by Sofia Daniel
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I dipped my head. “Ever since being turned into this, I’ve had a hunger that can’t be satisfied.”
“We’ll help you.” Raphael crossed the room and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “If you can’t feed on our blood, you can take as much semen as you need.”
I leaned into his embrace, inhaling his masculine, cedar scent. “Thanks.”
“Someone’s coming,” said Nero.
Raphael drew back, and they disappeared into his room. I rushed to the chaise, took a seat, and picked up a textbook one of the boys had left behind.
Moments later, someone knocked on the door.
“Enter.”
A group of hunters brought a naked and shackled Dante.
“Remove his bonds,” I said.
“Lord Radu only told us to bring him here for feeding,” said a black-haired male hunter.
“How am I supposed to bite his neck with an iron collar covering his jugular vein?” I snarled.
The hunters exchanged confused glances.
“Look.” I stood and crossed the room. “Our Lord was concerned that I hadn’t eaten, and he wants me well-nourished before I tend to him in his personal chambers.” My brows rose for emphasis. “If you don’t release the shackles, I’ll have to walk this vampire to Justine’s room and disturb her time with Captain Tanar.”
“Alright.” The hunter pulled out a key and unlocked the padlocks holding together the iron collar and manacles. “But we’re keeping the infrared torc in case he tries to fight back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please. I think I can handle a belligerent vampire.”
The hunter shrugged and ushered his comrades out of the reception room. “We’re just taking precautions.”
As soon as the door clicked shut, I wrapped my arms around Dante and pressed a kiss on his lips. “Don’t say anything incriminating.” I reached down between his legs and wrapped my hand around his hardening dick. “They’re still in the hallway.”
He leaned back and groaned into my touch, the sound making my nipples tingle. Dante was already hard, and pre-cum streamed from his cock-head over my fingers. I settled onto my knees and lapped up the sweet fluid, humming my pleasure.
A spasm seized my stomach, urging me to suck him dry. But we had a little more time, and I wanted to savor his dick. Wrapping my hands around him in a firm grip, I ran my tongue along the piece of flesh that joined the shaft to his tip.
Dante gasped. “What are you—?”
“Sssh,” I lapped a bead of pre-cum from his slit. “I’m feeding.”
I parted my lips and slid him all the way to the back of my mouth. Dante bucked his hips, and his dick slipped into my throat—exactly where I needed him most.
Tendrils of magic wrapped around his balls, over the skin behind them, and slid into his asshole. Dante stilled, his breaths ragged.
I wanted to tell him to relax, but my mouth was full of his delicious, gorgeous prick. Another tendril of magic rose from my throat chakra. It slithered through his slit, down his urethra, and around his prostate.
Dante made a choking sound in the back of his throat as my magic did the work.
His hips trembled. I glanced up to find his teeth bared, and his eyes squeezed shut. “Alicia, please.”
He didn’t specify what he wanted. To cum, most probably, but I continued this slide of my magic against his most intimate parts, enjoying the way he trembled and bucked under my command.
Wetness gathered in my folds, and my clit swelled to the point of aching. What was it about these boys that distracted me so much?
The sounds of footsteps echoing down the hallway alerted me that I didn’t have time to prolong his sweet torture and complete the bond, so I hurried my strokes and lashed my tongue along the underside of his dick.
“I’m going to—” His erection swelled, pulsed, and warm jets of semen filled the back of my mouth.
I leaned away a little to savor his sweet taste. It was much like the personality he hid behind a haughty mask.
“That was amazing—”
Surging upward, I cut off his words and pulled him down for a kiss. Dante wrapped his strong arms around my back and turned us over on the mattress, pinning me down with his weight. His dick, which had softened seconds after climaxing, now poked into my belly.
“My turn,” he growled.
“Wait!”
“What?”
“Lie still on top of me,” I whispered. “There’s one more thing we need to do to complete the bond.”
“Right.”
When he lay on the bed, I closed my eyes and brought my soul-star chakra to his in the gentlest of energetic kisses.
“What’s this?” he whispered, his voice full of wonder.
“We’re becoming one.”
Dante’s arms tightened around me. “You’re the most perfect being I’ve ever met. I don’t think I can love anyone the way I love you right now.”
Affection surged in my chest, thickening the back of my throat and bringing tears to my eyes. Dante, the vampire who had hated me in my first term and had called me a sow, and all kinds of horrible names, now expressed affection so deep, it rivaled what he felt for his brothers.
“I love you, too.” The words slipped from my lips. “All of you.”
He grinned. “Even Gates?”
My mind went back to the time I’d ridden on the back of his dire wolf, and the time he had pushed me through the wards and sacrificed himself so that I could get free. “Gates, too.”
As we kissed, our chakras connected in a series of colors: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Bonding like this brought us closer than time, closer than joined experiences or even emotions.
For that moment, I felt the bone-deep worry Dante held about having slept with the consort of Lord Stryx, the love he had for his brothers, his newfound respect for Gates, and the depth of his affection for me.
“What am I?” he whispered. “My emotions feel so vivid.”
“I’m not sure.” My hand skimmed his high cheekbones and brushed the golden hair off his face. “But all I know is that you’re mine.”
At that moment, I needed to fetch Raphael. To complete the energetic part of the bond with him and unlock our full powers. With the three of us sharing magic, we might be able to defeat Radu without any need for deception.
Chapter 18
Now that we had completed our bond, we couldn’t hang around the suite. Even if Radu was busy making preparations against Dracula, he could drop by for a break and find all three Stryx brothers.
Raphael led us through his fireplace and showed me which uneven bricks would support my feet on the climb down.
Dry, wood smoke-scented air filled my lungs, and tiny particles of soot settled on my head in the dark. I held my breath for the journey and focussed on Raphael’s directions.
The more we descended, the lower the temperature dropped. Eventually, my feet reached hardened earth, and I stepped out from the chute. Dante and Nero jumped down, landing in silent crouches, making me wonder why I hadn’t developed any of their physical prowess through the joining.
I peered into the darkened hallway and caught sight of a soul-star chakra in the distance.
“Someone’s out there.” I grabbed Nero’s arm.
“A hunter?” he asked.
We advanced toward the figure with Raphael in the lead, shielding me from potential danger. Nero and Dante remained at my sides, their muscles tense and ready for a fight. I didn’t dare shout out in case voices carried through the hallways. The last thing I needed was Radu hearing me in distress and coming to the rescue.
As we approached, I poked my head out from behind the boys and squinted. The person’s chakras were brighter than the average frumosi’s, but nothing as vivid as a hunter’s.
“It’s a friend,” I whispered.
“I smell onions,” whispered Raphael.
Nero’s shoulders sagged. “Must be that strange knocker
lady.”
The figure switched on a flashlight and shone it in our faces. “What are you doing, lurching through the basement with your boys?” she hissed. “Why haven’t you completed your mission?”
“What mission?” asked Raphael.
“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” I asked.
She nodded and turned on her heel. The wicker hamper in her hand creaked, and I wondered what on earth she could be transporting through the basement. We walked in silence for several moments until she beckoned us into a darkened chamber with light streaming out of large ventilation holes.
The scent of blood filled my nostrils, making nausea rise to the back of my throat. I clapped a hand over my mouth, trying not to gag. Was this the back of a slaughterhouse?
“What the hell is that smell?” whispered Dante.
“This is where they keep the vampires they deem not pretty enough to parade at mealtimes,” said the onion woman. “Those too injured to fix up.”
I peered through the grate into a dungeon. Vampire students sat on the bare ground, shackled to the walls by glowing torcs around their necks. A stream of infrared light separated each stall, making escape impossible unless they wanted second-degree burns.
A gasp escaped my gaping mouth. “This is horrific. I had no idea—”
“Which is why Radu needs to die,” whispered the onion woman. “And you’re the only one potentially strong enough and the opportunity to do the deed.”
She raised her arms and erected an iridescent bubble within the space. I grabbed her hand and added my power, turning the bubble a pearlescent white.
The onion woman sucked in a sharp breath. “What have you done to yourself?”
“Radu told me the final step to creating the bond with the three brothers,” I replied.
“There’s more to it than mating?” She rubbed her hand as though my touch had itched.
I nodded. “Belinda, the daughter who mated with Dracula’s grandsons, had to be a hunter to be able to manipulate their chakras. Look.”
With a deep breath, I pushed my magic through my chakras, illuminating the colored tendrils of energy connecting me to each of the boys.
The onion woman’s mouth dropped open. “With this level of power, you might be able to defeat Radu without the help of a spirit.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Nero.
After giving a quick recap of how Dracula and Radu gained their powers, I explained that they had reneged on their bargains with the spirit with Dracula hiding his soul and Radu artificially extending his life.
“He gave us a symbol to summon it to claim Radu’s soul,” I added.
Nero scowled. “These beings are untrustworthy.”
“Our father warned us never to summon spirits,” said Dante. “As they’re always looking for ways to escape into our world.”
I glanced at the onion woman, who pursed her lips but didn’t comment. In his centuries of existence, Lord Stryx had probably encountered more types of supernatural beings than the onion woman had researched in her books.
“We might not have to use the spirit’s help,” I said. “Dracula sent a message to the academy, saying he’s on his way.”
Nero and Dante exchanged shocked looks.
The onion woman stroked her chin. “If we sit back, they might destroy each other.”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” I said.
“Why do you want to kill Dracula?” asked Raphael.
“Radu’s only doing to the vampires what Dracula did to the frumosi,” the onion woman said.
Before anyone could argue back, she added, “The frumosi students might not be shackled to walls or farmed for their blood. But every single one of them has been abducted with their families killed. Now they all live under the threat of becoming a knocker if they don’t fall in line.”
“Sorry,” said Raphael. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“The vampires dressed it up as being trained to become consorts, but it was still slavery,” added Nero.
“Before Radu arrived, it was hard for us to see how bad things were.” Dante ran a hand through his blond hair. “We were brought up in Stryx, where the humans are no better than livestock and can’t even use spoken language.”
Shivers ran down my spine, and I pushed away thoughts of a Planet of the Apes scenario. Rubbing a hand over my brow, I shook my head. “Let’s concentrate on the upcoming battle.”
“Dracula knows Radu’s weaknesses,” said the onion woman. “This might be our best bet for victory.
“But I thought he was terrified of his brother,” I said.
She raised her shoulders. “That doesn’t mean he’s ignorant of ways to defeat him.”
“We need to warn Dracula that he’s walking into an ambush,” said Nero. “Is there a way to communicate with him?”
“Leave that with me.” The onion woman glanced over her shoulder at a pair of vampire children walking past. They stopped at an upturned bucket and shared a glass of something.
I tilted my head to the side. “What’s that?”
“I’ve been leaving out batches of concentrated sangria for the young ones who are hiding in the hallways. It stops them from handing themselves over to the hunters out of hunger.” She reached into her wicker basket and pulled out a huge food flask. “Speaking of hunger, I brought some porridge for the boys.”
“Thanks!” Raphael took the flask and unscrewed the top, releasing the scent of honey and warm milk.
My mouth watered, and my empty stomach rumbled. “I think completing our bond might have cured my bloodlust.”
“Good,” said the onion woman. “You four eat, and I’ll go upstairs and warn Dracula of the ambush.” She pointed a finger at my chest. “Stay away from Radu until he’s weakened from the fight.”
The porridge was the smooth type that I used to feed Daniel when he was a baby. Nero and Dante, who hadn’t tried solid food yet, ate their portions slowly, but Raphael had no problem with the porridge.
Since I hadn’t spent much time as a hunter, my digestion had reverted to normal, and I ate my portion with gusto.
The onion woman also left a bowl of blueberries, which I devoured by the handful. This time, I found its fruit sugars energizing instead of cloying.
Gratitude surged through my chest at my current situation. Radu had condemned me into becoming a hunter and then given me the information needed to help me transcend that wretched state.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t kill Radu when the time came.
After eating, we left the bowl and food flask in place for the onion woman to find later and continued through the darkened hallways.
“Where does this place lead?” I whispered.
“There’s a ventilation shaft up ahead,” said Raphael. “It’s a bit of a tight squeeze, but it leads us to the side of the castle closest to the forest.”
Between us, we decided that the best place to situate ourselves for the upcoming battle was behind Dracula’s entourage. That way, we’d be able to attack Radu and the hunters at their weakest… Provided that they didn’t defeat Dracula’s people as quickly as they had defeated everyone at the head table.
We headed through the woods toward the academy’s entrance, with Raphael taking the lead. At this time of the morning, the pale streams of sunlight penetrated the forest canopy, appearing like mist swirling around the tree trunks.
The scent of dew mingled with pine and eucalyptus, clearing my sinuses of the soot and filling me with renewed hope.
I glanced from Nero to Dante, who walked by my sides and smiled. Neither of them seemed bothered about the sunlight on their skin, which warmed my heart. Mere days ago, they had both been charred.
Raphael froze. “There’s someone up in the trees.”
A large, denim-clad figure jumped down and landed in a crouch. Gates raised his head. “Hey.”
I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, enjoying the warmth of his body. “One of the hunt
ers skinned a dire wolf who looked just like you, and—”
“I know.” He patted my back. “The hunters said werewolves weren’t good for anything but becoming rugs.”
I drew back, my eyes filling with tears. “It’s my fault.”
Brow furrowed, he pushed a lock of mahogany hair off my face. “What do you mean?”
“We walked into a vampire trap.” Nero approached from behind, snapping twigs underfoot. “The alpha and her men wanted to bring us to the hunters, and we fought back.”
Raphael stepped forward. “They’re the ones who burned and captured Dante and a few other vampires. I had to follow at a distance to make sure I also didn’t get caught.”
Gates shook his head. “I told them not to work with the hunters. I said they would double-cross us, but nobody listened.”
“We killed the werewolves,” I whispered.
“What was the alternative?” said Gates. “Letting them bring you in?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and inhaled his earthy scent. “You’ve lost your pack—”
“You’re my pack.” He drew back, making sure to glance around at the boys. “If you’ll still have me.”
“Of course.” Nero stepped forward and clapped him on the back.
Raphael hugged him. “You’ve been one of us for a while now.”
Dante shook his hand. “Thank you for helping during our time of need. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”
Seeing the boys all getting along filled my heart with love. While Gates was no longer a frumosi and I probably couldn’t merge chakras with him, the experiences we shared had created a bond that couldn’t be broken.
We continued through the forest with Gates and Raphael in front, past babbling brooks, the burned-out husk of the werewolves’ cabin, and reached the grove of saplings that lead to a meadow of wildflowers.
Up ahead at the edge of the iridescent dome stood a gatehouse about the size of the boys’ reception room. From where we stood under the saplings, I couldn’t make out any figures inside.
“I never noticed that before,” I murmured.
“That’s because you were a prisoner both times you entered the academy,” replied Gates.