Deadly Sins Ch. 02: Lust

"Contact Cullen. Have him find out where Rayn lives from her sister." Thane pushed himself to his feet and moved out of the elevator. His over stimulated senses needed the break. "Then you're on stake out detail."

Phone in hand, Cael questioned, "Is there anything in particular I'm on the lookout for?"

Thane drew in a ragged breath. His body was his again, his wolf leashed. For the time being. "Yeah, my sanity."

"You know, I didn't think I would live to see this day. The day our great Alpha was brought to his knees." Softly chuckling, Cael sniffed the air. "Literally."

Shit wasn't funny. Not in the least. "Get your jollies in now, my brother. Cause I'm damn sure you won't find it amusing when it happens to you."

"That's because it won't happen to me. And even if it did, I'm sure I'll still find amusement somewhere." Cael sobered. "As my mother taught me, life ain't worth living if you don't have joy."

Cael was the unwanted result of a loveless union between two members of rival packs. In an effort to form alliances and strengthen ties, a female from the Louvre pack had been promised to a male from Thane's pack. The female had been fiercely resistant to the coupling; she'd also been Cael's mother.

The events had occurred prior to Thane becoming Alpha, when he was nothing more than a pup. But every member of both packs knew the story. After expelling the baby from her womb, Lindy had committed suicide. For her, Cael's birth had not been a moment of joy.

It had been a moment of truth, the moment which solidified her status as a permanent member of the Kensington pack. For fear of starting a war, she could never go home; her family would have been forbidden to accept her.

If Lindy had returned to her parents and Cael's father discovered his mate was being given shelter against him, it would've been an insult too great to ignore.

Male pack members were proud, dignified. And jealous. What was theirs was theirs.

And no one else's concern.

Lindy had loved her family enough to not put them in such a precarious situation. But that love had not extended to her son. He had been a burden, an invisible chain.

The damage wrought was evident: Cael didn't trust females. Never would. Period.

"I'll hit you up once I have her in sight, T," he called over his shoulder, cell pressed to his ear. His big form ambled down the hall. "Cullen, I need a favor. Naw, my man, I don't give a shit. Get your rocks off after...damn! Is she like that? For real? I feel ya and I'll let you get down to business right after you find out where her sister lives."

As Cael listened to the conversation on the other end of the line, Thane waited. He knew he should be on his way to his office, making the necessary arrangements to shut down the club for the night. There was also an important phone call to be made.

But first he had to know Rayn's address.

Reaching the end of the short hall, Cael stopped walking. "Goddamn, Cullen, what the hell are you doing to her? Why is she screaming-"

Thane tensed, ready to jump into action.

"Tell her to calm down, I'll take care of it." Cael grimaced, pulling the phone away from his ear for the span of a few seconds. "Jesus, can't you shut her up? Hell, I don't know, man, use your imagination. I can think of at least one thing you can stick in her mouth."

As soon as Cael snapped his phone shut, Thane demanded, "What's the deal?"

"The deal is your mate needs better friends and family."

"Cut the bullshit, Cael. What are you talking about?"

"Seems a car was left here for her, but no keys. Her sister has them and Rayn's purse is locked in the trunk. In short, Rayn doesn't have access to her money or phone and it's freezing outside." Cael paused, a smirk spreading across his face. "Do you want to go get the icicle? Or shall I?"

An image formed in Thane's mind of toned, mocha legs encased by a short jean skirt. Itwasfreezing outside; those luscious legs would need a good thawing out by now.

And Thane knew the perfect way to take care of the problem. He would suck Rayn's cold fingers into his hot mouth while massaging her frigid toes to start her blood flow again. He would slide her feet under his shirt, placing them against his chest to return her lost heat. He would kiss up her ankles to her thighs, ending his exploration with a second taste of her sweet nectar.

Then he would let his wolf have her.

By the time he got done with her, frostbite would be the least of her concerns. Carpet burned knees and a swollen pussy, on the other hand, were entirely different matters. Thane's cock hardened as he visualized Rayn on hands and knees, ass pointed in the air.

But if he let his libido get the best of him, none of the matters which needed attending would be seen to that night. Or even the next day. "You go. Take her home."

"What about the car? I think it belongs to her."

"Stays here. She can get it tomorrow." Cael nodded, but before he disappeared to fight his way through the wantonness Rayn had brought down upon Orgasm, Thane extracted his keys from his pocket and tossed them to his Beta. "Take my truck."

"Don't feel the need to tell me why," Cael grumbled, reciprocating Thane's action with the keys to his own vehicle.

"Wasn't planning on it. One last thing, Cael."

"What?"

"Touch one hair on her head and I'll skin you myself."

"You don't have shit to worry about, T."

"Touch one hair on her-"

"Youdefinitelydon't have shit to worry about there." Cael threw up his hands in offense. "Condemned ain't my type."

"Just making sure we see eye to eye." Thane maneuvered back inside the elevator car, bending down to pick up Rayn's discarded underwear. He pressed the piece to his nose and inhaled deeply.

Lilac was the perfect fragrance to have ingrained into the seats of his truck. It was the reason he initiated the vehicle exchange. Once Rayn slid inside, her short skirt would ride up and her bare ass would be damn close to touching the leather, anointing the soft material with her natural aura.

Fuck those little trees,he had his own personal brand of car freshener. Sinful Rayn.

Tucking the underwear into his pocket, Thane rode the elevator to the second floor. He stepped off into the immense office which spanned the entire width of the club and almost half the length, deliberating on his next actions.

Sitting in the black executive chair behind his desk, he lifted the handset of the landline, dialed three numbers and swiveled his seat in the direction of a one-way mirrored glass wall. The wall had been designed with the sole purpose of allowing him to see the actions of those below without allowing those below equal privileges.

Whenever trouble arose, Thane's bird eye view made sure he was the first to know. As had been the case tonight with Rayn.

"Time to shut it down?" his human bartender answered. She sounded more than a little breathless.

Thane watched the hips of the man behind her as he drilled wildly against her ass. "Think you can remove lover boys dick long enough?"

"Consider it d-done. Oh-oh-"

Thane disconnected the call, tempted to deluge every person present on the floor underneath him with bucketfuls of ice water. If he wasn't getting any, neither should they.

Vetoing his plan, he spun back to the desk, kicking a foot onto the edge. He couldn't put his next step off any longer. It was time to consult with the pack elders. Much as he didn't care to include the input of others in critical decisions, in this case it was necessary.

The elders were the only ones who would possess knowledge on how to deal with this situation. He wouldn't be surprised to find out some of the decrepit bastards had been around to confront the original sins, when they had all been neatly bundled into the form of one snake in the Garden of Eden.

But he didn't feel like holding conference with all of them quite yet. Besides, there was only one whose opinion truly mattered.

Thane's fingers tapped out a second number on the keypad.

"This is Amina," a voice filled with sleep answered.

"Prepare for me. I'll be there to see you within the hour."

*****

Apathetic.

The perfect description.

Adriana lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as the word rolled around in her head. She rubbed a hand along her satin sheets, enjoying the feel of the coolness against her naked skin.

Impassive. Disinterested. Callous. All good descriptives, actually.

In an attempt to distract herself from the uncomfortable, wickedly hot wetness that bloomed in her core, Adriana ruminated on the disturbing quality of her state of emotions or, as it were, non-emotions. When had she turned so cold and uncaring?

Funny, she was the consummate contradiction.

For as long as she could remember, she had been groomed to one day wield control over one of the most powerful emotions ever known. Anger. Animosity. Hatred.

In two months time, on the dawn of her twenty-fifth birthday, Adriana de la Cruz would be able to manipulate to her will all of the world's wrath.

An emotion of fire. Intensity.

Yet here she was, not able to bring herself to give a damn one way or the other.

Two soft clicks signaled the opening and closing of the door to her bedroom. Adriana didn't bother granting the unannounced visitor her attention. She knew who it was.

An unwelcome annoyance.

Then again, she pretty much felt the same about everyone and everything nowadays.

But this annoyance was different, important. Still, Adriana refused to acknowledge his presence. If he'd wanted her audience badly enough to seek her out in her private quarters, then it stood to reason he also wanted her audience badly enough to humble himself and speak first.

She knew she risked a grave offense because Marcus Williams, leader of The Society of Shaitan, humbled himself to no one.

That was certainly one perk of being sovereign.You didn't have to be servile to anyone else.

A lengthy silence stretched and Adriana closed her eyes, breathing in his muskiness. The heat between her legs intensified with each breath she took until finally she was forced to squeeze them together.

"I came here to see if you felt it," Marcus's low baritone rumbled from his position next to the door.

Felt what?All she could feel was her skin crawling at his nearness. That and the throbbing ache at her apex. "I'm in no mood for your company, Marcus."

"I suppose not. But you are certainly in the mood for something, aren't you?"

Hearing him draw near, her eyelids flipped open and on seeing him, a blast of pure, unadulterated lust coursed through her body.

The force of the reaction stunned her. Marcus had been forcing himself upon her ever since she'd come of age, but she'd never liked being intimate with him.

She didn't like him.

But damn if right now she didn't want him. Right now she felt like he was the only person alive who could ease her need.

He trailed a finger up her lower leg to her thigh, stopping when he reached the coarse hair which covered her sex. Twisting a tuft around a finger, he dropped a kiss to her belly. "Perfection."

Adriana expended a tremendous amount of effort to remain still, fighting against every nerve in her body which screamed at her to arch toward his hand. "I want you to leave."

"Says your mouth. But your body is telling me something different." As he slipped his finger inside of her, Adriana moaned. "Look at that, appears we got your mouth on board with the plan too."

He bent over the bed, sucking on a nipple and Adriana's blood pounded through her, roaring in her ears. When he tried to pull away, her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him in place and forcing him to continue his ministrations.

"By Gods, what is wrong with me?" she screamed, helpless against the liquid desire which rushed through her veins.

Marcus laughed softly. "You're feeling the effect of your sibling's power, Adriana."

The statement carried the effect of a slap in the face. Coming to her senses, her passion chilled instantly. "Get off of me."

"You don't mean that." Slowly, he plunged his digit in and out of her sex, catching her nipple between his teeth again.

"Get your mouth off of me.Now."

With one last suck, he released his hold, murmuring, "Shame."

"Your finger, Marcus."

The offending digit withdrew. "And I had such high hopes this would be the time you enjoyed yourself with me."

"And that is one dream that's never coming true. But keep fantasizing. I hear it's good for the mind." Rolling off the bed, Adriana scrounged around on the floor for her robe. When her hands touched it, she stood, sliding her arms into the sleeves and concealing her body from view. Ignoring his expression of disappointment, she asked, "What sibling are you talking about?"

"The one you're going to bring to me. Lust."

"Care to explain why you think I would do anything for you?"

"Because his or her power isn't fully formed yet. But it will be. Very soon. I would even dare say they will be celebrating their twenty-fifth within the next week."

Adriana exhaled a sigh of relief on hearing the words. It meant the only reason she'd been attracted to the swarthy complexioned, red haired, gray eyed devil was because of a blip, a surge in the power of the person who embodied the world's lust. For a moment, she'd feared she was going crazy.

But, Jesus, if this preview had made her enjoy-want-Marcus's touch, what would the main attraction be like?

A sinister grin snaked across his face. "You always were a smart girl. I see you understand the implications."

Undiluted, the power of lust would reduce everyone within a thousand mile radius to simpletons writhing in passion. There would be no stopping until they all expired from exhaustion.

Not exactly a fate of misery considering there were worse ways to die.

But it was a fate Adriana absolutely could not risk for herself. If she willingly slept with Marcus...

She trembled, thinking of the backlash.

For that reason alone, she needed to deliver her "sibling" to him so he could teach him or her how to control their dangerous weapon. "How will I locate this person?"

"Easy enough."

Adriana waited for him to continue. He didn't. "Expound."

"Follow the trail of rutting, of course." Yanking his shirt free from his pants, he pulled it over his head and discarded it to the floor. He took a single step closer.

Adriana took an equally measured step backwards. "I don't find you amusing."

"What's new? You never do." He unfastened his belt. "I'm having someone track down an address as we speak. You will have it by tomorrow morning. Then, my sweet Adriana, you will go to your sibling and convince him or her coming to me is the right thing."

Right thing?Adriana scoffed in disdain. Right thing her ass.

The Society of Shaitan was a powerful group of Satanists. Cliché as it sounded, their ultimate objective was worldwide domination through the establishment of a New World Order. It had been their goal for the thousands of years The Society had been in existence.

But it was only in the not too distant past, when Marcus came to power, that they'd finally devised a way to achieve said goal. Locate the current seven who possessed the power of the deadly sins. Help them realize the full extent of their powers while forming alliances with them.

Use them to bring forth the apocalypse on all who would oppose the formation of a one-world government.

Then offer the seven co-positions of leadership with Marcus at the head of the New World Order. And so began The Society's quest.

They'd found Adriana when she was just a babe, killed her family then taken her for their own. She'd been reared in their midst, raised from an infant knowing her role in their plan.

Despite childhood teachings that had been horribly slanted in favor of The Society, Adriana knew the truth. There was nothingrightwith a group of psychopaths who met daily to chant to the Antichrist.

And there certainly wasn't anything right when after the service each follower prostrated him or herself before Marcus, bestowing kisses on the feet of their "most beloved and revered high priest".

They were all a bunch of quacks.

They were also the reason she was so jaded.

The Society sanctioned the killing of innocents without remorse. The maiming of inferiors with no second thoughts. The destruction of the unworthy with no qualms.

She should've left long ago, but she had to be honest with herself: What person in their right mind walked away from a chance to rule the world?

Especially when it was a damn near sure thing.

Dropping his pants to the floor, Marcus stared at her through hooded lids. "Get rid of the robe, Adriana. We're going to fuck now."

Silently Adriana prayed she found her sibling. Quick. And while gender didn't matter, she did pray they would at least be aesthetically pleasing. The arrival of a new attractive plaything promised to divert some, if not all, of Marcus's attention from her.

"I'd rather we didn't, but if it's any consolation I won't mind if you still tell yourself we did."

"Shame," he said, rapidly closing off the distance which separated them. "I really had hoped this time would be different."

Dropping into a crouch, Adriana prepared herself for the familiar battle. Reflecting back to her earlier musings, she acknowledged just how erroneous she'd been.

She didn't feel apathetic about all things. At one time she'd loved Marcus.

Roughly, he grabbed her upper arm, pulled her to her feet and over to the bed, then shoved her down to her beloved sheets. She would burn them later because they were about to be tainted by sweat, semen, and, if she got one good bite in, blood.

Of the man she loathed with every fiber of her being.

*****

This wasfantastic. Just fan-fucking-tastic.

Rayn loved her car, a newer model champagne colored Lexus LS 460. The thing was loaded containing a MP3 player, in dash 6 cd player, rain sensing wipers, heated seats, tinted windows, V8 engine and the list went on.

Normally, such a piece of luxury would be far out of her range considering the list price for the vehicle was somewhere in the mid to high fifty thousands and she barely scraped by on her measly month to month salary. Compensation as a home based customer care representatives for National City was not spectacular. So two months ago, when her piece of crap Ford Escort kicked the dust, her despair had rapidly dissipated into ecstasy on seeing the for-sale-by-owner ad for the Lexus in the Columbus Dispatch.

The offer had been too good to pass up, Rayn immediately calling the number listed at the bottom of the ad. She'd scheduled an appointment to come to the house of a royally pissed off housewife who had recently walked in on her politician husband cheating with one of his campaign workers. A male campaign worker.

The woman had explained her fool proof pre-nup. Either she left with three quarters of her husband's wealth in her pocket and no guarantee to keep quiet. Or she stayed with the promise to keep silent regarding his indiscretion and the understanding that his precious Lexus would be sold at her will along with the extraction of some other very nice perks. She opted on the latter for the sake of their children.

And Rayn had never been happier in her life to walk away two thousand five hundred dollars lighter. The wife had also thrown in an expensive set of golf clubs, explaining that her dear husband would just have to understand it was a misfortunate "accident" she'd forget to remove them from the trunk.

After she'd put them in there.

So, yes, Rayn loved her car, wasin lovewith the car. What she didn't love, however, was being forced to cast her loving looks at its plush interior through the windshield because her keys were in her sister's purse. And her sister was long gone.