by Lexi Blake
They gleamed, primitive and ferocious in the low light. I’d never been afraid of them because they were a part of Daniel, but the minute he noticed me looking, he closed his lips, hiding that part of himself.
“Sit in my lap, Z. It’s the easiest way.”
I settled onto his lap, his arm curving around my waist and pulling me close. I could smell the soap from his shower and feel the smoothness of his skin as I wrapped my arm around his waist. I looked up and his eyes had bled to a gorgeous, surreal blue, the white disappearing.
“Zoey, please let me pull you in. I don’t want to hurt you.” Pulling me in was his code for using his powers of persuasion to make the bite orgasmic. I’d had it both ways and firmly came down on the side of pleasure. “I won’t take advantage.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He wouldn’t take advantage. Daniel had proven to have excellent control when it came to denying himself. It had cost us years. I sat on his lap, the world narrowing to him. There was no worry in this place. There was no king or queen or Council. There was only pleasure and joy.
“I can hear your heartbeat, baby,” Daniel said, his voice a deep, rich seduction. His free hand stroked my throat, tracing the veins he found there. “I can hear the blood rushing through every vein. It’s like music, and when I listen close enough, my whole body responds until we’re in harmony. I never feel my heartbeat unless I’m with you.”
My head fell back and I shivered as the warmth of Daniel’s mouth enveloped me. He kissed my neck, his tongue laving affection, getting me to the perfect place where I wanted one thing. I wanted his bite more than my next breath. Every part of my body responded. My nipples peaked. My skin sang. I would swear I could feel every inch of my body opening wide to welcome him.
And my pussy was the greediest bit of all. Warm and wet. It didn’t matter that Dev was out there somewhere. In that moment, with Danny’s magic riding me, I just wanted him. An image played through my head. Daniel’s fangs. Dev’s hands. Together.
I was caught, trapped in those eyes and perfectly content to be there. My arms tightened around him, my heart thudding when his fangs penetrated. Bite doesn’t cover it. It was penetration, his body in mine, my blood in his. The orgasm bloomed across me, rolling in wave after wave of joy and pleasure until I simply let it be and gave over to him entirely.
I don’t remember when my robe came open, but when Daniel was through, it was hanging off me.
I probably looked extremely wanton, laying there in his lap, my naked body relaxed from a surfeit of pleasure. He’d pulled me close so my nipples rubbed against his chest.
“You okay, Z?” He moved me on the bed because I couldn’t quite move my limbs yet.
Nodding, I looked up at him. I knew what he wanted. He wanted to nick a vein and hold me to him as I sucked, his blood an exchange, strengthening the bond between vampire and companion. He wanted that exchange and the sex that inevitably followed, but Daniel merely laid me down and brushed the hair from my face. He was not enough of a gentleman to close my robe. He stared for a moment as he licked his fangs, getting every last drop. For just a second, he forgot to hide himself from me. He was a gorgeous beast.
“God, you’re beautiful, Zoey.” He shook his head and laughed. “I took off my shirt in case I spilled. I should have taken off my freaking pants. I have to change.”
But he stood there, looking at me as I giggled like a drunken schoolgirl because it wasn’t blood he’d spilled. His face cleared and his fangs disappeared. He sat on the bed, a rueful smile on his face. “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I want you to know I’ll keep you safe.”
I reached out, my limbs beginning to come back to life. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
He reached for my hand, and we sat there for the longest time.
* * * *
“This is what the inside of Dev’s head looks like.” Daniel said an hour later as we stared at the scene in front of us with no small amount of shock and awe.
This particular club was called Descent. It was everything a Las Vegas club should be—decadent, rich, plush, and more than a little vulgar. Ether was a nightclub. Descent was something slightly different. It was a strip club, which I would have appreciated knowing in advance. There was one large stage complete with a shiny pole that even now a lovely woman was contorting herself around. No one can work a stripper pole like a shapeshifter. There were two smaller stages with dancers and patrons sitting around watching.
The room was full of vampires. By the looks of it, there were roughly two hundred in the club. It was a good portion of the vampire population. These were the movers and shakers, the old ones. Daniel was the youngest vampire in the room by hundreds of years. If it hadn’t been for his unique talents, he would never have been invited to these proceedings. He would have been a fledgling and beneath most vampires’ notice. They all noticed Daniel Donovan as we walked into the room. Every head turned, and I saw fear and suspicion in their eyes.
“Wow, you know how to make an entrance,” I said under my breath.
“They’re all afraid of me,” Daniel explained. “They know that if they step out of line, I’m the one the Council would send. I’m the one vampire they never want on their doorstep because if I’m there, I’ve come for one reason only. I’m their executioner.”
“See, The Executioner would work,” I pointed out. “It’s kind of humdrum, but it’s better than the Nex thingie.”
Daniel’s lips turned up in a half smile. He put his arm around my waist, his hand settling on my hip. He was staring down the room. I suddenly realized there were maybe thirty women in the room who could possibly be companions. Thirty scrumptious snacks and two hundred hungry vampires.
“They know you’re mine. You’ll be safe. These are well-trained vampires. If one of them steps out of line, well, they know I can take care of it. Zoey, if one of them even looks at you the wrong way, you let me know.” He was staring at my neck, and I knew he was looking at the mark he’d left. I couldn’t help but think about it, too.
A deep voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Daniel, it’s good to see you.”
I looked over to see it was the man Daniel had pointed out earlier. Niko, the Greek Council member, shook Daniel’s hand. He was shorter than my husband but looked strong, his hair a tawny blonde and his eyes almost golden.
He turned toward me, zeroing in on my neck before meeting my eyes. “Mrs. Donovan, I presume.”
I did not merit a handshake but received a polite half bow, a gesture from another era.
Daniel’s hand tangled in mine as though he wanted to be able to pull me back at any moment. “This is my wife, Zoey Donovan. Zoey, please meet Niko Rallis, honored member of our Council.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to curtsy or something. Daniel had never had me presented to society, so I was ignorant. It didn’t seem to bother Niko, who took my hand and flipped it over to lay a very short kiss on my wrist. Marcus had done the same thing once, and now I figured it was the vampire equivalent of kissing a lady’s hand.
“She is stunning.” He looked at me but his words were for Daniel. I felt like a piece of art. I was there to be admired, but no one would take me seriously. “No wonder you chose to keep her to yourself until your reputation was secure. You would have fought many a duel over rights to one such as this. I might have been willing to give up my Lauren for her. I don’t suppose you would consider a trade?”
Daniel’s fangs were suddenly very large, and I was yanked back into his arms. “I would not consider it.”
Niko smiled and took a step back. He treated Daniel like a tiger whose tail he’d inadvertently tugged on. “Understood. I apologize. You understand that sometimes deals are made at events such as this.”
Daniel stared the older vampire down. “I understand that some vampires will allow themselves to be bullied into giving up what is theirs. I’m not that man, Niko. If I was, I wouldn’t be any good to the Council, would I? She is mine and will remain m
ine.”
There was a deep laugh from behind me, and I turned to see Daniel’s patron, Marcus Vorenus, walking up with a smirk on his face. The Italian was impeccably dressed in a sport coat, slacks, and silk shirt. “Niko has fallen into your trap, bellissimo ragazza. I warn you now, Niko, Daniel does not take well to such offers. I should know.”
“Did he just try to buy me?” I asked, finally catching up. I was getting really tired of people trying to buy me. Earlier this year, Daniel had sold me to Dev for two million, though Daniel had eventually given the money back. Marcus’s lips curved in a secretive smile. “Yes, Zoey, he did indeed, and you should hope his companion never finds out for she will be very jealous. She is not known for her kindness. Now, Daniel, I believe Niko would like to speak with you about your presentation. Please allow me to escort your companion around while you take care of business.”
I wasn’t particularly happy about being separated from Daniel, but he indicated that it was fine. Marcus wasted no time hauling me away. He offered me his arm and I had no choice but to take it.
“You are lovely tonight, Zoey,” Marcus stated as he led me through the crowd.
If I looked nice it was probably because I hadn’t picked out my own clothes or done my own hair or makeup. After Roman had led us to our ridiculous suite, I had spent several minutes just gawking. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a hot tub that overlooked the entire strip. The bathroom in the master had a huge garden tub and a ridiculously decadent mirror covered the ceiling in the bedroom. I didn’t have to ask if Nevada wasn’t already crossed off my boyfriend’s bucket list.
After I’d managed to close my mouth, I was introduced to someone named Kelly, who lamented the roundness of my curves and hoped she’d brought something to make me look taller. Kelly was a stylist. She’d dressed me in a turquoise cocktail dress that showed more of my chest than I normally would, but the girls looked good. As I glanced around the room, I realized I stood out in the crowd for an entirely different reason. These people seriously liked black.
“I think I might have gone with a darker color,” I muttered as people turned to stare at me.
“Not at all,” Marcus argued. “You’re different, Zoey. Even among the companions, you’re rare.”
“And why is that?” I really wanted to know. The women all around me were stunning. They were model-quality beautiful. Like Kelly said, I was short and probably too curvy. I couldn’t really see the attraction when compared to the others.
“How do I describe it to you? You can’t see it yourself, of course. A companion has a certain glow to a vampire. It’s how we identify them. Most of the time this glow is subtle. Sometimes it is quite lively.”
“So I’m lively?”
Marcus stopped, his eyes taking on a serious look. “You are like the sun, Zoey. Everyone else here is a pale reflection of the way you shine. Every vampire here knows that if he could taste you, your blood would be the sweetest he had ever known. If your Daniel had not been the man he is now, he would have been forced to fight for you or make a deal to sell you. Daniel chose not to present you to our society because he didn’t want to put you through that particular ritual. It was a good choice. Now they’re too afraid of him to make a real play for you. So relax. They will look, but I assure you they will not touch.”
“Good to know.” I wished I was back up in my nice big suite ordering room service and watching pay-per-view with Neil. “So where’s the buffet?” I asked because Dev had taken up the time I would have spent eating dinner with his sexy debrief.
Marcus raised his eyebrows. “In vampire society, there is no buffet, Zoey. Companions do not eat food around their masters. Mi scusi, you prefer the term husband. It’s not the same for all, of course, but for most vampires, human dining practices are considered vile and something to be hidden. Most of the vampires in this room would be classified as warriors. This is a class that is not known for its tolerance. Companions eat, of course, but they try to make sure their husbands do not notice.”
No wonder they all looked vaguely underfed. I was starting to realize what Daniel had been telling me all along. We were weird. We didn’t work the way other marriages worked. Daniel still took his ass to the takeout line when I wanted Mongolian beef. He still sat beside me while we watched TV or played games and passed me the ketchup for my fries. He might not be able to eat, but he wasn’t about to deny me the pleasure. For my birthday he’d gotten me a gorgeous red velvet cake.
“Class?” I’d never heard the term before.
Marcus nodded. “I always forget you were not taught as you should have been. Yes, there are classes of vampires. Most are known as warriors. They’re physically the strongest, but tend to be very rigid in dealing with humans, even companions.”
“And you?” Somehow I couldn’t see Marcus as a warrior. He was too urbane, too smooth.
He smiled. When he smiled, he really could light up a room. “I’m not a warrior, Zoey. I’m something else. I would feed you and coddle you and enjoy every moment. I would make sure you had the finest cuisine and cuddle you as I fed you from my hand. My companions have always been precious to me.” He shook his head, sighing a bit. “But that would be frowned upon here.”
“Fine, so no mini corndogs,” I lamented. “Please tell me companions are allowed to drink.”
“Of course,” Marcus replied. “We aren’t barbarians.”
“Good to know.”
He led me to the very decadent-looking bar.
“You, servant,” Marcus said flatly, and the bartender turned. He was obviously a were of some type, and he really didn’t like the duty he had pulled. He was biting his tongue as he looked at the vampire. “Give the lady what she desires.”
I smiled brightly at the bartender, trying to soften his very understandable attitude toward me. I looked down at his name tag. He was a handsome young man, probably twenty-two or so. “Hello, Zack. What are you really good at making?”
I got a smile out of young Zack. “I make a mean martini.”
I clutched my heart. “Zack, I love you. Two olives, please. Hit me, man.”
Zack chuckled and grabbed a bottle of Ciroc and a shaker.
“He does make a mean martini,” a soft voice to my left said.
I looked to the side and saw a beautiful woman with brown hair and luminous dark eyes. She was wearing a female approximation of a tux, sans jacket. It fit her tall figure perfectly. She tipped her cocktail glass in salute to the bartender, who seemed much more at ease now.
“Kimberly,” Marcus addressed the woman.
“Marcus,” she replied. “Please tell me this is Mrs. Donovan. I’ve been so excited to meet the woman who can handle that hunk of vampire. He is absolutely the scariest, hottest piece of vampire ass I have ever seen.”
If I’d had a drink, I would have spit it out in surprise. This was not the way I expected these beautiful women to act. Instead, I simply stated the obvious. “You think he’s hot now, you should see him naked.”
Kimberly smiled. “If only it worked that way. Hi, I’m Kim Jacobs. You must be Zoey Donovan.”
She held out her hand. I shook it, grateful someone looked at me like I wasn’t a cupcake.
Marcus leaned against the bar, looking at the two of us indulgently. “Would it do any good to point out Mrs. Jacobs is a horrible influence? What am I saying? I should be telling Kimberly that you will be the wretched influence. Tell me, Zoey, how many weapons are you wearing under that lovely confection tonight?”
Kimberly’s eyes widened, and I took the hint that most companions didn’t come fully equipped with an armory.
I took my martini from Zack, who was definitely interested in me now, and widened my eyes to their most innocent, innocuous gaze. “Marcus, this is a place of peace. Why would I bring a weapon here?”
“Because you are Zoey Donovan,” he replied with a grin. “The last time I saw you, I recall the promise to stake me if I got out of line.”
I would never
wear a weapon into Ether. Dev would kick my ass, and I trusted the staff to take care of me. This staff had no idea who I was, and I was surrounded by vamps. I was merely wearing a small pistol and a nice long silver knife. The knife had been at Daniel’s insistence. He’d handed it to me earlier in the evening, treating it with almost reverence. It was the traditional weapon of the Nex Apparatus. It ran almost the full length of my upper leg, so one could also call it a sword. Both weapons were in thigh straps that my stylist had bemoaned the use of.
“I promise I am stake free.” I would never bother to carry a stake. They were far too easy to find in the field.
Kim stared at me, a surprised look in her eyes. “You threatened to stake Marcus?”
“He pissed me off. So did some dude named Ivan and like five other fangs. It was a rough night.”
“Sounds like it. I’ve heard a couple of rumors about you. I hope you don’t think me impolite, but I have to ask. Is it true you’re a criminal?” Kim leaned in, waiting for my answer.
“I prefer to think of myself as a liberator of enslaved objects. If I make a profit off of it, then everybody wins.” Except the mark, of course, but that went without saying.
“That is so cool.” Kim asked Zack for another drink. “I wish I could do something like that. I was a fourth grade teacher when I was kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder. Did that come off as bitter? I meant it that way.”
“Now, Kimberly, someone would think you are not content,” Marcus commented.
Kim smiled mysteriously. “Well, I was lucky. Henri’s not so bad. But the other companions are boring sheep, so don’t be surprised I’m excited by the possibility of having someone cool to talk to.”
“So what are we supposed to do at something like this?” From what I could see, the men were either talking business or staring at strippers, and the women were busy viewing each other with a sort of controlled hostility.
“I believe you are supposed to look beautiful and remain silent, but you aren’t going to do that, are you?” Marcus seemed excited at the prospect of me behaving badly. It made me wonder what type of women Marcus usually hung out with.