Page 6 of Deck the Skulls

“Shit!” Rissa screeched, and stepped back, fisted hands coming up ready to defend. “Where the hell did you come from?”

He pointed in the direction of Sanguine. “I took the back alley here so I could catch up with you,” he lied.

She didn’t lower her hands. “Fuck off! I don’t get involved with cheaters.”

As she spoke, her aura flared. She might not have any magic yet, but with that amount of courage and inner strength, once they exchanged souls, she’d make a powerful human.

“I’m not a cheater!” he swore. “Let me explain, please!”

She sneered at him. “So that blond guy wasn’t your husband?”

“He is, but we, uh…” How to explain in a way that a human would understand?

“He doesn’t mind if you cheat?” she asked. “Or do you mean he doesn't mind as long as he doesn’t catch you?”

“We’re in an open relationship!” Anatoly declared, remembering what the humans called it.

She lowered her fists, and her sneer disappeared, replaced with suspicion. “He seemed really upset for you guys to be in an open relationship. What if you walked in, and your husband was making out with me?”

That was an easy question to answer!

He gave her a wicked smile. “I’d join the kiss.”

Anatoly’s phone started ringing, startling him. Only three people had his number, and only one of them would ever call him without texting first. It was painful to ignore Zan’s call, but he needed to focus on Rissa.

She was watching him with an inscrutable expression. He could tell her anger was lurking under the surface, but she was listening to him, and that was significant.

“You guys like to share?” she asked.

“In certain situations, yes,” Anatoly answered, knowing that the “situations” would only be Rissa. It was hard for vampires to find their flock. Some vampires went feral and were put down because they never found it.

He’d been ecstatic when he met Zan six years ago. To find another member of his flock made him want to believe in the old gods again.

She was regarding him with slight interest. He could tell their kiss had an impact on her, and Zan was a beautiful specimen. It meant he might be able to draw her back with the promise of pleasure.

He let his aura flair with sensual magic. She wouldn’t be able to see it, but even as a human, she should feel it. Not all vampires could do this, but he was one of the lucky few.

“Come home with me,” he purred. “Join us for a night. Zan is an excellent cook. He’ll fix you a gourmet breakfast in the morning.”

He was stretching Zan’s skills, but he could cook a few basic things. Besides, he wasn’t trying to sell her on Zan’s food. He was selling her on having the two of them together.

“Do you guys do this often?” she asked, looking torn.

“Almost never,” he said. “The person who joins us has to be very special. That’s why I chased after you.”

She didn’t look convinced. “What about Zan? Are you sure he wants this too?”

“I do!” Zan said, appearing from the shadows and jogging up to stand behind Anatoly. His sense of smell might not be working as it should, but Zan could still track Anatoly through their soul link.

Wrapping his arms around Anatoly’s shoulders, Zan rested his chin on the top of his head. It was a familiar position and made some of the tension leave Anatoly. It felt good to have backup.

“You were pissed,” Rissa said. She sounded almost accusing. “And now you’re all excited at the idea?”

“A lot changed,” Zan said with a shrug.

Rissa looked back and forth between them. Anatoly could tell she was doing a lot of thinking before finally shaking her head.

“No,” she said, reaching for her car door. “Just no. You guys are tempting, but you have complicated written all over you.”