“I will not be participating in the grand event, so that will not solve my problem. Just how do you plan on keeping your promise to me?”
Interesting. Males generally didn’t turn down an invitation to a mating test. Lady Prudencia looked most disappointed. Kiera was surprised he hadn’t jumped at the chance to bed the female.
“I am sure there are many ladies present who would love to assist you with your problem, Lord Halloran, but you must be patient. One cannot service you whilst participating in the mating tests.”
Lady Prudencia bit her plump lower lip and raised her hand in the air to gain Snotti’s attention. “I would like to offer my assistance to Lord Halloran, but he must promise to use his mating fangs on me. I will be no man’s bed servant.”
“No biting.” His eyes passed over Lady Prudencia with a bored, indifferent look. He shook his head and wrinkled his lips, appearing annoyed. “I am not here to take a mate. I am here for the fighting and the despoiling.” Modez looked again at Snotti and said, “And your promise to me? Will I have to risk a trip to the palace with those dronusflies swarming about?”
“Oh please!” Kiera stomped her foot in frustration. “Don’t fall for his manipulative tricks. He will survive without the bed servants. He is so spoiled that he cannot handle it when he doesn’t get his way. He’s such a child.”
“Kiera, you are not to criticize your betters,” Snotti said before turning to Modez. “I will keep my promise. If the dronusfly situation continues, I will assign one of my ladies to assist you. After the mating test, of course.”
“Have mercy, Princess. I fear I may explode long before then. There must be a way to solve this problem without making whores of your ladies. Such misuse of your loyal servants would be scandalous.”
“I agree such a thing would be ruinous to a lady. However…”
“It would be preferable to temporarily lift the ban restricting sex with humans. The city is filled with Roman slaves. They would serve their master eagerly. It would take only a few minutes to obtain a few for the villa. Your ladies would remain unmolested.”
“That is unacceptable,” Snotti said. “Roman influence would corrupt even you, Lord Halloran. I refuse to risk your ruination. I will appoint one of my ladies to assist you. Dozens are ruined every Season and no one really cares, not unless the lady in question is of high enough station.”
“There are so few hybrid females. The virtue of our own should not be squandered.”
“Once a lady fails mating test after mating test, her virtue becomes irrelevant. She is already by then deemed unfit to be a mate. Her only choice is to become a courtesan. Some of my ladies are in their last season anyway, so it hardly matters if they are used a bit early.”
“Those ladies will be unavailable for at least a month, the duration of their final mating test. The Roman females are available now.”
What was his agenda, anyway? Kiera knew he was up to something.
Snotti’s face filled with annoyance. “You know that contact between humans and hybrids is restricted, except in special circumstances. This one does not qualify.”
“I believe it does. The benefits outweigh the risks. While it may be true that some hybrid males had an adverse response to human sex, I believe that for the vast majority, it is safe.”
An adverse response. Kiera thought that was minimizing things quite a bit. She had heard some disturbing accounts of human sheath addiction.
“That is not what the prince says.” Snotti was noticeably distressed by Lord Halloran’s suggestions. “I must say that I am in complete agreement with Diermont. The ban will not be lifted.”
“Have you a better solution, then?”
“Not yet.” Snotti’s lips thinned. “I suppose if your need becomes too strong, I will have to end one of the ladies’ mating tests prematurely in order to assign her to you.”
Oh shit. Kiera wondered if this had been his agenda all along, but immediately dismissed the notion. The lord could have any female he wanted for the mating test and he knew it.
The lord shook his head. “A woman mourning the loss of her mating eligibility status would be a poor bedmate. Tears tend to make a man go soft.”
“I would order her to perform the task happily.” Snotti had lost her patience and was shouting at him now. “My ladies will obey me if they wish to remain at the palace. There is nothing worse than being banished from court.”
“What if the lady is not to my liking? The selection here is somewhat limited.”
“Sometimes one must make do with what one has, especially in circumstances such as this.” Snotti crossed her arms beneath her chest and gave him a mulish look. “I am sure you will find at least one of my ladies to be adequate to the task of servicing you. If anyone in particular catches your eye, I will do my best to accommodate you.”
“And if I select a female, you expect me to wait patiently while some other male ruts with her and attempts to form a mating bond. You expect me to take a female to my bed whose sex is still wet with another male’s seed?”
Snotti waved her hand in the air. “The baths should make her clean enough, but you may wish to wait a few days to let the female recover.”
“I don’t want another man’s leftovers.”
“Surely you do not expect a virgin,” Snotti said with a shrill laugh. “I doubt you would even find one in Rome. Any human females you find will be well used and no doubt wet with human seed.”
“A lady with experience is appreciated as long as I am unable to scent who came before me. It ruins the entire experience.”
Snotti sighed heavily. “So you are asking me to cancel one of my ladies’ mating tests until you are done with her. I have already agreed to postpone one test indefinitely. Delaying yet another would be problematic.” Snotti’s eyes drifted to Kiera and said, “It is bad enough that I must disappoint Sulian. I would prefer the remaining tests go forward as planned. Perhaps Kiera could—”
“Do not even suggest it. Making do is one thing, but doing her is another thing entirely. It is supposed to be an act of pleasure, not torture.”
“I was not about to suggest that you use Kiera,” Snotti said with an affected chuckle. “I believe everyone knows that she is not to your liking. I wish to reward you, not punish you. Do not worry. You will find the lady I choose to be pleasing.”
“I await her pleasure. Thank you, Princess,” Modez said before vanishing from the room.
Kiera had watched the rest of the exchange silently. Holding her tongue had proven difficult, but she had feared that Snotti would banish her from the villa if she said anything. Since her homeland was currently under a dronusfly attack, going there now would get her killed. She had never been more furious. Because of Modez, she had lost her chance of becoming Sulian’s mate. She didn’t understand why Snotti treated him like royalty. It was insufferable! It appeared one of them would be forced to whore for him, but at least it wouldn’t be her. It was a good thing he couldn’t stand her or she would have been chosen out of convenience. She was glad he didn’t want her, but she was angry that he felt the need to shower her with insult upon insult. He didn’t have to say that sex with her would be torture. No doubt, the ladies would be snickering about it for weeks. The other lords would hear of it and her popularity would plummet even further, making it even more difficult to secure a match. He interfered in her life yet again, making her miserable while he paid no consequences for his actions. No one would ever criticize his behavior or ask him to change. They wouldn’t because he was a Halloran.
It was up to her to punish him. As long as he wreaked havoc in her life, she would ensure he remained equally miserable.
It would begin this night. He would be punished.
Chapter 8
After Modez made his exit, he met Shane McDonald at the edge of the perimeter. “Remind me again why I’m helping you with this?”
Shane sat down on a tree stump. “You would benefit from it as much as the rest of us.”
>
“I doubt your plan will work.” Modez sat on a nearby stump and studied his companion. He had been on raids with Shane several times now and it was clear the other warrior didn’t enjoy the indiscriminate killing of human females. They had that in common. “There is no one more hardheaded and stubborn than Diermont. He’s not one to change his ways, especially on this. His prejudice runs too deep.”
“It will work. It’s a shaping technique. You start by getting him to agree to a temporary lift of the ban. Get him accustomed to the change. The other males will fall in line without difficulty. Most will embrace the change after they’ve had a taste of human. They will pressure Diermont to make further allowances. Slowly, we will convince the prince to concede more and more until restrictions are no longer imposed upon us. Before he knows it, the ban will be no more. We will be able to do as we wish and everyone will profit.”
“You, more than most.” He suspected Shane was motivated by coin. Although there were few humans in Southwestern Asstrumnia, the other regions were known to be involved in the trade of humans.
“Cabrian would benefit and so would Adonis.” Shane paused to swat a giant flying insect that had the poor judgment to land on his knee. He wiped the carcass away and said, “I believe Cabrian will want Cassia to be formally recognized as his mate.”
“And you would be okay with that?” He knew that Shane still viewed Cassia as the enemy.
“Well, that’s Cabrian’s call to make, not mine. But the way things stand now, the king will never consent to it.”
Modez knew that Cabrian had claimed Cassia for future breeding purposes, but he hadn’t realized the overlord meant to keep her permanently. Many would criticize Cabrian harshly for getting his heirs off a Roman, but it was an accepted practice when there were no alternatives. It might be more accurate to say the practice was barely accepted. There would be extreme opposition to making her more than just a breeder. “This plan will only help Cabrian if it results in humans being taken as mates. You and I both know that any taken will be forced into slavery or serfdom.”
“At first, but that could eventually change. Especially since there are so few females and even fewer who can breed.”
Modez agreed that eventually there would be no choice but to consider humans as mates. Already some bloodlines were in danger of extinction, but few seemed to recognize this fact. It was not unusual to wait decades upon decades for a compatible mate to be born into the world. It wasn’t perceived to be a problem since their lifespans were so long. However, there were fewer and fewer births these days and most of them were male. It wouldn’t affect his ability to find a mate since he was a Halloran, but a sharp decrease in the hybrid population would have a devastating impact on them all. It was for this reason he supported the importation of human females for breeding purposes. Their offspring would be less powerful, but they would serve them well enough during times of war. “Our efforts may go to waste. I’ve done what I could, but I don’t think Diermont will agree to lift the ban. Snotti would rather force one of her ladies to play the whore than see the ban lifted. What then?”
“In that case, you’ll have no choice but to accept that poor lady’s services.” Shane scrunched up his face, looking like he had a bad case of indigestion. “Don’t feel bad about it. They’re Snotti’s ladies. All of them are bitches of the highest order. Use the lady roughly so the rest of them are scandalized. Diermont will lift the ban then.”
“That may be taking things too far, my man.” Surely he wouldn’t be forced to bed one of those unappetizing females.
“Just think of the greater good.” Shane pushed his heavy mop of hair out of his eyes. “Human lives will be saved with the removal of the ban.”
“Saved only to be condemned to slavery, for the lot of them.” Modez couldn’t forget the pleasure slave who had serviced him so spectacularly well at the villa. “Although many are already slaves. They may prefer a different master.” He would keep his slave in a life of luxury, like a cosseted housepet.
“Continue your efforts.” Shane’s pine colored eyes glowed with orange sparks whenever he felt passionate about something, and he clearly did so now. “You are the closest one to Diermont. If anyone can influence the prince, it would be you.”
“The task is more difficult with the presence of the ladies. Persuading Diermont is one thing, but the ladies of society will not allow the scenario you have in mind.”
“You mean my wish to restore this Roman villa to its former glory, naked slaves and all?” Shane asked with a laugh. “Hell, no. I heard that Snotti has begun another anti-human campaign. This time she is using APS. No, those ladies have to go.”
Modez couldn’t agree more. He wanted a human to warm his bed. One he could enthrall and keep under his control. One who wouldn’t leave him for another.
“Keep pressuring Snotti some more. If her ladies fear they will be made to serve as whores, they will beg to return to the palace where they belong. They’ll realize they have no place in a warzone.” Shane wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “It is a place for fucking and fighting, not this society bullshit. Even the mating tests are more of a chore than a pleasure.”
Apparently Shane wasn’t too thrilled with the female chosen for him. “Who is the lucky lady?”
“Lady Selma. But from what I hear, she’s not pleased. She wanted Lord Ross.”
Most of the ladies were afraid to be with Shane due to his large size. His massive body sported an equally massive cock, which was enough to make most hybrid ladies reluctant to lay with him. “I get why you’re not feeling it. I’m not bothering with the tests this time.”
“Yeah, those are massive wastes of time and no substitute for what we really want. The spoils of battle will not be denied because of some ridiculous ban.”
Modez thought it would be nice to have a female to come home to, preferably a human, after a day spent in battle. Hybrid females made poor bed servants since they were incapable of feeling desire for their non-bonded partners. “The princess will thwart our efforts to lift the ban. She and her ladies need to leave.”
“It would be a tragedy if something were to happen to our princess,” Shane said with a tone full of sarcasm. “To hell with Snotti. Most of us want to see that ban lifted. Visant Brannon, the druid, is assisting us. Seamus McLeod is in on this too.”
“Seamus.” It was out of character for the Lord of Red Isles to conspire against the prince. “How did you manage that?”
“He’s hot for a human slave. He wants one badly.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He’s been panting after Cassia ever since Diermont ordered Cabrian to parade her around the villa naked.” Shane licked his lips. “I cannot say I blame him. The former overseer is a prime piece of fluff. Cabrian worked her good and tattooed her up. I saw his face afterward. He looked like he’d taken a happy pill or something.”
Seamus wanted some of that pleasure. Modez had observed him panting over Kiera as well. “Diermont’s getting all of us riled up. Can’t he see what he’s doing?”
“He enjoys making us want something so he can take pleasure in denying us. It’s getting to Seamus and even he’s getting tired of the bullshit.”
Modez wished he fought under another’s command. Then things would be completely different. “Perhaps it is time to have a talk with the king about his son.”
“Not yet. Diermont’s his golden child. He can do nothing wrong. I’d rather choose the backdoor. A light bit of scheming can get us what we all want without involving the king.”
“So we continue to manipulate Diermont like a bunch of bitches? Is this what we’ve come to?”
“I guess so.” Shane wiped his overly long hair out of his face. “Diermont is your friend. You could try talking to him. Explain how his edicts are affecting us, hurting us.”
Modez laughed. “He is a prince and he doesn’t take my council. I have tried to reason with him, you know. Right now he thinks I’ve got a sex addicti
on because my cock is too demanding. But he still refuses to allow the use of human slaves, even for his favorite lord.”
“After what I’ve been through, I deserve the opportunity to make some Roman bitch pay for milking me in that barn. Diermont had all of the milkmaids killed. When I was in that barn, I fantasized about what I would do to them once I was free. Now they are dead and I’ve been robbed of vengeance. Only Cassia remains, but she’s untouchable.”
“Leave Cassia to Cabrian.” If anyone messed with that human, the overlord would go ballistic. “We will eventually track down the remaining barns and you’ll find some milkmaids there. Not the same ones who handled you, but they’ll feel just as good once they’re collared and bound.”
Modez knew Shane was having a difficult time dealing with the way he had been treated during his captivity. The thought of being milked in a barn by some pretty milkmaids didn’t sound that terrible to Modez, but according to Shane, they had not been gentle or kind when they had touched the hybrids.
Modez left Shane to patrol the perimeter. Occasionally a visitor to the villa had to be dealt with, but other than that, there wasn’t much to do. It appeared the Romans did not yet know that the villa belonging to Lucine Maximus had been taken by the enemy. Either that, or they didn’t care. Patrolling the area wasn’t very exciting or challenging, but it was preferable to joining the others on the hunt. He couldn’t stomach witnessing another slaughter like the one that had happened here. Diermont’s policy was to kill all humans. Females were not spared because they were the future breeders of the enemy. Time after time, he had tried to persuade the prince to be more merciful, but Diermont’s beliefs were too fixed. Modez had never struck a killing blow to a female, but he had done little to stop the others from doing so. He couldn’t countermand Diermont’s orders, especially since the prince had the full support of the king. The only thing he could do was look the other way while a few of the humans fled to safety in the chaos.
Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) Page 9
