Blood and Metal

by Nina Croft

  “I hope not. That would be a…waste.” She gave him a squeeze. If anything, he got harder. Like…metal. “Hey, you can’t do that thing”—she waved at his arm—“you know…turn other bits of your body into metal?”

  He grinned. “No. Just the arm, and that’s because it is metal.”

  “Oh.”

  “Don’t sound so disappointed. Believe me, it will be hard enough.”

  He gave a tug on her hand to pull her into his lap, but she was still harnessed into her seat. He dropped her hand and rose to his feet, to stand staring down at her through those strange silver eyes. She squirmed in the seat. “You know, I actually like you all tied up.” Reaching down, he tweaked the strap. “I don’t suppose these would hold?”

  She shook her head. She was pretty sure she could snap through the harness straps if she put her mind to it.

  “Pity.”

  He turned away and crossed to a cabinet on the wall, riffled through the contents, tossing stuff onto the floor. Finally, he made a triumphant, “Yes!” and turned back to her. “Tow cable. Guaranteed not to give under the most arduous of conditions.” He held a roll of thick cable in his hand. Flexible but strong, she knew it would hold her. Her heart rate picked up. This was going to happen. Her legs trembled as she pushed herself to her feet.

  “You want this now?” He waved the roll, and she knew he meant did she want him to tie her up now. “Or you want to play a bit first?”

  She shook her head. Excitement was bubbling up inside her. She was holding it under tight control because beneath the excitement she could sense the darkness stirring sleepily, as if to say, what’s going on?

  “Now.”

  Chapter Nine

  Fergal grinned. “Shit. I’ve been thinking about tying you up ever since you first mentioned it.”

  “Is that why you saved me back there?”

  His grin widened. “I’m not that shallow.” He looked around the room. “Hmm, lying down or standing? Standing, I think.” His eyes lit on something behind her, and she turned to follow his gaze.

  “Come here,” he said.

  She took the three steps to close the space between them, licked her dry lips.

  “Did you know there are little red flecks in your eyes?” he asked.

  No, she didn’t, but she sensed the darkness awakening. “Better hurry up then.”

  “Hold out your hands.”

  Palms pressed together, she held them out as he wrapped the end of the cable around her wrists, looping it a couple of times. She wriggled her fingers. The cable was smooth and thick enough not to cut into her skin even if she struggled.

  His gaze drifted from his handiwork to her face, and she curled her lip, revealing a fang—just to remind him exactly what she was. She didn’t want him too complacent.

  “Fuck,” he murmured. “I think maybe this time we’re going to play it safe. Turn around.”

  A frown tugged at her mouth. She wanted to look at him while he made love to her, but she saw the sense of it. There was no way she could bite him if he was behind her.

  She turned, and he looped the cable over a metal bar that ran around the room above her head. As he pulled on the cable, her arms were raised. He tied it off.

  “How does that feel?”

  Daisy pulled at her wrists; she was held firm. “Good. What next?”

  He chuckled. “You sound eager.”

  Throbbing and eager, she ached with the need to have him inside her. At the same time, the darkness was rising. For a few seconds, she fought it. But wasn’t that the whole point of this exercise? She could relax her hold on the stupid darkness, and it wouldn’t be able to do any harm to anyone while she was tethered like this. Taking a deep breath, she loosened the tight grip on her control. Immediately, the choking sensation eased; the darkness seemed to relax and accept her. Maybe that’s what Rico had meant. Only by relaxing her control could she come to terms with what was inside her, learn to live with and accept it.

  She reached deeper inside herself, trying to understand this new thing, and she found it wasn’t separate after all, but a part of her. And there was no sense of evil. She’d stood before evil, and this wasn’t the same. While maybe without conscience, it wasn’t intrinsically bad. And it had wants and needs. She had a brief flashback to the guard’s dying moment, and the darkness sighed inside her.

  “Daisy?”

  Fergal’s voice pulled her out of her internal contemplations. She twisted her head so she could see him at her side.

  “You still with us?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I’m good.” She tugged at her wrists. “I think you’re safe to go.”

  “Relax then.”

  “You’re joking. I’m so keyed up, I’m about to self-combust.”

  “Well, let’s see if we can make that happen.”

  He stepped back, and she strained to see what he was up to. He studied her for a moment, a frown forming between his brows. “Perhaps we should have done a little prebinding preparation. Sorry about this…” His hands slipped into the neckline of her T-shirt, and he ripped it down her back.

  “Hey, that was a present.”

  “I’ll buy you another.” His palms slid around under the tattered edges and cupped her breasts, and she didn’t care anymore. He rubbed, and her nipples stiffened. As he tweaked them between his fingers and thumb, pleasure shot to her groin.

  Her gums ached, but she ignored the feeling, concentrated on Fergal’s hands massaging her breasts.

  Then they were gone.

  And back, to slide down over her stomach, inching inside the waistband of her pants, tugging them over her ass and her hips, down her legs. Kneeling beside her, he pulled off her boots one by one and yanked her pants the rest of the way, and she was naked but for the tatters of her T-shirt.

  She closed her eyes, rested her head against her arms. The darkness was wide-awake, so powerful she instinctively fought the sensation.

  “You’re tensing up again,” Fergal murmured. “Let it go. You can’t hurt me. Just be whatever you want to be.”

  She released the breath she was holding and sagged against the bonds. With an effort of will, she relaxed her mind. Fergal was on his knees behind her now. He leaned in close and his warm breath feathered against the skin of her ass, sending frissons shivering through her.

  “That is so, so pretty.” His lips touched her, kissing lightly over the swell of one buttock and down to her thigh.

  At the same time, his hands moved to her hips, and he shifted her back slightly, spreading her thighs so she could feel the cool air against her sex. He kissed her again, this time on the inside of her thigh, then his tongue glided upward, hot and wet.

  His palms massaged her buttocks, alternately squeezing and releasing so her hips jerked in time with his ministrations. She was holding her breath again, waiting for him to touch her where she needed him the most.

  “Slow down,” he whispered against her skin. “We have two days.”

  “Fergal…” Her tone held an obvious warning, but he chose to ignore it. Instead of moving higher where she needed him, his mouth trailed down her legs to lick the back of her knees, and she moaned.

  “You asked me to do that last time,” he said. “Now, to the good bit.”

  He burrowed his face between her legs and nuzzled her right where a pulse was beating between her thighs. With gentle hands, he parted the folds of her sex, and finally, his firm mouth was on her.

  The ache in her gums was forgotten, darkness forgotten, everything faded to nothing except the sensation of his tongue gliding along the folds of her sex, finding its way between, pushing inside her, filling her with slick wet heat.

  One hand parted her farther, and his tongue slid up to find her clit, swollen with need, throbbing and almost painfully engorged. He teased lazy circles around it while two fingers pushed inside her, rubbing the internal walls of her sex, finding the sweet spot as he finally relented, took her clit between his lips, and sucked gent
ly.

  Everything clenched up tight inside her. She hovered on the edge.

  He stopped. His mouth drew back.

  “How are you doing?” he asked. She gritted her teeth and peered over her shoulders. He was sitting back on his heels, looking up at her. He licked his lips. “Gone all scary monster on me yet?”

  She bared her teeth. But realized that the ache in her gums was gone, replaced by something more insistent. “No, but I might very quickly if you don’t—”

  “Don’t what? This…?”

  He pushed a finger inside her then rubbed over her clit.

  “Oh God, that feels so good.”

  “More?”

  She nodded.

  As he massaged the swollen bud, the sweet tension built inside her, rising up from the place the darkness lived. She closed her eyes and sank into the sensation, lost in a place where colors whirled red and black, swirling, spiraling out of control. Then he pinched her clit between his thumb and finger, and she exploded.

  Her knees gave way, and she sagged against the bonds, the sharp pain bringing her back. He ran the pad of his thumb over her, pinched again, and the pain vanished along with everything else, leaving her there in that dark place, but at one with the blackness.

  They merged as stars flashed in her head.

  She came back to herself to find Fergal standing behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight.

  He kissed the back of her neck. “You all right, baby?”

  Was she? She gave a weak nod.

  “Ready for the next bit?”

  She didn’t think she’d ever be ready. She felt unraveled, taken apart. But she gave another nod and stiffened her knees as he stepped back. She wobbled but then stood firm. Behind her, she heard the rustle as he shed his clothes.

  Fergal released her slowly, making sure her legs would hold her before he let go completely. He could taste her on his tongue. Sweet. Unique. His dick was screaming for relief; this was going to be hard and fast. Her sweet ass was pointed up, her legs parted so he could see the curls of her sex.

  He tore open his shirt. He wouldn’t need the prison guard uniform again—he was done with prisons. Then he kicked off his boots and unfastened his pants. The relief was amazing, and he groaned. Daisy must have heard the sound. She twisted her head so she could look at him. Her eyes were dark but normal, widening when she found him naked. Her mouth parted, and she licked the pouting lower lip with a pointed tongue. His cock jerked as his head filled with a vision of her lush mouth wrapped around him.

  Would he ever trust her with his dick in her mouth? Not likely, and not in the time they had together. She must have gotten what he was thinking—a grin curved her lips, and she flashed him one sharp white fang. His dick didn’t care. It jerked again, and he grabbed it in his fist and squeezed. His balls ached; he needed to be inside her soon. He tried to tell himself that it had been a long time and that’s why he felt so driven, but he knew it was more than that. Daisy touched him somewhere no one else ever had. It made him uneasy, but he’d worry about it later.

  She finally raised her gaze from his cock.

  “You want?” he asked.

  She nodded, the movement jerky.

  “Then hold on, baby.”

  When she didn’t move, he released himself and slapped her ass. He remembered from the first time they’d been together all those years ago that she liked it rough. Her ass lifted a little, and he slapped her again, then rubbed at the red mark. She finally turned so she was facing the wall, braced her hands as well as she could.

  He used both hands to massage her cheeks, parting them, his mouth going dry as the scent of her arousal filled the air. Shifting one hand to her hip to steady her, he used his other to part the lips of her sex. He rubbed the head of his cock over the slick heat a couple of times, found her entrance, and shoved inside with one hard push. She took him with a sigh, her muscles clenching around him.

  He withdrew and pushed back inside, the sensation perfection, pleasure rippling through his cock and his balls, up his spine.

  He leaned his head close. “Are you okay?”

  She gave a small nod, and he increased the speed, flexing his hips, filling her all the way. She was moving with him now, her movements jerky as though she was fighting for control.

  “Let it go,” he murmured. “You can’t hurt me. Just give in…”

  He shoved again, and the tension snapped.

  “Oh God, I can’t…”

  Then she was fighting the restraints, twisting and turning, trying to get free, while at the same time she pushed back against him, urging him to move faster, harder.

  He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wasn’t dealing with an ordinary girl and she was amazingly strong. He fisted one hand in her long blond hair and used his arm to push her shoulders into the wall, used his own strength to pin her there while he pumped into her.

  He was close, and he slid his free hand around her, over her belly and between her thighs. Finding her swollen clit, he rubbed and pinched until she threw back her head and screamed her release.

  She wasn’t fighting him now, and he shifted both hands so they rested on her hips and increased his speed until he exploded in an orgasm so powerful, lights danced before his eyes.

  He couldn’t seem to stop moving, and she came again, her muscles tightening around him, sending another wave of pleasure crashing over him.

  Finally, he collapsed against her, his face burrowed in the curve of her shoulder. He stayed like that for long minutes, his breathing ragged, his pulse racing. Beneath him she was calm.

  He raised his head and kissed the side of her neck. “How are you doing?”

  She turned to look at him, and her face was tranquil. “I’m good. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever felt better.

  A smile tugged at his lips. “You going to bite me if I let you go?”

  She shook her head. “No, you’re safe.”

  He pushed himself away from her. His legs were shaking, and he stood for a second, breathing deeply. Taking a step toward her, he reached up and untied the cable. Her arms dropped to her sides and she rubbed her wrists, but the cable had left no marks. She turned to face him, and he tensed, watching her warily, but she seemed almost peaceful, a sleepy, sated look in her eyes. No sign of the monster lurking within.

  Deciding the risk was low, he took a step toward her, bent his head, and kissed her lips. Then he wrapped his arms around her, picked her up, and carried her to one of the bunks lining the room. Sitting down, he pulled her onto his lap and snuggled down.

  “Sleep.”

  “Vampires don’t sleep,” she mumbled. But her eyes closed and her breathing evened. She wriggled once or twice getting comfortable and finally lay still.

  Fergal closed his own eyes, feeling at peace for once. He knew it wouldn’t last, couldn’t last. This could only ever be an interlude—if he didn’t find Stefan, he would run out of antidote and be dead within days. But he had learned to take his pleasures where he could, and right now, he wanted nothing more than to sleep with Daisy in his arms.

  He woke long hours later. Daisy sat at the end of the bed, her legs crossed, her chin resting in one hand as she examined him. She’d found his stash of spare clothes, because she was dressed in a black T-shirt that reached mid-thigh. He was sprawled naked on top of the bunk, but he felt too lazy and satisfied to care. Let her look. She could even have him again if she wanted, as soon as he could get the strength to tie her up.

  “So did it work?”

  She straightened, stretched her legs. “I think so. I feel good. It’s twelve hours since I fed, and I feel fine.”

  “Twelve hours. I’ve been asleep that long?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t like to wake you. You’re kind of cute when you’re asleep.”

  “I’m cute when I’m awake.”

  “No, you’re not.” But she smiled to take the sting from the words.

  “I’m glad it worked. Now you just need a
few people into bondage and you’re good.”

  “What about you?” she asked.

  He knew what she meant but answered a different question instead. “I don’t mind it now and again.”

  He should have known she wouldn’t accept his evasive answer. She was one of the most straightforward people he’d ever met. “You know what I meant. Will you be around? I’m not sure I trust anyone else to tie me up.”

  “And you trust me?”

  “Yes.”

  The unequivocal answer twisted something inside him. He looked away for a second. “I won’t be around for much longer. I’ll drop you at Trakis Two. Then I have to be on my way. Nothing has changed.”

  “Why can’t you stay? Just a little while?”

  For a second he thought about telling her. But he still didn’t know what she and her friends were really up to. When he’d first met them, they’d been pirates, mercenaries for hire to the highest bidder. Why should things be any different now? He couldn’t trust them. But it worried him that he wanted to. “I have things to do.”

  She opened her mouth, closed it again, and shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll have to find somebody else.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. Not at all. He wasn’t going to be here. So why did he give a shit? But he did. Enough to point something out to her. “You fought me at one point. If I’d been ordinary human, you’d have thrown me off.”

  She studied him, her head cocked on one side as if trying to see into his mind. He was glad she couldn’t—it was a mess in there. Even he didn’t understand what was going on.

  “Maybe one of Thorne’s people,” she said.

  “Who’s Thorne?”

  “He’s…a little hard to explain. But he and his people are Collective…sort of. But much older.”

  He frowned. As far as he was aware, Callum Meridian was the oldest of the Collective, as he’d been the first to take the treatment. It had been Callum who had discovered Meridian five hundred years ago when mankind had first arrived at the Trakis system and his ship had crash-landed on Trakis Seven. “How can they be older?” he asked.

  “Long story. But they all have wings, like Callum. They’re actually pretty cool. I’m sure I could find someone willing to give me a go. Some have already volunteered to feed me.”