Page 48 of Deck the Skulls
“Put me down!” she demanded, pushing on his chest.
He was quick to set her down on her feet and back away. Zan had taken the stairs ahead of them to open the door. Now he shut it and moved to stand next to Anatoly. During the fight and right after, she’d been centered and focused. Now that everyone was safe, it was all hitting her. She could've died. Everyone could’ve died.
There were gargoyles, nymphs, vampires, shifters, and fuck-face durmins.
“Do you need to sit?” Zan asked gently. “You’re looking a little pale. I could get you some water.”
Pulling in a deep breath, she ignored Zan’s question and focused on Anatoly. “Zan can shift into a mountain lion, that was obvious. What are you?”
For a moment, his expression was pained, then his face went blank. “I’m a vampire.”
She blinked, processing that. “Does that mean Kimble’s a vampire too? Both of you had glowing red eyes when you were fighting.”
“Yes, Kimble is a vampire as well. Cora and Pike are his flock. Cora’s human, and Pike is a bear shifter.”
“Why the hell didn’t he shift and help you guys fight?” she asked, outraged.
Zan winced. “Because he would’ve only gotten in the way. He’s a sweet guy, but he’s not a great fighter. In such tight quarters, it was better he stayed back.”
Anatoly made an angry sound. “His job was to keep you and Cora safe, but obviously, he failed.”
Fear for Pike made Rissa shake her head. “Don’t do anything to him, it was my fault. I punched him in the dick.”
Both men winced at the same time, and she almost laughed. Nice to know dick punching was universal. If she had to go up against any supernatural creature, she’d remember where to hit first.
“Poor Pike,” Zan murmured. “The guy didn’t deserve that. It’s a good thing he’s a shifter and will heal fast, or Cora might come after you. She’s not big into direct fighting, like Briar. But she’s really good at the cold revenge thing.”
Rissa sighed. “Do you think she’ll still want to be my friend?” What was she saying? She wasn’t even sure she wanted to be part of all this! “I mean, maybe my friend. In the future.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand. She probably didn’t want to be separated from the fight either,” Anatoly said. “Human womenwho find their way into our world tend to be fierce. Present company included.”
Rissa felt herself blush at the compliment. She forced herself to meet Anatoly’s gaze. “What are we? I mean the three of us. Am I a guest on the Zan and Anatoly show for a few seasons?”
Anatoly looked confused, but Zan understood. “Baby, you’re part of the main cast. If you leave, there is no show.”
“I’m a vampire, and I want you to be in my flock,” Anatoly said, as if that would mean something.
Her brows furrowed. “We’re already in a relationship. I mean, we’re having sex and living together.”
Zan and Anatoly exchanged a look before Zan started speaking.
“Being in a flock is more than a relationship.” he touched his chest. “Anatoly put a piece of his soul in me, and took a piece of mine inside him. We’re bound for as long as he lives.”
Carving out pieces of souls to share? That sounded intense and scary!
“You want to tear up my soul?” she gasped, taking a step back and feeling afraid for the first time.
“Tear? No!” Anatoly said with an emphatic shake of his head. “We share, not shred.”
“It feels a little weird, but it doesn’t hurt,” Zan assured her. He rubbed his chest over his heart. “Every flock has a different relationship with their vampire. I can feel Anatoly, his love and devotion. I can feel when he worries or fears for me.”
The idea of having someone tied to her was both appealing and intimidating. “What if you fall out of love and one of you wants to leave the other?” The last thing she expected was for both men to laugh at her question.
She crossed her arms and scowled. “What’s so funny?”
“Don’t be upset,” Zan said. “Mates and flocks are picked by void magic. We are fated to be together; we can’t fail.”
“That’s why there are so many vampires in San Diego. There’s a rumor that the void magic is strong here, and it’s easier to find your flock,” Anatoly added. “If we don’t find our flock, we risk losing our sanity and going feral. Most feral vampires are put down, they don’t come back. It’s the one thing all vampires fear.”