The Serpents of Viksenti [Reverse Harem]

Chapter 3

     A hand gently nudged my shoulder, causing me to jump and nearly lash out with my magic.

     "Whoah," the vampire I spoke with before said quietly. "Didn't mean to startle you."

     I must have slept through the entire drive. "We're already in Viksenti?" I looked out my window, where we were parked in a warehouse-looking building. Other vehicles lined the inside.

     The vamp nodded in response to my question. "I'm Lenon, by the way. I go by Lee."

     "Ikaria," I said, stretching my body after the long trip. The vamp's eyes darted to my neck. I quickly recoiled, my eyes growing cold at the familiar hunger I saw in his expression.

     "Sorry," Lee said, realizing his error. "I've actually never encountered a female fae before. The scent of your blood is... overwhelming." Lee backed away from me, and I stepped forward as we followed the rest of the bus out into the open. 

     "It's okay," I said quietly to him, "Just don't bite me without asking, and we'll be on good terms."

     "Do you - do you let vamps bite you?" Lee asked, his hopeful voice barely above a mumble.

     But everyone around us essentially froze, his question ringing through the air.

     I took it for the opportunity it was. "No, not unless you ask very nicely," I said sweetly, emphasizing the statement with a quick shot of flame that arced into the sky, an indicator that I should not be fucked with. Everyone backed away from me, Lee included.

     Perfect.

     The more idiotic vamps I was able to deter, the better.

     The group of them emptied into the warehouse, and I watched as large groups of Serpents moved busily around me. The Serpents that I had been standing with left quickly, likely already having places to be. Ryder had told me that the chapter in Viksenti was constantly busy.

     "Come this way," a stern, female voice said to a group of Serpents near me. An elaborate tattoo of a snake curled around the woman's neck, in the same fashion of all registered members of the Serpents. Placement was the only thing that could be controlled. Some opted for more subtle designs, but some, like this female, liked having it visible.

     When my training was over, I would be receiving one as well.

     "Hey, special case!" A voice said near me. "Pointy-eared!" I turned towards a shifter walking past me who smelled more like a dog than a wolf. He gave me a lascivious grin. "You better watch out," he said quietly, "You may be a pretty thing with fae blood, but you're just competition here. And a good snack." His jaws snapped the air pointedly, and a group around him burst into laughter.

     A snarl emanated from behind me before I could retort, and the air grew suddenly cold. The shifter looked nervously behind me, and I scented fae. I instinctively moved to the side as a large male swept in front of the shifter with a very, very dangerous grin. "I'd be careful if I were you, dogdick," the male purred, "There are so many of you, and such a large space. It would be far too easy to accidentally get lost, especially during training. The woods are a dangerous place, especially for low-magic, dog-shitters like you."

     The fae walked away from the shifter without a glance towards me, a cold breeze trailing behind him that seemed to dampen the air around me. The dog shifter didn't risk another look in my direction before skittering away in fear. I could almost picture the metaphorical tail between his legs.