“His name is Brownie,” Kosmas explained as the dog stopped next to him, his tail wagging as he stared at the girl. “Would you like for him to go with you, and help you adjust to your new lodgings?”
Abby nodded, sending him a small smile. For some reason, Kosmas thought they were probably rare. It made him sad for the child. “When you're ready for him to leave, just set him outside of the door. He knows the palace well. He'll have no problems finding his way back to me.”
She reached down to tentatively pet him. Brownie immediately rolled over, a silent demand for a belly rub. The dog was notorious for those. His preferred method of greeting someone was stomach up, and he wasn't above pressing the issue to make sure his needs were attended to. There was no doubt about it. The dog was spoiled, and he'd just found another willing body to lavish attention on him.
Zander gently took the girl's hand to lead her down the hallway. Kosmas trusted him wholeheartedly to see to Abby's comfort. “Brownie, go with Zander,” Kosmas ordered, but it wasn't necessary. The dog trotted happily behind them as they left, without a backward glance.
For once, Brownie's desertion didn't bother him. In fact, he was glad his pet had something to occupy his time. Shit was about to hit the proverbial fan when he saw his mate, and he didn't need any distractions.
*
After returning back to their rooms, Keely sat in the chair in front of the fireplace. She felt empty and drained after their confrontation, her thoughts slow and lethargic. Kosmas' words and reaction, even the way he'd stared at her with an expression of distaste on his attractive face, had devastated her. The pain within her was indescribable, obliterating every other emotion that she might have felt.
Why did it have to happen at Christmas? It was her favorite holiday, but it was so much more. What she'd been planning with Kosmas was a dream come true, at least for her. It represented the fulfillment of her deepest fantasy, a tradition that she could anticipate for the rest of her life.
How many years had she secretly hoped to one day find love, just to have reality prove that is was nothing more than an unrealistic notion? As an adult, Christmas had always proven to be the hardest time of the year for her to get through. Not only did she miss her family, but it was a cold and stark reminder that she was alone. And during those lonely, dark nights of the holiday, when there was no food or electricity, she'd cried, wishing for something completely different. In her fantasies, she was happy, with a handsome man that loved her, and the warmth that came from being with friends and those that cared. Together, the holidays would be an endless time of joy, celebrations, and peace, complete with food and gifts. And after the evenings would end, the long midnight hours would began. In her lover's arms, her Christmas would be complete.
And with Kosmas, she'd allowed herself to believe that her dream might finally see fruition. The upcoming Christmas celebration meant more to her than even Kosmas knew. But it had blown up in her face. The following night was Christmas Eve, and their relationship couldn't be any bleaker.
The baby inside of her kicked again, reminding her there was more at stake than just their relationship. Pretty soon, they wouldn't just be mates. They would be a family. She wanted it to be a happy one, but their disagreement was a serious one. And the fact that his men had taken a mortal child disturbed her deeply.
The doorknob rattled, the sound loud in the quietness of the room. Keely jumped, anticipation washing over her before quickly changing to dismay. She wasn't prepared to face Kosmas, not yet. The events of the evening were still too fresh to her, his utter disregard of her feelings too grating. She came to her feet before turning to face the sturdy door. “Go away,” she yelled petulantly. “You've already made your feelings pretty clear. I don't want a repeat, at least not tonight.”
Kosmas didn't demand she let him in, nor did he even try the doorknob again. Instead, the tall wooden door came crashing in, revealing the furious vampire standing in front of it. His dark eyes flashed with anger as they briefly rested upon her as he stepped in, his mouth set in a tight line.
Without saying a word, he picked up the door. It dwarfed him by several feet, but he carried it easily. Turning back to the opening, he rammed it in. Surprisingly, it held, blocking out anyone that might have been curious enough to peek in from the hallway. It looked horrible, though. Even the frame would have to be replaced.
Keely stared at him with an aghast expression on her face. “You're going to have to take it back off,” she informed him, waving her hand at the ruined door. “Because you decided to put it back with your body on the wrong side of it. I meant what I said, Kosmas. You're not sleeping here with me tonight.”
The very air in the room changed. As he stared at her he slowly started to advance, his steps measured. “Who said anything about sleeping?” The anger in his eyes changed to determination, everything about his body, from the sensual twist of his lips to his walk, screaming seduction. Kosmas had a dangerous air about him, but it wasn't fear that filled her. It was lust, and her arousal was increasing by the second.
“Stop,” she ordered him, her voice low, sounding more like a plea than a protest. She held up a trembling hand, as if it would be enough to ward him off. Even from a distance, Kosmas had the ability to storm her defenses. Up close, she wouldn't stand a chance.
He didn't comply. “You're my mate,” he informed her harshly, as if she needed a reminder. Instead of pulling her to him, he slowly walked around her, stopping at her back. “Your blood runs in my veins, just like mine runs in yours. Yet you want to deny me, to cast me from my bedchambers like a piece of trash?” His hand wound in her hair, easing her head back to expose her throat. “Never.”
Kosmas lowered his head, the edge of his fangs brushing against her skin pleasurably. Keely shivered, but she was no longer cold. In fact, she'd never felt hotter. “I won't accept this,” she warned him.
“Oh, but you will,” he grated. “You'll accept every hard inch, and you'll beg for more. And after it's over you'll apologize, and you will give me your word that you'll never behave like that again, especially in front of others.”
“So this is punishment?” Keely spat, yanking her head away from his mouth. At least as much as she could. His hand was very effective at holding her in place. “I'll never apologize for protesting against the girl being taken. And I'll never forgive you for humiliating me in front of your men like that. For God's sake, Kosmas, she's just a child. How can you even condone such a thing?”
Kosmas released her hair, spinning her around to face him with a speed that made her gasp. “And how could you ever believe that your mate, the man that you agreed to share an eternity with, could be such a vile creature? Had you shown me just a little bit of faith or trust, I would have been happy to convince you of my decision to keep her here. But you didn't, did you? No, instead you decided to humiliate me as a leader, and yourself in the process.”
He didn't release her. His fingers tightened around her upper arms, like thick bands of steel. “Her name is Abby,” he informed her, his voice harsh. “She's thirteen years old, and she's an orphan. She has no family to return to. There is nobody in your past world to keep her safe, nobody to protect her from the way of living that still makes you cry out in your sleep. But you, you would condemn her to that?”
“No-” Keely protested, but he cut her off as his face bore down into hers.
“I'm not done,” Kosmas bit out. “You have a rather bad habit of speaking before you think, don't you? Be thankful that there were only two there, and both men are loyal to me. Had more vampires witnessed your little outburst, you would have made a laughingstock out of us. My right to rule could have even been challenged. Vampires aren't human, Keely, and after all this time, you should have realized this. My word is law, and it's expected that my mate will comply with my wishes. In public, we have to remain united, or it makes me weak. Do you want my leadership to be challenged?”
Keely shook her head. “No, of course not. I'm sorry abou
t her circumstances, and I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, but it doesn't change the fact that you treated me like dirt. What about my feelings, Kosmas? I mean, you acted as if I should have read your mind or something. I deserved an explanation, but I didn't get it. I still haven't. You hurt me. Badly. I can't just get over it in an instant, and I can't even begin to try until you give me some kind of reassurance. I have to know what your plans are for her. Otherwise, I don't see our problems getting resolved, not any time soon.”
“I accept your apology.” The grip on her arms gentled, the tautness of his strong jaw relaxing. “The girl shall remain with us, at least until she reaches an age that she can be mated to a male of her own choosing. We will sponsor her. Under my protection, she will remain safe.”
Lifting his hand, he smoothed her hair away from the right side of her neck. His eyes locked onto the vein pulsating wildly underneath her skin, the air charged with his arousal. “Now that this is resolved, let's move on to more pleasurable pursuits, shall we?”
Resolved? Keely gaped at him in disbelief. She was hurt by his casual dismissal of her feelings. Maybe she'd been in the wrong, but so was Kosmas. He owed her an apology, as well. A heartfelt one. She needed to know that he wouldn't treat her as an inferior, should the day come again when they found themselves in the middle of a disagreement. His actions from the evening still stung.
His nimble fingers were quickly removing her clothing. “Wait,” she protested, but Kosmas ignored her. Baring her chest to his hungry gaze, his eyes flitted between each one of her heavy breasts an instant before his head lowered. Keely couldn't help her sigh of pleasure when he suckled one turgid nipple, his fingers expertly working the bud on her other breast.
“I'm not satisfied...” she began, determined to put an end to his play, regardless of how pleasurable it felt. Deep inside, she was raw. Hurt. Pleasure couldn't fill the void within her. She couldn't have sex with him, not without her heart involved. Somehow, it would cheapen everything that was between them.
Kosmas cut her off, as he lifted her to carry her to the bed. “Oh, you will be,” he assured her, his thick, meaty cock pressed against her front. He was so eager to bed her that he hadn't even bothered to undress. Instead, he'd freed himself through the front of his pants, his arousal hot and heated on her leg. “I won't stop until you are.”
Despite it all, her traitorous body continued to respond. At the edge of the bed, he turned her around, urging her body to bend over as his hands worked to spread her thighs. Immediately, one long, thick finger slid within her swollen hot folds. Kosmas growled at the contact. “You're so wet. I knew the moment I saw you that you wanted this as much as I do, that you needed it as much as me. God, I can't wait to fuck you, Keely. I see now what it means to fight and make up. The heat of our argument has just fueled the lust within me even more.”
With his erection poised at her entrance, he leaned over to nuzzle her neck. “And your anger has brought your blood to the surface, just begging me to drink. Everything about you is perfection. Sweet and utter perfection.”
He slid his shaft forward, careful not to penetrate her. Instead, he ran along the crease of her nether lips. Teasing her. She whimpered, craving the satisfaction that could only be found from his possession. Kosmas wasn't content to give it it her, he wanted more. She just didn't know what.
He didn't make her wait long. Flexing his hips again, he ordered, “Tell me what you want.”
Keely didn't immediately reply. Instead, her hands gripped the bedding underneath her, damning her total lack of control when it came to him. All she could think of was how pleasurable he felt inside of her, with his fangs locked in her neck, and his cock hitting all the right places. Another time he would have taken her, but not that night. No, he was determined to make her plead, determined to make her accountable for her choice to accept him within her body.
When his finger slid around the front of her hips to explore the swollen nub at the apex of her thighs, all was lost. “Damn you,” she ground out, fully surrendering. “God, I want you now, Kosmas. Take me.”
She felt as if they hadn't made love for weeks, rather than just a few scant hours. Need bubbled up within her, begging to be fulfilled. Carefully, gently, his fangs pierced her neck. At the same time, he penetrated her, much to her exquisite pleasure.
Distantly, she heard a small scream. To her surprise, Keely realized it was her. Her slippery wet passage eased his way, until he filled her so deeply she felt as if she would burst. Incoherent words of encouragement and pleasure slipped past her lips as he drank deeply of her blood, the feel of his tongue thrusting against her skin only fueling her desire.
Soon, much too soon, Kosmas broke away from her neck. “No,” she whimpered, wanting even more. Her lower body gripped him like a glove, her flesh squeezing as her body prepared to erupt in a mind blowing orgasm.
“Come for me, Keely,” he ordered her, his hands wrapped around her hips as he held her in place for his deep thrusts. “You know I can't take anymore blood, not with the baby. Show me how much you enjoy my big cock. I know you're at the brink. I can feel it.”
So was he. His ball sack smacked against her, full and heavy. Slipping a hand between her legs, she cupped him in her hand before squeezing gently. His groan of pleasure filled the room, his shaft widening impossibly further within her. “God, baby, that feels so fucking good,” he encouraged her, the breathless sound of his voice fueling the euphoria inside of her. Kosmas was close to losing control, and when he did, he'd send her over the edge. She couldn't hold out against the heat of his semen as it jetted against her sensitive folds. Keely craved his release as much as she craved her own.
“You go first,” she teased him boldly, her voice nearly unrecognizable as her own. It always happened to her, though. Her voice changed with her arousal, growing so hoarse and throaty that it nearly embarrassed her. “Or maybe you aren't as excited as I originally thought you were?” She ran a slim finger to the sensitive area that sat behind his testicles, letting the motion of his body do the rest.
Kosmas made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his own fingers tightening on her skin. At the same time Keely felt him stiffen inside of her, just a moment before he flooded her insides. Even then, Kosmas remained as hard as a rock. The pleasure within her combined like a vortex at the exact spot where he released, before spiraling up within her to send her into an indescribable orgasm that seemed to last forever.
He pulled out of her. Keely turned around to face him, but strangely, she wanted to cry. Now that her passion had been spent, she was brutally forced back into the reality of where things stood between them. And despite the pleasure she'd experienced, it hadn't eased the hurt.
For several seconds they just stared at each other. In the past, Kosmas would have taken her in his arms, but not this time. Instead, he watched her with an unreadable expression on his face before turning away and saying grimly, “I'm going to clean up. After that, I'll call someone to replace the door... if my guards haven't done it already.”
He was dismissing her. Clearly, Kosmas had no intentions of apologizing. It angered her. Did her mate really have so little disregard for her? “Aren't you forgetting something?” Keely asked him coolly, uncaring of her nudity. She crossed her arms over her breasts as she glared at him. “I've already told you that you aren't sleeping here.”
He stopped in his tracks, but he didn't turn to face her. “Then what the hell was that?” he asked her, his voice tight with his own anger.
“That was you not listening!” She stalked up to his back. “Did you really think I would just welcome you back with open arms, when you can't even apologize to me for what happened in the corridor?”
Kosmas finally turned to face her. “I don't see where I need to apologize, Keely. I'm leader of this town and the people that are in it. As my mate, you should have accepted my decision, whether you agreed with it or not.”
They were back to square one, much to her disappointme
nt. “If you can't see where you were wrong, Kosmas, then we really have nothing to say to each other.” She watched him with bated breath, hoping her ploy would work. All it took was two simple words.
She didn't get them. Rather than apologizing, Kosmas shrugged. “So be it,” he replied, turning to continue his trek to the bathroom. “Regardless, though, I won't be leaving my rooms. If you want to be away from me so badly, I suggest you find alternate accommodations. I won't be leashed and made to respond to your commands, Keely, even if we are mated.”
Keely didn't reply as he disappeared within the other room, firmly shutting the door behind him.
Chapter 4
Keely knocked tentatively at the closed door in front of her before lowering her hands down to her sides to wait. Upon waking that morning, she knew she had a busy day ahead of her. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
She hadn't seen Kosmas since the night before. In the end, she hadn't left, but he didn't seem to notice. Once the door had been repaired, he'd immediately sought out their bed... and for once, he'd remained on his side of it. She'd spent a lonely and miserable night sleeping in spurts until finally her exhaustion had worn her down.
Kosmas meant what he said. He had no intentions of apologizing, and he wasn't the type of man to back down. She could either accept it and move on, or she could simply continue on as she had, bitter and standoffish. Kosmas would never let her leave him, not that she'd considered it anyhow. The thought of not having him in her life was unbearable.
When Cara had arrived to dress her, she hadn't shown up empty handed. She'd also brought along the gifts that Keely had wanted, although they hadn't come easy. Fortunately for Keely, Cara was dating a guard that accompanied the crew on the trips to pick up new concubines. It was through him that she'd been able to arrange for the gifts she'd wanted for her mate.
But the events of the prior night had ruined the holiday for her. How could she give them to Kosmas, when everything had turned so sour between them? Would he even accept them? Even if he did, it wouldn't be what it could have been. She missed the man she'd fallen in love with. Would they ever be able to find their way back to what they'd once shared?
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