"I want to test your limits, Mr. Shaw. I want to know how much one man can take before need overwhelms reason."
Keep that up, and you'll find out really damn quick. The movement of his hand quickened. Unable—and unwilling—to hold back any longer, I started meeting his strokes, the defeat heavy with every thrust of my hips. Don't stop...
"Do you taste bittersweet, Mr. Shaw? Or are you strong, the flavor musky and thick?"
"Triarius..."
I felt him smile against my neck. Then he released me. Before I could yell and demand he continue—or finish it myself—he turned me and kissed me hard. My lip split under the assault and his growl filled me, growing stronger as he lapped up the blood. I tried to pull away and he shoved me onto the bed. His robe dropped to the floor and I simply stared.
Black tribal tattoos covered his chest and snaked down his torso. A single spiral wound its way around his cock, then spread out, up the creases of his hips, around to the back. The patterns on his skin weren't random, but I had no idea what they meant. The lines resembled barbed vines, and they circled each nipple, then merged in the middle of his chest to form an intricate web of sharp angles and coils. Each nipple was pierced, black captive rings begging for my fingers to pull and twist them until he pleaded for me to stop.
Triarius knelt on the bed between my legs and leaned down, licking a path from my neck to my sternum. One hand slipped under the small of my back and lifted me, pressing our bodies together. I groaned and shifted, trying to find some sort of friction for my cock. Unrelenting, Triarius circled my left nipple with his tongue. I gripped his hair, fisting it in my hands, and pressed his face to me. Sharp pain burst over my senses and I shouted, hips jerking against him as he sucked on my nipple.
"Triarius..."
His other hand pushed between us and tightened around my cock, pumping fast. I bucked, breath leaving me as my come poured over his fingers. He released my nipple and licked the bite marks, then slid down my body, cleaning my skin. Hands on the backs of my thighs, he shoved my legs up and with a hungry growl, thrust his tongue inside me.
"Fuck!” My hands hit the bed, knuckles white as I grabbed the blanket. He fucked my ass with his tongue, over and over, the quick stabs driving me crazy. I needed more, needed him to fill me. Triarius pulled back and lifted his head. The smile he gave me should have been warning enough.
Shadows surrounded me, brushing my heated flesh. I watched, utterly breathless, as one long strand drifted over my thigh. Another soon mirrored it, and together, they spread my legs, holding me open, unable to move. My heart hammered in my chest, and the fear returned. Then I felt nothing but fullness.
"Oh, God.” I arched, back bowing as another shadow filled me, stretching me open, pushing deeper than I thought possible. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Too much. Oh, fuck, it was too much. I wanted to beg him to make it leave, and I wanted more. My body couldn't decide what it wanted, and my brain simply shut down.
Blood dripped onto my lips and I licked it away. Triarius’ taste flooded me, heat rising inside. The shadow began to move, fucking me deep and slow. I wanted to fucking kill him, even as I shouted his name, my entire body shuddering as I came.
"Yes."
The word was hissed on my lips, Triarius hovering over me. I lifted my head and took a hard kiss. Triarius groaned, hips rocking and pushing his cock along my ass. The shadows faded, leaving me empty. I refused to beg him, but I didn't have to. I didn't have the chance to ask where he got the lube, because two slick fingers slid deep inside me. I arched and bore down on them, hands digging into his biceps as he finger-fucked me.
He was evil in every sense of the word—my mind knew that. When he filled me finally, however, when his cock replaced his fingers and drove inside my body, I didn't care what he was—only that he was pumping in and out of me with hard, deep strokes. I couldn't catch my breath, and looking up at him, at the mask over the side of his face and those eyes that saw through my soul, only served to hurtle me toward the edge again.
Triarius caught my hands and pinned them to the bed. He nudged my head to the side and a second later, bit down. I bucked wildly, the world graying around the edges as white-hot pain mixed with pleasure enough to nearly stop my heart. I felt his growl more than I heard it, and warmth flooded me, his grip tight on my hands.
When had I slipped so far, that it took a monster to show me what being human meant?
* * * *
"Who are you to him?” I'd been watching Dai for several minutes as he put up clothes in the tall wardrobe near the door.
Without looking up, he folded what looked like a silk shirt and said, “I am his servant, his personal attendant, if you will."
"Are you lovers?"
Dai smiled over at me. “We were—ages ago."
Something eased inside me, though I didn't want to dwell on what, or why. Since last night, I'd fought the urge to seek Triarius out. Instead, I shifted my focus to Dai, hoping he could tell me something about Triarius. “How long have you known him?"
"Hmm...” Dai closed the wardrobe doors and leaned back against them, arms crossed. “Sixty, maybe seventy years? I'm not sure anymore."
"You don't look any older than twenty."
Dai chuckled. “Twenty-one, actually—that's how old I was when we met. As ghouls, we age slower than mortals."
"Did...” I took a deep breath. “Did he change you without consent?"
"No. I was ready to die. A fire destroyed my family home, left me with nothing and no one. He found me when I was at my lowest, and he offered me another life. He needed an assistant, someone who could be his eyes and ears on the outside. I just needed a reason to go on."
"Do you love him?"
"In a way, I suppose. He's my master and I would do anything for him. And he would do the same for me."
I couldn't quite bring myself to believe that. “Somehow, I doubt he would."
Dai tilted his head and grinned. “You don't know the Triarius I do. Despite outward appearances, he is a man of honor."
"Honor."
"Some of his methods might be ... unconventional, but when Triarius says he will do something, rest assured that he will do it."
"And ghouling someone without their knowledge?"
"Safety measures,” Dai said with a shrug. “You presented a danger to all of us, so we had to stop any chance of your story getting out."
"So I'm a threat."
"Not anymore."
I sighed and fell back onto the bed. “Okay. So he ghouled me to keep me quiet. Why not just kill me?"
The mattress dipped beside me. “Because he wanted you."
"For what? A quick fuck and feed?"
"He's lonely."
I snorted. “You're kidding, right?"
"Do you think humans are the only ones who feel loneliness? Every soul needs a companion."
"Then why not you?"
"Triarius is a great lover, but we found that anything more wasn't for us."
I couldn't deny the lover bit. Triarius ignited something inside me, whether I wanted it or not. I wanted to fucking hate him. He'd stolen my life and my freedom from me. But he'd also given me more pleasure in one night than I'd had in years. How could one man inspire hatred and need in the same breath?
"You're thinking too hard."
"What the hell else am I supposed to do?” I grumbled.
"Do you want a tour?"
I looked over at Dai. “I'm trusted enough to see everything?"
"Well, you certainly can't leave to tell about it."
"Do you always have to remind me of that fact?"
Dai sat up and patted my leg. “Come on. There's much more than just the dining hall and his bedroom."
Sighing in defeat, I got up. “Since I can't leave, can you tell me where the hell we are?"
"Snowdonia,” Dai said as he led the way out of the room.
"Snowdonia. As in the mountains?"
He nodded. “The Brotherhood had many homes th
rough the centuries before Triarius finally came down here. The vampires are guaranteed protection from sunlight, it's easily guarded, and honestly, no one knows this cave system even exists."
"Makes sense why he'd come down here, that's for sure.” I followed Dai down a narrow stone hallway, but just before we reached the dining hall, he turned left and descended into darkness. “Dai?” My voice echoed back at me. “Dai, where did you go?"
"Come down,” he said. He didn't sound nearly as far away as I'd thought. “Be careful—the steps can be slippery sometimes."
"Uh, yeah."
There was no railing, so I did my best with a hand on either side, skimming the walls. The stone steps were damp, but wider than I expected. I went slowly and soon found myself in a vast cavern. Dai stood at a railing and grinned over his shoulder at me. I stepped up to the rail and words simply left me.
"Welcome to the heart of it all, the final headquarters of the Inferi Brotherhood."
It was a city beneath a mountain. Firelight filled the space below us, and niches lined either side of what I discovered was a river. The dark water shimmered as it moved, and people—human and vampire alike, I presumed—were everywhere. Most seemed to have purpose, as they ducked in and out of doorways.
"How...?"
"How did he do it? Triarius had help, of course. One man, god or no, could never do this himself. Humans thrive here with their vampire hosts, and food for them is brought down the river. Where it empties outside the mountain, we have established a stronghold out of castle ruins. It is there that animals and plants are raised for food. Humans are quite industrious."
"You said it was well-guarded. How?"
Dai crooked a finger and beckoned me toward a door to right of the one we'd just come out of. I followed him up more steps. “The Proeliatores are the elite guards of the Brotherhood,” he explained. “The first, Triarius trained himself. They, in turn, trained the others, and so forth. Triarius no longer fights with them, though he still has his weapons and armor."
"So he was a soldier?"
"Of a sort, yes. He was a soldier for the Romanorum in its infancy. But it was a falling out with Dio that drove Triarius to create the Brotherhood. He wasn't happy with how the Romanorum ran things."
"Back to the ‘god’ complex?"
Dai laughed and stopped at a closed wooden door. “You could say that.” He pushed the door open. “I must leave you now. He's waiting for you, and I have other matters to attend to."
"But where—?"
"Come in, Mr. Shaw."
I went up the last couple steps and walked into the room. Triarius sat in a high-backed chair at a long, rectangular table. Armed—and armored—guards stood behind him, one at each side. The door closed behind me.
"You slept well, I assume?” Triarius waved a hand toward the chair beside his.
"Yes. Thank you.” I sat down and a servant appeared out of nowhere with a goblet and a jug. Without thought, I put my hand out to stop her. “No. I'm not thirsty."
Triarius smiled and waved her away. “You still do not trust me."
"Should I?"
He nodded. “A fair question. I do not know how much Dai has told you, but I want you to know that you hold a place of honor here."
I blinked and stared at him. “First, you say I'm a threat and then proceed to change me in such ways that I can never leave this place again. Now, you tell me I have a place of honor? Forgive me if I seem a bit ... pissed."
Something crossed Triarius’ expression that I couldn't place. “I admit that I have done nothing to warrant your trust, or, for that matter, your loyalty to me. Dai did not agree with my choice to keep you alive. He thought I should be rid of you."
I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Nothing in Dai's actions or words gave me the impression that he didn't like me. “Why did you keep me alive?” Despite having heard it from Dai, I wanted to hear it from Triarius—provided he would even admit to it.
Triarius stood and went over to a window that I assumed looked down onto the area Dai had shown me before. Several moments passed before Triarius spoke again. “I've walked this earth for longer than I care to remember, and while I've always had others around me, I've never let anyone deeper than the surface. I can not afford to be seen as weak."
"Needing companionship isn't a sign of being weak."
"You don't know my world, Mr. Shaw."
Instead of the monster I'd seen before, all I saw standing before me was a man. A wicked, driven man, but a man nonetheless. I stood and went over to him. Taking a chance, I slipped my arms around his waist. I was surprised when he leaned back against me.
"I know I don't know your world,” I said. “But I'm willing to learn."
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
I shrugged. “Not so much a change of heart, as admitting that I'm stuck here and I might as well make the best of it. Granted, it doesn't excuse what you've done."
He actually laughed a little at that. “I'm not known for regrets."
"Good.” I turned him around and before I could weigh the wisdom of my next move, I kissed him.
Triarius groaned and I smiled against his mouth, realizing I'd surprised him. I reached up and touched his face, tracing the bottom edge of the mask with my fingertips. He closed his eyes and for a moment, I saw beyond the amoral facade. I understood then, everything Dai had said. I didn't have to like it—hell, I didn't have to agree with any of it—but Triarius made more sense than I really wanted to admit. He was right; I didn't know his world.
"You are thinking too hard,” Triarius said, startling me out of my thoughts.
"Funny.” I laughed. “Dai told me the same thing earlier."
"Then perhaps it is true. You have much on your mind; that is expected."
I sighed and stepped around him, toward the window. Below us, the inhabitants of this city under the earth went on, blissfully unaware of the mortal—or not-so-mortal—in their midst, who was now questioning ... everything. As a reporter, I strove to always keep an open mind. I tried to remain accepting, especially of practices and lifestyles different from my own. I was so busy, so driven to uncover the secrets of the Inferi Brotherhood, so intent on the more barbaric practices, that I'd forgotten about the man who'd created it all in the first place—and why he had created it.
Arms snaked around my waist and a kiss was pressed to the side of my neck. Triarius’ breath warmed my skin and wherever he touched me; the contact left heat in its wake.
"I'm an idiot."
He chuckled softly. “No. You are human."
"Well, not quite anymore. And...” I stared out the window, not wanting to admit what I was going to say. “I think you are more human than most of us out there."
"Why do you say that?"
"Most humans want wealth and care nothing for others,” I said dryly.
"I have no use for wealth, true."
"You created this society because you felt it was the right thing to do."
Triarius laughed. “If it helps you to believe that, then you're welcome to."
I tipped my head back and to the side, peering at him somewhat upside down. “You did, didn't you?"
"I created it because the Romanorum wanted to bow down to the mortals. I am part of the Caelestes family, most of us—primarily the original Brotherhood members—are. We are descended from gods; we are gods. Gods do not pay allegiance to mortals."
"Hence using mortals as nothing more than food sources, even to the point of killing them."
He nodded. “I do not apologize for my beliefs or my actions, Mr. Shaw. I do not feel remorse for the lives I have taken, nor for the lives I will continue to take."
"Will you please stop that?"
"Stop what?"
I smirked. “Calling me Mr. Shaw. That's my father's name."
Triarius smiled and cupped the front of my neck, keeping me in place as he lowered his head to brush his lips over mine. “As you wish ... Lance."
Sweet fuck. My nam
e had never sounded quite so provocative as it did then. He stole my capacity for speech just as easily as he stole my freedom. Triarius’ tongue swept through my mouth, and I was lost. I still hated him for everything, even as I moaned into the kiss, hand going up to slide through his hair. The metal of his mask was cool and smooth, and I wanted to touch it. I wanted to watch the light flicker across it while I rode him.
"Now there is a thought,” he murmured.
"Get out of my head."
"I think I'd rather you get out of these,” he answered, one hand going down to pop the button on my jeans. He eased the zipper down, then slipped his hand inside. “So hot,” he breathed, fingers wrapping around my cock.
I tried to come back with something—anything—but words failed me. I groaned and thrust into his touch, needing more. With his other hand, he pushed my jeans down. “Triarius ... what about ... oh, fuck...” He pressed his thumb against my slit, the burn sweet.
"Shh, stop thinking."
He bent me forward and I felt him kneel down, his breath hot on my bare ass. Before I could say another word, he spread my cheeks apart and licked my hole. Fire shot up my spine and I moaned, pushing back against his face. His tongue pierced my body and I no longer cared who saw or heard us up here. All I wanted was more.
I clutched the edge of the window, the stone cold beneath my fingers. I closed my eyes and all focus went to the sparks rushing through me with every thrust of his tongue into my ass. Dual sensations kept me off-balance: the touch of skin on one side; smooth, cool metal on the other. My head fell forward, breath panting. His fingers dug into my flesh, holding me open for his torture. If this was my fate, then so be it. I would die to feel this man's touch.
Triarius pulled back and stood, long body leaning over mine. His lips brushed my shoulder blade and he rocked his hips forward. At some point, he'd freed himself and his cock now rubbed along the crease of my ass, teasing me relentlessly. When I groaned and tried to push back, he evaded me, just barely keeping contact.
I hated him even more then—for much different reasons.
"Just feel,” he whispered.
Oh, I felt, all right. There was no mistaking the hard cock nestled between my ass cheeks, or the hands on my hips. I licked my lips and bit back a desperate sound when the slick head of his cock pressed against my hole. I held still, every muscle tensed, waiting. With a long, low growl, he rocked, rubbing and pushing, but never quite going in. The man excelled in torture.
Spiked Page 22
