all yours,
cara
.”
Jackass.
She swept regally out of the room and crossed directly to enter the large bathroom.
He’d sensed her growing desire. Just as he sensed the flare of panic at allowing herself to be consumed by the unfamiliar sensations.
And he found it . . . amusing.
Amusing.
She closed the door with emphasis (it wasn’t a slam, dammit) and stripped off her nasty clothes, dropping them into the laundry chute.
Why? Of all the endless males in the world, why was it Santiago who set her on fire?
He was stubborn and arrogant and maddeningly impulsive and . . . so deliciously gorgeous and unapologetically male she didn’t have a chance in hell of resisting, she grudgingly admitted, stepping into the shower and turning on the water.
In the distance she could hear the muffled sound of Santiago’s voice as he spoke on his cell phone, relaying what he’d learned to the Anasso.
Styx would no doubt be aggravated by her refusal to confess all that she knew, but he would do his duty. It’s what a leader did, no matter what their personal feelings.
Stepping beneath the flow of warm water, Nefri thankfully washed away the clinging stench of the swamp, shampooing her long hair before reaching for the soap. Just as her fingers closed around the bottle, the door to the shower was pulled open and a naked Santiago stepped into the large stall.
“Let me,” he murmured, easily removing the bottle from her hand.
“I’m not finished,” Nefri hissed in shock, her gaze lowering against her will to take in Santiago’s hard, perfectly chiseled body.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t entirely against her will, she admitted with a jolt of excitement.
He was . . . magnificent.
Like an exquisite work of art.
The water poured over his bronzed skin, plastering the long raven hair to the smooth muscles of his chest and glistening on the lean beauty of his face.
How was she supposed to resist the temptation to run her fingers, and then her lips, down that sleek male form?
Easily scenting her sharp burst of arousal, he squeezed a dollop of soap into his palm and smiled with a sinful promise. “Good, then I can wash your back,” he offered.
She struggled to think clearly. “I can wash my own back.”
“You were the one who said we had to share.”
“These rooms, not the shower.”
His lips twitched. “Conservation is always a good thing, isn’t it?”
She allowed her gaze to be snared by the dark hunger that smoldered in his eyes. A stupid mistake. Suddenly she understood what it must feel like to drown. The choking heat, the sluggish lack of coordination, the quivering sense something momentous was about to happen.
And worse, she couldn’t find the intelligence to care.
“Santiago . . .”
“Turn around,
cara,
” he prompted, his voice thick.
This is dangerous,
she told herself. She should shove him away. It wasn’t as if she were some helpless female who didn’t have the strength to take care of herself.
But for the first time since becoming clan chief, she felt like a woman.
A woman with needs.
A woman who ached for a man’s touch.
No, she abruptly corrected herself, not just a man’s touch.
Santiago’s touch.
Only his.
Banishing the voice that warned she was about to make a decision that would alter her life forever, Nefri slowly turned, offering him her back.
Why shouldn’t she indulge her needs just this once?
Every other clan chief managed to have a robust sex life and function as a leader. Being a control freak didn’t mean she had to take a vow of chastity.
Did it?
“Ah, the mark of
Cú Chulainn
,” he murmured, referring to the tattoo of a dragon that flowed down her back. It revealed that she had gone through the battles of Durotriges to earn the title of master. Clan chief. “Very sexy.”
“Sexy?” She frowned. Most vampires found the mark a source of intimidation, not arousal.
“Relax, Nefri,” Santiago murmured, his lips tracing the outline of the tattoo even as his clever fingers began to soap her back. “I promise this is going to be magic.”
“Magic?” She closed her eyes, forcing her rigid muscles to ease. “Are you always so confident in your ability to please a woman?”
His lips shifted to the base of her neck, his hands skimming down the curve of her waist.
“Confident in
us
,” he corrected her, his fangs scraping over her tender skin. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel the explosive chemistry between us. It’s . . . magic. There’s no other word.”
She made a choked sound, her head tilting to the side in an unspoken invitation.
It was magic.
Enchantment at its most primitive level.
“It’s been . . . a long time,” she admitted, unsure why she needed him to know.
“Then let me take care of you,” he whispered against her skin, his hands trailing around her waist before gliding up to cup the fullness of her breasts. “Tonight you don’t have to be in charge.”
Easy enough for him to say, she wryly conceded. Her need to be in control was a fundamental part of who—
The thought, in fact all thoughts, were shattered as his thumbs brushed over her straining nipples, sending an electric current of sensation jolting through her.
Oh lord. Yes. Her toes curled. If this was how he took care of a woman, then she was all for handing him control.
He kissed a path up the tender curve of her throat, nuzzling below her ear while his fingers continued to torment the sensitive tips of her nipples. The air was filled with cherry-scented steam and raw male desire, wrapping them in a mist of privacy.
As if they were in their own world, she hazily acknowledged, her hands lifting to steady herself against the black tiles of the shower.
“This is dangerous,” she muttered.
“Yes,” he instantly agreed, giving the lobe of her ear a nip before he was stroking his lips downward. “But inevitable.”
Perhaps it was, she silently agreed, her back arching as his mouth continued its downward path, following the line of her spine. His touch was cool, but it seemed to brand her skin with fire, making her shudder in pleasure.
Astonishingly he went to his knees, his hands sliding down her hips before he was firmly tugging her legs apart. Unable to resist temptation, she turned her head to glance over her shoulder, a strange emotion piercing her heart at the sight of the male kneeling behind her, his power barely leashed as he tilted back his head to meet her startled gaze.
He looked like a pagan god with his stark male beauty, emphasized by the water that shimmered on his bronzed skin.
Holding her gaze, he leaned forward, using his lips and fangs along the lower curve of her back as he continued to inch her legs further apart.
A soft moan was torn from her lips. There was something unbearably intimate in watching him pleasure her. As if his touch was reaching someplace deep inside her.
Nibbling down the curve of her hip, he made a sound deep in his throat as he at last reached the smooth skin of her inner thigh.
“Deliciosa,”
he murmured. “You taste of sweet jasmine.”
It was the sensation of his lips moving against her most responsive flesh that made her eyes slide shut in sinful pleasure. She hissed, her knees going weak. This was so good. Exactly what she’d been craving.
Then, while she was still adjusting to the light caress, his clever tongue was sliding through her tender cleft and the tingles of anticipation became a tidal wave of bliss.
“Santiago,” she groaned, her forehead pressed against the slick tiles.
“I’m here,
cara,
” he reassured her, his hands holding her hips steady as he continued his exquisite assault. “Let yourself go.”
Let yourself go . . .
Such simple words, but for a woman who maintained a rigid clamp on her every emotion, they were as difficult as telling her to walk into the sunlight.
Not that Santiago was giving her any option, she acknowledged with a shaken sigh. Prepared for his touch to be as hard and demanding as he was, she was caught off guard when the stroke of his tongue was a soft, seeking exploration. She quivered, her fingers digging into the tile.
Holy hell. This was . . . indecent. And so wickedly wonderful she couldn’t remember why she thought this would be a bad idea.
His tongue found the tiny bundle of nerves and her head tilted back as his steady licks sent a blaze of arousal through her body.
“Yes,” she muttered. “Don’t stop.”
“Not a force in this world would make me stop,” he growled.
Thank the gods. Her fangs lengthened and her entire body bowed as his soft strokes quickened, his hands firmly holding her in place.
Distantly she was aware of the warm cascade of water and the feel of Santiago’s power stirring the thick air. And if she tried hard enough she could sense each and every Harpy as they moved through the large building. But at the moment her only interest was in the acute pleasure that was rapidly spiraling toward an explosion she wasn’t sure she was going to survive.
And she didn’t give a damn.
She moaned softly, hanging on the cusp. She needed . . .
He shifted his head just a fraction, changing the pressure of his tongue. Yes. That was it. The small movement was enough to send her hurtling over the edge, and with a cry of sheer pleasure she crushed the tiles beneath her hands.
Her entire body shook at the force of her climax, leaving her feeling oddly dazed.
Which was the only reason she allowed Santiago to scoop her in his arms and carry her out of the bathroom, she assured herself.
No matter how great the sex, she would never, ever be one of those females who liked being treated like a fragile flower.
Ignoring the water that dripped from their bodies, Santiago crossed to the large bed, lowering her into the middle of the mattress with a powerful ease.
“You look like a mermaid,” he murmured, his eyes dark with a smoldering hunger as they swept down her naked body. “Although I’ve never seen one so beautiful.”
She snorted. “Mermaids are a myth.”
He moved onto the mattress to kneel next to her, his full arousal standing at attention. Her hands itched to grasp that proud length, exploring it from its broad head to the base.
“Most people assume that the Immortal Ones are a myth,” he reminded her with a taunting smile. “Especially their mysterious leader, Nefri.”
It was true that her people had remained in peaceful isolation for centuries, and that their occasional visits to this world had been done in secret, but . . .
But what?
She was finding it increasingly difficult to think as he leaned over her, his hands planted on the mattress next to her shoulders and his shaft pressing against her hip.
She might have just enjoyed a mind-blowing orgasm, but clearly her body wasn’t opposed to round two.
Or three.
“I’m no myth,” she at last managed to mutter.
“No?” A lethal smile curved his lips. “Maybe I should discover for myself.”
Always a man of action, he leaned down and allowed his mouth to skim over the curve of her breast.
She trembled at the teasing caress, needing more. Much more.
“Santiago,” she pleaded softly.
“Yes,
querida
.”
Closing his lips over the tip of her nipple, he used his tongue to tease her sated body back into full arousal. Without hesitation she lifted her arms, shoving her fingers into the tempting silk of his hair.
She’d wanted to do this since the moment she caught sight of this gorgeous vampire, she realized with a faint stab of surprise. To loosen the long strands of his raven hair and allow it to slide through her fingers.
“You’re so beautiful.”
The revealing words slipped past her lips before she could stop them, but instead of the smug smile she expected, Santiago lifted his head to regard her with a fierce need that stripped away any pretense that this was just lust.
She didn’t know what was happening between the two of them, but one night of madness wasn’t going to satisfy it.