Blood Bonds Pt. 09

"We get the idea," Talera cut her off, smothering a smile. Talera stood, revealing all her demonic glory in one blink. Her talons slid out then retracted as she extended a hand.

"Lady Talera, Pan'ah, Consort to Lord Ash'Tine, House of Arkon. Vampire, et cetera."

"What's the 'et cetera'?" Nel asked, cautiously returning the handshake, eyes narrowed.

Talera glanced at Sarah, who gave a tiny, violent shake of her head. With a grunt, the demon returned to normal, green eyes shining with momentary pain.

"Long story," Sarah cut in before anyone else could put in an explanation. "You really don't want to know. Trust me."

"It can't be that bad," Nel puffed, face falling.

"Yeah. It can," Sarah affirmed, shaking her head. She blushed when she saw Talera lift a brow, heard Kev's chuckle as he came back into the room, smoothing his shirt. "I mean. Not that it's bad. Just...I'll tell you later. You wouldn't believe it anyway."

Nel looked at all of them, trying to decide if her feelings were hurt or not. Then she sighed, shrugging and shaking her head.

"You need a drink," Ana said, breaking the tense silence. With a flourish, she poured a stiff shot for the girl, then one for everyone else as well, handing them out like a Pucker girl at a college bar.

"To, uh," Nel said, holding her glass out in salute, eyeing everyone else. "To weirdness."

Ana loosed a laugh, downing hers with everyone else. Talera pulled a face, sticking out her tongue briefly like a disgusted kid.

"So you went through with it, huh?" Nel said, looking at the demon, who was inspecting her ice cubes like they were jewels. "I thought v—um... vampires... could only drink blood."

"Anything else pretty much tastes like ass," Talera muttered, a faint flush coming to her pale cheeks. "Works fast, though."

"You'd know," Ana snorted, pouring another round for all of them.

"Says the goddess of getting it on," Kevin countered, smile smothered behind his glass.

"At least I do it on two legs," Ana shot back, grinning at him devilishly.

"Get down on all fours, I'll teach you a few things."

His response sent all of them into peals of laughter. The tension in the room abated abruptly, and they settled into their normal positions, passing the time with drink and simple company.

"What time is it?" Kevin asked quietly a few hours later, disentangling himself from Sarah and Nel, who had fallen asleep on the couch, leaning into either side of him.

He stooped gently to lift Sarah in his arms, taking her into one of the guest rooms down the hall and settling her under the covers. Talera was coaxing Ana into the other guestroom when he returned for Nel. The little blonde snuggled into his chest, murmuring incomprehensibly, smiling in her sleep. Smiling softly, he laid her next to Sarah, tucking both of them in then just looking down at them.

"You'll do just fine in the Pack," the low voice observed from the doorway.

"Is that why I want nothing more than to curl up there with them?" he murmured. "Pack instinct? It feels so wrong to sleep alone since that night. And I don't mean it, you know, that way."

With a sigh, he turned and faced her. Even in the near darkness, her pale face was visible.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked, lips pursing, eyes going wide.

"It's my fault," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I should have done more to protect you. I'm sorry."

"Hey," he said, raising a hand and coming forward. "Don't say that."

When he got to her, he looked down into those sparkling emerald eyes, kissing her eyelids when she shut them. The feel of her cool skin, her soft body, the gentle pulse of her power against his body and inside his head, was more than he could resist. Lowering his head, he touched his lips to hers, drawing her into a deep kiss.

Using strength that would have amazed him if he'd had the presence of mind to consider it, he bent to slide one arm under her legs, lifting her without a breath of effort. She locked her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his collarbone as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. He sank onto the bed with her, covering her with his heavy body.

Her hands slid under his shirt, caressing the muscles of his lower back as he fell to kissing her once more. When he rose up to let her yank the cotton tee over his head, her quick hands slithered down to unbutton his jeans, caressing the growing bulge straining beneath as she did so.

He growled deep in his throat, falling back, crushing her again, teeth coming out as he moved from her lips to her neck, nipping as he kissed with increasing need. With astonishing strength, she pushed him off of her, rolling him onto his back and following behind so that she straddled his waist, sitting up.

He could see the black flames in her eyes, though she remained otherwise in control of her form. When she smiled down at him, expression deceptively distant with lust, her long fangs flashed alluringly. Slowly, she leaned forward, her lips brushing his with the lightest of touches, her breasts just grazing the sensitive skin of his chest.

Moving like a panther, or maybe the creature she was, she slid off his legs, eyes never leaving his as she stood at the end of the bed. One elegant hand came up, toying with the collar of her shirt, fingering the top button as if it were an aching part of her body. Her other hand joining the effort, she freed that button of its hole, moving to the next with equal care, then the next, and the next. When her shirt hung open, exposing a vertical slice of luminous white skin, she slid her hands over her collarbones on opposite sides of her chest, pushing the shirt off her shoulders, letting it catch on her elbows before it dropped out of sight onto the floor.

Taking their time, tripping over the swell of her breasts encased in burgundy lace, over the bare expanse of her stomach, past her navel, her hands converged on the fly of her jeans. He could feel the pulse pounding in his temples as her fingers toyed with the zipper, inching it downwards, the sound testing his control as it echoed in the silent room. When she was free at the waist, her hands roved to her hips, sliding her thumbs under the fabric, arching her wrists to slide the heavy denim down. It slid off with its own power once it was past her hips, settling to the floor in a muffled cascade. His heart thundered in his chest, bringing a smile to her full lips.

"You look good enough to eat," he rumbled, lust fogging his senses. The Wolf inside roared, impatient and hungry, but he pushed it back.

She bowed her head, sending her hair tumbling forward to cover her breasts like a siren. Hooking her thumbs under the edge of the burgundy silk at her hips, she met his gaze once more, one upper canine pushing into her lower lip, drawing the tiniest drop of blood.

He could smell it. Taste it. Wanted it. Wanted her so badly it was all he could do not to rise up and drag her beneath him. And she knew it.

Sliding off the panties, she let her hands traverse the expanse to the crevasse between her breasts, going to the clasp that strained there. Getting in no hurry, she fingered the clasp, finally unclipping it with a snap that sounded like a shot to his straining ears. She caught the bra as it slid down her arms, slinking out of the delicate lace, tossing it to him gracefully.

When he caught it, he couldn't help but bring it to his face, inhaling deeply. The ever so faint, lingering spice of her scent permeated the intricate weave, overwhelming his senses for a moment. He could only close his eyes, letting the lace tumble to the side as he reigned himself in.

The shift of the bed under her weight shocked him back to the moment and snapped his control. Rocketing forward, he snatched her around the waist, spinning, bringing them both back into the covers in a blur. She moaned under him as he buried his face in her neck, plucking at the skin with his sharp teeth, his hand tangling in her hair, pulling then releasing. His other hand slid under her body, dragging down her back, cupping that luscious ass, pulling her hips up and into him, grinding against her through his jeans.

"Can you hear it?" he whispered, sliding down, taking one hard nipple into his mouth, kneading the other with his free hand. "This big, strong heart? All that hot blood? Don't you want it?"

She gasped, arching her back, fingers digging into his shoulders.

"Don't tease me," she managed. "You have no idea."

"I'm in no mood for teasing," he growled, biting at the sensitive skin around her nipple, lathing it with his tongue.

With a swift movement, he sat back, pulling her onto his lap with a wave of her hair following, settling own around them like a dark cloud. Tilting his head to one side, he pressed the back of her neck, pushing those cool lips to his throat. A deep vibration ran through her body and into his, her whimper of desire fast in its wake. He felt the twin points of her two upper fangs press lightly against his burning skin.

"Bite," he ordered, grasping the back of her head and pressing hard.

When the teeth broke the skin, he howled in mixed pain and ecstasy, grabbing her hips and crushing her closer. She let loose a sigh of relief, closing her lips over the rush of liquid heat. For a long moment, he drifted on the current of his own pulse, entranced by the sensation of the long teeth buried in his throat, the blood flowing past them in a blazing torrent.

One of her hands released his shoulder, moving down his back, over the side of his stomach, tugging at the waistband of his boxers. He let her loose enough to get her hand between them, into his pants, drawing his hard length out.

Grasping her tightly once more, he lifted her just enough to press himself into her hot core, finding his place in her velvet heat. The grasp of her tight body, the convulsions around him were at once familiar and alien. Where it had once been it thrill to be so powerless against her, he now had the depth of his own strength. The knowledge that he was also Other. No longer a weak human at the mercy of a higher being.

"Show me that power," she sighed, popping out her teeth, licking his blood off her lips, which were stained red.

Pressing her back into the bed, he growled, thrusting into her once more, making her gasp, tangle her legs around his. He could feel the gentle drip, drip of his blood as it trickled down his neck, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. He caught her hair, pressing her lips to the wound once more, roaring outright when she sank her fangs in for the second time.

The Wolf reared inside him, casting out much of his reserve, pushing him into frenzy. She held him tightly, nails cutting into his back as he buried himself deep inside her, staying there, moving only in tiny waves, lost in the cold and heat of her.

"Take it back," she whispered, licking the wounds in his neck. He moaned at the sensation, cool air wicking away the burn of his skin as it healed instantly. "Take as much as you need."

Making a low sound deep in his chest, he nuzzled into her neck, the silken strands of her hair sticking to the beads of sweat on his forehead. He felt his own canines run out a little more, pricking the inside of his lip, dragging across the sensitive flesh as he opened his mouth.

"You can't hurt me," she murmured. "Don't be gentle."

With that goad, he drew back, letting his mouth come back down on the satin skin, feeling it break under his teeth. The blood gushed down his throat, burning and freezing as it passed, melting his senses, immersing his mind. The flow stopped the second his teeth let her free. Perplexed, hungry, the Wolf took over his human brain, forcing him to bite again, this time sinking his fangs deeply, leaving them, forcing the river to burst into his mouth once more.

She convulsed under him, the pleasure of being taken, nourishing another with her own life, spreading into his thoughts on her blood. It was entirely different from the satisfaction of the hard length buried inside her. Deeper. The surrender of her soul more intoxicating than the plunder of her body.

He groaned, breath smothered against her neck, swallowing as fast as he could, drinking as deeply as a man lost in a desert. The beast inside him crowed as she relaxed beneath him, shuddering with her release, letting her head fall back, hands only stroking his back softly. He wanted to let go, to free her, but he was so close, so hungry.

His body picked up its rhythm once more, rocking her in his arms, making her moan softly. The sensations built around him. The silk of the sheets against his knees and arms. Cool, satin wash of her skin. Heat of his own flesh. Ache of his jaw against her neck. Burn of her blood as it thundered through his veins. Pound of her heart as it pushed against his pull. Rasp of his own breath.

With shattering finality, he climaxed, thrusting into her with all his power. She shrieked beneath him, pulling his hair painfully for a moment before collapsing, panting hard. It was a long moment before he could pull his teeth free of the bite. She was intoxicating. Addictive. Sating the terrible hunger that had been building for ten longs days.

"So much," he grunted, licking the rather nasty wound as it closed smoothly.

Sliding down beside her, he snuggled her into his chest, wrapping one leg around both of hers. She sighed, kissing his heated skin. He could feel her smile, though he couldn't see her face. Glancing over, he realized the curtains weren't drawn. The feeble gray light of early dawn was starting to creep into the room.

"I need to get you to safety," he murmured, kissing the top of her head, bringing his arms up as if he could shield her from the light.

"Mmm, it won't kill me," she replied sleepily, words muffled against his skin.

"What?" he asked, shocked, drawing back enough to look down at her face.

"It won't kill any of the Ruling Line," she said groggily, yawning, all four fangs bared for a couple of seconds. "Me, Ash or Arkon. You didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't," he muttered, awake now, brain working once more. "I don't think anyone knows that."

"Doesn't mean I like it," she continued, shuddering, bringing fiery eyes up to meet his gaze. "If I can stay conscious, I'm like a kitten. Burns eventually, but that takes hours. Weakens me for days. Makes the thirst unbearable."

She closed her eyes, a tiny stream of her power arcing out, touching some control he'd never seen. With a smooth metallic whir, a set of steel shutters locked down tightly over each section of the bank of windows. Elsewhere in the house, he could hear the click of heavy deadbolts on the outer doors. The bedroom locks snapped shut, but she overrode the mechanism, unlocking even her own door.

"That's a bit trusting," he commented, arching a brow in the direction of the doorway.

"I'm not going to lock any of you in," she huffed. "Besides, no one who doesn't belong can get anywhere near me. Even when I'm out, the tail is awake. And it doesn't take any shit. Somehow manage to get past that, touch me, and any intruder finds themselves flung into the abyss and face to face with a pissed off Dragon and a whole bunch of mind-blowing Nothing."

"Hm," he muttered thoughtfully, staring down at her. "Should I leave?"

"Nah, none of you are in danger. If you've had my blood, and I've had yours, I won't hurt you no matter if I'm out."

"That's comforting," he deadpanned. "Are you asleep or..."

"Dead?" she grinned. "Undead?"

He just stared levelly.

"So serious. Fine. Ah, I probably seem outright dead. In any case, I'm not here. I have no sense of anything going on in this plane or any other besides my...home."

"And it wasn't like that before?" he asked, fascinated. "That's amazing. That a Spirit bound to this Plane can have that much influence over you, when so much of you is obviously not here physically. I can't even grasp how confusing that must be."

"You're a dual being now too, honey," she noted dryly. "Wait 'til that first full moon rolls around. No matter how much control you think you have, once instinct kicks in, you'll understand."