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He collapsed beside her and tugged her into his arled curls

"Sorry about your new nightgown, pet," he murmured

He didn’t sound a bit sorry, she ruefully acknowledged glancing toward the satin gown that had been ripped beyond repair In fact he sounded positively pleased with hiled ain tohtened "You do know that there’s a "

Waiting until Shay tuled from her arazed down at the slender wo in the world to hi her in his bed he still found hiht to discover her in his arms

He had never been so utterly at peace or content in his entire existence, and yet there was a nagging ache that he couldn’t co toward theViper stared into the dark A varounds The threat to Shay was over, but his position as clan chief ensured that he never took his security for granted

There would be no hts Viper was caught off guard when a sol voice suddenly intruded into the silence

"You should go to hiave a lift of brows "I thought you were asleep"

Shay s naked on the golden cover with her hair spread like a curtain of satin around her

"Viper, go to hian to walk toward the bed His body was already responding to the sight of her He ht be technically dead, but he wasn’t buried

A naked woman in his bed was an opportunity not to be missed

"Styx"

He halted in astonishment "How did you know?"

"I’aze to slowly drift over her exposed curves "Oh, I’m well aware of that," he huffed "Still, I didn’t know you could read ed the cover over her body Viper heaved a rueful sigh Damn It was a near sin to cover such beauty

"It doesn’t take much skill to realize that you have been troubled since we left the caves," she said "And that you ri to know him far too well

"It was by my hand that the leader of the vampires is now dead Styx must take command if we are not to tumble into chaos"

She frowned "Do you think he will?"

He gave a slow shake of his head Like all vaant, and inclined to retreat within himself when he was troubled

If he concluded that he was to blame for the Anasso’s death, or that he was somehow unsuitable to take command, he would disappear into the mist and no one would be able to find him

That couldn’t be allowed to happen

Whatever his discos, Styx was now their leader

"I suppose that’s the question," he said softly

She regarded hi moment, her expression somber

"Go to him"

In the end it was nearly a week before Viper found hih bluffs that framed the Mississippi River For all his concern for Styx he had his own clan to supervise, and he had neglected his business far too much over the pastthat had sent hi her nuts with his nightly broodings And that she would banish him to the cellars unless he confronted his old friend and eased his mind

That was a fate he refused to even conteht and parked his car near the highway He preferred to walk the narrow path that wound its way through the sparse woods He still wasn’t sure what he intended to say to Styx Or if the proud vampire would even consent to speak with him

He was still a distance from the farmhouse when a shadow shifted fro, raven-haired va to read on the bronzed face, and Viper warily raised his hands in a gesture of peace

He was technically trespassing on the land of another clan chief Styx would be quite within his rights to have hi co to kill ht but his body clenched to react to any attack

Styx shrugged, his fingers absently toying with theThere must be a powerful reason for a newly mated vampire to be so far away from his lair?"