Avarice Read online

  Staring at Raul’ back, all she felt was rage.

  Rage at herself for being dense enough to completely forget about his earlier warnings.

  Rage at him for daring to touch her.

  Rage at the mating bond for compromising her in such a way.

  And worst of all, she felt the rage of her men pouring through their bond, the white-hot energy making her skin flush.

  She was livid, the snarl in her throat rumbling and terrifying. She was damn near animal-like in her ferocity. Her fingers curled into fists and her wrists pulled at the restraints that bound her to the kitchen chair she sat in. Sweat beaded at her brow. Her aura was flaring almost constantly now, the wings of her Wyvern more pronounced then she had ever seen them before. She could practically see the sharp wing tips lashing out, slicing across the pirate’s throat, his blood pouring from him in a delicious river of red…

  Ava shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Focus, damnit. She couldn’t very well escape with delusions dancing in her vision.

  Raul turned, tossing his prize up in the air before catching it, twirling it between his fingers.

  The ruby that had started it all.

  Ava’s eyes latched onto the shiny gem, her anger spiking another notch. Mine… her Wyvern snarled, the growl nearly rattling her teeth.

  Raul lifted a brow, staring down at her. “Now, now, girl. You gotta pay the toll just like anyone else.” He crouched down, tilting his head in a reptilian way. “What am I going to do with you?” Reaching forward, Raul ran his hand down her cheek, the stink of him making her nose scrunch.

  Ava jerked, attempting to bite him.

  Yanking his hand back, Raul roared with laughter. “Feral, are you? I should have known. Only a mad woman would stomp into my territory like she owned the place. Which brings me back to the question. What am I to do with you?” His eyes slid down her body, clearly telling her exactly what he wished to do.

  “I suggest you free me. Now. Before it’s too late.” Was that her voice? It crawled out of her. Unfamiliar, dangerous and dark.

  Raul must have heard it, too. His face sobered but only for a moment. “Or what? You aren’t exactly in a position to be making threats, girl.”

  Ava grinned, her smile more a baring of teeth than a gesture of humor. She said nothing. She didn’t need to. Her grin said it all.

  Raul stood, grinding his teeth, his jaw ticking. Even with her restraints, she was the master predator here, and they both knew it. There was no denying the powerful magic pulsing around her now, demanding him to submit.

  Sweat began to gather on his upper lip, showing her that, despite his cool demeanor, he could sense just how out of his league he truly was.

  He cursed, turning from her, and headed to his fridge, pulling out a beer. He tucked the ruby into his pocket,

  Ava watched every move he made. She knew he could feel her gaze, and she used it to further unnerve him. Nervous men made shitty captors.

  A tug suddenly echoed in Ava’s chest, making her gasp. Her eyes flicked to the side, taking in the sewer surrounding her. While it was clear Raul had done quite a bit to tidy the place up, nothing could hide the fact that this was, indeed, a sewer. The faint smell that lingered here would never come out of the concrete.

  Ava had often wondered how he had managed the city the way he did. Now she knew. The fucker was living beneath it.

  She could feel her men near her. Were they walking above, unaware of how close they were? Ava shook her head. Irrelevant. The last thing she was going to do was wait for some man, or in her case, three men, to save her. No, she could save herself, thank you very much.

  Closing her eyes, Ava tried to push back the bond screaming at her, the rage and passion fueling her own anger. If she had any hope of escaping, she needed to be calm. She needed to cut off the bond somehow. She tried to shuffle through the emotions, feeling her connections to the men shift. Something clicked, and Ava tilted her head, intrigued.

  It was like a maze, this bond of theirs. She just had to figure out how to navigate it…

  There. Her aura slid along Midas’s intellect, the genius of him, making her brain whirl. Like a thief in the night, she picked up shinies from the treasure trove that was Midas, pulling the pieces into herself.

  Ramé was a different flavor, and yet the same. Her connection to him was stronger, their bond more fully formed, and she purred as she slid into him, the wicked sensuality warming her. She could practically feel her lips swell, her breathing quicken.

  And then there was Odyeus. Tactical. Cool. A soldier through and through. She brushed past the sweet center of him. She needed the soldier, not the sweetheart.

  Ava had closed her eyes to explore the bond.

  An entirely new, bonded Wyvern opened them, ready to gain her freedom.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ody

  “Do you hear that?” Midas asked, pausing and pressing his ear against the sewer wall.

  They all stopped, listening intently.

  Faintly, they could make out a man’s voice echoing through the passageway.

  “Listen, asshole. This piece is going to go fast. Either you meet with me tonight, or I go to the next bidder. Understand?” the man barked.

  Silence followed, and Ody knew the man must be speaking to someone on a phone.

  “Damnit!” A slam sounded off in the distance as if the man had smacked a table.

  The brothers walked closer to where the voice was coming from, their tactical training coming back to them seamlessly. With a gesture, Ody had them all crouching beside a doorway. Midas peered around the corner quickly before returning to his stance. He nodded at Ody, confirming what they already could feel through the bond.

  Ava was on the other side of that door.

  A sensual chuckle poured through the walls, slamming into Ody’s stomach.

  “Things not going as planned, huh?” From the other room, Ava laughed, the sound almost foreign. Ody hadn’t known Ava long, but somehow he just knew that laugh wasn’t something that normally came from her slender throat. It was deep, guttural, and raw.

  “Shut up, bitch,” the man snarled.

  Ramé growled, taking a step forward. Ody held his arm out, stopping him. They had no idea of the situation inside. Information needed to be gathered before they just stormed in. It wouldn’t do any good to burst in, only to have the asshole hold a gun to Ava’s head. It would be over before it even started.

  No, they needed to think clearly. Admittedly, it would be easier if Ava’s voice didn’t sound so damn sexy.

  “I could help you, you know,” she purred.

  Ody tensed, his gaze locking with Midas. Anger and possessiveness surged through him. He expected to find the same rage reflected back at him, but instead, he found Midas grinning.

  Midas shook his head, holding up a finger to his lips in a ‘shh’ gesture.

  “Yeah? You think I need your help?” the man sneered.

  “It doesn’t sound like you’re having much luck on your own. I know who the buyer is and when they’re coming. Release me and we can meet them together.” Her voice slid over them all like water over rocks, eroding the hard edges, smooth as silk.

  Ody couldn’t take it. He had to have eyes on the situation.

  Quietly, he moved forward, peeking around the doorway.

  Ava was strapped to a chair, her blonde hair tousled. Blood smeared across her cheek, her lip swollen. Rage unlike anything Ody had ever felt burned through him. How dare someone hurt what was his?

  A slender man had his hands on the arms of the chair, his face in front of hers.

  Raul. The sleazeball from the market.

  “Or I could just beat the information out of you,” Raul hissed.

  Ody felt Ramé tense behind him, and knew he was running out of time. Ramé was efficient, but he was also a hothead. Ody looked towards Midas, signaling for him to read the enemy’s Affinity. With that information, they could generally make an accurate assess
ment of weaknesses.

  Midas waved his hand in front of him in a slithering motion.

  Snake. Of course he was a fucking snake.

  Best thing to do with a snake was to rush it. Grab it by the neck before it had a chance to strike out. Ody ran over the possible options, strategically thinking through each probable outcome. The most efficient way would be a silent rush from behind. Slit the fucker’s throat before he even knew they were there.

  Ava’s voice gave him pause. She was so close. What if she got hurt in the rush?

  “You could try, Raul. But you know what they say. You catch more flies with honey,” she crooned, leaning forward until her face was mere inches from his.

  Ody growled, his Griffin flaring out. He should have gutted him when he had the chance back at the marketplace. She was theirs. Only theirs.

  Midas held out a hand, and Ody realized he had stepped forward, ready to rip the snake apart himself.

  Wait, Midas mouthed, gesturing for him to move back.

  Grinding his teeth, Ody obliged, blending back into the wall, only a sliver of his face visible as he watched through the doorway.

  Raul raised his hand, running it down Ava’s long neck. “Is that so?” he asked, his tone dripping with intention.

  “Mhmm. Undo these binds and we can discuss things more... comfortably.”

  What the fuck was she playing at? She sounded almost like…

  Ody’s eyes flicked back towards Ramé, wondering if he’d heard it, too.

  “If you try to escape…” the man hissed, his hand now gripping her shoulder threateningly.

  “And how would I do that? I was knocked out when you brought me here. I’m certainly not about to go floundering through these tunnels aimlessly,” Ava retorted, rolling her eyes. “Besides, you have the ruby. A pirate never leaves without the spoils.” She grinned, but it looked... wrong. More beast than prey.

  The snake must have sensed it as well, because he hesitated at her bindings.

  Ava leaned forward, her nose sliding up his cheek. Such an innocent gesture, and yet every man within the vicinity reacted to it.

  Raul undid her bindings instantly.

  Midas chuckled knowingly.

  Ramé and Ody lunged forward, prepared to end the man where he stood.

  They didn’t get the chance, however.

  Ava reached up, golden claws glittering at her fingertips, and ripped the man’s throat open.

  They all froze. The silence hung heavily in the tiny room.

  Raul dropped to his knees, gurgling as his hands fumbled at his neck, attempting to stop the blood pouring from him.

  It was pointless. His body slumped to the side in seconds, dropping to the concrete.

  The three of them stared at their woman, shock slipping through the bond.

  Ava straightened, an almost guilty look on her face. “Hey,” she said, as if they were meeting up for tea.

  “Hi.” Midas grinned, moving towards her. He stared down at her hands, the nerd in him perking up at this new development, Ody assumed.

  “You okay?” Ramé asked, moving to brush his hand along her swollen lip. Ava’s eyes dilated as she leaned into his touch, nodding slightly.

  Ody stared down at the dead body, his training pushing him to secure the area, despite the need to check on Ava that tightened his throat. Leaning down, he searched for a pulse among the ruined flesh, satisfied when he found none. He wiped his hand on the concrete, taking in the rest of the room around him. It didn’t seem as if Raul was one for company, but they couldn’t be sure.

  “We need to leave,” he said, standing. “You okay to walk, sunshine?” He allowed his eyes to drink her in, reassuring himself that she was unharmed.

  Ava nodded, deliberately not looking down at her new manicure.

  Ramé freed her feet, and Midas helped her stand, probably using it as an excuse to assess her claws.

  “This is...wow.” Midas at a loss for words. Who knew that was even possible?

  Clearly uncomfortable, Ava ignored him. Instead, she bent down and grabbed the ruby from the ground, wiping it off on her pants before slipping it into her pocket.

  “Assess later. Let’s go,” Ody said, leading the way and signaling for Ramé to take the rear.

  They moved swiftly through the halls, careful to pause and listen for any lurkers before turning corners. While Ody was confident they could fight their way out, this was a stealth mission. They didn’t need every pirate in the Bay after them. Who knew what connections this guy had.

  “There.” Midas nodded towards the light filtering through the manhole they had entered.

  Taking a deep breath, Ody felt his lungs relax. Their mission was a success. Ava was safe.

  The nagging thing his father always used to say tugged at his brain.

  Knock on wood.

  But there was no wood around to knock on. Only blood and concrete.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Midas

  “What were you thinking?” Midas snarled, slamming the door of Ava’s boathouse shut.

  Ava bristled, her hackles rising in front of him. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me,” Midas said, stepping closer, his aura crackling with leftover adrenaline and desire. It had taken every ounce of his self-control to push back the fear and rage in him over the situation they found themselves in. He was fresh out of fucks. All that was left was instinct. His instincts that were screaming at him to mate with this infuriating woman.

  Common sense tried shoving back those idiotic thoughts. Fuck. How he hated not being in control. This woman was his complete opposite in damn near every way. Where he was logical, she moved on impulse and passion. Where he calculated, she went with the wind. Fates be damned for their sense of irony.

  “Last I checked, I was a grown-ass woman who didn’t need your permission to do anything,” Ava barked, stepping forward and meeting him halfway. Golden sparks shot out from her aura, sizzling as they landed upon his own.

  Midas moved without thought, his hand burying in her ponytail and jerking her head back as he towered over her. “Think again, Ava. When you have my mother’s soul in your pocket, you will damn well ask permission before running off in the dead of night on some fucked up suicide pleasure jog.” His low voice rumbled with warning, even as he leaned down and flicked his tongue across her bottom lip.

  Ava’s eyes widened as her emotions danced across her features. He didn’t need to be an empath to read her. It was plain on her face. First, rage at his audacity, then shame and guilt at her carelessness, then desire. Her aura flared, her body arching into him, even as her hands pushed against his chest, still battling this craving between them.

  Midas understood the impulse. It had been damn near impossible for him to walk away from her the day before, his desire for her almost maddening. His fear of the unknown was the only thing that had cut through that desire, his controlling intellect shoving him out the door and towards the nearest library.

  He had found jack shit. The lack of answers rankled him almost as much as the situation did. How could his trusty books fail him at a time like this?

  The betrayal was soul crushing, really.

  When he had returned that night only to find her missing? He had nearly lost his mind. The Griffin in him had roared, slashing against his insides, cursing him for throwing away his one and only chance at happiness.

  Now, with Ava safe and so close to him, the taste of her on his tongue, her scent and aura surrounding him, sinking into him…

  Midas had no more fucks left to give.

  He brought his mouth down on hers in a brutal kiss, his other hand reaching up to grip her chin, holding her face to his as he finally claimed her for his own.

  Their auras sang, clashing together in a heated rush.

  “Well, now we’re talking,” Ramé said as he removed his jacket, reminding Midas that his brothers were in the boathouse as well.

  The Griffin in Midas snarled, the growl ripping from his
throat in an unearthly roar. Usually, Midas didn’t mind sharing with Ramé and Ody. Tonight was different. It was almost as if he could sense the imbalance among them. Her scent clung to his brothers, their auras still flickering with her golden imprint. Midas needed to balance the scales. He needed her.

  Ody put a hand on the back of Ramé’s neck, jerking him towards the door, despite his protests.

  “Stop posturing and fuck me,” Ava growled, gripping Midas’ hair and yanking his attention back to her.

  His mouth met hers again, his tongue plunging inside as he sought out the golden thread of her soul. He gripped her ass, his hands moving to the back of her thighs and lifting her effortlessly. Ava wrapped her legs around him as he walked them backwards, shoving her into the side of the boat before grinding into her.

  Clothes tore in his rush to feel her skin beneath him, blood soaked garments falling to the floor in a forgotten mess, teeth and nails scraping against one another until there was nothing between them but need.

  Midas grabbed her shoulder and turned her, forcing her cheek against the wall before dropping to one knee and pulling her hips back towards him. He shoved her ankle to the side, then reached up and spread her open for him, burying his face between her thighs in a hungry groan. He feasted on her as if he had been starving for decades. Perhaps he had been.

  As he felt her thighs begin to shake, he pulled back, slapping her ass hard before pushing two fingers into her.

  Quick and hard, he worked his fingers inside her, curving them as he memorized her body. He watched as she shattered on his fingers, her pussy clenching around them as he demanded her climax from her. The wings of her aura arched over them, spreading in a display of golden mist and shadow.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured, transfixed at the sight.

  “Midas... please…” Ava whimpered, her palms flattening against the wall as her hips arched towards him.

  He stood, slipping his fingers free from her and replacing them with the glide of his cock, running his piercing against her sensitive flesh.