Vicious Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #3)

by Caroline Peckham

“I know Gareth is linked to this,” she said and a sob broke free of her. I clutched her tightly, holding her close as my heart ached for her. “We’ll find out how,” I swore.

“You’re so strong, I know you’ll find the truth, Elise. But I’m afraid of what it’ll cost you to get it.” “I’d pay any price,” she said bitterly. “I know…that’s what terrifies me. You’re so very fucking precious to me, my little angel.”

I smiled as relief filled me, so glad I’d found some way to assist Elise in her hunt for her brother’s killer at last.

But maybe there was more to him that I was missing. It didn’t matter either way. The stars would bring Elise and I together eventually, and once we were Elysian Mates, she would never want anyone but me.

but something about his wiry frame and confident attitude had me thinking that he outmatched me in pretty much every way Faely possible.

You never know when some innocent looking kid might turn out to be a psycho with a thing for killing cops.

I swallowed thickly, refusing to answer as a thousand different violent deaths flashed before my eyes. I knew all too well what Ryder did to people who betrayed him.

“They’re not allowing anything. Just a casual chat between friends. Of course they can’t take part in threats like the one I’m making against you. But they’ll happily accept your assistance in my case once you hand over the evidence they want.”

“So what’s it to be?” King asked with a wicked smile. “Will you help me take down the Lunar King? Or will I tell him what you did?”

I’m sure they’ll just love meeting a girl who was raised in a strip club, two gang leaders, a thief from the most notorious family of burglars in Solaria…and Gabriel.

He knew he was in. He knew I was in. Greyshine was far too afraid of Dante to have reneged on their arrangement and yet Leon had still been so excited for this that he’d woken up early. Like, pre sunrise early.

“We’re going to Zodiac Academy, little monster!” Leon’s smile was so big that I couldn’t help but return it and he swept me into his arms, crushing me against the firm bulk of his muscles. “Well done, Leo. You worked your ass off for this, you must be so proud of yourself,” I teased.

“Then it will be the owner of every dream I have at once.”

I moaned again, half forgetting what my complaints had been as he sucked on my nipple through my bra for a second time.

“He totally ruined my fantasy of branding the leader board with a print of your ass and making the halls echo with the sound of you screaming my name.”

My mouth hung open in surprise for several seconds before I snorted a laugh. It was kinda cute how hyped he was about seeing Zodiac Academy. I just hoped it would live up to all his fantasies.

Sono così eccitato da te che fa male. Riesco a malapena a trattenermi dal cadere a pezzi per te.”

Vieni per me.”

But plenty of Orders had polyamorous lifestyles.

But if that made my little monster happy, then I was more than okay with Dante, Gabriel and Ryder being my little lionesses.

Elise headed over to Ryder’s table with a bowl full of ice cream and a plate piled up with all kinds of breakfast foods. I watched as she proceeded to hand feed him bits and pieces of it all and he smiled like he wasn’t the Tin Man.

“Thank you for the best day of my life. And I’m sorry about my hard on.”

We’d had the same ache to travel and experience it all and though it made my heart sore to think of him missing out on this, I liked to think that I was doing it for him too.

I had plenty of good memories too, all of them involving my brother, but I could take those with me when I went. They were bound to my heart and I’d never let them go.

“We’ll be waiting,” he replied and my smile widened at the way he automatically included Dante. He wasn’t like the others. He didn’t want to cage me. He saw the ache in me and wanted to heal it, give me what I needed and bathe in the happiness that provided.

“You’ll break it, Gabriel,” I growled. “You’re one of the strongest people I know.” He looked into my eyes for a long moment and I was sure he was hunting for a lie, but he wouldn’t find one. I meant every word.

“But my magic aches to be with yours. It recognises it. It knows that we’re destined to be one.” I nodded, because I couldn’t deny the way that had felt but it didn’t lessen the other protests I had.

“We both need pain to heal,” she breathed. “I’m sorry I hurt you, but I’ll always do what I have to to find out what happened to Gareth.”

She was all of my broken, missing pieces. She was everything I needed and the only thing I wanted. She was sweet and pure and dark and twisted at once.

“No.” I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I can taste my own soul, because it’s the exact same flavour as yours.”

The more time I spent with Orion, the more the ache to challenge him pushed at me just like Gabriel had predicted. There was always the element of competition hanging in the air between Vampires unless they were mated and I had no intention of adding to the list of guys I was seeing. I had my hands full with all of the testosterone buzzing in the corridors as it was.

Besides, once we’d figured out which one of us took the top spot in the Vampire hierarchy, we wouldn’t have this tension hanging between us anymore.

“Do you want to change me because you don’t like who I am?” he asked in a rough voice. “I don’t want to change you,” I replied. “I want to free you.”

“You are. You’re Scar, Dante’s Mufasa and I’m Simba and Gabe is…Zazu.”

“I don’t know much about Basilisks, but you don’t strike me as the live and let love type. More the I’ve pissed on it so it’s mine type.”

“Mine,” I growled possessively, claiming each and every one of them in the same breath.

“No one’s taking any of you away from me,” I growled possessively. “Even the stars aren’t allowed a say in that. And if they try, I’ll beat their asses too.”

“Sei più bella del sole,” I breathed in awe. “You look like the angel you are, Elise,” Gabriel said. “Fuck me on a toadstool,” Leon sighed. “You look gorgeous, little monster.” Ryder made a strained noise, sweeping a hand over his closely cropped hair.

We were friends and I didn’t want the business side of my lifestyle tainting that. The only problem was, that meant I couldn’t hold him to any of my usual standards, like never hanging out with members of the Brotherhood. Especially not my mortal fucking enemy. I didn’t have a right to be jealous or pissed, but I was.

And I had the awful feeling that this whole trip had been designed just for this purpose. Because no one said no to Lionel Acrux. He was practically a god in Solaria.

With my family miles and miles away, she was my instinctual kin in their place. I needed her presence, her strength. And together we’d face this Dragon bastardo.

“The best kind,” I answered, a growl rumbling through my chest. “And she’s not going anywhere, so if you have something to say you will say it in front of both of us.”

“I have more enemies than you have scales in your Dragon form,” I said lightly. “I don’t drink from anyone’s glass.”

“The real reason I’m here. So what is it then, High Lord Acrux? What is it about me that keeps you up at night? I’m guessing it’s not my ten inch dick.”

There was an undercurrent to his words that frightened me. He knew where I lived, knew who my family were.

This little stunt didn’t make the blindest bit of difference to him. He still wanted to get Dante into his clutches and he wasn’t giving up any time soon.

“I’ll go calm Mufasa down,” Ryder said in a low tone. “You stay here.” I was so shocked by him even offering to help that my feet remained rooted to the floor as he marched straight out of the room in search of Leon.

“Fine,” I replied dismissively, turning away from him. I was so sick of him trying to control me and it was past time for the truth to be spoken anyway. I just hoped it wasn’t going to drive Leon and Dante away from me.

“I promise I didn’t want him dead, Dante. He killed himself to protect the identity of the person responsible for Gareth’s death. He was terrified of them. Terrified enough to take that escape over offering me the truth.”

“She cares about you, fuckwit. Only the stars know why, but she does. And if you hurt her, I’ll peel your skin from your bones and make a fur coat out of you.”