Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, J. R. Ward, Susan Squires Read Free Book Online Page A

of a skull and crossbones.
    As he scanned her body, his lips were twisted into a sneer made even more ominous by his black goatee. Straight black hair that reached to his shoulders was brushed back from a pair of startlingly blue eyes.
    His demeanor tough and lethal, he reminded her of a cold-blooded killer. And when he looked at her she had the feeling he was measuring her for a coffin.
    Her heart pounding, she glanced down to his left hand. Each finger, including his thumb, was covered with a long, articulated silver claw and tipped with a point so sharp that it was obviously his weapon of choice. This man liked to get down and dirty with his kills.
    To call him psychotic would be a step up for him.
    Instinctively, she took three steps back.
    Bride laughed a happy sound as she saw him and disregarded the fact that he obviously wasn’t right in the head andthat he was most likely an even bigger threat to them than the wolves downstairs. “Z . . . what on earth are you doing here?”
    He cut those cold eyes away from her and focused on Bride. “Astrid wanted me to check on Sasha. Apparently something bad went down at Sanctuary last night and she’s worried about his safety.”
    Bride’s eyes widened. “So what do you know?”
    He cut a suspicious glance toward Angelia that made her blood run cold. “Some Arcadians have found a way to trap Katagaria in their animal forms and strip out their magick. Sasha said the ones responsible attacked Fury and no one had seen him since. Hence my unannounced presence here without Trace’s playmate. If Sasha’s threatened, Astrid’s upset. If Astrid’s upset, I’m going to kill whatever’s upsetting her until she’s happy again. So where’s Fury?”
    From any other man, that would have come across as a joke, but Angelia didn’t doubt for one instant that Z fully intended to carry out his threat. Especially not the way he was flexing those claws on his hand.
    “Wow, Zarek,” Bride said slowly, her eyes shining with amusement. “I think that may be the most words you’ve ever spoken to me during any single visit. Maybe even all of them combined. I’m impressed. As for Fury, I think I should state that he’s not the one who upset Sasha, so please don’t kill him. I’d miss him if he was gone. He was badly wounded and passed out as soon as he got home.”
    He let out an expletive so foul, Angelia actually blushed from it.
    Zarek narrowed his gaze in her direction. “What about her? Does she know anything?” The tone of it wasn’t a question. It was an undeniable threat.
    Angelia straightened and tensed, ready to fight if need be. “I’m an Aristos. I don’t think you want to tangle with me.”
    He scoffed at her bravado. “Like I give a shit. I’m a god,baby, so in the grand scheme of things, if I wanted to rip your head off and use it for a bowling ball, there’s not many who could stop me and most of those who could would be too afraid of me to even try.”
    She had a feeling he wasn’t boasting.
    “Zarek,” Bride said in a chiding tone. “I don’t think torturing her will get you the information you want.”
    A slow, sinister smile curved his handsome lips. “Yeah, but it could be fun. I say let’s try it and see.” He stepped forward.
    Bride planted herself in front of him. “I know you want to please your wife, and I can seriously appreciate that. But I told Fury that she’d be safe. Please don’t make me a liar, Z.”
    He growled deep in his throat and for the first time Angelia respected Bride, who didn’t flinch under his cutthroat scrutiny.
    “Fine, Bride. But I want to know what’s going on, and if I have to stay here without my wife and child for too long . . . let’s just say it won’t go well for any of you. Where’s Vane?”
    “With Fury. First door on your right.”
    He flexed his claws before he turned and left. He started to slam the door, then glanced back at the sleeping toddler and changed his mind.
    He closed it