Hearts of Darkness: A Valentine's Day Bully Romance Collection

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  I gasp when I realize what it is.

  What they say about vampires is true.

  Gods dammit, of course it is.

  In three long strides, Talon is at the bed, and he lowers me to the mattress. I notice that the padding is at least twice as thick as mine. The prince might believe he receives no privileges, but the mattress, this giant cell, and the fact that I am here proves otherwise.

  Or maybe he doesn’t consider them privileges. Perhaps he sees them as yet another way of being caged by his father’s status and reputation.

  “Quit thinking,” Talon rasps, “I can feel you thinking. Be here. With me. Just with me.”

  My heart rate speeds up, and Talon pulls away to give me a wickedly sexy smile. “Yes, like that.”

  Despite myself, my lips pull up. “It’s so unfair that you can hear my heart rate. Your senses give you too many advantages.”

  “You of all people should know that all is fair in love and war,” Talon teases.

  He’s right. And this is a bit of both.

  And shit, this feels so good, so right, who cares?

  I press my lips to his, no longer wanting to talk. He responds by untying the drawstring of my pants. Once he’s succeeded, he rips them off and breaks our kiss to dip his head lower.

  I catch a glint of fang and my blood freezes. I gasp as I grip his wrist.

  “Wait!”

  Talon jerks to a stop and his eyes dart up to mine. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts. You smell so delicious, it’s torture.”

  I bite my lip and consider asking what I smell like, but decide against it. There are more important matters to discuss.

  “I want to set some rules.”

  Talon arches an eyebrow, and I almost reverse my decision and say fuck all the rules. In an effort not to go against my better judgment, I blurt it out instead.

  “No biting.” After another moment’s consideration, I add, “And no butt stuff.”

  At the second stipulation, Talon’s eyes grow wide, and then, to my great surprise, he lets out a roar of laughter.

  “I’m serious!” I insist.

  “No doubt you are,” Talon says. “And don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on biting, or initiating any butt stuff.” He chuckles again, and I fight the urge to throw a pillow at him.

  If he wasn’t so godsdamn hot, and my pussy wasn’t throbbing for him to touch it, I would.

  A second later, I’m glad I didn’t act on my inclinations, because the prince dips his head low, and his tongue parts the folds of my sex.

  I moan, and Talon’s gold eyes shoot up to latch onto mine. Slowly, he shakes his head.

  “Not yet, Borges,” a devilish grin crosses his face. “You don’t come until I tell you to.”

  My eyes bulge. Holy fucking hell. Did the prince tell me I’m not allowed to come?! And was it the hottest thing I’ve ever heard?

  Why yes, yes it was. Gods, this asshole is apparently dead set on making even pleasurable experiences difficult.

  I’m about to make some smart-ass remark about that when his tongue swirls over my clit.

  All my thoughts dissolve as my back arches and every muscle in my body clenches tight.

  He places his large hands on either side of my hips and presses down so I’m lying on his mattress once more, and then he goes to town, teasing, swirling, and stroking my clit like he was born to eat pussy.

  Fuck, maybe he was.

  And even if he wasn’t, I want more. More, dammit!

  The moment I’m about to beg for it, he changes tack and moves downward. Fire surges through my veins.

  He licks the sides of my folds, so slowly that it makes me whimper.

  The prince chuckles. “You taste good, witch.”

  My body shudders, and I can’t help myself, I reach down for him, yearning to run my hands through his blond hair, but he’s having none of it. He merely smirks, sending every inch of my skin tingling, and dives once more.

  All of a sudden, his tongue, that godsdamned masterful, surprising tongue, is flicking and darting in and out of me. I release an earth-shattering moan. My body is wound as tight as a coil, ready for release at any moment.

  Talon isn’t the first guy that’s gone down on me. Far from it. But fuck if he isn’t the first one to do it right.

  The inside of my pussy is tightening, and any minute now, I’m about to fall over the edge.

  His fingers dig into my thighs and he pulls me even closer. My juices must be all over his face, and that thought turns me on even more.

  One more firm yank and apparently he has me right where he wants me, because one hand snakes up under my shirt, to my breast, and teases a rock-hard nipple.

  A high-pitched whine leaves my lips and I close my eyes. When I open them again, two golden gems are watching me. I gasp because damn if they aren’t the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.

  Talon chuckles. “Now you may come.”

  My eyebrows furrow because I’m so fucking close but a boob caress isn’t going to get me there. However, in the next instant, what he means becomes clear as his mouth latches on to my clit again and he sucks.

  Hard.

  Fire burns in my belly and, trying not to lose myself to the overwhelming stimuli, I stare up at the ceiling. The wave of heat spreads, and in the next second, I’m lost to it.

  I writhe in desperation, and the vampire prince teases and twists his tongue around my clit like he’s competing in the pussy-eating Olympics. I grip the sheets on either side of me, and after he sucks my throbbing clit once more, I’m gone.

  So fucking gone.

  I release a scream, and my hips buck up high as my pussy floods. Bolts of energy rush through me and the sensation is so strong, it’s almost like my magic is back, flowing wild and free though my veins.

  My muscles spasm, and because Talon is still down there, doing whatever sort of magic he’s working, my orgasm stretches on.

  “Holy gods!” I scream.

  The scoundrel lifts his head and grins.

  Just as well, because if he stayed down there for a moment longer, I might explode. As it is, I collapse on the mattress with a whimper as my legs bend and stretch—searching for balance in this overstimulated euphoria.

  Talon releases a low chuckle that verges on a growl, and I swear I almost come again.

  He scoots up over me, and as he moves, the hard, long length of him grazes my thigh.

  Oh, gods alive and dead and false and whatever . . . is he going to fuck me with that thing? I don’t know if I can handle it. I’m already a puddle of goo.

  But all my worry dissolves when, instead of plunging his cock inside me, he kisses me.

  I groan. He groans. Somehow, it seems like he’s as turned on as I am.

  We break apart, and Talon smiles down at me. Although I had major reservations about coming here tonight, I can’t seem to remember a single one.

  “How was that?” the vampire prince purrs, and as much as I want to kiss him, I also kind of want to slap the cocky bastard.

  He must read the incredulity on my face, because a loud laugh escapes him as he eases his large body on top of mine. He weighs a lot, and his body is chilly to the touch, but it’s not unpleasant. In fact, I like the nearness and the simple touching of skin on skin.

  “It was good for me too,” he says, even though I don’t answer. “In fact, if you don’t mind, I—”

  Footsteps sound, and the lingering pleasantness of my orgasm evaporates as a guard appears at the entry to the room that opens into the prince’s cell.

  “I told you no interruptions,” Talon says icily.

  The guard clears his throat. “I’m aware, My Prince, but the warden is performing rounds. He’s in the south building, but is heading north.”

  Fuck. The warden is heading toward my building. Talon probably paid the other guards off and that was that, but the warden would be another matter. He reports to Head Marshal Angelica, who I hear is a grade-A bitch—even to King Lou
is.

  I don’t want a prison official to catch me here and tell Angelica Tenebris about it.

  “My cell is in the north building,” I whisper.

  “You should go. They cannot know of this,” Talon says.

  I nod.

  “Turn your back,” Talon commands the guard, which sort of takes me by surprise. I was ready to leap up naked as the day I was born and get the hell out of there. Talon Tenebris is more concerned with my modesty than I am.

  My stomach twists at that idea. What is happening here?

  I dress quickly and without looking at Talon, unsure how to handle what just happened. In the end, I merely bid him goodnight and walk to the gate so the guard can let me out.

  14.

  Talon

  My guard opens the door to my cell, and Skye Borges slips out. As she does, she twists and offers me a smile. Her cheeks are pink from her pleasure, and perhaps a bit of embarrassment too. The way she said goodbye just moments before made it clear she is not used to casual sexual encounters.

  I grin back, recalling how that very same smile graced her lips when her body relinquished itself to me. The beautiful image of Skye riding on a wave of passion is one I will never forget.

  To say I was wrong about her not being my type is the understatement of the year. Clearly, the Talon before Supernatural Penitentiary #7 had not experienced a real woman. I had no fucking idea what my type was.

  Because Skye, with her hair as black as night, her sweet lips, her sparkling blue eyes, and sass capable of bringing a prince to his knees, is my type.

  She is Artemis, Aphrodite, and Athena all wrapped into one. She is power and submission. She is all I could have dreamed up in a woman.

  My guard locks my cell for the night, and I watch the witch walk away. As soon as she is out of sight, my body aches to see her again. My cock twitches, and I’m reminded that somehow, the witch achieved the impossible, making me come without meaning to. Her pleasure, her moan, and the sweetness of her pussy was all I needed. That has never happened before. But to be honest, I wouldn’t mind if it happened again—or better yet, if I got to savor her sweet center with something other than my tongue.

  I shake my head and clean up, changing into fresh clothing, and then lie on my bed, unable to stop thinking about what just happened.

  It’s only when I hear my guard returning that my thoughts break. As he approaches the grate, I know what is coming.

  “Shall I contact King Louis, Prince Talon?” the guard asks.

  All the pleasure I’ve been soaking in dissipates into the air. What do I say?

  I cannot deny I have lain with Skye as Father wanted, but I didn’t get any secrets either.

  Nor am I sure I want to.

  But this guard cannot know of my change of heart.

  Without making eye contact, I give a single nod. “You may inform King Louis I have seduced the witch. Nothing more.”

  The guard is silent for a moment. “As you wish, Prince Talon.” He turns to walk back down the hallway.

  He will deliver my message to my father, which means I have little time to decide how I must handle this situation.

  15.

  Skye

  The next morning, I wake with a dull ache between my thighs, and a sliver of doubt in my heart.

  What have I done?

  I wonder if I should find Talon right away, but something keeps me lying on my bed. Placing my hands behind my head, I close my eyes to consider the situation.

  Unsurprisingly, vivid and tantalizing scenes from last night take over my thoughts. They roll through my mind, and even in hindsight, I cannot say that anything that happened between us felt wrong. Complicated, nerve-wracking, surprising, and sexy as fuck, yes—but wrong?

  Not at all.

  Talon Tenebris has always been the mortal enemy of my family. I was born hating the Tenebris dynasty, and that hatred burrowed deeper into my soul when the king killed my parents. But I can no longer extend that hate to Talon.

  His smile, the thoughtful gleam of his gold eyes when we discuss matters of our country, the fact that he’s here in his father’s stead, and that I sense resentment about that, all tugs at me. I’ve slipped from hate all the way to the other side of the spectrum.

  But does he feel the same way?

  There is only one way to find out, so I rise and prepare to go find the vampire prince.

  “Is breakfast still being served?” I ask the guard on duty as he unlocks my cell for me.

  The guard nods, and I make my way to the cafeteria, assuming I will find Talon there.

  However, when I enter, I find that he’s not there. In fact, none of the vampire inmates dot the shoddy plastic tables.

  I approach the nearest guard.

  “Where are the vampire inmates?”

  “Feeding day,” he says.

  That’s right. I’ve forgotten what day it is—an occurrence far too common in prison. Once a week, the vampires may feed from an actual living donor. The donor is usually a poor human from the nearby town, who the prison pays to allow vampires to suck their blood. It’s a stipulation that keeps the vampire population healthy, just as the Shifter Woods aided the shifters.

  And as a prince used to taking blood from the vein, Talon would not want to miss feeding day. They have probably given him the most healthy and prettiest human.

  The idea of Talon drinking blood from a pretty female makes me press my lips together hard. Catching the ridiculous jealousy, I shake my head. I wouldn’t want him to suck down my blood anyway; let a human reap some reward. They deserve it.

  I prepare a tray for breakfast, and because I am starving from last night’s events, I wolf it down in a matter of minutes. As I eat, I try to gauge my surroundings. Does anyone realize what happened the evening before? Or was Talon true to his word and made sure that our meeting remained a secret?

  As far as I can tell, the vampire prince has made good on his promise. No one so much as glances my way, which is normal.

  Once I’m done, I return my tray, and make my way to the Shifter Woods so I can think in peace.

  I’m on my tenth lap of my favorite trail when I catch the shifting of foliage through the trees. Talon appears a moment later. There’s color in his cheeks, and his skin has a radiant glow, telling me that he has fed well. An image of Talon leaning close to another woman flits through my mind.

  Once again, I shake the insecurity away, and go to meet him. As soon as we are close enough, Talon twists and holds out a hand so that the guard following him knows to come no further. I do the same for Georgio, who walks behind me. Probably because Talon and I have proven that we will not lash into each other, Georgio stops too.

  We stand face-to-face in the middle of the false wood. Somewhere in the distance, the man-made waterfall is trickling, and yet, somehow surrounded by all this beauty, it’s Talon’s scent that is the most overwhelming to me.

  He smells unbelievably manly, musky, almost like cedar, but in a spicy way. I never noticed the sexy scent until this moment, and if it weren’t for the guards on either side of us, I would rip his shirt off.

  “Good morning,” Talon says, his tone reserved. “Thought I’d find you here.”

  I wonder if he experienced the same doubts that I did earlier. Quickly, I realize that the thought is ridiculous. Of course, he did. He’s a Tenebris, and I’m a Borges, and until days ago, we were enemies, arguing and threatening one another.

  Now I’m not sure what we are.

  “Good morning. How was your . . . feeding session?”

  “Adequate.” Talon shrugs. “Care for a walk?”

  I nod, and Talon surprises me by turning to his guard and ordering him to remain in place.

  Then I have an idea.

  “Hold on a second,” I say to Talon. Perhaps we can discuss matters that I should have brought up last night. Matters I forgot when he went down on me.

  I approach Georgio with a smile and am thankful for our history, which prevents hi
m from always being defensive when I am around. I want him to be disarmed, because when I use my mind powers on others, it’s always best that they’re unsuspecting and pliable.

  “Prince Talon and I wish to discuss a few things,” I say. “You might call them issues of public safety.”

  Behind me, Talon chuckles, and it takes a lot of effort not to turn around and admonish him, because right away, Georgio looks skeptical.

  I continue approaching the guard until we’re only a foot apart. “Obviously, he is not as interested in peace talks as I am, but I would really appreciate it if you could do me a favor.” I reach deep for my powers, and pull the small strands of magic I can still access, the ones that allow me to read others’ minds and suggest ideas for them to follow. “If you could stay here with the other guard so we could really talk, that would be great.”

  “It’s against protocol, Borges,” Georgio replies, telling me that my powers have not taken.

  No surprise there, I’m rusty, not having mind-controlled anybody in a while, or even talked to Misty. And I don’t blame Georgio for denying me. Our economy sucks, and he has a good paying gig. He doesn’t want to lose it.

  But that does not mean I have to acquiesce.

  I try again, yanking the thread harder. This time, my magic seems to unclog and thrust upward toward my summons. The power pulses beneath my eyes, and I stare deep into Georgio’s as I repeat myself. “I think you misunderstood me. We demand to have some alone time. If you ever want peace, you will oblige.”

  For a moment, Georgio’s eyes glaze over, but the effect soon disappears, leaving the vampire guard just as alert in appearance as before. He nods. “That sounds acceptable, Borges. Do not tell our superiors we allowed this.”

  “Course not.”

  With that, I turn back to Talon, who is staring at me with wonder.

  “What? You think you’re the only persuasive one in this prison?”

  “With you here? I would never dare dream such a thing.” Talon extends his arm, and because the one guard already knows of our clandestine meeting, and the other won’t remember what happened after I return, I take it, and we walk deeper into the woods.