Raven Montgomery moved between the writhing couples on the dance floor, weaving through the stench of human sweat that mingled with the sweet, metallic aroma of blood. The white strobe flashes highlighted the group of Bian’s thugs in the corner, showing them in slow frames that reminded her of the old moving pictures she’d seen so long ago.

Jareth, the wall of leather, long midnight hair, and muscle that she called a daemon, sidled up to her. He pushed people out of the way and moved with her toward the group of thugs in the corner booth. “Want me to toss them out?”

“I’ll take them.” She motioned toward a young female biting into the neck of the human frat boy in the corner. “You handle that.”

“Sure thing.”

She watched him move away and smiled. In the years since Jareth agreed to be her daemon, he’d also become her best friend. His title required him to put his life on the line for hers. He was her guardian, bound by blood, but nothing else. Nothing in their laws required him to be anything other than loyal and willing to take a stake for her. So, it was a nice surprise that he wasn’t as reserved as the daemons the other leaders had. He wasn’t cold or distant. No, Jareth was warm and comfortable like a great old t-shirt.

Raven kept weaving until she broke free of the crowd and drew the thugs’ attention. Seeing their faces clearly, she realized she knew them. The bald one was a South American illegal named Carlos. He sat in the middle with two young humans on each side of him. They were typical, unimpressive, and straight out of Southside. Carlos, on the other hand, was an experienced mercenary who deserved attention when he made a point of showing up at your home. Bian had sent his best, the bastard.

Carlos lifted his chin in her direction and rubbed a tattooed hand over his head.

Raven moved up to the table and folded her arms under her breasts. She was glad she’d worn the jeans and t-shirt. If things went badly, at least she had on the closest things to fighting clothes that she could wear in the club without drawing too much attention. “What’s going on, Carlos?”

“What?” He smirked. “I can’t visit my favorite Goth club without raising suspicion?”

She glanced to the monochrome patrons, then to his Latino entourage. “You don’t exactly fit in.”

Carlos nodded and laughed, but his eyes narrowed. “The boss wanted me to report. He’s…concerned.”

“Why?”

“You don’t have a mate. No mate, no power.”

Raven’s stomach twisted in a knot. The old rule those sexist, ancient vampires used to keep their females in line was coming up again. No one, especially not her creator, was willing to let her slide by without taking what amounted to a husband who would take over her business—and her life.

She slammed her hands down on the table, and the glasses rocked. She leaned her body forward, and the humans leaned back just a little. “I don’t need a fucking mate.”

Carlos scratched behind his ear and smiled at her. “You need one before next month or they’re going to find you one.”

“Why?” Her voice cracked in anger, but she didn’t try to hide it.

“You’re weak without a mate. You leave us all open.”

“I don’t need a man to make this work. I’ve been in charge for four years.”

“That’s the point. You get five years, and time will be up in a few months.”

“I don’t want a mate.”

“Not your choice.”

She shook her head and stomped toward the staircase that led up to her office. She moved quickly up the stairs, shouldering people out of the way when they didn’t move. They’d lost their damned minds if they thought they were going to push a man into her life. This was bullshit. If they thought she was going to cave just because a few members of the Good Ol’ Vampire Boys’ Club rattled their chains, they were crazy. She might not have harnessed her full power, but she was close. Closer than anyone else had been without a mate, and she didn’t need one to finish it. She wasn’t going to give up. She would be the first female territory leader to break through that ridiculous rule, even if she had to fight every one of them to do it.

Raven crossed the few feet to her diamond plate door, stepped inside and slammed it behind her. She let out a scream and moved to the desk. Reaching for the phone, she punched the number to Bian’s loft in Tampa. If he didn’t have the balls to confront her personally, he could at least talk to her on the phone.

The phone jerked from her hand and landed on the receiver again. Raven jerked her head around.

Carlos was there.

There wasn’t time to fight. He just picked her up and hurled her body across the room. She hit the opposite wall with a loud crack, then started the short slide to the floor, but he was in front of her again. Carlos grabbed her by the throat and held her against the wall.

She opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. It didn’t matter. What was there to say to a pissed off mercenary?

He licked a long line up her neck.

Raven felt his tongue barb scratch along her skin. She pushed at his chest and kicked, but he didn’t budge. Fuck.

“Not so strong, female. Not so strong.” He struck, quick like the cobra tattooed on his arm, and plunged his fangs into her neck.

Pain shot through her head and arm. He bit too hard, too deep. She heard herself scream. The tightening throat muscles only made the pain worse as he pulled the life out through the new holes in her neck. She wanted to grab the knife from her boot, but stabbing him would only get her hurt. Killing him, the boss’ messenger, would bring her life to a painful, fiery end.

Raven’s eyes fluttered shut. She felt the life’s blood flowing out of her, taking the magic that animated her body with it. Shit. He wouldn’t kill her, but he would drain her until the lights went out so he could leave safely.

“Let go of her. Slowly, motherfucker.”

Jareth’s voice made her eyes open. His eyes glowing with a fierce blue light. His body was tensed for battle, jaw clenching. His big hand gripped a Tazer, pressing its metal prongs into Carlos’ neck. The other clamped down on the man’s shoulder to keep him from rolling away.

Carlos pulled his teeth out, then let her go. He stepped back in tandem with Jareth.

She couldn’t stop herself from sliding to the floor as the two moved toward the door.

“I know you’re here on business, that’s why I’m not killing you. Get your boys and get out of here. If you’re still around in five minutes, I’ll take my chances with Bian.” Jareth smirked and shoved Carlos into the door.

“Fine. We’ll leave, but I’ll be back if she doesn’t mate. You can’t stop them from enforcing the law.” He opened the door and shut it again quickly.

Raven felt the blood oozing down her neck. She wasn’t strong enough to heal quickly because he’d taken so much. Left alone, he’d probably have sealed the wounds to keep her from dying, but now she was freely bleeding, with only her hand to hold back the pulsing flow.

She closed her eyes and tried to stop the room from spinning.

“Rave?”

She heard Jareth move close and kneel in front of her.

“Fuck. You’re still bleeding.”

He pulled her hand away and clamped his lips over the wound, then stroked his tongue over it. His mouth left her, while his hands held her upright. “It’s still going. Here.”

Jareth pulled her close, wrapping those heavy, warm arms around her, and nuzzled her face into his neck. “Go on.”

Under normal circumstances, the last thing she would have done was taken from him. It just reeked of bad taste to be drinking from your personal assistant. Especially when that assistant might get the wrong idea and adopt you as part of his property, which males had a tendency to do when they’d fed a chick that they were friends with.

“Fuck. Just do it, Rave. Don’t be so damned stubborn. I’m not gonna get weird on you.”

Screw it. She clamped her hands and mouth onto him. Her teeth unsheathed quickly, which made her gums ache before she plunged them into his neck.

“God,” Jareth whispered, squeezing her tight against him so that she was sitting in his lap.

Raven drank slowly, careful not to take too much. Her legs tightened around his hips, and her fingers dug into his skin. She wanted to stop, but something inside her wouldn’t let go. Too much time had passed since she’d taken from a male of her kind, and she missed the strong flavor of their blood; the way they groaned with pleasure beneath her. Drinking from a human man was like having sex with a dildo. The end result was the same, but getting there wasn’t half as fun.

She heard Jareth groan again as he hardened between her legs. Her body reacted. First, her mind went blank, and then she started grinding her hips against his. That crimson liquid flowed into her mouth, warmed her throat, and made her want him all the more.

“If you don’t stop, Rave, I’m not going—” He shivered, and his voice cracked when she pulled her teeth from his skin and licked to seal the wound. “­ —to be able to.”

He was right, and she knew it, but she couldn’t make her mouth leave his skin. Her lips kissed up to his ear, and then her teeth grabbed his earlobe.

“Rave.” He pushed at her hips lightly. “We’ve got to stop.”

“Why?”

“It’s not right. You’ll regret it tomorrow.”

“Let me worry about that.” She ran her teeth down his neck in a deliberate, slow tease.

He shoved her onto her butt. She sprawled in front of him.

When she reached for his shirt, he caught her hand. Raven glanced down and couldn’t miss the hard swell behind his zipper. She smiled. Her other hand reached for toward the tempting bulge.

He caught that wrist, too. “Damn.” He laughed, but it wasn’t friendly. “They’re right. You’ve got to find someone before this goes too far. When was the last time you were with someone?”

She ignored the question and ran her boot up the inside of his thigh.

“Raven!”

She blinked up at him.

“Talk to me.”

“What?”

“When was the last time you were with someone?”

“I’m not telling you that.”

“When?”

She groaned. “About five.”

“Months?” He seemed surprised.

“Years.” Raven jerked her hands away from him and fell back onto the floor. The shock on his face was enough to ruin her pheromone high. She rolled onto her knees, then climbed to her feet and walked to her desk.

“Why?” Jareth stood and dusted the dirt off his jeans that her shoe had put there.

“I just haven’t, okay?”

“I know it’s not because there haven’t been offers.”

“I don’t want a mate, which is what they all assume.” She sat down in the soft leather chair and pressed the button to bring her monitor to life, then clicked the icon to open her email.

“What’s wrong with a mate?”

“They…” She glanced up at him. “Why are we having this conversation?”

“We just about did it on your office floor after the boss’ thug attacked you.”

“They’re forcing me.”

“To do what?”

“Mate.”

“What!” He moved over to plant his knuckles on the desk. “Why?”

She leaned back in the chair and folded her hands across her stomach, trying not to look at the bulge that remained in his pants. “They say I’m weak. According to the law, a female cannot maintain power over a given territory for a period of more than five calendar years without a male mate. The penalty is loss of territory and rank.”

“Men don’t have to have a mate.”

“Exactly.”

He started to pace and crack his knuckles. “But you’ve almost got all your power without a mate. All you need is to reach power maturity without one.”

“I know.”

Jareth pointed a finger at her. “Fight it.”

“I’ve tried. It’s a patriarchal system.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“So Carlos was a reminder?”

“Yeah.” She leaned forward and placed her face in her hands. This was so screwed up. “And he would have made the point if you hadn’t walked in. I can’t defend myself against the males without the power.”

“We can.”

“But you guys aren’t always around.”

“How long have you got?”

“Two months. Tops.”

The computer let out a digital ring, and she glanced sideways at her screen. A new email was highlighted in bold letters, from Bian. She double clicked and skimmed the text. Her heart disappeared and left a blank hole in her chest. She stopped breathing and glanced up at Jareth.

“What is it?”

“Bian’s lined up two suitors. The first will be here on Friday.”

“Tell him you’re not interested.”

“It’s been ordered, by the emperor.”

“Shit.” He growled.

“The second will arrive on Sunday.”

“Damn. Those fuckers aren’t giving you much time.”

Raven let her head fall to the desk. “Just leave me alone for a minute. Don’t let anyone in here.”

Being the smart one that he was, Jareth didn’t speak again. She just heard the door open and shut before tears started to roll sideways down her face and onto her desk. She’d managed to be the only single territory leader in the world for four years, and now that was all coming to a bitter end. A mate would claim her and then parade her around like a prize horse in front of the others. The territory wouldn’t really be hers anymore. And if she stepped down, she’d become slave fodder for a new leader.