Wickedest Witch (15 page)

And won the stalemate.

“Miss Rasputin, what a delight to finally meet you,” said the vamp, speaking with only the faintest hint of an accent.

“Let’s hope you still feel that way in a few minutes, Mr. Delacroix.”

“Pierre, please. And may I call you Evangeline?” Pierre smiled at her winsomely.

“No, you may not. My name is Ms. Rasputin to you.”

Her answer took the bloodsucker aback, but he recovered quickly and smiled again, showing off his small, pointed canines.
Bah, those aren’t teeth. I should show him mine.
As if the mere thought summoned his attention, Pierre’s dark eyes flicked over to Ryker in his feline form and he raised an aristocratic brow. “My, what a big pussy you have, Ms. Rasputin.”

“You know what they say, the bigger the better.”

Had Ryker been in human form, he would have probably choked with laughter. His beast chuffed in amusement, especially at the uncertain look on the vamp’s face. Unsettled, he didn’t reply, but his eyes began to swirl and Ryker finally growled.
The fucker is trying to mesmerize her.

He should try and remember to give his witch more credit.

Evangeline’s laughter rang out. “Oh, Pierre, you really are new, aren’t you? Did no one warn you that your mind tricks won’t work on me? My grandfather taught me well.” Her voice turned hard and the air grew thick as she drew power into herself. The static around her lifted her hair to dance wildly. “I am already tired of your games. I am on a schedule and have no time to waste playing. You will answer a few questions, truthfully of course, and then my cat and I will be on our way. Don’t answer and you will annoy me. You
really
don’t want to do that.”

Pierre
’s pale face clenched with anger. “You presume much, witch. Even if my mind tricks don’t work, I do happen to outnumber you.”

Evangeline
made a show of glancing around, her disdain so beautifully expressed on her face. “Yes, I see you’ve got visitors because we both know your coven is rather small compared to others. But, I know something you don’t,” she said, turning back to Pierre with a smirk. The power she held made her eyes glow blacker than the vamp’s.

“Really, and what would that be?” said the head vamp with more confidence now that he’d found his balls again in the realization he held the numbers.

“None of these sycophants will come to your aid when I rip your tongue out and shove it down your throat and make you cry for your maker.”

He couldn’t stop his surprised couch at her temerity, but
Ryker managed to restrain himself from shaking his head at her outrageous threat. His witch certainly hadn’t learned diplomacy growing up, but personally, he liked her style. Why screw around when threats and intimidation tended to work faster—not to mention provided more entertainment?

It seemed the bloodsucker didn’t appreciate her unique qualities as much as Ryker did.

“Insolent bitch. Bring me her heart!” screamed Pierre. Four vamps behind the throne moved forward at his words and then halted indecisively. The undead lining the walls of the room watched the unfolding action with interest, but not one moved to do Pierre’s bidding.

Evangeline chuckled and a wind whipped through the
room, a cold breeze of power that swirled around her in a wild dance, showcasing who held its reins.

Standing up from his throne,
Pierre glared out at his court. “Why do none of you obey? I gave an order.”

A vamp
ire with parchment thin skin that indicated his advanced age shook his head and answered. “I’ve lived this long for a reason. By being smart. I for one will not start a war with the Rasputin family. I would suggest you just answer the witch’s questions.”

Pierre
did not heed the words of the elder bloodsucker and Ryker almost snorted in disbelief because he could see by the tautness of Pierre’s body language he had no intention of backing down.

Fine with me. My beast could use a light workout.

Evangeline almost laughed when
Pierre stupidly gestured for his bodyguards to attack her, the only creatures in this room loyal enough to heed their master. Before she could take care of them, though, her big black panther dove forth with sharp, glistening canines.

My, what big teeth he has.
Having never had someone come to her aid before, Evangeline stood back and decided to enjoy the show. She could always step in if he needed help. However, Ryker didn’t disappoint.

With a savage snarl, Ryker sprang at the vamp nearest her and knocked it flat. Large claws on massive paws dug into the downed dead one and
his big head swung left and right, quickly gauging the position of the other three. The vamps circled the black cat and their fallen comrade, hissing with their tiny pointed teeth.

Evangeline giggled. After all, did they really think those puny incisors would intimidate
her
big kitty? Ryker with a quick slice across the throat of the vamp he stood on—
ruthless, I like that—
coiled his powerful hind legs and jumped at his next victim. Chomp. Another vampire went down.

Ryker’s tail swished from side to side in excitement as he contemplated the next in line. With a cry of, “Fuck this
,” the last two bloodsuckers fled.

Done playing, Ryker
padded back to sit at Evangeline’s side, and calmly licked his chops. Evangeline couldn’t stop an odd warmth at his actions from spreading throughout her body and usually unresponsive heart. How could she not admire him? He not only came to her defense, he displayed the same feline grace and power while in his beast form that she so enjoyed of him when he was a man. She’d have to show him how much she liked it later. Time to conclude their business.

W
ith a broad smile for Pierre, who had watched in morbid fascination, Evangeline reached down—not far because damn was his beast huge—and scratched the fur behind Ryker’s ears. “Good kitty.”

A rumbling purr that closely resembled the motor on a ‘67 Chevy startled her, but she managed to hide her reaction.

Pierre didn’t and visibly flinched. If it was possible for a vampire to turn whiter than usual, then he did, which widened Evangeline’s grin.

“Are we willing to be more amenable now
, Pierre?” she asked sweetly.

“Ask your questions and be gone,”
Pierre said, his cocky airs gone.

“What is your involvement in the plan to kidnap Rumpelstiltskin’s daughter?”

“None.”

Evangeline noticed the flicker in his eyes. “You lie,” she stated calmly. “I don’t like liars.”

When Pierre opened his mouth as if he would retort, Ryker growled and stood, the fur on his back bristling.

Swallowing,
Pierre couldn’t take his eyes from the panther, but he answered. “We are not involved, but we were approached.”

“By whom?”

“We asked, but the messenger we were sent was under a mind compulsion and could tell us nothing about who had sent him.”

“Where is this messenger? I’d like to speak to him.”

Pierre’s lips curved into a smile. “We ate him.”

“You’re very lucky you didn’t get food poisoning,” she said
, wiping the smile off Pierre’s face. “It’s what I would have done. So what did this messenger ask you? I want to hear the request word for word.”

“He didn’t say much.
Just showed up at our door a few nights ago and asked to speak with the head vampire. We made him wait for a while before letting him in to talk with me. His exact words were, ‘Kidnap the trickster’s daughter and gain a boon for your coven.’ I said, ‘Not fucking likely,’ and after that, not a word did the man speak. I admit we found this most disconcerting when we ate him for we are used to the screams of our victims.”

“Didn’t he have an ID on him? What did he drive?” These continual dead ends on the case were really starting to piss her off.

“A taxi dropped him off and he wore nothing on him—no wallet, identification, nothing to indicate whom he worked for.”

“Well this was a complete waste of my time,” she grumbled, turning on her heel.
Without a goodbye or a glance at the vampires who eyed her exit with interest, she clacked her way to the front hall, her big, black kitty at her heels. She strode from the undead lair, pausing only for a moment when she hit the rich scent of the night. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed deep.
Disgusting creatures. And to think humans find them appealing.

Personally, she found herself preferring the vitality and strength of a beast. Well, not just any beast—Ryker.

Opening the passenger door so he could leap in, she clambered into the driver’s side and slammed the car into gear, annoyed at the time they’d wasted coming here. She’d only driven a small ways from the house when with barely a shiver, Ryker reverted back to his male self. Make that his very male and naked self.

Swerving back onto the road, she averted her eyes to the blacktop in front of her.
Apparently, I still haven’t lost my fascination with his body.
A body whose nude flesh sat temptingly close.

“Pull over,” he growled when the car lurched yet again.

Not bothering to argue, because truly, driving was not her forte, she pulled over onto the side of the road. But instead of opening her car door, she gave into desire. Turning sideways, she grabbed his face and kissed him, her hot tongue licking the seam of his lips and parting them to duel with his waiting organ. Eagerly, his hands pulled her onto his lap, the hardness of his erection poking her bottom.

They kissed fiercely, their hands grasping and rubbing the parts they could reach in their sitting position.

“Straddle me,” he whispered.

Thanking the slits on her skirt and the
wide seats in her car, Evangeline turned on his lap and placed her knees on either side of his thighs. Her moist core, covered only in a thin scrap of silk, rubbed against his throbbing cock.

“
Good
, little witch. You’re ready for me, I see.” With rough fingers, he tore the panties from her, placing her aching sex directly against his shaft. He reached down and with a thumb, stroked her clit, making her go wet and wild with need.

“Fuck me,” she moaned.

She liked that he didn’t make her ask twice. He simply lifted her high enough to sheathe his prick inside her, its hard length filling her up, deeper and deeper.
It is all about the size,
she thought, sighing at the feel of him stretching her.

With his hands on her waist and her fingers digging into his shoulders, she rode his cock, the close confines of the car making it tight but exciting. The sound of slapping flesh and panting breaths filled the car, the shock
s of the vehicle absorbing some of the impact.

When his mouth licked hotly at her neck and bit her gently, pinching the skin, she screamed. Her orgasm hit her fast and hard, a pleasurable explosion that left her dizzy and soft in his arms. As if her orgasm was the catalyst he’d waited for, she felt him come inside her.

They sat there regaining their breath, his arms wrapped around her body, when she felt his lips brushing the top of her head and temple, so gentle and caring. She liked it enough she didn’t push him away.
What is happening to me? Since when do I cuddle after sex?

And why does it feel so right?

*

Ryker held in a sigh, not surprised when Evangeline scrambled off him. Her prickly exterior made it predictable even. What had surprised him was her diving on him all hot and horny like that in the first place. Mind
you, he’d quite enjoyed it. Judging by her swollen lips, and her attitude, so had she and it didn’t please her one bit.

My little
heksen
doesn’t like feeling dependent on anyone.

Ryker grabbed his clothes off the back seat and got out of the car to dress. By the time he got around to the other side and opened the door to get in, she’d already scooted over to the passenger side, her face turned out the side window in an attempt to ignore him.

Not bloody likely.

Throwing the car into drive, he spun the tires on the gravel and shot out onto the road. Once they were on their way back to his place, he laid a heavy hand on her thigh and squeezed it.

“You did well back there,” he said.

“Thank you,” she replied, then to his shock, she laid her hand on top of his. “Your beast put on quite the show.”

His kitty chuffed in his mind. “He was trying to impress you.”

“Oh, he did.”

Ryker squeezed her leg through the material of her skirt. The hand she’d rested on top grabbed his hand and lifted it. He expected her to fling it off, but instead, she pulled her skirt aside and placed his hand on the bare skin of her thigh. Startled, he looked over at her.

“I might not like you, shifter, but I won’t deny you’re a fantastic fuck.”

With those romantic words, the car got pulled over again, and placing her outside on the hood of the car for more room, first he licked her until she cried out his name, then he fucked her until she called him her god.