Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

“She is staying with me,” Navan growled.

Kalvin grinned. “Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. These things need planning,” he taunted. “Obviously, those two will sleep together, since I’d rather pull out my fangs with tweezers than get up close to a shifter,” he remarked. The two shifters made a sour face at him, though they said nothing in retaliation.

To my surprise, the two shapeshifters drew closer to one another, nuzzling each other with the flabby pouches that might have served as their cheeks. I didn’t know whether to find it cute or repulsive.

“Are they… an item?” I asked quietly, not knowing how to phrase it. I’d never seen anything like it, though it made perfect sense. I’d already been told that interspecies relationships were frowned upon, at best, so why wouldn’t shifters find love with other shifters?

Navan nodded, his own face showing revulsion. “They are mates, yes.”

“How do they…” I trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

“You don’t want to know.” Navan smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, which were fixed on Kalvin’s arrogant face.

“But where do we put everyone else?” the coldblood asked, evidently enjoying the game of toying with Navan.

“I’m not sleeping next to Nestor,” one of the dark-haired coldbloods announced suddenly, shoving the other coldblood in the shoulder. “His snores could start quakes!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sleeping next to you either, Cristo!” the coldblood named Nestor snapped, pushing Cristo so hard he stumbled up against the back wall of the ship.

Kalvin grinned. “Boys, boys, you’re missing the point,” he murmured, his gaze on me. “I think Riley here should sleep with me and Cristo, since we’re the highest ranking on board this ship, after old man Lazar over there,” he said, flicking his wrist in the direction of the door Lazar had gone through.

I froze, hating the sound of my name coming from Kalvin’s lips. Orion or Lazar had no doubt told them all who I was, but it still didn’t make me like it. It turned my stomach, to hear the way they spoke it, always with a hint of something untoward. I could already feel Kalvin undressing me with his eyes, making me want to back out of the ship that instant, and put as much distance between myself and these hungry coldbloods as possible.

“She stays with me,” Navan snarled. “Don’t make me say it again.”

“It would be a nice idea, if the two of you could be trusted—which you can’t. Who’s to say the pair of you won’t come up with some escape plan the moment you’re alone together? Nope, not gonna happen. So, sorry, but think again,” Kalvin said.

I realized then they didn’t know about the chip in my neck, keeping Navan in line. Orion really must not have wanted anyone to know about the technology, if he hadn’t even told his “most trusted” men.

Navan looked at me, evidently thinking the same thing, but I shook my head discreetly, keeping him from invoking Orion’s wrath.

“She stays with me,” Navan repeated, his words dripping venom.

Kalvin ignored him, his eyes still fixed on me. “You know, I’ve never tasted human before,” he said, licking his lips licentiously, “but I bet you’re delicious.”

I held onto Navan’s arm, certain that he was about to lunge for Kalvin. Beneath my hand, I could feel Navan’s muscles spasming as he fought back the urge to strike at the obnoxious, lewd coldblood. I shared the sentiment, but I knew that getting into a fight here would do us no good. Besides, there was no space for a brawl.

For a moment, I thought about bursting Kalvin’s bubble, telling him that my blood would have to be synthesized before he could get his filthy jaws on me, but then I realized something. They knew about my blood. Kalvin was just trying to rile Navan up, and scare me in the process. Well, not today. I’d had enough of coldbloods trying to frighten me.

“I could tear that pretty neck of hers wide open, and drink until there was nothing left.” Cristo laughed coldly, his leering eyes wandering over my body.

Nestor nodded. “I’d bathe in her blood. I’d bottle it up and sell it to the highest bidder.” With all three coldbloods staring at me, I felt sick.

Despite knowing they were just trying to get a reaction out of us, I felt a true tremble of fear shiver up my spine. These creatures were powerful. Even if they were joking now, what if they decided to act on it later? Here, trapped on this ship, I would be helpless to stop them.

Before I could step in, I felt Navan break away from me, moving rapidly in their direction. A cry went up as he struck Nestor in the stomach, the coldblood buckling at the knees. Cristo leapt to his comrade’s defense, baring his teeth as he hurled himself at Navan, his sharp fangs ready to bite into the ashen flesh of the man I… cared for.

Kalvin joined the fray, his hands balled into fists, and punched Navan hard in the face. Navan reeled, staggering backward, but he was lunging forward again in no time, striking Kalvin in the neck.

“Navan, stop!” I yelled, but he either couldn’t hear me, or wasn’t listening.

The shifters shrank back as the coldbloods battled one another in a blur of limbs and fangs. Navan was strong, but it was hard for him to hold off all three of them at once in such cramped quarters. They barely had any space to lunge! He was doing a good job of it, ducking and diving beneath blows, but I could see he was struggling to keep an eye on everyone. They moved so fast, even I was having trouble keeping up from my spot on the periphery of it all.

“All of you, stop!” a voice roared from somewhere behind them.

Lazar had reappeared, just in the nick of time. Kalvin had Navan by the throat, with Nestor and Cristo pinning his arms behind his back. He was fighting back, his muscles straining against his captors, but I knew he wouldn’t have lasted much longer, had Lazar not interceded when he did.

Immediately, the coldbloods released Navan.

“We were just discussing sleeping arrangements,” Kalvin said casually, brushing blood from his lip. “I made it clear that Navan and Riley couldn’t stay together in a pod, since they can’t be trusted.” He pouted, drawing backward like a wounded animal.

Lazar turned to where I stood, an apologetic expression on his face. “I will be the one to watch over them. The rest of you, I suggest you keep your distance,” he warned. “I’m the highest-ranking officer on this ship, and if there’s so much as a peep from any of you, Orion will be the first to hear about it.”

“Don’t blame me when the lovebirds escape,” Kalvin grumbled, with the other two coldbloods reluctantly agreeing with Lazar’s words.