Poison's Kiss (Book 2 Deadly Beauties) Read online

  "What possible function could a tongue ring have?"

  He lets his laughter choke out, and I instantly feel the burning sensation a fool feels after asking such a ridiculous question.

  "Well, let's just say the next time I have you to myself, I'll show you."

  I squirm uncomfortably, and he slides his hand to rest on the inside of my thigh. My heart pumps almost loud enough to hear.

  "Seriously though, they all do different things. Though it looks like a small spike, the one in my eyebrow is actually a key. I have to have it in order to get into the Somage meetings. The one in my lip is solid silver, and as you know, silver is always good to have on hand. The one in my tongue is actually a hidden piece of a spell, should I ever get desperate. Where I chose to put it is purely for your benefit."

  My fever returns, and I debate on whether I should even attempt to comment. His devilish tongue doesn't need any extra help delivering divinity. I can't help but be curious though.

  "What will you be getting pierced next?" I ask in an effort to shift the subject again.

  He smirks as his eyes flash a shade of mischief my way.

  "You really want to know?"

  I swallow hard as my mind searches through all the scandalous places he could choose and settles on the only one I can think about. My eyes involuntarily flash down to his tightening pants, and before I know what's going on, he gasps.

  "Your eyes just flipped through about twenty shades of red and green."

  I sigh as I close the traitorous oddities, and then I recline back.

  "Stop fucking with my head, and they won’t do that so much."

  He laughs as though I've just made the most hilarious joke ever heard.

  "Really? I'm fucking with your head? I think we should hurry up and get this out of our systems. I don't have time to take another dip in the lake."

  He's joking, but I can tell it's simply to lighten the mood. I shouldn't feel so comfortable with him, but he makes it impossible to feel any other way.

  He pulls out the scent masker, and I turn up my nose.

  "Mine's probably worse than yours," he says with a chuckle. "I'll stop and get you something to drink to wash it down."

  Thank goodness.

  He pulls into a gas station and leaves the car running as he steps inside. I watch him with an appreciation I shouldn't have. When I peel my eyes away, I gasp to find a woman sitting in the driver's seat beside me.

  I never heard the door open or close, I never felt her eyes, and I never saw so much as a blur. But she's here - her jet black hair swishing below her shoulders. Her long red dress seems odd, considering the temperature, but I'm wearing a short pajama set, so who am I to judge?

  I swallow hard as I stare at her, watching her blood-red painted lips turn up in a crooked smile. It's her. It has to be her.

  Her appearance is misleading. The seductive beauty she holds hides the monster beneath. She looks to be in her early twenties, but I've read about her living as far back as medieval times.

  "He's a cute little boy," she says with her velvety smooth voice while her eyes point to Gage who is sifting through the drinks at the cooler. "Come quietly, and I won't hurt him... yet."

  She really doesn't know I'm a witch, or she'd know Gage was something from our world as well.

  "How did you-"

  "Find you?" she laughs out. "Easy, my girl. That mark on your wrist is mine. The second you gave yourself to my Kane, you belonged to me as well. Now get up. Step out slowly and walk over to that black car."

  She motions to a darkly tinted vehicle just next to us, and I tremble as I put my hand on the door handle.

  "One word, one scream, and I'll tear his throat out in front of you," she growls, her eyes once again pointing to the clueless dark user heading to the counter.

  If this was any other night stalker, I'd definitely scream for my dark user ally, but this is Castine, and she's immune to my powers just as she's immune to Gage's. I've seen how ineffective Gage was against Kane, and I've seen my killer ex wield power he shouldn't have. Castine is even stronger. I don't stand a chance.

  I slowly walk over to the sedan, and she follows me into the car that is driven by a glowing blue-eyed ally of hers.

  "Drive, Jess. We've got what we came for," she says once we're tucked inside.

  I stare out the window after hearing her command, and my eyes fall to Gage as he walks out with a smile, assuming I'm still waiting for him. I see the horror in his face when he notices I'm gone, but before I can witness his meltdown, we're turning.

  "Why do you want me?" I squeak out, my nerves selling me out and stripping away my falsified persona of composure. "What are you going to do to me?"

  She giggles in delight about something, and then she brushes her dress as if she's trying to remove a piece of lint.

  "Sweetie, I'm not going to do anything to you. I'm going to leave that to Kane."

  She managed to make me cringe twice with nearly the same breath. I hate being called sweetie. I wish I could tell her Kane will never hurt me, but I know better. I've heard his threats without her influence.

  I scratch at the mark on my wrist that seems to be burning while I'm so close to her. It's red instead of black as it has been. I gasp as I stare at it.

  "You shouldn't have bound yourself to him. It made it almost too easy to find you once you felt betrayed. Betrayal is what activates it. Little by little, it grows stronger, finally becoming visible, and then it leads me to its host."

  She seems so smug, so proud of herself. I want to rip her sadistic head from her shoulders.

  "What's Kane going to do to me?" I ask while swallowing hard.

  She smiles, her eyes turning black, something I've never before seen on a night stalker. It's enough to send the terrified prickling sensation from my head to my toes.

  "With your death by his hands, the bond he broke between us will be restored. If I kill you, I still lose him. If he kills you, he's still tethered to me enough to keep him from doing something foolish once again. I don't want him dead. But you... Your death is something I look forward to."

  Chapter 7

  Delicious Poison

  Two of Castine's henchmen walk on either side of me as they lead me down a long corridor. She keeps her distance, her eyes on my back. I dare not turn around. If I do, she might see my crazy-shaded eyes going through a whirlwind of emotions right now.

  Stone walls with aged surfaces flank me on either side. They're a mixture of gray and black from the centuries they've stood. I can tell we're underground, but I don't know how deep. She gave me a scent masker on the way, so there's no chance of Gage finding me right now.

  The end of the corridor comes into view, along with the heavy metal door that is sealing a dark room. The symbols etched into the door are to hold a night stalker. I've seen them before.

  Kane.

  The door swings open, and a dark figure lunges forward from the shadows only to be whirled backwards with a mere flick of Castine's wrist. How the hell did she just do that?

  The amulet on her neck glows red. It's held in place by a gold chain, and the teardrop shaped jewel carries a secret... the secret of her power.

  The glowing blue eyes of the night stalker forced against the wall draws my attention. It's definitely Kane. His limbs are splayed against the stones as he struggles against her invisible hold.

  Castine simply laughs as one of the men shoves me inside, knocking me to my knees. Gage's jacket is the only thing warming me right now. I'm thankful for it since this dungeon prison is even colder than the outside.

  Seeing Kane's eyes grow wide in shock doesn't scare me, but when his eyes grow bluer, darker, I begin shaking. It's still so unnatural to see the monster he really is.

  "What the fuck?" he growls, his eyes turning back to Castine.

  "You knew this was coming, lover," she says with an eerie grin. "I know you're hungry. You're probably starving, in fact. So I brought you a succulent little gift. It's your c
hoice what you want to do with her.

  "If you change her, I'll simply make her my toy. You know how I love a good girl toy. Changing her will pass the bond you share with her to me. Of course, you could always drain her dry and get back your strength. We've got some time to make up for. I don't want you too exhausted to enjoy my company."

  He snarls at her, still held back by the invisible restraints. "You fucking twisted bitch."

  She just laughs harder as she leads the men away from the room. She stops and turns around once more, her eyes going black again as they did in the car.

  "I'll be back in a few days to see what you've done. Enjoy, lover."

  The door creaks to a sealed shut, and I back against the far corner as Kane is released. He starts to walk toward me, his eyes proving he's ready for a kill, but he turns back and slams his hands against the wall.

  "Fuck!" he shouts, making my ears ring a little. "Why the hell didn't you just get out of town?"

  I slink down, tears teetering on the edges of my lids. I'm going to die by the hands of the only man I've ever loved. I feel as though I've landed in some tragic Shakespearian play.

  I don't even attempt to answer. I wrap up in Gage's jacket as though it can save me, when I know it can't. His scent lingers on it, making me feel safe, though I know what a gravely false sense of security that is.

  "Damn it, Alyssa. I kept telling you to leave. I warned you over and over! You made it too easy. You could have stayed on the move!"

  I wipe the stray streaks of clear tears, but they start coming in such abundance that I can't catch them all.

  "Sorry," I almost whisper.

  Knowing my fate, there aren't really a whole lot of words. He grips his head and drops down to the corner across from me.

  "She's starved me for a week, Alyssa. She wants me to snap, and she wants me to kill you to reinstate our bond."

  "I know," I murmur while looking away. "Just get it over with."

  He says nothing and makes no attempt to move until I look at him. Then, he slowly stands and starts walking toward me, his eyes growing bluer until he reaches me.

  "No. Not while I have any sanity left. You need to do something about your knee. It's bleeding, and that's not nice to do to a hungry night stalker."

  He pulls his shirt off, which only provokes my own hunger. I'm trapped in a dungeon with my bloodthirsty ex, while playing pawn to a sadistic bitch's game, and I'm still controlled by this fucked up connection we have because I rushed into giving him something I couldn't get back. Pathetic.

  Each of his sculpted lines becomes a sweet trail for my hungry eyes. He's so different from Gage, and I feel so much more familiar with his body. It's almost as if he's still mine, though nothing could be further from the truth.

  His lip is split - obviously he's taken a beating at some point. He's bruised on different sections of his body. His face has smudges of dirt from a week of living down here, but he still looks so incredible even now. He should smell foul, horrid possibly, so why does his scent leave me almost spellbound instead of appalled. I swear he's defying all the laws of nature right now.

  His dark hair sweeps his brow. His bedroom messy locks are tousled in a way only he could pull off. The strong line of his jaw, the firm promise of his skin, and his towering stature all taunt me with the things I desperately want but can't have.

  He rips part of the shirt, and then he kneels to tie it around my bloody knee. The force of the impact split it open when they threw me in here.

  "Did she pull you out of bed or something?" he asks, his voice softer than I've heard it in a while.

  My heartbeat quickens as my eyes fall prey to his perfection. There's no telling the collage of colors I'm sorting through right now.

  "No. Sierra showed up, broke a window, and then warned me. We were on our way to Edgebrook when Castine caught up with us."

  He finishes his makeshift bandaging job, and then his eyes scroll up my body to rest on the jacket that has fallen open.

  "I assume we stands for you and your dark user."

  I just nod, not giving him more than he needs to know. He lets out a derisive huff before walking away.

  "How long before you lose it? I'm not overly fond of feeling like a juicy steak being waved in front of a starving man."

  He lets out a bitter laugh, one of exhaustion and disbelief.

  "I don't know. I've never been starved before. I've had control of my blood needs for a really long time. How long before you lose it?"

  Great.

  "I assume you're referring to my-"

  "Your inability to keep your hands off me when around me for too long? Yes."

  He's almost smug with his matter-of-fact release, and I groan inwardly.

  "I don't know, but I do have an idea of how we can avoid you slaughtering me like a lamb. If you want to hear it, that is."

  He moves a hand in front of him, motioning for me to 'take the floor'.

  "Take my blood while you're still sane. Witch blood is stronger, so it'll fuel you with less."

  He grips his head again while shaking it.

  "Absolutely not. Witch blood is toxic. It becomes addictive. There's a reason I never knowingly took any before."

  He's still trying to act as though he didn't know what I was. Even now. Unbelievable.

  "It'll be no more toxic if you take it now than if you take it later. The difference is, you could stop yourself from bleeding me dry right now. When you lose it, I won't stand a chance."

  He grumbles under his breath, possibly cursing too softly for me to hear. He knows I'm right, and what scares the hell out of me is the fact I want him to do it for all the wrong reasons. I almost crave his touch in any way... enough to die for it, though I'm doing my best to seem composed.

  "You know you'll feel venom."

  I stand and move toward him, slipping off Gage's jacket as I do so. He squirms uncomfortably as I kneel before him, my knees touching his leg.

  "Just don't leave me looking worse than this," I murmur while pulling down the veil that hides the hideous scar left behind years ago. "I know now it's possible to be bitten without scarring this badly. The first one never scarred at all, and Isolis barely left a mark."

  I motion to the second set of bites, though they're nearly faded from existence.

  "Who the hell did this to you?" He jerks me closer to study the old wound, and I gasp at the feel of his touch on my skin.

  He was very careful not touch me when he was wrapping my knee. Now his hands are burning against my side where the shirt has risen, and my neck, where I want to feel his lips.

  I almost heard anger or concern in his tone. I know it's nothing more than my wishful, twisted mind running awry. I can't love a monster, and he can't love his prey.

  "It happened a long time ago."

  His jaw clenches, and I wave my hand over the hideous scar to shield it from sight. I slide over to be in his lap, and his body stiffens against my touch.

  "You should hurry before I do something stupid," I almost whisper, finding it impossible to not slide my hands up his chest, desperate to feel his lips on mine.

  A flicker of humanity almost sparks in those eyes that refuse to go green. I'm staring into his hunting eyes, and I'm nothing but enthralled, entranced, and utterly in love.

  "Alyssa, I'm too strong. There's only one venom I can use that won't nearly kill you or leave you writhing in pain for days."

  "Poison's kiss? Yeah, I know. You've used it before. It'll hurt a little to deny it, but I'm sure you won't have a problem."

  My snarky, bitter tone does well to mask my drenched desire for his touch.

  "Alyssa, it wouldn't hurt me to deny it, but it'll hurt you... very badly. My venom is stronger than you realize. What I did to you those times... That was low key. If I feed from you-"

  "Just do it before I make an idiot out of myself. We'll deal with it. Just push me away. You do damn good with that," I mumble, ready to end this close contact that is already killing
me.

  I dread how much more painful it will be once that erotic venom finds my veins.

  I gasp when his lips touch my neck, a small kiss following, as if he's sampling the spot he wants to taste. My hands move to tangle in his hair and he pulls my center closer.

  My thin shorts prove to be a major problem when I feel his erection beneath me. He's turned on, just like they all get before they sink their fangs in. His tongue slides over the skin that has never been punctured, and then I feel the burning heat of ecstasy as the pain mingles with pleasure.

  His fangs go deep, making the rush of heat spread throughout me, gathering low and forcing me to throb for his touch. He moans against me as he takes my energy to restore his own.

  Air stirs around us when he lifts me, keeping my legs around his waist, and my back finds the wall. A grunt falls from my lips when he pushes me into it with too much force, but it only feeds my ravenous need for him all the more.

  This is torture. I want to feel him inside me so badly it physically aches. He drinks me in, his hands gripping me tighter, and then suddenly he pulls back, lowering me to my feet as he crosses the room to distance himself from me.

  I reach up to touch my neck, but I'm surprised to find the wound has already closed.

  "How did you-"

  "We can all do it. Most of my kind elects to leave their victims bleeding though."

  His answer is swift and matter-of-fact as he pushes his hands against the wall, feeling my power running through his veins. My whole body is on the verge of convulsing right now. The stinging desire to touch him has turned into a roaring disaster.

  "You were right about your blood. Just a little does a lot."

  "Like you've never tasted witch's blood before." I was trying to scoff, but my voice cut out.

  Right now, all I can focus on are the intense series of stabs attacking me in waves. I double over when it becomes unbearably painful.

  "It's going to be too much, Alyssa," he says casually while walking toward me.

  Crying out, I drop to my hands and knees. I almost want to claw my skin off right now. The throbbing grows, making the sound around me muffled by my own pulse. I heave for air, but it's almost evading my grasp.