On the Other Side, Phury came down the slope to the amphitheater with Z and Wrath flanking him. The Scribe Virgin and the Directrix were waiting in the center of the stage, both in black. The Directrix didn't seem thrilled, her eyes narrow, her lips flat, her hands tight on a medallion that hung off her neck. There was no reading the Scribe Virgin. Her face was hidden beneath her robing, but even if it had shown, Phury doubted he'd be able to know what she was thinking.

He stopped in front of the golden throne but didn't sit down. Probably would have been a good idea, though. He felt as if he were floating, his body drifting, not walking, his head somewhere other than on his shoulders. Could be the bale's worth of red smoke he'd inhaled, he thought. Or that fact that he was marrying over three dozen females.

Dear. God.

"Wrath, son of Wrath," the Scribe Virgin pronounced. "Come forward and greet me."

Wrath walked up to the edge of the stage and knelt down. "Your grace."

"You have something to ask me. Do it now, provided you phrase it correctly."

"If it would not offend, I would ask to have Phury subject to the same arrangement Vishous was provided with in regard to fighting. We are in need of warriors."

"I am inclined to grant this leave for the time being. He shall live over there¡ª"

Phury cut in with a solid, "No." As everyone jerked around toward him, he said, "I will stay here. I will fight, but I will stay here." He tossed in a little bow to make up for his rudeness. "If it would not offend."

Zsadist's mouth opened, a whole lot of what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking on his scared face¡ªbut the Scribe Virgin's short laugh shut him up. "So be it. The Chosen would prefer that, as would I. Now rise, Wrath, son of Wrath, and let us commence."

As the king stood to his full height, the Scribe Virgin lifted her hooded robe. "Phury, son of Ahgony, I would ask you to accept the role of Primale. Do you consent?"

"I do."

"Come forth upon the dais and kneel before me."

He didn't feel his feet as he walked over and ascended a short set of stairs, didn't feel the marble on his knees as he went down in front of the Scribe Virgin. When her hand landed on his head, he didn't tremble, didn't think, didn't blink. He felt as though he were in the passenger seat of a car, subject to the driver's whims as to speed and destination. Giving in was just expedient.

Odd, because he had chosen this, hadn't he. He had volunteered.

Yeah, but God only knew where the decision would take him.

The words the Scribe Virgin spoke over his bent form had echoes of the Old Language, but he couldn't follow all that she was saying.

"Rise and lift thine eyes," the Scribe Virgin pronounced at the end. "Be presented with your mates, over whom you have mastery, their bodies yours to both command and serve."

As he stood, he saw that the curtain had opened and that all of the Chosen were lined up, their robes blood-red, glowing like rubies amidst all the white. As one, they bowed to him.

Holy shit... He'd gone and done it.

All of a sudden Z leaped up on stage and grabbed his arm. What the¡ªOh, right. He was listing to the side. Probably would have keeled over. And wouldn't that have looked bad.

The Scribe Virgin's voice echoed, rebounding with her power. "And so it is done." Her ghostly hand lifted, and she pointed to a temple up on the hill. "Proceed now to the chamber and take the first among the whole, as a male does."

Zsadist's hand bit into his arm. "Christ... my brother¡ª"

"Stop it," Phury hissed. "It's going to be fine."

He disengaged from his twin, bowed to the Scribe Virgin and Wrath, then wobbled down the stairs and began the walk up the hill. The grass was soft beneath his feet, and the odd, ambient light of the Other Side surrounding him. He wasn't soothed by either. He could feel the eyes of the Chosen on his back, and their hunger made him go cold even through his red-smoke haze.

The temple on top of the hill had Roman lines, with white columns and a loft to its height. On its grand double doors there were two gold knots for knobs. He turned the right one, pushed, and went inside.

His body instantly hardened from the scent in the air, the heady mix of jasmine and sweet, smoky incense enticing him, sexing him up. As it was supposed to. Up ahead there was a white curtain hanging, and fulminating illumination bled through the fold, the flickering glow coming from what must be hundreds of candles.

He pulled the curtain aside. And recoiled, losing some of his erection.

The Chosen he was to mate with was stretched out on a marble platform with a bedding cushion on it, a curtain falling from the ceiling and pooling at her throat, obstructing her face from view. Her legs were spread and tied down with white satin ribbons, her arms the same. A gossamer-thin sheath covered her naked body.

The basis of the ritual was self-evident. She was the sacrificial vessel, an anonymous representative of the others. He was the holder of the wine, the one who would fill her body. And though it was absolutely unforgivable of him, for a split second all he could think of was taking her.

Mine, he thought. By law and custom and all that was manifest, she was his, as much as his daggers were, as much as the hair growing out of his head was. And he wanted to get inside of her. Wanted to come inside of her.

Except that wasn't going to happen. The decent part of him overrode his instincts, just plowed them down: She was utterly terrified, crying quietly, as if she were trying to hide the sound by biting her lip, shaking such that her limbs were horrid metronomes of fear.

"Be at ease," he said in a soft voice.

She jerked. Then the shaking came back worse than before.

All at once he got pissed off. It was appalling that this poor female was put up for his use like an animal, and though he was being used in a similar way, it was his free choice to put himself here: He had serious doubts whether that was true for her, given how she'd been restrained both times.

Phury reached up, grabbed the curtain that hid her face, and ripped it down¡ª

Holy shit. The female's sobs weren't held in by her biting her lip; she was gagged and bound by the forehead to the bed. Tears streaked her blotchy, red face, and the muscles in her neck stood out in rigid relief¡ªand she was screaming, though unable to make a sound, her eyes bulging with terror.

He went for what was in her mouth, loosening the tie, removing it. "Be of ease..."

She panted, seemingly incapable of speech, and going on the theory that actions spoke louder than words, he worked off the binding on her forehead and untangled it from her long blond hair.

When he freed her thin arms she covered her breasts and the juncture of her thighs, and on impulse he took the curtain he'd ripped down and covered her before taking off the ties at her feet. Then he stepped back from her, going all the way across the temple and leaning against the far wall. He figured she might feel safer that way.

Dropping his eyes to the floor, he saw only her: The Chosen was pale and blond, her eyes jade green. Her features were fine, the kind that made him think of porcelain dolls, and her scent very much like jasmine. God, she was too delicate to be tortured like this. Too worthy to endure a stranger's rutting.

Christ. What a mess.

Phury let the silence go on, hoping she'd get used to his presence while he figured out what to do next.

Sex was not going to be it, that was for sure.

Jane was not big on The Sound of Music, but she was totally Julie Andrews-ing it up as she lay in bed and watched V try to find his clothes. Man, being in love really did make you want to throw out your arms and spin in the sunshine with a big, sappy, happy grin on your face. Plus she had the short blond hair to pull it off. Although she was drawing the line at lederhosen.

There was just one little problem.

"Tell me you aren't going to hurt him," she said as V pulled his leathers up his thighs. "Tell me my boss is not going to end up with a pair of broken legs."

"Not at all." V drew on a black shirt that stretched tight over his pecs. "I'm just going to make sure that he's good and clean and that picture of my ticker is iced."

"You'll let me know how it goes?"

He looked at her from under his brows, an evil little smile on his face. "Don't trust me with lover boy?"

"Not as far as I can throw you."

"Smart woman." V came over and sat down on the edge of the bed, his diamond eyes still glowing from the sex. "When it comes to you, that surgeon needs to watch it."

She took his bare hand, knowing that he hated her getting anywhere near the gloved one. "Manny knows where he stands with me."

"Does he?"

"I told him. Right after the weekend. Even though I couldn't remember you, it just felt... wrong."

V leaned in and kissed her. "I'll come back after I leave him, okay? That way you can look into my eyes and know the guy's still breathing. And, listen, I want to get real here. I'd like to send Fritz over this coming afternoon with some supplies so I can wire this place up. Do you have an extra garage door opener?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen. Drawer under the phone."

"Good. I'm taking it." He ran a finger down her neck and circled his newest bite mark. "Every night when you get home I'm going to be here. Every early morning before I have to go back to the compound, I'm going to be here. Every night I'm off, I'm going to be here. We're going to steal the time when and where we can, and we're going to stay in touch on the phone when we're not together."

Just like any normal relationship, she thought, and the idea that there was a prosaic side to things was nice. It took the pair of them out of some great paranormal superstructure and laid them fiat on the ground of reality: They were two people who were committed and ready to work at a relationship. Which was about all you could ask of the person you were in love with.

"What's your full name," she murmured. "I just realized I know you only as V."

"Vishous."

Jane's hand squeezed his. "Excuse me?"

"Vishous. Yeah, I know it's odd for you¡ª"

"Wait, wait, wait¡ªhow do you spell it?"

"V-i-s-h-o-u-s."

"Good... God."

"What?"

She cleared her throat. "Ah, a long, long time ago¡ªa lifetime ago¡ªI sat in my childhood bedroom with my sister. There was a Ouija board between us and we were asking it questions." She looked up at him. "You were my answer."

"To what question?"

"Who...Jesus, who I was going to marry."

V smiled nice and slow, the way a man did when he was feeling pretty damn self-satisfied. "You wanna marry me then?"

She laughed. "Yeah, sure. Let's just jack me into a white dress and do the altar thing¡ª"

His expression lost the tease. "I'm serious."

"Oh... God."

"I don't suppose that's a yes?"

Jane pushed herself upright. "I... I never thought I'd get married."

He winced. "Yeah, okay, that wasn't exactly the reply I was going for¡ª"

"No... I mean, I'm just surprised at how... easy it feels."

"Easy?"

"The idea of being your wife."

He started to smile, but then lost the expression. "We can do the ceremony in my tradition, but it won't be official."

"Because I'm not one of you?"

"Because the Scribe Virgin hates my ass, so there can't be any presentation to her. But we can do the rest of it." Now he grinned with an edge. "Especially the carving."

"Carving?"

"Your name. My back. I can't fucking wait."

Jane whistled under her breath. "Do I get to do it?"

He barked a laugh. "No!"

"Come on. I'm a surgeon, I'm good with knives."

"My brothers will do it¡ªwell, actually, I guess you could do a letter, too. Mmm, that gets me hard." He kissed her. "Man, you are so my kind of girl."

"Do I have to get cut?"

"Hell, no. It's done on the males so everyone knows who we belong to."

"Belong?"

"Yup. I'll be yours to command. Lord over. Do what you want with. Think you can handle it?"

"I already have, remember?"

V's lids dropped and he let out a growl. "Yeah, every fucking minute. When can we go to my penthouse again?"

"Name the when and I'm so there." And next time she might find herself a little leather to wear. "Hey, do I get a ring?"

"If you want, I'll buy you a diamond the size of your head."

"Oh, right. Like I'm going to go glam. But how will people know that I'm married?"

He leaned down and nuzzled her throat. "Do you smell me?"

"God... yes. I love it."

He brushed his lips on her jaw. "My scent's all over you. It's inside of you. That's how my people will know who your mate is. It's also a warning."

"A warning?" she breathed, languor suffusing her body.

"To other males. It tells them who will come after them with a dagger if they touch you."

Okay, that shouldn't be erotic as hell. But it was. "You take the mate thing seriously, don't you."

"Bonded males are dangerous." His voice was a low purr in her ear. "We kill to protect our females. That's the way it is." He pushed the covers off her, unzipped his leathers, and palmed her thighs apart. "We also mark what's ours. And as I'm not going to see you for twelve hours, I think I'll leave a little more all over you."

He surged forward with his hips and Jane moaned. She'd had him so many times, but the size of him was always a shock. His hand pulled her head back by her hair, and his tongue shot into her mouth as he churned over her.

Except then he stopped. "Tonight we'll be mated. Wrath will preside. Butch and Marissa will witness. You want a church thing, too?"

She had to laugh. The two of them were both such control freaks, weren't they. Fortunately she was not inclined to fight him on this one. "I'm fine without a service. I don't actually believe in God."

"You should."

She dug her nails into his hips and arched up. "Now is not the time for a theological debate."

"You should believe, Jane."

"The world doesn't need another religious freak."

He brushed her hair back. As his erection twitched inside of her, he said, "You don't have to be religious to believe."

"And you can live a very nice life as an atheist. Trust me." She ran her hands up under his shirt, feeling his strong back. "You think my sister's up in heaven, eating her favorite Fudgsicles on a cloud? Nope. Her body was buried years and years ago, and now there's not much left of her. I've seen death. I know what happens after we go and there's no God to save us, Vishous. I don't know who or what your Scribe Virgin is, but I'm damn sure she's not It."

The barest hint of a smile tilted his lips. "I'm going to love proving you wrong."

"And how are you going to do that? Introduce me to my Maker?"

"I'm going to love you so good and so long you're gonna be convinced no earthly thing could have brought us together."

She touched his face, imagined the future, and cursed. "I'm going to age."

"So am I."

"Not at the same rate. Oh, Jesus, V, I'm going to¡ª"

He kissed her. "You're going to not think about that. Besides... there's a way to slow that down. I'm not sure if you'd be into it, though."

"Oh, jeez, let me think. Um... yeah, I'm into it."

"You don't know what it is."

"I don't care. If it prolongs my life with you, I'd eat roadkill."

His hips moved into her and retreated. "It's against my race's law."

"Is it kinky?" She arched into him again.

"For your kind? Yes."

Jane figured it out even before he lifted his wrist to his mouth. When he paused, she said, "Do it."

He bit down and then put the twin punctures to her lips. Jane closed her eyes and opened her mouth and¡ª

Holy shit.

He tasted like port and hit her as hard as ten bottles of the stuff, her head going on a spin after the very first swallow. She didn't stop. She drank as if his blood would keep them together, vaguely aware through the roaring in her body that he was pumping into her and making wild growling noises.

Now V was inside of her in all ways possible: in her brain with his words and her body with his arousal and her mouth with his blood and her nose with his scent. She was completely taken over.

And he was right. It was divine.