by Alice Wade
His silent promise eased the anger brewing inside, and Kaen felt once more in control of the situation. Once he made up his mind, he made sure it happened. Yes, Lainey would eventually be his again. That alone gave him a calming comfort.
“Kaen?” Deandra asked in a groggy voice, heavy with sleep. She evaluated her lover with confusion.
With a sigh, Kaen pushed off the wall and stepped into her line of sight. Deandra held her breath as he approached her. She shifted her eyes down his body and felt a familiar stir in her groin as he moved towards the bed. Her imagination ran wild as she tried to recall the drake tattoo and suddenly craved seeing it.
Kaen laughed as he reached the bed, running his fingers through her long blonde hair and bit back a growl. It wasn’t blonde hair he craved, but black, curly hair. “You want to see my tattoo?” he snarled to shake the memory of Lainey from his mind.
“Yes,” she begged.
“I can rectify that for you.” His temper simmered. He knew it wouldn’t take much for his wild side to emerge.
He slowly removed his jacket and shirt, presenting the front of his body for her inspection. He purposefully kept his trousers and boots on to toy with her and knew he succeeded when her blue eyes flashed in annoyance.
“All of it,” she whispered, watching him with savage hunger in her eyes. Deandra made a rude sound when Kaen wouldn’t turn around. All she saw was the drake head on his scalp and the wings and talons on his chest. She wanted all of it.
“You’re lucky I’m in a mood to be so ordered,” he smirked and quickly found his boots and trousers joining his other garments in a similar heap on the floor.
“Much better,” she praised. “Now, what brings you to my room at this hour?” Deandra’s hand caressed in a trailing tickle down the center of his chest to his waist until she captured his erection in her warm hand. He vibrated at her touch, spurring her.
“I needed to be entertained, nothing more,” he said, whipping the blanket off her body to discover her completely naked beneath. His cock jumped and a wicked smile pulled his scar into a grimace. “What is this?”
“I hoped you would come by. When you didn’t return last night, I figured you were tied up. I hoped you would make it up to me tonight,” she said seductively.
She shifted her body as if to tell him she was his for the taking.
Oh, he took.
Kaen snarled as he descended upon her body, slithering over her naked form until he was stretched out long over her, pinning her to the bed. His erect member pressed against her stomach and his chest smashed against her breasts.
She exhaled. “What’s wrong?” Deandra learned long ago that when Kaen acted like this, she should take care.
“I’ve just had a very bad day.”
He didn’t want to talk about the destroyed dungeon or the flaying he received from King Ondre or the fact he lost over half of his coven in that little charade. No, that wasn’t why he was here. Slanting his head, he captured her mouth in a deep kiss that bordered on violent.
She accepted him, opening her lips and allowing his tongue to probe around and caress her mouth. Deandra allowed no other man to stake such ownership on her, but with Kaen, she was submissive. She was enthralled with the power that practically dripped off him.
Kaen’s hands pulled her tight by slipping under her back and lifting her off the bed by a few inches. Once he had a solid purchase, he tugged her to his body and kissed her deeply. He tried to pretend she was Lainey, but it was all wrong. The body wasn’t as subtle, the breasts not as firm. He inhaled deeply trying to remember Lainey’s scent and breathed in Deandra’s human scent. He nearly gagged. He just couldn’t find the level of passion he had experienced while converting the pixy faced woman.
Deandra, on the other hand, was immediately in the zone of erotic desire. She wanted Kaen and what he had to offer—longevity and the chance to look young forever. Because of her own selfish goal, she knew she was willing to do just about anything to remain beautiful and young. If that meant giving herself to a violent vampire, one who so clearly enjoyed torture and pain, then so be it.
“I’m yours for the taking,” she moaned as his lips trailed kisses down her neck and hovered over her jugular.
The scent of her blood, laced with her arousal intoxicated him. Kaen’s fangs dropped and he grazed over her skin leaving small red welts in their wake. “You don’t know what you offer.” Kaen nearly growled with satisfaction. He needed her to make the offer not the other way around. It needed to be believed she, the crown princess, would want to take him as her husband.
“I think I do,” she spoke her heady words while she arched her back, pressing her sensitive nipples into his chest at the same time she ground against his body.
He pushed up on his arms and away from her writhing body, a body that he considered perfect up until he touched Lainey. “Do you? If I take what I want, it could mean many things. Why don’t you tell me what you think this means?”
“If you convert me and take all I have to give, we get married. You kill my brother and take the crown.” She sighed, “He’s such a rake anyway that I care not whether he lives or dies. I only care that I’ll have my beauty.”
As Kaen looked deeply into her eyes, he realized he had underestimated this woman. She saw through his plans easily and came to the same conclusion without remorse. Motivationally, she was his match. Emotionally, he dreaded the thought of being tied to her forever.
“Deandra,” Kaen rolled away from her and lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling, “What an interesting idea.”
“Oh, please. Are you going to tell me you’ve not come to the same conclusion? You?”
His dark eyes pinned her as his incisors retracted. He said nothing.
“You did. What’s holding you back from implementing this?”
“What is holding me back is the reason I didn’t return last night.” He chanced that she desired long youthful life more than love. He wasn’t wrong. “I converted a woman whom has captured my soul.”
He read a flash of jealously in her eyes, and then she smiled wickedly. “Where is this woman?”
“Taken from me this morning, but I’ll get her back.” Kaen still watched the princess with a calculating stare, trying to read meaning from each muscle twitch.
“Taken, well now, how unfortunate.” She leaned up on one elbow and looked down into his scarred by gorgeous face, accepting. “So, I have to share then, so what. She can be your mistress,” she shrugged, “happens all the time and it is expected of a king.”
Kaen was so stunned by her statement that he didn’t resist as Deandra leaned down and kissed him firmly before she pulled back. “I’m yours for the taking. Just don’t make me wait much longer.”
He worked through this offer. It was his plan to implant this idea of a mistress anyway; eventually convincing Deandra this was the best option. Yet the fact she offered it freely, well it just made his plans that much quicker and he needed to prepare. Was he really ready to do this now or did he need to think about it?
Deandra lulled her head to the side, sending her blonde hair cascading over her skin, “We could be strong together. I’m not asking for your love, I’m asking for the power you give me access to. I want to be queen, but with Ondre on the throne, that is not an option.” She leaned in, “I can be just as ruthless as you when I want something.” To prove her point she snatched his deflated appendage in her hand and enticed him to firmness. “Now, can we please get back to the topic?”
Kaen’s mind reeled. He always viewed Deandra as stupid and shallow. He never factored in ruthless and cunning. As her hand worked him into a ready state, he watched her eyes. She spoke the truth. He read her mind and as she wasn’t holding back, she shared her thoughts freely. A secretive smile played on her lips when he touched her mind.
“Y
es, Kaen. I’ve been blocking my intentions from you in order to keep the knowledge to myself.”
He burst out laughing and collected her into his arms, pinning her tightly to his chest in a companionable embrace. The amusement he felt caused a brilliant flash of yellow in his eyes as he warmed to the idea of partnering with her more.
“You minx.”
“Yes.” She said between kisses. She continued to deliver slow caresses across his chest, taking small bites at his nipples that send shock waves through his body. “Now, take me.”
“I’ll not convert you tonight Deandra. I need to prepare for that. The change in your appearance will be apparent so we need more time to establish the cause.” Kaen looked into her upturned face and smiled, “But I’ll enjoy you now in other ways.”
Her face twisted into the smile of a predator, “Good. I think you will find that we could be good partners.”
“I’m seeing that. Up to now, I would have disagreed.” That was a fact.
Kaen forcefully rolled her onto her back by pressing down on her shoulders. He managed her struggle as she initially fought for control before Kaen felt her relax in his grasp. Kissing her again, he made another choice this night; he chose not to use coercions and see what he got now that he knew how devious this little minx could be.
Deandra gasped as his long strong fingers tickled her sex. This slight touch sent fire through her veins as he continued to stroke her tentatively. He was too tentative, too slow. “What are you waiting for?” she asked through clenched teeth. The torment of his delay was maddening.
“Patience, princess.” He purred, watching her closed eyed reaction to his touch. “You are very wet. Did you pleasure yourself before I arrived?”
One eye opened and looked at him without shame. “Am I required to answer that?”
Kaen laughed, “I smell your release, so am going to take your answer as yes, you did.” In a smooth motion, he leaned down and hovered his mouth over her breast, fangs instantly dropping at the proximity to food. With a slow and deliberate pace, he lowered farther onto the soft, luscious mound while at the same time he pushed two fingers into her core.
In unison, Deandra arched her back and released a viscous snarl shoving both her body onto his hand and her breast deeper into his mouth.
He wasted no more time and bit deep. The sensation of his fangs slicing through her flesh sent shivers through his body. He enjoyed this encounter very much and for a moment, he forgot Lainey. Only for a moment.
Venom raced though her blood. The explosion of the toxin taking immediate effect achieved her release violently. Without the coercions, Deandra felt every ounce of the fire that raced through her veins. She wanted more of this and screamed louder, enticing him to comply.
The scent of that release filled his nostrils, and they flared. He felt his control dangle on a dangerous ledge. One more temptation and he may let go and kill her. Lifting his head he looked down with eyes feral and completely black. “This game is dangerous tonight. I’ve had a very bad day.”
Her hips begged him not to stop and the rapid beating of her heart informed him of her arousal. “You need me too much. You won’t kill me.”
Kaen’s crazed eyes continued to evaluate her. She obviously understood the dangers and obviously didn’t care. The silly woman actually trusted him, which he found amusing. Tonight, he grudgingly conceded her trust wasn’t misplaced, but she best be careful, for he may not be so gracious in the future.
She moaned again. “You won’t kill me, so enjoy my body.”
He growled when he realized she was right. “I may not be able to control it.” The predator in him saw her as prey and he was in a dangerous mood to be playing with fire. The frustration of losing Lainey, the hit to his coven, and the loss of Ondre’s respect were enough to shake him at the moment.
“Be a man. Just get on with it,” she taunted, not understanding the effect those words would have.
What followed and continued through to the early morning hours was an unleashing of his pent up stress and anxiety. At one point, Deandra begged for mercy but Kaen didn’t relent. She’d asked for this and he delivered. If the princess wanted to play with vampires, she needed to learn what that really meant.
Kaen plundered her body, repeatedly marking her with his scent. He consciously refrained from allowing his venom to enter his seed, because he wasn’t in a position to convert her yet. Now wasn’t the time. Instead he chose to ravage her. Torment. Punish. She would learn to fear him one way or another. However, the more he gave the more she submitted. He sensed no fear from her only desire and that was a disturbing realization.
Deandra was a pleasantly shattered, beaten mess when they were through. Her lips were swollen from the rough kisses, her breasts were red from his repeated feedings and her inner walls sore from the almost violent actions related to his love making. She was mentally shattered as well, as this was the first time he has allowed her to remember and he didn’t dampen any of the thoughts. She barely had enough energy to turn her head as he crawled off the bed, but when she did, she laughed.
“I was right,” she whispered. “You didn’t kill me.”
He left her like that, used and satisfied. He was angry with her for her defiance, but he was also intrigued. Looking back at the stunning beauty who had passed out from the hours of sexual play, Kaen could only smile. Regardless of how angry he was, Deandra impressed him. It wasn’t every day that happened, and that dampened some of his annoyance.
She proved to be a clever player in this game, not some stupid puppet her brother thought her to be. With this new awareness, he could focus on putting this strategy into motion. That included hunting for Lainey and reclaiming the vampire he had sired. She ultimately belonged to him and he detested his things being stolen—especially by Talon.
As he transported himself back to his room, he realized how much better he felt and knew he could turn this around. Talon would not win this time.
* * * *
Lainey looked around the parlor of the inn they now lived in. She knew Dace wanted to purchase something like it with the proceeds of their activities over the past year. However, she wasn’t aware he’d found a location or that he had actually purchased it. This was impressive.
The building itself was five stories, with at least twenty rooms on each level, all equipped with the needs of day to day living such as furniture and kitchens. In this particular room, there was a large fireplace that now crackled with flames, filling the space with cozy warmth. Down the hall was a massive kitchen which could be used to prepare group meals and those for council meetings. The key was, this location wasn’t accessible by any other building so a breach from above was near impossible.
“Does this meet your expectations?” Dace’s voice startled her. She spun around and found him leaning with his arms crossed on the door frame. He wore a loose sleeveless jerkin, with no shirt beneath so his arms were bare. She vaguely recalled picking it out and felt a pang of regret.
This was the first time they’d spoken since she awoke earlier that day and this encounter had her heart beating faster than before. Lainey couldn’t move and watched him with large green eyes. Her curly, untamed hair framed her pixy face, threatening to obscure her vision.
Dace distantly noted she resembled a black cat now, the kind with those vibrant green eyes that seemed to pull you in. The kind who meant trouble.
“I found this one last week.” He looked around the room with pride, “I think I did all right.”
Lainey held her breath.
Dace looked utterly adorable with shaggy hair falling into his face, but she was terrified of this interaction. Even if he did start the conversation sweetly, she still felt a simmering anger beneath his words. He continued to lean against the door frame with his muscular arms crossed, trying to give a calm appearance. She knew better
. As his gaze returned to her face, his entire demeanor changed. Slowly, his lips tightened into a frown and his hazel eyes darkened.
“More than all right. This is perfect.” Her voice crackled with apprehension, and she continued to wait for the explosion she felt building. “How did you get the group to allow the vampires to stay here, though?” She suddenly winced, remembering she was one of them now.
Still holding his arms crossed defensively, he paused before answering. He struggled with his blinding anger and couldn’t quite let his guard down. “I talked with them before I left with Talon to rescue you and Kailani. You can imagine they were not thrilled but because Talon was helping to get you back, they couldn’t argue.”
“I see. And now?” Lainey needed to know if they would be sent away now that everyone knew she had been turned. She watched him closely. His jaw was so tightly clenched that his normally friendly face was pinched with bitterness.
Then he smiled sadly and pushed off the wall. His entrance didn’t bring him closer to her though. He walked to the opposite side of the room instead and paced, slowly gathering his thoughts.
“For now, you can all stay.” He held a long moment of silence before turning to her from across the room. “So, where does this leave us?”
The question caught her off guard, “I don’t know.” Her mind raced as fast as her heart. She mentally reached out searching for either Talon or Kailani. Both suddenly disappeared shortly after arriving to go hunting. She hadn’t seen them since.
“You don’t know.” He repeated. His face was a mask of pain. Then he unleashed, “Why did you leave in the first place?”
Lainey recoiled from the challenge in his voice. It was utterly painful to be in the same room with him and not be in his strong arms resting her head against his chest. Instead, she was reduced to staring at him from across the room in shock while trying to find the words to reply to his confrontation.
