by Emily Bex
"That is an abomination, and a trick. He is royalty. Do you think you are deserving of royalty? He is a warrior, and look at you, cowering against the wall. A warrior needs a warrior, someone worthy to be his mate. You are a temporary distraction at best."
***
Kate’s mouth is dry, and her throat feels like it is closing on itself. How the fuck do I get myself out of this? She continues to inch her way to the closet door, and Sabine stalks her like prey, moving ever closer to her.
“He loves me. He is mated to me!”
Sabine chuckles, "Really? Vampires do not love. They claim. They possess, and then they move on. So where is he then, if he loves you so much? Did he leave you a protector outside? I don't think so, my poor naïve mortal. He left you here alone, for me. I clean up his messes. I get rid of his playthings when he has had his fun."
Kate feels the cold panic in her veins. Oh God... that can't be true. No, not true, he loves me. I know he loves me, oh please Shade... please.
Just as Kate reaches the doorway of the closet, Sabine crouches as if to launch herself at her, mouth open, fangs bared, eyes glowing and releasing a bone shattering growl from her throat. Kate reaches inside the closet door and grabs the only weapon she knows how to use, the only weapon with no skill level required, a shotgun. As she points the gun in her direction, Sabine leaps at her, she fires the gun and feels the recoil as it knocks her to the floor, and she screams for him at the top of my lungs.
“Shade!”
Her ass hits the floor hard from the recoil of the shotgun. She has closed her eyes with the jolt of it, and the anticipation of this she-beast ripping her throat out. She is not even sure if her shot hit the mark. Before she can open her eyes, she hears a different roar. Louder, more guttural... more familiar. Her heart is beating out of her chest, and she is holding her breath as she looks from her position half in and half out of the closet door. She sees him, his back is to her. It is Shade, only not Shade. He is larger, more menacing. He has positioned himself between Kate and the she-beast, protecting her. He is screaming something at her in Italian, and they circle each other like boxers in a ring, both ready to spring.
As Shade turns, she sees even his face is changed, the eyes brighter, the fangs longer. And she is in awe of him. Kill her, Shade... please kill her!
When the attack comes, their actions are so swift Kate cannot follow them, she can only listen as she hears wood splinter and glass break. But what she can see is the constant and never-ending splattering of blood... so much blood. Kill her, Shade!
Then Kate sees her, the she-beast. She has broken away from him and is ready to pounce on her. Kate starts to push herself backwards into the closet with her feet, but she is cornered here, and then there is another flurry of fighting that is so fast her eyes can't follow, until the headless body of the she-beast drops across her legs, and Kate feels her face and chest spattered in Sabine’s blood.
She feels the hot blood dripping from her face as she absorbs the reality. Dead, Sabine is dead. Kate looks up to see him standing before her... her beast. Her master. He stands majestic, completely nude before her, covered in blood, hair matted, eyes blazing, and fangs dripping thick saliva, holding the head of the she-beast in his hand. She locks eyes with the beast. She dares not look away. He has to know she honors him, she respects him, but even more than that, she loves him.
She runs her hand down her face and chest until it is covered in the blood of the she-beast, and she holds it out for him to see, palm out, facing him, and then she moves her hand to her mouth and licks Sabine’s blood from her hand.
***
The beast roars and lifts the bitch's head in the air before grabbing her lifeless body and tossing both out the window to burn in the rising sun. Then he comes to her, this man-beast, crouching before her as he pulls her into a protective embrace.
“I love you Shade,” she whispers into his chest. “I’ll love you forever.”
His beast, now soothed, embraces her with honor. He is accepting her as she shows him no fear but only gratitude and love, taking the blood of his kill. As he cradles her, his beast refuses to leave her alone, her words whispered softly against his bloodied chest as he lifts her in his arms. Walking to the shower, he wills on the candles and the warm water and walks inside. Sitting her on her feet, he never lets his hands leave her. He pulls her into his chest, as he wraps his arms around her waist and the beast speaks to her, his voice raspy and low.
“Lift your head to the water, wash away her stench. Let her very existence run down the drains to hell. She will never touch you again, you belong to me. You are mine!”
As the water runs red, it rinses away all the pain and confusion between them as well, and he leans down into her neck and licks her vein, the sound of her blood pumping and encouraging him. Shade can no longer rein in the beast, and he doesn’t want to, this is who he is, and he trusts her, loves her, and knows she will never turn from him now. Sliding his tongue into her ear, his breath hot, he whispers, “I need you.”
His cock aches to have her, his body screams for her blood, he is weak from the fight, and all he wants is bel. “Feed me.”
She tilts her head back and freely exposes her neck to him.
“Drink... And feel my love flow through your veins.”
Before the words leave her mouth, he strikes the vein and takes her blood, feeling it seep into his veins, filling him. His heart begins to beat normally, his body relaxes, and he draws deeper, swallowing her love and how much she gives to him unconditionally. Shade feels the beast is tamed, and knows for now, he needs no more. He is satisfied and will not push her beyond her already shattered state this night. Taking one last draw of her blood, he licks the wound clean, and holds her close in his arms. He stands still under the water, holding her tight and knows it is a moment held in time, the world seems to stop. He is loved, his beast is loved, and the fear is gone from him.
As the beast retreats, Shade picks her up and carries her downstairs to the living room and wills a blazing fire. Snuggling her to his chest, he pulls the heavy throw from the sofa and lays them down on the rug in front of the fireplace, and then pulls the throw over them. He lays his head on top of hers. He has no words, he is lost for words.
***
She can feel the tension leave him with each swallow he takes of her blood, and a peace falls over him, a peace she has not felt from him since they first met. The hot water washes them clean as they cling to each other in the shower, his mouth to her neck, and the erotic sound of him feeding from her. When he has had his fill, he gently licks the wounds causing them to heal. Shade is back, and he is hers, finally hers, removed of his doubt about what she can endure and whether she will flee. He carries her from the shower to the roaring fire and lays her down, cradling her in his arms. She can feel him nuzzle the top of her head. She feels safe, and loved, with no reservations now.
She is exhausted from the fear, from that nightmare that appeared in their bedroom, from the arguments that have kept them both on edge and unable to connect, from the worry about whether she had lost him. All behind them now, she sighs with relief and nuzzles her face into his chest.
“One thing, lover... Life with you will never be boring.”
***
Shade feels her relax into him. He smiles at her remark about how their life will never be boring. She is teasing him again, something he has sorely missed.
“Kate, before I can even begin to say all the things I want to say, I need to know if you are hurt.”
“I am fine, really. I fell hard on my ass when I pulled the trigger on that shotgun, but other than that, I am fine. She never touched me, thanks to you.”
He shakes his head, “Speaking of that shotgun, where in the hell did you learn to shoot a shotgun? I thought you knew nothing of weapons. Granted, you did not kill her with it, but it bought you time. Cazzo, bel rosso, a shotgun?” He chuckles as he rubs her back and squeezes her tight.
“When I was liv
ing in the condo, everyone said I should have a gun in the house for protection since I lived alone. I didn't know how to shoot a gun. I had never shot a gun before. But I figured my aim wouldn't have to be that great with a shotgun, so that is what I bought. I just stuck it in the closet when I moved here and forgot about it, until tonight. I had no idea it would knock me on my ass!”
“Bel, a shotgun is much too big for your delicate size. We need to find something a bit smaller with less recoil and a deadly aim. I will help you.” He kisses the top of her head. “I am sorry. I am sorry for my words, leaving you alone, letting you suffer through what you have. You did not deserve this treatment, I hope you know this. Tell me what I can do to make this up to you. There is nothing in this world I won’t do for you Kate, name it and it is yours.”
“Lover... you are here, that is all I need. You were here when I needed you most. We were locked in a struggle, you and I, and neither of us could get through to each other. We are both stubborn, so we should probably prepare ourselves for the fact this will not be the last time we butt heads. But please, don't leave me in anger again. I was certain I had lost you, and that is a pain I cannot bear.”
“The beast came out, you saw him, faced him. He loves you, my fears were for nothing. You were right all along, and I will never doubt you again. How did you know? I saw the way you looked at him, you charmed him immediately. He will return again, mi amore. I cannot put him away. His lives inside me and you tempt him beyond anything I ever felt. But I no longer fear when he comes out, and I will let him come. I think now I can control him much better, because I know in my soul, you love him as you do me.”
He wills music for her, for them, and Eva Cassidy sings “Songbird”.
“I love the beast, Shade, because the beast is you. I saw the darkness the first time I saw you and I was drawn to it. I saw the pain, and the loneliness, it was like looking into a bottomless black hole filled with pain and hurt. Instead of being afraid of you, I was drawn to you. My heart called out to you, and I knew to love you meant I would have to look into that bottomless black pit, and face whatever was there. I was intimidated by you in the beginning, not your darkness, lover... never the darkness, but by your worldliness, your experience. I felt out of my league with you, and sometimes still do. I worry if I will be enough. Because I want nothing more than to please you, so be patient with me. Show me, teach me, and lead me.”
“My sweet bel, you fill that loneliness, you make me whole. No one has ever been able to do that. You need never worry mi amore, you feed my appetites in all areas, you constantly distract me, I will never stop wanting and needing you. I will love you for eternity, you are my addiction.”
Pulling her up to his lips, he kisses her softly at first, and then deepens his kiss. Breaking the kiss, he throws his head back.
“Ah, you see, addiction!”
He feels her hand slide up his chest and along his neck, and he trembles from the mere touch of her. “Oh yes mi more, take my vein, take my strength, my love, my power. Let me love you like only I can.”
“Addiction, good word, for I am also addicted to you. Will this fire ever burn out, or will it just consume us both on some night of wild passion. I'm hoping for option two.”
He closes his eyes and cringes. She is closer to the truth than she knows.
***
She slides her hands up his chest and along his neck, pushing his hair aside, and runs her finger along the vein. She can feel his body respond to her touch, and he invites her to take his vein. She leans into him, her hair falling across his face, and runs her tongue along the length of the vein. She kisses his neck and gently sucks his skin into her mouth before she bites down hard. She is balanced over him with her hands on the floor on either side of his head, her mouth locked to him. As soon as his blood hits her, she feels the heat building between her legs, that delicious rush that only comes when she feeds from him. She pushes her hips into him and feels the rigid hardness of his cock pushing back as she feels his arms encircle her and pull her closer. She continues to draw his blood into her mouth, and she can hear his moans over her own.
She drops her weight to her elbows, so her hands are free to grab his hair, and she grips his head in her hands as she sucks harder and feels him arch his neck to her. What started as foreplay for her ̶ the biting and feeding ̶ has now become a need. She needs his blood inside her almost as much as he needs hers. She makes herself pull away from him, because the taste of him fills her with a pleasure that this mortal girl has never known. She looks at him, his eyes half closed and lost in his own world of pleasure, and lowers her mouth onto his lips, sharing the blood in her mouth with him.
***
She takes him to places he has never been, his body responds to her of its own accord, as if his soul recognizes the connection. Her hair, her hands, her body are all over him and he revels in this moment. Then her mouth is covering his, the taste of his essence smeared across his lips. He licks them clean and stares into her eyes and without words, slides his cock into her already slippery wet sex, knowing she aches to have him buried deep inside her.
His eyes locked on hers, he grips her hair in both hands, and her body begins that sweet rhythm. Arching his hips up, he penetrates deeper and his moans join with her in their own lullaby to each other. His beast is alive but not forcing his way out, he knows this is his time with her, she needs this now, and so does he, more than he even knew.
He watches as she sits upright and straddles him, leaning back, stretching her arms out behind her, and grabbing his calves. The new position driving his cock deeper inside her. He sits up and watches as his cock slides in and out of her, wet and hard, and it drives him wild, watching his cock please her, watching her sweet sex drawing him back in. It is so beautiful and sensual to see their two bodies joined in passion. She glides over him like silk, riding on his steel, her hair whisking across his thighs as her neck is arched back.
He is so close, and he feels her muscles clench, and knows she is with him. He reaches up and lets his fingers circle her clit, rubbing and teasing as she explodes, screaming his name. He grabs her hips, lifting his ass off the floor, driving deep and cums inside her, his whole body trembling with the release it has been denied far too long.
***
This is what she wanted. Him, she wanted him, to feel him inside of her. She is staring into his eyes and she can feel his love for her, his burning desire for her as their gaze is locked. She moves her hips in unison with his, but she wants all of him, she needs to feel all of him inside of her. She loves riding him like this, on top, where she can move freely and control him. She throws her head back as she arches her back further and allows her hair to brush against his thighs as she grinds her hips on him even harder. She can feel his cock throbbing inside of her and she knows he is close.
“Lover!” she screams out as he makes her cum, gripping his legs with her nails digging deep, and feeling his own release with her cry. Wave after wave, spasm after spasm, until they are both gasping for air. He reaches for her, and pulls her upright, and she falls forward in his arms and onto his chest, where both their hearts are pounding furiously against each other. Covered in their own sweat, they lay in silence as their breathing and hearts resume a normal pace.
“Addiction,” Kate whispers, “sweet addiction.”
“Si, mi amore,” he answers, “dolce dipendenza.”
43
Waking from his death slumber, Shade takes a moment to orient himself. His sweet bel lies curled up next to him, her arm across his chest. He remembers picking up his bel rosso in her sleep and carrying her to one of the guest bedrooms after they made love in front of the fire. Their own bedroom has been destroyed by the battle between his beast and Sabine. He closes his eyes as the memories flood through his brain. He could have lost her. He realizes in his desire to protect her from his world he left her more vulnerable. He knows what he has to do, and he’s hoping she is ready for the adjustment to her lifestyle, again.
He looks at Kate with her head on his shoulder, her red hair falling across her face, her soft breath on his chest. He reaches down and brushes back her hair, and gently caresses her cheek. Her eyelids flutter before they open, and she looks up at him and smiles.
“Mi amore, we must talk.”
She runs her hand over his chest, “About last night?”
“Si, last night. I was foolish to think I could protect you from my world by keeping you here in this house. Because you are not vampire, are not warrior, and you did not fight along beside me, I thought I could keep the darkness that makes up much of my world from entering the house. But I misjudged. I will not make that mistake again.”
Kate rises up on her elbow, so she can look into his face, “You’re not sending me away!”
“No, bel. My love for you, my bond with you, I am afraid your loss would be more than I could bear, although you would be safer without me in your world. We are going back to Florence. You will pick from my warriors a protector.”
***
Kate furrows her eyebrows, “A protector? I don’t understand. You are my protector.”
“Si, when I am with you, bel rosso. But look at how often I am away. I will always feel you, hear you, as you are bonded to me. And while I am able to teleport to you, the further I am away, the longer it takes. I cannot take the risk. Most masters who are warriors will have protectors for their mates. It is a high honor for a warrior to be selected to protect what is most precious to his master.”
Kate sits upright in the bed, pulling the sheet around her shoulders to ward off the chill. “But, what does he do, this protector?”
“He will live here, bel, in this house. If I am away, his job is to be with you. It does not limit you. He can be as visible or invisible as you want. If you need to go somewhere, he goes along. After last night… well, I cannot leave you unguarded again, bel. I am not asking you, I am telling you, this is something I must do, and I need you to accept this.”