“You’re right. But that doesn’t mean I could live like you do. I couldn’t share Violanti with anyone, I couldn’t be with anyone but him. I would accept nothing less than monogamy between us, I couldn’t.”
“Can I taste you,” she asked bluntly.
“I am not food,” Aerin scooted away from her.
“No you are not. But I will show you that you can feed on humans without ‘sharing’ yourself or Violanti in the way you assume. Allow me to show you this. Please?”
Without waiting for her assent, Delilah moved closer, putting her arms around her gently. The woman’s lips were cool on her cheek, friendly. “I won’t hurt you.”
“You all keep saying that, but it doesn’t make things any easier for me.”
Delilah snorted her laughter. “Just one small taste. Violanti would allow me that under the circumstances, I think,” she murmured.
Aerin felt dizzy. Suddenly drunk and languid and totally at ease. “What are you doing to me?”
“Tasting you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.” The Madame pressed her forehead lightly against Aerin’s shoulder.
Warm, languid pleasure seeped into the very marrow of her bones. Delicious and lovely, but in no way was it threatening or overly sexual. It felt wonderful and rejuvenating, a sweet relief to Aerin, who hadn’t slept in days and was completely exhausted.
Delilah reached for her hand, raising her wrist to cool, silken lips. A deep, sharp sting signaled her bite and Aerin cried out softly. But she had no strength or will to fight. A tiny sip and it was done. The warm breath of the Madame closed the tiny wounds, healing them, and Aerin came back to herself with a calm she hadn’t felt in days.
“That was but a small taste, but after many such sips from different people who are more than willing to share, it is more than enough for us. And it does not compromise our bonds with our mates in any way. You have nothing to fear on that score, you see?”
“This is so strange.”
“Life is always strange. For us, as well as humans. Really, we’re not too dissimilar from each other in many respects. Some of us are good, some of us are bad; we have our weaknesses and our strengths. We love. Oh, how we of the blood can love. Perhaps more passionately even than humans, who are notorious for the strength of their hearts.”
“Where is Violanti? Why hasn’t he come?”
The Madame’s eyes shadowed. “He is even more stubborn than you are. I thought he would tear the place apart when you failed to come Saturday night. He has confined himself to his rooms and will not speak to us. I think he’s waiting for you to make the first move. But I knew you needed a push, whether Violanti approved or not, and so I came.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she pushed up the rims of her glasses nervously—one of her contact lenses had been lost the day of her trip to Fetish and she hadn’t bothered ordering a replacement.
“Decide. Choose between an immortal life of love with Violanti and a mortal life of short, lonely years without him. And without the memory of him to comfort you. For though Violanti may not have the heart to follow through with taking your memories from you, I can assure you I have no such qualms.”
Aerin shuddered, hearing the cold hard will in Delilah’s cultured tones, knowing she would make good on her promise without hesitation. “I need time.”
“Time is something you don’t have anymore. You’ve already taken far too much. I will give you until tomorrow night. The doors of Fetish will open to you then, and you can come to Violanti to either start your life together or sever ties completely. It’s all up to you, my dear girl. I hope you’re brave enough to make that choice. I don’t want to have to chase you down.”
As a dare, it worked to make Aerin’s stubborn streak rear its head defiantly. As a threat it also succeeded, and a chill of fear made her shiver.
“I’ll be there tomorrow night.”
Delilah smiled. “I knew you would be.”
Chapter Eighteen
The door was red. As dark and deep a ruby hue as a pool of shimmering blood. This door led, Delilah assured her, to Violanti’s private apartment. His home.
She thought to knock, but decided against it. Let him be surprised, if it were possible, when she simply walked through his door. That is, if it wasn’t locked against her.
It wasn’t.
The apartment was designed as exquisitely as the rest of the mansion. Red and gold and dark rich woods abounded, among lush fabrics and textures that welcomed and lured and relaxed her. A large living room led to a small kitchen—though what a vampire might need with one, Aerin had no idea—and on into the back of the home was another door, opened to admit her into the expansive bedroom.
“Violanti?” His room was full of shadows. Only candlelight burned here, warm and seductive, and she did not see him at first as he sat in dim flickers of light. Though how she could have missed him on the incredibly large bed, she had no idea. He was lounging there, looking at her with a lazy gaze that burned her from head to toe.
The bed was as large as her entire bedroom, and how Violanti could have found bedding for it was an amazing feat. But then, he was no doubt wealthy enough to afford specially made linens. Or silks, as the case may be, for that was what covered the bed now. Silks and satins and furs in tones of gold, black, and crimson. The same colors of his skin, hair, and eyes.
He was deliciously nude.
“Why have you come,” he sounded belligerent. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. “Go away. While I can still let you.”
“No.”
He rose on the bed, draping his arms on his bent knees with negligent grace.
“Why are you here?” he asked again.
The moment of truth, of courage. And she wondered why the hell she’d been so long in coming here after all.
“Why have you come? I want nothing more to do with you.” He ran a hand through his hair, every move as erotic as a kiss.
“You’re lying,” she said, softly, “you wanted me here, so I came.”
“You are late. I told you, if you did not come on Saturday, that I would be forced to wipe away your memory of me. And so I shall,” he bit out the last.
“Don’t.” She hated to hear the iron hard finality in his voice. Hated to think he might be telling the truth, that he wouldn’t give her another chance. “Please don’t.”
He was before her in a flash, she blinked and she missed his move. His fingers bit into her chin as he held her face still for his perusal. “Tell me why I shouldn’t.”
“I’m here now. I came,” she stated.
“No. Tell me why you’re here.” His face leaned towards hers, but his gaze and his voice never once softened.
“You still love me,” she said, though a twinge of doubt darkened her heart.
“I shouldn’t,” he said, and she nearly shouted with relief. But he dashed that relief almost at once when he added, “And it changes nothing.”
“Please,” she trembled.
“Please what?” His fingers nearly bruised her.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I. Sorry that you are too afraid to know your own heart, sorry that I cannot let you remember how close you came to true happiness.”
“Violanti, don’t say that. You love me.”
“And you love me,” his hand fell to her shoulder and shook her until her teeth rattled, “say that you love me and all might be forgiven.”
“No,” she protested, afraid of this violence in him. She did love him, she knew it, but to give him the words and have him still decide to abandon her and take her memory would have killed her on the spot.
“Say it, damn you,” his fingers did bruise her now, digging in brutally. His eyes flashed crimson and his mouth was a tight, pale line. “Why are you here? Tell me why you’re here.”
A traitorous sob escaped her. “Because I love you,” she managed to whisper.
Violanti flung away from her, ret
reating back to the bed. Her heart cracked as he turned his back on her.
“I love you Violanti,” she said again, louder this time.
He turned back to look at her coolly. Aerin felt as if her world was ending. Tears filled her eyes. With a painful finality, she knew he would not relent. He would take her memory from her. She had waited too long, gambled too dearly, and now she would lose him forever.
“Please Violanti. Don’t be like this,” she sobbed, “I’m sorry I didn’t come. But I was scared. I didn’t know what to do, what to think. Haven’t you ever been afraid?”
His lashes widened, his gaze flared bright and hot. “Come here.”
Terrified, knowing it was foolish, she moved to do so.
“Wait.”
She stopped, tears falling unchecked now, wondering at his command.
“Take off your clothes first.”
Her breath shuddered. She did as she was told. His eyes followed her every move, drinking in the hardened stab of her nipples, the slope of her belly, the cleanly shaved mound of her pussy.
Aerin climbed on the bed, crawling towards him.
“Stop weeping and lie back,” he commanded coolly.
“I trust you Violanti,” she whispered, shaking, lying down on the cool satin sheets. “I love you. I’ll always love you, even if you take yourself from my memory. I’ll always remember you, deep down. I’ll always know that you love me too,” she choked, crying openly and without shame, believing that every word she spoke was true. Hoping that he would believe in them too.
There was only a slight hesitation in her now. She trusted him, knew he loved her, knew she loved him in return. No magic could erase that truth.
“Spread your legs.”
She did, wide, knowing he watched her.
Long, long moments passed. Aerin’s heart raced. Violanti made no move towards her, but she could feel his desire. It enveloped the room, heating it. She knew his eyes were roving over her naked, quivering flesh, knew he was aching to pounce.
“Say it again,” he said at last. “Say you love me.”
She smiled amidst her tears, hoping for his mercy. “I do love you. Now and forever.”
“Forever is what I want from you,” he said thickly. His hands reached out and tenderly wiped her tears away. “Have you decided then? Will you be with me or no?”
He wasn’t going to take the choice from her, her heart rejoiced in the knowledge. She swallowed a giddy laugh of relief and focused instead on his presence, on his question. There was no turning back from this choice, there never had been. “I will be with you,” she promised, and it felt perfect, it felt right.
“Take off your glasses. You won’t need them anymore.”‘
She did, throwing them negligently to the far side of the bed, where they bounced, slid, and fell to the floor with a dull clunk.
“Spread your legs wider.”
Shivering, excited now, she obeyed.
He covered her, jarring her with his eagerness to trap her there beneath him. Without even touching her, she was wet and ready, and he slipped fully into her. “Tonight’s lesson is lovemaking.”
More tears sprang to her eyes, as he slowly, silently loved her. His kisses covered her face, her neck, her breasts. There was no inch of her body that his hands did not touch and caress. Warm liquid pleasure drowned her. Moaning, reaching, she wrapped her legs around him, meeting his every move with one of her own.
They danced together, joined as one, the loving so sweet and so total that soon Aerin was crying from the beauty of it.
“Shh, sugar girl. Don’t cry,” he drank her tears, sipping them delicately from the shell of her eyelids, “I’m sorry I scared you. I was angry. You dared to disobey me.”
“I’m sorry, too.” She clutched him tighter, desperate. “Don’t leave me. Don’t ever take this from me.”
“Never,” he swore, thrusting deep.
“I do love you,” she had to say it, had to tell him.
“I know.”
She bit him for that. His chuckle changed to a groan. He thrust his cock harder into her wet body. Deep. “Do that again.”
She did, hard, knowing he loved it.
They rocked in the massive bed, tangling themselves in the sheets. Thousands of kisses, hundreds of deep strokes later, Aerin felt the soft sweet oblivion of her climax swim over her in a wet, pulsing, swelling wave.
She barely felt his teeth sink into her. Barely felt him drain her of blood, nearly to the point of death. But she tasted his blood as he slashed a line across his chest and let it flow into her open, waiting mouth. It was sweet and it was hot and it filled her like sunlight, burning her from the crown of her head to the very tips of her toes.
The scalding splash of his ejaculate filled her, burned her, and still he thrust and thrust and thrust. She came again and died her mortal death in his sheltering embrace. Darkness took her, and still Violanti was joined with her, rocking inside of her. Taking her down into the shadows of her death with a smile on her face.
It was three days before she awakened again. Born to the blood, stronger than she’d ever been. And Violanti was there, deep in her body, bringing her climax after climax. Loving her. Keeping her safe. In those three long days and nights he hadn’t left her. Not once.
He vowed to her and to himself that he never would, not ever again.
Epilogue
Aerin’s mouth moved over his cock, savoring the magically sweet taste of his come. It always surprised her, this sweet taste, a mixture of semen and blood and magic. She loved it. She loved everything about him.
“I can’t. No more. You’re driving me crazy, woman! That’s three times already. You’ve drained me dry, I’ve no more to give.”
Her gaze rose to meet his, dubious and disbelieving. Her mouth worked over him and she let him see her efforts, knowing it would make him crazy with lust.
It did. Quickly. His cock swelled bigger in her mouth, nearly choking her. He thrashed. “Untie me so that I can fuck you properly, you minx.”
Laughing, she released his cock with a loud, wet smack. She reached up to the leather bonds that held him, knowing full well that he had the strength to break them, but loving him for the iron will of his restraint in not doing so. He’d promised not to cheat tonight. He’d promised to lie there in the black room, bound and trapped, while she had her wicked way with him. He’d kept his word.
No sooner had the last tie loosened than she was flung onto her back, Violanti’s body covering hers heavily. With one long, smooth thrust he was seated to the hilt inside her welcoming warmth.
“So sweet, love, so fucking sweet,” he said, his accent thick and lilting in her ear.
Aerin bit his shoulder, drawing blood with her fangs. Violanti roared his pleasure and returned the favor. They bit and clawed at each other, the tiny exquisite pains of their wounds heightening their arousal. Soon they were covered in a light sheen of blood and sweat, rolling about on the floor.
Violanti rose up out of her, then thrust violently back into the depths of her body, his balls slapping heavily against her anus, his cock reaching so far into her she thought she might choke. The force of his thrusts was so strong she knew it would have shattered the bones of any human. But she was lucky enough to no longer be human and she met the force of his thrusts with her own considerable strength.
She rolled with him and he let her, straddling him, taking him deep. His hands dug into the cushion of her hips, guiding her. “I don’t believe it,” he said in shock, seconds before he filled her with his come.
His shout made the walls vibrate.
Aerin bounced and rode, hanging on and enjoying the ride as he thrashed beneath her in the throes of a violent orgasm. He thrust particularly hard into her, slamming her down with his hands at her hips as he did, and she followed him into ecstasy, screaming her own surprise and exhilaration to the ceiling.
They collapsed in a heap upon the bed.
“Not bad for our fiftieth annive
rsary, wouldn’t you say sugar girl?”
Aerin laughed. And promptly crawled back atop him, just to make sure there was no question.
About the author:
Sherri L. King lives in the American Deep South with her husband, artist and illustrator Darrell King. Critically acclaimed author of The Horde Wars and Moon Lust series, her primary interests lie in the world of action packed paranormals, though she’s been known to dabble in several other genres as time permits.
Sherri L. King welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Also by Sherri L. King:
Bachelorette
Chronicles of the Aware: Rayven’s Awakening
Midnight Desires
Moon Lust
Moon Lust: Bitten
Moon Lust: Mating Season
The Horde Wars: Ravenous
The Horde Wars: Wanton Fire
The Horde Wars: Razor’s Edge
Twisted Destiny
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
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