Heavy velvet drapes the color of black coffee swept along expansive windows, blocking out the bright morning light. She breathed in the heady, masculine scent of sandalwood and cedar permeating the air.

  Her feet sank into plush carpeting as she drifted farther inside, fingers trailing over the intricate carvings of the massive sleigh bed’s headboard. It dominated the space, draped in silken, cobalt sheets that looked sinfully soft.

  This was a room meant for seduction, Katy mused. From the intimate seating area with its cashmere throw blankets to the flickering fireplace surrounded by bookshelves, it whispered of lovers’ late nights spent in a passionate embrace.

  She imagined two lovers lounging before the flames on fur rugs, feeding each other gourmet chocolate and sipping rich, red wine. She conjured an image of steam from the adjoining bathroom. No doubt, it had a spacious shower and sunken tub, perfect for two.

  Shaking her head to dispel the tantalizing images, Katy took an involuntary step back toward the door. “What the hell was that?” she whispered as she closed her eyes and tried to banish the images that had filled her mind. Where had those thoughts come from? Her chest got tight. Goose bumps rose on her flesh, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Katy had never daydreamed of romantic things, not like Lola. Romance wasn’t in Katy’s four-year plan. She shook out her arms and even gave each leg a kick.

  “What?” Otto asked, nearly making her jump.

  She’d forgotten he was there.

  Katy pressed her hand over her heart. “Shit, Otto, make some noise, dude.”

  “I dids. I said what?” he snapped. “You need food. Humans get dumber with no food.”

  Katy walked over to the seating area and sighed as she plopped down. “You’re not wrong, Ot. You’re not wrong.”

  He waddled over in his oversized jeans and scurried up into the other chair. His big, yellow eyes stared at her curiously. “Why you want me?”

  Katy stared at him for a few breaths before she finally answered. “Because everyone should be wanted, Otto. Not just tolerated.” She ran her fingers across the velvet fabric of the chair as her head tilted to the side. “And I have a feeling that king of yours—the one you claim is soooo great—just tolerates most people.” She didn’t want to say he just tolerates you. It was obvious from the slump of the little guy’s shoulders and the bruised look in Otto’s eyes that he had been abused by Azure. For that reason alone, Katy was going to make sure the Snake King got his ass handed to him, one way or another.

  Otto shifted in his seat, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I still bite you,” he blurted out.

  Katy laughed. “If you do, it will surely be because I deserve it.” She leaned her head back against the seat as her laughter died away. She wondered what happened to Slick, Antonio, and Myron. She was about to ask Otto, but her stomach growled again.

  Otto jumped down from the chair. “I get food.” He ran from the room so fast she wondered if he was worried she might try to eat him. When she didn’t hear the sounds of the door opening or closing, she got up and hurried over to the door and looked all around. “Hey,” she hollered. “Otto?” He didn’t answer. She tried the door, but it was locked. “Of course. Because all guests are locked in their rooms.” How had he gotten out?

  Katy debated getting on her knees and searching along the wall for a little door, but it wasn’t like she was squeezing her short, round butt through one, even if she found it. She sighed and looked back at the beautiful room. Then she trudged—because what else do you do when you’re a captive but trudge—back to the chair where she’d been sitting and sank down into it. There was a rock in the pit of her stomach that she continued to ignore. It had dropped there when she’d stepped into the room and the sudden romantic fantasy had manifested itself. Now that she was alone, it was again attempting to push to the forefront of her mind. Katy pictured a barrier around her mind and took a deep breath.

  “Think, think, think.” She tapped her chin. Lola and Maddie would be gathering the calvary. She didn’t know if that meant the police or if that meant Lola would be getting her new man, Callon, and his people to come after Katy, but she knew her two best friends would not be twiddling their thumbs. So while she waited on them, Katy could do something to help the cause. Maybe while she was in Azure’s kingdom she’d gather information that could be useful to Callon or the Shaman. They were the holy men-slash-politicians that enforced the laws, right? And as of the current moment, Azure apparently wasn’t going to torture, maim, or kill her. She didn’t have to shake in her boots like a damsel in distress. Katy could channel her inner internet detective skills and attempt to figure out what the Snake King was doing by abducting animus chicks. “Whew. I’ve got a plan, man. I like having a plan,” Katy said into the empty room. Now, if Otto would just come back with some food and a distraction. Maybe then she would have something other than an imaginary wall in her mind to keep away the feeling that something was coming—something more dangerous than King Azure. And it was coming for her.

  Chapter 7

  I Never Play Fair When It Comes To You

  “If I’ve learned anything over the many centuries of being mated to my female, it’s to pay attention to more than only her words. Typically, they are but ten percent of what she is actually saying. Although, being a supernatural being does give me abilities that human males don’t have. As usual, it sucks to be human.” ~Azure

  “What do you mean, she’s not on the market?” Zeena asked through gritted teeth as she strode into Azure’s throne room. Call him old-fashioned, but Azure still felt it pertinent that a king have a throne room where his subjects could be reminded that he did indeed sit above them.

  “You heard what I ssssaid, my love. There’sss no need for me to repeat myssself.” He walked up the steps that led to the two chairs and then took a seat in the one that was his, resting his hands on the enormous arms of the massive chair. Azure lifted his chin and looked down to where his female paced back and forth. Her long, silky, black-and-green dress billowed out behind her. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest and her lips drawn taut across her face as her eyes practically glowed in rage. She knew he wasn’t telling her everything. But she was the Queen, not the King. She was not his equal, and it was not her place to question him. Azure loved his mate, but Zeena had her place in their kingdom, and it was at his side supporting him and the decisions he made, whether or not she fully understood them.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Azure?” She whipped around to face him. She held herself in a regal posture, her shoulders pulled back and her head high. Pure elegance, and yet she looked as fierce as a general on a battlefield. She was magnificent. “And an even better question is, why would you think you couldn’t trust me with the knowledge?”

  He stood up and walked slowly down the stairs, taking in the view of his female, noticing her sharp cheeks, perfectly sculpted nose, and full lips. Her skin was pale and luminous, like expensive alabaster. It seemed to glow from within, flawless and smooth.

  Zeena carried herself with a dancer’s poise and grace. Her long neck stretched proudly as her shoulders pulled back even further under his sharp scrutiny. Every movement flowed into the next with the precision of a well-honed weapon, betraying hidden strength and power coiled within her lithe frame. The blacks and deep greens of her dress made her fair skin and dark hair all the more striking. She cut an imposing, yet ethereal figure.

  When he was standing in front of her, Zeena kept her neck guarded by turning her gaze up instead of tilting her head back. He smiled with approval at her self-preservation instincts. His mate was smart. He would never hurt her. But he was the bigger predator in the room, and her instincts would never let her forget it.

  Azure cupped Zeena’s face in his hands. Her cool skin shifted, and white, iridescent scales replaced the human flesh. He ran his thumbs across her cheeks, and she hummed at his touch. Zeena always responded to him, even when she was angry. He inwardly chuckled, because he knew in a moment she’d catch herself and get even angrier over it. But he’d take advantage of her momentary distraction. Azure tightened his hold on her face and leaned down. His lips hovered over hers as he spoke. “I have alwaysss taken care of you and our kingdom, and I will continue to do ssso. You have alwaysss trusssted me to do jussst that, and you will continue to do ssso. Yesss?”

  “But don’t you trust me?” she whispered, her voice soft and vulnerable.

  “My love,” Azure purred. “Of courssse I do. But if you don’t have information that my enemiesss want, then you are not ussseful to them, which keepsss you sssafe.” He pressed his lips to hers, but she pulled back.

  “So you’re keeping information from me to protect me?”

  “Yesss.” It wasn’t a lie. Nor was it the whole truth.

  He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head. Zeena had never denied him. “Zeena?” Azure wrapped one arm around her and pulled her tight against him while still holding her face with one hand. “Look at me,” he demanded. Finally, she lifted her eyes. They glowed with her beast. Oh, his female was angry. “Why do you turn me away?” Azure held his mate’s gaze, and he focused all of his being on her. Her scent, the sound and tone of her voice, the movement of her body, and her taste in the air.

  “Why is she off the market?” she asked again.

  He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling because if he smiled, he was going to end up with two very long fangs buried in his neck, and not in the way he liked. Azure leaned down and buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. When she’d asked the first time, he’d been too far away to smell it, but now her jealousy permeated the surrounding air. Underneath it, though, was an even better scent, and one that was rare for their females. First, to deal with the former. Zeena thought he wanted the little wolf. After all these centuries? He opened his mouth and let one of his fangs nick her flesh, and then he tasted the little drop of blood that beaded there. She gasped as the poison entered her body. To a human, it would have been deadly. But to his female, it was an aphrodisiac, which caused her to relax against him.

  “Not fair,” she moaned.

  “I never play fair when it comesss to you,” he told her as he scooped her up into his arms. “How could you think I’d ever want another, essspecially a mutt, when I have you?” He headed for a set of doors that would lead to a private hallway to their suite. As he entered their room, Azure carried Zeena over to the massive round bed surrounded by flowing fabric hanging from the ceiling. This was where they slept when in their human form. But along the walls there were huge trees with limbs that climbed the walls, and those served them better when they chose to rest in their beastwalker shape.

  He laid her down and straddled her body, covering her with his larger frame. Resting his arms on either side of her head, he settled against her. Second, to deal with the latter scent. “Did you know you’re in heat?” He didn’t give her time to respond. True to his nature, he struck out, biting her neck. His mate arched into him, and moaned, but not from pain.

  Azure would take time to reassure Zeena that he had no interest in the wolf, which he didn’t. He would take advantage of the opportunity to attempt to give his mate what they’d both longed for, for so long. It would serve as a good distraction while he continued to work on his experiments with the voodoo witch. Even with news that the Shaman Council had decided to do an official investigation into his kingdom—yes, he was well aware—things were still looking up.

  The human, Antonio, fidgeted under Azure’s gaze as he poured himself a glass of brandy. The King had left his well-sated mate in their bed a couple of hours ago, and now it was back to business. Once Slick, Myron, and Antonio had dropped Katy Dire off, he’d told them to be on their way. But of course, as humans do, Antonio didn’t do as he was told.

  “What can I do for you?” Azure gently swirled the brandy in the glass and then brought it to his face, taking in a deep breath of the rich aroma. Then he took a sip of the liquor as he continued to watch the male.

  “I just… I, uh… That is…” Antonio stumbled along as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his rumpled slacks. His dress shirt was wrinkled, and he looked as if he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. “I want to make sure Katy is all right.”

  Azure set the glass down on his desk and walked around until he stood in front of it. Then he eased back until he sat on the polished surface. The ruler of the Kingdom of Venom allowed his glamour to slip enough that he knew the human would see his beast’s eyes and scales as he spoke. Antonio already knew what Azure was and was well aware of the presence of Damarians. But Azure knew that didn’t mean Antonio was comfortable around them. That fact was obvious in the way his gaze darted away as soon as he looked at the King.

  “You’re concssserned about the woman you abducted for me?” Azure couldn’t help the humor lacing his tone. Humans were so mercurial in their loyalties. One minute they were your friend, but show them something shiny that meant more to them than your friendship, and they’d turn on you in an instant. Then some of them, like Antonio, it seemed, would have another crisis of self and backtrack, as the human male was currently doing.

  “I’ve known her a long time.” Antonio wiped the sweat from his brow. The smell of his fear was both exhilarating and disgusting to Azure. “I realize that because of what she is, it’s inevitable that she would have gotten mixed up in all of this⁠—”

  Azure cut the human off with a sharp cluck of his tongue and shook his head at him. “Antonio, Antonio, Antonio. That issss your way of absolving yourself of the responsibility of your part in her abduction and giving yourself the easssy way out.” Azure clasped his hands and rested them in front of him as he tilted his head, giving himself a different angled view of the human. “Don’t you think?”

  Antonio sidestepped and then seemed to catch the movement for what it was—a form of retreat. Not a smart thing to do if you didn’t want to be chased by a predator. “I just… It’s that⁠—”

  Azure spoke in a smooth tone. “Antonio, how did you become aware of our existence?” The King’s inquiry wasn’t due to ignorance; he already knew the tale. However, humans often required a reminder of their journey to truly grasp their current plight. This was particularly true when they attempted to evade accountability for their actions. Azure wouldn’t let Antonio weasel out of responsibility for Katy’s abduction. Was it out of concern for Katy? Certainly not. Was it out of a sense of justice for Antonio? Ha! No, it was because people like Antonio, who would so easily throw others to the wolves, so to speak, truly deserve their fate.

  “I didn’t know—” Antonio started.

  Azure shook his head, and the human snapped his mouth closed. “How did you come to know of us?”

  “I thought you wanted dancers for your clubs?” he barked, suddenly finding a backbone from somewhere deep inside. Azure was slightly impressed… slightly.

  The King’s lips tilted into a half-hearted smile, and he gave an indifferent shrug of his broad shoulders. “And so I did.”

  “That’s not all you wanted,” Antonio muttered.

  “A little louder.” Azure raised his brow, and his smile widened. He knew his fangs would be peeking out. “I’m quite advancsssed in age, and I can have a difficult time hearing low tonessss.” He knew Antonio understood Azure’s reference to his advanced age. It was all part of what he’d learned the night he’d come to one of Azure’s clubs in the Big Easy. “Now, remind me, becausssse, again, my advanced age affects thingsss, like my memory. How did you come to know of my kind?”

  Antonio ran a hand down his face and took one of the empty seats in Azure’s office. He rested his elbows on his knees and combed his fingers through his hair multiple times. Nervous energy ran over him like lightning across a stormy sky. Finally, he took a deep breath and gathered himself. “One of your guys came into my club in New York,” he said, his Italian accent coming through thicker. Antonio clasped his hands together and leaned into his rested forearms. “There was something different about them.”

  “Different how?” Azure’s brow drew low. He crossed his arms in front of himself, resting one elbow on a forearm and then letting his chin settle on his fist as he watched the human.

  Antonio’s head shook slowly and moved his hands in a forward motion. “Just … better looking. They moved more gracefully than anyone I’d ever seen. Heads turned when your guys walked through the club. And people just got out of their way. Parting like the Red Sea. At first, I thought they must be famous.” He huffed out a derisive laugh, throwing a passive hand in the air. “I even got out my damn phone and searched the internet to see if they were some new pop group out partying.” His head moved side to side as the smile faded.

  “Humansss know even without really knowing. We’re just better. We’re more. In every way, we’re the superior race.” Azure let the words hang in the air for a few seconds. “Continue. What happened next?”

  “They just kept coming back. Every night.” Antonio quickly held up a hand. “I mean, I’ve got a great club and all, don’t get me wrong. But there are better clubs in NYC for guys like yours to go to.”

  “Classier,” Azure offered.

  Antonio gave a noncommittal sound.

  Azure didn’t point out that he was looking for girls who wouldn’t be noticed when they didn’t come home.

  “Then they invited me and some of my girls here.” He gestured around the room. “To your club for a special party. Asked for my best dancers.”

  “I commend you on the fact that you made it clear they weren’t strippersss.” And Azure meant it. In the beginning, the King had wondered if Antonio was the type of human he would be able to do business with, if he was going to be one of the rare ones with integrity. But every human has a price. You just have to find it.