Zauran (30 page)

“
What kind of danger?”

Oddly I have trickles of fear squirming through me now.

“
Zauran, a neuri, is on the hunt. Neuri only hunt once every decade. He's a new alpha, out to prove himself, and the place he goes looking for a compatible female, is Pravus.”

“
New alpha?”

“
Yes, he recently reached maturity. Forget everything you've ever heard about werewolves, the Neuri are nothing like the stories.”

He stands, returning to the cabinet, and I watch long legs in leather jeans and a white shirt tightening over muscles when he moves, pouring new drinks.

With his back still to me, he says, “So aside from red eyed Vampyre you also have that crowd out for new blood. New Year's might be a celebration for you, but in the supernatural world it's a time of gathering, of renewal, a time for finding a mate.”

Twisting, holding a goblet in each graceful hand, he strolls back, offering me one, “As an alpha, as an elder, I was duty bound to remove you and any other human out of Pravus before Zauran arrived with his brethren. And to get you away from the men who hunt to kill.”

Taking the goblet, I sip it. It's the same stuff Darise was drinking. It's deeply purple wine looking stuff, heavily laced with festive spices. Coughing when my eyes water, I swallow the cold brew with my nose tickling and fever exploding on my tongue.

Inhaling a harsh breath I bury the cough long enough to say, “So you're saying only you can protect me and that's why I'm here?”

“
Technically I'm not the only one, but present tonight I was the only option you had. Darise can't take on Zauran.” Sitting down again, blue eyes stare straight through me, “You'll understand when you meet him.”

“
When? Are you saying I will?”

“
It's inevitable...”

His calming baritone trails off and I'm instantly aware of how I'm leaning forward, almost tipping off my chair waiting to hear my fate. “But?”

“
Zaria...” he releases a long sigh, downs his drink and places it onto the polished black stone table between us, all the while distracting me with the way his muscles move in rhythmic dance with every movement of his arm and fingers. “Look, you've been dropped in the deep end. There's no kind way to say this.”

“
Oh god! Say what?” Nausea squeezes my gut and I relinquish my own goblet to the coffee table.

“
If you don't want to be a neuri conquest, you have to learn to be more than you are. You have to acquire survival skills you obviously lack. You are drawn to danger, drawn to the supernatural kind, and you have no way of understanding how to control the world.”

“
Control?! I don't want to control the world.”

He makes a face, twisting his mouth skew and tugging my heart right there with it. “Control's the wrong word. Aaah, more like, influence. Humans have abilities they're not aware of, but in order to survive in my world you need to hone your senses, your instincts–”

Leaning closer to me again, fresh night air breath wafts hotly at me, “In short, you require a tutor. You may fancy Darise but he's not the alpha in his family. He'll never have the patience and endurance to teach you what you require – in order to survive.”

When he speaks, referencing Darise, it's as if Darise doesn't matter, I can't believe how intoxicating Venix is. I could stare at him for hours, lulled into security with that incredible voice.

Hang on.

“
How do I know you won't hurt me?”

“
I never said I won't hurt you. Pain is an excellent teacher. But I have silver eyes. That means I've never caused a death. That makes me safer than ninety-nine percent of the men you've met in Pravus. Safer than Darise.”

“
What about that Jowand... guy?”

“
He's safe, but not omnipotent. You have a mammoth neuri after you, tracking your scent, and now mine because of it. If you require protection, best you choose a male built like him. There are a dozen of us, if that, worldwide. Good luck finding another prepared to tutor, teach, and protect an innocent, when it's just so much easier leaving you to them.”

When he says 'them' he nudges his head, forcing soft hair to drop abruptly into his eyes.

Smoothing it away off his forehead he flops back to stare up at the ceiling.

“
I don't know what I was thinking. It's easier to stay out of conflicts. Instinct just took over.” Swiveling his attention, brown eyes look deeply into my heart, “And now I'm stuck with you. Fuck you are going to complicate my peaceful existence.”

“
Hey, I didn't ask for your help. I'm fine on my own!”

In an instant he's standing over me, hand round my neck, squeezing my throat with tungsten fingers, “Oh can you? You didn't even see this attack coming. I'm one male, alone, can you handle twelve of them catching you this easily and gang raping you? The one who impregnates you wins. Can you, Zaria? Or do you need me because you are pathetic prey who can't even sense danger when she's staring into his eyes?”

Choking, stamping my feet and clawing at his hands, I'm powerless against his strength and leverage, my head pounding fit to explode, when hot soft lips cover mine and steal what's left of my air, plunging my awareness into spiraling hard black hell.

~Teaser from Book 1~

Erra

(an erotic romance by Poppet)

It's easy to do. You're so busy watching the creep stalking you, you walk straight into the next person.

“
Are you okay? Sorry about that.”

Strong hands steady me. Not tight, just firm. Commanding. And they haven't let go.

Snapping my focus front and center, the muscles directly in front of me, close enough to feel the warmth of him, make looking up a hundred times harder.

Heat infuses her guilty stain into my cheeks.

His hands feel as good as the voice he just wrapped around me, like a cocoon of throaty silk.

Breathe in, slowly, you can do this.

Looking up, and up, until it's enough to give me neck-ache, The Hulk is staring back down at me with gentle toffee-brown eyes. His perfect skin still holds the sun, it brushes his complexion with wind, outdoors, fresh air.

“
I-I'm fine.”

His focus darts over my head, his lids narrowing ever so slightly.

“
Is someone bothering you?”

Yes actually, the son of my dead boss seems to want to find me, so please let go so I can get out of here before he sees me.

But instead my throat has ceased. The swallow is forced, it hurts.

He leans down, getting close to my ear, his hot breath washing into my neck when his lips graze my skin they're so close, “Need a chaperone to your car?”

If I could just close my eyes and freeze this moment, I would die a happy woman.

“
Uhm...”

C'mon Sarah! Snap out of it. He's going to think you're retarded.

“
Yeah,” I pause to clear my windpipe, he's giving me a giddy vertigo. “Uhm. That would be great.”

No hesitation from Mr Capable then. His hand slips from my arm, curling his arm around my shoulders, and starts to walk, with purpose.

He glances at me, while I do the two-step trying to keep up, “What was the problem?”

It's hard to put into words, and I doubt you want to hear my paranoid delusional theories for the rest of your night. I'm sure the Hustler ladies are already oiling up, waiting for you.

“
It's a long story, suffice to say, I have an admirer. And it creeps me out a little.”

We're through the doors, heading to the parking bays.

“
Which car's yours?”

I nudge my head at the midnight Polo. “That one.”

And off we go, trotting like two horses about to start fillying about.

“
Nowhere is safe. It's ridiculous when women need a buddy system just to get groceries.”

“
I doubt he'd hurt me. He just freaks me out.”

Please tell me this breathlessness is only because you walk so damn fast.

Mr Lickable stops at my car, bracing an arm against the curve of the roof.

“
Sorry, I didn't catch your name?”

“
Sarah. Sarah Tempest.”

His smile sends a weakening frisson smack down my spine, short-circuiting everything on the way down.

“
Nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Dustin.”

I smile, knowing I now look like I just escaped the facility and the white jackets are after me with tranquilizer darts.

A card is shoved into my hand, “Call me when you get home.”

“
Uh – why?”

Yes goddammit, why!?

He gives me a lazy half smile, “So I know the creep didn't follow you home.”

Gripping my hand, he depresses the remote, opens my door for me, and ushers me into the vehicle with an insistent hand at the small of my back.

G-O-D!

He is loaded with magic hands. I don't think I have the strength to drive now. Just put me in your pocket and take me home. I'll be a good little slave, I promise.

The door slams shut with finality, instilling the urgency I've injected him with. He taps the roof, telling me to get the hell home with a single rap of knuckles on my tin can.

Starting the car, I press down the window. “Thanks!”

His smile is cordial, his sharp gaze never leaving mine until I look forward and push it into first gear with a shaky arm.

Easing my numb leg off the clutch, I dare a last look at him, trying to drink in as much as possible without being obvious. My breathing is all over the show, like I'm having a panic attack.

Maneuvering past the car in front, I dart my surreptitious reconnaissance over him, flashing back up to have cardiac arrest when my eyes meet his. It's smoldering. I bet he brands every woman he looks at, just with the heat in those eyes.

Gulping, still holding my breath, I force a mad-dash smile, and press the accelerator.

God, get me out of here before I lose the will to breathe on my own.

Turning the corner, I just see him running out of the store. Halting on the top steps, his eyes narrowed, his body rigid, lips purse while his sandy hair gusts in the breeze.

He saw me! Shit!

Then his eyes slip across to Dustin, then back at me.

Mr Obsession is furious.

I wonder how much a gun costs?

~Teaser from book 2~

Erra More & the Sibitti

(an erotic romance by Poppet)

We're on a different road, twilight closing in fast, breathing darkness and anticipation into us as I stare at the collection of Hogs and Ninjas.

One man waits on a Hog, saluting me with two fingers, firing his baby up, and Hel gets on his bike behind him.

Charlie catches my hand, hooking my legs and hoisting me onto his back, running for his bike. They're all running!

Oh god! This is a race.

It's frenetic, bikes revving, growling, wheels spinning, rubber burning, when Hel gets up, ahead of the pack, turning around on her seat, standing on it and resting her cute ass on the stranger's shoulders.

Raising her arms, she holds a white bra in each hand, twirling them, “Knights, are ya'll ready?!”

Her answer is a loud roar of revs. With my arms around Charlie, I can feel his body coiled with tension.

Sven has Iris with him tonight. That bad boy sure does get around.

Karl draws up next to us, punching Charlie's shoulder. Kay sidles up on the other side, so close I can feel his thigh, and he reaches out, touching my hair, making his bike spit at Charlie with an angry rattle.

Charlie passes the punch on, into Kay. And it dominoes through them, shoulders hammered, facing forward in unison, thunder rolling up behind us like a beast gaining ground.

The bras light up with fire, and they all burst forward, the night growling with the gear changes of six bikes fleeing into the fading light, trying to catch the next dawn.

Booms resound all around us, the sky lighting up with guns pounding. It's a twelve gun salute from up high as Hel's angels embrace the night.

Laughing, I can't believe I didn't see that before. These
are
Hel's angels.

Hel waves, balancing on the back of mystery boy's saddle, waving for me to get up behind Charlie. Her hair is streaming out behind her, and she's yelling for me to stand.

Looking right, I see Iris standing up behind Sven, her hair snapping behind her. Flicking my disbelief back to Hel, she unzips her jacket, wrapping her legs over Mystery's shoulders, as if she's going to sit on them.