Turned Innocence

by Mara Lee

  Michaela smiled and levitated slowly over to Sheridan.

  Sheridan swallowed.

  “I have not come to play poker, Sheridan Malaya. But I have come to entertain you.”

  “Where’s Xethre?” Sheridan asked tightly.

  “He’s seeking out Pathos.”

  Sheridan felt fear crawl through her body. It must have shown in her eyes because Michaela smiled and pet her hair. “Do not trouble yourself, Sheridan. Xethre is very strong. He will be safe.”

  “That other vampire was pretty scary.”

  Michaela snorted. “Pathos, full of self-importance. I still wonder at how he took his place on the Council. He is not a concern, Sheridan.”

  “Then why wouldn’t Xethre let me leave?”

  Michaela ran her hand gently down Sheridan’s face, and her neck, she finally let it rest on the other woman’s delicate collarbone. She watched the flickering emotions pass over Sheridan’s face. She gauged every one of them. And she smiled.

  “Pathos is no threat to Xethre, not really. But he is a threat to you, Sheridan. He is vampire, you are not. He is Council, and you are prey. He could take you … he would take you if he had the chance.”

  “He didn’t at the bar.”

  “No, that meeting was bait for Xethre. I am sure Pathos relished the idea of you running back to Xethre, suffocating under the weight of his smell, with his marks on your skin. He would know it would drive Xethre mad. Pathos was always the spoiled child. He likes to play games.”

  “I want to go,” Sheridan said through clenched teeth.

  Michaela brought her face so close that Sheridan felt as if she could almost feel breath touching her face. “Do you, do you really?”

  “I … I … do…” Sheridan cursed the tremor in her voice.

  Michaela cupped Sheridan’s breast and ran her fingers across the already hard nipple. “You do, what?” Michaela asked. She pinched the nipple and smiled when the bud grew darker, harder under her touch.

  “I … I … I…” Sheridan felt pleasure work its way through her body. Michaela’s hands were so different from Xethre's. Michaela’s hands were softer, slimmer, and her nails were longer and sharper. Currently those long sharp nails were delicately scraping the taut flesh of her nipples. “I’m supposed to be mad at you,” she groaned.

  Michaela laughed. “Save your anger, Sheridan Malaya, there are better emotions to harvest…” Michaela lightly bit the side of Sheridan’s neck, “like desire … lust…”

  “Ohhhh…” Sheridan’s breath hitched.

  Michaela came to stand behind Sheridan. She wrapped her arms around her and began to knead her breasts. She rolled the soft, full mounds between her hands and played with the firm pebbles of her nipples.

  When Sheridan began to moan and twitch, Michaela let one delicate hand slip between Sheridan’s thighs. She parted the soft lips of Sheridan’s pussy and slid one slim finger into her waiting passage.

  “That is…” Sheridan gasped and pushed down on Michaela’s hand.

  Michaela licked the delicate shell of Sheridan’s ear. “Yes … you were saying?”

  Sheridan didn’t know what the hell she had been saying. Why had she been talking at all?

  Michaela slipped a second finger into Sheridan’s pussy and began to swish them delicately around within the soft, wet, flesh. She skimmed them lightly over Sheridan’s taut clit and teased the hard bud with gentle strokes.

  “Ohhhh please…” Sheridan moaned.

  Michaela laughed. She increased the speed of her strokes and circled the hard nub. “Please…?”

  “Squeeze me, please, ohhhhhh please…” Sheridan desperately ground herself against Michaela’s talented hand, needing more.

  Michaela sucked on the soft skin of Sheridan’s neck. “Poor baby, yes, you need more…” Michaela clasped Sheridan’s ripe clit between her fingers and squeezed the full bud. She smiled when Sheridan let out a ragged moan. “Yes … that’s the way…” She increased the pressure of her fingers and alternated between squeezing and circling the soft flesh.

  Sheridan dropped her head back and groaned from deep in her throat. Her eyes were tightly shut and her legs were beginning to quiver.

  Michaela felt Sheridan’s juices dripping down her hand. “Soooo pretty … you’re so pretty…” Michaela smiled. “I want a taste.” She withdrew her hand and laughed when Sheridan immediately protested. “Shhhhhh pretty … I am not leaving you.” Michaela slipped off her dressing robe and stood gloriously naked in front of Sheridan.

  Sheridan turned glassy eyes onto the beautiful vampire. Michaela was stunning. Her skin was perfectly porcelain and absolutely unblemished. Even in the dim light it seemed to radiate a soft, perfect, glow. Her breasts were full and high, her waist impossibly tiny and her legs … her legs were spectacular. Her jet-black hair hung like a heavy blanket against her body and her silver eyes took Sheridan in with latent desire.

  Sheridan swallowed heavily. “Oh boy,” she whispered.

  Michaela smiled brilliantly. “You mean, oh girl.”

  Sheridan’s answering smile came quickly.

  Michaela drew Sheridan into the circle of her arms. “You are lovely, Sheridan Malaya,” she whispered.

  Sheridan laughed jerkily. “You’re telling me that I’m lovely?” Sheridan asked.

  Michaela nodded. She pressed a kiss to Sheridan’s shoulder and blew gently in her ear. “Lovely as only the living can be.” Michaela looked deeply into her eyes. “Lie down, Sheridan Malaya … and open yourself to me.”

  Sheridan sucked in a breath. She couldn’t turn away from Michaela’s face. She felt as if she were drowning in those strange silver orbs. Without breaking eye contact she lay on her back on the cold stone ground and parted her legs. She had never really entertained the notion of being with a woman … but now, in the presence of Michaela’s glory, she couldn’t think why not.

  Michaela’s lips curved into a smile. She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled slowly towards Sheridan’s waiting form. She was ever so glad that Xethre had provided some slack for the chains. It made her pleasure … their pleasure … so much more enjoyable.

  Michaela licked Sheridan’s instep and drew a wet line with her tongue up the lovely human’s leg. When she reached Sheridan’s thighs, she used both hands to part her legs even further. Michaela’s eyes avidly took in the soft, slick, pink flesh of Sheridan’s beautiful pussy. “So lovely,” Michaela said. She parted the folds of Sheridan’s pussy and blew gently against the eager flesh.

  Sheridan jerked.

  Michaela laughed throatily. Using the pad of her thumb, she gently began to message Sheridan’s pussy lips. When Sheridan arched against her hand, she slid her thumb an inch of the way into Sheridan’s dripping flesh.

  The human was intoxicating, Michaela thought. Sheridan’s pussy was so hot, so wet and so unbelievably soft. Because Michaela could no longer resist, she pushed two of her fingers into Sheridan’s flesh and began to rotate them.

  “Oh my…” Sheridan gritted her teeth.

  Michaela withdrew her fingers from Sheridan’s pussy and licked them clean. “You taste delicious, Sheridan … sooo sweet … soooo very sweet…” She smiled, “I want more.”

  Michaela dug her hands into the flesh of Sheridan’s gorgeous ass and brought her open, moist passage up toward her mouth. She graced Sheridan with a large smile before she buried her head between her thighs, taking her completely within her mouth.

  Sheridan moaned helplessly and ground herself against Michaela’s mouth.

  Michaela licked, probed, tickled and caressed Sheridan’s moist, hot, pussy. She locked her lips around her open flesh and used her tongue to circle her aching clit. The sweet nub was full, plump. Michaela pushed her tongue further still, and laved attention on the hard bud.

  Sheridan’s heart was thumping wildly and her breath was coming out in staccato pants. She felt her thighs clench and her pussy spasm and there was a great roaring in her ears. She locked her l
egs around Michaela’s head and arched against the beautiful vampire. “I’m … I’m…” words failed her.

  Then it was upon her—the rush, the wave, the storm.

  Michaela pressed Sheridan’s legs apart as far as they would go. She locked her mouth against the large vein that rode high upon Sheridan’s inner thigh … and bit.

  The pleasure was overwhelming. It rode them both away.

  Sheridan felt the heat, the cold, the toss of incredible sensation as her body lifted and exploded.

  Michaela felt the fulfillment of blood, as her body shook and drank in the coppery sweet liquid of life.

  And when it was through, both lay a tangle of limbs … completed, consumed … conquered.

  Sheridan cracked open one eye, looked down at Michaela, who rested against her breast, and said sleepily. “Just to let you know … I’m still pissed at you.”

  The sound of Michaela’s tinkling laughter followed Sheridan into sleep.

  Chapter Nine:

  Xethre found them thus. One curled about the other. Golden strands twined with midnight black. They were beautiful. They were perfect.

  “She is a wonder. You are blessed,” Michaela said, from the cushion of Sheridan’s breast.

  He nodded. “I know.”

  Michaela stood, reluctantly, and stared down at Sheridan’s sleeping form. “You have always spoken of soul-mates, Xethre. I never believed your claims, not really. We are of the dead. What do the dead know of love, or of souls?” She speared him with the cool silver of her eyes, “But now, in the presence of your mate, I can’t deny that the bond you have can be no other than that of true shared mates. I envy you.” Michaela hung her head. “I truly do.”

  “You will find…”

  “Don’t placate me.” There was heat now in Michaela’s words. “I know what I am, who I am. Matthew, my other half, even he turns from me. I am alone, Xethre. And eternity stretches before me … desolate.”

  “There is a place for you here, Michaela, if you so desire it.”

  She looked up at him, incredulous. “You would welcome me?”

  He smiled. “Have we not already done so?”

  Michaela levitated over to Xethre. She cupped his cheek. “Alexethre Roistkauff, you are a prince among vampires. Your acceptance humbles me.”

  “No, Michaela,” Xethre looked over at Sheridan, “Her acceptance humbles us.”

  “Yes … so rare in a human … humility.” Michaela shook her head. “I thank you, Xethre, thank you for bringing me closer to the light. But you and she are a bound pair, a pair. I do not belong here.” She turned away. “I do not belong anywhere.”

  “Michaela…”

  “Shhhh, it is all right.” Michaela wrapped her arms tightly around her body. “Never take for granted the light you have found.” She tossed him a sad parting smile and disappeared.

  Xethre walked over to Sheridan and sat beside her sleeping form. He arranged her head so it lay comfortably in his lap and caressed her golden hair. And for the first time since he had given himself over to the darkness that was his death, he thanked God for giving him a chance at salvation.

  * * * *

  Sheridan checked her voice messages, all the while shooting Xethre evil looks. It annoyed her to no end that the moment she had woken up in Xethre’s arms she had rolled him onto his back and taken him within her moist and waiting body.

  She was desperate for him. She always was. And the infuriating vampire knew it.

  “Stop scowling, love, come and eat.” Xethre’s voice was cajoling.

  “Go to hell,” Sheridan shot back.

  “Been there … it is not so nice a place,” he said with a small smile.

  Sheridan placed the phone back in the receiver and planted her hands on her hips. She glared at him. “I’ll have you know that I’m being docked a week’s wages.”

  He shrugged. “And?”

  Sheridan advanced. “And, I can’t afford that, you ass. I need to get to work.”

  Xethre graced her with a look hot enough to burn rubber. “You need to stay and eat, my love. Then … then we can think of ways to occupy our time.” His look was smoldering. “I’ve thought of a dozen already.”

  Sheridan flipped back her hair and let out a beleaguered sigh. “Xethre, I’ve got bills to pay and…”

  “—And nothing, my love. I’ve more than enough money for the both of us. Do not worry yourself over such trivial matters.”

  “Do you hear yourself?” Sheridan rubbed her eyes wearily. “Listen, I know this notion of love and being together is relatively new for the both of us, but we’re going to have to get a couple of things straight.”

  “Like?” He stood from the table.

  Sheridan swallowed. Okay, so he was intimidating when he rose to his full height. She knew that already. She tried not to break out into a cold sweat. “Like I’m not a child, Xethre, I’m a grown woman. I had a life, a career—well, sort of a career—an apartment, friends, A LIFE, before you came along and brought me into your mad world. If we’re going to have a relationship…” She broke off and scowled fiercely when Xethre began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. “What the hell is your problem?”

  Xethre couldn’t seem to help himself. He grabbed onto the table for support and tried not to double over.

  “Are you crying!?” Sheridan asked, disbelieving. Her vampire boyfriend was crying from laughing so much. Tears streamed down his face and gathered at his rather magnificent chin.

  “Oh… Oh…” Xethre wiped the tears away with the back of his hand. “Amazing, I haven’t cried in, oh … actually I can’t remember the last time I cried.” He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. “Little one, you continue to amaze me. You’ve brought tears to my eyes.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of, Xethre.”

  Xethre leaned over and nuzzled the side of her neck. “You are incredible, my love. And I love you.”

  Sheridan sighed. Damn it. She was trying to be mad at him. “You’ve gotta listen to me…” Sheridan groaned when she felt his mouth nipping at the lobe of her sensitive ear. “Hey, hey … stop that.”

  Xethre speared his hands through her lush hair and pulled her closer to him. “Stop what?” He asked innocently.

  “That.”

  He smiled into her rapidly flushing face. “Oh, ‘that’, much clearer, my love.” His hand skimmed down her back and reached around to cup the soft flesh of her delectable ass. “I think we must make ‘that’ much clearer. Do you mean,” he bit the skin beneath her ear, “this?” He moved his hand to the apex of her thighs and began to massage her through her moistening panties. “Or perhaps you mean this.” His movements became more insistent and he smiled when she dropped her head back and let out a ragged moan.

  Xethre walked her back until her legs hit the table. He smiled knowingly. “Or … perhaps you meant,” he slipped one finger underneath the fabric of her panties into her already dripping pussy, “this.”

  Sheridan gritted her teeth and began to let out short pants. “Oh, shut up.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She grabbed his head within her hands and jerked him forward. “Shut the hell up and fuck me already.”

  Xethre laughed. “As my lady wishes.” He grabbed her by her ass and pushed her up on the table. He smiled at her. “Open for me.”

  Sheridan obeyed. She spread her legs wide and wet her lips.

  He pushed her down onto the table, snapped her shirt open, and peeled the pieces away to expose her pale and glimmering flesh. He ran his hand lovingly over the soft, full, globes of her breast. “You are so beautiful.” He leaned over and captured one of her nipples in his mouth. He rolled the taut flesh around in his mouth and circled the nub with his hot, wet, tongue. When she began to squirm, he bit down gently on the hard bud.

  Sheridan moaned and arched her back. Her legs quivered and she desperately inched her hips towards him.

  He slid h
er panties down her legs and spread her legs wide. His eyes burned brightly. He slipped one thick finger into her welcoming flesh and joined her in a moan as the hot flesh of her pussy encompassed the rigid form of his finger. He began to thrust his finger back and forth, rubbing it against the soft walls of her flesh and teasing the hard nub of her clit.

  Xethre rubbed his chest against Sheridan’s and ground his hips into her. “Mine, my own,” he whispered as he added a second finger, plunging it deep within her aching flesh.

  “Xethre… Xethre…” Sheridan tossed her head from side to side, sending her hair tumbling around her head like a golden halo.

  “Oh my sweet, I know… I know…” he soothed. He slid his robe off and rejoined her, pressing the hard length of his body against her. He nibbled at the soft flesh below her ear and was rewarded when she moaned her pleasure. “Like that, my sweet…”

  Sheridan bit her lip.

  He laughed, took a little bit more of her flesh between his teeth and bit. He rolled the soft skin between his teeth and let her feel the sharp bite of his fangs. He didn’t draw blood—that would come later.

  Sheridan locked her arms around his back and raked her nails across the taut skin. She arched her hips and ground herself against his hand.

  Xethre growled. Her writhing and squirming had pushed him past the point of temptation. His cock was hard as stone and was begging for entrance into her moist body. He widened her legs and hooked them over his arms. Bringing his cock to her already dripping pussy he teased her soft lips, rubbing himself lightly over her.

  Sheridan screamed in frustration. Her eyes went wild and she bucked beneath him. “Fuck me, damn you Xethre, fuck me!”

  His eyes went dark and with one sure stroke he imbedded himself completely within her.

  “Oh yes, oh yes, oh God yes…” Sheridan moaned.

  He wrapped her legs around him and locked his hands into the flesh of her thighs. He began to pump into her with long and steady strokes. She was so hot, so unbelievably wet already. Her juices were dripping down her thigh and gleamed under the dim light of the room. Xethre increased his strokes. Sheridan’s back began to bump and bob on the table.