Page 110 of Cryptic Dreams
27
Divided, We Fall
ZEPHYR
Smoothing down the front of my sweater and leggings for the hundredth time, I quietly watch from my place behind the podium as dozens and dozens of Purists filter into the room.
A room in Plasma I didn’t know existed, by the way.
Thechampagne rooms,or whatever you want to call them, are strictly for people who come to Plasma looking for a way to indulge in their fetishes and preferences safely. They’re like a smaller version of a sex club or a BDSM club but with vampires and humans who are curious about them. I’ve known this since Orion started letting me study here but I had no clue that room number three—three for third generation tyrant as my mate so eloquently put it—only fronts as one of those and is never used for anything except gaining access to this much larger space behind the wall of whips and chains.
Something else that made me shake my head because it’s the thirdsecret meeting placemy mate has allowed me into, and all of them are behind hidden doors masked as something else.
Just another thing to add to his list of unusual interests because I have a feeling my wicked prince has more of these secret rooms up his sleeve.
I knew that Wraith met with Orion in his office or in the the VIP booth if it wasn’t as urgent, and now I know that my mate would occasionally hold meetings at our home in what he keeps callingDeclan’s roombut I didn’t realize this space was even a thing, which again is why I’m sure there are others.
And for the record, I’m not a huge fan of the room Wraith uses for weapons, spying on the entire state, and dismembering bodies being referred to as his best friend’s room in our house but I lost that argument the second I attempted having it.
There’s a very militant style bunk, a dresser, and a fridge for blood bags but that doesn’t make that space livable, if you ask me. Not that anyone did or has since I moved into the house, and Declan doesn’t seem to care, he even goes as far as to refer to our place as home on occasion and says his own apartment doesn’t look that different, but I don’t like it. For as close as they are, my mate should take better care of his best friend.
Whatever.
I’ll work on the two of them after we get through the next few days. Wraith can’t say no to me and since Declan already treats me like I’m queen of the world, he won’t be able to either.
“Queen of the world, yeah? Trying out your title after engaging in your first real act as mate to the leader of the Uprising?”
I smile as I lift my gaze to find my wicked prince staring at me. “Maybe. But only for the greater good.”
“And remodeling Declan’s room at our home is thegreater goodnow?”
“Baby steps.”
“Ah.”Wraith grins at me as he nods.“And pulling the spine from a loyalist assassin while I fucked your delicious cunt was the first in these baby steps, I take it?”
With a blush I can feel, I drop my gaze and start trying to fix my clothes again.
I still can’t believe that happened.
I mean, it’s not surprising, not with the way my mate is, but my involvement in it was unexpected.
After chatting with Drusilla I was so focused on what I saw when she touched me, on what happened when she made any contact at all that I forgot Orion told me Wraith wasdealing witha few loyalists and what they discovered when they found him. And I’m not so stupid or naive that I didn’t understand what he meant when my cousin worded it that way.
I didn’t exactly expect to see what I saw when I went in there, but I knew it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But I definitely didn’t expect to go bananas and participate in any of it.
“You did, though, my love, and it was positively breathtaking to watch.”
My mate is still staring at me when I look up, and I can’t help but smile again at the amount of pride and desire swirling in those black as night eyes.“You’re just proud of yourself for corrupting me so quickly.”
“I beg to differ, my gentle breeze. I’m merely nurturing something that was already there inside you.”Wraith leans down and presses a kiss to my temple.“Evil can be learned but darkness is made. It is already in the soul and only a matter of what the host does with it, and you, Zephyr, have darkness is spades, one that stems from a light so bright it burns black, and is all the more dangerous for it.”
“That was rather poetic.”And spot on if I’m being honest because one of the many things I’m learning about myself is that I’m way too comfortable with my mate’s way of doing things, and for a female who lived in fear for so long, I’ve accepted them far easier than I thought I would. And yes, it’s absolutely why I’m deflecting his comments in favor of pointing out how pretty he worded them.
“Oh, how I love you,”Wraith says in my head as he chuckles out loud.“And I do find your inner turmoil over how dark and devious you truly are rather adorable.”
Before I can respond, Orion and Aries walk through the door before locking it, and the playful air surrounding my mate shifts to something far more stern.
“That’s everyone,” Orion says as they come to stand next to me. “We doubled security on all entrances but the club is running as usual otherwise.”
