Blood Lust by Zoe Winters Page A

became the coven’s king, he could have the stuff shipped in. Hell, he could have a personal stable of therians if he wanted.
    Greta opened the door, and he couldn’t wipe the leer from his face fast enough. She drew back, frightened. His jaw clenched at her reaction, far less amusing tonight than normal.
    He dragged his gaze over her body. “You look fine to me. No horrible side effects from last night, I presume.”
    She glared. “I was against you coming here. And it has nothing to do with me.”
    Dayne came up behind the brunette and opened the door wider, gently moving Greta to the side. “Do come in. We can speak downstairs where it’s private.”
    Anthony nodded and crossed the threshold.
    The door to the garden opened and Charlotte entered the room, a guarded expression on her face. Anthony reached out his senses to read her, upset by the confusion and anxiety she projected. He clearly hadn’t done a very good job with it. Was the woman he’d known lost for good after what he’d done? Perhaps a part of the brain couldn’t forget. He ground his teeth together.
    “This is the psychiatrist that’s going to help you,” Dayne said. “I need to speak with him privately. We’ll be back in a moment. Anthony, shall we?”
    The vampire had only been there two minutes and already he could tell he wouldn’t like where any of this was heading. Psychiatrist? Was he kidding?
    “I’m going too,” Greta said.
    Anthony zoned out while Greta and Dayne argued about the rudeness or lack of rudeness of leaving Charlotte alone. He absently regarded the redhead, becoming increasingly irked as she edged farther away from him.
    This was all Dayne and Greta’s fault. He indulged briefly in a fantasy of snapping their necks, but was brought back to reality as images of how it would affect Charlotte entered his mind. If he wanted her back to the snarky smartass who told him off, killing her friends in front of her probably wasn’t the way to go.
    He was drawn back to his surroundings by the dull thud caused by Greta tapping her foot on the carpeted floor. He couldn’t read her, but her body language projected everything he needed to know. Her arms were crossed over her chest, while her lips sat in a determined line.
    “I have other things to do tonight,” Anthony said. “I don’t see why we can’t just discuss whatever needs to be discussed right here.”
    Both Greta and Dayne looked at him aghast as if he’d suggested slicing up a puppy and cooking it over an open flame.
    “We’re sorry to leave you alone,” Dayne said, directing his attention to Charlee. “It’s incredibly rude.” He speared Greta with a glare.
    “No, it’s fine,” she said, oblivious to any subtext.
    Anthony winced, knowing he made her nervous, and she just wanted him out of the room. He turned and headed for the basement, wanting to get the discussion over with as soon as possible so he could escape the suffocating blanket of Charlotte’s fear.
    When they reached the underground level, Dayne bolted the door behind them and took a book from the shelf. He chanted for a moment then turned his attention back to Anthony. “The room is sealed; it’s safe to talk. I had hoped Greta would stay upstairs with Charlee.”
    Greta glowered at both of them.
    Anthony sighed. “Whatever little psycho-drama you all are acting out here, kindly get on with it. I have things to do. You know I’m one of the favorites to take over as coven leader, and I don’t need these petty distractions. I’m not available anytime you can’t handle something on your own. I’m not your personal vampire on call.”
    “This isn’t my problem,” Dayne said. “It’s yours. Greta brought Charlee to see me today because her memory has been wiped.”
    “Clearly not well enough,” Anthony said, still resentful Dayne had put him in this position to begin with. “She fears me. She never feared me before.”
    “Maybe she should fear you,” Greta said.
    Anthony hissed,