“You deserve better, Ash,” I said, then I slid my arm behind his neck and pressed my lips against his.
I’d meant it to be a quick kiss. I’d wanted to show him that I didn’t care what the alphas of the high houses thought, and neither should he, but the moment his lips touched mine, tingles rushed through me, and my body warmed as I found myself desperate to be closer to him. Surprise touched his features, but then he was kissing me back, his tongue dominating my mouth.
All thoughts of the alphas and haughty females disappeared from my mind as his large hands wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him, and I melted against his body. The rational part of my brain knew the bond was at fault, but right then, I didn’t care. My arms moved from behind his neck and slid down his broad chest as I savored the feel of him under my fingers. Goddess, he was huge, his muscles straining against the formal shirt he wore. The male was built like a house but had the face of a god, and his hands on me were like fire. I was surprised the females from the higher houses managed to keep themselves from ogling when their alphas were around because the male was sex on legs. The scents of musk and leather enveloped me, and I rubbed against him, desperate for more friction.
His large hands slid up my sides, and he leaned down to groan against my ear. “Fuck Raine, unless you want me bendin’ you over right here, you might wanna stop rubbing against me like that.”
I shivered and my core clenched at his words, but I was finally aware of my surroundings enough that I noticed Darian and Kade were watching us intently. They looked as though they wanted to join us, and the thought of it had my body growing warmer. For the briefest insane moment, I thought about asking the three of them to go back to the rooms, but then I came to my senses. Slowly, I pried myself from Asher and blearily took in the stares of the monsters around us. The scantily dressed goblin was watching from not too far away. Her jaw hung open, and even though her eyes heated with lust, I had no doubt she was about to tell her alpha about what she’d just witnessed. I gave her a saccharine smile and turned to Asher.
His violet eyes glowed, and his shit-eating grin was back in place. Without worrying about who was looking, he adjusted his pants. “Knew you liked me, Sharachi. There’s no denyin’ it now.”
“What? I don’t—” I began, but Ididlike him. I could still feel his hands on my body as he held me against him, and it took all my effort not to walk back into his arms.
“You, my dear, are perfect,” Darian said, smiling at me as if he was proud of what I’d just done. Linking his arm in mine again, he began leading me back through the crowd.
Fortherestofthe night, Darian and Kade introduced me to the alphas of different houses while Asher stayed by my side. We met centaurs, trolls, banshees, ogres, and a number of other monsters whose names I couldn’t remember.
Aside from Mabel, the wraith alpha of the House of Faren, high house of shadows, Darian only introduced me to one other alpha from the higher houses. Kenric was a massive orc and alpha of the House of Axeran, the high house of giants, and I was surprised to find the orc to be a cheerful monster with an aptitude for lame jokes.
As the night wore on, I asked Darian why he and the others weren’t introducing me to any of the alphas from the other high houses, and he explained that Losak, whom I’d already met, was a basilisk shifter and alpha of the House of Silat, the high house of shifters. Zacal, I already knew from when Kade and I had fought against him and his wolves. He was the alpha of the House of Worzel, high house of the wolves.
Then there was Drustan, an arrogant vampire from the House of Nesarin, who was the alpha of the high house of vampires. Cordelia was a siren and the alpha of the House of Saceris, high house of the water monsters, and Darian was especially hoping to avoid her. Lastly, Borren was a hotheaded demon and the alpha of the House of Thorem, the high house of demons. Asher had shut down when we’d passed by the alpha, and I didn’t need him to explain why. I hadn’t forgotten what he’d said about the alpha of the House of Thorem putting his mother out of her misery. The thought made me shudder, and I was happy to stay away from the alpha.
While they introduced me to the alphas, I made an effort to keep an eye out for Cara, but my heart ached when I didn’t find her. I hadn’t realized how much I’d gotten my hopes up until my stomach plummeted as the night grew late.
I’d been introduced to a few of the newbloods from the last round, but while I vaguely recognized some of their faces, I hadn’t found out any information about Cara. By the end of the night, the twelve newbloods from the last round had been accounted for, and not one of them was my sister. It made no sense. I’d also wanted to try to speak to Nora again, but anytime I looked her way, she was swamped with monsters. Annoyance and frustration went through me, but I kept pasting a smile on my face.This is only the first night. Take a breath, Raine.
At some point, a band on the dais had begun playing upbeat music and monsters moved to the middle of the ballroom, dancing to the rhythm.
Darian led us away from the last alpha we’d been speaking to and took my hand in his. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing his head to the monsters who were moving their bodies in time to the music.
I groaned and shook my head. After the night I’d just had, dancing was the last thing on my mind. “Actually, can we go?” I hadn’t gotten the information I’d wanted, but I’d try again the next night. Right then, I wanted to rest my feet.
“We’ve introduced Raine to enough monsters. No one will notice if we leave now,” Kade said, and I shot him a grateful look. “We should take her back to our rooms so she can rest for the first fight tomorrow night.”
“Well, thank fuck that’s done,” Asher grumbled, and he turned to Darian. “I’ll never understand how you can stand talkin’ to all those pretentious bastards.”
“If we don’t play the game, we’ll be destroyed by it,” Darian replied with a humorless smile. “But yes, I think that’s enough for tonight. Let us all retire.”
“Retire?” Asher asked. “We haven’t been able to relax in weeks. How about we finally have some fuckin’ fun?”
Fun?At first, I didn’t realize what he meant, but then hurt went through me. I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. Darian and Asher talked about how they shared females, and from the way they talked, it sounded like they did it often. But still, I couldn’t help clenching my jaw at the idea that they wanted to be with someone else.
Many alphas had left the party by now, and the remaining monsters were bleary-eyed and deliriously happy as they felt the effects of the alcohol and Silver Sand in their systems. Around us, females had begun to brush past Asher, Darian, and Kade, their flirtatious touches and lingering gazes making it clear what they wanted. I had the disturbing desire to break some of their fingers for touching the guys, but I kept my hands to myself.
A few females from the House of Axeran who’d been ignoring Asher earlier were now ogling at him as if he was the most delicious thing they’d seen all night. The sight of them made me sick.
Darian’s blue gaze slid to me, and I could see the hesitation in his eyes. Before he could say a word, I blurted, “All right, Kade, let’s get out of here.” Then I turned and started toward the double doors at the other end of the room, ignoring the pang in my gut when I didn’t hear Asher and Darian following after us.
~ Asher ~
Ithadbeenweekssince Darian and I had gone out drinkin’ and brought females back to our beds. Weeks since I’d been able to forget about the fuckin’ world and have some damn fun. I didn’t care that the females around me were only interested in one thing. Just like I didn’t care that some of them were only givin’ me attention now that their alphas had left the party. Sex was sex.
But as an attractive banshee with midnight hair ran her fingers up my chest, I found myself wishing her hair was the color of fire instead. As she appreciated my muscles with her spindly pale fingers, I kept remembering the way Raine had kissed me in front of everyone with lust in her gorgeous amber eyes.
You deserve better.Her words haunted me. Not because I believed them but because I knew she meant it. Raine had listened to my tale about my mother and how the higher alphas shunned me, and she was disgusted. But not by me. She’d pulled me closer, planting her beautiful pink lips on mine, and fuck the devil if I wasn’t going to reciprocate.
Coconut and steel had invaded my senses, and her beautiful body called to me in a way that demanded I respond. Just her lips on mine had my cock growing hard and my chest aching as the need to claim the female nearly overwhelmed me. But I had to let her go. What could a fucked-up demon like me offer her? For the remainder of the night, I’d struggled to keep my hands off her, and now I needed a release.
