Aveoth Read online

  “Do I have a choice? I’m kind of trapped here for now.”

  “I didn’t take you from your life,” he reminded her. “I just accepted you into mine. Decker might have either killed you if I hadn’t brought you here, or used you in some other horrible way to gain something he wanted. He and Lord Abotorus were very similar. A bloodline means nothing and if you aren’t useful to them, they seem to think you don’t deserve to live.”

  She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I took some self-defense classes because I was raised in some bad neighborhoods.” She studied him from head to foot. Aveoth was a big man with a seriously buff body. Then she glanced at the hard floor. “Don’t you guys use mats when you tussle?” She met his gaze. “I can’t harden my body to protect myself from breaking bones if I slam into something solid. I’m assuming that’s what you plan to do with me?”

  “I’m going to come at you but I won’t let you fall. Try to avoid me grabbing you.”

  It was the only warning she got as he lunged forward and tried to snag her around her waist as he bent a little. She threw out an arm and knocked one of his hands away, twisting to the side and kicking out the way she’d learned. Her shoe made contact with his pants just above his knee.

  The hit to his thigh actually made him take a step back and he straightened. He arched one eyebrow.

  “What? I wasn’t going for your nuts.”

  “Thank you.”

  He lunged again but faster.

  She gasped as his arms wrapped around her and she was lifted right off her feet. He had her in a bear hug with her side pressed up against his chest. It put their faces very close together. His skin was hot and a little damp. Whatever cologne he wore smelled amazing. She actually had to fight the urge to lick him to see if he tasted as good as he smelled.

  He smiled. “I have you. You need to do better.”

  She was grateful he spoke; it forced her to stop thinking about running her tongue over his skin. “I didn’t even see you move.”

  “You aren’t completely human. Stop acting as if you are.” He lowered her to her feet and let her go, taking steps back to put a little space between them. “You’ve got some Vampire blood. We need to discover what advantages it gives you. I’m going to come at you again and this time, avoid me. Ready?”

  “No.” She put more space between them, glanced at the hard surface of the floor again, then back at him. “Put down mats and then we’ll do this. I know if one of us ends up on their ass, it’s going to be me. I don’t want to break my tailbone or something.”

  “We don’t use them here at the cliffs.”

  The door to the hallway opened and Kelzeb stepped inside. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. May I make a suggestion?”

  Aveoth appeared irritated. “What?”

  “You have guest bedrooms in the lower section of your quarters. I’d remove the mattresses from the beds and use them to cushion the floor. I think your lower hosting room would be big enough to place them down if we moved the furniture against the walls.” Kelzeb grinned. “I’ll help you prepare the space, and then leave you two alone.”

  Aveoth suddenly smiled. “That would work.”

  Jill glanced between the two men and noticed that both of them looked amused. The idea of her and Aveoth on what amounted to one large bed in some room made her leery. “Maybe we could just not do this.”

  Aveoth held her gaze. “You wanted mats. It’s the best we can do.” He strode over to his shirt and put it on. He strapped on his sword next, then approached her. “Let’s go, Jill.”

  “Shit,” she muttered. She had walked right into that and it was her own fault.

  Aveoth just grinned and took her hand, pinning it between his arm and chest. He led her out of the room and back to his home.

  Once they got there, she excused herself to use the restroom upstairs. Mostly, she just wanted to hide as both men went to put mattresses down on the floor.

  * * * * *

  “Your Jill watched you closely,” Kelzeb whispered, leaning the mattress against a wall. He pushed the couches and tables to the side of the room, out of the way.

  Aveoth frowned. “She didn’t scent of arousal. So much for pheromones and sweating for her.”

  “This is a much smaller space, and she may have felt uncomfortable in the judging chambers. It’s cozy here.”

  “It is,” he agreed.

  Kelzeb put his mattress down first and shoved it into place. “You should just carry her to your bed, tie her down, and seduce her.”

  Aveoth dumped the other mattress on the floor and held his friend’s gaze. “Did you get that advice from a Gargoyle?”

  Kelzeb cringed. “True enough. I can’t imagine how difficult it’s going to be to persuade a distrustful human to let you get between her thighs.”

  Aveoth checked the mattresses, making sure that they lay close together with no gaps between the side seams. “I want Jill, but I’m not willing to push her too fast. She might resent that, and she’s already angry that I’m keeping her here.”

  “She asked me to fly her home.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “No.”

  Aveoth sighed and stared at the stairwell. “She’s probably barricading herself inside her room. Go. I’ll secure the doors so no one can get in. I’ll call you later.”

  “I’ll take the meeting with the scouts and go over the lists for winter supplies with our stores this afternoon. That will leave your day free. Just keep your phone within hearing range. I’ll call if an emergency arises.”

  “Damn. I’d forgotten both were scheduled for later.”

  “You have a lot on your mind.” Kelzeb walked over to him and reached out, gripping his shoulder. “I have you covered. It’s my honor as your friend to take whatever burdens I can from you.” He smirked. “Just focus on getting laid. You really need that.”

  Aveoth snorted and shook his head. “That’s the Lycan side of you. Sex doesn’t fix every problem.”

  “It would be nice if it could though. I know it would improve my mood most days.”

  “You need to look for a mate.”

  “The timing isn’t right yet. Women need a lot of attention, which I don’t have to give. The price would be her unhappiness.” Kelzeb released him and waved. “I’ll call if I need you. I won’t interrupt unless it’s very important. Good luck.”

  Aveoth followed him to the exit and secured the door. He ran upstairs and went to his bedroom first, closing off the balcony. The reminder of how close Jill had come to falling to her death had already made him secure all the lower-floor cliff openings. They were now safely sealed. He heard sounds in her bedroom and walked through the connecting bathroom to knock on the closed door.

  “Are you ready, Jill?” He tried the handle and found the door unlocked.

  She stood by the bed and turned when he stepped inside. “These aren’t really the right clothes for workouts.”

  That reminded him that she needed outfits. “They will do for now. After we see what you can do, I’ll have Renna come measure you. You’re welcome to wear anything in my wardrobe until she’s made you gowns.”

  “Gowns?”

  “We aren’t in your world anymore,” he gently reminded her. “We dress a certain way here at the cliffs.”

  “Are we talking a ton of material that goes from the shoulders to my feet?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not leaving your fancy cave again if that’s true. No way am I going to put on some getup from the eighteen-hundreds.”

  He didn’t blame her. She was a modern woman, used to wearing the clothing of one. “Luckily for you, we’re just going downstairs into another part of my home right now. Let’s go.”

  “Why are you so determined to kick my ass?”

  “I’m not. I just want to see how you can defend yourself and if you have any traits you weren’t aware of before. We need to test your skills.”

  “You mean like if I ha