Taken by The Hunger: A Blood Thirst Novel (Book 1) Paranormal Romance/ Erotica/ Urban Fantasy

by Spade, Harnet

  I saw the whip all bloodied, thrown against the wall right beside my head. He was now beside me on the wall, when he roared, “Look at me Emmaley, really look at me.” I turned my face then… seeing him as he revealed a great weakness. He turned, and soon I was faced with the fierce welts of open skin on his back.”

  “How is it possible,” I asked.

  “Any harm I cause you, I receive it double because we are Mates. I am just as raw as you are after so much pain. End it now for the both of us, Emmaley... I beg you my sweet girl. I’ve been tortured viciously throughout my existence, but nothing compares to harming you, my love.”

  I smiled, my head falling back on my shoulders, “You should never have shared that information with me because now, Eros… I will welcome the pain.”

  His knuckles caressed my cheek, “Difficult girl, it is obvious no one has taught you… pain can only be welcomed for so long.”

  He was right of course. I welcomed the pain the first two times the whip fell on my skin. My skin never before this past week had felt such unshakable pain. In fact, it had been gifted with all the best luxuries.

  Everyone served me including him- Eros, but now no one could save me, but Eros.

  No, I thought. I could hold on to the knowledge he was feeling it twice as hard every time the whip fell and cut my skin- my teeth cutting deep into my lips when the whip cut the air right before it made contact. I was not someone accustomed to any pain much less one so deep. I had always protected myself from it. By the third time the whip landed, I held on to the thought it was better it be me than have him take out his rage on Darius.

  On the fourth whipping, I realized I couldn’t think of “him” because I had also learned that Eros read my thoughts, and nothing angered him more than knowing I welcomed this hell as long as I knew Darius was safe.

  I never got to the fifth count, miraculously- it had merely taken four whippings for me to pass out from the pain.

  Chapter 19: Your Innocence is Lost on Me

  He was now licking a path up my other thigh as I closed my eyes and focused on the cooling sensation left on my skin. After long moments of his revitalizing touch, I realized I was at the point in which I had suffered so long that I no longer cared who it was that administered my salvation… I just needed the pain to stop.

  “That’s right my sweet love, after hours of ceaseless pain for the both of us you have finally welcomed my touch. Is it not pleasurable to you?” He asked as he kissed my scorched skin.

  Tears fell down my face as I answered, “Yes… but please, can you set me down.”

  “Beloved you must learn to address me as your king, and I will only be too pleased to oblige you.”

  Again he was testing me, “My king, please release me of this pain by setting me down. I do not expect you to share your bed with me because of my defiance; in fact, I’d expect no such kindness.”

  “No such kindness for my clever and noble queen? I’d be the greatest of fools not to provide the both of us the pleasure your worthy behavior has afforded us.”

  I held my eyes tightly shut when I felt him rip my new dress in half up to my solar plexus- opening and pressing his mouth on my skin. I felt his fangs rupture the delicate forbidden skin at the juncture between my thigh and womanhood. More tears fell, but not a single word to stop him.

  I felt him sway against the rock wall I had stared and screamed my pain into for so long. He groaned his ecstasy while holding me tightly against his mouth. I could no longer remember the name I had so strongly held on to. All that mattered was I needed to please my king, so that he may release me from the shackles.

  The more he drank the less I felt the pain. I was finding blissful peace as I heard and felt his passionate moans against my skin. The more pleasure I found with him the less pain was inflicted on me. I felt his desire consuming him. It was moving through me, consuming me as well. I joined him and moaned from the pleasure of feeling no pain as I lost consciousness from the overwhelming sensation of such sweet relief.

  While I was between an unconscious and conscious state my silent tears still fell from my face. He carried me now taking me somewhere within his castle. Although there was no more pain, I still cried.

  A part of me died. Slash and burn making way for rebirth.

  He soothed me with soft words filled with love I would never have guessed him capable of.

  “My love it’s all right. All we have suffered is for the redemption you have earned us.” I heard a fountain and that sound terrified me. He felt my trepidation and calmed me by saying it was only a bath. I felt him enter it as he stepped down into the water. I started to feel the burning water rising against my skin, and thought nothing had ever felt, or smelled so luxurious.

  “What is that wonderful scent?" I asked against his neck. His neck, it had been my safe haven as a child. He had been… my everything.

  “Tuberose, my love.” There was joyous laughter in his voice.

  “Smells like heaven,” I whispered.

  He laughed openly then, a laugh so full of love, of pleasure- I thought it sounded so beautiful… nothing had ever sounded more beautiful to my ears.

  “Then all our baths will be prepared with tuberose from now on, for all eternity my sweet, Emmaley.”

  He stood me on my own feet and began stripping me so slowly savoring every new flesh revealed to him. I watched him and realized no one worships flesh like a starved vampire who has been kept from his mate far too long, and discovers her willing for the very first time. We were both discovering her. This was who I was meant to be.

  His pupils elongated as the green receded. I was no longer frightened by those eyes instead I felt drawn to them.

  “Do you desire me, Emmaley?”

  “I don’t know,” I smiled playfully.

  “Your eyes speak differently, My Queen. Your eyes devour every inch of my skin.”

  “That is because my skin feels scorched after hours of the torment you inflicted on me, My King.”

  His eyes were completely black now, but my words hit him hard because I saw him flinch when I said them, and nothing makes a vampire king flinch, not even his own decapitation.

  He came at me then, quickly… so quickly in fact the water barely moved, and asked merely inches separating us, “What will you have me do to rectify the pain I’ve caused you?”

  I saw his question for what it truly was- he was testing me. I turned my head up to him preparing to kiss him, got on my toes, looked into his eyes as they ravaged my face, and he in turn bowed his head down closing the distance. His black raven hair fell onto my cheeks, a soft breath caressing me as I leaned into him pressing my hands on his chest, and I lightly kissed his beautiful lips- then said, “Nothing would please me more than to feel the coolness of your skin against my heated skin.”

  Chapter 20: If I Can’t Have Your Blood then Pour Me Some Whiskey

  I’m waking up, but I don’t want to. I’m afraid where I might find myself, or more importantly with whom. I fear them both now. I know I’m alone, but I still wish to be sleeping… I think the nightmares are better than what my life’s become.

  I cough sitting up in bed. The white silk sheets fall to my waist leaving my breasts exposed. I hate him! I want to yell it at the top of my lungs. I do, “I hate you Darius!” I scream.

  I see the cave, and immediately jump out of the wrought iron bed. I smile… thinking it could be a lot worse, at least I’m not hanging from some castle wall, or worst dead at the bottom of the pools since I’ve survived death. Does this mean I can’t be killed?

  I look for my clothes on the cave floor, the bed, all around, but they’re gone. I spot four large wooden chests- making my way over to them I find bedding goods in the first. I quickly close it and move on to the next- I can’t waste precious time. He’ll be back soon and god only knows how many times he’ll try to kill me before he is through searching my mind. In the third chest, I find my clothes and quickly put on tight fitting jeans and a nude tank t
op with no underwear. I have no time to keep searching, and I am covered enough. I leave the chest open and run for the elevator feeling confident because I know I’m capable of so much- my limitations are all in my head.

  When I am just about to cross the threshold of the elevator I’m thrown a distance of almost eight feet back. I land on my back sprawled out on the cave floor. My elbows are scraped and bleeding, and I have a monster of a headache.

  Oh no, he’s fixed it, so I can’t use the elevator.

  I get up as I start to heal and this time I try to walk into the elevator, but I hit an invisible wall. Bastard! You fixed the spell, so I can’t use the elevator. I squash my rising panic by breathing deep and remember the waterfall in the adjoining space. If I climb it I can get out.

  I run to the pool and dive swimming towards the tunnel. I pass it quickly and swim up to the surface. I think I’m moving fast because I don’t feel out of breath, and I smile feeling exhilarated to finally know I’m not as weak and hopeless as I thought. He kept you drugged… or the god’s only know… if worse.

  I jump out of the water into the upper level pools only to swim fast towards the waterfall. I tread against the powerful current going around the falling water curtain, and swim into the beach area behind it. There are kaleidoscopes of colored pebbles all over the ground creating slopes up to the rocky cliff.

  I start climbing never losing sight of the top. Once I reach ten feet from the top, I start to feel pressure in my heart. I smile thinking I was being silly, after all, I was a goddess, vampire, and a third unknown; whatever, my dad may be. Vampires don’t suffer heart attacks. I dismiss the pain because I am so close to a freedom I’ve never had, always out of my reach. I feel the warmth on my face and fingertips, but my smile quickly fades because the pressure I’d felt begins to intensify to the point I feel my heart being torn out of my chest.

  Then, I see Darius in front of me. But he wasn’t the Darius I knew, he has fangs and he is eagerly clawing at my heart taking it. No, Darius stop… Stop, please… You Can’t Kill Him!

  Losing my grip I fall back. Falling through the air with piercing, debilitating pain in my chest, I try to straighten my body, but I am too late the pain immobilizes me as the ground rises up to meet me. I lay damaged, torn on a boulder rock knowing Darius has heard me. I’d succeeded, I’d entered his mind. Eros is safe.

  I wait in agony fainting several times, waiting for my body to heal itself- hoping every time it would happen faster because I needed to be able to finish my climb. I fear Darius. He will try to stop me, and as I am now lying broken on this rock, he’d succeed because I wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight.

  Finally, I am able to lift my neck when I see my ribs protruding from my ruptured stomach, and I hear Darius break the water’s surface a second before I see his clouded face over mine.

  He is speaking so fast and in a language I don’t understand, so I shut my eyes and turn my face. I don’t want to see his beautiful face, I hate him…It felt like he was castigating me.

  I feel his wrist in my lips, and tell myself to turn away… that I don’t want anything he offers, but my instincts take over as I swallow his blood. When I feel strong again my fingers close over his wrist, and I suck him more fiercely.

  He groans from pleasure as he touches my belly. I think the area has suffered the worst from the fall because he is feeling my ribs and stomach or perhaps helping everything meld together. I feel his warm blood on that skin. I was so cold, yet his touch sets me aflame so much that I think of stripping him as I drink him dry.

  I push him off me as I turn us, falling to the ground he lands under me. His hands grab my thighs to lift me off him. Straddling him, I hold on to his shoulders bringing my lips down to him, and take to drinking from his neck. He is trying to fight me, but I quickly clasp his hands keeping them over his head- letting go of his neck with my teeth, and suddenly begin biting his chest over his heart.

  He roars in ecstasy right before my hand comes down and slaps him hard on the face. I back hand him again and again as I get up and kick his ribs several times hearing them crack. He spits blood from his lips as he grabs his ribs and turns on his side. I run towards the chute again soon climbing my way up.

  Almost there, I touch the sun’s rays with my hands about to push up into the rocky exterior. I look down to see him one last time… only he isn’t laying there where I’d left him. Pushing off and needing to be out of there, I jump up through the air.

  Out of a nearby shadow his hand shoots out and grabs me by my neck bringing me into a darkened alcove. Fighting him and shocked, I think that’s not possible because the alcove had been several feet away which can only mean either he could fly, or he moved so fast that he could cover those distances without falling.

  He is squeezing me so tight I think I will lose my head. I feel blood vessels popping in my eyes as I strike him in the face.

  I feel Eros’s rising panic… he knows I’m in danger. He knew I was endangered last night and allowed himself to be caught.

  I hit him repeatedly with my forearms and elbows… as hard as I can over his wrists to dislodge his grasp when his sharpened claws extend, and I feel them tearing at my neck. He rather kill me again than watch me leave… who are you?

  Will this be the last time he kills me because even I can’t come back from decapitation, I surely think as my feet search frantically for ground.

  I continue to attack his face while my blood runs from my lips. I realize with some pride I made major damage to his face, breaking his nose and causing him to bleed profusely. I scent his blood and a mixture of need, survival, and hunger takes hold of me. His eyes are swollen, turning into slits, shining brightly at me... he must scent my arousal.

  Our scents are mixing in the air- surrounding us. The bloodlust takes over, and I kick his knees shattering both. He goes down to his knees pulling me down with him. As we hit the ground I head-butt him on his broken nose. One hand brakes free of me while the other- claws extending digs into me. We are both kneeling in front of each other staring into one another’s eyes hoping the other will cease their blows. Unable to breathe, my struggles stop and he lets me go. My face falls against his lips, chin, then drops to his chest while he falls back and everything goes black.

  “Don’t even think to bite me, or I’ll fucking take off your beautiful head, Eva.” His voice sounds hoarse, constrained when he places his hand at my nape… covering, applying pressure trying to control the bleeding.

  There’s always next time. Right now, I just need you to fetch me a bottle of whiskey for the pain since I know you’re reluctant to offer me some blood, was my last thought. I realize he was just moments from killing me again, yet now he is doing what he can to save me without giving me his blood again.

  Why does he persist after everything I’ve put him through? Is he, in the end, just like Eros and now only wishes to keep me alive to cause me pain?

  _______________________

  Waking up and immediately knowing I am still in the cave, I try not move. I feel he’s near... waiting, but I don’t feel him. I lay unmoving trying to sense his location. Within a nanosecond, I feel his claws digging into my stomach as my eyes open in panic, and I scream.

  “Your breathing gave you away, Eva.”

  His eyes watch me as his claws stiffen. He is crouching over me with his fangs showing. His fangs terrify me because they are double the size of Eros’s. Can they extend just as his claws do?

  He smiles at me and they lengthen.

  “Of course they do,” I whisper exasperated.

  I am on my elbows looking into his eyes, searching for sympathy, pain, or any sign of weakness, but find none.

  “What are you?”

  “Same as you,” he smiles- eyes shifting quickly, surveying.

  “Which part of me?” I ask growing accustomed to the pain because his claws are inert.

  “I see you’ve learned to ask the right questions. Not trying to hide from the truth are y
ou? Tell me Eva, is this new you ready to face all truths?”

  “Yes, you made sure of it... Which part?”

  “I’m what your father is,” he turns his claws, and I gasp.

  “How did you keep it a secret, even from her?” I whisper referring to my mother.

  “We’ve learned to adapt, camouflage. Your father made sure I infiltrated your mother’s kingdom.”

  “To what end... tell me, I need to know.”

  “No… unless… we come to an agreement.”

  “I won’t try to escape.”

  He’s laughing at me… why? I push myself on his claws and bite his jaw. Roaring he dislodges his claws and stands over me. I’ve taken a piece of skin and bone. I spit it out as I look up at his powerful back, and see he has moved away. He is no longer blocking my view right in front of me, so I see we are still in the alcove. He is at the entrance or more precisely my only exit with his back facing me.

  Next time you bite me, I won’t control the urge I get… to bite you back.

  “How is it you can communicate telepathically? I thought only vampires have that gift.”

  You’re wrong, happens you know.

  I couldn’t help smiling because he was so good at keeping things from me- he's answered my questions not really answering anything at all, why did you laugh?

  “Because Eva, I changed the enchantment and now all exists are blocked for you, so your lie of not trying to escape is really no bargaining chip.”

  My heart drops, so I decide… screw it. It would be worth it. I’d drop us both and lunged for him.

  When I reached him he was waiting for me with open arms lunging for me. We clashed as I pushed him towards the edge. Once he’s overpowered me, he carries me horizontally throwing me over his shoulders as he lifts me high over his head and throws me against the darkness of the crevice. I land on my feet, and run to him aiming to rip out his jugular. He laughs enjoying every moment of our combat. I have him up against the wall strangling him with my forearm.