by Ella Frank
As some in the crowd cheered, Diomêdês merely stared, unblinking, at the hateful man passing down such a heinous punishment. They’d known each other for years, and though the prince was a handsome man, it hadn’t been enough to persuade him to his way of life, thus causing the spiteful, and now deadly, rift.
Prince Alexios wrapped his red cloak around his shoulders and sauntered over to him. When he stopped by his side, he said in a conversational voice, “I hear this is a most unpleasant way to die, Diomêdês. My only regret is that I do not have the time it will take for your body to be eaten to stand out here and watch.”
He too had heard that this was an abysmal death. There was no way he would show his fear to this man though. Instead, he turned his head so they were eye to eye and said, “It will be no more unpleasant than your death when it comes. Of this I am sure.”
The prince gave a warped chuckle. “Unless you know something I do not, my death is not something you shall ever know of.”
“No. But living your life, as the liar you are, is much like living in hell already, is it not? Tell me. Do you threaten the boys’ lives before you fuck them, or do you do it when they are bent over the foot of your bed with no other choice but to submit?”
Prince Alexios drew his sword and pointed the tip up under his chin.
Diomêdês gave a savage smile and dared, “Go on, do it.”
The prince snarled at him and used his sword to slice apart his clothing, the material falling apart to reveal his naked body. Although lean, his muscles were honed from years of manual labor, and even though the prince despised him, his eyes hungrily moved over his body before they shifted to the man holding the ropes around his wrists.
“When he is bound to the boat, I want the center of the second cut above his groin. Make sure his cock is well coated. I believe, if that is chewed off first, it would be a fitting punishment indeed.”
Diomêdês was hauled towards the first boat by his tethered arms before he could respond. He took a shuddering breath, knowing that this was his end, and gazed out across the stretch of water. How could something so calm and still turn into the very bowels of hell overnight? Within only hours, he would find out.
His clothes were pulled from his shoulders, and he was bent at the waist. Two men poured the honey over his back and buttocks and then the front. Then they led him to the boat, tied him down, and coated his cock before tipping the milk over him. He had to stop himself from gagging as the sound of an axe splitting apart wood could be heard in the distance—the second boat being modified.
The crowd was eerily quiet. The only noise was the whack, whack, whack of the axe, and then six men were hoisting the second boat over him. As it came down in place, Diomêdês likened it to a coffin—which, in a sense, it was.
As he lay there stripped, bound, and doused, insects landed upon him and then struggled to get free of the sticky concoction that had drawn them in the first place. The boat was pushed down to the edge of the lake, and just before he was shoved into his watery grave, the prince came over and stood by his head.
He leaned down until their noses met and softly whispered, “Perhaps, as you gaze upon the stars this eve, you will realize how wrong it is to watch over someone else. How sinful it is to spy upon one’s most private affairs. Maybe the bugs will even teach you a lesson and eat your eyes out first.”
A wasp stung Diomêdês upon his thigh, and he flinched. Then he gnashed his teeth together and promised, “It may not be in this life, but I vow that, one day, I will find you again, and I will make you pay for this.”
As the prince’s teeth appeared in a malicious smile, several men shoved the boat so it drifted out into the middle of the silent and still waters, where Diomêdês waited for death to take a bite out of him.
ISADORA WOKE TO the familiar shout of suffering that tore from her Ancient, but when she reached for where he usually lay, he was not there. She sat up in the wide, empty bed and her blood rushed around her head as her panic rose.
Where is he?
Her limbs were still heavy, as though laden with lead as she shifted to place her feet on the cool hardwood. The tormented sound filled the room a second time, and she pushed aside the heavy blanket and frantically searched for the male it had come from.
She spotted his long frame stretched out where he lay sleeping on the chaise lounge over by the far wall. His fists were clenched on either side of him, and his eyes were squeezed shut as if warding off the pain.
She knew what he was dreaming without delving into his mind. It was the recurring horrors of his past. The torturous punishment bestowed upon him by an angry man who’d been too scared to admit his feelings for men, like the beautiful one spread out in front of her. Instead, he’d condemned him to death.
Death hadn’t found Diomêdês that night, however. Vasilios had, and he’d taken him back to Ambrogio, where he had become the second of their kind to ever be turned. The second most powerful and her Ancient. One who had never really been freed from a nightmare he bore scars to. One who was permanently damaged despite eternal life.
She ran to his side and fell to her knees, lightly placing her palm on his thigh as to not startle him. Only she and Vasilios knew of his past, a hellish, private torment to bear. One that the blood of even Ambrogio had been too late to heal.
“Diomêdês,” she whispered.
He did not stir.
“Diomêdês,” she tried again.
When still he didn’t wake, she gave his leg a slight pinch. His hand lashed out from where it rested on his chest, and his fingers wrapped firmly around her wrist. As his lids opened and his inky eyes found hers, they narrowed. As the fury in them dissipated, his grip loosened and his expression softened.
“Isa?”
“Yes, ’tis I. You were dreaming again.”
He released his hold of her arm to bring his fingers up to her face. With the utmost care, he cradled her cheek and gave a short nod. “Yes. That I was. Thank you for waking me.”
She gave a weak smile, wishing there were more she could do to ease his burden. But, as his fingers traced the line of her jaw to her chin, she knew there wasn’t. She rose to her feet and crawled into his lap. He drew her close, taking from her the comfort she offered in their most private hours.
Then she asked, “What made you think of it on this night? Is it because I was taken?”
His lips touched her forehead, and she closed her eyes at the affectionate gesture.
“I think a little of that,” he said, “and I also spoke with Eton earlier while you were sleeping. Thanos has awoken, and he is none too happy about what has become of him.”
Isadora put her hands to Diomêdês’s chest and shifted to stare into his face. “Is it really so bad?”
The wince that creased his eyes and scrunched his nose was as good as a yes.
“Poor Thanos.”
“Yes. He will be maimed for the rest of his existence. And, since he understands that is infinite, he is coming to terms with walking the Earth as, well...a monster, I guess you could say.”
Isadora frowned, wondering how much damaged Elias had inflicted on her cousin. “I would think, as long as he is alive, that should ease some of the suffering eventually.”
Diomêdês shrugged. “The thought of eternal life is daunting enough when you are whole and able to seek companionship. The thought of eternal life on your own is much less satisfying. I know this to be a fact, my Isadora. I was in a similar position, as you recall.”
“Yes. That may be. But you found someone, did you not? I am sure he will too. Plus, he has Eton.”
He gave her a smile, and the beauty of it warmed her entire being. He really was the most kindhearted male she knew.
“Ahh my Isa. Their bond is quite unique. But you are right. I did find someone. It took me many years, and I never could have dreamed one such as you. But I found you.”
She raised her head and placed her lips to his cheek. Then she said ever so softly, “You
bring me more joy in these precious moments than any man or woman could hope to in our bed.”
Their relationship was a most unusual one. Isadora was aware of that. But it suited them. It fulfilled them both on the different levels they needed, and she wouldn’t have changed it for anything in the world.
“Not even him?”
She didn’t have to ask him whom he meant, and as she thought of Elias’s face, she paused.
“Ahh…I see that perhaps he is the exception.”
She didn’t want to lie to Diomêdês, so she was, as always, honest to the core. “I thought he may have been, and I was going to bring him to you. But that was a long time ago. Long before all of this.”
Diomêdês didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. All he asked was, “And now?”
Her fingers twisted into his clothing as she vowed, “Now, he must die.”
WHEN ALASDAIR ARRIVED in Vasilios’s bedchambers, Leo was standing opposite his sire with a set of golden handcuffs secured to his wrists. Surprisingly, both males were still fully clothed, but the sexual tension in the room was practically vibrating. Leo’s shoulders were set as he stood toe-to-toe with the Ancient, and Vasilios’s eyes were lit with lust and arousal.
His sire sensed him and shifted his gaze over Leo’s shoulder. “Finally, you are here. Now we can begin.”
Leo looked back at him, and his grey eyes raked over his body. Alasdair briefly wondered if their yielding had informed Vasilios of his “wine and dine” rule yet or if that only applied to him. He ran his tongue along his lower lip as he strolled towards them, enjoying the thought of changing Leo’s mind about his terms.
“We were just chatting while you were securing the others,” Vasilios said.
When Alasdair stopped beside the two of them he looked from one to the other. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Weren’t we, Leonidas?”
Leo nodded as if he were in a trance.
Alasdair’s lips tipped at the sides in a knowing smirk. “Huh. And will you always lie on his behalf, then, file mou?”
Vasilios chuckled. It was a rich, sensual sound that never failed to ignite his carnal side.
“I…ahh…ah—”
Alasdair reached for the back of Leo’s neck and tugged him his way. He pressed his lips to the confused ones that were still stammering around for a good excuse, and then he swiped his tongue over Leo’s mouth before slipping inside for a taste.
Leo groaned and took hold of his shirt as he fully turned and gave as good as he was being given. He rose up on his toes and put his entire body behind the fervent kiss, and the delicious sound that came out of him made Alasdair want to strip him naked. Instead, he lifted his head and slid his eyes to Vasilios. And what they’d done had his sire’s fangs elongated and a wicked grin across his lips.
“I can taste him on you, file mou. I hardly think talking is all that took place while I was gone.”
When he returned his attention to Leo, whose lips were now slick from his own, Alasdair took immense pleasure at the way he tried to deny any wrongdoing just in case he was offended. How very mistaken he was.
“Well, he, ahh… I mean…”
As Leo floundered with an answer, Vasilios laughed again.
“I’m so glad this is amusing for you,” Leo said, placing his hands low on his hips as he glared over his shoulder.
“Oh, but it is. You’re so worried about what he is thinking when you could just look and see, agóri.”
Alasdair’s own lips twitched at the observation. It would take their yielding some time to learn what he could and could not do. With a huff of annoyance, Leo rounded back on him, and his eyes were alight with irritation and desire.
In an instant, Alasdair felt his unskilled probing and let him inside to see what his thought had been. When the image in his mind was relayed to Leo, it became clear he was not upset at all by the prospect of him and his sire kissing, but the fact that he’d missed it.
A smug curve tilted Leo’s lips and he took a step back from him and winked. He then turned to boldly take hold of Vasilios’s jacket.
“How about you prove you aren’t always such a selfish asshole.”
Alasdair’s eyes widened. No one spoke to Vasilios that way—not even him. So, when Vasilios’s eyes gleamed at the taunt, he realized there was more to that statement than what was being said.
“And how do you propose I do that?”
“Give something over. Something that isn’t for you but for someone else instead. Give Alasdair what he wants.”
For the first time in his existence, Alasdair saw Vasilios pause before he acted. Usually, he was so sure about his moves, so certain about his response. He either didn’t care about anyone it would affect or had already thought of all the possible outcomes.
With Leo, he hesitated.
“And what does he want?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
Vasilios’s rapt expression conveyed how captivated he was by the man daring to hold on to him, and not for the first time, Alasdair wondered what kind of spell Leo was weaving.
Then Vasilios placed his lips to the corner of Leo’s mouth. “You are brave, Leonidas Chapel.”
“And smart,” Leo breathed out. “Don’t forget smart.”
Alasdair’s cock stiffened at the sight of them as his Ancient murmured, “And ours.”
Alasdair’s eyes didn’t leave them as Leo looked to him, and when Vasilios took his mouth, the sexy tease pushed into his mind, Enjoy.
THE FIRST TIME Vasilios had kissed him, it’d been with the sole purpose of showing him an image, a memory, and Leo hadn’t really been able to enjoy it. This time was a totally different experience.
The firm lips crushed against his were surprisingly warm as they urged his apart, and when he complied and a tongue slipped inside to rub over his own, Leo’s fingers tightened in the fabric of the suit.
Hell. If this wasn’t one of the hottest kisses ever, he didn’t know what was, and there were two larger-than-life reasons for that. From the corner of his eye he could see Alasdair’s gaze on him as Vasilios angled his head and dove in deeper, and it was such a fucking turn-on that Leo’s cock ached—it was so hard.
He released his hold to smooth his hands up Vasilios’s jacket, and when he reached his shoulders and pulled him closer, the vampire closed the final distance between them. The feeling of control was intoxicating as it overtook him, and as the hands on his waist slid to his ass, a growl split the silence.
Vasilios or Alasdair? He couldn’t be sure. But when the fingers on his ass tightened, he moaned into the mouth destroying his brain cells.
You two are making it hard to remain clothed. Alasdair shoved the thought into his head, and Leo realized then that all three of them were connected. That this was how it would be from now on.
Then get undressed, Vasilios responded, while he remained speechless, even in his own fucking head.
Their words and actions all blurred together as things quickly spiraled out of control, and when the chain attached to his wrist was tugged, Leo knew that, if he didn’t stop somehow, he’d be on that bed and between those two in a split fucking second. They were dominant, intense, and so very fucking difficult to refuse, but—
“Wait.” Leo wrenched his mouth free, his chest rising and falling as his cock rubbed against the stiff shaft in Vasilios’s pants.
Vasilios walked backwards, bringing him along with him. “I’m done waiting, Leonidas. This I explained.”
From behind him, Leo could feel the insistent press of Alasdair’s muscular frame but he didn’t dare check if he was clothed or naked because, fuck, if his clothes were gone, his convictions would soon follow. “I want this—”
“Yes, agóri.” Vasilios gave a feral grin as his eyes swept over the lower half of his body. “That is blatantly obvious.”
Go on. Tell him your terms. I cannot wait to hear this. The taunt came from Alasdair.
Leo wanted to turn around an
d punch him.
“Terms?” Vasilios asked.
“I…” He gulped and then thought, Christ. This is exactly why I need to stand up for myself.
The nerves these two brought out in him would never make this odd relationship an even playing field. Whenever they were in a room, all three of them were constantly battling it out for who was the cockiest cock, and he had no hope of winning that. But this? This they could give him.
“I won’t sleep with you. Not yet.”
Vasilios shrugged out of his jacket and threw it over a wooden tallboy. “Sleeping wasn’t the plan, and since we don’t actually require it, I hardly think you need to worry.”
When Alasdair chuckled, Leo clenched his teeth. The asshole behind him was getting a real kick out of this.
“What I mean is, I won’t have sex with you. Not yet.”
The slack-jawed expression on Vasilios’s face was pure astonishment. Leo might as well have told him that he could sprout wings and fly away at will.
“Is that right?”
Leo crossed his arms over his chest and nodded adamantly. “It is.”
Even if I was about to suck your cock?
As Vasilios’s bold-as-hell statement penetrated Leo’s mind, Alasdair’s hands landed on his hips and his mouth found his ear to kiss it.
Leo grit his teeth. “Yes. Ahh…even then.”
Vasilios reached for his tie and loosened it.
How the hell is something so everyday so damn sexy, he thought, but when Alasdair’s tongue flicked his lobe and his hand massaged his erection, Leo knew. It was the situation, not the action.
“And why have you put such a ban on all things pleasurable when it’s quite apparent you want to take part in them?”
Leo fought to keep his eyes open and on the vampire as Vasilios began to unbutton his shirt. But, with Alasdair’s hands on him and his breath ghosting his heated skin, he was finding it incredibly difficult.