Page 62 of The Satyr's Guilt
Cerberus pinned his gaze on Lort’s eyes.
The vampire knew his boss was assessing thestrength of his bludfrenzy. The red streaks in his eyes weretelling. “I control my disease. It has been with me for a century.Never have I given in to it since the early years.”
“Silas allowed it to affect his reasoning. Iwill not put up with the behavior twice.”
Lort was infected with blood lust, butdespite his constant thirst, he had not killed to drink in acentury. He wanted more out of his long life. He had goals. Nothingwould stand between him and his goals. Not even his thirst. Hewould not kill his food source in an uncontrolled fit. Not until hesubjugated Earth.
His boss picked at his nails. “I know aboutthe blood slave you bought from Silas. He had better stay alive asproof you can control yourself and lead my army to victory.”
Lort flashed on his smooth-skinned male.Though it was difficult to manage his thirst each time he held hismale close, pressing hungry lips to the human’s neck, he fought notto drain his meal. Did he keep his slave alive because he loved himor because letting him live proved he could control hisoverwhelming need? His reason was irrelevant.
The vampire general’s chest expanded with adeep breath, necessary to control the arousal caused by thoughts ofdrinking from his blood slave. He imagined his fingers tracing hishuman’s firm buttocks while his fangs sank into the sweetest nectarimaginable. Anticipation rippled through Lort’s body. Yes, he wouldtake his human again tonight.
Lort would lead the greatest army in Scath’shistory. Errant Aeternals would fall into line, portals would fall,and humans would bow before their masters.
Cerberus would grant him thousands uponthousands of acres of land where he would keep herds of Earthers asranchers keep cattle. He would never be thirsty again. Maybe thenhe would drain his beautiful human. There would always be more inhis pastures.
****
Midday Jarek called in hisbest tracker. Clese. The grizzly shifter took his animal form tosniff along the ground heading up a mountain in the berserkerregion. Darius provided a piece of the female’s clothing fromSpear’s hut.
The vegetation was sparse, the terrainrocky, but Clese kept his nose to the ground, lumbering upward.
Darius glanced around the area. “If thecaptive came up here, she’s in trouble. The rocks are dangerous.There are few places to hide. While the sun is out, the heat isbrutal. I don’t see any water around. By nightfall, the cold couldbe worse.”
Jarek flipped a thin warrior braid over hisshoulder. “I agree. Let’s hope we find her before it’s toolate.”
The group climbed higher, the terrainsteeper, less hospitable. They came to a stop. Clese spun in acircle, trudged one way and then another. When he caught the scentagain, he continued forward, his nose to the ground.
Clese followed the bluff for a distance.When he stopped, he shifted. Brushing aside a few limbs, he exposedthe narrow mouth of a cave. “She crawled in here.”
Kara peeked into the dark entrance. “Let mego in. I’m smaller than you males.”
“Sure, shorty. Just wiggle your little bitsin there,” rasped Darius.
Jarek rested on his haunches, peering in asfar as he could see. Using his sharp hearing, he listened. Nothing.“If she’s in there, she’s pretty deep. I can’t see or hear her.” Herose.
Clese growled, sounding like the bear hewas. “I smell her. Along with fear.”
Standing near the entrance, Jarek proppedhis boot onto a small boulder. “Be careful, Kara.”
“You got it, Comm. That’s me. Careful.”
Kilem chuckled.
The Amazon Firebrand dropped to her stomachand inched her way through the opening like a worm. Her bootsdisappeared from view.
The males waited at the cave. The only soundreaching them was Kara as she crawled through the tunnel.
Swish. Swish.Swish.
“How long before we go in after her?” Dariuspaced from tree to tree.
Jarek dropped his boot to the ground,brushing dirt off his pants leg. “A little longer. She hasn’tcalled for help.”
Clese returned to grizzly form to scent thearea for other clues.
They waited.
