Junkyard Queen (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 12) Read online

“I’m going to tell you.” He appeared far too happy. “To break the curse requires the death of someone you love. On the night of the full moon. Before you’re pulled into the stone. And the kicker?” Pleasure pulled his sadistic grin wider. “They must die by your hand.”

  He stood up, leaving me on the floor to process the horror he’d just flung in my face. I couldn’t. After the horrific parade of lost souls, my brain refused to comprehend what I’d just heard.

  But my heart had no trouble. A crushing pain filled my chest. I made a strangled sound that was neither a sob nor a growl but somehow both. “I won’t do it. You know that.” Because I had no come back that could hurt him any worse than he’d just hurt me, I settled for the same promise I’d made him last time. “And you’re never getting out of here, Shya.”

  Regarding me with a cold stare as he plopped back into his chair by the fire, he muttered, “Then I guess we will have many moons together.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The power in Arys’s blood raced through my veins. Clutching his wrist with meager strength, I bit him again, needing more. No matter how much blood and energy I drew from him, it didn’t do more than dull the edge.

  Gently he tugged his wrist away. Weak as I was, I couldn’t put up a fight.

  I fumbled for his face, capturing his jaw in flimsy fingers. Arys kissed me, delicate and tender, like he feared I might crumble to dust in his arms. Drawing on his aura, I breathed it in like the first burst of fresh air upon opening a window.

  “Tell me what happened,” Arys urged, as he had several times since I’d come back to myself in the basement.

  I shook my head, wincing when even that proved to need more energy than I had to spare. “Same as last time. He hurt me. I think he’s starting… to lose his mind though. I thought it… would take longer.”

  “Did he tell you about the curse?” Arys’s hopeful expression gutted me.

  How could I tell him that, to free myself of this hell, I had to kill someone I loved? And I loved many people: friends, family, lovers. There would be no choosing one of them to die for me. It wasn’t even an option. Shya knew that. Which was why he’d created the curse that way.

  Eyes downcast, I couldn’t look at him when I lied. “No. He didn’t. I guess he wants to drag it out.”

  Arys knew me well. I was sure he’d seen right through my lie just as Shaz would have, but Arys didn’t question it. He was far more concerned with my wellbeing. “We’ll figure it out. Somehow. Right now we need to get you back on your feet.” Handling me like fragile china, Arys eased me off my bed and helped me to the walk-in closet.

  “Don’t say it,” I muttered, taking the silky blue panties and matching bra he handed me. Slipping them on took a ridiculous amount of effort.

  He held up a black tank top with a raised brow. At my nod he handed it to me and let me struggle it over my head. “I won’t say a word, but you know it’s the only way to get back to full strength without draining a handful of humans to bloodless shells. Which I’m not opposed to doing.”

  “No, definitely not.” A shudder racked me as I flashed back to the parade of victims Shya had forced me to endure. Shame scorched me. I saw no reason to hide that from Arys. “He sent my victims to tell me about everything I’d stolen from them. Every innocent person I killed.”

  I fell back against the wall before sliding to the floor. Standing took so much effort. Groaning I leaned as far as I could and dragged a pair of warm, thick leggings off the bottom shelf. Now if they’d just put themselves on I’d have this made.

  “Son of a bitch.” Arys turned in a slow circle, having no room in the closet to pace. It was a walk-in but only a walk-in, not some swanky party closet. “It’s just going to keep escalating, isn’t it? Fuck. We have to find a way to keep you from going back there. We just have to. He’ll drive you mad.”

  Anguish gave his energy a bitter heat. Lacking the strength to shield against it, the touch of it burned. Arys was content to let me face my battles head on. He knew I could handle my shit, and he loved to watch me handle it. In the event I needed a little backup, he was my other half, there to provide it.

  This was different. Torment at the hands of a demon was something neither of us could stand against. Being unable to back me and having to watch me suffer was breaking him down. That worried me.

  “Shaz called.” Arys veered off topic in an attempt to hide his worries. “He couldn’t find Ash. The kid never showed up. He’s still looking.”

  I nodded, knowing this was serious news but unable to deal with it yet. I trusted that Shaz could handle it.

  “I’m ok, Arys.” I needed him to believe me. Another lie. “I’ll be ok. As long as he’s in that stone, we’re still winning.”

  “But for how long? How long before he sends you back so tortured and abused that you never recover from what he’s done?” Arys’s voice rose and I winced. “Maybe we can find a way for me to take your place in the stone.”

  My eyes widened. That struck a little too close to the sacrifice Shya had worked into the curse. “No, Arys. I don’t want that. I don’t want anything like that. We’ll find another way.”

  He watched me fumble my way into my pants, but I could see that his mind had gone elsewhere. Dressed and starved for the fount of power I’d only get from Falon, I held a hand out to Arys for assistance. Once on my feet the room spun, and I had to grab him to keep upright.

  “You need him, Alexa. Whether you want to talk about it or not.” Arys led me downstairs, ignoring my attempts to pull free and walk on my own.

  “Yeah, fine. Whatever. I’m still not talking about it though.”

  “Can you get to him on your own?”

  It baffled me how Arys spoke of it so casually, like everyone had a fallen angel lover to restore their energy. To him Falon was my victim, and Arys had no reason to be threatened by victims. They served one purpose, merely a means to an end.

  And Falon was that in every way. As much as I wanted to feel shitty about it, all I could think about was the agonizing craving. I yearned for Falon. The hunger ate at me. Weak and vulnerable was a dangerous state for me. I had to get to him.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  * * * *

  Somehow I made it to the five-star hotel where Falon and I had shared a few encounters. He knew I’d need him tonight. But would he come? I couldn’t blame him if he left me hanging.

  A few weird looks from the clerk at the front desk, who didn’t know how close he came to becoming another face to haunt me, and I had a key card in hand. The mirrored walls in the elevator reflected back the image of a frail woman, possibly sickly but definitely a junkie. Dark circles made my eyes a brilliant blue that seemed to glow. I shoved my hair back and leaned in closer to peer into my face. Cheeks hollow, skin the pallor of a corpse. No wonder the front desk guy had looked at me like I’d just risen from the dead.

  Entering the room, I dropped my bag and flopped on the bed, exhausted. My mind kept straying, wondering how long it would take room service to send someone up. Someone with a heartbeat. If Falon didn’t show soon, I’d do it. I wouldn’t be able to resist. Not with this hunger.

  In an effort to distract myself, I dragged my ass to the bathroom and filled the large soaker tub with hot water and bubbles. Taking my clothes off proved as tiring as putting them on had been. I slipped getting into the tub but caught myself on the edge before I could take a nasty dive against the porcelain.

  “Motherfucking son of a motherfucker.” I cursed Shya in every way I could until I eased into the water with a sigh. If Falon abandoned me I’d probably be stuck here until housekeeping came. That would not end well for housekeeping.

  Eyes closed, I focused on the soothing warmth and the rose scent of the bubbles. Each passing second made it harder to keep from dragging myself to the neighboring rooms to slaughter whomever was inside.

  “Wow. I thought you looked bad last time but this is… well, this is just downright fucking hideous.”


  I opened my eyes to find Falon leaning on the counter. Arms crossed over his chest, he stared down at me with an inquisitive silver gaze. My reply was a middle finger, which took far more effort than it ever should have.

  “So,” Falon asked, “what happened?”

  It took so much effort to speak. “Does it matter?”

  “Not really. Tell me anyway.”

  Another middle finger was the best I could do. He didn’t give a damn. Although lying in the bath while he stood over me with both lust and loathing in his eyes, I couldn’t help but think about what Shya had said. Finding out that I’d known about Winter for some time would no doubt piss Falon off. Because it was such a delicate subject, the news might elicit worse than mere anger. If our roles were reversed, I’d be all kinds of venomous.

  For a moment I considered telling him that I knew. But the ruthless glint in his angelic orbs kept my mouth shut.

  Falon peeled off his long-sleeved V-neck and draped it over the towel rack. My gaze strayed over his bare chest, eating up the sight of him. Hard in all the best places, Falon had a body made for immortals. Perfectly defined abs accompanied a v-line that descended into pricey dress pants. It was impossible not to ogle him.

  More than his body though, I wanted the power that strummed within it.

  “I don’t get you quiet and submissive often. Gotta enjoy this while I can.” Falon leaned over the tub, plunged his hands into the water, and scooped me up.

  A small gasp escaped me. Water dripped from my body as he carried me from the bathroom. Submissive my ass. Weakened did not equal submissive. He could have his moment. It wouldn’t last long.

  “You’re going to get the bed wet,” I protested when he laid me on top of it.

  Falon set me down with a gentleness reserved for puppies or babies. I didn’t know he had it in him. He chuckled. “It’s just water. That’s hardly the worst thing we’re going to do to it.”

  He captured my lips in a severe kiss. The contact was just what I needed. Both hands splayed on his chest, I reached for the power that lived deep within him. Drawing it in created a flutter in my chest. A rush swept through me. The first taste of him gripped me, feeding my need for more. It wasn’t enough. Not even close.

  Hungrily I grabbed at him, kissing him with that red-hot hunger. Disappointed when he pulled away, a little growl rumbled in my throat.

  “Not so fast. You’ll be on top, taking charge of every thrust, in no time. I plan to enjoy your moment of weakness.” Falon descended between my legs without giving me a chance to reply.

  The touch of his tongue silenced whatever I might have said. Now he strayed from the playbook. This kind of thing didn’t usually occur during our encounters. The intimacy of it didn’t fit with our straight-up fucking. I preferred to get right to the act; the only foreplay I needed with Falon was his presence and my hunger.

  I clutched his forearm, pinching him in an attempt to make him stop. He slapped me away and slid his hands down my body. Trailing over my breasts to my waist, he held me pinned against the bed.

  “Growl all you like,” he murmured with a laugh. “Just as long as you come for me.”

  I half-expected him to add on “bitch” but he didn’t. So full of surprises tonight.

  The many mysteries of Falon were beginning to reveal themselves. Could it be that his ego was in need of some fluffing? When we banged like bunnies with the rush of power roaring between us, the orgasms were never in question. I suspected Falon might be wondering how much pleasure I derived from him versus the sex-charged immortal energy he exuded like an all-I-could-eat buffet during our encounters.

  “Sure you’re up for the challenge?” I taunted, unable to resist.

  Silver locked on blue as he gazed up at me with a wicked sexy smirk. “Are you?”

  At his mercy I could only lay there while he took command of my body. To be fair, I did it to him all the time. Having it turned back on me while weak and helpless had me a confusing mix of both frustrated and excited.

  Falon teased at first. Like the instigating jerk he was, he brought me to the edge several times before pulling away, leaving me hanging.

  Finally I snarled, “Ok, I know you hate me, but is this really necessary? It’s pretty much sexual warfare.”

  He paused, considering this. “Sexual warfare. I’d say that sums up our entire relationship.”

  Couldn’t argue there. Gripping the blanket beneath me, I hissed, “I’m not going to beg.”

  Not to be outdone Falon slid two fingers inside me. “Pretty sure you will.”

  So very arrogant was the fallen angel. The return of his tongue had me writhing. The succubus hunger within had little patience left. I needed him inside me now, to sate my need.

  Begging would give him what he wanted, allowing him to win this war of wills. I tried a slightly sarcastic version, breathy as it was. “Please, Falon, take me now and end this yearning.”

  Abruptly he stopped and raised himself up over me on hands and knees. Staring down into my face, he stroked a hand through my hair before gripping a tight handful. He pulled just hard enough to jerk my head back on the pillow, reminding me of my vulnerability. Mocking Falon when rife with weakness might not have been the best move.

  “Give me one reason to stay,” he said, his voice a harsh whisper. “One reason why I shouldn’t leave now and let you suffer. When you run amok through this hotel slaughtering people, I won’t clean up your mess. Not this time.”

  Truly at his mercy now, I searched his cold gaze. Deep within the depths of his enchanting stare, I found a hardness put there by a woman long before me. Like the winter she’d been named after, she’d left a chilling piece of herself behind. Where ice and snow cover, nothing can grow. There is no life. Only death. Destruction. That was what she’d done to him, and I saw it because I searched for it. And somehow in this moment, this state of vulnerability for both of us, he let me see it.

  Or perhaps he didn’t realize I could.

  Part of Falon needed something from me right then. And though I wasn’t entirely sure what that was, I found myself needing to give it, if only because someone else had left him broken beyond repair. So often I took what I wanted from him with little thought to what he might long for in return.

  Hand shaking from both fatigue and desire, I touched his face. He flinched beneath my caress but didn’t pull away. “Falon,” I began, not a speck of sarcasm in my voice now. “I need something only you can give me. I need you to take me away from here. From this hotel room. This reality. Take me to that place I can only go with you. Please.”

  He studied my face, as if seeking any hint of mockery or scorn. Finding none, he released my hair and shed the remains of his clothing without moving from atop me. Shoving my legs apart, Falon held my gaze as he thrust inside me.

  The sudden, welcome sensation of him filling me was paired with uncertainty at his choice of position, him atop me. Bodies aligned while face to face screamed intimate. Me on top, him behind, or face to face against a wall or on a table, those were the unspoken selections in our playbook.

  He was throwing me too many change ups.

  At least the way he took me lacked true intimacy. It was rough and carnal. The way I preferred with him.

  I closed my eyes, unable to watch his expression as he took in the sight of my face during this illicit act. Letting my hands drift over his perfectly defined back, I reached deep for his sex-drenched power and feasted. Every touch of my fingers to his hot skin set off my nerve endings. My dulled senses began to tingle. Every stroke of him breathed new life into me. The deflated balloon of my core began to refill with power.

  The well of Falon’s arousal ran deep. I dove headlong into it. Raising my hips to meet his thrusts, I pulled him closer, so I could nip and lick at his neck and shoulder. His moans in my ear drove me to greater heights. His pleasure was my meal ticket, and I ate it all up.

  I dragged my fangs over his skin. He groaned and shuddered inside me. I bit into his
jugular, reveling in the warm splash of immortal blood that spilled forth. Just a few drops fell before he healed. That was all I needed, all I could safely take for my own wellbeing. But it was so hard to stop. I craved more.

  Again I bit him, ravenous now as the rush of the feed caught me up in its pull. A roar like wind in my ears grew near deafening as Falon’s power crashed through me. Thankfully he had enough sense to stop me.

  He disentangled himself from my tight hold, grabbed my waist, and flipped us over. A resounding slap on my ass followed as he settled me atop him. I let out a little yelp. I wasn’t sure if I should be annoyed, but the smile that stole over my face suggested I might have liked it. Dammit.

  I licked the blood from my lips and steadied myself with hands on his chest. Renewed strength flowed through me. Now this was more like it.

  “Happy now?” Falon grasped my ass, guiding my movements.

  Tilting my head to the side so my hair tumbled over my shoulder, I smirked. “What can I say? I like to be on top.”

  He squeezed my ass and thrust up into me, grinning when I cried out. “Lucky for you I like you on top. Although nothing beats doing you from behind because then I don’t have to look at you.”

  Drawing hard on his passion-charged energy, I dragged claws down his chest to his abdomen. “Sounds like someone has been working on their dirty talk. Good for you.”

  Our banter continued despite the moans and cries that interrupted. After a few teeth-jarring orgasms that left me laughing for all the right reasons, I rolled away, as was our custom.

  The need to break physical contact as soon as we’d finished had been scarred into me since our first encounter. As soon as it was over, I felt guilty. Dirty. Like I could never look either Falon or myself in the eye again.

  “Don’t try to kick me out just yet.” He knew my routine well. “I want to hear about Shya. Also I still haven’t made you come without power being involved.”

  “Are you kidding?” Springing off the bed I fetched a hotel robe, needing to hide inside something soft and clean.