She sat up in front of us and ran her hands up his thighs. “Why is he like that? So aroused?”
“Our blood can act as lubrication—and aphrodisiac. If you smeared yours on him he’d probably come on the spot.”
He bit me harder, either a slight punishment for doubting his control—or an encouragement. He wanted much more than I was giving him.
I fisted my hand in his hair and gave his head a hard jerk back, locking his head against my shoulder. Her eyes flickered with surprise, maybe a touch of alarm at the show of force. “Feed, my queen. See how long he can take us both touching him before he comes.”
She lightly trailed her fingers down his chest, making him shudder against me. She grazed the tip of his straining cock and a growl trickled through his lips. She hesitated, looking up at me, not him. I twisted my hand in his hair harder and thrust deeper, harder, sinking balls deep into him. “Don’t worry, my queen. I’ve got him. Torment him all you want.”
Wrapping her hand around his dick, she squeezed him, slowly drawing his length through her fingers. Daire struggled in my arms, his breathing ragged, even muffled against my arm. The more she touched him, the harder he fought me. He was stronger, now. I felt his warcat hissing and growling with anger, pacing inside the confines of his body. The warcat wanted to mate his queen. Now. Mark her with teeth and claws and blood.
But I was stronger too. My muscles swelled with power. Molten rock slid beneath my skin, hot hard stone waiting to explode. He reached back, tearing at my shoulder, and claws shredded my skin, not fingernails.
She gasped, hesitating. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think he’d hurt you.”
I laughed roughly and grabbed his arm, twisting it hard behind him. “I’m not hurt, my queen. This is foreplay. Daire likes me rough and mean. He likes to hurt. Don’t you?”
Shara slowly backed away, sitting back against the pillows. Daire sagged against me, his fight and desire bleeding away in a surge of worry and fear through our bond. Last night, we’d been so focused on bringing her pleasure, and coming into our mutual powers, that she hadn’t really seen us at our worst. Our most… real. Unpolished, raw, desire in all its violent and gory detail.
Daire liked me to hurt him, and yeah. I liked to hurt him. We liked to fight and struggle while we fucked. And I always. ALWAYS. Won. That’s the way it was.
But if our half-human queen objected…
I held him closer, more shaken than I cared to admit.
I didn’t want to lose what I had with Daire. Even if I gained our queen.
“Go ahead,” she whispered huskily. She ran her tongue across her bottom lip and Daire whimpered. “Show me some more.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Shara
I felt their indecision, a sudden trembling of uncertainty and yes, fear in our bond. They were afraid they’d offended me. It would have made me laugh if I wasn’t so turned on.
Alrik stared at me, stricken at the thought of losing Daire, and it made me want to cry. “I’d never make you give him up. Why would I?”
He blew out a deep, shaking breath. Daire twisted his head around, rubbing his face on his throat. Silently asking for comfort. For his love.
“Other queens might not be so… understanding.”
I shot a glare at him and fluffed up my pillows, making sure I had a good view. “Fuck other queens. I’m your queen now. And I want to see you fuck him. Fuck him exactly as you want, as you always do. I want to see what you both like. What you need. So I can give you the same.”
Relief flooded our bond, followed by a tidal wave of lust. Daire lunged at me and almost escaped Alrik’s grip, but he hauled the other man back by his hair.
“I will,” Alrik growled in a graveled voice more rock troll than man. “If you touch yourself while I fuck him. It’ll drive him wild.”
I guess it was only fair. I wanted to watch them have sex. They wanted to watch me.
I drew my legs up, spreading my thighs. Daire made a low sound like a whimper and twisted in Alrik’s grip. He licked his lips, remembering what I tasted like. I’d been ridiculously close to coming earlier. A few strokes of his tongue had me quivering on the edge of an orgasm. It was embarrassing, actually, how wet and eager I was. My fingers trembled as I touched myself, praying I wouldn’t come immediately.
Alrik shoved Daire’s shoulders lower. His right hand gripped Daire’s hip so hard his skin dented, his other forearm braced across his shoulders. He plunged deep, impaling him so hard Daire’s breath whistled out and he braced his elbows on the bed, pushing back against him. Alrik thrust again, harder, making the bed thump against the wall. I couldn’t believe he took him so hard, almost violently, but it was so hot. Listening to the way their flesh smacked together, their deep pants and groans. It was so… Raw.
Delicious.
Climax roared through me, making me cry out.
“Fuck, Rik, at least let me taste her.”
“You’ll do more than taste her. You’ll make her come again.”
Panting for breath, I scooted back down closer to them, but I didn’t want Daire’s mouth on me. I wriggled between his braced elbows and reached for his cock.
“Oh fuck,” he panted. “I don’t think I can stand that.”
His hair tumbled down over his forehead but couldn’t conceal the dark, hungry look in his eyes. Sweat glistened on his cheeks and ran in rivulets down his chest. I wrapped my legs around his hips and worked myself onto his dick. Alrik helped, moving him lower, closer, so I could take his whole length, and stopped that ferocious pounding.
Daire’s chest heaved against me, every muscle trembling.
Alrik bent low over his back, pinning him against me. “Don’t come until our queen has her fill.”
I thought he meant until I came again, and maybe he did, but he also meant blood. Because he dragged his fangs across Daire’s throat so I could feed from him too.
Blood dripped onto my breasts, each drop like liquid sunlight sizzling my skin. I hooked my arm around Daire’s neck and levered myself up so I could get my mouth on the wound. Alrik thrust deep, shoving Daire deeper into me, making us both moan. It suddenly dawned on me that he was fucking us both, even though he wasn’t inside me. He used Daire’s body to give me pleasure too. He ground hard against Daire’s buttocks, which pressed his pelvis against my clit. I arched against them, circling my hips, driving our need higher. Blood burned on my skin. Alrik’s. Daire’s. Their blood flowed together, mixing into a combustible intoxicating blend on my skin that made me rub my breasts against Daire, smearing him too.
“It burns,” I gasped. Even as I wanted more of their blood. It felt like hot wax dripping onto my skin. I could only imagine what it’d be like to have them coat me head to toe in their blood.
“Yes,” Alrick growled out. Through our bond, I saw an image of me, coated in blood like something from a horror movie. It pushed me over the edge. I threw my head back, my throat hurting with the cry of release that ripped from my lungs. Daire took that invitation and sank his fangs into my throat. Another wave of pleasure pounded through me. Through him. Through Alrik. Like dominoes.
Gasping, we lay together, the three of us still entwined while we recovered. Sweat and blood and semen scented the air. I breathed deeper, taking them into my lungs.
Daire licked his punctures in my throat and made a pleased hum against my skin. “That was… incredible.”
“Except Alrik didn’t feed.” He’d fallen off a bit to the right, his face planted in the pillow beside me. At my words, he stirred, but didn’t lift his head. “Rik? Do you need my blood?”
He turned his head enough to smile at me, his eyes dazed and dark with pleasure, still high on sex and endorphins. “That’s the first time you’ve called me Rik. I like it,” he said before I could ask. “Later, my queen. I’m fine at the moment. How do you feel? Did you get enough blood from us?”
“I don’t know.” That made both men scramble up like I’d goosed them with a cattle prod, the
ir brows furrowed. Laughing, I sat up and pointed down at the pillows. “Both of you lie down. I want to look you over.”
Two big muscular bodies stretched out on the mattress for my perusal. I climbed over Daire so I was between them. I picked up Alrik’s injured arm and licked the still bleeding slash Daire’s teeth had torn into him. “Will this heal?”
“It’ll be gone by morning,” he rumbled, his eyes heavy even though we’d just fucked each other senseless. “Let me—”
“No,” I broke in. “This is enough.”
I probed the jagged edges of the wound with my tongue and he groaned, but not with pain. I closed my eyes, gripping him in my teeth, pretending that I’d been able to bite him like this. That I had made this wound.
I tried not to share how afraid I was that I’d never be able to bite them, but the bond held no secrets. He drew me down against his chest and kissed my forehead. “You will,” he whispered. “I have no doubt.”
“Just your luck that you found the last Isador heir, who’s half human and doesn’t even have fangs.”
Daire cuddled into Alrik’s side, looping his arm over my back. “Our virgin vampire queen needs no fangs to keep us happy.”
I snorted, rubbing my nose against Alrik’s chest hair. “I’m not a virgin any longer.”
“But you’re our vampire queen. And you will be able to mark us. I have no doubt.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alrik
Before waking our queen, I watched her sleep for several moments. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her skin smeared with drying, flaking blood. She had one arm up over her eyes, even though it wasn’t bright in this room. How could it be with no windows? It was as if her body knew it was full day outside and was still shielding itself. She had one leg out from beneath the sheets, but kept the rest of her body covered. Not from chill, since I’d noticed she was rarely cold. She’d only wanted the leather jacket because we’d had one and she loved the smell and look.
I set the cup of coffee on the nightstand and carefully sat on the edge of the bed. At least we hadn’t destroyed this one. Through the bond, I felt for her mind, trying to see how close to waking she might be. If she was truly exhausted and wanted her rest, I’d leave her to sleep the rest of the day. We had no pressing needs. Just a desire to treat our queen like the extremely wealthy and previously neglected young woman who’d not yet enjoyed the privilege that her wealth and birthright provided.
She felt far away, as if she’d traveled a great distance in her sleep. I laid my hand on her arm, using the physical to connect to the metaphysical.
I was suddenly in her dream. A silent watcher in the shadowed night.
She stood at the iron gate, fully illuminated by the large security light, her arm stretched through the bars, reaching for something outside. Calling.
Darkness stirred. Something evil. I could feel its hunger and dark rage. She could too, but she wasn’t afraid. She didn’t yank her arm back or step away from the flimsy gate. I smelled her blood, saw it dripping down her wrist to dot the snow with crimson. Each drop hit the ground and roses burst up in full glorious bloom, their perfume covering the stench of the monster on the other side of the fence.
“It’s all right,” she crooned to the thing like it was a baby and she wanted to cuddle it. “I’m here to free you.”
Chains rattled and teeth gnashed like clanging swords. A massive shadow stretched toward her, drawn by her blood and sweet spirit.
I lunged forward, but I didn’t think I was going to make it. I could see the red glare of its eyes. Those vicious teeth nearing her flesh.
Gasping, I jerked out of the dream and pulled her with me. I had her on my lap, pressed against my heaving chest. Daire came running, though I didn’t know if I’d shouted for help or if he’d felt something through our bond. He charged into the room, ketars on each hand ready to slice whatever threatened us into tiny pieces.
“What?” She cried out, looking around wildly. “What’s wrong? Are they here?”
I clutched her hard, trying to settle myself so I didn’t alarm her further. “You were dreaming.”
“Dreaming? Then why are you so alarmed?”
I forced myself to loosen my grip on her, but I held Daire’s gaze so he would know the extent to which we needed to guard our queen. Even in her sleep. “Do you remember the dream?”
She was silent a moment. “I was outside. Calling to something on the other side of the fence.”
“Yes. Something that was… evil.”
Her head tipped to the side, and I felt her sifting through her memory of the dream. “It wasn’t Greyson, the monster that killed my parents. Was it?”
“I don’t think so. At least I didn’t recognize him or sense him. This was something else entirely.”
She shrugged and sat up, reaching for the cup of coffee. I resisted the urge to clutch her tighter, refusing to let her go. “It was just a dream.”
“Nothing is just a dream for you, my queen.” Daire removed the ketars and hung them on his hips. “The goddess gave you many powers. Walking the nightscape in dream form is one of them.”
I didn’t have to warn him that we had to start guarding her dreams as well as her waking moments. If she managed to call something evil like that to her side, even in her dreams, we had to be ready to defend her.
She sipped the coffee with a pleased hum that made me go rock hard in my jeans despite my fear for her safety. “I wasn’t scared. Not like the monsters.”
“That doesn’t mean this thing you called wasn’t as dangerous.” Maybe it was my lingering fear, but I pressed my lips against her shoulder and inhaled her scent. She smelled so good, warm and sweet and somehow luxuriously sexy. I wanted to rub on her like Daire’s warcat and make sure she carried my scent. “You will be calling Blood to your side. Let’s not call up a bunch of nightmare creatures that are just as dangerous as the thralls.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” she giggled. “Nightmare creatures like a rock troll and a warcat. Mustn’t call up anything else.”
Daire went down to his knees in front of us and rubbed his face against the tops of her thighs. “We thought to take you shopping but I’m starting to think that was a bad idea.”
I agreed. Wholeheartedly. But our queen stood, gently pulling away.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
I followed on her heels, still hungry for her scent. Her skin. Her warmth. I wanted to bury myself in her all over again. I laid my forehead against the door, waiting for her to come back out.
“Are you all right?” Daire whispered. “Rik? Rik!”
“What?” Something poked me in the back. Hard. I jerked my head up and glared at him, my lips twisting in a snarl.
“Something’s wrong with you.”
I shook my head, trying to shake the rage crawling through me. It felt like millions of fire ants marched through my veins. “Does she smell different to you?”
“Not different. Just… tasty. Like I’m not going to be able to get my fill.”
“Yeah.” I blew out a sigh and dragged a hand through my hair. “Maybe it was that dream. Fuck, Daire, you should have felt that thing she was calling out of the night. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
The door opened and she jumped a little, her eyes widening to see us standing there. Then her eyes narrowed on me, which made me guiltily back up a step. “That’s creepy.”
“Forgive me, my queen. I’m feeling… unsettled.”
“I used that trick you showed me to clean my clothes, but I still think I want a nice long bath tonight.”
“As you wish, of course.”
She hesitated, watching me, and I wanted to drop to my knees and plant my face against her stomach. “A little space would be good.”
I suddenly realized I was completely blocking the door. No wonder she stood there looking at me strangely. I ducked my head and stepped aside, letting Daire take over the small talk. He’d made breakfast, but all she wanted was coffee. She sat on
the leather couch in the sitting room and pulled her knees up to her chest. Her cheeks looked a little pale to me. I wanted to touch her forehead, search our bond for any ailment, but I’d already alarmed her with my possessiveness.
Daire rattled off a list of shops we intended to take her to, asking her frivolous questions to make her laugh. The more he flirted and giggled with her, the more silent and grim I became. She needed that lightness. I got it. He’d be able to tease and coerce her where I would only make her dig her heels in, even if in the end, the result was the same.
It wasn’t like me to feel so… jealous. Petty. Shame tightened my throat, which only made me feel worse. I was her alpha Blood. I had to act like it. I had to use her other Blood to their best advantage. Even if that meant I was excluded. It’d never bothered me before.
Daire’s flirtatious mischief hadn’t offended me in the slightest last night.
But right now…
I wanted to fucking rip his head off.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Shara
I didn’t really want to go shopping, especially this close to Christmas. The streets and shops would be packed and I’d never been comfortable around lots of people. I didn’t think that feeling would suddenly dissipate just because I’d discovered I was Isis’s last heir. But Daire was so excited to take me somewhere new, and yeah, part of me had to admit I was curious how it’d feel when I could walk into any store I wanted and buy anything that caught my fancy without batting an eyelash.
Alrik, on the other hand, had turned into a granite lump without shifting into his stone troll. I wasn’t sure what was the matter with him. He’d been appalled by my dream. Maybe I’d unconsciously broken some terrible rule by calling the creature. I hadn’t meant to. I just felt it out there. Alone, wild, tormented, enraged. I could feel it screaming in silent agony that no one could hear but me. How could I not reach out to it and try to help?
Queen Takes Knights (Their Vampire Queen Book 1) Page 11
