by Alice Wade
She wanted more. Lainey was bolder now and made small circular motions, finding the one spot which generated that gut warming sensation and caused her legs to twitch like a dog being scratched. Never before had she felt anything like this and urged on the rapidly building release. Water sloshed against the rim of the tub as her orgasm flooded her senses. She moaned a long, slow torturous sound as she was dragged to heaven and back.
When she recovered, she found she had slid so far down into the water that only her face was exposed. It felt good to be this relaxed and could feel another burst of desire building even before the last one faded. She didn’t hesitate this time, found a different spot to massage, and quickly lost herself in her self-inflicted pleasure.
She was so caught up in her own sensations that she missed the tingle which brushed her mind announcing Dace’s approach. She was too focused that she wasn’t aware he stopped outside the bathing room when he heard her moans and rested his head against the wood, debating on whether to open the door.
* * * *
Dace had followed blind instinct to the bathroom and had skidded to a stop with the first sound. He would have known that sound anywhere. She was inside this room and he was tormented with the need to join her, but he couldn’t. He would not go against Talon’s order again. Swearing, he pounded his forehead against the wood in frustration...this was difficult. Now that he’d found forgiveness, he was driven to touch her. He wanted desperately to strip down and slide into the warm water with her. Dace groaned. She was in there, naked and alone. That thought caused his breath to catch and suddenly it was difficult to take a deep breath. He could only imagine her hands washing her skin, touching her body. His groan turned to agony. He wanted her.
* * * *
Lainey used her other hand to caress her swollen body. In all her years, it amazed her that she had never explored down here before. Now, she let her fingers feel the different layers, each of a different texture.
Next, she slipped a finger inside while she continued to massage her clit and she didn’t even try to mute the joyous cry that followed. Her body was slick with her own need and as she shamelessly inserted another finger and stroked in earnest.
Water from the tub splashed out as the ferocity of her release exploded. This time a feral growl erupted forth, but she no longer cared. The only thing on her mind was generating another orgasm. Wave upon wave of bliss thrashed through her senses abating the pent up desires slightly. The water was still warm and she had nowhere to go, so with a naughty gleam in her eye, she knew she would be doing this again until she felt her urges gone.
* * * *
Dace nearly broke down the door when he heard her release. Damn it! He should be the one doing that to her and he was immediately aroused that she was masturbating. His trousers suddenly became painful as his erection throbbed to a massive size. Screw Talon. He was going to go in there and confront her. Screw them all for that matter.
His hand was on the door handle and in the act of pushing it open when Talon suddenly appeared from around the corner.
“Bad idea.”
Dace cursed turning to face the approaching vampire. “Screw you. You forced me to see my true feelings and now that I do, I don’t want to avoid her.”
Talon shook his head ever so slightly and said again, “Bad idea. Leave her be. At least until she hunts for the first time. Then you can embark on that quest and see if she’ll accept your apology.” Talon rested his shoulder on the wall as he watched Dace. He even leaned down to look the man in the eye to get his point across.
Dace closed his eyes in utter despair. “Why not just let me hate her so I wouldn’t feel this intense pain of separation?”
His eyes pinched tight when Lainey screamed again in pleasure. Dace jerked his eyes open wishing he could see through walls to watch her come down from her high. He laughed, for he must have presented an image of a crazed man, ready to break down the door at any moment.
“Leave her be. She just fed and the infusion of that amount of blood always sets off a fire of sexual need. She’s just learning how to deal with it. Leave her alone.”
Dace rested his forehead against the door and cursed violently, this time with more color. He found Talon watching him still and growled, “Damn you.”
The vampire laughed at his predicament, “You’ll thank me later. She’s still vulnerable and if you charged in there, you could do more harm than good.”
Talon felt pity for this human and decided to cut him give him a break. He could see Dace loved her, knew that in the lowest part of his soul. That was the reason he’d lost his temper with Dace yesterday for the way he treated Lainey. Talon needed proof that Dace had worked through his demons in order to be a good mate for his ward. Seeing Dace’s desperate attempt to refrain from entering the room, he decided he’d seen enough.
Talon smirked and crossed his arms watching the human, “I’ll let you know when she’s ready. She excelled in her lessons today, so I think I’ll take her hunting sooner than expected. Hang in there one more day, that’s all I ask.”
Dace eyed him suspiciously. He searched Talon’s face for any sign he was being toyed with, but found only sincerity.
“Fine. I’ll give you one more day, but after that, I make up my own mind in this matter.” Dace tried to curb the bitterness he felt at being denied. “I won’t wait longer, are we clear?” He waited for Talon to give him one single head nod before he pushed off the wall and stormed off towards the stairs leading to his room. After this experience, he planned on staying until he was given the green light to see Lainey.
Talon watched him go. Inside the room, he heard Lainey working herself up again and decided to stand guard in case anyone tried to enter. This was her first experience with the sensations and he wanted to allow her the privacy to master these urges.
When Talon felt her first release, he guessed Dace would be drawn to her desire subconsciously. He wasn’t wrong. What was worse was that she loudly broadcast intense sexual thoughts to any receptive male in the proximity of this inn. Dace may not be a vampire, but he was in love with one, which made him more sensitive to her mood swings. If another man tried to approach, he’d probably kill them.
When Lainey released more of her pent up energy, Talon groaned. She was powerful and really needed to block her thoughts. He approached the door without entering and said into her mind, “Block, Lainey. You are causing every male in one mile radius to suddenly become horny. “
“Oops. Sorry!” She said mortified.
“Don’t be sorry, just block. Carry on.” Talon placed his back against the wall and slid down until his buttocks collided with the floor. There he sat on guard for at least another hour before a much more relaxed and satisfied woman emerged only to squeak in surprise when she saw him sitting all smug before the door.
“It’s all right. I was just standing guard to ensure no one disturbed you. Feel better?” He cocked his head to the side and didn’t try to mask his amusement.
Lainey turned bright red and covered her face with her wet towel. “The bath refreshed me yes.”
“You know that is not what I’m referring to,” he had counted numerous releases before she finally called it quits.
“Do you have to be so blunt?” She tried to walk away but his long legs and fast pace caught up with her escape before she got too far down the hall.
“Why are you ashamed?” This was a curious reaction and now he was intrigued.
“I really don’t want to talk about what I just did in there,” she pleaded with him with a look that spoke volumes on her level of embarrassment. “To answer your question though, yes it helped.”
“Then that’s good.” He collected her into an embrace by draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling her tight to his body. “I’m glad. You will learn to control the sexual urges in time, but for now I’
m glad you’ve found a way to release that energy.”
Lainey just groaned in humiliation that he kept talking about it. “Can we let it go now?”
Talon laughed and said, “Sure.”
They arrived at their room and entered, closing the door behind them for the rest of the afternoon.
Chapter Seven
Lainey tracked her target through the streets from her position high up on the roof tops. She could tell it was her man by the steady beat of his heart, but nothing more.
Talon woke her earlier that morning with an announcement that since she’d done so well with her first few feedings, he was taking her hunting. Today, after dark, they would go out.
As the full moon rose in the dark, starless sky, they walked the roof tops, waiting for the scent of one human below to catch her attention.
“Do you still smell him?” Talon asked from a few feet away. He had hunted first so she could watch him in action. Now it was her turn.
“Yes, but I hear him more.” Lainey had not removed her gaze from the streets below and could see her target now. A burly man, probably a miner, broad and full-bodied. “Should I be concerned about weight?”
“Nope. Sniff him again. If you smell anything sour, that will mean something is wrong with his health.” When Lainey looked over her shoulder at him, obviously confused by that, Talon added, “Tainted blood, deficiencies in any number of elements, bad heart…you name it. You will know.”
“Ahh, I see. He smells like…” she paused, struggling for a word to describe what she experienced, “…like candy.”
Talon chuckled in her head and gave her a mental hug, “He smells right. Can you see him below?”
Her eyes traced the decrepit streets below, “Yes, he is heading for a tavern.”
“Let’s move then. I don’t want you drinking intoxicated blood later. Follow me.” Talon shimmied across the roof and down a pipe. She stared at it dubiously, thinking it looked too unstable to climb down. . “Just do what I do and you’ll be fine. You are no longer human, so let your human fears go. Come.”
She did and felt a flush of excitement that she was actually doing it. Both of them were on the street in a matter of seconds and walking behind the man as he sauntered towards the tavern. “Call out to him; get his attention somehow but be ready with your coercion for right when he turns.”
“Excuse me sir? Sir? I need help!” she called gently, jogging towards the man. He whirled around with surprise clearly written on his face. Lainey threw her ‘net’ and immediately calmed him, which allowed her to approach. “Now what?”
“Direct him towards that alley over there.” He motioned with his head.
“I have a situation over here and I’ve been waiting for a strong man like you to come along. Can you please follow me?” She quickly walked ahead of this man, shaking her ass with every step to make herself look sexy. He reacted to her stunning sensuality immediately.
Talon chuckled from his secluded spot when this man went so far as to adjust his erection when he didn’t think Lainey could see. “You are being cruel, child.” Talon said in a mental voice full of amusement. “The poor man probably thinks you want to have sex with him.”
She sent back a mental smile but could not hold back the nervousness permeating her. She was terrified of making a mistake and messing this up. She was starving and the knowledge that her food source was moments away had her instincts to feed override her fears. Swallowing a few times out of habit, she felt her thirst burn the back of her throat at an almost painful level.
“Lainey, you’ll do just fine. Just do what you’ve done to me, and you’ll do it perfectly. Relax.”
Lainey cast a worried eye at her mentor, “I’ll try. Can you honestly tell me you weren’t terrified your first time?”
He shrugged, “I don’t remember, but you’re probably right. My point is just have a little faith in yourself. You’ve shown me you can do this, so just do what you’ve been doing.”
“All right.” She didn’t slow down or turn until she felt they were concealed well enough away from prying eyes. She stoked her victim’s mind again with a calming coercion, watching as his expression glaze over. That told her she could set her more primitive side free and she stalked towards the docile man as the very image of a hunter. As she stalked past a window, she paused at what reflected back: a wild creature with glowing green eyes with wickedly sharp fangs. If she weren’t so hungry, she’d probably have laughed at her own reflection, but the pull of the man’s heart was intoxicating.
“Excellent, dear. Now feed. Find the vein and the thickest flow and enjoy.”
“Talon?”
“Yes?”
“Would you monitor and tell me when to stop in case I miss the signs?”
“Of course. That’s why I’m here with you now.”
He felt her relief and found it hard not to smile at her innocence. She was charming. He was glad they got her when they did or Kaen would have turned her into a ruthless killer. At least he and Kailani were more civilized and were teaching her these things before she grew up completely. Vampires, who learned bad habits young, were near impossible to correct later.
Talon watched closely as she pulled this man down to his knees. She moved his jacket and shirt collar out of the way and her petite hand caressed his neck. Her touch was sensual and feather-light, finding what she was looking for in the healthy pulsation of his neck. She wasted no time in biting into the vein and drinking the much-needed blood—her first human blood—into her body.
That same vibrating purr shook from her chest. She didn’t care if anyone was around and had a fleeting thought Talon would take care of it if someone heard. Lainey drank her fill and at the exact moment Talon would have told her to stop, she pulled back, then licked the wounds closed. One last parting kiss on his neck removed the memory from his mind. Stepping back, she looked at him one last time then ran quickly back to Talon and flew into his arms in a congratulatory hug.
“That was perfect. Utterly perfect.” He looked down into her beaming face and smiled. “How did it feel?”
“Absolutely amazing. Thank you for teaching me. I’m not sure I would have figured this out on my own.”
He hugged her again. “I would never have allowed you to be alone. Kailani either.”
“I owe everything to you two. Kaen would still have me, and I’d be a violent version of myself, wouldn’t I?”
“Most likely, yes. I won’t lie. He is notorious for turning good people into killers. Something Kailani vowed would never be allowed to happen. You obviously bewitched her from your first meeting. I still don’t know why she chose to help you after all our years of solitude. Are you full?” He detached her from his embrace and checked her well-being. She seemed satisfied. That man obviously had a healthy supply of blood.
“I’m good.”
“Excellent. Let’s get back then. The after affects will be stronger this time, now that you’ve fed from a human. I would rather be in the inn when your sexual drive kicks in, rather than walking the street. Otherwise, dear Lainey, I would need to beat off every man in this city.” He chuckled as he spoke.
“It’s going to be worse?” That worried her. The first time she fed from him, she was overcome in the bathtub. “Good lord, how can it be worse?”
He laughed. “Trust me. It will be worse. I may just have to lock you in your room till it passes, or you will want to go find a willing man and ravage him.”
Lainey blushed and looked away. “That bad, huh?”
“Yes, that bad. Come, let’s get back before it starts so I can barricade you inside.” His laugh was deep and comforting, but she clearly heard his amusement.
Together they climbed back up the pipe and ran confidently across the rooftops. She marveled at her sure-footedness and chased after Talon until they rea
ched the intersection near home. There, she followed him again as he climbed back down and announced themselves to the sentries before entering the building. She resisted a smirk when he didn’t pause once inside, but instead went straight to their room where a beaming Kailani sat on the couch reading a book.
* * * *
Dace avoided Lainey since yesterday’s scene at the bathroom. Whenever she came outside her room, he fled so he would not be tempted to talk to her. That left a lot of time for him to think and firmly accept what he was about to embark on. He was about to take a vampire as his wife. He toyed with the bag he’d stolen from a small robbery he just returned from when he saw Talon leading her away. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait now that his mind was made up. Swearing softly, he roughed up his hair and leaned back to continue his watch for their return. This wait was killing him because he just wanted her back. He missed talking with her and he missed her laugh. Hell, he missed everything that was Lainey.
From his window, he watched Talon lead her off hours earlier and knew instantly they were hunting. For the past two hours he had sat at the window and waited.
Spying them below right now as they entered the building, Dace moved. He arrived at their room right as the door shut closed. Damn, he thought. Now what?
A chuckle from to his right caught his attention. He whirled around to find Adara watching him. “You look dejected. Just knock on the door and give it a try.”
He relaxed immediately. “What if Talon denies me again?”
“Then you try again tomorrow.” She gave him a warm smile before she entered her room. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” He mumbled before he knocked. Just as he was about to pound on the door, he felt that same pull from Lainey that he did yesterday and this time it was stronger. It felt like an itch, and the only way he was going to stop the irritation was to see Lainey. Tonight it felt like she was in need and she needed him.
