Queen of the Dead (The Dead and Not So Dead Book 1) Page 9

  “The meeting is at midnight right? Why?”

  “Everyone wants to have a separate audience with you beforehand,” Zachariah explained with an amused yet tired tone.

  I groaned before looking at Raphi, “You have the list right? Someone needs to go handle the reporters.”

  “We can compel them,” Alaric offered. “Meet you on B Street?”

  I nodded. He stalked up to me, tipped my chin back and kissed me with his smooth, chilled lips. I could taste peppermint and something suspiciously wintery on his lips. I groaned as he pulled away but Abel wasted no time gathering me into a second deep kiss. I tugged my hands through his hair and felt my toes curl. The two of them were like summer and winter.

  Then the twins were gone and I was forced to collect myself with a content sigh. Zachariah was lounging in his earlier spot, his eyes dancing with amusement as Declan sorted through random shelves and cabinets. Nosy demi-god. Raphi was on my bed, spread out with his eyes closed even though I knew he was tracking my every movement. Dorian looked right at me with a wicked smile.

  “What?” I asked him.

  His smirk grew. “Nothing.”

  I rolled my eyes and stalked toward the room, placing my things down on the counter as a warm body pressed up against me. I met Dorian’s gray infernos in the mirror.

  “Do you need something?” I asked, my voice husky. I felt like I was on a fucking rush of euphoria from the relief now that my boys and I had established a base of understanding.

  “Yes.” He tugged on my ear with his teeth.

  “Well, then why don’t you take it?” I suggested. Dorian let out a masculine sound as he spun me around and locked my hips against the counter. The man was so beautiful. I found myself licking my lips as he leaned in to kiss them, but then he moved down.

  “Maybe I will.” He spoke in a soft dangerous tone as his nose trailed my jawline. I groaned and tossed my head back as he pressed further into me. I could feel his energy, seductive and smooth, wrapping around us in a tight cocoon.

  “Kiss me,” I demanded softly as his erection pressed harder into me at my words. His hands clasped my jaw and he brought his lips over mine, hovering.

  “Unless you want an audience, I would suggest not, Dorian,” Zachariah called with amusement.

  Cocky bastard.

  Dorian groaned and tugged on my lip gently before stalking away. I chuckled and began to get dressed. Now, since we had already established my love of dramatics, it should surprise no one that I went full-out for these meetings.

  I pulled on the dress, the sleeves off the shoulders and a black lace that dipped in a sweetheart neckline before trailing down into a mid-thigh loose skirt. The entire dress was essentially see through on top so I laced up a corset and added some dark thigh high stockings. I figured I was going for Addams Family meets southern gothic, which I was unashamedly inspired by. I mean, come on, I’m a modern girl. I’ve used Pinterest..

  My stiletto boots were tight with a bright red bottom that matched the dark crimson necklace I wore adorned with a skull. I was practically giddy as I traded my rum lipstick for a deep red. I finally opened up my cabinet and found my knives.

  Remember, always be crazier than them. I put on my thigh holster and placed in two sleek black daggers, just in case I need to prove a point. Or maybe just if I didn’t like someone.

  “Are we ready?” Zachariah asked from the door. I looked up and adjusted my skirt to fluff it out. It sort of looked like a Halloween costume. I liked it. A lot.

  “Ready to be annoyed?” I snickered. “Why, yes. Yes, I am.”

  Zachariah shook his head and looked me over, a slight hesitation in his eyes.

  I frowned, concerned. “What?”

  His lips pressed together as his silver eyes lightened once again. “Nothing.”

  I shook my head and smiled. Tonight would be fun.

  Zachariah

  I was about to kill the man in front of me.

  That was, if he didn’t stop looking at Narcissa in the way that he was. Maybe I would just remove his eyes. I couldn’t help but accept the usual surge of possessiveness that overtook me when it came to her.

  It wasn’t something I could admit to openly, probably ever.

  It had taken me fucking long enough to come to terms with Declan liking her, let alone her group of men. I could practically feel the energy inside of me, dark and older than anything alive today, whispering to me. I came from an age where ownership and conquering were normal and expected. The status quo.

  I wasn’t a stupid man, though. I knew damn well that someone like her could and would never be kept. Owned. Collected.

  Instead, I planned to keep her safe and insulated between the six of us for now. I had been watching over her since she had come into power on that first night. I had heard whispers of her before but she had been kept mostly in the shadows until that night.

  Every time I saw her though, the same emotions coursed through me. Possessiveness. Lust. Frustration. Respect. I was torn between wanting to bend her over and screw her into the next century or kneeling on the ground and offering myself up to her for eternity.

  Very torn.

  Somehow, though, the two of us were subtly melding into a compromise. I kept a check on my hidden possessive nature and she seemed to soften just a hint, almost subconsciously, letting me exert some level of dominance over the situation.

  I say letting because despite my age and power levels, her raw untamable power was easily a formidable match for my own. I would be interested to see what would happen if the two of us ever went against one another. It would be like two power houses fighting for dominance, which was exactly what we were.

  Yet, I still felt as though I’d signed my soul over to hers long ago. I wish I could say I felt in control or that she had somehow bent under my will, except that didn’t happen. Truthfully, I’m glad. From the moment I first saw her I’d been fighting the need to control her and it was a fucking massive struggle. Her fire and will only made me want it more. I wanted that fire to myself. But I knew that trying to capture it would either kill me or extinguish her.

  Plus, this wasn’t the fucking Roman Empire anymore. I needed to slow my roll.

  Instead, I chose to bask in her energy and try to not come off as the obsessed fool I was. I had taken control of the situation, including her love life, so that I knew what was going on and could hopefully be part of it. On some level, she knew I needed it I think because I was really the only one in her life that even tried to get away with it.

  I swallowed thinking about how she had been when it was just the two of us in her quarters. The way that she had been curled up on my lap and softened against me, all warm and curved. She would hate to know how much I loved that. How much she reminded me of a sleepy kitten.

  Fuck.

  Where did these thoughts even come from?

  Actually, there were much worse ones. Ones that I had no business thinking since she barely knew I liked her. Ones that included our future and sure as hell included a long term plan. Hadn’t I gone centuries without these kind of thoughts appearing? Never in my life had I felt so strongly about someone.

  I pulled away from my thoughts and focused on the low growl emanating from Raphi. The first group of monsters stood in front of us.

  Hellhounds.

  “I see the select individuals from before are gone,” Narcissa smiled with amusement.

  The Alpha’s crimson eyes focused raptly on her. The six of us didn’t seem to bother him in the least. He was a strong motherfucker but that wasn’t the issue. The problem was the implications of what had occurred earlier.

  Unbeknownst to our beautiful young Queen, dominance for some supernatural species is a huge turn on. When she had essentially kicked our Alpha here down a peg earlier, it had been way more of a turn on than an insult to his pride. I could practically feel the affection and lust growing under his skin as he rested his forearms on his knees and stared at her.

  All of the hellhounds seemed fixated but couldn’t meet her eyes.

  “As you requested,” the Alpha Draco spoke quietly.

  She grinned and relaxed back against the chair. Raphi stood over her, eyes focused. I could feel the twins and Dorian fume at this man’s attention but they kept quiet. Declan had an amused smirk on his face but he was anything but relaxed when it came to her, something she would probably learn fairly quickly. The Irish fucker was complicated though. Maybe he would be able to hide his affection for longer.

  “What did you need to meet about?” she asked Draco with open curiosity, her hand casually grasping a wine glass. The Supernatural Committee met in a large open pavilion surrounded by high French Quarter walls and thick greenery. The low, simmering oil lamps accented her bright gold eyes as she waited.

  “I just wanted to apologize for earlier,” he replied. “And assure you that we are very much on your side when it comes to whatever happened on Bourbon Street today.”

  She smiled cruelly. “You mean the dead bodies swinging from balconies? Yes. That was an odd twist to the afternoon. If I didn’t know better, I would suspect you had done it in retaliation.”

  I smirked as the Alpha looked alarmed. His shock confirmed he most definitely was not the one responsible. My smile disappeared as Narcissa leaned forward and captured his jaw. “But you’re a good boy and you wouldn’t do that, right?”

  Fuck. I could practically smell the lust in the air.

  The Alpha’s chest made this fucking annoying purring sound as she smiled and leaned back, her eyes lit with satisfaction. “Well, I appreciate the gesture. Thank you.”

  “I was wondering,” Draco spoke in a low tone. “If you had a moment to speak alone with me.”

  Fuck, no.

  Th
ere was a tiny sign of her surprise in the way her brow twitched but otherwise she looked entertained. “And what would we talk about?”

  His eyes darkened. “Something regarding only the two of us.”

  There it is.

  Narcissa smiled as Raphi let out a low growl. “After the meeting I may be available, but I don’t go anywhere without one of them.”

  I was always surprised by how diplomatic she could be. I shouldn’t have been but the lineage of Queens before her had been on a wide scale from crazy to petty. Draco looked right at me and I faked an amused expression because none of this was fucking funny. Draco nodded and stood up as Narcissa joined him.

  “Your Majesty.” He grasped her hand, placing a kiss on it. Ralphi vibrated with aggression as Declan stepped in.

  “Alright, time ta move on an' be good wee doggies,” his accent teased, but his eyes were dark, focused on their joined hands.

  Draco chuckled softly, sparing our Queen one last glance before walking out. The other hounds followed. I sighed with frustration.

  “That was odd.” Narcissa frowned.

  Odd? No, beautiful, that was one of the more relaxed propositions that the six of us had fended off over the years. Declan’s efforts as well as my own had transpired anonymously. I had told myself for the longest time that it was for the security of our young queen and it was, partially. The other part derived from pure possessiveness.

  “Who’s next?” Abel spoke in an attempt to distract.

  “The chaos,” Dorian sighed with frustration.

  Our local chaos was rather temperamental and extremely self-centered. Only the main three were permitted to enter because any more and things would have descended...well, into chaos. We had made that a general rule for all groups, but it was really for them. As the doors opened, my eyes rolled

  Demons.

  “Your Majesty!” one of them exclaimed. “We are so honored!”

  This should be fun.

  Narcissa

  Demons were very dramatic. Also petty. Dramatic, petty, and selfish.

  Similar to the dead and everyone else under my rule. I had always wondered if that was a reflection of my rule. Then I decided I was too awesome so, probably not.

  Astro, his dark hair floating to his waist, bowed dramatically as his red, rubied robes sparkled under the oil lamps. All flash and pizazz. If Elton John had been a demon…

  His eyes were completely black and seemed nearly fathomless in the absence of white.

  “Please sit,” I said with evident ire. They liked it when I was annoyed with them. Sometimes, I acted like it just to fuck with them.

  “It would be our pleasure,” Samantha tinkled with a whimsical voice. I briefly noted that her blonde ringlets had been trimmed to her shoulders in an attempt to look older. She still looked fucking twelve, like some creepy immortal child. Her wide doll like eyes were filled with darkness and amusement.

  I watched as her red and black robes pillowed out from her body. Finally, their silent, yet brilliant leader Marcus sat right in front of me. If I thought Draco was fun to mess with it, it was NOTHING compared to these guys.

  “What can we do for you?” I asked simply, my eyes heavy and relaxed.

  “We are concerned, Your Majesty!” Astro exclaimed and looked to his companions. “We have heard rumors of terrible things in the French Quarter and your power levels only seem to be rising. One can’t help but make the connection.”

  I almost lost it and laughed. Subtle, Astro. Very subtle.

  “You’re wondering if it is me.” I asked, leaning forward.

  Samantha shrugged noncommittally. “I mean that’s a lot of dead and you feed off of them. How can we be expected to trust a Queen who may be killing her own people.”

  Here we go.

  “First,” I gently tugged on a strand of her hair and looked to Marcus’s pale blonde hair and dark eyes that watched me with a creepy empty expression. “I don’t need you to fucking trust me.”

  I let my power out as both grunted. Marcus frowned slightly.

  “I think you’ve forgotten how this fucking works,” I grinned. “You are under my rule and unless you plan on challenging me for it. You can fucking deal with it.”

  Nothing but silence.

  “Secondly, if you would take a moment to think rationally, why would it make any sense to destroy my own kingdom when there are many other large cities within reach?”

  Silence.

  “Convenience?” Marcus asked curiously.

  “Don’t be a fool,” I challenged.

  Marcus’s lips twitched, “fine, so then who is it?”

  “Asmodeus,” I explained with a straight expression.

  Astro’s eyes widened. Samantha paled. Yeah. He was sort of scary.

  “That’s impossible,” Marcus stammered. “He is…he is still unable to hold physical form.”

  I smirked at that. Yeah, I fucking destroyed his bitch ass.

  “Do you have a way to track him?” I asked sincerely.

  “For a price,” Marcus bit offered nervously.

  “Name it.”

  “A lock of your hair for trading with the witches,” he stated without hesitation.

  “For?”

  “We need more of those fun potions they mix up and they want some of your hair for spells,” Astro explained with a grin.

  “Fun potions?”

  “Makes people do hilarious shit. One guy started dancing...” Samantha pealed out in laughter.

  “Fine!” I interrupted. “We come over tomorrow and you show me the tracker. Then you get hair.”

  “Deal.”

  With that, those weird fuckers were gone. I made a mental note to check into these potions.

  “We will cut it before hand and make sure to remove any magical ties from it,” Zachariah explained. He seemed tense tonight and as I met his silver eyes, I saw something flash behind them. Interesting. I was thankful I had someone with so much experience around.

  “Who’s next?” I asked curiously.

  Raphi’s warning growl alerted me to the opening of the main door. I bit back a smile as the Alpha, Beta, and Enforcer of our local wolf pack entered into our space.

  So, they had a new Enforcer? Interesting.

  “Lucas.” I grinned stupidly because the wolves were just funny fuckers.

  Lucas was a handsome man but a bit too hairy for me. I mean I could see his black forearm hair from here. It spilled from the open top button of his shirt, his massive barrel chest covered in the stuff. Brown eyes warmed in friendly greeting as he offered his hand. I met his massive paw as Raphi let out another, harder to define sound.

  Lucas’s offered an annoyed grunt but didn’t say anything as he sat down. I turned to their Beta.

  “Lionel.” I met his smaller hand that was only slightly bigger than mine. You might be wondering how this small dude is a Beta of the pack. Easy. The green eyed bastard was as deadly as he was charming. He flashed me a smile and Raphi actually let a snarl rip. He was so much worse around other shifters.

  Finally, I looked to their new enforcer.

  “Mila.” She offered a grin that was very predatory. I met the woman’s hand and realized just how powerful she was. In fact, I gave her a questioning look and she just shrugged. Clearly, she hadn’t challenged the Beta and Alpha for a reason.

  The woman in front of me could only be described as cool. She was taller than me and very lean, showing off impressive muscles in leather pants and a cropped top. Her hair was a sleek black and cut short to the base of her neck. A pair of cool, icy eyes greeted me, eyes that matched the extensive silver piercings that lined both ears.

  Like I said, totally badass. She was badass goals in fact.

  “So,” I joined them in sitting. “How can I help you?”

  Before they could answer, the door swung open and each wolf muttered a groan. I looked up with interest and nearly cursed myself.

  “I thought our rule was three?” I barked. I began playing with the knife I pulled from my right holster. It was smooth and cool against my fingers. Self soothing and dangerous, my favorite type of toy.

  “It is,” Lucas stated dryly. “This is my brother, Rickard, from the Atlanta pack. He’s the Alpha there and…wanted to be part of this.”

  I didn’t stand for him but leaned back. Declan chuckled. Rickard approached and sat down with all the confidence in the world, his eyes dark and hair very light compared to this brother.