I sat in a cushioned chair in Zane's cozy office and bowed my head forward. He pressed a warm hand towel to the back of my neck, causing me to groan with relief. As I bent over my knees that were tucked up to my chest, his fingers lingered along my left shoulder and rubbed a tense muscle into submission. My eyes went wide while my thighs quivered again. His touch was burning hot, unlike the touch of a vampire. This was far more intense than being in Adrian's presence.

“Tell me about this event,” he probed.

I sighed as his experienced hand continued to massage my shoulder.

“It's called the Centennial de Sang. They hold it once every one-hundred years. The council is present when they murder one-hundred humans,” I timidly explained.

There was a long pause of silence in the room.

I turned my head back to face him and opened my mouth to speak, but Zane held up his hand, his eyes searching as they gazed into my own.

“I’ve heard rumors of it, of course, but…”

I waited for him to finish, wrapping myself tight with my weak arms, holding his gaze as I strained my neck.

He finally spoke. “I had no idea it was so…” Again, he paused.

“Monstrous?” I offered.

He nodded. His hands pressed harder against a sore muscle in my back and I shrieked while recoiling away.

“Shit. My apologies,” he soothed while gently running his fingers over the area. “My own strength knows no bounds.”

“It's fine. I didn't realize how many knots were in my back.”

“You're incredibly tense. I can imagine it's from such a stressful evening,” he supposed.

I smiled warmly at the ground while taking my previous position on the chair, hugging my knees tighter.

“You're very kind. I wasn't prepared for that,” I whispered. A small part at the back of my mind nagged me, telling me to run, to hide, that this was the enemy. I wondered if he was treating me this way out of respect, or because he was tenderizing my muscles so that I’d make a better meal. I gulped, pushing the thought from my mind.

“As I said before,” he said, the sexy rasp to his voice sending a shiver up my spine. “We're much more than our primal nature.”

His hands returned to my shoulders and tentatively applied pressure to other sore areas. I took a deep breath, held it briefly, and then slowly released it from my lips.

“I figured I could perhaps stall the event somehow, but I'm not even sure what to do,” I continued. “They wouldn't be able to complete it without me. That's for sure.”

“Why's that?”

“I was to be part of the council as a special invitee. They were going to do that on my birthday,” I recalled.

“Tell me, Riley. Why did you become a fang if you didn't intend to drink human blood?” he inquired.

Silence formed between us as I sank further into the chair, chewing on the question. His hands were magical as well as distracting. I found myself wondering what else they could possibly do instead of answering his inquiry. I shook my head.

“It wasn't my choice. I was attacked by a scout and turned because Sirus fancied me,” I replied. “He said I didn't fear death. And I don't think I did. I don't think I cared at the time.”

“You didn't want to live?” he persisted.

“No, it wasn't that. It was...” I faded. How was I already opening up to this creature when I hardly knew him? Perhaps his fingers had put me under a spell. I could feel the pressure in my pelvis growing the more he rubbed my aching arms, so I stood from my comfortable place in the chair. “I'm sorry. I'm simply not used to this.”

“I apologize if I'm overwhelming. Our pack is rather intimate. We offer a great deal of comfort to those in need,” he explained.

“Your hands…they're not cold like Adrian's.”

His eyebrow raised as he looked on at me, his lips pulled tight into an amused grin. “Who is this Adrian you have mentioned?” he implored.

I turned and offered a polite smile, shrugging as my gaze fell to the floor.

Zane laughed and walked over to the far wall, shaking his head. He reached into a closet and pulled on a pair of jeans without any briefs, his torso still exposed in the dim light from the fireplace.

“Better?” he asked, his eyes flaring wildly as they reflected the fire.

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“Tell me about this Adrian.”

I smiled and walked over and picked up an iron poker to plunge into the flames, listlessly thumbing through my memories of Adrian. My thoughts came back to me now that I wasn’t trying to avoid looking at this stranger’s swollen cock.

“He is...Well, he was my lover. I had taken to him whenever I felt the weight of the coven pressuring me to give in to my unnatural urges,” I explained.

“Do you intend to keep in contact with him?” Zane asked.

I cringed. It was a valid question, yet it prompted an immediate gut response to spit into the fire. And I did just that. The fire hissed in response to my saliva and I turned to face the unexpectedly kind shifter whom had shown me nothing but caring and hospitality.

“No, I don't, and I definitely hope he doesn’t try to keep in contact with me,” I grunted.

“That's a smart move, Riley. It would be in your best interest to keep yourself guarded at all times. You wouldn't want to prompt an attack on my pack,” he advised. “Is there anything else I should know?”

I shrugged.

“What else is there to say? This deplorable event is going to happen within the next few weeks and I can't do this alone,” I continued.

It was Zane who sat in the cushioned chair this time. He sat in quiet reflection, his back turned to me as his hand caressed his chin in pensive thought. The flames danced across his rippled back and I sighed quietly, folding my hands over my skirts while attempting to contain my own heated desire. I looked down at the patch of red cloth still affixed to my belt.

“Here,” I said while taking it between my fingers and yanking it off. Zane turned curiously in his seat and locked eyes with mine. “A testament to my allegiance.”

I tossed the scrap of cloth into the fire and watched it burn easily in the flames. With it went my compassion for any of the fangs who had been kind to me, Adrian and Draven included. I felt a sense of guilt come from this action as well as an overwhelming feeling of pride; accomplishment. My eyes burned with the flames. I watched the cloth crumble inward as the flames engulfed it, squirming and hissing slightly amidst the heat. I turned back to Zane. A small smile sat on his lips.

“I understand that's a grand gesture, Riley, but we'll need more than a simple gesture to encourage us of your allegiance.”

With a frown, I looked down at the ground. I couldn't think of anything else that would convince him I had completely left Tempest Legion behind. Could I offer my blood? My flesh? If I dropped to my knees and offered him my mouth, would he be convinced then? I flushed and shivered at the thought of offering sex as my word.

That's silly, Riley, I scolded. He probably has dozens of lovers.

“What are you thinking about?” Zane asked.

I inhaled sharply and raised my eyes from the ground. Zane had stood from his chair and closed the gap between us, standing confidently before me. The flames from the fireplace illuminated his handsome chin, his arched nose, and his trim eyebrows. His face was rather square and his eyes were wild and wolf-like, brimming with pride.

“I was just...” I shook my head. “I was thinking how I might show you my allegiance.”

“Over time, Riley,” he whispered while placing a hand on my shoulder. “You can show us in time. Until then, I can accommodate your stay.”

He released my shoulder and walked to the door, sticking his head out to call out, “Forrest!”

Within moments, the shifter who had commented on my feisty nature appeared readily in the doorway. He stood tall in front of Zane wearing a pair of jeans without a shirt, his messy black hair hanging loose against light eyes. What was with these shifters walking around mostly nude?

“Yes, sir?” Forrest asked.

“Show Miss Riley to her bedroom and provide anything that she might need,” Zane instructed.

Forrest smirked. “I'd be delighted.”

When his blue eyes turned to me, I managed to smile politely and gripped my skirts to walk over to the door.

“And please, give her something more comfortable to wear. Her clothes are rather tattered,” Zane added.

“Of course, sir.”

Forrest held out his arm and smiled wide. Timidly, I took his arm and followed him down the lengthy stone hall covered with colorful carpet. I remained silent as we strolled, admiring the detail of the etchings in the walls. They appeared to be random designs that sunk into each other, rose up to the ceiling, and swirled back down in a collection of hieroglyphs.

“What are these?” I asked while stopped to trace one with my finger.

“Markings of our ancestors,” Forrest replied.

“How long have you been here?”

He chuckled and tugged gently at my arm to pull me towards the end of the hall.

“Quite a while, Miss Riley,” he whispered while patting my hand. “You can read all about it in the recreation room, if you like. I can accompany you.”

I blushed.

“I would love to do that when I have the time, but I'm currently focused on bringing down those damned vampires,” I explained.

“Feisty and determined. You're an exceptional creature,” he commented.

We stopped in front of a door as I stammered for a response. He was rather captivating, even more so than Adrian. His aura brimmed with boldness and his scent was far more alluring than any mischievous gaze that a fang could possibly offer. I was overwhelmed by his pheromones which were quickly becoming intoxicating. As I dipped, he caught me with ease.

“Still hungry,” he supposed.

“No, I'm rather exhausted,” I replied.

“We should get you comfortable.”

While I stood on my own two feet again, Forrest opened the door and revealed a humble, yet decorative, room. The walls were covered in murals much like the recreation room and the bed was a grand four-post bed covered in silk curtains. It looked cozy. There was no window, so I didn't have to worry about the sunlight that might peek through. We were in the center of a mountain, after all.

I stepped inside and smiled at my surroundings.

“This is perfect,” I whispered while running my fingers over the smooth, cotton sheets. “I couldn't imagine a better room.”

“I'll fetch you some new clothes. Any particular style you would like?” he asked.

I grinned as I flipped around to face him, carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Something easy to run in.”