Talon

by Alice Wade

  She’d never really seen him as a vampire and the effects only amplified his beauty. Now she took a long hard look at him and regretfully admired his narrow face, slanted eyes and perfect bone structure which gave him an even more angelic appearance.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Cuilwen said, evaluating something at her feet. “I won’t lie and say I’m happy for you. You always were meant to be mine, but I’ll respect your wishes. I’ll not interfere.” When her face lifted, the emotions held at bay finally broke free, wetting her dark brown eyes with moisture. Not wanting him to see this, she ducked her head again, hiding behind her long blonde hair.

  He felt gutted. He saw she was upset and softened his tone, “I’m sorry. I have no intentions of hurting you; never have. If not for my stupidity, we would now be bonded.” In addition, I would never have met Kailani, he thought wryly. “I had hoped you would have moved on a long time ago.”

  “I always held out hope your father would recall you,” she whispered softly. She finally met his face, forcing herself to hold his gaze, which seemed to bore into her soul. She controlled her erratic heartbeat as she felt his unrelenting gaze.

  “Even if he did, I have a purpose now-one I cannot easily leave behind me.”

  “This Kailani shares this purpose with you?” Her voice gave a slight hitch.

  “Aye. She has been with me a very long time.” The more he spoke of his mate, the more his concern for her emotional state grew. Even though it most likely had only been minutes since he left, to him it still felt as it at least an hour had transpired. He knew Kai had felt his departure and most likely was upset.

  “I still hoped.” Cuilwen leaned her head against the door frame and watched his handsome face as he regarded her with regret clouding his blue eyes. “I should probably leave you now. Daerwen will not be pleased that I stopped by without permission.” Her cheek twitched at this then asked. “Am I still welcome to return later if I get permission?”

  “Of course.”

  A look of sadness caused the corners of her eyes to pinch and she delayed leaving. She desperately needed to hear him say he missed her as much as she had missed him, but it was clear he wouldn’t. For the past five hundred years, she had prayed for this exile to be lifted. She had held out hope he would eventually return. It was painfully obvious that it wouldn’t matter if it was. He was lost to her for good.

  “Until then.” Whoever this woman was, she must be spectacular if Talon was this obsessed. She swallowed the hot jealously at hearing she had been replaced and left.

  As he heard her finally walk off, Talon released an exaggerated sigh. What was he thinking of bringing Cuilwen back to help him? If his father agreed, he would need a team of people to keep Kailani from killing her out of pure jealousy and vice versa. He clearly read the disappointment in Cuilwen’s eyes, as well as, the longing that still burned strong. That spelled trouble.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kaen looked out over the crowd of people who had come to witness the royal wedding of Princess Deandra and sneered. Instead of having joyous thoughts, as most should have on their wedding day, his led down much more sinister paths. Normal people thought ahead to their wedding night and all the sexual pleasure to come, but not Kaen. His anticipation lay in the impeding moment when he could torture Ondre on the very table the king so preferred. Which would include using Ondre’s own tools to perform his execution.

  Cheers rang out from all around, and people threw rice while the supposedly happy couple walked down the amazingly long aisle towards the waiting carriage. “Well, that went well,” Kaen commented absently, settling in the plush velvet coach. He feigned a wave to the cheering crowd. Over and over they called, “Prince Kaen,” which only made him laugh wickedly. He was the furthest thing from princely there could be.

  The princess was despondent and slouched in her seat as she regarded the cheering crowd outside the carriage. “I suppose,” Deandra replied in a dull, flat voice, causing Kaen to glance at her in interest.

  Regardless of her shallow and vindictive nature, she was still a woman. She had grand fantasies of her wedding day and frankly, this just didn’t measure up. Like every girl born, she dreamt of love and devotion, something Kaen denied her. What was she expecting, really? Deandra forced her disappointment down and turned to him. “When do we begin the conversion, Kaen?” Her eyes looked demanding and bright.

  Kaen couldn’t help but accept she really was breathtakingly gorgeous, especially with her thick blonde hair piled high on her head and filled with tiny pearl encrusted pins. Laughing in response to her eagerness, he caressed her neck, tempting her. He pulled her to him as he lowered his mouth to hers in a greedy kiss that practically sucked the air from her lungs. “So demanding, Deandra. I think, my dear, that first we have a reception to attend. After that, we shall begin.”

  Kaen could not resist running his finger along the creamy white skin of her breasts which practically spilled out of the gown she wore. He could almost make out her nipple peaking out of the low cut bodice, concealing just enough to be considered decent.

  At his touch, her disappointment at the absence of love melted into greedy desire. Her labored breath was indicative of her arousal as he continued to run little circles over her nipple.

  “Have I told you look stunning?” Kaen said softly before he deeply kissed her again.

  It wasn’t much, but was something. Deandra sighed into his mouth at his endearment.

  He was getting more accepting of the choice he had made in Deandra. So far, she had proven herself to be quite the asset. She was the one who would lure her brother into a trap. It also helped the situation that she was pleasing to look at and entertaining in bed as well. She’d demonstrated an energetic and tolerance for his crueler tastes, something he required. She just wasn’t Lainey and because of that, he would never be fully engaged.

  Deandra was lost to his seductive voice. She felt her body melt as she saw the yellow twinge in his eyes announce his arousal. “So do you.”

  She chose a thick royal doublet in a rich black velvet that hid the majority of this tattoo. She selected black in order to compliment the drake that adorned his bald scalp. There was absolutely no way to conceal that without placing him in a hooded cape. Accentuating it instead seemed the better course of action. Because of that, he looked regal and yet dramatic at the same time.

  Kaen continued to stroke her now hardened nipple as his other hand massaged her neck, tilting her head back and to the side. As he leaned in closer, he inhaled her succulent scent and felt his fangs drop instinctively as they hovered just over her exposed jugular. “This will be one of the last times I enjoy your human blood. I’m afraid I’ll miss this dearly.”

  She made a soft moan as his teeth broke the skin and bit deep. As the carriage pulled away, her hands clawed into his velvet clad leg. To on lookers, he was enjoying the benefits of his new wife. To Kaen, he drank from her for the last time before converting her to be at his side for all time. As her sweet blood flowed into his mouth and over his tongue, Kaen couldn’t resist growling his appreciation and sucked more into his mouth.

  Deandra felt the rush of his venom race through her veins, a feeling now so familiar and incredibly arousing. She whimpered, forcing her sensual lips to part in pleasure as the heat of his venom set her blood on fire. He suckled her skin while he squeezed her breast through the bodice of her gown, teasing her to give into the sensations and shatter for him.

  “Kaen,” she moaned between ragged breaths which increased the longer he fed. “Oh, Kaen,” then Deandra felt the final rush and exploded without any stimulation other than the contact of his hand and lips.

  Her body trembled from the quakes claiming her, and the scent of her musky sexual release infused the cabin of the carriage. Kaen pulled back after tenderly licking her wound closed so as to not mar her perfect skin. “Yes?” His eyes
now blazed yellow, and his face was inches from her, sending shivers through her body as his breath caresses her skin.

  “Will that intensity go away once this is all over?” She regarded her vampire husband with heated hunger, as her head rolled to the side to see his flaring need in his eyes.

  “It will become so much more.”His lips kissed along her soft cheek to find the lobe of her ear, taking it into his mouth and biting gently with his fangs. He whispered, “So much more.”

  This new affection he felt for her surprised him. Lainey still dominated his thoughts daily and kept his cock in a rigid state, that had not changed. However, Deandra was most definitely a fine woman and one he enjoyed on a regular basis. Now he was going to be able to enjoy her decadent body as much as he liked. Then once he reclaimed Lainey, he would have the benefit of both women to entertain him for eternity.

  Deandra closed her eyes and enjoyed feeling his strong lips as they kissed lower down her throat to the flesh of her nearly exposed breasts. He hovered there, smelling her skin. The blood flowing just beneath tempted him with a powerful force. This sudden desire to feed again caused venom to drop off the tips of his fangs. Should he? One more time? Kaen’s urge to feed drove him to look up at her relaxed face as she leaned back recovering from the orgasm from his initial feeding and decided he didn’t care.

  Without warning, his fangs sank deep into her fleshy mound. He heard her sharp intake of breath before his venom calmed her. Deandra writhed under him as his mouth greedily drank. He realized he was taking too much from her and committed to making sure she replenished her supply before the conversion. She’d need all the blood she could produce.

  She gasped for air as he continued to drink. If she were not wearing such an elaborate gown, he knew his hand would be fondling her silken smooth sex and forcing this explosion to be violent. Instead he helped her along by molesting her mind with the most erotic images of what he would do to her body later, shoving her trembling into the abyss of her sexual release.

  “Oh, Kaen.” Deandra rasped out. “If it gets better than that, why do we have to attend the reception?” Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes fluttered while she regained her composure.

  “Because dear, you wanted a wedding, and a reception is part of it,” he teased. He then leaned back and straightened his doublet. When they passed through the city proper, his gaze kept scanning the people. He realized who he was looking for—Lainey. She was out there somewhere. It was only a matter of time before he would have both succulent women to pleasure him. Deandra would be the public wife and Lainey his private toy.

  His sultry smile turned wicked with malice when he looked back to Deandra. He anticipated her resisting the conversion. He had never been as tender or gentle as he was with Lainey and would not do so again. No, tonight she would be welcomed into the coven by ten of his most trusted men. Warwick in particular was drooling at the chance to sample her body and enjoyed her sweetness as she experienced what this type of conversation meant. That man was insatiable, but then again, so was he. Faelwen wasn’t much better and begged for a spot to participate in this turning.

  “What are you thinking about?” Deandra saw the shift in eye color to black. She watched him suspiciously with narrowed eyes. “I don’t like it when you get that look.” When he didn’t reply other than a nasty smirk, she reacted by sitting up quickly.

  “Nothing at all.” His tenderness from moments before was gone. He felt his cock twitch in his pants at the image of his coven feasting on her naked body as she screamed for reprieve. The coven would use her repeatedly, poisoning her blood to start the process. He envisioned this would be repeated until dawn when she was close to her final stages of conversion. At that point, she would feel the burning need to feed. Then he, and only he, would offer her his blood for the first time, making her his forever.

  Kaen reached out and touched her full lips that she held in a tight line in anger. The image of them suckled around his cock sent a wave of heat to his groin. Damn this woman was desirable, but definitely temperamental. She already acted more vampire than human. What kind of monster was he siring?

  “Damn you. Your eyes are almost black.” She wrenched her face away and scooted to the other side of the bench. “Don’t forget, you need me right now. Torturing me will not get what you want.”

  Her choice of words surprised him. Then he laughed and followed her. “Trust me. My thoughts haven’t anything to do with you,” he smoothly lied.

  She snorted, “Trust you?” Her gorgeous face turned to him feigning surprise, shifting immediately to a scowl. “Never. I know who you are, and I warn you again. Torture me and you don’t get what you want.”

  Kaen nearly barked a deep laugh in her face and bit back his amusement at her pathetic attempt to be his equal. He practically grinned with anticipation of showing her how very wrong she was. He would torture her, and he would get what he wanted in the end. He always did.

  The carriage slowed and the doorman was there to greet the newly married couple. “Welcome, Prince and Princess.” The man bowed deep before assisting Deandra from the carriage, where she waited for Kaen to extend his arm. They entered the ballroom, where seven hundred people loitered about waiting to be seated and whispering in hushed tones.

  All around the elaborately decorated ballroom, servants had outdone themselves to make the hall a mystical wonderland of purple and black decor. The color effect mixed with the ambient light from the numerous fires and torches around the room was stunning. Their service wasn’t done out of respect or devotion to their princess, but out of fear of retribution if they failed to please her or their king.

  Deandra took a moment to survey the expanse, smiling with pleasure. They had followed her orders to an exact measurement, placing thousands of candles of varying sizes around the room, on tables, and in the massive ornate chandeliers along the center of the room. That light reflected off the silver chargers and crystal stem ware set on the tables draped in flowing black linens.

  Her smile caused Kaen to look questionably at her. “What do you find so amusing?”

  “It looks wonderful in here. Look at the crystal. It’s practically glowing in the light from the torches, candles and fire.” For the first time since the ceremony began, she felt the magic of the moment and smiled radiantly at him. “Exactly what I wanted.”

  Looking back quizzically to the room, he disagreed. They had also gone overboard on draping long vines of wisteria in full bloom around the room, sending an obnoxiously fragrant aroma into the air and clogging his head.

  “What don’t you like?” She demanded, annoyed he wasn’t in awe of her skills at decorating.

  “I don’t particularly care for the flowers, my sweet and charming wife.” He whispered sarcastically.

  Her gaze darted to the branches she had whipped servants to collect. There was enough to drape across banisters, mantle pieces and window frames, so the room was a splash of purple and green.

  “It’s a little over the top, don’t you think? What, did you clear out the garden for this event?”

  Just like that, her magical moment shattered with his negative retort. She bit back a nasty reply choosing instead to follow him silently into the side room to await the last of the guests to arrive. It was customary for the newly married couple to wait until all were seated before making a grand entrance. “If it weren’t for what you are giving me as a wedding gift, I would not think twice about confessing your crimes to my brother.”

  “Such a temper, my dear.” Kaen was amused by her brisk emotional shift. Oh, he was going to enjoy antagonizing her for the next few hundred years for sure.

  Glaring at his amused smile, her arms crossed in anger. “It would be wise for you to remain silent until our guests arrive, husband.” Her reply rivaled his earlier sarcasm with the word ‘wife’.

  “As my lady wishes.” Kaen bow
ed in mockery and found a seat to wait.

  * * * *

  King Ondre took a separate carriage, seething in anger. Seething was actually a kind word to describe his actual feelings on the matter. Five days. This whole fiasco had been planned in five days! Deandra must have been making arrangements for this event for quite some time to pull this off. Her skills at subversion were outstanding, because she’d kept the plans from him and he’d only been informed yesterday of the ceremony today! Ondre slammed his fist against the wall of the carriage as his anger once more boiled to the surface. She’d gone too far this time.

  He’d only heard of it when the Heralds had ridden through the city proper, announcing the royal wedding. They had been dispatched before Ondre knew, so he could not stop their announcement. Sneaky little bitch.

  He thought he had more time, a month even, to figure out a way to bring all his distant relatives to court. Ondre’s hand smashed the carriage wall again when he thought on all those obnoxious relatives who had some claim to the line of succession to the throne. He’d need to tolerate them just in case there was some little accident that tragically removed Kaen and his darling sister. Hell, he’d even marry Marigail and legitimize her and his two daughters before he’d allow Kaen to ascend to king!

  Before he realized, the carriage slowed before the palace and his footman jumped down to open the door for his grand arrival. It was time to put on a pleasant face for his sister. Ondre groaned. He would be required to smile and congratulate the couple for the next few hours until he could finally slip away and confer with his contact regarding preparations.