Fangs with a Heart

by Tempeste O'Riley

  “Dr. Niko also believes it’s a major issue, and he’s someone you have repeatedly pushed on us as being knowledgeable and experienced.”

  “That doesn’t mean he knows everything,” Sasha snapped. “I’m not going to die from being a little tired and hungry. Humans deal with it all the time and survive just fine.”

  “Those who are malnourished die faster and have a host of other health issues in the in-between time. Plus you are not human; you’re a vampire prince. One that a large coven is dependent upon.” One I can’t stand to see suffer, especially since this is because you healed me.

  “I can’t unbond you, Trace.” Sasha looked away, his voice drawn and slow. “You can’t stand my touch, much less the thought of what nourishing me would actually entail.”

  “I know you can’t, Sasha. Dr. Niko explained that you need my blood.” He couldn’t stop the slight shiver that raced up his spine. Ever since he’d met Sasha, he’d had dreams and naughty fantasies of letting Sasha bite him, no matter how hard he tried to banish the idea. The more he’d gotten to know him over time, the worse it’d gotten, because he went from fantasy to real person—one he would be honored to belong to if things were only different. “He also….” Trace took a deep gulp of air, then forced out, “He said vampires, especially ones with fated hearts, need touch and to… to….” Dammit! He couldn’t get the stupid words out.

  Sasha cocked his head to the right and stared, unblinking, at Trace. “He told you that it’s nourishing with the body, not just the blood?”

  “Yes,” Trace whispered.

  “But only your lynx wants that. Not you. I won’t let them guilt you into doing anything with me.” Sasha stood and turned away. “That’s no different than rape. I won’t abuse you or allow them to either.” He then strode out of the room toward where Trace knew Sasha’s bedroom was.

  Trace sat and stared at where Sasha disappeared. He easily saw how tired and worn Sasha was already, and it had only been a few days. Sasha’s energy was off too, though Trace doubted anyone but Jalin, maybe Dimka and Summer, and he could tell that, as he thought it was only because of the bite that he could sense that much. He hadn’t been able to sense all that before the attack. The others could because they were that close and observant of their friend and prince. But he’d come here to offer his blood, nearly naked. He now knew Sasha really needed at least some form of sex with the blood to truly be in top form—what a weird sort of mating bond/diet! He knew that wasn’t the norm for vampires, just for those who had fated hearts. But then they got a lot out of the bond, if it were true. Again he lamented that the Gods had waited to bring them together until after he couldn’t take a mate.

  Still, the noble rejection stung, even if Trace understood it on an intellectual level. Unfortunately for Trace, he did want Sasha. He simply couldn’t mate with him or submit to him, and he wasn’t sure which part was sadder.

  He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as he tried to decide what to do. Regrettably, when it came to sexual issues, Trace was never the aggressor. Ever. Still, no way would he allow Sasha to suffer for pride or a misunderstanding. Especially not now that Sasha had bound himself to Trace, knowing what it could cost him.

  “Yep, this won’t do,” he mumbled to himself as he stood. “Not at all.” Trace smoothed his hands down the soft material of his robe before he followed the same path Sasha had taken.

  When he reached the door to Sasha’s bedchamber, he stopped and knocked.

  It seemed forever, though he knew it had to be less than a minute before Sasha’s voice rang out. “Come in, mal’chik.”

  Through sheer force of will and a massive dose of worry for Sasha, Trace managed to reach out and open the door. When he stepped inside, he found Sasha sitting on the edge of his opulent four-poster bed, his head in his hands as he leaned forward. He looked almost doll-like sitting there, as if some child had set their toys down and walked away. Shaking off the odd thought, Trace approached Sasha.

  “Thought it was my job to run, not yours.”

  “I wasn’t running, Trace.” Sasha raised his head, though he didn’t meet Trace’s gaze. “But I don’t see the point in continuing a discussion where they’ve obviously coerced you. No matter what I want or need, or they think I need, I will have no part of hurting you. Someone has done more than enough of that already. I won’t add to it.”

  “Jalin did implore me to come, but he only asked me to feed you, nothing more. I’m without clothes because I came in my fur, not my skin. I don’t have clothes here.”

  “They’re ordered but won’t begin to arrive until tomorrow. Sorry.”

  Trace waved away the apology. It was a silly comment; Sasha ought to know that. Trace hadn’t asked for the clothes or the bedchamber or any of the things gifted him, but that was their way now that he was the official prince consort—even though Sasha wasn’t holding him to any of the “duties” of a consort. Still….

  “But I brought up the other part because the doctor did. And….”

  Sasha finally looked at Trace, meeting his eyes as he leaned forward. “Yes? And?”

  “And… um….”

  “Trace, hon, what else?”

  “Um… how susceptible to pheromones are vampires?” he asked, his voice hoarse as he fought his lynx. His lynx had never agreed with them not taking Sasha, or not letting Sasha take them, more like. But now that they knew Sasha needed their blood and, realistically, their energy—best if raised through sex of some form—his cat was nearly beyond his control. That part of him wanted their mate, thank you oh so fucking much! It didn’t care about all the reasons why no was the right answer.

  “I can scent them on you easily, but coming from a lynx, they don’t control me as they would if I were another lynx. Why?”

  Yeah, he was kinda afraid of that. That would make this harder, as Trace couldn’t get out the words to ask Sasha to come to him, and he couldn’t go and touch Sasha without an invitation or order. He just couldn’t. He’d agreed to that much with his lynx. They could mess around with Sasha as long as there was no anal and no mating bite. Oh, and Trace got to leave when he wanted.

  He arched his body slightly, stretching his neck and spine as he deliberately released pheromones into the air. Had Sasha been a lynx shifter and Trace’s mate, Sasha would have been harder than hell and raging to get his hands on Trace. As it was Sasha’s nostrils flared as he took a deep shuddering breath. A small moan slipped out as he closed his eyes.

  “Why are you torturing me, Trace? I know you were angry I bonded you to me, but I thought you understood why.” He groaned again as he clutched the bedding at his sides. “I don’t understand this—you—at all.”

  “I can’t take you as my mate or into my body. I can’t serve you as I once would have, but there are other things we….” He gulped, still unable to believe he was doing this. Saying this. “Things we could do. Ways I could nourish you and give to you.”

  SASHA RAN his hands up and down his legs as he debated if he was actually having this conversation as he fought for control. If Trace didn’t stop deliberately dumping his damn pheromones into the air, Sasha wasn’t sure he could be held responsible for his actions! The effort to keep his near all-consuming desire bottled up and interact with Trace as he was expected to, as opposed to taking him against the nearest hard surface (repeatedly), had him shaky on the inside on the best of days. Right then….

  “Trace,” Sasha rumbled. “Pushing my self-control isn’t your best idea. What is it you want?” Gods, please offer yourself and not be doing this as some twisted kind of punishment for bonding you with only your lynx’s permission.

  “I… um….”

  He cocked his head as he stared at his fated heart, trying to figure out what his beautiful lynx was up to. “Mal’chik—”

  “What does that mean? I keep meaning to check.”

  “Mal’chik?”

  Trace shuddered and gave a short nod.

  “‘Boy.’”

&n
bsp; Trace blushed to the tips of his ears and where the pink went below the edge of the robe. “Oh, um, okay.”

  “As I was saying, mal’chik, do you need a safeword to make you feel more comfortable? I will never do anything to you that you don’t approve.” Sasha had come to the conclusion a while ago that Trace was a sub, a severely abused and traumatized one, so he hoped the offer might help his heart feel safer.

  Trace opened his mouth, then snapped it shut before repeating the action a couple of times. Then he finally nodded. “Um, please?”

  “Of course, hon.”

  “Lemon and cherry?”

  “Mmm, those will do nicely. But what, exactly, are you offering me, mal’chik?”

  Cherry was an apt description of Trace as he fidgeted, but he finally answered, “No penetration except for your fangs, and no mating bite.”

  Sasha’s breath caught as images of all the things he could do to Trace tumbled at once through his head. He had trouble sorting them out and calming his heart down enough to do more than stare—or possibly pant.

  “I want to taste you,” he husked. The little tastes he’d had so far only served to make him want more. To make his hunger worse and his need higher for the male before him.

  Trace gave the barest of nods at the same time he let out a tiny whimper. Was there a sweeter sound?

  Sasha slipped off his bed, then slowly stepped closer to Trace. He held out a hand to Trace. “Why don’t you sit on the bed and let me take care of you, hon? I promise not to use my power or strength against you. All right?”

  “Oh, okay,” Trace murmured as he allowed Sasha to lead him to the large bed.

  Once Trace sat on the edge of the bed, Sasha took advantage of the height Trace was at—Trace was already taller than Sasha, but sitting on the tall bed, he hoped, would allow Trace to feel a little more in control and less vulnerable in what he was offering. Sasha still wasn’t confident he should accept Trace’s offering, but the damn lynx wasn’t playing fair, and even a prince had his limits.

  Their eyes met even as Sasha’s mind whirled and skipped. The thought of what he might now do to Trace, with Trace, what this might mean in their future… that it might mean a future for them—finally—all ran through his head even as he decided where he wanted to begin. The moment the fear and worry shifted into something else, something heated, Sasha knew it was time to move forward with his plan.

  He slowly and deliberately straightened to his full five six as he lowered his hands to Trace’s knees. He then began caressing up and down Trace’s legs, keeping his hands at first on top of the robe, then closer to Trace’s core. When Trace finally relaxed into the gentle contact, Sasha moved his hands to touch Trace’s silky skin directly. Damn, but he could do that all night. Trace’s body was a work of art. Not simply because he was handsome, which he was, but he was so much more than that. Strong and sensual, with silky skin over tight, toned muscles that were more wiry than anything with bulk. He had a light dusting of hair on his legs but nothing too thick, and pale in the extreme. The more Sasha touched him, the more Trace trembled and made those soft little mewling sounds that drove Sasha crazy.

  Sasha slid his hands out to Trace’s knees and gently but firmly pushed his legs open, then slipped closer.

  “Sasha?”

  “Lie back. I told you I want to taste you. Unless you’d rather me touch you while I drink from your throat.” He didn’t believe Trace wanted that, not his human side. Not so soon after the attack, anyways. Not that Sasha was convinced Trace wanted Sasha near his personal bits with his fangs either, but that was because he didn’t know any better… a fact Sasha was going to correct shortly. He hoped.

  Trace gulped and shook his head. “Um, not really. But, uh, you’ll be careful with your fangs down… down there, right?”

  Chapter Twelve

  “OF COURSE, mal’chik. Now relax and let me show you how much I want you.”

  Trace slowly lay back, bracing himself on his elbows, though he didn’t move his gaze from tracking Sasha. Sasha bent and began kissing his way up Trace’s left leg, starting at the knee. He pushed the robe aside more, exposing Trace’s groin and hip, nipping the left one before he started the journey all over again back at Trace’s right knee. Once both hips were exposed, Sasha slipped the tie from the robe loose and flashed a fanged smile at Trace.

  “Fangs,” Trace squeaked.

  Instead of replying Sasha kissed up Trace’s abdomen to his belly button, dipping his tongue into the shallow divot before nipping it, careful not to break the skin. When he finally did, he wanted to be sure nothing but pleasure was connected to the bloodletting in Trace’s mind.

  He then followed the path back down until he faced the glistening head of Trace’s cock as it peeked out of its hood. It wasn’t all that thick, but it had a nice length and blood darkened it. The scent of precome and blood was a heady mixture, and Sasha moaned as he nuzzled Trace’s member, giving it one long lick from base to tip. He took the time to roll his tongue around the head, gathering the dew that had collected, nibbling on the foreskin gently before going up to the tip and stabbing his tongue into the slit.

  The sounds steadily pouring out of Trace drove Sasha’s need higher, as well as his hunger. Sasha sucked Trace’s cock into his mouth, not stopping until his nose was buried in the neatly trimmed curls at the base. Trace dropped his head down as he let out a long moan and spread his legs wider. Sasha took the invitation and set his pace, bobbing up and down as he used his other hand to caress and tug on Trace’s sac, squeezing every few bobs.

  When he popped off Trace’s length with a loud sucking sound, Trace whined, making Sasha chuckle. Boy didn’t want Sasha to be with him? Riiight…. Instead of focusing on why Trace was so skittish, Sasha pulled himself back to the here and now and dove down, licking and mouthing Trace’s sac before sucking in one ball, then the other, licking and rolling it in his mouth as he pulled just enough to heighten the pleasure for his heart. He slipped one hand behind Trace’s balls to press and rub along Trace’s taint, and he slid the other up until he could reach Trace’s nipple. The little nub was already hard and beaded, so Sasha lightly pinched and twisted it, drawing out more mewls and causing Trace to tremble.

  Trace’s cock swelled a little more as his sounds grew.

  “Close,” Trace choked out. “Gonna….”

  Good!

  Sasha dug his hands into Trace’s thighs, massaging hard, and on the next up motion, he deliberately nicked the large vein on the underside of Trace’s dick. Trace snapped his hips forward, shoving himself down Sasha’s throat as he erupted and screamed. Sasha moved off Trace just enough that he could swallow the mixed essences, taking both blood and come into him from his fated heart for the first time. He drank every drop, licking the nick and then the tip of Trace’s cock clean before moving backward a little and sinking his fangs into Trace’s left thigh, taking gentle pulls of blood only to finish his “meal.”

  Even as he sank his fangs into Trace’s flesh, Trace mewled and his cock twitched, though since he’d only just come hard, it couldn’t fill again so soon.

  “Oh Gods, Sasha! What…?”

  Sasha took one last sip, then pulled away, licking the puncture marks, sealing them before he stood back and met Trace’s wide-eyed gaze. “Yes, mal’chik?”

  Damn, but Trace looked divine all debauched and spread out on the bed.

  “You…. Blood…. Um….” Trace shook his head, then took a series of slow, deliberate breaths before he sat up and resettled the robe, covering himself. “It, um, didn’t hurt when you bit me.”

  At least he stopped saying things as if they were questions. “Of course it didn’t. Why would I want it to hurt you? My feeding from you should never be anything but pleasurable.” Sasha winked at Trace. “Though how much so is up to you.”

  Trace swallowed hard, dropping his gaze. “Thank you for not hurting me. I should….” He maneuvered around so he could slip off the bed, going to his knees in front of Sash
a. “I should have been the one to service you. Please allow me to make it up to you?” Trace finished, his voice cracking.

  Sasha stared down at Trace’s beautiful blond hair, his face hidden as he stared at Sasha’s feet, confused. He hadn’t asked Trace to do anything to or for him other than enjoy, allow, not freak out after. He wanted a real chance for them, and while Sasha was still angry with Jalin and Dr. Niko, if their meddling was what it took to nudge Trace to allow something real to develop between him and Trace, he would accept the gift and be grateful.

  “I will never hurt you, mal’chik. Cause you consensual pain, possibly, but never hurt. But why do you believe you need to make anything up to me?” What the hell is going on in that head of yours?

  “For right now I am acting as your lover, or boy, as you keep calling me.” Trace’s voice was barely a whisper and he trembled slightly, though in a very different way than he had while on the bed only minutes before. “I should service you, not the other way around. I bend and accept what is done to me, not the other way around. You shouldn’t have sullied yourself for me like that. Please let me serve you to make up for it.”

  “Trace, look at me.” When Trace didn’t look up, Sasha cupped his cheek and applied gentle pressure until Trace didn’t have a choice but to do as requested. “I did exactly what I wished. I wanted to taste you, as I said. You taste wonderful, by the way, and that is something I hope to do again and again.”

  “But… but why would you want to do that instead of having it done to you? You haven’t even gotten off yet!” Trace’s voice, coupled with the wide eyes and eyebrows that appeared to want to join with his spiky hair, made Sasha want to laugh—and cry. Had the male never had a lover worth knowing?