I kissed him this time, nibbling on his lower lip. “Has anyone touched you since you’ve met me?”
“No, I didn’t want to,” he admitted.
“Good, make sure they don’t as I’m a jealous princess and one who doesn’t forgive or forget.” I waited until he nodded. “Your blood is so full of power and age. Why would you ever want such a clueless young brat who stumbles through it all?”
“I see none of that when I look at you. I promise.” He kissed me before I could object, and I leaned into him, which he really liked. “I have the gift of alignment.”
“Huh?” I blinked at him, missing the change and still confused when I caught up. “I have no idea what that means.”
“It’s persuasion,” Kristof explained. “He can alter memories, align someone’s mind to the story or thoughts he wants. It’s called the gift of alignment. Why not use that for what all Safie wanted?”
“Because she didn’t know,” he answered. “No one does. Vitor maybe, but I developed it centuries after I was tied to the house of Darbandi. It was my second power, I was so old.”
“Okay, cool,” I murmured, still focused on Petre’s lips. “Not sure why you’re telling me, but my head is sort of on the kiss.”
Cerdic moved up behind me and let his hands run all over me. “Does he have a colored tab in the book, love?” He chuckled when I elbowed him. “That’s a yes. You’ve thought about taking Petre to your bed?”
“Please say he’s right,” Petre begged when I didn’t answer. He moaned when I nodded. “What color am I? Will you let me see?”
“No, everything is slowing way down,” I reminded them. I shrugged when I felt the shock. “My dreams wander. Everyone’s got a submissive and more aggressive position. My mind likes both.”
“I don’t have an aggressive one we’ve shared,” Kristof muttered as he leaned in and cupped my breast, chuckling when I gasped. “Are they sensitive, Inez? Will you bleed for us soon?”
I nodded, rolling my neck and looking at him as Cerdic teased me too. “We both know you have some demons to work out, and it’s not a secret I like how strong you are and what you do to my body with that power and strength. I plan on having many, many centuries of you being mine to try out aggressive positions later.”
He licked his lips as he studied me. “But you have one you’ve mentally reserved for me, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Save it for me,” he groaned.
“If you’re good,” I teased, accepting his kiss. I whimpered when someone pinched my nipple. “They really are sensitive, be gentle.”
“I’d rather be inside of you,” Cerdic growled, but eased up. “Do you want to explain why you did this now? Did she pass that she would never use you for your gift or accept you for that reason?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I had to be sure,” Petre worried.
I nodded, not getting it, but leaning in so he kissed me. “I care that you’ll be patient with me as loving four men wears on my sanity most days, so I need slow. I’d never use or hurt you.”
“I believe you, and I’ve seen how hesitant you’ve been, even if you reached certain levels with Branko and Moon.”
I shook my head. “You’ve reached the level Moon has.”
“No, Moon tasted you,” Cerdic reminded me.
“Time out or we’re all going to end up in bed,” Jaxon cut in, his tone amused. “Why tell her this, Petre?”
“Because he’s the answer on how to handle the humans or at least sort through them,” Darius answered. “We take groups at a time and see how they react to us, see if we like them, and then if they can handle that we’re not human as we’re going to be out in the coven and our territories. If they can’t handle it, back to Texas they go with their memories changed.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking,” Petre admitted.
“Sneaky. I like it.” I leaned in a bit more. “And you’ll like being inside of me, I promise. One day. If you’re very, very good.”
“Shit, I forgot how aggressive you get before your period,” Cerdic moaned. “You tell him, love. Make him beg. Make us all beg.”
“You’re already in trouble,” I reminded him, elbowing him in the stomach. “Someone come up with some ideas and a plan then.”
“I have one already actually,” Cerdic promised as I slid away and headed back to the dining room. “Petre just improved on it, substantially.”
“Well, let’s hear it,” I drawled. “Don’t keep the answers secret.”
“I’m not,” he growled as he chased after me. He caught up to me easily and swung me around as we reached the dining hall again. “You didn’t receive your gifts yet and I don’t want to spoil one.” He set me down in front of Hanna, which wasn’t subtle.
It amused her though. “Not only did we send an array of the finest sausages and brats you’ve ever dreamed of made with the meats you allowed us, I had a few people go with Matilda’s team to China. We procured some electric buses they used there.”
“Oh, that is a good score. I didn’t see those when I was there,” I replied, beaming at her. “Thank you, that’s amazing.”
“We like to be generous with our friends as well,” she said, dipping her head to me. “Breakfast is wonderful.”
“It always is,” I sighed happily. Then, I finally put two and three together and used my head past my lust as I sat down at my food. “Okay, you want to use those buses to get people out of that settlement.” I bobbed my head as I cut into some strawberry passion fruit pancakes. “Say they all start somewhere that we call
