Freak Show (3 page)

Jez turned to me, taking my hand in hers. “Take a look around you. Do it. Now.” She waited expectantly for me to look around the noisy casino. “This is not the place to make those decisions. This is a place to put that shit to bed and go wild. No serious crap. Save it for when you get home. And don’t bring Kale into this. That is a whole other fucked-up situation.”

“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes and stuck some of our winnings back into the machine. I watched the little pictures flip by, waiting for them to stop and proclaim us losers. That didn’t happen. Instead, we hit a small jackpot and won five hundred bucks.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about, baby!” Jez crowed with glee. “Now let’s take this five hundred and play some blackjack.”

It didn’t take her long to settle at a table with two others. I hung back, content to watch. In no time, Jez was losing a little but winning more. Surrounded by noise and chaos, people getting off on the rush of the risk, she was clearly in her element.

Sunrise was approaching. The casino may be void of windows and clocks, but I could feel it in my bones. I was beginning to tire, in need of a bath and some uninterrupted sleep. Jez didn’t appear to feel the same way.

Right about that time, two idiots at the next table over started shouting about cheating. The dealer was trying unsuccessfully to calm the commotion. A fist was thrown, and blood spilled. That’s all it took to shatter my control and bring my bloodlust bubbling to the surface.

I was suddenly aware of every heartbeat in the place. They pounded in my skull, reverberating through me in a discombobulated rhythm. So much blood, pumping through the veins of every human present. More than enough to bathe in. How many could I consume before security took me down?

I shook my head, refusing to allow those thoughts to take hold. Not here. Not like this. Taking deep breaths was impossible due to the lack of fresh air. Breathing in the scent of smoke, liquor and lively humans was not going to help.
Stay calm. You got this.
But I didn’t. A little personal pep talk wasn’t going to give me the strength I needed. Security quickly dealt with the troublemakers. The bleeder was gone. Too late though. The damage was done.

I grabbed Jez’s arm and leaned in close, whispering under my breath, “I’m leaving before I turn this place into a bloodbath.”

Her head snapped up, and her eyes were huge. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I wish.” I backed away, unable to be so close to the pureblooded Were. Only the knowledge that the blood was demon tainted kept me moving. After my stint on angel blood, no way in hell was I going to taste anything even remotely demon.

“Lex, wait. You can’t go alone.” She dropped her cards and held up her hands to show the dealer she was out before rushing after me.

“I feel so stupid for thinking I could come to a place like this and not totally lose my shit,” I growled, balling my hands into fists so tight my nails dug into my palm. I moved fast for the exit, finding with each step it felt farther away. No idiots designed these places.

“What about Arys? Can he help?” Jez fell into step beside me, looking worried. She watched me closely, ready to tackle me if I gave her reason to.

I laughed bitterly. “Yeah he can help me hunt and kill someone.”

Jez grimaced and surveyed our busy surroundings. “What about my blood?”

I stopped short, causing the waitress behind us to swerve to avoid a collision. I searched her emerald eyes. “You would do that for me? I don’t even know what to say to that. Thank you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could if I wanted to. After what Falon’s blood did to me, I don’t think I should risk demon blood, even if it’s just half.”

She nodded, and obvious relief swept over her. Couldn’t say I blamed her, though I would never forget that she offered. Her blood hadn’t harmed Kale, but why take the chance? Besides, she was a friend. Not food.

“You can stay here if you want to keep playing,” I said, feeling guilty. I shouldn’t need my friends to babysit me.

“I can’t let you wander the hotel alone like this. Come on; let’s get back to Arys so he can bring you down. Or whatever.”

It was growing harder to form words. My focus scattered. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for us to be locked in an elevator together right now.” I watched the green of her iris bleed across the whites of her eyes. She was ready, defensive.

“It’s cool. You don’t have that insane undead strength yet. I think I can take you.” She forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Every person we passed was walking, talking food. I held myself on a tightly wound leash, knowing it would soon snap. I considered breaking into a run for the elevator. By the time we got there, I was perspiring from the effort it took to restrain myself. I wanted the sensation of my fangs sinking into flesh, the moment when the blood burst forth and the acrid scent of fear. The need for it made my stomach hurt.

The elevator door opened, and a man stepped out. I lunged at him, instinct overriding sense. Jez caught me around the waist, dragging me away. Her grip was firm. She held tight until he had hurried away, muttering after him, “Sorry. Sometimes the party just never stops for this one.”

She shoved me into the elevator, forcing me into a back corner. She hit the button for our floor but never took her eyes off me. “I sure hope you can deal with this shit, Alexa. It’s going to ruin the entire trip. We’ll have to lock you in the hotel room so you can’t run amok and terrorize the city.”

I frowned, unable to find any humor in the visual she brought to mind. This trip was off to a shitty start so far. It was discouraging. I just wanted to have a little fun. Was that so wrong?

I stared at the floor, trying to memorize the strange flower pattern on the carpet. The back wall was mirrored, and I avoided looking at myself. I didn’t want to see Arys’s blue eyes on me. So when I tired of the carpet, I stared at the screen near the ceiling instead, trying to focus on the running ads for various live shows.

When the door opened, Jez went first, checking for anyone in the hall before allowing me out. We made it back to our room without incident. Ok, so that could have been far worse than it was.

My relief was short lived. My senses blazed as I became keenly aware of the heavy vampire energy burning inside the suite. It wasn’t just Arys. Someone else was inside. My bloodlust was strong, but my fear was stronger.

“Somebody is in there with the guys,” I said, my hand on the doorknob.

We exchanged a look, ready to confront the stranger inside. Jez slid the key card into the slot, and I shoved the door open. I strode into the suite, a mess of hunger and wariness. I took one step into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks.

Arys sat in the middle of the couch, straddled by a buxom blonde.

Chapter Three

“What the fuck?” I was stunned, but anger quickly followed the shock.

The blonde got to her feet, managing to look elegant and coy at the same time. Arys sprang off the couch as if he were on fire. Shaz sat as far away as he could get from both vampires without leaving the room. His expression was pensive but sour.

“Alexa, this is Sloane. She’s one of Harley’s, like me. She just came by to say hello.” Arys stood between the tall, leggy vampiress and me as if he feared I might lunge for her. It was tempting. “She was just about to leave.”

I stood with hands on my hips, glaring with a vengeance. “Save the crap. It sure didn’t look that way.”

I knew who she was. I recognized her from Arys’s memories. She had played a significant role in his life. Having lured him in for Harley, one might say she was directly responsible for Arys’s conversion to vampire.

Sloane shoved past Arys, extending a hand to me. A friendly smile lit up her face. “I’m Sloane. It’s so nice to finally meet Arys’s wolf. You are more beautiful than I was led to believe.”

I stared at her hand, confused by her sugary sweet greeting. Was she for real? I was hesitant to take her hand, knowing she’d use the opportunity to taste my power. However, I was curious myself. I accepted her hand, boldly meeting her ocean blue gaze. Her energy hummed with that same tone I was coming to associate with Harley’s bloodline. It crawled into my palm, a strong, warm but neutral pulse of power. She wasn’t aggressive in any way, which made it especially hard not to send a little jolt into her.

“May I ask why the hell you were practically dry humping my lover?” I asked, my smile brittle and forced.

She turned to Arys with a laugh that had clearly been perfected over the centuries and a very subtle, hard to place accent that came through only on certain words. It sounded European. “She’s feisty. I like her. Finally, Arys, a woman that can keep you in line.” To me she said, “I apologize. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. I let my excitement get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t.” This time my smile was genuine, and it was vicious. My wolf looked out at her, promising very bad things for the woman that dared to climb all over my man.

“I told you, Sloane,” Arys said, having a hard time meeting my eyes. “Alexa doesn’t like to share. And I no longer enjoy being shared. Things have changed.”

I bristled at that. It was impossible not to look Shaz’s way. He remained motionless, void of any true emotion. I wondered how much I had missed.

Sloane saw the brief exchange and nodded in sudden understanding. “Oh, I see. Well, I can respect that. She is your other half after all. Not much room left for another in that tightly bound equation now is there?”

Shaz winced, though I wasn’t sure she intended her words as a direct hit. Sloane was oblivious, rambling on again about how thrilled she was to meet the one woman who could tame Arys Knight. Tame him? She had no idea what she was talking about. There was no taming a vamp like Arys.

“You should go, Sloane. I’m sure Jenner would have a tantrum if he knew you came here to throw yourself at me.” Arys gestured to the door, clearly not interested in having me in the same room as yet another of his old lovers. This was how many now?

Sloane retrieved a little black clutch from the couch. It matched the little black dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. I felt incredibly underdressed compared to the women of Vegas.

“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. You may be a bad ass in bed, but that’s not why I came here.” With a wink, she reached for Arys, grasping his hand tight. “I came to warn you, Arys. Get out of town. Jenner feels threatened by your arrival.”

“Good,” Arys said with a satisfied sneer. “He should be threatened. I could have this city if I wanted it.”

“But you don’t, do you? You left Vegas and everyone in it. You abandoned us. You don’t belong here anymore.” Sloane’s lower lip trembled, a subtle but dramatic action that had me snorting in derision.

“Spare me the dramatics, Sloane.” Arys pulled away from her and stalked over to the door. “I didn’t abandon a damn thing. The way I remember it, you weren’t exactly begging me to stay.”

I was growing increasingly uneasy as I watched their exchange. A dull throb racked my brain as memories that didn’t belong to me struggled to surface.

Sloane stood her ground, refusing to allow Arys to usher her out the door. “Harley and Jenner never understood your reasons for leaving. I did.” Her cool blue gaze flicked to me. “But coming back was a really dumb move. It’s dangerous. Go home, Arys. Please.”

“Goodbye, Sloane.” Jerking the door open, Arys ignored her pleas. He swung his arm in a gesture for her to get out. The two vampires had a stare down the way vampires often do. Arys won.

With a huff and a shrug, Sloane sashayed from the room. Lingering at the door, she cast a glance at each of us in turn, ending with Arys. “I was hoping you’d prove to be the more reasonable one. God knows it isn’t Jenner. Your presence opens up old wounds. You should know better.” Without another word, she disappeared into the hallway.

The door slammed behind her, and I faced Arys with a deadly glare. “Are you kidding me? What the hell was that?”

“I didn’t know she was coming,” Arys began to explain, continuing even as my glare darkened. “Sloane was just being Sloane. She’s a bit over the top sometimes. She doesn’t mean any harm though. I’m sure she’s overreacting.” Realizing he was rambling, he paused to study me. “Are you ok? You feel a little scattered.”

“I wasn’t ok before I walked in here. Now I’m not ok, and I’m pissed.” Instead of allowing my temper to start a fight, I walked away. I went to the bedroom to dig through my suitcase. My hands shook from hunger and fury. Damn vampires and their touchy feely, cryptic crap.

From the living room came Jez’s low murmur, telling Arys about my near attack on the man downstairs. Shaz’s voice joined the mix, and I tuned them all out by crossing the hall to the bathroom.

The tub was nice and big, with jets. A quick perusal of the small bottles lined up on the bathroom counter revealed bubble bath. If I could relax and refocus my energy, perhaps it would help. The urgency and demand of the bloodlust had faded, though it remained as an ill twinge in the pit of my stomach.

I was expecting Arys when he knocked, then opened the door. I stood at the counter, tying my long locks up into a bun to keep them from getting wet. The mirror allowed me to watch him enter, closing the door behind him. Our eyes met through the reflection.

“How are you feeling?” He asked tentatively as if expecting me to tear his head off.

“I feel like a failure for losing control like that. I feel like bitch slapping you for flaunting another former lover in my face.” I leaned over the tub to check the water temperature and turned the hot up a bit. “I won’t though. I’m mostly just mad at myself. And that cheap blonde floozy.”

Arys’s lips twitched as he tried to hide his amusement at my jealousy. “There’s only one blonde for me. You know that.”

“I do. I know.” I nodded, peeling my top off and tossing it on the floor. I saw the way his gaze traveled over me, lingering on my bra-covered breasts. It was a nice stroke of my ego, especially after seeing the knockout that just walked out of here. “Are you planning to stay and watch while I relax in a bath? Maybe tell me some lies about how this Vegas visit won’t be a total mind fuck?”

“Oh, it will be that and more, I’m sure.” Arys leaned against the counter, watching me strip down as if he hadn’t seen my body countless times before. “I came to give you blood. It’ll kill the urge for a while. Don’t slap me for saying this, but you might have to, um, partake a little. Obviously, the ideal place would be Jenner’s club. I believe I owe it a visit anyway.”

Harley Kayson had owned a small franchise of nightclubs for those who wanted to give and take blood, among other things. The Edmonton club caused tons of trouble in my city, until Shaz and I killed Harley. Naturally, I took over control of that club, but that’s where my control ended. Harley’s other properties were scattered around North America, and Lord knows where else, each of them under someone else’s control. Las Vegas was Jenner’s.

I didn’t need blood to survive. Not yet. But I did need it to keep the bloodlust at bay. Vampire blood was potent and powerful but a short term fix at best. It wasn’t mortal, yet it would take the edge off. However, Arys was ludicrous to think we could walk into the club of the vampire who had told us to get the hell out of town.

“We didn’t think this part through before leaving home.” I turned off the water and stuck a toe in the tub. It was hot and welcoming. “I can’t take blood from some Vegas blood whore. And most definitely not at a club owned by someone who hates you. We’re not going in there.”

“What about Shaz? You could take his blood. No power games.”

I shot Arys a dirty look, surprised he would suggest such a thing. “Absolutely not. Totally out of the question. I can’t use him as a blood source. It’s far too dangerous.”

“For who?” Arys challenged. “Him or you? It’s just blood, Alexa. He can handle bleeding a little.”

“It’s never just blood!” My voice echoed, amplified by the bathroom acoustics. I lowered the volume, aware of the keen ears beyond the door. “You’ve said the same thing yourself.”

Arys held his hands up in surrender. “Fine. I’ll leave that between you and the pup. Eventually, it will come up again. But I’m out of it. Ok?” He held his wrist out to me in invitation.

I didn’t want his wrist, but I accepted it anyway. I preferred a more intimate bite. There was nothing like feeling someone’s jugular beneath my lips. My fangs sprang forth, yet I hesitated. Wolf fangs didn’t pierce as neatly as vampire fangs. When Arys gestured for me to go ahead, I bit carefully into his wrist. The tangy vampire blood spilled from the wound, deliciously coating my tongue. I sucked hard on the bite, coaxing a groan from Arys.

With his free hand, he stroked my hair. His arousal was palpable, a heady desire that rolled off him like waves on the ocean. Arys was always ready and willing. However, he would never make a good victim. There was one thing missing. He didn’t fear me.

Blood was just one part of the feed for a succubus like me. It was because of Arys’s incubus nature, courtesy of his bloodline. We needed more than just blood. We needed to feast upon the lusty energy of our victim, and in turn, their fear aroused us. It all went hand in hand. Arys’s blood tasted like power and eased my hunger, but it wasn’t enough.

I gazed up at him, running my tongue over my lips. Shoving a hand into my hair, he kissed me with a primal passion. Arys slipped his tongue into my mouth, firm and commanding. My head spun, and I fell into him, my earlier irritation obliterated.

“Take your bath. Relax. We’re here to enjoy ourselves.” Arys pulled me into a hug, running his hands down my naked body.

“The tub is big enough for two,” I taunted. I pulled away and climbed into the bathtub. Sinking below the bubbles into the soothing heat, I sighed with pleasure and crooked a finger to beckon to Arys.

He raised a dark brow, his expression playful. “Tempting. Very tempting. Might I suggest you extend that offer Shaz’s way tonight instead?”

That I had certainly not expected to hear. I pursed my lips, trying hard not to frown. “That’s definitely not an Arys comment. What’s your deal? And anyway, I don’t think Shaz and I are there yet. Too awkward.”

“Which is exactly why I should send him in,” Arys said, his gaze on the bubbles hiding my nudity. “I don’t have a deal. I just want to see your relationship restored.”

“Why? What’s it to you?”

Arys maintained eye contact, but I saw the lie in his eyes. “I just want you to be happy. The pup too.”

I squinted at him with my best scrutinizing stare. “You have an ulterior motive. I know you do. Why do you really want Shaz and me to reconnect? You were never so keen on sharing before, unless you got something out of it.”

 “He’s the only one I trust to protect you.” There it was. Arys’s confession was no surprise. “That wolf would die for you if he had to. Loyalty like that only comes from love.”

“So you’re willing to exploit his feelings for me,” I said with a nod. “Sounds about right.”

Arys shrugged and headed for the door. “Be mad if you like. You’re the most important thing to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“I noticed.” My tone dripped with acid. I was still bitter about Arys’s recent stint dealing with a demon for my so-called protection.