Eternal Sin (10 page)

Petra’s lips formed a thin line and her face paled.

“What other vampire?” said the female hawk shifter with a sneer.

“We can’t skirt around this anymore,” Kate continued. “Is Synjon here, Petra?”

Petra was silent, but Phane noticed her hands had gone to her belly. The hawk female’s eyes narrowed on Kate. Damn, she was fierce. He wanted her eyes on him like that.

“Is he here against his will?” Kate asked, her gaze unmoving as she sought Petra’s attention.

“You don’t have to answer them, Pets,” said the hawk shifter. “You don’t have to answer to anyone—”

But Petra couldn’t be quelled. “The baby needs him.”

“Pets!”

She shook her head. “No. It’s okay, Dani.” With a slow exhale, she walked forward, toward Dillon and the small crowd seated on the rocks behind her.

Dani.
So that was the female shifter’s name.
Hot damn,
Phane mused, wanting to try it out on his tongue but knowing he had to use only his mind for now.

Dani.

He liked it. He liked it a lot. And so did his hawk.

“I sympathize with what you’re saying, Petra,” Dillon said. “I know what Synjon’s put you through, what a complete and total shithead he’s been over the past week. I was the one who told Alex, Nicky, and Luca to get into that penthouse of his and talk some sense into him. But right now, I speak for the motherfucking Order—not my favorite thing to do, mind you—but there it is. They won’t rest on this until they have the truth.”

“Look,
veana
.” It was Helo who spoke, his gaze on Petra, his voice calm. “Let us speak to Synjon. If he’s cool with being here, all he has to do is tell the Order that and we’re done.”

Petra turned her attention to the water beast and sighed. “He’s not cool with it.”

“Oh, shit,” Dillon muttered.

“You need to let him go, Petra,” Kate said.

“No.”

“Then at least let Helo or Phane speak with him.”

“No.”

Kate turned to Sara. “Please talk to her. You’re her family. Her blood.”

“And say what?” Sara asked, her tone very different from that of the rest of them. It was coarse and strained. “‘Let your baby suffer, die because his emotionless father wants to go back to his fuckpad and party’?” Sara looked around at her family, who were all staring wide-eyed at her. “If Alexander was acting like this, if I needed his blood, and my baby was at risk, would any of you ask me to hand him over?”

Kate fell silent. Dillon and Helo too.

“So, it’s settled,” said the hawk shifter. “The asshole isn’t going anywhere.”

Phane turned to regard her. Tough, tantalizing, she completely fascinated him, and he didn’t want to leave. Syn was one lucky male. How could he get Dani the hawk shifter to take him “against his will,” show him the nest she was going to keep him in? Feed from him anytime she chose?

“You understand,” Dillon said over Phane’s pornographic daydream. “If he’s not either released or telling the Order that he stays here of his own free will, the entire ruling vampire force might descend on your private world.”

Petra’s jaw was tight and her eyes were strained. She glanced at her mother. The one who’d raised her. Wanted her.

Wen gave her a broad smile. “Let them come!”

“Double shit,” Dillon muttered.

“That’s right,” Dani called out. “We’ll protect Petra and this child.”

“You would protect a vampire?” Phane said, addressing her outright for the first time.

The female hawk shifter, the hot little blond bird with metal in her nose, turned to look at him.

“Incurring the wrath of the Eternal Order?” he continued.

Her eyes narrowed as she moved her gaze up and down his body, pausing for only a second when she spied the bulge between his legs that he couldn’t conceal, or refused to conceal—he wasn’t sure which. “We always protect our own, bloodsucker. And Petra’s our family.”

The bulge quickly upgraded to steel. “You may have to fight.”

She grinned, and the megawatt heat that smile put out nearly sent Phane to his knees. “Nothing I enjoy more than a good dirty fight.”

“You mean a good clean fight,” Phane corrected.

“No. That’s not what I mean.” With one last look in his direction, she turned back to the crowd.

“We appreciate the warning,” Wen said to them all. “If they come we’ll deal with them.”

“You’re sure?” Petra asked the older female. “I don’t want to bring a problem here—”

“They’re bringing the problem, my Pets,” said the older female.

Petra turned then, her gaze resting on Dillon. “If you must tell them something, tell them the truth. A vampire
balas
needs his father’s blood to survive. Let’s see if they truly value the Eternal Breed or not.”

•   •   •

Just two hours until sundown.

Two hours until he was back in New York. Where he belonged. Where Cruen’s body would soon find shelter, pain, suffering, misery . . . then death, if he was a model prisoner.

Synjon continued to wear out the floorboards in the large, lightless cabin bedroom. The pussy brothers sat in the direct sunlight at a table in the living area just ten feet away, playing cards. Every so often, they’d glance his way and remind him they didn’t appreciate having to babysit his deadbeat vampire ass.

They were really getting on his nerves.

Before he flashed to the penthouse, he was going to flash directly in front of the pussy brothers and do some facial rearranging.

“Huffing and puffing in there, bloodsucker?” Sasha called, amusement lacing his tone. “I thought you didn’t have emotions.”

“I think he’s been faking it,” Valentin said.

“Bet he’s learned how to do that from all the women he’s conned into his bed.”

Synjon nearly rolled his eyes. These two were truly the feline equivalent of human teenage boys. And clearly Sasha was the instigator. The male would be first in line for the fangdown at sunset tonight.

“When is Petra returning?” Syn asked as he passed the open bedroom door. “She’s been gone a bloody long time.”

“Miss her, do you?” Sasha said with a chuckle.

“Sure,” Syn returned evenly. “Or it could be that I grow weary in the company of grown children.”

“I think he just insulted us,” Valentin said with mock injury.

“Hard to tell with that accent,” replied Sasha. “Listen, bloodsucker, Petra’ll be back when she’s hungry.” He laughed. “I like that.”

“Still can’t believe our little sister’s a vampire,” Val said, his tone now slightly melancholy.

“Makes sense, though, doesn’t it? Those games we used to play. She never attacked like an animal. And during snack time she always wrinkled her nose at our raw meat cakes and criticized us for our less than perfect table manners.”

“She still does that,” Val said. “But, shit, brother, I refuse to use a knife and fork. I was given canines for a reason.”

“I hear that.”

Synjon stopped pacing. “Perhaps you blokes can reminisce outside.”

Sasha tipped his chair back so he could see Syn. “Not sure we’re ready to risk that.”

“Sun still shining, eh?”

“Hard and hot.”

“Then I’m not going anywhere, am I?” Syn said before continuing his pacing.

Val pressed his chair back too. “Doesn’t matter, bloodsucker. Sun, moon, dusk. We’re going to make sure you stay here until our sister is done with you.”

“That’s right,” Sasha piped up. “Don’t wanna have to make the trip back into frozen New York City to pick up your pale ass again.”

It was truly his grand shame. The pussy brothers catching him off guard, knocking him out, dragging him here. He’d have to make sure that didn’t get out, in the spy community, the military, or his home
credenti
. “How
did
you manage it?” Syn asked. “I’m curious.”

“What? Breaking in your place and stealing you?” Val grinned. “Dani’s such a pisser.”

“Forget Dani,” Sasha remarked. “It was our skill and incredible brute strength.”

Synjon’s nostrils flared at their idiocy. “What drug did you use to get me to this hovel? That’s all I want to know.”

Both chairs dropped back into place with a crash, and Synjon couldn’t see them anymore. “Did he just call the playhouse that you and me and Dad built with our bare paws a hovel, Val?”

“I believe he did.”

Sasha growled softly. “If his blood wasn’t needed inside our sister, I might have to spread it around the hovel right now.”

“Please don’t make any messes, boys,” Petra said, walking through the front door. “I spent way too many years picking up after the two of you.”

“Thank Christ you’re back,” Synjon said, coming to stand in the bedroom doorway. “The pussy brothers here are trying out material for their comedy act. So far I’d say it’s a glorious fail.”

For one brief moment, Syn was sure her lips twitched with amusement. It reminded him of her smile. The happy one, the well-pleasured one. He saw it on the lids of his eyes when they were closed. That particular smile made her eyes light up, and glow with blue fire.

She eyed her brothers. “You can go.”

Sasha raised a blond brow. “You sure?”

“He’s not going anywhere. Sun’s still high.”

“All righty.” Sasha kicked the chair back and stood.

Val too. “So, what happened? With the meeting?”

“Mom will tell you,” she said, her voice softer than before. “She’s back at the house.” She tilted her chin in the direction of the door. “Go.”

“Fine.” Val walked past her.

But Sasha hesitated in the hall, his eyes on Syn. “We’ll be back in two hours.”

“Lovely,” Synjon said overpolitely. “Can’t wait.”

There were grumblings of irritated comebacks, but Petra managed to shuffle her brothers out the front door. When she returned, Synjon was leaning against the doorframe, his back to the dark bedroom.

“You were gone a long time.”

She shrugged. “There was a lot to discuss.”

“Like . . .”

“Dillon was there.”

“The Order.”
Interesting. And quite possibly problematic.

Her eyes turned a crystal blue as she walked toward him. She licked her lips. “She and Gray and the Roman brothers’ mates and even a few of the
mutore
wanted to make sure you were being well treated.”

Even in jeans and a tank, she was unbelievably sexy. Or maybe it was because of the jeans and the tank. He tried to keep his gaze off her belly. It bothered him that her
swell
intensified his desire for her.

“And what did you tell them?” he asked.

She stopped just a few inches from the doorway and inhaled rather obviously. “That I was doing my level best to locate and drain every bit of shitty attitude from your person.”

He grinned. Couldn’t stop himself. It wasn’t just her
swell
that was making his cock twitch. It was her voice too, her attitude, the hunger in her expression. Bloody hell, he might not have emotions, but his body was on fire and ready to go.

All she had to do was say the word.

“I’m surprised they didn’t want to see me,” he said.

“They did.”

“And you . . .”

“Told them no.” She leaned in then, breathed in, and ran her nose along the ridge of his collarbone.

What the hell?
Synjon’s hands fisted around the doorframe.
Do that again, little
veana
, and the next time you take my blood I’ll be taking your cunt.

She spoke against the skin of his neck. “I told them you were mine until the
balas
is born.”

“And they didn’t insist?” he said in a hoarse voice.

She laughed softly. “No one’s going to fight a pregnant girl over her food.”

“Is that why you stand so close,
veana
? You want my blood—”

She jerked back then, and speared him with her gaze. “Not
want
, Mr. Wise.
Need
. Don’t ever mistake the difference. I don’t.”

He stared at her, his skin twitching with desire. He’d never seen a female so famished before. He couldn’t help himself. He leaned in and lapped at her upper lip with his tongue.

Again she jerked back. “What the hell was that?”

“You had a little of my blood on your lip.” His brow lifted. “I wanted it back.”

She brought her hand up and swiped at her mouth. “Don’t do that again. You don’t get to touch me.”

“Why? Because it excites you?”

“It disgusts me,” she said far too vehemently.

“I very much doubt that.”

“Do you?” Her eyes narrowed.

He couldn’t keep standing there, scenting her, his dick a pulsing stone behind his zipper. He turned and headed into the dimly lit bedroom.

To his surprise, she followed him. “Why? Because the rich, sexy, emotionless Synjon Wise has only to lay a finger on a female and she’s panting and parting her thighs for him?”

He turned around, shrugged. “Well, it might require more than a finger.”

“Pig.”

“I never claimed to be anything but, love.”

She clamped down on his chest and shoved him hard. He fell back on the bed, taking her with him in such a controlled way it was clear he hadn’t been caught off guard.

Shocked by where she found herself, poised above him, straddling his waist, Petra glared down at him. “How many females have you taken to your bed since we were together?”

“I never take anyone to my bed.” When her eyes lit with something far too soft, he amended the statement quickly. “Now, if you’re talking about a casual shag over the back of the couch, well, then . . .”

“That’s disgusting.” She tried to get up, get off him.

But he held her ass tightly. “No,
veana
. That’s normal, healthy fucking.”

“No, Syn, that’s just you. Screw ’em and leave ’em.”

His fingers dug into her ass and his voice dropped without his permission. “
You
walked out on
me
. Let’s not forget that.”

Her jaw worked and she stumbled slightly over her words. “I haven’t. I don’t.”

“Good.”

“Just like I won’t forget that you wanted to kill my father.”

“Wanted to?” He started to laugh. “It may not have happened in that dungeon as I’d planned. But it will happen.”