“Actually, it does,” Keely replied coolly, wishing he'd leave her in peace. To her surprise, her glass was empty again, but she decided to decline the next offer. She wanted to have a clear head as the night progressed, although drinking herself into oblivion did have its benefits.
His eyes slipped down the length of her body, his expression admiring. “You'll get used to it,” he shrugged dismissively, lingering on her hips and the area at the top of her thighs. “And who knows? Maybe one day it will be the drink of your choice, too.”
“Never,” she hissed out in denial, her eyes flashing up to his. He smiled sardonically at her expression.
The sensation of being watched passed through her. Turning her head, she surveyed the crowd. Nearly immediately she saw Zander. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes locked onto her and Kosmas. He looked livid, his green eyes nearly burning her up despite the distance in between them. Well, that was too bad, Keely thought angrily. He'd made his choice, and it certainly hadn't been her.
If Kosmas noticed anything, he didn't let on. Instead he stood there, silent but relaxed, as if he had every right to be there. Surprisingly, none of the other men approached her. Was it because of the man next to her? She didn't know, but for that, she was grateful. After all, they couldn't force her to mate if there weren't any takers.
* * * * *
So the kitten has claws, Kosmas thought to himself. He watched Keely out of the corner of his eyes, careful to keep his expression bland. He'd noticed her as soon as the doors opened, but what man hadn't? Her auburn hair was elaborately styled and underneath the golden-toned bulbs it fairly glowed. It framed her face with its fiery tendrils, and what vampire wasn't attracted to fire? A man always wanted what he couldn't have, and the vampires were no exception to that rule. Her complexion was creamy pale and perfectly unblemished, her green eyes naturally wide. They dominated her face, giving off the appearance of vulnerability, although Kosmas knew she was anything but. Underneath the sweet perfection of her face and body was a personality forged of steel.
He hadn't missed the heated exchange between Zander and the woman, and it puzzled him. She hadn't been there even a full day, yet he wondered what could have possibly transpired between the two to cause that depth of emotion. It was a well-known fact that Zander was promised to another already, in fact, the high council was counting on it. Once Zander was mated, it would bring peace between two sections of their planet. Zander's wishes really didn't matter. He was already promised.
Kosmas knew all about duty. It was the reason why he was there. As leader of the Neiyadians, and an unmated male, he had no choice but to attend. He'd always found the market to be a bore, at least until now.
Maybe it was her hair, he mused to himself. God knew that red-haired women were rare on their planet. Brunettes were, too. He quickly perused the ballroom. Yep, every male had pale blond or black hair. There was no in-between.
Kosmas was consumed with lust by the beauty at his side, his shaft pulsating almost violently underneath the tight fit of his breeches. He'd spent a pleasurable afternoon in bed with two women, but his satiation had fled in Keely's presence. Although he wasn't necessarily ready for a mate, he was determined to have her, one way or another.
He wasn't used to working for what he wanted, at least when it came to women. As ruler women flocked to him, all of them more than eager to please him. Kosmas was enjoying the challenge, though. He was confident he could win her over, but if he couldn't he would order their marriage. She inflamed him with just her presence, and lust was a powerful thing. Many a man had been felled by it, and now he'd just joined their ranks.
His eyes narrowed just a bit at Zander. It was enough to make the rest of his guard tense up as they stared nervously between the two men. Even Brownie, the royal chihuahua and his pet, sensed the tension in his master as he stood proudly by his ankles, with his regal head held high.
Zander never noticed. His eyes were still locked on the concubine, his face full of anger and lust. It couldn't go on. Zander's marriage would need to be moved up, the sooner the better. Unfilled desire would eventually lead to discord. It was better to end the problem now, before it ever really began. Zander's betrothed had the reputation of being a handful. Once married, Kosmas felt certain she'd keep Zander busy.
“Why are you still here?” Keely asked him crossly as she interrupted his thoughts. Gesturing around the room with one hand she continued, “Why don't you go bother one of the other women? From the sounds of it, they wouldn't mind.”
She was right. Just like the previous concubines, these were adjusting quickly. Legionnaire had a way of doing that to the humans. Compared to earth their world was a paradise, and he'd seen how quickly the women responded to their male vampires. Mortal women were no match against a vampire's attractiveness and charm, and that was before their males even got them into bed. Once a female experienced a vampire's all-consuming prowess, what little resistance she might have harbored was over.
“I'm not interested,” Kosmas replied silkily, breathing in her essence. Keely might not realize it, but she had a powerful weapon of her own. Her blood teased him in a way that nothing else could. He was bombarded by thoughts of tasting her and fucking her, over and over again. With her, he wasn't sure that he'd ever get enough.
He forced his thoughts away. He was treading on dangerous territory, and he knew it. “What do you think of Legionnaire?”
Keely turned to face him, her green eyes narrowed at his face. The color reminded him of ripe green olives. The concubine had an incomparable beauty, but she didn't seem to appreciate it. With her arched auburn eyebrows, slim nose, and perfect bone structure, she could have had any man in the room. Kosmas frowned as he wondered why she didn't capitalize on it. Another woman would have. In the end, he shrugged it off. He was determined to mate her, which meant none of the other men stood a chance anyhow.
“The planet is fine,” she replied scathingly, her cheeks pink from her anger. “It's this outdated market that blows. I don't appreciate being dressed like a doll and my body displayed for every horny man in the room. Was that what you wanted to hear?” Keely added the last part on in a mock-sweet voice before sighing loudly and looking back at the others again.
The blood roared in Kosmas veins, the sound so loud it drowned out the sounds of the ballroom. He thought about having her underneath him as he took her, those wide green eyes staring up at him as he filled her passionate body to the brim. She would write underneath him, Kosmas decided, but would it be in anger or need? Either way would suit him fine.
His balls tightened to the point of pain as visions of Keely's body filled his mind. He was wild with lust, and he was losing the battle. It clouded his thinking, which was unacceptable. Kosmas knew what he had to do. “Excuse me,” he murmured, his eyes searching for the nearest guard. He would order them to protect Keely while he got relief. It wouldn't take long. As leader, he had his own personal harem.
Keely shot him a surprised look, but she didn't try to stop him. He stopped only long enough to mutter into the guard's ear. His words were short and to the point but effective. The concubine wouldn't get the chance to choose another.
Dismissing the guard, Kosmas walked straight out of the ballroom and into his private hallway. His shaft rubbed against his pants uncomfortably with each step. He was turned on to the point of losing control, something that hadn't happened to him in hundreds of years. As he walked he unbuttoned his pants in preparation. Beautiful and lusty, the women in his harem were always eager to please. He would allow them to suckle him, he decided. With their hot, greedy mouths, and Keely's curvaceous body on his mind, it wouldn't take them long at all to milk every drop of seed out of him.
Chapter 6
Warily, Keely watched Kosmas leave with mixed emotions. Truth be told, the man was a looker. In another time and place, she might have even liked him. That was before her abduction and subsequent seduction of her guard, though. Now she was just conflicted.
It was rather unbelievable to see so many men packed into one room. Keely took her time as she studied them. The clock was ticking, but none of them really caught her interest. At least none of them but the blond-haired man in black that couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Keely pointedly ignored him. What good would it do to acknowledge him? They'd had sex, but it clearly wasn't enough for him. In fact, it meant so little to him that he was willing to let someone else have her. Screw him.
Now that Kosmas was gone, several of the other vampires were eying her with interest. Keely sighed. One of them walked in her direction, but to her surprise, another man dressed in black stopped him before he could reach her. With a grim expression, he muttered something to her vampire admirer. At his words, the other man turned and walked away, but he looked back over his shoulder with a bemused expression on his face.
What the hell? Keely thought to herself as she watched the exchange. The guard certainly wasn't interfering when it came to the other woman. They were surrounded by men and enjoying every moment of it. If they were still afraid it wasn't obvious. Keely was willing to bet that they were having the time of their lives.
But not her. She'd meant what she said to Kosmas. Their planet was fine. In fact, she might have been happy there if they weren't forcing her into this humiliating market. It wasn't as if she had any family to miss and having plenty of food was a definite bonus. She hated the thought of being forced into the vampire's version of marriage, though. Thankfully, the vampires were now avoiding her like the plague. Was it possible that her strong refusals to mate were actually making a difference?
Lost in her musings, she'd forgotten to watch Zander. To her shock, he stepped in front of her with a plate of food in his hand. “Close your mouth,” he told her, in a low voice. “You're drawing attention.”
Her mouth closed immediately as her body filled with anger. “How dare you?” she hissed back, in a low tone of her own. “I think you've already made your position clear. You can leave now.”
The vampire that Kosmas had stopped to speak to walked over to them, a determined expression across his craggy face. “The concubine is off-limits,” he told Zander as he slid his eyes across Keely in a significant manner.
Zander stood erect, his mouth set in a hard line. He looked tough, like a man that expected his every word to be obeyed. “I'll be taking over her guard now,” Zander informed him. “Why don't you take a break?”
To Keely's disbelief, the other man replied, “Yes, sir,” before turning around to walk away.
“Who are you, really?” Keely asked him, her eyes flickering back and forth between Zander and the other man's retreating back. “If you have enough authority to order the guards, why can't you help me?”
Zander didn't immediately answer her question. Instead he led her over to some hard-backed chairs, still carrying the plate. “You need to eat, Keely,” he told her quietly, releasing her arm so she could sit down. When she did, he handed her the plate. “You're already too thin as it is.”
The plate was filled with an assortment of foods, from hard cheeses to fruit. Her mouth watered immediately, her stomach rumbling. The truth was she hadn't seen food like these for years, and she wondered how the vampires got it. She couldn't resist sampling it.
Zander moved to stand against the wall next to her chair, his face directed toward the crowd of people in front of them. There wasn't anyone within hearing range, though, or at least she hoped not. She didn't know who Zander was to his people, but he was obviously a person of some substantial standing. This was likely her last chance, and Keely was determined to use the opportunity wisely.
Pushing her attraction for him aside, she muttered, “Answer my question. Why can't you help me? I don't want to be here, Zander.” Keely paused at that. It was hard statement to make, when she was clean, healthy, and well-fed.
He didn't look down at her, but he heard her words. “You're here because our planet needs you. There's nothing I can do about that. You're one of the rare few with the correct blood to reproduce with us. If you're harboring some type of false hope that you're going to leave, it will be easier on you to just accept what I'm saying. It doesn't matter what I might want. There's no way you'll ever leave this planet again.”
Zander sounded so confident that tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly looked down at her plate in the pretense of selecting something to eat as she blinked furiously. Once she had it under control again, she looked back up. “Fine, so you're not going to send me back. I get it. But if you don't, I'm going to pick you, Zander. I don't care about your so-called duties or anything else. Either send me back, or I'm choosing you tonight as my mate.”
* * * * *
Red hot lust washed over Zander at her words. From another woman he might have experienced anger, but from Keely it had the opposite effect. There was nothing he wanted more than to take her to the nearest bed and have his way with her again. He was careful to keep his face blank, though. Zander refused to let her believe she had the upper hand.
“Would you?” he asked her coldly, his voice a low, dangerous drawl. “I'm going to tell you something now, little girl. I couldn't care less if you tell them, and it wouldn't stop another man from mating you, either. I might have had your body, but I didn't claim you. So as far as the other men here are concerned, you're still free and clear.”
Keely's chin was tilted up, her face full of pride, but Zander was watching closely enough to see the brief flicker of pain in her eyes before she quickly hid it. Damn her, he raged inside, angered at the thought of her hurting. And damn him for being unavailable.
Zander had been in hell from the moment he'd taken her. The sex with the concubine had been incomparable, and now he was in a fever for her hot little puss. The selfish part of him wanted to claim her, but the rigid, controlled part of him wanted to honor his commitments.
He'd been tormented watching Kosmas flirt with Keely. God help them all if their leader took an interest in her. Nobody would be able to prevent Kosmas from having her, should he decide to.
Never in his life had he wanted anything more than her, and that was before he'd realized she was a virgin. The vampire in him had wanted to kiss his way down her virginal body and taste her blood offering, but somehow he'd resisted. Keely was not of their world. She wouldn't have understood a vampire's need for blood, especially during sex itself. There was no greater pleasure than the two acts combined.
Keely hadn't said another word. Had she finally admitted defeat? Even if Zander could have helped her escape he wouldn't have. He was much too selfish for that. At least here on Legionnaire he would still get to see her, even if he couldn't have her.
Could that really be enough for him, though? His teeth ground together as he finally acknowledged the truth. It would never be enough. And that realization left him in a hell of a predicament.
“Zander, please,” Keely whispered, but Zander wasn't sure what she was pleading for. Was she pleading for him to help her leave their planet? Or was she pleading for him to claim her? His stern resolve to stick with his original plans was dissolving by the minute. It had been a mistake to lead her away from the others, but he couldn't have stood another moment of watching the other men admiring her large breasts and full hips.
The double doors at the opposite end of the ballroom burst open before slamming into the walls with two loud thuds. The music immediately halted as the vampires stopped to stare. Zander's body instantly tensed as he recognized their new arrivals. Whatever was about to happen wouldn't be good. It never was when it came to the Seiyads.
The fighter in him wanted to rush over and join the rest of the guard, but the man inside knew he had to remain to protect Keely. She was a long-awaited concubine, one of the women destined to save their population, but Zander would have been lying if he believed that was the reason why he stayed. It was the woman herself that locked him in place. Keely was his and he would protect her with his very life, if needed.
Keely stood up. With her limited eyesight she wouldn't be able to see them clearly, but it was obvious she sensed the danger. “What's happening?” she asked him, her voice surprisingly calm. The other women had yelped in fear, but not Keely. Zander felt a rush of pride go through him. She was strong for a female, even in the face of danger.
Zander eased closer to her, his eyes missing nothing. “They are the Seiyads,” he replied quietly. “The vampires from the South.”
The Seiyads stood in the doorway silently, staring back at all of them with arrogant sneers. Although the two regions were not at war, they weren't friendly either. As a whole they were a dangerous and cruel group of people, their lust for blood knowing no bounds. The Neiyads had a rocky history with them, but luckily a large body of water separated their boundaries. Unfortunately, though, something had prompted them to cross over into their territory. Zander glanced at the women uneasily.
“What do you want?” Rio called out, with his hand on his sword. The other guards were behind him as they presented a united front, but their numbers were limited.
Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part One Page 5