Alasdair prowled over to him, his eyes never wavering from his face, and when they were toe-to-toe, he looked down at him and stated in a tone so bone-chilling that Leo’s heart almost gave out, “Stand up.”
The command was issued verbally, and Leo could still feel the choice was his. He wondered at that for a brief second, but then he glanced at the other two vampires in the room and knew why he wasn’t being compelled to act. He had nowhere to go. He was like an animal of prey surrounded by a pack of hungry lions. If he made one wrong move, they would pounce, attack, and kill.
Ever so slowly, Leo scooted to the edge of the couch and then stood until he was level with Alasdair. He raised his head, and when their eyes connected, he sucked in a swift breath. He’d only ever seen this look in Alasdair’s eyes once—when he’d thrown him across the room that first night they’d talked.
The intensity in his eyes had the hairs on Leo’s arms standing tall. He then dropped his gaze to the lips that had kissed his twice now and watched them pull into a tight line as if Alasdair had read his thought and was displeased with it.
“I’m going to ask you a question, human.”
Ahh, so we’re no longer on a first-name basis. Something had really pissed Alasdair off. Those furious eyes turned to slits, but he merely continued with his thought as though he hadn’t heard Leo’s at all.
“You are going to answer me. If you answer wrong, I will kill you this time.”
Leo’s mouth fell open, and an unintelligible sound came from him as he looked over Alasdair’s shoulder to the two flanking his office door.
“Do you understand?”
The curt question brought his eyes back to Alasdair’s, and Leo shook his head. “No,” he managed. “I don’t understand.”
He thought he caught emotion flicker across those livid eyes, but he must’ve imagined it, because Alasdair reached out then and grasped the material of his shirt, yanking him forward. His tied hands were trapped between their bodies, and then Alasdair leaned in and whispered, “I warned you not to lie to me.”
Leo bit down on his lip hard, trying to stop his protest, and sought out the eyes of the female across the room. He wasn’t sure why he looked at her, but he thought maybe she would show some kind of compassion. Maybe she would come to his rescue.
But why should she? Because she’s a woman?
She might have been female, but the cold way she was observing what was going on indicated she was as unforgiving as the vampire currently holding him.
Leo angled his head the best he could to look Alasdair in the eye. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I didn’t lie to you. Not once.”
Alasdair gave him a grim smile, and the laugh that came out of his mouth was anything but joyful. “No?”
“No,” he stressed, his lips close to Alasdair’s. So close he could— What? Fucking stop this already! He’s about to kill you, not kiss you.
“See, now, that is where you’re wrong.”
Before Leo knew what was happening, Alasdair pulled him in the final distance and took his lips in a ruthless kiss.
IT WAS NEVER smart to act in anger. Alasdair was more than aware of that. But as he stood in front of Leo with his fingers curled into his shirt, he wanted nothing more than to shake him until the truth fell out of him like loose change. Just as he’d suspected, the human was stubbornly holding on to his story that he knew nothing.
After learning what he had in Vasilios’s bedchambers, Alasdair had been on a mission. Somehow, he knew Leo was involved in the threats they’d received. It was far too much of a coincidence to think this man, this enigma, was enough to keep him twisted up inside without some kind of power. Then add in that his blood was practically a tranquilizer and something was happening when the two of them kissed and that brought him back to his plan.
As his mouth met Leo’s, a gasp left him and drifted between Alasdair’s lips. His fingers eased in their hold on Leo’s shirt, and when he pushed his tongue between his lips, it happened.
The pale eyes, which had been wide with alarm, started to swirl and the color completely engulfed the surface. Leo’s hands moved up to grip his, and Alasdair heard a growl rumble in his own throat. Even though there was a very obvious threat to Leo’s life right then, the man was responding as if they were naked and on a bed, which brought his own response to the surface.
But Alasdair would be damned if he acted on it. He was doing this to acquire knowledge, and he needed his cousins to witness it.
He kept their mouths aligned, angling his head for a deeper connection as he dove in to really taste Leo for the first time. They’d kissed before, but they had been hurried, quick matings of their mouths, which he’d pulled away from whenever the incident had occurred.
But not this time.
This time, Alasdair made certain to really savor the lips moving under his own, to lick and flick every corner and crevice he could, as he rubbed his cock against Leo’s bound hands. This would likely be his final chance to taste him, and with the safety net of Isadora and Thanos there in case anything should happen, Alasdair really let go.
He released Leo’s shirt and slid his hands into the short strands of his hair. Leo’s body vibrated against his, and the moan that emerged was blissful. No matter what was happening behind those filmed eyes, Leo was definitely feeling what he was.
Alasdair pushed his hips harder against Leo’s restrained hands, and he grunted when several fingers stroked over him. His cock was pounding between them, and the flavor of Leo on his tongue was flooding his heightened senses. He wanted nothing more than to strip him naked and fuck him right there on the couch, not caring one bit that his cousins were there. But then Thanos was inside his head, urging him to pull back.
We cannot hear anything, Alasdair. His thoughts, they are blank, and usually, we would at least hear him thinking about his cock… like you are thinking about yours.
Alasdair pulled his fingers free of Leo’s hair and lifted his head, grasping his bound arms as Leo swayed away from him. He couldn’t help himself from looking one final time at the glistening lips only inches from his, and when Leo ran his tongue along them as if savoring the lingering taste, Alasdair moved in, about to take more.
Don’t, cousin. We know nothing of what he is. Isadora’s voice was a sharp warning inside his head, and though she was right, he couldn’t stop himself from baring his teeth as he glared over his shoulder at her.
You want to fuck something? Thanos is here and salivating over your display. I daresay, in about two minutes, he’ll be more than willing. Until then, move aside. We are here to test your theory, remember?
Thanos sauntered towards him and Leo, and as he got closer, Leo’s mind came back into focus.
Why’d you stop?
Leo’s eyes had returned to their usual shade. Alasdair wanted to speak, to ask questions and demand answers of him, but that route had proved unsuccessful in the past, so testing his theory was the only other option.
When Thanos stepped up beside him, Leo’s gaze shifted to him. Alasdair could sense Leo’s unease, and when he looked over at Thanos, the expression in the vampire’s cerulean eyes was enough to have him issuing a warning.
Once. You get to do this once, and then you stop. Do you understand?
Thanos faced him, and when one of his eyebrows rose and his lips tipped up in a provocative smile, Alasdair recalled the couple hundred times they’d shared a bed with, and without, others. Thanos was an extremely greedy lover, renowned for being insatiable. His appetites were unequaled. That alone would have been enough to cause concern, but add in that he was performing for an audience and they were about to get an eye-opening display.