Someone who touched her neck and hair while Corwin was licking her pussy and digging fingers in her thighs. A pair of invisible hands tugged her hair and forced her to curve her spine, to thrust her hips harder against her lover's face. She fondled her breasts and pinched her nipples so hard her fingers left bruises.
Laurel was on the precipice of a glorious orgasm, with the pain in her skin and the teasing of Corwin's tongue and stubble. She thrashed on the bed, writhing and trembling, and pitiful sobs tore off her chest. Was that a whisper?
Good girl. Come for me.
Corwin was still deep between her thighs and lapping on her juices. Long licks followed by hard, sensual bites. Soon she was in the throes of another climax and the voice in her mind grew stronger. These invisible hands tugged her hair harder.
What was happening?
More orgasms shattered any resemblance of reason. She kept Corwin in the tight embrace of her thighs and he didn't stop licking her and kissing all over. He didn't even try to move away. The more climaxes she got the more intense her hunger became.
No one could eat her better than him but she needed so much more.
Come on, Laurel, be a good girl and beg him to fuck you. You want to be his slut.
She had no strength to resist that calling. The old wine bubbled to the surface and put her free will to sleep. Laurel opened her thighs wider and pushed him away. Corwin looked up in shock and licked his lips. His stubble was glistening with the thick nectar of her cunt. He had been lapping and drinking it as if his life depended on it.
"Fuck me. Please, Corwin... I need you to be on top." She got down on all fours on the bed, raised her ass in the air and parted her legs. "Please... take me... I need you to make me your bitch tonight."
All the lust in his glowing eyes disappeared and a shadow of horror passed through his face. Corwin never disobeyed her, even when her orders didn't thrill him. Right in that moment he looked lost, pale and more scared than she had ever seen him. Laurel whimpered in despair and opened her reddened lips in an attempt of seduction.
"Don't disobey me, Corwin, come and fuck me now. Spank and fuck me. I'm your slut now." His Mistress ordering him to dominate her. How ironic was that?
"Please, Mistress... Don't make me do that. I... I don't think I can handle it tonight." He buried his face in his hands and his mighty shoulders trembled as if he was trying to hold back his sobs. She heard him speak, muted and full of silent terror. "It's a full moon... You know what I'm capable of when... Please, don't... I can never forgive myself if I harm you."
A strong ache went through her heart at these words and the mysterious voice faded. Just as the unnatural lust that pushed her into insanity. The moment her painful arousal faded, Laurel looked down at her pet. He was trying to keep it together but his strong shoulders didn't stop shaking. The sudden rush of guilt made her forget the submissive cravings.
She was his Mistress, and it was her role to take care of him.
He was in such a fragile state of mind and Laurel acted like a horny bitch in heat.
"Come here." Laurel laid down on her back, on top of the stack of pillows. "Lie next to me, little wolf and relax."
Corwin raised his eyes, red with tears, filled with frustration and anger. He was only a little upset, but it hurt her to see him in any distress. Hesitation still lingered in his gaze but he complied with her soft request.
Laurel wrapped her arms around him when he climbed on the bed and rested his head on her shoulder. She kissed him on the lips and ran fingers through his hair. Corwin closed his eyes and calmed his breathing down. Her soft kisses and tender voice eased the tension in him and he relaxed in his Mistress' arms.
"I'm sorry... I know what you're going through," she said. "It's just that..."
"That stranger is messing with your mind. He was downstairs in the shop, wasn't he?" His voice was grim just like his expression. If there was any bitterness or accusation, he hid it very well.
"You... how do you know about him?" Laurel asked and pulled him closer so his head would lie on her breasts.
"Oh, Mistress... How can a smart woman like you be so blind?" Corwin chuckled. "There's nothing you can do without me knowing about it."
He raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "You seem to forget how connected we are, Laurel... and how sensitive my hearing is at full moon. I heard you talking loud and clear, as if I were downstairs with you. You have been hiding things from me, haven't you?"
Laurel's cheeks turned pink at those words. She tried to look away, but he slid his palm to cup her chin and didn't allow her. These sporadic gestures of dominance always made her weak in the knees.
"You... you could feel him, as well?" She spoke with the soft voice of a scared little bird. How much she hated when she sounded that way.
Corwin nodded and buried his face in her shoulder. His stubble scratched her skin. "Yes... That fucking stench was messing with my head. That's why I had headaches and couldn't focus on anything. I wish you had told me."
"Corwin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide anything from you." Laurel buried her head in his shoulder and sighed. "I doubted my sanity and you have enough of a burden on your shoulders. Especially by the full moon. I..."
Some Mistress she was, explaining herself like a shy, awkward girl. Corwin wasn't a regular slave or a lover. He was everything... and it'd kill her if that strange new power put a strain on their connection.
He stroked her shoulder blades and kissed the top of her head.
"I thought so... you should stop being so overprotective of me." Corwin said and his voice sounded distracted, as if he was talking to himself. "I may have made myself yours but that doesn't make me a damsel in distress. You should tell me when something is troubling you... especially if it also concerns me."
She looked up and removed the veil of messy black hair from her eyes. He smiled and draped her petite form on his strong chest, with his arms wrapped around her.
"We'll handle it together, like we always do." Corwin planted another small kiss on her temple. "You never met that man before? What does he want?"
Laurel shrugged and scratched his shoulder. Her long nails left a small red mark that faded as fast as it appeared. She leaned in to kiss the spot.
"I don't know any more than you do, Corwin. I never met him before... I would have remembered someone so striking."
"You desire him." He uttered through his gritted teeth and exhaled. "You spent a few minutes with him and he reduced you to a horny mess. Please, just... don't deny it."
"I wouldn't even think of it." She uttered and reached out to stroke his still hard cock. "Yes, Corwin, I desire him but that's not a natural desire. He's looking deep in my mind and can see all I have locked..."
His next words were brimming with a dark jealousy. Admirers of both genders have always surrounded Laurel but Corwin was never possessive of her. He stood aside with a small smirk and watched her while she was flirting and casting her enchantment.
There was never any real competition for his Mistress and her attention... well, until now.
"It's all I could never give to you, not in the way you desire." The bitterness in his voice was so sudden and strong it made her wince. He was squeezing her hard and had his arms locked around her like a cage.
"It's nothing but lust, Corwin." Laurel tried to lay her hands on his chest to push herself away but he was too strong. "Yes, sometimes I want for someone to force me into submission. That doesn't mean I'm unhappy with what we have. I don't know what he is... I've never met such a creature before, so I'm not prepared..."
Corwin remained lost in silence while she was explaining herself. His tight grip around her loosened, but he stared out in the distance with a crease of worry on his forehead. Laurel cupped his face and kissed him. It was a rough kiss and her teeth sank in his lips, drawing just enough blood to get his attention back to her.
She licked his tiny wound and savored the little drops of his blood. Blood that tastes like cin
namon.
"Corwin, please, stick with me. Don't let that shadow stay between us." She licked his lips and kept imploring him. "He might never return."
He sighed and looked at her with regret in his eyes, back to their rich hazel color. "Forgive me, Mistress, I... I've never been so jealous in my life. It's the first time I fear someone might take you away."
Laurel was his first and only woman. He often told her he couldn't remember what his life was like before her, just shadows and flashbacks. It was no surprise jealousy was foreign to him when all he knew was the cage, the chains, the whip and the endless parade of humiliation. He never harbored a hope for a better life before he met her. Corwin didn't let himself dream before she unlocked his chains.
"Just remember that I'll always keep my promise to you." She kissed him again. "No games of domination can replace what you and I have. The thought of you kept me afloat."
Laurel rolled over on her side and slapped his shoulder with a wicked grin.
"That Severin guy better get ready to bring his best game if he'll mess with us. Now... let's forget about him. We have a party to prepare for."
Corwin chuckled at her self-confidence. He bounced back from his sudden rush of jealousy faster than she expected. His resilience was one of the many things she loved about her wolf.
"Mistress, do you think we'll have time for one more little game before tonight?" He raised his eyebrows and grinned at her. Just then, Laurel noticed he had picked up his leather hair tie.
"No, we won't." She laughed and got up from the bed with her trademark hip swaying. "If you're a very good boy, we'll have a lot of fun after the party's over and the last guest leaves."
V
The fire from the lanterns was dancing on the walls. It made the artificial spiders look like explosions of colors. Sinister organ music echoed through the big house. Sometimes its resonant sound faded to give way to creepy voices from beyond the grave, witches cackling and the occasional scream of horror. Two skeletons with glowing eyes stood on both sides of the bar and every half an hour an evil laughter escaped their hollow jaws. The hostess of the party often lowered the music to read thematic poetry or parts of gothic romances. She also entertained the crowd with shadow puppetry against a bright screen. Violins wailed in the background while Laurel showed off her art with different figures and scary tales. At the peak moment of the story, the enthralled audience would jump at the distant croak of a raven. The intricate shadows impressed the masked crowd enough, but the carefully chosen sound effects made them gasp. No one saw the wicked smile of the man in the forest green and brown hunter costume. Corwin tended the bar that night but he was also in charge of the music and gave Laurel's dark romantic plays an extra spice.
That was the first Halloween party at Cinnamon Bookshop but it looked like they'd turn it into a tradition. Maybe they'd even throw more events. Everyone had a blast and much to his surprise, they had taken quite an effort in the choice of party costumes. He had expected a few cat outfits here and there, domino masks. Instead, a crowd of peculiar creatures from fairy tales populated the bookshop. Women in floor-length black gothic dresses with generous cleavages, in ballet outfits, with white swan wings, witches with crooked noses and bushy brooms, princesses in pink, lacy dresses. Men dressed as pirates, vampires and policemen, though Corwin spotted some more unusual outfits, like that of a guy in a blue unicorn jumpsuit.
Half the people who showed up were tourists but Corwin recognized some of their regular clients. They shocked him with their choice, especially those he knew as more reserved and conservative.
Tonight no one is what they seem. At least one night a year no one could accuse him of pretending to be what he wasn't.
Corwin rubbed the pendant around his neck, his little token of ownership by Laurel. He rubbed the metal between his fingers and took a few deep breaths. Tonight had been a crazy busy night for him. All the guests ordered at least a million cups of Laurel's specialties, whether it was because of the sugar, the alcohol or just the uplifted spirit of the party. Apart from serving as a bartender, he also had to make sure that the crowd wouldn't get bored with the music. He switched between eerie gothic music, horror movie sound effects, drum and bass and the occasional pop song. It was a winning combination. The masked folks were lining up to get the next drink, and they looked high on candy and Halloween magic. Corwin usually got generous tips when he worked at the coffee shop but tonight his jar was overflowing.
It made him happy to have something to keep his mind occupied, but the nervousness was creeping into his mind. Dark clouds hovered over the mountain and there wasn't a trace of moonlight. Still, his skin prickled and got hotter by the minute. Corwin realized that Laurel was right, they should have hired more people. She had told him to retire whenever he wanted if the pressure became too much.
"That's a helluva party. Laurel's a genius." A woman interrupted his thoughts with her shriek. Her black mascara was running and the tight corset with a deep cleavage couldn't have been easy to breathe in. She was red in the face, even beneath the heavy layer of makeup. The lady pushed the wet tresses of hair from her forehead before she grabbed her fourth cup of pumpkin wine for the evening and dashed away from the counter.
Corwin chuckled. Mrs. Henderson had been visiting their shop ever since it opened and she always looked buttoned up, prim and proper. It bewildered him what one night of wine, chocolate, spice and scary music could do to a person's mind.
Nothing's what it seems, especially you.
The party would end by eleven. Only fifteen minutes until Laurel and him would be alone. He scanned the crowd for a certain familiar presence. If their strange visitor showed up tonight, Corwin would smell him. A growl rose in his throat at the thought of the stench. The stranger had been there today while Corwin had been eating his Mistress out.
A fierce sensation was lurking at the pit of his stomach when he remembered it. The nerve of that creature woke up all of his wolfish instincts. It would be so easy for him to rip that man to pieces, to chew him up and spit him out if he unleashed himself.
No one may stand between his Mistress and him. No one.
Corwin found Laurel's face in the crowd. She was easy to spot, with her flowing, hooded cloak of fine red silk over the deceptively innocent blue gown. His Little Red Riding Hood spent the entire evening circulating, socializing and making sure everyone had a fun time. Earlier in the evening, a few kids knocked on the door and she gave them more candy than they could eat. She passed by his counter a few times to make sure he was doing fine. Corwin dismissed her with a smile and told her in a joking voice to entertain her guests. During one of her checks, he leaned in and warned her to watch out for big, bad wolves.
Tonight he could be dangerous for her, his little Mistress.
He adored her more than he could put in words but tonight the dark, carnal cravings were more sinister than any other night. The memory of her sweet blood on those rare times when he bit her were sinfully delicious. These wishes to sink his claws in her white skin until he heard her scream always reared their ugly head on a full moon.
Anxiety ripped him apart on the inside as the lust of the animal slowly possessed him. When he turned around to switch the music for the final song of the evening, he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
His eyes were glowing green.
"Wow, those are cool contacts." One tipsy girl leaned in against the bar. She smiled to show off her pointy fangs and winked at him. "Where did you get them from?"
"Oh... They are custom made. Special order." Corwin grinned as amiably as possible. That had to tame her curiosity. His eyes fell down on the girl's overflowing cleavage and went up to her suggestive smile.
She'd look so good down on her knees with your teeth on her neck.
Corwin froze in place and swallowed hard to chase away the sudden thought. That was not him, it was the wolf... and he was hungry.
Much to his relief, the party girl didn't notice the sudden shift in his
mood. She burst into giggles, licked her lips and leaned in even closer.
"So cool... Hey, can you get us a bottle of that pumpkin wine you make here? It's so delicious. Your party is so fun..." The girl flipped her black hair and revealed more of her neck. The pulsing veins and the sight of her exposed skin did strange things to him. Corwin turned around to pull out one of the pumpkin wine bottles with the label of Cinnamon Bookshop. Laurel's predictions that a lot of the party goers would want more of it turned out to be correct.
The girl beamed at him once he handed her the bottle and she hurried to throw him a big tip.
"Thank you, handsome." She winked again and fluttered her eyelashes. "Hey, are you free after your shift's over? My girlfriends and I are staying at one of the spa hotels. Wanna come with us and help us drink that wine? We could use a big, strong man to make sure we'll get home safely."
When they started the bookshop together, Corwin never believed he'd have to turn down so many women. He certainly didn't expect to get more propositions than a male stripper. It happened often enough for him to work out a routine to let them off the hook as gently as possible.
"That's very sweet of you and I'm sure you and your girlfriends are lovely but..." He shrugged helplessly but continued with a firm tone. "I'm afraid I'm not single."
The girl gave him a cute pout, bit her bottom lip and stared at him with longing in her unfocused eyes. When her seduction trick didn't work out, she pouted some more but her party mood must have been stronger.
"Just my luck. Why are all the hot ones already taken? Whoever she is, she is one helluva lucky girl... or guy. Let me know if you ever change your mind." She giggled, picked up the wine bottle and winked again before she walked away. Someone had to tell her that wasn't nearly as sexy as she probably believed.
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