Keely finally found her voice. “This is disgusting, but why should I be surprised?” She tore her eyes away from the pair in front of her, turning to face Kosmas. “Since my arrival, you've went out of your way to repulse me, and just so you know, you've been quite successful.”
Faster than she could blink, he had her chin clasped in his long fingers. Slowly, he forced her face back to the glass. The dark-haired male lifted the now-nude female into his arms before quickly carrying over to a sofa. Once he reached it, he lowered her down. The woman reclined across it, one leg on the floor while the other was bent invitingly on the cushion.
Her lower half was clearly visible, her mound hairless and swollen with arousal. She watched her lover as he quickly stripped off his pants, his shaft hard with arousal. He nuzzled the rounded globes of her breasts before pressing them together. Finally, his lips found one eager nipple. She moaned as he licked it slowly before suckling it into his mouth.
“He's driving her wild,” Kosmas whispered seductively into Keely's ear, his minty breath washing over her face. “And her response is fueling the burning need within him. A second can feel like a lifetime when a man is caught up in a web of desire. It can push him past all limits, force him to make decisions he might not have made, just so long as he can appease his need.”
His fingers released her chin, but Keely barely noticed. The female in front of her whimpered, her hips moving restlessly as her hand found her partner's shaft. He groaned when her fingers gripped him, his own hips moving as she slowly stroked him.
“They won't be able to hold out much longer,” Kosmas continued, his fingers trailing up and down her arm. “Even if she could, he won't be able to. He'll take her, using his cock to give her pleasure like she's never known before. And after he's done, her body will never forget it. A man might be able to put it from his mind, but a woman never forgets the lover that gives her the most exquisite satisfaction possible.”
His simple caress affected Keely deeply. Tendrils of heat shot through her body, her core heated and tingling. She felt lethargic and incapable of moving, or maybe she just didn't want to. Her breath escaped her lips in short, harsh pants. Keely was putty in Kosmas' hands, and at the realization, she quickly came to her feet.
“You've got that right,” she blurted out, grasping at the first thing that came to mind. She was desperate to escape his seductive presence and his knowing eyes, fearing he'd see more than she'd ever want him to. “I know I'll never forget mine. He was perfection in bed. My body still craves him.”
Keely didn't want for him to speak. She darted to the door and pulled it open before running out. Once she was in the hallway, she immediately slammed it shut behind her. Rubbing her sweaty palms down her legs, she turned in the direction of her room.
Setting a fast pace, Keely moved away. It wasn't fast enough to block out the sounds of his mocking laughter or his parting shot when he retorted, “You haven't had him yet... But you will.”
Chapter 4
Surprisingly, the vampire's version of a day and night passed by without Keely seeing Kosmas. She'd all but flown to her room after leaving him in the small viewing room, not breathing easily until she'd locked her door behind her. For several minutes, she'd remained against it, waiting and listening for him to follow her. Thankfully, he hadn't, or so she kept telling herself.
She'd spent the following day with Cara, learning about Legionnaire while they sorted through her clothing. Never in her life had she possessed so much clothing, not to mention quality clothing. Cara had produced every type of lingerie she could ever need, and even some she hadn't seen before.
Later on she'd shown her to a private pool and bathing area, leaving her alone as she'd bathed. She could have just as easily used the one in her bathroom, but there was something exotic and peaceful about the pool. Cara had offered to assist her, but Keely preferred washing herself. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the complete and total life of ease that came from being a royal concubine, nor was she sure she wanted to. Although relaxing, her life felt empty. She couldn't imagine spending year after year like that, solely existing for the moment Kosmas decided to visit her.
For the first time in days, she'd finally felt peaceful, and it had worked wonders for her disposition. Getting out of bed, she walked into her private restroom as she attended to her usual morning duties. Outside of the windows the world was dark, but Keely was slowly starting to adapt. She couldn't have done it without the clocks, though, the palace seemed to be stocked full of them.
A frantic knock sounded on the hallway door, followed by, “Keely, are you awake? It's Cara.”
Keely smiled, drying her hands on a washcloth as she walked over to the door to unlock it. The two woman had adapted to each other easily, a friendship developing between them despite their roles as servant and concubine. She was grateful that the pleasant young woman had been chosen to assist her. She could just have easily been sent someone hostile and unfriendly, which would have made her life miserable.
Cara rushed in as soon as Keely opened the door, her expression agitated as she said, “Ma'am, I must get you ready. Kosmas has asked you to accompany him today, as he goes about his civil duties. It was a last-minute request, or I would have been here earlier.”
Keely closed the door behind her as Cara raced inside her closet. “You've got the perfect dress in here, I've just got to find it,” she called out, her voice slightly muffled. After a moment she came rushing out, with a day dress draped over her arms. It was chestnut brown and white, with long sleeves and a square-cut neckline. In her hands were a pair of heeled shoes, their color an exact match for the brown in the dress.
Cara grinned at her as she spread it across the base of Keely's bed. “Isn't this just lovely, ma'am? The other concubines would have found it bland and uninteresting, but they believe less is better. Their idea of attractive is nothing more than a scrap of material. You are different, though. You have class, something that they don't.” She stopped, her expression mischievous. “In fact, I doubt that they could even spell the word.”
Keely laughed with her, despite her trepidation about meeting again with Kosmas. “Has he taken any of the concubines with him before?”
“No,” Cara denied, shaking her head vehemently. “You're the first. Our leader might be a man of strong sexual pursuits, but I can honestly say he's never crossed the line. Another man might have, but not Kosmas. He's always put his duties over pleasure, but that's not to say he's scrimped on his pleasures. The concubines serve a purpose, but that's all.”
“It sounds awful,” Keely confessed as she started to change. “It's hard for me to imagine being intimate with someone, especially on an ongoing basis, but not develop some time of feelings for them.”
“That might be true for us, ma'am, but not for Kosmas. I know for a fact that he could take them or leave them, he certainly feels nothing for them but lust. The servants talk. There's nothing in this palace that goes on that we don't know about.” Cara pulled on her dress before adjusting it over her shoulders and hips. It fit like a glove, the material thin and light enough to not overheat her.
“You've got a body to die for,” Cara exclaimed, gesturing for her to take a look in the mirror. “Lucky you. You have one of those builds that can wear just about anything and look like a million bucks as you're doing it.”
Keely grinned at her words. “You remind me of some of the people I used to know. How is it that you talk so – human? I mean, the other people I've met here have been so stilted and proper.” She nodded her approval of Cara's choice of dress before sitting down so she could fix her hair and face.
“Over the centuries, you wouldn't believe the stuff that's been brought back from Earth. A lot of it has been movies” Cara informed her, her fingers flying across her hair. Her voice dropped a notch as if she were about to reveal a major secret. “Even before Kosmas struck a deal with Earth's leaders for concubines, he had connections. Vampires have always held a place wi
thin human society, but they were careful to never be revealed. I guess in a way they were a type of middle-man. For some, their only duties were to collect shipments of items we needed and prepare them to be transported back.”
The thought of vampires living among Earth's general society was mind blogging. It was also hard to believe. “I'm not doubting what you're telling me, but how? I mean, how is it that the space planes weren't detected? And how were your vampires able to feed? No matter how careful vampires are, you would think that someone would have slipped up, someway or somehow. Maybe they could get away with it now, since the population is basically broken and who would even care about telling, but at one time, Earth wasn't like that. There were phones, television stations, and newspapers. We even had Internet. If someone would have come forward about a vampire, or if there was even a suspicion of one, it would have went viral. No matter how careful someone is, there's always going to be that time they slip up. I just don't understand.”
Cara brushed blush across her cheeks. Keely watched her in the mirror, amazed at the other woman's skill. In Cara's capable hands, she turned into a masterpiece. In the past, Keely had never cared about things like make-up or how her hair looked, but she couldn't deny the feminine pride she experienced each time Cara finished with her.
“Getting into Earth was easy,” Cara informed her, her eyes detached as she concentrated on her job. “From what I've heard, your technology basically doesn't even recognize ours. We don't appear on your radar, so to speak. So we've been able to come and go as we pleased.”
“What about living there, though?” Keely pressed, intrigued by Cara's revelations. “What about blood? How did they feed?”
“Believe it or not, it was remarkably easy, or so I've heard. Mostly, it was just a matter of being rich and staying out of the sun. Money seems to hold a lot of value in your world. They were kept stocked in blood, which was pretty simple by using electricity and freezers. Before that, I'd imagine that vampires had to feed of the humans, discretely of course.”
“And none of them told?” Keely asked curiously.
Cara started to shake her head, but stopped abruptly. “Well, there was that time, back in the eighties, when one of our vampires named O.J. kind of lost it. He couldn't handle the temptation of being amongst so many living blood sources. It was a big fiasco and that one did hit the papers. Thank God it was before the Internet days, although one of his victims did go to a tabloid. It was front page news, I think the headline was Rabid Vampire Attacks and Impregnates Hollywood Director. It didn't really cause a stir, though. For one, the director was a man – really, what was he thinking? And two, the article was in between alien abductions and zombie attacks. After that, Kosmas pulled him back to Legionnaire. It was quite a scandal.”
Cara stopped what she was doing to give Keely a meaningful look. “It wasn't uncommon for our males to become intimate with human females, you know? In fact, many of them have returned with mates, and the women have adapted to life here on Legionnaire quite readily.”
“So the concubines aren't the only mortal females here?” Keely asked in surprise.
“No, not at all. As you become more familiar with our people, you'll likely meet them. If I had to guess, I would imagine that the other mortal women played a part in Kosmas starting this breeding program. And why not? Legionnaire isn't a bad place to be.”
Yeah, if a woman wanted to be here. Keely was still on the fence about that.
Another knock sounded on the door. Quickly brushing some lipstick on her lips, Cara said, “I'm sure that's your escort, ma'am. Would you like me to answer it?”
Keely nodded as she came to her feet, biting her lip as she composed herself. She hadn't expected to leave so soon, she hadn't even had the chance to ask Cara about what was expected of her. Inhaling deeply, she waited for the other woman to open the door.
When she did, Keely gasped in surprise. Instead of one of the guards Kosmas stood there, his eyes immediately searching her out. Heat filled their dark depths as he stood silently and appraised her. After a moment, he nodded in approval.
Cara stood in the doorway blushing, alternating between staring at Keely uncomfortably as she waited for her to speak and curtseying. Finally, Kosmas was the one to put her out of her misery, waving his hand around as he dismissed her. Cara sped out of the door as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels, while Keely wished she could follow her.
“I thought you might enjoy seeing more of Golden Harbor,” Kosmas informed her, stepping to the side of the door as he grandly gestured for her to go through. “Though I have to admit, you might find my civil duties rather boring.”
To her relief, Kosmas was all business, she couldn't see a trace of the seductive lover she'd last seen. “On the contrary, I believe I'll enjoy it,” Keely replied, walking out into the large hallway. Several guards waited quietly, their eyes trained on everything but her. “I much prefer it to sitting in my room, doing nothing as my life passes me by.”
He closed her door behind him and they set off, the guards trailing behind them. The scent of his cologne washed over her, crisp, woodsy, and clean. Keely inhaled deeply. It was a nice change from the unwashed males she was used to being around.
“Most women would give anything to be in your shoes, having their every need and desire anticipated and attended to,” he remarked nonchalantly. “If there's something else you need to keep you entertained, all you have to do is ask for it. It'll be given quickly. Ecstatically.”
Keely looked at him sharply, but she couldn't see any innuendo behind his words. Kosmas wore a bland expression on his handsome, aristocratic face. For all appearances, he could have been talking about something as vague the weather. She turned her head to roll her eyes at the wall. The man was impossible.
“I'm not most women,” she replied firmly, her features once again schooled into a calm mask. “I enjoy staying busy.”
“Enjoyed it or grew used to it?” Kosmas asked, frowning heavily. “Your life couldn't have been easy. In fact, I'd love to hear about it over the evening meal so plan on dining with me. I'll be at your disposal for the entire evening.”
Keely just shrugged in a noncommittal way without answering. She was a private person, and the thought of telling him her hardships made her feel vulnerable. It wasn't a feeling she enjoyed. She'd spent her entire adult life locked in a never ending fight to survive, she'd learned how to protect her body and her emotions. Talking about the pain of losing her family and their livelihood seemed overwhelming. Even if she'd been tempted, she wasn't sure she could actually bare her soul. Not to Kosmas or anyone else.
He didn't press her for a response. “We'll spend the next several hours in our civil hall, which is our version of the human's courts. I do this every two weeks. During that time our citizens have the chance to air their grievances against one another, or to bring up a matter for me to settle. It can be a tedious task, but it's a necessary one. I thought it would be an excellent time for you to learn more about us and your new home.”
Keely smiled as she nodded up at him. She was actually looking forward to it, especially since he wasn't attempting to seduce her. Kosmas was aloof, distracted even, which gave her some breathing room and allowed her to think, something that was impossible to do when he was attempting to seduce her.
“You'll have free run of the hall,” he continued, his voice changing to a warning. “But I wouldn't recommend trying to leave it. You're still unfamiliar with our world and our people, and there are dangers on Legionnaire for those that aren't aware of them.”
Keely nodded again. “I won't go anywhere,” she promised. “Besides, where would I go?”
One side of his mouth curled up in amusement. “Indeed,” he replied, but he left it at that.
She spent the next several minutes surveying her surroundings, but she would have been hopelessly lost without a guide. The palace and grounds were huge, the ceilings extremely high in every room she'd been in. There was a lot of
history to be found within, it was visible by the paintings on the walls and the murals on some of the ceilings. She was willing to bet the palace was centuries old, but she didn't ask.
The hall had a medieval formality that seemed to suit the vampires. With its stone walls and numerous tapestries, it felt dark and forbidding. Upon entering Kosmas moved to a a large table located on a raised dais. He never looked back.
“Well,” Keely muttered to herself, staring at the pews as she decided where to sit. They stretched along the length of the long hall, but the majority of them were filled. Many of the occupants stared at her curiously, possibly wondering why she was there. With a blush, Keely walked down the rows until she finally found an empty place to sit.
Immediately her eyes sought out Kosmas, but he paid her no mind. Keely frowned, surprisingly disturbed by the thought. His attentions towards her had been flattering, she hadn't realized how much so until then. Being ignored by him left her feeling deflated, her pleasure at viewing another aspect of their lives gone.
Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part Three Page 4
