Dark Desire (5 page)

His eyes
narrowed, obviously not liking her barb, and she gave him her best unguarded
smile, keeping her thoughts buried under the carefully erected façade she’d
spent many years perfecting.

She sighed,
reaching out for his arm and stroking her fingers over the hard muscle beneath
her hand. “I am dedicated to the end of this war same as you,
Ja’mel
. It would be easier to trust these
Atlanteans
if they offered Oman’s Seal to us. It would
restore balance between the two races, both on equal footing.”

She watched his
dark eyes flash fire. The hard line of his jaw bunched, and his lips thinned.
She struck a nerve, and a dark sense of satisfaction wove through her chest and
belly. The sensation fed the twisted, dark part of her soul. Once, her late
husband had called her damaged, broken beyond repair. Of course at the time he
lay writhing upon the floor, the poison she administered doing fast work eating
into his internal organs.

Ja’mel’s
tone bit out at
her with sharp teeth. “Not that it is any of your business, but I’ve been
assured once the Seal is found it will be ours.”

She took care to
keep her face neutral, masking her rage at his words under the guise of happy
relief. “It is close to being recovered then?”

He smiled
tightly, a flash of white teeth set in the darkness of his skin. No warmth came
from it, nor did it come close to reaching his hard, dark gaze. “This is a
matter of politics between leaders. Have no fear, the Seal of Oman will be
recovered and will be ours to protect very soon.”

Amari threw him
a dazzling smile and swore she would see
Ja’mel
dead
at her feet before he ever touched the Seal. It was time to prune her family
tree.

****

Zeke clamped
down tightly on the urge to grab
Laris
and run like
hell to the nearest bedroom. The image of her naked beneath him as he plunged
balls deep into her tight, hot core made him bite back a groan. From the moment
he laid eyes on her, he found himself in constant torment.

“You look as
tightly wound up as a cat in a room of rocking chairs.” Tegan laughed, nudging
Zeke’s shoulder good-naturedly.

“Bite me,
panther boy,” Zeke ground out. His eyes may be hidden behind the dark shades he
wore, but his head tracked
Laris
whenever she moved
through the crowded room.

“Sorry, but
you’re so not my type.”

“Will you stop
tormenting the poor guy? He’s been through enough today. He doesn’t need your
baiting him on top of it.” Kyra gently admonished her mate, placing a hand on
his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I still can’t
believe you never told us you were the actual heir to Atlantis.” Marcus shook
his dark head. His long hair was pulled back from his face, giving him the
austere air of an aristocrat. By his side, his consort
Tambra
Ellis tilted her head with curiosity. The two made a stunning couple, with her
as pale as he was dark. Her golden hair wound around her with a will of its
own.

A
hybrid of Pure Blood
Lycan
and vampire.
Taking Marcus’s
blood when she turned—or as it was known to the
Lycans
as “the rising”—held some interesting side effects, one being that her
ever-moving pale locks reacted to her moods, calm and soothing or whipping
around her like Medusa’s snakes. Something that Zeke found a bit unnerving.

“We all have our
secrets, love,”
Tambra
interjected softly before
turning her attention on Zeke. “I had a brief conversation with your new wife,
Laris
. She is very lovely. It’s hard to believe she was
brought up to be a warrior. She seems so … gentle.”

A smile lifted
one corner of Zeke’s lip.
Tambra
, as usual, had hit
it right between the eyes. He also felt an innate gentleness in his new bride.
“I do have to admit, I’m thankful that this turned out the way it did. I was
prepared for…” He shrugged his shoulders, not needing to verbalize how
disastrous this pairing could have ended up.

A tall, striking
woman, dressed in a flowing mauve silk, moved with regal grace toward
Laris
. Black ebony hair was pulled away from aristocratic
features resembling
Laris’s
own. Zeke watched with a
growing sense of curiosity as the woman drew her to a corner away from the
crowd.
Laris
smiled at the woman, who gave her a warm
embrace.

Zeke’s gut
tightened with sudden dread. A sense of impending danger threaded through the
air, yet he could find no clear cause for his reaction. “Who is that woman with
Laris
?”

“Ah, that is
Amari
Lantel
. She worked for the Tribunal as a
mediator between the dark breeds on minor disputes.” Amusement colored Marcus’s
voice. “I believe she is also your new bride’s aunt.”

Zeke’s entire
focus held on the two of them. He studied Amari with a critical eye. She was a
stunning woman with her dark skin practically glowing under the candlelight.
Her dark hair was pulled up away from her face in an elegant upsweep of loose
curls.

To Zeke, she
seemed cold, calculating.
Dangerous.

Protective instincts
he never knew he possessed rose up to the surface, bringing a growl of warning
pouring out of his throat. His friends turned toward him with surprise, yet he
never let his focus waver. As he watched
Laris’s
aunt
lean in and whisper in her ear, it seemed her expression went blank for the
briefest of seconds. He must be seeing things. The emotions boiling through him
were making him see threats in every shadow and every person. He needed to bed
her very soon or he couldn’t be held accountable for his actions.

As if hearing
his thoughts,
Laris’s
head lifted, her gaze locking
onto him with a shy smile playing on those perfect lips. Lips he wanted under
his with an ever-increasing desperation. He watched as one of his servants led
her toward the arched hallway toward his wing of suites. His pulse picked up,
heart beating in anticipation. Soon she would be his.

Chapter Four

Laris
paced the
elegantly appointed bedroom, averting her eyes from the massive bed, which
seemed to dominate the room. At any other time, she would be impressed by the
clean lines and subtle colors of burgundy set off with contrasting greys. The
simple wood drawers and chairs were definitely male in design and color. Her
bare feet sank into the thick deep brown rug covering the white marble floor.
Pausing at the heavy brocade drapes, which matched the bedspread, she blew out
an irritated breath. Her usual patience seemed to be lacking, and she knew it
had everything to do with one mysterious stranger she now would call husband.
With nervous fingers, she nudged one side of the material open to take in the
view before her.

Atlantis—her new
home—lay before her, awash in the dim blue-white glow of evening. The ceiling
high above shimmered in waves of phosphorescent light so low it cast long shadows,
pooling within corners, alleys and amongst the trees which adorned the Grecian
styled city.

What the hell
did she get talked into?

A bitter laugh
escaped her lips. She never had the luxury of being “talked” into anything.
Ja’mel
had told her what he expected with his usual
emotionless regard. It brought an ache to her chest to think of the cold
stranger her brother had become. There was a time when they were as close as
two siblings could be. They shared everything together. Only two years separated
them, with her the younger. He would promise to take care of her and keep her
safe.

Simple,
uncomplicated times, golden times to be cherished.
Only as
Ja’mel
grew older something inside him started to close up.
He grew distant and
cold,
and nothing she did could
break the icy shell that encased his emotions. If not for Amari she didn’t know
what would have happened, she had been so lost. The woman was the one constant
in her life, always there with words of encouragement, nurturing her. Because
Laris
had lost both her parents at just two years old,
Amari was the only mother she knew, and
Laris
thanked
the gods for her every day.

A sound at her
back pulled her out of her memories with a start. Turning quickly she watched
the man she called husband. His pale hair shone in the soft lights from sconces
set within the ceiling. His powerful body was clad in the royal colors of the
ruling house, without the robes of office to hide his form. His blue linen
pants rode low on his hips, a silver embroidered vest the only thing covering
his muscular chest. His tattoo shone darkly against his golden skin running
from his left shoulder to circle down his arm. She knew the markings were
hieroglyphics declaring his lineage. All
Atlanteans
had them. She briefly wondered would their children also carry the mark or
would her blood bring forth some new traditions. A blending of both races
perhaps. The idea brought a twinge of nerves. Motherhood was something she had
always considered to happen much later. She pushed her agitation down. Now was
not the time to worry about such things.

Not when this
man stood so confidently at the door, oozing sex from his very pores.

His pale
eyebrows winged up above those damnable shades, and a small smile played on his
sensuous lips. “Like what you see?”

She felt her
cheeks burn hot at being caught ogling him, but really, the man was one hot
package.
And all hers.

He moved away
from the door with the controlled power of a born warrior, and she felt a
shiver of excitement light her from the inside, electrifying her nerve endings
and filling every cell in her body with a need bordering on pain.

 
Ze’Kerhia
—Zeke as he
wished to be called—stopped only a hair’s breadth from her, his heat wrapping
around her while his scent tantalized. She breathed deeply, taking him into her
lungs. She recognized the exotic spice of bergamot mixed with the sharp tang of
sandalwood, and knew she would forever be reminded of him and this night.

His nostrils
flared, and he groaned in approval. “You smell so good.
Sweet
as the most decadent dessert.
One I’m going to take my time enjoying.”

Her knees
weakened at his words. The man knew what to say to a woman. Soon she would be
nothing but a puddle at his feet. “Do you sleep with those things on?” The
words came out before she could bite them back.

His deep chuckle
seeped under her skin causing her blood to burn hotter, her nipples to tighten
into aching nubs. The desire to rub them over the luscious expanse of his chest
nearly undid her. Never had she wanted any male as she did him.

He leaned in
close, his hot breath caressing the skin on her neck as he whispered in her
ear. “I don’t wear
anything
to bed.”

A whimper forced
its way from her lips as he straightened, his smile turning into a wicked grin
showing white even teeth. “If they bother you then, I guess you should take
them off.” His demand came on a rush of air, his breathing turning harsh as his
fingers stroked up to her arms to rest upon her shoulders.

Her hands
trembled slightly as they rose to his face, lightly stroking over the sides of
the dark glasses and lifted them off. She gasped in wonder at the sight of such
alien beauty. The sclera showed no white only the swirling colors of emerald
green shot with glittering gold. His pupils were long slits of ebony like a cat
… or a
dragon
. She was unable to
break contact as they drew her in.

“So
beautiful.
Dragon eyes,” she whispered. A memory nagged her, something about a child born
with the mark of the dragon, but her mind refused to bring more to the surface.

He blinked, lids
sliding over his pupils as long golden lashes brushed his cheeks. It was a mere
second in time, yet enough to break the spell he wove over her. She took a step
back, tilting her head to the side as she studied him.

“It’s not polite
to stare. You can give someone a complex.” He teased her lightly, his smile
taking the bite out of his words.

“Are your eyes
sensitive to light?” She blurted out once again. Why couldn’t she just keep her
mouth shut?

A deep laugh
rumbled out of his chest. “Yes, they are a bit sensitive, but I also wear the
glasses so people don’t feel uncomfortable around me. You have to admit you
don’t see eyes like mine every day. Even here in Atlantis they are an oddity.”

“Yes, but they
are very beautiful regardless.”

“I’m pleased
they don’t repulse you.”

Repulse her?
Quite the opposite was true. Her cheeks warmed. Gods, she was blushing. She’d
never blushed in her life, and the idea she did now made her want to squirm.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she felt off balance from a mixture of
discomfort and excitement. His fingers brushed lightly down her cheek to under
her chin. The sensation sent a streak of lightening down her spine, her belly
fluttering as if a dozen butterflies resided inside.