I watched Jez’ leopard-golden head disappear out the door. She was right. Why did I bother keeping watch here? It obviously didn’t stop people from getting killed, and it drove me crazy. There were other things I could be doing, should be doing, like hunting down the scum that were slaughtering innocents in cold blood.
I could feel Arys’ eyes on me. The sudden heavy weight that made me feel like I was in the spotlight. Stubbornly, I wanted to resist the urge to turn and meet his midnight gaze, but I couldn’t. I turned to find him standing near the bar alone. The girl with the pink hair was in the lineup for a drink, talking on her cell phone.
Arys crooked his finger and beckoned me over. The sly smile and sexy wink that accompanied the gesture made me weak in the knees. Damn him. Arrogant, deadly and oh so fine, I hated that I couldn’t resist him.
I sauntered over to him, ditching my empty glass at a nearby table on the way. “Being here makes me want to hurt people.”
“You’re speaking my language.” Arys slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “What about her?” He indicated the pink haired woman. “Me and you. She could be ours. Do you want her?”
I wasn’t surprised that he wanted her, but I was surprised that he wanted me to join him. Both vampire and werewolf power flowed through my veins, so tearing her throat out was in my nature.
Instead, I swallowed hard and shook my head.
“No. She’s all yours. I can’t stop you from killing, but I can’t let you do it here.”
He raised a dark brow as if he wasn’t sure if I was serious. “No problem. No killing here. Just as well. This place is for amateurs.” He reached to grasp a strand of my black-tipped blond hair, twirling it around his finger. “Hey, are you okay?”
I found genuine concern in his eyes, and I stroked a finger down the side of his face. “I’m fine, just ready for this night to be over.”
A soft kiss had me melting in his embrace. The silver ring in his bottom lip was cold against my tongue. His cologne teased me; everything about him set me on fire. After being involved for almost a year, every touch gave me butterflies as if it were the very first.
Dipping his finger below the waist of my jeans, Arys tugged on my g-string and murmured, “Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to tag team that one with me? Last chance.”
I laughed and slapped him playfully. “Cut it out.”
“But, she’s totally asking for it. How can you resist? How can you expect me to resist?”
“I don’t expect you to. Just use a little … discretion.”
His chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. He grabbed me tightly and nuzzled my neck, grazing my skin with his fangs. The jolt of energy that shot straight to my groin caused me to gasp.
“I can feel it inside you.” His whispered words came hot against my skin. “The pent-up aggression. The need to unleash and feed that hunger. Your wolf is frustrated.”
I sighed and leaned into him. He wasn’t wrong. I should know better than to let the wolf get frisky. It could affect Arys in a pretty ugly way due to our bond. “I’ll be fine. I just need to go home and relax.”
“You need to stop living in denial. This place is no good for you. You should let Kale deal with it. This isn’t your world.”
“It is now.” I studied Arys closely, curious. “This isn’t your world either. You hate it here. So, what’s with all the recent visits?”
Arys shrugged and let his gaze wander around the bar. “Well, you’re here. Where else would I be?”
“No, really. I know you, Arys. You’ve been in here a lot lately. That’s not like you. What’s up?” This was the fourth night in a row that he’d appeared in The Kiss, and I was getting suspicious.
I felt the shift in him as his energy grew defensive. His eyes were still scanning the building, and I began to grow uneasy. What the hell was he hiding from me?
I glanced around, nervous at what I was sensing from Arys. The crowd was starting to thin as most of the vampires lured victims to a more secluded place. Two vampires in a corner booth had a young woman between them. One of them fed from her wrist while the other kissed her deeply. A lone witch at a different table oozed black energy that made my skin crawl. Otherwise, nothing struck me as out-of-place.
Arys pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Later. I promise. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be right back.”
I was dying to know what had Arys so worried, and patience was not a virtue that I possessed. However, if I could just get through the rest of the night without any further incident, I’d consider it a successful evening.
No sooner had I formed that thought than a loud crash drew my attention to a fight on the dance floor. I couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. Since taking over The Kiss, I’d seen just about everything.