Dmetri leaned back against the bar and motioned for the woman to come forward. She did with a small, sexy smile on her red painted lips. Tall and slender, she wore an elegant gold-sequined gown that fell across her high-heeled feet.

She stopped before him and gently laid her long finger-nailed hands on his chest. Her hair was made up into a fancy updo that swept her hair away from her neck, just as he’d ordered.

“Lovely,” he murmured.

Her eyes closed and a smiled widened at his compliment. Dmetri’s stomach rolled with hunger at the sight of her pulse beating at her bare neck. He’d been so busy lately he hadn’t had time to take fresh from the tap, so to speak.

If he were a more patient man he’d start with a kiss for what he had planned for his entertainment tonight, but his stomach panged and rolled making his decision for him. He cupped her jaw, feeling the baby soft skin and wrapped an arm around her slender waist to bring her closer. Her breaths came quicker in anticipation and his cock responded, hardening.

He tilted her head to the side, arched her delicate neck, and pressed his lips to her skin. For a moment, he almost sighed in disappointment. Long ago memories hit him, reminding him of the feel of a fresh human beneath his lips. The thought was so surprising that he pulled back with a frown. Dammit, he wasn’t going to let that ruin his entertainment. Forcing the strange thought away, he pressed his lips back to her throat and didn’t hesitate any longer before sinking his teeth into her slender neck.

She made a soft sound that lengthened his cock even more. Her hands were gentle as she curled them into his suit jacket. Another wave of disappointment hit him and he growled with frustration and quickly took what he needed from her. She was sweet as a grape might be, not too sweet, not too tangy, and his tongue happily tasted her.

The rolling in his stomach stopped like a crashing wave coming to a soft lolling motion. He pulled away from her and pushed her against the bar. She leaned onto it, her breaths erratic as he slid her gown up to her waist.

Just as ordered, she wore black stockings that stopped at her thighs and were held up by thin black straps from her garter belt. Her ass was pale and rounded but he didn’t care about that. His cock was so hard he was going to go crazy if he didn’t get inside her now.

In a swish of soft fabric, he unbuckled his belt and dropped his expensive suit pants to the floor. Gripping her hips, he pulled her back. She arched back towards him, her head back, waiting for him.

Dmetri gripped her soft cheeks and pulled them apart as he found her wet entrance with his cock. His fingers tightened around her in response to the creamy wet heat he found there.

He pushed in—and stopped. A piercing, repetitive beep broke through the quiet room like a jackhammer. Cursing, he pulled up his pants and snatched his cell phone from the bar.

“What?” he growled.

“Lovely to speak with you as always,” a deep voice said.

Dmetri rolled his eyes at the sarcasm in his friend Brayden’s voice. The man was old as dirt, boring to boot, but excelled at sarcasm.
“Get on with it. I’m...busy.” He peered over at his entertainment to see her waiting in the same position; her expensive dress thrown up to her waist like a cheap harlot. He almost laughed. She was anything but cheap. He gave her a nod and she pulled her dress down and rushed into the other room, closing the door quietly behind her.

“Of course you are. You waste resources on them, Dmetri.”

“I hardly see how fucking can be a waste of anything. I have too much money to count anyways. Just because you prefer the life of a hermit doesn’t mean I want to share any part of that, drook.”

Silence for a moment then, “I called to give you an assignment.”

Dmetri glanced with longing at the bedroom. “I was in the middle of something.”

“You’re always in the middle of something. This has to do with your friends, the Kategans.”

Dmetri’s grin flattened. Instantly he thought of Vera, his ex. The lykaen and he had spent a year together. He’d enjoyed it, she was a joy to be around, but as with all things, he’d grown bored and restless. He’d broken her heart, which admittedly, he didn’t care much for. It wasn’t that he’d loved her, because he didn’t, but she was a good person and didn’t deserve what he did to her. It worked out for the best though, now she was happily mated—to a vampire thanks to him. He figured he’d owed her that much. They were loosely friends, which worked out best for both of them.

“What about them?”

“Claude Phelans escaped today and killed four guards.”

Dmetri straightened, body going alert. “What the fuck? Four, why were there only four? I ordered at least eight guards to cover him.”

Brayden’s voice turned bitter. “Someone over there decided the crazy vamp didn’t need eight guards. He took off in the transportation van. We found it ditched off the side of the highway. I’ve sent trackers out but he’s good; he had them doubling back and running around in circles before they lost his scent completely.”

Dmetri thought back to the hearings with Master Claude Phelans. The vampire was fucking nuts. Mad and violent, he got the idea in his head that he needed the Kategan’s much bigger land to solve all his problems. He was willing to send in his guards to die, or to die himself, to see his cause come to fruition.

“You think he’ll head for the Kategans to finish what he started?” said Dmetri.

“That’s what I would do.”

“I don’t get it. He said his women are infertile, that the land was corrupt. The man’s mad.”

“His insanity doesn’t matter. He’s violent and won’t stop until more people die. How many is up to you.”

Dmetri choked, not knowing whether to laugh or not. “What was that, my friend?”

“You’re new assignment is to go to the Kategans. I’ve already called Vane Kategan to give him a heads up. I want you there until we find him.”

This time he did laugh. “I am not going to babysit an entire pack of lykaens.”

Brayden interrupted quickly. “You doubt you can do it?”

Dmetri’s jaw clenched. Of course Brayden would jab at his ego. “You know I can—”

“That’s exactly why I’m sending you. Just keep an eye on the place.”

“Fuck this. That isn’t my job, drook. Send another Justicar.” He glanced at the bedroom and sighed knowing he’d have no play tonight.

“The lykaens would never allow that many vampires on their land at once. You know how distrusting they can be. Vane agreed to allow you though. Listen, this is big, Dmetri. If he attacks the Kategans and rallies his clan, we’ll have a full-out war and we are responsible.”

“Shit. Sometimes I hate politics.”

“Get over there now; they’re expecting you.” Brayden hung up before he could think of a protest.

“Suka.”

Dmetri strolled into the bedroom and sent his entertainment away. Cursing, he started packing his suitcase. It looked like he was going to the Kategans.