Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(3)

“Something wicked this way comes, vampire,” he warned, “and we had damned well better be prepared.”

Styx nodded. For the rare moment they were in perfect agreement.

“Yes.”

Morgana le Fey might be dead, but her opulent palace on the isle of Avalon remained intact.

Okay, not fully intact.

More than one room was on the wrong side of tattered. And the grand throne room had been blown to hell, but the vast harems had escaped the majority of the damage during Morgana’s last, great battle.

A damned shame.

Not just because the sprawling rooms designed with mosaic tiles, marble fountains, and domed ceilings looked like something from a cheesy Arabian Nights film set (although that was reason enough to burn the gaudy piece of crap to the ground) but because Ariyal had spent more centuries than he cared to remember in the harem trapped as a slave.

It had been a well-guarded secret that a handful of Sylvermyst had turned their backs on their master, the Dark Lord. They’d bargained with Morgana le Fey to keep them hidden among the mists of Avalon in return for them satisfying her insatiable lust for men and pain.

Not necessarily in that order.

Unfortunately Ariyal had been a favorite of the sadistic bitch.

She’d been fascinated by the metallic sheen of his bronzed eyes and his long chestnut hair. But it’d been the lean, chiseled muscles of his body that she’d devoted hours to exploring. And torturing.

With a low growl he shook off the unpleasant memories.

Instead he concentrated on the female who was currently enjoying the nasty surprises hidden among the velvet divans and exquisite tapestries.

Well, maybe enjoyment wasn’t what she was feeling, he acknowledged in amusement, watching as she slowly came awake to discover she was chained to the wall by silver shackles.

Jaelyn, the vampire pain-in-his-ass, let loose a string of foul curses, not seeming to appreciate that he’d carefully protected her skin with leather to keep the silver from searing her flesh, or that he’d chosen one of the rooms that was specifically built to protect bloodsuckers from the small amount of sunlight that filtered through the surrounding mists.

In fact, it looked like the only thing she was in the mood to appreciate was ripping out his throat with her pearly-white fangs.

A treacherous heat raced through his body.

He told himself it was a predictable reaction.

She was stunning, even if she was a leech.

Tall and athletically slender, she was a mixture of races that combined into an exotic beauty.

Glossy black hair that spoke of the Far East was contained in a tight braid that hung down her back. The Asian influence was echoed in the shape of her eyes, although they were a dark shade of blue that revealed a European heritage. Her skin was as pale as alabaster and so perfectly smooth that he ached to brush his fingers over it.

From head to toe. And back again.

Add in the black spandex that clung to her slender curves and the sawed-off shotgun that he’d been smart enough to take off her long before they’d stepped through the portal, and she was a custom-made fantasy.

Hunter.

Lethal beauty.

Yep, there wasn’t a man alive (or maybe even dead) who wouldn’t give his right nut to get between those long slender legs.

But Ariyal hadn’t been able to completely forget that shocking awareness that had jolted to life during his brief incarceration at the hands of this female.

Hell, her merest touch had made him go up in flames.

And it pissed him off.

Unlike most of his brethren, he didn’t allow his passions to rule his life.

He ruled his passions.

A grim reminder that didn’t do a damned thing to stop the heat that scorched through his blood as her indigo gaze skimmed over his lean body, which he’d left bare except for a loose pair of dojo pants.

Bloody hell.

His gut tightened and his c**k hardened. From a mere glance.

What the hell would happen if he spread her across the nearby bed and ...

The vampire stiffened, no doubt sensing his explosive desire. Then, with a visible effort, she narrowed those magnificent eyes and wrapped herself in a frigid composure.

“You.” The word was coated in ice.

“ Me.”

She stood proudly, acting as if she didn’t notice she was currently chained to the wall.

“Why did you kidnap me?”

He shrugged, not about to admit the truth.

He didn’t have a goddamned clue why he’d grabbed hold of her as he escaped through the portal that had brought them from the frozen caves of Siberia to this hidden island. He only knew his reaction to the female was dark and primal and dangerously possessive.

“You held me captive,” he instead drawled. “Fair is fair.”

“As if a Sylvermyst would know the meaning of fair.”

His smile held no apology. “Haven’t you heard the old saying that ‘all’s fair in love and war’?” He allowed his gaze to lower to the enticing curve of her br**sts, lust jolting through him at her revealing shiver. “We could no doubt add a few more activities to the list.”

“Release me.”

“What’s wrong, poppet? Are you afraid I intend to have my evil way with you?” He deliberately paused. “Or hopeful?”

“You at least got the evil part right.”