I held my queen as she slept, fighting to loosen my grip on her so she could gain the rest she needed.

My jaguar paced back and forth inside me, snarling and lashing his tail. She’s my queen. I will fight for her. I will die for her.

Closing my eyes, I pressed my face into the curve of her neck so I could breathe her scent of dragon fruit and honeysuckle. Her sweet, flowery scent usually calmed me, but tonight, it threatened to push me over the edge.

Alphas were always in control, not just of the other Blood, but of ourselves. I’d never had difficulty reining in my predatory instincts before, but tonight, all I wanted to do was tear my competition apart.

Even Maxtla’s soft panting was like an annoying pest buzzing in my ears. He’d stretched out on the balcony railing, surveying our queen’s territory and ready to pounce at the first sign of trouble. I still remembered the day he’d answered her call. He’d sat outside the blood circle, waiting for an invitation to approach. There hadn’t been a moment’s doubt in me as I stared back at him. I didn’t shift to my jaguar to challenge him.

I knew. He knew.

I was Mayte Zaniyah’s alpha. Without question.

Now a single question plagued me, driving me towards insanity.

Would I still be alpha if she claimed a god so she could sire her heir?

A fucking god.

How was an alpha Blood supposed to deal with not only another man in his queen’s bed, but a supremely powerful immortal being as old as time itself?

I’d never felt a moment’s jealousy when she asked other Blood to her bed. She allowed me to remain near in case she needed me, but she generally preferred to take us one at a time. I didn’t mind. I was alpha. I knew I could send any of the others away with a push of my beast’s formidable will.

I could not send a god away from her. Even as queen, she might not have the power to do so. I loved her dearly, and I would die before I allowed anyone to harm one hair on her head, but she wasn’t a kick-ass fighter. She didn’t care to play politics or seek more power for her court. All she wanted was for her nest to be safe and for her people to live happily, as we had been for centuries.

And a daughter. Her greatest and most desperate want. The only thing I could not provide to her.

If a blight attacked the crops or illness struck your family, she was the queen to call. She could heal almost anything. But I had no idea how she’d be able to bend a god to her will. She simply wasn’t powerful enough.

If he hurt her…

What could I do, but sacrifice myself trying to protect her? What could any of us do?

Luis touched my mind. :The new Blood has arrived.:

:Bring him through the circle and let him come to her.:

I carefully began untangling myself from her limbs. As I slid to the edge of her bed, she sleepily raised her head.

“Eztli?”

“Your newest Blood is here, my queen.”

Her eyes widened, and she sat up. “So quickly? I swear he felt like he was in Guatemala, or perhaps even further south.”

The new man paused in the doorway, waiting to be acknowledged. At least he seemed to have manners and sense, though his chest heaved with exertion. He smelled like a rank male in rut, and a raw, desperate light burned in his gaze, though he didn’t challenge me. He was quick to salute with a fist to his heart and even inclined his head. “Alpha.”

“Welcome to House Zaniyah.” My voice was rougher than I intended. I couldn’t seem to get my jaguar fully under control. “What’s your name?”

“Diego Chak.”

I gestured toward Mayte’s bed, but I didn’t look at her. I didn’t want her to see that same rawness reflected in my own eyes, though it was for an entirely different reason. “Our queen, Mayte Zaniyah, daughter of Coatlicue.”

Diego moved closer to her bed. “My queen. I’m yours. Use me as you see fit.”

Her hunger tugged on me like an incessant tide. I waited at the door, hoping she might call me back to bed. She did sometimes, though she usually preferred to have only one man’s full attention. I hated this desperation and helpless rage. It wasn’t her fault. She must have an heir. I understood her desire to have a daughter, and supported her wish with all of my heart and soul.

But why couldn’t I be the one to fulfill her heart’s desire?

The new man let out a rumbling roar, and I knew she’d sank fangs into him. Without calling me back to her side.

Quietly, I stepped outside and shut the door behind me. My jaguar roared and thrashed inside me with the force of his fury. He wanted to race like a killing wind through the night and release this anger on any hapless thrall or demon that might have stumbled near Zaniyah lands.

But with a queen so tightly bound to her land, few monsters dared come too close. It was impossible to hide from her, and so it was impossible to hide from me. If I hunted with this anger burning in me, I’d kill an innocent creature out roaming the night, and it would be a waste. I didn’t need meat.

I needed my queen.

A soft groan escaped me, and I tipped my head back against the door. Maybe the jaguar god would kill me. Then I wouldn’t have to live without ever touching my beloved queen again.