by Joey W. Hill
Technically, he hadn’t said tonight was the end of it, but somehow, she knew. This was the turning point. Those couple days she’d requested? It was probably best to let them both off the hook on that.
She drifted off to sleep, thinking of him, his expressions, his scent, the strength of his hands. The way he called her baby, or little girl. When she lifted her lids again, it was still dark. Her eyes felt red and tired. But that was okay. Cathartic crying was the perfect way to re-boot, start the day fresh.
Then she realized she wasn’t alone.
Ella pushed herself up on an arm, squinting at the silhouette leaning in her doorway.
“Master?”
Ella.
He didn’t speak it aloud, but there was so much pain in that one thought. Her heart leaped as he took a step toward her, but stumbled over her threshold. In an instant, she’d pushed out of the covers, scooted across them to the end of the mattress.
Her first thought was that he was hurt. But he gripped her hands, held them hard against his forehead. He was shaking, and cold, which scared her. He only wore his jeans, the rest of him shirtless and barefoot. As he dropped heavily to his knees, she pulled the blanket from the bed with one free hand and went to the floor with him. She wrapped the quilt around him, around them both.
“Talk to me,” she whispered, trying to put as much of her arms around him as she could. “What’s happening? Are you all right?”
His head was down, her fingers still sandwiched between it and the tight grip of his hands. He shifted abruptly, so he was sitting, his back against her bed, his knees drawn up, and his intense gaze on her face, his fists on his knees. Since she’d had the blanket wrapped around them, he pulled her with him. She was leaning against one of his bent knees, her hand there and on his shoulder to brace herself.
“Do you really understand what happened tonight?” he said roughly. “If you were a full servant, my servant, that could happen weekly, daily. If you thought I was treating you cruelly, you’d have no one to champion you.”
“That punishment wasn’t you. You did it tonight only because Lord Richard ordered it.”
“When I punished you with my belt, that was a taste of how I would punish you, when I thought you needed it. Or just because I wanted to do it.”
“I wanted that, Master. You know I did.”
He closed his eyes, his face tightening. “Vampires have to attend at least one overlord event a year. Sometimes more. Any vampire get-together…requires things. The overlord might want you to be fucked by every male servant at dinner, while we all watched.”
His gaze pinned her again. “I would have to order you to do it, because to refuse would be refusing a senior vampire, and I’m not allowed to do that.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “You’d order me to do it. But you’d be in my head, wouldn’t you? Talking me through it, telling me it was your will. You’d see how aroused it makes me, doing what you want. Knowing that everything is your command, your will. The overlord might order it, but for me, it would be your mind, your heart, that I would be obeying. And that would pleasure you, too.”
She gripped his hand at the anguish that crossed his face. “What is it, Master? Please, tell me. I understand those things.”
He stared at her. I want you, Ella. I want to give myself that. I want to be the selfish bastard who makes you his, keeps you forever.
Her heart leaped. “Yes. Please. I want that, too.”
“I’ve been alone a long time, Ella. I might be insufferable to be around, except in small doses.”
“I’ve been alone a long time, too. I can be pretty stubborn. I like bed sheets with cute animals printed on them, and I don’t dust. I dance naked in the rain on moonlit nights, and I don’t care who might see me.”
He put his head down in his hands, pulling the one away from her, and scrubbed his face ferociously, raking his nails over his shaved head, leaving red scrapes. When he spoke, there was an additional fierceness to his voice, as if the words were scraping him just as raw inside.
“Vampires rarely have children, Ella. And the only way a third mark gets pregnant is by their vampire. It’s likely you’d never have children.”
“There are a whole world of children already here who need someone’s love, remember? That doesn’t worry me.” She wrapped her hands around his calf, put her cheek on his knees, so she could gaze at his face. “Please, Master. What do you need?” Tell me. Please tell me.
He jerked his head up abruptly, gripping her chin in the same motion, so their gazes were locked, inches apart.
Love me, Ella. Love me with everything you are. I want you to be mine. I want you as my servant, for three hundred years, for the eternity that follows. And…please forgive me. Help me find forgiveness, so I don’t have this tearing pain anymore, for Ross and Sheila, for the people I killed, for the life I lived, the way I died…I don’t know how…
“You have it,” she assured him, her voice cracking. “You have it. You have my forgiveness, and my love.” Remember? I told you. I need a Master who can get so deep inside my head, my soul, that he can surround and possess everything I am. I’ve been lonely and empty for so long, looking for that, needing that.
“All I want is to be yours,” she said, a whispered entreaty. “Everything you do to me, everything you let me do for you…it will tell me that I am. Please…use me as you need me, Master.”
His expression had changed as she spoke. Become more intense, dangerous. Another woman would be afraid, but she wasn’t. She was overjoyed, because she saw she’d touched the dark place within him that wanted to possess her exactly that way, beyond reason or rationale.
Beyond choice.
In one swift move he was off the floor, had scooped her up and put her down on the bed, on her hands and knees. He kept one hand curved over her shoulder to hold her like that. His other hand slid down the middle of her back, palm flat, fingers spread. Slow. Then he made a circle, came back to rest in the middle of her back.
She heard him taking off his jeans, doing it one-handed so he could keep that contact with her.
Then he put a knee on the bed and was over her, pressing her down to her elbows, his large hands moving to cover hers. Her knees were already spread and she lifted to him, sucking in a breath that trembled through her as he slowly pushed inside, easing but not stopping, all the way in, until he was curved over her. He banded one arm above her breasts, his other staying braced next to her, large fingers overlapping her spread ones.
"I want to fill all your emptiness," he said. "Am I there? In every corner?"
"Almost. It hurts."
"Where? Show me."
She clutched his hand, guided it over her heart. He flattened his palm there, supported her with its strong breadth. "Okay, now?"
She nodded, her throat tight, body quivering and liquid, heart pounding against his hand. In his hand.
"Take my life, Wolf. Please. It's yours. I give it to you."
He was nuzzling her throat, his fangs lengthening, just like his cock, pushing against her flesh with every word she whispered. "Do it, please. I'll never be empty again."
And maybe not just her.
Wolf heard the thought in his head. Knew the danger of it. But in the end, all his self-control, his denial, all the bullshit—it just deserted him, and he became the animal again. No, not an animal. A vampire. The one who had to have what he desired the most, no matter what.
He bit down, found her blood and made her his.
Ella felt his fangs penetrate her throat and tipped her head to the side further, wanting to give him as much access as he needed. His large body was pressing against her backside, cock thrusting deep, a slow, undeniable rhythm while he held her as if he’d never let go. Then his fingers were in her hair, tightening the grip so he lifted her head. He kept lifting it as he drank, so her neck arched and she was staring at her ceiling. And yet he took it even further, one more straining inch. A reminder she was under his control.
&
nbsp; She almost cried out in protest when he lifted his mouth from her, but it was for a bare second. He’d put his wrist to his lips to puncture a vein, because suddenly it was at her lips, before the welling blood could fall anywhere but upon them.
Drink, Ella.
It smelled…appetizing. She licked at it tentatively, and then her mouth was over the wound entirely. He pressed her cheek into his large palm, giving her a cradle as she drank from the wrist below. He returned to her own throat, puncturing her anew, the pain shooting through her, but headed straight down to her core.
Then he did something else. She felt something burn out from that bite mark, sizzle like fireworks through her blood, spiraling so her body jerked under his hold.
She was falling, falling deep, but he had her, a swirling descent in their shared minds. No, they weren’t falling at all. He was drawing her down.
I am descending to the very bottom of your soul, so you know I am there, that I will always be there. There is nothing you ever need to hide from me. Nothing you can hide from me. No thought, no feeling. You are all mine, in every way.
Goddess…she could feel it. She could feel him inside of her. Had she said he’d filled her emptiness? He had, filled her heart and mind with his. But this. The only thing that could do what he was doing was his own soul, which meant…their souls were linked.
She belonged to him. She belonged to someone. Not just for a moment, or until they tired of her, or until they no longer needed what she provided.
More than that. She belonged to someone she wanted as her Master, more than she’d ever wanted anyone.
The fireman had carried her body out of the fire, but it was Wolf who now brought her soul out of that pyre, telling her that there was someone who wanted to be connected to her, that didn’t want her left alone in the flames.
She held him tighter as he thrust, withdrew, thrust. He was no longer biting her, but he kept his mouth on her throat, teasing, licking. She wanted him to take her this way, then she wanted him to turn her over, lie upon her. She’d lock her legs high over his flexing ass, as he drove deeper, dug in, like he never intended to leave her body or any other part of her.
Count on it. You belong to me from here out, Ella. Do you really think you understand what that means? A lifetime of what a vampire master will demand from you?
No. But I’m willing to find out.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Have you ever noticed, when you listen to ‘Queen of the Night’ by Whitney Houston, on the chorus, there’s a drum beat that sounds just like a flogger hitting flesh? It was playing one night when my Mistress went after me, and she kept perfect time to it. Every time Whitney belts out that song and hits that beat, I feel the impact. By the end of it, I’m ready to spew like a teenager.”
“I’ll ask Lucille for a demonstration tonight.” Madelyn shot Tex, the burly submissive who’d spoken, a teasing look. “I’m pretty sure we can work a Whitney song or two into our theme. Come get these decorations and put them up where we discussed.”
Madelyn leaned against the ladder and tossed a grin up at Ella as the young man, dressed in a Dungeons and Dragons T-shirt and faded jeans, headed off under the weight of a full box of disco ball string lights and eighties album covers. “I can’t believe we’re doing Disco Night.”
“People love retro stuff,” Ella said, her gaze on the disco ball she was adjusting over the main stage. Maintenance had hung it, but it wasn’t straight, requiring a minor adjustment. “Especially when you put some modern twists on it. Ed, that great DJ we had a few weeks back, he’s already here. He’s worked up some great mashups between disco music and modern stuff. Including Whitney.” She sent Maddie a smile. “We’re going to dance our asses off.”
“Good. I can have a piece of that chocolate cake they’re serving on the bar menu tonight.”
“You might want to get yours early. They ran out of it last time.” Ella headed back down the ladder, Madelyn moving out of the way so Ella could view her handiwork. “There. That’s better.”
“Looks perfect.” Madelyn looped an arm around her waist and pressed a moist kiss to Ella’s smiling lips.
“What was that for?” Ella asked.
“You look like a small, shining sun. I just wanted to take in some of that sunshine.” Madelyn gave her a wink. “And the sun blushes.”
Ella pushed at her, but couldn’t help smiling at the Domme’s lusty laugh.
Since Wolf had third marked her, she’d seen him every night, and he was in her head. Often. She guessed her reaction to that showed in ways she couldn’t hide, especially not from the close-knit Club Atlantis community.
Fort and Allan had departed a few days after the opening, James and the security team now up to speed on the new set up. Saturnia and Hollow would be in and out for the next couple days, finalizing and troubleshooting the tech stuff. Well, Saturnia would. Hollow was leaving later today, headed back to Washington to handle a contract job there.
Construction was finished, no evidence a bomb had ever happened. Except now there were no more vulnerable approaches to Atlantis. As long as security stayed on top of things, and the staff followed the training they’d been given, the club would be far harder to attack than some of the most secure locations imaginable. Though Ella had picked up that Gideon, James and Wolf all had some lingering concerns about whether those involved had a more long-range plan, they’d done what they could to shore up defenses for now.
Ed was testing his equipment, because Andy Gibb’s “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” started playing. Ella couldn’t think of a song that better fit her feelings of the moment. It made her wish Wolf was here already. To distract herself, she went back to what she’d been doing before she’d noted the disco ball needed straightening. She had a bunch of papers spread out on two six-foot tables in front of her. She wanted to lead some line dances, and was going over the steps of the Hustle. Her feet twitched and lips moved as she murmured the instructions.
If only you knew someone who’d admit to knowing how to do those dances. Someone who actually hung out at disco clubs in the seventies.
Warmth filled her. It was seven o’clock, earlier than she’d expected him. He wasn’t just in her head; he was here. She realized that a breath before his shadow loomed over her, his solid heat pressing against her back as his hands settled low on her waist. “I’m liking this look,” he growled.
The glittery purple top fit sleekly over her breasts and nipped into points at her waist and the small of her back. The shirt fluttered over a pair of skin-tight pants that flared at the knee and were a mind-boggling swirl of purple and orange. She’d added a belt of wide white links and tied a purple scarf around her hair. She wiggled her hips and did a little turn for him.
At her first look, she laughed out loud in delight. With a wry smile, he backed off so she could get the full effect, though he retained her hand.
Wolf was rocking the disco era look in black polyester slacks and a silk, dark red and black patterned shirt. It was open at the throat, revealing a gold chain with two charms—a peace symbol and a Christian cross. He made the whole ensemble seriously sexy.
“You look…wow. Hey, were you serious? Do you know the Hustle?”
“It’s been awhile.” He pulled her away from the pages. He didn’t even look at them. Instead, he took her hands, shifting her to his side so they were hip to hip, ready for the opening step. “Have you figured out the basics?”
“Pretty much. You lead and I’ll follow.”
“What every Master likes to hear.”
He took the lead with confidence. The man could work it. She couldn’t take her eyes off the relaxed movements of his hips, waist and shoulders. He had the rhythm of a natural dancer. As he spun her around, she heard whistles and cheers from the bar area.
Wolf grinned before he turned her so she was facing outward, her backside against him as he folded his arms over her and bent his head to kiss her throat. He gave her a discreet, thrilling
brush with his fangs.
Are you hungry, Master? She ventured shyly.
For a variety of things. Blood, your sweet cunt, your mouth, your scent, the feel of your hands. I’m going to start taking you home with me so I can fall asleep inside your body, hold you pinned underneath me as long as the sun is in the sky.
Her breath caught. She didn’t know all the rules of being fully marked, but she’d had a feeling part of it was her being where he was. Like living together. But until this very moment, Wolf hadn’t indicated that was part of his immediate plan. The past week had been full of enough changes, so she’d been waiting for him to let her know how they’d proceed. She’d deduced maybe he was just getting used to the idea, like she was.
She loved the idea of them having a place together, even as she cautioned herself against thinking of it like any other couple setting up house. He was in her head, her very soul, so trying to play it cool was no longer an option. But being a servant likely came with the expectation that the vampire wouldn’t have to keep reminding his servant what the relationship was and wasn’t.
So she drew in that breath, let it out, and smiled up at him. “I’m waiting for the trademark John Travolta pose.”
He rolled his eyes. “Total white boy move. I’m way too groovy for that, baby.”
“I don't know, he looked pretty hot doing it. Maybe black men just can't pull it off as well.”
You’re angling for a walloping with Daddy’s belt.
My night just gets better and better.
He shot her a look and spun her around again. When he brought her up to him this time, he kept her there, sliding a strong arm around her waist to take her off her feet. He held her firmly against his body, and she felt the pressure of his arousal against her thighs. “You don’t know how to behave, do you?” he demanded.
Before she could answer, he’d cupped her head to give her a heated kiss, then he let her slide down to her feet. He was pretty good at misbehaving himself, since he made sure her clit rubbed against his erection with a slow, tempting stroke before she reached the floor.
