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.A figment of the imagination was the only possible explanation.Orin pulled open the door, stepped inside, and promptly dropped his briefcase.What he saw couldn’t be real.It had to be some type of hallucination, some horrible nightmare.And even though he wanted to turn and run, he went forward, his legs becoming weaker with every step until he stumbled and fell in the pool of blood.Mary Gilsp lay broken in front of the podium he lectured at every day.She was nude, her throat eaten out and all her vitals consumed.Desecrated.With trembling hands Orin brushed the hair away from her mouth, leaving a trail of red on her cheek.Her beautiful eyes stared at nothing.Orin picked up Mary’s hand and pressed his face into her palm.He inhaled, smelling death, fear, and violence.She had suffered terrible things, and those last moments were written in her flavor.On the trail of all those horrors a familiar Female scent rode on eddies stirred in the air.Orin’s head snapped up, and a deep growl eased out of his throat.“Hello, Orin.” Rehbek’ah, Daughter to the Queen of Athens, unfolded herself from one of the desks and stood in the third row staring at him.She could have passed for a student in her faded jeans and cashmere sweater, except for that ethereal perfection associated with all Kin.Her chosen form was cut tall, lean, with thick black hair long enough to hang over her shoulders in waves.She looked just as Orin remembered.Even wore the same double strand of Tiffany diamonds.It wasn’t like she was easy to forget.No, following Orin around, threatening his students and firebombing his car had pretty well cemented every detail firmly into his gray matter.But one thing had changed.Rehbek’ah smelled strongly of honey.She smiled.“My Orin and his beautiful green eyes.”I am not yours.“What do you want?”“There is no one to keep us apart anymore.” The smile on Rehbek’ah’s perfect face was serial killer sweet.“Does Re’ka know you’re out?” Because the last Orin had heard, the Athens Queen had buttoned her daughter’s ass down in the Dens on the threat of evisceration if she so much as stuck her nose out for fresh air.After all the damage and threats, her behavior had come dangerously close to breaking Medan’s rules of Seclusion.Rehbek’ah’s eyes darkened, but her nasty smile stayed right where it was.“Re’ka is dead.” She was Queen?Great.This bitch was going to make Hungary’s Erzsebet Bathory look sane.God of Man, Athens was in serious trouble.Rehbek’ah’s grey eyes slid to Mary’s body.“Although I must say, Mother wasn’t nearly as entertaining to kill as the Lesser-Bred.”Heat burst out of Orin’s skin.His vision slid away, teeth extended, chelae out, and his primal anger rose to a level he hadn’t felt in centuries.He headed right toward Rehbek’ah.Female or not, new Queen or not, he was going to make her bleed.He wanted to make her bleed.He was almost there when he regained enough control to stop.It left him shaking so hard that his glasses clattered to the floor.“Don’t you want to hurt me, Orin?” Rehhek’ah’s high, lilted voice felt like rusty nails to his ears.Yeah, he did.He wanted to rip out her throat.But if he initiated contact, it would break his Seclusion.Orin was powerless to do anything.Avenging Mary wasn’t even an option.Poor Mary.His Mary.Even though she would have never let Orin keep her, it didn’t change how he felt.And now she was dead, and the dead don’t come back.Grief dragged Orin to his knees, and Rehbek’ah eased through the rows of chairs, her body liquid, moving in a way which suggested joints where there shouldn’t be any.“I see you have finally learned how to properly greet your Queen.” She grinned, flashing fang.“Why?”Rehbek’ah circled him, one hand trailing close, but not quite touching.“I want you to understand, I will not take no for an answer.You are mine, and no one else can have you.”Orin’s hands became fists.“Medan granted my freedom.Your Mother understood that.” And she had.Even though denying her had cost Orin his source for blood and flesh, she never interfered with his choice to try and be Human.“I am not my Mother, Orin.She only wanted your services, whereas I want everything.Your body.Your mind.” She bent closer, and her scent billowed in the air.The RHage in Orin’s chest stirred.Rehbek’ah made a deep purring noise and rolled her head.“And your RHage.Or more precisely Serena’s.”Orin stared at her, pure fear seizing up his veins.How could something so beautiful hold such insanity?“God of Man, Orin, you should see the look on your face!” Rehbek’ah’s high-pitched laugh raked his nerves raw.“How long did you think your secret would stay hidden? The vessel for the most powerful Queen who ever ruled, a survivor of her assassination, and beholden to her first RHage.You are the treasure of treasures.And.You.Are.Mine.But then you have always been mine from the moment I laid eyes on you, and now there is no one to stand in my way.I will have you.I will mark you.I will own you.You will Belong!”“No…” The shakes were back.Orin tried to stand and got three steps before his legs went out and he crashed into a row of desks.He fumbled for his cell phone, found it, only to drop it, his hands no longer wanting to work [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]