Crimson Heat: 4 (Vampira) (11 page)

“I’ll do anything to keep you safe. Including killing him if it gets the Queen out of your life forever.”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed unkindly as he glared back at the old male. If looks could kill, the Elder would be dead.

To her surprise, the Elder chuckled. “These males will be good protectors if you become Queen.”

Satin shook her head. “I have no interest in the position, Elder. I just want Zeena safe and to keep my males from harm. If the Queen needs to be killed in order to do it, so it shall be.”

The Elder frowned. “I assure you it is not a trap. If I wished you dead, I would not have saved you. But if you go back she will know when you arrive. Her mind shield warning system is great and far. It will be up to you to figure out how the ball can be destroyed before she kills you.”

Well, that’s helpful.

The area of the mind shield was covered because Tristan would protect them with his strong mind shield, but there was no need to share with the Elder about Tristan’s powers, despite how much the Elder had helped her.

“Thank you, Elder. I am sorry that you will die if we find a way to kill her.”

He nodded. “I am ready to die for my Clan. Unfortunately I have not had the power to do what needs doing myself. I am weak in that way. Besides, in these snow-covered mountains I am unable to find any weapons for the deed.”

Before any of the males could produce a weapon for the elder to assist in killing himself, Satin shook her head.

“We will do the deed, Elder.” Sweet vampire, who was she kidding? She didn’t even know if she would have an opportunity to kill the Queen when Lisbeth went back. And the thought of having this male die brought a well of thick emotion into her throat. He had saved her from slavery. Most likely saved her life all those years ago. Now she was going to have to kill him? This situation was getting worse instead of better.

The male turned to leave, but then spun around again.

“Remember what I told you. Force does not kill that handle. Try anything else but that.”

What else was there
? “I understand. Thank you, Elder. You don’t know how much I appreciate your help.”

He nodded, winked and then walked away, the swirls of snow embracing him until he disappeared.

“Does anyone have an idea on how we can destroy that ball in her cane?” Luca asked as he and the males moved protectively around her again. Their big bodies blocked the frigid wind, allowing her to think a bit more clearly.

“There’s no time to figure out how to shatter an unbreakable ball,” Lisbeth mused. Time was running out for Zeena. Standing around here trying to think of a way to kill the Queen was only putting Zeena in even more danger.

“We need to go back. Now.”

“You can’t go back there, Lisbeth,” Luca snarled. “We won’t allow it.”

Jaymes and Tristan growled their agreement.

Lisbeth shook her head as defiance raged through her.

“I’m not letting Zeena die.”

“You heard the Elder. The Queen will kill her either way,” Tristan said. She noted the collar he held in his hand—the collar that they’d removed from her neck before she’d dematerialized to come here. She didn’t comment on him bringing it along but she would vanish and return to Crimson Clan alone if he tried to place that collar around her neck again.

“Then we’ll have to do something before the Queen does any more harm to her,” Lisbeth replied. “I am not letting Zeena die. At least if I go back I can live with myself knowing I did everything in my power to save her.”

“If you live,” Jaymes grumbled.

“I’m going with or without you,” she warned and prepared to dematerialize.

“We have no plan!” Tristan snapped.

“We have more than we had before. We know how to kill her. We’ll play the rest by ear,” Lisbeth said.

Tears of regret burned her gaze. Angrily she brushed them away with the backs of her hands. Only moments ago she’d been planning on spending the rest of her life with her males. She just hadn’t comprehended her life might be so short.

“I have to go. Please understand,” she whispered.

“Wait.” Luca stepped forward. “Plan or no plan. I am coming with you.”

“As am I.” Jaymes nodded.

“Then we stick together and confront the bitch,” Tristan said.

“Together.” Lisbeth smiled despite the fear flooding her of seeing the Queen again.

“I will keep my mind shield on you so she cannot read into your fear,” Tristan replied. “It will be tricky but I think I can even make sure she cannot discover you will be after her cane. Are you ready?”

Lisbeth nodded. But she was far from ready.

Luca took hold of her right hand and squeezed with reassurance. Jaymes held her other one. Tristan tossed the collar to the ground.

“Together. Always,” he whispered and grinned at them.

“Give me a second so I can get there first and mount my shield for your arrival.”

She watched him dematerialize. Then after a second she followed as Jaymes and Luca vanished as well.

Zeena held her breath as the Queen leisurely caressed the length of her hair, stroking her as if she was a pet. Which she effectively was. The Queen had ordered an uncomfortable metal collar to be placed around her neck. A strong chain dangled from a ring at the throat area. The other end of the chain was bolted to an iron bar protruding vertically from the ground not more than a few feet from a gorgeous emerald-colored swimming pool.

The Queen sat on a gold throne with silky, puffy red pillows. But Zeena had no such snug comforts. She’d been forced to sit on a chilly marble floor at the Queen’s feet. Her ass was cold and her bare feet were frozen and stiff.

“Perhaps Satin won’t return for you after all, my dear female,” the Queen muttered in a sad tone beneath her breath.

Zeena didn’t dare look up at her. The Queen would see pleading and fear in her eyes and that was the last thing Zeena wanted. Until now she’d managed to hold onto her sanity. Not for a moment had it occurred to her that Lisbeth wouldn’t come for her. Even when two burly males had materialized in the back room of her shop and grabbed her, she had instinctively known she was being kidnapped and it had to do with Lisbeth. When they’d dematerialized with her and brought her to this forsaken place, she had believed Lisbeth would come for her.

Zeena forced herself to steady her breaths and willed herself not to panic despite her next sudden thoughts. The Queen had been unable to locate Lisbeth for over half a century. What if the Queen’s goons couldn’t find Lisbeth this time? What if Zeena was stuck here as this vile female’s pet forever? Why in vampire hadn’t she listened to Lisbeth when she’d told her to take sanctuary at her parents’ castle?

She knew why. If her mother and father knew what was happening they would have put Zeena under lock and key for the rest of her life. They were so overprotective.

Instead she’d been confident Lisbeth would find a safe place, so Zeena had opted to remain in the human world, her cell close at hand in case Lisbeth contacted her again. She kept her mind off things by continuing to work in order to fill her fashion order.

Why had she been so selfish and stayed where she could be kidnapped so easily and put Lisbeth in such danger? The urge to start screaming and to never stop almost overwhelmed her. She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to design dresses and be happy. Why didn’t the Queen just let her go?

A flurry of activity from the entrance to the Queen’s throne room made Zeena jump with fear. But then relief unlike any other she’d ever experienced spilled through her like a gushing wave. Lisbeth was walking into the room.

Oh thank the sweet vampires! Lisbeth had come for her!

But Zeena’s hopes were dashed as she spied the three male vampires who’d come into her dress shop only a day ago. They stood behind Lisbeth and they appeared just as angry as they had the last time she’d seen them.

Guilt ripped through Zeena as Lisbeth caught her eye and smiled warmly. She could tell her friend was trying to reassure her that everything would be all right. Unfortunately Zeena wasn’t buying it. Not one bit. She had a feeling things were going to get a whole lot worse.

* * * * *

“Queen Crimson, I beg to have an audience with you,” Lisbeth said, lying through her teeth as she forced her gaze from a frightened Zeena to the Queen.

The Queen was dressed in a long, flowing silver dress that matched the coldness of the nearby walls of her throne room. Her floor-length gray hair was draped over her shoulders and cascaded along the front of her body like two rivers. She sat on her marble chair, the cane within her reach.

The Queen nodded.

“It is good to see you again,” Lisbeth continued. She hoped Tristan had the mind shield firmly in place because she needed to keep the Queen as calm as possible as she read Lisbeth’s mind—and hopefully keep her focus off Zeena. From past experience with the Queen’s temper, Lisbeth knew the female was unpredictable at best when she was angry. And right now she stared unsmiling at Lisbeth, her black eyes shooting daggers. The Queen was royally pissed.

“Contain them,” she said softly.

Before Lisbeth could so much as move, the Queen’s guards had surrounded Tristan, Jaymes and Luca, quickly relieving them of all their weapons. She wasn’t in the least bit surprised. As she’d told the males, the Queen could not be trusted.

“What is this, Queen? You promised if we brought her back we would be freed.” Tristan spoke in a calm voice, but Lisbeth detected the undertone of anger.

Oh sweet vampires!
Would Tristan keep the shield up if they took him away? Yes, yes he would. He wouldn’t let her down. She had to remain confident in his abilities.

“You males dare to come back here?” the Queen bellowed, her voice echoing off the gray stone walls of the room.

“We did as you asked, my Queen,” Luca replied, kneeling down on one knee. Lisbeth sensed his restraint.

“She has your scents all over her. You have lain with her.”

Lisbeth tensed. In their haste to get back to Zeena she’d forgotten about cleansing their scents off her.

“They forced me,” Lisbeth said quickly, hoping the Queen believed her. Hoping the Queen didn’t kill her males.

“Forced you?” The Queen inhaled deeply and nodded as if in thought. For a split second Lisbeth could feel the Queen probing against her mind, but the probing quickly subsided.
Tristan
. He had to be keeping the Queen at bay.

A moment later, she smiled.

“You are irresistible. I can see why they would force you.”

“It was the lure of the Crimson Moon,” she explained, hoping the Queen would accept that excuse. Crimson males were overly strong in their sexual prowess during that cycle of the month, just as females were sexually vulnerable.

The Queen nodded to her guards. “Take them to the dungeon. I will deal with them later. Leave Satin here.”

Lisbeth noticed her males were about to protest but she threw them a warning glance, hoping they wouldn’t raise the Queen’s anger. Thankfully, they merely glared at her before the Queen’s guards quickly ushered them out of the room.

“Come closer, Satin. I wish to inspect you for damages.”

Hoping Tristan’s shield was protecting her, Lisbeth’s mind went wild figuring out ways to get her hands on that cane.
And then what? It is unbreakable.
She needed to think of another way to take out that cane. She should have asked the Queen’s brother more questions about it. In the meantime, she needed to keep the female’s focus off Zeena.

Lisbeth took a couple of steps forward.

“I’ve been craving you, my Queen. Craving you to feed on me again.”

The Queen’s gaze narrowed with suspicion. “Then why run? Why hide from me for all these years?”

“I…” Lisbeth forced herself to swallow the bile of distaste rising into her throat and walked slowly toward the Queen.

“I was afraid.”

“Of?”

“My feelings for you.”

Zeena made a strangled gasp of surprise. Lisbeth ignored her. She forced herself to raise her right hand and to stroke the length of her own neck. She smiled at the Queen and her gaze snapped to where Lisbeth touched.

“I want you to feed off me. I want you to take me. Right here. Right now. I’ve waited for so long.”

She needed to get her hands on that cane.

Satin swallowed nervously as she neared the vile female. A small smile tilted the Queen’s lips.

“Why are you playing with me?” she whispered.

Lisbeth froze. Had she read past Tristan’s shield?

“I can smell your fear.” The Queen’s voice dripped with satisfaction. “You need not fear me.”

But then Lisbeth recognized the sexual interest in the Queen’s eyes. After all these years it was still there. Lisbeth had only one chance to get her hands on that cane. She would do anything to make sure she didn’t screw up her quickly formulating plan.

* * * * *

Rage raced through Luca. Satin was back there, alone with the Queen. He’d smelled her fear of the vile bitch. When the Queen had instructed her guards to separate them, he’d been willing to fight barehanded and die for Lisbeth. But her warning glance had stopped him cold. She had a plan. Despite that, he needed to get away from these guards and to go back to rescue her.

He slowed his pace until he was even with Jaymes. He glanced at the male, trying to read his facial expression, but Jaymes’ eyes were dark with anger. A slight shake of Jaymes’ head warned Luca that they needed to bide their time. But for how long? Until Lisbeth was dead?

* * * * *

Queen Crimson stared at Lisbeth. The slave’s fear scent mingled with her sweet smell. It was like an aphrodisiac for her and it permeated the air and made her clench the armrest of her throne in order to keep herself seated. She wanted to stand and run to her long-lost slave. To drop to her knees and tell Satin how pleased she was that the bounty hunters had brought her back. To beg Satin to never run away again.

But she couldn’t. She had to pretend to remain ice-cold. Indifferent. Emotions would be her downfall. Satin would be her downfall if she wasn’t careful. If she showed the slave how thrilled she was to have her back. She could not show emotion.

Lisbeth shook her head, her gaze filled with fear and something else the Queen could not put a name to. Perhaps disgust? Revulsion? She tried to read Satin’s mind but couldn’t find the fear. Why not? Where was that fear? A fissure of anger sifted through her, but she reined it in. She would figure it out later. Right now she wished to dine on Satin. If only for one more time.

“I’m not playing with you, my Queen. I realized how much I wanted you when the males were fucking me. I was thinking about you instead. I’ve always thought about you. It’s why I ran away.”

Dare the slave lie to her? Dare she be so bold? Again she read the slave’s mind and found an eerie calmness inside the slave. As if she was resigned to her fate of becoming her lover.

Good. Very good. She need not know what was in store for her. It would be easier to slaughter her when the time came if the slave was calm. Last-minute fear was always the strongest aphrodisiac to her senses.

“Then show me how much you wish me, slave. Kill your little friend for me. Show me how much you want to obey me. How much you want to please me. How much you want me.”

The slave stopped dead in her tracks. Horror flickered in her eyes. Satisfaction whipped through the Queen. The little slave did not wish to hurt the female? Not even for her?

“She comes from the Crystal Clan, my Queen. She has a sister and the female returned to her clan to warn them. They know she is here. It is only a matter of time before they come here for her. If she is harmed, her sire’s Warriors will do battle. I assure you. I do not wish our Clan to go to war with them.”

“My soldiers can take on any number of Warriors. They are well-trained. Now come closer.”

Perhaps Satin was right. The two clans had been at peace for a century. This might not be the time to start up a war. She could find other ways for Satin to prove her words.

“I said come closer,” she instructed Satin and she was pleased the slave did her bidding.

The closer the female came to her, the harder it was to resist that sweet scent that intrigued her. A pity she would have to kill the slave after she fed on her. There was no way she could let her live. It would only encourage other slaves to continue trying for escape. Satin had become a legend among her slaves. A beacon of hope. The Queen intended to squash that hope. Tonight.

But first, she needed to feed on her. Feed until the bitch was dead. Then she would watch as her soldiers tortured the bounty hunters. And then she would kill them for lying with Satin.

She would kill them. One by one.

* * * * *

“You will need to make a choice, slave. If you wish for this female to live, then you must forfeit the lives of the males.”

No.

“Anything you wish, my Queen,” Lisbeth whispered as she stepped onto the platform of the throne’s base. She tried not to shiver in revulsion at the fangs peeking out from between the Queen’s lips. She couldn’t hesitate now. If she reached out, she could almost reach the cane. It was positioned in a holder in the right armrest of the Queen’s throne. But at this angle, the cane would not come out of the holder easily. She needed to get closer. Just a couple more feet.

“Can you see the veins in my neck throbbing for you, my Queen?” she whispered as she continued to stroke the length of her neck.

A scent of terror and disbelief wafted from Zeena. She stared at Lisbeth with wide-eyed shock as if considering she had gone completely mad. Hopefully, if Zeena believed what Lisbeth was saying, then the Queen would too.

“You will sit by my side. Here, as your friend is doing. You will wear a collar and be my pet.”

“As you wish, my Queen.”

Lust and satisfaction flared in the Queen’s eyes. Her fangs grew longer. More lethal.

“And you will be tortured on a daily basis until I deem your punishment over.”