Red and Her Wolf (Kingdom, #3)

Light filled his eyes; they glowed even as his mouth curled back like a dog’s muzzle. Large fangs dropped and… her heart was going to explode in her chest. His bite was not savage, but it was deep. He bit her collarbone, making her whimper as his fangs sank in.

There were moans, deep and trembling with a need that bordered on desperation. She was doing it. Alive, consumed by passion, tremors wracked her frame as she panted through the liquid pleasure. Lit with desire, her sanity screamed at her to get away, but her traitorous body could only undulate as the pleasure overwhelmed her with its violence.

“Violet,” her name dropped like a prayer from his lips and that was the catalyst she needed to snap from her stupor.

She shoved him for all she was worth. He was so much stronger than her, he barely budged. A heavy sigh tickled her ear before he kissed her neck so softly it was almost a whisper, he scooted back.

Finally free of the blinding, all-consuming craving for more, she gripped her neck. Blood stained her fingertips, but not as much as she’d thought there would be.

“What did you do to me?” she demanded, lungs still heaving for air, scooting back on her heels until her back was plastered against a gravestone. Traitorous body tingling, not with anger, but with desire so consuming she had to claw her nails into the dirt to keep from crawling back for more.

His eyes were shaded, thoughtful… haunted?

“I’ve marked ye.”

“You what?” Her brows lowered, and she fought a swell of dizziness as she shoved to her feet, slipping her hand casually into her back jean pocket.

Kneeling, he glared up at her. There wasn’t hatred, or even anger, but a sort of shock, as if he couldn’t comprehend what’d just taken place between them. He seemed completely unaware of the vicious bite wound in his arm still oozing blood.

They stared intensely at one another for several moments, she with fury, he with a dawning understanding. He broke first. Standing, he took a step toward her. But this time she was faster, and pulled her pocket knife out, slamming her thumb on the button to release the three inch blade. It wouldn’t kill, but it would hurt.

“Red,” he warned with a shake of his head, “stop and listen.”

Every hard line of his body flexed as he moved closer. She didn’t want to notice that about him. She didn’t want to care. Fact was, she’d sever his beautiful head from his neck if he came one inch closer.

“Stay back.” She held the knife out, swishing it from side to side. “I’ve killed your kind before, I’ll do it again.”

He stopped walking, jaw working hard from side to side. “Ye canna harm me. T’was the purpose of the bite, lass. I’ve marked ye, a mate canna harm their own.”

“Liar,” she spat. “I’d never whore myself for a dog. I’m not your mate and so help me, you’d better tell me where I’m at before I cut that,” she pointed at his big, stiff, ugly… thing, “off.”

“Bravo! What fun,” a roughly masculine voice trembled with laughter as he clapped.

Startled, Violet twirled on her heels. A brightly clothed peacock of a man waggled his brows at her.

“I am Kermani,” he said in a strangely accented voice not all together displeasing, melodic, almost mesmerizing. She wasn’t given much time to ponder it before he’d rushed her and grabbed the knife blithely from her hand, hiding it efficiently within the voluminous folds of his turquoise colored pants. She hardly had time to register it was gone, one second it was firm within her grasp, the next she held nothing but air.

“Give it back,” she said.

He wagged a finger. “Within my walls, there is peace. No weapons allowed.”

And yet, it didn’t escape her notice that he’d held onto it.

A short man, slight of build with burnished umber skin gleamed in the early morning light. He bowed theatrically with one arm tucked beneath his waist. “I’m sorry it took me so long to make my acquaintance known, but I had…” his black eyes narrowed shrewdly, “matters most urgent to attend to.”

Face creasing into a friendly smile, he winked. The large golden hoop in his ear gleamed with several large ruby settings.

Violet frowned.

“And ye are?”

Just the sound of the dog’s voice made her wet and gnash her teeth, damn that bald headed thief for taking her only knife.

“My apologies, I’m your ally.”

The wolf cocked his head. “I thought the ghoul…”

Kermani hopped onto a jagged piece of tombstone, crossing his legs. Tan pointed shoes bouncing to and fro. The colors he wore were amazing. Like he’d taken the brightest jewels and spun them into fabric, from the deep red of his strange shirt, to the orange striped scarf he’d wrapped around his waist.