Page 49 of Deck the Skulls
“Wait,” she said, looking down at her feet and thinking about the occupants of the apartment below. “If flocks are picked by void magic, why didn’t Skyler want to be with the McConnel vampire?”
Anatoly’s expression went from amused to sad. “Poor Skyler. You have to understand that it’s deadly for a vampire to force someone to be in their flock. Both souls are poisoned over time, and everyone dies. Skyler is a rare landless nymph. No piece of land has claimed her, so she’s free to be claimed by a vampire. She is one of the only types of creatures that can be forced into a flock without the vampire being poisoned. McConnel and others are desperate to get their hands on her for that reason.”
“Oh, that sucks,” Rissa said, feeling bad for the woman. At least she was safe for the moment. “What’s Mason’s story?”
“He’s a gargoyle, so he’s protective by nature,” Zan said. “It would make sense that the void magic would pick him as a mate for Skyler. He’ll go slow and be gentle with her, and gargoyles are one of the only creatures that can stand up to vampires.”
That was when Rissa started to understand void magic. “It wasn’t an accident that she showed up at Sanguine while Mason was here, was it?”
Anatoly shrugged. “Some think the void guides all our lives. Others think it only sets things in motion and it’s up to us to recognize when we need to act.”
“Blood!” Rissa shouted, making both men jerk. She couldn’t help it; she laughed at their startled expressions. She pointed at Anatoly. “I just realized that all the wine you’ve been drinkingwas blood!” On the heels of that thought was another one. “Wait, are you going to bite me?”
Anatoly looked puzzled. “Do you want me to bite you?”
“Don’t you need to, uh, drink from me?” she asked. She never saw any bite marks on Zan, but then again, he seemed to heal faster than a human. Or Anatoly could be biting him in places she couldn’t see.
Anatoly looked insulted. “I’d never feed off my flock.”
Zan made an upset sound. “You would if you needed to. Remember, you promised me.”
Anatoly put an arm around Zan’s waist and pulled the larger, naked man closer. “Yes, my heart. If the situation is dire, I’ll feed from you. I promise.”
Zan draped his arm over Anatoly’s shoulders and gave a little relieved sigh. “Or?”
“Or when you beg,” Anatoly agreed with a chuckle. “But that’s not really feeding. Those are love bites.”
The way Zan’s expression turned dreamy made Rissa curious about Anatoly’s love bite. Without moving his body, Zan slid his eyes to her.
“Try it, you’ll like it,” he whispered.
A wave of heat went through her, but she shook her head. “Don’t distract me with your sexiness.”
Zan didn’t look repentant, but Anatoly’s expression turned serious. “You can have as much or as little of us as you want. We’ll do anything you need to make you comfortable.”
“Even if I want to walk out the front door and never see either of you again?” she asked.
Zan’s eyes went wide. He went from sexy and sensual to suddenly looking like he wanted to cry. Anatoly didn’t react except to go perfectly still.
“Do you want to leave?” Anatoly asked.
“No.” The word came out of her before she consciously thought about it, but it was the truth. She wasn’t sure she was ready to be flock, but she couldn’t leave. “Do I have to decide about the soul thing now?”
Zan looked pained, but Anatoly gave her a gentle smile. “You can take all the time you need.”
“Can I…” she licked her lips and tried again. “Can I meet your cat, Zan? I want to see all of you when we aren’t all fighting for our lives.”
She thought they might not be happy with her request, but both looked pleased.
“My animal is desperate to meet you,” Zan said, stepping away from Anatoly.
As she watched, his shape blurred and within seconds, there was a massive mountain lion where the man had once stood. The bandages she’d applied earlier fluttered to the floor, unable to stay attached to this new shape.
“Wow,” Rissa whispered before looking over at Anatoly. “Can I pet him, or would that piss him off?”
Anatoly chuckled. “That’s Zan. You can talk directly to him.”
Before she could ask Zan, he was on her, rubbing his face against her torso and thighs.