by Aubrey Ross
Arioch pushed his middle finger into her center. She cried out softly, surprised by the sudden penetration. A second finger joined the first as Arioch worked her, his tongue maintaining a continual rhythm around her clit.
The enticing scent of her musk filled Jetrel’s nose, making his cock ache. Arioch spread her wide, thrusting his tongue into her dusky passage. His fingers found her clit and rubbed until she shook uncontrollably. She jerked and moaned, and came hard against his mouth.
Jetrel shook right along with her, carnal pleasure nearly manifesting his physical form. At the last second he severed the link, miraculously keeping himself non-corporeal.
Expelling a ragged breath, Lilith met Arioch’s glistening eyes. “I accept your tribute.”
He grinned. “The pleasure was mine!”
Chapter Ten
Only Balam remained.
The others had returned to their seats.
Lilith stared into his obsidian eyes, determined not to look away. She sprawled before him, willing, unafraid. He was only allowed oral tribute, but his glittering eyes promised more. Would he break the Demonic Charter and…
Purposeful steps brought him to her, his gaze never faltering from her face. After a long pause, he knelt. “Your father understood what is needed to unite the clans.” He carefully pushed two fingers deeply into her pussy, rubbing her clit with his thumb. “Exchanging sexual tribute will never forge a lasting unity.” He moved his fingers, screwing them in and out with a twist of his wrist. “I should claim you as my mate. That makes the most sense.” He thrust hard. “But you’ve accepted Jetrel’s suit.”
She couldn’t concentrate with his fingers working her core, rapidly building another orgasm. Was he threatening her? She didn’t understand.
“So I suggest Jetrel fuck you as often as you can stand it. He should stay between your thighs until his seed takes root within this luscious body.” He bent and licked her clit.
Lilith moaned. He wasn’t gentle or coaxing, as Arioch had been. He demanded a response. Commanded her surrender. She clenched his fingers, helpless to resist.
“And when you birth a daughter.” His hot breath fanned her wet folds. “She will offer herself to me.” He sucked on her clit. Lilith bucked, arching into the scalding kiss. Relentlessly he sucked while his fingers fucked her hard. Pleasure burst with brutal force and Lilith screamed. “Are we agreed?”
Muddled by her orgasm, it took Lilith a minute to remember what he’d asked. “If I have a daughter—”
“You will bear a daughter within the year,” Arioch told her.
“What if she doesn’t want you?”
Balam laughed, pulling his fingers out of her trembling body and licking them clean. “Let me worry about that. The female heir to Cat Clan will be my mate. Are we agreed?”
This was the price. She should have realized he would exact some form of payment. Reaching out for Jetrel’s mind, she found his thoughts tense and troubled.
What should we do?
How badly do you want the alliance?
I only want you more.
Then agree.
“The female heir to Cat Clan will be your mate.”
* * *
Lilith’s frustrated pacing took her from one end of her private chamber to the other and back. “Have I just made a terrible mistake? What if she hates him? What if she hates me for agreeing to this? What if—”
Jetrel swept her into his arms and cut off her words with a firm kiss. “She has yet to be conceived and you’re tormenting yourself with worry. I didn’t realize you possessed maternal instincts.” She hadn’t bothered to dress when she’d arrived a few minutes earlier, apparently too distracted by the rapid-fire events to care about her nudity.
“This isn’t funny.” She tried to wiggle out of his embrace, but he didn’t let go.
“Was uniting the clans necessary?”
“If not necessary, it was wise.”
“Was establishing yourself as clan leader imperative?”
A bit of the tension melted from her posture. “Yes.”
“Did you really expect that Balam wouldn’t demand something in return for all you’ve gained?”
“I’d focused entirely on the task… I should have seen this coming.”
Trying hard not to smile, Jetrel pushed his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back. “I’m not without resources. I will never allow our daughter to be abused in any way.”
“Our daughter. Do you trust Arioch? How accurate are his predictions?”
“He is not able to consistently see into the future, but what he sees has never been wrong. You will birth a daughter within the year.” Her brow furrowed, her lips trembled, and a conspicuous sheen blurred her gaze. “What? Why are you troubled now?”
“He did not say the child would be yours. What if I have conceived already? What if I bear a half-human child?” She shuddered.
The thought disturbed him too. He looked at her lush breasts and curvy hips. “Do you have some indication that this is so?”
“No. I just…”
“What?”
She licked her lips, avoiding his gaze. He’d never seen her like this before. She had just faced down Balam himself and now she seemed…vulnerable.
“I want her to be yours. I want her to be ours.”
“You claimed me as your mate before the Council of Seven. If this conflict had not made such a declaration beneficial, would you have accepted my suit?”
She stroked her hands up his chest, resting them on his shoulders. Her expression was tense and clouded. “Love is a human term. Demons are not supposed to love. We covet, lust, protect, even assist. But what I feel for you is so much more confusing than any of those black-and-white emotions.”
“You love me?” He was astonished that she would even allude to the word.
“I didn’t say that,” she insisted sternly. “I desire you. You fascinate me. I’m amused by you. I’m content with you.”
He shook his head, no longer fighting his smile. “Sounds an awful lot like love to me.”
“What would you know? You spend far too much time in the Light!” Rising to her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him more tenderly than he’d ever felt her kiss before.
Jetrel opened for her questing tongue and drank in the taste of her devotion. Her mouth yielded sweetly, but her tongue demanded attention. He was happy to comply.
As she pressed her naked body to his, Jetrel realized he was still dressed. He tore his tunic off over his head and attacked the laces on his pants, bringing them together skin to skin.
“For our joining to be real, I must claim you as my mate.”
She chuckled deep in her throat. “You want to fuck me in front of the elders?”
“No. This is your second mating, so the ceremony is not required. I want to know you trust me. I want you to accept the Shadow cords.”
Easing away from his body, she held her hands out in front of her. “Only for you. You will never bind me in front of others, or I will set you aside.”
“I will never hurt you. Do you believe that?”
“Yes.” Her expression was resigned as she turned toward the bed.
He didn’t want her resignation. He wanted her wild, abandoned to pleasure unlike any she’d experienced before. Catching her hand, he shook his head and said, “Like this.” He conjured Shadow cords and commanded them around her wrists. She watched the smoky fibers move of their own volition. Once her hands were bound together he raised them above her head, securing them in place with a mental command.
She tugged and twisted, testing the restraints. “How do they hold me? They’re not secured to anything.”
“They’re secured by my will and obey my commands.” Demonstrating his claim, he directed the cords higher, lifting her onto the balls of her feet. “I could suspend you in midair as I worshipped you with my mouth, but the weight of your body would bruise your wrists.”
“Unless I draped
my legs over your shoulders.”
He grinned. “You like the idea?” His cock bucked in approval and she laughed. “You dare laugh at me? While I hold you captive?” His tone was light and playful.
Lifting her by the cords, he cupped her ass, supporting her weight as his mouth fastened onto one nipple. She arched into the caress, moaning deep in her throat. He sucked firmly, one then the other, until both tightened into hard, blue-tinted peaks.
“I’m going to suspend you completely.” He stroked her velvety behind. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Do everything you’ve ever dreamed.”
He trembled, waves of desire crashing into him. She had no idea the wicked things his lustful mind could imagine! Conjuring more Shadow cords, he wove a web of connecting fibers, supporting her shoulders, her hips, her thighs, and her knees. She reclined in the cords, her legs spread wide. Utterly helpless. Wonderfully accessible.
For a long time he just looked at her. Her full breasts quivered with each ragged breath, her gaze watched him cautiously, and her pussy… Once he looked at her pussy, he couldn’t drag his gaze away. Plump and smooth, her mound was the same soft ivory as the rest of her body, but her inner folds were sapphire blue. The more aroused she became the brighter they turned.
If he fucked her now, he’d ravish her, pounding hard and fast until they both screamed, but it would be over too quickly. He was claiming his mate! This called for something special, something more.
Stepping between her thighs, he gently traced her slit with two fingers. Her slick heat sent thrills ricocheting through his entire body. She was more than ready.
Still he hesitated.
Go on. I want you to.
The words sounded within his mind. Somehow she’d guessed his thoughts. Sinking two fingers into her core, he stroked her clit with his thumb. She gasped and tossed her head. After only a few strokes, he worked the moisture down to her tightly puckered anus. Commanding her legs apart, and tilting her torso down, he found the desired angle. He spread her ass cheeks and positioned his cock against her.
“I won’t hurt you. Trust me.” Mixing shadow and substance, he found the combination her body would easily accept. He eased inside her incredibly tight entrance and gradually solidified.
“Oh! How are you doing that?” She shifted in the cords, unable to resist even if she wanted to. “That feels…odd.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“No.”
“Well, I want you to feel more than odd.” He conjured lubricant as an added aid in his quest for her pleasure. The slick substance manifested in tiny drops all over his shaft. “Try to relax. I’ll control my size until you’re accustomed to me.” He pulled back and drove forward, testing her response. The lubricant smeared, easing his way, allowing him to slide smoothly.
She wiggled, her breath hitched. “You can…control your size?”
“Relax and I’ll show you.”
He grasped her hips and pushed deep. Rubbing her clit, he allowed his cock to fully solidify. Another gush of lubricant ensured that her tight passage could accommodate the added fullness.
“Oh…oh!”
Circling her swollen nub, he concentrated on the powerful contractions of her flesh. The erotic massage stimulated him unmercifully. But she wasn’t yet ready for thrusting. “That’s right, don’t fight it. Accept me.” Her neck arched. Her hair brushed the floor and her ass clenched him so tightly he nearly came.
“Why aren’t you moving?”
“We have forever to practice this. We’ll take it one step at a time.”
He gently strummed her clit, triggering her orgasm. Her entire body shook, her passage pulsed wildly, then she went limp with a little whimper.
As she sagged against the Shadow cords, he carefully decreased his size and pulled out of her ass. He paused to send a cleansing pulse along his body and along the length of his shaft. Then he covered her clit with his thumb and slowly pushed into her moist pussy.
“My ability works both ways,” he whispered.
She gasped and arched to meet him. He solidified as he thrust, then increased his thickness and length. She cried out. “Too much?”
“No! Don’t stop!”
He rubbed her clit and rocked into her, straining the Shadow cords. She tightened around him each time he started to withdraw, her slick heat caressing him. Nothing had ever felt so good, so perfect. He pumped faster, driving deeper, and she anointed him with cream.
Throwing his head back, he roared in triumph, and loosed his seed at the mouth of her womb. On and on he pumped, his body shaking, his cock jerking, as colors danced before his eyes.
Lilith drifted in the blissful oblivion somewhere between reality and dreams. A sharp twinge deep in her belly jarred her from the lethargy. Her eyes flew open and she stared into Jetrel’s passion-muddled face. “I felt…a quickening. I think we just conceived.”
His warm hand splayed against her belly and his gaze clouded thoughtfully. “I can’t tell yet. Are you certain?”
“Not entirely, but I’ve never felt anything like that before.” The Shadow cords dissolved and he caught her against his chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist, not ready to lose the fullness of his cock inside her body.
“Then we better keep trying just to make sure.” He grinned wickedly.
He laid her sideways across her bed and began to move all over again. She framed his face with her hands and saw the brilliance of her gaze reflected back from his shining eyes.
Her heart swelled and the words formed within her mind.
I love you, Jetrel.
He smiled.
“Please don’t tell anyone.”
Laughing, he thrust deep. “It will be our little secret.”
Part Three: Claiming
Chapter Eleven
Realm of Darkness
Twenty Years Later
“Try it one last time. If you aren’t successful, we’ll end your lesson for tonight.”
Verrine glanced away from her tutor, too frustrated to show the proper respect. She had failed repeatedly. Why continue this humiliation?
Non-corporeal transportation or Shadow shifting, only the most powerful Shadow Clan demons ever mastered the skill, and Verrine was a hybrid, born of two different clans. It was ridiculous of her tutor to expect her to succeed, but he’d been personally selected by her mother for his tenacity.
No excuses, Verrine. The echo of Lilith’s voice urged her on. Never surrender!
Gathering energy into the center of her body, Verrine spread her arms and dispersed her physical form. Her fingers tingled, prickled, then burned. She stubbornly focused through the pain, surrendering to the darkness. Powerful energy currents captured her essence, sweeping her along.
“Good! Now explore.” Her tutor’s voice sounded distorted and distant. “See how long you can maintain control without solidifying.”
Verrine floated through the Realm of Darkness, exploring stone corridors and shadowed alcoves, feasting halls and ceremonial chambers. Her exhilaration built with each moment she remained intangible. Energized by her accomplishment, she soared past demons oblivious to her presence. A few sensed another entity, but were unable to see her. She passed through walls, speeding from one room to the next. Impulsively she sank through the thick stone floor and emerged in one of the vapor caves lining the Lake of Fire.
Pink mist curled up from the water in fragrant wisps, the scent spicy and evocative. Sight and sound remained intact in this state. She experienced sensations similar to touch, yet she had no physical form.
She heard the water gurgle and then a series of splashes. Peering through the mist, she located the shadowy outline of a tall, broad-shouldered body. She floated closer, powerless to resist her curiosity.
The figure pushed sodden locks of long, black hair over his shoulders and pivoted toward the shore. Rippling muscles dramatically defined the male’s torso and arms. The rest of him remained submerged in the murky wat
er.
More splashes and a muffled groan. What was he doing? She moved to one side, adjusting her vantage point.
His right arm flexed and pulled, flexed and pulled. Looking more closely at his hand, she gasped. He was pleasuring himself! His hand rubbed up and down his cock in firm, steady strokes.
Hadn’t he heard her gasp? Perhaps it wasn’t audible, or the male simply didn’t care.
His hips pumped, his fist slid, and he continued to groan. Verrine’s nipples tingled. How was that possible? She touched her breast and gasped again.
She was solid!
The male growled and spun to face her. “You better be ready to do more than watch if you dare interrupt my pleasure!”
She stumbled back against the cavern wall, trembling uncontrollably.
Arioch, Leader of Shadow Clan, stalked from the pool, water running off his naked flesh in pink rivulets. His eyes glowed blue. A fierce expression contorted his angular features. Verrine’s gaze followed the pink droplets downward as they accented every furrow and ripple of his muscular body. Powerful legs, narrow hips and the longest, thickest cock Verrine had ever seen. Not that she’d seen many, but hell help her, his was impressive!
His hands fisted in her dress, ripping it down the center before she could summon a rational protest. He effortlessly lifted her, pinning her against the warm stone wall with the weight of his body. Tangling his hand in her hair, he tilted her face and plundered her mouth.
Helpless and completely overwhelmed, Verrine endured his aggressive attention for only a moment before she tore her mouth away. “Please, my lord. I’ve not yet mastered the skill. I didn’t mean to solidify. I’d never intentionally spy on you.”
Gradually his lust-bright gaze diminished. Keeping her against the wall, he pulled her legs up and wrapped them around his waist. He brushed her hair back from her face, saying nothing for a long time. His hands stroked up and down her thighs, occasionally cupping her bare bottom.
