Taboo Kisses (22 page)

“Thank the Blessed Mother you’re okay.”

She turned her head in the direction of the voice.
A
tall
woman with
long
brown hair,
and
teal eyes
stared at her. She seemed
familiar in an irritating sort of way. They weren’t friends, Sameya knew that much.

“How does your head feel?”

Sameya caught the woman’s wrist before her fingers could
graze
her
forehead
.

Kat. She recalled
the other woman
now. Maximus
and Gabriel’s
witch.
The one who’d collared her.

“I don’t like to be touched.” Frowning at the iron cuff on her wrist, she released
Kat and lifted her other arm.
Another one on the other wrist
, both etched
with
Atlantian
magical symbols
.
Memories scrambled back into her head
so
fast she grimaced at the sudden
ambush
.
She had no idea who her attacker was, but there was one thing she was very certain
of…he was
a fool to come after her
, even if he
had
executed his attack brilliantly
.

He
will
pay.
Once I find him.

Rolling to her side, she sat and scooted to the edge of the bed.
Still naked with the dildo in her ass and vibrating, she should’ve been embarrassed,
but instead fury
clambered along
her
spine
. She’d locate the nearest bathroom or closet and shut off the sex-toy, but weird
ly
she
preferred
one of her men remove
the gadget
.

My men? I’ve officially lost my mind. They’re not my men. She threw her legs over
the side of the mattress.
She really should remove the object rather than save the honors for Gabriel or Maximus.
S
urvival
w
as priority number one
,
and
she
had no clue
if she could
walk
with
the toy
stuffed up her ass.

“Take it slow. You’ve been out for an entire day.”

Sameya looked
over her shoulder
at the
other
woman
.
Seriously? In what universe had she been thrown where a witch mothered her?

However, t
he
solemn
lines etched
o
nto
Kat’s
forehead suggested
her concern
was
sincere
.
That
fretfulness
was
a novelty in Sameya’s world where no one worried about her. Ever. Unless they
feared
she planned to reap them.

“Are Maximus and Gabriel alive?”

“They were when we were brought here.
Gabriel was injured. Maximus shackled in wormwood.
”

Wormwood. Not good. He wouldn’t sicken and die as fast as
a young vampyr would
, but even the oldest and strongest of them would fall quickly to that particular
lumber.

“What’d he spray in my face?” It still reeked whatever it was.

First on the agenda…locate a washcloth and scrub this shit off
my
skin.

“It smells like rose petals.”

Not expecting an answer, she elevated her eyebrows at the witch. Curious how
the attacker
discovered
that
in aerosol
format
,
rose petals act as a cerebral
flat liner
to a siren
. Only another siren could’ve fed her assailant that information.

“They’re my best friends
,
and I failed them.”
Kat stared at her hands as she twisted her fingers together. “My magic should’ve protected
us from an infiltration. I didn’t even know
these goons
were there until it was too late.”

“So you’re to blame?
Good to know.
” Sameya stood, finding her legs surprisingly steady.
Walking didn’t shift the gadget in her bottom or hinder her movement
either
.
Another plus in her favor.

“Yes,” Kat said in a very small voice. “I’ve brought shame to my coven.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Kat’s head snapped back, her eyes wide
with
surprise.

“
Whoever’s
magic
this is
,
it’s
stronger than yours.
He is
to
blame.
Your pity-party is counter-productive.” She tested a small serenade and was delighted
when it didn’t rebound in her head.
Serenading herself was
an experience she
never wanted to repeat
. “Why aren’t you wearing iron fetters?” Other than the bump on the witch’s forehead,
she
appeared
relatively unharmed.

“No need for shackles when his magic does the job easy enough.” A displeased scowl
settled on Kat’s face.

“Get over yourself.” Sameya despised
fragile
women. And she hadn’t
suspected the
other woman
would be
a weak link.
Most witches weren’t.
“You might be strong for
your age
, but even I have no problem
swiping through
your magic. That spell you had around the house wouldn’t have contained me for two
minutes.”

“Yet, the magic in the collar I created keeps you trapped to the men.”

Sameya grinned.
S
he could work with
cocky
. “That’s different. It’s mixed with Maximus’
s
power.
”
H
e
is
damn strong, not to mention persuasive
. And
she was feeling a whole lot of protective
ness
knowing her mates were
somewhere and
in
danger
.
“
Vampyrs are unaffected by my siren spell
. T
hat means so is
his magic
.”

The bedroom door opened. Kat’s shoulders snapped straight
,
and her glare waylaid the entrance. Patience
taxed
, Sameya
watched as a soldier
enter
ed
.
She’d recognize the arrogance of a leader anywhere
,
and this man wasn’t wearing it in his demeanor.

“Good to see you
’re awake
, Sameya.”

Interesting that he knew her name when she had no idea who commanded him.
She inclined her head. “Wish I could say the same.”
Since he wasn’t the leader of this expedition, she didn’t bother asking for his name.

His gaze traveled the length of her naked body, his eyes darkening. “You brought this
on yourself.”
He clucked his tongue at her.

Typical henchmen
style
to lay the blame on others.

The stranger
made a ‘come here’ motion with his hand. “Gryphon wants to see you.”

“Gryphon?” Hadn’t Gabriel said that name when she’d first met him?

“Your captor and new master.”

Imbecile. No one mastered her.
“We must not keep his highness waiting. But….” She trailed a fingertip around her
belly
button
, drawing
his
focus
. “You’ll understand if I demand some clothing first.”

He
held up the bag he carried in his left hand
. “Of c
o
urse, Sam
eya. Gryphon sends you attire.
I doubt they’re what you’d prefer, but slaves aren’t allotted finer wear.”

“You think I’m a slave?”

He touched the iron shackles on one of her wrists before offering her the
bag of
clothing. “Those were specifically made for you.
Iron
laced with magic
.
”

Atlantian magical inscriptions that can subdue a younger siren, but not one of my
advanced age.
Proof the one she sought was younger than her and wasn’t aware of her immunity.
The siren responsible for her predicament would suffer.

Gryphon’s guard stepped closer, peering down at her. She hoped he didn’t think he
cowed her with the way he towered over her. “He’s promised to give you to me when
he’s finished with you. A reward for helping bring you
to justice
.”

If not for his seriousness, she would’ve laughed.
She
kept her head bowed
and tried to humble her voice.
“Lucky you
.
” If she
were
lucky, he’d think her intimidated.

“Very lucky.” One of his fingers flicked a nipple. Sameya knocked his hand aside.
His long fingernails gouged into her neck and
he
shoved her to her knees, but only because she allowed his attack.
No need to alert him to her vigor just yet.

Kat gasped.

A b
rowbeaten
appearance served her purpose
.
Hands tangled in her hair, he smashed
her face into his soft crotch.
Anger spiked at being manhandled,
and
she ground her teeth to keep from biting into the delicate flesh.

“I hope he keeps one of your mates alive long enough for me to fuck you in his presence.
Probably the tiger. I’m sad to say the vampyr is almost gone.
”

Yeah, he looked
and sounded
as
heartbroken by
Maximus
’s
nearing demise
as she would be about his death later
. Behind her, Kat’s breath hitched
with obvious tears
. Sameya guessed the other woman wept for Maximus.

If either one of her mates
were harmed
they’d all live to regret it for a very long time.

“On your feet, slut. Master has a show for you.”
He
jerked her to her feet, his nails drawing blood. “No
t
the first blood you’ll shed for me.
” He licked the substance off his fingers. “
I like my women to
endure pain for a long time
. But not as much as Gryphon does. You’ll be pleased when he finally tires of you.”

Such arrogance to
deem
her defeated.

Sameya ignored the stinging
of her flesh
as she pulled the iron-laced dress over her head. Fools. The entire lot of them.
It’d take more than a little bit of iron and a blast of rose petals to trounce her.

The garb barely covered her bottom, but the low cut of the material in
the
front almost had her breasts spilling over the fabric.
He
hooked a chain to a loop on her
wrist-
cuffs and led her from the room. Like a
goddamn
dog. The offenses against them were mounting.

Chapter
Eighteen

Sameya entered the chamber
with the guard
guiding
her with his iron leash
. The room house
d
a single rectang
u
l
ar
table that could’ve fit twenty guests but only two chairs were in place.
A domineering male sat in a chair at the head of the table. She’d bet this was the
leader of the gang…and wouldn’t you know it, he was a griffin.
Probably why he’d chosen the name Gryp
h
on, but that was assuming they were one and the same.

The man was s
trong
and advanced
in
years
, but
he’d
be easy to sway with her
serenade
.
And not because he was o
verweight
, but one brush of his power against hers and she knew she’d outgun him without much
effort.