Shadow's Claim

Craving it constantly, even when there was no chance of having any.

She decided that if she ever got over Daciano, she was going to put some feelers out.

Sabine gave a curt shake of her head. "My sister's still missing," she said with a pointed glare at Bettina. "We're hoping for an assist from Nix."

"All the best with that. I've been hunting her up and down this realm. Heard there's a bluidy mile-long sign-up sheet for her. No, really, it's supposed to be over five thousand feet long."

"You seek help with your twin?" Sabine asked. A male that handsome has a twin? "From what I heard, Uilleam's not exactly rebounding from his torture."

An expression of pain flashed over the Lykae's face, his amber eyes flickering the lightest blue. "No, Will has no' yet recovered."

Bettina knew that an order of evil humans had abducted and experimented on hundreds of immortals before all their prisoners had escaped. Had Sabine's sister Melanthe been tortured as well?

Sabine and Munro began speaking in more hushed tones about their siblings. Feeling like an eavesdropper, Bettina turned her chair to survey the denizens of the bar, members of the great Vertas army. There were so many interesting species inside, so much color and spectacle.

But her attention was unerringly drawn to the back, where couples necked on myriad couches. A demon and a nymph were getting particularly busy with wandering hands and long, wet kisses.

Daciano had been an incredible kisser, those firm lips of his so talented. She sighed. Who was she kidding? She was never getting over him.

She'd cleaved.

As ever, she wondered what he was doing. Would he have tried to return to his homeland? Or would he strike out and start a new life altogether?

Nothing was stopping him from finding another female, from wedding another. If she'd thought she'd been jealous over Caspion, the idea of Daciano making love to some gorgeous vampiress made her power flare uncontrollably.

Before Bettina could rein it in, her hands lit up. Her own rattle rattle. Great. Unintentional sorcery use on the mortal plane. "Sabine, we need to start wrapping up here." Bettina might be prepared to face down Vrekeners if push came to shove, but she'd rather avoid it. "I've got to get back to Abaddon."

Even Sabine, who'd warred with the Vrekeners for centuries, gave them a wide berth. Or at least she had, before Lanthe had been taken.

Munro turned to Bettina with a narrowed gaze and a flash of recognition. "Did you say Abaddon?"

Oh, boy, I can guess where this is going. It seemed like everyone in the Lore had heard about the tournament. "I did."

At once, his irises glowed that eerie blue. "My clan's heard tales of what goes on in your demonarchy," he grated. "One of our own was beheaded there, no? One newly turned?"

"Yes," Bettina said simply, a habit learned by a vampire.

"Turned human or no, he possessed the Instinct. That made him our brother."

With a pang, Bettina recalled that Lykae's last word: Brother.

Munro bit out, "Any reason we shouldn't retaliate against Abaddon?"

"That male was entered into an irrevocable blood contract," Bettina said in a steady tone, her palms beginning to glow under the table, power at the ready; Munro dashed a hand over his chest, no doubt wondering why his heart had stuttered. "After that, there was nothing we could do."

Sabine was watching this exchange like a demon at a kobold toss.

"Who entered him?" Munro demanded.

"A sect of warlocks called Those Best Forgotten. I couldn't get them out of my kingdom fast enough."

"Warlocks." His lips curled in disgust, revealing lengthening fangs. It was no secret that the Lykae distrusted all things magical.

"As a show of goodwill between my kingdom and yours," Bettina said, "I will give you information we gathered on them. Seems they're making many more of your kind, turning humans, then using them as slaves. We've also got their location."

"Slaves?" Munro's dark claws punctured the table. "My clan knows how to find the Forgotten."

"Good. Then you can 'retaliate' against those that deserve it. And that's all I'll say on the matter," she added, just because she could.

"Happy hunting," Sabine said as Munro levered himself to his feet, his chair clattering behind him as he charged off.

Chapter 51

To his crew at the bar, he snapped rough words in Gaelic. They sounded like marching orders.

Each of the young Lykae reacted with aggression, his eyes turning, an image of a wolven creature flashing over him.

When the pack plowed out of the bar, Bettina thought, I could almost feel sorry for Those Best Forgotten. . . .

Sabine faced her with a raised brow. "Oh, Munro just called from the parking lot, mentioned something about wanting his testicles back. What's gotten into you?"

Bettina shrugged.

"You have all this new confidence, and you don't fear me anymore. Which begs the question"-Sabine peered intently at her-"am I losing my touch? Or are you finally finding yours?"

"Maybe I am." I totally am. She felt more comfortable in her own skin, more confident with her rule.

But the aching emptiness she'd felt after losing her power had only been replaced by losing the vampire.

He was her first real love. He would be her last.

Why couldn't Trehan Daciano be her devotedly hot king, involving himself with public works and demon lifesaving-