Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(7)

When the door opened, Jez went first, checking for anyone in the hall before allowing me out. We made it back to our room without incident. Ok, so that could have been far worse than it was.

My relief was short lived. My senses blazed as I became keenly aware of the heavy vampire energy burning inside the suite. It wasn’t just Arys. Someone else was inside. My bloodlust was strong, but my fear was stronger.

“Somebody is in there with the guys,” I said, my hand on the doorknob.

We exchanged a look, ready to confront the stranger inside. Jez slid the key card into the slot, and I shoved the door open. I strode into the suite, a mess of hunger and wariness. I took one step into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks.

Arys sat in the middle of the couch, straddled by a buxom blonde.

Chapter Three

“What the f**k?” I was stunned, but anger quickly followed the shock.

The blonde got to her feet, managing to look elegant and coy at the same time. Arys sprang off the couch as if he were on fire. Shaz sat as far away as he could get from both vampires without leaving the room. His expression was pensive but sour.

“Alexa, this is Sloane. She’s one of Harley’s, like me. She just came by to say hello.” Arys stood between the tall, leggy vampiress and me as if he feared I might lunge for her. It was tempting. “She was just about to leave.”

I stood with hands on my hips, glaring with a vengeance. “Save the crap. It sure didn’t look that way.”

I knew who she was. I recognized her from Arys’s memories. She had played a significant role in his life. Having lured him in for Harley, one might say she was directly responsible for Arys’s conversion to vampire.

Sloane shoved past Arys, extending a hand to me. A friendly smile lit up her face. “I’m Sloane. It’s so nice to finally meet Arys’s wolf. You are more beautiful than I was led to believe.”

I stared at her hand, confused by her sugary sweet greeting. Was she for real? I was hesitant to take her hand, knowing she’d use the opportunity to taste my power. However, I was curious myself. I accepted her hand, boldly meeting her ocean blue gaze. Her energy hummed with that same tone I was coming to associate with Harley’s bloodline. It crawled into my palm, a strong, warm but neutral pulse of power. She wasn’t aggressive in any way, which made it especially hard not to send a little jolt into her.

“May I ask why the hell you were practically dry humping my lover?” I asked, my smile brittle and forced.

She turned to Arys with a laugh that had clearly been perfected over the centuries and a very subtle, hard to place accent that came through only on certain words. It sounded European. “She’s feisty. I like her. Finally, Arys, a woman that can keep you in line.” To me she said, “I apologize. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. I let my excitement get the best of me. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t.” This time my smile was genuine, and it was vicious. My wolf looked out at her, promising very bad things for the woman that dared to climb all over my man.

“I told you, Sloane,” Arys said, having a hard time meeting my eyes. “Alexa doesn’t like to share. And I no longer enjoy being shared. Things have changed.”

I bristled at that. It was impossible not to look Shaz’s way. He remained motionless, void of any true emotion. I wondered how much I had missed.

Sloane saw the brief exchange and nodded in sudden understanding. “Oh, I see. Well, I can respect that. She is your other half after all. Not much room left for another in that tightly bound equation now is there?”

Shaz winced, though I wasn’t sure she intended her words as a direct hit. Sloane was oblivious, rambling on again about how thrilled she was to meet the one woman who could tame Arys Knight. Tame him? She had no idea what she was talking about. There was no taming a vamp like Arys.

“You should go, Sloane. I’m sure Jenner would have a tantrum if he knew you came here to throw yourself at me.” Arys gestured to the door, clearly not interested in having me in the same room as yet another of his old lovers. This was how many now?

Sloane retrieved a little black clutch from the couch. It matched the little black dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. I felt incredibly underdressed compared to the women of Vegas.

“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. You may be a bad ass in bed, but that’s not why I came here.” With a wink, she reached for Arys, grasping his hand tight. “I came to warn you, Arys. Get out of town. Jenner feels threatened by your arrival.”

“Good,” Arys said with a satisfied sneer. “He should be threatened. I could have this city if I wanted it.”

“But you don’t, do you? You left Vegas and everyone in it. You abandoned us. You don’t belong here anymore.” Sloane’s lower lip trembled, a subtle but dramatic action that had me snorting in derision.

“Spare me the dramatics, Sloane.” Arys pulled away from her and stalked over to the door. “I didn’t abandon a damn thing. The way I remember it, you weren’t exactly begging me to stay.”

I was growing increasingly uneasy as I watched their exchange. A dull throb racked my brain as memories that didn’t belong to me struggled to surface.

Sloane stood her ground, refusing to allow Arys to usher her out the door. “Harley and Jenner never understood your reasons for leaving. I did.” Her cool blue gaze flicked to me. “But coming back was a really dumb move. It’s dangerous. Go home, Arys. Please.”