by Siren Allen
“I’m fine,” he heard his mate whisper.
“What happened?” Jude asked.
“I’m low on energy. The more energy I get, the more these handcuffs drain,” she whispered back.
“What can I do to help?” He was willing to give her every ounce of energy in him if he could.
“Are you sure you want to help?” his mate asked weakly.
“Just tell me what I need to do.” He would do anything for her. He hadn’t marked her yet, but the instinctual need to protect her still took hold of him.
“Touch yourself,” Carissa said, sounding embarrassed.
Jude laughed; he didn’t have a problem with agreeing.
“Are you a Succubus?” Jude asked, hopeful. If she was, he was prepared to keep her high on energy for the rest of eternity.
His mate laughed softly. “No, but I use sexual energy the same way they do. It gives me strength, but it’s not the only type of energy I use. I can also use, joy, pain, fear, and death as an energy source. However, I try to avoid the last three.”
Jude understood why. Only soul snatchers enjoyed the use of energy from pain, fear and death. Maybe being concerned about Faede wasn’t the problem. Maybe he should have been concerned for Bruce.
“Ready when you are,” his mate whispered, bringing Jude’s thoughts back to his own mate.
“Describe yourself to me,” Jude said.
A couple of the other male captives laughed at him.
“Talking to yourself, demon,” one of the captives yelled from a cell five spots down.
Jude ignored the remark, his mind was on what his mate whispered to him.
“My hair is golden brown, like honey.”
Yes, Jude already knew that. He walked to his cot and lay down, grasping his dick in his hand. He wished he could rub his hands through her long, golden locks.
“My eyes are golden brown also,” she whispered; he pictured it clearly in his mind. He stroked his hand from the base of his cock up to the tip.
“Right now, I’m dipping my fingers into my pussy. I’m putting them in my mouth, sampling my own juices.”
Jude groaned. He heard her lips smack when she licked her fingers.
“I taste like honey also. Right now, I’m moving my fingers in and out of my body, imagining it’s you entering me over and over again.” Carissa groaned at her own words.
Jude loved the taste of honey, and if his mate said she tasted like it, he believed her. He needed the taste of her honey on his tongue. Jude stroked himself harder, wishing he was inside his mate’s body. She continued to talk, pushing him further to the edge.
“Your body made me wet the morning I massaged the length of you,” Carissa whispered. Jude’s body jerked and he gripped his cock harder. That she wanted him as much as he wanted her pleased him. Did she realize he was hers and she was his?
“When a drop of moisture appeared at the tip of your cock, I wanted to lick it off; I needed it, but I held back.”
“Why?” Jude said, his breathing ragged.
“I didn’t understand what was going on at the time. I didn’t know if you would welcome it, or think I was no better than Lana,” his mate whispered. “When you trembled underneath my touch, I felt the built up sexual energy in your body and I wanted to help you release it. I imagined climbing on top of you and taking the length of you into my body. You’re so big; I would have to ease you in inch by inch until my body was able to accommodate all of you.”
He heard Carissa groan at the thought of him filling her. Jude fucked his palm. Yeah, fucked, because jacking off was too dull of a word to describe the way his hips jerked and his body lifted off his cot while he thrust into his hand. Knowing she wanted him this morning, as much as he wanted her, excited him in ways he couldn’t describe.
Jude heard her breathing increase. He thrust faster into his hands.
“Come with me,” she whispered.
Jude obeyed, coming harder than he ever did before. He put his pillow over his face to stifle his roar as he came. The need to mark her was so strong, his fangs protruded from his gums aching to pierce her flesh. Jude bit into his pillow to keep from gnashing his teeth.
“I feel rejuvenated,” Carissa whispered.
“I’m happy to help anytime you need me,” Jude gasped, waiting on his breathing to catch up with his mind. He felt like he would go mad if he didn’t get her alone soon. Having his mate this close to him after years of no sex was wreaking havoc on his sanity, the little bit of sanity he had left.
After they escaped, he would have to get her somewhere safe. He wished he could take time off to enjoy being mated, but he couldn’t. He still had other obligations requiring his attention. Lana and her brother must be destroyed, so the Elders could bring someone into the Dark Realm to rule and restore it. He also needed to find the Dark Witch to lift the curse off his friends.
He heard his mate’s breathing returning to normal. A noise in the hallway got Carissa’s attention. He heard her sliding her dress down and walking over to the bars to see what was going on. Jude covered his private area with the pillow. Whoever was coming walked past Carissa’s cell and kept walking. Jude relaxed a little. He thought Lana was sending for Carissa.
He got to his feet and stayed still when a ghoul approached his cell. The four-eyed creature laughed and sniffed the air. The ghoul’s voice sounded like rocks grinding against each other.
“Save the stamina for Mistress Lana,” it told Jude. “She has summoned you to her chambers, but first you are to go to the bathing room and cleanse your body.”
The ghoul unlocked the cell door and lifted his hand, pointing something looking like a stun gun at Jude. The ghoul pressed a button on the instrument and Jude fell to his knees, hundreds of electrical volts racing through his body.
“What are you doing to him,” he heard his mate yell.
Jude gritted his teeth, the pain spreading through his body. He didn’t yell, not wanting to alarm his mate further.
Chapter 6
Jude stood up still shaking slightly.
“I’m fine,” he yelled for his mate to hear.
“For now,” the ghoul sneered, “This was only a small dose of what will happen if you try to escape while in my charge.”
The ghoul motioned for Jude to come out of his cell, and then motioned for Jude to walk in front of him. They headed in the opposite direction of his mate’s cell. Jude yearned for a glimpse of her.
They walked past four more cells, stopping at the fifth. The ghoul turned to the man occupying the room. Like Jude and the rest of the male captives, the man was naked.
“Cole, Mistress Lana has summoned you to her chambers, but first you have to visit the bathing chamber to cleanse your body.”
The ghoul unlocked Cole’s cell; a tall, dark haired vampire exited. His eyes were red and dilated; a clear sign he hasn’t fed in days. He walked out of his cell slowly, eyes focused on the ghoul in front of him. The ghoul lifted his hand and pointed the stun gun, but the vampire stopped him with his words.
“There is no need for you to use force, specter,” the vampire said, his red eyes never leaving the ghoul’s face. Cole walked out of his cell and got in line behind Jude. The ghoul led the two handcuffed men to the bathing chamber.
This was not Jude’s first time in the large room; stalls lined the wall. In the middle of the room was a large, marble, bathing pool. Soap and other toiletries sat along the side of the pool. Every item in the room was either red or black, Lana’s favorite colors. The soap she provided for them was cherry scented, the scent reminded him of his time with Carissa in Lana’s chamber.
“Bruce will be here shortly to take you both to Mistress Lana’s room,” the ghoul said before leaving.
Jude walked into the chest-deep water; eager to get some of the filth off his body. He smelled like his own cum, and Lana would be upset if she knew he pleased himself immediately before visiting her. Cole entered the water behind Jude, who quickly turned around to
face the vampire. He didn’t like having a stranger at his back.
Jude kept his eyes on the red-eyed leech. He knew he could take him. They both wore handcuffs, so neither of them had an advantage over the other. The leech stared at Jude’s throat and Jude growled. Cole chuckled in response.
“Don’t even think about it, leech,” Jude snarled, as Cole pushed his black hair out of his face. The leech smiled at him around fangs much longer and sharper than Jude expected.
“You seem disturbed, demon. What ails you?”
“You’re what ails me, vampire.”
Cole stared at him intently with a puzzled look on his face. Then he smiled.
“No worries,” Cole told Jude. “I only bite women.”
“Your bite is not what I’m worried about,” Jude sneered.
The vampire laughed looking down at his erection. “Oh, that,” he said. “Yes, this is something you should definitely be worried about.” He winked at Jude.
* * * *
The moment Bruce saw Faede, he knew she was meant to be his. Her back was turned to him, but the scent of her called out to him, calming his troubled thoughts. She was the one who would free him from his inner turmoil. He hadn’t approached her, unsure of what he would say, but he kept a close eye on her, making sure no one touched her, not even Lana. He awakened early from his death naps to make sure she was up in time to prepare lunch for the captives. He didn’t want Lana using his bride’s lateness as an excuse to punish her.
He stood in the prison kitchen watching her when she hugged the woman Lana called Carissa. They appeared to be friends. He stepped from the shadows, where he hid and ordered the two women to get to work and stop talking. His mate stared at him with hurt in her eyes. He didn’t want to yell at her, but if he was nice to her, in front of others, they could report his actions to Lana. Though Lana hadn’t shown any intimate interest in Bruce for years, he still knew she would be jealous and mad as hell if he touched another. He would not have his mate punished because of him. It would not sit well with him.
After he yelled at her in the kitchen, he tried to get her attention. He wanted to get her alone to apologize to her, but no matter what he did, she never looked his way. Bruce thought it was because she was shy, but then he caught her looking at Jude and he got enraged.
Now, alone with her, he didn’t know what to say to his bride. He had been captured by Lucius at the age of fifteen, and held captive for twenty-five years; he didn’t know how to talk to a woman other than Lana. He stood, staring down at his petite woman. Having her near him settled his troubled mind. He wished she would look at him the way she looked at Jude moments ago. Anger filled him; how dare she look at another. Bruce stared at his bride’s downturned face and wondered if he made a mistake teleporting her to his room. There were no windows in the room; even in the day time, the room was nearly black as night.
“You can have a seat on the couch, if you like,” Bruce told her, trying to gentle his rough voice. He watched her look around his bedroom noting the lack of furniture. A bed and a couch were the only furnishings in his space. Faede walked over to a door in the back of the room. Bruce didn’t stop her. Opening the door, she realized it was a closet. Only two outfits, exactly like the one he had on, hung there. On the floor, below the outfits, sat two pair of shoes. She sighed and turned back to him, careful not to look him directly in the eyes. “I don’t want to sit on the couch,” she said.
Bruce’s heart sank. He glanced around the room trying to see it as she did. What woman would want to sit on his couch? It was old and torn. Bruce never owned anything new in his life.
“Come,” Bruce called to her angrily. “I’ll take you back to your cell.”
Even her cell was better than his room. Faede shook her head no. Bruce stared at her, confused.
“What do you mean ‘no,’” he asked, feeling like an idiot.
“I mean no, I don’t want to go back to my cell. I would like to stay here with you, if you don’t mind.”
Bruce was at a loss for words. Faede smiled; she looked at him directly, no longer bowing her head shyly.
“Here is where I belong,” she whispered, her voice enveloping Bruce like a warm blanket. Bruce closed his eyes letting her words sink in. When he reopened them, she was on her knees before him, head bent to the ground.
“If you would have me, I give myself to you–body, heart, and soul,” she whispered.
When she looked up at him, her eyes were a swirl of liquid mercury. Bruce was in awe of her beauty.
“What are you?” he asked.
Faede smiled. “I am many things, but most importantly, I’m yours. I have waited my whole life to find you. I’m honored to be your bride.”
Bruce groaned at her words. Honored to be his bride? Didn’t she know what he was? He was a slave. He didn’t own anything. He was owned.
Faede stood once again. “Before you decide whether to accept me or not, allow me to show you my true form.”
Her words puzzled him. If this wasn’t her true form, then what was? Faede blinked her eyes three times and Bruce watched her skin go from pale to a sweet caramel color. Her short, grayish hair turned black and stretched to the middle of her back. Her eyes were still a swirl of silver.
When she entered the room, her head only reached to his chest; now, she was almost eye level with him. Faede slowly lifted her black dress over her head exposing the rest of her body to him. Bruce staggered back falling down onto the couch.
He stared at her naked body. On her skin were words written in a language he couldn’t decipher. The words decorated her waist like a belly chain going all the way from her navel, to her back, and ending at her navel again.
On her side rested a small, dragon tattoo. Bruce’s eyes widened seeing the dragon stretch nearly lifting up off her skin. The small beast turned its head toward him. For a few seconds, it stared at him. Then, it resumed its position on his bride’s hip, making Bruce wonder if he imagined the whole thing.
Faede smiled at him. “I think she likes you.”
“What is she, the tattoo I mean?”
“She’s an extension of me. When I was made a Guardian, I was gifted with an extra life by the Elder of the Guardians.”
Bruce stared at her with a confused expression. His bride went on to explain what she meant.
“Like mortals say, a cat has nine lives; well, I have two lives. If I’m destroyed in this one, I will be reborn. My dragon here will separate from me carrying my memories along with it. Through it, I’ll be recreated. Only, the new me will not wear a dragon tattoo. The new me will not have another life, as I now do.”
She smiled at him and Bruce smiled back. He had no idea what she was talking about. She was an Immortal; she would live forever and only move on into the Realm of Mist, or into the Pit if she was destroyed. If destroyed, she would not live again, but if she believed she would be recreated because of the mysterious tattoo on her hip, he would humor her. She wouldn’t need to be recreated, because he would never let anything happen to her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She walked closer to him, no longer the shy, pixie-like woman who entered his room. This woman exuded confidence. He was turned on. When she stood before him, he let his eyes roam over her body, taking in every inch of her. He rubbed his finger over the tattoo. Faede shivered and he could have sworn he felt the dragon shiver as well.
“Are you a chameleon?” he asked, pulling her body closer to him. He used his tongue to trace the outline of her tattoo and shuddered when she shivered again.
“I’m many things,” she repeated. “Until I am safe, I’m not allowed to tell you what I am.” Bruce stood up swiftly.
“No one will harm you now that I’ve found you,” he snarled, “not even Lana.”
Faede smiled at his words. She ran her hand up his chest, and then to his neck. She grasped the back of his neck and pulled his face closer to hers. Bruce pressed his body against her. When their lips met, he felt the dragon tattoo on her
hip stretching against her skin, straining to be closer to him.
“I want you,” she murmured against his lips.
Bruce pulled back from the kiss and stared deeply into her eyes. He felt her tremble at the intensity in his gaze. Lifting his shirt over his shoulders, and then his head, he threw it to the couch. Then, he unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down. His eyes never left hers while he stepped out of them.
Bruce couldn’t believe this was really happening. Her gaze drifted to his massive chest. He looked away from the tears forming in her eyes; he couldn’t handle her pity; not at this moment.
“Who did this to you,” she whispered, rubbing her finger along the jagged scars on his chest.
“It isn’t important,” he turned his face back to her. “None of this is important now.”
Faede rubbed her hands down his body, over his flat stomach, to his hard cock. She smiled seductively and took his hardness in her hands. He wanted to go slow with her, but the moment she touched him there, all thoughts of patience flew out the window. Faede yelped in surprise when Bruce lifted her up; she wrapped her arms around his neck for balance and he snuggled his face in the crook of her neck.
“Wrap your legs around my waist,” he commanded.
Faede wrapped her legs tightly around him, while he rubbed a rough hand up and down her back. He cradled the back of her neck and brought her face back to his in a kiss. Faede pressed her body closer to his; the length of him pressing against the wetness of her sex.
Bruce needed her like he needed the air filling his lungs. He smelled her arousal and knowing she wanted him even a little bit made him never want to let her go. Finally, he’d found the woman created for him alone, and she was beautiful. Bruce knew he’d never done anything good in his life to deserve someone as lovely as Faede, but he vowed to the Elders from now on he would try to do better.
His Bride pulled her head back; her mercury eyes no longer swirling.
“I’ve never gone this far,” she whispered and his chest filled with pride.
He would be her first.