OnsetofDanger (8 page)

“Lie still.”

Ignoring the warning, she yanked against his restraining
hand and bucked her hips. “Fuck you!”

“Not until you learn some manners.”

The pressure against her back eased, but she barely had time
to register the change before that same hand smacked her ass. Her indignant cry
only earned her another swat and then another. “What is wrong with you?” she
snapped. “We already played this game.”

“But you obviously didn’t learn the lesson, so I thought
we’d play again.” He accented the statement with another firm spank.

She stilled, accepting the heat as the sting gradually
mellowed. “What was I supposed to have learned?”

He released her hands, leaving her arms angled above her
head, and straddled her legs before she could roll over. His hands skimmed down
her sides and over her hips. “Pleasure or pain. The choice is yours. I enjoy
either.” He bent and kissed the middle of her back.

“The only thing I want is my freedom, so the rest is
irrelevant.” She kept her arms raised and tried not to shiver each time his
lips touched her skin.

He scooted down then drew her hips up until she rested on
her knees and forearms. She closed her eyes, expecting him to free his cock and
push inside her. That’s what purebloods did with their sex slaves. They used
them, fucked them fast and hard with no thought but satisfying their own
desires.

Her breasts felt heavy, the tips lightly rubbing against the
bedding as she waited for his next move. What was taking him so long? She knew
how fast he could move. Why wasn’t he inside her, filling her, riding her with
savage intensity? Desire rolled through her and her core softened, melted,
preparing for his entry, his possession.

“Oh yes. Now you’re waking up.” His breath fanned her damp
folds but he still wasn’t touching her. “Make your choice or I’ll make it for
you.”

Pleasure
. The word echoed through her mind but she
couldn’t force it past her lips. He was her enemy, her captor, her master. The
last title made her shiver. “I have no choice as long as I’m your prisoner.”

“You have whatever choice I choose to give you. Tell me now.
I will not ask again.”

She fisted the bedding and clenched her teeth, knowing she
would pay dearly for her stubbornness. “Just let me go,” she whispered.

Flipping her over, he glared with furious impatience. Then
he forced her legs open with his knees and interlaced their fingers, pinning
her hands to the bed. Without a word, he bent to her breast and pushed his
fangs into the soft flesh. Pain shot through her chest but a sensual swell was
close behind. Her nipples beaded so tightly she whimpered and her lungs felt
sluggish.

He didn’t drink, just created twin puncture wounds then
raised his head and watched her blood flow. Ordinarily her symbionts would have
closed the wounds as soon as he withdrew his fangs, but without their
assistance blood seeped out and pooled between her breasts. He lapped at the
pool, his gaze burning into hers while he savored her taste.

Helpless. Human. How had she survived before her initiation?

His fingers slipped out from between hers and he slid his
hands down her arms. Blood stained his lips and his dark eyes glowed green with
Strigo energy. “So fragile.” His whispered words seemed to echo her thoughts
but she hadn’t sensed his presence inside her mind. Not that her powers of
observation were at their strongest at the moment.

Licking his way to her nipple, he smeared blood across her
pale skin. Then his fingers captured her other nipple while he sucked on the
first. His fangs were still distended, pressing into her flesh with each firm
pull. If she squirmed too much or tried to jerk away, he’d slice open her
breast.

Danger and hunger swirled through her, speeding her pulse
and sensitizing her skin. She’d refused his offer of pleasure, forcing him to
explore harsher impulses and darker desires. Though free now, her hands
remained above her head, folded into loose fists. She couldn’t find the
strength to move them to a less submissive position. She felt weightless and
dizzy, hovering on the verge of something monumental.

Hunger pounded Bronik’s control, urging him on, demanding
more of her tantalizing taste. Her blood lingered on his tongue, sweet and
vibrant, with a unique spiciness he’d never tasted before. He released her
nipple and returned to the wounds he’d created. He desperately wanted to thrust
his fangs back in and drink deeply. Her symbionts were neutralized, not that
they would have been much of a problem anyway. Strigo was the original strain.
The other three were mutations, weaker distortions of the
true
strain.

But he wasn’t here to feed. He was trying to provoke her, to
stimulate her dormant symbionts back to wakefulness. Rather than drink his
fill, he dragged his tongue across the mark and closed the twin wounds. She lay
still beneath him, much too still for his liking.

He rocked back onto his knees and waited until she looked at
him. “Grab the backs of your knees and hold your legs open. I like to use my
hands as well as my mouth.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped as her sluggish mind
registered the command. “Go. To. Hell.” Venom dripped off each word and crimson
sparks burst within her eyes.

Red light meant Vladya energy. The progress was slow but his
strategy was working. “I don’t want to damage you. If you were at full strength
it might be fun to wrestle but you are too easily injured at the moment.”

“Isn’t that just too damn bad?” She drew her knees up,
either to kick him or in an attempt to roll away. He swooped in under her legs
and grabbed both her wrists then used his body like a wedge to pry her legs
apart. After a few moments of kicking and twisting, her legs settled over his
arms and he dragged her hands beneath her hips, which tilted her pelvis to the
perfect angle.

“Much better.” He searched her gaze, hoping for more sparks
of Vladya light. All he saw was anger and uncertainty. He wanted to reassure
her, tell her he wouldn’t hurt her. But that was counterproductive to the plan.
She needed to fear him, think him capable of anything, or this was pointless. He
inhaled her aroused scent and groaned. Perhaps not pointless. They were both
enjoying the struggle but this wasn’t really about sex. He parted his lips,
displaying his fangs as Strigo fire burned within his eyes. “I’m famished, so
you’d better lie still or I’ll be sucking more than cream from your pussy.”

One of her arms slipped within his grasp then twisted and
her fingernails bit into his hand. Judging from the sting, her claws were
extended. He hissed in warning but the reaction was encouraging. Even the
smallest transformation required symbiotic energy.

“Retract those claws or you’ll feel my fangs again and I
won’t stop until my hunger is sated.”

Her breasts quivered, the nipples still tightly peaked and
smeared with blood. She glared for another moment then turned her head and
closed her eyes.

He leaned in and dragged his fangs down her inner thigh. She
yelped and red welts striped her ivory flesh, though he’d been careful not to
break the skin. “You look lovely in stripes. We’ll have to play with the whips
once I’ve tasted you properly.” He teased her crease with the tip of his tongue
then striped her other thigh with his fangs. She cried out, her hips bucking as
he watched the new welt form. “What’s the matter?”

“I hate you.” Her voice broke but she refused to open her
eyes.

“Of course you do. You’re a Vladya princess and I’m treating
you like a whore.”

Please treat me like a whore. Fuck me hard. Fuck me now!
Just let me come.

He doubted she’d meant for him to hear the exasperated
thoughts, but the desperation in her tone was telling. Baby doll didn’t like to
wait for her pleasure. Either that or she’d been far more aroused by their
activities than he’d realized. He pressed his lips against her slit and
absorbed the heat of her sex, thrilled by the slick softness.

She pushed up into the kiss like a greedy feline begging for
attention. He traced the enticing line, trying not to part her folds. She
wiggled and gasped so he ventured deeper. Her folds surrounded his tongue, warm
and wet, urging him onward.

Cream flowed from her core, making her slippery and
incredibly soft. All he’d have to do is swipe his tongue across her clit and
she’d shatter, which was why he avoided the sensitive nub. He swirled his
tongue inside her core then followed the creamy trail downward. She tensed, her
thighs shaking as he ringed her anus. He had to feed her savage instincts.
Provoke the symbionts, not the host.

He carefully shifted her hands into one fist then pulled his
free hand out from under her. She tugged against his fingers for a moment then
went still, apparently waiting to see if she wanted to protest his next move.
He lightly scanned her mind but only sensed the slightest hint of Vladya
activity.

Closely watching her face, he pushed his long middle finger
into her core. Her inner muscles gripped him with strong, rhythmic clenches and
he imagined those muscles caressing his cock. He slid in and out, slowly,
encouraging her to savor the smooth motion. She gradually relaxed, her legs
shifting wider as she lost herself in the pleasure.

He longed for her satisfied cry and the fresh rush of cream
that would signal her completion, but he couldn’t let her come. He needed her
uncertain and angry, combative. Without warning he pulled his wet finger out of
her core and pushed it deep into her ass.

She went wild, crying out and twisting as she tried to
dislodge his hand. He ignored her distress and covered her slit with his mouth,
effortlessly locating her clit with his tongue.

“You pervert! I will not let you pretend I’m a boy.”

You’re not letting me do anything.
He carefully
closed his lips around her clit and sucked with gentle pressure.
I didn’t
ask permission.
She couldn’t escape his mouth or his finger. He drew nearly
out as he released her clit, then thrust back in as he switched to a light
flicking motion.

She shook beneath him, gasping and moaning as her body
responded despite her obvious misgivings. Energy hummed within her, building in
tandem with her agitation. He needed to stop. She was nearly there. He could
sense her impending orgasm, taste it in the sudden richness of her cream. It
made him wild and possessive, determined to fulfill her every need. If he
didn’t stop she’d—

A sharp cry tore from her throat and he pushed deeper into
her mind. Her symbionts struggled against their sedation, aware yet not quite
functional. Pleasure flooded her mind and spread through her body, making him
ache for a similar release. Through it all her symbionts simmered, unable to
assist or protect her.

Why had her pleasure been so important? He’d felt almost
compelled to satisfy her.

Limp and sated, she sprawled before him, eyes drooping
sleepily. He carefully withdrew his finger and she shivered then sighed.
Despite his sexual aggression, it was obvious she didn’t perceive him as a
threat. He’d sensed no real fear within her mind, just uncertainty and
anticipation. All the intimidation in the world wouldn’t be enough to rouse her
symbionts if she knew it was an idle threat. He would have to try something
else, some sort of direct stimulation.

“Look at me.” She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
He smiled, fascinated by her spirit. Even naked and flushed from their
intimacies, she was rebellious. “Life as you knew it ended the moment the
Levari kidnapped you. According to your strain, you are compromised, tainted,
expendable
.
I’m the only hope you’ve got. Pretending otherwise is dishonest and futile.”

Her eyes flew open and she glared. “I might be an outcast
among Vladya strain but I still have options.”

“You cannot even feed yourself.” Inwardly he cringed at the
brutal honesty but they were running out of time. Not only would Eloise
inevitably weaken again without her symbionts, it was imperative that he gain
her cooperation. She was the beloved daughter of Vladya strain’s leader, privy to
all sorts of crucial information. He released her hands and pulled his arms out
from under her legs, stubbornly ignoring the painful pressure in his crotch.
“Have you ever heard of a sworn protector?”

Uncertainty crept back into her expression as she whispered,
“No.”

“It’s a sacred covenant that must be entered into willingly.
If you accept my vow of protection, my strength, my energy and my life are
yours. I will protect you or die trying. Regardless of your mother’s
retaliation, I will be there to keep you safe.”

Her lips trembled and her lashes swept down to shadow her
eyes. “And what is the cost of this ‘sacred covenant’? What must I offer in
return?”

“Your body.” She blinked then their gazes locked, so he
softened the stipulation with a lazy smile. “You must
willingly
submit
to me or the covenant is not valid.”

“I will never be any man’s slave.” Defiance made her eyes
appear more red than brown, but it was the natural color of her irises, not
Vladya energy.

“You’re already my slave. I’m offering you an alternative.”

She scooted back then sat, drawing her legs up in front of
her as she huddled against the headboard. He allowed the retreat, needing her
to consciously make the decision to trust him. “I refuse and you take what you
want from me, or I ‘willingly submit’ and…what? How does one differ from the
other?”

“A sex slave is kept naked and in chains. The sole purpose
for your existence would be to service my needs.” He sat and crossed his legs
in front of him, which made his pants even tighter. Damn it. How was he
supposed to think when all the blood in his body was trapped between his legs?
“If I were your sworn protector, you would be the honored guest of Strigo
strain. You would be treated with respect and indulgence, so long as you kept
your end of the bargain.”