Onset of Danger

by Aubrey Ross

  She crawled onto the bed and pulled Heath’s torso up until only his fingertips remained against the bed. She turned his head to the side and waited for Bronik’s first swing before she bit into the human’s neck. The belt connected with Heath’s ass and the human cried out, the harsh sound filled with wonder.

  “Thank you, Master. Please, again!”

  Eloise bit down hard with Bronik’s second swing. Heath screamed and waves of pleasure radiated off the human. His blood flooded her mouth, the taste unbelievably sweet. She drank deeply, her body hovering on the verge of orgasm.

  Suddenly Bronik grabbed the back of her hair and pulled her off Heath. His mouth covered hers and he shared Heath’s blood, his tongue sliding hungrily over hers. He pushed her onto her back and paused to look at the dazed human. “Thank you. Now go.”

  “Yes, Master.” He quickly gathered up his clothes and fled.

  Buzzing from the fresh influx of blood, Eloise arched and wiggled. She could barely keep her eyes open, yet she felt wild, not sleepy.

  Bronik ripped his clothes off, sending garments flying in every direction. He grabbed the backs of her knees and thrust his cock home in one forceful drive. She cried out, the sudden pressure enough to make her come hard.

  “Look at me.”

  She blinked several times then looked into his eyes.

  “Say my name.” His voice sounded gruff yet urgent.

  “Bronik.”

  He drew back then thrust deep. The impact sent echoes of her orgasm rippling through her abdomen. “Who am I?”

  “My…master?”

  “No. Who did you tell the human I was?” He rocked back onto his heels, pulling her with him.

  “My mate.”

  He stilled and his emerald-flecked gaze searched hers. “Is that how you think of me?”

  She licked her lips and returned his penetrating stare. If she admitted the truth, she gave him immense power over her. Yet deep in her heart she knew she could trust him. Even as his prisoner, he’d treated her with a dark sort of nobility. Bronik could be ruthless and brutal when provoked, but their link had allowed her to see the honorable man buried beneath his grim exterior.

  “I do.” She whispered the admission and closed her eyes.

  “No, don’t hide from me.” He framed her face with his hands and waited until she opened her eyes again. “I knew we were connected the moment I saw you. You were vicious and cruel and all I could think about was wrapping you in my arms. It was irrational but it was real. We were meant to be together.”

  She chuckled and relaxed, savoring the warmth as he smiled. “I felt it too, but then you were gone and I convinced myself that it was nothing.”

  He pulled his hips back and poured his emotions into her mind. “Does this feel like nothing?”

  She drew her legs up along his sides, opening herself without restricting his movements. He rocked into her and over her, driving the pleasure higher. She felt complete and loved for the first time in her life. She refused to analyze how and why. She just accepted that it was real.

  He rolled to his back, bringing her with him. She pushed against his chest and settled her weight on her knees. Now she had control over their movements. It was a luxury he seldom offered, which made the pleasure that much sweeter.

  Bracing her hands on his chest, she drew her body up his entire length, pausing with just his broad tip inside her. Then she looked deep into his eyes as she slid back down, impaling herself on his shaft. “That feels so good,” she murmured as she did it again and again.

  “Don’t hold back.” He found her clit with his fingertips and circled the sensitive nub. “Come for me. I love watching your face when it hits you.”

  She moved faster, squeezing him with her inner muscles and rubbing against his fingers. Tension built and pleasure flowed, physical sensations mixing with metaphysical emotions until she was dizzy and breathless. Her breasts bobbed, the nipples tight and tingling. She rocked over him, pulling up slow and slamming down hard.

  He reached up with his free hand and caught her nipple, pinching firmly as he said, “I told you to come.”

  The sharp sensation combined with his verbal command and her body obeyed. Her inner muscles rippled and pleasure pulsed, making her gasp and shake. The pressure eased on her nipple but he gently rubbed her clit, prolonging her release as long as possible.

  As the final wave ebbed, he lifted her off him and turned her around. She settled on her forearms and knees as he knelt behind her. Without a word, he collared her neck and urged her head down. Excitement welled within her, making her pussy ache all over again.

  He moved her legs wider apart and stroked her wet folds with a teasingly light touch. “You’re so wet.” He pushed several fingers into her and she moaned. “And so soft.”

  She’d just had a breath-stealing orgasm. How could she need him so badly again? His fingers moved in and out, the rhythm lazy. She rested her forehead on her folded arms and concentrated on the sweet slide. She had no idea how they’d managed to find each other, but she had no doubt the pleasure would never be this acute with anyone else. He seemed to know instinctively how to touch her, when she needed a stronger thrust or a sharper sensation.

  He flicked her clit with his other hand then lightly plucked the sensitive nub. Each time he released the bundle of nerves, sensations shot deep into her abdomen. He removed his fingers and held her open as he explored her with his tongue. He was bold and possessive, licking and sucking not only her pussy but her ass cheeks and the tightly puckered entrance to her back passage.

  His tongue pushed into her pussy and his fingers returned to her clit. He rubbed and pulled, alternating gently coaxing touches with firm pressure. She grasped the quilt beneath her as the urgency built. Raw and needful, she pushed back against his face, driving his tongue deeper into her core.

  His emotions flowed into her mind—dark hunger, lust and affection—but his need to dominate was unusually strong. Had watching her control the feeder unleashed these feelings? It was obvious he’d been turned on by her naughtiness.

  With a throaty growl, he wet his fingers in her pussy then circled her anus with his moistened fingertips. She tried to relax, to accept the invasion, but it felt odd and intrusive.

  “I want this.” He pushed his fingers deep into her ass.

  His voice was so harsh she hardly recognized him. She raised her head and looked back at him. “I’ve never—”

  “I know. I think that’s why I want it so badly. I want to share something with you that you’ve never shared with anyone else.”

  The naked longing in his eyes was her undoing. “All right.” She didn’t insult him by asking him to be careful. He obviously understood the challenge and would do his best not to hurt her.

  He withdrew his fingers slowly and tingles cascaded through her belly. This wasn’t the first time he’d breached her with his fingers. He loved to finger-fuck her ass while he sucked on her clit and the truth was she came harder with the added stimulation. She wasn’t afraid, just unsure and a bit apprehensive because of his size.

  The bed shifted as he crawled over to the nightstand and retrieved a bottle of lubricant. “This will help but we’ll have to go slow.”

  “I trust you.” She smiled and then lowered her head and returned to her earlier position. She couldn’t really see him now, could only feel what he was doing and his emotional responses.

  His finger pushed back into her, eased this time by the lube. It slid much more easily now, smoothly in and out, in and out. He gradually added a second finger and then a third, carefully stretching her body in anticipation of his thick shaft.

  “How’s that feel?” He kissed the small of her back as his hand continued its moderate shuttle.

  “A lot smaller than your cock,” she admitted.

  “Not as much as you’d think. My fingers are pretty big.” He moved his other hand between her thighs and resumed his circle-tug assault on her clit. The combination was staggering. H
er inner muscles clenched, which tightened her back passage around his fingers. Everything seemed to grow hotter and wetter as restless urgency built inside her.

  She pushed back onto his hand, needing faster, needing more. His fingers slipped free of her body but before she could adjust to the odd emptiness, he pushed into her with his cock. Her body stretched and stretched, stinging and burning for just a second and then he slid deep and her clit twitched against his fingers.

  For an endless moment she teetered on the razor’s edge between pleasure and pain. And then his fingers slowly pulled on her clit and pleasure exploded inside her. He thrust deep fast then pulled back slowly, drawing the sensations down through her body. She gasped and lights blinked behind her eyes, then he thrust into her again and another burst of pleasure took her breath away.

  His hands gripped her hips and he moved in and out with long, smooth strokes. She’d never felt so full and yet so empty. Her cunt tightened with rhythmic spasms, which only accented the fullness in her ass. It was confusing and amazing and she embraced the new pleasure without reserve.

  By the time her body adjusted to all the new sensations their link was vibrating with Bronik’s pleasure. She focused on what he was feeling, fascinated by the new perspective. The grip of her ass was so tight it was nearly painful. He arched his back and gripped her hips, forcing himself not to pound into her with savage demand. He growled, fangs burning as bloodlust unfurled within his sexual urgency.

  “Yes.” She pushed up with her hands, bringing her neck and shoulders closer to him. “Bite me. I want you to.”

  He arched over her, his thrusts short and staccato as he pressed against her back. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her shoulders up, the awkward angle forcing her to depend on his strength for stability. One of his hands moved down and cupped her mound as the other angled across her chest. He drove even deeper into her ass then dragged his tongue across her shoulder.

  She cried out from surprise not pain, but a nanosecond later his fangs stabbed into her shoulder and she screamed. Pleasure and pain inundated her body, triggering another intense orgasm. She shook against him and convulsed around him, her body suspended just off the bed.

  His mouth released her shoulder and he lowered her until her hands touched the mattress then he started to move again. The pronounced slide of his shaft inside her kept the waves of sensation crashing over her. Her voice sounded raw and her head spun, but she couldn’t stop arching to take him deeper. She felt savage and wild, completely lost in the moment.

  His desire flooded her mind, consuming and electric. She showed him how much his need excited her and his pleasure surged in return. The pulses passed back and forth, building with each rotation until he clutched her to him and shuddered in release. She followed him over, her body primed and ready for the final climax.

  Breathless and shaken, he collapsed onto his side, dragging her with him. She snuggled back into the warmth of his body, amazed at how right it felt to have him inside her. It didn’t seem to matter where she took him as long as their bodies joined.

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  She smiled, though he couldn’t see it. “You know the answer to that. I’m not going to feed your ego.” He chuckled and his cock bobbed inside her, launching tingling aftershocks. She shivered then sighed. “Will your people be less resentful of me once they learn that I’m your mate?”

  “Those who get to know you will love you regardless of our relationship. And those who don’t know you don’t count.”

  “Was the hothead you were talking to in the game room your brother?”

  “You heard that?”

  Tenderness and regret trickled into her mind, the combination making her smile. His outward ferocity no longer concealed the depths of his emotions. “I walked right by you with Heath, but you were both too engrossed in the argument to notice.”

  He stroked her side, teasing the side of her breast with his fingertips. “Kristof still thinks of you as my interrogator. It might take some time for him to accept your new role, but he’ll come around.”

  “And what is my new role?” She wiggled away from him then turned around, loath to lose the physical connection but needing to see his face even more. “Being your mate is only the beginning. I still need a defined place in Strigo strain.”

  “The rest is up to you.” She didn’t need their link to decipher the affection smoldering in his gaze. He propped himself up on his elbow and brushed the hair back from her face. “What do you want your role to be? What are you good at?”

  “You mean other than this?” She motioned to the passion-rumpled bed.

  “You’re not doing this with anyone else, so yes, other than this.”

  As the afterglow faded her uncertainty returned. Her attraction to Bronik was undeniable. She wouldn’t waste any more time or energy resisting a connection that was obviously meant to be. Having a mate gave her an anchor, a point of reference on which to build. Still, so much was unresolved. Life as she’d known it was over. The blinders were off. She’d learned too much to ever go back. Now she needed to make decisions and form alliances that would shape the next phase of her life.

  She scooted toward the edge of the mattress, determined to remain positive. “I need to give it some thought. I was Tara’s obedient daughter for so long, I never really allowed myself to think about anything else.”

  “Fair enough.” Bronik followed her lead and stood beside the bed. “Why don’t you go take a bath? Baths are good for reflection, or so I’ve been told.”

  “You’ve never taken a bath?” Incredulity crept through in her tone.

  “I can’t say never, but it’s been a really long time.”

  She held out her hand and smiled. “Then you’re coming with me. We could both use some relaxation.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Caresse gasped and stumbled as Desmond brought their teleportation to an unexpected stop. He released her and rushed toward the ramshackle barn. Laughter and music drifted on the cold night air and firelight glowed through the warped boards and missing shingles of the dilapidated structure. Glancing around the darkened scene, she tried to determine their location. She had no idea where they were or why Desmond had rematerialized so abruptly.

  A shrill scream jerked her attention back to the barn. The terrified cry was echoed by a chorus of similar sounds, more screams, the crash of something wooden and then the music stopped. Dread spread through her like ink, dark and cloying. Desmond had always insisted on discretion when they fed, was always careful not to draw attention to themselves. His brutality at the Levari safe house had been understandable. He’d been sorely provoked. Even the campers had been isolated, but this barn was filled with people. He couldn’t possibly feed from them all.

  Unwilling to participate in the slaughter, she stood in the dark, hand pressed over her heart. It was cowardly and shameful but she didn’t know what else to do. She knew no one on Earth, had nowhere to go. Without Desmond, she was a stranger in a strange land.

  Silence spread across the scene. Even the night creatures had ceased their chattering. She waited for Desmond to return but nothing happened. Was he hurt? Could a group of humans have overwhelmed him? Unlikely, but why hadn’t he emerged?

  She crept toward the barn, trepidation speeding her pulse and tightening her chest.

  Desmond? Are you all right?

  No response.

  Urged on by the deafening silence, she slipped through an opening created by several missing boards. A fire still burned in the pit near the center of the enclosure, creating a smoky haze. Bodies were scattered everywhere, twisted into unnatural shapes. Each had been savaged then discarded. Ten, twelve, no fourteen—no host could possibly ingest this much blood. But then, not all of the blood had been consumed. The precious fluid pooled on the ground and splattered every surface as if it had been tossed about by the bucketful.

  She licked her lips and ignored the unwanted pulsing in her fangs. Her symbionts
reacted to the smell of fresh blood without caring about the senseless loss of life or animalistic abandon.

  A low growl drew her focus across the room and she gasped. Desmond crouched over a tangle of bodies. He ripped at the flesh with his teeth, eyes glowing green in the dimness. Blood saturated his shirt and the front of his pants. Was he even aware of what he was doing?

  “Desmond? Enough, love. You’ve had enough.” She remained across the room, unsure how or if he’d react to her voice.

  He leapt up from his latest victims and flung himself toward her. She screamed and turned to flee but he was much faster. He tackled her to the dirt floor and straddled her hips, pinning her arms to the ground. He growled then sniffed her, features contorted and unrecognizable.

  “Desmond. Please! It’s Caresse, your mate. Don’t hurt me.”

  Suddenly he released her arms and tangled one hand in her hair. “Feed,” he snarled, shoving his other wrist against her mouth.

  She tried to turn her head, hunger the furthest thing from her mind. She grasped his arm with both hands, trying to push him away. It was no use. He held her firmly, smearing her lips and teeth with the blood on his skin. She stilled, instinct taking over as her gums began to burn.

  He pushed even harder, driving her fangs into his flesh. A violent shudder passed through his body, but she couldn’t tell if it had been caused by pleasure or pain. Blood flooded her mouth and savage amusement twisted his expression.

  “Drink. Enjoy.”

  Left with no other choice, she closed her eyes and swallowed. Hot, rich and utterly saturated, his blood had never tasted so enticing. Energy surged within her, rushing through her body and sinking into her mind. She heard his chaotic thoughts and saw flashes of disjointed scenes, echoes of all the minds he’d scanned in the past few days.

  He laughed, his eyes glowing with manic intensity. “Crowded,” he muttered. “So crowded.”

  And she understood what he meant. His mind was so crammed full of thoughts and emotions he could no longer control the disorder.