Vera choked in surprise...and excitement as images of doing just that flashed through her mind, wetted her pussy. She licked her lips, rubbing back against him. She found the rock hard length of his cock and ground her ass against him. His sharp intake of breath was more music to her ears. His fingers moved down, lifted her shirt an inch, then teased the soft skin inside her jeans. Her stomach hollowed to make room for his hand to dive further, touch her where she was crying honey and swollen.

“That’s hardly a threat,” she gasped, her voice sounding like she’d spent all night at a concert screaming. His hand, slowly, achingly, moved down until one finger touch the top of her pussy. Vera moaned and lifted her arms up and around his neck, her breasts arching out like an offering as her ass thrust back against him.

“Tell me, baby, and I’ll fill your ass with my cock tonight. I’ll lick your creamy pussy until you gush all over my mouth, then I’ll lick it up and make you come again while I fuck your pussy.” The tip of his finger prodded her clit gently, a bare touch. His other hand found a breast and cupped her, shaping her mound. She struggled between two worlds. One of pleasure, the other logic. His finger didn’t move any further, was a clear reminder that he wouldn’t let her come right now.

“Okay, I’ll tell you.” It was the hardest thing to say, especially since his hands left her body and turned her to face him. But her body wanted his promises more. Her pussy wept at being unfulfilled, but the images of him licking her there made her heart race.

“Lumara is a lykaen term. It means my beloved.” She didn’t look at him as she said it. She honestly hadn’t realized she’d spoken it until he asked her about it, but now that he knew, she felt a wave of insecurity fill her. She hadn’t even called Dmetri by the name.

Gentle fingers lifted her chin until she looked at him. His eyes held that same strange look in them that she couldn’t recognize before. What was that? She’d guessed hope before, but now it didn’t fit. She wished she could ask him, but she couldn’t be so revealing. She always too honest anyways.

He bent his head and kissed her. All thoughts fled but of his lips on hers. His kiss was gentle, coaxing yet demanding all at the same time. Everything she’d ever wanted.

“You guys might want to get to the meeting now. We have news about that deed.” Vera and Jacks looked down the hall to see Dmetri. He looked unhappy. Vera couldn’t stop the sickening feeling that roiled in her stomach. This was going to be bad.

A frigid, silent air was in the meeting room that hadn’t been there before. Brayden sat with a hard, unreadable look on his face. Ariss wore a small smile on her red lips, her guardian stood close behind her. Dmetri and Vera took their seats and for once Vera wished she could touch Jacks while this happened. Since when she needed a man’s strength for simple tasks, she wasn’t sure.

She knew what was going to happen. The deed was real, and they were going to take away the Kategan’s land. If they didn’t move off the land, then the pack would go to war with Ariss’ vampire clan.

Several guards came in the room—all vampires. They wore vacant expressions that gave nothing away. There were six of them and they stood back against the walls, looking straight ahead. In all her years coming with Vane to negotiate the treaties, she’d never seen guards in the room. This couldn’t be good.

She stood a little straighter in her chair and held her chin up high. She would deal with this proudly, like a Kategan.

When the old vampire Brayden spoke, everyone turned to listen to him, not because he was the only one talking, but because there was power in his voice that commanded everyone’s presence. The voice of a leader that shouted orders on the chaotic warfront.

“There have been some disturbing developments with regard to the deed presented by Ariss and her clan yesterday claiming a significant portion of Kategan land.”

Vera held her breath and wished he’d get on it with it, but he paused, his finger tapping on the yellow deed in front of him.

“I sent the deed to the Justicars yesterday who did an extensive background check into the legitimacy of the document. What they found was quite shocking.” Vera fought to control her breathing.

“As you can see they have returned the deed and their analysis of it.” He turned his head and looked straight at Vera. She felt her stomach hit the floor. “I have called in the guards today because I don’t want any problems.”

Vera was lightheaded, her stomach woozy, and she would have fallen out of her chair, but then Jacks’ hand touched her shoulder and the lightheaded feeling vanished like fog clearing. She didn’t look up at him or acknowledge his touch, but inside she said a prayer of thanks. His touch steadied her like nothing else could.

Brayden’s piercing gray eyes left hers and swung to Ariss. “Ariss of Master Claude’s clan of the Midwest, the Justicars have reviewed your deed and found it to be invalid.”

“What? That’s impossible!” Her smile quickly vanished into shock. She glanced around the room, at the guards, then back at Vera.

“The Justicars have found the document to be fraudulent, a forgery.”

“That’s wrong. They must test it again. Someone did something wrong.”

Brayden showed no response to her demand. “Ariss, as the liaison for Master Claude’s clan, I must detain you and your guardian for further questioning until your Master comes for you. Both you and Master Claude are under arrest for forgery and attempting to claim land that isn’t yours. The penalty and justice will be found and delivered by the Justicars and not here in this room. Men please arrest Ms. Ariss and her guardian.”

The guards around the room moved at once towards Ariss. Vera saw only a flash of movement then Ariss pulled a dagger out from her dress and slashed at the nearest guard, gutting him across the stomach, and then slashing across his juggler in another fast slice.

Her guardian attacked the next guard with his own knife and stabbed the blade deep into the guard’s neck until he screamed garbled noises. He extracted his knife by kicking the guard away, then both Ariss and her guardian leaped out the window in an explosion of glass.

The guards jumped out of the window after them. Vera tried to go to the window to see what was happening, but Jacks grabbed her and held her behind him.

Dmetri turned to Brayden. “I’ll tell the Justicars and put out an alert for Ariss and her guardian. They just added murder to their list of charges.” He stalked to the door, stopping at the doorway to look at Vera. “You might want to call Vane now and tell him what’s happening. If Ariss’ Master devised this whole plan then it was for a reason--land. I doubt he’ll want be willing to drop the plan either.”

Brayden gathered the documents in front of him with an easiness that bordered on bored. He looked down at the dead guards with a hard scowl.

“They were good men,” he said. A dark look lingered in his eyes when he turned back to her. “Kategan land is your land. Considering what happened today, we’ll finish the rest of the negotiations tomorrow. We’ll meet earlier since we still have a lot to cover. Then you’ll be free to go.” He stood and walked out the door.

“Why couldn’t they catch her?” The drop alone from the window had to be a good forty feet, though that wouldn’t faze a vampire.

Brayden paused to look back at the dead guards on the floor, sorrow in his eyes. “Ariss is strong and old, and her guardian is very strong. The best warrior in Claude’s clan, that’s why he sent him with her.” The old vampire turned and left.

Vera let Jacks guide her back to their room. She saw the change instantly in the mansion. Already more guards were lining the halls, roaming. With a loose fugitive out, she wasn’t surprised. Yet it was unnerving as hell. She was no coward though. Right about now she’d like to go one on one with that vampire bitch. From the threat of stealing her land to the killing of innocent men—Ariss needed to be put down.