Her eyelids felt as heavy as bricks, but Keely forced them open just enough to gauge his sincerity. Kosmas met her eyes, his own shining in the muted lights of the room, but underneath it all, he looked haunted and full of despair. He cared. He really cared.
It was nearly too much for her to process. Kosmas shifted his body over hers, his lean hips settling between her thighs. “Are you going to give me your blood?” Keely whispered, her voice so low she wondered if he could even hear it.
“No,” Kosmas said firmly, his bulbous cock head nudging against her swollen folds. “I'm going to give you everything. I can't live with the possibility of losing you, it's the only thing that could destroy me. Tonight I'm going to mate you, Keely. I'm going to give you my seed and my blood, something I've never done before... and by gifting you with these, I'll be giving you immortality.”
“Why?” she asked, a soft moan escaping from her lips when he leaned over to suckle her throat. The pleasure she felt from his words and actions overrode the pain, weakness, and fear she felt. At the sharp sting from his fangs, she could have happily died from the bliss. His large, rigid cock continued to thrust gently at her heated flesh, teasing her but not attempting entry. She wanted to grip his muscular shoulders and dig her nails in deeply, but she didn't have the strength. The moment took on a dreamy feel, as if her reality was fading away in a foggy haze.
Kosmas broke away, her blood staining his lips before he licked it away. “Because I can't live without you,” he admitted, stopping to roughly bite his wrist. Immediately, his blood welled to the surface. He held his offering down to her, his eyes urging her to accept it. “I gave you my heart a long time ago, I was just too blind to realize it. I have nothing left to give you now but my blood and seed. Will you accept it, and everything it entails?”
A drop of his blood hit her lips. They parted of their own accord, as if she were drawn to anything that originated within him. Her tongue tentatively danced out to taste it as she groaned in pleasure. It was a taste she remembered well. Drinking of Kosmas just felt right. In his arms was where she belonged. The differences between them no longer mattered. Kosmas and Legionnaire were her future, and by his own admission, he'd given her the freedom to embrace them.
For a moment, a shadow hovered over her happiness as she thought of Zander. There had been a time when she would have willingly given herself to him, but her desire for him had been wrong. It had been based off of her fear of the unknown, and a desperate attempt to protect herself from the others. Thankfully, he hadn't accepted her offer. Zander deserved better... he deserved a woman that would love him as much as she loved Kosmas. He was hurt, but in time he would recover, especially once he found for himself what she had with Kosmas.
Just one drop of Kosmas' powerful blood emboldened her enough to lift her arms and grip his offering. He watched her with naked desire as she pulled him to her lips. “God, yes. I accept you, Kosmas.” Keely formed a tight seal around his puncture before drawing deeply of his blood.
He flexed his hips, her wet, willing body accepting him easily. “I love you,” he groaned out brokenly, his shaft parting his swollen inner walls like a heated knife through butter. Keely felt as if her insides were on fire, her need of him spiraling out of control. She was humbled by his admission, but at the same time she found it arousing. Kosmas was the most powerful male she'd ever seen... and he was hers.
With his blood filling her mouth and his cock buried within her, Keely crested. Her orgasm was powerful, she had no choice but to scream, the pleasure indescribable. Instead of appeasing her need, though, she only wanted more. She wanted to remain locked in his embrace forever.
Kosmas surged within her, groaning his approval. She could sense the desperate need within him to find his own release, almost as if the blood they shared connected them in a way that required no words. “So many years I've waited for the woman that would take my seed,” he rasped, “and here you are. I've never seen anything more beautiful than you, Keely, I've never felt anything more right than what I feel now.”
All of a sudden Kosmas stilled to throw his head back as roared toward the ceiling in ecstasy. Deep within, his shaft pulsated against her super-sensitive flesh, triggering another release of her own. His seed splashed within her as her folds clenched, milking him with each contraction. As he spent the last of his seed, he moved his arm away to kiss her, still locked within her body.
“We are joined,” he whispered, in between kisses. “You're actually mine.”
His words were filled with so much wonder that it brought tears to Keely's eyes. “No,” she whispered back, filled with joy from passion and the depth of emotion that she felt. “You make me feel as if I'm some kind of wondrous thing, when you are the true prize. I can't believe that you are actually mine. I love you so much it hurts, Kosmas. There are no words that can really describe how much I care for you. Are you really sure you mean all this?” her voice broke, but she had to ask. It seemed too good to be true.
Kosmas stared down at her with an incredulous expression on his gorgeous face. Gently, he flexed his hips, reminding her of her still hardened shaft. “I just gave you my seed and blood, woman,” he said gruffly. “There's no walking away from that. Even now, you could be breeding my child.”
He stopped to smile, as if the thought pleased him immensely. “Our child.” Kosmas growled possessively, raining kisses all along her face. “But even if you aren't, there's no escaping me now. You've mated me, and I'm going to spend the rest of our lives making you glad that you did.”
“What about your other concubines?” Keely asked hesitantly, hating to bring them up. It was something she needed to do, though. She had to know.
“What concubines?” he asked, with a lighthearted laugh. At her dumbfounded look, he stole another quick kiss. “I've already made arrangements for them to leave,” he explained, lowering his chin to stare at her breasts. Keely inhaled sharply, aroused by the heat in his eyes. “Even with all of them combined, they never pleased me as well as you do.”
“Gee, thanks,” Keely shot back, rolling her eyes at his teasing. She didn't bother hiding the small smile that played about her lips, though. She was enjoying Kosmas' lighter side... a lot.
He gently pulled her up before rotating her onto her stomach, his shaft never leaving the folds of her body. Keely gasped in pleasure, finding it suddenly hard to focus on the conversation. He leaned forward to kiss and lick his way across her back, his sharp fangs brushing against her skin pleasurably. “So I'm a vampire now?”
“Soon,” he promised, with a gentle thrust. It would seem that his focus was changing, too. Keely arched her hips, taking more of him inside. Their conversation was about to be over, at least for the time being.
“It's like that, huh?” Kosmas ground out, his fingers gripping her hips as he positioned her for a serious pounding. Keely gasped in delight, stretching her arms out in front of her as far as she could before gripping the sheets in her hands.
“Oh, yeah,” she replied, casting him a serious glance over her shoulder. “It's definitely like that.”
Chapter 7
One month later...
Zander stood in the center of the amphitheater, his feet spread wide with his hands folded in front of him. He was on the ground next to the stage, a perfectly blank expression on his face. He looked like a guard absorbed in his duties... but deep inside he was anything but.
So he'd come full circle... Being back at the market reminded him of Keely, and how he'd felt the last time he'd been there. It felt as if a lifetime had passed since that night, but it hadn't. He'd been so full of fight, so determined to have her. But fate had led them all down a different path.
The crowd around him was loud and rowdy, waiting not only for their leader and his new mate to arrive, but for their newest shipment of concubines to announce their choices. It was Zander's first night back on duty since Keely had picked Kosmas, and it would be the first time he'd seen her since. His mourning period
was over. It was time to pick up the pieces and move on with his life.
He'd taken an extended leave of absence, which meant he had missed the last two concubine shipments. At first, Zander had considered continuing with his original plan to leave the guard, but time had healed the majority of his wounds. Unless he was mated, he really had no desire to leave. He needed something to fill the empty days... and nights.
For the first week of his leave, Zander had felt dismal and bleak. Not only about losing Keely, but about life itself. Having experienced a small portion of what having a mate would be like, he realized exactly what he was missing. And now he craved it.
How would we he react once he'd seen her again? Over the weeks of his leave, Zander had slowly worked through his feelings, and he'd discovered a surprising revelation. It wasn't so much losing Keely that hurt as much as losing his potential happiness. He wanted to feel settled, he wanted the love and acceptance that came from having a mate. Keely had seemed like the likeliest of candidates, but it hadn't worked out. He'd thought he'd put that failed attempt in the proper place, but now Zander wasn't so sure.
Zander sighed. The market would be the test. Tonight, he would face Kosmas and Keely, and then he'd know. If it felt too awkward, he'd leave the guard. Hell, he might even put in for a transfer to Earth. Scouts and lookouts were always needed on that planet.
But things were bad for the mortals, and Zander wondered how long the vampires would be able to continue collecting women. Month by month the situation seemed to be worsening, and humans were dying at astonishing rates. The ones in charge of Earth had turned their backs on the majority of the people they'd pledged to protect, secure in the belief that they were untouchable. But even they weren't invincible, and they certainly weren't immortal. Eventually, their actions would catch up with them. If something didn't happen soon, humanity would be extinct.
Zander couldn't have cared less about the humans, but he did care about his people. They needed the humans to breathe new life into their own population, but what would happen where there were none left to take as concubines? And the leaders of Earth seemed to be putting less effort into locating the women that they needed. Maybe it was time to give them an incentive, Zander mused grimly. If they thought they could treat vampires like they treated the people on their own planet, they were in for a very rude awakening.
The conversations and noise from the crowd turned into cheers as Kosmas and Keely stepped out to make their way to their podium. Zander frowned. They'd made their appearance several minutes earlier than planned, which was unexpected.
He carefully scanned the crowd once more before allowing himself to watch them. Keely seemed unaware of his presence, but it wasn't surprising. Zander wasn't sure she really noticed anyone. Her full attention was focused on Kosmas, and it was evident by the expression on her face that she was happy... far happier than he could have ever made her.
It was a startling realization but an accurate one. And for the first time since he'd met her, Zander felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. His feelings for her finally fell into its proper perspective, and everything was as it should be. He liked and respected the formally mortal female, but in the long run, they would have never had what she had with Kosmas... or what he had with her.
Kosmas caught his eye, his eyes narrowed as he searched Zander's face. After a moment, the other vampire nodded, a small smile hovering about his lips. Zander grinned. It had taken awhile, but both men were finally on the same page. He'd even forgiven Kosmas for his abduction, although that had taken awhile. If Zander were honest, he could admit to even understanding why he'd done it. Male vampires were notorious for being territorial, especially when it came to a female that they were determined to have. Who knew? Maybe one day he'd find himself in a similar situation. God, he hoped not.
Kyle walked up to join him, a smile on his own face. Zander hadn't expected his father to attend the market, but then again, it didn't surprise him. His dad had always been supportive, and Zander was grateful for it.
“So how does it feel to be back?” Kyle asked, slapping him on the shoulder. “It's quite the turn out, huh?”
Kyle was right. Zander wouldn't be surprised if every resident of Golden Harbor was there. “I don't think I've ever seen quite so many here before,” he admitted. “We lost a lot of our people when the Seiyadians attacked. Maybe the vampires are really starting to take the markets seriously. They should. This is the only way to fix the reproductive problems we are having. If they have any hopes of their own offspring one day finding mates, it will all start with this.”
“Have any of the concubines started breeding yet?” Kyle asked curiously. “I know it's still a bit soon, but it would probably boost everyone's moral to know this program is working.”
“Surprisingly, a few of them have.” Zander watched Kosmas and Keely take their thrones before reaching out to clasp hands. To his relief, he felt nothing more than acceptance. “And someday their offspring will hopefully be mates to some of the single male vampires here. It might seem like a long ways off, but it's really not. Not when you are as long-lived as we are.”
“You're right,” Kyle replied, his own eyes sliding up to watch the royal couple. “Maybe one of them will be your mate.”
Zander froze. “Don't wish that kind of hell on me,” he muttered emphatically, shaking his head in denial. “The thought of having to wait another thirty or fifty years is its own unique form of torture. But yet, the thought of even trying again is hell, too.” He meant every word. As much as he wanted his mate, he wasn't ready to try again. Not yet, maybe not ever. His pride had taken quite a hit, and losing out to another male had stung. Deeply.
“Regardless,” Kyle continued, clapping him on the back again. “When the time is right, you'll know it.” He dropped his hand back down to his side. “I'm not sticking around town tonight, but I did want to drop in to check on you. I'm headed back home to your mother. It's the night of the full moons, and I'm going to show her what the humans mean when they say skinny dipping.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Zander, a grin of anticipation on his face.
Gross. Even though he'd lived through several lifetimes, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his parents had a sex life. “Knock yourself out,” he said blandly. Hopefully before he decided to share something like that again.
* * * * *
“Come and sit on my lap,” Kosmas said suggestively, a wicked glint in his eyes. He shot Keely a sexy grin, one guaranteed to tempt her. “I find myself craving the touch of that sweet, voluptuous little body of yours.”
“Kosmas!” Keely hissed, but she couldn't resist smiling. Her mate was a voracious lover. It would appear that he couldn't get enough of her, and he delighted in making sure she knew it. Keely loved every bit of it. She couldn't get enough of him, either. “What would our audience say?”
“Who cares?” he shot back, shrugging his shoulders. “Now come to me before I'm forced to collect you.”
That Kosmas. Even though he'd won her over, he'd never learned to take no for an answer. But instead of angering her, she loved his demanding ways. Kosmas had no qualms about letting her know how much he loved and needed her... and she adored him for it.
In his capable hands, she'd smoothly transitioned from mortal to vampire. Despite her initial uncertainty about the change, with his support she'd quickly embraced her new life. The first few days had been a tad rough, but she was now comfortable and satisfied in her new role. And thankfully Keely didn't miss food at all. Her body had reprogrammed itself, and blood completely and totally satiated any hunger pains she felt. She hadn't drank of anyone but Kosmas, and neither did she want to. Feedings were quite pleasurable, in more ways than one.
Smiling, she stood up to climb in his lap. Immediately, Brownie followed her, looking for his chance to jump in her lap. Finally, he found one. Kosmas grunted when he did. “I swear that dog has gained ten pounds,” he grumbled in her ear, but h
e couldn't resist affectionately rubbing the dog's exposed belly. “And that's saying a lot, when you're talking about a Chihuahua.”
Keely chuckled, but her amusement fled when she felt his fingers trailing along her neck. Heat sizzled along her nerve endings. She wasn't the only one affected. She could feel the steely hardness underneath her, and suddenly she wished they were anywhere but in front of a crowd.
“Just in case you didn't notice, Zander is here,” Kosmas informed her in a low voice, his strong arm winding about her waist to hold her close. “Are you okay with this?”
For a moment, Keely didn't reply as her eyes searched the crowd. Finally, she spotted him. “I wasn't aware he was back,” she replied thickly, stunned by the realization. “This is a surprise.”
Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part Five Page 6