BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1) by Auryn Hadley Read Free Book Online Page B

The Black Blades treated her like she was beautiful, attractive, and almost human.  No matter how she tried to deny it, she enjoyed it.  She'd always been aware of how her features differed.  Her ears sat on the top of her head and swiveled like a rodent's.  Her nose was convex rather than dished.  Her eyes were too large, her teeth looked more like they belonged in the mouth of a dog than a person, and of course her milk white skin and hair.  About the only thing she had in common with humans was that they both walked on two feet, yet even Zep found her attractive.  They weren't just being polite; she could smell the desire on them.  She liked it, but the feelings confused her.
    Zep gallantly offered his arm and she took it with a shy smile.  Together, they made their way to the pub, the music and laughter audible before the building could be seen.  He escorted her to a quiet table at the back, the walls deflecting the sound from the main room enough for a conversation to be held in levels other than screaming.  Leaving her for a moment, Zep wound his way to the bar, returning with two drinks.  He slid one to her and sipped at his own.  Sal openly watched the people roaming about.
    Most were obviously soldiers.  A few were civilians, their mannerisms and posture giving it away.  The soldiers moved like warriors, some with the swaying gait from too many hours in the saddle, others with the catlike grace of infantry.  A second story was barely visible from their table.  The decor in bold stripes and bright colors made the rooms look even more spacious. 
    Zep leaned over, touching Sal lightly on her wrist, then pointed beside her.  Following his finger she saw the Lieutenant, a drink in hand, laughing with a group of women before pulling himself away and heading up the stairs. 
    Even LT takes some time to relax.  You need to learn how to enjoy yourself a bit.
    The direct contact made his thoughts clear in her head rather than sounding like he screamed across a vast distance.  She didn't break the touch.  Instead, she sent him a scrap of her past.
    She showed her life as an aid in an office, applying time after time for a promotion to the field, always being denied because her kind "would go feral."  Another flash of working out on the pells.  Her off hours were the only time she could train for combat, and cadets amused themselves by throwing trash at her while she practiced.  A scrap of her before the military, as a girl of twelve, knees raw and fingers bleeding from the caustic chemicals she scrubbed with, cleaning ground-in dirt from the expensive engravings on the entryway tiles.
    I am enjoying myself, Zep, but I worked too hard to get here to take it for granted.
    He patted her hand in understanding. We've all been there, believe it or not.  LT, too.  But girl, you kicked my ass today.  All that work paid off.  Everything from here on out is going to take your brains, not your training, to get through.  Finish your drink, I'll get another.
    She swallowed what was left, clenching her teeth at the warmth when it slid down her throat.  Zep stood, grabbed her wrist once more to judge her mind before smirking and heading to the bar.  He returned quickly, this time empty handed.
    "I have a waitress bringing a selection over.  I plan to get you drunk and make you to admit how you managed to get inside my guard."
    The waitress arrived with a tray full of shots and left them on the table.  Zep tipped the girl and slid a tiny glass at Sal. 
    "Bottoms up," he said, matching action to words.
    She tipped the glass to her lips, swallowing and blinking.  Another took its place.  By the third, Sal couldn't deny the effects.  A comfortable warmth embraced her and the smile refused to leave her lips, her edged teeth flashing.  When Zep invited her to dance, she couldn't find a reason not to.  Gyrating to the hypnotic music, she whirled and tipped, not always intentionally.  Eventually, another