Series: Lords of Rathe Series by Meagan Brandy
Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 93354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Wrong.
“Knight.” London’s voice stops me just as I’m about to step away from them both.
I swear, if she says my name one more time, I’m gonna strangle her.
Kaia looks between her and me, wide-eyed. I imagine she can’t figure out why I just threw a human down a portal, or why said human is even allowed to address me with the tone London is using when not even the Gifted get away with that.
“Shut up, London. Follow Kaia.” Her mouth opens, but before she can say anything, I walk away from them both, moving to where Silver is perched on one of the leather sofas. The Dragon’s Lair is just that—a dragon’s lair. Run and owned by Stygian, this place isn’t for the weak. Alex pretends like she can handle it on the best of times, but we all know she can’t. She’s the spawn of a Stygian and a fucking Argent, and while she hopes and pretends otherwise, I’m pretty fucking sure she’ll test Argent when the trials begin. A strong one, but an Argent, nonetheless. Not that they’re weak, because they’re not. They have their strengths just like we do, but their weakness is always their weakness, and that’s their heart. They care too much about everything. It’s pathetic.
It’s like my mother says, ‘If you find something you can’t cut at the throat at a moment’s notice and take pleasure in the picture their blood paints at your feet, take some Devil’s Drop and end yourself, ’cause you’re fucked either way.’
“What are you doing with that?” Silver asks, toking on the rolled blunt.
I trace the black smoke as it leaves his mouth in rings as I take it from him, leaning back in the chair and spreading my legs wide.
“I don’t know. Kind of making it up as I go along.”
“Fucking idiot.” He bangs on his chest to help his cough.
I hand the joint back to Silver and watch as London lowers herself down onto one of the stools near the bar. She isn’t questioning the shit she’s seeing, or maybe she is. It’s hard not to in Dragon’s Lair, especially when she’s staring at the being behind the bar, his face nothing but a black mask, pupils as red as the scales of the beast who lurks in this lair.
“You bored?” I ask Silver, swiping my lower lip with my thumb. “Because I’ve got an idea.”
“An idea, huh? ” He raises a brow, too aware of what that line from me might mean.
I say nothing, and we stare her way for several silent seconds.
“What’s your beef with this girl?” Silver asks quietly, almost like he’s got a read on her he’s yet to share. I fucking doubt he has shit. Silver is good, but he ain’t that good. Just because he was raised with us doesn’t make him one of us—not any more than the superficial shit anyway.
He does come from a powerful family, a loyal one—we wouldn’t have pulled him into our group if he wasn’t—and I’m not talking about the pureness of his bloodline. I’m talking about the loyalty they’ve shown the kings of darkness.
He shifts forward to lean his elbows on his knees, both our attention locked on London and Kaia. They’re talking, and Kaia is doing that thing she does when she’s interested in someone. This doesn’t happen often. Kaia hates everyone. Always the recluse of the class, she distances herself just enough away so she never has to deal with anyone’s bullshit, but her plants? Nothing like I’ve smoked before.
“I don’t have a beef.” I have an annoying obsession.
It’s quieter tonight, with only those of us who slid through the portal and the regulars. The outcasts, I guess you could say. There’s a dragon shifter dancing on the pole in the corner of the space, in human form except her eyes. They flash a brilliant gold when she finds me. Opposite her are three women and one Lycan in a split shift, leaving himself with the human body parts he needs to party, but his animal is right there with him. I watch as one of the girls bends in front of him when his half human paws grip her around her hair, forcing her head back. She screams in euphoria as he enters her from behind, running his claws down the center of her back. Her flesh splits open near the spine, and blood drips to the ground, turning to steam when it hits the hot rocks below. The other two women play with each other within arm’s reach of him, enough to keep each other entertained.
He toys with her throat as he takes her roughly from behind, and when he leans down, he swiftly pulls out of her pussy. With one long stroke of his tongue, he licks her back clean, the fresh wound nowhere to be found.