handsome, too good for me maybe?”
Desiree shook her head.
“No, that’s not what I meant…you didn’t let me finish.”
Sherry crossed her arms
over her chest and continued to glare at Desiree. “By all means, finish, Mom . You won’t be happy until you do.”
“Sherry, please, don’t be that way.”
“I asked you to
finish.”
“Very well, I’ll
finish. I was going to say that Drake is dangerous.”
Sherry nodded. “And
Mica’s not?”
Desiree was taken aback
by that question. “I—”
Drake roared with
laughter and clapped his hands. “Touché!”
Desiree huffed. “I
don’t find this the least bit amusing, Drake. She has no idea what she’s
getting herself into. She’s—”
“Desiree, you are my
very best friend, and I love you, but if you’re going to say that I’m naïve,
then you’d better not finish that sentence.”
Desiree threw up her
hands and looked away. “Fine, you’re obviously not ready to listen to reas….” Her
eyes widened and the color drained from her face. “Good God!”
Mica turned her to face
him. “I felt that…you’re trembling and afraid.” Mica searched her face. “And
pale. What just happened?”
Her eyes watered and a
few tears rolled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and spoke to him in a
whisper. “Hargrove’s gone.”
Mica’s eyes glowed red
as his focus zoomed in on the corner. In the blink of an eye he had tucked
Desiree protectively behind him, his fangs dropping as he assumed a fighting
stance.
Sherry screamed,
stumbling backwards into a coffin, knocking it from the pedestal with a resounding
crash. Drake snatched her up before she could hit the floor. His eyes too were
glowing red, and his fangs exposed. She screamed again, struggling to get away,
sure that her life was about to come to an end. “Let me go.”
“Stop fighting me. I
have to protect you.”
“ What? ”
“Hargrove’s gone.”
Chapter Nine
Sherry stopped
struggling, then strained to see past Drake into the
darkened corner of the room. “Wh-where’d he go?”
Drake set her back down
on her feet, but kept her close. He glared at Desiree. “My guess is he slipped
out while Desiree was arguing with us.”
Desiree’s shoulders
slumped. “I guess it was bad timing. I still don’t think—”
A growl rumbled from
Drake’s chest. “Mica….”
Mica covered Desiree’s
mouth before she could finish her sentence, and she struggled against his grip.
“Desiree, please. You haven’t learned all our ways yet. We are a warrior clan,
as you know. Obedience is a must. If you persist, Drake could order me to
punish you—I would have no choice.” She froze.
Sherry brought a
trembling hand up to cover her mouth, giving Drake an uneasy glance as she
asked, “What’s the punishment for disobedience?”
Drake didn’t take his
eyes off Desiree as he spoke. “A public flogging.” Desiree’s eyes rounded. “In most instances the punishment is carried out by the
one wronged, or the leader whose orders have been disobeyed. With the threat of
this type of punishment there is very little disobedience. Orders are followed
without question. But in Desiree’s case the one wielding the whip would be her
mate, Mica. A vampire is not allowed to harm another’s mate, so the mate is
ordered to carry out the punishment. If the mate refuses to administer punishment,
then they are both put to death.”
Sherry gripped Drake’s
arm and shook her head frantically. “No, Drake, please don’t—”
Drake placed his hand
over hers. “She has tested my patience, little one.”
“Please?”
“I have already been
more lenient with her than any of my other subjects. I am grateful for what she
has done for me and my kind. Granting us the ability to walk in the daylight
gives us the capability of blending in with humans, and an advantage over other
clans. But as a leader, my orders must be followed by my people without
question. I am not a cruel master, but I do demand
Desiree shook her head.
“No, that’s not what I meant…you didn’t let me finish.”
Sherry crossed her arms
over her chest and continued to glare at Desiree. “By all means, finish, Mom . You won’t be happy until you do.”
“Sherry, please, don’t be that way.”
“I asked you to
finish.”
“Very well, I’ll
finish. I was going to say that Drake is dangerous.”
Sherry nodded. “And
Mica’s not?”
Desiree was taken aback
by that question. “I—”
Drake roared with
laughter and clapped his hands. “Touché!”
Desiree huffed. “I
don’t find this the least bit amusing, Drake. She has no idea what she’s
getting herself into. She’s—”
“Desiree, you are my
very best friend, and I love you, but if you’re going to say that I’m naïve,
then you’d better not finish that sentence.”
Desiree threw up her
hands and looked away. “Fine, you’re obviously not ready to listen to reas….” Her
eyes widened and the color drained from her face. “Good God!”
Mica turned her to face
him. “I felt that…you’re trembling and afraid.” Mica searched her face. “And
pale. What just happened?”
Her eyes watered and a
few tears rolled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and spoke to him in a
whisper. “Hargrove’s gone.”
Mica’s eyes glowed red
as his focus zoomed in on the corner. In the blink of an eye he had tucked
Desiree protectively behind him, his fangs dropping as he assumed a fighting
stance.
Sherry screamed,
stumbling backwards into a coffin, knocking it from the pedestal with a resounding
crash. Drake snatched her up before she could hit the floor. His eyes too were
glowing red, and his fangs exposed. She screamed again, struggling to get away,
sure that her life was about to come to an end. “Let me go.”
“Stop fighting me. I
have to protect you.”
“ What? ”
“Hargrove’s gone.”
Chapter Nine
Sherry stopped
struggling, then strained to see past Drake into the
darkened corner of the room. “Wh-where’d he go?”
Drake set her back down
on her feet, but kept her close. He glared at Desiree. “My guess is he slipped
out while Desiree was arguing with us.”
Desiree’s shoulders
slumped. “I guess it was bad timing. I still don’t think—”
A growl rumbled from
Drake’s chest. “Mica….”
Mica covered Desiree’s
mouth before she could finish her sentence, and she struggled against his grip.
“Desiree, please. You haven’t learned all our ways yet. We are a warrior clan,
as you know. Obedience is a must. If you persist, Drake could order me to
punish you—I would have no choice.” She froze.
Sherry brought a
trembling hand up to cover her mouth, giving Drake an uneasy glance as she
asked, “What’s the punishment for disobedience?”
Drake didn’t take his
eyes off Desiree as he spoke. “A public flogging.” Desiree’s eyes rounded. “In most instances the punishment is carried out by the
one wronged, or the leader whose orders have been disobeyed. With the threat of
this type of punishment there is very little disobedience. Orders are followed
without question. But in Desiree’s case the one wielding the whip would be her
mate, Mica. A vampire is not allowed to harm another’s mate, so the mate is
ordered to carry out the punishment. If the mate refuses to administer punishment,
then they are both put to death.”
Sherry gripped Drake’s
arm and shook her head frantically. “No, Drake, please don’t—”
Drake placed his hand
over hers. “She has tested my patience, little one.”
“Please?”
“I have already been
more lenient with her than any of my other subjects. I am grateful for what she
has done for me and my kind. Granting us the ability to walk in the daylight
gives us the capability of blending in with humans, and an advantage over other
clans. But as a leader, my orders must be followed by my people without
question. I am not a cruel master, but I do demand
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