Freed (Vampire King Book 3) (3 page)

She
arched her body up. “Fuck me.”

“In
time, Phinova. In time.” With my first cock, I drew circles along her throbbing
clit. The pink bud puffed up at my attention and glistened under her arousal. I
shuddered with desire. My second cock, I dipped it in and out of her damp opening,
only letting it go in to the rim before sliding it out, only to pierce her
again.

She
cried out and grabbed the sheets next to her with her hands. “Please.”

“You
were never patient when it came to our secret moments. Were you, Phinova?”

Phinova,
my first queen, was always so hungry for more. I doubt my brother and I ever
truly fed her desire enough. We slept together in one bed, washed in one massive
tub, ate at the same table, and lounged in the reading area, all three of us enjoying
the same book. Most dusks we woke to her holding our cocks in her hand and
begging us to take her.

I’d
only had one cock then. It was before Phinova cast a spell that doubled my
amount and increased my yearning for her. We made love to our queen for hours,
Nai and me. Many times we didn’t leave our bedroom until midnight, starving with
hunger for blood and food.

We
were kings of Capitol City by then, but unfortunately the territory’s needs
fell to the bottom of the list when it came to priorities. We barely ruled. We
only focused on Phinova’s desires and pleasure so much that when Nai left a few
times to meet with a council or committee, Phinova and I escaped outside of the
city and made love near the Lake of Purity.

It
was there she decided that I needed two cocks. She no longer could be satiated
by one. It took a week for her to find the magic to wield such a miracle, another
week to gather the ingredients, and three innocent men’s deaths to bind the
spell. When Nai discovered the murders and what we’d done, he’d tried to
execute me. He never said a cruel word to her the whole time.

You couldn’t punish her, Nai? Could
you? And was it the murders that boiled your blood or the fact that I’d been
making love to our lovely enchantress for so long behind your back?

“Please.”
Fake Phinova writhed under me. “Put them inside. Stab me with your dicks.”

Bells
rang all over the castle, loud and shrill. I covered my ears with my hands.
“What is that?”

“Those
are warning bells.” She shot up into a seating position and climbed away from
me. “We’ve had practice drills, but I’ve never heard them actually used.
Something is wrong.”

“Blasted
Samuel.” I searched for my pants, grabbed them, and hurried to dress. It had to
be Samuel.
Who else would cause the castle
bells to ring?
He’d done something rash and stupid, no doubt at the order
of his Brie.

What trouble have you both gotten
yourselves into now?

Chapter Two

~Samuel

The
two moons stood in the sky in a line that signaled the coming of dawn.

We
reached the sewer opening in no time. I ordered the guards to guide the dominas
down the ladder. They followed, nodding and trembling every time they glanced
at my horns. The scent of their fear flowed to my nostrils and I relished in
it. Brie lay asleep in my arms. I still could not hear her thoughts, just the
thumping of her heart inside her chest, but that would be enough for now, to
know that she was alive and her heart beating.

Thank you, Ambi.

“Hurry!”
I roared.

Tired
dominas and guards rushed into the sewer hole, faster than before. A few women
shrieked. They didn’t know why I’d freed them and what I desired from them. I’d
simply raced into the dungeon covered in blood and yelled for them to follow
me. Brie wanted them free, and free they shall be.

They probably thought I was their
new king. Maybe they figured I yearned to breed with them.

I
leaned back and laughed. The noise lifted in the night air and soared over the
city. Birds scattered from the trees that hovered over the sewer opening. Leeta
hugged herself as she stood next to me. Her bottom lip quivered. Earlier that
day, I’d considered her my mother and now I barely thought of her as an
associate. She’d helped my real mother stab a dagger into Brie’s heart, and
thus piercing my heart as well.

Because any harmer of Brie is my
enemy.

“Go
ahead down the sewer, Leeta. I don’t need you to shadow me.” I looked back at the
long line of guards and dominas.

“You
do need me.”

I
pushed my fangs out. “Leave.”

“Samuel—”

“Is
that my name now?”

“I’m
sorry, king.” She twisted the leather uniform shirt she wore in her hands.

“This
is what my mother and you wanted, but no one seems pleased. Have I not killed
enough for you tonight?”

Her
fingers shook. “You have.”

“Then
leave me alone before I kill more.”

She
reached out for Brie and I hissed. My fangs extended farther down.
How long will they grow until they finally
stop? Would they reach my chest before my ripening was done?
Even my father
the Quiet King’s fangs only passed his chin. Mine lengthened farther.

I’ll be a monster before the time
is done.

The
last guard and domina pair hurried into the sewer.

Leeta
sighed. “Brie…I mean your queen will need someone to hold her going down the
stairs. Now that I’m a vampire, I can help. When we get below, your queen will
need to be cleaned, the healed wounds must be checked, and her chest should be bandaged
just in case.”

“I’ll
nurse her.”

No one will touch her but me. No
one will be close enough to hurt her again.

She
glared. “You don’t heal wounds, you make them.”

“Be
careful, Leeta. You only live because you saved her. Once you betrayed me, you
lost the right to talk to me any way you want.”

Leeta
stared down at the ground. “Your mother threatened my niece and kept her in a
dungeon for all these years. I had to—”

“I’m
a pathfinder. I would have freed her.”

“You
were destined to be king.”

“Go!”
I stepped closer with sharpened claws decorating my free hand. The other arm
held on to Brie.

“Okay,
but if you need my help, please tell me.” Leeta wiped at her eyes, probably swiping
away tears, as she lowered herself down into the opening, leaving me alone. Guards
and dominas crowded the sewers tonight. I had no idea how I would feed and take
care of them all.

Wake up, my Queen. I need you. I’m
surrounded by strangers, unsure of what do next, and scared to death I’ll lose
you.

Brie
stirred in my arms as if she heard my thoughts. And then suddenly, heat spread
over her skin. Her hair brightened and gleamed orange and red as if it were on
fire. I touched the warm strands. Her skin darkened to a tan complexion. White
circular shapes bled through her flesh and shimmered under the moons’ light.

“Brie?”
I whispered.

Her
eyes opened. “Blood…I need blood.”

Earlier
she’d been unable to say a few words. Now she talked with clarity. Terror merged
with exhilaration and coursed through my veins. I peered into the sewer hole
and saw that no one remained on the ladder.

“Clear
the way!” I tightened my grip on Brie and jumped into the hole.

Wind
ripped by, raising the bottom of my tattered leather pants and Brie’s beautiful
hair. The tresses still glowed like fire. Her gaze remained on me. She never
blinked. It thrilled and scared me all at the same time. She’d asked for blood.
I planned to get it to her, but a tiny thought in the back of my mind twisted
and unwound into fear.

Is this still Brie, or something
else? Why does she need blood?

I
landed on the sewer floor. Blood splashed my hooves. Dominas scattered away and
hid within the shadows of a new campfire that sat in the middle. It was hard to
breathe with the area so packed.

“Open
those doors.” I pointed to Ty and Victoria’s room as well as the one Leeta had
slept in. “There are two bedrooms there. Surely all can’t fit in there, but I
have lots of blankets and pillows for occasions like these behind that green
door right there.”

Two
guards rushed to it.

I should learn their names.

“Blood,”
Brie whispered.

My
heart racketed in my ears as I headed to my bedroom door. “Yes, my queen.”

“What
about food, new clothes, and water?” Leeta carried more wood to the fire in the
center. “Do I have your permission to search around for it and let them use the
rooms to take care of their needs?”

“Yes.”

“And
can I go to your sister?”

“Octavia?”
I paused. “For what?”

“She’s
been hoarding money and valuables from your father for years in anticipation of
a moment like this. She’ll have the money to help and the resources that we
don’t.”

“Go
ahead.” I walked off. “And take one of my guards with you, just in case.”

“Thank
you, Samuel.”

I
gritted my teeth at her thanks, opened my door without looking back, brought
Brie in, and slammed the door behind me. “I’m going to lay you on the bed and
then go get you some blood. I have a few liters in a cooler farther down the
sewer in a hidden—”

“Your
blood,” Brie screeched. “I…need yours.”

Mine?

I
tensed.

“Give
it to me.” She licked her lips. My dick twitched with the movement. I shook my
head and struggled to think of something else, to get my mind off of the images
of her body under me and those lush legs wide open.

What is wrong with me?

“How
do you want the blood?” I extended my hand out to her lips, noticing for the
first time that my fingers shook. She kissed them. Her gaze never strayed from
mine. Although her body remained limp and her strength waning, all of her
attention stayed on me. My mind pushed outside of itself, searching and
reaching for any of her thoughts. Nothing. A growl fled from my lips. Her eyes
widened in fear.

“I
can’t hear your thoughts.”

“Good.”
Her eyelids drooped over her eyes and then shut completely as she fell asleep.

What do I do now?

I
stared at my hands, arms, and chest. Blood and rotted flesh painted me. I had
to clean all the death off me before I could even consider touching her again.
Locking the bedroom door to make sure no one came in and touched her, I rushed
into the bathroom, yanked off my clothes, and stepped into the small shower in
the far back of my bathroom. I had a huge tub in the center of the room, but
used the shower for quick cleaning right before helping someone escape. The tub
was for relaxing after helping people flee. It was one of my many pleasures in
this life.

And now it will be her tub, the
place where I’ll bathe and make love to her until she forgets about this night.

I
scrubbed the dried flesh from my horns. The rough edge of the sponge scraped it
all off. The muck dropped to the floor around my hooves. I paused to stare at
those big black things that had replaced my toes and feet and looked as though
they belonged on a mammoth horse rather than a man.

Will my feet ever return? And if
they do, will I ever really be me again? And what of Brie? She said she needed
my blood. Why would she say something like that? Where did that come from?

But
if it was my blood she needed, then fine. I’d give it all to her, every drop,
until I couldn’t live any more. I’d fill the liquid to the top of buckets and
barrels, tubs and pots. She could have it all, if she promised to never leave
or get into harm like that again.

“King?”
The soft voice sounded behind me.

“Queen.”
I dropped the sponge and turned around.

She
barely stood, more like leaned her body on the edge of the tub at the center of
the room. Her leather costume hung off her body in tears and rips. That fiery
red hair swung back and forth as her head drooped low. Her eyes fluttered as if
even blinking required a lot of strength.

I
rushed over and grabbed her. “You can’t stand up yet. Let’s lie you back down.”

“Blood.”
She enclosed her arms around my neck. They trembled on my shoulders.

“I’ll
give you my blood. I just wanted to wash the death off of me.” I undressed her.
Inch by inch the leather slid down her pale skin. Bright symbols marked her
flesh and shone within the candles’ light. I paused around her thighs, where
the marks seemed to form symbols of some sort, ones that swirled and curved
outward and inward.