I expect him to say, “with you,” but his sentence ends before he says that. Has he truly not been with anyone else? I fall more in love with him than I ever thought possible in that moment. He vowed and he stayed true. I kiss him sweetly as I move up and down over him, and he lets me ride him for my own pleasure. He knows he will get his turn just as soon as…
“Oh, fuck yes,” I gasp as my orgasm starts to leisurely ripple through me. I drench his cock with my juices and his breath hitches. I want so badly to climb off him and take him in my mouth, but he gives me no chance as he flips us over, pushing me roughly into the chaise longue.
“My turn,” he says and pounds into me, causing my stomach to flutter as I feel him long and hard inside me. “More time like this,” he pants as he brings the house down with our joint orgasm that rocks the chaise back a few feet. “Wow” is about the only word to describe it. “More time just like this,” he repeats, as he gets off me and hands me my top.
Err, that’s it? “Come back,” I say to him. “I’m not ready to end this.”
“Aefre, you are still not well. You may go around trying to show everyone everything is great, but you still don’t have your Powers. That is serious. You need rest and you have had far too much activity for today.” He hands me my jeans. I pout at him and stand. He said that quite unpleasantly, clearly choosing to ignore his own part in my day’s activities.
I roughly shove my left leg into my jeans with a noise of rage and aggravation, followed by my right one. I bounce as I pull them up and do the button. Why am I bothering to go through this dressing process when in two minutes I am going to have to take them all off again? It gets the better of me and my shoulders sag. He catches me before I fall and cradles me in his arms as I wrap mine around him.
“I rest my case,” he says gently. “I do love you, Aefre. We have to spend more time alone together, okay.”
“Yes,” I say instantly, and he chuckles at me.
“Not just for sex, but to talk. I miss you,” he says.
Oh, how disappointing. Talking is overrated when you have a skilled lover who can do things to your body that it craves.
I nod anyway and put my head on his shoulder. He Teleports us upstairs and I must have fallen asleep before we got there, because I wake up a few hours later, in my nightgown and alone. Hm, CK obviously got me changed. A thoroughly delicious thought flashes through my head: He can continue to dress me until my Powers return. I have a small, arousing, albeit clichéd, fantasy of him serving my every need, clothing me, feeding me, bathing me. Of course, he is shirtless and in tight leather pants with a collar around his neck. I giggle as he would kill me if I ever suggested that to him and then reality bites me on the arse. That is exactly what he has been doing for the past few days, okay, so not in the tight leather pants, and it has been driving me nuts. I need to get my Powers back, like right now. I stand just as there is a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I say, frowning, as who would knock? Boundaries are not exactly a big thing around these parts.
My face lights up as I see Edward. “Hi,” he says and closes the door. “You rang?”
“I did indeed,” I say, clenching my fists so I don’t pounce on him and scare him half to death.
“It’s good to see you back on your feet. Had everyone worried there for a bit,” he says, then he adds at my worried look, “Oh, don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone. Your sire is a scary, scary man.” He laughs, but it is shaky, and his pale face speaks volumes. “So where do you want me?”
“Wherever you like,” I say. Who cares, I just want to feed.
He sits on the bed, which amuses me as I will now have to straddle him. I don’t have a problem with that though as I crawl into his lap, my fangs already drawn. I tilt his head and take just one second to sniff him appreciatively before I bite down on him. He grunts as I bit him too sharply and suddenly, but he relaxes into it within moments. I pull on his vein, feeling the fresh human blood gush into my mouth and down my throat. I mewl like a little starving kitten and press myself closer to him as I drink. I know I have gone beyond the limit, his head is starting to loll, but I don’t stop. I can’t. He is too delicious, and it has been too long. My body needs this, and I need
my Powers back, that is all I think about.
“Aefre!” CK yells at me, but I ignore him, clutching Edward in a death grip. No one is taking him away from me.
“Aefre! You are killing him!” CK says in my ear and it was the right thing to say. I stop and my fangs snap back, as CK picks me up and sits me down next to the now unconscious Edward. Shit. Fuck. What did I do?
“Is he?” I ask in dread.
“No, he’ll live if I deal with it now,” he says shortly and picks him up and slings him over his shoulder. “You are in so much trouble when I get back,” he snarls at me and leaves the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
I drop my head into my hands. Christ, he was right as bloody usual. I wasn’t ready for a human Feeder. If he hadn’t walked in here, Edward would be dead, and I would be beside myself. One of these days I am going to have to start listening to him. I whimper as the tears flood my eyes. I completely lost control like a stupid newbie. I hate being so out of sorts.
“Aefre,” Tiamat says from the foot of the bed.
I look up at Her and She is glaring down Her nose at me with what looks a lot like revulsion. I flinch from it and She softens Her features a fraction. “Time to go,” She says briskly. “Clean up and then we will leave.”
I nod, wiping my tears away with shaking hands and make my way to the bathroom. As I catch sight of myself in the mirror, I don’t feel so bad about Her revolted look. I am a fright. My hair is plastered to my head with sweat, my cheeks are ruddy and sweat stained, I have Edwards’s blood smeared all over my mouth. I am pretty disgusted myself. I wash my face off and the water is cool and inviting. I am definitely feeling more than just warm now. I am hot. Really, really hot. I hold the washcloth to my face for a few minutes and then She raps quickly on the door. “Aefre, if you are quite done, we need to leave. Now,” She says.
“Okay,” I grumble. “What’s the hurry?”
I open the door and stare at my mother’s back. She is standing with Her hands on Her hips and I can feel the wave of Power vibrating off Her. I peer around Her and see the reason for the urgency. My husbands have gone into Hunting mode and they are both ready to pounce. Well, there are worse bodyguards that a girl could have than Empress of the Dragon Realms and Underworld, but I am sure it isn’t necessary. I step around Her to say my farewells, but She grabs my arm and Astrals me out right before they both dive on me, fangs and claws extended.
Yikes, She wasn’t messing about with this whole it’s-safer-to-be-with-Her routine. We land in the big cave where I got my Power boost, as expected, and She lets go of me. “Follow me,” She says, and I scamper after Her as She takes long, quick strides further into the cave. This place is an absolute warren. Even with my photographic memory, I think I would struggle to remember the way back out. Twists and turns through massive corridors lit only by fire torches. Oh, Devon and Cole would eat this up. Eventually, She opens a door and I am more convinced than ever that She put me here just so I couldn’t escape. Or if I did try, I would be lost for years roaming the corridors trying to find my way back. She gently ushers me in, and I take in a cave bedroom, lit by candles. There is a nice, comfy-looking bed, a set of drawers, a couple of chairs, an armoire, and Xanthe. I smile in surprise at her, as I wasn’t expecting her to be here.
She comes over to me and takes both my hands. “Your Majesty,” she says, dipping her head in respect. “It’s nice to see you again.”