Maximus crossed his arms over his chest. “Why doesn’t your brother feel the same way
about Sameya if you were raised together?”
“We were grown when Lucius was born. He’s resented her for many a century now.”
Gabriel rolled on the balls of his feet. “
How will you proceed?
”
“I—”
Using her fingertips,
E’Neskha
rubbed at the frown lines slashing across her forehead. “
I have no idea
. That’s what I need to discuss with Sameya.
”
Maximus
stared at her
.
She’d been ruling for so long, why was it hard to make a decision now?
“
Sameya will
die
if she continues to support you
. I suspect you’ll both die.”
He
blew out a long, worried breath. “There were too many against you in the Hall today.
The hostility was enormous. This isn’t a small, one-manned operation, but rather a
contingent of Atlantians
united in opposition
.”
“You were able to feel their animosity?”
“Yes.”
“I did as well,” Gabriel said.
“I’d feared as much.” The Atlantis ruler
sounded melancholic
,
and her features sagged as if she’d burst into tears any moment
. “
I’ll allot you more time with Sameya. Decisions can hold for a short time, but please
have her join me the moment she wakes.
”
Gabriel nodded, while Maximus
pondered
the leader. She offered a small,
tired
smile
that never reached her eyes. She
departed, leaving Maximus wondering what the hell went through her head.
Two hours later Maximus
pulled on a pair of black boxer briefs and
sauntered into Sameya’s kitchen. Sunlight
flooded the room through a huge set of windows that overlooked an impressive oceanic
landscape.
Does darkness ever fall? Since his arrival, the sun
had
hung high in the sky.
Shaking off the weirdness of the days here, he rummaged through her cabinets until
he located a canister of coffee. After prepping the coffee pot, he waited. Tapping
his foot as he watched it drip…drip…driiiip…much too slowly.
His body hinted the hour was much later than he thought. Late enough he was long past
due for a shot of caffeine.
“Th
ose opposed to E’Neskha wil
l come for
Sameya soon
.”
The squeaky voice startled him
,
and Maximus jerked at the intrusion. Spinning about
, he found
a creature not more than a foot tall.
She
stood on the counter top, staring at him with her arms crossed over her flat chest.
Pointy eared, with cherubic features and white hair that trailed behind her on the
counter.
“Those against her Empress will come for her,” the tiny fey reiterated.
He noted she called E’Neskha, Sameya’s
E
mpress and not hers. “I’m aware. Are you the brownie?”
“Name
’
s Dart. Feel free to use it. Are you
a
blood sucker?”
“
Yep
. Call me Maximus.”
Her sparkling rainbow eyes studied him.
“I can see why she likes you.
You’re
more than a one-nighter
?
”
“
Mates.”
White eyebrows elevated. “And the other fellow?”
“Mate also.”
Both eyebrows ratcheted
higher
. “What do you plan to do about the threat against her?”
The changes in topic made his head swim
. “Get her the hell out of Atlantis if possible.”
Dart sat on the edge of the counter, her legs dangling over the side. She looked like
a doll a child would play with. He’d seen newborns bigger than her. “You’ll protect
her.”
Insulted he allowed his vamp
y
r to show in his eyes. “She’s my goddamn mate.
”
Of course I’ll protect her
.
She held up a doll-sized ha
nd. “No disrespect meant, blood
sucker.
How far will you go to keep her safe?”
Fascinated
he peered at her.
A brownie cleaned homes and according to Sameya served as her jack-of-all-trades if
the stocked cabinets were any indication. As tiny as she was, he imagined she often
went unnoticed.
“What are you suggesting?”
Her legs swished back and forth.
In a swirling array of sparkling lights, a
box of dog treats appeared in her
hand. She tossed two toward the Zions that’d crept up behind him. “Would you kill
the Empress to save Sameya?”
“Are you part of the revolution?” He watched her closely, opening his senses, but
couldn’t detect any guile.
Dart rolled her eyes. “Why would I bother? No one governs a brownie.”
The coffee pot beeped indicating it’d finished brewing. Finally! Opening cabinets
in search of a mug, he said, “You work for Sameya. Isn’t that something like being
governed?”
“Here.” She thrust a mug toward
him;
it’s bulk huge against her tiny frame
.
It’s a wonder she can lift it.
He hadn’t seen her move, nor had he witnessed any of that sparkly magic, so he had
no idea how or when she’d come by the cup. Neither did he care at the moment.
He needed caffeine, so he accepted the dishware.
“Sameya compensates me
with
fine
,
fine
tequila. And…I guess I sort of like her. A little.
” She moved like a jaguar on speed
. Going onto her tippy-toes, she got
in his face as best she could. “
You tell her that and I’ll bite your fucking leg off!”
Maximus laughed, startled by her vehemence. Like his gal a little? He didn’t think
so. Dart wanted to appear aloof, but her emotions were high. At the brownie
’
s glare over his
amusement
,
he cleared his throat and forced a straight-faced
mien.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead.”
“Bite m
y
leg off, hmm?” He stepped aside and poured his mug full of coffee. Bite my leg, indeed!
Even c
razier
the
little brownie thought that’d actually cow him. “Your secret is safe.” And in order
to say that with a straight face, he had to bite the inside of his mouth. “As for
the Empress, I’d kill her in a heartbeat if I thought it’
d save Sameya.”
“I like you.” Dart sauntered away, her little feet stuffed into itty-bitty stilettos
made a tapping sound against the marble. Maybe she wasn’t as tall as he’d originally
suspected. “We’ll get along just fine.”
“Do you know who leads the upheaval?”
“
Yeah. There’s a list of names of the militants.” She pointed at the table as a sheet
of paper magically appeared.
“Are you coming with us when we leave?” Maximus sipped
h
is coffee, studying her over the rim of his mug.
Presumptuous of him to assume Sameya would leave Atlantis, but at this point he couldn’t
foresee any other way to keep her alive.
“What’s in it for me?” She swiveled to get a gander of him over her shoulder.
“Anything you want.”
“Anything?” Her eyes grew round
,
and her features softened.
“Within reason
,
and so long as I can get my hands on it without endangering life or limb.”
“Reese Cups. I want a
big
bag of them
once a month
.”
What a bizarre request! “Reese Cups?” She had to be yanking his chain.
Tequila was her vice from Sameya
,
and from him she wanted sweets?
She
nodded and
licked her light pink lips as if she could taste them now. “The miniature kind
…so I won’t get drunk as fast
.”
Drunk? That was what the liquor was for. Maybe she was like the ogre. Tea was their
form of spirits.
But w
hen had she
tasted a
Reese
Cup
? She
lived in Atlantis
,
and
the best he could tell the inhabitants
did not trade with the earthy realm?
Maximus did not ask.
“Agreed. Any other housing requirements?”
“How big is your domain?”
He shrugged. “Six thousand square feet. Give or take.”
She clapped her hands together, her eyes swirling brighter. “My dream home to clean!
I’ll happily join you all.”
He’d gladly let her clean since he despised the chore.
The brownie leapt off the counter and skipped across the floor and out of sight. Maximus
shook his head. What a weird conversation
and even stranger creature
.
Refilling his mug, he turned to stare out the window.
Fluffy clouds dotted the sky, while greenery and an explosion of color suggested Atlantis
were smack dab in the middle of spring. If they followed the earth’s orbit, that wasn’t
possible. They should be at the end of summer.
A short while later, t
he door to Sameya’s bedroom opened and closed. He turned to see his woman strolling
toward him, fingers rubbing the sleep from one eye. After the Empress’ visit, Gabriel
had shifted into his
tiger
and curled up to sleep beside their mate.
“Morning. Afternoon. Evening. I have no idea what time of day it is.”
Smiling, she stopped in front of him and peered up. “It’s evening.”
The sleepy tone to her voice reminded him of the way she sounded after climaxing.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled against his chest. Stunned it took
him a moment
to process the shock of her embrace
before he set his coffee aside and
returned her hug
. He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “Something wrong, naleah?”
“No, I wanted to be close to you. Do you prefer I not hug you?”
“Touch me however you want whenever you want.” Maximus ran a palm down her spine.
That she felt comfortable enough to
embrace
him
fed hi
s optimism
.
“I’m not certain I can walk away from you and Gabriel.”
He squeezed her tighter. “Good.”
Sameya tilted her head back to peer at him. “It’s not the sex.
Even though it is amazing.
”
Maximus grinned. “I know.”
“I feel connected to you both in a way I cannot explain.” She buried her face against
his chest and breathed deeply. “Your scent…it’s like an elixir. I love the unique
blend of man and vampyr.” She ran a fingertip along his jaw. “Gabriel’s the same way.
And snuggling with his cat, having him purr while I pet him.” She shook her head.
“I cannot explain this response I’m feeling here.” She touched the spot over her heart.
“I barely know either of you, but I trust you both as if I’ve known you all my life.
It’s like you’re both connected to me on a molecular level.”
“We are joined on a molecular level.” He buried
t
he fingers of
one
hand in her hair and clamped his other hand on her hip. “Our bond will become stronger
when we officially mate. I’ve heard stories that some
who
are mated can talk telepathically.
Others can sense the emotions of their mate.
Very similar to earlier when I could sense your anguish when you were mind-fucking
Gryphon.
”
Staring at his mouth, she nodded. “I’m afraid for your safety. Yet, I’m sensing neither
of you will leave if I ask it.”
“See, you’re already sensing our emotions.” He flashed her a wicked grin, exposing
his teeth.
She reached up and ran her thumb along one fang. “Vampyr, I need you to mark me as
yours.”
Anticipation had his heart ramming
against his ribs. “I do that here.”
Watching her expression, he slid his hand down her hip and across her thigh, until
he could trail his fingers along the
artery on the inside of her leg
, inches below her pussy.
“Will you fuck me, too?”
He wasn’t sure if it was a request or an inquiry. “Yes, but only with Gabriel present.”
She shivered as he trailed his fingertips across the outer edges of her cunt. “I want
that, Maximus. Gabriel should mark
me
harder than he has already.
Permanently.
”
“Do you know what you’re getting into?” It’d be a full-blown mating. They couldn’t
allow her to depart after that, not without
sending them both into a depression. It’d be like her dying
.
“I—yes.” She
cuddled
against him
once more
, her face buried against his chest
, her breath puffing
on
his skin
. “The idea of walking
out of your lives
makes me sick to my stomach.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Not that it made her nauseous, but that she’d
accepted
her
attraction
to the
mating magnetism
.
He and Gabriel had been mindless when t
hey’d
initiated
their mating dance
. It wasn’t any easier with Sameya
, they’d both been struggling not to fuck her and mark her until she was exhausted
.
Respecting her decision was difficult, worse than a case of
blue balls, b
ut so worth the effort if she became theirs in the end.
Chapter
Twenty-
Four
Sameya never wanted to leave his arms, but choices were limited. She had an Empress
to save before she could get on with her life with her men. Of course she had no clear
concept of how that would happen. They couldn’t remain in Atlantis
,
and the idea of leaving…well, it was better to be with them surrounded by the pestilence
called humanity than alone without them in her homeland.
Nero and Thrax would come with her.
Of that she had no doubt.
They could pass as some mixed breed Mastiff
or
Great Dane.
Only
a wee bit bigger than their human counterparts
, and a
whole hell of a lot more dangerous, but provided she wasn’t endangered they were
nothing more than big lap babies.
Dart was a different matter altogether. She’d invite the brownie to tag along, but
she couldn’t guess what her response would be.
She’d woken curled up against
her tiger
, his purring soft, but expressing his contentment. As she’d put her fingers through
his fur and scratched near his ear, his purr had grown louder. He’d tilted his head
and licked her arm. A nuzzle like a man would’ve done. In that moment, she’d realized
they
meant too much to her to kick them out of her life. They
were as much hers as they claimed she was theirs.
Leaving Gabriel asleep, she’d found Maximus wearing a puzzled expression, while sipping
coffee and staring out her window. And she’d been struck all over again by how much
they’d
come to mean to her in such a short amount of time.
Without thinking, she’d walked straight to him and hugged him. Not the touchy-feely
type, her response had surprised her as much as it obviously had him. He’d taken several
seconds before returning her embrace. At first she’d worried she’d made a mistake.
Cats were affectionate by nature, but she had no idea the norm for a vampyr.
Loving the feel of him,
Sameya
dragged
her cheek against his bare chest.
She kissed him,
and then
licked the spot.
Maximus’
s
hand tightened in her hair. “Sameya.” His gruff voice hinted how close to the edge
she pushed him.
Why the control? “Don’t you want to fuck me?”
“Of course, I do, but it’s been less than three hours since
we
disciplined
you last.” His hand shifted and ran along the curve of her ass, fingertips swiping
through the crevice.
“Mmm…I think I like being disciplined.”
He chuckled.
“I do have a toy to place somewhere intimately
.” Holding eye contact, he trailed his jaw along her cheek. His voice deepened to
a level that buzzed directly across her clit. “T
o prepare you for later.”
She couldn’t wait. “When I return from my meeting with E’Neskha.”
“No, before. With every move you make, I want you to think of us while you’re with
her.”
“That’s so…kinky.”
He flashed a wicked grin. “Think I can make you come with just the toy in your ass?”