Read Online Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2) by Theresa Hissong - Free Book Online Page A

for any damage from his outing.
    “You can do this every night that I come
home, mate,” he smiled when my finger traveled the circuit around
his waistband. I noticed his hardness growing in the front of his
pants, but didn’t comment on it, because I was quickly released and
pushed behind his body as someone approached.
    “Rowland,” Ashy announced when the large
vampire reached the bottom of the stairs.
    “Just here to check on…,” the statement hung
in the air, as the two men faced each other. At first, I was
confused as to what was going on, but I quickly caught up to speed
when Rowland voiced what he’s seeing for the first time. Ashby
allowed me just a small space to peek under his arm at the other Krieger .
    “Wow,” he laughed, his scar looked odd
against his wide smile. His normally dark eyes were bright blue
when he smiled. “That was quick.”
    “We haven’t said anything,” Ashby admitted,
quickly. He used both hands to shift me where I was dead center at
his back. His protective side was sweet, but that was uncalled for.
Rowland was his brother and shouldn’t be a threat.
    “When did it happen?” Rowland asked. I tried
to remove myself from between Ashby’s shoulder blades, but
obviously that was where he wanted me to be, by the way he pushed
me back to the protective area behind him. If he didn’t let me face
the other Krieger , then I might just climb his back and talk
to Rowland over Ashby’s head. Despite Rowland’s interest in me, he
was still my friend. Ashby would just have to get over the fact
that I would probably be seeing the other men he worked with on a
nightly basis.
    “This evening,” Ashby answered.
    “We woke up like this,” I laughed at my
mate’s back.
    “Hm,” Rowland said…or mumbled. Both sounded
close to a moan if you ask me. “You need to tell the queen.”
    “I know,” Ashby nodded. Did I hear regret in
his voice? Did he not want me?
    The stiffness in Ashby’s body signaled to me
that he may in fact have read my thoughts. I grounded my molars
together to keep from throwing a fit to rival all the ones
before.
    “Thank you, Rowland,” Ashby said through his
own clenched teeth, dismissing his fellow warrior. The unspoken
dismissal of the other warrior caused a shiver to roll down my
spine. The rumble in his voice told me he wasn’t holding up very
well, standing between his brother and his mate.
    Once Rowland left the confines of my
basement, I tried to walk away from Ashby, but was quickly turned
around in his strong arms.
    “I don’t regret anything about what has
happened with you,” he growled, holding me tight against his
body.
    “So you can read my mind,” I gasped. Dammit!
    “Not all of the time,” he admitted with a
heavy sigh. “Only when you are agitated. I can’t mind speak with
you. I can feel you though. I can feel your uncertainty, and
I will tell you now that I don’t like sensing those things from
you.”
    What could I say to that? He could feel me, just like I felt him the other day. Like when he
was close the heaviness lifted from my chest. Like when he was
away, I felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest.
    “Every mating is different,” he said,
stroking my cheek to calm my anxiety. “We just have to learn our
unique abilities as we progress.”
    “Okay,” I sighed, leaning in to his chest.
“Are you going to tell me what happened out there?”
    “We caught one of the humans,” he began.
“They were coming from the wooded area behind your house. When they
saw me, they all fled. The idiots left one of their own behind.
They sped away in a vehicle that didn’t have any plates on it. I
would’ve chased them, but I didn’t want to leave you here, alone
and unprotected.”
    “Where is the human now?” I asked, on a
growl. I wanted to ask him what the hell he wanted from me.
    “You are going nowhere near that
man,” Ashby protested after reading my thoughts.
    “I want to see if it is one of those men
that