Avarice Read online

  Ramé frowned, his golden eyes turning sad. She didn’t want him sad. She wanted to pull him to her, to kiss between his brow until those frown lines disappeared. She wanted to hold him and never let him go. For the first time in her existence, Ava felt damn near satiated. As if she had found the riches she had always been searching for.

  And it terrified her.

  “You never have to fear us. We would never hurt you,” Ramé said.

  “Oh, so you can read my thoughts now?” Ava snapped, fear making her voice sharp.

  Ramé’s brow softened, his mouth tugging up a little in the corner in a heart-stopping smirk. The bastard was too damn beautiful. He must have known what that grin did to her, because he chuckled softly, sitting up enough to lean over her and tuck her hair behind her ear.

  “Even the delicious scent of your sex isn’t enough to hide fear. Predator, remember?”

  Ava blushed but rolled her eyes. As if he were the only predator in the room. Pshh, please.

  Growling, Ramé nipped at her chin playfully. “Don’t think I don’t feel that challenge, woman. Keep it up and you’re going to see just how dominant I can be.”

  Ava grinned, looking down bashfully. She licked her lips, trying to shove back the urge to finish the challenge and see who would end up on top. They had more important things to tackle at the moment. “Do you have any theories? About our auras, I mean?”

  Ramé laid back once more, blowing out a breath. “Not really. I’m just the muscle of our unit. Midas is the brains.” He ran a hand through his hair, making it even more of a mess.

  Ava quirked her head. “Unit?”

  Rolling to his side, he danced his fingers along her ribs and nodded. “Yep. We were in the military for a stretch.” He shrugged, as if it wasn’t that big of a deal, his fingertips slipping along the edge of the sheet she still gripped.

  “What was that like? I haven’t met many soldiers before,” Ava said, fighting off a wiggle. It wasn’t exactly true. She had dodged military men in the past. Commons who came in search of something, or someone, to demolish. Her jaw tensed as anger at her weakness lit her veins. She could still hear her mother’s screams…

  “Have you ever heard of the Caves of Thyros?”

  The change of topic jerked Ava from her memories. “No. What are they?”

  His fingers skirted across the side of her breast, making her nipples tighten. “They’re on the Island of Oblivioni. Some say they were the first place where Affinities were discovered. Where our origin began.”

  She watched his face, memorizing the features that were both so new and felt imprinted on her soul all at once.

  “Others say it’s all bullshit.” He grinned, pinching her side slightly and making her jump.

  The sheet slipped, and Ava grabbed for it, scowling at him as he slid it away.

  Ramé leaned into her, his lips softly kissing the spot he pinched. “I’ll tell you a secret, though.” His hand moved over her belly, skipping over her center to trace a pattern down her thigh. “I’ve seen them,” he whispered, another kiss landing on the softness of her stomach near her belly button.

  Ava’s breath hitched. Having a predator near her sensitive belly, exposing her in such a way, warred with her desire, making adrenaline and lust thrum along her spine. “You… you have?”

  “Mhmm,” he murmured. Those damn fingers now tickled along the inside of her knee.

  Ava squirmed, her self-preservation finally winning, and shoved his hand away before scooting back to sit up and criss-crossing her legs. “Stop distracting me. Tell me about the caves and what they have to do with anything..”

  Ramé sighed, flopping onto his back. “There are cave drawings. No one can really read them, but there’s rumors. More like legends, really. But nothing confirmed.”

  “What kind of legends?”

  He looked at her sideways. “You aren’t going to like them.”

  Ava felt her heart rate spike. Ramé’s arms moved over her, pulling her down and curling her into his side in a comforting hug. How could she find comfort in a stranger?

  “Tell me,” she whispered.

  Ramé took a deep breath. “I’ve heard hints in the old legends that say Affinities can mate.”

  Ava blinked. “Come again?”

  “Mate. As in soulmate bonding. It’s rumored that the drawings tell tales of Affinities finding their mate and gaining their true abilities back.”

  Ava sat up, shoving Ramé’s restricting arm off of her and staring down at him as if he had grown another head. “What?”

  He sat up as well, running his hand through his tousled hair in what was seeming to be a habit. She knew Ody had woken up already, but she paid him no mind.

  “It’s only rumors,” he continued. “I’ve never come across anything solid. None of us exactly sprouted wings, so I’m assuming shapeshifting isn’t in the cards.”

  “You assume?” Ava barked, fear spiking.

  Ody’s hand ran up her thigh, trying to comfort her. “It’s alright, sunshine. We’ll figure it out.”

  How could he be so calm right now? Who knew what this meant for them?

  “Wait. This doesn’t make sense. How could I be a mate to all three of you?” Ava asked, desperately trying to resist the urge to lean back into Ramé’s embrace.

  And it was all three. She may not have mated physically with Midas, but she could feel the weight of him in her mind—even now, her inner Wyvern constantly seeking him out like an itch she couldn’t scratch.

  Ramé shrugged, dropping his head back against the wall. “I don’t know. The drawings are so worn down you can’t really tell what they are anymore. Everything I’ve heard has been rumors and myths. It’s like a game of telephone, the stories morphing over time. No one even knows if Affinities ever were able to shift. It’s all conjecture at this point.” He grinned then, the smirk reminding her of the man at her back. “Perhaps you’re just greedy.”

  Ava stared down at him, utterly unamused. His charming smiles weren’t fooling her any. She knew damn well he was more than just muscle and a pretty face. Ramé’s dark hair fanned out on her pillow, contrasting beautifully with the light-colored sheets. He was the embodiment of sex, with his golden skin and sensual mouth. Ava could see deeper than that, though. Perhaps it was the bond, but Ava now saw the loneliness Ramé tried so hard to conceal, the intelligence behind his beautiful eyes.

  She reached down, soothing a hand through his thick hair, comforting him from Lord knew what. She knew nothing about these men, even if her heart tried to convince her otherwise.

  Mates. Bonds. Her mouth felt dry all of the sudden. Ava had fought hard to keep her attachments to a minimum. Relationships were weaknesses. Everyone had an agenda, and it was better to not feel that sharp blade of inevitable betrayal.

  Ody sat up beside her, his broad chest covered in scars. The tiny markings looked like constellations across his flesh. What had he been through in this life? How did he survive that and still manage to trust his friends so completely?

  He tilted his head, assessing her, even as she tried to figure him out. How could someone so scarred be so soft? She would never tell him that, of course, but Ava could see how gentle he was with her. She could imagine him cooking pancakes on a Sunday morning, with flour coating his muscled body…

  Ava blinked. Was she seriously contemplating Sunday mornings with these men? Panic swelled again, nearly choking her.

  “I need some water,” she mumbled, disentangling herself from the pile of nakedness and crawling from the bed. She yanked the sheet from under Ramé and carefully wrapped it around herself to gain some sense of modesty.

  The two men watched her like lions, their gazes intense and predatory. Ava straightened as she headed towards what accounted for a kitchen in her tiny abode.

  After chugging an entire glass of water, she felt collected enough to address the problem on her bed. Turning, she took them in, and the site slammed into her heart like a sledgehammer.
/>   They sat on the edge of the bed, their golden skin reflecting the sunset shining through the small window in the wall. The fading sunlight almost made them sparkle. It was as if she had woken up to an actual treasure trove. Her inner Wyvern purred, aching for them.

  Only someone was missing...

  “What about Midas?” Ava whispered, trying to catch her breath.

  “He’ll come around.” Ody’s heated gaze slid down her body, making her feel as if she was bare before him, sheet or no sheet.

  Not. Good.

  She was supposed to own her shinies, not the other way around.

  “Come to bed,” Ramé said, his hair sliding forward over his face. The urge to push those locks back was too much for her to resist.

  Ava went to them, surprised when the ache that had built in her chest evaporated almost instantly. All but a tiny piece, anyway.

  Midas… Her Wyvern ability cast out, seeking, searching for her missing part.

  What was she going to do?

  As she felt their hands running over her body, their mouths becoming familiar with her skin, she wondered if she would simply allow them to consume her whole.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ava

  Her mother always used to say that three AM was the time of demons and thieves. Ava never quite understood that. Until now.

  With her men asleep, Ava slipped from the bed, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards she knew were nearest to her. Quietly, she dressed, her dark clothing covering her like a suit of armor. This. This was who she was. Not some mindless mate. No. Ava was a thief.

  She headed towards the door but paused when she reached the closet. Swallowing, Ava silently opened the closet door, sliding open the drawer containing the ruby she had stolen. She gnawed at her lip, debating for a moment before removing the ruby and slipping it into her pocket. The men had said they planned on trading the ruby. Had Midas lied about it being their mother’s? Surely they wouldn’t consider selling something that had any sentimental value to it. Maybe they were simply manipulating her?

  Ava shook her head, leaving the boathouse before she could change her mind. She wouldn’t sell the ruby. Yet. But she didn’t trust the men not to take it and run, either. A deep pang resonated in her chest at the thought. She didn’t want to lose them. How had she gotten attached so damn quickly? It had to be the magic. Which was exactly why it was so important for her to find Lobah and see what she knew. Maybe her friend could break this curse before it broke her.

  Slipping onto the dock, Ava picked up her pace, her heart racing. She couldn’t be sure how long it would take the men to notice she was gone, or when Midas would return. What would they do when they realized she wasn’t there? Fear slid under her skin, mixed with a tad bit of excitement. Adrenaline coursed through her. She wasn’t used to feeling like prey, and the thought was exhilarating. She could just imagine them stalking her...Capturing her. Then maybe they would have to claim her all over again.

  Ava stumbled, her dirty thoughts distracting her from the rough path she was sprinting down. She knew the alleys that led to the right dock. Lobah’s uncle’s boat settled there on occasion. Lobah had offered to let Ava stay with them, but Ava always turned her down. She was a loner at heart. She simply didn’t want to be tied down. By anyone.

  Fingering the ruby in her pocket, Ava thought about the men that were now in her life. A few days ago, she was blissfully content in her loneliness. She had all the trinkets and shiny things she needed to keep herself warm at night. Or had she? She thought back on the feeling of needing more. On how, no matter what she stole or collected, it was never enough. That feeling evaporated the moment Ramé had licked her blood from his finger.

  “Ava!”

  Ava jumped at the faint sound of Ody calling out to her in the distance. Picking up speed, she quickly ducked into another alley, going deeper and deeper into the city. They would smell her, no doubt, but if she could get down to the docks, she could lose them in the water. She just needed a little time to get her head on straight. She needed space to be able to think without all of their sexy magic clouding her judgement.

  Ava cried out as someone grabbed her arm, yanking her up against the wall.

  “A bit late to be out and about, isn’t it, little girl?” Raul hissed, shoving an arm up under her throat.

  Ava sneered, staring up into his greasy face. “Didn’t realize you owned the night, Raul,”

  He chuckled, pressing harder against her neck. “What did I tell you about coming into my territory again?”

  Ava’s heart pounded. Had she run that far? She had been so distracted trying to escape her men that she hadn’t realized just how deep into the city she had gotten.

  “Nothing to say, hmm?” Raul’ other hand slid up her stomach, creeping towards her breast.

  Ava brought her knee up sharply, landing a solid blow to his groin.

  Raul cursed, falling back slightly. It was enough. Ava took the brief reprieve to push off the wall, sprinting in the opposite direction.

  Or that’s what she tried to do. She got two-feet ahead before Raul snatched her ponytail, nearly yanking her off her feet. Ava yelped, her scalp screaming as he used her hair to jerk her around to face him, while his other bony hand wrapped around her throat.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” he growled.

  Ava spit in his face.

  The last thing she saw was his ring-covered fist before everything went black.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ramé

  This is turning out to be one hell of a night, Ramé thought as he scoured the alleyways, searching for a flip of blonde hair or the scent of sunlight. The rain that layered the cobbled streets effectively dampened his sense of smell, which was unfortunate at a time like this.

  Why had she run? Ramé snorted at that thought. He knew why she had run. Hell, he had felt like running at multiple points throughout the evening. The lure that she had on him, on all of them, was terrifying. Ramé was not a man used to feeling afraid. Especially of a woman.

  Shaking his head, he paused, wincing as something dug into his backside. Reaching back and slipping his hand down the back of his pants, he frowned as he pulled the annoying culprit that seemed to be stuck to his butt cheek. He laughed as he stared down at a bronze medallion with a red apple engraved on the front. Did anyone even accept that currency anymore?

  His wild cat was a fucking hoarder. Who slept with medallions and pearls? Honestly...

  Sliding the coin into his pocket, Ramé’s mind raced as he thought about the small woman who had slipped into his life. He had never felt such an instant attraction to a woman. Sure, he had his fair share of ladies in his time, but their looks were mostly an afterthought. He was self-aware enough to admit the real reason he sought their company.

  Not with Ava, though. The way his body had been drawn to her from the moment he laid eyes on her... How irresistible she had been back at that boathouse. He thought of the way she blushed when he caught her gazing at him. His heart clenched. He cared for her.

  And also losing his damn mind.

  When Midas had returned and woke them, alerting them to her absence, anger and fear had prickled through him. He was so going to spank her ass when he found her...

  Lost in thought, Ramé nearly missed the cry of pain echoing in the distance to his right. Ava. He took off in that direction, pushing his legs, his boots slamming into the pavement as he closed the distance. She was too far. He wasn’t going to make it.

  Almost there. Just hold on. Almost there.

  He and his brothers had split up to cover more distance. They had thought she was just making a run for it. They hadn’t considered the dangers that lurked in the city at night. If anything happened to her...

  Ramé cursed, jerking himself away from that train of thought. Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed Ody. “South-side, down by the market. She’s in trouble. Call Midas.” He barely was able to get out the words between ragged breaths as he sprinted, en
ding the call and shoving the phone back into his pocket.

  Had he been asked a week ago if he would be trying to rescue some dame he was smitten with—in the dead of night—he would have laughed.

  Ramé wasn’t one to settle down. Sure, someday he had hoped to find the perfect one. The one who he could make a home with. But he knew how dangerous attachments were in his world. Rarities were hunted constantly. The powerful, common Affinities didn’t like the idea of having competition out there. They knew if creatures such as he were allowed to breed, to expand their numbers, they would become the dominant species in their hierarchy. Having a woman, or God forbid, children, was simply too dangerous. All he had to do was think of his parents to prove that point.

  But then the little thief had stolen her way into his heart.

  Ramé darted around the final corner, aghast to find no trace of his woman. Her smell covered the alleyway, and yet she wasn’t there. Searching, he tried to catch his breath, attempting to focus through the sheer panic pounding in his veins.

  She was gone.

  “Ramé!” Ody called out.

  “Over here!” He crouched down on the pavement, then heard Ody and Midas run up behind him, but his gaze didn’t leave the spot that held his attention.

  “Where is she?” Midas barked.

  “Do you smell that?” Ody growled, his fists clenched.

  Ramé slid his finger across the pavement, lifting his hand for the others to see.

  Rage slammed into them all. Rage and fear.

  Blood reflected back at them in the moonlight. Their woman’s blood.

  Had he lost her before he even had a chance to love her?

  No. They would find her. They would save her.

  And God help whoever dared touched what belonged to them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ava

  Fear was a funny thing. It was a necessity in some cases, really. Unfortunately, Ava seemed to never have enough of it when it was needed.