Playing with Passion Theta Series Book 1 by Gayle Parness

Ingrid off your
hands. I know how to tame a female and shut up that smart mouth
fast. Or I could kill her for you, after I have a little
fun.”
    "I'm not interested in her demise, at
least, not yet. We can talk when my brother’s finished with her, if
you're still interested."
    "She's dangerous. Can't you see
that?"
    The archdemon stood slowly, towering
over the six-foot-four inch alpha by more than a foot. "She's
nothing. A theta. Even less than an alpha dog like you."
    Joseph was smart enough to bow his
head. "I apologize if I've offended you, however I feel it's my job
as an ally to warn you.” He faced the archdemon once more. “Thetas
have psychic powers strong enough to link to the mind of any
supernatural in the country. How long will it be before they
realize they can do more?"
    "They've been controlled since their
earliest days. None have mishandled their powers nor attempted to
rebel against me." The wolf was beginning to annoy him. Perhaps
some obedience training was in order. He used his body to raise the
heat in the room.
    Joseph’s forehead glistened with sweat
almost immediately. "Abuse by PM’s and APM’s against their own
troupe members has grown rampant. Rebellions are born in that
soil."
    "There is no reason to
worry."
    "I disagree." Joseph was pulling at
the collar of his shirt, unbuttoning the cuffs and rolling them up.
Soon he’d be asking for a glass of water.
    "Are your shields so weak,
Joseph?"
    He rubbed his forehead with his
sleeve. "We masters and alphas lower our shields like gentle lambs
at every performance, all for the sake of our pleasure. They've
learned the essence of our minds as they manipulate what we
imagine. None of us truly understands how their powers work. They
should be disbanded, studied and …"
    "You're dismissed, Joseph."
    "Sir." The alpha wolf turned to leave
without argument. He was intelligent in that way. Plus he was
thirsty, poor dog.
    "Wait. You will not discuss this
theory with anyone else, do you understand?" The Director watched
the wolf’s face, checking for signs of deception. "Yes, sir."
Joseph bowed and exited through the main door.
    The archdemon settled himself more
comfortably in his large chair, enjoying another scotch. His
visitors thought the chair was made of leather, but the material
he’d crafted into a seat had once belonged to a creature fifty
times the size of a bull and twenty times more vicious. The species
no longer roamed the earth, but this particular beast had given him
a battle to remember, entertaining him with its fury. He’d honored
it with the use of its hide, despite it being mostly his ass that
benefited.
    Without need for device, The Director
called to his brother, Susa, their souls linked when first created.
An image appeared before him, as tall as he was, yet less broad.
His brother was bald, his scalp tattooed with designs that held
great power when called into use.
    Susa's voice was merely a whisper,
unlike The Director's deep rumble. "You continue on,
Jorint?"
    "As Aether requires," he replied in
the traditional manner. “I received your message yesterday. Why do
you bother me?”
    "I have news regarding our sisters."
Susa lowered himself into the smaller, more traditional leather
chair reserved for guests.
    "I have no interest in those bitches."
The Director opened the beautifully carved box placed on the far
corner of his large desk, pulling out a cigar. He clipped the end
with his claws, lighting it quickly, then extinguishing and
retracting the talons. His brother knew what he was capable of, no
need to play with the flames. Most species had no idea of his true
form. He intended to keep it that way.
    "Why, because they bested you in your
last interaction?" Susa's aura had turned purple with
humor.
    "Their methods are vulgar." He puffed
on the Cuban cheroot, smoke billowing around his head.
    "You think yours are not?" Susa asked,
sliding the ashtray closer to his brother and calling up a small
breeze to blow the smoke out