AFamiliarFace Read online

  All in all, this guy looked like a hunky hero from the historical romances she liked so much. But none of them had ever featured gray-skinned warriors.

  She had to clear her throat. Unlike his twin Rattler, nothing about this guy felt comfortable or safe. He easily could have passed for security, as big as an ox and wearing a mantle of menace over those brawny shoulders. Her blood heated and her heart raced, in fear and surprising arousal, and worried her more than she liked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even fantasized about sex.

  “Um, Rattler said it was okay to be up here.”

  His eyes widened and he stared down at her—way down—his gaze first suspicious, then bolder. His study moved from her face, lingering over her lips, to her breasts and the slim expanse of abdomen showcased by her cropped shirt. She had an urge to cross her arms over her chest, doubly so when her nipples peaked under his regard.

  “Cuwenicu,” murmured throughout the crowd, and she was momentarily distracted by the foreign word.

  Without warning, he latched onto her wrists and pulled her from the room. The minute the door closed behind her, he let her go, and the Lounge fell into complete and utter silence.

  “Hey buddy, what the hell is your prob…lem?” She trailed off as she watched his eyes turn into something she’d never before seen. As a witch, Mallory knew all about the otherworldly creatures in existence—the vampires, ghouls, shifters and mages that wandered her neighborhood. But this guy… He didn’t fit into any category she knew.

  She glanced nervously around her and couldn’t help gaping at what looked like a Rattler family reunion. Every single male in the place had height, muscles, and gray skin. Several had hair, but none sported any body piercing that she could see. She turned back to the one responsible for pulling her out of her safe haven. Good night, but his eyes! Moonlight and fairy dust, this guy wasn’t human. Wasn’t otherworldly, either. But what he was, she didn’t yet know.

  His eyes, at first a vibrant gray-green, changed, the pupils thinning and elongating as the irises took over the whites of his eyes. His teeth lengthened, not just his incisors like the fangs of a vampire, but his entire mouth, and his skin started hardening, resembling iridescent scales more than flesh. He didn’t transform into a snake. And no shifter that she knew of could remain between forms. You were either human or animal, but not both. His teeth didn’t look like they belonged to any vampire she’d ever met. Besides, this guy was gray and now shiny, but not white. The language he’d been speaking hadn’t been anything she recognized.

  He hissed at her, and the rumbling all around her returned to normal.

  “Look, I’m not sure what all this is about.” She paused, listening to herself, and frowned. She understood the meaning of what she said, but the words themselves were completely foreign. She sounded like him.

  “Cuwenicu.” He scoffed. “I didn’t think so. The Phrellian spy regains her tongue, eh? Perfect, we’ll have so much fun together now.” He smiled, his teeth still wickedly sharp.

  Phrellian spy? By the look on his face, fun might mean something entirely different in this place.

  This really was the Friday from hell.

  Chapter Two

  Mallory swallowed, fingered her charm bracelet and cursed under her breath at the small amount of magic it had left. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I want out, right now.”

  She turned to grab for the doorknob behind her only to freeze in shock. Where there had once been a door now stood a blank wall. She felt the gray guy’s hand at her waist but could only stare at where a door should have been. What the hell?

  By placing that large hand on her waist, he managed to find bare skin under her short shirt. The instant their flesh met, she felt her third big surprise of the evening. Lust seared her from head to toe, centering in his palm and spiraling outward. Tense, she couldn’t move, didn’t want to shake the sudden feelings coursing through her blood. Her sex heated, moisture pooling between her thighs until she wanted to cry out in frustrated shock.

  Her clitoris throbbed, her nipples bit at the silk of her bra, and she knew had she turned to face the big guy she’d have visibly broadcast her reaction. Until she could handle the strangeness of it all, she refused to—

  “Hey!”

  Hauled over his shoulder like a sack of laundry, Mal squirmed and tried to free herself, but to no avail. Trapped by a rock-hard bicep and forearm, she felt as if she wrangled with steel.

  “Hey Core, nice catch,” someone shouted. Several deep male chuckles preceded sexual advice and some disgusting perversions she’d rather not think about. One insult led to another, and suddenly another fight broke out.

  Pushing up from Core’s finer-than-fine ass, she saw at least a dozen of the gray thugs engaged in brutal fighting. Punches and kicks flew like water, while right freaking next to them other men started getting it on—with men, women, it didn’t seem to matter. What little she could see of the females showed an array of hair color, body-types and…multiple appendages. She swallowed around a dry throat, her libido nonetheless reacting to so much naked flesh straining and pushing, and she wanted to slap herself.

  The family was right. I am sooo not normal. Nothing like an orgy right next to bloody violence to stir the pot. Where the fuck am I? What is this place?

  Stunned that she was even witnessing such a spectacle, Mal closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up. “Just a dream. Only a dream. Come on, Mal.”

  “A dream, little Phrellian? More like a nightmare, hmm?” Core cupped her buttocks, stirring her desire anew, and she gasped in both anger and arousal when his fingers reached between her legs, touching the damp fabric of her jeans. “That’s it, sweet. Let it flow.”

  His pace quickened as he descended the stairs and headed, not out to the bar, as she’d have expected, but into a dark, quiet room filled with low murmurs and sibilant voices. Completely unnerved, she tried her best to follow their movements but lost track of the many rights and lefts he took. They should have been somewhere outside Newtown’s wharf by now, but instead remained in the dark.

  The place smelled musty, and Mal could have sworn they were underground.

  Finally, Core entered a smaller chamber and shut the door behind him. He kept his arm tight around her, not letting her move in the slightest while he lit several candles. This room looked exactly like the one she’d originally fallen asleep in.

  She couldn’t understand how this could be anything but a dream. “Look, Core, I’m getting dizzy with all this blood rushing to my head. Put me down or I swear I’ll vomit all over you.”

  He tossed her onto the bed, but before she could roll off, he pinned her under his massive—and aroused—body. Oh crap.

  His eyes and teeth again looked normal. The intensity of his stare made her want to wrap her ankles around his hips and pull him tight. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed.

  Pheromones. Has to be pheromones.

  “Tell me, little spy, what you seek here. Surely your lord knew he sent you to your death. A nest of Talians is no place for a Phrellian, no matter how attractive.” He nuzzled her neck and nicked her with his teeth, licking at the small spot of blood. Far from being repulsed, Mal moaned under his touch, arching into his cooler frame. She all too easily ignored the discomfort of his chest straps and his heavy weight.

  “If you’re some kind of vamp, you should know I’m a witch,” she managed on a hitched breath. All vampires knew better than to attack a witch. Mage blood was venomous to a blood drinker, as they well knew. Core, however, smirked and licked at his lips.

  “Vamp? What manner of creature is this? You know what I am. Tell me what it is you really want. Freedom, perhaps? We all know how terribly the Phrellians treat their females. You’re little more than sex slaves, unwilling receptors of their deviant behavior. Perhaps you came seeking some pleasure?”

  He ground his pelvis into her belly, and she gasped at the strong, thick erection prodding her. He inhaled deeply a
nd closed his eyes, as if savoring her scent. He opened his eyes and frowned. “You want me more than any female has ever desired a coupling. Did they drug you?”

  “Drug me?” Had Rattler somehow spiked her water during her last break? Muttering a quick and simple spell under her breath, she checked her health and found it to be in perfect order. “No. I don’t understand any of this. One minute I walked through the black door. I fell asleep. Then I awoke to the sound of fighting and sex.”

  He smiled, his grin full of erotic promise. “Sex, hmm? So you did come here wanting pleasure.”

  “No. I just wanted a nice, warm bed…” Oh yeah, great wording there, Mal. “To sleep in.” Apparently Core heard only the word bed because his eyes flashed, snakelike again as he stared down at her. He lowered his mouth, and she struggled, not wanting to end up his next meal. Instead of the sharp teeth she feared, a soft, seeking tongue traced her lips and seduced its way inside her mouth.

  Rich, alluring scents filled her, and she groaned under the sensual onslaught. The exotic, rough yet smooth feel of his tongue as he probed and demanded her response drove her crazy. He thrust inside her mouth, simulating sex before stroking and sucking on her tongue. The action drove her insane with lust.

  He pulled back, his eyes glittering, his voice thick as he said, “You see, little spy? Pleasure is here for the asking. Take it.” He lowered his mouth again, this time to the pulse point in her neck. Flickering his tongue along her skin, he set her nerves aflame.

  Mal should have cast a spell, used one of her remaining charms, did something to free herself from this strange and dangerous male. But she couldn’t think. She could only feel. It had been so long since she’d last experienced sex, what felt like a lifetime ago. Even then she’d never felt such hunger, such incredible lust for another. The odd feelings Core stoked felt all too similar to the rush she experienced when working with magic.

  His hands stole her breath as they cupped her breasts, and she arched into him, twisting when he rubbed his thumbs over her hard nipples.

  “Such treasures, but bound strangely,” he murmured. He leaned up from her and frowned, his gaze glued to hers before drifting down to her chest. A quick tug lifted her shirt over her head, and he stared hard at her bra before smiling again. “Ah, but such a tempting package.”

  “Front clasp.” She pulled his head back to hers, unable to keep from touching him. She clenched her hands in his surprisingly soft hair, amazed at the silky texture of the dark black stuff. He groaned and slanted his mouth over hers, pressing harder, pushing her for more.

  A sudden snap and her bared breasts met his hands. He palmed her breasts, and without wanting or even meaning to, she exploded into a violent orgasm. Core shuddered as well, his body cool against hers as she tensed in pleasure. She barely felt the rest of her clothing being stripped away before he shoved her thighs wide and pushed his head between her legs.

  “Mother of Shen,” he whispered, his breath caressing her sex like a lover’s kiss. “Such a hungry little spy.” He glanced up and met her satisfied gaze, and she heard a faint…purring? She flushed realizing it was her. His eyes widened, and he blinked in surprise before returning to study her sex.

  After a moment’s pause, he thrust a thick finger inside her. His lips found her clit, and he lapped up the moisture pooling between her thighs. She moaned, lost in his touch. As if she hadn’t already climaxed, her body coiled again, preparing itself for another release.

  Mal couldn’t understand it, but when he added another finger and increased the pressure on her clit, she didn’t care if she ever understood it. Her purring grew louder, and he began to rumble as well. His skin lit like holiday lights, and he craftily slid out of his chest straps and kilt without missing a beat. His mouth promised bliss yet again, but Mal pushed against his shoulders to slow him down.

  “I want you in me this time,” she gasped, twisting under his talented tongue. Her spells would protect against any unwanted pregnancy or disease. A good thing, because right now she didn’t care about anything but Core’s thick cock.

  “Yes. Inside you,” he agreed, and slid up her body. Watching her, he slowly pushed the head of his cock inside her, his eyes flashing with heat. His own purring grew louder the farther in he moved. He kept the pressure steady. As thick as he was, she felt some pain mingled with the pleasure, urging her for more.

  She wanted to feel him come inside her, wanted to see him reach his peak, to know that she brought him as much pleasure as she’d been given. This stranger, this Core, had given her more than anyone had in years, and she felt a subtle softening in her heart at his unselfishness.

  “You see, little one, pleasure is mine to give and yours to receive.” He thrust deeper, seating himself fully inside her. He grunted and pulled out, then shoved himself back in, as if unable to remain still. “You taste like sauri cream, and feel like the finest of ven silk.” He groaned as he pummeled harder, his strength an awesome sight as his muscles bunched and tensed under her roving hands. “Yes, kina, take me.”

  Rocking and pushing, he continued to graze her clit, sending her into another bout of orgasmic bliss. But this time he joined her, his release magnifying her own. He cried out as he spilled, and his climax lasted a good minute as he continued to jet inside her. For her part, Mal couldn’t contain the spasms of desire that still shook her, each shudder of his body releasing one in her own.

  Moments later, after he’d withdrawn, he propped himself up on his elbows over her and asked in a hoarse voice, “How did you do that?”

  “Do what?” she asked in a daze. “I’m swimming in you, Core. Just one big mess of stickiness, and I’ve never felt so good in my life.” She sighed and snuggled into his chest, comfortable at last with his soothing scent. Nothing made since but this. And hell, after her day, let her at least have something worthwhile to cling to.

  He said nothing.

  When she looked up at him, she saw his concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “I released. Inside you.”

  “And?”

  “This is not possible.”

  “How so? I saw you guys sexing it up out there. There’s no arguing you just came inside me.” And all over me. The thought caused her to squirm with unbidden desire. Again?

  “No. When we play with others outside of our kind, the sexual bliss we experience is not so…physical.”

  Since it seemed important to the big guy, she tried to understand. Shaking off her lethargy, she stared up at him. “You mean you feel all orgasmic, but you don’t get hard?”

  “No, we get hard. But there is no seed expelled.”

  “Oh. You feel good, but no ejaculation.”

  “That is so. But with you, it was different.”

  “You bet it was.” She sighed again, with pleasure. “Don’t worry about it, Core. I won’t get pregnant and I’m disease free. This was great and all, but I have a job to get back to. Rats to hunt, spells to create, debtors to evade. Such a fulfilling life,” she ended sarcastically, only to see him stare at her in sudden confusion. “What?”

  “Spells? Debtors?” he mangled the word. “Just tell me the truth, little one. I promise you’ll never have to return to them again. We’ll keep you safe here. Tell me about the Phrellians, and know that in the doing, you help us all.”

  She frowned. “First off, my name is Mallory West. While compared to you I’m little, at home I’m considered quite tall.” A lie. Not tall, just average. But a girl could dream. “And I’m not, never have been, and never will be a Phrellian, whatever that is. I’m a trade witch.”

  She waited for some derision, an inkling of distaste. What she normally got at home. But confusion remained in his gray-green eyes.

  “I do not understand. You appeared of sudden in our pleasure house, and you claim you do not know the Phrellians.” He scowled down at her. “For all your beauty, you cannot possibly hope to enthrall me into believing your lies. I am the War Leader, which you already know. Play, no matter how enjoy
able,” he paused to lick his lips and stare at her breasts, “will not sway me from my intent.”

  She swallowed loudly. “Intent?”

  “To destroy your master’s kind, and more importantly, the Phrellian stronghold.” He leaned close and took her nipple in his mouth. He bit softly, the press of sharp teeth so incredibly erotic that she cried out. “But I admit, never has a female been so successful in securing my attention. What are you, Mallory? Sernan, Tak? Maybe Gerlyan?”

  When she could catch her breath, she answered, “I’m a witch.” She waited for some response. Instead he sucked and nipped at her other nipple. Then he nudged her legs apart and teased her folds with his hard cock. So much for Core needing recovery time.

  “Yes,” he hissed. “You’re a witch to have captured my root with no more than your scent.” He thrust deep and groaned, locking himself within her. “Perhaps you would have more from me than this though.” He rocked against her, levering up so that only the contact of their joined bodies remained.

  How he could think to talk at all, while she could barely do more than feel, baffled her.

  “Answers, locations, perhaps?” he continued.

  A hard thrust made her see stars as he hit a magic spot inside her, and she arched into him on a gasp. “Hecate’s staff, what do you want me to say? I came through the black door.” She panted and moaned when he rolled his hips, shifting his thick cock inside her. “R-Rattler told me to take a break, so I did. I fell asleep, and then you pulled me through the doorway.”

  He withdrew and straddled her waist, his cock bobbing, shiny with her essence. The scent of their mingled fluids made her mouth water and her body itch for something more. She could only attribute the feeling to being bespelled. God, she wanted him. All of him.

  “The doorway, tell me about that.” He inched closer to her mouth, and the overpowering urge to taste him clawed at her.