4. Taylen

Chapter 4

Taylen

M aster Slobozia focuses his dark eyes on me. "Let's go over the plan."

Anger flares in my belly at the thought of yesterday's screw up. Clearly the ogre thinks I need his help, still convinced that I did something wrong. It could have happened to anyone, even the arrogant ass standing in front of me.

I narrow my eyes at the presumptuous asshole. "I already told you. I was exactly where you told us to be in the forest. I did nothing wrong. Lucas came out of nowhere, Slobozia. There was nothing I could do to stop him, or I would have. I'm trained, very skilled, and I'm ready to do my part. It's not fair for you to keep bringing up what happened yesterday. I resent it and I want it to stop. Right now, I want it to stop, do you hear me?"

He smirks, one of those infuriating looks that makes me want to smack it right off his face. "I'm not the one bringing it up, sweetheart. You are. If it bothers you, then there's probably a reason it does. Like you weren't ready, you weren't focused, or weren't listening to sounds around you that could have warned you Lucas was nearby. Instead of letting him get in your face."

My blood races with heated anger. "You pompous as…"

Slobozia eliminates any personal space between us, tsks and runs his finger down the side of my cheek. I do everything in my power to hold my tongue against the frustrating beast, while my heart beats against the inside of my chest.

He watches me intently with those dark soulful eyes, keeping my attention captured with the challenge I see there. The heady musk of his skin and the arousal of his scent sends tingles of desire for the dark-hearted beast straight down the length of my spine. I cannot be attracted to the egotistical asshole. I'm not attracted to him. I simply will not allow myself to be charmed.

I let out a breath, not realizing I had been holding it until now.

Slobozia leans in closer, his dark hair tickling the side of my cheek. He whispers so lightly that his breath tingles the soft sensitive shell of my ear. "Don't say or do anything that you will regret. I have no issue with taking you over my knee and spanking your pretty little ass."

My chest flutters with a mixture of arousal and indignation, knowing he's seen my thoughts, our connection infuriatingly deeper than most, and it's not lost on me that my arousal seems to have flared first. I swallow down my mortification, intending to give him the riot act for invading my personal space but before I can get a word of indignation from my mouth, it's over.

Slobozia's eyes flash red, and the intimate, flirty moment is gone. He puts space between us and is now solely focused on the mission at hand. "Take my advice, Taylen. Think critically about the situation you found yourself in yesterday. What if you had been alone, we weren't all around you? You were in the trees, and he was coming for you. Would you have heard him? Perhaps a twig that snapped amongst the quiet of the forest? Did the birds leave for fear of him as he made his way toward you? Did you miss the very audible and visible signs that he was drawing near?" He watches me for a reaction, and response that he has every right to demand and that I have every responsibility to learn from and grow. At least if I want to be a warrior someday.

I swallow hard because these are legitimate questions. He's a full-fledged master who could make or break my future career. I decide on the honest route. "I don't know. I may have let the emotions of the situation get the better of me. I didn't see him until it was too late."

Master Slobozia's eyes turn back to deep black, serious now as they connect with mine, the arousal and heat of the moment gone from the periphery of his orbs. To my surprise, he doesn't chastise me or make me feel less after my admission. "These things could save your life one day, Taylen. It's not all about being able to wield a sword and toss a dagger. You need to be aware at all times. Let your training and instincts lead the way. Lucas is deadly. I don't want any repeats of your run-in with him yesterday. Stay alert and listen with all of your senses."

I nod, knowing he could have raked me over the coals much worse for what happened yesterday, could have done it in front of the group, or worse, forbade me to come on the trip but instead allowed it against his better judgement or seeming dislike for me. At least the powerful beast is treating me fairly, even if I don't agree with his assessment.

He gestures to follow him as we head to the group. "Let's get going everyone. The masters and witches will lead the way with their stones."

Slobozia gathers the troops, leaving me to watch the tall broad back of his shoulders as he hefts his long sword into the back sheath that hangs over his black leather jacket, and then slides another long sword with a green jeweled tip into the belt at his side that lays vertical to those powerful thighs. My eyes gaze down the length of his dark pants, even in the night not hiding the sleekness of the muscles that I bet can move at lightning speed. All that steel and all those muscles.

I smooth a hand over my hips and down the length of my waist, checking that my daggers and stakes are in place. A quick bend to check the small knife at my ankle. I am more than bound and determined that Lucas does not get the best of me again.

Master Slobozia will see for himself that I can handle the assignment, that I'm not a damsel in distress or attracted to the devilish beast in any way. The racing of my heart, the heat at the center of my core and tingling in my spine, it's nothing. Destiny would not be so cruel as to match me with an egotistical, pompous billionaire master vampire who every female vampire for miles around has their sights on.

No, no way would she do that. I am not attracted to the dark-souled beast. I would never be attracted to someone all the ladies want. A man so good looking that females fawn all over themselves to get a session with him at the club. No friggin way would I trust a guy like that with the temptation that gets thrown his way every single day.

A touch at my shoulder startles me from my contemplation. "Taylen?"

The heat of his eyes warms every inch of my skin as he makes one cursory glance down my length. "Yes?" I ask, looking up to meet those soulful, dark eyes.

Master Slobozia lowers his head and turns his face, whispering low. "We're going to head straight up the center of that range. A cavern that will provide us with protection is buried deep inside. I want you to be my eyes and ears as you head up the mountain with the witches. I want to know exactly when those stones begin to glow, what color they turn, and I want a play-by- play of it as it's happening. Use our connection."

My mouth gapes. "I'm not going to be a spy for you. The witches will be onto me the very minute that I do," I whisper-hiss, giving the beast my best glare. "But you already know that, don't you? You simply don't care. You'd let them resent me for being among them just to get what you want? You are arrogant, and just full of yourself!"

He shrugs. "If it helps the cause and we find out what we're looking for without a huge confrontation with the witches and their overly protective mates, then yes."

My eyes narrow. "Yes what?"

He shrugs. "Yes, I don't care."

"I was wrong about you."

His eyebrows raise in question? "Do tell."

"I might have thought you were a halfway decent guy. That maybe I had you all wrong. No, I had you pegged completely right from the beginning. A self-centered master who only thinks about himself and not the vampire community."

Master Slobozia laughs out loud, but the sound is filled with derision. "A decent guy? No, you were completely off base if you think a decent guy is someone who would put anything above the safety of the vampires. That is definitely not me. See love, I am the kind of guy who does whatever it takes to keep the vampires of my region and the world safe. If it means having someone do a little spying to confirm or disprove our beliefs, so be it. And personally, I don't give a damn what you think of me. Do what I ask or stay home, your call."

My eyes widen, and my heart pounds. I should say something, anything to defend my very valid position of not being used as a pawn in this little game between himself and witches, yet not a word leaves my mouth. Not one damn thing can I think of that makes me right and puts him in the wrong.

He shakes his head and walks away, leaving me to rethink my outburst, my inability to play his little game, or to help the vampire community get information, even if it does feel like spying. I'll be damned if I'm going to admit fault or change my position for the black-hearted beast, but after a little while left alone, I begin to calm.

Perhaps there's no harm in getting close enough to the witches to find out a thing or two. If it's to help the vampires. Is there? I glare over at the back of the beast who stands with the rest of the group. That damn male makes me so mad he knocks me off my game. The obnoxious asshole. Do this, don't do this, I don't care what you think about me, blah, blah, blah.

Quit your incessant chatter. Any more disrespect from you and you're not going to be able to sit down for a week. Do I make myself clear?

Shit… That is not supposed to turn me on, nothing about him touching my backside should be giving me the hots down there, but yet… Shit.