Bloodlust: House of Vampires

by Tabitha Barret

  His eyes softened when he looked into my eyes. “You could have. Maybe not back then, but you would now. You’re so much stronger and so sure of yourself. You had the makings of a warrior then, but now you are one.”

  “I prefer the girl I once was to the monster I am now.” I looked away, angry that I had changed so much. “I am grateful that both our fathers are dead.”

  He pulled me against his chest and ran his thumb over my lower lip. “That girl was beautiful, caring and smart, but she wouldn’t have survived as the leader of the coven. The woman I see before me is capable of anything she puts her mind to. The determination and fierceness I see in your eyes is mesmerizing and sexy as hell. I cared about the girl who saved me, but I love the woman who has the potential to be anything she wants to be.”

  Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine. I sighed into his mouth and pulled him closer. Running my hand through his thick dark hair, I held him to me, deepening the kiss.

  He moaned and threw his arms around my back to pull me against his hard body. I felt the strength of his arms as they wrapped around me. No wonder he was able to carry me without much trouble. He was pure muscle.

  I licked his lower lip and smiled at him. “I’m grateful that you saved me.”

  He kissed the hollow of my neck and ran his tongue up to my ear. “You saved me first.”

  I shivered when he put his hand under my jaw and nibbled on my earlobe.

  Turning my head, I looked into his eyes. “Do you think that anvil can hold my weight?”

  His brown eyes lit up. “I’m sure it can, but are you healed enough to do what I think you’re suggesting?”

  I silently answered him by shimmying out of my panties, leaving me bare under my skirt. He was exactly what I needed to help me feel better.

  He licked his lips while his eager eyes watched my panties slide down my legs.

  I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, enjoying his eyes on me. I made a show of undressing for him. “Do you like watching me?”

  Nodding, he clenched his fists. “I have watched you for so many years. When you left, I feared I would never see you again. There were so many times when I wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but I feared Silvijn’s wrath. He was your betrothed and I respected him, but it didn’t change the way I felt about you.”

  “Silvijn has chosen a life without me.” My breath caught in my throat as I spoke.

  “He’s a fool.” He continued to watch my hands slide the shirt off my shoulders. He suddenly stepped forward to stop me. “Keep the skirt and blazer on, please.”

  I smirked at his request, liking the idea of having my breasts partially bared to him. I nodded and removed my shirt, but put the blazer back on.

  Lifting me onto the anvil, he waited patiently for me to remove his clothing from his chest. Before I could reach his pants, he stepped back. His thick hands went to his belt while his lusty eyes gazed at my mouth. He slowly undid his belt and pulled at his trouser button. Panting, I watched him slowly reveal his hard length.

  My mouth fell open when I took in the sight of him. His size was impressive, but his thickness made me eager to have him inside me.

  I opened my thighs and beckoned him closer.

  Running his hands up my thighs and under my skirt, I felt his calloused thumb circling my clit while he inserted two of his thick fingers inside of me.

  “Oh, yes!” I gasped and shook at the sensation of his hands on my body.

  He leaned down and licked across my nipple. “I need you wet so it will lessen the pain when I ease myself into you. I’ve had women complain about my size, so I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Hearing the pain in his voice, I felt terrible for him. Someone had shamed him for something he couldn’t control.

  “You deserve better than those frigid bitches. I promise I will take all you have to offer and rejoice in it.” I pulled his face up to thrust my tongue into his mouth.

  The relief and excitement in his eyes made me want to hunt down anyone who had ever hurt or mocked him and slaughter them.

  He stood up and massaged my thighs as he continued to kiss me.

  Reaching down, I ran my fingers over his cock, making it twitch. I guided him into my body and threw my head back when I felt him stretch me in a way I’d never experienced before.

  “Are you okay?” He searched my face to figure out if I was in pain or ecstasy.

  My toes curled and I dug my nails into his shoulders. Groaning, I glanced up at him. “Please fuck me with this glorious cock.”

  He was clearly surprised by my response. He stared at me for a second to figure out if I was teasing him or flat out lying. When I clenched my body around his hardness, he hissed and slowly moved in and out of me.

  Taking his time, he eased us into a rhythm that had me locking my teeth together so I didn’t scream. I didn’t want him to stop, thinking I was in pain.

  One of his hands grabbed my ass while the other slipped under my blazer to massage my breast. Feeling the hesitation in his movements, I let out a groan to urge him on. If women had complained about his size, he probably didn’t have a lot of experience or confidence.

  “Please tell me this is real.” He closed his eyes and shivered.

  “Yes, it’s real.” Licking up the scar on his chest, I bit his collarbone. “Don’t hold back.”

  Encouraged by my words, he increased his thrusts and rubbed his thumb over my nipple. The intensity of his size made me crave him. My eyes fluttered and I bit my lip as the mix of pain and pleasure fought for control.

  His eyes were fixated on my face as sweat beaded on his upper lip. “No one has ever been excited to have me inside them before.”

  My body shook and my joints locked up when a wave of pulsating pleasure grew between my thighs. “You’re going to make me come so hard my teeth will crack. There’s no way for me to fake this.” I clung to his shoulder to keep from losing control too soon. I wanted to give him time to enjoy himself.

  Realizing that I was being truthful, he closed his eyes and increased his thrusts. I dug my heels into his ass to keep him from stopping.

  He groaned and hissed as he let go of his fear and started to enjoy my body.

  A few more thrusts and my core tightened down on his thick cock, releasing an overwhelming orgasm that had me screaming so loud, it echoed off the cave walls.

  Haines’ breathing sped up and he clenched his teeth. His body tensed up so tightly he had to hold on to the anvil to keep from falling over from his powerful orgasm.

  Spent, I put my hand on his cheek and smiled. “That was amazing.”

  Trying to catch his breath, he kissed my forehead. “You don’t know how long I’ve prayed to find a woman who wouldn’t judge my scars or complain that sex with me was impossible.” Tears filled his eyes as he pulled me into his arms.

  “You don’t have to worry about me judging you, Haines.” I laid my head against his chest and listened to his heart thumping in his chest. My teeth ached to bite him and feed from him, but I vowed to never do that to him. I never wanted to see him bleed for anyone ever again.

  We spent a few minutes enjoying the calmness before finally getting dressed and sneaking out of the forge. He escorted me back to Vamp House and stopped at the front door.

  Looking around, I made sure we were alone. “In case you are up early again, I plan on doing something risky in detention cell three around 5:00 AM. It would help me to know that you and Talen were around if I needed help. I don’t want to get you in trouble, but I’m worried about what I’ll find there.”

  Kissing the back of my hand, he nodded. “Consider it done. I would try to talk you out of it, but you have that spark of determination in your eyes that says you won’t listen.”

  I chuckled. “You really do know me.”

  “Yes, I do.” He tugged on a lock of my long hair and winked at me. “You said that Silvijn wants no part of you, but I don’t believe that’s true. I remember the way he used to look at you when you
were first betrothed. That kind of love and adoration doesn’t go away. It might be lost temporarily during times of stress, but I don’t believe he could ever stay away from you forever. You should talk to him. He’s a good man and a powerful ally. You shouldn’t throw away everything just because he needs some time to clear his head.”

  “Thank you for your insight. I’ll consider it.” I smiled and waved goodbye.

  Walking towards his house, he stopped to look over his shoulder. “Don’t take my praise of Silvijn to mean that I have any plans to give you up. When he walked away, he opened your heart to new love. I plan to stay in your heart for as long as you’ll have me. I don’t look forward to fighting Silvijn, but if it comes down to it, I will.” He nodded, making his declaration final.

  I’d never seen Haines so confident. I believed what he said. If it came down to it, Haines would fight to keep me. Watching his tall frame cross the yard, I realized I would do the same.

  Chapter 12

  I stared down at the empty blood bag, annoyed that I was still craving blood. After having sex with Haines, I was happy, but rundown. I was afraid of what might be waiting for me in the detention center. If I needed to fight my way out, I would never survive. I needed more blood to heal completely.

  I thought about asking Talen for blood, but I didn’t want our relationship to be all about blood. While I enjoyed drinking his blood while intimate, I didn’t want him to feel like I was abusing him. I had to find another source aside from the wretched blood bags.

  Spotting Valene when she ducked out the blood room, I followed her. She went upstairs and headed into the women’s shower. I sped up and bumped into her shoulder. “Tell me about these blood whores.”

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I assumed that Silvijn would be the first to ask me about them, not you.”

  I shrugged. “Silvijn is private with his meals. He doesn’t like feeding from strangers until he’s in the heat of battle and the midst of killing.”

  Her eyes widened, surprised by my answer. Apparently, she only liked dangerous men in theory. She was probably the type of woman who considered rough sex being tied to the bed with enough room for her hands and feet to wiggle free.

  “Oh, well, like I said before, it comes with a high price.” She looked away as if she regretted feeding from one.

  “Understood, but I don’t get more than a few blood bags a day, and I won’t survive the inevitable punishments. I don’t plan on making the lives of those in charge of this deplorable place easy.” It sounded like a good reason to seek out more blood. I didn’t need her getting into the middle of my business.

  She frowned and looked at me as if I was insane. “Why bring down more pain upon yourself?”

  I smiled slowly until my lips curled into a sneer. “That’s just who I am.”

  Valene took a small step back when she realized that I was crazy, which was fine by me.

  She nervously looked around and gulped. “Blood whores are forbidden, so you’ll need to be careful. Some of the necromancers enjoy having vampires feed on them, but they ask for something in return. Since you aren’t a Bitten and you’re not dead, they can’t exactly control you because you’re a purebred, but they have enough sway over those who consume blood to survive to make them dangerous. Feed from them at your own peril.”

  I nodded, understanding the problem with necromancers having dealt with a few over the years. They liked to mess with the Bitten and turn them into slaves. Since the Bitten were human or creatures who died by blood loss and rose again with vampire blood in their system, they were technically dead. Necromancers were the ones who termed the phrases Night Slaves and Blood Slaves due to their insatiable hunger and savage nature.

  “What do they want as payment?” I didn’t have anything of value, so I assumed they’d asked for favors.

  Biting her lip, she turned to leave. “They all ask for something different. You’ll have to decide how willing you are to pay their price. Go to the Fountain of Woe and whisper feed me three times. Someone will come for you. Just don’t stand too close to the fountain or it might drown you before you get your meal.” She darted into one of the shower stalls to hide her shame. She had definitely paid a price she considered too high, which made me very curious to know more about these blood whores.

  I headed out of Vamp House, ignoring the pitiful looks of hatred along my way.

  Walking past the library, I went to stand in front of the Fountain of Woes. Supposedly, it was haunted by a student who had drowned in it.

  I glanced up at the moon rising above the trees and sighed at the beautiful sight. It was the one constant in my life, which made my imprisonment under the ocean so much worse. I knew when the moon was rising based on the tides, but I couldn’t see it. No matter what horrors I was facing, the moon always provided me a sense of renewed strength to keep fighting. Tonight was no different. I needed to keep up my strength, so I had to lower myself to begging for blood, just like a Night Slave.

  I stared at the water falling down the different levels of the fountain, trying to admire its beauty. Deep down, I hated the water, but I refused to let it control me.

  Making sure I wasn’t close enough for the water to take hold of me, I closed my eyes and whispered the summoning spell. “Feed me. Feed me. Feed me.”

  I opened my eyes and waited impatiently. It wasn’t until I’d waited about twenty minutes that I wondered if Valene had lied to me in an attempt to prank me.

  “Your call has been answered, vampire. Are you willing to pay the price?” A deep voice echoed inside my head as my vision grew dim. I could feel a strong hand on my shoulder pulling me somewhere.

  I had no idea where I was or where we were going, but I had no will to resist.

  “What do you want?” I mumbled the question, unsure if I was actually speaking it or just thinking very loudly.

  “Choose. Give me your darkest fear, your deepest lust or your greatest failure and I will give you your ultimate desire.” His voice was crisp and clear in my head even though the rest of my senses were dulled to the point where I wasn’t sure if I was awake or asleep.

  Since my darkest fear was tied to my greatest failure, I didn’t want to give it up. It would reveal too much about me. My subconscious understood that whatever I gave the necromancer could be sold to someone else to use against me. My deepest lust meant nothing to me anymore, so I didn’t mind bartering with it.

  “I choose lust.” I wet my lips in anticipation of feeding on someone warm.

  “Very well. Open your mind to me. Show me the first time you understood the concept of lust and how it was quenched. In exchange, I will grant you my blood.” The necromancer’s voice left no room for negotiation. If I gave him what he wanted, I would get my blood.

  I nodded in my dreamy state and felt my body gently being guided to the ground into a seated position. The warmth of the necromancer’s neck crashed into me, drawing me in. This was what I craved; warm, fresh blood. What did I care if he knew about my first sexual encounter? It was well worth a good meal.

  Thinking about my first night with Silvijn, I sank my teeth into the warm neck in front of me.

  I had always fancied Silvijn’s handsome face and strong body, but it was his keen mind that engaged me more than his good looks ever could. I would have chosen Silvijn even without my father’s blessings.

  As the heir to the Luzader Coven, Silvijn commanded the respect of his people and had his father’s blessings to take over their coven upon his death. Silvijn had proven that he had a mind for leadership and battle strategy. He was fair but powerful enough to make sure that his orders were followed.

  Our marriage would have strengthened the ties between the Mielcarek Coven and Luzader Coven, giving us their full support in political matters and unifying us under the Mielcarek banner during wartime. The Luzaders were our biggest supporters and allies against the other covens who often rebelled against us.

  Thankfully, I didn’t know my father�
�s real motives in pairing us at the time.

  We were supposed to wait until our wedding night to pledge ourselves to each other physically, but neither of us wanted to wait. Back then, Silvijn had been sweet and flirtatious. He hadn’t been hardened by battle yet or numb from the betrayal of my brother. He had simply been gorgeous and eager to please me.

  Running his hands slowly up my calves, he pulled up my nightgown as his hands rose higher. His bright blue eyes stared into mine with excitement and anticipation. “Are you sure about this, Marianela? We swore we would wait. If your father finds out, he’ll be mad at you. I don’t want to dishonor you. If he called you a whore or tried to disown you, I would be forced to kill him for disrespecting you.”

  His lips and tongue dragged along my skin, sending a fire I’d never felt through my stomach and lower to places I didn’t fully understand…yet. “Your words are making a compelling argument, but your hands and mouth are making an intriguing counterargument. Which should I listen to, I wonder?”

  Standing in his bedroom, his masculine scent was all around me. Just being inside his room was a thrill I never thought I would experience. He was right about being shamed if I was caught in his bed but feeling him touch me after so many longing looks and brief touches during stolen moments of intimacy, I didn’t care about the shame. I needed Silvijn to take away the ache inside my body and give me what I desired.

  “I swear to you, Silvijn, if you remove your hands from my body, I will make sure no other woman looks upon your face with a smile without feeling my teeth in their neck. No other woman will want you for fear that I will hunt them forever.” My pulse sped up when he crossed over my knees to my upper thighs. How could a kiss upon my thigh make me feel like I would combust from the fire building inside me?

  Chuckling, he lightly nipped my skin. “Marianela, you would do that anyway. I fear for the women of the coven who stand too close to me as it is. If I were to remove my hands from you, there would be bloodshed by morning. The poor women who tend to my food would be scattered across the floor.”