Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #2)

by Caroline Peckham

“Like that meant nothing,” she whispered, but it was loud enough for Dante to hear as he fold...

Nothing sure tasted a lot like everything. It was one pathetic, no-tongues kiss but I had sure as fuck been altered by that interaction.

I was nothing to her. Like Dante was nothing to her. And so long as we were the same, that knowledge was worth suffering through.

I ignored him, waiting for her to go with him, wondering if she’d lied about her feelings for Inferno and was about to prove it.

Elise’s hand caught mine and she tugged to turn me around. I found her other hand wrapped around Inferno’s and nearly recoiled from the connection her body made between us. But it felt too good to have her skin against mine and it suddenly felt easier to breathe.

“I’m never going to choose between you two.”

“No more kissing,” Dante said and I nodded easily. I did not want her mouth anywhere fucking near Inferno’s ever again. “No fucking either,” I added, glaring at him as I could see his conniving little mind coming up with loopholes. “Fine. No blowjobs or handjobs,” he said, cocking a brow at me with a smirk.

“No touching Elise beneath her underwear,” I growled and Dante’s eyes lit up with the challenge of this game while Elise looked between us in confusion. “No hurting Elise for pleasure,” Dante said, his smile widening and I ground my jaw. “No overnight bed sharing,” I spat back.

“And no jerking off over her while she’s in the same room.” “Done,” I agreed, snatching my hand out of Elise’s and holding it out to him.

I’d know if he broke it and he’d know if I did too.

And not only that, the stars would punish us for weeks in the form of bad...

“Are you still my Sources?” “Yes,” we replied instantly and I took a measured step away from Dante in irritation.

Dante was grinning, nodding firmly as if he’d won by keeping me off of Elise. But it was me who’d fucking won something here today.

Although, as I thought about that brief mind-blowing, star-shitting kiss she’d given me, I realised I’d just screwed myself over too. I’d never get another kiss like that again, let alone any airtime with her naked body.

Dante’s smile withered away as he realised it too and he shared a look with me as his eyes widened. “Dammit,” he hissed under his breath and fo...

“Three, two, one-” Cindy whipped her bikini top off and tossed it into my face, giving me an eyeful of her pert nipples before she laughed and sprang away from me.

“Dante?” she asked, the irritation slipping from her features as she moved to reach for the bag herself. “You’d better answer it then.” I raised an eyebrow at her

“You’d better be three inches deep in your girl if you’re gonna take that long to answer me, cavallo,” Dante’s voice came in response. “Three inches?” I scoffed. “Oh sorry. I meant two.”

“Pancakes?” Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve stepped into an alternate reality where I’m somehow a part of a major crime family?

And I was pissed to admit I hadn’t really gotten anywhere.

Far be it from me to attack a guy while his dick was out. Besides, I didn’t want that thing flapping about the place while I was beating his ass.

What, no ‘ohmygawd that sounds awful, are you okay??’ What a dick.

“No!” which I could totally have sympathised with if he hadn’t just sucker punched me in the nipple.

“Did he hurt you?” Ryder hissed, his gaze darkening as he took a step towards Adrian like he was seriously considering butchering him right here in the middle of the men’s room.

“Are you done with him?” Ryder asked me. “Or do you want me to help you finish him off?”

“You heard her. Fuck off,” Ryder growled and I arched a brow at his commanding tone.

“The Black Card have you marked, Vampire,” he snarled at me as he reached the door. “And the Brotherhood know your face, asshole. One move against Elise and I’ll cut you into ten myself. And I’ve perfected the art of making sure you won’t die until I cut the last piece off,” Ryder hissed.

The way he was looking at me lit a fire beneath my skin.

“Look at you,” Ryder said darkly, moving so close that I could smell the scent of him. Earth and iron, the darkest taste of power on the air.

“I like you like this, bloody and broken and bleeding from the inside and out. There’s something so pure about you like this. So real,” he said as his fingers pressed against my skull more firmly, a shot of pain feeding his power a moment before his healing magic took it away again.

Ryder’s lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile. “Do you need a reason?”

“You don’t want to hurt me then?” I asked, watching his hands as he unhooked my top button. “I didn’t say that,” he replied, his fingers slipping down to the next button as he loosened that too.

“I desire your pain more than you could possibly understand.”

He was so hard and closed off from the world, living his life between the only two emotions he laid claim to. But I could see so much more than that in him.

My ruined shirt fell to the floor and Ryder’s gaze trailed over me like he was drinking in the sight of me standing before him, bloodied and bruised in my black bra and purple checked academy skirt. I felt like hell, but he looked at me like I was something precious.

The pain of each piece leaving was followed by the caress of his healing magic which sent shivers down my spine.

The mixture of pain and pleasure mixing like an elixir of some forbidden potion I craved to taste.

“Your eyes are brighter,” he said, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

Every touch he made on my skin was innocent, within the rules he’d laid out with Dante and yet utterly charged with sin at the same time.

“Brighter?” I asked in confusion. “Because you let yourself feed the part of you...

“There aren’t many people who know what it is to be like us,” he agreed. “But that shouldn’t stop you from embracing it.”

“If you put on any more muscle we’ll have to widen the doorway.” “Mamma,” I groaned as she pinched my face overly hard before wrapping me in her arms.

“Possa le stelle benedirti in questo giorno.” His cheeks coloured and he nodded. “May the stars bless you too, Alpha.” “Dante,” I whispered. “Non oggi, Dolce Drago! Alpha, Alpha!” Mamma reprimanded and I gave Fabrizio a mischievous look, earning me one in return.

Of course, I was still a mother fucking Dragon.

She was always like this when I hadn’t been home for a while, on the verge of tears and completely overbearing. A small part of me loved it.

His scent was present too, not as strong as it had once been, but enough to pull at my heart and make me long for the firm embrace of his arms.

But then who would have expected a rare Storm Dragon to spring out of a family almost exclusively made up of Werewolves?

to the Dragon of Household Oscura.

“Dolce Drago, it is your choice of course, but I would not see my boy summoned by anyone. High Councillor or otherwise.”

My mother would take on the whole world if it offended her. I adored that about her.